D&D General Help me avoid “Chosen Ones” trope

[CompleteKneeBiter]

A major “gimmick” in my upcoming campaign is the existence of these tiny fragments of divinity that look like sharp gemstones (I have fun props for these when they appear) that can appear as treasure or even “manifest” from slain creatures. Those who find them can absorb these fragments into their auras, their blood, or their shadows, granting them themed powers.

My problem is that I can’t think of an organic reason why the PCs can see and/or find these divine fragments, since if the fragments have always been around (or visible) they would have all been gathered up ages ago.

Every idea I come up with ends up being a variation of “you are the Chosen Ones who alone can gather the McShiny Macguffins.” I want to avoid this…because my friends pointed out that I’ve used that trope in my last three campaigns.

What are other reasons why these divine shards are accessible to the PCs?

All suggestions are welcome!
Thanks in advance.
-CKB

If it matters: It is an urban campaign taking place in an enormous city.
In the hidden background, one god is trying to unmask the God of Wealth to reveal them as actually the God of Trickery.

 

[Yaarel]

A major “gimmick” in my upcoming campaign is the existence of these tiny fragments of divinity that look like sharp gemstones (I have fun props for these when they appear) that can appear as treasure or even “manifest” from slain creatures. Those who find them can absorb these fragments into their auras, their blood, or their shadows, granting them themed powers.

My problem is that I can’t think of an organic reason why the PCs can see and/or find these divine fragments, since if the fragments have always been around (or visible) they would have all been gathered up ages ago.

Every idea I come up with ends up being a variation of “you are the Chosen Ones who alone can gather the McShiny Macguffins.” I want to avoid this…because my friends pointed out that I’ve used that trope in my last three campaigns.

What are other reasons why these divine shards are accessible to the PCs?

All suggestions are welcome!
Thanks in advance.
-CKB

If it matters: It is an urban campaign taking place in an enormous city.
In the hidden background, one god is trying to unmask the God of Wealth to reveal them as actually the God of Trickery.

Maybe the gems havent always been around, but appeared recently from elsewhere.

Since these are Divine items, they need to be symbolic, and show up in places that relate thematically with Wealth (or whichever concept these gems originate from).

 

[payn]

Maybe they are accessible to everyone? Let some NPCs have them too.

 

[Voadam]

Early on have them stumble on a MacGuffin or a wild magic thing that allows them to find the divine shards. That way there is a reason only they can find them and it is up to them what to do about it rather than having been chosen for a purpose.

 

[billd91]

Have them detectable through some device the PCs unexpectedly (to them) obtain? Maybe some weird magic lens or goggles. For example, they recover the goggles from a mugging victim they encounter about in the city or as loot dumped by some burglar trying to ditch the evidence when about to be arrested.

 

[CreamCloud0]

a mad scientist wizard discovered one of the shards with their superior magical abilities and tried to run an experiment on it, it went wrong and released a ton of magic energy that made people start being able to see the shards

 

[Kurotowa]

The divine fragments are only easily visible to people who already have one. The PCs get their starter set (probably very weak ones) somehow that isn't being Chosen Ones; accidental blowback when stopping a villain's ritual, test subjects (willing or otherwise) for a mad wizard, inheritance pressed on them when they're in the right place at the right time for a dying hero to pass them on, whatever. Steal your favorite superhero origin story if you want.

Alternatively, the divine fragments can't be perceived normally. But the party has a patron who's a reclusive artificer with heretical theories, and he gives them a means of detecting the fragments and is happy as long as his theories are proven correct. Magical EKG Meter, special goggles, alchemical eyedrops, take your pick.

 

[Stormonu]

Kind of reminds me of Birthright and the bloodline abilities thereof.

Couple of factors could be in play here
1) Only someone who kills the creature can access the stone/ability
2) Only certain individuals can cause the stone/ability to manifest
3) It's only a recent event

#2 is the big issue, I think. But it could be broad. Some ideas:

0) The god of trickery is behind this and had endowed certain individuals with the ability to gather & collect, reasons to be revealed later
1) The gods had a lottery, the PCs are among the ones that got picked
2) Only worshippers or believers of certain deities are affected (perhaps tying back to #0 or #1)
3) Ancient bloodlines
4) Special items required to reveal them

If the players are upset that they are the only ones who can do this, then cast a wider net. The wider the group who can access these items, the less special or chosen the PCs are.

 

[Charlaquin]

You said they can magically manifest from slain creatures? Why not just have it be that when a creature that has absorbed one dies, that fragment manifests from its corpse. Then some of your tougher “boss monsters” could have absorbed fragments, which the PCs can get as loot for defeating them.

 

[Charlaquin]

Alternatively, maybe it works Dragon Ball style. When all the fragments are found and gathered together, the deity they are fragments of appears before whoever gathered them, grants some boon, and then the fragments are magically scattered across the corners of the world once more. When you start the campaign, this could have been recently achieved, perhaps by the villain of the campaign, and this event was marked by some very recognizable omen like the appearance of a special comet or some such. Now that the comet has been seen, ambitious and hopeful adventurers from across the world set out to find the pieces.