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+---- Thread: [ZGG Repost] Time Travel ideas? (/showthread.php?tid=115)
[ZGG Repost] Time Travel ideas? - Havard - 11-24-2009
Time Travel ideas?
http://mmrpg.zeitgeistgames.com/index.p ... opic&t=286
Havard:
am looking for ideas revolving around Time Travel which could be used to link Mystara and Blackmoor.
What would be some different ideas for means of time travel?
What could be motivations for travelling through time?
Which groups or individuals could work as allies and enemies, possibly in several eras?
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Sheridan:
Hi Havard!
I love using time travel in campaigns. For Blackmoor, the most obvious is to use the gate in the basement of the Comeback Inn, ala module DA1. I've had Mystara characters use it to go back and explore Blackmoor (which has a legendary status attached to it in my Mystara campaign).
In a seperate d20 Modern campaign based on the new Odyssey Prime setting by Eden Games/Misfit Studios, a group of dimensional explorers actually ended up on Mystara's moon (the one that revolves normally) and witnessed the Rain Of Fire from space - but didn't understand the significance of it at the time.
I have also allowed players to re-use their dead characters in a DungeonWorld (Fast Forward Games) campaign, where characters are spirits in the afterlife that have a chance at escaping back to the world of the living. Those that do escape end up in Blackmoor.
Another idea I'm toying with is having the Isle of the Dead in the underground city from module B4 have a link to Blackmoor. Per B4, the island is supposedly home to many undead. In my campaign, it's because of an unusual artifact which was placed on the island (formerly a burial site) to keep it away from other living creatures. This artifact, actually an energy source from the Beagle, is the item responsible for the creation of the undead on the island. I'm considering having passages under the tunnel lead back to Blackmoor via the space and time warping energies produced by the Beagle's still running power source that is secluded there.
To my campaign, Blackmoor was an era of high magic. The players could want to go there to "rediscover" magic spells (or even mundane clockwork mechanics) or items (a rare cure for the "Red Steel" disease) which no longer exist in Mystara (or their other "current world"). The opposite works as well - Blackmoor characters might travel to the future in hopes of bringing back advanced magic, futuristic technology, knowledge of future history, a cure for a specific disease, etc.
I like using the Egg of Coot as an enemy "across eras". I've even tied him to my Gamma World history by connecting him to E. (Edmund) Coot from one of TSR's Gamma World modules (by Kim Eastman, was it?) and Deadlands: Hell On Earth/Lost Colony history by connecting him to the Hellstrome Corporation.
In a campaign based "after" the time period of Blackmoor proper, a secret society of descendants of Uther may be plotting to return/establish their bloodline to the throne of modern nations (ala, Priory of Sion from "Holy Blood, Holy Grail"). Depending on the motivations of the party, this society might be valuable allies or opponents.
These are just a few thoughts to spark creativity, anyway. Hope you like 'em!
Take care,
*Sheridan
-Scott Moore
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Havard:
Sheridan wrote:
Hi Havard!
I love using time travel in campaigns. For Blackmoor, the most obvious is to use the gate in the basement of the Comeback Inn, ala module DA1. I've had Mystara characters use it to go back and explore Blackmoor (which has a legendary status attached to it in my Mystara campaign).
Hi Scott! You are right, the Comeback Inn's basement is the most logical time travel device to use when involving Blackmoor. I am wondering if one could evoke a similar feel to that of the children sneaking into the wardrobe in Narnia with PCs sneaking into the Inn's basement not knowing what they are getting themselves into. Alternately, it could be interesting to have them wake up hung over after a part at the Inn finding themselves at a different place and time having no idea that the Inn itself was involved... Twisted Evil
Quote:
Another idea I'm toying with is having the Isle of the Dead in the underground city from module B4 have a link to Blackmoor. Per B4, the island is supposedly home to many undead. In my campaign, it's because of an unusual artifact which was placed on the island (formerly a burial site) to keep it away from other living creatures. This artifact, actually an energy source from the Beagle, is the item responsible for the creation of the undead on the island. I'm considering having passages under the tunnel lead back to Blackmoor via the space and time warping energies produced by the Beagle's still running power source that is secluded there.
Thats a good idea. Have you considered using the Lightning Zombies from WotI as some of these undead? Lightning Zombies are usually created from such technological artifacts.
Quote:
To my campaign, Blackmoor was an era of high magic. The players could want to go there to "rediscover" magic spells (or even mundane clockwork mechanics) or items (a rare cure for the "Red Steel" disease) which no longer exist in Mystara (or their other "current world"). The opposite works as well - Blackmoor characters might travel to the future in hopes of bringing back advanced magic, futuristic technology, knowledge of future history, a cure for a specific disease, etc.
Now you are touching upon another interesting question. Motivation. Why would PCs want to travel through time, say to Blackmoor? You offer some interesting ideas here.
Quote:
I like using the Egg of Coot as an enemy "across eras". I've even tied him to my Gamma World history by connecting him to E. (Edmund) Coot from one of TSR's Gamma World modules (by Kim Eastman, was it?) and Deadlands: Hell On Earth/Lost Colony history by connecting him to the Hellstrome Corporation.
Thats a cool idea. Cab Davidson from Dragonsfoot did a writeup of the Desert Master actually being the Egg of Coot, which is sort of a similar idea.
Quote:
In a campaign based "after" the time period of Blackmoor proper, a secret society of descendants of Uther may be plotting to return/establish their bloodline to the throne of modern nations (ala, Priory of Sion from "Holy Blood, Holy Grail"). Depending on the motivations of the party, this society might be valuable allies or opponents.
I like this! Prince Jaggar von Drachenfels claims to the a descendant of Blackmoor. He would surely be involved in such a group. What sort of powers would a Descendant of Uther possess?
Quote:
These are just a few thoughts to spark creativity, anyway. Hope you like 'em!
Cool ideas Scott! Would like to see more!
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Scott:
Most definately. It's great to use the Lightning Zombies and have characters begin to make the connection between this specific type of undead and the Beagle/Radience.
-Scott Moore
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Havard:
Very cool
IMC I refer to them simply as Radience Zombies. I think they could also fit in a proper Blackmoor campaign, and be found perhaps in the Valley of Ancients, or near some of Stephen Rocklin's experimentation facilities...
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-Havard