Pulling off a "You're pulled into a D&D World" campaign?

[OverdrivePrime]

Hopefully you guys all remember the old Dungeons and Dragons cartoon (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dungeons_%26_Dragons_(TV_series)). It's a fun idea, and I'm pretty sure most of us worthy of our dice bag have contemplated the "what would I do if I were magicked into a D&D game" question at least a few times.

Has anyone actually run a game like this? Successfully? I have years of experience running Immortal, where the players themselves are the characters, but that's a little different. The characters are in the modern world and just wake up to their new powers.

My group has been on a fairly serious kick for the past few years, and I think we could all use a relaxing funsies campaign to bring back some of the magic from the old days.

So I want to pull my players (men and women all 29-34) into a D&D world. Standard "A Wizard Did It (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/AWizardDidIt)" stuff.

Since my players are all pretty good at real life, I think that this will go well. I'd like to start them off as fairly low level characters (level 1 even?), but I want to reward their real world skills and abilities. Conflicting with that is my desire to avoid messing with any class development. It sucks if you bamf into the Wizard's chamber, put on your wizard's hat, and discover that you already have 5 levels of expert, so, sorry buddy, you're just going to be a crappy wizard.

Anyone have any experience doing this? What would you recommend?

[Janus]

I'm not too familiar with 3.5 beyond the basics, but are you planning on giving each player a magic weapon like the cartoon? If so, you might want to get the DVD collection. It had a booklet with character sheets for the players and details on their weapons. You could probably use that as a good reference.

[Amphetryon]

One of the first sticking points may well be how stats are derived. Some players will perceive their own stats more or less accurately, but my experience has that as the exception rather than the rule. There are two decent solutions here:

1) Give everyone the same point buy. Stats won't necessarily be accurate, but people will be more or less honest about their own perceived strengths and weaknesses.

2) Have everyone take one of the "D&D Stat" tests at Druid's Grove or similar. Good test-takers can game the system there quite a bit, but if they don't fudge the answers, they should be close to their own stats. The big issue here is winding up with a noticeable gap in the party; when my old group all took the Druid's Grove test, we realized we'd be seriously lacking in the stealth/skillmonkey department.

[OverdrivePrime]

I'm not expecting too much trouble with stats. I've got pretty mature players who have a pretty realistic view of themselves.

Despite my constant assertion that real life is not point buy, you're right that it will avoid hurt feelings. I'll give them a healthy point pool and if someone's constitution winds up higher than it might be in real life, I won't really care. Funsies campaign.

Skills are harder. I want them to bring their real life skills into the game - computer programming might not seem immediately useful, but I'll find a way.
I'm thinking of giving them a free starting pool of skills as if they're all third level experts, and have that replace their staring skills.

Instead of their human bonus feats, I want to assign them three feats that I think are appropriate to them as individuals.

No magic weapons or anything to start - I'm just drawing a little inspiration from the show. I am going to give each of them a magic hygiene kit - prestidigitation 3/ day to give them the effects of a good shower, tooth brushing and anything else related to modern hygiene. It's an in-joke with our group.

Here's who'll be playing:

Tannim
Big strong dude, 8 years in the army, served 20 months in Iraq. Very good aim, can drive heavy vehicles. Great fiction writer, 15 years of dedicated martial arts experience.

Forger
Another big strong dude, amazing artist with paints and graphic design, 4 months from completion of a veterinary degree before changing course and getting a fine art degree. 12 years of dedicated martial arts experience. Married to Lily.

Lily
Smart and agile woman, has a master's degree in middle ages celtic music, plays twice a week in a band and teaches music. No combat or martial arts experience, but knows heaps about plants and animals. Married to forger.

Kalin
Athletic guy, tall, majored in physics for three years before switching to double major in computer programming and theater. 7 years dedicated martial arts experience. Married to Freya.

Freya
Often compared to a valkyrie, not just because she's 6' tall and used to do shot put, but because she's a professional opera singer. Speaks 6 languages fluently and has an MBA. Obvious choice for a bard, but she'll probably go with a mailman sorcerer. Married to Kalin.

Doppler
Lawyer (assistant DA) with a minor in meteorology, tall and athletic. 6 years martial arts experience, and kind of a thrill seeker.

[Turok117]

I'm not expecting too much trouble with stats. I've got pretty mature players who have a pretty realistic view of themselves.

Despite my constant assertion that real life is not point buy, you're right that it will avoid hurt feelings. I'll give them a healthy point pool and if someone's constitution winds up higher than it might be in real life, I won't really care. Funsies campaign.

Skills are harder. I want them to bring their real life skills into the game - computer programming might not seem immediately useful, but I'll find a way.
I'm thinking of giving them a free starting pool of skills as if they're all third level experts, and have that replace their staring skills.

Instead of their human bonus feats, I want to assign them three feats that I think are appropriate to them as individuals.

No magic weapons or anything to start - I'm just drawing a little inspiration from the show. I am going to give each of them a magic hygiene kit - prestidigitation 3/ day to give them the effects of a good shower, tooth brushing and anything else related to modern hygiene. It's an in-joke with our group.

Here's who'll be playing:

Tannim
Big strong dude, 8 years in the army, served 20 months in Iraq. Very good aim, can drive heavy vehicles. Great fiction writer, 15 years of dedicated martial arts experience.

Forger
Another big strong dude, amazing artist with paints and graphic design, 4 months from completion of a veterinary degree before changing course and getting a fine art degree. 12 years of dedicated martial arts experience. Married to Lily.

Lily
Smart and agile woman, has a master's degree in middle ages celtic music, plays twice a week in a band and teaches music. No combat or martial arts experience, but knows heaps about plants and animals. Married to forger.

Kalin
Athletic guy, tall, majored in physics for three years before switching to double major in computer programming and theater. 7 years dedicated martial arts experience. Married to Freya.

Freya
Often compared to a valkyrie, not just because she's 6' tall and used to do shot put, but because she's a professional opera singer. Speaks 6 languages fluently and has an MBA. Obvious choice for a bard, but she'll probably go with a mailman sorcerer. Married to Kalin.

Doppler
Lawyer (assistant DA) with a minor in meteorology, tall and athletic. 6 years martial arts experience, and kind of a thrill seeker.

Sounds like a lot of them would have improved unarmed strike or at least a few levels in monk...

[Otherworld Odd]

I'm not expecting too much trouble with stats. I've got pretty mature players who have a pretty realistic view of themselves.

Despite my constant assertion that real life is not point buy, you're right that it will avoid hurt feelings. I'll give them a healthy point pool and if someone's constitution winds up higher than it might be in real life, I won't really care. Funsies campaign.

Skills are harder. I want them to bring their real life skills into the game - computer programming might not seem immediately useful, but I'll find a way.
I'm thinking of giving them a free starting pool of skills as if they're all third level experts, and have that replace their staring skills.

Instead of their human bonus feats, I want to assign them three feats that I think are appropriate to them as individuals.

No magic weapons or anything to start - I'm just drawing a little inspiration from the show. I am going to give each of them a magic hygiene kit - prestidigitation 3/ day to give them the effects of a good shower, tooth brushing and anything else related to modern hygiene. It's an in-joke with our group.

Here's who'll be playing:

Tannim
Big strong dude, 8 years in the army, served 20 months in Iraq. Very good aim, can drive heavy vehicles. Great fiction writer, 15 years of dedicated martial arts experience.

Forger
Another big strong dude, amazing artist with paints and graphic design, 4 months from completion of a veterinary degree before changing course and getting a fine art degree. 12 years of dedicated martial arts experience. Married to Lily.

Lily
Smart and agile woman, has a master's degree in middle ages celtic music, plays twice a week in a band and teaches music. No combat or martial arts experience, but knows heaps about plants and animals. Married to forger.

Kalin
Athletic guy, tall, majored in physics for three years before switching to double major in computer programming and theater. 7 years dedicated martial arts experience. Married to Freya.

Freya
Often compared to a valkyrie, not just because she's 6' tall and used to do shot put, but because she's a professional opera singer. Speaks 6 languages fluently and has an MBA. Obvious choice for a bard, but she'll probably go with a mailman sorcerer. Married to Kalin.

Doppler
Lawyer (assistant DA) with a minor in meteorology, tall and athletic. 6 years martial arts experience, and kind of a thrill seeker.

Yarr, good griefness. You hang out with the justice league. Anyways, perhaps it may be easier to look at stuff they're not good at first and weed out all those things and then pick from the leftovers. Slims the pool down quite a bit.

[OverdrivePrime]

Yarr, good griefness. You hang out with the justice league. Anyways, perhaps it may be easier to look at stuff they're not good at first and weed out all those things and then pick from the leftovers. Slims the pool down quite a bit.

Justice League indeed - it's rare that I don't feel like a slacker when I'm around them. Good idea about having what they're not good at help me weed out options. Believe me, they definitely have their (often hilarious) failings.

As far as feats, most of them probably do deserve Improved Unarmed Strike. To reflect Tannim's deep combat experience (and unapologeticly dirty fighting style), I was thinking of also giving him Superior Unarmed Strike from TOB at first level and just ignoring the BAB 3+ prereq.


Anyway, what I was thinking of doing is having the wizard (cleric maybe?) responsible for them coming to the world present them with a choice of character class and a magic necklace that gives them the knowledge needed to instantly master their first class, and any subsequent class they enter into. That should conveniently solve the problem of needed 15 years to master wizardry if one of them wants to cross-class.

I'm thinking of starting them off with constitution x2 hit points, skills as if they're a level 3 expert, and 3 DM-assigned feats instead of their human bonus feat. They'll then be able to pick from just about any published class, with the Pathfinder Fighter replacing the PHB Fighter and heavy encouragement to use unarmed swordsage instead of monk.

Any other thoughts on how to do this right?

[Reluctance]

I'd be tempted to throw them each three levels of human paragon (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/racialParagonClasses.htm#humanParagon) and call it a day. Allow the caster level boosts to be retroactive for anybody who picks up a casting class, and that doesn't sound too off. It'll give them an edge without making them too odd at the start of the game.

The only stat that has any decent real-world mapping is strength, thanks to the encumbrance chart. You're best off going point buy, and allowing them to prioritize what they consider important. It might have a few inconsistencies (somebody with no social skills seeing themselves as a Cha god), but as you said, funsies.

[TroubleBrewing]

I'd be tempted to throw them each three levels of human paragon (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/races/racialParagonClasses.htm#humanParagon) and call it a day.

That's flipping genius. Considering that the party is basically composed of... well, paragons of humanity (given their description), I'd call this easily the best suggestion yet.

[Gavinfoxx]

Shouldn't you do this with something that more, uh, simulates a few real world skills?

Like this?

http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=65250

Just tell the martial artists, "Pick out what you can do with a melee weapon in your hands from this." Or something like that...

[Aravir]

You may like this series of fantasy books for inspiration...

http://www.amazon.com/Guardians-Flame-Joel-Rosenberg/lm/142BNUJRFKNOR

[OverdrivePrime]

Thanks for the ideas, guys! Human paragon really would be pretty appropriate.

As for the system, Shadowrun 4 is what I like best for realistic gaming, but a lot of the gang has been pretty wistful about missing good ol' D&D. 3.5 is the system that we know best.

[Gavinfoxx]

Thanks for the ideas, guys! Human paragon really would be pretty appropriate.

As for the system, Shadowrun 4 is what I like best for realistic gaming, but a lot of the gang has been pretty wistful about missing good ol' D&D. 3.5 is the system that we know best.


Well the one I mentioned grafts on top of the SRD pretty well...

[Serenity]

One of my friends ran a 'play yourself' campaign over winter break...he would come up to players at random times before the first session and ask what they had on hand; that would be their starting inventory. Other than that, it's mainly a matter of having players who can make an accurate assessment of themselves.

[Darth Stabber]

I actually have done this before, and it was one of the most fun experiences I have had in my gaming career. Me and 4 friends stated ourselved out in d20 modern (maybe a bit generously), and set ourselves as being caught in the mists (ravenloft) while heading out to gate guard (we were all military at the time). We started with everything that we would have had on us while we would head out. I had my chembag on me and I had a monster manual in the bag (to read as I while a way the time), and since I didn't know we were starting a game that day it counted. So we started out with 5 m-16 rifles, 3 magazines each, 5 chem warfare suit, 5 collapsable batons, 1 swiss army knife, 2 leathermen (pocket knives that fold out into pliers), 5 kevlar vests, 6 lighters (I had 5 on me at the time), and various random crap (2 bouncy balls, cigarettes, a road flare, and I forget the rest). Through out play we ended up with a rogue, a ranger, a paladin, a wizard, and I ended up becoming a very corrupted warlock (when you offer to trade stuff to a shady character in exchange for learning magic, it turns out that they just have someone beat you every day until you can shoot them with a purple ray of hate). Thanks to having two capable umd users and 2 divine gishes, we could cover our healing bases with wands. We also allowed retraining skills, feats, and class levels, to make us relevant after lots of experience and multiple training montages. Keep in mind military or not we were still 5 computer programmers, with one of us having martial arts experience and me being a passable fencer (though I certainly would not benefit from finesse), so we had a lot of trouble early on, and all of us almost died multiple times early on.

[OverdrivePrime]

That sounds like a blast, Darth Stabber! I've been thinking of having everyone stat themselves as D20 Modern characters. Originally I was worried about their levels of experience interfering with caster progression, but nerfing the casters a bit would probably make the game a little more fun for everyone, since I *know* one of the dudes is going to want to be a fighter or paladin, and I know one of the guys is going to want to be a not-to-be-messed-with illusionist. Bringing down the power while making low-level characters more durable is probably a good thing.

[Alaris]

You interested in making a campaign journal on this? Because I would so read it... I WANT to see a successful self-insert D&D campaign... I had debated it, but a lot of my players dislike self-insert, so it won't happen.

[OverdrivePrime]

Hmmmm... possibly. I'll need to write everything down anyway. :smallsmile:

[Kylarra]

I would suggest allowing the human paragon bonus retroactively apply to whatever "casting" subsystem a player might choose to use.

[Mutazoia]

I've done this, but with systems like GUPRS. Last time was a one shot "what if we were suddenly in a zombie movie" game. First time I did this was way back in the day (going to show my age here) with TOP SECRET . We all wrote down what we thought each others stats should be and then averaged them out. That took everybody's ego out of the picture. As for skills we just normal character creation after that (we were doing us as if we were spy's not us pulled into a game world).

As for translating real world skills into D&D skills...tougher. Unless all your friends are regular members of the SCA, I doubt they are going to be all that great at sword slinging. From your description of your friends, it looks like they wouldn't last 5 minutes as an adventuring party lol. Not any practical skills that would translate into a Midieval/Fantasy world. (not a whole lot of use for a computer programmer or a lawyer...I doubt the dragon is going to be worried about a reckless endangerment lawsuit).