Kingdom Hearts D&D Idea: Keys to The Planescape

[Leliel]

Well, an occasional suggestion of mine is to create a campaign based on the Kingdom Hearts verse.

Unfortunately, much of those ideas discount the crossovers those games are supposed to have, and I'm not going to make a system for Gummi Ships any time soon.

Then, two days ago, I had a epiphany-why not use Planescape, which is already a crossover setting?

So, here's the gist:

The PCs are refugees from some of the latest worlds destroyed by the Heartless-or simply refugees from the attacks, if native to an existing world-and due to it being a portal crossroads, the Dark Corridor dumps them in Sigil. After getting their balance and learning what the Heartless are-Sigilians are helpful when they realize they're the center of a Clueless immigration-but then, the local Nobodies take an interest in them, and they don't take "no, we don't want to be part of your incredibly inhuman and painful experiments on hearts" for an answer. Thankfully, it's then that a set of Keyblades decide that the PCs make good wielders, and they then go on to save the multiverse...


...If it wasn't for the fact that this is Sigil, and inevitably, they have to deal with politics first. The post-War factions want them to join (the Harmonium views the Keyblades as order embodied, the Seekers-the Godsmen after fusing with the Sign of One-wants to examine what their destiny is and how it relates to the universal mind, and the Fated are...the Fated), the Mutual Trade Association wants a business contract, and the Nobodies have throughly lodged themselves in the Lady's Ward (a fact helped by the dabus creating their own district-the Neighborhood of Nonbeing-albeit more as a prison then a home), and now have legal protection to wave at them. Add to that the Lady of Pain seems to be on edge...Well, even getting to the next world is going to be a feat.

So...Good idea? Bad?

And now, the parting joke:

"Sodding primes...Just because you get to wave giant sharp keys around doesn't mean you get to use my portal! Wait, you already opened it?...Er, do mind if I come along?"

[Xallace]

I think it could work. Are the heartless spawned from Ravenloft or something?

[Haven]

Potentially awesome.

And don't forget: Spelljamming instead of Gummi ships.

[Fishy]

"Sodding primes...Just because you get to wave giant sharp keys around doesn't mean you get to use my portal! Wait, you already opened it?...Er, do mind if I come along?"

Mazed. Mazed so hard.

[Leliel]

Mazed. Mazed so hard.

Probably. I am inexperienced with Planescape, so I am a bit unfamiliar with the Landlady of Pain.

Then again, Mr. Ramander hasn't been mazed yet, so the owner of the house may get away with it...though the operative word it yet.

[Fishy]

On the other hand, I haven't read the DMGII yet, so I only know about Ramander second hand. :P

The way it used to work is that all of the portals in Sigil (And hence, the universe) don't belong to anyone- the Lady of Pain merely looks after them as a service to the community. You can buy the land around a portal, you can hide the keys to a portal, and you can brush up against the rules in a variety of ways, but actually claiming ownership of a portal is on par with worshiping the Lady- the punishment for first offense is instantaneous and painful death.

[bosssmiley]

The PCs are refugees from some of the latest worlds destroyed by the Heartless-or simply refugees from the attacks, if native to an existing world-and due to it being a portal crossroads, the Dark Corridor dumps them in Sigil. After getting their balance and learning what the Heartless are - Sigilians are helpful

!

...when they realize they're the centre of a Clueless immigration - but then, the local Nobodies take an interest in them, and they don't take "no, we don't want to be part of your incredibly inhuman and painful experiments on hearts" for an answer. Thankfully, it's then that a set of Keyblades decide that the PCs make good wielders, and they then go on to save the multiverse...

...If it wasn't for the fact that this is Sigil, and inevitably, they have to deal with politics first. The post-War factions want them to join (the Harmonium views the Keyblades as order embodied, the Seekers - the Godsmen after fusing with the Sign of One - wants to examine what their destiny is and how it relates to the universal mind, and the Fated are...the Fated), the Mutual Trade Association wants a business contract, and the Nobodies have throughly lodged themselves in the Lady's Ward (a fact helped by the dabus creating their own district-the Neighborhood of Nonbeing-albeit more as a prison then a home), and now have legal protection to wave at them. Add to that the Lady of Pain seems to be on edge...Well, even getting to the next world is going to be a feat.

So...Good idea? Bad?

Sounds like the Parai to me. DiceFreaks re-wrote those porcelain-faced, hollow-headed denizens of Mechanus so that, at one long-ago point in planar history, they had been little less than a planar b0rg culture consuming all in their path. The Onrushing Tide, as they were known, cleared the way for the Modrons to become the alignment exemplars of Law.

There was a Faction that tried the rule-through-assimilation trick back in the day. The Sharers or something. They basically had an 'all things are held in common', pure Communism attitude to Sigil, the portals, and the power thereof. They got vanished by the LoP for ideological reasons, thereby proving that even enigmatic ancient powers of the universe hate hippies.

[Haven]

On the other hand, I haven't read the DMGII yet, so I only know about Ramander second hand. :P

The way it used to work is that all of the portals in Sigil (And hence, the universe) don't belong to anyone- the Lady of Pain merely looks after them as a service to the community. You can buy the land around a portal, you can hide the keys to a portal, and you can brush up against the rules in a variety of ways, but actually claiming ownership of a portal is on par with worshiping the Lady- the punishment for first offense is instantaneous and painful death.

Eh, as far as I've seen the Lady is more tolerant than that, and Mazing or having her shadow fall on you is a really rare or extreme event requiring that you do something really awful, or try to worship her.

Of course, as that second clause indicates, she decides what "really awful" means, so it's up to the DM...but I don't think the Lady would see someone just saying "my portal" as Maze-worthy. If nothing else, the scene in question could be taking place on the non-Sigil end of the portal.

[Leliel]

I think it could work. Are the heartless spawned from Ravenloft or something?

Actually, while they like that demiplane, they are as they are in the games-a person's lifeforce transformed into a being made of negative emotions.

As for the crossovers, I was thinking a bit of Touhou. Mainly so that one of the BBEG's chief lackeys can body puppet Byakuren Hijiri to use her light powers against the PCs.

Yes, he's also an evil bastard.

EDIT: For those of you who didn't get the joke, one of Hijri's nicknames is "Youchrist", and for good reason.

[Xallace]

Actually, while they like that demiplane, they are as they are in the games-a person's lifeforce transformed into a being made of negative emotions.

If I may with the KH spoilers:

Spoiler

Show

Weren't the heartless originally spawned from the heart of a world? I thought Ansem and/or Xehanort and/or colleagues unleashed them from the heart of Radiant Gardens and tried studying them before they realized what the Heartless could do to people.

There was something about a difference between the heartless with the symbol and the ones without, it's really fuzzy to me though.

But anyway, so you'll have to figure out where the keyholes in Eberron, Greyhawk, Faerun, and Athas are, right? Even Sigil itself? I also wonder how the heartless would interact with those worlds... I don't want to see what kind of Heartless/Nobody Elminster produces if he gets taken down.

[bosssmiley]

EDIT: For those of you who didn't get the joke, one of Hijri's nicknames is "Youchrist", and for good reason.

Oh, I thought it was just an eggcorn of Eucharist.

[Leliel]

Oh, I thought it was just an eggcorn of Eucharist.

"Youchrist" as in "Youkai Jesus Christ". As in "loves you and everyone".

And no, the aforementioned bad guy's powers only effect the body. The mind is left completely intact, though not so that it's safe-he just likes hearing his victims' mental screams as he forces them to attack their friends.

As for the Heartless, it's more or less undefined what they are.

[Xenogears]

If I may with the KH spoilers:

Spoiler

Show

Weren't the heartless originally spawned from the heart of a world? I thought Ansem and/or Xehanort and/or colleagues unleashed them from the heart of Radiant Gardens and tried studying them before they realized what the Heartless could do to people.

There was something about a difference between the heartless with the symbol and the ones without, it's really fuzzy to me though.

But anyway, so you'll have to figure out where the keyholes in Eberron, Greyhawk, Faerun, and Athas are, right? Even Sigil itself? I also wonder how the heartless would interact with those worlds... I don't want to see what kind of Heartless/Nobody Elminster produces if he gets taken down.

Spoiler

Show

The difference between the marked and non marked was between the naturally formed heartless and the ones "ansem" artificially made if I recall corectly.

Theres some weird stuff to incorperate from KH though. Like the Keyblade only cares about a "strong heart" not concepts of good/evil, the fact that the friendship really does=power in KH, and a few others I'm sure.

Also remember that 99% of all heartless and nobodies (but especially heartless) are basically mindless monsters.

[Lycanthromancer]

Did someone mention the Landlady of Pain?

[Leliel]

Did someone mention the Landlady of Pain?

Either you're about to get some much needed mental exercise or the Lady is coming to give you a commendation. And then give you some much needed mental exercise.