odd game idea - looking for thoughts

[Fouredged Sword]

Ok, I had an odd idea for a game.

A game that keeps switching systems from d20 modern and DnD. The players run two versions of the same character (one in modern and one in DnD) with the same base stats and shareing exp. The characters are aware of eachother and are infact alternate versions of eachother, with the player switching back and forth between the two worlds.

Ofcourse the two worlds interact and there are paralel villians and chalenges. Effecting one world effects the other side.

[PopcornMage]

Sounds interesting, and vaguely like the Bronze Canticle series by Tracy Hickman.

Not quite, because the characters weren't alternate versions of each other as you intend, but there were different worlds, though perhaps not as different as yours.

[Earthwalker]

Sounds like a very interesting idea.

I would just add one bit of advice, what ever it is that allows people in the modern setting to know about thier ancestors in the early time (or maybe later time) make sure its repeatable.

You don't want someone dieing and then not being able to make a new character for the campaign.

[JackOfAllGeeks]

Sounds interesting, and vaguely like the Bronze Canticle series by Tracy Hickman.

If I understand the idea correctly, think instead of Bastian and Atreyu from The Neverending Story.

I would just add one bit of advice, what ever it is that allows people in the modern setting to know about thier ancestors in the early time (or maybe later time) make sure its repeatable.

A better idea is to make them, as stated, parallel worlds rather than sequential worlds -- they aren't your ancestor, they're your counterpart. That way, new characters are simply other people with counterparts.

Fun confounding idea: have at least one NPC who's an ally in one would and an antagonist in the other world. Should probably restrict it to just one such character, but it might give the heroes pause if a course of action would harm their counterpart's friend, or if saving their friend hinders the efforts of their counterparts.

[Cyrion]

How are you sharing XP? If they have to split XP so that they're in effect only getting half for each character, you might want to be extra generous with your XP at least until they're middlish level. Otherwise, they'll be extra squishy for a loooong time. For that matter, it will also take them forever to level up at high level (not necessarily a bad thing...).

Could there be a mcguffin that allows them to draw HP, skills or abilities temporarily from their counterpart?

[JackOfAllGeeks]

An alternative would be that both counterparts earn the same XP, so that if Brad the Barbarian kills some Goblins and earns 100XP, his counterpart Demolitions Daniel also gains 100XP. They are the "same" person anyways, aren't they? This way both sets of characters level up regardless of where the focus is centered from one session to the next. Also: less book keeping.

[Urpriest]

This...connects up to my floating idea for an RPG based on books like the Narnia series, Alice in Wonderland, Phantom Tollbooth, etc...children who wander into an alternate world, basically. I was thinking of calling it Cellar Door.

To that effect: instead of parallel worlds, why not make it like the D&D TV show: you're a person in the modern world who is sucked into a D&D world, keeping the same level (and base ability scores?) but changing your class, feats, and the like. You could flip back and forth as your character finds ways back to the real world only to find the villains there too, and must race to save both worlds!

[alchemyprime]

I tried that like .hack myself: Your real world adventures was d20 Modern, but stuff that happened in D&D (an MMO in the world) caused bad stuff to happen in the real world. A few puzzles required you talking to people in the D&D world or going to broken areas to get broken items to bargain with classmate or coworkers in the real world.

[Aron Times]

I hope you're not overextending yourself. There's still that Vampire game going on...

[Dark_Nohn]

Sounds like an idea I had for a .hack// -type adventure (I really should rather say similar to the book Kilobyte, but not as many people know about that one.) Was in essence, just a modern campaign where the PCs went into an online game that had the D&D rules... I was even going to replace carrying capacity in the game world with inventory slots. Then I realized that if the players wanted to play an MMO, they'd play an MMO (or 4e,) but I thought a tabletop would have let me do things that MMOs can't (i.e. storyline.)

[Fouredged Sword]

I am not going to rn this game. I am already running two games. I just had a thought and wanted to hear what the playground had to say.

[Dvil]

I'd play it, sounds good. And the idea of an NPC being on different sides in the different settings is just genius!

[KillianHawkeye]

This idea reminds me of the Persona series (video games). I approve!