Time travel question

[monty]

I'm working on a vague idea for a campaign (D&D 3.5) that will involve a time travel mechanism to send the PCs to more or less modern times. Should I just use the regular rules (make all NPCs commoners, experts, etc. with maybe a fighter or rogue here and there - but obviously no magic-using classes), or would there be a better way to do this? Also, are there any specific problems I might be likely to run into beyond the obvious?

General idea - some sort of plot hook sends the characters to our world. Their ultimate goal is to figure out a way to get back (specific NPCs will help them with this, possibly sending them on a quest for some sort of MacGuffin, but I'll let them explore without railroading), but they have to keep a low profile in the meantime to avoid attracting unwanted attention (since some of them will be wizards, clerics, and so on, and all of them will have magic items, they're bound to get noticed if they're not careful).


Also, it's really hard to proofread this well when I keep get a "server busy" message at random intervals.

[mikeejimbo]

Well, I don't know if you would want to do this, but you could always use the d20 Modern SRD and actually stat the modern characters from it. The rules are mostly compatible.

http://www.wizards.com/default.asp?x=d20/article/msrd

[monty]

I was wondering, because I'm not sure how well multiple rules systems would merge.

[mikeejimbo]

The only real thing I can think of is that D&D generally assumes more powerful characters. d20 Moderners probably wouldn't be as powerful. If the PCs are mostly low-level it could work out, but they'd break things at higher levels. ("Who cares who knows we're from a crazy fantasy world? I can destroy them all with three spells.")

[monty]

I can see that being a problem, but since I'm planning it to be a long campaign, that might be hard to avoid. Of course, I can always just smite them with my DM's Stick of Don't-Be-a-Dumbass-and-Play-Your-Character-Properly. (You think your gods are powerful? Well, several of these gods are omnipotent. They obliterate any memory of your existence for killing all of their followers.)

[mikeejimbo]

Yeah, that's the key thing I could see being a problem.

What I would suggest in that case is you create a MIB-like agency that will get very suspicious if they get too noticed. And make sure the agents are at least as powerful as the PCs. (Maybe they could actually be Wizards, rather than the modern class Mage, though this isn't as "in flavor" of the MIB. A secret cabal of Wizards would be more appropriate for this.)

[Jayabalard]

Are you just dumping them in the "future", in a one way trip (with a quest to get back)? or are they likely to run into other time travelers, jump around to other times, etc. Are you talking about time traveling or traveling between parallel universes (or both)?

[Hawriel]

My friends old D&D party one hopped dementions into are world. Thing is they popped into Disney land.

I would do mostly what you (the op) where origionaly thinking. Use NPC classes and non magic user classes. Then use the D20 modern for a guidline on how to use modern equipment, radios, cars, firearms and the rest. You might have to do some tweeking to bring it in line with D&D. Another thing to ask your self is. What heppens to the magic? Is arcane magic still usable? What about divine, the characters may be cut off from their gods. If you can use arcane how potent is it? Maybe it works exept sertent spells like summon monsters. You can summon elementals or natual animals but 'fantacy' critters are right out. Goblins, dire wolves, koblalds and the like. Demons and celestials could be an exeption. Dont complicat it to much, just stick with a yes or no. Yes arcane, no divine. Yes on magic missile, no on summon dire owlbear.

If you want to get imperation through movies, there are afew that have fantacy peaple (or dark age) poping up into modern life. Beast master 2 (oh god the horror), that guy from the profesional did one. Also that just resent movie that came out in threaters about some prinsess poping into new york.

[monty]

Well, I know more or less how I'm going to play it (the summon whatever and so on won't be a problem storywise - they're coming from another plane, basically, and so will divine magic - but the PCs would have to be idiots to use some things, because that's a really easy way to get caught). I'm just worried about rules problems and the PCs doing stupid things like killing the planet.

[Jayabalard]

Well, I know more or less how I'm going to play it (the summon whatever and so on won't be a problem storywise - they're coming from another plane, basically, and so will divine magic - but the PCs would have to be idiots to use some things, because that's a really easy way to get caught). I'm just worried about rules problems and the PCs doing stupid things like killing the planet.

You could go dresden files type earth for the campaign.

[Chronos]

If their gods' power and summoned creatures can reach Earth, then so can other extraplanar beings like Inevitables. Drop them a hint somehow that if they don't lay low, quaruts (the ones who punish violations of the fabric of spacetime) will be after them. Perhaps transport an NPC along with them who immediately tries to take over the world, and a quarut appears immediately and squishes him.

[monty]

Seems reasonable. I'm thinking have them appear in some sort of restricted area with a couple of guards. The NPC wizard takes them out with one spell. Then, the quarut shows up, breaks him into tiny pieces, and warns the party not to mess around.

[mikeejimbo]

I'm not familiar with quarats or Inevitables... are they anything like the Auditors of Reality?

[Chronos]

Well, they have the same sense of humor. Inevitables are constructs from the plane of pure law, who intervene in the world to make sure that things are as they should be. There are different models of Inevitables, to enforce different aspects of fundamental law: Quaruts are the ones which punish those tampering with the fabric of spacetime, and are epicly powerful (there's also a model to hunt down those who cheat death, and one for those who break contracts, and so on).

Then, the quarut shows up, breaks him into tiny pieces, and warns the party not to mess around.

I'd shift the order around there, a bit. This way, it sounds like it's giving the party a Public Service Announcement. I'd probably have it pronounce the verdict to the NPC, then kill him (and promptly disappear, since its mission is accomplished). Something like "Wizard McMeddlealot, you are charged with unlawful tampering with the course of the history of this world. The verdict is guilty. The sentence is death. <Squish>"

[mikeejimbo]

Ah, thanks for that Clarification.

Come to think of it, I think we met an Inevitable on Mechanus once. I made the mistake of pleading guilty.