Today I had a campaign idea. (Don't know if I'd ever actually use it,…

D&D 3E

18th-Oct-2004 08:10 pm

Today I had a campaign idea. (Don't know if I'd ever actually use it, but I thought I'd toss it out for other GMs.)

Tell one player you're running a d20 Modern game and have her make up a character. Ther rest of the players know the truth though, you're actually running D&D and all their characters are made accordingly. Upon start of the game, d20 Mod character is confronted with a demon, Giant Evil, whatnot and is hurled into a portal/unconsciousness/whatever. PC wakes up in a medieval D&D world of your campaign, and joins the other PCs in their quest, largely with hooks at finding the boogie monster that brought him here in the first place.

Now immediately, the unprepared player has likely made some choices that might seem worthless now. Perhaps if the PC took many ranks in Computer Use, it could be found that the PC's knowledge of programming is analogous to magic, and could make spellcraft checks with the skill (maybe be able to get a bonus to Use Magic Device). Repair could likely be used to restore HP to constructs and objects. Craft might be able to build modern items in the D&D setting(using d20 Modern craft rules) a la Ash.

The Modern PC could advance in any Modern basic class, as well as any D&D class she chooses. Only Modern classes are a favored class to the Modern human. Modern Advanced Classes are not available. The PC will have no action points, unless you're playing in Eberron.

Certain consideration arises if the Modern PC is created as a gamer. Should the PC manage to bring D&D rulebooks into the world, certain things change about them:
~the PHB become a spellbook with mildly useful (though unfamiliar, must be deciphered) spells within.
~the DMG is blank, no cheating
~the MM gives a +5 bonus to the appropriate knowledge check regarding indentifying and understanding a monster
~Any regional FR book (assuming you're playing in FR) or the Greyhawk Gazetteer (assuming you're in Greyhawk) Gives +5 to Knowledge (geography) or Knowledge (local) if appropriate for the book.
Though without prior knowledge of the game's purpose, I don't see this occuring much.

Comments

18th-Oct-2004 05:20 pm (UTC)

nviiibrown

The punchline is that eventually in the campaign, the PC will discover some dead medival roleplayers and find out that there's a character sheet floating around that has him on it, meaning that he and his world are only fantasy created for a roleplaying game.
(Yes, I ripped this from a video game)

19th-Oct-2004 10:25 am (UTC) - ripped?

loudpoet

from which video game?

19th-Oct-2004 04:48 pm (UTC) - Re: ripped?

nviiibrown

If you don't know, then I'd spoil the game for you.

18th-Oct-2004 06:28 pm (UTC)

the_elephant

I'd say that portions of the DMG would still be helpful. The magic items section could give a bonus to Knowledge: Arcana or Spellcraft.

18th-Oct-2004 07:16 pm (UTC)

lakidaa

also: the complete (whatevers) could give bonuses to Spellcraft, counterspell, and/or something else.

18th-Oct-2004 08:23 pm (UTC)

highbulp

My question is, why just one player? Could you have many players (or even all the players) be involved? I can just see a PC going "hey! I wanna play the modern character too!"

But in terms of your rule stuff, I'd say that the PHB wouldn't help at all as a spellbook (since there's no actual magic written in it). What it would help is with Spellcraft and Knowledge checks, since it has description of most spells within it.

I had a player in a regular D&D game that went about creating a Monstrous Manual. He had the ability to look up anything he wanted in the book, because his character had the item. Of course, there was no guarantee that he was looking at the right creature, or that the creature conformed to the standards in the book, so it wasn't going to break the game.

I see a potential problem in that the Modern player suddenly says "Ah-hah, he must be a third level wizard, therefore he can only be able to cast this stuff." I think the meta-gaming could be really problematic, unless you had a decent roleplayer working the game. But I'd say in a world that the PC comes from there isn't games or anything for him the steal the rules from, he just because a guy lost in a fantasy world.

Overall, interesting suggestion. I think I'll pose it to a guy who wants to try out a D20 Modern game, it'll give him the chance to maybe mix it with the rest of the group who isn't so interested.

18th-Oct-2004 09:28 pm (UTC)

sunstriped

yeah i don't see why the PHB would be the same thing as a spellbook. i could see allowing a wicca spellbook count not that it's the same kind of thing as a D&D wizard. but it's your campaign so it's up to you.

i think it's a cool idea in general though. the main thing will be making the character useful in the other setting. if they're all 1st level it won't matter so much. we did that in a ravenloft campaign. everyone's character was pulled into ravenloft from another world and two of the characters were originally from present day LA. [the players were trying to be like the dungeons and dragons cartoon]. it was mostly comic relief.

19th-Oct-2004 02:03 am (UTC)

nviiibrown

The idea is that the books don't remain the same inside the context of the setting, the books would change their contents. The PHB would become a spellbook. The MM would give information, but hardly define all of a creature's capabilities.

19th-Oct-2004 04:48 pm (UTC)

nviiibrown

If all your players want to be the modern player though, you may as well be playing d20 Modern.

19th-Oct-2004 07:28 am (UTC)

firecatmn

It is kind of a neat idea...but I have to say that if I were the player of the modern character, I think I'd be really pissed about not being told the truth. It's something I'd be really careful about doing.

19th-Oct-2004 07:45 am (UTC)

espher

Whoa, deja vu.

That's what I've been suggesting to our GM for the past six months :P

20th-Oct-2004 08:06 am (UTC)

silver_beetle

That's an incredible idea. It could work with one, or a whole group. I'm gonna suggest it to our group.

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