Alternate Realities

[Nomadic]

I was wondering if anybody here had run a campaign in which you started players out in one world with the presumption that they would be running games in that world, only to turn the tables on them and have them pulled into an alternate reality? A world where they have to re-learn everything they know. I am thinking that I would like to run a game like that (what I would really like is to play in a world like that).

[Kaptn'Lath]

I always had this idea based on the old show "Sliders" (i think thats what it was called) where you jump from alternate reality to alternate reality with each one the "flavour of the month".... you want to play a zombie game? zombie apoloclyps reality it is... after a few sessions the players want steam punk... pop their in a reality where jefferson and tesla became a baker and a tax collector respectivly and electriciy is only found in nature... after a few sessions a new "flavour" of the month...

I think its a great idea because even if you dont do "Alternate Earth" you can make a unique setting/world base and the details can be constantly changed. No need to totaly "flesh out" the setting and all the work that goes into that because anything can change. Even the map. But you still need a base for the rotating setting to sit upon so they players feel like their going from reality to reality (ala. Sliders) not world to world (ala. Stargate)

[sparkletwist]

I tried that once... sort of.

They thought they were playing in a medieval-ish fantasy game with some high magic elements, but what they actually were in was an extremely backwards area of an essentially modern world.

They didn't like it much... :P

[Kaptn'Lath]

I tried that once... sort of.

They thought they were playing in a medieval-ish fantasy game with some high magic elements, but what they actually were in was an extremely backwards area of an essentially modern world.

They didn't like it much... :P

I always have a Campaign meeting (usually ended off with Character Generation) as the "first session" and get the themes they like the most, their sacred cows of RPGs, and what they will not have fun/enjoy at the table (taboo). I dont tell them much at this point because its not until after this meeting that i "plan" the campaign. I have someone who will not play if there are firearms (my wife actually), another in the past was a very hard line christian and didn't want Demons or Devils (oddly enough he was good with undead tho...). I accidental drew a party into a plot using a victim, a child molested by her father, bad move I am sure you can figure out why.

Always, Always plan the campaign with your players...

[SilvercatMoonpaw]

Always, Always plan the campaign with your players...

I read this whenever people say it, and I always think that there are times when this just won't work: when the desires of the players aren't ones the GM has the creative skill or ability to fulfill (or when they just don't want to), or the GM must take time when the prepare that's longer than before when the group would meet after the planning session.

In some cases it's going to be a better idea if the GM is up-front with their plan/desires and limitations and attract only those people willing to put up with them.  (This works better in the realm of online play, where it's easier to get a wide selection of people.)

[Nomadic]

I always had this idea based on the old show "Sliders" (i think thats what it was called) where you jump from alternate reality to alternate reality with each one the "flavour of the month".... you want to play a zombie game? zombie apoloclyps reality it is... after a few sessions the players want steam punk... pop their in a reality where jefferson and tesla became a baker and a tax collector respectivly and electriciy is only found in nature... after a few sessions a new "flavour" of the month...

I think its a great idea because even if you dont do "Alternate Earth" you can make a unique setting/world base and the details can be constantly changed. No need to totaly "flesh out" the setting and all the work that goes into that because anything can change. Even the map. But you still need a base for the rotating setting to sit upon so they players feel like their going from reality to reality (ala. Sliders) not world to world (ala. Stargate)

I have this idea to set up a game with the presumption that it will be run as a modern game and then have the players pulled into a fantasy style game. I want to do it pretty early on so they don't get too into the modern aspect and I want to make sure beforehand (by asking them about their taboos and loves in roleplay) so that it meshes well.

[Kaptn'Lath]

Oh I totally get what your saying SilvercatMoonpaw, I have encountered that myself, but I have always looked at as if that bridge cant be made between what the GM is willing to invest into and what the players want to spend X hours a week doing, how long is the game/group going to last if neither side is getting what they want? It happens and its just normal and neither side is wrong... i just like to know before hand.

A couple of towns ago a group of us got together to meet each other for the first time (through the local FLGS) and we ended up breaking up into 2 smaller groups that reflect the two game styles the group wanted. (One low magic, high RP, mundane medieval life - the other were dungeon crawlers, with a hunger for better loot) By talking about what we all wanted to play, no one got involved in a "failed group" and both sessions started that week. We happened to have 2 experienced GMs with 2 different styles too.

[Kaptn'Lath]

The transition from modern to fantasy is difficult, modern education (in the developed world) makes the average joe a "Joe the Scholar" in the medieval world and even individual objects brought with them could cause you a headache.

I once did something similar everyone made a character based on themselves as a person (we use a generic class system) and their starting equipment was whatever was on their body at the game table. "Magic Players Handbook/Alice in Wonderland" type thing except they ended up in Forgotten Realms. It was done completely by surprise, and to my surprise a friend had firecrackers on him....

It did lead to some memorable gaming Shane wanted to be a half-orc... so over the first 3 days in the Realms Shane the human changed (at times painfully) into Shane the Half-Orc... my wife grew long ears on the first day (elf) and the "over story" that hung over their adventures was trying to return home to our world.

[Biohazard]

Haveneast.

[Matt Larkin (author)]

I was wondering if anybody here had run a campaign in which you started players out in one world with the presumption that they would be running games in that world, only to turn the tables on them and have them pulled into an alternate reality? A world where they have to re-learn everything they know. I am thinking that I would like to run a game like that (what I would really like is to play in a world like that).

I have run a game partly inspired by Sliders. It went quite well. Very character-driven, since few plots survive transition between realities.

[Nomadic]

The transition from modern to fantasy is difficult, modern education (in the developed world) makes the average joe a "Joe the Scholar" in the medieval world and even individual objects brought with them could cause you a headache.

I once did something similar everyone made a character based on themselves as a person (we use a generic class system) and their starting equipment was whatever was on their body at the game table. "Magic Players Handbook/Alice in Wonderland" type thing except they ended up in Forgotten Realms. It was done completely by surprise, and to my surprise a friend had firecrackers on him....

It did lead to some memorable gaming Shane wanted to be a half-orc... so over the first 3 days in the Realms Shane the human changed (at times painfully) into Shane the Half-Orc... my wife grew long ears on the first day (elf) and the "over story" that hung over their adventures was trying to return home to our world.

They certainly will have some bonuses in education but the medieval world, especially a fantasy one will have so much in it that is new and strange that the average joe would be in alot of trouble assuming that their knowledge could get them by. For example, how many average people know how to survive with little or no technology. Knowing that is just one such knowledge that is vital in such a world. Its an interesting situation in which the players have chances to wow the locals with their "magic" as much as the locals and the environment can amaze the players with unexpected situations.

[Elemental_Elf]

I think if the game's base is the real world and you run the alternate realities like Sliders, you have yourself a campaign. The problem with doing conworlds is that not everyone at the table will immediately grasp the complexities of the changes from reality to reality, especially if they are minor.

[Ishmayl-Retired]

I did it in college once.  I had been running a decent length campaign (first two semesters), and at the end, I was ready to shake things up.  I had the drow (overused now, but maybe not so much back in 1999?) cast a powerful 12th level spell (there was no ELH at the time) that merged the regular world with the plane of shadows.  It created magical, destructive rifts across the planet that destroyed about 1/5 of the planet's population, and the rules of physics and magic were changed overnight.  I ended up using it as a huge cliff hanger into the next college year, with it ending with them waking up to a new world and new rules.  We had fun, but two of the players left that college that summer to go somewhere else, so we never picked it back up.   So anyway, it's not exactly what you're looking for, but close?  Also, most of my non-Tad-Williams inspiration for my campaign setting (Shadowfell/MF) started with that campaign.

[Nomadic]

I did it in college once.  I had been running a decent length campaign (first two semesters), and at the end, I was ready to shake things up.  I had the drow (overused now, but maybe not so much back in 1999?) cast a powerful 12th level spell (there was no ELH at the time) that merged the regular world with the plane of shadows.  It created magical, destructive rifts across the planet that destroyed about 1/5 of the planet's population, and the rules of physics and magic were changed overnight.  I ended up using it as a huge cliff hanger into the next college year, with it ending with them waking up to a new world and new rules.  We had fun, but two of the players left that college that summer to go somewhere else, so we never picked it back up.   So anyway, it's not exactly what you're looking for, but close?  Also, most of my non-Tad-Williams inspiration for my campaign setting (Shadowfell/MF) started with that campaign.

Yea I can see how that became the shadowfell. Very awesome.

So then other than the obvious (make sure your players are ok with both world types beforehand) what ideas and thoughts might be good contributions to this sort of play style. I liked the idea of having players start with the stuff in their pockets (having actually considered using that myself).