Oh **** I killed my great grandfather

[Drizztrocks]

No, this is not a confession to murder. I am going to be running a Gurps game soon centering around time travel (think micheal chrichton's Timeline) to various periods in the past, including 16th century Europe, prehistoric south america and Japan right before the nuke was dropped. Like any other good time travel flick, this game will include characters actions in the past affecting the present. So I was straining myself over deciding what the effects of certain actions would affect the present. So here they are...

What would exposing firearms to the people of medeval europe do to the present?

What would pushing an endangered species of terror bird (giant prehistoric birds) over the edge do to the present?

What would changing the outcome of a war between the French and the English do to modern times?


  If anyone can help me with answers to these or just tips on running a time travel campaign, they'd be very much appreciated.

[Mason]

I guess it all depends on what you as the DM would like to happen. Unless your players are history buffs, I would say just think about how you want the outcome to be percieved. Other than that try  this link for inspiration. There are some diamonds in the rough at that wiki.

[SDragon]

General rule of thumb is, the further back in time you go, the more impact your actions have. Simply existing in the first few moment of time could easily shape entire galaxies. Pushing the terror birds over the edge, if they existed far enough in prehistory, might completely wipe out all bird life in the present.

[SilvercatMoonpaw]

Pushing the terror birds over the edge, if they existed far enough in prehistory, might completely wipe out all bird life in the present.

Not gonna happen: modern birds aren't in any way descended from terror birds.  The extinction of terror birds should be treated like the extinction of any apex predator, meaning you should focus on what their extinction does to what they eat instead.

[Elemental_Elf]

What would exposing firearms to the people of medeval europe do to the present?

It would bring about the end of the Knight and hasten Europe into wars the likes of which we saw in the 1700's. If the guns were advanced enough they may use them during the Crusades, or even in wars to support Byzantium and destroy Ottoman/Turkic power in the near east. These would have disastrous effects on history. With out the Ottomans controlling the near east, perhaps countries like Venice and Genoa would continue their dominance over oriental trade, thus pushing the date of European exploration back hundreds of years...

What would pushing an endangered species of terror bird (giant prehistoric birds) over the edge do to the present?

I can't think of much given that South America is fated to ram North America (thus letting in thousands of large cat species flood in  and replace the Terror Birds anyways). By the time Humans come along things would look relatively the same.  

What would changing the outcome of a war between the French and the English do to modern times?

There's just too many variables with out knowing which war you are referring to.

[Drizztrocks]

Okay thanks for the responses i've gotten a general idea of what might happen from them, and that was all that I needed.