Has anyone done this kind of thing? Be it the group of characters from a modern setting somehow "crossing over" into a fantasy world? Or a group of fantasy characters ending up in a Sci-fi reality?
What's the best way to handle it?
Frankly, considering how adaptable D20 is, I'm surprised I haven't heard of more of this. It seems like this was something that used to be done far more often in the 70s/80s.
RPGpundit
Some dudes I used to chat with online back in the mid-to-late 90s had a Robotech game that shifted into a RIFTS game.
Not really what you're looking for, but it's what popped into my head first.
I think WFRP, being somewhat of a Sci-Fi setting as is, could handle some strangers in a strange land quite well. Until the Witch Hunters strung them up, naturally.
Always wanted to, never actually done it.
One interesting spin on this was presented in Mary Gentle's "Grunts". Some orcs find modern weaponry in a dragon's hoard. Weaponry with a curse. Slowly they change into rather contemporary soldiers, with some kind of Marine ethic. And it had assassin hobbits...
Quote from: fonkaygarrySome dudes I used to chat with online back in the mid-to-late 90s had a Robotech game that shifted into a RIFTS game.
Not really what you're looking for, but it's what popped into my head first.
I think everyone who's played/run Robotech or RIFTS has had that happen at least once.
RPGPundit
I had the player's playing as themselves get caught on a ship, and wind up in Ravenloft* once. (Slowly gaining class abilities as they investigated) but I VASTLY prefer closed worlds for better versimillitude.
*They were all into Vampire Larping and it was easy to set up a "in game" cross state trip to the coast for a onetime halloween game aboard a spooky wooden ship..
I always wanted to run a twilight 2000 fantasy game.
As in your part of a forward military force in a foreign land when the BIG fucking magic weapons start taking out entire towns/cities/landscapes and your last command is that your on your own, fend for yourself, good luck. And then the whole world decends into chaos.
A world that was high magic that is knocked back to the dark ages of half working half stable low magic barbarism, except for the last of the military crap, and part of your new life long ambition is to gather as much of it as you can before the other guy does.
Coincidentally, when CoC first came out, we crossed over our Runequest party into 1920s New England. I didn't have the skills or knowledge back then to make it work (I was 16 or so), but in retrospect I could think of a few ways to make it work and be authentic to both RQ and HPL (or, more accurately, some of REH's mythos stuff). As it was my idea was basically "You get stuck in a time warp and I run the Haunted House scenario from the rule book, even though you can't read or use or library or anyhing like that. PLus you turn that fucking bed into tinder with one well-placed blow. And by the way, you CAN'T carry that broadsword around." Truly, we screwed it up as only teenage boys can.
Since then, we have discussed doing a "through the ages" d20 game using Testament, GR's Medieval Players' Handbook and d20 CoC, but nothing's come of it.
Ned
Quote from: RPGPunditHas anyone done this kind of thing? Be it the group of characters from a modern setting somehow "crossing over" into a fantasy world? Or a group of fantasy characters ending up in a Sci-fi reality?
When I was a kid our D&D characters inevitably made it to the Old West thanks to the Boot Hill conversion.
As an adult, I tried to run a Sliders game a few times, but couldn't keep it going. The main problem was that my groups were very mission- and goal-oriented and most of their skills were useless in different time frames (computer guru in Medieval society). I knew that going in, so I tried to make the adventures more personal like the shows, but that wasn't the play style they were looking for.
That's the biggest pitfalls with multiverse-type games, though, it has the potential for a lot of inept characters and/or power gamers who stack everything into physical/combat stats that translate to all worlds. I won't keep plugging my dream game, but my experience with crossover worlds led me to develop that, something you can "buy" skills in, at least temporarily during the dream, so you're never stuck because your character doesn't know how to ski or to build a castle.
Pete
QuoteI think everyone who's played/run Robotech or RIFTS has had that happen at least once.
Surprisingly not... maybe we switched to Shadowrun before RIFTS came out?
Although the RDF Academy supplement turned the game into a somewhat light hearted Robotech-Highschool kind of game for a while. Ah, good times. :)