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13:47, 28th March 2024 (GMT+0)

Plots, Story lines and other wierdness.

Posted by ShadoPrism
ShadoPrism
member, 390 posts
Insane and loving it
Sat 15 Feb 2014
at 20:49
  • msg #1

Plots, Story lines and other wierdness

As I have stated in other threads I am not up to running games any more. But I do come up with some ideas about plots, story lines and concepts. I imagine there are others out there with similar things - so I decided to make a thread to put forth some of these ideas and let anyone who is interested use them.

This first one is the one that inspired me to do this the most, as I never got to run it but really loved the concept of it.
Put simply, its AD&D meets Original World of Darkness.


It was a nice clear day on the lake. Hot like summers are, perfect for a day out here.

Then right at noon a cold breeze washed over the lake, the sky turned cloudy and what looked like a massive tornado forming over the middle of the lake.
At the same time the middle of the lake started to churn and froth and land pushed up through the water.

Even as the island appeared this huge black and silver structure lowered, genitally as you pleased till it came in contact with the island. At that moment their was a bright silver-blue and green flash and the feeling of the air shaking with unimaginable power, but no other real sound.
When all could see again they beheld a large tree covered island with a massive hill at its center and the black and silver building surrounded by a high black stone wall.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

The peoples reactions was a mix of wonder, fear, and curiosity.
Some of the more brave or perhaps foolish, boarded boats and other water craft and went out to get a closure look at the new place.
A few of these even landed on the shore and looked around. They found a cove that made the perfect landing area and rows of trees, mostly apple but a few pear and some other plants as well. All set up in farm like rows but lacking any buildings beyond the Tower which is at the end of a steep narrow road. No one feels brave enough to approach the formidable structure.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Meanwhile satellite coverage of the area picked up the strange cloud cover and a surge in the electromagnetic spectrum that is unlike anything ever seen in the modern world.

Home land security and the military immediately went on alert and sent out scouts to examine the area.
The air force, is the first on the scene with a pair of jets followed by 2 helicopters.
At this point they are taking pictures of the structure and sending those back to their leaders.

What they see is a building built in to the form of a 5 pointed star within a heavily defensible shield wall. 2 helicopters on 2 of the massive spurs as well as the 5 sided pyramid that has a tall flag pole on it waving a banner of a dragon rampant and a tree in a gold circle.
They also note the flurry of activity. What they believe is troop movements with in the structure.
So far though there has been no overt hostilities from those with in the structure.

The President is notified and the joint chiefs and heads of the different intelligence agencies are all called in to meetings as this phenomenon is examined and theories are presented.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Media responce:

Several of those who witnessed this had the presence of mind to record it either on their cell phones or other recording equipment.
Many people called in the police and a few called the media. The media helicopters actually arrived before the air force and have been documenting this event since a few minutes after the 'storm' broke up.

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Super natural responce.

Technocracy is freaking out at the massive display of pure magical might that was used to effect this transition or creation. They fear Marauders are to blame. But will not rule out some fool 'Orphans'.

The Kindred and others learn of this event from the media and are slower to respond.
The local prince has sent out some scouts to learn what he can a little after night fall. But at that point there is little to nothing to report other than no one has made contact with the inhabitants of the structure yet.
This message had punctuation tweaked by a moderator, as it was the wrong forum, at 21:01, Sat 15 Feb 2014.
ShadoPrism
member, 391 posts
Insane and loving it
Sat 15 Feb 2014
at 20:54
  • msg #2

Re: Plots, Story lines and other wierdness

The above came about when a Mage from a parallel modern world was transported back in to medieval England (aka Connecticut Yankee in King Arthur's Court type deal). Long story short, she set up a tower / mage school and one day they had a bit of a mishap, due to several factors - including exhaustion of trying to cast a 3 day long spell to create a teleport disc like those described in Auroa's Whole Realm Catalog (Forgotten Realms).
Critical fumbles can have such Interesting results.

Comments welcome
This message was last edited by the user at 02:17, Sun 16 Feb 2014.
HornetCorset
member, 107 posts
Tue 18 Feb 2014
at 00:35
  • msg #3

Re: Plots, Story lines and other wierdness

Everyone freaking out because they're on the receiving end of a mage's critical fumble. That's pure gold right there. (On the other hand, critical fumbles on great spells tend to be pretty awesome.) But that does raise questions of what the mages are currently doing. If they're worried about what's outside, why haven't the "defended" themselves? And if are aren't worried about what's outside, why haven't they tried to make contact? It's... just... well, tension is really high, seemingly at its peak, and there's been absolutely no action whatsoever.
ShadoPrism
member, 396 posts
Insane and loving it
Tue 18 Feb 2014
at 02:21
  • msg #4

Re: Plots, Story lines and other wierdness

Well in the original story this is the Mage's home world and she is excited.
And two there are post that took place before this one I just did not include.

It was a good game and this was a thread that did not work, so we removed this event and went in a different direction but I always wondered 'what would have happened had it played out'.

If your interested I can include those post.
This message was last edited by the user at 02:24, Tue 18 Feb 2014.
ShadoPrism
member, 399 posts
Insane and loving it
Thu 20 Feb 2014
at 15:32
  • msg #5

Re: Plots, Story lines and other wierdness

(Took me a bit to find (and edit) this, but here are the post leading up to the first post above)

*Tracy

posted... work

 The next evening I start working on a new spell.
I came up with an Idea while thinking about an Old AD&D game. Transporter pads that can send goods to other places.
Most often to another pad. The idea is an old one but no one I know of has ever made one.
(Site to site teleporters for sending large amounts of goods to my warehouses all over England).

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Admin

posted... set up

  The spell is going to be a nasty one. It is going to take tons of energy to set it up.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Tracy

posted... points

  I go over it carefully and bring in other mages to work on it.
This is deffinately a group effort spell. But once the pads are enchanted they should actually use very little magic.

Still its going to be a bitch in the short term.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Admin

posted... project

  It is going to take alot of time to set each one of them up. It is definately a long term project.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Tracy

posted... sets

 They are done in sets of 4. This is to reduce construction time.
Even so ... I sigh and put someone else in charge. I have other duties, as Dutches to do.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
Admin

posted... four

  Months pass as they work on the first set of four.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Tracy

posted... Activation

 I am needed for the activation ritual.
Its a long complex 3 day ritual and I have to force myself to stay awake through the whole of it.

And that is probably why things went so wrong on the 3rd day.
We were just setting the Links when I stumbled over something on the floor that was not supposed to be there.
One of the apprentices, who was asleep instead of sitting in her position and holding her candle.
This caused me to drop the bowl of ingredients and they spilled over two of the disc and a couple of the other apprentices, who all cried out in the middle of their chant.
Something unexpected happened next. The whole tower 'Shifted'. It felt at first like a minor earthquake, then everything started to flip end over end and there was this horrible wrenching feeling deep in our bones.
This seemed to go on and on for a couple of eternities as time and space were pulled asunder and we all were thrown in to the maelstrom of it.

Eventually though it stopped, we were pulled back together, everything in its place but still something felt off.
We learned what when we looked out a window and saw that we, Tower, gardens, ring wall and all, were on a totally new island in the middle of a strange lake.
Well strange to my people, I on the other hand recognized the power boats, sail boats and other water sports equipment in use by the people enjoying this nice summer day in Colorado.

I mutter in a stunned tone, " Oh holy bat shit. Could this be my home ? "

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Winnie

posted... ugh

 "I think I am going to be sick." I moan and clutch my stomach. "What about bat shit is holy?"

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Tracy

posted... distracted

 In a distracted tone, still looking out the window and taking it all in, " Werebat phrase. Something about the mother of all bats. " totally made that up on the spot. Though for all I know it could be true.
" I am not 100% sure, but this looks like my home land. "

Those around me, who are not as badly affected as Winnie all just nod. It kind of fits, all the machines and scantily clad people. (I am not known for a sense of modesty).

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Winnie

posted... bat
on Mon 15 Sep 2008 @ 2:02 PM (PBW Time)

 "I want to go home. Let's go home. I do not like this place. I do not like bats. I do not want to meet a werebat."

----------------------------------------------------------------------------
*Tracy

posted... home

 Her complaints actually cause me to laugh.
I put an arm around her waist, " Winnie love, there are no bats here. Well I have never seen any. And if I am right, well this may be My home. My brother owns land here.
As for us going home, well I am not sure how to do that as it was an accident that brought us here to begin with.
But at least we are all here together. "
Now though I foresee other problems. 20 story buildings do not normally appear out of thin air and I suspect the goverment and worse the military will take an unhealthy interest in us.
As such I turn to the guards and order a full scale alert. Tell them to man the guns and prepare the gliders but do not launch any.
I want to be prepared in case some of the locals prove hostile.

Full alert means the main gates are barred and special weapons are brought online. These range from catapults and ballista to more advanced weapons such as rail guns and 50mm cannons, and even a set of 'lightning guns'.

My war gliders mix technology and magic and can actually fly but also have weapons built in to them. Smaller 'lightning guns'. The small ones act as stun guns but can hit anything from an individual to a good sized group.


Tracy and Winnie are actually Admin characters I and my Co-gm at the time were running between other players games.
Tracy after the original events in her version of King Arthur's story was made a Dutches of the western provenances, which is largely rivers and lake territory. She is also a werepanther as well as a mage.
Winnie is um, a 'mutt' type shifter, her family mixed with so many different sorts of cats that what came out when she eventually shifted is weird to see. But her personality is somewhat childish despite being a goodly powered mage and chief apprentice to Tracy.
Tracy came from 21st century earth and is a trained pilot and had a masters degree in Economics and Architecture as well as having been a practicing mage. She is also deathly afraid of water, so putting her on an island is a special torture for her.
Winnie on the other hand hates flying and has to be dragged on to one of Tracy's helicopters, which is the Only way Tracy will come or go from her island to the main land (as she does not trust boats).
HornetCorset
member, 110 posts
Fri 21 Feb 2014
at 02:50
  • msg #6

Re: Plots, Story lines and other wierdness

That definitely sounds like a lot of fun. It really is too bad that didn't work out.
ShadoPrism
member, 407 posts
Insane and loving it
Thu 27 Feb 2014
at 15:59
  • msg #7

Re: Plots, Story lines and other wierdness

Note: I made this thread so others could put in idea's they had for plots and stories to. But I will put in more of my own as well. Maybe between myself and others some fun inspirations will come of it.


Another idea


When Worlds Collide
 Mon 27 Apr 2009 <-included when I thought of this]
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

On Dec 24 2012 the world as we know it came to an end and No one noticed.

There was some disappointment, seeing as the Mayans calander predicted it and all. But nothing 'out of the ordinary' seemed to happen.

Mostly this is because no one knew where to look or what to expect. That and the change was quite subtle.

Changes came of course, they always do. Political, seasonal, weather related. All the normal things. Some good some bad.
But the coming of the one.
The 'Traveler' who came looking for something or someone which may not exist here.
This was an earth altering event, for he came with power and knowledge not of this world or time.
He opened a door that had never been opened in this world or Frame before. And in doing so let in things that till then had only been Myth, Legend, and in some cases out right Fantasy.
 

This game is good for Rift or free form or any number of 'modern / future' story lines.
facemaker329
member, 6284 posts
Gaming for over 30
years, and counting!
Thu 27 Feb 2014
at 19:15
  • msg #8

Re: Plots, Story lines and other wierdness

That actually sounds similar in tone to the whole basis of the Dark Conspiracy RPG.  It wasn't a single, specific 'Traveler' entity, from what I recall, so much as it was a general kind of breaking down of dimensional barriers (along with alien invaders).  Only ever played one campaign (and that was home-brewed with Star Wars D6 rules, because we all knew them and the GM liked the Dark Conspiracy setting but didn't care for most of the rules all that much), but it's still one of my fondest gaming memories.
ShadoPrism
member, 414 posts
Insane and loving it
Sat 1 Mar 2014
at 21:59
  • msg #9

Re: Plots, Story lines and other wierdness

Similar yeah. Or Rifts - basically this Traveler was the cause / origin of it all. But he did not realize it, possibly ever.
ShadoPrism
member, 429 posts
Sun 9 Mar 2014
at 02:41
  • msg #10

Re: Plots, Story lines and other wierdness

Old idea I did long ago. My first game in fact, learned allot from it (like not to put main plot around 1 PC as sometimes they wander off and don't return).

AD&D 2cd ed. Forgotten Realms -
The PCs are all -1 level and 'children' age 10 to 14 (early Apprentice ages)
City adventure (I used Waterdeep back then), takes 500xp to reach lv 0, 500xp to level 1. HD is 4hp (plus Con bonus) all physical stats are at -2. Mental unaffected. A mage or Priest type would have only a few cantrip type spells. Thief type would be at 30 pts (45 at lv0 and 60 lv1 + race and dex bonuses). And only skills numbering their Int bonus. (basic understanding in what ever field they are studying - apprenticing in).

Story around a group of friends. (not a gang) possibly they find a magical device, or learn of a plot (thieves, evil humanoids, slavers, etc) and none of the adults are willing to listen to them, so they have to stop it themselves.
HornetCorset
member, 119 posts
Sun 9 Mar 2014
at 05:22
  • msg #11

Re: Plots, Story lines and other wierdness

In reply to ShadoPrism (msg # 10):

Ah, low-low-level campaigns. Those are fun. I had an idea for a game where the characters derp out endlessly, such that the entire campaign consists of getting out of bed, opening a door, walking to the kitchen, opening the fridge, and getting rid of the final boss: a moldy ham sandwich. If the entire party survives, the GM didn't do it right.
ShadoPrism
member, 444 posts
Tue 18 Mar 2014
at 23:57
  • msg #12

Interesting Times

I ran this on Playbyweb a few years ago and had a blast. (2006)
Thought I would put out the 'hook' I used back then.


Was just another night of Chat gaming. PBW was down again and you and your friends were just playing a chat game on Yahoo when the Glitch happened. You all saw it but none of you knew what it was or how it was caused.

This weird set of neon colored 'letters' appeared on your screens. They looked like Elven crossed with Arabic. Then they started to swirl around and around. After a minute of this and much to your surprise the world exploded and you were ripped from the place you were and awoke here.

Now if you could just loose the whole body head ache ...
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Basic Concept:
A group of online friends, while chatting one night, are pulled into a 'Fantasy World'.
Only they end up in new bodies. Maybe even of different genders and 'Classes'.
-------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Character Creation
using AD&D 2cd ed Rules.

Races are from the Complete Book of Humanoids- Reincarnation chart. Player rolls 2d100, but admin decides which body type the player gets.
No Humans though, so that's a re-roll. (55-68 on roll 1 and 42-55 on roll two are auto re-rolls)

The Admin will tell you what you rolled and let you choose which of the 2 (or 4) races you rolled you wish to play.

Physical Stats (Str, Dex, Con, Chr) are rolled by the DM and adjusted for race.
Players either roll or choose their Intelligence and Wisdom score. This represents the 'mind / spirit' of the 'Real' person.

Note: just cause the body you end up in was a Priest does not mean you have to stay one. With a little work you can become another class.

I am willing to work with players for interesting ideas. Like you want to try a race not in the book. Same goes for a specialty class.

This game will be partly free form and player feedback is a Good thing (helps form Plots).
shady joker
member, 1511 posts
Wed 19 Mar 2014
at 11:51
  • msg #13

Re: Interesting Times

This idea was scrapped but still liked it. nWoD Promethean: the Created meets Hunter: the Vigil. Basically a Promethean is on a Project Valkyrie team and fights monsters. Inspired by the Hellboy comics and movies.

Another game I had an idea for used the Savage Worlds system. It was called 'Spooks' and about psychic spies that astral project to do their spy stuff and countered by ghost buster like security forces.
ShadoPrism
member, 450 posts
Sun 30 Mar 2014
at 17:47
  • msg #14

Re: Interesting Times

One of my all time favorite plot devices is 'play yourself'. Or at least a close approximation of yourself, in a time / dimension shift type story line.
Like dropping modern people in to AD&D or from this world to a World of Darkness or even 'super hero' type world.
It usually ends up being a journey of self discovery - or just fun wishful thinking.
shady joker
member, 1521 posts
Sun 30 Mar 2014
at 23:15
  • msg #15

Re: Interesting Times

In reply to ShadoPrism (msg # 14):

Play yourself only works if you are cool to begin with. I am a crumb bum so playing myself sucks in all genres and systems.
Eggy
member, 126 posts
Sun 30 Mar 2014
at 23:50
  • msg #16

Re: Interesting Times

In reply to ShadoPrism (msg # 14):

My friends have done the "play yourself" in the World of Darkness. It turned out to be pretty good. Even better was the time where the ST had us stat up sheets and we thought we were going to play ourselves. Then he had us give our sheets to the person to our left. That got pretty wild. Awesome one shot game.
ShadoPrism
member, 451 posts
Mon 31 Mar 2014
at 00:02
  • msg #17

Re: Interesting Times

I did one where people were sucked through a wormhole and given super powers - it lasted 2 years. The world was sort of World of Darkness meets the Batman cartoon (the one from the late 90's with the dirigibles over the city)
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