X
Xaosseed
Guest
Thinking about how to do mirror-dimensions and the like for the 'Holes' bandwagon called by Prismatic Wasteland.
I want this because my players have encountered time-space traversing insectfolk whose hives branch across the boundaries of dimensions. Noone told them they couldn't, so they did.
Partially inspired by recent readings of a recent sci-fi series where the big trope is that the ancient fore-runner type aliens actually broke the rules of physics trying to paint the galaxy red to make it go faster. Physics itself before and after they turned on their machines was different - I love the idea of actually different fundamental rules to distinguish different worlds and dimensions.
All this to say that I would like something to make the different worlds my players by tumble into to feel different through some mechanical quirk. Partly inspired by thoughts I had prior to 5.5e dropping where the new DMG could present menus of optional rules but suggest certain combinations to achieve certain flavours - grimdark, sword and sorcery, high fantasy, etc.
Environmental Examples are how most examples of this work but for mirror universes, why not make a tweak that is the application of a house rule that is not usually in play? I used something like this to capture the 'mythic, realm of heroes' atmosphere for the Plateau of Jor where the giants live in my home campaign - rules like Spellburn, luck points and the big d30 coming into play only on the plateau.
Taking on the three mirror world examples from my previous thoughts on where the Vaults of the Insectfolk could lead:
18. Alternate - mirror world, bleak - the same type of room you just left but with evidence of resource shortage
19. Alternate - mirror world, wasteland - the same type of room you just left but with evidence of harsh-environment adaptation
20. Alternate - mirror world, dark - the same type of room you just left but evidence of heightened danger and cruelty
One could suggest that on rolling up one of the above you pick or roll a rule from the sub-table below and that remains in effect until people work their way home.
Bleak world - resources are scarce, things break and you must do without
1. Hit points are not restored by rest, only consumption of rations (d6 per meal)
2. Shields splintered / mail rent / helms sundered - sacrifice the gear to persist.
3. You don’t kill NPCs/monsters, you defeat them as per Spiceomancy.
4. Critical failures - things break on Naturals ones; tools weapons
Wasteland - environment is harsh, grit is crucial
1. Morale checks for hirelings - before combat, before traps, under any hardship.
2. "unquenchable spirit" - modified Stun, take d3 ability damage to shake off a stun effect
3. Big d30 - once per session swap a d20 you roll for a d30
4. Modify overload encounter die - no fatigue or exhaustion effects anymore - replaced with straight HP damage. Everyone and everything keeps going until they drop.
Dark world - general supernatural hazard
1. Cascading Damage Dice - dice explodes on a maximum roll
2. Critical hits by monsters - max damage plus an extra dice
3. Mutations from spellcasting - such as these d500 by Coins and Scrolls
4. Retention check for spells - magic is reliable anymore, roll over the spell level every time you cast or the spell goes way. You can learn it again as new.
If you continued to wander deeper you could end up two realities out into the wasteland and one into a bleaker direction with Big d30, hireling morale checks and critical failure rules all in operation.
For a truly fun 'Sliders' style twist you could just have proper mirror universes with almost everything being similar such that the players could re-emerge from the vaule and pick up all their quests, NPCs and holdings exactly as they left them... except only the fact that the 'cascading damage rule' remains in effect indicates that they are not in fact at home but the universe next door.
GM achievement award if you can gloss that one over until the players come to that realisation on their own.
Other house rule collections one could tap to build 'flavour sets' are: Methods & Madness, The Gibbering Blog, Eldritch Fields, Hobgoblinry.
Continue reading...
I want this because my players have encountered time-space traversing insectfolk whose hives branch across the boundaries of dimensions. Noone told them they couldn't, so they did.
Partially inspired by recent readings of a recent sci-fi series where the big trope is that the ancient fore-runner type aliens actually broke the rules of physics trying to paint the galaxy red to make it go faster. Physics itself before and after they turned on their machines was different - I love the idea of actually different fundamental rules to distinguish different worlds and dimensions.
All this to say that I would like something to make the different worlds my players by tumble into to feel different through some mechanical quirk. Partly inspired by thoughts I had prior to 5.5e dropping where the new DMG could present menus of optional rules but suggest certain combinations to achieve certain flavours - grimdark, sword and sorcery, high fantasy, etc.
Environmental Examples are how most examples of this work but for mirror universes, why not make a tweak that is the application of a house rule that is not usually in play? I used something like this to capture the 'mythic, realm of heroes' atmosphere for the Plateau of Jor where the giants live in my home campaign - rules like Spellburn, luck points and the big d30 coming into play only on the plateau.
Taking on the three mirror world examples from my previous thoughts on where the Vaults of the Insectfolk could lead:
18. Alternate - mirror world, bleak - the same type of room you just left but with evidence of resource shortage
19. Alternate - mirror world, wasteland - the same type of room you just left but with evidence of harsh-environment adaptation
20. Alternate - mirror world, dark - the same type of room you just left but evidence of heightened danger and cruelty
One could suggest that on rolling up one of the above you pick or roll a rule from the sub-table below and that remains in effect until people work their way home.
Bleak world - resources are scarce, things break and you must do without
1. Hit points are not restored by rest, only consumption of rations (d6 per meal)
2. Shields splintered / mail rent / helms sundered - sacrifice the gear to persist.
3. You don’t kill NPCs/monsters, you defeat them as per Spiceomancy.
4. Critical failures - things break on Naturals ones; tools weapons
Wasteland - environment is harsh, grit is crucial
1. Morale checks for hirelings - before combat, before traps, under any hardship.
2. "unquenchable spirit" - modified Stun, take d3 ability damage to shake off a stun effect
3. Big d30 - once per session swap a d20 you roll for a d30
4. Modify overload encounter die - no fatigue or exhaustion effects anymore - replaced with straight HP damage. Everyone and everything keeps going until they drop.
Dark world - general supernatural hazard
1. Cascading Damage Dice - dice explodes on a maximum roll
2. Critical hits by monsters - max damage plus an extra dice
3. Mutations from spellcasting - such as these d500 by Coins and Scrolls
4. Retention check for spells - magic is reliable anymore, roll over the spell level every time you cast or the spell goes way. You can learn it again as new.
If you continued to wander deeper you could end up two realities out into the wasteland and one into a bleaker direction with Big d30, hireling morale checks and critical failure rules all in operation.
For a truly fun 'Sliders' style twist you could just have proper mirror universes with almost everything being similar such that the players could re-emerge from the vaule and pick up all their quests, NPCs and holdings exactly as they left them... except only the fact that the 'cascading damage rule' remains in effect indicates that they are not in fact at home but the universe next door.
GM achievement award if you can gloss that one over until the players come to that realisation on their own.
Other house rule collections one could tap to build 'flavour sets' are: Methods & Madness, The Gibbering Blog, Eldritch Fields, Hobgoblinry.
Continue reading...