So I've been bouncing this idea (among others) around in my head for years now.
Basically, the idea is that some villain finishes construction on a large subterranean machine that can alter space and time. However, after activating it (or perhaps before he/she can), it gains self-awareness and begins acting on its own. The construct itself would be stationary, but would periodically overlap the arena with either one of the planes, a location in the world, or a location in another plane of possibility (an alternate reality, if you will). When it does this, it permanently brings with it creatures from that location into the arena, who might be very confused at what exactly is going on. Thinking about it, I imagine it to be a survival encounter, where the players simply need to survive until the machine ejects everyone from its chamber to a location nearby. There, the players would be able to see the effects the machine is having on the world before it stabilizes itself.
Not sure how rewards would work after an encounter like that, though I think it would make a neat transition between campaign settings (by forcibly merging several possible settings together).
I'm thinking I could tease this kind of thing while it's being constructed/tested with sparse planar/calendar "glitches"/events. Even going so far as to reinforce my "joke" that none of my maps are 100% accurate.
I don't know, what do you guys think? I've got plenty of time to develop this before my players are even close to strong enough to survive something like this.
There is the Maze Engine featured in Out of the Abyss, that along with the Wild Magic Surge table from the Wild Magic Sorcerous Origin can provide excellent inspiration for a reality operating machine.
"The relevant equation is: Knowledge = power = energy = matter = mass; a good bookshop is just a genteel Black Hole that knows how to read." - Terry Pratchett
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So I've been bouncing this idea (among others) around in my head for years now.
Basically, the idea is that some villain finishes construction on a large subterranean machine that can alter space and time. However, after activating it (or perhaps before he/she can), it gains self-awareness and begins acting on its own. The construct itself would be stationary, but would periodically overlap the arena with either one of the planes, a location in the world, or a location in another plane of possibility (an alternate reality, if you will). When it does this, it permanently brings with it creatures from that location into the arena, who might be very confused at what exactly is going on. Thinking about it, I imagine it to be a survival encounter, where the players simply need to survive until the machine ejects everyone from its chamber to a location nearby. There, the players would be able to see the effects the machine is having on the world before it stabilizes itself.
Not sure how rewards would work after an encounter like that, though I think it would make a neat transition between campaign settings (by forcibly merging several possible settings together).
I'm thinking I could tease this kind of thing while it's being constructed/tested with sparse planar/calendar "glitches"/events. Even going so far as to reinforce my "joke" that none of my maps are 100% accurate.
I don't know, what do you guys think? I've got plenty of time to develop this before my players are even close to strong enough to survive something like this.
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There is the Maze Engine featured in Out of the Abyss, that along with the Wild Magic Surge table from the Wild Magic Sorcerous Origin can provide excellent inspiration for a reality operating machine.
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"The relevant equation is: Knowledge = power = energy = matter = mass; a good bookshop is just a genteel Black Hole that knows how to read." - Terry Pratchett