Hi Folks. I have this gimmick I use for when my players are unable to attend games. It works really well but I really want to turn the idea behind it into a campaign. I've created the backstory and NPCs. However, I am having major issues with coming up with palpable time travel adventure scenarios.
Here's the gist of the gimmick: If the adventurers agree to join Cycle (described below), Eventua (described bellow) will send them a Chronomotor (described below). When activated, the Chronomotor can suddenly transport a player to a different locale to accomplish some mission or task assigned by Eventua or Tryce (described below). Sometimes the mission is short, sometimes it may take longer. When and if they return, the PC may not remember anything of what they did, or where they went, or whether they succeeded or failed (DM's prerogative). However, they might be rewarded a token (healing potion, scroll, short term magical item) on their return. This has been great to explain why a PC is suddenly missing mid-adventure.
Premise: Two time agents from the distant future are trying to outwit each other by manipulating time.
NPCs and backstory:
Cycle: The organization that polices events in time to ensure nothing impedes the proper flow.
The Villain - Crysus: (CE) Crysus is a former member of Cycle. He has an insane plan to implant his present consciousness into his brilliant 4x great grandfather physicist. His consciousness will then be transferred through each subsequent generation. Crysus has calculated every incident leading to his birth to ensure he is reborn in his present body. His plan is to take all the information he has accrued in his present life back in time so that he may exploit the past with his knowledge of historical events for profit and, in rare cases, change the course of events entirely.
The Heroes of Cycle
Eventua: (NG) lead Agent of Cycle. She is the primary intercessor against Crysus. She keeps her personal history and her mission private, only communicating information necessary to the assignments.
Tryce: (NG) Devoted attendant to Eventua. Tryce is young and in love with her.
Epoch: (LG) “Identical” twin brother to Eon. Eon: (LE) “Identical” twin sister to Epoch. Together they calculate the events in time to ensure time flow is unobstructed. They now also measure the effects of the actions of Crysus and Eventua have to each time period. Epoch and Eon only speak through Chronicle.
Chronicle: (LN) Much like a librarian, Chronicle is the historian of time that chronicles the impact of the actions of Crysus and Eventua. Chronicle works closely with Epoch and Eon and relays information to Eventua and Tryce.
Jiffy: (CG) Brilliant but self-centered mechanic that created the “Chronomotor” for Eventua to use in her battle with Crysus.
Chronomotor: Developed by Jiffy, the Chronomotor is a small mechanical device worn like a brooch. The Chronomotor allows Eventua's agents to be quickly transported to programmed locations designated by Eventua. When it is first delivered through the time stream, the Chronomotor arrives to the agent covered in ectoplasm. The Chronomotor cannot be altered without specific instructions from Jiffy. If tampered with, it delivers 1d12 points of life damage (i.e. magic missle). When activated, the Chronomotor detaches itself from it's base and skitters, like a spider, to the host's chest. There it painfully inserts a metal proboscis into the heart and consumes approximately 4 ounces of blood (see device from movie "Chronos") before completely sinking into the host's chest. Any damage caused by the Chronomotor is immediately cured along with any previous damage sustained within the past 24 hours. A very faint glow will eminate from the Chronomotor that envelopes it's host before both disappear into the time stream. The healing properties of the Chronomotor are available only when it has been activated by Eventua. Once the agent arrives to the programmed time period, the device is deactivated and it emerges from the host (healing all damage as it does so), returns to it's base, and resumes it's dormant brooch state until activated again.
Crysus and Eventua can not manifest in corporeal form outside of their time original streams (I'm still working on why they can't use the chronomotors themselves). However, they can attempt to persuade people existing within a given time period to do things for them by appearing to them in ethereal forms. Eventua often presents herself as a ghost of a loved ones or an angel to communicate. She chooses these forms because people tend to respond better to them and it doesn't require a lot of explaining about time and it's rules. Crysus typically uses threats and fear to force people into submission for his cause. He uses lies and deceit to coerce people to perform his foul deeds. He will sometimes appear to his targets as a demon/devil or as an angry spirit.
Crysus and Eventua have to be very cautious about how they affect the past because they can create a loop that would stop time from progressing altogether.
Eventua is battling Crysus' plan to alter the past by recruiting the PCs to fight for her.
Hi Folks. I have this gimmick I use for when my players are unable to attend games. It works really well but I really want to turn the idea behind it into a campaign. I've created the backstory and NPCs. However, I am having major issues with coming up with palpable time travel adventure scenarios.
Here's the gist of the gimmick: If the adventurers agree to join Cycle (described below), Eventua (described bellow) will send them a Chronomotor (described below). When activated, the Chronomotor can suddenly transport a player to a different locale to accomplish some mission or task assigned by Eventua or Tryce (described below). Sometimes the mission is short, sometimes it may take longer. When and if they return, the PC may not remember anything of what they did, or where they went, or whether they succeeded or failed (DM's prerogative). However, they might be rewarded a token (healing potion, scroll, short term magical item) on their return. This has been great to explain why a PC is suddenly missing mid-adventure.
Premise: Two time agents from the distant future are trying to outwit each other by manipulating time.
NPCs and backstory:
Cycle: The organization that polices events in time to ensure nothing impedes the proper flow.
The Villain - Crysus: (CE) Crysus is a former member of Cycle. He has an insane plan to implant his present consciousness into his brilliant 4x great grandfather physicist. His consciousness will then be transferred through each subsequent generation. Crysus has calculated every incident leading to his birth to ensure he is reborn in his present body. His plan is to take all the information he has accrued in his present life back in time so that he may exploit the past with his knowledge of historical events for profit and, in rare cases, change the course of events entirely.
The Heroes of Cycle
Eventua: (NG) lead Agent of Cycle. She is the primary intercessor against Crysus. She keeps her personal history and her mission private, only communicating information necessary to the assignments.
Tryce: (NG) Devoted attendant to Eventua. Tryce is young and in love with her.
Epoch: (LG) “Identical” twin brother to Eon.
Eon: (LE) “Identical” twin sister to Epoch.
Together they calculate the events in time to ensure time flow is unobstructed. They now also measure the effects of the actions of Crysus and Eventua have to each time period. Epoch and Eon only speak through Chronicle.
Chronicle: (LN) Much like a librarian, Chronicle is the historian of time that chronicles the impact of the actions of Crysus and Eventua. Chronicle works closely with Epoch and Eon and relays information to Eventua and Tryce.
Jiffy: (CG) Brilliant but self-centered mechanic that created the “Chronomotor” for Eventua to use in her battle with Crysus.
Chronomotor: Developed by Jiffy, the Chronomotor is a small mechanical device worn like a brooch. The Chronomotor allows Eventua's agents to be quickly transported to programmed locations designated by Eventua. When it is first delivered through the time stream, the Chronomotor arrives to the agent covered in ectoplasm. The Chronomotor cannot be altered without specific instructions from Jiffy. If tampered with, it delivers 1d12 points of life damage (i.e. magic missle). When activated, the Chronomotor detaches itself from it's base and skitters, like a spider, to the host's chest. There it painfully inserts a metal proboscis into the heart and consumes approximately 4 ounces of blood (see device from movie "Chronos") before completely sinking into the host's chest. Any damage caused by the Chronomotor is immediately cured along with any previous damage sustained within the past 24 hours. A very faint glow will eminate from the Chronomotor that envelopes it's host before both disappear into the time stream. The healing properties of the Chronomotor are available only when it has been activated by Eventua. Once the agent arrives to the programmed time period, the device is deactivated and it emerges from the host (healing all damage as it does so), returns to it's base, and resumes it's dormant brooch state until activated again.
Crysus and Eventua can not manifest in corporeal form outside of their time original streams (I'm still working on why they can't use the chronomotors themselves). However, they can attempt to persuade people existing within a given time period to do things for them by appearing to them in ethereal forms. Eventua often presents herself as a ghost of a loved ones or an angel to communicate. She chooses these forms because people tend to respond better to them and it doesn't require a lot of explaining about time and it's rules.
Crysus typically uses threats and fear to force people into submission for his cause. He uses lies and deceit to coerce people to perform his foul deeds. He will sometimes appear to his targets as a demon/devil or as an angry spirit.
Crysus and Eventua have to be very cautious about how they affect the past because they can create a loop that would stop time from progressing altogether.
Eventua is battling Crysus' plan to alter the past by recruiting the PCs to fight for her.
Any thoughts and ideas are most welcome!