A barrier peaks like campaign

[nomotog]

I am toying with a campaign idea and I just want to see if anyone else has thoughts about it.

So the idea is to have a campaign where technology collides with a very generic D&D setting. Like the barrier peaks adventure only done over a whole campaign not just a one shot.

My current idea is to base it around a evil cargo cult that has access to different bits of high tech. They would be running around doing evil things and the PCs will try and stop them or at least kill them and take their laser guns.

The cult would be the main enemy. Most of their members would simple villagers given laser guns and stun prods. As the players advance, I'm thinking I'll introduce cyborg priests (I have a image of a woman in robes with a plasma cannon for a hand.), robots, maybe actual aliens?

For the technology, I want it to have a mysterious feel. That might be hard because every player will recolonize what a laser gun is. The players should also have to experiment and toy with the different devices, making a lot of int rolls, before they figure out what things are. To achieve both these things, I'm thinking I'll describe everything in very genetic ways well making the devices themselves complex. Like a laser gun would be describe as metal tube attached to a squishy handle and would have several different buttons that do unexpected things. Experimentation is the key idea here.

A idea (that people should talk me out of), is to have the setting be devoid of magic to make the technology stand out more as the only fantastic thing. Players wouldn't be able to be wizards or clerics, but maybe they could end up as cyborgs. I know taking away classes makes players sad, so I don't think this bit will make it too far.

What are your ideas about this? I would bet someone else has thought about this before me.

 

[trancejeremy]

If you take out clerics and wizards and add a cargo cult, then don't you basically have Gamma World?

 

[Stormonu]

Tale of the Comet did something like this for 2E, and there's Dragonstar for 3E - could use aspects of the latter without the world-spanning.

Also, technology doesn't need to look like it does in our world. For example, laser guns could look exactly like a wand, perhaps with runic depressions on it (for different power settings and perhaps readout of remaining charge) and is activated by focused thought instead of a crude trigger.

Imagine vehicles that fold up into the size of a briefcase and look like a metal horse when put to use. Eyeglasses with multi-spectrum analysis that can also fire lasers...rings that project a blade of energy like a sword or dagger...gauntlets that erect a dome-shaped force field shield, etc. If it doesn't look like or activate like earth technology, then characters WILL need to experiment to figure it out.

 

[Herobizkit]

If you can find it, and you're running some version of 3.x, I strongly recommend the Swords & Sorcery game supplement Chaositech.

It puts sci-fi in your fantasy the only way Monte Cook can.

 

[SkidAce]

I second this.

 

[MDK]

You might also want to check out DA2 Temple of the Frog (basically, aliens have landed); there may be a copy up among the TSR pdfs. Also, free for download, there's Return to the Temple of the Frog. I'm not familiar with the scenario, but it might give you ideas.