Different Rulesets, Same Campaign

[jdcash]

I have read a ton of discussions about the strengths of one ruleset over another, or Game A is great for this type of play but Game B is the better choice for that type of play. I have also read a number of discussions talking about taking breaks from a campaign to play a different game and "refresh". So, it got me wondering whether or not anyone has taken a break from a ruleset and played in a different ruleset while maintaining and advancing the story arc of the campaign.

For example, in a campaign based in 4th edition, the adventurers are hired to help defend against an invading force. Rather than try to make that ruleset do something that it is not the strongest at, switch to a miniatures wargame with the PCs acting as leaders of different skirmish groups. Once the invasion is resolved one way or another, go back to DnD. Others might be using Uncharted Seas for naval warfare, convert the characters to Descent for a change of pace on a delve, etc.

I am not that familiar with very many games and certainly not compared to the many enlightened ones on these forums. So I am sure that there are a ton of options for this type of thing. It is likely this has already been addressed on here before and I have not seen the thread(s). Either way, this concept has had my mind spinning for a little while and I thought I would toss it out there.

 

[Dice4Hire]

I have done things like this, but this is way back, when I was 15 or 16. We used a board wargame to resolve a fight between rival armies. It worked well, overall.

 

[Nagol]

I've done this using a "dimensional travel" rationale to shift the PCs into a different game system untli they complete their objective.

This allows the group to get refreshed with a change of pace and new expectations whilst maintaining some character and narrative continuity.

Changing universes also helps "explain" why the mechanics and genre expectations change for the duration.

 

[kitsune9]

Not me though it's a very interesting idea. Usually if I can play a different game, it will be a completely different genre too.

 

[CuRoi]

I don't think this counts but I once ran Marvel Superheros through the "Dungeonland" module. It ended poorly with one of the Superheroes using his Unearthly Darkforce powers to dismantle the queens castle one large section at a time. Of course I was a bit wet behind the ears as a DM at the time : )

I think this is an awesome idea though. I did once for a very large battle create a separate "mini game" within a DnD game so the players coudl roll out a conflict between two large armies and do their own individual character interactions as well. I've never blended two very different rulesets into a single campaign though.

However, it could work very nicely. You might look at the Birthright stuff - old 2e DnD campaign setting. I recall it being a mix of politics/army building and PC level interaction with the campaign. I never played it much however.

 

[jdrakeh]

I have kind of done this, switching back and forth between Original D&D, Basic D&D, and AD&D. The campaign basically followed three generations of heroes, each represented by a different game system, with the heroes of Basic being descended from the heroes of OD&D, and the heroes of AD&D being descended from the heroes of Basic.

I had initially wanted to play the campaign in three 'legs,' each representing a generation but, instead, we ended up with a lot of flash-backs and flash-forwards, jumping from system to system somewhat haphazardly. It ended up being a lot of fun. I'm only sorry that it didn't last longer. I'd like to try running some in the same vein again, sometime.

[Edit: Oh. The whole thing revolved around the Tomb of Horrors.]

 

[Wild Gazebo]

I've done this a few times.

We have used skirmishing rules from several different games to play out battles...including a paper Forgotten Realms game with a million paper chits (the name escapes me), Warhammer, D&D Miniature rules, and even Shogun.

I have also converted D&D PCs into Alternity characters to create a different mood when the whole party was forcibly thrown into the Astral plane. I then had them switch to Castle Falkenstein in the Beastlands and then back to D&D when they finally got to the Outlands and then back home.

It was fun...but a bunch of extra work for me: They didn't make and change the characters.

I haven't done it since...mostly because of time and effort.

 

[thejc]

In theory this works quite well. I have found the conversion is the actual difficult part for example we were a little over 50% when we tried to convert from 3.5 to 4e a lot of the players felt their pc's weren't the same. I did feel that 4e was a little more conducive to that campaign imo.

I think it would be cool except how do you make or keep the integrety of the character or npc. Granted they are more than the sum of their numbers and addition of their equipment, but game wise how do you keep the players from feeling like they are not being cheated/spoiled?

 

[the Jester]

Yes, usually via plane travel to different game worlds.

 

[darjr]

A group of friends of mine did this recently. They wanted to rotate GM's but keep some kind of continuity even though each DM wanted to do a different setting. At first it was all GURPS based, but one of the DM's switched out 3.5 D&D for his setting. After that I think every DM was using a different system. Though it wasn't quite like the OP envisioned. It was based mostly on DM preference and only a bit on genre emulation.