PCs switching bodies

[FriarRosing]

In my current campaign I'm considering the idea of having some villain (either a dark, twisted scientist type wizard, or mind flayers) do some evil experiment/whatever wherein they capture two of the PCs and swap their minds. I don't have a logical reason for why they would do this, but partly I don't feel like I need one--the villains are just that evil. My only concern is that this may piss my players off, and also I'm not sure how I'd do it. I'm considering the characters just swap physical stats and appearance/gender/whatever until they find a way to get swapped back. I figure they'd keep the same power/feats/skills/whatever.

Is this a stupid idea? Has anyone else ever done this? I figure it'll be fun for some roleplaying stuff, and my players are pretty good at putting up with stuff as long as it's interesting or funny. I figure this'd be funny.

 

[El Mahdi]

I played through a module that had an encounter like this. The PC's walk into a room that had a magic item (like a big orb on a pedestal) that caused the PC's to switch minds. Basically, you'd retain your knowledge, skills, personality, etc. but change bodies, taking on the new physical stats (hit points, con, str, dex, etc.). The fun part was there were wandering monsters in the dungeon that could wander in or follow the PC's in. They would become part of the shift also, so a PC could end up in a monsters body and vice-versa. Every so many rounds the Orb would cause everyone to shift again, randomly. The best way would be to have players randomly swap either clockwise, counter-clockwise, clockwise twice, counter-clockwise twice, and across the table. The DM would be part of the rotation when monsters are present.

I don't think it's a stupid idea at all. If your players like this stuff, then by all means have at them. I think it would make a very fun and memorable encounter.

 

[MortalPlague]

If this is a long-term thing, I'd caution against it. Players tend to take a great deal of ownership in their characters (although this does vary from group to group). I once tried to run a one-shot game where everyone created a character then shifted their character sheet one spot left, but the players were not enthusiastic about the idea. We eventually just dropped it and ran the game with everyone playing their original character.

 

[fba827]

Me, personally, I think it would be great fun to mix things up (and have considered doing something similar in the past). However, knowing the players I've played with over time, I know it would not go over well with everyone.

If it was a short term thing, sure. If it were a long term thing, well, it would be less fun for some people.

Also be aware of how much book keeping you want done as a result of it. With switched physical stats, some people may no longer qualify for feats, etc. So you may have lots more to consider than initially thought about. But if you make it too much paperwork for just a short term swap, you'll end up doing more paperwork than actual playing during the swap.

 

[Noumenon]

I'm considering the characters just swap physical stats and appearance/gender/whatever until they find a way to get swapped back.

I personally would love to just take over someone's character sheet and play all their abilities with a different personality. See how different the barbarian is when he's really a wizard and just hangs back throwing alchemist's fire and raging only when he sees how the barbarian in his body is doing the spellcasting wrong.

 

[Nimloth]

I've done something like this a few times (I like wacky adventures) and for the most part it has turned out very well. Just a few comments
- If they might want to stay in their changed forms, include a "count-down clock" (say, each day in the changed form does permanent wis drain or something).
- Keep it short term, or at least provide a method for relief of the situation with a concrete goal to work toward.

Mostly I have done adventures around artifacts.
- Once the group possessed the bodies of the groups animals. Fun trying to figure out how to communicate without talking. They ended up writing in the dirt with sticks, good times.
- Once they kept changing places with another group (at random intervals) that had another part of the same artifact. Going from StoryA/chapter 1 to Story B/Chapter 2 to A/3 ... from 1 "unknown" situation to another. That was fun. But I have clever players and they figured out how to find each other in alternate forms and communicate with their opposite numbers in the other group.
- 1 time I had an artifact activate in each round in which someone was killed. That proved too random and confusing. Live and learn.

I have always like wacky and unusal adventures.

 

[Quartz]

- Once they kept changing places with another group (at random intervals) that had another part of the same artifact. Going from StoryA/chapter 1 to Story B/Chapter 2 to A/3 ... from 1 "unknown" situation to another. That was fun. But I have clever players and they figured out how to find each other in alternate forms and communicate with their opposite numbers in the other group.

This is very cool. And it gives you a great plot hook: you can give the players experience of much more powerful characters, and when the PCs in their original bodies find the higher-level NPCs, the latter can become patrons. And you can subtly guide the PCs in their feat and path choices by example.

 

[Drowbane]

I just pictured the big brutish barbarian (awesome physical, poor mental) and the stuffy bookish wizard (poor physical, awesome mental) changing bodies. All of a sudden you have a PC with all bad stats, and one who is godlike.

"How'd you end up with all 16-18s again"?