When the walls come tumbling down...

[Bendris Noulg]

So, I've got a "celestial event" approaching; Essentially, the world has two suns (a large yellow like our own and an orbiting blue sun, so standard days, only prettier), three moons, and nine "wandering stars" (other worlds orbiting it). On New Years Day (3 months game time), all of these bodies will line up and the "Cosmic Clock" will either stop running or restart itself for another 10,000 years.

(Note: The moons and the sun will line-up on opposite sides of the world, so the line starts at the primary sun and then out to the furthest planet, with the blue sun, the moons, and all of the planets sitting centered on that line.)

Now, I've got one game focused on ensuring that the clock resets. However, I've got two other groups running around, and it's possible for the "beginning of the end" to occur, even if "the end" is averted. So, I'm looking for some suggestions on what to do with one of these groups.

They are currently in a large city; it's a region of land contained within a single wall with a 9-mile radius that is warded to keep the unsurvivable heat of the wastelands around it from baking everyone alive, with the wastelands themselves being the results of the last conflict over the "clock". If the first party thwarts the villain in time, then little in the world will change (although, ideally, the world should begin to finally "heal" from the damage caused by earlier Ages). However, if the first group is even a second too late to ensure that the clock keeps running smoothly, then I want the city destroyed.

And, of course, there are a number of people within the city (including one that think's he's a "god born of flesh") that believe that the coming celestial event is a sign of their destiny. This will put three major forces into direct conflict for control of the city; and let's not forget the PCs, with their own army, that will be spending the next 3 months attempting to gain a bit of control and influence over the city themselves.

So, unless the PCs spark off the conflict sooner, these major forces (one demonic, one political, and one a cult comprised of thousands of fanatics, plus the PCs) will attempt to seize the city as their own on New Years day. It is during this conflict that the natural disastor will occur.

Now, my original thought was to have a meteor or something strike, causing the major geographical upheavals, changing continents, seas, glacial movements, etc. However, until then, I'm still free to choose whatever I wish. So, I'm putting it to you folks: Which do you think is best?

A. Local Effect: Meteor shower the city to dust.

B. Local Effect: Water table shifts and the sea rushes over the land (not pretty as the ground has a stable temperature of 100 F).

C. Local Effect: Earthquake

D. World-Wide Effect: One big rock, change everything...

E. World-Wide Effect: Meteor shower the world, destroy most cities, most forests, etc.

F. World-Wide Effect: Earthquake (destroy most cities, alter rivers, move seas, etc.)

G. Combination of the Above (post ratios and reasons)

H. Other (post and recommend idea)

 

[The Grey Dwarf]

I'd start with storms and build up as the players advance in the scenario and the planets align themselves.
So storms, flooding, light earthquakes, tsunami, strong earthquakes, ...

 

[LGodamus]

Well I could see massive flooding due to the odd proximity of the moons, and meteor showers to boot...so combine the two for massive apocalyptic damage.

 

[Zappo]

What if the heat of the wastelands becomes even worse? The ground slowly heats over the course of many hours up to the point where flammable things set on it burst into fire; in certain points it actually melts and turns into lava. The walls of the city crumble, and the heat comes rushing in. The people flee in panic from the border of the city towards the center as their homes are melted or destroyed by fire. Eventually, the wastelands and the city itself are reduced to a volcanic desolation where nothing can survive.

 

[Hand of Evil]

I would do a combo, start with weather changes and floods and then move to earthquakes, some early shooting stars meteor shower, then larger stuff.

I would use meteor shower over one big hit, a shower would cause vast damage and yet not send the world into a ice age. Also, a shower can effect your whole planet, night after night, where one big stone may be seen but only does in one area.

I think I would also use the 'wobble'; the shift of axis that regenerates the magnetic field, which could be tied to magic (low or high).

 

[SoulsFury]

What if the heat of the wastelands becomes even worse? The ground slowly heats over the course of many hours up to the point where flammable things set on it burst into fire; in certain points it actually melts and turns into lava. The walls of the city crumble, and the heat comes rushing in. The people flee in panic from the border of the city towards the center as their homes are melted or destroyed by fire. Eventually, the wastelands and the city itself are reduced to a volcanic desolation where nothing can survive.

I really like this! Poor PCs..

Nik

 

[nopantsyet]

If the cosmic clock shuts down, I'd say so do the normal physical laws. Probably magical as well, and divine influence is surely impeded at best because of all the cosmic interference. As a result, chaos takes over at the most fundamental level.

I think things would just start going haywire. You could take any+all of what's been mentioned here and apply it randomly, and probably to limited durations, locations. I'd apply a sort of "planar template." Using MoP as my source I'd apply planar traits such as highly-morphic, strongly chaotic. Then I'd keep increasing the effects until the whole mess was destroyed by the inertial chaos.

Providing, of course, some very difficult means by which it could be repaired, probably involving lost of dangerous questing and consorting with beings of great power and questionable motives. Probably put the players on the hook for 'future favors' to any being powerful enough and willing to assist. Have fun with it and do your best to scare your players.

 

[Bendris Noulg]

What if the heat of the wastelands becomes even worse? The ground slowly heats over the course of many hours up to the point where flammable things set on it burst into fire; in certain points it actually melts and turns into lava. The walls of the city crumble, and the heat comes rushing in. The people flee in panic from the border of the city towards the center as their homes are melted or destroyed by fire. Eventually, the wastelands and the city itself are reduced to a volcanic desolation where nothing can survive.

This is feasible to a degree. Being that they will be on the "day side" of the world when it all goes down, intensifying the heat makes a degree of sense (it's also ending the "Age of Frost", which is technically a magically-induced Ice Age, so intense global warming, even if just for a few hours, should have dramatic effect).

However, the extreme you describe (everything becoming molten) would likely best serve if the first party fails to restart the Cosmos (or takes forever doing it), otherwise I'm not too keen on going that far. While the PCs would likely find a means of escaping, they are going to an extreme amount of effort to raise, bolster and train their army, and I'm understandably hesitant about taking that away. (Another consideration is that the survivors of the city, now stuck in a wasteland without the magical protection of the Ward Wall, would provide ample recuitment fodder... Ehr, numbers! Recruitment numbers. Yes, that the ticket.)

I'll leave "how hot" up to how long (if at all) it takes the first party to complete their task, but yes, upping the temp has become a "must have". Thanks for that one!

The build-up occurances (suggested by The Grey Dwarf and part of Hand of Evil's suggestion) is also possible (and with 3 months to go, this is the time to start on that).

Hand of Evil: Actually, this is supposed to end an Ice Age (world 2x Earth Size, 60% glacial coverage, so the world's an ice ball but still has more habitable terrain then Earth). But I agree, one solid impact may not be the best of ideas without some ingenius inspiration of where it happens and what the actual effects are (and with each group in different parts of the world, having such without destroying one party outright is problematic). The wobble idea is kewl, but with the world as the "center of all", it's not really viable in this instance (although having the Blue Sun shift its orbit for similar effect might work).

LGodamus: Good thinking on the floods. This can also begin to be incorporated in the near future (start showing signs of shifting tide schedules now, followed by unusually high and low tides, and then outright flooding and draining of coastal areas).

Good stuff folks... Keep it coming!

 

[Bendris Noulg]

If the cosmic clock shuts down, I'd say so do the normal physical laws. Probably magical as well, and divine influence is surely impeded at best because of all the cosmic interference. As a result, chaos takes over at the most fundamental level.

This is actually closer to what would happen if the clock isn't restarted, being that there's a Cthulian-inspired "Madness Dark" (PI term, go make your own name ) that will be unleashed as the Cosmos becomes un-made.

I think things would just start going haywire. You could take any+all of what's been mentioned here and apply it randomly, and probably to limited durations, locations. I'd apply a sort of "planar template." Using MoP as my source I'd apply planar traits such as highly-morphic, strongly chaotic. Then I'd keep increasing the effects until the whole mess was destroyed by the inertial chaos.

Providing, of course, some very difficult means by which it could be repaired, probably involving [lots] of dangerous questing and consorting with beings of great power and questionable motives. Probably put the players on the hook for 'future favors' to any being powerful enough and willing to assist. Have fun with it and do your best to scare your players.

In theory, the world (indeed, the Cosmos) will stabilize once the clock is reset... However, the idea of Wild Magic Zones, Mild and Strong Chaotic Regions, Morphic regions, and the like remaining afterwords can indeed make for interesting locations if not overdone. After all, the effect of the clock stopping will be felt throughout all creation, from the world itself to the "furthest" plane.

 

[diaglo]

Fire and Brimstone aka meteor showers and volcanic eruptions, Portals opening to other planes/times, Floods, Earthquakes, and Fluctuations in temperature and precipitation...snow in the middle of Summer...


and having it occuring as the world turns or stops turning....so one side gets a certain effect until it rolls around to the next effect...etc...up and down ...up and down...until the players vomit.


edit: this could affect the casting times and duration of spells. so as the time approaches weird things happen to magic.