[4e] Campaign Ideas...

[wargear]

In the old basic Dungeons and Dragons set there were 4 paths to godhood. The most interesting one was the Path of the Polymath. Basically, the character had to advance to level 36 (max level) as a Fighter, then they were magically reverted to 0-level where they could once more advance, but as a Cleric, then a Thief, and then a Mage. Their memories are removed each time, being restored to them when they meet the conditions for the Path each time.

Adapting this idea, the 30th level characters sitting around the portal could well be on the cusp of godhood, reliving the memories of multiple lives adventuring. Or it might well be a single person standing there at the portal, with the bending of time...his entire advanturing party was just alternate versions of himself! His face altered, his memories changed slightly to accommodate the twisted path he has followed. This could be the big reveal at the end, as the alternate paths merge at the end.

Just a thought.

 

[knightofround]

Some good ideas, though I don't think I am ever going to have them meet themselves.

I am trying to keep them as the same "people" from level 1 to level 30. Now "people" could simply mean they are the same souls, just in different bodies (how did that happen)? Or perhaps Polymorphed? Or perhaps body swapped...

If a PC dies, and I go the who "we need to Rezz him" route, then I have to worry about the player having to make a new replacement PC (so he can continue to play) just to help Rez his deceased character. Thats the only problem with that one...

Hmm..the only time I really had luck keeping that kind of an adventure party together all the way without pulling punches (or making death comedic) was with the Mongoose Drow War adventure path.

Basically, the entire campaign centers around protecting these magical, sacred, places that hold immense power. Any dead adventurer brought to such a location is rezzed at sunrise. And of course, the bad guys are after these places in order to corrupt them. (which means they'll start rezzing evil guys)

It might be interesting to tie this concept in with the time traveling, perhaps that's how the time travel portals come into be.

 

[Kobold Boots]

My advice is to not bother explaining it to your players.. at all.

Being alive at level 30 does not mean that they haven't died, nor does it mean they have to be deva.. it just means they're alive at the time of your introduction. It may not even be the level 1 character's prime material plane version of them at level 30.

All you're doing by locking yourself into an explanation now is absolutely guaranteeing:
1. Headaches
2. That you'll likely never get to 30 and have to figure it out.

Want some fun.. watch the face of the player who dies at level 2. Then figure out how that character comes back through some cool adventure because if that character doesn't come back somehow, then it means that those characters "can't" be the ones at the end of the story.. the players will be invested in working that end.

and the story that develops on its own will be hundredfold better than anything you develop now.

Just let the players be what they want, give them the bone and don't railroad.

KB

 

[Lord Zardoz]

First, there is a logistical problem you must consider.

I once tried to run a paragon level Delve from the Dungeon Delves book with entirely new characters. Those characters will probably have so many magic items and utility powers and feats that no one will quite know what the hell they are actually trying to do. To get around this, I suggest that you start off limiting the players to only a few of their class powers and with no magic item powers available.

As for getting around the invincibility thing, that is easy. The players die in the first encounter. Instead of time travel, have a magical item trigger to reincarnate the players in the present. The flashbacks of the players will be into past events instead of future events.

It is not quite time travel, but you do have the benefit from having the big bad that killed your players the first time around still existing.

END COMMUNICATION

 

[Mesh Hong]

Sorry I havn't read the entire thread yet (I will, honest) but one thing strikes me immediately. (if you have already considered it then more fool me for not reading 90% of the thread before posting!)

Going from level 1 to 30 takes a long time. Starting the players at level 30 for a "flash forward" is a cool idea, but if that one taste is all they get it isn't going to be quite as interesting a year or so down the line when they are still in paragon tier.

I would consider trying to work in a couple of staged parallel stories so that you can visit higher level play as you go along. And the higher level stories will inform the lower level ones to maintain a sense of excitement and wonder.

You might want to consider adding some sort of outside influence that has access to time travel to help guide things as a safety net that can nudge the PCs in the right direction, or cover the inevitable plot holes and paradoxes that could crop up.

EDIT:
I've read the thread now (I said I would!).

This is a cool idea and a very good way of keeping the players engaged with a long term campaign as you can flit between all the tiers in an episodic fashion. The advantage of this is that you only need to present the interesting bits of their lives, for instance at level 7 they travelled to the lost citadel of grog'noir to retrieve the broken hilt of Dooglin'darr....did they succeed? run the adventure to find out then shift back into epic to see the consequences of success or failure. etc.

If I was to run this style of game I wouldn't start the PCs at level 30, I would start them at about 25. This would give me enough scope to run short one level adventures for the Epics and give me some lee way in the final resolution.

 

[Hof]

This campaing sounds like fun, but it would be a hassle to force the experiences of the characters to lead up to the end result they know they'll eventually reach. Railroading seems inevitable.
Perhaps it would be easier to put this burden on their shoulders instead, so how about this:

The PC's are high level and battling a deity or primordial with powers linked to time and fate. They have a long history together and have been through many adventures finding out the weaknesses of this adversary. This information is the key. Have the players collaborate on these stories and facts about their nemesis, using it as a base for the last adventure, which is actually played out. This way the players know and love the abilities of their epic characters.
And just as they are about to deal the final blow, the enemy pulls a fast one and 'resets' the whole world to the time when the PC's were level 1 - except for the memories of the heroes.

Now they are rookies again and history as they knew it has yet to unfold. They know their enemy and lots about the world. But how long will this last when every action they take could change the results once held for granted, for better or for worse?
This is most pressing if, for example, the power of the deity grows with each deviance from the old timeline - and the players know this.

Just think about the role playing opportunities as the players pine for powers they remember but have yet to gain - if they can get them again. Also, the memories they hold give them an advantage at first as they know more than anyone else about coming events. This dwindles as the new history unfolds and their old notions need no longer be true.