Alternate History & d20 modern (my players stay out)

[hammymchamham]

this means you mystra'schosen.

Ok. so I'm making up an alternate history for a d20 modern game (should I be able to run one). I want it to be truely modern, as in, takes place in 2003 USoA (since I live their and such), but I want to use an alternate history. Has anyone done this? I'm thinking either having where Nazi Germany won WW2 or the Soviet's won the Cold War. I plan on having the players be a small cell within the American Resistance (anyone ever see the first episoide of Sliders?). Has anyone else done this? I only just got the d20 book today, so I'm still sifting through the rules. I don't plan on using magic, but may have some government experiments into some of the divine magic's.

So has anyone done this? What where some of the snags you came accross? How did you work it out?

 

[Albert_Fish]

Both ideas, the Soviet victory or the FAscist victory are both great ideas
and you can treat the American subversives the same. The US agitators Would be Ideologically based. Can you imagine it! Red Amerika is opposed by underground leaders such as Ronald Reagan and Milton Friedman who recall fallen heroes such as Ayn Rand! It would be a guerilla war of ideologies, perhaps even religion (yes religion would work with both sets of alt. history, hitler planned to eliminate all Religion as did Lenin/Stalin)! Check out Harry Turtledove's World At War series or Fatherland. Sorry i ama big alt-history nut. Why not throw ina little extra Alt. history as well to explain how the US lost. I am thinking about the Great War series by Turtledove or even Harry harrison "Stars and Stripes" series wherein the South remains independent from the North. This would have severaly hampered any war efforts in WWII and in different ways depending on which author you prefer.

this is great. let me know if any idea strikes you. heck one way the Germans coul have won with out any prior Alt.history would be to Follow Fortschen's idea wherein Hitler Develops a a Flying Wing ( the only attempt at a real German heavy bomber) but also allow Heisenburg to develop THE Bomb! Perhaps NYC is nothing but a small sea.

 

[Desdichado]

Yeah, just yesterday I posted this link because a similar idea popped up (headed by fenzer, I think). Check this thread out in Plots and Places: http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=30589

 

[hammymchamham]

Thanks

 

[VixenofVenus]

I'm getting pretty good at running 'alternate history' or Infinities (as they're called in Star Wars RPG) games ...

I find that the best Infinity Setting is usually found by just changing one tiny event in a known time-line.

For instance, the Hitler actually was able to sell many of his paintings and therefore, never came to power ...

Stalin and Mother Russia stormed over Europe like a steam roller. (Which is very similar to Red Alert C&C's alternate history).

Or ... what if Truman didn't decide to drop the bomb ... we invaded, lost lots of American lives ... and Japenese as well. Ended up, that Russia dropped the bomb first attacking anywhere of your choosing.

Or go back further, and Britain wins the Revolutionary War ... and the present country here in America is still a British Colony or British Protectorate Nation ... even in 2003.


Or even an alternate history similar to Shadowrun.

 

[jerichothebard]

If you want to take it in a mystical/sorcery/magic in the present day direction, I read an interesting story one time that might provoke interest. I can't remember title or author, but the premise of the story was that the Nazis were using the death camps in an effort to cast necromatic spells, to create superhumans... and it worked. They (re)created the (fantastically powerful) Norse Pantheon, with Thor and Odin and Freya all on their side... Then they made the mistake of creating Loki, who defected. To the Allies.

In the story, it is implied that the Allied forces just might win, but it is left very gray...

Imagine a world in which the super-powers really have super powers, and the Axis rules EurAsia with a literal Iron Fist... and the American Resistance is led by the reincarnated Loki....


jericho

 

[bwgwl]

I can't remember title or author, but the premise of the story was that the Nazis were using the death camps in an effort to cast necromatic spells, to create superhumans... and it worked. They (re)created the (fantastically powerful) Norse Pantheon, with Thor and Odin and Freya all on their side... Then they made the mistake of creating Loki, who defected. To the Allies.

"Thor vs. Captain America" by David Brin, I believe. good story.

my upcoming d20 Modern campaign could branch into alternate history... we're going to be doing a WWII campaign (with the addition of psionic powers), and there's a good chance the actions of the PCs could change the outcome of the war.

 

[fenzer]

I'm glad you liked my idea Joshua. I hit the link and was really impressed with what you've done.

Hammy, here is the link to my idea if you want a look.

http://enworld.cyberstreet.com/showthread.php?s=&threadid=38629