Cross-over characters and campaigns?

[haakon1]

So, with all the different D20 games out there, are people doing cross-over to their D&D campaigns?

I've always liked cross-over stuff -- favorite episode of Stargate SG-1: the second visit to Cimmeria (the Viking planet named after Conan the Cimmerian) where they find out Thor and the Asgard gods are aliens (who look just like the "grays" who crashed at Roswell).

Anyhow, do you have any jedis running around? Light sabres or P-90's in treasure hordes? Monsters from "Call of Cthulu" d20? Cross-over characters or plots (hiding jedis, lost SG teams, d20 Modern teenyboppers who rode a weird amusement park ride and have a small unicorn for a pet, a clerk from S-Mart with a double-barrel shotgun and a chainsaw, etc.)?

It seems a natural for Greyhawk or Blackmoor "old school" D&D in the world of D20, given the legacy of the first ever published adventure (Temple of the Frog, with its Dr. Who touches) and the S3 Barrier Peaks adventure (set on a crashed starship), crossed with the openness and multiple publishers of D20.

But is this stuff REALLY compatible? I haven't bought D20 Modern. For converting Stargate (which is based on a Spy game, I forget the name), I thought it wasn't close enough to real D&D, so I made up my own classes, as modifications of Ranger, Expert, and Rogue, that were similar to their classes, but didn't include non-D&D mechanics, like luck points.

What's your conversion and cross-over experiences? Does it work, or do you have to make up your own stuff?

 

[Talmun]

Since I loathe mixing genres I would never send the D&D party to D20 Modern earth or something like that. However, I have fully incorporated the CoC Elder Gods et al into my version of Greyhawk as Far Realm denizens. I'm not sure that's really the same thing since Greyhawk already has Tharizdun and a few other nasties that are very Mythos-like

 

[haakon1]

I agree, Cthulu and Greyhawk are a natural fit, given Greyhawk's history . . . not even really cross genre.

Sounds like I'm the only one into cross-overs, though.

 

[Thunt]

I don't know, there's something cool about a party of moderns in a D&D setting, loading up their handguns and oozies as they get ready to delve into some dungeon of death.

Crap, now I want to DM that. Just for a laugh.

 

[Odhanan]

Sounds like I'm the only one into cross-overs, though.

You're not. I'm very much into cross-over.

I like them to make sense though. I won't put a Jedi Guardian in D&D "just because". However, running several campaigns, say one of Star Wars, one of Cthulhu, one of D&D, and realize after a few years that they all mingle into a single, greater-than-its-parts plot, that's my style.

I was contemplating the idea of cross-overs between Cthulhu 1920s, Ravenloft and D&D at some point.

As for your question, is the stuff really compatible? Between the official WotC productions and some OGL stuff out there (like say Arcana Evolved), it could work without in-depth modifications, just tweaking here and there for them to fit nicely. For other OGL stuff, the work increases. Midnight, Lone Wolf, Conan RPG... these include changes that are harder to work out for cross overs.

On one hand, I wish d20 systems would be more compatible than they are. In fact, they aren't directly but almost always indirectly by modifying this or that, adding/substracting this or that subsystem, character build element or whatnot. This ought to be easier for those who do not like to modify the rules.

On the other hand, it's fair to let designers express their originality when they build their d20 game. If all d20 games had to be 100% compatible, we would run into countless (I mean, more countless than they already are) arguments about this and that "that is not balanced", and we would end up with less creativity.

 

[Viktyr Gehrig]

Ever since the release of the Star*Drive Campaign Setting, I have wanted to run a major crossover between Planescape and Star*Drive. I've even tried it a couple of times, without success.

Right now, I'm in the middle of writing what is intended to be a trilogy of novels based loosely on one of those attempts; it'll probably end up on Planewalker and Tequila Starrise shortly after I've completed it, after I've had suffiicient time to try (and fail) to have it published.

It's rather frustrating having a story you need to tell that's unfortunately saddled with the market reality of being based on two discontinued and out-of-print product lines.

 

[Runesong42]

Funny you should mention that...

One campaign I ran combined d20 Fantasy, Modern and Future. In a Matrix-esque style world, the (d20 modern) heroes would find themselves slipping into and out of a medieval (d20 fantasy) world, or was it that the medieval world was slipping into and out of "reality"? And when the 'truth' finally came out, it turned out that BOTH worlds were a sham and they had to stop their (d20 future) starship from delivering a sentient Mecha bent on the destruction of Earth. I would love to have this "setting" published, although it came as a result of my lazy DMing.

 

[hexgrid]

I'm currently considering a Shackled City campaign, set in a space opera setting, using Shadowrun 4e rules.

 

[Psion]

Generally, no. I had a d20 SW GM pull a stargate SG-1 cameo. To me, that's just WRONG, WRONG, WRONG.

Of course, I love Second World, but I don't consider than so-much cross genre as "crosswold fantasy" is pretty much a genre unto itself.

But any game is suitable for horror (including CoC). I think horror is better if it's not a normal part of the game you are playing.

 

[megamania]

My storyhour STRIKEFORCE: MORITURI (link below) is very x-genre. I have created versions of Captain America, Storm, a Super Spy of my own creation then a few "standard" DnD characters. Each is from a different world or time (Kalamar, Darksun - pre Cleansing Wars, 1940's, 2003 and Ravenloft) and recently someone from Oathbound game universe. They battled creatures from the Monster Manuals and a version of the Maestro (evil Hulk).

All characters were built using 3.5 DnD rules beginning at 18th level.

The storyline-

There are multiple universes (game worlds) and each has alternate time lines. A crazed god has decided these alternate time lines need to be erased. Each of these heroes have died (unnaturally) and been given a second chance if they stop him. To power up, the god needed his artifacts which were spread throughout the multiverse.

Encounters done-

Gamma Powered Barbarian/fighter Ogre (the Hulk) in apoc. setting of our world

Ravenloft Jaws of Sorrow (75 ft Undead Spell stitched Dire mega shark) and ended with the Hulk becoming entrapped on Ravenloft playing with his Banner/Hulk mythos.

The World Below X-crawl influenced game. Many teams of warriors go into televised dungeon setting to compete for prizes. It got very ugly here for the team.

Plane of Archon with Hextor watching. Many battles ends with Hextor getting kicked out of his plane as the new god has become empowered. All but one hero has died and Hextor is very PO'd.

I'm looking to do the "sequel" this fall where the gods do battle for the sake of the multiverse (and Hextor's home).

Epic level was tricky to run. 40th level is a nightmare! oh- and I'm drawing it as either a comicbook or comic strip this time.

So if you like the sounds of this, like crude humor (male 2003 hero wears speedos- makes the others uncomfortable) and over done drama give it a try.