d20 Dark Tower ??? (long)

[utb1528]

My d20 Modern Dark Tower

I just started a new d20 modern campaign based on Stephen King’s Dark Tower series. I plan to include elements from his other works such as the Shining and Cujo. I need some help though.

How should I handle the terrifying effect the LowMen have (Dark Tower 5, From a Buick 8, and Hearts of Atlantis)?

How should I decide which equipment a character can bring through a dimensional door? How about on Todash?

What do you think about adding knowledge: Ka, knowledge: demonology, and knowledge: dimensional travel?

Here is a brief history of my campaign to help you get the “flavor” I am aiming for:

The campaign is set in Callahan’s “when” near the very beginning of Wolves of the Calla Book 5 of the Dark Tower

Characters
Mark – an industrial machine builder skilled in skeet shooting
Cassandra – a rookie Detroit Police Officer who has only been on patrol for two weeks
Snake-eye Tony – a grizzled gunfighter who “jumped into” someone else’s body.

At the beginning of the first (and only) session the characters find out that they have all been have the same dreams. They dreamt of an old woman who told them to go to a certain motel and retrieve God’s Flaming Swords. A Dark Man warned them of torture for them and their family if they went to the motel.

The characters have all been friends for at least ten years. They realize that one friend is someone else. He looks the same except his eyes are different color and he has the hard look of a killer.

The Mark and Cassandra confront Snake Tony and he fights them off and flees. Eventually he returns when he realizes that he has no where to go.

The characters go to the Motel and find a run down drug den. A feral rottweiller has been trapped in the room. The characters are afraid of the cops so they leave their guns in the trunk of their car. They let the dog loose and fight it off with improvised clubs. In the room they find 3 Colt Peacemaker’s (almost they were made in another world).

Suddenly a terrifying government agent type person sets the motel on fire. The characters flee after saving a few people from the fire.

After the session the characters all dream of the same two people. The old women tells them to protect a priest named Callahan and the Dark Man is seen hiring thugs and sending them to their loved ones houses.

 

[Turanil]

This sounds good and intriguing. I never read Dark Towers novel, but I would like to play in your game!

 

[utb1528]

This sounds good and intriguing. I never read Dark Towers novel, but I would like to play in your game!

Thank you.

I highly recommend reading Stephen King's Dark Tower series. You could also rent The Stand or Salem's Lot.

 

[Turanil]

I ordered the boxed set on amazon!

 

[drothgery]

You'll still have three books to go, then (at least, the only boxed set on Amazon I saw was of the first four books, though the one I own is of the first three). Wolves of the Cella (book 5) came out last fall, and Song of Susannah (book 6) was officially released yesterday (I don't have it yet, because I do almost all my book shopping at Amazon, and pre-ordering books from Amazon usually seems to take longer then buying them on release day). The Dark Tower (book 7) is coming out this fall.

 

[utb1528]

More Notes

In the beginning of the session the characters all have the same dream. They are told by the Old Lady to find a priest named Callahan and protect them. The Darkman is seen hiring thugs and sending them to attack the PC's loved ones.

I attracted two new players


Session 2

Everyone awakes from his or her dreams screaming. Terese is at work as a cop and gets in trouble with her training officer. The Sergeant tells her she is doing a bad job and gives an AA flyer.

Raina is helping Mike move to his new apartment in Detroit close to the Detroit Public Library. Mike’s girlfriend is there.

Mike’s car breaks down near Jerry’s Garage. Raina and Mike get Tony and Mark to drive and help them move. Brian stays at the garage.

Mark waits by the truck. The group finds that a group of thugs are breaking into the Mike’s new place. Tony immediately starts shooting at the bad guys. Mike hits one bad guy with a rattan practice sword. Raina delivers a flying sidekick. The bad guys flee.

The other significant others are attacked. Raina’s sister tooth is knocked out. Terese’s aunt escapes. The relatives are all put up in a hotel room paid for with cash.

The group finds that two more bad guys have knocked out Mark who is waiting by the truck. Tony shoots one in the eye and a stranger in a Dodge Omni shoots the other. The stranger a black man in T-shirt and shorts drives them back to Jerry’s garage and gives the group a leather bag with two more guns.

Mike goes back to his house and finds the Police there. He tells them that this is his house. He is arrested for murder. Terese finds arraigns for a good lawyer. Terese seriously pisses off the Detective in charge of the case. The group has to pay a 5,000-dollar retainer. Mike is released with bond conditions.

OOG

Mike a smart hero who is a librarian at the Detroit Public Library. He is a member of the society of creative anarchism. He has some skill with replicas of medieval weapons and armor. His significant other is his girlfriend.

Raina is an Army reserve member. She is a strong hero who is skilled in karate. Her significant other her sister who lives in Saint Claire Shores. She gave her Peacemaker away to Tony.

Tony now has two revolvers. His significant other is Jerry’s mother.

Terese made an enemy with Detective Olaf. He thinks she ruined his murder case against Mike. He is in a lot of trouble for poor results on murder cases. He is problem gambler.





Any ideas about Stephen King's method of dimensional travel? I want the players to keep some equipment (like the revolvers) but not most of their stuff. I don't want the players to feel cheated though.

 

[Turanil]

He is a member of the society of creative anarchism.

LOL!

Any ideas about Stephen King's method of dimensional travel? I want the players to keep some equipment (like the revolvers) but not most of their stuff. I don't want the players to feel cheated though.

I have yet to read Stephen King's books, but a possibility would be that the passage through the gate is like passing through a storm for a brief moment. As such, the PCs must firmly hold their equipment or it is plummeted away into oblivion. As such, there is a limit to the number of things they can hold in each hand. Holding a gun in one hand is easy and would not require a Strength roll for example; however, trying to keep a heavy case is another matter, and a simple sack could be teared away by the forceful "winds" that blow within the passage / gate.

 

[devilbat]

One of the other members of my gaming group, and I have tossed around the idea of running a game like this. Unfortunately, time does not allow us to flesh out a campaign. I'd love to continue hearing about your game.

The way I would handle equipment crossing dimension, is by having subtle changes happen to some (if not all) equipment, rendering some useless or in need of repair. Think of the bag Susannah carries her disks in. the print on it changes depending on where she is. It would be easy enough to explain that certain metal alloys don't exist in Callah.

 

[Lord Ryzner]

Imho

I think the easiest way to handle a Dark Tower campaign would be to use d20 Modern rules and supplement the world with some classic D&D monsters and magic. From my personal tinkering, it is far easier to port monsters and spells over to a rule system that is geared towards computers, explosives and monorails than it is to do the reverse. Modern skills will be important in a Dark Tower game.

I might use the rules for dragon "Fearful Presence" for the Low Men.

I would allow anything to be brought through the natural “doors” between dimensions. These doors are rare and if someone has the money to score a bazooka – so be it (good luck finding ammo for it in End World). Besides that, remember that you ultimately control the time and location for each portal. If you want to hold them to WW2 technology, they simply will never find a portal back to 2004.

All machines eventually break down. The world will always “move on”.

Anyway, good luck and have a great time (I’m jealous)!

Lord Ryzner

 

[devilbat]

I think the easiest way to handle a Dark Tower campaign would be to use d20 Modern rules and supplement the world with some classic D&D monsters and magic.


The last thing I would want to see in a End World campaign is classic D&D monsters and spells.

The setting is cool enough as is, and characters casting "Magic Missle" or the like would be horrible for the setting IMHO.