Earth Town Meets D&D

[mara]

Does the town have a library? This might affect how well they can rebuild their own technology.

 

[Aholibamah]

I was thinking that there would be a library.

 

[Tock Chandler]

I see no problem with gunpowder working or even being reproducible . . .but most folks, even after reading how, won't really be able to. Maybe something that would take years of study.

 

[Snapdragyn]

Yeah, I'm not sure how many libraries would have books detailing every single step needed to build the infrastructure to sustain some of the industries & manufacturing processes we take for granted. Sure, some steps could be skipped (not much need to mine ore for metalworking industries with all of the metal available in the town), but I'm sure that a lot of unpleasant surprises would turn up in terms of missing items or processes needed.

OTOH, the library probably would have a lot of valuable information, making it a much-desired treasure (like many things in the town) once some of the regional powers learn of it.

 

[haakon1]

If we're talking Wales or England, this gets interesting . . .

It could be an old coal mining town where the "pit" has closed down. With relatively easy access to coal, once somebody gets the mine elevator working and the pumps working to take out flooding, industrial activity is a real possibility. There's an interesting dungeon crawl there, of course.

Other ideas would be left over or "reactivated" medieval stuff and druidic stuff.

I'd watch a lot of Dr. Who and "Last Legion" before writing this.

I found the spreadsheet I did on modern classes for my cross-over with Stargate (one player who loved Stargate, coming in as a Marine with a gate accident).

I thought there should be the following classes active among Stargate folks:
Expert (Scientist)
Ranger variant (Grunt)
Ranger variant (Officer)
Ranger variant (Tech)
Rogue (Guide)
Fighter
Ranger
Rogue

Many of the differences were around Skills. For example, Ranger variant (Officer) had skills Bureaucracy, Computer Use, Driver, and Pilot as Class skills, while the Ranger variant (Tech) had skills like Craft, Electronics, Hobby, and even Use Magic Device.

I also had funky rules like Expert (Scientist) can have the PhD feat, which makes their max ranks in one Knowledge skill level+10, and I followed Stargate d20 rules on issues like using the branch of the military as a "race". For example, Intimidate and Survival are always class skills for US Marines.

In my case, only one character crossed over, but the stuff he left behind -- nightvision binoculars, a camo tent, and a pistol -- are definitely considered magic items. The pistol is considered very special indeed! Of course, the healing potions he brought back to Stargate Command are probably considered pretty cool too.

 

[Ed_Laprade]

I see no problem with gunpowder working or even being reproducible . . .but most folks, even after reading how, won't really be able to. Maybe something that would take years of study.

Actually, the best reason to allow gunpowder is how dangerous it is... to the user! As someone mentioned above, going blind because you tried to actually aim your musket! Then there were a lot who were maimed when thier powder went off while trying to reload. (You've got a big, clumsy (sp?) thing that you're trying to pour explosive power into, which has a burning slowmatch attached to it!) Oh yeah, and they are pretty near useless in any kind of wet weather.

But if the town is English/Welsh there shouldn't be much problem. But I'd add one black powder buff (an English Civil War reinactor, perhaps) just to have the Evils of the Smokepipe lecture ready in case anyone askes.

 

[Aholibamah]

Re Library: I need to think how big it is, but I might not do a huge amount of detail beyond having say a research/investigation roll for use of it. Also private individuals and schools might be able to add to that.

Re schools/local collge: I thought that at least a couple of these might ideally be maintained. I'm wondering about cadets in towns/small cities in the UK--I believe that they are part of college and university student bodies. At the very least cadets/TA drill units might have Lee-Enfields which might even fire, or at he least act as shortspears with bayonets fixed.

Re Local Armoury: There can be some really odd things in these...I was thinking of including maybe of mortars if the local Territorial unit is infantry.

haakon1: I think I'll include an old mine--it brings up the question of how deep the 'shift' goes--in which case you've given me a cool idea for an adventure! Perhaps it still exists but a couple of the tunnels are now connected with tunnels in the new world, and monsters begin to explore it for prey and shelter...and encounter the engineers and others checking out the mine...

thanks for more classes stuff, I think I'm going to check out the Stargate rules--do you recommend them over D20 Modern?

Ed_Laprade: I'm thinking that I like the idea of a Civil War reenactment group in there anyway. Ultimately an odd sort of hybrid militia being formed of police, reenactors, cadets and local hunters, with shotguns, muskets, pikes and swords....

Re horses and livestock: A surprising amount of these might be around--any thoughts on this?

Re fuel: I'm aware that gas stations might have a good reserve, but it also depends on regular deliveries of fuel. Thoughts on this? Maybe conversion to alcohol ultimately for some vehicles?

 

[haakon1]

Re schools/local collge: I thought that at least a couple of these might ideally be maintained. I'm wondering about cadets in towns/small cities in the UK--I believe that they are part of college and university student bodies. At the very least cadets/TA drill units might have Lee-Enfields which might even fire, or at he least act as shortspears with bayonets fixed.

I know universities (or at least some of them) in the UK have Officer Training Corps. The Army, Royal Navy, and Royal Marines have excellent web sites with a lot of info on units, including training units, at least for the RN.

I think a lot of this might be easier under the "write what you know" principal -- that is, if you live in the UK, right about where you grew up. If it's a big city, perhaps just a small part of the city jumped universes.

Re Local Armoury: There can be some really odd things in these...I was thinking of including maybe of mortars if the local Territorial unit is infantry.

The TA should have full modern equipment: 5.56 mm assault rifles, 9 mm handguns, 7.62 mm GPMG's, mortars, and man-portable anti-tank rockets at the very least. You can get details of the specific gear from the websites.

haakon1: I think I'll include an old mine--it brings up the question of how deep the 'shift' goes--in which case you've given me a cool idea for an adventure! Perhaps it still exists but a couple of the tunnels are now connected with tunnels in the new world, and monsters begin to explore it for prey and shelter...and encounter the engineers and others checking out the mine...

Definitely an Alien type scenario makes sense. Perhaps the mine is still open, actually, and the transformation to another universe begins there in a "digging too deep" incident, like the dwarves of Moria releasing the Balrog.

I think the players will disappointed if there's not a decent backstory on why the place moved worlds.

thanks for more classes stuff, I think I'm going to check out the Stargate rules--do you recommend them over D20 Modern?

I've never tried to run D20 Modern. The classes strike me as being a bit generic and unnecessarily different from D&D. What I tried to do in modifying the Stargate D20 stuff was to keep the "modernizing" rules while keeping the general structure of the rules the same -- and making very few changes with stuff like Rogue and Fighter that don't need a lot of changes.

I like Stargate D20 because it combines Sci-Fi, modern military, and medieval elements, like the Stargate universe.

Ed_Laprade: I'm thinking that I like the idea of a Civil War reenactment group in there anyway. Ultimately an odd sort of hybrid militia being formed of police, reenactors, cadets and local hunters, with shotguns, muskets, pikes and swords....

OK, but for taste I'd limit the geeky elements -- if you have Civil War reenactors (not exactly a common group), don't also have gamers with swords or whatever.

Travellers is another element you could add. Travellers are folks that drive around in "caravans" (RV's to Americans) and seem to come in three flavors:
- Irish Travelllers, who are sort of a sub-ethnic group among the Irish, and are known for being conmen, doing things like shoddy home repairs. In the movie "Snatch", Brad Pitt is an Irish Traveller.
- Actual gypsies, also known formally as Roma. The universe-crossing potential is huge here. When I cross over the Ravenloft, there's always Rhenee/gypsy folk around.
- New Age Travellers. Basically modern hippies. New Age religion naturally has its druidic elements, and New Age Travellers like to do things like go to Stonehenge for the equinox.

Re horses and livestock: A surprising amount of these might be around--any thoughts on this?

Depends on where you are. I've lived in Oxford and London. Just outside Oxford, you can find sheep and cows. (Actually, there's a traveller camp right next to a big commons with dozens of cows, just NW of Oxford city center, Port Meadows I think it's called.) Urban areas don't have livestock at all -- don't believe the Dungeon adventure with horsedrawn beer wagons in 1980s London!

 

[Slife]

Re fuel: I'm aware that gas stations might have a good reserve, but it also depends on regular deliveries of fuel. Thoughts on this? Maybe conversion to alcohol ultimately for some vehicles?

Biodiesel is a better bet (very simple conversion process). Plus, there will already be people producing it.

 

[Aholibamah]

Interestingly I've come across a few sources of inspiration.

1. Domain (Frank Herbert) which is about giant rats coming out of their tunnels just after a nuclear missile hits London. (odd I know but it features huddled people in confusion dealing with an unexpected incursion)

2. The Mist (Stephen King) about a dimensional war rather like what I'm suggesting.

haakon1:

Travellers: I like the idea of hippie travellers somehow--I'll look into that.

There is actually a reason why this is all happening, part of an overall plot that will make sense to the pcs.

Armoury: I'm thinking that this might even be a treasure/goal for an adventure...

Slife: thanks for the biodiesel idea.