Help on time related plot point

[MavrickWeirdo]

Spider

Answers
1) Either Way
2) Yes
3) 2-3 sessions, though we play only 1 time per month.

For that reason, I am loth to have them role up new characters, though I would consider having the "timeshift" somehow modify the current characters. I also would like there to be some sort on lingering effect when the characters "return" to current day.

The campaign setup is essentially this.
The characters (session 1) began the campaign as soldiers in a fortress that was going to be destroyed as a big trap to end a cataclysmic war. During their escape from this, they were caught unaware by a basilisk and turned to stone.
400 some years later, they were released from the statue form, after a long period of time being venerated as deities by a tribe of not so bright goblins.

The religion of the world is monotheistic though several sects venerate different saints to honor the Diety. One of the campaign themes is the clash of religious and secular. The first saint, the first missionary of this diety arrived about 3000 years ago to spread the religion.
This time is now shrouded in legend. I would like to send them back about 2600 years to get a different perspective on the current days issues. I envision them meeting up with at least one guy who will eventually be sainted, and is the saint for one of the players.
Thanks

If they "actually" travel back in time, then they are themselves in a 'slightly' different world, all game mechanics work the same, similar to Planet of the Apes in reverse. If they share a "vision/dream" that they are back in time, then we are talking about The Matrix and anything is possible.

 

[Starglim]

The PCs could be reincarnations of an adventuring party in the past. An event could occur that reawakens their dormant past life memories.

The good thing about this is that the past characters can have the same stats (or you could give each player the option to make certain changes) with different names and appearances.

edit: This could work well as an unintended side effect of a ceremony of some kind that they are required to undertake.

 

[Bran Blackbyrd]

An intelligent item that bestows the vision upon all present would work.
You could also have some sort of column/crystal/staff in the center of the room. This object is covered in runes which flow into swirling designs that cover the floor. For every PC worried it's a trap, there will be one hoping it's a sign of treasure. IN FACT! Give them clues that there is indeed a great treasure hidden at this location. Make sure everyone is in the room with the symbols, wait for one of the players to say his PC searches the room, touches the object, wipes his nose... They don't know what will trigger it, so you can make it whatever you want.
The runes and designs glow, purple energy crackles through the room piercing everyone present, though it causes no pain. Time seems to slow down, no one can move and suddenly they are looking at themselves from outside their bodies. Everything goes blurry and when it comes back into focus they are in a different place (or not), a different time and in different bodies.
And if the vision is cool enough, they may not even be irked to discover that the "treasure" was actually knowledge.

However, I am reminded of the ST:TNG episode where a probe takes over Picards mind and becomes a different guy and lives out his life as that guy, the probe turns out to be from a long dead world and this was their way of preserving thier peoples history.

Something similar happened In the episode, Masks (season 7, episode 17). The transcript can be found at http://www.twiztv.com/scripts/nextgeneration/
In a nutshell, an alien informational archive contained within a comet starts transforming the Enterprise and everything in it into items from its own culture. It also makes Data act out parts from that culture's mythology. [sblock]In the end, Picard returns everything to normal by taking the part of one of their mythological figures.[/sblock]
It's a pretty cool episode and, though the idea strays slightly from what you're looking for, reading the transcript and/or watching the episode may give you some ideas.

 

[Gwaihir]

Thanks to all. I appreciate the input. I'll post here how it all goes in a few weeks. Unless my group throws another big curveball at me, (Does this happen to anyone else) and it takes a few more sessions to circle back toward this.

 

[the Jester]

What do you all think, should I change something key about the setting, such as spell effects to emphasize that it is a different era?

If your group would be interested in it, this would be a great opportunity for a retro 2e, 1e or even od&d session or two...