Temporal Telephone feasibility study

[Kilroy]

Background: This is horridly broken, if it works. The only reason I'm considering it is because our Savage Tide campaign is coming to an end several chapters early due to people moving away, and in the last session, we've decided that Demogorgon (CR=ouch) is going to just drop by on our 15th level party and just "nip this little problem in the bud". So no holds barred.

The Telephone: We have two characters capable of using the Anticipatory Strike power and items of Time Regression. Both characters are going to be very careful to not use swift actions from the time they're preparing for the battle onwards. If (when) something goes horribly wrong, if one of these characters (call him PeteA-0) survives I'd like to use Time Regression, and warn the other character (PeteB-1) what went wrong. PeteB will then use Anticipatory Strike and Time Regression to go back another round and pass on the message to PeteA (technically PeteA-1) who will go back and warn PeteB-2. Recurse as needed to prepare.

Will this work?

If so, what is the heaviest object I should be worried about the DM throwing at me? I already have scars from a couch.

 

[blargney the second]

That's actually kind of cool. I have no idea if it would work, but it's a neat idea.

 

[Nifft]

If I recall correctly, this is the basis of the Terminator -- a character designed to go back in time and kill Pun-Pun before he ascends. Search on the WotC Character Optimization board for more tricks, uses, and implications.

I think I recall seeing a "Save Game" feature implemented using a similar combination of powers.

Cheers, -- N

 

[blargney the second]

From: The Restaurant at the End of the Universe
The major problem is quite simply one of grammar, and the main work to consult in this matter is Dr Dan Streetmentioner’s Time Traveller’s Handbook of 1001 Tense Formations. It will tell you for instance how to describe something that was about to happen to you in the past before you avoided it by time-jumping forward two days in order to avoid it. The event will be described differently according to whether you are talking about it from the standpoint of your own natural time, from a time in the further future, or a time in the further past and is further complicated by the possibility of conducting conversations whilst you are actually travelling from one time to another with the intention of becoming your own mother or father.

Most readers get as far as the Future Semi-Conditionally Modified Subinverted Plagal Past Subjunctive Intentional before giving up: and in fact in later editions of the book all the pages beyond this point have been left blank to save on printing costs.

Douglas Adams

 

[Kahuna Burger]

"Oh come on, it will-o-have-been great! You knocked 'em cold!"

 

[Pyrex]

I was / will be your friend.

 

[Tiberius]

Will this work?

I have no idea if it works mechanically or not. If you tried it on me, though, I'd ask if you had kept meticulous notes regarding the prior combat rounds, noting character and scenery starting and ending positions, every action attempted and its dice result, etc. That way we could properly backtrack to the appropriate moment. If you had not, then there's no way to properly adjudicate the power, and it fails. Of course, I would mention this as soon as someone gets their hands on the power, so it's not just sprung out of nowhere on them at a critical moment.

 

[Nifft]

I have no idea if it works mechanically or not. If you tried it on me, though, I'd ask if you had kept meticulous notes regarding the prior combat rounds

This is where a video camera comes in handy. (Or a game stenographer... yipes.)

Orcs on film, -- N

 

[Felnar]

If so, what is the heaviest object I should be worried about the DM throwing at me? I already have scars from a couch.

is your DM the Hulk or something?