Things to do on the East Coast (when you're 10th level)

[Munin]

My D&D group is about to find themselves transported east coast of the U.S. for a time.

I've never run a crossover game like this before, and would like some input from players and GMs who have experienced either playing a standard d&d character in a modern setting (not to be confused with an Urban Arcana style bit) or has run a game where the players found themselves in present day earth.

If it helps, the party composition is as follows:

A 10th level kender rogue,
a 9th level tiefling ranger,
a 10th level human Conjurer,
and an 8th level half-orc fighter.

What kind of mischief, mayhem, terror and anarchy could I expect from my players in this environment? What kind of trouble did you get into if you were in a similar situation?

 

[Crothian]

I'd imagine they would get arrested for carrying weapons, and then there will be the language problem as well as the money and proper dress and the fact that the half orc will be seen asa monster and the kender will be stealing from people and places and that will get you in trouble with the police.....

 

[dougmander]

Have them show up at a renfair, gaming convention, or a LARP event -- everyone will comment on their cool costumes and makeup. If you play your cards right, they won't even know they're on Earth until they walk out into the parking lot.
As for what kind of trouble they're likely to get into, would their spells and magic items still work, or maybe suddenly become even more powerful, because the relative mana of the environment is much lower?
So why are they on Earth anyway? Are they on some kind of quest? Do they have to find Gary Gygax and get him to resolve a rules dispute on their homeworld?

 

[GuardianLurker]

Change Self will thankfully take care of the problems the tiefling and half-orc will cause; likely uncamoflaged reactions will range from "Neat Costume, dude." to "BURN THE DEVILS!".

If the party is wise, they'll kill/incapacitate the kender early. Played to type, and with *accurate* responses from modern NPCs, he'll be the cause of 80%+ of the party's problems. Mouthing off to the local biker gang chief wielding a pump shotgun is typical kender, and painful to be associated with. Likewise for stealing the siren from a cop car while the cop is eating donuts inside it.

Weapons and armor are going to be a big problem. For exactly the reasons Crothian gave.

The conjurer is probably going to be spelled-out just keeping things working/flowing smoothly.

Honestly your main concern shouldn't be the PCs actions, but scaling the modern NPCs properly. Considering that the modern settlement sizes are an order of magnitude bigger (or more) bigger that the guidelines in the DMG, the average NPC level should jump a minimum of 4-6 levels, and probably triple in number. I.e. if a normal watch squad is composed of a War 3 and 4 War 1's, the players should expect to encounter a War 9, 2 War 7's, and 12 War 5's.

Depending on how you want to play it, you may even talk up the point that many of the character's attitudes (even the paragons of good) are likely to be more directly reflected in the modern criminal culture, rather than those that work to maintain the status quo. Another point for you to consider is that the characters are likely to be amazed at the quality of life modern people have - uniformly more healthy and wealthy than their direct fantasy counterparts.

However, if you want to play a power-fantasy trip, the answer is fairly simple - ignore all the advice, and let the characters do whatever they want without consequences.

 

[domino]

Getting arrested for stuff depends on where they are. They could get in trouble for brandishing, assault, battery, or nothing at all. In Virginia, as long as it's not concealed, and not brandished, there's no set law on bladed weapons.

Of course, their gold coins would be worth quite a bit more than they are in whatever realm they are from originally. Even as scrap gold, they're looking at around 300 to 400 bucks. (current price is around 425 USD per ounce)

Any other jewelry is probably worth a whole lot too. They are, technically, vagrants. Nowhere to stay, no paperwork or ID. Any official organization would love to hear about proof of other races living off planet. They could be celebrities, if they wanted.

 

[Steel_Wind]

They arrive in NYC on October 31st. Halloween.

 

[Len]

...and the kender will be stealing from people and places and that will get you in trouble with the police.....

He won't know that he has to hide from surveillance cameras when he's breaking & entering. There's got to be a way to have fun with that.

 

[VirgilCaine]

My D&D group is about to find themselves transported east coast of the U.S. for a time.

What kind of mischief, mayhem, terror and anarchy could I expect from my players in this environment? What kind of trouble did you get into if you were in a similar situation?

Important point--where do they arrive? In the middle of nowhere in the woods? In front of the police station? In a bus station bathroom?

Another important point: How fast will the kender be tied up and gagged?

 

[domino]

Of course, the question is, why was the kender not already tied up and gagged?

 

[saethone]

Of course, the question is, why was the kender not already tied up and gagged?

hahah, true