UA: The Other Side of Shadow

[experimentalrobotk1]

The implication of the Urban Arcana sourcebook is that Shadow creatures come from the D&D universe, which is all well and good. But I'm running a campaign at the moment where the heroes have just cottoned on to the fact that the Big Bad is trying to create a portal into Shadow, through which he can control any number of nasties to throw at them.

I'm beginning to get the feeling - as they're very 'must have conrete answers' players - that they won't be satisfied until they know exactly where all these monsters are coming from.

Ideally, I'd going to try to keep them away from ever finding out what's on the other side of that portal. But I began to wonder...

What would the effect be if I just dreamt up another dimension to use as Shadow? Something scary, like Carceri maybe (from the D&D Manual of the Planes). I then began to think - Well, the biggest influence on my game is Buffy and Angel, so why not accept the idea that there are many different Shadow dimensions - in a similar way that the Manual of the Planes suggests for D&D?

It's against that particular part of the spirit of UA, but I think it would please my players. I've got a recurring 'guest star', if you like, a player who can't make it to every session - I could even send him off to one of these other dimensions for a while!

I quite like this idea, but I wonder if there's something I'm missing. Would there be implications to this that I'm just not seeing?

cheers,
David

 

[Robbert Raets]

I'd say that's a pretty decent idea. If you use the myriad planes cosmology, the main explanation is just that Earth's dimension has been 'alone' for a long time and is now slowly drifting back into the main body....

 

[experimentalrobotk1]

Thanks! That's pretty much what's going on in the campaign, Robbert. The suggestion is that 'our' world has often had brushes with Shadow, but things are going on that are bringing it much closer that it's ever been before. My players don't know it yet, but one of them is going to do something pretty stupid soon which could bring about the end of the world... Serves her right for dabbling with that pesky magic!

I guess I'll have to dust of the Manual of the Planes and get thinking!

cheers,
David

 

[Brutorz Bill]

Well David,
Ultimately the Campaign is about you and your players. Go with what you guys will get the most enjoyment out of.
I personally like the idea you have proposed. For an added twist what about using the multiple portal approach, but have some powerful being or group on "the other side" trying to make Earth more in line with Their World, be it Carceri or wherever, thus allowing them better access to Earth and potentially eliminating the "competition" from other worlds (no devil is gonna want to allow a Celestial to come over and interfere with their corruption of Earth) from spilling over into Earth?
Just a thought.
Regards,
Brutorz Bill

 

[Soldarin]

You might want to check out Second World (by 2ws). It could be a fine addition to your campaign.

 

[Voneth]

There is an old Palladium game, Night Breed, that offers up a nightmare dimenson where all the baddies come from. In that game, portals are more common. Occassionaly the mirror in your bathroom shows more than just your face.

If you don't mind making the game a little darker, I'd say drop the DnD descriptons of your monsters. Find a theme you like and dress up you encounters that way.

Think about it, the very basic way Shadow critters operate and hide among the masses remains the same, no matter what type of critter they are. With the right descriptons and adventures with the appropriate feel, you can pull off Hellrasier or Queen Fey's court with the same stats. A Bugbear can either be a brutish demon or a Bridge Troll depending on what you do.

And that leaves the Shadow to be what ever you want it to be for your game.