Would you leave your life behind?

[pseudo_hero]

Ok, its midnight, you wake up (you were napping if your a night owl) and this wizard looking guy is in your room. Before you reach for the phone to dial 911 or the gun by your bed etc.. He pleads you listen to him first. He explains to you that your current beliefs on reality and dreams and such is totaly wrong and that there are parallel universes and one of them just happens to be your favorite D&D world. Now before you laugh your ass off at this psycho who's about to go to the funny farm he waves his arms and opens a portal. Now your totaly sure your awake. The wizard guy explains that he will take you to this world where you will begin life again at an age of your choice (teens if you like) in a situation of your choosing (son of a barbarian, acolyte of a cleric of Pelor, aprentice of a wizard etc..)

Would you do it? Would you leave it all behind? Your friends, your family, your dog. Would you get up and go right then? And no you don't get a chance to say goodbye. But you can leave a note. Me, I'd do it in a heart beat. I'd miss my skateboard but an elven girlfriend and a spell book, I wouldn't miss this psycho world one bit.

 

[Carnifex]

Thing is, in this world you'd be jumping into, sure, you'd be very powerful with your knowledge of all sorts of stuff about the world that the people who live there wouldn't have ('ha! I know about your evil plan, Dr. Nasty, because I read the Evil Guys Handbook!') but the thing is, pretty quickly people would realise this. Guess who suddenly pops to the top of everyones hit list...

 

[Humanophile]

Sure. On one condition, though.

I'd get to be his apprentice, and he teaches me how to do that reality-twisting as soon as he can. I'd leave a note explaining that I had to go "find myself", and when I could pop back, have the best of both worlds.

If there were some catch that kept me from coming back to my life within a reasonable time span (vastly different rates of time flow, universes only line up like this every once every couple thousand years, etc.), I'd probably stick around here, though. D&D living would be a royal pain in the ass without PC plot immunity. Just watch what your PC's do to any NPC who can't beat some sense into them if they step out of line, and imagine what other PC types would do to you.

 

[The Cardinal]

...if the portal will change my body to fit my new destiny - then I'm out of here faster than this wiz guy can say "Shazam!"


- but question no.2: what path of career/class/destiny would you choose?

Me: (up to level 20)

Human TN
Fighter 4 / Ranger 2 / Ghostwalker 10 / Shadowdancer 4

Feats:
Improved Initiative
Weapon Focus (Greatsword)
Weapon Specialization (Greatsword)
Toughness
Endurance
Iron Will
Combat Reflexes
Dodge
Mobility
Expertise
Whirlwind Attack

 

[Plane Sailing]

Not a chance. I love my wife and family dearly. Nothing would make me voluntarily separate from them.

 

[Frosty]

I wouldn't want to get the offer but if I got it I'd... Jump right in. Face it, you will never get an offer quite like it. I doubt gaming knowledge would make a difference, though. The first thing you need to do is learn the language and that takes a year or two and still you will always have the strangest accent. Then if you wanted to act on special knowledge you need to get people to listen and believe you. I mean people warn us every day of oncoming doom but those who listen are regarded as suspicious conspiracy theorists.

The worst fear is of course the fear of combat. I'm not a great warrior and I lack the proper instincts to harm another on purpose. Sure I can punch a guy but it takes a lot of provocation and even then I settle for the minimum force necessary (no Cleave for me.) I've got the insticts of an office rat and as such I'm not cut out to fight.

That leaves scholar as a possible occupation. Being a scholar must utterly suck in a medieval world. No heating, no light after dusk, no spectacles, quills and ink instead of pencils and so on. No, the fantasy world is not a very convenient place. There you can't produce things in the fast, efficient way you are accustomed today. With this post I reach several thousand people (in theory). The same feat would take years in a medieval world.

But I'd still do it. Perhaps (I'd chance it) I can return someday and become a crazy writer with a uncanny knack for realism, I don't know.

 

[Dinkeldog]

I'd bring the dogs with. It's like having my very own persistent alarm spell.

 

[Buttercup]

Not a chance. I know too much about the filth and disease and rotten food of medieval life to ever want to live in it for real.

Besides, I wouldn't leave my husband. After 14 years, he's still the best thing to ever happen to me. And I'd miss my sweet little dog too.

Oh, and did I mention blow dryers? Where would I plug it in? Sorry, no dice.

 

[Tsyr]

Hmmmmm...

Letssee...

/me thinks hard

Well, on one hand, I would miss my family, and a handful of friends...

On the other hand, it IS very tempting...

I guess the final determiner is, as someone else said... do we get to control what we are in said new world? If not, probably no... I don't wanna be a level 1 serf on a pig farm for the rest of my life. But an adept-level talandrys mage? That I could deal with. And like someone else said... first thing I would do is find out how to twist worlds

 

[BMF]

No I wouldn't.

And by the way, this is the same sort of question a religious freak used on me once to "prove" gaming is bad because it "promotes escapism."

Honestly, I think that living in a DnD realm would be very harsh and not very fun after the first few hours.