[PbP Idea] Crossworlds: Pentagrams and Pentacles

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shai-hulud
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[PbP Idea] Crossworlds: Pentagrams and Pentacles

Post by shai-hulud »

I haven't really arranged my thoughts on this, so please forgive me if it comes out as a stream of consciousness. I'll update this post to be more concise as I have time.

The idea: Groups of four join together. They create two characters each. Each character is gestalt. One character is 4th level, and decidedly evil. The other character is 1st level and decidedly good. The evil character is innately adjoined to the good character. One could say that their souls are intertwined. If you have seen the movie Crossworlds, that is what this campaign would be based upon.

How it works: At the outset, each player describes how the hero (1st level character) stopped the villain (4th level Big Bag Evil Guy or BBEG) from completing some event that would cause the world to end. Some item of power must be involved. This item of power is the goal for the BBEG. When the campaign begins, three heroes will face off against one BBEG. Whichever BBEG is chosen is the start of the cycle. Whoever's BBEG is chosen is the current DM. If the players defeat the BBEG, the cycle ends. If only one or two players are defeated, the cycle continues, just with fewer players. The remaining player(s) are dormant until the next cycle begins. Once the cycle ends, the characters gain experience. All characters actually gain experience, including BBEGs. The BBEGs will always be 3 levels ahead of the players.

Campaign goals: The campaign is designed in such a way that there are two possible outcomes. Either the BBEG succeeds in his master plan (attains the item of power and discovers how to use it), or the players discover the BBEG's fatal flaw. Since all characters are persistent throughout the cycles, the characters must discover how to disrupt a BBEG from this flow. So disrupted, the BBEG makes his final stand. Should he be defeated, he is lost from the cycle forever. The BBEG was disrupted from the cycle, which means that his soul is no longer tied to the hero who is still in the cycle. The hero can continue on. Once all BBEGs have been so defeated, the campaign has reached its conclusion. Alternately, if one BBEG achieves his goal, succeeding on his master plan, then the party shifts. The next cycle is still DMed by the same individual. The BBEG gains three levels (putting him three levels above the evil characters). All evil characters unite with the good characters who have had their BBEGs defeated. The resulting party is together for similar goals. They want to stop the BBEG once and for all.

Examples:
The cycles has gone through several times, resulting in all of the characters to reach 4th level. The BBEGs are all 7th level. None of the BBEGs have been defeated permanently. One DM decides that his BBEG has completed his goal. His BBEG is now 10th level, and must battle against the other three 7th level BBEGs. Whoever wins this, wins the campaign. Since the DM is in charge, should he decide that his BBEG is the victor, then that is the end. The other players have a choice. They can look for a fourth to complete the group, they can continue as 2 vs. 1, or they can end the campaign, either starting over or simply moving on. On the other hand, if the BBEG is defeated by the evil characters, he is permanently defeated, and play continues with the next cycle, next DM, and the heroes return to their work.

Let's say instead that the players defeat two BBEGs. Now, DMing is down to two. Only two cycles play out. Let's say that one DM decides his BBEG is successful. The next cycle, he gains 3 levels, and faces the one remaining BBEG, plus two heroes. He has a large advantage, since the two heroes are 3 levels below the one BBEG in their party and six levels below the main BBEG. This means that the main BBEG has an easier time of succeeding. Thus, DMs should probably wait for the herd to be culled before guiding the story-line to their BBEG's success.

Finally, if there is but one BBEG remaining, the PCs have the ultimate challenge. If that BBEG is successful, he gains 3 levels, putting him 6 levels above the entire party. The remaining party must defeat him, or face annihilation.

--------

So, the question "what's to stop the BBEG from just winning?" That's easy. Every DM has a BBEG when they play. The idea is not for the DM to win. It is to have fun. If the players are creative, then the DM should allow them to be victorious. If the players are unlucky, or something occurs that would give the BBEG the advantage, then the BBEG should win. It is just like any D&D campaign. The current DM has ultimate control over what happens.

So, why this style of play? Many have been interested in DMing, but not willing to commit to a full-fledged campaign. This style promotes easy DMing. For those who are new to DMing, just looking to try it out, and for those who are quite familiar with it, but don't have time for a full-on campaign, this style of play is ideal. The nature of the campaign lends itself to a single adventure thread being run through multiple times, different ways each time, or alternately to a campaign where the players are doing different things each time. It is up to the individual DM how to handle each cycle. It is possible to run through the same adventure a bunch of times, discovering each time that it is vastly different from the last one. It is also possible that each cycle will be vastly different from the previous, where no setting is the same.

What do people think? I, personally, am pretty interested in this idea. It lends itself well to short cycles, or long ones. It could be a single castle that must be sieged, or it could be an intricate political plot that the party must unravel. Each DM can plan for his own style, and in the end, the players can even choose which BBEG they desire to face off against.
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Re: [PbP] Crossworlds: Pentagrams and Pentacles

Post by Duniagdra »

This sounds interesting. Looking to see more development on this thought. I've reserved the movie, "Crossworlds", to have a better insight on the direction this could head. Once your thought has been ordered out, I'll have it another read through and comment then.
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Re: [PbP Idea] Crossworlds: Pentagrams and Pentacles

Post by admin »

Shai, you will be able to 'test drive' your concept in the new {PbP} Champions of Destiny section!

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Re: [PbP Idea] Crossworlds: Pentagrams and Pentacles

Post by kabkal »

Is this game still in the planning process or is it ready for players. This sounds very interesting and I would be interested in the game.
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shai-hulud
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Re: [PbP Idea] Crossworlds: Pentagrams and Pentacles

Post by shai-hulud »

This is simply a PbP idea, not necessarily something that I will participate in. I am simply laying out the foundation so that others can implement it. The idea is that everyone will be a DM at some point during the campaign process, so anyone can technically field this concept if they like it and run with it.
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