Planescape as a cold war setting - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Planescape as a cold war setting

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
zombiegleemax
Oct 17, 2005 8:21:41 Having recently dusted off my PS material I felt the need to set up a group again. Before doing this I wanted to prepare a campaign playing through the Modron March and Dead Gods adventures. I wanted to make two adaptations, however.

(Those annoyed by ongoing ramblings can just skip to the next paragraph to find out what my post is about. Still, I'd like to receive comments from those interested in the stuff mentioned in this paragraph)
The first is a concept that I tested before in a campaign and one that was well-received: I had the players play in two parallel (interconnected) storylines in different times. Whenever a group would go to sleep, they would actually be transferred to the other timeline and play a day there (until they would go to sleep, and return). To give an example: in the aforementioned quest, the character would run into some trouble in a present-day city, then go to sleep. They would wake up in a post-apocalyptic setting (of the same city). Eventually they had to use info from their experiences in the future to avoid a fate (the fall of the city) in the past. I'm thinking perhaps I could do the same with the Modron March as one, and Dead Gods as another timeline: adding the Modron March would reveal a number of darks at the right time, giving the players a bit more of a 'grand scheme' feeling. It would also make transferring the players to the different march sites a bit easier (they can just wake up in the right time and place).

That being said, I'd like to find a way to (generally) adapt PS to a sixties setting. I know about the Urban Planescape, but that is just not my thing. I'm not so much talking about hippies, but more about a 'red scare' kind of thing and accompanying tech level.

The ongoing chaos vs. law battle in this system would be the similar of the struggle between communism and capitalism. The blood war sides would be represented by the US and SU as they existed in each other's propagandic views at the time. That is to say: the US are chaos (capitalistic pigs! oppression of the poor!) and the SU are law (brainwashed citizenry! socialist pigs!). The war would of course not be so cold as it was in real life (though I would go easy on including any nukes), one can include many a cold war factor as the 'zus and 'ris spy on eachother.

For those interested in the feel I'm after: Think ''Dr. Strangelove''

Any comments on feasability, any additions?
#2
primemover003
Oct 18, 2005 21:16:37 Crazy man, just crazy... I just have a hard time seeing a group of "Agents" climbing a Coldwar Yggdrasil or attack the Flower citadel of the ...

Now I can easily see if you might want to make the Kriegstanz of the Factions a major factor in both of the adventures... that kind of makes more sense. But a modern tech level? That's just so much conversion.
#3
zombiegleemax
Oct 19, 2005 4:14:09 Sounds interesting...will be interesting to see how it turns out. As usual, go the 'Zu and go the Reds.
#4
trolloc
Oct 19, 2005 18:11:53 A post World War Berlin-type city with Chaos (NATO) on one side and Law (the Iron Curtain) on the other. Obviously it would be a fantasy city somewhere in the outer plane. With a wall, maybe a colossal wall of bones.
#5
ripvanwormer
Oct 19, 2005 18:40:37 Make it Sigil!

Law: Lady's Ward, Clerk's Ward, Guildhall Ward
Chaos: Lower Ward, Hive Ward, Market Ward
#6
old_sage
Oct 19, 2005 19:51:00 Hmmm... The Modron March as a 60's-styled protest for peace.

In this planar Cold War period, perhaps as it makes the journey around the Great Ring, the March begins picking up like-minded members from other races and communities -- all joining together to call for an end to hostilities.
#7
joni-san
Oct 21, 2005 9:43:26 This sounds interesting.

Now if the Tanarri are the U.S.A. and the Baatezu are the C.C.C.P. Where does that leave Finland?

A city/village in the Outlands?
#8
zombiegleemax
Oct 21, 2005 11:31:12 Finland, as it happens, might well make a good Ribcage: not exactly in a hurry to be subjugated to Baator (the Russians), but pretty much doomed to find itself in its shadow and find some kind of working relationship. Unless, of course, one wants to presume that Finland is Ondtland... (And where would Sweden be located, anyhow?).

Hmmmmm, following the concept of Tanar'ri as the U.S. and Baatezu as the U.S.S.R, would that make the Yugoloths Red China? (And the Gehreleths would be Taiwan?). What would become of the Celestials anyhow?
#9
zombiegleemax
Oct 23, 2005 22:15:25 I'm thinking that the Yugoloths 'd be closer to Yugoslavia...
Seriously, a Communist country which is independant and deals/fights with anyone...sounds pretty Neutral (w/ maybe a faint Law bias).
#10
isran_imrador
Nov 03, 2005 8:58:45
Finland, as it happens, might well make a good Ribcage: not exactly in a hurry to be subjugated to Baator (the Russians), but pretty much doomed to find itself in its shadow and find some kind of working relationship. Unless, of course, one wants to presume that Finland is Ondtland... (And where would Sweden be located, anyhow?).

Hmmmmm, following the concept of Tanar'ri as the U.S. and Baatezu as the U.S.S.R, would that make the Yugoloths Red China? (And the Gehreleths would be Taiwan?). What would become of the Celestials anyhow?

Even more important where would Norway be? Or Would you just say Nowhere as usual ;)

Isran

Celestial would be Atlantis! the lost world....(Arhh what an evil world ;) )

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 zombiegleemax Oct 17, 2005 8:21:41	Having recently dusted off my PS material I felt the need to set up a group again. Before doing this I wanted to prepare a campaign playing through the Modron March and Dead Gods adventures. I wanted to make two adaptations, however. (Those annoyed by ongoing ramblings can just skip to the next paragraph to find out what my post is about. Still, I'd like to receive comments from those interested in the stuff mentioned in this paragraph) The first is a concept that I tested before in a campaign and one that was well-received: I had the players play in two parallel (interconnected) storylines in different times. Whenever a group would go to sleep, they would actually be transferred to the other timeline and play a day there (until they would go to sleep, and return). To give an example: in the aforementioned quest, the character would run into some trouble in a present-day city, then go to sleep. They would wake up in a post-apocalyptic setting (of the same city). Eventually they had to use info from their experiences in the future to avoid a fate (the fall of the city) in the past. I'm thinking perhaps I could do the same with the Modron March as one, and Dead Gods as another timeline: adding the Modron March would reveal a number of darks at the right time, giving the players a bit more of a 'grand scheme' feeling. It would also make transferring the players to the different march sites a bit easier (they can just wake up in the right time and place). That being said, I'd like to find a way to (generally) adapt PS to a sixties setting. I know about the Urban Planescape, but that is just not my thing. I'm not so much talking about hippies, but more about a 'red scare' kind of thing and accompanying tech level. The ongoing chaos vs. law battle in this system would be the similar of the struggle between communism and capitalism. The blood war sides would be represented by the US and SU as they existed in each other's propagandic views at the time. That is to say: the US are chaos (capitalistic pigs! oppression of the poor!) and the SU are law (brainwashed citizenry! socialist pigs!). The war would of course not be so cold as it was in real life (though I would go easy on including any nukes), one can include many a cold war factor as the 'zus and 'ris spy on eachother. For those interested in the feel I'm after: Think ''Dr. Strangelove'' Any comments on feasability, any additions?
#2 primemover003 Oct 18, 2005 21:16:37	Crazy man, just crazy... I just have a hard time seeing a group of "Agents" climbing a Coldwar Yggdrasil or attack the Flower citadel of the ... Now I can easily see if you might want to make the Kriegstanz of the Factions a major factor in both of the adventures... that kind of makes more sense. But a modern tech level? That's just so much conversion.
#3 zombiegleemax Oct 19, 2005 4:14:09	Sounds interesting...will be interesting to see how it turns out. As usual, go the 'Zu and go the Reds.
#4 trolloc Oct 19, 2005 18:11:53	A post World War Berlin-type city with Chaos (NATO) on one side and Law (the Iron Curtain) on the other. Obviously it would be a fantasy city somewhere in the outer plane. With a wall, maybe a colossal wall of bones.
#5 ripvanwormer Oct 19, 2005 18:40:37	Make it Sigil! Law: Lady's Ward, Clerk's Ward, Guildhall Ward Chaos: Lower Ward, Hive Ward, Market Ward
#6 old_sage Oct 19, 2005 19:51:00	Hmmm... The Modron March as a 60's-styled protest for peace. In this planar Cold War period, perhaps as it makes the journey around the Great Ring, the March begins picking up like-minded members from other races and communities -- all joining together to call for an end to hostilities.
#7 joni-san Oct 21, 2005 9:43:26	This sounds interesting. Now if the Tanarri are the U.S.A. and the Baatezu are the C.C.C.P. Where does that leave Finland? A city/village in the Outlands?
#8 zombiegleemax Oct 21, 2005 11:31:12	Finland, as it happens, might well make a good Ribcage: not exactly in a hurry to be subjugated to Baator (the Russians), but pretty much doomed to find itself in its shadow and find some kind of working relationship. Unless, of course, one wants to presume that Finland is Ondtland... (And where would Sweden be located, anyhow?). Hmmmmm, following the concept of Tanar'ri as the U.S. and Baatezu as the U.S.S.R, would that make the Yugoloths Red China? (And the Gehreleths would be Taiwan?). What would become of the Celestials anyhow?
#9 zombiegleemax Oct 23, 2005 22:15:25	I'm thinking that the Yugoloths 'd be closer to Yugoslavia... Seriously, a Communist country which is independant and deals/fights with anyone...sounds pretty Neutral (w/ maybe a faint Law bias).
#10 isran_imrador Nov 03, 2005 8:58:45	Finland, as it happens, might well make a good Ribcage: not exactly in a hurry to be subjugated to Baator (the Russians), but pretty much doomed to find itself in its shadow and find some kind of working relationship. Unless, of course, one wants to presume that Finland is Ondtland... (And where would Sweden be located, anyhow?). Hmmmmm, following the concept of Tanar'ri as the U.S. and Baatezu as the U.S.S.R, would that make the Yugoloths Red China? (And the Gehreleths would be Taiwan?). What would become of the Celestials anyhow? Even more important where would Norway be? Or Would you just say Nowhere as usual ;) Isran Celestial would be Atlantis! the lost world....(Arhh what an evil world ;) )