Does anybody have any technical "musts" and "mustn'ts" that they want to pass on as I try and tune Ravenloft down two and a half steps?
Any and all help would be much appreciated.
I'm planning on linking Ravenloft to Dark Sun (Present to Future, all in 1E) in a most ambitious storyline (I'm hoping I can pull it off), so that's why I asked for help in the two threads.
Evil, over a few thousand years, leads to the degradation of the world (accelerated by triumphant evil) and the result is a dumb-downed, psionicless Dark Sun. Or, primal Ravenloft. The Dark Lords, those who've survived this climatizing of sorts (most notably the undead ones), have become "sorcerer-kings" and their rule has just gotten that much more blatantly horrible in this new age of wasteland and shattered humankind...
The players will start off in Ravenloft (as we all know and love it), and end up in it's (potential) future: Dark Sun.
And that's all I have so far.
Anybody have any ideas or suggestions?
I understand that I'm playing "outside the box", with both settings, and that the majority of fans (of both settings) will roll their eyes at such an abomination of setting bastardization (the Crusades ain't got nothin' on some of these people!), but I don't care. I'm just looking for ideas.
Think of this as a "What If" gig...
How am I going to link the two "worlds"?
A Shadow Gate.
Everything (in the Present) casts a shadow (a result that is the Future). Multiple shadows actually, but I'm focusing on one in particular. In Ravenloft, evil lurks in the shadows. Evil, therefore, represents the Future. One possible future, or, timeline anyway...if this makes any sense.
Dark Sun is the sum of this evil.
The fight for Good in Ravenloft is futile. Sure, the morality of this fight will be passed on to future generations (in game terms good alignments will make this "transition"), but the mechanics of the world are controlled by beings of unspeakable evil. The future is in their hands, and is the result of their evil will.
The PCs will eventually stumble upon this Shadow Gate, and be transported to the shadows of the present...to the grim realization of the future. A horrible feeling indeed to know that all is for naught!
(I'm getting ahead of myself here. The PCs will only link the two worlds if they properly explore Dark Sun. Its cultures, its landmarks, its ruins, etc.)
The Shadow Gate dissipates behind them, flickering like a heat wave, and they find themselves trapped in this blasted, sun-scorched future. With no immediate way home, they are forced to move on, wandering the wasted land aimlessly...only to begin experiencing the cause and effect of their once present, in the form of all that Dark Sun is (minus widespread psionics).
The search for another Shadow Gate begins, but when language (which has naturally evolved throughout the millenium) becomes their greatest foe, excluding of course the new spawn of vicious creatures (many, creations) from ages past, the PCs soon become dreadfully isolated...and there is no worse feeling in the world you know, let alone the world you cannot even begin to comprehend.
...
>ideas subject to change (at a whim)<
>end copy<
If I can manage to get this up and running, which I'm feeling pretty confident about actually, I'll drop a journal in these boards for sure. Right now though, it's a ways off.
(1) First does RL slowly "evolve" into DS or is there a cataclysm (like the ToUD)? It sounds like you are going with evolve. It make make more logic but IMO leads to less dynamic story telling and/or plot tension to exploit in your game. Consider giving the PCs something tangible (and horrible) to prevent.
(2) The physical mutations of DS could be explained by failed DP checks. Consider equaling a failed DP check with a visible alteration of the (N)PC. Lots of people are marked.
(3) Anything that mentions shadows turns my mind to the Rift, its denizens and its lord. The escape of Gwydion could be a "cataclysm". Loht could be an agent interested in twisting the strands of fate (ie. meddling through the use of PCs). The Obsidean gate could have links to or be the Shadow Gate. The devastaion of the enviroment could be caused by/or lead to the extermination of all Fey under a "Dark Sun".
(4) On common thread in both worlds is the need to work with or deel with questionable allies. It could be as bad as the (poor) PCs needing to somehow get Azalin and Strahd to work togther to contain some greater evil (good LUCK!), or working with the templars of one Dragon King to thwart the ambitions of DK - make sure the PCS have plenty of reasons to be a little paranoid.
(5) Horror. Ravenloft is based in the gothic concepts of evil/horror where the villians have understandable (human) motivations. But its not the only option for horror. Perhaps the DS setting has lovecraftian elements of alien horrors beyond human understanding?
Finally not a linkage but a parting thought: Focus on the internal, even in DS mode. You don't necessarily need to keep the gothic motief but the focus on Surviving the environment of DS works against any "metaplot" you develop on the RL side of your campaign. At least IMO. In RL the villians usually can pass themselves off as human and have understandable goals. In DS I'd stick with detailed plots furthered by wicked men (Templars?), Belgoi, & Gith - things with understandable and complex motivations (capable of nobility and villany). Megapeedes & Sky Rays are inherently two dimesional by comparison and useful only as terrors to keep people frightened.
Hope something there inspires the turning of mental wheels.
-Eric Gorman