Since last I spoke about the campaign, I have streamlined a great number of custom mechanics into something I think that would work well within the 3.5 system.

The campaign is going to be based in Sigil, and features a large amount of planes-hopping and spelljammer travel, with a tour of most of the major planes.

The overarching goal is to uncover the mystery behind a universal disaster that threatens to consume all life in the known multiverse. While the party is not epic level, they will come into possession of some key artifacts which put them on par with some of the more powerful foes in the known universe (or at the very least, able to fight the challenges I lay before them).

These items, forged by Muramasa, will be customized to Al'Sham, Saburo, Joe Knock, and the Halfling; and all share a common feature of allowing the wielders to "dimension shift", and enter a parallel, yet heightened version of reality. While shifted into this higher state of being, the party will be able to interact with fate itself, represented by tangible threads which connect between living beings.

(also just got that camera, new pic)

"Dimension Shifting" is the keyword I've given to the ability possessed by Muramasa weapons, and some select enemies. It allows the user to expend a move action to enter an alternate reality, in which "fate" is represented visibly and tangibly.

While shifted, the user is rendered completely untargetable and invisible to the plane he just left (unless under the effects of a locate spell of some sort), but retains the ability to interact with things on that plane. A player can stay dimension shifted for a maximum of 1d6 rounds (rolled by the DM) before the cthulhu monsters start coming, and they can cancel the effect by expending a move action at the location they originally shifted.

This ability allows a character to become essentially invulnerable to something that is incapable of dimension shifting itself for a number of rounds. This is how the enemies of the current campaign (The Githyanki) have overrun many powerful and civilized planes.

(one last pic of the fist)

>>13730455

The second mechanic I've created deals with "Threads of Fate." Threads of fate connect living beings to one another, and may represent a variety of outcomes (denoted by the color of the thread).

White threads link people and events of "ordinary" outcome. If you are to be somewhere at a certain time, a white thread will lead you there. White threads govern neutral interactions between living beings.

Blue threads describe a favorable outcome for the beings they connect. This generally represents "good" interactions, and provides dice modifier bonuses.

Yellow threads describe unfavorable outcomes. This is something that is generally "bad" and represents a negative dice modifier.

Orange threads occur when fate is changed, and can represent a relative modifier when it happens. Orange threads are unstable and attract the presence of cthulhu monsters.

Purple threads represent death. Follow someone's purple thread long enough and you will see how they will die. Being connected to something by means of a purple thread usually means you're making a save-or-die throw.

Red threads connect beings that are linked to Muramasa (a.k.a. the party). Muramasa weapons are capable of severing any kind of fate thread, except for red ones.

Black threads connect objects that have been corrupted by the void. The Void Corruption is the overarching "enemy" which has consumed most of the known planescape. The Githyanki spread this corruption, as they are closest to it, and have been horribly mutated as a result. In return for their servitude, however, the corruption has bestowed a number of abilities upon the Githyanki (such as the ability to use some devastating supernatural abilities and Dimension Shift)

Oh boy, Storytiem!

>>13730520
Certain abilities use this thread system to bestow buffs and debuffs to various targets; as in, someone affected by Yellow Threads will have a flat, stacking negative modifier to all rolls until those threads are removed.

Muramasa weapons can cut through fate, quite literally, and can remove any kind of thread except for the ones that bind their wielders to Muramasa himself.

Threads of Fate can be attacked as targets, and have variable durability depending on what they represent. This system is designed to give some added depth to encounters, and present some awesome powers to the party.

So lets talk about the player-specific abilities Muramasa weapons:

Saburo's Sword: You should be familiar with this one so far. However, now it's awakened by Muramasa. Once per encounter as a standard action, Saburo can attack up to four times in a line attack that extends for four squares in any direction. He threatens extra distance, and can hit a single target up to four times at diminishing attack bonuses.

Fateweaver, Joseph Knock's Bow: This bow is special in that it shoots threads of fate. Once per encounter, It can connect two targets with either a blue or yellow thread of fate. Blue threads cause two linked targets to share healing and buffs for the rest of the encounter; yellow threads cause the two targets to share damage and debuffs for the rest of the encounter. Otherwise it functions as a normal bow.

>>13730591

Fatesealer, Daggers of The Halfling - These daggers weren't ripped off from Portal insomuch as they were amputated, but one is blue, the other is orange. The Halfling can use them to rip open portals within 30 feet of each other, connecting two points in space. He can use this once per encounter, and the portals cannot be placed within enemies, only upon non-living objects. (Bear in mind, he's an invisible blade, and specializes in throwing daggers, so he can throw a dagger to create a portal).

Twin Fates, a dagger for Al'Sham Wyles- Once per encounter, this dagger allows the user to add a lower level spell's effects to the casting of a higher level spell at no additional cost. It basically allows him to cast two spells of different level in one action, once per encounter.

Each Muramasa weapon is capable of dimension shifting the user, and each is capable of severing thread of fate, assuming the appropriate actions are taken.

Now that this shit has been explained, some pointers on the following issues would be greatly appreciated (for next post)

>>13730681
1. The first part of the finale will feature the players going to Hell via a Spelljammer to rescue Muramasa; his last known location being within Tiamat's lair somewhere.

Tiamat, and all other major deities for that matter, are AWOL. There are literally no powerful gods left in the multiverse, save for the Lady of Pain in Sigil (for this reason, Sigil is the only truly safe place in the entire planescape). I covered this in the last thread, and I can go into it later, but for now, I need some help.

There will be three main "factions" to interact with once the players get to Hell. Two warring remnants of Tiamat's brood:

Black/Red dragons led by Nethex, a former consort of Tiamat who declared himself the de facto leader.

A bunch of chromatic mutts who lost the initial bid for power and were stripped of their wings by Nethex and his brood (they are called The Wingless), and are led by a General Carnifex.

The third faction are devils from the City of Dis, who play the two dragon factions against each other out of necessity, and this is the subject of my first major question:

How do I roleplay devils accurately? The concept is interesting enough where I want to include it, but would it mean that I'm constantly trying to get the party to barter for their souls? Would I be actively trying to screw the party over in deals with devils, or could I play them off as somewhat machiavellian, desiring to be left to their own devices, and seeing the dragon factions as a manageable nuisance.

The overall goal will be to get into Tiamat's Lair, but an all out assault would be stupid, and the assistance of one or more faction will be required in order to do it.

So how do I roleplay devils? I would greatly appreciate input from anyone who has ran campaigns in the Nine Hells before.

>Tiamat, and all other major deities for that matter, are AWOL.
Don't tell me Pelor, Hextor, or motherfucking GARL GLITTERGOLD got their shit ruined by a bunch of piss pants Gith.

No dice brah, that's just dumb.

>>13730815
No, that WOULD be stupid.

The gods have basically been presumed dead for millenia due to a cataclysmic battle that took place long ago. All the major deities took up arms to fight against an unknown foe in the astral planes, and all that remains of that battle is a massive black hole, which consumed the gods and many of their higher ranking followers.

The black hole had been lying dormant since then, but it later became active, due to the efforts of the Githyanki Lich Queen. Various Githyanki fleets disappeared from the Planescape for some time, but re-emerged in the past hundred years, horribly mutated and possessed of aberrant powers. They have spread their corruption throughout the planes, and conquered a good portion of the multiverse.

The elemental planes are in utter chaos; the positive and negative energy planes have collided; Arborea, Bytopia, and Limbo are all but destroyed, with pieces of each plane having been "salvaged" and placed in stasis around Sigil, in order to make room for refugees from those planes.

The Gith are quite powerful, but not god-killing powerful. This is why Sigil remains as the last bastion of true power in the planescape; you don't fuck with the Lady of Pain.

Okay /tg/ is slow today. I guess I'll just keep going.

The first act of the campaign consists of going to hell and rescuing Muramasa. After that's done, the party will be tasked to 'tap' six key NPCs located on six planes.

Each NPC has a short mission associated with their purpose, and the overall goal is to unlock that NPC's hidden potential, as it pertains to protecting their home plane. Of the six NPCs, the party will have to choose three, and this will affect the outcome of the final battle

The NPCs will be located on Celestia, Ysgard, Mechanus, Limbo, Pandemonium, and Acheron. Two good planes, two neutral planes, and two evil planes; but the players will only be able to choose one of each.

The choices the players make will change the course of the Spelljammer battle, where the players will pilot a Spelljammer version of THE FIST against the legions of Githyanki ships attacking Sigil; in a near-suicidal attempt to breach their blockade and take the fight all the way to their doorstep. I've already got a solid set of rules for how ship combat is going to unfold, (each player gets a role, and THE FIST will be able blast things with cannons and plow right through enemy vessels with devastating ramming attacks).

At any rate, If you have any relevant input on flavorful aspects of planeswalking campaigns; any cool tidbits or suggestions related to any of the planes mentioned, I'd love to hear it. I have never DM'd a game in this setting, and I'm going for broke on details and immersion, so I'd love to have as much input as possible, as well as comments and questions about mechanics as mentioned.

I've playtested a bit, and it seems as though this stuff works; the downside being it takes a little longer than a standard encounter, but I'm pleased with what I see so far.

>>13731220

I'm sensing some Mass Effect 2 vibes from this part. Care to explain a bit more about these "key NPCs?"

Please don't tell me you're making a bunch of DMPCs to show off to the party.

Spelljammer itself has a number of rules for running these kinds of campaigns. Have you tried looking there first?

>>13730886
Unless you are a level 17+ Bard. In which case you seduce her and add her to your list of conquests.

>>13731501
You picked right up on the ME2 stuff, that's what I was going for.

The NPCs will be six individuals who have been "chosen by fate". They each serve a significant purpose relative to their own plane, and will not accompany the players after their "mission" is complete.

I can describe some of the characters, but the NPC on Acheron would be a major spoiler for my players.

If the players choose Celestia, the players meet a favored soul of Bahamut, whom they must warn of the Githyanki threat, and to support Sigil in the coming battle.

Instead, they'll go to Ysgard and enlist the services of a battlemaster of Kord to fight off the Githyanki in the coming battle.

If the players choose to go to Mechanus, they must avoid the Inevitables and awaken a lowly construct known as Protus. Protus is a "missing piece" of Mechanus, leftover from the plane's creation, and the party must transport him to the heart of the plane, and install him into the clockwork. This turns Mechanus into a battlestation against the Githyanki.

If the players choose Limbo instead of Mechanus, they must locate the reliquary of an ancient Githzerai. This particular Githzerai was the progenitor of modern Githzerai, and once his reliquary is cast into the Heart of Limbo, he will turn the wrath of the plane itself against the Githyanki and the void corruption.

On Pandemonium, the players must enlist the aid of Velric Nash, an extremely powerful necromancer who holds sway over massive armies of undead. His armies will fight Gith in gigantic bone war machines and ships.

Finally, on Acheron, the party will seek the aid of one who fights the Blood War alone. That's all I can say about that. My group members read /tg/.

one last bump for now.

Even though I haven't a clue about the setting either, I really like what I see, Storytiem.

>dat fist
It's even more beautiful than I imagined. Clever sprue work.

>page 7
>nope.avi

I wish I had more input on the planeswalking thing, but the least I can do is bump it to the frontpage. Godspeed storytiem, keep us posted.

Well, I'm back. I'm still seeking some input on the questions raised earlier, sorry for the text wall.

>>13731878
One thing I forgot to mention was what happens with regard to these NPCs. The players will have to choose between Celestia or Ysgard; Mechanus or Limbo; and Pandemonium or Acheron. They have to choose three from these six.

The planes they choose will possibly be able to fight off the void corruption (assuming they succeed in their missions). The planes neglected will fall to corruption.

The planes which are spared will contribute positively to the Battle of Sigil; the corrupted planes will join the assault upon Sigil.

The Battle of Sigil will be played out shmup-style; as in, I'm going to draw a gigantic map out on a full roll of gaming paper and roll it out as the players traverse the territory and progress through the battle -- just like Raiden Trad... except with THE FIST.

The exact format of the battle is still a surprise, so I'm not going to spoil this until I write up the campaign.

BTW- We're playing during the first week of March, one year since we started.

perhaps now?

>01/31/11(Mon)12:01
>01/31/11(Mon)21:07
>15 replies
did /tg/ have a meeting and decide that storytiem was persona non grata?
if I can offer some help on your devils question, give this thread a read. http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showthread.php?t=134473

other shit sounds really cool, and I'd liek to see it in action

oh gee, wouldn't it sure be great if they printed a book on this very subject.

I'm too busy with a game to post, but it sounds good. As far as devils are concerned, they are the personification of Lawful Evil ,by and large, so take that into consideration. They probably wouldn't go out of their way to get the PCs in on deals for their souls or the like, but if given an opportunity or sought out, they might consider it. As far as how they'd view the dragons ,it's up to you ,but if you think they'd be content to play the two factions against one-another and be left well enough alone, then that's how you might as well go about it.

No advice for the other plans, I know nothing about them as I've enver played a 3.5 game. I...kind of want to.

bump because wtf are the rest of you faggots doing

>>13731587
>seduce the lady of pain
Oh you. You ain't seducin' shit, boy. You try and put the moves on her, you'll be breathing out of one of 100 new holes all over your body. And bleeding, too.

>>13737902
Someone does not understand the Bard rules

>>13737956
Someone does not understand the Lady of Pain's rules. You can't seduce someone who doesn't even have a statblock, no matter how high your diplomacy is.

>>13738032
"Fuck anything."

>>13737902
>>13737956
>>13738032
>>13738087

That's not going to happen in this campaign. Nobody is romancing the Lady of Pain. Hopefully I won't have to even involve her. That's something I don't really want to get into.

>>13736688
Derp, thanks. That's exactly the kind of thing I was looking for.

>This turns Mechanus into a battlestation against the Githyanki.

I am on board with this. Battlestar Mechanus!

Thread archived because it deserves it. This piss poor showing is embarrassin, /tg/. After months of waiting this campaign is coming to a conclusion, and so few people bothered to post?

Well I'm excited, and I can't wait to hear about it STORYTIEM, keep us posted. There are people listening out there, even if they're being damn quiet about it.

bump.

yes plz

Back to page 1 with you, little thread.

Wish I could give you some actual input, Storytiem.

>>13730246
Interesting design on the fist, but the paintjob looks meh. Are you new to 40k?

>>13742490
I don't play 40k, but someone at my LGS was making an army of Necrons out of sprue, so I got the idea of making a few miniatures that way. I've never painted or crafted any models before, so I'm not too concerned with how good the paint job is.

While on that note, I've streamlined the system for ship combat, based on an idea from a friend's game of Star Wars D20.

Six positions are available on the ship: Three gunners, a pilot, and an engineer.

Al'Sham, being the most experienced with magic, will probably take the role of engineer. He will make Use Magic Device checks to grant bonuses to the ship's Shields, Engines, or Weapons.

Increasing the Shields restores them, and keeps the ship from taking hull damage.
Increasing the Engines grants additional squares of movement
Increasing the Weapons grants enhancement bonuses to hit/damage.

The four gunners are self explanatory, and characters with high ranged touch will be needed here. The Fist's cannons are forward mounted, and each do 1d6 damage (this is against other spelljammers).

The Pilot will don the spelljamming helm, and control the movements of the Fist. Ramming attacks can be made against other ships, dealing damage equal to 3x maximum movement speed. Ramming another ship causes slight damage to the Fist, so shields should be enhanced as well to avoid permanent hull damage.

The Fist has 20 points of Hull Integrity, and 20 Shield Points. Shield points regenerate at a rate of 2 points per round, with bonuses to the shield being added directly to current shield totals at the start of each round.

>>13742771
Wouldn't forward mounted guns be crushed by ramming enemies?

How about side mounted guns like a real ship, and broadside some motherfuckers!

>>13742771
>Six positions
I thought you only had four players, I mean, you only described four weapons earlier, so I'm assuming that each player gets a weapon like that. But if you have six players, why not six weapons?

Or is it designed so that all positions not be filled?

>>13744301
Well, there's nothing that says there can't be NPCs in a gunner's role.

This sounds pretty cool. I look forward to seeing how this plays out.

FUCK YEAH STORYTIEM

>>13731878
>Finally, on Acheron, the party will seek the aid of one who fights the Blood War alone.
Just make sure he doesn't steal anyones show.