Frontier World Campaign

[Henchman99942]

So, I have been discussing possible campaign ideas with my group of Role Players, and they didn't reject the following idea out of hand...

A few miles from my house is a small town which happens to contain a disturbing number churches and bars for it's size. It is 1:00 AM Sunday night and my friends and I are all finishing up with a night of playing board games (tomorrow is memorial day, so everyone was willing to play late), and we get a phone call from on of the group's relatives that something is going on in one of the churches in that small town. The 'rumor' is that some scientist created a portal to an other world and has been granted sanctuary by one of the local churches. People are being allowed to go through the portal into the other world. A hundred people now surround the church and a number of armed parishioners and other local citizens are guarding and protecting it. This is all coming to us, me and my group, through a friend of a friend. We quickly scan the local police frequencies (using an online website) and discover that something is certainly happening, exactly what isn't as clear. So we call other friends and family in town and they report that yes, something is happening at that church. They say that others are saying that the church is allowing people to cross over into the other world, which can be seen through the portal and those on the other side appear fine. They hold up signs saying things like, 'I see two suns in the sky!' and 'This world is awesome, have my cousin Johnny come through and bring toilet paper and more 'C' batteries!' Unfortunately, it seems that the trip is only one way. Once you go through, you cannot come back. They only get brief glimpses of the other side when the portal is opened. The scientist's research assistant has been on the other world for 3 days and tested some local grasses growing there on some lab animals and they seem fine. Groups are forming up and taking the plunge! It is almost certain that it is only a matter of time before the military finds out and sends the national guard to close it all down. What do you do?

So, I am allowing the player to either play as themselves, with their real world stats and abilities, or as modern day PCs created as usual. I am thinking of a lowish limit on the point value, to simulate everyday people. Maybe 75 points with up to -50 points in disadvantages. Either way... the actions they take and game play are done in real time. I have a set of pre-planned events that will take place at certain times. So if they lollygag they may end up missing the boat... so to speak. And once through, they are limited to what gear they took with them and whatever alliances they can form with people on the other side.

[Cheomesh]

Tomorrow is definitely not Memorial Day - that would be next Monday.

Also, lots of bars and churches...sounds like my hometown...and we're in the same FEMA location...

Something to note for Disadvantages: Sense of Duty, Debt, and a whole manner of things are very likely in play for most modern adults in the US. For a long while things weren't going great for me, but my Sense of Duty to my then girlfriend kept me from being able to just cast it off and go elsewhere, when I would have otherwise been perfectly able to tell her we're broke off and moved on in life. Now, I have that except to my wife and kid (note Tom Baker) and job, and Debt related to student loans and a house, as well.

Also, I'm one for thinking for most people, Skill isn't very high on most things. Even job things. We have all manner of reference bonuses, equipment quality bonuses, etc. that let us do great things without all THAT much effort.

Worth noting.

M.