Infinite Worlds and IOU - Page 2

banditangel · 07-28-2005, 11:27 PM

IOU is high-tech and expensive enough that the place is probably wherever the Archdean <i>wants</i> it to be at the time. After all, if it's ringed with Reality Stabilizers, it wouldn't be *too* much harder to shift the entire campus across timelines.

I'm personally not a huge fan of the idea of it being in all timelines (one IOU is about as much as a universe can handle and still remain sane :)), and tying it to just one timeline seems odd. It ought to either be "crosstime" or else out of time from the rest. And a travelling university has appeal, as well as emphasizing that this place is *powerful* (who else can shift 1d6+1 square miles of real estate across timelines? And, for that matter, who else has areas whose size is a function of chance? :))

Archangel Beth · 07-29-2005, 11:08 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Michael Hopcroft

That reminds me -- I wonder if there would be enough demand to justify a 4e IOU book? Maybe as an eBook for e23, perhaps?

Quite honestly, I'd just ignore the point value stuff for the NPCs, keep the Treatment as-is (it's a nice round number!), and run with it -- the only character who would be really troublesome would be the psi-musician, off the top of my head.

Maybe Steven Marsh would be interested in conversions for Pyramid? I have no idea, but our IOU articles were always well-received.

HeroPenguin · 07-29-2005, 05:19 PM

It could certainly make for an interesting plot twist if Infinity and Centrum turn out to be outright CONTROLLED by the Arch-Dean of IOU... It just stinks of a conspiracy game, which could be very fun indeed.

Aside from that, I like the idea of IOU being beyond simple quantums and timelines and outright moving around in time and reality itself. They day Infinity and/or Centrum discover its existance could turn out to be very good for them, very bad for them, or just plain the wierdest series of misevents in the history of mankind. Besides that, it just seems fun to run a game that takes an extra-dimensional aspect for granted and then later on turning that on its head by introducing something that defies it.

Take THAT, reality!

Endovior · 07-29-2005, 11:06 PM

Hmm... I like the conspiracy aspect. Such systematic bribery sounds about right (and is probably what I'll do)

That being said, non-dimensional space is less appealing, mostly in terms of GM-headache. I'd assume, instead, that the reality stabilizers can move IOU between worlds, as Banditangel suggested. Also, multiple IOUs make less sense... it's easier and (more importantly!) cheaper to simply create a new portal on the site of what could be an alternate's IOU satellite campus... except PERHAPS, at the very most, an ultra-high-risk (even by IOU terms) WUSE adjunct for research into stuff like Black Holes and Antimatter that are banned on the normal campus.

quarkstomper · 07-30-2005, 12:44 PM

The first chapter of the new Harry Potter book is a lovely scene involving the Prime Minister of England recieving a visit from ..."the Other Minister": the one he doesn't like to think about; the one whose arrival is always announced by a talking portrait (and he's tried having the picture removed from his office; he's tried!); the one who dresses strangely and who appears in a puff of green smoke out of his fireplace; the one who always tells him something he does not want to hear; the Minister of Magic.

"Why hasn't a former Prime Minister warned me--?" the PM asked the first time he found out about the wizarding world.

"My dear Prime Minister, are you ever going to tell anybody?"

Sydney · 07-30-2005, 01:28 PM

I actually bought IOU just last night at one of my Freindly Almost Local Game Stores (FALGS), and am gering up for a campaign for it in the next few weeks (probably after the wedding) with the SO, and hopefully by next January I'll have a job with a more flexible schedule (or at least one a bit more in keeping with the rest of the world's) to be able to assemble a weekly gaming group (it's also going to be the 20th anniversary of my DMing "career" next year), and what better way to celebrate then with a campaign of high insanity?

HeroPenguin · 07-30-2005, 01:44 PM

It just occured to me how incredibly hilarious it could be if both Infinity and Centrum wind up at IOU at the same time, and upon opening fire on each other, promptly all get sent to various detentions. XD I don't know exactley how IOU works, since I don't have the books, but it sounds like a perfect way to get everybody wondering just where exactley they ended up...

07-28-2005, 11:27 PM	#11
banditangel Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Portland, OR	Re: Infinite Worlds and IOU IOU is high-tech and expensive enough that the place is probably wherever the Archdean <i>wants</i> it to be at the time. After all, if it's ringed with Reality Stabilizers, it wouldn't be too much harder to shift the entire campus across timelines. I'm personally not a huge fan of the idea of it being in all timelines (one IOU is about as much as a universe can handle and still remain sane :)), and tying it to just one timeline seems odd. It ought to either be "crosstime" or else out of time from the rest. And a travelling university has appeal, as well as emphasizing that this place is powerful (who else can shift 1d6+1 square miles of real estate across timelines? And, for that matter, who else has areas whose size is a function of chance? :))

07-29-2005, 05:19 PM	#13
HeroPenguin Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Union City, CA	Re: Infinite Worlds and IOU It could certainly make for an interesting plot twist if Infinity and Centrum turn out to be outright CONTROLLED by the Arch-Dean of IOU... It just stinks of a conspiracy game, which could be very fun indeed. Aside from that, I like the idea of IOU being beyond simple quantums and timelines and outright moving around in time and reality itself. They day Infinity and/or Centrum discover its existance could turn out to be very good for them, very bad for them, or just plain the wierdest series of misevents in the history of mankind. Besides that, it just seems fun to run a game that takes an extra-dimensional aspect for granted and then later on turning that on its head by introducing something that defies it. Take THAT, reality!

07-29-2005, 11:06 PM	#14
Endovior Join Date: Dec 2004	Re: Infinite Worlds and IOU Hmm... I like the conspiracy aspect. Such systematic bribery sounds about right (and is probably what I'll do) That being said, non-dimensional space is less appealing, mostly in terms of GM-headache. I'd assume, instead, that the reality stabilizers can move IOU between worlds, as Banditangel suggested. Also, multiple IOUs make less sense... it's easier and (more importantly!) cheaper to simply create a new portal on the site of what could be an alternate's IOU satellite campus... except PERHAPS, at the very most, an ultra-high-risk (even by IOU terms) WUSE adjunct for research into stuff like Black Holes and Antimatter that are banned on the normal campus.

07-30-2005, 12:44 PM	#15
quarkstomper Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: The Enchanted Land-O-Cheese	Re: Infinite Worlds and IOU The first chapter of the new Harry Potter book is a lovely scene involving the Prime Minister of England recieving a visit from ..."the Other Minister": the one he doesn't like to think about; the one whose arrival is always announced by a talking portrait (and he's tried having the picture removed from his office; he's tried!); the one who dresses strangely and who appears in a puff of green smoke out of his fireplace; the one who always tells him something he does not want to hear; the Minister of Magic. "Why hasn't a former Prime Minister warned me--?" the PM asked the first time he found out about the wizarding world. "My dear Prime Minister, are you ever going to tell anybody?"

07-30-2005, 01:28 PM	#16
Sydney Join Date: Sep 2004 Location: Janesville, WI	Re: Infinite Worlds and IOU I actually bought IOU just last night at one of my Freindly Almost Local Game Stores (FALGS), and am gering up for a campaign for it in the next few weeks (probably after the wedding) with the SO, and hopefully by next January I'll have a job with a more flexible schedule (or at least one a bit more in keeping with the rest of the world's) to be able to assemble a weekly gaming group (it's also going to be the 20th anniversary of my DMing "career" next year), and what better way to celebrate then with a campaign of high insanity? __________________ My Gaming Blog

07-30-2005, 01:44 PM	#17
HeroPenguin Join Date: Oct 2004 Location: Union City, CA	Re: Infinite Worlds and IOU It just occured to me how incredibly hilarious it could be if both Infinity and Centrum wind up at IOU at the same time, and upon opening fire on each other, promptly all get sent to various detentions. XD I don't know exactley how IOU works, since I don't have the books, but it sounds like a perfect way to get everybody wondering just where exactley they ended up...