Café de Nuit

First, i never played the gothic earth version of RL. In fact I only learned of it a year and a half ago while doing research for the RL video game
once i came across Odiare.
So there IS a connection between Masque and Etheral plane RL.
Here is what i came up with but we could never see this in the books, since RL can't mention the other D&D worlds now.

I DO know a bit about Spelljammer. In that setting there IS an EArth Crystal Sphere. So instead of the real world that system should be based on Masque of the Red Death Gothic Earth.
Think- the rare Spelljammer that goes there - its a UFO or a 'comet' that crashed.

The other idea i like was something that was recently posted on the WotC boards- about combining Cuthulu with RL- for Gothic Earth the Dark Powers could exist as something like the Elder Gods.
Plus, if you have a game where all your party member die, you could work in a reincarnation idea into the story and go from the time frame of Masque to the early 20's of Cuthulu- the players reborn and start to remember their past and come back togther to finish what they started when they died.

So to flush out your world Masque, Spelljammer (if you wanted to bring regular D&D players from other worlds into masque), & Cuthulu gives you story ideas that can flush out decades.

Anyway, those were the two ideas i would attribute to a Gothic Earth game if i were running one. Just thought I'd share them on the off chance they were useful to someone

~Andrew

I think the Spelljammer thing could work... but I think crashing onto Gothic Earth would immediately draw the interest of the Red Death... it probably wouldn't allow the PCs to leave Gothic Earth easily.

I'm more reluctant when it comes to combining the Dark Powers with Cthulhu. Lovecraft's point of view is even more bleak than that of the gothiest mall kid playing Ravenloft. The Elder Gods are supremely indifferent to most of human existence... I can't see them baiting and tempting mortals to their damnation.

Besides, isn't that the Red Death's job?

I like the idea of mass reincarnation, but it isn't something you should try on novice PCs. I think if players die in Ravenloft, they should be afforded an opportunity to have their essences shuffled to Gothic Earth. You can do the trick through mesmerism or an exercise in divination gone horribly wrong. The PCs possess the bodies of a cell of cultists attempting to do something naughty.

Hmm, how about this:

England, late 1890s: Strange cylinders have crash landed around the country, supposedly from Mars. The "Martians" build huge tripod-like warmachines and decimate the country, only the PC's can help stop it.

Through the Smoke and Mirrors: The Martians are not actually Martians. The location is base on hypothesis and conjecture. In truth, the Maritians identity is far more insidious.

To go back to the begining of the invasion we must look at the creatures origin. In the perils of Wildspace one Illithid fleet was in danger of complete annihilation from a joint Gnomish and Elven venture, backed up with GIthyanki mercenaries. One of the Illithid number, Gwierhoosha, discovered a world where the Illithids could regroup and recharge. Breaking into Gothic Earth's crystal sphere, the Illithids opening appeared in the atmosphere of Mars. Using the planet as cover, the Illithids built the cylinders that was fired towards Earth. Not wanting to deplete their already low numbers, the illithids created brain-like creatures by using segments from their elder brain. The Brain controls each ship by these mobile pieces of itself whilst the illithid fleet waits in Mars' atmosphere, waiting until Earth is weakened enough to attack.

Here the PCs could be residents of Gothic Earth, using the illithids as a stepping stone to the planes or wildspace and beyond, or they could be PCs from Spelljammer and have to take the guise of friendly aliens (if they're non-humans).

Brain-like creatures? Do you mean intellect devourers? Or something new?

My question is this... if the illithids are on the brink of destruction, why are they plotting an planet-wide invasion? Shouldn't they be hiding out, or is this invasion taking place years after the Illlithids were marooned on Mars?

DM styles to taste.

Personally, I'd say that the illithids spend 10 years getting ready for their assault.

I think I like it.

I would almost certainly include a qabal of completely amoral freaks (githzerai/githyanki perhaps) willing to do anything to destroy the illithids.
Something to cause the heroes to wonder which side is worse

war of the worlds illithid style.
heres one better-
a la Dr. who...
the illithid spell jammers crashed millions of years ago and something has freed the elder brain from its trapped environment- now insane... the new illithid scourge starts to spread.. quietly, quickly.

A strange cuthulu like cult is helping them..
cuthulu could be a nice resource in gothic earth that is all legends and such that sprung up from things like spell jammers visiting through the ages. the elder gods dont need to be 'real'
Elder brains, spaceships and illithids are all cuthulu-esque enough that a willy DM could give players a red herring- treating it like a cuthulu-like story.. researching all those old legends and seeing cultists would evoke its own madness checks (if such things exist in masque that is)

as i said i didnt play Masque so i assume this red death holds the same role as the dark powers in the ethereal

anyway.. i really like it
bring in a beholder war fighting in the system and shoips crashing and you got all sorts of weirdness.
glad you guys liked the earth crystal sphere being gothic earth.. this masque red death/ dark powers force could also explain why the crystal sphere isnt visited much even with all its high technology.

i feel bad for the poor 'jammers whose DM picks this idea up LOL

Wasn't there an article in one of the netbooks a while back about an illithid spelljamming craft that crash landed on Gothic Earth? The illithid sent some sort of mind worms to take control of its victims and to make them into a sort of half-illithid?

Also, if there's near extinct illithid involved, it might going to get the attention of the githyanki and/or githzerai. There was a Dragon article back in 2E that had a Gothic Earth rogues gallery that included a githyanki necromancer in it. He had been abducted from the astral plane by some mad scientists and their crazy machinese. I'm sure he would be interested enough in this latest plot-twist to delay his plans for escape from gothic earth.

Drinnik Shoehorn wrote:England, late 1890s: Strange cylinders have crash landed around the country, supposedly from Mars. The "Martians" build huge tripod-like warmachines and decimate the country, only the PC's can help stop it.

I see we read the same comics

Joël

Comics?

If by comics you mean books.

The League of Extraordinary Gentlemen Volume 2 featured a reworking of War of the Worlds, but I think it would be better to base it closer to the original book. I do like the WotW idea though, it could work very well.

Joël of the Fraternity wrote:

Drinnik Shoehorn wrote:England, late 1890s: Strange cylinders have crash landed around the country, supposedly from Mars. The "Martians" build huge tripod-like warmachines and decimate the country, only the PC's can help stop it.

I see we read the same comics

Joël

You should see me dance the polka...

Drinnik Shoehorn wrote:

Joël of the Fraternity wrote:

Drinnik Shoehorn wrote:England, late 1890s: Strange cylinders have crash landed around the country, supposedly from Mars. The "Martians" build huge tripod-like warmachines and decimate the country, only the PC's can help stop it.

I see we read the same comics

Joël

You should see me dance the polka...

Hello old Chap! Hello! Welcome to England.

This has been a special appearence. Greetings from Norway, and hope you're all fine and dandy.

Malken/Ezekiel wrote:

Drinnik Shoehorn wrote:

Joël of the Fraternity wrote: I see we read the same comics

Joël

You should see me dance the polka...

Hello old Chap! Hello! Welcome to England.

This has been a special appearence. Greetings from Norway, and hope you're all fine and dandy.

Seriously, you should see me dance the polka...

*lol*

You're not a suicidal caliban