| From: | Josh Harrison mataxes@****.net |
|---|---|
| Subject: | The ED/SR Connection |
| Date: | Mon, 19 Jun 2000 23:30:14 -0400 |
From: <SyphonAC@***.com>
> Thanks for the info, especially about Dunkelzahn....he figures in rather
> largely for this, with the runners or ED characters working under his
> auspices.
No problem. As folks on the ED list will tell you, if you get me running on
a topic, I can go on for hours. Of course, are talks there are usually more
theoretical than practical, 'cause we share much of the same knowledge base,
but still...
My enthusiasm for Earthdawn isn't too obvious, is it? *grin*
> There's another question for you all...which would make for a
> better story and balanced game, if the PC's were ED characters or SR ones?
> The problems I see are that the SR characters would be somewhat too
powerful
> in the ED world, ("You see the Adept start to do some odd incantations
over
> his weapon and-" "I blast him with my Panther assualt cannon") unless
that
> was balanced out by the higher level of magic in the Fourth World; the
same
> problem exists with ED characters comign forward, although one interesting
> twist might eb that Adept talents wouldn't work at all or wouldn't work in
> quite teh same ways.
You know, that's a really tough question... system wise, I'd be inclined to
run it all with Shadowrun, because at least that system has a method for
dealing with firearms (I have yet to encounter a fantasy system that can do
guns justice, but many tech-based systems can handle the "brute force" end
of combat tolerably well).
But if you ask me, I think the best way to handle it would be to develop the
characters under both systems, and use the system appropriate to the setting
you're in. Rather than having the characters travel *physically* through
time, it might be easier to pull a "Quantum Leap" kind of move, where they
can't readily take tech from one era to the other. This will simpliify
conversions, and prevents firearms from wreaking havoc with the ED setting.
Taking Earthdawn characters into SR will probably be easier than vice-versa,
simply because the skills a PC knows in Barsaive are useful on the
streets -- they can still swing a sword, that sort of thing. I would
probably do some serious house-rule fiddling with SR Physads to at least
attempt to mirror ED Adept abilities. Spellcasters will likely cause minor
problems as well. Going from SR to ED will also be problematic -- how do you
convert a tech-reliant Street Sam to the magic rich setting of ED? I have a
couple of ideas, but at this point, I find it all theoretical (though my
mind is racing with ideas and potential, if you couldn't tell).
I think if you're going to have a storyline like this, you really need to
know what direction it's going in. It's all well and good to say you want a
time-hopping epic, but without some kind of idea for an actual story (which
it sounds like you have) it will likely end up as just a gimmick.
So I would recommend taking a solid look at the needs of the story, and
making your choices based on that. Issues will need to be handled very
differently if you're jumping back and forth often, or simply making one (or
two) major jumps during the course of the story.
> Also, I was wondering what the parallel would be for the New World. It
> occured to me that a character traveleing backwards from Seattle would be
a
> bit aways from Barsaive.
There isn't much that has been published on the "New World" in Earthdawn. It
is mentioned in the Vivane & Sky Point boxed set as "Araucania" and has all
of one paragraph devoted to it. It is also mentioned in the Dragons SB in
reference to the Feathered Serpents. But I'm pretty sure there isn't really
any info on the land.
Once again, I think a "Quantum Leap" style of time travel will sidestep the
geographical issue rather nicely. After all, they aren't *physically*
traveling through time. But in a sense, even more "traditional" time travel
(if there really is such a thing) also travels through space, because the
earth doesn't stay in the same location from one moment to the next. In
theory, time travel needs to compensate for this "drift." I don't think it
would be too much trouble to have this compensation result in spacial travel
as well. Another possibility is to have the travel be magical -- perhaps
through the metaplanes/netherworlds, where the "normal" laws of time and
space don't apply.
In all honesty, I would advise you to take the advice of Basil Exposition in
"The Spy Who Shagged Me" -- don't try to understand it, just sit back and
enjoy the ride (or something like that).
> Furthermore, what would happen to a Obsidiman or
> T'Skrang going forward? Would he sustain himself becuase he already
exists,
> or would the lower level of magic do unpleasant things? Naturally the Big
D
> could do something like but a magic "bubble" around the character to
support
> him, but the less the players look to him, the better.
Hmmm... again I think it depends on the story, but here are a couple of
ideas -- have a "fifth world" adventure where the PCs (as "mundane
humans")
prevent the catastrophe that wiped out the t'skrang so that when they jump
forward, that race still exists. Or, perhaps make the t'skrang character a
lizard shaman -- an Obsidiman could be an Earth Mage with this line of
thinking. Using the "Quantum Leap" idea again, they may jump into the body
of another species, but still be their "natural" race in terms of bonuses
and whatnot (though the execution of such an idea has some diffficulties).
Or perhaps they simply exist, and the commotion that they would cause is a
problem all on its own. I imagine a sentient "lizard man" would draw all
sorts of attention (both friendly and antagonistic). An obsidiman could
perhaps be seen as a manifested free elemental, or an ally spirit of some
sort.
In short, there are dozens of possibilities. I think (as I said before) you
pick what is best suited to the story and stick with it.
> Thanks for all the help!
Not a problem. I have to say I'm kind of intrigued by the possibilities, and
I'm going to have trouble sleeping because of all the "conversion" ideas
I've come up with. I may have to develop my own crossover story. *grin*
-- Josh Harrison -- mataxes@****.net
"You've always been a goody two-shoes."
"Yeah, but with a really big sword."
