Wednesday, January 23, 2008

Phase 2 Continuum Index and Campaign Summation

I started posting my old Continuum RPG campaign notes two months ago. Had I realized how much fun reminiscing would prove to be, I wouldn't have done phase 1 in the painful-to-the-brain single-post format I used. I may still (at some time) break it up by days and use hyperlinks to build a functional click-through Point-Of-View timeline. It sounds like tons of work, but it would be such a fun tool to show off, it may prove worth it. In the meantime, here's a bunch of links to all my campaign notes, in order of when the PCs encountered the events...

A who's-who of the characters mentioned in the other posts can be found in this campaign-key and character-guide. The campaign was broken into two phases, Domestic and Foriegn. In retrospect, the two phases are like two radically different campaigns, but in practice the one flowed logically into the other. Today I see them as a series, or distinct original and sequel, but at the time it felt like a single contained arc.

Phase One, in which Doris gets her Oats. I mean, Phase 1: Domestic, in which Span One PCs bounce about 2006. Phase One is a decent example of a textbook Continuum campaign. The main villains are Narcissists (or suspected Narcissists) / Crashers, not Antedesertium. Players are Span Ones in the Era of their own lifetimes. Admittedly, the scenario was tougher and more complicated than most Span One adventures (probably better suited to Span Twos) but my crew grokked it enough to run with it. Kelly, one of the PCs, just kept digging deeper and deeper holes for both himself and his NPC mentor Dale. He (Kelly) was clearly the main character of the game.

Phase Two: Foreign, aka The Guided Tour. The PC's new/second mentor starts showing them around. She's less wishy-washy (and thus more effective) than Dale was, so it takes a while for everyone to warm up to her stern exterior. She does eventually take them on a trip like no other, which forms the narrative of this Phase.

Departing 6/3/2006 - USA - Piscean/Aquarian Cusp
Travel Itinerary as presented to PCs and alternate version / rough draft
6/3/2106 - Noon - USA - Piscean - Physician - Rochester Clinic
Massive biological and medical exams and sterilizations.

9/8/1643 - Noon - France - Piscean - Foxhorn - La Tour Jetee
Arrival in the French court and planned events. What happened instead and the consequences. Guest-starring Joan of Arc and Count St. Germain.

9/8/751 - Noon - France - Piscean - Mentor Corner - Soigne Demasque
5/12/751 - Noon - France - Piscean - Mentor Corner - Soigne Demasque
First stop and Second stop
This double-hop in the Itinerary was originally written in to allow Izzy to hit certain specific dates and events in history without exceeding the 1000 years she could span safely between restbreaks. As it played out, I was able to make it look like I knew the players were going to screw up in France and need an example, therefore bulwarking my verisimilitude and reinforcing the "The Continuum already knows, and has already won" theme of the setting.

Individual side-trips. Not in the original itinerary, barely getting a single scene for the whole stack of them, but a cute way to reward Izzy's star pupils.
Pam in 1643 Italy, Emily in 1500-1700 Spain, Lee in 1721 Spanish Texas, Elizabeth in 1558 Spain, Aaron in 1557 Spain, and Calvin sleeps through 400 years of Europe.
Rationale and reasoning behind all six of them.

5/12/-249 - 8am - Rome - Ariesian - Physician - Aedes Saluto
Prep work for the Roman visit, plus prep part two, and a special segment on Harpastum. Also, notes on things the players did during the session(s).

5/12/-1248 - Noon - Illium - Midwife - Ariesian - Groeg Ydy Abar A Ognise Bod 'n Lladdedig Ail A Ail
Arrival in Illium on the Cam. Celtic Troy and Homeric Narcissism. Events and Mysteries. Calvin and Kassandra. Aaron and Archery. This whole section owes a strong debt to Iman Wilkens.

5/12/-2244 - Noon - Norwegian Mountains - Tauran - Engineer Corner - Solfjellhytte
The Norwegian Spanner Hotel that didn't live up to its potential.

3/20/-3241 - 06:32 - Sumeria - Tauran - Dreamer Corner - The Womb - En Hakana, Travel Agent
Unexpected orgies and events less shocking. Reactions in- and out- of-character were hilarious.

3/20/-4238 - Noon - Pacific Northwest - Geminid - Quicker - Snomalshee Lodge
We were down far enough in time, I actually flirted with the idea of giving the PCs high-tech weaponry. Please do not poke the Middens. Sadly, Kelly just couldn't keep from shooting lasers at Inheritor Spacecraft, so I had to take most of the toys away.

3/20/-5236 - Noon - Baltic - Geminid - Mentor Corner - Vadistokli Arkun
Arrival in Vadistokli Arkun and the implementation of the Midwives Crisis. Brock / Borik shows up and is defeated.

3/20/-6231 - 20:00 - France - Cancerean - Engineers - The French Resistance
Hurgle's Merankea, it's opportunities and context, plus a bit more on Archery.

5/22/-5582 - Noon - Africa - Geminid - The high cliffs of memory, overlooking Atlantis
Back up to the Geminid Era for a famous exit, a famous battle, and the endgame. All wrapped up neat and tidy.

I hope you enjoyed the trip. Please leave me feedback and questions, if you have any.

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