HYPERBOREA / Entering the North Wind

**Posted by shankspeare** 4/08/2021 8:53 pm

Hello people. I had an idea for a starting scenario today and have a question or two and some thoughts I'd like to share.

Has anyone tried beginning PCs as modern people? If so, how did you handle this?

I'm considering a 0-level funnel for my group, though none of us have done anything like that before.

My real idea is having all the characters be on a plane heading to Norway or something and get caught in the North Wind, eventually crashing somewhere in the Spiral Mountain Array. Possibly near some ancient Hyperborean ruins. Kinda like the movie ALIVE. But they fight some Vhuurmis.

Anyway, if anyone has done this, I'd love to hear how other people have handled it. Not been entirely sure on the best way to handle a transition to classes, especially magicians, from a modern human perspective.

**Posted by rhialto** 4/09/2021 6:09 am

Excellent idea...I like the 0-level funnel idea, and think you could simply let folks pick whatever class they qualify for once in Hyperborea. Given Hyperborea's out-of-space, out-of-time "position", anything is possible. So, a couple of ideas:
1. Start as 0-level nobodies with a background (e.g., journalist, soldier, scientist, etc.), pick class if they survive the first session.
2. Use Eldritch Tales or Silent Legions as the "fake start" to a modern horror campaign, then have it get even weirder than they thought when they're cast into Hyperborea...Way Beyond the Mountains of Madness.

As for the magician, or any sorcerous class: I'd not sweat how their powers are granted, and let that develop in play.

**Posted by measuredrums** 4/09/2021 11:30 am

I had a very similar idea, but I went one step further, the PC's would start in another game system altogether. Given the Weird Tales connection of AS&SH, and obviously that same dynamic in Call of Cthulhu, my plan was to start my group playing Call of Cthulhu, PC's generated for the CoC system and everything, actually play a few sessions of CoC with those characters, then by virtue of a Gate spell (or the like) they would be transported to Hyperborea. At which point we'd do some sort of conversion to AS&SH stats/class/etc. and away we go ... I had also toyed with the idea of this with just one of my players being transported alone, from modern age/CoC setting into an existing group of AS&SH PC's, fish out of water concept. Very cool idea though.

**Posted by shankspeare** 4/10/2021 12:29 am

Nice ideas, guys. I checked out those books and picked up a Silent Legions pdf. It has some real good stuff!

False start is cool too, because instead of simply having them start on a plane which crashes and they play the survivors, I could instead have their group be investigating a a mystery before herding them aboard the doomed plane. In fact, it might be interesting if they start with only one character while investigating, but once they crash I hand them a bunch of random civilians and begin the funnel.

Never ran or played a Call of Cthulhu ttrpg though. Silent Legions seemed almost directly compatible with AS&SH which is nice. I've just got this image of the characters seeing a impossibly massive volcano, surrounded by equally impressive mountains but still ones which pale in comparison to Mount Vhuurmithadon. Definitely like At the Mountains of Madness. Hope to have a Centaur eyeing them from a bluff too, barely visible in the building blizzard.

**Posted by Caveman** 4/10/2021 5:38 am

Great idea.

I must tell you of Eldritch Tales, there is a post in these forums, but cannot find it.

But here is link to game and it cheap to get. It done in OD&D style so conversions are easy and it a good CoC source.

https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/250356/Eldritch-Tales-Lovecraftian-White-Box-RolePlaying

**Posted by rhialto** 4/10/2021 5:52 am

shankspeare wrote:
Nice ideas, guys. I checked out those books and picked up a Silent Legions pdf. It has some real good stuff!

I find all of Sine Nomine Pub's stuff great source material (especially since some are free, like Godbound, Stars Without Number, and now Worlds Without Number). His Red Tide setting is highly compatible with AS&SH, too.

**Posted by shankspeare** 4/12/2021 1:21 pm

I ended up getting Eldritch Tales and Silent Legions, both have great stuff inside. Can't wait to use them.

Now I'm thinking I might use this same scenario to lead into a Maze of the Blue Medusa series. Been really wanting to run a proper mega-dungeon.

**Posted by Jay_NOLA** 4/13/2021 9:14 am

Red Tide was originally a MUSH that Kevin did for 3.5 D&D. Kevin also did a FATE version that changed the setting details a bit. I was able to download the MUSH's old maps and a lot of the character, etc, a few years back along with the FATE version of Red Tide Kevin did by waybacking the MUSH's site.

The version of the Red Tide setting that is for sale now changed the setting up a bit and advanced the time line a bit. The current version is designed for Labyrinth Lord

The Scarlet Heroes game is in the Red Tide setting, but timeline was advanced slightly. The quick start version also has some stuff not in the full version.

Kevin hasn't released yet the free Wolves of God Art Pack to everyone, only the Kickstarter backers have a folder link to it, release to everyone got delayed last year, if your curious why it isn't on DtRPG.

I recommend you get everything Kevin has on DtRPG too when you can.
Kevin is also real good at answering questions if you ever need to email him with questions about his products.

**Posted by Caveman** 4/14/2021 4:38 am

shankspeare wrote:
I ended up getting Eldritch Tales and Silent Legions, both have great stuff inside. Can't wait to use them.

Now I'm thinking I might use this same scenario to lead into a Maze of the Blue Medusa series. Been really wanting to run a proper mega-dungeon.

You will enjoy ET, and in theory you can create a sorcerer in a 1920s setting; and therefore have him appearing in Hyperborea world and convert, so adapting will be basically normal for him; as spells are OD&D orientated also...?!?