Jurassic Park D&D style - Downloaded from the Wizards Community, all coding removed by Solauren

Jurassic Park D&D style

Post/Author/DateTime Post
#1
unionoftechno
May 10, 2010 23:54:06 There's no need to tell me this is a stupid idea because I know it is, but I'm curious nonetheless.

Jurassic Park is my favorite movie and D&D is my favorite hobby, so it's just natural that the two creep together in my head.

I've thought about it for years, but does any one have a reasonable idea for how someone could mix the two? With the dinosaurs, the zoo/theme park feel, and the danger and chaos in it. I'm completely clueless.

I am, yet again, getting the feeling, like I have many times before on this idea, that this is simply foolish, but I figure it's worth asking. Maybe there is something to this idea, but if there is, it's lost to me.
#2
highbulp
May 11, 2010 0:06:18 Dinosaurs are in the game (check "Behemoths" iirc), or you could make up your own monsters. Magically-enhanced dinosaurs might make things more interesting.

Having a monster zoo/theme park (particularly one where dangerous animals are kept) is perfectly fine, no problem there.

Danger and chaos--well come up with events for dangerous and chaotic things to happen! ;p

I'd run it as a mid heroic-level adventure--not a full campaign for sure, but a diverting side mission. My suggestion would be to draw a rough, high-level map of the park. Put different monsters in enclosures (maybe a Solo T-Rex in one area, a flock of minion-like little dinos in another, maybe a couple of triceratops as standards or elites). Make up a kind of "safety zone" (the bunkers), and some various ways of keeping the dinos in (the electric fence, large pits, etc).

Throw the PCs in the middle, and give them the challenge of getting out alive. As they move between enclosures, they may encounter different dinos and obstacles, many of which will outright eat them alive (maybe have the T-Rex be well-above level, but make sure the PCs know that). And as they take their time, the dinos can move around and mix up encounters. Basically take every scene you want from the movie and put that setting into your world.

Check out Mearl's example Skill Challenge for moving through a city (in DMG2, and I think in an early issue of Dungeon)--that could be a nice framework for moving from one enclosure to another.

I'd also probably add some kind of villain who caused this all, and who the PCs have to stop (as a motivation for moving through the dungeon). Perhaps he's going to catch a ship off the island, and the PCs have to go overland to try and catch him (but also save the groundstaff along the way).

Sounds like a fun adventure to me. Good luck.
#3
pluisjen
May 11, 2010 5:27:38 The main thing about Jurassic Park that made it scary was that almost anything there could eat you alive... there was very little fighting and very much running.

As a result, I'd run most monsters (save the really small ones) as Skill Challenges to escape from then, rather then stat them as monsters.

The whole "OMG dinosaurs run like hell" kinda fades when you kill the T-rex.
#4
ascottbay
May 13, 2010 15:05:20 DMG2 has a skill challenge for escaping/surviving a zombie horde; seeing how that's worked out might help you with things that resemble, for example, the kitchen scene with the kids and the raptors.
#5
Fireclave
May 14, 2010 2:25:44
The whole "OMG dinosaurs run like hell" kinda fades when you kill the T-rex.

Some archeologists theorize that T. rex may have been pack hunters. So you killed a T. rex. That's nice. Now do that about five more times during this encounter.

And there are always bigger fish.
#6
DragonsWrath
May 14, 2010 20:10:28 This sounds like a fun idea, and I was actually thinking about this earlier today...

My idea is to take some of the elements of Eberron's Talenta Plains, and place something they need to get to smack in the middle of that field.
Nothing but large carniverous saurians for miles and miles. Except for the just-as-large herbivorious prey animals, which tend to stampede when something new shows up.

I planned on having some skill checks to outrun/evade large packs and probably some combat encounters with the solo or small-pack animals.
Skill challenge or something to avoid the stampede, and noplace safe to rest the whole time. If/when they stop to rest, they will see something (raptors) hunting them.

If you want to add some "Mad Scientest" themes, it wouldn't be hard to have this all on an island. A wizard (who else) has extracted the magical essence from old fossils and imbuded local creatures (some large lizards) with that essence, until an ancient species was restored.

Things go wrong when the animals begin to adapt too well, either gaining teleportation/phasing powers, becoming smart enough to escape their cages, or some external force hopes to harness the animals' power.
Breeding Triceratops for cavalry mounts, or saurapods for siege beasts (a la Loxodons from LotR) would make some kind of sense.

Alternatly, a large storm/landslide/flood/magical event damages the enclosures/fences/natural terrain and the animals escape that way.

In other words: Have fun! Make it slightly outrageous, but really push that "you won't be safe until you escape the island" vibe.
#7
sockmonkey66
May 15, 2010 9:45:53 Well one of the primary themes that made it scary is that most of the people weren't armed or trained to fight. Of course your characters can start off at low level and won't have guns so it's much the same I suppose. Having survival depend on cunning and skill challenges would probably give the feel you're looking for.

Post/Author/DateTime	Post
#1 unionoftechno May 10, 2010 23:54:06	There's no need to tell me this is a stupid idea because I know it is, but I'm curious nonetheless. Jurassic Park is my favorite movie and D&D is my favorite hobby, so it's just natural that the two creep together in my head. I've thought about it for years, but does any one have a reasonable idea for how someone could mix the two? With the dinosaurs, the zoo/theme park feel, and the danger and chaos in it. I'm completely clueless. I am, yet again, getting the feeling, like I have many times before on this idea, that this is simply foolish, but I figure it's worth asking. Maybe there is something to this idea, but if there is, it's lost to me.
#2 highbulp May 11, 2010 0:06:18	Dinosaurs are in the game (check "Behemoths" iirc), or you could make up your own monsters. Magically-enhanced dinosaurs might make things more interesting. Having a monster zoo/theme park (particularly one where dangerous animals are kept) is perfectly fine, no problem there. Danger and chaos--well come up with events for dangerous and chaotic things to happen! ;p I'd run it as a mid heroic-level adventure--not a full campaign for sure, but a diverting side mission. My suggestion would be to draw a rough, high-level map of the park. Put different monsters in enclosures (maybe a Solo T-Rex in one area, a flock of minion-like little dinos in another, maybe a couple of triceratops as standards or elites). Make up a kind of "safety zone" (the bunkers), and some various ways of keeping the dinos in (the electric fence, large pits, etc). Throw the PCs in the middle, and give them the challenge of getting out alive. As they move between enclosures, they may encounter different dinos and obstacles, many of which will outright eat them alive (maybe have the T-Rex be well-above level, but make sure the PCs know that). And as they take their time, the dinos can move around and mix up encounters. Basically take every scene you want from the movie and put that setting into your world. Check out Mearl's example Skill Challenge for moving through a city (in DMG2, and I think in an early issue of Dungeon)--that could be a nice framework for moving from one enclosure to another. I'd also probably add some kind of villain who caused this all, and who the PCs have to stop (as a motivation for moving through the dungeon). Perhaps he's going to catch a ship off the island, and the PCs have to go overland to try and catch him (but also save the groundstaff along the way). Sounds like a fun adventure to me. Good luck.
#3 pluisjen May 11, 2010 5:27:38	The main thing about Jurassic Park that made it scary was that almost anything there could eat you alive... there was very little fighting and very much running. As a result, I'd run most monsters (save the really small ones) as Skill Challenges to escape from then, rather then stat them as monsters. The whole "OMG dinosaurs run like hell" kinda fades when you kill the T-rex.
#4 ascottbay May 13, 2010 15:05:20	DMG2 has a skill challenge for escaping/surviving a zombie horde; seeing how that's worked out might help you with things that resemble, for example, the kitchen scene with the kids and the raptors.
#5 Fireclave May 14, 2010 2:25:44	The whole "OMG dinosaurs run like hell" kinda fades when you kill the T-rex. Some archeologists theorize that T. rex may have been pack hunters. So you killed a T. rex. That's nice. Now do that about five more times during this encounter. And there are always bigger fish.
#6 DragonsWrath May 14, 2010 20:10:28	This sounds like a fun idea, and I was actually thinking about this earlier today... My idea is to take some of the elements of Eberron's Talenta Plains, and place something they need to get to smack in the middle of that field. Nothing but large carniverous saurians for miles and miles. Except for the just-as-large herbivorious prey animals, which tend to stampede when something new shows up. I planned on having some skill checks to outrun/evade large packs and probably some combat encounters with the solo or small-pack animals. Skill challenge or something to avoid the stampede, and noplace safe to rest the whole time. If/when they stop to rest, they will see something (raptors) hunting them. If you want to add some "Mad Scientest" themes, it wouldn't be hard to have this all on an island. A wizard (who else) has extracted the magical essence from old fossils and imbuded local creatures (some large lizards) with that essence, until an ancient species was restored. Things go wrong when the animals begin to adapt too well, either gaining teleportation/phasing powers, becoming smart enough to escape their cages, or some external force hopes to harness the animals' power. Breeding Triceratops for cavalry mounts, or saurapods for siege beasts (a la Loxodons from LotR) would make some kind of sense. Alternatly, a large storm/landslide/flood/magical event damages the enclosures/fences/natural terrain and the animals escape that way. In other words: Have fun! Make it slightly outrageous, but really push that "you won't be safe until you escape the island" vibe.
#7 sockmonkey66 May 15, 2010 9:45:53	Well one of the primary themes that made it scary is that most of the people weren't armed or trained to fight. Of course your characters can start off at low level and won't have guns so it's much the same I suppose. Having survival depend on cunning and skill challenges would probably give the feel you're looking for.