Planning out a D and D Campaign that will involve time travel

Curious if anyone here has done this before.

The plan is, to actually plan this stuff out, so I can work in these little tidbits so that the players experience things BEFORE they even know time travel is involved. So, when it does happen, they'll be able to look back and go, "Oh, that's why that was there!", etc. (because they PUT it there in the past).

It will also be in their character backstories, so a PC may have a recurring nightmare (if they pick that flaw) about something I've already planned to happen when they time travel (so it's really a hazy memory effect of the time travel).

There's actually a LOT of forethought going into this, that I'm trying to plan out.

The key is that the PCs (and players) have NO IDEA that this is part of the plan. So that they'll be able to experience the fun of it, when they realize that these mysterious little things that just happened to be in the right place, at the right time, were there because THEY put them there, themselves!

Just wondering if anyone else did this before, and if so, any tips, or things they found worked, didn't work. Thanks.

a reply to: Gazrok


Sounds like a great idea! Maybe to make it happen and not be so confusing to understand, you would have to set up a flowchart as a guide line and get the idea to fit then once you do, refine it?

Used to love playing D&D when I was in the military, but our DM got transferred and myself and everyone else just sucked at trying to take his place...

Before Christmas I was reading about an RPG called "C°ntinuum", and it's about time travel. I was reading this review. The author is a bit critical and mostly wants to make fun of it, but I thought it sounded really cool, so maybe there's a more balanced description of it out there somewhere. (I've never played pen and paper RPG's, so I can't say if the mechanics are good or bad.) Maybe you can get some inspiration out of it, though.

Thwt sounds awesome.

I wish I had some more folks to play with here locally. I lost a lot of my gaming group in my sisters divorce since they all went with my ex brother in-law.

Good luck.

This is mental, and I don't understand any of it. Therefore I'm gonna snf it, because I can. 👍🏻

The problem will of course be paradoxes.
You will need a pretty strong leading NPC with the character holding their hand.

On a slightly related note, there was an amusing mature mod for skyrim called Dragon Break which involved an actually well done bit of time travel (and one of the npc women having intercourse with her drunk self)...it was hilarious, and oddly well done, however, its easier when the quest simply cannot continue until you get into position and basically unable to move until the time shift event happens. problem with D&D is complete free will to screw up your plans...so best bring your best Moffat game.

Perhaps a NPC with a bowtie and a box.

Bard's Tale 3 was all out chronomancers and time travel
Excellent game
Going forward in time to defeat Nazi scientists and pitting old world magic and weapons against firearms of the day...
This is an excellent idea

a reply to: Gazrok
I never tried it but it sounds like a cool idea. It reminds me of Bill and Ted's Excellent Adventure, where they were going back in time and putting things where they would need them.

a reply to: Gazrok
What setting are you in?
I tried once it was a goofy campaign to begin with and I sent my players to modern day nyc... it didn’t end well. There were several memorable moments. But it was a very difficult campaign to run And didn’t last long.
Although what you’re describing sound a little bit more reasonable than mine. Sounds interesting... just make sure no one becomes their own grandfather.