submitted 2 days ago by Shkshkshk@dice.camp to c/rpg@ttrpg.network

22 comments fedilink hide all child comments

Low-fantasy D&D aliens?

I want to stick aliens 👽🛸 into my next D&D campaign. My idea is to have little grey men show up in a flying saucer and abduct the party. However, I'm worried that this is too comprehensible for the average #DnD character. I want the PCs to be confused, but not the players! What's the weirdest alien you've ever thrown at your D&D party?

Side note, I also want to give the baddies #mechs. How do I mechanically handle this?

#DM #dming #ttrpg #scifi #fantasy #mech

you are viewing a single comment's thread
view the rest of the comments

[-] tokensane@mastodon.me.uk 1 points 2 days ago

@Shkshkshk @rpg Clarke's 3rd Law: Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.

So magic users are going to be really confused, because this magic is totally unlike anything they've ever encountered.

Think hard about how D&D magic interacts with the alien tech.

[-] Shkshkshk@dice.camp 1 points 2 days ago

@tokensane @rpg

In my setting magic is superscience left over from the first age. Could be nanites in everything, could be something weirder. The players casting spells is similar to if your dog figured out how to say "Alexa, all lights on" and realized saying those magic words created light.

Also, the aliens are going to be demons, sort of, being the children of the Fear of the Other and the Fear of the Incomprehensible. Not that the aliens or PCs would know this. So magic will work fine.

[-] tokensane@mastodon.me.uk 1 points 2 days ago

@Shkshkshk @rpg E.g. does "befuddle" work on the ship's AI? Can you cast a fireball through a force field?

this post was submitted on 26 Jul 2025

28 points (100.0% liked)

rpg

4035 readers

25 users here now

This community is for meaningful discussions of tabletop/pen & paper RPGs

Rules (wip):

Do not distribute pirate content
Do not incite arguments/flamewars/gatekeeping.
Do not submit video game content unless the game is based on a tabletop RPG property and is newsworthy.
Image and video links MUST be TTRPG related and should be shared as self posts/text with context or discussion unless they fall under our specific case rules.
Do not submit posts looking for players, groups or games.
Do not advertise for livestreams
Limit Self-promotions. Active members may promote their own content once per week. Crowdfunding posts are limited to one announcement and one reminder across all users.
Comment respectfully. Refrain from personal attacks and discriminatory (racist, homophobic, transphobic, etc.) comments. Comments deemed abusive may be removed by moderators.
No Zak S content.
Off-Topic: Book trade, Boardgames, wargames, video games are generally off-topic.

founded 2 years ago

MODERATORS

Avogadro@ttrpg.network

sirblastalot@ttrpg.network

TripHammer@ttrpg.network

Primarch@ttrpg.network

BrentTaylor@ttrpg.network