Roleplaying the Time Loop scenario

[Watchman-BN]

So I had this idea to have a time-loop scenario, based on Groundhog Day, an episode of Stargate last night, and about 2 dozen Star Trek episodes.

Probably, the heroes (or only some of them?) would be aware of being caught in the time loop.

Sure it's a great schtick for a TV show, but how you GM this? Any advice?

The really interesting thing, from a roleplay perspective, is that you can do anything you want ("don't drive angry!") and suffer no consquences because 'tomorrow' will reset itself.

The really uninteresting thing is roleplaying the same events over and over...

[MisterVimes]

You could make it a component of a larger story (this was done on Buffy) have them repeat until they resolve an issue. It'd be a really annoying Time-Based attack or Spell... Then you can have your cake and eat it too.

[Rook]

Why not make fixing the time loop the goal. Maybe a certain string of events have caused the time loop and the PCs have to follow them back to the source. Maybe it depends on each PC being at a certain place at a certain time to set things right. Complicated, but doable with enough planning.

As far as things getting boring, I'd just fast forward through that and say that they suceed at any tasks they've completed "before".

[Watchman-BN]

Thanks for both ideas.

Here are some other "bits" I'm thinking about:

Having to convince different people of the time loop,
Explaining to DNPC's where they were for X days when the looping stops
Characters acting on their romantic attractions, knowing that the object of their affection will never remember being kissed/seduced.

I'm also thinking of throwing a villian in to the mix as another party who recognizes he's in the loop. The heroes have to cooperate with him if they're going to escape the loop.

[Farkling]

Traditional Simon Hawke Temporal Physics ("Zen Physics")indicate that there is no "Time Gap" related to the loop. If the heroes played throught a 1 week loop 10 times, they were only gone for 1 week (not 10 weeks) when the loop ends. If the DNPC's and significant tracks are IN the loop, there is no time lapse...they were there.

TIME looped, and when the loop "collapses" the extra time spent is doesn't need to be accounted for. Even some of the characters may forget it. (and the veteran roleplayers are best for the "didn't happen" unless you have a REAL inattentive player)

By the way....you can include the DNPC's and love interests in the loop...when else will you get to see the reactions of your PC's to their death, injury, revelation of Secret ID, without permanent fallout?

I ran one with that "alternate reality" scenario in the old X-Men comics...X-Men190 or so?? That sorceror? New York shifts to a fantasy universe as a result of a spell. I handed a few players the character sheets reflecting their "selves" as altered by the spell. The ones that were immune got to keep their own. But I had a few veteran players to set it up for, and pitched them before hand. "There's a strange scenario happening in the future, are you willing to play your alternate self if it occurs? Experience points will be awarded to your actual character based on performance."

[Chuk]

Originally posted by Watchman-BN
Probably, the heroes (or only some of them?) would be aware of being caught in the time loop.

Sure it's a great schtick for a TV show, but how you GM this? Any advice?

The really interesting thing, from a roleplay perspective, is that you can do anything you want ("don't drive angry!") and suffer no consquences because 'tomorrow' will reset itself.


I did this in my Harry Potter game a month or two ago (it was a side effect of Hermione using the Time Turners to take two classes at once) and it was great! The thing is, unless the PCs know what's causing it, they don't really have complete freedom of action -- what if they do something with possible negative consequences, counting on it being erased, and that turns out to be their last time through the loop, so that the next morning, it's finally tomorrow! Except now they've just told their boss exactly what they think of him...

(In our game, one PC made the Quidditch team despite not being very good -- it's easy to catch the snitch if you know exactly where it's going to go. The other two got detention about three different ways.)

[Blue]

My players are getting hints (that they have not picked up on yet) that they may already be in a time loop, that they may have done these things before. I'm not saying it's true... just that two of my players are out-of-time and therefore as the GM I must find ways to play with their heads.

[Farkling]

But Blue....

It is sooo much more fun when the outside characters collaborate with you to keep the loop running longer.

"MasterBlaster...didn't we do this yesterday?"
"Why no MegaGuy....this is the first time we've ever played shuffleboard"
"I would swear you vlew up the southern pool gate yesterday"

Then the ones IN the loop start looking around for the Mind Controller or the Mental Illusions.....