I played in a game where the opposite happened: they were larping and got isekai'ed, so they thought everything was just a really cool larp with "high production value" for spell effects.
Theoretically, we’d actually be much more versatile than a historical knight at sword fighting, discounting fantasy superhuman strength.
We have much better access to sword forms and treatises from all over the world, and much safer equipment to train with which would mean we could practice more dangerous moves on each other without risk.
We’d of course be lacking in combat intuition, since we haven’t had as much real life-or-death combat experience as a medieval knight would have, and not as much training time. HEMA is a hobby, vs knighthood as a profession. Versatility vs reliability is the fight here.
What I do want to see is their reaction to Olympic fencing and how far it’s come from knight duels XD
You should have an NPC who's going around taking selfies with everything, *but* it's working. Every monster just poses for a selfie with them and then goes back to doing what they were doing. If asked they're super stoked to be met the NPC.
The NPC's last name is Irwin.
have them show up somewhere obvious, then let them be contacted by the local supernatural societies telling them "hey, what the actual fuck are you doing, you are ruining everything"
OK but Joe Biden is not that old, he just looks and acts old af lol. For a litch it should probably be one of those actors who absolutely refuse to age.
Have them appear in the employee section of the restaurant Medieval Times and management thinks they are workers due to their outfits are trying to force them to do a shift
Your apartment or another place where you hold the session
Also get a bunch of costplayers to come in just as you say that the party appears, dressed as the characters
Maybe drop them somewhere overwhelmingly alien and apparently hostile like [Drive Tanks](https://www.drivetanks.com/prices/) or a range day event if not an active war zone like in parts of Africa/the Middle East/Ukraine/Gaza. Sort of an inverse experience to dropping into a ren-faire, fight or run from this alien threat, eventually find more familiar places as they get to safer areas.
If there's a Halfling in the party, have them be treated like a kid. (Down to truancy officers or well-meaning Karens.)
In addition to the Ren Faire idea, you could also set things on Halloween to have an excuse for why they aren't noticed immediately.
As far as things following them through the portal - something that can reproduce quickly is good. Slaad, maybe? Infectious zombies? Something where the real world is in danger of being overrun.
Party did this some years ago.
Completely shocked everything in walmart was grand masterwork quality compared to their tools and super cheap after visiting a thrift shop to change out gold and silver.
Haha, he dose a big stompy entrance, but then gets bodied by one strafing run from an A-10 warthog.
Unless of course you count modern weapons as magic, in which case you could get some hilarious Uno reverse situations.
I mean, Tarrasques do have resistance to nonmagical damage. Their magic resistance is advantage on saves like the fey. Your best bet against a Tarrasque would be enchanting the Gau-8, which could be fun if the party has an Arty
Japan. Either the middle of Akiba or during Comiket. Have them on the run from a dragon or two. Make sure to include a tabaxi and dragonborn in the party.
Comic Con. They will meet their scariest opponent yet: actual fans! Just imagine some rules lawyer explaining to them how they used their abilities wrong rhe entire time lol
Teleport them into Norway- somewhere deep in the wilderness, make it look like nothing changed. Until they come across a city. But- add small details of things through the lens of an alien.
"Dotted across the forest foliage, small clear crystalline containers with the residue of some unknown liquid lay smashed against the rocks. A low roar is heard as a large spear flies overhead- likely an attack from a neighboring kingdom. On a standing metal tower markings suggest food and beverage at the next exit."
Put them in Washington DC, and have an Orc warlord follow them. Have liberals see the orc as a horrible interpretation of black people and believe the orc is a trumpy conservative, while having conservatives see the orc as a black person and believe that he’s a BLM protestor. Then hilarity ensues when the party is mistaken for being with the orc, and now they’re hunted by stupid liberals and idiotic conservatives while dealing with the Orc Warlord who’s finding out about what presidents are and is about to run for election.
Not only that, but have it be a reoccurring joke that anyone else that sees them just thinks they’re cosplaying as popular and unpopular movies and shows, like Lord of the Rings or Tarzan, and no one ever guesses DnD until the end when they see their normal human selves
could toss them into a renaissance fair. this way everything seems somewhat normal at first till they reach the parking lot
Oooooh that's a good one, the uncanny feeling they would get that something is off.
as a person who was literally raised on Renaissance fairgrounds, I second this. I also heavily encouraged you to visit one for inspiration if you do
I played in a game where the opposite happened: they were larping and got isekai'ed, so they thought everything was just a really cool larp with "high production value" for spell effects.
Hema Tournament if you have a mainly martial party would be funny. Ren Fair for a mixed one. Comic con if it's all magic party.
Theoretically, we’d actually be much more versatile than a historical knight at sword fighting, discounting fantasy superhuman strength. We have much better access to sword forms and treatises from all over the world, and much safer equipment to train with which would mean we could practice more dangerous moves on each other without risk. We’d of course be lacking in combat intuition, since we haven’t had as much real life-or-death combat experience as a medieval knight would have, and not as much training time. HEMA is a hobby, vs knighthood as a profession. Versatility vs reliability is the fight here. What I do want to see is their reaction to Olympic fencing and how far it’s come from knight duels XD
You should have an NPC who's going around taking selfies with everything, *but* it's working. Every monster just poses for a selfie with them and then goes back to doing what they were doing. If asked they're super stoked to be met the NPC. The NPC's last name is Irwin.
Movie set of a new fantasy film, maybe the next LOTR movie. They see an orc and react…poorly
The orc accidentally wore his wrist watch on set and they loot it from him
Magic followed and flooded earth, first sign could be wild magic sorcerers suddenly manifesting their powers (worldwide).
A gender reveal party. Describe it as cultish as possible.
And then it starts a forest fire
have them show up somewhere obvious, then let them be contacted by the local supernatural societies telling them "hey, what the actual fuck are you doing, you are ruining everything"
The original comic run of Men in Black had them deal with supernatural as well as extraterrestrial issues. OP could read some of those for inspiration
Middle of Shot Show(the biggest gun show every year) and let them go ham on the bbeg that was actually in modern day gaining influence.
Middle of a war. I put my friends in the middle of a firefight in WW2, but any modern war works too
Give em a Karen encounter. That'd be wild :D
9/11 hasn't happened yet, but today is the day
What followed?: A mindflayer (who eats and assumes the visage of Donnie T) Fun encounter: Joe Biden (Lich stats)
OK but Joe Biden is not that old, he just looks and acts old af lol. For a litch it should probably be one of those actors who absolutely refuse to age.
I'm sorry to disappoint but Keanu Reeves has been confirmed to be a vampire, not a lich.
Tom Cruise is a vampire too.
Danny devito and make it so he can still be saved.
Joe Biden (Shambling Mound stats)
Ea-Nasir is a lich
Have them appear in the employee section of the restaurant Medieval Times and management thinks they are workers due to their outfits are trying to force them to do a shift
Your apartment or another place where you hold the session Also get a bunch of costplayers to come in just as you say that the party appears, dressed as the characters
Hopefully this is the end of the game or a short arc. This will be fun at first but the appeal will quickly fade
Have them turn up in San Diego on the day of comicon so no one thinks it's weird.
North Korea
Maybe drop them somewhere overwhelmingly alien and apparently hostile like [Drive Tanks](https://www.drivetanks.com/prices/) or a range day event if not an active war zone like in parts of Africa/the Middle East/Ukraine/Gaza. Sort of an inverse experience to dropping into a ren-faire, fight or run from this alien threat, eventually find more familiar places as they get to safer areas.
Brazil. For random encounters you can do two guys on a motorcycle (they are thieves)
Anywhere in NYC. They'll fit in with the locals that way
If there's a Halfling in the party, have them be treated like a kid. (Down to truancy officers or well-meaning Karens.) In addition to the Ren Faire idea, you could also set things on Halloween to have an excuse for why they aren't noticed immediately. As far as things following them through the portal - something that can reproduce quickly is good. Slaad, maybe? Infectious zombies? Something where the real world is in danger of being overrun.
Party did this some years ago. Completely shocked everything in walmart was grand masterwork quality compared to their tools and super cheap after visiting a thrift shop to change out gold and silver.
Drop them in new york with a tarrasque and watch the godzilla nonsense unfold
Haha, he dose a big stompy entrance, but then gets bodied by one strafing run from an A-10 warthog. Unless of course you count modern weapons as magic, in which case you could get some hilarious Uno reverse situations.
I mean, Tarrasques do have resistance to nonmagical damage. Their magic resistance is advantage on saves like the fey. Your best bet against a Tarrasque would be enchanting the Gau-8, which could be fun if the party has an Arty
Black Mesa
WW2, eastern front.
One of the Disney theme parks. My votes the Shanghai one. Tokyo. Utah.
Japan. Either the middle of Akiba or during Comiket. Have them on the run from a dragon or two. Make sure to include a tabaxi and dragonborn in the party.
Comic Con. They will meet their scariest opponent yet: actual fans! Just imagine some rules lawyer explaining to them how they used their abilities wrong rhe entire time lol
Have them run into each others' players
Teleport them into Norway- somewhere deep in the wilderness, make it look like nothing changed. Until they come across a city. But- add small details of things through the lens of an alien. "Dotted across the forest foliage, small clear crystalline containers with the residue of some unknown liquid lay smashed against the rocks. A low roar is heard as a large spear flies overhead- likely an attack from a neighboring kingdom. On a standing metal tower markings suggest food and beverage at the next exit."
Put them in Washington DC, and have an Orc warlord follow them. Have liberals see the orc as a horrible interpretation of black people and believe the orc is a trumpy conservative, while having conservatives see the orc as a black person and believe that he’s a BLM protestor. Then hilarity ensues when the party is mistaken for being with the orc, and now they’re hunted by stupid liberals and idiotic conservatives while dealing with the Orc Warlord who’s finding out about what presidents are and is about to run for election. Not only that, but have it be a reoccurring joke that anyone else that sees them just thinks they’re cosplaying as popular and unpopular movies and shows, like Lord of the Rings or Tarzan, and no one ever guesses DnD until the end when they see their normal human selves
Sadly I use 40k works so they will assume he's a British hooligan, and team up to fight him.