What exactly is the Great Modron March?

[UltimaGabe]

Hello everyone. Over the years, my interest in the different planes of the D&D multiverse has, inevitably (pun intended if you get it, not intended if you don't) ended up in me seeing several references to something called the "Great Modron March". I've heard it mentioned in various places, and it got me wondering: What exactly is this "Great Modron March"? Despite its common reference, the best definition I could find was that it's an event that occurs only once every [insert long period of time here] when this race of beings, called the Modrons, march across the entire multiverse. Or something. Is that all they do? These beings, coming from who knows where, just decides to march. And so they do. Um... sounds like a great idea.

Anyway, would someone please be able to enlighten me as to what exactly the "Great Modron March" is? Just, assume I know nothing about the Modrons, or anything. Any info would be most appreciated.

 

[Rodrigo Istalindir]

The modrons are lawful automatons, part of the Planescape mythos. The "Great Modron March" refers to them all getting up and heading out, in an unstoppable wave of ambivalently mechanized destruction.

"The Great Modron March" was a series of adventures written by Monte Cook for 2nd Ed, and were pretty highly regarded, as I recall.

 

[Crothian]

Ya, its one product that has several adventures that all revolove around the Mondron March...ask PC how well it worked for his group (I think it was PC that tried it out)

 

[Len]

Is that all they do?

That's not all they do, but to find out the rest we should really play the module. http://www.rpgnow.com/product_info.php?products_id=1337& (I don't know the answer either.) Or, you could ask KidCthulhu. I'm sure she knows why the modrons were marching.

For more general info about modrons, look here or consult Google.

 

[Tyler Do'Urden]

Every 17 cycles of the great cog of Mechanus (a cycle being 17 planar years), or 289 years for you berks who are canny enough to stay away from the grinding wheels of that plane, an army of Modrons- about 10,000 of em'- marches out of Mechanus and circles the great wheel, entering the Outlands, crashing through every gate-town, taking an excursion through the top (or outermost, or lowest) layer of each plane, starting with Arcadia and proceeding around until they return to Mechanus- a trip that takes about three years, I believe.

The purpose of the trip is to gather as much information for Primus, the supreme Modron hierarch, as they can.

Now, in the module The Great Modron March, the march accidentally starts about 200 years before it should- something that NEVER happens. Much of the module is about trying to find out the dark of what's going on

Spoiler

which isn't actually revealed until the sequel module, Dead Gods, in which it turns out that an "undead" god, Tenebrous (the shade of Orcus) slew Primus and usurped his position, and began the march in an attempt to use the Modrons to find his lost wand...

 

[Dwarven Godfather]

The Great Modron March!!!

It's now a web enhancement that could be downloaded from Wizards under Manual of the Planes and talks about the different Modrons and their functions to one another along with the Hive, I think. I briefly read about it since I downloaded other Enhancements as well. If you haven't checked out the enhancements I recommend it since they deal with that specific book which 95% of the books have enhancements.

 

[Jupp]

And the adventure "The Great Modron March" features a long lost "friend" that was thought being (and staying) dead for the rest of eternety That alone makes it a very nice adventure. At least our group had a blast playing through it.

Great Modron March is part of a campaign that ties together with another Planescape module called "Dead Gods".

 

[mythusmage]

Around here we call it rush hour.

 

[shilsen]

Is it just me or do you guys see a three-legged cat crying in the corner?

 

[Piratecat]

Oh, no, *I'm* not bitter. Not me. Nope. Uh uh.

For explanation, I was tremendously excited to run the module and its sequel, Dead Gods. I had the PCs there as the modrons streamed out of the portal from Mechanus. Then one PC looked at another and said, "You know what? There are thousands of people here. I bet one of them will figure out why the modrons are marching early."

Then they all packed up and went home.

Bastards.