Snippitts of Illusions

FRANKS GEEKDOM SATURDAY PART II: Monsters... part II

A few weeks ago, (ok like a month and a half ago) I talked about monsters, mainly Dragons, and Undead, two very iconic monsters in rpg's. Today I'd like to revisit that topic and talk about two more groups that aren't all that uncommon. Demons and Abberations.
Both of these groups could fall into the same category, depending on the game system you're running. The first and foremost must be Call of Cthulhu, for the purposes of that game.. well they both pretty much the same thing. Though that isn't the case.

DEMONS
Demons, in this sense is a catch all for ultra-dimensional evil beings that want the destruction, morally, and or the souls of mortal beings. In DnD there are actually three groups that would fall into this category. Demons, Devils and Yogoloths. Most other games there is only one group, and others there are two.
We won't focus on Yogoloths, they are a special topic for another time.
Most RPG's during the late eighties and early nineties avoided Demons (and Devils). Dungeons and Dragons included them in their first edition books quite exstensively, but 2nd Edition removed them from the canon. Part of this was due to the backlash the Christian Right had on the game due to some fallacious claims and misundertandings. Yet a topic for another time.
In most games that these evil other worldlies appear and that they are seperate entities, the distiction is the same.
Demons represent chaos, hate and destruction.
The sort of evil that we can point to and say... that's evil.
Devil's on the other hand represent calculating cold reasoning. Using the system to corrupt, or to destroy, without being overt or obvious.
Both make great opponents for characters to fight. Especially good characters.
And both make formidable challenges.
Demons will most generally, be straight out fights. They have muscle mass and combatant special abilities that make them dangerous.
Whereas Devils, while formidable in a straight out fight (in fact there are varieties that are made for combat) are typically more threatening in matters of the mind.
To throw a devil against a party, as a gamemaster, is to throw intricate plotlines at them. Layers of onions, in which the end result may end in full out combat, but may not.
A devil may be at the end of a really cool story line, the one behind all the scenes.
These creatures are usually best to be story driven.
Demons and devils in other games may not be seperate beasts at all.
Demons, in any game, aren't something to use lightly. Even the weakest members of this category can prove too much for inexperienced players.
So be wary, a single ill-place demon can take out a party quickly.

ABBERATIONS
What are these things?
Well, anything that is wholey unnatural and otherworldly, yet can be killed can be put into this category. Something that isn't natural, but yet living.
This fits alot of things.
In DnD the most popular abberants are Illithids, Aboleths, and Beholders.
Abberations are typically evil, but not in the traditional sense of the word.
Their evil comes, usually, from their alien nature. They don't have a sense of the same morality as the normal world.
This isn't quite a moral relativism as it seems, because they are evil in their pursuit of destroy, or enslaving others, to them it isn't a question of right or wrong. There is no morality at play here.
Most of the things in the Call of Cthulhu game that aren't Elder Gods or Old Ones, or Undead, can be considered abberants.
Abberants are also things not to use lightly.
Though most of those in DnD are scaled to be thrown at mid-level characters (or lower-high level characters) inexperienced players will be ill-equipped to handle such things.
They often have powers that control other creatures, and powers that negate some of the abilities the characters have (the beholders null-magic beam comes to mind).
Abberations are fun though. They can really bring flavor to the game.
They can be an aspect of the campaign, or they can be the whole reason the campaign is taking place.

CONCLUSION
While the players may know what's up when it comes to demons and abberations, usually the characters won't. Remind the players of this, in most campaigns these aren't things that typically characters will have had a lot of dealings with when they are first introduced.
Also, be careful as a gamemaster when using either of these creatures in game, especcially if your gaming group is relatively new.

More... later.

posted by F.G. Shaw @ 1:20 PM