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.
DEMONSDemons, 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.
FRANKS GEEKDOM SATURDAY...PART 1
Well I have to admit, I'm surprised. I didn't even intend to write at length about this 1) because Tom is better equipped than I am to do so, and 2) I figured he'd have written something by now. But two days have gone by since we both saw the film, and nothing has appeared yet, i feel compelled.
BATMAN BEGINS.
How many of you have seen this yet?
If you haven't, you need too. If you are a lover of the comic books, if you enjoy the first two batmans made in the late eighties early nineties, if you just like well put together movies, you need to see this one.
WOW!
It is, by far the best movie I've seen this summer.
It's by far the bets movie I've seen since Sincity, and even surpasses that one.
It's a solid movie that doesn't play off the character of Batman and Bruce Wayne as comical.
It explains things, quite well.
But more important than giving us the origin of Batman, or the how, it gives us the why too.
But what is lovely is it gives us more than that.
It shows the evolution of Jim Gordon. It shows us the path he takes to become who it is he becomes.
It shows us the transformation of the Scarecrow, who is a brilliant villain to start out with.
It gives us the reason why Bruce Wayne owns the company, which is more than simply 'his father owned it before him'.
It shows why (and this is one of the coolest aspects though it is short) all the criminals have escaped from Arkham Asylum.
It is a movie that doesn't just give the how and where fors, but also the reasons behind them.
The coolest aspect of the film however is Gotham City.
Finally.
Finally a real city populated by real people. Not the cartoonish, gothic over the top farce that became the norm during the 1990's blaise fair that besmirched the dark knights name.
It looks habitated. The buildings are realistic. The population is realistic.
It makes the movie that much darker, it gives it the edge that was missing.
I could rave about the acting, but I won't do that here.
Michael Caine, Morgan Freeman, Christian Bale, Gary Oldman, Liam Neeson, Katie Holmes and Cillian Murphy, (who I placed Tom, he's the lead actor in
28 Days Later)... all strong actors.
No, forget what you knew about Batman.
This movie is a reset button.
None of those other films need exsist now.
apologies
The Senate issued an apology for lynching on Monday.
They apologized for not taking action and creating anti-lynching laws when this practice of mob torture and murder was a popular passtime in many of the southern states, and would often rear it's ugly head in other states.
The history of lynching is long, sordid, and quite frankly; appalling disgusting.
Some would ask, why apologize, they government didn't actually do the lynching.
Well, the way I see it, it has to do with moral culpability and position of power.
The government may not have been able to stop all the lynching's that took place, but passing a law that would make it illegal to not only particpate in an active fashion, but also in an inactive fashion (watching the incident), would have sent a message to the perpertrators of the crime that this kind of behavior is not condoned by the government. Unfortunantly, no message of the kind was sent.
The apology is late, but it is a step, possibly in the right direction.
To the ultimate goal... colourblindess.
When we stop seeing skin colour, and start seeing people for the person... well, then we've got some where.
I don't know if it's a goal that humanity can make.
We'll see.
Farewell
Well folks down in the city of sin, this is it.
This is what you've all been waiting for.
I've reason to believe that today is the day that my friend Tom leaves for your fair town.
Please be kind to him.
Make him feel welcome.
And keep an eye on him, he's a cool cat.
and Tom, farewell friend, keep you nose clean.
And remember to keep a stick on the ice.
on the swingset
What i miss most about childhood, over anything else, is the uttersense of naive joy that I had many days.
Oh, I had my share of fear, and frustration as a kid, but typically these were over ultimately insignificant things: whether i'd be in a class with one of my friends, if I would get in trouble for breaking something ect.
Each day was playful, fun, and enjoyable. The anxieties aren't something that I typically went to bed with (unless it was about starting school the next day or some other such similar thing) and each mornings momentary feeling of dread would evaporate as I would shuffle into my class room.
Was this innocence?
Perhaps, or perhaps it was being able to feel joy without hindering it with other negative emotions.
I can still feel joy like that.
Occassionally something will happen, or I'll take in a moment and feel joy as I did in my youth.
Unadulterated, unguilty giddiness and happiness.
That's worth missing on a daily basis i think.
But it is something that we can seek out.
We only need to be open to it.
That's it.
And it's damned hard.
Opening ourselves up for joy is a difficult task, most people aren't up to the challenge. I know most days I'm not.
But when we are able to do it, and succeed at reaching that blissful state, the world is brighter and more beautiful than it ever was before.
Imagine waking up with that feeling everyday?
That would be trully great.
Sort of like being on a swing.
Just you, the pendelum motion, and the sky and the ground.
I could spend hours on the swing... I loved it.
I suppose I still would... but i'm too big for the damn things.
For those of you with kids; listen to them, more often than not they will want to share thier joy with you. Even if it's something silly (and kids are silly) take an interest and view it, you may find that little bit of joy you were looking for.
