Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site ucla-cs.ARPA Path: utzoo!watmath!clyde!burl!ulysses!gamma!epsilon!zeta!sabre!petrus!bellcore!decvax!ittatc!dcdwest!sdcsvax!sdcrdcf!ucla-cs!mccolm From: mccolm@ucla-cs.UUCP Newsgroups: net.games.frp Subject: Re: Question on resurrection Message-ID: <8087@ucla-cs.ARPA> Date: Tue, 17-Dec-85 16:48:46 EST Article-I.D.: ucla-cs.8087 Posted: Tue Dec 17 16:48:46 1985 Date-Received: Fri, 20-Dec-85 01:53:27 EST References: <2200040@uok.UUCP> <2108@hcrvax.UUCP> <341@l5.uucp> Reply-To: mccolm@ucla-cs.UUCP (Eric McColm) Organization: UCLA Computer Science Department Lines: 87 >We always let everybody play 2 characters -- their high level one, >and a henchmen. (Henchperson? How about Sap?) It's usually a good idea to have a few scummy underlings in a party to carry things and provide a few useful outside skills. It may be appropriate for a character to have a retinue, and these underlings may be played as dull, boring, unimaginative cloddish, "semi-PC's" because they know who "the boss" is, and they're only following orders. On the other hand, when the boss buys the farm, these "semi-PC's" are advanced to PC-hood by virtue of they're being all the player has left, and so they suddenly become quick-witted and inventive. This is only appropriate, as the boss is out for the count, and they suddenly realize that they're on their own, so they'd better learn some initiative before that charging purple ugly gets them. In other words, they all of a sudden have to think. >Assuming that the henchman lasted very long (likely, since nobody was >into using characters as cannon fodder) HAHAHAHAhahahahahaha... What about the referee, for instance? >While I am at it, I might as well let you know that the Gods have no >independent existence from the rest of the world, and are actually >aspects of the collective unconscious.... > ...But the chaotic ones use it to justify >heavy meddling in human affairs (if you want to be a stronger god, >just change the attitude of sentient beings towards you) which the >lawful gods...do not condone. A friend of mine ran a Rolemaster game this way, and it led to a few very interesting results, which sound a bit silly at first: 1) To kill off a religion, start an inquisition, and kill off the members. If you get enough of the worshippers fast enough, the religion has had it. If you don't, hoo boy, is that god going to be mad at you! Remember, gods can stomp humans and claim self-defense. 2) If enough people decide to be atheists, will their collective unconscious form a god of atheism? Will the new god go quietly nuts? 3) Being a member of an unpopular religion can be a drag. Rather than having a god pay more attention to your problems, due to the dearth of followers, you get stuck with a wimp of a deity. 4) Evangelical Fundamentalism is rife, and Reformations are common. Since if two people have different ideas about their god could result in having completely separate gods, rigorous adherence to church doctrine is nearly as important as active participation in the faith. 5) Gods might make bargains over favors and interventions, as in "You don't help this guy you were going to rescue, (or don't give that priest that spell, or something) and I'll let you have the Temple of the Holy Apricot in the Kingdom of Biddlesbob." With the number of worshippers involved commensurate to the importance of the intervention. Major gods might even run protection rackets. 6) What happens if people start worshipping something that already exists? (i.e.-not a god) Suppose some really weird astral monster evolved the power to siphon off the "godhead" of a deity, or collect it normally from humans? Do gods need pest control? Do these astral monsters interfere with the power of deities? Can these creatures grow powerful? Are we glad they're all out there (instead of here)? Could it happen on the material plane? What about people who worship the wind? Idols? The earth? The stars? Or for a real winner, their king? This sort of thing can throw a banana cream pie into the most rational and organized campaign. You can just see some fool warrior proclaiming theirself "God/King" and the referee frantically trying to figure out what will happen. (In all likelihood, there will suddenly be two of the character: one mundane, and one divine. One will be a PC, and the other won't. And they won't like each other. Uh-oh.) >I think that every DM should run resurrections any way that he likes. >Remember that the object of the whole thing is to have great imaginative >fun, not to staple each other to the wall on technicalities. Huzzah! I'm all for it. >Laura Creighton p.s. New acronyms: VLSD--Very Large Scale Dungeons, CAD/CAM--Computer-Aided Dungeon/Monsters. --fini-- Eric McColm UCLA (oo' - kluh) Funny Farm for the Criminally Harmless UUCP: ...!{ihnp4,trwspp,cepu,ucbvax,sdcrdcf}!ucla-cs!mccolm ARPA: mccolm@LOCUS.UCLA.EDU Quotes on the Nature of Existence: "To be, or not to be..." -Hamlet (Wm. Shakespeare) "I think, therefore I am." -R. Descartes "" -Gleep (Robt. Asprin)