So, I’ve been a big Prince fan – had all his records up through Lovesexy, even liked some stuff on For You, bootlegs of Minneapolis Genius etc etc.

So, I’ve been a big Prince fan – had all his records up through Lovesexy, even liked some stuff on For You, bootlegs of Minneapolis Genius etc etc.

But. He goes into an elevator alive. Doors open: dead.
I see a GURPS Time Travel/Alternate Earths adventure, at least. Possible Time Lord involvement? Multiple Prince coccoons? Did we let our subscription lapse?
So very very #gameable guys.

James Smith is asking about character classes, reminding me how ignorant I am of dnd’s later history. I played bx and 1e when I started, then a lot of other games – CoC, Gurps, James Bond, Ars Magica. I never went back to dnd until this OSR business, which has been bx clones plus some crazy house rules.

James Smith is asking about character classes, reminding me how ignorant I am of dnd’s later history. I played bx and 1e when I started, then a lot of other games – CoC, Gurps, James Bond, Ars Magica. I never went back to dnd until this OSR business, which has been bx clones plus some crazy house rules.
…so these days I mostly ask fighter or magic user? And everything else is being tricksy in one way or another – sneaking or trick shots or mountaineering.

The other classes I’m interested in are methods for breaking the game one way or another – shoggoths, pokemon charmers, blue mages. Not gradations between F and MU.

Is anyone else in the same boat? Is this a common OSR attitude?

Gatchaman and Hobbes and Cthulhu Collective Monsters

basically I’m saying that Gatchaman and Hobbes are happy propaganda for some kind of Cthulhu Collective Monster – once their wills have subsided they can become part of the Fiery Phoenix (or Leviathan) – godlike power, freedom from individual consciousness.

And Luke activates the treacherous poison long lying dormant in Vader – the Emperor took him in, made him an indispensable part of the Empire, but reckoned without this time-bomb inside him.
#whenattractfishgoespolitical
#declare
#lemongrab

Undigested thoughts

Putting this out there even though it’s incomplete because the discussion may be more fruitful than me trying to figure it all out myself:

Benjamin Baugh has been asking about puzzle monsters – enemies which are undefeatable by conventional means… the heroes must improvise, investigate, or otherwise figure out clever ways around the monster’s invulnerabilities or dominant powers, where all their usual go-to stuff won’t work.

Call of Cthulhu obviously abounds with these, but the solutions tend to be obvious once you’ve found the ancient scroll – you follow the recipe, the thing happens, ruin is staved off. It’s like a special kung fu move.

In RPGs I hardly ever see that classic gambit from fiction, the spiked dose – attacking the vampire by poisoning its victim, or the corrupt politician by feeding them traceable money.  Luke activates the spiked dose in Vader – that treacherous poison of humanity and empathy that has lain dormant so long that the Emperor has forgotten it.

CoC seems to be crying out for this approach, or Carcosa with its unspeakable rituals (summon and poison Yog Sothoth), and it’s a perfect opportunity for dramatic self-sacrifice, which is popular in some circles. Has anyone seen it applied? Can anyone cite other actually inventive solutions to puzzle monsters, which are not just reading the instructions?

(Doctor Who is good at these, but a lot of his are not easily portable to your game of choice)

Ben also cites the hoary “we have to work together” Gatchaman/Sailor Moon/Power Rangers trope as a kind of puzzle solution to a monster.

I’ve never seen this one subverted, and that strikes me as odd, especially given how obviously it feeds into the ideology of the obedient salariman or even Communist propaganda. “Join me and together we will rule the world” is an obvious example of the poisoned team, but it tends to be presented as a one-on-one thing, Sith to Jedi (Satan to Saviour), and maintaining your individual identity and agency (soul) is the key to understanding why it’s a bad idea. What if there are multiple teams, each potentially made supreme by your membership? How would you choose which one to join? Are there games (or fiction) where a choice between teams is an actual dilemma, not a foregone conclusion/message? Are you going to saw off your feet to fit in that cockpit seat or find a divine gesellschaft better suited to your height?

Are there times you wouldn’t want to do this? When you should, in fact, keep your team-mates away to stop it happening? How about just this once we don’t all catch on fire and, like, try to talk things out or anything else, really?

Ancient arthropod tethered its young to its body and trailed them like kites.

“Get off my back!” Ancient arthropod tethered its young to its body with threads and trailed them like kites.

http://www.livescience.com/54294-kite-runner-fossil.html

a talking donkey sent back in time to steal a doomsday laser

Also the docket for 2016 are the Universal Studios’ movie Balaam, which includes a talking donkey sent back in time to steal a doomsday laser from a rogue Edomite.

http://babylonbee.com/news/hollywood-announces-plans-to-create-even-more-inaccurate-terrible-bible-movies/