View Single Post
Old 09-13-2017, 12:16 AM   #57
ak_aramis
 
ak_aramis's Avatar
 
Join Date: May 2010
Location: Alsea, OR
Default Re: my new campaign ideas

Quote:
Originally Posted by whswhs View Post
I don't think that helps. It seems to be a setting truth that there ARE Nephandi, whatever their actual motives and methods are. And I'm considering not having Nephandi at all, rather than having them as a differently interpreted group.

This is influenced by there not being an interpretation suggested for Nephandi culture other than the "Nephandi are evil for the sake of evil" one. I can see hints at an interpretation of the Technocracy as having the right goals, even if their methods are flawed; and it seems as if a lot of other people have seen them, too, given the later publication of supplements that treat the Technocracy somewhat sympathetically. But I'm not seeing how you would interpret the Nephandi as originally good people who went too far.
Think of it thusly -
The Nephandi are portrayed as evil by all the other groups because they oppose all the other groups, not because they are in fact evil.

The Technocracy is portrayed as vile, evil monstrosities in service to the Wyrm in Werewolf. And yet, in several Mage supplements, as heroes. And in others, as deranged but relatively harmless.

Likewise, the Malkavians are portrayed alternately as: deviously cunning, making a great deception with their façade of madness; Harmless loons to be ignored; dangerous delusional walking landmines to be avoided at all costs; and puppets to be controlled by their delusions, useful only as pawns, but wonderfully deniable ones.

So, if you want sympathetic Nephandi, a compelling story arche can be made by players discovering the nephandi are not in fact evil... and fit right in with everything canonical despite actually contradicting it.
ak_aramis is offline   Reply With Quote