[Icelander]

Originally Posted by tshiggins

The fact that those seem to be real emergent folk tales makes them fascinating, while at the same time the horror of them is heart-wrenching.

Myths and fairytales project human experiences into frameworks that allow the creators to try to deal with those experiences, psychologically and emotionally. That means those children have lives so grim that they create stories in which even Holy Mary, Mother of God, lacked the strength to resist corruption by evil.

That news feature is 20 years old, now, and I'd hope that things have gotten better for the poor children of Miami. Unfortunately, I sort of doubt it.

From a campaign standpoint, the stories are great sources. Having worked with kids in the past, I know they can provide really good information, as long as the question is asked carefully.

They're really easily led, are taught to obey adults, and usually want please the grown-ups around them. If the questioner takes care to make sure the child knows that accurate descriptions of what actually happened is the way to please, then the bald-faced facts are exactly what they give -- like it or not. :)

Moreover, kids see and hear everything, but frequently escape notice, themselves. For an investigation campaign such as yours, they could be a great asset for the PCs, and allow you to create a sense of existential despair -- or deliver some humor, or even both.

Children should probably have significant modifiers on rolls against the Facade, if only because they will not have the same iron certainties as adults of what "can't" happen.

Originally Posted by tshiggins

As for the approach you've chosen for spirits, that works well on your setting, as it's considerably darker than mine. While I include evil spirits, most of those in my campaign are nature spirits.

That doesn't mean they're nice -- nature is red in tooth and claw, and cat spirits like to play with their food -- but that's not evil. It's just cats being cats.

Well, so far, I've mostly mentioned the nastiest spirits, but that doesn't mean that there aren't any more benevolent ones. To all appearances, the genius loci 'Papa Mangrove' is a benevolent nature spirit, wise and helpful. It's Pact-bonded to 'Nonc' Morel (PC) and it gives him a lot of magical assistance and demands nothing in return except his services as the guardian of a certain natural area, as well as the world in general.

And while it is unclear whether the spirit that answers to 'LaDarius Fournette' is truly the restless ghost of Lucien Lacoste's (PC) former partner in the NOPD or whether it is merely some kind of free spirit that takes his form and personality because of Lacoste's refusal to let go, no one seriously doubts that 'Dee' is extremely attached to Lacoste and he has already risked his 'life' for him on several occasions.

It isn't as if orishas/loas/other spirits are all going to be evil, just that the most powerful and notable spirits all tend to be very far from anything that human morality would consider acceptable. There are plenty of spirits that can be described as inhuman, rather than evil, but from a human perspective, that makes little difference.

Originally Posted by tshiggins

For a horror campaign, it would make perfect sense for demons and creatures of darkness to pretend to be benign, so they could more easily prey on those who contact them. Under those circumstances, Voudou and Santeria become much more hazardous.

Exactly right.

All forms of magic are hazardous in the campaign. The PCs all make use of it, but they are very much fighting fire with fire.

Originally Posted by tshiggins

What about the shamanism of indigenous people, though?

Well, in this world, any successful magical tradition will make a point of purifying, cleansing and warding around rituals, to prevent spirits that aren't invited from interfering.

A lot of real world traditions already make a point of the dangers of hostile spirits and the need to be wary of the claims of spirits.