Steve Jackson Games - Site Navigation
Home General Info Follow Us Search Illuminator Store Forums What's New Other Games Ogre GURPS Munchkin Our Games: Home

Go Back   Steve Jackson Games Forums > Roleplaying > GURPS

Reply
 
Thread Tools Display Modes
Old 10-10-2015, 07:41 AM   #1
Anders
 
Anders's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Gothenburg, Sweden
Default Aura of death and darkness [Odious Personal Habit?]

In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, people react to the Monster on a visceral level, not because of anything he does or how he appears, but because he is an abomination, something deeply unnatural. Would this be best modeled as an Odious Personal Habit?

I have a monster that is surrounded by an aura of death and darkness and despair, causing (understandably) a reaction penalty. Is this an Odious Personal Habit? It's a question of notation rather than cost, because -5 points per -1 point of reaction is very well established, but what do you think?
__________________
“When you arise in the morning think of what a privilege it is to be alive, to think, to enjoy, to love ...” Marcus Aurelius

Last edited by Anders; 10-10-2015 at 08:48 AM.
Anders is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-10-2015, 08:39 AM   #2
Seneschal
 
Seneschal's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Default Re: Aura of death and darkness

I assumed OPHs could be concealed to some degree. E.g., the well-established "eats sapients" version for [-15] isn't immediately apparent when someone first meets you. If it's apparent and inherent to what you are, it's Social Stigma (Monster) (whuch, curiously, costs the same). What you describe sounds like a Cosmic OPH that cannot be covered up, like an anti-Charisma.

Now, a permanent and always active -/+1 bonus/minus to reaction is worth [5], so I usually assume OPH to be overpriced.
Seneschal is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-10-2015, 08:54 AM   #3
Clockwork_Virus
 
Clockwork_Virus's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2015
Default Re: Aura of death and darkness [Odious Personal Habit?]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Anders View Post
In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, people react to the Monster on a visceral level, not because of anything he does or how he appears, but because he is an abomination, something deeply unnatural. Would this be best modeled as an Odious Personal Habit?
I would be inclined to not use an Odious Personal Habit here, since those are usually behaviours that are repugnant to others, and Frankenstein (and Hyde, to give another example of this effect) need not necessarily do anything to earn the reaction penalty.

Rather, I would use at least Monstrous Appearance (possibly with Universal), since Appearance manifests its in-game effects on sight. A -5 on reaction rolls also models "most people hate you on sight" better than the -3 from OPH. Stacking Social Stigma (Monster) on top of that for another -3 would guarantee pitchforks and torches wherever you went.
Quote:
I have a monster that is surrounded by an aura of death and darkness and despair, causing (understandably) a reaction penalty. Is this an Odious Personal Habit? It's a question of notation rather than cost, because -5 points per -1 point of reaction is very well established, but what do you think?
Hmm . . . such an aura might be better modeled as a set of traits. Lifebane, Frightens Animals, and Terror come to mind. Obscure (Vision) too, if the darkness is literal.
Clockwork_Virus is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-10-2015, 09:27 AM   #4
whswhs
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Lawrence, KS
Default Re: Aura of death and darkness [Odious Personal Habit?]

Quote:
Originally Posted by Anders View Post
In Mary Shelley's Frankenstein, people react to the Monster on a visceral level, not because of anything he does or how he appears, but because he is an abomination, something deeply unnatural. Would this be best modeled as an Odious Personal Habit?
I don't think that's what happens. It seems to me that the monster gets that reaction not because of moral or metaphysical taint, but because of physical ugliness. Remember that Mary Shelley's father was the pioneer of the "I blame society" school of criminology; ugly people being driven to crime by abusive treatment is perfectly consistent with his theories.
__________________
Bill Stoddard

I don't think we're in Oz any more.
whswhs is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-10-2015, 09:40 AM   #5
Anders
 
Anders's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Gothenburg, Sweden
Default Re: Aura of death and darkness

You may be correct. The creature I'm constructing is ugly, but not hideous in appearance, and there is a feeling of death and decay around him. People feel dirty if they spend too much time around him, which causes them to resent him. How do I model this?
__________________
“When you arise in the morning think of what a privilege it is to be alive, to think, to enjoy, to love ...” Marcus Aurelius
Anders is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-10-2015, 09:47 AM   #6
whswhs
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Lawrence, KS
Default Re: Aura of death and darkness

Quote:
Originally Posted by Anders View Post
You may be correct. The creature I'm constructing is ugly, but not hideous in appearance, and there is a feeling of death and decay around him. People feel dirty if they spend too much time around him, which causes them to resent him. How do I model this?
Well, it's clearly not an OPH. Nor is it Unnatural Appearance. And it's not Social Stigma, because it's not a product of a socially defined role or quality.

Looking at GURPS Horror, I think it's a Supernatural Feature, akin to Cold Spot. You can assign it a fairly steep penalty and a high negative point value. See the Basic Set and p. 26 of GURPS Horror.
__________________
Bill Stoddard

I don't think we're in Oz any more.
whswhs is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-10-2015, 10:42 AM   #7
Anders
 
Anders's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Gothenburg, Sweden
Default Re: Aura of death and darkness

Supernatural Features looks like a good fit.

I've been meaning to ask you this... your signature. Haven't you been really bad at dying young?
__________________
“When you arise in the morning think of what a privilege it is to be alive, to think, to enjoy, to love ...” Marcus Aurelius
Anders is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-10-2015, 10:50 AM   #8
whswhs
 
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Lawrence, KS
Default Re: Aura of death and darkness

Quote:
Originally Posted by Anders View Post
Supernatural Features looks like a good fit.

I've been meaning to ask you this... your signature. Haven't you been really bad at dying young?
Yes, but I'm consistent, because I haven't achieved either of the other two.
__________________
Bill Stoddard

I don't think we're in Oz any more.
whswhs is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-10-2015, 04:40 PM   #9
Ashtagon
 
Ashtagon's Avatar
 
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: UK
Default Re: Aura of death and darkness

Isn't this the very definition of Social Stigma (monster)?

I get that the monster hasn't done anything to earn the social stigma, but then, it's society that has stigmatised him, not something he has done to himself. Without a wider society, this issue simply wouldn't exist.

OPH is something you do. Social Stigma is something society thinks you are.
Ashtagon is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 10-11-2015, 05:02 AM   #10
jeff_wilson
Computer Scientist
 
jeff_wilson's Avatar
 
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Dallas, Texas
Default Re: Aura of death and darkness

Quote:
Originally Posted by Ashtagon View Post
Isn't this the very definition of Social Stigma (monster)?
No, because people who are not aware of the monstrous nature (like the blind man, or the family Adam spies on) are not affected by the stigma penalty, while the supernatural aura would still be felt by them.
__________________
.
Reposed playtest leader.

The Campaigns of William Stoddard
jeff_wilson is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Tags
disadvantages

Thread Tools
Display Modes

Posting Rules
You may not post new threads
You may not post replies
You may not post attachments
You may not edit your posts

BB code is On
Fnords are Off
[IMG] code is Off
HTML code is Off

Forum Jump


All times are GMT -6. The time now is 01:21 PM.


Powered by vBulletin® Version 3.8.9
Copyright ©2000 - 2024, vBulletin Solutions, Inc.