10-10-2015, 07:41 AM | #1 |
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Gothenburg, Sweden
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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?
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“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. |
10-10-2015, 08:39 AM | #2 |
Join Date: Jul 2009
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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. |
10-10-2015, 08:54 AM | #3 | ||
Join Date: Aug 2015
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Re: Aura of death and darkness [Odious Personal Habit?]
Quote:
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:
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10-10-2015, 09:27 AM | #4 |
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Lawrence, KS
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Re: Aura of death and darkness [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.
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Bill Stoddard I don't think we're in Oz any more. |
10-10-2015, 09:40 AM | #5 |
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Gothenburg, Sweden
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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?
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“When you arise in the morning think of what a privilege it is to be alive, to think, to enjoy, to love ...” Marcus Aurelius |
10-10-2015, 09:47 AM | #6 | |
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Lawrence, KS
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Re: Aura of death and darkness
Quote:
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.
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Bill Stoddard I don't think we're in Oz any more. |
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10-10-2015, 10:42 AM | #7 |
Join Date: Jan 2005
Location: Gothenburg, Sweden
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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?
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“When you arise in the morning think of what a privilege it is to be alive, to think, to enjoy, to love ...” Marcus Aurelius |
10-10-2015, 10:50 AM | #8 |
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Lawrence, KS
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Re: Aura of death and darkness
Yes, but I'm consistent, because I haven't achieved either of the other two.
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Bill Stoddard I don't think we're in Oz any more. |
10-10-2015, 04:40 PM | #9 |
Join Date: Jul 2009
Location: UK
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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. |
10-11-2015, 05:02 AM | #10 |
Computer Scientist
Join Date: Aug 2004
Location: Dallas, Texas
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Re: Aura of death and darkness
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.
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