[MH] Demon weaknesses

[Luke Bunyip]

After reading the Gear vignette on pg52 of MH 1 Champions, I've been thinking about specific weaknesses for different types of demons:

• Obsidan edged weapons for Ira* demons
  
• Weapons smelted from bog iron for Acedia** demons
  
• Copper edged weapons for demons that accentuate pride in people.

However, I thought it might be interesting to see what other inspiration the hive mind may have. Any thoughts?

*Anger
**Sloth and indolence

[Bruno]

Is this instead of the Weakness to holy items, or in addition? Or did you mean "weakness" with a lowercase wubbleyou, and more "a way to bypass (additional?) defenses"?

Regardless!

• Leaden/leaded weapons for Avaritia/Philargyria, demons of greed and miserliness (rationale: the "opposite" of gold)

  I'd also suggest aqua regia (the acid mixture that dissolves gold) but it's acid and is pretty dangerous just the way it is... It also "self destructs" so has to be mixed right before you use it - hard to do in a fight without spilling acid on yourself.

• Alternately, frail wooden or rattan weapons, as "cheap substitutes".
  
• Shards of blackened mirror glass for Superbia/Hyperephania, demons of vanity and hubris.

[Anthony]

The tendency is for either like slays like (werewolves are moon-linked, silver is a moon symbol) or opposite slays. Opposites seem more appropriate here, so looking at the seven deadly sins:

• Lust: the opposite of lust is probably either love or chastity. Try a wedding ring.
• Gluttony: not obvious how you represent Temperance, but melted down silverware (no longer used to eat with) has some logic, and by extension silver.
• Greed: lead has potential, as does raw iron.
• Sloth: a whip (normally used to drive sloth out of work animals) is symbolically appropriate. Quicksilver (Mercury) also has some logic.
• Wrath: weapons in general are a bad choice against wrath. Try bandages.
• Envy: opposed principle is Charity, so something to represent giving. Gold is actually possible.
• Pride: opposed principle is Humility, so a simple weapon; try wood or iron.

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by Anthony

The tendency is for either like slays like (werewolves are moon-linked, silver is a moon symbol) or opposite slays. Opposites seem more appropriate here, so looking at the seven deadly sins:

• Lust: the opposite of lust is probably either love or chastity. Try a wedding ring.
• Gluttony: not obvious how you represent Temperance, but melted down silverware (no longer used to eat with) has some logic, and by extension silver.
• Greed: lead has potential, as does raw iron.
• Sloth: a whip (normally used to drive sloth out of work animals) is symbolically appropriate. Quicksilver (Mercury) also has some logic.
• Wrath: weapons in general are a bad choice against wrath. Try bandages.
• Envy: opposed principle is Charity, so something to represent giving. Gold is actually possible.
• Pride: opposed principle is Humility, so a simple weapon; try wood or iron.

I like the Whip/Sloth idea - gives a utility to a weird weapon (that isn't exactly attractive stat-wise). But weaponizing a wedding ring? Weird. Might want to consider non-sexual forms of lust, I think.

[lexington]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

But weaponizing a wedding ring? Weird

You weaponize four of them at once, a la brass knuckles.

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by lexington

You weaponize four of them at once, a la brass knuckles.

Err, those have to be some pretty heavy things, like solitaire rings (with a gem of some sort) or royal seal rings, not the typical wedding rings. Also, getting four is pretty complicated - how do you get four people who got married with such heavy rings to all let you borrow them at the same time? That's several sessions of adventure right there.

[Anthony]

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

But weaponizing a wedding ring? Weird.

You punch someone with a fist on which you have a ring. The symbolic effectiveness and the force don't have to come from the same thing as long as they're linked.

[vicky_molokh]

Originally Posted by Anthony

You punch someone with a fist on which you have a ring. The symbolic effectiveness and the force don't have to come from the same thing as long as they're linked.

Okay. But I still feel that it underplays non-sexual lusts, and it means that Lust demons will be beaten by the weakest weapon of all.

[Sunrunners_Fire]

Originally Posted by Anthony

The tendency is for either like slays like (werewolves are moon-linked, silver is a moon symbol) or opposite slays. Opposites seem more appropriate here, so looking at the seven deadly sins:

• Lust: the opposite of lust is probably either love or chastity. Try a wedding ring.
• Gluttony: not obvious how you represent Temperance, but melted down silverware (no longer used to eat with) has some logic, and by extension silver.
• Greed: lead has potential, as does raw iron.
• Sloth: a whip (normally used to drive sloth out of work animals) is symbolically appropriate. Quicksilver (Mercury) also has some logic.
• Wrath: weapons in general are a bad choice against wrath. Try bandages.
• Envy: opposed principle is Charity, so something to represent giving. Gold is actually possible.
• Pride: opposed principle is Humility, so a simple weapon; try wood or iron.

Originally Posted by vicky_molokh

Okay. But I still feel that it underplays non-sexual lusts, and it means that Lust demons will be beaten by the weakest weapon of all.

Of the above, which one isn't governed by a non-sexual lust?

Gluttony is the lust for food.
Greed is the lust for wealth.
Sloth is the lust for idleness.
Wrath is the lust for violence.
Envy is the lust for what others have.
Pride is the lust to be (or appear) better.

What other non-sexual lusts are there?

[Bruno]

A monster that has a "weakness" to a fragile or "weak" weapon isn't necessarily slain by the first touch of nerf.

Depending, that can be hardly helpful at all - if the demon still has 30 HP, DR 4, horns, claws, regeneration, and flame breath, then the fact that your punches do ~1d+2 crushing + 1d injury ONCE per minute is not going to make lust demons "defeated" by a punch in the face. And then it sets you on fire and rips your head off for the insult you just delivered.

Now, if a punch in the face with a wedding ring (or whatever) shuts down the regeneration and the flame breath, that's something different... but if it still has 30 HP, that DR, and is Homogenous it's still going to be a problem.