RE: [DL] The Occult in DL

[James Knevitt <jknevitt@yahoo.com>]

--- Roy Spence <roy.ster@virgin.net> wrote:
> 
>     I personally would not run a game where the
> characters are all
> discovering their darker sides.  The non-schoolmarm
> side of Deadlands (IMO)
> is more about the characters struggling against
> their own darker side,
> rather than exploring it.

True, and normally I would run a straight yee-hah
shoot 'em up DL game, but since I got my hands on the
Back East books, I decided to run a more Victorian-era
horror game - kinda like Cthulhu by Gaslight. I wanted
to give the game the feel of movies like Sleepy
Hollow, From Hell and The Ninth Gate (all Johnny Depp
- a coincidence? I think not).

 
>     Essentially, the player has ended up in a battle
> for his soul, only he
> discovered losing his soul to a particular entity
> gave him funky new powers.
> So instead of struggling to regain his soul, he runs
> around using his cool
> powers and (unknowingly) chalking up the corruption
> points (although I do
> give him hints).

If you want to look into this further, I heartily
recommend you pick up, or at least borrow,
Infernalism: the Path of Screams (for Mage: Sorceror's
Crusade) and/or The 1000 Hells (for Kindred of the
East). While both White Wolf supplements, they are
very good for any game where this kind of thing is
present.

Infernalism is quite a read, and is not for the
faint-hearted. While aimed at the middle ages type of
demon-worshipper, it can be adapted for any kind of
'dark side' character. It's surprisingly easy to
convert to Deadlands, especially if you're runnig a
Back East game (like moi). The section of Demonic
Pacts and Investments should serve you well. That's
what I'm using at the moment.

The 1000 Hells, while aimed at a more Far Eastern
mindset, describes a number of possible 'Hells', as
well as Infernal Pacts and Bargains in a more
bureaucratic sense. Again, this one is not for the
squeamish, but is a very good read.

James

=====
Knowledge is Power. Power Corrupts. Study Hard. Be Evil.

"Lend me your dark & nasty stuff, O my buddy Bert !"
- Paul Jacoby

"Should you choose to test my resolve in this matter, you will be facing a finality beyond your comprehension, and you will not be counting days, or months, or years, but millenia in a place with no doors." - Joe Black, "Meet Joe Black"

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