[UA] Gaslight UA

[Royal Minister of Stuff]

--- Greg Stolze <holycrow at mindspring.com> wrote:
> But why
> not set it in the modern day?  The PCs' mentor is
> some withered anachronism
> nutjob who thinks in Victorian terms and can't take
> the blinders off.  The
> funny thing is, against some of the more ancient
> threats he's actually
> RIGHT.  The PCs, with their cynical modern
> viewpoint, think he's naive.
> But their lack of credulity can blind them just as
> much...
>

That's not a bad idea.  I know you hate mad science,
but -and bear with me here- there was this scene in
Casper the Friendly Ghost which I always wanted to
work into an RPG somewhere.  We'll forget the vapid
characterizations for this example and for a moment,
just for a moment, concentrate on the image.

Someone strange, the PCs mentor, perhaps, or a demon
who is guiding along a stumbling dipsomancer, leads
the PCs into the basement of an old house, some place
turned into a Bread-and-Breakfast during the 80s which
has now gone defunct.  He goes down the stairs, pushes
a button and, not only does a secret panel open, but
this insane machine, all steam and cogs, grinds to
life.  Something that just couldn't work does.  The
thing is obviously old, at least 80 -if not 100 years-
of rust and creaks accompany its ponderous usage.  It
hints at things -the possibility that a lot of
literature is true and a lot of newpapers lied
(ironically enough, this isn't 100% fantasy.  The age
of yellow journalism spawned some creative reporters
and fiction often makes a statement.)  Suddenly,
there's this idea that a lot more of the past got
buried than really needed to be, that history's
mistakes are paid for with the good as well as the
bad.

If you're in a nasty mood, it's time for some
Unnatural checks (especially if the machine does
something blatantly impossible or says "hello.")

If you're getting all misty-eyed from the expressions
of wonder you've managed to instill on your player's
faces, get a grip and have the machine darn socks or something.

=====
-- Rp Bowman, Royal Minister of Stuff
The Electronic Nation of Yokeltania:
http://www.geocities.com/yokeltania/

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