Ha ha ha! I love it, love it, love it! I'm so happy to return to this thread after a fairly long period away and find that it has returned back to its former glory with some truly inspired suggestions.
DeepShadow, I loooove your Jacob Marley. He's the perfect counterweight to my Scrooge and gives him an interesting dark side. Imagine the mayhem that could ensue, if Scrooge inadvertantly places the PCs in real danger when one of his well-meaning seances goes horrible awry!
Lady Ligeia, Mary Poppins is a touch of absolute class! It's genius, I tell you, sheer genius! Is there anything that woman can't do? She sings, she does magic, she's good with children, she flies, she's not too snobby to hang out with Cockney chimneysweeps, she's quite sexy (sort of... in a wierd way... ), and now she's fighting evil? Brilliant work!
I also enjoyed the Lions of Tsavo, the Ghost and the Darkness, and was flattered that my Shere Khan inspired you. Personally, I would have made them haunt beasts, rather than restless prey, but your idea is just as good. Personally, though, I always liked the idea that the lions were the embodiment of the old, primal Africa, which had arisen to wreak bloody revenge upon the white Europeans who would seek to 'chain the wild' with their railroad.
Other favourites of mine include J.R.R. Tolkien (Another stroke of genius, Ligeia!), The Jersey Devil, The Grey Sailor (There aren't nearly enough zombies in MotRD) and Glenda (We need to think up ideas for some other characters from Oz, I think!)
Well done, all.
Home is behind,
The world ahead,
And there are many paths to tread,
Through shadow,
To the edge of night,
Until the stars are all alight.
Mist and shadow,
Cloud and shade,
Hope shall fail,
All shall fade.
Glad you enjoyed my ideas. I'm having fun with this thread, too! It's an interesting exercise giving the "America McGee" spin to icons of 19th century literature and children's fiction.
Olly wrote:Lady Ligeia, Mary Poppins is a touch of absolute class! It's genius, I tell you, sheer genius! Is there anything that woman can't do? She sings, she does magic, she's good with children, she flies, she's not too snobby to hang out with Cockney chimneysweeps, she's quite sexy (sort of... in a wierd way... ), and now she's fighting evil? Brilliant work!
She's supercalifragiisticexpialidocious!
I also enjoyed the Lions of Tsavo, the Ghost and the Darkness, and was flattered that my Shere Khan inspired you. Personally, I would have made them haunt beasts, rather than restless prey, but your idea is just as good. Personally, though, I always liked the idea that the lions were the embodiment of the old, primal Africa, which had arisen to wreak bloody revenge upon the white Europeans who would seek to 'chain the wild' with their railroad.
This is excellent, too. Haunt beasts does work better for them. Thanks!
Glenda (We need to think up ideas for some other characters from Oz, I think!)
Help yourself!
I am kicking around some other ideas too .. the Lone Ranger (now old and retired, since his heyday was the Old West, an era about 15 years before the 1890's), the ghost of Mssr. C. Auguste Dupin (from Poe's The Murders in the Rue Morgue and the Purloined Letter).
My idea is that Dupin, in the GE setting, is the ghostly mentor of Sherlock Holmes. It is Dupin who taught Holmes the fine art of deduction, and inspired him to engage a hobby as a consulting detective. He would also be another "good guy" to help fill in the ranks of the non-evil literary characters.
"Here then, at least," I shrieked aloud, "can I never --can I never be mistaken --these are the full, and the black, and the wild eyes --of my lost love --of the lady --of the LADY LIGEIA."
Olly wrote:DeepShadow, I loooove your Jacob Marley. He's the perfect counterweight to my Scrooge and gives him an interesting dark side. Imagine the mayhem that could ensue, if Scrooge inadvertantly places the PCs in real danger when one of his well-meaning seances goes horrible awry!
Exactly. I'm always in favor of the good guys winning in the end, but you need to put them through hell first. And the worst part with the seance-gone-bad is that you might not know it went bad until it's gone much, much worse. Because, of course, Marley can play a good guy (creepy, but good), and even give the PC's help on a few things. He'd hide his true colors until the dramatically appropriate moment...can you say malign paradigm shift, Horror Check DC25? I can just imagine the final confrontation between Scrooge and Marley, with chains flying everywhere! If you make Scrooge a saint, you've got to make Marley a kyton!
Other ideas I've had kicking around: On board a boat in the Mediterranean, statesman Franklin Pierce spoke with Giovanni Guasconti, a fellow passenger whose monologue soon turned into a confession of dark alchemy, poisonous plots, and murder. Pierce fled the supposed madman, coming back a few minutes later with help, only to find the young man gone, apparently having jumped over the rail and committed suicide. Pierce arrived in the states wracked with guilt for not having stayed with the deranged young man, and he confided his feelings in turn to an old friend om Boston.
The thing that stung the most, confessed Pierce, was how deeply Giovanni had wanted to tell his story, but Pierce had fled before he could finish. To soothe his friend's pain, Nathanial Hawthorne agreed to write the story down and finish it as best he could. Thus was born Rappacchini's Daughter, and ermordenung all over Gothic Earth smiled when they read it, for their master had been unmasked.
Rappacchini is a Adept whose gifts from the Red Death are similar to those of Ivan and Ivana Boritsi. The alchemist can create ermodenung and alchemical life, but is now hunted across Europe by the lover of his dead daughter, Giovanni Guasconti.
=======================
Other, half-developed thoughts: Bruce Ismay as a bussengeist?
--Their chief persecutor "committed suicide" years after they were supposedly destroyed.
--When the twenty men were led to their deaths, one left a handprint on the wall and swore it would remain to testify of his innocence. It's still there, even after a century of cleaning and painting over it. Was he really innocent, or was it a quabalist playing one last joke with his arcane mark?
James Hildern (physician) Emmanuel Hildern (multiclassed explorer/scout and scholar/scientist)
The two Hildern brothers (half-brothers, to be truthful) are both envious of the other. James is the administrator of the Hildern Sanitorium, while Emmanuel is an archaeologist and historian with radical theories on the evolution of mankind. The Red Death caught wind of the animosity between the two long ago, and has made a game out of toying with the brothers' pride -- whatever one strives to achieve, the other will uncover.
-- from The Creeping Flesh
Better to betray the world, than for the world to betray me.
Paul Bunyan, male human CN Com8/Tall-Tale Hero 10*
As the American frontier disappeared, so did Paul Bunyan and his faithful giant blue ox Babe. Now thought to be merely an old legend, Paul is remembered only in tall-tales.
Forbidden Lore: Paul Bunyan still lives and retains his great size and strength. But this is not because of any mundane genetic heritage, no, Bunyan is in fact, a descendant of an ancient line of nephilim, the giant offspring of humans and angels.
Johnny Appleseed, male human LG Clr6/Sower10*
Forbidden Lore: In his travels planting trees and spreading his teachings, Johnny Appelseed came in contact with several powerful earth and nature spirits. Eventually he formed an alliance with them, and, as a gift, they granted Appleseed magical abilities and great longevity. Appleseed remains active to this very day, though he has taken steps to hide himself from supernatural investigators as well as minions of the Red Death. Whether the spirits he has allied himself with actually oppose or work for the Red Death is up to the DM.
*Stats (and PrCs) for these two characters can be found in Northern Crown.
The Lone Ranger and Tonto
John Reid was a young Texas Ranger who’s father, brother, and fellow Texas Rangers were brutally slaughtered in an ambush set up by the notorious outlaw Butch Cavendish. John was left for dead, and was fortunately rescued by Tonto, a brave from a local tribe. He told John "others dead, you lone ranger now". Tonto dug an extra grave when he buried the Rangers, perpetuating the myth that there were no survivors from the ambush.
John Reid then vowed to bring justice to the West, taking on the identity of the Lone Ranger and adventuring with is closest friend and ally, Tonto. Throughout his career, the Lone Ranger always used silver bullets, claiming that they were more accurate than mere lead. They also become his calling card. When he completed a task, he would leave behind a single silver bullet as a momento.
The Lone Ranger eventually managed to track down and kill Butch Cavendish, and thereafter continued his crusade for peace and justice.
Forbidden Lore: Throughout the 1870’s, the Lone Ranger faced many evil adversaries both mundane and supernatural – not the least of whom was Butch Cavendish himself. The real reason the Lone Ranger preferred silver bullets was that Cavendish and his closest compatriots were werewolves. Thanks to he injuries inflicted upon him by Cavendish, the Lone Ranger himself was a werewolf as well. During the nights of the full moon, only the shamanistic magic of Tonto and Reid's own indomitable willpower kept him from completely succumbing to evil. Throughout his adventures, Reid was always terrified that the beast within him would take over and he would fall to evil at last. The silver bullet he left behind was meant to be used against him should the need arise.
John Reid is now retired and living in San Antonio, Texas. He no longer adventures as The Lone Ranger, but he is still agile and sprightly in his old age. His skills as a marksman have not diminished with time. He has nearly perfected his ability control his lycanthropy, but he has constructed an subterranean vault in which to lock himself to ensure that he never kills an innocent person.
To this day, few people know that “Old John” was actually the famed Masked Man, but those who do know him to be honest, trustworthy, and a champion of good. He will provide assistance to others who seek to combat the forces of the Red Death in the American west. Tonto passed away several years ago, and is now a ghost. He continues to defend the West to the best of his abilities, and frequently visits his old partner John Reid.
"Here then, at least," I shrieked aloud, "can I never --can I never be mistaken --these are the full, and the black, and the wild eyes --of my lost love --of the lady --of the LADY LIGEIA."
Interesting ... we have Ichabod Crane, Paul Bunyan, and Johnny Appleseed.
Anyone want to round out the cast of figures of American folklore and do grim, Gothic, write ups for Rip VanWinkle and John Henry?
"Here then, at least," I shrieked aloud, "can I never --can I never be mistaken --these are the full, and the black, and the wild eyes --of my lost love --of the lady --of the LADY LIGEIA."
As much as I'd love to, as an Englishman, I'm afraid I wouldn't know much about Rip Van Winkle or John Henry to do them justice.
So, for now, at least, I present, for your amusement:
Edmund Blackadder
Lawful evil - Multiclass dandy/soldier
Edmund Blackadder was one of many brave English officers who, armed only with firearms and bayonets, lead his troops to victory at Umboto Gorge, against a ferocious tribe of pygmies who were armed to the teeth with kiwi fruit and slices of guava. Edmund gained particular fame, taking on the title of 'The Hero Of Umboto Gorge', after saving a young Field Marshal Haig from a pygmy woman holding a particularly vicious slice of mango.
Blackadder also briefly served in the Sudanese war, but was sent home after he put a pair of underpants on his head, shoved two pencils up his nostrils and pretended to be mad. After five years of English military experience in Africa (which mostly consisted of perfecting the art of ordering a pink gin and saying "Do you do it doggy-doggy?" in Swahili), he now resides at the Britannia gentlemen's club in Kenya, with the other great British heroes of the day, including Alan Quatermain, whom he secretly considers to be a 'smug Scotch git'.
As cunning as a fox that has just been appointed Professor Of Cunning at Oxford University, Blackadder may be an invaluable ally for those seeking to combat the forces of the Red Death, though his acid tongue and cynical demeanour may deter those from seeking him out.
Sources: Blackadder Goes Forth
Home is behind,
The world ahead,
And there are many paths to tread,
Through shadow,
To the edge of night,
Until the stars are all alight.
Mist and shadow,
Cloud and shade,
Hope shall fail,
All shall fade.
You might enjoy this, then ... something one of your countrymen commissioned me to write for him. :)
Below is the Shudderman, based on the Judderman, from a series of schnapps ads that gave him the willies. The Shudderman could easily be a minion of the Red Death! :twisted:
The ad can be seen on the website below:
The Shudderman
Medium Fey (Cold)
Hit Dice: 10d6+5 (85 hp) Initiative: +8 Speed: 40 ft. (8 squares) Armor Class: 20 (+8 Dex, +2 natural) Base Attack/Grapple: +5/+7 Attack: Longsword +10 melee (1d8+5+1d6 cold, The Sweetened Word, +3 icy burst longsword) or claw +13 melee (1d4+2+1d4 cold) Full Attack: Longsword +10 melee (1d8+5+1d6 cold, The Sweetened Word , +3 icy burst longsword); or Longsword +8 melee (1d8+5+1d6 cold, The Sweetened Word , +3 icy burst longsword) and short sword +11 melee (1d6+5+1d6 cold, The Sharpened Tooth, +3 icy burst short sword); or 2 claws +13 melee (1d4+2+1d4 cold) Space/Reach: 5 ft./5 ft. Special Attacks: Aura of cold, spells, sweetened words Special Qualities: Low-light vision Saves: Fort +8, Ref +15, Will +9 Abilities: Str 15, Dex 26, Con 21, Int 16, Wis 14, Cha 25 Skills: Balance +10, Bluff +14, Concentration +12, Craft (Alchemy) +9, Diplomacy +18, Disguise +14, Hide +17, Intimidate +16, Jump +8, Listen +9, Move Silently +17, Perform (Dance) +14, Spot +9, Search +10, Sense Motive +9, Sleight of Hand +17, Tumble +15, Survival +2 (+4 following tracks) Feats: Brew Potion, Persuasive, Stealthy, Two Weapon Fighting, Weapon Finesse Environment: Cold forest Organization: Unique Challenge Rating: 7 Treasure: Standard plus 1d6+4 potions of charm person Alignment: Neutral evil Advancement: — Level Adjustment: —
Beware the Shudderman, my dear
When the moon is fat
Sharp of tongue and spindle-limbed he is
And cunning!
But he, though sweet, has teeth, my love,
And sharpened ones at that.
Beware the Shudderman, my dear
When the moon is fat
—Ancient nursery rhyme
The Shudderman is a mysterious Fey. His stature and appearance is like that of an elf with white skin and icicles in his hair. His narrow face is twisted into a wide grin of malevolent glee.
On nights of the full moon in winter, it is said that the Shudderman creeps into the Material Plane in search of unwary victims. With kind words and evil spells, he bewitches mortals into following him back to his icy home — an icy cave he calls Shudderland. Once there, the Shudderman’s prey are treated to a lavish party that seems to go on for eternity. But such hedonism has its price; one by one the wicked Shudderman slays and consumes his guests as the others, oblivious, continue in their revelry.
Combat
The Shudderman is a capable combatant, but detests open combat. If faced with superior opponents in melee, his first thought is of escape. To that end, he fights defensively and even takes total defense in order to avoid being injured and to give him time to find an escape route. The Shudderman still tries to avoid melee even if he is certain his opponents are weaker than he: combat is not his strongest suit.
Aura of Cold (Su): The Shudderman is called so because he is swathed in a sphere of wintry weather and numbing cold. This aura is so cold close to the body of the Shudderman that he deals an additional 1d4 points of cold damage with his claws. A living creature that comes within 20 feet of the Shudderman of must succeed on a DC 20 Fortitude save or suffer a −1 penalty to all actions for as long as they remain within the radius of effect. Creatures with the Cold subtype are immune to this effect. The save DC is Constitution-based.
Spells (Sp): The Shudderman casts spells as an 8th level sorcerer. Arcane spells per day (6/8/8/6/4, save DC 17+spell level): 0— daze, dancing lights, flare, light, message, prestidigitation, ray of frost, touch of fatigue; 1st—chill touch, expeditious retreat, obscuring mist, shield, sleep; 2nd— detect thoughts, fog cloud, invisibility; 3rd— displacement, sleet storm; 4th— dimension door.
Sweetened Words (Sp): The voice of the Shudderman is lilting and sweet, and can beguile those that hear it. 1/day — dominate person (DC 22); 3/day — charm person (DC 18). Caster level 10th. The save DCs are Charisma-based.
The Shudderman’s Drink
At times, the Shudderman entices his prey by offering them a sip of a warm, sweet, delicious drink. This drink has the effects of a potion of charm person (CL 10th) with the added effect of making the imbiber more susceptible to his sweet words. A living creature that drinks the Shudderman’s brew and fails a DC 18 Will save has a −4 penalty to resist his dominate person ability. The Shudderman has 1d6+4 such potions on his person at all times.
Last edited by Lady Ligeia on Mon Jul 03, 2006 4:44 pm, edited 1 time in total.
"Here then, at least," I shrieked aloud, "can I never --can I never be mistaken --these are the full, and the black, and the wild eyes --of my lost love --of the lady --of the LADY LIGEIA."
Olly wrote:As much as I'd love to, as an Englishman, I'm afraid I wouldn't know much about Rip Van Winkle or John Henry to do them justice.
Okie doke ... I will put them on my "to do" list.
I am thinking Revenant for John Henry, bent on wreaking havoc against machinery.
I just have this eerie picture in my head of a monstrously strong, undead creature in overalls swinging a massive hammer, illuminated only by the head lamp of an oncoming locomotove as it knocks the rails out of alignment ...
"Here then, at least," I shrieked aloud, "can I never --can I never be mistaken --these are the full, and the black, and the wild eyes --of my lost love --of the lady --of the LADY LIGEIA."
Lady Ligeia wrote:You might enjoy this, then ... something one of your countrymen commissioned me to write for him.
That's because... that self same countryman was... ME!
[Tears off rubber mask, ala Scooby Doo]
Yes, it is I, OllyIsMaster from the Tome Of Horrors forum! He of the amateurish and rather hopeless 3.5 conversion threads! Yes! It was all me! Mwa ha ha ha ha!
Isn't that right, Lady Ligeia... Or, should I say... Erika, aka DnDChick!
[Tears off Lady Ligeia's rubber mask, ala Scooby Doo]
Nice to see someone of your talent has finally found there way into the Mists!
Home is behind,
The world ahead,
And there are many paths to tread,
Through shadow,
To the edge of night,
Until the stars are all alight.
Mist and shadow,
Cloud and shade,
Hope shall fail,
All shall fade.
Olly wrote:As much as I'd love to, as an Englishman, I'm afraid I wouldn't know much about Rip Van Winkle or John Henry to do them justice.
Okie doke ... I will put them on my "to do" list.
I am thinking Revenant for John Henry, bent on wreaking havoc against machinery.
I just have this eerie picture in my head of a monstrously strong, undead creature in overalls swinging a massive hammer, illuminated only by the head lamp of an oncoming locomotove as it knocks the rails out of alignment ...
That is a brilliant idea!
Also, thanks for the Shudderman (or Judderman, for that matter!) for MotRD, I'd probably give him the bogeyman subtype and bung him in Russia... I think that's where they make Schnapps, at least.
Home is behind,
The world ahead,
And there are many paths to tread,
Through shadow,
To the edge of night,
Until the stars are all alight.
Mist and shadow,
Cloud and shade,
Hope shall fail,
All shall fade.
I was wondering about the similarity in your names.
Yes, I am DnDChick from EnWorld and Necromancer Games. (curtsey)
"Here then, at least," I shrieked aloud, "can I never --can I never be mistaken --these are the full, and the black, and the wild eyes --of my lost love --of the lady --of the LADY LIGEIA."
The Lesser Evil wrote:
Johnny Appleseed, male human LG Clr6/Sower10*
For further News of Note, Johnny Appleseed was a real person. His name was John Chapman (b. 1774 - d. 1820). Many of the apple orchards he is credited with planting are still in use today in the Midwest.
"Here then, at least," I shrieked aloud, "can I never --can I never be mistaken --these are the full, and the black, and the wild eyes --of my lost love --of the lady --of the LADY LIGEIA."
), and now she's fighting evil? Brilliant work! 
I'm having fun with this thread, too! It's an interesting exercise giving the "America McGee" spin to icons of 19th century literature and children's fiction. 
