Challange: Darklords based on these RL people

[brilliantlight]

The Dukkar is roughly based on Hitler and Drakov on Dracula. How about some roughly based on these people?

1)Joesoph Stalin
2) Ghengis Khan
3) Caligula
4) Pol Pot

[brilliantlight]

The Dukkar is roughly based on Hitler and Drakov on Dracula. How about some roughly based on these people?

1)Joesoph Stalin
2) Ghengis Khan
3) Caligula
4) Pol Pot

Maybe I should give you the background and have you just figure out the curse/powers

1) Ivan Davarstei was born in a Cultural Level 9 empire called Rumaliz. Rumaliz was the wealthiest empire on the planet with huge disparities in wealth. Ivan lived in one of its many slums and was exceedingly jelous of these lords and very charismatic. He rallied the masses by promising a republican form of government and equal distribution of wealth where all property is owned by the government. His revolution successful he had himself elected First Citzen for a 5 year term. On the next election all his opponents in his race were found dead. From then on he ran unopposed. As head of government all property was in effect owned by him. Some years later a young man named Stephan Drazinzki raised the banner of revolution once more saying Ivan betrayed it. Unfortunately for Ivan he couldn't find Stephan. Ivan then pretended to want a peaceful solution where he gave in to some of their greviences and he even reversed some of his decrees to make it appear so. He then arranged to meet Stephan to negotiate. He betrayed Stephan and his compatriots by murdering them and then the mists claimed him.

2) Chon Lee was born in a Cultural Level 5 kingdom named Chinik. Although backwards the kingdom was very militant and believed that the way of the warrior was best. Cinik was divided by fueding lords however and never was able to expand. Chon was unusally charismatic and was an excellent warrior. For the first time in its history he united the various lords who then overthrough the king making Chon the new one. He then led his men on a war of conquest. Kingdom after kingdom fell to his fierce warriors. He was a brutal king however and had his men burn down entire villages for not paying their taxes even if it was impossible and enslaving the entire populace. Other kingdoms finally united and were fighting Chon to standstill. Angered he had his warriors destroy some villages on false charges. As the last village was destroyed the mists claimed him.

3) Antonio Caratti was born in a cutural lvl 4 empire called Thracian. He was the spoiled son of the emperor himself. Eager for the throne he poisoned his father when he was 15. A spoiled brat he loved nothing more than elaborate parties. At first the people loved it but with all those parties things didn't get done and the treasury started emptying. To gain money he set up bordellos and even pimped out his sisters. After a particularly depraved party which included torture and cold blooded murder just for the excitement the mists claimed him.

4) Chang Woo was born in a Cultural Level 7 kingdom in a small, poor village. He was always on the verge of starvation while rich city dwellers feasted on luxeries. He gathered a bunch of malcontents together and launched a revoluton. After the revolution he cleared out the city dwellers and burned down their cities. He then enslaved them and made them work on small farms. Agricutural production actually declined because the city dwellers had no clue on what they were doing. Starvation started increasing greatly. He started executing former city dwellers to "make an example of them." After personally executing a 7 year old girl to show people he meant business the mists claimed him.

Comments? Any further ideas?

[ewancummins]

I suggest that you mix it up a bit more. Disguise the source of the ideas, and play around with variants. The villain based on Pol Pot should be a hafling, or something like that.

''I will restore the ancient halfing way, when we were all equal and everyone was a farmer! "

Look at Drakov and Vlad Tepes, for example. Leave out the similarity in names ( Drakov, Dracula), the skill at war, and the penchant for impalement. There are some pretty notable differences. Vlad Tepes was a legitimate prince, born to rule. He wasn't an ambitious mercenary, bent on conquest of foreign lands. He was a Wallachian patriot who focused on the defense of his own country.

[brilliantlight]

I suggest that you mix it up a bit more. Disguise the source of the ideas, and play around with variants. The villain based on Pol Pot should be a hafling, or something like that.

''I will restore the ancient halfing way, when we were all equal and everyone was a farmer! "

Look at Drakov and Vlad Tepes, for example. Leave out the similarity in names ( Drakov, Dracula), the skill at war, and the penchant for impalement. There are some pretty notable differences. Vlad Tepes was a legitimate prince, born to rule. He wasn't an ambitious mercenary, bent on conquest of foreign lands. He was a Wallachian patriot who focused on the defense of his own country.

I did change them a bit. Stalin was born in the small village IIRC not in the slums. Chon Lee was fought to a standstill at the end not just kept conquering and I pictured him leading mostly infantry not archer cavalry. The other two are less changed. I really like the idea of making Chang a halfling. Any other suggestions to change them more?

[Five]

For the Caligula-Antonio Caratti figure I would just write off of, and limit the RL version to, the 'recorded rumours' of history. Make it a point to mention that he was the unwilling-to-willing captive of and tutored by an expressly deviant and exiled individual (Tiberius grotesqued). Former lord of some great nation with near endless resources. You could combine Tiberius and Nero and have the RL version the individual who shaved the coins of an empire. The abused becomes the abuser, the student becomes the master..

The debauched party island of Capri (or its RL parallel) would make for an inviting domain as well. A weekend party for socialites, brown nosers, their entourages, etc. A week-long party for select individuals. A retirement home for the elite (of the sickest). Lots of reasons why the PCs would make the party. Maybe as sailing merchant guards they had to dock for repairs. Invited bodyguards. Spies. Thieves. Party animals. Whatever.

Interesting figure to mold into a Dark Lord.

[brilliantlight]

For the Caligula-Antonio Caratti figure, I`d make it a point to mention that he was the unwilling-to-willing captive of and tutored by an expressly deviant and exiled individual (Tiberius grotesqued). Former lord of some great nation with near endless resources. You could combine Tiberius and Nero and have the RL version the individual who shaved the coins of an empire. The abused becomes the abuser, the student becomes the master..

The debauched party island of Capri (or its RL parallel) would make for an inviting domain as well. A weekend party for socialites, brown nosers, their entourages, etc. A week-long party for select individuals. A retirement home for the elite (of the sickest). Lots of reasons why the PCs would make the party. Maybe as sailing merchant guards they had to dock for repairs. Invited bodyguards. Spies. Thieves. Party animals. Whatever.

Interesting figure to mold into a Dark Lord.

Good idea for Antonio although I might combine elements of both which would be the abuser has a short temper and beats the kid when he loses it but then feels guilty about it and tries to make it up by spoiling him soon afterwords as this sometimes happens in RL. We could make his domain resemble Capri but make it much darker. Maybe adding sex slaves and BOVD drugs which are even nastier than RL ones.

Any ideas for their powers and curses?

[Manofevil]

Well, some interesting other things about Caligula. When he was little more than a toddler, He went out on campaign with one of the roman legions. He was a good little kid then. The soldiers loved him so much, they forged him a set of tiny armor for him to march in, always at the head of the column. All the soldiers looked forward to the day he became Ceasar. Some historians believe it was brain damage he suffered when he had a fever in his late teens or early twenties, can't remember which, that turned him into a depraved lunatic.

[brilliantlight]

Well, some interesting other things about Caligula. When he was little more than a toddler, He went out on campaign with one of the roman legions. He was a good little kid then. The soldiers loved him so much, they forged him a set of tiny armor for him to march in, always at the head of the column. All the soldiers looked forward to the day he became Ceasar. Some historians believe it was brain damage he suffered when he had a fever in his late teens or early twenties, can't remember which, that turned him into a depraved lunatic.

Could be, brain damage can effect people in strange ways. In any case any ideas on what Antonios curse/powers should be?

[ewancummins]

Could be, brain damage can effect people in strange ways. In any case any ideas on what Antonios curse/powers should be?

I think you should avoid a naturalistic cause for this NPCs' depravity(I'm not making a comment on whether Caligula actually suffered from brain damage). If his bad behaviour results from brain damage, that seems to lessen his moral agency. In this case, and with most darklords, I think that should be avoided.

I like the Darth Tiberius- Darth Little Boots relationship, and the inevitable chucking off sea-cliff/down power well scene that it implies.


To figure out his curse and powerrs, we need to now at least two things:

What does he desire most/what's his main goal in life?

What are his greatest/most meaningful crimes?

[ewancummins]

I did change them a bit. Stalin was born in the small village IIRC not in the slums. Chon Lee was fought to a standstill at the end not just kept conquering and I pictured him leading mostly infantry not archer cavalry. The other two are less changed. I really like the idea of making Chang a halfling. Any other suggestions to change them more?

I'd also make the hafling NOT an 'Oriental.' This disguises things a bit further.


'Chon Lee' could be given a less Oriental sounding name, and styled as a swords and sorcery barbarian. Think of the Unearthed Acrana (AD&D 1E) barbarian class. Call barbarian horde! Make the infantry he leads fierce marauders with classic swords and sorcery gear- which actually makes them look a lot like German tribesmen of the invasions/wandering period- the end of the Western Empire. This further disguises the original inspiration for the NPC.


Give the Stalin PC a theological background (this makes him MORE like Stalin, but it's cool because most people forget Stalin went to a seminary school). Maybe he was a young cleric who eventually turned against the gods when he became a Marxi...errr...villain. Now he's an ur-priest!
Change his name. It will remind people too much of the USSR, and of Stalin in particular. You want to avoid that, I think. How about using something a bit like the Ottoman Empire, if you want a real big, rich empire as your starting point?

Just suggestions, as you requested- YMMV.

[ewancummins]

Hafling darklord- Don't just have him kill a 7 year old girl- he kills one of his blood relations. That makes it more personal. If he's a geneocidal loser like Pol Pot, you run the risk of making him a banal killing machine. Look for ways to make him more than just a jerk who kills people/gets lots of folks killed.

Play up his agrarian ideology. Maybe show how it was a mostly good, cooperative thing before he became the leader. He took the Grange and morphed it into the Party.

[brilliantlight]

Could be, brain damage can effect people in strange ways. In any case any ideas on what Antonios curse/powers should be?

I think you should avoid a naturalistic cause for this NPCs' depravity(I'm not making a comment on whether Caligula actually suffered from brain damage). If his bad behaviour results from brain damage, that seems to lessen his moral agency. In this case, and with most darklords, I think that should be avoided.

I like the Darth Tiberius- Darth Little Boots relationship, and the inevitable chucking off sea-cliff/down power well scene that it implies.


To figure out his curse and powerrs, we need to now at least two things:

What does he desire most/what's his main goal in life?

What are his greatest/most meaningful crimes?

Good points.

1) Ivan's main goal is to be worshiped as a god. His ego knows no bounds so his goal is godhood. His greatest crime was to burn down entire sections of the country when they refused to offer worship.


2) Chon's main goal is conquest but I want a different curse than Drakov. The one I thought of is stick him on an island where the seas are far too rough for anyone to set sail from. The mists sometimes takes small groups there or from there. His greatest crime was sacking an entire city and enslaving all its people when it couldn't pay all the taxes due.

3) Antonio is a complete hedonist. His main goals are to get drunk, rape people regardless of sex and get high. His greatest crime was to conquer a city of elves to get more interesting rape victims.


4) Chang just wants to punish the rich city dwellers. His whole psyche is wrapped up in desire for revenge. His main crime was conquering a huge city and forcing its inhabitants into the desert to try and eek out a miserable living from virtually bare rock. Huge numbers of them starved to death.

[brilliantlight]

I did change them a bit. Stalin was born in the small village IIRC not in the slums. Chon Lee was fought to a standstill at the end not just kept conquering and I pictured him leading mostly infantry not archer cavalry. The other two are less changed. I really like the idea of making Chang a halfling. Any other suggestions to change them more?

I'd also make the hafling NOT an 'Oriental.' This disguises things a bit further.


'Chon Lee' could be given a less Oriental sounding name, and styled as a swords and sorcery barbarian. Think of the Unearthed Acrana (AD&D 1E) barbarian class. Call barbarian horde! Make the infantry he leads fierce marauders with classic swords and sorcery gear- which actually makes them look a lot like German tribesmen of the invasions/wandering period- the end of the Western Empire. This further disguises the original inspiration for the NPC.


Give the Stalin PC a theological background (this makes him MORE like Stalin, but it's cool because most people forget Stalin went to a seminary school). Maybe he was a young cleric who eventually turned against the gods when he became a Marxi...errr...villain. Now he's an ur-priest!
Change his name. It will remind people too much of the USSR, and of Stalin in particular. You want to avoid that, I think. How about using something a bit like the Ottoman Empire, if you want a real big, rich empire as your starting point?

Just suggestions, as you requested- YMMV.

Changes I could make

I guess we could change Chon's name to Rahotep and give it an Eygptian flavor.

Change Chon's name to Ainmire and have him lead axe wielding barbarians based loosely on the Franks.

Change Ivan's name to Zafir Celik. I guess I could make him a priest of Hextor who desires godhood and turns even from Hextor to gain godlike powers. I hate Ur-priests as I can't think of a reason why the gods wouldn't simply squash them like flies.

[brilliantlight]

Hafling darklord- Don't just have him kill a 7 year old girl- he kills one of his blood relations. That makes it more personal. If he's a geneocidal loser like Pol Pot, you run the risk of making him a banal killing machine. Look for ways to make him more than just a jerk who kills people/gets lots of folks killed.

Play up his agrarian ideology. Maybe show how it was a mostly good, cooperative thing before he became the leader. He took the Grange and morphed it into the Party.

He could kill his own sister who is disgusted with him. I want him to be a geneocidal loser because that what Pol Pot was. Get rid of that and you get rid of the basis of the character.

[Five]

For the Caligula-Antonio Caratti figure I would just write off of, and limit the RL version to, the 'recorded rumours' of history. Make it a point to mention that he was the unwilling-to-willing captive of and tutored by an expressly deviant and exiled individual (Tiberius grotesqued). Former lord of some great nation with near endless resources. You could combine Tiberius and Nero and have the RL version the individual who shaved the coins of an empire. The abused becomes the abuser, the student becomes the master..

The debauched party island of Capri (or its RL parallel) would make for an inviting domain as well. A weekend party for socialites, brown nosers, their entourages, etc. A week-long party for select individuals. A retirement home for the elite (of the sickest). Lots of reasons why the PCs would make the party. Maybe as sailing merchant guards they had to dock for repairs. Invited bodyguards. Spies. Thieves. Party animals. Whatever.

Interesting figure to mold into a Dark Lord.

Throw in a "Count of Monte Cristo" spin too. Maybe the Tiberius-Nero figure uses a facade similar to the Count's, just to be at the centre of the social elite's attention. His vast ill-gotten fortune would draw in the envious, his outward charm the rumour whisper 'invitation' to others. The sadistic and vile parties, on the other hand, are reserved for 'prospects'. All underground.

Antonio, of course, will eventually replace this figure. But lacking the charm (or, acting ability) of his former master, he eventually turns away the nobler of the nobles and is left with an increasingly depraved bunch of individuals. He still tries to draw in the more respectable types (and some are both respectable and depraved of course), and keep the 'Count' charade going, but during the course of his parties, his inhibitions will ALWAYS be dropped (he's a wild one) and his true self will be clear for all to see. Thusly, after each night of public parties (the private ones are ongoing, but elsewhere on the island), the carnival must move on to the next town...shifting/floating domain? Anchored for just long enough to entice the mainlanders?

Just a few more thoughts. Hope you don't mind.