in_nomine-digest Saturday, December 22 2001 Volume 01 : Number 2491 In this digest: IN> Three perfect humans... Re: IN> Three perfect humans... Re: IN> Three perfect humans... Re: IN> Three perfect humans... Re: IN> Three perfect humans... IN> Re: SPOILERS? (Private responses ONLY) IN> Two Demons Walk Into a Bar... Re: IN> Three perfect humans... IN> Adventure Seed: "Power For The Taking" IN> Alternate Rules for Choirs and Bands Re: IN> Adventure Seed: "Power For The Taking" Re: IN> Adventure Seed: "Power For The Taking" Re: IN> Adventure Seed: "Power For The Taking" Re: IN> Adventure Seed: "Power For The Taking" Re: IN> Two Demons Walk Into a Bar... ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 21 Dec 2001 19:12:04 From: "Charles Glasgow" Subject: IN> Three perfect humans... >From: Samovar3@aol.com >Subject: Re: IN> The Redeemers >Date: Fri, 21 Dec 2001 13:59:50 EST [snip] >It would be really fun, in a game like this, to make the ultimate goal of >Heaven and Hell be the Fate/Destiny of the three perfect humans. Lilith >hasn't met her Fate (well on the way there, probably) and both Adam and Eve >would keep reincarnating until they met one or the other. IMO it would be >a lot more interesting that they keep reincarnating, rather than have had >them definitively met their Destiny or Fate. Or for an alternate, have it come down to the tie-breaker round. With the scoreboard so far reading Hell - 1 (Lilith), Heaven - 1 (Adam or Even, as you prefer), and the third one... Adam or Even... still reincarnating. So it all comes down to Just. One. Person... .... and neither side knows who the hell it is. That's why everybody scrambles so hard for every human soul they can get to either meet their Destiny or Fate. You never know... - -- Chuckg _________________________________________________________________ Send and receive Hotmail on your mobile device: http://mobile.msn.com ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 21 Dec 2001 11:31:08 -0800 (PST) From: Michael Walton Subject: Re: IN> Three perfect humans... And today's Cool Point goes to Charles! I REALLY like this idea. ===== Michael Walton, #9805-068 "It is not the man who has too little, but the man who craves more, that is poor." -- Seneca __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Check out Yahoo! Shopping and Yahoo! Auctions for all of your unique holiday gifts! Buy at http://shopping.yahoo.com or bid at http://auctions.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 21 Dec 2001 11:50:09 -0800 From: "Brian Rogers" Subject: Re: IN> Three perfect humans... > > So it all comes down to Just. One. Person... > > ... and neither side knows who the hell it is. NATHAN STACK!!!! (That's it, Brian. Make another obscure reference.) Reverend Brian - -- _______________________________________________ Sign-up for your own FREE Personalized E-mail at Mail.com http://www.mail.com/?sr=signup 1 cent a minute calls anywhere in the U.S.! http://www.getpennytalk.com/cgi-bin/adforward.cgi?p_key=RG9853KJ&url=http://www.getpennytalk.com ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 21 Dec 2001 19:58:33 From: "Charles Glasgow" Subject: Re: IN> Three perfect humans... >From: "Brian Rogers" >Subject: Re: IN> Three perfect humans... >Date: Fri, 21 Dec 2001 11:50:09 -0800 >NATHAN STACK!!!! > >(That's it, Brian. Make another obscure reference.) I'll say it's obscure. Never heard of the guy. - -- Chuckg _________________________________________________________________ MSN Photos is the easiest way to share and print your photos: http://photos.msn.com/support/worldwide.aspx ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 21 Dec 2001 15:13:17 -0500 From: Earl Wajenberg Subject: Re: IN> Three perfect humans... Brian Rogers wrote: > NATHAN STACK!!!! > > (That's it, Brian. Make another obscure reference.) Okay, I'll play straight-man. Who's Nathan Stack? For another take on the Adam-Eve-Lilith trio, see "Lilith" by George MacDonald. Earl ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 21 Dec 2001 15:25:33 -0500 From: EDG Subject: IN> Re: SPOILERS? (Private responses ONLY) At 08:44 AM 12/21/01 -0500, you wrote: >I am new to this list, but not to netiquette in general. Could someone >please explain to me what I did wrong? If someone includes a spoiler warning before their post, and you comment on (and quote) the content - any content - of the post after the warning without including the warning yourself, then you're effectively nullifying the original warning. It's simply a matter of remembering that spoiler warnings are there for a *reason* - that someone who hasn't seen the movie/read the book/heard the album/whatever might not want to read the text that follows - and that if you decide to repost that text without including the warning, the chance that someone who hasn't [...] might read the text increases exponentially. - -EDG ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 21 Dec 2001 13:38:30 -0800 (PST) From: Michael Walton Subject: IN> Two Demons Walk Into a Bar... Here's my contribution for Christmas -- one that's not icky for a change! I walked into the bar with my head high. The look in my eyes and my every move spoke of confidence. Confidence is the best armor -- it often keeps people from wanting to fight you. That's what I kept telling myself as I made my way over to the table. Perhaps news of my disgrace hadn't gotten up here yet. Even so, a demonic hangout is never a good place to let your guard down. A break in the crowd showed me the party I'd come to meet. L.J. was drinking from a huge mug -- probably rum, as usual -- and chattering incessantly. Greta was drowning her sorrows in a tall glass of beer. I didn't recognize the third party at the table, though. Probably one of L.J.'s Ethereal cronies, judging by the outlandish mandarin outfit and features even more classically Chinese than my own. Doubtless he'd had to come in through the back with the Discordants. When L.J. waved me over to the table, I paused just long enough to snag a drink from a passing tray before joining my friends. "Shiver me timbers!" roared L.J. as I approached, "You're a sight for sore eyes, Chen! Rest yer bones and join us in a pint." The pirate raised his glass and gestured toward the stranger. "This be one of my mates, the Jade Mandarin. He and I sail under Beleth's flag, arrrr..." The Mandarin acknowledged me with a barely perceptible nod. "Wazzup, homie," I said by way of greeting. L.J. nearly choked on his rum, while the Jade Mandarin's eyebrows shot heavenward in what I'd come to know as an expression of extreme shock. Greta did better; she stopped drinking just long enough to give me a look of unfiltered commiseration before she went back to self-medicating. "Ye never talked like THAT before, lad," said L.J., "I take it yer meeting with Nybbas didn't go well, then?" "It's wack, bro," I replied, "Man knew I twisted 'im, an' he was all up in mah stuff. Jacked up mah rap an' tol' me ta chill fo' awhile." "Shame, that," said L.J., "But I warned ye that plottin' behind yer Prince's back would get ye keelhauled. Ye and Greta are lucky that Nybbas and Malphas let ye off so easy. Princes be not always so merciful, aye?" The Jade Mandarin nodded sagely and said, "The tiger roars to remind us that he is not a butterfly." I shook my head. "Just one more way they try to keep a bruthah down." "The nail will never know the joy of being the hammer," the Mandarin conceded. Greta nodded in agreement. "Fargin' bastidges," she said, then she finished her beer. New Discord: Accent (Ethereal) This Discord has been compared to the Tower of Babel incident; those who suffer from it have their speech similarly confused. Angelic scholars have theorized that Accent is a weird variant of Superior-level ineffability, which would account for the fact that Superiors aren't confused by it. For some strange reason, beings with Accent can understand each other just fine. This Discord is rare among Celestials, though it shows up a bit more often among angels of Creation and demons of the Media. Ethereals are much more prone to it, especially those who were spawned by 20th century fiction. The effects on animal Vessels are even more interesting. Fortunately, the Discord only warps spoken communication; writing and the Songs of Tongues are unaffected. Consult the chart below for the exact effects. 1: The sufferer has a lisp or other speech impediment or has a thick regional, national or subcultural accent. This doesn't usually impede communication, but it does attract attention. Animal Vessel: sounds clipped or drawn out in a manner that attracts attention but doesn't really sound unnatural. 2: The speaker's Accent is noticeably inappropriate to his appearance (for example, a Celestial with an Asian Vessel speaking Ebonics). Animal Vessel: sounds like an animal of the same type but of a different size. 3: The Accent becomes stereotypical or fake-sounding. The speaker has -2 Charisma when dealing with mortals who naturally talk that way. Animal Vessel: anthropomorphized, like a Human doing a really good imitation of animal sounds. 4: The Accent thickens to the point that it impedes communication. The speaker is so difficult to understand that anyone hearing him must succeed on an Intelligence roll to know what he is saying. This understanding will remain for CD minutes, which is also the length of time one must wait before trying again after a failed roll. Animal Vessel: more anthropomorphized, like a Human doing a bad imitation of animal sounds. 5: At this level, the effects of Accent/3 and Accent/4 are combined. Animal Vessel: the sufferer sounds like a Human indicating the animal noise rather than imitating it (as in saying, "arf, arf" or "meow"). 6: The accent is so stylized and stereotypical that it is clearly not a natural speech pattern. The sufferer's speech is almost completely unintelligible; the Intelligence roll to understand him now has the TN reduced by the sufferer's Ethereal Forces. Animal Vessel: sounds like a different sort of animal, but still of the same order (mammal, bird, etc., i.e. a meowing dog or tweeting eagle). ===== Michael Walton, #9805-068 "It is not the man who has too little, but the man who craves more, that is poor." -- Seneca __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Send your FREE holiday greetings online! http://greetings.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 21 Dec 2001 13:53:33 -0800 From: "Brian Rogers" Subject: Re: IN> Three perfect humans... Nathan Stack is the protagonist of a short story called The Deathbird by Harlan Ellison, a wonderful little tale about God, the Devil and the end of the world. Not really In Nomine at all, but a good story. It might provide some inspiration for a very dark game. Brian - -----Original Message----- From: Earl Wajenberg Date: Fri, 21 Dec 2001 15:13:17 -0500 To: in_nomine-l@lists.io.com Subject: Re: IN> Three perfect humans... > Brian Rogers wrote: > > > NATHAN STACK!!!! > > > > (That's it, Brian. Make another obscure reference.) > > Okay, I'll play straight-man. Who's Nathan Stack? > > For another take on the Adam-Eve-Lilith trio, see "Lilith" > by George MacDonald. > > Earl > - -- _______________________________________________ Sign-up for your own FREE Personalized E-mail at Mail.com http://www.mail.com/?sr=signup 1 cent a minute calls anywhere in the U.S.! http://www.getpennytalk.com/cgi-bin/adforward.cgi?p_key=RG9853KJ&url=http://www.getpennytalk.com ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 21 Dec 2001 15:14:03 -0500 From: David Wood Subject: IN> Adventure Seed: "Power For The Taking" (Not that I think it's likely, but if you remember the details below from the first time they happened, you really should stop reading and do something a little less harmful.) It began in my campaign with the combination of an audacious plan on Vapula's part (using damned souls in a half-hearted attempt to create some form of ambulatory life form for wandering the physical realm), an even more audacious plan on the part of an NPC (Joab, Malakite of Eli, Angel of Creative Mayhem), and the plain old chutzpah of one player's dice, who love rolling sixes. The end result was a perfect set-up for Saminga in some wasteland outside Las Vegas, as one particular soul involved in the very end of the adventure actually had his forces disbanded *explosively*, leveling both an abandoned casino and a sizeable chunk of one of Vapula's labs at the same time (did I forget to mention his plan was audacious?). No, he doesn't have a "soul destruction tether" set up yet; not only did Heaven set up a picket around the area listening for any symphonic activity, but the local police and FBI came by to investigate what they considered a mighty suspicious explosion. The Infernals can't get close enough to it to harness and consecrate it, but otherwise, everything is in readiness; the area is *swimming* with power. And this is where it's going to start going pear-shaped for everyone involved. And I mean *everyone*, Angelic, Infernal, Human, and anyone else who may be involved. (By the way, if the thing at the very top of this message applied to you, STOP READING.) Enter someone with medical and psychological problems. He starts as a five-force Human with some really bad hang-ups, medical problems, etc. Let's just say he's a psychotic serial killer waiting to happen, and something elsewhere in his life finally makes him *SNAP*. The great thing about this is that it doesn't even have to be Angelic or Infernal influence that pushes him over the edge. It works even better that way, in fact: he comes completely out of left field, and takes everyone by surprise. This individual -- and I'm leaving the details intentionally vague because the circumstances will best be tailored to your specific campaign -- will start on his killing spree. The sequence would normally be snatch victim, take victim to secluded location, kill, dump body, repeat. Serial killers are notoriously regular that way, and catching them is made easier by their predictability. One thing keeps this from being just another serial killer scenario: the location he chooses for his killing is close enough to the proto-tether above that something very special happens: each time he kills someone, he gains a Force. He becomes tougher, smarter, more willful, more clever, more dextrous, etc. And in time, he may even become Symphonically aware which, to an unbalanced individual, could be misconstrued in entertaining ways. What starts as a simple police procedural turns into an investigative nightmare, as the killer becomes more powerful with each death. When he gets enough forces, this unstable individual may also become Symphonically aware (what he interprets the Symphony as is anybody's guess), so they have to find and catch him while creating as little Disturbance as they can. A number of questions can come up, and should be answered on a game-by-game basis, unless of course they get answered here first: Is it possible for a human to activate a tether? Ordinarily, one might think not, but given that this is a Samingan tether-wannabe, and a serial killer is getting repeated rushes from it, it's hard to say. How do they stop him? After four such deaths, he could be a physical 1:1 match with any starting Celestial, and even superior to some. And *should* they stop him? Killing him and sending him to Hell would only given Hell more ammunition to work with, though perhaps it's worth it in this case. And then, what if they kill him on the grounds of the Tether-to-be? What happens in *that* case? Humans can generally only hold 15 Forces (5-5-5 configuration). What happens after the 11th killing? If the case manages to go on that long, he'd pick up his 16th Force, which he can't hold. The idea of a (living, moving) human tether to Saminga would not be without its irony. Nor would having him "fission" into two identical copies of himself, eight forces each. Or maybe he goes up in a huge fireball, activating the Tether. - --David http://skipjack.bluecrab.org/~dwood "I must warn you, sir, that outside I have police dog Josephine, who is not only armed, and trained to sniff out certain substances, but is also a junkie." -Monty Python, episode 5 ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 21 Dec 2001 18:18:12 -0600 From: David Edelstein Subject: IN> Alternate Rules for Choirs and Bands Beyond Choirs And Bands By David Edelstein, © 2001; permission granted to copy and distribute freely as long as credit is given In Nomine is essentially based on character classes. Each type of angel or demon is for all practical purposes a different race, and a character's Choir or Band is the most important and defining attribute. This is not without precedent in literature and mythology, as occultists have always sought a taxonomy of demons, and Dionysius was probably not the first theologian to try to organize angels into heavenly ranks. People naturally like to categorize things, including supernatural beings. But what if angels and demons aren't so easily categorizable? What if every celestial is an individual creation of God (for angels) or Self (for demons)? When picturing demons, I've always been fond of the scene in Neil Gaiman's Sandman, where Morpheus stands on the plains of Hell surrounded by the infernal horde, and we see legions of demons of every conceivable variety. Traditional scaly humanoids with horns and forked tails, Cthuluhoid horrors, serpentine lamias, "cute" little one-eyed fuzzballs, leather-clad pink-skinned hermaphrodites in chains, etc., etc., etc. For In Nomine players and GMs who want more variety in celestial characters, beyond vague references to "minor" Choirs and Bands, I present an alternative to the rigid character class system in the main rulebook. Note: These rules haven't been playtested, and while I tried to make them more or less balanced, I provide no assurances that they won't allow some munchkinish combination that will unbalance your game. Use at your own risk! [Concept] [Chorals] [Playing a Choral] [Choral Group Attunements] [Choral Options] [Choral Groups and Celestial Society] [Duets] [Superiors] [Titles] Angelic Choral Groups: [Seraph] [Cherub] [Ofanite] [Elohite] [Malakite] [Kyriotate] [Mercurian] Demonic Choral Groups: [Balseraph] [Djinn] [Calabite] [Habbalite] [Lilim] [Shedite] [Impudite] [Sample Characters] Concept: How Celestials are Made In Nomine speaks of demons being organized into "Bands" based on their affinities, implying that every demon develops differently but that they all tend to "mature" into one of several different archetypes. Likewise angels, though there's a stronger implication that angels tend to be more naturally hierarchical, with Archangels choosing how most angels will "fledge." I take this concept a step further, and suggest that celestials can develop multiple affinities, or personality traits, characteristic of more than one "Choir/Band." Most will find certain affinities predominating, and as with canonical In Nomine, a Superior can always create a celestial whole in any configuration he desires. However, left to develop on their own, celestials -- especially diabolicals -- can manifest as angels or demons in a thousand different varieties. We may still refer to "Choirs" and "Bands" to describe those celestials who share certain traits in common, but now they are more like celestial societies of like-minded individuals, rather than races. Nationalities or religions as opposed to ethnic groups, to use an Earthly analogy. To put it more simply in game terms, celestials can now be "multi-classed." - ------------------------------------------------------------------------------ For the rest of this article go to http://www.amadan.org/Innomine/celestialvariants.html - -David ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 22 Dec 2001 00:36:40 -0600 From: "Prodigal" Subject: Re: IN> Adventure Seed: "Power For The Taking" From: "David Wood" > > (Joab, Malakite of Eli, Angel of Creative Mayhem), Is that the Angel of Creative Mayhem I wrote up for the list awhile back, out of nosiness? ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 22 Dec 2001 06:41:39 -0500 From: David Wood Subject: Re: IN> Adventure Seed: "Power For The Taking" On Saturday, December 22, 2001, at 01:36 AM, Prodigal wrote: > From: "David Wood" >> >> (Joab, Malakite of Eli, Angel of Creative Mayhem), > > Is that the Angel of Creative Mayhem I wrote up for the list awhile > back, > out of nosiness? It's a different one... not very well planned out in my mind because stats would only slow him down. In fact, I didn't know there *was* an Angel of Creative Mayhem. I've been off the list for a while. Is the write-up in the archives? - --David http://skipjack.bluecrab.org/~dwood "I'd say it was the work of a very imaginative, very cruel genius. I'd even say who, but modesty forbids, and frankly, I'd rather the authorities completely overlook my involvement in the affair." ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 22 Dec 2001 10:55:33 -0600 From: "Prodigal" Subject: Re: IN> Adventure Seed: "Power For The Taking" From: "David Wood" > On Saturday, December 22, 2001, at 01:36 AM, Prodigal wrote: > > > From: "David Wood" > >> > >> (Joab, Malakite of Eli, Angel of Creative Mayhem), > > > > Is that the Angel of Creative Mayhem I wrote up for the list awhile > > back, out of nosiness? > > It's a different one... not very well planned out in my mind because > stats would only slow him down. That makes sense to me. > In fact, I didn't know there *was* an Angel of Creative Mayhem. I've > been off the list for a while. Is the write-up in the archives? Some months back, I wrote up a Malakite of either Eli or Michael who was a big Three Stooges fan, and who wound up being granted the word of Creative Mayhem. Can't remember which of a number of different computers I posted it from, but if I can find it I'll forward him along to you so that you can decide what might or might not fit your concept of the word. ;:;) ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 22 Dec 2001 11:10:58 -0600 From: "Prodigal" Subject: Re: IN> Adventure Seed: "Power For The Taking" From: "David Wood" > > In fact, I didn't know there *was* an Angel of Creative Mayhem. I've > been off the list for a while. Is the write-up in the archives? Just found him. Here you go: Moaz, Angel of Creative Mayhem "The world has too many oppresive people with no sense of humor. Hit them with pies." Corporeal Forces: 6 Strength: 12 Agility: 12 Ethereal Forces: 5 Intelligence: 8 Precision: 12 Celestial Forces: 4 Will: 8 Perception: 8 Word Forces: 6 Vessels: Human male/6, Human male/6 (Chinese) Role: Stuntman/3, Status 2 Songs: Charm (Corporeal)/3, Charm (Ethereal)/3, Form (Corporeal)/4, Healing (Corporeal)/5, Healing (Celestial)/5, Motion (Corporeal)/3, Motion (Ethereal)/3, Motion (Celestial)/3, Thunder/2 Skills: Acrobatics/6, Climbing/4, Dodge/6, Driving/3, Emote/6, Escape/3, Fighting/6, Large Weapon (Improvised)/6, Move Silently/3, Ranged Weapon (Improvised)/6, Running/3, Small Weapon (Improvised)/6, Swimming/2, Tactics/3, Throwing (Improvised)/6 Attunements: Malakite of Creation, Malakite of War, Seraph of War, Ofanite of War, Proficiency (Pies), Angel of Creative Mayhem Angel of Creative Mayhem: The posessor of this attunement can add his Ethereal Forces to either the accuracy or power of any attack made with an improvised weapon. Distinctions: Vassal of War, Friend of the Fighters, Master of Valor Rites: Succeed at 3 Precision-based skills in a row Duel with a diabolical Kill a demon or fallen angel using an unconventional weapon or method Spend three hours in armed practice Teach another person how to fight with improvised weaponry Introduce another being to slapstick comedy Kill a minion of Magog (5) Oaths: "I will not suffer an evil to live, if it is my choice." "I will never surrender, nor allow myself to be captured by, the armies of Lucifer." "I will never turn away one who sincerely seeks Redemption." "I will never use conventional weapons." "I will never refuse an honorable challenge to a fight." In 1934, Moaz entered a movie theatre rumored to be the hiding place of a renegade Mercurian of the Media, only to discover the Three Stooges. He spent time watching as many movies along similar lines that he could find, and asked Eli for the word of Slapstick immediately upon his return to Heaven. This form of humor lifted the spirits of a humanity sorely oppressed by the Depression, he stated, as well as showing them methods of combat few save Malakim of Creation viewed as either possible or desireable, and Eli was either amused or impressed enough by this line of reasoning to sponsor him before the seraphim council. The council felt that Slapstick was a word that could too easily be perverted by Hell, but still saw the merits in awarding one that could be turned to Heaven's purposes, and decided upon Creative Mayhem instead. Since then, Moaz has been promoting comedies in which the hero uses unconventional methods of combat to defeat evildoers (he uses his Chinese vessel to help ensure that Jackie Chan doesn't quite kill himself doing his own stunts, for example.) When slapstick comedy waned in popularity, Moaz requested that Eli transfer his services to War. With what he viewed as little hope of his most beloved form of entertainment experiencing a resurgence, he felt that his word could only be served on the front lines against Hell. He came to hate both Nybbas (for the media's lack of promotion of slapstick) and Kobal (for turning slapstick into just another way of taking pleasure from the pain of others [as opposed to simply emphasizing the humor in a good pie fight,]) unlike any other superiors on the other side. When he saw his first action movie from Hong Kong, however, Moaz felt the same joy as he did on that fateful day in 1934. Any visitor to the apartment he lives in between stunt jobs will be introduced to one of the thousands of videotapes featuring the Stooges, the Keystone Cops, Charlie Chaplin or Jackie Chan. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 22 Dec 2001 14:48:34 -0800 (PST) From: Maurice Lane Subject: Re: IN> Two Demons Walk Into a Bar... - --- Michael Walton wrote: > Here's my contribution for Christmas -- one that's > not > icky for a change! Faith and begorra, laddie, but isn't that the prettiest thing, now! I'd be thinking that himself with the mouth as shut as a miser's purse would be dropping this little pretty on his long-suffering lads .... and that it'd be a black, black day indeed if some poor boyo wtih a yen for speaking his mind ever suffers from it.* Moe *Or, "Cute! May I suggest that it's not unknown for Alaemon to hand this out ... and that Servitors of Revelations have to add the level of this Discord to their dissonance rolls?" ===== Liber Licentiae Moeticae: http://www.stormloader.com/users/moelane/innomine.html Last updated 11/13/01(this is usually way out of date) __________________________________________________ Do You Yahoo!? Send your FREE holiday greetings online! http://greetings.yahoo.com ------------------------------ End of in_nomine-digest V1 #2491 ********************************