From owner-in_nomine-digest@lists.io.com Sat Feb 14 18:44:29 1998 Return-Path: Received: from lists.io.com (lists.io.com [199.170.88.15]) by pyramid.sjgames.com (8.8.5/8.8.5) with ESMTP id SAA21574 for ; Sat, 14 Feb 1998 18:44:29 -0600 Received: (from majordom@localhost) by lists.io.com (8.8.7/8.8.5) id SAA06222 for in_nomine-digest-outgoing; Sat, 14 Feb 1998 18:47:22 -0600 Date: Sat, 14 Feb 1998 18:47:22 -0600 Message-Id: <199802150047.SAA06222@lists.io.com> From: owner-in_nomine-digest@lists.io.com (in_nomine-digest) To: in_nomine-digest@lists.io.com Subject: in_nomine-digest V1 #628 Reply-To: in_nomine-l@lists.io.com Sender: owner-in_nomine-digest@lists.io.com Errors-To: owner-in_nomine-digest@lists.io.com Precedence: bulk in_nomine-digest Saturday, February 14 1998 Volume 01 : Number 628 In this digest: IN> in>mummy creation Re: IN> FLUFF! Turmoil in Heaven! Re: IN> Maya Fan Club (Re: Lilim and Reproduction) Re: IN> in>mummy creation Re: IN> Kabbalah Re: IN> Maya Fan Club (Re: Lilim and Reproduction) Re: IN> WW2 Re: IN> Kabbalah Re: IN> FLUFF! Turmoil in Heaven! Re: IN> Eli - Creation and Creativity Re: IN> In Nomine High Re: IN> [B5 SPOILERS] General observations Re: IN> [B5 SPOILERS] General observations IN> The Bigger Hammer, a silly adventure True shape of flame (Was: Re: IN> Eli - Creation and Creativity) IN> Liber Reliquarum Cover Re: IN> Maya Fan Club (Re: Lilim and Reproduction) Re: IN> The Bigger Hammer, a silly adventure Re: IN> The Bigger Hammer, a silly adventure Re: IN> Elohim IN> Re: IN- Another adventure seed for IN:WWII IN> Re: IN- Elohim ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Fri, 13 Feb 1998 18:43:42 -0600 From: MadLocks Subject: IN> in>mummy creation Do any of the current IN supplements show the exact process in making a mummy, and if not will there be a future supplement that would include this information? madlocks@mci2000.com ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 13 Feb 1998 18:57:22 -0600 From: MadLocks Subject: Re: IN> FLUFF! Turmoil in Heaven! GOD's lawyers have stated that it is a satanic conspiracy. Despite the allegations, GOD's approval rating is 71%. GOD has stated that he will not resign, and that these allegations will not interfere with his duties as Supreme Being. madlocks@mci2000.com - ---------- > From: Elizabeth McCoy > To: in_nomine-l@lists.io.com > Subject: IN> FLUFF! Turmoil in Heaven! > Date: Thursday, February 12, 1998 3:59 PM > > I really hope I haven't seen this on the list before... > > >>Turmoil rocked Heaven this morning as allegations arose that God had had > >>an affair with a former worshipper. The scandal was begun when a 21 year > >>old woman, known only as Mary, claimed that she had given birth to God's > >>"only son" last week in a barn in the hamlet of Bethlehem. > >> > >>Sources close to Mary claim that she "had loved God for a long time", that > >>she was constantly talking about her relationship with God, and that she > >>was "thrilled to have had his child." In a press conference this morning, > >>God issued a vehement denial, saying that "No sexual relationship > >>existed", and that "the facts of this story will come out in time, > >>verily". > >> > >>Independent counsel Kenneth Beelzebub immediately filed a brief with the > >>Justice department to expand his investigation to cover questions of > >>whether any commandments may have been broken, and whether God had > >>illegally funneled laundered money to his illegitimate child through three > >>foreign operatives know only as the "Wise Men". Beelzebub has issued > >>subpoenas to several angels who are rumored to have acted as go-betweens > >>in the affair. > >> > >>Critics have pointed out that these allegations have little to do with > >>the charges that Beelzebub was originally appointed to investigate, that God > >>had created large-scale flooding in order to cover up evidence of a > >>failed land deal. > >> > >>In recent months, Beelzebub's investigation has already been expanded to > >>cover questions surrounding the large number of locusts that plagued God's > >>political opponents in the last election, as well as to claims that the > >>destruction of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah was to divert attention > >>away from a scandal involving whether the giveaway of a parcel of public > >>land in Promised County to a Jewish special interest group was quid pro > >>quo for political contributions. > >> > >>If these allegations prove to be true, then this could be a huge blow to > >>God's career, much of which has been spent crusading for stricter moral > >>standards and harsher punishments for wrongdoers. Indeed, God recently > >>outlined a "tough-on-crime" plan consisting of a series of 10 > >>"Commandments", which has been introduced in Congress in a bill by Rep. > >>Moses. Critics of the bill have pointed out that it lacks any provisions > >>for the rehabilitation of criminals, and lawyers for the ACLU are planning > >>to fight the "Name in Vain" Commandment as being an unconstitutional > >>restriction on free speech. > > > --emccoy@nh.ultranet.com // arcangel@io.com In Nomine Line Editor > GURPS, Roleplayers, In Nomine stuff; Art: http://www.io.com/~arcangel/ > ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 14 Feb 1998 00:48:51 GMT From: maya@tcp.co.uk (GR Cogman) Subject: Re: IN> Maya Fan Club (Re: Lilim and Reproduction) >>>>Nathaniel, who just read Maya's stories. Lust + Nastiness = Shedim >>>>Pit...*shudder*. >>> >>>Shedim Pit? What, is this "Hunt"? Or one of the others? >> >>The Hunt, IIRC. Very funny stuff - I liked the "Where'd the Renegade >>go?" bluff... > > Hunt was a co-authored bit. Maya did the evil nasty faceless >drooling horrors (like the Shedite), and I came up with some of >the clever stuff, and she came up with other clever stuff, and she >did the best descriptions, and we each have a version of "Hunt" -- >one by her and one by me. (Mine's up on the INC Fiction page.) >I forget which of us did the Shedim Pit. Probably her. Hm. I think I did the Shedite in the Leather Room, and you did the discovery of the Shedim Pit, which we sensibly didn't go into. Fortunately the Beautiful Prince himself didn't show up (as he keeps on doing in Em's game _Holy War_) and so we were spared some awkward explanations... >Maya's very good. I blush. Thank you. - --- Maya, Elohim of Eli in service to Blandine maya@tcp.co.uk - -- "There are those who say that wizards are subject to temptations and addictions beyond the understanding of ordinary men: the addiction to shape-changing, or to meditation under the influence of certain herbs and conditions of the stars; the obsession with knowledge, and the development of power. Yet this is not so. Temptation is temptation, obsession is obsession, and choice is choice." - Isar Chelladan, Precepts of Wizardry. -- "Dog Wizard", Barbara Hambly. ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 13 Feb 1998 19:46:00 -0500 From: Elizabeth McCoy Subject: Re: IN> in>mummy creation At 6:43 PM -0600 2/13/98, MadLocks wrote: > Do any of the current IN supplements show the exact process in making a >mummy, and if not will there be a future supplement that would include this >information? Nope, and probably. - --Beth, Demon Princess of Nitpicking http://www.sjgames.com/in-nomine/articles/INChar/Demons/Prince.Beth.html ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 14 Feb 1998 01:46:56 +0000 From: Nathaniel Eliot Subject: Re: IN> Kabbalah > > Note that this may been seen as an example of > > the universe as a proper subset of God (panatheism, I think). > > Close. "Panentheism." Thank you. > > On the other hand, if Keter is God, than maybe Ein Sof is > > everything, of which God is simply a part (and if anybody can > > tell me what style of religeon that is, I'd be grateful)... > > It's just standard monotheism, where God is the first and greatest > thing, but not everything. Well, except that Kabbalists often revere Ein Sof, and not Keter specifically (AFAIK)... Nathaniel Eliot temujin9@mci2000.com "It's the eternal question, really; to be a slave in Heaven, or a star in Hell. But sometimes Hell doesn't look like Hell. On a good day, it can look like LA." - Playing God ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 14 Feb 1998 01:46:56 +0000 From: Nathaniel Eliot Subject: Re: IN> Maya Fan Club (Re: Lilim and Reproduction) > >> She'd do it just to watch his face. "Search your feelings, Laurence! > >> You know it to be true! I *am* your daughter!" > > > >I'm imagining something more like Lolita, but make of it what you > >will... > > Lolita? A book about a teenage girl who seduces her (step?)father. Raised quite an outcry, both when it was published and when it was made into a movie (both times). It also refers to the father fantasy that some people find sexually attractive - an older, powerful authority figure, often with the hint of naughtiness. > >The Hunt, IIRC. Very funny stuff - I liked the "Where'd the Renegade > >go?" bluff... > > Hunt was a co-authored bit. Maya did the evil nasty > faceless drooling horrors (like the Shedite), and I came up with > some of the clever stuff, and she came up with other clever stuff, > and she did the best descriptions, and we each have a version of > "Hunt" -- one by her and one by me. (Mine's up on the INC Fiction > page.) I forget which of us did the Shedim Pit. Probably her. It was her - I haven't read your version; I'll go check it, now that I know about it. > Maya's very good. Oh, yeah. Em for Game and Dark Humor, Beth for Lilim and Lilith, and Maya for Elohim, Habbalah, and War. You three end up defining a bunch of my images of In Nomine. Nathaniel Eliot temujin9@mci2000.com "It's the eternal question, really; to be a slave in Heaven, or a star in Hell. But sometimes Hell doesn't look like Hell. On a good day, it can look like LA." - Playing God ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 14 Feb 1998 01:46:56 +0000 From: Nathaniel Eliot Subject: Re: IN> WW2 > >>>The choice was not just an invade or bomb choice. It was a choice > between a) accept their conditional surrender (which would have left > the emperor safe), b) invade them, or c) bomb them.<<< > > What conditional surrender was that? I don't recall that Japan ever > offered any such surrender, though it's believed they were > *considering* it. (Many members of the Japanese Imperial Cabinet > were opposed, though.) Well, from what I have seen on it, it was something that the president's cabinet was fairly certain the Japanese would take. I happen to agree with that assessment - the Japanese were basically on the ropes, and were fighting because their way of life was worth more to them than their lives. > >>>We bombed them, supposedly to show them that we had the power, but > mostly to demonstrate to Russia that we had the power. We could > have bombed an empty atoll and sent them film of the results, which > would have demonstrated equally well.<<< > > Well, if that were true, we wouldn't have had to bomb *two* cities. > We bombed one, and that wasn't enough to convince them. We dropped two bombs because were weren't certain that either design would work; the pause between the two was situational. > >>>And when they unconditionally surrendered after the bombing, you > know what? We left their damn emperor right where he was.<<< > > We stripped him of his divine status in the new Japanese > constitution, and that made a profound change in their society. Well, kinda. The emperor never really had a good grip on the society anyway - it was traditionally the shogun, who only paid lip-service to the status of the emperor. Their society had already changed an awful lot anyway - the switch they made to technology did that one. Anyway, the stripping of divine status is pretty paltry stuff; those who believed in it would not have changed their minds because of a gaijin proclaimation. On the other hand, total loss might have broken the perception of divine backing, so maybe it did have the desired effect. In a way I see what you mean. > >>>Oh, hell, no. But they didn't make us hit them. We hit them > because we wanted to prove to Russia that we had power, and > because we wanted them to grovel.<<< > > Demonstrating our power to Russia might have been an added benefit, > but if it was just about showing Russia we had the Bomb, a film > would have sufficed for that purpose. Well, yes. And some of the president's advisors argued for just that. But the one who had is ear (can't remember his name, but he was a hawk like nobody's business) advised for bombing them, saying that a film would not be dramatic enough proof. > And we didn't make Japan grovel anywhere near as badly as we could > have or as badly as some would have liked. Well, this wasn't the decision of just one man; it was moderated along the way. The president's war advisor advocated breaking their back (which I will admit, may have been necessary, but not that brutally), but once the surrender was achieved foreign policy took a higher priority. At any rate, we have wandered off-subject (unless you wish to debate the possible Celestial affilations of the president's cabinet), so I think I will take future stuff off the list. Nathaniel Eliot temujin9@mci2000.com "It's the eternal question, really; to be a slave in Heaven, or a star in Hell. But sometimes Hell doesn't look like Hell. On a good day, it can look like LA." - Playing God ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 14 Feb 1998 01:46:56 +0000 From: Nathaniel Eliot Subject: Re: IN> Kabbalah > Thanks for the rundown. > > As I understand it, the connections between the ten aspects are also > significant. There are 22 of them, one for each Hebrew letter. > That would be more than enough for all the Archangels so far in > canon. The problem is, I have no good reference as to how the letter associations work, and trying to work them out is more than I feel like doing for what would end up as (probably irrelevant) background for a setting I'm not planning on running a game in. Your welcome to try on your own, but the stuff I did was a pain as it was. I have no desire to try for all the 17 past and present Archangels. > Also, there are "shadow aspects," in some Kabbalistic systems, > called "Qlippoth," or "husks," which could be matched up to various > Demon Princes, if you want to go on playing that game. Hmmm - saw that in the alt.magick kabbalah FAQ (http://www.contrib.andrew.cmu.edu/~eclectic/o/misc/colin.txt), but hadn't read through it when I wrote my article. There are two interpretations - Qlippoth as shells, where bad things happen when the shells are removed from the light of God, and Qlippoth as the mirror image, which is a great deal more dualistic than most Hebrew lore. Best guesses (some of them overlap): Shells: Kether - Futility - Beleth, Kobal Chokhmah - Arbitrariness - Asmodeaus Binah - Fatalism - Kronos Chesed - Ideology - Malphas Gevurah - Bureaucracy - Asmodeaus Tipheret - Hollowness - Andrealphus, Kobal Netzach - Routine - Nybbas, Fleurity Hod - Rigid order - Kronos, Asmodeaus Yesod - Robotism - Nybbas, Vapula Malkut - Stasis - Nybbas?, Saminga Mirrors: Kether - Thaumiel - Twins of God - Lucifer Chokmah - Ogiel - Hinderers - ??? Binah - Satariel - Concealers - Alaemon Chesed - Gash'khalah - Breakers in Pieces - Baal Gevurah - Golachab - Flaming Ones - Belial Tipheret - Tagiriron - Litigation - Asmodeus Netzach - Orev Zarak - Raven of Dispersion - Beleth? Hod - Samael - False Accuser - Asmodeus, Kronos Yesod - Gamaliel - Obscene Ass - Haagenti Malkut - Lilith - Woman of the Night - you need to ask? Nathaniel Eliot temujin9@mci2000.com "It's the eternal question, really; to be a slave in Heaven, or a star in Hell. But sometimes Hell doesn't look like Hell. On a good day, it can look like LA." - Playing God ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 13 Feb 1998 08:47:34 -0500 From: "David C. Shadle" Subject: Re: IN> FLUFF! Turmoil in Heaven! > >>Turmoil rocked Heaven this morning as allegations arose that God had had > >>an affair with a former worshipper. The scandal was begun when a 21 year > >>old woman, known only as Mary, claimed that she had given birth to God's > >>"only son" last week in a barn in the hamlet of Bethlehem. > >> > >>Sources close to Mary claim that she "had loved God for a long time", that > >>she was constantly talking about her relationship with God, and that she > >>was "thrilled to have had his child." In a press conference this morning, > >>God issued a vehement denial, saying that "No sexual relationship > >>existed", and that "the facts of this story will come out in time, > >>verily". > >> > >>Independent counsel Kenneth Beelzebub immediately filed a brief with the > >>Justice department to expand his investigation to cover questions of > >>whether any commandments may have been broken, and whether God had > >>illegally funneled laundered money to his illegitimate child through three > >>foreign operatives know only as the "Wise Men". Beelzebub has issued > >>subpoenas to several angels who are rumored to have acted as go-betweens > >>in the affair. > >> > >>Critics have pointed out that these allegations have little to do with > >>the charges that Beelzebub was originally appointed to investigate, that God > >>had created large-scale flooding in order to cover up evidence of a > >>failed land deal. > >> > >>In recent months, Beelzebub's investigation has already been expanded to > >>cover questions surrounding the large number of locusts that plagued God's > >>political opponents in the last election, as well as to claims that the > >>destruction of the cities of Sodom and Gomorrah was to divert attention > >>away from a scandal involving whether the giveaway of a parcel of public > >>land in Promised County to a Jewish special interest group was quid pro > >>quo for political contributions. > >> > >>If these allegations prove to be true, then this could be a huge blow to > >>God's career, much of which has been spent crusading for stricter moral > >>standards and harsher punishments for wrongdoers. Indeed, God recently > >>outlined a "tough-on-crime" plan consisting of a series of 10 > >>"Commandments", which has been introduced in Congress in a bill by Rep. > >>Moses. Critics of the bill have pointed out that it lacks any provisions > >>for the rehabilitation of criminals, and lawyers for the ACLU are planning > >>to fight the "Name in Vain" Commandment as being an unconstitutional > >>restriction on free speech. I'm going to stand over here so that I'm out of the Blast radius from the Blue Bolts from Heaven :-) ------------------------------ Date: Fri, 13 Feb 1998 09:01:17 -0500 From: "David C. Shadle" Subject: Re: IN> Eli - Creation and Creativity Gabriel also could indle some creative fires and > artistic passions. Thats my Seraphims area. He's a musician, and works for the San Diego philharmonic. BTW does anyone have the stats for a flame thrower. I'm creating a relic, its a Zippo lighter that let out blasts of fire. My character has the attunment "True shape of Flame" But I don't think that allows him to change the intensity of the flame. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 14 Feb 1998 08:35:44 -0000 From: "Craw Wurm" Subject: Re: IN> In Nomine High > >In Nomine High > > Ya know, when I say this I thought it was something totally different ;) > Good stuff all the same. > So where is Michael and Beth? The gaps were filled in by me, and I couldn't think of any more that had already been done with other superiors > -Jesse > > M.J. is my valentine. Craw-Wurm "I stayed up all night playing poker with tarot cards. I got a full house and four people died." ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 14 Feb 1998 01:34:28 -0500 From: Frank Lazar Subject: Re: IN> [B5 SPOILERS] General observations At 02:21 PM -0600 02/11/1998, Austin George Loomis wrote: > >>>>----------------------------------------------------------------------- >>>>| _ | >>>>| We are dreamers, shapers, singers and makers. /_\ | >>> >>>Did I mention that I've preserved this .sig in my collection? >> >>In case you wondering, the glyph is a combinaton of Amiga logos, THE >>computer for the aspiring Techno-Mage. >> >Intriguing. > > I'm glad you like, although it may be an endangered species, as my sig violates the McQuery Limit, it's not considered "environment friendly" to the Internet any longer. BTW, notice my domain name. :) - ----------------------------------------------------------------------- | _ | | We are dreamers, shapers, singers and makers. /_\ | | We study the mysteries of laser and circuit, // \\ | | Crystal and scanner, holographic demons, \\ //___\\ | | And invocations of equations. \\ // \\ | | \\__// \\ | | These are the tools we employ. And we know... many things. \\ | | \\ | | | Frank Lazar http://www.interactive.net/~fmlazar | \\ | - ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 14 Feb 1998 01:30:30 -0500 From: Frank Lazar Subject: Re: IN> [B5 SPOILERS] General observations > >> >>>>Elric and the TechnoMages Mercurian and Soldiers in service to >Jean. >> >>>> >> >>>Having seen "Geometry of Shadows" last Friday, I can't argue with your >> >>>choice of Superior, though I'm not really sure how you conclude that >> >>>Elric is a Merky. If I had to pick a Choir for him, off the top of my >> >>>head, I'd say he's an Elo. > >They're humans. They use Technology to cast "spells." Remember that they >were fleeing this sector so that they couldn't be used in the shadow war. >Besides with some of the spells they were throwing, I'm sure Kosh would >have been on them in a Nano, same with Morden and his "assosiates." Humans and Centauri. The Centauri have had Technomages in their legends for quite some time, so the Empire would have had them before First Contact. I think of them as the same kind of folks who happen to live on two different worlds, this is what your technogeek breed of roleplayer becomes in the 23rd century. :) - ----------------------------------------------------------------------- | _ | | We are dreamers, shapers, singers and makers. /_\ | | We study the mysteries of laser and circuit, // \\ | | Crystal and scanner, holographic demons, \\ //___\\ | | And invocations of equations. \\ // \\ | | \\__// \\ | | These are the tools we employ. And we know... many things. \\ | | \\ | | | Frank Lazar http://www.interactive.net/~fmlazar | \\ | - ----------------------------------------------------------------------- ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 14 Feb 1998 10:36:21 -0500 From: Neel Krishnaswami Subject: IN> The Bigger Hammer, a silly adventure A lot of the ideas I have will never see the light of day, since they won't fit into my game. But sometimes I get an idea that just won't let go, even though it's completely not the right stuff. This is one of those ideas. - ---- The Bigger Hammer A (slightly silly) plot seed for In Nomine "We need guns! Big f*cking guns!" -- Rutger Hauer, in "We Come in Peace" Sometimes, after spending week after week tiptoeing around town laying subtle plots and carefully making no Disturbance to avoid tipping his hand, an angel can start feeling a powerful longing to just whip out the flaming sword and start kicking butt for the Lord. Sometimes even an archangel feels that way. And just this once it happens to be three of them. This plot seed works best if you have some angels of David, Jean, and/or Gabriel to drag their friends into the thick of things. It comes down like this. In 1983, a Malak of David attacking a Vapulan tether was forced to become indestrutible to avoid death at the hands of the demons. One of these demons was slightly cleverer than his buddies, and he took the opportunity to drag the immobilized angel down to Hell, where his dark master Vapula could experiment on it. The Malak was not stupid, and realized that now that he was in Hell he could not safely come out of his shell (so to speak). So, wishing he had picked a slightly more comfortable position before using his attunement, he settled in for the long haul. Since David never forgets his people, he reckoned that all he had to do was wait. After spending a few hours rubbing his hands in glee, Vapula settled in to experiment. And the Demon Prince discovered that David really does make his Malakim indestructible -- the Malakite shrugged off everything from X-ray lasers to Balseraph bombs to half a dozen really big guys with baseball bats. ("I've been such a fool! Simply adding more power won't damage him -- I need to add /even more/ power!") We now cut to Heaven. David doesn't abandon his people, but it's hard to reach into Hell even for an archangel. But he knew his people, and he knew the strength of his gifts. Vapula would eventually decide that he needed to bring his angel to a Tether, where he could exploit the physics of both the corporeal and celestial realms. Normally when planning such a rescue, David would simply send in a few thousand Malakim, and if that wasn't enough, he would send in a few thousand more. But since his angel was stuck at an Infernal tether, this was not a viable solution since the demons could just run away to Hell. The trouble, thought David, with owning a hammer is that not all problems are nails. However, it so happens that a slightly lucid Gabriel overheard David muttering to himself, and in one of those flashes of brilliance realized that the problem was not one of a mighty force that couldn't be applied fast enough, but simply that there wasn't *enough* force. The trouble, said Gabriel, is not that the problem isn't a nail, but that you aren't using a big enough hammer. And who do you visit when you want a bigger hammer? So the two of them decided to pay a visit to the Halls of Progress, to stock up on the biggest, most jaw-droppingly powerful weapons in Heaven's arsenal. Jean was warmly receptive to this idea, except he had one question. Wouldn't the rest of the Seraphim Council be kind of upset if the three of them decided to pull a trial run for Armageddon? So they decided to get clever. They would find a random group of angels, arm them for bear, and send /them/ to rescue the Malak! This is where the PCs come in.... LOCATIONS - - The Halls of Progress This is a chance for Jean to show off all those not-ready-for-prime-time gadgets that he has ("Um, it's called the Sodomizer."), so let your imagination run wild. After all, how many chances like this are you going to get, really? If you are really ambitious, you might want want to let the angels try to sneak in and make off with Laurence's sword. It'll be great, really it will. - - The Infernal Tether Vapula has a tether in an abandoned Army proving ground in the American Southwest. It became a tether when the chemical weapons the Army was testing accidentally killed every living thing within two miles of the base, including the small town next to the base and all the personnel on it. There aren't any humans in a hundred miles of the place. This means you can go crazy with surreal and warped technologies on the defender's side, too! Though for the adventure to work properly, you should probably let the PCs' toys be way cooler than the NPCs' toys. If this seems off, remember that Jean manages to beta-test and /still/ keeps up with Vapula. And this time he's decided to hand off his really experimental stuff... - - The mission briefing. Normally, I hate boxed text in adventures, but just this once I'll type in the whole briefing: DAVID: We want you to rescue an angel, and -- GABRIEL: KILL LOTS OF DEMONS! JEAN: With really big guns, yes. There. All done. RUNNING THE ADVENTURE I don't know if anyone is actually going to run this, but in case there's someone braver than I, some thoughts. This is not a tabletop version of DOOM. The demons die much easier, for one thing. If you want to know how I'm imagining the game, think Charlie Chaplin meets John Woo. _Modern Times_ meets _The Killer_, to be specific. The battle shouldn't be a challenge. It should be an honest to God cathartic kill-fest, like those times you took your party of 20th level characters orc-hunting in D&D. Jean and Vapula's technology provides the ironic cover you'll need to get any jaded roleplayers in your group to settle down and enjoy an afternoon of uncomplicated demon-hunting. The combat scene should be exciting. This means the map is not your friend. You want ramps and freighthooks and stacks of crates and forklifts and M-1 Abrams tanks all in your battle scene. If something sounds cool, put it in. Let your players contribute scenery too -- scenery is cheap, and you can blow it up if don't like it, anyway. Most importantly, have fun. EXPERIENCE: In case this is part of a campaign, I recommend that the number of character points you hand out be equal to half the number of digits in the Disturbance level they caused, rounded up. If they caused 10 million points of Disturbance, they earn 4 character points. AFTERSHOCKS (er, REACTIONS): A dust-up of this magnitude is obviously going to have major effects on the politics of Heaven, shifting the balance of power between the war and peace factions for possibly centuries to come. To help you ignore all that, I've included this handy guide to Superior reactions: Blandine: "Actually, I was just pretending to spend my time wistfully considering the subtle turnings and odd chances that led me to spend eternity opposing my true love. I was really dreaming of John Woo getting to direct the next Bond flick, and I guess you're as close as I'm going to get. " Dominic: "You flagrantly disobeyed all standing orders and all precedent to grab at the flimsiest possible rationale to shoot a turbo plasma chaingun at hundreds of demons from Hell, and all you have to say is, 'It felt good'? Sounds like good judgement to me!" Eli: I was going to write something dissociated, witty, and yet somehow wise when I realized that I really didn't care. Sometimes deep is just ankle-deep. Janus: "I expect my angels to come in fast, hit hard, and move out fast. But I guess once in a while it's okay to come in fast, hit hard, and stick around to hit even harder." Jordi: Like Eli, only less relevant. (I mean, Mercurian chimpanzees?) Laurence: "Why didn't you guys tell me what you were doing? Aw, man, it's no fair, David always leaves me out of the fun stuff..." Marc: "Good work. However, there's the small matter of the license to kill, which you forgot to acquire before this escapade. With late fees, fines, and interest...it comes out to 3.6 billion dollars. Cash only, please." Michael: "That was good work, for a beginner. 'Course, I coulda done a better job with only a pack of Bazooka bubble gum and a moldy Pop Tart, but I reckon it's only fair to let you guys have a few toys to even the odds." Novalis: "You engaged in mindless, senseless destruction, and blew away hundreds, possibly thousands, of demons without showing the slightest hint of regret, remorse, or even basic respect for their dignity. Um, so where did you say you left the Sodomizer again?" Yves: "You gave in to your anger and hate, and succumbed to the power of the Dark Side of the Force. I am saddened, but since you got to shoot lightning bolts from your fingertips, I guess it wasn't a total loss." - ---- Neel Krishnaswami neelk@alum.mit.edu ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 14 Feb 1998 14:34:14 +0000 From: Sam Kington Subject: True shape of flame (Was: Re: IN> Eli - Creation and Creativity) David C. Shadle wrote: > My character has the > attunment "True shape of Flame" But I don't think that allows him to change > the intensity of the flame. No, but control over the shape of flame is more important than you might think. One of my players has the True shape of flame, and I would happily let him, say, take a can of petrol, pour it on the floor, light it, and direct the flame exactly where he wanted so only the things he wanted to be burned were actually affected. You can't change the intensity of the flame *upwards*, but you can make a really huge one and attenuate/redirect its affects. Sam - -- Home page: http://www.illuminated.co.uk/ INWO Homebrew: http://www.illuminated.co.uk/cgi/illuminati Murphy's Law is recursive. Washing your car to make it rain doesn't work. ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 14 Feb 1998 08:38:26 -0800 (PST) From: Querent Subject: IN> Liber Reliquarum Cover Well, for those of you who aren't as ravenous about checking the In Nomine site as I, the cover for the upcoming Liber Reliquarum is up. The first thoughts I had were positive. It's simple. It's classy. It's got texture (which goes a *long* way.) It's a cool kind of burning cross motif. Wait a sec. It's a burning cross? Is that the best of choices? Now before the nitpickers attack, I concede that it's not quite the classic cross of common western design. It's not consumed by flame, merely burning at a few points. It's not a statement. It's not intended to offend. So what? I'll buy the book. Everyone here will probably buy the book. I like the cover. I'm just waiting for another parent to come with their son to my local store just as the boy is telling them that role playing isn't evil or anti-christian. Now I'm sure people will want to respond with snappy arguments. "There's a disclaimer on the back" they'll say. "It's a religious based premise" will come out. I don't care. People don't care. What I do care about, is that every month there's always a new parent harassing the owner of the store about something they don't like, and then I saw this cover. I just think it's sad is all. == --Querent, Angel of Widescreen. Mercurian Servitor of Creation. _________________________________________________________ DO YOU YAHOO!? Get your free @yahoo.com address at http://mail.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 14 Feb 1998 13:11:24 -0500 (EST) From: Emily Dresner Subject: Re: IN> Maya Fan Club (Re: Lilim and Reproduction) > Oh, yeah. Em for Game and Dark Humor, Beth for Lilim and Lilith, and > Maya for Elohim, Habbalah, and War. You three end up defining a > bunch of my images of In Nomine. > *grin happily* Kobal says, "Thank ya," as he lights his match for his smoke on your twitching, bleeding body. :) (I dig him just a little too much.) - - Em ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 14 Feb 1998 10:40:24 -0800 From: Armand Subject: Re: IN> The Bigger Hammer, a silly adventure >The Bigger Hammer >A (slightly silly) plot seed for In Nomine > >"We need guns! Big f*cking guns!" > -- Rutger Hauer, in "We Come in Peace" Rutger Hauer's side kick in "Split Second" says the same thing. I wonder which came out first. "Split Second" circa 1992 according to my copy. Just curious.. Armand ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 14 Feb 1998 14:26:29 -0500 From: Doctor TOC Subject: Re: IN> The Bigger Hammer, a silly adventure Armand wrote: > >"We need guns! Big f*cking guns!" > > -- Rutger Hauer, in "We Come in Peace" > > Rutger Hauer's side kick in "Split Second" says the same thing. I wonder > which came out first. "Split Second" circa 1992 according to my copy. Just > curious.. > Rutger Hauer wasn't in "We Come in Peace" (AKA "Dark Angel" in Europe). That was Dolph Lundgren. TOC - -- Doctor "The Other Chris" Not Subbie...Not Dommie...Just Pervy UIN # 4814586 URL: http://www.fortunecity.com/underworld/simcity/92/Main.html ------------------------------ Date: Sun, 15 Feb 1998 08:06:19 +0900 From: Dave Conrad Subject: Re: IN> Elohim David M. Barr wrote: >Elohim are stoic, not dead. They can have personalities and may even be >funny at times. I doubt they make great comedians but they play execellant >straight men. > Whic does not intrinsically restrain them from being comedians. I submit, > Steven Wright, Elohim Of Janus (or maybe Eli?) {if you do not know who > steven wright is, find out). > -Daiv I could see Elwood Blues as an Elohite. I don't recall anything other than that bit with Twiggy as being outright Disonant. - -- Dave C. iN*T*x "To break the rules is to break the spell" - C. Lasch ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 14 Feb 1998 16:23:46 PST From: "David Streeter" Subject: IN> Re: IN- Another adventure seed for IN:WWII Elizabeth McCoy sang... >Or simply a "This is what the humans will do with their free will. >The demons must not be permitted to interfere. Even though we weep." > > Yes, exactly. A move in the War. Something evil is >happening. Lucifer grins and says, "Well, we should *stop* it." >And Asmodeus smiles, because he can see Falling angels all over >the place, no matter what the Host chooses -- because some will >want to interfere (which is, essentially, taking the path the >demons did -- messing with human free will) and some will hear >the orders not to interfere and wonder how this puts them on >any sort of moral high ground... That is Inspired. My suggestion was going to be that Lucifer was worried about the power that Kronos would gain through successfully making Hitler meet his Fate. Another thing to consider is that perhaps Yves can see a world where the Allies win the war too early, due to Angelic intervention. A world that had never seen a Hiroshima or Nagasaki... SurturZ Dissonant Elohite of Stone ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Sat, 14 Feb 1998 16:37:24 PST From: "David Streeter" Subject: IN> Re: IN- Elohim >> I'm all for stickly labels for indentification purposes. And whatever >> you do, don't let them all dress the same, or you'll be really confused. >> >> "Wait, you're not Joe! Where's Joe? Did we leave him behind?" > >Maybe color-coding them? Tattoos on those large, bald heads? Most >certainly, pick their clothes out *for* them. Otherwise, they will all >dress alike (basic black. It's simpler, and logically that makes it the >correct choice.). This thread is lacking in objectivity. We Elohites are *not* all the same, any more than Vulcans are all the same on that "Star Trek" show. Anyway, stop this thread at once, it irritates me. And you wouldn't like me when I'm angry... :-) SurturZ Dissonant Elohite of Stone ______________________________________________________ Get Your Private, Free Email at http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ End of in_nomine-digest V1 #628 ******************************* The material here is (C) 1997 Steve Jackson Games, Incorporated. All rights reserved.