Post/Author/DateTime	Post
Strahl 01-19-04, 03:18 AM	I wanted to have a unique arcane spellcaster who was kinda scary. So I though of the my second biggest fear: kids (the first is crickets). So I have this character who is a little girl (I haven't decided how old, maybe 12), possessed by a ghostly visage (FF). Sar'el was quirky, brilliant and morbid long before she became possessed by a 600 year old ghostly visage, but now she wears black robes, uses magic to float and tends to let the ghost take control as to seem more unnerving in combat situations. The girl acts very mature at times and can be very unnverving to talk to, but can just as easily become just as frustating and naive as many her own age. She is generally CG. The ghostly visage is gnerally CE or CN, although it seems to really care about Sar'el, as any good invisible friend ought to. The rest of the group is N, NG or CN (there are only two other people but they're fuzzy). They met Sar'el when she was floating over a city blasting invading baatezu (that's devils to you lay-folk) with Sonic fireballs. When they captured one of the barbezu the ghostly visage offered to question it under torture, specifically flensing knives (when asked about this it/she responded "you have your hobbies, I have mine", I don't exatly know what I mean by that). So I wonder how to best maintain this character as "one of the good guys", but still sort of float between very unsettling and comic relief. She will also have some Napoleon syndrome and occasionally have seemingly one sided conversations with herself. I'm kind of going for a combination of the bowler from Mystery Men, Lyddia from Beetlejuice and Ed from Cowboy Bebop. Oh yeah I also need tips on playing a young child genius and someone who is voluntarily possessed by a not-entirely-evil spirit. Thanks;)
Lord of the Ninth 01-19-04, 01:13 PM	Avoid making the ghost seem silly.
Rugraknot 01-20-04, 07:57 AM	"Ed from Cowboy Bebop" Good Idea. Oh make them like Ein too :D! But seriously that character consept is great we need a character like that in the campaign I am playing in but It will probly end up being me unless the DM put in an npc like that (I would not shoke me if he did). "You have your hobbies and I have mine." in reference to the torturing with knives well this might be agenst code of conduct to say but that line aroused me :smirk:.
Twilly 01-20-04, 03:23 PM	Have you read the book SAVANT? (sorry I don't recall the writer's name at the moment) The story is not about possesed children, but about two kids that have very special powers. They can do extraordinairy things (some usefull and some useless). They can tell the time to exact second without looking at a clock. Or they throw a tennisball against the wall, and it bounces back inside out (without harming the ball). Maybe your possesed child has very "logical" explanations for things she does. But not everybody understands it. The savants I mentioned above were capable of calling some kind of lightning. When they killed someone with this power (self defence), they simply said: he is not dead, he is sent to the beginning of time. Make up a few explanations your possesed child uses for explaining her powers (and what she has done). It wasn't me who killed him, it was ...... (insert name of the possesing creature or the name the child uses to describe him). Act as if it is normal and logical, it doesn't need any explanation. It is all obvious to you. Let them think that you have made up an invisible friend. You talk to him/her and mention her alot. But this friend isn't a fantasy it is the creature that posseses you. I hope I wrote something down that was usefull. I am not sure if it made any sense, I wrote everything down as it came up in my mind. "The Shining" might be nice movie to watch. It might give you some good ideas for your character.
Strahl 01-20-04, 05:05 PM	Rugraknot, yeah I'll agree with you, that sort of thing probably does belong on the Mature forum. But have you ever heard the saying "The ordinary man loves the rose in spite of its thorns, the extraordinary man, because of them." I've never heard of SAVANT, I'll look for it though, thank you. I definately need a lot of skewed logic that somehow also makes perfect sense to explain all of her/its actions (The girl considers the ghost to be female and calls her "Em" or "Emma" which is the ghost believes was once part of its name, the ghost's original gender is unknown). I've never seen the Shining (but I have seen the Simpsons Halloween episode that makes fun of it, "The Shinning" ;) ). I'm considering making it seem as though maybe "Em" isn't real (to the group) and that Sar'el has some sort of mental disorder or possibly an overly active imagination. But I'm not sure. Thank you all for your replies.
NZCardinal 01-20-04, 07:19 PM	Read Lenore, Adventures of a Cute Little Dead Girl, a comic book by Roman Dirge. It doesn't really relate to your character much, but you might get inspiration from it ;) Just out of curiosity Strahl, why do you have a fear of kids? I mean... weird
Strahl 01-20-04, 11:37 PM	I don't know where I'd go to get Lenore, but it looks like I might want to look. Any recomendations? (Would it be at Barns and Noble?)
NZCardinal 01-21-04, 08:08 PM	Normally I'd recommend Roman Dirges homepage http://www.spookyland.com/ but it seems to be closed for maintanance. You can get Lenore at most comic shops. Lenore is a cute little dead girl who just happens to be dead, well, embalmed actually. She habitually re-enacts nursery rhymes with catastrophic and bloody results, has a boyfriend shes murdered about 10 times and has such delightful friends as Taxidermy, and Ragamuffin the vampire doll. Plus she goes through kitties at a phenomenal rate... So come on Strahl, why are you scare of kids? Tell dirty ol' uncle NZCardinal :)
Strahl 01-21-04, 08:51 PM	Possesed kids are creepy (mostly I was kidding though, my real fear is Spider Crickets)
NZCardinal 01-21-04, 08:56 PM	Aw, possessed kids need love too. I have no idea what a spider cricket is, but I'm thinking your possessed girl could have a paper bag of them and she can just dig in and eat them one at a time during conversation. Moo Hoo Ha Ha
Strahl 01-21-04, 11:47 PM	A brief description of Spider Crickets: "Imagine, if you will, a normal cricket being combines with a daddy-long-legs, through some foul magic. The end result being rounder and fatter than a normal cricket, with much longer legs and antenae. Oh yeah and it can jump over your head and you can hear it land (it's that big...). Click here for a picture (http://www.ces.ncsu.edu/depts/ent/notes/Urban/camel.htm) but enough about me. The bug eating might work, and if asked I'll say that they're very nutitious (which is true, incredible protein and almost no fat), and then I'd offer one to the person asking about it or expressing distaste. However I should also decide that somehting else is simply "icky," for contrast. Any thoughts?
NZCardinal 01-21-04, 11:51 PM	Boys! Your character's 12 right? Boys... boys are icky with cooties... yuk. Species enemy! Species enemy!:smirk:
Crinos 01-23-04, 09:11 AM	What is this girls class and level? just wondering.
Strahl 01-23-04, 04:56 PM	She's a level 7 wizard (diviner, necromancy banned). And she's taken the improved familiar feat so she can have a ghostly visage (FF) as her familiar (it was alread following/possessing/teaching her before that). She joined the group at level 7 (this is when the game starts).
Lhiannon Sidhe 01-28-04, 06:20 AM	If you want to make her REALLY creepy, base her on the possessed girl from The Exorcist.
Strahl 01-29-04, 05:38 PM	I don't think I've ever seen the Exorcist, is it any good?
NZCardinal 01-29-04, 06:44 PM	The Exorcist is good, although I prefer The Omen for spooky evil kid portrayal. Frankly though, the Christina Ricci version of Wednesday Addams from the Addams Family motion picture reminds me more of your character than The Exorcist does. I guess it depends on the volume and frequency of vomit she produces during gameplay. That would be the deciding factor here. Kick ass:b: 666 and all that