| Post/Author/DateTime | Post |
|---|---|
| N3palm07-22-07, 09:12 AM | What are your favourite film (or book or even music, or *gulp* anime) influences for your Eberron games (Doesn't have to fall under the genres of Pulp or Noir, as long as it inspires you)? After reading the references in the ECS like Casablanca and such, I'd like to know what inspires your Eberron campaigns/adventures/characters. |
| Charles Phipps07-22-07, 09:19 AM | Star Wars: It's the original blend of fantasy, technology, and various archtypes into something new. James Bond: Big huge evil organizations vs. one man sent by his government. Gundam: The original for simple effectiveness of fantasy archetypes fighting war.....and not pretending it's anything but sucking. Bladerunner: Noir Detective tropes mixed with "What means to be human" as Warforged have. Maltese Falcon: Merely because it is THE original Detective Story. |
| DragoonDarkfire07-22-07, 11:30 AM | Indiana Jones: Good for the Pulp Flavor and exploration side. Sin City: Fits well with Eberron's Noir flavor and places such as Sharn. Full Metal Alchemist: It's an anime, but damned if it isn't a good one. The concept of Alchemy fits with Eberron's concept of magic well and it has a nice mystery side to it that fits Eberron as well. |
| N3palm07-22-07, 11:37 AM | Full Metal Alchemist: It's an anime, but damned if it isn't a good one. The concept of Alchemy fits with Eberron's concept of magic well and it has a nice mystery side to it that fits Eberron as well. Yeah, FMA is great, loved the series I'm following and reading the manga now, great plot. And Charles, which of the Gundam series would you advise to start with? |
| Amaril07-22-07, 12:05 PM | Those mentioned above as well as Casablanca (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0034583/) and The Good German (http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0452624/) |
| Rechan07-22-07, 01:12 PM | I havn't had a lot of opportunity to implement this stuff, but: Yojimbo/Last Man Standing. Yojimbo is about a samurai who walks into town and finds himself in the middle of gang warfare. He goes back and forth between the two gangs, playing them against each other. Last Man Standing is the American remake with Bruce Willis and Chris Walken set in the 1920s; Yojimbo is better IMHO, as I don't think the remake gets the same 'I'm playing both sides' enough. It does make a nice feel. It's not necessarily Pulp or Noir, but it feels very dark and has that Noir feel of playing with the dark side. Brick. An independent detective flick. Really well scripted and the dialogue is good. Burn Notice. New show on USA about a spy who is uncovered, and is dealing with life post-exposure. It's actually more light-hearted than I would like, but the main character gives narration-style tips as to what it's like to be a spy, and how to handle situations. I'm using some of the comments he gives for my own work. Payback. Not necessarily Pulp OR Noir, but it has a slight blend of the two. It's definitely dark. Sadly, I can't think of any good Pulp. As for classics: D.O.A. and The Third Man (I personally like The Big Sleep as a movie, but it's not as good a reference piece). |
| N3palm07-22-07, 04:50 PM | Well, maybe the title is a bit off, any interesting influence is good. |
| Charles Phipps07-22-07, 06:15 PM | Yeah, FMA is great, loved the series I'm following and reading the manga now, great plot. And Charles, which of the Gundam series would you advise to start with? Despite being untranslated and 20 years old, the Universal Century movies hold up surprisingly well. However, more modern and appropriate animation works in 08th Gundam MS team and the 0083 series. Both nicely focus on peace and the tremendous amount of effort people will go to wreck it. I also enjoyed the sequel series Gundam Zeta for the whole irony that immediately after winning, the 'heroes' side of the first movie became an oppressive dictatorship. Also.... The Seven Samurai: An odd one but I think it reflects the idea that A *LOT* of soldiers post the war are poverty stricken and unappreciated by their government. |
| Amaril07-22-07, 06:18 PM | Payback. Not necessarily Pulp OR Noir, but it has a slight blend of the two. It's definitely dark. Actually, it is noir. In fact it was filmed as an homage to classic noir films that feature anti-heroes such as Porter. Watch the DVD extras. |
| Alex_07-22-07, 07:46 PM | Star Wars: Probably my most frequent inspiration. Lots of exotic destinations, creatures, and galaxy spanning governments and forces of good and evil with the fate of the known world(s) hanging in the balance. The main characters are a cut above the rest of the extras and goons (stormtroopers and rebel pilots), are capable of unbelievable feats (proton torpedoes down an unshielded exhaust port) and benefit from unrealistic luck. The light side and the dark side of the force exist in a clearly defined manners (like in D&D), but morality is still anything but black and white. Anakin falls to the darkside to save his love. The Empire rises as an attempt to unify and defend the Old Republic. Lando Calrissian sells Han Solo, his best friend, to Darth Vader and the bounty hunter Bobba Fett to save Cloud City. The Jedi are what I use as a model of the Silver Flame (fighting Evil abroad but ignorant of their own arrogance and corruption). Jonny Quest: The wonders of the rocket age are every where made possible by the harnessing of nuclear physics. Even then, the characters spend much of their time, not at home, but in exotic and untamed lands, foreign cities, or at the site of strange phenomena. Every time you turn around, there's a mad scientist, crazy cult, or long lost threat to the world that has to be stopped. In the end though, the public remains largely unaware of how bad things could have gotten. The cast even seems like a 4 person part. Race Bannon is the Warrior who kicks ass and takes names. Dr. Quest relies on his mastery of the techology, like the Spellcaster (since in Eberron, magic is technology). Jonny and Hadji are always off exploring, stumbling past traps, and uncovering secrets like the Expert. Hadji is also the exotic curiosity- a part of the group from a distant land with style and way of thinking- like the Elf from Arenal, the Talenta Halfling, or the Warforged. Bandit is the animal companion. Van Helsing, Brotherhood of the Wolf, A Knight's Tale, 300: I use movies like these to illustrate that Eberron (and D&D in general) is not a historical simulation, and that more specifically, it's not classic fantasy. Khorvaire has the trappings of a medieval Europe, but only the trappings (kings, queens, knights, swords and bows) and it deviates just as much. It's like most fantasy worlds (elves, dwarves, magic, and dragons) but still different. There's more of an edge, progressive, and "movie magic" flair to everything. |
| Macrovore07-22-07, 07:49 PM | I can't believe noone's said this already, but Firefly: 'nuff said. |
| Charles Phipps07-22-07, 08:27 PM | Final Fantasy 7 and Final Fantasy: Advent Children: The combination of technology, super corporations, magic, and environmentalism are all appropriate for Ebberon. While Final Fantasy 7 is set in a modern world, the idea of there being a heavy "machine" feel to Eberron is perfectly appropriate with the Dragonmarked Houses wielding authority equivalent to Shin-ra and in about as moral a manner. You could well do something equivalent to the Lifestream with Eberron or the Silver Flame as well. Indiana Jones: I think its best to think of the TROPES of this than the actual films. At heart, Indiana Jones is an "average Joe" who just happens to do amazing things as part of his adventures. He could be a scientist instead of an Archaelogy professor, a Pilot, or anything else. What matters is that he's lured to the Maguffin and has to fight the Emerald Claw (Karrn fascists obsessed with the occult) along the way. The Lord of the Rings MOVIES: D&D always comes back here. However, Peter jackson did a very good job in illustrating Middle Earth is a decaying civilization that needs to start its next cycle of building. Giant ancient Dhakaani ruins, ancient slumbering evils in the Demon Wastes and Droam, and human beings wracked with uncertainty. The difference is that the defenders of Gondor might just be Orcs as well as men ;-) Call of Cthulhu: Miskatonic University even has an analogue in Eberron for the place of Professors that do not ignore "What man was not meant to know." There's all sorts of fun to be had with the Slumbering Rajahs, ancient evil tomes, and weird cults of people royally messed up by what they've seen/worshipped. How about those locals breeding with Sahuagin and preparing to raise their fishy god? Just another Tuesday in Eberron. |
| Lancer201007-22-07, 10:38 PM | I say some comics work pretty well too. For example: The Phantom - This strikes me as a kind of organization that could be from Xen'drik. A title passed from father to son, a lineage that has sworn to destroy evil and protect the innocent. The Shadow - Who knows what evil lurks in the hearts of men? A psionicist can find out, so would it be odd for one to go vigilante? Green Arrow - He's a guy who runs around kicking butt with a bow and arrow. It just screams ranger to me. There are several other pulp/noir comics that can work too. |
| Amaril07-22-07, 10:44 PM | I'm surprised no one has mentioned The Mummy or The Mummy Returns for pulp influences. I mean, c'mon, they're probably the most recent example of cheesy pulp action. ;) |
| Lancer201007-22-07, 11:05 PM | I'm surprised no one has mentioned The Mummy or The Mummy Returns for pulp influences. I mean, c'mon, they're probably the most recent example of cheesy pulp action. ;) So very very true. |
| _Radagast_07-22-07, 11:16 PM | I can't believe noone's said this already, but Firefly: 'nuff said. DEFINITELY! And the movie, Serenity as well. |
| Rechan07-22-07, 11:54 PM | These movies are almost unknown, but: The Librarian (http://imdb.com/title/tt0412915/) and its sequel (http://imdb.com/title/tt0455596/). Also: The League of Extrordinary Gentlemen (Just hold your nose while watching it) From Hell Sleepy Hollow. |
| Charles Phipps07-23-07, 12:01 AM | Oddly, I've got to ask. What is so Eberron about Firefly? |
| DBlizzard07-23-07, 12:19 AM | Oddly, I've got to ask. What is so Eberron about Firefly? It just transfers very well. You have an airship with a group of characters aboard. The characters have a varied set of skills and experiences (read "different classes"). Yojimbo/Last Man Standing. Yojimbo is about a samurai who walks into town and finds himself in the middle of gang warfare. He goes back and forth between the two gangs, playing them against each other. Last Man Standing is the American remake with Bruce Willis and Chris Walken set in the 1920s; Yojimbo is better IMHO, as I don't think the remake gets the same 'I'm playing both sides' enough. It does make a nice feel. It's not necessarily Pulp or Noir, but it feels very dark and has that Noir feel of playing with the dark side. I'll also recommend, Sanjuro, the sequel to Yojimbo. There was a sort of sequel, Zatoichi meets Yojimbo, but it isn't as good (and wasn't directed by Kurosawa). Oddly enough, even though A Fistful of Dollars was based on Yojimbo, it's sequel For a Few Dollars More has nothing to do with Sanjuro. |
| Rechan07-23-07, 12:19 AM | What is so Eberron about Firefly? Airships. Post-war veterans playing against enemies way larger than themselves. Psionics. Frontier. Intrigue (to some extent). High flying action (at least during heists). |
| TheKeyofE07-23-07, 08:21 AM | Final Fantasy 7 and Final Fantasy: Advent Children: Even though FF7 is my favorite of that series (and quite possibly the best game, ever) I look more to 6, 9, and 12 for Eberron inspiration. All three have airships and other magic powered technology, but aren't as "machine-y" or modern as 7 while still sharing the intrigue and high adventure coupled with megolamaniacal forces trying to control the world. Indiana Jones: Any and every Xen'drik or Q'barra adventure makes me think of the opening scene of Raiders. Cowboy Bebop: Even though there's nothing really "Eberron" about it, I always look to my favorite anime for inspiration, almost no matter the setting. I love the mix of action and drama with a succulent but not overpowering noir flavor. |
| Charles Phipps07-23-07, 08:31 AM | I think what's important to remember about Eberron vs. other campaign settings. "In base D&D, you spend money on buying better weapons and armor. The leftover you put in a pile somewhere." "In Eberron, you spend it on bills and changeling hookers so you're broke by the next game." |
| N3palm07-23-07, 08:50 AM | I think what's important to remember about Eberron vs. other campaign settings. "In base D&D, you spend money on buying better weapons and armor. The leftover you put in a pile somewhere." "In Eberron, you spend it on bills and changeling hookers so you're broke by the next game." And thats when you're in Sharn, it gets much creepier if you were in, say, The Great Crag. It is so that Eberron is indeed much dusker and you could say, more real (but that could be caused becouse it feels more modern). Thats what makes it interesting. It is much easier to project the current state of the world and people onto Eberron. Also I've been watching a lot of crime/murder movies, Se7en, the gritty state (anarchy) of the city and especially the criminal, with his views on the crime and sins of it could be well used in Eberron. Not only in Sharn with its criminal underworld, but for any religious zealot. Also the mystery and puzzel elements of the movie are interesting (and its just a good movie to watch :) ). |
| Charles Phipps07-23-07, 10:34 AM | I also note 300 oddly because it helps represent Eberron's sensibility. Heroism in Eberron isn't very happy. There's thousands of "heroes" leftover from the Last War and they're largely miserable or intense about what their heroism has accomplished. Lots of people dying and killing for the freedom of their land. Was it glorious? Many would say yes. However, others would say it's dirty and psychotic. |
| N3palm07-24-07, 01:26 AM | double post, my bad |
| N3palm07-24-07, 01:30 AM | I didn't like 300 very much as a film, but I can see you point. It does make that clearer or at least can help you understand that more. Bitter, sad or angry veterans, left from the war that had no purpose but dividing the land. Makes me want to make a bitter veteran NPC, hmm, maybe I will |
| Nived07-24-07, 01:59 AM | The Mummy and The Mummy Returns: Very pulp action. With exotic locations, dungeon crawling, traps, rival adventurers. Suspense: Its an old time radio show, when I'm grinding on online games I keep myself busy by listening to old radio shows. Suspense's tag line was "Tales well calculated to keep you in.... SUSPENCE!" After listening to oh say sixty hours of them I got a knack for its naritive style of telling mysteries that worked well for Eberron. |
| FenrysStar07-24-07, 04:07 AM | Lovecraft-Cthulhu and the rest in print, nothing gets you prepared for the Daelkyr and their collective Shennanigans quite like it. The DVD I have of the classic story brought to life as a silent film is just wonderful. Last Exile- Now granted the airships here are nothing like Eberron but many of the concepts transport over well. Dracula- The Bela Lagosi original, still a classic after all these years. Battle Chasers- Great comic with tons of ideas and eye candy. Alita-More cyberpunk I know but still worthwhile as an inspiration on female personality warforged. Rune- Crossgen comics attempting to reinvent Sherlock Holmes; in some ways actually suceeding. Dr. Who-No matter which actor plays the title character the result is a kind of magic. Some episodes lend themselves to Eberron more than others but the whole series from William Hartnell to Sylvester McCoy (I have yet to see the new series so I can't comment) is worth watching if you can find the episodes. Batman- Not all rogues are out for gold. Doom Patrol- It works better than you think it would. Sandman (Neil Gaiman's series)- He can show you terror in a tiny grain of sand...Now imagine how he would work in Eberron Sojourn- Another Crossgen comic that works extremely well if you think about it. Merridian- Floating Islands are not part of the Eberron landscape but they could have been. |
| N3palm07-24-07, 09:53 AM | Suspense: Its an old time radio show, when I'm grinding on online games I keep myself busy by listening to old radio shows. Suspense's tag line was "Tales well calculated to keep you in.... SUSPENCE!" After listening to oh say sixty hours of them I got a knack for its naritive style of telling mysteries that worked well for Eberron. That seems interesting, where do you find those? |
| Amaril07-24-07, 10:16 AM | http://www.archive.org/details/SUSPENSE |
| FenrysStar07-24-07, 12:11 PM | www.radiospirits.com I buy CDs of old radio shows here. Including Suspense and the Shadow among others. |
| _Radagast_07-24-07, 12:41 PM | www.radiospirits.com I buy CDs of old radio shows here. Including Suspense and the Shadow among others. Or listen for free here: http://www.archive.org/details/SUSPENSE |
| Amaril07-24-07, 12:45 PM | Or listen for free here: http://www.archive.org/details/SUSPENSELooks familiar... Oh, that's right! http://www.archive.org/details/SUSPENSE I knew I saw that somewhere. ;) |
| _Radagast_07-24-07, 12:47 PM | Oops sorry about that. Didn't see you posted that! Ha! Mr. Redundant right here. |
| N3palm07-24-07, 12:53 PM | The mesmerizing abilities of a second page. Man should never sever question from aswer :P Anyway, thanks for the link |
| FenrysStar07-24-07, 01:10 PM | Listen to it for free and watch less and less episodes be salvaged or BUY copies and PAY somebody to salvage the old episodes and have them anytime you want. Now granted I am still working on importing what I have to my iPod... |
| Vorj07-24-07, 03:37 PM | What about the the movie Dark City, if any movies has noir and pulp that movie does. "He can Tune!" Mummy movies would be very good idea spawning ground and the Indiana Jones moves, just remember the Austrian goodbye is much nicer than the German goodbye. :D |
| Rekko07-26-07, 12:00 AM | Apocalypto: This movie has a great atmosphere within itself. Dark, intrigue, scavenger hunt, locations. Gives a few ideas for barbaric societies or Xen'drik games. Fight Club anyone? Makes a cool organisation. Jason Bourne movies/books for that 'leave me alone or suffer me' feel. Who likes being tracked anyway? I really liked Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy for the scenario. Try to number out the deals each character makes between them. Working for themselves, mostly, and betraying their best of friends to achieve personal victory and defeat the common enemy. That's a start. Rekko |
| N3palm07-26-07, 03:06 AM | I really liked Pirates of the Caribbean trilogy for the scenario. Try to number out the deals each character makes between them. Working for themselves, mostly, and betraying their best of friends to achieve personal victory and defeat the common enemy. That's a start. Rekko I would really like to try and put that kind of scenario in a (mini) campaign. But I think its really hard to succesfully pull it off. I mean, you need all the players to have different interests but a fairly common goal and it needs to be fun for all the players, and keeping it fun seems hard to me. |
| Papermonday07-28-07, 12:41 PM | Pulp Fiction, what else?! (I really loved that film^^) |
| Ultimatecalibur07-28-07, 11:09 PM | I am going to present some Anime that have inspired me. 1. Slayers: If Lina Inverse, Gourry Gabriev, Zelgadis Greywords and Xellos are not a good example of an eberron adventuring party I do not know what is. 2. Melody of Oblivion: An underrated series that shows how chaotic good paladins could work believably, as well as make you wonder if the antagonists are actually evil. |
| Charles Phipps07-28-07, 11:15 PM | I am going to present some Anime that have inspired me. 1. Slayers: If Lina Inverse, Gourry Gabriev, Zelgadis Greywords and Xellos are not a good example of an eberron adventuring party I do not know what is. 2. Melody of Oblivion: An underrated series that shows how chaotic good paladins could work believably, as well as make you wonder if the antagonists are actually evil. I'd like to pipe in, that while Keith has certainly acknowledged no anime influence (though I suspect he's certainly played Final Fantasy unless he intends to claim the airship was inspired by Teddy Ruxpen). However, certainly, anime influence is not a PROBLEM on Eberron. There's a great deal of difference between Full Metal Alchemist, Nadia the Secret of Blue Water, and Sakura Wars vs......Pokemon. Gamers drawing inspiration from the Steam and Magical world of anime is drawing from excellent source material. :-) |
| Ultimatecalibur07-28-07, 11:22 PM | Oops left out Laputa: Castle in the Sky, and Steamboy. |
| Rechan07-28-07, 11:24 PM | However, certainly, anime influence is not a PROBLEM on Eberron. There's a great deal of difference between Full Metal Alchemist, Nadia the Secret of Blue Water, and Sakura Wars vs......Pokemon. I mean hell, if you wanted to, you could draw inspiration from Berzerk. It's certainly dark enough. The Godshand could be any powerful outsider (native or otherwise). |
| Zephyrus/Sonet07-28-07, 11:33 PM | I mean hell, if you wanted to, you could draw inspiration from Berzerk. It's certainly dark enough. The Godshand could be any powerful outsider (native or otherwise). I'm still trying to get my DM to do something like Khyber breaking loose and some people with big swords get to mindlessly hack and slash through hordes of demons. I think it'd be endless fun. :D |
| Charles Phipps07-28-07, 11:46 PM | I mean hell, if you wanted to, you could draw inspiration from Berzerk. It's certainly dark enough. The Godshand could be any powerful outsider (native or otherwise). Hell, I'm doing that now in the Shadows over Cyre. Eberron strikes me as the "Dark D&D" anyway, which is what Berserk is. Just substitute Lords of Dust/Rajah for "Godhand" and Abberations/Lords of Dust for "Apostles" depending on your character's levels. |
| Rechan07-29-07, 12:04 AM | Eberron strikes me as the "Dark D&D" anyway, which is what Berserk is. No, Dark D&D is Ravenloft - you need anti-depressants if you run a campaign there after a while. Eberron has more mood but there is the options for hope and actual good things that happen. Just substitute Lords of Dust/Rajah for "Godhand" and Abberations/Lords of Dust for "Apostles" depending on your character's levels. Apostles? Never looked at the manga - I watched all 24 episodes and then it stopped with Guts in that pocket dimension and I started yelling at my TV because that was the last episode. |
| Charles Phipps07-29-07, 12:10 AM | No, Dark D&D is Ravenloft - you need anti-depressants if you run a campaign there after a while. Eberron has more mood but there is the options for hope and actual good things that happen. In Eberron, I think it's the only D&D game that doesn't sanitize the violence to some extent. The monsters were pure evil and the heroes were purely good. Even if its only a little, Eberron is a game where heroism often comes at considerable cost. So, yes, Berserk seems appropriate in large part because war is icky nasty as opposed to being something fought to defend the good people of Gondor. Apostles? Never looked at the manga - I watched all 24 episodes and then it stopped with Guts in that pocket dimension and I started yelling at my TV because that was the last episode. Zod the Big Balor thing and the snake guy from the first episode. Basically, humans swear allegiance like griffith did and become demons. Griffith gets to join the big boys though because he's THAT evil. |
| Nived07-29-07, 12:41 AM | Today I made an interesting discovery at Borders. I was looking for a good Parlor mystery because I haven't read one in awhile and I like to test myself on them... when I came across an interesting find in the Mystery section which I haven't been in for awhile. They have Graphic Novel sized reprints of the old 1930s Doc Savage and The Shadow pulp magazine stories. Doc Savage is pulp fiction, the gold standard. I've never had the pleasure of reading it, though I've heard it referanced so often as inspiration for movies, comics, and even for Eberron. I picked up the first reprint which isn't actually the first chronological story, but rather takes us to Doc's Fortress of Solitude. Seems Doc had it in 1933 a full five years before Superman was created... Superman didn't completely rip off Doc Savage's anartic base till the mid 40s. Interesting stuff. Worth looking for if your interested in true pulp. |
| Sir Elton07-29-07, 12:53 AM | Lets see. Double Indemity: This is the serious Noir film that I watched. Two people conspire to murder the wife's husband and get the money on Double Indemity. Finally the wife betrays her male partner. Our hero, the one we root for, learns the consequences of murder. It's a Dark film. King Kong (/w Jack Black): this version, like I said, is very faithful to the original. With updated F/X, King Kong came to life like never before. Plus, the adventure to a hidden island; and one of the characters exploits two characters to make a buck. Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow: This movie really has the feel of the '30s and '40s. Very pulpish; also has a strange land and unusual technologies. The Last Mimsey: I've actually seen this, and I have to mention it. While the plot isn't Eberron-ish, there are ideas that can be linked to Adar and Sarlona. Mandalas most especially, as well as "Tokus" (phonetic spelling). It's pure science fiction; but the abilities the children display are possessed by any psion. Star Wars: To me, this is pure science fiction. The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: enough said. Ghost Breakers: The Least Comedic of Bob Hope's films; next to the Road to Singapore. This is pure Film Noir; a horror film with a good mix of Comedy to keep things straight (it makes fun of fear). That's all I can think of at the moment. |
| FenrysStar07-29-07, 06:58 AM | In Eberron, I think it's the only D&D game that doesn't sanitize the violence to some extent. The monsters were pure evil and the heroes were purely good. Even if its only a little, Eberron is a game where heroism often comes at considerable cost. So, yes, Berserk seems appropriate in large part because war is icky nasty as opposed to being something fought to defend the good people of Gondor. Zod the Big Balor thing and the snake guy from the first episode. Basically, humans swear allegiance like griffith did and become demons. Griffith gets to join the big boys though because he's THAT evil. I've only seen the anime myself. Not sure what is going on towards the end. Although a part of me keeps wondering what happened to Caska. And a part of me was rooting for Guts and Caska to become lovers. |
| TheKeyofE07-29-07, 10:24 AM | I'm still trying to get my DM to do something like Khyber breaking loose and some people with big swords get to mindlessly hack and slash through hordes of demons. I think it'd be endless fun. :D Mmm...Monkey Gripped Large Greatswords...*drool* And a part of me was rooting for Guts and Caska to become lovers. Umm...I thought they did. |
| Rekko07-29-07, 11:57 AM | V for Vendetta and Lucky Number Sleven are both good movies for some character backgrounds and plot devices. I also like Gladiator for the same reasons. The Last Samurai is inspiring for downfall sessions when your character draws back and learn about geography, the people, the customs and prepare their next adventuring plan. Rekko |
| N3palm07-29-07, 12:54 PM | V for Vendetta and Lucky Number Sleven are both good movies for some character backgrounds and plot devices. doh, why didn't I think of those. Both great material. |
| Rekko07-29-07, 07:27 PM | I have rented Blade Runner, The Brotherhood of the Wolf, The Quick and the Dead (a western), Cutthroat Island (pirate movie) and they all seem to qualify to the list. |
| MerlintheTuna07-30-07, 03:28 AM | While this is neither really a pulp nor noir angle to tackle the issue from, the previously mentioned Gundam should be noted as being an awesome source of nicknames and titles. After all, why be "The Crusher" when you can be "The Nightmare of Solomon," "The Lightning Count," and so on? I mean, not so much with "Commander Newbie," but then, you can't win 'em all. |
| Rekko07-31-07, 06:25 PM | The Good German From imdb.com Berlin, July, 1945. Journalist Jake Geismer arrives to cover the Potsdam conference, issued a captain's uniform for easier passage. He also wants to find Lena, an old flame who's now a prostitute desperate to get out of Berlin. He discovers that the driver he's assigned, a cheerful down-home sadist named Corporal Tully, is Lena's keeper. When the body of a murdered man washes up in Potsdam (within the Russian sector), Jake may be the only person who wants to solve the crime: U.S. personnel are busy finding Nazis to bring to trial, the Russians and the Americans are looking for German rocket scientists, and Lena has her own secrets. This picture is a tribute to the 1940's pulp and film noir movies. What I think Eberron is all about, and adding to the facts that both Eberron and the movie are settled post-war. Rekko |
| Alex_07-31-07, 07:21 PM | I'd like to pipe in, that while Keith has certainly acknowledged no anime influence (though I suspect he's certainly played Final Fantasy unless he intends to claim the airship was inspired by Teddy Ruxpen). The idea of a flying ship is not so out there that someone can't have have been conceived it on their own, especially not if they were looking at magic and how it could be used to replicate a world with heavy influence from early-mid 20th century technology. They have trains in the form of the Lightning Rail and steam powered ships in the form of Stormships. A magical equivalent to Zepplins and commercial aircraft in the form of Airships is not much a stretch and would make sense considering their prominence in many Pulp movies. All use the same general principle as well (elemental binding) which is unlike any of the methods used in any Final Fantasy game. |
| Charles Phipps07-31-07, 07:47 PM | All use the same general principle as well (elemental binding) which is unlike any of the methods used in any Final Fantasy game. Uh huh. |
| Alex_07-31-07, 08:51 PM | Uh huh. I'm afraid I don't follow. Is there a method in one of the FF games that came out before Eberron in which elementals were bound to vehicles and vessels to make them move? I've seen some with lots of rotors/propellers, some that use lighter than air gases, and some that simply fly magically, but none that seem like there's an elemental powering them. |
| Ultimatecalibur07-31-07, 11:00 PM | I'm afraid I don't follow. Is there a method in one of the FF games that came out before Eberron in which elementals were bound to vehicles and vessels to make them move? I've seen some with lots of rotors/propellers, some that use lighter than air gases, and some that simply fly magically, but none that seem like there's an elemental powering them. I will take that challenge. The best examples of using an elemental or outsider to power a piece of equipment can be found in Final Fantasy 6, in fact this is actually a major plot point. In FF6, the Empire is draining away the power of the Espers, a group of former humans turned into godlike warriors (think genies, angels, and demons) during an ancient battle between 3 goddesses who later sealed themselves away, to power their Magetech weapons and equipment. |
| Alex_07-31-07, 11:31 PM | I will take that challenge. The best examples of using an elemental or outsider to power a piece of equipment can be found in Final Fantasy 6, in fact this is actually a major plot point. In FF6, the Empire is draining away the power of the Espers, a group of former humans turned into godlike warriors (think genies, angels, and demons) during an ancient battle between 3 goddesses who later sealed themselves away, to power their Magetech weapons and equipment. It wasn't a challenge, but an honest question as I haven't played all the FF games, particularly FF6. |
| Adhevan07-31-07, 11:44 PM | I will take that challenge. The best examples of using an elemental or outsider to power a piece of equipment can be found in Final Fantasy 6, in fact this is actually a major plot point. In FF6, the Empire is draining away the power of the Espers, a group of former humans turned into godlike warriors (think genies, angels, and demons) during an ancient battle between 3 goddesses who later sealed themselves away, to power their Magetech weapons and equipment. Flying ships are hardly a new thing in fantasy literature. They existed long before the FF series. I recall reading a novel in the 70s when I was but a wee lad in junior high that featured a flying ship that was powered by either a fire elemental or an efreet. The Doomfarers of Coramonde by Brian Daley. I'm pretty sure that predates Final Fantasy and it wasn't even an original idea when published in 1977. |
| MerlintheTuna07-31-07, 11:46 PM | FF6's airship is entirely mechanical, too. The Esper hoohah is separate. |
| Adhevan07-31-07, 11:50 PM | But back on topic, The Maltese Falcon is a movie I like to watch for inspiration and to get into the right mood when working on plotlines for an Eberron campaign. Even though Bogey solves the case and sends the killer to prison, he doesn't "win." No one wins, but I'm still left with the feeling that Bogart's struggles were not entirely in vain. |
| Ryuu_Tenshi07-31-07, 11:58 PM | For Airships, I have to turn to FFXII. Actually, XII has a lot of great Eberron-ish elements - political intruige, magic integrated with technology, ancient secrets, exotic settings, strange creatures... and the airships are the most Eberronian I've seen in function, if you ignore things like the Sky Fortress Bahamut. They even are specifically stated to run on a form of bound magical energy, Magicite, which is similar to bound elementals (not identical though) |
| Ultimatecalibur08-01-07, 12:24 AM | Flying ships are hardly a new thing in fantasy literature. They existed long before the FF series. I recall reading a novel in the 70s when I was but a wee lad in junior high that featured a flying ship that was powered by either a fire elemental or an efreet. The Doomfarers of Coramonde by Brian Daley. I'm pretty sure that predates Final Fantasy and it wasn't even an original idea when published in 1977. I wasn't arguing that. Jules Verne wrote about one in his 1886 story Robur the Conqueror. What I was doing was answering Alex_'s question about using elemental beings to power vehicles in Final Fantasy,which did happen in FF6 (even though they were more like mechs). |
| Nived08-02-07, 08:52 PM | Once again I'm going to say Doc Savage I mentioned seeing the books at borders before, but I had never actually read one. I'd heard about him for years, everything from Superman to Indiana Jones was said to be inspired by Doc Savage, now I've read some... wow. I wouldn't call them high literature, but now I know what pulp is. Its surreal, its a trip, it's completely outrageous and over the top. If you want to know what pulp is, then ignore all the things that are pulp inspired (as wonderful as they are) and read some real Pulp. John Sunlight is now one of my favorite villains of all time. |
| Wizardman08-04-07, 04:55 AM | As far as video games go, I recommend the criminally underrated ShadowHearts series. The games combine Lovecraftian horror with political intrigue, loads of action, and several moments of laugh out loud humour. |
| ORC_Paradox08-04-07, 06:36 AM | For pulp video games, check out the classic X-Box title Crimson Skies: High road to revenge. |
| TheKeyofE08-04-07, 03:30 PM | As far as video games go, I recommend the criminally underrated ShadowHearts series. The games combine Lovecraftian horror with political intrigue, loads of action, and several moments of laugh out loud humour. And play a Binder from Tome of Magic while you're at it. |
| DragoonDarkfire08-07-07, 02:38 PM | Another Video Game? God of War OK so gods don't actually exist in Eberron like in FR or Greek Myth, but the concept and action (with incredible amounts of violence and gore) seem to fit Eberron for me. Not only that but the characters (specifically Kratos, and not that one from Tales of Symphonia) are a good example of what PC's can be like. |
| N3palm08-09-07, 01:46 AM | I've also read about this in another topic, but Karas a new anime has some nice things in it, usable in Eberron. It has a nice actionpacked feel to it, gritty too. |
| Tolly724908-09-07, 02:35 AM | Wheeeeeee, first post! Let's see now... The New Doctor Who: Keeps all the good stuff from the original series (I grew UP on that stuff!) and adds a slightly more modern spin. Most importantly, it's about being true to your allies, doing good because you MUST, not because it's easy, and sometimes doing evil to do good. Look at the Christmas Bride, perfect example of the evil can sometimes = good. (BTW, I've only just seen The Lazarus Experiment, give me spoilers for the rest of the season and DIE.) Final Fantasy XII: I love all the FF games, have done for a long time, but something about XII just screams 'Eberron!' to me. Nothing's black and white, sometimes the greatest evils of all are done with the best of intentions... Rabanastre at the beginning of the game is a nice way to demonstrate how the war can affect people in more ways than one. Plus the game is full of great character archetypes with a little twist. It even does the whole 'evil twin' bit and makes it cool. Damn fine game, currently making a damn fine campaign. Vayne d'Cannith, anyone? (Statting up The Undying is gonna be a pain in the backside, though.) Phantasy Star Online Episodes 1 and 2: The sad part about PSO is that most of the things that went wrong were directly due to the interference of the corrupted leadership in something that should have been left buried. Olga Flow is a particularly poignant reminder of what can happen when the boundaries are pushed too far. V for Vendetta: Just because it owns on so many levels. You can run some great '1984', 'Big Brother' type stuff after watching this. 1984: Nuff said. The Harry Potter books: Well, from about half-way through Goblet of Fire, anyways. Good inspiration for a University/Youngsters kind of campaign, then becomes a 'small group of good people trying to stop the evil from taking over the world' thing. Almost all of 'The Deathly Hallows' is great inspiration for a totalitarian state. (Although I HATED how the series ended. Might just be me, though, cause I guessed most of the 'twists' in the last book long before it came out.) |
| Hopeless08-11-07, 09:10 AM | For Airships, I have to turn to FFXII. Actually, XII has a lot of great Eberron-ish elements - political intruige, magic integrated with technology, ancient secrets, exotic settings, strange creatures... and the airships are the most Eberronian I've seen in function, if you ignore things like the Sky Fortress Bahamut. They even are specifically stated to run on a form of bound magical energy, Magicite, which is similar to bound elementals (not identical though) I thought that was supposed to be their version of Argonth and the other lesser known floating fortress of Breland? |
| Hopeless08-11-07, 09:32 AM | Wheeeeeee, first post! Let's see now... The New Doctor Who: Keeps all the good stuff from the original series (I grew UP on that stuff!) and adds a slightly more modern spin. Most importantly, it's about being true to your allies, doing good because you MUST, not because it's easy, and sometimes doing evil to do good. Look at the Christmas Bride, perfect example of the evil can sometimes = good. (BTW, I've only just seen The Lazarus Experiment, give me spoilers for the rest of the season and DIE.) <laughs> yes I loved the TARDIS rescue sequence but enough said! Final Fantasy XII: I love all the FF games, have done for a long time, but something about XII just screams 'Eberron!' to me. Nothing's black and white, sometimes the greatest evils of all are done with the best of intentions... Rabanastre at the beginning of the game is a nice way to demonstrate how the war can affect people in more ways than one. Plus the game is full of great character archetypes with a little twist. It even does the whole 'evil twin' bit and makes it cool. Damn fine game, currently making a damn fine campaign. Vayne d'Cannith, anyone? (Statting up The Undying is gonna be a pain in the backside, though.) Yes I'm still wishing they'd release the opening movie so it can be shown on dvd even video (mine doesn't work though), but I've been trying to work that sequence into an opening intro for a campaign but I'm trying to get over that particular meme... The Harry Potter books: Well, from about half-way through Goblet of Fire, anyways. Good inspiration for a University/Youngsters kind of campaign, then becomes a 'small group of good people trying to stop the evil from taking over the world' thing. Almost all of 'The Deathly Hallows' is great inspiration for a totalitarian state. (Although I HATED how the series ended. Might just be me, though, cause I guessed most of the 'twists' in the last book long before it came out.) Yes, it got me thinking it would make a great campaign in Aundaire I even thought out a way to introduce it as a flashback scene just prior to the FF12 opening movie homage and explain how everyone except the Harry Potter-like character (and one other) have all died and been turned undead in the service of an unexpected traitor at the university with HP being a diviner on a quest to find and defeat the first of the Runelords...(Sorry if that part offends anyone) Hermione by the way is the character i visualise as having survived because she returned to Cyre having received a vision of Cyre's destruction and mistakenly thought it meant the deaths of her remaining family... Why kill the all off? One word, and those who haven't read the last book will hunt me down nd kill me for spoiling it... oh well enough said! |
| Tolly724908-11-07, 10:50 AM | If someone dies, then dammit all they should STAY DEAD. Thanks J.K. No, really. For the love of all things cute, fluffy and kitten-like, do not bring someone back once they're dead. Even bringing back spirits is pushing it. (Let's just say that I'm not a fan of any kind of resurrection spell, and my players are appropriately paranoid.) |
| skrap-san11-27-07, 04:49 AM | I would like to ad the Stardust movie/book. Loads of fantastic things and great flowing action. |
| pskought11-27-07, 04:40 PM | Pulp/Noir Indiana Jones - everyone loves a lost temple and a death trap Angel - accessible genre piece and a consistent hero/detective motif Chinatown - my favorite detective movie ever. James Bond - gadgets, over-the-top archvillains, freaky henchman and volcano lairs - what's not to love? Other Influences Battlestar Galactica - The Cylons inform my faceless minions, and I like the omnipresent threading of prophecy in the 1st season. This is my go-to influence for multi-session stories. assorted episodic tv - Dr Who, Star Trek, X-Files, Buffy - these shows are more or less crap, but they know how to entertain with a self-contained episode week-after-week. Yes, there's metaplot payoff for the faithful, but they also feature some of the best one-shot episodes out there. Very modular and good inspiration for one-night sessions. |
| Ryuu_Tenshi11-28-07, 10:52 PM | I thought that was supposed to be their version of Argonth and the other lesser known floating fortress of Breland? Hah, excellent point, sir. |
| aelryinth11-30-07, 12:52 AM | Perdido Street Station and the two sequels = China Melville. Totally noir, and totally magic integration into society with weird races and stuff. The Dresden Files, by Jim BUtcher. You play D@D, you need to read these books. They are perfect for a D@D Modern setting, and you could drop Harry Dresden right into Eberron perfectly. Chicago makes for a great Eberron setting. Dresden even hangs with a bunch of high schoolers who grow up to be college kids...who also happen to be a bunch of RPG'ing werewolves. The Faerie Courts of his novels would make for PERFECT interpretations of Thelanis, if you wanted to yoink them. I really, strongly urge you to read these books. Every gamer will have fun with them. Movie - Alan Quartermain and Solomon's mInes.[/I] nazis, ancient treasure, a look at the divine, an artificer pulling out the ultimate souped up wand, and kung fu monkeys. What's not to love? "Germans, er, Karrns, make the best (urp!) laxatives in the world!" Doc Savage. In the same era, the original Shadow books. Flash Gordon. You do know he's one of the original pulp heroes for the Planetary Romance genre, right? Trade rocketship for airship, and he could be running around on Eberron. And not the sucky 80's movie...go for the comic strips. Likewise, [I]John Carter fits perfectly in Eberron themes, and so does Tarzan if you are doing Xen'drik. Lost tribes in Xen'Drik is all over him. You want murder mysteries in Sharn, read some Sherlock Holmes for inspiration for inquisitives. Mission: IMpossible, the old TV series, is a series of espionage episodes set at the height of the Cold War. It's not noir, but it IS hefty espionage. All these Comic adaptations, and no one mentioned either Lara Croft or Hellboy? C'mon, the former is nothing but Xen'Drik romps and the latter is about as moody of dark mystic settings as you could get, with a heroic demon protaganist! (and yes, the Hellboy comics are as good as the movies). In sharn, they'd probably think he was some half-fiend wingless gargoyle or something, just a weird part of the scenery. ==Aelryinth |
| Azazyll12-02-07, 06:38 PM | Someone said Johnny Quest on the first page, and of course, that made me think of the Venture Brothers. If you ever need a moment of levity in Eberron, VB will give you some ideas. It's about a world of super spies, super scientists and all other super whatnots taken to hilarious extremes. Certainly not for serious moments, but every game needs a few laughs. On a more serious note, all the works of HP lovecraft belong in Eberron somewhere, and not just as random Cult of the Dragon Below encounters. At the Mountains of Madness is the definitive horror exploration adventure. The Case of Charles Dexter Ward or the Rats in the Walls are also great. Lovecraft's protagonists deal with uncovering ancient knowledge and primordial threats to existence, all in the same time period as the classic period of noir and pulp. He was, in fact, a correspondent of Robert E Howard, whose Solomon Kaine is an archetype of the pulp noir antihero. |
| Rekko01-31-08, 08:53 AM | :bump: I'm surprised that The Godfather hasn't been mentioned. There are upcoming movies that seems very interesting for inspiration. Ironman (artificer, renegade master anyone?), Jumper (director of Bourne trilogy), Batman: the Dark Knight, Hellboy 2 only to name a few. Rekko |
| kelvinaw27301-31-08, 11:48 AM | :bump: I'm surprised that The Godfather hasn't been mentioned. There are upcoming movies that seems very interesting for inspiration. Ironman (artificer, renegade master anyone?), Jumper (director of Bourne trilogy), Batman: the Dark Knight, Hellboy 2 only to name a few. Rekko Sky Captain and the World of Tomorrow - horribly cheesey pulp, but great fun! |
| Tiwaz02-01-08, 09:28 AM | I have not seen anyone state any music that inspires them yet. It may be just be what inspires one music wise wont work for another. Still it wood be net to see what gets everyone’s gears turning on the music front. I listen to Symphonic, Sludg and Epic metal while writing Eberron. Blood+ is a good one for secret society's and guvernment perversion. |