Topic: Vampires and the Like

[egdcltd]

I may be wrong, but I don't remember vampires - and other powerful, intelligent undead like liches - being present much in Kulthea, other than being referenced in the Master Atlases.

Surely, there would be at least a few of these knocking around, in the urban areas especially?

[Terry K. Amthor]

I may be wrong, but I don't remember vampires - and other powerful, intelligent undead like liches - being present much in Kulthea, other than being referenced in the Master Atlases.

Surely, there would be at least a few of these knocking around, in the urban areas especially?

I'm pretty sure that there is at least one Vampire in the Izar Bay region, and there is a Lich in Thanor (Roth the Flamboyant), but it is true, there are not a lot of very powerful undead types lurking about.

[egdcltd]

Ah, yes, I've found two vampires in Emer I. Lord Garan Tholen of Teterantor and Trellian the Minstrel, and Roth from Emer II.

Are there so few powerful undead simply because they haven't been detailed, or do they run up against more powerful beings too frequently and lose? Would they serve the Unlife or not?

[Terry K. Amthor]

Ah, yes, I've found two vampires in Emer I. Lord Garan Tholen of Teterantor and Trellian the Minstrel, and Roth from Emer II.

Are there so few powerful undead simply because they haven't been detailed, or do they run up against more powerful beings too frequently and lose? Would they serve the Unlife or not?

I could certainly see some powerful undead--especially Liches--selling out to the Unlife in return for 'eternal undeath.' As for Vampires, I guess I was never that big of a fan of them in SW. Maybe seeing Tom Cruise as Lestat scarred me for life. And that was even before the Twilight series.

[egdcltd]

I only managed an hour of Twilight (including adverts) before I stopped watching out of sheer boredom. I'm with Stephen King on this.

There is a problem in decent vampiric role models currently. They're mostly sex gods or ravening monsters. Although the Fat Vampire ebook series is a bit different, it's not that good an inspiration for gaming. Perhaps the vampiric courts from the Dresden Files are one of the better ones.

[terefang]

am i right that the shadow world goes with the C&T (RM2) concept that only ghouls and vampires spread the undead plague, all other types have been created/transformed ?

yet i could imagine powerful concentrations of dark-essaence could cause (unlife-)undead to rise without explicit spell magic.

or is it better to follow the article in GC
http://www.guildcompanion.com/scrolls/2000/jul/animatedcorpses.html

[Cory Magel]

You don't like 'sparkly' teenage heart-throb Vampires Terry?  Not thing you know you'll tell us you don't watch Honey Boo-Boo.

[Terry K. Amthor]

You don't like 'sparkly' teenage heart-throb Vampires Terry?  Not thing you know you'll tell us you don't watch Honey Boo-Boo.

I absolutely loathe all reality TV, especially the exploitive family ones glorifying the worst in America like Boo-boo, the one where they have 20 kids, and Duck Dynasty. Those gross dating shows and 'Housewives' are almost as bad. Don't get me started on the Kardashians. I pity the producers who work long hours for slave wages to edit these shows to make them 'compelling.' I have better things to do than watch these disgusting, no-talent people get a spotlight for misbehaving. In a way these people are vampires, feeding off the attention they get from the audience. 

On a more fun topic, I am totally Team Jacob. Werewolves coming soon! 

[Cory Magel]

I actually to my wife (at the time) that if I ever caught her actually watching Honey Boo-Boo I'd have that channel blocked from our service.    There are very, very few 'reality' shows with any redeeming qualities what-so-ever and it makes me sad for humanity that they are popular enough to remain viable...

[markc]

Terry,
 Tell us how you really feel.   
  Do not worry I am right there with you but there are times I do like watching some DD just for the humor factor as I used to work in a family run bis and at times it was just like the show. Us workers were trying to do our jobs and the owners sons did a lot of playing.
MDC

[Terry K. Amthor]

Terry,
 Tell us how you really feel.   
  Do not worry I am right there with you but there are times I do like watching some DD just for the humor factor as I used to work in a family run bis and at times it was just like the show. Us workers were trying to do our jobs and the owners sons did a lot of playing.
MDC

Heh, they could have done a reality show about ICE back in the 80's! I think it was the only major game company back in the day that was not run basically by one person. It was a group of smart, talented people, and inevitably there were clashes of egos, internal politics, and you name it. 

[egdcltd]

The closest I've come to watching reality TV was one series of Dragon's Den. It always seems like very lazy programming (at best), as it doesn't look like much creative effort goes into writing them.

I admit, there's a potential upcoming series I may very well watch, though - Mars One.

[BrianI]

I'll admit to having enjoyed some Man v. Wild. Faked or not, the scenes and locations are interesting and enjoyable ... especially to hard working GMs.

Especially for the jungle / rainforest scenes, let's say, for someone's (ahem) Emer III adventures in the rain forests, etc.

Where, for me, there will likely not be vampires - sparkly or not. There may, however, be strange mummies. And lichee. And undead cobras.

Back on topic.

[markc]

As reality TV I guess I do watch some after taking a hard look at what I watch, I like watching Deadliest Catch and occasionally I will catch a show of Heroes of Cos-play.
I enjoy watching the panic that occurs on these peoples faces when they realize they are out of time ... and if you are out of time you get what you get.
MDC   

[Cory Magel]

I think the most effort the networks put into their reality shows is in making sure they put people that will end up hating each other under the same roof.

I guess, technically, I'll watch some of the cooking competitions which might be considered 'reality' shows... but only the ones that really are about cooking and don't intentionally create manufactured drama.  Celebrity Chef, Iron Chef or Chopped on Food Network if I'm bored or just have the TV on while I'm working on something else (and while I love Alton Brown I just can't get into Cutthroat Kitchen).  I used to watch Orange County Choppers, but stopped when it started becoming more of a drama than a show about actually building motorcycles.

When I think of 'reality' shows I think of the ones that are pretty much just tabloids on TV.  Honey Boo-Boo has got to be the worst one out there, but there are loads of others, but I really don't like the things like American Idol and all it's clones and, possible, predecessors.  The primary reason I refuse to watch those is because when you have the pool of candidates they do there's no way in hell you should have someone that is no good up there.  They intentionally put people who suck on national TV just to get ratings, making them just as bad if not worst than all the others.  I also really hate the fact that formerly 'smart viewer' networks like The History Channel are getting in on the act.

The only one I can think of that really has any redeeming value is something like "Biggest Loser" where they are actually trying for a positive result... but I still don't watch those.

Weren't we talking about Vampires?  I'll make this discussion relevant.  How about a reality show with Vampires and Werewolves living together?  We could call it "Bloody Twilights".

[egdcltd]

Weren't we talking about Vampires?  I'll make this discussion relevant.  How about a reality show with Vampires and Werewolves living together?  We could call it "Bloody Twilights".

Didn't they come close with Being Human? Although I haven't actually seen either version of that series.

[markc]

Yes Being Human did that and I enjoyed the first seasons of each the BBC and American version of the show. I stopped watching because of too many other programs on the same nights and my recorder could not keep up with it. I also used to game on Friday nights when they were on.
 It was an interesting concept and I think one that could work in a game. I also think the concept came out of White Wolfs Storyteller series of games. The have products for Vampires, Ghosts, Were's (in many flavors), Angles, Mages and some spin off books for other things. I can say that I have liked most of them and tend to convert them for use in RM.   

MDC

[Terry K. Amthor]

I'll admit to having enjoyed some Man v. Wild. Faked or not, the scenes and locations are interesting and enjoyable ... especially to hard working GMs.

Especially for the jungle / rainforest scenes, let's say, for someone's (ahem) Emer III adventures in the rain forests, etc.

Where, for me, there will likely not be vampires - sparkly or not. There may, however, be strange mummies. And lichee. And undead cobras.

Back on topic.

I've watched a few minutes of Man vs. Wild (when checking Science Channel to see if anything good is on) and I appreciate that he shows that it's just him and no camera crew. It was intriguing that he brought his poor son along recently. He rambles a lot but I guess he has to.

And yes, sorry, back on topic! I'm to blame as much as anyone.

There are quite a few Undead in Emer III, and in fact in the upcoming Gryphonburgh, but not Lichs or Vampires (Gryphonburgh is a low-level adventure/campaign).

[Cory Magel]

I've watched a few minutes of Man vs. Wild (when checking Science Channel to see if anything good is on) and I appreciate that he shows that it's just him and no camera crew. It was intriguing that he brought his poor son along recently. He rambles a lot but I guess he has to.

You're thinking of Survivorman Terry.  He (Les Stroud) is the one that truly does a survival show.
Man vs Wild is Bear Grylls who, so far as I can tell, is just a TV host.

[Terry K. Amthor]

I've watched a few minutes of Man vs. Wild (when checking Science Channel to see if anything good is on) and I appreciate that he shows that it's just him and no camera crew. It was intriguing that he brought his poor son along recently. He rambles a lot but I guess he has to.

You're thinking of Survivorman Terry.  He (Les Stroud) is the one that truly does a survival show.
Man vs Wild is Bear Grylls who, so far as I can tell, is just a TV host.

Oops, yes, you are quite right. All the show names start to run together.