Do you include physical representations of abstract concepts in your campaigns?

ebin

/thread

Not physical as such, but the top God in the Pantheon is the incarnation/personification of both life and death.

Why does a representation of flavor care about a representation of feeling? Is he also going after Soft and Fuzzy?
Piquancy isn't a taste, you can also feel it on the insides of your wrists and on sensitive mucusy parts like in your nose.

They're treated as tho they were persons, and sometimes worshipped as gods, but this is just how people think of them, the concepts themselves are just concepts.

Well yeah, how else am I going to murder fate, and then the gods, leaving humanity to make it's own way without outside interference.
This is a legit motivation of one of the more powerful people in Anima.
His idea of "Humanity" is the clone-race he's created with bits of old gods. The chumps and peasants running around Gaïa are considered sheep at best.

>Abstract concepts
>Physical representations

Not really, but I did include Death in one of my campaigns.

In goth garb and all. Probably the best way I could think of finishing the campaign because we were all moving away from each other.

Umami is literally the only taste that can't be sensed with the nose.

That's because IT DOESN'T FUCKING EXIST
It's literally a meme-flavor made up by a nip special snowflake

It's literally the stimulation of glutamate receptors on the tongue.
The scientific community has been aware of this since the '50s and has accepted it as fact since the '80s, get over your racism and deal with it man.

Desire/Despair/Delirium a shit
Death a best

Disrespect like this is why the Umami Lord is rampaging across the lands.

fpbp

Persona fanboy I take it?

I swear I've heard this here before. Really cool either way.

...

Oh god, Death's a brony?

She prefers the term "Horsefucker"

No, she's just a girl.

Hmm, there was a being that was sort of kind of the manifestation of motherly love, as both the tender embrace and the cold matron.

She was incredibly bipolar in mannerisms; simultaneously over-protective, yet harsh beyond/callous belief.

*harsh/callous

Wasn't sure which word to use.

I included a living embodiment of the idea of forgetting in one campaign. It didn't have the power to take the lives of the characters or anything they were focused on. It took the things they weren't paying attention to. The rations they hadn't been counting for a couple days, arrows that the players didn't specifically say they picked up, that sort of thing.

Sounds annoying, did the PC's kill it?

They started keeping careful records of everything they had (in character) and it stopped bothering them. A year later in real time they didn't remember why they had been keeping detailed records. I informed them the Disregarded had taken itself.

Hahaha

Nice

Some NPCs are fated as the champions of gods in secret, they are completely unaware of this and it will never be used or discovered in the plot. It's just a cool little subtlety that luckily no one has noticed.

I am. The GM didn't knew about it, but he learned about Jung at college, and I later showed Persona to him.

I wrote about it on Veeky Forums before.

YES, BUT THEY HAVE TO SPEAK IN ALL CAPS.

I ʙeMJeve ʏou meᴀɴ tHeʏ tᴀMk wJtH ᴀ voJce MJke tHe sMᴀmmJɴG oғ coғғJɴs MJds

I DONT KNOW ABOUT YOU BUT I COULD MURDER A CURRY RIGHT NOW

whoops I was trying to do small caps, like discworld death, but no luck. sorry. I was trying to say: "I believe you mean they talk with a voice like the slamming of coffins lids"

My current campaign has no real gods, angels or demons, more you become an abstract mannefestation of your own will once you basically will yourself hard enough.

The stronger your will, the harder you fight, the smarter you act, the more powerful manifestation you become.

There hasn't been many people who've been able to achieve this though, you can actually figure out who because part of the "lore" is that each star in the night sky is someone who's reached godhood only to pass and the stars above are the scar they left behind.

The Moon is actually the physical manefestation of the setting's only lich, who acts as a sort of grim reaper because he sees in between both worlds, and he's only so powerful because of how old he is and the fact that he's neigh immortal. He's essentially the biggest fish in the pond purely because no one offed him, he purely wants to be someone who can necessitate death and it's passage; and that's because he's the only one around that can truly make sure the dead stay that way, which is an actual issue in the setting because all the abundance of those who attained neigh and actual godhood, has torn holes in the fabric of the veil which makes it difficult for souls to pass willingly.

There's also a Paladin who's sort of the main antagonist who's in love with a long since dead goddess who accidentally left a piece of her self behind, that gives off a song that only the owner can hear, which is the echo of her long since stopped beating heart. The Paladin was driven mad by this and his desire for her, becoming something that exists between life and the veil, unlike the lich who is something between life and death; and his mere existence is causing all sorts of shit to be fucked up as he's trying to revive her back into existence using nothing more than that echo he possesses, but he doesn't necessarily realize this as she never had a soul to begin with, as it's lost during the transformation faze like all other gods.

It's even better this way

Umami is savory. It's a real flavor like bland, spicy, tart and fatty. Smell has little to do with flavor for humans; we have terrible scent.

...

>Umami is savory. It's a real flavor like bland, spicy, tart and fatty.

Umami is a basic taste, like Salty, Bitter, Sour and Sweet.

Fatty, tart, bland and savory are flavors, combinations of the above tastes.

Spicy, or pungent, is not a flavor or a taste. It is a feeling.

>Fatty, tart

I read that as "Farty Tart".

So Farty Tart is now an NPC in the next game I'm running. She's on the list.

Players met Death of the Endless once.

It was a DC-setting Mutants and Masterminds superheroes game, and none of them had read Sandman at the time, so they didn't quite realise what was going on (one of them, a speedster, tried asking if she was the Black Racer and if that meant he had the Speed Force).

I am proud to say that to a man (and the girl), they had all begun reading it when the next session began. Clearly I did something right.

>all this good taste

Please don't justify your fetishes through deliberate misinterpretation like that.
Just admit it's magical realm and move on.

Yes.
Gratuitously nice female characters.

This idea is dumb as fuck if there is a physical representation of something then it's no longer an abstract concept and people are going to just start comparing how similar something to the representation and forgot the original abstractness of the concept.
Kind of like how when someone says "god" people start thinking of something that is omnipotent rather than something like buddha

Is Sandman worth reading?

Yes.

Jesus fucking Christ, you're such an asshole.

I don't remember that page. At all.

She's just messing with him. There's nothing she needs, she's Death.

Absolutely savage, mi familia.

Depends on the setting.

Sure, they are called gods.

Definitely.

Yeah, but the big ones literally don't/can't give a fuck about you or your problems, and trying to appeal to them will either get you ignored, or, if you are persistent enough, you will be slapped into atoms for the crime of irritating conceptual pillars of reality.

You think Death has the time, patience or motivation to manifest to a mortal, let alone in a form that they can both understand and also won't snuff out all life on the world it sets foot on?

It doesn't.

A couple, they rarely show up outside of particularly meta or dire situations.

Shame on you! Delerium is way too sweet too talk shit about.

Never stick your dick in crazy, no matter how qt crazy might be

Honestly, I don't want to fuck either Death or Delerium. Death is too much no nonsense and Delerium is too much nonsense.

No, only complete fags would do that.

Death being best girl notwithstanding, yes it's a great read with lots of fun stories. The art can be meh at times but not enough to be a big detriment.

I'll take my chances.

In fact, user, they are a playable race of my (somewhat) homebrew setting my players are currently playing on. If you want to hear about the (possibly long) story, I could start some storytelling. If you just want to read about stats and how they were implemented in terms of gameplay, just follow the other reply of this post.

The world, from the mysthical point of view, is based upon Platon phylosophy: there is a plane of existence where we perceive (imperfectly) the concepts, and another plane of existence where the concepts are truly what they are. This second plane can only be accessed when your mind is unplugged of any sense, usually (unwillingly) by sleeping or (willingly) by meditating. With the use of meditation, spellcasters could visit that plane and take concepts from this "dream" plane (as my players nicknamed it) to the real plane, which are they spells, basically.

Some people would think that the real world would be influenced by the dream world but, actually, they influence each other. When the minds of every living begin visit the dream plane, new concepts and meanings for previous concepts, are created. Old words and ethics are rewritten in the dream plane, as those new concepts rewritte the real world. With time, some abstract concepts get so complex that they develop their own conscience. Luck can be very capricious, granting and withdrawing its favours according to whim. They born and gathered, in a everchanging plane of abstracts concepts and ideas.

Unfortunately, the more they were aware of their own existence, the more they were aware of the great joke of the universe. Althought scholars thing that this dreamy plane is the plane of the "True True", they are just a mirror of the real world. The material plane is where you can find the real face of the concepts,... just that it escapes from the human perception.

[1/??]

So, you are an concious entity who are aware of you "unexistence" (or partial existence), what you do? Well, some concepts lingers in the dreamy plane, letting themselves to disappear from the world, thinking that there is no hope for their existence. Other entities just accept their life the way it is, trying to live and change in the plane they were born. And others... Those others strive to "become true". Some of them would try to achieve such destiny throught philosophical or scientifical enlightement, while others would search for a more practical (and possibly evil) way...

Feeding upon the mind of the visiting humans, using them as hosts for them, or just influencing them to do their whim, those rogue concepts easily became like eldritch evil gods. Of course, as there was concepts who follows the ideas of these rogue entities, there were ideas which oppose them. Trying to protect their loved real world from their evil brethren.

Time flies away as the world is protected by those silent ideas which tries to give Mankind the hope, determination and good-will they need to live their peaceful lives. Until one sad day...

Influenced by the word of Honesty, the entity called Ozar Midrashim (who that treasure knowledge) found, in his everlasting search of power and knowledge, a way to "become true". The only "catch", according to Honesty, is that everybody else will also become true. What a catch! He could be the hero his kin is waiting for! What a time to be aware of your existence!

[2/???]

Unfortunately, he only heard from Honesty what he wanted and didn't want to realize about the real secret agenda Honesty was going to push. The actions of Ozar Midrashim was destroying the cosmological equilibrium, as the pushed forbiden and lost knowledge to the real world. Every mysthical concept and magical race was being pushed away in a new world of science and knowledge. When every idea which would sound like mere fantasy, he would only have to find a way destroy the only fantasy concept which last in the minds of Mankind: this dreamy world. It wouldn't be a big sacrifice, because we all be dropped in the safe real world in the process, right Honesty? Because there is no real catch...

... But, there was a catch, a real catch, as Honesty told him. A shame he didn't ask about that catch, just mumbled about the safety of every entity. Poor soul...

As the dream plane is a mirror of the real world, the other way was also true. Ozar Midrashim knew that, and every one of his actions was just him trying to reduce such reflection. Unfortunately, as his plan unfolded, Honesty's agenda took place. The dreamy plane, builded by the ideas of every conscious mind in the cosmos, had a reason of existence: to act as a shield of the REAL old gods. Honesty, somewhat, discovered that and, honestly, he discovered his existence couldn't be any shittier. The material plane will remain unprotected against the influence of the Old Gods, almost intact so they could feast of this world. As his reality was crumbling, Ozar Midrashim realized too late about his mistake. Trying to save what could be save, reverted the proccess. He knew that could means the destruction of both planes, of the salvation of everything. Any omen was better than being assimilated by the Old Gods.

A shinning light, and the real world trembled. The land was on fire and the sea was boiling as the dreamy plane was crumbling. Honestly, everybody could say that Mr Midrashim fucked up...

[3/???]

.. Or not...

After the cataclysm, as the Sun rised upon a severily damaged world, most of those self-aware entities could watch a new horizon. The horizon of the real world. It was the last gift of Who That Treasure Knowledge. The dreamy plane reamined now, as a sterile wasteland where feral and savage ideas feast on unwillingly visitors, while the Old Gods are still figuring a way to get into the material plane.

As the Sun rises, a new path and dawn was unfolding for those lost entities who, at last, became true.

...

>Inb4, tl;dr autistic lore

Ahem, now about the interesting and casual things.

It is a race pretty heterogeneous. Each one has perks and appearance which, somewhat, speaks for their concept. Of course, there can be several "Deaths" and "Peaces" in the world, as there are different faces and meanings of those ideas. One can be the edgiest representation of Death, while the other has a motherly nature, who only wants to relieve people of their suffering. This helps a lot to players in order to create a concept complex enough to not to be just a one-dimensional cliché. For example, one player was the representation of the Light. He was a person with a strange taste for fashion. You could say that he was always out of tune enough to be noticed easily in every crowd (like you always notice a light in the darkness). He also was somewhat a good person as the light enlight and bring warm and happiness to other each day... But, unfortunately, after loosing his lover, Hope, he is now a grumpy bad-tempered broken hero, just like, without hope, light only serves to burn whatever it is under its rays.

Playing with the different implications of an idea can make up for a lot of interesting character concepts. Specially if you like character very focused in the emotional side of the game. Just like other player of mine. She made the incarnation of "smiles". Hmmm... Little storytelling ahead, I think.

Indeed, that player made the, somewhat, incarnation of smiles. Stupid? Maybe yes, maybe no. Her background was simple. She was only wanting to cause nightmares and prances to every mind who visited her plane. Some people would say she was driving some poor souls mad but, hey, it is just they don't have a good sense of humour. Because she was laughing like mad. She is hilarous.

... Or she thought she was. One day, a little child that what she was making wasn't funny for the rest of the people, and teached her tht there was ways to make everybody smile without hurting the body or the feelings of someone. Smile liked that, liked that a lot. Because smiles are good, right? And seeing more smiles are always good right? The more, the merrier. And old slogans never lie, ... like the one with those chips in a red can. Did I mention I like them a lot? No? Well, now you know how to make a girl smile.

Each night, Smile would look for the mind of that children trying to learn about new ways to make everybody smile and more happy. Both of them would be sharing their daily stories. Maybe for that kid her stories would sound cooler but, actually, she was always so excited about everything he told her about. Darn, they even have sweet cotton candy. they must be good because sweetness is a cool guy. But how does sweetness taste? Remind me to lick him next time I visit him.

Both Smile and the kid had such plathonical relationship that, for her, he was almost the reason of what she is right now. He molded to be a better and truer idea. When the cataclysm dropped her in the real world, she happily embarked to look for that kid and thank him for everything... while making some people happier fixing things and kicking some villain asses. Wait, but there is now cotton candy. Shoot! I should have licked Sweetness when I had the chance. Now I won't never know if he really taste like cotton candy!

[1/3]

The campaign continued. Around the middle of the campaign, she already discovered about the location of the kid she was looking for, but she postponed the visit and the great party of "Old Friends Gathering" to after they beated the BBEG. After all, she couldn't visit the raddest and coolest person in the world without saving the world before. After one month (in game time) of conflicts and fights against the BBEG, the party finally beats him. The world is saved as always. But, what happened with Smile? Well, there was a lot of expectation about that kid she was always talking about, so I had to deliver.

Both the player and the character was pretty excited and nervous. At last she could be with the kid she owes the way she is. It was going to be awesome. He was bringing ballons and a big lemon pie. Kids always like lemon pie. She knocked the door. It was all so surreal, they will have a big party, and she will meet his friends and they will play the games they were playing befor-... Wait, who are you, young man? Meh, you will be surely his father, right?

To her surprise, the unknown man who answered wasn't his father, neither his son,... It was his grandson.

Until that day, she hasn't realised how many years have been passed since he met him and such "cataclysm" took place. Breathling deeply, she explained that she was an old friend of his (oh God, it sounds so weird to say it now!) grand-father and that she wanted to see him. The young man frowned, but finally let her go in.

There, in a bed because of very old age, she could recognise the once-kid she spend so many nights with. She could notice it in their eyes, his look. She was happy anyways. It is not like the people like her ever worry about the appearance of their beloved. But, when he stared at her, she could notice with horror that he couldn't recognise her. Actually, he couldn't recognise anything. Time has been certainly cruel with the mind she loved so much.

When he, with a trembling hand, asked her who she was. She just sitted down next to him and took his hand.

-"A friend of yours." - She answered with a warm smile.
-"I... I don't remember to have any friend..."
-"Well, never it is too late to have new friends, isn't it? My name is Smile."
-"Oh, I like that name... It sort of gives me a good feel but I don't know why."

The old man slowly smile, remaining silent, just before speaking again.

-"Who are you?"
-"A friend of yours." - She answered again with a warmer smile.

She could try to explain all the incredible and unbelievable adventures she passed throught, but that wasn't important. The only thing important was that she was, at last, at home. Making smile the only person who really cared for her at the very beginning.

[3/3]

The player, even thought not expecting such unfolding of the events, got pretty satisfied with the ending. I have never intended to give her a slap in the face just "two old friends meet again at the end of the path".

I hope you liked the storytelling and sorry if I wrote way too much with way too much spelling mistakes.

...

Hate to tell you that anatomy text books disagree with you.

Only when it makes sense in-setting.
Even then they shouldn't be overused, or be too relatable.
I mean, they're concepts, not people.

Yes.

The whole campaign is happening because Fate got bored and decided to throw an immortal off the world to see what would happen.

If you don't mind reading stuff engineered to appeal to late 80s/early 90s goths - it's a great read.

They are usually "Avatars", or lesser gods in my campaign. I keep lesser gods pretty fluid so I have something to work with at any time I want. So far Death, Fortitude and Luck have been "avatar'd" if you will.

>mixing the endless with capeshit

I'd support this only if you could kill the representations with real repercussions on the physical laws of the universe.

God help us all if you crack lady gravity's skull.

Sometimes

Very good.

Do you remember the tavern?

First reply best reply

The tavern between worlds? Yeah. Wait, is that from the scene where they're watching the funeral procession in the sky? Because I remember that.

They already did that in the first few numbers.