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Message no. 1
From: Paul Gettle <RunnerPaul@*****.COM>
Subject: Re: UB and Scientology [was: UB]
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 1998 10:27:27 -0400
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At 09:28 PM 7/29/98 -0700, Pariah wrote:
>Has anyone else noticed a frightening similarity between the UB and
the
>Church Of Scientology?

This might be showing my age a bit here, but the similarity is evident
right on the front cover of the Universal Brotherhood's cardboard
overwrap that bound together the Missing Blood adventure pamphlet with
the Story/Player handout pamphlet, to make them look like one thick
sourcebook once it was shrinkwrapped.

Anyway, back in the mid to late 80s, and into the early 90s,
Scientology television advertising campaign consisted of a series of
simple comercials for Scientology's introductory book, Dianetics. The
comercials portrayed it more as a self-help book than anything else.
In the background, the camera is slowly panning up the rocky face of a
mountain, while in the foreground, white text would flash on the
screen.

The text would be various "self-help" style questions, listing a page
number from Dianetics where you could find the answer. "How can I
think more clearly? pg. 23" and "How can I tap hidden resevoirs of
emotional strength? pg. 115" would be typical of the text flashed on
the screen. By the end of the comercial, the camera had panned to the
top of the harsh, rocky mountain, which would erupt spectacularly,
revealing it to be a volcano, while the anouncer would state "Find
these answers and more in Dianetics, wherever paperbacks are sold."
The shot of the erupting volcano would disolve into a still of the
paperback, which at that time, had an image of the erupting volcano on
it's cover.

So, getting back to UB, right on the cover art, across the street from
the alley with the bug spirit, is a building with a _big_ bilboard for
the Universal Brotherhood on its roof. The bilboard features a very
familiar looking erupting volcano motif, with the slogan "Unleash your
inner ablities" (at that the time UB was printed, I think
Scientology's slogan was "Release your secret potential").

In fact, the only thing that makes the bilboard any different from the
pop culture concept of what the Scientology imagery looks like, is the
fact that the UB bilboard sports a chesty woman with long blond hair,
sitting on the side of the volcano, striking a sexy pose, wearing
nothing except long black leather gloves, a strapless, black leather
teddy, fishnet pantyhose, and black leather spike heels. It would seem
that the bugs have a better grasp than the scientologists, that in the
case of advertising, sex SELLS.

- From what I can tell though, FASA intended the similarlity between
Scientology and UB to be rather blatant.

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--
-- Paul Gettle (RunnerPaul@*****.com)
PGP Fingerprint, Key ID:0x48F3AACD (RSA 1024, created 98/06/26)
C260 94B3 6722 6A25 63F8 0690 9EA2 3344

You dare defy my whims?!?
I am the game master; you are my pawns!
I created the world you see before you!
I control your fate!"
-- Dexter, Dexter's Laboratory.
Message no. 2
From: Nexx Many-Scars <Nexx3@***.COM>
Subject: Re: UB and Scientology [was: UB]
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 1998 15:21:23 EDT
In a message dated 98-07-30 10:28:10 EDT, you write:

> It would seem
> that the bugs have a better grasp than the scientologists, that in the
> case of advertising, sex SELLS.

Does anyone else find it slightly hilarious that Bugs have a better grasp of
the human psyche than Scientologists?

Nexx. who is laughing
Message no. 3
From: bryan.covington@****.COM
Subject: Re: UB and Scientology [was: UB]
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 1998 16:22:20 -0400
> > It would seem
> > that the bugs have a better grasp than the scientologists, that in
> the
> > case of advertising, sex SELLS.
>
> Does anyone else find it slightly hilarious that Bugs have a better
> grasp of
> the human psyche than Scientologists?
>
What's the difference between the UB and the Scientologists?

One is a all consuming, mind controlling hive that
leaves no trace of your personal life once you join.

The other is a bunch of bugs.

Had to be done...:)
Message no. 4
From: Paul Gettle <RunnerPaul@*****.COM>
Subject: Re: UB and Scientology [was: UB]
Date: Thu, 30 Jul 1998 23:07:09 -0400
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At 03:21 PM 7/30/98 -0400, Nexx wrote:
>> It would seem
>> that the bugs have a better grasp than the scientologists, that in
the
>> case of advertising, sex SELLS.
>
>Does anyone else find it slightly hilarious that Bugs have a better
grasp of
>the human psyche than Scientologists?

Actually, to be fair to both parties involved, the advertising is
different merely because the two groups are chasing after different
target audiences.

- From everything I've seen of the Scientologists so far, their
advertising seems to be geared twoards getting the higher ends of the
population to join up. People with higher incomes, larger IQs, more
powerful positions in buisness/government/whatever. This is why you
don't see much sex in Scientology's ad campaigns.

When you want the "elite" to be interested in what you're advertising,
you don't lace your ads with gimicks such as sex. You have to present
hard, factual information about what you're hawking. It's not that the
"elite" aren't interested in sex, its just that they don't respond to
it as well when it's in advertising. They think they're
smarter/better/more civilized than to fall for that.

When you look at who the UB wants to join their ranks, it's pretty
much anybody and everybody. All classes of society are useful to the
UB, and as such, it makes more sense to see sexual overtones in UB
advertising. In fact, the UB probably has different tracks of
advertising targeted at the different strata of society. I would
imagine that the advertising aimed at the elite _would_ resemble
Scientology's ads in many ways.
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--
-- Paul Gettle (RunnerPaul@*****.com)
PGP Fingerprint, Key ID:0x48F3AACD (RSA 1024, created 98/06/26)
C260 94B3 6722 6A25 63F8 0690 9EA2 3344

You dare defy my whims?!?
I am the game master; you are my pawns!
I created the world you see before you!
I control your fate!"
-- Dexter, Dexter's Laboratory.
Message no. 5
From: Mike Bobroff <Airwasp@***.COM>
Subject: Re: UB and Scientology [was: UB]
Date: Fri, 31 Jul 1998 09:49:37 EDT
In a message dated 7/30/98 10:08:24 PM US Eastern Standard Time,
RunnerPaul@*****.COM writes:

> When you want the "elite" to be interested in what you're advertising,
> you don't lace your ads with gimicks such as sex. You have to present
> hard, factual information about what you're hawking. It's not that the
> "elite" aren't interested in sex, its just that they don't respond to
> it as well when it's in advertising. They think they're
> smarter/better/more civilized than to fall for that.
>
> When you look at who the UB wants to join their ranks, it's pretty
> much anybody and everybody. All classes of society are useful to the
> UB, and as such, it makes more sense to see sexual overtones in UB
> advertising. In fact, the UB probably has different tracks of
> advertising targeted at the different strata of society. I would
> imagine that the advertising aimed at the elite _would_ resemble
> Scientology's ads in many ways.

Actually, most of the Invae would love to get their hands on the upper strata
of society so that way they can take over / control the world that much more
easily. And if they follow the same preferences as Scientology does, then it
means that they are after the good merger for their larva.

-Herc
-------- The Best Mechanic you can ever have.
Message no. 6
From: Paul Gettle <RunnerPaul@*****.COM>
Subject: Re: UB and Scientology [was: UB]
Date: Fri, 31 Jul 1998 12:00:07 -0400
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At 09:49 AM 7/31/98 -0400, Herc wrote:
>Actually, most of the Invae would love to get their hands on the
upper strata
>of society so that way they can take over / control the world that
much more
>easily. And if they follow the same preferences as Scientology does,
then it
>means that they are after the good merger for their larva.

Yeah, but the Invae also have a lot of uses for people in the lower
classes too. Street trash are lot less likely to be missed should the
merger go bad. Gangers and gutterpunks can be trained to work
security. The middle classes are where the bulk of the population
comes from. Recruiting from the middle classes can give you a vast
information network as to what's actually going on at the working
levels of other organizations. There's also the fact that some of the
world manipulations that the Invae would need to do would look a lot
less suspicious if they came from the middle rather than the top. If
the Invae had a VP even the CEO of Lone Star in their pocket, that's
great for them, but it'd raise all sorts of red flags if he ordered a
particular missing persons case in Seatle closed for lack of evidence.
Now if they had the lead detective of the missing persons division
under their control, that sort of thing wouldn't attract unwanted
attention.
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--
-- Paul Gettle (RunnerPaul@*****.com)
PGP Fingerprint, Key ID:0x48F3AACD (RSA 1024, created 98/06/26)
C260 94B3 6722 6A25 63F8 0690 9EA2 3344

You dare defy my whims?!?
I am the game master; you are my pawns!
I created the world you see before you!
I control your fate!"
-- Dexter, Dexter's Laboratory.
Message no. 7
From: Dhl9@***.COM
Subject: Re: UB and Scientology [was: UB]
Date: Fri, 31 Jul 1998 21:11:33 EDT
When I think of scientology, I think gnostic, which takes me right to secret
societies. Is anybody making use of the Black Lodge? Right now I am having to
rein myself in on just how many secret societies I have running loose in my
game. The Pentultimate master practices magic on a level unequaled in the 6th
world. I can't be the only one intrigued by that. On the FASA boards here at
AOL I asked has the Black Lodge been battling the Atlantean Foundation down
through the ages? I asked the question twice and it was never responded to.
Are there magical human immortals too?
Message no. 8
From: BigDaddy <bigdaddy@*****.COM>
Subject: Re: UB and Scientology [was: UB]
Date: Fri, 31 Jul 1998 22:11:19 -0400
Paul Gettle wrote:
>
<snip>
> Actually, to be fair to both parties involved, the advertising is
> different merely because the two groups are chasing after different
> target audiences.
>
> - From everything I've seen of the Scientologists so far, their
> advertising seems to be geared twoards getting the higher ends of the
> population to join up. People with higher incomes, larger IQs, more
> powerful positions in buisness/government/whatever. This is why you
> don't see much sex in Scientology's ad campaigns.
>
> When you want the "elite" to be interested in what you're advertising,
> you don't lace your ads with gimicks such as sex. You have to present
> hard, factual information about what you're hawking. It's not that the
> "elite" aren't interested in sex, its just that they don't respond to
> it as well when it's in advertising. They think they're
> smarter/better/more civilized than to fall for that.
>
> When you look at who the UB wants to join their ranks, it's pretty
> much anybody and everybody. All classes of society are useful to the
> UB, and as such, it makes more sense to see sexual overtones in UB
> advertising. In fact, the UB probably has different tracks of
> advertising targeted at the different strata of society. I would
> imagine that the advertising aimed at the elite _would_ resemble
> Scientology's ads in many ways.



I'll have to disagree with ya bub. Both the UB and scientologists want
whatever they can. The more money the more power(sad but true). BUT! If
a high level Exec should happen to fall into their lap the more power to
'em. I think both ads target those who are lonely and want to belong. If
you look into more ads for both UB and CoS, both target the outcast,
depressed, and introverted.

--
Napalm Sticks to Kidz,
BigDaddy
Message no. 9
From: Iridios <iridios@*********.COM>
Subject: Re: UB and Scientology [was: UB]
Date: Fri, 31 Jul 1998 23:10:09 -0400
Dhl9@***.COM wrote:
Fri, 31 Jul 1998 21:11:33 ED

> When I think of scientology, I think gnostic, which takes me right to secret
> societies. Is anybody making use of the Black Lodge? Right now I am having to
> rein myself in on just how many secret societies I have running loose in my
> game. The Pentultimate master practices magic on a level unequaled in the 6th
> world. I can't be the only one intrigued by that. On the FASA boards here at
> AOL I asked has the Black Lodge been battling the Atlantean Foundation down
> through the ages? I asked the question twice and it was never responded to.
> Are there magical human immortals too?

IMO, it would not be too far fetched for the Black Lodge to be at
constant odds with the Atlantean Foundation through the centuries, but I
wouldn't make the humans immortal, just persistant. Essentially
sometime in the ancient past, a group of humans realized that there were
a group of immortals who were "positioning" themselves in power. These
humans formed a brotherhood, the secret society that becomes The Black
Lodge. This brotherhood develops rituals and rites that are intended to
carry both magical purposes and make members "indebted" to the group,
this would be enforced by preferential treatment among Lodge members.

In my game however, I have decided not to implement the Black Lodge,
yet. Instead, my players are about to have their first encounter with
the "Threats" version of Alamos 20,000. <EGMG> When they think they
know who is behind the majority of major happenings, then I'll drop it
for a while and switch, probably to the Black Lodge.



--"Any science, sufficiently advanced is indistinguishable from magic."
--Arthur C. Clarke

Iridios
iridios@*********.com
http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Shadowlands/9489
http://members.theglobe.com/Iridios

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b+ DI++ !D G e+@>++++ h--- r+++ y+++
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Message no. 10
From: Erik Jameson <erikj@****.COM>
Subject: Re: UB and Scientology [was: UB]
Date: Mon, 3 Aug 1998 17:35:15 -0400
At 09:11 PM 7/31/98 EDT, you wrote:
>When I think of scientology, I think gnostic,

From what I've heard, that wouldn't be too far off from the truth. I
really dislike and distrust Scientology also, but I'd remind everyone to
mind their P's and Q's when it comes to religion.

> which takes me right to secret
>societies. Is anybody making use of the Black Lodge? Right now I am having to
>rein myself in on just how many secret societies I have running loose in my
>game. The Pentultimate master practices magic on a level unequaled in the 6th
>world. I can't be the only one intrigued by that.

Well, I won't get into it, but the Black Lodge really irked me. Let's just
say I found it extremely unrealistic and leave it at that.

I answered the magic thing by saying that they practiced rituals that go
back to the 4th age. It can do funky stuff, but has to be done in a ritual
fashion, material, verbal and somatic components being necessary. So no
"Poof! Death Spell" at the drop of a hat, but with the right ritual, things
like teleportation and disintegration would be possible.

>On the FASA boards here at
>AOL I asked has the Black Lodge been battling the Atlantean Foundation down
>through the ages? I asked the question twice and it was never responded to.

I think I remember that (my home e-mail is via AOL). It's the sort of
question that they generally don't answer, since it's something that is
really up to the individual GM. It's certainly possible though. They both
seem to have ulterior motives to their actions, so I don't think either
side could be the good guys.

>Are there magical human immortals too?

Well, you might be able to extend life with magic, that's a common thread
in nearly every magical culture and fiction I've ever read. But probably
not immortal. They'd probably be a bit like those "Watchers" from the
Highlander TV series, that group of humans that watched the Highlanders
from a distance. They simply passed down every little scrap of info they
had. So while the members wouldn't be immortal, their knowledge and their
goals would be.

Erik J.


http://www.fortunecity.com/rivendell/dungeon/480/index.html
The Reality Check for a Fictional World

Further Reading

If you enjoyed reading about UB and Scientology [was: UB], you may also be interested in:

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Thwap!