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Message no. 1
From: Flambeau flambeau@**********.fr
Subject: Unearthly P.C.
Date: Sat, 3 Apr 1999 00:59:20 +0200
I wanted to know if anyone ever successfully played
an otherwordly being. I know there are many sets of rules
floating around the internet to play spirits or ghosts in Shadowrun,
but what interested me was to know if anyone played such
a character for more than a few games and how (if) they
managed to play the part of a being so alien to (meta)humanity.
Was it possible to keep playing this side of the character,
or was it soon lost as the character became simply one of
the guys who just happened to have cool powers.
I'm thinking the eerieness of the character would be
interesting and I would like to create a character which isn't
just inhuman on the paper. I thought such a character would
have a feel somewhere between Seth in 'City of Angels',
Ripley in Alien IV and Eric Draven in the movie 'The Crow',
but I'm not sure on what he will be. A botched summoning
Gallows-style could be interesting (though its consequences
would be different), so could a specter or a possessed human
à la Nephilim. I even considered to actualize the ED jubruq
concept and have a half-human character torn between two
worlds (think Liam Kincaid in Invasion : Planet Earth but darker
and nowhere near his power level).
The point is to create a character with an unusual perspective
and something alien and eerie about him, yet has to live among
metahumanity. I'd also like to know if such characters can last or
eventually lose their "specialness" over time.
The advice I seek is not so much about rules as it is about
characterization.
Suggestions? Comments?

Flambeau
Message no. 2
From: Michael Berman jberman@*****.com
Subject: Unearthly P.C.
Date: Fri, 2 Apr 1999 18:52:57 -0500
/ I wanted to know if anyone ever successfully played
/an otherwordly being. I know there are many sets of rules
/floating around the internet to play spirits or ghosts in Shadowrun,
/but what interested me was to know if anyone played such
/a character for more than a few games and how (if) they
/managed to play the part of a being so alien to (meta)humanity.
/Was it possible to keep playing this side of the character,
/or was it soon lost as the character became simply one of
/the guys who just happened to have cool powers.
/ I'm thinking the eerieness of the character would be
/interesting and I would like to create a character which isn't
/just inhuman on the paper. I thought such a character would
/have a feel somewhere between Seth in 'City of Angels',
/Ripley in Alien IV and Eric Draven in the movie 'The Crow',
/but I'm not sure on what he will be. A botched summoning
/Gallows-style could be interesting (though its consequences
/would be different), so could a specter or a possessed human
/à la Nephilim. I even considered to actualize the ED jubruq
/concept and have a half-human character torn between two
/worlds (think Liam Kincaid in Invasion : Planet Earth but darker
/and nowhere near his power level).
/ The point is to create a character with an unusual perspective
/and something alien and eerie about him, yet has to live among
/metahumanity. I'd also like to know if such characters can last or
/eventually lose their "specialness" over time.
/ The advice I seek is not so much about rules as it is about
/characterization.
/ Suggestions? Comments?

/ Flambeau


Ok, here goes. I played a player free spirit once. I found that the
easiest way to RP
it is to act as an observer, to act as one trying to understand (meta)human
nature.

"An ork is an ork but im a Hobgoblin!" - Ansarok
Message no. 3
From: Jett zmjett@*********.com
Subject: Unearthly P.C.
Date: Fri, 02 Apr 1999 21:21:26 -0500
Flambeau wrote:

> The point is to create a character with an unusual perspective
> and something alien and eerie about him, yet has to live among
> metahumanity. I'd also like to know if such characters can last or
> eventually lose their "specialness" over time.
> The advice I seek is not so much about rules as it is about
> characterization.
> Suggestions? Comments?
>
> Flambeau

I've been playing Jett for several months now successfully. The half ghost
PC? The main part of her nature that's a struggle is that she's still part
human, but often needs to be reminded of that. She tends to forget because
her powers make her so different from everyone else. She refers to other
people as humans, but doesn't really consider herself one. However, she
struggles to be one, and the little things that most people take for
granted...touch, certain emotions, everyday things...affect her very
strongly in odd ways. You don't know fun till you've had a PC break down
into tears the first time after her "death" someone embraced her in a
hug...just because she felt soo far from "normal"...I guess it's
interesting. Monsters need love too, y'know. :>

--Jett
<*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*><*>

The new improved Shadowrun page: Shadow's Edge.
http://www.scifi-fantasy.com/~zmjett/shadow/

Jett's Elfwood page
http://www.elfwood.com/zone47/artists/jesgrota/jesgrota.html


"This is the worst place in the world. You shouldn't have come here.
You'll die here."
"Stay in the best place in the world, darling, and you'll die there, too."

-Lord Fanny, to Quimper, The Invisibles

Further Reading

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