From:	Gurth <gurth@******.NL>
Subject:	Re: Harlequin's Back
Date:	Tue, 8 Aug 1995 11:36:11 +0200

>He (Harley, or That F*ckin Bastard, as we like to call him) reminds me
>of the typical NPC you find in certain games; typically the retired,
>munchkinny, all-time favorite character of the GM. He can do anything,
>is surprised by nothing, gods and dragons lick his boots and the characters
>are supposed to be trembling in awe at the mere sniff of him. He is
>deus ex machina extreme. Many times the players end up going, "Why do
>-WE- have to save the world? Lord High Fenelric can do it on his lunch
>hour." And the excuse the GM comes up with it, "Well, he doesn't want to,
>because it's beneath him. So you have to."

Though I like H, I must agree that Harlequin's Back has a bit of a dubious
background idea. Harlequin is better IMHO, because here there's a good
reason why you're doing all these strange runs -- the rules of the game say
H can't do anything directly. It makes a lot less sense in HB.


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