Moving BTS's Horror in a new direction.

[Guest]

Mike's post about Wolfen reminded me of another trend in 'horror' movies that I wouldn't mind see brought into BTS.

Giant/Monstrous versions of normal creatures. You've seen movies like Eight Legged Freaks, Deep Rising, Deep Blue Sea, Anaconda, Python, and various other movies where animals that have been experimented on (or are rarely known about) become monstrous predator versions of their normal selves. (Sci-Fi shows these movies monthly, in wide and BORING variety.) So have you ever done anything like this?

I know I've worked on some versions myself, but I haven't really done anything with them in pure BTS games because BTS tends to lack the element needed. Trained, normal people with military, security, science, criminal, etc skills which combat the monsters and try to stay alive. While I like the idea of having psychics and mages available, there's no real ability for ordinary people (except in victim games where no one has any real abilities) to effectively fight their way against these types of opponents.

Personally, I wouldn't mind seeing a nice (though probably small) sourcebook that further fleshes out BTS by including tons of these types of 'monsters,' new classes for ordinary people, and some adventure ideas. I wouldn't mind having 'scientific facility' plans for a variety of places where such encounters occur (the undersea lab, oceanic research vessel, top secret research facility, antarctic research station (or arctic, russian wilderness, canadian wilderness, etc), desert science camp, tropical island of the mad scientist, space station, etc).

Of course, now I wonder if I just didn't create another project I'll end up working on...

[Daniel Stoker]

I guess I don't see what you mean about I know I've worked on some versions myself, but I haven't really done anything with them in pure BTS games because BTS tends to lack the element needed. Trained, normal people with military, security, science, criminal, etc skills which combat the monsters and try to stay alive. While I like the idea of having psychics and mages available, there's no real ability for ordinary people (except in victim games where no one has any real abilities) to effectively fight their way against these types of opponents.

In MOST horror movies you have normal people using normal objects on monsters. So instead of using Pyrokinesis on the Giant Spider you have one of the characters build a make shift flame thrower with a propane tank. The one NICE thing about both Hero's and BTS was the fact that your skills usually came from the random skill package table, so if you wanted to play a 'normal' character just roll everything like normal, don't take any abilities and use a rather low level EXP table to determine when they reach new levels.



Daniel Stoker

[Killer Cyborg]

BtS has rules for making a Normal Human.

[Chuck Lang]

This discussion reminds me of 28 Days Later; now there was an excellent BTS game of normal people in extreme circumstances.

Man I love that movie...

[pblackcrow]

If I get my way and get to submit the 12 page article + blueprints and pictures, I will have clones in BtS. As well as mutants, and something that I call magical manipulations.

I will have an mobile underwater research lab, much like in James Bonds movie called The Spy Who Loved Me. Only this one will be owned by researchers who got a few grants. Okay, okay, 179 grants to be exact, and also help from 1 lottery winner.

As well as my own version of the Island of Dr *brain fart* (the one where the mutant animals were. That doctor. Starts with a M.)

Anyway, I am going to be evil and and cut you guy off right here. If it doesn't make it to the Rifter, it will make it on to my web site. I am still looking for the CD.

[Mike Taylor]

Giant Rubber Lizzards!!

Kaiju Horror?

[count zero]

As well as my own version of the Island of Dr *brain fart* (the one where the mutant animals were. That doctor. Starts with a M.)

Moreau.

The Island of Doctor Moreau is a novel by H.G. Wells. Boy, was that guy ahead of his time--the novel was written in 1896. I think, in the novel, the good doctor uses surgery to create his hybrids (and not genetic manipulation), but still, at the time, it was pretty controversial.

The first film version was made in 1936 and starred Charles Laughton. For some reason they changed the title to “The Island of Lost Souls”.

The second version appeared in the mid-70s and starred Burt Lancaster and Michael York. There was yet another remake in '96 with Marlon Brando and Val Kilmer (and directed by the late, great John Frankenheimer). The '77 version is pretty good; the third version, somewhat less than stellar (though the makeup--excepting Brando's freakish appearance--is kinda cool).

(all 3 versions are available on DVD for those interested.)

Other films like that one where Strother Martin turns Dirk Benedict into a snake (“Sssssss” it was called; or something similar) owe a debt of gratitude to old H.G. and his overactive imagination. Anybody recall any other human/animal hybrid movies?

pax
Ø

[Killer Cyborg]

heh, I remember "Sssssss!!"

Can't recal any other "scientists turning people into animals" films, though...
Well, there's "The Fly"..

[pblackcrow]

As well as my own version of the Island of Dr *brain fart* (the one where the mutant animals were. That doctor. Starts with a M.)

Moreau.

The Island of Doctor Moreau is a novel by H.G. Wells. Boy, was that guy ahead of his time--the novel was written in 1896. I think, in the novel, the good doctor uses surgery to create his hybrids (and not genetic manipulation), but still, at the time, it was pretty controversial.

The first film version was made in 1936 and starred Charles Laughton. For some reason they changed the title to “The Island of Lost Souls”.

The second version appeared in the mid-70s and starred Burt Lancaster and Michael York. There was yet another remake in '96 with Marlon Brando and Val Kilmer (and directed by the late, great John Frankenheimer). The '77 version is pretty good; the third version, somewhat less than stellar (though the makeup--excepting Brando's freakish appearance--is kinda cool).

(all 3 versions are available on DVD for those interested.)

Other films like that one where Strother Martin turns Dirk Benedict into a snake (“Sssssss” it was called; or something similar) owe a debt of gratitude to old H.G. and his overactive imagination. Anybody recall any other human/animal hybrid movies?

pax
Ø

THANK YOU!!! Yes, I know who wrote it. And no, it won't be called that, but it's the basic idea.

[Sir Neil]

I was once payed the ultimate compliment of having a pair of players quit for the evening cause they were to creeped out to keep playing and this was in a Superhero campaign.

What did you do to them? I'd love to inflict that on my victi--players... my players. Ahem.

[Chuck Lang]

BTS tends to lack the element needed. Trained, normal people with military, security, science, criminal, etc skills which combat the monsters and try to stay alive. While I like the idea of having psychics and mages available, there's no real ability for ordinary people (except in victim games where no one has any real abilities) to effectively fight their way against these types of opponents.
...

If you want a game like that you could take occs from Nightbane, between the shadows, and just ignore all the Nightbane stuff.

Couldn't you use some of the O.C.C.s from Systems Failure?

[Chuck Lang]

This thread has inspired me to move my campaign in new directions as well. I like the idea of the purely normal human survivors against the "zombie" hoards. I am also toying with the idea of having just a group of normal investigators entering into supernatural circumstances. I had planned on incorporating side stories like this from the beginning of my campaign, but I never thought of the zombie survival bit.

I think I'll tie these adventures into my Rifts campaign via some weird dimensional anomaly or communication where the events in other worlds impact the events on Rifts Earth. The players will play characters who are similar to their Rifts characters; these similarities could be limited to merely their name on up to looking exactly the same as their Rifts characters. With this design the story lines would intertwine and the players would gain hints and insight into the Rifts Earth story line I am currently pursuing.

Does this make sense? Or did I just write a confusing mass of word.

Some of this probably sounds like BtS, but I don't have that book; I am waiting for BtS2 now.

[Mantisking]

Originally posted by Kuseru.
Giant/Monstrous versions of normal creatures. You've seen movies like Eight Legged Freaks, Deep Rising, Deep Blue Sea, Anaconda, Python, and various other movies where animals that have been experimented on (or are rarely known about) become monstrous predator versions of their normal selves. {snip}

I know I've worked on some versions myself, but I haven't really done anything with them in pure BTS games because BTS tends to lack the element needed. Trained, normal people with military, security, science, criminal, etc skills which combat the monsters and try to stay alive. While I like the idea of having psychics and mages available, there's no real ability for ordinary people (except in victim games where no one has any real abilities) to effectively fight their way against these types of opponents.

You could always import some of the O.C.C.s from Ninjas & Superspies. With a little toning down to bring them closer to the "ordinary person" level they should fit nicely.

[Cranus]

You could always import some of the O.C.C.s from Ninjas & Superspies. With a little toning down to bring them closer to the "ordinary person" level they should fit nicely.

I concur. One could also combine the education table from HU2 and the SDC of non-MAA from PFRPG to make ordinary people.

[Sentinel]

Get ATB and make some Giant Japanese movie monsters!!

Just because it was called Super Scary Saturday, doesn't make it real horror. Besides, those are out of genre unless Tokoyo is trashed by the end of the game.

The giant radioactive monsters may not fit the genre.
But, how about...

After a lengthy pitched battle, the superheroes drive off the giant monster.
Enter the Players. Survivoors in the rubble.
There were monstrous parasites that fell off the giant monster. Huge, bloodsucking parasites, who have lots of SDC, and are radioactive.
See where this is going?

[Sentinel]

The Alan Moore comic series League of Extraordinary Gentlemen is prime for BtS type adventures.
The comic moreso than the film.
I mean really, Mina Murray (Harker) was saved from Dracula, evn if she hadn't been, she couldn't have been a vampire and out in daylight on the deck of the Nautilius...oh, don't get me started. Good story, bad treatment in film (what else is new?)

[Iczer]

Look. This has worked for Heroes, so I might as well sell it here.

Someone get some webspace, then assemble a list of needs.

then provide for those needs.

So we can have the following projects:
1) Freaky floorplans:
2) Science monsters:
3) Realworld OCC's:

get people to submit, and post it on the aforementioned website.

that way we can have a living E-book active on the web. all we would need is some quality control. Maybe getting someone from Palladium to drop by and critique the site.

Who knows....someone could get a submission out of the deal.

Batts