I got Elfs! (but pennicillin helped)

[Zak Arntson]

Showed up the same day the power went out, so I read the whole damn thing by candlelight. It's great! I remember being utterly confused with the pdf copy, with regards to player vs. character intentions. In this print copy, however, it's very clear. I bet I could even play drunk! So, kudos and thanks, Ron.

I've got a question on the new art -- why all the three-fingered monsters? They looked uncannily similar to characters from Legacy of Kain: Soul Reaver (a Playstation video game): Dumahim, who have long blood-sucking tongues, and Raziel's weird three-clawed hands & feet! Coincidence? Probably, considering I'm a big fan of Soul Reaver (best pulp fantasy atmosphere of any game to date). Still, I couldn't help but notice.

Which means that next time I play Elfs, I may move it into crazy gothic glam-rock vampire territory. So, Vamps, then? I'd have to change more stuff, though, to do the satire justice.

[joshua neff]

So, Vamps, then? I'd have to change more stuff, though, to do the satire justice.

Oooh. I just had a vision of Ron writing a game that satirizes '90s "story-driven" gaming in much the same way Elfs satirizes fantasy gaming of the '70s/'80s.

Or, you know, if Ron's too busy with the gazillion things he already does, someone else.

[Zak Arntson]

If I get the yen to write up Vamps, I'll do it for yah.

I also realized that my statement above may be misinterpreted. Soul Reaver is the best pulp fantasy setting'd video game out there.

[Ron Edwards]

Hello,

Three-fingered critters have a long, long cartoon history, including Elfquest (one of the main satire-sources for Elfs). I figure you can ask Jeff Diamond if you want, though.

Vamps? Yeesh, as far as I'm concerned, Vampire has already achieved self-parody several times over. It'd be like shooting fish in a barrel, and the problem with that is that it's too easy and the fish never seem to understand.

Best,
Ron

[Zak Arntson]

Three-fingered critters have a long, long cartoon history, including Elfquest (one of the main satire-sources for Elfs). I figure you can ask Jeff Diamond if you want, though.

Yeah, but fanged ones with rag-wrapped wrists and big claws? Yoinks! I popped off to the web and found it was Antti's art I was enjoying. Good art find, Ron! I missed most of the 70's inspiration (so Elf Quest visual references are lost on me), but was steeped in the 80's, and Antti's goth elfs hit my buttons.

These were for an Elfs "sourcebook" I made for my group. The world is oh-so-very-dark and the Elfs are all wannabe cool gothic types. Inspired by the PS game, Legacy of Kain: Soulreaver. Made with brush, pen, and ink - the tools I most like to use.

Ron, if you haven't seen Soul Reaver, you gotta. It's a definite Sword & Sorcerer reference, with decaying civilizations, demons & their needs, the works.

You got me on the self-parodying. I was going to reply that D&D's done the same thing, but the 3rd edition is pretty solid, and weirdly self-referential without parody. Tangenting here: It's kinda weird that they wrote the new D&D, with 'D&D Fantasy' as the reference point; you couldn't do that with any other game I can think of.

If a group did want to relive the 'old days' of Vampire play, though, it wouldn't need a full-blown supplement. Just replace the coins & stuff reward system with angst & wardrobe, and magic with kewl powers (rewriting the spell list and backfire table), and you're golden. Heck, even Anal/Oral/Genital can stay, with the vampire aspect of lame erotica and lots of biting. As someone who got caught up a bit in the 'storytelling rennaisance' promised by Vampire (but luckily had zero fun experiences with the damn thing, and quit playing pretty quickly), I know I'd have some fun.

[Demada]

There's already a parody of Vampire and other WoD games out there. kill puppies for satan. It's not the ONLY thing it is (It's a satire on many thing), but it is definately part of it.

[GB Steve]

I got Elfs too, although I was trying to buy d20 so I don't know what happened there.

My wife was impressed and we'll hopefully play it sometime soon.

BTW, was that a CC2 map?

[Ron Edwards]

Hello,

I don't know what a CC2 map is, and just because Everything Sucks today, please don't tell me.

The map did not appear in the book as I had planned/hoped. A clear & big version will go up on the website soon.

Best,
Ron

[Jason Puckett]

Just got my copy today, and I'm very pleased.  Love the new art and can't wait to sit down and read through it properly.

One note for the next printing -- the page numbers in the table of contents seem to be off....

[Keith Senkowski]

CC2 = Campaign Cartographer 2.  It is a fractal mapping program for, you guessed it, making maps.  I had it for Windows 95 a long, long time ago.  It was neat to play with but ultimately disliked it's inflexibility.

Keith

[AnttiK]

Zak:

Yeah, those "vampires" are straight parodies from Soul Reaver. I love the game and it's world so much that I just had to make fun of it with ELFS.

Dumahim getting their tongues stuck in the weirdest places, Turelim being really self-conscious about their big ears, Melchanim starting to bounce up and down for no apparent reason... And of course the Elfs didn't have to worry about carrying any weapons eith them.

AnttiK