Blood Simple

[Judd]

http://rpgtalk.net/judd/files/

At the above address I posted a pdf (thanks to the adobe skillz of Josh) of a one-sheet, character and demon sheets and descriptor list for Blood Simple, a noir setting for Sorcerer in which demons are bad people from the wrong side of town.

[Jason13]

Holy crap Judd this looks awesome!  As you know I have been trying to get my Sorcerer game off the ground (with some difficulty) and I have only managed to get a couple of players interested.  This would really suit a solo game or a game for a pair of cops forced to work together (L.A. Confidential), I could really sell them on this.  Case solved...

[Judd]

Here are the links about the game:

Gangster Sorcerer: Demons from the Hell Side of Town

[Sorcerer, Actual Play] Run & Write Demons From the Hell-side of Town, RPG.net

[Sorcerer] Write & Run Demons from the Hell-side of Town, Forge


I played it twice and I'm still not sure how I felt about demons as people.

Maybe some rules for turning people into demons are necessary.

I dunno.

It never quite clicked for me a hundred percent.

[Ron Edwards]

Hi Judd,

Are you familiar with the TV show The Shield? And now that I think of it, I guess I mean really really familiar, in that you've seen the episodes and know their details and could recount the whole story at the drop of a hat, and maybe look forward to opportunities to do so.

Probably not. Oh well. (which is only to say I'm sorta weird about this show)

Anyway, for those who are into it, recall the first five episodes of the first season.

- Guy 1 and Guy 2 carry out a murder, with Guy 1 as the instigator and leader and Guy 2 as the loyal backup.

- Guy 2 gets nervous and guilty, and almost confesses. He gets a little nuts and almost executes a person because "that's what we do now, right?"

- Guy 1 breaks him, psychologically. He states the cover story for the murder as fact. He lays down the rules for Guy 2. He subordinates Guy 2 to his will, utterly.

- Guy 2 obeys, fully, and never again even thinks of confessing. However, he becomes, effectively, a human attack dog that's been beaten into submission - loyal, desperate to please, very unclear on details and long-term goals, often unpredictable when not watched, and prone to random acts of abuse and aggression. (I shall take the opportunity to praise the actor in question, unreservedly. I've never seen a person literally play an abused Doberman before, and he does so with his whole body, completely convincingly.)

Guy 2 provides quite a bit of the motor for some primary plotlines in the show, mainly by doing stuff that's whacked-out in some way, and later, by trying to carve out a little tiny piece of his life that isn't totally emotionally dominated by Guy 1 (unsuccessfully). The core of his character is that, unlike Guy 1, he knows he's a bad cop, and has no sense of boundaries or duty remaining. Now, his only compass points toward what Guy 1 wants.

So from then on, for Guy 2, it's (a) getting things "right" for Guy 1 (which are of course not ethically or professionally right), (b) getting things "wrong" (by which I mean failing to do something as desired by Guy 1), and (c) being a loose cannon (which he accomplishes with startling regularity).

It doesn't help that Guy 1 believes, really and truly, that he is an OK guy and that the murder was "necessary" for him to continue to be a good guy. Most of the time he simply shuts the event out. Once in a while, he thinks he can make up for it. His state of mind is worth a whole essay, as some of my email correspondents know to their sorrow, but right now, I'm going to make the most basic point:

Guy 1 is a sorcerer. Guy 2 is a demon - he was made into a demon in the third episode of season 1. All their interactions since then arise from that.

Thanks for reading this, 'cause I realize it was damn near a threadjack posted out of sheer disgusting fanboy energy.

Best, Ron

[Judd]

Hi Judd,

Are you familiar with the TV show The Shield? And now that I think of it, I guess I mean really really familiar, in that you've seen the episodes and know their details and could recount the whole story at the drop of a hat, and maybe look forward to opportunities to do so.

Nope, that is how I am about The Wire.

But I'll track down The Shield; you aren't the first person to bring it up to me.

[Chris Gardiner]

Guy 1 is a sorcerer. Guy 2 is a demon - he was made into  a demon in the third episode of season 1. All their interactions since then arise from that.

Jesus Christ. The top of my head just exploded.

That's perfect. And Season 4 (in similarly vague terms) sees the demon running amok in pursuit of its Desire.

Blood Simple looks sweet, Judd. After recent binges on The Shield and The Wire, I've been tempted by gritty crime gaming, and this looks bang on.

And I'll add another recommendation for the Shield - it's one of the things that's got me excited about and into the sort of gaming Sorcerer is perfect for. As well as being an incredible piece of work in its own right.

[Judd]

I think there has got to be a system way of turning someone into a demon.

Perhaps beating them in three different conflicts in each of the stats, Will, then Stamina and Lore, then they are a demon, leading into a Contact from the successes on the last conflict rolling over into the Contact roll.

The only people you can't do that to are Sorcerers.  They can only go demon by going to 0 Humanity.

Hm, Blood Simple might've just heated up for me.

I'm not sure.

Something to think about.

Thanks, Chris, I'm glad you dig Blood Simple and I will surely check out The Shield when I have a chance.

[Jason13]

The Shield is a great TV show, I don't know much about The Wire though.  However I have been thinking about what happens to the "Demons" in blood-simple after their arrest.  Imagine the TV show OZ (HBO)!  All those "Demons" locked up together, their needs barely met, or in most cases not met at all!  The frustration in a place like that would be incredible with riot's, lockdowns, sexual tension and a very weird black market economy.  Consider going into the prison to question your suspect and a huge riot kicking off , that's a killer bang right there.  Imagine what a nightmare it would be for a PC having to go in there undercover...

[Judd]

Consider going into the prison to question your suspect and a huge riot kicking off , that's a killer bang right there.  Imagine what a nightmare it would be for a PC having to go in there undercover...

Going to prison to question your suspect might very well by a Contact.

Prison itself might very well by governed by the Otherworld rules ala Sorcerer & Sword.

And a riot...priceless.

[Per Fischer]

Can I add the Coen Bros' first film Blood Simple to the references? I you haven't seen it, please do. It's brilliant.

I was wondering if your Blood Simple sheet might be the entry point for Sorcerer for some of my more sceptical friends. They are turned off by "demons", you see, no idea why, when you know how versatile the concept is (in Sorcerer).

How do you approach the supernatural when playing Blood Simple? Do you intentionally try to keep it low key in actual play. Are there any demonic abilities that you would not use, for example?

Nice work, Judd :)

Per

[angelfromanotherpin]

I think there has got to be a system way of turning someone into a demon.

It seems like a perfectly straightforward adaptation of the rules using sacrifice to assist Summoning.  At the end, you have one less human and one more Demon.

[Jason13]

Hi Judd,

I've been mulling this over and I have a few questions.

Fristly in blood-simple the emphasis seems to be on a Noir type of feel.  Does this mean that the stories set here and the moral choices made would be told in shades of grey rather than in black and white? 

In the fiction and the movies it's very rare that someone does something purely good or evil, but when they do it stands out for all to see.  This leads me to my second question.

If a Human can become a Demon in blood-simple can a Demon be redeemed and become a Human?  Perhaps using the suggestions in Sorcerer and Soul?

I admit in such a dark setting it would be rare, but even in real life we have all heard of people committing terrible crimes and being redeemed.  Thus ridding themselves of their "Inner Demon's".

How supernatural is the setting?  By that I mean do people know that they are different when they finally cross that line and head through Dante's tunnel?  Or is it more symbolic than that?

Finally is it intentional that there is no list of valid Past's and Prices yet?  Because if that is the case I would love to see what you come up with next.

Regards

Jason

[Judd]

Fristly in blood-simple the emphasis seems to be on a Noir type of feel.  Does this mean that the stories set here and the moral choices made would be told in shades of grey rather than in black and white? 

I'd go with a gritty noir feel, yeah.  It doesn't have to mean full on fedoras if you don't want it to but that is what I have gone with in the past.

Shades of grey...sounds good.

If a Human can become a Demon in blood-simple can a Demon be redeemed and become a Human?  Perhaps using the suggestions in Sorcerer and Soul?

That sounds great.  I will have to re-read that part of &Soul, it has been a while.

How supernatural is the setting?  By that I mean do people know that they are different when they finally cross that line and head through Dante's tunnel?  Or is it more symbolic than that?

When I've run it there is no supernatural to it.  Contact means you leave word for someone at a skeezy bar, call someone or put word out on the street.  People know they are different when tehy head throug Dante's Tunnel.  Picture it like a movie and when you cross into the tunnel the director's shooting style entirely changes, the lighting is unsetttling, children are crying in the background, etc.

Finally is it intentional that there is no list of valid Past's and Prices yet?  Because if that is the case I would love to see what you come up with next.

Prices are fine right out of the book.  I'd rather leave the pasts to the players.  They know what they want...Dirty Cop, Trophy Wife, Down and Out Reporter, Fallen Professor, Cabbie, etc.

Hope that helps, Jason.

[Judd]

I think there has got to be a system way of turning someone into a demon.

It seems like a perfectly straightforward adaptation of the rules using sacrifice to assist Summoning.  At the end, you have one less human and one more Demon.

That is so easy that I am embarassed.

Huh.

[Jason13]

Very cool, different Director styles for the two sides of the city!  Wow I am loving this.

Would you indulge me with one more question Judd?

If Tony Soprano appeared as a character in Blood Simple would he be a Human or a Demon?

Regards

Jason