The Risen

[clawingwolf]

Another one of my post, for my perpetration for my BTS campaign

This is a concept i have for the campaign, ideas borrowed form other games and movies and such, as with the vamp and were's in my other thread. Though using BTS rules, as generally like the BTS system.
So tell me what you think of the Risen

The Risen
They are people bought back to life but some unknown force. Though they are only a shadow of their former living selves. The Risen, retain pieces of memories of their old lives, but never the whole thing. Some risen tend to try and have a life again, though with such failing memories and skills from the past most are only capable of doing the easiest of jobs, as well as living in the worst parts of town. Though there are some who join other creatures of the supernatural or join gangs of other Risen. Many Risen just end up homeless wandering bums on the street, semi aware of the world around them.

The reason why no one notices the Risen is because some force of magic or force of some kind of energy creates a barrier of illusion, which portrays the Risen to mortal humans as just ugly yet normal humans. Though the risen may have this visual barrier to protect them from being seen, they are still indeed dead bodies, reinvigorated with life, though this life is unable to stop the decay of the body. This meaning that the Risen still rot and decay though at a slower process they still breakdown. So most Risen only have a few years of life in them. Though of course being dead means during the undead lives the Risen can take far more physical punishment then a living person could as many things that are deadly to a person are not to a undead corpse. As well there is one way that a Risen can heal any wounds and stave off his/her body from rotting. That is by eating the flesh of the dead. As well the barrier may stop humans from seeing what the Risen truly are but they can still smell them, and most people will feel uneasy around a Risen. This also contributes to way the Risen can not live in good neighborhoods or work in good jobs.

The energies that brought them back to life also helps to give them strength and endurance. The Risen tend to be stronger than the average human, and can run indefinitely without tiring.

Risen are not inherently evil, their still people, as twisted and demented as they are. Some Risen even choose not to eat flesh and so rot and remain alive for only a few years. But most choose life even if it is a mockery of what they had before death, and so they eat the dead to sustain themselves, losing what little humanity they had left.

Stats: Same as Grave Ghouls though there are some differences, No Supernatural PS, Guns to half damage, and arrows do 1 point of SDC.

Illusion Barrier:
Normal people automatically fail to save verse illusion towards the Risen. Only people who are truly aware that there are supernatural creatures, or who are psychic or activity looking for the Risen will be able to save verse the illusion. As well psychics who are activity looking for Risen get a +5 to save.

[MASTERMIND]

Any inspiration taken from The Crow? A long time ago I found a Risen online that was based on The Crow for the White Wolf system. I'm not saying yours has anything to do with that one but I was curious if it was part of your inspiration as well.

[clawingwolf]

My inspiration is isn't from the Crow, I've actually never seen the whole movie only the begining.

I'm sure you meant brought back, but this typo leaves an interesting possibility

yes it was a typo but your right that does leave an interesting possibility and i will have to think more on your idea, but i really like it.

They sound a bit like the Living Dead from Mystic China.

I actually don't have my Mystic China book here with me in BC, its in Ontario. To bad now that you say that there is a living dead in it i'd like to see it.


As for the rotting yea their true visible form is a rotting body that rots with time, unless they feed, but they still maintain full range and motion of their body, hence the Grave ghoul stats, which i think are Lesser Undead.

What memories would they have left? And do they inherently know that eating flesh preserves them?

First yes i think they should inherently know that eating flesh will preserve them. Like a instinct.

The memories i think would be fragments and maybe a few strong ones, so they remember that such a person is a family member and but not much else about them. They remember their wife and that she made them happy, so maybe they try to see that person. Or maybe they remember a person being abusive and take retribution. But they have fragmented memories and i think would be more about the emotion the person causes.


As for the Illusion Barrier

yea im not sure yet see i wanted normal people to fail because they just don't see, or don't want to see. Their mind can't cope with the reality so it tells them oh that's just a bum or a drunk. So i really think normal people should always fail, it takes some kind of awakening for a person to see the world as it really is, or else they unknowingly block things out and put in a more "realistic" alternative

[acreRake]

Interesting. There's plenty of examples of this kind of character, the Crow is one (never saw the movie, only read the comic), but the one that leaps to my mind is Laura from American Gods. Anyway,

Illusion Barrier:
Normal people automatically fail to save verse illusion towards the Risen.

I think you should do away with any "automatics," especially since it seems self-defeating: someone doesn't look for it, so they fail. But someone does look, so they have a chance at seeing them.

I think the idea is fine as it is, the reference to a game mechanic is what makes it sound bad. Instead of "automatically fail to save", just say: "Normal people will never see them as they really are. Psychics and [whatever other characters you think should be able to see them...other supernatural beings?] save versus illusion [or make a difficult perception roll, or whatever] to see their true form.

Also, while they resemble the Living-Dead Immortals from MC in some respects (they are both undead and continue to decay), they are very different in terms of power and, as far as i can tell, origin and intent...(IOW not a big deal that you can't look at them while developing this idea IMHO)

Also, "they're" means "they are"...just sayin'...

[MASTERMIND]

Laura is definitely a good example. You could call the mechanic the Shroud or Shroud of Disbelief. Defined as you said with the mechanical effects as you said. Those in touch with reality as it is can see them for what they are. They see through the Shroud that clouds the vision of the world.

[clawingwolf]

Thanks to Omnifarious idea of the Risen being bought, from the dead, back to the world of the living, i came up with this

The Daemon Mano has the power to bring people back from the dead, in return he only asks a small fee from the soul of the person who wants the person brought back. Oh course he never really puts it that way, instead he asks them for their never ending servitude. Unfortunately for those unsuspecting people the person brought nothing but a mocking shadow of their former selves in a the body of a decaying corpse. And what happens to the person who has given their soul? Their soul is ripped from their body and a minion of Mano’s is able to possess the empty husk.

[clawingwolf]

This is adds to my previous most about Mano

The minions of Mano’s are unable to exist in this Dimension without possessing a body.

Mano himself is unable to exist in this realm without possessing a body, this like his minions limits his true powers but he is far from harmless. Mano’s possession of the human body though is temporary as it corrupts the flesh. The host body begins to look more demonic, with such thins as horns growing and the becoming scaly. Eventually the host body corrupts too much that it is unable to sustain Mano and he must find a new host. Mano unlike his minions though can possess a body with out making the soul bargin.

Note: The bodies that are possessed by Mano’s minions do become corrupt but not as fast or as much, and the minion can exist within the body for many decades.

Now what of the people bought for a sold and given a undead life. As said before they are a mocking shadow of their former selves.

**Mano will probably be the main antagonist**

[MASTERMIND]

Sure you want to use the name Mano? Every time I read it I think of the kissing disease and I chuckle a bit. Just the young geek in me though.

[clawingwolf]

Hmm what would you sujest then?
I always have a hard time coming up with names

The main vampire in my game will be named Vain

i have a Demon Ghoul in the game named Max

[MASTERMIND]

Well, let me ask this. Is Daemon Mano supposed to mean something (like Hand of the Demon) or was it just a name that popped into your head? Those other names were fine.

[clawingwolf]

Just popped in my head

[MASTERMIND]

Just popped in my head

I was working on a couple thoughts when I remembered the website I use for a lot of name generation, Seventh Sanctum. This website has name generators for just about everything you can think of (and a few things you don't want to think of).

http://www.seventhsanctum.com/

You said you had trouble coming up with names and this website was designed to help with that exact problem.

[acreRake]

Sure you want to use the name Mano? Every time I read it I think of the kissing disease and I chuckle a bit. Just the young geek in me though.

That's "Mono" (Mononucleosis) .. It makes me think of "Manos: The Hands of Fate" which is way funnier.

[MASTERMIND]

Sure you want to use the name Mano? Every time I read it I think of the kissing disease and I chuckle a bit. Just the young geek in me though.

That's "Mono" (Mononucleosis) .. It makes me think of "Manos: The Hands of Fate" which is way funnier.

I know it Mono but thanks. I just said when I read Mano it made me think of the kissing disease. And with Daemon at the front I kept thinking the Kissing Demonic Disease.

[clawingwolf]

Just for you DogBoyDetroit, i watched The Crow this weekend

[BookWyrm]

If you really want to experience The Crow, find the comic compilation. Then watch the first movie. Don't bother with any other film (or the TV series) with the same name.

I've always felt that The Crow was closer to this version of the Revenant.

As for memory retention, I would give them a random recall between 25-40% of their original memories: just enough to feel like it's important, but not stable enough to define.