Dark Creatures of EdenAgain

The DragonRaid New Player Briefing defines dark creatures as “Non-spiritual beings that follow the dark strategies of the dragons.”  Additionally, “They were exiled to the world of EdenAgain by their societies on other planets.”  Many of the dark creatures are indistinguishable from standard fantasy 'opponent' races, except that they came from technologically advanced civilizations.  Still, on EdenAgain they live a medieval existence, doubtless due to the mechanizations of the insidious dragons.  Here are stories of some of the dark creatures.

A “greedo”

Greedo (a.k.a. Itchyfinger)

According to the LightRaider Handbook, “Greedoes were exiled recently from the planet Werj.”  On that planet, “bartering replaces buying and selling.”  On Werj:

...green greedoes secretly invented a way to better their lot.  They called their new methods “bargaining” rather than “bartering,” and they began to stretch the truth when they negotiated.  Trusting that all was done in honesty, greedoes of other colors had no idea that they were being cheated.

The Overlord of Many Names did not like this because, “When He created the greedoes on the planet Werj, He intended them to be fair and to use their superior knowledge of business practices to watch out for those of lesser ability.”  Then perhaps 'greedo' wasn't the best name He could have given them.  Anyway, when the other greedoes caught on to the perfidy of their verdant brethren, they exiled the green greedoes to EdenAgain.  Specifically, they were sent away in “properly equipped spaceships...that were programmed to self-destruct one hour after landing on EdenAgain.”  We can assume that the other races of dark creatures were sent to EdenAgain in a similar fashion since that would explain the lack of spaceships and other advanced technology in the Dragon Lands.

Although, the greedoes' “hands and feet are equipped with razor-sharp claws,” the main threat they pose to player characters is the Unearned Wealth Enchantment.  Said enchantment “causes you to cheat others and thereby lose your Joy.”

Fluster Beast

Occasionally, the twelve intelligent races of the planet Kumoz send 'mutations' to EdenAgain; specifically, the results of “when unholy mating occurred between bear-like animals and ostrich-like birds.”  These dark creatures are called fluster beasts.  A fluster beast...

...has the body of a small bear, but has two ostrich-like heads.  The body is covered with feathers instead of hair.  This beast has the claws of a bear, which are its main method of attack and defense.  Also, fluster beasts can attack with their two heads by pecking, even at two different enemies simultaneously.

The two heads constantly disagree with one another.  The spell fluster beasts cast, “the Double-Minded Enchantment...can affect any Character Strength, depending on the particular confusion generated...”


Selfoe

On the planet Armech, selfoes – gray humanoids with pointed ears – serve the OverLord of Many Names.  However, some “degenerate selfoes began to do good things for people, but not for the glory of the OverLord.”  Apparently, performing good deeds is 'degenerate' behavior if done for any reason other than to promote the OverLord's glory.

Eventually, the citizenry became angry with the selfoe do-gooders, being jealous for the OverLord of Many Names.  They knew His power and goodness cured the sin contamination that was preventing [the degenerate] selfoes from having a pure heart.  So angered did they become that they exiled the self-focused selfoes to EdenAgain.

Get it?  'Selfoes' are 'self' focused.  On EdenAgain, selfoes are nomads “commissioned by the evil dragons to draw people's minds away from the OverLord of Many Names.”  Selfoes expound “that anyone may know the OverLord by living a life full of good deeds” and “that sin and dragon slavery are imaginary.”

Mound Orc

Apparently, these dark creatures are called 'mound' orcs because “LightRaiders who travel through their territory have reported great stacks of bones, a status symbol of how much sorrow and suffering they have caused to others.”  We are informed that mound orcs, natives of the planet Uory, “turned evil early in their history and were exiled to EdenAgain before most other dark creatures.”  This suggests that orcs were not originally evil and that most of the orcs on Uory are not evil (or else the evil orcs could not have been exiled).  Perhaps mound orcs possess the capacity for good?  Perhaps they are deserving of the Christian considerations of compassion and forgiveness?  Well, no.  The OverLord (a.k.a. Jesus) wants you to kill orcs.

The only good orc is a dead orc.  LightRaiders are to destroy these creatures whenever they come upon them.  Chivalry is of little value.  They can be killed...even when they are sleeping.  This is because they have most likely caused tremendous pain and suffering for others...and will cause more if you permit them to live.

Orcs have leather-like, gray-brown skin; also, “Large yellow, almond shaped eyes and big pointed ears.”  When you slit the throats of sleeping people who have “most likely” caused pain and suffering, I guess it's easier when they have different skin coloration and facial features.  Jesus must love murderhoboes.

Shooting First

More Art by McQuarrie


A role-playing game based on a given intellectual property ought to be able to emulate situations from the source material.  It ought to be possible for characters in the game to do the same things that characters do in the source material; perhaps not beginning characters, but the game should accommodate the possibility of these circumstances and events.

In Star Wars (not 'Episode IV,' not 'A New Hope' – just Star Wars), there is some...interaction between the characters of Han Solo and Greedo.  In this post, your humble host speculates as to how the mechanics of Fantasy Flight's Edge of the Empire - Beta roleplaying game (hereinafter EotE-B) could be used to re-enact this scene.  Specifically, even though Greedo has a blaster leveled at Solo, the Corellian manages to surreptitiously draw his own blaster and successfully shoots Greedo without Greedo being able to retaliate.  Make no mistake – Han shot first.  Poor Greedo didn't fire at all.  It should be noted that realism – or lack thereof – is not at issue; if it happened in the movie, it should be possible in the game.

Essentially, Han fires a weapon.  Firing a weapon is an 'action' which a character can perform on his or her 'turn.'  The existence of a turn requires 'structured gameplay.'  As opposed to 'narrative gameplay,' 'structured gameplay' carefully measures time in terms of rounds and turns.

Events that occasion structured gameplay (e.g., combat) are called encounters.  At the onset of an encounter, 'Initiative order' is determined.  Each participating character makes a 'simple' skill check.  ('Simple' – in this sense – means that no Difficulty dice are added to the pool.)  Characters anticipating the encounter make a 'Cool' check.  (Cool is associated with the Presence characteristic.)  Characters not expecting the encounter make a 'Vigilance' check.  (Vigilance is associated with the Willpower characteristic.)  The character with the most successes goes first, with other characters going in order of descending successes.  Characters tied at a given number of successes go in descending order of advantage results.  No instructions are provided to resolve ties at this level (which I would imagine to be fairly commonplace).  Presence is a measure of “moxie, charisma, confidence, and force of personality.”  Willpower reflects “discipline, self-control, mental fortitude, and faith.”  (Perhaps your humble host is firmly entrenched in the 'old school' paradigm, but he would enlist Cunning for 'surprise' initiative and Agility for 'prepared' initiative.)

Without a doubt, Han is a Smuggler: Scoundrel.  The Smuggler: Scoundrel talent tree offers two instances of Rapid Reaction; one at the 5 XP level and one at the 20 XP level.  For each rank in the Rapid Reaction talent, the character may suffer a point of strain and add a success to his or her initiative check.  The same talent tree offers Quick Draw at the 5 XP level.  Normally, drawing a weapon counts as a 'maneuver,' of which there are a limited number in a character's turn.  With Quick Draw, drawing a weapon becomes an 'incidental' activity; incidental activities do not constrain a character's options during a turn.

Given the verbal tête à tête upon which Han and Greedo engage, Presence sort of makes sense for determination of initiative.  It's reasonable to assume that Han has more presence than Greedo and if anybody has the 'Cool' skill, it's Han.  Given the situation, Han would undoubtedly use Rapid Reaction to garner an additional success.   So, in terms of initiative, it's not surprising that Han prevails. 

Yet can we rightfully consider the resolution of the Han-Greedo confrontation to be a mere matter of initiative?  After all, Greedo is pointing a blaster at Han.  Page 129 of EotE-B stipulates that, under certain circumstances, “a character may even be able to perform a maneuver when it is not his turn.”  Although an attack is an 'action,' which is distinct from a 'maneuver,' page 131 mentions there are “abilities allowing [characters] to perform an action as a maneuver.”  Greedo would not seem to have such an ability, but having a weapon trained on a target ought to count for something.

Let us examine the circumstances of the event.  Han and Greedo sit at a table.  Han puts a leg up onto the table, thereby concealing his holstered blaster from Greedo's view.  In Greedo's line-of-sight, Han nonchalantly picks at the cantina's stucco with his left hand, thereby distracting Greedo from what he is doing with his right hand.  Han resorts to subterfuge to counter Greedo's advantageous position.

This can be construed as an 'opposed check.'  Han assembles a dice pool based on his 'Stealth' skill (which is associated with Agility).  The Ability and Proficiency dice that would normally compose Greedo's 'Perception' skill dice pool are instead converted to Difficulty and Challenge dice (respectively) in Han's dice pool.  ('Perception' is associated with Intellect.)  Given Han's efforts at obfuscation, a Game Master might downgrade one of “Greedo's” dice, thereby lessening Han's difficulty.  Han could even chip in a Destiny Point to upgrade one of the positive dice in his pool.

Once Han has 'won' initiative and prevailed on his Stealth check, “frying poor Greedo” becomes a rather routine use of a blaster.

Revisionist Mythology

The other day, Alexis at The Tao of D&D* trash talked Star Wars. Alexis is kind enough to inform us that any adult who appreciates Star Wars is an uncultured dolt. Joseph Campbell believed that Star Wars re-introduced modern audiences to the concept of the monomyth. Ergo, by Alexis' estimation, Joseph Campbell was an uncultured dolt. If I am an uncultured dolt for liking such a well regarded film, then at least I'm in good company.

Star Wars is an example of intellectual property with significant cultural impact. Sometimes there is conflict between the 'owner' of such a property and the people ('fans') deeply affected by that property; such has been the case with some of George Lucas' efforts to 'revise' certain details of Star Wars. (For the record, not only did Han shoot first, but Greedo didn't get off a shot at all. Those are the facts. Deal.) I am reminded of when Sir Arthur Conan Doyle killed off Sherlock Holmes; public outcry was so great, he was eventually compelled to bring Holmes back. When does should an artist lose control of his creation?

Another intellectual property with significant cultural impact (well, impact to Our Hobby at least) is The World's Most Popular Role-Playing Game. There is occasional discord between the owning Wizards and those who cherish the game's origins. At least we have the Open Game License; the Wizards are free to take the path where My Little Pony leads them and we are free to preserve, if not enhance, what we hold dear.

Han shot first.

The Great Detective lives.

D&D is ours (except for beholders and displacer beasts and stuff).

* Alexis is like Emmanuel Goldstein in Nineteen Eighty-Four. Just as Goldstein served as the focus of the Two Minutes Hate, Alexis is a target for cathartic release. If Alexis did not exist, it would be necessary to invent him.