Leporiphobia

Some years back, I played in a long-running Buffy/Angel series, and even tried my hand at running a couple "guest GM" episodes. They weren't as successful as I'd hoped, mostly because I had some trouble integrating my own ideas into the huge, complex weave of plots and characters the campaign had accumulated, and balancing the challenges against the (by then) powerful heroes. Because of this, I never got around to developing an idea inspired by Lewis Carroll's works. This concept has been sitting on a crowded shelf in the back of my head for years now, so I thought I'd dust it off to share here so it can see the light of day at last.

The cast has met at one member's house for a long study night, sometime around Easter. After a few hours of this, eventually they all start nodding off. They find themselves meeting each other in the same dreamscape, except for one missing character (Jack Pennington, the hero I normally played). After encountering the White Rabbit-slash-Easter Bunny*, they eventually find Jack, dressed as the Red King, asleep under a tree. A pair of NPCs (some variant of Tweedledee and Tweedledum, as in the original story) warns them not to wake up the King. They're part of his dream after all, and might wink out if it ends! The heroes learn about a possible means of returning to the waking world: hunt down and capture a Snark, which lives somewhere in this tulgey wood.

It turns out that Snarks look much like maniacal rabbits, or possibly jackalopes--at least part of the time. These shapeshifting creatures should prove elusive for some time while the cast tries out more and more outrageous ideas for catching one.

Eventually, the most dangerous Snark of all arrives on the scene: the Jabberwock. John Tenniel's illustration in Through the Looking-glass shows this beast with large chisel teeth and protruding eyes like a rabbit--which inspired me to push the bunny theme to absurd extremes. Assuming the cast managed to acquire a vorpal sword during the adventure, then a cast member (most likely the resident Slayer) can use it to slay the Jabberwock. This monster is big and nasty, and worst of all, it's a Boojum:

"'But oh, beamish nephew, beware of the day,

   If your Snark be a Boojum! For then

You will softly and suddenly vanish away,

   And never be met with again!'

Let the Boojum slowly "vanish" cast members as the fight progresses, making the situation more and more dire, but leave them some hope--Hope is one of the most effective weapons against Snarks, after all. This is where the White Hats can do their thing to encourage the Slayer, keep the Jabberwock distracted and confused, and so on.

Eventually, the surviving heroes triumph--and wake up, because it was all a dream. Cast members who were "vanished" are still there, but need some poking and prodding before they'll wake up. Jack can't be awakened until everyone else has--he was the Boojum's first victim, and is left with a severe bunny phobia.

My working title, "Leporiphobia," means fear of rabbits, and is a reference to one of the ex-Vengeance Demon Anya's little quirks. If you adapt this idea to run with the original Buffy cast, then Anya should become the Red King character. The other cast members get to experience a taste of how she feels about those creepy, evil bunnies--which might make her fear of them seem much less silly by the time the episode ends!

-----

* I envisioned this character to be Jeffrey Jones cast as a chaos demon, wearing pajamas, a bathrobe, and bunny slippers, carrying a basket of eggs and a pocket watch. The picture I drew when I originally conceived "Leporiphobia" can be found here. (After seeing Stardust, though, I'd probably use Mark Williams if I ran this now.) The chaos demon might be responsible for the dream--intentionally or accidentally--but is more or less harmless.

Throwback Thursday: A Lewis Carroll Bestiary, Part 2

See Part 1 for my original "Lewis Carroll Bestiary," for Big Eyes Small Mouth, Second Edition Revised. This installment gives BESM Third Edition stat block for these creatures.

Notes: All three species are rare enough that all individuals qualify for the Marked defect.

Bandersnatch

The Bandersnatch resembles a gigantic centipede. Its speed is legendary, and "Might as well try to catch a Bandersnatch" is a popular saying in the lands near its home, used in response to a proposed action that the speaker believes impossible.

A Bandersnatch attacks from ambush, rushing forward with incredible speed. Its favorite tactic is grabbing its prey with its many multi-jointed legs and then swiftly wrapping silk-like cords around it. (In game terms, this is a "Snatch" grappling attack followed by a "Banding" tangle attack.) If outnumbered, it will flee at high speed, then continue stalking the group until it sees an opportunity to grab a straggler.

Size: Large

Value	Points	Stat
9	+90	Body Stat
3	+30	Mind Stat
4	+40	Soul Stat
Level	Points	Attribute
+3	+6	Armor (Armor Rating 6)
+2	+4	Combat Technique (Leap Attack, Lightning Reflexes)
+1	+9	Defense Combat Mastery (Dependent -1: Superspeed)
+2	+4	Energy Bonus
+1	+14	Extra Actions (Dependent -1: Superspeed)
+1	+2	Heightened Awareness
+2	+6	Melee Attack (Grappling)
+2	+6	Melee Defense (Grappling)
+1	+3	Skill: Acrobatics (Jumps)
+1	+3	Skill: Stealth (Concealment)
+1	+1	Skill: Wilderness Tracking (Desert)
+5	+10	Special Movement (Balance, Light-Footed, Slithering, Wall-Crawling 2)
+3	+12	Superstrength (No Damage Multiplier Increase)
+1	+12	Superspeed
+1	+10	Unique Attribute (+4 Attack Damage)
+1	+3	Unique Attribute (x2 Thrown Weapon Distance)
+0	+7	Weapon "Banding" (Enervating 3, Tangle 2, Unique Variable 2: Victim suffers Impaired Speech -6 while entangled)
+1	+1	Weapon--Alternate Attack "Mandibles"
+0	+1	Weapon--Alternate Attack "Snatch" (Flexible 2)
	Points	Defects
	-6	Impaired Speech (No Language)
	-5	Inept Attack (Ranged Attacks)
	-5	Inept Defense (Ranged Attacks)
	-3	Marked (Gigantic Centipede)
	-1	Unique Defense (Big and Heavy)
Total:	+262 Points

Derived Values:
Attack Combat Value: 5 (Ranged 4, Grappling 7)
Defense Combat Value: 5 (Superspeed 6, Ranged 4 [5 with Superspeed], Grappling 7 [8 with Superspeed])
Damage Multiplier: x5 (x6 Leaping)
Health Points: 65
Shock Value: 13
Energy Points: 45

Notes: Damage: Fangs 14 (Leap 19); Initiative: +10 [+5 Attack Combat Value, +3 Lightning Reflexes, +2 Superspeed]; Speed: Superspeed 100 meters/round.
(Skills were bought using Multi-genre costs. In almost all genres, these three skills total 7 Points or less; apply any leftover points to Wilderness Tracking.)

Jabberwock

The Jabberwock is a four-legged, semi-upright, winged, dragon-like creature (see Tenniel's illustration in Through the Looking-glass). The breath and wings of this horrible monster make a great deal of noise, so it eschews stealth and cunning in favor of brute force and speed in hunting its prey. It attacks by biting and clawing, often attempting to carry half-subdued prey back to its lair to eat at its leisure. Only a hero wielding a "vorpal sword" (a weapon of ill-defined properties) stands a chance of killing it quickly.

Size: Huge

Value	Points	Stat
8	+80	Body Stat
2	+20	Mind Stat
5	+50	Soul Stat
Level	Points	Attribute
+6	+12	Armor (Armor Rating 12)
+2	+20	Attack Combat Mastery
+1	+2	Combat Technique (Hardboiled 1)
+2	+20	Defense Combat Mastery
+1	+2	Energy Bonus
+1	+15	Extra Actions
+1	+8	Flight
+1	+7	Massive Damage (Melee)
+2	+6	Melee Attack (Claws and Fangs)
+2	+4	Special Movement (Fast 2)
+1	+8	Superstrength
+5	+20	Superstrength (No Damage Multiplier Increase)
+3	+6	Tough
+2	+20	Unique Attribute (+4 Attack Damage)
+2	+6	Unique Attribute (x2 Thrown Weapon Distance)
+2	+4	Weapon "Claws"
+1	+1	Weapon--Alternate Attack "Fangs"
	Points	Defects
	-2	Achilles Heel (Vorpal Swords)
	-4	Blind Fury (Taking Damage)
	-6	Impaired Manipulation (Talons)
	-6	Impaired Speech (No Language)
	-10	Inept Attack -2 (Ranged Attacks)
	-10	Inept Defense -2 (Ranged Attacks)
	-2	Less Capable (Stealth: -4 Penalty)
	-3	Marked (Huge Draconian Beast)
	-3	Unappealing
	-2	Unique Defense (Big and Heavy 2)
Total:	+269 Points

Derived Values:
Attack Combat Value: 7 (Claws or Fang 9, Ranged 5)
Defense Combat Value: 7 (Claws or Fang 9, Ranged 5)
Damage Multiplier: x6 (Melee x7)
Health Points: 80
Shock Value: 26
Energy Points: 40

Notes: Damage: Claws 31, Fangs 24; Initiative: +7; Speed: walk 32 meters/round, fly 10 meters/round.

Jubjub

The Jubjub is a gigantic, long-legged bird resembling both a parrot and a crow, with feathers of many different colors. It is a king of birds, commanding most avians it encounters, and is usually accompanied by a flock of normal birds of mixed species. It is most renowned for its panic-inspiring scream; most hear the Jubjub long before they see it.

Size: Large

Value	Points	Stat
7	+70	Body Stat
3	+30	Mind Stat
6	+60	Soul Stat
Level	Points	Attribute
+4	+8	Armor (Armor Rating 8)
+2	+2	Features (Appearance: Impressive, Mimic Sound)
+2	+14	Flight (Maintain -1, Spread 1)
+2	+6	Melee Attack (Beak and Talons)
+5	+30	Mind Control (Any Bird)
+1	+2	Skill: Animal Training (Birds)
+1	+2	Special Movement (Fast)
+3	+12	Superstrength (No Damage Multiplier Increase)
+1	+10	Unique Attribute (+4 Attack Damage)
+1	+3	Unique Attribute (x2 Thrown Weapon Distance)
+0	+11	Weapon "Song of Despair" (Area 3, Drain 4: Soul, Psychic 6; Toxic -2: Sound-Based)
+1	+1	Weapon--Alternate Attack "Beak"
+1	+1	Weapon--Alternate Attack "Talons"
	Points	Defects
	-2	Easily Distracted (Shiny Objects)
	-6	Impaired Manipulation (Talons)
	-6	Impaired Speech (No Language)
	-5	Inept Attack (Ranged Attacks)
	-5	Inept Defense (Ranged Attacks)
	-3	Marked (Gigantic Multicolored Bird)
	-1	Unique Defense (Big and Heavy)
Total:	+234 Points

Derived Values:
Attack Combat Value: 5 (Melee 7, Ranged 4)
Defense Combat Value: 5 (Ranged 4)
Damage Multiplier: x5
Health Points: 65
Shock Value: 13
Energy Points: 45

Notes: Damage: Beak or Talons 16; Initiative: +5; Speed: walk 14 meters/round, fly 30 meters/round.
(Its Skill was bought using Multi-Genre costs. In genres or settings where Animal Training is only 1 Point per Level, raise this Skill to Level 2.)


The material presented here is my original creation, intended for use with the Big Eyes, Small Mouth system from Guardians of Order. This material is not official and is not endorsed by Guardians of Order. BESM is copyright Guardians of Order, Inc.; all rights reserved.

Throwback Thursday: A Lewis Carroll Bestiary, Part 1

While migrating some of my old wiki pages to new homes, I came across this page from several years back (circa 2003-2005?) and decided to share it here. Part 1 gives my original BESM Second Edition stats; Part 2 will provide conversions to BESM Third Edition.

A Lewis Carroll Bestiary

Monsters for Big Eyes, Small Mouth, Second Edition Revised.

The following creatures are based on the works of Lewis Carroll (specifically, Through the Looking-glass and "The Hunting of the Snark"), with some ideas inspired by Gary Gygax's versions of these monsters (in the AD&D adventure The Land Beyond the Magic Mirror).

Each species described here is rare enough to qualify for the Marked defect. Skills were bought using Medieval Fantasy costs.

Bandersnatch (35 CP)

The Bandersnatch resembles a gigantic centipede. It attacks from ambush, rushing forward with incredible speed. Its favorite tactic is "snatching and banding": grabbing its prey and then swiftly wrapping silk-like cords around it. (In game terms, this is a wrestling attack followed by its Special Attack.) If outnumbered, it will flee at high speed, then continue stalking the group until it sees an opportunity to grab a straggler.

Body 9, Mind 3, Soul 4 (16 CP)

Attributes: Elasticity 1 (1 CP), Energy Bonus 1 (1 CP), Extra Attacks 1 (4 CP), Heightened Awareness 1 (1 CP), Highly Skilled 1 (1 CP), Kensei 1 (Chanbara Master) (1 CP), Light Armour 2 (5 armour) (2 CP), Natural Weapons 3 (Claws, Fangs, Tentacles) (3 CP), Special Attack 1 ("Banding": damage 15; Drain Energy, Tangle: 10 HP, Unique Ability: victim suffers Cannot Talk 1 while entangled; Melee, No Damage) (4 CP), Special Movement 3 (Balance, Light-footed, Wall-crawling) (3 CP), Speed 4 (2 CP)

Defects: Awkward Size (1 BP), Cannot Talk (1 BP), Marked (gigantic centipede) (2 BP)

Skills: Acrobatics 1 (Jumps) (3 SP), Ranged Defense 1 (Personal) (4 SP), Stealth 1 (Concealment) (4 SP), Unarmed Attack 2 (Wrestling) (8 SP), Unarmed Defense 2 (Wrestling) (8 SP), Wilderness Tracking 1 (Desert) (3 SP)

Derived Values: Attack Combat Value 5, Defense Combat Value 3, Health Points 65, Energy Points 45, Shock Value 13

Notes: The bite does 7 damage, claws 10, including ACV; add 5 with a successful Chanbara attack. Its many extra legs give the benefits of Tentacles for wrestling attacks; with Elasticity added, it gains a total of +2 when attacking or defending while wrestling. Speed gives it +2 Initiative.

Jabberwock (35 CP)

The Jabberwock is a four-legged, semi-upright, winged, dragon-like creature (see Tenniel's illustration in Through the Looking-glass). The breath and wings of this horrible monster make a great deal of noise, so it eschews stealth and cunning in favor of brute force and speed in hunting its prey. It attacks by biting and clawing, often attempting to carry half-subdued prey back to its lair to eat at its leisure. Only a hero wielding a "vorpal sword" (a weapon of ill-defined properties) stands a chance of killing it quickly.

Body 8, Mind 2, Soul 5 (15 CP)

Attributes: Combat Mastery 2 (4 CP), Damn Healthy! 3 (3 CP), Energy Bonus 1 (1 CP), Extra Attacks 1 (4 CP), Flight 1 (4 CP), Heavy Armour 1 (10 armour) (4 CP), Massive Damage 1 (2 CP), Natural Weapons 2 (Claws, Fangs) (2 CP), Super Strength 1 (3 CP)

Defects: Awkward Size (2 BP), Cannot Talk (1 BP), Marked (hideous draconian beast) (2 BP), Unskilled (1 BP), Vulnerability (Vorpal Swords) (1 BP)

Skills: Unarmed Attack 2 (Strikes) (8 SP)

Derived Values: Attack Combat Value 7, Defense Combat Value 5, Health Points 80, Energy Points 45, Shock Value 16

Notes: Its bite does 24 damage, its claws 27, including ACV, Massive Damage, and Super Strength.

Jubjub (40 CP)

The Jubjub is a gigantic, long-legged bird resembling both a parrot and a crow, with feathers of many different colors. It is a king of birds, commanding most avians it encounters, and is usually accompanied by a flock of normal birds of mixed species. It is most renowned for its panic-inspiring scream; most hear the Jubjub long before they see it.

Body 7, Mind 3, Soul 6 (16 CP)

Attributes: Flight 1 (can't hover) (3 CP), Light Armour 3 (7 armour) (3 CP), Mind Control 5 (Birds only) (10 CP), Natural Weapons 2 (Beak, Claws) (2 CP), Special Attack 4 ("Song of Despair": damage 30; Area Effect: 10 m radius, Drain Soul, Soul Attack; No Damage, Toxic: sound-based) (16 CP)

Defects: Awkward Size (1 BP), Cannot Talk (1 BP), Easily Distracted (shiny objects) (1 CP), Marked (gigantic bird) (2 BP), No Arms (2 BP), Unskilled (1 BP)

Skills: Animal Training 1 (Birds) (2 SP), Unarmed Attack 2 (Strikes) (8 SP)

Derived Values: Attack Combat Value 5, Defense Combat Value 3, Health Points 65, Energy Points 45, Shock Value 13

Notes: Its beak does 7 damage, its claws 10, including ACV.


The material presented here is my original creation, intended for use with the Big Eyes, Small Mouth system from Guardians of Order. This material is not official and is not endorsed by Guardians of Order. BESM is copyright Guardians of Order, Inc.; all rights reserved.