Saker wrote:In reality Lawrence is an excrescence, a truant, a displaced being... a polyp - from the unfathomable being of an ancient "Old Thing's" conscience!...
The delight and amusement that villains have of the fear of being hunted down and jailed (ie. similar to his fear) is vastly interesting and the only joy in his pitiful life of a lowly un-cosmicly mundane human existence.
Would he endure a three week selection event to join a superhero team? If yes, how would the desire for teamwork integrate into his Mental Malfunction?
Oh, I think most definitely... but he'd do it from HIS point of view and reasoning... No matter *what* the reason, it's the player's role to figure out a reason (that can work within the group and game concept) to BE a hero and JOIN the group. Even if that reason is shallow at the beginning, then can evolve/morph as the game continues - else the player character wouldn't be playable and would need to become an NPC.
So.... I'd say the three week selection event would be taxing on Lawrence. He'd feel (think/assume) that he'd grasped ALL the appropriate needs of initiation in the first 20 minutes, not much considering that the team was "evaluating" HIM for membership (or perhaps to see if he was a *threat* as opposed to potential hero)... rather Lawrence would be assuming that HE was interviewing THEM to be interesting enough to accept the invitation, hehe.
But in the end he would (ie. it's the fun of role-play/story and natural impetus of the player to MAKE a reason for your PC to...) join the group and even "humor" them through the trials...
As for his Mental Malfunction... My thought/idea is that the reason he falls on the "hero" side of the equation is that he is vastly interesting in the old truism that:
"Villains are a cowardly lot..."
From other HERO's point of view this guy that the underworld/media has dubbed "the Dread of criminals" would be very helpful in fighting crime because MANY crooks/thugs he's faced would have simply surrendered, do to his powers (illusions of the things they fear, mixed with various mental attack/ability).
While most on the side of good would be happy to have Lawrence aid them in cowing criminals and such... Some of the more self-righteous heroes might think this as "torture" in a strange way.... and for all intents/purposes, THEY are the ones that are right!
Lawrence (to himself) delights in testing the mental limits of the human psyche, but also fully understands that if he "flexes" his power (on all humanity or other heroes) that they would lock him up and throw away the key OR (his only personal dread) find/direct the great Old Thing that spawned him to his presence - thus ending his self-aware concious potentially, when it comes to reclaim the fragment of itself.
YES. This is a twisted hero concept. Because he's essentially the worst versions of old stories of insane asylum doctors experimenting on their patients (in this case the criminal element that "society" deems it "okay" that he use his powers on). But the potential out-of-game GROWTH (that I would head toward as a player) for the character overall is to eventually have a moment inwhich he does NOT simply "delight" in the fear/torture ... but actually wishes to stop a villain selflessly (ie. actually BE a "hero").
I was thinking of beginning this (road to becoming a true hero) with help of an "In a relationship" potential of a nice young girl who's taken to trying her hardest to date Lawrence... This confuses him, but he's intrigued that his power doesn't WORK on her for some odd reason (this could be in reality something SHE is suppressing or something sub-consciously HE is suppressing - as a story hook).
And lastly.
The teamwork angle is fairly simple... Working with others gives him ample time and opportunity to work his voodoo fear abilities on the "Villainous lot" that he just wouldn't have (as much) alone.
The only (minor) catch (for role-play purpose/fun) is that sometimes his powers of fear control would "leak" to be problematic for his friends/team. As a limitation or drawback. Is this "leaking" his doing? Or is it accidental? Who knows... that's also part of the role-play fun.
thoughts?
-kev-
