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Post by grinch on Aug 7, 2021 14:21:01 GMT
Ah, Montague Rhodes James. Possibly up there in the upper echelons of ghost story writers and in his time a well respected and well liked medievalist having spent the majority of his life cataloguing and studying various medieval manuscripts.
And despite all this, he has never made an appearance in either Big Finish or the television series but has alluded to quite a number of times.
So, let’s rectify this shall we? What adventure ideas and seeds can we come up with featuring the great man?
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Catsmate
13th Incarnation
It's complicated....
Posts: 3,753 
Favourite Doctors: Thirteen, Six, Five, Two, Eight, Eleven, Twelve, One, Nine...
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Post by Catsmate on Aug 7, 2021 15:55:10 GMT
Ah, Montague Rhodes James. Possibly up there in the upper echelons of ghost story writers and in his time a well respected and well liked medievalist having spent the majority of his life cataloguing and studying various medieval manuscripts. And despite all this, he has never made an appearance in either Big Finish or the television series but has alluded to quite a number of times. So, let’s rectify this shall we? What adventure ideas and seeds can we come up with featuring the great man?
I mentioned James' legend of the Three Crowns of East Anglia as background in a recent thread based on his story A Warning to the Curious (I cannot recommend the 1972 BBC adaption with Peter Vaughan enough, though they did re-set the story in the Depression years that actually adds to the story, in my opinion). James was an antiquarian and a historian, so he made his fiction realistic and plausible.
Even if a GM chose to leave James' stories as fiction, he could easily crop up in other ways. He'd be a useful source for details on the history and mythology of parts of the British Isles (especially the later period in East Anglia). Or he could be present at the excavations at Bury St Edmunds (which his researches inspired) when something is found, or strange things begin to occur....
His period as Director of the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge is another opportunity to tie him to oddities, ones in the museum's collection, offered to it or about which they are being asked to advise.
And don't forget to include his politician, religious and social conservatism
Many of James' stories have an academic or ecclesiastical setting, redolent of the effects of the years of history there; though they do tend to be somewhat formulaic, it's a very good formula and one he handles well.
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Post by olegrand on Aug 7, 2021 17:37:20 GMT
I actually used M.R. James himself (as an NPC) in one of my Lady Penelope's Odyssey episodes... Here is the blurb and notes I posted at the time on my blog (that was 4 years ago - how time flies...):
Episode 10: The Lost Abbey
Suffolk, 1911. Lady Penelope teams up with psychic detective Everett Blake to investigate the ruins of a medieval abbey where two Cambridge men have mysteriously disappeared. What sinister pact did the Last Abbot of St-Waldred seal with forces better left undisturbed? A not-so-classic ghost story featuring Weeping Angels, Reapers and Montague Rhodes James…
Notes on Episode 10: I've been wanting to do a scenario with the great Montague Rhodes James as a NPC for AGES but could never quite find the proper way to do it, since involving MRJ in explicitly fantastic events (i.e. like Shakespeare in "The Shakespeare Code" or Charles Dickens in "The Unquiet Dead") would not have felt right, considering this author's well-known "reticence", to use a typically Jamesian term... But this episode gave me the perfect opportunity, since it was also the first one involving a new (occasional) player-character (the Edwardian psychic detective Everett Blake, played by our longtime friend Cyrille): this 'teamp-up' focus allowed me to use MRJ as a source of precious scholary information and (yes) "warnings to the curious", without actually confronting him to the menace (and then some) of the Weeping Angels - not to mention the Reapers and the decaying, half-immortal Last Abbot of St-Waldred. I also peppered the story with all sorts of Jamesian references - Cambridge academia, scholarly bits of church history, lonely ruins in the Suffolk landscape and a central villain bearing some deliberate resemblance to the typically Jamesian evils practitioners of the dark arts found in stories like "Number 13", "The Treasure of Abbot Thomas" or "Lost Hearts".
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Post by grinch on Aug 7, 2021 18:35:33 GMT
Ah, Montague Rhodes James. Possibly up there in the upper echelons of ghost story writers and in his time a well respected and well liked medievalist having spent the majority of his life cataloguing and studying various medieval manuscripts. And despite all this, he has never made an appearance in either Big Finish or the television series but has alluded to quite a number of times. So, let’s rectify this shall we? What adventure ideas and seeds can we come up with featuring the great man?
I mentioned James' legend of the Three Crowns of East Anglia as background in a recent thread based on his story A Warning to the Curious (I cannot recommend the 1972 BBC adaption with Peter Vaughan enough, though they did re-set the story in the Depression years that actually adds to the story, in my opinion). James was an antiquarian and a historian, so he made his fiction realistic and plausible.
Even if a GM chose to leave James' stories as fiction, he could easily crop up in other ways. He'd be a useful source for details on the history and mythology of parts of the British Isles (especially the later period in East Anglia). Or he could be present at the excavations at Bury St Edmunds (which his researches inspired) when something is found, or strange things begin to occur....
His period as Director of the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge is another opportunity to tie him to oddities, ones in the museum's collection, offered to it or about which they are being asked to advise.
And don't forget to include his politician, religious and social conservatism
Many of James' stories have an academic or ecclesiastical setting, redolent of the effects of the years of history there; though they do tend to be somewhat formulaic, it's a very good formula and one he handles well.
Now that I think about it, you could probably do a trilogy of stories set at various points throughout M.R. James life. With the final adventure taking place during the Great War, where an elderly James is feeling the effects of the world changing around him as one age leads into another. Of course, that’s when his old friends the PCs arrive for one last encounter. Or the PCs discover a long lost and unrecorded medieval manuscript. To help identity it, they decide to find a known expert on the subject. Cue the appearance of James. Alternatively, this idea could also be reinvented for a Torchwood game with your agents needing to find him to help in their research. Personally, I think he’d make for the focus of a great Christmas adventure. |
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Post by grinch on Aug 7, 2021 18:44:19 GMT
I actually used M.R. James himself (as an NPC) in one of my Lady Penelope's Odyssey episodes... Here is the blurb and notes I posted at the time on my blog (that was 4 years ago - how time flies...): Episode 10: The Lost Abbey
Suffolk, 1911. Lady Penelope teams up with psychic detective Everett Blake to investigate the ruins of a medieval abbey where two Cambridge men have mysteriously disappeared. What sinister pact did the Last Abbot of St-Waldred seal with forces better left undisturbed? A not-so-classic ghost story featuring Weeping Angels, Reapers and Montague Rhodes James…
Notes on Episode 10: I've been wanting to do a scenario with the great Montague Rhodes James as a NPC for AGES but could never quite find the proper way to do it, since involving MRJ in explicitly fantastic events (i.e. like Shakespeare in "The Shakespeare Code" or Charles Dickens in "The Unquiet Dead") would not have felt right, considering this author's well-known "reticence", to use a typically Jamesian term... But this episode gave me the perfect opportunity, since it was also the first one involving a new (occasional) player-character (the Edwardian psychic detective Everett Blake, played by our longtime friend Cyrille): this 'teamp-up' focus allowed me to use MRJ as a source of precious scholary information and (yes) "warnings to the curious", without actually confronting him to the menace (and then some) of the Weeping Angels - not to mention the Reapers and the decaying, half-immortal Last Abbot of St-Waldred. I also peppered the story with all sorts of Jamesian references - Cambridge academia, scholarly bits of church history, lonely ruins in the Suffolk landscape and a central villain bearing some deliberate resemblance to the typically Jamesian evils practitioners of the dark arts found in stories like "Number 13", "The Treasure of Abbot Thomas" or "Lost Hearts". Nice! I must admit I rather forgotten about this adventure which is quite rotten of me consider I do enjoy reading through Lady Penelope’s Odyssey. I like your approach to M.R. James I must admit. And colour me curious, but I’d be very keen to know the story behind the decaying, half-immortal Last Abbot of St-Waldred. Is he merely another Weeping Angel in an extreme state of disrepair or something else entirely? |
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Post by olegrand on Aug 7, 2021 21:42:50 GMT
Nice! I must admit I rather forgotten about this adventure which is quite rotten of me consider I do enjoy reading through Lady Penelope’s Odyssey. I like your approach to M.R. James I must admit. And colour me curious, but I’d be very keen to know the story behind the decaying, half-immortal Last Abbot of St-Waldred. Is he merely another Weeping Angel in an extreme state of disrepair or something else entirely? Something else! He was a malevolent abbot - a typical Jamesian character (ie Abbot Thomas, Nicholas Franken etc.) who had somehow entered a pact (of the "poisoned chalice" variety) with the Weeping Angels, acting as their pawn and, so to speak, subsisting on their leftovers... I'll check the details in my files tomorrow and give you more details! |
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Catsmate
13th Incarnation
It's complicated....
Posts: 3,753
Favourite Doctors: Thirteen, Six, Five, Two, Eight, Eleven, Twelve, One, Nine...
Traits: Eccentric, Insatiable Curiousity.
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Post by Catsmate on Aug 7, 2021 22:05:16 GMT
Nice! I must admit I rather forgotten about this adventure which is quite rotten of me consider I do enjoy reading through Lady Penelope’s Odyssey. I like your approach to M.R. James I must admit. And colour me curious, but I’d be very keen to know the story behind the decaying, half-immortal Last Abbot of St-Waldred. Is he merely another Weeping Angel in an extreme state of disrepair or something else entirely? Something else! He was a malevolent abbot - a typical Jamesian character (ie Abbot Thomas, Nicholas Franken etc.) who had somehow entered a pact (of the "poisoned chalice" variety) with the Weeping Angels, acting as their pawn and, so to speak, subsisting on their leftovers... I'll check the details in my files tomorrow and give you more details!
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Catsmate
13th Incarnation
It's complicated....
Posts: 3,753
Favourite Doctors: Thirteen, Six, Five, Two, Eight, Eleven, Twelve, One, Nine...
Traits: Eccentric, Insatiable Curiousity.
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Post by Catsmate on Aug 13, 2021 10:40:13 GMT
That is very true. Unlike say Carnacki the Ghost Finder (OK he's fictional) or Charles Dodgsos, James and his mythos are untouched. And therefore, to my mind, a useful source of ideas to be pillaged.
I mentioned James' legend of the Three Crowns of East Anglia as background in a recent thread based on his story A Warning to the Curious (I cannot recommend the 1972 BBC adaption with Peter Vaughan enough, though they did re-set the story in the Depression years that actually adds to the story, in my opinion). James was an antiquarian and a historian, so he made his fiction realistic and plausible.
Even if a GM chose to leave James' stories as fiction, he could easily crop up in other ways. He'd be a useful source for details on the history and mythology of parts of the British Isles (especially the later period in East Anglia). Or he could be present at the excavations at Bury St Edmunds (which his researches inspired) when something is found, or strange things begin to occur....
His period as Director of the Fitzwilliam Museum in Cambridge is another opportunity to tie him to oddities, ones in the museum's collection, offered to it or about which they are being asked to advise.
And don't forget to include his politician, religious and social conservatism
Many of James' stories have an academic or ecclesiastical setting, redolent of the effects of the years of history there; though they do tend to be somewhat formulaic, it's a very good formula and one he handles well.
Now that I think about it, you could probably do a trilogy of stories set at various points throughout M.R. James life. With the final adventure taking place during the Great War, where an elderly James is feeling the effects of the world changing around him as one age leads into another. Of course, that’s when his old friends the PCs arrive for one last encounter. Or the PCs discover a long lost and unrecorded medieval manuscript. To help identity it, they decide to find a known expert on the subject. Cue the appearance of James. Alternatively, this idea could also be reinvented for a Torchwood game with your agents needing to find him to help in their research. Personally, I think he’d make for the focus of a great Christmas adventure.
1. Childhood, part I.
James was born in Kent in 1862 but mainly raised in Kent, the son of a clergyman. Fascinatingly the family lived at the Rectory in Great Livermere (in Suffolk) which had been (around ~150 year earlier) the childhood home of the noted antiquary Thomas Martin ('Honest Tom Martin of Palgrave', wiki). It's unlikely that both men were effected by some Mysterious Effect in the locality, or if James’s lifelong interest in the past was somehow inspired Honest Tom’s ghost.
What odd writings, journals and artefacts might have been found in the old house?
2. Childhood, part II.
Weirdly this is entirely true and James wrote about it himself. His taste for the weird and ghostly was triggered by a toy Punch and Judy set; one of the cardboard figures among the set was called The Ghost which James described as 'a tall figure habited in white with an unnaturally long and narrow head, also surrounded in white, and a dismal visage'.
James frequently suffered from nightmares, many of them inspired by The Ghost.
At this point the alien-possessed Punch and Judy set rather writes itself.
3. University, part I.
Montague James studied at Cambridge (King's College) where he would spend much of his adult life, as a student and then as a don. While his scholarly achievements are less widely known than his ghost stories he was a notable academic who catalogued virtually the entire collection of medieval manuscripts at Cambridge University (rather a mess). What interesting accounts might have been lurking in the mess of paper, parchment and vellum?
I've mentioned his involvement with the research that led to excavations in the ruins of the abbey at Bury St Edmunds previously, and his connections with East Anglian history
Then there was his interest in representations of the Apocalyps; an element of his academic repute was his collection and collation of such manuscripts.
4. University, part 2.
James was also the director of the Fitzwilliam Museum at Cambridge for fifteen years. A major collection (over half-a-million) of objects (many on loan from other colleges and collectors). It houses a major Egyptian collection, much of which was only recently put on display.
Anything interesting and odd could have ended up in the collection. Osiran left-overs, trapped disembodied aliens, the items collected by the Hellfire Club, Lunar Society or Dr. Dee, or the detritus of any number of space or time travellers.
A brief sexual interlude.
Without resorting to psychoanalysis of a man head these 85 years, James may have been gay or asexual, or deeply afraid of relationship and intimacy. There is little mention, in various biographies, of any sexual or intimate relationship, with anyone.
There are (perhaps) homosexual suggestions in some of his works. Or maybe not, it may be in the eye and mind of the critic.
James never married.
The classic Jamesian protagonist is not quite an everyman. He (and they're always male) tends to an academic or eccestical background, live (and perhaps vegetate) in eastern England and engage in quasi-historical research (stained-glass windows, cathedral carvings, old engravings and manuscripts) until, in the course of their daily interest, the trouble starts.
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Post by olegrand on Aug 13, 2021 13:19:47 GMT
Some wonderfully Jamesian-cum-Whovian ideas here!  1. Childhood, part I.James was born in Kent in 1862 but mainly raised in Kent, the son of a clergyman. Fascinatingly the family lived at the Rectory in Great Livermere (in Suffolk) which had been (around ~150 year earlier) the childhood home of the noted antiquary Thomas Martin ('Honest Tom Martin of Palgrave', wiki). It's unlikely that both men were effected by some Mysterious Effect in the locality, or if James’s lifelong interest in the past was somehow inspired Honest Tom’s ghost. What odd writings, journals and artefacts might have been found in the old house? I think this old house is also the one where the young MRJ had the disturbing vision which inspired "A Vignette"... Could he have peered in some alternate, adjacent dimension just for a few minutes ? (or the other way round?) 2. Childhood, part II.< Weirdly this is entirely true and James wrote about it himself. His taste for the weird and ghostly was triggered by a toy Punch and Judy set; one of the cardboard figures among the set was called The Ghost which James described as 'a tall figure habited in white with an unnaturally long and narrow head, also surrounded in white, and a dismal visage'. James frequently suffered from nightmares, many of them inspired by The Ghost. At this point the alien-possessed Punch and Judy set rather writes itself. Alien-possessed? Or perhaps psychically-animated by the boy's own unconscious fears and anxieties ? 3. University, part I.Montague James studied at Cambridge (King's College) where he would spend much of his adult life, as a student and then as a don. While his scholarly achievements are less widely known than his ghost stories he was a notable academic who catalogued virtually the entire collection of medieval manuscripts at Cambridge University (rather a mess). What interesting accounts might have been lurking in the mess of paper, parchment and vellum? I've mentioned his involvement with the research that led to excavations in the ruins of the abbey at Bury St Edmunds previously, and his connections with East Anglian history Then there was his interest in representations of the Apocalyps; an element of his academic repute was his collection and collation of such manuscripts. Yeah - he also had the reputation, very early on, of being oddly interested by all the "weird byways" and marginalia of medieval scholarly lore, including obscure heresies, demonology treatises etc. Definitely a Curious soul who hadn't been Warned yet?  The Weeping Angels would really work well with MRJ (well, I should remove the "would" since they DID work awfully well in the episode I ran) - their association with church architecture and the whole "don't blink" effect are really Jamesian (you know, a bit like the running, glimpsed but never-quite-seen ghosts/silhouettes in "A Warning to the Curious" and "Oh Whistle..."... Also, MRJ would be a prime candidate for (unwittingly?) discovering WHY the Weeping Angels look as they loo - or for helping PCs to make such a discovery, by delving into old, weird manuscripts etc. 4. University, part 2.James was also the director of the Fitzwilliam Museum at Cambridge for fifteen years. A major collection (over half-a-million) of objects (many on loan from other colleges and collectors). It houses a major Egyptian collection, much of which was only recently put on display. Anything interesting and odd could have ended up in the collection. Osiran left-overs, trapped disembodied aliens, the items collected by the Hellfire Club, Lunar Society or Dr. Dee, or the detritus of any number of space or time travellers. Yup! The Hellfire Club and John Dee would be my top choices! 4. University, part 2.A brief sexual interlude.Without resorting to psychoanalysis of a man head these 85 years, James may have been gay or asexual, or deeply afraid of relationship and intimacy. There is little mention, in various biographies, of any sexual or intimate relationship, with anyone. There are (perhaps) homosexual suggestions in some of his works. Or maybe not, it may be in the eye and mind of the critic. James never married. (...) Well, most specialists do think he had something special with James McBride - probably one of those platonic, never declared, quietly suppressed secret loves. The story of McBride's untimely death and of MRJ's obviously very deep grief - and the way he remained in contact with the artist's young widow... all this would make a great basis for a very human-centered scenario - with a James Ivory-esque atmosphere... BTW did you know that MRJ was also the person who wrote the texts on most of Britain's WWI memorial statues? During the war, he corresponded regularly with some of his former students who were fighting - and dying - in the trenches... if you are a Montague Rhodes James enthusiast, you should definitely read the following book, which is full of fascinating facts, very perceptive insights and revealing interpretations about his fiction, life, work and personality: www.amazon.co.uk/Medieval-Studies-Ghost-Stories-James-ebook/dp/B08L6RPH1J/ref=sr_1_1?dchild=1&keywords=M.R.+JAMES+MEDIEVAL&qid=1628860769&sr=8-1It is easily the best of MRJ-related essays I've read (including the Ghosts & Scholars stuff). |
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Catsmate
13th Incarnation
It's complicated....
Posts: 3,753
Favourite Doctors: Thirteen, Six, Five, Two, Eight, Eleven, Twelve, One, Nine...
Traits: Eccentric, Insatiable Curiousity.
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Post by Catsmate on Nov 21, 2021 15:48:33 GMT
I hope grinch doesn't mind a bump to this thread but I find one of the other great Victorian writers of 'weird fiction' in my notes (while looking for something else entirely  ).
That was Edward Frederic (E. F.) Benson (wiki), though today he's better known for his 'Mapp and Lucia' novels.
Benson was the fifth child of a somewhat odd family, mixing a rather Gothic level of oddness with a degree of over-achievement.
His father was Edward White Benson then merely headmaster of Wellington College but later successively chancellor of Lincoln Cathedral, Bishop of Truro and Archbishop of Canterbury. His mother was Mary ('Midge', née Sidgwick) an impressive woman whom Gladstone described as "the cleverest woman in Europe".
E. W. was a man of relentless energy, and his manner was described by some as "terrifying". Oh and, among many other things, he founded the Ghost Society at Trinity College (Cambridge) dedicated to psychical research, a lifelong interest.
When he died in 1896 Minne lived with Lucy Tait, daughter of the previous Archbishop of Canterbury.
- If one was to judge by E.F.'s stories there's a certain impression of Minnie as being a bit of a bloodsucker; so many of his stories feature predatory women, particularly mothers and wives.
E.F.'s surviving siblings (two of the six died young) are an interesting lot.
- His older brother, Arthur Christopher Benson, wrote the lyrics to "Land of Hope and Glory" and Elgar's Coronation Ode, in addition to much literary criticism, poetry and essays. Another noted author of ghost stories, he's rather forgotten today. He taught at Eton.
- Robert Hugh Benson wrote several novels, converted to Roman Catholicism, was ordained (CoE and RC) and dabbled in theology and apologism as well as dystopian science fiction.
- Margaret (Maggie) Benson was also an author, one of the first women admitted to Oxford *and a 'steam-boat lady') and the first woman to lead archaeological expeditions in Egypt. Like her mother and E.F. she was probably gay.
There were no grand-children, none of the siblings married or procreated, all had mental health issues, mainly bipolar disorder (manic depression).
E.F.'s stories are well worth reading (they're in the public domain, start here or here) and not just as a source of inspiration, he was a favourite of H. P. Lovecraft and is particularly good at evoking atmosphere. And somewhat obsessed with vampires.
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Post by grinch on Nov 21, 2021 20:33:35 GMT
No complaints from me. Bump away, I say!
And yes, E.F. Benson is fantastic. Especially love his Spook Stories as I believe he used to refer to them. First got into them with Mark Gatiss's' excellent readings for Audible. 'The Room in the Tower' is by far one of the scariest stories I have ever read and 'Caterpillars' would send the shivers up anyone.
Truly a fascinating individual. I'd probably do something with The Ghost Society if I were to use him in a game.
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Post by grinch on Dec 26, 2022 14:00:26 GMT
After watching the (well, in my opinion) rather good adaptation of M.R. James's "Count Magnus" it struck me that such a setting could easily be reinvented for a Who campaign. With the sadistic and cruel Count having made a deal with an Elder God or some otherworldly being to obtain his familiar.
Actually, it's the sort of adventure that could easily be split into two parts. Where instead of Mr Wraxhall, one of the Time Lord's companions finds themselves, victim, to the Count's malevolence. To prevent this coming to pass, your Time Lord decides to go back hundreds of years in time in order to intercept Count Magnus before he can embark on his "Black Pilgrimage"...
Plus, it would give your PCs an excuse to visit more European locales on Earth aside from the usual Anglo-centric settings.
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Catsmate
13th Incarnation
It's complicated....
Posts: 3,753
Favourite Doctors: Thirteen, Six, Five, Two, Eight, Eleven, Twelve, One, Nine...
Traits: Eccentric, Insatiable Curiousity.
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Post by Catsmate on Jan 30, 2023 14:56:28 GMT
Bump.
There isn't a dedicated Carnacki thread so I've decided to post here. I hope grinch doesn't mind.
Some years ago Marcus Rowland, the RPG writer/designer, wrote a supplement for his excellent Forgotten Futures Edwardian RPG called The Carnacki Cylinders. He created a wonderfully detailed background for gaming within the world of Carnacki and the AbNatural.
After retiring Mr. Rowland has updated the resource, complete with history and details of the Electric Pentacle and part of a manual for Carnacki's trademark tool.
There are also several scenarios that could easily be slotted into a Victorian/Edwardian AITAS game.
Link.
ETA: there are also links to all the Carnacki stories. Those visiting from the USA should be aware that some of Hodgson' work is still under copyright there.
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Post by grinch on Jan 30, 2023 15:17:52 GMT
Bump.
There isn't a dedicated Carnacki thread so I've decided to post here. I hope grinch doesn't mind.
Some years ago Marcus Rowland, the RPG writer/designer, wrote a supplement for his excellent Forgotten Futures Edwardian RPG called The Carnacki Cylinders. He created a wonderfully detailed background for gaming within the world of Carnacki and the AbNatural.
After retiring Mr. Rowland has updated the resource, complete with history and details of the Electric Pentacle and part of a manual for Carnacki's trademark tool.
There are also several scenarios that could easily be slotted into a Victorian/Edwardian AITAS game.
Link.
ETA: there are also links to all the Carnacki stories. Those visiting from the USA should be aware that some of Hodgson' work is still under copyright there.
Not at all! Bump away!. To be honest, considering I plan on re reading the original Carnacki stories for when I get around to finishing the Edwardian based Further Adventures of the Paternoster Gang supplement, such a resource should prove most useful. Not to mention, considering their respective time periods overlap there is nothing to suggest that Carnacki and James couldn't have crossed paths at one point. The character of "Karswell" from "Casting the Runes" may have in fact been based on an occultist James and Carnacki had the misfortune to take on. I also stumbled across a YouTube Channel which has penned their own number of original Carnacki stories. Have yet to listen to them so I can't comment on the quality of them but they might be useful should GMs need to add some more cases to Carnacki's reportoire. www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeNNKRLWxwoOZEm6kTshhmUc1uD0tN-oi |
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Catsmate
13th Incarnation
It's complicated....
Posts: 3,753
Favourite Doctors: Thirteen, Six, Five, Two, Eight, Eleven, Twelve, One, Nine...
Traits: Eccentric, Insatiable Curiousity.
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Post by Catsmate on Jan 30, 2023 16:26:21 GMT
Bump.
There isn't a dedicated Carnacki thread so I've decided to post here. I hope grinch doesn't mind.
Some years ago Marcus Rowland, the RPG writer/designer, wrote a supplement for his excellent Forgotten Futures Edwardian RPG called The Carnacki Cylinders. He created a wonderfully detailed background for gaming within the world of Carnacki and the AbNatural.
After retiring Mr. Rowland has updated the resource, complete with history and details of the Electric Pentacle and part of a manual for Carnacki's trademark tool.
There are also several scenarios that could easily be slotted into a Victorian/Edwardian AITAS game.
Link.
ETA: there are also links to all the Carnacki stories. Those visiting from the USA should be aware that some of Hodgson' work is still under copyright there.
Not at all! Bump away!. To be honest, considering I plan on re reading the original Carnacki stories for when I get around to finishing the Edwardian based Further Adventures of the Paternoster Gang supplement, such a resource should prove most useful. Not to mention, considering their respective time periods overlap there is nothing to suggest that Carnacki and James couldn't have crossed paths at one point. The character of "Karswell" from"Casting the Runes " may have in fact been based on an occultist James and Carnacki had the misfortune to take on. I also stumbled across a YouTube Channel which has penned their own number of original Carnacki stories. Have yet to listen to them so I can't comment on the quality of them but they might be useful should GMs need to add some more cases to Carnacki's reportoire. www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeNNKRLWxwoOZEm6kTshhmUc1uD0tN-oi
Karswell is an interesting character, oddly I've found he appears in my notes and ideas file, specifically regarding the "magic lantern" show he gave for local children that so terrified and mesmerised them.
It rather suggested to me that Karswell had some more advanced technology than usual for 1911....
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Post by grinch on Jan 30, 2023 16:57:47 GMT
Not at all! Bump away!. To be honest, considering I plan on re reading the original Carnacki stories for when I get around to finishing the Edwardian based Further Adventures of the Paternoster Gang supplement, such a resource should prove most useful. Not to mention, considering their respective time periods overlap there is nothing to suggest that Carnacki and James couldn't have crossed paths at one point. The character of "Karswell" from"Casting the Runes " may have in fact been based on an occultist James and Carnacki had the misfortune to take on. I also stumbled across a YouTube Channel which has penned their own number of original Carnacki stories. Have yet to listen to them so I can't comment on the quality of them but they might be useful should GMs need to add some more cases to Carnacki's reportoire. www.youtube.com/playlist?list=PLeNNKRLWxwoOZEm6kTshhmUc1uD0tN-oi
Karswell is an interesting character, oddly I've found he appears in my notes and ideas file, specifically regarding the "magic lantern" show he gave for local children that so terrified and mesmerised them.
It rather suggested to me that Karswell had some more advanced technology than usual for 1911....
It might be a case of thanks to the advanced technology Karswell stumbled on, he was able to tap into "something" which enhanced his understanding of the occult. Actually, to tie him into Carnacki I could see him attempting to sic the Demon onto him ala his role in the M.R. James story but thanks to his knowledge of such practises and using his Electric Pentangle, Carnacki was able to survive the encounter. A bit like his approach in "The Gateway of the Monster" where he simply waits the manifestation out. By that time, Karswell has long since made his escape until he met his grizzly end years later. I think such an encounter would be better suited to taking place during his early years as a Ghost-Finder shortly after meeting the Paternoster Gang. |
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Catsmate
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It's complicated....
Posts: 3,753
Favourite Doctors: Thirteen, Six, Five, Two, Eight, Eleven, Twelve, One, Nine...
Traits: Eccentric, Insatiable Curiousity.
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Post by Catsmate on Jan 30, 2023 21:28:58 GMT
Interesting, and thanks for the link. I'll give it a go while I'm travelling.
Karswell is an interesting character, oddly I've found he appears in my notes and ideas file, specifically regarding the "magic lantern" show he gave for local children that so terrified and mesmerised them.
It rather suggested to me that Karswell had some more advanced technology than usual for 1911....
It might be a case of thanks to the advanced technology Karswell stumbled on, he was able to tap into "something" which enhanced his understanding of the occult. Actually, to tie him into Carnacki I could see him attempting to sic the Demon onto him ala his role in the M.R. James story but thanks to his knowledge of such practises and using his Electric Pentangle, Carnacki was able to survive the encounter. A bit like his approach in "The Gateway of the Monster" where he simply waits the manifestation out. By that time, Karswell has long since made his escape until he met his grizzly end years later. I think such an encounter would be better suited to taking place during his early years as a Ghost-Finder shortly after meeting the Paternoster Gang. |
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Post by grinch on Jan 30, 2023 22:00:15 GMT
It might be a case of thanks to the advanced technology Karswell stumbled on, he was able to tap into "something" which enhanced his understanding of the occult. Actually, to tie him into Carnacki I could see him attempting to sic the Demon onto him ala his role in the M.R. James story but thanks to his knowledge of such practises and using his Electric Pentangle, Carnacki was able to survive the encounter. A bit like his approach in "The Gateway of the Monster" where he simply waits the manifestation out. By that time, Karswell has long since made his escape until he met his grizzly end years later. I think such an encounter would be better suited to taking place during his early years as a Ghost-Finder shortly after meeting the Paternoster Gang. Karswell could even work as a good recurring antagonist for a young Thomas Carnacki. With Carnacki only finding out news of Karswell's fate years later. ("There is always a price to pay") He may even after said events of "Casting the Runes" purchased or was left a lot of Karswell's notes which he incorporated into his own investigatory methods. |
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Catsmate
13th Incarnation
It's complicated....
Posts: 3,753
Favourite Doctors: Thirteen, Six, Five, Two, Eight, Eleven, Twelve, One, Nine...
Traits: Eccentric, Insatiable Curiousity.
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Post by Catsmate on Jan 30, 2023 22:00:31 GMT
And a rather meta reference from the worldbook.....
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Post by soultaker666212 on Jan 30, 2023 22:05:06 GMT
Yeah I saw that and that made me chuckle a little, very clever and would be pretty awesome to have seen as an episode as well. |
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Post by grinch on Jan 30, 2023 22:19:08 GMT
Personally, I wonder whether Torchwood considering headhunting Carnacki at some point. Or at least was kept under observation as a person of interest.
Actually, maybe Dodgson is secretly working on behalf of Torchwood?
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Catsmate
13th Incarnation
It's complicated....
Posts: 3,753
Favourite Doctors: Thirteen, Six, Five, Two, Eight, Eleven, Twelve, One, Nine...
Traits: Eccentric, Insatiable Curiousity.
|
Post by Catsmate on Feb 1, 2023 9:38:47 GMT
Personally, I wonder whether Torchwood considering headhunting Carnacki at some point. Or at least was kept under observation as a person of interest. Actually, maybe Dodgson is secretly working on behalf of Torchwood?
Then there's Taylor, whom Rowland describes as:
He does ask about Carnacki's "spectrum circles".
Hell maybe the whole trio are monitoring him, or are associated with Torchwood but attempting to use Carnacki for their own ends.
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Post by grinch on Feb 1, 2023 12:46:56 GMT
Agreed. Carnacki strikes me as too independent to be working for an organisation such as Torchwood. That or he is just completely uninterested in their mission.
Arkwright and Taylor strike me as the most likely candidates as well. Now whether Carnacki is aware of their true intentions or not is another matter entirely.
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Post by grinch on Feb 1, 2023 18:58:28 GMT
In a neat bit of irony, you could actually introduce Carnacki to a group of PCs by having him suddenly appear in the modern day as a ghost or some wraith. The "manifestation" could either be Carnacki's consciousness astrally projected into the Future or it's a stone tape-esque recording made via exposure to alien technology which has a certain degree of intelligence to it. I'm imagining it a bit like the Echo Stones from the Skulduggery Pleasant series. skulduggery.fandom.com/wiki/Echo_Stone |
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Catsmate
13th Incarnation
It's complicated....
Posts: 3,753
Favourite Doctors: Thirteen, Six, Five, Two, Eight, Eleven, Twelve, One, Nine...
Traits: Eccentric, Insatiable Curiousity.
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Post by Catsmate on Feb 1, 2023 21:14:11 GMT
In a neat bit of irony, you could actually introduce Carnacki to a group of PCs by having him suddenly appear in the modern day as a ghost or some wraith. The "manifestation" could either be Carnacki's consciousness astrally projected into the Future or it's a stone tape-esque recording made via exposure to alien technology which has a certain degree of intelligence to it. I'm imagining it a bit like the Echo Stones from the Skulduggery Pleasant series. skulduggery.fandom.com/wiki/Echo_Stone
Perhaps, nearly a century later some occultist or physicist could pull him out of the aether where he was preserved outside of the passage of time and have him return to operations in whatever period suits the GM.
A bit like Adam Adamant Lives!.
Interestingly another FF collection, George E. Challenger's Mysterious World, uses rotation in the ether as a method of suspended animation.
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Post by grinch on Feb 2, 2023 11:39:18 GMT
In a neat bit of irony, you could actually introduce Carnacki to a group of PCs by having him suddenly appear in the modern day as a ghost or some wraith. The "manifestation" could either be Carnacki's consciousness astrally projected into the Future or it's a stone tape-esque recording made via exposure to alien technology which has a certain degree of intelligence to it. I'm imagining it a bit like the Echo Stones from the Skulduggery Pleasant series. skulduggery.fandom.com/wiki/Echo_Stone
Perhaps, nearly a century later some occultist or physicist could pull him out of the aether where he was preserved outside of the passage of time and have him return to operations in whatever period suits the GM.
A bit like Adam Adamant Lives!.
Interestingly another FF collection, George E. Challenger's Mysterious World, uses rotation in the ether as a method of suspended animation.
That’s a neat idea. Presumably a lot of his materials and belongings would have been in storage since he vanished. No doubt (much like Professor Douglas Arthur) such an experience would benefit Carnacki with a unique understanding of the aether. Might also be a good means of reintroducing the Great Intelligence to a campaign with Carnacki having encountered or at least drawn its intelligence while he was preserved outside of Time. |
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Catsmate
13th Incarnation
It's complicated....
Posts: 3,753
Favourite Doctors: Thirteen, Six, Five, Two, Eight, Eleven, Twelve, One, Nine...
Traits: Eccentric, Insatiable Curiousity.
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Post by Catsmate on Feb 2, 2023 15:30:30 GMT
Well if you go with Rowland's expansion of the Carnacki biography, then his mysterious disappearance could have left him anywhere, or anywhen.
Perhaps, nearly a century later some occultist or physicist could pull him out of the aether where he was preserved outside of the passage of time and have him return to operations in whatever period suits the GM.
A bit like Adam Adamant Lives!.
Interestingly another FF collection, George E. Challenger's Mysterious World, uses rotation in the ether as a method of suspended animation.
That’s a neat idea. Presumably a lot of his materials and belongings would have been in storage since he vanished. No doubt (much like Professor Douglas Arthur) such an experience would benefit Carnacki with a unique understanding of the aether. Might also be a good means of reintroducing the Great Intelligence to a campaign with Carnacki having encountered or at least drawn its intelligence while he was preserved outside of Time.
Really they could have ended up anywhere until, decades later, someone finds them and starts studying them with an appreciative eye and modern resources.
They could have been transferred to UNIT and ended up warehoused for the Misfit Mob to find. Or a descendant of one of Carnacki's friends might have found them in an attic.
Now personally I'd work in my favourite McGuffin, the Barrlyght Oscillator, either as a reason for Carnacki's disappearance or his return. Or both.
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Post by grinch on Feb 8, 2023 21:32:46 GMT
Just finished reading ‘The Ghost Pirates’ by William Hope Hodgson (would really recommend by the way) and it strikes me that with only a little bit of tweaking it could easily be reworked as another one of Thomas Carnacki’s cases.
The setting of the ship Mortzestus would make for a good base under siege plot as well.
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