What Makes A Demon Hunters Story a Demon Hunters' Story?

Being a serious Fantasy writer I have been having some difficulty making my Demon Hunters campaign scenarios campy enough to get that Demon Hunters feel.

 

What really makes Demon Hunters what it is?  What components, or canon do the writers of Demon Hunters fantasy try to adhere to?  What are the sacred cows?  What can be fudged?  How do you write comedy into the otherwise serious business of fighting demons and killing?

 

 

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ModeratorPermalink Reply by Jimmy McMichael on July 10, 2011 at 3:50am

I've probably done more work in the Demon Hunters universe than anyone outside of Vancil, and I've never actually thought about this question before. I guess it comes down the the characters. Like you said, the situations they're in - an Earthwalker rampaging through a university campus, a traitorous Chapter opening a doorway to Hell - are deadly serious. But the characters that are tasked to solve these problems are clearly not the best of the best. Omega Fifteen is a chapter of rejects, led by a washed-up, allegedly traitorous has-been; Alpha One is chock full of double agents with varying degrees of personality disorders; St. Peter is a haggard bureaucrat with an overbearing boss riding him constantly; and the Purple Ninja is the greatest Demon Hunter of them all - despite dying every time he shows up. The world is constantly in danger of coming to an end, and these characters argue with ex-girlfriends or have pissing matches over who should be in charge, or refuse to do their jobs without being served a catered lunch. These are all deeply flawed individuals, and the comedy naturally flows from these flaws.


While the bulk of the comedy in a Demon Hunters story is character-based, there’s also a light sprinkling of the surreal. The Cobbler’s Crystals Guy switching out Jim’s mint solution for coffee. Los subtítulos de La Cifra. Tree. Applied sparingly, these moments of utter randomness, usually created while tired or drunk, are a particularly great way to get out of having written yourself into a corner. How are Gabe and Jim going to get past London to see Ichabod? A snowman gives London the finger and he flips his shit! It’s completely out of left field, but it works in this weird little world we’ve made.


So there you go, the secrets of Demon Hunters humor, pulled directly from my ass: 98% messed up characters, 2% Dadaism. Use this secret knowledge wisely. That said, there's nothing wrong with telling serious stories in the Demon Hunters universe; I've got ideas for a few saved up in my stockpile. There are plenty of competent Chapters out there in the Brotherhood - we’ve just never met them. Maybe someday.

Permalink Reply by Solarius on July 10, 2011 at 6:13am

Thanks that helps.

 

Since, as scenario writer I have no control over the players dysfunctionality (not really a word to you english majors out there), I will have to write dysfunctional NPCs, and hope the comedy can flow from that.

 

Now...how about a random, how did you put it? Dadaism?  Table....


ProducerPermalink Reply by Zombie Orpheus Entertainment on July 10, 2011 at 6:37pm
Dada … Table


Permalink Reply by Solarius on July 10, 2011 at 7:15pm
Cool
Permalink Reply by Askara Arzarthanian on July 11, 2011 at 9:23pm

I would love to see an adventure module for Demon Hunters at some point. Right now I'm putting together a story, and it really isn't easy. I gave it to someone in my group so he could read some of the Traits and her first comment was that well, it looked a bit too serious for his taste, good guys vs. bad guys. And if you only stick to the rules, it might seem that way. 

 

I'm thinking I'll throw the Purple Ninja in at some point. Or Silent Jim, who's eerily similar to a friend's character in a custom superhero game we play. 

 

But again, an adventure would be nice (hint, hint).

Permalink Reply by Solarius on July 19, 2011 at 5:52am

Working on one for SpoCon right now.  "Curse of the Camarilla" (might have to change the last name.  not sure if its copywrited)

 

Going to try to package it as swag if I can but money is tight and I'm not that good at using publishing programs to make it look professional.


ModeratorPermalink Reply by Beau Prichard on July 19, 2011 at 1:46pm
Well, the trouble there is a lot of the comedy is based on dramatic irony, that is that the audience knows the tropes and cliches that are funny, but for the most part the characters are playing it straight. That is a lot harder to role play and such, because then you're just playing it straight. I think inserting some real world elements to the ridiculousness, ala Terry Pratchett and Douglas Adams, like they have to role play through some ancient bureaucratic foolishness, or their "consultant" is someone who's evil, but not so evil they'll kill him, just enough evil to get them in a LOT of trouble, and so forth.
Permalink Reply by Solarius on July 20, 2011 at 5:55am

See that's a problem/solution, as the writer of the scenario I can't control the role play,  All i can do is write in funny situations.  For instance, from my scenario:  

  • While the Demon Hunters are investigating  a house were it is believed there is a vampire hive they encounter a not so smart and not so pretty vampire playing world of warcraft and scarffing down chips (made of dried blood lightly salted pressed into chip shapes "vampire pringels")  The group must get information from this doofus but he has the Amorous trait like all vampires and honestly hasn't had any in a long long time so his thoughts are elsewhere, with the rest of the hive gone (all the pretty vampires) he figures this is his chance to maybe get some, it is unknown whether or not he has syphilis. 

So here is a situation that could be played straight by the characters or good be made very campy and silly based entirely on the reaction of the party. 


ModeratorPermalink Reply by Beau Prichard on July 20, 2011 at 8:03am
Then that's where you have to trust the players. You've introduced a potentially zany situation, so if they're playing it like it's Demon Hunters, they should embrace those kinds of details. If not, you might as well be playing D&D, I suppose, or something else. When I've DMed for Star Wars, or played Serenity, the players embracing the vibe is always a big part of what makes it work. If you hand them silly situations, or situations that could play out with some wacky flava and they don't rock it that way...I'd say you did your best and it's out of your hands.
Permalink Reply by Askara Arzarthanian on October 9, 2011 at 10:15pm
I know it's been a while, but did you finish it? And if you tried it, how did it go?

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