Deadlands: Hell on Earth - The Librarian

[Brock Samson]

So my girlfriend is going to begin playing her first real role-playing game with my friends and I, and we're going to be playing HoE!!! Classic. She's going to be an Arcane Librarian. I know that there's a few powers in Shattered Coast, are there any other books that have powers of theirs in? Or any other homebrewed powers people have come up with?

Also, regarding Bibliopathy, what fictional characters have people used/thought of using? So far we're just kind of drawing a blank. There's obviously the example, Sherlock Holmes, but who else can people think of? She was thinking it'd be good to have someone who's a real smooth talker/leader type person. And someone who's a great scientist/chemist/botanist/horticulturalist, any ideas?

Again, for anyone not familiar with Deadlands, Bibliopathy basically allows you to take on the persona of any historical fictional people in print, so any ideas?

[Earthwalker]

For a con man I would go for Tom Sawyer from Huck Fynn.

(not sure how this power works in Deadlands, as it what books exist in the world of deadlands ?

[Ravens_cry]

Dr. Wernher Von Braun. The man convinced Hitler to fund projects that had no military value, the V2 killed more in the making then in its, ahem, official capacity, all because he wanted to go to the moon. Then he turned around and did the same thing to the United States and actually got to send men to the moon. All within 30 years. How if he isn't a scientist/salesmen, I don't know who is.

[Cartigan]

Also, regarding Bibliopathy, what fictional characters have people used/thought of using? So far we're just kind of drawing a blank. There's obviously the example, Sherlock Holmes, but who else can people think of? She was thinking it'd be good to have someone who's a real smooth talker/leader type person. And someone who's a great scientist/chemist/botanist/horticulturalist, any ideas?


What is Bibliopathy and it does what?

[Brock Samson]

Bibliopathy lets you take on the persona of fictional characters and become good at the skills they're good at.

Those are some decent suggestions so far guys, anyone got some more?

[Ravens_cry]

Oh I see now, I thought you wanted role play model suggestions. Still, Von Braun is very much a two-fer.
Hmm, fictional scientists. Dr. Frankenstein and Daedalus come to mind. As for smooth talkers, a more sinister example might be Iago from Othello.

[Brock Samson]

Er, who is Daedalus/what's he from?

[Cartigan]

Dr. Wernher Von Braun. The man convinced Hitler to fund projects that had no military value, the V2 killed more in the making then in its, ahem, official capacity, all because he wanted to go to the moon. Then he turned around and did the same thing to the United States and actually got to send men to the moon. All within 30 years. How if he isn't a scientist/salesmen, I don't know who is.
Von Braun isn't a fictional person and also wouldn't exist in Deadlands (both because he isn't fictional and I am pretty sure he would be either not born or a child).

There are innumerable great scientists in literature. but Holmes is literally good at everything - botany, chemistry, disguise, investigation, deduction, cons, violin, art.
Actually, most (if not all you can think of) fictional characters are kind of sketchy if you are trying to keep with the time line (the most I know is Deadlands is effectively after the extended Civil War, not sure how far after Hell on Earth occurs)

If you don't care for when the works were created:
Captain Nemo - engineering, marine navigation, marine biology (basically anything sea and supersubmarine related)
Dr Jekyll - biochemistry
Dr Moreau - animal biology and physiology, surgery, generally horrible things
Sherlock Holmes - everything
Allan Quatermain - marksmanship, hunting
-basically any character in The League of Extraordinary Gentleman not mentioned here-

Fits within timelime:
Victor Frankenstein - human physiology, chemistry
Daedelus - master craftsman
Enkidu - I don't know, what are animals good at?
Nathaniel "Natty" Bumppo - marksmanship, tracking
Prospero - sorcery
You are basically looking at mythology and early plays (like Shakespeare) here.

[Ravens_cry]

Er, who is Daedalus/what's he from?
He was (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Daedalus) the legendary Ancient Greek engineer who designed the Labyrinth of the Minotaur, the cow sculpture the Queen of Crete used to ,ahem, enjoy the bull Poseidon had sent King Minos of Crete, and he created the wings he and Icarus used to escape the Labyrinth.

Von Braun isn't a fictional person and also wouldn't exist in Deadlands (both because he isn't fictional and I am pretty sure he would be either not born or a child).

I know that, now. See Post Number Six (http://www.giantitp.com/forums/showpost.php?p=10855722&postcount=6).

[Gorilla2038]

Hell on earth is set in the future. Sometime around 2100 i think.

For characters, I'd suggest she looks at James bond and someone gunfightery as well(perhaps Shane, for the same book). For some major nerdyness, what about Aragorn, batman, Luke Skywalker, captain america or Conan the barbarian?

Also, you found shattered coast? congrats, ive been looking for that forever!

Edit: And if you ever find a suit of powered armor, Juan Rico(Starship troopers)

[Cartigan]

Hell on earth is set in the future. Sometime around 2100 i think.
The problem is still how would the split in the timeline that Deadlands occurs in have affected literary output. The majority of characters people are going to think of are going to be the late 1800s, well after Deadlands splits from the normal time stream (and after the cause of the dead lands).

If you can use Sherlock Holmes, just use Sherlock Holmes. He covers everything but marksmanship and hunting, though if you need to branch into practical medicine, step two feet to the left and use Dr Watson. Though Captain Nemo would probably be better if you ended up anywhere near water.

[Brock Samson]

Even with the time-line splitting, most books can be assumed to have been written, unless it really really doesn't make sense that they would've been.

[Cartigan]

Even with the time-line splitting, most books can be assumed to have been written, unless it really really doesn't make sense that they would've been.

Of course if everyone sits around writing books like expected, it isn't very post-apocalyptic and there certainly isn't a need for a class to go around collecting said books to make sure they don't disappear.

[Brock Samson]

I'm not sure I follow your logic Cartigan.

Deadlands is set about 13 years after the apocalypse that happens around 2083 or so. Everyone was writing books up until the apocalypse happened, now most people have better things to do, like trying to survive. And pretty much only the Librarians are going around the Waste West scouring for hidden treasures of knowledge.

[Cartigan]

I'm not sure I follow your logic Cartigan.

Deadlands is set about 13 years after the apocalypse that happens around 2083 or so. Everyone was writing books up until the apocalypse happened, now most people have better things to do, like trying to survive. And pretty much only the Librarians are going around the Waste West scouring for hidden treasures of knowledge.
Since I don't know much about Deadlands and can't find a timeline for Hell on Earth, I'm probably just confusing the timelines.

Though a rule of thumb: If you want interesting fictional literary characters that are good at what they do, just thumb through the League of Extraordinary Gentleman and start grabbing characters that were pulled for it.

Are the any particular skills needed/wanted?

[Earthwalker]

Ahhh this is in the future, I was getting confused thinking it was in the wild west, silly me not knowing my game systems.

I would like to add to the list of charmers. If you want con men.

Puck from a midsumers night dream.

To be honest this sounds like a very cool power, also sounds as scary as hell depending on how much control you have when calling in a fictional character.

I would like Pucks charm, not sure I want him inside my head tho.

Same can be said for Victor Frankenstien.

[Cartigan]

Ahhh this is in the future, I was getting confused thinking it was in the wild west, silly me not knowing my game systems.

I would like to add to the list of charmers. If you want con men.

Puck from a midsumers night dream.

To be honest this sounds like a very cool power, also sounds as scary as hell depending on how much control you have when calling in a fictional character.

I would like Pucks charm, not sure I want him inside my head tho.

Same can be said for Victor Frankenstien.
Frankenstein was ok, if a tad insane. There are worse people to have in your head - Moreau for one.