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The Death Note and How To Stop It


Michael Hopcroft

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Re: The Death Note and How To Stop It

 

OK, so I hadn't read the manga (but I will try), so my grasp of the specifics were a bit hazy. My problem still stands, though.

 

If you can't figure out who Light is, then you can't stop him at all (well, perhaps if you could globally rewrite everyone's "True Name", or something). You, and everyone else, are screwed.

 

If you can figure out who Light is, then it all boils down to whether you can do this before he figures out who you are. If you can, then you stop him. If you can't then you die.

 

As the only evident outcomes are you dying or Light dying, and the GM is relatively unlikely to kill the PCs, you're probably going to figure out how to stop him. It smacks too much, to me, of a railroad plot.

 

It reminded me of a DM (used intentionally, not a typo) I used to have in a D&D campaign, who would throw these really huge monsters at us little 3rd level characters. There was no way, playing intelligently, that these monsters could fail to kill us. However, the DM would run the most ridiculous combat scenes where we would find all sorts of one-use magic items, inappropriately deadly traps, and the like, which would allow us to finish off the monsters while they fumbled around exterminating our latest in a line of soon-to-be-exterminated allies. Sometimes, someone died, but we always won in the end.

 

All the drama went out of the game, because we KNEW that we were basically surviving out of GM sufferance.

 

That would be my worry in such a campaign. While you could have a lot of tension and drama and clever, nail-biting suspense in trying to find out his identity while hiding your own, ultimately, I'd be afraid the resolution itself would be too short and assured to be satisfying.

 

You search. You search. One of you is discovered and immediately killed. You search. You find out who Light is. You stop him.

 

His only power is the 10d6 NND Killing Attack, Does Body. Either he misses, and goes down for the count against any credible threat, or he hits and kills.

 

It seems like the entire adventure would be skirmishing (possibly creative, fun, and interesting skirmishing) before a predetermined conclusion.

 

However, I've run really creative ideas everyone hated, and totally hackneyed plots that absorbed and entertained the whole group, so what do I know?

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  • 5 months later...

Re: The Death Note and How To Stop It

 

I think it would be a lot more interesting to see what happens when a party of PCs who all or mostly have moderate-to-strong (but not total) CvK's get hold of the book - either from Light's dead fingers, or bypassing his existence completely. And Bad People know what it is, and that they have it.

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Re: The Death Note and How To Stop It

 

If your team know that they are being preyed on this way then they should pair up. If one person gets a heart attack then they can do cpr on them. They can defend themselves in a 'final destination' type scenario until they can figure who's out to get them and begin to fight back. You as the gm can prepare a number of extreme or strange fatal attacks that they must prevent in order to stay alive. Sounds like a fair amount of work on your part but it could be fun.

 

I have'nt read this manga but am assuming that the previous victims are all human and that the characters being powered or super skilled /trained stand a better chance of survival.

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  • 2 weeks later...

Re: The Death Note and How To Stop It

 

One question I had concerning the Secret Identity...if you identify internally as your Codename, would that protect you if he found your legal name...

 

Like Batman is the real personality, and Bruce Wayne is the fake...

 

Could he take out the Harbinger by writing down "The Harbinger Of Justice", while picturing what his mask is described as, or even a grainy photograph?

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Re: The Death Note and How To Stop It

 

Per the source material, it's your "real" name, as detectable by the "Detect Real Name" power that the shinigami (and Death Note users who purchase the additional Enhanced Sense) have.

 

And, unless the mask the Harbinger wears is, in fact, his actual face, that won't work.

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Re: The Death Note and How To Stop It

 

So, does "real" mean the name your parents gave you...or the way you think of yourself?

 

Not really trying to be difficult, but it's something I was thinking of. Also, it could be applicable to someone who had several aliases.

 

Thanks for the info about the mask.

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Re: The Death Note and How To Stop It

 

Looking through the rules, it simply doesn't say. The series has thus far (probably deliberately) skipped the question of marital or adoption name changes, but even the most frequently-used of aliases won't work.

 

And here's a handy link: http://www.kenston.k12.oh.us/khs/anime_and_mangas/death_note/death_note_rules.htm that should make the limits of the power clearer.

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Re: The Death Note and How To Stop It

 

In some more superstitious societies a person would have their personal name and a use or given name. The use name would be the name they were commonly identified by and there would be nothing special to it, the personal name would be given only to your intimate and most trusted companions that would strike me as the name that counts for this. I would say that your baptised name as given you by your parents is a use name, your personnal name would be the one you most identify with when you think of yourself.

This can be bypassed if the person making the curse has access to a personnal item or blood nails hair etc to give the spirit something to target. If they just say spiderman and visualise the costume then the first person in such a costume would be targeted (Lord help anyone in fancydress)

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Re: The Death Note and How To Stop It

 

Thanks for the link...

 

I just wanted to get a better feel for what you meant...I've always been curious about detection/attack powers described that way...

 

Especially, 'cause Batman was always my favorite character, and he never identified internally as Bruce.

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Re: The Death Note and How To Stop It

 

Michael Hopcroft: "And the question becomes obvious -- if an adversary of the PCs has a power of this variety, how can he even be contained, let alone stopped?"

 

I had a long, long running and successful scenario with a villain whose powers included killing anyone by telling them to die, by name.

 

E.g.:

"Die, Shadow of Justice!"

"Die, John Rocard!"

"Die, Magnum Shield!"

And so on.

 

He could do it by phone call, and often did. He could kill with a placard, or sign language. He could do it to heroes, and he could do it to monsters, and he did.

 

There are all sorts of possible solutions, and if the player characters lack powers and abilities to solve the problem, successful solution of other scenarios while the great game goes on should provide them with the devices, friendly contacts or other plot device resources needed to put an end to their problem.

 

Secret identity is a good start of course.

 

Detective work is critical, and the player characters should include someone who is a better detective than the killer. This scenario is great if you have a player character detective who's being overlooked in favour of the heavy hitters in the team. Suddenly the gumshoe is everybody's best friend.

 

Disguise and impersonation are good.

 

Presence and Comeliness are good. Inspiring a bit of hesitation could save your life.

 

If you can arrange for yourself to be resurrected, if you know when and where you are likely to be killed, you can use that. Depending on the mystical rules, it may be only one death note per customer. And if you have regeneration (for example, when furry under a full moon), you have a head start on preparing to get better after a fatal heart attack.

 

If you can't actually die and get better, can you fake your death?

 

If you get the opportunity to spend time in another dimension, this may be a good time to exercise that option. If one death rules all worlds, that may not work, but I did not rule it that way, and returning to your world at a time unknown to the bad guy may give you the initiative.

 

If you don't have a mystical friend, now's the time to make one.

 

If the gamemaster wants a player character to get involved with an NPC mystic, but ordinarily the player character might ignore such a person, now's the time to introduce them. They could create a debt of gratitude that no decent hero could ever forget, however much trouble the non-player character was in later on in the campaign. This would be the perfect time for the gamemaster to introduce The White Lady, with an elemental control of prophetess powers, from Adventurer's Club, Issue #13.

 

The real impact of this scenario is as a test of character. With heroes worthy of the name and a fair gamemaster, Light is going to die. And then there is going to be a book that will give its owner the power to kill anyone. Who is worthy of that power? Who secretly thinks they are worthy of it? Who secretly suspects others of secretly thinking they are worthy of it? Who thinks that someone else will eventually be tempted if the book is there to be used, and what will they do about that?

 

I think the ideal end to such a scenario would be a memorable discussion, and everybody burning the book.

 

Bad ends would include a player character switching books, writing everybody else's names in the real book, and starting a new career as a death-god. If you think a result like that is possible, and you don't want it to happen (especially if you would not be comfortable letting the other player characters find out and kill the would be new death-god), don't run this scenario.

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Re: The Death Note and How To Stop It

 

JDHMorgan2003: "I just wanted to get a better feel for what you meant...I've always been curious about detection/attack powers described that way...

 

Especially, 'cause Batman was always my favorite character, and he never identified internally as Bruce."

 

Ultimately, everything is a gamemaster's call, but how a power like this works in each case is clearly gamemaster's discretion all the way.

 

This could be a good way to start the scenario, if the campaign is an old one and the gamemaster has earned a high degree of trust with extreme scenarios in the past. (And I would not recommend using the death note scenario at all otherwise, except perhaps at the beginning of a new campaign and built into someone's origin.)

 

Bruce Wayne, or to make it even clearer Matches Malone, is headed for death - and Batman, who would normally get out of this situation, becomes aware that fate is railroading him. No matter what he does, no matter what's worked in the past, no matter the odds, he is going to die. He can't get out of the alley. He is going to be run down. The walls should be easy to climb for Batman (though impossible for Matches Malone), but for no reason they can't be climbed. The truck can't be dodged: Batman would never get a muscle pull in this situation but Matches Malone does. No roll. And so on, to Screech!-Thudd!!

 

Matches Malone dies - he goes under the truck, as fate would unalterably have it - and the identity is "burned" and can never be used again.

 

[insert fast gamemaster footwork here - shamelessly. Light may direct fate in part, but Batman is a magic creature too, in his way.]

 

A couple of days later, Batman comes out of his coma. He has taken a bad hit, and he can't recall anything about Matches Malone, including ever having been him. Those memories, that identity, will never come back.

 

But he can piece things together. And he's the world's greatest detective. And the killer isn't.

 

Batman has mystical friends. He looks someone up.

 

Also, who wanted Matches Malone dead? Do other people that they would have wanted dead have a habit of just dying?

 

And so, it begins.

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Re: The Death Note and How To Stop It

 

A more detailed list of rules for the Death Note can be found in the English-language Wikipedia here.

 

I wouldn't use the Death Note as written - too many universe-specific variables. But I think it'll work well in my Epic-level High Fantasy Game, so thanks for that!

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  • 2 months later...

Re: The Death Note and How To Stop It

 

Volume Seven just came out in the US, and things take a rather dark turn.

 

 

Light succeeds in getting the Death Note back, getting rid of L, and becoming the new L, as well as Kira. And he gets away with it for a couple of years.

 

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Re: The Death Note and How To Stop It

 

The "Death Note" can only exist in a campaign by GM fiat, and can only be dealt with by GM fiat. Therefore, the PCs would be no more than objects to be moved around by the GM.

 

In a "Death Note" campaign there would be nothing for the players to do, and the GM would merely be playing with himself.

 

Yes, I meant that as contemptuously as it sounded. :thumbdown

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Re: The Death Note and How To Stop It

 

The "Death Note" can only exist in a campaign by GM fiat' date=' [b']and[/b] can only be dealt with by GM fiat. Therefore, the PCs would be no more than objects to be moved around by the GM.

 

In a "Death Note" campaign there would be nothing for the players to do, and the GM would merely be playing with himself.

 

Yes, I meant that as contemptuously as it sounded. :thumbdown

 

Im getting a faint vibe of disapproval, here.....

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  • 2 weeks later...

Re: The Death Note and How To Stop It

 

Transform, Cosmetic, (writing) Into Meaningless Scribbles, 4d6. 0 END (+1/2), Continuous (+1) Uncontrolled (+1/2) Trigger (when someone writes in the notebook, Trigger automatically resets, +3/4) (75 AP); Limited Target (handwriting in a notebook: -1). Total cost: 37 points.

 

Cast it on the notebook, and it works as soon as the note it used. Bingo, problems over. :eg:

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Re: The Death Note and How To Stop It

 

Im getting a faint vibe of disapproval' date=' here.....[/quote']

 

Only faint? Geez, I thought I was obvious. ;)

 

Seriously, I don't see any way for this to land up as anything but a railroad. Sure, you can talk about how to handle it, but in the hands of any GM who isn't a saint, it'll land up a railroad.

 

I've dealt with too much railroading to have any patience with it.

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  • 1 year later...

Re: The Death Note and How To Stop It

 

There's a good guy in Death Note? News to me. I've been longing for Light to get a truly severe comeuppance since the beginning.

 

 

I guess L would be the "good" guy. Though more a pragmatic one than noble. The thing that interests me most on Deathnote would be the shinigami eyes.

 

Of course, having to put up with Misa, I cant help but think maybe death would be welcome. :rolleyes:

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Re: The Death Note and How To Stop It

 

I think the real thing to consider is not how to stop him from using this "Death Note", but how anyone becomes aware of who is using these Death Notes in the first place.

 

Once the PCs become aware of who this is, whack 'em (or burn the notebook).

 

The other problem is "Does the person using the Death Notes know that the PCs are his enemies, and does he know their real names and faces?"

 

If so, this is going to be very, very hard to stop without a lot of PC death, as this character basically has complete script authority over the entire universe. Sure, he can say that someone is going to die of a heart attack, but he can also write that "X is killed by Hitler arising from the dead, walking to your house, and beating you to death with Pamela Anderson's Oscar." Since all of this must happen in 40 seconds, not only can the writer raise the dead, but also change the past, as not only does it take Hitler more than 40 seconds to walk to your place, but also retroactively, Pamela Anderson would have had to win an Oscar (or buy one, or be given one as a gift).

 

Since you've got someone who can effectively control large swathes of the past and present (You die when the entire male population of Cambodia falls on your head at once.), you've completely screwed any chance of the PCs feeling like they have any competitive chance. Any survival they might have is at your option.

 

You might as well have a villain who can always outsmart everyone all the time, infalliably, and then let the PCs go at him.

 

I feel that the entire idea is a really interesting one for a book, where there's a single author exercising creativity, and a really bad one for a roleplaying session, where everyone else will either quickly die, or not die, just because of the GM's own decisions.

 

Now, if the Death Note writer doesn't know who his "enemies" are, and his "enemies" don't know who he is, then maybe it might be an interesting idea (can we figure out who this is (and stop him) without him figuring out who we are?). However, even in that case, you've established that there are supernaturally active items floating around that can alter the past and present at will (and presumably, since you could write "X dies by a logically impossible manner" violate causality itself at will).

 

Can you tell I'm not a big fan of the idea?

 

Now, if you DO know who he is, and want to stop him, I think that paid assassins would be the way to go. ;)

 

Not completely. Light tested it one time. He "wrote" for a guy to go to London to die. But since he was in Tokyo, it wasnt possible for that "victim" to die in London in the allotted time. So, they merely died of a default heart attack.

 

And nothing in this universe can grant Pam Anderson an Oscar. Right......right? :nonp:

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Re: The Death Note and How To Stop It

 

No. I don't think Light can do anything on that massive a scale' date=' and I think he is limited to killing only the [i']specific person[/i] whose name he writes down.

 

And hey, who doesn't have a problem with Tom Cruise?

 

Or LA :rolleyes:

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Re: The Death Note and How To Stop It

 

Actually' date=' from what I've heard of it, they could just take him out with a sniper. He doesn't have danger sense or anything, so he has to do the same legwork as any mortal to identify an enemy.[/quote']

 

 

True. But, that is why Misa and her "eyes" are valuable. (She had to be good for something. :P)

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Re: The Death Note and How To Stop It

 

In some more superstitious societies a person would have their personal name and a use or given name. The use name would be the name they were commonly identified by and there would be nothing special to it, the personal name would be given only to your intimate and most trusted companions that would strike me as the name that counts for this. I would say that your baptised name as given you by your parents is a use name, your personnal name would be the one you most identify with when you think of yourself.

This can be bypassed if the person making the curse has access to a personnal item or blood nails hair etc to give the spirit something to target. If they just say spiderman and visualise the costume then the first person in such a costume would be targeted (Lord help anyone in fancydress)

 

Well, to answer that. Basically, you have to visualize the face with the name. Because of the fact of their being more than one of some names (ex. John Smith). Only the John Smith you visualize would die, not all several million of them.

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