Uncanny Valley/Tabletop Games: Difference between revisions

Everything About Fiction You Never Wanted to Know.
Content added Content deleted
No edit summary
(update links)
Line 9: Line 9:
** The Nosferatu clan gets this ''all the time'', no matter how high their Humanity. Some of them look just plain ugly, but others might look perfectly normal... but when they interact with other people, they may carry about them the sterile scent of a hospital ward, or a gaze like they want to see what the other person's guts look like. They always carry the idea that there's something ''wrong'' directly centered on them. There's even an entire [[Prestige Class|bloodline]] devoted to inverting the curse by [[Blood Bath|bathing in blood]] to improve their appearance... and even then, it doesn't work, because they become ''too beautiful'' to be anything human.
** The Nosferatu clan gets this ''all the time'', no matter how high their Humanity. Some of them look just plain ugly, but others might look perfectly normal... but when they interact with other people, they may carry about them the sterile scent of a hospital ward, or a gaze like they want to see what the other person's guts look like. They always carry the idea that there's something ''wrong'' directly centered on them. There's even an entire [[Prestige Class|bloodline]] devoted to inverting the curse by [[Blood Bath|bathing in blood]] to improve their appearance... and even then, it doesn't work, because they become ''too beautiful'' to be anything human.
* The [[Hot Chicks]] RPG doesn't address this so much in the game as it does with the artwork. The CG art instils the [[Uncanny Valley]] much of the time, that is when it doesn't fail to get that far with the fact that 2/3rds of the women's facial expressions look like they were modeled off blow-up dolls.
* The [[Hot Chicks]] RPG doesn't address this so much in the game as it does with the artwork. The CG art instils the [[Uncanny Valley]] much of the time, that is when it doesn't fail to get that far with the fact that 2/3rds of the women's facial expressions look like they were modeled off blow-up dolls.
* Elan in ''[[Dungeons and Dragons]]'' have this. Their skin is too perfect, their hair too red. This is because they are [[Humanoid Abomination|aberrations]] that merely look human. This also justifies their -2 Charisma.
* Elan in ''[[Dungeons & Dragons]]'' have this. Their skin is too perfect, their hair too red. This is because they are [[Humanoid Abomination|aberrations]] that merely look human. This also justifies their -2 Charisma.
** Likewise, changelings in ''[[Pathfinder]]'' (the [[Half-Human Hybrid]] offspring of [[Witch Species|hags]]). They're [[Always Female]] and conventionally attractive, but their otherworldly demeanor and minor deformities (like [[Mismatched Eyes]]) make them disconcerting to be around, imposing a penalty to Charisma.
** Likewise, changelings in ''[[Pathfinder]]'' (the [[Half-Human Hybrid]] offspring of [[Witch Species|hags]]). They're [[Always Female]] and conventionally attractive, but their otherworldly demeanor and minor deformities (like [[Mismatched Eyes]]) make them disconcerting to be around, imposing a penalty to Charisma.
** In both cases, expect actual real-life people who look at the art to say [[But Your Wings Are Beautiful]], or at least mock the blatant attempts at letting players play a [[So Beautiful It's a Curse]] character, while still [[Min-Maxing]] for low Charisma.
** In both cases, expect actual real-life people who look at the art to say [[But Your Wings Are Beautiful]], or at least mock the blatant attempts at letting players play a [[So Beautiful It's a Curse]] character, while still [[Min-Maxing]] for low Charisma.
* "Uncanny Valley" is the name of a trait in ''[[Eclipse Phase]]'' that can be taken in exchange for [[Point Build System|Customization Points]]. It means that your character's body (or "morph," in the game's lingo) is designed to look human (and not like a spider robot or an evolved monkey or something) and doesn't quite make the grade. It has the effect of giving a -10 penalty on all social interactions with humans.
* "Uncanny Valley" is the name of a trait in ''[[Eclipse Phase]]'' that can be taken in exchange for [[Point Build System|Customization Points]]. It means that your character's body (or "morph," in the game's lingo) is designed to look human (and not like a spider robot or an evolved monkey or something) and doesn't quite make the grade. It has the effect of giving a -10 penalty on all social interactions with humans.
* ''[[Magic: The Gathering]]'''s Phyrexian race goes toward this, being [[Ninja Pirate Zombie Robot|undead cyborgs]], but especially jarring is [http://magiccards.info/nph/en/18.html Phyrexian Unlife], which shows someone finding out that [[Assimilation Plot|she(?)'s become a Phyrexian]].
* ''[[Magic: The Gathering]]'''s Phyrexian race goes toward this, being [[Ninja Pirate Zombie Robot|undead cyborgs]], but especially jarring is [http://magiccards.info/nph/en/18.html Phyrexian Unlife], which shows someone finding out that [[Assimilation Plot|she(?)'s become a Phyrexian]].
* [[Warhammer 40000|The Eldar.]] They are ''creepy.''
* [[Warhammer 40,000|The Eldar.]] They are ''creepy.''
** It depends on the artist in question, be it official or fan-made. Sometimes they look [http://i440.photobucket.com/albums/qq121/Tialys_bucket/1294545430058.jpg suitably] [http://i440.photobucket.com/albums/qq121/Tialys_bucket/1276797707676.jpg creepy], or [[Our Elves Are Better|stereotypically]] [http://i440.photobucket.com/albums/qq121/Tialys_bucket/1321016808917.jpg elf]-[http://i440.photobucket.com/albums/qq121/Tialys_bucket/1289959920169.jpg beautiful].
** It depends on the artist in question, be it official or fan-made. Sometimes they look [http://i440.photobucket.com/albums/qq121/Tialys_bucket/1294545430058.jpg suitably] [http://i440.photobucket.com/albums/qq121/Tialys_bucket/1276797707676.jpg creepy], or [[Our Elves Are Better|stereotypically]] [http://i440.photobucket.com/albums/qq121/Tialys_bucket/1321016808917.jpg elf]-[http://i440.photobucket.com/albums/qq121/Tialys_bucket/1289959920169.jpg beautiful].
* ''[[Mortasheen]]'' has the [http://www.bogleech.com/mortasheen/lester.htm Lester,] a monster designed to look like humans and infiltrate their societies. But, because of "some imperceptibly trivial flaw in the monsters camouflage," humans immediately recognize it as a fake.
* ''[[Mortasheen]]'' has the [http://www.bogleech.com/mortasheen/lester.htm Lester,] a monster designed to look like humans and infiltrate their societies. But, because of "some imperceptibly trivial flaw in the monsters camouflage," humans immediately recognize it as a fake.

Revision as of 09:10, 10 April 2017


Return to the main page here.


A Kindred with low Humanity can put great effort into acting like a living person. He can force himself to breathe and remind himself to blink now and then... but he can't fake that subtle, unconscious dance of nonverbal interaction. Mortals soon pick up on this. They cannot consciously spot the problem, but their instincts tell them that something is very wrong and they should get away.

    • The Nosferatu clan gets this all the time, no matter how high their Humanity. Some of them look just plain ugly, but others might look perfectly normal... but when they interact with other people, they may carry about them the sterile scent of a hospital ward, or a gaze like they want to see what the other person's guts look like. They always carry the idea that there's something wrong directly centered on them. There's even an entire bloodline devoted to inverting the curse by bathing in blood to improve their appearance... and even then, it doesn't work, because they become too beautiful to be anything human.
  • The Hot Chicks RPG doesn't address this so much in the game as it does with the artwork. The CG art instils the Uncanny Valley much of the time, that is when it doesn't fail to get that far with the fact that 2/3rds of the women's facial expressions look like they were modeled off blow-up dolls.
  • Elan in Dungeons & Dragons have this. Their skin is too perfect, their hair too red. This is because they are aberrations that merely look human. This also justifies their -2 Charisma.
  • "Uncanny Valley" is the name of a trait in Eclipse Phase that can be taken in exchange for Customization Points. It means that your character's body (or "morph," in the game's lingo) is designed to look human (and not like a spider robot or an evolved monkey or something) and doesn't quite make the grade. It has the effect of giving a -10 penalty on all social interactions with humans.
  • Magic: The Gathering's Phyrexian race goes toward this, being undead cyborgs, but especially jarring is Phyrexian Unlife, which shows someone finding out that she(?)'s become a Phyrexian.
  • The Eldar. They are creepy.
  • Mortasheen has the Lester, a monster designed to look like humans and infiltrate their societies. But, because of "some imperceptibly trivial flaw in the monsters camouflage," humans immediately recognize it as a fake.