Thoughts from the Twilight Zone II

I continue my watch-through of the Twilight Zone, looking for good ideas for scenarios, items and NPCs. While many of the stories are too tidy (or dated) to be good material there are few gems left to be mined. In particular The Sixteen-Millimeter Shrine suggests several interesting stories.

Season 1: Episodes 3-8

I’ll be skipping a few episodes this time, either because they are too tidy (“Walking Distance”) or because the scenarios suggested are too subject to abuse by crafty players (“Escape Clause”).

Mr. Denton on Doomsday

This tale of redemption focuses on a washed up gunslinger and the would-be fastest gun in the west who comes to challenge him. One interesting idea presented involves the potion both use in their final confrontation. This unassuming substance makes someone the best (and fastest) shot for 10 seconds.

In Demon: the Descent, this would be a one-shot gadget based on either the Merciless Gunman or Strike First Embed. Here is one representation:

Fastdraw Potion: (Durability 2, Size 1, Structure 3) this unassuming metal flask holds a miraculous liquid. Upon imbibing this potion, until the end of the next scene the user can make a Wits + Firearms roll at the start of combat assuming they have a firearm on their person. If the conflict uses the Down & Dirty Conflict, a success on the roll means they automatically shoot one nameless opponent dead. Otherwise they gain 8-agains for Firearm rolls fopr the first round of the combat. After the next scene ends or the user engages in a combat, whichever comes first, the effect ends.

The Sixteen-Millimeter Shrine

There is so much to like about this The Sixteen-Millimeter Shrine. A faded starlet escapes not so much into the past but into a parallel realm of cinema.

From the context of the Chronicles of Darkness, there are many options for what happened to her. Did she create an Astral Realm? She may now "live" in the Tenemos, in a realm composed of memories of Black and White films. Meditating while watching one her movies might transport a Mage into her private world.

Alternatively, what if she is a ghost haunting her favorite films? How do you exorcise her? Is destroying the originals enough or does every copy bind her to this earth?

Then there are the wilder options. An actress turned ageless Vampire who now stays locked in her private theater watching her old life. A spirit weaponized against werewolves and fettered to the silver nitrate film. A Promethean forged of spliced film to create a perfect story about a person who never was. A Beast whose Lair links to a horror film that is too close to the truth.

The Lonely

A man (Corry) serving solitary on an asteroid finds love and hope with a robot in the shape of a woman (Alicia).

No ideas on gaming here just some thoughts on what makes a person real. I would argue the machine Alicia was a real person (thus making her destruction murder). The "machine" convinced the protagonist she had feelings (so she passed the Turning test in my opinion). She expressed curiosity and seemed to have volition. I question what makes her an object instead of a person. Perhaps it is because she reflects Corry's desires and interests. That he thinks this, or even accepts this in a companion, reflects poorly on him. Or perhaps she doesn’t count simply because she isn’t flesh and blood, that she lacks a soul. But then again I don’t believe in the soul.

When the AIs condemn us, this will be used as evidence of our ill intent.