Gaming in the Universe of…. Inkheart
Inkheart is plot hook waiting for the savvy GM to mine. Someone with the power to draw characters from the written word. He could be a benevolent wizard afraid to use his power because of the limitations placed on the power. Your PCs could face a new adversary who reads them into a novel/story/scroll. It could be an enchanted book/scroll that has the power to suck in those who read from it.
Moving to the Superhero realm Mo Flochart could be a mutant just discovering his power. Your PCs need to find him before the horrors he has unwittingly unleashed on the world destroy it.
Adding the whole scenario to my Stargate campaign would be a little clunky except for the fact that I’m homebrewing RunePunk as the main world my PC’s SG team is visiting. Mo could be a scientist who is experimenting with a strange device he uncovered. He could be using ancient technology that brings what he is thinking about to ‘life’ but as it is ancient technology his thoughts patterns are only focused correctly when he is reading aloud.
PIT #3 is reading over my shoulder and wants to know how I’d put the Silvertounge into Car Wars. I realize that sounds silly but imagine what would happen to your campaign if the Silvertounge read “Why Johnny Can’t Speed’ or ‘Damnation Alley’. Suddenly you’ve got autodueling in your current campaign. With the auto combat rules available in Necessary Evil, you’re not even hindered by the time it takes to game out a standard duel using classic CW rules
Inkheart movie review by the family
Using the Superhero Stats for Savage Worlds:
Mo Flochart, The Silvertounge: Seasoned
Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d4, Vigor d6
Skills:Fighting d4, Investigation D6, Knowledge (books) D12, Spellcasting D8
Charisma:+2; Pace: 6; Parry: 4; Toughness: 5
Hindrances: Gimmick (Major) needs to have the written word in front of him and then read it out loud. Dependant (Minor) His Daughter is all he has left after accidentally reading his wife into the novel ‘Inkheart’. Vow (Minor) He has sacrificed the normalcy of life to find a copy of ‘Inkheart’ so he can read her back out.
Edges: Arcane Background (Super Powers), Arcane Resistance – Cannot be read into a novel
Super Powers:• Super Sorcery (3) Whatever is read about comes out of the novel. Success or failure on the role determines how successful the Silvertounge is in choosing what gets read in. A critical failure means an important NPC gets read in.
Another review I read gave the whole conceit a thumbs down. The reason? The Silvertongue didn’t grab a slew of command0 and men’s adventure books to stage the final assault on Capricorn’s stronghold.
I hadn’t thought of that angle, but in hindsight, he had a point.
Given the rather traumatic way Mo discovered his powers. I can understand his reluctance to read anything out of the novels even to help himself.
It’s still a cool concept.