Humorous references for Ravenloft.

[Brandi]

Maybe it's just a side effect of the insomnia, but I watched this Freakazoid clip and decided Dr. Mystico might be a good model for Emil Bollenbach (even if his motivations are more like Frant Markov's):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=N2fBSLkBlvQ

Anyone else ever tempted to use a bizarre or silly reference in a Ravenloft game?

[kultra]

Freakazoid might be the greatest cartoon of all time.

[Gonzoron of the FoS]

Freakazoid might be the greatest cartoon of all time.

I've never seen Freakazoid, but Tim Curry is always a welcome template for a villain's mannerisms.

Funny references were far more common when I first started playing. See this thread for some examples. Back in those days, we'd throw in references to any old thing that we enjoyed. I've played in "campaigns" where Grandpa Munster and Golgol 13 both made thinly veiled appearances. At the same time. And if you haven't struggled through a D&D session saturated with Monty Python jokes, well, you've missed a crucial part of the initiation trials.

Recently, I usually aim for a serious vibe, but I've stuck some funny references in here and there. Mostly just to amuse myself. Most often with song choices. I used a song from The Lion King musical called "Shadowlands" when my party first got to the Shadowlands, for example. But I used the original version that had no English lyrics, and it's not a very well known song. So I was the only one who chuckled. I used the Angel theme song when an angsty, broody character was dreaming of fighting vampires in an alleyway and saving an innocent. I've used instrumental versions of pop and/or rock songs like "Master of Puppets" when fighting Maligno, or "Bring me to Life" when undead pop up.

Also, I sometimes bust out the horrible accents. Pizzeria Italian for Odiare, Fancy Restaurant French for Dementlieu, etc.

[Bayou Jack]

A couple of years back some musician friends & I came up with an idea we called 'Dracula's Wagon':

We four middle-aged men, with less than sculpted bodies, in provocative Goth clothes & make-up, performing Black Sabbath & Iron Maiden songs in the musical & dance stylings of a boy band...

We thought it funny...until we realized would have to make a Powers Check for just suggesting it...

Jack

[Bluebomber4evr]

Funny references are present in published Ravenloft books going all the way back to the original I6, so why not use them in your own campaign?

Tracey Hickman loaded Castle Ravenloft's catacombs with names that doubled as really bad puns which serve as a bit of tension-relief (though admittedly, he used ban puns in most of his adventures). The names of most locations in the "Black Box" become puns once translated into English as well.

I don't recall using too many puns in my campaigns, but I've thrown in a few references to things like 8-bit Theater or Homestar Runner in the form of magic items, or have used a handful of items from The Book of Marvelous Magic which tend to be on the silly side even when useful or dangerous.