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Vecna

2022-07-24T20:16:31Z

2601:249:8200:5A40:54F5:513F:87CF:C4DE:

{{Infobox Deity
|Name = Vecna
|Symbol = [[File:Vecna.png|150px]]
|Aliases = The Arch-Lich, the Maimed Lord, Master of All That Is Secret and Hidden, Master of the Spider Throne, The Whispered One, The Undying King, The Lord of the Rotted Tower
|Alignment = Neutral Evil
|Divine Rank = Lesser God
|Pantheon = Dawn War, Oerth (Flan)
|Portfolio = Secrets, Intrigue
|Domains = '''3E:''' Evil, Knowledge, Magic<br>'''5E:''' Arcana, Death, Grave, Knowledge
|Home Plane = Wanders
|Worshippers = [[Wizard]]s, [[sorcerer]]s, conspirators
|Favoured Weapon = Dagger
}}
[[File:Vecna4e.jpg|300px|thumb|right|Vecna, the Maimed God, looking [[Just as Planned|smug as shit]].]]
'''Vecna''' (his name is an pig latin anagram of the last name of [[Jack Vance]], the man who inspired the "[[Vancian|fire and forget]]" rules for magic used in pre-4e D&D) is one of Evil deities in D&D, [[D&D|having become]] [[AD&D|considerably more]] [[3e|powerful over]] [[4e|various editions]]. He also altered reality itself, punking the major powers of [[Ravenloft]], [[Greyhawk]] and [[Planescape]] in rapid succession so hard that it resulted in third edition, where fullcasters like him were overpowered beyond belief [[Just as Planned]]. Even after being beaten by the typical plucky band of [[adventurers]], he still got a net gain in power from Demi-god to Lesser god, double [[Just as Planned]]. If there is a [[/co/|Doctor Doom]] equivalent in D&D, it is Vecna, the most intelligent being of mortal origin ever and unlike [[Asmodeus]] who constantly says he's all smart and wise and awesome but has seemingly accomplished precisely dick out of hell besides maintain the status quo, [[/tg/ gets shit done|Vecna actually goes out and implements his will into the realm.]]

As the god of [[lich|liches]] in particular and evil magics in general, he's the second most famous lich in D&D behind [[Acererak]], who is somehow more prestigious on the meta side of things despite not being, you know, ''a god''. [[Approved_Television#Fantasy|Stanger Things]] has changed this a little bit, giving the name "Vecna" mainstream notability.

==Genesis==
Born in the human city of Fleeth, Vecna was taught magic by his mother Mazell. She taught him that the great serpent Mok'sylk taught the god-kings of the Ur-Flan (ancestors of a people living in modern Greyhawk) magic. This serpent is said to be one of the Ancient Bretheren, a group of powerful pre-deity beings that include such movers as [[Ahriman]], [[Jazirian]] and the [[Lady of Pain]]. She taught the young Vecna that he was descended from the Ancient Bretheren and that it devoured all those who honored it in life. When the princess of the city requested a medicine from Mazell she prescribed one, but since the princess intentionally disregarded the dose she ODed and died. The city guard was ordered to kill Vecna in front of the woman as a retalliation, but Mazell used her magic to allow Vecna to escape. [[Heresy|Not happy with this, the authorities dragged her to the public square and burned her alive.]] But as she died, the woman's soul was seemingly devoured by a great serpent. The young Vecna fled and continued his study of magic. He claimed to have been trained by the Serpent itself, but if this is actually true or part of the Lich's madness is unknown. Over a thousand years later, he had become a powerful lich and laid siege to Fleeth. Officials approached him and offered their lives if he'd spare the citizens. Instead, [[Troll|Vecna let his army murder everyone in the city BUT the officials.]]

As he began a ritual to ascend into godhood, Vecna was betrayed by the vampire Kas, his most trusted lieutenant. In a climactic battle that cost the lich his left eye and hand, Vecna reached apotheosis followed by an explosion that leveled the new god's empire and flung both of them across the planes.

==Domain==
Vecna is the Evil god of Undead, Necromancy and Secrets. Specialising in dark magics and undeath, he is the go-to guy for necromancers and dark handjobs of all sorts.

==Profane Artifacts==
Because of the fact that Vecna is supposed to be one scary evil motherfucker, and because he famously got bits of himself hacked off before he ascended to godhood, Vecna's Eye and Hand have long held a place in the game as epicly powerful evil magical items, which would usually fuck you over if you were actually stupid enough to use them - not least of all because, to actually wield them, you had to be willing to hack off your own left hand or gouge out one of your eyes first before you could put them on.

In the 2e adventure ''[[Die, Vecna, Die!]]'' it was stated that since Vecna was a lich first and a god second, many of his bodyparts were actually lost before Kas' betrayal or during that climatic fight, so that whilst Vecna's avatar shows no sign of their loss (they're just not as "resonant" to his personal mythos as his hand and eye), they can still be found and used for power. The adventure statted up no fewer than ''twelve'' other bits of his body as minor artifacts that 3rd edition collectively called "The Fragments of Vecna". These artifacts consisted of the First Digit (right thumb), Second Digit (right index finger), Third Digit (right middle finger), Last Digit (right pinky finger), Incisors (a pair of inappropriately named fang-like canines), Molar, Scalp, Skin, Heart, Foot (left), and Right Eye.

Naturally, this was so stupid that it was swiftly swept under the rug, for the most part. However, the final issue of Dragon Magazine, issue #359, featured rules for the "Left Ear of Vecna" as a minor artifact, whilst "Open Grave", a 4e sourcebook analogous to the Libris Mortis, features a female Vecna-worshipping lich named Osterneth who still possesses "the Heart of Vecna", which she keeps in her own chest.

The existence of the Hand and Eye, and perhaps to a lesser extent the Fragments, inspired one memetically famous joke artifact: the legendary [[Head of Vecna]].

Other artifacts associated with Vecna without actually being part of him consist of the Sword of Kas, the Rod of the Whispered One, and 3 books. The Compendium Maleficarum is a book of spells, doctrines, and secrets crafted entirely from bone (even the pages) and penned in blood, that is on par with the Fragments of Vecna. The Tome of Shared Secrets is an illustrated bestiary of relic status, with the ability to impart knowledge of dark and evil creatures at the cost of a portion the user's life force. Last, but certainly not least, Vecna is also credited as one of the authors who contributed to the [[Book of Vile Darkness]], and indeed was the one that consolidated the contents of an existing collection of scrolls (of which he contributed to) into THE actual book, complete with the, perhaps cliche, cover made of human flesh (specifically a face) and demon bones. Since that time copies have been published, most are shoddy knock offs that have spelling or grammar errors that drag readers into the [[Lower Planes]].

===The Fragments of Vecna===
Since /tg/ is awesome and gets shit done, here's the rules for Vecna's various missing bits in AD&D, just so you know what kind of crap you had to put up with. To use any fragment, you had to empty a space for it on your body, unless you already had it - this cost you 2D6 damage for the smaller parts (finger, scalp, eye), 10D10 damage for a whole limb or organ, and instant death for a vital organ. This means that you needed somebody else to install Vecna's Heart, after which it'd bring you back to life at 1 hitpoint. Cutting the artifact free causes you to take the same level of damage, but ''permanently''; only a Regenerate spell would restore the missing part and thus its associated health.

All Vecna's Fragments have a Curse causing you to need to make a Save Vs. Spell once per month; failure causes you to be Charmed by Vecna for 4d4+4 hours. Additionally, a Fragment can be temporarily destroyed by any attack that inflicts at least 33 points of damage (except for the Heart), but only being eaten by someone using the Molar of Vecna can permanently destroy them.

Ironically, having even one part of Vecna's Fragments installed makes you immune to Vecna's direct powers (though he can still hurt you indirectly; hitting you with a weapon, commanding a follower to kill you, indirect consequences of spells, that charm effect from the curse, etc), invisible to his scrying effects, and better able to fuck his shit up. Vecna ''can't'' heal damage inflicted by someone bearing one of his Fragments, nor can he teleport if grappled by such a host - if someone bearing one of his Fragments was to kill him, Vecna would also be "ejected from the Outer Planes and returned to Oerth", which depending on how you read it, would mean you'd end his divinity and reduce him back to just being a lich again.

* '''Scalp of Vecna''': Gives the bearer a white streak of hair as a physical indication of its presence. The bearer gains +2% magic resistance and can, twice per day, cause their hair to animate; growing 30 feet longer and becoming a tendril that can grapple & immobilize a single victim.

* '''First Digit of Vecna''': Replaces the bearer's right thumb with an overlarge digit sporting a blackened, clawlike nail. The bearer gains +2% magic resistance and can, 4 times per day, either bless (heal 3D6 damage, +4 to all saving throws or attack rolls for 1 hour) or curse (victim must save vs spell or take 3D6 damage (save again to halve damage) and suffer -4 to all saving throws or attack rolls for 1 hour) a single victim by giving a thumb's up or a thumb's down. This power can be used 4 times ''in total'' per day, so you have to choose your combination of blessings and curses.

* '''Second Digit of Vecna''': Replaces the bearer's right index finger with an overlarge digit sporting a blackened, clawlike nail. The bearer gains +2% magic resistance and can Charm a single victim for 1 hour once per day by pointing at the target with the finger (palm up) and then crooking it in a beckoning gesture. Targets of this power suffer a -4 penalty to their save vs. spell.

* '''Third Digit of Vecna''': Replaces the bearer's right medial finger with one sporting a massive, dagger-like nail, making them slightly clumsier with that hand. The bearer gains +1% magic resistance and can stab & slash victims with the nail, treating it as a dagger +4 (1d6+4 damage) that secretes a necrotic poison (save vs. poison or take a further 1d4+4 damage). Additionally, the bearer can shoot their nail out as a crossbow bolt +10 (adds +10 to Ranged [[THAC0]]) with 3D6+4 base damage and the same poison as a melee attack; this can only be done once per day, as it removes the nail for 12 hours until it grows back.

* '''Last Digit of Vecna''': Replaces the bearer's right pinky finger with one sporting a jagged, fungus-eaten nail. It grans +3% magic resistance, can be used to cast a free "double" of a memorized spell once per 4 hours, and means the bearer no longer requires somatic components when spellcasting.

* '''Right Eye of Vecna''': Replaces the bearer's right eye with a hazed, milky-white orb that makes them look as if blind. It grants +3% magic resistance and the ability to see in mundane and magical darkness. Additionally, thrice per day it can be used to inflict blindness on a single target who meets the bearer's eyes (Save vs. Spell with -5 penalty to avoid).

* '''Molar of Vecna''': Replaces one of the bearer's teeth, giving them +3% magic resistance and a +4 bonus to saves vs. poison. Additionally, 3 times per day, the power of the molar can augment the bearer's mouth; the user can devour any nonmagical material in bite-sized chunks, which can be used for (among other imaginative shenanigans) burrowing through earth/stone/metal at a rate of 1 square foot per 5 rounds. Or the bearer can turn their maw on living victims, gaining a +4 bite attack that inflicts 2D6+4 damage. Each time it's activated, the Molar's power remains active for 20 rounds.

* '''Incisors of Vecna''': Replaces the bearer's upper canines with black vampire-like fangs. In addition to giving +1% magic resistance for each fang installed, if both are installed, then the bearer may transform into a vampire version of themselves for an 8-hour stretch twice per month. They cannot create spawn vampires by using their blood drain in this form - and drinking somebody of good or neutral alignment to death will wrack a good bearer with guilt, causing them to suffer a -5 penalty to all actions, attack rolls and saving throws for the following week. If such a host makes three kills in this manner, then their alignment will change and they probably become an NPC, because DMs in that edition are dicks.

* '''Foot of Vecna''': Replaces the bearer's left foot, without a visible trace but causing a strange hitch in their step. It grants +1% magic resistance and a +3 bonus to attack rolls & damage rolls when making kick attacks. Additionally, it has an array of spell-like abilities that the bearer can trigger, although only 4 such spells can be cast per day, and all are cast as a 20th level caster: Jump, Spider Climb, Free Action, Water Walk, Feather Fall and Levitation.

* '''Heart of Vecna''': Replaces the bearer's heart, obviously, leaving a nasty scar in the process. Grants +1% magic resistance and all the bonuses of a Ring of Regeneration. Additionally, once per month, the bearer can inflict a heart attack by making a called shot touch attack to the chest; the victim must succeed a saving throw vs. death magic or die instantly.

* '''Skin of Vecna''': Replaces a huge swathe of the bearer's skin, covering the left side of their face, neck and torso with dark, scabarous skin that causes them to lower their Charisma score by 5 points. It grants +4% magic resistance and the permanent effects of Resist Fire and Resist Cold. Additionally, it has an array of spell-like abilities that the bearer can trigger, although only 4 such spells can be cast per day, and all are cast as a 20th level caster: Mirror Image, Polymorph Self, Stoneskin and Protection from Lightning. Using its Polymorph Self power does not cause the trademark disfiguration to go away.

==Magic Items==
In addition to flat out artifacts, Vecna also has some Magic Items affiliated with him. Tome of the Stilled Tongue is a book that has a tongue nailed straight on the cover. The original copy's tongue is from an idiot who decided to devote themselves to the god of secrets (Vecna) despite not being able to keep secrets. The other four copies have their tongues from various spell casters that got on Vecna's shit list.

[[Baldur's Gate (Games)|Baldur's Gate]] fans may remember the Robe of Vecna, a modified Robe of the Archmagi that set the wearer's Armor Class to 5, granted 10% Magic Resistance and reduced the casting time of all spells by 4; it was included as part of the Limited Edition version of ''Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn'' and brought back for the Enhanced Edition remaster released by Beamdog. Apparently Vecna wore this robe at one point and his power rubbed off on it.

==Dwelling==
Vecna has no permanent home, not in the Astral Sea, the Abyss, Shadowfell or anywhere else. He and his followers travel the planes in search of knowledge, artifacts and power. He always travels out of sight and in the dark to avoid attention, prefering forgotten libraries, ruins of lost civilisations, Shadowfell and the Planes. Vecna does hold strongholds in several locations, but they are either far away or well-hidden from civilisation, or are located in dangerous areas, such as Pandemonium. Working with [[Acererak]], he also has bases in other crystal spheres, making him a full [[planeswalker]] and quite hard to pin down.

==Servants==
Vecna has the desire to rule over all, living and dead. He is worshipped by all those who desire knowledge and that which is not meant to be known. Undead that are not in service to [[Orcus]] are almost always in service to the Maimed God. He commands all sorts of undead, from run-of-the-mill zombies and skeletons to Oni, Liches, Vampires and various kinds of constructs. His followers often band together in cults, dedicated to the practice of necromancy, finding secret knowledge, or both. These cults build their own altars and places of worship to their lord.

There are some who stand out in service to (or against!) their lord:

* Acererak is the Demilich in charge of the [[Tomb of Horrors]]. Only his head is in the Tomb though (or more specifically, a copy of his head). The rest of him is in Shadowfell, working on a spell to control undead everywhere.
* Osterneth appears as an attractive woman in her late 20s, but is actually a lich, bearing Vecna's heart in her chest, and is one of Vecna's most trusted allies.
* Kas the Betrayer is a vampire lord that schemes against Vecna. He was the one to maim the Maimed god, in an attempt to attain divinity himself. His weapon, the Sword of Kas, roams the planes and is the only weapon believed to be able to kill Vecna.

== The Scroll of Mauthereign ==

The following is a section taken from the 4th edition book, Open Grave: Secrets of the Undead. This should give you a good idea of how insane worshipers of Vecna are.

The Scroll of Mauthereign is a secret manifesto of Vecna’s cult. It depicts Mauthereign’s twisted version of Vecna’s past and sets down the guiding principles of the organization. The following is an excerpt from the scroll.

In the beginning, there was learning, and Vecna was a paragon among the learned. A student of magic, Vecna was a benevolent teacher who gave his time and his knowledge to his students. Working with Kas, his apprentice, Vecna ministered to the needs of commoners and scholars alike. And yet the people asked for more. They cried out for a leader, a visionary presence who would help lead them against their tyrannical leaders and draconian gods. Out of humility, Vecna initially refused. After time, though, he came to understand their suffering and could not stand idly by.

Vecna taught the people to stand up against tyranny. He advised them to march in peaceful displays—nonviolent protests that showed the rulers of the land that their oppression would be resisted. However, the rulers quelled the protests, arresting and torturing the followers and imprisoning Vecna. Those who supported Vecna were rounded up and made into examples, their heads staked upon rusted pikes along the roads.
Vecna’s enemies tried to pry his secrets from him; they sought the names of his allies. They starved Vecna and imprisoned him alone in a filthy cell, but Vecna remained resolute. He never gave up hope that justice, reason, and compassion would triumph. And yet these hopes were slowly eroded by the passing of time. Then, in an attempt to acquire Vecna’s secrets and learn the name of his allies, these enemies of free thought turned to Kas—Vecna’s most trusted ally—who willingly answered the inquisitors’ questions. He surrendered the secrets of Vecna to the enemy, betraying our Lord and all his friends.

Vecna survived eleven years without food and water, kept alive by his passion and mental clarity. No, I do not lie! His flesh stretched taut to the bone, growing sallow and sunken. When the torturers grew angry at his determination, they maimed him, severing his hand and cutting out his eye.

Yet Vecna lived on for us! His soul remained rooted to his dying body out of the hope of salvation. But this was not to be. When starvation and inhumanity did not kill our lord, the defilers decided that his time was at an end.
They cut Vecna limb from limb and scattered the parts of his body throughout the world. We did not abide this desecration. Time and again, we attempted to assemble his parts, but the powers of darkness thwarted our every attempt, and it was only through the purest magic that we finally succeeded.

Vecna rose up and smote ruin upon the usurpers and the pretenders. They squealed in cowardice before us. Yet Vecna has mercy even for cowards and tyrants. Under Vecna’s rule, the transgressors were banished, and a peace settled over the land. But alas, it was not to last.
Vecna’s enemies plotted and schemed, discontent with their lot, generous as it was. He could have killed them! But he did not, instead granting them their own dominions where they could rule. However, this was not enough.

Gathering their powers, these exiles returned in a slavering mob of savagery. They trampled Vecna’s idyllic domain, slaughtering the people and mutilating the land. They cornered Vecna in his meditation chamber, and though he pleaded with them to see reason—to look with open eyes and see the wonder his rule had brought to the world—they destroyed him, scattering his parts across the planes.

The miscreants took credit for his achievements, and they used Vecna’s secrets to ascend to godhood in a corrupt apotheosis. Now, these immortal swine have renewed their reign of oppression, crushing the spirits of the people under the heel of repugnancy and false religions.
Yet we have not forgotten. The time for benevolent demonstration is over. Vecna’s legacy demands true rebellion. These deities have massacred every belief we hold dear. They have banished our lord and despoiled his name. [[Derp|The only way to show them the nature of their evil is to commit our own acts of despicable villainy. Then they will see their own evil reflected in our actions.]]

[[Derp|When you slay a commoner, it is their evil. When you maim an innocent blacksmith, it is they who wield the knife. We commit these acts as a demonstration of his goodness. We perform these debasements as proof of the degeneration of the gods.]] When we reassemble our lord’s missing parts, our Vecna will return to rule us, and his rule will be good. All that has happened is part of a mysterious and grand design leading to a bright future of unity and peace. Only through our lord can this be achieved, and though you might not understand now, you will soon.
Our souls are dead and we are empty. When he was violated by the usurpers, so too were we violated. When he was betrayed by Kas, so too were we betrayed. Know that all we do is done for a good that is to come. In the world of the future, all that you have lost will be returned to you a thousandfold.

==External Links==
* https://twitter.com/ActuallyVecna?lang=en

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{{D&D4e-Deities}}
{{D&D-Exandria-Deities}}

Approved Television

2022-07-24T20:14:00Z

2601:249:8200:5A40:54F5:513F:87CF:C4DE: /* Fantasy */

This a collection of /tg/-approved live-action television. Cartoons and animated series have been moved to [[Approved cartoons]].

==Action/Adventure==
*'''Airwolf''': A good-hearted mercenary pilot, his ground crew and their stolen super-advanced attack helicopter on their weekly mission for <s>the CIA</s> the Firm, having dog-fights, infiltrating secret bases and doing a whole lot of secret operations all across the world. If you ever wanted 80s techno-thriller in a format usable for tabletops, look no further. Series ''still'' has some impressive air acrobatics, especially given it was made for pocket change and using dolled-up civilian chopper.

*'''MacGyver''': A wisecracking lanky guy that hates guns and solves issues at hand with his smarts and whatever random object he can get - how this can work out in the gung-ho 80s? Turns out: better than anyone expected. There is good chance you never saw a single episode of it, yet know the character, premise and the theme music, that's how big splash this series made. Aside the adventures that range from pretty mundane through espionage and capers to outright crazy (dream world episodes and ghost stories included), there is also a big source of creative traps and even more creative use of random shit to overcome them. Don't be afraid of the number of seasons, since the series is done entirely in episodic format, so you can plug in any given episode and still get everything.
**'''MacGyver: Moderna''': It exists. [[skub|It's pretty contentious]], to put that very mildly. Think of it more like an action comedy spoof of the original concept, set in modern world and focusing predominately on the wisecrack rather than smarts part of the character. NOT to be confused with '''MacGruber''', an actual parody from SNL skids that eventually got its film and then series.

*'''Tales of the Gold Monkey''': There was once an era where everyone tried to ride on the popularity of ''Riders of the Lost Ark''. Some made cheap copy-cats, others borrowed the pulpy, adventure formula and run with it. This is how this series came to life. Meet Jake Cutter, an American former military, and now cargo pilot who gets himself tangled in 1938 into pile-up of espionage intrigue, war preparations and random (mis)adventures around the tropical island of Bora Gora. Pulp galore, with all characters being a step away from a walking cliche, but that "one step" is what makes them distinct and fun to watch. Unlike other listed in this category, ''Tales'' has more or less continuous plot, but in turn lasts only 22 episodes of a single season.
**'''Archer: Danger Island''' is a season-long, self-contained spoof of the series, and can be watched on its own right, for far, far crazier take on the material, along with more "gamey" structure, suitable for a tabletop campaign without editing any-fucking-thing.

*'''Zorro''': A Disney-made late 50s series still shot in black-and-white that's responsible both for the lasting perception of the eponymous character and for setting in stone what even a "modern" swashbuckling should be like. Notable for sticking to the material from the countless novels and short stories, but also being one of the last productions to hire actual fencing champs for duel scenes, rather than doing good ol' block-block-block-lunge "fights". Endless source of episodic plots for dashing rogues and brave adventurers. Despite its age, still perfectly watchable, which speaks for itself.
**'''Zorro: The 90s Cheese''': A 1990 successful bid to revive the popularity of the character. While being constantly compared with the 50s classic, it still carries on its own right, delivering a blend of original plots and various nods to the source material. Along, of course, with early 90s cheese and gonzo. If you are thinking about the movie starring Banderas - it owes its existence to this series.

==Comedy==
*'''Blackadder''': A historical comedy about the descendants of the Blackadder family, all named Edmund and all played by Rowan Atkinson (equally well-known for his sketch-comedy character, Mr. Bean), with each season taking place in a different period of British history, starting in the Middle Ages and ending with the First World War. Very British yet goofy in its tone and sense of humour with plenty of in-jokes for the historians, and plenty more for those who aren't. While the first season is considered to be mediocre by pretty much everyone (despite having BRIAN BLESSED in it as Edmund I's father), the writing improves in season two and keeps getting better, with season four's finale being a a masterclass in writing [[noblebright|humour]] without sacrificing [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vH3-Gt7mgyM grimdark]. If you ever wondered what kind of jokes would fit either of the Warhammers, look no further. Indeed, so well does Blackadder fit the 40k universe, he helped inspire [[Ciaphas Cain]] and someone else [https://www.fanfiction.net/s/4648258/1/Blackadder-40K-Tales-from-the-Black-Millennium| put the man himself there].

*'''Danger 5''': A modern Australian spoof of WW2 spy fiction from the 60s, telling a story of international team of Allied spies on their mission to kill Hitler and stop him from conquering the world. Has that perfect balance between being campy and self-aware, without becoming self-indulgent or over-the-top about it. It also does pulp better than whole bunch of more "serious" media, so highly recommended if you are planning to run some ''Hollow Earth Expedition'' or similar.

*'''Hero Corp''': A French comedy series about poking fun out of superheroes and cape stuff in general. However, rather than being some sort of obnoxious parody, it's simply a humorous take on the material, while having an assembly cast of interesting characters and balancing between self-awarness and plot-related humour. You probably know it already from the "Low Power Supers" webm that gets routinely posted in filename threads.

*'''Ghosts''': Specifically, the BBC original. Alison, a girl next door, inherits a haunted manor house in the countryside. After a near-death experience, she starts seeing dead people, but rather than freak out she and her husband just roll with it. Hijinks ensue. On the whole, it's a good ensemble comedy with really well-defined and well-written characters, and an established, fixed setting that allows for comedic situations while still limiting the powers of the ghost characters. If you ever need plot hooks that involve ghosts or just general modern paranormal stuff, look no further, especially as this one takes the piss out of the whole concept.

*'''Mystery Science Theater 3000:''' A bunch of Minnesotans with robot puppets riff on terrible movies. Achieved legendary cult classic status after being canceled (since it confused and angered the norms and behind the scenes shenanigans) and spawned the venerable [http://www.rifftrax.com Rifftrax]. Has come back from the dead on Netflix. Netflix version has some pros and cons, for example they seem to try and talk more often but in doing so their jokes became pretty lackluster, but with such a long break and with 10 ep seasons almost every movie is a hit (well, hit for this kind of show that is).

*'''[[Red Dwarf]]''': The other [[Doctor Who|long-running British cult sci-fi show]]. Follows the story of the remaining crew of the Red Dwarf, more specifically, a low-ranking technician who was accidentally frozen in time for 3 million years and is now the last living crew member, and possibly, [[Grimdark|the last living human]].

*'''What We Do In the Shadows''': Three old world vampires live together in Staten Island. Having failed through their own laziness to enslave the new world and establish [[Vampire: The Masquerade|the masquerade]], an antediluvian shows up and tells them to do it properly. They’re basically fucked. Parodies and satirises pretty much every vampire trope and archetype from Bram Stoker to [[Twilight|a certain sparkly mormon fanfic]]. If you love the genre (or the [[Approved Movies|original film]]), you're gonna have a lot of fun here.

==Crime==

*'''Breaking Bad''' The story of a high-school chemistry teacher succumbing to cancer turned meth maker and his junkie ex-student sidekick. A premise made special by its excellent writing that won Bryan Cranston and the creative team 10d100 Emmys for portraying Mr. Rodger's gradual slide into a paranoid drug kingpin without any sign of seasonal decay. This is how you RP, people! Take note.
**'''Better Call Saul''' A solid spin-off series of the above. Well written, well acted, and pretty good at showing how the American legal system works. Most importantly, if you ever wondered what it takes to be a good Face, Jimmy is one of the prime examples to observe.

*'''Columbo''' Oldschool detective series without action, the investigation instead being an intellectual challenge. The protagonist, even though he is a Lieutenant of the Las Angeles Police Department, doesn't have a gun and is actually afraid of shooting. He has a wife who is only mentioned and never seen, because it's a running gag to not show her at all. The whole show's construction is unique in the way that the viewer can see the crime itself first, and then Columbo's investigation of it as he figures out how to catch the criminal. And the most famous gimmick being that Columbo acts like a complete moron, to throw people off.

*'''Glina''' ["Cop"] Amazingly good Polish neo-noir series. While it starts slow, after initial few episodes it turns into a modern masterpiece of crime series. Very oldschool in style, with a wide range of different cases, juicy dialogues (or at least juicy translation) and great performances. If you ever wanted to run or play an investigation game, accept no substitute for inspiration or direct rip-off.

*'''Midsomer Murders''' You need some inspiration for exotic murder methods and mysterious clues to use in your campaign? Here's the reigning champion of weird murders and bizarre clues. Originally described as "Agatha Christie on Acid", but later seasons veer more towards "''Murder, She Wrote'' after a really long and ugly cocaine bender". Keep in mind though, having run for nearly 25 years, there is a fair amount of crap to wade through, but the nuggets of gold that can be found are more than worth it.

*'''Mindhunter''' A series dedicated to the history of criminal profiling, rather than typical case-to-case procedural. Instead of being a material to rip-off cases from, it's still invaluable source of ideas and hooks, precisely due to it subject matter: motive that goes beyond "greedy" and "insane", while still keeping things simple. If you are routinely running investigation-heavy games, this show can definitely help to sort things out and step up your game.

*'''True Detective''' First season, anyway. Southern gothic meets modern investigation meets a whole plot reference to [[Yog-Sothothery|The King in Yellow]]. Very dark and climactic series, with solid performances and a bunch of ideas how to pull a modern "investigator" type of game Call of Cthulhu struggles so badly to market.

*'''Twin Peaks''' A somewhat [[skub]]worthy entry, given [[Dune#The_Movies|David Lynch's involvement]], but a worthwhile watch, nonetheless. What starts off as a fairly cheesy whodunnit about the murder of the local homecoming queen soon reveals itself to be something more in line with paranormal surrealist horror. If you're not sure how to make your [[Call of Cthulhu]] game walk the line between the supernatural and the mundane, then this is your guide. Watch seasons one & two, then the film, and then season 3 for maximum authenticity.

*'''Wallander''' Swedish crime series, following the cases of the titular police inspector. Unlike typical TV series, each episode runs for around 90 minutes, being a feature-length, self-contained crime movie, but packed into serialised format. Your average police procedural wishes to be this good. /tg/-wise, it's the down to earth, old school modern investigation, without all the tech gizmos or over the top crimes and plots, making it far more applicable to your games than any other procedural.
**'''Wallander: Anglophone''' A BBC remake of the above, the main differences being it's in English (but still set in the Swedish town of Ystad) and, being made by Bongs, it has only 12 episodes, despite running four seasons. Everything else is pretty much the same, so if you are illiterate or American and can't handle subtitles, this is the way to still give it a shot.

*'''The Wire''' Everybody else recommends it, so why not us? Grimdark crime drama about drug dealing in Baltimore and the justice system trying (and mostly failing) to stop it. Great characters, and fantastic writing and world-building already work to this show's benefit on top of smart film-making and genuine political intrigue. If you want a good primer on how to do [[Grimdark]] well, this is a very solid place to start.

==Fantasy==
*'''Beforeigners''': He's an old cop with a drug problem. She's a Norse shieldmaiden straight out of the academy. Together, they fight crime! A Norwegian series dealing with involuntary time travel, written as a police procedural. Borderline comedy series, spoofing variety of time travel cliches, while treating itself serious enough to not turn into a shallow parody.

*'''[[Buffy the Vampire Slayer]]:''' The story of an average teenage girl who deals with all the average teenage girl things such as school, boyfriends and, eventually, college and adult life. She's also the chosen one, whose duty it is to defend the earth from demons, monsters, vampires, and whatever other nasty shit's out there. At times, the show is pretty cheesy (especially season one), at times it crosses into grimderp (like season 6), but all-in-all, it's a well-written urban fantasy show that redefined what television could be at the time it came out, and your [[World of Darkness|OWoD]] campaign will thank you for taking inspiration. Theme song simply rocks. Has its own RPG running under [[Unisystem]].
**'''Angel:''' Buffy's edgy, noir-inspired brother. Slightly darker tone with a similar style of story-telling. Like most spin-offs it's not quite as good as it's predecessor, and you can't really watch it without the original, but if you loved Buffy, but wanted a more urban flavour, this is where you go, when season four starts.

*'''Carnivale:''' A group of depression era carnies are caught up in a Manichean struggle between the forces of light and darkness. One of HBO's first experiments with high concept, high budget fantasy. Died ignominiously after two seasons due to scripting problems, audience apathy, and [[grimdark]] overload; but paved the way for those who would follow.

*'''[[A Song of Ice and Fire|Game of Thrones]]:''' [[George R. R. Martin|GRRM]]'s pet project finally made it to the small screen. Combines the epic swords and sorcery of high fantasy with the nihilistic hopelessness of quasi-medieval life. Thanks to Martin's <s>amazing</s> <s>horrible</s> [[skub]]tastic writing and HBO's massive budget, this show has gone a long way towards making fantasy "respectable". It's known for containing gratuitous amounts of sex and violence even by the standards of the source material, and got progressively chunkier after the show writers made some [[C.S. Goto|questionable characterization calls]] and also ran out of Martin's books to cannibalise, but it's not like you'll find any other fantasy show on TV that was as well-funded as this one.

*'''Hercules: The Legendary Journeys:''' Concentrated nostalgia from back in the days when fantasy shows were relegated to [[Friday]] night time slots where they couldn't harm the general public. If you're a neckbeard in your thirties, this show probably had something to do with it. It operated on a knowingly anachronistic premise and has fun with it. Kind of embarrassing by today's standards, but it pioneered everything from CGI monsters to filming in New Zealand. Resulted in its much more famous spin-off series...
**<nowiki></nowiki>'''Xena: Warrior Princess:''' Before you knew her as an uppity Cylon or an insane Roman housewife, Lucy Lawless was ''the'' leather clad, god slaying, Amazon OG. If you're a neckbeard in your thirties (or a ca/tg/irl who liked Gabrielle a ''little'' too much), you probably fapped to it. The cultural cachet of this show is so great that even underage B& that never could have seen it will recognize the character.

*'''JourneyQuest''': A no-budget series about the adventures of your typical party in the most generic campaign imaginable. Done by the same people who did ''The Gamers'' movies (and before they sold-out), so it doesn't even pretend to be serious. Unlike the podcast bullshit of the modern era, this one also doesn't pretend to be anyone playing the game, instead just fully embracing the silliness of the tabletop conventions as part of the plot - which is why it's also so relatable and never feels forced. If ''Order of the Stick'' were ever to have a life-action adaptation, this is it.

*'''Kingdom Hospital''': As a TV series, this is an inferior remake of the Danish ''Riget''. However, it makes that up with being far more applicable for /tg/ purposes. A cast of quirky characters - doctors, nurses and patients - are facing progressively weirder and weirder things going in the titular hospital, slowly coming to realisation it is a haunted place. And the forces of evil are doing their very best to get free, now that they have been noticed. If you ever needed to know how a session of ''Call of Cthulhu'' with fully random party would look like - this is it.

*'''Masters of Horror''': An anthology resembling more a collection of short films than your typical TV series. Each story is directed by some legend in horror business, and by general rule those fantasy-themed stories are better than the sci-fi ones. Special mention goes to "Deer Woman", "Cigarette Burns" and "Fair Haired Child". '''Warning!''' Certain episodes require hefty dose of brain bleach to forget what you've just saw (not kidding), while other are more black comedy than actual horror.

*'''Pierścień i róża''' ["The Rose and the Ring"]: An adaptation of a fantastical novel by William Makepeace Thackeray... done by Poles... as a musical comedy miniseries... in the 80s. Despite sounding like a recipe for a disaster, it's a solid watch, with vibrant, well-defined characters and multi-layered plot distilled enough for kids to still follow, but also poking fun out of variety of fantasy and fairy tale cliches and, well, [[promotions|fanservice galore]]. If you ever needed an inspiration for a tongue-in-cheek, but not completely crazy game, look no further. Important note! While there is a film version, it's just an abridged variant of the series, so it's best ignored.

*'''西遊記 (Saiyuki, or "Monkey" if you're a filthy gaijin)''': A 1978 Japanese adaptation of Journey to the West. While this is far from being the best adaptation, it is probably one of the most widely known outside of Asia (with the exception of Dragonball), thanks in part to the BBC buying the rights and producing a cheesy and hilarious dub for it. This is probably from where your [[Weeaboo]] GM got his most insane ideas.

*'''Stranger Things''': A show about a small town in the 80s that makes a bunch of references to [[Dungeons & Dragons]] and other stuff [[neckbeards]] like. Many ''things'' that most would consider ''stranger'' happen on this show. There are a lot of characters (including one played by [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Winona_Ryder Winona Ryder]), but it focuses on a group of teens that have to save the world from otherworldly forces and Russians.

*'''Supernatural''': Started out as a horror series, but didn't stay there for long. A duo of ridiculously handsome brothers on their weekly hunt after all sort of supernatural creatures, with ever-growing library of lore. [[skub|Skubtastic]] doesn't even describe any sort of discussions on the series, and it should have ended a decade before it eventually did. But it's still an open pit mine of ideas and entire plots to rip off for your own occult investigation. First three seasons, everything after that at your own peril.

*'''[[The Witcher|Witcher]]''': A shoe-string budget fantasy series (still one of the most expensive productions in native Poland) about - well, who else - [[Geralt of Rivia|Geralt the Witcher]], made by Poles in 2001. The quality of episodes varies greatly, while the special effects aged like milk, but it's still a fun ride to take. This is how fantasy became for a while mainstream in Poland. Absolutely '''great''' music, which can be repurposed as a background for combat-heavy games. If you happen to get a DVD release and not just bootleg from TV, then the cinematography will be gorgeous too. Also, warning - the show was marketed abroad under "Hexer" title, as the term "Witcher" wasn't coined yet.
**'''The Witcher: America''': Netflix' own take on the now bestselling book series. Tries to be Game of Thrones, but focuses on a handful of main characters instead of the massive ensemble cast that GoT had. Has problems communicating own chronology and just like Hexer, quality of episodes varies wildly, but overall, it's fun, with Henry Cavill being surprisingly good, able to pull off the manly, yet emotionally stunted vibe. Also, lots of [[promotions|tits]].

*'''Wizards and Warriors''': A short-lived fantasy series from early 80s, mostly memorable due to being so heavily borrowing ideas and imaginery from early [[Dungeons and Dragons]] it almost ended with a lawsuit. Amazingly tacky, but still mineable in case of running old-school D&D games. And remember - those costumes won an Emmy. For real.

==Historical==
*'''Arthur of the Britons''': The 1970s Arthurian legend series, mostly famous for giving it a "muh realism" makeover - but without making it drab, boring or covered in mud. While it removes all of the magical and fantastical elements (along with good chunk of characters you might attribute to king Arthur), it's still first and foremost an action-packed swashbuckling adventure with lots of swordplay and court intrigues. While [[Pendragon]] doesn't share the aesthetics, it sure as hell takes the premise of this series. Being British, it's also very short.

*'''Black Sails''': A prequel to Treasure Island mixed with historical pirates of the 1700s and the history of the pirate republic of Nassau. Features a ridiculously awesome soundtrack. Starts off good but a little rough, but then comes into its own in season 2. Obviously good stuff for a pirate-themed game, but a lot of the subplots is flashed out enough to work for other settings as well.

*'''Czarne Chmury''' ["Dark Clouds", or literally, "Black Clouds"]: It's the 1660s and even in hard-earned peace dark clouds are gathering over the Polish-Lithuanian Commonwealth. The freshly sovereign Prussia is already plotting with Brandenburg against the Commonwealth. A young, daring colonel of the Prussian Dragoons switches sides and goes on a mission to the Polish capital to inform about the plot against the Polish crown. One of the most quintessential swashbuckling series ever made, with the added bonus of unique, rarely used setting: late 17th century PLC and slowly, but surely rising Prussia. Easily accessible on Youtube with multilingual subtitles, with only 10 episodes.

*'''Deadwood''': Another HBO series, focusing on the settlement of Deadwood and its development from mining camp to frontier town. The attempts to make the town and its world come alive are glorious. Excellent performances across the board, with the standout being Al "Fuck That Cocksucking Motherfucker" Swearengen. GMs looking for how wild and lawless frontiers can become platforms for adventurers should check this out, and steal as many subplots as you can for your [[Deadlands]] game.

*'''I, Claudius''': A BBC miniseries based on the book of the same name from 1976. While dated, both in historical accuracy and production values, it's still one of the most accurate depictions of Ancient Rome in television. Also known for fanservice to rival most modern shows, and for a rare appearance of '''BRIAN BLESSED''' ''without a beard.''

*'''Marco Polo''': A Netflix exclusive series, Marco Polo follows the famous Italian merchant while he tries to survive in the court of Kublai Khan, the grandson of [[Genghis motherfucking Khan]]. While not historically accurate it is certainly very entertaining with war, political intrigue, and [[Slaanesh|concubines out the ass.]] Also [[Mongols]]. If anything, the character One-Hundred eyes makes the show worth the watch because of how badass he is. Seriously; a Daoist monk that Kublai blinded with a spitting cobra because he wouldn't teach his martial art to his generals. [[Awesome|And he can still kick ass while blind]].

*'''Robin of Sherwood''': You probably know the title song from it without even knowing the show. Unlike the countless attempts to make Robin Hood-themed TV series, this one is actually good. Really, really fucking good. In fact, it's so influential, pretty much every single future incarnation of Robin Hood is looking at this series for inspiration and rip-off (not to mention the entire string of copy-cats in the late 80s and early 90s riding on its popularity), while Errol Flynn swashbuckling and romancing got reduced to parodies and spoofs. Has three seasons, but as a Britbong production, that means only 26 episodes in total.

*'''Rome:''' It's HBO so the tits and ultraviolence spigot is still wide open, but this one actually does some good world building and political intrigue on the side. There is a good chance every Romaboo you know came from watching this show, or at the very least it gave them a massive heaping dose of what they crave. Just don't try to use it as a point of reference for historical campaigns.

*'''Spartacus: Blood and Sand''' A faithful historical narrative about the third servile war and the various social pressures that precipita... phhht no I'm kidding it's wall to wall tits and ultraviolence. Despite being a relentlessly silly 300 wanna-be that had no business ever being green lit it actually managed to be a treasure trove of feels and [[awesome]], due in large part to unusually solid writing and some heroic performances by actors like John Hannah, Lucy Lawless, Craig Parker, and Peter Mensah.

*'''三国 (Three Kingdoms 2010):''' Widely regarded as the best (for the west at least. In its native country its a [[skub|different story...]]) and most accessible version of China's most famous story (essentially their Iliad). Almost a hundred hours long, epic scope, tons of actors, and legions of extras (you can buy them by the bushel over there). Almost worth it for Chen Jianbin's [http://youtu.be/l8e4LBSscVo?t=35m8s gloriously dickish Cao Cao] alone, but there's plenty of other reasons to stick around. The entire thing is available on youtube and elsewhere because CCTV could not give two shits about licensing it outside of the country.
** There is also '''三国演义 (Romance of the Three Kingdoms)''' from 1994, just as readily available. For what it's worth, it is considered the superior adaptation of the two and also has (slightly) less episodes to go through.

*'''Vikings''': History's bid to gain at least a fraction of GoT audience, while also catering to reenactors, historical witzs and just about general audience, since, duh, vikings. Very well-researched and tightly written, the show comes with very high initial quality. Unfortunately, it also suffers greatly from seasonal rot after first 2 seasons and utterly pointless continuation at this point, so be warned about highly visible drop of quality with each season.

==Sci Fi==
*'''[[Babylon 5]]''': It's the future, after humanity narrowly escaped extermination in a war with the Minbari (bone headed guys who are like the Eldar with the dickishness dialed down to mostly manageable levels) it sets up a space station in neutral territory to act as a center of diplomacy to try to avert another war which gradually gets embroiled in an ancient conflict between two powerful alien civilizations. While most TV Science Fiction in the day was "this week's adventure" Babylon 5 set out to tell a grand story and (mostly) succeeded. The first space sci-fi to use CGI instead of motion control photography, so it hasn't aged that well visually.

*'''Battlestar Galactica''': In a galaxy far, far away humanity is engaged in a war with a legion of cybernetic assholes called Cylons. In a total dick move the genocidal toasters feign a peace offering and decimate the human fleet, except for a a few starships which manage to escape. Organizing under the protection of the titular Battlestar-class ''Galactica'' this ragtag refugee fleet, assuming they are the only survivors, attempts to escape to the fabled planet called [[Earth]].
**<nowiki></nowiki>Comes in two flavors: Original 1970s (Cheesetastic, but hilarious if you're into that sort of thing) and Immediate-Post-9/11-Reboot ([[Grimdark]], and actually pretty good). Both recommended, but other than initial premise, the two are '''wildly''' different. Be aware going in that the modern version has a reputation for producing an especially terrible ending for the show(even more so in some circles then even Lost!).

*'''Dark''': German time travel sci-fi available on Netflix. One of the very best examples of a closed time loop, all thanks to the forgotten technique of "plan your plot ahead of filming". Thus it manages to maintain a coherent story throughout three seasons. With typical German efficiency, everything shown is important and plot relevant, and every thread and question is tied up and answered at the end. You may want to take notes to keep track of everything - it gets very complicated. You may also take notes on how and why to plan the structure of your campaign.

*'''[[Doctor Who]]''': The adventures of the universe's saddest time traveling bro. Absolutely ancient in canon and out (the show predates Star Trek by three years). Cheesy special effects, but it's got heart and (usually) good writing. It's bigger on the inside.
**'''Torchwood''': [[Grimderp|"Grimdark"]] spin-off of the above. Mostly just comes off as stupid, though. Notable for being the most popular (and least terrible) spin-off of the RTD era. Also notable is the [[Harkness Test|sheer amount of aliens Captain Jack fucks]]. Skip to season 3 if you want the better half of this show's run.

*'''The Expanse''': A Syfy adaptation of the novel series. Tensions are building between Earth, Mars and the Asteroid Belt when <s>[[Samus|Phazon]]</s> an unknown alien element gets discovered and throws everything out of wack. It's pretty [[grimdark]] and political, notable as one of the hardest sci-fi shows ever put on screen. The depictions of space travel are scrupulously realistic (except for the alien weirdness). The source novels were written by the assistants of [[George R. R. Martin]], so the Expanse is basically the best-case outcome for the "Game of Thrones IN SPACE" premise.

*'''Farscape''': Muppets in spaaaace! This show, produced by the Jim Henson company, is dark. Even media in self-professed [[grimdark]] settings rarely put their main characters through this much torment. You wouldn't think it when it starts out, the first half of the first season being notoriously cheesy, but the cheese you wade through at the start belies an intense series as every major military organization in the galaxy targets our hero for torture, [[rape|mindrape]], and death. Few stories to date put their heroes through such a gauntlet, but the audience follows John Crichton's journey from all-American hero to notorious interstellar terrorist from start to finish, rooting for him the entire way.

*'''[[Firefly]]:''' [[Traveller]] except about post-bellum Confederates '''IN SPAAAAAACE'''. Like most of the Whedonverse praising it on /tg/ will unleash a category 5 [[skub]]storm.

*'''For All Mankind''': Made by Ronald D. Moore (DS9, NeoBSG), For All Mankind takes place in a [[Alternate History|world where the Soviets got to the moon first kicking the space race into overdrive]]. Each season takes place in a new decade. If you like NASA and things with a hopeful tone, this is the show for you. You are free to skip first half of first season after watching the opening, as it's mostly alternate history world-building for the setting.

*'''[[Star Wars:The Mandalorian|The Mandalorian]]''': Take Star Wars blender, throw in ''Lone Wolf and Cub'' scenario and copious amount of spaghetti western, put on high speed and you've got this show. Decent action sequences and making good use out of own universe. Plot is very "gamey" in structure, adding extra use for /tg/ purposes. See the actual article for details.

*'''The Prisoner''': A 60s classic sadly fallen into obscurity, it tells us the story of an unnamed British spy that gets kidnapped by a secret organization after resigning for motives unknown. He is moved to a place only known as "The Village", a sort of idylic place inhabited by old and brainwashed special agents of many nationalities, where noone can escape. Incredibly ambitious for its time, it tackles themes such as identity and duty, while also making the protagonist fight with his wit and smarts his captors, while at the same time they keep him trapped in The Village. If you haven't heard about it, don't worry, you've probably heard about it because it has been parodied in The Simpsons once (twice if you include Rover!).

*'''seaQuest DSV''': Basically Star Trek but on a submarine and staring that guy from Jaws. Like Star Trek, it ran for three seasons. Also like Star Trek, it was technically cancelled after every season. Unlike Star Trek, comes with distinctively different flavour each season: first one is almost science fantasy, second is strictly sci-fi and bordering on cyberpunk, third is military sci-fi.

*'''Spellbinder''': A two-season series, or rather two thinly connected standalone series dealing with parallel worlds. Each "season" can be seen as separate story, as they only share one character (an ''extremely'' compelling villainess) and the general concept of alternative universe(s). Despite being made for kids, it's very much watchable even two decades later - think "Sliders", but good and with plot. It also comes with few pretty interesting settings with some rich world-building. A third season has been in development hell since 1998.

*'''[[Star Trek]]''': It's Star Trek. If you<s> were born some time in the last half century you probably heard of it</s>'re not a drooling mongoloid you've heard of it.

*'''Stargate:''' At first there was a Roland Emmerich movie based around the Ancient Astronaut theory and finding a Big Ring in Egypt which can take you to another world, which was an adequate science-fiction action romp. Even so, it did well enough to get a Television series in Stargate SG-1. It changed a few things about from the movie (usually for the better) and had a rocky first season (for the worse), but after that it became one of the better science fiction series. Plenty of action, excellent characters performed by excellent actors, memorable humor and succeeds both as an episode-to-episode series as well as with long continuity arcs. The last two seasons with the Ori are not as good.

*'''The X-Files''': All possible and imaginable conspiracy theories about aliens mixed together for the show that redefined how to even make a sci-fi themed series. Plus monster of the week plots thrown in for a good measure. The show balances between being serious, self-aware, camp and horror. Following adventures of two FBI agents, both working in a sub-division dealing with "paranormal" cases, treated by rest of the Bureau as a dead-end in the career. Even if you don't have time to watch all episodes, you can pick up at any given moment and still catch up on the go with the arc story. (ProTip for new viewers: The show worked best in the stand-alone episodes. ''Most'' of the "arc" episodes are actually fairly dull and uninspired, while the arc itself is infamous for being fake and going nowhere. This is even more apparent with the attempts at reviving the series.)

==Game Shows==
*'''La Piste De Xapatan (The Xapatan Trail)''': A French game show from the '92 under a premise that's straight from a cheap pulp. Each episode, seven dudes have to cross a trail through a jungle, with various obstacles on their way and puzzles to solve, to get their hands of a sacred idol for "professor Gregory". Meanwhile a single chick is in a cave system looking for all the idols hidden in it. What's left of the male team eventually reaches the cave, figures out which idol is the correct one based on the solved puzzles and they haul it to the nearby train stop, where professor Gregory is waiting to exchange the idol for money. All done on a timer, since the train with Gregory departs, leaving the remains of the group with nothing and "stuck". Due to variety of the obstacles, it feels almost like a procedurally generated module and can be mined for loads of ideas for random encounters and how to structure your adventuring one-shots.

==Unapproved But Minable==

*'''Lexx''': A truly bizarre science-fantasy show that is infamous for being [[promotions|overly-horny]], cheesy and REEEEEEALLY fuckin' weird. There are some very strange, yet creative and unique, ideas here most of which were unfortunately too big for its small budget. This show's got everything from very phallic living ships, [[The God-Emperor of Mankind|magical, inter-dimensional and ever-living space emperors]] and [[/d/|people eating the feces of the previously mentioned living ships for sustenance]], as well a lot of potential plot hooks that could easily be reappropriated, and some really cool character concepts that are just begging to be done properly. If you want to create a setting that just feels alien and weird, then there's no better place to steal from.

==References==
[http://archive.4plebs.org/tg/thread/25647700/ One of many threads.]
[[Category:Approved Media]]

Vecna

2022-07-24T19:54:19Z

2601:249:8200:5A40:54F5:513F:87CF:C4DE:

{{Infobox Deity
|Name = Vecna
|Symbol = [[File:Vecna.png|150px]]
|Aliases = The Arch-Lich, the Maimed Lord, Master of All That Is Secret and Hidden, Master of the Spider Throne, The Whispered One, The Undying King, The Lord of the Rotted Tower
|Alignment = Neutral Evil
|Divine Rank = Lesser God
|Pantheon = Dawn War, Oerth (Flan)
|Portfolio = Secrets, Intrigue
|Domains = '''3E:''' Evil, Knowledge, Magic<br>'''5E:''' Arcana, Death, Grave, Knowledge
|Home Plane = Wanders
|Worshippers = [[Wizard]]s, [[sorcerer]]s, conspirators
|Favoured Weapon = Dagger
}}
[[File:Vecna4e.jpg|300px|thumb|right|Vecna, the Maimed God, looking [[Just as Planned|smug as shit]].]]
'''Vecna''' (his name is an pig latin anagram of the last name of [[Jack Vance]], the man who inspired the "[[Vancian|fire and forget]]" rules for magic used in pre-4e D&D) is one of Evil deities in D&D, [[D&D|having become]] [[AD&D|considerably more]] [[3e|powerful over]] [[4e|various editions]]. He also altered reality itself, punking the major powers of [[Ravenloft]], [[Greyhawk]] and [[Planescape]] in rapid succession so hard that it resulted in third edition, where fullcasters like him were overpowered beyond belief [[Just as Planned]]. Even after being beaten by the typical plucky band of [[adventurers]], he still got a net gain in power from Demi-god to Lesser god, double [[Just as Planned]]. If there is a [[/co/|Doctor Doom]] equivalent in D&D, it is Vecna, the most intelligent being of mortal origin ever and unlike [[Asmodeus]] who constantly says he's all smart and wise and awesome but has seemingly accomplished precisely dick out of hell besides maintain the status quo, [[/tg/ gets shit done|Vecna actually goes out and implements his will into the realm.]]

As the god of [[lich|liches]] in particular and evil magics in general, he's the second most famous lich in D&D behind [[Acererak]], who is somehow more prestigious on the meta side of things despite not being, you know, ''a god''. [[Stanger Things]] has changed this a little bit, giving the name "Vecna" mainstream notability.

==Genesis==
Born in the human city of Fleeth, Vecna was taught magic by his mother Mazell. She taught him that the great serpent Mok'sylk taught the god-kings of the Ur-Flan (ancestors of a people living in modern Greyhawk) magic. This serpent is said to be one of the Ancient Bretheren, a group of powerful pre-deity beings that include such movers as [[Ahriman]], [[Jazirian]] and the [[Lady of Pain]]. She taught the young Vecna that he was descended from the Ancient Bretheren and that it devoured all those who honored it in life. When the princess of the city requested a medicine from Mazell she prescribed one, but since the princess intentionally disregarded the dose she ODed and died. The city guard was ordered to kill Vecna in front of the woman as a retalliation, but Mazell used her magic to allow Vecna to escape. [[Heresy|Not happy with this, the authorities dragged her to the public square and burned her alive.]] But as she died, the woman's soul was seemingly devoured by a great serpent. The young Vecna fled and continued his study of magic. He claimed to have been trained by the Serpent itself, but if this is actually true or part of the Lich's madness is unknown. Over a thousand years later, he had become a powerful lich and laid siege to Fleeth. Officials approached him and offered their lives if he'd spare the citizens. Instead, [[Troll|Vecna let his army murder everyone in the city BUT the officials.]]

As he began a ritual to ascend into godhood, Vecna was betrayed by the vampire Kas, his most trusted lieutenant. In a climactic battle that cost the lich his left eye and hand, Vecna reached apotheosis followed by an explosion that leveled the new god's empire and flung both of them across the planes.

==Domain==
Vecna is the Evil god of Undead, Necromancy and Secrets. Specialising in dark magics and undeath, he is the go-to guy for necromancers and dark handjobs of all sorts.

==Profane Artifacts==
Because of the fact that Vecna is supposed to be one scary evil motherfucker, and because he famously got bits of himself hacked off before he ascended to godhood, Vecna's Eye and Hand have long held a place in the game as epicly powerful evil magical items, which would usually fuck you over if you were actually stupid enough to use them - not least of all because, to actually wield them, you had to be willing to hack off your own left hand or gouge out one of your eyes first before you could put them on.

In the 2e adventure ''[[Die, Vecna, Die!]]'' it was stated that since Vecna was a lich first and a god second, many of his bodyparts were actually lost before Kas' betrayal or during that climatic fight, so that whilst Vecna's avatar shows no sign of their loss (they're just not as "resonant" to his personal mythos as his hand and eye), they can still be found and used for power. The adventure statted up no fewer than ''twelve'' other bits of his body as minor artifacts that 3rd edition collectively called "The Fragments of Vecna". These artifacts consisted of the First Digit (right thumb), Second Digit (right index finger), Third Digit (right middle finger), Last Digit (right pinky finger), Incisors (a pair of inappropriately named fang-like canines), Molar, Scalp, Skin, Heart, Foot (left), and Right Eye.

Naturally, this was so stupid that it was swiftly swept under the rug, for the most part. However, the final issue of Dragon Magazine, issue #359, featured rules for the "Left Ear of Vecna" as a minor artifact, whilst "Open Grave", a 4e sourcebook analogous to the Libris Mortis, features a female Vecna-worshipping lich named Osterneth who still possesses "the Heart of Vecna", which she keeps in her own chest.

The existence of the Hand and Eye, and perhaps to a lesser extent the Fragments, inspired one memetically famous joke artifact: the legendary [[Head of Vecna]].

Other artifacts associated with Vecna without actually being part of him consist of the Sword of Kas, the Rod of the Whispered One, and 3 books. The Compendium Maleficarum is a book of spells, doctrines, and secrets crafted entirely from bone (even the pages) and penned in blood, that is on par with the Fragments of Vecna. The Tome of Shared Secrets is an illustrated bestiary of relic status, with the ability to impart knowledge of dark and evil creatures at the cost of a portion the user's life force. Last, but certainly not least, Vecna is also credited as one of the authors who contributed to the [[Book of Vile Darkness]], and indeed was the one that consolidated the contents of an existing collection of scrolls (of which he contributed to) into THE actual book, complete with the, perhaps cliche, cover made of human flesh (specifically a face) and demon bones. Since that time copies have been published, most are shoddy knock offs that have spelling or grammar errors that drag readers into the [[Lower Planes]].

===The Fragments of Vecna===
Since /tg/ is awesome and gets shit done, here's the rules for Vecna's various missing bits in AD&D, just so you know what kind of crap you had to put up with. To use any fragment, you had to empty a space for it on your body, unless you already had it - this cost you 2D6 damage for the smaller parts (finger, scalp, eye), 10D10 damage for a whole limb or organ, and instant death for a vital organ. This means that you needed somebody else to install Vecna's Heart, after which it'd bring you back to life at 1 hitpoint. Cutting the artifact free causes you to take the same level of damage, but ''permanently''; only a Regenerate spell would restore the missing part and thus its associated health.

All Vecna's Fragments have a Curse causing you to need to make a Save Vs. Spell once per month; failure causes you to be Charmed by Vecna for 4d4+4 hours. Additionally, a Fragment can be temporarily destroyed by any attack that inflicts at least 33 points of damage (except for the Heart), but only being eaten by someone using the Molar of Vecna can permanently destroy them.

Ironically, having even one part of Vecna's Fragments installed makes you immune to Vecna's direct powers (though he can still hurt you indirectly; hitting you with a weapon, commanding a follower to kill you, indirect consequences of spells, that charm effect from the curse, etc), invisible to his scrying effects, and better able to fuck his shit up. Vecna ''can't'' heal damage inflicted by someone bearing one of his Fragments, nor can he teleport if grappled by such a host - if someone bearing one of his Fragments was to kill him, Vecna would also be "ejected from the Outer Planes and returned to Oerth", which depending on how you read it, would mean you'd end his divinity and reduce him back to just being a lich again.

* '''Scalp of Vecna''': Gives the bearer a white streak of hair as a physical indication of its presence. The bearer gains +2% magic resistance and can, twice per day, cause their hair to animate; growing 30 feet longer and becoming a tendril that can grapple & immobilize a single victim.

* '''First Digit of Vecna''': Replaces the bearer's right thumb with an overlarge digit sporting a blackened, clawlike nail. The bearer gains +2% magic resistance and can, 4 times per day, either bless (heal 3D6 damage, +4 to all saving throws or attack rolls for 1 hour) or curse (victim must save vs spell or take 3D6 damage (save again to halve damage) and suffer -4 to all saving throws or attack rolls for 1 hour) a single victim by giving a thumb's up or a thumb's down. This power can be used 4 times ''in total'' per day, so you have to choose your combination of blessings and curses.

* '''Second Digit of Vecna''': Replaces the bearer's right index finger with an overlarge digit sporting a blackened, clawlike nail. The bearer gains +2% magic resistance and can Charm a single victim for 1 hour once per day by pointing at the target with the finger (palm up) and then crooking it in a beckoning gesture. Targets of this power suffer a -4 penalty to their save vs. spell.

* '''Third Digit of Vecna''': Replaces the bearer's right medial finger with one sporting a massive, dagger-like nail, making them slightly clumsier with that hand. The bearer gains +1% magic resistance and can stab & slash victims with the nail, treating it as a dagger +4 (1d6+4 damage) that secretes a necrotic poison (save vs. poison or take a further 1d4+4 damage). Additionally, the bearer can shoot their nail out as a crossbow bolt +10 (adds +10 to Ranged [[THAC0]]) with 3D6+4 base damage and the same poison as a melee attack; this can only be done once per day, as it removes the nail for 12 hours until it grows back.

* '''Last Digit of Vecna''': Replaces the bearer's right pinky finger with one sporting a jagged, fungus-eaten nail. It grans +3% magic resistance, can be used to cast a free "double" of a memorized spell once per 4 hours, and means the bearer no longer requires somatic components when spellcasting.

* '''Right Eye of Vecna''': Replaces the bearer's right eye with a hazed, milky-white orb that makes them look as if blind. It grants +3% magic resistance and the ability to see in mundane and magical darkness. Additionally, thrice per day it can be used to inflict blindness on a single target who meets the bearer's eyes (Save vs. Spell with -5 penalty to avoid).

* '''Molar of Vecna''': Replaces one of the bearer's teeth, giving them +3% magic resistance and a +4 bonus to saves vs. poison. Additionally, 3 times per day, the power of the molar can augment the bearer's mouth; the user can devour any nonmagical material in bite-sized chunks, which can be used for (among other imaginative shenanigans) burrowing through earth/stone/metal at a rate of 1 square foot per 5 rounds. Or the bearer can turn their maw on living victims, gaining a +4 bite attack that inflicts 2D6+4 damage. Each time it's activated, the Molar's power remains active for 20 rounds.

* '''Incisors of Vecna''': Replaces the bearer's upper canines with black vampire-like fangs. In addition to giving +1% magic resistance for each fang installed, if both are installed, then the bearer may transform into a vampire version of themselves for an 8-hour stretch twice per month. They cannot create spawn vampires by using their blood drain in this form - and drinking somebody of good or neutral alignment to death will wrack a good bearer with guilt, causing them to suffer a -5 penalty to all actions, attack rolls and saving throws for the following week. If such a host makes three kills in this manner, then their alignment will change and they probably become an NPC, because DMs in that edition are dicks.

* '''Foot of Vecna''': Replaces the bearer's left foot, without a visible trace but causing a strange hitch in their step. It grants +1% magic resistance and a +3 bonus to attack rolls & damage rolls when making kick attacks. Additionally, it has an array of spell-like abilities that the bearer can trigger, although only 4 such spells can be cast per day, and all are cast as a 20th level caster: Jump, Spider Climb, Free Action, Water Walk, Feather Fall and Levitation.

* '''Heart of Vecna''': Replaces the bearer's heart, obviously, leaving a nasty scar in the process. Grants +1% magic resistance and all the bonuses of a Ring of Regeneration. Additionally, once per month, the bearer can inflict a heart attack by making a called shot touch attack to the chest; the victim must succeed a saving throw vs. death magic or die instantly.

* '''Skin of Vecna''': Replaces a huge swathe of the bearer's skin, covering the left side of their face, neck and torso with dark, scabarous skin that causes them to lower their Charisma score by 5 points. It grants +4% magic resistance and the permanent effects of Resist Fire and Resist Cold. Additionally, it has an array of spell-like abilities that the bearer can trigger, although only 4 such spells can be cast per day, and all are cast as a 20th level caster: Mirror Image, Polymorph Self, Stoneskin and Protection from Lightning. Using its Polymorph Self power does not cause the trademark disfiguration to go away.

==Magic Items==
In addition to flat out artifacts, Vecna also has some Magic Items affiliated with him. Tome of the Stilled Tongue is a book that has a tongue nailed straight on the cover. The original copy's tongue is from an idiot who decided to devote themselves to the god of secrets (Vecna) despite not being able to keep secrets. The other four copies have their tongues from various spell casters that got on Vecna's shit list.

[[Baldur's Gate (Games)|Baldur's Gate]] fans may remember the Robe of Vecna, a modified Robe of the Archmagi that set the wearer's Armor Class to 5, granted 10% Magic Resistance and reduced the casting time of all spells by 4; it was included as part of the Limited Edition version of ''Baldur's Gate II: Shadows of Amn'' and brought back for the Enhanced Edition remaster released by Beamdog. Apparently Vecna wore this robe at one point and his power rubbed off on it.

==Dwelling==
Vecna has no permanent home, not in the Astral Sea, the Abyss, Shadowfell or anywhere else. He and his followers travel the planes in search of knowledge, artifacts and power. He always travels out of sight and in the dark to avoid attention, prefering forgotten libraries, ruins of lost civilisations, Shadowfell and the Planes. Vecna does hold strongholds in several locations, but they are either far away or well-hidden from civilisation, or are located in dangerous areas, such as Pandemonium. Working with [[Acererak]], he also has bases in other crystal spheres, making him a full [[planeswalker]] and quite hard to pin down.

==Servants==
Vecna has the desire to rule over all, living and dead. He is worshipped by all those who desire knowledge and that which is not meant to be known. Undead that are not in service to [[Orcus]] are almost always in service to the Maimed God. He commands all sorts of undead, from run-of-the-mill zombies and skeletons to Oni, Liches, Vampires and various kinds of constructs. His followers often band together in cults, dedicated to the practice of necromancy, finding secret knowledge, or both. These cults build their own altars and places of worship to their lord.

There are some who stand out in service to (or against!) their lord:

* Acererak is the Demilich in charge of the [[Tomb of Horrors]]. Only his head is in the Tomb though (or more specifically, a copy of his head). The rest of him is in Shadowfell, working on a spell to control undead everywhere.
* Osterneth appears as an attractive woman in her late 20s, but is actually a lich, bearing Vecna's heart in her chest, and is one of Vecna's most trusted allies.
* Kas the Betrayer is a vampire lord that schemes against Vecna. He was the one to maim the Maimed god, in an attempt to attain divinity himself. His weapon, the Sword of Kas, roams the planes and is the only weapon believed to be able to kill Vecna.

== The Scroll of Mauthereign ==

The following is a section taken from the 4th edition book, Open Grave: Secrets of the Undead. This should give you a good idea of how insane worshipers of Vecna are.

The Scroll of Mauthereign is a secret manifesto of Vecna’s cult. It depicts Mauthereign’s twisted version of Vecna’s past and sets down the guiding principles of the organization. The following is an excerpt from the scroll.

In the beginning, there was learning, and Vecna was a paragon among the learned. A student of magic, Vecna was a benevolent teacher who gave his time and his knowledge to his students. Working with Kas, his apprentice, Vecna ministered to the needs of commoners and scholars alike. And yet the people asked for more. They cried out for a leader, a visionary presence who would help lead them against their tyrannical leaders and draconian gods. Out of humility, Vecna initially refused. After time, though, he came to understand their suffering and could not stand idly by.

Vecna taught the people to stand up against tyranny. He advised them to march in peaceful displays—nonviolent protests that showed the rulers of the land that their oppression would be resisted. However, the rulers quelled the protests, arresting and torturing the followers and imprisoning Vecna. Those who supported Vecna were rounded up and made into examples, their heads staked upon rusted pikes along the roads.
Vecna’s enemies tried to pry his secrets from him; they sought the names of his allies. They starved Vecna and imprisoned him alone in a filthy cell, but Vecna remained resolute. He never gave up hope that justice, reason, and compassion would triumph. And yet these hopes were slowly eroded by the passing of time. Then, in an attempt to acquire Vecna’s secrets and learn the name of his allies, these enemies of free thought turned to Kas—Vecna’s most trusted ally—who willingly answered the inquisitors’ questions. He surrendered the secrets of Vecna to the enemy, betraying our Lord and all his friends.

Vecna survived eleven years without food and water, kept alive by his passion and mental clarity. No, I do not lie! His flesh stretched taut to the bone, growing sallow and sunken. When the torturers grew angry at his determination, they maimed him, severing his hand and cutting out his eye.

Yet Vecna lived on for us! His soul remained rooted to his dying body out of the hope of salvation. But this was not to be. When starvation and inhumanity did not kill our lord, the defilers decided that his time was at an end.
They cut Vecna limb from limb and scattered the parts of his body throughout the world. We did not abide this desecration. Time and again, we attempted to assemble his parts, but the powers of darkness thwarted our every attempt, and it was only through the purest magic that we finally succeeded.

Vecna rose up and smote ruin upon the usurpers and the pretenders. They squealed in cowardice before us. Yet Vecna has mercy even for cowards and tyrants. Under Vecna’s rule, the transgressors were banished, and a peace settled over the land. But alas, it was not to last.
Vecna’s enemies plotted and schemed, discontent with their lot, generous as it was. He could have killed them! But he did not, instead granting them their own dominions where they could rule. However, this was not enough.

Gathering their powers, these exiles returned in a slavering mob of savagery. They trampled Vecna’s idyllic domain, slaughtering the people and mutilating the land. They cornered Vecna in his meditation chamber, and though he pleaded with them to see reason—to look with open eyes and see the wonder his rule had brought to the world—they destroyed him, scattering his parts across the planes.

The miscreants took credit for his achievements, and they used Vecna’s secrets to ascend to godhood in a corrupt apotheosis. Now, these immortal swine have renewed their reign of oppression, crushing the spirits of the people under the heel of repugnancy and false religions.
Yet we have not forgotten. The time for benevolent demonstration is over. Vecna’s legacy demands true rebellion. These deities have massacred every belief we hold dear. They have banished our lord and despoiled his name. [[Derp|The only way to show them the nature of their evil is to commit our own acts of despicable villainy. Then they will see their own evil reflected in our actions.]]

[[Derp|When you slay a commoner, it is their evil. When you maim an innocent blacksmith, it is they who wield the knife. We commit these acts as a demonstration of his goodness. We perform these debasements as proof of the degeneration of the gods.]] When we reassemble our lord’s missing parts, our Vecna will return to rule us, and his rule will be good. All that has happened is part of a mysterious and grand design leading to a bright future of unity and peace. Only through our lord can this be achieved, and though you might not understand now, you will soon.
Our souls are dead and we are empty. When he was violated by the usurpers, so too were we violated. When he was betrayed by Kas, so too were we betrayed. Know that all we do is done for a good that is to come. In the world of the future, all that you have lost will be returned to you a thousandfold.

==External Links==
* https://twitter.com/ActuallyVecna?lang=en

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