Pavis Bibliocinematography

Submitted by newsalor on Fri, 03/08/2012 – 02:59

Hello All, I’m tackling a new challenge this autumn – I’m going to run my first Pavis campaign. The new book is all cool and shiny. I liked it a lot. The street maps I didn’t like, but I understand why they needed to be there.

I’ve previously run games two campaigns set in Sartar and one campaign set in Kralorela with HeroQuest, so I’m not hesitant on the rules side of things. However, I do need a bit help with getting into the genre.

The feel I get from reading the book is that I’d like to approach Pavis from a fantasy noir western angle. 🙂 The PCs are probably going to be some kind of lowlifes like criminals, veterans, ne’er-do-wells, or foppish no-good sons from rich families.

I’m probably going to watch Deadwood and Gangs of New York and read some hardboiled fiction, W. R. Burnett perhaps. I’ll think I’ll reread the first Sanctuary books and Griselda too.

Would you guys have any good pointers on appropriate novels or films I shouldcheck out?What would you include in a Pavis bibliography + cinematography?

Submitted by Jeff on Thu, 23/08/2012 – 05:37.

For what it is worth, the main books I was reading while I wrote Pavis were:

“The Maltese Falcon” and “The Continental Op” collection by Dashiell Hammett.
“Blood Meridian” by Cormac McCarthy
Oxford History of the American West
Collection of Babylonian stories (Gilgamesh, Descent of Ishtar in the Underworld, etc)
“The French Quarter” and “The Gangs of New York” by Herbert Asbury
The Complete Chronicles of Conan” by Robert E. Howard
“Titus Groan” by Mervyn Peake
The Kalevala
“Die Heroen der Griechen” by Karoly Kerenyi
“The Complete Griselda” by Oliver Dickinson

The books may or may not have influenced bits of Pavis, but were certainly circulating around in my head at the time.

Editor-in-Chief, Moon Design Publications

I recognized a character from the Maltese Falcon in Pavis

Submitted by Herve on Tue, 28/08/2012 – 14:12.

Ah, now I understand why the Patroma family boss sounds a lot like the fatso character (forgot his name) in the Maltese Falcon. I discovered this book a few weeks ago only, and thought “I’ve read these lines somewhere”. Excellent adaptation.

Griselda

Submitted by GianniVacca on Mon, 20/08/2012 – 16:22.

The Griselda stories are a must-read!

Submitted by keith on Fri, 03/08/2012 – 05:48.

For third age Pavis films I’d use “The Good, the Bad and the Ugly” for the Western feel, of gold seeking mercenaries in a dusty ruins. “Oliver Twist” for scallywag rubble/badside/riverside kids. “Life of Brian” is excellent too, for an occupied town, which leads me to illustrated childrens bibles which often have illustrations that feel very Pavic to me – replace the camels with High Llamas and Donkeys with Zebra and you’ve got the look.
The Pavic priests always struck me as a parallel to the Jewish priesthood in the New Testament – Sor Eel as Pontius Pilate, so you could go a lot of ways with that – from Mel Gibson, to Jesus Christ Superstar.

Submitted by Dan on Sat, 04/08/2012 – 05:28.

As Keith says, New Testament is good: I remember a Richard Geir flick about King David having some lovely imagery, if nothing else. Deadwood is a good fit, but I’d also say Gangs of New York, Rome (for the organised crime plots) and the Good, the Bad and the Wierd. For similar reasons I liked the first episode of the new Sinbad. And for some reason i have always wanted to do a pastiche of the Italian Job, with a bunch of Sartarite chariot nuts trying to rip-off the Pavis Mint.
Tsui Harks’ The Blade has some very Pavisite moments, and more generally Gloranthan flicks: Mongol, The Warrior (the Korean one not the Indian one (which is also good for atmosphere)) has some good Praxian way-stop scenes. The first half of Valhalla Rising is great for post-conquest Sartar with a bunch of over-zealous Christians standing in for misguided Lunar converts. Parheli is a great Gods playing with Mortals tale.

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