The DaVinci Code meets d20 Modern. Sort of. Basically a melding of a lot of source material, including the source of the DaVinci Code (Holy Blood, Holy Grail) with pulp movies like Indiana Jones and Tomb Raider and Apocalypse movies (like the Omen and Revelation). Nominally a setting, it's really more a sourcebook and thus generally usable for d20 Modern in general.
RE: Why do the Teutonic Knights Make Good Bad Guys
Post originally by Satan at 2005-06-06 06:51:56
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Branch Davidians? Dude, have you looked into what REALLY happened? The Branch Davidans were not a dangerous sect by any means. Those gun kits they ordered? The ones that SUPPOSEDLY made weapons automatics? They were missing the pins that would do that. The church sold fascimiles of WWII weapons in order to fund their work and keep up their rather large home. The child molestation allegations were also proven false along with almost the entire list of allegations against Khoresh.
As far as Templars, in the traditions that support the idea of Magdalen as Holy Mother, the Templars are good guys. They protected the secrets and the Merovingian dynasty and were eventually betrayed by the Catholic Church.
RE: Why do the Teutonic Knights Make Good Bad Guys
Post originally by Taurren at 2005-06-06 09:03:01
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I think that any of the Holy Military Orders (Teutonic, Knights of Malta, Hospitallers, Templars)make perfect foes. Their military background, the rich and sordid pasts of most of the Orders, and their usually obscureor strange disappearance (or beheading in the case of the Templars)give them a threatening air of mystery.
The Teutonics might be considered "villians" more often than the Templars because of their brutally militaristic theme. Heck, the Templars were virtually bankers when they were attacked by the King of France amongst others.
RE: Why do the Teutonic Knights Make Good Bad Guys
Post originally by Spike at 2005-06-06 09:55:42
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Check me if I'm wrong on this, but didn't the Knights Hosptiallers BECOME the Knights of Malta some time after the Templars had their headcount reduced?
Taurren wrote:
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I think that any of the Holy Military Orders (Teutonic, Knights of Malta, Hospitallers, Templars)make perfect foes. Their military background, the rich and sordid pasts of most of the Orders, and their usually obscureor strange disappearance (or beheading in the case of the Templars)give them a threatening air of mystery.
RE: Why do the Teutonic Knights Make Good Bad Guys
Post originally by Jeremy at 2005-06-06 13:05:39
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Well, mostly because their history is a lot more sinister than the Templars or Branch Davidians.
The Templars were sort of a money-grubbing lot (which I , but generally weren't particularly "evil". They crusaded, but actually were on pretty good terms with non-Christians in the region.
I don't much about the Branch Davidians, though I did used to know one. But at most, they just had a really screwed up leader.
The Teutonic Knights basically were nasty for two reasons - they basically went on war of extermination against pagans in Eastern Europe. Not just conversion, but extermination, so Germans could then colonize eastern europe.
Then later one, once they were established, they basically fought a war with Poland. I like Poland.
And although I wouldn't say they are the same thing, Hitler and co. sort of appropriated the Teutonic Nights as part of his Nazi movement's mythology.
And their buckset style helmets with the antlers are rather creepy looking.
RE: Why do the Teutonic Knights Make Good Bad Guys
Post originally by The Fiendish Dr. Samsara at 2005-06-06 13:45:41
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Indeed. And they actually have some kind of Un representation, although I’m not clear exactly hat that is. Anyway, I’m always surprised by how few of these stories use the Knights of Malta as powerful secret society since, in some sense, they are the Knightly Order that “won”. Plus, they are essentially a multi-national corporation (or fraternal organization of high-level business guys) and MNO make as good villains as Nazis or Nazi-precursors. I guess the real difference, for conspiracy purposes, between the Templars and the Hospitalers/Knights of Malta is that the first group dramatically occulted (in the literal sense: they disappeared), while the second group is still here. Which is why the KOM would make great villains.
BTW the Cathar/Templar thing is usually explained in that both were (or were alleged to be) heretics who denied the divinity of Jesus. The conceptual trick here is that you have to separate “Jesus” from ‘Christ”, which the Catholic Church would not do (hence the heretic-bit).
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