Isn't that from RuneQuest? I remember ducks being available as player races. My first experience with RQ was playing a duck against a troll in gladiatorial combat.
I played my character more as a Daffy, than a Donald, though. He worshipped Loki.
I lost, but I assumed it was because I had no experience with the system.
I think recently here I mentioned my old RQ character Scotty McQuack from around 1980. He was a bagpiper, and one character kept slicing the bag. That was Gary, owner of Aero in Santa Monica, so I just had to accept the vandalization of my ducks pipes.
JRT: I don't know the bottom line answer, but a few intelligent animal races were included in RQ. I suspect in the duck's case, it stems from how much silly humor was rampant in gaming. From endless Monty Python quotes spewed by the little weird guy who smells like cat-piss, to the wise-guy who wants to run Curly from the Three Stooges as a character, games were often jokey and filled with lame ideas in the late 70's/early 80's. The duck was probably at least half a joke, but for some reason it just worked in RQ.
Maybe in some way ducks were also meant to be the RQ version of hobbits?
As a person not very familiar with RuneQuest or it's history, why Ducks?
I've never read a definitive explanation, but I think Brunomac offers some good theorizing on the subject. I used to hate the very idea of Ducks and used them as an excuse to dislike Glornatha for a long time, but I've long since made my peace with them and indeed have come to realize that more fantasy settings could do with their own "ducks," if you know what I mean -- whimsical, even silly, oddities that simultaneously prevent us from taking ourselves too seriously while gaming and, paradoxically, make our fantasy worlds seem more real through their unwillingness to conform to what we think should be the case.
I figured I'd ask because the two sources I mentioned might have been inspirational. I think a lot of people growing up in the creator's time read the Disney comics by Carl Barks and those things are actually a lot more enjoyable than some modern comics. I also thought of Howard because, while that character became a punchline because of an ill-conceived movie, the comic itself was very witty and filled with satire that applies even today.
Wow, I think I have Duck Tower around somewhere, although I only ever used Dark Tower. Tell Paul thanks for all the gaming goodness, and I hope he answers those interview questions, too.
I had a great duck character in RQ, too, but at the time lived nowhere near Aero (I do now, though).
And my favorite Disney comic was where Donald went to South America and discovered the land of square eggs. Really got my young mind thinking.
There were a lot of odd, funny bits in RQ and D&D back in the day. I still enjoy playing with a little tongue in my cheek.
Baron Greystone (still looking for a RQ/Prax game in Santa Monica)
R.E. Howard the Duck
ReplyDeleteIsn't that from RuneQuest? I remember ducks being available as player races. My first experience with RQ was playing a duck against a troll in gladiatorial combat.
ReplyDeleteI played my character more as a Daffy, than a Donald, though. He worshipped Loki.
I lost, but I assumed it was because I had no experience with the system.
I think recently here I mentioned my old RQ character Scotty McQuack from around 1980. He was a bagpiper, and one character kept slicing the bag. That was Gary, owner of Aero in Santa Monica, so I just had to accept the vandalization of my ducks pipes.
ReplyDeleteIs that from Legendary Duck Tower?
ReplyDeleteAs a person not very familiar with RuneQuest or it's history, why Ducks?
ReplyDeleteWere the creators of RuneQuest either big Carl Barks fans or Howard the Duck fans?
And lets not forget:
ReplyDeletehttp://i.somethingawful.com/fashion/gameSWAT/6.jpg
Duck Village from the video game Suikoden III. It had an entire unit of Duck Warriors.
Huh. I work with Paul. He was amused to see some of his old work again. :)
ReplyDeleteJRT: I don't know the bottom line answer, but a few intelligent animal races were included in RQ. I suspect in the duck's case, it stems from how much silly humor was rampant in gaming. From endless Monty Python quotes spewed by the little weird guy who smells like cat-piss, to the wise-guy who wants to run Curly from the Three Stooges as a character, games were often jokey and filled with lame ideas in the late 70's/early 80's. The duck was probably at least half a joke, but for some reason it just worked in RQ.
ReplyDeleteMaybe in some way ducks were also meant to be the RQ version of hobbits?
Is that from Legendary Duck Tower?
ReplyDeleteYes, it is!
As a person not very familiar with RuneQuest or it's history, why Ducks?
ReplyDeleteI've never read a definitive explanation, but I think Brunomac offers some good theorizing on the subject. I used to hate the very idea of Ducks and used them as an excuse to dislike Glornatha for a long time, but I've long since made my peace with them and indeed have come to realize that more fantasy settings could do with their own "ducks," if you know what I mean -- whimsical, even silly, oddities that simultaneously prevent us from taking ourselves too seriously while gaming and, paradoxically, make our fantasy worlds seem more real through their unwillingness to conform to what we think should be the case.
I work with Paul. He was amused to see some of his old work again. :)
ReplyDeletePlease kindly ask him to answer the interview questions I sent him many months ago :)
James: I'll do what I can. :)
ReplyDeleteI figured I'd ask because the two sources I mentioned might have been inspirational. I think a lot of people growing up in the creator's time read the Disney comics by Carl Barks and those things are actually a lot more enjoyable than some modern comics. I also thought of Howard because, while that character became a punchline because of an ill-conceived movie, the comic itself was very witty and filled with satire that applies even today.
ReplyDeleteWow, I think I have Duck Tower around somewhere, although I only ever used Dark Tower. Tell Paul thanks for all the gaming goodness, and I hope he answers those interview questions, too.
ReplyDeleteI had a great duck character in RQ, too, but at the time lived nowhere near Aero (I do now, though).
And my favorite Disney comic was where Donald went to South America and discovered the land of square eggs. Really got my young mind thinking.
There were a lot of odd, funny bits in RQ and D&D back in the day. I still enjoy playing with a little tongue in my cheek.
Baron Greystone
(still looking for a RQ/Prax game in Santa Monica)