"Easter Eggs" in RPGs

Ian Warner · March 02, 2011, 07:15:21 AM

Not sure about Easter Eggs. I've put in some celeb cameos and an amusing deliberate exploit do they count?

RPGPundit · March 02, 2011, 04:14:57 PM

Quote from: Ian Warner;443259Not sure about Easter Eggs. I've put in some celeb cameos and an amusing deliberate exploit do they count?

An easter egg only counts if the subject is in some way concealed from immediate recognition (though it by no means has to be very cleverly concealed).

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Doom · March 03, 2011, 01:46:15 PM

So, the skeletal general, with flaming hair, by the name of "Mikael Jacsen" would count? That was in an old Warhammer FB scenario pack, if I recall correctly.

RPGPundit · March 04, 2011, 09:42:56 AM

Quote from: Doom;443618So, the skeletal general, with flaming hair, by the name of "Mikael Jacsen" would count? That was in an old Warhammer FB scenario pack, if I recall correctly.

Hah. Yes, that would definitely count.

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Drohem · March 04, 2011, 12:00:00 PM

I guess this whole satirical module would count.

RPGPundit · March 05, 2011, 01:07:42 AM

Quote from: Drohem;443771

I guess this whole satirical module would count.

Kind of, I guess. But there's a certain point where it stops being an easter egg and starts just being rampant mockery. I think that, like Ian's work, this is more classifiable as the latter than the former.

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Lawbag · March 05, 2011, 02:36:19 PM

Quote from: RPGPundit;442311Yes, that's the sort of evidence that must make it really suck to be one of those Pundit-haters desperately trying to claim I have no impact. At the very least, its pretty clear that to green ronin, it was ME, and not someone else or market forces or a broad movement or they'd-planned-it-all-along, that was the major thorn in their side.

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Essentially the deal was that after the abysmal failure of Blue Rose, and a campaign to get Green Ronin to release the True20 system as a stand-alone system rather than the sole use being for powering the BR game, GR retro-fitted their story to say that it was always their intention to release True20 as a stand-alone, by incorporating the True20 Logo in Blue Rose rulebook. But we managed to find a first released of BR and True20 in which this clearly wasn't the case.

Lawbag · March 05, 2011, 02:44:11 PM

The 1st Edition Spacemaster rulebooks (Future Law and Tech Law) had some funny Index/Glossary terms for those people who bothered (in those days) to read such things.

I recall (books not to hand) there being an entry for "Hoofies - the things on the end of goats feet".

Phillip · March 05, 2011, 09:05:12 PM

Frontispiece from dungeon module D1-2 Descent Into the Depths of the Earth :

Cole · March 05, 2011, 09:06:34 PM

Quote from: Phillip;444097Frontispiece from dungeon module D1-2 Descent Into the Depths of the Earth :

The PC who gets that shield and helmet is going to have all kinds of bragging rights.

Cole · March 05, 2011, 09:07:34 PM

Quote from: Drohem;443771

I guess this whole satirical module would count.

That's less an "easter egg" and more of a "fuck you."

Benoist · March 05, 2011, 09:36:30 PM

Quote from: Cole;444099That's less an "easter egg" and more of a "fuck you."

This module is shit. It should rot in hell.

One Horse Town · March 05, 2011, 10:00:45 PM

The question i have - are Easter Eggs a sop to collectors rather than players?

They are invariably in-jokes that generally garner a "fuck you" in actual play or are designed to register a wry smile when reading them.

I say this as someone who has included them in my WFRP material.

Cole · March 05, 2011, 10:02:48 PM

Quote from: One Horse Town;444105The question i have - are Easter Eggs a sop to collectors rather than players?

They are invariably in-jokes that generally garner a "fuck you" in actual play or are designed to register a wry smile when reading them.

I say this as someone who has included them in my WFRP material.

I tend to agree; I enjoy puns and in-jokes more than most people, but I often edit out or at least change the puns and in-jokes when I run published modules.

Koltar · March 05, 2011, 11:12:14 PM

Would the Regdar joke in the 4th edition D&D book count?

There is a full-page illustration where it looks like the overly familiar 3rd edition iconic character is dying or having a seizure. Preetty sure its his only appearance in 4th edition artwork.

- Ed C.