Dr. Caligari and Caeser from 'The Cabinet of Dr. Caligari'

Dr. Caligari

 'Cesare, I am calling you. I, Dr. Caligari, your master. Awaken for a moment from your dark night.'

F:  Gd (10)

A: Typ (06)

S: Typ (06)

E: Typ (06)

R: Ex (20)

I:  Rm (30)

P: Rm (30)

Health: 38

Karma: 80

Resources: Typ (06)/Pr (04)*

Popularity: 0/-5/5*

Talents:

Caligari had the following talents:

• Psychology
• Medicine*
• Knowledge: Occult History
• Knowledge: Esoteric History
• Knowledge: Area
• Knowledge: Administration*

Powers:

Caligari had superior knowledge in the dealings of the mind, granting him near total hypnotic control over Cesare. Caligari is considered to have the following abilities:

• Hypnotic Control: Caligari has complete hypnotic control over Cesare in the Hollywood type of Hypnotism that allows Caligari to order Cesare to kill with impunity. Caligari’s control over Cesare is near complete – As such any attempt to interfere or control Cesare will be against a combined Psyche of both, In (40) effort. In addition, Cesare will have no real reaction outside of Caligari’s commands. It has been suggested that Caligari could have hypnotized many other along the way (See Limitations), from the point of view of Francis, this is a certainty.  
• Cesare: Caligari’s somnambulist Cesare is his servant and slave, commanded by Caligari to commit terrible acts and murders. Cesare is considered to have the following FASERIPS: F: Ex (20) A: Gd (10) S: Gd (10)* E: Rm (30) R: Typ (06) I: Pr (04) P: Ex (20)/Fe (2) (Against others/ Against Caligari) Health: 80 Karma: 40/12, Popularity: 2/-5. Cesare has the equivalent of Iron Will* at Ex (20), ignoring the physical, mental, and emotional effects on his body while under the thrall of Caligari. In addition, Cesare will literally fall down dead while still trying to enact Caligari’s will, as seen in the film. Cesare cannot be stunned in the traditional sense, but can be stunned or slammed regardless.

Contacts:

Caligari has contacts throughout Italy, and specifically in the Asylum that is he ran prior to his unmasking as a madman and criminal.

Limitations:

Dr. Caligari has several limitations:

• Known Criminal and Madman: Caligari is a known deranged madman and criminal once his activities have been discovered. In fact, Caligari is committed to the same intuition he was once the administrator for.
• Obsession: Caligari is obsessed with the stories and personage of an Italian mystic of the 12^th century named Caligari whose story he mirrors in activity.
• Unusual Appearance: Dr. Caligari is an older man who still stands out in a crowd, but Cesare is very strange looking and suffers a -2cs to all reaction and social interactions.
• Imaginary****: Dr. Caligari is not real, but the delusions of a man named Francis is has imagined those around him in the institution as being part of a grand story. Caligari in fact is Francis’s doctor, while Cesare is a peaceful quiet inmate who seems rather shy and withdrawn.  Caligari’s abilities and FASERIP are different, and he is not a sinister character but rather a sympathetic doctor trying to help his patient. (One of the first twist endings in cinema)

Count Orlok from 'Nosferatu' (1922)

imply put, I think without Nosferatu, modern horror movies would have been far different. While F.W. Murnau sought to create his own version of Dracula after being refused the rights to the novel, it was clear that he had something unique...something that hit a cord within both the movie audiences of the period or any period for that matter.

While Dracula was cultured, Orlok was diseased. While Dracula was handsome, Orlok was hideous. While the novel Dracula was as much a part of the invasion genre of British Literature, Nosferatu was part of the post World War expressionist movement, representing a type of horror associated with the survivors of the great war.

I have always been fascinated with Count Orlok, not just for his distinctive style but also the absolute way that Murnau sought to frame the character. I always felt that while Orlok and Dracula have similar plans, similarities end with the story points: While both are monsters, Orlok is more overt about it, and in many ways, is more terrifying.


So, for the final write-up of this year's Halloween, Count Orlok

Count Orlok

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Count Orlok

F: Ex (20)
A: Rm (30)
S: Rm (30)
E: Am (50)
R: Gd (10)
I: In (40
P: In (40)

Health: 130
Karma: 90
Popularity: - 10 (As the spreader of the plague)
Resources: Rm (30)


Talents:

Business/Finance
Mystic Origin*
Multi-Lingual
Acting
Disguise

Powers:

Nosferatu: Orlok is a Nosferatu (Bird of Death), but is only vaguely similar to the types of vampires that are reflected by Dracula. Orlok's limitations are more severe, and cannot easily make others of his kind. Those who die by Orlok's hands do not rise as vampires, nor is Orlok able to remain active during the hours of daylight. Orlok however does not have the traditional limitations of vampires at the same time. Orlok's abilities and limitations include:

• Increased FASERIP: Orlok's physical presence is greatly increased, and is capable of superhuman acts as shown in the Book of the Vampyre read by Hutter and his fiance.
• Shadow-casting: It is suggested that Orlok can shadow-cast with Ex (20) ability, as shown in different scenes within the original silent movie and the remake in the 1970s.
• Terrifying presence: When Orlok is not disguised, he generated Pr (4) fear generation as seen to cause me to freeze with fright
• Vampyre: Similar to Bio-vampirism, Orlok is not specifically stated to require lifeblood to live, but does kill a number of people for it. Unlike the traditional vampire, Orlok does not suffer from not feeding, as his life-force is tied more to his native soil than blood. In addition, Orlok cannot create others of his kind as a vampire does. The exact means that Orlok would create other vampyres is unknown. As a vampyre, Orlok is virtually immune to damage, and can only be killed either by sunlight or through decapitation. The advised means to kill Orlok is to stall him with the blood of a pure girl as the sun rises.
• Natural Weaponry Claws: Orlok has wickedly sharp claws capable of doing Ex (20) damage, halving effective body armor. If a yellow or red result is achieved, the victim must also make an Endurance FEAT versus disease.
• Plague Carrier: Orlok carries a variation of the Black Plague, and spreads it through bites. Orlok is often suggested to be the origin of outbreaks of the plague across Germany. Orlok does this with Rm (30) ability.
• Rat/Insect Control: Orlok controls rats and insects with Rm (30) ability
• Heightened Senses: Orlok possesses heightened senses with Ex (20) ability.

Contacts:

None

Limitations:

• Bloodlust: Orlok is bloodthirsty, and while not necessarily needing it for survival, will go out of his way to feed. Orlok suffers -2cs to actions to prevent him from feeding.
• Vampyre: While not a traditional vampire, Orlok is a Vampyre (There is a marked difference). Orlok is completely vulnerable to sunlight, which will kill him within seconds. Secondly, Orlok must have soil of his home to rest and regenerate his powers. Without such, Orlok dies.
• Repugnant: Orlok is hideous, suffering a -1cs reaction bonus