Houngans, Ghede Options

[Raptor1033]

What counts as an inappropriate situation for a joke to be played in? A funeral? Someone getting news their parents died? Any situation where the joke will shock someone? Would that stretch far enough to play a joke on someone who's trying to hide for their life, like put a remote activated laughy bag in their pocket?

[DV8]

I'm thoroughly confused.

[Catsnightmare]

Check out the description of the Voodoo totem of Ghede in MitS.

[Munchkinslayer]

Tea-bagging your buddy while he's sleeping and taking a picture.

[Nazgul]

*Using the spell Phantasm to create a credstick to pay someone off with then releasing the spell when you drive away

*Making objects (cars) invisible in busy areas

*Casting foreboding in a busy mall

*Casting dream on fellow-runners while you're on watch

*Hot-potato in a restaurant

Sure, you'd probaly get it a lot of trouble, but they're all gold, GOLD

[Dashifen]

I agree with Nazgul. If your patron is Ghede but you're even the remotest bit professional, you're jokes -- while inappropriate -- would not endanger the run or your payment. Plus, you could be even more creative with your spells and still call them "effective" jokes. Consider:

1) Using phantasm to make it look like your team is bigger than it is. Draws enemy fire and generally might scare the piss out of them.

2) Use the Mirror spell (from TSS #9) to make yourself look like one of the bad guys! The spell basically makes the caster look like a target in LOS. Then, walk up to the bad guys and pull your jokes on them!

3) Agony is a really funny spell -- especially if you keep releasing it and recasting it at the "opportune moment."

4) Magic Fingers is always good for a laugh. Use it on their shoelaces, their grenade pins, their gun's safety switch, that potted plant they're standing next to, the fire alarm at the other end of the hall, etc.

And more ....

[Snow_Fox]

Ghede is not the god of slapstick but rather seeks to remove hypocrisy and the sort of behavior from people caught up in appearances rather than honesty-nothing is more honest than everything dies eventually.

For example at a funeral the hougan would not stand up and do the dead parrot sketch over the body, but ,while making the eulogy might comment to a member in the audience "You weren't a particularly close friend. Just making sure he's really dead?"

[Kanada Ten]

[Raptor1033]

yeah, he's supposed to shock and challenge others' preconceptions/prejudices and respects nothing. i'm not that good at coming up with jokes like that very often, so maybe i shouldn't play a houngan of ghede. but then again i love the concept of the tall, gaunt, black man wearing a black coat with tails, sunglasses, with a cigar and cane, it just oozes style.

[Glyph]

Houngans of Ghede may not always be funny, per se - just shocking. Keep in mind that they are not a "stupid prankster" Totem. I don't see them endangering the run or the life of a fellow runner with a joke. I do see them, like Snow Fox said, being brutally honest and not respecting social taboos. An example of an inappropriate situation would be if you are turning down a Yakuza boss's job offer, and say "I'd give you the finger, but I don't have anything to wrap it with."

[simonw2000]

Quotes from Groucho Marx would go down well. "I always remember a face, but in your case, I'd make an exception!"