"Face Dancers as player characters..." Topic

…in a Dune, or similar universe, rpg. Would you allow them, or would they be strictly monsters?

My inclination is to say that they would make interesting assassin types, with great powers due to their limited shape shifting abilities, but offsetting disadvantages (nobody trusts them, bred to obey th Tleilaxu Masters).

Ideas?

erm….when I read the title, well, I thought maybe someone was trying to corrupt the NRHGCGCW in the Lounge from their regular job in 'waitressing'….(vs pole-dancing, lap-dancing and salad-bar defense manuvers….)

but I'm glad to see it had nothing to do with that or moonwalking, skinwalkers, tapdancing with the stars or the 'F Word with Gordon Ramsey'…

We DO have some standards to uphold you know!

AlienBHSurfer, how come you didnt' mention that to this chap earlier??? You're the bloke responsible for recruitment and quality control in NRHGCGC waitress staffing!!!???

Slishfully,
Sgt DWW-Bartentacle on Duty

they'd make great assassins, that's a cool idea….sadly there's this bloke called Frank Herbert that got there before you….

Actually, isn't this a bit of a question of when in the Dune timeline you are?

The early "entertainer" Face Dancers, I don't see why not. No huge advantages, (presumably) a clear sense of their Face Dancer identity, etc. And they're not stigmatized as Tleilaxu assassin-spies at that stage, either.

At the stage of the original Dune novel, things change somewhat. This would most likely be a character that if ever discovered for what they are would presumably be considered a enemy by any non-Tleilaxu rest of the group. Presumably, that'd be true, too. (There's no "free-willed" FD at this stage, after all.)
Discovery is of course either guaranteed (if you have a Bene Gesserit) or practically impossible (assuming for a moment that you wouldn't let some fool play a FD that'll give themselves away within the first play session). The latter might be interesting, but only seems workable if you and the FD player are fully prepared (or even actively planning) to have the character turn on the group at some stage.

If you're playing Heretics timeframe or later, FDs are the enemy in some way, and that's that. Maybe if a player can be extremely convincing with a backstory for why the have a Face Dancer from the scattering that's actually a nice chap… okay, that's something of a streeeeeeeeeeeetch.

chronoglide "they'd make great assassins, that's a cool idea….sadly there's this bloke called Frank Herbert that got there before you…."

Meh. Ripping off non-copyrighted stuff is a time honored tradition in rpgs. Witness Mr. Gygax and orcs, hobbits, etc.

honoured.