"The Descent, by Jeff Long?" Topic

Spoiler Warning!

If you have read this book, go ahead and look at this refresher:

sfsite.com/11b/desc69.htm

What did you think of the book and the concept?
Gaming potential?

CC

No.

Skirmishes with the haiduk? A campaign setting for journey to the center of the earth? The hunt for satan? Dont know what you are driving at. You could try any of these I suppose.

Al

Oh! how bout the new frontier approach with corporate vs nationalistic takeover of the underworld?

I really think using the idea of a huge subterranean world as a setting for a campaing along these lines is probably the best.

Al

It could be the modern-era version of the fantasy product "World's Biggest Dungeon" that AEG, I think, published.

I found it very interesting how the "Hadals" are explained as the source of most demon/goblin/ghoul myths and legends and, at the same time, they are explained as evolutionary relatives of mankind. So, though no longer dealing with supernatural creatures, our psyche is so prejudiced that we still treat them as fantastic abominations.

Here is another interesting review:
link

Recreating a cave complex might be the toughest thing. For figures, the most human-like of Orcs, Goblins and Ghouls in the market might be possible candidates.

This might appeal to zombie scenario lovers too.

CC

IF you did read the book and got the overall feel of the environment, do you think this terrain would work to recreate that feel?

link

CC

Dreamworks bought the rights in 2002.
link

Well a combination of Dwarven Forge and GeoHex Cavernscape should work. Glad I've got 2 sets of each

WOW, THANKS SABER! I just looked up the Dwarven Forge cavernous river and lake pieces projected for next year:

dwarvenforge.com/future.htm

CC

SPOILER WARNING: Here are plot summaries and descriptions of Homo Hadalis from the book:
link
sfsite.com/11b/desc69.htm
link

CC

Is this movie based on the book?
timeout.com/film/82881.html
I saw a preview for it at a film. I gues it has already come and gone in the UK.

Is this movie based on the book?
timeout.com/film/82881.html
I saw a preview for it at a film. I gues it has already come and gone in the UK.

Nah- the movie The Descent has no connection to the novel, aside from being underground, and having primitive relatives of man in it. It's actually a pretty damned good movie, surprisingly, with some moments I found to be genuinely tense and creepy- which I don't find much.

There's a bit of Hollywood pap called "The Cave" that might be a "reimagining" of the novel The Descent- and there're some notable similarities, like the creatures in "The Cave" being responsible for views of demons and such- but I don't think it is. More likely, I think it was just a hackjob quickly made to capitalize on the buzz "The Descent" generated in the UK.

- Monk

SPOILER STUFF

Based on this topic I got this book for an airplane read. Granted, most Crichton, etc. thriller books don't conclude as well as they build up, but The Descent was especially frustrating that way, as it did not really pull off what it set-up. It either needed major editing to chop out all the attempts to ties the Hadals to "Satan" or a lot more added as there were just too many scenes that seemed only partially developed. As something of a paleoanthropoligy geek, I wanted far more than Long provide on Hadal development and then their decline.

As for gaming, I'd say only the initial contact between military and Hadals stuff would be worth doing. The GW board you found would work most nicely if there was some way to only expose parts of it as the party went in further. Maybe if someone you know has it, use stuff from the Starship Troopers game as a basis? From TMP reviews, it seems like it might work.

Me personally, I'd rather figure out how to game the Tremors movies rather than The Descent. I think they'd be more fun.

This guy looks hadalis-like:

picture

CC

Another VERY interesting review:

link

CC
TMP link
TMP link