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General Category => Role Playing Public Radio Podcast => : scrumpy7 January 14, 2010, 03:00:49 PM

: Monsters in the School?
: scrumpy7 January 14, 2010, 03:00:49 PM
Practically every AP includes the inside joke of "There are monsters in the school, Tom." Can someone in the know please enlighten us as to where this joke came from originally?
: Re: Monsters in the School?
: malyss January 14, 2010, 03:22:08 PM
Practically every AP includes the inside joke of "There are monsters in the school, Tom." Can someone in the know please enlighten us as to where this joke came from originally?

It's not a joke; there really are monsters in the schools.
: Re: Monsters in the School?
: Boyos January 14, 2010, 04:09:10 PM
i have not noticed this inside joke. perhaps i should pay attention more.
: Re: Monsters in the School?
: clockworkjoe January 14, 2010, 04:17:04 PM
It's from my playtest of Curriculum of Conspiracy - it was before I got the zoom h2 recorder so I didn't record the game I think. Anyway, Tom questioned some of the logic in the game and Cody told him "There are monsters in the school, Tom. How logical can it be? Just roll with it." or something like that

In other words, it's shorthand for saying "don't question the premise of the game too much. Suspend your disbelief and have fun."
: Re: Monsters in the School?
: rayner23 January 15, 2010, 02:06:03 PM
Ross explained it well enough, but I would like to expand if I may.

In Monsters and Other Childish Things, you play as a kid who has a pet monster. My monster was an alligator in a trenchcoat who cried cream cheese tears named "Mr. Mojo Risen." When he wasn't a monster, he turned himself into a lunchbox that I carried with me everywhere I went.

That particualr session featured a boy that was killed at his home and the spirit of the boy was hauting our school. The ghost of the boy was down in the boiler room of our school and I was able to phase through the door (because Mojo could phase through things) and I was able to talk to the boy. Meanwhile, the other players were investigating the boy's house and the ghost was there too.

Essentially, Ross had forgotten I could phase through things and like any good GM, he made up something on the fly to keep the plot going and give my character a reward for quick thinking.

At the end of the game, some of the players were a little confused. "Why was the boy in the boiler room?" they asked. "Well . . . his spirit was restless and . . . " Ross tried to justify, but Tom was relentless.


Tom said something along the lines of, "That doesn't makes any sense" and I replied, "There are Monsters in the school Tom!"

Essentially, the line is for anything that requires a suspension of disbelief. I mean, let's face it, we're all role-playing characters that can do incredible feats of athletics and bravery, not to mention magic, but we can't suspend our disbelief that a ghost can be in two places at once? It's just ridiculous.
: Re: Monsters in the School?
: beej January 15, 2010, 08:16:36 PM
Strangely enough, Tom has monsters in his pants.
: Re: Monsters in the School?
: Boyos January 15, 2010, 10:35:33 PM
clearly a closer fan to tom then I. I dont ever wanna see toms monster in his pants!
: Re: Monsters in the School?
: beowuuf January 16, 2010, 12:48:38 PM
i have not noticed this inside joke. perhaps i should pay attention more.

I have a funny feeling you will be scared listening to old shows with how many times it will now leap out at you.

My favourite use was in response to the World of Synibarr. Tom asked if there were monsters in the school, to which Ross replied there were monsters all over the fucking place or something similar.

I suspect most of those monsters are 2D, square, come at you in sequential order, and require a great many dice rolls to 'defeat'.

And are protected by werestorms.



: Re: Monsters in the School?
: Tadanori Oyama January 17, 2010, 10:25:44 PM
And are protected by werestorms.

Comprised of god only knows how many werewinds.
: Re: Monsters in the School?
: nekomata January 19, 2010, 09:32:16 AM
I'm actually using this for the title of a series of short stroies I'm writing. They do involve monster, but not schools... yet.
: Re: Monsters in the School?
: codered January 19, 2010, 03:37:11 PM
monsters in a college, where is the age where you cap out in monsters and other childish things?
: Re: Monsters in the School?
: Tadanori Oyama January 19, 2010, 04:37:34 PM
There isn't one specifically, it's left open for people playing the game to make up their own explainations. An adult can still have a monster by remaining emotionally vulnerable and child-like.
: Re: Monsters in the School?
: Mckma January 19, 2010, 04:47:20 PM
monsters in a college, where is the age where you cap out in monsters and other childish things?

Yeah, it essentially says whenever the child reaches emotional maturity the bond goes away, so that is whenever you decide...
: Re: Monsters in the School?
: clockworkjoe January 19, 2010, 04:51:42 PM
Yeah but even then you can house rule it so the monster hangs around with the adult or gets passed down to the PC's kid or something like that.

Ben told me he had an idea for doing a whole series of supplements based on the idea of following the kids of candlewick manor from childhood to adulthood - one book for college, one for their career etc. Don't want to say anything else about it but it was very cool.
: Re: Monsters in the School?
: codered January 20, 2010, 03:21:48 AM
that would be purty cool
: Re: Monsters in the School?
: Maze January 20, 2010, 05:11:02 PM
Could the pedophile from Spawn keep a monster?
: Re: Monsters in the School?
: Tadanori Oyama January 20, 2010, 05:15:34 PM
Could the pedophile from Spawn keep a monster?

I don't see why not. As long as he maintained a childish perspective and belief system.
: Re: Monsters in the School?
: clockworkjoe January 20, 2010, 05:28:23 PM
Could the pedophile from Spawn keep a monster?

No. He can't.

goddamnit why are you even bringing this up
: Re: Monsters in the School?
: Tadanori Oyama January 20, 2010, 05:43:24 PM
goddamnit why are you even bringing this up

Inquiring minds want to know. Freedom of information and all that. We're otaku, information without morality.

Plus Maze is Canadian, he doesn't know any better.
: Re: Monsters in the School?
: clockworkjoe January 20, 2010, 05:51:13 PM
goddamnit why are you even bringing this up

Inquiring minds want to know. Freedom of information and all that. We're otaku, information without morality.

Plus Maze is Canadian, he doesn't know any better.

it is you

you are the demons
: Re: Monsters in the School?
: Tadanori Oyama January 20, 2010, 05:59:44 PM
goddamnit why are you even bringing this up

Inquiring minds want to know. Freedom of information and all that. We're otaku, information without morality.

Plus Maze is Canadian, he doesn't know any better.

it is you

you are the demons

Paul! You is a where-wilf.

You and Niel is in it for fame and fortuine. But over my dead body!
: Re: Monsters in the School?
: codered January 22, 2010, 03:08:00 AM
I am so lost is this a inside joe or a quote from a movie or just some lame ass comic or cheezy animaie??
: Re: Monsters in the School?
: Boyos January 22, 2010, 03:42:20 AM
MATT DAMON!!!!
: Re: Monsters in the School?
: Wooberman January 22, 2010, 06:03:26 AM
goddamnit why are you even bringing this up

Inquiring minds want to know. Freedom of information and all that. We're otaku, information without morality.

Plus Maze is Canadian, he doesn't know any better.

it is you

you are the demons

Paul! You is a where-wilf.

You and Niel is in it for fame and fortuine. But over my dead body!

"I am created by the evil scintist" he sayd!!!!! "I will destoy all the roads and no one can go on them!"
"No! Then people are tarpped and tehy will be stuck!"
"Ha-ha-ha I do not care but you will die now"
: Re: Monsters in the School?
: Tadanori Oyama January 22, 2010, 01:09:57 PM
goddamnit why are you even bringing this up

Inquiring minds want to know. Freedom of information and all that. We're otaku, information without morality.

Plus Maze is Canadian, he doesn't know any better.

it is you

you are the demons

Paul! You is a where-wilf.

You and Niel is in it for fame and fortuine. But over my dead body!

"I am created by the evil scintist" he sayd!!!!! "I will destoy all the roads and no one can go on them!"
"No! Then people are tarpped and tehy will be stuck!"
"Ha-ha-ha I do not care but you will die now"

"And the pants where dead."