So I was reading a thread on Aspects where one person names an aspect and then list a compel and invoke on it, then the next person continues with a new phrase the last person came up with. Some of these were really quite brilliant. It got me to think about what I would say on some of those, but I had a case of creation block and couldn't come up with any. I took a road trip over the weekend and was dwelling on it while driving and crawling into my own head, when I started listening to the song on the radio...it struck me...
Song lyrics make fantastic Aspect ideas. For example, I was listening to Bohemian Rhapsody when I discovered this...
"I'm just a poor boy from a poor family"
Compel - You're a cheap bastard and rarely dish out cash for you or anyone else. The guy that orders water at a wine festival, or nags to the clerk about the extra 25 cent slice of cheese on a burger.
Invoke - Strong family ties that can lead to information gathering or help with questions...kind of like phone a friend.
"Is this the real life? Is this just fantasy?"
Compel - Your work with the supernatural is starting to take a Neitsche'esk turn and you are losing grips on what is real and what isn't. A wind blows a door shut and you think it's a spirit from the nevernever for instance.
Invoke – Because you deal with it constantly, you have a lot of knowledge of the things that go bump.
"Beelzebub has the devil put aside for me, for me, for me!"
Compel – You are marked. Consider yourself honey and all the bad monsters in the night to be ants.
Invoke – Because you know and have come to terms with your fate, you find yourself able to handle situations that would make most normal people give up.
Immediately I started to think about the cool things these could mean as aspects, and then I thought about other songs that might work as well.
"Indestructable" by Disturbed
"My motivation an oath I've sworn to defend"
Compel – Your oath runs your decision process. If sworn to defend the weak for instance, you will do so until you or the attacker are unable to continue.
Invoke – Anything that leads you closer to your oath spurs you forward with strength. “From the other side a terror to behold”.
"Paranoid" by Black Sabath
"Finished with my woman 'cause she couldn't help me with my mind"
Compel – You find it difficult to take any advice from women for whatever reason. You just can’t trust them.
Invoke – Due to your beliefs, it is extremely difficult for a woman to pull a fast one on you.
You get the point. I just thought it was interesting how lyrics are a witty and easy way to create aspects that would really flesh out a character. If you are like me and sometimes run dry on ideas just crank up your favorite song and think...now that's a good idea for an aspect.
