A Mechanical Transcription of the Limbs

 

This is a short post about the building of mechanical bodies using ball-and-sockets joints - a practice and obsession specific to some of my favourite artists in the world: Hans Bellmer and Heinrich von Kleist. I have recently become fascinated (again) by these bodies; by Bellmer's hypermobile erotic sketches and by Kleist's 'pure pendula' of the limbs. By their inhuman grace, dictated by a total/directional gravity, in place of the more or less neurotic conscious will.   

The post is an addendum to the Mannequin class (though the rules could be useful for any number of bodies and beings in the Barony), and should be read as 'as well as' and not 'instead of' the rules for that class as originally conceived. 

The additions are simple: an artificial body built in the human form using ball and socket joints, and animated by something that does not quite cohere into a conscious mind (Mannequins yes, angels and demons usually no), gets a base +1 to rolls to hit in melee, and to any check that involves graceful or precise movement (doubled if this check involves dancing).

'And the advantage that this puppet would have over a human dancer?'

'The advantage? First of all, a negative one, my excellent friend, namely, this, that it would never be self-conscious. [...] Now, as the operator has absolutely, be dint of a wire or string, no point in his power but this one: all remaining limbs are, as they should be, dead, pure pendula, and so follow the simple law of gravity...'  

        - Heinrich von Kleist, On the Marionette Theatre (go read it, it is extraordinary and only four pages long)

At any point in the puppet body's limbs, a new joint can be introduced, which allows for pendulous movements of ever more inhuman a flexile grace, but also makes the puppet-movements more and more jerky and unpredictable. You can introduce as many joints as you like into arms, fingers, or legs. All joints must be installed across all limbs of the same type, and in the same relative position (ie the same length down the arm or finger), to function, otherwise they only give their negative effects. 

• For each joint introduced into the arms, you receive -1 to hit in melee (which precludes critical hits), and gain +1 damage to melee weapon attacks. 
• For each joint introduced into the legs, you receive -1 to any roll that involves gracile or precise movement, but +1 to climbing, keeping your balance, and otherwise not being moved against your will (think those horrible self stabilising robots).
• For each joint introduced into the fingers, you receive -1 to hit in melee, but +1 to any check that requires dextrous mechanical labour: weaving, lockpicking, embroidery, knotwork, etc., and +1 to any attempt to strangle something with a neck. 

Each additional joint gives a cumulative -1 to reactions with beings that can feel fear.

Entities hate and fear possessing bodies that do not cleanly map to the familiar human jointed skeletal structure. Angels and demons are especially susceptible to this, and actually lose a point of max HP each day they are forced into one (they regain this is they are able to leave the body). 

In both cases they receive none of the benefits, and all of the negatives. 

Hans Bellmer, untitled, date unknown