The Hand of Vecna
Paul Stormberg
John Morgan wrote:
> I am new to this newsgroup but not new to D&D ,however it's been awhile .
> Does anyone know the source of the Hand of Vecna (insperation) and time it
> was introduced to the game ? Thanks
Well it and the 'Eye first appeared in Eldritch Wizardry in 1976 by
Gygax and Blume (unless I'm missing a Strategic Review or early The
Dragon). Given Gary's major inspirations for many aspects of D&D is the
writer Jack Vance and his love of anagrams in his naming of things, I'd
say Gygax invented it. Vecna, of course being an anagram for Vance and
Kas an anagram for Timothy Kask, an earlier editor for The Dragon among
other things.
I recall someone mentioning Moorcock's Melnibonean books as having a
magical hand and eye that grafted themselves to an individual. Any
Moorcock sages out there?
Swords Bright,
Paul
John Morgan
I am new to this newsgroup but not new to D&D ,however it's been awhile .
Does anyone know the source of the Hand of Vecna (insperation) and time it
was introduced to the game ? Thanks
Excelsior,
John
A'koss
"Paul Stormberg" <stor...@neonramp.com> wrote in message
news:38F698...@neonramp.com...
> Howdy,
> Gygax and Blume (unless I'm missing a Strategic Review or early The
> Dragon). Given Gary's major inspirations for many aspects of D&D is the
> writer Jack Vance and his love of anagrams in his naming of things, I'd
> say Gygax invented it. Vecna, of course being an anagram for Vance and
> Kas an anagram for Timothy Kask, an earlier editor for The Dragon among
> other things.
>
> I recall someone mentioning Moorcock's Melnibonean books as having a
> magical hand and eye that grafted themselves to an individual. Any
> Moorcock sages out there?
The one you're thinking of is Corum - who lost his hand and eye and had
them replaced with the Hand and Eye of Kwill(?), a god.
A'koss!
Neil Alexander
A'koss wrote in message ...
Corum Jhaelen Irsei was mutilated by the human Glandyth a'Krae and had his
missing parts replaced with the Eye of Rhynn and the Hand of Kwll. The eye
had the property of being able to look into a pocket dimension and the hand
could summon what was there. This was whatever was killed by the last
inhabitants, now given undead life and unable to escape the Eye and Hand
until they killed something themselves to take their place.
Rhynn and Kwll eventually get their parts back and reward Corum by
killing all the other gods before buggering off to universes anew.
ECCE
Walt Smith
"John Morgan" <vorg...@magicnet.net> wrote:
> Hi -
> I am new to this newsgroup but not new to D&D ,however it's been
awhile .
> Does anyone know the source of the Hand of Vecna (insperation) and
time it
> was introduced to the game ? Thanks
Of course, there is David Crowe's account, The Head of Vecna:
http://www.hut.fi/~vesanto/link.fun/stupid.pcs.html
Walt Smith
--
Firelock on DALNet
Sent via Deja.com http://www.deja.com/
Before you buy.
Walt Smith
"John Morgan" <vorg...@magicnet.net> wrote:
> Hi -
> I am new to this newsgroup but not new to D&D ,however it's been
awhile .
> Does anyone know the source of the Hand of Vecna (insperation) and
time it
> was introduced to the game ? Thanks
Of course, there is Mark Steuer's account, The Head of Vecna:
Bruce Grubb
wrote:
>In article <wnsJ4.11113$jZ3.1...@nuq-read.news.verio.net>,
> "John Morgan" <vorg...@magicnet.net> wrote:
>> Hi -
>> I am new to this newsgroup but not new to D&D ,however it's been
>> awhile . Does anyone know the source of the Hand of Vecna
>> (insperation) and time it was introduced to the game ? Thanks
>
>Of course, there is Mark Steuer's account, The Head of Vecna:
>http://www.hut.fi/~vesanto/link.fun/stupid.pcs.html
While a fun read on how increadably -stupid- players can be with their
character (ala the fighter who though lighting a torch in coal mine was a
great idea) this dosn't really answer the question.
I think the Hand of Vecna idea came in part from horror pictures of the 1930s
and 1940s involving the protaganist getting his hand mangled requiring a
replacement which of cource comes from an executed murderer. What usially
followed was a increasing body count with the protaganist wondering if the
'evil' hand was some how controling him.
AFAIK _Hands of Orlac_ [also called Mad Love] (1935) with Peter Lorre was the
first film to use this idea though at far more suttle level than later films
(is the hand really evil or is somebody playing mind games with the
protaganist?) On a side note the outfit of the man claiming to be the
executed crimimal shows up in the DC comic series Silverblade (#4) as a
character from the fictious movie "Hands of Modo".
Walt Smith
Bruce Grubb <bgr...@zianet.com> wrote:
> While a fun read on how increadably -stupid- players can be with
their
> character (ala the fighter who though lighting a torch in coal mine
was a
> great idea) this dosn't really answer the question.
<shrug> - I'd read the thread, the question had already been
answered, so I shared some fun.