Author Topic: Generic NPCs  (Read 139236 times)

Offline Locnil

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Re: Generic NPCs
« Reply #630 on: April 26, 2012, 05:21:48 PM »
The books hints at no average time for a scene. And I believe Sanctaphrax's menthod included a mechanic where each consecutive summon per ritual has the amount of needed shifts reduced.

Offline Locnil

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Re: Generic NPCs
« Reply #631 on: April 26, 2012, 05:23:07 PM »
P.S. Actually, I don't get why you'd prefer complexity 8.

Offline Mr. Death

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Re: Generic NPCs
« Reply #632 on: April 26, 2012, 05:31:14 PM »
Presumably because Zerglings are supposed to be quick and cheap to make, and 8 shifts is easier to put together than 12.
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Offline Belial666

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Re: Generic NPCs
« Reply #633 on: April 26, 2012, 06:12:56 PM »
Binder is a master-summoner. Summoning is all he does. Assuming he is a chest-deep focused practitioner with Lore 5, Discipline 5, Summoning Ritual, Refinement 5 (which he uses for a +5 complexity and a +5 control focus), he can pull off a 10-shift summoning rote in a single exchange. Give him an hour and he can summon a hundred plus grey men, easily.

Kemmler is a demigod-level wizard. My very conservative build of his is at 50 refresh and can pull 22-shift rotes in either evocation or thaumaturgy. He could pull summons equivalent to a black court vampire in a single exchange or heart-explode everyone in three-four parking lots simultaneously with his smallest spell.


Elena is more of a general outsider-magic practitioner. She doesn't have Kemmler's raw power (yet!!!) and doesn't specialize like Binder does. 12 shifts is not hard for her - but she does need four exchanges. 8 shifts is her minimum complexity for Outsider magic, meaning she can do it in one exchange - four times faster.

Offline Sanctaphrax

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Re: Generic NPCs
« Reply #634 on: April 26, 2012, 06:22:36 PM »
You know, Belial, most people don't subscribe to your assembly-line vision of thaumaturgy.

The summoning rules do have provisions for summoning groups. But I'm uncertain of their quality.

Offline Belial666

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Re: Generic NPCs
« Reply #635 on: April 26, 2012, 07:48:51 PM »
Assembly-line thaumaturgy is the only way a guy like Binder could reliably have access to many dozens of his guys in a half-hour notice and necromancers like Grevare and Corpsetaker could have even larger numbers of fairly powerful undead made in a day. In addition, remember the multi-ward in a certain house in Ghost Story? It was made up of hundreds of lesser wards adding up to much bigger total power.

So assembly-line thaumaturgy is certainly possible. It is just that most wizards who have a good theoretical basis on thaumaurgy are older than modern industrialization and so hidebound as to never adopt new ideas. Besides, really powerful wizards either don't need assembly-line thaumaturgy or already use it. The Merlin can stop an army of vampires and Outsiders with one spell. The Blackstaff has repatedly brought about disasters more powerful than nuclear weapons. Ancient Mai has been creating stone guardians for the White Council's strongholds all over the world and Luccio (before her depowering) had created hundreds of enchanted swords.

Offline Sanctaphrax

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Re: Generic NPCs
« Reply #636 on: April 26, 2012, 09:02:12 PM »
You don't actually need assembly-line thaumaturgy to model Binder's tricks. You could do that in a number of other ways.

And Grevane never had all that many zombies, IIRC.

Offline Mr. Death

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Re: Generic NPCs
« Reply #637 on: April 26, 2012, 09:07:25 PM »
Didn't he have a whole bunch when he attacked Harry's apartment? And during the final fight, where a whole horde of the things was attacking the Wardens?
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Offline Sanctaphrax

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Re: Generic NPCs
« Reply #638 on: April 26, 2012, 09:09:56 PM »
I thought he only had a dozen or so. But it's been a while since I read the book.

Offline Belial666

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Re: Generic NPCs
« Reply #639 on: April 26, 2012, 10:05:23 PM »
About a hundred when he attacked Harry's apartment, which he didn't have when he went for Butters in the morgue. After that he fought with Corpsetaker and her ghost-thingies and after that he was winning against Morgan, old Luccio and several other wardens with yet another horde until Harry and his T-Rex intervened.

That's a lot of zombies - but then Grevare might have been an idiot but his necromancy was probably very close to Elena's level of power.

Offline ways and means

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Re: Generic NPCs
« Reply #640 on: April 27, 2012, 12:29:38 AM »
Cultist Leader (Waist Deep)

High Concept: Absolutist Cult Leader
Other Aspects: Black and white 1 or the other, According to the Canon , For the sake of the World, Higher Purpose, The power of precedence

Skills:
+5 Conviction, Presence
+4 Deceit, Intimidate
+3 Contacts, Resources
+2 Lore, Scholarship
+1 Might, Alertness

Pure Mortal +2

Stunts
Public Speaker: Add +2 to your presence when trying to sway a crowd.
Canon Scholar: Add +2 to Scholarship on knowledge of Cults
Speaking for a Higher Power: Add +2 to roll intimidate vs those who believe in the Cult

Refresh Spent: -1
Total Refresh: 7



« Last Edit: April 27, 2012, 11:11:45 PM by ways and means »
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Offline devonapple

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Re: Generic NPCs
« Reply #641 on: April 27, 2012, 01:11:52 AM »
Cultist Leader (Waist Deep)

High Concept: Absolutist Cult Leader
Other Aspects: Black and white 1 or the other, According to the Cannon , For the sake of the World, Higher Purpose, The power of precedence

Skills:
+5 Conviction, Presence
+4 Deceit, Intimidate
+3 Contacts, Resources
+2 Lore, Scholarship
+1 Might, Alertness

Pure Mortal +2

Stunts
Public Speaker: Add +2 to your presence when trying to sway a crowd.
Cannon Scholar: Add +2 to Scholarship on knowledge of Cults
Speaking for a Higher Power: Add +2 to roll intimidate vs those who believe in the Cult

Refresh Spent: -1
Total Refresh Cost: 7

It's "canon". And also, LOL.
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Offline KnightOrbis

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Re: Generic NPCs
« Reply #642 on: April 27, 2012, 01:19:55 AM »
If you are still doing requests could you do Fallen. Like a physical one, a magic using one, or variations.

EDIT: I mean Denarians not Fallen.
« Last Edit: April 27, 2012, 01:43:48 AM by KnightOrbis »

Offline Mr. Death

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Re: Generic NPCs
« Reply #643 on: April 27, 2012, 02:03:55 AM »
It's "canon". And also, LOL.
Never know. There could certainly be a cult to heavy weaponry out there somewhere.
Compels solve everything!

http://blur.by/1KgqJg6 My first book: "Brothers of the Curled Isles"

Quote from: Cozarkian
Not every word JB rights is a conspiracy. Sometimes, he's just telling a story.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC_T_mld7Acnm-0FVUiaKDPA The C-Team Podcast

Offline Sanctaphrax

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Re: Generic NPCs
« Reply #644 on: April 27, 2012, 02:16:43 AM »
I've used Denarian NPCs in my PbP game. Three have appeared onscreen so far. One of them was statted by vultur in his old Denarian revision thread, but the other two are here:

Truad (Snorkelling)

High Concept: Denarian Warrior
Other Aspects: Warrior’s Code, Humanity Should Not Exist
Skills:
Superb: Weapons, Athletics
Great: Discipline, Fists, Might
Good: Endurance, Conviction, Alertness
Fair: Empathy, Intimidation, Lore
Average: Presence, Investigation, Deceit
Stunts:
Master Of War (Weapons): May use Weapons +1 for assessments and declarations related to combat.
Rain Of Spears (Weapons): -2 to Weapons attacks to hit an entire zone.
Lethal Strike (Weapons): +2 stress for a ttacks with Breath Weapon.
Powers:
Beast Change [-1]
True Aim [-1]
Demonic Co-Pilot [-1]
Supernatural Recovery [-4]
The Catch (Holy Stuff) [+2]
Human Form [+1] affecting
Hulking Size [-2]
Wings [-1]
Breath Weapon [-2]
Inhuman Strength [-2]
Supernatural Speed [-4]
Inhuman Toughness [-2]
Total Refresh Cost:
-20
Refresh Total:
-7

Velociel (Snorkelling)

High Concept: Denarian Predator
Other Aspects: Animalistic, Humans Are My Toys
Skills:
Superb: Fists, Athletics
Great: Stealth, Survival, Alertness
Good: Endurance, Might, Conviction
Fair: Burglary, Discipline, Intimidation
Average: Presence, Investigation, Deceit
Stunts:
Stealthy Predator (Stealth): +2 to Stealth when hunting.
Urban Survivalist (Survival): +1 to Survival in cities, use all Survival trappings in cities.
Armour Piercing Claws (Fists): Ignore 2 points of armour when attacking with Claws.
Blindingly Fast Change (Lore): No penalty for shapechanging, +1 to hit immediately after changing shape.
Powers:
Beast Change [-1]
Demonic Co-Pilot [-1]
Supernatural Recovery [-4]
The Catch (Holy Stuff) [+2]
Human Form [+1] affecting
Claws [-1]
Inhuman Strength [-2]
Mythic Speed [-6]
Inhuman Toughness [-2]
Total Refresh Cost:
-18
Refresh Total:
-5

I should note that these guys are some of my earlier work and as such they probably kinda suck. They both predate the Natural Weaponry power, which is a shame since it would be appropriate for both of them.

Are these the sort of things you're looking for?