Generic NPCs

[Sanctaphrax]

Pachythrope Loremaster (Submerged)

High Concept: Elephant-Souled Scholar
Other Aspects: An Elephant Never Forgets, Lumbering Hulk
Skills:
Superb: Lore, Endurance
Great: Might, Scholarship
Good: Fists, Discipline
Fair: Alertness, Intimidation, Athletics
Average: Presence, Conviction, Rapport, Empathy, Resources
Stunts:
An Elephant Never Forgets (Scholarship): +2 to Scholarship when trying to declare minor details.
Memorized A Library (Lore): Base quality of occult library on Lore rather than Resources.
Powers:
Echoes Of The Beast (Elephant) [-1]
Herd Instincts [-1]
Human Form [+1]
Inhuman Strength [-2]
Inhuman Toughness [-2]
Inhuman Recovery [-2]
Total Refresh Cost:
-9
Refresh Total:
1

[Sanctaphrax]

Formithrope Queen (Chest Deep)

High Concept: Formithrope Queen
Other Aspects: You Will Be Assimilated, I Have Drones For That, No Reason Not To Be Civil
Skills:
Great: Contacts, Presence, Discipline
Good: Resources, Fists, Endurance
Fair: Deceit, Empathy, Alertness
Average: Athletics, Rapport, Conviction
Stunts:
Bolstered Presence (Presence): +2 to Presence when drones are present.
Scary Underlings (Presence): May use Presence to intimidate as long as drones are present.
Influence Of The Hive (Contacts): May use Contacts to hire people.
Never Without A Few Drones (Contacts): May use Contacts to declare presence of drones.
Powers:
Echoes Of The Beast (Ant) [-1]
Hive Instincts [-1]
Domination (Master Dominator) [-4]
Inhuman Recovery [-2]
Total Refresh Cost:
-12
Refresh Total:
-4

[bibliophile20]

Formithrope Queen (Chest Deep)

High Concept: Formithrope Queen
Other Aspects: You Will Be Assimilated, I Have Drones For That, No Reason Not To Be Civil
Skills:
Great: Contacts, Presence, Discipline
Good: Resources, Fists, Endurance
Fair: Deceit, Empathy, Alertness
Average: Athletics, Rapport, Conviction
Stunts:
Bolstered Presence (Presence): +2 to Presence when drones are present.
Scary Underlings (Presence): May use Presence to intimidate as long as drones are present.
Influence Of The Hive (Contacts): May use Contacts to hire people.
Never Without A Few Drones (Contacts): May use Contacts to declare presence of drones.
Powers:
Echoes Of The Beast (Ant) [-1]
Hive Instincts [-1]
Domination (Master Dominator) [-4]
Inhuman Recovery [-2]
Total Refresh Cost:
-12
Refresh Total:
-4

I now need to add Channeling [Earth] to this character, just so she can use lightning attacks.  After all, Resistance Is Futile. 

[Sanctaphrax]

Is that a Star Trek reference? I've never seen the show, I just stole a line from it.

[devonapple]

Formithrope Warrior (Chest Deep)

High Concept: Formithrope Warrior
Other Aspects: You Will Be Assimilated, Blind Loyalty
Skills:
Great: Might, Fists, Endurance
Good: Athletics, Alertness, Intimidation
Fair: Discipline, Survival, Investigation
Average: Empathy, Rapport, Presence
Stunts:
Bolstered Presence (Presence): +2 to Presence when drones are present.
Mighty Thews (Might): +2 Might when determining approximate lifting capacity.
Lethal Weapon (Fists): When using Fists to strike an unarmored opponent, you are considered to have Weapon:2.
No Pain, No gain (Endurance): You may take two additional mild physical consequences.
Powers:
Echoes Of The Beast (Ant) [-1]
Hive Instincts [-1]
Human Form [+1]
Inhuman Recovery [-2]
Inhuman Strength [-2]
Total Refresh Cost:
-9
Refresh Total:
-1

[bibliophile20]

Is that a Star Trek reference? I've never seen the show, I just stole a line from it.

Oy.  Yup, it's a reference.

[Sanctaphrax]

Formithrope Warrior looks great, except that the refresh total should be 1 instead of -1. Positive refresh seems inappropriate, though, so maybe another stunt would be a good idea.

Anyway, Master Dominator lets you create enhanced Renfields with Inhuman Strength and Recovery. I think that maybe the queen's enhanced Renfields/drones should also have Human Form (only while the queen is present) modifying their physical powers, Echoes Of The Beast (Ant), and Hive Instincts. Same refresh cost, but better flavour.

[Sanctaphrax]

Dinothrope Caveman (On The Beach)

High Concept: Dinothrope Caveman
Other Aspects: Savage, Top Of The Food Chain
Skills:
Good: Might, Endurance
Fair: Fists, Survival, Endurance
Average: Alertness, Intimidation, Craftsmanship
Stunts:
Huge Stone Club (Might): May wield improvised bludgeoning weapons with Might.
Caveman Lifestyle (Survival): Ignore 2 shifts worth of increased Survival difficulty from lack of tools.
Powers:
Echoes Of The Beast (T-Rex) [-1]
Human Form [+1]
Inhuman Strength [-2]
Inhuman Toughness [-2]
Inhuman Recovery [-2]
Total Refresh Cost:
-8
Refresh Total:
-4

[devonapple]

Anyway, Master Dominator lets you create enhanced Renfields with Inhuman Strength and Recovery. I think that maybe the queen's enhanced Renfields/drones should also have Human Form (only while the queen is present) modifying their physical powers, Echoes Of The Beast (Ant), and Hive Instincts. Same refresh cost, but better flavour.

Would the Renfields act like - or, in fact, *be* - their normal selves, until they get close enough to their Queen? How are you visualizing the way players would end up interacting with/uncovering these type of creatures? Could you give a brief summary of how a Formithrope "colony" would operate?

[Sanctaphrax]

I honestly never put all that much thought into it. That being said, here's how I'd approach it.

Each colony starts with a queen. The queen moves into a new area and begins using her Dominate power to create Renfields/drones. Drones resemble their former selves except that they have no initiative or imagination and severely dulled emotions. For that reason, the first targets are usually low-level functionaries and labourers without close family/friends. Said drones continue their lives as normal except when ordered otherwise.

Once the queen has a few drones, she'll try to get pregnant. Female children become queens, male children become warriors. The warriors and queens live off of the drones' money and spend their time feuding with other supernatural groups for territory and power. The leader of the hive is the oldest queen, and many queens kill off their mothers/older sisters or run away from home so that they can be in charge.

Does that sound reasonable?

[devonapple]

Does that sound reasonable?

It sure does! I was imagining another option in which her drones have normal lives, but when she is nearby or otherwise calls them, they revert to their drone state and report in. Players could encounter someone who has gaps of memory, or a friend reporting mysterious absences.

But it is simple enough to have the drones simply broken, fulfilling only the minimal requirements of their former lives.

[Sanctaphrax]

Yeah, that would work too. It presents interesting moral questions, and I understand that some people like that sort of thing.

[Sanctaphrax]

Aw, dammit. I erased the Dinothrope Caveman. I'm rewriting it from memory now, so tell me if you notice something wrong.

Outsiderthrope Artist (Chest Deep)

High Concept: Outsider-Possessed Artist
Other Aspects: Looks Nonthreatening, Cult Following, Vanguard Of The Invasion
Skills:
Superb: Performance
Great: Lore, Conviction
Good: Endurance, Fists
Fair: Athletics, Alertness, Deceit
Average: Resources, Presence, Discipline, Scholarship, Craftsmanship
Stunts:
Inspired By The Outside (Performance): +2 to Performance when the subject matter is Outsider-related.
Eldritch Artwork (Performance): May use Performance for Incite Emotion.
Lunatic's Attitude (Conviction): May use Conviction for social defence.
Expert On The Outside (Lore): +1 to Lore concerning Outsiders, +2 to Lore concerning Outsider-affiliated mortals.
Cult Following (Performance): Use Performance instead of Contacts when dealing with his target audience (Outsider-worshippers).
Powers:
Incite Emotion (horrified awe) [-1]
At Range [-1]
Eldritch Artwork [-1] (May create artwork that hits everyone who views it with Incite Emotion)
Lasting Emotion [-1]
Potent Emotion [-1]
Echoes Of The Outsider [-1]
Human Form (When the Outer Gates are open) [+2]
Inhuman Strength [-2]
Supernatural Recovery [-4]
The Catch (things made specifically to combat outsiders) [+1]
Physical Immunity [-8]
The Catch (only immune to magic) [+5]
Total Refresh Cost:
-17
Refresh Total:
-9

[Sanctaphrax]

And now for Weres. I'm not going to be writing up human forms for these guys. I'll just make the animal form, maybe with a refresh point or two left over for stunts.

Here's my current list of animals (and monsters) to make wereforms for:

Python
Viper
Bat
Eagle/Falcon
Rhino/Elephant
Shark
Horse
Bear
Dragon
Giant Spider
Goo Monster

Does anyone have anything to add?

[Sanctaphrax]

Werepython (Feet In The Water)

High Concept: Werepython
Other Aspects: I Want To Hug You
Skills:
Great: Might
Good: Endurance, Fists
Fair: Alertness, Stealth, Intimidation
Average: Conviction, Survival, Athletics, Discipline
Powers:
Echoes Of The Beast [-1]
Beast Change [-1]
Human Form [+1]
Claws [-1]
Inhuman Strength [-2]
Total Refresh Cost:
-4
Refresh Total:
2