Spring Autumn Courts homebrew

[Keravin]

My take on the Autumn Court was

Autumn is

Harvest
Change
Wind/Storms
Red
Entropy
Earth
The Hunt - as we added in the Erlking as the previous High King of the Autumn Court.

It's probably worth considering who the Lords etc of your Courts are bearing in mind that the Summer and Winter courts have roots in mythology and tales and were not just all created by Jim.

It'd be worth knowing a bit on what you planned with the Knights.   We got rid of the Knights (or they've never shown up) and instead the Autumn Court ended up with a Herald.

[FishStampede]

Just noticed this. The Spring and Autumn courts are quite prominent in my game, though currently I'm keeping them pretty mysterious.

I have the King of Autumn being the Reaper (aka Samhain, but Reaper is his most common name these days). He's a terrifying figure dressed all in black, resembling Reverend Kane from Poltergeist II. He is utterly without mercy, but also without cruelty. It is his job to end things and he does it. He is, however, pretty bad at political games and often leaves unintended loopholes in his edicts which his Prince exploits.

Jack is the Prince of Autumn. Which Jack? All of them. Jack Frost, Jack O'Lantern, Jack the Giant Killer, etc. He was once a mortal, but he tricked his way into power in the court when he trapped the Reaper King in a magical sack. He wanted immortality, and got it as a Sidhe. He also cannot be killed or significantly harmed by any forces of Autumn, including, unfortunately, the Reaper King, which makes his ambition to become Autumn King dangerous. He looks like a surprisingly ordinary young man dressed in slightly old-fashioned "country boy" clothes.

The Spring court hasn't been dealt with much, but they're currently courting (no pun intended) a PC to be the Knight of Spring. She also happens to be Jack's daughter, which would be a huge insult to to Autumn. Their representative is a certain Robert Goodman, who is a slightly sleazy but charming man in a suit who lives on deals and tricks. He's actually Puck, and the Prince of Spring. Naturally, Oberon is the King, though he has yet to appear "onscreen."

[Mrmdubois]

I have the King of Autumn being the Reaper (aka Samhain, but Reaper is his most common name these days). He's a terrifying figure dressed all in black, resembling Reverend Kane from Poltergeist II. He is utterly without mercy, but also without cruelty. It is his job to end things and he does it. He is, however, pretty bad at political games and often leaves unintended loopholes in his edicts which his Prince exploits.

He sounds a little like Death from Pratchett, I approve

[Lavecki121]

I have the King of Autumn being the Reaper...Jack is the Prince of Autumn. Which Jack? All of them. Jack Frost, Jack O'Lantern, Jack the Giant Killer, etc.

I love this. I haven't fully fleshed out Summer and Autumn courts systems yet (mainly because in my game they are still lost, also I am a PC) but this is cool.

The reason we even started using these is because I made the lost Knight of the Spring court. Here is the character as it stands (we have had some major milestones):

Nikola Tesla
High Concept: I'm Tesla, Spring Savior
Trouble: Out of Touch
Other Aspects: Vampiric Tendancies, Electrically Charged, Lost in the Never-Never, Exponential Intelligence, Recordless Bounty

Skills:
+5 - Lore, Scholarship
+4 - Discipline, Conviction
+3 - Weapons, Alertness, Craftmanship
+2 - Athletics, Guns, Might
+1 - Rapport, Empathy, Survival, Endurance

Powers:
-4 Sponsored Magic
+1 Human Form
    -1 Blood Drinker
    -1 Claws
-8 Physical Immunity
   +5 The Catch (Not Electricity)
-1 Sword of Spring

I also have rote spells and enchanted Items that I dont feel like listing right now unless somebody wants to look at them. I got my idea for Tesla to be weilding electricity and be part vampire from the SciFi series "Sanctuary". Some of the things I use are also pulled from the SciFi series "Warehouse 13". That is where I love to pull enchanted items or IoP from.

[Keravin]

The problem I have here is that it seems to be folding an awful lot into the spring/autumn courts.

What was there for electricity prior to the discovery of electricity?   If it was Lightning then surely that comes under storms rather than electricity?

I think defining the courts would help you and your GM a lot in terms of story potential, but also the boundaries the character and courts exist in.    We've had the Spring Court become the Neon Court in our game, but that's in the last 200 years and was the court stepping away from nature and the cycle.

[Lavecki121]

I feel as though the magic aspect of the Fae is much more accesable...not sure if that is the word, but they arent limited in the ways that mortal magic is.

And even if lightning is from storms it is still electricity for that he would be able to make electricity regardless of if he made a storm or not.

[Keravin]

Yes, but for the purposes of the themes/elements under the court electricity would come from where?  Not talking about your character I'm talking about the 'elements' that make up what the court stands for.

And they are limited by being defined by what their nature is - read a couple of Queen Mab speeches talking to Dresden.

[Lavecki121]

Any way you could link those to me or put refference towards it. I havent read very far in the series and I was going off of my base understanding of it.

[Addicted2aa]

The problem I have here is that it seems to be folding an awful lot into the spring/autumn courts.

What was there for electricity prior to the discovery of electricity?   If it was Lightning then surely that comes under storms rather than electricity?

I think defining the courts would help you and your GM a lot in terms of story potential, but also the boundaries the character and courts exist in.    We've had the Spring Court become the Neon Court in our game, but that's in the last 200 years and was the court stepping away from nature and the cycle.

If understand basic biology right, our brains work by firing electrical impulses. Magnetic is based on fields of electrons, so basically electricity. Static electricity seems like exactly the type of thing a prangster fae creature would use. Also I believe you can have lighting without storms.
BTW, I'm the GM. The character kinda jumped in in the middle so we didn't really have time to define the courts. We're trying to work on that now. I do see your point about the whole storms instead of Electricity though, it fits a more traditional model. But there are certainly ways that it could work around it.

[FishStampede]

He sounds a little like Death from Pratchett, I approve

Somewhat. Death is a lot nicer. The Reaper King comes off as an outright villain, though he's really nowhere near as bad as he looks and acts. The fact that Jack is the one who's actively dangerous is obscured by their different demeanors.

[Keravin]

Best starting place for reading on the Courts outside of Our World is Summer Knight.   That sets up a lot in terms of the courts and how the Knights relate - the Knights having more autonomy than Fae due to being human.

[Nightbreed DOA]

Just noticed this. The Spring and Autumn courts are quite prominent in my game, though currently I'm keeping them pretty mysterious.

I have the King of Autumn being the Reaper (aka Samhain, but Reaper is his most common name these days). He's a terrifying figure dressed all in black, resembling Reverend Kane from Poltergeist II. He is utterly without mercy, but also without cruelty. It is his job to end things and he does it. He is, however, pretty bad at political games and often leaves unintended loopholes in his edicts which his Prince exploits.

Jack is the Prince of Autumn. Which Jack? All of them. Jack Frost, Jack O'Lantern, Jack the Giant Killer, etc. He was once a mortal, but he tricked his way into power in the court when he trapped the Reaper King in a magical sack. He wanted immortality, and got it as a Sidhe. He also cannot be killed or significantly harmed by any forces of Autumn, including, unfortunately, the Reaper King, which makes his ambition to become Autumn King dangerous. He looks like a surprisingly ordinary young man dressed in slightly old-fashioned "country boy" clothes.

The Spring court hasn't been dealt with much, but they're currently courting (no pun intended) a PC to be the Knight of Spring. She also happens to be Jack's daughter, which would be a huge insult to to Autumn. Their representative is a certain Robert Goodman, who is a slightly sleazy but charming man in a suit who lives on deals and tricks. He's actually Puck, and the Prince of Spring. Naturally, Oberon is the King, though he has yet to appear "onscreen."

Cool story! Between you and Sanctaphrax's ideas i like how the other 2 courts can be shaped. Though i personally intend to make Samhain and the Reaper separate. I want to follow the heiarchy of the Winter and Summer Courts The Mother, The Queen and the Lady. (though it will be The Father, King and the Lord for Spring and Autumn)

Keeping with both ideas:
Autumn:
Lord: Jack the Pumpkin King: Granted he has "King" in his personal title, but he was elevated to Autumn Lord because he will be partially responsible for the restoration of the Autumn and Spring courts. Which results in freeing Samhain and Oberon From Mab's clutches.

King: Samhain:

Father: The Harvester (Reaper): While he does look like the classic Grim Reaper, i wanted him to represent the harvesting before possible death.

Spring:
Lord: Puck: As true to his nature he "tricked" Jack into helping him being back Spring as well as Autumn and was rewarded with the power of the Lord of the Spring Court.

King: Oberon

Father: This is where i am having difficulty filling this slot. Any and all suggestions would be very helpful.

Again My thanks to Sanctaphrax and FishStampede for the wonderful ideas!

[Keravin]

I've suggested the Green Man for the High King for what was our Spring Court.

[Mojosilver]

OK here is my take on the courts.
spring: growth, healing, and rejuvenation, awakening. change is here, planting or birthing of new things, out with the old in with the new. spring would be more open to new things and new thought. stoic and hard working to in sure change is in there favor.
summer: every rose has thorns but you do not always see the thorns. growth of what is be it good or bad.
autumn: Entropy, harvest, fatalism, perseverance. cold hard days are a coming be ready to meet them. harvisting and preservation of what is so it is not lost. work, fight, and party like it's your last day alive, cuz, heck, it probably is.
winter: death, hibernation, stealth, secrets. cold cruel beauty. it's a dog eat dog world. The world is a sinful place, and sin can give you strength.
that is my two cents on the fae courts. thanks bye.