Author Topic: Canim statting  (Read 5004 times)

Offline Tirs

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Canim statting
« on: October 11, 2014, 10:06:07 PM »
 It's so obviously, but...
How basic canim (maker) template should seem?
My version:
Echo of the beast [-1]
Pack instinct [-1]
Claws [-1]
Hulking size [-2]
Feeding affecting (meat) [+1]
Inhuman everething [-8]
« Last Edit: October 11, 2014, 10:57:04 PM by Tirs »
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Offline narphoenix

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Re: Canim statting
« Reply #1 on: October 12, 2014, 12:52:07 AM »
It's so obviously, but...
How basic canim (maker) template should seem?
My version:
Echo of the beast [-1]
Pack instinct [-1]
Claws [-1]
Hulking size [-2]
Feeding affecting (meat) [+1]
Inhuman everething [-8]

Feeding Dependency is disgusting (sad but true). In addition, there's no real reason the Canim should have it even if the power /was/ good.

Drop Pack Instincts. They look like wolves but don't seem to have the coordination thing going

I'd drop Inhuman Toughness, Recovery, and Speed. They don't act particularly fast and everything else about their durability can be covered by Hulking Size.

Leaves you with the following Powers:
Echoes of the Beast (wolf) [-1]
Claws [-1]
Hulking Size [-2]
Inhuman Strength [-2]

This gives you a much saner starting template at [-6].
« Last Edit: October 12, 2014, 03:21:36 PM by narphoenix »
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Offline vultur

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Re: Canim statting
« Reply #2 on: October 12, 2014, 01:15:57 AM »
The Canim are big, but I don't think they are clumsy enough to deserve the severe limitations of Hulking Size.

I think just Echoes (wolf), Claws, and Inhuman Strength as a base, for -4 minimum, with Inhuman Toughness as an option (or maybe the No Pain No Gain Stunt instead).

Offline MijRai

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Re: Canim statting
« Reply #3 on: October 12, 2014, 02:19:41 PM »
Given descriptions of their speed (and how fast they can go, even in full armor), I'd say Inhuman Speed is likely.  Strength definitely, Toughness maybe. 
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Offline MadAlchemist

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Re: Canim statting
« Reply #4 on: October 13, 2014, 03:40:05 AM »
Given the somewhat vague memories I have of Codex Alera I'd go for the sprinter stunt perhaps with an extra +1 and a requirement of empty hands over Inhuman Speed. Maybe just a base Canim power built just for them.
I don't see them with hulking size, they really aren't that much bigger than a Irish Wolfhound. So big, but not so much hulking. I would cobble together the appropriate bits of Echoes and Claws. I'm not even certain I would put full Inhuman Strength in the Template, depending on the refresh level of the game and weather or not any players want to play one. Advantages of mass and such could just be tags or invokes on their high concept. I would certainly put any of the Inhuman building blocks except Recovery as appropriate and available. They do die and wounds linger.

My attempt; Canim Physiology (-2 Refresh)
Requirements: A High Concept that states you are a member of the Canim species.
Beast Senses. Canim have particularly keen senses (Someone who remembers better than I can fill in what senses) Whenever it seems reasonable that you’d have some sort of beast-born advantage of the senses (for example, a keen sense of smell while making an Alertness or
Investigation roll), you get a +1 on the roll.
Quadruped Sprint. Whenever a Canim has both hands free they can sprint on all fours gaining a +2 to their Athletics for that purpose. 
Natural Weapons. You have claws and teeth that do +1 physical stress
on a successful hit. This bonus stacks with any advantages due to Strength abilities or other powers or stunts that boost the damage of a Fists attack.

Offline PirateJack

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Re: Canim statting
« Reply #5 on: October 13, 2014, 04:41:16 AM »
Nope, I'd give them full Inhuman Strength and probably Inhuman Speed too. Hulking Size is also something I can see them having because they're basically an Irish Wolfhound on its hind legs, with musculature in proportion to their height. Varg, as I recall, is upwards of 8 feet when slouching.

Varg managed to lift a steel portcullis that a powerful earthcrafter was unable to budge, without the benefit of furycrafting to strengthen his body. While he's an outlier in terms of physical capabilities amongst the Canim, the Maker and Warrior castes are still much stronger on an individual level than Alerans are.

Speed wise they're also faster than Alerans, though standard Aleran doctrine means they don't get to utilise that too often.

Also, something I've just remembered from browsing the wiki; Canim are able to smell the bloodline of people. It's how Varg recognised Tavi as having the authority to order him about, despite Tavi being unaware of the fact at the time. Sounds like a Supernatural Sense to me.
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Offline MadAlchemist

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Re: Canim statting
« Reply #6 on: October 13, 2014, 05:32:47 AM »
Nope, I'd give them full Inhuman Strength and probably Inhuman Speed too. Hulking Size is also something I can see them having because they're basically an Irish Wolfhound on its hind legs, with musculature in proportion to their height. Varg, as I recall, is upwards of 8 feet when slouching.
Certainly a fair reading of the rules as written. If we are just statting for the fun of it, I agree with giving Inhuman: Strength, Speed and Toughness to just about every Canim, plus the Canim physiology power too make up for the rest. Still wouldn't give them hulking size, having always envisioned that as being for things that would fill an average sized room. I think they could make some use of human tools too and Hulking Size prevents that. 
As for relative strengths, we don't have any cannon to make use of as a baseline. Do we stat that fury enhanced strength as Inhuman or Supernatural? What about a skill replacement for Might and if so, at what value?
Supernatural Senses might explain the bloodline-scent thing, but do we know if all Canim can do that?
I'd go conservative with the baseline and leave a lot of room to fiddle with individual coolness.     

Offline PirateJack

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Re: Canim statting
« Reply #7 on: October 13, 2014, 01:25:39 PM »
Hmm, if I were to throw out some baseline stats it'd probably look like this:

Average Aleran
Sponsored Magic (Furycrafting) [-4]

Then there'd be a mixture of the following, based on which elements they can craft:
Inhuman Powers [-2/8]
Wings [-1]
Supernatural Senses [-1/2]
Cloak of Shadows [-1]
Glamours [-2]
Incite Effect (plus upgrades) [-Varies]
Item of Power (Domination - slave collars) [-2]

Average Canim
Inhuman Str/Spe/Tou [-6]
Hulking Size [-2]
Supernatural Sense (Bloodline smell) [-1]
Echoes of the Beast [-1]
Potent Natural Weaponry [-2]
Wizard's Constitution [-0]

So while the average Aleran has a choice of 20 refresh worth of power, most will not have nearly that much. I'd call the default power level as Snorkelling (13 refresh/40 skill points) since that gives just enough refresh to cover the Canim while giving plenty of room for a low powered Aleran to work with.
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Offline MadAlchemist

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Re: Canim statting
« Reply #8 on: October 13, 2014, 06:11:11 PM »
I did some of the work converting DFRPG to Codex Alera a few years ago. I broke down each of the furycrafting elements into a separate sponsored magic. Since there was no evocation available applying the discount for further elements to any after the first. They all have their own built in limitations and all associated powers would have that limitation applied too.
Probably removing the limitation on refinements to foci and allowing the base  foci slots to be spent on integral refinement. That would allow for your basic Aleran peasant to have furycrafting without a bunch of the associated powers dirt cheap. (In the 2-3 Refresh range, Air and Fire I would only give a +1 for the limitation, the rest at +2)
I don't think I would bother putting Incite Effect and Supernatural Senses on there. Incite is wasted refresh if you have casting abilities and the same would be true of Supernatural Sense. Admittedly all of the cool things people do with furycrafting could be accomplished just with the Ritual and Channeling rules they would get to use. Need super strength? Replace your Might. Blow stuff up with your Fire-Fury? Evocation rules. Making slave collars? Earth-Furycrafting Enchanted Item. Gotta fly somewhere? Resources/Athletics/Drive(???) Replacement with Air-Furies. Sensing a furycrafted sword coming at your back? Just roll Lore, it can do that. Sensing non-Furycrafted swords coming at you? Alertness replacement.     

Offline Sanctaphrax

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Re: Canim statting
« Reply #9 on: October 13, 2014, 07:00:18 PM »
I'd call the default power level as Snorkelling (13 refresh/40 skill points) since that gives just enough refresh to cover the Canim while giving plenty of room for a low powered Aleran to work with.

It's been a long time since I read Alera, but I'm pretty sure it's not that high-powered. I doubt an average Aleran is even Feet In The Water.

Offline PirateJack

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Re: Canim statting
« Reply #10 on: October 13, 2014, 08:30:50 PM »
I don't think so.

Your typical earthcrafter will have Inhuman Strength/Toughness (The Catch is contact with Earth), Sponsored Earthcrafting, Supernatural Sense and Incite Mental Effect at Range with Additional Emotion (Lust/Calm), just as a base. You could theoretically drop the Inhuman powers for just Sponsored Earthcrafting, but that doesn't emulate the constant toughness or strength earthcrafters have access to and limits their options in combat.

Firecrafters have Sponsored Magic + SupSense + Incite Mental Effect at range with Additional Emotion (Passion/Fear).

Watercrafters get SM/SS/IE as usual, plus Glamours (or a shapeshifting power).

You get the picture? We're looking at a minimum of 8 refresh for even the most basic firecrafter, which has the least number of additional powers associated with it.

There's a reason the Alerans managed to create such a powerful nation for themselves on a new world, even against creatures like the Canim, the Marat and the Icemen. Every man, woman and child in Alera is capable of wielding a prodigious amount of power (bar one). Aleran furycrafting is the equivalent of giving every citizen in the country a loaded gun when everyone else is still using spears.
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Offline Sanctaphrax

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Re: Canim statting
« Reply #11 on: October 13, 2014, 09:35:42 PM »
Actually, I'm pretty sure Sponsored Magic is only appropriate for the strongest Alerans. You don't see many of the powerful, flexible, upwardly-unlimited magical workings that Thaumaturgy allows. So maybe just Channelling, or maybe not even that; if average Alerans had access to evocation-level attacks they wouldn't bother with swords.

Incite Effect is kinda redundant with Channelling, but if you do give it out then it should only rarely have the mental upgrade. You don't see random earthcrafters winning fights with lust-zaps. If you gave them Incite Mental Effect, then legionnaires could one-shot enemy foot soldiers with mental attacks.

Personally, I'd go with Incite Effect and some mixture of stunts, Inhuman Abilities, and Supernatural Senses. The stronger Alerans get actual casting.

PS: I think the gun analogy is appropriate. Giving everyone a built-in gun would cost about 2 Refresh.

Offline Tedronai

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Re: Canim statting
« Reply #12 on: October 13, 2014, 11:41:27 PM »
Incite Effect, physical building blocks and other non-casting powers, imho, are critical for representing certain aspects of Furycrafting.

Channeling-based representations run into short-term Stress limitations.
Ritual-based representations just aren't fast enough.
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Offline Hick Jr

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Re: Canim statting
« Reply #13 on: October 13, 2014, 11:49:32 PM »
I'm hacking together custom Furycrafting powers, and I could post an example of the basic rule structure along with, say, Windcrafting, but, well, they're sort of terrible. And they're absolutely not balanced against all the other Powers, because I built them specifically for a Codex Alera game.

Should I post them?
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Offline bobjob

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Re: Canim statting
« Reply #14 on: October 14, 2014, 12:10:07 AM »
Sure. It never hurts to have another set of eyes.

The Codex series is on my list of books to read, so I probably won't be any help. But there are other Codex fans here.
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