The Dresden Files > DFRPG

A new power: Ranged Vampirism

<< < (2/2)

vultur:

--- Quote from: Sanctaphrax on July 25, 2018, 09:19:50 AM ---The attack would still have to fit the method of feeding. So you could drain blood by shooting people, possibly by inhaling from the wounds, but for emotions you'd have to use ranged Incite Emotion attacks or something similar.
--- End quote ---

Yeah... but the thing is, that way how good a vampire is at "ranged feeding" is based on how good they are with guns or Incite Emotion or whatever. That's not really the effect I want here; it's an expansion of the basic feeding power, using the same skill, not bringing in "extraneous" skills or Powers like Guns or Incite Emotion.

The model I'm imagining is the eldest Jade Court being physically weak as supernaturals go - they never go above Inhuman Strength and never get any Speed powers at all (they're jiangshi/"hopping vampires", less mobile than a normal human) - but with an overwhelming "chi drain" attack.


--- Quote ---I'm pretty sure an elder BCV would have more powerful attack options than this. Like Evocation.
--- End quote ---

I don't think BCVs necessarily automatically pick up spellcasting just by being old, but who knows -- Mavra might be just a wizard-turned-vampire. I'd at least prefer that they didn't, since at high Refresh levels spellcasting would outweigh their weird vampire powers.


--- Quote ---With that in mind, maybe the way to go would be making vampirism powers compatible with attack spells. The image you had in mind would certainly be achievable that way.

--- End quote ---

That's closer to what I had in mind image-wise, but why can't ranged feeding be an attack power in itself? Spellcasting comes with a lot of other capabilities which I don't think should be available to the basic, newly-turned Jade Court vampire.

Sanctaphrax:
I would argue that Incite Emotion, at least, is not extraneous to feeding.

Still, I see what you mean. The thing is, "skill roll to hit, weapon 4, range 3 zones" is a pretty puny attack by elder vampire standards. I can't see any Black Court elder, spellcaster or not, using such an attack much. And if that's the big gun of a Jade Court elder, they won't be much of a threat.

You could expand the power so that it's possible to invest, like, ten Refresh into strengthening it, but that seems like a hassle. Making ranged feeding into something that you use with Incite Emotion, Evocation, Natural Weaponry (chi drain), or whatever just seems easier.

Taran:
As far as I can tell, Blood Drinker and Emotional Vampire net you two things - as long as you are touching your victim:
1) +1 to hit /+1 stress in a grapple for Blood Drinker
2) recovery if you kill someone.

+1 to attack when in the presence of your 'food'.  In both situations, you need to make a maneuver(or create a consequence) to create an aspect.  Blood drinker is done with Fists and Emotional vampire is done with Intimidation or Deception.  If you have Incite Emotion, you can use that to create the Aspect.

The +1 is for any Fists (blood drinker) or Deception/Intimidate(Emotional Vampire) rolls, as long as you are touching.

The advantage is, if you have Incite Emotion, you can get +1 to hit as well as +4 damage, if you also have potent emotion.  If you have Potent Emotion and the 'At Range' Upgrade, you wouldn't get the +1 to attack if you weren't touching.

The simplest thing is to have an 'At Range' upgrade on Blood Drinker/Emotional Vampire.

My feeling is that Jade Vampires are 'drinking' or breathing in a person's Chi or 'life force'.   I'm not sure how blood-drinker would work at range, but for Chi, I'd just make it a different kind of 'emotion' with a ranged upgrade on Emotional Vampire.

vultur:

--- Quote from: Sanctaphrax on July 26, 2018, 08:17:14 AM ---I would argue that Incite Emotion, at least, is not extraneous to feeding.
--- End quote ---

A good point. And the Blood Drinker version is just a cool side option, not really the main point of this power.

I really do like the mental image of an ultra-powerful Black Court vamp "telekinetically" ripping blood out of its foes. But that could be modeled with Incite Effect or something...



--- Quote ---Still, I see what you mean. The thing is, "skill roll to hit, weapon 4, range 3 zones" is a pretty puny attack by elder vampire standards. I can't see any Black Court elder, spellcaster or not, using such an attack much. And if that's the big gun of a Jade Court elder, they won't be much of a threat.
--- End quote ---

Well, the top end of the White Court's Incite Emotion is skill roll to hit, weapon 4, range 1 zone. I don't see the Jade Court as nearly as overtly powerful as the pre-Changes Red Court or pre-Stokerlypse Black Court; that's part of why they're limited to a relatively small (if densely populated) part of China.

I'd also imagine their real Elders also have other stuff that works better in their native area...

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[*] Previous page