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The Dresden Files => DFRPG => Topic started by: Gilesth on October 31, 2009, 06:18:55 PM
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I had a thought the other day...
On an episode of The Monkeys, and on the Simpsons, an item showed up called a Monkey's Paw...an item that allows the user to make up to four wishes (I think) without limitations. How is DFRPG going to handle items like that? I mean, if I were to play a mundane police officer, is there a way for my GM to put together a wishing item that would allow me to become a wizard? I know it would be lame...but it was a thought that MY players would be likely to come up with (they're tricky that way).
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On an episode of The Monkeys, and on the Simpsons, an item showed up called a Monkey's Paw...an item that allows the user to make up to four wishes (I think) without limitations. How is DFRPG going to handle items like that? I mean, if I were to play a mundane police officer, is there a way for my GM to put together a wishing item that would allow me to become a wizard? I know it would be lame...but it was a thought that MY players would be likely to come up with (they're tricky that way).
The heck with the RPG, how is the Dresden Files universe supposed to handle something like that? That energy has to come from somewhere. My bet is that if it exists at all in the Dresdenverse -- and I would make no guarantees that it *could* -- that it'd be an artifact of dark, Outsider-driven potential considered far more dangerous than anything Kemmler and his disciples ever toyed with.
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The item itself would be a plot device - you don't need rules to tell you how that works. The consequences, on the other hand, are handled rather elegantly by the system. Chances are you'd take a brand new aspect reflecting the unintended consequences of your wish. Your character probably won't like it. Also, welcome to Lawbreaker status, as you've just consorted with Outsiders.
Please remain where you are, the Wardens will be by to execute you momentarily.
That's how I'd handle it at my table, anyway.
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I think that the most sensible DF version of such an item would allow a person to become an Emissary of Power. It doesn't strictly speaking grant a wish so much as it physically represents a pact with some dark power. Using it would alter your high concept Aspect in an appropriate way and grant access to applicable supernatural powers -- at their normal Refresh cost, of course.
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In case anyone is interested, here's the original short story from 1906: http://www.americanliterature.com/Jacobs/SS/TheMonkeysPaw.html (http://www.americanliterature.com/Jacobs/SS/TheMonkeysPaw.html)
I think I first encountered it in a high school English reader.
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I think the Twilight Zone did one episode with that story as well.
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As long as you keep the flavor of the original story in mind - yes, you get wishes, but the damned thing *will* twist whatever you wish for into something horrible that you'll have to deal with...
And, the "overly clever" types who spend days working out highly legalisticaly termed conditions and clarifications etc.?
As a DM, for items like this, I always made the wish to be the first sentence, break, comma, whatever..
Player: "I wish for unending wealth, that -"
DM Voice in Player head: "Done!"
Player: "But I wasn't finished! That wasn't what I wanted!!" <angst> <woe><misery>
DM Voice in Player head?"BWWHHAA HA HA HA HA! Foolish Mortal - trifling with powers beyond your ken! Bwwwaaah! Ha Ha HA HAAA!"
Or sometimes it wouldn't work at all with the run-on blather - if I was feeling extra nice or if the player was too shiny-new.
IMAO - It's pretty much got to be a dark aspected item.
Powerful - Who's to say that it doesn't have a personality and or preferences of it's own, complete with resentments and hatreds.
Think a wish-granting, Necro-Bob flavored item!
These are things that are system independent - once you have the concept of what it's going to do, you can tailor appropriately...