ParanetOnline
The Dresden Files => DFRPG => Topic started by: Jebm on December 10, 2011, 05:13:54 AM
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I'm completely new at character creation for the DFRPG,and new to this website, though I've lurked for a while and I was hoping you fine folks could help me out.
I want to create a Tengu Scion mercenary, and though I have a rough idea for a few things such as: Inhuman Strength, Inhuman Toughness and Supernatural Speed, I've yet to form anything really concrete other than that though both Weapons and Fists will be rather high.
Considering that Tengu would be probably considered distant cousins to the Erlking's type of goblins, I'm not sure the cold iron catch would apply given the Tengu legends focus on swordsmanship.
I have a vague idea of his item of power and his enchanted items but I'd like some feedback first before I attempt to go into them.
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For those unfamilar with Tengu, Wikipedia is your friend. (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Tengu)
First of all, it's a scion, so definitely take reduced abilities of it supernatural parent- that usually knocks out mythic abilities, and the rest can be adjusted for the refresh level of your game (for example, I'm currently playing a scion of Hermes- Hermes himself would have Mythic Speed, so I took that down 1 to Supernatural speed, which fit the refresh level we're playing, though if it had been Feet in the Water Inhuman would still fit.)
Some possibles (depending how close to its parent the scion is, and the gameplay):
[-1] Wings
[-2] Aeromancy (mentions air magic, channeled via fans?)
[-2] Inhuman Speed
[-2] Inhuman Strength
[+1] Catch?
(may boost one of the Inhuman stats up to supernatural, but depends on your taste in characters.)
Most of the marital arts would be covered by stunts. A simple weapon could suffice, but depending on the context of the game an IoP could be very interesting. Just take care that your PC doesn't outbalance the party.
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Thank You for the feed back. I've actually decided to not to give him wings as it just doesn't fit with my visual image of the character,thought I'll probably include a feeding dependency to boost his inhuman speed up to supernatural. He definitely has Aeromancy though I'm not sure whether to channel it through fans or a sword as I wanted to add in a Kamaitachi reference if I made into a IoP. Also as of yet,I don't have a party to join though I'm currently looking. This was to be my character if I found one.
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I also had an idea for at least three different IoP that he could have access to,mainly focusing on Aeromancy related abilities, though I'm sure I could try and make them into enchanted items.
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I also had an idea for at least three different IoP that he could have access to,mainly focusing on Aeromancy related abilities, though I'm sure I could try and make them into enchanted items.
If you treat aeromancy as Channeling, you get 2 Focus Items- I'd advise investing both to give 2 "+1 air" abilities (offensive/defensive power/control). Definitely give the Focus Item (YS 278) a good read-through. (A refinement would give you more slots). Keep in mind you're limited in bonus by Lore.
If you go Sponsored Magic (for example, if they draw their magic from somewhere other than their own), that's a little more Free play. You could still go the Focus Item route, but storywise an IoP makes a little more sense (if you're representing someone "higher.") I don't know if the Tengu were anyone's servitors, but keep that in mind. It ultimately depends on what style of character you want to play.
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If you wanted to be a scion that could blend in with humans better (and so forgo the wings) you could probably swing a -1 leaping power that represented a combination of leaner muscles and lighter bones, etc. Something along the lines of +2 to athletics for jumping, and +1 for resisting fall damage (since it is a power tied to your core concept, a total of 3 is fair).
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1. +4 to jumping and complete immunity to falling damage would seem reasonable for 1 refresh. Wings is still better in almost every way.
2. What sort of help are you looking for here? Are you looking for people to build the character for you?
3. Welcome to the forum.
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Thank you for the welcome.
While wings are probably better in every way, I wanted to do a mix of both Long nosed and Crow variations ,which could easily be explained as two different tribes who occasionally interbreed . Still in addition to the long nose I wanted to include feather like hair, that would turn white when he's drawing on his supernatural speed in addition to other Tengu traits such as red skin. Something similar to the description found here: http://scp-wiki.wikidot.com/scp-746
Possibly the ability to converse with crows and enhanced sense of smell,particularly the ability to smell blood lust or something.
I've thought about Emissary of Power as I can see the Tengus as a supernatural mercenary force not unlike Monoc Security though slightly less modern. I'm not sure who they'd be servitors to as there's a number of supernatural beings to choose from. Also channeling is probably the best way to go about his aeromancy
As for help, having absolutely no clue on how to create a character for the DFRPG despite looking through the PDFs at every opportunity, I'll take you up on that if your offering,not that I want to seem lazy or anything.
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As for help, having absolutely no clue on how to create a character for the DFRPG despite looking through the PDFs at every opportunity, I'll take you up on that if your offering,not that I want to seem lazy or anything.
People here will gladly help. Here's a rough overview:
1) Get 7 ASPECTS- these are important details about your character that help define who your character is. There is a high concept (example: Warden of Berlin, Luckless Chloromancer, etc.), a trouble (big fat mouth, gambling addition, etc.), and 5 additional aspects. These will be used for fate point usage (+2 or reroll), provided they are relevant to the roll you're making- so make them diverse aspects. This is concurrent to writing backstory
2) Get a power set- this is powers and stunts. First, figure out what REFRESH LEVEL you're playing- a build for "Feet in the Water" is markedly different from "Submerged". Determine what are essential to your character (probably Channeling for Aeromancy), and if you have refresh points to spare you could put them in things like Wings or Refinement.
3) Look at skills, again by refresh level. Figure out if your character is physical combat, social drama, explorer, mystique of the NeverNever, etc. Find out what kind of game the GM is running, or what kind of PC you want to play.
(This is a very thin outline, more of a do-it-yourself build. We'll gladly help if you want more specifics.)
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Mashiro Tengumaru (Submerged)
High Concept: Son Of The Great Tengu
Trouble Aspect: Mercenary-ing Is Hard Work
Other Aspects: My Father's Sword, Code Of Honour, Devout Buddhist
Skills:
Superb: Weapons
Great: Athletics, Fists
Good: Endurance, Conviction, Discipline
Fair: Alertness, Lore, Resources, Intimidation
Average: Investigation, Survival, Scholarship, Presence, Contacts
Powers:
Inhuman Strength [-2]
Supernatural Speed [-4]
Inhuman Toughness [-2]
The Catch (Something tengu-appropriate) [+1]
Item Of Power (Sword Of The Great Tengu) [+2] granting:
Tengu Magic [-4]
Total Refresh Cost:
-9
Refresh Total:
1
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Thank you. That works perfectly for me, as I hadn't even managed to come with a name for him yet. Seeing as Tengu magic seems to revolve around Shape shifting,Aeromancy and skill enhancing possession I'd give him access to those.as well as supernatural senses
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Thank you. That works perfectly for me, as I hadn't even managed to come with a name for him yet. Seeing as Tengu magic seems to revolve around Shape shifting,Aeromancy and skill enhancing possession I'd give him access to those.as well as supernatural senses
Well, if you're going by what Tengu Magic hypothetically represents (I used the Were-form Template):
[-4]
*Channeling (Air) [-2]
*Beast Change [-1]
*Echoes of the Beast [-1]
*Human Form [+1]
This assumes you can only take a single (substituting were-form) other shape. This actually either gives you 1 more FP, or 1 more [-1] power or stunt. If you can take multiple forms, if you still applied Human Form you'd be at [-4] again.
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Anyone have ideas for air spells or air related-enchanted items?
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Would it be much of a stretch build-wise to make him an Emissary of Power to his father?. I've also been thinking of a few stunts he could go with and I'm not sure how many I'm allowed to have so feel free to correct me if I go over board as I probably don't have enough for all these stunts. I've decided to borrow a few from the custom stunt list marked with apostrophes and I was also thinking of adding Guns(Bows) into his Great skills and as well as bump Fists up to Superb.
Stunts:
Martial Artist
Lethal Weapons
My Body Is A Weapon
Use Their Strength Against Them*
Too Fast to Hit
Reading the Line of Fire*
Ball Toss*
Footwork*
Quick Draw*
Iaijutsu*
Warrior Culture*
Bows Are Weapons*
Know Your Blades*
Focused Strike*
Wall of Death
My Weapons Speak For Me*
Riposte
Wiki info on his dad is here:en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Sōjōbō
Stunt List is here: http://www.jimbutcheronline.com/bb/index.php/topic,21952.0.html
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Well, you`d need more refresh to afford Marked By Power. Same goes for the stunts. And you`d need more skill points to afford those skills.
You may need to go above Submerged for this.
Other than that, those ideas sound good.
Glad to see the interest in the stunt list.
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Well I don't want to go over bored with it. How many skills and stunts is a Submerged character normally allowed to have?. would it be possible redesign him a bit so he could take the emissary of power and still be a scion?.
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A Submerged character has 35 skill points and 10 refresh. He can only spend 9 of his refresh, though.
You can absolutely be both an Emissary and a Scion. Just take Marked By Power and you're an Emissary. Just say that you're a Scion and you're a Scion.
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so how many stunts could I take out of the one I'd chosen?
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None, if you use the build I suggested.
Depending on how much you're willing to cut, you could afford up to 11. Any more than 8 would require going Pure Mortal, though.
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what would I need to cut to do so?
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The sample build Sanctaphrax provided spends 9 of your 10 refresh, leaving only 1 (which you can't spend without turning the character into an NPC). Stunts cost 1 refresh each, so you could trade out powers for a number of stunts equal to their cost. For example, dropping your Speed from Supernatural to Inhuman would free up two refresh, and you could spend that on two stunts.
If you wanted to go with a stunt-based build, you could create a Pure Mortal (which gives you 12 refresh instead of 10 to spend, but can only be spent on stunts, not powers). This would let you take up to 11 stunts, though if you did so you'd have very little in the way of Fate to spend.
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Oh, Got you. didn't know it worked that way.
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Oh, Got you. didn't know it worked that way.
Yup, you get a pool of refresh (which varies depending on the game's power level). That refresh can be spent on powers and/or stunts. Unspent refresh represents your remaining free will, and determines how many Fate points you start each session with -- so there is a bit of a tradeoff with spending too much of your refresh (because you will need to accept compels more often in order to gain Fate points).
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After talking to a friend of mine who's a historian/mythology major, I've figured out a few appropriate weaknesses for my Tengu scion. While they apparently apply for the two separate species of Tengu Daihana and Karasu (Long nose and Crow), I've decided to give him both catches as a matter of flavor. The first catch is Bamboo Weaponry which should be treated as cold iron and the second is Japanese Holy Items. With these being specific weaknesses I'm not sure how they would be treated as. I've also been thinking of giving him a feeding dependency for his supernatural speed.
Would creating a shell of air around projectile weapon to increasing it's piercing and impact be considered channeling or evocation as I've been planning to make him skilled with bows,guns and thrown objects.
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So weaknesses typically take the form of the "Catch" part of the Toughness and Recovery powers. Looking at your presumed build, it calls for +1 worth of catch, meaning you can get by with a very specific, hard to find, and hard to research weakness.
You could easily justify the +1 refund you need with a catch of bamboo weapons and Shinto holy items. In fact I would normally price such a catch as +1 for being difficult but possible to research, and +1 for for being difficult to find but possible for anyone who is willing to devote the time and money. So in my games it would normally be a +2 refund total, but since you are taking a power that costs -2 to get and the refund from the catch can't reduce the power's cost below -1, it is effectively a +1 Catch for you.
God I hope that all makes sense.
As to the question about using magic, Channeling is really just a very focused, less powerful version of evocation. With both you would have to choose the element Air to accomplish what you outlined, but anything you could do with Channeling you could also do with Evocation. So it's not really a question of "which one do I take to accomplish X effect", but "am I someone who has an uncanny ability to control the spirits of air (channeling) or am I a wizard-type spellcaster who happens to be slightly better at controlling air (evocation)".
I recommend channeling for you, as it would fit better (it seems) and is cheaper. Now you have to design a spell which would accomplish the effects you describe, which isn't easy in itself. Give me some time to think about it and I'll post what comes to mind, unless someone else (hopefully) beats me to it.
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Ok thank you and what ever you decide is fine. The build is a sample one of the forum members made for me. I'm currently trying to rework his item of power and was trying to come up with a few enchanted items for him. I was thinking of giving him a straw cloak that can change shape as well as act as a veil and an enchanted fan. the air shell idea is mainly becuase I could see the more progressive and pragmatic Tengu taking up firearms when archery is not enough similar to the Gruff clan. As for his build, I wanted to make him a physical martial artist/swordsman who can blow an oni's head off with an arrow or gun from range if he wanted to.
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This is my first attempt at doing an Item of Power. Please tell me what you think needs work.
Sword Of The Great Tengu [-3]
Description: This an exquisitely made katana traditionally used by the Tengu Clan’s current prince or chosen emissary as a symbol of the their authority and grants the wielder access to a small measure of the king’s sword skills while in combat.
Musts: You must have an aspect related to your possession of this item.
Skills Affected: Weapons, Athletics
Effects:
[-0] Purpose. The Sword of the Great Tengu was crafted by the Tengu for the use of a skilled warrior. If the user ever leaves the path of the sword behind as defined by the Tengu this item will not work for them in a mundane or a magical sense
[-0] It Is What It Is. An extremely well made Katana Weapon 3
[-0] Unbreakable. As an Item of Power, this item cannot be broken except with a magical ritual predicated upon perverting its purpose.
[+2] One-Time Discount. The Sword of the Great Tengu is not easy to conceal, because it's a sheathed Katana
[-2] Tengu’s Guiding Hand: The wielder is partially possessed by the Tengu King via a mind meld, who subconsciously guides their swords strikes. The user gains the full effect of these stunts provided they are physically holding the blade.
Quick Draw (Weapons)
Iaijutsu (Weapons)
Riposte (Weapons)
Footwork (Weapons)
Devastating Slashes (Weapons)
My Weapon Speaks For Me (Weapons)
[-1]Unnatural Edge: By spending a fate point an attack with the sword automatically ignores mundane armor or armor created via some manner of spell craft.
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A few things strike me as problematic:
1. Costs don't add up. +2 rebate -1 Unnatural Edge -2 Tengu's Guiding Hand does not result in a cost of -3.
2. Powers that are like stunts but better are bad form in my opinion. I would suggest attaching stunts at their full cost to the sword.
3. I'm not entirely clear on how Unnatural Edge is meant to work.
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A few things strike me as problematic:
3. I'm not entirely clear on how Unnatural Edge is meant to work.
I think it's a dialed-down version of All Creatures are Equal, which costs a Fate point per strike, and only ignores Mundane and Spellcraft armor.
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Oh,Didn't know that about the costs. Yes the Unnatural Edge was supposed to emulate the Warden Sword's abilities to ignore armor made by spell craft and blocks.
What would be your take on Tengu's Guiding Hand Sanctaphrax if it didn't give stunts?.
I wish I wasn't so new at this >_<
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I honestly think that Unnatural Edge is underpriced at -1. -2 would seem more reasonable in my book.
All Creatures... is a -3, and the only difference between these two versions is that you get to ignore a couple of stress boxes from Toughness Powers, which is only a minor benefit compared to ignoring armour. You'd also still get to satisfy the most useful Catch to be able to hit "Holy stuff"
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I think Unnatural Edge is vastly underpowered. ACaEBG is scene-long and lets you ignore Toughness and Recovery. This affects only one attack, and it is useless against Toughness and Recovery.
In fact, I think Unnatural Edge is underpowered for a stunt. Killer Blow gives +3 stress for 1 FP, and enemies with armour 3 are fairly rare. So this will usually be worse than Killer Blow. And Killer Blow is terrible.
So, yeah.
Ideas for what to do with Tengu's Guiding Hand:
-Give stunts at no discount.
-True Aim.
-Beast Change variant that lets you use a different set of skills while holding the sword.
-Demonic Co-Pilot.
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This is my first attempt at doing an Item of Power. Please tell me what you think needs work.
Ok...comments below...
Sword Of The Great Tengu [-3]
Description: This an exquisitely made katana traditionally used by the Tengu Clan’s current prince or chosen emissary as a symbol of the their authority and grants the wielder access to a small measure of the king’s sword skills while in combat.
Musts: You must have an aspect related to your possession of this item.
Skills Affected: Weapons, Athletics
Not sure where it affects Athletics, am I missing something?
Effects:
[-0] Purpose. The Sword of the Great Tengu was crafted by the Tengu for the use of a skilled warrior. If the user ever leaves the path of the sword behind as defined by the Tengu this item will not work for them in a mundane or a magical sense
[-0] It Is What It Is. An extremely well made Katana Weapon 3
[-0] Unbreakable. As an Item of Power, this item cannot be broken except with a magical ritual predicated upon perverting its purpose.
[+2] One-Time Discount. The Sword of the Great Tengu is not easy to conceal, because it's a sheathed Katana
The sword may or may not be worth a weapon value of three. By the guidelines, I'd go with Weapon:2 when used in one hand and Weapon:3 when used with two hands. Or just Weapon:2 to keep it simple.
[-2] Tengu’s Guiding Hand: The wielder is partially possessed by the Tengu King via a mind meld, who subconsciously guides their swords strikes. The user gains the full effect of these stunts provided they are physically holding the blade.
Quick Draw (Weapons)
Iaijutsu (Weapons)
Riposte (Weapons)
Footwork (Weapons)
Devastating Slashes (Weapons)
My Weapon Speaks For Me (Weapons)
While I'm not sure what all the listed stunts do, there are 6 of them. At the standard cost this should be a -6 power.
[-1]Unnatural Edge: By spending a fate point an attack with the sword automatically ignores mundane armor or armor created via some manner of spell craft.
Is this intended to ignore all magical blocks? If so, it's probably worth more than -1! If not, it's probably underpowered.
Trying to keep the spirit of what you've started, I'd suggest something like the following:
Sword v2b Effects [-1]- Purpose; It is what it is; Unbreakable; Discount [+2]: No need to make major changes though I'd consider the weapon value carefully and consider detailing the purpose.
- Tengu’s Guiding Hand: The sword is possessed by the Tengu King via a mind meld, who guides their sword at need. Effects:
- Always at hand [-2]: The sword appears, drawn and in its wielder's hand, as combat is initiated. If the wielder is surprised, the sword will defend at Good automatically. If the wielder is initiating combat, this forces an Avoiding Surprise roll even if the victim was aware of the wielder. (Note: This only works once against any given target.)
- Unnatural Edge [-1]: The sword treats Toughness powers as if they were one step weaker. (Mythic becomes Supernatural, etc.)
You can add other stunts or powers if you wish...I left most of the stunts you had off mostly because I didn't know what half of them were. Add them back in (at full price) as necessary. As Sanctaphrax notes, you do need to pay for the stunts / powers though...the 'one time discount' is your discount for the weapon. ;)
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Ok thanks for the feedback guys,I'm working on the changes now. I was hoping someone could help do a write up for Tengu magic similar to this http://www.jimbutcheronline.com/bb/index.php/topic,25794.msg1291357/topicseen.html#msg1291357. I know that Tengu are know for their specialization in air magic and shape shifting and possession but considering they're considered the founders of ninjutsu as well,maybe include some of the more mythical ninja abilities as well?. I know a certain breed of water Tengu related to the kappa is able to launch "strange" fireballs so maybe it depends on the type you learn it from?. I'd include it as normal ability just to be fair.
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Tengu magic should probably be like air for evocation and like illusion for thaumaturgy. Maybe thaumaturgical illusions at evocation speed too. Not sure what sort of extra benefit would be appropriate.
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Probably something to do with bladed weapons.
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Wield bladed weapons with a casting skill perhaps. Or maybe cast with the Weapons skill.
Because normally the skill/refresh investment required to use both magic and a sword is punitive. Wardens are quite suboptimal in DFRPG.
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Here's an updated version of Sword of the Great Tengu,hopefully that makes more sense.
Sword Of The Great Tengu [-3]
Description: This an exquisitely made katana traditionally used by the Tengu Clan’s current prince or chosen emissary as a symbol of the their authority and grants the wielder access to a small measure of the king’s sword skills while in combat.
Musts: You must have an aspect related to your possession of this item.
Skills Affected: Weapons
Effects:
[-0] Purpose. The Sword of the Great Tengu was crafted by the Tengu for the use of a skilled warrior in an effort to stave off the decline of swordsmanship in the world. This Item of Power may only be used in defense of one’s self, one’s comrades or one’s lord .If the user ever leaves the path of the sword behind as defined by the Tengu this item will not work for them in a mundane or a magical sense
[-0] It Is What It Is. An extremely well made Katana. It is treated as Weapon: 2 when used in one hand and Weapon: 3 when used with two hands.
[-0] Unbreakable. As an Item of Power, this item cannot be broken except with a magical ritual predicated upon perverting its purpose.
[+2] One-Time Discount. The Sword of the Great Tengu is not easy to conceal, because it's a sheathed Katana
[-3] Tengu’s Guiding Hand: The sword is possessed by the Tengu King via a mind meld, who guides their sword at need. The user gains the full effect of these abilities provided they are physically holding the blade.
True Aim: When swung in keeping with its purpose, Sword of the Great Tengu grants a +1 to the wielder’s Weapons skill.
Always at hand : The sword appears, drawn and in its wielder's hand, as combat is initiated. If the wielder is surprised, the sword will defend at Good automatically. If the wielder is initiating combat, this forces an Avoiding Surprise roll even if the victim was aware of the wielder. (Note: This only works once against any given target.)
Unnatural Edge: The sword treats Toughness powers as if they were one step weaker (Mythic becomes Supernatural, etc.), ignores 2 points of armour rating on mortal body armor or one created via some manner of spellcraft and deals a +1 bonus to hit and inflicts two additional stress.
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Overall, it looks pretty good. I would say the bonus to hit and extra damage here:
Unnatural Edge: The sword treats Toughness powers as if they were one step weaker (Mythic becomes Supernatural, etc.), ignores 2 points of armour rating on mortal body armor or one created via some manner of spellcraft and deals a +1 bonus to hit and inflicts two additional stress.
...are enough to bump up the cost at least one but probably two. In other words, this power alone should be 3 refresh. One for the toughness / armor reduction, one for the bonus to hit, and one for the plus two to weapon rating.
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I confess that I still do not understand Always At Hand. Could someone please explain it to me?
There is a math problem with the sword, in that it has 3 refresh worth of powers attached to a +2 discount for a final cost of -3. What's up with that?
Also, it's not clear to me what Always At Hand and Unnatural Edge are supposed to cost.
The new Unnatural Edge is definitely too strong for 1-2 refresh. I'd probably charge 2 refresh for the Toughness negation alone. Ignoring 2 points of armour is a decent power level for a stunt. +2 stress is acceptable for a -1 power. And +1 to hit is acceptable for a stunt, though there are stacking concerns. That adds up to a cost of 5 refresh.
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Always at hand is something Umbralux came up with. As I've got no clue how to properly add up refresh and am terrible at math, I'll go with your suggestion of 5. They were supposed to be abilities granted by Tengu's guiding hand. What's the cost for the Swords of the Cross,as I'd tried to based it off that.
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I confess that I still do not understand Always At Hand. Could someone please explain it to me?
The intention was to represent Iajutsu's legendary first strike and fast draw training. So...having a weapon 'always in hand' seemed appropriate. Mechanically, it's just extra defense during an ambush and the potential ability to 'ambush' an opponent with a fast draw.
While I'm not sure 5 is correct, the last power was under-priced.
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I'll price it whatever you guys think is appropriate
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How exactly do you "ambush" someone with Always At Hand? Do you have to spend an action? What difficulty do they roll against? And so on.
5 Refresh is in retrospect rather a lot. The overlap between the abilities means that although the parts add up to 5 the collective power isn't really worth 5.
I would recommend rewriting Unnatural Edge. Ignoring a level of Toughness and having +2 weapon rating is probably a good 3 Refresh power.
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It's the Ambush trapping from Stealth...slightly modified for Weapons.
Three is what I'd priced it at also.
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But it isn't quite the same as an Ambush. The Ambush trapping requires you to hide first.
This doesn't seem to involve hiding. Do you have to roll Weapons to conceal your violent intentions or something?
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I like the idea of an Iaijutsu based power,though I'm wondering if it should be edited so it's worded better or just rewritten entirely.
Here's an rewritten version of Sword of the Great Tengu,hopefully that makes more sense
Sword Of The Great Tengu [-3]
Description: This an exquisitely made katana traditionally used by the Tengu Clan’s current prince or chosen emissary as a symbol of their authority and grants the wielder access to a small measure of the king’s sword skills while in combat.
Musts: You must have an aspect related to your possession of this item.
Skills Affected: Weapons
Effects:
[-0] Purpose. The Sword of the Great Tengu was crafted by the Tengu for the use of a skilled warrior in an effort to stave off the decline of swordsmanship in the world. This Item of Power may only be used in defense of one’s self, one’s comrades or one’s lord .If the user ever leaves the path of the sword behind as defined by the Tengu this item will not work for them in a mundane or a magical sense
[-0] It Is What It Is. An extremely well made Katana. It is treated as Weapon: 2 when used in one hand and Weapon: 3 when used with two hands.
[-0] Unbreakable. As an Item of Power, this item cannot be broken except with a magical ritual predicated upon perverting its purpose.
[+2] One-Time Discount. The Sword of the Great Tengu is not easy to conceal, because it's a sheathed Katana
[-3] Tengu’s Guiding Hand: The sword is possessed by the Tengu King via a mind meld, who guides their sword at need. The user gains the full effect of these abilities provided they are physically holding the blade:
True Aim: When swung in keeping with its purposes, Sword of the Great Tengu grants a +1 to the wielder’s Weapons skill.
Always at hand : The sword appears, drawn and in its wielder's hand, as combat is initiated. If the wielder is surprised, the sword will defend at Good automatically. If the wielder is initiating combat, this forces an Avoiding Surprise roll even if the victim was aware of the wielder. (Note: This only works once against any given target.)
Unnatural Edge: The sword treats Toughness powers as if they were one step weaker (Mythic becomes Supernatural, etc.),and deals a +1 bonus to hit and inflicts two additional stress.
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It doesn't look like you've accounted for all the stunts / powers yet. Here's what I'd recommend...
Sword Of The Great Tengu [-4]
Description: This an exquisitely made katana traditionally used by the Tengu Clan’s current prince or chosen emissary as a symbol of their authority and grants the wielder access to a small measure of the king’s sword skills while in combat.
Musts: You must have an aspect related to your possession of this item.
Skills Affected: Weapons
Effects:
[-0] Purpose. The Sword of the Great Tengu was crafted by the Tengu for the use of a skilled warrior in an effort to stave off the decline of swordsmanship in the world. This Item of Power may only be used in defense of one’s self, one’s comrades or one’s lord .If the user ever leaves the path of the sword behind as defined by the Tengu this item will not work for them in a mundane or a magical sense (This seems extremely restrictive.)
[-0] It Is What It Is. An extremely well made Katana. It is treated as Weapon: 2 when used in one hand and Weapon: 3 when used with two hands.
[-0] Unbreakable. As an Item of Power, this item cannot be broken except with a magical ritual predicated upon perverting its purpose.
[+2] One-Time Discount. The Sword of the Great Tengu is not easy to conceal, because it's a sheathed Katana
Tengu’s Guiding Hand: The sword is possessed by the Tengu King via a mind meld, who guides their sword at need. The user gains the full effect of these abilities provided they are physically holding the blade:
[-1] True Aim: When swung in keeping with its purposes, Sword of the Great Tengu grants a +1 to the wielder’s Weapons skill.
[-1] Always at hand : The sword appears, drawn and in its wielder's hand, as combat is initiated. If the wielder is surprised, the sword will defend at Good automatically. If the wielder is initiating combat, this forces an Avoiding Surprise roll (as Stealth's Ambush trapping) even if the victim was aware of the wielder. (Note: The Ambush trapping only works once against any given target and doesn't work if the target has seen the character draw the katana before.)
[-1] Unnatural Edge: The sword treats Toughness powers as if they were one step weaker (Mythic becomes Supernatural, etc.)
(I'm not fond of these but leaving them in with some different wording. You'll want to reword them if you keep them. I'm afraid I let some of my feelings about the mythological capabilities attributed to katanas bleed through. :-[ )
[-1] True Aim II Another +1 bonus to hit.
[-2] Anti-Tank Katana The katana is weapon 4 in one hand and weapon 5 in two. (This is how you get the two extra stress.)
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Yeah I'd borrowed the consequential restrictions from a Template for the Erlking's Emissary,if you guys can give me some suggestions for a more fitting wording feel free . As for the wording on Unnatural Edge given all of the Japanese myths surrounding various Katana in folklore I'd say it fits rather well but I'll probably rewrite them nonthless. Also the fact that you named a power Anti-Tank Katana has made my day ;D though shouldn't that be included in the It Is What It Is section?
As for the stunts and powers math has never been my strong suit due to being discalculic so I left them out.
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Also the fact that you named a power Anti-Tank Katana has made my day ;D.
Glad you got a laugh out of it! ;D The name stems from modern Western fairly tales on how well katanas cut though, can't take credit for it.
Edit: I might rephrase the weapon increase and leave weapon values out of the "It is what it is" section but I wouldn't include increases there - not unless you think all katanas should have it at least. :) Seriously though, "It is what it is" should describe the default off the shelf model. Then add your stunts and powers to modify.
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So how much damage can this baby deal when used by someone with inhuman or supernatural strength?. Also I'm currently trying to figure out an application of Tengu magic by using enhanced air pressure to increase the impact power of an melee or projectile weapon like an arrow or knife.
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So how much damage can this baby deal when used by someone with inhuman or supernatural strength?.
Depends on the Strength power - Inhuman Strength gives +2 to damage, etc.
Also I'm currently trying to figure out an application of Tengu magic by using enhanced air pressure to increase the impact power of an melee or projectile weapon like an arrow or knife.
Sounds like one or more maneuvers, so +2 per aspect you stack.
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I meant as an actual spell,but I assume they work the same way.
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My thoughts:
-True Aim II is kinda cheesy.
-Unnatural Edge is worth more than 1 Refresh.
-Anti-Tank Katana is only worth 1 refresh.
-I still don't understand how Always At Hand works.
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UmbraLux You mentioned that purpose for the sword is exteremely restrictive. If so what would you suggest to change it. Also I don't really see why True Aim II shouldn't just be bundled up with Unnatural Edge. I think you might have to rewrite Always at Hand at little so it's easier for others to understand.
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UmbraLux You mentioned that purpose for the sword is exteremely restrictive. If so what would you suggest to change it.
It's restrictive in being limited to defensive uses and only a limited number of people. From the way it's written, it appears it won't even work as a normal mundane sword if you're attacking an opponent who threatened someone other than yourself, your comrades, or your lord. In other words, you couldn't use it to kill the redcap carrying off a child.
Given the description of tengu here (http://www.onmarkproductions.com/html/thetengu-com-popup.html), I'd suggest rewriting the purpose to include mischief, tricks, and honor. Perhaps something along the lines of "Reward honorable acts and punish the dishonorable through martial skill, tricks, and mischief." The purpose should really tie in to your vision of the tengu though...my vision may well go in different directions.
Also I don't really see why True Aim II shouldn't just be bundled up with Unnatural Edge.
Bundling it up doesn't make it better or less 'cheesy' in Sanctaphrax's terms. It's still a second +1 to hit (which I'd probably disallow in my games) and a functional duplicate of True Aim whatever you call it. As mentioned previously, I don't like this or the extra stress / weapon rating. They're purely for mechanical advantage and don't seem to add much to the narrative.
I think you might have to rewrite Always at Hand at little so it's easier for others to understand.
Meh, it already refers to the book's text. Don't really think clarity is the issue. It has two functions: defense against ambush and initiating an ambush via fast draw. The ambush rules are in the book, I wasn't attempting to change them significantly.
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Good choice of website I use that one for a lot of the research I did for this. I'm also trying to come up with a more solid build for Tengu Magic.
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I don't think I'm stupid or poorly versed in this game's rules, and I have no idea how Always At Hand works. This is probably a sign that it isn't clear.
I think that pure numerical bonuses add plenty to the narrative. If the sword is narratively capable of chopping a tank in half, it should be mechanically capable of chopping a tank in half.
But beyond a certain point they grow dangerously powerful. You know why Evocation and Crafting are so strong? Because Refinement can be stacked on top of itself unusually far.
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I can see the sword chopping a tank-shell in half no problem,but damaging the tank itself would probably depend on how much muscle is being put behind it. Since Mashiro only has Inhuman Strength I think he'd be able to leave a deep gash in one,but not completely total the thing.
As the Tengu are known to be founders of ninjutsu should that be represented in the magic as well?. I'll admit to wanting it mainly so I can pull off "creating" ectoplasm clones for combat diversions,but it definitely has possibilities as well as giving me more to work just besides wind. I'm still trying figure the magic's essential nature and so far only have wind and martial skill as potential options.
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How much of change would it be to make the Tengu character into a Build like the Knights of the Farie Courts?. I've also been thinking of getting rid of some of the sword's abilities completely given that it's brought the thread to a grinding halt.
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Technically the character is already built along the same lines as a Fairie Knight, the Winter and Summer Knights are just specific examples of Emissaries of Power (Their respective Queens/Ladies/Mothers).
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yeah I don't know why I even asked that :-[. May have had something to do with posting at 3 in the morning.
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I don't think the sword killed the thread. I think we just ran out of things to say.
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That's also a valid point.