ParanetOnline
The Dresden Files => DFRPG => Topic started by: deathwombat on November 21, 2010, 12:04:43 AM
-
I am curious if anyone has statted the Jade Court for a campaign and if they would share with me?
Thank you
-
Or better yet, maybe we could get several takes on the Jade court. Then prospective GMs can use whichever one tickles their fancy. Actually, I have a vague sort of notion, myself. I'll go try to stat up my vision of it.
-
Yeah I've seen several different takes on this already but they are scattered about the forums.
My take was a cross between the classic hopping vampire (though not nearly as silly, I stole the long barbed tongue and claws and the ability to cause bad luck to anyone who saw them) and an undead yin sorcerer concept (with the abilities to sense the flow of yin chi well enough to sense others moving in a yin rich environment, to wield negative chi like any other sorcerer, and to become pure yin chi with no physical form). They also had improved speed and strength, and the living dead power. They consumed flesh imbued with yin/dark energy and the closer it is to their own the better (I.E. Human is better than pig, relative is better than stranger, brother is better than distant relative). As such they keep whole hidden villages of their descendants if they still have any and require regular sacrifices. They were essentially chi spirits inside animated corpses and have no "Bodily threshold" so to speak so they take damage from yang chi, sunlight and running water as all of those essentially erode their being.
I had a team of three working together with some undead underlings (mostly ghouls). One was physical focused with the ability to inflict bad luck (I gave him a free maneuver before attacking), one magic focused wielding a Vajra (weird asian artifact basically worked as a focus item + plus the ability to absorb and recast enemy spells) and the last chi focused (I had a very chi focused player).
-
There are a couple major kinds of Asian Vampires.
Jiang Shi(China) are probably closer to Zombies than Vampires.
Otherwise we have the Nukekubi(Japan), mandurugo and manananggal(Philippines), Penanggalan(Malaysian), and Leyak(Balinese) which are all almost exactly the same! The common features being: female, wings, flies around at night, long tongues.
The fact that four different countries all have the same vampire legend means that this is probably what JB would be basing the Jade Court on.
-
Because I like the idea of white court vampires better, and that chiang-shi/chiang-shih/whatever were known for sucking "life-force" more than just blood, I made them emotional vampires like the WCVs.
Inhuman strength and speed probably is enough for them to cover the legends ("rip a man's head off"), and as some legends have them blind (they sense you by your breathe, so if you hold it you can avoid them) and afraid of loud sounds, it makes sense to give them supernatural sense: echolation. Plus, it's cooler than just stating them the same as WCVs.
Despite most of the myths of them being similar in weaknesses to regular vampires (BCVs, here), salt, garlic, sunlight, running water, ect, i stayed with the WCV catch.
So, erm, basically like WCVs? My big thing is that they are usually less charmers and more monsters, angry on their best days. So, while it is not a refresh power difference, they play entirely differently. They aren't so slick and political. They are more like BCVs in this; they don't resist their temptation. Hunger only serves as a guide for when they HAVE to stop doing other stuff and actually eat. There are no Thomases, no half-ways, no good guys. They aren't born the same (well, some legends say they are the souls of people who were so mean/powerful that they crawled right back out of the afterlife). Their natural state is somewhat monstrous, with long patches of white hair growing from irregular places on the skin. This is hidden by human guise. Lastly, without any real guide, i just made their blood some nasty yellowy-orange-pus type mess.
As they progress, the open up into flight (common for most types of asian vampires), shapechanging (wolves), and "dark magic" - whatever that is.
-
Otherwise we have the Nukekubi(Japan), mandurugo and manananggal(Philippines), Penanggalan(Malaysian), and Leyak(Balinese) which are all almost exactly the same! The common features being: female, wings, flies around at night, long tongues.
That sounds a lot like the Red Court.
-
That sounds a lot like the Red Court.
Well, it's either that or Jiang Shi, which are a lot like the Black and White courts mixed with a lot of Zombie. I couldn't find any other Asian vampire-like legends.
-
Well, it's either that or Jiang Shi, which are a lot like the Black and White courts mixed with a lot of Zombie. I couldn't find any other Asian vampire-like legends.
True
-
The classic vampire really is a western concept. There aren't a lot of asian analogues and those that are there are rather different.
-
Here's the version I went with...still a bit rough:
Jade Court
Also called gaki, preta, jikininki, or simply hungry ghosts, Jade Court vampires prey on humans to remain physical. In their natural state, gaki are ghosts, spirits of hunger. To live, they dominate and possess humans, eating the dominated souls. As time passes, the possessed bodies become thinner, only-bone-and-skin, emaciated human beings with bulging stomachs and inhumanly small mouths and throats. Once the possessed body deteriorates too much, they move on to another victim.
Common powers include:- Soul Eater [-1] Similar to Emotional Vampire. Soul Eaters live on the essential human anima, the soul.
- Domination [-2]
- Spirit Form [-3]
- Feeding Dependency [+1] which will affect the following:
- Illusion [-2] (As Glamours but based on mind control and mental magic.)
- Inhuman Recovery [-2]
-
What's the catch?
-
Which brings up an interesting side question. Can you use feeding dependency as a Catch? I'm feeling too lazy to look it up.
-
In our game, we're going with the Naga as the Jade Court. Since they're from Southeast Asia, and that is where the Jade Court is supposed to be centered, it seemed like a good fit. Naga myths are very diverse, so there's plenty of room to play around. The version we're going with is the human torso on a snake's body, but they might have shape-changing abilities as well.
I like the Nukekubi, Penanggalan, and such too. Another common theme I found for them is that their heads separate from their bodies and fly around when they're hunting.
-
What's the catch?
Currently going with all the 'true emotions' as catch (on the theory each would be beneficial to the soul) but I'm not entirely happy with it. I'd like to find something better before it comes up. Any suggestions? :)
-
Currently going with all the 'true emotions' as catch (on the theory each would be beneficial to the soul) but I'm not entirely happy with it. I'd like to find something better before it comes up. Any suggestions? :)
No fixed catch. That's why there're stories of such vampires being slain by so many different means. JCV are like a box of chocolates, you never know what Catch they have.
-
Something all of these builds seem to be forgetting is that according to Shiro, the Jades are big on honor and respect the records.
If their so close to the reds in mentality and physically why would they do this?
-
Don't see why that couldn't be true in most of these builds.
-
I wonder if spirit animals could be worked into their power set: affinities with dragons or lions perhaps, maybe even work in the Chinese Zodiac?
-
I wonder if spirit animals could be worked into their power set: affinities with dragons or lions perhaps, maybe even work in the Chinese Zodiac?
The real life Chinese Zodiac doesn't have a lion. Dragon and Tiger, yes, no lion.
Watch Jackie Chan Adventures.
-
Where does the Foo Lion come into the mythology?
-
Where does the Foo Lion come into the mythology?
It is a mystical guardian beast. The lions statues you see outside chinese temples are supposedly Foo Lions. In the Dresdenverse, the Foo Dogs would be those lions.
-
According to a casual Google search, lions appear to be a component of Chinese mythology, even though they aren't in the Chinese zodiac.
-
According to a casual Google search, lions appear to be a component of Chinese mythology, even though they aren't in the Chinese zodiac.
The real life Chinese Zodiac doesn't have a lion. Dragon and Tiger, yes, no lion.
Watch Jackie Chan Adventures.
Yes, which is what I said.
-
Which brings up an interesting side question. Can you use feeding dependency as a Catch? I'm feeling too lazy to look it up.
Do you mean: they have to feed every so often or lose their abilities?
-
Do you mean: they have to feed every so often or lose their abilities?
That seems like an interesting and reasonable catch.
-
Links to some other Jade Court discussions:
http://www.jimbutcheronline.com/bb/index.php/topic,15947.0.html
http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=515624
http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=530397
-
In my SF/Chinatown DF game, the Jade Court's efforts to take over Chinatown will be a Theme and perhaps a Threat.
I am liking the magic-eating ideas for the Jade Court. As for the jiangshi (the hopping, breath-stealing Chinese zombie/vampire), I may include them as mindless zombie servitors created only by the Jade Court.
-
Links to some other Jade Court discussions:
http://www.jimbutcheronline.com/bb/index.php/topic,15947.0.html
I was the creator of the above. I don't want to reprint the whole thing in this post (it was very long), but it has been many months since I posted these ideas. I still haven't worked up all the rules, but some ideas about Magic Drinking were thrown around here and that might make for a good add on. My Jade Court are a cross between Wizards and Vampires - I take a lot of the Chinese legends and transmogrify them into what I consider to be something new and unique, but still feels Asian.
I will put some of the rules up in the next few days. Until then, comments?
-
Some jiangshi lore indicates that sufficiently advanced jiangshi "evolve" into more intelligent flying undead with long white hair... perhaps the jiangshi serve as a supply of bodies to inhabit, leaving two classes of Jade Court: mindless hopping zombies, and creatures like Lo-Pan.
-
I've digested the various takes on Jade Court from this and other threads, and it comes down to six variants:
Hungry Ghosts, Simple: disembodied soul-eaters that swap bodies and consume the lifeforce at an accelerated rate
Hungry Ghost, Eldritch: ritual body-swappers that rely on phylacteries and command a very secretive organization
Magic-Eaters: corporeal humanoids who feed on magical energy from spellcasters and magical creatures
Naga: human-snake hybrids presumably with magical powers
Penanggalan: corporeal humanoids whose heads sprout wings and detach from the body at night (usually female)
Jiang Shi: mindless hopping, breath-stealing zombies
I could see setting up the Penanggalan and the Jiang Shi as the "Renfields" of the Jade Court: females who were half-turned by the Jade Court becoming monstrously long-tongued flying heads, and males becoming hopping zombies. There could probably be some Yin/Yang justification made; also, for the sake of gender equality, one could instead determine that the Jiang Shi are the lower-level thug zombies of the Jade Court, with the Penanggalan serving as higher-level Renfields, rather than divided along gender lines.
As for the full Jade Court, I would probably go with the magic-eaters: they remain similar to the White Court in general makeup, and their magic-eating provides a brand-new set of challenges for the players.
Also, I'm not sure how crazy the author would get with the Jade Court were he ever to flesh it out in a book: my impression is that they would possess trappings and behaviors appropriate to their culture of origin, but remain somewhat Western in abstract morphology and function. He would stake out a vampiric role outside of the better-known vampire courts, perhaps along magical or intellectual lines. Possibly a great reverence for and/or reliance upon ancestor spirits.
-
I have written up the Penanggalan as an entity associated with the Jade Court, but not truly of it, like the Renfields of the Black Court.
Penanggalan (Flying Heads)
High Concept: Blood-sucking Flying Head
Aspects: I Leave My Body To Hunt At Night, Corrupter of Fertility
Powers
Blood Drinker [-1]
Feeding Dependency: Blood [+1] which will affect the following:
Inhuman Recovery [-2]
Inhuman Toughness [-2]
Inhuman Speed [-2] I think this would have made them too nasty, based on tonight's playtest
The Catch [+2]
Weapons made of copper coins wrapped in red silk thread
Destroying or hiding its body
Daylight (when in its night form)
Venomous Bite [-3]
Grasping Entrails [-1] Might +2 for Grappling
Flight [-1]
Optional Powers
Channelling [-2] or Evocation [-3]
Rituals [-2] or Thaumaturgy [-3]
Traits
Pretends to be a normal human by day. Separates from its body at night; must return to its body before sunrise or it will die. Sunlight will hurt it in its fiendish form. The fiendish energy which keeps it intact is inscribed along its neck in a series of indecipherable, soft red sigils, barely distinguishable from henna or tattoos. The Penanggalan, when detached from its host body, becomes sharp-featured, feral, with a long, prehensile tongue and venomous fangs. Its head sprouts oily black beetle wings that click when they fly, and their entrails twine and grapple beneath the head like like tentacles.
Refresh: -9 -7
Origin
I have two options for their genesis:
- Would-be sorcerers can make compacts with the Jade Court in exchange for magical power, but when one of them breaks the oath, they are horribly and painfully transformed into Penanggalan. Most are left to fend for themselves, but the Jade Court maintains a great deal of them for special missions. Aspect: I Broke My Oath to the Jade Court.
- When a Jade Court Vampire drinks the magical energy of a Wizard, Sorcerer, or Warlock, they sometimes summon a vengeful demonic intelligence into the corpse. These Penanggalan obey the Jade Court Vampires, for the most part. Spellcasters may occasionally volunteer for this, rather than suffer a worse fate, and such Penanggalan retain their original spellcasting abilities. Aspect: Grudging Servitor of the Jade Court.
Any thoughts?
-
Another adaptation, created as mindless servitors to the Jade Court.
Jiang Shi (Hopping Zombies)
High Concept: Hopping Zombie
Aspects: Your Breath My Sustenance, Mindless Servitor
Powers
Claws [-1]
Supernatural Sense [-1] Breath using Alertness
Breath Drinker [-1] Similar to Emotional Vampire
Feeding Dependency [+1] which will affect the following:
Inhuman Strength [-2]
Inhuman Toughness [-2]
Inhuman Recovery [-2]
The Catch (+2)
Weapons made of copper coins wrapped in red silk thread
Air magic confuses them
Taoist Binding spells on yellow paper
Origins
When a Jade Court Vampire drains the magic from some spellcasters or minor talents, they can opt to put out the victim's eyes and replace the practitioner's soul with a spirit of hunger that derives sustenance from mortal breath. The resulting creature, a Jiang Shi, is a mindless, blind zombie which the Jade Court can control utterly, but unfortunately it must move around by hopping, as the rest of its body is almost completely overtaken with rigor mortis. It navigates by detecting air currents, especially to track down mortals and steal their breath. Holding one's breath is a good way to avoid detection, but it takes a discipline and fortitude to keep it up long enough for them to pass by. Some spellcasters have found out that they can confuse or even immobilize these creatures by disrupting the air around them. The Jade Court occasionally take advantage of this by sealing jiang shi in airtight boxes and deploying them as traps for the unwary.
Refresh: -6
-
Something all of these builds seem to be forgetting is that according to Shiro, the Jades are big on honor and respect the records.
If their so close to the reds in mentality and physically why would they do this?
Actually I just got passed that part rereading book 5 and all he said was that they where from China and Japan, that they where very secretive and that they honored the accords... That is the only information given about them in the series.
He didn't say that they where big on honor (though considering east Asian culture a strong argument could be made that they should), and the Red, White and Black Courts ALL honor the accords, so theres no problem with the Jade being just as underhanded as them (in a legal system rabidly opposed to the idea of any "Spirit of the law", its not considered dishonoring to use the Law to your own benefit... Infact that is the sole reason the accords exist.)
-
A possibility I've toyed with in past stories and games -- not particularly for the Dresdenverse, but that applies here:
If these beings are a corruption of the yin/yang harmony, their feeding may have somewhat beneficial side-effects. A person fed on could lose yin and become aggressive, passionate, and creative; a person drained of yang could become studious, cautious, scheming, and cunning. To throw the horror back in there, the former will hack his girlfriend to pieces before passing out while writing a gorgeous sonnet in his own blood, while the latter housewife will calmly broil a neighborhood child that was undermining the discipline of her children and construct and execute an elaborate plan pinning it on the victim's father. If you want friendly anthrophages, dialing back that chi drain's effects will be the order of the day, but it's much more interesting than "you don't have enough blood so you die." In this variant, Jade Court vampires still not human tissues, but humanness.
-
Sounds like one could use Incite Emotion as a platform, and opt to inflict consequences in line with the particular imbalance: Harvest Yin versus Harvest Yang, perhaps. Could definitely add a psychological component to the mystery.
-
A possibility I've toyed with in past stories and games -- not particularly for the Dresdenverse, but that applies here:
If these beings are a corruption of the yin/yang harmony, their feeding may have somewhat beneficial side-effects. A person fed on could lose yin and become aggressive, passionate, and creative; a person drained of yang could become studious, cautious, scheming, and cunning. To throw the horror back in there, the former will hack his girlfriend to pieces before passing out while writing a gorgeous sonnet in his own blood, while the latter housewife will calmly broil a neighborhood child that was undermining the discipline of her children and construct and execute an elaborate plan pinning it on the victim's father. If you want friendly anthrophages, dialing back that chi drain's effects will be the order of the day, but it's much more interesting than "you don't have enough blood so you die." In this variant, Jade Court vampires still not human tissues, but humanness.
I love you! ;D
-
A possibility I've toyed with in past stories and games -- not particularly for the Dresdenverse, but that applies here:
If these beings are a corruption of the yin/yang harmony, their feeding may have somewhat beneficial side-effects. A person fed on could lose yin and become aggressive, passionate, and creative; a person drained of yang could become studious, cautious, scheming, and cunning. To throw the horror back in there, the former will hack his girlfriend to pieces before passing out while writing a gorgeous sonnet in his own blood, while the latter housewife will calmly broil a neighborhood child that was undermining the discipline of her children and construct and execute an elaborate plan pinning it on the victim's father. If you want friendly anthrophages, dialing back that chi drain's effects will be the order of the day, but it's much more interesting than "you don't have enough blood so you die." In this variant, Jade Court vampires still not human tissues, but humanness.
so freaking epic!!!!
-
I have my own ideas on the subject, which are not based in any legend (cuz I'm to lazy to do research). Jade court would mainly be based around martial arts and grace, and not that malevolent at all: They have inhuman/supernatural recovery and inhuman/supernatural speed. Their catch would be damage through unarmed combat. They would also have a natural aversion to weapons. They then have their own special, secret martial art that focuses on their inhuman speed. They also mastered many other martial arts. They are made through a test of ritual unarmed combat. If they pass the test, they are given a jade armband that a spirit is inhabiting, and they gain the powers. They feed through combat. They are cured by losing in true ritual unarmed combat against a non-jade court vamp. What do you think?
-
What do you think?
I think it kind of sounds like something from Axe Cop.
-
I forgot to mention: The energy they get from fighting is the energy the other fighter expends, but only on phsyical attacks (no stealing spells energy here). The spirit devours most of it to fuel the powers, but then takes a bit for substenance. So, if a fight gets particularly pitched, they could potentially get more power on their speed or recovery. Also, the rituals are very difficult to set up and to compete, and it is VERY hard to beat a jade court vamp in full-on ritual combat. These guys are the best martial artists in the world.
-
Also, the rituals are very difficult to set up and to compete, and it is VERY hard to beat a jade court vamp in full-on ritual combat.
Which means that it is very hard for them to feed, then, right?
-
They dont need the rituals to feed. They can just fight for that. No need for all the ceremony. A drunken bar brawl will do just fine (though most of them wouldn't do that.)
-
They are cured by losing in true ritual unarmed combat against a non-jade court vamp.
I can see these holding their own against other Vamp Courts because they would feed off of the energy their enemies put into putting them down - sort of an exponential response to aggression.
I can also see some pathos here: a mortal challenger falls for a Jade Court vamp, and is forced to fight against her in order to win her soul and make her mortal again. But why would it work that way, spiritually? (other than the obvious "because I said so"). I can see them being tested by this "symbiont" type of demonic spirit in the armband, but I can't see why they would be bothered to ever let their vampiric host go.
-
Its mostly because the spirits don't want a host that is weak. They want a host that is strong enough to hold their own, and if their host gets defeated in hand-to-hand (their strongest area) the spirit believes they are weak and lets go. Also, who really understands the nevernever? It could be for any number of reasons. The ritual combat bit also may allow for the winner to take up the armband.
-
Well, I like that take on JCVs. Although I'd call them something different so as not to conflict with real eastern vampire legends. The cure condition seems appropriate to me because it's so kung-fu-movie-ish.
@devonapple: have you considered adding those characters to one of the character/monster compilation threads?
-
@devonapple: have you considered adding those characters to one of the character/monster compilation threads?
I dunno - there's some real hardcase there who is pretty picky about punctuation. He may have discouraged me from ever submitting anything... :p
Thanks for the reminder - I'll see about posting them soon.
-
Ok, I'm reviving this, since people were posting on my similar (yet less developed) thread.
-
One idea i heard for the Jade Court was the idea of the Faceless Abomonation, the idea being that the Jade Court are so mysterious because they do not have faces, they are nameless spirits of rage or hate they lack identities and memories of why they rage but they hate those who still have names and faces. The Jade Court then steal the faces of thier victims in hope that it would ease the pain of their existence this is fatal for the victim, so what Jade Court vampires eat is identities over hundreds of years they become less spirits of rage and more warring composites of personality.
-
Something all of these builds seem to be forgetting is that according to Shiro, the Jades are big on honor and respect the records.
That's a reasonable remark. I think considering the Asian background one could focus on a Samurai theme behind the Jade Court. Thus it would be most likely that they feed on (human) shame. And if someone within their own ranks does something dishonorable (according to Asian not Western standards) the vampire could also be fed upon by his fellows.