So I was reading this article and thought it had some neat ideas that could be ported to DFRPG easily enough.  The City Domain Cleric could already be pretty easily constructed using the Urban Magic sponsored magic from the resources wiki, possibly with a couple of True Faith powers thrown in if you want more of a cleric-y feel.  The one that really intrigued me, though, was the new Warlock pact option, bargaining with a digital entity called the Ghost in the Machine for power over technology.  The idea of a gray hat hacker who discovers this new entity and bargains with it for power came to mind, but I'm having trouble constructing it mechanically.

One big stumbling block I'm running into is Agenda.  What would this thing's agenda be?  On the one hand I thought, hey, if this is a new power of some sort, maybe it's Agenda is just to expand its influence and recognition.  This feels a little like a cop-out, though, since in practice anyone that just doing anything with the powers is in line with it.  Perhaps that's okay, since it is more limited in some ways than the more versatile magics, but it still feels like there should be something meatier there.

Application-wise, the abilities and new spells listed in the document give me some neat ideas for evocation and thaumaturgic applications.  Using a smartphone, tablet, or a laptop as a focus item, and apps as potions, seems like a really neat idea to me.  Evocation with it would likely utilize electricity, either directly for something really flashy, or overloading electrical devices that the victim has to cause them damage (ever seen any of those viral videos of overcharged smartphone batteries exploding?) or directly controlling them as a sort of psychomancy-for-computerized systems.  As far as the thaumaturgy end of the spectrum goes, one idea that immediately leaps to mind is a scrying ritual that uses security cameras or traffic cameras, or a locator spell that uses facial recognition software and traffic camera footage or satellite imagery.  Evothaum could be bypassing electronic locks, infecting computerized systems with various malware, etc.  If anyone has any suggestions for other applications, I'd love to hear them.

So, what say you, assembled masses?

Howdy.  I just bought the PDF combo pack the other day and really love everything about them, but the system is pretty different from what I'm used to so I've got a couple questions.  I was trying to explore character creation by coming up with a character from the ground up, but ran into a little trouble and wanted to bring them before you guys for some advice.

Basically, what I'm trying to do is make a Frankenstein's Creature type guy.  Ideally he'd be a straight-up "woke up in a lab, brought to life by lightning" guy, but if the consensus is that it's not feasible and the Dresden universe it could conceivably be changed to a golem formerly serving a dark wizard that turned against its master and got all scarred up during the resulting conflict.  I have his High Concept, Trouble, and one of his aspects in mind already, but other than that, I'm open to suggestions/advice.  The part I need the most help with is determining the supernatural powers he should take.  I picture him as a pretty traditional Frankenstein guy, so probably at least Inhuman Strength and Inhuman Toughness, as well as high Might and Endurance skills.

As for the High Concept, this is what I've got:  Monster with a Heart of Gold- Much like the Creature in the original novel, the guy doesn't start out as a monster and is shaped into one by the hatred and fear present in society.  I still picture him having goodness in his heart of hearts, but he's been hurt and sometimes just wants to lash out and make others hurt.  It's something he struggles with every day, which leads nicely into...
...his Trouble:  The Monster in the Mirror- Try as he might to deny it, he isn't human, and is reminded of this every time he looks in the mirror.  He's done bad, bad things in the past while in the grips of his terrible, vitriolic rage and struggles with this every day.  Sometimes it just seems easier to give into the darkness than fight it, but he tries his best not to.

And his one aspect that I definitely want is:  Nightmare Fuel on Legs- While able to hide behind long coats, hoods, bandages, and the like, anyone that sees him reacts badly.  While not immediately getting the cops called on him, largely due to human tendencies to rationalize away the impossible, his appearance is enough to frighten even hardened criminals.  He's big and scarred up and something is just wrong about him, and it often resuts in his being cast out like a leper in polite or even marginally okay society.  Red light districts, seedier areas in cities, and the sewers are really his only refuge.  On the one hand, this can be one hell of a boon when trying to intimidate somebody.  On the other, if he even sneezes in the Olive Garden people will assume he's making trouble and run him - and anyone with him, very likely - right outta there.  (Basically, invoked for creative interrogations and compelled to make it harder to make connections or to jump immediately to the torch-and-pitchfork scenario.)  ETA:  I just realized this could also make for a fun compel to use at the end of a fight.  Maybe that last shot the enemy got on him tore his hood off, or maybe that pyromancer (or wizard or whatever) burned his coat to tatters.  Just try getting home without those things while alchemical reagents ooze from your wounds instead of blood.


So that's what I've got "set in stone" so to speak.  I also had an idea that maybe folks in the red light districts and seedier areas are hardened enough to deal with him, and so he lives there and sort of acts as their unofficial protector.  (Maybe a Helps The Hopeless aspect, or something.  Alternately that could just be covered by the "heart of gold" part of his High Concept.)  If he were a straight-up Frankenstein, I'd also probably give him some kind of Orphan-esque aspect (perhaps called One of a Kind?) to represent that he really has no one and nothing to depend on.

So, thoughts?  Suggestions?  Ideas for the supernatural "package" he would need?