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The Dresden Files => DFRPG => Topic started by: Encryptedmind on July 27, 2010, 04:15:57 PM

Title: True Faith
Post by: Encryptedmind on July 27, 2010, 04:15:57 PM
I plan on playing a true faith character. Not a champion....yet.
Anyhow I want him to be an exorcist but I dont know how to go about going that mechanically.
It seems to me that it would be a ritual but would I be able to use this without thom?
Title: Re: True Faith
Post by: Myrddhin on July 27, 2010, 04:25:23 PM
Yes, you'd just take Ritual (Diabolism) [-2] and you're good to go for demon banishing. Or, if you meant exorcising ghostly spirits, Ritual (Ectomancy) [-2]. Either one gives you access to the full range of thaumaturgy, but only for the limited area of focus, demons and ghosts respectively.
Title: Re: True Faith
Post by: Encryptedmind on July 27, 2010, 04:28:43 PM
So it will take 4 points just to exercise demons and ghosts?
wow add to that the 2 needed to make a true faith char and the 2 more for rightiosness it makes it so i cant play this character in chest deep
is there any cheaper way to do this?
Title: Re: True Faith
Post by: Bruce Coulson on July 27, 2010, 04:31:22 PM
You can take Thaumaturgy (-3), with your focus in Banishing (or whatever is used for dismissing spirits/demons; don't have the books with me atm).  Just because you CAN use the full range of effects, doesn't mean you have to..

Alternatives, you can take Rituals (-2) with Summoning/Binding/Banishing, and narrow your focus but be able to handle demons, spirits, others...
Title: Re: True Faith
Post by: CMEast on July 27, 2010, 04:35:22 PM
I'd possibly allow a theme of 'banishment', meaning that you can banish demons, spirits and even some fae but you wouldn't be able to use ritual for anything else. Ectomancy and Diabolism allows you to banish and summon the relevant entities so you can use it for assessments and so on, but a banishment theme would literally only be for exorcism. That would be -2.

Alternatively, take thamaturgy which is -3 and you can do all types of ritual, plus you'd get a bonus specialisation to one theme.

Banishment makes tons of sense, but as it's not a suggested theme in the book I'd check with your GM first before planning a character around it. I can't see they'd have a problem with it though due to it's strong focus on only one type of ritual.
Title: Re: True Faith
Post by: Jaroslav on July 27, 2010, 04:41:53 PM
Or you could just make a true faith stunt that allowed you to banish spirit beings.
Title: Re: True Faith
Post by: Encryptedmind on July 27, 2010, 04:43:35 PM
but how would you work the mechanics behind that?
make it a conviction based stunt?
Title: Re: True Faith
Post by: CMEast on July 27, 2010, 04:57:34 PM
Base it on the holy-touch power and grapple the demons out of their hosts :)
Title: Re: True Faith
Post by: Ophidimancer on July 27, 2010, 05:01:42 PM
Base it on the holy-touch power and grapple the demons out of their hosts :)

Ha!  Better yet, combine it with Devout Words, which let's you perform a Block using your words and your Conviction.  A Grapple is a type of Block, right?  this way, you get a person whose words freeze a demon in terror while her prayers do one stress of holy damage to a possessing demon every exchange!

This is stretching the interpretation of those stunts a bit, but only a little and it's thematic!
Title: Re: True Faith
Post by: Doc Nova on July 27, 2010, 06:28:02 PM
Ha!  Better yet, combine it with Devout Words, which let's you perform a Block using your words and your Conviction.  A Grapple is a type of Block, right?  this way, you get a person whose words freeze a demon in terror while her prayers do one stress of holy damage to a possessing demon every exchange!

This is stretching the interpretation of those stunts a bit, but only a little and it's thematic!

Ooooh, I like that...
Title: Re: True Faith
Post by: ballplayer72 on July 27, 2010, 07:34:26 PM
Or you could just make a true faith stunt that allowed you to banish spirit beings.


"The power of Christ Compels Thee?" Perhaps? Add that you have to do the flinging holy water thing and be chanting verses.   


Or you could make up your own type of Ritual.   Like Ritual (exorcism) : allows rituals use for banishing fae or demons or spirits. Or just demons or spirits.   make it a -3 instead of the -4 you'd have to take for either spec.   or just keep it a -2.

Might want to make your guns skill a tad on the  higher side so you have a weapon against non demons/spirits.
Title: Re: True Faith
Post by: luminos on July 27, 2010, 07:44:10 PM
An alternative to using the ritual power is a custom power that lets you use your conviction skill as an attack against demons and spirits and whatnot in whatever circumstances get defined as being an exorcism.  Thats only -1 for a power, and might fit what you are looking for better.
Title: Re: True Faith
Post by: blues.soldier on July 28, 2010, 04:22:30 AM
Actually, taking full Thaumaturgy would be incredibly useful...

Crafting to create enchanted items that aid your exorcisms...

"Potions" could be single-use holy items or seriously bad@$$ holy water...

biomancy or mind magic to aid the possession victim in throwing off the possessor...

divination to find out about the demon you're banishing...

an straight-up summoning and binding to put the final nail in the demonic coffin, to mix my metaphors...

just about the only thing I don't think your exorcist would use would be veils.

Not to mention that the story potential for a True Faith wielding magic-user (Advancing to Channeling-->Evocation, anybody?) is nearly limitless.

Wasn't there a thread a while back about an Item of Power on designed to be the wizard's staff equivalent of a Sword of the Cross?

I LOVE this idea. The whole concept. Love it.
Title: Re: True Faith
Post by: Todjaeger on July 28, 2010, 04:37:25 AM
If you are looking for ideas on how something like this might work in terms of Aspects, what a character might need, etc than consider watching the movie The Order with the late Heath Ledger in it.  While the movie is about priests who are members of a particular Roman Catholic order who learn and counter diabolism and the occult, it sounds sort of like what the player is going for.

In terms of special abilities, I would definately recommend getting Thaumaturgy, either immediately or as an advancement.  Aside from potentially allowing the player to bind, banish or exorcise entities, it can be used to 'bless' (enchant) items, Ward places, learn information, etc.  Used properly and with some thought and foresight, the rituals available via Thaumaturgy can really allow a player to tilt situations to their advantage.
Title: Re: True Faith
Post by: Encryptedmind on July 28, 2010, 02:11:37 PM
Can u take thom without being a wizard?
I mean can u take just thom?
Sorry I don't have the book infront of me atm
Title: Re: True Faith
Post by: Bruce Coulson on July 28, 2010, 02:19:37 PM
Yes; if you just take Thaumaturgy you'd be a Focused Practioner (technically).  You work primarily in saving souls possessed by demons and other entities; there's no need to throw lightning or fire around (not to mention what that might do to the host body).
Title: Re: True Faith
Post by: Encryptedmind on July 28, 2010, 02:22:48 PM
So how many points would that be?
The true faith takes min 2 up to 4
What does focus practitioner take?
Title: Re: True Faith
Post by: Bruce Coulson on July 28, 2010, 02:29:13 PM
The Focused Practioner takes at least one (1) Spellcasting talent; Rituals (-2), Chanelling (-2), Evocation (-3), or Thaumaturgy (-3).  So, you take your minimum True Faith powers (-2), and Thaumaturgy (-3) and you're good for a feet in the water-level campaign.  More refresh/higher power campaign means more powers, more stunts; or just more Fate points at the beginning.

If your GM will let you take Rituals with the focus of Banishing, then it's only -2 Refresh.

Anyway you look at it, this is a quite reasonable starting character for DFRPG.