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The Dresden Files => DFRPG => Topic started by: Mrmdubois on September 27, 2012, 09:24:25 PM
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Hey guys, I'm pretty new to the whole DFRPG thing, but I've had a chance to read the books through a few times and it's got my creative juices flowing. Something I'm wondering about is a character who works for the Archive. The Archive can do a lot, but there are at least two things she can't do, spend all her time browsing the Internet in order to print out useful information (because electronically stored information is out of the reach of the Archive entity/power/thing), and she can't be two places at once. This being the case I figure it makes some sense for her to have a lackey. I also think it makes sense for her to be able to act as a Sponsor considering that Harry comments she's on the same power level as Maeve, or maybe Mab.
That being said
High Concept: Archive's Infomancer
Trouble: (Haven't got a good idea yet.)
Aspects: (Same here.)
Skills: Conviction, Discipline, Stealth, Burglary, Rapport, Deceit, Scholarship, Lore
I haven't prioritized them, but I figure those are the biggies, social skills for prying info out of people who have it in their heads and that's the only place to find it, stealth and burglary for breaking into electronic data storage facilities, especially those not connected to th net,and lore and scholarship because duh, he works for the Archive.
Stunts:
Something that allows him to determine social stress with Conviction, because I don't envision him being charismatic, or highly noticeable, a la Martin.
Something to represent his skills with computers which is one of the main reasons he's working for the Archive in the first place.
Powers: Sponsored Magic
I figure most of his mojo can be useful just by straight up divination thaumaturgy, however it makes sense for him to have access to some stuff he can do fast. This is especially true if his control over information includes concealment and not just discovery. Which makes sense to me, the Archive knows practically everything humanity ever has, but there's plenty of things that humanity or at least certain bad individuals have learned that they shouldn't have, so this character gets sent in to remove it, obscure it or destroy it. In the course of these activities it's likely he needs to be able to deal with immediate physical threats and the like, so veils make sense to me (I.e. obscuring visual information in a conflict). One thing I see as a problem (and a plot hook!) is if he can also use his magic to read minds and remove or change information in them. This is two of the Things One Does Not Do, if he's doing it for his boss is it Lawbreaking? Would the Archive even be cool with that?
What other cool stuff could this character concept make possible? I've had plenty of ideas, but I've been lurking on this forum for a while now and you guys are the best. Understanding rules, seeing problems, giving creative advice, etc. ad naseum.
Thanks in advance.
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Actually, Butcher said more recently that the Archive does get electronic information, and honestly, I don't think she has that busy of a schedule that being two places at once is an issue. And she does have Kincaid already to do most of the things she can't (drive, for one). So the character concept would have to get around those bits.
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Did he? Well darn, got a link?
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Another thought is just to change the sponsor, Bob is presumably not the only or most powerful spirit of intellect. The Archive was just the first thing that came to mind because gathering information is a lot of her concept.
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Hey, Butcher's not going to come to your house to correct your understanding of canon. Your game, your rules.
I'm not sure if there's any need for more stuff for that character. You already have quite a bit on your sheet.
Not sure whether the Laws matter when using Archive Magic. Even if they do, the Archive seems pretty amoral and the girl hosting it was too young to forbid much of anything until recently. So you can probably get away with it.
The tricky part here would be writing up Archive Magic. You've got veils and information rituals, but Sponsored Magic generally also contains some method of hurting people quickly and an extra benefit of some kind. What did you have in mind for that?
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The wardens would have no jurisdiction to enforce the Laws on this character, being sworn to a distinct Signatory.
The Laws as a universal truth would be a matter to be decided by your table. I don't believe there is anything really approaching a definitive answer in any even semi-official source.
It is my personal opinion that the effects of violating the Laws are a product of Free Will, and thus would act on any PC, mortal or otherwise.
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I was fine without needing to hurt people quickly as long as I could get in, get the goods and make my escape. Messing with people's heads to make them forget you were there, or rewrite the memory of the encounter is pretty awesome and I figure negates the need to actually physically harm them. Of course that possibly veers into Law territory again, which I'm cool with, or Fred's suggestion that the Sponsor could take the "hit.". Maybe simply confusing recall of the time of the conflict and letting the victim create their own false memories would manage to stay in the gray. The aparrent amorality of the Archive is one of the things that interested me, and it could be fun if it turns out the character is fulfilling a role that Ivy finds questionable and maybe defunct. Job security issues ahoy!
Mentioning my lack of desire to hurt people physically made me think of sonething which might make a fun Trouble: Technical Pacifist.
As for the additional benefit, I was thinking something along the lines of minimum access to the Archive directly, like borrowing a book from a library, maybe flavored as a bonus to scholarship or lore or divination rituals or something.
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My take on the whole laws of magic issue would be that the wardens wouldn't be able to strike at him directly. He would be an underling of a freeholding lord of the accords (assuming you go with the archive angle or some made up signatory), and thus under their protection. If the character did break any laws of magic the White Council could voice a grievance with said signatory about the character, making him generally disliked by the Council. This could create all kinds of interesting plot hooks and give you your characters back story and aspects.
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Yeah, I saw that angle too and like it a lot. It seems to me like a pretty clear cut case of lawbreaking, but I would prefer a bad@$$ bookworm to someone who actively ignores the laws regardless of lives destroyed and people upset. That being the case I'd like to stay in the gray areas. Maybe socially browbeat someone into allowing his mind to be rifled through, or like I said letting them walk away from an encounter with the magical equivalent of a concussion and a suggestion that leads to forming false memories. Kind of like when Harry saved Rawlins from his boss temporarily *Handwave* "This isn't the Rawlins you're looking for."
Him being on bad terms with the White Council and the Wardens is pretty much a given, and awesome either way. Especially since wizards deal with secrets and here's a guy whose whole schtick is to find, steal, destroy, hide, maybe even create secrets real or false. Like the government's worst nightmare of a one man world class bank robber, counterfeiter terrorist come true. Especially considering he's not forced to neutrality like the Archive.
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Especially considering he's not forced to neutrality like the Archive.
This sentence, right here, is probably the entire reason the Archive would have an Emissary. That, and perhaps (if the guy is male) a baby Archive.
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This sentence, right here, is probably the entire reason the Archive would have an Emissary. That, and perhaps (if the guy is male) a baby Archive.
That last part is a scary idea, especially considering she's what, 15? I wonder which would be better, to be in the know and to try like hell not to exploit the minor, or to not be in he know and have it come out of the blue. Plus there's a lot of other stuff going on there, what if he's not interested but Ivy is? The Archive could make him for sure. Or flip the situation, now you're playing a pedophilic creep. Or maybe neither is interested, but the Archive is insisting (eventually) after the way Ivy's mom screwed up. No love in the relationship would presumably keep it "neutral.". Awesome, you've added so many possible complications on top of the bigger political issues that this guy's life is screwed no matter what happens.
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Something that just occurred to me in terms of violence achieved via sponsored magic is something like the Matrix. Illusions so real they can kill you. I figure this can be done easily enough by creating an illusion and if it basically isn't disbelieved by Investigation, Alertness, or some other appropriate skill it can actually hurt you, you're body believing the damage is real and responding accordingly. I haven't seen the Matrix in forever but I seem to remember that this illusory damage heals as soon as the person wakes up, which would make the character fairly good in a fight, but not necessarily lethal, unless he went for a take out. I wouldn't even mind much if opponents walked away with only a mild mental consequence after "snapping out of it."
Also since the illusory attacks would be geared to making the body harm itself as a response to imagined damage I think I would have it tackle the Physical stress track since I'm really not a fan of creating a Mage killer who deals out mental stress.
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So Law and character concept issues aside what should sponsored magic from the Archive look like?
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Like regular sponsored magic, I suppose, but focused on gathering information. It's evothaum would only apply to divinations, and it's bonus power can be Inexplicable Knowledge or something like that off the Custom Powers List.
That's how I'd do it, at least.
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As far as evocation goes, Attack them with information! Overload their senses or blow their mind with the Truth. There are piles of maneuvers that you could do with evocation. Demoralize enemies with information:
Aspect: "distracted by politics"
"The property tax increase is being used to fund City Councillor salaries!? Noooooo! They told me it was for street improvements!"
Although I guess that kind of information doesn't come as a big surprise to most people...but you know what I mean...
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Since he's a manipulator of data not just a discoverer of it then hopefully his evothaum influence of it would be a little broader than just Divination. That being said the Inexplicable Knowlege power is cool. That's a trapping for another power though, would you hand out just the trapping or the whole power of Mental Library?
As far as evocation goes, Attack them with information! Overload their senses or blow their mind with the Truth. There are piles of maneuvers that you could do with evocation. Demoralize enemies with information:
Aspect: "distracted by politics"
"The property tax increase is being used to fund City Councillor salaries!? Noooooo! They told me it was for street improvements!"
Although I guess that kind of information doesn't come as a big surprise to most people...but you know what I mean...
This made me chuckle, awesome way of using information.
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I'd be wary about giving your player too much power as an infomancer. Everyone writes things down, unless they know they're specifically going up against the Archive, so you'd basically have to treat the Emissary of the Archive as a seer, or a Third Law breaker: someone who can completely adjust the course of the game with a single move.
Then again, that can be fun too.
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Just the trapping. I'd forgotten that Sancta merged that power with other powers. :P
Also, divination is pretty powerful, by itself, in the hands of a skilled player. But yeah, I can see why you'd want more bang for your buck.
I'd be wary about giving your player too much power as an infomancer. Everyone writes things down, unless they know they're specifically going up against the Archive, so you'd basically have to treat the Emissary of the Archive as a seer, or a Third Law breaker: someone who can completely adjust the course of the game with a single move.
Then again, that can be fun too.
Yup, with an infomancer around, good luck running a mystery/intrigue game.
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A challenge for the GM isn't necessarily a bad thing, and compels on problems arising from scanning people's minds (I.e. Bad rep with the White Council and anyone else with secrets [everyone]) means its not something that should be done lightly by anyone with a conscience. Heck, there's a decent chance the Archive wouldn't like it either since it casts that entity in a bad light, and if the Archive is the source of your power then using those more questionable abilities unless absolutely necessary and for the specific purposes of the Archive only is a good way to get your powers revoked or throw you in a whole lot of sponsor debt.