Author Topic: various more-obscure mythical creatures  (Read 67092 times)

Offline Violet Rook

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Re: various more-obscure mythical creatures
« Reply #165 on: January 08, 2013, 12:51:37 AM »
YS185 The Catch, under effects, second bullet.

If the Catch is bypassed by something that anyone could reasonably get access to, but usually doesn't carry on them (like cold iron), you get a  +2...

I'm not sure what I missed.

Baba Yaga I think would have "steel-like" teeth. However, I love your concept of her finding an immunity to iron. Good story there if other fae could find out about it.

I agree with her being her own power. I did not throw in evocation and thaum because I kind'a see her just...doing it...like an old fae... In the above, I have her High Concept as: Ancient Winter Witch because maybe she pre-dates a lot of what is going on in faerie. Perhaps she even helped established the Winter Court and is there for apart of its power much like the Women of Winter are, but in a more obfuscated way. As if, her being around adds to the mantle of Winter itself. She would be at or above The Mother of Winter in power.
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Offline Violet Rook

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Re: various more-obscure mythical creatures
« Reply #166 on: January 08, 2013, 12:53:56 AM »
Ahem.

That's super awesome, but there's really only one witchy female faerie crone who's covered in warts with a hook nose and steel teeth, and happens to live in a very odd hut. On the off chance this is somehow a Cold Days spoiler, it's

(click to show/hide)

Oh yes, hence my note at the end of my original post... I love being able to guess at such things and kind'a cackle in my own right of more than likely being correct.  ;D
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Offline Deadmanwalking

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Re: various more-obscure mythical creatures
« Reply #167 on: January 08, 2013, 01:01:54 AM »
YS185 The Catch, under effects, second bullet.

If the Catch is bypassed by something that anyone could reasonably get access to, but usually doesn't carry on them (like cold iron), you get a  +2...

I'm not sure what I missed.

You also get the bonus for how well known it is. Unless nobody out there knows she's Fae, that's another +1. Same page.

Baba Yaga I think would have "steel-like" teeth. However, I love your concept of her finding an immunity to iron. Good story there if other fae could find out about it.

I've always heard it as actual steel or iron, and it seemed a good story to go with.  :)

I agree with her being her own power. I did not throw in evocation and thaum because I kind'a see her just...doing it...like an old fae... In the above, I have her High Concept as: Ancient Winter Witch because maybe she pre-dates a lot of what is going on in faerie. Perhaps she even helped established the Winter Court and is there for apart of its power much like the Women of Winter are, but in a more obfuscated way. As if, her being around adds to the mantle of Winter itself. She would be at or above The Mother of Winter in power.

Because of the way Evocation, Thaumaturgy, and Sponsored Magic work, anyone who's truly powerful in their own right should have Evocation and Thaumaturgy (though they might have Sponsored Magic as well). Certainly anyone known as the 'Mother of Witches' should have such things.  :)

Offline Violet Rook

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Re: various more-obscure mythical creatures
« Reply #168 on: January 08, 2013, 01:41:54 AM »
Deadmanwalking, I never would have seen that in a million years if you had not pointed that out to me. Thank you so much. I've read it like...a lot...and never put that together. I'm going to go drool in a corner now.  LOL. Seriously, thank you.  ;D
*******************************************************************
Willow-the-wisp    A.K.A: (Willowisp)
These creatures have been a staple in many RPGs. They appear as colored balls of light when not employing a veil. Other than that, they use veils to disguise their true forms as something like: A woman walking with a lantern. Etc... They can have the veil respond to most stimulus. They will lead you to your doom.
 
High Concept: Mischievous Spirit of Misfortune
Other Aspects: The False Light, Catch me if you can, Makes you wonder

Skills
Alertness: Fantastic (+6)
Deceit: Epic (+7)
Performance: Superb (+5)
Empathy: Great (+4)
Might: Good (+3)

All others that would apply can fall anywhere you'd like really.

Stunts
Attuned for Danger: Willow-the-wisps use Alertness for initiative. [-1]

Powers
Skilled at Veils: Willow-the-wisps can cast veils using Deceit for both power and control. [-2] (As it covers both power and control)
Spirit Form [-3]
Physical Immunity [-6]
          The Catch: spirit magic works on them [+3]
          (+2 from the spirit magic and +1 because it can be researched well enough).
Swift Transition [-2]


Stress
P: O O
S: O O
M: O O

Note: The opposite of a Willow-the-Wisp is known as a Feu Follet. They appear no different than a wisp, but will instead take you to something beneficial.

Total Refresh: -14


« Last Edit: January 08, 2013, 01:44:17 AM by Violet Rook »
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Offline Sanctaphrax

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Re: various more-obscure mythical creatures
« Reply #169 on: January 08, 2013, 02:28:01 AM »
But having a house as a golem is a super-awesome idea that i'm stealing for my Oneiromancer.

I've gotta stat that. I may never get a better chance to use the Magical Compartment Power.

In case you don't know what I'm talking about:

(click to show/hide)

Baba Yaga's House (Feet In The Water)

High Concept: Baba Yaga's House
Other Aspects: Chicken Legs
Skills: 
Great: Fists
Good: Endurance, Athletics
Fair: Alertness, Discipline, Might
Average: Survival, Intimidation, Conviction, Investigation
Powers:
Open Compartment [-3]
Hulking Size [-2]
Claws [-1]
Supernatural Strength [-4]
Mythic Toughness [-6]
The Catch (Unknown) [+0]
Total Refresh Cost:
-16
Refresh Total:
-10

Might be good to give it Mindless...I dunno whether the house can think.

PS: I don't think it's a good idea to give Fantastic-Epic skills to something as minor as a Willowisp. Also you've got the cost for Physical Immunity wrong, Alertness is normally used for initiative, and Glamours would probably be a good way to represent the veils.

Offline Deadmanwalking

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Re: various more-obscure mythical creatures
« Reply #170 on: January 08, 2013, 02:45:54 AM »
PS: I don't think it's a good idea to give Fantastic-Epic skills to something as minor as a Willowisp. Also you've got the cost for Physical Immunity wrong, Alertness is normally used for initiative, and Glamours would probably be a good way to represent the veils.

This. Spirit Magic is only +1 for availability for a +2 total Catch, Glamours is exactly what you're looking for, Veil-wise, and those skills are...excessive. And weird, in the case of Might.

Offline HobbitGuy1420

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Re: various more-obscure mythical creatures
« Reply #171 on: January 08, 2013, 02:55:53 AM »
I'd just imagined Mother Winter as Baba Yaga.

Offline Sanctaphrax

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Re: various more-obscure mythical creatures
« Reply #172 on: January 08, 2013, 03:01:21 AM »
Well, they both have iron teeth.

Offline Hick Jr

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Re: various more-obscure mythical creatures
« Reply #173 on: January 08, 2013, 05:17:32 AM »
Baba Yaga was probably Jim's inspiration for Mother Winter.

See my previous post.
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Offline Violet Rook

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Re: various more-obscure mythical creatures
« Reply #174 on: January 08, 2013, 06:36:57 AM »
The only way I'm going to get good at this system is to keep making mistakes. I really have no excuse for what happen in the first Willow-the-wisp posts other than, my book was not in front of me. I should still have known some of that stuff. Grr. I will use my aspect: Runs all the RPGs for his gaming group. I will get a plus 2 bonus on my follow up Willow-the-Wisp post.

Willow-the-wisp    A.K.A: (Willowisp)
These creatures have been a staple in many RPGs. They appear as colored balls of light when not employing a veil. Other than that, they use veils to disguise their true forms as something like: A woman walking with a lantern. Etc... They can have the veil respond to most stimulus. They will lead you to your doom.
 
High Concept: Mischievous Spirit of Misfortune
Other Aspects: The False Light, Catch me if you can, Makes you wonder

Skills (Why have such high skills? Willow-the-Wisps are ridiculously hard to catch. With magic abound in this game they need something to fall back on that makes them hard to capture. Sure, you could make them immune to most magics, but that is rougher on your players who can not tag, or compel aspects around that. However, as with all of the awesome creations here in this thread; everything is subject to change per GM to suit your needs and players.)

Alertness: Fantastic (+6)
Deceit: Epic (+7)
Performance: Superb (+5)
Empathy: Great (+4)
Might: Good (+3) (Why have might? Well, once captured they could distort their spirit form long enough to try and break out of anything they may be physically put in. Dog crate, bag, etc...I dunno. Yes, my players would be prepared enough to ward a dog crate. Good luck slipping through the walls of that one.)

All other skills that would apply can fall anywhere you'd like really.

Powers
Greater Glamours [-4] (Thank you Deadmanwalking for point this out)  ;D
Spirit Form [-3]
Physical Immunity [-7]
          The Catch: spirit magic works on them [+2]
          (+1 from the spirit magic and +1 because it can be researched well enough).
Swift Transition [-2]

Stress
P: O O
S: O O
M: O O

Note: The opposite of a Willow-the-Wisp is known as a Feu Follet. They appear no different than a wisp, but will instead take you to something beneficial.

Total Refresh: -16
« Last Edit: January 08, 2013, 07:59:20 AM by Violet Rook »
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Offline Haru

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Re: various more-obscure mythical creatures
« Reply #175 on: January 08, 2013, 07:25:52 AM »
Some things that stood out to me:
I'd probably go with athletics, rather than might, maybe a stunt to grant you the use of athletics instead of might when trying to break free of something. At least that's how your description reads to me, and how I would envision a creature like that.

Also, high athletics would give the whole "hard to catch" business a bit more bite. And I've always thought of Willowisps as balls of light maybe a bit bigger than a mans fist. Images like the woman with a lantern would be a glamor thrown by them to lure you in, rather than their true form. If you go with this, you could give it Diminutive Size, which will give them a bonus to dodging and stealth, which will both work great, if they want to evade their hunters.

Oh, and where did you get the "Feu Follet" as a good counterpart? Is there any lore, and you just decided it to be like that? Nothing against that, I'm just curious, because as far as I know, that's just the french word for the same thing. But since Jim does it, too, that's fair game. ;D
In German, it would be an Irrlicht, just in case you are wondering ;)
« Last Edit: January 08, 2013, 07:34:16 AM by Haru »
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Offline Violet Rook

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Re: various more-obscure mythical creatures
« Reply #176 on: January 08, 2013, 08:12:10 AM »
Oh, and where did you get the "Feu Follet" as a good counterpart? Is there any lore, and you just decided it to be like that? Nothing against that, I'm just curious, because as far as I know, that's just the french word for the same thing. But since Jim does it, too, that's fair game. ;D
In German, it would be an Irrlicht, just in case you are wondering ;)

Das ist gut. Ich spreche Deutsch.   ;D
Deutscher war meine erste Sprache, zu lernen.

I also speak American Sign Language.  ;D

Excellent question.
I spent a lot of time running Ravenloft as it is one of my favorite settings. They use the Feu Follet in their story book: Dance of the Dead.
This link here may help.

http://www.lomion.de/cmm/willodaw.php

enjoy.




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Offline Violet Rook

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Re: various more-obscure mythical creatures
« Reply #177 on: January 08, 2013, 08:16:29 AM »
Monster build challenge: A D&D classic monster. Mind Flayer!
(Cause I am learning a ton here, I am so glad I signed on to the forums) Thank you everyone for your help and ideas. This is fun.
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Offline Deadmanwalking

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Re: various more-obscure mythical creatures
« Reply #178 on: January 08, 2013, 08:19:41 AM »
On the current Will-o-the-Wisp: Still more than a bit excessive skill-wise. I'd follow Haru's advice and go Athletics, not Might, for escaping things. You don't even need a stunt to use it for that, it's pretty much already the skill for squirming free.

Greater Glamours might also be wrong/excessive for what you're going for, as it allows the conjuration of what amount to real items.

Personally, I'd drop the Glamours to normal, add Inhuman Speed (which will jack their initiative up above even where you have it) and give them stats like this:

Superb: Deceit, Performance
Great: Alertness, Empathy,
Good: Athletics, Survival (since they're often found in desolate/difficult areas)

And then note that most other skills default to Average or Mediocre, with a few mental or social skills at Fair. Maybe up them to 3 stress boxes in each category to make them a tad bit more durable vs. things that can effect them. I might switch Athletics and Alertness.

That'll give them stats to be a threat to any group you'd care to name without being some sort of completely unbeatable threat (which seems wrong, even in the mythology). Epic Deceit, after all, is higher than any character listed thus far in the game, including ancient Fallen Angels, Faerie Queens, and the greatest of the White Court. Now, maybe some of them are being undersold a bit...but that's still a really excessive amount for a relatively standard trickster-creature.

Offline 123456789blaaa

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Re: various more-obscure mythical creatures
« Reply #179 on: January 09, 2013, 11:02:12 PM »
Hmm. So, Item of Power (the Black Chick) [+1] granting Feeding Dependency [+1], Human Form [+2], Blood Drinker [-1], Claws [-1] (the tongue), Wings [-1], and Inhuman Strength/Speed/Toughness/Recovery to taste.

This is a great start. There are some problems with it though.

First off it leaves out the whole "self-segmenting" angle which is a MAJOR part of the monster (we probably need a custom addition to the Human Form power for that). Also, the chick being an Item of Power leaves weird grey areas. Item's of power need a special ritual to destroy them. From the myth this would probably be making the host vomit the chick into a flame or a boiling pot. How specific does this have to be though? Does it have to be fire or a boiling pot? Can you use other stuff like acid? Can you cut the chick out or do you have to make the host vomit it? If you do get the chick out does it regenerate if you try to stomp on it or throw it in the blender?

Perhaps I should take this to the Items of Power thread?
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