Author Topic: Need help with a character concept  (Read 952 times)

Offline Dominik

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Need help with a character concept
« on: August 31, 2011, 10:28:59 PM »
So, for an upcoming DFRPG game I decided to play a wizard who creates golems or similar magical automatons like Ancient Mai's temple dog statues.
However I have no idea how to handle that rules wise. Anyone got any ideas?

Offline wyvern

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Re: Need help with a character concept
« Reply #1 on: August 31, 2011, 10:45:34 PM »
Rules-wise?  Mostly, you don't.  The actual rules for doing that sort of thing are left deliberately vague, and it's implied to not be the sort of thing that PCs are expected to be doing.

That said, there are a couple of easy ways to get more or less what you're looking for.

Option 1: "My Constructs Are My Children" - you've got an aspect for making things, but the things you make are people, and you treat them as such.  This works out much like any other PC with a family or other close allies; the constructs are NPCs under the control of the GM, and sometimes they're helpful, but sometimes you have to help them.

Option 2: instead of playing the crafter, play one of the constructs.  This allows the same basic character concept - a crafter who accomplishes most of their work by use of constructs - but allows you to play the half of the duo that actually goes out and does stuff, rather than the one sitting at home by the fire doing research.
[edit] This is a good option to combine with modular powers - possibly with (if you can convince your GM to allow it) a +1 drawback for only being able to change the available powers when you have access to your creator & their lab. [/edit]

Option 3: FATE system is built on the basis of intent precedes statistics.  So you can just flavor your wizard as being all about animating things.  Someone else might make an earth attack using crushing gravity; your earth attacks involve a nearby lamp post animating and physically striking your foes.  Someone else might build a potion of bottled lightning that, when opened, unleashes a mighty thunderstroke of power; you build a metal dragonfly that physically flies to your target before discharging its energy.  Someone else might cast a tracking ritual using a divining rod that pulls in the direction of the target; you use a literal mechanical bloodhound.  And so on and so forth.

I'd actually probably combine options 1 & 3; you've got some simple, single-purpose, expendable constructs that use the normal rules for enchanted items, evocations, or rituals, and also some more complicated self-aware (or nearly so) devices that you treat as pets or progeny.
« Last Edit: August 31, 2011, 11:01:21 PM by wyvern »

Offline Sanctaphrax

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Re: Need help with a character concept
« Reply #2 on: September 01, 2011, 01:36:20 AM »
Oh, hey, it's this again.

If you're going by the rules as written, wyvern is right.

But if you're willing to house rule a bit, this forum has come up with a few ways to determine the complexity of summoning and construct creation rituals.

A summary: http://www.jimbutcheronline.com/bb/index.php/topic,24744.45.html

I can post more links if you need them.

If you use the above methods, then making a golem is just an application of Thaumaturgy.