Author Topic: Request A Character  (Read 129802 times)

Offline PirateJack

  • Posty McPostington
  • ***
  • Posts: 1843
    • View Profile
Re: Request A Character
« Reply #150 on: June 14, 2015, 07:36:25 PM »
Any thoughts into how you'd tie in the Feruchemy interactions?

Feruchemy is pretty easy with a custom power that allows you to rename created aspects. So if you stored weight in your Ironmind you could create an aspect like Light as a Feather, to model how you're significantly lighter while you're storing it. Later you'd rename it to Weighs a Ton, or something similar, and tag it/invoke it for for rolls or effect.

You'd have to have a limit of how many aspects you can create though, since storing power in a metalmind takes time (I also recall something about diminishing returns as well). Maybe one aspect per scene for each metal. Since you'd be creating aspects for all of this it'd also be ripe for compels if, for instance, you were storing senses in a Tin mind and were faced with an Alertness check. Oh no, your senses don't seem to be good enough to detect the Inquisitor tailing you. Take a fate point.

Twinborns are easy enough as well; Feruchemical aspects tie in well with various Allomantic abilities, as Wax aptly demonstrates in the Alloy of Law, so you'd just take one Feruchemical and one Allomantic power and be done.

Compounders are more difficult to work, since they have dramatically increased abilities for comparatively little input. Maybe a power along the lines of Refinement could work here:

(click to show/hide)

I think this works fairly well between balancing the sheer power of Compounders of the books and keeping them within playability. Cost wise I wouldn't want to fit this into the current ability list, because allomancy has such a large range of costs. I think I'd prefer to custom make each allomantic ability and give them all a (nearly) equal cost rather than adapt what we have. I may or may not be working on that.
Quote from: JoeC
"Why are you banging your head against the wall?
'cause it feels sooooo good when I stop..."

Offline Sanctaphrax

  • White Council
  • Seriously?
  • ****
  • Posts: 12401
    • View Profile
Re: Request A Character
« Reply #151 on: June 14, 2015, 09:39:25 PM »
I can't comment on the Feruchemy stuff.

This is a fun stunt.  I like it.  combine it with a luck power  :)

Glad you like it!

It might be a bit unfair with a luck power, though.

Thank you for your wonderful idea, i agree with Taren lucky shot is awesome, however, I was thinking of a more tankish type of swat agent...

It sounds like you mostly want Power and Stunt suggestions.

For his own abilities, there are a number of directions you could go. Strategist would work, as would +2 to Contacts within the military, as would some kind of bonus for wielding a shield (armour 1 or using Weapons + 1 to defend against all attacks would seem appropriate).

For the drone, I suggest an IoP/Item Limitation attached to some Supernatural Senses, Alertness stunts, or the Drones custom Power.

For the symbiote, here's a set of Powers you could use:

Stage 1 (symbiote very subtle)
Inhuman Toughness [-2]
Inhuman Recovery [-2]
The Catch (whatever) [+X]

Stage 2 (symbiote obvious to user)
Echoes of the Beast (Symbiote species) [-1]
Guide My Hand [-1]
Inhuman Toughness [-2]
Inhuman Recovery [-2]
The Catch (whatever) [+X]

Stage 3 (Symbiote obvious to everyone)
Potent Ranged Natural Weaponry [-3]
Wings [-1]
Echoes of the Beast (Symbiote species) [-1]
Guide My Hand [-1]
Inhuman Toughness [-2]
Inhuman Recovery [-2]
The Catch (whatever) [+X]

It starts out by reinforcing your body, then starts talking to you, then reshapes your body to create wings and weaponry.

That aside, you may want to check this out.

Offline Sanctaphrax

  • White Council
  • Seriously?
  • ****
  • Posts: 12401
    • View Profile
Re: Request A Character
« Reply #152 on: June 14, 2015, 09:53:08 PM »
Now for the most interesting man in the world, Nanoha, and Shirou.

(click to show/hide)

(click to show/hide)

(click to show/hide)

To do:

Joel from the last of us.
Kirei Kotomine from Fate Zero
Trafalgar Law from One Piece
An experienced Harry Dresden
The Rag Lady
A modern day van helsing who's working for the super top secret government paranormal agency

Offline PirateJack

  • Posty McPostington
  • ***
  • Posts: 1843
    • View Profile
Re: Request A Character
« Reply #153 on: June 14, 2015, 09:59:10 PM »
I can't comment on the Feruchemy stuff.

Feruchemy is pretty simple compared to Allomancy or Hemalurgy (the two other magic systems in setting). Basically you can store a personal attribute within a metal, which can then be tapped at a later date. However, while you're storing an attribute you lose it while doing so.

For example, a Feruchemist can store health in a 'goldmind' at the cost of being physically frail while doing so. He can later tap this store of health for increased regeneration at a later date. It's an end-neutral process where energy is neither is gained nor lost in its use.

Allomancy, on the other hand, is an end-positive process where energy is gained during use because the energy for the ability is taken from the metals themselves (or rather, the Investiture/Magic inherent in them).

Compounding combines these two processes so that the otherwise end-neutral Feruchemy becomes end-positive (effectively turning a closed system into a perpetual motion machine) and end-positive Allomancy becomes supercharged.

I'll spoiler what I'm about to say about Hemalurgy, because it's a plot point in the second/third Mistborn books.

(click to show/hide)
Quote from: JoeC
"Why are you banging your head against the wall?
'cause it feels sooooo good when I stop..."

Offline Sanctaphrax

  • White Council
  • Seriously?
  • ****
  • Posts: 12401
    • View Profile
Re: Request A Character
« Reply #154 on: June 15, 2015, 03:29:12 AM »
Sounds pretty interesting. Realistically, though, I'm never gonna read the books. Too much else I could be doing.

Anyway, can someone give me a rundown on Joel from the Last of Us and Kirei Kotomine? I know nothing about them.

Offline Saracen

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 193
    • View Profile
Re: Request A Character
« Reply #155 on: June 15, 2015, 12:26:57 PM »
I had fun doing this. Here's my take on Joel:

(click to show/hide)

Sanctaphrax, you should really add "playing the Last of Us" to your "too much else I could be doing" list. It's really awesome. Even watching a Let's Play is worth it, if you don't own a PS3/4.
« Last Edit: June 15, 2015, 12:32:38 PM by Saracen »

Offline Sanctaphrax

  • White Council
  • Seriously?
  • ****
  • Posts: 12401
    • View Profile
Re: Request A Character
« Reply #156 on: June 15, 2015, 09:57:21 PM »
I appreciate the recommendation, but honestly it's very unlikely that I'll end up following it. I don't have a Playstation, don't play many video games, and don't really watch Let's Plays.

Although I did read the Faith Erin Hicks comic. Which didn't have Joel in it, IIRC.

Anyway, the character sheet looks good. Just two comments on Stunts:

[-1] Bruising Strength: Roll Might at +1 whenever using that skill in conjunction with grappling (page 211). This also allows you to inflict a 2-stress hit on an opponent as a supplemental action during a grapple.

[-1] I Think I'll Just Stitch This...:  You can use your Endurance skill for the Medical Attention trapping under Scholarship. (This is probably a bit too creative. Maybe have a stunt that moves Medical Attention to Survival would be more appropriate.)

Bruising Strength looks a bit too strong. Compare it to Wrestler from Your Story.

I Think I'll Just Stitch This... might make more sense if he could only use it to treat himself. I think it'd be fair to add in an extra benefit then, like a +2 bonus to those self-treatment rolls. Or maybe he can treat himself for all types of consequence, and gets +1 to his rolls.

PS: Looking at that Joel writeup reminded me of something. I prefer to optimize, much more so than Saracen or a lot of other people. So if I've made a character for you, be aware that it might be stronger than your group is expecting for its level. Or it might not be - it really depends on who you play with - but it's something to keep in mind.

Offline Saracen

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 193
    • View Profile
Re: Request A Character
« Reply #157 on: June 15, 2015, 10:39:07 PM »
I appreciate the recommendation, but honestly it's very unlikely that I'll end up following it. I don't have a Playstation, don't play many video games, and don't really watch Let's Plays.

That's too bad. The story and the dialogue are just so good. Definitely the best I've ever seen in a videogame, although I don't play that many either.

Although I did read the Faith Erin Hicks comic. Which didn't have Joel in it, IIRC.

Probably not, considering it's a prequel revolving around the other main character of The Last of Us, at a point in time in which they had not met yet.

Anyway, the character sheet looks good. Just two comments on Stunts:

Bruising Strength looks a bit too strong. Compare it to Wrestler from Your Story.

Hmmm... Wrestler ("Gain +1 to your Might when maintaining a grapple") looks super weak, though, subpar even under the YS guidelines for making new stunts. Maintaining a grapple is a specific application of a trapping and is not exactly an attack roll. But I agree that Bruising Strength is too strong and doesn't follow the guidelines, either (only, the other way). What about just the "inflict a 2-stress hit on an opponent as a supplemental action during a grapple"? Could it even be upped to "inflict a 3-stress hit", since 1 is the base and a stunt can give a +2 bonus as weapon rating?

I Think I'll Just Stitch This... might make more sense if he could only use it to treat himself. I think it'd be fair to add in an extra benefit then, like a +2 bonus to those self-treatment rolls. Or maybe he can treat himself for all types of consequence, and gets +1 to his rolls.

Well, it would fit as far as the gameplay is concerned (you can't heal other characters during play), so it could be an option.

And yeah, I didn't really go for optimization. I just tried to stay as faithful to the game as I could, while not going overboard with refresh and skill points, which wouldn't fit his character anyway. He's not really a "super" guy.

Offline Sanctaphrax

  • White Council
  • Seriously?
  • ****
  • Posts: 12401
    • View Profile
Re: Request A Character
« Reply #158 on: June 16, 2015, 03:09:19 AM »
Hmmm... Wrestler ("Gain +1 to your Might when maintaining a grapple") looks super weak, though, subpar even under the YS guidelines for making new stunts. Maintaining a grapple is a specific application of a trapping and is not exactly an attack roll. But I agree that Bruising Strength is too strong and doesn't follow the guidelines, either (only, the other way). What about just the "inflict a 2-stress hit on an opponent as a supplemental action during a grapple"? Could it even be upped to "inflict a 3-stress hit", since 1 is the base and a stunt can give a +2 bonus as weapon rating?

I don't think Wrestler is that bad. I might take it on a grappling-focused character.

I'd say inflicting 2 stress in a grapple is fair for a stunt. Actually, 3 might also be fine. Generally, once you're inflicting grapple stress the fight is already almost over. So the precise amount probably isn't so important.

And yeah, I didn't really go for optimization. I just tried to stay as faithful to the game as I could, while not going overboard with refresh and skill points, which wouldn't fit his character anyway. He's not really a "super" guy.

In general, I've found faithfulness to be orthogonal to optimization. How far you go with one doesn't affect the other much.

Though you do have to change the character's Refresh level to make them work at a different optimization level. For example, if I wanted to make Joel more optimal I'd probably drop him to Up To Your Waist to preserve his current level of competence. I don't particularly want to make him more optimal, though.

Anyway...

The to-do list divides into three sections. Section 1 is the not-enough-info section.

Kirei Kotomine from Fate Zero
A modern day van helsing who's working for the super top secret government paranormal agency

I want to know more about these before I do them. Can y'all fill me in?

Section 2 is the canon section.

An experienced Harry Dresden
The Rag Lady

I'll get to these eventually. Help isn't really necessary, though you can toss out suggestions if you want.

And section 3 is the hard section.

Trafalgar Law from One Piece

This guy seems tricky to stat up. I think I can handle his mundane skills, Aspects, and maybe Stunts, but...his Powers are weird. Input would be very much appreciated.

Offline Saracen

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 193
    • View Profile
Re: Request A Character
« Reply #159 on: June 16, 2015, 08:17:38 PM »
Trafalgar Law from One Piece

This guy seems tricky to stat up. I think I can handle his mundane skills, Aspects, and maybe Stunts, but...his Powers are weird. Input would be very much appreciated.

His Devil Fruit? Hmmm... A part of me wants to say "give him magic" since he seems to be using up mental stress boxes for his Operating Room. Anatomancy?  ;D

Reskinning the Reality Marble custom power, which uses up Fate Points, could be interesting as well.

Otherwise, just give him a powered-up and portable version of Demesne and be done with it.

Offline Sanctaphrax

  • White Council
  • Seriously?
  • ****
  • Posts: 12401
    • View Profile
Re: Request A Character
« Reply #160 on: June 16, 2015, 09:52:26 PM »
Evocation is an option, but it doesn't really let him move people. Which is kind of key to his powerset, as I understand it.

And I dunno about Reality Marble. I guess I could use something like it, but it doesn't really handle the tricky parts of his powerset.

Demense seems totally unrelated to what he does, so I'm not sure what you're getting at there.

Offline Saracen

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 193
    • View Profile
Re: Request A Character
« Reply #161 on: June 16, 2015, 10:26:07 PM »
Evocation is an option, but it doesn't really let him move people. Which is kind of key to his powerset, as I understand it.

He moves body-parts much more than whole people, but, either way, maybe grappling spells or something? Anyway, more than Evocation, I was thinking about Thaumaturgy, and you can move people with that.

And I dunno about Reality Marble. I guess I could use something like it, but it doesn't really handle the tricky parts of his powerset.

Demense seems totally unrelated to what he does, so I'm not sure what you're getting at there.

As I see it, the key thing for both would be the aspects Law has access to inside the Reality Marble/Demense (his Operating Room). When you can't figure out how to handle one of his actions mechanically, invoke for effect. Can it work for the tricky parts of his powerset you mentioned?

Offline Kylop

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 320
    • View Profile
Re: Request A Character
« Reply #162 on: June 16, 2015, 11:30:52 PM »
Now for the most interesting man in the world, Nanoha, and Shirou.

(click to show/hide)





Thank you!  The stunts are a wonderful translation into game mechanics.  I was struggling with how to put it into terms the players could interact with.
subitus superstes. inedicabilis prosperitas

Offline Sanctaphrax

  • White Council
  • Seriously?
  • ****
  • Posts: 12401
    • View Profile
Re: Request A Character
« Reply #163 on: June 18, 2015, 02:26:21 AM »
Glad you like him, Kylop. Hope he ends up being useful in-game.

He moves body-parts much more than whole people, but, either way, maybe grappling spells or something? Anyway, more than Evocation, I was thinking about Thaumaturgy, and you can move people with that.

True. Evothaum might be a good way to go. I could probably write his power up as a Sponsored Magic.

How's this sound for an extra benefit...may use Scholarship instead of Lore, and may spend 2 shifts of power/complexity to give an attack spell or a forced movement thaumaturgy effect two targets. If it's an attack spell they get each other's body parts, if it's a movement spell they trade places.

I should look up the movement spell rules, though. Might need to buff them a bit if moving enemies in battle is meant to be an effective strategy.

As I see it, the key thing for both would be the aspects Law has access to inside the Reality Marble/Demense (his Operating Room). When you can't figure out how to handle one of his actions mechanically, invoke for effect. Can it work for the tricky parts of his powerset you mentioned?

Reality Marble might do the trick, but invoking Aspects is supposed to be a case-by-case thing. If you're doing it all the time, you should probably do it another way.

And Demesne is very specifically for controlling the physical form of a specific area in the Nevernever IIRC. It really doesn't seem at all applicable here to me.

Offline Saracen

  • Conversationalist
  • **
  • Posts: 193
    • View Profile
Re: Request A Character
« Reply #164 on: June 18, 2015, 01:57:37 PM »
True. Evothaum might be a good way to go. I could probably write his power up as a Sponsored Magic.

How's this sound for an extra benefit...may use Scholarship instead of Lore, and may spend 2 shifts of power/complexity to give an attack spell or a forced movement thaumaturgy effect two targets. If it's an attack spell they get each other's body parts, if it's a movement spell they trade places.

I think it works. What about the switching personalities by switching the hearts thing, though? Is that a more complex transformative thaumaturgic spell? A taken out result?

I should look up the movement spell rules, though. Might need to buff them a bit if moving enemies in battle is meant to be an effective strategy.

Where are these rules? All I can think about is the stuff about the speed potion, with its strength providing the shifts for sprinting. Is it the same, with the strength being how many shifts of power you desire and the Discipline roll being the targeting roll?