DFRPG Demo Style

[lankyogre]

For those of you who saw my previous post, my group has decided to try out Dresden Files. So, I’m going to run a short demo one-shot in a few weeks. I want to keep it to Feet in the Water level, so that there aren’t a lot of abilities to keep track of. I can’t use the Night Fears adventure because I know a couple of the players will not deal well with the background.
Therefore, my idea is a small group of friends that happen to have a couple of strange powers are on vacation. The adventure will take place while on a guided tour at the St. Louis Art Museum (because I’m familiar with it and there is a variety of exhibits).
For characters, I’m thinking of having 6 pregens ready for 5-players. These are extremely rough first drafts of the characters, but I'd like some thoughts and help please.

Jo Theed
High Concept: Dragon Disciple Jeweler
Trouble: Rome Wasn't Built In A Day
Template: Emissary
Stunts: None
Supernatural Powers:
Marked by Power
Human Form (+1) [Dragon Man]
Claws
Breath Weapon
Inhuman Strength
Total Refresh: -5
Skills: Great (Fists), Good (Craft, Rapport), Fair (Endurance, Stealth, BLANK), Average (All Blank)
Jo is a skilled jeweler who came to the attention of a True Dragon for his artistic ability. The dragon made Jo an “Emissary,” though mostly he has just been granted the strength to defend himself and his jewelry from the dragon’s enemies.

Cole Nuttuson (Malvora)
High Concept: Malvora for the Accused
Trouble: It's Scary and I Like It
Template: White Court Virgin
Stunts: Read the Surface
Supernatural Powers:
Emotional Vampire
Incite Emotion (Fear)
Total Refresh: -3
Skills: Great (Rapport), Good (Empathy, Presence), Fair (Discipline, Intimidate, BLANK), Average (All Blank)
Cole is a public defender. He gets an adrenaline rush every time he enters a prison to speak to his clients, though he doesn’t quite realize that he’s really feeding off the fear that hangs over many prisons.

Taylor Simon
High Concept: Svartalfar Builder
Trouble: I'm Not My Mother
Template: Changeling (Svartalf)
Stunts: None
Supernatural Powers:
Ritual
Inhuman Toughness
Inhuman Recovery
The Catch (Light?) +2
Total Refresh: -4
Skills: Great (Fists), Good (Craft, Rapport), Fair (Endurance, Stealth, BLANK), Average (All Blank)
Taylor’s father is a svartalfar that fell in love with a mortal, a renowned painter. Taylor refuses to follow in the footsteps of either parent and works in construction.

Jayden Rocks
High Concept: Telekinetic Coach
Trouble: If They Know What I've Done
Template: Focused Practitioner
Stunts: None
Supernatural Powers:
Channeling(Spirit)
Total Refresh: -2
Skills: Great (Discipline), Good (Scholarship, Conviction), Fair (Lore, Athletics, BLANK), Average (All Blank)
In high school, Jayden spent more time in the library than the gym. While in PE one day though, he managed to channel some force around himself during a game of dodgeball. His newfound notoriety in sports, led Jayden to an exploration of sabermetrics and a career in coaching.

Ryder McGruder
High Concept: Zen Master Gardener
Trouble: I Can Do It Too
Template: Pure Mortal
Stunts:
Mind over Matter (Discipline for defense in Hand to Hand)
Redirected Force (On a successful defense against close-combat, to create a successful maneuver)
Peace of Mind (Discipline may create blocks/maneuvers in close-combat)
Supernatural Powers: None
Total Refresh: -3
Skills: Great (Discipline), Good (Lore, Conviction), Fair (Endurance, Fight, BLANK), Average (All Blank)
Ryder has spent too much time around too many friends that can do odd things. He began doing his own research and has trained his body to obey his mind. He now runs a meditation garden and retreat center.

Peyton Abbles
High Concept: Shadowed Journalist
Trouble: Rules Are For Others
Template: Minor Talent
Stunts:
From the Shadows (When ambushing, free aspect/maneuver)
I Know What You Did (May use Investigation for social attack with information gained from eavesdropping)
I know Just the Right Guy
Supernatural Powers:
Cloak of Shadows
Total Refresh: -4
Skills: Great (Stealth), Good (Investigation, Contacts), Fair (Athletics, Rapport, BLANK), Average (All Blank)
Peyton is an investigative reporter, though few know how she is able to get such intimate knowledge.

[Sanctaphrax]

So, what Aspects do you have in mind for these guys?

Cole needs Intimidation to Incite with. As-is, he seems like a liability in any fight that might challenge the other characters.

And Peyton should probably have some Performance or something to write with.

[lankyogre]

Oops, not quit sure how I did that. I've edited the original post to include Aspects. I'm going to have the players select the rest of the aspects as we play.

Do you think giving Peyton a stun that allows investigation for writing? Not sure how much that will come up. She does have a fair skill still available, as well as averages, so the player could decide to place that.

[Taran]

A fair skill is about upper high school/lower college, I think.  That should be good enough for performance.  The 'investigative' stuff he does can be used to create aspects to bump up rolls.

I think contacts is as or more important than stealth for an investigative reporter.  That's how you collect rumours and information and know informants.  Sneaking around and listening in to conversations is all well and good, but you need to know where to go before you get sneaking.

+4 contacts; Investigation;
+3 Stealth; Weapons
+2 Athletics; Performance(writer);
+1 [blank] [blank]

Cloak of shadows (+5 stealth)
I know just the right guy (contacts YS: pg 150)  (optional but it fits the character concept)
From the Shadows (When ambushing, free aspect/maneuver)
I Know What You Did (May use Investigation for social attack with information gained from eavesdropping)

Social attack: +4
(no social defense, sadly) Rapport should be a +1 skill
Physical attack: +3
Physical defense: +3 or +2
Gather info: +5
Stealth: +5

2 refresh left over

my 2 cents

[lankyogre]

I can see the need for contacts and the stunt fits. For some reason I rarely remember/gravitate towards that skill.

A couple of thoughts:
1) I liked the pyramid because it still gave the player 1 fair and 4 average skills to choose during the demo. I'm afraid only 2 average skills doesn't give them as much ownership of the character.
2) The demo adventure will take place in a contained building over a few hours. I want to make sure that the Great skills are ones that come up frequently so that it's easy to see different ways to use a skill.
3) I could drop Weapons completely and replace it with Contacts. Then the player can choose to add Fists or Weapons at Fair or Average. Athletics is still there for dodging.

[Shaft]

The write up for Jo Theed could be optimized a bit by making him more of a shapeshifter.

Jo Theed, revised:

High Concept: Dragon Disciple Jeweler
Trouble: Dragon is a taskmaster
Template: Emissary

Stunts: None

Supernatural Powers:
Marked by Power[-1]
Beast Change (Wyvern) [-1]
Human Form, affecting [+1]
Claws [-1]
Wings [-1]
Inhuman Strength [-2]
Supernatural Toughness [-4]
The Catch: Weapons that can pierce dragonscale [+3]

Total Refresh: -6

Skills, Human form:
Great(+4): Craftsmanship
Good(+3): Presence (+4 with Marked by Power), Resources
Fair(+2): Lore, Rapport (+3 with Marked by Power), Intimidation (+3 with Marked by Power)
Average (+1): Athletics, Discipline, Endurance, Scholarship

Skills, Wyvern form: 
Great(+4): Fists (+4 dmg w/ claws and Inhuman strength)
Good(+3): Athletics, Intimidation (+4 with Marked by Power)
Fair(+2): Alertness, Endurance, Might (Lift 5, Grapple 3)
Average (+1): Discipline, Presence(+2 with Marked by Power), Stealth, Survival
Stress
Human form: Physical OOO, Mental OO, Social OOOO
Wyvern form: Physical OOO[OOOO] 2 armor, Mental OO, Social OOO

Jo is a skilled jeweler who came to the attention of a True Dragon for his artistic ability. The dragon made Jo an “Emissary,” though mostly he has just been granted the ability to shapeshift into a small Wyvern to defend himself and his jewelry from the dragon’s enemies.

[Sanctaphrax]

I'm not sure optimizing is a good idea. Seems likely to cause a mismatch between the characters.

Anyway, a bit of explanation for those Aspects, and how they can be invoked/compelled, would probably go a long way. If I was new and you handed me

High Concept: Dragon Disciple Jeweler
Trouble: Rome Wasn't Built In A Day

I don't think I'd know what to do with it.

[lankyogre]

I was going to do that at the demo, but you are right. It is probably a good idea to have things written down before hand. I'd like to get three example to  invoke and compel each aspect. There are a few I am struggling with, possibly because I made the phrase too poetic. Apparently, I had more of an idea than I can put into words.

I did switch the wording on Jo's Trouble.

Jo Theed
High Concept: Dragon Disciple Jeweler
     Invoke: scholarship, lore, and craft in regards to jewelry; fighting off or disrupting the plans of the Dragon’s enemies; speaking in the “name” of the Dragon
     Compel: Dragon’s enemies are my enemies; errands for the Dragon; obligations as a jeweler (business)
Trouble: It's Never Too Late for a Plan
     Invoke: Working with a plan; benefit when taking extra time; predicting another’s plans
     Compel: Not allowed to rush or decrease time on a check; try to make a plan when no time; plans can be predicted

Cole Nuttuson (Malvora)
High Concept: Malvora for the Accused
     Invoke: Knowing and using legal personnel and laws; stories from criminals; contact and support within the Malvora Family
      Compel: Criminal/prosecution that doesn't like you; assumes people are innocent; family obligations
Trouble: It's Scary and I Like It
     Invoke: resist being scared; know how to induce fear;
     Compel: seek out scary things; induce fear;

Taylor Simol
High Concept: Svartalfar Foreman
     Invoke: allies and information from work crew; knowledge of building codes and plans; skill at crafting;
     Compel: day job; fae weaknesses; be recognized
Trouble: I'm Not My Parents
     Invoke: resist fae weaknesses; avoid the Summer and Winter Court; do something on your own
     Compel: parents’ enemies come looking; don't know things about the supernatural; distrust people older

Jayden Rocks
High Concept: Telekinetic Coach
     Invoke: deal with kids; know stats and rules of a game; using magic to move things
    Compel: day job;
Trouble: If They Know What I've Done
    Invoke: bonus on deception,
     Compel: try to hide actions; overly dependent on magic

Ryder McGruder
High Concept: Zen Master Gardener
     Invoke: lore/scholarship regarding Eastern religions; remain calm; know about plants
     Compel: Take the pacifist option;
Trouble: I Can Do It Too
     Invoke: lore/scholarship regarding supernatural; deception trying to appear supernatural; not impressed by supernatural
     Compel: in over your head in the supernatural; try to hide lack of powers

Peyton Abbles
High Concept: Shadowed Journalist
     Invoke: get stories printed; investigating/researching secrets; be overlooked
    Compel: deadlines; hide where stories come from; be overlooked
Trouble: Rules Are For Others
     Invoke: knowing and exploiting rules that others have to follow;
     Compel: not follow rules;

[Shaft]

I guess my feedback, aside from suggestions on optimizing builds, is to include suggestions on how the characters are connected.  You've got an interesting yet diverse mix of characters, but players who are new to the Dresdenverse might not be able to map out the relationships.

[Sanctaphrax]

Good point. Maybe you could give each character a couple of questions, to use if their player wants to, like "Which character have you known since childhood?" and "which character helped you out of a bad situation?"