Aspect brainstorming thread

[ClarkValentine]

One of my favorites, used it in Baltimore:

Hail Hail the Gang's All Here

Invoke: When you get in over your head, invoke it to have your buddy show up at an opportune moment.

Compel: The GM compels this to make sure that when your buddy is in over his head, you're right there drowning alongside him.



(For some reason I really like using song lyrics as aspects. I had the Dropkick Murphys' take on it in my head as I wrote this up.)

[SoulCatcher78]

I'd think this aspect could also be invoked for quickening the time it takes to hide evidence of gore in a place. Such as cleaning up the house of  a mod boss before he comes in, so he doesn't notice his magical guards have been stomped to pieces...

Compel to look for discounts on lime.

That's why I like this, it's good to get a fresh interpretation on what some of these aspect phrases can mean.

*gigglesnort* discounts on lime

[Lanodantheon]

My brainstorming with a friend has given me 2 sets of aspects to share:

High Concept Aspect: Vigilante Sorcerer


You're a sorcerer, and you're laying down the law in your own way, Batman style.

Invoke: Laying the smackdown with magic or other implements. You can't let injustice pass you by. You have to do something about it.

Compel: You can't let injustice pass you by. You have to do something about it.

Trouble Aspect: "Good....Bad...I'm the guy with the Bat..."

You have a real problem with the conventional "Justice" system.  

Invoke: To rightly punish those that would prey on the innocent.

Compel: You may get a little carried away and end up walking the gray magic line of the laws of magic...or worse.


Arcane Pack Rat

You have collected an extensive collection of arcane knowledge and other....stuff. Lore books here, fallen warlocks' magical trinkets there, the Blood of Kemmler under the uneven coffee table leg.

Invoke:  While researching, you look through your collection of stuff for something you already have.

Compel: You cannot walk into a bookstore, hobby shop, Walmart or someone else's lab without adding to your collection some new material components, arcane trinkets or the newest issue of Full Metal Alchemist (For inspiration, you know....)

Alpha Geek

Before all this happened you were a geek. You are a walking library of trivia, lore and knowledge about various fictional franchises and esoteric topics and most of it is practically useless. But it matters to you Gorram it!....

Invoke: Solve a problem using as inspiration a similar situation from an episode of Star Trek and subsequent conclusions compiled by the Mythbusters. (Did I mention this aspect belongs to my Sorcerer character?)

Compel: You are the Alpha geek and got to that position through careful study and through arguing your points of view. You don't know how times someone has said "Luke, I am your father" only for you to correct them and mock them for their stupidity. (I can already see this getting compelled in the heat of battle)


"There's always time to stop and think."

You take your time make decisions. You concider the situation, pull out your sharpee and write down your thoughts. Equations, diagrams and stuff...

Invoke:  Just about anything.

Compel: You have no plan so you have to stop and think even if a Gruff is coming around the corner with a machine gun. Plus, if you write your thoughts in sharpee, other people can read it.

From a friend's character:

High Concept Aspect: The Last Disciple of Thor

Self explanatory. Only here to give perspective.

Not a very good Viking.


You suffer from Hydrophobia.

Invoke:  To get the heck out of this WATER!

Compel: "I can't go in there. There's WATER in there!"

OLD fashioned kind of guy.

You were born in a different time, literally.

Invoke:  To settle things the old fashioned way. You could also invoke to remember first hand knowledge of a certain period of time.  

Compel: Modern society kicks your ass.


For another character:

Old Man, Young Face

Your Wizard's Constitution has allowed you to age really well.

Invoke:  At almost a Century old, you still pass for 16. Being almost a century old you remember tons of stuff and know people's grandfathers on a first name basis.

Compel: At almost a Century old, you still pass for 16. It's hell to renew your Driver's license every 10 years.


I still don't know if these aspects work or if I'm just insane.  

[breaker]

I love the direction you're taking most of them, twining the character's personality with the background, but you'd think that since aspects seperate particular people from society, that they'd be a little more... I dunno, specific, especially the ' There's always time to stop and think ', its pretty broad and I could see 2/3s of the people you know falling under its catagory.

Edit: Relooked them over, and I've fallen in love with the viking themes in there.

[Lanodantheon]

I love the direction you're taking most of them, twining the character's personality with the background, but you'd think that since aspects seperate particular people from society, that they'd be a little more... I dunno, specific, especially the ' There's always time to stop and think ', its pretty broad and I could see 2/3s of the people you know falling under its catagory.

Edit: Relooked them over, and I've fallen in love with the viking themes in there.

The "There's always time to stop and think" aspect is probably a bit too broad. But, you can't stop and think about everything like shooting a gun (aiming doesn't count) or driving a car or something where immediate reaction time is a deciding factor. This is supposed to reflect "Paralysis by analysis"

I'll let my friend know his Viking character is working. I left out his other known aspect because it still needs work:
"Subtlety is for B*$@#s!" (Rough translation)

Here's an Aspect for some NPCs I'm actually gonna use in a feud between their street gang and the rival Were-Bears in downtown Spokane:

Gonzaga's Resident Were-Moose

You're a Were-Moose....

Invoke: Use your Mighty Moose Muscle (TM) to fight crime on Spokane/Cheney's streets. This is only funny until you realize that an Adult Moose can actually total a truck and walk away.
 
Compel: Stop laughing!

Despite this aspect's jokey nature, it and the Were-Bear/Moose feud are seriously based on actual events in the Spokane/Cheney area.
We had a Bear running around near Lewis & Clark Highschool (which is Downtown) a few years ago and almost every year Cheney is plagued by at least 1 Moose that wonders onto the road. I still don't know the plural of Moose.

I also realize that Gonzaga's mascot is the Bulldog, but come on!

[breaker]

Compel: Stop laughing!

I'd rather burn the point, I'm afraid.

[Lanodantheon]

Chauncy's B*$#@

You made a deal with the great demon Chaunzaggoroth. In exchange for your family's curse being lifted and some power, you have to do favors for one of the Underworld's most popular information brokers.

Invoke: You are sponsored by a demon of information. It can be most handy and you get to where a suit.

Compel: Not everyone respects Chauncy and therefore you are often shunned with holy swords and big guns. But being his emissary, you have collect unpaid debts, souls and occasionally get him some tea and biscuits.

[breaker]

Chauncy's B*$#@

You made a deal with the great demon Chaunzaggoroth. In exchange for your family's curse being lifted and some power, you have to do favors for one of the Underworld's most popular information brokers.

Invoke: You are sponsored by a demon of information. It can be most handy and you get to where a suit.

Compel: Not everyone respects Chauncy and therefore you are often shunned with holy swords and big guns. But being his emissary, you have collect unpaid debts, souls and occasionally get him some tea and biscuits.

So a demonic Bob in exchange for having to get in fights and go grocery shopping, might be useful to keep in mind. I'm guessing this involves Chauncy' having his b*$#@'s Name as well?

[SoulCatcher78]

Isn't Chauncy one of Richelle Reid's characters?  It'll be interesting to see them integrated into the Dresdenverse.

[iago]

Isn't Chauncy one of Richelle Reid's characters?  It'll be interesting to see them integrated into the Dresdenverse.

He's in book #2 of the Dresden Files, IIRC.

[Lanodantheon]

He's in book #2 of the Dresden Files, IIRC.

True dat Iago. He is in chapter 11 of Fool Moon. It's his only appearance so far.

But he's been inspiring.

In my D&D 4e game last year I created on the fly our multiclass Warlock's patron based on Chauncy, Jorgemundekkar or simply Jorge. He was a Hellboy styled Demon with massive horns in a white Zoot suit with an eversmoking cigar.

Chancy speaks with an "Oxford accent" so I have a rational basis for tea & biscuits.

 

So a demonic Bob in exchange for having to get in fights and go grocery shopping, might be useful to keep in mind. I'm guessing this involves Chauncy' having his b*$#@'s Name as well?

Nonono.... well yes, this is for an Emissary of Power.

The poor guy's entire family had been cursed like the MacFinns only worse(The MacFinns should be grateful they only passed their curse to one person every generation and that whole "only at the full moon" business). This fine fellow stepped up to the plate to get the family curse removed.

He works for Chauncy now. Demonic Bob is his boss.

Chauncy has his Name, Soul and his family's fortune (as in luck) on Lay-away.

The character I had in mind for this is to be like Winston Wolf from Pulp Fiction working for Chauncy.

Sometimes it involves Tea & Biscuits, sometimes a soul or a true name is past due and sometimes The  B*$#@ has break out a pair of pliers and a blowtorch.

[breaker]

True dat Iago. He is in chapter 11 of Fool Moon. It's his only appearance so far.

This said, I wonder what his stats end up being in the game from such a small framework to go with. Basicly, crab, evil and deceptive, ox-ford accent. That's about all I could get from him... but hey, how about this as an Aspect

Hell Recruitment Service

I want you to join the REAL Hell's Angels!

One way or another, you ended up working on the wrong side of the tracks, now whatever patron you are being controlled by wants you to spread the message a little bit.

Invoke: You have good communication with demonic information sources, you're soul and freedom is already lost, so they don't have much left to take from you. You can also convince many low-ranking demons, that despite being (semi) mortal, that you are technically their boss.

Compel: You're job is to prey on the mentally weak and expand hell's empire. Suicidal teenager? Direct him towards the enlightening path of satanism. Your wizarding friend feeling down? Tell him a little black magic could cheer him right up. Remember, the depressed, suffering, and weak are easy-pickins.

[breaker]

"I'm famous on the Internet, you don't even know."

People look at you, but they don't see what you've accomplished. They will bow before your legion of Subsribers, massive post count, army of Followers, or vast sea of e friends.

Invoke: People who are 'new', 'hip', or spend too much time on a computer ((Me)) will probably recognize you, and if you're lucky, that teen over there might be willing to drop information on her Third Eye dealing friends if you put her in your top 8. And who knows, fans of your work could be anywhere or anyone.

Compel: You take precious time out of your day to manage the many facets of your internet life, and you might just have to take a breather from fighting that Troll to send a tweet to the masses that thug4life is fighting a real beast of folklore.

[Wizard H]

I watched too much BeastMaster 
I like animals better than most people.

Invoke: Allows you to communicate your desires more easily with animals even if they are untrained.  This is however more of an empathic understanding than true communication.

Compel: Due to empathic nature of this aspect sometimes a message or warning is misconstrued.  Also animals seem to sense this ability and often approach you at inopportune moments.


Where was he keeping that?
Your person is often compared to a clown car.  You always seem to be pulling out some inconceivable object.

Invoke: Allows you to produce an item in your inventory even if you've been thoroughly searched.

Compel: If ever required to completely disarm the time taken is far longer than what is the norm.  It can also sometimes take multiple attempts to produce the right item. (I.E. Your attempting to pull your hidden revolver and instead pull out a knife or a tome.)

[mrsleep]

Eye of the Beholder
You notice and correlate things that most people dismiss as everyday.


Invoke Can discover patterns or anomalies and know what they mean.

 "Funny how all the books line up on the second wall.  It's almost like there's a hidden door."

"Ever notice how it's ears point towards who it will attack next?"


Compel Sometimes you miss the big stuff, or get so focused you tune everything out.

"Billy, why are you sitting on a box with wires and a clock counting backwards?"

"Billy, there is something right behind you.  Billy. BILLY!