[edited: 2-9-11, 1:20pm, bottom half of page]
I'll probably suffer some persecution for suggesting this, but after perusing the boards I discovered someone had tried to incorporate Highlander-style immortals into the DFRPG. I thought it looked really good, but that thread seems to have died, so I decided not to necro it.
No one here has probably seen it, but there's an anime named Bleach that I happen to like. The main plot isn't really important to this topic, but rather the setting and circumstances. Evil spirits which are most often corrupted formerly human souls that go around feeding off other souls and spirits. To "police" these creatures, a society of humans souls that have passed on have developed powers to fight them and returned to the mortal realm in spirit form to deal with the threat.
For breadth of applicability, I recommend stripping most of the asian themes regarding how they and their weapons appear. At least include an explanation that while the group may have begun in the afterlife among mostly asian souls, it has spread and therefore someone from any former walk of life may potentially be a soul reaper.
The show doesn't carry the same noir feel of the Dresdenverse, but I've always felt that it should've...a little less DBZ and a little more Death Note (despite the irony that I dislike both shows). A world like the Dresdenverse where people like the Ectomancer guy (I forget his name), are usually all the contact anyone has with the spirit world...because soul reapers are the ones doing the real work. Practitioners would be especially juicy meals for Hollows, making a legitimate reason for them to gather in the sorts of places people will play their games, and thus attracting Soul Reapers.
Now, the point of all this, is to make an established but thinly spread group to combat spiritual evil (and by interaction material evil), in the same sort of theme and mood one might normally find in the Dresdenverse. It's really only meant to be loosely based on the anime.
Before I go trying to think of ways their powers might be adjusted and worked out, I'd prefer to take a measurement of the climate and see how receptive everyone is to the idea first. If people are interested enough, I'll pop out a few ideas and everyone's welcome to offer suggestions and such too.
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I'm sorry that it's been so long without even so much as a how-do-ya-do, but between school, life, and laziness, I kind of spaced it. However, the project hasn't been abandoned or forgotten, so while it's not much, there is some progress to report.
This is all there is for now, there will be additions and such in hopefully the near future. For any still interested, more suggestions are welcome.
Description:
Since the dawn of humanity, the souls of mortals have been targets of vicious and merciless monsters, and always there have been guardians to stand between those souls and their tormentors. These guardians were first natural spirits who took pity on humanity, but soon the souls they defended grew stronger and began to defend themselves and others. Unfortunately, so too did lost souls find themselves so corrupted and empty that they became greater monsters still.
For many thousands of years each culture had its own afterlife, the underworld, Sheol, Purgatory, the spirit world; and versions of Soul Reapers, calling them Grim Reapers, Valkyries, Angels of Death, Death Gods and the like. But with the onset of World War II and deeper, more frequent cultural interactions, conflict inevitably also broke out between the different guardians of the dead. In the end, however, all were incorporated into a single fighting force, though with much stronger asian influences.
Today, while each culture maintains its own flavor, all are a part of what is now called Soul Society. It is there where the worthy and innocent reside in death until reincarnation or graduation from one of the Soul Reaper academies.
Musts:
As always, the high concept must include a reference to the character's nature as a Soul Reaper. As per the rules for Items of Power, one of the other aspects also must refer to their Zanpakuto.
Wizard's Constitution
Ghost Speaker
Spirit Form
Item of Power (Zanpakuto, +1 discount)
Zanpakuto are more than just weapons, they are for all intents and purposes, the spiritual twins of their Soul Reapers. They have their own thoughts and intentions, and Soul Reapers must learn to communicate with and understand themselves and their Zanpakuto to grow stronger.
Options:
While a Soul Reaper is viable at Chest-Deep Power Level, options are only
available at Submerged or higher: A stronger Item of Power; Any of Inhuman Speed, Channeling, and Ritual; An upgrade of any or all of Inhuman Speed, Channeling, and Ritual; the Strength or Toughness powers; or Bankai. And of course any stunts. Soul Reapers are often skilled in the art of Shunpo, or Flash-Stepping, but not always. The same is true of Kido, or "Demon Magic", though this name is something of a misnomer as the art is identical to that of normal mortal magic. Not all Soul Reapers possess all or even any of these skills, and some rely solely (and disturbingly successfully) on their Zanpakuto or even sheer brute force.
Important Skills:
Athletics, Alertness, Conviction, Discipline, Lore, Investigation
Minimum Refresh Cost:
-7
