Animated Scorpion

[Ryan_Singer]

The Scorpion from Storm Front:

ANIMATED SCORPION
High Concept: Animated Scorpion Skills
Athletics: Good (+3) Fists: Great (+4) Endurance: Good (+3) Might: Fair (+2)
Most other skills default to Mediocre.
Stunts
Tough on the Environment (Fists):
+2 on attacks meant to destroy non-living
barriers (doors, desks, elevator ceilings).
Powers
Claws (Venomous) [–3] “Human” Form [+1] Inhuman Strength is
unavailable until the scorpion has enough available energy to grow into a gorilla- sized threat.
Inhuman Strength [–2] Stress
Mental oo   Physical oooo   Social oo Notes
Nasty little things with Mediocre initiative, Great attack & defense, Weapon:2 stingers that can poison you. When gorilla-sized: Weapon:4 stingers, poison at full potency.
Total Refresh Cost: –5

Could someone help me create a spell to create/ animate this? I'm not quite sure where to start.

[Papa Gruff]

I'd say start from the Zombie Animation Example on YW 301 and twist it a little so that it fits the scorpion and their general not zombishness.

Generally I'd be a two spell process. One to summon a spirit or a daemon into the husk of the scorpion and then animate it and one to bind it to your will. The complexity values from the "Zombi Animation" seem reasonable for this too. 6-10 to summon the spirit based on the spirits conviction and 10-14 for the binding (maybe more if you want to make several scorpions or have them around for a longer time). 

[MijRai]

How are you running it? A summoning/binding of a demon into the shell, or something like a temporary version of the Ward Hounds the Wardens use? The Summoning/Binding would be Summon it (Complexity=Refresh of creature) and then Bind it (it's Conviction+4 to be safe). As far as a ward hound idea, I'd go with the Refresh, and double it to activate it. Make giving it commands later on a Supplemental or Full Action.

[Ryan_Singer]

How are you running it? A summoning/binding of a demon into the shell, or something like a temporary version of the Ward Hounds the Wardens use? The Summoning/Binding would be Summon it (Complexity=Refresh of creature) and then Bind it (it's Conviction+4 to be safe). As far as a ward hound idea, I'd go with the Refresh, and double it to activate it. Make giving it commands later on a Supplemental or Full Action.

Where do you get complexity = refresh? From the book:

Summoning a supernatural entity is a matter
of willing it to your presence and having a place
to contain the entity when it arrives—typically
a casting circle. This usually requires enough
shifts of complexity to beat the entity in a
contest of Conviction, so you’re wise to shoot for
five or more shifts above the being’s Conviction.

New question: The Zombie spell says additional shifts can be used to animate more zombies. How many shifts does it take to get more? If it's just a matter of splitting shifts between summoned beings, why not do them as separate rituals? Maybe 1 shift per additional summon? 2 shifts per?

[MijRai]

Where do you get complexity = refresh? From the book:

By that, I mean that if you are summoning a being with Inhuman Strength, Inhuman Toughness, and Claws, it should take five shifts to summon it. Thus, the complexity is equal to the refresh of the being. If the being has Supernatural Strength, Supernatural Recovery, and Glamours, it'd take about ten shifts to summon it. After that, you need to bind it, with the suggested strength being +4 or +5 over the target's Conviction.

[Ryan_Singer]

By that, I mean that if you are summoning a being with Inhuman Strength, Inhuman Toughness, and Claws, it should take five shifts to summon it. Thus, the complexity is equal to the refresh of the being. If the being has Supernatural Strength, Supernatural Recovery, and Glamours, it'd take about ten shifts to summon it. After that, you need to bind it, with the suggested strength being +4 or +5 over the target's Conviction.

I understand what you're saying here, but I can't find a reference in the book. The only part I've found about summoning complexity is what I quoted. So, the complexity to summon an Animated Scorpion would be 5, because you have to beat it's best roll in a conviction contest, and it has a mediocre conviction. It has venomous claws and inhuman strength, but I can't find any text in the book that says those powers make it harder to summon.

[devonapple]

The book does not seen to differentiate between summoning a skinny Knowledge Demon with 4 Conviction and -5 Refresh, and an immensely powerful Juggernaut Demon with 4 Conviction and -16 Refresh. Perhaps the risk and potential consequence of losing control of one's immense but low-willed UberDemon is the balancing element?

[Ryan_Singer]

The book does not seen to differentiate between summoning a skinny Knowledge Demon with 4 Conviction and -5 Refresh, and an immensely powerful Juggernaut Demon with 4 Conviction and -16 Refresh. Perhaps the risk and potential consequence of losing control of one's immense but low-willed UberDemon is the balancing element?

Yes. Demons seem to be intentionally easy to summon. A few things to keep in mind:

1. The laws of Magic, especially 1st and 4th. If a demon you summon kills a human, you get lawbreaker. In addition, while binding a demon doesn't get you the lawbreaker stunt, the Wardens see it as a grey area, and you as a horrible warlock-wannabe. Just saying.

2. Breaking Bindings is easy. Demons love being summoned and hate being bound. When someone busts your binding, the demon may come straight for you.

3. You are what you do with Magic. Someone who frequently summons demons and binds them comes to see themselves as a demonbinder. Aspects should reflect that.

4. Demons can't cross magic circles, are dispelled when caught within one, and have other demon-related qualities. These are compels on their high concept.

In conclusion: Summoning demons is an effective way to use thaumaturgy to enhance your combat abilities. The reason everyone doesn't do it is because it's dangerous, corrupting, and hands tons of fate points to a powerful creature who hates you.

[Ryan_Singer]

Binding is interesting. In order to bind the demon, you have to take it out in mental combat. say the thing has a mediocre conviction. This means:

5 to beat the best defense
2 for the 2 stress track.
2 for Minor Consequence
4 For Moderate
6 for Severe
8 for extreme
=
27 shifts

Because that's WAY too many shifts for the average caster, binding will usually be done with Evocation Spirit Mental attacks using the True Name.

Remember that since you have to take the thing out for binding, you give it a bunch of consequences that fill up it's consequence path, making future attempts to attack it much more likely to take it out. Also, the 4 consequences you give it gives it 4 FATE points to spend later, when it turns on you. A good way to get around this is to make a deal with it instead. The deal will cost you something, but will get you a demon fighter without filling up it's consequence path, giving it a handful of FATE points and making yourself a target.

[Ryan_Singer]

Summoned demons have a strong incentive to concede in the binding conflict. They can't attack you through the circle, and you can massacre them with your spirit mental attacks using their true name. What they should do is concede, pick up "bound to follow your orders to the letter" as a moderate consequence, take their fate point, and attack you when they recover from the consequence.

Another interesting thing is what "Bound" means. It means you can spend a fate point to compel them follow your orders for a scene. If they have fate points to buy off the compel, they can, and you would have to escalate. Bringing a demon to every fight can run you out of fate points in a hurry.

[Becq]

Keep in mind when considering shifts needed that not all targets are 'Main NPCs'.  If you summon a generic demon, he's likely to count as a grunt (no consequence) or a supporting NPC (moderate consequence).  "Taking them out" is much easier.  (Of course, they will also be of less value in a fight.)

As to Fate points to buy out of compels ... I think it's guaranteed that they have at least one, since the fact that they were summoned against their will would surely count as a compel against their High Concept.

Finally, if the Demon conceeds, then he doesn't take any consequences at all, nor any stress boxes.  I suppose he could, if it suited him, mark off consequences (and get extra Fate points for the concession), though that would also possible hinder his attempt to break free.

As to duration ... I'm thinking that you'd probably treat the binding as giving you the ability (for the duration of the Thaumaturgy used for the binding) to compel the demon's High Concept to force him to do things.  Of course, this means that you are spending a Fate point each time you toss out new orders, and that the demon is getting those Fate points.  Eventually the demon is going to refuse a compel (by spending one of the Fate points you've given him).  Then you'll either up the ante and he'll back down, or you'll find that you can't afford the compel.  And at some point, you'll have given him enough Fate that he has more than you, and can break free at his will.

[Ryan_Singer]

Keep in mind when considering shifts needed that not all targets are 'Main NPCs'.  If you summon a generic demon, he's likely to count as a grunt (no consequence) or a supporting NPC (moderate consequence).  "Taking them out" is much easier.  (Of course, they will also be of less value in a fight.)

As to Fate points to buy out of compels ... I think it's guaranteed that they have at least one, since the fact that they were summoned against their will would surely count as a compel against their High Concept.

Finally, if the Demon conceeds, then he doesn't take any consequences at all, nor any stress boxes.  I suppose he could, if it suited him, mark off consequences (and get extra Fate points for the concession), though that would also possible hinder his attempt to break free.

As to duration ... I'm thinking that you'd probably treat the binding as giving you the ability (for the duration of the Thaumaturgy used for the binding) to compel the demon's High Concept to force him to do things.  Of course, this means that you are spending a Fate point each time you toss out new orders, and that the demon is getting those Fate points.  Eventually the demon is going to refuse a compel (by spending one of the Fate points you've given him).  Then you'll either up the ante and he'll back down, or you'll find that you can't afford the compel.  And at some point, you'll have given him enough Fate that he has more than you, and can break free at his will.

This is exactly what I was thinking.