Here's a second - Magic Man (aka A Twisted Mentor)
Note: this character is designed to be a villain. He first appeared as the mentor to another villain, but maybe he didn't die when she thought he did? And since the DV is so full of grey I'm sure that there is more than creep like this out there.
Name: was Theodore Chambers, but now goes by Magic Man
Template: Focused Practitioner
High Concept Aspect: Predatory Mystic Mentor
Trouble Aspect: I Don't Care About Anyone But Me
Background:
Growing up, Theodore was an outsider. Part of it started young; in kindergarten he became known for playing doctor with any little girl who would agree to play patient. One day the class got back from recess and on the blackboard there was a crude drawing of a nude boy - labelled "Teddy Bare". Since none of the students could read the teacher told them what it said and Theodore was stuck with a hurtful nickname.
With that following him through school (and the fact that he was a bit strange at times) Theodore was quickly labelled as the neighbourhood weirdo. At first the label was an unfair one, but Theodore found himself growing into it. These early troubles might be why he didn't learn how to form emotional attachments, resulting in his trouble.
His rep for being a sex fiend was a bit ironic because all of the girls avoided him. In school, the closest he ever got to action was when a girl kneed him the crotch or when an older girl gave him a wedgie. At least that was the closest he got before he discovered the world of recreational chemistry; no, he didn't trade drugs for sex - he just supplied the drugs and when he got a chance to he gave a girl an extra strong dose. When she passed out he'd hit a home run... And that wasn't all he hit, but he tried not to leave bruises. Most of the girls were either too stoned or too embarrassed to say anything so Theodore was able to get away with his crime.
In short, he became the sexual predator that people thought he was.
Phase Aspect: I Like To Ride On Top.
Rising Conflict:
In mid high school his growing chemical skills brought him into shady circles. If left alone he would have probably just gone to jail for the drugs or maybe for the rapes, but someone noticed that he had a talent. That someone trained him in magic (he left high school partway through it to get this better form of education) and tried to reform him, but eventually gave up on him and pronounced him "fully trained". Before cutting him loose, his mentor took Theodore a gathering of minor talents. While they were there a Warden showed up and dealt with a Warlock (who resisted and lost his head without trial). Seeing that happen drove home the importance of not breaking important laws.
From then on, before doing anything he would stop and think "Does this break the laws of magic?" and if so he wouldn't do it. Sometimes he took things further and asked "Will this get me killed?" or "Will this get me hunted?" and if the answer was yes then he would back off. Of course, breaking most mundane laws doesn't get you killed or hunted so Theodore decided to ignore them. He would follow the minimum morality required of him and that was it.
Phase Aspect: Knows Better Than To Get Into That Kind Of Trouble
The Story: The Rise Of Magic Man
Theodore was 20 when he left his mentor. Looking around, girls his own age intimidate him (not that he would ever admit that) but those who were a bit younger... They were confused, easily impressed, and ripe for the picking. Wanting to leave "Teddy Bare" behind forever, Theodore took a craft name from a rock classic - Magic Man. The phrase "Come on home, girl" he said with a smile / "I cast my spell of love on you, a woman from a child!" struck a cord with him. Not that he goes after young kids, but he doesn't pay attention to mundane laws so "statutory rape" isn't in his vocabulary. As long a girl has some kind of figure then she's fair game even if she happens to be 14 or 15.
Girls that age are easily impressed by a bit of magic, and can follow instructions enough to help soak up backlash if something goes wrong (like he's too stoned to get things just right). If they have a bit of talent then that's even better - he can promise to unlock her potential and that's a guaranteed panty peeler. Sharing drugs (he still uses and sometimes makes them) with the girl only makes it easier.
Magic isn't the only thing he teaches - he always teaches the girls 'their place'. Maybe it's left over rage against high school beauties who wouldn't give him the time of day or maybe the darkness was always in him - either way any girl he teaches is going to get hurt. Sometimes he plays light B&D games and sometimes he just leaves bruises - but he has to hurt them so they'll know that he's in charge.
Others in the supernatural community just laughed at his name or thought he was joke - and Magic Man was smart enough not to flaunt his personal life.
Phase Aspect: I Can Teach What What's
(Note - can be tagged in instructional situations or to put someone in his/her 'place'. Most compels would be for the latter use.)
(Second Note: I know there's no guest star here, but it can be expanded to link to a suitable person in your city. Maybe that guy who runs an occult bookstore in the back of an adult only store? Drug dealers or users? Some other victimisers?)
Guest Star: Whose Path Have You Crossed?(Details to be filled in later)
In his first guest story, Magic Man played the role of a hero - helping to track down something from the Nevernever that had made its way into an elementary school. This brought him a lot of slack from the nicer elements of the mystic community.
However, his motivations were less than pure. Magic Man had tracked down his former kindergarten teacher to that school and used the "defeat the thingie" mission to cover him putting a shotgun slug in her head. It had taken him years to figure it out, but she had been the only one inside during recess, the only one who could write, and she had read the writing out loud so all the other kids would know what it said. In many ways she was responsible for the man that he had become - which meant that she had to die for those years of teasing he had endured.
Magic Man had tracked her down and was planning on murdering her when he stumbled across someone who was dealing with a magical threat. He helped enough that he could the other character's actions as a cover, then 'killed the cultist' when he got the chance. From that one he got the Aspect: Aids Those Who Are Aiding Him.
The second guest role should link him to something sleazy. If you've decided to use him with Monica Childs (see
http://www.jimbutcheronline.com/bb/index.php/topic,24639.0.html) then he'd be guest star in her story. An Aspect from that story could revolve around faking his own death, questioning his sexuality, or plotting vengeance on his former pupil. Or it could be him moving on from her and getting a new student to amuse himself with.
(Note: While a drug user, drugs don't dominate his life to the point where he needs an aspect to include them. If he has to he can go days (or weeks) without using them - but he likes using them and since there's no law of magic against it he does.)
Power Level: Up to Your Waist
Skill Cap: Great
Skill Points: 25
Starting Refresh: 7
Adjusted Refresh: 1
Skills
Deceit: Good
Lore: Good
Scholarship: Good (Chemistry, a bit of botany, and medical info as it applies to drug use)
Rapport: Good
Conviction: Fair
Discipline: Fair
Presence: Fair
Stealth: Fair
Burglary: Average
Contacts: Average (mostly to do with drugs and the shady side of magic)
Endurance: Average
Guns: Average
Resources: Average (could easily be higher but his lifestyle soaks up most of his funds and he's lazy)
Stunts & Powers
Invocation (-3) (Speciality Air (power bonus), Fire, Water)
Thaumaturgy (-3) (Biomancy - mostly to grow the best organic drugs he can)
Items
Invocation:
Rod of Power (Focus for Air (Control, offensive) +1)
A thick rod with mystic symbols on it. Magic Man has been known to use it to swat his students (and might end up breaking it that way).
Ring of Air Shield (Focus for Air (Power, defensive) +1)
When it comes to defence, Magic Man opted for power over control
Thaumaturgy:
Mystic Brazier (Focus, Lore +1)
It's not convenient to lug around, but when he burns drugs in it Magic Man finds its opens his mind to new knowledge. He knows that he could burn anything in it, but what was would be the fun of that?
Ring of the Gun (enchanted item)
Magic Man doesn't like to think of himself as paranoid, but he knows that his lifestyle isn't the safest one. That's why he fashioned this ring - so he would never be unarmed. When he needs it, this ring conjures a .38 revolver with 6 bullets in it - at least for a short time.
Complexity 4 for the gun, complexity 1 for the bullets, call it a step for them both to work at once, which means that it only lasts for about 15 minutes. Magic Man figures that he doesn't need a longer duration - that if he needs a gun he'll have to use it fast.
Potion
(a slot he keeps open)
Rotes:
Name: Flip Skirt
Type: Air Evocation, maneuver
Area: One target in a skirt
Most people would just use a minor magic effect for something like this, but most people aren't Magic Man. The rote does what it says it does - it uses air to flip up a skirt. Mini skirt, poodle skirt, dress skirt, it doesn't matter. The affect is similar to standing over an air vent (a la Marilyn Monroe). It's childish, but that's Magic Man for you. It has no effect if the target isn't wearing a skirt. Slacks, shorts, jeans, a tracksuit, you name it and it won't work on it.
Mechanically it's a maneuver with Power 4. That's more than most maneuvers need, but Magic Man likes putting a little extra in it.
(Note - he'll sometimes use this as a pick up bit, "noticing" how a girl's power has manifested and offering to teach her so things sort of things don't happen in the future.)
Name: Dave Ain't Here Man
Type: Air Evocation, Defensive block
Area: Self
Power: 4 - 3 for the block, 1 for extra duration
Duration: 2 exchanges
When Dave needs to get the hell out of a situation the air bend light away from him. That makes it a bit hard for him to see but effectively Veils long enough to get a head start. So far it's worked well enough, and he's need to do it often enough that it's a rote.
Other magic use:
Invocation:
He uses Air to move things, and has been known to use water magic like a supersoaker, but he doesn't have a huge imagination when it comes to his powers. That, and he's lazy, so most of his spells are air ones done at the spur of the moment. He has also been known to use fire magic to brand, but he lacks the control for detailed work so it's rare that he risks it. Magic Man lights his joints (at the other things he smokes) with fire magic (minor effect, no roll needed).
Thaumaturgy:
Magic Man has got a thaumaturgy based veil he uses when has to go unseen. It's not the best and it's a bitch for him to conjure, but it's good enough for him.
Much of his day to day thaumaturgy revolves around improving the effects of organic drugs (and growing certain plants without a setting up a grow-op), but he doesn't have enough knowledge of botany to get great results (he would have to increase his scholarship for that). He'll also try to boost existing drugs, stepping them up for resale.
If he doesn't have something handy he'll conjure it rather than going out to buy something. Yes, it might take him a couple of hours to conjure any but the most basic stuff and those conjured things don't last long, but if was going to the corner store then he'd need to throw on a shirt and find his jacket, then he'd have to look around for the keys and maybe his boots and... It would still be much faster to go out and buy something, but Magic Man finds that conjuring things require less mental effort on his part.
He's not the best at thaumaturgy and he's often careless. As a result he often walks around with a mild or moderate (or higher) mental consequence - usually backlash from a spell that he didn't really need to cast.
Additional Notes:
No, he'd never make wizard. It's not just that he lacks some powers or the talent. Even if he had a great talent. Magic Man lacks the drive to reach greatness. He's basically a slacker creep with a fondness for teenage girls who has enough magic to fuel his lifestyle. The main reason he has full Invocation and Thaumaturgy is to show that he could have taught Monica so much more - but didn't.
Whether he knows it or not, Magic Man is walking the razor's edge. Any lawbreaker stunt and he's out of refresh (not that refresh matters for NPCs, but this is currently a free willed villain). That, and cops generally don't like it when guys in their mid to late twenties (where Magic Man is now) cruise high schools looking for cute and emotionally vulnerable girls. His drug use is another red flag for the cops; even if they don't ID him as a minor dealer (which he is - mostly to other dealers) they know Magic Man is part of that lifestyle.
Then there's the magically aware community. Magic Man doesn't have a lot of admirers among his fellow practitioners - many of whom see him as a parasite whose sole saving grace is that he lacks the ambition to start a cult or otherwise make a nuisance of himself.
Using him in the game:
If Monica's spell resulted with him really dying, then he's dead and this is just background. If he survived (say did an air spell on the way down that slowed him just enough) then it depends on what sort of shape he's in. He could easily have taken a severe or extreme physical consequence from the fall (or a mental one from casting the spell that saved him) and be in bad shape. Further interactions with her are discussed under the Guest Star Redux area.
Or he could just be a creep that lives in your city. He's what I envision a lowlife drug using creep would become if he had magic and there are a lot of losers out there - so Magic Man can't be the only one with this sort of motif.
Then there's another use for him - a PC could enter play and have him as her mentor. If that happens the PC's powers should be less than his (he never teaches all he knows) and she should have an aspect that reflects being trained by him.
Maybe the PCs meet in a bar and someone tells them that they don't want to get too close in case some of him rubs off on them. Maybe they need something plant based and he can provide it. Maybe a PC happens to know the girl he's currently 'mentoring' and wants to do something about it, or the PCs are approached by a girl's family that want her back home and not living with someone like him.
The big problem is, technically he doesn't break the laws of magic - he's just a creep. He doesn't use mind control to get teenage girls to follow him home, only social skills. Any magic that he does use can be put down as explaining "magic is real and you have potential" to a prospective student.
So how do the PCs handle him? Especially if he backs down and kicks out the girl they want to rescue - only to pick up a new one the next night? In theory they could go nuclear get the cops on him, but Magic Man could escape to the Nevernever. Then he would be facing a warrant as a fugitive drug dealing fuzz buster, but he wouldn't make the city's most wanted list. If he kept his head down (and face Veiled) it could years before the cops got around to finding him. And then there's the Biomancy to think about - a minor ritual could get him a new face for a while and maybe even new fingerprints. Magic Man could mess that sort of ritual up but if he's wanted by the cop then what has he got to lose?
Meanwhile he'll be going around and telling everyone who will listen about how the PCs called the mortal authorities down on him - pointing out that if they'll do that to him then they could do that to you.
Richard
