Author Topic: Autumn Knight (and Automn court in general) suggestion. (feedback appreciated)  (Read 4499 times)

Offline gojj

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A quick search through old topics tells me that this concept has been done before and been discussed before, however the most recent topic is about a month old and I did not wish to resurrect an old topic (typically frowned upon on most boards). I have moderate experience with the Dresden RPG, I have never GM'ed but I have played enough to be confident with the rules and now want to make a more conflicted character, my first one was a Changling whose sole goal was essentially to survive, he was not beholden to anyone. I have decided on a Knight of the Fairy Court but we already had a Summer Knight (from a previous campaign) in the city and most other characters hated the Winter Court, so a Winter Knight was basically out. I then decided on attempting to make an Autumn Knight and here is where I stand right now.

I gave him Aseelie (liked the name more then Adseelie, to each his own I guess) magic which consists of: Wildness, Decay, Growth, Hunting, and Air. I took aspects from Summer and Winter as you can see and I feel these embodies Fall fairly well. I liked the idea of Fall and Spring being the more transitional of the four Courts but I wasn't fond of the idea that the two were wiped out and now in hiding. I decided to put a twist on it that yes, they were wiped out, but they are by no means hiding. Just like how scientists are discovering how the Earth may be going through "seasons" spanning millions of years (polarity shifting, average temperature rising and falling), so did the four courts. Whenever the Earth began too shift, the Autumn and Spring courts rose in power and every time the Earth stabilized the Summer and Winter rose to power. Now with the talk of global warming (not trying to spark a political/ecological debate) I'm thinking that maybe it's time for the Spring and Autumn Courts to be gaining power again and cast down the Summer and Winter Courts. Whether these transitions are peaceful (the fae recognize it's part of a cycle and accept it) or violent (the courts try desperately to fight off the steady advance of Mother Nature) I haven't decided.

Anywho my character is an Autumn Knight (in out campaigns there are more than one Knight per court as to not limit players wanting to create them) sent to check on the Winter Court as (whoever is the head of Autumn Court) suspects them of attempting to harness some powerful magic to stop the advance of said nature and maintain power, perhaps hopefully allowing Summer to fade so they are uncontested.

I apologize for the long post and if I made any grave errors concerning the Dresden-verse I apologize, like I said I have only moderate experience. I may have to drastically change the story of the Autumn court if my GM doesn't like the whole shift in power thing but I would like some feedback/suggestions from the much more experienced and seasoned folks here on the forums, both about the balance of power thing and my picks for the Autumn's Sponsored Magic in general.

Offline Masurao

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I am wondering who is the character's sponsor for your Sponsored Magic? If I were to use an Autumn Court Knight, I imagine his King and/or Queen to be rather weak, especially in comparison to Summer and Winter. Another option is to say that your Autumn Court is based on a different mythology than Irish/Scottish/Northern European that is the basis for Summer/Winter. Perhaps, somehow, Autumn Court is more powerful in Russia/Asia.

I do think, however, that your character could be an interesting agent in inter-Court politics, especially if his sponsor wants to become stronger and stronger. However, I doubt the Autumn or Spring Court would have much hope of overcoming the status quo, as there is much at stake for so many worldly and outerworldy power-players. There is one exception, I can come up with, though it might not really fly in Dresdenverse as per the novels: every several thousand years the Court switch between Autum/Spring and Winter/Summer and that switch is up and coming. It hasn't been used in canon/novels yet, but any creature of the strength of Mab/Titania could easily survive such a switch, as the other Fae simply switch to the court most closest to them. Then again, Winter and Summer may simply have eradicated every Fae with any thoughts of grandeur after trying to become a Spring/Autumn Court.

Well, that's my two cents up until now :)

Offline bobjob

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I think Autumn/Spring sponsored magic should each draw some from the Summer/Winter repertoire and introduce some new elements in addition to that. This will show that Autumn/Spring are a transition between the seasons but at the same time share elements of the two.
The entire Red Court was taken down by the new Winter Knight? From the lowliest pawn all the way up to the King? *puts on sunglasses* Knight to G7. Check mate.

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Offline Masurao

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I think Autumn/Spring sponsored magic should each draw some from the Summer/Winter repertoire and introduce some new elements in addition to that. This will show that Autumn/Spring are a transition between the seasons but at the same time share elements of the two.

Something like this? Instead of unbridled growth of Summer, Spring would be budding regeneration?

Offline gojj

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The sponsor would be the King/Queen or Lady/Lord of the Autumn Court. I have skirted around saying who that is because to be honest I am not sure. I don't have a very extensive knowledge of the Fae (one of the reasons I posted here so that those who do know about them could point out flaws). I have heard suggestions that the Erlking may have been at least a significant player in the Autumn Court, but I am not sure. Maybe for our campaign my GM and I will make someone up, or maybe just refer to him/her as Queen or King Autumn for the time being, it's cheesy I know. I agree that as a whole Autumn and Spring can to very little to disrupt the status quo on a global scale (at least for the time being) and I like your idea of the Fae themselves switching courts. This may be stretching it (oh who am I kidding, it's a huge leap) but maybe Mab and Titana themselves have a kind of split personality. When she leads Winter Mab is cold, harsh, basically the Mab we all know and love, but when she leads Autumn Mab loses some of her icy demeanor and becomes more, wild I guess. Embraces the randomness of air instead of ice, forgets about death and focuses on the hunt (still death, but it has a clear meaning and is not necessarily destructive). Thanks for your input. (Btw it wasn't till your post that I realized that Titana is the Titana from A Midsummer's Night dream, I thought it was just a coincidence).

@bobjob: I made sure to combine Summer and Winter themes as well as add two new ones: Summer: Wildness, Growth. Winter: Wildness, Decay. New: Hunt, Air. I am unsure about hunt though, I was inspired by the Erlking but I open to new suggestions on this one (or any other of the five). I fiddled with adding some quasi-demonic thing in there due to Halloween being in Fall, but decided against it.

Offline Masurao

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I do like the thought that your character might be of major influence by increasing the Autumn Court's influence.

Or, he might actually be a patsy for Summer/Winter, which is why he doesn't know exactly who his King/Queen is. ;)

Offline gojj

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Ok, I'm giving my Knight one or two items of power. the quick reason is that because the Autom court is so few those that still fly it's banner will need to be strong to survive, so when my character was knighted he was given these (or rather these items were enchanted for him) by his sponsor.

Since he was a rancher and spent most of his life on the prairie he is given a duster and a gun. I'm giving the duster (I'm calling it Barkskin Duster) Inhuman Toughness (Catch is spring magic, but can be researched so it gets a +1) and Inhuman Recovery. However I am having trouble with the Item of Power rule that states that the item can only be used in certain circumstances, i.e Sword of the Cross can only be swung selflessly. Would the duster only protect me against the faeries of the other courts, or maybe only when those attacking me are aware of who I am and seek to harm me as a way of further weakening the Autumn Court. Any suggestions? Thanks again for your input guys.

Offline SunlessNick

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I made sure to combine Summer and Winter themes as well as add two new ones: Summer: Wildness, Growth. Winter: Wildness, Decay. New: Hunt, Air. I am unsure about hunt though, I was inspired by the Erlking but I open to new suggestions on this one (or any other of the five).  -  gojj
Harvest might suit the Autumn Court better than Hunt.

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I imagine his King and/or Queen to be rather weak, especially in comparison to Summer and Winter. Another option is to say that your Autumn Court is based on a different mythology than Irish/Scottish/Northern European that is the basis for Summer/Winter.  -  Masurao
You suggested Russia, so Vasilisa and Yelena would both make pretty cool Spring Ladies - and Morya (Morevna) is easily amoral enough to be an Autumn Queen - in her main tale, she keeps Koshchei the Deathless, pretty much the bogeyman of Russian tales, chained up in her cupboard.

Baba Yaga doesn't strike me as a queen though - not that she isn't hard enough, more that she couldn't be arsed - though I could see as her being like the Erlking.

From Finland, Louhi might also do as an Autumn Queen.

Offline JediDresden

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Kind of off topic, but I created a Spring Court for my game.  I thought that the other 2 Courts should be ruled by men so they have Kings and Lords vs Queens and Ladies.  So Oberon and Puck were my choices for Spring Court.  They are weaker than Summer and Winter because of a long in game explanation that I will not get into here.  Oh and their Knights are female ( I guess that would make them Dames, right?)

Offline gojj

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I'm on board with Summer/Winter being matriarchal while Spring/Fall are patriarchal, but (game play wise) I don't think it's fair to tell a player "Nope, your Knight has to be Male/Female", it might sound good in story and lore, but I don't like how the practical application might affect players.

Offline JediDresden

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That's true, but none of my player are knights - or what to be one, so I could just say that is the way it was for the NPCs.

Offline gojj

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Sorry for jumping around but I'm conflicted on the cost of the Autumn Magic, at first I made it -4 and it downgrades Spring Court toughness by one level, just like Seelie and Unseelie magic, but it seems kind of lame to me as there are very few (if any) members of the Spring Court left.

I first thought I would make it a -3 power, but it's much stronger than either Evocation or Thaumaturgy (even despite the fact that I'm beholden to a lord) so that wouldn't work. Then I thought of giving it an extra focus Item Slot, but that seemed too powerful as well. Any suggestions or should I just leave it as is?

Offline Sanctaphrax

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I suggest that the duster only work as long as Autumn wants it to.

IoP restrictions don't have to be tough. How often is Michael going to swing his sword selfishly?

Offline Masurao

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Sorry for jumping around but I'm conflicted on the cost of the Autumn Magic, at first I made it -4 and it downgrades Spring Court toughness by one level, just like Seelie and Unseelie magic, but it seems kind of lame to me as there are very few (if any) members of the Spring Court left.

I first thought I would make it a -3 power, but it's much stronger than either Evocation or Thaumaturgy (even despite the fact that I'm beholden to a lord) so that wouldn't work. Then I thought of giving it an extra focus Item Slot, but that seemed too powerful as well. Any suggestions or should I just leave it as is?

My question to you would be: how do you justify Autumn Magic being as strong as Winter or Summer's? Mab and Titania are both backed by entire Courts, two halves of a year of influence and tremendous personal power. Then again, you might say that Autumn Court can make 1 individual as powerful as Winter/Summer can do with many at once...

Offline UmbraLux

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My question to you would be: how do you justify Autumn Magic being as strong as Winter or Summer's?
Personal opinion:  the court rulers may not be as powerful as the Winter and Summer Queens but the difference isn't going to matter on a mortal scale

Sponsored magic's cost changes based on whether or not you're already a caster and on where you can use the magic - but not based on the sponsor.  Unseelie magic costs the same as a place of power - "if you can take the power with you".  Unless you're mechanically limiting where or when the power is usable, I wouldn't reduce it. 
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