Shadows Over New York - Website for NYC With Themes, Locations and Templates

[Keryth]

I'm beginning the ground work on a DFRPG campaign. However, it won;t be complete by the books Dresdenverse, as I am already merging in the Percy Jackson novels, as well as the Buffyverse. Anyhow, I'm working on my new Character templates to supplement those of the Base game and would appreciate the community's review of them. I'll post the first one shortly. I have also decided to work up many of the NYC locations for my group and when the campaign starts, let them just work on 1 or two they'd like to add, so, I'll probably be posting them along with NPC's here as well.

2/1/12 - Seeing as how alot has been posted here already, will try to use this initial posting to list everything for easy access so those poking their heads in here can see what is hidden in this post.

4/27/12 - Obsidian Portal site up, and all information will be posted there from now on, except for things I need opinions/reviews/help on Site is http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaign/shadows-over-new-york/wikis/home-page

Templates: Hellmouth Vampire, Cintran Elf, Immortal, Knight of the Word, Vampire Slayer, Halfblood
Locations: Empire State Building, Studio 54, The Shop Around The Corner, Main Branch NY Public Library, 55 Central Park West
Powers: The Olympians, The Henriksen Scourge, The Escobado Cartel, House Howe, The Fomor, The Lucciano Syndicate
Themes: The Capital of the World, The City So Nice they Named It Twice, The City That Never Sleeps, Crossroads of the World
Magical Groups: The White Council, The House of Life, Anonymous, The Watcher's Council

[Keryth]

Hellmouth Vampire: (Based on Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Angel style Vampires)

Your High Concept must reflect your vampiric nature.  Turning someone else into a vampire requires taking them out through blood drinking, followed by invoking your vampiric High Concept.  Failing to spend a fate point will cause the transformation to either fail, and result in a dead human. 

Powers:
(-2) Undead (custom power borrowed from Adin’s Grey Court Vampire post found at http://www.jimbutcheronline.com/bb/index.php/topic,28159.msg1202255.html#msg1202255)
      *No Death result is permanent unless taken out by one of their catches, or their head is removed from their body.  The character no longer ages.  This power must be linked to a catch.
   *No need to take in traditional food, water, or air.
   *Unlike the Living Dead power, an Undead character still heals at the same rate as a mortal (or faster when combined with recovery powers.). Person appears as a normal human, except when using their Vampiric nature, which causes they fangs to show and their head to go all “Klingony”
(-1) Blood Drinker
(+1) Feeding Dependency (Blood)
(+0) Human Guise
(-2) Inhuman Recovery
(-2) Inhuman Speed
(-2) Inhuman Strength
(-2) Inhuman Toughness
(+3) The Catch: (Direct Sunlight, Fire, Holy Stuff, and Wooden Stakes)
   *In addition to bypassing toughness and recovery, Sunlight also causes horrific burns dealing one point of physical stress per exchange spent in direct sunlight. Fire includes explosions such as those resulting from RPGs. Wooden Stakes include crossbow quarrels. Holy Symbols (Crosses, Stars of David, etc.) repel Whedonverse Vampires. Holy Water damges Whedonverse Vampires in ways similar to Direct Sunlight. A Whedonverse Vampire Taken Out by sunlight bursts into flames and dies. A Whedonverse vampire stabbed with a Wooden Stake crumbles to dust.

Important Skills: Fists, Athletics, Endurance, Intimidation

Minimum Refresh Cost (-5)

From the Casefiles: All episodes of Buffy The Vampire Slayer and Angel

Notes: If a player wants to play a Whedonverse vampire they mUST have a HIGH CONCEPT ASPECT that explains their having free will. This may be taken only be taken with the GM’s approval


Edits: To re-configure based on recommendations from community

[The Mighty Buzzard]

Kind of missed one bit there.  Barring a soul or a chip, Wheedonverse vamps don't have free will.  Put a Must in about having something that alters their vampiric nature enough to give them back a modicum of free will and it looks fine.

[razorsmile]

Whedonverse magic is also an issue.  Given that Willow was a hacker aand Jenny/Jenna Kalderash/Calendar was some kind of technopagan, it doesn't fry tech. Will this be afactor or will you just airbrush it out?

[Keryth]

Thanks Mighty Buzzard. Entry modified accordingly

Razorsmile: Was planning on using another series I am bringing in, the Launmdry Novels, to explain Jenny Calendar. She is a Technomage. As for Willow, well, figured I'd keep that a mystery to the players. After all, as we know, the White Council knows ALOT less about the world they they like everyone to think.

[Sanctaphrax]

About template:

You may want to check out the revision of Undead from later in the thread you linked to.

What does Feeding Dependency apply to?

Catch math is wrong. Value should be +3, not +5.

Why so many important skills listed?

[The Mighty Buzzard]

Why so many important skills listed?

Also a good point. You could most likely get away with just Fists and let the powers make up any slack.  Fists is a must though.  Whedonverse vamps come out of the ground experts in vampjutsu by way of the demon-god Nielsen.

[UmbraLux]

Fists is a must though.  Whedonverse vamps come out of the ground experts in vampjutsu by way of the demon-god Nielsen.

Lol, true...and a very good way to put it. 

[Keryth]

Also a good point. You could most likely get away with just Fists and let the powers make up any slack.  Fists is a must though.  Whedonverse vamps come out of the ground experts in vampjutsu by way of the demon-god Nielsen.

Modified the Catch cost as pointed out, and have reduced the number of skills. TBH, I borrowed most of the original list form the White Court Vamp in the DFRPG books.

[The Mighty Buzzard]

Modified the Catch cost as pointed out, and have reduced the number of skills. TBH, I borrowed most of the original list form the White Court Vamp in the DFRPG books.

Looks like a solid Whedon vamp template to me.

If you don't have a court name for them yet, might I suggest the Buff Court?  Seems a shame to waste a perfectly good pun and go with another color.

From Wikipedia: Buff is a pale yellow-brown colour that got its name from the colour of buff leather.

[Keryth]

Looks like a solid Whedon vamp template to me.

If you don't have a court name for them yet, might I suggest the Buff Court?  Seems a shame to waste a perfectly good pun and go with another color.

Thanks for the suggestion, but, I'll either be lazy and call them the Grey Court or I am considering calling them Hellmouth Vampires, though, that doesn't explain the same type of amps in Angel's LA, unless you say they originated in Sunnydale's Hellmouth and migrated.

[Keryth]

Next Template:

Cintran Elf: (Based on the Elves of Terry Brook’s Shannara Series)

Powers:
Wizard’s Constitution [+0]—Elves are tough (though not inhumanly so) and long-lived. Cloak of Shadows (-1) – Elves can disappear into the shadows and see as easily at night as during the day
Inhuman Speed (-2) – Elves are swifter and more dexterous than humans

Important Skills:
Survival
Weapons (Archaic weapons only)

Minimum Refresh Cost (-4 (Includes Required Stunt))

From the Casefiles: Terry Brooks' various Shannara novels.

Notes:
HIGH CONCEPT must include Elf
MUST take a mortal stunt giving a +1 to attacks when using proper archaic weapons



Edited to incorporate recommended changes by community

[The Mighty Buzzard]

Thanks for the suggestion, but, I'll either be lazy and call them the Grey Court or I am considering calling them Hellmouth Vampires, though, that doesn't explain the same type of amps in Angel's LA, unless you say they originated in Sunnydale's Hellmouth and migrated.

Go with proper Whedon lore.  They're a specific kind of hybrid of demon (possibly even outsider because HWWB has been called both and Whedon pure demons are all banished from the earth like outsiders) and human.  There are too many episodes to watch or I'd dig through my dvds and get you the exact quote.

[The Mighty Buzzard]

Next Template:

Shannaran Elf: (Based on the Elves of Terry Brook’s Shannara Series)

I wouldn't limit their Weapons skill explicitly, I'd go with compels on their High Concept whenever they tried to use a non-characteristic weapon.  Alternatively, have a Must requiring a mortal stunt giving a +1 to attacks when using proper archaic weapons.  Or both if you're really not wanting them to use modern weapons.

[Sanctaphrax]

The term "Buff Court" makes me smirk.

Maybe Bows could be an important skill for elves.

Do either of these templates have any optional powers?

I like the elf template. It's rather elegant.