Custom Templates

[LeviathanZero]

The Wild Hunt Carrier (yes, I know, needs a catchier name) is ready to be listed
http://www.jimbutcheronline.com/bb/index.php/topic,36363.msg1735688.html

[Hick Jr]

How's Wyld Huntsman?

[Sanctaphrax]

Updated the first post.

Let me know if you change the name.

Incidentally, you might want to post that Sponsored Magic to the Sponsored Magic list thread.

Hick Jr, how are the Thunderbird and Skinwalker coming along?

[Hick Jr]

Should be ready by tonight. I'm checking my math and spelling.

Full disclosure, with the troubles the game i'm in is having and making two new characters and three Cities, i'd almost forgotten about them.

[Sanctaphrax]

Fair enough. Put 'em up whenever you're ready.

[Hick Jr]

The Skinwalker is reborn as a fairly balanced template!

(click to show/hide)

SKINWALKER
Skinwalkers are an excellent example of why it is very important to get to warlocks and potential warlocks early. Practitioners of the Witchery Way-the evil shadow of the Blessing Way practiced by native american shamans- are considered to be warlocks by the Council’s standards, but because it took hundreds of years for the European based White Council to reach America, nothing was done about them. When the finally did, and began executing them with impunity, the most skilled practioners of the Witchery Way eventually sought the aid of nightmare creatures- the naagloshii. The fallen messengers of the Holy People were happy to teach them shape-shifting and powerful curses, and with these new powers they drove back the Wardens. Skinwalkers now reside mostly in the American Southwest, near their masters, disguised as leather-wearing biker gangs. They are the tools of the naagloshii, for they can leave the Southwest with no loss of power.

Musts
-A High Concept reflecting your dark powers and service to a naagloshii (SKIN-SHIFTING BIKER, WARLOCK LEATHERHEAD, ANCIENT CURSEBRINGER)

-The following powers:
Modular Abilities [-10]
Supernatural Recovery [-4]
True Shapeshifting [-4]
Ritual:Biomancy [-2]
Supernatural Sense [-1] (Sense pain, mechanically detecting people with consequences. Lore.)
Limitation [+7/?] You may only True Shapeshift into a skin you are wearing. The Modular abilities you take must be thematically appropriate- for example, shifting into a bear might grant Supernatural Strength and Inhuman Toughness, Claws and Echoes of the Beast. Skins must be prepared with a biomancy ritual with complexity equal to 1.5 times the amount of your MA points you want to be able to use in that skin, and use enchanted item slots. The Catch for any Toughness powers they take are Native American holy objects and rituals, and weapons coated in white ash.

Total Refresh Cost: -14

Options
Taking more Modular Ability points, upgrade natural Recovery to Mythic. Gaining Refinements for more skin slots. Elder skinwalkers, ones alive during the discovery of America, may be able to shift without a skin, gain Ritual: Entropomancy or even full Thaumaturgy.

Important Skills
Fists, Lore, Athletics, Might, Presence, Alertness, Endurance, Intimidation

The Thunderbird is also done. Still kind of boring IMO.

(click to show/hide)

THUNDERBIRD
These aren’t the actual, mythical thunderbirds, the animikii. Those, like naagloshii, have to live on tribal lands in the American Southwest. To clarify on the difference- Naagloshii is to skinwalker as animikii is to thunderbird. That being said, the vast majority of them are centuries old. A few still care to look like Native Americans, but being shape-shifters, they generally look however they care to look. They draw their true power from storms, but are formidable even without them, capable of drawing on the elements of a storm and weather. They have a long, bitter feud with the skinwalkers, and members of both groups will eagerly kill each other on sight. The thunderbirds are perfectly capable of holding their own against the demons of the First World, attacking with lightning bolts to shame Tesla, massive sonic booms, and torrential rains. They can also shift to the form of a Haast’s Eagle, enhanced by their tempestuous (ha ha) power.
MUSTS
-A high concept that indicates your animikii training or heritage. (DETECTIVE SERGEANT THUNDERBIRD , THE WANDERSTORM, LIGHTNING-EYED WEATHER FORECASTER)

-The following powers:
Storm Magic [-4]
Supernatural Sense [-1] (Weather, Atmosphere)
Beast Change [-1] (Thunderbird/Haast’s Eagle)
   Wings [-1]
   Claws [-1]
   Supernatural Speed [-4]*
   Inhuman Strength [-2]*
   Supernatural Recovery [-4]*
Limitation [+8] None of the powers marked with an asterisk work if there isn’t a storm going on within a mile.
Total Refresh Cost: -10

OPTIONS
Refinements to increase Storm Magic power, increase Speed to Mythic, gain the ability to use some asterisk abilities outside of storms. Elder thunderbirds might gain full spellcraft powers, True Shapeshifting, Incite Emotion (Awe), Gaseous Form (Thundercloud), or upgrade their Strength.

IMPORTANT SKILLS
Athletics, Lore, Fists, Performance, Conviction, Discipline, Deceit.

The Vesuvian is still giving me trouble, mostly due to problems with it's Sponsored Magic.

[Sanctaphrax]

Much better!

The mechanics of skin-making are still a bit vague, though. How long does a skin last once made? And does each one take only one enchanted item slot?

As for the Vesuvian, I suggest that their extra benefit let them conjure super-awesome weapons with evothaum. Give the weapons Evocation-level weapon ratings and maybe special powers.

Because otherwise, well, there just isn't much point conjuring a weapon.

You'll probably have to limit the duration of those conjured super-weapons to Evocation levels, though. And they probably shouldn't be freely lend-able.

[Hick Jr]

To make a skin, you must complete a ritual with Complexity equal to 1.5 times the number of your Modular Ability Points you wish to be available while you are wearing that skin. For example, if I wanted a tarantula skin with Diminutive Size, Echoes of the Beast, Beast Change Inhuman Speed, and Spider Climb, a total of 6 refresh of abilities, that would be a Complexity:9 biomancy ritual. At the ritual's completion, you must spend one Enchanted Item slot on the skin, after which it is permanent and can be used as often as you like. Because their Catch is kind of unfair, i'm also adding "weapons coated in white ash". Thanks, Defending The Borders and your players!

How's this?

Extra Benefits: Weapons  conjured by Vulcanomancers are far more powerful than others- multiply the the number of shifts put into the Conjuration by 1.5- This is the effective Weapon rating of whatever you have conjured. Armor rating is equal to half of the total shifts. However, you must set aside shifts for duration, using Evocation's rules. These weapons fall to useless volcanic ash when they leave your posession. Wards created by Vulcanomancy do not require a threshold as long as they involve the aforementioned ashes (Sprinkled on the outside of a building, used in a circle, etc).

[vultur]

Mystic Martial Artist

Some people can unlock the powers of esoteric techniques through talent, discipline, and training, focusing mind, body, and spirit into a perfect harmony. Unlike spellcasting, mystic martial arts powers hardly ever manifest without training or at least focused practice.

In the modern world, some mystic martial artists are associated with the White Council's allies – many are among the Himalayan temple monks that participated in the Vampire War, and the Paranet and the Venatori Umbrorum may have some individuals with the same skills.
Others are seemingly ordinary people working everyday jobs, who nonetheless devote much time and focus to improving their inner powers.
Others may turn to evil, using their powers to destroy, but those desiring easy supernatural power are more likely to seek out a Sponsor than devote years to practice and focus.

Musts: The character's high concept must represent her status as someone who has attained their abilities through training and focused discipline. Also, the character must take Modular Abilities with at least two form points [-4 Refresh], though more are recommended.

Powers available through these form points include Claws (energized blows) and its Venomous upgrade (disrupting a creature's life energies), Cloak of Shadows (ninja stealth techniques), Spider Walk, and any of the Inhuman and Supernatural Recovery/Speed/Strength/Toughness set. 

If the GM allows, other options might be appropriate, such as Supernatural Senses [-1 or more] or “Wings” [-1] (flight by levitation).

Human Guise [-0] automatically attaches to Claws or Wings if taken.

Mythic-level powers MAY be available with the GM's permission, but these are often unbalancing except in very high-powered games.

Options: The character can also take Wizard's Constitution [-0] and can buy more points of Modular Abilities. Also, mortal stunts reflecting the character's martial arts skills are highly recommended.

If enough Refresh is available, this template might be combined with a Focused Practitioner (possibly kinetomancy or biomancy) or True Believer. Aristedes (from the Ghost Story casefile) might be an example of the former.

Important Skills: Fists; likely Alertness, Athletics, Discipline, Endurance, Might.

Minimum Refresh Cost: -4, but more is recommended.

This template was inspired by Arcane's character, Daniel Chang, in the Defending the Borders game (and in the Grey Council game before that).

[Sanctaphrax]

@vultur: Okay, I'll add that to the list.

Have you seen the Variable Abilities and Supernatural Martial Arts custom Powers? I think they might interest you.

@Hick Jr: Since you mention The Catch, it occurs to me that the value of The Catch ought to be included in the basic Refresh cost. They have Recovery all the time, so they must have The Catch all the time too.

That extra benefit seems overpowered. The key problem is that it can be prepared in advance. If I can get together a bunch of shifts once, I have a massive permanent advantage. I suggest making it work on an Evocation time-scale.

I might tone down the numbers too...I haven't really checked to see how they work but they look kind of scary. Especially with regards to armour rating, which is normally harder to get than weapon rating.

[Hick Jr]

I was under the impression that Limitation replaced The Catch. It's why I used the phrase in the Limitation description.

I agree on the extra benefit. Editing it.

[Sanctaphrax]

Limitation is intended to replace The Catch, yes, but it sounds like you use the words "The Catch" in the skinwalker write-up so it sounds like you're using The Catch.

Anyway, even if you're using Limitation the Limitation on the Recovery ought to be separate from the Limitation on the Modular Abilities. And it ought to give a separate rebate.

[vultur]

@vultur: Okay, I'll add that to the list.

Have you seen the Variable Abilities and Supernatural Martial Arts custom Powers? I think they might interest you.

Variable Abilities, no; Supernatural Martial Arts yes - but I was intentionally writing this up with out-of-the-book Powers.

---

and re Vulcanomancy: yeah, if I'm reading that right, a 6 shift Conjuration (Lore 4 plus a focus item or one Declaration, say) would give you Armor 9 which is excessive.

EDIT: oh, oops, I see the change now.

I still might make it x1.5 for weapon, x1 for armor since armor is (as Sanctaphrax said) generally more difficult/rarer at high values.

[Hick Jr]

Sanctaphrax, doing one Limitation nearly destroyed me. Two will cast me Outside. I'll change the armor- good catch.

[Sanctaphrax]

Want me to do the second Limitation?

You know, I was really happy with that Power once. But sometimes it seems like it causes almost as much trouble as The Catch.