Statting Up Worm Characters

[Taran]

Why not 3 elements for free then 1 pnt for each one thereafter?

Allowing specialization might help too

Edit: expanding on that.  I don't see why tinker's can't specialize.  It's even a part of the Fiction: each Tinker had his/her Niche.  Why not take some categories from the list and let them specialize.

So specialty +1 complexity(size decrease); +1 complexity (Encryption); +2 Power (Area)

So you get a rebate for items with those specialties.  It has to follow the specialty pyramid, as normal.  Rebates don't stack and you take the highest rebate.  Or, possibly, those bonuses get added as bonus points for an item you're making.

Edit2: expanding further.  Say you are Armsmaster and your Niche is fitting lots of gear into a small item.

Let's say his pyramid(with refinements) is +5 (Size decrease); +4 (shift of effect: damage); +3(shift of effect: block); +2 (Increase Frequency); +1 (built in Tracker).  His Scholarship is 7.

You get a total number of bonus points based on your highest specialty.  These points do not count towards the complexity limit of your item but the total complexity cannot be greater than twice your scholarship.  These points must be spent on your specialties.  (seems like a lot but I gave him 6 or 7 refresh worth of refinements.)

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Let's say he makes a knife:
He gets 7 points worth of powers +5 for specialties Total of 12 pnts.
0pnts (element: Nano blade)
5 pnts 5 shifts (damage) +2 bonus: Damage (total +7)
1pnt can be used by others
1pnt (tracker)
1 bonus (size reduction) size
2 bonus pnts: (Frequency) *

*He couldn't use 4 of his points to increase frequency twice since his total specialty in frequency is only +2.  Only 2 of his bonus points can go towards frequency.


So, to summarize, you get bonus points based on your best specialty, but you are still limited to by the your scholarship + your specialty.

I would say that at least 1 point should go into your highest specialty otherwise you only accrue an amount of points based on the highest specialty built in to the item in question.

[PirateJack]

Why not 3 elements for free then 1 pnt for each one thereafter?

That sounds like a decent idea. Working along refinement lines there.

Allowing specialization might help too

Edit: expanding on that.  I don't see why tinker's can't specialize.  It's even a part of the Fiction: each Tinker had his/her Niche.  Why not take some categories from the list and let them specialize.

So speciality +1 complexity(size decrease); +1 complexity (Encryption); +2 Power (Area)

So you get a rebate for items with those specialities.  It has to follow the speciality pyramid, as normal.

Let's take a quick look at this.

With the current system a Submerged Tinker can have an optimised set up like so:

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Skills
+5 - Capes
+4 - Scholarship, Craftsmanship

Powers
Tinker [-3]
Refinement [-6] (Focus Items +8, Enchanted Items +8)

Focus Items
Complexity - +4
Power - +4
Frequency - +0

Devices
Complexity: 8, Power: 9, Frequency: 4.

Tinker Gun (Guns)
Complexity: Element (Force) [0pts], Size Decrease -3 [3pts], Frequency +2 [4pts], Encryption [1pt].
Power: Effect (Stress +9) [9pts].
Frequency: 4
Size: 6 (Rifle)

That's one of 8 different items a Tinker can have. Other examples could be a set of Power Armour with +4 Armour for a total of 16 hits (+4 Frequency, +1 Duration), a helmet with +9 skill replacement for Guns, and so on. Pretty powerful, and batteries work much more effectively than fuelling items with mental stress does in the RAW for Devices that require frequent usage.

Now if we look at a specialisation set up (optimised for the highest possible power):

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Skills
+5 - Capes
+4 - Scholarship, Craftsmanship

Powers
Tinker [-3] (Specialisation +1)
Refinement [-6] (Specialisations +12)

Specialisations
+4 - Power (Effect)
+3 - Complexity (Size Decrease)
+2 - Complexity (Frequency)
+1 - Complexity (Encryption), Power (Duration), Power (Area of Effect)

(I'm taking this to mean that specialisations would give a buff to the effect itself, rather than granting extra points to spend on the entire Complexity/Power list. Those would be left equal to the applicable skill rating).

Skill Points
Complexity - 4
Power - 5
Frequency - 4

Devices
Tinker Gun (Guns)
Complexity: Element (Force) [0pts], Size Decrease -7 [4pts], Frequency +2 [0pts], Encryption [0pts]
Power: Effect (Stress +9) [5pts], Duration +1 [0pts], Area of Effect +1 [0pts]
Frequency: 4
Size: 4 (Handgun)

So a Tinker with specialisations could replicate the effects of a Tinker with Focus Items (with a bit of a bonus), but only in one area. That's... a good idea, though it does a bad job of modelling characters like Leet, who are fairly low in skill points, but high in refresh using this system. Then again, Leet probably has a huge Limitation attached to his refinements.

I think I like your system more than the current one. We'd need a write up for it first though. I'll have a go at it later. Might have trouble incorporating the specialities that don't have numerical bonuses attached like Inflicts Mental Stress [3pts]. We'll see how it goes.

[narphoenix]

Huzzah! Here is Moord Nag:

High Concept: Nambian War Lady
Trouble Aspect: Must Always Be In Control

OAs:

Woman of Her Word (Mass Murder Aside)

Nom Nom Nom. Yay, I'm Stronger!

My Shadow and Only Friend

Skills:

6: Intimidation, Fists
5: Endurance, Presence
4: Discipline, Athletics
3: Athletics, Contacts, Resources
2: Lore, Might, Stealth
1: Survival, Weapons, Empathy, Conviction, Guns


Stunts:

Calm Blue Ocean [-1]

Interrogator [-1]

You Don't Want Any Of This [-1]

Powers:

Selective Area Ranged Natural Weaponry [-4]

Large Super Extra Dangerous Aura [-5]

Inhuman Toughness [-2]

Immunity (Direct Melee Attacks from Regular Life Forms) [-6]

Wings [-1]

Mutual Conductive Damage Shield [-3]

Tier One Limitation (1000 human lives in the last week) [+1]

Potent Upgrade for Natural Weaponry [-1]

Vast Aura [-1]

Dangerous Damage Shield [-1]

Supernatural Toughness [-2]
Inhuman Strength [-2]

Extended Long Reach [-2]

Tier Two Limitation (3000 human lives in the last week) [+2]

Venomous Upgrade for Natural Weaponry (applies DECAYING TO DEATH) [-2]

Hyper-Dangerous Aura [-1]

Lethal Damage Shield [-1]

Supernatural Strength [-2]
Mythic Toughness [-2]

Super Extended Long Reach (5 Zones) [-1]

Tier Three Limitation (5000 human lives in the last week) [+15]

Mythic Strength [-2]

Reflective Damage Shield [-1]

Immunity (Physical Stress: this cost is reduced because of previous Immunity) [-16]

Absolute Reach (Line of Sight) [-1]

Base Refresh: 21
Refresh Cost: -44
Starting Refresh: -23

Feel free to ask questions. I don't feel like a summary thingy right now.

[Sanctaphrax]

I'm not a big fan of Stirge's take on Tinker-ing. It always seemed overly complex to me. Personally I'd replace it within something just like Thaumaturgy except it uses different skills, every effect has to be described as an item, and...

-Items can't be activated with mental stress. But they can be recharged with an hour or so of work.
-Attack items must use an appropriate combat skill.
-Item strength is hardcapped at Capes + Scholarship rather than Capes x 2.
-Defensive block items require actions to activate, like other items. Armour items, however, are still action-free.
-There is no such thing as a Crafting specialization/focus. But complexity bonuses also boost strength and control bonuses also boost frequency. So a Tinker specialized in gas is better with gas items than with non-gas items.

That cuts off the most abusable enchanted item tricks while including a second skill and letting every Tinker Craft in a different way. Makes things feel more technology-ish, too.

Might be good to add something about item size. Also, maybe ditch the recharging option if it proves abusable. Craftsmanship or Scholarship could cap frequency.

As for Moord Nag...

Aspects look good, though I might include something about ethnic pride or something. She refused to speak English for a reason, though I'm not sure exactly what that reason was.

Skills would be good, except she's got Athletics twice.

Powers I take more issue with.

I don't really think Immunity is appropriate. She's not actually immune to attack, as far as we know.

There are some weird interactions, too. Like between Long Reach and Ranged Natural Weaponry, or Toughness and Immunity.

And finally, I think the Limitation values are wrong. +15 for the third Limitation just seems crazy compared to the other two. Did you maybe mean +5? The lower tiers give small rebates for killing thousands, which is a big effort. I doubt there'd be many Namibians left if Moord Nag ate that many. I'd make it just a few people, maybe even just one, for the mild tier 1 Limitation. Then maybe a few hundred or a thousand for the moderate tier 2, and the current five thousand or maybe even more for a severe tier 3.

[Taran]

Who's Sleeper.  Did they ever go in to it?

[Sanctaphrax]

No, they never explain anything about him. Fan speculation holds that his power is super-intimidation: everyone, no matter who they are, is convinced he's too dangerous to mess with. And that's his only power.

But seriously, he's probably a holy terror.

[PirateJack]

We only know a few things about him:

1) He's an S-Class threat.
2) Khepri judged him too dangerous to control. Could be either too dangerous to attempt to control or too dangerous to use with the rest of her swarm.
3) He subsumed the entire population of Earth-something or other. To subsume means to absorb, but nobody really knows what that means.
4) He hibernates (or goes dormant) for long periods of time between attacks.
5) At one point he attacked Anchorage, Alaska.
6) He likes to read.

So not much to go on, really.

[Sanctaphrax]

One other thing: he looks human. He's not some kind of Noelle-esque super-monster.

[Sanctaphrax]

And here's Theo/Golem. Not the most exciting sets of stats, but functional enough I think.

Conviction is his Incite skill. Seemed as appropriate as anything, and I thought making it his apex skill fit him pretty well.

It's been a while since I read Worm, though, so I may have missed something. If you notice a problem, point it out.

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Golem (Submerged)

High Concept: Genuinely Heroic Superhero
Trouble Aspect: Playing Jack's Game
Other Aspects: Son Of Empire 88, Mature And Stable, Heavily Built, Maybe A Bit Too Nice, Almost As Determined As Taylor
Skills:
Superb: Conviction
Great: Athletics, Alertness, Discipline
Good: Might, Endurance, Rapport
Fair: Empathy, Deceit, Fists
Average: Presence, Scholarship, Lore
Stunts:
Hand Bridge (Athletics): Can make bridges and ledges with his power, giving +2 to Athletics rolls when appropriate.
Tough As Nails (Endurance): Opponents who tag physical consequences on attacks against Golem only get +1 or reroll 3 dice.
Powers:
Incite Potent Restrictive Protective Physical Effect At Range [-6] (Creates copies of his body parts out of the environment)
Limitation [+1] (Must be able to touch something made out of the same material in order to extend a body part from something)
Supernatural Sense [-1] (Touch a material to sense other pieces of that material nearby)
Total Refresh Cost:
-8
Refresh Total:
2

[Sanctaphrax]

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Zion (Deep One)

Commentary tomorrow.

High Concept: Warrior Entity
Trouble Aspect: Eden Lost
Other Aspects (Before Interlude 26): Limited Energy, Cauldron's Enemy, Simulated Human Mind, Earth's Greatest Hero, Friend Of Kevin Norton
Other Aspects (After Interlude 26): Limited Energy, Cauldron's Enemy, Simulated Human Mind, Living Apocalypse, Filled With Bloodlust
Skills:
Epic: Fists, Lore
Fantastic: Might, Scholarship
Superb: Athletics, Alertness
Great: Investigation, Intimidation
Good: Endurance, Conviction, Discipline
Fair: Empathy, Stealth, Survival, Deceit
Average: Presence, Rapport, Weapons, Burglary
Powers:
Undying [-0]
Swift Transition [-2]
Supernatural Senses (Lots of them) [-8]
Incite Effect At Range (Absorb Energy) [-2]
Additional Potent Mental Effect (Perfectly Worded Speech) [-3]
Prophecy [-1]
Limitation (May only use Additional Effect and Prophecy in desperate situations) [+2]
Gift Of Tongues (Speaks all languages) [-1]
Healing [-2]
No Metabolism [-1]
Potent Selective Venomous Ranged Area Natural Weaponry [-7]
Large-Scale Attack (Mass Destruction x11) [-12]
All Creatures And Objects Are Equal Before Me [-9]
Mythic Strength [-6]
Mythic Speed [-6]
Wings [-1]
Unstoppable Long-Distance Teleportation [-5]
Immunity (All physical and mental stress) [-30]
Divine Toughness [-8]
Limitation (Zion is vulnerable to mental stress when taunted about Eden's death) [+6]
Superior Searchable Mental Library [-4]
Total Refresh Cost:
-100
Refresh Total:
-62

[Sanctaphrax]

No response, huh? Bit disappointing.

Anyway, this was a tricky project. Partly because Zion's abilities are fuelled by his lifespan, and DFRPG with its session-by-session balance can't really accommodate that. I just made that an Aspect, but I put a Limitation on his future-sight-related abilities to reflect how reluctantly Zion uses them.

Speaking of those abilities, Zion can probably path-to-victory his way to success at pretty much any conceivable activity. But he only ever uses that power for dodging and the occasional word-attack, so I didn't bother to represent his entirely-hypothetical mastery of cheesemaking.

Speaking of which, the bottom of his skill pyramid makes no sense at all. Unavoidable, given that he never uses a tool of any kind and has no connection to human civilization. Makes it hard to create a functional skill pyramid.

Zion's information-gathering and knowledge-related abilities are vast but vague, so he gets 7 Refresh worth of undefined Supernatural Senses.

Stepping between dimensions isn't quite like going to the Nevernever or travelling long distances in the real world, but it's close enough for government work. So he gets Teleportation and Swift Transition. He kinda needed Teleportation anyway since he can get anywhere more or less instantly.

I'm not gonna specify exactly what healing power Zion has, since healing in this system is hard to stat. I'm just gonna say Zion's got a healing power worth 2 Refresh and leave it at that.

Normally I don't use Limitation on Immunity since there's not much point, but since I was putting a hole in the Divine Toughness anyway it made sense here.

Quite a few custom Powers came in handy here. Funny how unrelated work tends to come together when you do something big.

Didn't put much thought into the Aspects; please feel free to suggest better ones.

And...yeah. That's the story. On an unrelated note, I think this might be the highest-Refresh DFRPG character I've ever seen.

[narphoenix]

Oh! Didn't notice this. Zion's awesome.

[Taran]

I was going to say something but was waiting for your comments.

Although, I'm not sure there's much to say...he's a plot device.  100 refresh seems about right. 

I like the mental catch and the high concept is perfect.

I don't know what divine toughness is.  Just upgraded from mythic?

I also like how you used your new rules for scaling.  It works well for Worm...I'm not sure I'd use it for Dresden, though.

Why venomous on the natural weaponry?  Just people catching fire n' stuff?

[Hick Jr]

Zion looks great. Beyond the unavoidably nonsensical things like the bottom of his skill pyramid, this seems like a really solid writeup to me. Well done.

[Sanctaphrax]

Thanks.

I don't know what divine toughness is.  Just upgraded from mythic?

It's a custom Power for gods. Each (2 Refresh) level is like a level of physical and mental toughness, but you need to be immune to normal attack if you want to take it. The idea is that you need something like a Sword of the Cross to hurt a god, and even then it's not exactly easy.

Why venomous on the natural weaponry?  Just people catching fire n' stuff?

There are several points in the story where Scion's golden light continues to eat away at an injury after the attack is over. Figured I might as well represent that, though to be honest creative narration could handle it just as well.