Author Topic: Emissary of Power and adding a new sponsor?  (Read 2410 times)

Offline citadel97501

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Emissary of Power and adding a new sponsor?
« on: October 06, 2014, 06:23:55 AM »
Hello all,

I was wondering how you would deal with a character wishing to branch out from their primary patron.  In the case of my game (I am ST), a player wishes to become the host for a powerful outsider and there bye gain new powers outside the scope of their current patron. 

Currently: A spirit of prophecy who provides Cassandra's Tears, & Sponsored Magic for Storm stuff with Divination at the speed of Evocation.
Add On: Outsider with some recovery powers.

Offline dragoonbuster

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Re: Emissary of Power and adding a new sponsor?
« Reply #1 on: October 06, 2014, 06:40:20 AM »
Depends on the primary patron, really. There's no rule against having multiple patrons/Sponsors. Some Sponsors may take objection to certain or any other Sponsors from encroaching on their 'territory,' so to speak.

Their powers powers are going to be affected depending on how that particular Sponsor feels about everything. If the Sponsor takes objection, the powers will go away and potentially other nasty things will happen (patron shows up angry, patron stops offering protection against various supernatural enemies made over the years, etc)--give them their refresh back. If the patron doesn't care, then they can work for both Sponsors--and potentially tricky situations can arise (read: compels) when one Sponsor wants one thing and the other Sponsor wants something else.

Go with your gut and what seems to create the most interesting RP.
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Offline blackstaff67

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Re: Emissary of Power and adding a new sponsor?
« Reply #2 on: October 06, 2014, 11:48:46 AM »
As a co-GM, I myself really can't wrap my head around the idea of an Emissary of Power--someone who gets her powers from a deity or concept--also getting access to powers from Outsiders, entities that are inimically hostile to the very deities/concepts she's already allied or serving.  I'd disallow at my table, but your table may have different rules.  That said, hope the player is ready to have LOTS of enemies trying to kill the character (not "Just" Wardens, either). 
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Offline dragoonbuster

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Re: Emissary of Power and adding a new sponsor?
« Reply #3 on: October 06, 2014, 02:07:23 PM »
As a co-GM, I myself really can't wrap my head around the idea of an Emissary of Power--someone who gets her powers from a deity or concept--also getting access to powers from Outsiders, entities that are inimically hostile to the very deities/concepts she's already allied or serving.  I'd disallow at my table, but your table may have different rules.  That said, hope the player is ready to have LOTS of enemies trying to kill the character (not "Just" Wardens, either).

Yeah, with the specific case here I'm in agreement. Basically nothing gets along with Outsiders.
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Offline Quantus

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Re: Emissary of Power and adding a new sponsor?
« Reply #4 on: October 06, 2014, 09:41:53 PM »
Weeeelll, I wouldnt say /nothing/ gets along with Outsiders, just 99.998% of everything would rather not.  I would say that sufficiently solitary powers (ie not tied to a particular pantheon/power structure) could get away with it (random spirit of Prophesy being a good one), as could several sufficiently Chaotic powers (that might find a change of management for the Universe to be an interesting idea).  And then there are any of a number of nicely pure evil villains from various mythologies that could reasonably work with them out of standard megalomaniacal arrogance and spite for their enemies.  Hell, Ive seen a fairly convincing argument that the Fomor /are/ working with Outsiders, through a mutual link to Cowl (assuming the Fomor alliance hasnt been an outsider plan from the onset). 

As a general rule, rather than outsider specific, Id suggest classifying any instances of multiple sponsors one of three ways, and just decide one is the default behaviour absent other specifics:

-Compatible: They augment each other in some fashion, either from a shared origin (saint sponsor becomes Archangel sponsor, Minor Greek Spirit to Primary Olympian, etc) or else compatable characterization (ie Angels and Winter could both be called Protectors of Humanity, for example).

-Unrelated: They are treated as separate in all ways, neither augmenting nor inpairing each other under normal circumstances.  One sponsor for prophetic stuff might have nothing to do with another for Fire evocation, for example. 

-Antagonistic:  The Sponsors/granted themes are actively antagonistic, and will go beyond not operating together to actually imposing penalties.  Holding both Fae Knight mantles has been compared to an antimatter explosion, for example.  Having a Fallen granting Hellfire might prevent sponsorship from teh Loyal side, opposing elements mgiht not get along, old Diety grudges can always complicate things, etc. 


In general Id default to the middle ground unless I had a driving story reason to lean one way or the other. Offering Augments for Compatible sponsors seems somehow redundant at elast on it's face, but at the very least is potent stunt fodder.  Similarly Id avoid calling anythign activly antagonistic unless I really had to. Summer/Winter and Heaven/Hell are the obvious ones, and opposing elements would always makes some sense.  But I could see inter-pantheon rivalries playing a role (maybe that Norse Fire Giant hates the idea of you getting otehr Fire help from Greek sources), and in a number of cases I could see pairs that outwardly should work but could be said to in the right circumstance or from the right perspective. 
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Offline blackstaff67

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Re: Emissary of Power and adding a new sponsor?
« Reply #5 on: October 07, 2014, 11:26:46 AM »
The use of Outsider magic is still an out-and-out Law violation (getting dangerously to other threads, now).  Any Power that is actively opposed to the Outsiders will take an interest in that character; this assumes that the description of Outsider magic is accurate and each and every use makes those cracks in our reality a little bigger (and at my table, we all accept that).  I'd rule that such a Sponsor should be connected to at least one Aspect of the character and would even be a Trouble for said PC; expects lots of Compel (at least a visit from The Gatekeeper may be in order).

Said my piece.  Done.
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Offline Quantus

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Re: Emissary of Power and adding a new sponsor?
« Reply #6 on: October 07, 2014, 12:23:30 PM »
The use of Outsider magic is still an out-and-out Law violation (getting dangerously to other threads, now).  Any Power that is actively opposed to the Outsiders will take an interest in that character; this assumes that the description of Outsider magic is accurate and each and every use makes those cracks in our reality a little bigger (and at my table, we all accept that).  I'd rule that such a Sponsor should be connected to at least one Aspect of the character and would even be a Trouble for said PC; expects lots of Compel (at least a visit from The Gatekeeper may be in order).

Said my piece.  Done.
That all seems reasonable to me.  Though that last might not be true, the Gatekeepers a busy man, and this would strike me as equivalent to the Outsider fueled ritual that was being used in Blood Rites which didnt warrant his attention (of course he may have known that Harry would handle it).  It's also worth noting that Outsider power apparently feels very distinctive, even to non-wizards, so they will stand out particularly strongly.
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“We’re all imaginary friends to one another."

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