Request A Character

[Sanctaphrax]

Looks good. Never played Undertale but I've got a decent understanding of it through online osmosis, and this seems pretty accurate.

Only real sticking point is the Incite Effect. Does he ever do anything with it other than attack? If not, then I don't see any reason to require two purchases of Additional Effect.

Also, I think he should buy the Avoidable option.

In theory this should be a Natural Weaponry thing, but I can see why you went with Incite Effect here. Mechanically it's just a better choice if you don't have Strength and want to use an unconventional skill.

PS: He's got Stealth twice.

[PirateJack]

I've never played Undertale, but if Sans simply can't be hit without being ambushed, wouldn't that be better modelled by Physical Immunity? As it is, if you have an entire party working together in stacking aspects, you'd be able to hit him in straight up combat.

[narphoenix]

Looks good. Never played Undertale but I've got a decent understanding of it through online osmosis, and this seems pretty accurate.

Only real sticking point is the Incite Effect. Does he ever do anything with it other than attack? If not, then I don't see any reason to require two purchases of Additional Effect.

95% of the time, his gravity manipulation is more maneuver-ish than an actual attack. He's attacking you throughout his engagement, but it's fairly clear that he actually uses it in a distinctly different fashion than his bone attacks . That being said, I think his gasterblasters and his other bone attacks are fairly similar that I'm gonna compress them down into one effect.

Also, I think he should buy the Avoidable option.

In theory this should be a Natural Weaponry thing, but I can see why you went with Incite Effect here. Mechanically it's just a better choice if you don't have Strength and want to use an unconventional skill.

PS: He's got Stealth twice.

D'oh!, yup, and D'OH, respectively.

I've never played Undertale, but if Sans simply can't be hit without being ambushed, wouldn't that be better modelled by Physical Immunity? As it is, if you have an entire party working together in stacking aspects, you'd be able to hit him in straight up combat.

Actually, this is actually further reason to leave him as is in that regard. I'd let a dedicated party stacking aspects and getting clever hit him, but definitionally, by the time you get anywhere near actually engaging the guy in combat, you have no allies (because you killed everyone). Leaving it as is is actually a fairly good way of going "if you made friends instead of trying to slaughter literally everyone, you could have a chance against this guy (buuuut he wouldn't try to fight you anyway).

Also, gonna give him one more aspect. Can't believe I forgot it, actually.

[narphoenix]

Double post: Forgot to mention: he incites with Lore. Because of course he does.

[narphoenix]

Triple post: Also @Sancta: I'm worried about the balance of Karmic Retribution. I'm not sure if it's too powerful, powerfiul enough, etc.

[Sanctaphrax]

It basically negates a -1 penalty to hit, so I'd say it's balanced. Thing is, now that I'm looking at the rules for Incite Effect...you need Mass Effect to use Persistent Effect. Only zone attacks can be extended.

[Taran]

That sucks.  One of my characters gets a lot of use from it.  Persistent attacks don't seem balanced to me anyways.  Dot spells/attacks can mess up the action economy. 

Blocks & maneuvers seem more balanced.

[Smaug with OCD]

May I request an apprentice wizard who is on the run after the mysterious death of their master - the previous Blackstaff? As a result, he or she possesses the staff. It was an idea I had for a friend's campaign that fell through. I'm curious to see what you might do with it.

[Sanctaphrax]

Seems tricky. Apprentices don't generally have any spare Refresh at all for stuff like the Blackstaff.

I guess I don't have to stick to the standard power levels, but I prefer to.

Maybe I'll make the apprentice Submerged, with a 2-Refresh Blackstaff or a 3-Refresh Blackstaff and some hole in their wizard package.

What rules did you have in mind for the staff?

[Smaug with OCD]

That's generally what we do in my group. Apprentices tend to have Channeling/Ritual or both, rather than full Evocation and Thaumaturgy. The groups I've played with(a while back) started off submerged after the first time.

As for the Blackstaff, there's a write-up for it on pg. 332 of the Paranet Papers. Paraphrasing: It weighs in at [-4] refresh Item of Power, with the usual stuff you'd expect from that. It also means whenever you use the staff to cast a spell that violates the Laws, you're treated as if you've got the full +3 from Lawbreaker and don't have to take a level of it afterwards. It's also happy to help, and acts as a source of sponsored magic for... I think another -2? I'd have to double check to make sure I got all that right...

Good luck, I'm curious to see what you come up with.

[narphoenix]

It basically negates a -1 penalty to hit, so I'd say it's balanced. Thing is, now that I'm looking at the rules for Incite Effect...you need Mass Effect to use Persistent Effect. Only zone attacks can be extended.

Fixed

[Sanctaphrax]

The Paranet Papers are terribly unclear about how much the Blackstaff actually costs.

4 Refresh before the IoP discount? 4 Refresh after the IoP discount? 6 Refresh after all discounts, as implied by Eb's Refresh total? Also, are there Evocation/Thaumaturgy discounts?

Whatever. I'm statting up an apprentice with 4 Refresh to spare. If you use these stats, I'll let you worry about all that nonsense.

Also leaving his item loadout blank, because I figure it'll depend on how you round out his stats.

(click to show/hide)

Ian Silverman (Submerged)

Ian was born to a poor family in Australia, the seventh of eight boys. His parents were good people, but just plain didn't have enough money to raise eight kids. Despite their best efforts, Ian had a hard childhood. And it got harder when a wealthy warlock psychomancer noticed Ian's immense magical talents. He essentially bought Ian from his parents, using magic to ensure that they'd cooperate.

Fortunately for Ian, the warlock was soon killed by the Blackstaff. Unfortunately, by then the warlock had already damaged Ian's mind a fair bit and done significantly worse to his parents. Left alone, the family would've been destroyed; the parents taken to an asylum and the kids left to their older brothers, who were in now way prepared to parent. So the Blackstaff took them in, making Ian his apprentice, doing what he could to fix the damage the warlock had done, and supporting the family financially while he was at it.

Ian grew quickly under the Blackstaff's supervision, and was very happy for a time. But when he was seventeen, his master burned to ashes out of nowhere. Later that night, strange faceless men with long black claws came for the wizard's staff.

Ian might've let them have the staff if they'd just asked. But they tried to kill him and his family instead. So he blasted them apart, grabbed his master's staff, check-book, and credit cards, and took his family on the run. The faceless things have been chasing him ever since.

Ian is aware of the White Council but doesn't know how to contact them. He doesn't really care to, either. With the arrogance of a teenage boy, he believes himself able to kill the monsters that killed his master. And he fully intends to do exactly that. Once he figures out who they are.

High Concept: Former Apprentice Wizard
Trouble Aspect: On The Run From God Knows What
Other Aspects: Rags To Robes, The Blackstaff, Out For Revenge, My Family Needs Me, Very Slightly Brainwashed
Skills:
Superb: Conviction
Great: Discipline, Resources
Good: Endurance, Lore, Athletics
Fair: Rapport, Deceit, Scholarship, Alertness
Average: Presence, Investigation, Intimidation, Fists, Stealth
Powers:
Channeling (Spirit) [-2]
Ritual (Psychomancy) [-2]
The Sight [-1]
Soulgaze [-0]
Wizard's Constitution [-0]
Total Refresh Cost:
-5
Refresh Total:
5

[Smaug with OCD]

I love what you've done with the idea. The backstory is fun and would offer tons of opportunities for adventure. I do, however, find it both hilarious and creepy that you somehow managed to tag it with my real name(first, not last). 

[narphoenix]

I love what you've done with the idea. The backstory is fun and would offer tons of opportunities for adventure. I do, however, find it both hilarious and creepy that you somehow managed to tag it with my real name(first, not last). 

Sanctaphrax can stalk over the Internet. It's a superpower.

He's used it for good so far (and for making people post).

Sanctaphrax, please do not be tempted by cookies. We will burn Orbius as many times as you want.

[Sanctaphrax]

It was a coincidence this time, I swear.