I too need help with my character

[zaboron]

We're starting a new campaign (with Seattle as our City of Choice).
This is both my first Dresden Files and Fate game, so I am still unsure about my choices.
We're playing with "Chest deep" power level.

My character (with a little inspiration from She-Hulk )

Kate Ventura
High Concept
Fearless Defender of the Disenfranchised
Template
Emissary of High Power
Trouble
In the sights of the Yakuza

Other Aspects:
Background
Dad was a simple Merchant/Fence near the Harbor, was killed by the Yakuza during extortion for protection money. Kate had to make it through law college with small time jobs.
notoriously broke
Rising Conflict
As pro-bono Lawyer she defends the Puyallup Nation against the Yakuza. Facing an imminent defeat in a big case, she takes questionable actions and loses her license for a year
legal, illegal, who cares?
What was your first adventure
The former emissary of the Coyote is being abducted by the Yakuza. Can Kate as an eye witness follow them? Who helped her? What happened when the Emissary died from his wounds?
Leave nobody behind

Powers:
Marked by Power (-1)
Hulking Size (-2)
Inhuman Strength (-2)
Supernatural Toughness (-4)
Human Form (+1, affects Hulking Size and downgrades Toughness to Inhuman)
The Catch (+3, Cold Iron, requires specific access (old indian legends))

Skills:
+5: Presence, Fists
+4: Might, Intimidation
+3: Conviction, Endurance
+2: Athletics, Scholarship
+1: Weapons, Investigation


Explanation/Questions
I brought in the Yakuza a lot - they will be a major player in the campaign. Maybe it is too much?
I didn't put any aspects regarding the supernatural powers yet. I am hoping the remaining two guest stories will provide that. What would be good ideas? I thought of Everything breaks around Kate for super strength that occasionally causes trouble, and I'm horrible for dealing with becoming essentially a monster.
What about the skills? Some of them come from the lawyer background, some are based on the powers granted by Coyote. I chose the column distribution because otherwise it will take a long time until I can get a second +5 skill, and I have the feeling I covered everything I need. Am I missing essential things?
I would also be happy about any other cool suggestions and ideas. I come from a more traditional rpg background and the transition can be a bit difficult (nevertheless I am very excited about it)

[Haru]

The powers themselves look good, but there's an easier way to write them down:

Powers:
Marked by Power [-1]
Inhuman Toughness [-2]
 The Catch (Cold Iron, requires specific access (old indian legends)) [+3]
Human Form [+1] affecting
 Hulking Size [-2]
 Inhuman Strength [-2]
 Supernatural Toughness upgrade [-2]
Total: -5

That way the powers that affect each other are listed together.


One thing I don't think fits all that well is Coyote as a sponsor. As far as I know the legends, he's a trickster, not a brute forcer, which the character's powers are clearly geared towards. Someone like bear might be far better suited to account for the powers the character gets. Coyote would fit perfectly with the lawyer concept, but the powers wouldn't really. On the other hand, juggling the calm lawyer and the beast could be a challenge in itself, so both directions should provide an interesting character.

Regardless of who you decide to take on as a sponsor for your characters powers, I think he should be named in your aspects somewhere. It's an important part of the character.

[zaboron]

Thanks for the layout advice!

I also have my doubts about Coyote. He was suggested by my fellow players, and I don't know enough about the Dresden Universe to come up with my own suggestions. I couldn't find anything on neither Coyote nor Bear in the "Our world" book, where can I find more information on them?

I'll definitely think about changing the name of my High Concept. I kind of like the sound of the current one though, not sure how to keep the catchy name. Bear's Defender of the Disenfranchised?

[Sanctaphrax]

She seems a bit lacking in legal knowledge. Lawyering is hard, after all, and will definitely involve some Scholarship rolls.

Beast Change might be appropriate. You could have a bunch of lawyer-y skills in human form and a bunch of fighting skills in beast form. And it seems to fit the concept.

You could also spend one of your spare Refresh on a law-related stunt. But personally I'd favour Beast Change, since it would also let you have decent scores in handy skills like Contacts, Discipline, and Alertness.

[Haru]

I also have my doubts about Coyote. He was suggested by my fellow players, and I don't know enough about the Dresden Universe to come up with my own suggestions. I couldn't find anything on neither Coyote nor Bear in the "Our world" book, where can I find more information on them?

They aren't listed anywhere. The game is incredibly free in what kind of characters you create, which is a blessing and a curse at the same time. I personally love to snoop around wikipedia for stuff like this, read up on the real world lore and then see how I incorporate that in my game. In your case, I would start here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coyote_%28mythology%29
Which also leads to the more general trickster page:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trickster

But since you are aiming for something more buff, you could look for other animals, like bear or buffalo, though I can't seem to find anything on them right now, but there's bound to be. I think bear is as much a symbol for strength as he is for healing. If you don't find things that fit what you are looking for, you can easily make something up yourself. Maybe some of these beings have been romanticized over time and are a lot different than what the myth say. Maybe coyote is throwing a curveball at other beings by going for a plan nobody is expecting of him.

The Beast Change suggestion is solid, it'll basically lets you specialize in 2 different things

[Tirs]

May be instead of Supernatural Toughness (-4) it's better to take Inhuman Toughness (-2) + Inhuman Recovery (-2)?

[zaboron]

May be instead of Supernatural Toughness (-4) it's better to take Inhuman Toughness (-2) + Inhuman Recovery (-2)?

Hmm why is it better?
Since I have Hulking Size I might get hit a bit more than usual, so the +1 extra Armor from Supernatural instead of Inhuman Toughness is going to help me out a lot more. Shrug It Off is not as good as the two stress boxes from Hard To Kill, and I have a total of 10 Stress boxes so I hope I don't have to take physical Consequences too often.

She seems a bit lacking in legal knowledge. Lawyering is hard, after all, and will definitely involve some Scholarship rolls.

Beast Change might be appropriate. You could have a bunch of lawyer-y skills in human form and a bunch of fighting skills in beast form. And it seems to fit the concept.

You could also spend one of your spare Refresh on a law-related stunt. But personally I'd favour Beast Change, since it would also let you have decent scores in handy skills like Contacts, Discipline, and Alertness.

Beast Change is a great suggestion and solves the dilemma of juggling Lawyer-related skills and Hulk-related Skills. Thanks a lot!

They aren't listed anywhere. The game is incredibly free in what kind of characters you create, which is a blessing and a curse at the same time. I personally love to snoop around wikipedia for stuff like this, read up on the real world lore and then see how I incorporate that in my game. In your case, I would start here:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Coyote_%28mythology%29
Which also leads to the more general trickster page:
en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Trickster

But since you are aiming for something more buff, you could look for other animals, like bear or buffalo, though I can't seem to find anything on them right now, but there's bound to be. I think bear is as much a symbol for strength as he is for healing. If you don't find things that fit what you are looking for, you can easily make something up yourself. Maybe some of these beings have been romanticized over time and are a lot different than what the myth say. Maybe coyote is throwing a curveball at other beings by going for a plan nobody is expecting of him.

The Beast Change suggestion is solid, it'll basically lets you specialize in 2 different things

Yeah sorry, I assumed that the other players were referring to DF characters, but it makes sense be a bit more creative here. I found some good information on the Bear Character in Navajo mythology and it seems to be very fitting. I think I will give my character an Indian background to make that more striking. Does anyone have a cool idea for a native American Aspect? This is my ancestors land? I am a European so I probably know a lot less about them than most people here.



Thanks a lot already for all the great help you provided. The more I delve into both the Dresden Files Universe and the Fate system, the more I like them.

[zaboron]

How does "Chief Seattle's Speech" sound for an aspect?
Invoke to:
- get Insights on the past and history of Seattle through Indian lore
- in contact with ancient powers present in Seattle

Compel:
- The spirits one used to rely on grow weaker
- get screwed over by modern society

[Sanctaphrax]

Sounds pretty good to me.

[Shaft]

Is she supposed to be a full time giant sized Coyote, or is she more like a were-Coyote?  The Hulking Size power, without any shape-changing powers means that she is always at least the size of a two story house.  I don't know if it makes sense for a Coyote, since Coyote's aren't exactly known for their size, more for their cunning.

I assume if you're using She-Hulk as an inspiration, you're talking about a lawyer who is physically tougher than average because of the Coyote totem's power that surges through her.

[Cadd]

No, Human Form is there, affecting Hulking Size and the upgrade from Inhuman to Supernatural Toughness.

[Shaft]

You're right, I didn't notice Human Form at first.

I suggest the following writeup:

Kate Ventura
High Concept: Coyote's Appointed Defender
Trouble: This feud with the Yakuza runs in my blood
Background: School of Hard Knocks
Rising Conflicts: Kicked out of the bar again
1st Aspect: Just full of legal tricks
2nd Aspect: Fierce Loyalty to the pack
3rd Aspect: If you obey all the rules you miss all the fun.

Powers:
Echoes of the Beast [-1] +1 Alertness
Inhuman Speed [-2]
Inhuman Recovery [-2]

Human Form [+1], affects the following:
Claws [-1] +2 Damage
Inhuman Strength [-2]
Inhuman Toughness [-2]
The Catch [+3, Cold Iron, requires specific access (old Indian legends))

Stunts:
Scholar (Law +1 to Scholarship, Criminal law +2 to Scholarship)

Total Cost: -7 Refresh, Leftover Refresh 1

For skills:

Great +4:
-Athletics (+5 w/ Inhuman Speed),
-Fists (+4 damage w/ Claws & Inh. Str)

Good +3:
-Deceive
-Lore
-Stealth

Fair +2:
-Alertness (+3 w/ Echoes of the Beast, +6 Initiative w/ Inh. Spd),
-Rapport
-Scholarship (+3 w/Law, +4 w/ Criminal Law),
-Survival

Average +1: 
-Driving
-Endurance
-Investigate
-Might (+2 to Grapple, +4 to lift w/ Inh. Str),
-Presence

Stress: Physical OOO[OO] +1 armor, Mental OOO, Social OOO

[g33k]

+1 on switching from Coyote to Bear.

In addition to the whole size/ferocity/damage thing -- more Bear's schtick than it is cunning Coyote's -- there's also that "protector" thing, as she's doing that lawyer-defending-the-downtrodden number, and Bear is a notable "protector" figure in many (most?) of the native-American mythoi (note that it's far from a universal "mythos":  many MANY cultures!)

Otherwise, I don't have much to add to the excellent suggestions above...   

[Shaft]

If you go with Bear, you could use this write up (you might also want to make her a doctor instead of a lawyer, so she can be more of a healer).

Kate Ventura
High Concept: Bear's Appointed Defender
Trouble: This grizzly feud with the Yakuza runs in my blood
Background: School of Hard Knocks
Rising Conflicts: Kicked out of the bar again
1st Aspect: Just the bear necessities 
2nd Aspect: Fiercely defends her territory
3rd Aspect: Quick to anger and sure of her power

Powers:
Echoes of the Beast [-1] +1 Alertness
Inhuman Recovery [-2]

Human Form [+1], affects the following:
Claws [-1] +2 Damage
Inhuman Strength [-2]
Inhuman Toughness [-2]
Hulking Size [-2]
The Catch [+3, Cold Iron, requires specific access (old Indian legends))

Stunts:
Scholar (Law +1 to Scholarship, Criminal law +2 to Scholarship)
(alternatively make her a Medical Doctor w/ +1 to First Aid, and +2 to Trauma Treatments rolls)

Total Cost: -7 Refresh, Leftover Refresh 1

For skills:

Superb +5:
-Endurance

Great +4:
-Fists (+4 damage w/ Claws & Inh. Str)
-Might (+5 to Grapple, +10 to lift w/ Inh. Str & Hulking Size),

Good +3:
-Athletics (+4 to cover distance w/ Hulking Size)
-Intimidate (+5 w/ Inhuman Size)

Fair +2:
-Rapport
-Scholarship (+3 w/Law, +4 w/ Criminal Law),
-Survival

Average +1: 
-Alertness (+2 w/ Echoes of the Beast)
-Driving
-Investigation
-Lore
-Presence

Stress: Physical OOOO[OOOO] Armor 1, 1 Extra Mild Physical Consequence, Mental OO, Social OOO

[Shaft]

This is the doctor version you can use

Kate Ventura
High Concept: Bear's Champion
Trouble: This grizzly feud with the Yakuza runs in my blood
Background: School of Hard Knocks
Rising Conflicts: Tribal medecine
1st Aspect: Just the bear necessities 
2nd Aspect: Fiercely defends her territory
3rd Aspect: Quick to anger and sure of her power

Powers:
Echoes of the Beast [-1] +1 Alertness
Inhuman Recovery [-2]

Human Form [+1], affects the following:
Claws [-1] +2 Damage
Inhuman Strength [-2]
Inhuman Toughness [-2]
Hulking Size [-2]
The Catch [+3, Cold Iron, requires specific access (old Indian legends))

Stunts:
Medical Doctor w/ +1 to First Aid, and +2 to Trauma Treatments rolls

Total Cost: -7 Refresh, Leftover Refresh 1

For skills:

Superb +5:
-Endurance

Great +4:
-Fists (+4 damage w/ Claws & Inh. Str)
-Might (+5 to Grapple, +10 to lift w/ Inh. Str & Hulking Size),

Good +3:
-Athletics (+4 to cover distance w/ Hulking Size)
-Intimidate (+5 w/ Inhuman Size)

Fair +2:
-Lore
-Scholarship (+3 w/First Aid, +4 w/ Trauma treatments)
-Survival

Average +1: 
-Alertness (+2 w/ Echoes of the Beast)
-Driving
-Empathy
-Investigation
-Presence


Stress: Physical OOOO[OOOO] Armor 1, 1 Extra Mild Physical Consequence, Mental OO, Social OOO