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The Dresden Files => DFRPG => Topic started by: Wordmaker on June 23, 2010, 07:49:15 AM
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I'm the GM for my group's Dresden Files game, but I also like to make characters in my spare time to help me stay familiar with rules that might not often come up.
I've been working on a character who's a rookie Warden whose parents are wizards that lived through America's "old west" period and settled on a ranch in New Mexico.
I'm wondering, would it make sense, if my character has the Aspect "My Father's Gun" (a very typical cowboy trope), that he could also use the gun as a focus item for spellcasting? It's been handed down to him by his father, so I imagine it engraved with magical symbols to allow energy to travel through it.
Visually, I think it makes a nice change to a blasting rod, but would using it as a focus item mean it could never be used as a normal gun (for fights with humans and warlocks)? Or would the weapon's age and the emotional energy inherent in it keep it operational with some regular maintenance?
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personally i would say thats largely your or the gms choice personally i would say the emotions give it it's own kind of power that lets the bullets keep firing through the magic. Though if something like that doesnt fly with you, you could make it a focus item and an enchanted item that can fire magic bullets.
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Magic Missile from a gun maybe? heh:)
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Three options:
#1: Like you said, the emotions and enchantments involved insulate it from the magic. Requires GM approval, but I'd definitely allow it.
#2: When used as a gun, it may occasionally misfire. But not often if it's a Colt Peacemaker or other actual Old West gun, those are at 7 shift Evocations to not work, so it's gonna be uncommon at best. And you can likely invoke your Aspect for effect to make it not.
#3: Make it an Item of Power (probably containing Sponsored Magic or extra Refinements, or possibly True Strike ala a Sword of the Cross) as well as a Focus Item, and make one of it's powers (probably at +0, but maybe -1 if your GM is really strict) that it's immune to Hexing.
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Hmm, making it an Item of Power would be pretty cool. The idea of a cowboy given a cursed/empowered gun (or matched pair of guns) to carry out a sacred duty is awesome.
But the option for using the Aspect for compels to make the pistol misfire is also a lot of fun. I suppose it depends on how important the gun itself is going to be to the character.
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A non-gun shaped focus is very advantageous as mortal authorities aren't going to confiscate a drum stick or bracelet. But a gun is a big no-no in a lot of metropolitan areas.
I am not familiar with New Mexico's conceal carry laws, but there is no way they can be more strict than where I am. But concealed carry is a serious consideration (look at all the trouble Dresden gets for his revolvers).
Ignoring concealed carry repercussions makes things like Claws, Breath Weapon, and even Strength Powers not as good.
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I think the difficulty of trying to deal with mortal authorities with the mindset of someone raised by two people from the time of "live by the gun, die by the gun" is a great opportunity for complications!
A lot of the character does depend on what kind of campaign he'd end up in, however.
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Yeah, I live in Montana and the idea of that being a major problem literally didn't occur to me.
Definitely depends on venue.
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Yeah, I live in Montana and the idea of that being a major problem literally didn't occur to me.
Definitely depends on venue.
Where in Montana DMW? I live in Missoula myself.
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Me, too, actually. Maybe we've met? PM me and we could trade actual names. :)
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New Mexico has very open gun laws. You can walk around openly carrying just about every weapon that it is legal to own.
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I have the image of walking up to someone, showing the revolver has no bullets, holding it up, and saying "bang!" and they fall down...
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For what its worth I have a very similiar concept I'm discussing with my GM, a young Warden in Texas (because I'm a Texan) who carries a pair of spell casting revolvers he uses as foci for his evocation. I haven't been to New Mexico in forever but I can't imagine the gun laws are much different there than they are here; while people don;t walk around with gun belts strapped to their hip anymore you can still walk around armed almost anywhere. I had a buddy in college who had carried concealed since he was in high school and kept a gun in a boot holster which he even carried to class (in College, not high school. No concealed handguns in high school, legally)
As for magic causing gun failure.... firstly when was the last time Harry's 44 failed? secondly the rule of thumb is anything made before WWII is pretty reliable. It's why Harry should drop the revolver and start carrying a Colt 1911. A revolver actually created in the old west should almost never fail. And if you are looking at actual 19th century revolvers I recommend the LeMat.
http://www.civilwar.si.edu/weapons_lemat.html
It's a revolver and a shotgun. at the same time. How awesome is that?
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The LeMat is absolutely awesome!
Although the 1911 is my personal choice in handguns, and an old one should be resistant to wizard-related failure, they are prone to being-cleaned-once-a-decade related failures. It still may not be the best weapon for Dresden! ;D
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The Zeliska .60 caliber revolver is good for wizards.
1) It is an old west style revolver so it's resistant to hexing.
2) It fires a 900 grain bullet at 462 m/s, which makes it both supersonic and 8 times more powerful than the .44 Magnum
3) Its coolness factor is only surpassed by its size;
(http://t2.gstatic.com/images?q=tbn:ke7eg5yksgRgzM:http://i588.photobucket.com/albums/ss323/grizzly1976uk/PfeiferZeliskaRevolver_600NitroExpr.jpg)
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How about a fairy in a cowboy hat, packing an naa mini-revolver, as a sidekick for your cowboy wizard?
(http://www.naaminis.com/pix/lr.jpg)
I think he would speak with a bad John Wayne impression and I kinda like Pill Grimm as a name
“I haven’t lost my temper in 40 years; but, Pill Grimm, you caused a lot of trouble this morning
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The idea of a fairy sidekick is awesome!
And I love the LeMat. Very cool.
Must post these stats when they're done. Then find a chance to play the guy...
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I have had an idea for an outlaw and Civil War vet from the 1870s who was cursed by a Native shaman during the Apache Wars to defend the Land until the End Times. I never quite worked out what powers he would have (maybe just fast healing and resurection with lots of gun stunts) but I figured it would make for an interesting character. Especially if he was a "no account varmit" who felt the need to redeem himself for his past crimes.
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Hmm, someone needs to run a pbp game set in New Mexico....
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I'd play in it in a heartbeat if someone did.
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As would I...
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I couldn't manage it myself. I've got two tabletop games I run on rotation already, and possibly a second Dresden Files campaign coming up for another group.
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Name: Elliot Boone
Template: Wizard
Campaign Level: Submerged
Physical Stress: OOO
Mental Stress: OOOO
Social Stress: OO
Consequences:
Mild ANY -2 -
Moderate ANY -4 -
Severe ANY -6 -
Mild Mental -2 -
Extreme ANY -8 -
High Concept: Rookie Warden
Trouble: Always In Over My Head
Other Aspects: Cowboy's In The Blood ~ My Father's Gun ~ W.W.D.D? ~ It Ain't Easy Havin' Pals ~ A Friend Taught Me The Old Ways
Skills:
Superb (+5): Conviction
Great (+4): Alertness, Fists
Good (+3): Survival, Discipline, Lore
Fair (+2): Endurance, Guns, Investigation, Scholarship
Average (+1): Weapons, Athletics, Rapport, Stealth, Intimidation
Stunts:
Animal Handler (Horse) - Survival
Go Native - Survival
Powers:
Evocation (-3) - Fire, Earth, Spirit (+1 Control for Fire)
Thaumaturgy (-3) (+1 Complexity to Summoning)
The Sight (-1)
Soulgaze (-0)
Wizard's Constitution
Rote Spells:
Smoke 'Em! (Fire Attack, Power 5, 1 Target, must use His Father's Pistol)
Cover My Tracks (Earth Maneuver, Power 3, adds the Aspect "Unseen Trail" to a Scene)
Round 'Em Up (Spirit Block, Power 3, a ghostly lariat appears in Elliot's hands which he can use to lasso a target and prevent it from moving or fighting)
Refresh: -9
Fate Points: 1
Equipment:
His Father's Pistol - Weapon:2
"Silver" - 1942 Indian Scout motorcycle
Focus Items:
Staff: +1 Offensive Control, Spirit
His Father's Pistol (2 Slots): +1 Offensive Control, +1 Defensive Control, Fire
Enchanted Items:
Cowboy Hat (2 slots): Good (+3) Spirit (force) Block vs physical attacks 3 times per session
Background: Born to wizard parents, Elliot grew up in the rugged outdoors of New Mexico, far from big cities and the troubles of the world. His parents wanted a simple life for him, and tried to keep him from learning too much about the White Council. They lived near a Native American reservation, Elliot's father helping out the residents with maintenance work and errands. Elliot loved the outdoors and learned much from his parents and from the Native Americans.
Aspect: Cowboy's in the Blood
Rising Trouble: When the war started, Elliot's parents allowed the White Council to use their home as a layover and safehouse, having spent decades constructing protective wards around their land. However the Red Court found a way to undo the wards and attack. The families of many wizards, hiding at the ranch, were butchered or dragged away by the vampires. Elliot managed to save several younger children and get them to where his father was opening a Way to help people escape. Before they made it through, Elliot saw his mother's Death Curse incinerate the first wave of pursuing vampires. After they were done running, Elliot immediately volunteered to join the Wardens, agains his father's wishes. Elliot took his father's old revolver with him from the remains of their ranch, leaving his father to try to rebuild.
Aspect: My Father's Gun
First Book: Dead or Alive - There's a killer on the loose, collecting bones from each of his victims. It sounds like black magic, but can Elliot Boone, the latest recruit of the White Council's Wardens, convince his superiors of what's going on before he ends up on the killer's list? The White Council feels that he is too impetuous and quick to act, but Elliot uses everything his cowboy parents taught him, along with some new tricks he learned while training under another less-than-popular Warden, to take down the warlock in a duel at high noon!
Aspect: W.W.D.D?
Co-Star 1: Elliot has to turn on his superiors when false evidence puts him between the White Council and his friends!
Aspect: It Ain't Easy Havin' Pals
Co-Star 2: When the villain flees into the wilderness, Elliot blazes a trail in pursuit, helping to head him off before he escapes!
Aspect: A Friend Taught Me The Old Ways
Notes: This build assumes a campaign set somewhere with a lot of wilderness, where Elliot's outdoor skills would be very useful. For a campaign with more of an urban focus, his two current Stunts would be swapped out for the following:
No Pain, No Gain (Endurance)
Footwork (Fists)
Alternatively, in a game with other characters to cover those areas, or as part of ongoing character advancement, the two stunts would be replaced either with Refinement or used to upgrade his pistol to an Item of Power.
Edit: Corrected Stunts, added specialisations, swapped Alertness and Conviction
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Looks good, though I believe both those stunts are Survival, not Endurance.
You also left out Specialties for Evocation and Thaumaturgy, and (at his current Lore) the cowboy hat should provide three uses a session (or only one and be a 4 shift effect).
Personally, I'd be inclined to switch Conviction and Alertness around, and maybe switch the Staff to Defense, but those are just mechanical effectiveness things and should totally be trumped by character appropriateness.
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Ah, I'll have to go back and fix the stunts and add in specialisations.
About the hat, though, I thought the power started at your Lore, with 1 use per session?
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Ah, I'll have to go back and fix the stunts and add in specialisations.
About the hat, though, I thought the power started at your Lore, with 1 use per session?
It does, but spending an Item Slot on them adds two uses, not one.
Actually, looking at it, you're also an Item short. You get two Enchanted Item slots for one Focus Item Slot after all. I reccomend a Defensive Focus of some sort...maybe add it to the gun and shoot attacks out of the air with bolts of flame? That'd be nifty.
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Okay, I've fixed the Hat.
Hmm, a defensive focus for the gun? How about a maneuver to disarm opponents?
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I'm not actually talking Rotes here, but Focus Items. You have one still to use, and using it for +1 Fire Defensive Control on the gun seemed cool.
But yeah, a Maneuver to shoot guns out of people's hands is nifty.
And personally, I'd go with a Control Specialty over Power (making all your Fire effects 5 shifts if you go with the gun idea above). You are a Warden, after all. They teach a bit more control than Harry had as of Storm Front, at least, IMO. Though I can definitely see the argument for doing it the other way, too.
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Yeah, good call. Okay, looks like Elliot's pretty much done, aside from deciding whether or not his current Stunts are appropriate for a given campaign or group of characters.