ParanetOnline

The Dresden Files => DFRPG => Topic started by: Wolfwood2 on April 25, 2011, 04:25:14 PM

Title: Mercenary Spellcaster Character Concept Question
Post by: Wolfwood2 on April 25, 2011, 04:25:14 PM
So the DF game I am playing in, we are doing a reboot and making some new characters.  I came up with the concept of a spellcaster who had spent years selling his services in conflicts all over the world, but recently decided that this was no way to live.  He is attempting to retire and "go straight".  During his "Bloodsoaked mercenary past" (his Trouble Aspect), he has always been careful not to break the laws of magic.  If he did a divination to tell the artillery where a rebel encampment was, wasn't on him when they shelled the rebels to fine red mist.  Or if he cursed a guy until until he couldn't walk straight then shot him in the face, it's not like he killed the guy with magic.

Another of his Aspects is "Magical Elitist".  Basically, think Draco Malfoy.  He thinks that since he can control the fundamental forces of the universe, walk through the spirit realm, and may live for hundreds of years, this makes him better than other human beings.  Go figure.  He used to think this meant the lives of regular humans didn't matter.  Now how still thinks he's better than non-magic mortals; he just doesn't think that justifies killing them anymore.

Now my question is, should this guy be a Sorcerer or a Wizard?  He's supposed to be powerful and infamous.  The whole Mercenary thing seems a little more Sorcerer (they're supposed to have a longer leash), but the magical elitism thing works better if he's an actual Wizard at the top of the heap.  Maybe he's just a 'black sheep' WC Member whom many of the other WC members think is a jerk, but who was all, "What business is it of yours?"

I'm going back and forth on this.  It doesn't matter too much for the 'How many times can he take Refinements?," (the only actual mechanical distinction), since we're starting at 'Chest Deep' anyway.  And whatever, if we ever get that much refresh and I really want those Refinements, maybe I'll ignore the rules for the Sorcerer template and take them anyway.  No,  the only question is, will this character work better if he's formally a part of the White Council or not?
Title: Re: Mercenary Spellcaster Character Concept Question
Post by: Richard_Chilton on April 25, 2011, 04:46:46 PM
If you want someone with the power of a wizard who isn't on the White Council, give him everything that a wizard has - except for Soul Gaze.

Yes Soul Gaze is free with The Sight, but the books say that having it is one of the dividing lines between White Council members and Wannabees.

For good measure you could skip Wizard's Constitution - another zero point thing that separates the White Council members from the rabble.

Richard
Title: Re: Mercenary Spellcaster Character Concept Question
Post by: bobjob on April 25, 2011, 04:47:17 PM
I imagine that the Warden's will see him dancing around the laws and probably send someone after him. True, he hasn't officially broken any laws but they seem to have a policy of non-involvement in mortal affairs unless some other supernatural power is also interfering.

Does your merc only sell his services to supernatural entities or does he do so with mundanes as well? If so with mundanes, does he flaunt magic infront of them?
Title: Re: Mercenary Spellcaster Character Concept Question
Post by: Wolfwood2 on April 25, 2011, 05:03:26 PM
Richard: Because it would wound my munchkin, power-gaming soul to deliberately refrain from taking 0-refresh cost powers I could easily justify.  That's why!

Quote from: bobjob on April 25, 2011, 04:47:17 PM
I imagine that the Warden's will see him dancing around the laws and probably send someone after him. True, he hasn't officially broken any laws but they seem to have a policy of non-involvement in mortal affairs unless some other supernatural power is also interfering.

Does your merc only sell his services to supernatural entities or does he do so with mundanes as well? If so with mundanes, does he flaunt magic infront of them?

The Wardens won't send somebody after my guy unless my referee and I agree that "on the run from the Wardens" rather than "watched by the Wardens" is part of the character concept.  I'm leery of the former; don't you think it would be disruptive for the other players?  I don't want my guy's trouble to be so immediate and continual that they take over the whole game.

As to your last two questions, I haven't really decided.  I like the idea that the bad results of his actions were usually for regular human beings rather than being hired by magical beings only to hurt magical beings.  That would sanitize it too much.  I'm not really married to any idea of how it worked in practice, though.  What would you suggest would make for the most interesting past practice for a game?
Title: Re: Mercenary Spellcaster Character Concept Question
Post by: Richard_Chilton on April 25, 2011, 05:16:23 PM
Quote from: Wolfwood2 on April 25, 2011, 05:03:26 PM
Richard: Because it would wound my munchkin, power-gaming soul to deliberately refrain from taking 0-refresh cost powers I could easily justify.  That's why!

I know - those are hard to resist.

The other way of being "just below a Wizard" would be to take channeling or rituals.  It means you're reduced in power and can only take refinements in one area, but it also means you're not an embarrassment to the senior council.

There's a character in Turncoat
(click to show/hide)
  The main reason I'm mentioning him is as an example of "He's misusing magic - but he's not breaking any of the seven laws.".

Richard
Title: Re: Mercenary Spellcaster Character Concept Question
Post by: bobjob on April 25, 2011, 05:22:38 PM
My answer all really depends on how you decide to define his relationship with the White Council. If they aren't pleased with his operation, then I suggest having him work for mundanes. Maybe not flaunt his magic, just be really good at what he does. If the White Council just finds him a nuisance but doesn't take action because he has violated none of their Laws, then I'd have him mostly work for supernatural entities who need a skilled wet works man.

I also have a suggestion for the Wizard vs Sorcerer debate. Why not have him fudge his White Council entrance exam, like Elaine Mallory did?
Title: Re: Mercenary Spellcaster Character Concept Question
Post by: Wolfwood2 on April 25, 2011, 05:45:47 PM
Quote from: bobjob on April 25, 2011, 05:22:38 PM
My answer all really depends on how you decide to define his relationship with the White Council. If they aren't pleased with his operation, then I suggest having him work for mundanes. Maybe not flaunt his magic, just be really good at what he does. If the White Council just finds him a nuisance but doesn't take action because he has violated none of their Laws, then I'd have him mostly work for supernatural entities who need a skilled wet works man.

More or less, I was thinking of him being basically what Marcone wanted Harry Dresden to be, except instead of having a single boss in a single city be more globetrotting and freelance.  Or in some ways, being "for hire" like Dresden is as a PI at the beginning of the series, except with no moral compunctions about what job he takes.

I really like the idea of tying it back to the "Magical Elitism" background aspect.  That actually feels like something that should be common among wizards and powerful sorcerers.  Aren't many of them going to wonder why they should give two flips about normal human law?

Quote
I also have a suggestion for the Wizard vs Sorcerer debate. Why not have him fudge his White Council entrance exam, like Elaine Mallory did?

I like that idea.  I might go with it.
Title: Re: Mercenary Spellcaster Character Concept Question
Post by: devonapple on April 25, 2011, 07:03:49 PM
Quote from: Richard_Chilton on April 25, 2011, 04:46:46 PM
Yes Soul Gaze is free with The Sight, but the books say that having it is one of the dividing lines between White Council members and Wannabees.

I took that to reflect a spellcaster's viability to join the White Council, not actual membership. I think you can easily have someone with all of the Wizard powers, but outside of the White Council, and therefore a Sorcerer. I don't see a problem with a Sorcerer having Soul Gaze, but I am open to be persuaded by examples.
Title: Re: Mercenary Spellcaster Character Concept Question
Post by: sinker on April 25, 2011, 08:51:13 PM
To be honest it really only matters if you care about the templates, and I've always seen them as occasionally useful but usually inconvenient suggestions.
Title: Re: Mercenary Spellcaster Character Concept Question
Post by: Wolfwood2 on April 25, 2011, 08:59:06 PM
Quote from: sinker on April 25, 2011, 08:51:13 PM
To be honest it really only matters if you care about the templates, and I've always seen them as occasionally useful but usually inconvenient suggestions.

What only matters?  My original question was concerned with whether it would be better to have the ex-merc be formally a White Council member or not rather than anything mechanical.  I'm building him mechanically the same either way.
Title: Re: Mercenary Spellcaster Character Concept Question
Post by: devonapple on April 25, 2011, 09:07:08 PM
Quote from: Wolfwood2 on April 25, 2011, 08:59:06 PM
What only matters?  My original question was concerned with whether it would be better to have the ex-merc be formally a White Council member or not rather than anything mechanical.  I'm building him mechanically the same either way.

I think we got sidetracked by mechanics, then. Our apologies.

My take: make him a Warlock or Sorcerer, someone who has operated outside of the White Council in a guild/troupe/army of similar mercenary spellcasters, with their own code of silence/secrecy.

I suspect that there can be any number of similar organizations that operate under the White Council's radar, successfully avoiding attention as they sell their magical services in a way that the White Council would punish, if it knew about it. I generally allow for a number of "Warlock families" with long-standing magical traditions (like in the PotterVerse), but with such dark familial ties that they remain very secretive about their activities.

Of course, the only point to having such a family or group in the game is when that secrecy has been compromised, either by a PC who has "turned," or when the secretive group begins to have goals which exceed its grasp, attracting unwanted attention.
Title: Re: Mercenary Spellcaster Character Concept Question
Post by: sinker on April 25, 2011, 09:09:30 PM
Oh, in that case it doesn't seem to make a lot of difference either. Seems to me the only big difference would be with recent events if he was a council member he would have been drafted as a warden (being a heavily combat focused wizard), but I really don't know how that would function. Jim never covers how the council enforces it's non-capitol-L laws. Also it would determine whether the accords applied to him or not.
Title: Re: Mercenary Spellcaster Character Concept Question
Post by: Ala Alba on April 25, 2011, 09:29:17 PM
Quote from: sinker on April 25, 2011, 09:09:30 PM
. Also it would determine whether the accords applied to him or not.

This is probably the most important part. Being subject to the accords might mean less possible work for a mercenary. If nothing else, the WC will come shut you down(probably in a permanent fashion) if you were one of their members and you were going around breaking the accords.

Or, you know, offer you to the offended party as repayment, like they wanted to do with Harry.
Title: Re: Mercenary Spellcaster Character Concept Question
Post by: InFerrumVeritas on April 25, 2011, 10:36:42 PM
If he works only for and against mortals, he can be part of the Council but they would dislike him more.  That is, the Accords wouldn't hinder him from accepting jobs.  However, the WC wouldn't be fond of a wizard meddling in mortal affairs so much and being a bit public about it (although they aren't likely to punish a lack of discretion, even if you were listed in the yellow pages).

If he works for and against supernatural entities, I think the WC would have less of an issue with him, but he'd be subject to the Accords (and thus limited in the jobs that he took without causing massive political turmoil).

So, I think the groups you want him to have worked for in the past have a lot to do with wether or not he's an ex-WC member.  I'd probably go with sorcerer who has avoided and eluded them (maybe pick up the contacts skill to know a good forger and have an aspect relating to multiple identities?).
Title: Re: Mercenary Spellcaster Character Concept Question
Post by: Wolfwood2 on April 26, 2011, 02:08:26 PM
I had in mind that he worked mostly for an against mortals, or at most weaker unaffiliated supernaturals.  Not so much on involvement in Accord groups.  Sort of like a one man Monoc Security, except with less of a security-guard angle.

I don't know, people in this thread appear to be pushing really hard for him to be on the run or trying to avoid the White Council in some way.  I've very leery of that.  It seems like the sort of thing where it could balloon out quickly to the point where logically, the character would leave town and remove himself from play.  It could get annoying for the other PCs even before that point.

Has playing someone on the run from the WC worked out in other peopels' games?
Title: Re: Mercenary Spellcaster Character Concept Question
Post by: InFerrumVeritas on April 26, 2011, 02:48:02 PM
As long as you don't break the Laws, the Council won't hunt you.  That being said, your character concept doesn't sound like something they'd be fond of.  If you broke the Laws (or they think you were coming close to doing so), they may look for excuses to make your life miserable (a la Morgan in Storm Front).
Title: Re: Mercenary Spellcaster Character Concept Question
Post by: Crion on April 26, 2011, 03:10:00 PM
Quote from: Wolfwood2 on April 26, 2011, 02:08:26 PM
I had in mind that he worked mostly for an against mortals, or at most weaker unaffiliated supernaturals.  Not so much on involvement in Accord groups.  Sort of like a one man Monoc Security, except with less of a security-guard angle.

I don't know, people in this thread appear to be pushing really hard for him to be on the run or trying to avoid the White Council in some way.  I've very leery of that.  It seems like the sort of thing where it could balloon out quickly to the point where logically, the character would leave town and remove himself from play.  It could get annoying for the other PCs even before that point.

Has playing someone on the run from the WC worked out in other peopels' games?

I haven't played someone on the run for The Dresden Files RPG (haven't been a player for the system yet), but I have played a similar concept in a different game.

My approach was to keep the magic on the lower-side; subtle effects that could easily be written off, such as magically enhanced armor, being "lucky" that the bullet missed, having the guy fall into the right place at the right time for my shot, etc. This kept me under the radar of all the major supernatural organizations and kept me from being a target.

If anything, I would suggest NOT being a member of the White Council and instead become a member of a mundane group (especially if they have a "special" task force), an Accord-signatory that would be the equivalent to Marcone or Monoc Industries, or as a stand-alone mercenary that, as I mentioned, would remain under the radar or acting within the supernatural community (I'm thinking Kincaid here).

If you are trying to quantify whether he is a Wizard or Sorcerer, that is up for debate. You can have someone with all of the powers of a Wizard that is not part of the council, and there are many approaches to this. In fact, as previously mentioned: Elaine is a Wizard by all right, but she isn't part of the Council. What would make this character any different?


Just tossing words out as I think of them. Feel free to use or disregard as you see fit.


--Crion
Title: Re: Mercenary Spellcaster Character Concept Question
Post by: sinker on April 26, 2011, 05:03:41 PM
I have played a character on the run from the wardens and something to consider is this: The wardens are not omnipotent. They do not see all and know all. Occasionally the gatekeeper sends them in a direction but usually only when someone's breaking the 6th or 7th laws or when it's really important. They can't be everywhere at once and they can't track you if they don't have a link to you (or if you're good at severing links ala shaving your head, etc). In addition they may not even know you are who you are if they met you on the street. All these things considered one can have a character on the run from the wardens, and it would be very dramatic when they catch up to you and kill you (or not, which would also be very dramatic). However if that's your trouble then you're going to be dealing with it on a regular basis and it may be disruptive.
Title: Re: Mercenary Spellcaster Character Concept Question
Post by: Wolfwood2 on May 02, 2011, 03:00:00 PM
Update on this.  The following exchange happened by email.

GM: Tell me more.  Did Ian (the PC) work for a Blackwater-like organization, or was he more freelance?

ME: I think he took a variety of short term contract jobs for parties who thought they needed 'spooky' power.  Probably he worked through a 'talent agency' type set-up that specialized in matching unique abilities to unique needs.

GM: I think you just described Monoc Security.

MEL ....  Okay, sure, he worked for Monoc Security if that works for your game.