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The Dresden Files => DFRPG => Topic started by: Rechan on May 06, 2011, 02:53:27 AM

Title: Monster/NPC idea
Post by: Rechan on May 06, 2011, 02:53:27 AM
So far we've seen the White Court (and other things) eat on certain emotions. Fear. Lust. Despair.

But there are other emotions worth playing with, which could have some rather interesting side effects.

For instance, anger and hate.

A WCV or something else that inspires, and feeds off of hatred, anger, or violence.

If you get one of these? You can easily drop them into an organization that is based on those sort of things. The White Power movement. Religious extremists. Biker gangs.

Here is a setup where the monster 1) gets to feed, 2) has a group of loyal followers, 3) its followers are drawn for those things, and 4) those followers are dangerous in and of themselves. 

(On an unrelated note, in Fool Moon we learn Lycanthropes are sort of like mortals linked to Rage spirits, so it'd be curious to see something that eats rage and something that's powered by it in the same room).
Title: Re: Monster/NPC idea
Post by: wyvern on May 06, 2011, 03:45:05 PM
Huh.  That *is* a good idea.  I should use it!  Thanks!
Title: Re: Monster/NPC idea
Post by: Haru on May 06, 2011, 04:11:46 PM
Quote from: Rechan on May 06, 2011, 02:53:27 AM
The White Power movement.
You could even call the casefile "White Power"  ;)

but it is an idea worth looking into, especially for combat heavy groups. I suppose you won't do a lot of social interaction, other than maybe intimidate.

I don't think, however, that a White Vamp like that would be accepted by the other houses. They are probably regarding him as a barbarian or something, without style, elegance and catspawing is probably not his strength either.
Title: Re: Monster/NPC idea
Post by: BumblingBear on May 06, 2011, 04:12:30 PM
The PC in my game who is playing a WCV feeds on addiction/gluttony/fervor.

He can feed of of addicts of any kind.  This includes religious extremists.
Title: Re: Monster/NPC idea
Post by: Rechan on May 07, 2011, 10:28:30 AM
Quote from: Haru on May 06, 2011, 04:11:46 PM
I don't think, however, that a White Vamp like that would be accepted by the other houses. They are probably regarding him as a barbarian or something, without style, elegance and catspawing is probably not his strength either.

On the contrary.

WCV get into your head. They can make you so depressed, so doubtful, that you can commit suicide. I imagine the ones that instill fear can make you paranoid - either an anxious wreck who won't come out of your room, or a psycho on a clock tower.

In Othello, Iago uses every character's weakness against them. He sows distrust and preys on existing issues. He plants evidence. He lies to several characters, getting them upset, and sends them off to get into fights, or other actions.

Let's add in some mental emotion tampering into the fray.

Imagine you're the neighbor of the local wizard (but you don't know he's a wizard). But the various activities at his place has caused you problems. You probably don't like him. Along comes this White Court Vampire that whispers in your ear that the guy is a menace. The WCV destroys your mailbox and plants evidence it was your neighbor. He amplifies those dislikes until they are full blone hate. And then he starts pushing your anger button. Starts pushing you, and pushing you, and pushing you until one day your neighbor leaves his garbage cans out too long on the curb, you snap and pick up a hatchet.

It gets worse.

(click to show/hide)
Title: Re: Monster/NPC idea
Post by: jadecourtflunky on May 07, 2011, 11:10:28 AM
Love the Othello reference... hmm... Iago the anger vampire. Cool.

Buscadera already created a house of rage vampires named Ira (probably a play on the word Irate) and adressed the problem of them not being accepted by the other houses due to a lack of subtelty: They aren't, but they're feared for immense combat strength. In the campaign Katarn's currently running, there's a french gluttony vampire as well. I think a sloth vampire would be intriguing, luring people into sleeps they never wake up from.
Title: Re: Monster/NPC idea
Post by: Haru on May 07, 2011, 10:48:05 PM
Quote from: Rechan on May 07, 2011, 10:28:30 AM
On the contrary.
[...]
Imagine you're the neighbor of the local wizard (but you don't know he's a wizard). But the various activities at his place has caused you problems. You probably don't like him. Along comes this White Court Vampire that whispers in your ear that the guy is a menace. The WCV destroys your mailbox and plants evidence it was your neighbor. He amplifies those dislikes until they are full blone hate. And then he starts pushing your anger button. Starts pushing you, and pushing you, and pushing you until one day your neighbor leaves his garbage cans out too long on the curb, you snap and pick up a hatchet.

They can dig into your head and implant things. Weave impulses with what's already there.

Imagine turning loved ones against one another. Two allies can become enemies, or at least not trust one another.

And the simple fact that people do stupid things when they're angry. Anger and hate are blinders.

That is all well and true, but (at least to me) it boils down to something that might best be described as "you are what you eat". Raith are sensual, sexual, Malvora are the creepy ones and Skavis ride the despair train. They all not only feed on their particular emotion, to some part, they become the embodiment of it. The same would apply to a WCV feeding on anger and hatred, and as you point out: angry people do stupid things. He might still be a master of deceit to any mortal, but by the standards of the White Court, like I said, I imagine such a vampire being sneered at.
Title: Re: Monster/NPC idea
Post by: MarkB on May 07, 2011, 10:56:05 PM
One thing I always thought would make a neat concept for a WCV is a psychotherapist who specialises in treating patients whose disorders manifest whichever negative emotion he or she prefers to feed on. Would be very good at his/her job, as the patients would come out of sessions with their emotional lows drained away - and if they're not quite 'all there' anymore, well, that would be attributed to the original trauma that caused their condition, rather than the therapy.

Get the PCs involved when the therapist stops being satisfied with taking meals in small courses, and a couple of patients turn up dead or missing.
Title: Re: Monster/NPC idea
Post by: Sanctaphrax on May 08, 2011, 12:44:20 AM
I've seen a couple of white court houses that feed on unusual emotions which have not been mentioned here.

One was partly my idea, from a thread about magical get-rich-quick schemes. They were called House Lantill, and they fed off of obssession. They were behind the Twilight novels and a religious cult or two.

The other is called House Avarci. It's the creation of Blackblade, a player in Enduring The Apocalypse. They feed off of greed, and are currently thought to have been wiped out by the rest of their court.

PS: Get-rich-quick thread here: http://www.jimbutcheronline.com/bb/index.php/topic,22177.0.html (http://www.jimbutcheronline.com/bb/index.php/topic,22177.0.html)
Title: Re: Monster/NPC idea
Post by: mithrandirthewhite on May 08, 2011, 12:53:11 AM
On the WCV of anger, what would happen if one was born a lycanthrope? *evil grin*  un subtle, sure, bloody effective, yes.
Title: Re: Monster/NPC idea
Post by: Rechan on May 08, 2011, 04:53:20 AM
Quote
That is all well and true, but (at least to me) it boils down to something that might best be described as "you are what you eat". Raith are sensual, sexual, Malvora are the creepy ones and Skavis ride the despair train. They all not only feed on their particular emotion, to some part, they become the embodiment of it. The same would apply to a WCV feeding on anger and hatred, and as you point out: angry people do stupid things. He might still be a master of deceit to any mortal, but by the standards of the White Court, like I said, I imagine such a vampire being sneered at.
Honestly, I don't get that vibe. We don't see Skavis/Malvora enough except the two vamps we meet. And the Malvora guy in White Night didn't strike me as creepy.

Honestly, I think that the Raiths are embodiments of lust because it's mainly an act. It wouldn't due to act like a schlub if you're trying to make people want to have sex with you.

Also, hate and anger can manifest several ways. Sure, you have the raving lunatic, but you also have the cold hatred. The stuff that makes people premeditate murder. In this case it's a motivational force, but may not be making you see red.

We also know that WCV can feed on multiple emotions.
(click to show/hide)
In the case of feeding from more than one emotion, then the question is "Which do they exhibit the behaviors of more?"

Quote from: Sanctaphrax on May 08, 2011, 12:44:20 AM
One was partly my idea, from a thread about magical get-rich-quick schemes. They were called House Lantill, and they fed off of obssession. They were behind the Twilight novels and a religious cult or two.
Probably running WoW.

Quote
The other is called House Avarci. It's the creation of Blackblade, a player in Enduring The Apocalypse. They feed off of greed, and are currently thought to have been wiped out by the rest of their court.
Oh man.

I think they would need to be nuked from orbit by the rest of the WC. Because otherwise, my god they would be on top of the court. All a greed-eating house needs to do is park itself in Wall Street, Vegas or D.C. and get fat. Greed is a sin fully embraced and approved of, as it's the sole driving force behind several professions like bankers. Just imagine the buffet that would have been the run-up to the banking industry's collapse. I can't think of any other emotion that would be so blazen and populous to feed from. (Except maybe anger and hate during say, the French Revolution, or Despair during the Great Depression).
Title: Re: Monster/NPC idea
Post by: jadecourtflunky on May 08, 2011, 05:14:29 PM
Quote
We also know that WCV can feed on multiple emotions. The two WCV in White Night could throw around lust rather easily on their victims - that's how they took out the girl that Molly peered into. In the case of feeding from more than one emotion, then the question is "Which do they exhibit the behaviors of more?"

While they can, it was stated that Madrigal was the cause of that girl's death, and he was a lust vampire first. He just preferred fear.

Also, I apoligize to Katarn for getting the title of his campaign wrong. I can never remember it....