ParanetOnline
The Dresden Files => DFRPG => Topic started by: Michael Sandy on May 07, 2011, 06:23:07 AM
-
Domestic Dispute
Got a Warden type who spent all his skill points on making a really nasty combat build, so he was ready for everything? Well, most of the time you should keep them amused with combat scenarios to make them feel useful and powerful. But every once in a while through them a reminder that not all police work, in fact, very little police work, is about running down criminals in darkened alleys and having a shootout with them.
Maybe it is the coven of practitioners who are having a schism, and are having a squabble over who keeps the sanctified ritual space, or the coven's supply of potions and charms that they crafted together. Who owns what? Well, when things were going well, nobody really cared. But now all sorts of accusations are going forth, because Raven spied on Megan with Zorsha's crystal ball and saw her with Dark Steve, and Alex disrupted Melody's ritual, that she had been working on for months, because Alex thought the carefully arranged cobwebs were, well, cobwebs...
If you are really lucky, some dark malign force might be involved, setting the coven against each other for their own dark amusement. But if not, emotions are running high, and most of them have access to curse magic and other nasty petty ways of getting revenge. Oh yeah, and the really vindictive want you, the Warden, to destroy their former friend who betrayed them.
-
I don't see why a Warden of the White Council would be involved in a "domestic". Unless someone was breaking the Laws of Magic.
-
I think it's uncommon to see characters who try to do everything - fight well, talk well, research well.
Usually you get specialization. The guy who's the combat monster vs. the guy who is the group face.
So, this is what a more social-geared character is for. Your Warden player though might get bored.
-
I think it's uncommon to see characters who try to do everything - fight well, talk well, research well.
Usually you get specialization. The guy who's the combat monster vs. the guy who is the group face.
So, this is what a more social-geared character is for. Your Warden player though might get bored.
Exactly. That's why I try to mix it up for my players now.
My first DFRPG game was very educational because I was an optimized combat character in a very combat-light game. I now ask my PCs what they want and what they're looking for.
Apparently, everyone likes banter. So I have a high banter game now... with lots of explosions and ninjas. :)
-
While a Warden might get involved in such a 'domestic dispute', they'll have no official responsibility, or authority, as a Warden, applicable in a situation like that.
-
I would think that a warden of the white council would probably think a love triangle between hedge witches was rather silly and not get involved.
Keep in mind that wardens are combat hardened veterans and killers.
To be that way, one must be very self confident and have a certain element of abrasiveness to one's personality.
In that situation, I don't think it would be thematically inappropriate for the warden to have lower social skills.
Most wardens should have a decent intimidation, though.
-
I would think that a warden of the white council would probably think a love triangle between hedge witches was rather silly and not get involved.
Keep in mind that wardens are combat hardened veterans and killers.
To be that way, one must be very self confident and have a certain element of abrasiveness to one's personality.
In that situation, I don't think it would be thematically inappropriate for the warden to have lower social skills.
Most wardens should have a decent intimidation, though.
Per the novels, Wardens of the White Council are the soldiers and 'secret police' of the White Council. In addition to being formidable combatants and Evocators, as already mentioned they should be 'scary' (i.e. decent Intimidation skill and/or appropriate stunts). They should also have some skill at investigating matters and providing security. Whether this is via high levels of the appropriate skills like Investigate and Alertness and relevant stunts, or via creative applications of spellcraft and Thaumaturgy, it shouldn't matter.
Remember, Wardens provide for the safety and security of the White Council. In order to do that, more than just hack/slash/blast combat monsters are required. The best combatant in the world is useless if you don't know there is an enemy to fight, and/or you can't find them...
-
The best combatant in the world is useless if you don't know there is an enemy to fight, and/or you can't find them...
You can assume that there is an enemy to fight. If you can't find them, make them come to you. All you need to do is make sure that when they do, you are more than prepared for them.
-
Two words every Warden fears?
-
Exactly. That's why I try to mix it up for my players now.
My first DFRPG game was very educational because I was an optimized combat character in a very combat-light game. I now ask my PCs what they want and what they're looking for.
Apparently, everyone likes banter. So I have a high banter game now... with lots of explosions and ninjas. :)
Sounds like a Michael Bay movie, with a Joss Whedon script. :P
-
I can think of a decent reason for a warden to be involved: Accusations of lawbreaking, which seems like a great thing for a spurned lover to throw around.
-
I can think of a decent reason for a warden to be involved: Accusations of lawbreaking, which seems like a great thing for a spurned lover to throw around.
Hmm two wizards split up, relationship ends badly, lots of hurt feelings then a new lover gets killed in a very messy/odd/unusual way. Pretty routine, then have the dead lover be a changeling and now mommy/daddy from the fae side is making nasty noises to White Council.
The Fae ask for and get a representative to 'assist' and 'advise' the Wardens of the White Council in the investigation.
Add to the mix what if the death is non-magical but the Fae still want revenge for the death toss some mortal cops in the mix a few red herrings and give that GM cackle.
Could be fun. Also because of the War, the Wardens are told to wrap it up quickly, i.e. find someone to hang this on and get back to the front lines by various higher ups.
-
Sounds like a Michael Bay movie, with a Joss Whedon script. :P
You know... that's not a bad way to describe the campaign I am GMing. :D
-
Two words every Warden fears?
"You sure you want it to be like this, fellas?"
On a more serious note, the White Council knows it has enemies. What it doesn't always know, is who those enemies are, where they are, or what they're doing. In most nations around the /real/ world, there is the national military or defence force, and then various law enforcement and intelligence agencies as well. In the case of the supernatural nation of the White Counci, the Wardens perform both the military and policing roles, and might also be involved in some of the intel gathering as well. Which still points back to requiring Wardens, or at least some of them, to have more than just combat skills at their command.
Complicating things further still, any member of the White Council might be called upon to represent the White Council if given a formal invitation under the terms of the Accords, like Harry was in Grave Peril. Which means that Wizards in general might well find themselves in situations where just relying on magic and/or combat isn't enough.
How often over the course of the novels has Harry had to outrun, bluff, intimidate, or investigate something?
-Cheers
-
I like these ideas.
In my view, Wardens are mostly just really badass soldiers. (At least, the ones that aren't conscripts are really badass.) But the White Council treats them as all-purpose lackies, so they have to perform diplomacy and investigation work all the time. Most of them build up a pretty good selection of random low-level skills because of that, but only a few of them specialize in it.
So Wardens get into a lot of fish-out-of-water stories. That's what they need Fate Points for. When the blades come out, they get to kick ass.
-
When Harry soulgazes Molly, he sees one potential for her as a warden. Molly has very little combat potential - that's made clear in all the books. Yet she has Finesse out the yingyang.
Being able to throw veils around, being able to make items/weapons, being able to prepare and use strategy. Enemy detection, obfuscation. Defense creation (I.e. wards). These are useful to the Wardens.
Wardens may be soldiers, but soldiers are more than just a hammer. You need recon and communications going with soldiers. Soldiers can occupy a location/civilian population. In peace time, or rather, when not firing weapons, the military has tasks to accomplish - peace keeping and public relations for instance.
Insuring Security can involve a lot of subtle things as well. You could have Wardens who function like the CIA: intel and counter-intel. Keeping tabs on the enemy from eavesdropping to breaking in and looking at their secrets. Sabotaging their operations. Removing the enemy's assets (either destroying their equipment, or removing pressure/neutralizing the people who help your enemy carry out missions). Feeding the enemy false information. As well as covering your own ass - plugging the leaks in your organization, monitoring your members to ensure loyalty, and protecting your assets.
For a spy, resorting to bullets often means you've messed up.
In these cases, you want those with fat Thaumaturgy, veils, wits, social skills, and just enough Evocation to get themselves out of danger.
-
I have a player in the game, I am running who even with his conviction of 3 still can out damage nearly anyone in the party due to his Lesser Glamours. Like Molly, I would expect him to be more of a sniper when things need to die, and an investigator when normal play is going on.
Control: 8, Power: 3
-11 Shift hit when he snipes someone, without building up aspects.
-
Wait. How do glamours help with damage?
-
Dodge is mediocre versus attackers you can't see.
Especially if the glamours make it Appear that the attack is coming from a different direction.
There are some awesome examples in the webcomic erfworld of combat uses of illusions.
-
Glamours is one of the most OP RAW powers there are.
Even if someone rolls high enough alertness to know where you are, they still cannot really see you.
-
Wait. How do glamours help with damage?
Basically it lets you have a surprise attack, unless they beat your deceit/discipline roll. This sets their defense to a base of 0, which in turn changes all of your accuracy into shifts of damage.
-
Basically it lets you have a surprise attack, unless they beat your deceit/discipline roll. This sets their defense to a base of 0, which in turn changes all of your accuracy into shifts of damage.
They can still roll defense, just at a +0.
This can be good for them (natural plus 4!) or this can be bad for them (natural minus 4).
Getting hit with a sneak attack, with stacked aspects in an ambush after rolling a -4 to defense HURTS.
-
Back to the original topic - I can see Wardens having to investigate situations like that. While the current crop of newbies are basically soldiers with badges there would have been a group of them before the Red Court War who were investigation specialists. If you view the Wardens as an army (I don't see them functioning that way except during war time) then they would have a criminal investigation division or something along those lines.
And I can see minor practitioners trying to use them for revenge. Accusing rivals or former lovers of breaking the law to get the Wardens to handle their foe. When a cult breaks up there could easily be bitter rivals who were once friends (or lovers) and everyone trying to get the warden on their side so the unbeliever will stomped.
Better yet - X has died... Okay, I can't work this will X so I'll call him Malcolm. Malcolm, a local practitioner who never had the juice to get on the White Council, has died in a very bizarre way. It's not quite the "turkey from 20 000 feet" but it's something along those lines - to those in the know it screams death curse. It makes the news so a warden goes to investigate and discovers that Malcolm recently left his wife of 20some years for a young hottie who has a daddy complex. His wife (a practitioner in her own right) now hates him as do his teenage children (who may or may not be able to work magic) - especially his daughter who was a high school freshman when daddy's new friend was a senior. The hottie he moved in with is a practitioner who he was teaching and may have been using lust spells on him. Suddenly Mister Judge, Jury, and Executioner (aka a Warden) is in town and everyone is pointing fingers about who the warlock is while doing everything that they can to prove their innocence - or protect their love ones.
That could make a good plot - and if the Warden is a combat specialist he'll need a lot of help to sort things out. Maybe tapping a group like the PCs for aid.
Richard
-
That sounds pretty awesome.
If I was the one running it, I'd probably make the players be among the finger-pointers and suspects. It'd make a good one-shot game, especially if the players are alright with sending Swordman McWarden after one another.
-
It would make a good one shot.
Richard
-
What might make it even more crazy is if the party has a White Court Vampire of some sort as their "face", and you have a bunch of wizards relying on an emotion feeding vampire to sort out who hates who and why.
Add in more fun like some of the suspects are related or otherwise connected to various powerful White Council wizards and/or factions...
Or maybe there are some real sleazy gossipers who know a lot of the background, but they have agendas of their own, and won't help unless they get some assistance, or they get juicy gossip in turn.
For ex, they might say, "I will help, but only if you swear on your powers to tell me everything that YOU know about..."
If the party succeeds, then they should get the taggable social maneuver "handled a delicate matter with discretion and wisdom" or something like it for future social interactions. If everything blows up in their face, they could have long term social consequences.
-
If the party succeeds, then they should get the taggable social maneuver "handled a delicate matter with discretion and wisdom" or something like it for future social interactions. If everything blows up in their face, they could have long term social consequences.
Ooh. I like the idea of a "free defined maneuver" as a reward for large successes.
-
By the book, you can't have more than 7 aspects, so the reward can't be an extra aspect. So I think such a bonus maneuver would have to be something invoked by a social skill, just as navel gazing maneuvers are.
So to place the temporary aspect, "In deep concentration" on yourself, you need to get a 3 discipline roll, to apply the aspect "I have handled a delicate matter with discretion before" or similar aspect, you would need to roll 3 for Rapport, Presence or Contacts.
Or the aspect, "I handled a delicate matter with high explosives and big boom, but I got the job done" applied with intimidation.
-
By the book, you can't have more than 7 aspects, so the reward can't be an extra aspect.
Then what do you call Temporary Aspects? All characters start with seven Aspects*, if they can never have any more, then there is no place for Temporary Aspects.
* Are you forgetting that the High Concept and Trouble are both Aspects? Also every consequence taken is an Aspect... etc...
-
Here I was thinking of the "free maneuver" as able to apply the next time you encounter the people involved. You only get to use it on the person you dealt with last time.