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The Dresden Files => DFRPG => Topic started by: bibliophile20 on July 11, 2011, 03:31:15 PM
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I have a fey NPC in my game that is currently at 0 refresh, but we're about to hit a major milestone, and she's been significantly involved, so giving her the point of refresh feels appropriate. I'm not sure what to do with it, though: would she gain an element of free will if she hit positive refresh, or, being a fairie, is she contractually obligated to have negative refresh and would thus just spend the point on stunts or powers and grow that way?
Thoughts?
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Mechanics aside (and sorry if this is a trite answer for you) but what's better and more interesting for your story?
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Much of the time, I'd say that they get enough powers to buy them into no Refresh land. This is why many of the ancient and powerful faeries are just as bound by their nature as a pixie.
On the other hand, maybe something strange happens. Maybe -- just maybe -- one day the faerie finds itself with some free will. Maybe it finds itself capable of making choices on its own, things that defy its nature.
I go with the latter for the possibility of PC faeries. I know that the rules don't exactly support that, but I like faeries. So neaner neaner to the rules.
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Mechanics aside (and sorry if this is a trite answer for you) but what's better and more interesting for your story?
I like this answer, and at the same time I'd say... gaining a measure of free will is pretty neat. And would probably bring him/her all sorts of follow-up trouble and interesting situations to further embroil the PCs.
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As a rule of thumb I would say PCs get refresh, NPCs get powers. However, if you have a player that wants to pick up the character, go for it.
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I'll start with agreeing with MyNinja; go with whatever's better for your story. That said, here are some things to think about:
We've got, from the novels, an example of a fae going free-willed: Aurora. It wasn't a pretty result. On the other hand, a lesser fae, with lesser powers and responsibilities, is probably less likely to go all apocalyptic on your players. Still, this could be a great excuse to add 1x really crazy fae to your game - with a trouble aspect like: "What do I do with this 'free will' thing?"
We've also got, scattered throughout the novels, a number of examples of the powers of Names. Have any of your PCs given this fae a name? (Nicknames count for this.) If so, giving her some measure of free will is probably appropriate - and should, by and large, play out to that PCs advantage.
On the other hand, consider Toot-Toot's rise to power. I don't think he's picked up free will along the way, but he's certainly greater than he was; if the events in your game would logically have given this fae some degree of greater metaphysical influence, giving her more power(s) is certainly appropriate. What power depends a lot on the events that lead to that milestone; knowing nothing, I'd suggest looking at Demesne or Supernatural Senses - but I'd need more info to come up with anything resembling a solid recommendation.
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The fey in question is Tylia, a wyldfae nymph (exiled from Summer due to an offense to Titania a few centuries back). A few decades back, a focused practitioner-binder managed to catch her and bind her to his will; as a result, she spent the last 20+ years as the concubine/maid/cook/etc to this scumbag (and gaining a great deal of familiarity with household "ferromancy" in the process).
Now the PCs enter the picture; one of them, Gene, is dating the local Summer representative, a nymph named Melia. The PCs do what PCs do, and become annoying, so, the scumbag executes a series of distractions at the PCs, tailored to keep them occupied while he gets his plans finished (it worked, btw). Gene's distraction is Tylia-in-a-box. A large package is dropped off at his younger brother's apartment, where all of the Christmas presents are being accumulated, addressed to Gene, CO his brother Fade (Gene and Fade are nicknames; their actual names are pretentious as hell). Inside the box is an old fashioned steamer trunk. Inside the trunk is a Tylia whose memories of the last 20 years have been carefully removed. On the trunk itself is an enchantment that'll transfer the slavery-binding on Tylia to the first person who opens it.
If Gene had opened it, and Tylia had made him her master, that would have disrupted his relationship with Melia wonderfully (Her being the official Summer rep for the region, and Tylia being a Summer exile). As it was, with a few judicious compels, the younger brother opens it, and finds that he is now the... proud? owner of a beautiful woman.
After a few months of research, the wizard-PC figures out how to break the slavery-binding, and out of gratitude for his kindness, the debt owed for freeing her, and not really having anywhere else to go except back into the same exile that got her captured in the first place, Tylia decides to stick around and stay with Fade. Shortly, nature takes its course, and Gene is informed that he's acquiring a sister-in-law and uncle-hood.
The current scenario is the culmination of her personal arc, in a way; the PCs have been tracking down the binder, and have found him; where we ended last session, we were about to start a four-way battle royale, and Tylia is participating on their side--hence the major milestone.
So, we have a smart, house tech-savvy fey who has more links to the mortal world than the Nevernever and is pretty damn happy to have it that way, is shortly going to be acquiring a sur-name via mortal ritual, and has been dealing with a cautious, smitten young man who had been prefacing most of his statements with "What do you want?" (so as to avoid taking advantage of her while she was under the slavery-binding).
With that context, you can see why I'm considering positive refresh.
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It's always seemed to me that some of the nature of the fey has to do with the rigidness of the courts and where their place is in all that. As an exile (with a new name, representing ties to humanity and human nature) I could see her gaining a measure of free will. I would keep the no lies thing, because I always saw that as integral to the fey themselves, but she could totally start working for herself, becoming an influential face for your game, perhaps creating her own "court" like someone we know.
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With that context, you can see why I'm considering positive refresh. - bibliophile20
Hell, yeah. Go with the free will. Apart from suiting Tylia's own story, it's a great result for the PC who made sure not to enslave her, and the wizard (if it's someone else, that's not clear) who worked out how to break the binding.
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I'm thinking the interesting thing here isn't whether to give her free will or not (free will seems the way to go btw) but how you complicate things for her and those around her afterward. The best story is going to be the one that has the complications that interest you and your players the most. If there's a danger that the free will thing will turn into a happily ever after, I'd say find a reason to skip it or make it temporary.
Fae complications: She runs off with the unborn child and the PCs presumably chase her. Summer gets interested in her again and offers her a task to do if she wants to regain favor (said task somehow complicates the PCs lives during a later plot). Winter thinks she's yummy er... I mean interesting and the PCs presumably don't want to abandon her.
Free will complications: Summer and Winter getting interested in her can be the same but with different complications. She needs to find a way to do the quest for Summer or refuse without insult. Winter's interest can be a bit more predatory if she's got free will. Powerful fae tend to think of her as a curiosity in the songbird-in-a-cage sense. Former rivals show up and complicate her life. Concerned allies in the know recognize her and distrust her nature, possibly taking things into their own hands to bind the fae so she doesn't run off, or trying to chase her away before she harms the PCs.
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I'd definitely lean towards free will with that kind of setup - though she may not entirely know what to do with it (or realize that she has it).
On the other hand, there are certainly complications; consider for starters the fae inability to lie, plus the fae ability to make binding bargains... in the context of wedding vows. Be careful what you swear to; it's going to stick.
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On the other hand, there are certainly complications; consider for starters the fae inability to lie, plus the fae ability to make binding bargains... in the context of wedding vows. Be careful what you swear to; it's going to stick.
If she's clever she writes her own vows, and I would think she would do that even if she's likes the PCs just to avoid working herself into a corner.
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One word:
Aurora.
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I'm thinking the interesting thing here isn't whether to give her free will or not (free will seems the way to go btw) but how you complicate things for her and those around her afterward. The best story is going to be the one that has the complications that interest you and your players the most. If there's a danger that the free will thing will turn into a happily ever after, I'd say find a reason to skip it or make it temporary.
Fae complications:
Free will complications:
You're overlooking one category: scumbag complications. *evil grin*
She doesn't remember--the memories were removed--but she bore him two daughters, who are currently in the foster system. Also, the fellow who did the memory removal--who is also not a friend of the PCs--took the precaution of implanting some triggers in her head (She has the Aspect "Brainwashed, Pressed And Cleaned"). That could lead to some interesting trust issues.
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On the other hand, there are certainly complications; consider for starters the fae inability to lie, plus the fae ability to make binding bargains... - wyvern
Those things could conceivably be a factor of their negative refresh. A fae with free will might gain the first ability and lose the second, which would set cats among pigeons all by itself.
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You don't even have to decide right away. Even if you have her spend that refresh on new powers or stunts (yeah, stunts might even be more appropriate than powers), she might be on the road towards eventually gaining true free will, possibly as a function of some plot device which would lead to more adventures. If you think it's appropriate, she might even lose some powers, gaining the difference as refresh, to represent turning away from her old nature.
Or even if she gains some measure of free will, there's not necessarily anything stopping her from later deciding that she liked being a fae being better and blowing those points on some shiny new powers.
Even better: she starts getting some refresh, becoming more and more mortal as she grows closer to her new friends and family, but some crisis comes along and she needs more power; power which is available to her, if she only throws away her humanity and returns to being a wyldfae, or swears herself to the Summer (or Winter!) court. She saves the day, but loses the new life she fought so hard for.
Yeah, the right answer is whatever generates more hooks. Mo' refresh, mo' problems.
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I'm thinking free will would be far more interesting from my point of view as a player or GM.
Excellent little series of plots right there in that description of that fae btw.
Yeah, it's your game, do as you will.
Though, you wouldn't have asked opinions if you had made up your mind.
Free will si a touchy subject in a GAME. If a certain class/race can't have free will it cannot be played at least not with complete freedom to act. i think any PC should have free will fae vampire or whatver...PC's are supposed to be exceptional and the game is their story.
In the case of notable/important NPC's I see no reason this cannot also apply.
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I would definitely -NOT- alter the characters inability to lie or his/hers binding bargaining. At least, not if the NPC were to remain a faerie, as these things are central to their very being. Even changelings are not exempt from the Bane and binding through gift exchange, so how would a true Fae lose those things, which are quite essential to its very nature?
I'm not saying it shouldn't be done, or it can't be done, just that if it happens, the NPC would not be a Fae anymore... Perhaps some kind of free spirit, or it might even make him/her more akin to a demon or something. It would offer a load of interesting hooks, whatever you decide.
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I was going to say Ronald McDonald :-[