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The Dresden Files => DFRPG => Topic started by: Taran on July 28, 2011, 04:28:40 AM

Title: Some help with finishing things off...well
Post by: Taran on July 28, 2011, 04:28:40 AM

Hi,

Over the last couple months I've been trying my hand at GMing DFRPG and I think things may wrap up soon.  I'd like some input from people.

The Pitch:  (submerged) 11 refresh

After the Earthquake in Haiti, both BCV's and RCV's have been using the chaos to increase their numbers.  Wardens were sent down to clean things up, but a Master ?Elder?  BCV working in tandem with the Reds set a big trap, killed lots of wardens and made off with magical goodies.

Nobody knows where he went, but he's weakened and they want to track him down.  He's gone to 1 of 4 locations.  One of which is Montreal where the PC's live.  White Council wants the local Warden (pc) to find out if the BCV is in town and either report it or take it out.

For the purposes of spoilers for my Players I'll put this in a spoiler for this first post...in case they happen across...

(click to show/hide)

There is no Elder BCV.  There are some Reds who came up with a few Renfeilds.  They are working with a Haitian Necromancer to Create an Old Zombie who will use taxidermy to make it look like the BCV in question.  It is a ruse to give the Elder a chance to escape with the items.  Also hopefully take out more Wardens while they're at it.

EDIT:  I have 2 questions...they are in my next 2 posts...sorry.

Title: Re: Some help with finishing things off...well
Post by: bobjob on July 28, 2011, 04:39:25 AM

I see an interesting pitch but I don't see what exactly you need help with. What are you looking for?

Title: Re: Some help with finishing things off...well
Post by: Taran on July 28, 2011, 04:41:07 AM

Part 1:
What I need is a Necromancer write-up.  I'm not so hot with mages as I've never played one, so I'd like a good build.  Mostly Thaumaturgy.  Some minor focus in Spirit for Veils and illusion.  He has a Senior White Councils' Thaumaturgy foci to help things along.

This guy is a powerful Haitian necromancer who has, against the odds, come back from the brink.  He's reformed...mostly...still doing necromancy on animals.  But now the Reds have his daughters(who came as refugees from Haiti with the Reds) and are using them to force him to do the Ritual to make the Uber Zombie.

Aspects:
Haitian Necromancer
Dark Past, Dark Pacts
Anything for my family
Raise myself from poverty

The PC's missed the chance to stop the ritual and save the guys soul.  Instead they will get there AFTER the Ritual.  Just on time to fight the "BCV"...but he'll still be there, Veiled.  IF they catch him, they may be able to save his daughters before they are turned...

Title: Re: Some help with finishing things off...well
Post by: Taran on July 28, 2011, 04:54:41 AM

Part 2 (the part you'll have more fun with)

I need Nifty ways for a Fae Lord to screw over a PC....

The Emissary met his Fae Boss, Hriedmar the artifact collector.  He's to recover an item that the White Council wants. (the Necromancer is using it)  
Hriedmar is tied into the main plot because the RCV's bargained to have him distract the PC's when it was most inconvenient.  He got a powerful Spring Knights Sword out of the deal, but he's hoping to turn things around on the Vamps and get access to more of the magic items they took from Haiti and that's where the Emissary comes in.

The thing is the Red Court Infected PC took a compel to make a "bad impression" on the Fae Lord (plot level power).  He took every opportunity to insult and take advantage of the Sidh's hospitality.  He drank a lot, ate a lot and had "inappropriate relations" with some of the Lords "servants".  (granted these servents were given to the Emissary).

He didn't say it out loud, but Hriedmar has made a point to make this PC's life hell.

Things he knows about the PC:  The PC's sister (who's been turned into a RCV) is in Montreal and working in the main plot.

The Fae has access to MANY powerful magical items that he's created or stolen over the last few milenia.

There are lots of other plot hooks that the PC's can do but I'd like to work in some bad stuff before they resolve the BCV/RCV plot because I might be done  GMing after that.  IDEAS?

Title: Re: Some help with finishing things off...well
Post by: bobjob on July 28, 2011, 04:38:54 PM

I'm at work right now, so I don't have a whole lot of time to post, but I've got thoughts.

Part 1. You're in Haiti and you are missing some great flavor: voodoo. Calling him a Necromancer is a great twist, but a religious styled warlock based on Haitian Vodou could be downright scary. Necromancy, yes... but also mind magic. Summoning and binding of loa and creating traditional zombies (not undead, but real living people who are essentially renfields.) are just some of the tricks up your sleeve. It's a little necromancy/ectomancy, a little summoning and binding, and a little mind magic. These guys basically act as low level Kemmlerites. Hell, there is nothing to say that Kemmler didn't take some vodou traditions and use it in his own magic.

By super zombie though, I'm assuming you mean a big undead monstrosity like Frankenstein. I'll see what I can do later (when I have my books) about statting up a Vodou necromancer which you're more than welcome to use.

Title: Re: Some help with finishing things off...well
Post by: Taran on July 28, 2011, 05:17:47 PM

Yeah..Voodoo.  That is, in fact, a theme of the City: "Haitian Necromancers - Hoodoo the voodoo?"
To be honest, I don't know much about Voodoo or what it entails.  The PC's are suspicious (especially the warden) of anyone practicing it...but there's not much they can do about it unless Laws get broken.

The bad guys brought in a very old corpse in a coffin off the boat.  For 2 reasons:
1. To have an older body to make a more powerful zombie (that will be the Uber Zombie.  With upgraded speed, Str etc.. as per the book- but another scarier, more interesting idea is always welcome.
2. To let people see that " a mysterious crate was moved from the cargo ship.  Everyone who handled it was unnerved by it.

The Haitian Wizard put a spell on it.  Anyone who got close to were affected by a spell to make them nervous/afraid. All this to give the impression that a BCV had come to town...

I know zombies need a "heartbeat".  I have that covered...in a sneaky way.

Title: Re: Some help with finishing things off...well
Post by: Masurao on July 28, 2011, 06:45:00 PM

Quote from: Taran on July 28, 2011, 05:17:47 PM

I know zombies need a "heartbeat".  I have that covered...in a sneaky way.

A pacemaker? ;)

Title: Re: Some help with finishing things off...well
Post by: bobjob on July 28, 2011, 07:00:13 PM

High Concept: Haitian Vodou Priest
Trouble: Dark Past, Dark Pacts
Other Aspects: Anything For My Family, Raise Myself From Poverty, That Voodoo That You Do So Well

Important Skills:
Conviction
Discipline
Lore
Presence

Mortal Stunts:
Occultist (+1 Voodoo; +1 Voodoo Loa)

Powers:
Ghost Speaker (-1)
Domination (-2)
The Sight (-1)
Soul Gaze (+1)
Modular Abilities (-4; affecting two physical form points)
Channeling (-2; Spirit)
Thaumaturgy (-3; Specialization - Necromancy)
Lawbreaker (-2; Fifth)
Guide My Hand (-1)

Refresh (-16)

My reasons for these stunts and abilities are thus:
1. I added the aspect That Voodoo That You Do So Well because it's freaking awesome.
2. The mortal stunt is so that his Lore is boosted when working with Vodou knowledge and specifically when dealing with Loa.
3. I gave him some Wizard abilities: Sight/Soulgaze, Channeling w/ Spirit (you said that he was mostly a Thaumaturgist), and full on Thaumaturgy with specialization in Necromancy. I also included some Lawbreaker Stunts to boost his Necromancy.
4. I gave him Ghost Speaker since it is normally within a Vodou Priests purview to interact with the spirits and loa.
5. That is also the reason I gave him Modular Abilities. It is well recorded that in rituals, Vodou Priests try to become possessed by the loa. This Modular Ability power is for any physical abilities the Loa may wish to impart on the priest while Possessed.

(click to show/hide)

(This is an extrapolated ability I got the idea for from Morty in Ghost Story.)

6. I also gave him Domination so that he can create Renfields. I consider them to be traditional Vodou zombies. They aren't undead, they just aren't themselves as they are under the control of their priest.
7. I added Guide My Hand because at the end of the day, he is a priest of a religion.

Title: Re: Some help with finishing things off...well
Post by: Taran on July 29, 2011, 12:31:13 AM

That looks great, bobjob!  Thanks for the help!

@anyone...still looking for ideas on the second part...

Title: Re: Some help with finishing things off...well
Post by: Haru on July 29, 2011, 01:17:00 AM

You say the fae lord has access to a lot of magical items? I think we can work with that.

Give him a gift that keeps on giving. There ought to be one or two cursed artefacts around, that would be a fitting punishment. I am talking Stephen King Thinner curse, or at least similar. Maybe a bad luck curse, or whatever you can think of.
Or an artefact that actually enhances his abilities somehow, so it seems like a really generous gift at first (kill him with kindness), but every time he uses the damn thing, he gets his life sucked out of him bit by bit. the first few won't matter that much, but he loses more and more years of his life every time he wants to use the item. And he can't get rid of it, so the temptation to use it will always be there. And it feels good to use it. So much power at the reach of his fingertips, but it might eventually kill him. Or he just runs up debt which he does not notice at first, until the fae comes around to present the bill.

Or you could send an equivalent of the billy goats behind him, the fae lords personal guard to defend their masters honor. And after he defeats one, the next one will appear at the most inconvenient time.