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The Dresden Files => DFRPG => Topic started by: Taskill_Mckennan on March 01, 2012, 08:03:55 PM

Title: Jade Court Template
Post by: Taskill_Mckennan on March 01, 2012, 08:03:55 PM
My group was adamant about going to Japan and Fighting some Jade Courts. I obliged. I created Jade Court Vampires as a Viable PC template, and  based them of of White-Wolves Kindred of the east.

        Kuei-jin:Kuei-jin were once mortals who died with the burden of unfulfilled duties, or other strong binds similar to popular fiction Ghost anchors. Tortured in Yomi for their inadequacies in life, their souls successfully escaped and returned to their bodies. Now half-alive and half-dead, Kuei-jin must live by stealing qi from mortal victims to sustain themselves while trying to fulfill their duties.  The most convenient form qi can be stolen in is blood, leading to their vampiric tendencies, but they cannot create new vampires
Kuei-jin are beings torn by inner conflict, and the themes of the game relate to this heavily. Unlike Western vampires, Kuei-jin are revenants and thus spiritual beings in nature.

Yin vs. Yang
The classic opposition of yin and yang are important to Kuei-jin not only for philosophical reasons, but because this dichotomy also delineates the two forms of chi they can potentially ingest. An imbalance of yin or yang chi in their system can lead to dire consequences. Yin-imbalanced Kuei-jin become corpselike zombies suffering from a lack of emotion. At its worst, yin-imbalance reduces a kuei-jin to a Hopping corpse. Yang-imbalanced Kuei-jin suffer wild mood swings and impulsive lusts for food, sex, and other forms of stimulation. Possibly the strangest consequence of yang-imbalance is the ability to have or sire children. Such children are called dhampyrs, and are mortal half-vampires.

Hun vs. P'o
A Kuei-jin's stint in the hells of Yomi divides the mind into two Hun and po parts: The Hun, or high mind, that is the seat of rational thought, and the P'o, or demon mind, that exists to satisfy its own base urges (usually at the expense of the Hun).  Kuei-jin who stifle and contain their P'o utterly become cold, calculating individuals who lack any ideological spark; such stagnancy can be devastating when the weight of karma (spiritual consequences of actions) is on one's shoulders
Kuei-jin who give into their P'o end up crazed, unable to think of things beyond their base desires and have a difficult time balancing themselves

Mortal vs. Spirit
The Kuei-jin stand between the mortal world (which they can never fully return to) and the spirit world (which they cannot fully embrace). Many Kuei-jin struggle to find a balance between these two worlds that suits the precise nature of their Dharma.
Kuei-jin who fight off their spiritual nature end up unable to access their higher knowledge and a lot of the their supernatural powers, whilst those who give into them, end up lost within the spirit realm and possible the consequence of the loss of their place upon earth,

A Kuei-jin's existence is a quest for enlightenment. In their search for karmic resolution, different Kuei-jin follow different paths to ease their karmic discomfort. The Dharmas, five philosophies accepted by the greater Kuei-jin community as potential paths, each emphasize a particular aspect of Kuei-jin existence:
The Howl of the Devil Tiger: The Dharma embracing the P'o.
The Way of the Resplendent Crane: The Dharma embracing the Hun.
The Song of the Shadow: The Dharma embracing Yin.
The Path of a Thousand Whispers: The Dharma embracing balance.
The Dance of the Thrashing Dragon: The Dharma embracing Yang.
In addition to these primary dharmas, a number of Heretical Dharmas have also come into existence. Not accepted in Kuei-jin society, these paths nevertheless find some followers:
The Face of the Gods: A Dharma embracing both Hun and P'o.
The Flame of the Rising Phoenix: A Dharma embracing both Hun and Yang.
The Spirit of the Living Earth: A Dharma embracing both Yin and Yang.
The Tempest of Inner Focus: A Dharma embracing balance.
(you can explain the Dharma's further on your own)



To much YIN and your character become a hopping black-court. To much Yang you become a Raith like White court. To Much HUN your character becomes a high-ranking cold calculating chess master who has trouble understand emotions and base desires. To Much P'o and your character cannot understand why anyone doesn't just do whatever they feel like. To little spirit balance, possibility of your more powerful spiritual abilities being locked, to little mortality and you can lose your human body.
MUSTS:
You must have a high-concept that states your Existence as a Kuei-Jin and your Dharma
(Dharma=See above list)
  In addition you must have the following powers:
             Qi Drinker[-1]
            Feeding Dependency [+1]
   
 At least one of: Inhuman recovery [-2]
Inhuman speed [-2]
inhuman strength [-2]
inhuman toughness [-2]

You must also take these:
Living dead [-1] Same as the rules in the book, However, it only comes into effect if you Yin is nearly maxed out (Within two boxes)
Hopping corpse
Emotional Vampire [-1] Same as the rules in the book, However, it only comes into effect if you Yang is nearly maxed out (Within two boxes)
Beast of Desire If at any time a Jade Court takes to much Mortal, or Spiritual Stress and cannot be reduced (Ie, an attack against your Mortal Mind succeeds and deals massive damage and your consequence slots are filled up) You become a spirit again and are must take the Ghost form power if you do not have the refresh you become an NPC

For the Recovery and Toughness abilities, it's unclear how far the Catch goes. it often involves sunlight, fire, or holy stuff. This produces a Catch value from zero to +3 depending on the extent of the abilities and the breadth of the catch

Options:
You may  take 1 skill related to the spiritual world (never Never powers, Ghost speak Etc) at a reduced discount of (Ie, ghost speak would be free, but WorldWalker would be -1 instead of -2) Provided your DM allows it, Your keeping it in line with your character and you have the refresh
This may only be accessed when your Mortal and Spiritual are in balance or close to normal (No more than 2 boxes from balanced towards mortal Ie, if you have 10 Mortal/Spirit tokens, and you use more than 2 Mortal tokens, Spirit is locked until you spend time to recover or do an action to fix it.)

You may also take 1 mortal stunt or creature feature (claws/fangs, similar things, no breath powers) power at a discount of -1 so long as your DM allows it  it keeps inline with your high concept and you have the refresh
This may only be accessed when your Mortal and Spiritual are in balance or close to normal Unless it is a Mortal Stunt (No more than 2 boxes from balanced towards spiritual Ie, if you have 10 Mortal/Spirit tokens, and you use more than 2 spirit tokens, Mortal is locked until you spend time to recover or do an action to fix it.)


Important Skills: Fists, Discipline, Conviction, Presence,

Minimum Refresh cost [-5]
Title: Re: Jade Court Template
Post by: Sanctaphrax on March 01, 2012, 08:13:25 PM
Fluff looks pretty good.

Kind of surprising how many Infernal Charms from Exalted share names with Dharmas.

Curious about how this is going to work mechanically.
Title: Re: Jade Court Template
Post by: Viatos on March 02, 2012, 04:50:50 AM
The kuei-jin from Vampire: the Masquerade used these for a subsystem, originally, and they were re-used for Infernals as a tribute. They're pretty neat!
Title: Re: Jade Court Template
Post by: Taskill_Mckennan on March 02, 2012, 12:56:05 PM
Quote from: Sanctaphrax on March 01, 2012, 08:13:25 PM

Curious about how this is going to work mechanically.
For the Yin Vs. Yang, P'o Vs. Hun and Mortal Vs. Spirit:
I'm thinking a modified Stress Tracks, but the problem comes once i realized that we'd have to add 3 hunger tracks, one for the acutal feeding, one for the Yin V. Yang, one for P'o V. Hun and one for Mortal V. Spirit. I'm not sure if it'll be to complicated or not.
OR
 a Counter for P'o and Hun and Mortal and spirit Ie; Your have a number of points for P'o and Hun based on your Presence and a number of Mortal Vs. Spirit Counters based on your Conviction.
OR
Remove Mental track and Social track as they are, and replace them with P'o V. Hun and Mortal V. spirit similar to the rules for the Yin V. Yang feeding, however P'o and Hun, Mortal and Spirit can regenerate based on actions other than feeding

 Suggestions are more than welcome on how to keep this from getting confusing
 

You have a balance based on the characters discipline and aspects. The Yin and yang is represented by how  full the track is. If it's full you have a Yang imbalance. if It's empty your Yin is too high. Obviously the more it fluctuates to closer to YIN max or YANG maxed you become. Your vampiric powers, all have a tether to either Yin or Yang. Speed Powers and other Offensive boost powers would reduce your track towards yin. While defensive, manipulative powers like cloak of shadows and the like would increase your track towards Yang. The only way to completly restore your balance would be to feed from someone who is Agressive, impulsive, and outgoing to fix a yin imbalance and restore your yang. and the only way to restore your yin from a yang imbalance would be to feed from someone who is cold manipulative and calculating (Yang=Harry) (Yin=Jayla or  Marcone)

Hun V. P'o:
Hun is characteristic of a calculating thoughtful mind. Slow to act without observing the consequences before action, while P'o is the impulsive acting on your base desires.
Depending on the method chosen it can be represented one of two ways:
balanced track based on your presence that rises with acts of P'o and falls with acts of Hun, and can be restored to balance with time and meditation
Or a counter system 2*presence for a set number of tokens. (Superb presence would mean 10 tokens) Following your P'o will cause you to lose a hun token and gain a P'o token. Following your Hun will cause you to lose a  P'o and gain a Hun token. Hun=Mab P'o=Starving Mad White-Court (Think
(click to show/hide)
after getting burned) The Tokens can be restored like a regular stress track Via Time

Mortal V. Spirit:
The mortal side is keeping within the morality doing things that aren't out right evil or Immoral. The Spiritual side is Your dreams and the ghosts, Contacting the dead breaking your laws etc cause the loss of Mortality and gaining Spiritual. Doing things for the mortal side gains you mortal but loses spirit balance can be restored via time and meditation (Bob=Spirit.) (Mortal=Butters)
Depending on the method chosen your Mortal V. Spirit is determined by your Conviction.
you may use the track similar to described in Yin V. Yang or the token system Written above

Title: Re: Jade Court Template
Post by: Silverblaze on March 02, 2012, 04:56:30 PM
I think you may be over complicating them.  I think they worked fine for White Wolf...but I'm not sure a direct translation works well for this game system.

You could simply have a custom feeding power that shifts between what it feeds on for life energy.  They still need a hunger track and they still need feeding dependency. 

You and the player/NPC can work out whether or not their chi is in balance or in which way it is not in balance.  This can be represented by an aspect that you allow to shift based on in game actions.  It could simply serve as an 8th aspect.

Rather than requiring varied hunger tracks etc. I'd try to simplify wherever possible. 

Have you thought about how to change their catch depending on imbalance?

These were mildly overcomplicated in their parent system.  I think a lot of dumbing down would help them work in DFRPG.
Title: Re: Jade Court Template
Post by: Taskill_Mckennan on March 02, 2012, 05:47:40 PM
Quote from: Silverblaze on March 02, 2012, 04:56:30 PM
I think you may be over complicating them.  I think they worked fine for White Wolf...but I'm not sure a direct translation works well for this game system.

You could simply have a custom feeding power that shifts between what it feeds on for life energy.  They still need a hunger track and they still need feeding dependency. 

You and the player/NPC can work out whether or not their chi is in balance or in which way it is not in balance.  This can be represented by an aspect that you allow to shift based on in game actions.  It could simply serve as an 8th aspect.

Rather than requiring varied hunger tracks etc. I'd try to simplify wherever possible. 

Have you thought about how to change their catch depending on imbalance?

These were mildly overcomplicated in their parent system.  I think a lot of dumbing down would help them work in DFRPG.
The 8th aspect is probably a really good idea. Particularly with a good Player.  The more complicated the template the harder it is to manage and to play, so The 8th aspect would probably be my best bet actually. I'm doing a test play tomorrow with them so I'll know which works better after the session but 8th aspect is probably the way it'll go. And no I hadn't really thought about changing the Catches based on the Imbalance but it sounds like it might work with the Power lock-outs and such based on their balance. I'll add that in, after I work it out better
Title: Re: Jade Court Template
Post by: Sanctaphrax on March 02, 2012, 07:31:04 PM
You could also use a sliding scale if Aspects seem too fluffy. Yin-Yang could vary from -4 (Pure Yang) to +4 (Pure Yin). Powers could give benefits and penalties based on your rating.

Though this would be a bit of a departure from standard DFRPG mechanics.
Title: Re: Jade Court Template
Post by: UmbraLux on March 02, 2012, 10:22:58 PM
It does seem rather complicated for a FATE game.  At least more so than I'm used to.

Have you considered sticking with a single hunger track and simply assigning any hunger consequences as Yin/Yang/Hun/Po (whichever is appropriate) related?
Title: Re: Jade Court Template
Post by: Zenjoriki on March 06, 2012, 03:56:21 AM
Seems to me like the simple fix would be to use Debt like in Sponsored magic and Demon Co-pilot. Rather than making it a hard rule use it to fule the story. Even using the Demon Co-pilot power to represent the Po (Beastil Demon) &/or The Hun (no compassion /humanity) would seem to work well. Existing mechanics should serve well for inforcing the goal of these two aspects. I would run the Yin/Yang dicotemy based on aspects of the character and the persons prefernce in his/her character. Also the GM could compel the character to take Living Dead as a temporary power with debt, especially when being taken out or force the character to take the power (like becoming a red court vamp or a changling no longer being mortal) as a resolution to being taken out.
      So it looks like it would work well if you would adjust the musts for the power to include "Demonic Co-pilot" and an aspect depicting the characters stance vs. Yin/yang balance. So I would go with: Demonic Co-pilot (-1); Human Form (Involuntary Change +2) affecting Living Dead (-1) & Gaseous Form (-3); Blood Drinker (Qi Drinker) (-1); Feeding Dependency (+1) affecting atleast 1 Inhuman power (-2) for a total of -6 Refresh. If you were to become an Emotional Vampire just do an aspect swap and switch out the bood drinker and Emotional Vampire powers.
    All in all I really like this. Thanks alot for posting the Ideas. This is a really strong concept.
Title: Re: Jade Court Template
Post by: Taskill_Mckennan on March 06, 2012, 01:07:51 PM
Quote from: Zenjoriki on March 06, 2012, 03:56:21 AM
Seems to me like the simple fix would be to use Debt like in Sponsored magic and Demon Co-pilot. Rather than making it a hard rule use it to fule the story. Even using the Demon Co-pilot power to represent the Po (Beastil Demon) &/or The Hun (no compassion /humanity) would seem to work well. Existing mechanics should serve well for inforcing the goal of these two aspects. I would run the Yin/Yang dicotemy based on aspects of the character and the persons prefernce in his/her character. Also the GM could compel the character to take Living Dead as a temporary power with debt, especially when being taken out or force the character to take the power (like becoming a red court vamp or a changling no longer being mortal) as a resolution to being taken out.
      So it looks like it would work well if you would adjust the musts for the power to include "Demonic Co-pilot" and an aspect depicting the characters stance vs. Yin/yang balance. So I would go with: Demonic Co-pilot (-1); Human Form (Involuntary Change +2) affecting Living Dead (-1) & Gaseous Form (-3); Blood Drinker (Qi Drinker) (-1); Feeding Dependency (+1) affecting atleast 1 Inhuman power (-2) for a total of -6 Refresh. If you were to become an Emotional Vampire just do an aspect swap and switch out the bood drinker and Emotional Vampire powers.
    All in all I really like this. Thanks alot for posting the Ideas. This is a really strong concept.
Thanks, and truthfully i like this idea here
Title: Re: Jade Court Template
Post by: devonapple on March 06, 2012, 05:48:30 PM
Quote from: Zenjoriki on March 06, 2012, 03:56:21 AM
Seems to me like the simple fix would be to use Debt like in Sponsored magic and Demon Co-pilot. Rather than making it a hard rule use it to fule the story. Even using the Demon Co-pilot power to represent the Po (Beastil Demon) &/or The Hun (no compassion /humanity) would seem to work well. Existing mechanics should serve well for inforcing the goal of these two aspects. I would run the Yin/Yang dicotemy based on aspects of the character and the persons prefernce in his/her character. Also the GM could compel the character to take Living Dead as a temporary power with debt, especially when being taken out or force the character to take the power (like becoming a red court vamp or a changling no longer being mortal) as a resolution to being taken out.
      So it looks like it would work well if you would adjust the musts for the power to include "Demonic Co-pilot" and an aspect depicting the characters stance vs. Yin/yang balance. So I would go with: Demonic Co-pilot (-1); Human Form (Involuntary Change +2) affecting Living Dead (-1) & Gaseous Form (-3); Blood Drinker (Qi Drinker) (-1); Feeding Dependency (+1) affecting atleast 1 Inhuman power (-2) for a total of -6 Refresh. If you were to become an Emotional Vampire just do an aspect swap and switch out the bood drinker and Emotional Vampire powers.
    All in all I really like this. Thanks alot for posting the Ideas. This is a really strong concept.

So just that I can understand, would this look like:
Demonic Co-pilot (-1)
Blood Drinker (Qi Drinker) (-1)
Feeding Dependency (+1) affecting:
   Inhuman Something (-2)
Human Form (Involuntary Change +2) affecting:
   Living Dead (-1)
   Gaseous Form (-3)

Also, that is -5 Refresh by my count.
Title: Re: Jade Court Template
Post by: Zenjoriki on March 11, 2012, 05:58:08 PM
Yep looks about right. Thanks for the math fix :)
Title: Re: Jade Court Template
Post by: Wolfhound on March 19, 2012, 10:05:23 PM
We went with a different vibe in our game (this is not an attempt to judge or comment other than provide additional information if it might be of use) and our current story arc features them

http://www.obsidianportal.com/campaign/dfd/wikis/jade-court