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The Dresden Files => DFRPG => Topic started by: RevengeofTim on May 31, 2012, 11:17:37 PM
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Hey, I'm making a Valkyrie Scion, and I bought Inhuman Toughness and Recovery. I didn't really like the idea of using mistletoe or hawthorne or whatever, so I decided that, as she's a scion, maybe the Catch could be Supernatural attacks, for example; claws, inhuman strength, magic, etc. The idea being that her blood gives her better protection from mundane assault.
Two questions; 1) Is that a reasonable catch? 2) How would you price it?
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Hey, I'm making a Valkyrie Scion, and I bought Inhuman Toughness and Recovery. I didn't really like the idea of using mistletoe or hawthorne or whatever, so I decided that, as she's a scion, maybe the Catch could be Supernatural attacks, for example; claws, inhuman strength, magic, etc. The idea being that her blood gives her better protection from mundane assault.
Two questions; 1) Is that a reasonable catch? 2) How would you price it?
It's a very dangerous catch, since it means that the things most able to hurt her anyway will be more damaging yet. I'd price it out at +3; it's a +1 availability, since mortals simply won't have access to it, but if it's as broad as all that anyone who knows anything about magic should know how to bypass it.
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Another thing to take into account is the relative paucity of pure mortals in a typical Dresden campaign. Seems to me that a typical campaign will have, what, one in every five enemies not having some sort of supernatural ability? Tops?
Sure, mortals in the Dresdenverse are plentiful, but how often do people actually want to play as them? Or the DM setting your players against them? It happens, sure, and quite often, but it seems to me in most campaigns they'll be a very significant minority.
Might as well not even take the toughness power at that point, really.
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It's a reasonable Catch.
But it needs more definition. Would a wolf's teeth satisfy it? How about a werewolf's teeth? How about a human-form werewolf's fists? How about a werewolf pushing a statue over onto you? What if the statue is made of ice from Arctis Tor?
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It just seems a rather odd catch to me, honestly, since one would think the majority of things a Valkyrie would be fighting would be supernatural in nature and have supernatural attacks. You're not going to get a lot of mileage out of the toughness and recovery if the vast majority of attacks you face will bypass them.
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I would consider narrowing the catch just a bit. Make it "supernatural weapons". So a mundane sword doesn't satisfy the Catch regardless of who swings it (Inhuman Strength makes it hit harder but does not satisfy the Catch) but a 'magic' sword counts regardless of who swings it. Supernatural characters with the Claws power would satisfy the Catch, but mundane animals who happen to have claws would not. Spells would satisfy the Catch, of course, as would IoPs and Enchanted Items. You'd have to decide if swords that were 'blessed' or 'enchanted' in the sense that a supernatural power has bestowed an aspect on them would count.
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Mechanically, I agree with Becq's assessment of the Catch from a practical standpoint... but Mr. Death brings up a very good point about the relative "realism" of the power; that is, how much sense it actually makes based on the concept you have.
The way I look at it, a Valkyrie-Scion's powers would be more likely to function only against "supernatural" damage, rather than against anything but "supernatural" damage.
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The way I look at it, a Valkyrie-Scion's powers would be more likely to function only against "supernatural" damage, rather than against anything but "supernatural" damage.
I was going to say this as well, If you want your catch to be of this nature, only working against X, I would agree that a far more interesting catch would be that they work only against the supernatural.
If anything this makes for a far more survivable character AND a more interesting game, for the GM throwing mortals at you will be just as big a threat as monsters so he can mix it up a lot more, and you get to use your powers when the matter the most.
Your powers have no grip on mortal men as you do not have the right to chose the fallen, only being a descendent, but against the supernatural that rule doesn't work.
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With Valkyries being the 'choosers of the slain' and operating on mortal battlefields, I can easily see them as being immune to mortal weaponry. More so than having that be their vulnerability at least.
That isn't quite the same as thinking they should be vulnerable to other supernatural entities though. ;)
@the OP: Have you considered simply taking immunity to mortal weapons? It shouldn't cost more than two or three refresh post rebate and seems to do most of what you're looking for.
As for your original questions, a catch of 'supernatural' attacks is reasonable though probably needs a bit of added detail on what will qualify as supernatural. If anything touched by the supernatural applies, I'd probably give it a 5 or 6 rebate. If the attack itself must be supernatural (i.e. not claws or teeth even if shapechanged) I'd suggest 4 or less, depending on public knowledge of the vulnerability.
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Lots of interesting things here....
Firstly, I was going for the 'you find Valkyrie's on mortal battlefields, so maybe they should be protected from mortal weaponry.'
Secondly, a big part of it was the fact that she's a scion, and no where NEAR as scary as an actual Valkyrie.
I like the idea of Physical Immunity to mortal weaponry, but I think it'd be too expensive for our refresh (8), especially with a few other things I'd like.
I'd really have to think hard about what constitutes a 'supernatural' attack as well, thanks for pointing that out.
Gah, lots to think about.
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Pretty sure there are two threads on this already. Valkyrie catches I mean.
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Revenge of Tim: I know this is late, but if you don't want to use mistletoe, have you considered an alternate Norse-inspired catch? Given what little we know about Ms Gard and her Rune magic from the novels, may I suggest a catch of "weapons bearing a runic counterspell against mystic defence" or alternately "weapons that have been consecrated in honour of Odin (hahaha, I'm getting your boss's approval to stab you) or Loki (hahaha, can your protection withstand my dickery?)"?