"Grimm" template

[kenposan]

Has anyone considered doing a template for a Grimm (from the show of the same name)? Or would you make them a Pure Human with certain skills?

[synobal]

I dunno about a template for 'grimm' but it would certainly be possible to adapt the game system to a GRIMM setting. As far as just a pure mortal goes you could take a look at my own Pure mortal Monster Hunter character if you want inspiration. He is a monster hunter in the same vein as Dean from Supernatural or Repairman Jack from  F. Paul Wilson's novels. So far I've taken him up against Ghouls fairly regularly and he did well, even managed to survive a sorcerers attack in our undertown game. He is currently infiltrating the white court in our current game and doing rather well at that.


Jack Herring Character Sheet

[eri]

Oh, I would definitely not make them pure human. I'm pretty sure they'd be some kind of scion or minor talent. I smell some kind of plot twist coming there...

[synobal]

Oh, I would definitely not make them pure human. I'm pretty sure they'd be some kind of scion or minor talent. I smell some kind of plot twist coming there...

You can always move from a pure human template to something else.

[Richard_Chilton]

Really?

I'd say that Pure Human limits which Templates you can acquire.  You might learn magic or be taught a minor talent.  You could make a deal and become a Knight or Embassy.   You could be infected with RC vampirism or killed and converted by a Black Court Vampire.

But you can't catch White Court Vampirism, not unless you enter play as a White Court Virgin.  The same for any "my power is inherited" template.

My take on the Grim?
They are a scion bloodline of some sort that has access to a limited form of the Sight and some other powers.

Richard

Richard

[synobal]

Really?

I'd say that Pure Human limits which Templates you can acquire.  You might learn magic or be taught a minor talent.  You could make a deal and become a Knight or Embassy.   You could be infected with RC vampirism or killed and converted by a Black Court Vampire.

But you can't catch White Court Vampirism, not unless you enter play as a White Court Virgin.  The same for any "my power is inherited" template.

My take on the Grim?
They are a scion bloodline of some sort that has access to a limited form of the Sight and some other powers.

Richard

Richard

granted I only watched the first few episodes but it was my understanding that he inherited the 'power' to see the monsters because it was transferring along the blood line from the bald lady to him. So he was until she died a 'pure mortal' essentially.

[Richard_Chilton]

No - he was "Mortal with potential to become a Grimm" as opposed to Pure Mortal.

In someways it depends on when the character entered play...  For example, Micheal Carpenter wasn't born with Faith powers - so there would have to be a "pre faith" stage for him, probably one that ended during the "Rising Conflict" or "First Story" phase of character creation.

If the player was playing "Perceptive homicide detective" then we would be talking about a rewriting his character sheet while adding to his background to switch (something that isn't covered in the RAW).  If the player was playing "A Grimm homicide detective" then the "I'm a Grimm?" bit happened during character creation.  Maybe his Rising Conflict aspect is "What's A Grimm?" or maybe his first story was "Grimmly on the Job"...

At least that's how it sounds from:
David Giuntoli as Nick Burkhardt, the show's protagonist and titular Grimm, Nick is a homicide detective who discovers he is descended from a line of Grimms, hunters who fight supernatural forces. Even before his abilities manifested, Nick had an exceptional ability to make quick and accurate deductions about the motivations and pasts of individuals, which has now expressed itself as his ability to perceive the supernatural that nobody else can see. Nick is also thinking about telling his girlfriend, Juliette, about him being a Grimm and about the supernatural world.
- which sounds an awfully lot like a scion's heritage coming through.

And my original point remains - Pure Mortal is the template for someone who doesn't have any innate connection to the supernatural.  That is, a character without supernatural powers, not someone whose powers haven't manifested yet.

Richard

[Tsunami]

[...]

And my original point remains - Pure Mortal is the template for someone who doesn't have any innate connection to the supernatural.  That is, a character without supernatural powers, not someone whose powers haven't manifested yet.

Richard

From a Character development standpoint i completely agree. Someone who plans his character with a supernatural background, does not take the pure mortal template.

From a purely technical perspective i think you're wrong.
In my interpretation, anyone who does not have powers, gets to have 2 extra points of refresh. Once they take on any kind of powers, they loose that bonus.
The Source of that power is completely irrelevant for that.

Templates are only rough guidelines in any case. You can, and in my opinion should, ignore them if they prove to be to restrictive.

btt:
Two ways to build a Grimm

a) Pure Mortal with high Lore, and a Stunt that increases the ability to identify "monsters". Something along the lines of "finely tuned third eye"
b) Supernatural Sense (see monsters' true form).

Those two options account for the "Grimm" abilities. The Rest is up to you.

Personally i would go with option B. From what i saw of the series his ability to see monsters goes beyond Stunts.

[Richard_Chilton]

From a purely technical perspective i think you're wrong.

I know you feel that way, just as you know I feel the other way.

Two ways to build a Grimm

a) Pure Mortal with high Lore, and a Stunt that increases the ability to identify "monsters". Something along the lines of "finely tuned third eye"

This does not fit with the description of the Pure Mortal Template.

Nor could "finely tuned third eye" douplicate what happens on that show.  It merely gives a +2 to a Lore Trapping that reads:
"Used this way, Lore is more an indicator that there’s something weird happening rather than a lens through which to see the weird."

In other words, your spidey sense tingles but you don't see behind the glamour, veil, shapechange ability thing that conceals the supernaturals from non-grimms.

Personally i would go with option B. From what i saw of the series his ability to see monsters goes beyond Stunts.

We agree on this point.

Richard

[theshrewedshrew]

Ok, so I have thought about this...

First off, we have the identifing of Monsters

Lore / Scholarship / Discipline   < ---  3 Most Important Skills.

I thought about it in a recent campaign, I have a stunted High Elf of the Autumn Court, whom has Greater Glamours (BEST ABILITY EVER), who plays a 7 String Baroque Lute that has Incite Emotion on it.

But as I was playing, I started realizing to breach glamours and veils, and be semi immune to some of the nastier things in the night you need Discipline.

Give them Stunt's called Bloodline / Ancestry / Lineage / Birth right things of the sort.

Of course I think this will limit the character, here is what I think you might do, as a bonus, these bloodline abilities would be the same as scion powers. Thus bringing the mighty pure mortal down to a minor talent. However, via story method, you could portray your character as a lower lined Grimm, and gain the stunts and refresh of a pure mortal, At the time of the Grimm switch, you drop "your job." and pick up the family mantle.

The advantages of this, at least how I see it are like this.

- 1 Blood of the Grimm   - You Gain +2 to the ability to pierce veils, glamours, or magic to see the true nature of supernaturals.

- 1 Grimm Awareness - You Gain +2 in Discipline Saves against Supernatrual Attacks

- 1 Grimm-oire - You Gain + 2 in Scholarship or Lore roles against the Supernatural

Bloodline Curse - Aspect  Grimm's Curse - All intellegent supernatural creatures make a Lore Roll of 4 to see what you are. Once they see you as a grimm, your Deciet and Rapport score decreases by -2 in Social attacks.

The addition of any supernatural powers, or sponored magic of any kind, frees you from the affliction of your cursed blood, forever passing the Curse to the next in line.

I think you also need to take a few other stunts, like the Weapons Loading for enemies, such as you carry a bandalier of shotgun shells on your chest, after realizing your facing fae, you load the Iron buck shot, there by meeting the catch, but on odd supernatural creatures where the catch is lower the score would be higher, thats when your Grimm-oires might help turn the tide.

I think the character has a great bit of potential as not only a playable character but one of the scairest support characters in the game.  Of course, at the begining of the game, the party would all roll against the Grimm's in the party to see the level of trust throught the game.

Also the Grimm's Contacts score, can only be used to contact other Grimm's or Mortals. I would make this specific.

But I think once you flesh out a power list and a few choice mortal stunts the character would be terrifiying.
;p

Hope this helps, and hope to hear some feedback on how I looked at it.

[kenposan]

looks good to me. I appreciate all the feedback!

[InFerrumVeritas]

I'd go with Supernatural Senses which would detect creatures using Glamours, Human Guise, or Human Form.  I'd also toss in Marked By Power.  Then load up on stunts.  Possibly make a custom power that gives you access to potions given where things seem to be going.