Author Topic: Sponsored Magic -- Dragon Magic  (Read 2887 times)

Offline MrJamela

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Sponsored Magic -- Dragon Magic
« on: July 06, 2010, 08:44:18 PM »
One of the players in my group has an awesome concept for his character's magical background -- he's the scion of a water dragon in Scotland.

But he keeps backing away from embracing the concept fully because he doesn't quite grok the effectiveness of Sponsored Magic. I think part of the problem is that Seelie, Unseelie, Hellfire, etc. are all written up already but he's not quite comfortable enough with FATE to take the full authorship of his sponsor and create the benefits/restrictions/bonuses of Dragon magic.

Has anyone written up additional sponsors (or better yet) Dragon Magic that I can show him as examples.

Disappointing to see him come up with such a cool background and then not own it entirely.

Jaime

Offline Deadmanwalking

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Re: Sponsored Magic -- Dragon Magic
« Reply #1 on: July 06, 2010, 09:08:14 PM »
For my very seriously intended Emissaary of Santa Claus:

Yuletide Magic [-4 Refresh]

Drawing on the power of the Saint Nicholas, you’re able to cast spells that fit his essential nature: warmth and coldness, charity, protection, travel, and power over secrets. These magics are under the sway and watch of Saint Nicholas himself; making use of it will inevitably catch his notice.

Cost: As normal Sponsored Magic

Effects: Standard Sponsored Magic benefits, including counting as an Evocation element, allowing evocation spell effects that encourage or make use of warmth or coldness, charity, protection, travel, and a power over secrets. In addition, Yuletide Magic may be used to duplicate Conjuration or Warding effects at Evocation speeds and methods, and receives a +1 bonus to Control and Complexity on Conjuration. Yuletide Magic’s Evocations always includes either warmth or cold in some way, depending on the element being used.

Offline Ophidimancer

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Re: Sponsored Magic -- Dragon Magic
« Reply #2 on: July 06, 2010, 09:25:12 PM »
Dragons, unfortunately, are not explored much as of yet in the Dresdenverse.  So making up powers is understandably a little hard.  Other than the fact that they are creature of immense magical power, we know very little about them.

Now, when I think of [WATER DRAGON] and [SCOTLAND], I think of the creature of Loch Ness, which is maybe not what you think.  With that in mind, though, I would probably grant powers over stealth, fog, and water, as well as enhanced physical abilities.  Stuff like summoning fog, invisibility while in the fog, teleportation through fog or to anything touching a shoreline, etc.

Offline wyvern

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Re: Sponsored Magic -- Dragon Magic
« Reply #3 on: July 07, 2010, 05:37:24 AM »
For an alternative view, when I think of water dragon (yeah, even in scotland - so maybe I'm a bit odd) I tend to think of oriental style dragons.  Which, oddly enough, can be very neatly modeled by just starting with Seelie magic, and replacing "summer fire" with "dragon's flood", "summer's heat" with "cooling rain" or maybe fog, and leaving the rest of the aspects alone - wildness, birth, growth, and renewal are all perfectly valid water dragon effects.
As an additional benefit, I'd say water dragon magic downgrades toughness abilities on anything that's strongly fire-aspected (as per summer magic being effective against winter fey) - so, say, a traditional fire dragon with mythic toughness would only get the benefit of supernatural toughness against water dragon magic.  (By contrast, a fire elemental with mythic toughness would probably get no toughness benefit against water dragon magic, because that was probably the fire elemental's catch to begin with.)

Offline CMEast

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Re: Sponsored Magic -- Dragon Magic
« Reply #4 on: July 07, 2010, 11:57:31 AM »
@DMW: Does that magic allow the emissary to cast 'Detect Evil Children'? :)

For the game I'm in at the moment, a friends character wanted to be an Emissary of the Lady of the Lake (London based game) and wanted sponsored magic, so I wrote this up for him with some rotes too.

Quote
Lady's Favour. [-4] (the title might need work)

This always counts as Channeling and Ritual together so you will be able to cast evocations and create thaumaturgic ritual with the theme 'Lady of the Lake', not only must the magic fit the theme but it must also align with the agenda of the sponsor i.e. you couldn't use it to hurt her or to doing anything against her nature.
As your magic is sponsored, once per roll you may invoke an aspect without spending a fate point. Doing this adds on to the debt between you and the Lady of the Lake. She may collect on this debt later, trading in compels on your for that debt on a one-for-one basis - compels that get you no fate points if you accept, and which you must accept unless you have a fate point to spend to refuse it. You can use the aspect to re-roll the dice, or add +2 to the control/attack roll just like you would any normal aspect. See YS289 for details on debt and agenda, as well as the ability to draw extra power at extra cost.

A Lady of the Lake theme could include:
Water - entropy, change, moats/rivers/barriers, memory loss (the styx/entropy)
Arthurian legend - chivalry, honour, justice, protection

And some sample spells

'This is not the droid you are looking for'
Type: Lady-of-the-lake'o'mancy
Power: Varies; 4 shifts assumes a discipline of 3.
Duration: One scene
Effect: Target has the 'Mind Fog' aspect applied to them.
Variations: Adjust the power as needed for higher discipline targets. Change the aspect for something more specific to the situation as long as it fits the sponsor.


'Go with the flow' perhaps?
Type: Thaumaturgy, Lady etc etc
Complexity: Varies according to the target difficulty (GM decides), usually somewhere from 2 to 8 (see YS298).
Duration: About one scene
Effect: Caster is led toward target.
Notes: This spell requires a symbolic link to the target. Blood or spit can be mixed with water. Hair can float on top etc. Whatever it is, it needs to be combined or focused through water, the element through which the Lady's magic works. (plus whatever hoops the GM thinks appropriate as well of course).


'Slippery when wet'
Type: Water Evocation, offensive manoeuvre
Power: Variable but 3 or 4 shifts, opposed by athletics (GM can rule otherwise in specific situations).
Effect: Weapon can't be used for one exchange
Variation: You can add an extra shift to make the aspect 'sticky' i.e. until they spend a fate point to get their weapon, it will continue to slide around. Or you can add two extra shifts for it to hit everyone in the zone.


'She is my shield'
Type: Water evocation, defensive block
Power: 4 shifts, 2 for armour and 2 for duration
Duration: 3 exchanges
Effect: 1 additional point of armour on top of whatever you're wearing.


'Water whip'
Type: Water evocation, offensive attack
Power: 4 shifts, all in power for a weapon:4 attack.
Duration: instant.
Variations: You can use 2 shifts to make it attack a whole zone

You're welcome to repurpose it for the Scottish Dragon.

----------Edit---------

To add to this, just ask the player about the dragons nature.
What is it's main characteristic? Ferocious and proud? Cunning and deceitful? Wise observer? Trickster? Benevolent guardian?
How does it treat others? Is it good? Bad? Indifferent? Lonely for company? Jealous of humanity?
What is the emissary for? Company? A tool? A toy? An experiment?
Does it have an agenda? Greed? Revenge? Knowledge?

And then, how does it's power manifest?
Is it associated with a particular element or phenomenon? Is it a fire dragon? A weather dragon? A luck dragon?

For instance, a Scottish dragon might be very territorial. Perhaps it wants Scotland to rise to greatness and it's proud of the Scottish people. There could be an ancient pledge between man and dragon and the emissary might be part of it. The dragon might try to influence events so that Scotland takes it's rightful place as an international power.
The dragons power might be weather control and it believes that cold, wet weather encourages his people to be stoic, strong, direct and honest (he doesn't have to be right after all).
His magic may be weather themed (Winds, Storms, Fogs, Snow & Hail) and may also be used to incite honesty or encourage people to take action or be strong. Lying, complaining, indulging in unnecessary luxuries or doing anything that would hurt Scotland or help another nation, may anger the dragon.

How's that?
« Last Edit: July 07, 2010, 12:24:15 PM by CMEast »

Offline Nomad

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Re: Sponsored Magic -- Dragon Magic
« Reply #5 on: July 07, 2010, 12:32:05 PM »
The phrase "Water Dragon of Scontland" gives me the image of rolling mists that cover the highlands.

It would probably be about Water, Air and Spirit, friendly with earth and opposing fire (smothering it so to speak).

Fog, Purity, Cool (Not Cold of Winter, the refreshing coolness of a Spring breeze so to speak) would be its civil uses while Lightning, Storm, Wind would be its offensive side.

His magic could be considered a step between of channeling and evocation. He can use more than one element but those elements are restricted in their uses. Refreshing small injuries, Fogging (a kind of Veiling) the place, Ignoring natural veils and bonus against mahical veils and glamors.

His offensive powers should be wild. The storms are not controllable tame dog like fire is, when he controls it perfectly, he merely stops it going wild more; his magic will always have some unintended wild side effects

As supernatural powers, you may want to give hin the usual toughness, speed etc.

Cities, especially crowded urban places should sap his power, while "high" wildernesss areas should be where he is at his power.

These are my first impressions of the concept. my 2 cents.
Waiting eagerly for the day when Arry will enchant a fluorescent tube lamp and use it as a lightsaber.

Quote from: Archangel62
Magically speaking he may be a thug, but tactically speaking...he's the cast of looney tunes after a few bong hits.

Offline CMEast

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Re: Sponsored Magic -- Dragon Magic
« Reply #6 on: July 07, 2010, 12:52:42 PM »
Yeah, 'Wild Weather Dragon' works well as a concept. I hadn't thought of that but it's an important characteristic of both the country and it's people (if you've ever seen them drink you'll know).

Offline Nomad

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Re: Sponsored Magic -- Dragon Magic
« Reply #7 on: July 07, 2010, 01:21:25 PM »
That was just my take on the dragon magic tbh. I didn't think about the other aspects / relations with humans much.

However, I have a question: Did you take into accout that current day Scotsman are actually ancient era Irishman who were dislocated from their homes by the ancient era Scottsman who were running away from Viking raiders?

The Patron might be  a bit peeved with current day Irish and Scandinavians :D

Or maybe he was an ancient "Viking" that came over to raid and decided to stay? (I am not so well versed in Norse Sagas in this. Did they have Dragons. "Dragons not sea or whatever Serpents")
Waiting eagerly for the day when Arry will enchant a fluorescent tube lamp and use it as a lightsaber.

Quote from: Archangel62
Magically speaking he may be a thug, but tactically speaking...he's the cast of looney tunes after a few bong hits.

Offline Deadmanwalking

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Re: Sponsored Magic -- Dragon Magic
« Reply #8 on: July 07, 2010, 02:15:36 PM »
@DMW: Does that magic allow the emissary to cast 'Detect Evil Children'? :)

Well, it grants power over secrets...so yeah, it basically does.  :)


And I'd post more commentary, but everyone else seems to be handling the brainstorming pretty damn well. My input would be somewhat superfluous.  :)

Offline MrJamela

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Re: Sponsored Magic -- Dragon Magic
« Reply #9 on: July 07, 2010, 09:31:43 PM »
These are some great ideas, thanks.

He's used to more structured games and I think the freedom of Fate can be a bit daunting. But I think he'd get something more tailored to his desires going this route.

Jaime



Offline Nomad

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Re: Sponsored Magic -- Dragon Magic
« Reply #10 on: July 07, 2010, 09:47:00 PM »
Poor guy. Was he a DnD player or a Wolf? (Nowadays I really hate wolf. You have the absolute freedom to not having enough dots to do anyting. Free magic ny posterior)
Waiting eagerly for the day when Arry will enchant a fluorescent tube lamp and use it as a lightsaber.

Quote from: Archangel62
Magically speaking he may be a thug, but tactically speaking...he's the cast of looney tunes after a few bong hits.

Offline MrJamela

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Re: Sponsored Magic -- Dragon Magic
« Reply #11 on: July 07, 2010, 10:07:49 PM »
Poor guy. Was he a DnD player or a Wolf? (Nowadays I really hate wolf. You have the absolute freedom to not having enough dots to do anyting. Free magic ny posterior)

Ha.

Both.

This may be a rough transition.

Jaime