Pixie Minions and the rules

[TheRealMe]

My character is from an old and rich wizard family which long ago made a Bargain to bind about a dozen pixies into service.  

Occasionally, my character, the new head of the family, has found them useful for sending off to gather information or find items, very much like Harry Dresden uses Toot-Toot and the Za Guard.  When undertaking such tasks they are heavily bribed with donuts and pizza.  The GM often uses them as a plot device to dump information to the players.

My question is, what mechanic in the rules is best for handling this sort of thing?  Should the Pixies be included as part of an aspect to gain a +2 to a Contacts roll?  Or should my character use a Presence Roll to command them?  Or a Rapport Roll to bargain with them for specific tasks?

My character already has an aspect of "A loyal staff bound by blood, love, and bargains".  This is meant to apply to the Pixies, a Fae major domo, friends and close associates of the character's late father, and some friendly blood relatives that work for my character.  Should I have an aspect more specific to the Pixies if I am using them a lot?

[citadel97501]

I personally would have this be a stunt that provides a bonus to contacts rolls, and I would probably have an aspect that mentions it.  However there is an issue with that making Thaumaturgical summoning less useful, which can be used to get a stronger contacts roll, through summoning a creature that may have the information.   

[Richard_Chilton]

Here's another way of looking at it:
Open Our World.
Turn to Harry's Sheet.
Look at what he pays for the Za Lord's Guard.

Then base the cost (?) off of that.

Richard

[EdgeOfDreams]

Here's another way of looking at it:
Open Our World.
Turn to Harry's Sheet.
Look at what he pays for the Za Lord's Guard.

Then base the cost (?) off of that.

Richard

IIRC the only set of stats for Harry in Our World is from around the time of Storm Front.  He wasn't the Za Lord yet.

[Morgan]

True there isn't anything on Harry's sheet about being the Za Lord. But then his Aspects can change at any of the milestones he went through and he probably eventually gets around to changing one of them to something like I am the Za Lord or he might not have depending on how relevant it was to the story that he and his group were telling. Basically any trouble from it could always be compelled off of his Perpetually Broke aspect that he keeps having to buy extra pizza for Faeries every week. Really until it gets brought up in the fiction of their game by Contacts or Resources rolls, being the Za Lord isn't really worth or cost any Refresh points.

But getting back to the OP's question I'd say that the character's aspect "A loyal staff bound by blood, love, and bargains" should do most of the heavy lifting when it comes to dealing with the Pixie Army, Fae Major Domo, and any old family friends. Invoke it whenever you need a bonus when dealing with them, and Compel it whenever those bonds of blood, love, and bargains become an issue.

All sorts of juicy Compels leap to mind with that sort of aspect. Just what did your great, great grand ancestor do to bind a Fae to his family for all this time, do you need to do it again? Sometimes Pizza Guys are late, what happens then? Crazy old Uncle Eustace shows up at your door claiming that someone is after him and he needs a place to hide, what if that someone is a Warden?

Now if you want the Pixie army to become even more effective information gatherers then a pick up a stunt called something like "Pixie Spymaster" which could give you a bonus to Contacting rolls possibly either a +2 if it dealt specifically with rolls about the Fae or a more general +1 to rolls as you've trained them to pay attention to mortal comings and goings as well. Really the effect of such a stunt should depend on what you want it to do. But if you combined this with the Pixie's existing stunt you could get some pretty powerful access to lowdown on what's going on in Faerie.

If you want to lead them into battle remember that Pixies really aren't that dangerous in a fight unless you've loaded them up with a bunch of Aspects for them to tag using maneuvers. I'd say that most of your rolls involving such an army would be Contacts, Rapport, or Resources rolls, don't worry to much about giving Pixies rousing Band of Brother's type speeches with Presence rolls. Just get them hopped up on pizza, promise them more, and point them at something.

[Sanctaphrax]

You could always just handle them as standard NPC allies.

A fate point to declare their presence might be reasonable if you fear abuse.

[TheRealMe]

Thanks for the ideas.

Actually, it is not quite correct to call them a "pixie army".  There are exactly 13 of them, described in this thread: http://coloradospringsgamers.yuku.com/topic/1229/NPC-Media-Gallery

The gamemaster had each player create two pixies which they play when appropriate, and he created three of his own.  Each one has its own personality and special job.  Twizzlesnipe has an uncanny aim with his little bow, and takes care of  hunting vermin.  Snoopwing is responsible for the hiding and finding of lost objects; he likes to play the game "warmer, colder".  Wind Bell is responsible for dusting; she uses magic to blow dust in one room to another room, but never quite cleans any of it up.  Greycandle has a glum personality (the Ee-yore of pixies), and takes care of candles, fires, and sweeping the 50+ chimneys in the mansion.  Silverchime has a little bell which she rings frantically every time a meal is served, the phone rings, or there is a knock on the door, all the while buzzing in circles about my character's head.  "Master! Master!  Dinnertime!  Dinnertime!"    

In short, my gaming friends have done their best to make my character's life miserable!  

When not on a mission, the pixies live in their space in the attic, where old reel-to-reel movies are shown on Friday nights.  

And yes, the Bargain.  Sadly, my character's father died unexpectedly before he could pass on all the family secrets.  My character, the new head of the family, has no idea what the Bargains binding the major domo or the pixies involved, or what, if anything, he must do to maintain them.  All he knows is that everything was in place during the time of his great-great grandfather, before the time of the American Civil War.  He could probably get the secrets from Myrna, the fae major domo, but gaining that much information would likely require a NEW Bargain.

[Morgan]

Sounds like you and your group has a pretty good handle on the downside of having a band of pixies about, sounds like all you need is the aspect to deal with them. Just let your GM know you'd like compel on the Pixies then let your GM and fellow players play the pixies and make your life hell and sit back and reap in the fate points. I love the Reel to Reel movie night, the consequence of missing movie night sounds like it could be pretty dire compel. 

I know I had enough trouble/fun dealing with just one when I played a rich, reclusive, Wizard in a 1920's Chicago game with a single Pixie Gal Friday, dealing with 13 pixies should be a ball.

[TheRealMe]

Sadly, our gamemaster seems incapable of compelling us.  Most of the time we each limp through the session with a single fate point.

But anyway, it seems that the consensus is that the pixies should be an aspect or part of an aspect, and that that apect should be used to modify Contacts die rolls?   

[Morgan]

Well the invoke on the pixie related aspect could be used on any roll were the pixies could help you out not just on Contacts, though that would probably be the most likely roll most of the time. You don't have to lock an invoke for aspects, if you pay the point and it makes sense fictionally you get the +2 for invoking the aspect.

Also if your GM is having trouble with compels check out this post on player compels on Ryan Macklin's blog.

http://ryanmacklin.com/2011/06/the-fate-pot/