Villian help

[PolaroidNinja]

I have this idea of an adventure involving an evil doer that acquires a native american totem, or storyteller stick that gives him the power of imagination.

Basically, I am imagining a baddie that tells a story about something happening and the item makes those things happen by basically creating ectoplasmic constructs to play out the story that is told.

I think most of the time this can be handled in a narrative fashion - he tells the story of small monsters attacking someone and the magic creates the scene as it's told. As far as the characters are concerned it's just the way the monsters get to the scene.

What I'm having trouble with, is what this power should function like when the PC's finally get to fight the knave. I'm looking at potentially Sponsored magic, with summoning or conjuring as a component?

Should I even bother figuring it out or just chalk it up to plot? Is this idea totally out of scope for the game?

Ideas?

[crusher_bob]

One way to do it is to worry about the in game result, and not the special effects so much.  So, for example, you could model the 'created' monsters attacking as a straight up evocation attack, just with different special effects.

The main thing you need to do is decide 'exactly' how the power works:

How long does it take to start up?
Can I just scream out, "Surprise tentacle monster attack!" and get the thing going? or do I have to actually spend some story telling time first?

Does the time spent telling the story change the result?  Does lovingly describing the tentacle monster make it more powerful?

How long does the power persist?
If I've called up a tentacle monster to come and attack you, will it (potentially) stalk you for days, and then spend several hours killing you?  Or is it more just a single quick strike, before the thing goes away?

Is it blocked by any unusual defenses, or does it bypass any of the usual ones?
Examples:
My storied tentacle monsters won't attack librarians, as sign of respect.
But I can tell a story of the tentacle monster in your closet, bypassing the normal threshold restriction.

---------------

But if you don't want to do a whole lot of extra work, it's quite possible to just model the power as evocation + thaumaturgy with (slightly) different special effects.

So 'evocation' actions amount to quick declarations, while thaumaturgy represents spending more time on a 'story' to make it more permanent, or to summon up lasting things, or whatever.

[ARedthorn]

What he said. Truthfully, unless you have the kind of gaming group that demands transparency ("Ok, we beat him. That was tough. Show me his sheet.")... you can probably just leave it there... the totem doesn't need statted out in-depth, so much as given a rough outline of function.
After all, in essence, what you're pitting your players up against is a GM. Those don't have character sheets.

Or rather, if they had a character sheet, it would have EVERYTHING ON IT. Including stuff not in the book, or even the game system.

BUT.
If you need it, for whatever reason... Sponsored magic would be the way to go. Specifically, let it do conjuration at evocation's speed and methods... and maybe toss in a couple stunts or [-1] powers that improve his overall stats for doing conjuration (in the case of stunts, that improve his appropriate skills) within the bounds of storytelling or playing a role in a story... and you've got something pretty beefy, dangerous, and fun.


PS... I like the idea. I may steal it. Or, with your permission, borrow it instead.

[HobbitWarrior]

If you absolutely want to be able to tie his ability to a power there are a couple listed in the Custom Power thread that could be used.

Reality Warper [-2]
You are able to shape reality to your whim, as if the entire world was simply a dream of yours.
Skills Affected: Discipline
Musts: Demesne
Effects:
Sculpt Reality. You can always alter reality as if you were in your personal Demesne, though with slightly reduced effectiveness. This allows you to make declarations and maneuvers related to the nature of the local reality with your Discipline skill. The duration of the changes created by this power is variable, but it's generally at least one scene.
Offensive Sculpting. You may use the world around you as a weapon. This allows you to make Weapon: 0 attacks with your Discipline skill against anything within your line of sight. You may make spray attacks with this power. You may also attack entire zones with this power, although you suffer a -2 penalty to do so.
Improved Sculpting [-1]. Your Offensive Sculpting attacks are now treated as Weapon: 2.
Powerful Sculpting [-1]. Your Offensive Sculpting attacks are now treated as Weapon: 4, and any scene aspect you place with Sculpt Reality is automatically made Sticky.
Counter-Conceptual Interposition [-1]. You may use your Discipline skill to defend against physical attacks.

or

Dream or Reality [-2]
For you the lines between Dream and Reality are blurred, so much so they are almost non-existant. You live just as much in the world of fantasy as you do on planet earth. You are able to bring your control of your Demesne into the mortal world. You are able to shape reality to your whim.
Skills Affected: Discipline
Musts: Demesne
Effects:
Sculpt Reality. You can alter reality as if you were in your personal Demesne, though not as freely as you would be able to in the Nevernever. You can roll Discipline to place scene aspects as normal, and can even use discipline to physically attack using the (now) mutable nature of the zone against your opponents. However, your attacks are all weapon: 0. Any change you make is impermanent, and reverts to its original state at the end of the scene, however, you may spend a fate point to make a change permanent (or more, at the GM's discretion).
Rapid Eye Movement. When you use this power your eyes flicker back and forth as if you were sleeping.
Illiteracy. You are unable to read, it is not because you do not know how, it is just that your brain is unable to correctly identify the symbols on the page. If you somehow loose access to this power, you will be able to read (if you were previously able to).
Improved Sculpting -1. Your attacks are now treated as Weapon: 2.
Powerful Sculpting -1. Your attacks are now treated as Weapon: 4, and any scene aspect you place is automatically made 'Sticky'.

Or if those don't do it for you, greater glamours is practically a green light for declaration and creations.  And the books rules barely crack the surface of leveling it out for playing.

[PolaroidNinja]

Wow - great suggestions guys!

Now, to the batcave to flesh this thing out!