Listens To Wind (post-TC)

[vultur]

The stats for Listens To Wind in Our World don't reflect what we learned about him in TC. Here's a first pass at doing that:


High Concept: Senior Council Wizard
Other Aspects: Shapechanging Badass; Little Brother; Illinois Medicine Man; Patient and Quiet; I See Ley Lines; Friend of the Blackstaff; Friend of Martha Liberty
Skills
Alertness: Fair (+2)
Athletics: Fair (+2)
Conviction: Superb (+5)
Contacts: Good (+3)
Discipline: Fantastic (+6)
Empathy: Good (+3)
Endurance: Great (+4)
Intimidation: Good (+3)
Investigation: Good (+3)
Lore: Superb (+5)
Presence: Great (+4)
Rapport: Fair (+2)
Resources: Average (+1)
Scholarship: Good (+3)

Powers
Evocation [–3]
Thaumaturgy [–3]
The Sight [–1]
Soulgaze [–0]
True Shapechanging [-4]
Modular Abilities [-9]
Wizard’s Constitution [–0]
Refinement [–8]

Specializations
Evocation: Elements (Earth, Water, Spirit, Fire); Control (Earth +1, Water +1, Spirit +3, Fire +1); Power (Earth +1, Spirit +2)
Thaumaturgy: Control (Divination +1, Biomancy +3), Complexity (Divination +1, Biomancy +3)

Focus Items
Staff (+1 defensive power to Spirit)
others unknown

Stress
Mental oooo, extra mild consequence
Physical oooo
Social oooo

Total Refresh Cost: -28

Notes on Changes: I gave him the Aspect "Shapechanging Badass", True Shapechanging, and enough Modular Abilities to take Claws, Inhuman Strength, Inhuman Toughness, and Hulking Size for "bear the size of a minibus". (The other forms: raven - Wings & Inhuman Speed; coyote - Claws, Echoes of the Beast, Inhuman Speed & maybe Pack Instincts; snapping turtle - Inhuman or even Supernatural Toughness and Claws). I toned down his spellcasting somewhat (and focused it a bit more toward healing/biomancy in the process) so his Refresh cost didn't get TOO ridiculous, too. He also seemed to deserve a slightly better Intimidation.

Really, all the Senior Council should come in at about this refresh level, if not higher; it seems bizarre that the Nightmare is 'more powerful' than the Merlin, or that Magog is on par with the 'average' Senior Council member. (Personally, I'd put them all in the upperish 20s, Eb at about -25, Merlin about -30...)

[Deadmanwalking]

Bear in kind that Modular Abilities have a -2 Refresh surcharge. Also that a Bear should have both Claws and Inhuman Toughness.

Also, here's my version:

Name: Listens-To-Wind

Aspects:
High Concept: Senior Council Wizard
Other:
Little Brother;
Illinois Medicine Man;
Patient and Quiet;
I See Ley Lines;
Friend of the Blackstaff and  Martha Liberty;
Gonna Kick Your Ass Up Between Your Ears;

Skills:

Fantastic: Discipline, Lore,
Superb: Conviction, Endurance,
Great: Empathy, Presence, Rapport
Good: Alertness, Athletics, Contacts, Investigation, Scholarship,
Fair: Deceit, Fists, Intimidation, Survival, Weapons,
Average: Burglary, Craftsmanship, Performance, Resources, Stealth,

Powers:

Refinements [-13]
Evocation [–3]
Thaumaturgy [–3]
The Sight [–1]
Soulgaze [+0]
Wizard’s Constitution [+0]
True Shapeshifting [-4]
Modular Abilities [-9]

Total: -33 Refresh

Powers:

Evocation: Elements (Water, Fire, Earth, Spirit);
Power (Earth +3, Spirit +5, Fire+2)
Control (Earth +1, Spirit +4, Fire+1)
Thaumaturgy:
Control (Summoning and Binding +1, Biomancy +3)
Complexity (Divination +1, Summoning and Binding +2, Biomancy +4)

Focus Items:
Wizard’s Staff (+1 Offensive and Defensive Power and Control with Spirit)

Stress:

Mental: OOOO (+1 Minor Consequence)
Physical: OOOO (+1 Minor Consequence)
Social: OOOO
Armor: By spell or item effect.

He does 11 shift Offensive and Defensive Evocations casually (those both drop to a mere 10 without his staff). He can shape shift into forms granting any 7 points of Physical Powers (for example, a huge bear would be Inhuman Strength, Inhuman Toughness, Hulking Size, and Claws) as a supplemental action, and can up selected skills to Fantastic casually while doing so.

[vultur]

Bear in kind that Modular Abilities have a -2 Refresh surcharge. Also that a Bear should have both Claws and Inhuman Toughness.

So, for Inhuman Strength (-2), Inhuman Toughness (-2), Inhuman Strength (-2), Hulking Size (-2), Claws (-2) totaling -9, he needs -11 worth of Modular Abilities??? Ouch.  

Since he still needs pretty awesome spellcasting, I'm not willing to take his refinement below -8, -7 if absolutely necessary... but I'm not sure I'm comfortable with a -30 Refresh Senior Council member. On the other hand, HWWB is -30 Refresh, and I don't think he's 'more powerful' than Listens-to-Wind... but if I start critiquing the 'canon' placements I'll never get anywhere. (Suffice it to say that everywhere the book says 'this is a minimum' - Faerie Ladies, Senior Council, etc. - I think they need like 10-15 more refresh on top. IMO the Faerie Ladies should be about equal to the Senior Council. I really do NOT buy 'the Denarians are Senior Council level' - Harry's killed way too many for that to make sense. Magog, a fairly cruddy Denarian by all accounts, has the same refresh as Listens-to-Wind??? Also I don't think Kemmler NEEDS to be beyond-stats; he's not Mab level, he never finished the Darkhallow...)

On the other hand, you seem to be OK with Senior Council Wizards with Refresh in the -30s, which works great. (Do you have all the SC at about that level? What about the Faerie Ladies?)

[Deadmanwalking]

So, for Inhuman Strength (-2), Inhuman Toughness (-2), Inhuman Strength (-2), Hulking Size (-2), Claws (-2) totaling -9, he needs -11 worth of Modular Abilities??? Ouch.  

Actually Claws are -1, so it's actually -7 worth of powers for -9 Modular Abilities.

Since he still needs pretty awesome spellcasting, I'm not willing to take his refinement below -8, -7 if absolutely necessary... but I'm not sure I'm comfortable with a -30 Refresh Senior Council member. On the other hand, HWWB is -30 Refresh, and I don't think he's 'more powerful' than Listens-to-Wind... but if I start critiquing the 'canon' placements I'll never get anywhere. (Suffice it to say that everywhere the book says 'this is a minimum' - Faerie Ladies, Senior Council, etc. - I think they need like 10-15 more refresh on top. IMO the Faerie Ladies should be about equal to the Senior Council. I really do NOT buy 'the Denarians are Senior Council level' - Harry's killed way too many for that to make sense. Magog, a fairly cruddy Denarian by all accounts, has the same refresh as Listens-to-Wind??? Also I don't think Kemmler NEEDS to be beyond-stats; he's not Mab level, he never finished the Darkhallow...)

It took the entire Senior Council plus Wardens to take Kemmler. He either did complete a Darkhallow or didn't need one. That definitely puts him beyond stats. Other than that, I tend to agree with you actually.

On the other hand, you seem to be OK with Senior Council Wizards with Refresh in the -30s, which works great. (Do you have all the SC at about that level? What about the Faerie Ladies?)

Yeah, actually, I do have them all at that level (or around that level, anyway). I haven't done the Faerie Ladies but would peg them at somewhat less than that (Harry killed one, after all...even if he did get lucky). Maybe put them at the mid to high 20s.

For details look at my thread, though be warned that it's in the Spoilers section and Changes Spoilers abound, though not in any of my Senior Council writeups.

It's here: http://www.jimbutcheronline.com/bb/index.php/topic,16552.0.html

[vultur]

Actually Claws are -1, so it's actually -7 worth of powers for -9 Modular Abilities.

OK, right. Fixed original post.

It took the entire Senior Council plus Wardens to take Kemmler. He either did complete a Darkhallow or didn't need one. That definitely puts him beyond stats. Other than that, I tend to agree with you actually.

They won, though, so he wasn't Mab level. I had him in mind as slightly-more-than-the-Merlin, personally. (Look at the upset over Morgan in TC; if Eb or Listens-to-Wind went bad, they'd probably call out the whole nine yards.)

Yeah, actually, I do have them all at that level (or around that level, anyway). I haven't done the Faerie Ladies but would peg them at somewhat less than that (Harry killed one, after all...even if he did get lucky). Maybe put them at the mid to high 20s.

About right, I think.

For details look at my thread, though be warned that it's in the Spoilers section and Changes Spoilers abound, though not in any of my Senior Council writeups.

It's here: http://www.jimbutcheronline.com/bb/index.php/topic,16552.0.html

Great. Spoilers no problem: I read Changes the day it came out

[Deadmanwalking]

They won, though, so he wasn't Mab level. I had him in mind as slightly-more-than-the-Merlin, personally. (Look at the upset over Morgan in TC; if Eb or Listens-to-Wind went bad, they'd probably call out the whole nine yards.)

The entire Senior Council would have a distinct chance against Mab, IMO. Not with her Court to support her, though, and Kemmler did have backup. He's likely not in Mab's league...but I'd put him up there with the Archive, who's also in the stat-less category for various reasons.

[vultur]

The entire Senior Council would have a distinct chance against Mab, IMO. Not with her Court to support her, though, and Kemmler did have backup. He's likely not in Mab's league...but I'd put him up there with the Archive, who's also in the stat-less category for various reasons.

Jim's 'who could take Mab down' post said the entire White Council, every wizard in existence, could maybe take Mab, alone outside Faerie with none of her subjects to help.

The Senior Council could probably put up a flashy (though brief) fight - I'd imagine those seven represent a significant fraction of the whole Council's combat power* - but they'd lose.

*Eb seems to be capable of truly terrifying widescale destruction; the Merlin probably is too, and has incredibly strong defenses. Injun Joe is very scary at the personal level at least, and has really good defenses (though evading-type not ward-type like the Merlin's). We don't know anything about the other four's combat ability. But given what we've seen those three do, compared to what an average Warden is capable of, I'd not be surprised if the 7 Senior Council members represented almost as much offensive power as the 2-300 Wardens (Eb killed 200 people in instants in Changes, and given sufficient prep time is apparently capable of nuke-level-plus volcano/earthquake spells)