Author Topic: Constructs (Gargoyles,Golems etc)  (Read 5909 times)

Offline The Codex

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Constructs (Gargoyles,Golems etc)
« on: June 11, 2010, 12:14:45 PM »
OK interesting questions,

I want to create a NPC of a Warlock who uses animated agents against the Player Characters.

I think that Summoning and Binding would be the best way to do this, but how would you work out the power and abilites for the Constructs?

Would I use the number of Shifts to determin the extra 'fate points' that can be spent on developing creatures using the initial difficult for developing a base line of the abilities?

Not sure what the best way to do this is......

Cheers (actually this would be useful for one of my characters as well who wants to play a Necromancer, doh)


Offline Deadmanwalking

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Re: Constructs (Gargoyles,Golems etc)
« Reply #1 on: June 11, 2010, 12:24:06 PM »
The power level isn't mechanically determined. Summoning isn't a Build A Creature program, it calls up existing creatures with a specific power set of their own.

For an NPC, this means that you just build them to be whatever kind of challenge you want them to be for the PCs.

For PCs, it's a bit more complicated and opinions differ on exactly how it should work, but a good way of looking at it is that Summoning is a magical version of a Contacts roll to contact a very real 'person' of some sort. The creatures should have a clear personality, Aspects, and goals of their own (even if those goals just involve devouring as many people as possible) and be statted appropriately. A PC with high Contacts and Resources can hire bodyguards and hit men, handle this the way you'd handle that.

Offline The Codex

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Re: Constructs (Gargoyles,Golems etc)
« Reply #2 on: June 11, 2010, 01:24:47 PM »
So the creatures are not themselves thinking and motivated, they only follow the orders that were given at creation.

So would it be more of a conjuration/Item Creation/Transformation

Not sure that acting as a contact is what I want. Its aspects are probably going to be the commands it is given and its creature types....


Offline ahunting

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Re: Constructs (Gargoyles,Golems etc)
« Reply #3 on: June 11, 2010, 03:08:31 PM »
We ran into a powerful Construct in our game, I'm fairly sure she was generated as a NPC, she was made by a now insane warlock, who used powers from beyond the gates to make her and then bind her "mind/soul/Control thing" in an amulet. She had a full set supernatural physical abilities I'm pretty sure, and her amulet was a item of power that raised lore, conviction and discipline it also contained a whole lot of stored knowledge of stuff from beyond the gates (Oops!). She was also intrinsically linked to the local Ley Lines.

But yeah i'd just generate them as NPC, give them some BA powers and deiced how they are controlled, make sure you give them a good catch, something achievable.


Offline DFJunkie

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Re: Constructs (Gargoyles,Golems etc)
« Reply #4 on: June 11, 2010, 03:28:33 PM »
Yeah, allow me to third the suggestion that you don't worry about the mechanics of construct creation if the constructs in question are agents of an enemy.  Just build as any other NPC with the powers and aspects you're looking for.
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Offline The Codex

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Re: Constructs (Gargoyles,Golems etc)
« Reply #5 on: June 11, 2010, 03:43:26 PM »
Ok so from an NPC form I really don't need to worry about  ;D

What would people recommend from a PC character that wants to create constructs to use as agents of his own?

As this is an Idea a character wants to use....

Offline ahunting

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Re: Constructs (Gargoyles,Golems etc)
« Reply #6 on: June 11, 2010, 04:02:25 PM »
Emissary of Power. Ye oldie catch all.
Figure out what Power decided he/she/it wanted a walking magic robot
Throw something on there to make the character not human (Human Guise?). Sprinkle on some inhuman/supernaturals, find a catch that fits. And I'd say your good to go.

Offline The Codex

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Re: Constructs (Gargoyles,Golems etc)
« Reply #7 on: June 11, 2010, 04:32:30 PM »
Ahhh Sorry,

To Clarify I want the PC wants to be able to create Golems, Gargoyles and alike.....

Just really unsure how to do this with the rules.....

(Actually he wants to create animated toys as his servants 'Toymancer', working on the name, so would have a huge stuffed bear with claws.....example)

anyway thats the problem I am unsure how you build constructs (as a PC)...

Offline Bubba Amon Hotep

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Re: Constructs (Gargoyles,Golems etc)
« Reply #8 on: June 11, 2010, 05:46:34 PM »
Toy-a-mancer hmmm . . .

. . .with a giant stuffed bear?

. . .and it has claws?

so would this be a character portrait?


Offline ahunting

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Re: Constructs (Gargoyles,Golems etc)
« Reply #9 on: June 11, 2010, 06:00:25 PM »
Mayhaps port over the Minion tree from SotC, give it a Refresh cost and have at it?

Offline luminos

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Re: Constructs (Gargoyles,Golems etc)
« Reply #10 on: June 11, 2010, 06:06:41 PM »
Ahhh Sorry,

To Clarify I want the PC wants to be able to create Golems, Gargoyles and alike.....

Just really unsure how to do this with the rules.....

(Actually he wants to create animated toys as his servants 'Toymancer', working on the name, so would have a huge stuffed bear with claws.....example)

anyway thats the problem I am unsure how you build constructs (as a PC)...

First, find out what kind of construct he wants to make (OW 29) and give the ritual for making it a complexity based on how obediant it will be, how intelligent it is, how many powers/stunts it has, how long it will stay around, and how skilled it is.  You'll have to wing the complexity level, but for something that is both powerful (more than 4 points of powers) and obediant, I'd definitely put the complexity in the double digits.
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Offline ahunting

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Re: Constructs (Gargoyles,Golems etc)
« Reply #11 on: June 11, 2010, 06:13:13 PM »
I don't really think summoning works to well for this. It should be a specialty under summoning but that doesn't tell us how long said minions would last, what they would do, how many you could control. We don't even really have a good idea how strong it is. The books example would be like the snake or the pixies. But I'd still be uncomfortable with that low a level of system control give that this is going to be this guys main trick.

The Minion stunts maybe to strong, but they do fit the concept.
« Last Edit: June 11, 2010, 06:15:10 PM by ahunting »

Offline The Codex

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Re: Constructs (Gargoyles,Golems etc)
« Reply #12 on: June 11, 2010, 08:36:29 PM »
Bubba love the picture (have shown to my player now he wants one.....)

ok so here is my question could i create a construct by using the following:

using the method for summoning binding, create a ward/vessel/shell of the construct, physical stress determind by crafting quality of the object used as the shell. The ward for containing the summoned energies is the mental stress the construct can take before the energies are disappated.

then summoning the energies defines the refresh of the animated creature and its powers (possibly needing demonic co pilot if you want a thinking creature not just following basic orders) .

Finally you bind the creature this defines the duration of the creature and how much control you have over it.....

anyway would appreciate the help of thoose with better understanding of the rules to define this a bit more...

Offline EldritchFire

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Re: Constructs (Gargoyles,Golems etc)
« Reply #13 on: June 11, 2010, 09:18:48 PM »
Bubba love the picture (have shown to my player now he wants one.....)

ok so here is my question could i create a construct by using the following:

using the method for summoning binding, create a ward/vessel/shell of the construct, physical stress determind by crafting quality of the object used as the shell. The ward for containing the summoned energies is the mental stress the construct can take before the energies are disappated.

then summoning the energies defines the refresh of the animated creature and its powers (possibly needing demonic co pilot if you want a thinking creature not just following basic orders) .

Finally you bind the creature this defines the duration of the creature and how much control you have over it.....

anyway would appreciate the help of thoose with better understanding of the rules to define this a bit more...

I would definitely NOT do it that way.

A construct, as I think I'm understanding your meaning, is nothing more than a creation that does what you say.

It's not a summoned being, you're looking in the wrong place. Look, instead, to enchanted items. That's really what you're doing, right? Enchanting the construct's body.

So spend one enchanted slot on each thing you want it to do. For example, say you have a lore of 3, and you are making a butler construct. Spend one slot on making sure it can move (1-shift, 3 uses per session), and one slot on cleaning (2-shifts, 2 uses per session).

If you want to go hog-wild and make it uber awesome, don't forget to give it a few aspects (per YS252, it costs 3 shifts per aspect), and a slot or two for attacks and defenses.

Don't forget to ask your GM if it counts as a second character, or if it takes your actions to control it (there are many GMs of each type out there). Nothing sucks more than assuming one thing, and having the GM think totally different.

Just my 2-cents.

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Offline The Codex

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Re: Constructs (Gargoyles,Golems etc)
« Reply #14 on: June 11, 2010, 11:10:04 PM »
Thank you eldritch.

Can you help me out by giving me an example of a enchanted guard dog statue for example. Just so I can understand how this works.