Good Times Jake J - A wizard who is in many ways the opposite of Harry.
This was inspired by the amenities thread. Note that he's not optimised for power but to have fun.
Name: Jake J Chambers
Template: Wizard
High Concept Aspect: Hedonistic Wizard
Trouble: Am I Having Fun Yet?
Background:
Back in the 1920s the economy was roaring, but not for everyone. Jake J (the J doesn't stand for anything; it's just a letter) was raised in a one-room tar paper shack, part of one of those large families that existed before effective birth control was developed. Hunger was a constant companion and it wasn't because his family was too proud to take charity; in the opinion of the town they didn't deserve help. Prohibition was on, but that never slowed either of his parents in their continual quest to drink away the food money while their children went hungry. The only time the kids ever got "new" clothes was once a year when a charity lady would drop off heavily patched clothes so they would have something decent to wear to school. Those well-worn clothes never lasted long, and most of the time the kids went around half-naked. Not that it really mattered much, at their ages, and the weather was mostly warm enough that the kids didn't need to wear much. Nor were they alone in their poverty, but their neighbours who didn't drink made out better - if they were willing to beg from the church committees.
School was a different experience for Jake J. One his first day he went to play with some kids he didn't know and a few of the older boys decided to teach him a lesson about trying to associate with his betters. The teacher, when she heard the fight, reacted to "one of them no account Chambers boys causing trouble with his betters" and reached for the strap. In short, he was quickly taught that him and his family were scum. On the other hand, Jake J liked school. There was always a chance that one of the kids would share a lunch with someone who hadn't eaten that day (and maybe not the day before). Sometimes he had to do things for the food, but it was better than going hungry.
Not that Jake J was destined to spend much time in school. If there was work to do he did it, to bring money home. Sometimes he would "steal" part of his pay to buy something to eat and other times he only worked for food. And getting work was hard - his father was known to tell the most outrageous jokes (today he would have made a good shock comic) whose punch lines often included bestiality, incest, or interracial sex - and people held those wicked jokes against Jake J and the other children. When he couldn't work he'd often scrounge for whatever he could find, mainly looking for food. Most what he can remember of those days is being hungry.
Background Aspect: Grew up Hungry Out of Sight of the Tracks.
(used to go that extra mile or compelled in social situations to undermine his confidence)
Rising Conflict:
Eventually, when Jake J was around 10, the county had no choice but to get involved. Jake J's parents were given the opportunity of a lifetime - deliver some corn brew and they'd get to keep a ten gallon drum - with Jake J's mother going to help unload (and make sure her husband didn't drink everything before she could drink her share). The bootleggers saw them as convenient cut-offs to deal with someone they thought might be a probation agent, the probation agent saw them as a "make due" arrest, and the DA saw them as "proof he was doing something about the evils of alcohol" while secretly accepting bribes. As for the justice system, it saw them as trash that needed locking up.
Jake J never saw his parents after they were arrested as neither lasted long in jail. Years of hard drinking combined with neglectful prison doctors and resulted in his mother's death less than two years into her sentence. As for his father, the jokes that the man told offended most of his fellow inmates and many of the guards - meaning there were too many suspects when he was stabbed to find his killer.
When his parents were arrested and none of their relatives would take the children in, the county had to act. The County Home, while sparse, was a step up for Jake J. The food was plain and never plentiful, but it was more than Jake J had grown up with. The uniforms were ill fitting but better than any clothes he had ever worn. The staff was uncaring and strict, but (unlike his own parents) they usually only beat you if you did something wrong.
But the county hated to have to pay to feed kids and when a stranger arrived and said he wanted to adopt the only question they asked was if he was a Christian. Once that was confirmed they lined the kids up in front of him and he picked Jake J from the line. There was never any thought given to keeping the family together, so that afternoon Jake J left with the stranger. On the trip "home" the stranger introduced himself as Alexander Wellsworth.
Jake J was awed by the wealth of his new home (a four bedroom colonial). Not only did have a bed to himself, he had an entire room to himself! Unbelieving that anyone could live in such luxury, Jake J asked when the others would be moving in and was told that only Jake would be living here because only Jake had the talent to do magic.
Alexander Wellsworth wasn't a cruel man, but he had never been a parent and often phrased things poorly. When he decided that he wanted an apprentice he had selected one, and while he offered praise it was always for Jake J's talent, never to Jake J himself. As Jake J came into contact with other members of the White Council that was how they phrased it too - saying that his magical talent was coming along nicely.
Even though there wasn't much praise, there was food. Jake J had a long delayed growth spurt and never went to bed hunger again. His talent was keeping him fed and you had to respect anything that put food in your belly.
Phase Aspect: I'm The Guy With The Talent
(Note: there are all sorts of ways this can help him, but it can also be compelled to undermine his self-confidence).
The Story: Jake J's Back In Town - What Could Go Wrong?
It takes years to train as a Wizard and by the time Jake J joined the ranks of the White Council the Roaring Twenties had turned into the Dirty Thirties. Deciding to call on his old haunts, Jake J went all out. He borrowed a car, wore the suit that Alexander Wellsworth had bought him as a graduation present, and conjured bling. He conjured a gold "watch" (not the actual watch, just the casing) and a gold chain to link it to his belt, a pinkie ring, diamond studded gold cufflinks, an emerald tie pin - if it was a piece of jewellery that a man could wear he conjured it.
Going home he found that his siblings were either dead or in prison, which dashed the hopes of impressing them. Even the girls were gone - from childbirth, accidents, or domestic violence. Unfortunately there others who saw him and hated the fact that he impressed them - none of those no account Chambers boys had any right to come back wearing better clothes than them and having more money, especially with the Depression on. It wasn't right - it wasn't natural for a piece of trash to be their equal (or better).
Jake's first knowledge of this resentment was when *Guest Star* burst into Jake's motel room with important news.
(Note: If there isn't another long lived character then it's a character's grandfather or great-grandfather - and any sort of minority works well in this role, including a Catholic, Jew, or other "non-Christian".)
The news was dire; the men of the town were gathering. They hadn't decided yet if they were going beat Jake and take his money to teach him his place or beat him, take his money, and kill him as a lesson to others not to get above their place in life. *Guest Star* was also on the mob's list, for another reason (one involving a lonely wife), and hoped that he could escape the county by however Jake was leaving. Jake knew that most of his valuable would fade after another sunset, but by then he'd be dead. With the mob already in sight Jake took the slightly less dangerous option and, along with *Guest Star* he escaped into the Nevernever.
From the motel room they found themselves in a potentate's place. Jake had thought his mentor lived well, but this place opened his eyes to a level of luxury that Jake had never previously been able to envision. Adventures followed, including a chase bit that looked like scene from an Abbot and Costello movie as they were comically pursued through the seraglio.
When the pair finally escaped and returned to the real world, they were fifty miles and three days away from where they had entered. On returning to Earth, Jake made a vow - that he owed *Guest Star* his life and *Guest Star* (or his family) could cash that in for a number of lessor favours. Secretly, Jake also vowed that he would live the good life - with his target set by the other world luxury he had just seen.
Aspect: I Want It All And I Want It Now!
Guest Star: Whose Path Have You Crossed? (Details to be filled in later)
It depends on who you want him to work with. Odds are you'll want the roles to be sometime recent, so here's a rough timeline for Jake J:
30's - vows to live comfortably - begins to use magic to do so.
40's - ignores the war; his upbringing not instilling many patriotic feelings. Instead he uses powers to go prospecting, finding mineral deposits that provide wealth in the mundane world.
50's - posing as a semi-respectable businessman, Jake J transfers most of his wealth to a trust - allowing him to reinvent himself as needed. His plan is to build a small palace/good sized mansion every couple of decades in a new city in a new state, making only local waves as he does so. The buildings would have to be designed around Jake J's problems with technology, but a rich eccentric can be catered to.
This a plan that gets delayed a bit when Hugh Hefner opens the first Playboy Club - Jake becomes a member and later a visitor to the mansion, stopping only in the mid 70s when his unaging face attracts too much attention.
60's - as the counter culture spread, Jake J lost the respect of many on the White Council when he seemed to join it. He never thought that the hippies could change the world but enjoyed their sex and drugs lifestyles for a while.
70's - it was the Swinging 70s, and Jake J swung with the swingers. Jake J also reinvented his identity and moved into a new luxury home.
80's - Jake J had a small coke problem, but he beat it. He also had a bit of an AIDS scare and developed a thaumaturgy ritual to protect himself from STDs, conjuring condoms until it was perfected.
90's - Jake couldn't take advantage of the Internet Bubble, but he had fun spending money and partying with the new millionaires.
The new millennium started off well, then disaster hit. Not the dot com bubble bursting, his wealth is too diverse for that. No, some idiot boy wizard pissed off an entire vampire court and wouldn't make it better. Jake's first inkling of the problem was when his latest palace was attacked. Of course he had mundane security to deal with the riffraff, but they were merely a speed bump for the Red Court assault squad. But a useful speed bump - it gave Jake a chance to flee. To run for his life, just as he had once ran from a mob. All his money meant nothing as the Red Court took his luxuries from him.
Since then life has been relatively hell. With many of his possessions in storage, Jake has had to live in existing mansions rather than custom built ones. Of course this plays hell on the building's electronics (at least one of his rented mansions has caught fire) and existing this way frustrates the hell out of him. He still has the money, but he doesn't have the entire lifestyle and the only reason he had the money was to live the lifestyle.
Sample aspects could include "I'm Here - Start the Party", "Money Doesn't Buy Happiness But At Least You Can Choose Your Misery", "I've Got People For That", "Party Time!" - or anything else that makes sense to the group.
Power Level: Submerged
Skill Cap: Superb
Skill Points: 35
Starting Refresh: 10
Adjusted Refresh: 1
Skills
Resources: Superb (He likes his comforts)
Discipline: Great (he's still a Wizard of the White Council)
Lore: Great (Conjures more than he uses Evocation)
Conviction: Good (self-image problems)
Deceit: Good (He builds false lives out of webs of lies)
Rapport: Good (He's good at getting people to open up)
Athletics: Fair (keeps himself in fair shape)
Intimidation: Fair (loves to tear into supercilious people)
Presence: Fair
Scholarship: Fair (He never had much learning, at least not compared to most wizards)
Alertness: Average (he hates surprises)
Craftsmanship: Average (sometimes he has to build his own devices)
Fists: Average (early lessons that stayed with him)
Weapons: Average (mostly knives)
Survival: Average (childhood lessons that stayed with him)
Stunts and powers
Resources Stunt: Lush Lifestyle.
Invocation (-3) (Speciality Spirit (power bonus), Fire, Earth)
The Sight (–1)
Soulgaze (–0)
Thaumaturgy (-3) (Conjuration, for conjuring things he can't buy)
Wizard’s Constitution (–0)
Refinement (-1) - Air Evocation (power bonus) - giving him an element of surprise; since few wizards bother adding another element few suspect him of having four to call on. Oddly enough, he generally keeps Earth as the surprise one.
Items
Invocation:
Classic Pinkie Ring of Spirit (Focus for Spirit (Power, offensive) +1)
This wouldn't look out of place in the 1920s. Today it's less fashionable but Jake J has a sentimental attachment to it. This was the first piece of real jewellery that Jake J bought. A small diamond sparkles on the ring.
<Missing Item>
Maybe another focus, but could be a couple more enchanted items, or an item and a potion slot.
Thaumaturgy
Focus Item
Cup of Wisdom (Conjuration Focus, Lore +1)
When Jake J is about to conjure something he often sips from his cup of wisdom to cut prep time a bit.
Enchanted Items:
Jacuzzi Motor
Jake J likes to soak in a hot tub (often with company), but hot tubs don't like him. They are always burning out, water jets pumping too hard or too soft, things break down at the worse possible times. After one too many hot tub failures he decided to replace it magic. True, he could use a Thaumaturgy rite to get the water going, but who has time cast one of those when you want soak? Plus the duration is usually too short or too long. No, he uses his Craftsmanship skills and magic to rip out the motor and replace it with this device/ And if he can't get a hot tub, the motor can be used to spruce up a normal tub (if its large enough). Just tape this to the side of the sunken tub, small pool, what have you. The problem is it doesn't work as well when used as in a makeshift way. Without spouts built into the tub's walls the water just circulates. Better than nothing, but not what he wants (and what's the sense of having cash if you can't get what you want?).
Water Heater Element
Not being able to live in custom designed mansions means that water heaters don't always work. Jake J detests cold showers, hating them enough to craft this item. Jake J jury-rigs the device to the water heater and is thus ensured of hot water when the heater breaks down. It's a magic item that doesn't help when foes are breaking down the door, but comfort is important. Life has to be worth living to live, right?
Rotes:
Name: Spare Hand
Type: Air Evocation, maneuver
Area: What he wants to pick up
Jake J uses this rote to avoid getting up. Minor magic might move light objects, but Jake J really doesn't like to get up just to fetch things. Use Power in place of Might when lifting objects with this spell. Note that this is the last of his comfort centric rotes and he refuses to replace it with something more effective in combat.
Name: Gotta Run
Type: Spirit Evocation, Defensive block (Veil)
Area: Self
Power: 4 - 3 for the block, 1 for extra duration
Duration: 2 exchanges
Opposed by: An observer’s Alertness skill
Lately Jake J has seen the need to be able to flee in safety. Reluctantly he dropped one of his more entertaining rotes for this one.
Name: Die You Red Court Bastard, Die!
Type: Spirit Evocation, Attack
Power: 5
Duration: 1 exchange
Area: One target
A beam of energy that blasts his enemies. Since the war began, Jake J has been forced to practice his fighting skills and this is the result. He named the spell this because he views those he has to fight as evil bastards who need have dragged him away from the good things in life, forcing him to fight for his life.
Name: Don't Hurt Me I'm Rich!
Type: Spirit evocation, defensive block
Power: 4
Duration: One exchange
Effect: Deflects incoming attack. If overcome, it vanishes.
This is your basic shield spell. Yes, Jake J often screams that when an attack is incoming. Occasionally it's resulted in a bidding war - as he offers to pay low class thugs more than their current employer can afford.
Thaumaturgy spells:
Most of his more practised spells deal with his own enjoyment. He has one that protects him from socially transmitted diseases, ones to cook meals, ones to clean house, and so on. Others deal with him conjuring the things that he doesn't want to (or can't) buy. Unique objets d′art are present when he needs them and fade when he doesn't. Waterbeds are added to rooms when he wants them. Fresh clothes appear as needed. Then there's the revenge thing.
When Jake J feels like screwing with "the good people" (people of good breeding, like those who never allowed him to forget that he and his family were nothing but trash) he'll conjure something valuable. A diamond bracelet, gold necklace, something along those lines, and pass it along. Maybe he'll sell it to them at good price (to deal with a temporary cash flow problem), give it as a gift, or allow one of them to accidentally walk off with it. In any case the item will only last a week - long enough to be appraised and insured, or to be sold to someone else. Imagine, an expensive thing like that - gone! Maybe a servant took it or maybe it was another family member. Of course it has to be an inside job - that was the only thing taken from the safe! Or maybe it's someone trying a bit of insurance fraud with a non-existent item? Jake J can get days of enjoyment from the fallout of one these "pranks".
No, Jake J isn't always the nicest person in the world - and the old scars linger the longest.
