Hard time with new player's concept -- need some advice

[moireth]

The main thing that popped into my head when seeing this, was just incite effect (luck), and a relevant aspect for you to compel when you want the "bad luck" to interfere.

Errr not bad luck, but failing on her part.

[PirateJack]

How about allowing her the ability to give out Sponsor Debt, but have the compels always fall on her head? There'd need to be a limit, perhaps it only works once or twice a scene, but it'd model what she's after fairly well.

[Lawgiver]

The main thing that popped into my head when seeing this, was just incite effect (luck), and a relevant aspect for you to compel when you want the "bad luck" to interfere.

Errr not bad luck, but failing on her part.

I looked at Sponsored Debt... it seems to interleave fairly well with her concept of having inherited some variant of the Midas Curse, I'm just not sure how to fit the source/sponsor in -- for the long-term play and reveal.  I'm sure I can find a fit later on, but I really feel more comfortable having something like that in place from the beginning so that any cluebats I drop are solid and appropriate; not overly generic. /shrug.  This idea is still on the table, to be sure.

I came here looking for an idea or two and now I'm swimming in possibilities.

You guys are awesome.  tyvm

[Haru]

I looked at Sponsored Debt... it seems to interleave fairly well with her concept of having inherited some variant of the Midas Curse, I'm just not sure how to fit the source/sponsor in -- for the long-term play and reveal.  I'm sure I can find a fit later on, but I really feel more comfortable having something like that in place from the beginning so that any cluebats I drop are solid and appropriate; not overly generic. /shrug.  This idea is still on the table, to be sure.

I came here looking for an idea or two and now I'm swimming in possibilities.

You guys are awesome.  tyvm

Like I said, as a bloodline curse, this should work fairly well. Hell, you could have her ancestors show up as ghosts, and they will only rest if the curse is lifted. Maybe their variant on the curse can manifest in some ways as well, which could make for some really messed up situations to be sure.

It could even be that original Midas was cursed by a Sidhe who is still around. I'm not too familiar with the Midas story, maybe there's something in there?

Maybe the curse is similar to the Loup Garoux curse. Only one person can have it at any given time. Now maybe a relative of her knows about the curse and thinks it's a gift and her birthright and tries to get access to it.
Maybe another relative knows about the curse, he had it and lost it because he technically died a few years ago, before your player got the curse, and is now determined to end the curse for good, by ending the bloodline.
Maybe someone wants to trigger the original Midas curse for gold to make an easy profit.

Maybe it is possible to trigger past versions of the curse occasionally. Maybe by channeling one of the ancestor ghosts. Or maybe they can force that on her occasionally.

[Quantus]

I looked at Sponsored Debt... it seems to interleave fairly well with her concept of having inherited some variant of the Midas Curse, I'm just not sure how to fit the source/sponsor in -- for the long-term play and reveal.  I'm sure I can find a fit later on, but I really feel more comfortable having something like that in place from the beginning so that any cluebats I drop are solid and appropriate; not overly generic. /shrug.  This idea is still on the table, to be sure.

I came here looking for an idea or two and now I'm swimming in possibilities.

You guys are awesome.  tyvm

If you want a specific intellegent being, any god that deals with Fate or Chance or Destiny could work.  Norns and Morai and such fit too, as could angels or djinn or even a leprochaun king. 

Conversly you could go with a more abstract, less anthropomorphic Sponsor like "Karma" or "Kismet" or any variation on "Cosmic Balance" but then you might have to work a little harder to tie in a fitting Agenda for something only semi-sentient; you'd need to compell the PC toward getting involved with larger Balances as well as the situation/scene level ones. 

[blackstaff67]

I have this vision of ALL the bouncers and doormen in Las Vegas being on the lookout for her.

OR...she could be the solution for Las Vegas's problem(s). 

Finally, I can see various entities trying to kidnap her for her powers, depending on how they work out.

[Shaft]

I have this vision of ALL the bouncers and doormen in Las Vegas being on the lookout for her.

OR...she could be the solution for Las Vegas's problem(s). 

Finally, I can see various entities trying to kidnap her for her powers, depending on how they work out.

Agreed.  I think

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Fortunato

from the Paranet Papers would be very interested in such a character if she were to come close to

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Wanderland

.

[Taran]

New power:

[-2 Refresh] Lucky: Once per scene, this ability lets the character with the power reroll the dice on any action they take to affect a target within the same zone.

[-1 Extra Refresh] Fortune Favors My Friends: The ability lets the lucky character choose an ally within the same zone to use their reroll instead of them.  Prerequisite: Lucky.

[-1 Extra Refresh] : Fortune Doesn't Favor My Enemies: The ability lets the character use their reroll to force an opponent of the character's choice within the same zone to reroll the dice.  Prerequisite: Lucky.

[-1 Extra Refresh per extra zone] In the Zone: the character can affect rerolls two or three zones away. Prerequisite: Lucky.

[-1 Extra refresh per extra reroll] Lucky Streak: the character can get an additional reroll in the scene for every point they spend.  Prerequisite: Lucky.

[+1 Refresh] Restoring the balance: every time the character uses this ability, the GM gets a Fate point for enemy NPCs to use. Prerequisite: Lucky.

Minimum cost on this ability will be one.

If the character wants to only use the ability on others, that should be an Aspect, or it can be a power limitation that reduces the refresh cost by one.

These powers exist already.  I have a character who's used them.  They require you to create aspects to tag or to have FP's.  They are pretty awesome.  Combine 'Controlled Fate', 'aura of control' and 'Probability Manipulation', 'stacking the deck'

Although, Probability Manipulation is probably the most important power.  It even lets you take sponsored debt.

I managed to survive some pretty epic fights with no other powers just by creating aspects and having lots of FP's to toss around.  It makes a great support character.

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LUCK POWERS

Powers that affect probability. Be warned: these Powers tend to mess with the game’s basic dice mechanics.


CHAOTIC FATE [-0]
Description: For whatever reason, the randomness of your life is much greater than normal. Your personal bell curve is pretty flat.
Skills Affected: All
Effects:
Chaotic Fate. All of your rolls are made with six fudge dice instead of the standard four.
Aura Of Chaos [-1]. All rolls made in your presence are made with six fudge dice instead of the standard four.

ORDERED FATE [-0]
Description: For whatever reason, the randomness of your life is much less than normal. Your personal bell curve is pretty pointy.
Skills Affected: All
Effects:
Ordered Fate. All of your rolls are made with two fudge dice instead of the standard four.
Aura Of Order [-1]. All rolls made in your presence are made with two fudge dice instead of the standard four.

CONTROLLED FATE [-1]
Description: You can control probability to a limited extent, making life more or less predictable through magical power.
Skills Affected: All.
Effects:
Fate Control. Whenever you roll, you may choose to roll any number of fudge dice between two and six.
Aura Of Control [-1]. Whenever someone in your presence rolls, you may choose to have them roll any number of fudge dice between two and six.

PROBABILITY MANIPULATION [-3]
Description: God's dice are loaded in your favour. Your luck is literally supernatural.
Skills Affected: All
Effects:
Weighting The Dice. Whenever anyone in your presence rerolls dice, you may "lock down" one of those dice. Doing so ensures that the result of that die is the same on the reroll as it was on the original roll.
Palming The Cards. Whenever you are involved in an opposed roll, you may cause your opponent to reroll by invoking an aspect.
Fixing The Wheel. You may take a point of sponsor debt instead of spending a Fate Point when invoking an aspect in order to cause a reroll or when making a Declaration that has to do with random chance. Sponsor debt taken this way represents accumulated bad luck, karmic backlash, or the build-up of paradoxes in the structure of reality.
Stacking The Deck [-1]. Whenever anyone in your presence rolls dice, you may cause them to reroll by invoking an aspect.

Honestly, though, I bet you could do this with 2 stunts:

One to replace contacts with resources and one that lets you spend a FP to have +4 to a resource roll.

Now  you're rolling contacts at +4.  Attach it to an aspect that states that the character doesn't actually get any of the money (since it's always through someone else) and also let it be worded so that you can compel the character to lose out on stuff because of the 'curse'.

[Taran]

double-post:  I'll link that character because it might give you some ideas. 

FYI, his High concept is:  Luckiest Man in the World
His Trouble aspect is : Unluckiest Man in the World

http://www.jimbutcheronline.com/bb/index.php/topic,41023.msg2027360.html#msg2027360

It's a high refresh game, but it certainly might spark some ideas.

[Lawgiver]

I've been trying to bone up on Sponsored Magic and have run into a road block.  Didn't the Paranet expansion have something in it involving Self-Sponsored magic?  Where did I see that? I can't find it.  Anyone know?

ty

[Haru]

There are quite a few self sponsored magics on the custom powers list. I don't think they are an official thing.

[Taran]

For sponsored debt that's attached to powers like the one I posted above, there's no stress track (apparently that was added in the paranet papers.  It's simply compels paid in advance.  This is fairly easy to keep track of.  I suppose you could have a stress track, but that seems complicated.

[Quantus]

There are quite a few self sponsored magics on the custom powers list. I don't think they are an official thing.

Here are a bunch of Spoonsor magics, all Fan Made I think, but there are a bunch that are self-sponsored and/or lack traditional sponsors.  (One is sponsored by "Science!" )

https://dfrpg-resources.wikispaces.com/Sponsored+Magics

[moireth]

For sponsored debt that's attached to powers like the one I posted above, there's no stress track (apparently that was added in the paranet papers.  It's simply compels paid in advance.  This is fairly easy to keep track of.  I suppose you could have a stress track, but that seems complicated.

The only sponsored magic that got a stress track in PP was Soulfire, which given it's source and how it's been modeled in book, makes the most sense.

Also: http://www.jimbutcheronline.com/bb/index.php/topic,31204.0.html

[Lawgiver]

Ok, I've had a chance to talk to this gal and she wants the "Luck" power to be passive.  It's not something she does, it's something that happens.  It's a family (bloodline) curse of a sorts.  They don't get direct benefit, per se.

For now,  I'm going to try using the "Karma Track" Haru suggested previously and see if that works. It will probably end up working as a set of invokes/compels that shift the marker on the track indicating bonuses to the recipient and negative to her character.  This is going to have to bear observation.