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Post by cleggster on Aug 23, 2013 9:41:26 GMT -5
Post here for out of character talk. Field any questions you have about game play and character design. As in the sessions, everybody gets to comment on all questions.
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Post by blantyr on Aug 23, 2013 15:15:14 GMT -5
Building from last night… Supernatural Abilities & Human Tricks: Glamor, Marked by Power, Swift Transitions, Martial Artist, Redirected Force, Lethal Weapon.Skills, still subject to tweaking: Fists 4, Stealth 4, Athletics 4, Rapport 3, Contacts 3, Endurance 3, Alertness 2, Deceit 2, Rescources 2, Presence 1, Conviction 1, Empathy 1. While some might want to see me running a character that takes names and kicks ass, Jazz isn't it. Between the glamor and the martial arts she ought to be able to advance the plot and play a role in combat scenes, but as usual I haven't created a combat monster. I suspect I'll break down at some point and boost her combat abilities. She has two points of Refresh to spend. Still, it is far easier to spend Refresh to gain supernatural abilities than to acquire more Refresh. I want to fool around with having fate points in hand for a while before deciding how to develop the character. Aspects Isn't entirely here. In part a reference to a tendency to veil into invisibility or shift into Fairy, also reflects that she is a master daydreamer. (One has to be an expert at visualizing things to use glamor. She constantly practices building complex visual environments in her head.) Her reality is subject to change. Balance in all things. Conflict isn't about the strong destroying the weak. It is about restoring balance between yin and yang. This perspective can actually be consistent with the Boston aspect that conflict is eternal. The phrase could also refer to physical balance. That which is teetering is less likely to fall when Jazz is around. This seems to be an element of Sidhe culture as well, that if something is given there ought to be an equal value return. That doesn't look too hard. This is an impulsive overconfidence schtick, most often applying to Athletic challenges, but sometimes to other things. Sure, but you'll owe me one. She goes out of her way to collect favors. If anyone needs a refined thug in a good cause, and that cause doesn't oppose Chinatown or the Summer Court, she is apt to tag along. Not luck. Karma. Looks to set up situations where the universe owes her one. Phases 3, 4 & 5 I've some potential stories for the later phases of character creation. If these make sense to Jazz's co-stars, I'll run with them. I've provided four sketches, where I need three, so if one of you doesn't like the below I'm still good.. Jazz was once a loyal follower of the Wannabe Warden. She visited his bookstore researching fairy and other occult phenomena, and occasionally joined him in his quests to save Boston and the Universe. This would be a while ago, when she was first learning glamour and had not yet developed contacts with the Summer Court or Chinatown Dragon. Since encountering the real occult world, she is no longer in great awe of the Warden's knowledge and wisdom, but she still touches bases on occasion and will occasionally join his various quests, more to protect his other acolytes than to save Boston. She hasn't taken it on herself to enlighten him yet, as this would spoil his character concept. She is also too busy serving other masters to be a full time under warden. She was once given an order by the Summer Court that resulted in a fight scene and arrest. She needed a lawyer. I think her defense was that the description from various witnesses of what went on was contradictory and implausible. Besides, nobody actually saw the invisible woman throw a punch. She might go back if she needed a lawyer again. He got the job done. On the other hand, he's a lawyer. At some point she might have encountered some poor helpless innocent (innocent?) victim being tormented by a White Court Vampire. I'm not saying she would have gone into sacrificial courage mode. It was more a case of her "That doesn't look to hard" aspect cutting in. She hoped to give the victim a chance to run by sparring and distracting the vampire briefly. If she started getting hurt, she might have cut her losses and tried to vanish. Anyway, if Adam wants to suggest how a vampire and an invisible martial artist might have fought to a non decision, I'm open to suggestions. Unlike the other stories, I don't think this one would result in her exchanging business cards and phone numbers, but she might have spent a little time researching vampires and he might have dug for rumors relating to invisible boxers. Fairly recently, as the ghost problem started to develop, she was asked to evaluate a commercial ghost exorcist who ran around charging real money to drive away questionably real spirits. She reported back to the Chinatown Dragon and assorted other elders that there were real ghostly phenomena and they did stop after the visit. The guy seemed to know real ritual, though he used western based rituals so she could pass no real opinion of his knowledge. Anyway, she came out believing him real and might look him up again. I'm supposed to match aspects up to the various stories. Right now, they don't look to fit real well. If others want to tweak how the above story segments might have played out, I'm game. *** Also, since Jeremy said Dresden elves are very tall and slender, I played with my CGI program some more. Sorry, I have flower jewelry, but no grass hair.
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Post by blantyr on Aug 26, 2013 20:29:42 GMT -5
In Eclipse Phase, Mercedes didn't have much in the way of social skills or networking. Jazz has decent numbers in the equivalent rapport and contacts skills. It seems worth while to list out the prominent contacts. I'm hoping to have reasonable opportunities to 'know a guy' without having a finger in every single pie. I'd also like to lay claim to a few obscure pies that aren't apt to become important but might come in handy in eccentric ways. As a changeling who hasn't decided between her mortal and sidhe sides, she is 'ruled' by the court of her sidhe parent, which in this case would be Summer Court. However, the queens seem to be in far off Chicago, and she'd have to make a pretty big ruckus to come to their attention? Her connections with the court would be tentative I think, at least at game start. She would be dealing with locals. As I understand it, Summer Court Sidhe will sometimes nurture mortals / changelings. Their contracts are supposed to be fair, though they generally contain punitive clauses that kick in should someone try to break the contract. I'd like to propose a contract between Jazz and a Summer Court affiliated elf, Gwydion. His primary duty under the contract is to teach her how to use Swift Transitions reasonably well, which implies learning the location of gates and how positions on Earth map with positions in Nevernever. She also receives training in such things as courtesy and protocol. In return she serves him in such things as courier duty, in easing local conflicts between fey denizens of the Emerald Necklace and mortals using the same space as might a human page or intern learns by doing. I suspect Jeremy and I should sit down and work out details. (Snip)She would also become familiar with members of Boston's department of Parks and Recreation. I'd assume most P&R employees are not in the know about magic. Some of them might be. Not every tree in the Emerald Necklace has a dryad, nor every pool a nyad. Not every mushroom is a redcap in disguise. Still, hanging out in parks occupied by fey, one encounters odd things. Jazz, in trying to ease difficulties between the wee folk and the mortals, would work somewhat with Parks and Recreation. (I am imagining a debate in the City Council as P&R attempts to budget pizza.) In this, Jazz might do many things easier than Gwydion, as she is still able to meddle in mortal affairs and isn't as tightly bound to give and receive in precisely equal manner. She would spend some time "on patrol" along the Emerald Necklace, touching bases with the fey living there, trying to relieve collisions with the mortal world, and in the process developing various degrees of familiarity with various fey inhabitants of the Necklace. The Police Department's occult group would be apt to hear about this. They might first peg Jazz as a minor functionary of the Summer Court, but would in time learn of her Mark of Power. This IDs her as a significant player. At first they would be confused as to how she would be a significant player, until they discover her day job. Jazz is open to working with the occult squad so long as any case she is dealing with doesn't cross the interests of the Summer Court or Chinatown. She expects tit for tat, though, as with the full Sidhe. If they ask for a deal or to make an arrangement, it ought to go both ways, with both sides getting something of similar value. Working with the occult squad would still be a reasonably new thing, the nature of their contact would still be experimental. She still thinks of herself as mortal human. Their perspective will seem quite natural. Still, they would be well behind Gwydion and the Old Man in terms of who she has to keep happy. As a hobby and a cover, Jazz sometimes hangs out with fantasy and science fiction fans. She regularly attends Arisia and a few other fan conventions, occasionally plays in LARPs, and is known for plausibly realistic costumes and wild theories on whether there really are elves, dragons and goblins running about. (Is there really an invisible leprechaun playing goaltender for the Celtics?) Her tall slender build gives her an 'unfair advantage' portraying elves at competitive con costume shows. This hobby explains why her hair is often died green. She has been known to wear her pointed ear prosthetics around town. While many to most fantasy fans are pretty clueless about real magic, they love to collect rumors about what is really happening, and perhaps certain small groups of fans have clues, half clues or misclues. (Would Arisia have a program track on real magic?) While the fantasy fan hobby is primarily a cover, there are a number of real friendships and Jazz occasionally picks up on odd stuff various fans have stumbled into. She has been known to create false rumors and true distractions to keep fellow fans out of real trouble. She would be known at the JFK library. The Old Man occasionally sends her there for research, and she is furthering her own education. I expect some regulars who can sense her Mark have spoken with her, and she has some idea who many of them are. Again, she would be open for tit-for-tat exchanges of information or services should such not be in conflict with the interests of Chinatown or the Summer Court. She was once a member of the Wannabe Warden's irregulars, and still occasionally touches bases at his bookstore. Jazz, like most elves, would be tall, slender and easy to look at. I'd like to suggest an aggressive pursuit by a modeling agent seeking to sign her to a contract. Did I mention that Jazz is currently highly skeptical about the notion of signing contracts? She doesn't need her face to become better known than it already is? This would be an utterly unimportant side track, intended for comic relief. Jazz's mother was a martial arts instructor in Chinatown. Jazz is well known and respected among the martial arts community there. While many schools teach the arts for art's sake, there are some schools whose members practice neighborhood watch activities that occasionally stray into the realm of vigilanteism. Other schools might train members of the underworld. Jazz's association with the Old Man gives her varying amounts of extra cachet in this crowd. There are some who think they should have been given her job, and might look for opportunities to demonstrate their superior qualifications. Jazz suggests that she was hired in part for her looks, and her rivals haven't got the right assets. Does this work? I don't know that the costumed fans will ever be part of the story, but I hope I've rounded out Jazz's friends and lifestyle. *** I decided to change her family name from the ugly sounding Na to Lee. I wanted to be able to say she wasn't related to Robert E Lee, but might possibly be distantly related to Bruce. I went to her character sheet to change her name, and rediscovered that the Chinese word for Jasmine is Li. This makes the oriental version of her name Lee Li. (The initials LL also make her eligible to become Superman's girlfriend.) I'm going to say that for a while in elementary school, the anglicized version of her name was Lilly Lee. Not liking the sound of this when chanted at recess, she became Jasmine Lee, which often gets shortened to Jazz. There are a few Chinatown women of her mother's generation who still call her Lilly, as well as a few rival martial artists that tend towards the petty. The fantasy fan community always uses Jasmine though, as Jazz doesn't sound properly elvish. (Some fans think she should select a properly authentic elven fan name out of Tolkien, the canon source on things elven, but she has thus far resisted.) The players characters would know her as Jazz, though. *** Very little has been said about Dresden Files dragons. In a fondly remembered past game, I worked with a game master who developed draconic behavior very well indeed. If Jeremy is willing, I'd like to talk about one way to go about playing dragons, and the policies of Chinatown and the Boston area fey. *** I spent some time looking into what cold iron is in the Dresden universe. There are multiple opinions. One group distinguishes between iron shaped heated to near the melting point and iron shaped unheated. Another group claims that if you leave something outside on a wet evening, and there is rust on it in the morning, it's cold iron. Apparently Jim Butcher inserted language in Cold Days that clarifies it. Any alloy that contains any iron to speak of triggers the catch. See www.obsidianportal.com/campaign/dfd/wikis/cold-iron This suggests that an aluminum baseball bat or pure lead bullet don't count, though there is no lack of improvised weapons or off the shelf ammunition that would count.
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Post by blantyr on Aug 30, 2013 7:38:01 GMT -5
In the test combat last night, I played Jazz with Too Fast to Hit, which never came into play in a one zone fight, and Lethal Weapons, which bumps damage against unarmored opponents. Both are fairly straight forward.
If I hear no objection, I'd like to switch to aspect manipulating stunts. Martial Artist allows analysis of an opponent's fighting style, revealing weaknesses. "Too much weight on front foot, vulnerable to leg sweeps." "Short reach." "Brawler, not used to kicking fights." If one makes the roll, one gets to tag the opponent with such vulnerabilities.
The other stunt I'd like is Redirected Force. If an opponent swings and misses in melee you can tag him with things like "off balance" or "flat on his butt."
If I understand correctly, most or all such tags would give +2 advantage in physical attacks / defenses? Some of them, such as off balance, would be obvious and could be used by whomever has the next opportunity to attack. Others might only be used if you know the correct combat maneuvers to exploit them, but might last longer?
I also didn't use glamor last night. (Things seemed messy enough.) It seems to me that glamor could be used to claim aspects like 'veiled', 'displaced,' 'blurred', 'distorted', or other variations on the theme. I would think 'veiled' would result in a stealth against awareness test to see if the other guy has a target? The others would tend to generate +2 bonuses for attack and defense? (Which bitch should I be punching?)
This about right?
I'm not sure the bar should have been a single zone. If one is in the same zone as the opponent, one can use hand to hand skills to defend against pistol attacks as you are close enough to knock his shooting arm aside. If you are in the adjacent zone, one can't use melee skills but one can use guns. I felt a four zone fight might have been better, where the zones would be next to the bad guy, not next to the bad guy, behind the bar and in the alley.
Not a biggie, but let's think on it.
Also, on the phases worksheet, I included a picture of Jazz wearing leather pants and jacket. Might such count as level 1 armor?
Bob
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Post by blantyr on Aug 30, 2013 8:00:51 GMT -5
In the process of creating Jazz, I came up with a bunch of 'false aspects,' aspects that reveal Jazz's personality a bit, but don't work well with the fate point game mechanics. Just for chuckles... - The Shaolin monk. Look, she cannot be seen. Listen, she cannot be heard. Strike, she cannot be touched. In my dreams.
- Good girls wear black too.
- Green is a sign of a bad hair day.
- Lesson number one about dragons; don't draw their attention unnecessarily.
- Stay close and shut up.
- Yes, I've got a big mucking occult neon flag flying... but would you believe I'm off the clock?
- Dragon swings her tail.
- If life is green, this must be fairy.
- Look. My character is an elf, just not a Tolkien elf. OK?
- Last night doesn't imply you own me.
- Some men are suckers for a pretty face. Me, I attract suckers.
- Look at it this way, he sometimes lets me play the good cop.
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Post by blantyr on Aug 31, 2013 2:55:06 GMT -5
My original concept was that Jazz had a choice to make between worlds, that she would walk both, serve both, and take her time making the choice.
From everything I've heard, Jeremy's NPCs are going to be jerks about not letting her serve the opposite world. The result would be Jazz crying for a pox upon both houses. That's not the concept.
Thus, it seems prudent to drop Marked by Power and any prior to game start relationship with the Chinatown Dragon. I don't care to have Jazz playing the role of rope in a supernatural tug of war.
This will weaken her Trouble aspect, but...
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Post by blantyr on Sept 1, 2013 14:30:09 GMT -5
Remembering that the list of mortal stunts are supposed to be just examples, I'd like to propose a new one. Fey are supposed to be unnaturally beautiful. There is an existing bad girl stunt, which I don't want, which gives +2 to rapport based seduction attempts. I'd like a more generic good girl stunt which gives a bonus when interacting with characters of appropriate sexual preference in Best Foot Forward introduction rolls and persuading them to do favors, make deals, exchange information, etc... +1? +2?
In L5R, this would be akin to Benten's Blessing, while Dresden's Sex Appeal would be equivalent to L5R's Dangerous Beauty.
It's been suggested that my attempts to play social characters at Medieval Starship have fallen flat. I have noted this as well, and will fall back to running fight scene driven characters if a given GM doesn't populate NPCs that make deals and become friendly. Sometimes, it's the basic game format. In an episodic Pathfinder Society game, one can't establish relationships with NPCs as one is unlikely to visit the same scene twice. The Shadowrun games I've played have also been episodic, with long term friendly NPCs rare to nonexistent. Thus, I'm pleased that on Tuesday Joe is establishing an area where the players return to, where contacts once made can be reinforced, where actions effect reputations and reputations matter.
I am wistfully hoping that Dresden might have some of this as well. I am not looking to connect with a lot of pain in the rear NPCs who are sources of easy fate points. Sure, one or two of them, but that's not what will make the game fun for me. I'd rather connect with NPCs that are pleased to have Jazz show up, who will behave in a way that encourages her to show up again, and will want to interact with her in a way that will help solve both her problems and theirs.
If the Fey are universally pain in the rear type characters, Jazz's choice between mortal and fey will be trivially easy, not a source of character development tension at all. Is there one fey who is not a pain in the rear, who might treat her with some semblance of respect and consideration?
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Post by blantyr on Sept 2, 2013 11:03:47 GMT -5
Late in character creation, I often apply the Myers Briggs personality typing method to my characters. One asks four questions. Introvert or extrovert? Thinker or Feeler? One then gets a stereotyped personality that often helps focus a character. While many won't be interested in this, the following is the Introvert, Sensor, Feeler, Perceptive personality, The Artist, with some of my favored hints for playing Jazz in bold.The Artist As an ISFP, your primary mode of living is focused internally, where you deal with things according to how you feel about them, or how they fit into your value system. Your secondary mode is external, where you take things in via your five sense in a literal, concrete fashion. ISFPs live in the world of sensation possibilities. They are keenly in tune with the way things look, taste, sound, feel and smell. They have a strong aesthetic appreciation for art, and are likely to be artists in some form, because they are unusually gifted at creating and composing things which will strongly affect the senses. They have a strong set of values, which they strive to consistently meet in their lives. They need to feel as if they're living their lives in accordance with what they feel is right, and will rebel against anything which conflicts with that goal. They're likely to choose jobs and careers which allow them the freedom of working towards the realization of their value-oriented personal goals.ISFPs tend to be quiet and reserved, and difficult to get to know well. They hold back their ideas and opinions except from those who they are closest to. They are likely to be kind, gentle and sensitive in their dealings with others. They are interested in contributing to people's sense of well-being and happiness, and will put a great deal of effort and energy into tasks which they believe in.ISFPs have a strong affinity for aesthetics and beauty. They're likely to be animal lovers, and to have a true appreciation for the beauties of nature. They're original and independent, and need to have personal space. They value people who take the time to understand the ISFP, and who support the ISFP in pursuing their goals in their own, unique way. People who don't know them well may see their unique way of life as a sign of carefree light-heartedness, but the ISFP actually takes life very seriously, constantly gathering specific information and shifting it through their value systems, in search for clarification and underlying meaning. ISFPs are action-oriented individuals. They are "doers", and are usually uncomfortable with theorizing concepts and ideas, unless they see a practical application. They learn best in a "hands-on" environment, and consequently may become easily bored with the traditional teaching methods, which emphasize abstract thinking. They do not like impersonal analysis, and are uncomfortable with the idea of making decisions based strictly on logic. Their strong value systems demand that decisions are evaluated against their subjective beliefs, rather than against some objective rules or laws. ISFPs are extremely perceptive and aware of others. They constantly gather specific information about people, and seek to discover what it means. They are usually penetratingly accurate in their perceptions of others. ISFPs are warm and sympathetic. They genuinely care about people, and are strongly service-oriented in their desire to please. They have an unusually deep well of caring for those who are close to them, and are likely to show their love through actions, rather than words. ISFPs have no desire to lead or control others, just as they have no desire to be led or controlled by others. They need space and time alone to evaluate the circumstances of their life against their value system, and are likely to respect other people's needs for the same. The ISFP is likely to not give themselves enough credit for the things which they do extremely well. Their strong value systems can lead them to be intensely perfectionist, and cause them to judge themselves with unnecessary harshness. The ISFP has many special gifts for the world, especially in the areas of creating artistic sensation, and selflessly serving others. Life is not likely to be extremely easy for the ISFP, because they take life so seriously, but they have the tools to make their lives and the lives of those close to them richly rewarding experiences.
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Post by cleggster on Sept 2, 2013 16:40:20 GMT -5
No real comment. I have been scrambling to finish a photo project, but the whole psychology angle would work great for coming up with aspects. If you feel like changing some, make sure to bring it up in game. As for new stunts, I still don't know all the current ones. Let me run a few games before we come up with new things. Technically I still have not run a game of this yet.
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Post by blantyr on Sept 3, 2013 1:11:18 GMT -5
Good enough. I'll run with two refresh for thursday then.
I did get going on the reading. Finished Storm Front and should be finished with Summer Knight by Thursday.
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Post by blantyr on Sept 3, 2013 12:53:10 GMT -5
No real comment. I have been scrambling to finish a photo project, but the whole psychology angle would work great for coming up with aspects. If you feel like changing some, make sure to bring it up in game. As for new stunts, I still don't know all the current ones. Let me run a few games before we come up with new things. Technically I still have not run a game of this yet. A few potential aspects there. "They need to feel as if they're living their lives in accordance with what they feel is right, and will rebel against anything which conflicts with that goal." That's not right. This could turn into be a very Harry Dresden like refusal to take an easy path for himself at the expense of someone else. "I'll make everything right with the White Council, but you have to let Lilly die." Harry's response was be "(Expletive deleted) the White Council." "No desire to lead or control others, just as they have no desire to be led or controlled by other." To misquote the Bard, "Neither a leader nor a follower be."But mostly the Myers Briggs gives good hints as to how to play the character at the expense of scrambling her skill allocations some. M-B suggests she is hard to know but reads other people well, which made me improve her empathy score and lower rapport. The suggestion of strong personal convictions caused me to bump conviction and presence. That she would put a lot of energy into perfecting her art caused me to bump Deceit, which controls the subtle use of Glamor. I am also seeing her as far more internal (flowing, graceful) in her martial arts than external (direct, powerful.) Her style would be closer in feel to Tai Chi than Taekwondo. Current skill set 4: Fists, Stealth, Deceit 3: Athletics, Endurance, Empathy 2: Conviction, Alertness, Contacts 1: Resources, Presence, Rapport Stunts / Powers Glamour Swift Transitions Acrobatics Martial Artist Redirected Force And five of the following eight aspects... Perhaps you could suggest several that will make it easy to provide fate points, and I might choose a few that allow spending them and reflect her personality and values. That's Not Right Isn't entirely here. Neither a follower nor a leader be. Sure, but you'll owe me one. Gwydion's Fairy Godchild Strange Attractor (Attracts males, for better or worse.) That doesn't look too hard. (A good source of fate points, but implies a cocky overconfidence that doesn't feel right anymore.) Subject to Change without notice. (Loses control of glamor occasionally when startled or thinking deeply on other things.) Balance in all things. Not luck, karma
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Post by cleggster on Sept 4, 2013 16:25:15 GMT -5
For those whom are in the know. Thu's game will start late. By all means, show up when you want, but since I need to go over some character stuff with a few people, that will take some time. Mainly I need to work on Kyle's Hermes's character. Also, any new wizards. Everyone else is pretty much good to go.
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Post by blantyr on Sept 5, 2013 8:25:04 GMT -5
The Core Rules gives examples of contacts as aspects. If so, "Gwydion's Fairy Godchild" would be legit. I'd like Gwydion to like Jazz, and genuinely want her to chose her fey side. Their contract's core would be his obligation to train her in fey culture and such magic as she has, while she owes service in return. The service might include courier and other duty between the courts and mortal lands, resolving difficulties between mortals and wee folk living in the Emerald Necklace region, and assorted other plot hooks which might serve to get Jazz and her friends in trouble.
The training. Well, anyone intending to use Swift Transitions has to memorize a lot of ground, locations of gates, and how the Boston area maps into Nevernever. If one is going to survive as a courier jumping between worlds, one also needs survival skill. Then there is the art of eating healthy meals containing food from all five groups... nuts, berries, leaves, bugs and worms... while knowing what is healthy, what is poisonous, and what will put one to sleep for a hundred years.
Then there are social skills. The basics include courtesy, protocol, hospitality and saying what the other person wants to hear without actually saying anything. Then there is the very important skill of dance. (Mortals can't dance.) One also has to suppress distasteful human habits like modesty, chastity and wearing metal jewelry.
I'd like to have Gwydion as a contact on the fey side, with both he and Jazz quite willing to help the other, but still having major cultural divides. The principle of fairness does imply Jazz will have to work for the considerable knowledge she wouldn't get otherwise. While he would want to tug her to choose Nevernever as her home and lifestyle, he would be quite aware that coercing or pushing her too quickly or the wrong way could induce the other choice.
Originally, I intended that the Chinatown Dragon would be tugging the other way, reminding her of her mortal side and loyalty to her Chinatown roots. This could still happen, but I don't want Jazz oath bound to conflicting powers. It is her way to fulfill her promises. For sure, Jazz would have difficulty saying no to a dragon. It is possible that we could add the dragon into play once things settle down a bit, assuming Jazz's life isn't already interesting enough.
Early versions of Jazz gave her Rapport 3 and Contacts 3. At the moment, after the fallout from Myers Briggs, she is down to Rapport 1 and Contacts 1. I'd like her to still have contacts with Parks & Recreation, the police Occult Squad, science fiction fans and Chinatown martial artists. With the lower contacts numbers, these would not be high quality contacts. Also, as ISFPs aren't into formal learning, resulting in Jazz having no scholarship skill, I don't think she has spent significant time at the JFK library.
Originally, I thought to have Jazz reasonably well established in the occult community. Alas, Gwydion is correct in a few respects. If she had been training with him for any length of time she would have survival and performance (dance) skills. Thus, I'd like to play her as very newly introduced to Fairy, not very knowledgable, still thinking the Great and Wise Wannabe Warden will be her guiding mentor on the Boston side.
Perhaps some of the first scenes played might be Jazz explaining to the Wannabe Warden that she has found out how to go to Fairy, and Jazz visiting her lawyer with a copy of a Fairy contract she had just signed. While Jeremy is helping others refine their characters, I would like to review and role play out interactions between Jazz and other characters.
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Post by blantyr on Sept 6, 2013 6:38:37 GMT -5
My first technical job was at Draper Labs in the 1970s. At the time Draper was still firmly attached to MIT, and employees got access to MIT's medical and student services. Thus, my first martial arts classes were with MIT's Goju Ryu karate club. A lot of my early experiences with role playing games were with the MIT Strategic Game Society.
If we say that our occult bookstore is close enough to MIT to be connected with the tunnel complex under the school, we are on my old home turf. I used to game in the Walker Memorial building, then the Chemical Engineering building. Thus, I'll throw out some aspects that might not all be up to date, but invoke memories.
Take out at Legal Seafood.
The Infinite Corridor, running from the Mass Ave dome under the Great Dome, much of the length of the campus.
Sailboats on the Charles.
Geeks and laboratories everywhere.
Pranks. (The police car on top of the Great Dome.)
Impossible parking.
High tech start ups.
Fireworks on the 4th.
Looking at Google Maps, it is hard to find a good place for an occult bookstore. The MIT - Kendall Square area is saturated with high tech start ups. The real estate cost for putting a bookstore adjacent to the MIT tunnels is prohibitive. Then again, in fiction and role playing games, we can dismiss strict realism. We might claim space somewhere in the area of Carleton Street. If we got a bit pretentious, there is a small building on Memorial Drive at the corner of Ames Street, across the street from the Tennis Courts. Wonderful view of the Charles Basin. Surrounded by dormitories. Economically, the location is unlikely for a book store, but the location is cool and might justify tunnel access. There are enough students in the area that one might justify a bookstore in competition with the Harvard - MIT Coop.
Does anyone care a lot about exact location?
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Post by blantyr on Sept 10, 2013 6:02:37 GMT -5
A few things that I'd like to see cleared up between Dresden Files and Jeremy's Files…
It seems to me that the high elves use metal weapons and armor without suffering pain, injury or loss of spell ability. Jeremy has all metal being cold iron? I'd always assumed elf armor and weapons are made of non iron alloys. Anyway, I'd like to have Jazz occasionally use a sword, the fantasy weapon of choice for Dresden files. How would this happen? I'm considering Armed Arts which would allow her to wield two types of weapons using fists skill. If all metal is cold iron, I might go with nunchuck and staff, traditionally wooden weapons, but elves limited to wooden weapons doesn't seem consistent with the books.
It seems to me that the ruling class of Elves (the Sidhe or High Elves or whatever you call them) are tall, slender, graceful, have pointy ears, cat (slit) eyes (sometimes of unusual color) and hair of unusual color. Many artists portray them with angular features, with chin lines, eyebrows and ears that run straighter and more parallel than humans, though Butcher doesn't seem to mention this. The ruling elves do not have horns, cloven hooves, antlers, wings or plant features. Plant and beast attributes are very common on the lesser fey, but are not mentioned in the ruling fey. Now, I've given Jazz every elven feature I could given the limits of DAZ Studio and the Genesis 2 Female CGI model. This does not include bark skin, grass hair, antlers, or the like, and should not include such features assuming Jazz's father is High Sidhe. (OK, it likely isn't important to anyone else, but I'd like my character to be Genesis 2 Female compatible.)
Visiting dictionary.refrence.com, sidhe is apparently pronounced shee. Banshee is derived from bean sidhe, where bean is 'woman' and sidhe is pronounced 'shee'. (No, I'm no expert at gaelic pronunciation. What do you expect of the irish?) Hopefully we can go with this as my last urban fantasy game from a bunch of years back used 'shee'.
While I might still tweak things a bit, Jazz has pretty much settled down with High Concept Shaolin Fey and Trouble Mixed Signals. The lesser aspects are That's Not Right; Isn't entirely here; Sure, but you'll owe me one; Gwydion's Fairy Godchild; and Strange Attractor. The stunts and powers are Glamour,Swift Transitions, Acrobat, Martial Artist and Armed Arts.
Tweaking character can be fun, but at this point I'm looking forward to putting Jazz in play, thus locking her down.
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