Dresden Files RPG, Nugar style

Nugar · Jun 8, 2010

Someone using the screen name AndNenAlone messaged me the other day. I replied immediately. I never got another response. I see you online, but you apparently can't see or talk to me. I don't know why. Is that you, Spooky?

Vesvius, I okayed the add, I added you, I see you, I sent you a message. :huh.:

Anyone else? If you can't make it, let everyone know, and if you want to join, it's time to get on the ball and get some characters built.

Tentatively, I'm saying Wednesday, 7pm central US time as the start of our final shakedown before starting the game. Depending on how quick we get that out of the way, we can do some sparring.

Everyone is remembering to make five backup characters, right? (Call of Cthulhu lol jk)

Nemi · Jun 8, 2010

Tis me, shortly after I IMed you stuff on my end went wonkey, and I threw up my hands. Then while I was out AIM signed back on, fsk me.

spooky316 · Jun 8, 2010

Nugar said:

No, my IM name is just plain "Spooky."

Vesvius · Jun 8, 2010

I was away eating dinner. Done now. Sent a message back. Just waiting on you. Warning, my internet is kinda patchy. It can go for hours, or fade in and out every two minutes. Very tempermental.

I'm hoping my desktop will be fixed by the time we have our first session. If not, I can borrow someone else's computer.

Nugar · Jun 8, 2010

spooky316 said:

Nugar said:

No, my IM name is just plain "Spooky."

AIM or yahoo? I don't have MSN.

spooky316 · Jun 8, 2010

Nugar said:

I have MSN, but I can chat with people on Yahoo. You're listed as one of my contacts.

EDIT: nvm, I just reactivated my yahoo messenger. I'll add you as a contact now and send a message.

Hardcore Heathen · Jun 9, 2010

Well, I'm a huge fan of the Dresden-verse, and the rulebook was an entertaining read. I guess I'm a Johnnycomelately, but Nugar's approved my general concept. (Haven't gotten a yay/nay on stunts yet though.) Without further ado, I give you Vladimir Nabokov.

(Side note: Blatantly stole the format from spooky.)

***

Character: Vladimir Nabokov
Template: Pure Mortal
High Concept: Former Terrorist
Trouble: Old Acquaintances

***

Background
My name is Vladimir Nabokov. No, I am not related to the author. No, I have not read the book.

There were more important things to do in Soviet Russia as a child. My father was a soldier who died when I was too young to remember, or so my mother told me. I liked believing it, and do not question it now.

My mother worked as a cleaning lady for a family in Irkutsk. Irkutsk, IÆm told, was a city steeped in history. The government had packed off political undesirables to Irkutsk in the 1800s, and as undesirables were almost always highly educated, the city was a wonder of culture and libraries and art and such. Perhaps the people telling me about the place lived in a different city. The one I lived in was cold, the people colder, and the factory work endless.

I was not satisfied, but in a numb haze. I did whatever work I could find. It was hard, but nothing compared to the lives of some.

I was conscripted in January of 1980. Two months later I received a letter informing me that my mother had died, alone, the result of a home invasion.

Background Aspect: No Friend Left Behind

***

Rising Conflict

In 1981 my unit was sent to Afghanistan. It was a foul place. But I learned things fighting the sand rats. How to lay a roadside bomb. How to ambush a unit. Effective lanes of fire and escape. The proper tactics for fighting a superior force.

Not because we were using them. Heavens no. But I saw them used on us often enough.

I survived. Some did not. When my conscription ended, I stayed. There was little for me back in Russia. My mother had died in a home invasion two months after I had left. I had no one waiting for me.

I suppose I had excelled at surviving. I was approached by Vympel û I suppose you would call them Spetsnaz. Special operations sounded fun. They taught me a few useful skills. I spent another few years in Afghanistan, putting them to good use.

They sent me to the States in Æ86. I put my skills to good use, but it was more out of habit than anything else. No superior officer watching over me to make sure I did as I was told. No officials within thousands of miles to give me a reprimand. Just one handler I made reports to if I felt like it, claiming paranoia. The freedom was nice.

When the USSR collapsed in Æ91, I faded into the background. My cover had never been broken. I had seen the writing on the wall, and for two years had been assembling the paperwork for an identity my country would know nothing of.

I rolled the new name around my mouth as I looked at the passport. Vladimir Nabokov. It was a good name.

Rising Conflict Aspect: Hidden Identity

***

The Story: The Quiet Life

I wandered eastward for awhile. Colorado was nice. Enough foreigners coming in to ski that I didnÆt stick out badly, but I kept moving anyway. Ended up in Texas of all places, along the border with Mexico.

I met Sarah there. Her father owned a ranch, and she got me a job as a laborer there. I was very bad at it, but the old man liked me. I ended up as more of a messenger to outlying farms and a delivery boy than anything else. It was quiet for about a year, though there was the occasional brush with runners from the cartels. Nice change of pace.

One day I returned to find the entire place in flames. SarahÆs father had been crucified in front of the ranch house. I didnÆt find her body, but I found tire tracks. An SUV and two motorcycles, headed south.

So I went to Mexico, and put my skills to good use. It seemed like the logical thing to do.

Found the last one in Acapulco three years later. By then, I knew what to expect. There would be no sniper shot to the heart; he might survive it. These men IÆd fought were monsters, plain and simple. IÆd learned things in my years hunting them. Things IÆd heard whispered back in the motherland by old men û men my age, now that I think of it. Things I should have paid attention to.

I used a reasonable amount of demo, though Interpol claims otherwise. The government of Mexico was really attached to that office building.

It was also the last time I thought that the words "reasonable" could be applied to the amount of effort necessary to kill a Red. Bastard fell four stories, on fire the whole way. Whisked away in an armored car I'd failed to booby trap.

And the chase went on. The Red had fled (hah, rhymes), back across the border.

My crossing was relatively easy. There are always people interested in helping the enemies of the Red Court. No names were exchanged. Professionals. They even gave me a nod in the right direction and a spot of money before they sent me on my way. Damn good fellows.

Anyway. I traced the Red to New Orleans, and the trail dead-ended there. Just disappeared - no papers, no last address, no car, no nothing. He'd been disappeared better than the Witness Protection Program can do.

I would know.

But I was...not desperate, but impatient. I'd heard tell of a local information broker. A good one. So I sought out Alec Leopold. Wasn't much to look at, but he told me what I needed to know. For a small fee: a favor.

Damn me if the cook didn't know his stuff. This time, I didn't go for flash or finesse or even just blowing up an entire building. American cops are a bit better at tracking that sort of thing down than their Mexican counterparts, and I'm always reluctant to try a failed method twice on the same target.

No, this time I just caught him when he was asleep. Bagging a live Red is a challenge, but if you disembowel them first it's not that hard. Difficulty goes down from fist-fighting an entire team of Alfa to just arm wrestling a grizzly bear.

I treated him very nicely. Didn't break any bones or shoot him or maim him. Just took him on a scenic sunset drive along the coast in a stolen convertible.

He didn't appreciate it.

Story Aspect: Wanted in Connection With the July 17 Bombings in Acapulco

****

Phase Four

After the Red from Texas has been shown the light (of day, good riddance), Alec calls in his favor. He's been having trouble with a voodoo cult that sent a Loa spirit to attack him.

Normally at this point I would ask what new fad hallucinogenic my erstwhile employer had gotten a hold of, but then, he'd just helped me track down and kill a vampire. I gave him the benefit of the doubt. The cultists were just humans who'd tapped into a ritual that gave them a lot of...magical power and goddammit when I write my autobiography this will be "When I Went Mad." But whatever. Big bad all powerful Loa spirits.

Controlled by itty bitty squishy humans. That Alec could not touch for "The First Law of Magic forbids using magic to kill another."

Last I check? No magic in a molotov. And it's awful difficult to summon the Loa when you're inhaling fire. Convenient bonus: molotovs were popular in gang violence that year. Three more blacks with bad reputations and no visible source of income dead. Gang violence, move along.

Guest Starring Aspect: Blow the Problem Away

****

Phase Five: Guest Starring in Red Square Madness

Once in New Orleans, I tried using the standard methodology for locating and eliminating targets: find someone who knows anything. Apply force, find someone who knows more. Repeat.

In the Big Easy, it wasàharder. Should have spent more time getting the feel of the place, but I was close and didnÆt want this one to get away. Bagged a known Red associate and dragged him out to a junkyard so we could talk without interruption. Had the radio on real loud to drown out the whining from the trunk. (Can you blame a man for wanting a little peace, quiet, and Cash music?)

Drove around the corner, and slapped myself in the forehead. Of course. The Reds would like nice secluded places too. And damn but they were beating the shit out of that guy.

So I sighed, put the truck in a higher gear, and floored it. Got two of them real good like that. Reds - not so tough when their spine is in seven different pieces, none of them adjacent.

And then one of them went for the door. I was screwed; theyÆre too fast to deal with unless youÆre thinking ahead. I went to slam the door open, fumbling for reverse all the while, but it wasnÆt necessary. That bloody hunk of flesh theyÆd been beating on got to the Red first. Ahh, it was a good sight. IÆd never seen a manÆs fist go all the way through a rib cage before. Apparently the Reds do have a heart! ItÆs small, ugly, and made a satisfying noise when the guy squished it.

I grinned like a madman. Now this was a man who knew how to deal with the Reds.

More of them came, this time with guns. A few rounds hit the trunk of my car. From the squealing back there, IÆd probably just lost my ôcontact.ö

I turned to the man, whose arms were still covered in the ichor vampires called blood, and grinned wider.

ôGet in the car.ö

We hit them fast and hard, like the dogs of war. It was a good killing.

Afterwards, I introduced myself. The other manÆs name was Finn, and he was on a similar quest. We teamed up for a few weeks, but our leads eventually diverged and we parted ways.

Guest Starring Aspect: The Cavalry Has Arrived

***

Skills

Guns: 4
Craftsmanship: 3
Survival: 3
Stealth: 2
Conviction: 2
Endurance: 2
Intimidation: 1
Fists: 1
Discipline: 1
Alertness: 1

Stunts

Demolitions Training: You are trained in the effective use of explosives (this is a new skill trapping; most people canÆt handle explosives without training). You may use your Craftsmanship skill to place and set explosives appropriately. This allows you to do attacks and maneuvers against structures (see ôChallenges,ö page 324), and your skill roll also sets the difficulty for any characters attempting to avoid damage from an explosive that youÆve placed. Note that to hide an explosive you will still need to use the Deceit skill.

200 Grains of Diplomacy: Diplomacy is American word for distracting someone while your friends shoot them in the back. Is one of my favorite words!
(Gain a +2 to any attempt to Threaten someone if wielding a gun.)

Basement Chemist: There are times when you have to make do with what you can scrounge up. For me...well. Scrounging has never been a problem. I mean, take that detergent you use so often. With a little effort...
(Use Survival instead of Resources to determine your capability to craft demolitions.)

Explosive Rounds: Guns are scary. Explosives are scary. Together...they are terrifying! And awesome!
(Vladimir carries with him a clip of explosive ammunition for his revolver. He may use the rounds in place of a normal shot and gain +1 to damage with that attack. (Carried: 5. Refreshed at stopping points.))

Totals:

Refresh: 4
Fate Points: 4

Stress:

Physical: [][][][]
Mental: [][][][]
Social: [][]

Vesvius · Jun 9, 2010

Wow. Nice character, HH.

It's time, once again, for the list of characters (and NPCs given).

Derek is undergoing some revisions. Spesifically, his trouble has changed, my cross with Jiigar has been dropped, and I've also dropped one stunt.
------------
Name: Dex Darvit
Player: Nemi
Template: Focused Practitioner
Aspects: Concrete Cuddler, Juvie Magic Gang, Solitary Shaper of Solids, Mystic Tags, Plus Two Hidden Shiv of Artery Finding.
Adventure and Battles Collide! Dex and The Ethereal Feeder!- Fought supernatural creature eating his friends.
Guest Staring: Evangeline
Guest stared in: Training montage (Evangeline)

Name: Mark Guilder
Player: Clockworkchaos
Template: Pure Mortal
Aspects: Honest Auditor, Corrupt Bureaucracy, Meticulous fact-checker , Stubborn and uncompromising, Financial Record of first Case, stiff and serious, cautious collector of information
Audit #666- Accidentally stumbled upon shady supernatural dealings.
Guest Staring: Finn, Derek
Guest stared in: Red Square Madness (Finn), Slaying for Summer (Derek)

Name: Alec Leopold
Player: Lord Geyron
Template: Wilder
Aspects: Librarian Thaumaturgist, Not Trusted by Wizard Platt, Big Brother, Insatiably Curious about magic, His Way Is Better
(Need a name)- Attacked by voodoo cult summoning spirit while watched by white council.
Guest Staring:
Guest stared in:

Name: Evangeline(Eva) Einhorn
Player: Spooky 316
Template: Emissary of Power
Aspects: Stricken Hand of Burgundi, Verdammt vati, leave me alone!, Dreamer, Not giving up Yet! *sigh* Alright, what do I have to do next?
Training montage, interrupted- Eva trained with and druid, blacksmith for her goddess. Her fatherÆs agent came for her.
Guest Staring: Dex
Guest stared in: Adventure and Battles Collide! Dex and the Ethereal Feeder.

Name: Fredrick ôFinnö Finnian
Player: manquis
Template: Changeling
Aspects: Half-Fetch Vigilante, My Fathers Tastes, Few Friends, Many Foes, Better Dead then Red, No Dark Deed Goes Unpunished, No Dark Deed Goes Unpunished
Red Square Madnessû FinnÆs best friend in murdered by the red court, sets off to bring them to justice while dealing with Fea heritage.
Guest Staring: Mark Guilder,
Guest stared in: Audit #666

Name: Jonathan Earthwalker
Player: JiigarGhen
Template: Emissary of Power
Aspects: All paths can lead to the Trickster, What do you want now, Coyote?, Stronger light makes a deeper shadow, Choice for chaos, learning the way
(Need a name)û Followed Coyotes call (need some conflict here).
Guest Staring:

Name: Derek Matherson
Player: Vesvius
Template: Pure Mortal
Aspects: Mythical Hitter, Getting Over His Head, Born to be the Best, My FatherÆs Bloody Dagger, Suave and Stabby, Professional Courtesy
Slaying for Summerû Infiltrated Charlotte underworld with class and sophistication, reused handmaiden of summer court who informed him of where the White Court vampire who killed his father. Found none of the vampires in his area fed on hatred, so he began to head south. Found some records pointing him towards New Orleans.
Welcome to Town: Finally he went to set up his network of contacts, among them AKA David Masters. Was hired by Mark Guilder to protect him from supernatural attacks. Did so, eliminated the threat, and gained a valuable source.
Guest Staring: Mark,
Guest stared in: Welcome to Town/Audit #666 (Mark)

Name: Heather McGwire
Player: ecs05norway
Template: Changling
Aspects: Changeling Troubadour, Courted by the Powers, "These trousers cost more than that pickup you're driving. Do you really think I'm impressed?", "I'm a persistent bitch. I always get what I want in the end.", "You meet the most interesting people in this business...."
Chase Scene: Pursued head BCV to New Orleans. Not much info besides that
Guest Staring:
Guest stared in:

Name: Jeffrey Wild Feather Lang
Player: Wildfeather
Template: Shapeshifter
Aspects: Soaring Eagle, An Unknown Debt, Territorial Loyalty, Suspicious Nature, New Guy On the Block
(Need a name): Trading a favor to a wildfae to be able to go eagle and keep his brain, then moved to New Orleans.
Guest Staring:
Guest stared in:

Name: Vladimir Nabokov
Player: Hardcore Heathen
Template: Pure Mortal
Aspects: Former Terrorist, Old Acquaintances, No One Left Behind, Long Way From Home, Wanted in Connection With the July 17 Bombings in Acapulco
The Quiet Life: Migrated to Texas, got a job on a ranch. Worked there for a year, then found everyone dead except rancherÆs daughter, who appeared to have been kidnapped. Tracked the killers south, put terrorist skills to good use. Was clued into the supernatural world along the way. Bombed some places, was smuggled out of Mexico by RCV haters.
Guest Staring:
Guest starred In:

All of these are contacts. For more info on em, Check the sheets Nugar left. This is just them, their high concept, and maybe some other info that sticks out to me.

Deputy Lacroix- New Orleans Cop
Jessie Lee- Fishmarket Owner
Sugar Kayleena- Voodoo 'Queen'
Catfish Rothchild- Bum who fishes everywhere
Preacher- Snake handlin, headthumpin coonass preacher of GOD (couldn't help but directly copy over the description. loved it)
AKA David Masters- Mercenary Sniper
Sarah 'Spooky' Ducheval- Cemetary and Haunted House Tour Guide
Lt. Rorbert Carter- Coast Guard Lt.
Petty Officer 3 Marie Gosney- Coast Guard Petty Officer
(Game) Warden Grover- Local Game Warden
Cooter- General Store Owner
David Ray- Jessie Lee's brother and most visible of the local giant family
Wizard Hewlett- Master Apocethary and Wizard of the White Council
Warden Delphiki- Cautions Warden of the White Council and current Southern Regional Commander
Warden Desmarais- Brand New Warden, former southern regional commander, missing presumed dead
Wizard Platt- Wizard of the White Council and general contact for the PCs
--------------------------------

Oh, and it appears that some people have dropped out due to inactivity. If you haven't posted anything in a while or sent Nugar a message, please, do so soon. Like, ASAP. I think there's still a premeeting tomorrow, and the game starts sometime this weekend!

Nemi · Jun 9, 2010

My full sheet, so Far:

Dex Darvit
Template: Focused Practitioner
High Concept: Concrete Cuddler
Trouble: Juvie Magic Gang
Game Aspect: <s>Owes Wizard Platt</s> Wizard Platt's apprentice.

Must Have: Channeling -2, Ritual -2
Important Skills: Conviction, Discipline, Lore

Phase One:
Grew up in well to do Suburbia to parents who while concerned with appearances, were loving. Went to school, and was a moderately above average student, except for in Shop Class, where he excelled. Carving, sculpting, cutting, assembly, this was how his magic first took form, and he withdrew into himself.
Aspect: Solitary Shaper of Solids

Phase Two:
Trying to figure out what was happening to him, trying to find a connection Dex falls amongst the wrong crowd. His parents love him, but they have no real connections, feeling adrift Dex does stupid things, runs away from home, jacks cars and doing drugs, and blamed for other things. It might have been the drugs, or the isolation of being homeless on the streets, or it might have been a flash of The Sight, but he saw things. He doesn't know but it hasn't happened again.

Bad trip or power, it was the best thing that happened to him--he got caught and sent to Juvie. There he's quickly cornered by the one gangs that has more female members than male and is quickly interrogated about The Laws. Finding that he didn't beak any (rather, he was just breaking things) he is quickly accepted into the Mystics and taught how to keep his head, figuratively and literally. As the children are by and far not classically trained they have their own, highly limited form of Lore and runes used for equally limited rituals, which are tied into their tagging practices outside of the correction faculty.
Aspect: Mystic Tags

Phase Three: Adventure and Battles Collide! Dex and The Ethereal Feeder!
Guest Staring: Evangeline Einhorn (Spooky)
Guest Staring: Jeffrey Wild Feather Lang (WildFeather)??

Dex was finally getting out of Juvie, only vaguely aware that his friends were going missing. Maybe they were busy on the outside. Little did he know that someone had deftly cut the lines of communication between the two halves of the Gang.

Eva had a job from her patron, her orders and her information. She and Warden Delphiki was with her. Seeing the Warden Dex turned right around and walked back in, saying he didn't want to die.

Eva followed him in and explained things to him, and the Shrink, who was getting off duty followed them out.

Dex was used as bait for The immortal cannibal witch Ceridwen. Just as he found the perfect doorway to bunk in for the night he was grabbed by a skeleton. Dex pulled his shiv out of hiding and instinctively tried to stab his abductor; unfortunately, animated skeletons lack arteries.

Jeffrey was their eye in the sky for the two, guiding them back as Dex's unconscious body was hauled to a warehouse. Everyone went to town, Ceridwen was defeated and promptly beheaded. Everyone lived happily ever after except for Ceridwen and Dew. Ceridwen was dead, and the Warden was rather firmly escorting Dex away. There was no bag over his head though, and he thankfully wasn't beheaded. Instead he was deposited in front of Wizard Platt and was promptly offered an apprenticeship. Which was accepted, eventually, because being homeless sucked.

Aspect: Plus Two Hidden Shiv of Artery Finding.

Phase Four:
Staring: Alec Leopold
Guest Staring: Me!
Guest Starring Vald

Everything is a balance of who you owe and who owes you; who owns you and what you own.

Dex now had new obligations as Wizard Platt's apprentice, and Platt understood that Dex had older obligations. Dex thought that it might be one of the reasons why he was taken in by that old man.

His information was sketchy, and Dex figured it was because who he was rather than what his friends didn't know. Some of the Mystics went bad, or someone the Mystics knew, or something was going on, someone was breaking the Laws--maybe.

Could Dex go and check out what's going on before the Warden starts chopping heads? If it's traced back to the gang, who knows what will happen.

Dex knew it wouldn't happen of course. The Mystics kept a vicous and paranoid version of The Laws, all the better to be passed down verbally in a place where Wizards could not go. But, one of the first things Wizard Platt had done was properly instruct him on The Laws.

Still, no one questioned a Warden for a beheading, and Dex still owed them.

He went, and discovered a first hand witness that these guys were at least trying to break The Laws. He wasn't a Warden, hell he wasn't even a full up Wizard yet. He wasn't for this, it wasn't what he was supposed to do. It was way over his pay grade.

But he wasn't doing it, was he? He was just...opening a hole in the side of the building so the Librarian guy and Gun guy wouldn't get shot and killed.

It was against The First Law to snuff out a life by magic. It was against the First Law to push someone off a building with Magic.

It was okay to chop off someone's head with an enchanted item. It was..okay to open a hole so someone could fire bomb a building.

It didn't feel that way though. But when Alec took him aside, and they worked together, well it helped, even though it hurt.

Aspect: Gifts that Bind and Balm and Guilty Conscious.

Phase Five:

Powers:

Channeling: -2
Stereßmancy: Dex is a geomancer, but his powers of shaping seem to work on most anything solid.
Specialization: he's a Stereßmancer
Banned element: Wind/Force
Skills: Discipline, Conviction.
Items:
Bracelets: These bracelets are made from pale solid stone formed directly around Dex's wrists, and as such cannot be removed without magic or breaking them. They are for his shaping magics. Inner and outer surfaces are covered with markings.
+1 Conviction. (Offensive? He makes stuff with them...)

Two Enchanted Items, working on em.

Thaumaturgy -3
Dex is capable of the full breadth of Thaumatugry--he just doesn't know enough to take advantage of it. He only knows Tracking certain Mystic Tags, listening in on conversations via the tags, healing, and some stuff he cobbled together for his own channeling.
Specialization: Wards/Runes
Skills: Discipline, Conviction, Lore.
Items:

Earring/Nail: Dex made it from iron, (table) salt, a little sterling silver earring he found, the gift of red brick dust from Sugar, and a cement pebble from where he was incarcerated. Basically, anything he thought was "good" according to his little Lore ability. He wears it as a reversed angled industrial piercing. He uses it to scratch his circle or runes out and rolls it in between his fingers while focusing, or uses it as his spirit item for circles.
+1 Lore, Runes/Rituals

Fine Chain: It's a tiny little gray chain with bits of shine to it. Looking closer you can see the links are made out of various types of stone. Dex crafted it, thinking about construction and reconstruction. He periodically adds to it. It hangs from a small narrow cone so it can be threaded through a lobe piercing like an earring.
+1 Lore, Construction

Stunts:

Wizard's Constitution [û0]
You are incredibly long lived for a human, able to recover from injuries just a little better than the next guy.
Skills Affected: Endurance, Conviction.
Effects:
Total Recovery: YouÆre able to recover from physical or mental harm that would leave a normal person permanently damaged. You can recover totally from any consequenceùexcluding extreme physical onesùwith no other excuse besides time; simply waiting long enough will eventually heal you completely. (Many wizards use this ability to avoid hospitals, where their tendency to disrupt technology can put others in serious danger.)
Long Life: As a side-effect of your improved ability to recover from injury, your lifespan is significantly extended.

Refresh: 1

Skills
Great: Discipline
Great: Craftsmanship
Good: Alertness
Good: Survival
Fair: Conviction
Fair: Rapport
Average: Lore (specialization: Bare Bones Supplies)
Average: Contacts

Rote Spells:
Number = Lore Rating.

Grab a Handful: Dex can scoop up a handful of any solid object as if it was the consistency of clay, change it's shape, and re-solidify it. Requires Bracelets.

Physical: O O
Social: O O
Mental: O O O

EDIT: cannot decide on my specialty for Thaumatugry, fuckit

lord geryon · Jun 9, 2010

Btw, I realized something aabout Phase 4 & 5. Both are us guest starring in someone else's story. Not someone guest starring in ours; that's their 4 or 5.

EDIT: Oh, and Nemi, I think it might be better if you wrote your Refresh as 1 instead of -5. Makes you appear to have spent a lot more refresh than you did.

Vesvius · Jun 9, 2010

lord geryon said:

Meh. I've just been whipping up a new story that costars two characters (though I asked, and three characters per crossover are allowed). No problems yet!

Nemi · Jun 9, 2010

lord geryon said:

Fixed.

Part of the problem is that our characters are from all over the bleeding place. So it's "Uh, okay, how is my character going to get to ____to guest star in your story?"

My character has that problem... Oh but hey, I just got an apprenticeship, so maybe Platt can send me somewhere?

EDIT: Oh yeah, I am not guest starring in Spooky's/Eva's story, he/she is guest starring in mine only.

Nugar · Jun 9, 2010

Remember, 7pm Wednesday night.

Download mIRC or the IRC client of your choice. Google is your friend.

Install.

Go to file, choose server. Click the 'add' button.

Type in irc.lunarnet.org in the address. Describe it as whatever you like.

Make sure you actually CONNECT to this. You may require a little clicking to do so.

Go to the tools tab. Select channels and click Get List.

Somewhere close to the top of that list will be the TFF channel. That's the general TFF channel, but it might be useful for those of you who've never been there.

To actually join the dresden game channel, type /join #TFF-DresdenRPG.

I'll be in AIM and yahoo as well, if you have any questions.

Also of use will be my friends 8 person only vent server. Requires you to have speakers and a microphone. Download ventrilo and install. You may have to configure a firewall or whatever.

Install it, pick your user name, then go to server. Add new, name it something, and then for the address, use 68.204.108.31 The port is 3784. It'll probably take some fussing with your mic and speakers to get everything working, but I'll walk you through it.

See you then!

Remember, this game is to see who actually shows up, finalize our characters, and with luck, do the spar, so we get used to using the dicebot and the combination of vent and IRC. All actual ACTIONS must be typed into IRC for everyone to see. And we'll try to hold most of the conversation in IRC for everyone to see, but vent IS faster for a lot of things.

lord geryon · Jun 9, 2010

I hast joined teh Vent.

MannequinMuse · Jun 9, 2010

If anyone is thinking about dropping do it

. I got finals this week so I can't join in but if there's a slot I'll fill in. I've talked to Nugar and if a couple of you guys would be down with another crossover pm me or aim me at charliefoxtrot01.

Nemi · Jun 9, 2010

I can do vent if I reeaaaaly have to, but I prefer not to.

I got onto the IRC just fine.

clockworkchaos · Jun 9, 2010

lord geryon said:

You guest staring in someone else's story is your phase 4/5. Them guest staring in yours is theirs.

Honestly, don't worry about it, as long as guest starring happens, and traits appear, I don't think Nugar cares.

lord geryon · Jun 9, 2010

clockworkchaos said:

Nope, not according to the rules on pages YS61 & YS62. Phase 4 is you guest starring on someone's Phase 3 story. Phase 5 is you guest starring in someone else's Phase 3 story.

clockworkchaos · Jun 9, 2010

lord geryon said:

That's what I said...

Alright I think I figure out the problem.

I read this as you saying that you guest staring in someone elses story, and weren't having people guest staring in yours. And therefore it was their 4 and 5. Which would have been wrong.

What you were actually saying way that your phase 4 and 5 were you guest staring in someone else's story. And if they guest stared in your's it would be their phase 4 or 5. Which is correct.

lord geryon · Jun 9, 2010

clockworkchaos said:

lord geryon said:

clockworkchaos said:

Nope, not according to the rules on pages YS61 & YS62. Phase 4 is you guest starring on someone's Phase 3 story. Phase 5 is you guest starring in someone else's Phase 3 story.

That's what I said...

Me has suffered reading comprehension fail. <_<

clockworkchaos · Jun 9, 2010

lord geryon said:

clockworkchaos said:

Me has suffered reading comprehension fail. <_<

Was editing my above post when you responded. I figured out what happened and essentially we both did. I misunderstood your initial post.

lord geryon · Jun 9, 2010

Updated for crossover into HH's story, and some skill changes, plus assignment of focus and enchanted item slots.

---

Name: Alec Leopold
High Concept: Librarian Thaumaturgist
Trouble: Not Trusted by Wizard Platt

Aspects: Big Brother, Insatiably Curious About Magic, His Way Is Better, Knowledge is Power and Favors

Stress

Physical: [] [] []
Mental: [] [] []
Social: [] []

Skills(20 points)

Great Lore(4)
Great Resources(4)
Good Discipline(3)
Good Rapport(3)
Fair Scholarship(2)
Fair Conviction(2)
Average Craftsmanship(1)
Average Endurance(1)

Powers

Thaumaturgy (-3)
Specialization: +1 Lore(no prep complexity) for summoning and binding
Focus: Inlaid summoning circle, +2 Discipline(control) (2 focus slots)

Channeling Spirit/Force (-1 due to drawback)
Only 1 focus slot due to drawback
Focus: Cane with silver grip, +1 Conviction(power)

Sight (-1)

Soul Gaze (0)

Wizard's Consitution (0)

Base refresh 6
Final refresh 1

Phase One:

Alec was born in Britain, in Sheffield early in the 60's. He doesn't remember much of his mother as she died when he was a toddler. Growing up, he always knew he would be inherting the family fortune as the eldest son(he has two younger half-siblings) which required a certain degree of academics even his early education, but he was fortunate to have an inclination to academics anyway.

Alec did not have many friends growing up, due to his tendency to prefer a book to read than a ball to kick or throw. He was quite willing to put his books aside at the request of his siblings, however, to entertain and play with them. Alec, perhaps due to his reading, was highly opionated at even a young age and often debated with his father about this or that. Despite an occasional temper flare from either or both of them, Alec and his father enjoyed these debates.

Aspect: Big Brother

Phase Two:

When Alec was old enough, his father ensured that Alec would get the kind of education he both desired and needed by sending him to Warwick University. Focusing on economics, his first year proceeded much as Alec had expected it to. There were a couple odd occurences, but Alec chalked those up to stress and moved on.

However, during his second year, Alec began to see things that were... off with the way he understood things worked. It wasn't frequent, but it happened enough to make him question his sanity.

The answer came nearly by accident. Alec stumbled upon a practioner within his school as Alec was returning to his dorm late one night. The practioner, a young man by the name of David Kelson, was involved in active magical ritual, unaware of his audience. Alec watched and was amazed at what he saw. Approaching David, Alec Leopold was introduced to magic.

Life took on new complexity for Alec after that. Learning about magic, learning about the world that hid itself from mortal eyes, Alec had discovered a new passion; learn everything he could about this aspect of the world.

For a time, Alec labored under the belief that one day, he would be able to marry magic and technology to improve both. However, as David and his own observations told him, this was a fool's quest and one he gave up eventually.

Aspect: Insatiably Curious About Magic

Phase Three:

Over the years that followed, Alec learned about magic, and how to use it but this was largely self-taught after his friend David left for elsewhere. In his learning and practice, Alec came to the conclusion that formal, hermetic magic was the most effective method and that the sloppy methods often referred to as evocation were a waste of effort.

In the mid 80's Alec decided that he would be better served by moving elsewhere himself. So, he immigrated to the United States, and eventually settled outside of New Orleans, Louisiana. Using his background in academics, Alec was able to land a job as Head Librarian of a small suburb library. It wasn't much money, but his family ties and knowledge of economics allowed him to increase his income by enough to live comfortably.

A number of years after Alec moved to New Orleans he was approached by an elderly man called Platt. He introduced himself as a Warden of the White Council. Alec was told of the Laws(none of which he had ever broken), and informed of the Warden's roles as peacekeeper and wizardly sheriff. And he was made an offer. Join the White Council, and learn how to really tap into his power as a Wizard. Alec refused, politely, citing his belief that the White Council's methods of magic were ineffecient and wasteful. Platt accepted the refusal and departed, leaving behind a warning about the Laws.

Knowing that there were other practioners around, Alec made it a point to occasionally get more often after that, to listen and observe. He found a teaming magical culture in New Orleans that he had largely avoided by living where he did.

But, in mingling more with the local population, Alec attracted attention his way. A small voodoo cult targeted Alec, for reasons unclear to him. After his wards fell to a summoned spirit, Alec was able to banish the spirit with a very hasty ritual and aided by the threshold of his home. Trying to find out why they were after him, and finding a way to stop them from trying again, Alec had to do so under the watchful eye of Platt and the White Council.

Aspect: His Way Is Better

Phase Four: Guest Starring In The Quiet Life(Vladimir Nabokov)

When a man of Eastern European descent comes into his library and introduces himself as Vladamir Nabokov, Alec is intrigued. When the man lays out a simple request for the services Alec is known to provide at times to people that can pay his fee, Alec is even more intrigued.

A summoning and bit of research in his private library later, Alec has fulfilled his part of the bargain; he located a Red Court Vampire recently arrived in New Orleans.

Aspect: Information Is Power And Favors

Phase Five:

---

Nemi · Jun 10, 2010

Greyon, it is potentially possible that my character could cross over into your story.

My character has contacts spread through out the lower strata of the magical community, eyes are everywhere, and I am Platt's eyes.

You're trying to find the voodoo cult, Platt and Delphiki are as well, and I have connections that might see things that others don't.

EDIT: oh, isn't spirit the soul and emotion, while force is under wind?

lord geryon · Jun 10, 2010

Well, that could work, yeah. You find it, HH throws a few bottles of Happy Fun Stuff at it, story wrapped up.

And according to the books, no. Spirit uses raw kinetic force, it's described in the last half of the first paragraph on the element on page YS255. Spirit is also useful since it deals with veils.

Vesvius · Jun 10, 2010

There we go. Here's my tentative final sheet:

Character: Derek Matherson
Player: Vesvius
Template: Pure Mortal
High Concept Aspect: Mythical Hitter
Trouble Aspect: Getting Over His Head

Background
Derek was born to a loving family who lived in the northern part of the united states. Sadly his family disintegrated when he was five, when his mother ran off with the pool boy leaving Derek in the hands of his loving but inept father. Despite that, Derek grew up as well as could be expected from a boy in his circumstances. He had the best tutors in everything, including many forms of combat including marksmanship, swordplay, and unarmed. When he worked up the nerve to ask his father why he was being trained so hard to defend himself, his father paused for a moment before saying that he had to be the best.

Aspect: Has to be the Best

Rising Action
When Derek hit his early twenties, his father began training him to take control his the familyÆs business empire. During one of the lessons, one on honest book keeping, a visitor showed up at the house. The visitor managed to charm his way though security and right into the room that Derek and his father were in. DerekÆs father drew a dagger he had hidden, but was killed. Before the man could turn to Derek, Derek snapped his neck. To his surprise, the man was still alive. But Derek managed to gut him with his fatherÆs dagger.

After some research, greatly aided by notes his father left him in his will, Derek was clued into the supernatural world, as well as some of his fathers, now his own, companyÆs shadier business dealings. One of those dealings (a hidden brothel in Maine) had brought his father into direct conflict with one of the many houses in the White Court, who had seduced DerekÆs mother away and killed her. DerekÆs father shut down those sides of his business, but instead began gathering power in the supernatural world. The Vampires discovered that, and had sent one of their low level operatives to kill Derek and his father.

Derek installed one of his most trusted advisors to be CEO of his company and took a leave of absence that goes on to this day. He swore to find the house that killed his parents, and annihilate them to the last member.

Aspect: My FatherÆs Bloody Dagger

The Story: Slaying for Summer
On DerekÆs journey to discover the killers of his parents, he ran into what appeared to be a harmless little girl being chased by a group of goblins outside of Charlotte. Derek managed to hide her from the Sidhe, but later discovered that she was really a messenger for the Summer Court.

Derek delivered her to her destination, and met Ruskala, handmaiden to one of the elder ladies of the Summer Court. She offered him a bargain: in exchange for finding out who sent the trolls and eliminating them, she would give him a piece of information about the Vampires he was searching for. Derek agreed.

Derek went through the supernatural underbelly of Charlotte not with a torch and drawn sword like he was tempted to, but casually and gently. He infiltrated places of power, and usually managed to escape undetected. Eventually he traced the goblins back to a mortal practitioner who had struck a deal with a couple of goblins. Without waiting to find out what the deal was, Derek took off the practitionerÆs head with a clean headshot.

Ruskala made good on her deal, telling him that the White Court House that heÆs looking for feeds on hatred. She also made it clear that he can contact her again if he wishes to make another bargain.

Derek was wary of the offer, but thankful for the information given. After some research, he discovered that none of the houses that lived up in his area fed on hatred, so he headed south. After stumbling across a cache of information left by the whites, he made a beeline, straight to New Orleans.

Aspect: Suave and Stabby

Phase Four
Story: Welcome to the Big Easy
Following the records he had recovered, Derek made his way to New Orleans. He quickly found an empty house and purchased it. But once he had a living area set up, Derek decided to get his ear back on the street. He started by visiting some bars, most of them normal but some of them catering to the more supernatural crowd.

During the barhops, especially the supernatural ones, he continued hearing the same name: David. Just David. Whenever he was mentioned, the conversation became hushed until the topic was changed. A few discrete inquiries told him that David was regarded as a mercenary by some, and a straight up hitman by others. No matter what he was, he was who people went to when they had a problem that needed a final solution.

Derek sought David out, and the two had a little conversation. They parted an hour later, with Derek gaining nothing from the talk except the knowledge that David was a bit scary and vague promises to talk in the future.

To DerekÆs shock the conversation paid dividends almost immediately. Another man, a civil servant by the name of Mark Guilder found Derek the next day, saying that David had told him to speak with Derek. Apparently, there had been an assassination attempt on MarkÆs life. Nothing bad, just a ghoul, but enough that Mark was scared for his life. Derek didnÆt even think to check why Mark had assassins after him: in exchange for a nominal fee and an oath to pass on anything newsworthy to him, Derek took the job.

DerekÆs services were needed almost immediately when Mark was attacked again the next night. As Derek killed a pair of ghouls, Mark let his get away on purpose. Derek tracked it back to itÆs source, a Red Court Vampire low in the hierarchy. Five minutes and two bullets from his sniper rifle later, the vampire and his ghoul lay dead. Derek returned to Mark, collected his payment, and left with MarkÆs grateful thanks.

Guest Staring: AKA David Masters, Mark Guilder

Aspect: Professional Courtesy

Phase Five
Story: Old Friends and Enemies

Derek had gotten entrenched in New Orleans. He settled into day to day life, taking minor contracts on low level supernatural creature and a great deal of bodyguard one. But one day, he was visited by an old friend. Heather, a girl who ran in the same circles he did before he took up slaying and she took up magic.

She didnÆt want to catch up on old times, but wanted to hire him for a job with multiple parts: find and slay. He went into action, searching for a powerful black court vampire. Within a day, his usual contacts had turned up a new player, the vampire. Together with Heather and her friend Eva, they took it to the vampire and left nothing but ashes in their wake.

Aspect: You Meet The Strangest People
Guest Starring: Heather (ECS), Eva (Spooky)

Skills
Average (+1): Guns, Rapport
Fair (+2): Athletics, Fists
Good (+3): Resources, Lore
Great (+4): Endurance, Weapons

Stunts

Dude Youæve Been Stabbed!: Derek has been wounded many times by conventional weaponry, as well as seeing it happen to many other unfortunates who got in his way over the years. As such, Derek has become quite proficient at fixing up people wounded by weapons. Derek uses Weapons instead of Scholarship for first aid, but only if the wound was caused by a normal weapon.

You Killed My Father: Derek has researched the vampire courts extensively, sparing absolutely no expense in tracking down anything even remotely related to them. Derek gains a +2 to his lore when it refers to Vampires.

Sliced Head to Toe: With the death of his family, Derek has quite the pool of rage hidden inside of him. And that rage has a way of popping out when he has a sword. For a Fate Point, Derek can add two damage to any attack that heÆs caused with a sword. This stacks with any other damage boosting effect.

Platinum Card Member: While Derek doesnÆt use it often, he knows that he has money. And he carries himself like he does as well. Derek uses Resources instead of Presence to determine Social Fortitude.

Boom! Headshot!: Derek is good with a pistol, but much better with a Sniper Rifle and bit of time to prepare. When Derek is armed with a sniper rifle and has had a period of time to prepare, he gets +1 to guns, and adds 1 damage to his shots.

Refresh Level: 3 (6 for Difficulty + 2 for Pure Mortal - 5 for Stunts)

Stress Boxes:

Physical (Endurance): 0000
Mental (Conviction): 00
Social (Presence, Changed to Resources due to Platinum Card Member Stunt): 0000

Dresden Files RPG, Nugar style

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