I love Pale! But... No Finder option? Wildbow just dropped some cool new Paths two weeks ago in the Weaverdice subreddit! Taking the Lordship would be a lot easier if we had a horde of quirky minions from Cinderella's Run backing us up. Or just go six encounters deep into The Blade's Length and win that way.
Ah well, having all 35+ possible schools of practice available would be crazy, so a lot needed to be cut. Completely understandable. I can't help but notice OP has a thing for Prices schools though. Anyway,
[x] Plan big city squad
-[x] Copperstone Bay
-[x] New Face
-[x] Second Gen
-[x] Host
--[x] Pantheon
I've always liked Pantheon Hosts, and I admit I'm voting for Copperstone Bay purely to be contrary.
Poet's Hill, a cloyingly midwestern town glacially crawling its way into the status of city. And on the mystical side of things, one of the few remaining places where the Other population can be said to hold the advantage.
You've lived here all your life, and while pretty much all your former classmates skipped town for college or better opportunities now that you're all done with high school, you've got plans of your own. Your parents and your patron know of your ambitions, and are supportive if cautious. They advice you to keep it on the down low, but who knows if you'll take that advice?
Speaking of the devil--or, in this case, the Greater Power, just who is your Patron?
[] Aries Bespoke: The Ram-Headed God of Conquest and Ambition. A mysterious figure with unknown goals, though a long-time 'associate' of your parents and a helpful figure when asked for advice. Aries' appearance changes every time they appear, the only constant being their ram head and slightly ill-fitting black three-piece suit. Everything else, from the shape and gender of their human body to the colour of the ram head's fur and eyes, varies.
* Storm: Blades raise from random surfaces , stabbing at the nearest people indiscriminately. If more power is pumped into it, lights within the storm gain a reddish tint and cuts made by the blade require Practice to heal.
* Berserker Form: Fur overtakes your body, ram-like horns grow from your head and multiple eyes appear around your body. The token digs into your body, spreads under your skin and shoots out as a barbed suit of armour, capable of tanking most blows and make it hurt if someone punches you. Hurts like a bitch, though.
[] Vox Mechanica: A Nex Machina, one of the accidental internet gods brough about by urban legends and creepypasta. She looks like an anthropomorphic engine block. As the fragile existance of Nex Machina depends on awareness and belief in their existance, Vox tasked you with becoming a notorious figure, either through fear or love or whatever, so long as you make people aware of her, and through that gaining her worshippers and followers to make her more powerful.
* Storm: The air around you fills with 'glitches', harming people when they happen over them and a loud noise like an old tv set to a dead channel. If power is pumped into it, Vox might catch enemies and trap them in her domain.
* Berserker Form: Veins become pipes, skin becomes metal and steam erupts from vents as your heart becomes a burning engine. The Token becomes a chainsaw. Just a straight up, ultra-sharp, very strong chainsaw. It runs on arcane power and belief in your Patron instead of gas, so at least it's green.
[] Mister Void: The Abyss, the physical plane in which everything ends up eventually to be ground down into the bedrock of reality, is divided into sections. Sometimes these sections produce incarnations of themselves to go into the world and carry out their goals. Void is a Minor Abyssal Incarnation, which still evens out to him being a Big Fucking Deal. Wants you to go out every so often and send Bogeymen that escaped from The Manor back to the Abyss' embrace.
* Storm: The air around you becomes stale as bits and pieces of The Manor appear around you and materials age and wither around you. If power is pumped into it, you might get some Bogeymen, but they'll be unbound and eager to escape and/or murder you.
* Berserker Form: Your skin splits as muscles bloat and become pitch black, your limbs stretch oddly and your eyes leak tar. The token becomes an extremely old-school Winchester rifle with seven rounds that leave wounds that are very hard to heal. Also works as a club in a pinch. Aim will be totally up to you, though, and keeping your head in your berserker form is a skill of its own.
Your Token is the representation of your Patron's influence on your body and soul. What form does it take? Rest assured your Patron was nice enough to have it kinda fit your general aesthetic, as much as a Greater Power could understand it.
[] Ring: Like Sauron's, but yours is cooler. Sure, the inside is covered in tiny barbs that dig into your finger, but it's pretty discreet and at least leaves a mean mark when you punch someone in the face. Power is restrained by a tiny chain engraved with runes and symbols that can easily be loosened to release the storm or, if things got too dangerous, fully unclasped to use your berserker form.
[] Bracelet: Slightly bigger, but basically the same as the ring except that you have a chain for each function except of one pulling double duty. Not easily hidden, but it might be seen as cool by peers with similar fashion choices, so at least there's that.
[] Glass Eye: Yuck. Well, can't keep it much closer than that, I guess. This piece is kept bound by an eyepatch and a tattoo on your eyelid that your parents got you when you were eight--Jesus H. Christ. The eyepatch contains the storm and your alternative form, the eyelid is more like a failsafe and so you can take it off when you go to sleep.
Well, that's all well and good, but I think it's time we were formally introduced. Talk a bit about yourself, why don't'cha?
[] Name: (Write-in)
[] Gender and Pronouns: (Write-in)
[] Appearance: Tell me what you look like, what style you favour, if you have a resting bitch face. Things that alter how the world sees you.
-[] Ethnicity: (Write-in)
-[] Style: (Write-in an aesthetic, general fashion preferences or a few recurring articles of clothing.)
-[] Physical Traits: (Write-in up to three traits--heigh, hairstyle, the works.)
-[] Normal Expression: (Write-in)
[] Attitude: Well, you've still got a year or three of being a teen, but odds aren't good on you getting a giant robot. (Pick up to three traits)
-[] Blunt (You don't beat around the bush. Getting the option of lying removed was a blessing, honestly.)
-[] Goofball (Should you make dumb puns while a ghoul tries to kill you? Probably not. But it's all in ghoul fun.)
-[] Smartass (It takes careful wording and a lot of discipline to be a snarky shit when you can't use sarcasm, but you manage.)
-[] Flirty (What's a few winks and blown kisses between friends? Or between enemies? Or strangers?)
-[] Cheerful (Look, just because you saw someone get their face eaten by an invisible monster is no excuse to be a bummer.)
-[] Depressive (Shit, I guess it was an excuse.)
-[] Stoic (Hm.)
-[] Temperamental (Well, you can Hulk Out, so I guess it's appropiate.)
-[] Write-in.
[] Hobbies: The Self is recharged by doing things that make us comfortable and happy. It's good to have things to do outside of Practice, no? Plus, it helps your rituals and stuff if you relate them to things near and dear to your heart. (Pick three)
-[] Cooking (Always popular at social gatherings. Might turn you into the Team Mom.)
-[] Gaming (Picking this with the Neckbeard Physical Trait instantly ruins all interactions with women.)
-[] Animation (Watching. Also, the same joke as with Gaming applies.)
-[] Animating (Making animations. No word as to how good you are, but your family's never short on jokes about you starving.)
-[] Drawing (And yet, you still need a compass and a ruler for magic.)
-[] Singing (You've got a lovely voice.)
-[] Guitar (You're no Stevie Ray Vaughn, but your mom likes how you play.)
-[] Reading (Boring for conversations, but even Berserker Mages can be introverts.)
-[] Shooting (In case this wasn't clear, the Quest takes place in the United States.)
-[] Soccer (Or football, but let's not start a fight. The point is you can run.)
-[] Boxing (We get it, you're a tough guy.)
-[] Basketeball (Jordan!)
-[] RPGs (Sure, maybe you can't play anymore because of the 'no lying' thing, but you like the lore, optimization, and you've gotten pretty good at roleplaying.)
-[] Practice (Okay, I said 'outside of Practice', but c'mon! It's magic! How cool is that?)
-[] Write-in (Porn is not an acceptable addition.)
[] Ambition: Just why are you doing this, anyway? (Pick up to two)
-[] Bordedom (Well, there was nothing good on tv and you're pretty sure you've read every Roomates AU fanfic on AO9, so what the hell, right?)
-[] Potential (Poet's Hill could be more. But there's a lot of space between 'could be' and 'will be', and that's where you come in.)
-[] Challenge (Eidolon was a bitch. You know what you want, and Lords face challengers pretty much every day. You'll get the spot, then beat 'em all.)
-[] Apotheosis (Obtaining the Lordship is Step One in your plan to achieve godhood. You're not sure what comes later, but w/e.)
-[] Freedom (Fuck your Patron, that power-giving fuck. Try to push their agenda on you? You'll gain your own power and allies and kill the fuck!)
-[] Revenge (One or more of the bigger groups in Poet's Hill harmed your family somehow. Let's see who laughs last, eh?)
-[] Status (You crave the respect of the wider Practitioner community.)
-[] Write-in
Well, you seem like a charming young Practitioner, all set to go out into the world and enslave magical beings in the name of fucking with the natural order of things. But just one more thing... what makes you so sure you can take on the other Practitioners of the town and win?
(I'll be using Monster of the Week stats, which range from -1 (Bad) to +3 (Phenomenal), and rolling 2d6 for regular stuff. Further modifiers are situational, and magic has its own set of stats and dice that I'll explain later.)
Charm dictates your people skills, be it for intimidation, persuasion or anything like that.
Cool dictates your ability to stay, well, cool under pressure. Also aids with leadership when Charm doesn't apply.
Sharp dictates your general knowledge and your ability to notice things that others might miss.
Tough dictates how well you throw and take a punch. The difference between punching like a wet bagle and kicking some ass.
Weird is a general modifier for the magic stats, more like a multiplier to that, though it also aids with instinctually understanding Practice.
[] Stat Rates: You've been alive for a while now. What do your skillz look like?
-[] Nerd: Charm +0, Cool +1, Sharp +2, Tough -1, Weird +1
-[] Jock: Charm +1, Cool +1, Sharp +0, Tough +2, Weird -1
-[] Hustler: Charm +2, Cool +1, Sharp +0, Tough -1, Weird +1
-[] Witch: Charm +0, Cool +2, Sharp +0, Tough -1, Weird +2
-[] Average Joe: Charm +1, Cool +1, Sharp +1, Tough +1, Weird -1
[] Bonus: Sometimes you do stuff so much that the spirits like it and reward you when you do it again. (Pick One)
-[] Redneck Engineering for Magic (Bonus to Practice when using cheap stuff or what you have lying around the house. Nail Gun Magic Missile!)
-[] Whistle While You Work (Minor boost to Practice if you've got music on in the background while you work.)
-[] Big Damn Hero (Boost to combat rolls if you manage to dramatically enter combat to aid an ally. How did you even make a habit of this?)
-[] Superboy_Removes_Shades.jpg (Minor bonus to combat rolls if you carry out a small ritual before combat, like removing your coat or something.)
--[] Write-in (Describe the small ritual.)
-[] Did I Do That? (Boost to Charm rolls if you work in a catchphrase. Might be negated if the other notices this habit, and also earn you a wedgie.)
--[] Write-in (What's the catchphrase?)
-[] Survival Mantra (Boost to Cool rolls if you utter your survival mantra. Chance of automatic reroll if you fail a narratively important Cool roll.)
--[] Write-in (What's your mantra? Remember it needs to true.)
-[] Top Gear (A minor enchanted tool that helps you manipulate the storm is given at the start.)
-[] Nothing (Bonus? You don't need no stinking bonus!)
With all that settled, our story starts the first time you attend the town's bi-monthly meeting of Practitioners, and you started the journey to the Lordship...
-=]_[=-
QM's Note: Okay, I did that way faster than I thought I would. Anyways, to avoid a repeat of what happened and since I kinda got out of hand and crammed everything remaining here, I'm gonna leave the needed votes down here:
[] PLAN NAME
-[] Chosen Patron
-[] Token
-[] Name
-[] Gender and Pronouns
-[] Appearance
--[] Ethnicity
--[] Style
--[] Physical Traits
--[] Expression
-[] Attitude
--[] Trait/s
-[] Hobbies
--[] Hobby
--[] Hobby
--[] Hobby
-[] Ambition
--[] Motive/s
-[] Stat Rates:
--[] The Choice
-[] Bonus
--[] Your Choice.
Sheesh, I kinda went overboard with the personalization. Sorry, future votes will be less crowded.
[X] PLAN: Technology born of People and Faith
-[X] Vox Mechanica: A Nex Machina, one of the accidental internet gods brough about by urban legends and creepypasta. She looks like an anthropomorphic engine block. As the fragile existance of Nex Machina depends on awareness and belief in their existance, Vox tasked you with becoming a notorious figure, either through fear or love or whatever, so long as you make people aware of her, and through that gaining her worshippers and followers to make her more powerful.
-[X] Bracelet: Slightly bigger, but basically the same as the ring except that you have a chain for each function except of one pulling double duty. Not easily hidden, but it might be seen as cool by peers with similar fashion choices, so at least there's that.
-[X] Jack Alexander
-[X] Male and He/Him. Does not mind They/Them.
-[X] Appearance
--[X] Jewish American.
--[X] Cyberpunk/Steampunk
--[X] 6'2 Hight, Hair is black and clean cut. Weighs about 200 Lb. Has tattoo of the Kabbalah, and more of machines on him. Apart of the tattoo of Kabbalah has machines incorporated into it. It can easily told they were added later, after the Kabbalah was there for a while. Heterochromia iridum, one eye blue, other is green.
--[X] Comforting Smile
-[X] Attitude
--[X] Smartass (It takes careful wording and a lot of discipline to be a snarky shit when you can't use sarcasm, but you manage.)
--[X] Flirty (What's a few winks and blown kisses between friends? Or between enemies? Or strangers?)
--[X] Cheerful (Look, just because you saw someone get their face eaten by an invisible monster is no excuse to be a bummer.)
-[X] Hobbies
--[X] Dancing
--[X] Singing (You've got a lovely voice.)
--[X] RPGs (Sure, maybe you can't play anymore because of the 'no lying' thing, but you like the lore, optimization, and you've gotten pretty good at roleplaying.)
-[X] Ambition
--[X] Potential (Poet's Hill could be more. But there's a lot of space between 'could be' and 'will be', and that's where you come in.)
--[X] Challenge (Eidolon was a bitch. You know what you want, and Lords face challengers pretty much every day. You'll get the spot, then beat 'em all.)
-[X] Stat Rates:
--[X] Hustler: Charm +2, Cool +1, Sharp +0, Tough -1, Weird +1
-[X] Bonus
--[X] Whistle While You Work (Minor boost to Practice if you've got music on in the background while you work.)
[X] PLAN: Void born of Darkness and Hunt
-[X] Mister Void: The Abyss, the physical plane in which everything ends up eventually to be ground down into the bedrock of reality, is divided into sections. Sometimes these sections produce incarnations of themselves to go into the world and carry out their goals. Void is a Minor Abyssal Incarnation, which still evens out to him being a Big Fucking Deal. Wants you to go out every so often and send Bogeymen that escaped from The Manor back to the Abyss' embrace.
-[X] Glass Eye: Yuck. Well, can't keep it much closer than that, I guess. This piece is kept bound by an eyepatch and a tattoo on your eyelid that your parents got you when you were eight--Jesus H. Christ. The eyepatch contains the storm and your alternative form, the eyelid is more like a failsafe and so you can take it off when you go to sleep.
-[X] Hope Jackson
-[X] Male and He/Him only.
-[X] Appearance
--[X] White American/British.
--[X] Victorian/Bloodborn Hunter.
--[X] 4'9 Hight, Hair is blond and wild as a birds nest. Weighs about 97 Lb. Scares all over the body. Red eyes.
--[X] Bloodborn Smile (Not the monster in there, but the man smiling.)
-[X] Attitude
--[X] Flirty (What's a few winks and blown kisses between friends? Or between enemies? Or strangers?)
--[X] Depressive (Shit, I guess it was an excuse.)
--[X] Stoic (Hm.)
-[X] Hobbies
--[X] Hunting
--[X] Reading (Boring for conversations, but even Berserker Mages can be introverts.)
--[X] Shooting (In case this wasn't clear, the Quest takes place in the United States.)
-[X] Ambition
--[X] Potential (Poet's Hill could be more. But there's a lot of space between 'could be' and 'will be', and that's where you come in.)
--[X] Revenge (One or more of the bigger groups in Poet's Hill harmed your family somehow. Let's see who laughs last, eh?)
-[X] Stat Rates:
--[X] Average Joe: Charm +1, Cool -1, Sharp +1, Tough +1, Weird -1
-[X] Bonus
--[X] Top Gear (A minor enchanted tool that helps you manipulate the storm is given at the start.)
@Dr Heaven M.D. I got two plans for you. Hope you like. I am also voting for both becaues I like them both a lot.
Nan. That would be rude, becaues others should be able to give there ideas. But these two are mine. I also know the system your using. I recall playing it as a monster. Was playing as a Fey. It was a blast. So this should be fun even if I don't know the setting well. I also hope the styles fit the characters and what I described them like.
[X] Bullets are Cool and so is Revenge
-[X] Mister Void
-[X] Bracelet
-[X] James Beauregard
-[X] Male (trans), He/Him
-[X] Appearance
--[X] White, American
--[X] Jeans and a leather jacket are appropriate for all occasions
--[X] 5'4, short dirty blonde hair, always wearing headphones of some sort (either on his ears or around his neck and 90% of the time there's music playing through them in either position)
--[X] Scowl
-[X] Attitude
--[X] Blunt
--[X] Stoic
--[X] Stubborn
-[X] Hobbies
--[X] Shooting
--[X] Soccer
--[X] Singing
-[X] Ambition
--[X] Potential
--[X] Revenge
-[X] Stat Rates:
--[X] Witch
-[X] Bonus
--[X] Whistle While You Work
James signed up with Mister Void for one simple reason. He promised enough power for James to get revenge on the Bogeyman that killed his best friend, Helen. And he provided, that particular monster wouldn't be creeping into anyone else's tent when they left the safety of the city any more. But that wasn't enough, James knows there's more monsters out there and he has plans; plans to make this city a safe haven, to get his patron off his back, and maybe even to find a partner to help him out along the way.
[X] PLAN Timid Sheep
-[X] Aries Bespoke
-[X] Ring
-[X] Hector Issariotis
-[X] Male (He/Him).
-[X] Appearance
--[X] Greek
--[X] Casual with cute accessories like a hairband.
--[X] 5' 3, slender, long blonde fluffy hair.
--[X] Sheepish smile
-[X] Attitude
--[X] Timid
--[X] Caring
--[X] Determined
-[X] Hobbies
--[X] Figure skating
--[X] Reading
--[X] Sewing
-[X] Ambition
--[X] Revenge
-[X] Stat Rates:
--[X] Jock: Charm +1, Cool +1, Sharp +0, Tough +2, Weird -1
-[X] Bonus
--[X] Big Damn Hero.
Fully embracing the sheep theme.
Have the enemies thought he would be an easy prey just because Hector is meek, polite and soft-spoken? Now they have angered him. They will learn fear — a good man goes to war.
P.S. Why is the Average Joe Stat Rate so weak? Its bonuses sum up to +1, while Nerd, Jock and Hustler — to +3
[X] BE THE SWANSON
-[X] Aries Bespoke
-[X] Ring
-[X] Nicolas (Nick) Swanson
-[X] Male (He/Him).
-[X] Appearance
--[X] American
--[X] big ass redneck
--[X] 6' 8,
-[X] Attitude
--[X] blunt
--[X] Caring
--[X] Temperamental
-[X] Hobbies
--[X] Wood working
--[X] Shooting
--[X] Drinking
-[X] Ambition
--[X] Revenge
-[X] Stat Rates:
--[X] Jock: Charm +1, Cool +1, Sharp +0, Tough +2, Weird -1
-[X] Bonus
--[X] Redneck Engineering for Magic (Bonus to Practice when using cheap stuff or what you have lying around the house. Nail Gun Magic Missile!)
Made it to be more of a jack of all trades build. It's worth noting that while there's nothing it's particularly good at (no +2) it's got more +1s than any other build.
Not sure how well I balanced it, but c'est la vie.
... If it wins I'll resent that I didn't set it up so you could do this on purpose, but I admire that you saw the opportunity and dove straight for it.
Made it to be more of a jack of all trades build. It's worth noting that while there's nothing it's particularly good at (no +2) it's got more +1s than any other build.
Not sure how well I balanced it, but c'est la vie.
It would be more balanced if Average Joe had +1 for Cool instead of -1, thus summing up to +3. In my opinion, it would fit a concept of a jack of all trades even better — can acceptably do everything, except for Magic.
@Dr Heaven M.D. I do have a question. Can we shape how Vox Mechanica changes or at lest at bit. Give the Love or Fear thing. Also the anthropomorphic engine block thing has be thinking that it could get more complex and pretty. But this might be me not knowing the setting well. Love or Fear thing could also influence how there worshiped as well how they act.
It would be more balanced if Average Joe had +1 for Cool instead of -1, thus summing up to +3. In my opinion, it would fit a concept of a jack of all trades even better — can acceptably do everything, except for Magic.
@Dr Heaven M.D. I do have a question. Can we shape how Vox Mechanica changes or at lest at bit. Give the Love or Fear thing. Also the anthropomorphic engine block thing has be thinking that it could get more complex and pretty. But this might be me not knowing the setting well. Love or Fear thing could also influence how there worshiped as well how they act.
Alright, once the actual main character is settled I'll make a few informative posts (Character Sheet, relationships, etc) and threadmark them. I'll add how the Practice works in-universe and mechanically while I'm at it.
Pretty close to what I was going for, except less Challenge and more Freedom as motivation. Eh, there's nothing more challenging than overthrowing one's own patron deity, right?
Pretty close to what I was going for, except less Challenge and more Freedom as motivation. Eh, there's nothing more challenging than overthrowing one's own patron deity, right?
Got bored, made a map of Poet's Hill. I usually make continents for my homebrew stuff, so this was kind of a challenge. Anyone that can do better is invited to do so.
