I’m having some trouble figuring out how to run a game for the Spectre.
They’re the most unusual archetype when compared to typical urban fantasy settings, and they don’t have most of the other characters limitations (being immaterial, invisible when it suits them and almost immortal).
So I have a few questions to anybody who played or had one in their campaign.
Can they carry regular items? The Manifest move doesn’t seem to have any limitations in this regard. In your games were they able to simply continuously manifest and carry around weapons or plot McGuffins?
How do they get around town? In your game did they go everywhere on foot? Or did they get a ghost car? Were they allowed some sort of transport powers?
How did they interact with combat? It seems to me that they face little danger from mortal enemies, and when dealing with other ghosts or spirits, can’t really get help from most other archetypes. Did they make a significant difference in physical confrontations?
How quickly can they de-manifest? Would you say that de-manifesting quickly (let’s say, to avoid an oncoming attack) is a “keep your cool” move?
Any and all input will be appreciated 🙂
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Hi,
if the CAN BE TOUCHED, they can carry items.
If there are any doubts, when it’s your turn, make an appropriate MC move (oooops)
In my town, my Spectre friend always goes on foot, unless he steals a car/possesses someone/asks for a favour to a wolf biker, he he.
In your example I’d make a Keep cool move.
Then, the PC is immaterial.
On the “how quickly” technicality, I’d make the player answer.
These are all great questions to ask your Spectre. The player chose it, so they have to have some ideas.
If you’re looking for “balance” like it’s a Pathfinder game, you won’t find it. Yes the Spectre faces little danger from mortals – they’re a ghost! But check out that corruption move – “scenes of victimization” are your go-to here to toss consequences at the Spectre.
As for de-manifesting, we never had any such thing. They were always manifest in some way, so when entering a new scene, I’d ask them how they were manifest. They’d have to get away for a breather to change things.
In my game the Spectre only has the items he died with – including his pager which still works somehow, and one cigarette. He also took the bus everywhere, manifest with sound and touch, so people would sometimes sit on him or bump into him.
I had great fun playing a Spectre. It was very different and interesting to work with the limitations. I could be unmanifested and spent most of my time like that. I could also travel spectrally, so basically like flying, but it wasn’t particularly fast. It did mean I had no problem getting to the 6th floor of a building or in to a vault.
The main restriction on my free reign was magical or supernatural beings. These could often see me even when un-manifested and their attacks could harm me. At one point I was even sucked in to an alternate realm which completely neutralised me for a while (I had to be rescued).
I agree with Aaron Griffin that asking your player what they think is the best way to go. I played another game in which the Spectre player worked by quite different rules.
I found the TV show Being Human to be quite a good source of ideas for Spectres.
I played Spectre for two sessions and I had fun and a different set of challenges to the ones you described.
When I manifest to be able to touch physical world I do carry items as long as I’m manifested in this way.
I fly through city at a speed of a regular car when not manifested. When I manifest to touch physical world I allow myself to ride in cars with other players.
My MC made me aware that I will not be able to enter some places that are warded and that I will be sometimes limited by other powerful spirits or supernaturals.
So far I did only one combat and this is how it went. My Link was in danger and I came to his rescue. There were two mooks and a named NPC torturing my Link, so without manifesting I used corruption move to take control over the mook (1 corruption), I used element of surprise to point blank to the head the other mook (without roll) and threaten the named NPC to release my Link. It felt quite awesome for 1 corruption.
Regarding the speed of de-manifestation. Book says that it should take a moment to de-manifest and manifest again with a different set of options, for me moment is more time than one slash of blade, maybe a minute. In the situation you described if a played wants to use de-manifestation and manifestation to avoid damage while rolling Unleash I would suggest to say no, also because I would not want combat to turn into a series of unleash and keep cool rolls. However if player is willing to roll Let it Out on such crazy use of ghosts powers, I think it might be up to a debate. However I would also limit it to ‘dramatic’ moments like avoiding one very powerful hit from a very powerful being.
If you have a player who wants to play a very combat focus character who is very hard to kill etc maybe you can suggest Tainted instead, he is easier to use in combat scenario while also mostly unkillable.
Our spectre, often took the bus.