Working on some new playbooks and need some help with first which ones sound cool to you and some ideas for moves and core stat choices. Here’s the current list of options I have in my head.
The Immortal – A human who has been gifted/cursed with immortality.
The Wyrm – A dragon, but in human form for one reason for another. I thought the Hoarder would be a good parallel to this.
The King – A crime lord with goons and resources to call upon.
The Specter – A ghost returned to the world to avenge or redeem their death.
The Oracle – A seer who can proclaim the future, but can it be prevented or simply accepted?
The Reader – Pretty straight forward psychic here. Thinking River Tam or Bester!
i would combine the Oracle and the Reader in some way. Having a whole Playbook about psychometry seems like to much. Could just be a subset of seeing the future or “the truth”
I would be interested in seeing a Jack Hawsmoore type character. A choosen of the City, a god of Cities.
Could maybe done with another Playbook but i really like this Archetype.
Druids, taking powers from the earth to enhance their own abilities. Endurance, regeneration, (transformation) but not flashy stuff like shields or throwing fire around.
*argh Reader as in Brainer, not like in psychometry. This could work yes.
The “Witch” all about cursing people and beeing hot
A mystical martial artist. This could be a good expanded Playbook though.
“Supero”/Mutant or something in this ilk?
Druid “Spellcasting” Move
Power of the Earth
As long as you have direct contact to natural earth (no concrete or stone)
* You inflict +1 harm
* You can see in the dark
* You never tire
* You can ignore smaller wounds and heal completly after a nights rest
or something like this
Storing the energy
You have a small amulet or charm that can store some of the earths energy, when you have an hour of time and contact to the earth you can hold 3. You can spend your hold 1 to 1 to get one of the effects of Power of the Earth for the rest of the scene.
just as a sketch
(inspired by the Iron Druid Chronicles)
I know you’re a huge Iron Druid fan Tim but I’ve never even heard of the series so it’s hard to get excited about making an archetype up about one. If you’d like to create one for your personal use or as a fan-made playbook then by all means go for it.
What about Changelings?
Andrew Medeiros, I agree with Tim Franzke …. Chanelings are a big part of the archaic / supernatural lore! The ability to change to another animal / being after having contact with them.
Why have the Oracle and the Reader? Aren’t they the same thing with different RP potential?
Out of that list, my top choices would be King, Immortal, and maybe Specter.
What does this to the Factions as in balance? Who will go in each? Curious how balanced they will be.
Keep me informed of any art you will need!
Matt Strickling I agree with your list! ….. And add Changeling!
The Oracle would be a soothsayer, someone who can see the future and whatnot. a Reader would be a telepath or empath, someone who can read minds and maybe control them. They are in a similar vein, no mistake, but very different archetypes.
I don’t know what I would do with a Changeling playbook that isn’t already covered by The Wolf. I admit this archetype you bring up is not one I am very familiar with in urban fantasy. Can you list some examples from the genre for me to refer to?
The Faction balance is definitely in my mind as I suggested these concepts. Immortal and Oracle or Reader would fall under power, Specter under Night, King under Mortality and Dragon under Wild. Bringing the values to Mort 4, Night 3, Power 4 and Wild 3. Pretty close I’d say.
Andrew Medeiros I see your difference in Oracle and Reader, but still feel you set up moves so that a person of such ability could go one way or the other …. rest is left for RP.
You’re probably right, I probably could make them somewhat neutral to accomodate both. Let me see what I can come up with.
I have jotted down some move ideas for the proposed playbooks. A lot of them are simply pilfered from AW to give me some inspiration. Check it out if you like.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1W0xgVrdRkuTAKjfGDQHm7q1YHlrbGed8es7QLF1GdII/edit?usp=sharing
LOVE the Immortals Moves!
I was going thinking Spector was going to my favorite, but right really liking in moves.
Scent of Blood sounds REALLY odd for a human move.
As I said, just a first draft of moves. There’s still plenty of chance to change them. I saw Scent of Blood as the King being in the know and always knowing when blood was going to be spilled in his city. So less supernatural and more practical. I can see the name needing a changed though.
Andrew Medeiros My votes are for Wyrm and King. I also have an affectation for druidic types and the Changeling could be rolled into this as it is a potential Druid move.
Steve Moore Good point that a Changeling and druid type could be made into one Playbook.
Andrew Medeiros, I figured this was def. a first draft, guessing this is the best place as any to leave feedback?
I was thinking the changeling more like someone that can transform into you and overtake your life.
Monsterhearts hollow and the custom changeling in the work right now could be inspirations.
Oh totally. Feedback=better game I hope! 🙂
I could see the changeling and druid maybe combined into one. I still think I’m the wrong person to design this archetype as my druid knowledge ends with D&D and that is not a good source for this. 😀
Dang it Andrew ….. you are going to have to suffer and watch Trueblood ASAP, even through all of the retarded acting and sex! You have no idea how many cues you have in this game that cross an infinite paths with that damn series!
LOL okay okay, I will I promise.
Tim Franzke I think normal beast-changing stuff can fall under a druidic-type, but the Mystique/impersonation stuff is definitely a great idea as a separate playbook.
So is the changeling kinda like a doppleganger then? Kill a person and take over their life?
Andrew Medeiros, they can. They usually change to animals or can take animal features (cat ears per say), but can take human form of others at an extreme price of their health.
Doppelgänger was the word I was looking for thanks
I’m trying to remember what they were called in Supernatural. That is def an example I know well.
Problem about a Dopple ganger is it is kind of boring outside of the school element ….. so, you turn into another human?
Why not make a “Shapeshifter” combining both elements. Need to watch it from being overpowered, but far more RP and narrative elements.
Tommy Rayburn I like that logic.
What If you could eat their brain or flesh to get their skills and memories (for a while)
Steve Moore The problem is that Andrew Medeiros is worrying about it stepping on the Wolf’s toes …… so again, something to think about.
Tim Franzke Gruesome, but cool. So, we can assume this character is a little evil?
Tommy Rayburn In that case, I would skip the druid entirely, as it likely overlaps the wizard too much and the beast stuff the wolf. Tim Franzke definitely creepy and appropriate for a horror game.
Steve Moore Maybe remove the wolf …. and change it to a more generic shape shifter so they can change it to whatever kind of animal they want?
I was already suggesting that once Tommy Rayburn
Tommy Rayburn I always assumed it could, but I don’t have the text in front of me…
Tim Franzke and Steve Moore I got it ….. Body Snatchers!
Steve Moore 3 of the moves def. say “Wolf”, if it was changed to animal or feral beast or something and he name changed …. would fit that mold. Then we could have a Body snatcher mold that fits the doppleganger as well.
I left The Wolf as is because it’s a classic archetype in the genre but I also figured anyone who wanted to do something different with it could easily with some simple narrative switches. If y’all would prefer I make it more generic I could, but I do feel it would lose a bit of it’s flavour by doing so. Like Bloodhound would be too specific and I personally think it’s the best move in the archetype. lol. I need to think on this for a bit before I proceed with that possible change.
I would say leave it as the wolf, but leave a footnote
oh totally. when they get written up all official like, there will be a caveat to allow the archetype to be used for all sort of different shapeshifter types. It’s no different than using The Vamp to make an Anne Rice vampire vs. a Dresden Files White Court Vampire.
I like what I see so far, The Immortal is a great idea! I also like the suggested idea of ‘The Witch’ maybe like the Rachel Morgan book series.
I feel like The Witch would be a lot like The Wizard. I’d have to come up with a very different style of magic to differentiate them. Plus I want to avoid having too much overlap with Monsterhearts skins if I can.
You’re probably right – it might be better as a homebrew playbook. You could probably even play a Witch with the Wizard playbook and just alter the trappings a bit.
how can the wyrm breath fire?
Tim Franzke Awesome to RP that as a drunk, who needs the alcohol as the catalyst!
I don’t know if the Wyrm will even be capable of that. It could simply be a common misunderstanding of the Wyrm’s abilities. We’ll see how it goes. 🙂
Could still be a fire breather!
http://www.blissstjewelry.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/12/firebreather.jpg
If the Dragon type Playbook can’t breathe fire then it should be named something different i think. If you are able to play a dragon in human form than at least you should get a breath weapon.