Favorite Character Build

[whswhs]

Originally Posted by oneofmanynameless

My favorite characters I've ever played have been fairly diverse sorts. It does depend on the campaign and the level of competency the campaign expects, but also the group, who I'm playing with and what sort of characters they decide to play.

That's largely true for me. I almost always try to come up with a new slant when I join a new campaign. I suppose you could say that my favorite character build is "one I haven't played before."

[Black Leviathan]

I play a pretty wild mix of characters. I am very fond of fantasy characters with spears. I like the utility of reach in a fight and spears have pretty strong utility in low-point games.

[AlexanderHowl]

They are also very, very cheap, which is useful when you are playing poorer characters. A shield and spear combination, perhaps backed up by a few javelins and/or a couple of knives, can be quite effective. A DX 12 character with Knife-14, Shield-14, Spear-14, and Thrown Weapon (Spear)-14 has only spent 60 CP and is a competent (if unremarkable fighter). Four javelins, two large knives, one spear, and one medium shield only costs $340, allowing even a character with Wealth (Struggling) to be a modestly effective fighter. I would suggest though spending 1 CP for a Balanced, Ornate (+2 reaction), and Fine Spear as Signature Gear, as the +1 skill, +2 to reaction rolls, and +1 damage is worth 1 CP.

[oneofmanynameless]

Neet how that correlates with how the spear dominated the military world, especially for cost effective infantry, for most of human history.

[kirbwarrior]

Generally, some focus on social and powers of some sort. Versatility is almost always built in. I bring up Hedgewitchery a lot. It does a huge array of things but also the character build further changes how you use it so significantly I don't feel like any two characters with it are similar;

Hedgewitchery [29] - Modular Abilities: Cosmic Power 1 (Physical +100%, Reflexive +40%, Social +50%) [29]

Due to lore reasons, there is an updated version in my rune magic;

Absolution Minor Rune [35] - Modular Abilities: Cosmic Power 1 (Cosmic +50%, Physical +100%, Reflexive +40%, Social +50%) [34]; Sanitized Metabolism (Cosmic) [1]

If I'm not building a full on mage or other power user, I'll take the above with Luck as a core 50pts on characters.

I also just found recently I generally like making high IQ characters when I focus on attributes.

[Donny Brook]

Originally Posted by kirbwarrior

Generally, some focus on social and powers of some sort. Versatility is almost always built in. I bring up Hedgewitchery a lot. It does a huge array of things but also the character build further changes how you use it so significantly I don't feel like any two characters with it are similar;

Hedgewitchery [29] - Modular Abilities: Cosmic Power 1 (Physical +100%, Reflexive +40%, Social +50%) [29]

Due to lore reasons, there is an updated version in my rune magic;

Absolution Minor Rune [35] - Modular Abilities: Cosmic Power 1 (Cosmic +50%, Physical +100%, Reflexive +40%, Social +50%) [34]; Sanitized Metabolism (Cosmic) [1]

If I'm not building a full on mage or other power user, I'll take the above with Luck as a core 50pts on characters.

I also just found recently I generally like making high IQ characters when I focus on attributes.

What does Reflexive do in those builds?

[AlexanderHowl]

It would allow the character to change point allocation without a turn of concentration and allow them to do so on their enemies' turn.

[oneofmanynameless]

Originally Posted by AlexanderHowl

It would allow the character to change point allocation without a turn of concentration and allow them to do so on their enemies' turn.

I'm pretty sure you should use Reduced Time for that. Reflexive is for defenses that take a second to activate, senses that require a second of concentration, and anything the GM feels that serves a purpose similar to those things.

Reflexive shouldn't work on Modular points normally, but if it did it would allow the GM to modulate your points for you at times when it would be helpful but you don't think to do it, perhaps because it's not obvious that it would help.

[oneofmanynameless]

"How to be a Witch" a poem by Oneofmanynameless
- Telekinesis (animation or environmental+visual, but always affects insubstantial)
- Illumination
- Healing
- Terror (awe/terror by reaction to you, nuisance effect: people get empathy roll on you)
- Curse - aff (malediction, disadvantage Cursed, extended duration [until they achieve a notable success despite the curse], targets roll based on will, no signature) or some other malediction affliction like Eternal Sleep.
- Blessing - aff (malediction, advantage luck with gadget limitations, extended duration with dispelling condition [until it negates some horrific failure], targets roll based on will, no or low signature) or some other malediction affliction that grants an advantage like a HT buff.
- Oracle
- Empathy (Cosmic: includes physical state, Cosmic: includes destiny state)
- Detect (Magic, reflexive)
- Neutralize (interruption)
- Wards - Affliction (melee, static &/or true faith [both with resistible and gadget limitations, static should have discriminatory], preparation required, extended duration.)
- Familiar - ally (summon-able, small mundane animal with unkillable or extra lives, special rapport, magic talent 4, magic er, and ghostly movement.) + special rapport (familiar) + speak with animals (sapience, +40%, acc: one specific animal)
- Supernatural transportation - flight with gadget limitations for an object that wouldn’t normally fly, a fast or flying alternate form, or perhaps an ally (magic steed)
- Wild Talent (ability use, preparation required [possibly immediate prep required]) or Grimoire Modular Points (physical, social, and mental, 25+ cp, possibly with prep required or appropriate other limiters.)
- Energy Reserve for stunts
- an additional spell or two to taste
- A talent for magic
- all spells based on esoteric skills like ritual magic, esoteric medicine, fortune telling, or symbol drawing, etc etc. And preferably magic should involve at least one theme that involves the life cycle (plants, animals, blood, death, food you can make in a cauldron, etc), regardless of the actual theme of your magic.
- The Cunning Folk talent, and all skills involved (but using Pharmacy (herbal) instead of Herb Lore). And perhaps either Green Thumb, Animal Handler, or Goodwife and their skills too.
- Extra points if some of your powers rely on a magic wand, staff, rod, or broom
- And a few more points on top of all if you have a set of rugged traveling clothes with a level of styling (traditionally in black, or in washed out colors, and with luner designs), maybe they’re magic too.

[AlexanderHowl]

I do not know. In most cases, I tend to use RPM for hedge witches nowadays. A character with IQ 12, Magery 0, Ritual Magic/Thaumatology at IQ, and a couple of Paths/Books at IQ allows for a range of magical effects, and the build only costs 69 CP. You can even have a couple of magical gadgets for cheap.