Character Design help please: Magic Bow

[mr beer]

Dear Forum,

One of my players would like a new character, a magic longbow. It will Mind Control those who pick it up in order for them to do it's bidding.

What I'm unsure of:

1) How to stat Mind Control with the limitations that a) the victim must be holding the Bow for the Mind Control attempt to be made - some variant of Reduced Range? and b) the Bow may only have one mind slave at a time.

2) Is the Bow template below reasonable? Am I missing anything? Note: this thing does repair itself like a living thing, it's magic.

Bow Template [-19]:

ST:0 [-100]
HP: 12 [24]

Advantages:
Damage Resistance +2 [10], Doesn't Breathe [20], Doesn't Eat or Drink [10], Doesn't Sleep [20], Immunity to Metabolic Hazards [30], Injury Tolerance: Homogenous [40], No Blood [5], No Eyes [5], No Head [2], No Neck [5], Unaging [15]

Disadvantages:
Cannot Speak [-15], Quadriplegic [-80], Social Stigma: Valuable Property [-10]

Features:
Does not have Fatigue [0]

[Nereidalbel]

No, the bow does not have Valuable Property or Quadriplegic. Instead, it should have No Legs (Portable).

For the Mind Control, give it Melee: C. That's enough to bring it down to just whoever picks it up.

[ericthered]

Decide if you want the bow to give orders to its owner or if you want the bow to possess the owner. Those are two very different advantages.

[Clockwork_Virus]

Originally Posted by mr beer

1) How to stat Mind Control with the limitations that a) the victim must be holding the Bow for the Mind Control attempt to be made - some variant of Reduced Range? and b) the Bow may only have one mind slave at a time.

For (a), you can use the "Melee Attack, Reach C, -30%" limitation. If skin contact must be made, that's another -30% for "Contact Agent".

For (b), you can try the "Reduced Duration" limitation, as detailed here, to decrease the amount of time that the control "lingers". Combined with the Reach C limitation and needing to continuously concentrate, I think it should work out.

2) Is the Bow template below reasonable? Am I missing anything? Note: this thing does repair itself like a living thing, it's magic.

Bow Template [-19]:

ST:0 [-100]
HP: 12 [24]

Advantages:
Damage Resistance +2 [10], Doesn't Breathe [20], Doesn't Eat or Drink [10], Doesn't Sleep [20], Immunity to Metabolic Hazards [30], Injury Tolerance: Homogenous [40], No Blood [5], No Eyes [5], No Head [2], No Neck [5], Unaging [15]

Disadvantages:
Cannot Speak [-15], Quadriplegic [-80], Social Stigma: Valuable Property [-10]

Features:
Does not have Fatigue [0]

Is it wood? Can it burn? If yes to both, add Fragile: Flammable [-10].

How much HP does it have? Unless it has magical hardiness, its HP can be calculated from its weight.

Does it have any method of seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, or feeling? Blindness, Deafness, No Sense of Smell/Taste, and Numb might be in order.

Can it make any sounds at all on its own? If not, Cannot Speak should be increased to Mute.

I would use No Manipulators and No Legs (Portable) instead of Quadriplegic, as the latter implies that the physical structures still exist.

Social Stigma: Valuable Property is for things like slaves, pets, etc. Not things like bows.

I assume it can't move on its own, so DX and Basic Speed could be reduced to 0.

HT should be determined by its construction. 12 is average for a bow, I think, unless you take the bowstring into account, in which case 11 might be more accurate.

Pressure Support 1 and Sealed might also be appropriate.

[mr beer]

Thanks for feedback all, just one question before I rework the Bow:

Originally Posted by Nereidalbel

No, the bow does not have Valuable Property or Quadriplegic. Instead, it should have No Legs (Portable).

For the Mind Control, give it Melee: C. That's enough to bring it down to just whoever picks it up.

I don't see No Legs: Portable in Basic, can you please assist?

[mr beer]

Originally Posted by Clockwork_Virus

For (a), you can use the "Melee Attack, Reach C, -30%" limitation. If skin contact must be made, that's another -30% for "Contact Agent".

For (b), you can try the "Reduced Duration" limitation, as detailed here, to decrease the amount of time that the control "lingers". Combined with the Reach C limitation and needing to continuously concentrate, I think it should work out.

Makes sense, that's not going to work for the fluff though. I should have been clearer about this: the Bow is going to Mind Control someone and use them as a wielder for an indefinite period of time. The Bow will pay for this with Ally.

So I want something whereby the Bow controls a single person but doesn't need to maintain control all the time. Not sure how to do this.

Originally Posted by Clockwork_Virus

Is it wood? Can it burn? If yes to both, add Fragile: Flammable [-10].

I want to be magically tough, so maybe not. Will think about it, good idea.

Originally Posted by Clockwork_Virus

How much HP does it have? Unless it has magical hardiness, its HP can be calculated from its weight.

That's what I did, will probably add HP for being magic though.

GTG. Thanks all.

[Nereidalbel]

Originally Posted by mr beer

I don't see No Legs: Portable in Basic, can you please assist?

Thaumatology, p119.

[mr beer]

Originally Posted by Clockwork_Virus

Does it have any method of seeing, hearing, smelling, tasting, or feeling? Blindness, Deafness, No Sense of Smell/Taste, and Numb might be in order.

It has human normal senses, just no eyes/ears/tongue etc.

Originally Posted by Clockwork_Virus

Can it make any sounds at all on its own? If not, Cannot Speak should be increased to Mute.

Excellent, thanks.

Originally Posted by Clockwork_Virus

I would use No Manipulators and No Legs (Portable) instead of Quadriplegic, as the latter implies that the physical structures still exist.

Got it.

Originally Posted by Clockwork_Virus

Social Stigma: Valuable Property is for things like slaves, pets, etc. Not things like bows.

OK.

I think the Bow is not considered a person though legally, so I think some kind of penalty should be in order?

Originally Posted by Clockwork_Virus

I assume it can't move on its own, so DX and Basic Speed could be reduced to 0.

I'm keeping DX for Innate Attacks, but Basic Speed definitely, good pick up.

Originally Posted by Clockwork_Virus

HT should be determined by its construction. 12 is average for a bow, I think, unless you take the bowstring into account, in which case 11 might be more accurate.

Sounds reasonable, I was toying with the idea of adding a new Hit Location called Bowstring but I might leave it for the moment.

Reminds me, I need to add an appropriate Size Modifier for the Bow.

Originally Posted by Clockwork_Virus

Pressure Support 1 and Sealed might also be appropriate.

Agree.

Thanks for all that.

[mr beer]

Turns out that The Silver Harp (Thaumatology p.120) provides a useful model for this kind of thing - looks like Social Stigma - Valuable Property is intended for such things.

[Nereidalbel]

Originally Posted by mr beer

Turns out that The Silver Harp (Thaumatology p.120) provides a useful model for this kind of thing - looks like Social Stigma - Valuable Property is intended for such things.

The Silver Harp gets the stigma because it's made of silver. Unless this bow is made of something more precious than wood, it's not blatantly valuable.