Steve Jackson Games Forums - View Single Post - Dresden Files-style Red Court Half-Vampire

Aeolius · 05-09-2007, 02:35 AM

I'm trying to get involved in a game set more or less in the "Dresdenverse," which is a contemporary setting fairly open to any supernatural entity one can imagine - wizards, fey, vampires, werewolves, ghosts and more. I decided that I'd like to play a "half-vampire" of the Red Court (quick reference for the distinction of Red/Black/White), but I'm finding that it's one of the most mechanically challenging things I've yet crafted.

Here's the summary of their traits: They're still more or less human, and need to eat, drink, and sleep regularly, but they possess superhuman strength, speed, and recovery (some form of mild regeneration, sans regrowth). Their saliva becomes mildly narcotic, and gives a small buzz of euphoria to those who come in contact with it. Improved senses are also mentioned.

They have the urge to feed on blood, but it's mild enough to suppress under normal circumstances. However, the more they tap into the aforementioned powers, the "thirstier" they get. The sight and smell of blood will also lower their self-control. Exposure to sunlight suppresses the hunger, but (I believe) weakens their vampiric powers, as well.

The "black at the end of the tunnel": if a Red half-vampire loses control and kills while feeding, they complete their transformation, and become a monstrous full Red Court vamp. For the purposes of this game, that'll be character death, since if it's not eliminated on the spot, it'll be NPC'd and I'll still have to make up a new character.

Options: There's a group called the Order of St. Giles which is composed of Red halves who oppose the court. They get these tribal-looking tattoos over half their bodies which are invisible most of the time, but spread into visibility as the vampiric powers are tapped (and glow slightly when they're on the verge of losing control).

I'm not sure what the best way to put all of this together could be. Is there a way to do "variable" disadvantages that have a concrete, immutable costs, to encompass the rising and falling of the Uncontrollable Appetite self-control number?

One idea I'm toying with is somehow tying the traits to FP, so that as FP falls, self-control does, too, which could perhaps be used in conjunction with an FP-based toggle for the extra points of strength or whatever. It doesn't strike me as a very elegant solution, though, since it raises a whole slew of concerns about getting tired for other reasons.

Of course, with no point limit, you could do anything without worry. Thus, the real challenge of this is making it fit within the campaign power level of 150 points, with a -75 point cap on Disadvantages (which I imagine could be almost entirely taken from the template). It's finding not just solutions, but economical ones that's giving me a bit of trouble.

I just know the answer is going to be something obvious that my school-addled mind just dropped. Still, thanks in advance for the time and consideration.

EDIT: I'm still only just reading the books myself, so if anyone knows of a trait I omitted or otherwise messed up, by all means, correct me.

05-09-2007, 02:35 AM	#1
Aeolius Join Date: May 2007	Dresden Files-style Red Court Half-Vampire I'm trying to get involved in a game set more or less in the "Dresdenverse," which is a contemporary setting fairly open to any supernatural entity one can imagine - wizards, fey, vampires, werewolves, ghosts and more. I decided that I'd like to play a "half-vampire" of the Red Court (quick reference for the distinction of Red/Black/White), but I'm finding that it's one of the most mechanically challenging things I've yet crafted. Here's the summary of their traits: They're still more or less human, and need to eat, drink, and sleep regularly, but they possess superhuman strength, speed, and recovery (some form of mild regeneration, sans regrowth). Their saliva becomes mildly narcotic, and gives a small buzz of euphoria to those who come in contact with it. Improved senses are also mentioned. They have the urge to feed on blood, but it's mild enough to suppress under normal circumstances. However, the more they tap into the aforementioned powers, the "thirstier" they get. The sight and smell of blood will also lower their self-control. Exposure to sunlight suppresses the hunger, but (I believe) weakens their vampiric powers, as well. The "black at the end of the tunnel": if a Red half-vampire loses control and kills while feeding, they complete their transformation, and become a monstrous full Red Court vamp. For the purposes of this game, that'll be character death, since if it's not eliminated on the spot, it'll be NPC'd and I'll still have to make up a new character. Options: There's a group called the Order of St. Giles which is composed of Red halves who oppose the court. They get these tribal-looking tattoos over half their bodies which are invisible most of the time, but spread into visibility as the vampiric powers are tapped (and glow slightly when they're on the verge of losing control). I'm not sure what the best way to put all of this together could be. Is there a way to do "variable" disadvantages that have a concrete, immutable costs, to encompass the rising and falling of the Uncontrollable Appetite self-control number? One idea I'm toying with is somehow tying the traits to FP, so that as FP falls, self-control does, too, which could perhaps be used in conjunction with an FP-based toggle for the extra points of strength or whatever. It doesn't strike me as a very elegant solution, though, since it raises a whole slew of concerns about getting tired for other reasons. Of course, with no point limit, you could do anything without worry. Thus, the real challenge of this is making it fit within the campaign power level of 150 points, with a -75 point cap on Disadvantages (which I imagine could be almost entirely taken from the template). It's finding not just solutions, but economical ones that's giving me a bit of trouble. I just know the answer is going to be something obvious that my school-addled mind just dropped. Still, thanks in advance for the time and consideration. EDIT: I'm still only just reading the books myself, so if anyone knows of a trait I omitted or otherwise messed up, by all means, correct me. Last edited by Aeolius; 05-09-2007 at 02:51 AM.