[DF] Lich PCs in DF - Oswald the Violet

[Tymathee]

Here's more of the content cut from the Designer's Notes!

An astute observer might notice that Oswald is lacking the -25 point Dependency on Mana, which is typically used to model the nature of mana dependent creatures or races (like the Faerie Folk) or undead whos immortality hinges on the magic that made them so, like liches.

DF's Power-Ups supplement provides Faerie Folk the Inner Light trait to gradually or entirely buy off their Dependency on Mana. Following that logic, it would be sensible to allow a Lich to have the same with the serial numbers filed off, "Inner Darkness".

It's totally thematically appropriate for Liches to take whatever measures to ensure their continued immortality, and Oswald has done so during his time as a lich.

Some meta-balance commentary...while I acknowledge that No Mana Zones are a totally valid means of hosing Wizards, my inner pouty player says it'd be more responsible of the GM to gatekeep spell selection at char gen and then only permit the more problematic spells (that would warrant the No Mana Zone) as they see fit. I know such zones are there for world building reasons, but its also a meta countermeasure against magic gone wild. Curb the spells, I say, then implement No Mana Zones if at all after that!

Oswald has a good spell selection, some picks more munchkinny than others. Umbrella might help keep any books or scrolls dry while adventuring, and its also the kind of quirky spell I'd see a eccentric lich like Oswald would want to know. I think characterization is important in spell selection as much as practicality. While he has some very good spells, it's definitely not nearly as abusive as it could be right out of the gate... I purposely avoided spells like Great Haste (the kind of spell I'd advise the GM to gatekeep Wizards from having right away).

Even without the Dependency, there does need to be some other alternative to curbing magic... enter Weirdness Magnet. Evil is selfish, and self-serving, and even the Evil Wizards who'd seek to appease the forces of Evil to use its power to their benefit are just tools in the grander schemes of Evil. More Evil Wizards means more Weirdness Magnets, which means more potential for a critical massing of Evil drawn together. If for in game reasons a Evil Wizard loses their Weirdness Magnet, they lose access to that yummy naughty ER that Evil has within them... they're no longer unwitting tools to further amass more Evil.