Barghest v.0.1

[azato]

Re: Barghest v.0.1

 

I thought of making a less magical Barghest. I did not like the idea of a multiform creature since it didn't make sense to me. I thought of something more like a telpathic warg - one that could summon wargs.

 

Here is the hook. They are intellegent and want to rule over orcs. The orcs allow them to lead as the barghests provide mounts and a powerful leader. Over time the band grows big enough that an orc bad boy eventually raises to the occasion and tries to overthrow the barghest to gain leadership. I like the idea of bands of orcs picking up a troll or two. This would help them leverage out the bargest.

 

Thus Bargest are usually found with small bands of wargs (and sometimes orcs) they are very sneaky and do not engange in direct combat unless they have to. Hit and run tactics - using mental abilities to coordinate attacks - and talking their way out of tight spots.

[Robyn]

Re: Barghest v.0.1

 

Err...I don't think you need Affects Solid World. If the Activation Roll for the Desolidification works' date=' then it can't attack solid targets. If the roll fails, the Desolidification isn't on and it can attack solid targets,[/quote']

That seems kind of like getting two powers for the price of one. But I'm tired, and I'll take another look at it tomorrow.

 

Okay, I've got this!

 

You're right; if the Barghest isn't desolidified, it doesn't need to buy Affects Solid World, and if it does desolidify, the inability to attack is built into the Desolidification effect.

 

I was thinking of something like "Side Effect" on the Desolidification (can't affect solid world), but that's already built into it.

 

I would suggest that the reason the Barghest can't rummage around in someone's stomach (or run partway through and stay there) is because solid matter prevents it from being present in this plane. But it might begin to materialize, and that's where something messy happens; either give the Barghest a suicide attack (1-hex NND, "only what occupies same physical volume as Barghest"), or save more points on the Desolification by saying that it can move through solid objects; it just takes a risk, every time it tries to do so, of rematerializing on its way through and dying messily

 

I'm not sure how many points that Side Effect would be worth compared to the "can't move through solid objects", but you can also give it a Psych Limit against trying; this would explain why it makes its attacks quick enough to let a few moments of desolidification prevent it from affecting its target, too.

[Erkenfresh]

Re: Barghest v.0.1

 

It sounds like he could make some nasty Move-Throughs.

[Robyn]

Re: Barghest v.0.1

 

It sounds like he could make some nasty Move-Throughs.

 

I would probably want to put a stop to suicide attacks like that by saying that it wasn't a mutual event; the Barghest's body tries to shift from one dimension to another, and if something is in the way at the destination point, it can't reverse direction and head back to its own plane; it does what the Goa'uld troops do when they travel through a Stargate to Earth when the iris is closed

 

. . . I'd probably state that its body is "smeared across the border aether", though, to keep the open space just outside whatever it materialized in from becoming messy itself.

[FenrisUlf]

Re: Barghest v.0.1

 

I have no idea where my Barghest/Black Dog write up went, but I did one for my Epic Celt campaign quite a while back. I, however, went with the more traditional "Terrifying huge black dog with shaggy fur and staring red eyes the size of saucers" version rather than the Goblin/Wolf were-demon-ish bastardization that D&D/D20 gave us.

 

More or less took a wolf, upscaled it to around Direwolf scale (Legends put them between the size of a calf and a drafthorse) and gave it a suite of powers that fit the various Black Dog legends. Invisibility (w/ Fringe, the fringe defined as "you catch glimpses out of the corner of your eyes"), Desolid as its "natural" state (with the ability to become solid inhibited by holy ground, prayer, faerie charms, and a few folk wards such as wearing your clothes backwards), a rather huge PRE attack, a constant PRE drain stare, a constant Transform that causes Unluck in those who see it. I left the harbinger of doom bit as an option... any Bansidhe style "you'll die if you see it" powers tend to be nasty to unleash on PC's.

 

I'm guessing that there will be a rather similar write up in the upcoming Celtic Bestiary.

 

Oh, and here's one of my favorite illustrations of a/the Barghest I've stumbled across online...

 

Yow! That does look a lot like something I saw when I was very young, and that did act like the traditional 'black dog' -- at the very leasy itr scared six year old me half to death.

 

But the funny thing is, I always thought the Barghest would look more like a wolf (think the Shadow Lords from the old WW:TA).

 

But you've got some great ideas there.

[cutsleeve]

Re: Barghest v.0.1

 

From the descrition of the blink spell it seems you could model it or might have to model it with a couple powers.

 

1) It renders you partially invisible or harder to see to hit a person normall has a 50% chance of hitting something Blinked, but has a 80% if they are capable of striking ethereal or can see invisible.

2) You are more resilient to area effect attacks because most of it passes through you. Unless they affect the ethereal plane.

3)Blinked individuals can pass through solid objects but cant see through them. he has a 50% chance of taking damage and being moved outside of the object to a random spot.

 

Heres a way to do the Blink Power ill try to explain my reasoning for the bits and peices.

 

(Total: 135 Active Cost, 74 Real Cost) Invisibility to Sight Group , Reduced Endurance (0 END; +1/2) (30 Active Points); Bright Fringe (-1/4) (Real Cost: 24) plus Energy Damage Reduction, Resistant, 50% (30 Active Points); Limited Power - Only Versus Area Affect Attacks Power loses about a third of its effectiveness (-1/2), Limited Power - Not versus attacks that Affect Desolid Power loses about a fourth of its effectiveness (-1/4) (Real Cost: 17) plus Physical Damage Reduction, Resistant, 50% (30 Active Points); Limited Power - Only Versus Area Affect Attacks Power loses about a third of its effectiveness (-1/2), Limited Power - Not versus attacks that Affect Desolid Power loses about a fourth of its effectiveness (-1/4) (Real Cost: 17) plus Tunneling 6" through 6 DEF material, Fill In, x4 Noncombat (45 Active Points); Activation Roll 10- (-1 1/4), Side Effects - whenever the activation roll is failed (-1/2) (Real Cost: 16)

 

ok i went with invisibility because alot of the affect of blink is a mixture of not being able to be seen and not really being there. I decided that invisibility could simulate that pretty well I added a bright fringe because it looks like they arent that hard to see but do give penalties to attacking characters.

 

The damage reduction simulates the ability to shift when in an area effect attack. It is the most accurate part since it only works versus area affect attacks and it doesnt work at all if those attacks affect desolid.

 

Third is the Tunneling which i used as a cheaper alternative to desolidification. This character can move through def 6 material which puts it at a concrete wall (you can adjust for flavor) and it has the 50% activation roll to simulate the fact that he can revert while passing through the wall and a side effect in case he does.

 

It is a bit expensive but in truth the effect is very powerful. Its a 3rd level spell and thats when spells start becoming powerful. This post probably wont help much since its just an added way of simulating it.

[Thia Halmades]

Re: Barghest v.0.1

 

The difference here is that you're trying to model the effect exactly, and I'm simply trying to simulate it. The best way to simulate the effect is with Desolid. Makes you harder to hit, easily argue that you're not immune to Force Effects, and Blink doesn't make you invisible, it simply makes you there and not there. Also, in theory, the whole thing is happening very very fast - you are literally 'blinking' in and out of real space, all the time.

 

I don't know if I have my current build posted (it's very early) but the gist was: Desolid, not vs. Force Effects, Activation Roll (11-) Side Effect (Must make an Activation roll to hit anyone, 14-). Voila.

[prestidigitator]

Re: Barghest v.0.1

 

Right. The effect is that people miss you some of the time. The discription/SFX is that you are harder to see and/or not completely present. I don't think that necessarily means use of the Invisibility Power.

[cutsleeve]

Re: Barghest v.0.1

 

i was just trying to use it as a shortcut to simulate that part of the effect. like thai said i was doing an exact conversion of the effect which was hard to his, takes half damage from area effect, and can walk through solid stuff with a side effect. The straight desolidification with a bunch of limitations is prolly a better way of doing it.

 

I was mainly throwing ideas out anyhoo. :D