Having a dilema over how to do this...

[Static UK]

I'm not sure how to do something, so I'm asking the multitude of Herodom...

 

I am using an NPC called Coriolis (from the adventure book of the same name) as a team member for the Players heroes. In the last adventure before our break to another campaign I apparently killed her. She is more air elemental than human, and she isn't really dead, just dispersed. However, I don't want to just return her to normal after a short break, I want her presence to become known (to the keen eyed) before then. I envisage her hanging around the team (especially her lover, another NPC), and using her, currently, weakened air powers to influence events around the team. How to do this? She currently has no stats (other than maybe a little EGO?), and probably cannot be affected by any powers other then some limited Mental abilities (if she can be detected), and possibly air powers (she is quite dispersed). I was thinking of having a group of effects that happen to the team, such as Luck (she could cause opponents to slip, or be buffeted by winds), and Flash (blinding opponents with air borne dust). Nothing powerful, and nothing obvious (the players shouldn't be able to work things out too quickly), she will gain better control of things eventually, and finally be able to create a body for herself (one of her powers from the book). So should I create her as some sort of character, or should I just devise a pool of effects that the team 'can use', ie, each character has some temporary powers that they don't know about with limitations linked to the fact that Coriolis must be present?

 

Thanks for any help.

[Jayde Tiger]

Hi,

 

This is only my personal opinion, but as a Gm I feel that you may be getting a little too wrapped up in the rules and write-ups. You stated that this character is an NPC controlled by yourself. I don't see the need for a write-up at all.

 

You are in charge of controlling what the Players see, hear, feel, and otherwise sense within the game environment. You are also responsible for determining what happens in that environment, as well as the effects on all your other NPC's. If you determine that an NPC trips, or is momentarily blinded, or any other effect the disembodied Coriolis achieves in the game. Why do you need stats for this at all?

 

The second part is that you must bow to the importance of the story itself. It sounds like it is important to you that this re-forming be a gradual thing, and be presented subtly. Why roll dice for effects that can be too weak, or too strong. As a GM I would want to control how many, and of what quality the clues are that I give to the players, so that they do not "figure it all out" too soon, or ignore the presence of this re-emerging NPC all together.

 

Thanks for listening

J

[Lord Liaden]

I concur with Jayde Tiger. What happens to the NPCs under your control is always within your purview, as long as it's not the direct result of PC actions (and sometimes even then). It seems like you have a good idea of the kinds of effects that Coriolis is capable of, so you should just let them happen when it seems appropriate, especially if the PCs need a little extra break to win. I'd also suggest keeping an eye out for events that occur as a result of the game's normal progress, like exceptionally good rolls by the heroes or bad ones by their enemies, and see if someone in the vicinity makes a PER roll to notice that sudden breeze coming up.

 

BTW, nice to see a reference to Coriolis. The Coriolis Effect doesn't get mentioned as often around here as some old Champs adventures, but IMO it was not only a fine adventure but a good object lesson in how to run multi-session story lines. And several of the characters in that book appeared in past games of mine in one form or another.

[Static UK]

Thanks Jayde and Lord L.

 

I don't intend to build a character for her as it would be kinda pointless at the moment. I guess I was getting a little wrapped up in the mechanics there too.

 

I've had bit more of a think about it and decided that the team members will probably get a +2DCV bonus when Coriolis is around (the players won't know about this, it's something I'll factor into the combat calculations). The DCV bonus can account for lots of little things, such as slightly deflecting or blowing projectile weapons, or shifting the aim of energy throwers arms, dust getting in the eyes of an opponent (not blinding him, just distracting him), etc,.

 

What other minor effects do you think I can bring into play? So far I have

 

• the DCV bonus
  minor Flash power use (blinding an opponent)
  maybe a limited for of Luck ability (causing an opponent to slip, or lose sight of his target, etc,.)

 

Anyone got any other useful ideas?

 

Again thanks!

[Static UK]

Originally posted by Lord Liaden

BTW, nice to see a reference to Coriolis. The Coriolis Effect doesn't get mentioned as often around here as some old Champs adventures, but IMO it was not only a fine adventure but a good object lesson in how to run multi-session story lines. And several of the characters in that book appeared in past games of mine in one form or another.

 

I really liked this adventure, it was a good multi-part adventure with a fairly good back history, and character developement potential. I'm looking forward to recreating Coriolis in the 5th edition, she is much more powerful now than at the begining of the adventure. I thinking of basing her on the Air Elemental from Bestiary, with a few personal touches.

 

The players team have pretty much adopted the Avery Mansion (Coriolis's home) as the team HQ now, although I did relocate the mansion and the adventure to the outskirts of London in England.

[Tom McCarthy]

Pathetic fallacy, IIRC (and I probably don't), is a literary term for the weather mirroring the action. In this case, it may be just the trick. The winds pick up whenever the players are about to enter combat. When things look bad for them, trash blows in the villains face. When searching for clues, the wind blows the papers and uncovers the important information. When flying to a crisis, the winds are highly favourable.

 

The former lover experiences bad weather if he is romantically approached by a sympathetic female character.

 

None of these need points or writeups. Just weather and air related things subtly going the players' way in the background.

[Static UK]

Hmm, I like that, thanks Tom. I think weather 'linked' to her emotional state is an especially good idea.

[Lord Liaden]

You did remember "pathetic fallacy" pretty well, Tom, although it embraces responses from all of Nature (falling stars, animal behavior, etc.), can represent portents of the future as well as the state of mind of a character, and is normally only connected to prominent persons - kings and the like.

 

Static, you might also consider sounds that distract or warn: sudden howling of the wind, or clap of thunder. Changes in temperature could mirror Coriolis's mood ("cold spots" are a classic sign of haunting, and might even provide a red herring for the players.) If there's ever an occasion when there's lots of smoke or fog around, it may be briefly displaced by a translucent, humanoid figure. And for something really eerie, the breeze may occasionally sound almost like whispered speech, especially to the ear of someone close to Coriolis. You don't necessarily have to use words (although that might be an option if your players need a clue to put them in the right direction), but the PC might sometimes hear something that sounds almost like a familiar voice...

[SirViss]

Originally posted by Lord Liaden

...

And for something really eerie, the breeze may occasionally sound almost like whispered speech, especially to the ear of someone close to Coriolis. You don't necessarily have to use words (although that might be an option if your players need a clue to put them in the right direction), but the PC might sometimes hear something that sounds almost like a familiar voice...

 

This is especially appropriate if someone close to Coriolis has fallen in combat. They hear there name whispered by a familiar voice just as they Recover consciousness.

[Static UK]

Thanks guys, there are some great ideas for me to jot down there.

[dmallonee]

You might want to read some of the comics. The published adventures rotate on the Tales of the Arcane website, with a different one appearing every two weeks, at http://arcane.heroicpub.com Donnah Hannah also appears regularly as a supporting character on the Flare website, at http://flare.heroicpub.com

There are also new stories in the works, with the first new issues tentatively scheduled for release in the latter half of 2004.

The Coriolis Effect, being designed for a gaming environment, follows a much different path than the comic books. But the background information contained therein is indeed the proper and correct history of Doctor Arcane, Lady Arcane, and the Black Enchantress.

The London setting is not out of place. The family actually hails from Northumberland, where stands the ancient and somewhat mysterious Manor Arcane. But Clinton Avery was the younger son, and therefore did not become Lord Arcane. That title went to his rather amoral older brother, Albert, who has been missing for the past three decades or so.

--Dennis Mallonee