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Need Help- Prime Runner Ghoul Adept Antagonist

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Sabato Kuroi

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« on: <01-16-15/0917:36> »
So I've been waiting for Run Faster to be published  in order to create the nemesis of one of my players.He is to be created under  prime-runner rules.

This NPC used to be a  Templar of the Order of St.Sylvester who was infected with HMVV after he  went M.I.A. during an investigation of a secret society who was rumored to be a cabal of  Vampires  in Eastern Europe (details not important atm)
After his "rebirth" as a Ghoul he tried to return to the Vatican and receive help from the Theurgists but the Order could not accept someone who was "unclean", so they tried to take him down.He killed his former comrades in self defense but he crossed the line when he feasted on their Essence and their flesh.He fled , disgraced and hunted, until Tamanous found him and offered him protection.He has been one of the top enforcers/hunters of Tamanous for more than two decades.But his ulterior motive is to find a cure for his sickness which in his mind  is  his punishment from God.

Tell me what you think about  the general concept and about  the  build.Feel free to give me your suggestions.
I really don't know if I should take  more positive/negative   qualities.Also, if an Infected was Awakened before his Infection, can he bind foci ? I think he can, but I'm not sure.

Priorities
Attributes A
Magic B
Skills C
Resources D
Metatype(human) E


Positive Qualities  (53 karma total)
Adept
Infected(Ghoul) 29 karma
Ambidexterity 4 karma
Warrior's Way  20 Karma

Negative (31 karma total)
Driven (2 karma,he is trying to find cure and forgiveness,in his mind  they are the same thing)
Pie Iesu Domine (2 Karma, every day he spends a brief time in sunlight in order to punish himself for his sins)
Big Regret (5 karma, he killed and eated his comrades who acted on behalf of God)
Bad Rep (7 karma)
Wanted (10 karma)
Emotional Attachment (5 Karma, his two swords named Penance and Absolution)

Magic 5 (dropped from 6)
Adept Powers :
Increased Reflexes 2:  2.5 PP
Critical Strike (blades) : 0.25 PP (discount)
Improved Ability 3 (blades): 1.25 PP (discount)
Motion Sense 1 or Combat Sense 1: 0.25 PP (discount) ---->need some help here
Blind Fighting: 0.5 PP ( I need this right?Since Ghoul = Blindness, even with astra sight there is a -2 penalty)
Enhanced Accuracy(blades) : 0.25 PP


Karma Left : 13  karma
I was thinking of binding 2 weapon foci (force 3 and 2 )swords, named Penance and Absolution.With Warrior's Way discount I need 7 karma for a weapon focus force 3 and 4 karma for a weapon focus force 2

I'd like to have more karma to spend (more negative qualities maybe ?) in order to buy Fiore Dei Liberi (Two Weapon Style Attack or  Strike the Darkness) 


Any suggestions?

« Last Edit: <01-16-15/0927:09> by Sabato Kuroi »

Whiskeyjack

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« Reply #1 on: <01-16-15/0929:17> »
I'd like to have more karma to spend (more negative qualities maybe ?) in order to buy Fiore Dei Liberi (Two Weapon Style Attack or  Strike the Darkness) 
Honestly then just do it. It's silly to make NPCs conform to PC character-building rules. Give him what you think he needs to do the job you want him to do.

I really like the concept though. What the PC nemesis like, to have attracted his ire?
Playability > verisimilitude.

Lucean

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« Reply #2 on: <01-16-15/0931:21> »
You can only use the bonus of one focus at a time, so having two of them simultaneously active won't do much for you.

Get Fiore dei Liberi and the two-weapon attack, I like it.

How much karma does the character have that you base this enemy on? Remember to outfit this guy with karma. A superior prime runner is supposed to get 125% of the karma that your player characters have. Use this for the style and concentrate on qualities during chargen. You could also opt for a Claymore. You'd lose 2 Accuracy compared to two-weapon style, but gain +1DV and -3AP. Personalized grip and adept power put you at 7 Accuracy, which could suffice.

Sabato Kuroi

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« Reply #3 on: <01-16-15/0945:36> »
@Whiskeyjack

The PC is the only one to have escaped him for so long.When he was an orphan, Tamanous abducted him but Quietus(the assassin's primer poster) stumbled upon the child  during a hit against the organization in Middle East and saved him.The experienced assassin  raised and trained the PC  but the Tamanous hunter  never forgot his "flavour"(the PC is an adept as well so his Essence is strong).


@Lucean
The PCs are around 20-25 Karma right now.I will give this NPC 125%-150% more but I just wanted to optimize the starting build first.You are right about the second weapon focus, I just wanted to add it for reasons of flavour: I want him to change his main weapon according to his mental state(Penance vs Absolution), something that will be οbservable from the astral plane :P)


@ ALL
Question1: Blind Characters suffer from total darkness in melee combat, which means -6 penalty.When they use astral sight this penalty drops to -2. Is this a penalty for distraction or for restricted visibility(since astral world is different from the material one)?
If it is the latter then one  can strike without penalty with Astral Sight+Blind Fighting+Strike the Darkness?

Question2: I wanted this character to be almost chivalrous,even to his victims,like  a medieval Knight.Should I give him the Wise Warrior mentor spirit or is it too much for a Ghoul?
« Last Edit: <01-16-15/1012:17> by Sabato Kuroi »

Whiskeyjack

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« Reply #4 on: <01-16-15/1020:49> »
Question2: I wanted this character to be almost chivalrous,even to his victims,like  a medieval Knight.Should I give him the Wise Warrior mentor spirit or is it too much for a Ghoul?
Ghouls are people too!
Playability > verisimilitude.

MijRai

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« Reply #5 on: <01-16-15/1042:12> »
If they're a Prime Runner, I suggest giving them some Initiations, at least for Masking and Centering. 

Also keep in mind ghouls don't feed on Essence.  Only HMHVV I (and Ia) victims have Essence Drain and Essence Loss. 

Finally, maybe throw him a single Force 4 Weapon Focus, and make sure your players really don't want to get near him. 

You don't actually need to have Blind-Fighting, as you're dual natured.  In essence, you're never really 'blind'.  That said, there's always going to be that -2 penalty when working in the meat-world. 
Would you want to go into a place where the resident had a drum-fed shotgun and can see in the dark?

Sabato Kuroi

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« Reply #6 on: <01-16-15/1150:50> »
If they're a Prime Runner, I suggest giving them some Initiations, at least for Masking and Centering. 

Also keep in mind ghouls don't feed on Essence.  Only HMHVV I (and Ia) victims have Essence Drain and Essence Loss. 

Finally, maybe throw him a single Force 4 Weapon Focus, and make sure your players really don't want to get near him. 

You don't actually need to have Blind-Fighting, as you're dual natured.  In essence, you're never really 'blind'.  That said, there's always going to be that -2 penalty when working in the meat-world. 


You are right about blind fighting.Should I replace it with face sculpt?With the Masking  metamagic he could move around without attracting too much attention
As for the 2 weapon foci, it's a fluff thing :P




 
Question2: I wanted this character to be almost chivalrous,even to his victims,like  a medieval Knight.Should I give him the Wise Warrior mentor spirit or is it too much for a Ghoul?
Ghouls are people too!

Hmm I think it wouod be interesting if he perceived his Mentor Spirit (Wise Warrior) as the archangel Michael (patron of the Templars)
What do you think?

Bushw4cker

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« Reply #7 on: <01-16-15/1258:15> »
I like the character Idea, below is a Quality you might want to take from Assassins Primer, that I think would fit character. I just used for NPC I made (SOMEONE PLEASE COMMENT ON MY TERRORIST!)

DEUS VULT! (COST: 4 KARMA)
The words “Deus Vult,” “God wills it” in Latin, were the
words that helped launch the First Crusade in 1095. Similarly,
the assassin sees himself as on a crusade to eliminate
the enemies of his religion. These enemies might be
striking violently at the people or holy sites of his faith,
or they might simply be “sinners” in his eyes. Either way,
they must be eliminated.
While the Code of Honor is called “Deus Vult,” it is not
limited to any particular religion. A radical pagan can take
this Code as justifiably as a fanatical Christian. Note that
this Code might require some research on the player’s part
to properly roleplay his character’s devotion to his religion’s
tenets.
Advantages: The assassin’s faith sustains him even in
the face of terrible wounds. Make a Willpower check at the
beginning of the character’s Action Phase if he has taken a
wound, either Stun or Physical damage, since his last Action
Phase, with the threshold being equal to the number
of wounds taken in that time. Success on the roll means
that the assassin ignores all wound penalties. The assassin
should continue making rolls before each Action Phase,
with the threshold for the test growing with each wound;
for example, if a character makes a roll after sustaining two
wounds, then sustains two more wounds before his next
Action Phase, the threshold would be 4 for the next roll.
If one of these rolls fails, all wound penalties immediately
come into play and this advantage cannot be used until
the next combat.
Disadvantage: Perhaps as overcompensation for violating
his religion’s tenet against killing, the assassin demands
much more of himself in observance of the other
tenets of his faith. The assassin must make a Charisma +
Willpower roll to act against his religion’s tenets, with the
threshold varying based on the severity of the violation:
simple theft would likely call for a threshold of 1, while
great blasphemy or renouncing his religion entirely would
call for a much higher threshold. If the character fails the
roll, they refuse to perform the action and actively seek to
stop anyone they see attempting it.
"Stupid men are often capable of things the clever would not dare to contemplate." -Terry Pratchett

Sabato Kuroi

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« Reply #8 on: <01-16-15/1302:55> »
I'm afraid that as an enforcer for Tamanous, he is going to disobey the ten commandments on a nightly basis

the rest of the quality is fitting though

Bushw4cker

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« Reply #9 on: <01-16-15/1307:38> »
I'm afraid that as an enforcer for Tamanous, he is going to disobey the ten commandments on a nightly basis

the rest of the quality is fitting though

Ten Commandments are more just guidelines. The original Commandment against killing was Thou shalt not kill another Jew anyways.

Disadvantage: Perhaps as overcompensation for violating
his religion’s tenet against killing, the assassin demands
much more of himself in observance of the other
tenets of his faith.


Missed that part I think )

"Stupid men are often capable of things the clever would not dare to contemplate." -Terry Pratchett

DigitalZombie

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« Reply #10 on: <01-19-15/0518:47> »
As he is naturally dual natured he doesnt get the -2 penalty on meatspace actions when astral perceiving.

You could also initiate him (with the +125-150% extra karma) and give him  cannibalism power from street grimoire ... I dont knowif you could fit that adept metamagic into his theme,but its a nice little bonus.
Otherwise he could get adept centering, making him recite holy verses in latin when fighting etc.

Sabato Kuroi

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« Reply #11 on: <01-19-15/0728:36> »
As he is naturally dual natured he doesnt get the -2 penalty on meatspace actions when astral perceiving.

You could also initiate him (with the +125-150% extra karma) and give him  cannibalism power from street grimoire ... I dont knowif you could fit that adept metamagic into his theme,but its a nice little bonus.
Otherwise he could get adept centering, making him recite holy verses in latin when fighting etc.

Εxcellent ideas, both! Thank you very much!
Especially cannibalism.I'm just curious though, can this particular character follow the path of blood?
I guess he could taint his mentor spirit (Archangerl Michael -Wise Warrior) but I don't know much about the path of blood.Some elements of christian faith are about blood, maybe they could be twisted? 

Sabato Kuroi

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« Reply #12 on: <01-20-15/0659:42> »
Please tell me what you think

Priorities
A Attributes 24
B Magic Adept, 6, one Active Skill 4
C Skills 28/2
D Resources 150.000 ¥
E Metatype Human (0)

Attributes
Body 5/10
Agility 5/6
Reaction 4/6 (6)
Strength   6/6 --> 8/9
Willpower   4/6-->4/8
Logic   3/6-->2/5
Intuition   5/6-->5/7
Charisma   2/6-->1/4
Edge 2/7
Essence 6---5
Magic 6--->drop to 5 from Ghoul Infection

Qualities

Neutral:
Adept

Positive (58 karma total)
Ambidexterity : 4 karma
Mentor Spirit (Wise Warrior/Dark Twin): 5 karma
Warrior's Way: 20 karma
Ghoul:29 karma

Negative (35 karma total)
Driven : 2 karma
Pie Iesu Domine :2 Karma
Big Regret :5 karma
Bad Rep: 7 karma
Wanted : 10 karma
Emotional Attachment : 5 karma
Deus Vult: 4 karma


Active Skills : 28/2
Athletics Group 2
Free skill : Sneaking 4
Blades 6 (+2 Swords)
Disguise 5
Perception 6
Assensing 5
Tracking 5

Knowledge/Language Skills: 14
English N
Latin 4
Religion 2 (+2 Catholicism)
Magical Societies 2 (+2 Dark Magic Societies)
Magical Theory 1
Literature 2 (+2 the Bible)
Organized Crime 1 (karma raise)


Magic 5
Free Power: Improved Ability x1(blades)
Improved Ability x2 (blades) : 0,75 PP (Discount)
Critical Strike(blades): 0,25 PP(Discount)
Enhances Accuracy (Blades) : 0,25 PP
Combat Sense x2 : 1 PP
Increased Reflexes x2 : 2,5 PP
Face Sculpt x1 : 0,25 PP

Karma: 35+35 -58 = 12 karma
Sword Weapon Focus Force 4 : 10 karma (discount)
Sword Weapon Focus Force 1: 1 karma (discount)
Organized Crime Skill raise 0-->1 : 1 karma


Progression:
Now since my players recenty reached 25 karma I'm going to give him 200% (they are a team of 5 members so I need to give them a challenge)

Initiation (Path of Blood) :13 karma
Metamagic : Cannibalize
Magic Raise 5-->6 : 30 karma
Fiore Dei Liberi (Two Weapon Attack) : 7 karma

1 PP from Magic Raise:
Combat Sense x1 : 0,25 PP (Discount)
Facial Sculpt x1 : 0,25 PP
Cloak x2 : 0,5 PP

DigitalZombie

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« Reply #13 on: <01-20-15/1310:51> »
If you want to be a bit more karma efficient I suggest have him initiate one extra time for 16 karma and just get a powerpoint instead of buying magic up to 6 for 30 karma.
If you on the other hand think he is fine- powerlevel wise compared to the party, then you dont need those extra karma points, Id then just leave him as is.

I think human at priority E gets (1) edge.

Otherwise looks good:)


Sabato Kuroi

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« Reply #14 on: <01-20-15/1436:50> »
Hmm you're right, I could Initiate him a second time and save 14 karma in order to raise Blades to 7th rank.
Since I don't have a power near my cap I don't have to worry about magic rating...

 

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