The Campaign Builder's Guild

Quote from: Humabout
So let's tack on the following:
ST 10

• 
  Ally (Butler; Built on 25% CP; Almost All of the Time, x3; Unwilling, -50%) [2]
  Contact (Polyester Cowley; Occult-18; Fairly Often, x1; Completely Reliable, x3) [9]
  Contact (Sister Mary; Streetwise-15; Fairly Often, x1; Somewhat Reliable, x1) [2]
  
  Does that look okay?  That brings you up to 183 points.  Is there anything else you think you'd want, ability-wise?
  

Since I don't think Stealth makes any sense for my character, I can't seem to think of anything else.  If I need to burn more points, I'd like to take some cantrips and improve my base stats a bit, but I'm totally ok with what I have now.

You don't have to burn more points, but it would put you on more equal footing with your companion, capability-wise.  What do you mean "some cantrips?"

Quote from: Humabout
You don't have to burn more points, but it would put you on more equal footing with your companion, capability-wise.  What do you mean "some cantrips?"

Weak magic.  You said this was a fantasy setting?  With my research into the occult, I may have acquired some parlor tricks, like speaking with the recently deceased, conjuring small flames, or dead pigeons.  Just a thought!

Quote from: HumaboutAdditionally, considering the social nature of your PC, do you have any contacts around the city?  Do you have anyone who owes you a favor?

I know this was directed at Numinous, but I think it would be probably that Malachi has a few contacts around the city too.  This would not likely be people who LIKE him, but rather people he has some kind of leverage on, and/or can intimidate into helping him or giving him information.

Also, responding to the stealth bit, it would not go against my character concept to have stealth.  So if I have points to spare I could take stealth.

I am also thinking that "Kill all evil things" might be a little broader than what I had in mind for his obsession.  It may be his job, on behalf of the church to hunt down and kill evil things in general (probably one specific job at a time, giving him free rein might be scary for them) but I expect his true OBSESSION would be about something more specific.  Maybe some intelligent undead killed a close family member (or wife or something) and he is obsessed with killing all of that kind of undead.  And perhaps when he was inducted into the Order of the church he is a part of, he took the vow to "Suffer no witch to live."  The vow might also include demons.  In any case, I do like the idea that the obsession and the vow might conflict from time to time.

All fair and fine, but I will require details!

With limited information posted about Zalhrada, could you give me some more details on the types of undead that might be around (either outside the walls, in the graveyards, or in the undercity)?  Vampires?  Wights?  Ghouls?  Liches?  Ordinary zombies?  If undead killed somebody he cared about, it would help to know what kind of undead were options.

Oh sorry man.  Pretty much the standard d&d spectrum - vampires, liches, zombies, wights, wraiths (i love those guys), skeletons, etc.

[EDIT]
I will try to update the setting's wiki as much as possible over the next few days.  Expect an overhaul of what magic musings already exist!  If there are points you'd specifically like covered, let me know.  I'm already intending to talk a little about undead, as well as the local religions.

Working on backstory & relevant details, and I have a few questions about the Church: Is there anything notable and out-of-the-ordinary for fantasy setting religions that I should know about?  Also, what is their holy symbol if you have chosen one?  And lastly, are their religious writings available in (for lack of a more accurate term) the common tongue, or are they kept in another language reserved for the priesthood and the nobility (like the Catholic Church's use of Latin in the middle ages)?

The Church is a foreign religion that is starting to take root in Zalhrada and it's teachings aren't particularly slightly more optimistic than the local religion, which basically sums up Bad Things as That's Life.  Sometimes Thor-Zues kills people.  Sucks to be those people.  In the Church, Thor-Zeus is one of many gods residing in heaven who, along with other deities and powerful spirits, works to preserve adn protect humanity from the legions of Hell.  Thus, all those local spirits and gods aren't demonized, but their personality is inherently changed from the traditional dualistic nature to a very black-and-white essence of "Good."

On a more human level, the Church is in the middle of some local power plays in an attempt to gain a stronger foothold, both religiously and politically.  In a prospering city-state where intrigue and corruption are already present, the Church is just anothe rplayer trying to get their share of the power pie.

In terms of what is "evil" goes, the Church's dogma views anything that comes from, aids, or abets the minions of Hell as captial-E Evil.  Realistically, enemies of the Church occassionally get thrown into that group, as well.

As far as a holy symbol goes, I haven't picked one yet, but it will likely be fire- or sun-related.  I envision brazers and torches and fires being very prominent in their temples.  And for languages, I hadn't really considered it, to be honest.  Since most people are illiterate, just writing things down will be enough to prevent commoners and many nobles from reading it.  I'm not sure if it needs to be in a "high" language.  At most, it would be in one of the southern languages, from whence the religion originated.  If you really want it to have a secret language, we can go that route, but the traditional religion (having heavy Druidic influences) has its own secret language, too.

I didn't specifically want a secret language; I was asking to see how difficult it would have been for him to receive lessons in the beliefs of the Church.  The language question was based on whether he would have HAD to learn one.  I am totally fine with there NOT being a secret language. 

And if the religion is very "Heaven"-centric, then Sun makes for a sensible holy symbol, that being the most prominent object visible in "the heavens."

I like the Sun as being one of its symbols for sure.  I intend for its calendar to be a solar one, as opposed to the lunar calendar of the Old Way.  I also have an unhealthy love of fire that makes me think it'd be really cool if the temples were fire temples with flames that are never allowed to die.  The fire can represent purification, light, power, strength, etc.

So here are a smattering of symbols that all fit the Church:
Sun Wheel, Bells, Candles, Chalice, Eye, Fire, Gold, Round Shield, Sun, Water.

Also, I don't think the Church will use an arcane language to obscure its inner workings.  It wouldn't be hard for him to receieve lessons in the Church's teachings.  They are trying to spread, and they are largely doing so by usurping local religions.

I like that Sun Wheel.

I sent you a PM with backstory and some more details on those points you wanted to know.  Let me know if you need anything else.

Thanks!  I like that it has a sun, a cross, a wheel, and an eye all rolled into one.  It manages to embody several fitting symbols simultaneously!

With regard to your PM, I have require more information on these points:
1)  Are you sometimes required to perform a duty to the church with some regularity?  If so, you qualify for a Duty (Church).  We will work out the details, assuming this is the case.

2)  Is this vampire specifically out to get you or is it just happenstance that your wife got bitten?

3) It looks like you should have a point in Navigation (Land) (IQ/A).

4) "The War" is most appropriately The Elf Wars, which involved the local elves getting pissed at Zalhrada's deforestation efforts and attacking.  In the end, the elves were decimated and are scattered.  Those who live in the city suffer a Social Stigma.

Quote from: Humabout
Thanks!  I like that it has a sun, a cross, a wheel, and an eye all rolled into one.  It manages to embody several fitting symbols simultaneously!

With regard to your PM, I have require more information on these points:
1)  Are you sometimes required to perform a duty to the church with some regularity?  If so, you qualify for a Duty (Church).  We will work out the details, assuming this is the case.

2)  Is this vampire specifically out to get you or is it just happenstance that your wife got bitten?

3) It looks like you should have a point in Navigation (Land) (IQ/A).

4) "The War" is most appropriately The Elf Wars, which involved the local elves getting pissed at Zalhrada's deforestation efforts and attacking.  In the end, the elves were decimated and are scattered.  Those who live in the city suffer a Social Stigma.

Yes, I would say he regularly has to perform some kind of duty to the church.  Technically he is a part of the church, just not as a preacher, but as an "On-call Monster Hunter."  So "Duty (Church)" makes perfect sense.  Navigation (Land) makes sense too.

Regarding the vampire, if it is [actually] out to get him, then it is patient and careful, since Malachi has not yet learned its identity.  It has not been obvious in attempts to harm him since biting his wife.  But when you live forever, you might not feel there is any rush. That said, Mal is certainly out to get IT. 

Ok, excellent!  Please rank how often your Duty (Church) arrises as follows:
Almost all the time
Quite often
Fairly often
Quite Rarely

Also, what happens to Malachi if he refuses to perform his Duty?

As for Enemy, it doesn't sound like the vampire really qualifies just yet.  If anything, it has Enemy (Malachi)!  I'd say you have, at least, Obsession (Kill the vampire who turned my wife) [-5].  You also seem to have Obsession (Kill all vampires) [-10], Vow (Suffer not a witch to live) [-10], and Vow (Celebacy) [-5].

Do you see Malachi as being truly ordained in the Church (Clerival Investment and the churchly authority to perform religious rituals, sacriments, etc.) or just an unofficial operative they use to sick on enemies of the church?  Also, to what extent does the Church actually have Malachi's back if he asks for help?

In addition to Navigation, I'd suggest Phisiology (Specialize:  Demons, Spirits, or Undead) and Psychology (Specialize: Demons, Spirits, or Undead).  The former represents your knowledge of where to hurt (or help, I suppose...) the specialty you choose (e.g., where on this specific demon are its vitals, so i can stab them repeatedly?), and the latter represents knowing how your enemy thinks.  - something useful when attempting to decypher the convoluted, machianelian plans of Hellspawn or the incredibly long-term plottings of sapient undead.

For Contacts, I'll toss these one out there:

Contact (Deader Jeb; Profession (Grave Robber)-15; Fairly Often, 9 or less, x1; Unreliable, x1/2) [1];
Contact (___; Streetwise-15; Fairly Often, 9 or less, x1; Somewhat Reliable, x1) [2];

And lastly, yes, your definition of a "witch" fits perfectly.  Magic isn't viewed as inherently evil, but any contact with demons most certainly is.