one question. does the change in reality extend to magic actually working? if i a sorcerer in the movie when the change hit, would that give me real powers now? or would I just thought I had powers?
Welcome danar. You probably want to get a subsciption to the board, because guests can’t do PM’s, and I think there’s a limit to how long guest accounts work for.
Actually, the sword isn’t a pure bane. If I’m working on something to pursue the sword, clearly it acts as a boon.
And I’m going to modify the Graceful as amountain goat aspect. While I will still be as graceful as one, I did mention that I was never the strongest of people, and that still aplies. So instead I’ll use the following aspect:
Floats like a butterfly, and stings like one, too.
–Boon: Use fate points to influence athletic skills; Bane: Weak in contests of physical strength.
I thought of a way these can be balanced as well.
For the Eskimo one, a Bane would be being compelled to try to talk my way out of an impossible situation or being compelled to screw someone over through my words. (Literally trying to sell ice to an Eskimo).
And for the abandonment issues, a boon would be the ability to convince someone not to leave by using a fate point.
So, I’ve just balanced all my aspects with both positive and negative outcomes.
Ack. Okay, so I just realized looking at the rules again that it’s the guest star spots that you pull the aspects from, not the people guest starring in your novel. It’s fine for me and Hoopy since we’re going to be guest starring in each others’ novels and the story is a real cross-over. But NAF, I need to come up with two aspects from my spot in your novel…
Like I said earlier, I was thinking we could initially meet in a high-stakes poker tournament. We both have secret reasons for being there. I’m there because I’ve traced a Syndicate agent involved in a plot surrounding the tournament. You’re there because there’s a minion there that’s connected to the Mob boss that killed your wife. We meet as regular wealthy joe schmoes in the poker game. In a break during the tournament (or after) we run into each other again, only this time I run into you as your alter ego. It turns out that the Syndicate agent I’m looking for and the Mob minion you’re looking for are the same guy. Hijinks ensue because I want to find out what he knows about the Syndicate and you want to beat the ever loving crap out of him.
I’m having trouble coming up with my last two aspects though. I’m thinking I should have a somewhat negative one that might have a positive spin in very rare circumstances, and another mixed one.
As for Roosh, since it’s your guest spot and your aspects you can fill in the blanks however you want, but I was thinking that I would travel to New York City to find my father. Somehow I get into a hairy situation and for some reason you’re there and you use your spectacular stunty explosion skills to get us out. Clearly there has to be a high-speed chase in there somewhere as well. This could link me to you as a benefactor since you saved me and my father.
This is clearly up to Omi, but since we’re using the SoC set-up there’s the “Mysteries” skill which kind of fits into that. I’m not sure if that branches out to actual magic or not, but at the very least you’d be familiar with the arcane.
Welcome! As for the reality shift, I’m imagining that a lot of what drives it is the individual’s willpower: if you experience the shift while dressed as a Aliens-style Space Marine, chances are you’ll have access to dropships, campy marine buddies, and a host of other out-of-place elements that came into being because they fit your setting.
In the same vein magical characters are capable of doing actual magic, although there isn’t a single system of magic that pervades the entire world: a D&D-style Sorcerer and someone playing Merlin in a King Arthur remake would potentially be using entirely different magical talents.
ED: For the record, I was planning on having some arcane artifacts pop in from time to time, but I wouldn’t recommend making an applied magic specialist, since it’d be a little tough to work it out with the ruleset: what might work better, if that’s your wont, is to create some kind of “arcane specialist” who combines vast amounts of arcane knowledge with the Secrets and Spirits skills.
Ok let’s see, a quick spin on the novel. I like the high stakes poker tournament bit. We can have the tournament at my house (like in Tim Burton’s Batman). I think by this point I am probably branching out from direct revenge and am using the tournament as a setup to catch a corrupt government official. This could be your syndicate guy. I of course have the whole place wired for sound and video and record what is going on.
You could have a James Bond-esqe “women are your one great weakness” thing that comes into play. It can potentially be positive, but if you risk all for a piece of tail that probably isn’t really all that good.
Do you have a good luck charm? Most gamblers do. That could be your last one.
By the by, I’m in no hurry, but after everyone puts the final touches on their guest appearances, it would help a lot if you could PM your most up-to-date sheet to me: I want to make sure my masters aren’t based on old or incorrect information. 
Got my last one, I need to think about how to phrase it so it keeps all the possibilities open, but it is his cock sureness that he is always right. He always knows better. It plays into the “I work alone” aspect, the “Champion Marksman” aspect and the “Trained with Far East Masters” aspect. He just thinks he is better than everyone else.
I was thinking of something like “It’s my way or the highway” but that is a bit glib. Maybe “My way, right or wrong”. I kind of like that.
“My way right or wrong” see above description.
And BTW:
Omi, I am amazed you are keeping track of any of this at all. It’s fun, but not exactly organized (largely my fault I know, but still…)
I love the idea of “The Dave” being framed for Murder, and you having to clear my name.
It established the fact that I’m just trying to be a good guy, but I have to constantly deal with the fact that I’ve got this… chaotic side effect that happens to follow me wherever I go.
The Grim Fandango I think is more and more going to have to be just David’s “Persona” but all it really is, is a way to explain his Gunslinger abilities. Otherwise, he’s just a hapless Stuntman with uncanny abilities. That’s about it.
But the Murder case could give him a chance to try to establish contact with an obviously “Good” guy, so that he could become a helpful Ally to the Specter when the need befalls it.
I like it.
Aspect 7: Hell on Wheels
*Boon: If it has Wheels, we can maximize its acceleration.
Bane: If it has Wheels, we can maximize its acceleration. More Speed= Bigger Boom.
*
Aspect 8: “You Owe Me!”
Boon- David Fandango usually can end calling up benefactors of those whose lives he has saved in order to pursue his reckless lifestyles (Fast Cars, Pyrotechnics, Fast Women, and Bullets. Plenty of Bullets).
Bane: The fact that he basically has to keep his passengers alive then as well? Just because The Dave can walk away from a crash, doesn’t mean everyone else can too… So he’s got to keep his charges alive, even if its just to make SURE he can get paid?
who else am I guest starring in? The Martian one?
How about this for my entry into your book.
You know there is a solid piece of evidence that would help immensely at clearing your name. However, it’s almost impossible to get to without the aid of a talented burglar. Due to Dark Spectre’s fair Contacting skill combined with my average Contacting skill, Dark Spectre hears rumors about a burglar who has developed a surprisingly high reputation for his relatively small amount of experience. Rumor even has it he found the Lost Jeweled Sword of Clan MacGuffin and even outwitted Lady Lynx, a burglar of considerable renown. He also has been known to work for a Mr. Z, who while Dark Spectre probably won’t know too much about, would know that Mr. Z doesn’t suffer fools. Best of all, this burglar’s freelance jobs are relatively cheap compared to many others with his talents, which is good for someone with limited resources. (BTW, I didn’t see resources listed among your skills, you probably want to take that at at least a level of Average, and Fair would be better. Not taking it basically means you live in the low-rent district.)
Okay, sorry for trailing behind. I’ve been working on Sam, and I’ve gotten -some- aspects, but I’m looking for more. I’m going with the whole ‘Savage Mars’ thing, and how Martian civilization, once super-high-tech, went into decline and was eventually destroyed by its own decadence, as well as a secret cult known as ‘The Cosmic Eye’, which is the bane to all worlds. A one-in-a-billion teleporter shot got Sam to Earth, where he knows his destiny is to help the people, and stop the Cosmic Eye from doing harm to earth.
So far, the Aspects I’ve chosen:
“The Humans Need Me”
Blazing Spear (Weapon of Destiny)
“Stranger in a Strange Land”
“Noble Savage” (Not sure if those two overlap too much)
Seen by the Cosmic Eye
Alien Physiology
I think I may need some more positives, oddly enough.
My planned skills are:
Superb: Athletics
Great: Survival, Weapons
Good: Endurance, Alertness, Stealth
Fair: Mysteries, Resolve, Fists, Empathy
Average: Investigation, Intimidation, Science, Might, Deciet.
And for stunts:
On Top of It
Tracker
Weapon of Destiny
Acrobatics
Safe Fall
Also considering ditching the ‘weapon of destiny’, upping my fists, and going a bit more martial-artist-y, but not sure yet. Spear seems much more ‘noble-savage-y’.
As Danar can attest, I often need brainstorming help, so… Help me brainstorm! Please!
It sounds like you are heading in the right direction. I would say try writing out the formal phases. I was amazed out how much things shifted as I wrote them down. Some ideas were dropped, others that were minor concepts became a big deal.
Questions you can answer:
How big a part of your life was science and technology before you left mars?
How did you come to find out about the Cosmic Eye?
What (if anything) did they do to Mars?
What was the environment you were raised in like?
How old were you when you came to Earth?
How old are you now?
Where have you been living on Earth?
How are you going about protecting humans from the Cosmic Eye?
Some things to think about to help flesh out what you already have there.
Actually, that’s pretty much it. That’s the motivation for my character- he’s too destructive to really hold a steady place and such.
Hence his need to save people. The “You Owe Me” aspect is basically why he does his good deeds- he needs $$$ and Favors from people in order to live his life.
Otherwise, yeah, he’s just a Stunt man making ends meet. A Glorified Stunt man is in the end… still just a stunt man.
Novel #2:
David Fandango in The Grim Fandango- WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE?
On a Steel Horse The Dave rides in this thrilling novel filled action and adventure! Hapless David Fandango finds himself walking away from a spectacular crash, with only hits wits and his guns by his side… and right into the hands of America’s Finest? ? ?
The Boys in Blue have finally deemed The Grim Fandango a menace to society, and have locked him behind bars to keep him away for good! David Fandango is now in a race against Time to clear his name, and his only clue maybe the only witness to whole scene, a drunken playboy by the name of Charles Montgomery. But little did our David know that Charles Montgomery was none other than the brilliant detective known the world over as THE DARK SPECTRE! And this detective has a hunch that someone was out to frame this unusual Stunt man, but why?
It's up to The Spectre to use all his wits to free an innocent man from a life behind bars! Read on to see the Debonair Playboy known as Charles Montgomery try to convince the Feds that foul play was involved in the crime- but when no one will believe him, it's up to the Dark Spectre to solve the Mysteries for himself, and it looks like he'll need the help of the Grim Fandango himself! But that'll require a few lbs of nitroglycerin, a few Fast Cars, and whole hell of a lot of Bullets! This is one amazing action-packed adventure after the next, as you'll get to see The Dave bust out of prison with the help of The Dark Spectre and try to help clear the name of David Fandango! This is one book you can't miss!
TDSpectre’s:
Aspect 7:
Aspect 8:
The Novel #3:
David Fandango in * The Dave: Just PLAIN Wanted! *:
This is it! This is the one you’ve been waiting for action fans, the thrilling conclusion to the The Grim Fandango- WANTED: DEAD OR ALIVE?.
We pick up with our Heroes clearing up David Fandango’s name with the Police, and apologizing for the breaking out from Prison. They’ve proven that David wasn’t the man who staged an accident to allow an ingenious heist to take place, but now they’ve got to find the REAL Culprit! After all, The Dark Specter isn’t called The Spirit of Vengeance for nothing! The Grim Fandango and The Dark Specter will enter to notorious underground world of black market crimes, all in pursuit of the culprit that took advantage of David Fandango!
Mr. Z tells the Daring Duo that the TRUE Criminal that night was after a mysterious and ancient artifact, known only as Lost Jeweled Sword of Clan MacGuffin! The true thief was able to steal a clue to get one step closer to the Sword, and has even managed to get the best of the notorious and beautiful cat burgler known only as Lady Lynx! It is a mountainous task, filled with seedy pubs, dark alleys, and a dangerous chases! Thankfully, the Duo has gained a new and mysterious contact to help to traipse this deadly terrain thanks to Mr. Z! The Man known only as The Mountain Goat! Wait, wait! Don’t put this book down! The Dave swears this new amazing man of mystery is well worth his nickname many times over! Plus, it was all The Dave could afford! The Dave promises twice the explosions and three times the Awesome in this adventure when three of the most Awesomely Amazing Characters in Action Novels today collide!
It takes a thief to catch a thief! And so with the Mountain Goat at their side, our adventurers set out to find the Master Thief, and they find themselves getting closer and closer to learning about the Curse of the Lost Jeweled Sword of Clan MacGuffin! But are they TRULY on the right path? Or is every step bound to take them away from the REAL Thief? Who can Tell, actions fans? You’ve got to read this novel to find out- just who set up our hapless David Fandango, and WHY?
The Mountain Goat:
Aspects 7:
Aspect 8:
Sorry, I made my Novel a Trilogy (Because the Dave feels that was best)
But yeah, feel free to pick and choose your spots where ever you wanna throw your aspect in there.