SGAM 2015 – Freeformpalooza: Fate (part 5)

Regrouping

There’s a few things to plan. I came up with a big bad. Having done so quickly, I should make a more careful review. Also now that the phaerimm have appeared, I’d like to stat out a few of those in varying levels of challenge.

In Rysdan’s current plight, it seems that a new scenario presents itself here — that of escaping the dread lord’s dungeon. That means that session two really marked the end of scenario one, albeit a failed endeavor. That’s a significant milestone, so I’ll use the opportunity to raise our hero’s intelligence by one point. He’s got no consequences, so nothing to do there.

Now, I really should give Klothain some more specific stunts. Here’s what I might give him, more in line with the Fate Freeport Companion.

Accomplished Spellcaster (x5). pick 15 spells provided you have the requisites to cast them.


Arch-wizard. You have mastered all forms of wizardly magic. You may choose from the Abjuration, Curses, Divination, Enchantment, Evocation, Illusion, Necromancy, and Transmutation schools. This stunt doesn’t automatically grant knowledge of any spells.


Master of Repulsion. You know every spell of the Abjuration school. The cost for this stunt equals the cost one would normally spend on accomplished spellcaster minus one (one stunt). You must meet the requirements to be able to cast spells from this school.


Master of Vision. You know every spell of the Divination school. The cost for this stunt equals the cost one would normally spend on accomplished spellcaster minus one (two stunts). You must meet the requirements to be able to cast spells from this school.


Spells: animate dead, burning hands, charm, compulsion, curse of withering, death’s chill, disguise, evil eye, fireball, ghoul’s touch, ill fortune, magic missile, mind blast, mind shield, and provoke emotion.

That’s 9 stunts worth of potency. That’s a lot. There’s no way Rysdan can confront him directly…which is how scary a big bad should be.

Now for the phaerimm. Here’s a baseline for a fully-developed adult critter.

They get the following aspects: telepathic magical flying thorn grub, mad gibbering supra-intelligence, devious individualists in concert

Superb (+5): Intelligence


Great (+4): Constitution


Good (+3): Wisdom


Fair (+2): Strength


Average (+1): Dexterity


Mediocre (+0): Charisma

Magical Feeder (requires Magic Resistant). If a phaerimm succeeds with style on a defend action against any magic, they can remove a mild consequence or reduce a moderate consequence to a mild one.


Magic Resistant. Phaerimm get +2 to defend or oppose any spell.


No Magic Is Too Great. The phaerimm do not learn magic like mortals. Pick three spells from any school. They may know these without adhering to its prerequisites.


Innate Magic-User (Int). The phaerimm are innate spellcasters, using intelligence instead of charisma for their magical abilities.


Poisonous Stinger. If a phaerimm succeeds in a physical attack, the GM may opt to reduce the damage by one shift and place the poisoned aspect on the victim with a free invocation.

Attack (+2): bite or stinger


Defend (+4): thorny hide

Physical Stress: 3 boxes


Mental Stress: 3 boxes


Consequences: 1 moderate, plus 1 mental mild and 1 physical mild

Younger/immature larvae may be met as well. These have flying magical larva, feed me!, and can have either the magic resistant or poisonous stinger stunt, and skills arranged thusly:

Average (+1): Dexterity, Intelligence


Mediocre (+0): Constitution, Strength, Wisdom


Poor (-1): Charisma

Attack (+0): bite

Defend (+1): dodge

Stress: 2 boxes

The session will make use of Chris Stieha’s wonderful map detailing Rysdan’s detention. I will have a mini-game creation session, because our hero is now “off the grid”, and we need to know the environment’s issues, places & faces. I’ll also refine those story questions to focus this particular scenario, dealing with not only getting free, but finding out about our enemy and perhaps helping some other sympathetic prisoners.

I’ll roll a few cubes to get some random input: Floating Hive City; Medical Needle; Paleontology Tools

From this, I gather that this is not so much an underground area, but rather some pocket dimension in the form of floating islands bound together by lines in a formless aether. Something is causing the phaerimm to rely on a narcotic or chemical to survive (maybe it is magic depleted here?). Lastly, the prisoners of Klothain are put into work camps to mine one of these rocks for the necessary chemicals. That’s good stuff…

Next I get: Medical Drop, Laughing, and Scify Sliding Doors

The medical thing is that there’s a priest here. Somehow, they keep him suspended in a cage within the aether. Perhaps his/her priestly magic somehow bypasses the magic depleted area, but it is not energy that can be used to feed the phaerimm. This person is feared — and therefore, useful. Next, there’s a crazy person from which Rysdan can get info (another crazy one!). Finally, somewhere there is a portal between worlds.

More organized:

Realm of the Dread Lord

Floating in a Sea of Nothingness.


Rocks Moored Together.


There’s Nowhere To go!


Mining for Magnetite.


Magic Depleted Vortex.

The Phaerimm

Seeking a Source of Sustenance.


Bound To This Plane — For Now.

The Prisoners

Also refined from some Story Cubes. Our personages of interest:

Mack Grentz — Mad Gnome Miner; I Know This Place!

Mirina Prodwell — Mistress of the Morn; Isolated in Nothingness

The Broken Wizard — Master Planewalker; Kept Senseless on Void Lotus

Story Questions Revisited

1. That sounds like our new scenario-level questions are:

2. Can Rysdan avoid spilling any more secrets?

3. Can Rysdan find away to keep from appearing suspicious as he finds a way out?

4. Can he learn more about the enemy’s plan?

5. Can he find a way out?

Some exciting stuff to be worked out here! Stay tuned...