[DL] RE: Allan's double jokers character

["Clint Black" <cblack@ohtinc.com>]

Hi Allan,




Spoilers for players (Marshalls only from here out)






















Okay, the first thing that popped out at me was the first part of the Black
Joker.

Black Joker (card inverted) The Popess (high priestess)- Spiritual/Physical
love.  Ignorance.  Shortsightedness.  Lack of Understanding.  Selfishness.
Acceptance of Superficial knowledge.  Improper judgement.  Shallowness.
Conceit.

The "Spiritual/Physical love" part screamed out, "what if you take it
literally?"  In the old days, the character's ancestors (out of "Ignorance.
Shortsightedness.  Lack of Understanding.  Selfishness.  Acceptance of
Superficial knowledge.  Improper judgement.  Shallowness.  And Conceit.")
chose to make a pact with a powerful manitou, and they did so in a most
horrible manner.  They sent their daughter into the Hunting Grounds where
she mated with the beast.  From that point on their line has been both
tainted and empowered with the blood of the manitou.

Effect:  Being part manitou, the character can buy Harrowed powers at double
cost.  However, beneficial shamanic powers do not affect him, and the
character has a Yearnin' as described below.  With these two hindrances, I
would give the character level 1 in one Harrowed power to start.  Either an
increase in Nimbleness to go with the cat burglar motif, a level in
Stitchin' to aid in healing, or the huckster ability (which slips my mind
right now) to draw extra cards.


Now we go to the Red Joker:

Red Joker:  9 diamonds (coins in other decks)-
Accomplishment.  Effect.  Achievement.  Good Health.  Material Well-being.
Difficulties surmounted.

A relic.  Specifically a flint knife.  Stolen by the character from an
exhibit of Injun antiquities.  Kept by him because of its exceptional
balance and edge.  Not too powerful, it can affect critters only harmed by
magic, but its primary powers appear to be defensive (it has a DB of 2) thus
keeping the character in "Good Health."


And then the character background:

Okay - and this player is running a 2nd story man thief type whose cover is
a buyer/seller of artwork.  His primary weapon is knife.  He also took
arcane background - unknown.  Leaving it to be discovered and developed
during gameplay.


The thief background goes with the character's manitou ancestry.  His
manitou too-many-greats granddaddy is known as "Oathbreaker."  The effect is
that everyone in the character's family is forced by their very nature to
break one of the Ten Commandments and has a Yearnin (or other hindrance) to
that effect.  The PC is a not too bad, Yearnin' "To be the best thief" in
opposition to "Thou Shalt Not Steal."  Of course, his ties to a manitou also
make him a natural Huckster as well.  (No bonus on backlash as some manitous
see him as a half-breed abomination as well.)

The knife issue comes in later in the campaign when it is discovered that it
was created to destroy Oathbreaker.  It has additional powers against him or
any of his line (including the PC).  It does 2d6 damage and gives a +2 to
Fightin': Knife against anyone of Oathbreaker's line.  It does double this
(4d6 and +4) to the manitou itself.

So, now you work all this into the game slowly.  Have the posse's opponent's
be members of this one family (the PC's though he doesn't know he was
adopted).  At first, it's not apparent that it is one family, distant
cousins and such.  Later, the party has the chance to figure it out, and it
is obvious from that point on.  The character should know his knife does
more damage to members of this family (blood boils where they are cut).  And
then one day it happens, he gets cut by his own knife, and HIS blood boils.

The whole thing builds up to a confrontation with Oathbreaker the manitou.
Destroying him does not cause any current family member to lose their
powers, but it breaks the pact such that future children will not be cursed.
He may not be free, but at least his children will be.

Follow up storylines could deal with the surviving families reactions and
retribution.  Including perhaps the family's attempt to make a pact with a
new manitou.


Possible Family members:


Sarah Lee- Most approachable and "sympathetic" family member.  Soiled dove
who deals solely in married clientele. <Thou shalt not commit adultery.>

Senator Jefferson <family name>- Patriarch of the family.  Deals in numerous
illegal and evil activies (including black magic) that he loves to blame on
others.  A complusive liar.  <Thou shalt not tell falsehood against thy
neighbor.>

Captain Scott <family name>-  Army calvary "golden boy", son of the senator.
Has assembled a cutthroat band of "soldiers" who are assigned to fight
indians, but spend their time slaughtering the women and children of the
tribes. <Thou shalt not commit murder.>

Cousin Hiram-  An "ally" of sorts.  Does all he can behind the scenes to
disrupt the family's plans.  An avowed coward at odds with his desire to
undo the family's dealings.  He is the one who hid the PC from the rest of
the family, using his magic to make him appear to have been stillborn.
<Honor thy father and mother.>

Lady Cynthia Carstairs-  From "Perdition's Daughter."  A cousin; she and her
cult would make a good introduction adventure to the family.  Any cult
leader could be used though.  <Thou shalt have no other gods before me.>

Father Lucius M. Starr- Another cousin who uses his position as a minister
(and his charisma based hexes) to seduce his congregation to sin.  He tells
malleable parrishioners that all sins are forgiven on the sabbath, and if
the temptation becomes too much for them... well, the lord will forgive them
if they just wait till Sunday.  The town's Fear Level goes up as it gets
closer to Sunday and then drops back down on Monday. <Honor the sabbath and
keep it holy.>

"Scabby" Johnson-  A cursin' old coot with a mouth that could make someone
with Tourette's Syndrome blush.  He appears to be nothing more than comic
relief.  In actuality, he is the senator's uncle and his spy on the posse's
activities.  He might even be Sarah Lee's grandfather. <Take not the Lord's
name in vain.>

Robert Hood-  The dark mirror to the character.  Despite his name he does
not give to the poor.  In fact, he gives to no one; he only takes.  An
intelligent rival/foe that mocks the PC's supposed superiority.  "And who
gains from your escapades?  The guard that lost his job after you snuck past
him.  The curator whose reputation is permanently besmirched.  The artist
whose piece will now only be seen by a single person ridden by guilt.  Or
maybe it's the one child visiting the museum that would have been inspired
by the item you stole.  Don't fool yourself.  We both serve the same master.
And it is a master you cannot escape."  <Thou shalt not steal.>  (In the
character's case, he tries to steal hope.)

Henrietta <family name>-  Mysterious women drop the character a note of
warning or aid before disappearing in the shadows.  Are they an all female
organization opposing the family?  No, it's just Henrietta, the young
daughter of the senator.  A "grass is always greener" kind of girl; she has
always been jealous of others especially her family.  If she can't bring
herself up to her family's level, maybe she can bring them down.  Henrietta
may perhaps be the most frightening member of the family once her full
activities are known.  Her jealousy is not limited to the family.  She
always knew other women were prettier than her and once she came into
possession of the Skinner knife (from "Skinners" or another with the same
powers), there was something she could do about it.  Henrietta is a serial
killer taking the skins of her victims as her own.  But every few weeks she
always finds someone "prettier" than her current appearance.  When the posse
discovers her sick past time, it becomes a frightening game of cat and
mouse.  Sarah Lee helps out with information leading to her next victim.
But whose skinned body is hidden under the brothel's outhouse.  It's all a
trap by Henrietta who wants to be a part of the posse opposing her family.
If she has her way, she'll skin a female posse member, fake her own death,
and help the others escape.  Even if successful, in a few weeks, she'll see
someone else prettier.  But there is a skinless harrowed on her trail with
vengence in her heart.  (If the harrowed gets her skin back, she can put it
back on leaving only the initial incision scar running down the back as the
cause of death.)  <Thou shalt not covet.>

Jason Samude-  A true Servitor of the Reckoners.  Jason searched for power
through mystical objects and relics.  His willingness to perform any act no
matter how vile in his search earned him the attention of the Reckoners.
Jason has the true head of Medusa (though hardly recognizable now as
anything other than possibly female).  With the head, he can turn others to
stone.  If said persons are then placed in a special garden at his home, he
gains youth and a portion of their life essence and abilities.  While it may
seem obvious that Jason's weakness is petrification by Medusa's head, in
fact he is immune to its powers.  No, Jason's weakness is something he is
not aware of, and yet he sees everyday.  Within his collection is a feather
from Pegasus, who, as legends say, sprung from Medusa's body after her head
was severed.  Anyone touching the feather is immune to Medusa's power, and
the effect is even retroactive.  The way to defeat Jason is to touch the
feather to all of the "residents" of his garden which will release them.
There's a catch; a couple of them are obviously abominations themselves.  Of
course, first it will take a skilled thief to steal Pegasus' feather.  Wait
a minute... ;)  <Thou shalt have no graven images.>



My "chicken fried steak with sawmill gravy, pinto beans, and turnip greens"
two cents,


Clint Black