My alchemical romance! (Yes, I had to…)
I created this potion for my Gods of the Fall game but it seems (thematically, not mechanically, of course) to fit with Blades. I was hoping to get some advice on what mechanical bits you all feel it might have. I’ve left the Cypher rules in place on the off chance one of you likes it and plays Cypher games. (I’m not advertising on accident again!)
Plus, I’m being lazy and don’t feel like chopping it up.
Chameleon’s Kiss (potion; difficulty 7 to create one dose; difficulty 6 to resist effect)
Often used by assassins and spies, this thick, bitter potion grants the imbiber the vile power to steal another’s form and mind with a kiss. Upon embrace the victim must succeed at Difficulty 6 Might and Intellect defense tasks, or fall prey to the potion’s power. If failed, the attacker morphs into a perfect copy of the target (minus garments, accoutrements, etc), while the inverse happens to the victim, who falls dead, their heart stopped. A nearly perfect transference of the target’s mind also occurs, granting the assailant 3 steps in their favor to mimic the victim’s mannerisms, memories, etc. The attacker’s mind does not transfer, however. During the mental transfer, the attacker must succeed at a Difficulty 4 Intellect defense task or have the difficulty of all tasks increased for a day. If the poisoner wishes to assume their prior form, they must perform the attack again (with a second dose), although many don’t, instead moving from body to body; persona to persona.
Since souls matter more in Blades, I’m toying with the idea that the attacker “eats” the victim’s soul, but there can be nasty side effects.
If I were doing this, I’d make it a ritual with chemicals rather than a potion.
The imbibed soul’s integration would be a long term project, and while it was incomplete, the GM would be encouraged to remember it is there and use that for complications and devil’s bargains as appropriate.
I would probably also include a fortune roll; fail, gain a Trauma. Succeed, no change. On a 6, lose an existing Trauma, sloughed off in the transformation.
A “worn spell” from a ritual works. It’s probably more of a hybrid: you perform a ritual which creates a potion. It would definitely be a long term project, not something Jessie and Walt cook up in a basement. It isn’t demon blood tattoos, after all. š
Andrew Shields I agree it should be a ritual, but I actually found issue with the more specific advice about the fortune roll and results you gave:
Avoid fortune rolls when an action roll is probably better. Won’t they be attuning or tinkering to do this anyways; sounds risky at least..
Avoid creating states in fortune rolls that are basically “nothing happens.” Something happened (usually a downtime action is spent), or we wouldn’t have rolled dice.
Also, I wouldn’t hang things like +/- trauma on a roll (players do that whenever they resist because they dont have to resist at all).
Rather, I would tell them they take Trauma, or they don’t; with the risk matching the rewards. Like if this ritual just takes their body and personality for a day, then Trauma sounds like overkill. If this is more permanent, then Trauma might be appropriate (but it should known upfront this is assured, similar to how Forgotten Gods works).
I will definitely get some GMing under my belt before I fiddle with things like this.
Mark Cleveland MassengaleĀ There are a hundred ways to mechanize this. That’s just one. I don’t feel the need to wade in and defend it or anything, that’s just one way it could be handled.