So I’m working on a hack for a Spectrologist playbook (a tinker-esq class with a heavier focus on studying and academics and with a bit of a lean towards the supernatural), but just realized that Spectrologist as a name is too long for the box on the sheet. I COULD shrink the font size, but that puts it out of sync with the rest of the sheets and that others me, but that messes with the style guide and bothers me.
So I come here and all of you lovely people for suggestions. I’ve decided that the name I’ll use for the playbook would be a derogatory name for a Spectrologist that leaves academia to work in the criminal world as a part of their studies.
What can you give me?
I’d steal my favorite disparaging nickname for academics from Bones: Squint. “Always walking around, ya know…” scrunches up face “Squinting at stuff.”
Plus it fits with stuff like Lurk, Slide, Whisper, etc
The gloom?
This actually sounds really close to the standard Leech playbook. If your special abilities synergize nicely with the Leech’s, maybe new optional Leech abilities would make sense, instead of splitting off a new playbook that’ll kind of need to differentiate itself?
Ziv Wities Yeah, that is something I tried to avoid. As it stands I don’t really think it is an issue, but let me try to clarrify my stance to make sure:
I describe these guys as “a philosopher and arcane inventor” and aimed it guy to be more of a supernaturally-spawned science, rather than the Leech which has a more grounded path. They also lack the destructive tendencies I feel characterize the leeech.
I took inspiration from a sort of Piero/Sokolov from Dishonored – a mixing of the supernatural and mechnical kind of vibe (though that focus has faded a little bit). Here’s a sampling of the abilities to maybe help clarify:
“When faced with a stressful situation created by supernatural causes you look for a scientific answer to it. When you roll to resist Stress from such a situation, you may choose to roll your Insight instead of your Resolve and add 1d to your roll.”
“Something whispers to you, helping you to dream up solutions and leading you to answers. When you attempt to craft an item with spark-craft or arcane features, you may choose to roll either Attune or Tinker at will. If either Action is maxed out (4 dots) when you attempt to use it gain +1 quality to your roll.”
“You own an enchanted bell, not unlike those used by the Spirit Wardens. When a death occurs in an area nearby, you instantly become aware of it.”
They also begin with a Hull cohort (Expert: Servant), like the Hound’s pet.
Matthew Vincett : It’s a matter of approach — playing the same playbook lots of different ways, or coming up with new, focused, well-tailored playbooks. And to be clear, your approach sounds awesome 😀