So a player decided to deal with his stress relief overindulging by taking an extra entanglement. I rolled demonic. A The Ring lookalike materializes in his fireplace as he is looking around to deal with the succen frost. (The daemon is along the theme of temperature control, absorbing and generating heat and cold at will). In my mindscape it is clearly too challenging for the players to tackle.
At first, he grabs his warhammer and swings at it. In a blur, the demon dodges the blow and ends up behind the PC. It giggles and tells him that she has a deal to propose. She does not give any information at that point, I want to see how the player reacts. After a quick bout of out of game questions he decides that he will have nothing to do with the demon, who ended up threatening his family (his obligation vice) to try and convince him.
We come back to the table where other players are and I state the mechanical choices: lay low for so long that you both escape the demon’s notice and lose reputation as your presence is lost, accept the demon deal, or deal with the daemon some other way.
They chose option 3 even if option 1 was a guaranteed result.
They went to see Griggs from the Gondoliers, who recommended either Sanctifying a place to prevent incursion from that particular demon, or performing a ritual to bind the demon so that it no longer harrasses the crew (killing it outright was hinted as being out of Grigg’s league…and therefore the crew’s!)
So now they are on the way to doing a social score with the dimmer sisters in order to get the proper arcane/occult McGuffins and knowledge in order to then (as a 2nd score) summon and bind the demon. Players expect to be able to rid themselves of the demon, but I will surprise them when even the dimmer sisters seem not powerful enough to outright slay a demon. So as Griggs surmised, forcing it to agree to a bargain is the best way to go around its apparent invincibility.
My questions are
-how do you guys do social scores to request the aid of a neutral faction, do you have any ideas about the sort of obstacles or key points that should be adressed during the first score?
-how does a crew with zero atune get to summon and bind a demon? I’m thinking of actually having it propose that they must “bring blood sacrifices every week in order to appease its wrath” or something similarly dire… would you have any less-clichéd suggestions?
Bearing in mind that all of this will probably cost them resources rather than generating coin, maybe put them at odds with the spirit wardens, and generate regular reputation (2+1) I think that this approach (not paying 3 rep) is the riskiest but most fun from a storytelling perspective, so I want to run with it.
It’s definitely the most interesting option. As for your questions:
1. It’s a negotiation. The Dimmer Sisters have something the crew wants, what do they have that the Sisters want? See if they can come up with something worth trading, and failing that, name a price that should be painful, but not impossible, to pay.
2. Acquire Asset, Acquire Asset, Acquire Asset. Specifically, an Expert Cohort Whisper that they can use for a limited time. Their services should NOT come cheap.
I think it’s helpful to remember that social scores and “action” scores (theft or violence) are both just a series of obstacles. Consider this from the rulebook:
“Complex enemy threats can be broken into several “layers,” each with its own progress clock. For example, the Lampblacks’ HQ might have a “Perimeter Security” clock, an “Interior Guards” clock, and a “Bazso’s Office Security” clock. The crew would have to make their way through all three layers to reach Bazso’s personal safe and the whiskey collection within.”
Here you have a simple score broken up into three abstract progress clocks that the PCs have to get past. This provides a flexible framework to hang the details on (you’ll notice that none of the clocks demand any particular actions to get past).
All you need to do for a social score is think of 3 (or thereabouts) progress clocks to represent obstacles that fit the fiction.
Looking at the Dimmer Sisters in the faction guide, I could imagine clocks like:
– Get the Dimmer Sisters’ Attention (some bold action needed here to prove you’re a crew worth talking to – Roslyn, their servant, will then have a sit-down)
– Convince Roslyn (the sisters’ servant – patient, loyal, arcane) to take you to meet with a Sister
– Convince the Sister(s) to help you out
Complications on partial successes or failures on this score could be third parties interfering, heat from the Spirit Wardens, the Dimmer Sisters “testing” (screwing with) the crew, ghost shenanigans, and the stakes/demands of the Dimmer Sisters changing (lots of failures might mean a bad deal, good rolls would mean a better deal).
I could imagine a complication clock called “the Dimmer Sister has had enough of your shit” which gets filled with bungled social action rolls; the players then have to juggle managing the Sister’s impatience (keep that clock down) while also pursuing their deal (filling the final obstacle clock).
Thank you both for the excellent feedback.
This is probably the most preparation (and thus the least amount of improvisation shenanigans) I have ever done for a BitD game!
This is the preparation I have for the game in two weeks.
Part 0.
1) Figure out what and who the demon is. Research. P.251 Morlan Hall of Unnatural Philosophy of Charterhall University.
Minimum information is: fire and cold demon. Master of both elements.
Better info is: to help manifest, someone must be drowning in cold water.
Best info is: the demon’s true name, Esketra. Use burning embers pressed against palms to help manifest. +1 to engage roll in the Binding.
Note: Nualia, a student (Church of Ecstasy) wants part of the pie of whatever the PCs are doing. She offers to come with the PCs, apparently out of Academic Interest.
2) What do the Sisters want in order to accept a meet? Killing a Spirit Warden will surely get their attention!
Part 1.
Looking at the Dimmer Sisters:
– Get the Dimmer Sisters’ Attention… Kill a Spirit Warden! How do PCs grab the warden’s attention?
– Describe spooky ambiance of Dimmer Sister convent. See ghost manifest… emphasize mood and mounting dread. Run away or paralyze or resist? Ghost queries as to their business. Fetches Roslyn to have a material presence.
– Convince Roslyn (the sisters’ servant – patient, loyal, arcane) to take you to meet with a Sister. Easy. Partial success is a pass, but she shows irritation that ticks a clock. Total fail means changing approach–but she is immune to bribes.
– Convince the Sisters to help them out (toughest part). Need ritual formula for binding as well as reagents to perform the formula. A crit means they get paid for this score or the sisters provide a whisper for free! (Offer players metagame choice.)
Complications on partial successes or failures on this score could be third parties interfering, heat from the Spirit Wardens, the Dimmer Sisters “testing” (screwing with) the crew, ghost shenanigans, and the stakes/demands of the Dimmer Sisters changing (lots of failures might mean a bad deal, good rolls would mean a better deal).
Complication clock called “the Dimmer Sister has had enough of your shit” while also filling up their “Successful Deal negociation”.
Downtime.
Heat: they will probably have killed a Spirit Warden…
Faction status should be a negative outcome.
-1 spirit wardens
Part 2a. Acquire asset.
If 1st score is successful, they need to recruit a Whisper. Tier III acquire asset. Aranna the Blessed p.299. Recommend doing this downtime first to use up coins/rep on THAT downtime activity. May be provided by Sisters if crit the negociation. Aranna asks what the terms of the binding are. Points to a year of truce if players are stuck.
Part 2b, optional:
Failed with Dimmer Sisters? Bonus score time!
1. Steal reagents. Gaddoc Rail or Dimmer Sisters stash. Appropriate research, then lets improvise this!
2. Obtain ritual formula. If student Nualia is here she can propose two acquaintances.
-Time to introduce Lord Scurlock? Settara could be a nemesis to Esketra. She shows up in androgynous human guise to parlay.
-Centuralia Club. Involve Circle of Flame. In modest attire this time (last time she was The Woman in Red), Lady Penderyn mentions her husband, who knows a whisper, who will hijack the binding at a critical moment to control Esketra. That social encounter is too good to be true and the Circle is willing to provide their own Whisper (named Isabella) at a measly cost of 1 coin.
Reputation as usual.
Factions:
+1 Dimmer Sisters
+1 with Scurlock or Circle of Flame
If there is extra downtime
Acquire asset or short term clock: demonbane charms attuned with the reagents (only work on Esketra, Tier I item). Rules: When resisting the demon, reduce by 1 further “step”. A -3 that is resisted would become a -1 instead of -2.
Part 3. The binding.
Npc recommends to choose heavy load and to come with armor in case the demon breaks lose.
– Setup mood and ambiance.
– Ritual occurs, drown in cold water or burn palms with embers, demon manifests…
If Nualia the student is here, her neck freezes and snaps like a celery stick as her eye sockets burn to liquid goop.
If with recruited Whisper: impose direct harm lvl 3 on the whisper. Offer players to body guard/take the hit; they can then resist the harm.
If with Isabella (Circle of Flame) or Settara:
Demon inflicts level 3 harm on player. Offer to resist.
Then, Isabella attempts to calm it. Describe screaming phrases as environment changes. Dust falls from ceiling or ground shakes or water falls upwards… Otherwise, Settara begins epic combat, initially as a human.
Once initial danger is shown,
Let mayhem ensue. Pc attacks will be inefficient.
Settara or Isabella inflict collateral damage as they clash with fire demon. Showcase elemental VFX.
If Settara, she kills the demon and thanks PCs with their distraction and summoning. +faction with Lord Scurlock.
If whisper is still able, it performs the binding and thanks the PCs for the distraction help. Confirms that the demon respects the bargain.
If Circle of Flame, the binding is done so that the demon obeys the cultist. This is not initially apparent. Isabella tells them that the situation is under control and mentions that she should have asked for a higher pay (this is a bluff). +faction with Circle of Flame
When the binding is complete, score is over.
“The demon wrangler” reputation (awarded to Aranna/Isabella/Settara) is loosely associated as having being helped by a bunch of no names.
Well that’s very thorough! I don’t have anything to add, although I would say that while it’s good to have all that detail and prep in your backpocket, keep an open mind to rolling with whatever crazy plans the players come up with… For example, they might have a different plan to get the sisters’ attention, which would be fine as long as they can fill the clock.
If they fail the negociation with the sisters, should I present both options (Settara & Isabella) and let the players pick a poison?
They could also meet with the sisters first to see if they want anything from you. Perhaps, since all but Roslyn stay in their house they could use the crew for a mission of their own.
As for the summoning, if the crew can’t attune, then they can hire someone who can. Alternatively, they can be given a very precise ritual to follow, making the summoning more a matter of study than occult skill. And when it comes to demons the thing I like about them is that they’re amoral, not necessarily murderous. They have one desire and they go after it no matter the cost. For example, one of my players has a summoned demon who will aid them as long as the demon is left to their own devices when not needed. The demon is currently posed as a Tycherosi noble and sowing petty discord among the upper class, because that’s the thing that amuses them. Just ask why a demon would want to be among humans and take the answer you find most interesting.
Olivier Rayé-Lalonde I think that’s a good idea, sure!