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Switch to Forum Live View Would This Count As A Powers Check?
4 years ago  ::  Aug 13, 2009 - 11:45AM #1
Leliel
Date Joined: Mar 3, 2008
Posts: 370
Well, my warlock character, Math, has a bit of fiction to show who he is at the DM's request.

I decided to show him saving a shifter from a racist bully. Word for word:

"Does it make you feel better?

The man beating the razorclaw shifter looked up in surprise. "Who said that?"

"Attacking someone who didn't do anything wrong, simply because you dislike his race in general. Does it make you feel better about yourself?"

"Hmph". The man gave the half-lycanthrope child a kick, then looked in the general direction of the voice-a particularly shadowy alley. Not that this was all that strange, as it was night. "Yeah, right. He's a lycan-spawn. If he didn't want it, he wouldn't have come here. He belongs in the woods, like the rest of the beasts."

If the man had known anything about magic, he would have guessed that the strange humming noise was a wand being primed for battle. As it is, he mainly payed attention to the voice, which now grew hard and sharp. "You didn't answer my question. But to the point, did you know about this lovely concept druids call the 'Primal Beast'?"

"Huh?"

Guess you don't. Not at all surprising. Anyway, the Primal Beast is supposedly the primal spirit of predators, all those that have come before or since. It is by turns ruthless and kind, bloodthirsty and yet caring. One thing it is never, however, is cruel."

"Heh. Bet you know a lot about that, lycan."

"Lycan? *chuckle* I am not a lycanthrope of any sort, however you may wish me to be. My point being that all things that have eaten other things are in someway connected to the Primal Beast-and that includes humans.


The voice drew closer, as the humming grew louder.

"My point being: By bullying those weaker than you, you have devolved to a state that can no longer be called a predator-just a slug."

The bully grew angry at this. "Well, come and say that to my face, chicken!"

The voice laughed. "My friend, that's what I'm about to do."

There was a flash of purplish light as the bully's body caught on fire. Whatever bravery he had was quickly lost as he began to scream, desperately trying to put out the flames. When the pain had ceased, he looked up to find the source of the flames. He screamed louder.

The...thing...held him up in a shadowy claw, staring at him with enraged, terrible eyes, a scowl on the closest thing to a face it had.

"If I ever find you bullying another shifter, tiefling, or half-orc, I will not hesitate to break your ribs. So I would recommend you leave, and never return. Slug."

The man took his advice. Chuckling to himself, Math dismissed his aura as the dust kicked up by the bully fled, and kneeled next to the shifter, who had been petrified in fear.

"Are you OK?"

The half-lycanthrope gulped. "Y...ye...yes." *whimper*

"That's good. There's a place to the northeast of here. I'll take you there."

Lifting the wounded shifter, Math made his way to Moonsong Temple.

"The priest here will treat your injuries. He's an elf, but he doesn't mind shifters at all. Just tell him that a warlock brought you here."

Math knocked on the door, then began to leave, not wishing to be forced to talk to Starlight.

"Wait! Mister!"

*Sigh* "Yes?"

"...Thank you."

"No trouble. No trouble at all."

Now, obviously, he isn't a Ravenloft character-half-orcs don't exist, after all-but if he was...


Would this be grounds for a Powers Check, and if so, what Terror Track would he go down?

The illusion of a monster was obviously not powers-check worthy, although if he was in Timor, he might need to cleanse himself of marikith taint (intentionally causing fear-although wether it counts if it was for a reason other than savoring the sensation is something I'm not clear on).

The act that put me into question was the fact that he set the poor bastard on fire to make his point. He blunted the attack, so it would only cause pain and not major burns, but I think that may count as "unneeded brutality".

Just a rules/moral question.
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4 years ago  ::  Aug 13, 2009 - 12:13PM #2
livingwill
Date Joined: Jul 16, 2009
Posts: 60
Borderline, I wouldn't require it if he did so because it would discourage him doing so to others and perhaps even killing them next time. If he did so just because it irked him I would make it a 1-2% power check. I might make the way of the werebadger as they have hair trigger tempers.
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4 years ago  ::  Aug 13, 2009 - 1:57PM #3
Leliel
Date Joined: Mar 3, 2008
Posts: 370
Good, good.

He did it for both reasons of prevention and ire, actually. He wanted to protect an innocent from being possibly killed, but Math also has a bit of a vindictive streak that is aroused whenever he sees someone being treated badly for something he can't control; Something he finds easy to emphasize with, as he hasn't had the most discrimination-free life himself.

To put it simply, there's a prophecy concerning him that lead to him nearly being sacrificed to a devil as a way to placate the "evil forces" that allowed him to be born, during the escape from which the only people who ever loved him died.

Yeah, he has a lot of resentment burning towards the world.
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