Some questions

[Randulf]

Q1: Suppose I want an object demon that can spy on the folks in it's immediate vicinity and somehow convery the information to the master, who isn't there.  I know that Link doesn't allow the master to 'mind-link' with the demon.  Could the demon confer Perception on its master from a distance, allowing the master to see what the demon can see?  Woudld that only work if the demon had Ranged as well, and thus within the few meters range limit?

Q2: Link allows the master to command the demon to return.  If the demon is an object, would they need the Travel ability to actually do so?

Q3: Can a Mark be erased?

[Ron Edwards]

Hello,

For your first question, you're getting tangled up in some knots. We have back up a little and see which knot needs to get untied.

Start with the description of Link - the sorcerer can see what the demon sees. So if the demon goes off and spies for the sorcerer, the sorcerer can perceive what the demon is looking at or experiencing. That's what Link does.

No problem there, right? Your question suggests you hadn't quite processed that yet. If you want your demon to go and see what the dudes are doing and saying, and you want it to be your "eyes and ears" as it does so, then all you need is Link. It does that. All this talk of Perception and Ranged is unnecessary.

Q2: Link allows the master to command the demon to return.  If the demon is an object, would they need the Travel ability to actually do so?

I think I'm going to have to step back a little from this question, too, and answer more generally. Then you'll see the specific answer within it.

The demon's return is totally dependent on the demon's ability to do so. If you've defined it such that the demon is immobile, then obviously, it can't return.

However, few demons are defined that way, if any. Most demons walk, fly, teleport, whatever, with or without Travel - they get around somehow. If you command it to return, it uses its own steam/abilities to do so.

So how about Objects? That depends on the particular demon. Some of them could be said to move on their own - say, a demon car. Others, like swords or computers or whatever, are defined not to be able to do so; someone typically has to carry or get them.

However! Those latter demons may be played rather flexibly, depending on the group. Think of any number of comics, novels, and movies, where an irritating object always seems to turn up in mysterious ways, although no one ever sees it move. Say you had a demon pocket-watch, with Link. You give it to a bad guy, or he takes it or something, and then he goes and discusses all sorts of important things with his pals. You learn all of this, of course, through Link.

Then you say, "pocket-watch, that's enough, come on back to me," and ... what happens?

1. In some games or for some Object demons, you just wasted your time, and if you want your pocket-watch, you'll have to go get it.

2. In others, it turns up mysteriously in your pocket the next time you put your shirt on, and who knows how it really got there.

3. In still others, it might "behave" in such a way as to have the bad guy lose it (i.e. he just leaves it behind by accident somewhere, he'd say), and you still have to go get it, but it's at least away from him. When I say "behave," think of the irritating behavior of an object that insists on not being found.

The crucial point is that the range of #1-3 is going to depend on that particular demon, that particular group of players, and the general look and feel of that particular game's content.

Q3: Can a Mark be erased?

Seems like a great conflict to try during play. Just what score the erasing-character rolls will depend a bit on the situation, although the opposing roll would be the Power of the demon who made the Mark.

Best, Ron

[Randulf]

Okay, I was reading "gain some idea of what is happening around the other" a little too literally - for some reason I didn't imagine this included actually perceiving what the other does... instad I imagined that (for example) the master would get a sense of chaos and urgency if the demon got in a fight, or some such.  Thanks for the clarification.

[Lisa Padol]

3. In still others, it might "behave" in such a way as to have the bad guy lose it (i.e. he just leaves it behind by accident somewhere, he'd say), and you still have to go get it, but it's at least away from him. When I say "behave," think of the irritating behavior of an object that insists on not being found.

Like the One Ring in Lord of the Rings.

-Lisa, just realizing that if I were to do an Arthurian Sorcerer setting, Excalibur probably wouldn't be an object demon, but that scabbard would be. Hm.

[Randulf]

The idea I was kicking around was a demon coin.  A sorcerous enchanter wants to learn more about his customers, so he arranges to have the coin traded to the buying agent so that he can learn who the true customer is.  Not sure how I can arrange for the coin's Need to be met - perhaps it just needs to be coveted.

The transport ability was if the enchanter wants the coin to return, but it might be fun to just have it get lost in circulation too.  A low power demon coin would be no great loss to the enchanter, presumably.

I'm kicking around whether the coin should have Taint also, to give troubling nightmares or some such to it's owner.

Ron, have I mentioned how much I love this game? <grin>

[Ron Edwards]

The game loves you too. You're still finding your feet a little, but with this kind of drive and curiosity, it's going to be time for you to play, and I'll be looking forward to that.

Best, Ron

[Randulf]

The game loves you too. You're still finding your feet a little, but with this kind of drive and curiosity, it's going to be time for you to play, and I'll be looking forward to that.

Heh.  I'm working on it.  First session may well be at the end of this month, after my vacation.  I've recruited the three players, one of whom immediately got the spirit of things, describing a holy warrior, demon-hunter, crusader type who believes he is being divinely assisted in his quest but alone, late at night, sometimes has his doubts.  I need to prod the others a bit more, but I think this has good promise.

Expect more questions as I work things out. <wink>