Friends in high places

[Ron Edwards]

Hi there,

(elbows Lon in the ribs) 'Scuse me.

Peter, the essence of Binding is the responsibility that the sorcerer incurs toward the demon. Sure, a Passing demon might have "listen to golden oldies" as its Need, but that doesn't mean the sorcerer can give it a few bucks and the address of the used record store. No, by definition, the sorcerer must take personal and effort-oriented responsibility to get the demon those golden oldies (with high fidelity, without interfering responsibilities during "listening time, with whatever else).

As a general guideline for play, the more stress and agony the sorcerer is undergoing due to external problems (i.e. a Kicker), the less trimmings the demon will expect. However, say the sorcerer has a nice friendly relaxing life going on - the demon will start to escalate the circumstances and hassles of getting that Need filled.

Players used to older traditions of strategic play will think in the terms you're describing - "If I get my demon an easy Need, I'm cool!" - but think more in terms of (a) the demon as a character in (b) a story in which the plot is created via characters' decisions. There is literally no way to minimax Sorcerer.

Best,
Ron

[PeterAdkison]

Okay, thanks all, I think I got it.

I'll post some revisions to the needs, plus my thoughts on what demons and humanity are for my Sorcerer campaign when I get around to it and see whacha think. When I restart the threat that way I assume the Actual Play forum is the best place to post?

Peter

[Ron Edwards]

Hi Peter,

Here or Actual Play, whichever you'd like. More focus here, more people there. When a game has its own forum, then which forum to post on regarding playing it is a toss-up.

Best,
Ron

[Uncle Dark]

Oh.  Hi, Ron (rubs side).  Sorry if I got in your way, I thought that was for general comment...

Hurm.  Mayhap I am thinking too much in terms of the games I've run, where it's been a nescesary plot point that there are a few demons hanging around who've outlived/escaped their sorcerers.  As in, a passer who had been bound to "watch over my daughter," but who outlived the sorcerer who bound him.  He still fulfills the binding, but is essentially independant, capable of fulfilling his need on his own.  He has to, since he found it advantageous to keep the daughters in the dark about sorcery and his true nature.  His story (his part of the r-map) was about keeping secrets from the ones closest to you.

Is this far enough to be (gasps in horror) "unofficial" Sorcerer?

In fun,
Lon

[Jürgen Mayer]

Since this demon looks like a shadow, it seems that the need won't be *that* easy to meet. I'm thinking that be inconspicuous the demon most of the time stays in the shadowy area under the sorcerer, where you can't see it, like under the sorcerer's feet, or under his butt when he's sitting, whatever. But to go into someone else's shadow one of two things has to happen:

(1) The sorcerer has to get into the other person's shadow. Possibly not that difficult, but still requires getting pretty close to someone, perhaps into their personal space. While in that person's shadow the demon's in that shadow too.

(2) The demon has to run accross some lighted area and risk getting spotted.

I guess perhaps option 1 is pretty easy to do, just go to a crowded place where shadows merge all over the place, like an amusement park or something.

I'm open to suggestions.

I had the demon's desire to be knowledge and was thinking that the demon could learn something about someone when it got into their shadow, but maybe it would cause the person to feel a tug on their soul or something, sorta like a telltale.

I really like the idea of the shadow demon who merges with other peoples shadow to find out about their desires, knowledges and thoughts.

To make Steve's life a little harder, I would suggest that the demon can only merge into another individual's shadow if the sorcerer's shadow is in contact with it (like your option 1) - but that it only can suck information from the victim's soul as long as the sorcerer (or the sorcerer's shadow?) actually stays in contact with the victim's shadow. (Which won't be that easy when the victim feels the "tug on their soul.")

If the contact between sorcerer and victim is broken, the demon cannot suck any more information and must return to the sorcerer's shadow before attempting it all over again (and returning could be risky - see your option 2).

In addition, I would play the demon in a way that it demands to merge with specific, more interesting, dangerous and/or hard-to-reach persons over time. It might not be such a big problem if he demands to merge with that police officer's shadow, but next time he will possibly want to merge with the police chief's shadow, or with a celebrity's or politician's shadow - that should be tough.

(Another idea: what if the demon follows traces of thoughts that he found while merged with the shadow of a victim? For example, while in the shadow of the police officer he learns that he still yearns for his greatest love, his first gf in high-school, Eleonore Davis - and now he wants into her shadow!)

BTW, I want into that Sorcerer game, too - I haven't had the chance to play it yet (*sniff*). Maybe your schedule isn't that packed the days before GenCon? AFAIK at least Ron and I will be in town from tuesday, and maybe we could have a game night before the con starts?

(Oh, and Peter, please greet Steve Conard from me - I spent a really nice afternoon back in the mid-90s with him, where we pitted our fun decks against each other at the Essen game show. I hope he remembers me - I sent him a custom "Isnogud" card afterwards and had some emails with him. Or bring him along to GenCon, he's a great guy.)

[Ron Edwards]

Hi there,

Warning, heavy moderation follows. (H'm, immoderate moderation?)

This thread has ceased being interesting or focused, so it's now closed.

If anyone wants to coordinate with Peter regarding GenCon, private-message or email him, please.

Let's take specific comments, questions, and whatnot about Sorcerer itself to threads dedicated to those things.

Best,
Ron