Advanced Pursuit: The Showgirl

[11th Thunder]

Okay, I am running an Arcanist based game and none of my players fancy the idea of them all being Steam Fitters when it comes to AP time.

 

One of the characters will be going for the December Acolyte Pursuit from WC11, one other is happy to go for the Steam Fitter, as they plan on playing a traditional Tinkerer type character anyhow.

 

The Other Character is planning on playing a gunfighter, maybe taking the Friekopsmann pursuit or maybe we will work on an Arcanist Asset AP based on the Gunsmith and advanced tech.

 

I have pieced together an AP for my performer (Later to be combined with Scrapper and Tinkerer if all goes to plan for her). We will work on the fluff together, but I imagine most people on here know what a showgirl is. For the abilities I so far have.

 

 

 

Rank One: Mannequin

 

The Showgirl has a Mannequin constructed for her, counting as both a construct and a grimoire. The Mannequin always has the Teleport, Parlour Tricks and Animate Construct spells and the Focus (Mannequin -5) and Quicken Action Immuto. The Mannequin is Height two with a might and resilience of -1 and a grace and speed of +2. The Mannequin also has an Acrobatics of 3 and a Martial arts of 3. The Mannequin may be used as a focus for the Darlin theory. If this Mannequin is lost, the Showgirl may replace it by paying 100 Scrip.

 

 

 

Rank Two: Rehearsed Duet

 

The Showgirl is adept at weaving her actions with those of the Mannequin in a graceful dance. She gains an additional AP which she may use to take an extra Order (1) Action once per turn. This action may only command Mannequins, regardless of how ever many times the Showgirl may have the Multi-Tasker Talent and any other constructs.

 

 

 

Rank Three: Graceful Assistant

 

The Showgirl may now create the Mannequin for other showgirls, and any that she builds for herself have increased abilities beyond those of the regular. When a Showgirl spends a construct point to increase a Mannequins grace or acrobatics she may increase those abilities by two points instead, as long as the Mannequin is for her use. Any Height two construct may be designated a Mannequin by paying an extra 20 scrip at creation, which gives it the spells listed in the Mannequin entry. A Showgirl with the Multi-tasker talent may command multiple Mannequins using Graceful Duet, but must have built the Mannequins herself.

 

 

 

Rank Four: All Part of the Show

 

The Showgirl is adapt at dancing and weaving around her Mannequin, the two of them seemingly switching places at a moments notice. The Showgirl gains the following trigger to all defensive flips.

 

(Tome) All Part of the Show: When Damage is dealt to this character, a Mannequin in three yard may become the new target of the attack.

 

Any Mannequin the Showgirl activates also gains the effects of the Hard to Wound Talent.

 

 

 

Rank Five: Expertly Choreographed

 

The Showgirl and her Mannequins now move in one perfect dance, able to flit and weave through the chaos of battle or the joy of the stage with ease together. When the Showgirl ends a move action within six yards of an active Mannequin it may take a move action to move closer to her.

 

 

 

 

 

What do you guys think. Too powerful, not powerful enough.

[alemon]

Does anyone else love this? I love this. The showgirls are one of my favorite groups in the game. A few things:

 

--The -5 focus object immuto seems pretty powerful, but I think it's alright as long as you remember that the showgirl needs to be TOUCHING the mannequin to count it as a focus object. 

 

--Mannequins should be more of enablers and protectors. I'd scratch the martial arts 3, or at least lower it.

 

--In the rank three description, you say "Graceful Duet". What is that referring to? Is that supposed to be Rehearsed duet, from the rank two? Eitherway, I'm not sure how I feel about having more than one mannequin. It always seemed like a one on one thing. Or maybe that'd be a rank five skill, once you're on colette's level?

 

If it were me, I'd do

Rank 3 All Part of the Show

Rank 4 Expertly Choreographed (Call it Graceful assistant)

Rank 5 Graceful Assistant (Call it Expert Choreography)

[11th Thunder]

Does anyone else love this? I love this. The showgirls are one of my favorite groups in the game. A few things:

 

--The -5 focus object immuto seems pretty powerful, but I think it's alright as long as you remember that the showgirl needs to be TOUCHING the mannequin to count it as a focus object. 

 

--Mannequins should be more of enablers and protectors. I'd scratch the martial arts 3, or at least lower it.

 

--In the rank three description, you say "Graceful Duet". What is that referring to? Is that supposed to be Rehearsed duet, from the rank two? Eitherway, I'm not sure how I feel about having more than one mannequin. It always seemed like a one on one thing. Or maybe that'd be a rank five skill, once you're on colette's level?

 

If it were me, I'd do

Rank 3 All Part of the Show

Rank 4 Expertly Choreographed (Call it Graceful assistant)

Rank 5 Graceful Assistant (Call it Expert Choreography)

 

 

The -5 is straight from the book, -3 for being a large object she can't hold and -2 for being a customized but replaceable peice of gear. Yeah to get the -5 though she will have to be touching the construct.

 

The Martial Arts is a bit much, I was a little focused on using all the points I think. I will lower the Martial Arts to 2, giving the Mannequin the same damage profile it has in the table top game, and add a point of toughness so the poor thing doesn't get instantly smashed to pieces. It should probably have some armor too, but I am not sure due to how armor works in through the breach - Maybe a point?

 

Yeah, the reference to Graceful duet was supposed to refer to Rehearsed duet. The reason I have gone with the ability to run with multiple mannequins was because other people could I suppose, and I didn't want Multi-Tasker to feel like a dead talent. That being said Multi-Tasker still has its initial use of ordering two non mannequin constructs, so should not be a waste really. I think I agree that Lore wise it should be one Mannequin to one showgirl, so might axe that bit.

 

I am a little funny about Graceful assistant as it is as I am not sure it fits with the rest of the pursuit. The other abilities are about linking with the Mannequin and useful to any Showgirl, whereas Graceful assistant sort of traps you into skill at artifice or wasting a talent.

 

I am thinking that I might take your advice and go with All Part of the Show at rank 3, and Expertly Choreographed (Name changed to Mechanical Adorations as in the TTG) at Rank 4 with a new rank five.

 

 

Rank Five: Magician's Assistant

 

The Showgirls of the Star Theater are some of the best known magicians in all of Malifaux, masters of misdirection and illusion. The Mannequins are vital parts of their performances, standing in as props or assistants when needed. Whenever the Showgirl is targeted with a magical effect, the Showgirl may choose for the Mannequin to be affected as well. The Showgirl also adds one spell or Immuto to her Grimoire that the Mannequin represents.

 

 

How does that look. I think it fits more with the feel of the Pursuit.

 

The other thing I am worried about is that the Pursuit plays up the Mannequin aspect too much, looking more like a Collodi path than a Collette one. Do people think I could loose some abilities to add Poison Hairpins and Seductive dances, or is it fine as is?

[sephiroa]

looks very nice
i have some same idees for extra AP, a guild gaurd etc, 

 

for the mannequin in the final stage i would do this:

rank 5 "Expertly Choreographed"

mannequins can now be upgraded to a coryphee.
*insert stats and bonusses here*
 

[sephiroa]

also you can add multiple paths, more the seductive performer, or more the tinkerer.

you can always make the mannequin a vital part of the pursuit, but make it more to use as misdirection.

give a   trigger
Df   misdirect: this character and a target friendly mannequin switch places, the target mannequin is now the target for this attack

Ml  intoxicated: target gains the poison +1 and cannot attack this character in the next round

Df  things up me sleeve: this character can perform a 1AP prestidigation spell that will not do damage to target attacking model (usually a parlour tricks or so)

 

more trigger effects and combination effects with a mannequin
and the last one should be a coryphee, period, since a coryphee is THE perfect gaurd of a performer

[Kadeton]

I'm not sure I'd like to switch places with this version of the Mannequin. It will basically crumple in a heap as soon as anything hits it - the Performer character will likely be a lot tougher than her own Mannequin.

 

I'd suggest that, rather than having the character construct loads of Mannequins for herself and others, she should just have a single Mannequin that she can repair, and which grows along with her. At each level, as well as giving the Performer a new thing to do (poison hairpins, seduction, maybe some non-combat stuff?) her Mannequin gets a little more customised - increased Wk, Armor, Resilience, Grace etc - in mechanical terms, giving it a slow transformation from a Mannequin-equivalent character to a Coryphee-equivalent character over the five levels would be quite neat. It will create a sense of attachment for the player, helping their companion improve over time.

[11th Thunder]

I'm not sure I'd like to switch places with this version of the Mannequin. It will basically crumple in a heap as soon as anything hits it - the Performer character will likely be a lot tougher than her own Mannequin.

 

I'd suggest that, rather than having the character construct loads of Mannequins for herself and others, she should just have a single Mannequin that she can repair, and which grows along with her. At each level, as well as giving the Performer a new thing to do (poison hairpins, seduction, maybe some non-combat stuff?) her Mannequin gets a little more customised - increased Wk, Armor, Resilience, Grace etc - in mechanical terms, giving it a slow transformation from a Mannequin-equivalent character to a Coryphee-equivalent character over the five levels would be quite neat. It will create a sense of attachment for the player, helping their companion improve over time.

 

This is not a bad idea. I will try to but together a new version tonight.