Ghastly Affair Antagonists V: Usurer, Warlocks/Witches, and Wrecker

https://engineoforacles.wordpress.com/2015/02/11/ghastly-affair-the-gothic-game-of-romantic-horror/

In the early years of Wine and Savages, one of my obsessions was adapting Savage Worlds to Gothic Romance in the style of The Castle of Otranto, The Mysteries of Udolpho, The Monk, and other such early classics. I made some progress, but Daniel James Hanley beat me to the punch with Ghastly Affair. a charmingly horrific D20 RPG of Gothic horror in the late 18th and early 19th centuries. It is, frankly, brilliant and I encourage the curious to check out Hanley’s site – The Engine of Oracles – and download the free version of the game (or buy the nifty illustrated version).

Presented below are a selection of NPC archetypes inspired by the Antagonists section of Ghastly Affair – but equally suitable for The King is Dead and other Gothic settings.


Usurer

Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d6, Strength d6, Vigor d6

Skills: Fighting d4, Gambling d6, Notice d8, Persuasion d6, Shooting d4, Stealth d6, Streetwise d8, Taunt d6

Charisma: +0; Pace: 6; Parry: 4; Sanity: 5; Toughness: 5

Hindrances: Greedy [Major; swindles others with high-interest loans]

Edges: Rich or Filthy Rich

Gear: hidden dagger or flintlock pistol, flamboyant formal clothing

 

Warlock/Witch, good

Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d6, Vigor d6

Skills: Fighting d4, Gambling d6, Healing d4, Knowledge (Occult) d8, Notice d8, Persuasion d6, Spellcasting d8, Stealth d6, Survival d4, Taunt d6

Charisma: -2; Pace: 6; Parry: 4; Sanity: 6; Toughness: 5

Hindrances: Outsider [Minor; unpopular with the neighbors], Vow [Minor; honor or serve some master or sprit]

Edges: Arcane Background (Magic)

Gear: ritual dagger, broom or other flying implement, poppet, psychoactive herbs and mushrooms, normal clothing

Special Abilities

• Power Points: 10
• Powers: banish entity,* healing, summon spirit*

Warlock/Witch, unjustly-accused

Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d6, Vigor d6

Skills: Fighting d4, Gambling d6, Healing d8, Knowledge (Occult) d4, Notice d8, Persuasion d6, Stealth d4, Survival d4, Taunt d6

Charisma: -2; Pace: 6; Parry: 4; Sanity: 6; Toughness: 5

Hindrances: Outsider [Minor; unpopular with the neighbors]

Edges: Healer

Gear: dagger, medicinal herbs, normal clothing

 

Warlock/Witch, wicked

Attributes: Agility d6, Smarts d8, Spirit d8, Strength d6, Vigor d6

Skills: Fighting d4, Gambling d6, Healing d4, Knowledge (Occult) d8, Notice d8, Persuasion d6, Spellcasting d8, Stealth d6, Survival d4, Taunt d6

Charisma: -4; Corruption: 1+ (power, Trait increase)*; Pace: 6; Parry: 4; Sanity: 6; Toughness: 5

Hindrances: Outsider [Minor; unpopular with the neighbors], Ugly [Minor; strange physical blemish]

Edges: Arcane Background (Magic)

Gear: ritual dagger, broom or other flying implement, poppet, psychoactive herbs and mushrooms, normal clothing

Special Abilities

• Power Points: 10
• Powers: bind entity, fly, summon demon* or summon spirit*

Wrecker

Attributes: Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d6, Vigor d6

Skills: Boating d6, Climbing d6, Fighting d6, Gambling d6, Notice d6, Shooting d6, Stealth d8, Streetwise d6

Charisma: -2; Pace: 6; Parry: 6; Sanity: 5; Toughness: 5

Hindrances: Greedy [Major; wrecks boats and murders crews for money], Outsider [Minor; shunned even by other criminals]

Edges: Assassin

Gear: dagger, flintlock pistol, lamp, normal clothing

*see Savage Worlds Horror Companion