I have a new player in my group, who has created a Companion with the Black Sheep story flaw. The character is a young noblewoman who has been sent off because her father, a prominent local lord, believes she's a witch (She's not, but she does have Strong Faerie Blood and the Second Sight that goes with it).
Trouble is, I'm not entirely sure what to do with the Black Sheep flaw. I'm hoping folks could share their experiences with the flaw in play. What kind of stories have you had with a Black Sheep in your saga?
Well, with Strong Faerie Blood, wouldn´t a likely one be that the mother is indeed a faerie?
Born out of wedlock, possibly with the father blaming the mother for seducing him?
This, " a prominent local lord, believes she's a witch " all by itself is probably enough.
Perhaps she was found to be dallying with faeries herself? With second sight she might be able to find and enter regiones.
SFB all by itself could be enough, as long as whatever prominent feature she has, is very noticeable. Like having an appearance that makes others think "demon!" if you want a really troublesome one. Or appear to be a half nymph(even if she´s not), with poor daddy eventually going ballistic because of all the rumours of her "interesting" aquintances(again, wether true or not).
Doesn´t have to be true to make her a "black sheep" as long as it causes the family trouble or embarassment(or even just that her family thinks it MIGHT cause trouble, especially if she stays close enough for others to start connecting the dots).
Maybe she rejected the son or brother of her fathers liege lord? And did so in a very BAD manner?
get's blamed for everything bad that happens, including sick cows and daughters running away
hermetic wizard (from other covenant) hears of this "powerful witch" and insists she joins the Order - should the PC magi try to shield her, he will try to get them before a Tribunal for violating the Oath ("Join or Die")
Make him still love her as his child. And allow that to be known. That means that she is out of the family protection area because she is a witch, but she is still a target for plots against her family.
For added fun, make the heir, his brother, HATE her. That means that he might be plotting against her with his enemies to get rid of her. And maybe even coming back as the hero to save her later on. Or make him the second son being the one douing that, to gain ascendency over his older brother to inherit in his place.
In general, story flaw that brings her in the plots of her family and her enemies.
Faerie blood means thaty you can ALSO do that with her mother's side. Being in the moiddle of elaborate and byzantine faerie plots can be FUN.
And yes, make sure she is marked as a witch in front of other nobles.
Ah yes.
If she has a faerie reputation as a witch, everyone will recognize her as a witch as I recall.
Not just those who've actually heard of her reputation.
Pray your player not to read that, or will be on his way for a new character sheet!
I just saw ideas that include other major flaws! (feud-enemies-plagued by supernatural entitie) dont make he regrets the character ( as i have my favourite , a simple heir treated as feud and enemies all in one)
A reputation of 2 witch can move sooo easy to "mistaken identity".
In adition SFB Dont helps.
Well just avoiding those (less probable but colourfull) cases of the mage "Join or die" and the faerie plot...
Come to the mundane church and pray for not live near the pirenees, of she can find herself in front of an inquisitorial procedure... (major inmunity: fire . helps in those cases ^_^)
For me that is enough tormenting for a major flaw, the rest up to you. BTW you have enough seeds for 3 sagas
I've always wondered how often this sort of thing might happen and how the order would deal with it.
Some hapless unGifted person develops a reputation as a witch. Maybe they have a minor power or other magical virtue like the above example, or maybe they just have a lazy eye and some mundane healing abilities. Either way a Trigger happy Flambeau or the like confronts this powerful "witch", blows a few things up, and gives them the join or die challenge. The largely powerless mortal choses "Join" and swears the oath then and there.
Before their sworn in sure, but do all trigger happy hoplites use that spell. Clearly the Magus in Vespasian's suggestion didn't bother to use it and is potentially skeptical of it's findings.
After their sworn in Numbness of the Gift is a clear cut case of scrying. Use at your on risk.
What if you went a less "it isn't my fault, I am misunderstood, I get blamed for bad things" and actually instruct the player to come up with a truly bad thing the companion does. Perhaps she has a thing for power and is actively scheming against her older brother and rightful heir? Maybe she was caught in flagrante delicto. Twice. And the second time with a woman.
Maybe she is a habitual thief. Maybe a drunkard. Maybe she has a bastard herself. Maybe a faerie bastard.
After the player decides on something that character does actually do to get in trouble, extend the story out from there.
the faerie duke enjoyed his time with the companion and when the baby was born decided the child would be his heir, unfortunately the woman's father already seized the child and is threatening to place it with the church.
she has gained the reputation for being sexually adventurous and now man of the mortal men in positions of power want her. Now one of the men is a bit more powerful than the others but is hideous and cruel... and is not taking "no" for an answer. Oh look, he is threatening disaster for her father's position if he doesn't get his way, and to be honest her family dislikes her any how.
someone in the family wants to "save" her. Perhaps a uncle, aunt, or mother, or sibling? They think she is just misunderstood and is ((fill in the blank as to what "bad thing" the character does that bothers the family)) only doing it because she is treated poorly. Now this person is always around. Always trying to help. Always putting themselves out there to help the companion... and now this person is kidnapped, or being ostracized themselves, or has been killed. Is it a relief? Is the player good at heart and bothered by it? Is the companion blamed for the crime? Ect.
Once it is discovered that the 'witch' really is a non-entity that should not be in the Order, then she might be quietly given the opportunity to gracefully retire --- i.e. told to stay away from Tribunal, and to not exercise any of her "Hermetic" rights. Failing that, for example, if she turns up to Tribunal and votes in ways that annoy the politically powerful, then somebody who cares will Wizard War her and solve the problem.
The Flambeau responsible can try to defend his recruit if he wants.
Most of all, it depends on whatever minor power they might have. If it´s something useful, they might be considered as a "lesser" member of the order and effectively "tolerated"...
