The African Tribal Mask of Doom, Or a Low Charisma Troll's Tale Options

[DocMortand]

Okay, lemme set this up. During a milk run to pick up a optical chip from an informer in the Renraku Arcology, Boom the muttering troll sammy decided he wanted a cane (as all weapons were confiscated at the door to the Mall). While buying said cane he saw an "Authentic African Tribal Mask" (price: 100 nuyen) and he bought it and wore it for the rest of the run. Since he was Charisma 2, I jokingly said it raised his Charisma to 3 just for sheer coolness value (the security guards followed him around just to see what he'd do next - VERY effective distraction for the rest of the team)

Move the timeline forward a week or so (and 3 game sessions). Boom visits Dante's Inferno, and gets into the first level wearing the mask (again, out of sheer guts and chutzpah). He goes around telling various people that the mask is genuine. I decide to tweak things a little and have an intelligent troll (Read: Black Marketeer) come up and tell Boom it wasn't real - but that he could get Boom a REAL Tribal mask for 4000...and that it would be magical. They exchanged numbers and each went their different ways.

Now, my question to Dumpshockers is this: What kinda mask can I get him that would have magic that is activated for mundanes (I.E. the Artifact thread)...AND what would be humorous masks to give? The price would obviously be negotiatied up if the magic is real and definately if it has positive effects.

Any humorous mask ideas (whether cursed or useful) are welcome. I'm curious what everyone would inflict...

[toturi]

Unique Enchantment

The MASK
The MASK gives the wearer permanent powers of the spells: Physical Mask and Control Emotions(Laughter only), as well as the adept Metamagic of Virtuso(Clowning).

[hyzmarca]

Somewhat inspiried by this mask

Ward Mask

This ancient Zulu mask was created to protect mundanes from mallicious spirits. It was originally a gift from a Free Hearth Spirit and contains some very unique enchantments.

The mask can protect any home as by acting as a force 4 war if hung over the primary entryway. The mask considers a home to be anywhere people live. Abandoned factories used by squaters are just as easily protected as an apartment, a mobile home, or a traditional home. The mask cannot ward purely comercial facilities or homes that have gone unoccupied for substantial periods of time.

When worn it makes the wearer immune to Possession. If placed on an empty body that body is immune to possession by Shedim.
The mask also reduces the TN for resisting spirit powers by 1. It also adds +2 dice and +2 power for engaging a spirit in a contest of wills. These last two enchantments have no effect against hearth spirits and cannot be used by magicaly active characters.

Finally, the wearer goes berserk at the sight of anyone wearing a 18th century British military uniform and remains in that state untill passing a willpower (6) test or the Redcoat is dead.

[Glyph]

Maybe the tribal mask is a homunculus, inhabited by a former ally spirit that became free when its master was gunned down. It could know some useful spells, but it also has a lively sense of mischief. It is also dual-natured (it may or may not have the aura masking ability), and may have an agenda of its own above and beyond getting the troll and/or his buds to donate Karma to it. Stat-wise, it can be as weak or powerful as you choose to make it.

[The Grifter]

For some reason I picture one of those giant Hawaiian Tiki Man masks.

[fistandantilus4....]

I see some sick joke by Harelquin.



Or more seriously.. stick with the homonculus/trapped spirit, since otherwise a mundane can't use it.

Then stick in some detection spells, and maybe some kind of astral sight ability.

[Ancient History]

Heh heh. I just thought "What if the Troll had a permanent Alachia's Allure spell cast on it?" but I stopped myself.

[DocMortand]

What's Alachia's Allure? And what's the stats? *grin* Sounds evil.

I like the anti-Brit mask - I may incorporate some of those ideas. Especially since I'm a history buff...may throw in obscure Zulu references. *grin*

Any others?

[Aes]

You could make it work sort of like a limited version of Ancient Historys amber eye, in a non-awakened edition.

Basically, let whomever wears it get access to astral perception, taking x drain every y hours. Let the troll see the pretty colors. :D

[Ancient History]

Alachia's Allure was a unique spell that Alachia cast and made permanent on herself during the 4th World (it has since worn off or been dispelled.) It enhanced her appeal to the point that those who met her for the first time would literally abase themselves before her in awe, etc.

[DocMortand]

Nice! That would be hilarious for this troll, that's for sure. Altho he isn't Charisma 1 tho, so it's not as much of a funny.

It was funny actually, the first thing my group thought of when I said Magical Mask was the Mask of Jim Carrey. *grin*

Oh yeah, and I've told the player of Boom that Boom isn't what people call him anymore - they call him "The Witch Doctor". *grin* Muttering man in a tribal mask...*laugh*

Tell me - assensing auras through a mask - what would auras overlaid over the mundane world look like?

Also - how would a mundane get a magical mask through a ward without triggering it?

[Lindt]

Call the blasted thing a unique enchament and be done with it. Its a great idea, screw the hows and why, and be the Godlike Gm you are.

[SpasticTeapot]

To DocMortland; I offer this bit of advice:
Rules are optional. All of them. After all, you could go and play AD&D and call it Shadowrun; the rules would just be a bit different.

Anyway, my idea is to make a mask associated with a given animal. Although leopard and Lion masks instantly come to mind, consider one of the more esoteric animal masks such as that of Butterfly. What these masks do, exactly, is up to you, but something Kafka-esque like shapeshifting into a giant, or normal-sized, butterfly might be interesting.

Other ideas stem from masks associated with specific ceremonies. Before battle, warriors would often adorn war masks before praying to their respective deities. However, an underlying theme remains: Warriors desire to be fierce, and to win.
Some stats for a war mask:
benefits:
+2 combat pool dice
+3 Reaction
Rule of Six used for initiative
A rating of 6 in Armed Combat, or +2 to the current rating, whichever is higher.
A rating of 6 in Thrown Weapons, or +2 to the current rating, whichever is higher.
Character becomes Dual-Natured; all damage done with appropriate weapons is dual-natured as well
Damage done with appropriate weapons is raised by one damage class (I.E. M to S)
Hindrances:
The character is posessed by a powerful warrior spirit when he or she dons this mask. The spirit, which represents the personalities and abilities of many warriors who wore the mask throught the ages and left their respective imprints, will drive the character into a berserk fury; anyone who attacks him is engaged in melee combat. In addition, the mask more or less becomes the character's face; the character appears to grow very, very tall, and is enshrouded in dark smoke.
Because the warrior spirit contained within is attuned to ancient weapons, this is what the character will use. Unless the character can make a willpower (6) test, he or she is compelled to use whatever weapon availible that best matches those used in ancient Africa, or fasion something to be used in a similar manner. For example, a character who dons this mask will choose a spear and garbage can lid shield over a SMG.
In addition, the character attacks whatever is perceived to be a possible threat, and does not break off from combat. Until all opponents are killed, captured, or incapacitated, the character cannot remove the mask.

And lastly, there's the old circumcision ritual mask. Goodness knows you could do all sorts of silly things with this, although admittedly not in a G-rated campaign.

[DocMortand]

[Club]

It's a war mask. Either give the guy a reaction bonus or an extra attack die. Or be inconsistant.

Then give him two flaws while wearing it. Color blind (He's viewing the world through some heavily tinted glass) and combat monster. DON'T tell him about the second until he tries to get out of a fight.

[LinaInverse]

[hyzmarca]

[DocMortand]

[Fortune]

The Aura Reading skill merely acts as a complimentary skill to Assencing tests, which is a function of Intelligence.

Permanent (while worn) Dual Nature would work though. ;)

[DocMortand]

Okay, I think I've got what the thing can do nailed down - now I'm curious if someone could actually put together an artifact which does it? Lina - Ignore, please. I'll put it in spoiler tags.

[ Spoiler ]

Mask of Legba
Must be sealed to wearer by blood (which costs 1 Karma)
Pros: Charisma becomes 4 (whether normally above or below), and Mask always shows auras (The equivalent of level 1 success on the Assensing Table when you do a perception test.)
Cons: While wearing, user is dual natured, and when not wearing user has light stun (from being apart from the mask)

Opinions? Balanced? Too over the top? Just curious.

[Aes]

In the same vein, so this Lina person doesn't see:

[ Spoiler ]

A permanent light stun when not wearing it might be a bit over the top. It IS +1 to ALL TNs and -1 initiative permanently if someone sets fire to the mask someday. How about resisting 42L stun or some obscenely high number whenever removing the mask instead? The effect will be mostly the same, but at least it'll fade after an hour.

In the same vein, you could make the mask deal a similarely high power light stun wound whenever someone who HASN'T bonded with it tries to don it.

Automatically setting the CHA to 4 sounds a bit powerful too. It could be the equivalent of a level 3 increase attribute for a physad, which if memory serves costs quite a lot of PPs. How about +1 CHA up to a maximum of 4 instead?

[Edward]

Again the players should not read this.

[ Spoiler ]

I think the idea with eth setting the char to 4 was that your looks no longer mattered at all.
Personality is a big part of charisma (especially on the phone) but what the hay

That said why so high. This is a war mask; I don’t recall them being useful for negotiating trade agreements. I would have it set char to 1 for all purposes not relating to scaring people.

Another idea would be to have it grant the critter power of fear, not limited to enimys

Edward

[hyzmarca]

[ Spoiler ]

The light stun sounds a lot like ED blood charms only backward. With blood charms, a character bonds it with blood and takes a permant point of damage instead of spending karma. When the blood charm is removed, used up, or destroyed then the damage can be healed.

To be more consistant with the material you could have it cause a light physical wound (facial spikes or whatnot) everytime it is put on. This box of damage cannot be healed untill the mask is removed. After the mask is removed it can be healed normally. If the mask is put back on it causes a new wound even if the old one is still open.
The wound penalities can be negated by having the mask provide a point of pain resistance that is only applied to that wound. However, it still makes it 10% easier to kill the wearer. Removing the mask then putting it back on would be problematic at best, since the physical wounds would still stack. Although only the most recent is unhealable.

Or not. Its your game so whatever you feel is best.

[LinaInverse]

They say temptation is good for the soul... well, they're wrong... (gashes teeth and avoids the click-click)...

[Dawnshadow]