Quest for the Phoenix Throne

Seductive Aporetics recently released the basis of a denial themed roleplaying game. It's not ODTC related, so it doesn't really fit in with the subject matter of this blog, but I found it very interesting and fun, so I decided to put a few thoughts down here.

I'm impressed by the world building and the sheer amount of work which must have gone into it (although running optipng on the image files would only have taken a few moments and would have reduced their size by over twenty percent) and I think Seductive Aporetics did a masterful job of sourcing the images.

The first character I created was based purely on the background, without considering the rules or trying to win the game. If I were transformed into a sorceress in the world of the Phoenix Empire, this is how I imagine I would end up (right click and select Open link in new tab or Save link as to be able to read them):

 

Lorelei is a former Pleasure Cultist who tormented her victims with relentless and unending denial until she was captured, made Joyful and handed over to the Church of the Sun. She used her Pact to catch the eye of Empress Azalea, who became her keeper, and subtly encouraged her to take a more active interest in the politics of the court and also to refine her magical skills. As a result, Azalea now has a powerful offensive spell to deal with any sorceresses who cross her and has retained the services of a bodyguard to protect against more mundane enemies. Gregory also helps by dominating and disciplining Lorelei whenever Azalea needs a break from playing with her new toy, for her rôle as Lorelei's companion has not lessened the pleasure she derives from inflicting merciless suffering upon the Joyful Maiden one iota.

With that out of my system, I began breaking down the rules to construct a character who would be competitive in the game, rather than simply fun to play. Without knowing what form typical gameplay takes, this is quite difficult, but I made the following observations:

1. If enemy sorceresses can initiate attacks against the player character and her companions (or if PvP is allowed), then some form of magical protection from hostile spells is vital. Apart from the Celestial spell Radiant Shield and the overcast Air spell Cloak of the Skies, only the common spell Ward is able to provide this protection, making Ward one of the most important spells in the game.
2. The Imperial Harem's Gifted trait is extremely powerful, especially when combined with Signature Spell. However, the Alchemist Guild's Inspired trait may potentially be more useful (especially in 1.3) as it allows a sorceress to share spells with allies, even when she is not present. It is much more difficult to achieve the maximum benefit from this though and the effect increases with the number of allies.
3. There seem to be three main ways of acquiring influence: sexual dominance (through fel curses such as Edict of Obedience and Bind the Soul or a combination of Dam the River and Ordeal of Stone), seduction (aided by spells such as Tender Passions, overcast Light the Inferno or Milk of Ambrosia and higher masteries of Speak to the Heart or Touch of Euphoria) and political maneuvering (either by removing rivals through spells such as overcast Marble Curse, Turn into Mist, Burn to Cinders or Eternal Ice, or by furthering allies' goals through victories in the highlands campaign, expanding the soul trade, helping to reform the Church and so on).
4. It seems preferable to have all three options available, either through the character's own abilities or those of her companions. Therefore, it is best to have companions with different spells and ideally different elements.

An Eternal Alchemist with the Pact of Domination (14 Control) and the Silver Tongue (+1 Control) and Lust for Power (+3 Control) traits can recruit (and enslave for free) Valerie (cost 7 Control, +1 Control), Naomi (cost 4 Control -1 as you are not from the Ministry), Lysette (cost 7 Control, +2 Potential) and Olivia (cost 4 Control -1 as you are an Eternal Alchemist -1 for the Eternal Alchemist recruitment rules).

Valerie is exceptionally good at sexual domination and her court connections and non-confrontational spells (especially Whispered Secrets) can be extremely useful for pursuing a political agenda. Naomi is essentially impervious to physical attack and her influence on the battlefront gives access to more potential allies. Lysette's destructive spells should be able to deal with any enemies, magical or otherwise, who cannot be recruited or suborned and her position as governor of the Summer Isles gives a secure power base. However, like Naomi, she is a long way from the centre of power, which may limit her usefulness. Olivia (and the player character if necessary) can use potions to provide protection from hostile spells and will be a useful ally for Valerie in the capital.

I think this may be the optimal character for an experienced and talented player, but it will take considerable skill to use the various companions together to make the most of their abilities. Therefore, the following character would be the one I would probably choose:

 

Elektra works as a courier, taking messages to and from the frontier, including the steppes, the Summer Isles and the army camps of the highlands campaign. She has crafted Shielding Amulets for herself and all her companions which can absorb three hostile spells per day, which, together with Amelia's Marble Curse (which works at range) and Lysette's Burn to Cinders, means that they have little to fear from enemy sorceresses. The availability of attacking spells similarly provides security from mundane enemies. Lillian can devastate an area with several orbs of fire for just one Mana!

Amelia's Marble Curse gives options when it comes to sexual domination, but the main tactic will be seduction using Lillian's Light the Inferno and Elektra's Touch of Euphoria. The former can be used at any time, whilst the latter requires intimacy, but that shouldn't be a problem due to judicious use of Mask of Vanity. Likewise, overcast Mask of Vanity and Whispered Secrets will allow her to impersonate others and excel as a spy, furthering her own and her allies' political agenda.

The disadvantages are that Elektra herself lacks offensive spells, especially in version 1.3, and the companions are spread far and wide, with little influence in the capital. Ties that Bind will prove useful for coordinating actions. Gameplay will call for patience, gaining allies in the provinces before making advances in the hinterland.

It should be noted that I am assuming that healing magic is as useful in Quest for the Phoenix Throne as it is in most traditional RPGs, where healers are usually the most important party members. If this is not the case, then Elektra could take a more offensive stance, with just novice Mastery in Celestial magic (for Radiant Shield) and Scholar Mastery in Air (Mask of Vanity, Signature Lightning Bolt, Whispered Secrets, Weave Illusions, Edict of Obedience and Cloak of the Skies seem good choices). In version 1.3, having a fire-based character is more restricting as I can't afford Arcane Dabbler.

I would love to read what others think of my choices here.