Looking for Advice to Build a nWoD Illusionist

[Dazhbug]

Howdy there, folks! A friend of mine is inviting me to a bit of a home-blend nWoD game he's starting up; something akin to the Hellboy setting conceit, where the supernatural is more known (somewhat) and the players are part of an organization designed to deal with threats inter-, intra-, extra-, and juxta-terrestrial. A somewhat more benevolent SCP Foundation or alternate version of Skin Horse.

The group already has a shooter/driver (badass normal), an investigator (unknowing psychic of some sort), and a labtech/hacker type who can apparently do some Hulking out if the situation calls for it. Going by my standard Wraith Squadron role-chart (Face/Disguise, Guns/Sniper, Comms, Close Combat, Demolitions, Vehicles, Medic, Intrusion), this leaves quite a few roles open, and I'm leaning towards a Face/Intrusion specialist. Something along the lines of a stage magician backed up by supernatural talent, and (I'm hoping) the ability to use illusions to pull off a lot of what he does, be it sneaking about or infiltrating an organization.

Now, book-wise we're rolling with Core (+ God Machine), Hunter, and Second Sight, and the ST is pulling in Kiths and Seemings from Changeling (with alterations as needed, e.g. spending WP instead of Glamour). My initial forays have pointed me towards the Psychic Illusions/Invisibility merits, as well as the Fairest Larcenist seeming, but I'd love some advice from folks more fluent in the system on putting together a solid character mechanically speaking.

[Anonymouswizard]

Howdy there, folks! A friend of mine is inviting me to a bit of a home-blend nWoD game he's starting up; something akin to the Hellboy setting conceit, where the supernatural is more known (somewhat) and the players are part of an organization designed to deal with threats inter-, intra-, extra-, and juxta-terrestrial. A somewhat more benevolent SCP Foundation or alternate version of Skin Horse.

The group already has a shooter/driver (badass normal), an investigator (unknowing psychic of some sort), and a labtech/hacker type who can apparently do some Hulking out if the situation calls for it. Going by my standard Wraith Squadron role-chart (Face/Disguise, Guns/Sniper, Comms, Close Combat, Demolitions, Vehicles, Medic, Intrusion), this leaves quite a few roles open, and I'm leaning towards a Face/Intrusion specialist. Something along the lines of a stage magician backed up by supernatural talent, and (I'm hoping) the ability to use illusions to pull off a lot of what he does, be it sneaking about or infiltrating an organization.

Now, book-wise we're rolling with Core (+ God Machine), Hunter, and Second Sight, and the ST is pulling in Kiths and Seemings from Changeling (with alterations as needed, e.g. spending WP instead of Glamour). My initial forays have pointed me towards the Psychic Illusions/Invisibility merits, as well as the Fairest Larcenist seeming, but I'd love some advice from folks more fluent in the system on putting together a solid character mechanically speaking.

Assuming you're using the GMC/2e experience rules, it's hard to go disastrously wrong. Resolve and Composure are good places for points that you aren't sure what to do with, as they increase Willpower. You should definitely specialise in an area, and put 3+ points into the skills really relevant to the concept.

For some advice, you'll likely be putting social Attributes as primary. If using 1e experience then you'll ideally want to bump either Presence for Manipulation to 4, as it's cheaper to buy a 3 than a 4 (and possibly bump the other to a 3 because buying a 2 is cheaper), using 2e experience either split your points so you end up 3, 3, 2 or 4, 2, 2 depending on if you want to be good at talking in general or really good at a specific type of talking. Follow the same sort of idea for physical and mental Attributes, with Wits and Resolve being generally useful.

Skills are fairly hard to mess up, but don't be afraid to bite the bullet and put no dots into a skill in order to get your other skills to the desired level. You'll want social skills to be primary, and points in subterfuge or persuasion might make your illusions more believable (ask your ST, he might rule that no amount of talking will make someone believe in an illusion more).

For the illusionist part, don't spend too many merit points on it. A face ideally wants decent levels of Resources and Contacts, as well as possibly Allies. See if your GM will let you use the 'supernatural 10' free merit points where you get 10 instead of 7 merits, because this'll let you but 4-6 points into the face side and still be able to afford decent supernatural merits. I don't have Second Sight, so I can't comment on the Illusion merits, but the 3-dot version of Telepathy might be useful for making your illusions more believable.

You might find yourself starved on Merit Points, which means you'll have to begin with either your face merits or your psychic merits and build the others over the first few sessions. Merits are cheap though, so better short a few merits than a few skills or Attributes.

Also, hope your ST gives you a few Experiences to start, they let you grab anything you feel is missing (starting characters are either fairly weak or fairly specialised in my view).

[Sith_Happens]

Okay, so here's the problem: Psychic Illusions and Psychic Invisibility are both five dot merits with thirteen dots' worth of prerequisites. Which basically means you'll never feasibly have either without a heck of a lot of starting XP.

[Dazhbug]

Okay, so here's the problem: Psychic Illusions and Psychic Invisibility are both five dot merits with thirteen dots' worth of prerequisites. Which basically means you'll never feasibly have either without a heck of a lot of starting XP.

Yeah, it's something I've noticed. I'll have to chat with the ST, see if either there's an interesting starting concept that can grow into it, or go with something else entirely.

[Sith_Happens]

Considering it's been long enough that this thread is nearly dead now I'm probably far too late, but I just came up with the best workaround ever:

1. Summon a spirit with the Hallucination Numen.
2. Use the Medium merit to make yourself Resonant to it, which lasts as long as you want.
3. ???
4. Profit.