[UA] Avatar: the Lady

[ÃÏ Òå]

Well, even forcing people to be polite and announce their intentions before 
attacking seems like a bit much for first channel.  It's like a first-shot 
take on the Merchant's 4th channel.  It also means that she can never be 
ambushed, and that is definitely over the line for a first channel.

Of course, the problem is solved quite easily by switching the first channel 
(force men to be polite) and the second (be extra charming and decietful).

It also makes sense that in the begining, a Lady must actively use her charm 
to get men to treat her properly, but by the second channel, when most would 
become conscious avatars, civilized men are polite by reflex.  I'd add the 
caveat that Savages and men with higher hardened Violence, Isolation, or 
Self notches than the tens digit of the Avatar's skill are not forced to 
make the check.  (By the time this channel can be initially used, only very 
damaged men with 6+ hardened notches in one of those meters could avoid the 
issue.)

Also, in reflecting on the 4th channel (juggling madness meters around) does 
reflect the two-fold nature of the Lady, allowing her to be a civilizing 
influence, or a destructive one.  The attentions of a proper Lady can soften 
the heart of the Brute, turning them into more rounded men of the world, or 
save a man lost to madness.  On the other hand, she can also tear apart a 
tender mind that displeases her... very Dangerous Liasons.

Ironically, I see this Archetype as channeled most by high-class hookers and 
modern-day courtesans.  Perhaps therein lies the divide among the avatars, 
like the Nurturing and Devouring Mothers.  The Lady must be quite resentful 
of the Naked Godess moving in on the "valued woman" aspect of her concept, 
much the way the Demagogue must ruffle the King's feathers.


- R. M. (feeling a little under the weather this weekend)


-----------------------------
Susan Dohnim bibadoo at hotmail.com wrote:


Not so sure about this -- I think that someone could be physically violent 
towards the Lady, but they'd have to be polite about it, and politely  
threaten her first ("If you don't come with me, I'm going to have to . . . 
").  Remember that the Lady has an automatic drawback going in that she 
can't engage in physical violence at all if there's a man around to defend 
her.

...

I would add that the first channel could be toned down a bit by putting the 
same limitation on it that the 1st Trickster channel has -- make it work 
only on those men that have a Soul score lower than her Avatar skill. (And 
no, I'm not just saying that so I can blow her off in Jeff's UA campaign :) 
).

_________________________________________________________________
Express yourself with cool emoticons - download MSN Messenger today! 
http://www.msn.co.uk/messenger