Character Creation Help

[Tbora]

Okay guys I want your help developing my character as far as abilities and stats goes.I am working on a waist deep level so a total of eight refresh to work with.

What I want is either a sorcerer or a full fledged wizard.But I don't want him flinging bolts of force or anything, in fact I want him to be a very poor evocator.But very good at the enchantment and creation of magical items and using them.Sort of like a magical MacGyver or James Bond, in example he might not be able to create a gout of fire himself but he does have a ring which does the same thing effectively.Among the tools I intend to give him I want him to have a Golem servant (so basically it would fit normal Golem stereotypes, vert tough, slow, and strong.) he created out of rock.

Any ideas how I could go about this?

[John Galt]

Has to be focused practitioner.  Golem is going to have to cost refresh probably as an item of power, so unless you move him up to fully submerged he can't be a wizard.

[Tbora]

Sorcerers are a lot less costly then wizards so I could do it at one of them. Still I need a set up for stats and such any ideas?

[Crion]

When you speak of "stats," do you just mean the overall skills? If that is your thought process, then you will want to look at what else this character can do besides magic. Obviously, you'll want very high Lore and Discipline skills (Lore for the Thaumaturgy side of things, Discipline for evocation control and the extra Mental stress). Perhaps you'll want to put some points in either Craftsmanship or Performance in order to emphasize the creation of the items (if you are making them yourself, of course, and whether or not they are practical or more artistic). Resources may be something to consider as well.

But again, we're looking at it in a very abstract, "stat it out" way. What sort of Aspects are you working with? What sort of personality does this character have, and what sort of other, non-magical things do they do?

[Deadmanwalking]

Well, get Thaumaturgy and either Channeling or nothing at all (nothing if you go with my suggestion), then Refinement several times for Enchanted Items. You'll want very high Lore and a bit of Discipline, but that's all you'll really need.

For a Golem, my reccomendation is Item of Power (the +2 version) granting Channeling (Physical Force) plus a level of Refinement...then everything it does beyond walking around with you is mechanically a Spell effect, and it only costs -1 Refresh. This version does require a bit more in the way of Discipline and Conviction, though.

[Tbora]

Heres the deal I still want him able to dish out a'lot of hurt.But he relies on tools to do so, I am going to need resources to justify the various trinkets (like a marble enchanted to explode with a flash of light and bang when thrown) he might use.But beyond that I am not sure really.

What else (I'll take specifics, like the stuff he might have, and the various things he might use them for) do I need.

[Tsunami]

Buy channeling instead of evocation, modeling his limited ability in evocation by restricting him to one element.
You will need full Thaumaturgy, since he should be able to summon(Golem) and enchant things in a variety of ways.
Buy lots of Enchanted item Slots for him to play with.

If the Golem is something he has always with him. Then you should make it an aspect, and maybe even pay some refresh for it, though i couldn't tell you how exactly. Haven't thought about minions much until now *g*.
But it's basically a summoned creature.

[Tbora]

Great ideas but in the words of the lolcat, I need MOAR!

[John Galt]

Sorcerers are a lot less costly then wizards so I could do it at one of them. Still I need a set up for stats and such any ideas?

No they aren't.  Wizard's are a minimum -7 refresh.  Sorcerers are a minimum of -6.

You have three choices.

1. Stat a focused practitioner with a -2 item of power called Golem
2. Drop the idea of Golem altogether and stat a Wizard or a Sorcerer
3. Create a custom class

I would recommend 3.  Just remember that you aren't a Wizard of the White Council anymore.  If you can't meet the requirements they won't have you.  If you go with number three, your powers would be:

[-3] Thaumaturgy
[-2]/[-3] Golem
optional: [-2] Channeling

Your skills could look something like this:

Great: Lore, Discipline
Good: Craftsmanship, Endurance
Fair: Conviction, Guns, Alertness
Average: Scholarship, Athletics, Presence, Resources, Empathy

[Tbora]

I'll go with option 3, so can you help me with that please, I dont really trust myself enough to try developing a custom class by myself.

[Crion]

Heres the deal I still want him able to dish out a'lot of hurt.But he relies on tools to do so, I am going to need resources to justify the various trinkets (like a marble enchanted to explode with a flash of light and bang when thrown) he might use.But beyond that I am not sure really.

What else (I'll take specifics, like the stuff he might have, and the various things he might use them for) do I need.

I think Deadmanwalking put it out there rather well for you. Take full blown Thaumaturgy, add some "refinement" into the mix. I'd say that if you are relying on tools for your own things, then yes, you will want to rely upon focus items, potions, and enchanted items, which will take the slots granted by Thaumaturgy and Refinement.

Well, get Thaumaturgy and either Channeling or nothing at all (nothing if you go with my suggestion), then Refinement several times for Enchanted Items. You'll want very high Lore and a bit of Discipline, but that's all you'll really need.

For a Golem, my reccomendation is Item of Power (the +2 version) granting Channeling (Physical Force) plus a level of Refinement...then everything it does beyond walking around with you is mechanically a Spell effect, and it only costs -1 Refresh. This version does require a bit more in the way of Discipline and Conviction, though.

Okay, now I have to ask: with what you have here, does this "item" basically act as a surrogate body for the owner, requiring the use of Channeling (granted by the item) instead of the caster's own talents?
Would it also be possible to create a golem with a similar approach using Enchanted item slots?

Additionally, don't you need knowledge in the correct field in order to use Evocation effects in Enchanted items? For example, could someone create something similar to Harry's Force Rings without Spirit Evocation?
Not sure if I misread something or my brain just threw something in there that wasn't meant to be.

Buy channeling instead of evocation, modeling his limited ability in evocation by restricting him to one element.
You will need full Thaumaturgy, since he should be able to summon(Golem) and enchant things in a variety of ways.
Buy lots of Enchanted item Slots for him to play with.

If the Golem is something he has always with him. Then you should make it an aspect, and maybe even pay some refresh for it, though i couldn't tell you how exactly. Haven't thought about minions much until now *g*.
But it's basically a summoned creature.

I'm not entirely certain if a Golem in this sense is a summoned entity. The Golem-type he is referencing seems to be from Jewish Folklore, which is a guardian made from stone, granted great power but is often lacking in intelligence and direction. Unless the body is just a construct for a more intelligent entity (i.e. creating this body as a vessel for a demon/ghost/etc), I can't see this as a summoned creature.

Anyone is more than welcome to correct me if I am mistaken in any of this.

I'll go with option 3, so can you help me with that please, I dont really trust myself enough to try developing a custom class by myself.

The really neat part of this game is the flexibility of the Templates. As long as your High Concept is fitting, you can technically get away with turning the powers list into a shopping spree. Of course, there are limits, but still entirely doable.

With what you are going for, I'm thinking John Galt has hit the mark pretty spot on, and still left you with enough flexibility to change a few skills around as needed to fit your concept.

[Deadmanwalking]

Okay, now I have to ask: with what you have here, does this "item" basically act as a surrogate body for the owner, requiring the use of Channeling (granted by the item) instead of the caster's own talents?

Yep. 

Would it also be possible to create a golem with a similar approach using Enchanted item slots?

Not easily. It would be extremely unwieldy to say the least, since it would need separate effects for Maneuver Attack and Block at a minimum. Besides, his way is both simple and only -1 Refresh.

Additionally, don't you need knowledge in the correct field in order to use Evocation effects in Enchanted items? For example, could someone create something similar to Harry's Force Rings without Spirit Evocation?
Not sure if I misread something or my brain just threw something in there that wasn't meant to be.

No, you do not. Otherwise someone with Ritual (Crafting) would be ueless, which they most certainly are not intended to be.

[John Galt]

I'll go with option 3, so can you help me with that please, I dont really trust myself enough to try developing a custom class by myself.

Well first figure out if you want to be entirely reliant on your preparation or if you'd like a little balance on the off chance your GM exploits your obvious weakness (which any good GM will do).  Also what you want your Golem to be able to do.  If he's simply a lab assistant and body guard that is animated by your magic alone, I'd put him at a -2 refresh.  If he is a force to be reckoned with, and can hold his own in a fight without your constant supervision, I'd put him at -3 or higher, depending on what powers you give him. 

Your decisions can also depend on your group.  If your character is constantly surrounded by at least a couple of teammates that can get him out of a tight spot then he can be as specialized as you want him to be.  So I'd do something like:

[-2] Golem Item of Power
[-3] Thaumaturgy
[-2] Refinement

If your character may need to get himself out of a tight spot, you may want to make him a little more well rounded, in which case I'd suggest either

[-3] Golem Item of Power (as more of a spirit protector)
[-3] Thaumaturgy
[-1] Refinement

or

[-2] Golem Item of Power
[-3] Thaumaturgy
[-2] Channeling- Earth

[luminos]

Alternatively, you could make the Golem a pure NPC and perhaps have an aspect on  your character referencing the Golem.  That costs a lot less refresh (which you need for other things) and avoids the trouble of how to stat the Golem up as a custom power.  Take Thaumaturgy, like Deadman said, and dump every spare point of refresh you have into refinements for enchanted items.  Take high Lore for enchanted item strength, maybe high discipline if discipline is going to be the targeting mechanism for a lot of the items, and you have the important stuff.  High resources and craftsmanship make sense from a story standpoint, but won't have much mechanical impact on what you do with the enchanted items.  If you still plan on doing a lot of Thaumaturgy beyond enchanting, those two skills become much more useful for making declarations.

[Tbora]

If I were to go the Golem NPC route how would that work as far as control goes, what would I do woth all those extra refresh (assuming as an item of power it would cost for it.