Biomancy Question

[Glythrandil]

 I have an idea to create a physical adept type of character. Some of you may be familiar with Shadowrun and how the physical adepts in that system could use magic to augment their physical abilities for a time. How realistic is it to do this with biomancy? Basically I would be looking at increased strength and speed for the duration of a scene. I am not sure if even the lower level powers for these two would be realistic since we are still talking about augmenting the human body.
Any ideas on how to go about this would be appreciated. 

[DFJunkie]

Honestly I, as a GM, would allow a character with the Focused Practitioner (Biomancy) to buy the various Inhuman Whatever powers, with the fact that said practitioner has spent years tinkering with his/her body and reinforcing it with magic.  A good catch for toughness/recovery powers would be magic, as magical attacks could disrupt the enhancements.

[John Galt]

It's Fate.  All styles of magic are basically the same.  Just roll conviction and discipline to do a weapon whatever attack and when you complete the attack claim it was your fist.  Put aspects on yourself using magic fight with a fists skill.  It'd probably make the most sense to claim it was spirit or air magic though for satisfying catches.

[AsaTJ]

I have a standing rule that players can use magic to replicate other supernatural powers with a spell complexity of (Refresh cost of mimiced powers x 2) + 2.  So Inhuman Speed would be (2 x 2) + 2= 6 Complexity for one exchange of effect.  Generally I keep a tight leash on this because it could become very overpowered very fast, and it by no means allows you to replicate any power.  Just those that I deem appropriate.

[wyvern]

There was a fairly hefty thread discussing more or less this question a couple weeks back; the general consensus was that there was no general consensus, and you'd have to work with your GM to figure out the best way to stat your specific character for your specific game.  (A lot of people, myself included, had opinions that they thought were simple, straightforward, and "obvious".  Many of these opinions conflicted.  Apply your own common sense, whatever that may be.)

It's still got some good ideas in it, though.  Here's the link: http://www.jimbutcheronline.com/bb/index.php/topic,18533.0.html

[Deadmanwalking]

For something that actually works like a Physical Adept from Shadowrun mechanically, you just buy stuff like Claws, Inhuman Speed, and other things like that with an appropriate justification [possibly with Feeding Restriction (Magical Energy)].

For something more short-term and higher powered (damage-wise), combine or replace this with Channeling and/or Ritual.

[AsaTJ]

Yeah, I'm not into the whole "just buy the other powers" philosophy that a lot of people in the DFRPG community seem to point to.  If you need to cast a spell to use them, you should at least get a refresh discount- if not just make them free.  The costs in the book assume "always on" or "always available," and it's not fair or balanced to make a wizard pay full price for them.

[Deadmanwalking]

Well, if you need to do it with a Ritual, then use the Thaumaturgical Shapeshifting rules (see YS. p. 283 and 92) and pay for the powers with Tags.

Or take Human Form [+2] requiring a fifteen minute ritual to activate it. And/or Feeding Dependency (Magical Energy).


But none of that is what this guy asked for. Physical Adepts in Shadowrun have their powers on all the time, and no magical powers aside from the physical enhancement, so they'd just buy powers.

[AsaTJ]

Physical Adepts in Shadowrun have their powers on all the time, and no magical powers aside from the physical enhancement, so they'd just buy powers.

Ah, okay.  I fail for not knowing much about the setting he's trying to replicate.  >_<

[Glythrandil]

  Thanks for the input everyone!  You have given me exactly what I was looking for. 

[kihon]

I guess the question to answer - could a wizard ever stand toe to toe with a supernatural, say a vampire, in a fist fight?  Not using his magic, per se -- but using his martial arts skills -- biomancy enhanced, and then just beat the vamp?

[ashern]

I guess the question to answer - could a wizard ever stand toe to toe with a supernatural, say a vampire, in a fist fight?  Not using his magic, per se -- but using his martial arts skills -- biomancy enhanced, and then just beat the vamp?

In the Dresden setting?  No.

[wyvern]

In the Dresden setting?  No.

Actually, I'd argue *yes*.  Any of the wizards we've seen?  Maybe not.  But think about it - how long do wizards live?  If one decided to spend a half-dozen decades learning martial arts styles, they'd definitely come out with enough skill to just plain beat, say, your average ghoul.
The real question, of course, is why a wizard would spend that much time and effort honing mundane skills when they could just smash the ghoul with lightning and put an end to it in one action.

[ballplayer72]

Actually, I'd argue *yes*.  Any of the wizards we've seen?  Maybe not.  But think about it - how long do wizards live?  If one decided to spend a half-dozen decades learning martial arts styles, they'd definitely come out with enough skill to just plain beat, say, your average ghoul.
The real question, of course, is why a wizard would spend that much time and effort honing mundane skills when they could just smash the ghoul with lightning and put an end to it in one action.

i mean it could be done but you'd have to self transform alot of stuff.  Muscles, bone, tendons, joints, organs all of that would have to be changed and reinforced for something like speed or strength or toughness.     

Most wizards who go the melee route seem to just take true shapeshifting and turn into a giant wolf/bear/cat etc instead of tweaking their real body.

[Ophidimancer]

Actually, I'd argue *yes*.  Any of the wizards we've seen?  Maybe not.  But think about it - how long do wizards live?  If one decided to spend a half-dozen decades learning martial arts styles, they'd definitely come out with enough skill to just plain beat, say, your average ghoul.
The real question, of course, is why a wizard would spend that much time and effort honing mundane skills when they could just smash the ghoul with lightning and put an end to it in one action.

Different style perhaps?  We don't know much about the spellcasters of Asia, for example.  Even Ancient Mai hasn't really done much.  Perhaps they mix magic into their martial arts.

Also, I'd say it would be one way of defending yourself with magic that wouldn't violate the Laws.  Say I use some Geomancy to place the GROUNDED Aspect on myself, tag it while using Redirected Force to DISABLE them, then take them out using Fists.  I don't think that would count as a 1st Law violation.  Biomancy could do something similar with an ADRENALINE RUSH Manuever.