Evocation, Stress, and Upping the Ante

[JosephKell]

That doesn't really address my point. I did agree that the stress argument was valid but it doesn't effect the point of this thread. Given the increasing stress value of each box, it makes more sense to just over channel and to worry less about having to make the roll.

It does address your point.
1.  You can't invoke for +2's to your "conviction" for how many shifts of power you can call up.
2.  Conviction effects how long your Mental stress bar is and how many extra mild consequences you have.
3.  You can invoke for +2's to your discipline roll.

Therefore it is easier to improve your discipline check dynamically, as needed.  If you aren't satisfied with a discipline roll and see that an invoke will help avoid backlash, you do it and are done.

Getting to Conviction 5 is important, it means 4 mental stress boxes and the extra mild consequence.  Basically it means you can have a 5th (or 6th) spell in a scene (provided the one you turn into a consequence incurs 2 or fewer mental stress).

Belial: They still have to contend with the laws of magic (and other people's perception).  The cops might not pay a second's glance at the rod in your hand (3-4 item slot foci are fist/rod sized), but clued in people will view it like a bazooka.  In Storm Front, Dresden has a serious "bad ***" reputation, and when he goes to Bianca to try to help investigate the murder of her employee, gets attacked by Bianca because Bianca thinks Dresden did it and is now after her.

But yes, magic is potent.

[Fedifensor]

That's an interesting houserule, but I'd consider it carefully before implementing.  Harry may cast some minor spells without any seeming effort, but that could just be the fact that it was an otherwise stressless scene and the stress went away at the end.

It's not just Harry.  There are several combat scenes in the books where highly skilled spellcasters can throw spell after spell without getting tired.  For example, the Archive was trading spells with multiple Denarians simultaneously, and the only reason she faltered was the gas in the room that knocked her out (physical stress, not mental stress).  Also, it's implied that Luccio and the other Wardens were tossing a LOT of spells during the zombie fight in Dead Beat.  There's at least one more example that comes to mind, but as it is post-Small Favor I'll avoid mentioning it here.

I don't think it's unreasonable to allow a roll that gets spin to avoid the initial point of stress (only).  However, I would place the restriction that any "pushed" spell would not qualify, and neither would one where Fate points were spent.  For this purpose, I'd only allow a roll to be modified by a tagged Aspect, as that doesn't involve extra effort or the whims of Fate.

[Deadmanwalking]

That has the potential to be really unbalancing, though.

My compromise solution is that Spellcasters can avoid Mental Stress by only channeling their Power Specialization (not counting Focus Items) in shifts of power. That allows really powerful spellcasters to do decent spells all day without making things unbalanced for PC wizards.

[Fedifensor]

That has the potential to be really unbalancing, though.

From what I can tell, the DFRPG isn't built with game balance as its primary concern, especially in a Submerged-level game.  In the same way that a starting wizard can get an immensely high control with specialization and a good focus item, a different starting character can take Physical Immunity with a +0 Catch and stand at ground zero of a nuke without being harmed.  It is up to the GM to say "no" when those situations arise.

[Deadmanwalking]

I disagree. Characters of comparable focus in an area are very balanced with each other...and Evocation's Stress Cost is an important factor in that. Which is why messing with it too much strikes me as a bad idea.

[Papa Gruff]

I disagree. Characters of comparable focus in an area are very balanced with each other...and Evocation's Stress Cost is an important factor in that. Which is why messing with it too much strikes me as a bad idea.

So do I. You simply can't play a game thats not balanced to some point or an other. It is no fun for the players who find them selfs at diferent levels of capability otherwise and it is no fun for the game master who can't come up with adequate opposition.