Brain hurts - magic items, focus items

[Da_Gut]

Alright, I'm trying to create a wizard, and for some reason, I'm not figuring this out. (Both books + threads on here)

So, here is what I would like for my wizard. Not sure if its doable or not on the stats, but thats what I could use a walk through for all, or some of this. Anything would help.

I have Great Discipline, and Lore (+4). Good (+3) conviction.

The two enchanted items I would like
Boots - a 4 shift magnetic effect that would yank metal to the ground. (He is an earth/water/spirit wizard). Usable once per scene. (Hmm, I had envisioned these working on a group of thugs, but that would be 3 shifts + 1 on zone, and would effect allies too, correct)

Gris-Gris bag.  I would prefer a 6 point block/3 armor use with 2-3 uses per session. But given my stats, I don't think its doable. Would a 5 point effect (4 block/2 armor with 1 shift extended duration) with 2-3 uses per session be doable? Or just go with the standard 4 block/2 armor 3 times per session use? (Which would use 2 item slots, correct?)

And, a potion slot, + one focus item (+1 water, both power and control, defensive).   How cheap could I get the
boots, bag, focus item, and potion slot? I have a stunt I need to get for the character idea. This guy is not particular optimized for power. (He is an inner city wizard mortician in New Orleans, actually.)

[luminos]

Boots - 5 shift effect.  Disarms everyone zone wide if they are using metallic weaponry.  Targets are allowed to use an appropriate skill to resist a 3-shift disarm effect.  Will also pull other metal objects to the ground, which could be useful for other purposes.  Two enchanted item slots (1 focus item slot)

Gris-Gris bag - 4 block/2 armor 3 times a session.  Two enchanted item slots (1 focus item slot)

Focus item - +1 defensive power/control for water.  Two focus item slots

Thats four slots.  To get a potion, you'll have to weaken one of those items or get a refinement for more slots.

[Da_Gut]

First off, thanks. That helped.

Here are the "bolts" of the finished character. Now I have to do the background, and I'm set. I already know much of the background, but there are details

Joe Ferguson
High Aspect Wizard Mortician
Trouble Loving, but harried Family man

Š 3 Great, 3 Good, 3 Fair, 8 Average (17 total skills)

Stress:
Mental OOOO
Physical OOO
Social OOO

Discipline Great (+4)
Lore Great (+4)
Scholarship Great Forensic pathologist, Mortician, general medicine (+4)
Performance (Poetry, Harmonica, Drawing/sketching) Good (+3)
Conviction Good (+3)
Athletics Good (+3)
Empathy Fair (+2)
Rapport Fair (+2)
Presence Fair (+2)
Alertness Average (+1)
Fists Average (+1)
Guns Average (+1)
Weapons Average (+1)
Driving Average (+1)
Endurance Average (+1)
Contacts Average (+1)
Stealth Average (+1)

Evocation: specialization - power bonus to water (+1)
Refinement: Evocation Water Power (+1) Water control (+1)
Thaumauturgy: Control, Wards +1

Powers:
Evocation [-3]
Thaumaturgy [-3]
The Sight [-1]
Soulgaze [-0]
Wizard's Constitution [-0]
Refinement: Evocation Water Power (+1) Water control (+1)

Rotes:

Entropic water shield - misty water shield, requires gauntlet. Block 6 or armor 3. Works by disintigrating and disrupting attacks passing through it.

Rot: enhances the detrimental effects of water on the target. Weapon: 5, requires no tools.

Wiretap: Power 2, duration 1 - eavesdrop manuever (soundwaves hit solids, he hears the echo's through the earth) requires no tools.

Hide: Power 3 - hides Joe and 1-2 people close to him. Spirit veil. requires no tools.


Stunt: Can use Scholarship instead of investigation when examining corpses for clues

Medical Examiner (Scholarship): Joe may use his Scholarship instead of Investigation to find clues when examining a corpse.

 "Reluctant ally of the Loa"
   Tags - to persuade a loa to provide information, to know something about a loa. To know who in the city is aware of the loa, to boost a spell by invoking a loa
   Compels - fail a social roll because he associates with a "bad element". To provide assistance to a loa. To allow a loa to "escape".

 "I know New Orleans like a lover"
   Good tags - to beat someone to a location, to know where something is at
   Compels - To prevent property damage, to donate serious money to save a landmark, to overreact to serious vandalism, to fail a stealth roll (someone goes "hey Joe, whats up?"
   
"Granddad's getting senile"
   Tags - to establish rapport with an old person. To sympathize with a couple with a live in elder relative. To manipulate gramps behavior (kinda scuzzy though)
   Compels - Brothers demand a family meeting to discuss the situation at the same time Joe is suppose to meet with Baron Samedi. Shapeshifter tags it for a bonus to stay disguised as gramps. Parishioners start bringing problems to Joe, as he is heir apparant to gramps. To forgo chasing bad guy to check on mumbling old man in the street.

"Snakes! Why did it have to be snakes?"
   Good tags - bonus to full defense when fighting a giant snake. Bonus to athletics to run away when fighting a giant snake. To know what spirits are associated with snakes.
   Compels - to automatically fail or freeze when suddenly confronted by a snake. To visit the lair of a known snake person last, when searching for a lost boy.

Must avenge Uncle Frank (Mentor)
   Uncle Frank was Joe's wizard teacher. He was killed by Something during Hurricane Katrina.

Items:

Boots - 5 shift effect.  Magnetic effect that yanks metal toward the ground. Disarms everyone zone wide if they are using metallic weaponry.  Targets are allowed to use an appropriate skill to resist a 3-shift disarm effect.  Will also pull other metal objects to the ground, which could be useful for other purposes.  Two enchanted item slots (1 focus item slot) 1 time per session. He typically stamps his foot to activate, but this isn't required.

Gris-Gris bag - 4 block/2 armor 1 time per session.  1 enchanted item slot

1 potion slot  ("empty" enchanted item slot)

Focus item - +1 defensive power and control for water.  Two focus item slots. Fingerless Gauntlet, with Veves, names of saints sewn into it.

Owns a medium house in the lower ninth ward.
Owns a 1972 Plymouth Valiant Scamp vehicle.

Exwife. Ingrid - tall (6 foot 2) pale norwegian lass. They have a boy who is close to turning 16. (Oskar).
Present Wife: Siobhan. Tall (5ft 11) Irish lass, well freckled, fiery red hair, temper to match. Her conflicts with both Joe and his grand dad are the stuff of legend. As is Joe and Siobhan's making up.
   4 children (with siobhan) . Twin 13 year old girls. Hellions.
   1 boy - 9 years old
   1 girl - 4 years old.
   
Physical appearence: A very small, slight man (5 foot tall). African American, 34 years old. Bald, with a prominant mole next to his nose. Some tattoos.

Saint Johns
   A small, old church that is next door to the Whispering Oaks funeral home. Still ran by Joe's grandfather (Tony Ferguson), who has a strong grip on his extensive brood.
   Aspect: Mighty is the power of the lord
   Face: Tony Ferguson
   
Whispering Oaks Funeral home.
Aspect: Funeral home in the know
   Founded by Joe's great grandfather, in the early 1900's. (Making it fairly young for New Orleans). Its day to day runnings are handled by Tony junior (TJ for short), one of Joe's siblings. The staff here are all members of the extended Ferguson family, and are familar with the supernatural.
   Face: Joe Ferguson

Tony Ferguson  (grandfather of Joe Ferguson)
Priestly defender of the defenseless
Other aspects: There is no soul but hath a guardian.  I think I'm going senile. Frail of Body but Firm of Faith. My grandson trusts the loa too much.

Skills:
Conviction: Superb (+5), Discipline: Great (+4), Empathy: Great (+4), Lore: Good (+3) Rapport: Good (+3), Presence: Good (+3), Most other social and mental skills default to fair, physical to mediocre.

Stunts:
Blessed Words (Conviction): Given a proper amount of time to pray to his god, may lay an aspect upon a scene with a successful Conviction declaration representing the effects of that prayer.
Withering Glare (Conviction): Priest Ferguson can use his conviction score to intimidate a foe, providing the foe can see his face.

Powers:
   Bless this House [-1]
   Righteousness [-2]

Stress
Mental OOOO, additional mild consequence
Physical OO
Social OOOO

Refresh: -5

[Deadmanwalking]

Personally, I'd drop four of those Average skills (Driving, Stealth and any two of Fists, Weapons, and Guns) and grab one at Superb (Lore or Discipline, probably then raise other skills to fill in the gaps). A Superb skill is MUCH better five at Average, like an order of magnitude better.

[CMEast]

Exactly as DMW says, changing from this -

35 skill points.
Great (+4) Discipline, Lore, Scholarship (Forensic pathologist, Mortician, general medicine)
Good (+3) Athletics, Conviction, Performance (Poetry, Harmonica, Drawing/sketching)
Fair (+2) Empathy, Presence, Rapport
Average (+1) Alertness, Contacts, Driving, Endurance, Fists, Guns, Stealth, Weapons

to this:

35 skill points.
Superb (+5) Discipline
Great (+4) Lore, Scholarship (Forensic pathologist, Mortician, general medicine)
Good (+3) Athletics, Conviction, Performance (Poetry, Harmonica, Drawing/sketching)
Fair (+2) Alertness, Empathy, Presence, Rapport
Average (+1) Contacts, Driving, Endurance, Stealth, Fists/Guns/Weapons

With a Superb Discipline, you could either leave everything as is and be a better spell caster or, if you feel you only need a Discipline of 5, you could reduce your focus item to just +1 to power and turn the other slot in to enchanted items. That way you could use both your gris gris bag and your boots 3 times a session.

Alternatively, if you swap Lore and Discipline, your enchanted items would be strength 5 and so you could use the second enchanted item slot to add uses per session instead of the extra power. Plus you would then have an additional rote.

I personally favour the first option and improve magic because I know how useful it can be, but it really depends on how reliant your character will be on items and rotes.

On the others skills, I've bumped Alertness up to Fair because it's a useful skill and you only really need one attack skill, and at average level it doesn't make a huge difference anyway. Fists could be handy as you're not reliant on any items for it, Guns has no defense but with your higher Athletics that doesn't matter, Weapons might be appropriate if you carry a scalpel around with you...

[Deadmanwalking]

Personally, I'd probably go with the following array:

Superb: Discipline
Great: Conviction, Lore, Scholarship,
Good: Athletics, Performance, Rapport,
Fair: Alertness, Empathy, Presence,
Average: Contacts, Endurance, Fists/Guns/Weapons,

Upping all Evocation one full shift, and just generally being a lot more effective, while being very nearly identical, flavor-wise. On the other hand, CMEast's array is a bit more broad and encompassing, and I can see going with that, too. Or going with my array and switching Discipline and Lore around, or a variety of other possibilities.

The primary point being, there's no reason not to have a slightly more focused pyramid, and every reason to do it.

[CMEast]

Yeah I thought about dropping stealth but I was hesitant to remove driving or to generally play with his skills too much.

You can still drive with Mediocre Driving though Da_Gut and the increased conviction will definitely be beneficial. If you really wanted a lower power wizard and you preferred having just Good Conviction then a Great Athletics can be very good for defense. The higher Conviction will generally be more useful though, especially without a powerful focus item for your magic (as yours adds only +1 to power).

[Da_Gut]

Many thanks Gentlemen.

I did indeed modify my skills array. We will see how it goes.