Fists, Armed stunt, character help

[Da_Gut]

Greetings all,

This will be long, and rambling.

Quick, nutshell question - Would Fists, and  its stunt Armed, work, even somewhat, with the aspect "trick knee"? Or, put another way, how viable is it to have a low, or non existent, Athleticism? Basically the stunt would let him use his walking cane as a weapon, including defending against large weapons. Against guns/spells, he would just hit the dirt with full defense, and leave that to his more physically able colleagues. I'm only talking about a fair Fists score - just enough to be a decent amount.

Background: I want to play a Red Court Infected, who is a second tier Order of St. Giles member. Meaning, he just isn't that good in combat. His abilities are geared toward research, and social interaction. He is also a ritual ectomancer, and that triggers his hunger track. The demon co-opted his magic. However, I don't want him to be totally defenseless in physical combat - thats just suicide. So this is a bit of game-ism. On the other hand, I really see him as having a "trick knee" and a walking cane. He just isn't that mobile. Also, there are a ton of social skills, and I need the skill slot from athletics. (Mind, he can function without the cane, and even sprint - just not far, or long, without his knee giving out). I see the knee as a fate point machine.

Addictive Saliva  (-1)
Blood drinker  (-1)
Feeding Dependency (+1) (following two powers depend on)
Inhuman Recovery (-2)
Ritual Ectomancy (-2)
Tattoo's of Saint Giles (-2)
Could I take a two point catch, or am I limited to a one point catch?

I guess the main question is, how debilitating is limited mobility, low athleticism?

And, for something totally different - I like this idea. Construct a "ghost grenade". Capture a few minor ghosts, compress them down into a "grenade" and when you throw the grenade, they explode outward doing an ectoplasmic orgy of damage, before dissipating. If you capture ghosts of those slain by the red court, you can create ghost grenades that only effect full red court vampires. Feasible for an ectomancer?

Badly random post I know, but I'm tired. And brainstorming as much as thinking, trying to see what sticks. I want a tragic character, who I see sacrificing himself down the road to accomplish a major goal. Or who at least lives a life that is nasty, brutish and short - but not TOO short. (I love the doomed fighter, who never, ever, gives up)

[Ophidimancer]

Quick, nutshell question - Would Fists, and  its stunt Armed, work, even somewhat, with the aspect "trick knee"? Or, put another way, how viable is it to have a low, or non existent, Athleticism? Basically the stunt would let him use his walking cane as a weapon, including defending against large weapons. Against guns/spells, he would just hit the dirt with full defense, and leave that to his more physically able colleagues. I'm only talking about a fair Fists score - just enough to be a decent amount.

Umm ... why not just use the Weapons skill?

[Doc Nova]

My immediate retort would be: why wouldn't it work?  There is no requirement for a particular skill level to take a stunt.  Certainly you aren't optimizing, but as a GM of many years over, I applaud that.  

Mobility, on it's own, isn't that heavy of a hitter in FATE.  Sure, a chase scene might be rough, and crossing zone barriers in the middle of an exchange may prove a massive challenge, but in a zone without significant barriers, the notion of limited mobility isn't, on it's own, that much of a factor.  None of this, however, has to do with it being compelled as an aspect, only that Movement Rate, as some are used to it in other games, is not nearly as much a factor here.  As an aspect, however, it could be a real gold mine, from blowing stealth, to keeping you out of a chase, or, if you're the one being chased, then ending it before it really even began.  I could also see times when it could work to your advantage.  The baddies whip out their guns and you drop to avoid gunfire, roll your full defense and come up short, so you invoke that aspect, have the leg give out a second earlier than initially described, and drop beneath their firing line.  Plus, it could be one heck of a sympathy-invoker. "Hey, man!" shouts a nearby, random citizen as the thugs close in on our cane-bound hero, "Picking on a cripple dude?!  Way uncool!"

So, as I said, my return question is, why wouldn't it work?  I think it's a pretty neat idea, myself.

I also dig the ghost grenade.  It resonates well with the Memorium, Memoratum, Memoritus thaumaturgy spell in YS, page 299.  And yeah, at least in my opinion, I think it is totally feasible for an ectomancer.

[Da_Gut]

Umm ... why not just use the Weapons skill?

Game-ism - Fists I can use with the addicting saliva to get a lick in on occasion, should it prove beneficial. Or hawk up a giant addicting lugi and spit it in someones face. I'm low on skill slots, so I'm trying to maximize the benefits of this one. I don't want to be totally useless in combat, just mostly. With the occasionally surprisingly effective tactic showing up....

[Deadmanwalking]

Could I take a two point catch, or am I limited to a one point catch?

You're limited to one, because you can't drop the cost of powers to -0.

I guess the main question is, how debilitating is limited mobility, low athleticism?

Fairly (not being able to dodge ranged attacks is bad), though it doesn't inhibit the specific idea you have planned. If it were me, I'd grab the Footwork stunt to ameliorate the problem without sacrificing characterization.

[finnmckool]

MMmmmm yeah...I can't see why you'd NEEEEED athleticism for fists. Fists is, after all, it's own skill, and athleticism is, necessarily, separate. Yeah. That makes total sense.

[Da_Gut]

Thank you for your post, Doc Nova.

[Doc Nova]

You are very welcome, Mr. Gut!

And I do plan to nab the ghost grenade idea.  I really dig that.