Petrification

[devonapple]

I just had a horrible thought: trying to write up a Basilisk's petrifying gaze in this system (note: I'm letting my longtime D&D background factor into my base assumptions about how powers like this work).

Would it be as simple as a maneuver placing a Compellable Aspect on a target? Folks seem to agree that's enough for a sleep effect, but for petrification? I think a "taken out" result makes more sense.

How would one differentiate, within the DFRPG rules, between the Basilisk's petrifying gaze (which normally just has to touch a target, with no eye contact needed) and a Medusa's gaze (which requires mutual eye contact)? A Medusa's gaze attack is usually a challenge of the target averting its gaze successfully, so it might work like avoiding a Soulgaze, or perhaps pitting the Medusa's Alertness against the target's Alertness.

Whatever it is, it would be cool to make it a Spray-enabled maneuver, allowing the creature with the petrifying gaze to split shifts between multiple targets.

Would it attack the Physical stress track, or would this qualify as a Mental attack?

Does it make sense to use a target's Alertness as the defense skill? Or would that imply the target knows enough about the creature to avoid the attack?

If we use Alertness as the monster's targeting skill, the monster would want a ridiculously high Alertness check to ensure enough shifts to take out a target, and that has other game implications, such as the monster almost invariably going first (excepting opponents with supernatural Speed powers) and being nigh impossible to surprise.

One could buy the monster levels of refinement: for -1 Refresh, the monster could get +3 to its Alertness for the purposes of resolving gaze attacks.

Here is a start, but it's only barely a start.

Petrifying Gaze [-3]
This monster's gaze can turn other creatures to stone. Roll Alertness versus the target's Alertness. The monster must generate enough shifts in one glance to take out the target's Physical Stress track (if a nameless NPC), as well as all available consequences (if a PC or named NPC), and spend a Fate point to ensure petrification.

Accurate Gaze [-1 to -3] for each Refresh spend, the monster gains +3 to its Alertness solely to resolve gaze attacks.

[Ryan_Singer]

I would model it as a normal at-range mental attack, where taken out = turned to stone. Something like:

-3 Petrifying Gaze

Roll Discipline as a mental attack with a 1 zone range. Target defends with Discipline. Attacks made with this power do an extra 2 stress, as if they were Weapon:2. Consequences relate to slower reaction times, and taken out = turned to stone.

[Rel Fexive]

That's much how I considered doing a Gorgon's gaze; model it roughly off Dominance.  Mental attacks (at +2) that require an aspect applied via a manoeuvre first (a bit like a grapple) to hold the victim's gaze; consequences that reflect horror and paralysis; and being taken out means you get petrified.  Conceding means you could be simply rendered catatonic.

[Becq]

Another option might be to model it as a magical Grapple (block to all actions) that inflicts damage each turn (and possibly bonus damage beyond the usual 1).  If they break the Grapple, then they free themselves, if they take enough damage to take them out, then they are, like, permanently stoned, dude.

This would end up being similar to Ryan's solution in that it 'builds up' to the permanant effect via take-out.  However, the character is rendered helpless until then, or until they burn through the effect and release themselves.

[devonapple]

This would end up being similar to Ryan's solution in that it 'builds up' to the permanant effect via take-out.  However, the character is rendered helpless until then, or until they burn through the effect and release themselves.

Good points. One must also account for narrative value. In the Basilisk's primary environment, a D&D dungeon, death is an understood potential consequence for most dungeon delvers. It's usually a tactical game: who dies first? Instakill powers are the prized goal of the players, and as such, instakill monsters are also valid.

But in DFRPG, the story is paramount, and even though death can occur, it is more narratively tolerable to have reversals, stress and consequences than it is to have one's prized character made suddenly dead in one exchange.

So having a Basilisk, Medusa or Gorgon running around instakilling NPCs could be tolerated for ramping up the tension, but when it comes time for the PCs to take it on, presumably armed with some forethought or research about how to avoid that fate, it makes sense that the monster will have towork at it, wearing down the PCs' ability to avoid its attacks, to have the process of being taken out by the monster abstracted using the existing mechanics of stress, consequences, etc., rather than me building the gaze to be an instakill capable of taking out a White Council Wizard. Its alright for the PCs to be wilier and more canny than the NPCs.  It just has to be enough to instakill low-Refresh NPCs, and provide a reasonable challenge to the PCs when they come a-knocking.

[Selrach]

Also a petrification attack would hit the Physical Stress Track. The attack is not trying to warp the core of their personality it its trying to stop them from moving.  A temporary version could just be a high powered block, but for a true turn to stone effect the target would have to be taken out.

[ralexs1991]

Another option might be to model it as a magical Grapple (block to all actions) that inflicts damage each turn (and possibly bonus damage beyond the usual 1).  If they break the Grapple, then they free themselves, if they take enough damage to take them out, then they are, like, permanently stoned, dude.

This would end up being similar to Ryan's solution in that it 'builds up' to the permanant effect via take-out.  However, the character is rendered helpless until then, or until they burn through the effect and release themselves.

Haha nice pun there (well as nice as any pun can be) lol

[wolff96]

Also a petrification attack would hit the Physical Stress Track. The attack is not trying to warp the core of their personality it its trying to stop them from moving.  A temporary version could just be a high powered block, but for a true turn to stone effect the target would have to be taken out.

This is the way I would go, similar to what Selrach posted...

First Attack:  Manuver, something like "Stiff Limbs".
Second Attack - Takeout:  Physical Stress, with consequences indicating loss of movement and coordination as the characters limbs change to stone.
Taken out (Assuming no Player Concession):  New Trouble:  Permanently Stoned. 

[devonapple]

I am on board with making the process cumulative as far as the mechanics go, needing to Take Out the target using Stress and Consequences, but I'm not sure I want to inflict partial paralysis or petrification on the target. Petrification is traditionally an all-or-nothing effect, though I can see dramatic tension in surviving such an encounter with part of one's body turned to stone.

How about if we framed the inflicted Consequences such that they supported eventual petrification, but didn't have any other in-game taggable benefit? Consequences like "In the Basilisk's Sights," "The Basilisk Almost Has You," and "Get Ready to be Petrified." The Basilisk (GM) could eventually tag those for a final followup attack hoping to Petrify the opponent, but until that time. Or, simply have the Basilisk inflict Maneuvers to the same tune.

[devonapple]

Petrification [-2]: You can petrify a target by touch. On a successful attack using your Fists ability, you inflict Physical Stress +2 on a target you are able to touch. Any consequences the opponent takes must reflect your attempts to turn them to stone. You may also use maneuvers to place Aspects on the target reflecting this conflict. Once the target is Taken Out, their Trouble Aspect is replaced with the aspect Turned to Stone. [This would be appropriate for a Cockatrice in the D&D mythology]
Gaze [+0]:  You instead petrify a target within your zone by successfully making prolonged eye contact. Roll your Conviction versus the target’s Discipline to inflict Physical Stress +2 on the target.  If the target continues to engage in conflict with you, you may continue to use this ability. Any consequences the opponent takes must reflect their diminished ability to avoid meeting your gaze in the midst of conflict. Otherwise, this works exactly like Petrification.  While this attack allows you to petrify at range, your target has the option to avoiding engaging you in conflict, which will leave them vulnerable: consider their defenses to be Mediocre (+0) against your other attacks or maneuvers while they are immune to meeting your gaze. [This would be appropriate for a Medusa in the D&D mythology]
Improved Gaze [-1]:  For an additional point of Refresh, you do not require prolonged eye contact. Simply gazing on their body for long enough will do. You may roll your Conviction versus the target’s Athletics to inflict Physical Stress +2 on the target. Otherwise, this works exactly like Petrification. [This would be appropriate for a Basilisk in the D&D mythology]

[ralexs1991]

I would increase the price on that improved gaze it just seems under priced to me

[sinker]

I am on board with making the process cumulative as far as the mechanics go, needing to Take Out the target using Stress and Consequences, but I'm not sure I want to inflict partial paralysis or petrification on the target. Petrification is traditionally an all-or-nothing effect, though I can see dramatic tension in surviving such an encounter with part of one's body turned to stone.

I can see a lot of fun coming from this. You could wind up with the badass wizard, his left hand turned to stone, seeking a way to reverse the spell. Or it would be great if the whole party rallies around the one person who jumped in front of the basilisk's gaze to try to find a way to bring them back and all the while he's(or she's) thinking about it, working on reversing the spell from inside their stony prison.

Clearly it's no fun if they're just screwed but there's lots of potential story here.

[ralexs1991]

I can see a lot of fun coming from this. You could wind up with the badass wizard, his left hand turned to stone, seeking a way to reverse the spell. Or it would be great if the whole party rallies around the one person who jumped in front of the basilisk's gaze to try to find a way to bring them back and all the while he's(or she's) thinking about it, working on reversing the spell from inside their stony prison.

Clearly it's no fun if they're just screwed but there's lots of potential story here.

it would also make for a hell of an extream consequence kinda like Harry's hand in BR

[devonapple]

I would increase the price on that improved gaze it just seems under priced to me

You want it to cost more than -3 Refresh total? Remember, that's a Refresh in addition to the original two.

[ralexs1991]

You want it to cost more than -3 Refresh total? Remember, that's a Refresh in addition to the original two.

it's a really powerful ability think about it you can cause damage just by looking at someone IMO -4 refresh is appropriate for something this powerful