Seeking Assistance with enchanted items

[Eldritch Donut]

I have a character I'm working on. She has Lore 3, conviction 3, and discipline 2.
Her back story has her on the run from a number of different groups.
So I'm thinking one of her enchanted items would be a magically imbued hoodie which, when activated, causes her to go unnoticed by those around her. People would avoid bumping into her. They would recognize her as a person, but not as a specific person... if that makes sense. A kind of "This is not the girl you're looking for" field.

I'm figuring this as basically a veil +3 sensory block diverting people's attention away from her. My question has to do with duration of the effect. I didn't see any rules for enchanted items with a duration or length of activation of more than 1 exchange. Would this qualify as a 'more than one use?' issue if the duration goes to 1 scene rather than 1 exchange? Maybe impose a -1 penalty rather than halving the power? Or treat it like pumping more power into the item to keep it up and running?

Thoughts?

[My Dark Sunshine]

There is a side-note, or something similar in the Spellcasting section near Veils suggesting to simply (even as Evocation) run them as lasting the duration of a scene, or until pierced.

Enchanted Items, I think, can be imbued with Thaumaturgy spells as well; which can last the duration of a scene. That may only apply to potions though, I don't have the books to hand.

Either way, I'd probably just run it as a Good (+3) Veil, that lasts the duration of scene. Beating its rating with an awareness, or lore (arcane perception type thingy) check pierces the Veil allowing them to notice you. Likewise, if you make any obvious actions that'd draw their attention, you become noticeable (e.g, attacking them).

Those are my thoughts on the matter, at least.

To get a stronger Veil then Good, or to increase its uses per session, you'd have to increase the number of Enchanted Items slot used. That is, working under the assumption you've no specialisations in crafting, as you didn't list them.

[UmbraLux]

Veils are just blocks affecting perception.  So an evocation veil's duration is one exchange per shift put towards duration and a thaumaturgy veil would last based on shifts paid and the time increments chart (YS315). 

[My Dark Sunshine]

'Billy' suggests not doing 1 shift = 1 duration for Veils, (YS;255), side text. Its a GM judgement call, but if the GM will apply it to Evocations, I think they would also apply to Enchanted items.  All depends on the GM.

[Moriden]

Duration in this instance is largly up to st whim. keep in mind though that it is likely to replace your stealth roll with a result of 3, not give you a +3.

[sinker]

UmbraLux has the hard rules down, but talk to your GM, because it's really their call. Here's the specific side note everyone is mentioning.

Duration with Evocation veils
is largely a matter of GM
judgment call. Personally I
wouldn’t go for “1 shift gets
you one extra exchange”
with a veil; I’d just let it
hang around until something
pierces it, or until the end
of the scene. I see them simply
as REALLY GOOD magical
Stealth rolls.

[bitterpill]

I the reason I like veils as a trick is that it justifies mutliple ambushes in the same exchange which is hard to do with stealth unless there is a lot of cover, overwise at +3 i don't see much point in it, an enchanted item at that level is going to be beaten very easily.

[MijRai]

I suggest the hoodie lay a manuever like, 'Nothing Special' or 'Nothing to See Here'. Then you invoke for effect when something happens. That is something like the potion Harry used in Fool Moon, in a resusable format.

[sinker]

I suggest the hoodie lay a manuever like, 'Nothing Special' or 'Nothing to See Here'. Then you invoke for effect when something happens. That is something like the potion Harry used in Fool Moon, in a resusable format.

That seems like a clumsy/inefficient way to do it when the block mechanic already exists. Although I suppose that if you don't have the power to make an effective block, then that might be a good option. Seems to me that the character is likely in a low power game however, so a good block might not be that bad. Unless you've just prioritized different skills.

[Eldritch Donut]

It's a waist deep game - skills capped at great. So pretty low level. Without a redesign of the character I don't see getting much more pull out of the item. Possibly I could get it up to 5 if I reorient skills and I'm in the process of re-working the character.

I do like the maneuver idea. It's kind of the angle I was thinking. Harkening back to Douglas Adams and the 'Somebody Else's Problem' field generator. Always thought that pretty clever. It's easier to make people ignore something than to actually make it invisible. Plus, if it were invisible, someone might walk right into it. Better to make them ignore it and go around it without seeing the importance of it.

Thanks for the ideas. I'll chat with the GM about it and see how it goes.