Advice On Magic Items

[BumblingBear]

You don't.

You only incur debt under specific, defined circumstances, that each amount to drawing extra power from your sponsor in exchange for agreeing to some future compel without knowing what it will be (save that it will in some way further your sponsor's goals).

Correct.  Sponsor debt comes in the form of +2 to discipline, +2 to your power shifts, or +2 to pretty much anything else.

Sponsor debt acts as "free" fate points.  I say "free", because with sponsor compels the best way to put it is that sponsor debt is fate points on credit.

[Belial666]

@character build;
Replace Ritual Crafting with Thaumaturgy, for the exact same cost. Why? Because having Thaumaturgy would reduce sponsored magic cost by 1, resulting in the same total cost AND give you a +1 bonus to any thaumaturgy of your liking AND give you a broader thaumaturgy availability.
As for Feeding Dependency, anything she can eat is too much; because she has magic she could make spells to eat emotions, memories, souls as well as everything else so she technically can eat such things. Since she is Fae or half-fae, take Feeding Dependency for Emotions or Memories or something similar and then use her magic to make deals for them (or plain steal them). Literature is full of Fae that do such things - the Leanansidhe is even in the Dresden Files.

@enchanted items;
Thaumaturgy can give you +1 item power. 3 focus slots can give you another +3 item power. This gives you a total item Power of 8 and reducing power by 1 gives you 2 extra uses. So, you could have 2 items at power 6, 5 uses each. Now, remember that enchanted items allow for any type of effect in them, both evocation and thaumaturgy. So, one item can have a magic allowing you to steal thoughts/memories; make that a straight mental attack, with takeout being reduced to a dreamless sleep. The second should be a defensive item and since you're being unseelie and feeling vengeful, make it cast a Ward with strength 6. Since it will be a Ward, attacks that fail to penetrate it will get reflected on the attacker.
Do note that since you are not using mortal magic, the Laws of Magic have no effect on you. Stealing thoughts and reflecting lethal force back on the attacker will not give you Lawbreakers. Also note that you can power magic items with mental stress instead of uses/day so you can use them instead of your normally weaker direct magic. Only use your direct magic for utility or when calling up power from your sponsor.




See? There's always a way to make a build useful and flavor-rich both if you put some effort into it.

[evileeyore]

I'm not absolutely sure about this but I really don't think you incur debt every time you use the power.

I don't... wait, that can't be right...

You don't.

You only incur debt under specific, defined circumstances, that each amount to drawing extra power from your sponsor in exchange for agreeing to some future compel without knowing what it will be (save that it will in some way further your sponsor's goals).

Hang on guys, I need to reread the Sponsored Powers section again, for 80 billionth time this month...

reading...

reading...

reading again...



Well I'll be.  Okay, that's waaaaay betterer than I thought.  I think I might just go with two foci, the Armored Coat, and 2 potions then.


The only reason left to avoid using Sponsored Magic for the character is to hide her "true nature", using the her Guardian's power shifts her into "looks like a Redcap" mode and she's paranoid.

Hmmm.  I need a think on this.  I might want to change that bit.



Anyway, besides the Armored Coat and "Freezy Wand" any other idea for magic items?  Seriously, that's what I was looking for (but the other stuff has been a help too).

[evileeyore]

@character build;
Replace Ritual Crafting with Thaumaturgy...

No.

As I said:

...and yes, I know I could build the character a bit more "optimized", that's not what I'm looking for though.  I like the build, it's something to grow into.

Specifically I knew someone would tap that aspect of the character (pun intended), but it's for flavor.  The character is young, 10 years old, she isn't highly trained in magic or thaum, she's just starting.  Later, after I've hit a Major Milestone I'll pick up Refinement for more Item slots and shift Rituals into Thaum.

Yes, I see what your getting at, it's not where I'm going, nor where I needed help.

As for Feeding Dependency, anything she can eat is too much...

It's what my ST and I decided upon, as described earlier, also it better fits the Redcap feel.

Redcaps and other such don't eat emotions, thoughts, etc, they eat things.

Literature is full of Fae that do such things - the Leanansidhe is even in the Dresden Files.

Is a Sidhe, not a Redcap, boggart, goblin, gnome, kobold, or other "type".  I was looking for a "earthy" feel and Eating Lots Of Stuff fits.  Eventually it might morph into a more specific "lots of stuff" flavor (along with picking up more Redcap packaged powers), but until then it's fine. 

Do note that since you are not using mortal magic, the Laws of Magic have no effect on you.

The way my ST and I are looking at is this:  When I'm pulling on the Sponsor, it's pure Fae magic, I'm just directing it.  When I'm using my own (someday, in the future) it'll be Mortal magic, as I'm drawing it from my own Mortality.

The character is not a Fae, she is still "mostly" human, thus mostly mortal.  Where the local Wardens will fall on this matter will be politics... and I'm aiming to avoid any wiff of spotlight time there.

Will I do it?  Sure, the character is a bit sociopathic when it comes to puppy-kicking villians, she'll do "what's necessary"... of course the rest of the party are bleeding heart "no everyone can be saved" types so I'm sure fun and interesting times are ahead.


Last thing, your build specicifcally undercuts the number of Items I start with by 2 (or 4 enchanted)... so ... yeah.

The second should be a defensive item and since you're being unseelie and feeling vengeful, make it cast a Ward with strength 6. Since it will be a Ward, attacks that fail to penetrate it will get reflected on the attacker.

Okay, now we're cooking with sparklies.  Hmmm...  I like it.  Let me reread the Wards section, but I do like it.  Not the "vengeful Fae" aspect, but I like the "drop an area wide blocker" part.  I'm filling the role of Party Meatshield (very small Meatshield*) so I like the "defend the party bit of this.




* I'm the "meatiest" of the group.  Le sigh.

[MorkaisChosen]

The other thing with Sponsored Magic is that any Aspect it inflicts- whether by manoeuvre or by Consequence- serves the sponsor's agenda.

[BumblingBear]

I don't... wait, that can't be right...

Hang on guys, I need to reread the Sponsored Powers section again, for 80 billionth time this month...

reading...

reading...

reading again...



Well I'll be.  Okay, that's waaaaay betterer than I thought.  I think I might just go with two foci, the Armored Coat, and 2 potions then.


The only reason left to avoid using Sponsored Magic for the character is to hide her "true nature", using the her Guardian's power shifts her into "looks like a Redcap" mode and she's paranoid.

Hmmm.  I need a think on this.  I might want to change that bit.



Anyway, besides the Armored Coat and "Freezy Wand" any other idea for magic items?  Seriously, that's what I was looking for (but the other stuff has been a help too).

Wanna know what's even better about sponsored magic?

It doesn't (unintentionally) hex technology, AND you can kill mortals with it without taking lawbreaker.

[evileeyore]

Wanna know what's even better about sponsored magic?

It doesn't (unintentionally) hex magic, AND you can kill mortals with it without taking lawbreaker.

Yup.  But I've already agreed to "lay low" on the second part.  It has been implied outright stated that due to the circumstances* of my getting the Sponsored Magic I'm not really covered as a Fae, IE politically no Fae of consequence are going to back me, so if I make waves and a Warder decides to "take Justice" on me, I'm on my own.



* I have a Guardian Fae by hook and crook, not by actually agreement or contract.  The only Fae backing I've got is my Fae Spirit Guardian and he is "using" me to hide out, as he's kind of "on the lam".

[evileeyore]

Okay, now we're cooking with sparklies.  Hmmm...  I like it.  Let me reread the Wards section, but I do like it.  Not the "vengeful Fae" aspect, but I like the "drop an area wide blocker" part.  I'm filling the role of Party Meatshield (very small Meatshield*) so I like the "defend the party bit of this.

Okay, I'm drawing a bit of a blank on this one...

Ward Inscription Knife : Strength 6, 1 use, lasts until completely broken or dawn.
-- Scratch a warding symbol into a wall or door of the area, or scratch a circle to create a small ward in a large or open area.

Does that sound right?  Or should it last only the scene?

Also how would this affect an area with a natural Threshold?  Would it "stack" or do we just use the larger of the two?  If not stacked, say mine was is the larger, does tearing do attacks to my Ward affect the Threshold?

Nevermind, I'm taking those questions to their own thread.

Nevermind, found a few old threads discussing those questions.

[Becq]

The default duration for wards is 'until the next sunrise' (the rules are on YS276).  You can extend this if you want by adding complexity to gain shifts on the time chart (or in this case, allocate some of your 6 points to duration instead of strength).