Help with Enchanted Item?

[devonapple]

I've read the rules several times and I still don't really understand what libraries even do.

Having access to a Library (YS 140, 142) is a prerequisite for the Research and Lab Work trapping of Scholarship (YS 141). Having one on hand means that you can plausibly complete this research without having to go anywhere or summon Demons for the information.

[MacAllen]

Your library is 2 steps down from your Resources, so even if you have Superb Lore, Scholarship, and Resources (which is not normally possible), you can only answer "Good" questions because of the quality of the Library?

Please tell me I'm reading that wrong.

[devonapple]

Your library is 2 steps down from your Resources, so even if you have Superb Lore, Scholarship, and Resources (which is not normally possible), you can only answer "Good" questions because of the quality of the Library?

Please tell me I'm reading that wrong.

Not without leaving your house, I imagine.

[MacAllen]

Not without leaving your house, I imagine.

Then what's the point of having your own library when you can't ever have one that's worthwhile?  Even with Superb resources, you're barely able to answer questions that most people can just google to find.  Harry most certainly didn't have Superb resources.  He was just above poverty, and his character sheet on OW136 doesn't even LIST his resources, which means they're mediocre and his lab, being 2 steps down, was Terrible.  But Harry was able to research almost anything and create nearly anything in his lab.  He rarely wandered off to some other library to research.

It doesn't seem to make sense.

[devonapple]

He was just above poverty, and his character sheet on OW136 doesn't even LIST his resources, which means they're mediocre and his lab, being 2 steps down, was Terrible.  But Harry was able to research almost anything and create nearly anything in his lab.  He rarely wandered off to some other library to research.

It doesn't seem to make sense.

He had Bob. Bob is *almost* a free Lore check for him, but on occasion, he had to do things in order to get Bob to cough up the information, which in this game would be handled like a conflict. A low-stakes conflict, mind you, but one that occasionally forced Harry to do things like make a lust potion when he didn't want one. And when Bob couldn't help, he had to summon a demon and give up part of his True Name. Pretty risky, and definitely not "free" in any sense of the word.

Otherwise, players can go out into the supernatural world and barter with others for access to libraries, resources, etc. It becomes part of the plot.

That said, I haven't dealt with the Research element a lot, so I'm not an expert. Maybe some other folks here have dealt with it more intimately?

[MacAllen]

Fair enough, if a bit cheesy

I'm brand new to the game, rolling up a Wizard Bibliothecary and that's sort of his thing, but he can't have the library I wanted him to have, which is annoying, but life, she goes on.

[devonapple]

Fair enough, if a bit cheesy

FYI, you're not crazy. There are times when the game rules and the setting don't quite match up. Warden Swords might be better handled as Items of Power, judging by their origin, but Wizards could never muster enough Refresh to buy them, so they end up counting as Focus Item slots for the Wizards who have them. But the spirit of the game lives on, and if a character needs a better Library, a Stunt can be developed for that (if it isn't already in the book).

Besides, a game where everything can be answered from one's library has the potential to become boring.

[MacAllen]

Besides, a game where everything can be answered from one's library has the potential to become boring.

Of course, and that's not what I seek.  But if my Lore is Superb and my resources are Superb (which it's not, but I interpret that as very wealthy), then my library should at least be able to answer a question *I* can answer off the top of my head, but it can't, it can only answer a Good question, at best.  A kid with a focus laptop can get the same answer from the internet, with no resources at all.

Thanks for taking the time to answer my inanity

[evileeyore]

Of course, and that's not what I seek.  But if my Lore is Superb and my resources are Superb (which it's not, but I interpret that as very wealthy), then my library should at least be able to answer a question *I* can answer off the top of my head, but it can't, it can only answer a Good question, at best.  A kid with a focus laptop can get the same answer from the internet, with no resources at all.

Thanks for taking the time to answer my inanity

I could having a stunt to boost your Library (note, I haven;t looked to see if one such exists under Lore or Scholarship already.)

[Sanctaphrax]

Such stunts exist, no question.

Anyway, a sane GM would use a different difficulty scale for research than for basic knowledge.

PS: The Internet is a Mediocore (+0) library if I remember correctly.

[zcthu3]

Anyway, a sane GM would use a different difficulty scale for research than for basic knowledge.

PS: The Internet is a Mediocore (+0) library if I remember correctly.

I'd agree with this statement. The difficulty of a research roll should be equal to how hard it is to find the information. Given the ubiquity of access to the Internet then the difficulty of finding things capable of being found on the internet is mediocre (+0).

Equally, using Lore to identify things on the spot without research is going to be more difficult then when doing so in the safety of your library. For example, remembering what sort of supernatural creature eviscerates a person and alternates between a male victim one night and a female victim the next is likely to be a Superb (+5) difficulty Lore roll. Doing so in your Library with access to all your books makes it easier, and thus only requires a Good (+3) difficulty Lore roll.

Take for example, a character, hereafter called Jack, with a Great (+4) Lore and a Superb (+5) Resources which gives a Good (+3) Library. If Jack tries to identify our eviscerating demon, above, in the field (difficulty +5) he requires a +1 or better result on his dice roll. He has to drag through his memories of what he’s read etc., and identify which eviscerating demon it is. If he can take the time to research it properly in his good (+3) library, however, the difficulty roll is only +3, and he succeeds on roll of -1 (Great (+4) Lore) or better.
The Library limits the difficulty of the question you can answer. The difficulty of a question should be related to where you are, time constraints etc. A good (+3) library is therefore useful even to a character with a higher Lore skill.

Another thing to remember is Lore covers more than just research. For example Jack has a Lore of Great (+4) for Thaumaturgy but is limited to his good (+3) library for the difficulty of research questions.

I would also agree that you could purchase a Stunt to improve the rating of your Library.

[Team8Mum]

Your library is 2 steps down from your Resources, so even if you have Superb Lore, Scholarship, and Resources (which is not normally possible), you can only answer "Good" questions because of the quality of the Library?

Please tell me I'm reading that wrong.

Resources Stunt High Quality work space can be used to have a workspace equal to your respources so I'd say you could say that was your library. Especially as the same stunt has the other option of having one workspace work for  both academic and arcane research but still at -2.
( there is also Lush lifestyles - Allows you to have items equal to your resources rather than 2 less)

I'm sure in SOTC Fate there was a 'Walking library' stunt that Assumed you memorised every book you had ever read and could recall it - but I guess that may be out of genera for DFRPG, and come more under a supernatural power.

[SunlessNick]

You can also make a Resources roll for a higher quality workspace, representing time and money spent acquiring better materials.  And it would be reasonable to allow similar rolls to increase the level of an existing workspace.  And perhaps to take some leaves from the "when Lore isn't high enough for the thaumaturgy ritual you want to do" section - you can't just buy everything you think you'll need, so you have to spend time choosing the exact right volumes (symbolic links), calling in or incurring favours (power sources and sponsorship), or pure research at external libraries and copying it into your own (ritual) - to get a library in excess of your resources.

[Michael Sandy]

A fellow player has a character who works in a library, and I thought it would be cool to develop a spell that can search a large number of books for particular words and key phrases to speed research.

You create a piece of paper with the words on it, and walk with it in one hand as you touch the books you would search with the other, and it will generate a little tacky feel, or 'hotter/colder" as you approach a book that refers to the topic.

You could make a magical version of a Kindle, that can copy a page from any non-protected book if it can be referenced accurately enough.  (call it the extended footnote spell)  And you could have a magic item that gives +2 complexity, +2 control for the purpose of that one thaumaturgy spell.  Heck, if you made a rote thaumaturgy spell, you wouldn't have to worry about bad luck screwing up one of the rounds of building power.