Author Topic: Stand Back! I'm Going to Do SCIENCE!!! to it!  (Read 1984 times)

Offline TheVengefulKoala

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Stand Back! I'm Going to Do SCIENCE!!! to it!
« on: July 18, 2011, 03:45:53 AM »
I've been rolling around a concept for a Dresden Files game. As you can probably tell from the topic's title, this concept has a lot to do with "Mad Science", or SCIENCE!!! as some call it.

My main concern is how to represent this mechanically. I was thinking a rework/refluff of the magic system, but any suggestions are greatly appreciated.

Offline Sanctaphrax

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Re: Stand Back! I'm Going to Do SCIENCE!!! to it!
« Reply #1 on: July 18, 2011, 03:48:06 AM »
What do you want SCIENCE!!! to be able to do?

Building contraptions could be a mixture of Crafting and summoning. Ritual (Mad Science) ought to cover that. Maybe throw in a stunt to use Scholarship instead of Lore.

Offline TheVengefulKoala

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Re: Stand Back! I'm Going to Do SCIENCE!!! to it!
« Reply #2 on: July 18, 2011, 03:51:21 AM »
That was a very quick and helpful answer. Thank you!

Ritual (Mad Science) should work....Along with that stunt, I'll have an alley full of cyborg-cat spies in no time!

Offline wyvern

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Re: Stand Back! I'm Going to Do SCIENCE!!! to it!
« Reply #3 on: July 18, 2011, 03:58:16 AM »
I wouldn't even charge the stunt for that, though I'd use craftsmanship instead of scholarship.  After all, it's not rituals plus a stunt; it's a different Power entirely: the Power of SCIENCE!

Offline Morgan

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Re: Stand Back! I'm Going to Do SCIENCE!!! to it!
« Reply #4 on: July 18, 2011, 05:04:40 AM »
It's not quite full on Science! but I have been tinkering with a Faerie Thaumaturgy powers for a Changeling game, I've got a Half-Svartalar changeling who is a Faerie metalworker and tinker. Basically I let him create magical or fantastic items made of metal at the speed of Evocation. However he uses Craftsmanship instead of Discipline for the Control or Creation roll. I've also got a Half-Bean Sidhe singer who makes Evocation effects with her voice and uses Performance instead of Discipline for the Control roll. Both of these replacements work pretty well thematically and don't mess with the system too much.

But I really think it would depend on what you want your Mad Science or Science! character to do. If you want a steam or clockpunk style Wizard who creates mechanically based magic items, which are really just magic with technological color then a Crafting Wizard is the way to go, though I could possibly see him using Craftsmanship instead of Discipline. Or he might just make Craftsmanship maneuvers as part of his Thaumaturgy Aspect Invocations. I have made several Magical (James Bond) Q type characters who have multiple open powerful Enchanted Item slots that can basically pull out just the right potion or magic item for the job and that also works quite well.

If you want an actual scientist who makes real scientifically possible, yet fairly wondrous things at nearly instantaneous speeds I'm not sure such a character belongs in the Dresdenverse. Mechanically if they were both using Thaumaturgy rules there really wouldn't be that much difference in the characters but flavor and color wise one doesn't seem to fit.


Offline EdgeOfDreams

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Re: Stand Back! I'm Going to Do SCIENCE!!! to it!
« Reply #5 on: July 18, 2011, 03:41:32 PM »
I think a Mad Science power that work the same as Ritual or Thaumaturgy would be great.   Substitute Scholarship for Lore for determining 'ritual' complexity, and Craftsmanship for Discipline for 'control'.  Maybe also allow Craftsmanship to be the skill for how many shifts you can pull up per round, but don't allow pulling more shifts than you score? I dunno.