Feet in the Water - What can I build?

[Rechan]

So I may finally be able to get into a Dresden group. However, the Gm has set the level at 6 Fate / 20 skills.

I can't really think of a single interesting concept I want to play at that low a power level.

What are all the feasible options at this level? Are there amny mechanical tricks to milk it?

[Sanctaphrax]

You can build a lot at Feet In The Water level. That makes it hard to give suggestions, since there are so many possibilities to choose from.

What are you looking for in a character concept?

Mechanical tricks are the same as they are at every other level.

[Rechan]

I don't see a whole lot of what you can build. Pure mortal, barebones shifter, minor practitioner. I don't see a lot of "so much". Please elaborate.

[Sanctaphrax]

There are a lot of Pure Mortal concepts out there. Even if you had to build a Pure Mortal, you'd still have a lot of possibilities.

Personally, I tend to ignore the templates in YS. If a player wants to build a character that does not fit a template, I don't mind at all. This opens up a lot of room.

If you are beholden to the canonical templates, then your options narrow. But you still have a good number of them. You can build a something-thrope, a were-something, a focused practitioner, a True Believer, a Scion, or an Emissary Of Power.

The last two options on that list are especially interesting because they could be basically anything. If you hate the template restrictions that you are under, just make a Scion and take whatever powers you want.

But I'm afraid I can't give any further help unless I have some idea what you're after.

[wyvern]

Wereforms, yes - and remember that it's usually fairly easy to scale down on those, skipping powers that you "ought" to have with the explanation that you just aren't familiar enough with the form to make effective use of, say, inhuman speed.  Yet.

Minor Practitioner, yes - and remember that that covers an *incredibly* wide array of concepts, from an apprentice wizard (Sight, Channeling, Rituals, Wizard's Constitution), to an expert pyromancer (Channeling, Refinement for more focus item slots), to a minor precog (Rituals, Cassandra's Tears, and some stunts), and so on.

Emissary of Power - pick up your one required power, and fill in the rest with whatever's appropriate, from sponsored magic, to strength & speed, to creature features, etc.

Changeling / Scion - again, incredible flexibility in what you can do with it; you can do anything from a sylph changeling that's one point away from accidentally choosing fae, to a dragon scion that's just starting to come into her powers, to the son of a Selkie that's inherited his mother's seal-skin, etc.

[Haru]

Pure Mortal is always available, of course, and depending on how you choose your stunts, they can be pretty powerful. And you get a +2 refresh bonus.

Focussed Practitioner is available, too. They can be almost as powerful as wizards in the starting level, they are just pretty limited. I build a chloromancer once, a wizard specialized in spells involving plants. He is totally screwed, when there are no plants around (Fate point farm!) but hell on roots, when he is in his element. There are a lot of other things you can specialize in, an obvious choice are the typical elements (fire, earth, air, water), but the imagination is the limit.

Wereforms are also a possibility, not as high powered as a werewolf, but smaller things are certainly possible. A weremouse, like in the example in Your Story, or a wereraven, weredog, there are a lot of possibilities.

Not a template, but a wielder of a cool item of power is also a possibility. The item of power grants you +1 or +2 discount on the powers, depending on their size. For example a trinket of "living mercury", that the wielder can shape with his will, creating a shield, a sword, a lasso, anything he can think of, either modelled by "modular abilities" or straight up powers, that can be added to, when you get more refresh.

A true believer is also a possibility. One interesting take on that is "the practical practitioner", but there are lots of other ways to go, and non of them have to be the same.

Maybe think of 1 core idea, that you would be interested in, I will gladly help you form a character around that.

[computerking]

I don't see a whole lot of what you can build. Pure mortal, barebones shifter, minor practitioner. I don't see a lot of "so much". Please elaborate.

It's all in the imagination...
The Grandchild of a Demigod: Supernatural Strength + Marked by Power
The Haunted Apprentice: Evocation & Ritual (Ectomancy)
The Mega-Sensitive: The Sight, Soulgaze, Supernatural Sense(Broad Senses)
Spiderman: Spider Walk, Breath Weapon (Webbing), Inhuman Strength


Just off the top of my head.

[devonapple]

"Pure Mortal," "Focused Practitioner," "Scion" and "Minor Talent" have endless possibilities.

When I couldn't afford the Refresh to make a Wizard, I made a Focused Practitioner that manipulated shadows and, over time, built him up into a Wizard-level caster.

Changelings (and to a greater extent, Scions) allow you to be lower in power but still have abilities which set you apart. Think of any Nevernever creature or other spiritual archetype and then make a lighter version of it. Pixie Changeling? You can afford Wings and Inhuman Speed. Troll Changeling? You can afford Inhuman Strength and Inhuman Toughness, especially with a moderate Catch. Half-Demon? Cloak of Shadows, maybe Inhuman Recovery and Inhuman Strength.

And Pure Mortals? You can make criminals, artists, detectives, charlatans, athletes: so many options.

[Rechan]

I'm not asking about what characters I can do. I am very aware that pure mortals could do anything. I mean what can I build mechanically within the minimal budget. I'm not interested in pure mortals/minor practitioners. I'd rather not be a Person.

You can afford Inhuman Strength and Inhuman Toughness, especially with a moderate Catch. Half-Demon? Cloak of Shadows, maybe Inhuman Recovery and Inhuman Strength.

This is what I'm looking for - a discussion of possible powers and costs. But these read very expensive. I strongly want to avoid ending up with only 1-2 Refresh.

Don't know if the GM will let someone kit-bash a non-template character, and I doubt that coming up with homebrew powers is going to be ok - it's everyone's first time with the system.

[Haru]

Well, what DO you want to do? There are always ways to trim down a high power concept, so it will fit a lower power level. Just give us something to work with.

[devonapple]

I'm not asking about what characters I can do. I am very aware that pure mortals could do anything. I mean what can I build mechanically within the minimal budget.

Changelings (and to a greater extent, Scions) allow you to be lower in power but still have abilities which set you apart. Think of any Nevernever creature or other spiritual archetype and then make a lighter version of it. Pixie Changeling? You can afford Wings and Inhuman Speed. Troll Changeling? You can afford Inhuman Strength and Inhuman Toughness, especially with a moderate Catch. Half-Demon? Cloak of Shadows, maybe Inhuman Recovery and Inhuman Strength.

Suggestions, with power recommendations, reiterated.

Perhaps review all of the 2- to 4-Refresh powers, pick one, and call yourself a Scion or a Changeling. Want to be fast? Inhuman Speed. Want to be strong? Inhuman Strength.

Or perhaps go for a light-powered Were-creature, like a Wereraven with Human Form, Echoes of the Beast, Wings and Diminutive Size. No other Inhuman Powers.

[Haru]

For instance one concept I have is a mortal who was sent to hell while alive, and managed to escape decades later. Inhuman toughness and recovery. But, that would leave me with only 2 Refresh, and that's before mortal stunts.

If you add a catch, that can easily be brought down. In this case, a catch of fire would fit, the time in hell has toughened him up, except against hell and it's element itself, which would easily be a +3 catch, bringing the whole toughness/recovery block down to the cost of 1 refresh, leaving plenty of room for powers and stunts.

[wyvern]

I strongly want to avoid ending up with only 1-2 Refresh, which means that anything I want to do is out of the running.

Well, there's your problem.  Wanting to have a bunch of powers is simply not compatible with wanting a high refresh - it's a deliberate trade-off that's built into the game.  However - it is totally compatible with having a bunch of fate points.  Just give yourself some aspects that will get compelled, and that you don't mind causing problems for your character, and presto - there's your source of fate points, even if your refresh is 1.

But, again - what do you want to do?  Werewolf?  Totally doable - Human Form, Echoes, Beast Change, Inhuman Strength.  Done.  Don't need pack instincts if you don't have a pack; don't need speed if you're an amateur werewolf who's still a bit uncertain about this whole running around on four feet thing; don't even need Claws ("Wait, you mean I'm supposed to bite people?  Eww!").  Heck, you've still got enough refresh there to throw in some shamanic Rituals, or a few poorly made deals with the local fae for an Item of Power that grants Glamours, or whatever.

And, as Haru points out, 1 refresh buys you Inhuman Toughness & Recovery if you can come up with a decent +3 catch - which can be a bit tricky, but is usually pretty doable.

[admiralducksauce]

Also, you're not going to be able to really take many powers and still have refresh left over.  That's just a fact, as wyvern has more eloquently said.

But hey, you can take Sponsored Magic.  That's the forum's go-to power, and can probably be twisted around to fit any kind of power set.

[Delmorian]

The idea about the "Mercurial Trinket" could be expanded... think WitchBlade for a later character. If you saw the TNT tv series, she started out with a bracelet, that turned into a gauntlet, or a sword tipped gauntlet. She didn't get an armor form till like three or four episodes in, and she never got that "Jewelry as Clothing/Liquid Metal Bikini" Ultraslut form from the comics.