Noob Questions

[sinker]

OK, a Fate Point just once when gaining the power isn't too bad, I'm wondering where I got the FP per scene/use idea in my head from.

It's a number of FP equal to the amount of refresh (1 for cloak of shadows, 2 for channeling, etc) for each scene if it's a temporary power. That's totally how it works.

But as a note to Sinker, There are those who believe wizards are and should be ridiculously powerful. They play Jenga with the building blocks of the Universe. Not in some limited, single-use way, but any way they see fit. I mean, they cut the heads off of warlocks for a reason...

I wasn't trying to argue that wizards shouldn't be powerful, just responding to your statement that without the ability to grant powers to themselves or others they aren't powerful.

[computerking]

Has it been discussed whether conjuration could create items that satisfy a Catch(Like a steel sword vs a Fey)? I would think no, but confirmation would be good.

Also, could transformation magic (changing an aluminum bat into steel, in the same example) do it?

[UmbraLux]

Has it been discussed whether conjuration could create items that satisfy a Catch(Like a steel sword vs a Fey)? I would think no, but confirmation would be good.

Per the book, "None of the things that conjuration creates are actually real; they're made of ectoplasm..."  (YS274)  So I'd agree with your "no". 

Also, could transformation magic (changing an aluminum bat into steel, in the same example) do it?

This is more likely, but "...must be powerful enough to achieve a 'taken out' result on the target..." (YS282)  That said, I'm not entirely sure how you'd figure out a taken out result for inanimate objects.  I will say it shouldn't be easy...in fact it should be extremely difficult.  Unless you want gold to be devalued as your would be alchemists start building philosopher's stones. 

[Sanctaphrax]

Hope this helps. It probably won't, but here's hoping.

[computerking]

OK, a weird one.
Listens to Wind isn't regarded as a lawbreaker despite having a familiar. Would communicating with an animal using Mind magic be lawbreaking, or just odd?

[Richard_Chilton]

Generally speaking, you have to have human involvement.  You can raise a dead dinosaur as a zombie but you can't raise a dead human.  You can trap a fairy in a magic circle but you can't use to trap a person (um, I'm guessing you'd need a special circle to hold a person).  You can kill a Red Court Vampire with magic but you can't kill a normal human with magic.

So the "Don't invade another's mind" probably doesn't apply to animals.

Richard

[computerking]

Would Modular abilities (utilizing 1 pre-paid refresh to shuffle around) warrant a 1 refresh discount if it was limited to only changing between versions of Echoes of the Beast?

[Silverblaze]

Nope.

[Richard_Chilton]

But if you defined a new power - say calling "Many Beasts, One Head", and your GM was okay with it, then you might get it for less.

After all, you are ignoring most of the versatility of Modular Abilities so why pay for more than you need?

Richard

[computerking]

Approximately how long of a time without having to fight is considered "Out of Combat" for purposes of Stress renewal?

Take for instance the "tactical reserve wizard" Who goes into battle, blasting away, and when nearly tapped out of energy, opens a portal to the NeverNever, where he can catch his breath, and come back when he's got his second wind. How many exchanges will happen back at the fight while he takes a breather?

And what about the old standard, "I Veil and run away," with the pursuer failing to figure out which way you buggered off to. How long before the Stress Reset?

[The Mighty Buzzard]

Approximately how long of a time without having to fight is considered "Out of Combat" for purposes of Stress renewal?

Take for instance the "tactical reserve wizard" Who goes into battle, blasting away, and when nearly tapped out of energy, opens a portal to the NeverNever, where he can catch his breath, and come back when he's got his second wind. How many exchanges will happen back at the fight while he takes a breather?

And what about the old standard, "I Veil and run away," with the pursuer failing to figure out which way you buggered off to. How long before the Stress Reset?

However long it takes your GM to call the end of a scene and the start of a new one.  So, anywhere between five seconds and forever.  There has to be a break in the action to call the end of a scene and if the rest of your group is still fighting that doesn't happen even if you're having a lay-down on the grass in the NN.

For non-epic battles, I'd say they're one scene long and the players can just deal with it unless they can manage to create such a break.  The battle in the Deeps in WN, I'd call that three scenes long.  One for the duel, one for the ghoul initial charge, and one for the rescue attempt.  I might even go just two and lump all the ghoul action together.

[sinker]

From the standpoint that you're looking at it from (I.E. How long does it take to clear stress) you want to look at what stress is, and that's stress (I know, I'm being helpful). So it takes a moment to chill, clear your head and relax for a bit.

Mechanically though TMB is right. The GM tells you when, and it's usually a party wide event. If you veil and run or jump to the nevernever then you've removed yourself from the scene and don't usually have the opportunity to return unless the GM is ok with that (or you can check out the fortuitous arrival or whatever the heck it's called).

[computerking]

Thanks for all the answers.

Here's another. Would casting a "Mind Bolt" that only does Mental damage be considered Breaking the 3rd or 4th Law, Although it does not technically invaded their thoughts or placed a Compulsion?

Also, the same question, but for a magic effect used to "transmute" physical damage into Mental Damage (for example the  Psychic Knife of Psylocke from the X-men Comics)?

Judgement call on the part of the GM as to whether it counts for Lawbreaker (it probably should) but it almost certainly counts for Warden Chopsalot.

Same answer.  Method of delivery really doesn't matter.  If it's capable of inflicting mental consequences, it's almost always going to violate the 4th law.

What I would suggest, computerking, is to go back and read the section on mental conflict on YS217-219. People often look at mental stress as exhaustion because of it's connection to magic, but to me it reads more like one's sense of self (which kinda still fits with the magic angle). When you do mental damage, you're damaging someone's concept of who they are. If that's appropriate for your attack then by all means use it, but if so then you're definitely breaking the fourth law by changing who they are with magic.

If you're just tiring someone out from the inside then IMHO it's still physical stress.

OK, however using such an item against a non-Mortal (Full faerie, Ghoul, Blampire, Rampire, etc) would still be A-OK by the Laws (but Not necessarily by the Wardens, though), right?

[Sanctaphrax]

I am not sure that you can actually make such an item or cast such a spell.

If you can, then it's not Lawbreaking to hit a monster with it.

[sinker]

You might bump into issues with the accords in that case. But yeah, no lawbreaker.