Noob Questions: The Third

[computerking]

Yes, I’m doing it again, asking things that make you shake your heads in pity.
Things Like:
Does a Focused Practitioner make Focus Items that enhance their Thematic Niche, broadly? (Example, +2 Complexity Diabolism, which would cover his Diabolic Divination, Conjuration, Summoning, etc?)

Does a resisted Magic Maneuver have to succeed by +3 or +1 (After defense) to be sticky? And what about one that is not resisted (as in a scene aspect, not on a character)?

And finally, How legal is the following:

A Player has an Air-based Magical block that thickens the air around him. Several men open fire on him, none succeed past the block. Next turn, the Wizard makes an Alertness Declaration of “Bullets hanging in the air” And makes a Spirit Force spell to “fire” the bullets back at the shooters, either as an attack, or a “keep their heads down” type of block against attacking.

I think it’s pretty legit, just getting more opinions on that.

[UmbraLux]

My two cents worth...

Does a Focused Practitioner make Focus Items that enhance their Thematic Niche, broadly? (Example, +2 Complexity Diabolism, which would cover his Diabolic Divination, Conjuration, Summoning, etc?)

Are you referring to Thaumaturgy?  If so, I see Conjuration, Diabolism, Divination, and Summoning as separate themes.  That said, the Diabolist could do some divination (and possibly others) through demons to try and get the bonus.  In borderline situations I'd either compel against it or have the defender use a declaration ("Devils Lie" or equivalent) for a +2 to the defending roll...essentially negating the bonus.

Does a resisted Magic Maneuver have to succeed by +3 or +1 (After defense) to be sticky? And what about one that is not resisted (as in a scene aspect, not on a character)?

I read the spell maneuver rules to "require at least three* shifts or match the defense roll, whichever is higher".

*The base target may be higher than three in situations which warrant it.  Magnetizing wood, for example, would have a high target.

And finally, How legal is the following: I think it’s pretty legit, just getting more opinions on that.

Looks good to me!

[Tedronai]

Thematic groupings are, by my reading, fair game for foci.
A +2 Diabolism Complexity focus would benefit any divination, conjuration, summoning, etc. ritual coloured with diabolic themes.


The requirements for an evocation (what I assume you were referring to by 'magic') maneuver being made 'sticky' in the sense of mundane maneuvers is unclear in the RAW, but I have no idea where you're getting this '+3' requirement from.


The Spell combo seems legit.

[UmbraLux]

...I have no idea where you're getting this '+3' requirement from.

It's on YS252.  "By default, pulling off most maneuvers requires 3 shifts of power, but..."

[sinker]

Does a Focused Practitioner make Focus Items that enhance their Thematic Niche, broadly? (Example, +2 Complexity Diabolism, which would cover his Diabolic Divination, Conjuration, Summoning, etc?)

Thematic foci are totally legit.

Does a resisted Magic Maneuver have to succeed by +3 or +1 (After defense) to be sticky? And what about one that is not resisted (as in a scene aspect, not on a character)?

There is actual debate as to whether an evocation maneuver can be sticky. If you assume that it can, then you only need to beat the defense with an extra shift. Scene aspects are the same (one shift over the difficulty), with a base difficulty set by the GM (3 shifts is default).

A Player has an Air-based Magical block that thickens the air around him. Several men open fire on him, none succeed past the block. Next turn, the Wizard makes an Alertness Declaration of “Bullets hanging in the air” And makes a Spirit Force spell to “fire” the bullets back at the shooters, either as an attack, or a “keep their heads down” type of block against attacking.

Interestingly enough Fred has recently commented that an aspect can add to spell power, so using it for a block totally works.