Codex Alera Conversion for DFRPG

[celticdm]

----HERE THERE BE SPOILERS, YE BE WARNED----

Alright, so in trying to introduce a friend’s wife to the joys of roleplaying, we were discussing the pros and cons of various rule-systems vis-a-vis their simplicity and lower learning curve for a newbie. The consensus was that DFRPG is slightly more complicated than the base NWOD rules, but easier than D20 systems like D&D 3.5 or 4th ed. We then moved on to adaptability, specifically how easily the DFRPG rules could be used for other familiar settings, such as Firefly, Conan, Ghostbusters, what have you. At this point, Friend says to Friend’s wife, “Yeah, we could probably play a game set in Codex Alera.”

Then my eyes got all shiney. This works especially well, since all three of us have read CA (I just finished my third time through recently). But this would require converting some DFRPG powers over to fit the furycrafting mechanics, since I don’t wait to wait for a published version at the moment. We’re sticking to furycraft at the moment, if the campaign gains some momentum we might look into rules for other races but for now we’re sticking to Alerans.

Now I heard that there was already a thread on this subject, but I couldn’t find it, so I’m starting a new one.

Here’s what I’ve got after a week of thinking and drafting. I would love comments on balance (should cost more or less refresh, should be split into more powers, should be combined, etc). But before commenting, please read all of the way through and read my comments after the power list, as I may address your concern.

Powers
All Alerans start with General Furycraft and at least one point of furycraft in a specific element.

General Furycraft
Description: As an Aleran, you have at least the slightest bit of strength in all six elements; this allows you to command furylamps on or off, utilize the earth furies of causeways, and otherwise interact with unbound fury-tech.

[celticdm]

Watercraft

Basic Healing [-2]
Description: You can command the power of a water fury into a body in order to heal injuries or sickness.
Musts:  Requires the affected area to be submerged in water.
Skills Affected: Scholarship.
Effects:
Home Remedies. Make a scholarship check at +2. If you succeed with enough shifts to equal the target’s physical stress boxes plus a number of shifts relative to the physical consequence you are treating, you can downgrade that consequence one level. Mild consequences treated in this fashion are cleared away. You can increase your check by by one for every increase to the time increment above the default of a few minutes. You may increase your check result after the roll by inflicting mental or physical consequences upon yourself, earning an increase equal to the number of boxes relative to the consequence. Consequences earned in this fashion cannot by furycrafted away and must heal naturally.

Advanced Healing [-4]
Description: Your command of watercraft for medical purposes is impressive to all who take notice.
Musts:  This ability replaces Basic Healing. Requires the affected area to be submerged in water.
Skills Affected: Scholarship.
Effects:
Strong Medicine. Make a scholarship check at +4. If you succeed with enough shifts to equal the target’s physical stress boxes plus a number of shifts relative to the physical consequence you are treating, you can downgrade that consequence one level. Mild consequences treated in this fashion are cleared away. You can increase your check by by one for every increase to the time increment above the default of a few minutes. You may increase your check result after the roll by inflicting mental or physical consequences upon yourself, earning an increase equal to the number of boxes relative to the consequence. Consequences earned in this fashion cannot by furycrafted away and must heal naturally.
Fast Recovery. Out of combat, you may recover from physical consequences as if they were
one level lower in severity. So, you recover from moderate consequences as though they
were mild, etc. Consequences reduced below mild are always removed by the beginning of
a subsequent scene.
Shrug It Off. In combat, once per scene, you may clear away a mild physical consequence (YS 203) as a supplemental action (YS 213).

Expert Healing [-4]
Description: Your medical watercrafting is renowned, and you can heal nearly any injury short of death itself.
Musts:  This ability replaces Basic Healing. You can treat an injury that is not submerged in water at a -2 penalty to your Scholarship check.
Skills Affected: Scholarship.
Effects:
Surgical Precision. Make a scholarship check at +6. If you succeed with enough shifts to equal the target’s physical stress boxes plus a number of shifts relative to the physical consequence you are treating, you can downgrade that consequence one level. Mild consequences treated in this fashion are cleared away. You can increase your check by by one for every increase to the time increment above the default of a few minutes. You may increase your check result after the roll by inflicting mental or physical consequences upon yourself, earning an increase equal to the number of boxes relative to the consequence. Consequences earned in this fashion cannot by furycrafted away and must heal naturally.
Faster Recovery. Out of combat, you may recover from physical consequences as if they were two levels lower in severity. So, you recover from severe consequences as though they were mild, etc. Consequences reduced below mild are always removed by the beginning of a subsequent scene.
It’s Nothing. Twice per scene, you may clear away a mild physical consequence (YS 203) as a supplemental action (YS 213).

Watersending [-1]
Description: You can communicate long distances through connected tributaries of water.
Musts: This furycraft requires an interconnection of water between yourself and your intended subject.
Effects:
Watersending. While touching a body of water, speak the name of the subject you are trying to communicate with. Make a discipline check. If you achieve enough shifts to reach your intended target and they recieve your sending, then your form and voice will appear in the water before them, and vice versa. One success is sufficient to communicate across a mile, six successes to communicate across the breadth of the entire realm. You gain a +2 bonus for knowing where the intended subject is, and another +2 if they know your location as well. You gain another +2 if you both have a sympathetic bond, such as shared blood or two linked items, or coins made from the same ingot of metal. You can take a -1 penalty to have your form physically manifest on the receiving end. You may increase your check by inflicting mental or physical consequences upon yourself, earning an increase equal to the number of boxes relative to the consequence. Consequences earned in this fashion cannot by furycrafted away and must heal naturally.
Waterlistening. While touching a body of water, you can observe a sending being sent through it. If you do not make the discipline check to watersend yourself, then your observation will go unnoticed by any parties in volved in the communication.

Read Emotion [-1]
Description: You can sense the emotions of others, whether you wish to or not.
Skills Effected: Empathy.
Insightful Notice: You gain a bonus to Empathy checks made to read people equal to the amount of refresh spent in water-based furycraft, to a maximum bonus of 4.
Emotional Assault: When in the presence of large crowds or small groups of people experiencing strong emotions, you must make a discipline check to avoid taking mental stress. The GM will make a mental attack roll against you, using the intensity and scope of emotion you are facing as if it were a skill. As with any conflict, you may suffer consequences (YS 203) or be taken out (where “taken out” may mean total collapse, insanity, heart attack…take your pick, as appropriate to the encounter. See YS 203). The GM will gain additional attacks for every increased increment of time the encounter continues past a few minutes.

   One person in acute emotional distress, agitation, or excitement: +2
   One person in severe pain,  provocation, or passion: +4
   One person experiencing extreme duress, hysteria, or frenzy: +6
   More than one person: +1
   2-5: +2
   5-10: +3
10-20: +4
   20-50: +5
   50-100: +6
   100-200: +7
   200-500: +8
   and so on...

Mimic Form [–2]
Description: You are able to mimic the appearance of another, given the chance to observer and preferably interact with the subject to be impersonated.
Skills Affected: Deceit, others.
Musts: You must cover the part of your body you are changing with water. You must spend a few minutes each day refreshing this power to keep it active long-term.
Effects:
Take Form. You may take on the form, voice, and other seemings of another individual, provided you have had the chance to study them. You roll Deceit at +4 to fool others if your mimicked appearance is close to perfect; the bonus decreases significantly if you have spent little or no time with your subject.

Youthful Exuberance [-0]
Description: You appear as a younger version of yourself.
   Notes: This ability is largely cosmetic and does not affect game mechanics. You appear to be approximately half your age (this does not hide effects of puberty).

[celticdm]

Earthcraft

Inhuman Strength [–2]
Description: You are able to lift more and hit harder than the average human can, due to your connection to the earth.
Skills Affected: Might, other physical skills.
Musts: You must be connected to the earth to utilize this furycraft. Standing on a stone structure is sufficient, provide the stone touches the earth.
Effects:
Improved Lifting. Whenever lifting or breaking inanimate things, you gain a +3 to your Might score.
Bruising Strength. Roll Might at +1 whenever using that skill in conjunction with grappling (YS 211). This also allows you to inflict a 2-stress hit on an opponent as a supplemental action during a grapple.
Superior Strength. Whenever using your Might to modify (YS 214) another skill, it always provides a +1 regardless of the actual comparison of your Might score to the skill in question.
Hammer Blows. With attacks that depend on muscular force (Fists, thrown Weapons, etc.), you are at +2 to damage, increasing the stress dealt by two on a successful hit.

Supernatural Strength [–4]
Description: You have supernatural strength—you’re able to lift and break things you shouldn’t be able to, and people who get in your way tend to be very, very sorry.
Musts: Supernatural Strength replaces Inhuman Strength if taken. You must be connected to the earth to utilize this furycraft. Standing on a stone structure is sufficient, provide the stone touches the earth.
Skills Affected: Might, other physical skills.
Effects:
Superior Lifting. Whenever lifting or breaking inanimate things, you gain a +6 to your Might score.
Bludgeoning Strength. Roll Might at +2 whenever using that skill in conjunction with grappling (see page 211). This also allows you to inflict a 3-stress hit on an opponent as a supplemental action during a grapple.
Superlative Strength. Whenever using your Might to modify (page 214) another skill, it always provides a +2 regardless of the actual comparison of your Might score to the skill
in question.
Lethal Blows. With attacks that depend on muscular force (Fists, thrown Weapons, etc.), you are at +4 to damage, increasing the stress dealt by four on a successful hit. Be careful; it’s casually easy to kill someone with a simple punch at this level.

Mythic Strength [–6]
Description: Your strength is a thing out of legend—legends that feature you.
Musts: Mythic Strength replaces Inhuman or Supernatural Strength if taken. You must be connected to the earth to utilize this furycraft. Standing on a stone structure is sufficient, provide the stone touches the earth.
Skills Affected: Might, other physical skills.
Effects:
Supreme Lifting. Whenever lifting or breaking inanimate things, you gain a +12 to your Might score.
Unstoppable Strength. Roll Might at +3 whenever using that skill in conjunction with grappling (see page 211). This also allows you to inflict a 4-stress hit on an opponent as a supplemental action during a grapple.
Supreme Strength. Whenever using your Might to modify (page 214) another skill, it always provides a +3 regardless of the actual comparison of your Might score to the skill in question.
Devastating Blows. With attacks that depend on muscular force (Fists, thrown Weapons, etc.), you are at +6 to damage, increasing the stress dealt by six on a successful hit.

Earthsense[-1]
Description: You can sense the presense of living creatures by the pressure they put upon the ground.
Musts. You must be touching the earth.
Skills Affected: Survival
Effects:
Earthsense: When touching the ground, you gain a +3 Survival checks made to locate nearby living creatures up to three zones away.

Calm Beasts [-1]
Description: You are good with animals.
Musts. You must be touching the earth.
Skills Affected: Survival
Effects:
Soothe the Savage Beast. By touching an animal, you gain a +3 to Survival checks made to calm an animal thorugh the Animal Handling use of the skill. This does not apply to other uses of Animal Handling, such as training an animal.

Incite Emotion (Lust) [-1]
Description: You are able to incite lust in a target.
Skills affected: Decipt.
Effects:
Emotion-Touch. If you can touch someone, you can make them feel lust. You’re able to do maneuvers at +2 to a Deceit roll that forces a lustful emotion on a target (as a temporary aspect), so long as you’re in the same zone as they are and you can physically touch them. The victim defends with their Discipline. You may be able to prevent the victim from taking other actions as well if you do this as a block (YS 210) instead of as a maneuver.
At Range [–1]. You may use this ability on targets up to one zone away without touching them.
Lasting Emotion [–1]. If you increase the refresh cost of this ability by 1, you gain the ability to do Emotion-Touch as a mental attack instead of a mere maneuver or block. If such an attack hits, you gain a +2 stress bonus on a successful hit (as though it were Weapon:2), increasing the chances of inflicting a mental consequence (and thus, a more lasting emotional state). The victim defends with his Discipline.
Potent Emotion [–1]. The Lasting Emotion upgrade is a prerequisite to this one. You get another +2 stress bonus on successful attacks as per Lasting Emotion, as though you had Weapon:4.

[celticdm]

Woodcraft

Woodtracking [-1]
Description: You are better able to track the passage of creatures through vegetation and related areas.
Skills Affected: Survival
Effects:
I Saw the Sign. You gain a +3 bonus to Survival checks made with the Tracking trapping to follow the trail of a creature or creatures that passes through grass, past bushes, or near any other form of plant life.

Basic Archery [-1]
Description: You have a better feel for the wood of your weapon, allowing for better results.
Skills Affected: Bows
Effects:
Nice Shot. When making attacks with a bow, you are at +2 to damage, increasing the stress dealt by two on a successful hit.

Advanced Archery [-2]
Description: You are highly attuned to the curve and stresses placed on your bow.
Skills Affected: Bows
Effects:
Aim Small, Miss Small. When making attacks with a bow, you are at +4 to damage, increasing the stress dealt by two on a successful hit.

Expert Archery [-3]
Description: Your bow is an extension of your body, and using it is as natural as breathing.
Skills Affected: Bows
Effects:
One Shot, One Kill. When making attacks with a bow, you are at +6 to damage, increasing the stress dealt by two on a successful hit.
You’re Too Close. If the situation demands that you use your bow as a melee weapon, your familiarity with it allows for full retention of its Weapon bonus regardless of the fact that it was not designed for that purpose.

Create Tool [-0]
Description: You can form tools out of wood without needing to cut it.
Skills Affected: Craftsmanship
Effects:
Wooden Spoon. You can make a Craftsmanship check to make a tool out of a peice of wood with nothing more than your will and focus. The number of shifts necessary will vary based on the complexity of the tool you are trying to make and is decided by the GM.

[celticdm]

Firecrafting

Incite Emotion (Anger, Fear, Joy) [–1]
Description: You are able to incite certain strong emotions in a target—usually emotions of passion or pain. Emotions created by this ability are temporary.
Options: This ability costs 1 refresh to start and requires you to pick a single emotion you can incite, be it rage, fear, protectiveness, or the like. More potent versions (see below) may be purchased by increasing the refresh cost. The emotion this ability incites may be changed under special circumstances, as part of character development.
Skills Affected: Deceit, Intimidation.
Effects:
Emotion-Touch. If you can touch someone, you can make them feel something. You’re able to do maneuvers at +2 to your roll (using Intimidation for anger or fear and Deceit for every other emotion) that force an emotion on a target (as a temporary aspect), so long as you’re in the same zone as they are and you can physically touch them. The victim defends with their Discipline. You may be able to prevent the victim from taking other actions as well if you do this as a block (page 210) instead of as a maneuver.
Additional Emotion [–1 or more]. For every point of refresh spent on this upgrade, you can choose another emotion to use with your Incite Emotion ability. All other upgrades apply to any emotions you can incite. At Range [–1]. You may use this ability on targets up to one zone away without touching them.
Lasting Emotion [–1]. If you increase the refresh cost of this ability by 1, you gain the ability to do Emotion-Touch as a mental attack instead of a mere maneuver or block. If such an attack hits, you gain a +2 stress bonus on a successful hit (as though it were Weapon:2), increasing the chances of inflicting a mental consequence (and thus, a more lasting emotional state). The victim defends with their Discipline.
Potent Emotion [–1]. The Lasting Emotion upgrade is a prerequisite to this one. You get another +2 stress bonus on successful attacks as per Lasting Emotion, as though you had Weapon:4.

Inner Comfort [-1]
Description: You are better able to regulate your internal temperature to counter the effects of extreme weather conditions
Effects:
Ignore the Cold. As long as you aren’t soaking wet, you can generate warmth in your body to counter even extreme cold. You ignore non-targeted aspects that involve cold temperature.
Beat The Heat [-1]. Whether by training or experience, you can use this ability to dissipate heat as well as generate it, countering the heat of the desert or a smith’s forge. You ignore non-targeted aspects that involve hot temperature.

[celticdm]

Windcrafting

Inhuman Speed [–1]
Description: You are very fast, just past the edge of human capability.
Skills Affected: Athletics, Alertness, and some other physical skills.
Effects:
Athletic Ability. Once per scene, you can activate this ability so that an Athletics check is made at +1 (this can include dodging). If the check is for sprinting (see YS 212), this bonus is increased to +2.
Casual Movement. Whenever moving as part of another physical activity, you may move one zone without taking the –1 penalty for a supplemental action (YS 213).

Supernatural Speed [–2]
Description: You’re able to move far faster than the eye can see—or at least so fast that what’s seen is only a blur. You can cross physical distances easily and quickly; acting before ordinary mortals do is trivial.
Notes: This ability replaces Inhuman Speed if taken.
Skills Affected: Athletics, Alertness, and some other physical skills.
Effects:
Improved Initiative. Your Alertness is at +4 for the purpose of determining initiative.
Superior Athletic Ability. Twice per scene, you can activate this ability so that an Athletics check is made at +2 (this can include dodging). If the check is for sprinting (see YS 212), this bonus is increased to +4.
Effortless Movement. Whenever moving as part of another physical activity, you may move two zones without taking the –1 penalty for a supplemental action (YS 213).

Mythic Speed [–3]
Description: You are like a rare supernatural creature whose very essence is tied to the notion of
speed. You’re like the wind itself.
Musts: This ability replaces Inhuman or Supernatural Speed if taken.
Skills Affected: Athletics, Alertness, and some other physical skills.
Effects:
Supreme Initiative. You always go first in initiative order in a conflict, regardless of your Alertness rating. If there are other entities present who share this ability, you must then use Alertness to resolve initiative order among yourselves.
Extra Superior Athletic Ability. Four times per scene, you can activate this ability so that an Athletics check is made at +3 (this can include dodging). If the check is for sprinting (see YS 212), this bonus is increased to +6.
Instant Movement. Whenever moving as part of another physical activity, you may move up to three zones without taking the –1 penalty for a supplemental action (YS 213).

Flight [-2]
Description: You can use windcraft to support your motion through the air.
Musts: this power does not work well in enclosed spaces, and may not work at all if you are covered in dirt or salt.
Skills Affected: Athletics.
Effects:
Flight. You can fly, eliminating or reducing certain kinds of borders (YS 212) and enabling travel upwards into zones (YS 197) that can’t normally be reached. Winged flight is governed by the Athletics skill, just as running is.

[celticdm]

Metalcrafting

Iron Warfare [-2]
Description: You can use metal craft to feel the stresses and limits to your metal weapons and armor.
Musts: Must be wearing metal armor or wielding metal weapons.
Skills Affected: Weaponry
Iron Skin. When equiped with metal armor, you gain a +1 to dodge attempts made using the Weoponry skill for melee defense.
Iron Nerves. Your reactions to oponents are faster, and your metal weapon is like an extension of your arm. When using a metal weapon, you are at +1 to Weaponry checks used for attacks. Successful attacks with the weapon deal an additional point of stress.

Steel Warfare [-4]
Description: You can use metal craft to feel the stresses and limits to your metal weapons and armor.
Musts: Must be wearing metal armor or wielding metal weapons.
Skills Affected: Weaponry
SteelSkin. When equiped with metal armor, you gain a +2 to dodge attempts made using the Weoponry skill for melee defense.
Steel Nerves. Your reactions to oponents are faster, and your metal weapon is like an extension of your arm. When using a metal weapon, you are at +2 to Weaponry checks used for attacks or blocks. Successful attacks with the weapon deal two additional points of stress.

Titanium Warfare [-6]
Description: You can use metal craft to feel the stresses and limits to your metal weapons and armor.
Musts: Must be wearing metal armor or wielding metal weapons.
Skills Affected: Weaponry
Titanium Skin. When equiped with metal armor, you gain a +3 to dodge attempts made using the Weoponry skill for melee defense.
Titanium Nerves. Your reactions to oponents are faster, and your metal weapon is like an extension of your arm. When using a metal weapon, you are at +3 to Weaponry checks used for attacks, blocks, or maneuvers. Successful attacks with the weapon deal three additional points of stress.

Iron Spine [-2]
Description: You can draw on the strength of steel you are touching to strengthen your mental and physical fortitude.
Skills Affected: Endurance, Discipline
Vigorous. Endurance never restricts (YS 214) other skills due to a lack of rest. You may skip a night of sleep with no ill effects.
Shrug It Off. In a social conflict, once per scene, you may clear away a mild physical consequence (YS 203) as a supplemental action (YS 213).
Keep Going. While this furycraft is active, you two additional boxes of physical stress capacity (YS 201). If this furycraft is disabled due to lack of contact with metal or lack of concentration, this power ends and the additional stress boxes go away.

Steel Spine [-4]
Description: Your reserves are deep, allowing you to continue when most others have to stop.
Skills Affected: Endurance, Discipline
Unfaltering. Endurance never restricts (YS 214) other skills due to a lack of rest. You may
skip a week of sleep with no ill effects.
It’s Nothing. Twice per scene, you may clear away a mild physical consequence (YS 203) as a supplemental action (YS 213).
Never stop. While this furycraft is active, you gain four additional boxes of physical stress capacity (YS 201). If this furycraft is disabled due to lack of contact with metal or lack of concentration, this power ends and the additional stress boxes go away.

Titanium Spine [-6]
Description: Death himself will step back and wait for you to finish.
Skills Affected: Endurance, Discipline
Indefatigable. Endurance never restricts (YS 214) other skills due to a lack of rest. You never need to sleep.
Ha! You Call That a Hit? Three times per scene, you may clear away a mild physical consequence (page 203) as a supplemental action (page 213).
Juggernaut. While this furycraft is active, you gain six additional boxes of physical stress capacity (YS 201). If this furycraft is disabled due to lack of contact with metal or lack of concentration, this power ends and the additional stress boxes go away.

[celticdm]

Thoughts, musings, and other mental meanderings:

I’m going to put my thoughts on why I made the choices that I did here, but please note that this is glaringly incomplete: Almost all instances of externalized furycrafting have not been addressed. This is purposeful, as I think most if not all externalized furycrafting can be addressed by adjusting the evocation and thaumaturgy rules from DFRPG. If you feel a power is missing, that’s probably because I thought of it, and felt that it would fit into one of those two categories. More about that in a later post.

Watercraft:
The healing is based on the Recovery power set from DFRPG. While the Dresden universe didn’t have a lot of healing outside of Wolverine-style healing factors of varying degrees, the CA novels are rife with injuries and sicknesses being dealt with by watercrafting. I felt that the varying scale of injuries treated fit well with the DFRPG skill rankings, IE Isana’s healing a man’s eyes at the end of Captain’s Fury would become the stuff on legends in the medical community. That fits with a +8 or better to a scholarship check, which is what would be necessary to treat an Extreme Consequence.

Since Watercrafted healing is based on Recovery, so is the refresh cost.

Now my meandering thoughts automatically point out that the very existence of healing powers mean that gameplay will naturally gravitate towards slightly more active combat. “I might as well take that severe consequence, I can always go to the healers afterward!”

Good, says I. More consequences taken before conceding equals more fate points, and I think more fate points is always better than less. Just always make sure you have someone watching your back that can carry you to the local healer in an emergency.

Getting back on topic, I thought that a low refresh was apt for watersending, since it really isn’t much of a gamebreaker. I was thinking about a low-level item that would allow for someone without this power to communicate as if they had this power, ala Gauis’ coins. Otherwise, this might need to be downgraded to be included in general furycraft. I didn’t include rules for the more advanced broadcasting techniques seen in the last book because I feel that fits better in the realm of externalized furycraft (thaumaturgy).

The Read Emotion power I though about having a higher refresh cost, but like the Sight, it has drawbacks that make it less appealing. Since developing the emotional sensitivity is not a conscious decision made by Alerans, I though about adding requirements to the healing powers, so that the second tier requires either Watersending or Read Emotion, and the third tier requires both. I hesitate because I hate limiting player build choices, so I always hesitate on power requirements.

Mimic form is almost straight copy-and-paste from DFRPG, just minus the blood/hair sample because, well, ick.

[celticdm]

Earthcraft:
Strength..well, is pretty self-explanatory. Earthsense, Calm Beasts, And Incite Lust could all be included in external furycrafting, but I felt they were commonly enough used powers by relatively low-powered folk in the books to warrant being separate powers. Why lust is earth and the rest are fire never seemed a logical conclusion to me, but they don’t seem contradictory either so I don’t think it bears arguing. Butcher makes the rules, we just run with ‘em.

Woodcraft:
Not a lot of refresh to be spent here. The Archery powers were based on the damage portion of the DF Strength rules, with lower refresh because you can’t do as much. Create Tool is there because I think its a simple usage that might still be possible for folks with weaker furycrafting that can’t otherwise do external stuff. Just about anything else I could think of fits more simply into external furycraft.

Firecrafting:
The Incite powers could easily be be included in externalized furycraft, but I can also see a skilled orator that is highly practiced at riling up crowds but can barely light the kindling in their fireplace.

For Inner comfort, I debated separating the warm and cold aspects. I don’t recall the Beat The Heat effect being mentioned in any of the books, but it seems a logical conclusion to me. I considered making Inner Comfort a zero-refresh cost power, but I was planning on having a requirement for externalized furycrafting where you must already have spent two points of refresh in your chosen element. Fire is where this seems a bit weak, as there seem to be plenty of examples of firecrafters that huck fireballs about almost willy-nilly that can’t do the other stuff. More thoughts on this later, when addressing external furycrafting specifically.

Windcrafting:
I lowered the refresh requirement for the Speed powers and limited how often it can be used. This seems to fit with most of the instances when Amara would use this ability, which seemed to require effort and never lasted very long. I didn’t add anything for speed and flying because I would chalk that one up to common sense rulings in the game, IE someone with higher speed would be faster at flying than someone else.

I didn’t put in discrete powers for eavesdropping or its counter because I felt that would better fit in external furycrafting.

I’m really not comfortable with a speed-based attack power that adds a bonus to attacks. I’ll explain that more with metalcrafting. If I put in something like this, I think it would be more like putting a negative modifier on the target’s defense roll, but that still seems real uncomfortable to me for balance issues. With the DFRPG mechanics, usually if you want a bonus to hit, you should be using aspects in one way or another. I’m thinking maybe a power that lets you try a maneuver to put a single-use aspect on yourself as a supplemental action. I’m putting off any decisions on this because frankly, I’m going to start my campaign at the “Feet In the Water” power level, and that seemed to be a higher-level furycraft usage, so I’ve got some time to think about it.

[celticdm]

Metalcrafting:
If any of the powers I have converted are “broken”, then it will be these. I’m not completely comfortable with how these stand but wasn’t sure how else to balance without splitting effects into separate powers, and then that seemed like too much refresh cost for not enough return.

The reason that the warfare power set makes me somewhat uncomfortable is that bonus to weaponry checks. Rarely if ever in the DFRPG do you find a power that adds to the actual attack roll. Most powers add to the stress damage on hit, and that made sense to me. We figured out a few adventures into my first GM’ed DFRPG campaign that combat wasn’t intended to be the HP mathfest of D&D days gone by, and instead was designed for maneuvers and group work to build up big hits rather than chip away at individual stress boxes to get to your enemy’s vulnerable consequence slots.

That +3 bonus to Weaponry at the top tier is sketchy, but the flip side to this decision stands right now because it seems like there really isn’t much to do with externalized furycraft for metal, other than crafting items (which in my opinion should be handled by NPCs or glossed over between scenes and thus would be a waste of refresh) and the Steel skin power used by Gauis and Araris. And since that is an epic power, it fits that it would only be used by those that are so high up in the refresh categories that they can spare getting external metal furycrafting for just that.

As for the Spinal power set, I’m still up in the air for that one. Since metalcrafting doesn’t actually heal anything, I’m thinking about getting rid of the power effects that clear away consequences, and replace it with temporary additional consequence slots, a mild at first tier, moderate at second, and so on. Something like this for the first tier:

Love Tap. While this furycraft is active, you gain an additional mild physical consequence slot. If this furycraft is disabled due to lack of contact with metal or lack of concentration, this power ends and the additional slot goes away. If this slot has a consequence when the power ends, then that consequence is upgraded to one level higher to represent the additional damage you did to yourself by continuing with an active wound. If you do not have any available higher consequence slots, then you are immediately Taken Out of the scene.

This effectively makes metalcrafters the quintessential “tanks” of the game, but then, aren’t they already represented that way in the books?

[celticdm]

External Furycrafting:

The more flexible the power, the trickier its usage is. I really don’t want to have to rewrite the entire freaking chapter in DFRPG on spellcasting...so I’m not going to.

I’m thinking on defining externalized furycrafting as coming in two types: prepared and non-prepared. Non-prepared will compare directly to evocation, and prepared to thaumaturgy. It’s important to point out that furycrafting in CA is much more limited in usage than spellcasting in DF, so the spellcasting powers will definitely not be translated over directly. (Although I like the idea of the Children of the Sun being jungle casters that aren’t dead, just really good at hiding. But I digress...)

I’m thinking that external crafting should be a -2 refresh initially, which will cover everything you can do with that element that isn’t covered by a pre-established power. This will count for only one chosen element. Expanding this out for additional elements will cost an additional refresh point per element (with the obvious note that all elements need to be defined at character creation).

Now one question I have is: should taking external furycrafting require refresh already spent in that element? On the one hand, I can see an engineer that is good at raising walls without being a beefy brute, but on the other hand I can not see even the least-powered earthcrafter being a 90-pound weakling. I think that a 2 point refresh requirement makes sense...for everything but fire.

As I mentioned above, this doesn’t fit with how firecrafters are represented in the book. While I don’t see a weak earthcrafter, I can easily see a walking flamethrower that never bothered to figure out how to manipulate emotions. Maybe use the Breath Weapon power? This would make some sense, as firecrafters pop off a lot of shots, which would be prohibited by the mental cost of using the external furycraft 9evocation) rules, but then why bother with external furycasting for fire at all?

Oh, and speaking of which, I failed to address manifested furies on purpose. In my opinion, whether or not the externalized furycraft shows up as an animal or not should be a cosmetic choice, outside of bound furies. If you use earthcrafting to crush someone’s leg with dirt, it shouldn’t matter if the dirt looks like a wolf’s head or a vice, it will still do the same stress damage.

But this brings us to bound furies. I have been tossing around the idea of a power that lets you bind a fury for a power and/or control bonus to a particular element, but that would require an aspect that represents the binding. For instance, Kalare might have had a boost to fire for binding the volcano fury to his will, but that maybe made his temper a bit harder to control (and possibly drove him insane). Think of an earthcrafter that binds a wild stone fury to his will. He might be a better earthcrafter, but would open himself up to aspect compels that inhibit some social encounters (you could go either way, with a “stony” facial expression during what would otherwise be an important emotional moment, or unconscious lust-crafting at in-opportune times). This could potentially be a broken game mechanic, but I love random aspects that make for interesting compels.

And I’m spent. Questions? Comments? Constructive Criticisms? Let me know, and meanwhile I’ll work on drafting out my ideas for the external fury crafting power set, some example furycraftings (like known spells), and a couple of items (like Bernard’s mastercraft bow, which would allow Might to compliment Bow damage)

[Sanctaphrax]

Random thoughts:

Many of these look like Stunts. Basic Archery, Woodtracking, Calm Beasts, and Earthsense could all be mortal stunts.

Earthsense boosts Survival, but I don't think that Survival is actually used to locate nearby beings.

Not sure that Recovery is appropriate for waterbenders. I don't ever recall any of them shrugging off massive wounds quickly.

I don't like the way that people who have better Endurance are harder to heal.

Healing seems kind of easy.

What happens if you over-succeed at healing?

Watersending seems too easy. Then again, it probably doesn't matter.

I don't really like the way that Read Emotion scales with Refresh invested in watercrafting.

Removing the limitation from Mimic Form ought to cost something.

Can watercrafters use Mimic Form on other people?

The "must touch earth" and "disrupted by salt" things are probably best handled with compels.

Upper-level Archery worries me. Stacking stress boosters that high isn't normally supposed to be easy.

You're Too Close seems to do nothing.

Some sort of area-effect upgrade for Incite Emotion for fire might be good.

Inner Comfort doesn't look worth Refresh to me.

Might be safer to put a limit on the supplemental movement from Speed.

Do Iron and Steel Warfare boost Weapons maneuvers with metal weapons?

I mostly agree with your concerns about Warfare.

Extra consequences would indeed be more appropriate than healing for metalcrafters, but I think you make it too complicated. Just give them the extra consequences.

Why does Iron Spine refer to social conflicts?

A bound fury could just be Sponsor Debt.

I have three powers that you might find useful. Look here and here and here.

This project has been attempted before. Look here.

[celticdm]

Updated powers! If I didn't update it, then I'm leaving as previously stated.

Watercraft

Basic Healing [-2]
Description: You can command the power of a water fury into a body in order to heal injuries or sickness.
Musts:  Requires the affected area to be submerged in water.
Skills Affected: Scholarship.
Effects:
Home Remedies. Make a scholarship check. If you succeed with enough shifts to equal four (for humans) plus a number of shifts relative to a mild or moderate physical consequence you are treating, that consequence is cleared away. Healing animals is 2 + the consequence. Non-human sentient species such as Canim or Icemen would be 6 + the consequence. You can increase your check by by one for every increase to the time increment above the default of a few minutes. You may increase your check result after the roll by inflicting mental or physical consequences upon yourself, earning an increase equal to the number of boxes relative to the consequence. Consequences inflicted on yourself cannot by furycrafted away and must heal naturally.

Advanced Healing [-4]
Description: Your command of watercraft for medical purposes is impressive to all who take notice.
Musts:  This ability replaces Basic Healing. Requires the affected area to be submerged in water.
Skills Affected: Scholarship.
Effects:
Strong Medicine. As with Home Remedies, except you can treat severe consequences. Severe consequences are not cleared away, but are downgraded to mild, and are then treated with sleep and food for recovery.

Expert Healing [-6]
Description: Your medical watercrafting is renowned, and you can heal nearly any injury short of death itself.
Musts:  This ability replaces Basic Healing. You can treat an injury that is not submerged in water at a -2 penalty to your Scholarship check.
Skills Affected: Scholarship.
Effects:
Surgical Precision. As with Strong Medicine, except you can treat extreme consequences. Extreme consequences are not cleared away, but are downgraded to moderate, and are then treated with several day’s sleep and food for recovery.

Earthcraft

Earthsense[-1]
Description: You can sense the presence of living creatures by the pressure they put upon the ground.
Musts. You must be touching the earth.
Skills Affected: Alertness
Effects:
Earthsense: When touching the ground, you gain a +3 Alertness checks made to locate nearby living creatures up to three zones away.

[celticdm]

Woodcraft

Basic Archery [-1]
Description: You have a better feel for the wood of your weapon, allowing for better results.
Skills Affected: Bows
Effects:
Nice Shot. When making attacks with a bow, you gain a +1 to maneuvers made with the Bows skill and you increase stress dealt with attacks by one on a successful hit.

Advanced Archery [-2]
Description: You are highly attuned to the curve and stresses placed on your bow.
Notes: This ability replaces Basic Archery if taken.
Skills Affected: Bows
Effects:
Aim Small, Miss Small. When making attacks with a bow, you gain a +2 to maneuvers made with the Bows skill and you increase stress dealt with attacks by two on a successful hit.

Expert Archery [-3]
Description: Your bow is an extension of your body, and using it is as natural as breathing.
Notes: This ability replaces Basic or Advanced Archery if taken.
Skills Affected: Bows
Effects:
One Shot, One Kill. When making attacks with a bow, you gain a +3 to maneuvers made with the Bows skill and you increase stress dealt with attacks by three on a successful hit.

Create Wooden Object [-1]
Description: You are better at making wooden tools, weapons, shields, etc.
Skills Affected: Craftsmanship
Effects:
Wooden Spoon. You gain a +3 to Craftsmanship checks to create an object out of wood.

Firecrafting

Inner Comfort [-0]
Description: You are better able to regulate your internal temperature to counter the effects of extreme weather conditions
Effects:
Ignore the Cold. As long as you aren’t soaking wet, you can generate warmth in your body to counter even extreme cold. You ignore non-targeted aspects that involve cold temperature.
Beat The Heat [-1]. Whether by training or experience, you can use this ability to dissipate heat as well as generate it, countering the heat of the desert or a smith’s forge. You ignore non-targeted aspects that involve hot temperature.

[celticdm]

Metalcrafting

Basic Offense [-1]
Description: You can use metal craft to feel the stresses and limits to your metal weapons, and you can sense the movement and weaknesses of your opponent’s metal armor.
Skills Affected: Weaponry
Effect. When successfully attacking with a metal weapon, increase the stress dealt by one on a successful hit.
Effect: Ignore 1 point of armor for an opponent’s metal armor or shield.

Advanced Offense [-2]
Description: You can use metal craft to feel the stresses and limits to your metal weapons, and you can sense the movement and weaknesses of your opponent’s metal armor.
Skills Affected: Weaponry
Effect. When successfully attacking with a metal weapon, increase the stress dealt by two on a successful hit.
Effect: Ignore 2 points of an opponent’s metal armor or shield.

Expert Offense [-3]
Description: You can use metal craft to feel the stresses and limits to your metal weapons, and you can sense the movement and weaknesses of your opponent’s metal armor.
Skills Affected: Weaponry
Effect. When successfully attacking with a metal weapon, increase the stress dealt by three on a successful hit.
Effect: Ignore 3 points of an opponent’s metal armor or shield.

Basic Defense [-1]
Description: You can sense your opponents blade, and can temporarily harden your armor to lessen impacts.
Skills Affected: Weaponry, Athletics
Effect. You gain a +1 to dodge attempts made to avoid damage from metal weapons.
Effect. The armor bonus for metal armor is increased by one.

Advanced Defense [-2]
Description: You can sense your opponents blade, and can temporarily harden your armor to lessen impacts.
Skills Affected: Weaponry, Athletics
Effect. You gain a +2 to dodge attempts made to avoid damage from metal weapons.
Effect. The armor bonus for metal armor is increased by two.

Expert Defense [-1]
Description: You can sense your opponents blade, and can temporarily harden your armor to lessen impacts.
Skills Affected: Weaponry, Athletics
Effect. You gain a +3 to dodge attempts made to avoid damage from metal weapons.
Effect. The armor bonus for metal armor is increased by three.

Basic Endurance [-1]
Description: You can draw on the strength of steel you are touching to strengthen your mental and physical fortitude.
Musts: You must be touching metal.
Skills Affected: Endurance
Vigorous. Endurance never restricts (YS 214) other skills due to a lack of rest. You may skip a night of sleep with no ill effects.
Shrug It Off. Once per scene, you may clear away a mild mental or social consequence (YS 203) as a supplemental action (YS 213).
Keep Going. You have an additional mild physical consequence slot.

Advanced Endurance [-2]
Description: You can draw on the strength of steel you are touching to strengthen your mental and physical fortitude.
Musts: You must be touching metal.
Skills Affected: Endurance
Unfaltering. Endurance never restricts (YS 214) other skills due to a lack of rest. You may
skip a week of sleep with no ill effects.
It’s Nothing. Twice per scene, you may clear away a mild mental or social consequence (YS 203) as a supplemental action (YS 213).
Never Stop. You have an additional mild and moderate physical consequence slot.

Expert Endurance [-3]
Description: You can draw on the strength of steel you are touching to strengthen your mental and physical fortitude.
Musts: You must be touching metal.
Skills Affected: Endurance
Indefatigable. Endurance never restricts (YS 214) other skills due to a lack of rest. You never need to sleep.
It’s Nothing. Twice per scene, you may clear away a mild mental or social consequence (YS 203) as a supplemental action (YS 213).
Juggernaut. You have an additional mild, moderate, and severe physical consequence slot.

Create Metal Object [-1]
Description: You are better at making metal tools, weapons, shields, etc.
Skills Affected: Craftsmanship
Effects:
Wooden Spoon. You gain a +3 to Craftsmanship checks to create an object out of metal.