Newbie to the game: Non-Evil Necromancer

[Deadmanwalking]

Leaving them open is the reason they're crazy good, IMO. Lets you do almost any effect you want more or less on the fly. Very handy.

[Oblyss]

Leaving them open is the reason they're crazy good, IMO. Lets you do almost any effect you want more or less on the fly. Very handy.

I see, thanks!

[JDK002]

On the opposite side, if you leave them open you have to keep them pretty general.  Claiming that you have super specific potions that just so happen to be exactly what you need for the given situtation will either have a very high difficulty, or be rejected outright by the GM.  Though the pros of open potion slots generally outweigh the cons.

[Haru]

Super specific potions are better left to create in game, anyway. Much more interesting and much more fun.

Though they can be declared AND created at the same time, if the declaration involves a creation flashback. Have your potion and drink it too, so to speak.

[Oblyss]

Thanks for the extra tips you two! I'll keep that in mind.


Another thing I'm trying to figure is, I'm currently working on a big 31 shift thaumaturgy in my game. And currently I'm trying to meet the complexity while thugs have been attacking me. So we've gone a couple sessions still preparing the ritual, and I've had tons of fate points go unused at the end of every session.

My GM doesn't think I can spend these fate points to boost my lore on the ritual each session, and that I "have to spend it all at once."

My take on this is that they are confused about meeting complexity and gathering power. Am I wrong?

[Deadmanwalking]

No, I think you're right. From description you have to be in Phase 2 on p. 262, not Phase 3. You could get interrupted during that phase and still maybe be okay, depending on the nature of the spell, and could take multiple sessions. You should be able to Invoke any Aspects you have at any point during that phase (though you could invoke each one only once during one spell...no using 3 FP to use your High concept three times).

So assuming you're still in that phase, you're good to spend FP when you like...though to be honest I'm finding it difficult to figure out why it matters that much. You get 1 Fate Point per session regardless of when you spend them so...little unclear why this matters.

[Oblyss]

No, I think you're right. From description you have to be in Phase 2 on p. 262, not Phase 3. You could get interrupted during that phase and still maybe be okay, depending on the nature of the spell, and could take multiple sessions. You should be able to Invoke any Aspects you have at any point during that phase (though you could invoke each one only once during one spell...no using 3 FP to use your High concept three times).

So assuming you're still in that phase, you're good to spend FP when you like...though to be honest I'm finding it difficult to figure out why it matters that much. You get 1 Fate Point per session regardless of when you spend them so...little unclear why this matters.

Okay thanks. And the reason is because I'm a wizard that only gets one refresh per session hah. Excluding the ones from my compels, but I've been having to use them a lot to get by. I've been using dice that we figured out favored 1, yay. Changing to a dice generator program from now on. But anyway, it's just a helpful boost to the spell with unused fate points. I understand the limitations on this method.

Edit: Also the reason is, while my character is trying to prepare for the spell. A bunch of thugs have been attacking them, so the spell's been put on hold during the complexity stage. The new few hours she won't have time for it and she'll have to consider dealing with a red court face.

[Deadmanwalking]

Edit: Also the reason is, while my character is trying to prepare for the spell. A bunch of thugs have been attacking them, so the spell's been put on hold during the complexity stage. The new few hours she won't have time for it and she'll have to consider dealing with a red court face.

No, I get why you need to do the spell, and why being interrupted is important. But why is precisely when you spend the Fate Points important? Your FP total winds up the same either way...so why is the timing of that particular expenditure relevant?

[Oblyss]

No, I get why you need to do the spell, and why being interrupted is important. But why is precisely when you spend the Fate Points important? Your FP total winds up the same either way...so why is the timing of that particular expenditure relevant?

Because the fate points are going unused, they get refilled back up to my total adjusted refresh each new session right? I've been ending sessions with one fate point still available, and between sessions a refresh happens that would give me that point back correct?

I could either spend it at the start of a session towards my spell, then I am out of fate points for that session when I am inevitably going to be attacked and make horrible rolls I can't fix with that fate point now.

Or I could spend it near the end of a session, I go a little bit without it, then session ends, refresh occurs. I get it back right when next session begins.

[Deadmanwalking]

True enough, I suppose, but with Refresh 1 that's a pretty small number of FP all told. Still, I guess if you're hurting for them already...

[Oblyss]

True enough, I suppose, but with Refresh 1 that's a pretty small number of FP all told. Still, I guess if you're hurting for them already...

My GM tried to say I'd have 4 if I hadn't taken sponsor debt, but I had to make a roll of 7 to hex the machine guns of two guys, which I of course failed.

[Deadmanwalking]

7?! That...seems excessive for, well, hexing guns, never mind automatic weapons (which are 4 or 5 per p.258). A 7 will hex things that operate by steam power, after all. I guess some guns are simpler/older than that...but not any that are in common use.

EDIT: Thinking about it, I guess if you're applying the Zone Wide extra shift-cost to that it'd make sense. I wouldn't usually do that on hexing, but I can see the logic to doing so, I suppose.

[UmbraLux]

My GM tried to say I'd have 4 if I hadn't taken sponsor debt, but I had to make a roll of 7 to hex the machine guns of two guys, which I of course failed.

Sponsor debt doesn't affect your refresh or even directly* affect your current fate total.  So not sure how you'd have more fate.     Also, I agree with Deadmanwalking - unless those were old school hand cranked gatling guns or protected by a circle/ward, it shouldn't require anything close to an Epic success to hex.

*It may indirectly affect fate if you spend them to resist compels.

[Oblyss]

7?! That...seems excessive for, well, hexing guns, never mind automatic weapons (which are 4 or 5 per p.258). A 7 will hex things that operate by steam power, after all. I guess some guns are simpler/older than that...but not any that are in common use.

EDIT: Thinking about it, I guess if you're applying the Zone Wide extra shift-cost to that it'd make sense. I wouldn't usually do that on hexing, but I can see the logic to doing so, I suppose.

Yeah it was a zone deal, sorry. I had already been shot once and I was kind of in a hurry to finish it. I'm still new so I'm learning how combat goes, this was my first fight with humans.

Sponsor debt doesn't affect your refresh or even directly* affect your current fate total.  So not sure how you'd have more fate.     Also, I agree with Deadmanwalking - unless those were old school hand cranked gatling guns or protected by a circle/ward, it shouldn't require anything close to an Epic success to hex.

*It may indirectly affect fate if you spend them to resist compels.

The idea was, I spent the points on the sponsor debt instead of receiving the compels afterwards and getting fate points for it. And yeah I was trying to zone hex them.

[JDK002]

Yeah it was a zone deal, sorry. I had already been shot once and I was kind of in a hurry to finish it. I'm still new so I'm learning how combat goes, this was my first fight with humans.

The idea was, I spent the points on the sponsor debt instead of receiving the compels afterwards and getting fate points for it. And yeah I was trying to zone hex them.

Unless I've been horribly mistaken for some time now, you don't get fate points if you buy out of a compel.  Buying out of a compel doesn't change that.  Unless I'm totally misunderstanding you.