The Blackstaff

[narphoenix]

How would you price the Blackstaff in a game, and what powers would you give it? My mind is thinking +1 Power and Control for any "destructive" magic (taking a life, subverting a will transforming someone) and a Discipline call against acting the way the Blackstaff wants you to (based on Eb in Changes). But I'm far from sure.

[Deadmanwalking]

Well, it clearly makes you not get Lawbreaker...somehow. Beyond that, and probably providing some bonus on nasty offensive magics, I have no idea.

[Mr. Death]

I'd say that the Blackstaff "absorbs" or just already has all of the Lawbreaker powers, and therefore the penalties, aspects, and bonuses belong to the staff itself, rather than its wielder.

[narphoenix]

Is anyone willing to do a full statting?

[Mrmdubois]

I'd say that the Blackstaff "absorbs" or just already has all of the Lawbreaker powers, and therefore the penalties, aspects, and bonuses belong to the staff itself, rather than its wielder.

Oh, I like that.  Really simple and it boosts all your spell casting with the staff to boot.  Presumably it can be used as a Thaumaturgic as well as Evocation Focus too.

[Dr.FunLove]

I second the absorbing Lawbreaker/the staff itself being the Lawbreaker.

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Are we thinking that the big death spell Ebenezar pulls in Changes is a spell and not a power of the staff itself?

[Deadmanwalking]

Oh, I like that.  Really simple and it boosts all your spell casting with the staff to boot.  Presumably it can be used as a Thaumaturgic as well as Evocation Focus too.

It is -12 Refresh invested into one item, though, which always struck me as a bit excessive.

[Mrmdubois]

I second the absorbing Lawbreaker/the staff itself being the Lawbreaker.

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Are we thinking that the big death spell Ebenezar pulls in Changes is a spell and not a power of the staff itself?

Yeah it was a spell, unless you can come up with a power that just snuffs the life out of a zone full of gun men.  Though I was more thinking the satellite he dropped on the Red Court at the end of Death Masks.

It is -12 Refresh invested into one item, though, which always struck me as a bit excessive.

You could do Modular Abilities instead or Sanctraphrax's Variable Abilities Lists.  That would make it significantly cheaper and still useful.  On the other hand, the Black Staff is pretty one of a kind so it makes sense it's pretty expensive.

[Deadmanwalking]

You could do Modular Abilities instead or Sanctraphrax's Variable Abilities Lists.  That would make it significantly cheaper and still useful.  On the other hand, the Black Staff is pretty one of a kind so it makes sense it's pretty expensive.

Four times as much as a Sword of the Cross, though? That's always just seemed like more than it should be.

Modular Lawbreaker is an interesting idea...though you'd likely still need three for the full +3 bonus on everything. Though that is only -6 Refresh instead of -12. Hmmm.

[Dr.FunLove]

@Mrmdubois
That's some spell if that's the case...he literally through the off switch on all those gun men like he was turning off a bunch of toys.
Just more reason to like Ebenezar

[narphoenix]

I think, considering the fact that Jim almost come out an said that

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the Staff is MW's walking stick, I don't think it would help violate the 7th Law in particular.

[Dr.FunLove]

...Really? I must have missed that...aweessomme.

So, death magic in the staff and something to insulate from Lawbreaker?

[Gilitine_Memitim]

Well if you look at it there is a clear line with the rules. The first four are meant as guidelines on the rights of victims. Don't kill, transform, mind magic, or enthrall anybody. The last three belong in the it's just wrong category. Maybe there's something there.

[Mrmdubois]

@Mrmdubois
That's some spell if that's the case...he literally through the off switch on all those gun men like he was turning off a bunch of toys.
Just more reason to like Ebenezar

Well, with the bonuses from Lawbreaker and the fact that Ebenezar is also a plenty powerful wizard with a bunch of Refinements it probably wasn't that difficult.  Depending on the element used it could have been trivial.  Water or air or spirit could be used to create an aneurysm with just a tiny bubble in the brain.  There are probably other ways to do it almost as easily with the other elements that I'm not thinking of off the top of my head.

Shift wise you're talking about mooks, so a zone wide effect that rolls off the end of their stress track is what 7 shifts I think?  Resisted by Endurance I guess which likely isn't a top skill for them.  Narratively there's no reason to avoid killing them so there's no reason to create a way they might have survived.

[Dr.FunLove]

@Mrmdubois
Totally agree...I just like the bad-assery on display. Tis one of my more favorite moments from that novel.