High Powered Wards, What's the Point?

[Rossbert]

I was reading a thread on wards and some people in it mentioned pulling in 30-50 shifts of power for one. 
Why would you bother? 
If a ward is a block layered over a threshold, what purpose do you have for one stronger than 15-20 or so?  Very few things are capable of hitting harder than 8 or so, and the ones who are hitting at 20+ are rare indeed.  Add several shifts to duration and short of rigging it to explode all over people you shouldn't need more than 20-30 ever and there is no reason I see for 50.
Am I missing something?

[Taran]

A 50 shift ward is crazy high.  I suppose it's possible but that's A LOT of work.  I think someone was being a bit too liberal with declarations.

What kind of refresh were they?

I feel that that kind of power should be a long-term adventure in order to find all the components required to gather the power.

[Haru]

I don't think I would even bother. If someone is trying to put up a ward like that (or even around 20 shifts), I'd just rule that it is safe enough to endure pretty much anything. I think it's ok to let the players have a safe haven. The trick is to make them want to come out of it. Or the bad guys will just have someone stand watch outside and go on with their plan.

[Mr. Death]

The only ward my players have that's that many shifts is because it has several effects--the basic "can't cross through" ward is about 12 or so, and it's layered with a couple "reaction" effects: A blinding spell and wind spell (both maneuvers), and a lightning attack spell (which has to be triggered by the house's owner, and can tag the aforementioned maneuvers).

[Cadd]

Yeah, those 30-40 shift Wards aren't 30-40 shift Blocks. They spread all those shifts over the basic ward, early-warning systems, counterattack effects, and (don't forget) duration.

[Rossbert]

I do get the feeling that players are handicapped with their wards as far as counterattacks go.  If you place a ward on a normal dwelling you are as likely to kill a mortal burglar as a supernatural nasty if you use Dresden-level evocation traps.

[Mr. Death]

I do get the feeling that players are handicapped with their wards as far as counterattacks go.  If you place a ward on a normal dwelling you are as likely to kill a mortal burglar as a supernatural nasty if you use Dresden-level evocation traps.

Which is why my player's ward's one actual attack has to be triggered by the home's occupant.

[Mr. Ghostbuster]

I was reading a thread on wards and some people in it mentioned pulling in 30-50 shifts of power for one. 
Why would you bother? 
If a ward is a block layered over a threshold, what purpose do you have for one stronger than 15-20 or so?  Very few things are capable of hitting harder than 8 or so, and the ones who are hitting at 20+ are rare indeed.  Add several shifts to duration and short of rigging it to explode all over people you shouldn't need more than 20-30 ever and there is no reason I see for 50.
Am I missing something?

In case the player character in question has pissed off a major league ectomancer with an army of zombies at his command.

[Sanctaphrax]

50 shifts is pretty crazy. But who knows, maybe you need it for blocking hostile uber-rituals.

That gives me an idea: a closet, somewhere in the White Council HQ, with the mother of all wards on it. When the Council knows someone is gonna launch a killing ritual at you, they shove you in the closet.

But that aside, you mostly need big Wards for stopping other spellcasters and people with Mythic Strength. As a GM I went through a 12 shift-ward and then a 16-shift ward in pretty short order a little while ago, so I can see a good argument for going up to 30 shifts.

[Mr. Death]

50 shifts is pretty crazy. But who knows, maybe you need it for blocking hostile uber-rituals.

That gives me an idea: a closet, somewhere in the White Council HQ, with the mother of all wards on it. When the Council knows someone is gonna launch a killing ritual at you, they shove you in the closet.

This idea amuses the hell out of me. "Get in there." "What? For how long?" "A week, tops. DOn't worry, here's a magazine."

[killking72]

 
If a ward is a block layered over a threshold, what purpose do you have for one stronger than 15-20 or so? 

Yes you are missing something. A ward can be multiple things, but the first thought I have for a spell over 20 shifts of power would be something called a landmine. The ward making the zone barrier doesn't have to be that high. The wards actual power could be about 5, but the other part, the part of harry's wards that go "boom" probably makes up the other portion. You have it set up where someone/thing breaks down your wards, it gets hit by an evocation launched at it. Simply make the actual ward portion equal to a couple shifts, and when the ward is broken, the spell goes off, and boom.

[blackstaff67]

I've installed multiple 20-odd shifts wards in my wizard's home and shop, but as others have noted, it's just a ward with a few land mines that deliver either maneuvers or blocks, usually set up to last a season (duration sucks up a LOT of shifts!).  That said, when a rich were-tiger PC tried to get me to ward his many properties, I pointed out that putting wards of that strength on them was out of the question and mechanically, his properties would probably defend with either Resources vs. mundane attacks (to indicate the money he's put into defending them) or Contacts vs magic stuff (to reflect the magical/what-not people he's come in contact with that can bolster them).