Long time player making the jump to story teller. Questions galore. Hells bells.

[Emissary of Herne]

Hello fellow dresden fans I am a long time player as I stated in the title who is taking the mantle of story teller to take a group of new players to the dresden rpg through their first scenario.  I have ran other systems before but its my first time in the driving seat for this system, I have read through the book a few times, searched on here and looked through some of the DRPG resources website for information but I am still to my shame riddled with some questions and rule of thumbs that I need answering. So like the grass hopper I am ive come here to you for help!

I am going to break down my questions between general ones and ones targeted at characters my players have created. Okay so.

I set the power level up to your waist (7 refresh, 25 skill points, skill cap at Great) since I wanted them to start small and grow.

General

1) To get the most out of social conflicts do you initate one by itself with one or all the players or like in the books do you done one just before a fight breaks out or immiediately after?I want to get them right!

2) Designing opponents for them to fight do you have advice for some examples for a bunch of 4, 7 refresh characters? I want to throw a few things at them they can handle reasonable well to get them used the the combat without putting them all in hospital Also for the designing the big bad of the scenario would you give them a few more refresh for more abilities or give them aspects that will give them a better edge against the players?

3) Is there usually only one neutral ground for supernatural in a city or can you have as many as you want? Like how you have Mac's in chicago.

4) Does armor have to be aquired through play? or would a character with a resources or contacts at a high enough level start off with say a kevlar vest?

Ice (focused) practioner in debt to the winter court

1) The maxmum bonus you can get with a focus practioner on a focus item is a +2 ? since you cant take the refinement to increase it? But you can add  more enchanted items with refinement?

Runaway white court virgin

1) This player choose fear as incite emotion power can use. If they kill while this power is active, presumble they become a full blown white court vampire (if they have the refresh) but would they also have to take the lawbreaker power due to the 1st law?

2) If they enter a place where the emotion they are connected to is strongly present while that grant some kind of bonus to some skills ? or does that only come into effect if they also have the feeding dependency skill.

Scion (Changeling) of the lost court of moirae

This player is scion of one of the sisters of fate who we decided must be fae, right

1) Players wanted to be able to give short, term vague predications on future with some magic offensive/defense. So I suggested seelie/Unseelie casting. Does this cover both evocation and thaumaturgy in the power? also would the player get focus items and enhancement item slots with this power?

2) If I understand correctly this kind of power would allow you to do divination at the speed of evocation? Would it be possible to be a rote spell involving touch? or would you suggest an alternative?

3) can you take the refinement power alongside seelie/unseelie casting to get more focus items slots/ enhancement items slots ect if the first questions answer here is yes?

Emissary to bragi

This player is working for the norse god of poetry using an items of power.

1) Can you use an item of power as a focus item and how would you work out the refresh cost for doing so. A straight 1 refresh for a +1 offensive power and control ?

2)Player wanted to influence and gain information through telling stories, reciting tales and the like so we agreed on a form  Physchomancy, But iam having trouble of coming up with rote spell examples to show how this would work since the character is not a traditional spell caster.

3) any tips on possible powers this kind of character could gain over time?

Thank you kindly to anyone who takes the time to help me out! 

[blackstaff67]

Dunno about your other questions, my books are elsewhere, but the WCV Virgin most assuredly does NOT take Lawbreaker at all.  What she uses comes under vampire powers; she herself comes under WC Vampires under the Accords so the White Council cannot touch her unless she went out of her way to piss one of them off.  Just for killing with her powers, though--no.  Vampire, not mortal.  That's how I'd rule at my table short of someone more knowledgeable correcting me.

[Haru]

Hello fellow dresden fans I am a long time player as I stated in the title who is taking the mantle of story teller to take a group of new players to the dresden rpg through their first scenario.  I have ran other systems before but its my first time in the driving seat for this system, I have read through the book a few times, searched on here and looked through some of the DRPG resources website for information but I am still to my shame riddled with some questions and rule of thumbs that I need answering. So like the grass hopper I am ive come here to you for help!

You've come to the right place. Welcome to the boards.

I am going to break down my questions between general ones and ones targeted at characters my players have created. Okay so.

I set the power level up to your waist (7 refresh, 25 skill points, skill cap at Great) since I wanted them to start small and grow.

That's a good idea. Having to deal with too many powers can be quite overwhelming in the beginning.

General

1) To get the most out of social conflicts do you initate one by itself with one or all the players or like in the books do you done one just before a fight breaks out or immiediately after?I want to get them right!

Whatever is needed. Though I've had few social conflicts overall. There's one I really liked in my pbp game, where a player is talking down someone who is trying to blow up a church. I like a bit of smack talk up front, which can be a social conflict, but doesn't have to be.

There's not really a good answer, I'm afraid. It could be that your players are much more into talking the opposition down than they want to fight them. Generally, if you feel like what the characters are going to talk about is important, make it a social conflict and try it out. You can always end it if you feel it leads to nothing, and move on with something else. There's a lot of trial and error involved to find the right style for you and your group. Doesn't mean a "wrong" way to do something can't be fun.

The conflict I spoke of: http://www.jimbutcheronline.com/bb/index.php/topic,28668.msg1635671.html#msg1635671

It's in the church bit in my posts and JayTee's posts.

2) Designing opponents for them to fight do you have advice for some examples for a bunch of 4, 7 refresh characters? I want to throw a few things at them they can handle reasonable well to get them used the the combat without putting them all in hospital Also for the designing the big bad of the scenario would you give them a few more refresh for more abilities or give them aspects that will give them a better edge against the players?

My goto visual for this sort of question:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gD6olRJ8S3I

The problem is that something that one group will steamroll can be a brick wall for another group at the same level of refresh. Not only because of different powers, but also how well the players work together, and how well the characters abilities compliment each other. Again, the best way to go is start somewhere and try it out.

If you aim too low, let the players have the victory. If you aim too high, keep in mind that taking a character out doesn't have to mean that you kill him. Just take them prisoner, let them wake up next to a body, and so on. Even if the character loses a fight, the story will continue, just with some major complications for them.

Also keep in mind the rukes for concessions. You can end a conflict by giving up what you were after, but you get to have a say in how you lose.

Generally, you can go by effective (base+all bonuses) skill levels. Equal is an even chance to win, -2 is an easy opponent, +2 is a pretty hard opponent.

3) Is there usually only one neutral ground for supernatural in a city or can you have as many as you want? Like how you have Mac's in chicago.

Can be as many as you like. Usually though, there's not that many supernaturals around for it to make sense. I'd say that not even every city has one. But I could also see a city withblots of supernatural conflict setting up more, as refuge centers all around town.
If you have another cool idea for why there should be more, run with it. It's your game, so do what's the most fun for you.

4) Does armor have to be aquired through play? or would a character with a resources or contacts at a high enough level start off with say a kevlar vest?

I've capped mortal armor at 2, and that's the really good one that not everybody has access to. I would not just let anyone have a kevlar vest, just for the armor. If it makes sense for the character to have one, sure, but not everyone runs around like that. I'll rather keep the opposition at a level that won't require people to feel like they need that.

Ice (focused) practioner in debt to the winter court

1) The maxmum bonus you can get with a focus practioner on a focus item is a +2 ? since you cant take the refinement to increase it? But you can add  more enchanted items with refinement?

The maximum number of focus item slots on a focus item is the characters lore. Each point of bonus requires 1 focus item slot. You can buy additional ones by buying the refinement power

Runaway white court virgin

1) This player choose fear as incite emotion power can use. If they kill while this power is active, presumble they become a full blown white court vampire (if they have the refresh) but would they also have to take the lawbreaker power due to the 1st law?

The lawbreaker is for mortal practitioners only. There's a sticky for anything regarding law talk, if you want further information. There's a lot of disagreement regarding the laws, so enter at your own peril.

2) If they enter a place where the emotion they are connected to is strongly present while that grant some kind of bonus to some skills ? or does that only come into effect if they also have the feeding dependency skill.

You can give the scene an aspext that's relevant to the emotion, and give the player a free tag, if you want to give him a bonus. Or he could spend a Fate point on it. There is no inherent bonus.

Scion (Changeling) of the lost court of moirae

This player is scion of one of the sisters of fate who we decided must be fae, right

1) Players wanted to be able to give short, term vague predications on future with some magic offensive/defense. So I suggested seelie/Unseelie casting. Does this cover both evocation and thaumaturgy in the power? also would the player get focus items and enhancement item slots with this power?

Unless stated otherwise, sponsored magic gives you evocation and thaumaturgy in the sponsored theme. I would suggest to add cassandra's tears for the vague future part.

2) If I understand correctly this kind of power would allow you to do divination at the speed of evocation? Would it be possible to be a rote spell involving touch? or would you suggest an alternative?

Divination by touch is easier if you take the psychometrie power to cover it. It works with rote spells as well, though. It's probably a skill replacement spell for investigation.

3) can you take the refinement power alongside seelie/unseelie casting to get more focus items slots/ enhancement items slots ect if the first questions answer here is yes?

Yes.

Emissary to bragi

This player is working for the norse god of poetry using an items of power.

1) Can you use an item of power as a focus item and how would you work out the refresh cost for doing so. A straight 1 refresh for a +1 offensive power and control ?

Just attach focus item slots to the item in question per the normal rules for focus items. It's kind of double dipping to attach the refinement to an item of power and a focus item, but it is doable.

2)Player wanted to influence and gain information through telling stories, reciting tales and the like so we agreed on a form  Physchomancy, But iam having trouble of coming up with rote spell examples to show how this would work since the character is not a traditional spell caster.

Again, the psychometrie power seems to fit. Only instead of seeing the future of something, the character sees the past. Maybe with an added -1 refresh, he can do the same with people. You could change his magic skills to performance and presence instead of discipline and conviction. He could tell the stories, recite poems, sing a balade, and so on, which could add aspects to the scene, objects or people he is trying to read. He can then tag those on a psychometrie roll for greater success.

Though that sounds more like the ritual power than sponsored magic.

3) any tips on possible powers this kind of character could gain over time?

Ghost speaker could be something that fits. Getting the stories from dead people could be pretty helpful.

Thank you kindly to anyone who takes the time to help me out!

Hope I could help. If you have more questions or want me to clarify something, feel free to ask.

[Emissary of Herne]

Thank you for the warm welcome

@blackstaff67 Thank you for the clarification there, I wasnt sure with white court virgin not being a full vampire would there be some kind of gray area.

@Haru

    Ice (focused) practioner in debt to the winter court

    1) The maxmum bonus you can get with a focus practioner on a focus item is a +2 ? since you cant take the refinement to increase it? But you can add  more enchanted items with refinement?

The maximum number of focus item slots on a focus item is the characters lore. Each point of bonus requires 1 focus item slot. You can buy additional ones by buying the refinement power

Right on. I know you cant add specialisation bonuses since you cant add more elements being a focused practioner. But i wanted to know aswell cant you buy more focus items slots becuase focused practioners are restricted on what they get from refinement?

    Scion (Changeling) of the lost court of moirae

    This player is scion of one of the sisters of fate who we decided must be fae, right

    1) Players wanted to be able to give short, term vague predications on future with some magic offensive/defense. So I suggested seelie/Unseelie casting. Does this cover both evocation and thaumaturgy in the power? also would the player get focus items and enhancement item slots with this power?

Unless stated otherwise, sponsored magic gives you evocation and thaumaturgy in the sponsored theme. I would suggest to add cassandra's tears for the vague future part.

So they can also benefit from refinement of chosen theme at a later point but they wont be able to expend it to say time and kinect force?

I Have been looking into chromomancy as an alternative as well to give the player what they want all in one theme,  Have you any experience with this power or anyone reading this? Not entirely sure how to set up the spells for this but it sounds really interesting.

    Emissary to bragi

    This player is working for the norse god of poetry using an items of power.

    1) Can you use an item of power as a focus item and how would you work out the refresh cost for doing so. A straight 1 refresh for a +1 offensive power and control ?

Just attach focus item slots to the item in question per the normal rules for focus items. It's kind of double dipping to attach the refinement to an item of power and a focus item, but it is doable.

Quote

    2)Player wanted to influence and gain information through telling stories, reciting tales and the like so we agreed on a form  Physchomancy, But iam having trouble of coming up with rote spell examples to show how this would work since the character is not a traditional spell caster.

Again, the psychometrie power seems to fit. Only instead of seeing the future of something, the character sees the past. Maybe with an added -1 refresh, he can do the same with people. You could change his magic skills to performance and presence instead of discipline and conviction. He could tell the stories, recite poems, sing a balade, and so on, which could add aspects to the scene, objects or people he is trying to read. He can then tag those on a psychometrie roll for greater success.

Though that sounds more like the ritual power than sponsored magic.

Would it make sense for the item of power to start out with no focus slots and then the player could if he wanted to later spend refresh to gain focus item slots as he "attunes" to the item of power? Trying to avoid acidentally letting my player over power there characters!

Would I need to create the skill swap for presence and performance via stunts to attach a cost to it or just them them do it?

Next session I am going to have a good talk with them all about the things you have suggested, thanks!

[PirateJack]

Right on. I know you cant add specialisation bonuses since you cant add more elements being a focused practioner. But i wanted to know aswell cant you buy more focus items slots becuase focused practioners are restricted on what they get from refinement?

The total bonus for a given focus item is limited by your Lore, so you can't have Good (+3) Lore and a +4 Fire Control focus item. That's the primary limit on focus items and is the reason Focused Practitioners are less powerful than Wizards in the mechanics.

If you want to get around this to model characters like Mortimer Lindquist better it has been suggested that you take Evocation but have the typical earth/spirit/fire/etc. familiarities be more appropriate to ectomancy. A kind of thematic evocation, if you would.

So they can also benefit from refinement of chosen theme at a later point but they wont be able to expend it to say time and kinect force?

If you just take Channelling, you'd be correct. Thematic Evocation covers that though.

I Have been looking into chromomancy as an alternative as well to give the player what they want all in one theme,  Have you any experience with this power or anyone reading this? Not entirely sure how to set up the spells for this but it sounds really interesting.

Chronomancy is an interesting one, though I've never actually seen it used in game before. Gotta be honest, I see chronomancy as more of an NPC power.

Would it make sense for the item of power to start out with no focus slots and then the player could if he wanted to later spend refresh to gain focus item slots as he "attunes" to the item of power? Trying to avoid acidentally letting my player over power there characters!

Doing a bit of maths before the game starts tends to work for me. Take all of your PCs and total up their effective attacking and defensive skills (in the case of a wizard it would be Discipline + Specialisations + Focus Items) and stack them up against each other. If there is one character that has an effective skill rating much higher than the others, that will probably cause some problems.

Would I need to create the skill swap for presence and performance via stunts to attach a cost to it or just them them do it?

Swapping a trapping from one skill to another is stunt territory, so it'll cost [-1] refresh.

[Haru]

Right on. I know you cant add specialisation bonuses since you cant add more elements being a focused practioner. But i wanted to know aswell cant you buy more focus items slots becuase focused practioners are restricted on what they get from refinement?

They only can't take specializations. They are not limited in taking focus item slots or enchanted item slots.

So they can also benefit from refinement of chosen theme at a later point but they wont be able to expend it to say time and kinect force?

The usual way to go is to upgrade channeling to evocation, once you want to invest a point of refinement in specializations or additional elements. The price is the same, since the difference between channeling and evocation is 1 refresh, but you get a bit more for the package deal.

PirateJack already said it, but I like thematic evocation as well, and I've been proposing it for a while now. The idea is basically, to look for subcategories in a theme and take them as elements for your evocation. That way, you can get specializations per the usual rule, while still being a somewhat focused practitioner. Though you can also go broader than the original theme, if you just want the character to grow in power. Time is hard to do as an evocation application, I think, so you'd be fairly limited in its use. I could see short jumps ahead or back, or glimpses into the immediate future to work fairly well.

I Have been looking into chromomancy as an alternative as well to give the player what they want all in one theme,  Have you any experience with this power or anyone reading this? Not entirely sure how to set up the spells for this but it sounds really interesting.

Taran has had a chronomancer in his Montreal Madness campaign. I'll nudge him towards this thread, maybe he can talk about his experience.

Would it make sense for the item of power to start out with no focus slots and then the player could if he wanted to later spend refresh to gain focus item slots as he "attunes" to the item of power? Trying to avoid acidentally letting my player over power there characters!

Sure, the character would just regularly work on the item, in order to attune it to his magic. He might not even have to work on it, but he and the item might "get to know each other", the types of magic that were different at first converging and working better with each other over time.

The only issue with putting a focus item slot on an item of power is the issue of double dipping. The item of power rebate is given, because the item can be stolen, taken away, or simply can't be brought to certain places, which can't happen to inherent powers. The same thing goes for focus items, since they work in addition to your specializations and therefore are balanced around being able to be taken away. Smuggling one item into a place is easier than multiple, so that would be an advantage. On the other hand, taking away one item is also easier than taking away many. In the end, it should work out.
What I like to do when I am unsure how powerful something might be is to allow it with the caveat that if it turns out to overshadow everything, that we tune it down. That way, I don't have to say no and the player gets his time in the spotlight, but it will just have been a special moment, where the item might have blown some of its magic fuses or something, and now it works a bit less powerful.

Would I need to create the skill swap for presence and performance via stunts to attach a cost to it or just them them do it?

In my opinion, no. Magic isn't really a trapping of any skill, it's something that a power allows you to do. You could just rewrite that power with other skills in it and it would work just the same. I like it when a characters concept and his casting skills line up. I had a shaolin monk with fists instead of discipline for evocations, for example. Or a son of Thor who uses Mjolnir (as an item of power) to channel lightning, who uses the weapons skill as discipline. As long as it is something that fits the character concept and not something that is chosen solely to be mighty powerful, I'm all for it.

Generally, I wouldn't worry about players being overpowered. If the players have a certain effective skill level, just work with that. As long as everyone has some way to shine, even if it isn't in the same area, all should be well. And if  those skills are at +7, you can simply present them some cannon fodder to warm up, and then throw some lieutenants at them, who are somewhat equal in power to the players.

[Taran]

Taran has had a chronomancer in his Montreal Madness campaign. I'll nudge him towards this thread, maybe he can talk about his experience.

I have (had) a chronomancer in my game but I'd like to go through the whole thread before I give a proper response.  Unfortunately, I was intimidated by the first post and never read through all of it.  (It's been a busy week)