Notes on Optimization

[Theogony_IX]

I'd just ditch the optimization criteria. They're NPCs, who cares if they're optimal?

I'm talking about how to buff them here, but only to illustrate what I mean when I talk about optimization.

As for concept vs power, there doesn't have to be a conflict. And in a perfectly balanced game, there would never be one. Perfection doesn't exist, but DFRPG is pretty balanced so the trade-off isn't too common. And when it does occur, it's usually not too large. Morgan can have a decent Weapons skill and still be fairly optimal.

Most of the optimization I suggest here leaves the concept unchanged. That's why I'm not suggesting Aspect swaps. And in real games, optimizing tends not to change concepts significantly either. For example, did any of my suggestions involve changing who Paul Williamson is?

Certainly not in any core way, but I've always felt that a lot of what makes a character who he or she is, is the things they do.

Thing is, evocation defence isn't as impressive as evocation attack. And in order to use it, he has to be in his comparatively fragile human form. So I doubt you'd get much mileage out of that.

Maybe invoke an Aspect? Or use Modular Abilities to pick up Echoes of the Beast/Supernatural Sense?

These are good suggestions too.

[JayTee]

I don't really know your game, so my judgement might be off when it comes to the value of a stunt. Maybe +2 to black ops Scholarship is really quite valuable for you.

Haha, that specific stunt was from a game that was over a year ago, and I just straight ripped the character sheet for my current game. At the time, I think I intended it to be used for "behind the scenes" political knowledge, blackmail material and stuff like that. It probably would have been useful in the old game, and I might find a way to make it useful in the current game.

I tend to come across as confident in my opinions and beliefs, even when it's not 100% warranted. I don't want people to be misled by that, or by whatever measure of "authority" I have around here.

No, it's fine. You back your opinions up with math and research, rather than opinions presented as facts, so I'm willing to take you at your word far more than I would someone who just presents their opinions as facts.

I might disagree with you (and other optimizers for other games who's opinions I respect) on some issues, but I still use your (and their) research to make better informed decisions.