Newbie help and ideas

[Con]

Ok so I'm a longtime Play by Post RPer, but have never used or been apart of Dice or Fate systems, or tabletop RP at all. It always seemed like too much to chance, plus too much maths to me, but I love the Dresden Files, I love RPing and I got all of the DFRPG PDF's and loved them as well so am thinking of giving it a shot. I'm here to ask a few questions, share some ideas and generally ask if anyone has any advice. For the record I like to call the ideas like I have below my FSI's, Five Second Ideas.

What I think I’m going to do is slowly build up this characters power bit by bit starting at the beginning is a Wizrad born on  9 February 1986, during Halley’s Comet to a mother who used to use the Ways to smuggle cocaine for the Columbian Cartels. Left him a tidy inheritance, which he likes to gamble with in backroom poker or blow on Casino’s in Atlanta, the Southern Rivers, Reserves and of course the infamous Vegas (Yes, I’ve read Paranet Papers). If I go with this character, I’m thinking a focus on Air and Spirit magic with a bit of knowledge of Glamour/Illusion and knowledge of Ways. This character is based of Gambit in particular Taylor Kitsch’s portrayal (Yes the one in Wolverine, it was the best part of the movie, don’t judge me), a bit of Yancy Lazarus (Though I swear I had the idea first) that sort of thing.

A Wizard who has knowledge of the Svartalves craftsmanship with the condition that he never teaches, sells nor gives anything he makes from their crafting abilities without their blessing. In practical everyday terms it means they get a cut off of everything he sells or it has to come out of his own pocket, except for major Items of Power in which the recipients have to be of enough quality for the Svartalves approval.

Then I thought maybe a Wizard who picked up a Denarian Coin, with it being Thorned Namshiel. I imagine Thorned Namshiel shadow is less of a seductress like Lash and Lasciel and more of a bully/trader who tries to bargain every scrap of information he gives. I haven't figured out how or if I'd write in the Monoc Securities angle/theory, but other than Lash and Lasciel, Thorned Namshiel is the Denarian that intrigues me the most. The magical attack on Harry on multiple wavelengths was awesome in my opinion, as well as the fact that he's Lartessa's mentor and is probably infected with Nemesis or apart of the Black Council in his own right. Again I thought this might be a shade too advance as of yet. Plus eventually I’ll want my Wizard to pick up the coin, slowly do some bad and/or questionable things before giving the coin up just before he kills someone he loves, giving him a guilt ridden complex and maybe soulfire which would be particularly useful if this characters built off of the one above. It’d be interesting with Soulfire a force of creation being made to create something in tandem with Svartalf craftsmenship.

My first PC idea has sort of more or less been answered, which is an Scion/Emissary/Dragon character, I still haven't decided entirely what I want with this character, though I'm thinking something to do with the Welsh Dragon, Y Draig Goch (literally the Red Dragon according to wikipedia) which has a connection to King Arthur and Merlin which fits with Dresden theme. My idea is that the Welsh Dragon is a lesser dragon that has been on the cusp of Greater Dragon status for awhile, but something is holding him back, haven't decided what yet. Anyway he's enlisted a Scion/Emissary to help him achieve it. I'd stick with traditional Welsh Dragon Lore, in that it would be a mostly benevolent dragon... well maybe; I'm not sure. I could make a Dragon Knight for Ferrovax  just like the Courts of Fae do.

Regardless upon realising how powerful this sort of character would be I decided I'm not going to pursue him right away, but become more familiar with the new type of RPing first. Seeing as I'm still a newbie, I'll have my character work up to being this the same way Jim did with Dresden.

If You've got any advice an how to slowly build up towards these I'm Happy to hear them as well as any High Concepts, Traits, Stunts e.t.c. that you think might go with it. Or Just advice in general that you think will be helpful, I appreciate it.
Thanks

[Taran]

what is your starting refresh?

I like all  your ideas except the coin/soul-fire.  It seems too much like a Harry Dresden replica.  Especially when you combine it with a mother that is intimately familiar with the Ways.

Although, I like the background of the characters' mother.  It's cool.  Especially if the cartel still has a bone to pick.

If you have good knowledge of the Ways, make sure you have an aspect related to that.  Possibly even World Walker if you have refresh to spare.  Although, World Walker might be redundant since you'll already have Thaumaturgy.

Your resources skill could be anywhere on your ladder:  high to represent your inheritance or low to represent that you gamble it away.

Illusions:  focus on Spirit Magic.  (with foci and specializations)

You also might want to have a good deceit skill, possibly backed by a stunt if you want him to be a good gambler.  Or even a stunt that lets you base your 'acquiring stuff' trapping of resources as deceit.  To represent how you win stuff in poker games (like Han Solo winning the Falcon)

Craftsmanship skill may or may not be necessary, if you're basing your craftsmanship on enchanted items.  There's a custom power that lets you build stuff with Lore out of scratch. 

Powers:
Complex Tracing [-5]
or
Magical Worksite [-2]

Make sure  you have an aspect related to the Svartalves.

You could do anything with a dragon scion. 

my 2cents

[Sanctaphrax]

I like those Powers but I don't think I'd recommend them for a wizard. They don't synergize well with spellcasting, and they cost Refresh that wizards don't usually have.

[Con]

I'd say my refresh for my first idea, I'd go with a -8 Refresh cost so Chest Deep level, and then slowly go up a couple of levels with each power up, so by the time the character gets to Emissary/Dragon Knight level he's hit atleast 20 the same way Dresden has. Atleast going by Paranet Papers.

When he learns Svartalf crafting going up to -9, when he gains Hellfire -10, multiple wavelength attack -11, Soulfire -12, Crafting something that combines Soulfire and Svartalf crafting (I'm thinking a metal staff made out of meteorite or silver, so enchanted item yeah. Not sure if those Powers apply) -13 (Which would put him on the same level as Morgan in Our World). Obviously this would be a long developement process and hopefully other peoples characters would be leveling up too.

I realise Thorned Namshiel thing is a bit too meta, but yeah like I said I liked the multiple wavelength attack which I'd love for my character to learn, plus the use of Hellfire, and the drama that would evolve with him being turned into a Denarian, plus the use of Soulfire. Which combined with a Mother who knows about Ways... I can see the reservations.

I've got an idea of him being a Thief, mostly using his knowledge of Ways to get in and out of places, which brings him to the Dragons attention. Either by stumbling upon the Dragons lair and horde, or because the Dragon hires him to collect something of value. This would be his main task as an Emissary is gathering more stuff for the Dragons Horde, but anyway thats down the line. It would however be difficult to pull off

Focusing on Spirit Magic is fine mostly what I planned to do, with maybe one decent air or force attack to begin with (aided by Foci). Got an idea for him having a spell that absorbs sunlight in a crystal throughout the day useful for those creatures that like darkness, basically a supercharged version of Harry's necklace. Although he also uses the crystal to store information in so it acts like his own arcane library kind of like bob except more like a mind search engine.

Again I'm conscious of too OP too quick, but at this point I'm just throwing ideas around.

[blackstaff67]

I have no idea what "multiple wavelength attack" is, much less what it can do or how much it costs.  Combining Hellfire and Soulfire in one PC...

You DO realize these are very expensive powers, not to mention that they may be mutually exclusive, depending on your GM.  If you're going to combine Soulfire and Svartalf Crafting, the result may be an Item of Power (perhaps buy that instead as a one-time purchase). 

Finally, your friendly neighborhood Denarian might not let you use Soulfire AT ALL.  They're kinda weird like that. 

[Con]

Yeah sorry I should've explained better I meant once my character gives up his denarian coin and looses Hellfire he'd gain Soulfire though I guess that'd mean he'd stay at more or less the same level.

As for the one time purchase that might work.

Oh and here's the quote for the multiple wave length attack, should've added this quote in earlier."He made an odd little gesture and flicked his fingers, and suddenly five tiny thread of green light leapt toward me on five seperate spiraling paths"

"- and realized at the last second that each individual thread of energy was coming at me on a slightly different wavelength of the spectrum of magical energy, a variance of frequencies that my shield couldn't stretch to cover"

Nicodemus later speculates that it was Namshiel who pickpocketed the coins from Dresden stating he had previously done it against a Saint. There's also an ability of Namshiel's to absorb Magical attacks.

Directly from Our World. "Spell Eater (custom power) [–1]: If Namshiel successfully
uses the Counterspell action (YS253) he gains
a +2 bonus to the power of his next spell-based
attack or maneuver in that scene. This bonus is not
cumulative. The spell eaten must have at least two
shifts of effect to be substantial enough for the
bonus"

Although having reread the Thorned Namshiel template in Our World apparently he is already a -20 refresh cost, which again is a bit OP and doesn't fit in with the scheme unless I do almost exactly the same thing as Jim Butcher did with the shadow, which is a little too copying and not much fun so I might have to scrap this idea for now.