ParanetOnline
The Dresden Files => DFRPG => Topic started by: deathwombat on October 23, 2010, 01:28:47 AM
-
How many wizards are in an average party on the boards?
Mine has 1 full time r and one part timer(Real life shceduling stuff)
I'm just wondering.
-
We have two players. Both wizards.
-
there's one wizard in my game... me! and im full time but mostly because i double as the GM ;D
-
I had a game with five full powered casters (Four wizards, and one fey-sponsored caster). It seemed to work out but most of us had very different bents.
-
It probably depends on your areas of focus. If you're careful to avoid overlapping too much on elements and have widely varied Aspects, you could probably cram a lot of wizards into the same group without issue.
-
So many factors & variables... but it wouldn't be unusual to have a party of all-wizards. Say, they were a world-trooping cadre of Wardens who chase down rumours of Kemmlerites and retrieve artifacts of ill repute. I'd say there'd be tweaking involved if they were 5 wizards based in the town of Muckamuckmuck, Midwestern USA, population 105 :)
-
The only problem with lots of spellcasters is that you need powerful enemies to fight. With a manuever, an aspect, and a decent roll, my guy killed a dozen ghouls in one hit. That same spell used a little differently could deliver 17 shifts of damage without issue. Throw stronger baddies, and you'll be fine. Or, go with something like a White, a social queen who they are too smitten to fight with.
-
We're up to 7 players, 5 of which use some form of spellcasting. Avoiding the BBEG in favor of multiple enemies and/or goals gives them different stuff to do. House ruling some cooperative magic helps, too. Two wizards casting weapon 4 fire attacks is fun, but two wizards combining for a weapon 8 fire attack is even more fun. (it also might be a little over-powered, as I just allow them to stack their evocation power ratings together after each paying the 1 mental stress. But I make one assist the discipline roll, and one control it, which means someone has to pull off a fairly hard check if they do it).
We have a full wizard, a crafter/thaumaturge, two different sponsored magic users, and a lesser thaumaturge, and no one complains about it at all. They just decide who handles what and go from there: For example, someone might focus on saving the babies from being sacrificed, another might focus on the enemies, another will protect the group, someone else might try to disrupt the enemies' ritual, and the last one might go out for pizza. Or veil the whole battle from normies.
-
Here's an issue I've run into - what do the non-spell casters do when someone is trying a thaumaturge rite? Most require prep work which means the spot light switches to "let's get this spell off" as the caster tries to tag this aspect and that temporary aspect to get the prep work done.
Richard
-
Here's an issue I've run into - what do the non-spell casters do when someone is trying a thaumaturge rite? Most require prep work which means the spot light switches to "let's get this spell off" as the caster tries to tag this aspect and that temporary aspect to get the prep work done.
Richard
There's not a lot they can do, but they can set up aspects for the wizard to tag in his preparation. They can be the ones to run to the store for ingredients, or to scare off onlookers that would disturb the wizards concentration, or any number of other things.
-
The only problem with lots of spellcasters is that you need powerful enemies to fight. With a manuever, an aspect, and a decent roll, my guy killed a dozen ghouls in one hit. That same spell used a little differently could deliver 17 shifts of damage without issue. Throw stronger baddies, and you'll be fine. Or, go with something like a White, a social queen who they are too smitten to fight with.
Whoa, spill the beans! 17 shift attack means 12 stress minimum with a 5 conviction! I do know there are ways to tasK the spells, but I want to see how you pull these off!
-
Whoa, spill the beans! 17 shift attack means 12 stress minimum with a 5 conviction! I do know there are ways to tasK the spells, but I want to see how you pull these off!
He had +6 Control and Discipline. He tagged an Aspect and invoked an Aspect. he got +1 on the roll. +11 control with a Weapon 6 attack. Undodgeable to almost everything, takes out ghouls in a single hit.
-
Here's an issue I've run into - what do the non-spell casters do when someone is trying a thaumaturge rite? Most require prep work which means the spot light switches to "let's get this spell off" as the caster tries to tag this aspect and that temporary aspect to get the prep work done.
Richard
If those norms are at least a little in the know then there's plenty that they can do. They can do research, find ingredients, etc. On top of that the one casting the ritual is technically the one taking himself "out of scene." There's no reason why you shouldn't encourage the mortals to work at the problem a different way or work on other problems while the wizard is busy.
-
It looks like my table is going to have two full-time resident sorcerers - I know, a slight step down, but they are planning on building up to Wizard status in game play. They play off each other marvelously: one's evocation spec'ed and the other uses Thaum. They're a pretty damn effective team.
What gives my table grief is the were-hyena. :-\
-
Were-hyena? No problem: just charge him a Fate every time he laughs, since he's clearly invoking his High Concept... :p
-
Were-hyena? No problem: just charge him a Fate every time he laughs, since he's clearly invoking his High Concept... :p
Oh no, it is evident that the GM should be giving him a Fate Point every time he laughs as he is more clearly self-compelling his High Concept.
-
Oh no, it is evident that the GM should be giving him a Fate Point every time he laughs as he is more clearly self-compelling his High Concept.
Only if he laughs alone, and then feels self-conscious. If it's an infectious laugh, and others join in, then he's clearly using his High Concept against others, and is therefore an invocation. :)
-
Only if he laughs alone, and then feels self-conscious. If it's an infectious laugh, and others join in, then he's clearly using his High Concept against others, and is therefore an invocation. :)
Oh no, if it is an infectious laugh, then even more so he is self-compelling and thus it is not an invocation. Afterall, more people laughing is a complication and thus he should get the Fate point.
-
Oh no, if it is an infectious laugh, then even more so he is self-compelling and thus it is not an invocation. Afterall, more people laughing is a complication and thus he should get the Fate point.
Only if they are laughing at you. At best, an infectious laugh is akin to a maneuver placing a scene aspect, which you then tag against the entire table. That's a lot of Fate points, my friend -- even if the first one is free!
-
He had +6 Control and Discipline. He tagged an Aspect and invoked an Aspect. he got +1 on the roll. +11 control with a Weapon 6 attack. Undodgeable to almost everything, takes out ghouls in a single hit.
Why undodgeable? Assuming your targeting someone of equal standing, they could easily have an athletics of +6. Add supernatural speed for a +2 and the same +1 roll you had and they just need to tag one aspect to tie your +11, and then I don't take any of the +17 damage.
I'm still learning the magic rules, so I may be off here, but I understood that you have to beat the attack roll on defense not attack+weapon.
-
Why undodgeable? Assuming your targeting someone of equal standing, they could easily have an athletics of +6. Add supernatural speed for a +2 and the same +1 roll you had and they just need to tag one aspect to tie your +11, and then I don't take any of the +17 damage.
I'm still learning the magic rules, so I may be off here, but I understood that you have to beat the attack roll on defense not attack+weapon.
Beat is the important part there. You need to get 12 or more to avoid taking any damage. If you equal the 11 you take a 6 point hit.
I think it's still a 7 stress hit on the caster though for casting the spell (assuming a conviction of 5), though you could reduce that assuming you have a power focus (obviously the level of power focus is limited by your Lore and the number of focus slots you have available).
-
By the time you reach at Fantastic (+6) skills, you are at 16 refresh or so. By that time, a dedicated spellcaster can have ridiculous attack rolls and weapon ratings. For example, my 14 refresh evil sorceress rolls for her most basic Rote a Weapon 14 Control 15 spell. This with a Superb (+5) skill cap. Even someone with Mythic Speed and Acrobat and Superb Dodge (total +9 defense) is going to take 20 shifts of stress.
And a wizard does not need to hit athletics at all. They could roll a really big knock-out spell that puts you to sleep that deals mental stress, like the Gatekeeper used in Turn Coat. That way they hit Discipline or Conviction, which you can't easily boost if you're a melee fighter.
-
Beat is the important part there. You need to get 12 or more to avoid taking any damage. If you equal the 11 you take a 6 point hit.
I think it's still a 7 stress hit on the caster though for casting the spell (assuming a conviction of 5), though you could reduce that assuming you have a power focus (obviously the level of power focus is limited by your Lore and the number of focus slots you have available).
Actually, if the conviction is assumed to be 5, then a Weapon:6 Spell costs 2 mental stress.
-
Actually, if the conviction is assumed to be 5, then a Weapon:6 Spell costs 2 mental stress.
sorry, brain freeze. I saw the Weapon 6 bit on the spell and still used the final roll as the power for working out stress there. d'oh.
-
Edit: Had a question. Answered it myself. Ignore this post.
-
+5 Conviction and +4 Discipline
+1 Power and +2 Control
+2 Invoking Rising Conflict
+2 Tagging Earlier Aspect
+1 Roll
Weapon 6 hitting at +11. Or, a Weapon 4 hitting an entire zone at +11.
I was fighting a dozen ghouls at the time, all in the same zone as me. Took a step back, so in the end the spell was +10, but at the same time, they have +4 Athletics. Nameless baddies have no Fate Points, and at their best rolls the best they can do is take a 6 shift hit, which is enough to down all of them anyways. That is assuming they get the best roll possible. More likely that they have lower rolls and die faster.
There is a reason one of that guy's aspects is called Ghoul-B-Gone :)
-
Oh no, it is evident that the GM should be giving him a Fate Point every time he laughs as he is more clearly self-compelling his High Concept.
I've got a were-polar bear in my game maybe i should give him an FP everytime he drinks a coke in animal form ;D