'Bruised Ribs' 'Bullet wounds' and 'Shattered Leg'
The temptation plan looks sound. If the denarian grants a character use of powers, such as hellfire, then of course that costs refresh. If a character actually takes up the coin, you might push the Demonic Copilot power on the character.
During this fight, the changeling tried to use her glamor powers a couple different ways. First, she tried to use it to blind the dog. I was okay with this, but it seemed weird that since she was basically making a maneuver, the dogs blindness only mattered when people had fate points to spend.
Then, she tried to make duplicates of the Kincaid-expy, as he was the one it was focused on, and it bypassed it by using the smell of blood from a consequence he had taken.
4) Related note: Consequences seem to greatly extend a fight without reducing fight capacity, besides just making easily invoked aspects. The dog was one turn away from inflicting an extreme consequence on the Kincaid-expy when they finally dropped it, because it's 'Bruised Ribs' 'Bullet wounds' and 'Shattered Leg' didn't really affect it in a material way after the aspects had each been invoked once (and they can only be invoked once per scene, yes?). I also am a bit iffy on giving fate points for invoking consequence aspects, on account of it being something of an entirely negative aspect.
5) The Kincaid expy brought to my immediate and fore attention what just one player with very high resources can do to a game.
6) Coming from 3.5 and 4.0 D&D, I am having some difficulty deciding on what I really feel are good guidelines for difficulties. Anyone have advice on this?You could try using the descriptions on the ladder. So assign a Fair difficulty, or a Good Difficulty or a Great Difficulty, depending upon how much of a challenge you want it to be.
Bypassed it how? Did you invoke the aspect for effect? Was it a tag? It sounds like an invoke for effect, which I don't think I would have allowed in a roll to "see" through a glamour. I would have called for a roll vs. the power of the spell, with doggy getting a tag on the dude's consequence. You shouldn't be able to use an invoke for effect to get out of a contested role.Invoked the consequence to essentially say "Well, I may not be able to visually tell them apart, but I can smell which one is real from the blood dripping from his arm", which I'm pretty sure a dog could do, even if it wasn't supernatural. So it was a mixture of invoking the dogs already superior sense of smell combined with the scent of fresh blood from the consequence. I liked Eunomaniac's discussion and examples of the story side and hollow aspects. I think the existence of hollow aspects bugs me a lot more though, as in all aspects should be as actively in play as possible at all times.
I'm confused on this one. What's his gun skill and the weapon rating you've assigned to his guns? I haven't had this problem.I believe it's 4 (Great) for his gun skill. His weapons of choice are MP7s, and a 50 cal sniper rifle when he can. I gave the dual wielded MP7s weapon 3. I'm actually currently discussing some options in regards to that dual wielding. I decided to penalize his accuracy when dual wielding (or using any gun 1 handed, for that matter. Any improper firing technique reduces to hit), but in exchange I had to discuss 'could he fire and benefit from both guns'? Right now, I said I might go with making him roll 2 attack actions at -2 -2 or possibly higher. Is there any rules for that sort of thing?
I believe it's 4 (Great) for his gun skill. His weapons of choice are MP7s, and a 50 cal sniper rifle when he can. I gave the dual wielded MP7s weapon 3. I'm actually currently discussing some options in regards to that dual wielding. I decided to penalize his accuracy when dual wielding (or using any gun 1 handed, for that matter. Any improper firing technique reduces to hit), but in exchange I had to discuss 'could he fire and benefit from both guns'? Right now, I said I might go with making him roll 2 attack actions at -2 -2 or possibly higher. Is there any rules for that sort of thing?
That does remind me of another question: Is there any limit on when a player can compel/invoke an aspect? During the fight, the players just started pumping out fate points around the table to trigger aspects for other players, or against the sin eater. I was like "huh... can you do that?" especially the player whose character wasn't even present on the scene.
I believe it's 4 (Great) for his gun skill. His weapons of choice are MP7s, and a 50 cal sniper rifle when he can. I gave the dual wielded MP7s weapon 3. I'm actually currently discussing some options in regards to that dual wielding. I decided to penalize his accuracy when dual wielding (or using any gun 1 handed, for that matter. Any improper firing technique reduces to hit), but in exchange I had to discuss 'could he fire and benefit from both guns'? Right now, I said I might go with making him roll 2 attack actions at -2 -2 or possibly higher. Is there any rules for that sort of thing?
Simply depends on how a group would like to flavor their Dresden game. Some groups like things more cinematic. Some like a bit more grit. For the cinematic flavor, the 2 Gun Joe stunt works well. You are now a run & gun John Woo movie pumping rounds into the bad guys with style and, being more cinematic, having 2 guns means you are shooting those bad guys more. And more is always better.
Move 2 shifts (spend a Fate Point) and now you effect the entire zone with that block. Really good method of crowd control... assuming the target doesn't get to wade through bullets.
You technically can't do this.Is it disallowed somewhere or simply not explicitly allowed? The description under Resolving Blocks on YS210 shows a movement block against multiple opponents by 'peppering the door with gunfire'. Not sure why you couldn't do the same on any zone border...
Is it disallowed somewhere or simply not explicitly allowed? The description under Resolving Blocks on YS210 shows a movement block against multiple opponents by 'peppering the door with gunfire'. Not sure why you couldn't do the same on any zone border...
Okay, so now that I'm back home: Passive hexing: How does it work? After significant milestone, the party now consists of 2 Thaumaturgy-only sorcerers (the shaman and the paintomancer), an evocation-only sorceress (the changeling), a minor talent (werewolf), and a Denarian coin holder. I've been using the active hex chart as something of a guide, but how much should their power foul up regular electronics? Except for the paintomancer, all of them are university students, and would probably regularly be expected to access online materials for coursework and assignments. While if they stuck to using public university computers, their system damage might go undetected, it would definitely make the shaman (who is a phd student) find keeping his thesis safe and intact more difficult. So far, I had an idea of using some kind of average based on their Conviction score as their 'passive hex' score, and that would be typically about the active hex level -4. When casting spells around tech, this would be spell power -2.This is something I have been asking myself. I think I have a workaround, but it may not suit your game: the ease of use of technology by the wizards (or anyone likely to be compelled to accidentally hex) is an Aspect of their character, they are compeled not to hex. Thus when they are compeled to hex due to their magic, the Aspect gives them a FP not to, therefore cancelling out the FP paid to buy off the compel to hex. Given that your magic users have been living with technology and presumably able make use of it without much trouble, I do not think that this would be unjustified in story. Alternatively you could have it as a compel on the fact that they are students, and the ease of use of technology only extends insofar as their studies.
Players should get a Fate Point when they avoid something or just say something broke because of Hexing (self-Compel on their Spellcaster High Concept).
You should offer a Fate Point when you want to Complicate something because of Hexing (GM-Compel on their Spellcaster High Concept).
They can Hex things for no Mental Stress, at range, almost like an Evocation, using the Hexing rules (which I won't repeat here).
Not really sure I understand your post. It seems like you're saying that I should use a compel to force them not to hex that they have a counter compel for and the effect is canceled out?You understand my post correctly.
Also, I don't intend for them to have an easy time using technology (at least, not the 3 sorcerer-level talents).
I don't think it should work that way at all. To me, a wizard capable of using technology in the Dresden-verse would be like a fae taking the aspect 'Iron-tolerant'. It just flies in the face of a basic concept of the game-verse.As I said, the workaround may not be for you. If you do not want a player to play a character that has a concept that turns a basic game-verse concept on its head, then it is your decision.
Sabot rounds are the way to go - and not all that difficult. They will work in a rifled barrel and you can purchase sabot reading kits. Still going to have issues acquiring and machining your DU rounds, of course.What's a sabot round? Also, he started asking me about explosive rounds yesterday, and how much of a damage bonus those would get relative to a normal round... I first made it clear that regardless of whatever the actual law on explosive rounds are, in my game, they are a illegal (In-character illegal, not banned from game) round, but beyond that I don't really know much about them.
Edit: Since you're bringing this much realism into the game one reminder - never fire a sabot round through a weapon with a muzzle break! Bad Things (TM) may occur.
I don't think it should work that way at all. To me, a wizard capable of using technology in the Dresden-verse would be like a fae taking the aspect 'Iron-tolerant'. It just flies in the face of a basic concept of the game-verse.
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True, but then in White Night you have one Minor Talent with no overt tech in her home at all, which Harry comments upon as general evidence that a minor practitioner of some sort lives there. He gives the impression that most practitioners of any talent start having troubles with even basic domestic technology. Ultimately, each of these instances came down to different narrative needs.I do want to make that tech unreliable, but 2 of the three would be much more impacted/expected to use tech than the others. The changeling sorceress is an undergrad (as is the werewolf, but her hexing power is nil), so would at my university be expected to do a number of online/computer courses. The shaman is a phd student, and so he would probably need to make frequent use of the electronic resources. The third character, a painter, is basically unaffected by his own hexing.
The rules make it very hard to justify anyone using a computer consistently. "How would they get through school?" people ask. "How do they function in college?" In an ideal world, the White Council would get a tip-off when unexplainable things (attributable to hexing) happened in a classroom, and those budding practitioners would be assessed, and either pulled into the Wizard's world if worthy, or taught to control their energy to function more smoothly in the mundane world.
But it isn't an ideal world, and almost all of these minor practitioners are just out of luck as far as fitting in, until they find some way to capitalize on their abilities. And sadly, usually, that's joining a Cult, creating a Cult, or otherwise developing sketchy magics to get by.
This isn't a game about social justice, however, so if it is in the table's idea of fun that a plucky group of teens/college students are able to juggle life as minor practitioners as well as life in contemporary technology-dominated society, then great! And when the GM wants to make that tech a little unreliable, boom! Fate points.
I think technology should fail at the least opportune moment, creating the most dramatically tense and interesting moment, and sending the story off in new exciting directions full of highly charged conflicts. when you see those moments be ready with a compel. and do your best to create those moments in play.
Now for a sponsored magic question: Rather than having the shaman be just another sorcerer in a party now consisting of three of those, I suggested we put together a sponsored magic for him, where the sponsor is his ancestral spirits. His trouble is already Ancestral Pact, and I think it ties in better with his high concept of Runaway Native American Shaman. So far, I was thinking the standard 4 point cost, with the ability to perform certain nature magics with evocation like-methods and speeds. What I'm kind of at a loss at is how wide should I allow nature to be defined (cause with some finangling, almost anything can be 'nature related'), and what sort of restrictions/drawbacks should I give for his sponsor? In the story, he's already called up one spirit to ask it about the Sin Eater, and I didn't really know what to have the spirit demand in return, so I just said he had 'debt' to the spirit now.
But I'm trying to figure out how to model a highly increased chance of hardware and software problems resulting from their magic in a story telling way. I don't intend it to be something that really screws up their lives, more of a "you've noticed that lately, your computer crashes. A lot." and only really treat it as a compel if it's something like "Sheridan, your gun jams on the second shot" as a side effect of the evoker sorcereress throwing around blasts of power.I'd suggest compelling 'per scene' or even 'per session'. I'd take a fate point later to end the compel, but the compel itself would last the entire scene at minimum. For technology central to the story, I'd even go 'per adventure'. For example, if the group wanted a Shadowrun style data steal run, I'd compel the Wizard the first time he touched the network the data resided on and tell him that compel is in place for the entire adventure (escalate the compel if needed). Essentially, the compel is about him finding an indirect method of getting data off the computer - not about sitting down and typing at it once.
Now for a sponsored magic question: Rather than having the shaman be just another sorcerer in a party now consisting of three of those, I suggested we put together a sponsored magic for him, where the sponsor is his ancestral spirits. His trouble is already Ancestral Pact, and I think it ties in better with his high concept of Runaway Native American Shaman. So far, I was thinking the standard 4 point cost, with the ability to perform certain nature magics with evocation like-methods and speeds. What I'm kind of at a loss at is how wide should I allow nature to be defined (cause with some finangling, almost anything can be 'nature related'), and what sort of restrictions/drawbacks should I give for his sponsor?I'd err on the side of allowing its use. As long as his in-character explanation is reasonable, it works. (This is in line with the book's advice on using elements.) As for goals / agenda, I'd say the ancestor spirits want to defend and promote 1) their specific tribe, 2) the Native Americans, and 3) their way of life. So they're probably not going to assist land development projects...
Also, thank you much Kommisar: I know next to nothing about guns, despite living in Texas, so having anyone more familiar with them provide information I can reference is extremely helpful. What's a sabot round? Also, he started asking me about explosive rounds yesterday, and how much of a damage bonus those would get relative to a normal round... I first made it clear that regardless of whatever the actual law on explosive rounds are, in my game, they are a illegal (In-character illegal, not banned from game) round, but beyond that I don't really know much about them.Sabot rounds are used for hunting and target shooting. They allow hunters to shoot small game with a large caliber rifle (you can put .22 bullets in .30 shells and hunt deer or rabbit simply by switching ammunition). Sabot rounds also shoot flatter and with a higher velocity (assuming same bullet composition*) which makes them good for long distance target shooting. I probably wouldn't give a damage bonus, you're firing a smaller round at a higher velocity - call it a wash for game purposes.
What would be the advantage of a sabot round? Just using it with an unusual rifling?Basically the two noted above - use a big rifle for small game and shoot flatter trajectories. You do gain a side benefit of less barrel fouling - the bullet doesn't touch the rifling, just the sabot.
What are some things that would set off red flags with the ATF so I can hastle him with them periodically?To the best of my knowledge, normal sabot rounds are legal in areas where ammunition is legal. DU is another story...
What kind of obstacles would someone typically face in operating their own personal armory? He, under the bar he owns, has a fortified room which has a large number of shotguns, pistols, and is often where he stores his 50 cal and keeps his suit of body armor.The bar is a problem. It's illegal to bring a firearm into establishments which make some portion (I don't know the exact percentage - and it changes from one state to another) of their business off of alcohol sales. That alone would get him arrested, have the bar's alcohol license revoked (since he's the licensee / owner), and probably have the weapons confiscated. Fines and jail time are possible depending on prosecutor and judge.
True explosive rounds are designed for armor piercing; which is legal under all those treaties. They work not by some fancy, miniature fuse system in the round itself. They have a magnesium or phosphorus tip that ignites upon impact due to the KE of the impact which, then, detonates the explosive core behind the tip. There are many, many variations of exactly how this works. Most of them are designed to work in 20mm and larger rounds. Largely for aircraft, attack helicopters, and AFVs. They do make .50cal explosive rounds for use on armored targets. The problem is, if you shoot a soft target with them (say a human), the bullet will punch right through them and not detonate as nothing will create enough frictional heat to ignite the incendiary. Not even body armor would be enough to set it off. Maybe! Maybe if you hit the strike plate of the really heavy duty military issue body armor. Bigger rounds can and do use mechanical fuses as well, but getting one to work in even a .50 cal round would be tough. Anything smaller is nearing impractical and/or extremely expensive.
As for doing more damage. It's blow through. You hit a human target with a .50 cal round inside effective range, do you really think that having it go boom will make any bit of difference to anyone but the forensics team that shows up later? ;D
What I'm trying to figure out is how to handle this lower level hexing. I don't want them to have their cars break down everytime they get in them, for example. And the shaman, at least, has a 'beat up old chevy' of some unspecified year that he drives specifically for that purpose. And clearly, they must still be able to at least use computers some of the time. But I'm trying to figure out how to model a highly increased chance of hardware and software problems resulting from their magic in a story telling way. I don't intend it to be something that really screws up their lives, more of a "you've noticed that lately, your computer crashes. A lot." and only really treat it as a compel if it's something like "Sheridan, your gun jams on the second shot" as a side effect of the evoker sorcereress throwing around blasts of power.
If you just want it for story effect, then whenever they roll badly on a roll - say, like, failing a contacts roll - just blame it on a hex. "You knew just the guy to call, but when you went to call him your entire phone list in your cell phone appeared to be missing." miss a drive roll by one? "For a moment, the car just completely stalls, you lose power steering, the lights go out. You realize your heart is racing and that your emotions may be causing your magic to make the car go wonky".I really like this idea.
Basically, you aren't imposing ANY penalty mechanically... you're just blaming the players' bad rolls on a story aspect.
This can be really cool because the driver could say, "Ok, I want to take a deep breathe and really focus" as a discipline manuever to assist the next drive roll.
Okay, so today's session included our Kincaid expy engaging two other trained mercanries and ended with him getting taken out in a gun fight. I had it end with him having a belly wound, which 'didn't rupture anything vital'. Now, I have his Tarsiel-shadow trying to get him to trade a favor for a favor in 'patching him up', but he's steadily refusing it so far.I recommend against making it a binary choice unless the player has already agreed to one of the two options (death or Denarion). That said, the shadow could simply decide to heal him without the favor in order to gain more time. This is particularly effective if the shadow acts in a way that leaves questions...
So, it may be a bit heavy handed, but I'm considering having the two mercs who dropped him (or one of their 7 remaining active team members) try and eliminate him in the hospital (giving him a "Take Tarsiel's deal or die" situation). Otherwise, I can't see how I could get him back into play in time for the big conflict with the main bad (a White Court).
The White Court doesn't really care much about the Kincaid-expy, he was just targeting him as eliminating support for his main 2 targets, the changeling sorceress and the paintomancer, but I was somewhat counting on him being there to help take out the White Court. What do you guys advise as ways to bring him back in?If they don't care about the spy, I'd skip the attack scenario. What I would do is 1) have the Denarion heal him at least partially and do not tell him it was a freeby (leave that for speculation) and 2) have the healing leave an obvious and hellish mark. A mark in the form of satan's name written in Hebrew or equivalent. Something he'll have to hide. Then the favor trading can be about removing this mark. ;D
He thinks (and I dunno if correctly, but it sounds right), that if he has a gunshot wound in his stomach, he won't be getting out of bed for any kind of strenuous activity unless forced to.
He thinks (and I dunno if correctly, but it sounds right), that if he has a gunshot wound in his stomach, he won't be getting out of bed for any kind of strenuous activity unless forced to.