Realized that your NPC should actually be rolling athletics vs [skill used to apply aspect].  So if he was cornered with Fists, he needs athletics vs Fists.

Thanks for the quick replies! I interpret it as it is technically possible for one person to create several maneuvers after each other, stacking temporary aspects on a target, and then tag all of them in one mighty attack.

Would it be fair to say that temporary aspects placed on a target as a result of maneuvers can be removed (without a roll, from the targets side) if the target having the aspect does something that makes the aspect seem pointless?

What I mean is something like this: Two PC’s fight a single NPC in a narrow alley, and the PC’s act first in the exchange, by performing maneuvers on the target (placing the temporary aspects CORNERED and OUT OF BALANCE on the target). The target NPC then selects to sprint as his action during the exchange. Would the two aspects still be applicable, despite that the target no longer is in the same zone (perhaps he is in the open, in another zone, and most likely not “out of balance” any more)? Can I as a GM simply remove the two aspects?

In this case, I'd say that your NPC needs to roll athletics vs the PC's athletics to remove the aspects legitimately.  However, if he did something like, use an item to pop open a portal to the nevernever behind him, then stumble back into it, then I'd say he doesn't really have to roll to remove the "cornered" aspect.  Similarly, in the example I gave, let's say the PC creates an "aiming" aspect, that is sticky unless removed... but the NPC (unaware of the player) steps out of the warehouse door and closes it.  There's no roll there, but the aspect is gone. I'd also make the PC hit another stealth check to keep that aspect up, as he has to creep out of the warehouse now.  The other two (done with weapons and lore) stay.

In general, though, it should be opposed whenever possible, and removed without a roll only when it's truly something that has no logical counter roll.

I have all of my player's PC sheets handy, so here are a few more examples. These are strength 8, because that's what our potioneer is at.


Ice Rink
Block versus movement
Strength 5, two rounds, one zone (targeted with weapons, resisted with athletics) -coats ground in slick layer of ice

Fog
Block versus alertness
same as above, only resisted with alertness, fills area with dense fog that dissipates quickly

meteor shower
earth attack, strength 6, one zone, targeted with discipline, resisted by athletics, i believe this was a magically runed meteorite that was crushed in hand to create a localized meteor shower.

Wrecking Ball
earth attack, strength 8, versus one "target" (targeted with weapons, resisted with athletics (when applicable), defined as a person or person-sized object or area of wall. I think this was a pebble thrown at the target.

Healing Potion [DnD conversion}
Per the Reiki spell in the core, this reduces a moderate consequence to a mild, though it takes up the moderate slot until healed.

Invisibility Potion [DnD conversion]
This is really nothing more than an evocation spirit veil, Strength 6, lasting 3 rounds. Aspects are often (as in, almost always) used to increase the duration and/ or strength, depending on the situation.

Mirror Image [DnD conversion]
Strength 9. Creates three aspects of "mirror image" that last for a scene or until dispelled.  If the free tag given by the aspect is used to increase a defense, then the corresponding image "pops". 

Note that this is different from DnD (it does not negate attacks, merely gives three one-time bonuses to defense), and that it's strength requires the player to use some aspect to even make it (it's above his strength rating).  Each aspect costs three shifts, so a 6 strength version would give two bonuses, while a 12 shift would give four.  Also, these aspects are not "sticky" (they go away after use, instead of hanging around for you to use fate points on if needed). A "sticky" version would add 1 shift per aspect added (so 12 shifts instead of 9 for this spell), but the player deemed this unnecessary (wizards often have low fate points anyways), and unthematic.

Hope that helps!

A potion is really nothing more than a spell-on-the-fly; therefore any spell effect can be placed inside of a potion. Due to the potion being limited by Lore (and strength bonuses, from either specialization or focus items), and capped at twice your lore (as recommended in the creating items section), you'll usually only see up to strength 10 potions (until the cap for skills is raised to +6 for the campaign, and then you'll see potions of strength 12).  However, it's sort of assumed that you could then add aspects to it above this level?

Thus, potions can work as either evocation or thaumaturgy, and the rules for those sections must be read to determine what a potion can do.

Because you're asking about higher-end examples, I'll use a wizard with lore 5, crafting specialization (strength) +1, and a focus item (magical distillation set: crafting strength +4).  So his default crafted item strength is 10.


Evocation effects:

Attack: Flame Tube
Weapon 10 fire attack on one target, targeted with discipline and resisted by athletics.  This is the same thing as an evocation fire attack; the user uncorks the test tube and uses his own will to target the enemy with the spell.  Could be done with any element.

Variation: Fire Pot
Weapon 8 fire attack on everyone within a zone, targeted with weapons, resisted by athletics. This is an area fire attack, but instead of spending the 1 point of strength on range (lest the caster be set on fire as well), he relies on his baseball tossing skills to physically throw it into another zone.  Note that a potioneer with lots of potion slots could technically hand these out to his buddies, and all toss them simultaneously, giving the group four to six simultaneous fire attacks. They resolve separately, but can do in a pack of ghouls quite nicely.

Block Vs movement: Bottled Quicksand
Strength 6 block vs movement for everyone in a zone, targeted with weapons, resisted by might.  Lasts 3 rounds. The ground becomes quicksand for 18-24 inches, miring everyone down. Again, the caster relies on his throwing skills to avoid the area of effect. (Alternatively, he makes it strength 5, spends 1 strength on range, and targets with discipline).

Maneuver:  Any maneuver can be done to create aspects to tag, but the cheesiest one here is:
Good Luck potion
Strength 8.  3 points to create a maneuver, 1 point to make it sticky, done twice for the same effect.  Target receives two free +2 tags to use on whatever he considers "lucky". These can then be used with fate points afterwards for the rest of the scene. This is so.. cheesy.. that I slapped a mild mental consequence of "overconfident" on its use.  I did so because I felt like it totally ruined the need to use other skills to make appropriate declarations or maneuvers.

Thaumaturgy:
Zombie Powder:
Strength 10. When poured on a fresh, mostly together corpse, this summons a spirit of hunger into the body instantly, raising it as a standard zombie.  You'd best have the drumbeat already playing, as they wake up on the wrong side of the bed quite speedily.

Veil Rip
Strength 10. This "potion" is a piece of paper with a drawing of a doorway on each side. The door is black on a white background on one side, white on a black background on the other. The caster rips the paper in half, creating an opening to the nevernever (or to our world from the nevernever), leading to whatever part corresponds to the location. The tear is approximately 15 feet tall, and several feet across - looking like a rather large doorway. Without interference, the tear closes one round later.  This is typically used as an escape potion, but it has been known to be thrown in front of charging monsters.

And so on.  Pretty much any effect you can make with a spell, you can make into a potion, as long as you stick to the strength limitations.


That said, I'm pretty harsh about slapping on consequences, as the rules advise when discussing effects that give extra speed and what-not.  If you make a potion that gives you athletics 5 for the scene, fine.  But if you make a potion that gives you athletics 10 for the scene, it usually costs you a moderate consequence in my game.  Otherwise, the dedicated potioneer is better at everything than everyone else in the group.  "Oh you have a gunslinger character? well now I have guns 10". And so on.

I dunno if this might a case of it being Harry's personal thoughts and not actual canon, but I'm going through the series again right now, and in book 4:

(click to show/hide)

The WalMart is filled with a mind-fog that simply stuns everybody and makes them stand still without causing harm, and Harry says it's still a "clear violation of the laws", if I recall correctly.

The third law is cut and dry.  Dresden is talking about the fourth law here.  Enthrallment is a pretty big area, which is why it's harî to arbitrate mental stress.  I'm taking the extreme side - mental stress = lawbreaking - mainly for debate, to see what people come up with in response, because personally I see that line as so... undefined... that anything could be argued.  And while as an ST, where that lawbreaker line is fuzzy to me, I don't think it's so fuzzy for the greycloaks.

As for the soap:  I'll actually argue against "just intention".  There's intention TO kill, and then there's carelessness. Dresden time and time again avoids using magic in a way that could be potentially deadly as a side-effect, despite his regular burning of buildings.  While examples of where his magic might have hurt mortals accidentally can surely be brought up, it's clear that he tries to avoid this.  Thus, while the soap person would probably get off free (who the crap expects someone to die of bubbles, even accidentally), the guy who ices the stairs of the library to slow down his pursuers certainly does get hammered if one of his pursuers breaks a neck in the fall, as does the guy who magically burns down the warehouse going "is anyone in there? oh i don't care." While the guy who has been told/ has checked and thinks that warehouse is empty would be okay.  Now, these may be situations where the council will set the DOOM! if given a good reason to, but still.. some swordy mcswordertons might think even Mr. Bubbles needs a lesson.   Slippery Slope is kind of a warden thing.... the whole torture a puppy as a child, become a serial killer later on bit? Their response is often "off the kid."

Take all of my statements as if said from a warden's perspective: there are no shades of grey, just black and blacker.  Everything is a slippery slope, ending in necromantic warlocks summoning ancient evils to negotiate pacts for the souls of innocent virgins.  Don't do drugs, and be VERY careful if you try to assault someone's mental stress track. Be VERY careful if you use magic in any fashion against a mortal.

As for whether or not any or all of it gets you a lawbreaker stunt, only you and your group can determine that. 

But I'm right either way, because I've got a grey cloak and a really sharp badge of office.

ghouls and demons both tend to have the holy catch... because the hitman will have researched his targets, and one player has soulfire, I can't use something that has a holy catch. Yao Guai (or w/e) seem cool, but if they are explained as demons then I will get "why no holy catch?" questions.  So I'm kind of looking at using them as spirits of hunting, or murder, or something...but not those of the Erlking, b/c they have a cold iron catch... hrmm...

basically I need a good, non-holy, non-cold iron catch for something supernatural and bad?

I'm looking for a baddy/baddies for my game this sunday... it needs the following stuffs.

supernatural hitman
-baddy is not human, using magic against it does not break a law
- catch is NOT fey, nor is it holy items (most stuff in the book suffers from one of this)
- must have at least supernatural toughness
- if it has a connection to it's ectoform, it needs to be at least difficulty 8-10 to magically sever that connection. Higher is okay.
- needs attack skill of at least great
- is up against 7 PCs at -11 refresh each (meaning, yes, I could send 77 levels of refresh into the situation, but that seems overkill.  I'm looking at about 4-6 beings of 12-15 refresh each, or a small horde of lesser beings.
- bonus points if you somehow relate it to chinese gangs (something from chinese mythology)

So, reference stuff in the books or make your own, but please give me some ideas!  (yes, I could do this on my own, but I want to see what other people come up with because they often have cool ideas i never thought of).