That is a beautifully elegant solution to the immediate problem... and I like it.

That said, it still doesn't answer the basic problem of how blocks stack, if they can... and my curiosity is piqued independently of the specific scenario, now.

Ok- first off, the game in question isn't DF, but I'm coming here because you guys are good, and because you have blocks in your version of fate (unlike FateCore, which took them out).

We have a problem. Our group is in a survive-the-night scenario. They need to hold out in a semi-secure area against a zombie horde until the cavalry arrives- at most a single night (it'll arrive when dramatically convenient, but the longer they hold out, the greater the benefit to the story, and the greater the game reward)...
My players are all human, but they all wanted to be a reasonable cross-section. We have one Boxer, but other than him, no one has a combat skill at peak (+4) [unless you count athletics, we also have a fitness nut who runs a lot].

The players have long enough before the horde to run a prep montage... in essence, they get two actions with lasting effect (the group had long ago ruled that two was a reasonable limit, to keep either them from using preparation time to get the run of the show. Actions-in-play are unlimited, but a montage gets 2-3 and we move on). Typically, the players have used this in the past for navel-gazing maneuvers (standard difficulty 3)- the boxer would practice his footwork to limber up, the runner would stretch, the carpenter who-knows-his-way-around-an-axe would sharpen his weapons, and so on... The aspects, as part of the montage rule, are automatically semi-sticky (last until used, but don't have to be used right away like typical fragile aspects- this is the reason why there's a limit- the perk that balances the trade-off).

We're happy with the rule, and it has served us quite well in the past, innumerable times. That is, surprisingly, not the issue. Blocks and how they work are:

Since the carpenter has Craft +4 (with a stunt bringing wood-work up to +5), and Melee at only +2... the navel-gazing self-buff on his weapons is a crapshoot. Honing them or practicing with them would require him to roll a +1 (+2 = 3) to bank a single-use +2 bonus (in the form of an aspect).
So, he got the bright idea to set up a block- one of their available last-stand grounds is a smallish room, concrete walls, with high small windows (2' by 6") too small to get through... and a door that's been unhinged (literally had them removed- it was a storehouse, and someone removed them to raid it- everything's still intact). He can easily put the door back on- I'm not even really charging them for that, so to speak... but he wants to reinforce it using his craft skill. More power to him- instead of gambling on a mid-grade skill, he can bring his peak skill to the table.
Problem is, he gets two actions. Can he use both on the block?
Even if he can't, can the others reinforce it, and by how much?

There's also an academic in the group- ok with a shotgun (skeet shooting in college), but a good engineer by chance (academics +4, stunt applicable with only a little debate)... he can help out there, in design if nothing else.
The boxer's plenty strong- he could use his boxing to navel-gaze and bank a +2 on a skill that's already strong... or his might to add +3 to the block on a 0-roll, piling up all manner of heavy into the barricade to make it that much more... more.

You get the gist. We had to break session before we really got into this, because of time constraints... thank God, since it gives me time to think about how to handle it...

By my best guess, if I let every player act twice on the block, and simply add all their rolls together for a single effective block, and they all roll 0's... it'll be around a block rating of 60. Sure, the zombie horde might EVENTUALLY push through that (if I similarly let each of their attacks on it deplete it), but it would still be enough to get them through a  helluva lot more night than I was ready to expect... and sounds pretty close to unreasonable, even given that I want to reward their moment of brilliance.

Even if I only let them act on the block directly once, they're likely to still pile all their eggs in one basket, by using their first action (each) to place a maneuver (gathering materials, etc) that are then tagged on the 2nd action... and get a block rating around 50. Even if I force them to only work with a single action for a single block, they can still pile everything in on this by loading up that one action with aspects, and creating a block at least around 30.

I also thought about saying sure- but each action is a separate layered block... this would result in 12 blocks ranging in strength from ~2 to ~6 (even assuming 0-rolls and no FPs). This might be the best way to go, with blocks lasting as long as they normally would (until overcome)... when a zombie overcomes a block, it fails, but then must face the next one in the list (any extra shifts could immediately overflow to taking out that one, if they're enough). This would AT MINIMUM buy the team 12 attacks (given the tight confines, probably 6 rounds minimum)...

Which brings up another problem- while the horde is working on tearing it down, what (besides limited supplies) is to keep them from repairing it from inside, and how do I best handle THAT?

The best idea I've had as far as my gut instinct for fair play goes is that the initial roll sets the level of the block, and any additional rolls either replace it, or add +1 to it (whichever is better). This will produce a solid but not impossible block, and allow wiggle room for repair... but the players would get more bang for their buck setting up aspects on the primary actor than contributing to his roll after the fact.

In essence, I just need a think-tank to tell me how they handle blocks in this kind of scenario. Can you take an existing block (one that's still standing ONLY because it hasn't been breached, not because it's got a fixed duration), and enhance it? It seems intuitive that it should be possible, but then, how is that best handled systems-wise?
Thoughts, opinions, advice?

Plus, the cult in question are thaumavores- the reason it will wake up their demigod is because he eats magic. I'm not sure foiling their ritual will matter in that case, because the fallout could still be enough to wake him... maybe. Dunno. Have to think about it and/or ask the GM.

And also, yes- the thaumavore cult are willing to die to the last man to pull it off, so backlash is also a major concern.

[Edit: The reason I was saying evocation is because I'm stronger there, and don't need to build the power up towards anything- just take as much as I can as fast as I can and dump it as I go... But you're right.]
Granted, but the question still stands- the lightning rod could be a thaum control focus.
Could hyper-specialization provide an edge?

The storm is coming in from the sea...
The GM could still pull something out of his hat, for all I know, but the situation as I understand it is that the larger group can drain the storm way faster than me, but because they're a larger group, with a prepared ritual space and a fixed target (their demigod who they need to be near for this), they'll be a ways inland.
I'm going to be right on the bloody shore... I'd be in the water if I thought it wouldn't hurt more than it helps... So the storm will hit me first. I have a head start, basically, and I don't care where the energy goes so much, as long as I get rid of it before they get ahold of it.

This is a GM that rewards creativity, but doesn't pull his punches. If we lose, that's simply a different plot direction...

I need an edge...

Simplest solution- Conviction based block against all non-mortal forces.

This is, in terms of game effect, much like a ward, without being high-magic.
Lets mortals throw one off if they know how, and have the focus of mind to do it.
The various references to summoning (both in the books and in the rpg book) suggest strongly that circles aren't perfect- sometimes, things can break through if your attention wavers or your will simply isn't up to the task of what's being held in... as a block, it can fail, but rarely will... and is perfectly suited to conviction (maybe discipline?).
Anything that gets past a block negates it completely- so mortal will + physical action across the circle breaks it just like a block.

I might go a step farther and let it get some bonuses from things like blood (inflict P stress on self to improve block), or perhaps even a flat +2 to block strength to represent that you don't need a massive Knight-of-the-Cross level Conviction score to be able to fend off a lower demon with one.


The problem with handling it in terms of a maneuver is that you only get one free compel against the critter's supernatural high-concept... and then you're pretty well boned. While this can represent the "circles can fail" mentioned above, I don't think it does so well, or fairly... especially in circumstances where there are several attacks against the circle at once from multiple weak sources, as opposed to a single massive blow from an arch-demon.

No reason you couldn't veil with an audience, especially with some methods (bending the light, or getting it to ignore you, etc, should be just fine)... others not so much (the mental kind where you alter their perception would be harder, I'd think).
That said, someone who watched you veil at least knows where you were and that you veiled. It seems preferable (where possible) to break line-of-sight before veiling so they don't catch any unlucky breaks.

I'd make it more about the deaths than the blood. BCV's don't drink without killing... enough so that I tend to think of them as less feeding off the blood, and more feeding off the death (it provides some interesting symmetry in the courts).

My vote:
Mild: 1
Moderate: 2
Severe: 4
Extreme: Only possible with some ritual or embalming + at least 8 deaths. Replaced bits must be originals, or taken from another BCV. No 8-armed freaks either- the curse only supports so much flesh... as much as you originally had when it took hold.