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DFRPG / Re: Aspects as effects
« on: August 16, 2015, 08:02:14 PM »
That would be a block against athletics more than a maneuver.
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DFRPG Resource Collection / Re: Sponsored Magic Master List
« on: August 07, 2015, 08:26:20 PM »
Looks like I might still be working off the unrevised PDFs. I should send in for the updated copies, my hard copies are just so heavy to carry always.
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DFRPG Resource Collection / Re: Sponsored Magic Master List
« on: August 07, 2015, 05:16:11 PM »
Maybe I missed something obvious but where did it say that sponsorship gives you item slots? We never saw that in our read, either in the power, the description or the character stat blocks. Did my group grossly overlook something?
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DFRPG / Re: Notes on Optimization
« on: July 29, 2015, 03:27:03 PM »Plus, it'd be tricky to get good at maneuvers and counterspells without getting good at attacks too.
It almost has to be an aspect specialization like Harry's not-so-subtle or Molly's Subtlety is its Own Power.
On the other hand it is literally the point of the warden sword.
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DFRPG / Re: Whats the final verdict on magic
« on: July 29, 2015, 03:24:45 PM »
The trick for magic seems to just be heavy enforcement and encounter building. Each problem has a recommended fix that works sometimes depending on the group and the compels issued.
Remember to give big evokers some situations you can't blast.
A powerful focus can be detected as such by characters in the supernatural world and will be looked on as poorly as people carrying big rifles in Starbucks.
Mental magic especially has lots of fun extra negative compels to be given even if it goes right, look to the mood and objective of those involved for ideas.
Shape shifting you might just have to rule on. Maybe don't let spell casting shape shifters move their spell skills ever and limit it to physical and social? To be honest this one hasn't come up with us.
The book strongly encourages spell casters to have an aspected weakness or blind spot, enforce it.
Don't be shy invoking their high concept for complications. It is why it is required for supernatural powers.
Also in my group the GM is pretty fond of using Wardens and while there is always the chance of going rogue it would take the game in an unwanted direction.
Just a few off the top of my head tips.
Remember to give big evokers some situations you can't blast.
A powerful focus can be detected as such by characters in the supernatural world and will be looked on as poorly as people carrying big rifles in Starbucks.
Mental magic especially has lots of fun extra negative compels to be given even if it goes right, look to the mood and objective of those involved for ideas.
Shape shifting you might just have to rule on. Maybe don't let spell casting shape shifters move their spell skills ever and limit it to physical and social? To be honest this one hasn't come up with us.
The book strongly encourages spell casters to have an aspected weakness or blind spot, enforce it.
Don't be shy invoking their high concept for complications. It is why it is required for supernatural powers.
Also in my group the GM is pretty fond of using Wardens and while there is always the chance of going rogue it would take the game in an unwanted direction.
Just a few off the top of my head tips.
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DFRPG / Re: Notes on Optimization
« on: July 29, 2015, 03:11:34 PM »I think he has such high weapon skill because he worries about breaking the first law. If he uses magic he has to hold back, but if he uses his sword he can chop off heads all day and unlike Dresden most of the people he fights are humans.
This goes, to an extent, to the dilemma of writing vs gaming. On the whole believable characters (and non-fictional people) aren't optimized. They waste a whole lot of time and energy on unrelated and non-synergistic traits and skills. On the whole they are good at a thing or two but don't devote the resources that would make them 'optimal'.
So the point of the exercise becomes how would a gamer maxing his investment make a character like Morgan (or whoever) but to do that you do sometimes have to push some characterization or detail aside.
It also serves to illustrate the point of communicating in the group about what level everyone wants. Will the group have lots of characters with gratuitous stunts or powers and broad skills or will such a character be a drain on the group as a whole. Sanctaphrax made a point as to how it is important to all be on a similar page regarding that.
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DFRPG Resource Collection / Re: various more-obscure mythical creatures
« on: July 24, 2015, 03:49:14 PM »
So I created a couple new faerie style creatures for a bit of Irish campaign. Just a super rough outline before I head to work that I can flesh out more with aspects later.
Will-of-the-Wisp
Light in the Dark
Great Alertness Deceit
Good Athletics and Stealth
Powers:
Cloak of Shadows -1 (mostly for darkvision)
Glamours -2
Inhuman Speed and Recovery -4
The Catch is Cold Iron and the like +1
Swift Transition -2
Gaseous Form -3
More advanced versions might include Ritual (Fire), Greater Glamours or Supernatural Speed
Banshee
Song of the Dying
Superb Perform
Great Discipline
Good Empathy
Stunts: Targeted Performance, Can use Perform to apply maneuvers to a specific target instead of just the scene
Powers:
Breath Weapon (sonic) -2 (uses Perform instead of Weapons)
Ghost Speaker -1
Incite Emotion (fear, at range, lasting) -3
Supernatural Sense (Impending Death) -1
As they advance a Banshee might expand into Necromancy or further senses or potentially Guide My Hand to always be on hand to witness (or ensure) significant deaths
Siren
Voice of the Sea
Superb Perform, Rapport
Great Empathy
Fair Fists
Stunts: Targeted Performance, Can use Perform to apply maneuvers to a specific target instead of just the scene
Powers:
Claws -1
Aquatic -1
Incite Emotion (Lust, at-range) -2
Pack Instincts -1
Advanced Sirens might add Lasting to their Incite Emotion or gain Inhuman Strength or Inhuman Recovery with a catch of Cold Iron AND when not in water. Very powerful ones might be capable of Domination.
Will-of-the-Wisp
Light in the Dark
Great Alertness Deceit
Good Athletics and Stealth
Powers:
Cloak of Shadows -1 (mostly for darkvision)
Glamours -2
Inhuman Speed and Recovery -4
The Catch is Cold Iron and the like +1
Swift Transition -2
Gaseous Form -3
More advanced versions might include Ritual (Fire), Greater Glamours or Supernatural Speed
Banshee
Song of the Dying
Superb Perform
Great Discipline
Good Empathy
Stunts: Targeted Performance, Can use Perform to apply maneuvers to a specific target instead of just the scene
Powers:
Breath Weapon (sonic) -2 (uses Perform instead of Weapons)
Ghost Speaker -1
Incite Emotion (fear, at range, lasting) -3
Supernatural Sense (Impending Death) -1
As they advance a Banshee might expand into Necromancy or further senses or potentially Guide My Hand to always be on hand to witness (or ensure) significant deaths
Siren
Voice of the Sea
Superb Perform, Rapport
Great Empathy
Fair Fists
Stunts: Targeted Performance, Can use Perform to apply maneuvers to a specific target instead of just the scene
Powers:
Claws -1
Aquatic -1
Incite Emotion (Lust, at-range) -2
Pack Instincts -1
Advanced Sirens might add Lasting to their Incite Emotion or gain Inhuman Strength or Inhuman Recovery with a catch of Cold Iron AND when not in water. Very powerful ones might be capable of Domination.
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DFRPG / Re: Kemmlerian necromancy and death curses...
« on: July 24, 2015, 04:10:57 AM »I would call shenanigans on any gm that tried making a death curse from anyone that's been pushed into a severe or extreme consequence worse than a moderate inconvenience. Their life is literally splattered all over the ground back there. What are they powering the spell with? Hopes and dreams? No. Dresden goes so far as to explain that all power to fuel magic has to come from somewhere. Their life in game mechanics is 1 extreme, 1 severe, one moderate, and a few minor consequences.
As a reminder, the book specifically says a death curse lets you skip the prep and the tag all your consequences and inflict more (with immediate tags) if you have open slots, so a death curse will always be 20+ shifts if the caster so desires, since it doesn't matter if you have already taken consequences or not. Alternately just go with the plot level power idea.
In cases where they are tagging existing things they are throwing their fear, pain, helplessness or other emotional baggage into the spell. Like whenever Harry would tag his rage or fear for extra juice.
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DFRPG / Re: Death Curses
« on: July 23, 2015, 09:25:59 PM »
I was just under the assumption that is what most them are. The two in the books aren't because one target was immune to magic and the other was a sadistic monster who might not have had the power for an upfront kill.
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DFRPG / Re: Death Curses
« on: July 23, 2015, 08:57:34 PM »
Does anyone just use the use the blow up their face and the block around them curses anymore? I find killing the bad guy is often just fine without the need for extensive torture.
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DFRPG / Re: Kemmlerian necromancy and death curses...
« on: July 23, 2015, 08:41:24 PM »
What would the purpose be long-term? Even if you stop it they can try again next action they get. You probably just want a plain do-not-hit-me style block.
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DFRPG / Re: Kemmlerian necromancy and death curses...
« on: July 23, 2015, 08:16:44 PM »
I figure treat it a bit like a counterspell action, with a difficulty equal to the consequences that they are trying to use (20 probably). I would say that if you succeed they don't take the consequences though, since they might be filling those spaces with dead, really dead, so very dead and unbelievably dead and that is what you are trying to prevent.
In world terms they're turning life energy into magic energy and you are saying "Nope, that stays life energy!" Since they aren't converting it in 4 pieces but as one chunck (their life) you have stop the whole thing, even though the game represents it as separate consequence slots.
In world terms they're turning life energy into magic energy and you are saying "Nope, that stays life energy!" Since they aren't converting it in 4 pieces but as one chunck (their life) you have stop the whole thing, even though the game represents it as separate consequence slots.
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DFRPG / Re: Help my bad guy!
« on: July 09, 2015, 09:30:13 PM »Can anyone think of any official examples of water magic actually manipulating water?The closest I can come up with is when Harry took a point of sponsor debt to freeze a large chunk of it in Cold Days, but you could argue it was just more fire or Unseelie Magic on its own.
Given how much earth, air and fire manipulation we've seen though (Morgan, Mallory, and Dresden, respectively), I think it is safe to assume water conjugation and manipulation are pretty basic aspects of water magic. I would think most wizards would hit that on their way to the "higher" concepts of entropy and change.
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DFRPG / Re: Help my bad guy!
« on: July 09, 2015, 04:30:03 PM »
In Turn Coat, that exact threat is used. If a (mundane) bullet passes the line of the circle, it would break. Some people could argue over whether or not you need the free will to intend the circle down though, and it is a reasonable argument.
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DFRPG / Re: Help my bad guy!
« on: July 08, 2015, 08:39:30 PM »
They even hang a lampshade on it but in Your Story with Harry musing about how Carlos' hydromancy doesn't short itself out. If I had to justify it I would say since it is magically conjured water, magic is in its nature and thus is totally permeable to magic.