How to make a Bob.... (or spell casting assistances)

[The Codex]

So I havebeen discussing someting with one of my potential players and an interesting question has developed how do you create a Bob..... Or a way of leting players get at k owledge they may not know.

The player in question wants to play an ectomancer (high concept: urban spirit fixer)

his family have been making deals with the dead and the living for centuries ands with some nice background the family have the trapped ghost of a murderess/octist from Victorian times that has centuries on infomation on dealing with the dead and spirits

How does the work, I did think enchants item from his ritual slots but undefined so that the character could potential use to get access to lore increase, access to arts not known (possibly a dabbling of necromancy if she was that bad ass) however I want there to be at least some consequence in using this power, making deal with her and I feel that then forcing him to use up his item slot is a little harsh. has anybody got any better was I could do this ?

[iago]

Fundamentally, this is essentially the same as someone who makes a Contacts roll in order to find a capable thief who knows if anyone is trying to fence some rare antiquities on the black market.  The character who makes that Contacts roll doesn't "own" the thief in question in any systemic way; the thief is a result, an NPC that the player's character occasionally contacts and has to try to negotiate with for information.

Bob's the same way, really -- or any of half a dozen other possible implementations... which are discussed in Bob's section of Our World.  Give it a read-through.

[JosephKell]

You see, because of how Skills work in Fate, Bob had to be all sleazy and obnoxious to prop up his high Lore skill.  [/humor]

Bob seems like he has at least a Superb Lore score.  Other skills for him might be:
- Investigation (he seems to be on the ball when it comes to examining things)
- Social skills (Rapport, Presence, Deceit)
- Performance (Art Appreciation anyway... what?  Aren't "romance" novels art?)
- Maybe Empathy...

So that would give 6 skills to prop up Lore (or 5 if you drop Empathy).  No problem.  Bob definitely has a lot of powers, they just are limited by his bindings to the skull device.  Bob could probably benefit from Discipline just because he was demonstrated as having some "juice" in dead beat.

[The Codex]

Ok that makes some good sense,

(my poor addled GM brain trying to work all this stuff out.... do'h)

so uing the above example I gave (and just to make sure I have understood the idea, if the character has an Aspect refering to that source of Power/Intelligence he could tap into so say "Mina Pottersthwait Spirit, my personal pet homicidal occultist"

you would run this as a social conflict (representing possibly the consequences of using her as a source of information or power that he could tap into)

and thus create her like a NPC (fleshed out a little bit...)

or have I completly missed the mark!!

[iago]

It doesn't have to be a *conflict*. There's no need to bring in consequences here.

You could:

- Just talk it out. (You don't always have to go for the dice. Maybe instead you agree to a favor trade: "I'll tell you how to make an escape potion if you also make a love potion, Harry.")
- Treat it as a straight up contest. (One roll: if a win, you get the information you need without strings attached; if a loss, maybe you still get the info, but there are strings attached.)
- If it's super contentious (like, say, a conversation with Chauncy), THEN maybe it's appropriate to talk conflict.

[The Codex]

Got it....

Situational dependant

This Fate System is so Flexible Its getting my head around all the possibilites which I think where I am struggling......

Its cool just not something I am used to..


 

[iago]

Keep in mind if you're uneasy about consequences (be careful about calling for conflicts unless you're looking for the possibility of clear and painful defeat on both sides) you've also got some other good "diced" back and forth methods available in "The Race" and "Cat & Mouse". I could definitely see a negotiation for information done with one of those.