Understanding Magic Use

[Rungok]

Would it work better for thematic purpose and synergy of abilities to switch my weapons skill for fists? my game master is offering us a chance to 'fix up' our characters after our first game session into something that works better for us.

Being that my characters a high school senior, I guess fists would work better. And since the above spell improvement to hitting power just improves damage up to the spell shifts, I guess that perhaps some leather gloves would work better for a focus item.

In that regard, can a pair of gloves be a single focus item, or would they have to be two seperate ones? Additionally, I don't understand the difference between focus items and enchanted items. While Harry's blasting rod is a definite focus item, are his force rings enchanted items? I thought Enchanted items were throwaways and were gone once they were used.

[UmbraLux]

Would it work better for thematic purpose and synergy of abilities to switch my weapons skill for fists? my game master is offering us a chance to 'fix up' our characters after our first game session into something that works better for us.

Mechanically, Fists is weaker than Weapons unless you have Claws or equivalent - getting the additional damage from using a weapon makes a difference.  However, the Martial Arts stunt and its bonus to declarations helps even that a bit. 

Thematically it depends what you're going for.  A high school baseball star may well be more comfortable with a bat than his fists...and a gang member might prefer knives or guns. 

Being that my characters a high school senior, I guess fists would work better. And since the above spell improvement to hitting power just improves damage up to the spell shifts, I guess that perhaps some leather gloves would work better for a focus item.

In that regard, can a pair of gloves be a single focus item, or would they have to be two seperate ones?

Probably best as separate items, but doesn't make much difference. 

Additionally, I don't understand the difference between focus items and enchanted items. While Harry's blasting rod is a definite focus item, are his force rings enchanted items? I thought Enchanted items were throwaways and were gone once they were used.

Focus items grant bonuses to casting a spell.  Enchanted items contain a preset spell which can be used / cast / released without taking stress.  Enchanted items typically have a limited number of uses per game session.  They normally recharge between sessions or on significant down time. 

[Rungok]

Well actually he's a basketball star. Tall, lean and athletic. (Actually has Superb Athletics)
probably capable of going for an olympic sport if he wished to do it.

Unfortunately that sport doesn't have a tool that makes a handy weapon like baseball or hockey.

Any suggestions for something that a basketball star would find appropriate to use as a weapon? Or should I change it to baseball? It does make sense considering his kinetomancy is almost entirely intuitive, with little formal training. (His adoptive parents are minor talents.)

[Sanctaphrax]

Mostly I agree with what UmbraLux said, but there are a couple things I'd like to add.

1. I think that thaumaturgy as evocation costs mental stress, but I'll admit that it's a little ambiguous. IIRC, the exact words are "evocation's speed and methods". I generally assume that that means you take mental stress.

2. I have written a custom power for people who want to boost their speed with magic. I hope it proves useful to you.

MAGICAL SELF-ENHANCEMENT [+varies]
Description: Many supernatural abilities can be mimicked through an application of spellcasting. But that requires specialization, of the sort that this power represents.
Musts: A character must possess the Evocation, Channeling, and/or Sponsored Magic powers in order to use this one. Other powers to link this power to are also required.
Skills Affected: Conviction, Discipline, Lore
Effects:
Limited Powers. When you take this power, you must select at least one other supernatural power that you possess. Which powers may be selected with this power is a matter of the GM's discretion. The selected powers are disabled, and the character gets a rebate equal to one-third of the powers' total cost.
Magical Self-Enhancement. This power allows the user to grant themselves access to the selected powers through evocation. Such evocations may be of any element that makes sense, and they may be offensive or defensive. The power required of an evocation that grants powers is equal to the total refresh cost of the granted powers plus the intended duration. The user may extend this effect using the normal rules for the extension of evocation, and they may choose to grant themselves only a few of the selected powers. This also allows them to grant lesser versions of the selected powers. For example, a character who had selected Supernatural Strength and Inhuman Speed with this power may grant themselves Inhuman Strength for 5 exchanges with a 7-shift evocation.

[UmbraLux]

Unfortunately that sport doesn't have a tool that makes a handy weapon like baseball or hockey.

Any suggestions for something that a basketball star would find appropriate to use as a weapon?

Go with weapons and concentrate on throwing things.  Or play center and go with fists.    Whichever works...

[Rungok]

So in the end I decided on this.

I have a refinement coming my way, so I'm going to buy a pair of focus item slots.
One of them is going to go into making my baseball bat, which will then be a +2 offensive power focus item.
The other is going to be a pair of Enchanted Items.
One is going to be his baseball hoodie, the other a  necklace that was a gift from his first girlfriend.
Now if I understand properly, the spell effect is equal to his lore (Which is +4) but only can be used once per session.
OR, I can half that (+2) and have it available the whole game session.
So for the necklace, I want it to have a constantly available +2 shift Kinetomancy boost. What kind of effect could I eke out of that?
For the hoodie, I didn't want to go the armor route. Instead I want it to be a stealth kind of thing. Except I just have spirit (force) as my element. Can I make it work? Or should I just make it a defensive item?

[Sanctaphrax]

I don't think that you can make enchanted items without some kind of Thaumaturgy. And I think that always-on enchanted items were removed at some point in the design process of this game.

[Richard_Chilton]

I believe that if you have the ability to buy an enchanted item that it "arrives" if you buy it.  Either it's your magic unconsciously shaping an item, a friend of a friend who sells it to you, something you stumble over, whatever - it comes.  I.E. the player designs the item but the PC is at the mercy of the world as far as what comes.  But this is something you should talk about with your GM.

The pre-release PDF had always on magic items but they were dropped from the final release.  You can spend another enchanted item slot to get extra uses per day.  I don't have the book handy (using a different computer) but I believe that some of the steps of the spell can be spent for duration.  If using Evocation like powers every step would give another exchange of use.  And, as always, you can take a dot of mental stress to get another use of the item.

It seems that you bought the pre-release PDF, so here's some great news.  You can log into your account at Evil Hat and they'll give you a FREE copy of the final release.  That's right - they'll give you the final version for free because that's the type of great guys they are there.

Richard

[Rungok]

Oh sweet!