Spell Design Exercises

[AlanWhitelock]

Hello!

I am looking forward to playing very soon with my local group. I've been reading over the rules and was wondering if people would like to toss around spell ideas.

Specifically I'm looking to practice evaluating complexity.

Thanks to anyone who has thoughts to share or wants to help!


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First Spell

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Let's say my character Alan wants to make his buddy Bobby Bruiser
stronger for a fight he knows is coming up.

Alan decides to put the aspect "Monstrously Strong" on Bobby for a scene.

My best guess is that the complexity equals 8?

1+2+3 for physical stress track +2 for mild consequence (clears at the
end of the scene)

Does the complexity of the spell increase for tougher individuals (the
way it does for spells which are meant to "take out" a la the Heart Exploding Hex from Storm Front)?

Would an individual with a 4 point stress track
require a complexity 12 spell to get the same effect?

Does the complexity go down any because only the first tag is free and
the aspect still has to be fueled by fate points?

What if Alan tells Bobby that he'll be "Utterly Exhausted" or "Beyond
Hungry" after his "Monstrous Strength" wears off? Would you give some
kind of benefit, bonus, or reduction in complexity for that? Does each
consequence he ends with give one additional free tag during the
scene?

What are alternative approaches to accomplishing the same goal? Either
math wise, theme wise, or mechanics wise?

Could this math/approach be used for pretty much any temporary scene long boost that fits within a character's paradigm? "Quick as the Wind", "Quiet as a Mouse", etc

Would you say this is evocation, thaumaturgy, or could be either?

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Spell Two

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Alan knows he has just a few moments before he will be
running from a demon. A demon which is supernaturally fast...

Alan wants to give himself "Inhuman Speed"
exactly as it reads in the book [-2 refresh cost] but only for a
scene. How do you design that spell, both with and without
consequences (i.e. for the remainder of the session Alan will have
"Torn Hamstrings").

This is meant to be a specific exercise in copying supernatural abilities in the core book temporarily with thaumaturgy.

[crusher_bob]

First Spell

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[...]
Alan decides to put the aspect "Monstrously Strong" on Bobby for a scene.
[...]

This sounds like a maneuver, which would be difficulty 3 against an unresisting target, I think.  It would normally last "a few minutes" (one scene), and any more time you wanted it to last, you'd need to add more shifts for power (see the time chart, YS 315)  So making it last the whole day would require another 6 shifts of power.
You could reduce the complexity by making the potion inflict a consequence when it wore off.  For example, if you wanted it to last all day (normally a power 9 potion, but made is cause a moderate physical consequence when it wore off, then it would only require power 5 to create, since 4 shifts of power would come from the consequence.

And yes, they would only get 1 free tag on the aspect.

Does the complexity of the spell increase for tougher individuals (the
way it does for spells which are meant to "take out" a la the Heart Exploding Hex from Storm Front)?

Not if the target doesn't resist.

What are alternative approaches to accomplishing the same goal? Either
math wise, theme wise, or mechanics wise?

We could declare the potion as an effective might maneuver for how much you can lift.  We'll call it power 6.  So instead of using your might, you could just take a 6 whenever it came to lifting stuff.  But that would only last 1 exchange "a few moments' as it's base time.  If we wanted to make it last around an hour, that would be 6 steps up the time chart.  If we go with moderate consequences again, that would make the final potion power 8.

Imho, magical effects should only be able to do one 'part' of a skill at the time.  So, for example, you could make the Might potion that let you lift things, or a Might potion that made you a great wrestler, but not a potion that just made your might skill higher for a while.

[crusher_bob]

Alan knows he has just a few moments before he will be
running from a demon. A demon which is supernaturally fast...

Alan wants to give himself "Inhuman Speed"
[..]

I'd say that you can't copy another supernatural ability like this whole cloth, that's what stuff like shape changing is costed out to do.  For example, if I want to make a potion that will let me outrun a demon for a while.  If the demon has great (+4) athletics and is supernaturally fast, then it has a base of legendary (+8) when it is sprinting.  So if I wanted to match the demon's running speed, I'd need a power 8 effect.

Just like the might based potions I posted above, I assume that the effect only last as long as a single roll of that skill does, so 'a few moments', if I wan to be able to run this fast for a few minutes, that's +3 up the time chart.  So the base power of the potion would be 11.  If we go with the moderate consequences again, that means you'd need a crafting strength of 7 to make one.

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I'll double check my ideas about how to build these sorts of potions vs the write up of the true seeing ointment.
The example ointment give a 6 alertness vs farie glamours.  Since this isn't the full effect of even a small part of the alertness skill (passive awareness), we'll say it only costs around half as much, for a base power of 3.  Which means it would normally last "a few minutes" at power 6.

Sigh, and the version in the book gives +6 to the roll (not replaces it, like mine does) and has a duration of 'a few hours' rather than a few minutes.  Back to the drawing board, I guess.

[KOFFEYKID]

You do the second by making an escape potion. They are pretty handy.

[Korwin]

For transformation magic I'll be using following system:
(I want consistent magic, not different Complexity for turning into an bird, based on: Is it for spying or is it for traveling? But thats me  )

When you (Self-)Transform into another thing you loose all your Powers and Stunts.
Unless you buy them back into the Ritual.

The basic difficulty for transforming is based on the True Shapeshift Power (-4 Refresh = 8 Shifts)
(Reason, while one Ritual can only change you into one form, you can have multiple Rituals. Thats True Shapeshift.)

Since you may want to end the spell before sunrise, we add another shift.

So the basic Self-Transforming spell is an Complexity Ritual 9.

So lets say our Wizards want to transform into an Wolf. With the Lvl. 9 Ritual he can take the form off an Wolf, but he is unfamiliar with the body.
He incorporates another Power into the Ritual: Beast Change for the Skill Shuffle (Demonic Co-Pilot would work too?).
Thats another Refresh (Total of 5) or 2 Shifts of Power. = Complexity of 11

After an Encounter with an Hellhound our Wizards want to change into one.
A Hellhound is an -7 Refresh creature with the -4 from True Shapechange that would be -11. To much for our Submerged Wizard (10 Refresh Total, max. -9 Refresh)
He researches further and cuts the Pack Instinct out and the Stunt Unflappable (Presence), that would bring the Refresh to -9, but then he realises he needs still the Beast Change Power...
He cuts the other Stunt since he overlaps a little with Echoes of the Beast.
Complexity of the Ritual (9*2)+1 = 19

Later in the Campaign after the Wizard got 7 new Refreshes he bought True ShapeChange (-4) and the Modular Abilities (-3).
So he can Shapechange into an Wolf on the fly (with all his Powers intact), but anything more complicated (like an bird) he needs still to cast an Ritual.

He could change into an Bird with allmost all his Powers intact with an Ritual.
Example:
-3 Evocation
-3 Thaumaturgy
-1 Wizards Sight
-2 Refinement
-1 Diminuitive Size
-1 Wings
-1 Beast Change
-4 True Shapechange
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-16

He could'nt use his True Shapechange, because this is the Ritual Version. He would need to end the spell first.
The Complexity of the Ritual would be (16*2)+1 = 33

With two more Refresh spent on Modular Abilities he wouldn't need the Ritual (And it would be much faster).


IMHO with this you could play an Junior Wizards who grows into an Powerfull Shapechanger.
It's flexible, but you are at least 4 Refresh points behind the Specialist.

So to gain Inhuman Speed it would be an Complexity 11 Ritual. (or 10 if he doesnt want to end the spell at will)
But he couldnt use his normal Powers or Stunts while the spell is in effect.

[Deadmanwalking]

By the official rules, gaining powers for a scene costs enough Stress to take out the recipient (so 4-5 on most willing targets), plus a Tag or Fate Point per Refresh worth of powers. So it's only Complexity 4 or 5, but you need 2 Tags on top of that for Inhuman Strength or he needs to spend Fate Points.