Author Topic: Help! Need some extra refresh...I think  (Read 2140 times)

Offline QuietViolence

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Help! Need some extra refresh...I think
« on: June 23, 2013, 11:29:41 AM »
Hi guys, new to the community here and relevantly new to the Dresden Files RPG (and RPGs in general...at least the pen and paper kind).  I'm looking for ideas for my character.  I'm a White Court Virgin (the lusty kind) at the moment, and I'd like to eventually graduate to being a full White Court, but the way we have it set up so far with the amount of refresh we have and the powers I'm not willing to give up (Incite at range, lasting emotion, and potent emotion), I need to find a way to give myself extra refresh if I want to actually be able to PLAY it, instead of just transcending at the very end of the character's arc.  There's not really a way to do that given in the RPG books, according to our GM, who is the only one who has read them so far, but he tells me I'm basically going to have to make up things that could be used against me to get extra refresh.  So I'm here asking, any ideas/suggestions?

For example, he sometimes plays a fae character with the cold iron catch that gives him a few extra points to play around with, but he's on the team that says "True Love" doesn't get me any extra points because it's so rare.  So I basically have to give myself an extra trouble aspect or something to give myself some extra points, right?  Like being cursed or having (another) group with a reason to kill me.  Or something.

Help?  I'd be happy to clarify further if I can, since my rambling is probably not that helpful, but like I said, I'm relatively new to the game (though not to the books...I'm reasonably familiar with those).

Offline Tedronai

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Re: Help! Need some extra refresh...I think
« Reply #1 on: June 23, 2013, 11:54:00 AM »
An 'extra trouble aspect', being an aspect that is relatively easily compelled, is usually a pretty decent idea if you're looking to have more Fate Points on hand, but it won't get you more permanent powers or the Refresh with which to buy them.  Having more FPs CAN help get you temporary powers, purchased with FPs equal to their refresh cost during each scene in which you have them available (or during which they are relevant), IF you have sufficient narrative justification to do so.
As a White Court [something], I would argue that your Hunger provides ample justification to have temporary access to some powers (in line with WCV powers), and even the possibility to pay for those upgrades with Debt ('give me the benefit of spending a FP now, Compel me later').
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Offline blackstaff67

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Re: Help! Need some extra refresh...I think
« Reply #2 on: June 23, 2013, 11:57:07 AM »
Judging from your OP, I' presume that your group is only chest-deep or thereabouts (8 Refresh).  How about a power or two that only work when your on/near appropriate grounds, like a night club and the like?  Otherwise, what Tredonai said.
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Offline Haru

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Re: Help! Need some extra refresh...I think
« Reply #3 on: June 23, 2013, 12:02:01 PM »
Outside of human form, item of power and feeding dependency, there is no way to get refresh back.

How much refresh are you playing at? I'm pretty sure that you can build a decent white court something at any of the rates given in the book. Granted, you'll have to cut back on some strength powers and the like, but incite emotion is not too expensive. Even if you only have 6 refresh and you take all available upgrades for incite emotion (excluding additional emotion), you only end up with 4 refresh spent and can take 1 inhuman power attached to feeding dependency.

If you are playing at an even lower level, even at range and lasting emotion will be enough to devastate a lot of your opponents, and you have something to buy when you get your next points of refresh.
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Offline Cadd

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Re: Help! Need some extra refresh...I think
« Reply #4 on: June 24, 2013, 12:07:32 AM »
The actual refresh level of the game would be very useful to have, so it's clear exactly how much space there is for powers.

Since your GM is already ok with you boosting the WC Virgin template with the upgrades for Incite Emotion, and the template strongly recommends adding Feeding Dependency if you have more than the musts (Emotional Vampire and Incite Emotion), I'd ask if you could maybe add the feeding dependency to the Incite package?
That would make it look something like this:
  • Emotional Vampire [-1]
  • Feeding Dependency [+1], affecting:
    • Incite Emotion (Lust; Lasting Emotion, Potent Emotion, At Range) [-4]
for a total refresh cost of -4. This should be managable even if you just start at Feet in the Water.

You will however have to figure out with your GM how you're gonna handle the actual feeding, and why you have so much control over it that you don't kill. A full WC Vampire with those upgrades will cost -10, so it is "within reach" if you start at Submerged and gain a Major Milestone before turning completely. Do keep in mind that someone like Thomas is written as -8, he has neither of the Potent or Lasting upgrades, and he's fairly powerful still.

Offline Tedronai

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Re: Help! Need some extra refresh...I think
« Reply #5 on: June 24, 2013, 12:24:14 AM »
Feeding Dependency doesn't affect Incite Emotion of full WCVs; it wouldn't make much sense having it affect Incite Emotion on a WCv.
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Offline Sanctaphrax

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Re: Help! Need some extra refresh...I think
« Reply #6 on: June 24, 2013, 04:07:34 AM »
I suggest you mess around with the White Court Template a bit. Maybe you're a bit scrawny, so you don't get Inhuman Strength. Maybe your weakness to True Love is unusually easy to trigger, so it's actually worth Refresh. Maybe you need to transform into some kind of vampire form to use your physical Powers, so you have Human Form.

Obviously you'll need your GM's permission, but I don't see why you wouldn't get that.

Offline QuietViolence

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Re: Help! Need some extra refresh...I think
« Reply #7 on: June 24, 2013, 06:07:31 AM »
Thank you so much, guys!  I've talked all your ideas over with my GM (who I found out during that conversation was watching this thread as well).  We are currently playing at Feet In The Water level, I believe (7 refresh), so I think what I'm going to do is go full WCV at the next level up but only take one Inhuman power (Speed, most likely), as Haru suggested, at a time.  I mean, I figure that a just-turned WCV isn't immediately going to be Lara Raith, so my GM is going to allow me to be full WCV so I don't fail a discipline roll as a Virgin and become an NPC, just without the Inhuman Strength or Recovery right away.

Anyway, thank you all so much for your help!

Offline Cadd

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Re: Help! Need some extra refresh...I think
« Reply #8 on: June 24, 2013, 08:14:00 AM »
Feeding Dependency doesn't affect Incite Emotion of full WCVs; it wouldn't make much sense having it affect Incite Emotion on a WCv.

Well I figure that as you're not yet a full WCV, and any upgrades to the WCv template should get a Feeding Dependency since pulling on your Hunger before turning will leave you ravenous, it would be natural that the feeding dependency affects the primary power - Incite Emotion.

For a full WCV, Incite Emotion is sort of the baseline of everyday existence. For a WCv it's not really that permanent yet, more on-and-off, like the physical prowess of the full WCV.