Advice On Magic Items

[evileeyore]

It's my first game using the FATE rules so I'm still a bit slow on making connections in the rules...

Anyway I'm looking for ideas on magic items my character might reasonably be carrying and using.


I'm thinking she'd probably have an Enchantment Focus, +2 Enchanting Strength...

That should leave 4 magic items available.

I'm thinking I'd have an armored coat and maybe a "nuker" (weapon 4, useable 3 times).  However with my native Toughness, an armored coat isn't that much of a necessity...

Is there a way to make a potion or item that would "enhance" her native Toughness?  I've looked about on the forums without much luck...

Also what about a device or potion to impart The Sight?

Also I'm fine not having Foci devoted to the Sponsored Magic, I'm going to avoid using it as much as possible... for awhile anyway...  and yes, I know I could build the character a bit more "optimized", that's not what I'm looking for though.  I like the build, it's something to grow into.

And I'm thinking of leaving a potion slot open... so... help?




The character basics:

High Concept: Orphaned Changeling Enchanter
Template: Changling - Redcap Mother
Trouble: Little Girl

Other Aspects:
Heavy Load, Small Shoulders
A Unicorn (Rainbow) in Every Storm
It's Only Paranoia If No One Is Out To Get You

Great 4: Discipline, Lore
Good 3: Conviction, Deceit
Fair 2: Alertness, Endurance, Stealth
Average 1: Athletics, Contacts, Craftsmanship, Investigation, Weapons

Mental Stress: 4
Physical Stress: 3(5)
Social Stress: 2
Hunger: 4

Refresh Rate: -6/7

Powers:
Rituals (Crafting) [-2]

Human Guise [-0]
Feeding Dependency [+1] (anything she can eat)
Toughness [-4]
---Catch: Cold Iron [+3]
---(ubiquitous item +2, researchable +1)
Sponsored Magic [-4] Unseelie

[BumblingBear]

Feeding Dependency [+1] (anything she can eat)
Toughness [-4]
---Catch: Cold Iron [+3]
---(ubiquitous item +2, researchable +1)
Sponsored Magic [-4] Unseelie

Just based on this, the character needs a little more work before fleshing out enchanted items.

Feeding dependency is meaningless and just free refresh if it doesn't affect something.

Feeding dependency should also be hard to come by and negatively affect the character - otherwise it's just free refresh.

Ghouls have to eat an elementary kid's weight in meat every day.  Vampires drink blood or emotions.  What does "Anything she can get her hands on" mean?

Also - what is a ubiquitous item?  And are you adding that as a catch on top of cold iron?

::confused::

My suggestion is to look in the resource section at the character and NPC threads, see how people who know what they are doing have done their characters, and then model appropriately.

That is what I did when I first started making DFRPG characters.

[Sanctaphrax]

You have 4 focus slots. If you spend two of them on a focus giving +2 to crafting strength, then you'll have 4 item slots. Each of those slots will have 6 shifts of power.

You should probably leave at least one slot open for potions.

The best way to enhance your toughness is to make an item that provides a block against attacks. Toughness powers are nice, but decent defense rolls are nicer (in my humble opinion). Your Athletics is Average and that's not a recipe for survivability.

Granting powers with spells generally requires shifts equal to the refresh cost of the power along with either:

enough shifts to take out the character through their entire consequence track
or
Fate Points equal to the power's refresh cost
or
both.

Neither is convenient. Personally, I wouldn't bother.

[Sanctaphrax]

@BumblingBear:

I think he means that cold iron is ubiquitous and therefore counts for +2 to the catch value.

And while the Feeding Dependency is essentially free refresh, a character like this can have a point of free refresh and still be underpowered. It's like a character who has a stunt giving +2 to all attacks with Guns when his Guns skill is Mediocore and his Weapons skill is Superb. It's broken, but who cares?

[BumblingBear]

You have 4 focus slots. If you spend two of them on a focus giving +2 to crafting strength, then you'll have 4 item slots. Each of those slots will have 6 shifts of power.

You should probably leave at least one slot open for potions.

The best way to enhance your toughness is to make an item that provides a block against attacks. Toughness powers are nice, but decent defense rolls are nicer (in my humble opinion). Your Athletics is Average and that's not a recipe for survivability.

Granting powers with spells generally requires shifts equal to the refresh cost of the power along with either:

enough shifts to take out the character through their entire consequence track
or
Fate Points equal to the power's refresh cost
or
both.

Neither is convenient. Personally, I wouldn't bother.

While that's true, sponsored magic makes it easier to get aspects that last for at least a day and can be tagged for a free +2.

As we've discussed before, theoretically a character with this ability could spend serveral scenes just tagging aspects and then nuke it up.

I've decided that in my game, anyone with sponsored magic gets a max of 2 "power aspects" to just walk around with.  I think that's plenty, especially when you add fate points, sponsor debt etc. into the mix.  This was also the amount of "power aspect" I limited myself to when I played a sponsored magic emissary of power.

[BumblingBear]

@BumblingBear:

I think he means that cold iron is ubiquitous and therefore counts for +2 to the catch value.

And while the Feeding Dependency is essentially free refresh, a character like this can have a point of free refresh and still be underpowered. It's like a character who has a stunt giving +2 to all attacks with Guns when his Guns skill is Mediocore and his Weapons skill is Superb. It's broken, but who cares?

Point taken.

However, there is a "right" way and a "wrong" way.

Because while this character is underpowered, using the same rules for an optimized character /would/ be broken. Like.. why not give a submerged evocator character "feeding dependency" and use that extra point of refresh for another point in refinement?

I know I'm splitting hairs, but hell, that's what we do here.

[evileeyore]

The best way to enhance your toughness is to make an item that provides a block against attacks. Toughness powers are nice, but decent defense rolls are nicer (in my humble opinion). Your Athletics is Average and that's not a recipe for survivability.

Right, so...

Armored Coat: Block 4, 3 uses
"Freeze Wand":  Weapon 4, 3 uses

...for the items, and leaving 2 potions or some such.


What would some sort of "healing" potion look like?  Is that even possible?

Any ideas for a third magic item?  I'm drawing blanks... unless a "Counterspell" item would be useful, but Counterspelling seemed weak to me.  And difficult.

Though my ST might allow for the Entropomancy to be useable to Block against spell casting in an Area (needing the area wide shift).  We've discussed it without coming to a firm decision.

Granting powers with spells generally requires shifts equal to the refresh cost of the power along with either:

enough shifts to take out the character through their entire consequence track
or
Fate Points equal to the power's refresh cost
or
both.

Copy.  I kinda thought so but couldn't find them threads when I looked today.

[evileeyore]

What does "Anything she can get her hands on" mean?

Right now it means "Mostly Edible Food" and is on par with Ghoul levels of consumption.  If I ever pick up Claws or Strength we've agreed it'll include anything she can chew (but non-"food" types will require much greater amounts - on par with the "difficulty in obtainment line) and if both, well she'll be able to bite into lots of stuff and eat it, not that things like dirt or common stone would be filling (but chewing down a house or someone's car would certianly apply ).

The character needs to eat 1/4 her own weight (in Food) per Feeding Stress box... as me and my ST has decided.

The Dependency is attached to the Toughness and Sponsored Magic and will also attach to any other "use activated" type of power she gets from her Redcap Heritage (Speed, Strength, but not Claws) if she takes them.  Technically the Human Guise is also covered...  but more in the "it gets lost if she maxes out the Hunger Track" kinda way.

Also - what is a ubiquitous item?  And are you adding that as a catch on top of cold iron?

Descriptor for "Abvailability" followed by the descriptor for "Knowledgeability".  I choose "ubiquitous at 2 since while cold iron isn't exactly really that common, most people do have a source of "pure iron" and that's what we're going with.


I'm not gonna argue what Cold Iron should really mean, since Butcher screwed it up in my opinion.   

While that's true, sponsored magic makes it easier to get aspects that last for at least a day and can be tagged for a free +2.

Wait, what?

I thought Aspects you added via manuevers and the such could only be tagged for free once?



Also since we've strayed from talking about Magic Items... what do you guys think would be an applicable cost for Sponsored Magic without the Sponsor Strings?  IE the magic but not "Cost"?  I'm aiming for the possibility to someday arise in game, if we last that long...

[sinker]

Also since we've strayed from talking about Magic Items... what do you guys think would be an applicable cost for Sponsored Magic without the Sponsor Strings?  IE the magic but not "Cost"?  I'm aiming for the possibility to someday arise in game, if we last that long...

Some other people on the forums have tried to use sponsored magic to represent an internal power source of a scion or changeling. The way they handle it is when the character takes debt then later they are compelled to be more within the nature of their parent. I haven't personally used it this way and I'm not sure if it works but it's a thought.

Of note I'm going to assume that you meant a crafting frequency foci. If it was crafting strength then you'd have a bunch of 6 shift items that you could use once.

[crusher_bob]

Sponsored magic is the same thing as ritual (-2, 1 aspect of thaumaturgy) and channeling (-2, 1 element evocation) put together.

[evileeyore]

Of note I'm going to assume that you meant a crafting frequency foci. If it was crafting strength then you'd have a bunch of 6 shift items that you could use once.

I'm operating as though the items are Weapon/Block 2, 3 uses (2 extra uses from reduced Strength) then I get the +2 Strength from the Focus...


Which is why I've seen the argument made on these boards that bonuses to Frequency are less useful than Strength.

Sponsored magic is the same thing as ritual (-2, 1 aspect of thaumaturgy) and channeling (-2, 1 element evocation) put together.

Not quite...

Sponsored Magic has a bit more 'flexibility' than vanilla Channeling and Rituals, and does things they cannot.  It's the "does things they cannot" part that I'm expecting the "Sponsor's Strings" are a part of paying off.


For instance... Unseelie Magic:

The "Channeling" Winter "element" is quite a bit broader than just "Fire" or "Ice" as it covers "wildness, decay, slumber, death, and  cold".

The "Ritual" Entropomancy "theme" has the method and speed of Evocation. (Not so useful to me, but I understand the bene)

Winter Magic downgrades Summer Toughness.

Finally I can tap my Sponsor to pay for using an Aspect once per roll... tif I really want to rack up the debt.



Each of the first two parts listed aren't (IMO) enough to warrant a full +1 refresh on their own.  Added to the bene against the Seelie and I could see it bumping "Inherent" Unseelie Magic to a 5 or a 6... and if I get to keep the last bit about tapping the Sponsor for Aspect powering, yeah, I'd say it's a 6 pointer (with the standard reductions for being a full on Wizard).

But I'd like to hear some other opinions, I'm still new to "balancing" the Dresden Files whacky Refresh balance.

[sinker]

What do you see as the "Sponsor's strings"? In other words what are the negative effects you're trying to avoid?

[evileeyore]

What do you see as the "Sponsor's strings"? In other words what are the negative effects you're trying to avoid?

Ahhhhh....  The Debt?

That big looming increases everytime you draw upon the power Debt that "Will Be Paid Off" at some point.




While I'm fine with it now (fine as in "I'm only drawing upon the Sponsored Power when it's an emergency or I have no other option" thing) at some point I'd like to be able to "freely" use Unseelie Magics without incurring the Debt for each useage.  Granted the game might not last that long, but I always think long term, even for one-shots.

[sinker]

I'm not absolutely sure about this but I really don't think you incur debt every time you use the power. It has to do with all powers fitting within your high concept. Your sponsor understands that you will use some of their power for what you want so long as it isn't directly against their interests (using sponsored magic within its normal limits). In return you will be involved in their affairs (via a compel to your high concept). If you want to go above and beyond that (I.E. draw additional power beyond the norms or tweak fate on their behalf) then you take debt beyond what is normally expected of you.

[Tedronai]

I'm not absolutely sure about this but I really don't think you incur debt every time you use the power.

You don't.

You only incur debt under specific, defined circumstances, that each amount to drawing extra power from your sponsor in exchange for agreeing to some future compel without knowing what it will be (save that it will in some way further your sponsor's goals).