Question about Focused Practitioners.

[MonkofLords]

I have a player who is interested in being a focused practitioner, but he asked me, given what he read in the text, what would give that edge in their field?

I just notice that in the books, Mortimer can do things that other Wizards just can't do with Ghosts. This particular player is playing a (Plant) - Mancer, and I was trying to think of something to represent that innate sort of natural control over their element that a full blown Wizard may not be able to replicate easily.

I could be reading too far into this, but that's just what I got out of the books.

[Lamech]

Custom stunts or house rules. And a build that is generally more focused on their one kind of magic.

Some custom stunts adding to making declarations for thaumaturgy (or about their magic for evocation), or letting them take an extra two consequences for thaumaturgy/evocation in their one area can give them a much higher power level than a wizard when it comes to just that.

You could also allow focus practitioners to take specializations. That would also help as well.

But some sample builds, at refresh 8. 

Kinetomancer: Guy shoots blasts of force and such.
High Concept: Kinetomancer for Hire
Skills: Discipline 5, Conviction 5, Lore
Powers: Channeling (Spirit), Custom stunt for 2 extra mental consequences, refinement*4
Items: Staff: Offensive Control+5 Ring of Power: Offensive Power+2, Enchanted Item 7 shift block, 5 uses per session.
Other Notes: This guy will get compelled whenever he wants to create light, lay out fear on a group of vamps, or veil up. This provides fate points further powering his magic.
Summary: This can be further used to increase his magical ability. A wizard who tried to do something similar might be able to reach the same level of control, but his power would be less, and he would have two less shots.

Transformer:
High Concept: Robot in disguise Witch Lord
Powers and Stunts: Ritual: Transformation and Disruption. Custom Stunt=+2 for lore declarations for transformation/disruption. Custom Stunt for extra consequences for transformation and disruption*4=8 extra mild consequences,
Skills: Lore 5, Discipline 5
Items: Control+2 Complexity+2
Summary: She blows any wizard out of the water when transforming something. (Which includes oh so much of thaumaturgy.) She has 9 consequences to the wizards 1. She would be able to cast a 25 shift ritual basically every other scene. She could for example place half a dozen aspects on herself to prepare for combat. Or drop a weapon grades entropy curse on a pesky vampire. Or obliterate said vamps mind.  The wizard OTOH manages at about 9 shift spells without declarations. Something she'll be better at as well.

Basically a focused practitioner can have an extra 5 refresh to spend on their abilities when compared to a wizard. It can allow them to be more competent in their one area.

[Sanctaphrax]

Unusual Powers. Like a plant-related Supernatural Sense, or Echoes Of The Tree.

[JDK002]

Unusual Powers. Like a plant-related Supernatural Sense, or Echoes Of The Tree.

Agreed, putting little twists on already existing powers is a fairly easy way to go about it.

Take the Power Wizard senses.  Modify the concept into something say called Rooted Senses.  The character could reach out to nearby plants, which in turn reach out to plants near them, which reach out to more plants, repeat, ect.  Essentially allowing you to cast a sensory web that spans as wide as the plants.  It's totally useless if their aren't a lot of plants in the immediate surroundings, but under the right circumstances you could detect things much MUCH farther away than a normal wizard could.

Or a power that when in direct sunlight you can "store" that energy to use later.

I'll leave it to anyone who cares to come up with how either of those would work mechanically haha.  xD

[Taran]

This particular player is playing a (Plant) - Mancer

Don't you mean Chloromancer? 

[MonkofLords]

Don't you mean Chloromancer? 

Well...he's been playing with a variety of names, so I played it safe. Thanks for the help though. Another player went the route of Ferromancer...technically all metal, but Mettallomancer sounds funny.

[InFerrumVeritas]

Sponsored Magic is a great way to do this.  For the cost of evocation and channeling, you get some extra side benefits (often a bonus AND thaumaturgy with evocation's methods and speed).  Based off of Kemmlerian Necromancy is an example of this.  Maybe your "sponsor" is the desires of nature and plants (see the recent Swamp Thing comics for cool ways this can play out).

Since you're basically focusing on one element, it's incredibly easy to have all of your focus items synergize.  These ignore the pyramid and are only limited by slots available and Lore.

Powers like "Plant Speaker" or a Supernatural Sense can also be useful.  They show complete mastery of certain "spells" so that using them doesn't cost any stress (eg effort) at all.

We also use this option for Channeling/Sponsored magic:

Option:
Specialist [-0]: You may only be able to do one thing, but you do it very well. Instead of relying on items to help you focus your spell energies, you’ve simply worked on mastering the element you channel.  The focus item slots from this item may be spent to  grant a bonus to your channeling, without requiring an item.  This does not stack with the bonus from specializations, if you later take evocation.  Otherwise, this functions exactly like the bonus from focus items (meaning you must choose between offense or defense and power or control, and no bonus may exceed your Lore).  Choosing this option means that you cannot create permanent enchanted items, although you may still brew potions if you also have the Ritual power.

Basically, you can get the bonus without needing to be wielding an item (which fits some flavor better).  Because you cannot be disarmed or deprived of this bonus, like you could with a focus item, you give up permanent enchanted items (and the extra spells/cheaper effects which can result from them).  I still allow potions because I find them to be the way thaumaturgy works best during a session.

[Becq]

Well...he's been playing with a variety of names, so I played it safe. Thanks for the help though. Another player went the route of Ferromancer...technically all metal, but Mettallomancer sounds funny.

You could go with Allomancer...

[Sanctaphrax]

Sponsored Magic is a great way to do this.

That reminds me...

SUPERIOR PYROMANCY [-4]
Description: The White Council looks down on Focused Practitioners, but specialization has its merits. Through obsessive devotion to one element, it is possible to acquire abilities that a generalist cannot match.
Sponsor: This magic is self-sponsored.
Agenda: As self-sponsored magic, this power lacks an agenda.
Evocation: Superior Pyromancy may be used to cast fire evocations.
Thaumaturgy: Superior Pyromancy may be used to cast rituals that create, make use of, or control fire in some way.
Evothaum: Any ritual that can be cast with Superior Pyromancy may be cast with the speed and methods of Evocation.
Extra Benefits: A character with Superior Pyromancy can use his fire power bonus in place of his complexity bonus for rituals that can be cast with Superior Pyromancy.
Note: Powers similar to this one could exist for elements other than fire.

[Tedronai]

A character with just Superior Pyromancy would have no 'fire power bonus' (nor would they have access to such a bonus), so that Extra Benefit wouldn't be of much use.

[Centarion]

It is sponsored magic, so it grants 4 focus item slots.

[Sanctaphrax]

If it's not clear, it does include offensive and defensive bonuses.

[Tedronai]

Focus items grant either offensive or defensive power bonuses, but not straight power bonuses.

It would actually be substantially more useful if it allowed complexity bonuses to be used in place of power bonuses, as those aren't divided.

If it's not clear, it does include offensive and defensive bonuses.

It could use a language tweak, then, at the least.

[Sanctaphrax]

It would actually be substantially more useful if it allowed complexity bonuses to be used in place of power bonuses, as those aren't divided.

I like the way it is. It encourages pyromancers to have massive power bonuses, which is totally appropriate.

It could use a language tweak, then, at the least.

Yeah, sure.

[JDK002]

Is that power intended to be taken along with channeling/ritual?  Or as a stand alone replacement?  As the latter it seems kind of OP for just -4.  You're basically getting everything channeling/ritual gives, a sponsor free sponsor, the option of internalized bonuses, and evothaum for the same price as taking channeling and ritual.