Drawing and Storing Magical Power

[Dr.FunLove]

A thought occurred to me a few days ago that I wanted to put forth for discussion. In the Dresden-verse there are examples of magical power being drawn into practitioners and stored for use (in excess of their own juice or Conviction) - a prominent example of this occurs in Small Favor. This led to the question of how to model such a concept in-game.

I have my own thoughts on this, but first I turn my question onto you all - I'll take new thoughts and idea or references to such a discussion in the past. Just want to know where the communities head is at on this. Thanks!

[Hick Jr]

I'd model it as a Conviction roll, allowing you to use your highest Power Specialization to add to it. For each successful roll, you get to keep that many shifts. For example, Harry, who's Conviction is Fantastic and has a +2 Specialization in Fire, which brings him up to Legendary. He rolls Conviction at Legendary for let's say 5 exchanges, and gets a +8, +8, +7, +10, and +11, for a total of 44 shifts. Once he gets inside the Sign, this is all he's got for spellcasting.

[Dr.FunLove]

That's a very interesting way of doing it Hick Jr. Would you model that the same way in a "normal" situation - an example might be:

(click to show/hide)

Cowl drawing prior to fighting Harry in Dead Beat

[Hick Jr]

That might be better modeled as a Conviction maneuver that Cowl gained several tags on.

[Taran]

I'd model it as a Conviction roll, allowing you to use your highest Power Specialization to add to it. For each successful roll, you get to keep that many shifts. For example, Harry, who's Conviction is Fantastic and has a +2 Specialization in Fire, which brings him up to Legendary. He rolls Conviction at Legendary for let's say 5 exchanges, and gets a +8, +8, +7, +10, and +11, for a total of 44 shifts. Once he gets inside the Sign, this is all he's got for spellcasting.

You'd probably want some kind of cap?  Maybe you can only draw for a number of exchanges equal to the stat?

[Hick Jr]

Excellent point, but I figured the GM would mandate how many exchanges you got to roll for.

[Deadmanwalking]

I prefer the simpler, less potentially broken, use of Discipline and Conviction maneuvers to stack up some navel-gazing Aspects. Works perfectly well both thematically and mechanically.

[narphoenix]

I prefer the simpler, less potentially broken, use of Discipline and Conviction maneuvers to stack up some navel-gazing Aspects. Works perfectly well both thematically and mechanically.

It's not broken. Those are the total amount of shifts you get to bring with you PERIOD for all of your spells in the Sign.

[Hick Jr]

A latent block on spellcasting versus Conviction might work as well.

[Taran]

It's not broken. Those are the total amount of shifts you get to bring with you PERIOD for all of your spells in the Sign.

It kind of reminds me of Spell Points.   Keeping track of a running total until it's all gone.  Then you have to rest for the night

[Dr.FunLove]

So far we have a roll on Conviction for Draws and stacking Aspects as solutions. Both are great solutions. I might agree with Taran that the number of possible draw rolls should be capped on a per scene/combat basis to a level equal to Conviction. Using Conviction rolls, are we adding the extra shifts as if they're Conviction or would they each be causing stress? The same question applies to tagging Aspects.

[Deadmanwalking]

It's not broken. Those are the total amount of shifts you get to bring with you PERIOD for all of your spells in the Sign.

Depends on how you handle them causing Mental Stress, really.

[Dr.FunLove]

Which I just asked a question on actually

In examples from the novels, the case could be made for those extra shifts to be counted as Conviction. Under that assumption that would require a cap on extra drawn shifts (at least in Evocation) in order not to become imbalanced.

[Hick Jr]

I would rule that it wouldn't cause mental stress unless you exceeded your "safe" limit, where it would cost more than one normally. I think the mental stress is supposed to be the drawing of power, and this invalidates that.

[Dr.FunLove]

In this scenario Hick, what is the safe limit? Up to Conviction per the RAW? Something else entirely?