Keeping the game balanced

[CaptianRowin]

Hello, I'm new to GMing Dresden games. Right now we are at a low refresh (7) but I keep hearing that Wizard quickly outpace other templates for power. Any GMs out their that have some suggestions to keep everyone on a equal level so that my non wizards don't feel left out? I have been DMing D&D for years and have a few tricks up my sleeve, but I am looking for some more specific ways within FATE.

[Taran]

Welcome.


A few things to consider:

Wizards are pretty powerful in combat.  They also have some flexibility with theumaturgy. 

That said, they have no refresh left over for anything else.  Most of the other PCs will have stunts that round them out or give them a specialty in other arenas like social situations and clue-finding/investigation.  A pure mortal with high resources and a mitt full of fate points can do a lot the wizard can’t.   

In my experience, shape shifters have it best.  They get two sets of skill trees and can have a social build and a combat build.

So, offer problems that aren’t combat all the time is one suggestion. 

Another is to compel the wizard with Laws of magic.  “There are innocent bystanders, better be careful flinging around those fire balls”.  Offer fate point to deal with the problem without magic or lower the weapon power of the spell so they don’t accidentally kill someone.

Also, most people don’t believe in magic and supernatural people tend to try to hide it.  You could compel them to use more mundane methods, making the pure mortals or physical bricks better able to deal with the problems.

But yeah, combat against supernatural baddies is where wizards shine.  But a drawn out fight is good too.  They only have 4 or 5 spells before they start taking consequences to power spells.  Lots of mooks spread out to absorb some of those spells can exhaust them.  Your were-bear can keep going strong through a whole fight.

Edit:  limit thaumaturgy.  That can get crazy powerful if you let complexities get too high.

[Sanctaphrax]

The biggest thing is to not houserule in their favour. There's a common mental quirk that leads people to cut magic more slack than everything else. Don't let yourself fall victim to it. This is especially important for thaumaturgy; using it almost always involves a lot of GM discretion, and an overly-permissive GM can easily make it overpowered.

Also, don't let people make mental attacks with evocation.

In combat, wizards tend to be fragile unless they're specialised in crafting. Just hitting them can go a long way.

[whitelaughter]

In combat, wizards tend to be fragile unless they're specialised in crafting.

Interesting exception. Why are crafters tougher?

[Taran]

I’ll post a crafter from a game I GMd and you’ll see.  Need to get to a computer

[Taran]

double post:  Here is the crafter.  He paired it up with sponsored magic but you don't need to.  Really, all you need is Thaumaturgy and lots of refinement.  Taking evocation or channeling nets you a few more enchanted item slots.

He has 10 shift evocations, skill replacements, blocks and maneuvers which are useable 5 times/ session.  He has a weapon 9 sword that is useable 5 times per session that he can give to the party's weapon master.

The bonus to this is that, as a crafter, your only important skill is Lore, so you can put up other important skills like alertness and athletics so they don't get hit as much.  Also, the 10-shift blocks make them immune to most attacks.   And any useful emergency skill you need can be bottled in an item.  Are you about to be surprised?  Use your 10 shift alertness replacement item.

This is only a submerged character at 10 refresh.

[Mr. Death]

Wizards can also be highly dependent on their stuff. For instance, maybe set up a situation where they have to be in formalwear, so their Armor:4 leather jacket and the foci boosting their magic to insane levels has to stay at home when the ghouls attack.

Also, under normal circumstances, a wizard has four (maybe five) evocations they can cast in a fight, since each casting takes up a stress box. Simply giving them a lot to shoot at will make them burn through this pretty quickly.

By comparison, swinging a sword or shooting a gun is free.

Pitting them directly against mortals with a compel is a great way to keep them from just blasting everything right from the start.

Alternately, give them a caster of equal or greater strength to contend with -- while the wizard is busy dueling his counterpart, the others can shine taking on the rest of the enemy party.

Alternately, give them an opponent that's immune to magic. It might sound like a cheap trick, but if Jim can do it to Harry all the time, so can you.

[CaptianRowin]

Great ideas thanks!

[Taran]

Alternately, give them a caster of equal or greater strength to contend with -- while the wizard is busy dueling his counterpart, the others can shine taking on the rest of the enemy party.

Alternately, give them an opponent that's immune to magic. It might sound like a cheap trick, but if Jim can do it to Harry all the time, so can you.

Out of curiosity, how do you deal with the 'I have a Weapon 8 "THROW OBJECT" Rote!  I use telekinesis to throw cars at the enemy - cars aren't magic!'

This seems to be the default for Wizard PCs to get around magic immune monsters.

[Mr. Death]

Out of curiosity, how do you deal with the 'I have a Weapon 8 "THROW OBJECT" Rote!  I use telekinesis to throw cars at the enemy - cars aren't magic!'

This seems to be the default for Wizard PCs to get around magic immune monsters.

I allowed it, because:

A: By the time they've figured out the monster is immune, they've already used up at least one spell and probably taken a pretty solid hit from that monster;
B: The monsters who were immune to magic (like ogres, grendelkin and one Black Court Elder who had done her homework on the PCs) also tended to have some other toughness power, so that Weapon:8 tree they get hit with is still unlikely to be a one-hit-kill.
C: It's creative property damage and if they're actually making use of their environment, that should be rewarded with success.

Tailoring your antagonists to your PCs is a good idea, too -- one of the PC wizards had the aspect "Terrifying Reputation," which is why that Black Court Elder didn't come to the city without making herself immune to magic.

Said PC wizard also had a tendency toward fire magic, so when there were assassination attempts on all the PCs, the villains sent a fireproof dragon at her.

The other PC wizard at the time was blind and only saw auras -- so a mortal gunman was able to get in close and land a few gunshots on her before she knew what was up.

Or, slap them in thorned manacles. I did that to one wizard PC in the first scenario and tossed her and the mortal cop into a boss fight against an ogre and a wizard. The still-bound wizard PC was able to get the villainous wizard in a stranglehold and all but incapacitate him with the manacles.

There are tons of ways to neutralize a PC wizard while still letting them participate, so long as you're willing to shell out some fate points and compels.

[CaptianRowin]

When throwing enemies that are direct counters to PCs remember to also have encounters that said PC can mow down, That balance keeps players engaged and not feeling like your out to get them.

[Cadd]

I allowed it, because:

A: By the time they've figured out the monster is immune, they've already used up at least one spell and probably taken a pretty solid hit from that monster;
B: The monsters who were immune to magic (like ogres, grendelkin and one Black Court Elder who had done her homework on the PCs) also tended to have some other toughness power, so that Weapon:8 tree they get hit with is still unlikely to be a one-hit-kill.
C: It's creative property damage and if they're actually making use of their environment, that should be rewarded with success.

Not to mention:
D : It's supported in the source material. It's the flip side of "If Jim can do it to Harry, so can you" - it is after all how Harry often handles immune/resistant foes.

[potestas]

I wonder if there is a way to balance GMs who think balance is an issue.(balance and video games have totally corrupted pen and paper) And always its we need to balance wizards not the melee. This game is about wizards not the add ons. If you have a player who wants to play a wolf make sure they understand there taking a secondary support role. Create situation where the secondary support roles shine. If you play the game as a role play game and not a video game it should not be all combat. Balance is in the role play not in the who does more DPS that a lousy video game.

I am so sick of balance Nazis

[Taran]

I love wizards in a support role with zone wide allied blocks, guaranteed maneuvers and shareable magic items. 

The game is all about wizards only if the GM and players want to play it that way.  I find lots of interesting stuff comes out of the Fairy Courts which has nothing to do with wizards.

I do agree that it shouldn’t be played as a video game.   I had a young player search a place and I told him he found a shovel (among other things).  He asked me what kind of shovel it was.  Wooden shovel? Stone shovel? Steel shovel??

[Mr. Death]

Agreed, the series is not just about how wizards are awesome.

I mean, wizards are awesome, but that doesn't mean that everyone else is in a "secondary support role."