The Dresden Files > DFRPG
Questions about non-wizardly powers
traeki:
I've seen lots of cool discussion thus far about Evocation and Thaumaturgy, but I'm a lot less clear on how other powers work in the new cost framework. Here are a couple of specific questions:
1) I think I've seen various references to enhanced strength (or toughness, etc) that have different associated adjectives and costs (Inhuman -2, Supernatural -4, though those might just be different development versions of the powers). I'm curious what those powers do for you, and what kind of reasoning goes into costing them.
2) To what extent are powers that could be instantiated as magic, but aren't nearly as broad, covered, and how are they costed? That is, suppose I have the ability to mold stone with my bare hands as some kind of gargoyle, or command swarms of insects and spread plague, but not just "do anything". I'm curious if the game provides sort of a "mutant power" feel alongside the "freeform magic" feel, and if so how it's costed. Perhaps the power would work like the equivalent evocation, but you get major restrictions on scope, and bonuses to power level, at a given refresh cost? It seems like it'd be nice to have maybe simpler but potent powers that don't pressure you into skill choices the way magic does, I guess... Anyway, I'm curious to know what direction you took such things, if any.
3) Can you talk a bit about the costing intuition behind non-negative costed powers? +0 powers I think are pretty straightforward -- that's something that alters the character mechanically, but not in a way that is advantageous or disadvantageous on average. But I have a little more trouble wrapping my head around straight up flaws -- how do you decide how many fate points a player would need to receive to justify a flaw? Why allow it over an aspect that gives the player fate points exactly as often as it inhibits them?
Thanks!
(I am blind with excitement about this game.)
-John
Bosh:
I don't know enough to answer most of what you say, but a few things:
A. "Mortal" stunts cost you -1 refresh. These are small mechanical bonuses that normal people can have, such as Dresden's listening ability in which he focuses on something and hears better, which isn't really magical.
B. I THINK that with the exception of Soulgaze and Wizard's Constitution all Stunts cost at least one refresh. However, these ones are still beneficial, at least mildly. It's hard to tell from context, but it seems that these might be freebie stunts.
C. I don't think there are any Stunts that give you positive refresh. Any weaknesses (I think) are written up as part of a powerful stunts (like a Fae stunt giving you a weakness to iron) or aren't a stunt at all but are an aspect instead.
traeki:
Hi, Bosh,
A) Yeah, that seems to be the general transition from SotC's "Fate 3.0" to the DFRPG version -- power costs refresh. I was asking about superhuman levels of strength and toughness, not just pulpy resilience. =)
B) These probably aren't the only ones. A playtest stat-up of Elaine I saw had "Blood Drinker +0", for example. Of course that's an older instantiation of the rules, but I'd be surprised if all other +0 stunts have been removed.
C) That same write up of Elaine mentioned at least one positive refresh "stunt", as did several others located there (I'd post a link, but I've lost track of where that page was -- one of the bleeding or burning alpha playtests). Again, that's hardly authoritative regarding the current state of the rules, but I daresay it makes _sense_ to have +0 or higher costs, I just was looking for information about the thought process behind _costing_ them.
Cheers,
-John
traeki:
Ah, here it is:
http://www.rickneal.ca/?page_id=66
There are others on the character links from various blog posts (including other examples of non-negative stunts): http://www.rickneal.ca/?tag=dresden
Bosh:
Ah yes, I see what you're talking about. Hmmmmm, that might've been changed by now, dunno...
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