The Dresden Files > DFRPG

Biff's Many Questions

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Biff Dyskolos:
I want to be clear on a few points:

1) The Crafting(Frequency) specialization/bonus is dead. Crafting(Strength) is king. Long live the king.

2) Just like an evocation, a item with Block:4 can be used as Armour:2. Unlike the evocation, both Block and Armour both burn a use.

3) About stacking. I could enchant a Block:6 effect on a Armour:2 Kevlar jacket and if threated with a Weapon:2 attack I could choose to not invoke a use and let the jacket take the hit. If threatened by a stronger attack I could then invoke a use for the Block:6 or Armour:3 effect. When all uses have been burned it fails to jut Armour:2 until recharged.

Biff Dyskolos:
Let's set items aside a moment and consider evocations. My safest option is to cast a Rote because I never risk taking more than 1 mental stress. If I use a non rote evocation I take additional stress for calling extra power and risk backlash/fallout if I botch the roll. So the best case scenario is I can launch a MAXIMUM of 4 Rotes (assuming Good or better Discipline and 4 mental stress boxes)  without taking mental consequences.

If I cast a fifth rote I have to take a mild consequence to mitigate the stress. It might be better at this point to cast a 2 stress evocation (risking backlash/fallout). Assuming no extra mild mental consequences, my next evocation causes a moderate consequence.... all the up to my ninth evocation which will take me out.

That is a maximum of nine evocation per scene. I can't imagine expecting any soldier to fight a war with only nine bullets in his gun!

If you want to have a campaign that focuses on the war with the Red Court, wizards are seriously handicapped. I hoped that enchanted items would level the field and at the same time realized that always-on is bad for weapons but I'm not sure this new system has struck the right balance.

iago:

--- Quote from: biff_dyskolos on April 13, 2010, 08:18:55 PM ---Let's set items aside a moment and consider evocations. My safest option is to cast a Rote because I never risk taking more than 1 mental stress.

--- End quote ---

You can base a rote off of a higher amount of power than you can normally summon based on your Conviction, thereby creating a rote that means you take more than 1 mental stress. FYI.

iago:

--- Quote from: biff_dyskolos on April 13, 2010, 08:18:55 PM ---That is a maximum of nine evocation per scene. I can't imagine expecting any soldier to fight a war with only nine bullets in his gun!

--- End quote ---

It's not a war, it's a battle; it's not a bullet or a gun, it's a howitzer (Harry fried a room full of Red Courters with one spell); and if you end up tapping into Sponsored Magic, as Harry does down the line, then you're looking at a case where sponsors can pay for some of the costs in exchange for debt.

LCDarkwood:

--- Quote from: biff_dyskolos on April 13, 2010, 08:16:55 PM ---1) The Crafting(Frequency) specialization/bonus is dead. Crafting(Strength) is king. Long live the king.
--- End quote ---

Incorrect. Frequency spec affects the default for your items, so it applies its benefit for free across all of them, like the strength spec does. So if you have three one-use items, now you have three two-use items for one spec point.

That doesn't suck. Yeah, it's not as effective if you only plan to have one item, but if that's the case, you're clearly going to take strength anyway.


--- Quote ---2) Just like an evocation, a item with Block:4 can be used as Armour:2. Unlike the evocation, both Block and Armour both burn a use.
--- End quote ---

Yeah, but in the case where the wizard changes his mind on a use because of how the dice roll out, I figure only a real jerk would charge him for two uses.


--- Quote ---3) About stacking. I could enchant a Block:6 effect on a Armour:2 Kevlar jacket and if threated with a Weapon:2 attack I could choose to not invoke a use and let the jacket take the hit. If threatened by a stronger attack I could then invoke a use for the Block:6 or Armour:3 effect. When all uses have been burned it fails to jut Armour:2 until recharged.
--- End quote ---

That sounds right, yeah.

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