The Dresden Files > DFRPG
Some Thaumaturgical Questions
Korwin:
Reading the example now.
--- Quote ---The target dies instantly as his heart explodes from his chest, assuming that a 32-stress attack does the trick—an extreme, severe, moderate, and mild consequence for a total of 20 shifts, plus 10 shifts to fill up a strong physical stress track (4+3+2+1) plus two more shifts for good measure to ensure a “taken out” result.
--- End quote ---
In this example its only a strong opposed skill (so no extra mild consequences), but why are 10 shifts needed to fill up the physical stress boxes?
(And Endurance isnt really calculated in...)
--- Quote ---Sells needed to do some significant preparation to cast this.
--- End quote ---
At the moment (unless I miss something) the rules dont support this.
If Victor takes his time. Only one shift per exchange... OK strike that Victor Sells only has Diciple Fair +2. For him faster is safer...
Korwin:
--- Quote from: Korwin on April 15, 2010, 01:39:55 PM ---Reading the example now.
In this example its only a strong opposed skill (so no extra mild consequences), but why are 10 shifts needed to fill up the physical stress boxes?
(And Endurance isnt really calculated in...)
--- End quote ---
I get it now, why Endurance isnt calculated in, its because the difficulty of the Endurance check is allready off the charts...
But why all physical stress boxes need to be filled is still a great question mark for me.
The Ritual need only inflict one more stress than stress boxes are there (consequences are allready accounted for).
The only reason I can imagine at the moment, would be: for flavor, to simulate the brutality of the spell...
iago:
Best possible defense roll + Maximum stress track length (4) + mild consequence (2) + moderate consequence (4) + severe consequence (6) + 1 is usually a good yardstick for figuring out how hard it would be to kill someone outright.
Rel Fexive:
--- Quote from: Korwin on April 15, 2010, 10:51:47 AM ---You brought up Victor Sells, did he research his spell new after each casting?
--- End quote ---
I think the main thing about this is not to think of it all as "research" (as in "research the spell to use") but to phrase it as "preparation". If his Lore isn't high enough to just do the spell there and then (because he doesn't fully grasp the underlying principles required, or some such) then he has to check some texts, practice the 'moves' necessary to cast it and get all his ritual components in place before he starts. When he does it again he still hasn't got the proper know-how to just get on with it even though he's done it before so he has to check he's got it all correct again before he starts. If he'd been able to try it a few more times who knows, maybe he'd have gotten clued in to those principles (i.e. increased his Lore) and not had to refer to his notes to make someone go pop. I mean, he only got two or three full-on goes with it (that we know of) before he met his end.
It's like anything - if you don't really know how to do something properly you check the manual or textbook to make sure you get it right, and you keep checking it until you've got it down pat. This goes double for big powerful killing magic which can fry you if you get it wrong.
iago:
--- Quote from: Rel Fexive on April 15, 2010, 10:25:55 PM ---It's like anything - if you don't really know how to do something properly you check the manual or textbook to make sure you get it right, and you keep checking it until you've got it down pat. This goes double for big powerful killing magic which can fry you if you get it wrong.
--- End quote ---
Airline pilots who've flown thousands of hours still have to go through the preflight checklist every time.
Some tasks just need that kind of preparation, and the time you don't do it could prove fatal.
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