The Dresden Files > DFRPG

How would you handle differences between elements?

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Dan from Chicago:

So it's definitely possible to get similar results using different elements. In the books, different elements have been used to create blocks:

Harry's spirit shield
Carlos's water/entropy shield
Elaine's Air Hyperawareness

Where would you rule that you can't use an element to create a result? Obviously fire wouldn't be used to pull something to you, whereas you could use air or spirit you pull it to you pretty easily, and earth has some potential(using a wave of earth, or maybe a tree).

Would you say it's more difficult to use one element rather than another to get some effects? Would that translate into additional shifts of difficulty?

I'm trying to get an idea of how the thematic differences of the elements would translate into mechanical game differences. I feel as though they shouldn't be perfect substitutes

Steed:
Earth is also focused on gravity and electromagnetism, so you could use a magnetic force to pull something metal to you, or some kind of gravity effect for the same result.  Probably quicker and more subtle than the wave of earth.

Nomad:
You can use one "element" to create the effects of another like Harry's little freezer trick. You can't pull with fire, sure but you can create a blastwave to push it to you. For Rube Goldberg machine maneuvers like entropy "skating" something by placing an entropic shield under it, I would impose a penalty ranging from 0 to 2 shifts depending on the amount of extra stuff. For some extra ordinary things like calling water by earthcrafting alone, I might even go for 1 shift penalty for each step required.

luminos:
For the way the rules are written, the main difference between the elements is how you can justify being able to do things.  You won't necessarily run into very large mechanical differences, the main difficulty involved is how to justify the use of an element to do something, but no differences in difficulties if you succeed at that step.

I had something in the works for a complete rewrite of how the elements would work, which would create very definite mechanical differences between them, but I stopped bothering with it.  Maybe I'll fiddle a bit more on the front.

Dan from Chicago:

--- Quote from: Nomad on July 26, 2010, 07:44:15 PM ---You can use one "element" to create the effects of another like Harry's little freezer trick. You can't pull with fire, sure but you can create a blastwave to push it to you. For Rube Goldberg machine maneuvers like entropy "skating" something by placing an entropic shield under it, I would impose a penalty ranging from 0 to 2 shifts depending on the amount of extra stuff. For some extra ordinary things like calling water by earthcrafting alone, I might even go for 1 shift penalty for each step required.

--- End quote ---

This seems like a good approach. Sure it's possible to use fire to create a backdraft to pull an item towards you, however that should be way way way harder an application of fire than using air to achieve the same effect would be.

Maybe Epic difficulty vs Fair difficulty :)

If not than there's much less reason to spend the refresh to diversify.

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