Author Topic: Taking yourself out  (Read 12520 times)

Offline sinker

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Re: Taking yourself out
« Reply #75 on: September 26, 2011, 08:39:57 PM »
The question is what is permanent by nature to almost anything that isn't pure mortal? Recovery or even wizard's constitution (or a similar long lifespan sort of thing) ensures that nothing physical is permanent, and any other type of harm is too nebulous to really call permanent unless you assign a duration.

Offline The Mighty Buzzard

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Re: Taking yourself out
« Reply #76 on: September 26, 2011, 09:28:01 PM »
The question is what is permanent by nature to almost anything that isn't pure mortal? Recovery or even wizard's constitution (or a similar long lifespan sort of thing) ensures that nothing physical is permanent, and any other type of harm is too nebulous to really call permanent unless you assign a duration.

Basically anything that takes them out or sets up circumstances that cause them to be taken out indirectly.

It's good to remember too that breaking the laws isn't a worry if you're using a DC.  Death, necromancy, transformation, chronomancy, psychomancy, and futzing around with the outer gates are all on the table if the caster is up for it.
Violence is like duct tape.  If it doesn't solve the problem, you didn't use enough.

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Offline Becq

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Re: Taking yourself out
« Reply #77 on: September 27, 2011, 09:17:12 PM »
Can you take more than one consequence to mitigate a single attack?  If so, you're correct (assuming he chooses to take more than one - I tend to limit NPC consequences).  But assassination is still possible...just takes more set up.
Yes, you can:
"Multiple consequences can be “stacked” at a time, combining their rating for the purposes of absorbing an attack. So instead of taking a severe consequence to cancel 6 stress, a player might take a mild (2 stress) and a moderate (4 stress) which would add up to cancel 6 stress."  (YS204)

Quote
About ten maneuvers and declarations.  :)  Doable for an assassin planning a hit.
The major limitation to me is "must fit the situation".  Time alone will limit declarations between the instant of injury and blacking out.  I'd probably disallow any declarations based on preparation simply because of the short time casting is accomplished in.
Just one possible scenario (just counting up shifts, assuming the attack had no trouble hitting to begin with):
The attacker is a ghoul assassin sent after the victim by a warlock, and has Fists 4 (4 shifts), Supernatural Strength (+4 shifts), and uses his claws (+2 shifts).  The Warlock provided him with a potion that grants him Lightning-fast Reflexes (+2 shifts), and enspelled his claws to Seek the heart of the foe (+2 shifts).  The ghoul is also Hopped up on steroids taken just moments ago (+2 shifts).

It's a ambush/surprise attack, so the defender gets no defense (-0 shifts), and the victim is unarmored (-0 shifts).  The ghoul has placed Got the hit all planned out on himself (+2 shifts) and Caught flat-footed on the victim (+2 shifts).  The ghoul invokes two aspects, Mercenary Ghoul Assassin and I kill for fun and profit! (for another +4 shifts).

That's a (net) 24 shift attack, which doesn't (in my opinion) rely on gimmicks like performing ten aiming maneuvers just before the attack; substituting and preparation in terms of a fairly small assortment of fairly accessible magical charms and a couple of non-magical ones (ie, steroids).  Unless the wizard has an Endurance of 5, he's going to be taken out even with an average roll.
« Last Edit: September 27, 2011, 11:31:22 PM by Becq »

Offline The Mighty Buzzard

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Re: Taking yourself out
« Reply #78 on: September 27, 2011, 09:27:19 PM »
Some of those tags/invocations I'd argue with but the overall point is valid.
Violence is like duct tape.  If it doesn't solve the problem, you didn't use enough.

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Offline Sanctaphrax

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Re: Taking yourself out
« Reply #79 on: September 28, 2011, 04:29:56 AM »
Ah, so it is possible.

It just requires:

5 refresh worth of powers
1 attack skill at Great
1 potion
1 thaumaturgical ritual
2 Fate Points
2 appropriate character aspects
3 aspects worth of preparation
1 successful ambush

and

an unarmoured victim without unusual durability or Enchanted Item defenses

and

an average or better roll-off result.

Plus a bit more stuff, since 24 shifts is below the bare minimum of 26 that I calculated.

Easy peasy.

PS: I don't think steroids work that fast. Maybe replace them with something else?
« Last Edit: September 28, 2011, 04:33:49 AM by Sanctaphrax »