The Dresden Files > DFRPG
Being a bane for technology
Wanderer:
--- Quote from: Taran on June 03, 2017, 06:02:02 PM ---Double post. If you want to be "game-y", you can do this: separate your powers between two item. One big obvious one with 1 refresh worth of powers: golden lasso that has incite effect: physical blocks.
Then Take bracers (which can be hidden under a jacket) and load them up with powers: Speed, toughness etc...
Since you only get the rebate once regardless of how many items you have, you get the +2 rebate for the lasso. If you lose the lasso, you only lose 1 refresh worth of powers.
--- End quote ---
Someone seems to have their imagination affected by recent viewing of a certain movie ;)
Since I find character optimization an interesting and rewarding intellectual exercise, I do not mind reasonable amounts of gamey-ness in myself and other players. ;D Worthwhile trick in general, although not so useful for characters that are already built at maximum affordable refresh (you gain one refresh's worth of powers, but you have to raise the power level anyway). Lasso might be a bit too camp for any other character but a clone of WW, but I suppose it could be replaced by a chain whip or somesuch.
Taran:
--- Quote ---Worthwhile trick in general, although not so useful for characters that are already built at maximum affordable refresh (you gain one refresh's worth of powers, but you have to raise the power level anyway).
--- End quote ---
Not really, as long as you stick a powers you already planned to buy (or bought) into the iop.
Wanderer:
--- Quote from: Taran on June 04, 2017, 02:06:08 AM ---Not really, as long as you stick a powers you already planned to buy (or bought) into the iop.
--- End quote ---
Speaking in general, of course you are quite right. As it concerns my current character, however, I'm not sure about a -1 Refresh power that I'd wish to give him, fits the concept, and makes sense to embue in a chain whip or the like. Possible options might be Claws or Wings. Alternatively, Incite Emotion, with Fear, Lust, or Despair.
About the latter option, however, if and when I buy this power for a character, in all likelihood it shall have a higher refresh cost, since I prefer it to have the Additional Emotion and Lasting Emotion upgrades. The more 'dark' emotions available (lust, fear, wrath, pain/despair) the better, for combat uses, mental manipulation options, and feeding flexibility if a WCV character. Someday after the changeling wizard concept is done to exhaustion perhaps I'd like trying my hand at the WCV sorcerer one, too.
Taran:
When I was talking about bracers and lassos, I wasn't specifically talking about your character concept, I was just making a generic example. But, let's take your character from the other thread
--- Quote ---Evocation (-3)
Human Guise (+0)
Inhuman Recovery (-2)
Inhuman Toughness (-2)
The Catch (cold iron, trappings of Summer, and holy stuff) (+3)
Refinement (Evocation - element x2, Evocation – specialty x3) (-5)
Sponsored Magic (Hellfire) (-2)
Unseelie Magic (-2)
Thaumaturgy (-3)
The Sight (-1)
Item of Power (Pendant of Might) (+1), affecting the following:
Inhuman Speed (-2)
Inhuman Strength (-2)
--- End quote ---
I'm going to assume you have a good enough justification to shuffle your powers slightly. What I present here is just an example.
Stick The Sight into a pair of crazy, magical 'True Sight' goggles or a helm. Goggles might not work because you can take them off and stow them but a helmet might be harder to carry around. (+2 rebate)
You have 5 points of powers as IoP and a +2 rebate. If you don't have any more powers you'd like to buy, you now have an extra FP to throw around every time you refresh.
But the Sight sounds more like it fits your 'I'm a full Wizard' package. It might make more sense to put one of your sponsored magics into an obvious item. Like gauntlets of Winter. Winter gloves that have spikes in them. They give you sponsored magic and the GM might be nice and say they are weapon 1 using fists. Or Casting Winter attack spells in the same zone can be flavoured as punching the target with magically infused gauntlets instead of firing spells(which you could still do, of course). Ooooh, or freezing people with a touch (block against movement). Anyways, It's not like you can't cast spells if you don't have them.. You just lose some of the Winter flavour.
I'm not trying to convince you one way or another...just giving an example.
Wanderer:
Hmm, your idea is not without merit but over time I've grown so accustomed to the notion of my characters' powers being internalized or at least imbued in easy-to-carry, hard-to-lose items that to tie them to something as bulky as an helmet just feels awkward and innatural. However if gauntlets look appropriate for +2 Refresh, they might fall just within the bounds of what I deem acceptable. I suppose the character may carry them tucked in or tied to his belt, or in a backpack with the rest of his ritual tools, when he does not use them. Rather than the Sight or Sponsored Magic, such an item seems fitting to have Claws, Inhuman Speed, and Inhuman Strength enchanted in it. I suppose I might call it Gauntlet of Might.
I don't regard the character being deemed a full wizard that much important. It is only necessary he has Evocation, Thaumaturgy, Sponsored Magic, Toughness powers, enough Refinement to have all elements, and wizardly longevity (which he gets anyway with Inhuman Recovery). He certainly does not care about the White Council and their opinion of him. So being a changeling sorcerer does suffice, and indeed the lowest power-level builds give him that template. But with enough Refresh, having the Sight, some extra Refinement for more generalist bonuses to Evocation, and the above physical abilities sure feels nice to round up the character's power set and make him look and feel close to complete. In comparison, I would not give Soulgaze the time of day, even at free cost. At this point, only Wings, True Shapeshifting, and Swift Transition would remain on my to-buy list.
By the way, besides my own preferences, I realized having a serious problem with tech may encourage characters like mine with an hyperactive Murphyonic field to adopt a semi-nomadic lifestyle. They may draw only so much benefit from mundane equipment and wealth: almost all the items they may use w/o wrecking them by being close are freely available at Average expenses or lower. So unless they have a special interest in owning an especially fancy living space or high-quality library or laboratory facilities (my character doesn't), they may well embrace the rootless lifestyle. So I think Harry living in a rented apartment does make sense, although w/o his perpetual poverty problem, he could perhaps afford a better lifestyle.
As it concerns my character, he may rent apartments or a room in hotels or even live on the road, buy time or trade favors to train in dojos, and carry the vast majority of his ritual tools and personal stuff in a backpack or two. He probably got accustomed not to rely too much on having a library or sanctum. Much like martial-arts training, he likely trades favors with allies and contacts when he has need of such arcane resources (it seems it takes some serious wealth and effort anyway to build high-quality libraries and sanctum facilities), and otherwise he carries the vast majority of his occult lore memorized in his head, or perhaps he makes use of summoned and bound spirits of knowledge. I assume the vast majority of his expenses come from renting, traveling (assuming he does not use the Nevernever, which he probably does to some extent), training, occult research, and ritual materials. Being lecherous/hedonist, in all likelihood he also spends some significant time and money looking for casual sex and partying.
Navigation
[0] Message Index
[#] Next page
[*] Previous page
Go to full version