The Dresden Files > DFRPG

Keeping the game balanced

<< < (2/4) > >>

Taran:
double post:  Here is the crafter.  He paired it up with sponsored magic but you don't need to.  Really, all you need is Thaumaturgy and lots of refinement.  Taking evocation or channeling nets you a few more enchanted item slots.

He has 10 shift evocations, skill replacements, blocks and maneuvers which are useable 5 times/ session.  He has a weapon 9 sword that is useable 5 times per session that he can give to the party's weapon master.

The bonus to this is that, as a crafter, your only important skill is Lore, so you can put up other important skills like alertness and athletics so they don't get hit as much.  Also, the 10-shift blocks make them immune to most attacks.   And any useful emergency skill you need can be bottled in an item.  Are you about to be surprised?  Use your 10 shift alertness replacement item.

This is only a submerged character at 10 refresh.

Mr. Death:
Wizards can also be highly dependent on their stuff. For instance, maybe set up a situation where they have to be in formalwear, so their Armor:4 leather jacket and the foci boosting their magic to insane levels has to stay at home when the ghouls attack.

Also, under normal circumstances, a wizard has four (maybe five) evocations they can cast in a fight, since each casting takes up a stress box. Simply giving them a lot to shoot at will make them burn through this pretty quickly.

By comparison, swinging a sword or shooting a gun is free.

Pitting them directly against mortals with a compel is a great way to keep them from just blasting everything right from the start.

Alternately, give them a caster of equal or greater strength to contend with -- while the wizard is busy dueling his counterpart, the others can shine taking on the rest of the enemy party.

Alternately, give them an opponent that's immune to magic. It might sound like a cheap trick, but if Jim can do it to Harry all the time, so can you.

CaptianRowin:
Great ideas thanks!

Taran:

--- Quote from: Mr. Death ---Alternately, give them a caster of equal or greater strength to contend with -- while the wizard is busy dueling his counterpart, the others can shine taking on the rest of the enemy party.

Alternately, give them an opponent that's immune to magic. It might sound like a cheap trick, but if Jim can do it to Harry all the time, so can you.
--- End quote ---

Out of curiosity, how do you deal with the 'I have a Weapon 8 "THROW OBJECT" Rote!  I use telekinesis to throw cars at the enemy - cars aren't magic!'

This seems to be the default for Wizard PCs to get around magic immune monsters.

Mr. Death:

--- Quote from: Taran on February 05, 2018, 02:56:42 PM ---Out of curiosity, how do you deal with the 'I have a Weapon 8 "THROW OBJECT" Rote!  I use telekinesis to throw cars at the enemy - cars aren't magic!'

This seems to be the default for Wizard PCs to get around magic immune monsters.

--- End quote ---
I allowed it, because:

A: By the time they've figured out the monster is immune, they've already used up at least one spell and probably taken a pretty solid hit from that monster;
B: The monsters who were immune to magic (like ogres, grendelkin and one Black Court Elder who had done her homework on the PCs) also tended to have some other toughness power, so that Weapon:8 tree they get hit with is still unlikely to be a one-hit-kill.
C: It's creative property damage and if they're actually making use of their environment, that should be rewarded with success.

Tailoring your antagonists to your PCs is a good idea, too -- one of the PC wizards had the aspect "Terrifying Reputation," which is why that Black Court Elder didn't come to the city without making herself immune to magic.

Said PC wizard also had a tendency toward fire magic, so when there were assassination attempts on all the PCs, the villains sent a fireproof dragon at her.

The other PC wizard at the time was blind and only saw auras -- so a mortal gunman was able to get in close and land a few gunshots on her before she knew what was up.

Or, slap them in thorned manacles. I did that to one wizard PC in the first scenario and tossed her and the mortal cop into a boss fight against an ogre and a wizard. The still-bound wizard PC was able to get the villainous wizard in a stranglehold and all but incapacitate him with the manacles.

There are tons of ways to neutralize a PC wizard while still letting them participate, so long as you're willing to shell out some fate points and compels.

Navigation

[0] Message Index

[#] Next page

[*] Previous page