The Dresden Files > DFRPG
Why are powers so much stronger than stunts?
nadia.skylark:
--- Quote ---I have to disagree with Sanctaphrax here. Like he said, that's an additional 12 stress they can take; that brings the total stress a character can take in a single go up to 32 just on consequences alone (34 if they have a 5 in Endurance, 36 if they tack on No Pain, No Gain); that's up to 36 (38,40) with stress boxes, 41 (43,45) with an apex dodging skill, and 45 (47,49!) with a high roll.
So for two refresh, you've got someone -- with no other magical defenses -- who can fairly easily survive things like the Heart Exploding spell, which is statted out to explicitly be an inescapable one-hit-kill.
"Getting hit a lot and getting back up" is more for things like John McLane, who's taking bullets and punches a bunch (2-3 shift hits), which he recovers from once he gets away and can catch his breath.
It's not for John McLane going down in a fiery helicopter crash and bursting into flames and getting up and walking away.
Effectively adding 12 stress boxes, far more than the protection you get from a 6-refresh power like Mythic Toughness? And without a catch? No way I'd allow that for a measly 2 refresh, if I allowed that at all.
--- End quote ---
Could you provide alternate suggestions, then?
Mr. Death:
--- Quote from: nadia.skylark on May 24, 2019, 03:07:15 PM ---Could you provide alternate suggestions, then?
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High Endurance and No Pain, No Gain get you two additional Mild Consequences for three total; if she's a wizard, give her an enchanted item with an armor rating.
There's also the "powers as spells" idea, or you could justify upgrading the wizard longevity power to Inhuman Recovery with a suitable catch/limitation (like maybe she needs post-battle meditation/spellwork to kick it into gear).
Potions that give her temporary Inhuman Toughness (maybe with a crash afterward, if the extra stress boxes are filled when it wears off).
Honest question: Have you played DFRPG yet, or often? Or is this mainly fanfic research?
nadia.skylark:
--- Quote ---Honest question: Have you played DFRPG yet, or often? Or is this mainly fanfic research?
--- End quote ---
No, I've never played. I haven't been able to find anyone near me to play with, and I'm not sure about playing online, because when I can post is pretty erratic. But I think the system's interesting, and also I really need something to remind me that, no, I can't have that phoenix give my character access to its magic right now, she just got two other power-ups.
Mr. Death:
--- Quote from: nadia.skylark on May 24, 2019, 04:12:11 PM ---No, I've never played. I haven't been able to find anyone near me to play with, and I'm not sure about playing online, because when I can post is pretty erratic. But I think the system's interesting, and also I really need something to remind me that, no, I can't have that phoenix give my character access to its magic right now, she just got two other power-ups.
--- End quote ---
OK, I think that clarifies things a bit.
It may not be immediately clear from the rules or from checking this forum, but in practice, Dresden RPG is a system of small numbers -- it's a system where a +2 can be a huge difference, and Armor:1 reducing every hit can really add up.
I've been running the game off and on for the last 9 years, and the kind of huge attacks and long, drawn-out battles that would make the kinds of stunts and powers you're looking for necessary almost never happen. Most fights are exchanges of 3- and 4-shift hits back and forth, with maybe only one or two consequences taken before one side or the other decides that taking a Moderate or Severe isn't worth it, and either concedes or is taken out.
So a typical fight for Harry that has him getting knocked around? Might fill his stress boxes, but probably only the bloody nose and black eye are the actual consequences. Then he takes a breather and he's more or less fresh for the next round.
So an extra mild consequence might not seem like much, but it's a much bigger advantage than you might think just by looking at the rules in a vacuum. Having a sharply-limited number of consequences, and having those consequences stick around, raises the stakes of any combat and forces the players and characters to consider things besides just wailing away until someone drops.
It's also a system where the low numbers mean everyone has at least a chance. You don't get to be "untouchable" until you're a Plot Device level character like Mab or The Merlin.
Can someone with a 1 in Weapons beat someone with a 5 in the same skill? It's extremely unlikely, but, just like in real life, that guy with the 1 can get in a lucky roll (say he gets four +'s, and his opponent gets two -'s -- that makes it a 5 shift hit in his favor, just enough to win a fight with a lucky shot) or nudge it with fate points to give himself a fighting chance. That's what keeps things interesting, in my opinion.
nadia.skylark:
--- Quote ---OK, I think that clarifies things a bit.
It may not be immediately clear from the rules or from checking this forum, but in practice, Dresden RPG is a system of small numbers -- it's a system where a +2 can be a huge difference, and Armor:1 reducing every hit can really add up.
I've been running the game off and on for the last 9 years, and the kind of huge attacks and long, drawn-out battles that would make the kinds of stunts and powers you're looking for almost never happen. Most fights are exchanges of 3- and 4-shift hits back and forth, with maybe only one or two consequences taken before one side or the other decides that taking a Moderate or Severe isn't worth it, and either concedes or is taken out.
So a typical fight for Harry that has him getting knocked around? Might fill his stress boxes, but probably only the bloody nose and black eye are the actual consequences. Then he takes a breather and he's more or less fresh for the next round.
So an extra mild consequence might not seem like much, but it's a much bigger advantage than you might think just by looking at the rules in a vacuum. Having a sharply-limited number of consequences, and having those consequences stick around, raises the stakes of any combat and forces the players and characters to consider things besides just wailing away until someone drops.
It's also a system where the low numbers mean everyone has at least a chance. You don't get to be "untouchable" until you're a Plot Device level character like Mab or The Merlin.
Can someone with a 1 in Weapons beat someone with a 5 in the same skill? It's extremely unlikely, but, just like in real life, that guy with the 1 can get in a lucky roll (say he gets four +'s, and his opponent gets two -'s -- that makes it a 5 shift hit in his favor, just enough to win a fight with a lucky shot) or nudge it with fate points to give himself a fighting chance. That's what keeps things interesting, in my opinion.
--- End quote ---
Thanks!
So, if you're trying to stat out a character that starts out as an apprentice wizard and progresses to Kemmler-level badass, how would you go about that without inflating the numbers too much?
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