ParanetOnline
The Dresden Files => DFRPG => Topic started by: Ghsdkgb on September 03, 2013, 03:25:28 AM
-
Okay, so Jim and Rick are fighting or running from a demon thing. Jim is a wizard and Rick a mortal cop. Rick wants to call for backup, and I think Jim's magic should maybe short out the radio.
Do I give the Compel to Jim, for having the Aspect of "Wizard" to Compel? Or do I give the Compel to Rick, since it's his radio being shorted out and his backup that's potentially not coming?
For the sake of example, let's say the monster is gunning directly for Rick, so Jim isn't actually in harm's way except to help out his friend.
-
I'd say Rick should get the FP. After all, he'd get an FP if a scene Aspect was being Compelled against him.
-
Yeah, whoever is getting negatively impacted by the compel gets the fate point. I believe the rulebook outright says in a situation like that, treat it as if the aspect was on the cop's sheet.
-
You could look at it as if you would compel Rick's temporary "I'm with
stupid wizard" aspect.
Or, since the backup would be beneficial for both characters, give them both a fate point, since they are both going to suffer.
-
You could go one step farther with Sancta's idea:
Have an aspect "Wizard on scene" pop up and use it to compel Rick to have his radio fail.
As for deciding who is going to get the compel in the first place,
wording of the compel could help you decide, for example:
Hey Rick, you know you've got your buddy the Wizard with you, and you know what that means for radio calls... radio hex... sometimes you just wanna punch him in the nose, he'd better pull his weight this time... *offer compel to Rick*
Well Jim, as things get frantic your Buddy rick is trying to call in some backup, and in just that moment you can't control your emotions very well... radio hex... boy is Rick gonna be pissed, you had better go and help him... *offer compel to Jim*
If your group is ok with it you could compel them both, with the condition that they could only buy it off if they both pay. then both would get an FP if the radio gets hexed.
Actually you might wanna give both of them an FP in any case, since they both suffer from the effects. That would probably help to smooth any ruffled feathers if one of them feels cheated *g*
Edit: now this post somehow feels redundant... :-P
-
I'm gonna go with both. It makes things complicated for the wizard in his interaction with the cop. That sort of "Keeping the Mortal World Ignorant" aspect is a pretty heavy theme in Dresden. It's a fairly important conflict between Harry and Murph in Fool Moon, et al. So yeah, compel the wizard to do it on purpose, compel the cop to accept it for now in some fashion, or compel the cop to react to it, as in "I owe you a punch in the mouth." Lots of room there for inter-group tension, which is where the best RP'ing can come from if your players are cool enough to roll with it, without taking it personally, or refusing to keep it in-game constructive (you do run the risk of "No I get the final cool move!" escalation). But even that can be fun with the right gang.
-
The only problem I have with Compelling them both for the same thing, is what if one of them wants to accept it but the other wants to buy it off?
I'm liking the idea of treating Jim as a Scene Aspect for the purpose of the Compel, personally.
-
You can look for a way to exclude the character from the fight. Maybe he reached the door and got out, his buddy didn't. Which at the same time means that he is going to miss all the fun.
Another way you could go is escalate the situation. Sure, you could get out, but then your "best buddy Rick" is going to have to fight the bad guys alone. Just compel an additional aspect and make the situation worse.
-
Do any of their current aspects relate (or could relate?) to each other?