That's not how it works, no. If it is in the middle of a conflict, he could only use evocation, anyway, so if he doesn't have evothaum, skill replacement is out of the question.
Not totally true!
I allow social enchanted items.
But they follow the same rules as combat items: maneuver/block/attack.
So I'd allow a Rapport 6 social attack. It's a 1-shot item that uses charges. It only works for 1 attack (not a whole scene).
If he wants to defend, he has to make a Rapport Block item. (which is a separate item than the attack item)
I slot items like that into the "divination" category. You get a glimpse of what kind of counter-argument to make, or an instantaneous spark of inspiration.
I don't allow attack items with a weapon value, even though you can do that with physical combat items. So they are all 'skill replacement' and have a weapon value of 0. This is specifically because Divination is Thaumaturgy and thaum attacks don't have a weapon value.
Would you ever allow social enchanted items with a Weapon rating if someone could make a good argument that it works via a principle other than divination? Like for example waving around an enchanted badge that makes your words have more impact because it has the weight of lawful authority behind it?
My player would like me to point out that he does have evothaum, but I still don't think you can simply cast a spell to make Skill = X. This would seem to defeat the purpose for taking any skills other than Conviction, Discipline, and Lore. Anyone disagree?
If your player continues to try being a power gaming weasel, feel free to mention that you are the GM and therefore he is subject to your whims. If he doesn't like it, he can GTFO.Whoah, what's with the name calling?
The main reason I am hesitant for this kind of skill replacement (or even social social items) is that it allows the already ridiculously versatile magic users to step into the limelight even more. There is no way a Pure Mortal completely devoted to social combat can compete with a wizard with even just a few focus items if this kind of skill replacement is allowed.Remember that the wizard is dedicating a lot of his wizardry resources to this, so he is specializing just as much as the pure mortal is. And then there's always the fact that he's using magic, so if he is trying to use it on a sidhe, for example, it's just not going to have any effect, and the pure mortal charmer is going to have a much better time dealing with them.
Whoah, what's with the name calling?
He's not trying to permanently replace it, but I get the impression he expects the +6 rapport to last for multiple exchanges.
The main reason I am hesitant for this kind of skill replacement (or even social social items) is that it allows the already ridiculously versatile magic users to step into the limelight even more. There is no way a Pure Mortal completely devoted to social combat can compete with a wizard with even just a few focus items if this kind of skill replacement is allowed.
@Haru:I'm talking about taking a skill replacement for a scene, which feels like a temporary power to me, so I modeled it like that. To achieve a single goal, I'd do a normal ritual.
I don't think taking yourself out is necessary. Although, it might depend on the spell. IMO, that might just be adding shift/complexity for no reason. Harry doesn't take himself out to do his tracking spell and a tracking spell is just a survival/investigation skill replacement spell.
Solve Improbable or Impossible problems... first you need to address what the problem is. I don't see this as "I'm socially incapable, so I want to boost my social skills" I see it as "I want to manipulate this guy into agreeing with me." The goal isn't to raise you skill so you can do what you want with it, the goal is to accomplish X by temporarily increasing/replacing your effective skill.
The Duration and Enhanced Evocation section on 265/266 says that thaumaturgic spells that inflict consequences or temporary aspects on living targets don't have a base duration of "until sunrise." They don't have an intrinsic duration, they happen and they are done. The effect they caused might last just like a normal consequence or temporary aspect.
On one hand, you could put extra shifts into duration to manage the multi exchange skill replacement.
Hmm, I just thought of a way to replace a skill, at least for a little while. It's definitely a ritual though, so it'll take some time.
First, we want to slap on a power, so we need to take ourselves out: 5 shfits.
We want the skill to be at a value of 6, so let's put 6 shifts into the spell for.
Next, we need an ingredient that fits the skill. In the case of Rapport, maybe hair of a siren or a succubus would work nicely. We'll use the free tag on the aspect to power the temporary power.
So that would make it an 11 shift ritual, and you'd need parts of something that would boost your rapport. As a temporary power, we'll take "mimic ability", and use the 1 mimic point for a 6 shift rapport skill.
If you want to do this more often, just purchase the mimic ability power and call it "magical abilities". Treat the skills you use that way as magically enhanced, so they might not work all the time and may be prone to compels or working in weird ways.
I wouldn't recommend using Mimic Abilities as a precedent. But the idea of treating it a bit like a temporary Power seems sound to me. I'd probably charge 1 FP for every 2 skill points.I like mimic ability, but I can see where YMMV. 1 FP for every 2 skill points feels a bit expensive.
In retrospect, I probably shouldn't have said that. I didn't think it was super insulting because Jim has called himself that on multiple occasions.As an elder used to tell me, "it is fine that Jesus did it, but you ain't Jesus, boy".
On one hand, you could put extra shifts into duration to manage the multi exchange skill replacement. On the other, you have a point about wizards already being ridiculously versatile.
Nope. A standard skill replacement ritual replaces a roll, it doesn't actually increase a skill.May I know how you are getting this? My impression is that you can have effectively higher Scholarship for the whole duration.
For example, you could call up a demon that tells you the boiling point of mercury instead of making a Scholarship roll. But adding duration to the spell won't let you have an effectively-higher Scholarship for the whole duration. (You could create a bunch of DEMONIC KNOWLEDGE Aspects though.)
I like mimic ability, but I can see where YMMV. 1 FP for every 2 skill points feels a bit expensive.
I think as long as the player is following the rules, he cast the spell, uses extra shifts for duration, it is fine. If he is using it in a fluid situation, even if it is social "combat", he needs to use Evocation or Evothaum to do it and take stress for it.