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Messages - Jreafman

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DFRPG / Re: Were-Bear? (There Bear)
« on: July 28, 2014, 08:05:59 PM »
Doesn't that kind of encompass every kind of physical attack?

So did the toughness only apply to magic, then?

I'd think mortal fire/acid as well. Which would mean that all of a sudden Smokey the Bear didn't care about forest fires.... There's something just wrong about that.

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DFRPG / Re: Were-Bear? (There Bear)
« on: July 28, 2014, 04:43:03 PM »
Someone in one of the campaigns I'm in went with "The Catch is massive damage (attacks done with Weapon:3 or greater can bypass this toughness)." Which seemed perfect, since, well, it's a bear, and for real bears you tend to have to go with massive damage just to get through the thick layers of fur and fat, not to mention their naturally thick hide.

Especially for animals and animal forms with only inhuman levels of toughness, I don't think the catch is always necessary. The additional mass and different physique just makes you tougher, it's not a magical shield.

And please, give him an aspect like "I have the right to bear arms". :P

This made me smile before even my first cup of coffee, well done sir.

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DFRPG / Re: Pickpocketing rote?
« on: July 26, 2014, 02:47:51 AM »
Maybe a stunt that lets you use discipline to pick-pockets.

I had the same thought.

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DFRPG / Re: Sample Combat Summary
« on: July 26, 2014, 02:46:57 AM »
Looks good! Looks like a fun little mini scene!

Only thing I'd point out is
Because she didn't use it, her Tag on Ghoul #1's Moderate Consequence is lost.

While YS says that most tags have to be used almost immediately, I'd say that something like a Big Hole In Chest wouldn't be transitory enough for it to make a difference if that tag didn't get used right away. I'd have let that tag hang around for a while.

Otherwise, looks like happy good funtime! :D

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One thing needs to be said: That quote you picked happens well after the point where we're all saying the the break happened. Even though Jreafman clearly said where to find it (Chapter 39), you grabbed a quote from a whole chapter after that.

The part we're actually talking about:
Harry spends the entire rest of that chapter pointedly not fighting for his life. He has time for a quiet moment with Marcone where he convinces him to help him get the other Raiths out.

Mr. Death... You're my Hero. :P I was on my way out the door and didn't have time to look it up again and type out the relevant bits, thanks for grabbing that for me. :)

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There is no discontinuity in temporality - the entire encounter is continuous, without pauses, breaks, or interruptions, and the entities involved have to stay on their toes the entire time.

If there were a single real example of a break, I'd let it suffice for a rest.  Say, something along the lines of that scene from The Phantom Menace where rotating force walls temporarily keep the combatants apart, and the bad guy paces while the good guy gets some meditation in.  That would count.  There was absolutely nothing like that.  Everyone is constantly in danger until they escape the killing field.


Actually, as I attempted to point out earlier, there's actually several pages in chapter 39 where it's basically White Court vs Ghouls during which Harry and Marcone talk, Thomas refuses to leave without Justine, Harry has to make the decision to try to get everyone out, convince Marcone that saving people is more important than saving his own hide.... and no one is taking shots at Harry. They're busy with other things... there's time enough for Harry to catch his breath, collect his thoughts, that sort of thing.

In this case, the White Court is your Force Walls.

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DFRPG / Re: Warden's sword question
« on: July 23, 2014, 03:00:40 PM »
The second part of your question, about the refresh, is an easy one. IoPs have a refresh refund since there are certain disadvantages to IoPs, like that they can be lost, or taken away, and you have to worry about concealing them, etcetc. In the case of the warden sword the refresh breaks down like this....

[-0] Specific Wielder. A Warden Sword is only magical in the hands of the Warden it was made for.
[-0] Unbreakable. As an Item of Power, this item cannot be broken except with a magical ritual that opposes its nature.
[-1] It Is What It Is. It's a supernaturally sharp sword. Weapon 5 for the rightful bearer, weapon 3 for other people.
[-2] Might Over Magic. A Warden Sword can cut magical spells the way a laser cuts butter.
[+2] One-Time Discount. A full-sized sword is tricky to conceal at best.

So you've got -3 refresh worth of powers, and then +2 refunded for the One-Time Discount, total of -1 for the sword.

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DFRPG / Re: On Angel(s) and Devil(s)
« on: July 22, 2014, 07:33:13 AM »

Jreafman: I like your ideas. As for the towers - my basic idea is that they are creating a powerful pattern with Prague's Orloj as a centre point. This pattern, when complete and active, allows time manipulation. Click and click. And you are giving me more ideas. In Ďáblice there is an astronomical observatory (a tower!). Just next to Ďáblice is Kobylisy with a target range where the Nazis executed their prisoners. North of Ďáblice is Panenské Břežany, the seat of Reinhard Heydrich (click) during WWII and just south of Ďáblice Heydrich was mortally wounded and died in a nearby hospital (click). Both Anděl and Ďáblice have metro stations. I'm thinking about such a situation: there is a fallen angel in Prague. Not a Denarian, more like some of the characters from the film Wings of Desire (click). And there is a she-devil, his counterpart, too. Both beings are fallen, crippled, not able to return back from where they had once come. Maybe they crippled each other during a fight a long time ago. They still have some power but can't use it on their own. Only mortals can tap into that for a brief time. Maybe both are just semi-conscious, lying underground, mentally aware of each other. Maybe they have come to terms with each other somehow, because of their state and unability to change that. Maybe they are playing some mental game of wits, using the city as their chessboard, manipulating both mortals and supernaturals into being their pawns...

I like what you've got going there. The timepiece tower, using actual architectural stuff from the area, I like your idea of the two immortals, and I really love that idea with Wings of Desire. I could see them being trapped beneath the surface... touching the thoughts of people.. like you said... turning the city into one big chessboard. Darkness feeding darkness, light feeding light... Oh yeah.

Also, you mentioned the execution grounds. A lot of ghosts, a lot of spirits, a lot of angry restless spirits. A trapped devil longing for escape. Angry spirits and a trapped devil, these things go together in ways that make Harry weep.

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So.. I am one of those people who highly believes in research and fact checking for everything. That being said...

White Night (hardback) pages 339 through 342 (chapter 39). It's kind of a grey area. See, the fight is still going on all around Dresden and his little group, at the beginning of the chapter you even see Murphy doing stuff. Harry, on the other hand, just opens the way to the NeverNever, then talks to Marcone a bit. Did he have time to curl up and take a nap? No. Grab himself a coke and some crackers? No. Stop and catch his breath while the White Court did the heavy lifting for a minute? Absolutely. If I were GMing a battle this intense, I'd totally take that few minutes where they stopped and planned as a scene break, clear stress tracks, and let them go back to work since, during that time, the ghouls were focused on the vamps. No one was actively attacking Harry and several members of his group. They were standing around talking.

Now, this doesn't actually clear up the question... does the houserule as the OP stated it out sound good? To me, not really. Personally... I actually REALLY like the way it happened in White Night.

I'd rather put a minor scene break into a major fight like that, a quick few moments where they can gather their thoughts, catch their breath, and move on. But that's just the way I'd handle it.

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DFRPG / Re: the laws of magic
« on: July 21, 2014, 01:22:40 AM »
As far as the Third and Sixth Laws go, it's important to look at the wording. 

For the Third Law, the verb is invade.  Pretty big negative connotations right there, it implies breaking in, violating it, etc.  It also shows why some mental magic is allowed, or how one can give a person permission to go on in. 

For the Sixth Law, if I remember the wording, it's something along the lines of 'not swim against the currents of time'.  Peeking your head up and catching a glimpse is one thing, actively trying to travel through time is another.  It would also explain why folks with talents for prophecy (such as Cassandra's Tears) aren't hunted down for it.

I'd agree here, and point out that you're dealing with Wizards. Wizards who have had to work out contracts with Faeries. Wording and "the letter of the law" are paramount.

As far as the mucking that the original Merlin did...
(click to show/hide)

On a more practical note about the 6th law, I think it's a law they would enforce because they want to keep the universe from having to enforce it. After all, no one really knows what happens if you travel back in time to kill your own grandfather. The universe might decide to divide by zero, and kablooey. No one wants the universe to start enforcing those kinds of laws.

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DFRPG / Re: On Angel(s) and Devil(s)
« on: July 21, 2014, 12:42:36 AM »
Okay, you wanted brain storming, and I have a mindless job that allows me to think about anything other than what I'm doing. My apologies if some of these ideas are a little long.

First, the one that ties in most with what you're already doing with your campaign.

You've got the spires, they're part of a magical pattern. Flavor text here, Flavor text there. You've got Ďáblice, a road that runs from that area towards the center of the city, also what looked like a Ďáblice park (though I might have misread that). Then, on the opposite side of the city you've got Anděl. I couldn't help but think that at some point in the city's past someone had tried to use those spires, the magical pattern, the latent energy of the area, and their own ill-will to make something bad happen. I'm not sure what you've got planned for the spires in your campaign, but when I was looking at what was there I kept thinking this is just the kind of scenario where someone could have, once upon a time, tried to use those spires to work some serious bad ritual. So the White Council stepped in. It was one of those times when the council didn't sit on it's hands, but took action. A dozen or so really strong wizards went forth with their own ritual. The scenario in my head was that Ďáblice was already a place of dark power. Maybe a minor wellspring of magical energy, but with a taint on it. It would give folks working dark magic a slight boost to their power. The Council wizards who set out to counter-ritual what was happening chose a place where their own workings would be unaffected by what was happening at Ďáblice, and where they could still impact the spires. In the end, the wizards had to call up enough power that they burned themselves out completely. They put their entire lifeforce into their ritual, and died there. The magic they called up, and the energy they put forth, and their own sacrifice left an indelible impression on the place. Anděl was born, a mirror image of Ďáblice. A minor wellspring of positive magic.
(Note: For the above scenario, the warlock(s) performing the ritual would have had to have been far enough along that simply stepping in and shutting them down wasn't an option, would have simply made everything go boom, blahblah, too much fall out, which is why the White Council had to send some heavy hitters to counter ritual, instead of sending wardens to just go kill the warlock -- Also... it leaves an open question, what happened to the warlock(s) involved? Did they die? Did they live? Where are they now? Did they have students?)

The next thought was ... a pair of touch stones... places where the walls between the worlds were a bit thin... where it would be easier to make contact/summon/see things from above and below.

I also wondered about the underground in Prague. My understanding is that it is, or was, extensive (though I should point out the little I know is from what I can remember from 20 years ago in school, and the little I found in a few minutes of searching before going to work). Which makes me wonder what's buried down there. What if the city, once in it's long ago history had a guardian... and a conqueror (or at least attempted conqueror). Both magical beings of one type or another, both incredibly powerful. Both now locked away under the underground. Stories have been passed down, local legends, and so the names have stuck. For a twist, they could each be hidden away under where you would expect the other one (the guardian under Ďáblice and vice-versa).

Again with the Prague underground - What if there are things living down there? Not trapped, but making a home for themselves. The good things on one side of the river, the not so good things on the other side of the river.

What if... somewhere around those two areas are things that are supposed to work in conjunction with the spires? Something Dark and something Light, to bring balance to the ritual with the spires?

What if... I go make some dinner.

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DFRPG / Re: Assessments & Declarations using Resources
« on: July 17, 2014, 09:57:49 PM »
I think the tone of your game and the genre make a huge difference (as with all thing Fate) -- it's the context of the game, the PCs, situations, and their aspects.

The PC Bruce Wayne can make a lot of out-of-left-field Declarations with his Resources that the PC Harry Dresden might not even consider.

I think that would be part of his aspects too... "I've got a gadget for that..." :P

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DFRPG / Re: New GM Questions
« on: July 16, 2014, 02:58:16 AM »
I think it's for one stay only, though it's rather vague. The laws of hospitality work both ways though, so I would argue that once someone officially leaves in the spirit of hospitality, the invitation is void. By spirit of hospitality, I mean that the visit is over, they didn't just leave the house. So just stepping out once wouldn't end the invitation, but saying goodbye and leaving would.

I think Haru nailed it. If you invite Harry over for a BBQ in the backyard, and you invited him in the house, then went out back to grill, and he decided to head back into the house and grab a couple more beers, you wouldn't have to reinvite him each time you guys finished a beer. That would get tedious (unless you guys just drink really slow) :P On the other hand, once the BBQ is over and he leaves, he can't just walk back in anytime he wants.

I'm trying really hard to remember if in White Night he got invited in to the same Ordo Lebes member's residence multiple times. Like... if they specified him looking for an invitation more than once. I really wanna say the answer is yes.

I'm also thinking about the number of times that Harry has been inside the Raith Household. I'd have to go through and reread the books to be certain, but I feel very strongly that in Turn Coat he made certain to receive an invitation even though he'd been previously invited. Which would mean that we have a definitive answer on that one.

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DFRPG / Re: Fans of the show Leverage? How would you stat Elliot?
« on: July 16, 2014, 02:50:24 AM »
There are many places in the series where he identifies a threat by some small detail.  He also often takes the initiative in fights.  So I've given him a bunch of Alertness.  And he should probably have an aspect "It's a very distinctive ...".  I see his trouble as more of a Past he Can't Wash Clean.  Although I do think he should definitely have "I Don't Like Guns".

Great: Fists, Alertness
Good: Athletics, Endurance
Fair: Deceit, Might
Average: Contacts, Scholarship

I don't think his fighting style really goes with the stunt Too Fast To Hit.  He should probably have Tough Stuff (Armor: 1 vs. Blunt).  Maybe add in the Footwork stunt to make sure his defense stays high.  I don't remember too many times in the show where he saw through lies or forgeries, so I think he could do without Takes One to Know One and Forgery Expert.  Armed Arts would only be appropriate if he could choose improvised weapon with it.  Although frankly, I think the Leverage world uses a set of game rules where Fists and Weaponry are the same skill, and using a weapon just gives your opponent a -1 to block unless they are armed.  So when enemies use weapons, Elliot picks up a mop or something and defends until he can disarm them, then drops the mop and beats them up with his fists.

I like the footwork idea, probably better than the Too Fast To Hit. Although it would have to be tied to fists instead of weaponry. I REALLY loved the idea of improvised weapons. I kind of immediately thought of Armed Arts and him with a knife, but I was kind of grasping at straws for what the second weapon should be. Improvised is the BEST fit. That's just an awesome idea, and I feel kinda silly for not thinking of it myself. I used the "I've seen that before..." aspect for multiple things; such as his "It's a very distinctive style/sound/uniform" line, as well as recognizing certain cons, and other stuff that has cropped up in his life.

So far, I love everyone's feedback. It's neat to take a character like this and see where exactly you can go with him at Feet In The Water.

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DFRPG / Re: Fans of the show Leverage? How would you stat Elliot?
« on: July 15, 2014, 04:20:14 PM »
Ooohhhh! I definitely like those stunts!

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