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The Dresden Files => DFRPG => Topic started by: Lavecki121 on February 27, 2013, 10:42:44 PM
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Mostly what does this apply to and how is it used:
Alternatively, a crafting specialization may
be applied to increase the limit on how many
bonuses may be placed on a single focus item (a
focus specialization)
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I believe the bonuses are limited by your Lore score and this crafting specialization allows you to increase that limit.
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If you spend a Refinement on 2 Focus Specializations, the cap on how many Focus slots you can have on one Focus Item, which is usually capped by your Lore, is increased by 2.
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Ahh. Ok thats cool. I actually didnt know that they did get capped that way. Good to know.
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Some people also interpret that section to affect the number of slots that can be allocated to an item of a given size, in addition to affecting the Lore cap.
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While i've got you on the proverbial line, Tedronai, would you consider GMing the game that I just started? We have six players, most of whom have already nailed down characters and a couple of ideas for the setting. The Character Creation thread is in the PbP boards under "The Semi-Divine Comedy".
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I...do not make for a good GM. It is simply a position not suited to my talents.
I am always willing to provide rules interpretations and advice, and have had some small success 'co-gming' alongside more narratively-talented individuals, though.
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BLUH BLUH
HUGE WITCH
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....Now FIGHT!"
...yeah, that's pretty much the extent of my skills, there.
But I can RUN that fight decently well, once it starts. That's something, right? (/self-delusion)
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Would you be willing to run a Character efficiency test involving a town full of loup-garou?
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I'm not entirely sure what you mean by 'character efficiency test', but if it is what I think it is (comparing the relative 'efficiency' of differing characters by pitting them against a set of challenges and gauging their results), then I would question the validity of the test. Different characters have different strengths, and so a test meant to measure them must involve varied challenges. "A town full of loup-garou" is likely to present only a very limited selection of challenges, the greatest of which is likely to be binary in its result: either the character is hypothetically capable of defeating a loup-garou in a physical confrontation, or they are not, with which side a character lands on is likely to depend almost entirely on whether or not the character is capable of bringing to bear an exceedingly specific Catch.
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Or using mental powers. Or avoiding the combat. But at heart, I agree. It's an interesting hypothetical, but actually playing it out seems relatively pointless.
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Eh. Belial666 did a list of "efficiency" tests that spanned basically every type of combat and several situations, mirroring Harry's misadventures.
And I meant the characters as a group, not individuals.
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Or using mental powers.
By the descriptions in the novels, they are supposed to be virtually immune to direct mental influence while changed. If that's not represented in their OW writeup, then that is a failing of the statblock, not a weakness of the creature.
Or avoiding the combat.
Which only suffices if the measure of the test is actually seperate from the combat itself (ie. the test measures ability to achieve a goal that the loup garou will attempt to physically oppose). If the test IS the combat, then avoiding the combat voids the test rather than overcoming it.
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By the descriptions in the novels, they are supposed to be virtually immune to direct mental influence while changed. If that's not represented in their OW writeup, then that is a failing of the statblock, not a weakness of the creature.
I'm not remembering that at all, actually. Still, maybe you're right. It's not like Harry had any ability to access mental influence at that point, so it would've been a single throwaway line...
EDIT: Looking through my copy of Fool Moon, the only line in reference to this is "They're immune to poison and to any kind of sorcery that goes for their brain." That's...awfully thin to base a complete immunity to mental powers of all sorts on.
Which only suffices if the measure of the test is actually seperate from the combat itself (ie. the test measures ability to achieve a goal that the loup garou will attempt to physically oppose). If the test IS the combat, then avoiding the combat voids the test rather than overcoming it.
True. Tough if the goal is 'kill the Loup Garou' avoiding the fight and coming back in the morning is a perfectly viable tactic...if potentially one with some collateral damage.
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EDIT: Looking through my copy of Fool Moon, the only line in reference to this is "They're immune to poison and to any kind of sorcery that goes for their brain." That's...awfully thin to base a complete immunity to mental powers of all sorts on.
It's not a lot to go on, but it is enough to include in some fashion, and there's enough context and other information that we can make some reasonable assumptions as to the details. (also note that I did not suggest 'complete immunity to mental powers of all sorts'; what Bob conveys is actually more potent, if, strictly read, more narrow than my suggestion)
For instance, that particular resistance is mentioned seperately from the Loup Garou's general resistance to physical injury, so we can reasonable assume that it is, in fact, seperate; that it does not merely refer to spears of force putting holes through the creature's skull as a means of dealing with it, but rather refers to mental magic.
Moreover, Harry's interactions with the Alpha's shed some light on how we should likely inerpret the term 'sorcery' in this context. Specifically, that would be 'incredibly broadly'.
These are assumptions, but I view them as relatively safe in the absence of further information to the contrary.
In all, there are likely certain rare 'mental powers' to which such creatures should be vulnerable, as well as certain applications of a wider range of powers that should skirt the edges of their resistance, but for the vast majority of cases, the classic mental whammy should fall wholly flat when pitted against the likes of a Loup Garou.
True. Tough if the goal is 'kill the Loup Garou' avoiding the fight and coming back in the morning is a perfectly viable tactic...if potentially one with some collateral damage.
If that's the sole goal and sole contributor to the assessment of success, then 'coming back in the morning' isn't really even necessary. Just take a few hours or days and drop a satellite on the general vicinity while they're in their human form. Or hire some mortal thugs to pop off a few magazines into the guy while he's sitting on the john.
I'm sure there's a nice celestial event sometime in the next month or two that would make one of those 'cosmic vending machine' rituals available that would suffice to do the job if we've already established that we're not on a schedule, and that there are no (relevant) consequences for delays.
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It's not a lot to go on, but it is enough to include in some fashion, and there's enough context and other information that we can make some reasonable assumptions as to the details. (also note that I did not suggest 'complete immunity to mental powers of all sorts'; what Bob conveys is actually more potent, if, strictly read, more narrow than my suggestion)
For instance, that particular resistance is mentioned seperately from the Loup Garou's general resistance to physical injury, so we can reasonable assume that it is, in fact, seperate; that it does not merely refer to spears of force putting holes through the creature's skull as a means of dealing with it, but rather refers to mental magic.
Moreover, Harry's interactions with the Alpha's shed some light on how we should likely inerpret the term 'sorcery' in this context. Specifically, that would be 'incredibly broadly'.
These are assumptions, but I view them as relatively safe in the absence of further information to the contrary.
Like I said, I'm not saying you're wrong necessarily, just that it seems a stretch.
In all, there are likely certain rare 'mental powers' to which such creatures should be vulnerable, as well as certain applications of a wider range of powers that should skirt the edges of their resistance, but for the vast majority of cases, the classic mental whammy should fall wholly flat when pitted against the likes of a Loup Garou.
I'm sorry, but the most common mental power we have (Incite Emotion) is both radically different from most direct magical mind control and exactly the kind of thing that should potentially work on a Loup Garou thematically...so saying that only 'really rare' powers work on it seems profoundly wrong.
If that's the sole goal and sole contributor to the assessment of success, then 'coming back in the morning' isn't really even necessary. Just take a few hours or days and drop a satellite on the general vicinity while they're in their human form. Or hire some mortal thugs to pop off a few magazines into the guy while he's sitting on the john.
Assuming they have high Resources or Thaumaturgy and no fear of Lawbreaker, I guess. Just killing him personally is easier for 90%+ of characters, though.
I'm sure there's a nice celestial event sometime in the next month or two that would make one of those 'cosmic vending machine' rituals available that would suffice to do the job if we've already established that we're not on a schedule, and that there are no (relevant) consequences for delays.
Assuming you happen to have access to one, which is an even bigger assumption than having Thaumaturgy or a lot of money.