I'd model it as a Conviction roll, allowing you to use your highest Power Specialization to add to it. For each successful roll, you get to keep that many shifts. For example, Harry, who's Conviction is Fantastic and has a +2 Specialization in Fire, which brings him up to Legendary. He rolls Conviction at Legendary for let's say 5 exchanges, and gets a +8, +8, +7, +10, and +11, for a total of 44 shifts. Once he gets inside the Sign, this is all he's got for spellcasting.
I prefer the simpler, less potentially broken, use of Discipline and Conviction maneuvers to stack up some navel-gazing Aspects. Works perfectly well both thematically and mechanically.
It's not broken. Those are the total amount of shifts you get to bring with you PERIOD for all of your spells in the Sign.
It's not broken. Those are the total amount of shifts you get to bring with you PERIOD for all of your spells in the Sign.
No, because that's the exact same thing as the RAW. I'd say that they would have to make the control roll, but wouldn't have to take extra mental stress.I disagree, in that case they would only take 5 stress. (The example given he wants the appellate in question to use a 10 shift evocation, 5 drawn, 5 conviction)
I'd model it as a Conviction roll, allowing you to use your highest Power Specialization to add to it. For each successful roll, you get to keep that many shifts. For example, Harry, who's Conviction is Fantastic and has a +2 Specialization in Fire, which brings him up to Legendary. He rolls Conviction at Legendary for let's say 5 exchanges, and gets a +8, +8, +7, +10, and +11, for a total of 44 shifts. Once he gets inside the Sign, this is all he's got for spellcasting.
However, what about points drawn under normal conditions? Say a practitioner spends an exchange drawing power before entering the fray. The draw five shifts of power and have a Conviction of Five. They want to strike with their normal Conviction and the five shifts of power they drew previously. Are we saying that said practitioner must take 6 stresses?
I would rule that it wouldn't cause mental stress unless you exceeded your "safe" limit, where it would cost more than one normally. I think the mental stress is supposed to be the drawing of power, and this invalidates that.
And i'm really tempted to do a Power Points/Vancian Casting custom power based on those rules. you roll Conviction X number of times at the beginning of the scene, and that's how many shifts you get for spellcasting.
I've yet to see any compelling argument as to why something already within the rules (ie. navel-gazing maneuvers) is insufficient to this task.
And i'm really tempted to do a Power Points/Vancian Casting custom power based on those rules. you roll Conviction X number of times at the beginning of the scene, and that's how many shifts you get for spellcasting.
On that same line of thinking, where do you draw the line for the number of naval-gazing maneuvers one can do before a big fight?
Actually, that's a good way to do it. You make them roll right before the scene in which they're going to be casting. Whatever shifts don't get used at the end of the scene go away.I would raise the difficulty of the roll for every declairation. Representing it getting more and more difficult to hold the power drawn, and not allow further attempts after the first failed roll.
Because people like custom powers?
Edit:
I'm in the scene aspect/compel boat on this one, but...
Here's a question:
To reiterate sanctaphrax's comment: what prevents you from calling up 100shifts.
On that same line of thinking, where do you draw the line for the number of naval-gazing maneuvers one can do before a big fight?
Without having its own track, I think that would be reasonable though I would lean towards physical stress instead of mental stress. You're filled to bursting...in a literal sense.
EDIT:
Example of a storage track
Power Reserves Track
Practitioners are capable of drawing power in and storing it for later use. The Power Reserves Track represents this ability in-game: a practitioner may draw in and store a number of shifts equal to their Conviction safely and without consequence. Any more shifts and they must take a physical consequence equal to the number of excess shifts stored. These shifts of power are subject to the standard rules governing Evocation and Thaumaturgy.
Also that the player is throwing a different aspect on themselves every time they roll. It becomes very very easy to compel them multiple times. Like say losing control of some or all of that power at the worst possible moment. It would cost them a lot of fate points to buy out of it if they went overboard on the aspects.
my own issue with using maneuvers to represent this is that a wizard can, in theory, draw in as much extra power as he wants as long as its available. They CAN draw those extra shifts, but if they didn't want to use them they should be able to hold on to them somehow. I wouldn't want to add a roll to a practitioner character on something they can clearly do already.
Unless the maneuver is to HOLD the shifts...?