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« on: February 07, 2011, 10:36:21 PM »
My main arguement is it seems for the most part, you can get a decent amount more out of Specialization than you can out of Focus Items... But I'll try to go in as much depth as I can to see what I'm talking about first...
First, a notable fact!
The writers/stat block wizards of Our World Complete, almost always put plenty of points in specialization, and normally only the initial Focus Items on nearly all the caster write ups in the entire book!
Specialization + Focus Items
disadvantages
1. restricted by refresh
2. capped by lore
Specialization
advantages
1. point for point, usually a more potent usage of your refresh, by x2! IE, it takes two Focus Item slots (ex, Staff, +1 Spirit Offensive Control, +1 Spirit Defensive Control) to equal a single point in specialization (ex, +1 Spirit Control = the above example)
2. the advantages given by specialization cannot be taken away by any means, bar the inability to cast magic in the first place
disadvantages
1. must follow the stair steping model, ie, overtime, in order to gain a more powerful bonus in your prefered casting method, you must first round yourself out in others, making later purchases a more expensive
2. per rules, once you choose a specialization, it cannot be changed. EXCEPTION, as with all rules in the game, would be ST approval
Focus Items
advantages
1. does NOT follow the stair step model, so you could have a focus item completly devoted to a single form of magic, unlike a specialization
2. a rather large amount of flexibility, both in how you may have weak and powerful items, or trade in a focus item for an enchanted item slot, but also
3. how at the end of a significant milestone, you can move around bonuses, realign enchanted items, or flat out change them to however you feel you want them
disadvantages
1. again, point for point, usually a LESS potent usage of your refresh, by half! IE, it takes two Focus Item slots (ex, Staff, +1 Spirit Offensive Control, +1 Spirit Defensive Control) to equal a single point of specialization (ex, +1 Spirit Control = the above example)
2. if your item is taken away from you, lost, forgotten at home, or Destoryed! then you miss out on the entirety of its advantage, despite the refresh you have devouted into it. Also, if the item is detroyed then
3. Destroyed! you must wait until a Significant Milestone in order to realigne, IE remake your Focus Item before you may use its bonus again. That could mean that a great expenditure of Refresh is unusable for an entire story arc!
Now, while none of these advantages or disadvantages offer a trully perfect way of attempting to balance them out, and thus making any attempts to do so affected by ones own values and weights, I know full well these examples could get shot down, or flat out flamed to hell and back. I understand this, and present that I do not offer the following as stated truth, but merely as an opinion while welcoming all others. Also, if you can provide any other advantages vs disadvantages, I would be welcome to hear them
First, I'm going to attempt to equal things out as best I can.
Specializations
In reality, this "powerful" advantage of being unable to be removed is only strong when compared to the dissadvantage of the possible loss that a Focus Item can suffer. It falls along the lines of the fact, that most powers or stunts really can't ever be taken away. But along those same lines, the disadvantage of being unable to change your chosen specializations is the same as any other power.
Overal, I think we've pretty much taken away all advantage 1, and disadvantage 1, by apparent process of self elimination.
Focus Items
The only attempting balance I can see here, is taking into account the massive amount of flexibility that a Focus Item or Enchanted Item can give. But you also have to take into account, that all though there may be a good amount of flexibility, you can only take advantage of that at certain intervales, at least once every 3 or so game sessions, maybe? Not only that, but flexibility also dosn't nessicarily lead to overal strength.. Taken that into account, the ability to actually LOSE access to your refresh, due to lose, forgeting it at home, having to leave it at the door, or flat out having it Destoryed! doesn't really seem to balance anything out.. Focus items in my mind at least, still come out a little behind, but this particular match may be decided differently according to another judge..
Overal, I think we've compared the closest balancing factors, but still come out with an uneven match.. But for arguments sake, I'll say that the overal flexibility manages to compare and eliminate the possibility of a great loss in power if your not careful. This leave advantage 1, and dissadvantage 1 still in the running.
Specializations vs Focus Items
In all honesty, I believe that the Focus Items not following the Stair Stepping method was an attempt to keep them in the same power level as Specializations.
By that same token, I think the reason that Stair Stepping was inforced in Specializations, was to keep the power balanced in both the system, and closer to what a Focus Item can do.
By all the reasoning in my point of view, I still see the blaring issue of the initial reasoning of my post... Why does it take two Focus Item slots to equal 1 Specialization? It takes an entire refresh to equal the effort of half a refresh's work. Why?
Maybe a possible House Rule idea would be to add 1 more Focus Item slot, totaling to 3 Focus Items?
Discussion now open
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