I wrote this up for my group to illustrate how the various systems work after they expressed some confusion after their first session. Thought it might be useful for others. Apologies for anything I got wrong or that's unclear.It's a very common house rule to allow caster to create 'reactive' evocation blocks (i.e. generating an evocation block instead of trying to dodge with athletics). And even without this houserule, spending your action to create a block is usually not a good idea, they other side can just blast your buddy instead, and you've wasted your action, since your block only has a duration of one turn.
Barry (a wizard) and Dave (a cop) have just stumbled on Voldemort (a sorcerer) and his henchman Igor (a ghoul) in an abandoned apartment building, about to disembowel some poor runaway in order to fuel 'Mort's dark ritual.
Initiative order is:
Igor (Alertness +3, +4 for the power Inhuman Speed = +7 total)
Dave (Alertness +2, +2 for the Alertness stunt On My Toes = +4 total)
Voldemort (Alertness +3)
Barry (Alertness +2)
Exchange 1
* Igor attacks Dave. He has Fists at Great (+4), he rolls -1, so his effort is +3. Dave rolls Athletics (+2) to dodge, gets a +1, and also has effort +3. That means Igor hits. His claws are Weapon:4 so he does a 4-stress hit. Dave only has three spots on his track, so this would take him out. He decides to take a Mild Consequence instead (Nasty Scratches) which reduces it to a 2-stress hit, which he marks on his sheet.
* Dave's first priority is the girl. He's going to put himself and his gun between her and anyone who tries to get near her. He rolls Guns (+3), gets +3, and so establishes a Fantastic (+6) block.
* Voldemort doesn't think he can take Dave, so he throws up a shield of Hellfire, putting +5 shifts into it (costing him 1 mental stress, since his Conviction is +4 and his specialty in Fire gives him +1 to power). He rolls his Discipline (+4, +1 to defensive fire magic control from his ring focus = +5), gets a +1, and has an effort of +6. Since this is more than the power (+5), he successfully casts the spell without issue. He now has a Superb (+5) block against anyone trying to harm him.
* Barry opts to screw defense and throws everything he has against the evil sorcerer. He puts +8 shifts of power into a force attack, to drive a lance of pure energy through him. His Conviction is +5 and has no boosters from his specialty or foci, so it will cost him a 4-stress mental hit which he soaks with a Moderate Consequence (Migraines). His Discipline is only +4 but his Force specialty gives him a +1 to control and his mighty rod gives him +2 to control offensive force magic for a total of +7. Unfortunately, he rolls 0 on the dice, so that's his effort. He can either soak another 1-stress mental hit to keep all the power on target, or let that last shift of power leak out as fallout.Note that you can take backlash on either your physical or mental track. Most spellcasters prefer to take backlash on the phyasical track so that they have the maximum amount of mental stress boxes available for more spellcasting.
He opts for the latter, having already absorbed a consequence and given that it's only one shift. The +7 beats Voldemort's shield but he also gets a dodge roll.You normally only get a dodge roll either when your dodge roll total is greater that the effect of the evocation block protecting you, or that evocation defense was used to create armor instead of a block.
Alas, his Athletics is only Fair (+2) and he rolls a -1, for only +1 effort. The effect is +2 (+7 minus Voldemort's +5 shield) but it adds Weapon:7 (reduced from 8 because he couldn't control all the energy) for a total of a 9-stress hit. Voldemort takes a Severe Consequence (Shattered Ribs) to reduce it to a 3-stress hit and fills in the last box in his three box physical stress track. Also, since the attack beat his shield, it is gone. The GM decides that the fallout is that the excess force energy blows out every window in this and the adjoining rooms, alerting anyone outside that something's happening.As Voldy did not put any extra duration into his block, it would have only lasted until this end of his action this turn anyway. So Barry didn't have to spend an action to dispel it, it would have dissipated by the time his action rolled around. Also, take a look at prolonging spells (YS 259), for another way to extend the duration of evocation effects.
Igor: Physical OOOO
Dave: Physical OXO, Mild physical consequence (Nasty Scratches)
Voldemort: Physical OOX, Mental XOOO, Severe physical consequence (Shattered Ribs)
Barry: Physical OOO, Mental OOOO, Moderate mental consequence (Migraines)
Exchange 2
* Igor, alarmed by the injury of his master, leaps at Barry. He rolls Fists (+4) and gets a +3, so his effort is +7. Barry rolls Athletics (+1) to get out of the way and gets an unfortunately -1, for 0 effort. Luckily, his protective amulet offers a Superb (+5) defense, put it only has one use per session, so its discharged. The effect is then +2 (+7 attack minus +5 defense) but it adds the ghouls Weapon:4 claws, so it is still a 6-stress hit. Barry decides, rather than being Taken Out (since the ghoul will almost certainly just kill him), he'll use his Severe Consequence (Gutted) to soak it.
* Dave notes that nobody's attention is on the girl and so decides to take a shot at the ghoul that's trying to disembowel his friend. He rolls Guns (+3) and gets a +1 but spends a Fate point to invoke his Crack Shot aspect and another to invoke Nobody Fucks with My Friends for a total of +8. Igor rolls Athletics to dodge (+4, +1 for Inhuman Speed = +5), getting a -2, for an effort of only +3. That gives Dave a +5 effect (+8 - +3), plus the Weapon:2 rating of his pistol, for a 7-stress hit. Igor decides to take a Moderate Consequence (GSW to the Shoulder) to soak 4 and marks the remaining 3-stress hit.
* Voldemort decides to get the hell out of dodge. He shifts a zone into the hall as a supplemental action and tries to fill the doorway with hellfire to prevent anyone from following him. He puts in +6 shifts of power into it, not really caring if some power leaks, and takes a 2-stress mental hit for it (since it is one higher than his specialty-boosted Conviction of +5). He rolls Discipline (+5 with his ring focus, -1 because he took a supplemental action = +4), and gets a +1, for an effort of +5. This isn't enough to control +6 shifts of power, but he just lets it be fallout. Thus, he establishes only a Superb (+5) block to movement out of the room through that doorway. The GM decides the extra shift of power sets the Building on Fire.
* Barry decides that a good offense is the best defense and gathers power to pound the ghoul into the ceiling with force magic. He put in +5 shifts of power and takes a 1-stress mental (because it is equal to his Conviction) and rolls Discipline (+7 with focus and specialty), getting a +3, for an effort of +10. Dave offers his free tag of the consequence he inflicted, which Barry gracious accepts for another +2, or a total of +12. Igor rolls Athletics (+5 with Inhuman Speed), gets a -1, for +4 effort. With the Weapon:5 rating the power gives it, that's an 13-stress hit. Igor still takes a 5-stress hit even if he uses both his remaining consequences (Mild 2, Severe 6 = 8-stress absorbed), which takes him out. Barry decides the ghoul is crushed to a pulp by the powerful Force effect.
Igor: Taken Out, Mild physical consequence (Winded), Moderate physical consequence (GSW to the Shoulder), Severe physical consequence (Crushed Bones).
Dave: Physical OXO, Mild physical consequence (Nasty Scratches)
Voldemort: Physical OOX, Mental XXOO, Severe physical consequence (Shattered Ribs)
Barry: Physical OOO, Mental XOOO, Moderate mental consequence (Migraines), Severe physical consequence (Gutted)
Exchange 3
* Dave picks up the unconscious girl, rolling Might (+1), getting +1, for an effort of Fair (+2), which the GM says is sufficient given the girl's weight.
* Voldemort tries to make his way out of the building but Barry opts to use the free tag on his Shattered Ribs to compel him to collapse on the stairs, unable to catch his breath.
* Barry, fighting his own severe injury and migraines, holds his guts in and gathers powers to counterspell the hellfire wall blocking their exit with raw force. He throws +5 shifts of power into it, takes the 1-stress hit (which fills his second box, because the first is already marked), and rolls Discipline (+7 with specialty and focus), getting a -2. This is still an effort of +5, which is sufficient to control the 5 shifts of power, which are just enough to destroy the Superb (+5) hellfire barrier.
Igor: Taken Out, Mild physical consequence (Winded), Moderate physical consequence (GSW to the Shoulder), Severe physical consequence (Crushed Bones).Mental attacks like this are probably a third law violation
Dave: Physical OXO, Mild physical consequence (Nasty Scratches)
Voldemort: Physical OOX, Mental XXOO, Severe physical consequence (Shattered Ribs)
Barry: Physical OOO, Mental XXOO, Moderate mental consequence (Migraines), Severe physical consequence (Gutted)
Exchange 4
* Dave carries the girl out of the building, sprinting with Athletics (+2) modified by Might (it is +1, lower than Athletics, so it gives a -1) and a roll of 0 for an effort of +1. In order to get out completely (3 zones: upstairs hallway, downstairs hallway, outside, no border ratings because the front door was left open), he spends a Fate point to invoke Protect the Innocent to bring it to +3. He ignores the sorcerer on the stairs and hauls ass out of the building with the girl.
* Voldemort pulls himself to his feet and tries again to leave. Barry spends his sole Fate point to invoke Building on Fire to declare that part of the ceiling collapses, on fire, blocking the way out. Voldemort draws himself up and turns to face his enemy. He draws +8 shifts of power, taking only a 3-stress mental hit because Hellfire gives +1 to power when used to hurt people. He rolls his Discipline (+4, +1 for offensive fire control from his staff = +5), but gets a -3 to the attack, for an effort of +2. In order to avoid detonating the entire building, he takes four of it as backlash, adding a 4-stress mental hit, allowing the attack to still be Weapon:6. The remaining two shifts will be fallout. Barry rolls his Athletics (+1) and gets +2, for an effort of +3. The attack misses him. The GM rules that it hits the wall at the far end of the hallway, blowing it out. New zone aspect: Hole in the Wall.
* Barry is going to try to knock his opponent out with a carefully tuned mental attack. Mental attacks use the Spirit element, the same as Force. He puts +5 shifts of power into it, takes another 1-stress mental hit (now marking off his third box, because the two previous are marked), and rolls Discipline (+7 with specialty and focus, which still apply) and gets a 0, for an effort of +7. As a mental attack, it is resisted with Voldemort's Discipline (+4), and he gets a brutal -4, for an effort of 0. With the Weapon:5 rating, this is a 12-stress mental hit. Even if he uses his remaining Moderate and Mild consequences, that leaves a 6-stress hit which is more than enough to take him out. So, he falls unconscious from the brutal mental assault.
Igor: Taken Out, Physical OOOO, Moderate physical consequence (GSW to the Shoulder)Leadership tasks like this are normally done with presence, not rapport.
Dave: Physical OXO, Mild physical consequence (Nasty Scratches)
Voldemort: Taken Out, Physical OOX, Mental XXXX, Severe physical consequence (Shattered Ribs)
Barry: Physical OOO, Mental XXXO, Moderate mental consequence (Migraines), Severe physical consequence (Gutted)
Exchange 5
* Dave tries to go back to help his friend, but sees that the way is blocked. However, he notes the new hole blown in the side of the building and tries to get the on-lookers attracted by the earlier explosion to get a blanket to catch him. He rolls Rapport (+3) and gets a +3, for a total effort of +6. The GM was looking for only a Fair (+2) result, so decides that the extra four shifts will move the default time of "a few minutes" down to "an instant", meaning that they are ready to catch Barry immediately. The GM says this will put an aspect on the zone of Soft Landing.
* Barry tries to pick up the unconscious sorcerer but the GM hands him a Fate point and compels his Gutted consequence, saying he can't lift him. Barry could ignore it, but he used his last Fate point. Instead, he haggles with the GM. He really doesn't want to leave him to burn alive, so he proposes he does it but takes an additional mild physical consequence. The GM finds this acceptable. Barry keeps the Fate point and, since it was already negotiated, picks up Voldemort without a roll, but taking a new Mild Consequence (Exhausted).
* The GM decides that with two fallouts having occurred and the propensity of Hellfire to want to hurt people, that Barry is going to have to resist an environmental attack. Since a total of three shifts of power went into setting the building on fire and adding one for the Hellfire, he makes a Great (+4) attack, rolling a +1, for an effort of +5. Barry is told to resist with Athletics (+1), as he tries to get through the burning hallway. He rolls a +2 for an effort of +3 and marks a 2-stress physical hit.
Igor: Taken Out, Physical OOOO, Moderate physical consequence (GSW to the Shoulder)
Dave: Physical OXO, Mild physical consequence (Nasty Scratches)
Voldemort: Taken Out, Physical OOX, Mental XXXX, Severe physical consequence (Shattered Ribs)
Barry: Physical OXO, Mental XXXO, Mild physical consequence (Exhausted), Moderate mental consequence (Migraines), Severe physical consequence (Gutted)
Exchange 6
* Dave is still coordinating the assembled to catch Barry, who has finally appeared in the hole, shrouded by smoke from the roaring hellfire. He rolls Rapport again (+3), getting a +1, for an effort of +4. This lets him put an aspect of Well-Coordinated on the crowd.
* Barry jumps, rolling Athletics (+1) to try and soften the impact. The GM says this will be modified by his Might (+0), so he has a -1. He rolls a +2. This effectively gives him Armor:1 for the fall, but its a ten foot drop and so will do a 5-stress hit. However, Dave's prepared and gives him the free tags on both the aspects he's set up, raising it to +6, for Armor:3. He marks the 2-stress physical hit on his sheet (in the third box, because the second is filled) and is down on the ground with the unconscious sorcerer.
* The GM notes that sirens are fast approaching. He hands both Barry and Dave a Fate point. Barry, he says, it far too injured to leave the scene. He is compelling his consequences. He is compelling Dave on his Nobody Fucks with My Friends aspects to remain with his friend. Dave wasn't going to abandon him anyway, so it is a self-compel.
* The conflict is over, so stress clears as people catch their breath. Only the consequences remain.
Igor: Dead
Dave: Mild physical consequence (Nasty Scratches)
Voldemort: Severe physical consequence (Shattered Ribs)
Barry: Mild physical consequence (Exhausted), Moderate mental consequence (Migraines), Severe physical consequence (Gutted)
By the time they are taken to the police station and interviewed, their mild consequences are recovered enough to no longer be a hindrance. Barry's migraines will continue for a few days but he'll be feeling the repercussions of his disembowelment for weeks, if not months. Voldemort will be dealing with those shattered ribs for just as long, provided Barry and Dave don't get him out of police custody and in front of a White Council tribunal, where he belongs.
Damn Belial666 that is harsh. :)
But you can't taser someone just so you can have someone else blow a guy's head off. That breaks the 1st law of Magic right?
I'd say it comes down to intent. Did you know that your buddy was going to kill the guy you immobilized with magic? If so, that there's a First Law infraction. Did you think he might? That's a grey area, but we know how some Wardens might view it.I'd say that it comes down to the specific intent to kill with magic. You must specifically want to kill the person with your magic, not as a means for you to make it easier to kill with something else. Magic must be the murder weapon in order to break the First Law.
* Barry opts to use the free tag on his Shattered Ribs to compel him to collapse on the stairs, unable to catch his breath.
The following is mostly a commentary on the characters' choices in the conflict, not the conflict itself. It is what the good guys could do if they had a decent plan;
3) If you want to win a combat vs a caster and a ghoul while protecting a girl, you do a zone-wide offensive (Tazering can be force. As can a telekinetic hold) block vs endurance on all of them (including the girl), feeding it with conviction 5, +3 from 4th mental box +4 from your 2 mild mental consequences, rolling +7 disipline, a fate point and your 2nd or 3rd physical box as backlash.
This gives you a zonewide block of strength 10, which you are going to maintain with more power in later exchanges. The enemies and the girl can probably do nothing to beat a 10-shift block vs endurance and your buddy is now free to shoot the bad guys dead while you do a soft maintain with 3-4 shifts of power every so often.
Fight won without any consequence over mild, without any danger of enemies escaping, without any property damage and without any danger to the girl. (that's why you always blast the wizard if you can - so he can't pull off the nova)
Seems to me that having the bad guy fall while trying to get away, benefits the character.
There is no set answer to the issue about Invoking for effect. However just to be clear the book has an example spell that shows Invoking for effect being used to bring misfortune upon a target, not giving a direct benefit to the caster.
It is Harry's Blinding spell. All the spell does is place an aspect of Blinded on the target. When that is done the player can tag for effect and say "The target is blinded and won't be able to hurt anyone else tonight". Which was done in a novel.
In other words (my interpretation) it will depend on the GM and the other players to accept the power of the Invocation of effect. In a nutshell it just has to feel right to all the parties involved. In the current it feels right to me, your mileage may differ.
Not to get all rulesy on this, but I don't think this is how it works.This might be my confusion from having read Diaspora and Dresden Files back-to-back. The former allows a tag to either be an invoke or a compel.
A consequence enables one tag, which is a free invoke. An invoke is either +2 to a roll or a reroll. In order to compel the consequence, the player (Barry, in this case) would need to spend a fate point, which Voldy would get...and could also have begun an escalation on the compel, making it far more costly to the compelling player.
It's a very common house rule to allow caster to create 'reactive' evocation blocks (i.e. generating an evocation block instead of trying to dodge with athletics). And even without this houserule, spending your action to create a block is usually not a good idea, they other side can just blast your buddy instead, and you've wasted your action, since your block only has a duration of one turn.
Note that you can take backlash on either your physical or mental track. Most spellcasters prefer to take backlash on the phyasical track so that they have the maximum amount of mental stress boxes available for more spellcasting.
You normally only get a dodge roll either when your dodge roll total is greater that the effect of the evocation block protecting you, or that evocation defense was used to create armor instead of a block.
As Voldy did not put any extra duration into his block, it would have only lasted until this end of his action this turn anyway.
So Barry didn't have to spend an action to dispel it, it would have dissipated by the time his action rolled around.
Mental attacks like this are probably a third law violation
Leadership tasks like this are normally done with presence, not rapport.
I have two questions because I don't really understand how this block works. What does a block do against endurance, does that mean they can't do anything at all?
Wouldn't the block affect both the caster casting the spell (Barry) and the cop (Dave) if it's a zone effect?
After rereading the rules for invoking for effect, compels, and all the examples in the book I can find. I agree that having V fall in the stairs is a compel and not an invoke for effect. It makes PC's using narrative control to short circuit much more costly which I think it more beneficial.
Thanks for clarifying all this folks, especially before our game tonight.
JesterOC
* Igor attacks Dave. He has Fists at Great (+4), he rolls -1, so his effort is +3. Dave rolls Athletics (+2) to dodge, gets a +1, and also has effort +3. That means Igor hits. His claws are Weapon:4 so he does a 4-stress hit. Dave only has three spots on his track, so this would take him out. He decides to take a Mild Consequence instead (Nasty Scratches) which reduces it to a 2-stress hit, which he marks on his sheet.p200 YS. If you get a net 0, you still hit but no additional stress.
I thought if you get a net "0," you miss. +3 for Igor, +3 for Dave. I'm confused.
p200 YS. If you get a net 0, you still hit but no additional stress.
I can live with that but I wanted to have it clarified.
I think you can see it the other way round, too.
The wording is off, it shouldn't be a block versus endurance, its a block, against some action, which is opposed by endurance. Which means that the block keeps X from happening, but you can overcome the block by means of your high endurance.
So for example you can have two blocks that do the same thing be opposed by different skills.
A block against movement opposed by athletics.
A block against movement opposed by might.
In the first block you are doing something like dodging past whatever is blocking you, as long as its athletic.
On the second block you are using your brute strength to bypass the block, like maybe the block manifests as chains which bind you in place, and you go all hulk smash on the chains and then proceed to move.
So a block against movement prevents you from doing anything physical even a wizard casting spells?
I think that would depend on the block. If it were a lasso roped around your legs, then likely no. If it were a series of mystical bands that have you wrapped up good and tight, then maybe...although I don't think it's absolutely necessary to have gestures with spellcasting...although I am sure it helps with "targeting", focus, and a dozen other things. I could easily see a GM still allowing it, but upping the difficulty by two points or so (simply inverting the benefit from an invoke is handy, but also more of a houserule...I think).
I don't see it the other way around. To me, what Voldy suffered is a compel. It's a potent effect that had no roll, denied actions, and occured out of line of sight and immediate action. But if it works for you and your game, go for it.
The example given was a zone wide force field or tazer effect. If that targeted movement would it prevent a caster from casting? Being able to neutralize an entire zone without them being able to do anything seems very overpowered, but I guess that could be used on either side in combat.Do keep in mind that a wizard (good, bad, or whatever) could "overcome" the effects with a successful roll, or, if the GM was willing, by "buying" their way out of it with 1 (or more) fate points (akin to buying out of a compel). There are multiple avenues available. But, more importantly, if the power-level of a zone-wide block bugs you, don't allow them, or be very tight-fisted about those you do allow (maybe it costs a fate point, or has a greater shift cost).
If you word it this way you are clearly right.They could tag the consequence...but it would be a +2 to a roll or a reroll. If they wanted to make him collapse, they could still...potentially...do it but it would be treated as a compel and cost the players 1 (or more) fate points, which Voldy would get. It's a give and take that also protects them from it happening to them, as well.
I stand corrected.
I think it's a bit confusing that the players couldn't tag Voldys Shattered Rips. I can imagine that my players will complain about that.
They could tag the consequence...but it would be a +2 to a roll or a reroll. If they wanted to make him collapse, they could still...potentially...do it but it would be treated as a compel and cost the players 1 (or more) fate points, which Voldy would get. It's a give and take that also protects them from it happening to them, as well.
if the GM was willing, by "buying" their way out of it with 1 (or more) fate points (akin to buying out of a compel).
Just when I thought I had the whole invoke for effect vs Compel down pat....
Can someone please explain how Entanglement works on page 293.
All it does is place a Bound In Place aspect on the target, and adds one point to make it last the entire scene.
So if this was cast on V what happens on V's turn? Can he move? Does the aspect by itself lock down the target. Does the GM compel it? if so can the target buy himself out of it? Does the caster need to burn an invoke for effect to make it work?
Now let me say, if both groups had fun. The GM's and Players did it right.
I just hope all these discussions about rulings, and meanings, are not happening around the table.
Afterwords, okay. During, NOT okay. Everyone is there to have fun, not rules lawyer.
Let me just say I am glad the Original Poster Posted the example of combat.
Let me also say that two groups of players can run the same scene, and come up with different actions/outcomes.
Let me also say that two GM's will rule differently on actions, and use the rules in different ways.
Now let me say, if both groups had fun. The GM's and Players did it right.
I just hope all these discussions about rulings, and meanings, are not happening around the table.
Afterwords, okay. During, NOT okay. Everyone is there to have fun, not rules lawyer.
I want to go back to the tazer field and confining someone with magic to get them killed. I think that if it doesn't count as a breaking of the First Law, any wizard who keeps someone around who is willing to kill will be able to kill far too easily. I would also say that the wizards will is far to involved in the taking of the life not to be tainted.
The reason the ward swords don't count is the will to create the enchantment on the sword is far, far removed from the will used to do the killing. Additionally, the swords don't do magical damage, as far as we know, and are enchanted only to cut through enchantments and don't do extra damage to flesh. The magic of the sword isn't involved in the kill--removing the enchanting will by another degree.
I am thinking, on the laws, that the scale to be used is how much is the attacker's free will being used to magically remove the defender's free will.
I want to go back to the tazer field and confining someone with magic to get them killed. I think that if it doesn't count as a breaking of the First Law, any wizard who keeps someone around who is willing to kill will be able to kill far too easily.
Well, first off, the spell description itself clashes with the rules. You can't make an evocation maneuver last an entire scene. :PI got clarification from Fred that Aspects generated from Evocation maneuvers work the same as non-magical maneuvers. That is, if you get at least one shift of effort, it is sticky and will last the scene or until it is removed.
...But then they didn't die as a result of your magic. They died as a result of someone else decapitating them.
Say you use magic to make a warlock fall asleep. Then you slit his throat. Did you break the first law? What if you tie him up and wake him up before killing him? What if you tie him up, wake him up, and hand him off to the wardens for a "trial" that will inevitably end in someone else killing him? By your logic, *all* of those are Lawbreaker actions. So you're telling me that every warden who ever uses magic at any point when apprehending a warlock has a Lawbreaker power? Really?
My opinion is that it's a matter of degrees of separation of magic and killing.
My reading in the section on the First Law is that there is a lot of unpleasant grey area that may not result in a Lawbreaker stunt (so no metaphysical consequences) but may result in a trial and a Doom of Damocles punishment. Much of it is going to be down to personal interpretation by the GM, depending on how severe they want the First Law to be.
I got clarification from Fred that Aspects generated from Evocation maneuvers work the same as non-magical maneuvers. That is, if you get at least one shift of effort, it is sticky and will last the scene or until it is removed.
Uhm ... then why this line from that section on page 253?:It occurred to me, pondering this the other day, that maybe it has to do with whether the aspect is caused by an instantaneous effect or an ongoing one. If you call up a magical windstorm that puts the aspect HIGH WINDS on the scene, you need to give it power to keep it going or it ends. If, however, you use a flash of light to temporarily blind someone, it will work like any other combat maneuver and be sticky if you get one or more shifts. Does that make sense to folks?
"As with other effects, you can pay an additional shift to make the effect persistent at the cost of 1 shift per additional *exchange*"
Me thinks a new sticky thread with Errata and an FAQ should rear it's head soon ;)
So what you mean there is that if you create an aspect that covers the whole zone (High Winds) you've got to apply shifts of power to keep it going but if you create an aspect that just hits one person (or a few) then if you apply an extra shift of power it becomes sticky. Is that it?
Also, in regards to all the discussion on Law-breaking, the original act in question was a 'direct mental attack' that (I believe) was aiming for unconsciousness. Now, to my eye, that doesn't automatically violate any laws but as a DM I would definitely be asking the player for more description.
Exchange 2
* Igor, alarmed by the injury of his master, leaps at Barry. He rolls Fists (+4) and gets a +3, so his effort is +7. Barry rolls Athletics (+1) to get out of the way and gets an unfortunately -1, for 0 effort. Luckily, his protective amulet offers a Superb (+5) defense, put it only has one use per session, so its discharged. The effect is then +2 (+7 attack minus +5 defense) but it adds the ghouls Weapon:4 claws, so it is still a 6-stress hit. Barry decides, rather than being Taken Out (since the ghoul will almost certainly just kill him), he'll use his Severe Consequence (Gutted) to soak it.
Quick question: Could Igor also attempted a Declaration here? Maybe something like Fists vs. Fists that Barry is "Not Used To Putting Up His Dukes" or Fists vs. Athletics "Backpedals In Panic" ?No, because Barry is a PC with established Aspects. Declarations are generally for NPCs and such that aren't fully statted out.
No, because Barry is a PC with established Aspects. Declarations are generally for NPCs and such that aren't fully statted out.
Aspects created via Declaration seem to me to be just as valid as other Aspects that are "created" temporarily on established PCs through game mechanics.
Well I am a little unsure on this, but isn't there an example of an enemy using a Declaration in Blood Rites?(click to show/hide)
I thought only the person who created the aspect could tag it for free? This came up in a sample combat we had so I'm curious if there is something I missed.
Thanks again DA.
Any chance that can be backed up with a rule? I only ask because if it gets brought up again I'd like to be able to show it to them in writing somewhere. And as much as I'd like to say your post IS writing, I can't really refer to it as law.
Perfect! You just helped hurt some PC's.
I would hazard the guess that brian moman is not at "feet in the water" level.Brian Moman is so deep hes drowning in his own thoughts