By using a backlash, you sacrifice parts of your flesh to fuel the spell. Thus using armor would mean that you don't accept the consequences of you going above what you could normally do.

Think of it as karma. You get to inflict damage on the enemy only if you inflict it on yourself.

However, the italic "all" does make a good point.

Hello, how do you define a swarm? Comparing it to D&D mechanics or common sense.

We fought a swarm of Toot-toot-like creatures and there were about 24 of them. Each of us has 4 on our heads and each attacked with poison claws aka poison tipped toothpicks.

But this is not satisfactory, as a swarm has several properties than just x identical members each on his own turn.

One way would be to just consider the swarm a monstrous sized creature, perhaps with physical immunity of catch being spray attacks and aoes. But how would these two forms of attack work? nr of creature * shifts/creature?

How do you roll defense for each member? Supposed you have 1000 bees in a swarm and you fireball them. If the "creature" rolls over your attack, it takes NO stress? Each bee dodged it and lived?

A swarm is not that uncommon, especially in the Nevernever, where we will spend some time, chances of pixie swarms is high and we would like some sort of a system to have a fair combat instead of overwhelming odds against us.

If you would be 3 zones away, and attempt a fly-by, you could not since it would be considered sprinting by Athletics trapping.

Another skilled called Flying would have another trapping allowing a fly-by combo. For example for each 2 zones away you fly-by, add -1 to attack and +1 to weapon damage.

don't get me started on incite emotion.

statistically, how many npcs DO NOT fly?

+4 Athletics is both springing on ground, dodging bullets, etc.

Flying as a new skill would eat all those +4 points.

Flying implies considering 3d zones and falling damage calculations. If the player risks the GM keeping score of all that, he should expect to die Seriously, warning a player sounds like "I am limiting how much fun you have due to ambiguous rules".

Since one can just fly a zone upwards and shoot downwards until the enemy is dead, also making one immune to melee attacks, Fly is OP at just -1 cost.

My friend had the brilliant idea to add another skill called Flight for one that purchases Fly. Of course, assisted with some trappings, like fly-by attacks and perhaps using another skill to limit the Flight skill.

For example:
Athletics, for angelic wings.
Conviction for Green Lantern sort of flight source.
Craftsmanship for jet pack (say an item of power).
Lore for some sort of passive magic effect (something I would expect from Leanasidhe).
Etc...

I am adding the need to raise Fly to -2.

Your thoughts?