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Messages - Seb Wiers

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DFRPG / Re: Burgerking and the Nevernever.
« on: May 20, 2011, 09:16:43 PM »
Perhaps for franchise restaurants, there would be (in the case of very close copies) a one-way connection back to the original location (or the "flagship model", or whichever of the many franchises is the most archetypal).  But I can't see every franchise connecting to every other franchise in an open, multiu-directional network. 
Otherwise, you'd think never-never networks would have been created LONG ago between, say, the many churches of the Catholic franchise.  Magically speaking, one Catholic church is (at least intend to be) IDENTICAL to the next...

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DFRPG / Re: locating cellphones
« on: April 24, 2011, 05:20:33 AM »
A phone's number isn't its "true name" - you can change it (without changing the SIM or any hardware).  You can also keep the same number and get a new phone, so... yeah, it's just not a very firm connection.

Besides, how far can you stretch that?  If you know my email address (which is a gmail account) could you locate my computer?  If you know my birthday, could you locate my mother?

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What human is really going to link it mentally more to their monthly statement than to themselves?

Um, me?  Hell, I can barely REMEMBER my own phone number.  After all, I never dial it.  That goes for pretty much all phone numbers- nobody memorizes them any more.  My wife's phone number?  Hell if I know.  It's "2", in my mind.  (Voice mail is 1)

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Remember, all the props for working magic are simply shortcuts, according to Harry's testimony. All it really takes is a clear mental concept of what the target is and what you're intending to do, and the props are easy shortcuts to doing that.
If that's the case, why do you even need the phone number?  Seems like just thinking about the person you want to find would be equally valid.  But of the shortcut is needed- well, some shortcuts are useful, and some just go in circles.

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DFRPG / Re: Grenade Punch
« on: April 03, 2011, 06:31:42 AM »
What the character was doing was an cupped open palmed punch to the face of the enemy big bad which meant that  half grendade was in contact with the enemies face. 

Grenades have timed fuses - they aren't impact detonated.  So basically you'd be slapping somebody with a rock in your hand, and hoping the rock blows up after (rather than before) you hit them, but not so much after (say less than .25 sec) that you'd have been equally well off just dropping it at your feet when standing next to the target.
Now, use some grappling to shove the thing under the guys chin, and hold it there till it blows up.... that would work, but is a far cry from a "grenade punch".

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DFRPG / Re: Help with Scobby Doo aspects
« on: April 01, 2011, 05:17:17 AM »
LOL- fair enough, I forgot that the high concept is an aspect like the others (only more so).

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DFRPG / Re: Help with Scobby Doo aspects
« on: April 01, 2011, 03:23:05 AM »
Scooby IMO needs an aspect that is the onomonopia of the noise he made when he'd try to run and his legs just moved in space because his feet slip on the floor.  I spell it "Boogaly boogaly boogaly boo".  It could be compelled to prevent him escaping, but he could also maybe tap it to really make tracks when he does try get away, leading to a wild chase where he goes into a door on one side of a hallway, and emerges from a door on the other.

Other than that, I can't fault Viatos' choices, though I'd like to see a more obvious "Always Hungry" on Scooby / Shaggy.  They simply can't pass up a kitchen.  Or a loaded dinner table.  Or a decripit snack machine crawling with spiders, for that matter.

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DFRPG / Re: Grenade Punch
« on: March 31, 2011, 04:41:41 PM »
To me this sounds like its an attempt to create the aspect "Blowing Up (In) My Hand" or some such.

So yeah, basically what's needed is a consequence (maybe more than one) you create on yourself and can tap offensively. 

Normally that would be a maneuver, but since the aspect is being taken as a serious consequence (grenades can blow through armor plate at close range, so a hand with even mythic toughness probably isn't much challenge, and just adds more shrapnel) I'd say there's no need to maneuver.

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DFRPG / Re: Finite Catches
« on: March 23, 2011, 10:03:07 PM »
Most catches are technically finite.  There's a limited supply of iron in the world.  If it all got magically disintegrated, the fey wouldn't have much to worry about regarding their catch...

Also, direct relatives are actually a renewable resource- you could always have kids.  And be sure to watch out for that bastard brother you never knew about who got adopted away before you were born- didn't Harry find out he had one of those?

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DFRPG / Re: Recovery Powers plus undead
« on: March 02, 2011, 12:22:05 AM »
The "Total ecovery" benefit of recovery powers would not apply: "you cannot  recover  from consequences with time, because your body does not regenerate."

The "Faster Recovery" benefit could; basically you'd be a lot easier to "patch up" (using taxidermy, etc).  But you still wouldn't heal automatically; it would just cause the injury to be as easy to repair as a lesser injury.

"Unfaltering" et al could easily apply; it just means you have supernatural stamina, totally fitting for the undead.

I'm not sure on "It's Nothing" et al.  On the one hand, it's pretty much a form or healing.  On the other, it has limits on what it can do, so it could easily represent being tough enough to get (say) you guts blasted out, then just tucking them back in and ignoring it.

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I would disagree somewhat, at least in the groups I've played with.  The difference between even 2 extra damage on each hit and 0 is substantial, especially when you consider that tied hits do nothing to wear down your opponent if you don't have a damage bonus.

Fair enough; the fisty character I play is probably not typical.  He's generally hitting with fists 5, inhuman strength, and some aspects (maneuvers set up by friends, inflicted consequences) and a fate point (tagging personal aspects).  And yeah, given the same refresh cost / skill points, he could be nastier with a weapon; I still think (or maybe hope) its enough.

If the problem is that you need to bypass a catch, wrapping your fists in silver / cold iron chains (or holy beads, or whatever) can do the trick.  I punched a red court vamp with a vial or holy water held between my knuckles; was only good for a shot or two, but that is all it took.

I'm not saying it is "as good".  I'm saying its an option you can live with, if you like it for other reasons and base a build on it.

10
Yes, game-mechanics wise, there is very little to recommend fists over guns or weapons.  You can't accidentally kill somebody in DFRPG, fists flat out do less damage than weapons, and weapons can grant special aspects etc.

But story wise, using the Fists skill can make all sorts of sense.  First, its one of the few combat skills that "civilians" might train to high levels.  And as mentioned, bringing a weapon with you is often considered rude, or can get you in trouble with the cops.  Also, you don't always want a weapon in your hands during a fight; fists leaves your hands free for anything you like (such as grappling, taking the enemies weapon away, picking up the McGuffin, etc).

Even mechanics-wise, fists aren't so bad; you don't hit any less often, and only do a bit less stress with each hit.  If you have some maneuvers to tag, you can still stack up quite a hit.  And since you often have to draw on the first attack (-1 supplemental action) to use a weapon, which might cause you to miss, the gap is smaller than it looks.  As long as you have a strong defense and don't let maneuvers against you pile up, you can wear the enemy down; your fights just last a bit longer than they would if you used a weapon.  And story wise, that can be a good thing!

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DFRPG / Maneuver plus?
« on: February 27, 2011, 05:31:07 PM »
It seems like extra shifts get "wasted" when performing a maneuver.  For example, if you roll a supurb result and only needed fair... well, you still only get an aspect worth +2.  Is there any way to "make use of" the extra shifts?  Or conversely, can you make an attack that also places an aspect on the target?  I suppose if you cause a consequence, that might do, but normally the target gets to decide the consequence, right?

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DFRPG / Re: little power but high control tasks
« on: February 23, 2011, 09:39:05 PM »
From the books there are a alot of instances where harry will not use magic to do things, because his control is not great enough.  As far as I see the rules really don't support this.  The discipline roll is only important when you are using more power that you can easily handle.

The novels may do this to further the plot; having Harry use magic to solve everything would be rather dull.  In game mechanics terms, that would be a compel on some aspect Harry has, earning Harry a fate point.  This might be a self compel (say of "Not so Subtle, Quick to Anger"), reflecting the fact that Harry over-estimates the trouble he would have contolling his power, or actually has an abnormally hard time controlling it.
Actually, it seems like a pretty good idea to give a low-refresh character an aspect they can self-compel this way- something that lets them earn fate points for complicating the plot by NOT using their powers, whatever the reason.  Good for the story, can help make some extra screen time for the mortals when things would otherwise go the supernatural route, and a good way to stock up fate points.

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DFRPG / Re: Old Technology that was recently manufactured?
« on: February 23, 2011, 12:49:41 AM »
I'm pretty sure that WOJ (or Fred) is that it is a sliding scale. I seem to recall a quote stating that wizards have always had trouble of some kind. Like back in the middle ages they curdled milk and the like. Sorry I can't remember exactly where I saw that, but I'm pretty sure.

Hmm, might be an explanation for why certain cultures never used the wheel to any useful degree, despite evidence they knew how to make them...

Aztec priest comes up to oversee construction of temple.  Wheels stop working.  Fore-man of work crew is sacrificed for using unreliable new construction methods and failing to complete job on time.

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DFRPG / Re: Old Technology that was recently manufactured?
« on: February 20, 2011, 11:58:25 PM »
Yes, I'm pretty sure you could buy all newly manufactured replacement parts for (say) a classic VW bug (something you can do even today) and build up a full "mage tolerant" car.  Its not the date of manufacture that matters, but the technology used.  Honestly, anything that doesn't have electronic fuel injection should probably be OK, though it might have other systems that get messed with (say, they used a solid state switch for the fuel pump).
I don't think you'd see a commercial car built that way, but a custom car easily could be.  Heck, a lot of race cars actually are mechanical throwbacks with no "luxury" electronics in them.  If you want a commercial product, you could probably find a motorcycle that was "mage reistent", and could certainly get one made,

As to electronics, I don't think "hardening" would help; I see the effect as being quantum in nature, which means it can mess up anything that uses even simple semiconductors (eg, transistors, diodes).

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DFRPG / Re: If the GM offers four fate points...
« on: February 20, 2011, 06:01:00 AM »
Seems odd to have to bribe a character to go down a random dark alley.  Now, if they'd just seen some sort of tentacle pulling the neighbor's cat around the corner and down into that alley.... well, I think most, you wouldn't even have to offer a fate point.  Most character would be set up to self compel in such situations, amirite?

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