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Messages - UmbraLux

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1
DFRPG / Re: the power of Declaration
« on: August 14, 2014, 10:13:12 PM »
Declaration in combat, how powerful are they, like only limited by the GM/ST, say i have a SWAT team that uses a flash-granade to do a blind effect, how would you invoke the blind, as a tag OR as a minus to the blinded persons via FP.
They're as powerful as you and the group want them to be.  After all, they are ways for the players to take over and manipulate the narrative to their own ends.  I'd suggest talking it over with the group and setting some expectations together.

It's also worth noting the newer versions of Fate fold declarations into manuevers and require an action.  Doing so prevents some creative stacking...however, it would also affect thaumaturgy in DFRPG.

2
DFRPG / Re: Athletic Jumping, High Power Contacts, and Might
« on: May 25, 2014, 04:02:34 AM »
1. About athletics and jumping. I am having a hard time visualizing distances with jumping via athletics. At what point does the leaping become super human.
Use the success Ladder - a +8 is Legendary, a one of a kind feat people will tell stories about.  In terms of a high jump you're probably talking about 2.5 meters or a bit more (current record is 2.45m and it's stood for ~20 years). 

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2. A character has resources at 6 (13-14 refresh party). He was asking about using his resources to add +1 to his contacts of 5. (going for the tony starkish gozillionaire thing).
He should be using Declarations to get a +2.  ;)

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At a contacts at potentially at 6 what sort of contacts should I allow the player to tap? He wants to start getting high powered govt officials in his pocket (sort of like Lara Raithe). Is there a previous post that gives a chart on power level of contacts?
I don't know of any chart but it's really whatever he can justify.  Though it is worth noting, a contact is not "in your pocket".  Contacts are people you know who may trade favors with you, not underlings or "good politicians"*.  With that understanding, don't be afraid to allow a wide range of contacts.  Any benefits will need to be negotiated and some sort of exchange is probable.

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3. Could you give me some examples of how might could give a bonus to other skills (either the +1 due to higher skill or the greater plus due to super strength)? Am I correct in stating that might does not give bonus to the attack trappings of fists and weapons? Could might give bonuses to maneuvers of fists and weapons?
Maneuvers and declarations are how you accomplish this...a Might declaration  could state "I Trained for a Strongman Competition" and a Might maneuver could position yourself in a "Strong, stable stance".  Either becomes an aspect to be invoked/tagged/compelled as appropriate.

*A "good politician" being one who stays bribed.

3
DFRPG / Re: Why are Evocation Veils spirit-only?
« on: May 17, 2014, 08:03:25 PM »
The book is inconsistent, it states "A block is a block is a block" three pages before stating "A special kind of block called a veil is the special province of spirit magic."  However, when you dig into the "block is a block" sidebar you'll note a point which I go by.

Specifically, there's no difference except those you can define by assessments and declarations. 

A spirit veil may bend light around you while an earth veil either refracts light in a crystalline fashion or perhaps gives you the chameleon-like ability to blend into your background.  Air might be timely distractions, dust in the eyes, or combine with fire to create a heat mirage and water could simply make you transparent.  They're all functionally the same until someone creates or tags an appropriate aspect.

4
DFRPG / Re: Need Help with Sword Magic NPC
« on: April 21, 2014, 04:05:03 AM »
As far as determined to use sponsored magic...I am open. The goal is a npc whose magic is relatively subtle and easy to rationalize that he is doing crazy Asian martial arts. Also that his magic is not in the weight class of an actual wizard.
If you want something less powerful than magic you might try creating a power.  Something like this perhaps.

Transcendent Swordsman version 0.2b [-2]
Description: Your skill with a blade is supernatural.
Skills Affected: Conviction, Weapons
Effects:
One Blade is Many. A Transcendent Swordsman may split attacks or attack everyone in a zone.  (Standard mechanics.)
Mind Controls the Blade. Spending a point of mental stress allows the swordsman to choose a number equal to or less than his Weapons and roll Conviction. If successful they may choose one of the following:
-    Perfect Steel. Add the number to your next attack or block.
-    Wall of Steel. Subtract the number from the next melee attack targeting him or an ally in the same zone.
-    Strength of Steel. Add twice the number to damage against inanimate objects.

I Become the Blade. Spending a point of mental stress allows the swordsman to roll Conviction (4). If successful they may choose one of the following:
-    Steel Fury. Take two actions on his next turn as long as at least one is an attack with his sword.
-    Steel Mind. Use Weapons to intimidate for a scene.
-    Steel Water. Use Weapons to counterspell.

No warranties...that's off the top of my head with no testing.  ;)  It's not nearly as flexible as using sponsored magic but still uses the same resource/concept of spending mental energy.

5
DFRPG / Re: Research Libraries and Workshop question
« on: April 19, 2014, 02:45:32 PM »
I gave them books covering specific areas.  Here's a small library they 'found':
 - seven untitled books (four printed and three handwritten)
 - -    There's something...odd...about the covers of the four printed books.  You haven't figured out exactly what yet.
 - -    Two of the four printed books cover the darker side of ectomancy and beginning necromancy.  A third covers types of circles and the fourth covers wards.
 - -    One of the handwritten books appears to be entirely about life extension through necromancy, the other two cover healing and biomancy respectively.

Using them would be declaring and tagging an aspect, possibly modified by the "Apprentice Necromancer's Library" aspect describing their source.

I'd be wary of expanding a library with Resources.  It's not like books are available for sale often...maybe at an estate sale but they're probably competing with other wizards.  For the most part expansion would be via favors/payment or outright theft.  Any books that are easily found probably have some other 'price'...

6
DFRPG / Re: Need Help with Sword Magic NPC
« on: April 19, 2014, 02:41:45 AM »
So here are the questions:
Q fo you also - are you determined to use a sponsored magic style power?  There are other possibilities.  Depending on how you apply the Laws, they may be an issue with spellcasting swordsmanship.

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How does metal based evo and thaum work?
Same as any evo/thaum - your theme changes but not really what you can do (i.e. attack, block, maneuver, or counterspell for evocation) or how you accomplish it.

As for rotes, I'd recommend a block and whatever utility spells (possibly a sword sharpening maneuver?) you want.  An alpha strike attack may also be worthwhile.  I'd go with the theme though, enhance swordamanship and let your sword be your attack.  :)

7
DFRPG / Re: What Exactly Is A Freeholding Lord?
« on: April 06, 2014, 03:35:49 PM »
How is the "territory" of a Freeholding Lord determined? How large is it? Presumably it would be a small section of the city they are based in?
As Tedronai notes, a freeholding lord's territory is going to be limited to what they can control and protect. 

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What authority does a Freeholding Lord have?

What responsibilities?
Have you read Even Hand?  It's a Marcone PoV short story which deals with the Accords and his status as Freeholding Lord.  The basics are fairly simple.  Any other Accord signee / rep needs the lord's permission to act within the lord's territory.  The lord and his men can't kill reps of other lords without provocation and even then will need to pay a wergild / blood price.

8
DFRPG / Re: Beyond the books
« on: April 01, 2014, 03:11:02 AM »
I created the OSV (Ordo Sinistra Vivendi; aka Order of the Left Hand Path) for use in my game.  They were a group of immortality seekers.  Methods didn't matter to them, just results. 

9
[snip>I was thinking that it would be cool to actually play online with other people using a regular gaming interface (Like an RPG).

Does anything like this exist?
There are several VTTs available.  Fantasy Grounds, Roll20, OpenRPG, Gametable, Map Tool, and more.

10
DFRPG / Re: Questions on White Court NPC
« on: March 17, 2014, 09:29:07 PM »
Sounds like we agree.  :)
That's what I was saying as well.
Good to know - your first sentence in that paragraph ("So if you don't have Incite emotion, you can't feed.") threw me.

11
DFRPG / Re: Questions on White Court NPC
« on: March 17, 2014, 09:14:47 PM »
Emotional vampire lets you do a psychic attack
Pretty sure that's what I said - at least part of what I said.  Am I not following your statement?

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So if you don't have Incite emotion, you can't feed.  Unless you create some kind of relevant aspect using rapport, deceit or intimidate (depending on what kind of emotion you feed on).  Once they have the appropriate aspect, you can do mental stress by making a skill roll vs their defense (as long as you're touching and as long as the aspect persists).
Not quite...the vampire may still feed on natural emotions, just can't create them with a touch.  Some emotions (i.e. fear) are easier to evoke without Incite Emotion than others.  But the book explicitly says you can feed (minimally) on "an eligible strong emotion" whenever you're nearby. 


12
DFRPG / Re: Questions on White Court NPC
« on: March 17, 2014, 07:00:34 PM »
I'm running a Dresden Files campaign and I'm starting to introduce White Court Vampires as enemies to my PCs.  I'm having some difficulty figuring out how their powers work in combat:
As PirateJack notes, At Range helps a lot.  I even had a greed based WCV set up a block using it.

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The Emotion Touch power says "If you can touch someone, you can make him feel something." how do you determine if you can touch someone?  Is there an athletics check?
If you're in the same zone you can touch them, if they're trying to avoid your touch you'll need appropriate checks.  (I default to Athletics as defense if they're actively dodging.  Similar to IFV, I allow players to choose to defend only with Discipline if they want to accept the touch.  It's an iffy choice since the WCV could have something else in mind...like grappling.   :D)

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The Feeding Touch power says "When a victim is in the throes of an eligible emotion, you may draw some of his life force out of him to sustain you."  How does this work?  Does this inflict more stress than Emotion Touch alone?
Incite Emotion doesn't inflict stress at all, just an emotion (it creates an appropriate aspect).  That aspect is then compelled to allow feeding via Emotional Vampire.  I typically default to one stress box a round but allow the vampire to attempt to increase via Deceit/Intimidation vs Discipline rolls if desired.  I don't believe that is specified in the text - I extrapolated from the mild feeding and taste of death mentioned.

13
DFRPG / Re: Social Conflicts with a group.
« on: March 12, 2014, 10:37:09 PM »
It seems like social situations put the npc at a distinct disadvantage vs the group, and I am curious how it might be handled by others or if there is some limiting factor I might be missing, short of adding more npc's to the discussion which seems like it would get silly quickly for some minion to get involved in his bosses negotiations.
Fate's action economy is consistently king whether talking about physical, social, or mental conflicts.  Without prior preparation (or a win button) the solo opponent is going to lose.  However, prior preparation makes up for a lot.  It's essentially spending actions ahead of time.  Even when the GM/player doesn't prepare, you can use declarations to simulate the same thing. 

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We are all rather new to the system, and I haven't been able to find any examples of a lopsided social conflict, nor can I find any advice on how to deal with it in the books. I have been considering a house rule for very powerful/influential npcs that would be called ego and act as something akin to armor, but I am still not sure. Any advice would be welcome
Make sure you're setting the stakes to fit the relative powers.  Marcone has no reason (barring legally admissible evidence which hasn't been found) to stake his empire on an argument with Murphy and friends.  He may be willing to trade information, perhaps even at a loss, to the same group.  Any concessions / losses should reflect that.

14
DFRPG / Re: Need to familiarize a total noob with the Dresdenverse...
« on: March 06, 2014, 12:07:27 AM »
Bridgit or Dagda (Celtic) are possibilities.  So would the Morrigan for that matter...just changes source aspect based on granted power.  The White God would work as well - the Hospitallers (later Knights of Malta) were oriented towards both healing and war.  For Asian gods Vishnu or Rudra may work. 

15
DFRPG / Re: Need to familiarize a total noob with the Dresdenverse...
« on: March 05, 2014, 11:28:22 PM »
Have you considered using the emissary template instead of wizard?  It gives you a bit more room for allowing healing powers without messing with canon. 

I'd be tempted to start there, give him an appropriately expensive touch version of Recovery and associate him with Asclepius (or other healing Power).  Adding healing senses and even martial abilities is fairly straightforward.

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