So all are equivalent bonuses, correct (except that with multiple items a focus or specialization would be "worth more" than a single item slot)?

I think you have it precisely backward, if I'm reading your post correctly - only additional item slots committed to an item increase the uses per session by two. Everything else is 1:1.

That's really the only way to get good layered protection going: block, then armor.

Also, having both effects helps minimize the wizard getting screwed when people decide to invoke/tag aspects against them in a fight.

If I'm the GM, and someone decides to throw up their defensive item block, and I invoke some aspects to hit them anyway, they still have the option to say, "Oh, damn, well, I'm gonna use it as Armor, then" if they want.

I dunno. Two or three at most? It's worded as, "faerie glamours, veils, and other illusions." The truth of the matter is, I'm not sure that you really need to differentiate unless you insist on doing so. You could just look as "faerie glamours" as being a separate thing in that list, and assume the other two are general.

So just the Lore strength works fine.

I admit, I'm not sure I like the idea of -everything- being unable to be made 'always on'.  There's a difference between systematically always on and in-setting.  The books never even imply that Harry's coat is limited use, unlike his rings, which definitely are.  Just that he has top off the enchantment every once in a while.

I disagree. The need for periodic re-enchantment implies that eventually, the magic on the coat would dissipate. That directly suggests limited usage of some kind between "recharging" periods.

Also, Jim has the advantage of being able to cheat for the sake of narrative convenience because he's writing a novel. That isn't a criticism, just a fact. There's plenty of evidence in the setting that one way or another, you always have to pay up: everything uses energy, and energy has to come from somewhere. In truth, the coat is just a plot device that lets him justify Harry not being hurt without breaking our suspension of disbelief. He doesn't have to worry about the particulars. We emphatically do.

If you want a true-blue "always on" item, there's a category for that: they're called Items of Power. You want a coat that cannot be burned out, you take an Item of Power with Toughness. Simple as that. (Also, one of the reasons why we had to take Permissions out, so people could make choices like that.)

And frankly, it isn't hard to get enough uses for a particular item that it feels like it's always on, unless you go out of your way to use it. I mean, how many times in a session is your defense roll and your shield spell going to fail simultaneously, and you're not going to have fate points to potentially cover the gap? Even Harry doesn't rely on his duster 100% of the time.

So I think it tracks in every way I want it to.

The coat provides either a Great (+4) Block or Armor: 2 up to 3 times per session.

This is my leading assumption - that it's a two-slot item constructed at Great Lore with extra frequency.

As a one-slot item, either it just works once a session, or gives Fair / Armor:1 three times a session.

Reducing item strength for extra uses is 1:1. Using a whole slot for extra uses is 2:1, to create an incentive for doing so.

I admit, the campaign that mainly interests me right now is an all Pure Mortal, Feet in the Water game.

Like The X-Files with no alien conspiracy.

Hawt.

So, Fred and I had a discussion internally, and we're going to patch enchanted items. You all need to know for wizardy types, so I'm posting what the book's going to say here.

But, first, soapboxing, because that's how this works.

The Rationale

As we've been discussing persistent use items, it has become clear that the real awkward issue with implementation is the very idea of persistence - what does an "always on" X or Y mean, etc.

The issue is, as I said elsethread, there is no such thing as a perpetual motion machine for magical energy in the Dresden Files. Everything needs recharging or maintaining - mojo has to come from somewhere. We know that even on Harry's ensorcelled duster, the enchantments need to be maintained or recharged, because it mentions that in the books.

Originally, we thought of "always on" as a shorthand for this, assuming the maintenance stuff was between-session color. However, the real honest assessment of the setting is that everything runs out of mojo eventually.

Also, it's pretty clear that with some effects (namely Armor), cutting the effect shifts in half for persistence means you have to have a pretty high Lore to get items that are worth a damn. Especially in the case of the Warden Swords (which has been bothering me for a while, you know), it means that certain items just don't live up to their reputation from the books, which kinda sucks.

We concluded that the trade-off of allowing items to be more powerful less often was more setting-appropriate than being nerfed.

So we got cracking.

The Patch

There is no more such thing as an "always on" item.

Item slots still work the same.

Default item strength is still equal to Lore + spec/focus bonuses, with one free use per session.

You can remove shifts from item strength to add directly to uses per session.

You can also add additional item slots to frequency, to give you an additional two uses per session. The original extra slot benefits of +1 strength and new item still apply.

When you run out of uses per session, you can take a 1-stress mental hit to give yourself another use of the spell effect, like you would if you were casting a spell of your own. This isn't always going to be a good trade-off, but it gives you options. Hence, any item could potentially function perpetually, if you're willing/able to keep paying the piper.

Other Thoughts

This allows you, on any defensive item, to use either the Armor or block benefit with one use and take the more advantageous effect. It also means that you can get a benefit on odd-numbered Lore scores, and make a defensive item even if you only have Average Lore that doesn't totally suck, because you no longer have to cut the shifts in half twice.

Before you worry about defensive items and frequency of use, consider this - you'd only lose one "use" of the effect whenever it needs to be triggered, not every time you defend. If you dodge an attack, that doesn't use up energy - it only applies if you get hit and the item is what blocks/absorbs the hit.

So it makes defensive magical items more of a mystical ass-saving measure, which feels a lot more like how it's described in the books - it's Harry's last resort for when he can't dodge or otherwise protect himself. "Luckily, the blade was stopped on the flaps of my enchanted duster, or I'd have been a dead man," etc.

And if you're in a long fight, you have the option of throwing stress at it as a last ditch measure.

This also makes the Warden Swords hella awesome like I think they should be. It always bothered me before, that they had to be limited to three shifts of effect. Now they can do a Fantastic (+6) counterspell three times per session. Hell yeah.

Some Defensive Item Examples

Over in the 'Item Crafting' (http://www.jimbutcheronline.com/bb/index.php/topic,16727.msg769640.html#msg769640) thread, we experimentally posited a specialist crafter who even put his focus item slots into helping out with crafting. Let's look at him again and see what we get.

In summary: Superb (+5) Lore, crafting strength spec (+1), focus item strength bonus (+2) from evo, default item strength 8, 4 enchanted item slots from thaumaturgy.

He uses one slot to make an ensorcelled coat. At default, that's a Legendary+1 (+8) block or Armor:4, with one use per session.

But he has three more slots. If he dumps all of them into more uses, he can do that effect 7 times in one session. (2 uses per extra slot, times 3 = 6 plus the free one)

He could also put two slots into effect strength, giving him a +10 block or Armor:5. That saves him one slot for frequency, which gives him three uses per session.

That's one hell of an armored jacket, ladies and germs. He literally has no other items, which means his evocations will be less effective and more risky, and his thaumaturgical spells will require more prep, take longer, and may be riskier. But, holy hell, +10 block.

Now let's go back down the ladder.

A novice wizard with a Lore of Average (+1) wants to make a defensive item. Default item strength is 1. He decided to put all his thaum slots into enchanted items, so he's got four slots to play with.

He uses one to make his default coat - Average (+1) block, once per session. He has three more slots. He splits them up, using two for strength and one for frequency, and ends up with a Good (+3) block or Armor:1, with three uses per session.

That doesn't suck, you guys! It potentially saves him a fate point or two on a botched defense roll, and puts him solidly in the territory of being able to ignore mortal assailants who aren't specially trained at killing. And remember, that's just 'cause his Lore is Average... maybe he's a really good evocator, so he normally brings active shield spells to the table. The coat is just for when he gets mugged or has to deal with your typical thug.

So, there it is.

Armor:2 vs. someone who rolls a 0 on the dice and still gets to inflict a point of stress implies that the person in question is using a Weapon:3.

Or someone who's wearing Armor:2, has a Fair (+2) defense roll, and gets attacked by someone with Superb (+5) skill.