Magics Limitations due to Mental Stress

[infusco]

And a lot of people didn't like RIFTS for that very same reason. Well, that and the insane power creep.

Anyways, in the end, as a GM, my job is to cater to the wishes of the players and to make sure everyone is happy. I've seen many times in the past how a few players with noticeably lower power, or worse skills in min-maxing, have ended up frustrated and bored. Personally, I'm the one running the game because a) I'm a complete Dresden Files fanboy and b) I'm the only one who knows the system really well, although the others know a little bit here and there. So in my case, I'd rather present the players with a balanced playing field using the existing templates than run into a situation where a single player with greater system knowledge would leave the other players scratching their heads. You may disagree with my assessment of the situation if you'd like.

[Moriden]

I mean, plenty of people liked RIFTS (which DFRPG is vastly superior to in every conceivable way - but that is neither here nor there) and part of the cool factor was that two PCs in the same campaign could have such vastly different power levels.

I played a vagabond.

[newtinmpls]

"* A certain food, fruit, or serum can give them a power - and a dependency. This could be an awesome way to get compels and to get a power at a lower cost (due to the dependency)."

How could I NOT think of Popeye here?!


"I think people should be able to play what they want to play. When I first got interested in RPGs, I walked away from my first game I was slated to play because the GM in question was lazy, didn't want to change his story for anyone, and pretty much demanded I be an elf warrior."

I will let the PC's pretty much mix n match from powers, as long as they have a character concept that justifies things; I also am much more generous for players who I know are not compulsive power gamers - if I know (from experience) that someone will push (abuse is too strong a word) their abilities, then I'll restrict them more.

Dian

[toturi]

Anyways, in the end, as a GM, my job is to cater to the wishes of the players and to make sure everyone is happy. I've seen many times in the past how a few players with noticeably lower power, or worse skills in min-maxing, have ended up frustrated and bored.

Some games reward players who spend time and effort to make use of the system, other games try to minimise the effect of superior system knowledge and reward in-game creativity.

Personally I rather have a game where the ability to game the system as well as in-game creativity are rewarded.

[bibliophile20]

Some games reward players who spend time and effort to make use of the system, other games try to minimise the effect of superior system knowledge and reward in-game creativity.

Personally I rather have a game where the ability to game the system as well as in-game creativity are rewarded.

There's another classification in there, where neither the ability to game the system or creativity are rewarded, but this isn't the board to discuss D&D 4th Ed...   

[newtinmpls]

I think any game has a learning curve, and just about every GM has various house rules. I'll be happier with the Dresdenverse situation when I'm comfortable enough with it to tweak it.

[sinker]

Well, the sponsored rules are a bit unclear here.  The only official debt all sponsors grant is for invoking aspects.  There's a sidebar on downbelow helping to power spells, but nothing that says this is generally allowed...oddly enough.

I would like to point out that at no point in that side bar is downbelow ever mentioned. It is entitled "the dark powers are always willing to help" but really dark powers could describe a lot of different things (the fey seem pretty dark to me). For that matter in the sidebar it simply refers to the practitioner's sponsor. However it doesn't say that it can allow one to cast without stress, merely that a single point of debt can add two shifts to a spell. I suppose one might extrapolate that one could cast a two shift spell for only a single debt, or a four shift spell for two, etc.

[Drachasor]

I would like to point out that at no point in that side bar is downbelow ever mentioned. It is entitled "the dark powers are always willing to help" but really dark powers could describe a lot of different things (the fey seem pretty dark to me). For that matter in the sidebar it simply refers to the practitioner's sponsor. However it doesn't say that it can allow one to cast without stress, merely that a single point of debt can add two shifts to a spell. I suppose one might extrapolate that one could cast a two shift spell for only a single debt, or a four shift spell for two, etc.

The example they give in that sidebar is rather explicit.  They say if you have to take a 4-stress mental hit to cast a spell, you can take no hit and instead incur two debt.

I just find it odd considering the yellow boxes are typically optional rules or just a more in-depth explanation of a mentioned mechanic.  Taking a debt for anything except invoking an aspect isn't mentioned anywhere but that box...I dislike that.  Further adding to my annoyance is how it says "sometimes" you can do that...as if implying it is some sort of special occasion.  Capping it off is that allowing that in general makes sponsored magic REALLY powerful compared to non-sponsored magic, since you can potentially double the spells you can cast.

[bitterpill]

Sponsored Magic should potent, but a limit of debt is pretty strong in its own right, most GM rule there is a finite amount of debt before you get cut off and having more than a point or two can come in the way of fate point acquisition so it balances out.

[BumblingBear]

I think that if a PC is incurring tons and tons of debt, they are not doing their job RPing (because most people generally don't like to be controlled like a puppet) and the GM is not doing his or her job (because sponsor compels are freaking easy and super fun).

If I use sponsored magic in a fight and pay sponsor debt points for more power, I usually get compels during that fight - at least during that session.

Part of the ease of doing this is to make a writeup detailing the sponsor, what kind of magic is granted, what possible compels there are, etc.

My character's sponsor is a polynesian goddess who gave him an obsidian knife when he got his IOP and his sponsored abilities.  He's a combat evocator, but one of his most common compels are to use the knife to attack instead of spells.

Another one that he gets a lot is to burn things, especially before and after combat.  This can be a problem when the things being burned may contain evidence.

[newtinmpls]

Question to anyone: how do you do the 'paying' of the aquired debt? Ideas, suggestions??

Pretty please?

Dian

[MijRai]

Question to anyone: how do you do the 'paying' of the aquired debt? Ideas, suggestions??

Pretty please?

Dian

You fufill the Sponsor's Agenda. For the Winter Queen, you'd be doing you Knightly duties. Harry's use of Hellfire would be paid with coming closer to taking the coin, while a Denarian's Hellfire would be paid off with acts of flat evil/taking out risks to their operation. Magic sponsored by Camazotz would probably require blood sacrifice, a nature deity may want you to help protect the rainforest or something, etc.

[sinker]

Harry's use of hellfire was also paid for by his increasingly difficult to deal with temper. That whole scene with his little ball of sunshine was likely a debt compel.

So yeah, it can be paid back one of two ways. By actively helping your sponsor/furthering their agenda (I.E. Elane acting as summer's emmisary). Or by acting in a way that is aligned with their nature in a way that complicates things (I.E. a Kemmlerian Necromancer treating others with cold disregard for life).