Orbius just gave me an idea!

[The Mighty Buzzard]

Everyone else is wanting to munchkin up then.  As written it is only a block on breathing.  Well, and possibly scratching an itch underneath it.

I really don't have an issue with blocking breathing doing one resistible stress per round.  Thematically, it's sound and arguably mechanically sound since spells are allowed to block things other than movement and damage, like perception, sight, etc...  The breathing thing sounds like it should be a rarely used side rule like falling but they didn't expect it to come up often enough to bother.

Personally, I don't allow truly universal blocks or grapples because I've yet to hear an argument for one that can block a non-spoken spell being cast by non-mental means other than running water or those annoying shackles.  Also, I'm not that particular on how a block is described but I do require that it be described and I don't let fire-and-forget evocation do complete grapples (ones with all the grapple aspects) at all because it's outside their scope.

[sinker]

To be honest I'm not arguing that Orbius isn't ridiculous. I was simply wondering what anyone thought of the idea of using a magic offensive block to move a target, since I haven't ever stumbled on any other way to move an unwilling (or willing for that matter) target with magic in the RAW. Does it seem balanced as far as shifts to effect (considering that at best you can only move someone the number of zones equal to the amount of duration)? Is there another way to move someone (I've always hated the whole 1 zone per shift thing as it seems like not enough shifts for the effect)?

[The Mighty Buzzard]

Roll it as a grapple as far as that goes?  One zone per exchange unless you clear their defense roll by enough shifts to justify treating it as Inhuman/Supernatural/Mythic Strength.  I mean it's not like they can't declare+tag something to grab on to for help resisting even if they have no other appropriate aspects to invoke.

[Sanctaphrax]

@The Mighty Buzzard:

I don't think the people reading Orbius as a block against everything are trying to munchkin up. They just read that it's a grapple and go from there.

It's more reasonable (but still slightly broken and a bad precedent and so on) the way you interpret it.

[The Mighty Buzzard]

@The Mighty Buzzard:

I don't think the people reading Orbius as a block against everything are trying to munchkin up. They just read that it's a grapple and go from there.

It's more reasonable (but still slightly broken and a bad precedent and so on) the way you interpret it.

They're skimming rather than reading then.

[Tedronai]

Or are reading the rules portion as superseding the fluff description in circumstances when they would seem to contradict each other...

ie. Orbius says that it blocks breathing
Orbius says that it is adjudicated as a grapple
Grapples are a block against all actions
Orbius blocks all(/most) actions

...which is then easily justified in the fluff by explaining that, for most people, being suddenly and unexpectedly prevented from breathing will quickly induce a panic which will in turn prevent you from doing much of anything else effectively.  Maintaining one's calm long enough to act allows for easy removal of the condition (via a hasty circle, simply prying the gunk off, or by some other means) as represented by its (relatively) low block strength.

[sinker]

Good lord it is impossible to get you guys to stay on topic for even a second if Orbius has been mentioned.

Not really interested in how to balance Orbius. Just wondering if people think that a magic offensive block/grapple is a decent way to move a target, or if there is another way people have come up with other than the Rick Neal version (where one shift=one zone).

[Watson]

Not really interested in how to balance Orbius. Just wondering if people think that a magic offensive block/grapple is a decent way to move a target, or if there is another way people have come up with other than the Rick Neal version (where one shift=one zone).

Yes, I think that magic offensive block/grapple could work to move a target (as I wrote on the first page). I am also using house rules for an Evocation Move action.

[The Mighty Buzzard]

Good lord it is impossible to get you guys to stay on topic for even a second if Orbius has been mentioned.

Not really interested in how to balance Orbius. Just wondering if people think that a magic offensive block/grapple is a decent way to move a target, or if there is another way people have come up with other than the Rick Neal version (where one shift=one zone).

Well of course it's fine for that.  Too many canon examples for it to be otherwise.  Harry's ventas servitas, Kumori's book yoink, bowling for vampires, loup garou as a wrecking ball, Eb's I see London, I see France, I see Lara's lack of underpants...

Offensive block and/or grapple seems about the only way to do it via the RAW, so that's where it goes.

[sinker]

I am also using house rules for an Evocation Move action.

How do you work that out?

[Sanctaphrax]

Apologies.

I stand by what I said in my first post.

It's a good idea that will not work as well as one might hope because it's built on rotten foundations.

[TheBiggs]

Couldn't you try it with a maneuver as well ? Gust of wind aspect, invoke for effect to push ?

[The Mighty Buzzard]

Couldn't you try it with a maneuver as well ? Gust of wind aspect, invoke for effect to push ?

I don't see why not.  Free tag for effect though since you placed the aspect on the target(s).

[Watson]

How do you work that out?

I will create a new thread for this.