PDA

View Full Version : [Dresden Files RPG] Wizarding limitations.



Obscurejones
2010-09-02, 11:19 PM
Alright, I know it's a fairly new system but I gotta question and you guys have never let me down.

A spellcaster takes at least one mental stress every time he calls up an evocation. They also have a maximum of four mental stress boxes. Can they only cast four spells before getting taken out? This seems ridiculously weak.

Hal
2010-09-03, 05:46 AM
I'm still learning the system myself, but IIRC, you can take damage beyond your stresses, though you'll accrue consequences for doing so. In addition, there are a few ways of removing stresses or extending your stress limits related to invoking an aspect.

You might want to take that with a grain of salt.

Kiero
2010-09-03, 05:52 AM
Stress is temporary, it disappears at the end of a conflict.

Furthermore, you can choose to absorb Consequences (which take a little longer to disappear) in place of taking Stress.

But yes, you can't simply blast away willy-nilly in a conflict and hope to win out that way.

ninja_penguin
2010-09-03, 06:50 AM
Yeah, wizards and the like with channelling and evocation are semi-glass cannons. They can only cast a few spells before they've racked up most of their mental stress.

A few ways to get around this:

1. If you're high discipline, cast something big a couple of times. If that 1-stress rote was going to bump your stress up to three full boxes, than cast something that would check off your stress-3 box to begin with.

2. Keep in mind that if you're doing pure Weapon:X evocation, you're actually flinging around a rather insane attack rating at this point in time. Pistols are weapon: 2, rifles are weapon: 3. Weapon:4 is rated for explosives and 'battlefield weaponry'. Now keep in mind that a caster with Conviction and Discipline of 4 can toss out a weapon: 4 or higher attack without much trouble.

3. If you're casting higher than you're conviction, it's most efficient for you to take feedback to your physical stress track, to avoid dumping your mental track early.

4. This is more of a point for the GMs, but most of your enemies won't be taking consequences all the way to extreme. Heck, guys who allowed to take minor consequences are intended to be Named guys, like Hendricks. And only the super-villian that the players have been fighting forever are supposed to go all the way to severe consequences. (And i think that extreme consequences are player exclusive, and not to be messed with trivially).

5. Also, always bring your backup weapon. Fists, weaponry, or guns, stick it in there somewhere. Some things are immune to magic. But I have yet to see weezard who can outsmart boolet.


Edit-6: Also, enchanted items, if you leave a slot or two open for them. You can have some sort of backup magical derringer for when you really need an effect, but might not have the stress for it.

7: Don't forget to tag your aspects.