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Old 07-25-2017, 09:37 AM   #27
vicky_molokh
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Default Re: my new campaign ideas

Quote:
Originally Posted by whswhs View Post
That last definitely sounds overambitious. What I would expect from a combat, especially a combat with a major foe, is not doing away with it, or even incapacitating it, with one strike, but exchanging blows for several rounds.

A skill buff requires three successes for three levels and one for a scene duration—but you could go for a modest buff of one level and only need two total successes. So I'm calling that "overambitious" too.
Well, at that point, it seems like mundane methods would be more efficient than magic - if you don't go over a half-dozen successes. Especially if you waste one success just to target an enemy within line of sight, which means much of the time your 2-4 levels aren't even sufficient to get past the Soak of WoD's typical combat-oriented supernaturals.

Quote:
Originally Posted by whswhs View Post
As for mind reading, deep reading someone's mind is specified in Mage 2/e as three successes. I would take it that reading surface thoughts is easier, maybe two successes. And deep reading someone's mind in a single action really seems like it's getting into "impressive feats for powerful mages." As for mind changing, I'm fine with that being hard to do; I've seen too often how easily cheap mind alteration can wreck a scenario.
Ah, but non-mook enemies can make a Willpower roll to resist, negating 1-10 successes depending on their roll.

Quote:
Originally Posted by whswhs View Post
A newly Awakened mage, with maybe three arete max, will need to exercise ingenuity, to come up with ways to gain an edge rather than driving over the scenario in a steamroller or a main battle tank. And I think that's what the rules system is optimized for. Though presumably you can play a Deeply Scary Sorcerer if the Storyteller lets you have more freebie points or higher starting levels.
Oh, ingenuity is certainly required. Mages are very weak when confronting their foes face to face - assuming that 'enemies' covers most other supernaturals. Vampires and weres are quite tough, and even Technocracy HITMARKs aren't a laughing matter when faced. Thing is, for most expressions of Mage-style indirect approaches that capitalize on what makes Mages different from other supernaturals, 1-3 successes is very little.
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