Creative solutions to lethal problems. Options

[Hagga]

What are some of the best you've seen in your games? Or even non lethal.

I had a player, a mage who did not know how to cast Levitate, cast physical barrier at low force repeatedly in order to slow his fall by crashing through it. He was nearly dead at the end, but hey, he survived a fall from a plane that was airborne.

[killfr3nzy]

Wow, ok. That was cunning. Only, if you can make a barrier hang in mid-air, why not just make a strong one to support you for longer? So you can descend in a more controlled way?
Makes more sense (I think) from a player perspective. Possibly - possibly not, to a guy falling through the sky.

As for contributing, well I've never played, so all I got is theories. Apologies in advance. Now, let me search through CunningPlans.txt

[ Spoiler ]

Fun with Watchers (of Possession)
Most of these potentially 'abuse' the fact that Watchers are low-Drain Spirits without a Service limit.
~ Unco-operative, idiotic or 'delicate' extractee? Possess him. Now all his stats are +1, his armour is up by +2 (Hardened), and he'll follow you around like a lost (if half-trained) puppy. Of course, if he gets hit by a spell you're probably screwed, but really - if that happens the run's likely shot anyway.
~ Hacker need to fend off attacks in full-VR? Mage leave his shoes behind? Face bleeding on the pavement? Left the Drono-chair behind? Possess them. Most of the same points as above.
~ Wagemage getting you down? Whip up a Carrionette, Attune it to the slot, and send it to Track down his meat. Once you have it under your control, threaten him to back off if he wants to live for longer than a few hours - or just use his body to rampage on unsuspecting Mundane's (depending on your player's take on 'proportionate response').

[Sesix]

Wow, ok. That was cunning. Only, if you can make a barrier hang in mid-air, why not just make a strong one to support you for longer? So you can descend in a more controlled way?
Makes more sense (I think) from a player perspective. Possibly - possibly not, to a guy falling through the sky.

Because of the velocity. If he made it too solid he would splatter on it just as if he hit the ground.

[Karoline]

Because of the velocity. If he made it too solid he would splatter on it just as if he hit the ground.

Unless he thought of it right away, in which case he would have slid right off it because planes go several hundred KPH. And even then, he'd be thousands of feet up in the air, and thus have to make thousands of barriers to go down stair like.

It is perhaps somewhat questionable if a barrier could be made 'soft' enough to break your fall without killing you (Water is quite as bad as the ground when falling at terminal velocity), but it's SR, so sure, why not. I'd have it work just for creative thinking.

Afraid I can't think of any similar situations though.

[Hagga]

Unless he thought of it right away, in which case he would have slid right off it because planes go several hundred KPH. And even then, he'd be thousands of feet up in the air, and thus have to make thousands of barriers to go down stair like.

It is perhaps somewhat questionable if a barrier could be made 'soft' enough to break your fall without killing you (Water is quite as bad as the ground when falling at terminal velocity), but it's SR, so sure, why not. I'd have it work just for creative thinking.

Afraid I can't think of any similar situations though.

Rule of cool trumps rules for me, I'm afraid. As long as they can mostly justify it.

[Udoshi]

Sadly, Fun With Watchers doesn't work.

I approve the idea, and think its hilarious, but watcher spirits do not have Materialization on their listed abilities, and thusly do not swap the ability out for Possession(SM 34), because they don't have the original ability to swap.

Instead, watcher spirits Manifest(like a mage. Spirits can do this, 4a 186). I know, i know, silly M-words that do almost the same thing. Easy to mix up.

[Doc Chaos]

Rule of cool trumps rules for me, I'm afraid. As long as they can mostly justify it.

/signed

[Neraph]

Sadly, Fun With Watchers doesn't work.

I approve the idea, and think its hilarious, but watcher spirits do not have Materialization on their listed abilities, and thusly do not swap the ability out for Possession(SM 34), because they don't have the original ability to swap.

Instead, watcher spirits Manifest(like a mage. Spirits can do this, 4a 186). I know, i know, silly M-words that do almost the same thing. Easy to mix up.

There's an optional rule for that in Street Magic.

I had a player, a mage who did not know how to cast Levitate, cast physical barrier at low force repeatedly in order to slow his fall by crashing through it. He was nearly dead at the end, but hey, he survived a fall from a plane that was airborne.

Someone's read the first Dresden novel, eh?

EDIT: Actually, it's page 10 of the Digital Grimoire where possessing Watcher Spirits is listed.

[Udoshi]

EDIT: Actually, it's page 10 of the Digital Grimoire where possessing Watcher Spirits is listed.

What? No. Attuned Watcher Spirits get their summoner's Magic as a bonus dice to track a specific person. It doesn't give them Materialization(or possession). Did you mean another rule somewhere?

[Sephiroth]

What? No. Attuned Watcher Spirits get their summoner's Magic as a bonus dice to track a specific person. It doesn't give them Materialization(or possession). Did you mean another rule somewhere?

Sir, you're going to have to bust out your copy of Street Magic (mine's at a player's house). I don't remember the page, but somewhere in SM, probably in the Spirits chapter, under the bolded title Corps Cadavres and Living Dolls, it specifically states that the watcher spirits of Possession traditions are a bit more useful than the other watchers; they have the Possession power, as well as a 1 in Perception and Artisan.

[jakephillips]

To stop from falling if there was enough time I would summon an air spirit and have it carry me safely to earth.

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

Sir, you're going to have to bust out your copy of Street Magic (mine's at a player's house). I don't remember the page, but somewhere in SM, probably in the Spirits chapter, under the bolded title Corps Cadavres and Living Dolls, it specifically states that the watcher spirits of Possession traditions are a bit more useful than the other watchers; they have the Possession power, as well as a 1 in Perception and Artisan.

It is on Page 95, of Street Magic. Spirits and Vessels Heading, Under the topic of Optional Rule: Corpse Cadavers and Living Dolls. (IMG:style_emoticons/default/smokin.gif)

[Tymeaus Jalynsfe...]

To stop from falling if there was enough time I would summon an air spirit and have it carry me safely to earth.

Would really suck if you tanked the roll and received no successes from the spirit, or knocked yourself out through Drain... that is a quick way to end a character... but then again, falling from a Plane without the Levitate Spell sucks too... (IMG:style_emoticons/default/wobble.gif)

[Neraph]

What? No. Attuned Watcher Spirits get their summoner's Magic as a bonus dice to track a specific person. It doesn't give them Materialization(or possession). Did you mean another rule somewhere?

Mah bad. I glanced at the page, saw something about watcher spirits and resolving possession next to each other.

It is on Page 95, of Street Magic. Spirits and Vessels Heading, Under the topic of Optional Rule: Corpse Cadavers and Living Dolls.

Beat me by a half hour. Drat.

[killfr3nzy]

So yeah, if there's still confusion, I used two different optional rules:
~ Watchers of Possession (SM)
~ Attuned Watchers (DG)

My bad for not opening with that. And with falling from a plane, well.... *cough*flunkedscience*cough*. Basically, I figured there were better ways to do it than voluntarily upping the amount of walls you had to shatter with your face - especially when the only thing guarenting your success is terminal velocity.
Either way, I think the PC would have burned at least one Edge. But clearly fun was had by all, and it makes a good story to post of ShadowSEA.

[czarcasm]

What are some of the best you've seen in your games? Or even non lethal.

I had a player, a mage who did not know how to cast Levitate, cast physical barrier at low force repeatedly in order to slow his fall by crashing through it. He was nearly dead at the end, but hey, he survived a fall from a plane that was airborne.

Maybe the less painful way to do it is to use barrier to make a giant slide that would gradually reduce your downward velocity. Of course, this maneuver probably vastly exceeds the maximum area of barrier that the spell can create.

[Karoline]

Maybe the less painful way to do it is to use barrier to make a giant slide that would gradually reduce your downward velocity. Of course, this maneuver probably vastly exceeds the maximum area of barrier that the spell can create.

I so want to create a variant barrier spell that creates giant slides now. Think of the applications at a theme park! Ooo, carny mage!

[Ascalaphus]

It reminds me of the time I tried this IRL. I'd learned to skate, but not how to brake. So I'd skated up the road on a small hill, and I wanted to get back down. And the only way I could come up with to avoid going faster and faster, was to drop down on the road every 50m or so. After a couple of times I broke my wrist.