Redwolf's Journal (continued)

So, we got our first significant (I believe) milestone - another skill point and a chance to rearrange a few things if desired, but not actually another point of refresh. To me, this technically occurred when the group reached safety after the ferry raid at the end of the previous session. For better or worse, advancement in the system seems fairly slow by default. Our other wizard player missed the one session that got me thinking outside the safe-and-sound box as far as casting goes. My instinct with evocation is to not go over Conviction/Discipline, so as to keep the chance of cleanly casting good with only one mental stress as a payment. But working around the ferry, and especially fleeing at the end, got me thinking "well...it's only stress and consequences." If you need a big effect, that may well be worth it - better to take down someone who's going to beat you to a pulp than plink at them while the inflict... stress and consequences on you. Casting over Co...

So we're playing and things are going a little stutteringly here and there, with people finishing up characters and GM inexperience. But it's been entertaining. We've been running into issues with self-compelling, though... Some of the self-initiated compels really seem... weak to me. But I can't help but wonder if things would be going differently with a less scattered plot. Example 1: Spiritual toughs start showing up. Two group members veil from view. Two remain in sight to assess/talk. Talk doesn't last long as the native spirit-types are just pissy. Bear shifter charges! One veiled characters steps out to intercept and attack, quoting their 'Got your back!' aspect. Question arises whether this actually complicates things enough to qualify as a compel. In a lot of ways, it seems like just taking advantage of the situation, as the 'enemies' have already committed to attacking. Example 2: Bear is clubbed unconscious, fight gets more complic...

Grrr. Frustrating when program installs do not work as presented. Otherwise, the work week has been busy, but not overwhelming. It sure doesn't feel like it was only 4 days, though. Tonight, thanks to gabefinder I get to go see the Saltfire Circus - a group of stage performers. I think they're doing some sort of "twisted fairy tales" thing, though I'm not altogether sure what to expect, honestly. It should be entertaining for the evening, though. Last night, we squeezed in a partial-group session of the Dresden Files RPG. My character creation was crammed. The GM lacks experience. Still, it was fun. A little fast and loose with the character creation phases, are we. At least so far. I crammed in a background, formative events, and first adventure while whipping up an FBI agent who's discovering his inheritted magical talents, thusfar in the area of talismancy. I misread, things, though, and should have left that phase 3/first adventure more open for an...