Alissa Jordan-Wright

Roger, I'll keep the thread updated then. Not right now, though, and won't finalize what I was thinking about her quite now either. RL stuff, will come back to MW later or tomorrow.

Major retooling will come to Alissa in the next few days, as I have time. Concept and aspects will remain the same, but I will re-write the background to fit better with the new aspects, and finish the rest of the stuff on my side.

Ruben, what do you think of Alissa being able to create/build electronic stuff to suffuse her own weaknesses? I'm thinking stuff like garlic+holy water grenades, flashbangs, messing with electronic devices to adapt them, etc. Would this be feasible, with the proper skills? I was thinking of making her last concept be "It's Techno-magic!", for that matter, so that's why I'm asking.

While some items might be feasible (though getting Holy Water is a little tough) with some proper home cooking, magic in the Dresdenverse does not play well with technology. At all. Chances are that anything requiring circuit boards and such would short out upon contact with any sort of moderately supernatural critter. And the more jurry-rigged the device, the quicker it's going to fail. Especially when she starts hanging out with a wizard-in-training and a spell-slinging changeling.

Now, if you're keen on playing an inventor type you might start looking at the Ritual (Crafting) power. There's a ready made group in the Aurelianic Association if you want a group or need a tutor. Said items might even incorporate "technology," but in that case it would be more of a magical paradigm than any real technology.

And for just a few points you can really get a lot of one-use items. The Ritual power nets you 4 enchanted item slots, all of which are rated in power at your lore. An application of Refinement will net you an additional 4 enchanted item slots, giving you 8 total slots for only 3 refresh.

Which is one way to go. If you don't want to take a power, the types of devices you'll be making will be decidedly low-tech in approach. Think super-soakers filled with liquids, not flash bomb grenades. More chemistry and less engineering. Doing this would require a good Craftsmanship skill and probably a custom stunt.

That and I'm not saying that she can't create electronic devices - only that they're probably going to short out after one use, at best. More than likely they'll never really work when she needs them.

Thus why the Aspect, Techno-magic, to tilt things in her favour....

But bleh, chemistry sucks. Idea scrapped.

Hmmm... If your worry is combat, I don't think she'll be useless: she can use declarations and maneuvers, she just has to get a bit creative, and play to her strengths.

That was kind of the point of the gadgets. To help with manoeuvres and declarations.

There's a reason we don't see mortal guys in Dresden going against supernaturals... Or, when they do it, they get their arse kicked big time.

You can raise guns a little, and compound tags and invocations... Or even better, be a "leader" kind of thing, using maneuvers and declarations to help others. There'll be an even mix of encounters and task, and none of us are going to be useless at anything, with a little creativity, and we can help ooc. I know I will want suggestions on the magic usage from time to time, as I'd like to use Kat more subtly than a girly green lantern

This is entirely true. I'd point out a few things that Alissa has in her favor.

• The most fate points in the entire group. She'll be able to invoke her aspects much more often than everyone else and she'll have less need to take compels. Of all the characters she's the one with the most "free will."
• High knowledge skills. If you find a way to put Lore onto your list (and Finely Tuned Third Eye would be a great stunt) she'll be able to make declarations and assessments like a champ. And when you discover or place a new aspect on a character it creates a free tag. She might not be fighting things directly, but she'll be handing out free tags to the heavy hitters in the group (or taking them herself). That's a free +2 bonus a lot of times, which is huge in fate.
• Finally, remember the old saying: God created men, but Samuel Colt made them equal. A large handgun deals 2 stress on a hit, and few things are outright immune to bullets. Guns are nothing to sneeze at in this game (indeed, Harry Dresden wisely carries one himself) and are great equalizers. Damage and combat are fairly abstracted in FATE and I think she'll do fine.

Karrin Murphy would like a word with you. As would Charity Carpenter.