PC v NPC aspects

[Chriscdoa]

Why are player aspects so bad?

A starting player will have a net 0 on physical, 0 on mental and then an extra +2 for a net +2 on aspects. As you go through your destiny you can get +1 per stage. So a character who has finished their destiny could have +7 right?

 

Yet a minion gunslinger has +4 P and +4 M for a +8 total. Better than any PC can ever have. 

A Harlot has -1 P but +6 M.

The magistrate has -3 P but a massive + 10 M.

 

Now PCs can have better skills, but if they are only on par with minion commoners stat-wise how are they expected to compete with any NPC at anything?

 

On a similar note, why do PCs have to take evade, centering and toughness skills to avoid having terrible Df, Wp and Wd? It's basically a tax on new players. 

 

[Shadowopal]

Remember the pc is adding a flip to the total whereas the npc only adds their rank bonus which for most minions is 4-6. Believe me. The PCS don't need much help.

[Brewmaster]

For the first question, the big advantage for the PCs is that their final duel totals can change wildly. The Fatemaster's numbers don't change, and the Fated characters have a deck of cards, and a twist deck. If you assume a moderately statted character (2 Aspect, 3 skill), they can handle challenging TNs. It's also worth noting the extraneous modifiers that players can get through creative roleplay.

 

For the second bit, players don't HAVE to get those skills, or Aspects to get optimized defenses. One of the benefits of how this systems works is that it's not completely centered on "Dungeon Crawl Destroy All Monsters". Players are encouraged to build to a character concept, and the system allows for that by not being completely centered on COMBAT combat. 

[Chriscdoa]

while you are both correct in a normal game, if you use malifaux skirmish rules, not so much.

 

And since my players like combat, yes they do need those skills. But to have to buy 3 skills to not have awful Defense, willpower and Wounds seems Harsh. Luckily this is all easily houseruled.

[zeeblee]

Without giving the FM their own fate deck (TTB system) the game is balanced heavily in favor of the PCs.  I can't comment on using the skirmish system instead.

 

Just theorizing I would assume giving a deck to the FM would buff Peons and Minions, but actually overall debuff Enforcers, Henchman, and Masters ("average" pull from the deck being 7), but giving the FM a twist hand kind of muddles that up.