Just noticed in the last game session how ridiculously low creature power penetration is. The total is Might Score - 5 x Might Points spent + Penetration. So a demon with Might 15 who activates a 2-point power has a penetration of a meager 5.
Is this supposed to work out like this? I feel there should at the least be a stress die in this total somewhere, since Magi also get to add one to their casting totals (which increases penetration). The multiplier is also pretty harsh.
Buy down the cost. Buy up Penetration. It is also suggested that you might allow Spell Mastery for powers, in which case you could choose the penetration option.
Chris
The short answer is.... yes.
Parma is King. Period. The main reason that membership in the order became such an appealing thing was that Parma was just so, so, so powerful. It redefines what counts as a credible threat.
Demons are still trouble, however, because of the ease with which they can use indirect attacks, especially using mundanes as proxies.
Demons are often also able to attack with swords or by dropping rocks etc.
Don't worry. Even if they can't beat parma, there are still plenty of ways a demon can leave you very dead very quickly.
Or they can just forgo powers and tear you to ribbons with there bare hands. Most magical creatures don't have to penetrate to touch you. (or gore you, or claw your eyes out.)
Just for reference: I houseruled this by adding a stress die to creature power penetration. Works well so far.
Demons might not be the biggest threat (even might 40 can at best get penetration 40 and likely 30 or 35 for the big powers against any magi with experience but they can stil to a lot by targeting grogs until the parma is shared and then going for the magi with the weakened parma. They have claws, they can't be detected or targeted with magic if they go incorporeal.
They can possess grogs and then have grogs attack. they can strike deals with people including grogs and companions and then have them attack, undermind or harm the magi.
All the demon has to do is fine one weakwilled grog and make a bargain to get him to bring the demon an aegis token and the demon is free to do as it wishes in the covenant and the mages can't uninvite him since they don't know he is there.
If your magi are leaving their Aegis tokens lying around where the maid can get it and take it to her demonic overlord, then they deserve to get got. Imo.
Never underestimate the cleverness of a grog. It is amazing what they can get into if tempted.
"... if they are formally invited by one who participated in its casting and given a token ..."
Just don't let grogs participate and you're safe.
This is correct. In RAW creatures are very binary in their powers. Either they can affect the magus with the power or they can't. Low Might creatures and High Might Cost powers are often not able to Penetrate a magi's Magic Resistance.
Although remember that creatures may have a bonus to Penetration and magi may have a penalty to Magic Resistance depending on the aura. So, if a magus is fighting a demon in an infernal aura, the net effect is that the demon gets a 2xaura bonus to his Penetration (and the magus gets a 2xpenalty to his Penetration). Fighting an angel in a divine aura: net effect is that the angel gets a 4xaura Penetration bonus. Fighting a faerie in a faerie aura: net effect is that the faerie gets a (1/2)xaura bonus to Penetration.
Also, remember that creatures may have a Penetration Ability, and can thus collect Arcane Connections to the magi to gain bonuses to Penetration. Even a creature that is first aware of the magi when they madly leap into his liar has this possibility. As blood is an Arcane Connection. So, after one successful melee attack, the creature can use the blood on his claws as a Penetration bonus.