Gaming Outpost Discussions

Gaming Outpost Discussions » Recent Posts http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/ Gaming Outpost Discussions » Recent Posts en-US Thu, 11 Mar 2010 23:19:25 +0000 http://bbpress.org/?v=1.0.2 <![CDATA[Search]]> q http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/search.php JohnA1nut on "John 2 John" http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/topic/john-2-john/page/3#post-17372 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 17:08:49 +0000 JohnA1nut 17372@http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/ <blockquote>You can fight this, pushing yourself upright, but it really is more comfortable having the pressure squeeze your legs than your head. </blockquote> I wouldn't even try to fight it. If anything, I'd go with it. I know where and what I am now, and if this is what mommy wants me to do, I'm not going to resist. I was wondering how that happened. <blockquote>There is a feeling in one direction, which is usually toward your back, of something like a pillow. It seems gradually to inflate and grow harder over the course of several hours until it is impinging on your space; then it abruptly deflates in seconds, vanishing entirely, and then over several hours repeats the cycle. </blockquote> Her bladder maybe? <blockquote>I try not to answer questions that are not relevant to current situations because I don't want to be committed to the consequences of those answers later. </blockquote> I understand. It was just driving me nuts. I would have expected her to examine the trench coat in particular a lot more closely. It's some kind of material she's never seen before. The resistance thinks something is coming for her. Wouldn't it be prudent to send body armor? It's even got a place inside to carry the shotgun, and the shotgun was there when she got it. I would have thought she would examine that and determine what it was capable of doing. If a knife didn't go through it, maybe a bullet wouldn't either, is what I would be thinking. MJ, I have a personal favor to ask. I hope it's not too much. My birthday really is on Saturday. It would just mean the world to me if he was born on my birthday. I don't know why, it just would. Would it be too much to ask for you to come back and answer the birth post on Saturday? I realize this would be slighting the other players if you only answered me, but consider it a special birthday present. Please?????? (Doing Therapy) M. J. Young on "Ending a Decade Behind the Screens" http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/topic/ending-a-decade-behind-the-screens/page/8#post-17371 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:49:21 +0000 M. J. Young 17371@http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/ Things are happening for Eli, Michael, Ahemtia, Kurt, Nikolaj, and John 2. Let's see what kinds of things. Eli gets a better look around his location as he gathers his gear. He has yet to look up, but that's not that important. Michael uses the psi rifle at point blank range at a man-sized target, and his first roll is 49. He gets +20 for point blank, no size penalty, 2@1 BRA, 1@10 RSV, 1@3 SAL, and the targets are designed to have a relatively small TV, 0@7, so he's going to hit on the first try. That will also give him another increase in SAL, for using another force generative device, 1@4 Operate Force Generative Psionic Device P1@8 (capture rod, psi drill, psi blaster, psi rifle). Ahmetia has a ride ahead of her. The condition of Harry the Cat was dictated by a GE roll of 27 back on February 15th; but there remains the questions of whether the guard knows anything about the cat and whether anyone is caring for him. For this, we'll give another GE roll, and with a 28 it's still bad. No one has seen Kurt's cat. Hopefully that lack of information won't prevent him from having dinner. It has been a pleasure having Nikolaj back on the boards for a time, and my closing post on his thread will very cleverly ask him to recap the subject of the past few posts so that when he returns we'll both be brought back up to speed. John 2 is about to be born. It will take another day, though. --M. J. Young M. J. Young on "John 2 John" http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/topic/john-2-john/page/3#post-17370 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:48:54 +0000 M. J. Young 17370@http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/ You gather from the snippets of information you collect that your mother is very nearly ready to give birth, and is heading to New Mexico so you will be born in the United States at an American hospital. Those contractions, as you rightly call them, are coming more frequently, and they are very uncomfortable pushing against your head. As you flinch from them, you find yourself being inverted, moved upside down. You can fight this, pushing yourself upright, but it really is more comfortable having the pressure squeeze your legs than your head. Either way, you're bunched up in a tight ball at this point, and can't stretch out without great effort. There is a feeling in one direction, which is usually toward your back, of something like a pillow. It seems gradually to inflate and grow harder over the course of several hours until it is impinging on your space; then it abruptly deflates in seconds, vanishing entirely, and then over several hours repeats the cycle. I try not to answer questions that are not relevant to current situations because I don't want to be committed to the consequences of those answers later. If the answer does not need to be decided now, deciding it now only makes things more difficult. --M. J. Young M. J. Young on "Nikolaj Rising" http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/topic/nikolaj-rising/page/13#post-17369 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:31:36 +0000 M. J. Young 17369@http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/ The game probably will still await when you return. Meanwhile, I'll post so you have something to which to respond whenever that happens. Mr. Kucher shrugs. "Well, you're not understanding the problem; but then, it's not really your problem, so I guess there's no reason you should have a solution. If you'll excuse me, work awaits; enjoy your meal." He departs. Kathrine enters a moment later, evidently nervous and excited. "So? What did he say?" --M. J. Young M. J. Young on "Kurtesy Kall: Kurt's Game Continues" http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/topic/kurtesy-kall-kurts-game-continues/page/9#post-17368 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:27:44 +0000 M. J. Young 17368@http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/ He looks puzzled. "I don't think anyone found a cat. Anyway, no one mentioned it to me. I can ask around." Donning the suit, I presume you permit yourself to be escorted politely to an elegant dining room where the table is set for two. There is at least fifteen to twenty feet from your end of the table to the other, and two armed guards in military dress at the door. Steranko enters almost as you do. He is tall, reasonably handsome with solid presence, and a look of intelligence in his eyes. With perfect courtesy, he says, "Ah, Kurt Wright. You're the agent MI-6 sent to protect me and investigate the disappearance of your predecessor, the man they called 'Blade'. Forgive me if I don't offer to shake hands; they tell me you're a very dangerous man. But please, let's be civil about things, shall we? Have a seat. I've ordered Filet de Boef a la Wellington for our repast; I trust that is satisfactory, as I was not able to consult with you concerning the menu. Please, have a seat." He indicates the chair at your end of the room, and moves to his own, waiting politely for you to be seated and then sitting himself. A waiter steps forward with a bottle of wine, and shows it to him. "Yes, that will do nicely. Offer our guest first." The waiter brings the bottle to you and offers to pour. (I don't know whether you know more about wine than I, but take it that this is both a very expensive and entirely appropriate choice of wine for Beef Wellington.) Steranko continues to talk. "I understand you're on loan from America--CIA or NSA or something like that, a deep undercover operative with no traceable background. Yet you and your friends all seem so young." --M. J. Young M. J. Young on "Ahmetia Travels to Ruritania" http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/topic/ahmetia-travels-to-ruritania/page/3#post-17367 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:13:08 +0000 M. J. Young 17367@http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/ "She was drugged, of course. We moved her to a bedroom and left Josef there to watch her. Michelle was here at the coronation, and since no one suspects you are not Rudolpha, she should be fine." When you are dressed, Frieda will call for Colonel Sapt, who will reenter the room, and go to a side panel. This opens with a bit of pressure. "The old king's secret exit," he says. "We have horses waiting in the back garden. We're losing daylight, but we can't very well leave before dark anyway. Don't leave anything important here; you won't be back." He glances at a pocket watch. "Frieda, I should be back before people start asking questions, but if anyone comes to the door tell them the queen is recuperating and not seeing visitors until later." "What if Michelle...?" "I don't care if it's the Pope. No one is admitted until I return with the Queen. "Are you ready?" --M. J. Young M. J. Young on "Mike's Game" http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/topic/mikes-game/page/5#post-17366 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:06:58 +0000 M. J. Young 17366@http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/ Paul is surprised; he says that he's never heard of that happening before, so he's never heard of anyone trying to fix it. He also comments that he only knows a couple of people who ever dabbled with trying to make psionic devices, and they both blew themselves up trying, so he'd prefer it if you did any such tinkering away from the center of the town. The spiders are active when the sun shines. How long it takes to get anywhere depends on how fast you travel. It's sixty miles from Umak Tek to the edge of the Glass City, which is itself twenty-five miles in diameter and a perfect circle, from all reports. Michael's Foxhole is ten miles from here, and the only shelter anyone has mentioned. On the way, the coral bushes are the only serious danger. Creeper Vines are predatory, but unless one somehow gets around your neck it's not a problem. Orange and Yellow Nagas are predatory, but they don't prey on anything as large as people, mostly eating Purple Nagas, although it's probable that the Orange ones also eat creeper vines. Giant Clams are lumbering herbivores, and very skittish--they'll close up for hours if startled--but it would take a real unlikely accident for a person to get swept inside the shell. The bowling alley has a few imperfections; it was made by an amateur using primitive tools, mostly from plastic steel with a bit of kiln-hardened pottery here and there (mostly for weight). But it is functional, if you're not too serious about your game. The targets at the shooting range are something like stop signs of various sizes set at varying distances. None are smaller than a foot across, and some are thrice that. Your first shot hits a target comfortably, knocking it back and causing it to rock forward. (Your plastic steel lumps were fist-sized; these present much larger targets.) --M. J. Young Max on "What I don't like about mixing concentration and chaining" http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/topic/what-i-dont-like-about-mixing-concentration-and-chaining#post-17365 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 16:05:39 +0000 Max 17365@http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/ <blockquote>Thanks for asking, Maxx.</blockquote> You are welcome. I would also like to thank you for answering it. <blockquote>I am glad that you agree with Scott, because he's taking over your game, and I'm not second-guessing his rulings henceforth.</blockquote> I am also looking forward to Scott's ruling. Speaking of that, I also have thought of another way to calculate the chaining using "Concentration storage system" which will deduct appropriate points from the concentration every time the skill is chained and the concentration needed to chain the skill is over the success rate when it does not have any concentration time. For example: 16 minutes concentration skill will have +50SM. The skill without concentration will have 50% success rate. This skill would be a no failure skill if it is done without chaining. 1) The skill is initiated, the person rolled 54. (Excess of 4) This will make the storage for concentration be 50-4=46. (Next success rate is 96) 2) The first time chaining, the person rolled 50. (No excess) So no change in the the storage. (Next success rate is still 96) 3) The second time chaining, the person rolled 96. (Excess of 46) This will empty the storage. (Next success rate is 50) 4) The third time chaining, the person rolled 96 and although it is the same as the previous roll, this is a botch. I think the above can be calculated easily and fit to the mechanics of concentration and chaining. You can also -10SM for every chaining attempt which will make the above scenario like this: 1) The skill is initiated, the person rolled 54. (Excess of 4) This will make the storage for concentration be 50-4-10=36. (Next success rate is 86) 2) The first time chaining, the person rolled 50. (No excess) This will make the storage for concentration be 36-10=26. (Next success rate is 76) 3) The third time chaining, the person rolled 96. The skill fails. I think a high concentration Psi skill will be treated like chaining in bod skills which are related to running skills. A low concentration Psi skill will be treated like chaining in bod skills which are related to walking (or strain-free) skills. ***** <blockquote>The roll will work the device but miss the target, and I'll give him new use for force generative devices.</blockquote> That will raise the success rate to 21% after that right? <blockquote>Note that a botch could mean that the weapon functioned perfectly and he managed to shoot himself in the foot</blockquote> In this case, would that person got a new use on the device or not if this is the first time that person have ever use this kind of device even though that person botch? <blockquote>I've a few more that we can credit to Maxx for forcing me to consider in an earlier thread on a related subject</blockquote> What a coincidence. I seem to attract coincidences. I wonder if that is categorized as alter reality subtly. ***** <blockquote>Still, on some level, the result in this case does not quite seem to follow from the cause, and I'm still wrestling with what, if anything, ought to be done about that.</blockquote> Do you mean you want the result to be more specific? That could be done if you use the bias to only apply to related skill below it but that would make the system to be more complicated. You could draw a bias tree diagram which points to related skill or make a connected skill list but that list will be long. So in the end, it is up to the referee to decide what bias level that have to be used to match a skill. I also wonder if a person who uses a laser blaster can use the high bias to bonus learning of lower bias skill that is not related to it even if the person only have limited knowledge of the laser blaster and have very low bias if not for the laser blaster skill. M. J. Young on "Eli's Coming" http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/topic/elis-coming#post-17364 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:46:51 +0000 M. J. Young 17364@http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/ Actually, the Maglite is the on object that is not immediately surrounding you; it's the one you find when you follow the sense of having left something over there. To get there, you have to walk around a hole in the ground. It's perhaps ten feet square, sharply cut on three sides but with a gentle slope on the fourth. There is a gleam of the reflected moon at the bottom (and there's something odd about that reflection), as if there were a pool. There is also a dark hole in one of the side walls, and what appears to be a dark plaque beside it. You also see another plaque, of sorts: the object sticking up is very like a single post sign, rectangular in shape. As you retrieve the light and shine it about, you see that the sign is beside a pair of parallel paths worn in the grass, perhaps five feet apart. The beam of your flashlight makes the grass itself look orange, the dirt look red-brown like clay. The beam is not powerful enough to illumine anything else, but you still can see significant objects in three directions. Standing with your back to the hills and the hole in front of you, the slope is near you and the hole is on the side to your right; the pool thus is on the far side from you. The sign is also to the right of the pool, on the opposite side (beyond the far right corner from this position). The tracks which begin there head directly to your right, and in the distance there is something reminiscent of Disney's Magic Kingdom, a city, perhaps fifty miles or so distant, of spires rising in the moonlight, gleaming as if of translucent glass or unfaceted gemstone. Straight ahead of you, a similar distance and lining the horizon from end to end in that direction, there appears to be a vast industrial complex--derricks and cranes and other machines, flashes of light illumining and silhouetting these. To your left, considerably closer but still a good day's hike, there is something reminiscent of the sort of forts used by the cavalry in the days of the settling of the wild west: a surrounding fence that might be stockade but that it has a semi-solid quality as if light were shining through it as much as reflecting off it, a gate with a sign over it, and what appears to be a watch tower rising from the middle. That is the direction in which you feel you are supposed to meet someone. --M. J. Young M. J. Young on "Maxximum Reality: Maxx Starts Play" http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/topic/maxximum-reality-maxx-starts-play/page/13#post-17363 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:30:10 +0000 M. J. Young 17363@http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/ Maxx, you actually have two character papers--one for Maxx and one for Morach. I'll post Morach's first: <ul>Name Theian Orlanda Morach a.k.a. Maxx TOM: initials of name, means "Twin" in Greek Attributes Persuasion 1@8 Charisma Animal Magnetism Strength 0@9+3 Stamina 1@3+3 Resistance 1@4+1 Density 1@1 Flexibility 1@10+2 Agility 0@10+3 Hand/Eye 0@10+3 Intellect 1@9 Intuition 1@10 Education Level 2@2 Will Power 1@8 Averaged Attributes Ranged Strike Value Martial Strike Value Target Value Damage Value Best Relevant Attributes Tech Psi 1@10 Mag Bod Bias Tech Psi 11@5 Mag Bod Weaknesses Description Slight preference for left hand, silver hair, violet eyes Skills Tech Psi Familiarity: Theian Orlina Lelach +10; Theian Alanda Morani 2@1 Teaching P0@1 1@6 Meditation P1@0 one minute of mind relaxation gives +RS/10 to immediately subsequent psionic skill attempt, touching hand to head for focus gives +5SM 1@6 Self-Hypnosis P1@0 causes character to feel positive 1@4 Perceive Purpose P1@0 enables user to recognize in detail what a target is doing, e.g., identifying that the target is "looking for something" including what it is he seeks, baseline assumes familiarity with target and one minute of direct observation. Each doubling of observation time grants +10, provided the target is still doing the same thing. Also used to predict response to possible suggestions. 1@3 Understand Interests P1@0 interprets data from tapping visual sensory data to determine the interests and mental conditions of a target creature. 1@9 Read Minds P1@1 used also to obtain mental frequency and explore mental structures, does not tap sensory information directly, does not read how the mind controls the body, can be used via enhanced vision skills (e.g., density vision) 1@7 Enhanced Recollection P1@1 (read minds on self) 1@3 Read Sensory Information Center P1@1 (Visual) 1@3 Read Mind/Body Interface (mental control of actions) P1@1 1@2 Read Sensory Information (Visual) P1@1 with one minute of preparatory concentration +10SM 1@4 Read Sensory Information (Visual) P1@1 with two minutes of preparatory concentration +20SM 1@2 Read Sensory Information (Visual) P1@1 with four minutes of preparatory concentration +30SM 1@8 Telepathy to Humans P1@3 1@5 Telepathy to Animals (and plants) P1@6 includes chain telepathy 1@10 Focus Senses P3@0 sensitivity variant enables sorting specific auditory or other sensory information from background +3 marks 1@2 Locate Telepathically Known Person P3@1 detects the direction of a specified mind provided that mind is known telepathically to the user, +10SM 1@4 Heightened Awareness P3@1 may be rolled to negate surprise 1@4 Detect Materials P3@4 (known patterns: seed mush, fabric, air, water, food in various condition, hair, saliva) 1@3 Clairvoyance P3@6 4:00 prep concentration on target image +20SM 1@3 Read Neural Motor Pattern P3@9 gives perception of the neural process of a targeted physical action in a phantom limb, usable as an example for skill learning purposes 1@1 Tag mind of located hidden subject P3@9 enables the telepathic tagging of the mind of an unfamiliar creature whose position is known but who cannot be viewed because of intervening obstacles. 1@1 Remote tag mind based on sensory information from third-party mind P3@9 1@2 Detect Personal Psi Skill Remaining Durations P3@10 will allow the user to know which of his skills are currently operational and roughly how long they have until they fail if not renewed -15SM 1@1 Haste P4@0 increases speed by RS% 1@3 Enhance Tactile Sense with Auditory P5@1 shuts down auditory sense and feeds sound as tactile impression 1@1 Microscopic Vision P5@1 requires making a ring with fingers to create a focal area, shining a light (which may be the body-generated light of a sprite) on the target area, and must begin with 4:00 concentration, +35SM 1@2 Enhanced Vision P5@1 takes distant or blurry images and processes them into focused images, one per minute for RS minutes, image is still and forms 0:30 after initial view, 2:00 preparatory concentration +20SM 1@1 Spirit Travel P5@10 with 30:00 preparatory concentration in which body is placed on sleep-like autonomic process time measured by mental countdown, allows spirit to sever all connection with body and travel independently for RS minutes or until terminated, +59SM 1@3 Reduce Pain P6@1 by self-hypnosis to induce happy thoughts creating a hormone that intercepts the pain signals RS minutes 1@2 Redirect Light P7@6 must rest two hours before, use right hand to direct focus, will gather local light and beam it outward for RS/5 minutes, exhaustion following use requires immediate rest for four hours, +25SM. 1@2 Analyze Chemistry by Visual Perception of Molecular Structure in Slow Motion P9@1 (light not essential) 30:00 preparatory concentration, can be focused to observe quark level instead (separate use) +59SM 1@2 Analyze Chemistry to Diagram View P9@1 after concentrating for 20:00 extend both hands toward object to be analyzed, closing eyes, displays molecular diagram view of material targeted, user can specify distance but density of targeted material can be a limiting factor, Maximum depth in inches equals relative success divided by one tenth density, +39SM 1@1 Analyze Chemistry by Spectroscopic Imaging P9@1 allows user to perceive all energies emanating or reflecting from all materials in view as color bars which can be sorted to identify materials and energy levels, following 4:00 preparation, an intellect check may be necessary to interpret the information, +30SM 1@1 Perceive Density P9@1 analyze chemistry variant 4:00 preparatory concentration determines density within line of vision based on density (maximum depth in inches=RS divided by one tenth density) +40SM 1@1 Analyze Chemistry by Clairvoyant Perception of Molecular Structure in Slow Motion P9@2 (light not essential) 30:00 preparatory concentration, can be focused to observe quark level instead (separate use) +49SM 1@2 Create Force Object Fixed Stabilizing Wall P10@1 16:00 preparatory concentration RS minutes creates bar length of the height of an adult male sprite which may be bent in any shape but which must be positioned roughly shoulder height from a surface +50SM 1@1 Retrocognitive Event Awareness P11@1 30:00 preparatory concentration +59SM 1@2 History of Object P11@2 30:00 preparatory concentration while in contact with object required +58SM 1@2 History of Person P11@5 30:00 preparatory concentration while in contact with person required +58SM 1@1 Precognitive Danger Sense P12@1 30:00 preparatory concentration negates surprise for RS minutes duration by creating anticipatory sense of danger +59SM Mag 1@1 Bonus Survival Skills M+1@4 pray for one hour using appropriate words, provides one week of RS/10 bonus to all survival skill checks of intended target -16SM 1@1 Bless Foraging Skills M+1@4 while eating a meal, pray repeatedly by thought that the target can feel satiated by such food as he finds find while caster is eating. Some of the food consumed by the caster is destroyed such that it feeds the subject rather than the caster; after eating a napkin or any object which can serve the function (including leaf, napkin) is used to wipe mouth, then shredded and scattered symbolizing plenteous food around the target; clap and tap "TQ FOR FOOD" in Morse Code with hands and say "thank you" aloud; pronunciation of the word is not essential as long as the effort to speak is made. TF 30:00, causes target to find sufficient food for one day. 1@2 Counter Pain M+2@1 covers two people, thoughts directed to God for safety and to make pain bearable during one event -10SM 1@1 Restful Sleep M+2@1 lay down and cross arms, thinking a prayer for good rest and subsequent alertness 10:00 TF +70SM 1@1 Reduced Sleep M+2@1 lay down and cross arms, thinking a prayer for good rest and subsequent alertness in half the time 20:00 TF +50SM 1@1 Eliminate Pain M+2@1 In a relaxed position, touch area of pain; once per minute perform "Pain fly away gesture" then clap (dot) and drum (dash) "BYE" in Morse code while saying "Bye", for 30 minutes, and pray repeatedly that the pain will be more bearable. Effective through the present pain event up to eight hours +65SM 1@2 Semi-animate: Dancing Leaves M3@8 cause leaves to leap up and scatter themselves on command for ninety minutes of intuition practice time, TF :10 preparatory +:90 concurrent with effect, say "Help Practice" in Morse Code, tapping hands loudly, sound vital, can sit any way that is comfortable, must wiggle wings or back muscles, physically exhausting requires fifteen minutes rest immediately after, target leaves must have caster's saliva on them, which evaporates during the casting, up to fifty leaves affected, can only be done in a place caster has designated as "home", +31SM 1@6 Prayer for Guidance M7@7 not detailed, requires speech Bod 1@1 Manipulate Object B0@1 1@5 Signal Generation, auditory B0@2 1@5 Multi-legged Crawl B1@3 1@3 Arm-assisted Walking B2@2 1@1 Assisted Balance Beam Walking B6@1 +20SM on surfaces twice the width of the foot provided that there is stable support for one hand Equipment Stage World List Mother: Lelach, violet eyes, blonde hair Father: Morani, brown hair and eyes</ul> The "+#" on the attributes is a way of keeping track of the impact of your self-training over the normal developmental advances; that is, as of the last book reference (which I think was maybe six months old, but I'm not certain) the strength of a child is normally 0@9; your exercise program gives you +3 over that, making it 1@2. At the next marker (which is at 24 months) the normal strength of a child is greater, and I didn't want to get confused between what part of the numbers on the sheet were your self-improvements and what part were my efforts to track development. Obviously the child does not skip numbers between points of development, but advances through them; Scott might decide to increase your listed strength to an intervening point, in which case he might still want to keep the distinction between the normal developmental number and your bonus value--but that's up to him as to how he prefers to do it. Now for your human sheet: <ul>Name ?? a.k.a. Maxx Attributes Persuasion 1@7 Charisma Animal Magnetism Strength Stamina Resistance Density Flexibility Agility Hand/Eye Intellect 1@8 Intuition 1@9 Education Level 2@2 Will Power 1@8 Averaged Attributes Ranged Strike Value Martial Strike Value Target Value Damage Value Best Relevant Attributes Tech Psi Mag Bod Bias Tech Psi Mag Bod Weaknesses Description Hair: black; eyes: black Skills Tech 2@5 Computer Programming T11@1 C++, Java, Javascript, PHP, Matlab, Visual Basic and a few more, with experience in Action Script, Perl, Prolog (for AI), BASIC and several others; also includes virtual or augmented reality, integration of hardware interface, mapping, object recognition and visual augmentation. 2@4 Modify Computer T11@3 includes virtual or augmented reality, integration of hardware interface with mapping, object recognition and visual augmentation. 2@5 Repair Computer T11@4 including limited PCB, electrical stuff such as servomotor and others. 2@3 Build Computer T11@5 VHDL to program FPGA (such as making a scientific calculator) Psi 2@1 Teaching P0@1 1@9 Focus Senses P3@0 sensitivity variant enables sorting specific auditory or other sensory information from background Mag 1@5 Religion, undisclosed alliance faith M1@0 1@6 Prayer for Guidance M7@7 not detailed, requires speech Bod 0@4 Pitch Discrimination B0@6 Equipment Stage World List</ul> As always, when I post a sheet it's so that we can reconcile differences between them, so if you've got something I missed, say so. Also, there are skills that aren't listed in part because they haven't mattered so much, and in part because they're duplicate--your tech skills go with your mind, so you can do all those things in the new person, except that your bod skills are so limited that they would make it difficult, and the technology for them doesn't exist in this world as yet. --M. J. Young M. J. Young on "What I don't like about mixing concentration and chaining" http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/topic/what-i-dont-like-about-mixing-concentration-and-chaining#post-17362 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 15:13:40 +0000 M. J. Young 17362@http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/ Yes, that has bothered me at times, as well. It's not the only thing that has bothered me, but it is significant. But then, it does tend to "come out in the wash", as they say. What you learned to do was capture some trace of supernatural power within a material object; you've fused the supernatural with the natural. that's an incredibly potent task to accomplish. This is one of those, "if you can build a time machine, you can probably build anything else you can imagine" things. If you can capture supernatural power and trap it in a material object, manipulating supernatural energies in just about any other way ought to be considerably easier. You did it. You took a very elaborate approach to doing so, but you managed to capture supernatural energy in a natural object. Now, that means you would have considerably less difficult, say, summoning a djinn, or teleporting to Kansas, or healing the blind. You have a grasp for harnessing supernatural energies that goes far beyond any of those abilities. Yet what it does not tell you is how difficult each of those tasks would be. The first time you attempt to heal the blind--a relatively low bias task (which is, I'm pretty sure, curved out in your current world), the bonus for your bias is going to be so overwhelming that you'll learn it almost no matter how you try to do it; but when you repeat the skill, your SAL at healing the blind won't be above 1@3, and your bias won't give you more than +30 (and considerably less in a flatlined world). Thus you might have designed a skill that will work to learn it but with such high penalties you will have great difficulty repeating it. Conversely, the teleport is a very difficult skill bias-wise, and your bonus for learning isn't going to be that much (that is, the difference between your bias and the target skill bias is probably less than 20 percentage points). Thus you might fail to learn the skill if you don't include a few substantive bonuses. You still have "gaps" in your knowledge. Those gaps are not at all related to your ability to understand the process of tapping and controlling magic generally; they are related to knowing how difficult any specific task would be, and how much you should invest in learning and doing it. So I've decided I'm not uncomfortable with you having leapt to a 15@1 mag bias. You applied some very insightful and innovative conceptions of how to control magic, and derived a positive outcome. Your understanding of how to control magic and how magic is controlled obviously expanded in that effort. Your knowledge of the applications between here and there is spotty, and will require that you learn more. Your ability to extrapolate from what you know to what you guess is very much a part of filling those gaps, and a quite appropriate part of the system. --M. J. Young Max on "Maxximum Reality: Maxx Starts Play" http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/topic/maxximum-reality-maxx-starts-play/page/13#post-17361 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:48:01 +0000 Max 17361@http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/ <blockquote>I forwarded your character papers to him about three hours ago as the last step I had to take to transfer your game into his hands.</blockquote> Can I see those as well to make sure it match what is on mine or is it only viewable after I verse? <blockquote>I suspect you'll be back to me sometime</blockquote> Thank you for being a wonderful referee during all this time. Well, I hope that we can meet as players (such as in a gather) in future verses. That reminds me of round robin referee system. ***** <blockquote>The present time</blockquote> Previously on Maxximum Reality: I am now in spirit form. Then I try the retrocognitive skill on my own body to see my own past. This then gives me an idea to develop a skill to give me a warning of immediate danger which I then develop. The problem with this skill is I cannot sense when it will end thus I develop another skill to detect and estimate my current active Psi skill. <blockquote>What just happened / what you have just done</blockquote> I think Morach tried to chain the precognitive danger skill three times in a row but I do not know if this have been rolled or not. (Even if it is rolled I would not know the result.) Before that, Morach was using detects Psi skills to estimate his skills active time but it is activated like a pulse which means it only lasts a moment. <blockquote>Your present status (your location, your condition, and what skills you currently have running)</blockquote> I am in spirit form near my own body which would be near my parents. My body in sleep-like state. Current active skill: <blockquote>1) Spirit travel (45 minutes according to detects skill) 2) Retrocognitive on self (45 minutes according to detects skill) 3) Precognitive danger sense (30 minutes according to detects skill)</blockquote> The above time could be different after I try to chain Precognitive danger sense three times in a row but I am not sure if I had done that already. <blockquote>Your present goal</blockquote> A safe out of body experience. I also have a couple of experiments that I want to do during this spirit travel which include knowing the past event during the time that I cut swath through the forest to see if I can take an example from it, knowing the past of the metal needle (but I have to track it first) and experiment on the movement of the spirit. <blockquote>Your pending actions</blockquote> Make a variant of the detect Psi skills which will stay active for RS minutes but will only provide update if a new skill is activated or any skill is "chained" within that RS minutes. <blockquote>to make sure we're both on the same page</blockquote> I wanted to use the above expression on the 360th post on this thread. But then the next post will be on the next page which make it sound a little ironic. Your post just make me remember about that. I would also try to complete the journal if you want a summary but that may take a while because it have been 4 months since I last updated it. <blockquote>Third, having you do this buys me a little more time.</blockquote> That also buys me some time to complete the journal. <blockquote>I'm looking forward to taking over your game. I'll do my best to run your game fairly and keep it fun for both of us.</blockquote> Thank you. I am looking forward for that too. I am sure you could teach me a lot of things. krillis on "Kurtesy Kall: Kurt's Game Continues" http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/topic/kurtesy-kall-kurts-game-continues/page/9#post-17360 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:28:03 +0000 krillis 17360@http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/ "I see. Well, I suppose things will be clearer when I meet Steranko. Just one more thing-is my cat alright?" After this question is answered, I have nothing else and am more than happy to see Steranko. WilliamTWodium on "What would your alignment be?" http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/topic/what-would-your-alignment-be#post-17359 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 13:26:29 +0000 WilliamTWodium 17359@http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/ Tad, I really wish you wouldn't attach Darwin's name to that . . . *struggles to find something polite, fails* . . . sort of thing. Tadeusz on "What would your alignment be?" http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/topic/what-would-your-alignment-be#post-17358 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 11:17:09 +0000 Tadeusz 17358@http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/ I wrote a darkly comic novel based upon Darwinian thought. The Orientals had been exterminated. Blacks were semi-intelligent apes that were being hunted down for bounty and fun. American Indians were on reservations and were slightly better than blacks because they had the evolutionary pressure of being closer to the the Master Race. Hitler was still alive at 120 years old or something. It was an alternate reality story. You can look it up on Lulu.com if you like. Glantri on "Mike's Game" http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/topic/mikes-game/page/5#post-17357 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 08:25:13 +0000 Glantri 17357@http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/ I'll take the blaster to Paul and explain what happened, apologizing profusely for breaking one of the museums pieces and promising to replace it when I make my trip to the glass city. I'll also ask if it's fixable in any way that he knows about. Concerning my trip, which I'm going to begin planning so that when I go the least number of things can go wrong as possible, I'll ask whether the spiders are active at night or during the day. I'd hate for a miscommunication to result in me walking into a city of fully armed spiders. Does he have an estimate on how long it takes to get there? I'm trying to figure out how much time I have to get in and out of the city, get the gear, and get out. Will it be a one night trip from leaving to returning, or multiple days and if so does he know of safe places to stay during sunlight hours. I'll also take unload my backpack, organizing everything in the house (the architects house where I've been sleeping) so that it's close together. After which I'll go bowling. I'd like to bowl 2 games, just to clear my mind. The blaster probably has me a little flustered, I really dislike breaking things and I should clear my mind before trying the rifle, and bowling always pushes everything out of my mind as I concentrate on all of the variables of bowling (it's one of the things I do when I need to calm down). After the two games I'll go back to the psionic museum get the rifle and take it to the shooting range. I'll try and hit a target from 10 feet away. How big are these targets by the way? in relation to the plastic steel lumps how big are these targets? WilliamTWodium on "What I don't like about mixing concentration and chaining" http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/topic/what-i-dont-like-about-mixing-concentration-and-chaining#post-17356 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 03:20:03 +0000 WilliamTWodium 17356@http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/ <blockquote>Well, I don't know that this is one hundred percent accurate. After all, the psi chapter does say at the bottom of page144 . . .</blockquote> I'll grant a +59 bonus for nearly six doublings of the time factor is obliquely alluded to on the strength of the focus bonus and the sit-mods for power. So, yes, I'll concede the point while noting (as you do) that a principle of treating psi and mag sit-mods differently is also established by the same passages. <blockquote>Sort of--and it bothers me once in a while, but usually it doesn't, and I'll tell you why. I see this in magic all the time: [. . .] So sure, you could give yourself a slew of bonuses to try to learn a 5@10 skill, but if its a 15@10 skill you might suffer serious consequences for your miscalculation. </blockquote> This has bothered me off and on for a long time, but for a slightly different reasons than discussed here. I think my own character is a nearly perfect example. Due to a series of events (recorded in the game thread), he now has a magic bias of 15@1. That bias implies understanding of the magical principles behind everything from blessings and healing to energy creation to golems to resurrection to granting wishes; furthermore, that's how the rules for skill learning interpret that bias. He got that way by performing a very involved, very elaborate, and sufficiently successful ritual for creating a holy symbol. I understand and support the mechanics behind that, for the most part. The technological analogies make sense to me. Still, on some level, the result in this case does not quite seem to follow from the cause, and I'm still wrestling with what, if anything, ought to be done about that. WilliamTWodium on "Maxximum Reality: Maxx Starts Play" http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/topic/maxximum-reality-maxx-starts-play/page/13#post-17355 Thu, 11 Mar 2010 03:01:11 +0000 WilliamTWodium 17355@http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/ Alright, so I've read through your thread again and I think I know what's going on right now, but the first thing I'm going to ask you to do is to summarize for me what you think is happening. By that, I mean I want to know: * The present time (described however is most relevant) * What just happened / what you have just done * Your present status (your location, your condition, and what skills you currently have running) * Your present goal (what you are trying to accomplish in this scene) and * Your pending actions (everything you have stated that you "will" do or "are" doing, but which had not actually been done or fully resolved before MJ relinquished your game to me) I'm asking you to do this for three of reasons. First, I want to make sure we're both on the same page (so to speak) before we move forward. There is enough potential for miscommunication on a forum already; we don't want the added headache of mismatched starting assumptions. Second, it's been almost a month of real time since your Feb 15th post reiterating your intention to attempt an out-of-body psi skill, with lengthy posts spanning two pages of the thread; a summary post gathering all the relevant information into one place will make proceeding from here far easier for me (and maybe for you, too). Third, having you do this buys me a little more time. I get another day to go over my notes and grow more confident that I'm prepared to run you before making a "real" game post. (The first two reasons are more important, but I'm not afraid to admit the third.) If you have any questions, feel free to include them in your post, but please don't include any additional actions until we're caught up with what's happening right now. Thanks. I realize this might be a bit abrupt, but I'm looking forward to taking over your game. I'll do my best to run your game fairly and keep it fun for both of us. JohnA1nut on "What would your alignment be?" http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/topic/what-would-your-alignment-be#post-17354 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 23:20:37 +0000 JohnA1nut 17354@http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/ <blockquote>Jefferson did not believe that blacks were human--a common enough belief in his age, in which Africans were thought to be an advanced animal that could be taught to act appropriately in a human environment.</blockquote> This has been stuck in my head for a while. It is rumored that Thomas Jefferson had a long-standing affair with one of his slaves. I think we all know that the slaves weren't just kept for working in the fields. Wouldn't that sort of mean that Thomas Jefferson and anyone else who held that belief was, in a way committing bestiality? I thought "civilized" men didn't do that, either. AhmetiaCampbell on "Multiverse Express 999 - Ahmetia's Game begins" http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/topic/multiverse-express-999-ahmetias-game-begins/page/6#post-17353 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 21:55:18 +0000 AhmetiaCampbell 17353@http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/ I'm probably going pale with the needles, particularly the blood-drawing (last time I got blood work done, I had a huge bruise on my arm). JohnA1nut on "John 2 John" http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/topic/john-2-john/page/3#post-17352 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 21:52:50 +0000 JohnA1nut 17352@http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/ <blockquote>But the enclosure is getting tighter, and every once in a while it squeezes.</blockquote> So that's what they mean by contractions. Keep listening. And regarding the scriff question, yes I'm satisfied. Why was that such a difficult thing to answer? johnosevens on "Harry's Game" http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/topic/harrys-game/page/36#post-17351 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 21:42:59 +0000 johnosevens 17351@http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/ A hotel on the seaside with a view of the beach would be just right. Let's go with that. I'll sweep her up, whisk her out onto the dance floor, and go with the beat. Being a former percussionist I do have a sense of rhythm, and while I've never actually been trained to dance, per se (or dance well), between the dance lesson I took on the island and the fact that I'm a martial artist I have a decent command of my body. For the most part I'll mind the rhythm primarily and let the mood guide my steps, responding and guiding her in the same way I would let flow a stage-combat choreography, move-and-response. Unless there is a particular dance she would expect in this instance. Although if that were the case I expect the matchmaker would've mentioned it. johnosevens on "Multiverse Express 999 - Ahmetia's Game begins" http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/topic/multiverse-express-999-ahmetias-game-begins/page/6#post-17350 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 21:37:31 +0000 johnosevens 17350@http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/ "Well don't go risking your fool neck and you won't have to worry about it." The trip back to the ship is indeed uneventful. The loading crew turns the crates of Emerald over to the guys in Engineering, who light up like kids at Christmas. They've dismantled the whole thing in the course of about fifteen minutes and carried off all the crates. You can hear their representative coordinating with the quartermaster which departments need how much and how many hours of what exactly officer so-and-so is going to have to do if they want their share. As for you and yours, Lefton hustles you down to the infirmary. When you get there, she puts your wounded marine onto an exam bed, then turns to you. "Sleeves up," she says, "You were exposed almost as long as he was. You're worlds easier to salvage, but you're still going to need the full course, and the sooner the better." Even while she's talking, she's preparing a series of needles and blood-drawing vials. Magnus on "Eli's Coming" http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/topic/elis-coming#post-17349 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 21:25:15 +0000 Magnus 17349@http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/ That's rather odd. How did I get here with some of my things arranged exactly like I had in my room? I grab the canvas backpack, gather up my things and pack them into the backpack. After that, I go over to where I feel I left something. I turn on the Maglite and take a look around. AhmetiaCampbell on "Ahmetia Travels to Ruritania" http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/topic/ahmetia-travels-to-ruritania/page/3#post-17348 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 21:19:02 +0000 AhmetiaCampbell 17348@http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/ "She was safe and secure when we left her, right?" I ask as I change into the plain clothes. M. J. Young on "Ending a Decade Behind the Screens" http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/topic/ending-a-decade-behind-the-screens/page/8#post-17347 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 20:48:26 +0000 M. J. Young 17347@http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/ Happy birthday John. If I get held up on Friday night, you might get your wish; but I'm not planning it that way, and I don't know if we'll get there. Besides, it will probably take several days' worth of posts for you to get from the first contraction to the outlet of the birth canal. I am formally handing Maxx to the care of Scott "William T. Wodium" Horton, who I think will do at least as well with his game as I would. This is good timing, too, because I have just added Eli to the front of my list, to be followed by Michael, Ahmetia, Harry, and John 2. Eli gets his first introduction to his new world. Michael wants actually to hit the target. His chance to hit it at point blank range was calculated at 20%, which means I have to watch for an 8% chance to botch, 93 or higher. He rolls 43, 99, that's going to hurt. Let's round up the usual suspects, and I've a few more that we can credit to Maxx for forcing me to consider in an earlier thread on a related subject: <ol> <li>Brain Burn</li> <li>Render device inert</li> <li>Shoot foot</li> <li>Psionic Shock Wave</li> <li>Device Explodes</li> <li>Neural Breakdown</li> <li>Shoot Annie</li> <li>Shoot Paul</li> <li>Damage structure</li> <li>Device breaks</li> <li>Wrong function--force field</li> <li>Wrong function--disintegration</li> </ol> That's a twelve-item scale, which is actually easier to roll with the d12 in the bag here rather than with the stopwatch, so I'm going to risk opening the dice bag and rolling: 2 is rolled, and I seal it up. The excitement is really just getting started for Ahmetia. I wonder whether she sees what's coming next. Let's make the reception memorable for Harry and Arabella, if we can. John 2 is approaching his birth. We'll jump forward to week 36, and next time things will start really happening, I expect. --M. J. Young M. J. Young on "John 2 John" http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/topic/john-2-john/page/3#post-17346 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 20:46:59 +0000 M. J. Young 17346@http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/ A lot of that meaningless day to day babble is in Spanish, which as I understand you don't--understand, that is. But the enclosure is getting tighter, and every once in a while it squeezes. This is very uncomfortable, and at least the first time or two that it happens you kick back almost reflexively. It also seems that the squeezing is pushing your head down, which is the largest part of your body, making the space at the top too small for it so you'll turn over. --M. J. Young Concerning your scriff questions, if you are completely surrounded by one scriff-infected object, one of two things would happen. <ol> <li>It might be as it is when you wear your own clothes: they become part of your immediate presence, and cease to be detected at all.</li> <li>It might be that being so surrounded means you sense your things in all directions, and it blots out any other scriff vectors (because if two objects are on the same vector they merge into one).</li> </ol> Satisfied? M. J. Young on "Harry's Game" http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/topic/harrys-game/page/36#post-17345 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 20:42:14 +0000 M. J. Young 17345@http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/ I think you decided that you would not be able to get away from work for more than two or three days tops, and that a trip would be impossible under these circumstances. I suggest that you consider making the honeymoon part of the house settling, taking your two more days off after which you'll have to return to the job and dining out or having food brought in, possibly catch a show--but then, that's probably not what young girls most want to do on their honeymoons. The biggest part of the "special" place is that it's memorable and not where they spend the rest of their lives, so they can remember a distinct period that was the honeymoon. The danger of having it in your new home is that over time the line between the honeymoon and the daily grind blurs into extinction. There are undoubtedly some fine hotels in a seaport town of this distinction. I could allow that you made reservations at one of them, possibly on the edge of the city overlooking the water at a beach. You burst through the doors to the applause of those inside. The room has been converted remarkably quickly into a dining room with dance floor, buffet tables to your right, band tuning up where the front was. "Welcome to the bride and groom" a powerful voice cries from that end through the applause, and the music starts with a fast beat dance, those in attendance clapping now in time with the beat. "I believe they expect us to dance, Mr. Sevenwind. Shall we?" She raises her hands to be taken in your arms, a smile glowing on her face. --M. J. Young M. J. Young on "Ahmetia Travels to Ruritania" http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/topic/ahmetia-travels-to-ruritania/page/3#post-17344 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 20:34:57 +0000 M. J. Young 17344@http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/ Sapt runs interference while Frieda takes your arm and escorts you through the palace and through a door into an elegantly appointed suite--white walls with gold trim that might be real gold, red plush carpets, several rooms of which the first has comfortable sofas and chairs around tables as a sort of sitting room, the second brass chairs and tables arranged as a combination meeting room and office, the bedroom plush red velvet appointments on the chairs and benches and mahogany wood furniture. Sapt starts giving orders. "Here, but these on." He tosses a set of plain looking clothes with a hooded cloak on the bed. "You'll ride as my assistant tonight; you must not be seen going back to Zenda. From there, you'll take your things and we'll get you out of the country, and I'll bring the queen back here. Frieda will run interference, telling people you're still recuperating from celebrating--everyone knows how the queen celebrates. "Call me when she's dressed," he says, and steps out of the room, leaving Frieda with you to help. --M. J. Young M. J. Young on "Mike's Game" http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/topic/mikes-game/page/5#post-17343 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 20:29:23 +0000 M. J. Young 17343@http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/ You fire it again, denting the ground. Then you try again, and feel a surge of energy, and the device suddenly goes gray, something like a burned out light bulb. It no longer responds in any way to your mental efforts. Incidentally, there is a shooting range in the complex. It's on the far side of the houses, over by the gymnastics/exercise area where the tightrope is set up. The targets are made of plastic steel and are designed on rockers to fall down if hit. --M. J. Young M. J. Young on "Eli's Coming" http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/topic/elis-coming#post-17342 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 19:57:20 +0000 M. J. Young 17342@http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/ You are lying under a moonlit sky on what appears to be dry grass, but feels fresh enough--its color is light, tan perhaps. Your equipment surrounds you. The AI is not anywhere to be seen. The stuff that is around you is scattered in roughly the same relationship it had back home--as if someone removed the floor from your room and dropped everything straight onto the ground, but that nothing is broken or appears to have fallen. You have a nagging feeling that you left something "over there"; in that direction you see something sticking up from the ground and a disturbance in the ground. You also have a nagging feeling that you were supposed to "meet someone", but that's in almost the opposite direction, more behind you. Ahead of you are hills, and there are other objects in your peripheral vision at greater distance. The light is pale but bright for night. --M. J. Young M. J. Young on "The Character Generation Thread" http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/topic/the-character-generation-thread/page/10#post-17341 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 19:53:04 +0000 M. J. Young 17341@http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/ Glasses added; glad I asked. --M. J. Young M. J. Young on "Maxximum Reality: Maxx Starts Play" http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/topic/maxximum-reality-maxx-starts-play/page/13#post-17340 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 19:48:08 +0000 M. J. Young 17340@http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/ The price of your new skill is going to be Scott's problem, unless he asks my advice. I forwarded your character papers to him about three hours ago as the last step I had to take to transfer your game into his hands. I suspect you'll be back to me sometime, as everyone seems to come back to my table eventually (actually, that's not true--David Marcoe hasn't done so yet), but for the moment Scott knows the scenario and probably knows the system as well as anyone (including me), so you're in good hands. --M. J. Young M. J. Young on "What I don't like about mixing concentration and chaining" http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/topic/what-i-dont-like-about-mixing-concentration-and-chaining#post-17339 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 19:44:14 +0000 M. J. Young 17339@http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/ Lot's to address. Thank you, Harry, before I forget. John: <blockquote>I hope this doesn't sound overly rude, but if he found a loophole in the rules that you never considered, I think you should let him have it.</blockquote> He didn't really find a loophole in the rules. He found a loophole in the interpretive application of the rules in a space the rules did not cover. I should have made the ruling up front that if it took him thirty minutes of preparatory concentration to activate the skill, it would take him the same thirty minutes of preparatory concentration before doing anything else with it; but since what he was trying to do with those initial rolls was simply manipulate a force he had created, I didn't make that ruling then, and I didn't want to impose it retroactively later. Scott: <blockquote>I would impose far stiffer penalties in exchange for that +59 (plus fifty-nine!) sit-mod.</blockquote> It seems egregious, but my observation is that if he has to sit quietly and concentrate for half an hour before performing a skill, it's not something he can do in an emergency. That is an inherent limitation. It's also the case that even if he thinks he has time, he might not. As a toddler sitting in the clearing while his mother tends to making dinner and such, he's pretty much undisturbed--but it has happened more than once that he has been interrupted by a mother concerned about what he was doing or what he was supposed to be doing. In fifteen years, if he's trying to do a retrocog on a dead human he finds in the forest, it's entirely likely that the half hour of closing down all other activities will result in him being completely surprised by the dozen other humans who think him responsible for the corpse he's examining. <blockquote>You're being generous enough allowing the bonus in the first place (which, by the way, isn't even alluded to in the rules for Psi - you're borrowing that from Mag out of the kindness of your heart);...</blockquote> Well, I don't know that this is one hundred percent accurate. After all, the psi chapter does say at the bottom of page144 <blockquote>Occasionally, psionicists use objects which are not psionic in nature, but are more akin to a focalpoint for the psionicist’s concentration. Such skills are learned and used at +10, but cannot be used at all inthe absence of a focal object (although there may be some leeway in selecting the focal object, such that anyitem which fits the skill definition may be used). Skills which use such focal points also suggest a higherlevel of concentration, limiting the use of other high-concentration skills.</blockquote> Granted, that's different from material components in magic in two distinct ways: first, all objects are worth +10; second, there is an implied limitation to a single object. However, it also invokes the basic underlying principle which is then stated in the next paragraph at the top of the next page, <blockquote>A skill may bedefined in any way, but should be sit-modded for distinction from the baseline. Generally, any doubling orhalving of a skill’s potency creates a ten-point sit-mod to balance it (negative if the skill is stronger or easier,positive if harder or weaker).</blockquote> The preparatory concentration requirement does make it harder, and thus ought to grant a bonus; the problem is in calculating the bonus. If it were mag, I would feel oblitaged to make it +20 for the first minute, because it's a -20 penalty to convert from TF to RF skills (a rule designed to make it at least a bit more difficult to launch a high-powered skill in an instant and then simply wait out the repeat factor time before doing more magic), and I've always felt that going the opposite direction would be the same bonus. However, we've established that the rules are different for psionics, and so a ten point bonus for shifting from once a minute at the beginning of the minute to once a minute at the end of the minute seems fair enough. A minute is an eternity in combat, sometimes, and if I'm being attacked by a machine gun, the fact that I'll have my shield up at the end of the minute might not matter in the least. I do agree that guidance on such matters is inadequate in the psionics chapter. That's my fault--we never had players do much with them that was off the baselines (which, given the instant activation nature of psionic skills in general, is rather powerful). However, I agree that it is much more reasonable to say that if the character wants to extend the time he must do the concentration again, and I would certainly not object to the application of that rule in play. I wasn't going to do that because I'm a strong believer in protecting the reasonable expectations of the player; this thread was in part an effort to redefine those expectations. I would also footnote that there are similar questions unanswered in the tech and bod bias areas. There is mention in connection with "light fire from spark" that a cigarette lighter is a heavily bonused use of that skill, but no suggestion as to how to calculate those bonuses; that's very much the referee's seat-of-the-pants calculation. Similarly, wouldn't stretching exercises in preparation for the use of bod skills make a difference in their use? I suspect that's one reason why characters practicing acrobatics and martial arts don't botch in practice. The techniques are not mentioned. It's not likely, though, that having been jumped in a back alley you'll be able to get your assailants to wait for a few minutes while you stretch and get ready for the fight. Mike: <blockquote>Could Max redevelop the skills so that they were the skill without the prep time and thus without the bonus?</blockquote> My instinctive reaction is yes, but then it occurs to me that you might not mean quite what I think. Maxx can teach himself a precognitive skill which requires thirty minutes of prep time to activate and has a +59 sit-mod for the prep time requirement. He can then teach himself a precognitive skill that does exactly the same thing without the prep time, which thus has no such sit-mod bonus. The key point I would raise is that at this point he has two precognitive skills that do the same thing in slightly different ways--one with prep time and one without--and that any practice he does will apply to one or the other, not to both. If that's what you mean, yes, he can do that. What he can't do is turn the one skill into the other, or use the same skill two different ways. As a footnote, in theory he could develop a skill that involves meditative preparation that gives him a sit-mod bonus to whatever psionic skill he performs next. The bonus would probably be RS-based, or possibly a fixed bonus; it would probably not be as big a bonus as the +59 he gets for his meditative prep time. This is reasonably justified by the facts that he can use it for anything (and thus increase his chance of success at all his psionic skills at once) and that it is an independent skill that has to be advanced independently. Most skills become more powerful as they improve, and that includes psionic skills (last longer, hit harder, repeat faster), so not improving the base skills themselves means not being as good despite having a better chance of success. <blockquote>One thing I could see going wrong with allowing prep time to learn a skill and then being allowed to redevelop the skill is that one could get an insane bonus from prep time to learn a much higher bias skill, and then relearn the same skill much easier without the prep time. It'd be the equivalent of right now me seeing a 5@10 psi skill and meditating for half an hour to have the same chance to learn it, and then just reteach myself it without the prep time, since I have the benefit of having a 5@10 skill... It seems a little bit like cheating the system. </blockquote> Sort of--and it bothers me once in a while, but usually it doesn't, and I'll tell you why. I see this in magic all the time: guys define a desired effect and then pack in the bonuses creating very elaborate rituals to make sure they won't botch (wise enough). Then they roll, and they wind up with solid skills with lots of bonuses that are very involved. But if you've got a 3@3 mag bias (randomly selected number) and you decide you want to try to learn a skill about which you know nothing but that you just invented it, you have no idea whether that's a 5@10 skill or a 15@10 skill--and that's a one hundred point difference in the chance to successfully learn it. Sometimes guys botch horribly trying to teach themselves magic skills they think are going to be simple; sometimes they put huge amounts of effort and ritual into skills that turn out to be something they could have picked up with a veritable snap of the fingers. So sure, you could give yourself a slew of bonuses to try to learn a 5@10 skill, but if its a 15@10 skill you might suffer serious consequences for your miscalculation. Maxx: <blockquote>I also agree with Scott with a few points which make chaining a Psi skill to be too easy although I would not object if you want to be generous.</blockquote> I am glad that you agree with Scott, because he's taking over your game, and I'm not second-guessing his rulings henceforth. (Insert appropriate emoticon here.) <blockquote>How do you chain bod skills and how is it calculated?</blockquote> The most common uses of chaining in bod skills are related to running skills--you can sprint this far in this time, but how far can you go if you attempt to maintain that speed for twice that time? The rule in bod is that each successive chaining roll takes a -10 penalty. Thus if you have a 60% chance to run 300 yards in one minute, then you have a 50% chance to run that far in the next minute, a 40% chance in the third, and so on. Since running skills also allow that RS can represent a velocity greater than the stated base, it also can mean that you are slowing down--if you rolled 57 on the first roll, you'll go significantly further than that 300 yards in that first minute; but in the second minute a 57 would fail, so the fastest you can go would be slower than that. <blockquote>If for example Micheal decided to concentrate 4 minutes on the shot which would bring it to 103, then -53 for penalty, which will have 50% to hit the target, what will happen if he rolled 97? Does this treated as shooting botch but succeed in using the psychic device?</blockquote> I have not decided whether you can bonus a use device skill by advance concentration. However, because of my intention to preserve the botch, the 97 would be a botch. This relates to the treatment of relative failure. If the device were a revolver and the chance of success were the same, it would fall within the referee's prerogative as to whether a roll between 51 and 95 (96 would be the botch) means that the bullet barely missed, or missed by some distance, or whether the gun simply did not work. That's the prerogative I was exercising in that situation--the fact that his target was so small made more difference in whether he would actually hit the target than in whether he would be able to fire the weapon, and so I took that into account in determining the outcome. What necessarily "would" happen in each case is never completely certain. Note that a botch could mean that the weapon functioned perfectly and he managed to shoot himself in the foot (the limitation on self-injury in botches is a combat situation limitation only), or that he so activated the weapon that it exploded, or that he rendered it inert. The failure result when operating a weapon is thus a scale in which the operation or non-operation of the weapon is very much at the discretion of the referee. On a 90 I might say that at the last instant someone wandered into view and you managed not to pull the trigger; on a 99, maybe you didn't manage not to pull the trigger, and they might have been hit, or they were. There's a fair amount of flexibility in referee interpretation in a lot of situations, based on the applications of relative success and relative failure. Some of them are defined rather clearly in the rules, some are described somewhat loosely, and some are left open. --M. J. Young Nikolaj on "Nikolaj Rising" http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/topic/nikolaj-rising/page/13#post-17338 Wed, 10 Mar 2010 18:41:52 +0000 Nikolaj 17338@http://gamingoutpost.com/discussions/ "The thing is, I think", I say after some careful chewing, "That the job requirements aren't religion bound, right? So it doesn't make a difference for the job. But for their souls it makes a difference. Christ is very clear as He says 'I am the Way, the Truth and the Life. No one comes to the Father then through Me." And with this I have to leave this enjoyable game again. Big stuff are happening in my life at the moment, and they need my full attention.