Gaming Outpost Discussions

1. 

   M. J. Young
   Moderator

   In his current game thread, Maxx botched on a very unusual skill check. The skill reads:
   

   1@3 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

   He was doing it to help him learn a new skill, one that has been giving him trouble for months, the ability to use his tactile sense to enhance auditory information. But he didn't botch on the new skill--he botched on the meditation.

   Making a botch list worked well last time, so we're going to do it again. This is a very minor skill, though--no power is released in his meditation, so we can't have explosions directly. But here are some thoughts to get the ball rolling:

   • Falls asleep.
   • Catatonic state.
   • Pass through: the skill learning attempt botches (which means we need another botch list).
   • Reverse effect: -10 penalty on skill learning attempt.
   • Psionic shutdown: relaxes his psionic abilities into non-responsiveness for a while.

   So, what are your thoughts?

   --M. J. Young

   Thu Sep 17 2009 1:32 am #
2. 

   JohnA1nut
   Member

   Headache
   Derail his train of thought (Some mental state where he can't think clearly)
   Sudden release of endorphins, resulting in euphoric, natural high

   Thu Sep 17 2009 1:37 am #
3. 

   Nodwick
   Member

   I think catatonia is a mite strong for just meditation.

   Some botches I would consider:
   A scary nightmare the next time he sleeps, from bringing up a bad memory from the depths of his first childhood.
   Give him synesthesia, exchanging the two senses so Maxx hears what he touches and feels what his ears hear.
   The butterfly dreams it is a baby sprite. But is it the butterfly dreaming it is the sprite, or the sprite dreaming it is the butterfly?
   Hiccups.
   One of his recently learned psionic skills is a delusion. It didn't actually work.

   Thu Sep 17 2009 4:45 am #
4. 

   Max
   Member

   Combined botch list:

   Meditation botch list:
   1. Fall asleep for a given period of time.
   2. Blacking out ala Butterfly Effect (forget what happen during a time period) which would recur for subsequent botch of meditation.
   3. Trap in a mental (neuron-like) maze in a dream (nightmare?) which would appear to be catatonic state to outsider (mini-game time!)
   4. Headache, brain burn or the like seem to be a good one
   5. +10 on learning a reverse skill
   6. -10 on learning the next skill (do not have any observable effect though)
   7. Psi seal or shutdown (because can't think clearly) for a given period of time
   8. Pass through
   9. Euphoria for a given period of time
   10. Split personality that differentiates between life time surfaces through deep meditation (like a different mind controlling the body)
   11. Dream (nightmare?) about colored numbers (which I have during childhood)
   12. Hiccups (^o^) for a given period of time
   13. Next learned skill is only a delusion/dream (would probably be better than previous learned skill is a delusion because if that can be done then all the previous journey that have been roll for can also be a delusion; which also refer to butterfly dream)
   14. Next skill works too effectively (cannot cancel normally)

   Pass through botch list:
   1. Learn reverse skill; touch sound (Gives new meaning to "breaking the sound barrier")
   2. Permanent synesthesia (can hear sound through touch)
   3. Hearing loss for a given period of time
   4. Lose the sense of touch for a given period of time
   5. Alter non-related sense
   6. Seizure (because a lot of neurons firing at the same time)
   7. Learn all kind of altered sense due to surge of meditation power?

   Thu Sep 17 2009 4:00 pm #
5. 

   M. J. Young
   Moderator

   A few comments before I compile a final list:

   • "Catatonia" is indeed harsh, but I was expecting to have a long enough list that it would be the unlikely worst outcome. Also, I certainly did not intend for it to be permanent--probably something lasting a few days.
   • I had also ignored "Neural Breakdown" in compiling my list, precisely because it was so harsh. The Spit Personality option and the Catatonia would both be possible neural breakdown results, along with loss of non-physical attribute values and other types of insanity. Most of those would be permanent, although temporary versions are possible.
   • I liked hiccoughs, but they seemed a bit out of place for what is essentially a mental botch.
   • I also agree that it would be inappropriate in this particular situation to undo a previously learned skill. He has already used all the skills he learned prior to this one, and it would require a lot of rewriting. That's not to say a botch could not impact a skill just learned, but rather that a botch now isn't going to change yesterday unless it's powerful enough to alter time.
   • The idea that the next skill gets stuck in the "on" position is appealing, but that the probability that it would be learned otherwise is rather low. If there were a high probability, I would probably go with it. Besides, I happen to have a d12 handy, and it's a bit trickier generating a d13.

   So here is my list, against which I will roll when I reach Maxx' game; if it's pass-through, I'll make the next less (only 8.33% chance of that, if I'm doing my math right).

   1. Fall asleep
   2. Black out
   3. Trapped in a mental maze
   4. Brain burn
   5. Reverse skill learned
   6. -10 on learning skill
   7. Psionic shutdown
   8. Pass through botch
   9. Euphoria
   10. Temporary Neural Breakdown
       1. Catatonic
       2. Split Personality
       3. Reduced Intuition
       4. Delusion
       5. Reduction of meditation SAL
   11. Nightmare (about colored numbers)
   12. Faux skill (does not actually learn it)

   --M. J. Young

   Thu Sep 17 2009 10:55 pm #

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