Gaming Outpost Discussions

1. 

   deiter
   Member

   Hello,

   I am not very good at this type of gaming, but I enjoy this game and would like to try this online stuff again. So here it goes. When I left off I just meet up with a group of squid like people that have implied that they might allow me to join thier tribe. I have nothing to lose by doing this so why not. I see that they use psi powers for comunication. I am hoping this means that this is a psi planet and will when I have time away from other to use my basic psi powers. The only one that would make sence would be energy force. But I would like to try to start sending and recieving messages to them with them having to touch me.

   Tue Nov 6 2007 3:23 am #
2. 

   M. J. Young
   Moderator

   Welcome back, Al.

   I'm posting your character paper here for reference, as it appears on my hard drive. Feel free to comment on any updates. Meanwhile, we need to bring our studio audience up to date on your adventures. The old forums are still searchable, if you'd like to dig for your thread and link it here, or you can do a brief summary of your island adventure and your arrival here with subsequent events.

   Name Albert G. Pultz
   a.k.a. Al
   deiter: used in gaming

   Attributes
   Persuasion
   Charisma
   Animal Magnetism
   Strength 2@1
   Stamina
   Resistance 1@6
   Density 1@2
   Flexibility 1@2
   Agility
   Hand/Eye
   Intellect 1@10
   Intuition 2@1
   Education Level 2@2
   Will Power 1@10

   Averaged Attributes
   Ranged Strike Value
   Martial Strike Value
   Target Value
   Damage Value

   Best Relevant Attributes
   Tech 2@2
   Psi 2@1
   Mag 2@1
   Bod 2@1

   Bias
   Tech
   Psi
   Mag 9@1
   Bod

   Weaknesses

   Description

   Skills

   Tech
   1@5 medical diagnosis 7@0 tech
   1@5 first aide 7@1 tech

   Psi
   2@5 teaching 0@1 psi
   2@2 force energy 6@0 psi
   1@10 energy healing self 6@1 psi
   1@8 energy healing others 6@3 psi

   Mag
   2@1 religion 0@1 mag
   2@1 bless holy liquid(3 min) 1@1 mag
   2@5 sanctify space 1@1 mag
   1@1 bless missile 1@3 mag
   2@1 day of fasting and prayer(bonus to all reg mag) 1@4 mag
   1@2 operate Vorgo (create or unmake udead) (+39 sitmod) 1@9 mag
   2@1 faith healing 2@1 mag
   2@1 curing desease 2@4 mag
   1@2 Flame Burst M9@2 (+19): A small ruby is thrown with either hand after being held and rolled in that hand for three minutes; it bursts into flame (being destroyed in the blast), doing lethal damage within a 5' radius, -DC per five feet, no words are spoken, and the stone may be thrown to ranges of 5':15':30':45':+20/9' or dropped from directly above to 50' without penalties for range.

   Bod

   Equipment
   jeans
   polo shirt
   boxers
   socks
   chainmail bracelet
   lighter
   Altoids
   comb
   shotgun pump 5+1 (back)
   car roadside emerency kit (back pack)
   survivor knife (back pack)
   fishing kit (backpack)
   tools for making chain mail (backpack)
   two dollars in change (pocket)
   a few hundred dollars in cash (pocket)
   flash light (backpack)
   tent (backpack)
   hiking backpack
   canteen (backpack)
   wine skins
   sleeping bag (backpack)
   meditation candles (backpack)
   whip
   cellphone (pocket)
   3 botles of diet soda (24oz) (backpack)
   6 pack of crytal light green tea mix (back pack)
   matches (easy strike in a water proof metal vial) (backpack)
   50' of nylon rope (backpack)
   fresh frut (backpack)

   Stage

   World List Tropical Island
   Quest for the Vorgo
   *****

   Tue Nov 6 2007 11:29 pm #
3. 

   deiter
   Member

   other then a few skills like cooking, sword and shield, and making chain maile. all the other skills are there. As far as stuff I had 5 cold coins a small bag of cheap small rubies, and a sword and shield. And I will look for my past log.

   Wed Nov 7 2007 4:01 am #
4. 

   WilliamTWodium
   Member

   And I will look for my past log.

   Search no more! Your friendly neighborhood archive-crawler (or would that be web-searcher?) has located both your character creation thread and your initial game thread! I remembered having read your story a long time ago, so I went looking.

   Although the links between threads no longer work, you can still use them to get where you want to go by making careful note of the thread number (the last five digits of the dead link) and pasting it into the address of a working archive page.

   Wed Nov 7 2007 5:31 am #
5. 

   M. J. Young
   Moderator

   I was going to post the previous game thread, which one of our faithful lurkers forwarded to me; but it appears Scott has found it first.

   I note that we are missing the material from some point when you were taking the cart out to face the enemy up to when you were wandering in the desert, so a summary of those events would be welcome, to the best of your recollection.

   Also, if you have the skill ability levels of those missing skills, I'll add them.

   After that, the Ul-mor will put you on one of their riding beasts (do you have skill/experience at riding any animal?) and escort you to their camp. Once there they will show you to a shelter similar to their own but separate, outside the edge of the community, and give you food and water without "spice". They say, too, that you have a month to prepare for your initiation, after which you will be welcomed into the tribe. (This is done by contact telepathy, using that different tentacle.)

   The Ul-more village is on rocky ground between the desert and the mountains, with some trees and fresh water. The houses are like wigwams, domes made of woven sticks. The make baskets and pottery, use spears and knives made from stone, have fire skills, and demonstrate a few other simple technologies such as rollers to move heavy objects.

   The Ul-mor young come around periodically, apparently curious to see this strange being that is in their camp. Some of them seem--well, shyly flirtatious, as if they are hoping you might take an interest in them. It is difficult, though, for you to tell the females from the males.

   --M. J. Young

   Thu Nov 8 2007 3:54 am #
6. 

   deiter
   Member

   I was in the cart and doing my best to cast fire spells with the other. I am not sure but I think we where able to take down the big nastier bad guy and where fight our way back when one of the soldiers died leaving us with a big whole on one of our flanks. I being the person doing poorly in casting I took up the spot. We almost made it to the fort when I totally missed with a stab giving the enemy the chance they needed to give me a great shot. And that is where that ended.
   I woke up with most of my stuff near me. I had to go to another part of the ship to get the rest as chance would have it my other stuff was in or near one of the escape pods. There seemed to be some problems with the ship and I decided it would be better to get out while getting was good. I grabbed as much other stuff as I could and ended up in the dessert. My life pod soon went up in flames burning most of what I had grabbed but I did manage to get out the life packs and bob my new found friend. After learning how to shot the guns and how to turn on and off bob. We (bob and I) headed out over the desert traveling by night and sleeping during the day. I found two babies “lizards” that seemed to take to me as their mom. And had just met up with squidwards family who has invited me to become part of their clan.

   Thu Nov 8 2007 2:17 pm #
7. 

   deiter
   Member

   As far getting ready for the initiation I will start my training. I would also like to start practicing my energy force. I would also like to know how the squid folks talk to each others. I would also like to try and communicate with them without using the tentacles. I guess that would be sending and receiving telepathically

   Thu Nov 8 2007 2:24 pm #
8. 

   M. J. Young
   Moderator

   The Ul-mor (the squid folk) have a vocal language they use between each other, and are willing to teach it to you if you wish. They use the tentacles to communicate to the lizards, which they have domesticated (obviously), but it works for you, too.

   Refreshing my memory concerning the force energy, it appears that you have a 2@2 force energy P6@0 which is a way of building up energy for use in at least two other skills, a 1@10 energy healing self P6@1 and a 1@8 energy healing others P6@3; thus, if you make the force energy roll successfully, you then have a bonus on performing either of the healing skills, but if you fail the roll for the force energy the healing skills will not work. Do you concur with this assessment? I also assume that the energy is built fairly quickly but dissipates rather slowly, and thus you can practice collecting it without using it, or you can practice using it if you have someone to heal.

   On this point, you are attempting to practice a second level SAL skill, and the training program should be "double doubled"--twice as hard in two ways as what you would do to practice a first level skill. (For reference, note that, to improve, an amateur musician should practice several times a week, but a professional might need to practice several times a day.) You can accomplish this by extending the time frame to four times as long--that benefit you used to get in four months now takes sixteen months--or by finding ways to make the task more difficult (you suggest them, I'll consider them). Thus I need to ask how you are practicing this.

   You find that you can build up force energy fairly easily. At the moment you're not injured or sick, but knowing that the energy is available is encouraging.

   How are you training for the initiation? I'm assuming that you're using the laser pistols, but probably with the power packs removed most of the time, since that would use up your power packs. How many power packs are you willing to consume over what length of time, to do your target practice? The pistols, as you may recall, use what seems to be a standard power pack for the designers (the rifle uses the same, only takes two of these), and can consume from one to ten "charges" out of twenty on the battery with each shot, each charge used increasing the intensity of the beam. (The rifle can use one to twenty in a shot.)

   The Ul-mor do offer you the use of a spear for practice, if you wish it.

   You manage to contact one telepathically; your contact opens a two-way channel, just as theirs does, but without physical contact. This surprises your subject, who indicates that he didn't think you could initiate mental contact, and he doesn't understand how you do it without a thought tentacle.

   Details of new skills are given behind the screens.

   --M. J. Young

   Thu Nov 8 2007 8:57 pm #
9. 

   deiter
   Member

   OK the energy force is as you described it as far as I remember. I was practicing it for two reasons. First I wanted to see if this might be a strong psi world. The second was to see if it would help me with my telepathy. I am not sure who I was able to make a connection with but I would assume it would have been with whom ever I had the most dealings with. I will try to explain to him how some of my people can do great things with their minds. I will continue to practice the telepathy and will use the energy force to aide with this skill.
   I am still unclear as to what I need to do for the initiation. I would not to waste my energy cells for practice, but do want to be able to hit the broad side of a barn if I need to use it. I will set the pistol on the lowest setting for target practice. I will gladly practice with one of their spears. I hope that they will provide a person to help me learn what I need to know for the initiation.
   I am going to focus on the above three things for most of my day. My day should be a day of training. I will get up early and meditate (building energy force) as the sun comes up. After a small breakfast I will then start my physical training. When I stop for meal, water, and while I am training I will try to learn their language. When I have quiet time as the sun is setting I will again meditate (building energy force). If there is a time when the tribe sits around the fire I will try to use this time to make mental connections with the people I have had a lot of contact with.

   Fri Nov 9 2007 2:33 pm #
10. 

    M. J. Young
    Moderator

    It does seem to be a strong psi world.

    Mechanics issue: your suggestion that you want to use the force energy in connection with the telepathy means I have to consider how to list the skill. For example, my listings of your healing skills now read:

    2@2 force energy 6@0 psi, meditation collects energy which on a successful skill check can be released into the performance of certain other skills.

    1@10 energy healing self 6@1 psi +20 if a successful P6@0 Force energy skill check is successful, otherwise it does not work.

    1@8 energy healing others 6@3 psi +20 if a successful P6@0 Force energy skill check is successful, otherwise it does not work.

    I rolled your telepathy to humanoids skill without reference to whether the force energy skill was working, and thus the way I have it the force energy is not relevant to the telepathy--it does not bonus it, but is not needed for it. This is consistent with the fact that you used the ul-mor as an example, and they do not collect force energy to accomplish their telepathic abilities.

    If you would prefer to tie the force energy to the telepathy, I'll rework it--but I will have to roll the force energy skill, and if it fails, you did not learn the telepathy because you did not successfully tap the force energy for it. I would prefer to keep the telepathy simple, but of course that +20 bonus is a nice bit to have, and I can see why you might want it even at the risk that it won't work.

    I'm treating your regular contacts with the ul-mor around the fire as practice, which over time will improve your ability; if you actually want specific conversations this way, we'll have to roll for them, but as practice it's just a relaxed sort of trying to contact without any pressure or need, so if it fails you just move to the next one, and you don't botch.

    The Ul-mor think that it is inappropriate to tell you what to expect at the initiation. You will travel to the place of initiation, and you will be initiated, as they were.

    Are you asking for someone to train you with the spear, or only hoping they offer?

    Within a couple of days you have a rudimentary grasp of the language, enough to ask the simple tourist questions. It will take time to improve, but you use it during the day so you are learning it.

    --M. J. Young

    Sat Nov 10 2007 3:49 am #
11. 

    deiter
    Member

    I did not realize that if i fail the energy force skill failed the test for the skill failed. I thought they work independent of each other. If it sucseeded I got the bonus if it failed I did not. I will continue to try to make telepathic contact with the ul-mar. I will even try it when I am in training with the other ul-mar. My intention is for it to be as natural as speaking to them. If they seem to find it too intrusive I will of course ask permission before I attemp to do it.
    I will ask for training with the spear. I will also practise more with my sword and shield.
    when I am sitting around the fire at night I will begin to make small toys for the children of the camp some things from my youth. something simple like paper airplanes,pin wheels, maybe even a yoyo of sorts.

    Sat Nov 10 2007 4:25 am #
12. 

    deiter
    Member

    As evening falls on my 4th day at their camp. I reach out with my mind to the group chief or whom ever I have the best rapport with. “I have realized my abilities are much stronger here then from where I am from. Do you have any legends of people using their minds to move things or to fight with?”

    Tue Nov 13 2007 12:53 pm #
13. 

    M. J. Young
    Moderator

    Concerning the energy force skill, there were two ways it could have been managed. One was to make it optional, a separate skill which had the effect of giving you a bonus on any psionic skill with which you used it; this would ordinarily mean that the bonus would be RS/10, that is, whatever you rolled on the dice as your successful skill check would be divided by ten, rounded up, as your bonus. If you rolled 01 to 10 you would get a one point bonus on the following skill; 11 to 20 would give you two points. Of course, this would cap the bonus according to your skill level at the energy force gathering skill, since if you had a 50% chance of success on that the most benefit you could get would be plus five. The alternative was to make the energy force skill a necessary skill, that is, the healing skills you learned require that before you can use them you must make a successful roll on using the energy force skill. If it were a magic skill, we would say that the first "spell" was a necessary component of the second "spell", such that you had to cast the first successfully to make the second work. Psionics doesn't use that language, but the idea is the same: you have to perform a successful use of the gather/harness energy skill for the healing skill to use that energy. This is a steep limitation on the second skill, since without the first working you can't even try the second; but steep limitations mean larger bonuses, so the return on the investment is that you get a twenty point bonus on the chance of the healing working (and a correspondingly larger potential healing power, since the amount healed would be RS/10 so a higher roll will successfully do more healing).

    Your description of the two healing spells strongly suggested that they worked specifically by tapping into this reserve of energy, and thus that they would not work if that reserve were absent; your description of the telepathic skill suggested that you were trying to copy what the Ul-mor did, and since they did not use any sort of energy reserve, I assumed you did not, either.

    You find that you can contact any Ul-mor in your direct view, and any Ul-mor you have contacted previously. They are surprised by your ability to speak mind-to-mind without touching them, and the more so that you can do it when you are not within sight, but they do not consider it more invasive than speech. (You might analogize it to calling them on the phone.)

    I don't see skill with sword or shield on your sheet; is this something we overlooked, or have you never actually learned how to use them? My vague recollection is that you must have used them against the undead, but I can't be certain; it is also reasonable that you probably also used either a bow or crossbow, possibly both, but I do not see those mentioned either. What skill ability levels do we have in these?

    The Ul-mor do not have paper, and the only paper I see on your sheet is a few hundred dollars in cash--which (being convention cash) is probably mostly tens and twenties, so probably not more than a score of bills at the outside, and not really the right size or shape for pinwheels or paper airplanes. Did I miss something on the sheet, or have you some other plan for making these?

    Someone teaches you to use the spear. He is surprised at how quickly you pick it up, and promises to work with you between now and your departure for the initiation.

    The Ul-mor have no legends of such powers, but suggest that the three-faced ones might.

    --M. J. Young

    Wed Nov 14 2007 2:36 am #

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