I have 44 left. I would have brought all of them.
MJ Two posts
When I say that I would pray until something interrupts me, I mean the hands folded praying. If something interrupts me, I'll keep praying. It would be the kind of prayer I'm sure you've prayed. One of your sons is 5 hours late getting home from school, and you're constantly praying "Please God let him be OK." Something like that is what I would be doing. If I have a chance to kneel, fold hands, etc, I would be doing it. I would be doing that up until the moment I was poked. I could see that not happening for hours.
John, this is a prayer, not a wish; but it shares some features in common with wishes, and one of them is, be careful what you ask for.
You have told me that you want the shotgun shells, all forty-four of them, to explode when they come in contact with a demon, or with any inanimate object. You're carrying them in an inanimate object, and the spear in which you use them is an inanimate object, and they are themselves inanimate objects. Thus there is no way that you can prevent these shells from contacting inanimate objects right now.
Please clarify exactly what it is you want to pray. I'm getting extremely confused by the entire prayer. I mean, I have a good idea of what you want to have happen, but what you're asking isn't going to get you that.
--M. J. Young
My shirt is an inanimate object, isn't it? So when Pedro pokes me with this, it's going to touch my shirt and explode, even though I am not a demon. That's the thing here. God would know what I meant. I think MJ knows that I don't want it to explode on my shirt, but you insist that I ask carefully. It gets confusing.
God, I ask that the boom stick become a demon detector. Only functioning in its designed manner if it contacts a demon, servant of evil, or an inanimate object, for DEMONstration (HAHAHA) purposes. I ask that the shotgun shells not fire if they are used against a living human being. I ask that the only way this spear and shotgun shells explode is if they will harm a demon, or do no harm to living human beings at all. I ask that the shotgun shells and the spear be demon detectors, only firing when the weapon is used against a demon or other servant of evil. (Now that I think of it, I could see this biting me on the ass if I got attacked by a palace guard!!! Oh well, that's what I have the 9mm for) I ask that the boom stick and shotgun shells be completely harmless unless used together against a demon, servant of evil, or an inanimate object. I also ask that they only explode if there are no living human beings that could be harmed in the resulting blast. (That should make them botch proof too. If I botch, the shells just won't explode, since a botch would hurt me too!!!) In the name of the Lord Jesus Christ I pray, Amen.
In a nutshell, I only want them to explode if the explosion would harm a demon, servant of evil, or when they will not harm a living person.
Is that more clear MJ? That's the thing I don't like about this. God would know what I wanted. I think you had a pretty good idea what I wanted. I only want the boom stick to work in it's designed manner, if it contacts a demon, servant of evil, or an inanimate object. I don't want the shells to explode in my pocket just because my pocket is an inanimate object. I want the boom stick to be a demon detector. Only working against a demon, or to DEMONstrate its power against something that is inanimate. God would know that.
That's the thing I don't like about this. God would know what I wanted. I think you had a pretty good idea what I wanted.Yes, I had a pretty good idea what you wanted; however, that's the thing I don't like about this: you want to be very inaccurate in what you pray and expect God to do what you meant instead of what you said, because God knows what you meant. I am not God, and there are going to be times when I don't know what you meant. Worse than that, there are going to be times when I think I know what you meant, and I am wrong. Thus for the sake of clarity, I will almost always insist on clarity: you will say exactly what it is you mean, and I will do exactly what I understand you to say. If I ask you to clarify, it will often be because if I do exactly what I understood you to say, it would result in something that I don't think you mean--but I think several people on this board can remember at least one time when I questioned whether they meant what they said, and indeed that's exactly what they meant, risks and all.
So don't complain when I ask you to clarify, or my response will be to do exactly what you say even if that's obviously not what you really wanted. I do not read minds; my telepathy works entirely by asking questions and getting answers.
Besides, I have to write down on your character paper what it is you are saying and what happens because of it. It's perfectly reasonable for you to create a spell in which you say one thing and something entirely different happens (you just don't get the bonus for appropriate words), but when you make it a prayer, it's either answered as you asked, botched (countered by forces of evil, perhaps?), or it becomes one of those prayers which heaven in mercy fails to grant.
You pray for about half an hour before the royal family enters, everyone rises (and someone gives you a shot in the ribs to alert you), and then the meal is served.
--M. J. Young
OK, I see what you mean MJ. Didn't mean to make it such a hassle. I'm still learning, so bear with me whilst I learn.
What does the room look like? The royal family is composed of at least 1 demon at this point. Am I getting anything off of that? Any feelings of evil? I'm still praying BTW. It would be in my head. Consider me continuously praying until I get poked with the boom stick. Is Pedro giving any indication that he knows what my plan is? Part of that was to communicate to Pedro my intentions. I'd rather not have to pull him to the side to tell him. I'm also keeping my eye on the royals. If I can tell anything about them, I'd like to know. What's the meal BTW? Broiled Batwings?
MJ Two posts
I get it. "I am going to be repeatedly TK pulsing the back of his head, saying not a word." then I wonder why the jeep crashes. Mean what you say, say what you mean. Makes sense now. I just had to break it down into terms I could understand.
The walls are stone, covered with lush and colorful tapestries. The ceiling is high, perhaps forty feet, and smoke from the fires seeps out through small vents in the roof but definitely does so slowly, clouding the area near the ceiling some. The ceiling is also stone, supported by arched column supports, the three-foot diameter columns coming down to the stone floor perhaps every fifty feet.
The tables are hidden beneath white linen cloths, although they show some spots and stains and a bit of the wear of time. The chairs are fine carved wood with velvet covered seat and back pads, the better ones at the head table. Plates and cups appear to be pewter (which you would know is an alloy primarily of tin and lead in different ratios from that which comprises solder), tableware probably silver. The appointments at the head table are all silver.
There are tall thin windows along the southern wall of the room through which sunlight shines reasonably brightly, and air flows; shutters are open to the inside. You and the other guests entered through large double doors to the west, the royals entering through smaller doors to the east and sitting at the head table at the eastern end of the hall.
The royals consist of the king, his three daughters, and three princes. One of them sits to the right hand of the king, with a girl to his right who has the bearing of a queen, stately and proper. Another sits on the king's left with a girl to his left, a shy girl who meets no one's eye but those of members of her family and her prince. The arrangement is unbalanced, as the third couple sits to the right beyond the proper girl, a prince and a third girl. This last has a very tomboyish and playful look to her, seeming hardly like a princess.
The princes look charming and proper.
You ask whether you get any sense of evil from anyone. This suggests that you would expect to get such a sense; that suggests that you believe you have a skill (even if only a "sixth sensory" skill) that would reveal such a thing to you. Tell me about it.
--M. J. Young
Addendum: Pedro would be a good poker player.
--M. J. Young
You ask whether you get any sense of evil from anyone. This suggests that you would expect to get such a sense; that suggests that you believe you have a skill (even if only a "sixth sensory" skill) that would reveal such a thing to you. Tell me about it.
Well, I wouldn't really call it a skill, but have you ever looked at someone and said to yourself "That guy is a real jerk" and been right? Likewise, have you ever looked at someone and said "He and I would be good friends." and been right? In high school, this was something that I did a lot, and I was right every time that I remember it. On the first day of orientation to the technical school I went to, I looked a guy and said "He's a jerk" and he later proved to be one of the kids that picked on me the most. Another kid on orientation, I looked at him and said to myself "He's a really cool guy." He turned out to become one of my few friends in that class. All I did was look at their faces. I wouldn't call it a skill, but it's a feeling I sometimes get, and I've learned to trust it.
So this is a typical castle. The one I've envisioned is straight of The Court Jester with Danny Kaye. (PLEASE tell me you have seen that movie!!!) What's for dinner? I would avoid drinking any alcoholic beverages if it was at all possible. I want to stay sharp. Pedro is giving me no indication that he has any idea what I'm thinking. Is he sitting next to me, or across from me? Try to subtly get his attention. Maybe kick his foot under the table or something. I'm not going to try any mind reading. I can't risk a botch right now. Try to subtly get Pedro's attention, and see if he gives me any indication at all that he knows what I'm planning. Also, I am still praying. It would be the same type of praying I'm certain you have done. One of your sons is 5 hours late getting home from school, and you're constantly praying "Please God let him be OK." It would be something along the lines of "Please God let this trick work." And it would be going on constantly. Consider that to be an action I am taking up until the moment I am poked with the boom stick.
Such a feeling would be an intuition check--and in this case it's particularly complicated by the fact that you have good reason to believe that the princes are demons. Looking at them, they appear to be wonderfully gracious but aloof members of foreign royal houses. You can't really see anything that suggests they are not what they seem.
Pedro is sitting to your left, between you and the head table, and has his attention turned toward the head table, as the king is welcoming everyone and asking a local clergyman to lead prayer.
The meal is ham; mead is served with it, although you can have water if you prefer.
--M. J. Young
To whomever is serving. "Could you please bring me several pitchers of water? I have a massive thirst at the moment." When those get brought, surreptitiously make the sign of the cross over the pitchers, and whisper "Heavenly Father, bless this water, that it might be of harm to your enemies." That's the entire prayer. Five seconds. I saw it in a movie once, and it seemed to work for Harvey Kietel. I'm still praying the boom stick prayer, but I would stop that for the blessing of the water. Continue praying the boom stick prayer in the back of my mind.
Ask Pedro if he would like to lead the prayer. See if he tries to slip in anything about ridding demons, or perhaps a message that only I would understand. Maybe he knows my plan, and would try to tell me so in his blessing of the meal. Adding something to the prayer that only I would understand as a private message. Kind of like if you were praying in front of your wife and a room of strangers. You might say something like "And let us not forget that missionary trip to Mexico." Your wife would understand that as a subtle mention of your honeymoon in Tijuana ("Missionary" having an entirely different meaning *wink*), but no one else would take notice of it. See if Pedro tries to tell me anything when he gives the blessing.
MJ, two posts
As I said in Behind the Screens, whether or not Pedro knows the plan has no bearing whatsoever on whether or not it will work. Therefore, you can roll for whether or not he knows it. If he does know the plan, then he would undoubtedly be praying for it too, so you could add his SAL as bonuses. It might even give him an opening to make it a suggestion. After the meal, Pedro could bring up the subject of demons, and offer to test everyone present to be sure they were pure. Something like that. You can roll for whether or not Pedro knows the plan, and not give away whether or not it worked. I've spent 30 minutes in hands folded prayer, and another 30 minutes praying to myself whilst I ate. Add in Pedro's scores if he does know the plan, and roll for it when we actually do it. Does that make sense?
If you wish to make two separate prayers, you need to give me the details of the two prayers separately.
Copy these questions and answer them first for one prayer and then for the other; if you cannot answer a question, leave it blank--not all the questions apply to all prayers:
Multiverser® Magic Skills WorksheetThis sheet has been designed to facilitate the creation of magic skills by Multiverser® players during the course of the game. If the player will carefully consider the information below, it will be easier for the referee to determine exactly what the character is attempting to do, and how difficult it will be to do it. Answer the questions based on the character’s expectations concerning the magic to be used.
Is this arcane or holy magic, alliance, neutral, or anarch?
What exactly will the magic do?
What distances, sizes, areas, or quantities are involved?
Over what variables does the character have control?
What, if any, is the base damage category for the magic?
How long does it take to perform the ritual necessary for the spell?
How many times in a minute may an amateur cast it?
How long will the magic last?
Exactly what will the character say?
Must the words be spoken loudly or forcefully?
Are the words in a language other than the character’s native tongue?
Is the sound of the words vital to the magic, or will it work if the words are properly articulated within a place where there is no sound?
What does the character do?
Which body parts must be committed to this action?
Which body parts can be substituted if necessary for the ones normally used (e.g., left hand instead of right)?
Is the ritual physically exhausting?
What materials are required?
Which if any of these are destroyed or damaged beyond use during the ritual?
Are there any other limitations on the use of this skill?
--M. J. Young
Multiverser® Magic Skills Worksheet
This sheet has been designed to facilitate the creation of magic skills by Multiverser® players during the course of the game. If the player will carefully consider the information below, it will be easier for the referee to determine exactly what the character is attempting to do, and how difficult it will be to do it. Answer the questions based on the character’s expectations concerning the magic to be used.
Is this arcane or holy magic, alliance, neutral, or anarch?
HOLY!!!!!!!
What exactly will the magic do?
Make the boom stick dangerous only to demons. If a person can potentially be harmed, it will not fire. This will also (Hopefully) make it botch proof, although I am not counting on that. I also want Pedro to know the plan. Whether or not it works is up to God. I feel the need to step out completely on faith on this one. (Hence, not wanting to know the roll)
What distances, sizes, areas, or quantities are involved?
1 boom stick 44 00 shells
Over what variables does the character have control?
None that I can think of. I'm praying until the moment I'm poked. That's kind of up to the dice.
What, if any, is the base damage category for the magic?
How much damage does the boom stick do?
How long does it take to perform the ritual necessary for the spell?
That's up to the dice. I will be praying until I am poked.
How many times in a minute may an amateur cast it?
I'd be happy if it worked just until I verse out of this world.
How long will the magic last?
See above.
Exactly what will the character say?
I've already answered that.
Must the words be spoken loudly or forcefully?
I hope not!!!!!!
Are the words in a language other than the character’s native tongue?
Nope
Is the sound of the words vital to the magic, or will it work if the words are properly articulated within a place where there is no sound?
How the hell should I know?
What does the character do?
PRAY!!!!!!!!!!!!
Which body parts must be committed to this action?
Mind, heart soul, folded hands when possible.
Which body parts can be substituted if necessary for the ones normally used (e.g., left hand instead of right)?
God doesn't care how you pray, as long as it is sincere.
Is the ritual physically exhausting?
I imagine it could be.
What materials are required?
ME!!!!
Which if any of these are destroyed or damaged beyond use during the ritual?
My time?
Are there any other limitations on the use of this skill?
Are there any limits on God?
Failed to communicate. Let's try again.
In this most recent post you wrote:
What exactly will the magic do?
Make the boom stick dangerous only to demons. If a person can potentially be harmed, it will not fire. This will also (Hopefully) make it botch proof, although I am not counting on that. I also want Pedro to know the plan.
In a previous post Behind the Screens you wrote:
Whether or not Pedro knows my plan to use the boom stick as a demon detector has no bearing whatsoever on whether or not it will actually work. It's two completely different prayers.You've only given me descriptions of one prayer that has two effects; you've told me that you are praying two separate prayers.Prayer 1) Make my boom sticks only harmful to demons.
Prayer 2) let Pedro know the plan.
You have to separate them, giving me two separate descriptions of what you are praying, and for how long.
To put it another way, if you are praying primarily for the change to the boom sticks, but praying separately for Pedro to know your plan, then at some point you have to stop praying for one and pray for the other, possibly thereafter going back to praying for the one. The question is, how long do you pray for which?
--M. J. Young
I gotcha MJ. Well, there again, I know how I would be praying. It would be the same way that you prayed that day your son was 5 hours late getting home from school. "Please God let this work, please God let Pedro know." I guess I would be praying one prayer with 2 effects. Can you roll the effects separately? If not, count the "Let Pedro know" prayer as 10 minutes, and the other as however long I end up praying. I know I would be praying scared.
If it really is one prayer with two effects, it has to be rolled as one prayer, with a penalty for including the extra effect; on the other hand, if you separate them, that's time split off of one to do the other, so the penalty might not be so important.
I will assume that you pray for ten minutes in relation to communicating the intention to Pedro.
You pray that Pedro will understand the plan, and as you pray you feel led to include in the prayer the message exactly as you wish for him to hear it explained.
That explanation can be up to five minutes at a normal speech velocity. Please give me the explanation, as that is what Pedro will hear.
--M. J. Young
Pedro, we know that there are demons here. We don't really know who is who and what is what. I'm praying that God will enable my boom stick to tell the difference. That it will only work if a demon can be harmed, and that it will be harmless if a person is in the blast range. Pray with me on this. You are a priest. Make a statement to the effect of "Demons are here, and God has sent us to oppose them." (True, more or less) I will then DEMONstrate the power of the boom stick by striking a chair or other inanimate object. Then, to show that it will only affect demons, you will strike me with it. I figure I won't stay dead, and maybe you can finish, if God doesn't grant this prayer. Pray with me about it. I figure it will give us the advantage. I foresee one of three possibilities. Either the demons will not allow themselves to be tested, thus revealing themselves, they will allow it, and take a direct hit from the boom stick, giving us the upper hand, or they will change into their true forms. Either way, the advantage would be ours. Pray Pedro, pray.
MJ, Two Posts
My on-person equipment is the priest robes that Pedro gave me. If I verse out, I'll arrive in the next world in my underwear, so I'd like to keep the robe. If Pedro wants it back, he can have it no contest, but if not, I would like to keep it.
I also have my 14 inch hunting knife, the Kabar, the 9 mm pistol, MAK 90, and the belt bag. The belt bag contains 1 pound (weight) silver, nickel, bronze, (1 pound of each metal coin, in other words) My silver and gold pieces that I have left, the jewels, the 2 rings, and 2 9 mm magazines. Also, 5 shotgun shells. I also have my backpack, containing all of the other magazines and ammunition. Also, the boom stick, of course. That should be everything. I would be wearing my combat boots, unless Pedro also provided shoes. I also have the Leatherman multi tool in the black nylon case.
MJ Three Posts
Just out of curiosity, what are the dimensions of that 10 pound gold brick? A standard Fort Knox brick is 100 ounces, if I'm not mistaken. Six and one quarter pounds. So probably almost twice the size of one of those. I could live with wasting some of that cutting it with a hacksaw.
Pedro gives you a quizzical look, but says nothing.
I think that there's something of a misunderstanding of the concept of a "contest" in connection with who keeps a "contested" item. The item is "contested" not necessarily because two people want it, but because two people have legitimate claims to it (in the case of the robes, you because you are wearing them and Pedro because they belong to him). The "contest" determines who gets it, but part of that is a way of determining whether both parties actually wanted it--that is, if you win the will power contest, it means that you wanted the robes more than he did, but it might mean that he did not want them at all. I have no other way of knowing whether he would "contest" your ownership of the robes other than rolling for a "contest".I'd like to keep the robe. If Pedro wants it back, he can have it no contest, but if not, I would like to keep it.
I have no idea how large a ten pound block of gold would be. It is as large as a ten pound block of gold. If you want to find dimensions for such an object, I'll accept what you find--since gold is sold by weight, not volume.
--M. J. Young
Quizzical looks might be bad. Does Pedro understand the plan? How would I know? I wouldn't. That's what scares me.
I guess proceed to what happens now. If Pedro is going to put my plan into action, then let's do it. Pedro should make some kind of an announcement I would imagine. Let's get it started.
Pedro rises from the table, and points to someone sitting near but not at the head table, apparently a distinguished noble. He speaks in a loud voice in what might be Latin, for about a minute. The entire room quiets and everyone stares at him--Pedro--but you (I presume). You are looking at the man at whom he is pointing.
And as he finishes his words, the image of the man blurs and you see a demon--it could not possibly be anything else.
In a moment, someone else gasps, and attention turns to the demon in question.
"Your majesties, my lords and ladies, gentle guests," Pedro shouts above the din, "there are demons among you. I, of the Holy Order of Tertullian, have uncovered one. It is not alone."
--M. J. Young
Stand up quickly, pull out the MAK 90, and have it loaded for bear. I would probably set it on the table in front of me, so I could grab it at a moment's notice.
"Pedro, I take it you got my message."
Then, addressing everyone. "We are demon hunters. We have reason to suspect that demons have infiltrated the castle. They may even be posing as members of the royal family. We have the means to detect them. (Pick up the boom stick) This stick will only harm demons. It has been blessed by God. A human will not be harmed, but a demon will be killed instantly."
I hope you have not yet rolled the dice on this yet, because I'm still praying. I will be until the moment Pedro pokes me.
Take the boom stick, and find something to poke with it. A chair or something, with no one else around. That would DEMONstrate its power. Reload a fresh shell into it, and turn to Pedro. (I guess I have to see what happened with the chair before I do anything else, don't I?)
As an aside, when I reloaded the page, it said that your post was 1 second old. Pretty good timing eh?
As you raise the stick, the demon leaps from its place at the table and starts running toward you.
A man rises from the table, draws a sword, and steps into the creature's path. The demon dodges and gets around him, but it gives you a few extra seconds before he reaches you.
--M. J. Young
Well, since you never said that I actually poked the chair, I'm going to assume that the boom stick is still loaded. Point it at the demon as he is coming at me. I'm going to poke him with it when he gets to me. Assuming that works, it should knock him backwards, or down. I will then pick up the MAK90 and pop him a few times in the head. I'll be praying the whole time "Please God let this work."
MJ Two Posts
I don't want to edit a post after about an hour, in case someone is following my game. That's why I post twice. Just thought you might want to know.
Basically, what I would be doing with the boom stick is bring it down, point it at him, and let him run into it. If that makes any difference to the dice roll. If it gives him pause, see if I can jab him with it, and/or hold him at bay with it. If he stays out of its reach, keep him back with it. If he runs into it, pick up the MAK 90. If I make a successful hit, pick up the MAK 90. If he stays out of reach, hold the boom stick with my left hand, and go for the 9 mm with my right hand. Quickly, but trying to be surreptitious, at the same time. Not a quick draw. And I'm praying. "Please God Help Me" inside my head, over and over, the entire time. Ya know what else? If he happens to grab the boom stick away from me, it might be a good time to roll that "Effective only to demons" prayer. God letting it blow up in his hand would be nice. Go for the 9 mm in that event.
The 9 mm itself has 16 bullets in it. I would have it chambered and an extra round. The MAK 90 I chambered when I pulled it out. It has 30. If that +1 on the 9 mm means that one of my clips is only holding 14 rounds, that's fine. But the one in the gun has 16.
Also, this isn't a case of a bullet being created ex nihilo as you say. I would have 15 in the 9 mm normally. Carrying it around town and whatnot, I would not have a round chambered. If I knew that I was walking into a combat situation, I would have it chambered with an extra round. The bullet count is right, because it would not have been chambered walking around town. Considering how I was carrying the MAK 90, there's no way in hell I would have had a round chambered in that. Other situations, I might have, but not in that one. I don't know why, I just wanted to say that.
I have 2 9 mm clips in my belt bag. The rest, and the MAK 90 clips, are in my backpack. The 14 round clip, if there is one, is in the bottom of the backpack. The backpack is sitting right next to my chair. I also have 5 shotgun shells in the belt bag. If possible, I would reload the 9 mm and the boom stick out of the backpack, and save the ammo in the belt bag for last. If reasonably possible. The backpack is open, but the belt bag is zipped shut. The backpack is one big bag, with a draw string top. Originally, the ammo would have been organized. It probably isn't organized anymore. Are there any pockets in that robe? If so, each pocket has at least one MAK 90 clip in it. Again, if reasonably possible, reload out of the backpack. Also, if I verse, and the robe doesn't come, I'm in my underwear. If it makes any difference, the underwear is a pair of navy blue boxer shorts. An ex girlfriend gave them to me, and they were kind of my lucky underwear hahaha.
And lastly, I don't give two pieces of horse manure what the dice say. I'm NOT going to back up. If he steps forward, either he runs into the boom stick, or I jab him with it. One or the other. I'm not backing up. I don't care what the dice say.
Pockets on the robe are on the inside, between the cloth and the skin, to discourage pickpockets.
The demon rushes at you, dodging at the last moment; the spear slips from your hands and clatters on the floor on the other side of the table.
You reach for your gun as the beast leaps over the table. You feel claws of one hand dig into you painfully, but as it swings with the other hand it loses its balance and hits the floor, trying to scuttle out of reach.
--M. J. Young
Where did it grab me, and how badly am I hurt? Is it just a superficial wound, or am I hurting?
Just to be clear, I dropped the boom stick, the demon clawed me, then fell down, and backed away? That's what happened?
Pull the 9 mm and start blasting. I'm aiming for center mass. Chest and head area. Should be point blank range, so I shouldn't miss. When I say "Start blasting" I mean just that. I'm going to empty the clip into him.
What's happening with Pedro and the rest of the room? There's more demons right? Is Pedro dealing with any of them, and what are bystanders doing as far as the one I'm dealing with? I could imagine a hero or two being born here.
Speaking of bystanders taking action. Explosive spears might be unknown to these people, but my boom stick would probably still be recognized as a spear to the indigs. I could imagine one of these new-born heroes stabbing Abishaw in the back with my boom stick. I want to see what happens.
MJ Two posts
In this particular case, since Abishaw botched, it doesn't matter. However, don't forget that I have 1@10 boxing skills. If I have to, I will go hand to hand with these demons. If he hadn't botched, I might have tried a boxing punch/block to counter his attack. How should I tell you that for future reference?
Also, fighting hand to hand, don't I get a defensive bonus for the boxing? Kyler gave me a -15 defense bonus when I fought that guy in Pearl Harbor. I didn't get that defense bonus here because I wasn't trying to box right? Well, if left with no other alternatives, I will fight hand to hand with Abishaw. Hope not though.
Something else. I don't know if you caught this or not, but when they brought my water, I blessed it. I made a cross sign over it, and prayed "Dear God, bless this water, that it might be effective against your enemies." or something to that effect. That's the whole prayer, what I said. Five seconds. I don't think you ever rolled for it. I might end up throwing the water at Abishaw, so I'd like it if you rolled for whether or not that is holy water. I asked for several pitchers of water, however many that is.
Where did it grab me, and how badly am I hurt? Is it just a superficial wound, or am I hurting?
This is a real injury; you've suffered damage. I don't normally do hit locations unless it is a very severe injury (ten intensities or more, sufficient that it might be crippling), and injuries less severe than that do not impair ability directly. Since you've asked, I'll roll: his claw landed in the middle of your upper back, between the shoulder blades, and it's bleeding and sore.
Just to be clear, I dropped the boom stick, the demon clawed me, then fell down, and backed away? That's what happened?
I'd have said scrambled away, probably crawling forward a few feet with his back to you before turning around to face you again.
Pull the 9 mm and start blasting. I'm aiming for center mass. Chest and head area. Should be point blank range, so I shouldn't miss. When I say "Start blasting" I mean just that. I'm going to empty the clip into him.
Your first shot bounces off its hide into the table; however, your second penetrates, ripping open its chest. It collapses, green ooze pouring onto the floor.
Pedro has cast his dispel illusion twice more, but the demons are resisting this unveiling. The room is in chaos, with people scattering in all directions, but the princes remain calm at the head table.What's happening with Pedro and the rest of the room? There's more demons right? Is Pedro dealing with any of them, and what are bystanders doing as far as the one I'm dealing with? I could imagine a hero or two being born here.
As you scan the chaos, suddenly something grabs your cloak and tears a rip in it; you turn and see the torn piece pulled away from you as if in an invisible hand.
Speaking of bystanders taking action. Explosive spears might be unknown to these people, but my boom stick would probably still be recognized as a spear to the indigs. I could imagine one of these new-born heroes stabbing Abishaw in the back with my boom stick. I want to see what happens.
Some of the men have drawn swords, and are looking for demons to attack, but they see only people.
In this particular case, since Abishaw botched, it doesn't matter. However, don't forget that I have 1@10 boxing skills. If I have to, I will go hand to hand with these demons. If he hadn't botched, I might have tried a boxing punch/block to counter his attack. How should I tell you that for future reference?
Also, fighting hand to hand, don't I get a defensive bonus for the boxing? Kyler gave me a -15 defense bonus when I fought that guy in Pearl Harbor. I didn't get that defense bonus here because I wasn't trying to box right? Well, if left with no other alternatives, I will fight hand to hand with Abishaw. Hope not though.
Boxing is listed as a weapon-adverse skill; that means you cannot use its techniques while holding a weapon in your hand. If you wish to use your hand-to-hand combat, you will have to state that you are putting away the weapons and falling into stance; at that point a roll will be made to see whether you can focus on your combat stance, and if so you will get the benefits thereafter.
Something else. I don't know if you caught this or not, but when they brought my water, I blessed it. I made a cross sign over it, and prayed "Dear God, bless this water, that it might be effective against your enemies." or something to that effect. That's the whole prayer, what I said. Five seconds. I don't think you ever rolled for it. I might end up throwing the water at Abishaw, so I'd like it if you rolled for whether or not that is holy water. I asked for several pitchers of water, however many that is.
I would have forgotten that, and I probably will forget it if you don't mention it at such time as you use the water. Since you cannot know whether it worked until you try it, I'm not rolling until then.
--M. J. Young
Your first shot bounces off its hide into the table; however, your second penetrates, ripping open its chest. It collapses, green ooze pouring onto the floor.
So as far as I can tell, I just killed Abishaw? I don't know why I'm telling you this, because it's just going to be a waste. When I said empty the clip at Abishaw, I meant EMPTY THE CLIP!!!!! I wouldn't have stopped at two shots, I know that. However, I do think having my cloak torn by the unseen hand might have turned my attention away from that, so I'm not trying to change anything there. You told me to be clear in what I said, and that's what I'm trying to do. Also, I have never shot anything other than targets with that pistol. Is that a new use for killing Abishaw with it? Just curious.
As you scan the chaos, suddenly something grabs your cloak and tears a rip in it; you turn and see the torn piece pulled away from you as if in an invisible hand.
Which direction did that come from? Grab one of the pitchers of holy water (Five second prayer and the sign of the cross) and throw it in the direction of the torn piece of cloth. If nothing else, getting him wet will temporarily reveal his location. At least it did in The Invisible Man. It would be a spray throw. How you would throw a bucket of water if you were trying to get several people wet at once. I need it to cover as much area as I can. I would grab the pitcher and throw it with my left hand, keeping the 9 mm in my right hand. Assuming the water makes contact and I can see where the demon is, Holy Water or not, shoot at the demon. If the prayer worked and it is Holy Water, it should have some kind of effect. If nothing else, I should be able to see my opponent in the spray.
On a personal note MJ, I called to tell you the movie reference in the other thread. You said it was going to bother you. Speaking as someone with an OCD, I know what that's like, and I didn't want it to bother you any more than it had to.
Generally I give people the benefit of not wasting too many shots, particularly in worlds where they can't replace their ammo. Yes, I'll give you new use for killing something with the gun; that's 2@2+1 mark.
Define "holy water" for me. I know what it means to a Catholic Priest, and I know what it means in some vampire movies, but I need to know what it means to you.
--M. J. Young
Holy Water. Ordinary water, which has been blessed by God. It reacts violently with the presence of evil. Having a strong acidic effect on servants of evil. (Vampires, demons, werewolves, etc.) Harmless to anyone else. At least that's what it did in every vampire movies I've seen it used in.
MJ, I'm wondering. You once mentioned to me that there were some very unique trees in this world, which I never saw, because I never came to the castle. I've just come to the castle, but I never saw the trees to which you were referring. (I don't want to say what kind of trees they were, in case you're planning to run someone else in here) I was just curious as to why I never saw those trees, and if it might be possible to find them.
You have not yet seen those trees because you have not been where they are; probably you will not go where they are, unless you are very lucky and very brave, such that things happen as you do not wish and you go where you would rather not.
You throw the pitcher of water wildly in the general direction of the pull, and it clings to something, suspended in the air--the chest and upper torso of a humanoid, including part of one arm. It is a faint image in the air and is not going to last long.
--M. J. Young
Raise the 9 mm and start blasting at the faint image in the air. Fast as I can pull the trigger. It should be just like with Abishaw. I hope there's no one behind him. Well, better I kill them and they go to Heaven than end up selling their soul to a demon. I've got 14 bullets left. Oh and the 9 mm is blessed to be more effective.
I thought it was wearing a cloak. I would have expected the water to soak into the cloth and stay visible for a while. Or is the cloak waterproof?
Well, if I remember right, there's about to be 3 demons left. I will (hopefully) have just killed the 2 minions. If I dispatch all of them, see about directing me to the trees.
I can't see this guy, so I don't what he's trying to do. However, if I feel anything hit my hand, or anything else, pull the trigger. That's the fatal mistake people always make in the movies. Someone tries to grab the gun away from you, PULL THE TRIGGER!!!!!! If nothing else, maybe I'll blow his hand off.
What you believe may be out of synch with what you know, and both may be out of synch with what you understand. You know only that something hit you that you cannot see. You believe that the invisibility is caused by it donning a magic cloak, but that is not something you will have learned within the scenario--no one has mentioned a magic cloak to this point. You do not understand how a magic cloak works. The creature is not transparent but invisible; invisible means that it cannot be seen, but not that this necessarily follows any specific laws of physics. It might be that putting on the cloak creates a sphere of invisibility around the wearer, such that anything that gets inside that sphere is similarly invisible. What you know is that you can see a glimmer of water in the air, but it is vanishing quickly.
You fire five more shots; three of them sound like they hit something, while the other two ping off stone somewhere in the room. Then you get hit again, harder this time, a solid claw. You fire directly at the point from which you feel the strike, and the bullet hits something, and something hits the floor.
In the midst of the chaos around you, people have moved away from where you are.
The prince seated near the center of the dais rises, and in a commanding voice shouts, "Seize those men!"
Pedro says, "Take his cloak!"
--M. J. Young
Actually MJ, the angel that I summoned mentioned something about a magic cloak that would render the wearer invisible. So yes, my character does know that the demons, or at least one of them, has the ability to do that.
You never said anything about Bearbreath or whatever his name is becoming visible. Therefore, I'm going to assume that I still cannot see him. If I can't see him, I obviously can't take his cloak. Holster the 9mm, and grab the MAK 90 from the table, and my backpack from the floor. Fire 3 rounds from the MAK 90 at the ceiling. I'm hoping that will calm the chaos down a bit. This would be considerably louder than the 9mm fire.
"The first person other than Pedro that gets within 10 feet of me gets shot in the leg. That's their warning. Anyone after that dies. If I see a bow of any kind, the man holding it dies. (I'm not risking getting shot with an arrow) Anyone that thinks I'm joking, step forward. Pedro, get your ass over here and get my boom stick while you're at it."
The MAK 90 shoots a light armor piercing bullet as standard. No armor that they have would stop it. I'm sweeping the area. looking back and forth and back. Keeping the MAK 90 trained in my field of vision.
Assuming that nothing interferes with Pedro getting to me:
"Hey Pedro, I'm hurting pretty bad. Do you know any healing magic?"
I suddenly got this mental image of a bunch of palace guards coming at me. In that instance, I'm not giving warning shots to the leg. One person coming towards me gets shot in the leg. Two or more though will find out if there really is a God.
Where did I get hit?
I know I didn't say that I was bringing them, but I had been thinking that perhaps I should bring those 4 30-06 bullets with me. Throwing them into a fire might make an effective distraction. Your call on whether or not I brought them. They would be in my belt bag if I did.
Note to self: you have 6 bullets left in the 9mm, 27 in the MAK 90. Does/can that holy water heal my injuries? Might be a good idea to find out.
You never said anything about Bearbreath or whatever his name is becoming visible. Therefore, I'm going to assume that I still cannot see him. If I can't see him, I obviously can't take his cloak.
He has not become visible; however, you probably have at least a rough idea of where he hit the ground. Sight is not your only sense.
Fire 3 rounds from the MAK 90 at the ceiling. I'm hoping that will calm the chaos down a bit. This would be considerably louder than the 9mm fire.
The screaming gets so loud you cannot hear yourself shouting.
In the chaos, a woman, overdressed in multilayered petticoats, comes blundering toward you looking behind her over her shoulder at the ruckus. She has no idea that you are there, or that you are the source of the thunderous noise that has just echoed from all directions in the stone hallway with stone walls, stone floors, stone ceilings, and stone columns. Some people have hit the floor, others are running for doors. The main doors are nearest you; the doors for the royal family are on the other end of the hall.
The MAK 90 shoots a light armor piercing bullet as standard. No armor that they have would stop it. I'm sweeping the area. looking back and forth and back. Keeping the MAK 90 trained in my field of vision.
It is evident that Pedro does not even know you are trying to talk to him; he is performing his rituals.
Somewhere on your body. It was not a crippling injury, and under Multiverser rules if it is not crippling we do not need to waste time figuring out where it is. If you wish to know where it is, for some practical reason, tell my why you need to know it and I'll dig out the chart I use about once a year and roll.Where did I get hit?
I had been thinking that perhaps I should bring those 4 30-06 bullets with me. Throwing them into a fire might make an effective distraction. Your call on whether or not I brought them. They would be in my belt bag if I did.
I see no reason why those would not be in your belt bag. I also see no reason why you would be within fifty yard of a fire. It will be a tough throw if you want to try it, and you're more likely to hit someone with the bullet than get it in the fireplace.
--M. J. Young