Brock: the problem in your scenario is the distinction between surprise and initiative.
Surprise is settled on each side by an intuition check. If you use a skill (such as stealth or ambush) that is intended to create surprise, if successful it eliminates the intuition check for your adversary; if he is using a skill that enhances awareness (e.g., heightened awareness, danger sense) he gets to roll that skill against yours, and the higher successful roll wins (to the degree that it is higher).
Initiative is settled on a minute-by-minute basis, which is the basis for our combat "rounds". Each character has to identify his first attack skill, if he is using an attack, and a sort of "dummy" roll is made against the chance of success for that skill. The one who has the best chance to hit has the best chance to hit first, and so whichever skill check is highest, that character and his side get to go first (for simplicity), attacks alternating thereafter. If no one on one side is using an attack, that side does not roll for initiative; time factor skills essentially start at 0 and repeat factor attacks effectively start at 0 and are spaced through the minute evenly.
I hope that helps.
I'll be back, I trust.
--M. J. Young
bump
O.K., I'm back, let me see if I can do something for Eli, Michael, Brock, Harry, John 2, and Adam.
I think Eli needs a GE roll for what happens while the herbalist is away, and that roll is 9, a very good roll all things considered that puts us in the pink. We'll also roll a cooking skill check, 24, which is certainly successful. There's also a 02 rolled on his language skill, so we're going to have a bit of communication, but limited.
Michael is going to attempt to teach himself teaching first, and then attempt to use his teaching skill to teach Molly how to use the wand. 36 is solid for a 1@1 Teaching P0@1 skill, and now she rolls 46 and picks up a 1@1 Use Psi Force Generative Device P1@8 (Drill).
The room in which I left Brock wasn't particularly designed for hiding places, and an 18 GE roll doesn't really add much to the options.
I think Harry might have some fun if he figures out what I've just given him as clues.
John 2 is going for a sleep prayer. The Mag 10@5 sleep spell is analogous to the Mag 10@3 Fear for all its numbers, and that means for a single target character instant activation will get you one minute of sleep. If TF can be converted to RF at -20, then John should get +20 for converting RF to TF, the RF1 being a 1 minute TF. He doubles it twice to two then four, and half again for +25 at six minutes, +45 for time factor. Now we take the one minute and double it to 2, 4, 8, 16, 32, 64, 128, 256, which is sixteen minutes more than four hours, and 16 is 12.5% of 128 so we're looking at 7.875 doublings, -80. He's got +5 appropriateness, +3 for forceful words, and with the action "Put my right thumb in my mouth, then my left thumb in my mouth, one at a time" we've got a second body part and part of a third, so we'll give him +5 for that. That looks like the full boat, so +58 and -80 is -22 inherent sit-mod. He's in a neutral world, so it's -5 for alliance holy magic, but +9 for his religion, a 2@2 BRA, +7 for world bias, +126 for his bias, -105 for the skill bias, and I think that's everything, positives +164, negatives -127, chance of successfully learning the skill 37%. He rolls 83.
Adam rolls a 10 GE roll on having any kind of example of a copy spell; it's going to be a M14@6 create solids with a bonus for having a real object to copy, but he's going to have to address at least one of my concerns before I can continue.
--M. J. Young
So, when my skill 'steals initiative', it simply removes their next action that minute, and then after that they get the remainder of their actions in that minute? Sounds about right. Wanted to be sure I understand the way MV uses the term.
So, when my skill 'steals initiative', it simply removes their next action that minute, and then after that they get the remainder of their actions in that minute?
What a steal initiative skill does is put you at the front of the line. If they're used against each other, they beat everyone else, but the better roll goes first. Everyone else still gets the same number of actions, assuming they're still able to take them.
I'm having trouble describing this because I'm starting from the middle.
We'll assume that you have three attacks and your opponent has four. If you go first, it will be you-him-you-him-you-him-him; if he goes first it will be him-you-him-you-him-you-him. Of course, if his first attack incapacitates you, then you don't ever get your next attack even if it is your first, and vice versa. So we need a fair way to determine who goes first. Let's suppose that even though he's faster you're better, so you have an 80% chance to hit him and he has a 40% chance to hit you. We roll against those odds, and whoever has the higher successful roll (or if both fail, whoever failed by less) goes first. Obviously, you have a significantly better chance of going first than he does, and probably will win about two out of three times. But you might lose one in three, and if he's particularly tough that might matter to you, particularly on the first minute. So if you use a skill to steal initiative, and it is successful, you take yourself out of the contest for initiative and put yourself in the front. Because it is an individual skill, though, if you steal initiative you go first, but your side still has to roll initiative for everyone else against the initiative roll of the other side. If you've got multiple attacks against multiple attacks, you in essence move all of yours forward so that you'll be attacking with your side after the first attack, but your last attack will have in essence paid for the first.
You only steal initiative at the beginning of the minute, because that's the only time it counts, normally. (I can imagine a skill that lets you steal initiative on an attack-by-attack basis, but no one has ever suggested such a skill and so I've never had to work out exactly how that would work. It would not eliminate the opponent's chance to attack, but would only delay it momentarily.)
Is that clear?
Eli, Michael, Brock, Kurt, Harry, John 2, and Adam are in play here. I'm not sure that my brain is also in play, because I've been a bit fuzzy most of the day, but we'll make the best of things.
Eli is in brief conversation that hints at the uncertain.
Michael finally rolls 15, and so picks up 1@1 Hear Conscious Thoughts P1@1, a read minds skill appropriate to the setting. We'll also spark a bit of interest between them, perhaps. I don't think I can link Michael to Gwendylon--she's a bit older--but I have a lot of leeway with what I do with Molly as long as I don't overdo things.
Brock is caught up in the war now; we'll see where it takes him next.
Kurt is telling tales of his journeys, but they're going to seem strange tales even tailored a bit.
Harry has so far kept his cool, but I'm not sure he'll continue to do so.
I had to track back pretty far to find that John 2 is still six months old, and to double check the references to determine that he is eating baby cereal and strained pureed fruit in addition to formula and breast milk. Odds are good that Sarah would feed him breast milk first, because if she is still nursing her breasts will be swollen in the morning; but she may have weened him onto bottles, which are more convenient for a host of reasons, so we need a GE roll, and he'll need a 12 to get breast fed, otherwise it's infant formula first and then cereal and fruit. 13 is barely good enough.
Adam has answered my questions, so I'm pretty sure I can crunch his spell. I think most of the remainder of my questions are important to the description but not the calculation, so let me crunch the numbers and ask the questions parallel to that. I've got +15 for whole body, but he hasn't described how he is using his whole body. He also has to have a scale drawing of the object, which I'll take as a +3 value object doubled for being destroyed (although I might adjust that if there are other limitations). He's got a 24:00:00 TF against a 9:00 baseline. If I cut 24:00:00 in half seven times I get 11:15, and 1.25/9=13.888%, so +71 for time. I'm also giving +5 for the requirement that he have the original in his possession at the time of the casting. We have appropriate words +5 in a magical language +5 spoken forcefully +3, so we're looking at +110SM. It's hardly worth rolling, except for how good he's going to be at it. 15 is 1@1 Duplicate Material Object M14@6, but I'm going to need the answers to the questions before I can finish the description and add it to the sheet. I have copied his description as
Ritual: Whole Body, A drawing of the object to be copied to scale which is consumed in the casting, Words said forcefully, using time factor to help create a bonus that will stop all but a botch failure. Words "Partum a proprius exigo effingo illae res, ut illic es duos identical physical res." (Create a permanent exact copy of this object, so that there are two identical physical objects.)which will fill in most of the blanks, but the questions have been asked in his game thread.
--M. J. Young
he'll need a 12 to get breast fed, otherwise it's infant formula first and then cereal and fruit. 13 is barely good enough.
Ah you're kidding me. Missed it by one.
(Doing Therapy)
There is something bothering me about the way the game calculate doubling.
1) If the base is 9 minutes and the target is 24 hours or 1440 minutes,
a) Calculated purely using exponential scale.
9*(2^x)=1440
2^x=1440/9
x=ln(1440/9)/ln(2)
x=7.32 (approximate value)
b) Total doubling is calculated then added linearly if there is still some remainder.
9*(2^7)=1152
1440/1152=1.25 OR (1440-1152)/1152=0.25
If the game mechanics adds a linear scale to the exponential scale then we got 7.25 instead of 7.32 which I think would probably affect the chances of a skill to succeed depending on how the referee rounds the number.
2) If the base is 1 minute and the target is 3 minutes,
a) Calculated purely using exponential scale.
2^x = 3
x = ln(3)/ln(2)
x = 1.58 (approximate value)
b) Total doubling is calculated then added linearly if there is still some remainder.
1*(2^1)=2
3/2=1.5 OR (3-2)/2=0.5
If the game mechanics adds a linear scale to the exponential scale then we got 1.5 instead of 1.58 which I think would probably affect the chances of a skill to succeed depending on how the referee rounds the number.
Certainly a difference of one point can impact the chance of success and sometimes the chance to botch. Let me clarify the rule for you. The issue is how many doublings or halvings of the baseline value give the value in use. Thus if the baseline says 3:00 and the player designs a skill that takes 10:00: 3 doubles to 6; 10-6=4; 4 is 66.66% of 6, so it's 1.66 doublings. Since it's +/-1 per 10%, we have to round it one way or the other, usually up from 5, so it would be +17.
But it's only an approximation. Because it's only an approximation, sometimes I do the math backwards, working from the value in use toward the baseline value, and yes, this will sometimes give a slightly different number. If the player challenges the calculation, of course, the rules say that it is calculated by how different the actual is from the baseline, so that's the value that ought to be used. On the other hand, the rules also say that the referee is supposed to be determining how much more difficult or easier the skill is relative to the baseline and applying an appropriate sit-mod, so if at the table I decide by the seat of my pants that 10 is greater than 3 by something more than one and a half doublings so I make it +16, yes, the player would have gotten an extra point had I done the math, but on the other hand my thumbnailing approach is likely to give him a bit more somewhere else, such as in his material components.
The last partial doubling is based on the percent increase or decrease of that last increment. The exponential math is not used.
I believe the queue runs Eli, Michael, Brock, Kurt, Harry, John 2, Adam, so let's queue up and see where it takes us.
I hadn't really thought about whether the herbalist had studied combat skills or simply knew something about the ninjas. That has Eli wanting a GE roll to see whether indeed the man has training; but it's unlikely that anyone who trained the elderly herbalist would be alive today. The roll is 15.
Michael wants more info about Molly. Since I have so little, I'll have to invent some; the less pertinent stuff I'll create out of whole cloth, but exactly what skills she has and how good she is will have to be based on GE rolls, against the information concerning what skills anyone else in the book has. There are a couple other 1@ skills connected to Gwen or Brom, but they're both special cases, and a GE of 22 suggests that Molly is only moderately good at a P3@9 Hear Remote Conversations by Mind Reading; I'll give her a 1@5 SAL for that.
Brock moves by GE rolls; this one is 14, suggesting that things work, but not exactly as he would prefer.
I'm thinking Kurt doesn't realize that America has not yet been discovered, never mind named, but he'll come up with something, I'm sure.
Harry turned a phrase in a way that makes me just a bit uncertain of his meaning, so let me get that clarified before I assume he did something he didn't intend.
John 2 is going to be wondering what Sarah is thinking, but he can't know unless he tries to read her mind, which he hasn't said he is going to attempt, so I can't give him the information. I'm tempted to talk about it here, but then that would complicate his player/character knowledge issue, so I won't.
I already rolled the skill learning check for Adam, but had not finished the spell description. He's answered my questions, so I can get that in place.
- +15 for whole body,
- scale drawing of the object, +3 value object doubled for being destroyed
- 24:00:00 TF against a 9:00 baseline. Maxx has called my attention to the fact that I might get a different answer doubling versus halving, so let me check it. In fact, I get seven doublings at 1152, and an additional 288 minutes which comprise 25% of 1152, so that's +73 for time.
- +5 for the requirement that he have the original in his possession at the time of the casting.
- appropriate words +5
- in a magical language +5
- spoken forcefully +3
1@1 Duplicate Material Object M14@6, using a scale drawing (scale noted on drawing) of the object to be copied (drawn in advance by the caster), the caster kneels with arms raised for 24:00:00 in the presence of the original object (sufficiently that he could take possession of it if desired) and says forcefully "Partum a proprius exigo effingo illae res, ut illic es duos identical physical res" (Create a permanent exact copy of this object, so that there are two identical physical objects), at the end of which the drawing will morph into an exact physical duplicate of the original, of the same materials in the same physical configuration (including such properties as magnetism and psionic sensitivity, but not magical energies) +112SM.
And the alarms are sounding, telling me I need to be elsewhere, so that was pretty good timing overall.
--M. J. Young
John 2 is going to be wondering what Sarah is thinking, but he can't know unless he tries to read her mind
Actually I'm gonna ask her.
(Doing Therapy)
Maxx has called my attention to the fact that I might get a different answer doubling versus halving, so let me check it.
Actually you will get the same answer if you do this:
1440/2^7 = 11.25
11.25/9=1.25 OR (11.25-9)/9=0.25
The above shows that doubling or halving would get the same answer.
Getting the answer using exponential scale could also help you get the linear scale.
x=ln(1440/9)/ln(2)
x=7.321928 (approximate value)
2^0.321928 = 1.25 (approximate value)
This could be done by using the formula:
x = ln(Target/Base)/ln(2)
y = truncate[x]
z = abs[x - y]
if (x<0) {sign = -1} else {sign = 1}
Sit mod = Round[10*(abs[y]+(2^z)-1)]*sign
If the base is 60 minutes and the target is only 1 minute,
x = ln(1/60)/ln(2) = -5.90689
y = -5
z = 0.90689
sign = -1
Sit mod = Round[10*(abs[-5]+(2^0.90689)-1)]*(-1)
Sit mod = Round[10*(5+1.875-1)]*(-1)
Sit mod = Round[58.75]*(-1)
Sit mod = -59
_____
Edit 1:
Function rounddown is replaced by truncate (or round towards zero).
Function Round that is used represents round to nearest.
Edit 2:
y/abs(y) is replaced by x/abs(x) because division by zero would be bad.
Edit 3:
Add sign variable and replace x/abs(x) because if Target=Base then there would be division by zero.
My time is escaping, and I must apply myself; I did not get near as much done today as I had hoped, but I did get some things done and some of them were not anticipated. Eli, Michael, Brock, Kurt, Harry, John 2, and Adam are waiting, and they're not all quick and easy posts.
Eli rolls 21 on continuing his language skill effectively, so we'll continue the conversation. We'll get involved in a bit of inscrutable oriental wisdom and see what he makes of it.
I often surprise myself with my ability to invent a girl from whole cloth who is exactly the type that one of my players finds appealing. No idea how I do it, but apparently it's struck again, as Michael says that Molly is very much what he imagined her to be. He wants to learn more skills, so we'll put forward the next--but I'm not sure on whom to eavesdrop, so I'll let Mike make some suggestions.
As Brock continues his journey, he rolls a 21 GE on the last room--and that's bad enough. We'll feed in a complication for him.
What would Tuck want to know about the foreign lands of which Kurt speaks? Why, whether they have the true faith, of course.
I'm not entirely clear what exactly Harry means to say to the local watch command, but it's not that important, and I'm sure he wants to move forward.
As John 2 describes his next trick, all I can think is that The Exorcist was really popular in the mid seventies, and Sarah's probably seen it.
I've taken time to make some direct comments on Adam's list of desired skills; we'll get a bit of feedback, sort out what he wants to do with them, and go from there.
--M. J. Young
As John 2 describes his next trick, all I can think is that The Exorcist was really popular in the mid seventies, and Sarah's probably seen it.
That's what I'm thinking too, but when she hears what I have to say, all of her fears will be laid to rest.
(Doing Therapy)
My luck finally went bad, huh? been pretty average until now. Oh well.
I have a few questions related to TF and RF.
1) If the skill could be casted instantly, what would be the TF?
2) If the skill could be repeated instantly, what would be the RF?
3) Does MV rules specify instantly as 1 second or something to prevent division by zero?
4) How is TF and RF converted to each other if the skill only list TF or RF as base such as the psionic skill that needed concentration or a magical skill that can be casted instantly even before the ritual finishes?
5) If the magic skill have TF and RF element such as a skill that have 8 minutes of casting time then the effect of the magical skill takes place as the caster ritual resumes for about 16 minutes when the base of the skill only specifies 2 minutes of TF as the base, how is the sit mod calculated?
The Exorcist may have been popular on earth, but this isn't earth. Sarah might have never heard of that movie.
Maxx-
TFs that are executed instantly are actually RF skills. RF skills with no cooldown time don't exist as far as I know, because you have to keep halving the time until you are under a second, and the sit mod for that makes it pretty much impossible. I think converting a TF to an RF requires the TF to be 1:00, and adds a slight penalty. Then you have RF 1, and if you want it higher you continue adding penalties to balance.
As to your last question-do you mean it has a TF time, then after that it goes off, and it can't be used for a set time? That would be a TF skill with a built in limitation on how often you can activate it.
The Mag 10@5 sleep spell is analogous to the Mag 10@3 Fear for all its numbers, and that means for a single target character instant activation will get you one minute of sleep. If TF can be converted to RF at -20, then John should get +20 for converting RF to TF, the RF1 being a 1 minute TF. He doubles it twice to two then four, and half again for +25 at six minutes, +45 for time factor.
The above is RF1 skill that is cast as TF. I wonder if the above would be the same as psionic calculation which is why I ask because the calculation for psionic concentration seem different.
A prayer that puts someone to sleep immediately is a six-second prayer.
This is also why I ask if instantly meant another thing in MV. If this is the case then the TF is 0.1 and the RF would be 10 but I could be misunderstanding something.
As to your last question-do you mean it has a TF time, then after that it goes off, and it can't be used for a set time?
Yes.
That would be a TF skill with a built in limitation on how often you can activate it.
A TF skill with 2 minutes base that is done 8 minutes then added additional 16 minutes. Calculating this would be a little tricky. The skill would have TF 8 and RF 1/(8+16) or 1/24. That would make the skill sit mod be +20 for the TF and +35 for the RF but -20 for converting TF to RF which makes the skill to have +35 sit mod.
This is just a guess of course and probably is wrong which is why I ask in the first place.
The thing that confuses is when a TF skill with 2 minutes base that is done 16 minutes is it will have TF 16 and RF 1/16. That would make the skill sit mod be +30 for the TF and +30 for the RF but -20 for converting TF to RF which makes the skill to have +40 sit mod instead of just +30.
I have a few questions related to TF and RF.
1) If the skill could be casted instantly, what would be the TF?
Multiverser tries to make all time factor skills have time factors in multiples of six seconds. This is because a professional can do it twice as fast and an expert can do it thrice as fast (as an amateur), and so we want numbers that are always evenly divisible by both two and three. It keeps us from having to calculate time comparisons in the fractions of seconds. We run into a bit of trouble when time factor skills are also targeted attacks, because you get the second divisor for the strike value, but then we're still only working in halves and thirds of seconds.
We regard "six seconds" as "instant", as a reasonable compromise in the reality that combats don't really start with a countdown to a starting gun and everyone taking off in the same instant. However, if you have a 0:00:06 time factor, that does not make it a repeat factor skill, which is handled entirely differently. Using a TF skill takes you off the initiative rankings and guarantees that someone else will act first (unless everyone is using TF skills).
2) If the skill could be repeated instantly, what would be the RF?
Not a legitimate question. You have to approach it from the other end. Seriously, your concept of repeating a skill "instantly" is inherently flawed. If you could fire a gun again "instantly" that would mean that both bullets were occupying the same space as they emerged from the barrel, because "instantly" either means "simultaneously" (without any time passing between them) or it means "very quickly", and at that point you have to determine how quickly you mean.
Repeat factors run the other direction: you multiply the RF times the SAL (level) and the strike value (level), and so an RF 1 attack becomes 9 per minute/one roughly every 6.66 seconds for an expert with a 3@ strike value. It also assumes that the first attack comes "at zero" in the minute, with the caveat that that applies to whichever side goes first, and the further caveat that "instant activation defenses" which may take up to six seconds for an amateur to activate are all activated before that first attack lands (but not if someone steals initiative, which beats instant activation defenses not activated in a prior round).
The time per attack for RF skills is irrelevant in play. It is assumed that if you've got 9 attacks and the opponents have 6, those attacks will be evenly distributed in an alternating pattern depending on who has initiative--if You have it, it will probably run something like Y-T-Y-T-Y-T-YY-T-Y-T-Y-T-YY; if They have it, it will be like T-Y-T-YY-T-Y-T-YY-T-Y-T-YY, as evenly distributed as makes sense with the extra attacks falling later.
When TF and RF skills are both in play in the same minute, the total RF skills are divided against the minute, so we get the sense that these 9+6=15 skills are dispersed one every four seconds beginning at 0, and so a :30 TF skill will be completed between the eighth (:28) and ninth (:32) repeat factor attacks.
To get an RF, you work out how fast the complete amateur with a 1@ strike value could perform the action in terms of how many times per minute in active combat, which usually includes the concepts of aiming and activating (this eliminates high repeat factors for full auto weapons, because you can't aim each shot individually without the skill to do so). You then increase it up to nine times for the absolute best of the best, and check whether the attack form would be capable of that speed.
3) Does MV rules specify instantly as 1 second or something to prevent division by zero?
I don't see how division by zero would be an issue anyway.
4) How is TF and RF converted to each other if the skill only list TF or RF as base such as the psionic skill that needed concentration or a magical skill that can be casted instantly even before the ritual finishes?
Concerning psionic skills, all psionic skills are considered RF skills: they happen instantly but require recovery time before performing them again. Some of those RFs are fractional, so that you can deliver the skill once immediately but must recover for several minutes before doing so again.
Concerning magic skills, if the description says it is an RF at the baseline you can invest ritual (usually material components) to increase the RF. There's really no such thing as a magic skill that can be cast before the ritual is finished; an RF skill just has an incredibly short ritual but a recuperation time. Most mag skills are TF skills, and you can adjust the TF the same way. If you convert from TF to RF you pay a penalty for the instant activation aspect that puts you in the initiative contest. If you get the TF to half a minute or less you can cast the spell multiple times in the minute, but you're on the time track, not the attacks track. If you convert from RF to TF you might get a bonus, but remember that RF1 means it happens in the first second and then you have to wait a minute before doing it again, and TF 1:00 means you do the ritual for a full minute and then get the outcome in beginning of the next minute.
5) If the magic skill have TF and RF element such as a skill that have 8 minutes of casting time then the effect of the magical skill takes place as the caster ritual resumes for about 16 minutes when the base of the skill only specifies 2 minutes of TF as the base, how is the sit mod calculated?
I'm not understanding the sixteen minute part. Oh, I get it. You mean, if the ritual takes twenty four minutes but the effect happens after the first eight? No can do. Problem should be obvious: if the ritual takes twenty four minutes and after the first eight you get the effect and then after the ninth minute you're killed, then you'll never finish the ritual and you won't get the effect. No effects from rituals until they are completed.
Harry's "promise of sacrifice" is not really a violation of this rule. It's creating a promise as a spell component resulting in a penalty to future spell use until he fulfills the promise.
I wonder if the above would be the same as psionic calculation which is why I ask because the calculation for psionic concentration seem different.
Yes, the calculation for psionics is different from that for magic. Psionics are not designed to be used with long rituals, but to be instant activation with specifically controlled levels of power. There are very few things you can do to increase chance of success or power levels of psionic skills, and the biggest is by setting them against each other--increasing chance of success by decreasing power level, or vice versa.
Well, we would say that the TF was :06 (or 00:00:06), but yes, that's a tenth of a minute. But it is not an RF skill in this case. If you changed it to an RF skill, you'd pay a -20 penalty to get it as happening in the attack sequence rather than the time sequence, and it would be RF10 with a -20 penalty. You'd shift to RF5 with a -10 penalty, and then maybe you'd shift it again to try to get rid of the penalty, but your referee would make you choose between RF2 or RF3, the former giving you a slight bonus and the latter a slight penalty and I'm not going to do the calculation tonight.If this is the case then the TF is 0.1 and the RF would be 10 but I could be misunderstanding something.
That would be a TF skill with a built in limitation on how often you can activate it.A TF skill with 2 minutes base that is done 8 minutes then added additional 16 minutes. Calculating this would be a little tricky. The skill would have TF 8 and RF 1/(8+16) or 1/24. That would make the skill sit mod be +20 for the TF and +35 for the RF but -20 for converting TF to RF which makes the skill to have +35 sit mod.
This is just a guess of course and probably is wrong which is why I ask in the first place.
The after time is not part of the ritual, and does not get the same bonus as the ritual. I should look at Adam's sheet because he's got a bunch of spells he learned early in which one of the limitations was that he could not cast it again for a specified number of hours. That time did not count as high as ritual time (which is the time you have to be working on casting the spell itself), but it did give him some kind of bonus. I haven't done one in a long time, and I worked out the deal with him at the time (it's not one of the bonuses in the book), so I'm a bit foggy on what I gave for it.
The thing that confuses is when a TF skill with 2 minutes base that is done 16 minutes is it will have TF 16 and RF 1/16.
You're saying that you take a skill with a 2:00 baseline time factor and design a ritual with a 16:00 ritual so that it gets +30 for time. You're then saying that that's the same as a 1/16 repeat factor, but it isn't because a 1/16 repeat factor means you can cast it at 0 and then wait sixteen minutes to cast it again. Think of it as comparable to having a high-powered weapon ready which can fire at the pull of the trigger but then takes sixteen minutes to recharge before firing again. The other is a weapon with a 16 minute start-up sequence that fires once and shuts down.
If you designed the skill as a 1/16 RF skill, I'd start with the 2:00 baseline, charge you -20 to convert it to a 1/2 RF, then give you +10 for going to 1/4, then again for 1/8, and again for 1/16, which is +30 but -20 so +10.
I'm not sure where you got +40.
I'm not sure how I'm going to get everything done tonight, but I have already promised away my tomorrow, so I can't promise to finish tomorrow, so let's see what we can do tonight.
--M. J. Young
I have Eli, Michael, Brock, Kurt, Harry, and John 2 waiting.
I had to double-check the answer to Eli's question, because I forgot that the sumotori were bushi and fought weaponless. They're the only ones who do, though, and they don't usually use it in combat.
I hate to wish against a player, but it would make my life easier if Michael can't learn the new skill tonight; but I'm fair anyway, so we'll roll for whether Molly does it, and the roll is 02, so she's going to do it for two minutes, which would give Michael two shots at tuning in if the first doesn't botch, and he rolls 96 which forces me to crunch numbers, starting with his 2x1@ bias+1@1 SAL+2@1 BRA=35%, 6% chance to botch, and that's a botch. Oh, well, time for a botch list:
- Mind meld
- Project thoughts
- Brain burn
- Psionic shock wave
- Wrong target
- Neural Breakdown
- Close mind
- Activate psi drill
Brock put forward a good idea which becomes better with a bit of modification, but maybe he'll come up with something better yet.
Kurt has gotten into the religious discussion which unveils some of the political situation, the two being so closely connected in that age.
Harry is finishing up the details of the fire fighting business. It's probably getting close to shift change for him, but not quite yet.
John 2 is still designing his new skill.
--M. J. Young
Seriously, your concept of repeating a skill "instantly" is inherently flawed.
Time stop? I think that will change the RF to apparent RF, although from other people perspective the skill would probably have a high RF.
Another example that would emulate repeating a skill "instantly" (although this uses different but similar skill) would be casting a TF skill then immediately after casting a RF skill. If RF is cast instantly, the TF skill and the RF skill would be cast simultaneously.
If you could fire a gun again "instantly" that would mean that both bullets were occupying the same space as they emerged from the barrel, because "instantly" either means "simultaneously" (without any time passing between them) or it means "very quickly", and at that point you have to determine how quickly you mean.
If there a two guns and both guns are fired "simultaneously", would this be a new skill that fires two guns or is it the same skill which is rolled separately?
Harry's "promise of sacrifice" is not really a violation of this rule. It's creating a promise as a spell component resulting in a penalty to future spell use until he fulfills the promise.
What if the promise is the continuation of the spell ritual for 16 minutes even if the effect does not happen and a penalty to future spell use until the promise is fulfilled?
Psionics are not designed to be used with long rituals, but to be instant activation with specifically controlled levels of power.
Would I be right to assume that a psionic skill with 1 minute concentration will have +10 sit mod because RF 1 that is converted to TF would only amount to +10 instead of +20?
Is there any delay after doing such skill or could the psionicist activate another RF skill after the TF skill?
The after time is not part of the ritual, and does not get the same bonus as the ritual. I should look at Adam's sheet because he's got a bunch of spells he learned early in which one of the limitations was that he could not cast it again for a specified number of hours.
The after cast delay bonus is what I am interested about.
Does MV have different after cast delay bonus which is calculated from the TF or RF of the skill (such as 10 times as long as TF or something)?
I'm not sure where you got +40.
By adding TF 16:00 sit mod to the RF 1/16 skill sit mod, I got +30 and +10 which will make the sit mod +40. This however will make the skill be a semi-RF skill which needs the total time of 32 minutes in which 16 minutes is the recovery time.
Maxx, you seem to be attempting to prove me wrong. It's time consuming and unproductive, and everything that is time consuming and unproductive is annoying.
From the perspective of the skill user, they occur in sequence in a type of metatime, and thus even though the effects may reach the normal world simultaneously they are performed at a fixed rate according to the time frame of the user.Seriously, your concept of repeating a skill "instantly" is inherently flawed.Time stop? I think that will change the RF to apparent RF, although from other people perspective the skill would probably have a high RF.
Yes, you could freeze time, fire thirty bullets at thirty different opponents, and then let time go so that all thirty bullets would be launched "simultaneously" at their targets, but that's a specific skill use that packs the attacks into zero time relative to the world by creating a second timestream within which the skill user can work.
Another example that would emulate repeating a skill "instantly" (although this uses different but similar skill) would be casting a TF skill then immediately after casting a RF skill. If RF is cast instantly, the TF skill and the RF skill would be cast simultaneously.
First, the keyword is "emulate"; it doesn't do it, it only creates the appearance that it is being done.
Second, these would not be instant. If you had a 0:12 TF skill and an RF3 skill, they are different skills even if they do the same thing. If you use the TF skill first and then the RF skill, your TF skill would launch its effect at 0:12 in the minute and then in switching to the RF skill you would get the number of attacks that minute which you could get in the remaining 0:48 seconds, which would be two, and they would be tracked with your side's attacks against the opponent's attacks, or if your side had no RF attacks at initiative you would drop your new attacks into the time frame between the attacks of your opponent in the way that would be appropriate to the relative number of attacks--e.g., you've lost your first at 0, so your other two would be at 0:20 and 0:40. If he has three also, he also has initiative, so he goes first at 0:20 and at 0:40; if he has two, he's already used one at 0:00 and so you'll get yours before his at 0:30 and again after, but no matter how you slice it you're not getting your RF attack simultaneously with your TF attack, because they're on different time systems. Probably if you had RF5 (every twelve seconds) and an 0:12TF, you would lose your first two attacks and have only four left.
If there a two guns and both guns are fired "simultaneously", would this be a new skill that fires two guns or is it the same skill which is rolled separately?
If they are two separate guns, they are aimed and fired separately and rolled separately, and even though in theory you could fire them simultaneously you don't. If it is a single weapon that fires two bullets at once, such as a double-barreled shotgun, it's a single roll for a single attack that has two different damage categories (one for single barrel, one for double barrel).
What if the promise is the continuation of the spell ritual for 16 minutes even if the effect does not happen and a penalty to future spell use until the promise is fulfilled?
I would never grant this as a spell design precisely because I'm not omniscient and can't know whether the ritual will be completed.
The "value" of time in a ritual is gained in large part because you want the effect to be immediate, so in delaying the effect you risk not completing it in time. If I have a choice between a damaging fireball and an obliterative fireball, I want the obliterative one; but if the choice is between the damaging fireball now and the obliterative fireball in thirty minutes, that's probably too long to wait and I'll go with the smaller one. But if I can have the obliterative fireball now as long as then I keep my ritual going for thirty minutes, I've really gotten something for almost nothing, and that's not the way the game is played.
Would I be right to assume that a psionic skill with 1 minute concentration will have +10 sit mod because RF 1 that is converted to TF would only amount to +10 instead of +20?
No, that would not be a correct assumption. There is a +10 sit-mod because your referee decided that spending time clearing your mind and focusing in advance of performing the skill should provide a bonus, and +10 seemed a reasonable bonus to give because he would give that for many skills that bonus chance of success of another skill in many different contexts. Increasing the time of concentration then should have an increased benefit, but with diminishing returns, which is why the doubling of the time is involved.
Is there any delay after doing such skill or could the psionicist activate another RF skill after the TF skill?
The character can switch from the TF track to the RF track any time, but he cannot necessarily immediately use an RF skill because he has to await his next turn on the RF track.
The after cast delay bonus is what I am interested about.
Does MV have different after cast delay bonus which is calculated from the TF or RF of the skill (such as 10 times as long as TF or something)?
That was not included in the book. It's covered under the rule that any limitation placed on the use of a skill should provide a bonus, and the restriction that a skill cannot be repeated for a fixed period of time after its initial casting is a restriction on its use as long as there is not another skill of the same type that can be used in its stead.
Can you please move complex discussions of the Behind the Screens thread to their own Multiverser forum threads? It's disruptive to the game. Questions here should be focused specifically on the mechanics actually used in play in the games covered in this thread. If you have questions about what happened in their games, you may ask them here; when you step beyond that, you should do so in a different thread.
Thank you.
--M. J. Young
I apologize for the interruption, and hope I can still get to the game threads of Eli, Michael, Brock, Kurt, and John 2.
Eli asks an odd question, particularly given the nature of this world.
Michael rushes to help Molly, but she's not hurt more than he is, and they'll recover in a few days.
I'm working through Brock's dilemma. I know he's even more reluctant to kill civilians than his companions, but his options are rather limited.
Kurt has stepped into the religio-political argument surrounding the Crusades. It will be interesting to see how he negotiates his way out of this one.
I'll need John 2 to clarify his ritual before I attempt the number crunching again.
--M. J. Young
Maxx, you seem to be attempting to prove me wrong.
Actually I want to make a calculator to calculate the sit mod to ease the work of the referee but first I would like to know all the related variable that might affect the calculation.
Can you please move complex discussions of the Behind the Screens thread to their own Multiverser forum threads?
Sorry about that. I will remember to do that in the future.
Maxx--what you want to do is admirable but possibly not practical. You'll find most of the common adjustments on the Magic Skills Worksheet Key, but the last question is the kicker:
Are there any other limitations on the use of this skill? All limitations should result in bonuses on success probability.That puts a lot of the answers back in the subjective hands of the referee. But it's a start.
I'm going to be running games for Eli, Michael, Brock, Kurt, and John 2 today.
We will accelerate Eli's game a bit; I think we can do that now.
Michael will need to recover from his botch injuries, but he can push forward if he wants--he just needs to get someone else to work with him for the present.
Brock and company have agreed on setting off a fire alarm. Since most of them use automated sensors, George is going to have to hack it; that means first he has to have an access point, and second he's got to make a successful skill check. A 24 GE roll is bad on the access.
Kurt has an interesting discussion going with Tuck.
It happens that my alarms sounded for me to leave as I was answering John 2's question, so I'll answer the question and maybe next time get to the spell, unless he has another question.
--M. J. Young
I was ahead of schedule, but I got hit with a slight interruption that did not move me closer to swimming and barbecuing, and then with a string of interruptions which connected end-to-end for hours, so now it's late; but let me look at work from Eli, Michael, Brock, Kurt, Harry, and John 2, with such time as I have left today.
We've agreed to start fast-tracking Eli, so we need to get a list of what needs to be tracked fast. Some of these skills he is being taught by a 2@5 SAL teacher with 1@8 BRA in a psionically 0@ world, 43% chance of success for the teacher, 5% chance to botch. His training program includes
- Japanese, being taught, 25 day checks
- Herbal medicine, being taught, 25 day checks
- Aerobics for stamina, 200 day advances
- strength training for strength, 200 day advances
- Martial arts practice, 100 day advances
- Aggressive Running Frontal Power Boost
- Aggressive Running Side Slide
- 2@1 Eli's Style
- Back Kick
- Bo Stick
- Tonfa
- Elbow Strike
- Back Kick
- Power Front Kick
- Flying Side Kick
- Roundhouse Kick
He also needs an initial roll for a starting SAL in herbal medicine, a T6@0 Diagnosis and T6@1 Treatment skill set. 80 and 01 are the rolls; just to double check things, he's got an 11@5 Tech Bias, 2@3 Tech BRA, the world bias is 6@, and he gets bonuses for the teacher and the example so I'm comfortable that his 80 is good for 1@2 Medical Diagnosis (herbalism) T6@0 and the other is 1@1 Medical Treatment (herbalism) T6@1. We'll set the start date on the calendar for July 16, which means 25 days later is August 10, and we'll roll 51, 70, 08, increasing his Medical Treatment skill to 1@2.
Michael gets an 18 GE roll, which as Scott reminded us in another thread is not favorable. We've got an appearance to arrange, so this is as good a time as any.
Brock votes to wait; waiting works. We'll find out next time how that goes.
We'll push the conversation with Kurt forward a bit and see where it goes next.
I'm wondering whether Harry's plan is going to work exactly as intended: does he know of such a charity, and can he get the money after four in the afternoon, given the tendency for bankers to lock up early so as to balance the books before five? 13 is barely good enough.
It looks like John 2's new spell reads
While in a seated position with feet down, using both hands to consume baby formula (so as an adult, I could eat a bowl of cereal held with one hand and eaten with the other) pray silently for 5 minutes and 30 seconds for God to endow me with the ability to speak in the voice I will have as an adult for at least 20 minutes.
I'll give him an extra +5 for the example of the ass, since it proves that God can give an intelligible voice to an ass and thus bonuses John's basis for expectation in this. For the internal sit-mod he's got +15 for full body involvement, +2 for baby formula doubled for destroying it, and we've got the time question. The skill is a temporarily confer new abilities, which I find listed as M15@2, with a 3:00 TF so his 5:30 is not quite doubled, 5/6ths of a doubling which is about +8. The baseline duration is RS minutes; he wants at least 20:00. He also has the problem that the baseline skill ability level is 1@1 and he wants to have a 2@7 SAL (his current ability to speak his native language), -5 per intensity, 16 intensities is -80. If the time is RSx20 minutes (so a 01 will give him his minimum) we're looking at something around -43 more for duration. I don't think that's necessarily going to make him happy; let's reduce it to RSx4, which means a successful roll of at least 5 is going to give him 20 minutes and the minimum is 4 minutes, and the penalty is -20 instead of -43. So we've got +25 and -100, a total internal sit-mod of -75. He's got +5 for the example, +9 for religion, -5 for alliance in a neutral world, +12@6 bias, +2@2 BRA, and I'm going to need the calculator for this one. His chance of success is -70%; his chance to botch is 17%, any roll of 84 or higher. He rolls 80, a dismal failure.
I'm good.
--M. J. Young
His chance of success is -70%; his chance to botch is 17%, any roll of 84 or higher. He rolls 80, a dismal failure.
NEGATIVE SEVENTY???????!!!!!!
(Doing Therapy)
Two
2@7 SAL (his current ability to speak his native language)
OK, I'm calm now.
Where does the 2@7 come from? Is that human normal? I ask because I talk to myself, as part of my psychosis. I'd like to think that means I have a little more practice speaking than most people. (Hey, you said if we had reason to believe we were above human normal to let you know)
And what does that cover? I saw the Martin Luther King "I have a dream" speech on YouTube. I'd only give him about a 2@1 at making speeches. He stammered a few times, although it was still quite commanding and impressive. I'm assuming this isn't the same kind of thing though.
(Doing Therapy)
The default rule says that a speaker is professional in his native language; that would mean that the average character is 2@5 in his native language.Where does the 2@7 come from? Is that human normal?
I do not consider "talking to yourself all the time" to be language practice, as language is essentially about communication and thus practice inherently involves communicating to someone else. I talk to myself frequently, too, and sometimes I even listen to what I'm saying....anyway, that's the point. I gave you a slightly above average SAL in language because you strike me as articulate and you complain about grammatical abuses by others.
Oratory is a specialized language use skill, and Martin Luther King Jr. was highly skilled in it. It is that "commanding and impressive" aspect that makes it great oratory, not the technical perfection of the mechanics of the delivery; he's probably in the 3@ range (along with Hitler, Churchill, Billy Graham, and a few others). The question with oratory is whether it effectively moves the audience the way the speaker desires.
I've got games in motion from Eli, Michael, Brock, Kurt, and John 2, so let's get moving.
For Eli, we advance the date twenty-five days from August 10 to 10+25=35, -31=September 4. Now we have to roll teaching checks for anything that advanced by teaching last month, which means Medical Treatment, and the roll (ceiling 43%) is 20, advancing that to 1@3 Medical Treatment (herbalism) T6@1. He also gets automatic advancements in skills he is being taught which did not advance at the 25 day mark, which means 1@3 Medical Diagnosis (herbalism) T6@0 and 1@4 Japanese Language P0@0. His other practice improvements are tracking:
- Aerobics (running) for stamina, Day 50 of 200 day advances
- strength training for strength, Day 50 of 200 day advances
- Martial arts practice, Day 50 of 100 day advances
- Aggressive Running Frontal Power Boost
- Aggressive Running Side Slide
- Eli's Style
- Back Kick
- Bo Stick
- Tonfa
- Elbow Strike
- Back Kick
- Power Front Kick
- Flying Side Kick
- Roundhouse Kick
Michael is asking about the banshee; the information he's being given should already raise questions in his mind, but we'll see how he takes them.
Brock is depending on actions outside his control, and that means GE roll. It would have to be highly unfavorable, though, to be disastrous here. George is good, and has a good chance of reaching the electronics room and triggering the fire alarm; even if he doesn't, the plan includes that the other team would trigger the abandon ship alarm once they've tagged their desired goods for collection. It would take a particularly bad roll for both other groups to be stymied--and there's also the chance that the ship is going to be pinned down by fighters, also to be included on the bad side. So let's give it a GE roll and see where we are: 17, smack in the middle.
We'll start creating something of a day-in-the-life of Sherwood Forest for Kurt, and see where it gets us.
I'm not sure what to do when John 2 throws a tantrum, but I'm sure that Sarah will try to calm him down and try to figure out what's wrong--and there aren't that many things you guess when a baby throws a tantrum.
--M. J. Young
and there aren't that many things you guess when a baby throws a tantrum.
And that he just failed to pray to speak to her is probably the last thing that will come to mind.
I talk to myself frequently, too, and sometimes I even listen to what I'm saying
I asked my doctor about that. She said it's OK to talk to yourself, it's OK to answer yourself, the problem is if you can't follow the conversation.
Hitler knew how to make speeches. Even though it's in German, you still want to listen to it. I see what you mean.
(Doing Therapy)
Let's see what we find for Eli, Michael, Brock, Harry, and John 2.
For Eli, it is now September 29th, Happy Birthday Tristan, sorry we missed yours Kyler, that's not part of the game thread, but we do note that it is now early autumn. Everything he is being taught advanced last month, so again we roll teaching checks against a ceiling of 43%, for Medical Treatment 43, advancing that to 1@4 Medical Treatment (herbalism) T6@1, Medical Diagnosis 05, which means 1@4 Medical Diagnosis (herbalism) T6@0 and Japanese 93, remains at 1@4 Japanese Language P0@0. His other practice improvements are tracking:
- Aerobics (running) for stamina, Day 75 of 200 day advances
- strength training for strength, Day 75 of 200 day advances
- Martial arts practice, Day 75 of 100 day advances
- Aggressive Running Frontal Power Boost
- Aggressive Running Side Slide
- Eli's Style
- Back Kick
- Bo Stick
- Tonfa
- Elbow Strike
- Back Kick
- Power Front Kick
- Flying Side Kick
- Roundhouse Kick
The problem with Michael's banshee is there to see; he might have to realize what it is that no one else has noticed, though.
We won't tell Brock's friend to cut the red wire, I think, but we will roll 30 to give Brock a 1@1 Sabotage Nuclear System T12@1 skill. I'm not going to distinguish between fission and fusion here because I don't have to, and it's a 1@1 skill, and I think it's not unreasonable to suggest that with this bit of instruction he could have a chance to sabotage a fusion system as easily as a fission one.
In the book, fighters were keeping Destiny busy at this point and the other team was pinned down in a fire fight, so the sabotage crew had to get to the secondary bridge, sound the abandon alarm, and escape in the life pods; Brock just got a 15 GE roll, so he's going to get a bit better than that. His team still has to sound abandon, but Destiny can pull them out by transmat once the other team is clear.
What happens when Harry gets home? A 16 GE says pretty ordinary, but given that the fire was a big event and Arabella lives not far from it, she'll have heard something.
I'm noting a 1@1 Signal Generation B0@2 skill on John 2's sheet, giving him the advantage of his 1@7 will power BRA and his bias, which given that sitting is a B1@0 skill is still 0@, so he's got a 28% chance of being able to say something that sounds enough like "Skynet" for Sarah to get it. She just said the word, though, so she won't be that surprised to hear him repeat it. He rolls 61. He's now going to attempt to stretch that ritual by making every feeding part of a new ritual to build up enough bonuses to overcome the penalties. There are questions, though.
--M. J. Young
What would a botch be? I accidentally say something that sounds like "F--- You Mommy" or something?
(Doing Therapy)
bump
John, I put a lot of time into figuring out what could happen on a botch. I don't have to do it when you don't botch. Just off the top of my head, you could say something very wrong; you could sprain your tongue; you could choke to death on your drool; you could make a sound that caused someone else to break down the door trying to rescue you, so that they take you away from your mother.
Now I'm sorry you didn't botch. Ah, well. Maybe next time.
And it is not necessary to bump your post on a thread I have to open anyway. I will find it.
This time we're going to continue with Eli, Michael, Ahmetia (welcome back), Kurt, Harry, and John 2.
I double-check my scenario notes before answering Eli's question; there's no danger of the herbalist having heard of such things. For the next 25 days we've got a 14 GE roll, so things are moderately favorable. The date moves forward to October 23rd, but it's been a mild autumn. I was sort of hoping for rain, but we're not going to have that to any significant degree. We again roll for his two medical skills, 40 and 34, which means they advance to 1@5 Medical Treatment (herbalism) T6@1 and 1@5 Medical Diagnosis (herbalism) T6@0; the Japanese also increases to 1@5 without a roll because it did not do so last time. For tracking purposes I note
- Aerobics (running) for stamina, Day 100 of 200 day advances
- strength training for strength, Day 100 of 200 day advances
- 1@6 Aggressive Running Frontal Power Boost B3@10 uses one attack RS=+DC to next forward kick-based attack (Power Front Kick), on failure fall for damaging damage
- 1@6 Aggressive Running Side Slide B3@10 uses one attack +RS=SM to next side-arc kick-based attack (Side Kick, Flip Kick)
- 2@2 Eli's Style B7@1 Fast Aggressive Weapon-utilizing style, kick- and punch-based, RF2, +10 Att SM +10 Att Dam Mod.
- 2@2 Back Kick B7@1 basic attack on opponent directly behind.
- 1@4 Bo Stick B7@1 RF1 damaging two-handed
- 1@4 Tonfa B7@1 RF1 damaging
- 1@6 Elbow Strike B7@3 base dangerous attack at close range RF1 -10SM
- 1@9 Back Kick base dangerous RF1 -10SM, +10 opponent attack SM
- 1@9 Power Front Kick B7@3 base damaging -10SM
- 1@6 Flying Side Kick B7@3 base dangerous RF1 -10SM, on failure lose balance and forfeit next attack
- 1@9 Roundhouse Kick B7@3 base damaging RF1 -10SM
Except that there's no tonfa and no bo stick on his sheet, so I'm going to have to double-check those.
Michael is trying to figure out the banshee. I wish him luck.
It's good to have Ahmetia back, and I hope she doesn't mind having her character begin settling into a routine. It's a tense routine--there's a major problem to resolve--but it's still a routine.
We'll move Kurt into learning the woodcraft skills that are so important to being one of the Merry Men.
Harry returns home; we'll pick up the pace again in the next couple posts, probably, moving forward.
John 2 needs to make a few attribute checks; I may need to double-check those attributes. I need to check how old he is again, though, because he keeps getting involved in these post-consuming efforts. He is still six months old; his sheet puts his agility at 0@7, and the book says that when he is four times this age he'll reach 1@1. We'll think 0@8, then, and make the note. I think all the things he tries will require simple agility checks, so first giving his mother the finger, which requires fine motor skill control of an extraordinary level for a six-month-old infant, 3+1=4, what do you know, he made it. Crossing his arms across his chest on cue, 4+6=10, no luck; turning in his seat, 19+5=24, not going to happen at all.
--M. J. Young
John, I put a lot of time into figuring out what could happen on a botch. I don't have to do it when you don't botch. Just off the top of my head, you could say something very wrong; you could sprain your tongue; you could choke to death on your drool; you could make a sound that caused someone else to break down the door trying to rescue you, so that they take you away from your mother.
The only thing I could think of would be saying something wrong. I was just trying to find out what others there could be.
Now I'm sorry you didn't botch. Ah, well. Maybe next time.
If I thought you were serious, I'd be seriously offended.
And it is not necessary to bump your post on a thread I have to open anyway. I will find it.
Didn't know that.
(Doing Therapy)
Two
I need to check how old he is again, though, because he keeps getting involved in these post-consuming efforts.
Not all that long ago, you were complaining that I was running through it too fast. Make up your mind.
I'm starting today with Eli, Michael, Brock, Kurt, Harry, John 2, and Kyler, who even gave me a call to let me know he'd posted and find out whether I still ran games on Sundays.
Eli might be making some practice weapons; we're discussing it.
Michael wants to get out of the way by going to bed; I'm not sure what can go wrong, or right, but I think that a GE roll is appropriate to tell me whether something does. 9+4+5=18, just over the midpoint.
Brock gets a 14 GE which is just to the good side of center. It's going to be close.
We seem to be tending toward the middle today, as Kurt rolls 19 on his GE. We'll start with learning the bow and arrow.
Having a wife of my own, and knowing Arabella as I know my own daughter (O.K., she's really my daughter-in-law, but close enough), I don't think I have to roll for her reaction to Harry's surprise. He's got the right of it with her bouncing in anticipation.
John 2 is pressing his luck with another effort to speak. I'm raising signal generation to 1@2 because actually having said something ought to count as a new use; that makes 29% to say something else, despite the shortage of teeth, and he rolls 17. O.K., this is going to be a shock. I'll need a GE roll for Sarah, 17, so the question is what do I think is the middle response.
I took a moment to get back up to speed on Kyler's thread, and also to put the shortcut for his character paper back on my quick-access toolbar. It's good to have him back. He is training Katrina, and he has a 2@1 BRA and 7@ psi bias, 1@8 SAL at training martial arts, so after 25 days he rolls a training skill check against 53%, 11 means Katrina improves her Gazuntite skill to 1@2. I should also roll a GE for how things are going otherwise, and a 7 is really good--if I thought he was at all interested in making friends with the superheroes I'd give him that.
--M. J. Young
Willing to take on a player or two for you next time you have a couple verse-outs, if they're okay with it. Looks like you've got too many players and not enough gms.
Ky
Would you consider picking up Kurt? Backstory: Harry offered to run him in Sherwood Forest, and started to do so, but then had his real life collapse awkwardly around him so Kurt was returned to me within a few game sessions. There was already this confrontation with a couple of bears, rescued by Robin, mother bear became dinner, cub in process of attaching itself (gender not yet given) to Kurt. He's met all the principle players and a couple of others, but I'm not sure whether he's actually connected all of the names to the legends (e-mail me if you're not certain which I mean). He's not been in Sherwood more than maybe three days at the outside, and is just about to learn to launch an arrow from a bow (which I'll probably cover tonight). Also, he brought his cat with him, who is apparently very attached to him and tends to follow him like a dog, despite having been born feral. Let me know. If there's another game that catches your fancy, I can hand to you any of several. Quick overview:
- Eli is doing Dark Honor Empire Alpha, said to include the language barrier, currently average amateur at Japanese struggling to learn it. He's staying with an elderly herbalist who thinks that he suffered an injury that caused loss of his ability to speak along with other memories, and that he is recovering from this; he is also learning herbalism. (I seem to recall you had a lot of fun in the beta version of this world.)
- Michael is running through a book I read; I can't really lend it to you at the moment because I'm also doing an Adapting series article on it. (Have you seen the Adapting series? It's tackling the conversion of books to game worlds. Apart from the introduction, I've only posted one, a sci fi piece, but I've got a couple more in the works.)
- Ahmetia is in Prisoner of Zenda, gender-reversed. It's the second day after the coronation.
- Brock is aboard Starship Destiny, currently sabotaging the listening post on his first mission.
- Scott is running Maxx, and handling the problems nicely. I had started him in the Sprite world I created for Derek, but right now he has managed to get his spirit separated from his body (intentionally) and on the wrong side of a closed portal to what I correctly recognized as Gamma World.
- Kurt I discussed. He was briefly in If Looks Could Kill, but not as part of Why Spy.
- John 4 (Mastick) is in prohibition-era New Orleans, playing drums in a speakeasy. The Architect is playing sax at another location in town. John has been slow at posting, though, and sometimes thinks that his world isn't really interesting enough despite the fact that he's not been there long enough for revenours and bootleggers to catch him in the crossfire.
- Harry is in Mary Piper Alpha, but resigned from the ship a modestly wealthy man to settle in Durnmist, married the daughter of a textile magnate, joined the city watch as a junior investigator and then was tapped as commander (second in command) of the fire company he suggested.
- John 3 (Oak) is separately in Sherwood Forest, but he's been posting very infrequently to keep the workload down. He's become the healing apostle here, though, so it's taking a very interesting direction. He might appreciate someone picking up his game, or he might have gotten busy again himself.
- Nikolaj is in Orc Rising, and he, too, is doing apostolic work, bringing Christian faith to unite humans and orcs. Right now the real life Nikolaj is on mission work in the Ukraine, but he'll probably pick up the thread when he returns to Belgium.
- I've got Scott in a very much seat-of-my-pants run at Psi Cop World, where he's done a bit of magic and is trying to keep the fact that he's psionically gifted hidden from everyone but the waitress with whom he has been staying. He posts infrequently also, partly because he's running several games himself and doesn't think it fair for him to play but not run, partly because his schedule is erratic, and partly because he spends a lot of time thinking about what to do next.
- John 2 (Cross) has been zygoted into the Terminator world as John Conner, and is really having a frustrating time trying to be grown up before he grows up. Since there's a lot of time travel in this, you and I are best for it; but I'm not sure how instructed you are on the Terminator nuances, so probably I'd better keep him.
- Adam comes and goes; he's Merlin's pupil in Vampire Camelot, and has become extremely powerful. It's a bit tricky tracking his wife, his teacher, his hawk, and his wife's lynx, but we're moving forward toward the time when Arthur takes the throne. Shawn has settled into Prisoner of Zenda as lord in Zenda; the King has the same name, Shawn. He's befriended Tsar Nicholas and his wife and children, and is working to improve the Russian economy, and avoid the first world war and Russian Revolution. He just might succeed--he's got the world's first military special weapons and tactics teams. He hasn't posted in a long time, though.
- Graeme, who is running Kelly in a really fascinating world, versed from Roma to Azmayinca, and is settled in the jungle trying to figure out how to live in a world where magic is easy and technology nearly impossible. He has been very busy in spurts (as has Kelly) so he comes and goes. He's also running my world.
- I haven't seen John 1 (Walker) in long enough that I don't remember where he is.
--M. J. Young
Time is dwindling. I've got to tackle threads with Eli, Michael, Ahmetia, Brock, Kurt, John 2, and Kyler, but I'm probably going to have to do it in pieces tonight.
Eli needs that GE roll for finding the appropriate branches: 26 is not going to give it to him. I am going to give him the 1@5 Whittling/Carving T3@3 skill.
Wow. Here's a lesson for everyone. Michael heard someone pass his door, and decided to follow.
- Originally, I'd meant only that the guard was checking on him. After all, the banshee appeared, Michael is new and left the party early, and it made sense that he would be on the watch list for suspicion. But, first lesson, if it's not in my notes and it's not already established in the scenario somehow, nothing is true until it's said. That means that I can turn this was-supposed-to-be-a-guard into anyone.
- As it happens, I've had some concern about how to draw Michael deeper into the story. He's supposed to be replacing the primary character from the book, but that primary character was older, objected to being classed a warlock, used his fighting skills to join the queen's guard and his tech skills to save her life several times. But if I can get Michael into the story through a back door, that will work.
- This is lesson two: the words "I can do something with that." It applies in so many ways, and it applies here. I had no particular reason to think that this character would be in the palace, but it is not impossible that he would and it makes sense under the circumstances. If Michael realizes what is going on with this character, even to the slightest degree, it will heighten is attention toward the events he needs to recognize.
I'll ask Ahmetia what she prefers for breakfast; maybe she'll also volunteer what she likes for other meals at the same time.
I was not a hundred percent certain whether Destiny would be ready to pull Brock from the backup bridge when he was ready for it, but I think the last roll was somewhat favorable so I'm going to give him a 2d10+1 GE roll for the circumstance now: 11 is good.
Ah--Kurt can make an electromagnet. That's a T9@1 skill, so we now have a bias. Funny, it looks like I'd listed that already--oh, yes, assuming he understood switches. Now let's roll for the bow, his chance of success is pretty high, his roll is 93, I'll have to check to be certain: 91 character bias-21 target skill bias+2@2 BRA+5@ world bias=97% chance of success before example and instructor, so that's good for a 1@3 Use Bow T2@1 skill. Arrows are technically T3@1, but as long as he's not making them I'll just use the bow skill for launching them.
John 2 apparently has never seen anyone faint before; it's not the same as falling asleep, and they don't usually stay out that long. We'll give him a GE roll, but it's going to have to be extremely good for him to get more than a couple minutes here. 26 is not extremely good.
Kyler is teaching Katrina the leaping kick, and she rolls 68; with his training skill and her bias I'm inclined to think that's a lock, so I'm going to forego crunching numbers and simply list her with a 1@2 Leaping Kick B7@3 Base Dangerous (+style), 5' run, standard attack roll, on failure fall for annoying damage. He also wants to read her mind and figure out her interests so he can pretend to be interested in them. We need a skill check and a GE roll, 68 the skill check pushes me back to his sheet to check numbers, 2x7@ bias+2@1 BRA+1@6 Read Minds is 51%, not quite.
--M. J. Young
John 2 apparently has never seen anyone faint before
Actually, I once fainted myself. I do know that Sarah didn't sleep too well. I was hoping that would be the catalyst for a cat nap. Twenty-six is hard to argue with though.
(Doing Therapy)