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How do you maintain a patron relationship then? It seems 'unbelief' is hard to accomplish in a setting where the history books did in fact say 'Baal came down and killed that valley a few hundred years back, and that's why the ground is as ashes and the skeletons still walk.'
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Apr 25, 2015 02:24
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LornMarkus posted:Plus there's the interesting tidbit about FR that not only are the gods real and have come down to visit/gently caress poo poo up many times, but not believing in any god is actually a form of damnation. If you die with no patron deity to collect your soul then it gets tossed into the Wailing Wall to suffer eternally. I believe the only respite at that point is one of the devils or demons might come by recruiting. This is why I called them a divine protection racket. Don't forget the only thing that tends to kill them is running out of prayer to feed on. You can get a good story out of FR by leading the revolution against the cosmic parasites that have set themselves up as false Gods.
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Apr 25, 2015 02:24
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Nessus posted:How do you maintain a patron relationship then? It seems 'unbelief' is hard to accomplish in a setting where the history books did in fact say 'Baal came down and killed that valley a few hundred years back, and that's why the ground is as ashes and the skeletons still walk.' From what I can tell, you pick a god, go to their temple occasionally and try to nominally follow their tenets. Also, you pray to them.
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Apr 25, 2015 02:29
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It's specifically prayer and offering. They feed on it. If they don't get it they die. If you threaten their meal ticket they will obliterate your soul tortuously over millennia. The 'Good' gods are also into this.
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Apr 25, 2015 02:31
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Night10194 posted:It's specifically prayer and offering. They feed on it. If they don't get it they die. If you threaten their meal ticket they will obliterate your soul tortuously over millennia. The 'Good' gods are also into this. The first expansion for Neverwinter Nights 2 is all about this, actually.
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Apr 25, 2015 02:33
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Night10194 posted:This is why I called them a divine protection racket. Don't forget the only thing that tends to kill them is running out of prayer to feed on. You can get a good story out of FR by leading the revolution against the cosmic parasites that have set themselves up as false Gods. Well that's the other funny thing: I don't remember which cosmic shake-up to in universe explain an edition shift it was, but one of them actually involved Ao the Overgod kicking all the other gods into the mortal realm because he was tired of them being lazy sacks. And part of the solution was that direct tie of their wellbeing to prayer and worship. Before that I believe it just felt good and maybe gave them a little power boost.
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Apr 25, 2015 02:42
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LornMarkus posted:Well that's the other funny thing: I don't remember which cosmic shake-up to in universe explain an edition shift it was, but one of them actually involved Ao the Overgod kicking all the other gods into the mortal realm because he was tired of them being lazy sacks. And part of the solution was that direct tie of their wellbeing to prayer and worship. Before that I believe it just felt good and maybe gave them a little power boost. The pantheon of bloated cosmic nobility is still the true villain of Forgotten Realms. Arise, PCs! You have nothing to lose but your chains! 
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Apr 25, 2015 02:44
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When last I inquired about it, it seems like the Wall of the Faithless was originally supposed to be unique to Myrkul, the evil god of death, and its continued presence after his demise is the result of a whole bunch of author misunderstandings. It really needs to get edited out, because it kind of warps the entire setting's concept of divinity around it. I don't think you're intended to view gods as useless, bloated parasites.
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Apr 25, 2015 03:14
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At the same time, it's like the only thing giving them any actual flavor and makes a great meta commentary on the hollowness of FR's religious fiction.
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Apr 25, 2015 03:15
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They literally dragged the new god of death to court for "excessive humanity" because he stopped throwing souls in to the wall and was worse to evil people than to good people, and won the case. Murder the gods and topple their thrones.
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Apr 25, 2015 03:19
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wiegieman posted:They literally dragged the new god of death to court for "excessive humanity" because he stopped throwing souls in to the wall and was worse to evil people than to good people, and won the case. Murder the gods and topple their thrones. Yeah, that was the bit that was based on an author misunderstanding what was wanted, as I understood it. It's just a terrible addition to a setting that obviously wants you to be interested in playing a follower of the various good gods.
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Apr 25, 2015 03:24
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Rand Brittain posted:When last I inquired about it, it seems like the Wall of the Faithless was originally supposed to be unique to Myrkul, the evil god of death, and its continued presence after his demise is the result of a whole bunch of author misunderstandings. I dunno, Mask of the Betrayer made a really compelling story about it.
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Apr 25, 2015 03:30
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MOTB originally had an ending where you kick Kelemvor's teeth in and demolish the wall, but they took it out because they thought Wizards wouldn't let them do it. Then they found out later that they totally would have because of the upcoming 4e release.
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Apr 25, 2015 03:32
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wiegieman posted:MOTB originally had an ending where you kick Kelemvor's teeth in and demolish the wall, but they took it out because they thought Wizards wouldn't let them do it. Then they found out later that they totally would have because of the upcoming 4e release. I think the best you can do is the full-on super evil ending. The narrated ending slides say something like "all the gods gathered together to destroy her, and it is said by some that fewer gods left that battle than arrived". It really conspicuously goes out of its way not to say that any of the gods were slain even though that's clearly what's understood to be happening.
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Apr 25, 2015 03:36
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Evil Mastermind posted:Did anyone ever actually have casters track somatic components? A friend-of-a-friend DM of his own ridiculously overdetailed, unpublishable 3.5 setting did this. You had to track your ounces of bat guano for fireballs. He also implemented low-grade xp costs for every arcane spell, but you could do a Spellcraft check or something to mitigate it. This only lasted about three months, because it was his incredibly passive-aggressive way of trying to get one player to quit. (He also went through an extended period of tracking use-based item damage for armor and weapons. That wasn't an attempt to get anyone to quit, it was just how he was.) That Old Tree fucked around with this message at 03:49 on Apr 25, 2015 |
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Apr 25, 2015 03:45
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Genius: The Transgression, General Wonder Variables Now that we know how to build wonders, it's time to start looking at options beyond basic functionality. Variables in Genius are special quirks and functions that can be assigned to wonders when building them, usually making the wonder easier to build if the variable is a penalty, or harder to build if the variable is a bonus. Each axiom has a long list of their own variables we'll get into with each axiom, but we'll start with the general variables that can apply to most any wonder. Basilisk Method means that people have to look at the wonder when it is used for it to work - it's a medusa's gaze or a neuralyzer from the Men in Black movies. Looking away or just closing your eyes protects you from a basilisk wonder, and there's a long list of rules about how to apply that in mechanical terms, but basilisks do work through mirrors and real-time video links. Basilisks grant a bonus to the construction roll. Charge-up Time is what it sounds like. The wonder takes between three turns and a full day to power up, with an increasing bonus to construction as the charging time increases. To prevent the most obvious cheap tricks, charging a wonder requires the genius' full attention, and the charge is only retained for a scene. Collapsible requires Metatropi 1 and lets the wonder shrink down when not in use and expand again when desired. Just how far a genius can shrink a wonder depends on her dots in Metatropi - at five dots, any wonder can be reduced to size zero. Yes, you can have a space battleship shrunk down to microscopic levels. Concealed lets you disguise a wonder as a mundane piece of technology, though its true nature will still be revealed when it activates. That garage door opener isn't going to fool anyone when it starts shooting lasers at people, though it looks like a perfectly innocuous garage door opener unless someone starts fiddling with it and concealed wonders are more difficult to detect as products of mad science. Concealed adds a penalty to construction. Fragile is self explanatory. The wonder has no durability and will injure its holder if and when it's destroyed (and Katastrofi wonders do extra damage). Unless you have Metatropi 1 and choose otherwise, fragile wonders always look the part. Adds a bonus to construction, though. Grafted makes the wonder a permanent implant to someone, though grafting wonders to mortals triggers a Havoc check. Does add a bonus to construction, which is increased if the grafted wonder can't be concealed. In Pill Form makes it a one-shot expendable wonder like a potion, and can't trigger Havoc even when used by mortals unless they start fiddling with it beforehand. Integral lets you start attaching one wonder to another. If you want to be Iron Man, you'll probably start with a Prostasia wonder for the suit itself, then add separate integral wonders for the weapons, flight systems, sensors, etc. Grants a bonus to construction, and a genius can build a wonder integral to another genius' wonder. You can't, however, make an integral wonder to another integral wonder. No nested dolls here. Internalized wonders are inside a living person's body - rewriting brain chemistry, turning yourself into Wolverine, etc. Internalized wonders must be size 0. Limited Use is another self-explanatory variable, offering a bonus to construction that increases the less times the wonder can be used. Can't be combined with In Pill Form. Mania Cost lets you modify the amount of Mania a wonder costs to use. Get bonuses to construction if you increase the Mania cost of the wonder, and penalties if you decrease. Genius posted:Normal-Looking (requires Metaptropi 1): Peculiar Requirement is what it sounds like. Say your laser gun is powered by reflected sunlight from the moon and therefore requires that you be able to see the moon to use it, or your mind control device requires that both you and the subject be taking a bath. Adds a bonus to construction. Resilient makes the wonder resistant to Havoc, adding a growing penalty to construction the more resistant to tampering it is. Size is another big silly chart. Make a wonder bigger or smaller, and gain a penalty or bonus depending on whether increased size is a boon or a hindrance. Shapeshifting Wonder requires Metatropi 4 and gets rules later. Slow Reload is self-explanatory and gives an increasing bonus based on just how slow the reload is. Next, we dive into our first proper axiom! Five dots lets you scan other dimensions and timelines, and get the "Ask the DM a question that must be answered as straightforwardly as the question permits" power.
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Apr 25, 2015 03:57
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Cythereal posted:Basilisk Method means that people have to look at the wonder when it is used for it to work - it's a medusa's gaze or a neuralyzer from the Men in Black movies. Looking away or just closing your eyes protects you from a basilisk wonder, and there's a long list of rules about how to apply that in mechanical terms, but basilisks do work through mirrors and real-time video links. Basilisks grant a bonus to the construction roll. A literal Basilisk Hack.
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Apr 25, 2015 03:59
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I there a way to read old F&Fs without archives? A friend who I might be GMing for named a system either in just or for serious and I want to take a look at it to see which it is without asking. (It's Continuum for reference). Also, I want to see the [abandoned] Legends of the Wulin F&F to see if it can be explained to me better. Edit: Thanks! This link Needs to be in the OP Xelkelvos fucked around with this message at 04:52 on Apr 25, 2015 |
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Apr 25, 2015 04:38
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Xelkelvos posted:I there a way to read old F&Fs without archives? A friend who I might be GMing for named a system either in just or for serious and I want to take a look at it to see which it is without asking. (It's Continuum for reference). Also, I want to see the [abandoned] Legends of the Wulin F&F to see if it can be explained to me better. If it was indexed on the wiki, it should be here.
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Apr 25, 2015 04:40
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I've only done 9 reviews? Feels like more...
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Apr 25, 2015 04:48
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Nessus posted:The one AD&D ism that always stuck with me was that making a permanent magic item cost the creator a point of Constitution. I believe this was explicitly not temporary. (Resurrection also required one, and your roll for 'coming back from the dead' was also related to your Constitution.) The wording on Permanency in 2E is really awkward. First it lists a short number of spells that can be made permanent on the caster, then mentions the inescapable CON cost... and then mentions spells that can be made permanent on others, or on objects. We always assumed that the CON cost applied to all of them (which is bloody stupid, and which we worked around with rare components), but the manner in which it's written suggests that permanent buffs on the caster are the only things that eat CON.
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Apr 25, 2015 04:49
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 Aspects The Aspects part of the chapter opens up by contradicting information we were given earlier quote:In game terms, the player buys the Favor or Aspect with experience points. That Favor or Aspect must be a trait her feral could acquire without physically mutating - that is, she could learn darksight (which might be a really good trick) but not Natural Armor (which she would have to grow) And yes he does interchangeably call Favors Aspects and Aspect Favors. Anyways. Aspects! Alarming Alacrity(*-*****) For a willpower point you can double your speed for as many turns as you have dots in this aspect. This is just your landspeed, not extra actions, so while it might be good in certain situations I'm not sure how many times you'll need to run away fast and your animal form won't cut it. Asthmatic Reaction(***) Fun fact: if you're allergic to an animal, odds are that you're probably allergic to their saliva, rather than their fur or dander. So for the cost of an essence point and a Dex+Athletics roll you can spit on someone and cause them to break into a coughing fit as they're afflicted by supernatural asthma. This gives them a decreasing penalty to all rolls over three turns, -3 on the first turn, -1 on the last. When on the fourth turn it vanishes... however the pain of coughing over the past 3 turns suddenly manifests itself as 2 points of bashing damage. Aww!!!(*-*****) Yes, it is presented with the Italics. You are adowable. And get a +1 bonus per dot on any social roll that emphasizes your cuteness, but only half that bonus in human shape. I don't care how cute a bunny is, it's not going to sweet talk it's way into a building if it's not actually able to talk. Bare Necessities(* or ***) Discount Rite of Pants. One dot version lets you transform without tearing your clothes (they just disappear until you need them again) Three dot version lets you bring along additional items like weapons or backpacks. A snatched up item has to be size 1 or 2, and a container can only hold up to four size 1 items. Of course if the item is an Artifact of Man, which he describes as anything more complicated than a watch, you need to fail a Stamina+Feral Heart roll, or the item is ruined forever when you change back. Considering how mechanical watches are amazingly complex devices, and electronic watches can be more complicated than most simple phones, this is basically just a "gently caress your phones and computers" thing. Beast Magic(*-***) You can pursue the forbidden arts of magic, emulating the arcane secrets of human wizards. Yes, you can pick up Mage Rotes. However using these "Forbidden Arts of Man" mean that you will never be able to raise your Feral Heart above 3 because you can never fully embrace your beast. I thought the point was supposed to be balancing your man and your beast? Anyways, it costs a number of dots equal to the level of the rote to learn it, you can only ever learn rotes (not arcana), and it costs an essence point and a wits+occult roll to fire off the spell. You also can't have more than one spell going at one time, and you can't ever learn spirit magic if you ever know one Beast Magic spell. Also, other Ferals can smell the "Wrongness" on you and will shun you with no actual social mechanical effect. Basically this could be a neat way to cover for shortcomings in power sets that aren't covered in the game, but you're not supposed to take it because nature hates you. Beast Surge(***) You can engage in a staring contest with another Feral (opposed Composure+Feral Heart rolls) and if you win then the person you're staring at is forced into their animal form. This is meant to be a dominance display, but you can also do it just to dick with other ferals by forcing them to shift in the middle of a city. Birth Blessing(*) By spending a point of essence and kissing the mother on her belly/kneeling before her in animal form you can ensure that she has a healthy pregnancy and birth. Thanks for the 5XP! Blend In(*) You can shift your skin/fur to blend in with the dominant surroundings. It can happen for free over a day or two, or a point of essence can speed it up to be instantaneous. You get a +2 bonus to all dice pools that involve sneaking or hiding in your surroundings. Of course, if your breed's natural counterpart already changes colors to match the season, this favor is free. Which casts some doubt on the "Can't mutate to take an aspect/Favor" thing. Burrowing(** or ***) You can burrow through soft earth for two dots, or concrete and metal for three dots (though it's slower). You can't burrow in your human form but if you have the Throwback form and really want to you can burrow in it, but you take a point of bashing damage every turn because you're tearing your teeth and fingernails out.  Yes, you can be a bat, they get lumped in with the birds and you'd be forgiven for missing them since this is the only bat artwork in the book Carnivore's Puissance(**) You can regain essence by eating hearts. Invoking Kali is optional and discouraged. The bigger the animal the more essence you get(essence = size/2) but devouring human or animals of your "own kind" are a harmony violation still. Catwalk(*-*****) You get +1 die per dot to stealth and balance rolls so long as you're moving on your feet (not climbing, swinging, or swimming), even in your human form. Clamber(*-*****) You get +1 die per dot to climbing/swinging/grasping rolls. This is also always on, but "beasts with hooves or walking paws can't learn this trick", even if you could use it in your human or war beast form. Clever Monkey(*-*****) Remember how the game shat on humans earlier for being too smart and making tools and farming? You get +1 die on any intelligence based dice pool involved solving a puzzle or solving a dilemma that has an achievable end state goal. You can't create peace in the middle east but this does let you repair an engine or solve a sudoku. Oh, and anyone can pick it up, not just monkeys. Culling the Weak(**) By spending an essence point and rolling wits+empathy you can determine the weakest member of a group. But someone can roll Strength+Subterfuge to feign weakness (I'm not sure how they're supposed to know they're being observed but okay) and the game flat out says that "weakness" is subjective and gives the Storyteller free reign to dick with players. Durgas Blessing (** or ***) Durga once rode into battle on a tiger. This means that Were-Tigers can regenerate aggravated damage for one essence. Other were-creatures can learn this gift but they have to pay Three dots rather than two, also you can never regenerate more than your feral-heart in aggravated damage during one combat. Earthbond(**) Roll Wits+Composure to learn of all potential threats, trespassers, or meals within 500 feet of you. You get a bonus depending on if you're in natural surroundings or the city, or any other perception based penalties. I can only really see this being useful to people who want to pull this one off in human shape because this really should just be a scent roll or something. Exoskeleton(**) It's time for Biology Lessons with Brucato quote:Bugs crunch when you step on them because they wear their skeletons on the outside, like chocolate-covered cherries. With the expenditure of a single essence point, a character can cause his skin to harden with a waxy brown residue, thereby gaining an additional 1/1 armor. There's a tradeoff, however: the exoskeleton lowers the character's defense and speed by -1 each. This aspect is available in any form, and stacks with the natural armor of the hybrid form. This aspect lasts for one scene, and looks (and feels) utterly disgusting. Extraordinary Specimen(*) You are the complete exemplar of your totem animal, meaning your strength and size in your primal and dire form are increased by one. Even if your totem animal survives by being small and sneaky. Foretelling(**) It's a prophecy power with no actual mechanical impact or interaction in a system where the players don't have direct narrative control. How good do you think it is? Fortune's Favor(** or ***) The feral spends a point of willpower and wishes for something good to happen to someone (3 dot lets them choose themselves, otherwise it has to be someone else) and the storyteller will make something good happen to them at some point. Like they win a lottery ticket, or get a new job or something. Grave Misfortune(**) The same thing except bad luck. Gross Eater(* or **) For the one dot version, you can eat anything organic, living or dead. Including bio-hazardous waste, a mouldering corpse from a grave, or... (sigh) feces. drat it brucato, you were doing so well. Two dot version lets you eat inorganic stuff as well as long as you're able to fit it down your throat. It doesn't actually protect you from it though. You can eat ground glass and derive nourishment from it but it'll still tear up your intestines. Yes, I am aware that those two occasions should be mutually exclusive, but Brucato isn't. Hare Heart(-*) Your resolve+composure pool to resist frenzying is reduced by one, and you have to spend a point of willpower to even think about assuming the tiger storm. Hounds Honor(*-*****) +1 dice per dot to perception rolls by scent in any form. That's it really. Hybrid Forms(****) Throwback and Dire beast are now available for shapeshifting. Good for you. Hypnotic Allure(***) If abusing the Feral Heart rules weren't good enough for you, there's this power. Roll Presence+Persuasion opposed by the Resolve+composure of a target (or the highest target in a group of people) and the extra successes are granted as a bonus to all future social rolls as you immediately become the center of attention. It does say that this favor can't be "turned off" but there's not really a reason to outside of not being able to do something sneaky while they're staring at you. Invisible Marking(*) Thankfully this doesn't involve pissing on things. You can just rub your hand or cheek against something and leave behind an 'excretion' that your breed or band members can notice with a wits+survival roll. Somehow you're able to encode a single word or name into this scent. Keen Sense(* or **) The One dot version gives you a +2 bonus on reflexive wits+composure rolls to sense something. The two dot version also allows you to ignore up to 3 dice of distance related penalties on any perception roll "For the senses of sight, smell, and hearing only". I'm trying really hard to figure out a situation where a distance related penalty would be applied to a touch roll that wouldn't just preclude success entirely. You need to buy this favor separately for each sense: sight, hearing, smell, taste, touch, and "energy awareness(the hunch for 'vibes')". The gently caress are vibes? Leap(* to ***) Your jumping distance is doubled, tripled, or quadrupled. Also your jumping distance in human form is now half your beast form jumping distance. I'm not sure if there's a beast form who's jumping distance is less than a humans but that seems kind of odd. Long Life(* or **) "Like Old Man Possum, this character should enjoy an especially long lifespan." One dot increases your lifespan by 50%, two dots double it. Because who doesn't want to play a functionally amoral trickster? Magnificence(**) Your fur shines, your eyes glow, you are perpetually surrounded by your own sublime presence. You are fantastic and amazing and get a +4 bonus to social rolls in which you stand to make a powerful impression. As long as you're in one of your animal shapes. Given the aspects we've seen so far it should theoretically be possible to make an utterly adorable flying squirrel who flits about New York convincing people to change their lives forever by posing majestically. Before being compelled to pee on them for some random perceived slight Mercy's Touch(***) You lick, nuzzle, or curl up with a sick or injured person, spend a point of essence, and roll Composure+Medicine, healing one lethal per success. Which is neat, but you can only heal as many dots as your Feral Heart trait. Which isnt. Mimic(* or ***) You can mimic the sound, smell, or appearance of any animal, including a human. You can mimic sound and smell in any form, but to mimic the appearance you have to have at least the same general shape as the thing you're trying to appear as. It takes either a Wits + Animal Ken+Feral Heart or Wits+Subterfuge+Feral Heart roll, depending on which one you're doing. And the target gets a +3 bonus to their dice pool if you're standing in good light. Also you can only maintain the deception for <Feral Heart>X2 turns. One dot lets you mimic either appearance OR sound OR Scent, three dots lets you pull off all three at once. Mindmap(***) YOu can always find your way home, eventually. Because you are never lost. You can roll Intelligence+Composure+FH to speed up the process... somehow.. but an american feral with this gift who's lost in the Outback could just go four-legged and they'd be in new york eventually... somehow. Mindspeech(**) With some eye-contact you can now telepathically speak with a single person as intelligibly as if you were speaking aloud. Meaning that if you only speak French, and the other person doesn't, you aren't really going to get anywhere. You also get a +2 bonus on empathy rolls while you're speaking directly to their mind. And can maintain the "conversation" to a distance of 100 feet or so once it's established. So finally we have a way for the amazing flying squirrel to convince people to give up smoking. We're well on our way kids. Mother's Fury(* to *****) You get a +1 bonus per dot to your hand-to-hand combat dice pools whenever you're defending your family, your lover, or children in general. Unfortunately this is also limited to <Feral Heart> turns. You don't need to be female to take this aspect but the person you're protecting has to be genuinely helpless against the attack, and can't be another supernatural creature unless they're also your specific child. Nine Lives(*****) You can come back from the dead... unfortunately not nine times, unless you're amazingly loving lucky. When your last health box fills up with aggravated damage, you die. 10-Harmony hours later, you reawaken at the cost of one point of Feral Heart. If you only had one point of Feral heart then, well, sorry. Also you only get a guaranteed resurrection the first time. Each time after that requires a Resolve+Composure roll with a cumulative -1 die penalty for each time that you've come back from the dead, including the first time you got for free, and it also still costs you a feral heart dot. Also if someone inflicts even as much as 1 structure damage to your corpse, you're dead forever. Pack Bond(***) You can transfer a point of essence or willpower to another creature of your animal species as long as you both share a common bond and are in line of sight to each other. You can also communicate telepathically for 10 seconds as long as you are within 1 mile of each other and spend 1 willpower point each. You can *also* send out a telepathic SOS to every creature of your breed within a 10 mile radius for one willpower point. It will continue to sound constantly until you shut it off or die. Also it can affect your lovers, former loves, best friends, parents, and children even if they're not of your breed species, maybe. The game isn't quite sure. Partial Change(**) You can change only part of your body when you shapeshift. Meaning a human can grow a claw, or an animal can grow a human face to speak with. Naturally this freaks people the gently caress out, giving them the Delusion, and animals run the gently caress away. Piggyback Passenger(***) You can tap into the neural network of any animal within a square mile. In this case animal is "Any creature with less than human intelligence that isn't an insect." The game goes into two paragraphs trying to explain how this is is because insect minds are too jaaring and alien when the actual reason is "Otherwise you could just tap into that fly that is literally on the wall and find out what's going on in that room over there because insects are loving everywhere" Anyways, you can sense what they're sensing, including emotions, pain, and instinctive impulses, but you have no control over their body. Birds or mammals cost a willpower point, Fish cost a willpower and an essence point, reptiles and amphibians are mysteriously not given a cost. It lasts for an hour either way. Resilient Form(*+) If your animal health is lower than your human health you can take this merit to increase your health by one per dot up to your human maximum. Reads like an experience point tax to not immediately die when you get put into rabbit run. Righting Reflex(* to ***) That thing cats do. One dot cuts fall damage by half, even if you're at terminal velocity. This has prompted me to look up the nWoD rules on falling damage, mainly in that they made "Terminal Velocity" damage lethal by setting it to a flat 10 damage, the normal human maximum health. Anyone with the huge size merit and 5 stamina could survive a fall of any height even without this merit. You could toss a loving elephant off of the empire state building and it would grumble and trot away with barely 2/3rds of it's health gone. Anyways, the two dot merit gives you a +2 to defense while you're in your primal or dire form... because you're graceful. Three dot gives you this benefit in human form as well. However, only "Graceful Creatures or Magical Thieves" can take this merit, despite the fact that it wouldn't require you to mutate. Consistency! Sense of Familiarity(**) This is a "Somebody Else's Problem" field. People just don't really notice what you're doing, though if you're doing something severely out of place it requires a Wits+Subterfuge-Resolve roll(crowds use the highest resolve of any observer). The issue is that the game implies that this only works in animal form. And it's not a reflexive action, it needs to be activated. And if your animal form is something that would damage it's physical environment by being there, like say, a rhino, it costs one essence point. Sexual Dimorphism(**) Uhm.... You retain some of the traits from your feral species' sexual dimorphism in your human form. "A bird with extravagant plumage will take particular care with his dress and appearance. Others may like to sing, preen, or display physical prowess." Whatever it is, you get a +2 bonus on *all* social rolls dealing with someone of the opposite sex. This brings our hypothetical god-squirrel up to a +11 on his social dice pools, before he uses his feral heart. Shadow Bond(***) You can "Step Sideways" into the spirit world like werewolves do. If you're at a locus, and roll Intelligence+Presence+Feral Heart. When you come back you "smell" of the spirit world, and ferals who know what that smells like will judge you differently. For reasons. Skin Double(****) By stalking, killing, skinning, and tanning a victim (Not necessarily in that order) you can steal the identity of a victim. Putting aside the fact that you apparently tan the hide in "your own blood, urine, tears, saliva, and sweat" the game points out that "This is probably a Harmony violation". Spending a point of essence allows you to turn into your victim, and a second point allows you to take off the skin without ruining it. You are almost a perfect copy, height, weight, age, etc. all adjust giving you 4 automatic bonus successes on any disguise roll. But there's at least one tell: a foot that's still a paw, a sheen in the eyes, a tendency to eat meat raw. Someone who spots the flaw based on the circumstances of the feral's story can figure out that something's up. Otherwise the deception lasts as long as the Feral wants to pretend to be Edgar. Slumber's Touch(***) Spend a point of essence and roll Resolve+Stamina+Feral Heart, you can put one person to sleep per success. They must all be within 100 feet of eachother and within 300 feet of the werebeast. If they're already tired or inclined to sleep it happens automatically. if someone's trying to actively resist the sleep they roll Resolve+Stamina. Aside from it's sudden onset the sleep is otherwise perfectly normal. Snatch and Carry(**) So if you didn't want to take that other perfectly functional aspect that allowed you to take items with you while shapeshifting, there's this one. You must 'prepare' the item beforehand with a point of essence and (sigh) "Blood, urine, or saliva". It doesn't say that technology breaks when you do this but I'm pretty sure soaking your cellphone in your own blood voids the warranty. Spinebite(*****) Go for the neck! Spend a willpower point and make a targeted attack at the neck (which imposes a -3 penalty) but if you succeed, all damage is aggravated. You can only do this once per scene, and you need to have long sharp somethings, but still it's aggravated damage. Spirit Animal(*+) You have an affinity for another animal species. No, not that one, another one. You can get a bonus on a favored skill equal to the number of dots in this merit as long as that skill fits with the animal, and is chosen when you pick the aspect up. (So you'd have spirit animal 3:Lion, Intimidation). It lasts for a scene and costs an essence point. Spirit Gift(*+) If you have at least one dot in Language(First Tounge) and a working relationship with the spirit world, you can take some Werewolf Gifts. Some, however. Each dot represents one gift, and each dot over the *** level costs two dots instead of one. This is rather poorly conveyed though. Does this mean each Feral can only get 5 gifts maximum? Or can they have multiple 5 dot runs each one accounting for five gifts? He will not explain. Spirit Secrets(***) You can steal spirit numen. Which are a different thing. Each numen requires a different aspect and each use takes an essence and a willpower to use. Spirit Sight(**) You can sense areas of spiritual disturbance with a Int+Occult+Feral Heart roll. What's the radius of this sense? It doesn't say. It does however say that a successful roll lets you peer through the gauntlet, which is a completely different thing. Spook the Herd(***) Roll Presence + Intimidation against the highest composure of anyone within 300 feet. If you succeed, they flee for a number of turns equal to your Strength + intimidation. It does note that other supernaturals, including other ferals, are not immune to this power, and have to roll composure+resistance to resist it. Stampede Rush(** or ***) When charging and making an all-out-attack you gain a +4/+6 bonus instead of the normal +2, also you can use this against heavy doors or walls and get a +1/+3 bonus to knock them down. But you have to be in an animal form and that form has to have hooves, horns, antlers, or a thick skull. Stash(* to *****) You're really good at hiding things as long as there is a reasonable hiding place for them. You get +1 to your dice pool per dot in this merit when hiding things. You can't, say, hide a car in a tree. But you could hide that car in a parking lot, or a person in a Mall.  What the hell is going on in this art Swarm/Flock Form(****) You can dissolve into a swarm of tiny Nahual animals, becoming effectively immune to all damage short of an explosion, flood, or building collapse. doing so requires a composure+feral heart roll and an essence expenditure but is otherwise instantaneous, it can be done in response to an attack to avoid it entirely. Changing back requires another essence. Normal humans suffer the delusion at a -2 penalty. supernaturals must roll composure+Resistance to avoid being rattled for a turn. But the trick only works once before they get used to it. Sweet-Voiced Fiend(*) This merit reduces any social penalties you may have by -2. This doesn't add anything, just reduces any penalties you might have. The usefulness of this merit is somewhat situational considering you can, again, just focus for a turn and negate your feral heart penalty and add it as a bonus instead. So it would have to be from external social penalties. Swift Wing(***) By spending a willpower point you can charge at three times normal speed while flying. And rather than having zero defense against incoming attacks, you can instead add... one.. of your defence die. Yeah not that worthwhile. Tell(-*) You've got a tell that people can pick up on. Upon first meeting you, people get a reflexive wits+composure roll at a -2 penalty to notice your tell. If they do notice it, and see you again in one of your other forms, they get another wits+composure roll to make the connection. If the first roll fails they'll never figure it out, but if the second one does then someone else can grant them extra rolls by pointing out the similarity. This is a lot of rules for something that probably won't come up much. Territory Bond(*** to *****) You have a supernatural link to your Territory. You know, that thing they went over in the first chapter that doesn't actually have any mechanics applied to it and is of nebulous size and shape. for 3 dots you can make a wits+comp+FH roll to notice that you have intruders if you're within 100 miles of your territory. 4 dots let you spy on anyone in your territory as long as you're within 10 miles. 5 dots let you spend two willpower points to make fog rise up out of the ground, trees make odd sounds, winds shift direction, whatever, to waylay anyone trespassing in your lands. Tiger Heart(*) You reduce your resolve+composure pool to resist going berserk by 1, and you have to spend a point of willpower to willingly enter rabbit run, otherwise you will always enter tiger storm. WHY WOULD YOU TAKE THIS!? Totem Guardian(**+) You have an Uratha Totem. Somehow. It costs double the dots though. Truth Sense(* to *****) You get +1 die per dot to determine if someone's lying or to pierce an illusion Twisted Tounge(*) You can speak in animal form! Except since you're an animal you can only speak animal concepts, animals don't have a word for "accelerator" and birds don't have words for "Deep". Omitting the fact that you're still a loving human brain speaking human words in a human language. Unnerving Cry(**) You howl, roar, or make some other scary sound. Roll Presence+Feral Heart and spend a willpower point. Everyone within 200 yards must resist with a resolve(+resistance) roll or their next action takes a -2 penalty. -4 if you got an exceptional success. Unsettling Eye(*) Activate this gift (for free) and double your intimidation dice pools because you're just that freaking scary. This basically guarantees you will always get an exceptional success which means they will remain helpful to you indefinitely. Unspeakable(*** or *****) While in animal/war forms you get 1/2 automatic successes on attempts to indimidate people and reduce their resolve+composure pools to resist the delusion by 1/2 dice. Because you are either freaking ferocious, or the sorriest looking animal that anyone has ever seen. Venomous(*** Or ****) At least he got the definition of Venomous right... Either your fangs or claws are venomous, if you want both you have to take the aspect twice. He mentions stingers and spines once but not in the description ever again. Anyways, spend an essence point and for one turn your selected attack is venomous, any damage afflicts them with a toxicity level 5 venom. The three dot version deals lethal damage and lasts for a number of hours equal to your feral heart score unless they succeed on a stamina+resolve roll. The four dot version is a level 5 aggravated venom that only deals its damage once. Wallwalking(**) You get a +2 bonus to climb dice pools and can hang on surfaces too step or smooth to climb. And you can do this in any form. War Heart(*****) For every lethal damage you take in a turn, your strength and speed is increased by 1 in the next turn, to a maximum of +5. The next turn it's lost but you gain more for any extra damage you may have taken. Warrior's Restoration(**) You heal a bashing damage per turn, and one point of lethal every 15 turns. You not-werewolf you. Weatherskin(*) You are immune to temperature extremes and the effects of weather because you're super furry or whatever. Weaver's Wisdom(* to *****) A +1 bonus per dot to all pools based on construction, craftwork, or architectural design. This does not apply to advanced or abstract technology (Computer networks, astrophysics, biotech, etc) because YOU'RE SUPPOSED TO BUILD THINGS! WITH YOUR HANDS! Assume some science is evil rant was cut here for space. The Wild Cry(* to *****) A really granulated and complicated merit which basically means that you can empathically communicate with one specific group of animals. Like dogs, cats, or corvids. The higher levels let you give them orders. the 1 dot version is just kind of a general animal-kingdom psychic sense. Bag of Tricks Only tricksters get these aspects, Corvians, Sun-Chasers, Celican Werecats, and Laughing Strangers. Because sure they needed something special. Blank Burrow(****) By ducking into a hole, niche, hallway, or other hiding place and spending an essence, you teleport to any other such place within 50 feet. This works in any form except the war form. Brave Escape(***) You fake a sudden burst of bravado to throw your attackers off guard and then run the gently caress away. Roll Wits+Intimidation+Feral Heart+3 additional dice to indimidate your foes. The next turn you double your speed for every point in Feral Heart, meaning that someone with 10 feral heart would multiply their speed by 1024 for one turn. This has absolutely no cost. I imagine you could just alternate intimidating blank air and dashing the next turn to get wherever the gently caress you want super fast. Pearl of Great Price(**) Roll Intelligence+Subterfuge+Feral Heart to imbue an object with illusory value. Unless a mark gets more successes on their Intelligence+Subterfuge+Resistance roll, they believe it's worth whatever you say it's worth. Tar Baby(***) You make a fake baby-thing that sort of passes for a living thing if you squint at it in dim light. It costs an essence and a craft roll. Anyways, if someone sees the tar baby, they have to focus their attention on it unless they succeed on a wits+Composure roll at a-2 penalty. if that fails they get angry at the tar baby and have to make another roll at -3, if that one fails they fall into a deeper rage and must make another roll at a steeper penalty, falling further into apoplectic idiocy. Usually the trickster is using this time to get the gently caress away. Toss the Scent(*) you can "throw" your scent away from yourself with a wits+subterfuge+FH roll. If you get an exceptional success you can throw it onto another person. Merits No new splat would be complete without a bunch of new merits to spend your precious few 7 starting points on. Of course all of these have a drawback of some kind because everything is a double edged sword. Or something.  Animal Companion(* to ****) You have a particularly intelligent animal companion, it doesn't have to be one of your breed form. Might just be a pet that isn't particularly bothered by the fact that you're a bearman. Dots represent the relative size of the animal. One dot is a smart rat or a clever bird. Two dot is a cat. Three dots is Lassie. Four dots is a bear, tiger, chimpanzee, or dolphin. Something in that range. Unless they're killed or driven off by poor treatment the animal is loyal and will help its master as best it can. But it's still an animal, it can't drive to the bank and cash a check for you. And you're probably going to have trouble with your hyper intelligent tiger in the middle of New York. Beast-Kin(****) You're related to a Feral, but you haven't changed and probably never will. Upside, you're immune to the Delusion. Downside, basically everyone wants to kill you. Den(***) It's a private place where you can be yourself and people can't find you. People who are trying to find you take a -2 penalty to do so. But they will probably eventually find you. Pack(* to *****) You have a pack of animals, higher dot numbers mean either a larger swarm of smaller animals or a smaller pack of more powerful ones. They aren't as devoted as an animal companion but make up for it in sheer numbers. Downside: You have a horde of wild animals living with you and following you around at all times. These aren't semi-tame like animal companions are. So.. yeah. Predator's Bearing(**) You get a +1 bonus on any social dice pool related to riling someone up. (Sigh) Yes, including seduction. You take a -1 penalty when you try to appear innocuous. Socially Small(**) You're good at getting lost in a crowd, so much so that you get a +1 bonus to any roll that could benefit from being lost in a crowd or looking harmless... Yes... including seduction (I don't know either, like a pity gently caress I guess). People also take a -1 penalty to remember what you look like. But you also take a -1 penalty to being taken seriously. "And would-be lovers might forsake him for more dangerous playmates." True Breed(**) The gift runs in your family. This provides no actual benefit. other than the fact that your kids will probably be changers too. Also your family might hate you and want to beat the devil out of you. Next Time: We finally get into the breeds. We're starting with cat people. Prepare for sex.
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Apr 25, 2015 06:08
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Kurieg posted:Given the aspects we've seen so far it should theoretically be possible to make an utterly adorable flying squirrel who flits about New York convincing people to change their lives forever by posing majestically. Game entirely redeemed. Lecture-Pose Bat would be awesome and you know it. (Game not actually redeemed at all)
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Apr 25, 2015 06:13
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Bieeardo posted:The wording on Permanency in 2E is really awkward. First it lists a short number of spells that can be made permanent on the caster, then mentions the inescapable CON cost... and then mentions spells that can be made permanent on others, or on objects. We always assumed that the CON cost applied to all of them (which is bloody stupid, and which we worked around with rare components), but the manner in which it's written suggests that permanent buffs on the caster are the only things that eat CON.
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Apr 25, 2015 06:22
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So what in Genius is stopping me from taking In Pill Form and Normal Looking (so people don't gently caress with it more than they would pills) and revolutionizing the pill industry with all sorts of crazy poo poo?
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Apr 25, 2015 06:54
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RandallODim posted:So what in Genius is stopping me from taking In Pill Form and Normal Looking (so people don't gently caress with it more than they would pills) and revolutionizing the pill industry with all sorts of crazy poo poo? You would need to make a poo poo ton of pills, and I bet FDA examination counts as poking and prodding.
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Apr 25, 2015 06:59
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Mr. Maltose posted:You would need to make a poo poo ton of pills, and I bet FDA examination counts as poking and prodding. Market it as homeopathic medicine, bam. Really, this is a problem that was pointed out all the way back at the start of the review. The book makes as point of hammering home how being a mad scientist is supposed to suck and leave you broke and struggling like an Unknown Armies adept but it fails to address what happens when your Genius takes out a classified ad saying "Your Payload Into Orbit Guaranteed (as long as you don't ask too many questions)!" There are all sorts of ways an enterprising Genius could monetize their amazing techno-magic with a little effort.
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Apr 25, 2015 07:04
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Yeah, the real reason I asked is because, if the whole point of wonders are that they can't really work for mortals, why have a modification that specifically overrides that, and also gives a convenient form for delivery? I'm imagining an adventure centered around dealing with people trying to grind and snort the pills causing Havoc and it sounds like a fun idea.
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Apr 25, 2015 07:17
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RandallODim posted:Yeah, the real reason I asked is because, if the whole point of wonders are that they can't really work for mortals, why have a modification that specifically overrides that, and also gives a convenient form for delivery? Normal looking is mainly so people don't freak out the moment they see any of your wonders, especially the big ones. Pill form is meant for potions/scrolls/bombs and similar one-shot uses. Genius has a really hard time deciding whether it wants to be street level or wacky pulpy fun as you battle Moon Nazis and Martians while looking for the lost continent of the snake people to stop them from taking over the world.
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Apr 25, 2015 07:35
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I mean, in the really real world gullible people will smear stuff on their faces that causes their flesh to necrotize and fall off all the while believing that they're "killing the cancer" that's infested their body, just imagine if you could actually make a "cures cancer" pill that worked. But no, Geniuses are all broke because apparently the real tragic flaw of being a Genius isn't that you have difficulty relating to other people, it's that for a group of people calling themselves Geniuses they're actually pretty stupid.
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Apr 25, 2015 07:42
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RandallODim posted:So what in Genius is stopping me from taking In Pill Form and Normal Looking (so people don't gently caress with it more than they would pills) and revolutionizing the pill industry with all sorts of crazy poo poo? Plus a few dots in Assembly Line so you can make a lot of them. Doesn't have to be just pills, though. Looking ahead (Sorry Cythereal) you can combine it with Exelixi to build a healing sarcophagus; sure it only works once, but you can make another, and it can heal anybody of anything. Or a Katastrofi disposable weapon, with Armor-Piercing, Attribute Damage, Explosive Damage, or really, anything with the possible exception of Returning. Invisibility pills are an option with Metaptropi, and would even grant a +3 bonus on construction due to their limited effect, or you can make a plastic surgery sarcophagus, which again, only works once, but if you want to look like Kim Kardashian it will drat well make you look like Kim Kardashian. I'm not sure there's anything you can do with Skafoi or Prostasia; most vehicles and defenses are intended to be multi-use things. I thought you could do some active protection/ablative armor hijinks, with anti-missile systems that have to be replaced rather than reloaded, but the Ablative Armor variable requires Mania to charge it, and bleeds away one point per day. Incidentally, that Mania requirement's probably the biggest obstacle to just selling wonders to mundanes; even with 5 dots in Assembly Line, you can only get 32 wonders for the 2 or 3 points of Mania you'd need to bind. Plus, unless you can get somebody else to put together an Automata-5 factory to build them, you're going to need some time to put your wonders together, about a week for those healing/transforming sarcophagi and possibly longer for any big guns. And also, as Mr Maltose points out, there'd probably be some regulatory pressure, but on the other hand, there's nothing that says you actually have to keep everything aboveboard, and magical healing booths that destroy themselves after each use would not leave any trail to you. Really, just market it to the Mob, it's not like they'd give a poo poo about your lack of FDA/Medical Board approval. ETA: Found another issue with In Pill Form; quote:If the wonder requires a roll, the roll is made when the wonder is consumed, using the genius' abilities at the time of construction. darthbob88 fucked around with this message at 08:09 on Apr 25, 2015 |
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Apr 25, 2015 07:57
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darthbob88 posted:ETA: Found another issue with In Pill Form; Considering the very real snake oil business that exists today revolves entirely around selling products guaranteed to do nothing beneficial if they aren't actively detrimental to your health, I'd say a pill that only sometimes cures your everything would still be considered a marked improvement.
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Apr 25, 2015 08:14
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Kai Tave posted:Considering the very real snake oil business that exists today revolves entirely around selling products guaranteed to do nothing beneficial if they aren't actively detrimental to your health, I'd say a pill that only sometimes cures your everything would still be considered a marked improvement. There is that, and after thinking some more, you can create a starting character whose wonders have a better than 90% chance of curing any disease or healing any wound, no matter how terminal, or rendering a subject (nigh)invisible. You can't reliably change people's appearances with Metaptropi, though, since permanent transformations require an exceptional success and a point of Mania bound to the subject. Now I have to wonder how hard you'd have to argue to use Exelixi for that, either curing a subject of Not-Looking-Like-Kim-Kardashian Syndrome, or granting them the merit Striking Looks Like Kim Kardashian. Also, might want to make the pill Fragile; grants a +1 bonus in exchange for the pill being and looking fragile, although expect it'd be GM judgment whether fragile-looking or normal-looking applies.
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Apr 25, 2015 09:45
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Plague of Hats posted:If it was indexed on the wiki, it should be here. Oh God, I just found James Raggi's OKCupid profile... 
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Apr 25, 2015 10:17
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Very well, then. On to the first axiom. Genius: The Transgression, Apokalypsi Perhaps the most subtle of axioms, Apokalypsi's function is detection. Sensors, communications, and data analysis are all permutations of what Apokalypsi can do. Construction of Apokalypsi wonders uses Computer for scanners and communicators, Academics for brain detectors and scanners, and Medicine for organic Apokalypsi wonders. For some reason Genius tells you that organic wonders all also require a point of Automata to create a nervous system. Basic scanning requires no roll, though someone aware they're being scanned can try to avoid it. The range of Apokalypsi wonders depends on the core modifier. Range varies from -3 for touch range only, to +7 for absolutely anywhere in existence. Range goes up by two steps in space and down various steps for various types of intervening material. Intervening material also reduces successes from any rolls involved. With Automata 1, sensors can be programmed to alert their user whenever certain conditions are met, like radiation levels going above a specified threshold. Apokalypsi 1 grants basic data scanning. Nothing too fancy, but these wonders can hook up to any form of data storage, from a floppy disk to a book to a computer network, and makes an Intelligence + Computer (or other relevant skill) check. Genius posted:Dramatic Failure: The genius incorrectly identifies an appropriate target, and may end up targeting Apokalypsi 1 wonders can communicate with any relevant form of technology if hooked up or have the equivalent of the target's phone number, IP address, email address, or an Apokalypsi wonder's "receive communications" designation. No hacking unless you resort to mundane methods or Epikrato, though. Wonders enjoy all the features of a modern smartphone and can send sound, video, and holograms based on what the receiver can handle, and can also be used as a powerful flashlight for no Mania cost. Apokalypsi 1 communicators also permit remote control of other wonders, with some rules for distance and bonuses and penalties and whatnot. Apokalypsi 2 ups a genius' scanners to tricorder levels, divided into physical, biological, metanormal, dimensional, and super-science scans. Genius posted:Physical scans (wonders capable of this are built with Science) can reveal an object's chemical composition, A-2 scans require either clear line of sight, or detection by an A-1 wonder, and roll Wits + Computer. Mind scans also become possible at A-2. Genius posted:Dramatic Failure: The genius fails to gather useful information, and the subject is aware of the telepathy Deep scans have their own roll to make, but allow detailed examination of specific memories. Another new option at this level is telepathy, allowing brain-to-brain communication. The target can resist the attempt to create a neural connection, and this type has another table for roll results. Computer telepathy is another option at this level, like regular telepathy but with intelligent machines. All A-2 wonders can potentially also include for free functionality as binoculars, night vision, a microphone, and a universal translator. Apokalypsi 3 ups the scope to radar, permitting long-range remote detection and scrying functions. Input lets the genius scan for most any type of object or phenomenon she wishes, and can also be rigged as motion detectors with the caveat that motionless objects aren't detected. Genuine remote viewing also becomes an option at this level, bending space to effectively have a camera view of anywhere the genius desires within range. Apokalypsi 4 starts detecting and communicating hypothetical possibilities and probabilities. This isn't true precognition, but using advanced probability mechanics to predict the location, state, and behavior of a person, group, or object. Genius posted:Dramatic Failure: The genius completely misreads the data he receives, resulting in completely inaccurate Information revealed this way is not set in stone. It is merely the most probable outcome from this present time, and can simply be wrong or factors involved in the prediction might change between now and then. Alternatively, an A-4 wonder can try to calculate the precise odds of something happening. Telephone games are also possible at this point, permitting (rolls allowing) communication with just about anyone anywhere through an unlikely series of coincidences passing a message along. Finally, at this level Apokalypsi wonders are capable of scanning and communicating with other dimensions and timelines. Apokalypsi 5 grants "Ask the DM" powers, revealing absolute and complete truth if the machine works. As before, the answers from this aren't necessarily definite and events can change what an A-5 wonder reveals, but still this is your ask a genie license with a note that this particular genie wants to be helpful. A-5 wonders are also capable of scanning and communicating with anyone, anywhere, anytime - even the past or future. Like previous tiers of Apokalypsi, but without restrictions and enabling temporal communication. Apokalypsi variables! Active Scanner has the wonder actively send out pings like radar or sonar to detect something rather than passive monitoring. The upside is a greatly increased range. Downsides are a penalty to construction and other sensors, even mundane ones, will notice the pings. Goggles are what they sound like and add an overlay to the genius' vision, but restrict their scanning ability to the genius' line of sight. Land Line offers a bonus to construction but demands the wonder be plugged into an active communication line. If an extension cord is a viable option, the bonus is reduced. Narrow Focus restricts the wonder's ability to detect things and grants a bonus the narrower the field. A +1 bonus is awarded for only making physical scans rather than the other types, +2 for a wonder that only works by visual scanning, etc. Onboard Storage requires Automata 1 and lets the wonder record and store its findings rather than simply displaying what it can detect at a given moment. One-Medium Communicator restricts the wonder to only sending one of text, audio, pictures, or video, and grants a bonus to construction. And finally, sample Apokalypsi faults! Genius posted:1. A certain common sound, word, sight, or thought (a dog barking; a tree; boredom) causes the
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Apr 25, 2015 10:41
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Young Freud posted:Yeah, I remembering thinking about how 4e broke things down and that it would be totally boss if everyone had access to a flight spell at some point, even guys with Martial powers. It would mean you are so good at swinging a sword, you just cut the air in front of you and keep going to your target like a loving Vanguard in Mass Effect. Or you turn yourself into a human helicopter. http://community.wizards.com/content/forum-topic/2383616 quote:Right, but we're talking about martial characters. How can you do enough push-ups or fire enough practice arrows so that when you fire an arrow it will turn into a field of acid?
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Apr 25, 2015 15:38
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As usual, grogs come up with supposedly terrible ideas that are actually pretty great because they let martial characters do things.
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Apr 25, 2015 15:43
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Who the gently caress ever heard of acid-vial arrows or magic swords in a fantasy RPG?
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Apr 25, 2015 16:09
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Plague of Hats posted:Who the gently caress ever heard of acid-vial arrows or magic swords in a fantasy RPG? More to the point, who the gently caress ever heard of someone reading an old book so hard that they learn to shoot bolts of pure energy from their fingertips? Demanding that "mundane" characters adhere to real world rules and limits in a fundamentally fantastical world is dumb.
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Apr 25, 2015 16:14
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Plague of Hats posted:Who the gently caress ever heard of acid-vial arrows or magic swords in a fantasy RPG? LornMarkus posted:More to the point, who the gently caress ever heard of someone reading an old book so hard that they learn to shoot bolts of pure energy from their fingertips? Demanding that "mundane" characters adhere to real world rules and limits in a fundamentally fantastical world is dumb. 
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Apr 25, 2015 16:27
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