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Let's Save Daria!- LP Novelization of the Lost Heir Trilogy Greetings. This is AchtungNight. Welcome to my latest Let's Play. This is an attempt to LP a series of Choose Your Own Adventure text games in a way I have not seen done before with this genre. I am going to novelize the games, expand them slightly with fanfic and pictures, and as I do so attempt to show off many of the game mechanics, secrets, and text. I will not be able to show off everything, but I will do what I can. I hope to entertain readers, feedback is appreciated. This is not being done for financial profit and I do not own these games or any other intellectual properties I reference herein owned by another creator. The subject of this LP is The Lost Heir Trilogy, from publisher ChoiceOfGames & author Mike Walter, aka Lucid. You may know him as the author of Life of a Wizard & Life of a Mobster, both of which have been LPed on these boards. The Lost Heir games are Lucid's longest work thus far, a CYOA fantasy epic. Here are the advertising descriptions of them, courtesy of the Choice of Games website. quote:
Here are links to purchase the games online if you wish to play them for yourself- Lost Heir 1 Lost Heir 2 Lost Heir 3 These games are available thru GooglePlay, Droid and iPhone App, and Steam. I will be copying text from the Steam version and occasionally testing things out on my iPhone version as I play along. I will also list tips and tricks on how to play as other classes besides what I show off in the text. Wait... didn't you try to LP these games before? Yes. I made some mistakes, let my imagination and impatience run away with me and screw up my pacing, and I had to shut the thread down. It was a learning experience. This time I'm trying to do better and do things right from the beginning the way I want to do them, then keep to that promise. I hope for readers' appreciation in doing so. So this is a narrative fanfic LP? Yes. If that's not your interest, that's fine. If it is, you're very welcome to hang around. If you are looking for an interactive voting LP of these games like I attempted to do before, I'm not doing that any longer. The game will be easier for me to LP this way, and I'll still get votes on a few things too. Doing the same game in two seperate LPs of different style would be too confusing. I will repeat some of the material I used in the old thread here, but that was inevitable. Also, let me warn you. The writing in this thread will be full of summary, tropes, and other text shortcuts. It may get cartoony at times. That's just how things came out of my head. I am embracing it and having fun. I hope readers are as well. A few policies for this thread- Spoilers? We are full open spoilers here. I will be spoiling a lot about the games, and I allow readers to do the same if they wish. This LP is intended for both walkthrough and entertainment purposes. Are you showing us the only way to complete the games? No. This thread shows off just a few ways to complete the Lost Heir games. There are many others. I am novelizing at least two characters' runs here, and other players' characters will probably be different too. All that is good. The point of an interactive CYOA is to play the game how you wish. Are you taking votes on anything in this thread? Yes, from time to time- mostly regarding what content I should show off. I'll go with a good majority in that case within a certain deadline. I'll prompt readers when such occasions come up. There will also be mock votes- on some decisions it could go either way depending on what Stat I want to build- and I will want to see what readers are thinking about Renata's development before I proceed. I may go with readers, I may not. You are welcome to participate in such votes. I may or may not go with your suggestions, but appreciate feedback nonetheless. How many runs are you doing? At least two, hopefully more. The first run will be the most fanfic-filled. It will feature Princess Renata, a practical protagonist who will earn many rewards, waver between Good and Evil, and gain the Classes of Monk and Seer. She'll show off as many game mechanics as I can work into her story, my asides and fanfic will cover more. Second run, I will show off an Evil Prince protagonist who Summons Demons, has different Skills than Renata, and does a lot of things Renata won't do. It will be mostly game canon text with a little original character commentary. By the time I start it, I expect most of the fanfic will be out of my system. I'll take voting on a lot more for what this character does. Third and subsequent runs will be to show off special requests like Side Quests, Classes, and Endings the first two characters could not cover. I will hopefully get quite a few requests for that. I anticipate it will be canon text plus my commentary. Is there an update schedule? This thread will update when I have a chapter of my novelization ready. I wish to craft those for quality, so it will take time. My hope is to post one or two chapters each week. I may do more in the beginning as I catch up on old material from the old thread. Between updates, readers are free to make what comments they will. Feedback is appreciated. Why LP these games this way? Because I like the games a lot and I wanted to do it. Enjoy the show. Here is a glossary for how I will be transcribing the game text. All novelization story bits will be shown off in quote boxes. Unbolded text is actual game canon text. Bolded text is my fanfic expansion. Italics indicate the main character's dialogue or thoughts. I will underline game mechanics, including options and stat changes. Asides and commentary from me will be outside quote boxes. I will try to pace my progress around the in-game choices, stopping where I find it appropriate. There will be some wholly original sections that are just me having fanfic fun and inserting surprise twists, crossovers from other media such as Disney and Star Wars, and filling in plot holes or increasing action and drama with personal spin. I will insert original choices in these sometimes and may even ask for voting. If I get people excited enough to vote on these, great!  Same for game canon choices on which I take votes. There will be a good number of these.
achtungnight fucked around with this message at 23:35 on Dec 19, 2017 |
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Dec 14, 2017 00:54
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Explanation of Game Stats and Mechanics Like most Choice of Games titles, Lost Heir has us build a character, take them through various situations, and test their Skills. This is a fantasy RPG game, so most of the situations we'll encounter will fit that genre. Here are the Starting Stats for our character and Stat Descriptions. Please refer to this post if you need descriptions of any Stat and what it does throughout the LP. Starting Stats posted:X, the Prince/ss of Daria I will display our character sheet at the end of each update so viewers can see how it changes throughout. The above order for character stats displayed may be different when I can actually copy and paste everything on our Stat sheet. I will also update Stat levels as they rise and fall throughout the action- closely following your Stats and building them up is a great way to succeed in these games. Stat Descriptions (beyond the obvious)- Health- our life force, hit points. Losing all of them in a dangerous situation means failure, but we can heal ourselves once the situation concludes or we can get some mystical help (priestly magic, healing potion, etc). The length we retain wounds may vary, and sometimes they are unavoidable. Avoiding injury usually means avoiding trying to do something we lack the stats to accomplish (eg dueling a master swordsman when our own Blades Skill is low, climbing a wall or trying to dodge arrows with low Agility, attempting to disarm a poison needle trap with low Devices, etc). If we have the Skills required for an action we will succeed, if we don't we will fail. This game will usually not highlight or strike out 'sure to fail' options, I will discuss the consequences of failure as we progress and show off as much success as I can. Specialized Training: Our Class Levels in various professions. Guard, Wizard, Thief, etc. I'll address Class Levels and what they do as we progress. MORALITY: Where we stand on the scale of Good vs. Evil, based on our actions and karma. The Level of Morality goes up and down throughout the game. Gaining Good points means losing Evil Points and vice versa. We start out neutral- Good 50% Evil: 50% - but neutrality is not required for any particular class. Certain levels of Good or Evil can be, however. Example- Paladins have to be Good, whereas Evil Gods won't want a Good Priest serving their cause. This can go over 100%, as can any stat (but values over 100% are never required to do anything in the games). ABILITIES: Agility: Dexterity. Ability to climb and dodge danger without injury. Charm: Charisma & diplomacy skill. Used to get people to do what we want them to do through persuasion. Intimidation uses other stats instead. Endurance: Constitution. Ability to endure poison, harsh weather conditions, and hazardous or tiring activity. Perception: Ability to notice things that are not obvious to most other people, like secret doors, hidden special corridors, and people who have motives or ideas they'd rather keep to themselves. A high value of this ability can unlock hidden options for approaching many situations. Strength: Physical muscle and presence. Are we a tough bodybuilder or a slim person with average frame? Martial professions and feats of strength help develop this. Willpower: Force of Will. Used by Demon Summoners to dominate the Demons they call upon as allies. Not useable for anything else. For people with low Willpower, Summoning Demons is often a bad idea. SKILLS: Archery: We have a Bow and we wish to use it, but how well can we use it, exactly? Are we Robin Hood incarnate or some joker who can barely twang the string? Devices: Rigging & disarming traps, picking locks, operating catapults, and so forth. Thieves and Assassins often have high levels in this. Magic: Skill with Magic. What spells we can cast, and how powerful they are. Priests and Wizards will be good at this, generally, and use it in different ways (Wizards throw fireballs, Priests can do that and also heal). All schools of Magic useable in the game from Divination to Necromancy are condensed into this stat. Most uses of it involve conjuring and throwing various magical effects like fireballs, lightning bolts, ice shards, light, force balls, etc. Blades: Skill with Swords & Daggers (the game unfortunately restricts us to these as our primary melee weapons). Are we an Olympic fencer or some idiot waving around a pointy stick? Guards, Thugs, & Knights are often masters of the sword, whereas Thieves & Assassins master the Dagger. The same stat covers both weapons. Stealth: Sneaking ability. Something else Thieves and Assassins are generally better at than other people. Daggers are often useful with this Stat. Unarmed: Unarmed combat ability. Covers a variety of styles from punching to wrestling, martial arts, throws & kicks, etc. Monks generally have high level in this, and so can Thugs who did not specialize in Blades. KNOWLEDGE: Knowledge skills. What we know regarding certain subjects. The game will require lower levels of these from certain professions than they would others. Example- a character with a high level of Nature is the same as a high level Ranger when it comes to Nature Skill Checks. Arcana: Mystical knowledge. Used to decipher runes and understand how magic works. Important for Wizards & Demon Summoners. Also the game's go-to stat for testing how sharp your mind is. Geography: Navigating ability, knowledge of roads, areas of Daria, and other cultures' customs. High levels in this, which a Ranger usually has, are required to uncover secret paths and information in some areas. History: Knowledge of Daria's past. Again, this can be used to find secret areas and information. Sages and Bards often have high levels of this. Nature: Surviving in the wilderness, recognizing dangerous natural phenomena like quicksand and poisonous fruit. Also used to track animals, avoid predators, and properly create poisons. Can also be used to treat injury through natural medicine. Druids and Rangers naturally get high levels here. Religion: Knowledge of the Gods and religious rituals. Priests use this skill to recognize holy or unholy signs and icons and properly perform various sacraments. RELATIONSHIPS: Our relations with certain allies. High relations is required to make the person our friend, trainer, and/or love interest. Low relations means we may keep the person as an ally, but they probably won't be reliable to help us with their skills. They may even cause us great embarassment in certain situations I won't spoil here. Any Skill can be increased through exercising it. We can also decrease many of them by doing something of negative impact on the appropriate skill (example, getting sick means we lose Strength and Endurance, but maybe we gain Nature since we learn not to eat illness-inducing berries). Success at Skill Checks, Class Levels, and Training are all good ways to build Skills.
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Dec 14, 2017 00:56
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Cast Listing This is a cast list I will update as we meet characters throughout the game. Actors I note for each are in my head, the game has no official voice or live action casting. If there is no actor mentioned, I could not think of anyone appropriate but maybe you can. Renata's Run- -Princess Renata, first run Main Character. Renata has no in-game description and thus no head-canon to allow readers to give her their own. I envision her played by Billie Lourd, Sophie Turner, or another appropriate young actress in her teens or early twenties at the time of this writing. Other characters have their actors noted in parentheses below, artificial aging applied as necessary. Allies (primary)- -Our Parents-  - King Brand (Michael Donovan)&  - Queen Jade. (Nicole Oliver)-Party Members-   - Gale, the Royal Cook's child & our friend, playful Rogue. (Dakota Fanning)   - Petra, another friend we had who moved away, child of nobility who became a Cleric. (Evan Rachel Wood) - Karla, a peasant girl from Elmvale, our friend, an excellent Archer and Nature Guide. (Alona Tal)  - Theo, a large Barbarian warrior. (Dwayne Johnson) - Jess Solway, a Soulburning Wizard. (Katie McGrath) - Ach, Good Hacker. (Seann William Scott)Potential Mentors-  - Harmond, our Wizard tutor. (Patrick Stewart)  - Sir Grady, an aged valiant Knight. (W Morgan Sheppard)  - Lady Emaline, the Royal Gardener and Assassin. (Victoria Akin) - Amos, an elderly Thief formerly imprisoned in the castle dungeons. (Cary Elwes) .- Sister Geri, a venerable Monk who resided in the Royal Temple, later Renata's Mentor in the Elmvale Temple. (Shilpa Shetty)  - Arch-Druid Dorion. (Christopher Walken) - Kole, Ranger Mentor. (Ian McShane) - Xino, Wizard Mentor. (Paul Ben-Victor) - Sir Maxon, Knight Mentor. (Karl Urban) - Suno, a Weapon Master (Idris Elba). - Suna, a Weapon Master (Shalita Grant). - Chekhov, Guildmaster of Adventurers, who can be any Class a player wants him to be. (Anton Yelchin) - General Vale, leader of Daria's Military. (Ed Harris) - Lord Tovar, Master of the Daria Treasury. (Stanley Tucci)  - Cumari, Archmage of the Daria Academy of Wizards. (Sean Connery)  - Hamato, Supreme Sensei of the Eye of Heaven Monastery (Philip Ahn) - Sister Verilia, Master Monk in Ludd (Cynthia Rothrock)Other Allies-   - Royal Servants, including Bertie, our valet/handmaid, and her brother Bertrand. - The Royal Herald. - Freda, Gale's mother & former Daria castle cook.   -Daria Castle Guards, including named Guards Piett, Biggs & Wedge, and Madine.   - Steffany & Steffan, tavern servers. (Bonnie Wright & Rupert Grint) - Master Jett, a sheep farmer. (Tony Hale) - Master Jett's wife. (Martel Thompson) - Jethro, Master Jett's chief farmhand and intended successor, inclined to betray him. (Zachary Quinto) - Jethro's daughter Leigh Anne.    - Bobby, Vicky, Ted, & Mary; young adventurers inclined to become soldiers.  - Sir Maxon's Future Squire, Raquel. (Daniella Pineda) - Albert, an old Gardener in Vernex, secretly an Assassin spy working for us. (Ben Mendelsohn) - Marla, Demon Summoner Student. (Lacey Chabert) - Graham, Demon Summoner Student. (Micheal Cera) - Naistalan Mubaishar, Half-Elf Cleric of Auriel with secret knowledge of the Som'Reth. (Lee Pace) - Jowal, a peddler (Stan Lee).Enemies-  -Alexander Zusak, High Chancellor of the Consortium of Planewalkers. An evil Demon Summoning Sorcerer who killed our parents and many other Heroes of the Realm. (Jonathan Frakes)  - Selina, Zusak's sinister female noblewoman associate, now a Duchess who governs Daria's province of Dumain. An expert in both poisonous words and natural poison. (Famke Jannsen, or possibly Tabitha St. Germain for irony)  - Thuja, Zusak's brutish  - Lord Weslo, a noble politically opposed to our parents. (Aidan Gillen) - Duke Eddan, a traitorous noble with a worrisome military presence, Lord of Daria's Eddan province and the city of Ludd. (Chris Evans)  - Duke Uddo, a traitorous noble who rules Daria's Uddo province. (Paul Giamatti)  - Duke Bandar, a traitorous noble who rules Daria's northern Bandar province. (Bradley Cooper)   - Consortium of Planewalkers Soldiers and Mages.  - Ms. & Mr. Porter- Consortium Professors of Demon Summoning. (Samuel L Jackson, Charlize Theron) - Bunta, an ogre-like enemy Thug. (Brian Thompson) - Viers, the Commander of soldiers from Ludd, Duke Eddan's city. Complicit in the murder of our parents even if his master Duke Eddan may or may not have been. (Clancy Brown) -Dorgan, Evil Barbarian Warrior. (Steve Blum) - Mazrim, insane abusive Nobleman. (Ron Perlman) - Dr. Konnors, Evil Alchemist. (Keith David) - Bolwen, Evil ArchMage. (David Warner) - Bolwen's Iron Golem Bodyguard. - Phasma, Evil Archer & Dark Knight of Shadi, formerly known as Kimberly, Karla's childhood bully nemesis. (Maisie Williams) - Nemesis, Evil Hacker trying to break the Lost Heir games with malicious code.Named Demons-  - Brahl, a combat Demon. - Xi'atta, an ice Demon. - Zon'ch, a dust/air Demon. - Tyborr, a unique high Willpower Demon. (Andy Serkis as all four) -Bla'kirr, a mysterious high Willpower Demon who has made a deal with Zusak. (Jeremy Irons) Kut'Seen- A powerful nearly invincible Demon with mirror-glass skin. (Fred Tatisciore) Rale'Run- An invisible Demon guardian/spy. (Jennifer Hale)
achtungnight fucked around with this message at 23:14 on Jan 7, 2018 |
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Dec 14, 2017 01:00
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Reserved for Cast List Overflow if any.
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Dec 14, 2017 01:00
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Renata's Run- Long Term Goals. Class Levels- 1 Monk, other Levels up to voters. Endeavor to Max out Following Stats- Magic, Unarmed, Perception, Arcana, Charm, History. Get Charm to at least 80, History and Geography to at least 60 (won't be able to Max Geography with this build, History is a maybe). Spend all Gold wisely. Win as many Stat checks as I can. Get as many Artifacts as I can and show them off! Preserve my Companions and Build Good Relations. Best Friends Gale & Karla. Romance with Theo. Good Relations with Jess over time. Lost Heir 1- - Achieve Artificer, Love Endures, and Honor of the North. - Get Necklace of Nature, Tyborr Demon Stone, Gem of Seeing, Signet Ring, Cloak of Spiders, and Belt of Speed. - Earn Suno Rewards. - Spare Jett. - Good Relations with All Companions. Lost Heir 2- - Achieve Friends in All Places, Sweet Ride, Prestigious Position, A Life of Regret, and A Friend in Need. - Max Citizen Reputation. - Get All 4 Factions in Diplomacy Section. - Cut War Spending. Win the War right up until the last minute. - Get All Possible Army Allies- 5 Demihuman Races, Theo's Clan, Kratog. - Get Cape of Shadows, Circlet of Daria, Auriel's Grief. - Show how to get Staff of the Archmagi, Forest Worm, Crocodile, Arcane Tattooist, and Dragon. - Get Dreadhorse Epic Mount if fans want it. Otherwise it can be bonus content for later or unlocked on second run. - Lose the Siege of Tornassa, but make it clear we could have won if we wanted to. Lost Heir 3- - Hero Ending. - Achieve Love is in the Air, Protector of the Royal Blood, Gotta Know When to Hold Em. - Get All Possible Win Factors for Great Final Battle. - Show off as many sidequests as we can. - Good Stats with Epiphany. - Try to win the Grand Tournament. - As few Demon Traits as we can get away with. If I don't meet these goals, I will get as close as I can. achtungnight fucked around with this message at 22:10 on Jan 1, 2018 |
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Dec 14, 2017 01:01
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Lost Heir 1- Prologue- How to Play. In this game, as in most Choice of Games titles, you need to build up your stats for success. Constantly monitoring your stats, increasing them whenever possible, and getting to maximum as soon as you can is key to success. This becomes more complicated when you need to increase multiple stats to certain levels. It helps to scout ahead in each game, numbers on, intentionally amassing low stats and failing various events so that you know what stat levels you will need in advance. Then you can build your character to be able to meet those levels. An excess is nice, but just enough when you reach the proper point in the game is fine. You'll see many examples of this as we proceed. To remind readers, with my first LP character Renata I am trying to build up Unarmed, Magic, Perception, and Arcana. I also want high levels of Charm, History, and Geography by certain points. Any points towards other Stats is gravy. I'll address my second character when we get to them. As you play, you want to prioritize getting the stats you want to multiples of 5, then usually pass each check with the lowest stat available to increase it. Keep in mind future bonuses you'll want to pick up through training. You may also want to manipulate various combats and other situations if possible to keep amassing bonuses- be careful of consequences in doing so and experiment for best effect. Keeping a record of your decisions (so you can breeze through them if you fail something and want to restart the game, since you can't save scum) is very helpful. Monitor your Health and Gold as you proceed of course. Some decisions you will want to avoid no matter what. For Renata, Unarmed will make a good close range Attack as it rises. Magic will be a good ability for Utility such as light or divination, also for distance or group attacks. Ok, enough talk. It's Renata's time now. Let's get this poo poo started.
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Dec 14, 2017 01:03
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Chapter 1- Princess Renata The whole game is written in second person. For atmosphere, I'm doing my fanfic the same way. Refer to the Cast Post if you need to know who someone is. I'll update it as we meet characters. Game Opening posted:
For stat-building, I will turn on number notifications. Lost Heir 1 begins with an obvious cold open flash forward- The Lost Heir 1- The Fall of Daria Opening posted:
What an opening! Really gets one into the action.  Our army is faced with an army of terrifying Demons. There's a big scary Demon flying right at us! What do we do?Options posted:1.Draw our glowing rune-covered sword. The action we take here will grant a minor stat boost-+3 to relevant Stat of Blades, Devices, Archery, Magic, or Charm. This is not a false choice even though official character creation does not start until the next decision point. All actions are guaranteed success. Because I want to build combat stats as soon as possible and prioritize developing them when I can, I pick Option 4 for Magic. Casting Spell! posted:Your words and hand motions warp reality to your whim. Your army takes this as a command and surges forward, screaming their defiance at the otherworldly beasts before them. Ok, surprise! That was a dream. Or possibly a prophecy. Did our spell kill the scary Demon attacking us? It may be a long while before we find out... The Real Game Begins... posted:You awaken from a good night's sleep with the lingering memory of a dream fading in the morning light. You find yourself in a beautiful room with an enormous four-pillar canopy bed, expensive mahogany dressers, and priceless tapestries. Your twelve years of life have been filled with the finest things money could buy. As the first-born heir to the Kingdom of Daria, you expect such things. You throw back the thick, luxurious covers and get out of bed. You see that your clothes have already been laid out for you on the dresser. As previously decided, we are Renata, Princess of Daria. Note that it would be a few decisions before we could actually choose our name had one not already been selected. As stated above, we start this game as an adolescent Princess, age 12. Our starting Stats are noted in the Game Mechanics Explanation Post. I'll give a full update at the end of this LP chapter. Decision #3! posted:Your clothes are of the highest quality- their cost in gold could probably feed a poor family for a month. You dress quickly, eager to begin the day. Next to your clothing is your prized possession. The item we pick here comes with some minor training in how to use it and related Stats. There's about 30 points up for grabs. In reverse order, Lute gives bonuses to Charm & Agility; Bow to Archery & Agility; Lockpicks Devices & Agility; Sword Blades & Strength (there's also some sexist flavor text noting how manly or unladylike wielding a Sword is, I didn't fully appreciate it, but I digress); Holy Symbol Arcana, Religion, Magic, and Good/Evil depending on Deity (you pick that at next choice, it's not really the best decision here since only Priests can really do anything with Holy Symbols and they get them for free); and Spellbook Magic & Arcana. More importantly, this item is our first piece of equipment and it will thus determine a lot of what we can do in future decisions. Example- while you can always attempt to work Magic without a Spell Book, you probably won't do very well if you've never opened a Spell Book before. However, you won't be able to stab anything if you don't have a Sword. You can always attempt Magic or Unarmed Combat, but your success in each depends on your stats. Using a Sword or Bow well requires both an appropriate Blades or Archery level and having the item in the first place. Note that Arrows & Spellcasting Mana supplies are unlimited. All these items are helpful for the future character we might be building. A fighter will want a Sword, a magic user a Spell Book, a thief a Set of Lockpicks, etc along with good Skills at using the item in question. But this is not actually our first class level, we'll get that once we're a bit older. However, a good foundation in training now will be helpful at that decision point and afterwards. It's always nice to have above average Skills. Or diverse Skills, should we decide to multiclass. Also take note that there are no class item restrictions in this game. Nothing exists to prevent a Fighter from opening a Spell Book, for example, or from using a Set of Lockpicks, or from playing a Musical Instrument. However, a Wizard, a Thief, or a Bard will probably be better at respectively using each item, especially in a pinch. We can get all of the items we don't get here later in the game, but it may cost money at that time. We'll start earning money once we grow up. Also, some classes will get free items if they don't have them already (eg Priests get free Holy Symbols, Knights get free Swords). Any item we get here will be a masterpiece but not magical. Thus it’s of high quality and we get accompanying extra Skill Points we won’t get if we loot or buy an average similar item later. Found or purchased items also won’t come with training like this one does. A couple of the items will require further decision making if we pick them. The Musical Instrument is one- the default instrument for this game is a Lute, for those not in the know that's a medieval guitar. If you prefer a different instrument, one can easily adapt it in along with style of music. For a Holy Symbol, be aware of a few things. -1. Priests use Holy Symbols to channel their magical power the same way Wizards use Spell Books, but neither is actually required to work Magic. It just helps. In Daria, anyone with a high ability in Magic is considered a wizard. Wizards with a capital W just concentrate on Magic to the exclusion of most other things whereas other classes will have other abilities also- a Sage may have high general Knowledge, a Druid high Nature, a Priest high Religion, a Thief high Stealth & Devices, a Fighter high Blades, etc. Nothing prevents all these classes from also developing high levels of Magic. I've done some pretty cool things with a Mage/Fighter or Priest/Thief. -2. Getting a Holy Symbol here does not mean we take the vows of a Priest, that comes with class level later. We just get a small foundation in Magic & Religion. There is one cool thing you can do with a Symbol I'll note later, but that's it. Better to pick up higher combat abilities IMO. -3. If we do pick a Holy Symbol, the next decision will be creating the Deity whose Holy Symbol it is. We can create whatever God or Goddess we want, but original Gods or Goddesses need to be clearly on the side of Good or Evil. There are no neutral Deities in Lost Heir's version of Daria and every character who would wield Divine Power must dedicate themselves to one side in the moral conflict in exchange. (This even includes Druids, who are traditionally neutral in other media. In this game, Good Druids use the powers of life & regeneration whereas Evil Druids associate themselves with destruction & chaos. There is even an extremely evil Druid Prestige Class called Druid of Decay, more on that later. Not that being a Druid requires a Holy Symbol, mind you. It only requires high Nature & Magic stats.) If we take up a Holy Symbol, it comes with some moral constraints if we choose to follow the God in question. Not following that God in Morality means your Holy Symbol may crumble if you attempt to draw upon its power, losing all Priest Levels. I won't be showing that off this run. Renata will not pick up a Holy Symbol or a Lute either. 4. You can only carry one Holy Symbol at a time and there aren't many opportunities to switch. I pick #1. Spellbook. Renata's foundation needs to be in Magic. She'll get Unarmed bonuses from her starting Monk levels, but I'll need Magic training for Spells too. Got Spellbook posted:The tome is thick and bound in leather. It's full of runes and incantations. This is no child's toy; it is a book of true Magic. Although magical study is expected of you, you have taken it far more seriously than anyone would have expected. The result is that your personal grimoire is far more advanced than a child of twelve should be capable of. Your parents' Royal Wizard Harmond and many other Wizards in Daria have contributed many spells to it, and you practice with them daily. A few remain too advanced for you at present, but you hope to master them someday. You slip the book into a specially-made holder on your belt before stepping out of your bedroom. That gets us some good starting Magic. Enough to have a bit of fun in our youth even. Let's start our day. Decision #4 posted:The halls are already bustling with Servants as they carry things from one end of the castle to the other. You make your way through the corridors instead of taking a private route, eager to meet up with your friend before your full day of lessons and tutoring begins. The Servants have places to be, and the sheer number of them clogs the passages. There are 10 Stat points up for grabs here. Either in Strength, Charm, Perception, Agility, Willpower, or Arcana & Nature. Willpower is useless to Renata, since we don't intend to become a Demon Summoner. The other stats are tempting, but I pick Charm. Monks don't get bonuses to this, and I need to develop it early on for some goals in LH2. This also nets us a Good point. Smiling at Servants posted:The servants smile back and nod greetings to you as you pass. That Charm bonus earned here will surely help us in future social interactions.  Decision #5 posted:It doesn't take you long to work your way through the Castle, noticing as you do that it seems even busier than normal. Perhaps something interesting is happening that you haven't heard about yet? No matter. Your friend is waiting for you, so you hurry on your way. We can recruit one of two childhood friends who will later join our adventuring party here. Their gender is pretty much irrelevant unless we want to Romance them at some point (our sexual orientation is the next Decision). But it is safe to say that while whichever character we pick plays the same main plot role, they each have their own unique Skills, Side Quests, and Interactions with us and other characters. The big difference- - Peter/Petra, the Nobles' child, is a future kindly yet stalwart Cleric. - whereas Gill/Gale, the Cook's child, will grow up to be a fun-loving Rogue. We can of course supplement their role in the party if we play the same type of character, possibly train in our Skills with them, and The character we don't create here will not come into the story later, unfortunately.  Unless of course you are doing fanfic Easter eggs like me.Because I like her better overall and find her more advantageous to our build, I pick Gale, the future Thief, as Renata's childhood friend. Second run, I'll show off the Cleric (who will be Petra in the first run's Easter eggs). This was also in accordance with our voting in the previous thread. Going to Meet Gale! posted:Gale is about your age and was born in the Castle too. Her mother, Freda, has been working in the kitchen for three generations, having served your grandparents, your mother, and now yourself. This is the only chance we'll have to pick our character's sexual orientation. Nope, it can't change later, unlike real life.  I pick 3 as per the original thread's preference- this makes Renata heterosexual, turns our later non-random optional Fling characters (Romance post coming next update) male and locks out Gale for Romance (but that's fine, she'll just be a good friend). Moving on, we can next pick our name.Sorry, girlfriend, I'm hetero! posted:I realized Gale was attracted to me! I had often seen her giving interested looks to other children around our age, both boys and girls. However, she had never looked at me that way before and she was doing so now! This is the point where we pick our character name in the official game. As previously voted, we've chosen 7. Renata. There are many random names available here to help you think one up if you're stumped. Next update coming tomorrow. I'll pause here for comments. Stats posted:Renata, Princess of Daria achtungnight fucked around with this message at 22:17 on Dec 21, 2017 |
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Dec 14, 2017 01:07
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To catch up, are there any major departures from the previous LP that you're taking with regard to Renata's skillset and choice of companions?
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Dec 14, 2017 01:14
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No major departures for skillset- see long term goals and follow the LP as we progress to be sure. I made nearly all our LH1 decisions in accordance with our voting first run, so we should have very similar stats. Companions also will not change from first run. We'll have Gale, Sister Geri, Karla, Theo, and Jess. When we get to LH2, I will poll voters on creating the new party member for that game- Bran/Brinn. Ditto for creating the possible party members Pope/Poppy and Synden/Syndi when we get to LH3. Any other questions, please let me know.
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Dec 14, 2017 01:24
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Two subjects for this update- First, a short interlude- Romance in the Lost Heir As in many Choice of Games, we have the option in The Lost Heir to hook up with other characters during the plot action. There are two types of romantic encounter, Partners & Flings. Partners are characters who will be your love interest and have the potential to remain so throughout the trilogy. We can meet and begin courtship in Lost Heir 1, mostly it proceeds slow although some characters are faster than others. If cards are played right, we can get regular sack time with our Partner around the 70% waypoint of LH 1(Winter in Elmvale at the latest). Peter/Petra and Gill/Gale are both potential Partners, and we'll meet the other three later. Sack time with your preferred partner is not necessarily a given, it can be declined for a variety of reasons. It helps to have stats that meet your partner's physical or moral type- although a good level of Charm can make up for lacking that, as can high Relations with the partner in question. In Lost Heir 2, existing romance can continue. It can also end, if players decide they prefer to try courting the one new Partner available in that game, or that they prefer being single. Breakup means the character stays with your party as a (usually) amicable ex. Relationship progress includes engagement, dubbing the Partner Royal Consort (this can go over in different ways, as you'd expect, but your kingdom will ultimately always accept your choice), and- if your relationship is sexual- conceiving a child. The latter happens even if you're in a homosexual relationship- an Archmage we'll meet in Part 2 has some magic that can allow people of the same gender to make a baby. He even allows asexual characters to use it, as the Kingdom of Daria needs an Heir. There is also a potential adopted child we can get in LH 2, but that happens regardless of the baby (although the adopted child will become the best Big Sibling ever if we later conceive a kid). Lost Heir 3 allows some breakups to existing relationships- but it comes at the cost of a party member. You can also progress things further with the birth of a child (if one was conceived in LH2), a Royal Wedding, and the beginnings of a marriage. You then automatically name your birth child as your heir before the final conflict quest (no natural child means you can pick someone, including possibly the adopted child if you got them), with your King/Queen as Regent until they come of age (or if you have no spouse, you get to pick a Regent), just in case you don't make it through. Also, any unattached party members can meet their own romantic partners in Part 3, David & Leigh Eddings style, provided you're not attached to the characters in question and you make the right decisions to allow their relationships to occur. If you don't already have a Partner entering LH3, there are 2 additional potentials you can pick up, but you can only progress to an engagement with them before the final conflict and then they are in more serious danger than any other characters during said conflict. But that's getting far ahead. Different Partners have different stat requirements for courting, as noted. These include Morality levels, Charm levels, and maybe other stats. I'll note them as we progress. In general, you need 65 Relations to start a Romance and 80 to consummate it. Having the stats to meet your Partner's type helps them accept your flirting, so you can get to 80 faster. If you don't have 80 when the opportunity comes, the game tells you 'needed stat X' and your offer for a hookup fails. But if you can get the Relationship above 80% (ie don't fall for the numerous screw-up opportunities, both obvious and otherwise), courtship is always successful. You can not court any potential Partners from LH 1 in LH 2 or 3, or the potential from LH2 in 3, or any Partners past the initial opportunities. At least not in any way that I know of. Sadly, there is no option for multiple Partners. Trying for that will usually screw up your Relationship with both people in question and cause Romances to end (and you can end up traveling with a disturbed ex if the Relationship drops low enough, but I've heard that can also be fun although I have yet to see it personally). And then, whether you get a Partner or not, there is always the opportunity for... Flings- These are brief sexual encounters that your character can have with other characters you meet briefly. Flings do not join your party post-hookup, but it's presumed you always fondly remember them. We have two potential Flings in part 1 I will highlight, and two more in Part 3, plus a third that's Druid only. I don't know of any in Part 2. Flings usually give bonus to Charm if successfully pursued, and they require certain Charm levels to acquire. There are no long term consequences to hooking up either, beyond Morality points at least. Of course, trying to go after a Fling with your Partner able to see it is usually a good way to wreck your Relationship with the Partner in the first game. The Flings in Game 3 don't even let you try to get a Fling if your Partner is around when you meet. You can hook up with Partners and Flings of any gender to which your Prince/ss is attracted. All long-term Partners allow you to set their gender when you meet them, so you can make them a potential Romance Option or just a good friend as you prefer. Flings will always be a gender to whom you are attracted, except in one case where the gender is random (being bi easily avoids that issue). It is assumed that all your party members are bi, as are their romantic partners who aren't you in LH3 (one said characters is always the opposite gender of your party member, one is random gender, two are always female, one is always male, and we can set the gender of the last). No party member is celibate, not even the cleric if they are recruited. Although our character can choose celibacy for whatever reason if you like. So, if readers like Romance, this game offers it. And staying single can also be fun. Romancing Gale/Gill In my experience, Gale/Gill is the easiest Partner to Romance. You can get an in with them as a childhood friend via first kiss or shy hand touching, then confirm the Romance later with a firm kiss when you meet them again as an adult. After that, you can easily gain Relations by taking Romantic actions (I've never seen a flirt fail) and siding with them in various Relations choices. They don't mind sleeping with you early, unlike some characters, and their personality makes them very attractive (although this can be true of all Partners, depending on your tastes). Now that we've talked about Romance, let's meet Gale! Chapter 2- Meet our Best Friend. Plot Action! posted:
The attraction Gale has for us and this surprising plot development of important visitors will both be resolved later. First, a more important decision for children must be made. How shall we play today? posted:Even an exciting event like important visitors to the castle is not enough for you and Gale to change your plans for the morning. Presumably your parents or someone else will tell you about the event later, if it is important. The I have to confess that the variety of pictures on the Internet and resizing programs available may make standardizing picture size a problem for me in updates with multiple dialogue headcanons. If people have problems with varying picture sizes or suggestions on fixing the issue, please let me know. All the above options have stat rewards, as there is a certain level of training available from childhood games. Note that the first two options are unique to picking Gill/Gale as a friend (Peter/Petra has different options). The bonuses are 10 points to Stealth, Unarmed (or Blades, Archery if you picked Peter/Petra instead of Gale), Arcana, or Nature. The original thread voted Stealth, as detailed below. I'm largely keeping the canon text for that choice for plot, though I will change our official Stats later through a fanfic mechanic I'll introduce in this update. Castle Tunnels posted:Gale recalls the events that first brought you together as friends. The Mentor teaser and Gale development here was largely original. Let's get the canon bits for this LP that adjust Renata's stats to best later effect. Future Self Retcon posted:As you enter the tunnels today, time seems to halt around you. A tall woman steps out of the darkness. She looks very similar to you, only seven years older and wearing a hooded cloak. The woman greets you by holding up a Magic Wand. The Unarmed bonus here is key to developing Renata's secondary close range combat Skill for later. You can only do good things with Stealth if you take levels in Thief, Ranger or Assassin. Druids get a little, but not really enough. We are becoming a Monk later and it will not be good to be a Monk who can never succeed in Unarmed strikes. I will max Arcana in other ways later, and Nature is not on my target list. Friendship posted:After a few hours of play, you and Gale make your way back into the Castle and down to the kitchen where Freda, her mother, has put together a small breakfast for you to eat. We'd get a Choice preceding this one to start a Romance with Gale if we were interested in doing so. It's just a bonus Relations Choice. This Choice is similar. It's also our first Social Interaction Choice. Option 1 is neutral and changes nothing. Option 2 is Good and gives positive Gale Relations, 3 is Evil and gives negative. I am interested in developing Gale as a friend, so I pick Option 2. Encouraging Gale posted:"You're a good Cook. Won't you take over as Head Cook?" Option 1 provides 10 point bonuses to Arcana, History, Geography, and Religion. Option 2 provides similar bonuses to Charm and Perception. Option 3 gives 10 points each to Strength, Agility, and Endurance. For my build and goals with Renata, Option 1 is best here. Academic Student posted:Harmond smiles proudly as you immediately fling open the books in front of you. You recall the many topics you have discussed and read about, facts and answers flowing freely in your mind. This enables us to pass some hidden Geography and History checks later on. Our Stats are now- Stats posted:Renata, Princess of Daria Harmond's Exposition Lecture, a big part of the last LP thread that deserves its own Chapter, will proceed next update. See you then. achtungnight fucked around with this message at 20:37 on Dec 21, 2017 |
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Dec 14, 2017 15:29
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Chapter 3- Harmond's LectureExposition Begins posted:Harmond talks to you for several hours, going over many topics recently covered in his past lectures. Then, after several hours of study, he speaks in reply to a study question you answered correctly. Four of these choices give hidden bonuses. Option 1 provides nothing, 3 is mean and gives a point of Evil- as do a lot of mean things our Lost Heir character can do as a child. The other three options all give a 3-point stat bonus to something- Geography for 2, History for #4 (this was the original thread pick, and is in fact a hidden option unlocked by having high Arcana here), and Charm for 5. In Renata's run my goal for Charm is 80, whereas History and Geography it's 60 (though I will of course be happy with more). So here I'm going with Charm. I can still effectively build the other stats later. Distracting the Teacher posted:"A group of weavers, coopers, and chandlers," you say, making it up as you go. "They work outside of the usual guild system, allowing them to set lower prices." The bulk of this exposition is somewhat canon, somewhat original. The original parts introduce important plot elements that will be brought up later in the canon game as though our character knew them already regardless of their Knowledge levels. This is ok for plot, but it doesn't mesh with my personal standards for character development, thus the need for additional exposition. The game thankfully aids pacing significantly. The lecture below proceeds largely independent of our answer to the previous choice. I did not even look at the game much while composing it. You can't save scum in Lost Heir, so I didn't want to have to mess around with it a lot. Testing my own memory of the game was fun too. Harmond's Lecture posted:
Many later plot developments in Lost Heir and the game's official rules for Demon Summoning along with hints as to its benefits and dangers were laid out above. For the current Choice, Option 1 gives an Arcana Point, 2 an Evil Point, and 3 locks out some later exposition text and Options that will create risk to your character, particularly if they choose to Summon Demons. 2 may give the same risk. I will proceed with Option 1. Keep Listening posted:You are a diligent student and you listen eagerly. Taking Option 1 here for a minor Charm bonus. 3 gives Evil, 2 and 4 do zilch. Largely false Choices like this make the Lost Heir games predictable at times and hard to pace in a voting LP. I will proceed past them as best I can in novelization style, noting each. Readers are likewise welcome to comment at any time- helping the thread grow and pace through various pages. I apologize to previous voters for ignoring their past choices, but it will all work out in the end- I promise. Thank you, Teacher! posted:Harmond smiles and nods to you as you leave. Next update we will meet those people and our Lost Heir's parents. See you tomorrow night. Stats posted:Renata, Princess of Daria achtungnight fucked around with this message at 23:56 on Dec 21, 2017 |
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Dec 15, 2017 02:26
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Is it possible to evenly increase Skills as you are with Abilities, or is the main character realistically limited to 2-3 Skills that can be increased?
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Dec 15, 2017 08:39
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anakha posted:Is it possible to evenly increase Skills as you are with Abilities, or is the main character realistically limited to 2-3 Skills that can be increased? It depends on the character and what you're trying to build. Our Abilities all start at 20%, the only one I've increased so far is Charm (Perception will come later starting at first Monk level). Skills all start at 0% and it can be hard to prioritize developing them. This thread on the Choice of Games forums has several guides for building characters with multiple maxed Skills- A Squire / Ranger with max Blades & Archery, also high Geography & Nature for example. Add a Priest Level to this Class in the second game, tweak it here and there, and you can easily max Magic too, then expand into Rune Warrior come LH3. There are also guides for Paladin / Demon Summoner, Bard, Assassin / Druid, Dragon Rider (which requires mid-range Knowledge to scout out the Dragon Cave in LH2, I'm unlocking that with Renata even though she won't get a Dragon outside bonus content), and Necromancer / Vampire Lord. Try out the Guides if you want to explore what you can do outside Renata's somewhat restricted build. There are also ways to build Skills with the right training as a child and certain Classes later on. I got a Thief with max Agility, Blades, Stealth, and Devices by the start of LH3 picking Choices based on game experience and guessing. She might have had high Charm too if she hadn't started donating her earnings to the needy. I'll probably base my Evil Thief for second run on what she could have been if that never happened- leaving priorities up to voters here and there of course. --- Something occurred to me last night- I can diversify Renata's build and path a bit by taking a Priestess Level at second Class Level pick. It won't get her much new content outside teasing since I'm still doing Monk and Seer mainly, but we'll get some new content at least. I can make up the Skill differences by swapping Magic for Unarmed at key spots in LH1. We'll lose some Agility (which we're not using anyway), and we might risk having to avoid exploring Necromancy if we want to keep to the Priestess alignment restrictions (I'm doing Good first run and Evil second run with limited Magic, but Necromancy can still be bonus content later if we don't do it either run, I'll show it off with a Wizard, Evil Priest, or Sage). Otherwise, it's still pretty even in terms of what we'll be able to do. I'm taking a vote on the above- do y'all want to see this? I'll give it till we get out of the Prologue again, which will probably be around Christmas at the rate I'm proceeding. Silence means I'll keep to my original plans. We'll still get to pick which Good God or Goddess we follow if we want to vote yes, I'll even pull out the old God tally if people are interested. God voting will proceed after Christmas if this vote goes yes, I'll give that a separate deadline. Let me know please. Zusak intro update coming later today, I'll try to creak out the first Mentor update with Grady and Geri by tomorrow. Amos and Emaline can't give Renata anything she'll be using, so I'll be taking a separate vote on what to show off with them first run (can't do anything Evil, that would create problems later, but there was one bit of content we missed with each Mentor). My work schedule may preclude me from updating the thread outside my days off unfortunately. Hope people are enjoying the little bits of new content I work into review here and there. achtungnight fucked around with this message at 20:58 on Dec 21, 2017 |
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Dec 15, 2017 16:15
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Chapter 4- Meet our Parents and the VillainsParental Interaction posted:You make your way through the halls to your family's private chambers. As you enter, you see your parents sitting side by side at a table. King Brand is strong and fit for his age. His short beard is streaked with white and his eyes are intense as he laughs at a joke your mother made. Queen Jade had been a real beauty in her youth and her good looks have matured into a stately grace as she has aged. There's a lot of optional flavor text available here- our parents like it if we were playing with Petra. They disagree over whether Gale/Gill is a good girl/boy. They don't like it if you snap at them. If you want them to spend more time with you, they say they try. They believe you if you lie about studying the tax code and say the Kingdom will be in good hands with you someday. All that is usually missed once players discover the one hidden bonus gained by taking Option 2, which of course I'm taking here. Responding with Imagination posted:
Renata will be seeing her old friends again, don't worry. Their characters' earlier knowledge of the Heir is revealed in a dream sequence during LH 3, for those not already aware. Our Seer Level should allow us to pick which friend we see in that dream sequence too. The Nobles mentioned above will feature in the game later, most prominently in LH 2. Now For Some Big Plot! posted:The Castle Throne Room is already filled with people as you and your parents enter. You notice a trio of strangers among the group who seem to jump out at you with their very presence. The first is a darkhaired man with a neatly trimmed goatee dressed in very expensive purple clothing standing off to the side. He has an odd expression on his face. Amusing false choice. I laugh here as usual. Laughter posted:You snicker at the look of the man in purple, causing him to glance over at you and your parents to frown. Zusak's fake smile falters in irritation, but snaps immediately back into place as he turns to your parents again. Sitting respectfully just skips the above bit. Governmental Exposition posted:
The above detail is reversed with a male Heir, making our father the "most important person in the room". I personally dislike it due to Daria's established tradition of near equality between the sexes, so it is altered slightly for this LP. The same detail creates a minor continuity error that has to be addressed in Part 2 should our protagonist have a child or name an Heir of the opposite gender. Beta testers really should have caught and fixed this IMO. Zusak's Audience posted:Zusak clears his throat and opens his mouth to begin speaking again, but your mother cuts him off. The above choices are all possible destinations. Option 5 advances the plot. The first 4 options, however, can all be taken first in any order. Each destination allows us to meet and interact with one of our four Potential Mentors for our future training. I'm going to show them all off again for story purposes next two updates. We now have a poll going by the way- do we want 1. Renata to keep to her original build of primarily Magic and only build Unarmed again when she becomes a Monk at First Class Level? or 2. do we want to drop Magic in favor of Unarmed once we get out of the Prologue only to recover it by taking Priestess at Second Class Level? I can do either, let me know which is best. There will be more teased content unlocked with Option 2. If Morality is a concern, I can try substituting Druid or Wizard for Priestess, but Good Priestess will save us some Gold, get us better overall Stats than either of those Classes, and make History a lock for showing off how to get the Dragon. Let me know what you'd prefer please. Thanks. No Stat Changes this update, other than the Charm bonus noted above.
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Dec 16, 2017 01:11
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Since Option 2 gives more content, I'll go with that.
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Dec 16, 2017 05:27
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Thanks. I'll probably default to new content as well, depending on other votes. I hope in the long run, though- no offense- that more people ask me to show off such content directly. I made a lot of mistakes my first run of this LP- here if anyone wants to look- and I am trying to overcome them with dedication and effort devoted to showing off the game as best I can. It will be a long road, one for which I am ready, but it will be easier to travel with support along the way. Yours is appreciated, and others' will be also. Thanks much. If people are waiting for exclusive new content outside Lost Heir 1, it will come when Lost Heir 2 and 3 arrive. I predict that we'll start Lost Heir 2 around March right now, given my update schedule. I cannot update faster- pacing / editing needs and SA's rules about posting too much content at once preclude that. Support along the way- comments, feedback on the game or the way I'm LPing it, ratings and word of mouth- will be appreciated. But this is a niche style LP in a niche genre, so if support is limited, I guess I can understand that too. I'll do my best to keep it going on my own. It also should go without saying that I can't show off or point out everything. I have explored these games a lot, but there are still things I've only recently learned about and others I have not seen. If people have suggestions for things to do or show off, or know about things I don't, or even know where I'm wrong, please speak up. I will credit all contributions and correct the updates in case of the latter. Poll going well- I updated the long term goals for the current majority and new plan, I can do this again as we proceed. Thanks to all voters. Please keep commenting even if the poll seems settled, I will keep it open a week as planned. First Mentor update scheduled for tomorrow, second one next Wednesday at this time. achtungnight fucked around with this message at 08:48 on Dec 16, 2017 |
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Dec 16, 2017 05:52
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I'm in favor of unarmed for more punching.
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Dec 16, 2017 08:24
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Avalerion- We'll get at least 20 bonus points to Unarmed if we go with the Priestess plan, so I'll count that as a vote in favor. There will be some more Wrestling and Kicking in addition to Punching- we'll have to get through the first quest with Unarmed as opposed to Magic now. But I think with doing this and keeping Magic as our later power attack stat we're more likely to max out Unarmed in the long run. A good thing. We'll max Magic either way. Please keep expressing interest if you wish. Previous posts updated for Renata's long term goals. They can still change over time. Nothing about this LP is set in stone.
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Dec 16, 2017 08:52
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Chapter 5- Mentors, Part 1 We now have a chance to interact with the potential Mentors for our character before concluding the Prologue. I'll comment a bit on each as we proceed. First, the two Mentors from whom I'm sure Renata will most benefit. To The Temple posted:You first visit the Castle Temple. What your father said about Sister Geri got your attention. Including this bit from the previous thread. Religion in Daria All prominent races in Daria have their own belief systems and Gods. Of greatest concern for Lost Heir are the humans' Gods. They're in two camps, Good and Evil. The Good Gods in the game world are led by Lucien and Auriel. They represent kindness, honor, justice, and so on. Opposing them are the Evil Gods, led by Noct and Shadi. These Gods preside over corruption, cruelty, disease, etc. Every God is either Good or Evil, including custom Gods an LH player might create. Followers of either group of Gods are expected to embody their deity's views on the Morality scale. If they attempt Priest Magic without a Morality level of 70 Good or Evil (IIRC), they risk either limited function or at extreme levels the Holy Symbol crumbling and Priest Levels being lost. The sole exception to this is the Unknown God who doesn't care about Morality if you acquire their patronage as a Priest (I'll show off that quest in bonus content after Renata's run). As previously discussed when I talked about a Holy Symbol as prized possession, the Morality meter can play a big role in this game when it comes to players who choose to take Priest levels. How Good or Evil a Priest is fuels their powers. Priest levels need to pass Morality Checks to do things like Heal Wounds (either Good or Evil), Repel Undead (Good Priest), or Command Undead (Evil Priest). Paladins and Dark Knights also require high levels of either respective Morality to serve their causes. How many levels you can pick up in the Priest class is also tied to your alignment and how faithfully you follow your deity's ways. If you play a Priest, it's probably best to stay Saint or Sinner on Morality- although I have heard of at least one player who went full Evil in LH1 and then became a Paladin in LH2, so it can seesaw. But that's for veterans. Here are some other notes- - In Daria, Good Gods are worshipped openly. They are honored in Temples by Priests of varying skill. Among the Good Gods, Auriel probably plays the biggest game role, starting in LH2 with a Cleric of her we'll meet. We also get to see a few religious ceremonies and other events dedicated to the Good Gods depending on events we witness. - In contrast to the Good Gods, the Evil Gods are generally worshipped in secret. Their followers disguise Holy Symbols, use secret signs to recognize each other, and do other things to keep themselves hidden. The reasons for this should be obvious. We'll visit a few Evil Shrines and Temples in the game which we can plunder for rewards. Of course, neither a Good nor an Evil Priest should have qualms about looting such places. - There are seven types of religion-related classes in Lost Heir. Priest is the one that concentrates on spellcasting. Cleric (which requires a level of Priest before you take it) is a more martial class that allows you to keep your Priestly powers while getting some extra combat skill. It's a prerequisite for Paladin, which is the holy warrior class with which most readers of high fantasy should be familiar. Paladins need to be both Clerics and some kind of dedicated honorable warriors- IIRC Guards, Knights, or Squires, not Thugs. I haven't tried becoming a Paladin with another Class. It is assumed that Clerics belong to a more militant order of Priests like the real life Knights Templar or Hospitalier. Peter/Petra, if present in the party, is such a character. Devotion varies amongst Priests and Clerics, as do other things including celibacy. It is possible to be a Priest and still have sexual relations, or be celibate if you so choose. Archbishop is the title for the top level of Priest. - Dark Knights are the Evil equivalent of Paladins. They have a different path though. If you want to be a Dark Knight, Cleric levels are unnecessary. Instead you must be a Squire, then become a Knight but be following an Evil God as you do so and using that God's aid to decieve the Knighthood about your lack of chivalry (Squires ordinarily have to follow chivalry to become Knights, as the game points out for that Class). You don't need to be a Priest or Cleric, having a Holy Symbol of an Evil God is enough to get their attention for a Dark Knight. Both Paladins and Dark Knights get a test in which they must respond as a Good or Evil person would before they get their Class Levels. They can get a free Epic Mount at First Level in LH2 and a special Magic Sword at 2nd Prestige Class Level in LH3 (this requires a Morality test too, I'll show off the sidequests in bonus content if people want). - Then we have Druids, who worship Nature and with it fuel their Magic. These spellcasters are tradtionally Neutral in fantasy, but in Lost Heir they can be Good or Evil. Evil Druids can become Druids of Decay and get some extra abilities in LH3. The more powerful Druids get animal companions and can shape-change into animals. - Monks are religious but not restricted in alignment. They concentrate on Unarmed combat and Knowledge Skills over the spellcasting of the typical Priest. We're about to meet a Monk in the Castle Temple. Like most fantasy Monks, if your Lost Heir character becomes a Monk, they will one day be able to do things like astral projection and punch through walls. These abilities may require Monk levels and possibly Ki Training in LH2 (Renata is currently scheduled to acquire that). Monks in general do not have Morality restrictions, although you can take advantage of your moral karma in one Monk exclusive side quest to meditate and get various stats. It is not necessary for a Monk to follow a deity as it is for a Priest. The first step to becoming one is taking Sister Geri as Mentor, which Renata will do. - The game allows you to create custom Good or Evil Gods for your Priests and other God-following characters if you like. So we can easily do Hieronius the Smiter, Cthulhu, or whoever should we make Renata a Priestess later. Cthulhu can also be the name of a Good or Evil God- we can do dark scary traditional Cthulhu or warm funny misunderstood Cthulhu, perhaps fresh from saving the world. Renata will stay mostly Good through her run, but can go Evil later if preferred. I am weaving in a practical amoral side to her personality, and both Good and Evil are important parts of Daria as a whole. - I'm not doing a big post on Morality and what it does for us this thread. Notes throughout the game will cover it better than that. Suffice to say- things like kindness, helping others, refusing rewards, and donating to charity award Good points. Evil points are given for murder, theft (successful or otherwise) where we betray someone who was supposed to trust us, pranks, mischief, and bad attitude. You get plenty of opportunities for both throughout the game. Now let's meet someone seriously religious in the appropriate place- The Castle Temple posted:The large structure is devoted to all of the Gods, as most Temples are. The Priests usually devote themselves to specific deities, but your parents have always encouraged freedom of religion for all of Daria. The Temple is mostly empty with only a few people praying at the various alcoves. We can get points towards Unarmed, Magic, or Evil from Geri. I pick Magic as it best fits Renata's early build. Tell me about Magic... posted:
Sister Geri is the best Mentor for Unarmed character builds- Monks and Thugs. She's also good with Knowledge or Magic Builds because of her relations with Religion. We can't see her full Relationship level until after we pick our actual Mentor but this early training is good to have. Sister Geri also gives us an Arcana bonus later if we pick her as Mentor, and getting 55 Relations with her (we have it now, just need to maintain) will let us unlock her special Mentor Class at First Level. That Class is of course Monk, which provides good bonuses to Unarmed and certain kinds of Knowledge (Religion and History) along with Perception. You can also get bonuses to Agility, Magic, and other Stats over time as a Monk. The cool stuff- Ki Strikes, Astral Projection, and so forth- gets going in Lost Heir 2. Original Stuff posted:Sister Geri smiles after answering your question. We'll meet Sir Grady in just a bit. First, let me discuss... Daria's Military Daria has your typical medieval army, with foot soldiers, archers, Knights, siege engines etc. There are also fantasy elements such as Wizards aiding the army in various ways, sneaky Rogues acting as scouts and spies, and Priests providing first aid along with the usual spiritual advice. The demi-human races have their own armies also- Elves have archers and spell-weavers, Dwarves smiths and strong axe-men, Orcs berserkers and Worg cavalry. Halflings have cavalry too, only they ride large dogs. Their soldiers are adept with daggers and slings. Meanwhile, Gnomes can both weave powerful illusions to confuse their enemies and engineer awesome devices such as repeating crossbows, siege engines, and bridges. We can take advantage of all this in LH 2. Most soldiers in the army have Guard levels, Guards being one of the three main Warrior classes in LH. The other two, Thugs and Squires, are not officially affiliated with the military. They both have more independence and less structure to their training, allowing their characters to develop different Skills than Guards. Thugs hire themselves out to the highest bidder, fighting with Blades or Unarmed combat. They are often reviled by heroes, Nobles, and commoners, but everyone has to fear their threats and dirty tricks. The greedy take advantage of them. Thugs can earn a good amount of money and Strength too. Squires are usually above such things because they are supposed to be training to become Knights, the ultimate lone hero class in Daria. Knights are generally more skilled in Blades, Archery, Charm, and cavalry tactics than your average Guard, who are generally better at Geography and Endurance. Guards have to respect Knights for their skill levels, even if they follow their own Class's orders more often. Knights constantly train and compete in tournaments to hone their Skills. The Squires who do well in such tournaments or who do special heroic deeds can become Knights. Knights, male or female, are supposed to be honorable Good people, not just skilled at combat. Some stories tell of Knights who acted otherwise and lost their status. Other stories are about Knights who decieved their peers about their conduct with the aid of Evil Gods until they could do so no longer. Then they continued to serve Evil by killing the Knights who sought to expose them, and the Evil Gods granted them the status of Dark Knights. In contrast, the most honorable of all warriors- Guards or Squires, not Thugs- can become blessed Paladins serving the Good Gods if they also study as Priests and Clerics. Clerical Orders of militant Priests exist throughout Daria to take advantage of this. They don't make as much money and they have less Magic Skill, but they are more numerous than Priests among Adventurers. Players of Lost Heir can become Paladins or Dark Knights if they follow the paths described herein. General Vale is the leader of Daria's central army. He is both a high level Guard and a War Master. War Masters are the strategist class in LH. They can pull off tactics with soldiers other classes can't due to their Knowledge levels. Real world War Masters include people like George Patton, Robert E Lee, Ulysses Grant, Dwight Eisenhower, Genghis Khan, and Sun Tzu. There is no official navy or air force in Daria. Airplanes aren't yet invented and ships are mainly used for trade, not war. That said, pirates and other seaborne dangers do exist, so many ship captains employ catapults and Magic-Users as defense. We'll get the chance to check that out in LH 3. Perhaps, if a player acquires the appropriate training and inspiring mount, they can also give Daria its first air force at the end of the game. I have pulled that off with Princess Rynn. Click her name for a hint if you're interested in doing something similar in your own LH play or wait for the bonus content when it comes. The main military force independent of the government in Daria is the Adventurer's Guild. This group employs Classes of all sorts and hires them out to whoever needs them. We'll get the chance to go on quests for that Guild later in LH 1. Adventurers will strike out on their own quests just as often, looking for treasure and fighting monsters without a sponsor, just as in many other fantasy stories. Other mercenary groups exist too. The most prominent in LH is the Weapon Masters of Opal Cove. They train in styles generally not available to other warriors, and thus an LH player cannot become one. Blade Master, a Prestige Class in LH2 that requires high Blades and Agility, is the closest we might get (I may show it off second run, it's fun). There is one part in LH 1 where we can train with a Weapon Master, however, and we can hire them in LH 2 and 3. Blade Masters and other high Weapon Skill characters can also approach their Skill levels. Weapon Masters pride themselves on only working for those who pay them well and who do right by them. Most stay in the main organized group. Others, such as Thuja and our possible trainer Suno/Suna, adventure on their own for coin. Thuja isn't a Weapon Master in the canon game, by the way, but I figured making him one would help flesh out the group and his character early on. Daria has had many wars in its history. Banditry is a big problem in the wild, and the army conducts regular campaigns against it. The kingdom has been raided by Elves, Orcs, and Dwarves. In Life of a Wizard, you can conduct a great war of conquest with varying success. Only the King or Queen can call out the main Army, however. Dukes and independent groups with a military like the Consortium have less presence and thus less advantage. Or maybe they have some other advantages the main army doesn't, as we'll soon learn. Let's now visit... The Training Yards posted:The Training Yard is full of soldiers. Some of them are duelling with practice swords while others are training their archery. A Guard captain named Madine is directing a drill on the main parade ground. Picking Option 3 above wakes up Sir Grady politely and replaces the above choices with the following options I put above to tease. We'll show off one of those second run and possibly the others later in bonus content- that's if this LP is finshed as planned, which I currently intend. The best action for Renata here is to... Burn the Knight's Mustache posted:The spark erupts and burns a little more than you had expected before Sir Grady awakes with a yell. He jumps to his feet and runs around in circles as the smell of burned hair fills the Training Yard. He rushes quickly over to the water trough near the Guards' stables and dunks his head. Many soldiers laugh at the prank, but others give you dirty looks. As you are the Princess, they say nothing to you directly. Pleased with yourself, you start to wander off. This didn't even work for me the first time I tried it due to low Magic. Any time a Choice in LH says "Try" or "Attempt" that is warning you of a stat check. The required Magic level here is 20, and that is only possible with the Spellbook as prized possession. My first character who tried Option 1 here had a Sword, so I restarted after experiencing humiliation. Also be aware that when the game gives us the Option to consider something, it is also warning of a game stat test but with additonal passing requirements and consequences for failure. There are freqently "are you sure?" or "sorry, can't do that" events behind such options. We'll see them later. There is no bonus for failing a Skill test and it may very well get you injured and possibly cost you rewards if you don't succeed. Companions will then pull you out of danger should you fall unconscious and not be able to to help you in later events. Success gets you +3 in stats relevant to the test, Magic in this case. This action put our Morality towards Evil too. But we'll get it back later. Uh Oh... posted:You wonder if you should feel sorry for what you did as you leave the training yards. Your parents would not be amused by your action, whatever your excuse. But it was a bit of good magical practice, so maybe it was worth the bad karma. You are not sure. It's a pity we can't get more out of Sir Grady with Renata. He is probably the best Mentor for melee combat characters with the bonuses he provides to Strength and Blades along with the Squire Class. Archers can get a lot out of him too. The previous thread's and my own preferences mean we are going with a Magic & Unarmed character first run, though, and that means Sister Geri is the best pick for Mentor. A good thing, because the only other source of walkthrough builds for this game I've found online- the CoG thread here is lacking in Magic / Unarmed Builds IMHO. Maybe, on second run, we can get to further show off Grady or the other two Mentors, who are respectively best for Devices & Charm or Nature & Stealth. Sir Grady's special Squire Class is definitely one of my favorite features of the Lost Heir games. It gives you a free Sword and Horse, a lot of great Combat Skills, and some excellent side bonuses. It's very easy to become a Dark Knight in Lost Heir 2 after you become a Squire. You can also multiclass from Squire to Ranger if you want to max Archery, or do Priest, then Cleric if you want to be a Paladin later. The Dragon Knight Class unlocked in Lost Heir 3 if you get the Knight Class in Lost Heir 2 (requires a Squire Level) and the Dragon at Fourth Class Level is also pretty cool. I'll show off what Knight stuff I can in a bonus update after the first and second runs are done. We'll introduce the other two Mentors next update. Please continue to vote on the poll from the previous update regarding Renata's future Class Levels. I also would like to know the following- 1. Do we want Devices or Stealth from Amos? and 2. Do we want Blades or Nature from Lady Emaline? I showed off Stealth and Nature in the previous thread, I can do them again or do these other Skills now. The Second Evil Run character or bonus updates can show off other bonuses not picked here. Renata won't get enough of any of these Skills to benefit from them, but this is a good vote to gauge LP attention and get some feedback. I'll update the LP again after my schedule opens up. Stats posted:Renata, Princess of Daria achtungnight fucked around with this message at 22:15 on Dec 21, 2017 |
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Dec 16, 2017 19:37
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Stealth and nature.
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Dec 16, 2017 19:48
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Avalerion posted:Stealth and nature. Echoing this. The other options, our companions can supply.
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Dec 17, 2017 04:29
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Chapter 6- Mentors, Part 2 Ok, we'll keep Nature and Stealth this update to honor Renata's original build. I will mention how to get the other Stats though, which will be more useful to our second character if they're an Evil Thief / Blade Master as I anticipate. To The Dungeons! posted:The Castle's Dungeons are where the kingdom's most notorious criminals are imprisoned. Naturally, other cities in Daria have their own Dungeons, but the more serious and local criminals are judged and housed in the Royal Castle. They are confined on the level just above the Tunnels where you enjoy stalking rats with Gale. Daria's History, Geography, and Government Daria's government is a monarchy, as evidenced by its King and Queen. It has both elements of constitutional and absolute monarchy. Throughout Daria's history, monarchs of varied quality have governed by personal whim. Some, like our parents in this game, try to be basically Good and just. We can continue that tradition later when we rule the Kingdom ourselves, or we can be a despot dictator like some past monarchs have been. It's up to us. Most monarchs are naturally somewhere in between these extremes. Daria Kings and Queens traditionally wield swords, as in the past the Sword of Kings was an important symbol of the kingdom. They also traditionally have Wizards as primary advisers. Harmond fulfills this role for our parents. Wizards are valued for both their Magic used to help the Kingdom and for their knowledge skills. Note that any spellcaster can count as a Wizard. Some Court Wizards have been Good or Evil Archbishops, Sages, Witches and Warlocks who did not graduate from the Academy, and even Archdruid Nature magicians. In Lucid's previous game Life of a Wizard, your character can serve an insane evil inept King or a good but easily manipulated and also inept King, with varying levels of influence on the King and success in improving the Kingdom and ushering in a Golden Age or a Great War to conquer Daria's neighbors. I'm going to say for purposes of this LP that such events have happened in Daria's history on multiple occasions in different variances of legend. It makes sense to do things that way. Various families have ruled Daria over the years. Some have fallen prey to insanity, jealousy, incompetence, and other troubles, thus losing their power through peaceful impeachment or violent revolution. Peaceful impeachment can come about as the result of a Grand Council of Nobles who decide to depose the Kingdom's current ruler and install a new one. We'll be doing that in LH 2 followed by a violent revolution. In LH 1, a violent revolution is also coming soon. In addition to Monarchs, Nobles exist in Daria. Daria is currently divided into 4 provinces, three of which are governed by a Duke, and the fourth under direct Royal control. The Crown has primary control over the army, treasury, trade, and justice systems, but the Dukes are also important. They have some independence in that they can form their own trade deals and armies to defend their provinces. There is concern from our parents that the current Dukes- Bandar, Uddo, and Eddan- are all opposing the Crown in various ways. This impacts the game. Dukes and other Nobles are traditionally consulted on important government decisions and monarchs can give them votes on such matters if they feel like it. Our parents are Good and diplomatic, so you can guess where they stand on that. Is this the best idea? Maybe, maybe not. On the level below Dukes are Lords. These lesser Nobles have influence and wealth, but in most cases little actual power otherwise. They like to act superior and in some cases can wield power, but generally they are just the stuffed shirt types you would expect. Prominent Nobles in LH include Lady Selina & Lord Weslo (villains), also Lord General Vale & Lord Treasurer Tovar (important allies we'll meet in the second game). Two of our potential party members, Guard Captain Bran/Brinn and Peter/Petra, come from Noble families. Nobles can get their titles through inheritance, be raised by a Grand Council formed of other Nobles, or be awarded Nobility by the Crown in exchange for various services and great deeds. Naturally the common citizens and other Nobles of Daria can become jealous over the latter issue if they feel the award was not properly earned. And Nobles can lose their status too, if they do something controversial. This happens to Peter/Petra in the game after their family is cast down by the Dukes for supporting the overthrown King & Queen. There are other countries and communities neighboring Daria with their own governments. The Jilal Empire and the Valorn Duchy are two such countries that are of concern in Life of a Wizard but not this game. The other communities which play a part in Lost Heir include the major cities that operate within Daria while remaining somewhat independent of its government, various isolated tribes, and the demi-human races. Daria's prominent cities include Tornassa, the capital, and Vernex, the headquarters of the Consortium of Planewalkers. The Academy of Wizards is also effectively an independent city. Brightwater, Selina’s home city, is a large trading port in the southern part of Daria. It's currently in the same province as Tornassa, but some distance away. It is traditionally a gathering place for Nobles and has been the site of many past Grand Councils. Ludd is the capitol of the southwestern Eddan province and also an important trading center. There are also smaller cities such as Opal Cove, home of the elite mercenaries known as the Weapon Masters, and tiny isolated villages such as Elmvale, your character's hometown in Life of a Wizard. We'll be going to Elmvale once the LH prologue concludes. There are various isolated human tribes throughout Daria. The Norgan Mountain Barbarians are a big feature in the plot, just as in Life of a Wizard. They have their own chiefs, shamans, and witch doctors ruling them. We'll also see two island tribes of cannibals and jungle dwellers and a tribe of gypsies in LH 3. LH 2 and Life of a Wizard feature the demi-human communities within and bordering Daria. These include Dwarves, Elves, Gnomes, Half-Orcs, and Halflings. These groups generally keep to their own communities, which have their own rulers, but can interact with Daria's humans in traditional fantasy roles for their races. Dwarves have mines and smiths, Elves archers and spellweavers, Gnomes illusionists and engineers, Halflings thieves and merchants, and Half-Orcs berserk warriors. All these groups have been in alliance and conflict with Daria during its history. A major early decision in Life of a Wizard is whether your home town gets raided by Dwarves, Elves, or Orcs. You can then take revenge on the offending race, or forgive them and reap the benefits. We will have the chance to work with all the demi-humans in LH 2. Isolated wandering monsters such as Trolls, Kobolds, and Giants exist in LH, but they have no central governments. Mer-People feature in LH 3, but it is specifically said that they were thought a myth before we actually meet them. Their governments seem a bit disorganized, and will be further addressed when we meet Mer-People in LH3. Goblins are in Life of a Wizard, but not this game, so maybe they're extinct. Full-blooded Orcs also do not appear in the canon game. Perhaps their proud society with a central strong Chieftain in Life of a Wizard has since collapsed through infighting and various wars. Both Elves and Orcs can interbreed with humans. Dwarves, Gnomes, and Halflings can't interbreed with other races, but they can still adopt human children. We'll meet Half-Orcs and Half-Elves important to the plot in LH 2 and 3. The last thing I'll mention here is the lost civilization of the Som-Reth. As mentioned in Harmond's Lecture on Demon Summoning, these people are an ancient race that died out long ago and left Ruins all over Daria's remote areas. They knew the secrets of Demon Summoning and how to take advantage of it. The Consortium of Planewalkers has greatly researched and updated their techniques. The Som'Reth and the reasons why their civilization collapsed are very important to Lost Heir. It'll be a while, but they will come up in the plot prominently and we'll find out what happened to them. Maybe we'll even get an ally or two from their time who somehow still exists in modern time. But I'm not spoiling how that could come about right now. Checkpoint! posted:As you reach the bottom of the dungeon stairway, you face a Guard checkpoint. The sergeant on duty is Piett, a Castle Guard with a high level of dedication. He calls out to you when you finally reach the stairs' last step. Either option will get us past here with different flavor text. This Guard's pretty gullible and understanding. I'll show off lying second run. Honesty posted:"I'm bored and I wanted to see the dungeons." The above inmates include some Easter Eggs for past SA Lucid Game characters and a couple famous video game criminals. Unfortunately we can only interact with the last guy. I'll introduce him in the next quoted bit. First... Daria's Justice System This is what you'd expect. Normal real world crimes and punishments with a fantasy flavor. Like the government, it's currently pretty fair and impartial, although it's been worse in the past. In Life of a Wizard, you can watch the Mad King execute people without trial for petty offenses. You can do the same in Lost Heir after you become the ruler. Or you can be a Good monarch, only getting upset and going dark with certain situations. Renata will end up the latter. We'll see why in LH3. The Dukes have their own jails, and this won't be the only Dungeon we'll visit during the LP. The Crown has the power to pardon people, either they or the Dukes can act as judges. There are also magistrates for lesser offenses and disputes. The current low population of Daria's Dungeons is due to two things. First, we have a peaceful, just and mostly prosperous government in place, which has the obvious effects on crime. Second, King Brand and Queen Jade have a good agreement with the Thieves' Guild. The Thieves' Guild, as in most high fantasy worlds with such an entity, operates like the Japanese Yakuza. They are openly known to exist and left in place by the government to help regulate crime. They can train Adventurers in Stealth and bypassing traps or locks, also sell various items in a black market we'll visit later. The Crown, along with wealthier and more influential Nobles and merchants, have agreements with the Thieves' Guild to not rob certain entities, or ransom their stolen goods at fair prices if prompted. Sometimes, they hire the Thieves' Guild to steal from rivals or test their own security arrangements. The Guild can also force criminals to not do unauthorized theft and banditry. There is no way to be a Thief in Lost Heir without joining the Guild, although you can still steal if you have enough Stealth, Agility, and/or Charm even with no Thief levels (but those help you get all three listed Stats). If your Thief character also becomes ruler (ie, they keep playing long enough), they will get a chance to renegotiate the Kingdom's current agreement with the Guild. There is also an Assassins' Guild that trains and advertises murder for hire. This Guild doesn't operate as openly and has no black markets. Not everyone wants to accept that it exists. Assassins are not Evil, mostly. If they only kill their targets, no innocents, and hide in plain sight while not compromising the Brotherhood, an Assassin can even be Good. LH players can join the Assassins' Guild with the right Mentor, or they can hire it with enough coin to solve a couple obstacles. Some party members will mention it too. There are many non-criminal Guilds that have influence on the game along with the Thieves and Assassins. We should not forget that certain entities like the Academy of Wizards and Consortium of Planewalkers can also exercise their own judgement on offenders to their policies. Daria's Nobles generally prefer exercising their own power to cooperating with the Crown, as do the Guilds. But both will bow to and work with monarchs they respect or whom they are forced to respect. Citizens prefer Good just monarchs and will support them, but fear often motivates them to work with Evil monarchs or monarchs with bad Reputation. And sometimes monarchs with low levels of Citizen Reputation or Fear can still find ways to get things done or not. This all plays out later in the games. Dungeon Crawling posted:The cell doors are all thick wood with metal bands across them to keep them fortified. Small windows with bars let in a little light and air. You peek through them, but they are mostly empty. The few prisoners you see are lying on their cots or sitting in the corners of their cells. They glare at you, if they even bother to glance your way. One man is different, though. He looks through the bars directly at you and smiles. Let's assume we're curious enough to say hello. Walking away gets you zip from this prisoner early on, and not meeting him here causes the game to refer to him as "a mysterious white-haired man" when you meet him later on rather than his name. Meeting Amos posted:The man has long straggly grey hair and a matching long beard. He seems very agile, despite his age. He bows to you and smiles. We have a number of Options for spurning or profiting from Amos. Having him whipped makes the Guard surprised since it's not something your parents would sponsor, but he does it anyway because you're the Prince/ss. If you want to blow your chances with a great Mentor for all Rogue type characters, while picking up some serious Evil Points for being a petty despot, go ahead and do it. Renata's curious enough to go with Option 1. What are you in for? posted:Amos answers you sadly. Option 3 is free, so... Why'd you do it? posted:Amos lets out a sad sigh. Option 1 gives Devices, 2 Stealth, and 3 Evil along with negative Amos Relations. Stealth was the choice here. How do you walk silently? posted:Amos smirks. Amos is the best Mentor for Thief characters, giving bonuses to Stealth and Devices. He also gives a Charm bonus. His special Class unlocked at high Relations is Bard, the spoony music star of fantasy adventure. Bards can play music to inspire people and get lots of bonuses to Charm, History, and Perception. It seems like a weaksauce Class to some Adventurers, but Bards can be of great advantage at times. Their Charm in particular can talk you out of many dangerous situations. You can also use Training and Artifacts to build Combat Skills- Bards don't get much there naturally. I've done well with a Bard named Princess Alicia in the past. achtungnight fucked around with this message at 22:20 on Dec 21, 2017 |
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Dec 17, 2017 23:14
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Chapter 7- Mentors, Part 3 On to the Gardens. Right after... Daria's Guilds Like in the real medieval world, Guilds exist throughout Daria to organize, regulate, and educate people involved in various trades. They have advertising and monopolies on their services. Some provide insurance and security to their employers along with craftsmen. Some crafting Guilds that get brief mention in LH include the Sailmakers' Guild, with whom we have to deal to fix up a ship in LH 3, and the Fletchers' Guild, of which our main Archer ally is a member. Fletchers make arrows, if you didn't know. I mentioned the Thieves and Assassins Guilds during our Dungeon visit. The Mages Guild, which operates the Academy of Wizards, is also a possible Guild an LH player can join. All these Guilds are not plot mandatory, though. The Adventurer's Guild is. This Guild allows our character to work as an Adventurer and take on quests later in LH 1. It also hires out Adventurers and advertises Adventuring services. You will organize a party through it. Like most legitimate Guilds in Daria (ie all but the Thieves and Assassins), the Adventurer's Guild only employs adults who have not been in the Guild before. That means we can't join it till we're 18. We'll also need to take a Class Level first to get some experience under our belts. One can argue that the Consortium of Planewalkers is a Demon Summoning Guild. Think of them that way if you like. In Life of a Wizard, there was a Fighter's Guild, but that group does not exist in Lost Heir. The Opal Cove Weapon Masters and the military substitute nicely. One can also count the Knights as a Guild because they organize training for their profession and expect certain conduct from their members. Bards have a Guild too- its college is in the capital city of Tornassa and we can ply our trade there or anywhere else if we become a Bard. Lady Emaline, the Mentor we're about to meet, is a prominent member of a certain secret Guild in Daria. You probably have already guessed which one. For those who haven't, the fact that she is played in this LP by Victoria Atkin and that her head-canon resembles the aged version of a certain video game character who deserved a way better game and story than she got IMO is not coincidence. That is all. In the Garden... posted:
Lady Emaline is an Assassin, if you haven't guessed by now or had it spoiled. She is the best Mentor for Stealth characters. Nature characters like Druids and Rangers can get good bonuses from her too- Emaline is an expert in poison, and that's part of Nature. Only Assassins can use it though- at least in LH1. There is a specific circumstance use all characters can try in LH2- Renata won't do it, but our second Evil character might. The Assassin Class, unlocked at 55 Relations with Emaline, doesn't have the best Stats- most of the bonuses at high levels go to Stealth and Nature, which can fall by the wayside in LH3. Agility is a big area they get bonuses in also- but Thieves can do just as well there. Assassins do get a free Dagger and some Blades bonuses, but you'll need outside training to make Blades really good (hit up Petra or Sir Grady as a child, then Theo later). Assassins can also do well in Archery- training with Petra and then our Archer buddy Karla. Emaline is no better than any other Mentor when it comes to Archery or Blades (the game notes she prefers Daggers, not Bows or Swords). Assassins also get some training in Devices, as they need to open locks to get to their targets on occasion. Thieves are usually far better, though- I usually train my Assassins with Gale & Amos in Devices to compensate. A major Skill Assassins need but their training does not cover enough IMO is Perception- you need a high score in that to pass at least one Assassin side quest with full bonus. The Assassin Class is another thing I'll show off in bonus content upon request. Emaline is not senile- it's an act. She will give you a Blades bonus if you allow her to leave the Garden, but Renata preferred Nature via Option 1. Bumping the Cane away is Evil and negative Relations- there are easier ways to earn Evil later so it's not worth it IMO. Flower Picking posted:The old lady turns her steely grey gaze upon you. Alright, we're going to sleep. Perhaps we'll have another dream. The last one concerned... Magic in Daria. Magic is, as Sister Geri told us, a natural force that shapes the world. In Daria, that's exactly what it is. There's Magic to be found all over the land, and it can be wielded by many varied practitoners. Princess Renata is already good at Magic for her age, and she can only get better. Most people who use Magic in Daria are called Wizards. Their ranks include traditional Magic Users, hedge witches, warlocks on the fringes of society, devout Priests both good and evil, Druids crying in the wilderness, and a number of other varied people. Every isolated tribe of humans or monsters has its shaman or witch doctor. Dwarves have artificers crafting magical weapons and armor, Elves have spellweavers bending the light, Gnomes are masters of illusion, even Orcs and Halflings have been known to cast Magic every now and then. The greatest Wizards have served the Crown as Royal Wizards. Harmond is one of these. We can't take him as a Mentor, unfortunately. Wizards were the stars of Lucid's earlier game set in Daria. Life of a Wizard divided Magic into several schools. Arcana, the study of general magical phenomena. Conjuration, the harnessing of the elements for magical dueling- fireballs, lightning bolts, force bolts, ice storms, meteor swarms at the extreme. Enchantment was the ability to cloud and influence other beings' minds. Illusion created grand visions to confuse the senses. Transmutation turned one thing into another. Summoning called forth animals, monsters, Demons, and other allies. Healing helped cure wounds and poisons. Alchemy brewed potions and other magical elixirs. Divination predicted the future. Necromancy harnessed the power of the dead. Unfortunately, in Lost Heir not all these schools of Magic have quite the power they did in Life of a Wizard. Conjuration is pretty much intact, as is Arcana. Abjuration, the school of shielding and warding in Dungeons & Dragons, is also still around, though it remains a defense and not a specialty. No school of Magic can be a specialty in fact. Alchemy is present, as is Necromancy, but neither school can be explored until you get to take a Prestige Class in LH 2. Even then, you must have the right pre-existing stats and you will already have other strengths. I'll show off Necromancer in bonus content. Alchemist I'll talk about when I can, mostly with the character I created as Gale's Villainous Counterpart. It's an underwhelming Class IMO. Illusion in LH is solely the province of Gnomes rather than humans. Healing is practiced by Priests, not Wizards. Artificing of magical items can be learned, but only by completing the right side quest and keeping the Magical Artifact it gives you around for study well into LH 3. Transmutation and Enchantment are pretty much gone except for certain situations. Summoning is used for Demons and nothing else. No more Summoning Horses, Ogres to fight evil Halflings, or other cool stuff. Divination is still present, but requires great Magic skill to even pull off. I think the first Divination spell is cast in LH 2 and only successful at 70+ Magic. You can easily get the same results other ways. Seers do get special Divinations, however- and Renata will show that off. Siren is a high level Enchantment Class we'll also have teased in LH3- I will show off that Class if people want (IMO it's... okay).Why Magic has declined like this in Daria after Life of a Wizard can not be easily explained. I won't get into it much. Suffice to say, Magic in Lost Heir is just one of many special Skills you can develop. There are many others that will allow you to complete the game if you get good enough at them. In Life of a Wizard, Magic was taught free of charge to all characters at the Academy of Wizards. That is no longer the case- unless you have prior experience and want to study Magic at the Academy, it's not free. And you can get about as good experience with Magic in many other places, if not better. I'll consider a bonus Wizard run here if people want one- there are some exclusive side quests for that Class. Magic is not much different across the Classes. Wizards may seem best at conjuring the elements for attack, but any Magic User can do the same, so Wizards are more limited than you would think. Priests get blessings and healing, curses also for evil Priests. Both Good and Evil Priests have power over the dead. Druids have Nature Magic that allows them to change shape and manipulate the elements. Specialty classes like Necromancer and Alchemist take a while to get and some might find them underwhelming after the first time played. There are new Magic classes- Luck Mage, Shadow Weaver, Siren, and Seer. Luck Mages can manipulate probabilities while Shadow Weavers work with shadows, living and otherwise. Neither is possible till LH3. Siren and Seer were mentioned above. All Prestige classes are unique, none is really the best. I should also mention a new possible form of Magic- Soulburning. This is the art of using the Wizard's own life force, or that of other people, to fuel extremely powerful spells. You have to be born with the ability to Soulburn, and our protagonist does not have the power. They will, however, meet a Soulburner one day, and may befriend them. With enough Endurance and other stats, they can then become a Catalyst with nearly unlimited energy for their Soulburner ally to draw upon. They have to find the right lost ritual for that, though, and as with all other forms of Magic, it's just one of many ways in which to play these games. Does all this diversifying and decline in power hurt Magic? Yes and no. It's not the only way to win any more, it's just a specialty. As such, it is still a valid way to complete the game. Renata will be using it. Plenty other LH characters have done the same. Our second run character, if any, will probably do something else. That will be perfectly fine. I'll close with a few more notes on Demon Summoning. In Lost Heir, any character has the ability to call up Demons for help. There's only two stats that matter for it. Arcana, to properly read the Runes on Demon Stones, and Willpower, to keep Summoned Demons under control. Lack of either is a bad thing. I do not recommend Demon Summoning for characters with low Arcana, and low Willpower can make things even worse. You also won't get very much Willpower if you don't Summon Demons beyond the plot mandatory moments, though that's alright because good Demon Summoning skill is not necessary for game success and there is no other use for Willpower really. Concentrating on Demon Summoning as a skill is just one of many ways to finish the game. You can easily dabble in it and then stop, missing out on only a few benefits of doing otherwise with luck. It's more the province of this game's antagonists, Zusak and the Consortium, than it is the protagonist. We'll learn more about what it can and will do for and to Daria later on. Renata's journey is about to really get started. You Awake... posted:Your handmaid Bertie is shaking you lightly, waking you up. To be continued... Stats posted:Renata, Princess of Daria achtungnight fucked around with this message at 23:29 on Dec 17, 2017 |
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Dec 17, 2017 23:25
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Did some testing on my phone tonight for Renata’s future. Priestess will not help us max Magic as planned after all. Druid or Wizard will do what I hoped though. Their Magic bonus is +15 to +10 for Priest. We saw the advantages of Druid last run- more Nature, Druid abilities, and possible Animal Companion later. Wizard will give us more Arcana (which I want to max for a fight in LH2 and a translation check in LH3). I can also show off a couple side quests with it in LH1 and later. And we can get a familiar at some point. Please vote for the following- 1. Become a Wizard at 2nd Level. 2. Become a Druid as before. 3. Go back to the original plan of 2 Monk Levels and study Magic instead of Unarmed before the first. Waiting to vote is fine. I still have plenty of time before I’ll get to the choice.
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Dec 18, 2017 10:08
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1 Wizard.
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Dec 18, 2017 11:51
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Avalerion posted:1 Wizard.
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Dec 18, 2017 12:32
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druid Animal buddies are best buddies. Plus no mount discount to tempt people away from our best buddy Lump.
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Dec 18, 2017 14:27
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We'll be getting Lump regardless. I want him for the Good and money saving (Jowal's books are preferred purchase over a Horse that early in the games). The really good news from my testing is we no longer need to take a second Monk level in LH2 unless we want to- with the current plan Unarmed will be maxed or in the high 90s and passing Checks will do the rest. I also have plans to unlock Guard and Sage levels before then- so we can pick our bonuses when we get to the Norgan. There are advantages to every Class. Wizard or Druid we'll have to take at second Level though, to unlock it for the Norgan. Wizard will get us more Charm, Arcana, Perception, and Magic in the long run plus a possible familiar. Druid will get us more Nature, Gold, and maybe an Animal Companion later. I'll leave the poll open till we reach the relevant choice and cover third level when we get there. I hope for more votes when that level comes. Update coming soon but not now. I'm under the weather and working.
achtungnight fucked around with this message at 21:16 on Dec 19, 2017 |
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Dec 18, 2017 23:44
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Chapter 8- Chaos in the Palace The decision I left readers with last update was a false choice. That is a choice that only affects flavor text, not the game plot or our stats. I'm not surprised nobody voted. Be aware that in the future such choices may still be up for voting and they may affect Renata's personality in my writing. For this one, I'll just pick the first response, then move on. quote:You thank the servant for waking you and helping you get ready for the banquet. "Thanks, Bertie." A little South Park homage there. Apologies to any gingers or friends of gingers who are reading this. Selina is perhaps the worst person in the Lost Heir games, though other redheads of better character are present too. Trouble Ahead! posted:You wave Gale to get to the point of why she needs your help. This is another false choice, no Stat bonuses up for grabs. I'm going with #3. Any Response Gets You... posted:Your mother laughs and pats your shoulder in a friendly way. At this false choice, we better do what we should have done earlier and get some help. Proceeding with Option 2 but also Option 3 since it fits an original story bit. Violent Revolution... posted:"Guards!" you shout as your parents collapse beside you. "Help! Guards!" I am pausing for a mock vote here. The rules for that have been inserted into the opening post and will be addressed again next update. Please let me know what you think Renata should do. Stat checks and hidden options noted above are for those who are interested. We can pass any check available to Renata here- Magic is only possible with Spellbook as prized posession, Unarmed is only possible if you roughhouse most mornings with Gill/Gale. The man is too close for Archery, and you can only dodge if you picked the Prize Possession of Good Holy Symbol, Lockpicks, or a Lute. No stat changes, check previous update if you need them. achtungnight fucked around with this message at 23:36 on Dec 19, 2017 |
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Dec 19, 2017 22:54
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- "Vengeance! Spill royal blood!"
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punch him Because a big scary thug with a big old weapon being taken down by a punch from a little girl is a hilarious image.
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Dec 19, 2017 23:57
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Shoryuken!
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Dec 20, 2017 00:46
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Cast fist.
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Dec 20, 2017 06:43
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Chapter 9- The Royal Treasury Rules for Mock Voting- I appreciate all votes made at the previous choice. I am not going with the majority in this case, however- at this point in her life, Renata is a Magic User, not a Puncher. She could successfully punch the bad guy, but she won't. The other reason for this, outside of character, is that I have most every decision mapped out for Renata's development in at least the first game. If we don't use Magic here, we won't have enough when we need it for best situational advantage later (goal is 70 by the time we fight Thuja so we can cast a big spell there). We need to pass certain Checks with Magic and certain checks with Unarmed to maximize both as best we can during our run. We need to pass certain Checks for maximum advantage, and that requires some mandated Options at various Choices. This is such a Choice. In the future there will be moments where it could go either way- I hope readers will stick with the LP long enough for those, I'll give full voting power at each. There will also be moments where punching is all we can do because we made the previous decision to postpone Magic development in favor of Unarmed (which will give us more Unarmed in the future as a result). So if you wanted Renata to use Unarmed on the Troll, Kobolds, or Skeletons last run- congratulations, you have your chance to see what that does in the game here. I will give voters the content they hoped for, though, before proceeding with my own decision. Just canon game content, nothing original. Note that the canon game still has us seated up till this point, hence why the first sentence may not make sense. Punch the Bad Guy! posted:You stand up and swing, your fist striking the man solidly in his face. He obviously hadn't expected such a physical response to his attack. A Royal Guard nearby uses the distraction to bury his sword deeply in the man's neck. (Unarmed +3) Thuja then returns and drags us away from the fight as below. Proceeding with content from the original thread as I continue to work through it. Fire...Ball! posted:A force inside you wants you to punch the man. You shake your head at it, insisting you should blast him with magical fire instead. A child would have little advantage punching an adult, you tell the urge inside you, and I have yet to train with a Mentor in advanced punching. Mock vote again here. I plan to have an easier time when I Romance Theo this run, is your hint for what I'm going with. But vote for something else if you like- I might show off the canon text again- or just tell me how you think I'm doing with the LP. See you next update. Magic was only Stat Change.
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Dec 21, 2017 01:25
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Cast Post updated with several new faces. Original plot developments are planned for many of these characters. Also, I want to say this now- Not every update will have something to vote on in there, I'm afraid. But other comments about how the game is going, how the LP is going, what you like and what you don't, etc. are always welcome. Thanks in advance. I'll try to update tomorrow with something big to finish the prologue off well.
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Dec 21, 2017 01:48
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Clearly she should do the prayer from Conan
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Dec 21, 2017 03:55
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FoolyCharged posted:Clearly she should do the prayer from Conan Dunno what this is but sounds badass, so sure.
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Dec 21, 2017 08:37
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FoolyCharged posted:Clearly she should do the prayer from Conan
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Dec 21, 2017 11:38
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I will definitely include- and completely explain- the "prayer from Conan" in the next update. I have seen the movie referenced. Thanks for the suggestion. I have the next update drafted and ready, but I want to give non-regulars time to add their comments if they want before posting it. I'll check back in tonight. It's ok even if no one speaks up, I think I've made my peace by now with the amount of feedback I'm getting here. But still... it'd be nice if anyone added words. Thanks, regulars, for your feedback. See you with the next update.
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Dec 21, 2017 13:01
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Chapter 10- Learning to Cooperate Using the Conan prayer was a good suggestion. I will include some of it in the fanfic bits. There are many things in there different from the original thread btw, so I suggest not merely skimming them even if you have already read their first drafts. Here's the canon text for what happens if you boost Religion here by praying- Option 3 posted:Your prayers are not answered. Zusak looks at you with an expression of contempt on his face. (Religion +2) Events for Renata will be handled differently below. Religion is never a Skill that immensly helps you in the Lost Heir games far as I know. You need 40 of it to unlock Necromancy in LH2 IIRC, and other than that I don't know of any make-or-break Checks for Religion where another high stat can't help you in its place. I could be wrong. The canon text of the Conan prayer, if I am on the same page as the readers who suggested it, comes from the 1982 film Conan the Barbarian. To quote a relevant Wikipedia article- Wikipedia on Crom posted:
I like the prayer, although I need to modify it slightly for this LP's story. It supports an overall theme I want to put forth, one that won't fully play out till the very end of LH3. Taking it forward. Renata's Prayers Are Answered... posted:In this desperate circumstance, your first instinct is to fall to your knees. Getting this out of the way before anyone asks. Yes, Ach is my self-insertion character and I kept him faceless before now because I couldn't decide on a picture. For purposes of this LP, he is the player controlling Renata and will eventually be telling her she's in a CYOA novel and a computer game (Max Payne homage, click link to see for what). Also before anyone asks- No, I'm not doing any cliched self-insertion bits with this LP fanfic. Ach is just going to help Renata the way any Lost Heir player would help their own character. He won't fall in love with her, rewind her life to save it via paradox, or do anything else you might see in a bad self-insertion story (at least I hope not- some such things are open to interpretation). I've written such stories before, but this is not one of them. For now, Ach is helping our Lost Heir Princess save Daria as best he can- eventually she (and you the readers) will more fully take over, but first Renata and Ach must learn to cooperate. I thought LPing the game this way might be something unique and help it gel in readers' heads along with aiding LH players in a FAQ-like manner. Apologies if it doesn't work out. I ended up using a picture of Sean William Scott for the character Ach- I usually say he'd play me if there were ever a movie based on my life, only he'd have to be a bit less crude than he usually is. Cooperate... posted:
Note- Harmond was a possible Wizard Mentor in the original draft of Lost Heir according to a post by the game author's I found on the Choice of Games forums. But he changed this, I think because Wizards were the stars of his last fantasy CYOA ('Life of a Wizard') and he wanted to avoid that with Lost Heir. Oh well. Run Princess Run! posted:There is no time to contemplate your tutor's memory right now. Instead, you must honor his sacrifice and survive. Unfortunately, the Castle's halls are still full of Guards and enemies battling one another. As you flee the Treasury, you find your path to escape blocked by a huge mob fighting in the Throne Room. You need to get through. Pausing for another mock vote here. I've had to modify my original outline based on reader response to this LP. Renata will need 40 Strength and 50 Charm for a certain Check in LH2 I want to pass, I plan on getting those stats in LH1, so I'm going with Option 1 next update. But you can pick what you will. I'll give the canon text for Options with votes as before. The Charm and Agility bonuses available here can also be useful. Any response gets you to the next section, which is the start of the next update. Stats posted:Renata, Princess of Daria
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Dec 21, 2017 23:54
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