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mllaneza posted:If you remembered "vernier", then I'm going to assume the rest of the quote is accurate, Isn't there also a quote where he lists a bunch of things everyone should know how to do, then says specialization is for insects?
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Aug 24, 2018 07:40
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White Coke posted:Isn't there also a quote where he lists a bunch of things everyone should know how to do, then says specialization is for insects?
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Aug 24, 2018 08:51
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Nessus posted:Yeah, he was a weirdo. But, y'know, Hitler built the autobahn, even a blind squirrel can find a nut. Edit: Isnīt that more of a popular myth and they were well underway even before he became chancellor? Mr.Misfit fucked around with this message at 12:55 on Aug 24, 2018 |
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Aug 24, 2018 11:55
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Mr.Misfit posted:Edit: Isnīt that more of a popular myth and they were well underway even before he became chancellor? What is mythologized is its importance to the German economy and war effort. The construction did provide a major jobs creation program. But even before the war kicked off, Germany never had enough petrol nor enough trucks to do any serious hauling of goods for either military or industry, and private transport became increasingly rare as the war progressed. Trains continued to do the bulk hauling, with the majority of last-mile delivery relegated to horse drawn transport, even in the army. The Autobahns were used as auxiliary airstrips, but the importance of that is vanishingly small. The Germans certainly could have constructed equally useful ones at far less effort and the impact of having them was extremely limited. EDIT: After the war the Autobahns did become increasingly important, in West Germany at least. The Allies used them extensively, since they had a stupendous number of trucks and copious petrol, and in the last months of the war they'd done a very thorough job of blowing German railways and rolling stock to bits. It really wasn't until the 50s that it turned into the national highway system we see it as today, instead of just a make work and prestige project. Which gets to another myth - it wasn't during the invasion that Eisenhower discovered the usefulness of a national highway system. It wasn't strategically important to anyone then. It was during the occupation and reconstruction that he saw its potential, especially when applied to the United States. Comrade Gorbash fucked around with this message at 13:32 on Aug 24, 2018 |
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Aug 24, 2018 13:26
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The Romans already knew the important of roads.
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Aug 24, 2018 13:38
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Ghost Leviathan posted:The Romans already knew the important of roads. Romans weren't building roads for 8 horse macro carriages when they had decreasing stocks of horse feed and mostly used one-donkey chariots.
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Aug 24, 2018 13:48
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So what y'all are saying is that Hitler is indirectly responsible for America's busted-rear end transport system. Figures.
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Aug 24, 2018 14:02
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The Wolf-Serpent is weird. Understatement, sure, but its whole gimmick is strange. If it could turn into a human (like those psychic werewolves in Psyscape that can turn into sexy ladies) or had mind control, sure. Alas, no. No, even in a world where communication is short-range at best you'd think 'don't listen to the freaky snakes with dog's heads' would get around, at least passed down from generation to generation. Although Kevin getting REALLY into NEVER LISTENING TO THEM EVER like he co-signed a loan with one and it burned him? 
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Aug 24, 2018 14:29
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7th Sea 2e: The New World - The Power of Writing While some scribes are taught, informally or not, just enough to serve local needs, the best receive education at Cahal It'zat, the Place of the Scribe, a centralized but highly secretive school. Its location is guarded closely by magic, traps and the environment, and many commoners consider it merely legend. It is designed as a microcosm for theu universe, like a small city, with a large pyramid carved with words at its center. Even the sacbeob are carved with words, along with just about every flat surface in the school, chronicling all of the history of Tzak K'an. Besides teaching how to write and record accurately, the school also serves as the unifier for Tzak K'ani languages. While centuries of independence may have produced a ton of dialects and spoken languages, Cahal It'zat ensures that all share a single written language - pretty much the only unified trait of the entire culture. The rulers allow this reluctantly but pragmatically, because words are useless if your enemy can't read them and fear you. Training at Cahal It'zat is enough to earn a scribe a formal position under a ruler, and many royally employed scribal families have been attending it for generations - often studying next to their city-state's sworn enemies. There are no politics in Cahal It'zat, as writing is seen as a higher calling, which will outlast all royal lines. In darker times, it also serves as a refuge. In war, scribes are often targeted, and the dangers of the job are recorded in one long hallway in the school. The school motto is recorded below: "True destruction only exists when history is erased and forgotten." More recently, some have declared a need to more tightly control sacred words. Holy books often contain the most secret, complex features of Tzak K'ani society, and the Theans seem to want those books a lot, for somewhat unclear reasons. More and more books are being stolen from palaces, temples and libraries to be sold to the foreigners at high prices. Almost all scribes agree that the writing is so complex, even with the aid of these books, that the Theans would never manage to gain any dangerous information. However, some worry that this is wrong - and worry about what might happen if enemies of the Tzak K'ani master their language. Further, the loss of these texts could also destroy knowledge of their own history - already, irreplaceable texts have gone missing. Thus, a group of militant scribal guardians has been born, led by Iktan Chikul. They name themselves the Cult of Tsii'uun Bak, literally those who guard the edge of the white paper. However, Iktan is unsatisfied with mere guarding, and now speaks of tracking and recovering the stolen materials, even if means going to Theah. The Tzak K'ani value art highly, as well as its makers. Painters are considered to be part of a long and noble tradition, and many, like scribes, are from a long lineage of painters and have many chances to move up the social ladder. Art is relatively standardized in Tzak K'an, with regulated ideals and methods, though always with some room for personal flourishes. Often, artists work in teams on a single product, due to the complexity of craftwork in Tzak K'an. A master potter will work closely with a painter and with pigment-makers for weeks to make a single god pot, while architects and engineers will work for years with sculptors to produce the pyramids. Each art form is considered unique and beautiful, but only a masterpiece when they all come together. Priests are typically present at every step of the process, as art must be pleasing to the gods. Cloth and textiles are extremely valuable to the Tzak K'ani, particularly cotton and hemp. Clothing is expected to be an extension of a person's skin, representing their status. Thus, clothes are extremely regulated, with punishments for breaking these laws ranging from fines to death. Generally speaking, the elite wear more elaborate clothes, and most commoners use simple cloth and cuts. The elite prefer heavily dyed clothing with quetzal feathers and shell beads, or shimmering clothes made with hematite. Men typically wear a cotton loincloth wound around the waist and draped between the legs, sometimes paired with a cape-like garment called a pati. Women often wear a pati ties under the armpits, plus a long skirt or sleeveless dress fastened at the waist. Sometimes these are worn with a scarf-like headpiece that holds the wearer's long hair. Sandals are also worn in a variety of styles to show rank, with the wealthy adding jade belts, jewelry and animal skins. Jaguar-skin leggings are sometimes worn instead of a loincloth. Men often wear their hair long and pulled into a ponytail or braid, or arranged around the head like a crown. Loose, untidy or short hair are seen as signs of captivity and shame. Men will sometimes shave or burn off their forehead hair to make their face seem longer, and typically shave off facial hair. (Some nobles maintain small tufts of it.) Women wear their hair long, and often loose if unmarried and young. Older or married women use a variety of hairstyles, often braided and gathered at the base of the head or in a low bun. Commoners may accessorize with ribbons, headbands or scarves. Elongated faces are considered beautiful, which has led to some city-states performing cranial modification in infancy, boarding and binding the head to flatten the lower section of the crania. Elites often wear elaborate headdresses to show their status, with many forms for various events. These are typically made of wicker or wood, decorated with quetzal feathers, jade, small sculptures of gods or animals, or animals skins. Jewelry often includes pectorals, bracelets, necklaces, ankle tinklers, masks and knee bands. Besides cranial modfication, a few other body mods are performed. Special body paint is commonly worn for war or ritual, and both men and women often have tattoos or ritual scarification, which typically depicts natural objects, gods or status symbols. These can be on many parts of the body, but facial tattoos and cheek scars are exclusive to women. Most Tzak K'ani have stretched earlobes, with larger size typically reflecting greater age and status. The first rite of passage in any Tzak K'ani life, from infancy to childhood, is the first ear piercing and insertion of the first pair of earflares. Commoner earflares are usually wood, bone or shell, while elites wear larger and more ornate jade or obsidian earspools. Septum and lip piercings are common among rulers and warlords, and can be extremely elaborate. Elites may also have dental modification, such as jade inlays or teeth filed to points or in geometric patterns. The Tzak K'ani do not consider non-binary or third-gender individuals to be rare or strange. While this is not rare with commoners, it is especially common for elites to be genderfluid or to identify as some mixture of gender. A major historic example is Sinan Ajau ('Lord Scorpion'), child of Ix Tokal Chan ('Lady Cloud Sky') and K'inich Pasaj Pakal ('Lord Dawn Shield'), who is often depicted on their royal stelae and murals in the dresses and adornments of their mother, but using male pronouns in the text. Sexuality is similarly seen as complex but casually diverse, and is only really a social issue when an elite requires an heir. Blood and bloodline are important and sacred, but adoptive children are considered to be of equal kinship in dynastic tradition, so even there it's usually not a big deal. Because the gods demand daykeeping, it should be no surprise that the Tzak K'ani calendrical system is foundational to their society. Their obsession with cycles can be found in it. Where the Nahuacan say it is the Age of the Sixth Sun, the Tzak K'ani identify the universe as nearing the end of its current katun, a period consisting of 13 baktuns measuring 5125.5 years. Thus, the current universe was made precisely on 4 Ajaw 8 Kum'ku 13.0.0.0.0. With the aid of a Tzak K'ani scribe, Thean scholars have translated this to August 13th, 3114 BC. The basic calendar is made of a series of intermeshed cycles. There's the 260-day tzolk'in count, made of days numbered 1-13 in a cycle of 20 names. This is then subsumed into the 365-day Haab count (or 'rough solar year') made of 18 months of 20 days each, with the remaining 5 days tacked on at the end and considered deeply unlucky. Each day has its own supernatural associations, omens and gods. Thus, daykeeping allows the Tzak K'ani to plan for good fortune by strict observance of the time and day. Beyond the solar year, there is also the k'in, winal, tun, katun, and baktun, measuring distance along the Great Cycle. You may have noticed the omnipresence of religion in Tzak K'an. Everything has a role in the sacred cosmology of the culture, and all must venerate the gods. The gods don't all walk among the Tzak K'ani still, however - some have died, others gone elsewhere. The gods of Tzak K'an are as stratified as the mortals, and most cities have a patron god or gods that align more closely with their kingdom's beliefs. Many commoners also venerate some mixture of minor gods. The major gods used to rule alongside some kings and queens, but they grow more and more absent in recent years. Some elemental deities have not been seen in up to two generations. Still, some gods are known and worshipped throughout the entire Tzak K'ani region. Apocoatl, the Great Feathered Serpent, is of course known and believed in by all Aztlani peoples in some degree. The Tzak K'ani name him the oldest and most powerful of the gods, and every city-state has at least a shrine or two to him. He is the Tzak K'ani god of animals - all of them, even jaguars, despite them having their own god. Itz'hun, the First Priest is often worshipped as one primary creator-gods, who helped make not only the world but many sacred aspects of language and the priesthood. He typically appears as an elderly man with sunken cheeks and eyes, wearing white clothing. He rarely appears any more, though. He can sometimes be found visiting the priestly academies, it is said, but the priests never speak of his interactions with them. It is unclear if he just dislikes the highly politicized modern world or if he specifically dislikes the modern take on priesthood. (Modern meaning 'of the past few centuries.') Ix Kin, the Sun Goddess, is the sun. Physically. If you look at the sun, you look at her natural form. She is the Morning Sun by day, the Jaguar Sun in the evening. When she walks the land, she is always tall and formidable, her teeth filed to points and her clothes shimmering. She loves four-petaled flowers, which often appear on her robes or worn as her earspools. Wearing a four-petal flower is said to invoke her power. Many rulers and commoners alike give praise to Ix Kin for her loyalty and the responsibility she used when exerting her power. She is twin to Po Ch'en. Po Ch'en, the Moon Good, is the moon. He's easy to spot, and his 'human' form can be sometimes seen perched on the crescent of his moon-body, flanked by his companion, a giant iridescent rabbit. Po Ch'en cares for the tides, the seasonal cycle and fertility, among other duties. He often appears in the form of a young man with a long, flowing ponytail. He is a very shy god, but humans that seek him out on issues of fertility have spoken highly of his ability to calm and soothe people, and say he is very kind indeed. There are, of course, many lesser moon gods that serve under him, but he's the main one. Next time: Death, Rain, Lightning and the Elements
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Aug 24, 2018 14:34
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Comrade Gorbash posted:The Autobahn was conceived of prior to Hitler taking power, but it really was just an idea with haphazard and limited effort applied towards it prior to 1933. So the connection there is accurate. The Weimar Republic also didn't have a massive credit scam, the Mefo Scheme, to fund its infrastructure projects. The Nazis essentially built up Germany on secret credit, which we still don't know the extent of, and Germany would have defaulted and the economy would have collapsed if they didn't invade and rob foreign countries before 1940 or so.
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Aug 24, 2018 15:33
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Mors Rattus posted:Rap battles actually are a huge part of the Crescent Empire and get an entire subchapter to themselves that is bigger than the actual dueling subchapter. I will never stop saying this, but this is because for a game about swashbuckling, 7th Sea 2e failed entirely at rules design around combat.
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Aug 24, 2018 15:47
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Dawgstar posted:Although Kevin getting REALLY into NEVER LISTENING TO THEM EVER like he co-signed a loan with one and it burned him? I get the impression he's worried players might try and use them as an information spigot? It's still weird, mind. But yeah, what the "Trust/Intimidate" effect provided by Mental Affinity can do, exactly, is never defined. It is, at best, implied.
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Aug 24, 2018 17:37
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Liquid Communism posted:I will never stop saying this, but this is because for a game about swashbuckling, 7th Sea 2e failed entirely at rules design around combat. Because of the school duelist being better than everyone else thing, or the pistol thing, or the basic die mechanics?
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Aug 24, 2018 19:33
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Turns out Steve Sheiring? Wolf-Serpent
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Aug 24, 2018 20:17
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LeSquide posted:Because of the school duelist being better than everyone else thing, or the pistol thing, or the basic die mechanics? Because the basic mechanics break down. Half the swordsman school maneuvers are worthless because of how broken the action economy is for duelists. There is no point to running a non-duelist character in combat if you have a duelist in your party, because anything that can threaten them will eat the entire rest of the party alive unless they just bring two brace of pistols a piece and execute any villain Boondock Saints style, yeah.
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Aug 24, 2018 20:32
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Haystack posted:So what y'all are saying is that Hitler is indirectly responsible for America's busted-rear end transport system. Figures.
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Aug 25, 2018 08:20
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Liquid Communism posted:...execute any villain Boondock Saints style, yeah. Is there a fighting Style for this?
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Aug 25, 2018 08:36
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 Rifts World Book 18: Mystic Russia, Part 4 -: "Other favorite antics include moving or hiding objects (often into the pockets of unwitting bystanders and then tattling on them with accusations of thievery), picking pockets, tying shoelaces together, physically tampering with weapons, spoiling food or milk, howling, hooting, stomping or banging around, whispering lies, telling wild stories (all or mostly all untrue), tattling on others, frightening big people, misleading them so they get lost, pinching, pulling hair, stealing freshly baked bread, fruit pies, milk, jam, honey, candy and wine (the latter four they love with a passion), and other similar mischief." You'll end when I tell you do, sentence, and not before.  Suddenly, a terrible lack of danger gripped their hearts. Woodland Spirits So, these are supposedly related to faerie folk, but they don't use any of their mechanics. Though they're "spirits", they're not related to the spirit world or any of the mechanics from Spirit West. Instead, they're just purely physical, mega-damage, magical beings that are nature-themed. Generally speaking, they're not harmful unless their home is threatened or they're interfered with - unfortunately, their definitions of either can be pretty literal. Also, sometimes they screw with people like faeries do, and generally act like annoying children. Often the can be kind, but the kindness often comes with a modest price. For some reason, all these get long diatribes as to how suitable they are as PCs. Generally speaking, they're not without some serious clawhammering. Here's an single example: Rifts World Book 18: Mystic Russia posted:Player Note: If acceptable to the Game Master, he or she can allow a Polevoi as an optional player character. This character will tend to be fickle, bombastic and independent to the point of causing trouble for his companions. Polevoi (pronounced pole-voy) act like spoiled children who frequently say and do as they please, wander off on their own, insult and annoy, and provoke brawls and conflict with their condescending and haughty words and attitude. Although limited in their range of skills and abilities, most make good scouts, spies and thieves. They prefer grasslands like the Steppe and wide open spaces. The longer they stay in a village, town or city, the more irritable and mischievous these troublemakers become. They have no understanding of human laws and etiquette, and consider themselves above "human law." Consequently, short visits to a village and civilization are recommended; 1-4 days would not be too painful. Moreover, the Polevoi's free-spirited, selfish and anarchist nature just doesn't mix well in groups the Polevoi like to do as they please and cause mischief no matter what. Imagine something about half or twice this length on every entry! This is how you fill space on a late book, I suppose. With that established, we can move on to the entries.  A different type of fursuit. The Domovoi, or House Spirit, is a two-foot-tall little furry guy who busts into your house and starts doing work while trying to avoid the notice of adults, and warn the household of intruders. It expects to have food and treats left out in return. They generally like children ("especially females") and will visit retribution on those who abuse them, including murder if the abuse is serious enough. Still, they try and do it in roundabout ways or faked accidents. There's one in "30-40%" of Russian peasant homes and 75% of peasants appreciate them. Percentages clarify everything! They're not terribly exceptional save for endurance. Their M.D.C. is troublingly low for a PC option (1d4 x 10 + Physical Endurance) and never increases, but they can turn invisible and are pro sneakers (at 70%, which also never increases), turn into dogs or cats, and cast a variety of minor spells. Deeply niche as far as PC options go. PC Suitability: If your campaign takes place entirely in a house, maybe.  "I kill for the trees." The Leshii, or Forest Spirit, is a ten-foot-tall fuzzier satyr-type that's more about preserving nature than boning of any time. They protect forests against any sort of wanton destruction or murder, and will usually chase such threats out of the forest or otherwise sabotage them. But they're a friend to all children. They generally stick to the forests, though. They're exceptionally strong, tough, and fast, and can transform into a variety of animals or an elderly human, shrink down to six inches, and some nature-themed spells and minor psionic powers. PC Suitability: If your campaign takes place entirely in a forest, maybe.  Forest spirit or C-list Dragon Ball Z character? The Polevoi, or Field Spirit, are just self-centered jerks who go around playing "mean and often deadly" jokes. That's literally the whole of their characterization. They're physically adept and usually have a stick or scythe to use as a weapon. They're able to turn into hares or squirrels, and "during noon to 3p.m." they can become a raven. They have some earth and trickster magic, some minor physical psionic powers, and become twice as tough during "midday". Mostly, though, they just going around being shits for no particular reason. PC Suitability: Hahaha, no, gently caress that.  Of course the female spirit has her wobblies hanging out. The Rusalka, or Air Spirits, are beautiful, nude, green-skinned "maidens" that like playing and dancing around but then will trick or murder humans just because. They like to seduce guys and then rob or murder them. In any case, they're physically adept as well and pretty, double their toughness at night, transform into a "beautiful human maiden" unless seen under the full moon, and get some fire, air, and illusion magic. They also have minor mental psychic powers. Did we need another inhuman seductress in this line, much less this book? Of course they hate other beautiful women and try and ruin their lives. Didn't we already see this before in this book? We did. gently caress this.* PC Suitability: No, seriously, gently caress this.  Wavy hair. The Vodianoi, or Water Spirit, is a nature protector like the Polevoi, only based around bodies of water and far more murderous on average. They're particularly aggressive towards the Warlords because they're "are seen as despoilers and haughty invaders". Sure, sure. Some are nicer, though, and look prettier as a result. Of course, guys are dumpy and chubby while the rare female Vodianoi is thin and svelte, of course, and if they're good then they're hot, guys, hubba hubba. Not that their statblock accounts for that. They're generally strong and tough, and are twice as tough at night. Naturally, they can survive underwater, turn into moist humans (no, seriously) at night, into mer-people, and cast water spells. Of course, they have some minor psionics and hydrokinesis. PC Suitability: A loner that hangs around a pond and murders people for looking too proud? What could go wrong?  Too bright to picture. The Russian Firebird is a golden, glowing pheasant (that can fly) that can ward away vampires and "creatures of Darkness". If you get one of their feathers, it'll have the effect on a smaller scale for decades. "However, plucking more than 33% will kill the bird." It's not particularly bright, but is smart enough to stay away from most humanoid beings. But occasionally it's helped people out by protecting them, or giving a feather to a nature-lover. They're beautiful and charming but not particularly tough. They can disguise themselves as a normal pheasant or hummingbird, cast a variety of minor spells, and have some healing psychic powers. Their high PPE levels, however, make them a target of eeevil spellcasters. PC Suitability: Explicitly banned for their low intelligence, which is ironic, since they're the most suitable so far. Just picture a cool grey wolf. No, cooler! No, way cooler than that! The Spirit Wolf is a wolf but also a spirit. Some are benevolent, but they tend to be free spirits - so to speak - who could care less about the "laws of men". Like the Polevoi, we get notes on how if you play one, you better cause trouble with your wild nature and get into trouble all the time!... though less so, thankfully. As characters, they're physically capable across the board (including Beauty) with a high mental endurance. They can turn into a "handsome human", but "unusually hairy" with long grey hair. I can see Siembieda's mind hasn't turned to the notion of female Spirit Wolves. They get some really dinky sensory and illusion magic and psionic powers, but also... hydrokinesis? Sure, okay. I think the author accidentally copied the Vodianoi psionic list, because it's identical down to the ISP number they get. Of course, they're vulnerable to silver, but more oddly... lightning? PC Suitability: They're probably the best of the lot overall? I mean, other than the ongoing "You better cause trouble with your wild ways!" diatribe.  A terrifying yawn. Lastly, we have the Man-Wolf or Ruvmanush, which is not really a spirit as far as I can tell. It's also out of alphabetical order, which points towards it being added after the rest of the section was completed and not really having any other place to put it. Man-Wolves are humans who feel estranged from the rest of humanity, either through misanthropy or exile of some sort. And so the they become more bestial and live as animals, becoming werewolves. You know, like you do. (Mind, this is different from usual Palladium werewolves, which are their own species.) Scholars think this is because Russian belief and magic enables this, about the second time we've seen "belief affects reality!" as a notion (the last time was in Spirit West). Mind, subjective reality pops up when it's convenient for an explanation and just goes away otherwise. As characters, they get really good physical attributes (save Beauty, which is normal). But their MDC is relatively low, so they're a glass cannon - woe to a Man-Wolf who eats some tremendous attack by a person who presumes they can take it like a normal werewolf could. Either way, they become wolves by night and get a little tougher then, and can only become a wolf for about ten minutes during the day. They get some ESP-themed psionics, and... that's about it. Ones that go off the deep end of evil become known as "Devil-Wolves" and run around murdering, stealing, and doing the r-word and hating beauty and uuuuugh-  PC Suitability: Strangely, probably okay, if an odd choice. Their lack of toughness (only roughly 50 MDC) and issues with armor due to shapeshifting are a dilemma, though. Also, for some reason they level at the same rate dragons do, which is hilarious because dragons are exponentially more powerful. We also get a note that Werebeasts and Vampires exist, referring us to their respective books on them (Conversion Book and Vampire Kingdoms, respectively). Specifically, there are werewolves, weretigers, and werebears. Prize that mention of bears. They're the closest thing we'll have to bears in both of these Russia books. Next: Step back, Wiccans. * I'm sure somebody's going read this and be like "well that's just accurate to the mythology", as if RPGs and specifically Rifts have ever cared overtly about being accurate to any sort of mythology. It's always a choice of what to include or exclude, and the writer decided he needed it twice in one book, and once is more than enough as it is.
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Aug 25, 2018 12:04
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Why is the green-skinned airbabe, well, green? And what is it with the obsession with giving OCCs for the most random crap as well evaluating the PC potential of NPCs and mobs? Are you gonna play a Rusalka peasant or a ful conversion cyborg lechii? What is your problem, Sambieda?!
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Aug 25, 2018 12:50
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7th Sea 2e: The New World - Death Gods Kimi, God of Death, is the primary death god, though many others work under him. He is a giant skeletal figure with patches of eternally rotting flesh and a tendency to wear bells on his ankles and neck. He is typically found in the depths of the Underworld, surrounded by more minor death gods and giant death bats. He is a great player of the ballgame and enjoys playing against arrogant mortals, betting for their lives against his giving of supernatural power. However, he rarely plays fair. Legend has it that people ahve seen him in the corner of their eyes, in the mortal world. Typically this is in houses of the sick or barracks during wartime. It has lead to the idea of the sound of bells ringing being a signal of death. Cha'kal, the Rain God is one of the most vital and important gods of Tzak K'an, especially for the farmers. They are the bringer of life-giving rain, and one of the most beloved of gods. They are more reptilian than humanoid, and they have divided themselves into four aspects, to better meet the high demand for them. Red Cha'kal has the east, White Cha'kal the north, Black Cha'kal the west and Yellow Cha'kal the south. While usually attentive to prayer, Cha'kal has a quick temper and is slow to forget or forgive a grudge, a trait seen in the irregularity of the rains. Areas that deal with poor rainfall are often thought by other areas to have annoyed Cha'kal. Buluk Cha'wil, the Lightning God, is one of Itz'hun's greatest friends among the gods. He is a powerful but quick-tempered deity, revered by warlords and warrior kings. He often appears in mortal form during times of battle, wearing the armor of a commander and bearing a great smoking axe. He speaks with thunder's voice and strikes down any who oppose him. It is not entirely clear what his ideals are, but it is known that he does not revel in battle for the sake of battle. His presence, while revered, is also feared, and spending too long in his company is rarely a good plan. The Pillars of the Earth stand one at each corner of the land, the elemental forces that mediate the elements between divine and mortal plane, preventing disaster. While many gods can usually be found in specific places, the Four Pillars exist in constant rotation, journeying to each of the four corners, such that they must be carefully tracked over time to tell where they can be found. Their physical descriptions are highly debatable, but one text claims that the Pillar of Fire is a four-legged creature with a body of embers, which sometimes causes faint white smoke plumes. The Pillar of Water is said to be a giant whose watery skin is constantly sloughing off, leaving trails of streaming water behind it. The Pillar of Electricity is invisible, but easy to sense by its eerie silence, the lack of animals around it and your hair standing on end. The Pillar of Earth is slower than the other three, but never stops moving, appearing as a tree-giant, or perhaps rock with plants sprouting from it. There are also many minor gods, who attend to specific duties. Ek Pakax, the Merchant God is social and outgoing, ostentatious in his clothing and easily told by the scent of cacao and the large black scorpion tattoo across his face. He enjoys promoting trade and especially loves exotic goods. Ix Sax, the Rainbow Goddess, is a beautiful older woman, but also feared. She is believed to be somewhat spiteful against men, and many non-males seek her out for justice when wronged. Thus, a rainbow in the sky is seen as a powerful symbol for women and non-binary people, but a bad omen for men. Che'b' T'ul, the Scribal Guide, is often sought for guidance, but tends to be somewhat obsessed with the more mundane side of scribal work, often correcting mistakes and pormoting truth and good writing style. She is said be brilliant above all others, but eccentric. She tends to take the form of a large rabbit carrying a quill, simply because she can. Puilay Balam is the ancient Jaguar God, and he may not actually exist. He is said, somewhat blasphemously, to once have been equal in power ot the Great Feathered Serpent, though he is discussed now only in whisper and rumor. In Tzak K'ani culture, death is seen as the start of a journey. The next life begins by descending into the watery Underworld, where the Paddler Gods meet the deceased in their long canoe and bring them to the next destination. If the proper rites have been performed, the dead bear some tokens to pay the Paddler Gods for a specific trip across the River of Death or even to a more pleasant shore beyond the river. Where they are brought, short of that bribe, is dependent on their mortal life. Some may have a complex series of tests or trials before them, each in a 'house,' a specific and dangerous places ruled by minor death gods. A backstabber may have to pass through the House of Blades, while a lying politician might have to go through the House of Poison Smoke. Some even have to go through many Houses, or never escape at all. Once the Houses are dealt with, the dead ascend to the Celestial Realm, a tranquil place of knowledge that serves as a reward for those who have paid their debts and the immediate home of those deemed worthy by the gods. Those that have proven themselves in their lives or by dying in a righteous sacrifice, you see, get to skip the trials. Ancestors within the Celestial Realm can be spoken to, if you know the way. Those in the Underworld are harder, though not impossible. This is why the Tzak K'ani consider the Kuraq ways to be blasphemous and evil - they disrupt the cycle of death and rebirth and profane against the gods, likely bringing doom to the world. Tzak K'ani life is heavily ritualized, with nearly every part of life having some special rituals associated with it, from seasonal crop blessings to the seating of a ruler. Each social class knows the rites that must be performed for their duties, to appease the gods. Many most be done at specific calendrical times, as part of the promise to keep the days of the gods. The Ballgame is an especially sacred ritual, a metaphor for existence and the cycle of life and death. It is often played in huge ballcourts in the cities, but can be played in the open as a sport, a proxy for actual battle or as a ritual sacrament. Anyone may play for sport, but war or ritual can be done only by chosen elites. Wearing the heavy ballgame equipment metaphorically transforms the players into cosmic beings. Individuals or teams can play against each other, attempting to move a heavy rubber ball (which symbolically represents the skull of one of the Hero Brothers) into a large stone hoop by use of their bodies. When the game ends and a victor is declared, a ceremony takes place which, depending on the game's context, may require one or more forms of sacrifice from one of the teams - not always the losing one. The Tzak K'ani perform many forms of divination, but their most sacred and highest sorcery can be used only when the stakes are high and sacrifices are made willingly, in emulation of the gods. While humans exist in a constant state of blood debt to the gods, blood magic for personal or mortal gain is very costly, physically and mentally. The greatest and most feared form of this sorcery is the Wayak' Kan, literally 'vision serpent', a form of summoning sorcery sometimes called the Quest for the Wayak' Kan. The Quest begins similarly to other bloodletting rites, in which an individual takes on physical harm, using tools for drawing blood such as long (and sometimes thorned) ropes, stingray spines or obsidian blades. However, this ritual is more extreme and dangerous than other bloodlettings. The summoner must have an intention in mind, some question or specific advice that they need to be given, some specific aid, the presence of a specific person perhaps. This is because the sorcery has the power to breach the planes of existence. Once the intention is made, the sorcerer pierces or cuts themselves, drawing forth as much blood as is required for the specific rite. Often, this involves drawing the thron rope through the tongue or cutting symbols into the face and body. This blurs the esges of reality. The blood is dripped onto paper, which is collected in a sacred bowl. When enough blood has been gathered, the paper is burned, sending forth colorful smoke. An immense serpent emerges from the smoke. If it is pleased, its writhing, terrifying head whirls and transforms into the head and torso of a human figure. However, the figure that appears is not always the one sought. Usually, an ancestor, warlord or god is the one being called, but because the hole exists in reality, unwelcome visitors may come, and the visions granted are not always what was asked for. Closing the portal is not as easy as opening it, but as the smoke subsides, ideally the sorcerer has found what and who they wanted. In ancient times, Wayak' Kan sorcerers would use the blood of others in their sacrifice. The great serpent looks poorly on this, and often refused to come. Only the most skilled or devout could get results, and even that was unreliable. Once it was discovered that self-sacrifice was a more reliable, superior method, other forms of sacrifice became much less common - even for lesser summoning rituals usually performed by the Wayak' Kan sorcerers, to call on lesser spirits or physical objects. Some practitioners do still use animal sacrifice for inanimate objects, however, as this is usually sufficient and effective. Any Tzak K'ani can perform certain lesser sorceries, particularly divination. The book Knowledge of the Days can give insight into omens of future events, allowing for better planning of missions and diplomacy. Many rulers employ daykeepers to help with this planning, and some even refuse to do anything without first consulting the omens. Other minor sorcerers use masks, body paint or magic pelts and feathers to take on aspects of gods or animals, and some Blessed Mirrors may be used to speak with gods or the dead, though caution is required - it is very hard to tell an actual blessed mirror from a cursed one, and a cursed mirror often lies. Next time: Locations
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Aug 25, 2018 15:33
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The Lone Badger posted:Is there a fighting Style for this? There was in 1E, the Rasmussen Pistol school, which is all about quickdrawing pistols from a bandoleer and rolling thunder of the guns. It's never been translated to 2e because it would be effectively unstoppable. Same with the Rois et Reines musket and bayonet fighting shcool. Which sucks, because I really wanted to play a Rois et Reines musketeer at some point, but guns are Too Good.
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Aug 25, 2018 17:20
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JcDent posted:Why is the green-skinned airbabe, well, green? Presumably because the rusalka is sometimes depicted with green hair (and Green Week), and he just extended that to a full-body kermiting. JcDent posted:And what is it with the obsession with giving OCCs for the most random crap as well evaluating the PC potential of NPCs and mobs? Are you gonna play a Rusalka peasant or a ful conversion cyborg lechii? What is your problem, Sambieda?! I dunno, I think that's part of what charm Rifts has. It's just that much of it is dross or rehash. But what isn't can be a lot of goofy fun.
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Aug 25, 2018 17:52
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Alien Rope Burn posted:Presumably because the rusalka is sometimes depicted with green hair (and Green Week), and he just extended that to a full-body kermiting. or a Fan of Quest for Glory 4, where the Rusalka has a slight greenish tint to her skin as well as green hair.
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Aug 25, 2018 18:15
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Robindaybird posted:or a Fan of Quest for Glory 4, where the Rusalka has a slight greenish tint to her skin as well as green hair. Quest for Glory ruled, by the way.
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Aug 25, 2018 19:12
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Night10194 posted:Quest for Glory ruled, by the way. The voice acted version was just wild.
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Aug 25, 2018 19:17
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My favorite game ever is Quest for Glory 4.
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Aug 26, 2018 01:47
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Bieeanshee posted:The voice acted version was just wild. I love the three guys in the bar constantly go off script and it actually makes it worth it to check on them after every storybeat
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Aug 26, 2018 02:57
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Rifts World Book 18: Mystic Russia, Part 5 - "This magic can also afflict human mothers trying to breast feed; same basic process but with the witch pinching a breast." Next, we move into the "Russian Magic" section, which means covers new classes and the spells they get. Russian Witches Rifts World Book 18: Mystic Russia posted:Please note, that none of the so-called, stereotypical evil "witches" presented in this book are meant to represent any real religious belief, faith or practice, and should not be confused with Wicca. Not that there are any "good" witches in Rifts that I can recall. I mean, there's a morally grey one later on, but generally speaking, Rifts witches deal largely in evil power. We get "An historical glimpse of the Russian Witch" which talks about the mythological basis of the Russian witch and historical beliefs about them, but none of that has any actual impact on the Rifts setting directly, so I'm just moving on past. As always, the % by the name is your chance of qualifying to play that class. Because the classes are complicated magic classes this time around, often with unique magic systems, I'm going to give them longer writeups than most of these have been getting lately. (And yet, I'm still skipping a lot of fine detail.) The Pact Witch This is the new title for the Witch from the Conversion Book (and Palladium Fantasy) that makes a deal to serve a demon or "supernatural intelligence" for supernatural power. This differentiates them from the upcoming witch classes. It refers us to that book for more details, but we're told they're "relatively common" in Russia.  eheeheeheeeheee Night Witch O.C.C. (85%) Rifts World Book 18: Mystic Russia posted:Note: The Night Witch O.C.C. presented in this book keeps with the Russian view of the evil, haggish Witch of myth and superstition. A foul, depraved and cruel creature who associates with supernatural evil and uses foul magic. The character is presented as an evil, Non-Player Character villain. No slight is intended to well intentioned modern witches or traditional practitioners of wicca, druidism or shamanism. The Night Witch is a fictional presentation and not meant to portray any real-life people or religious belief. "Well-intentioned modern witches". I guess that means there are "ill-intentioned modern witches" that they're fine with casting slights on, then? Also, it's not an NPC. Throughout this section, one thing I'll point out right away to remember, to burn into your brain, because it's hilarious: This class is listed as an Optional O.C.C. and the writeup is written with PCs in mind; it differentiates what PC and NPC Night Witches get. If your GM allows, you can play one of these! Granted, I have a feeling the rushed quality of the book might have meant he changed his mind partway through, or just written in an unclear fashion, but I just have what I have listed on the page. Night Witches are bad witches, to be certain. They love evil and hate beauty. They seek to corrupt and any aid they offer is with the goal of driving somebody further towards suffering or malice. They often seek to offer deals to do dark needs for others in order to taint their souls. In fact, we get a note that anybody who makes a deal with them can have their alignment drop towards evil just as if they performed the deeds the Night Witch performed. (This is also true for Necromancers and demons, and is one of the few mentions of an "alignment drop" in the game.) Baba Yaga was a Night Witch, and they perform a form of "necromantic sorcery" (though they only get a handful of necromantic spells). Mind, it's never really described how to become a Night Witch - they just are, I guess. Who needs a backstory? Half of them are cannibals, while others kidnap children for slavery or sacrifice. They also consort with other evil beings as part of the typical Palladium Evildoers Union. Naturally, people don't really like that, and the Warlords in particular oppose them - though Pact Witches and Night Witches undermine them in turn. In any case, they're minor regenerating MDC being with supernatural strength, and gain bonuses to speed, strength, and toughness at night. They get a bonus to beauty when young (and we're told "90% are females"), and get an enhanced lifespan, but their Beauty drops with the decades down to a minimum of 4. They can shapechange a number of animals, or into a specific person if they have a piece of that person (hair, nail clippings, blood) or an article of their clothing. They get a free low-end demon helper for every 2 levels they have, and can make deals to get more. And other than some bonuses against fear or possession, their chielf power is to get some minor wizard or necromancer spells, and then all "Spoiling Magic" spells, which we'll get to in a bit. However, they're weak to fire and "rainwater collected during the first thunderclap of a storm" can damage them, so you can literally Wicked Witch of the West them if you're savvy. They gain random insanities, don't like daylight or holy water (no mechanical effect, mind), can't get any bonuses on saving throws against magic, and are "vulnerable to their own greed, lust, and vengeful nature". We're told they make "great recurring villains", but Siembieda is generaly focused on making any villain with a name a "great recurring villain". But you could just play one instead. Spoiling Magic You know how people throughout the ages have blamed things going bad on nebulous witches and sorcerers out in the wilderness? Like, the milk going bad or getting an illness or having bedbugs? This is that. And you know, for the most part it seems annoying, and possibly life-threatening to a subsistence-farming peasant, but if it seems largely ineffective against most adventuring parties, you'd be right. I guess if you're in the wilderness and your food gets spoiled, likely you'll be inconvenienced, but most parties will have a vehicle, hunter, or wizard that can aid in going to get new rations. At yet, we're told it's "impressive and terrible". Well, we'll see. Only Witch O.C.C.s can take these spells (including the Pact Witch, now). Oh, and a lot of these spells allow the target to make a save even if it's an inanimate object, like a jug of milk or a basket of eggs. Granted, it's at a -4 penalty, but that means about 20% of the time some of these spells will just fail at 1st level. Just fail. Once again, unattended milk gets a saving throw. That milk's not even in the cow anymore. C'mon. There aren't many spells, but even with that there's a lot of boring stuff that doesn't need to be covered. Spoil water, curdle milk, spoil wine, and spoil eggs can be done with a good stare. There's also spoil & taint food, but that requires the witch to literally sprinkle the effected with powdered insects... which... how is that different than, say, poisoning it? Well, it genuinely isn't. In fact, it's particularly ridiculous when you have the spell use poison flawlessly, which lets you avoid the common accident of self-poisoning that's afflicted RPG characters since Advanced Dungeons & Dragons. Mind, there is no such mechanic in Palladium games, but that's never stopped Palladium writers. Cursed bread lets you make bread that gives people tummyaches. Oh no! Dry mother's milk lets you prevent an animal from lactating if by tying a knot in an animal's tail, but it can be undone by untying the tail, cutting it off, or casting remove curse. I guess unfucking an animal's tail might be harder than it sounds ("stand still, goat!"), but that goes for the witch, too. Rifts World Book 18: Mystic Russia posted:This magic can also afflict human mothers trying to breast feed; same basic process but with the witch pinching a breast. How do you tie a knot in a breast?- you know what, nevermind. Spoil concentration and spoil memory can at least give hours-long penalties, but it's not until you get spoil the mind with numbing madness (pithy spell name, that) that you can just render somebody near-catatonic for minutes to a half-hour or so. Wither thy enemies is a wasting curse that wastes somebody to death with horrendous penalities unless the spell is cancelled by the witch, remove curse is cast, or the witch dies. Demon charms lets you curse an food preparation tool like a spoon or pot to seriously poison anybody for days who eats food prepared with it - likely lethally. But, once again, it's not that much different from actual poison. It turns out taking folk beliefs and translating them into a fantasy game is often more than a bit crap. It's something you see a lot in heartbreakers trying to do more "realistic" magic for their darkest ages realness, but it doesn't really work in Rifts. Furthermore, a lot of it is just farcically low-key for a setting where magic is supposed to be amped-up. Shouldn't it be less "making a basket of eggs rotten" and instead making a whole coop or village produce cursed eggs? Or make a basket of eggs burst into a flock of demon chicks, adorable and terrifying? Something. But no, it just spoils some eggs.  Witch: "No witches here, right?" Cat: "Nope." The Hidden Witch O.C.C. (73%) Also Known as the Gypsy Witch So, these are women (well, once again, we're told 90% are female, and that 48% are "gypsies") that practice dark magic for their personal self-interest without being outright eeeeheee heee heee evil like the Night Witch is, but that they're "masters of deceit and treachery". We're told some try and do good, but most are puckish rogues or outright murderous criminals. Rifts World Book 18: Mystic Russia posted:The Hidden Witch is said to originate among the Gypsies, and is frequently found among their clans. Consequently, she is also known as the "Gypsy Witch," and because the Hidden Witch usually commands the powers of both life and death, pain and pleasure, she is often known as the "Mistress of Life and Death."  In any case, the Hidden Witch is similar to the Night Witch. They become regenerating minor MDC beings, can turn into a few types of animals (cat, raven, fox), and gets a spell list by level that's nearly entirely fixed. To some extent, she's actually better than the Night Witch at bedeviling people, because she gets a variety of ailment-afflicting wizard spells at first level. As she levels up she gets an animal familiar, healing spells, illusion spells, and a variety of effects beyond that. Whole levels of spells you gain reference Rifts World Book 16: Federation of Magic, so you better have a copy of that! Also, in the world of broken unintended mechanics, turning into an animal reduces skill rolls by -80% (and also prevents spellcasting), meaning you can turn into a fox that is practically incapable of sneaking, climbing, tracking, etc.  Mothmouth. Their big Next: Necromancing the Bone. 
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Aug 26, 2018 05:20
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MollyMetroid posted:My favorite game ever is Quest for Glory 4. 5 is also amazing, even if only for the fact that QfG was so good they could do a round up episode and have it actually work.
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Aug 26, 2018 07:09
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wiegieman posted:5 is also amazing, even if only for the fact that QfG was so good they could do a round up episode and have it actually work. I'd kind of love to see the team that did the VGA remaster of QfG 2 backport 5 to VGA to match the rest of the series--it was a satisfying ending to the story, but the engine was... not good. That will probably never happen, though. Janky 3D aside, though, finally getting the Thermonuclear Blast spell (and being able to use it to win the game was delightful.
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Aug 26, 2018 08:17
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Rifts World Book 18: Mystic Russia, Part 6 - "Necromancers of a good alignment are NOT possible!"  "... I could realy use some more skulls around." The Necromancer (15%) NPC Villain & Optional Player Character There are three straight pages of  on the Necromancer, first tracing its origins (Africa, China, or ancient Atlantis) and then its origins in Russia (demon worshippers or refugees from Africa, Iran, or southern Europe). And while Necromancers seemed poised to be the dominant power in Russia some time ago, the Warlords of the past worked hard to eliminate them. Of course, they were only partially successfully, and there are are still cults and obscure communities where Necromancers reign. In turn, Necromancers tend to hate the Warlords in general, and often work to sabotage them and their followers. Then we get a regional breakdown:
 "And now, the barbershop quartet of the dead!" The Russian Necromancer O.C.C. The book goes on glowing terms about how they make wonderful villains, but then handwrings for over half a page about allowing them as PCs. Rifts World Book 18: Mystic Russia posted:The RiftsŪ role-playing series offers an exciting array of characters to choose from, so please respect the G.M.'s decision and move forward with the game. Rifts World Book 18: Mystic Russia posted:The Necromancer as a player character is not recommended. Rifts World Book 18: Mystic Russia posted:Evil player characters are likely to have a difficult time and a short career (or life) trying to work with predominantly good player characters. On the other hand, Unprincipled or Anarchist Necromancer characters may be able to adjust their murderous and ghastly rites, magic and behavior to an acceptable level within the player group, but such "adjustments" will limit their Rifts World Book 18: Mystic Russia posted:These sensibilities may limit the availability of P.P.E. and prevent the use of certain unsavory spells. Rifts World Book 18: Mystic Russia posted:Furthermore, few people ever allow themselves to completely trust a Necromancer, so the player character is likely to operate under a constant veil of suspicion. In addition, the reputation of the Necromancer is such that even the most well intentioned and unusually noble and honorable character will be looked upon with great fear, suspicion and revulsion by most ordinary and good people. This is literally a small sampling of the shade thrown. The first paragraph explained enough, but it just has to go on and on and on like we're the world's biggest idiots in the Detroit Gaming Center. It also emphasizes they always stay armed with their necromantic accoutrements, so don't expect to catch them with their leather pants down.  "Does this demon arm look good on me? Be honest." Rifts World Book 18: Mystic Russia posted:Extremely rare and/or valuable items such as the claw of a dragon may be concealed in a pouch, sack, or backpack and NEVER leave his side. It's like a necromancer's safety blanket. And if you do create Linus Van Pelt with a skin blanket, I want credit. Wait. No. Scratch that, you can take it. Some march around with undead minions even though that seems to be inviting Warlord bullets, while others engage in bone home decoration so they can animate them for defense.. or presumbly just have a chair of human hands that can carry them to the fridge. I already covered the Necromancer in Rifts World Book 4: Africa, so you can largely refer to that for the skinny for the rules on boneguys. The TL;DR version: they can transform their limbs into animal ones by attaching dead parts, add additional (dead) limbs to their body, animate the dead, can't be made into a vampire, and can cast necro-magic / bone magic / limited wizard spell list. Though they can cast any wizard spell that's not on their list, but it costs twice as much PPE if it isn't on their list of wizard spells. The only real change is that they get two additional "bone items", which aren't a thing in this book? I can only guess they mean "Bone Spells", which we'll get to in just a moment. Non-Russian Necromancers don't get Bone Magic, but now get additional Necro-Magic spells, giving them the slightest of power bumps. Necro-Magic Descriptions (new) By Kevin Siembieda with additional text and ideas by Mark Sumimoto and Randi Cartier So, the new form of magic Necromancers get (in addition to Necro-Magic from Africa) is Bone Magic, which is about animating, altering, and manipulating bones. Now, one of the issues here is that Bone Magic and Necro-Magic are put together here as part of the same spell list with no obvious differentiation (other than whether or not they deal with bones). And this is important, because some classes get Bone Magic and not Necro-Magic. In fact, the only way to definitively know what spells are Bone Magic is to look at the "Quick Reference" from the Index of Contents, which has a listing of them. And I only know this because it's noted in a later class; otherwise I could have entirely missed how to puzzle that out! And some of the spells from Africa are reprinted, now with spell levels. As usual, I'll only be covering a small chunk of a long list.  "Alas, Poor Yorick, I knew him! But now he's a totally sweet magic item."
 "This is humilating!... but at least you're evil. We're cool." Lastly, we get a listing of arbitrary prices for monster parts, in case you need a Cyclops brain. I have no idea why you'd specifically want a Cyclops' brain, but it'll only run you a half-million credits! Next: Mystics of Russia.
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Aug 27, 2018 11:44
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Alien Rope Burn posted:[*]Mock Funeral: This is a pretty neat thematic spell where you leave a coffin with an effigy of the target around, and when they see it and fail their save, they're compelled to open it and see themselves. The effect depends on the state of the effigy - if it's filled with dirt they feel trapped and stressed, if it's filled with water they can't swim for some time, if it's filled with rats they become vulnerable to disease, etc. The weirdest one is that if they're wrapped in a flag, the target becomes falsely accused of crime by that faction or nation, which is a weirdly broad and wide-ranging effect. How accurate does the flag have to be? Because I don't want to be in a situation where I've put time and mystical effort into getting my enemies accused of treason by the Dutch, but the flag faded a bit by the time they found the effigy, so now they're only being harassed by Luxembourg's government...
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Aug 27, 2018 11:51
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Alien Rope Burn posted:Lastly, we get a listing of arbitrary prices for monster parts, in case you need a Cyclops brain. I have no idea why you'd specifically want a Cyclops' brain, but it'll only run you a half-million credits!
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Aug 27, 2018 11:58
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Alien Rope Burn posted:Lastly, we get a listing of arbitrary prices for monster parts, in case you need a Cyclops brain. I have no idea why you'd specifically want a Cyclops' brain, but it'll only run you a half-million credits! I see myself as more on the supply side of this arrangement.
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Aug 27, 2018 13:32
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Alien Rope Burn posted:Night Witch O.C.C. (85%) What, no Operate Aircraft (Byplane)? That's no Night Witch 
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Aug 27, 2018 13:48
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The 'bone to sinew' spell is classic Kevin trying to add 'realism' to dumb sci-fi/fantasy opera. Not unlike his giant spiel about how lasers REALLY work.
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Aug 27, 2018 14:17
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Create Majikk Sinew should only be a spell in a setting in which animating the dead is hella hard but rewarding, as part of ritual to make kick rear end skelesoldiers that give you many benefits (outside of just having an animated skeleton). However, I don't think skellies are that scary in Riffs unless you decided to play a hobo party or whatever. GOD I HATE THE SDC/MDC distinction
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Aug 27, 2018 14:43
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Angry Salami posted:How accurate does the flag have to be? Because I don't want to be in a situation where I've put time and mystical effort into getting my enemies accused of treason by the Dutch, but the flag faded a bit by the time they found the effigy, so now they're only being harassed by Luxembourg's government...  JcDent posted:However, I don't think skellies are that scary in Riffs unless you decided to play a hobo party or whatever. Given how many baddies use skulls in Rifts, it might be scarier to any enemies that don't have skulls. Why don't they have skulls? Do they not need skulls to show how bad they are? What's going on, man? The Conversion Book (previously reviewed) at least had an option of excising M.D.C. from the game, but it was never that well-supported.
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Aug 27, 2018 17:40
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7th Sea 2e: The New World - A City Sampler Cahal Naab is a port city on the Ak Way river delta. The land is nearly impossible to build on - swampy, barely able to support stone, and constantly flooding. Despite this, the city stands. No one rules or leads it, and unlike most Tzak K'ani cities, it was never planned. It was barely constructed, growing almost organically from the delta as more and more people came to live there. The delta is a good port, with waterways wide enough for ocean vessels to enter the river mouth and sail up it a decent distance, and that means people decided to settle there, regardless of the difficulties. The locals are mainly a mix of vagrants, smugglers, con artists and anyone else that realizes a trade town with no ruler is a great place to profit. The city has few actual buildings; rather, it is a collection of roped-together boats, floating houses and temporary shacks meant to last only until the next flood. It's full of awful people, those who have no family or loyalty, those on the run, those looking out only for themselves. Only the rare traveling priest ever stops by to bless these people. Itinerants in general are all that keep Cahal Naab alive. In the dry season, people come in from all over to open the port to foreign trade - any type of good you might ever want, legal or not. Theans are welcomed as bringers of the new and exotic, and preyed on as naive, dim-witted foreigners. Many locals also want to get the Theans to reveal the secrets of their amazing boats, or sell a few. The Kuraq and Nahuacans are only slightly less welcome, being creepy fuckers and imperialist jerks respectively, but as long as they bring money or goods, no one will mention that. So far, no city-state has ever managed to take over Cahal Naab, though many say it is only a matter of time. Certainly every ruler with true power has agents in the city, to track the black market trades and foreign gossip. In many ways, Cahal Naab serves as useful neutral territory, a good place for monarchs and their proxies to make deals with people they can't afford to publicly associate with. Despite all the lawless killers, smugglers and criminals, it is a pretty place, too. It's got a wonderful mangrove bayou. During the rainy season it's essentially empty, with almost everyone taking their boats and floating homes upriver to avoid destruction. Each dry season, though, Cahal Naab gets just a little bigger. Every so often, an ambitious ruler attempts to conquer the place by force. This rarely works, simply because the army will arrive to find the locals having already dispersed into the swamps, taking their boats and good with them. The floods come, the army retreats, and next year Cahal Naab is back, free and bigger than before. Yaxbal is built around a central pyramid, the largest in Tzak K'an: Chan Witz, the Sky Mountain. It is painted in red and blue, carved with images of the Earth Monster, the city's patron deity Cha'kal and other supernatural scenes. The central stairs lead up to its most sacred space, full of carvings and paintings of gods and ancestors, plus an altar for sacrifice. Yaxbal has four grand ballcourts, too, the largest just southwest of Chan Witz. The three smaller courts can be found around the outskirts, used for practice or smallscale rituals that don't require the more elaborate ballcourt. The pyramid is also near most of the city's administrative buildings and its observatory. There, the daykeepers, skywatchers and priests track solar and lunar events and mark the location of important celestial bodies. The observatory is also used as a meteorological station, noting atmospheric pressure and changes in rainfall levels and wind movement. The main plaza is full of immense stelae, altars and monuments as reminders of the ruler's divine power. Heading out from the center, the grand monuments and elite homes give way to markets, shops and artisans' workshops. These bustle constantly with work, and while less ornate than the city core, these areas serve as the lifeblood of the city. Beyond these areas, and stretch out for another day's travel from the city, are the fields and residences of the general populace. These buildings are rarely of stone, usually built instead from perishable materials set on modest platforms, with thatch roofing. The fieldwork is far from easy, but the peasants consider it just another part of the cycle of life and death. This is basically your average city-state, of little interest beyond being The Average. Chun Pixom is one of the oldest surviving city-states, and has come to define Tzak K'an and its traditions to most foreigners. It has lasted over eight centuries, and its people, known as the 'people of the Knot,' have survived the death of other, often more prosperous city-states. Their age and wisdom has allowed them to dominate their region politically, economically and militarily. Most of their power is based on the three pillars of fear, wealth and conquest. Most local vassal city-states fear their great military power and obey them without question. Those that do not are offered great wealth to remain loyal. The few that reject both must deal with their armies. Few survive that. In modern days, their three most important vassal cities are Oox Wiinik, Chaktun and Ma'yax Ha. Oox Wiinik was founded by Chun Pixom settlers, who proceeded to overthrow their local rulers and force their own takeover via arranged marriages. They went on to conquer Chaktun, indirectly adding it to Chun Pixom's area of influence. Ma'yax Ha is a more recent northern outpost, a shield-city that protects its overlords from attacks by northern foes as well as serving as a trade link to the Atabean Sea. Every so often, a city-state will challenge Chun Pixom's rule. So far, all have been either conquered or destroyed so totally that even their existence has been wiped from the historic stelae. The most recent such challenger is Ka' Tuunich, a city only a hundred miles from Chun Pixom itself. They believe they have the power to end the unbroken line of Chun Pixom's queens, 33 women long and ending in the city-state's modern ruler, whose influence is felt from the metropolis Tlaichtacan all the way to the Nahuacan Alliance. Of course, others say that Chun Pixom has not influenced Nahuacan - instead, the reverse, Chun Pixom is alive today only because they have become like Nahuaca instead of being truly Tzak K'ani. The current queen, the Kin'ix Jun Tan Janaab', considers these rumors laughable and ignores them in favor of planning to conquer more land. Chun Pixom is surrounded by rainforests and fertile soil in the uplands, right on top of a major east-west trade route. This has brought them great riches, though it does leave them without a local source of fresh water. This has led to the city's extremely advanced rainwater collection system, providing them the largest fresh water storage in all of Tzak K'an, using ten heavily guarded reservoirs around the city. This has rendered them nearly invulnerable to siege - they're already used to water rationing and collection, after all. Of course, to besiege Chun Pixom, you have to get there first. That's no easy feat. The city is covered in jungle, and it is impossible to reach unless you've been there before - and even then, the roads through the jungle aren't always trustworthy. Further, the people of Chun Pixom have created a series of ditches and earthworks in the north and south to protect themselves, and the east and west are blocked by large areas of swampland. Chaktun, nominally, is a fairly unimportant Chun Pixom vassal state, notable only for being on the nexus of several trade routes. However, its importance and relevance to local politics has only grown over time. Originally, it was just a market center founded by Oox Wiinik, and its ceremonial architecture is fairly modest due to its origins as a mercantile hub. The local gods have been entirely forgotten, replaced by those of Chun Pixom. However, its sculpture is amazing, some of its statues counting among the tallest on the entire continent. Most of these are from what the Chaktuni call their Revival and their masters in Oox Wiinik call their Rebellion. The Revival began about a century ago, after a massive flood buried the city. The waters proved unable to undermine any structure built on red sandstone, and the reconstruction focused on transforming the city into its modern shape, complete with a change of name. The city grew to become the major controller of uncut jade and cacao beans for its entire region. And that'd be when Lakam Tok Ajaw became its king. He seized the images of the gods of Oox Wiinik, burning them. He had his sculptors make the greatest city emblem to ever exist. They did so. And, finally, he received and earned the explicit support of the king of Ka' Tuunich. Thus, Lakam Tok Ajaw swore to turn Chaktun into the capital of the entire eastern Tzak K'an region, and the people of Chaktun are just waiting for the chance to do so, with the help of Ka' Tuunich. Ka' Tuunich is very large and very powerful, the center for the political alliance known as the Kingdom of Stone. Their emblem glyph, a mountain devoid of trees, can be seen for over a hundred miles around the city. The city itself has 150,000 residents, and the city's name is taken from the two immense structures that combine together into a giant pyramid. The swamp around the city is the main reason for the city's wealth, and indirectly its importance. The edge of the swamp is extremely fertile soil, and the swamp is full of valuable flint nodules, which have been the basis for the city's architecture and military power. They take their ideals from the flint, viewing themselves as resilient and immutable as stone and mountain. If they maintain proper worship, they will never fall. The two pyramids represent the idae of mountains, and are the site of many rituals to help weather change and emulate the past. Unlike most family units in Tzak K'an, worth is determined not by lineage or marriage, but by what each member contributes to the whole. Stone families are cooperative units of likeminded people, not blood relations. While many are built on people with blood ties, family members can join by choice. It is this foundation that the Stone People say gives them strength. Instead of marriages to unify families, they seek blessings from the gods when new people join the family to ensure the group remains strong. Next time: More places.
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Aug 27, 2018 17:41
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| # ? Apr 25, 2024 21:55 |
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7th Sea 2e: The New World - City People A long time ago, Manik Ju'un was a poor city-state full of squabbling courtiers. At last, its young queen, wise beyond her years, declared that they would use what little surplus they had to build a small library. This, the Library of Manik Ju'un, she declared open to all scribes and scholars in all of Tzak K'an. And so they came, bringing many ideals, languages and stories. While they may have been loyal to their home cities, they also found a loyalty to each other in their shared passion. They began to share information, technology and texts, introducing and standardizing new phrases in the languages. The queen was careful never to enforce politics on the scholars, to keep them visiting. This was to be a place they could be themselves, not just servants of rulers. For centuries, the library stood untouched. Scribes of conquered cities would flee to Manik Ju'un, and the city developed a policy of accepting all refugees so long as they swore to serve the library over all other causes, to seek and copy all that was recorded, and to write what was not. They often brought texts with them, which joined the many in the library already. Thus, it grew to be the greatest in all the world...until six months ago. A fire broke out in the Library. The king's advisors have been investigating, and it seems that some assailant leaked a large amount of lamp oil in, using it to start a fire. While the librarians saved the majority of the codices, the Chief Librarian (who was also the king's younger brother) died in the fire. The king has closed the library now to anyone outside the royal household. He says he will reopen it when the perpetrator is found and the fire explained. However, many scribes complain that the city does not have the authority to close the library. It is meant to be a neutral space for all scribes, and therefore it should be the scribes that decide if it closes. The King's response has been that if they didn't want him in charge, they should have either moved the library out of the city centuries ago or at least provided their own security. Some of the territorial losses of the Tzak K'ani have not been to other Tzak K'ani, but to Nahuaca. The Nahuacan have taken, for example, the Temple of the Plumed Serpent and still hold it. This is not, however, the only place that still bears the marks of blood sacrifice. There's the city of Teo Puh'tex, right on the current border. Only a few Tzak K'ani ahve visited it and lived to tell. It is a city that still follows the old ways. They allow only those who recognize their iconography into the small city, and only if they swear fealty to the old gods marked on the walls. Within, the locals are said to still practice ancient blood sacrifice with the practiced ease of the ancients. Even those who are allowed in usually do not survive - they are sacrificed to the glory of the old gods, and most of what is known of them is solely from notes smuggled out of the city by prisoners, usually tied to bird legs. There are precious few of these. Munyal Kaah is sometimes said to be the most impressive of all cities ever made. It lies high in the mountains, ten thousand feet above sea level and carved into the living stone. It has had many names, and some even doubt its very existence, though it is real. It is the City at the End of the Snail Stair, the Impossible City, the Three Stone Place, the spot where Creation happened. Its people do not care for any of these names - they just call it Munyal Kaah, the Cloud City, for they are the people of the Cloud. The city is built on extensive terraces, and all of its structures are exactly equidistant from each other. It has over 100,000 inhabitants, making it the most populous urban center on the entire continent. The entire city covers an area of over one hundred square miles. The locals run their own trade network, using passages and routes unknown to any other city, which allows them to ignore "ground politics," as they call the ways of other cities. They do commerce with whoever they please, and no one is sure how they manage it. It is said that Munyal Kaah was once a vassal to Chun Pixom, but the Chun Pixom tax men and diplomats refused to climb the Sin'aan Xiinbal mountain to do their job, and after a time, the two cities simply stopped contacting each other for vassalage. Many now desire their allegiance, but so far no one has ever found a way to convince the Cloud people that it's a good idea. They have all they need, after all. Their nobles rule from the Sky Palace, and while the Cloud people do still maintain the social strata that is common to Tzak K'an, they provide access to elite goods to every citizen of the city-state. This is said to be because many commoners have worked and provided the inventions that now benefit all in the city. The Chok Ch'a ruins have largely been lost from all maps, but someone looking in the eastern forests may still find Tak'ooj A'bak. It is not the largest of the ancient ruins - those would be the shoreline cities of Caxazul and Ik' Tu'na - but it is impressive. Most of its temples and complexes are still buried underground, looking like mere mounds, but some still jut beyond the earth. The mounds themselves are huge, of course, and the site is marked by monolithic altars covered in the strange language of the Chok Ch'ai, along with their huge stelae. Most strange, though, are the immense stone heads. Their faces are long since worn down by time, but they are carved intricately from solid blocks of volcanic basalt - far larger than any local stone should provide, and the nearest volcano is hundreds of miles away. They all have the same general demeanor, the somber, menacing look that is associated with 'The Ones Before' and deep, pupil-less eyes that seem to watch any intruders. Each head is ever so slightly different. No one knows why. Beyond the courtyard of the heads, there is the ruined plaza. It is full of discarded tools, broken ceramics and other such things, with most buildings long buried or crumbled. However, within some of the buildings are huge caches of carved jade, cinnabar, hematite and all kinds of polished ores. These valuable materials have lured many to their doom, for many who enter Tak'ooj A'bak never return. One legend speaks of hasty etchings on blocked doors, which read 'up', 'down' and 'through.' What this means is, as ever, entirely unclear. People! Jasaw was orphaned young after his parents went to investigate a newly opened cave despite the advice of the local priest to stay away. They never returned, leaving only bloody smears at the cave mouth. Clearly, they had been dragged to Xibalba for trespassing. Jasaw knew the tales of the Hero Brothers, and thus knew that one could cheat death if one won a ballgame against the gods of death. And so, Jasaw decided he would become the best of all ballplayers, to return his parents to life. He's become the best - he's beaten pretty much any other player he's faced. However, he's still not good enough, for he has never received an Underworld invitation. Indeed, Jasaw has never even seen a god. He knows they exist out there, but by the time he so much as turns to look, they are gone. He's starting to believe they avoid him deliberately, and has been seeking other ways to reach Xibalba. The cave his parents used has been sealed by priests, and his request to the Library of Manik Ju'un for other entrances was lost during the fire when the scribe working on it died. Now, he spends his time on exhibition matches, sleeping with whatever men and women take his fancy and dining with royalty. He seems to have given up - but only on the surface. Even now he's still looking for a route to Xibalba. He's just decided to do so secretly, in hopes that whatever has plagued his efforts so far won't notice. Ix T'zutz lives in a small house on the edge of the fallen city Kamaktul. She is largely alone, and officially, she is queen of the ruined city. She has plans for the place, and is getting ready to enact them. She wishes to rebuild Kamaktul as a city that melds many cultures. She has friends and allies across Aztlan, Theah, Ifri and the Crescent Empire. She makes friends easily, and many have donated money to help her cause. She waxes enthusiastic on the topic of the technology of the places she's visited and the 'City of the Future' she plans to build, which she hopes to integrate technology from across the world into, under the control of Tzak K'ani engineers. This would be an insane, impossible dream if Ix T'zutz didn't have such charisma and talent for getting others to share her enthusiasm. The city itself, or the ruins that will become the city, were a gift from the king of Manik Ju'un, supposedly in honor of her (extremely obscure) noble lineage. Now, she has gotten the backing of many wealthy merchants, and plans to use their funding to acquire the talents of prominent cartographers, architects and mask-makers. The first buildings have barely broken ground, but that just means she has to hire surveyers, astronomers, augers and other such people to ensure her development is as auspicious as possible, right? She surely won't go upsetting the local traditionalists. Surely not. Next time: More people.
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Aug 27, 2018 21:56
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