General/OOC
Re: General/OOC
I'd say let it happen off camera.
Re: General/OOC
I stand by this.I'm in favor of leaving it for Silas to sort IC as the decisionmaker.
eirei?
Re: General/OOC
I took the liberty of fast forwarding a bit and making quite a few assumptions, feel free to interrupt and/or correct me.
Re: General/OOC
I was waiting for our new player to say something, but the PM I sent on Friday is still unread. I'll go ahead and move things on tomorrow if he hasn't replied.
Re: General/OOC
Raising this for conversation OOC and for the GM to adjudicate, since it seems timely to do so.
The Arcane Research and Development chapter of Codex of the Black Sun has the optional rules for maintaining a Research Library/Facility and for using downtime to develop Occult Lore, archanotech, and spells. It also states it is optional - and particularly so when there is only one wizard in the group.
Reclaiming the Ithilien Codex with this ship was a Macguffin, but also a placeholder to have this conversation if the game lasted this long. It is an opportunity to implement whatever amount of these rules we like.
So, thoughts?
I am happy just abstracting it and just gaining spells when I level. I am also happy engaging with this downtime system to structure discoveries (which by the book rske the passage of months and years). Given Damian's magical idiom, I would like to set future goals to develop archanotech by whatever mechanisms the GM and group like. ("Getting his Codex back" is as good a catalyst for springboarding his future discovery as anything else, with or without optional rulesets.)
Second, I am sad that Enoch has been swamped by real life under Covid and Vyrner Odo remains abandoned. What is the IC resolution of the ship?
The Arcane Research and Development chapter of Codex of the Black Sun has the optional rules for maintaining a Research Library/Facility and for using downtime to develop Occult Lore, archanotech, and spells. It also states it is optional - and particularly so when there is only one wizard in the group.
Reclaiming the Ithilien Codex with this ship was a Macguffin, but also a placeholder to have this conversation if the game lasted this long. It is an opportunity to implement whatever amount of these rules we like.
So, thoughts?
I am happy just abstracting it and just gaining spells when I level. I am also happy engaging with this downtime system to structure discoveries (which by the book rske the passage of months and years). Given Damian's magical idiom, I would like to set future goals to develop archanotech by whatever mechanisms the GM and group like. ("Getting his Codex back" is as good a catalyst for springboarding his future discovery as anything else, with or without optional rulesets.)
Second, I am sad that Enoch has been swamped by real life under Covid and Vyrner Odo remains abandoned. What is the IC resolution of the ship?
Re: General/OOC
I've only glanced at that section before, but I'm sure we can work it into the game somehow if you want it. I'll read upon it some more next time I have a free moment.
I've had a plan for this for a long while, all shall be resolved soon!
Re: General/OOC
Well, the optional rules allow the use of downtime to collect "occult lore" through small, downtime experiments and study which then allow large downtime experiments to create objects or spells. The optional rules for building lore are recommended for groups of mages to simplify collaboration.
I specifically chose Magister instead of Adept as a class so I don't have to memorize spells and don't need to use these rules to learn new ones (Magisters generate their own knowledge of new spells upon levelling). So, that's not a need. Also, I explicitly avoided Shadows as too woojy and mystical - we're going for a technical/science idiom and I intend to avoid "spiritual servitors" in our setting. So, using it for servitors isn't a need either.
That leaves creating magic items with archanotech. Example items are on page 139. They are expensive (50K - 500K per attempt to create, min skill levels requiring at least 3rd or 6th level characters, difficulty checks of 11-14). Some of them are exactly what this character is aspiring to (Staff of the High Gate, Witchgate, Limpet Peephole). The creation process usually requires creating, finding, or stealing a schematic first, then attempts to create the object second. That supports goals like finding the Webway on Daphion and studying it (i.e. discovering its schematic) and it justifies that the technology is legitimately non-reproduceable except for metascience specialists (i.e. Magisters who can harness the "magic" correctly), an the long-term replication of it with Isabella Maria Vasquez's resources (and rules for Witchgate creation).
If we use the optional rules, then I set goals to achieve downtime research, making small gadgets and Codexes for narrative purposes which represent "occult points" building towards larger projects rather than immediate capabilities of their own. When those points build up, then I can spend the oodles of cash and lore to create a magic item - the primary purpose is to regulate the pacing of major item creation attempts over time. I also see the intermediate research goals being a way to engage narratively. The downtime actions are one per IG month and assume the group is given a month of downtime between every game session, and it allows background action concurrently while undertaking longer adeventures. In our play-by-post, we can still replicate a "downtime period" between each adventure with the length being whatever is defined by the GM (doesn't have to be a month). Our first "session" took four IRL months and our second session has taken 11 IRL months - the idea that "once per session" regulates a weekly game doesn't translate well to a requirement here and is likely not necessary.
If we skip the optional rules, we can easily regulate the pacing (find/make a schematic, build some number of parts, attempt assembly of a larger project) by creating a series of IC Goals and working through them. We also can be given leads on new artifacts of interest, acquiring already-built things that he can discover and use rather than trying to manufacture them from scratch. (Making a Staff of the High Gate requires him to be level 9; finding one is worth an adventure!) We could also accept the slower nature of PbP play and allow the creation of a small object between each episode or a large object building over two episodes - we only have 2-3 episodes per real-life year of gameplay already and it doesn't need pacing to slow it down.
There's also a stated requirement for creating a Sanctum (another set of optional rules) as part of having a safe place for archanotech creation. That can be part of what he's doing with his downtime research on the ship, it can be a lost facility they find in an adventure, or it could be the laboratory provided by Isabella Maria Vasquez as she provides wealthy patronage towards her own ends. I think it can be whatever the GM wants to support the story - the optional systems to work incrementally towards these over a series of weekly game sessions being optional in a slower PbP setting.
I specifically chose Magister instead of Adept as a class so I don't have to memorize spells and don't need to use these rules to learn new ones (Magisters generate their own knowledge of new spells upon levelling). So, that's not a need. Also, I explicitly avoided Shadows as too woojy and mystical - we're going for a technical/science idiom and I intend to avoid "spiritual servitors" in our setting. So, using it for servitors isn't a need either.
That leaves creating magic items with archanotech. Example items are on page 139. They are expensive (50K - 500K per attempt to create, min skill levels requiring at least 3rd or 6th level characters, difficulty checks of 11-14). Some of them are exactly what this character is aspiring to (Staff of the High Gate, Witchgate, Limpet Peephole). The creation process usually requires creating, finding, or stealing a schematic first, then attempts to create the object second. That supports goals like finding the Webway on Daphion and studying it (i.e. discovering its schematic) and it justifies that the technology is legitimately non-reproduceable except for metascience specialists (i.e. Magisters who can harness the "magic" correctly), an the long-term replication of it with Isabella Maria Vasquez's resources (and rules for Witchgate creation).
If we use the optional rules, then I set goals to achieve downtime research, making small gadgets and Codexes for narrative purposes which represent "occult points" building towards larger projects rather than immediate capabilities of their own. When those points build up, then I can spend the oodles of cash and lore to create a magic item - the primary purpose is to regulate the pacing of major item creation attempts over time. I also see the intermediate research goals being a way to engage narratively. The downtime actions are one per IG month and assume the group is given a month of downtime between every game session, and it allows background action concurrently while undertaking longer adeventures. In our play-by-post, we can still replicate a "downtime period" between each adventure with the length being whatever is defined by the GM (doesn't have to be a month). Our first "session" took four IRL months and our second session has taken 11 IRL months - the idea that "once per session" regulates a weekly game doesn't translate well to a requirement here and is likely not necessary.
If we skip the optional rules, we can easily regulate the pacing (find/make a schematic, build some number of parts, attempt assembly of a larger project) by creating a series of IC Goals and working through them. We also can be given leads on new artifacts of interest, acquiring already-built things that he can discover and use rather than trying to manufacture them from scratch. (Making a Staff of the High Gate requires him to be level 9; finding one is worth an adventure!) We could also accept the slower nature of PbP play and allow the creation of a small object between each episode or a large object building over two episodes - we only have 2-3 episodes per real-life year of gameplay already and it doesn't need pacing to slow it down.
There's also a stated requirement for creating a Sanctum (another set of optional rules) as part of having a safe place for archanotech creation. That can be part of what he's doing with his downtime research on the ship, it can be a lost facility they find in an adventure, or it could be the laboratory provided by Isabella Maria Vasquez as she provides wealthy patronage towards her own ends. I think it can be whatever the GM wants to support the story - the optional systems to work incrementally towards these over a series of weekly game sessions being optional in a slower PbP setting.
Re: General/OOC
OK I've scanned the rules and your own helpful post, I see absolutely no reason not to implement these rules. A few things:
1. I do have a way of working shadows into the game if you wanted to utilise them. I scrapped the original idea I had for your home-world once Damian chose it as he place of origin, but instead left it narratively open as "that magic planet" with a few idea for the effects on the sector; even if you never set foot in the system, it would be used to explain several arcane plot points.
2. The idea is to have a month of downtime between adventures, as per the book's suggestion, though there will be times such as right now where you are in transit in drill space or otherwise on "mid-mission downtime" which you could use to research. We'll keep a running tally of the days you spend/
3. Looking at the library sizes, if you wished to have it on the ship I'd say you could comfortably house Up to 100 RP (several bookshelves) in your own cabin, and would allow you to store up to 210 RP (a large room) if you fit the Vale with the Luxury Cabins upgrade; instead of "the usual zero-gee athletic courts, decorative fountains, fine dining, and artistic fittings," you could have a fully stocked arcane research centre.
4. I need to look more into how these rules work with Magister and traditions, it might involve converting Damian to the Codex rules.
1. I do have a way of working shadows into the game if you wanted to utilise them. I scrapped the original idea I had for your home-world once Damian chose it as he place of origin, but instead left it narratively open as "that magic planet" with a few idea for the effects on the sector; even if you never set foot in the system, it would be used to explain several arcane plot points.
2. The idea is to have a month of downtime between adventures, as per the book's suggestion, though there will be times such as right now where you are in transit in drill space or otherwise on "mid-mission downtime" which you could use to research. We'll keep a running tally of the days you spend/
3. Looking at the library sizes, if you wished to have it on the ship I'd say you could comfortably house Up to 100 RP (several bookshelves) in your own cabin, and would allow you to store up to 210 RP (a large room) if you fit the Vale with the Luxury Cabins upgrade; instead of "the usual zero-gee athletic courts, decorative fountains, fine dining, and artistic fittings," you could have a fully stocked arcane research centre.
4. I need to look more into how these rules work with Magister and traditions, it might involve converting Damian to the Codex rules.
Re: General/OOC
Sounds good. I will establish downtime experiments to build my Lore accordingly. That's a fun way to do narrative inserts that keep the flavor of his "fringe research" at the character core, even though being a medic and mechanic is far more fruitful in gameplay.
Staying "ship-borne" and mobile works for me and makes sense for the campaign and group. I'll aim in that direction. Being able to bank 100 RP in the current ship configuration is more than fair.
I will avoid using "shadows" for the time being; perhaps we will grow that direction. (By introducing a Liber Damnatus, perhaps.) I will attempt to re-script things with non-Shadow logic where appropriate (see Tracker Imp Token below).
I will establish the following goals:
Would you also allow the Basic Archanotech Laboratory (25K) to double as a Workshop (500 credits as a ship fitting in core book, 25K as a standalone facility in Black Sun) due to his technological idiom, allowing mods to normal gear in addition to the magically-wierd stuff?
As for #4...I don't think there's any rescripting required, as the Black Sun and core SWN align on what a Magister does. They just provide "three sample classes" of Magister in the book, none of which fit the character. The difference between the Adept and Magister is fundamentally similar to the difference between a Wizard and Sorcerer in D&D 5E, respectively. An Adept/Wizard gets a broad swath of spells but needs to pre-select and memorize. A Magister/Sorcerer gets a very narrow spell-list but they cast from it more easily/intuitively. The only thing we've done is allowed a "technologist" Magister who draws a very narrow spell list from the wider Arcanist school.
...whatever the GM decides is fine, of course.
I will establish downtime experiments to build my Lore accordingly. That's a fun way to do narrative inserts that keep the flavor of his "fringe research" at the character core, even though being a medic and mechanic is far more fruitful in gameplay. Staying "ship-borne" and mobile works for me and makes sense for the campaign and group. I'll aim in that direction. Being able to bank 100 RP in the current ship configuration is more than fair.
I will avoid using "shadows" for the time being; perhaps we will grow that direction. (By introducing a Liber Damnatus, perhaps.) I will attempt to re-script things with non-Shadow logic where appropriate (see Tracker Imp Token below).
I will establish the following goals:
- Identify and acquire Archanotech (pre-scream items of exquisite manufacture understandable by only the most advanced 'scientists') or research facilities that may contain Schematics of such.
- Study found Archanotech items (p. 132, identifying to learn their schematics) and may also count as Research.
- Study the Webway Gates of Daphion, Paphos system. (Learn their Schematic)
- Build or acquire an Archanotech Laboratory aboard ship to support further advancement of his studies. (25K, then 100K, then 250K. p. 113.)
- Develop metadimensional pattern recognition within-dimension (Tracker Imp Token skill-2)
- Master capability for small within-dimension transitions (Slipsheath, skill-2)
- Learn the manufacture of in-system Gating techniques (Witchgate, at skill 2, 3, then 4)
- Develop science for portal-less within-system relocation (Staff of the High Gate, skill-4)
Would you also allow the Basic Archanotech Laboratory (25K) to double as a Workshop (500 credits as a ship fitting in core book, 25K as a standalone facility in Black Sun) due to his technological idiom, allowing mods to normal gear in addition to the magically-wierd stuff?
As for #4...I don't think there's any rescripting required, as the Black Sun and core SWN align on what a Magister does. They just provide "three sample classes" of Magister in the book, none of which fit the character. The difference between the Adept and Magister is fundamentally similar to the difference between a Wizard and Sorcerer in D&D 5E, respectively. An Adept/Wizard gets a broad swath of spells but needs to pre-select and memorize. A Magister/Sorcerer gets a very narrow spell-list but they cast from it more easily/intuitively. The only thing we've done is allowed a "technologist" Magister who draws a very narrow spell list from the wider Arcanist school.
...whatever the GM decides is fine, of course.
Re: General/OOC
Just waiting on a reply from Odo's player, then I can move things along.
Re: General/OOC
Many thanks to everyone here with your well-wishes. While I am back to gaming and my family is on their way to getting better, I feel I need to drop out of this game. Time has become restricted for me in home and work and I can't continue with the same number of games that I have been. My apologies to everyone.
Re: General/OOC
Hey, I'm sorry to hear that. Hopefully we get to game together again someday.
Shadrach, Demon-Hunter - Dust to Dust
Re: General/OOC
Stay healthy and well, both physically and socio/emotionally. We are all in the same fight. I will look forward to future times together!
I will look forward to future times together!Re: General/OOC
That's a great shame, but understandable. I'll keep Benedict around in case things change for you in the future.ybn1197 wrote: ↑Fri Feb 05, 2021 4:23 pm Many thanks to everyone here with your well-wishes. While I am back to gaming and my family is on their way to getting better, I feel I need to drop out of this game. Time has become restricted for me in home and work and I can't continue with the same number of games that I have been. My apologies to everyone.
Take care of yourself o/
Re: General/OOC
I did the first real faction turn and added the results to the State of the Sector page early, in case it helps with the new player's backstories.
As an aside, do you guys prefer for factions and the faction turn to be public, or to just have news tickers from the results like this? Wondering which people would prefer.
As an aside, do you guys prefer for factions and the faction turn to be public, or to just have news tickers from the results like this? Wondering which people would prefer.
Re: General/OOC
I think the syntax you're look for is:Enoch wrote: ↑Tue Feb 09, 2021 2:01 pmTrade (Charisma): [1d6]=3+[1d6+2]=5+2=7 I need to work on that macro: that's actually a 10, not a 7.
Cha+Trade [2d6r2+2]
That should roll two dice, reroll anything less than a 2, and then add 2.
Re: General/OOC
*slaps head* yep, I was making it more complicated than it needed to be.
Shadrach, Demon-Hunter - Dust to Dust
Re: General/OOC
Sorry, I should have been clearer on this. Kal got you into the limos but went no further; the journey to the Spires was just yourselves and some of Bao's security.
Re: General/OOC
Ahhh thanks!
Re: General/OOC
Corporate Headquarters
So... the contract says we've got a Level 1 Headquarters on Mejo from the Suns of Gold rules. For those without that book, here's a synopsis.
)
We also need to specify who our local NPCs are. The contract names Odo as CEO and us as Partners. We need an NPC who runs things for us (a COO?), a secretary, maybe an accountant or two. That's fun.
Group cash
We just got our first 100K, but to be honest, we're still poor.
There's almost nothing we can attempt on the above table for corporate holdings. We no longer own our own ship, it being appropriated by Bao for losing his ship.
I like Silas bartering for Bao to back him in the Lorena open. That's awesome!
I think we should keep communications open about the recovery of the Ogilvy to remove that debt "several million credits" from our ledger.
We're using the Occult Lore rules. So, I need 200-5,000 credits per character level per research-month of work. He also has priorities to develop a Research Library (25K, +2, might be the purpose of the Ithilien Codex?), an Archanotech Laboratory (25K, 100K +1, 250K +2), and a tech workshop (25K, might be included in Archanotech laboratory if Faanku is nice). After six to fifty months of successful work (and at least one level-up), I can attempt creation of a magic item using the research I performed, at the cost of an additional 25K to 1m credits.
...or we find and raid lost archanotech facilities (like the Artificers Vertices?).
On the up-side, we DO have enough cash to afford gear modifications if anyone wants to do that. Damian can mod and maintain four mods (rolling 3d6) and Grayson Carlisle can maintain three mods (rolling 2d6) currently across the group, which cost 500-5,000 credits each. (Romer Kwik currently has Fix-0, so doesn't have the skill for mods, but if raises to Fix-1 he can also maintain three mods.)
So... the contract says we've got a Level 1 Headquarters on Mejo from the Suns of Gold rules.
For those without that book, here's a synopsis. So we have 3 holding points as a level 1 HQ. Here's the table that says what Holding Points can be invested in. I trimmed the stuff that's way out of budget including only those things we could get at level 1 or 2 HQ (except for Carte Blanche, because I aspire.A far trader’s headquarters on a planet are operated by a factor, usually an NPC CEO in charge of all operations on the world. The factor may be assisted by subordinates or responsible to a planetary board of directors, but the final decisions belong to the factor. Factor pay is usually included in the overall cost of the HQ, and need not be arranged as a separate fee.
Headquarters have levels. A level 1 headquarters is a small office that might employ a secretary and an accountant or two along with the factor, while a level 10 headquarters might be a towering commercial spire populated by thousands of staffers. The more elaborate the holdings on a world, the larger the headquarters.
Headquarters provide holding points, representing their ability to support and maintain a certain number of planetary assets. Holdings are those business, special relationships, or unique assets the far trader possesses on a world. A mine might be a holding, as might a shipyard, or the possession of special diplomatic privileges. Holdings do not usually involve portable property or vehicles smaller than spaceships, but instead apply to larger enterprises or special perks the far trader might have acquired on the world.
) That's fun. Group cash
We just got our first 100K, but to be honest, we're still poor.
There's almost nothing we can attempt on the above table for corporate holdings. We no longer own our own ship, it being appropriated by Bao for losing his ship. I like Silas bartering for Bao to back him in the Lorena open. That's awesome!
I think we should keep communications open about the recovery of the Ogilvy to remove that debt "several million credits" from our ledger.
We're using the Occult Lore rules. So, I need 200-5,000 credits per character level per research-month of work. He also has priorities to develop a Research Library (25K, +2, might be the purpose of the Ithilien Codex?), an Archanotech Laboratory (25K, 100K +1, 250K +2), and a tech workshop (25K, might be included in Archanotech laboratory if Faanku is nice). After six to fifty months of successful work (and at least one level-up), I can attempt creation of a magic item using the research I performed, at the cost of an additional 25K to 1m credits.
...or we find and raid lost archanotech facilities (like the Artificers Vertices?).
On the up-side, we DO have enough cash to afford gear modifications if anyone wants to do that.
Damian can mod and maintain four mods (rolling 3d6) and Grayson Carlisle can maintain three mods (rolling 2d6) currently across the group, which cost 500-5,000 credits each. (Romer Kwik currently has Fix-0, so doesn't have the skill for mods, but if raises to Fix-1 he can also maintain three mods.)