Become a Master - One of Four

[Shai-Hulud]

You may choose one of these four bestowals. There's no downside, but you can instead say "no" and get a free five hundred dollars ($500) as a consolation prize.

Master of Commerce - You are a master of all forms of human economic activity. This includes buy and selling, doing deals of all kinds, playing the market, running businesses, and so forth. As good as the greatest market wizards and robber baron tycoons are/were (guys like Warren Buffet, J.P. Morgan, etc.), that’s how good you are.

Master of Esoterica - You are a meditation master on the level of real-life Buddha (good enough to attain enlightenment, at least). You may enter a trance and receive clairvoyant information at the level of Edgar Cacye. If demons exist, you know how to protect yourself from them and perform exorcisms. If ghosts exist, you can see/sense them, and help them “move on” so they no longer haunt an area. You are a master of acupuncture, reiki, and yoga (real-life versions, not comic-book versions).

Master of Games - You are a master of all games, equal to the very best humans who have ever mastered such games. For example, you are as good at all games on the level of Bobby Fischer and José Capablanca at chess. This includes boardgames like Chess, Go, Stratego, Monopoly, Risk, and more. Video games/computer games are included, everything from Pong and Breakout, to the most complicated online gaming. Include wargaming such as the old Avalon Hill games, and all RPGs. You are also a master of games associated with gambling, such as poker, blackjack, roulette, craps, and so forth. You understand game theory as well as any human has ever understood it. Just for yucks, you are also pinball wizard, a gift you retain even if you go deaf, dumb and blind.

Master of War - You are a master of all forms of battle and combat, including personal combat and large scale troop tactics and strategy. As good as Napoleon and Alexander were at their areas of expertise, that’s your level in all known human forms of warfare and combat. Boxing, wrestling, karate, swords, knives, rifles, handguns, etc., you get it all, provided it exists (or has existed) in real-life. To the extent that the very best real-life martial artists can use their chi to do things like resist damage and break materials, you can do this.

[Postmania]

Gonna be Commerce probably.

I don't really see a use for Esoterica although doing more Yoga might be nice.

I don't have one for War either. Generally I live in a society and war disrupts that. I also don't have any sort of stat/improvements to myself so if I wanted to do anything Martial Arts related I'd still have to get in shape which doesn't interest me. I guess I could become an Olympic shooter or something, but still, not my thing.

Games is second in my interest. It'd probably be pretty fun. But still not as great an immediate draw as Commerce.

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

Probably take esoteria, since that gives you actual superpowers lol.

The ability to make supernatural nonsense actually real is pretty overpowered and rather lucrative.

[Shai-Hulud]

Probably take esoteria, since that gives you actual superpowers lol.

The ability to make supernatural nonsense actually real is pretty overpowered and rather lucrative.

You get the real-life versions of these things, not the comic-book versions.

Also, if you're enlightened at the level of Buddha, you're probably not interested in power or money.

If you want lucrative, wouldn't Master of Commerce be a better choice?

[Cthulhu_of_R'lyeh]

You get the real-life versions of these things, not the comic-book versions.

Also, if you're enlightened at the level of Buddha, you're probably not interested in power or money.

If you want lucrative, wouldn't Master of Commerce be a better choice?

No, I'll take "makes nonsense real for $500 Alex."

[Shai-Hulud]

No, I'll take "makes nonsense real for $500 Alex."

The Esoterica package doesn't make nonsense real. If real-life Buddha and Edgar Cayce couldn't do anything, you get nothing, like rolling snake eyes, you lose.

If demons and ghosts don't exist, you get nothing.

If acupuncture, reiki and yoga don't really do anything other than limber up your muscles, that's all you get.

So if you think all that stuff, in our universe, in our reality, is nonsense (maybe it is?), then you shouldn't choose that package.

[The MunchKING]

The MunchKING would claim he's already an expert at these things. But really it's a lot of abusing Save Points.

Master of Commerce - You are a master of all forms of human economic activity. This includes buy and selling, doing deals of all kinds, playing the market, running businesses, and so forth. As good as the greatest market wizards and robber baron tycoons are/were (guys like Warren Buffet, J.P. Morgan, etc.), that’s how good you are.

Well I've already got millions of GP sitting around, but economy-boosting policies could be helpful to So Asbena.

Master of Esoterica - You are a meditation master on the level of real-life Buddha

But then I'd be enlightened enough to think non-violence (or at least "not murdering people") is a GOOD idea!! *shudders*

Master of Games - You are a master of all games, equal to the very best humans who have ever mastered such games.

Oh, I wonder if I get Yugi's other deals, like the super-luck?

Master of War - You are a master of all forms of battle and combat, including personal combat and large scale troop tactics and strategy.

Eh, "Overwhelming firepower, brought to the battle fastest" has worked for me thus far.

[Captain Smith]

Master of War - unless you command the major armed forces of the world, your individual prowess will come to naught. Read the book the Allure of Battle. Masters of War get killed by attrition and logistics if they don't have the resources.

The Master of War is a naive thought piece. On the individual level, your fast draw (and I know fast draw folks) if not superman flash level will not be fast enough against a few competent people. Also, an artillery barrage will just blow you up. Or a tank.

[Shai-Hulud]

Master of War - unless you command the major armed forces of the world, your individual prowess will come to naught. Read the book the Allure of Battle. Masters of War get killed by attrition and logistics if they don't have the resources.

The Master of War is a naive thought piece. On the individual level, your fast draw (and I know fast draw folks) if not superman flash level will not be fast enough against a few competent people. Also, an artillery barrage will just blow you up. Or a tank.

"I was pulling out of the Bar & Grill last night when an artillery barrage blew my legs off."

I think you're assuming a lot of things about the scenario that aren't in the OP.

First, just because you get the power infusion, you're in no way transported to the 'Nam, or Waterloo, or Longstreet's charge. Your normal life pertains.

Second, why are you assuming that if you choose this package armies of assassins will come after you trying to gun you down? That's not in the OP.

Third, if armies of assassins are involved, Master of War is the package most likely to survive. So if you're worried about attackers, this is the one to pick.

Fourth, standing and fighting needn't be your first option. Jason Bourne is far superior to any of the soldiers that come after him, but he assesses the odds properly and concentrates on escape and evasion.

Fifth, if a sudden shootout is unavoidable, the world record fast draw appears to be Ernie Hill, who drew and shot from a standing position in 0.208 seconds. If it's not him, but Bob Munden, then you're even faster. You'd be both the fastest and the most accurate shooter that ever lived. And you'd have the highest level of situational awareness of any human being ever.

Doesn't mean you have to go looking for trouble though.

[Muadib]

I'll take Master of War. The others have their uses, especially commerce, but i would like to know what it feels like to wake up and be Musashi, Julie Aubigny, or Simo Haya.

Of course once i have the infusion, i will got to Hollywood and make the greatest action movies of all time, with the perfect balance between verisimilitude and magnificent cinema. Eat my dust Yuen Woo Ping, Bob Anderson and Jeff Imada!

[MichaelC]

I'm already a competent investor/options trader, so becoming the best in the world doesn't gain me much. As others have previously stated, there's a strong element of luck to this. Because of the luck factor, the difference between a competent options trader like myself, and a genius, is only a few percentage points.

On the other hand, being the best gamer in the world means I can pour lots and lots of prize-money into my competent investing. We're talking about winning chess tournaments one day, and Starcraft tournaments the next. The money would pile up reeeeeally fast.