Ruins of Khazan - A Rumbles RPG - Sign Up/System Test

[MrSandman]

Pity. We'll catch up at some point, or you could backtrack.

*In true MMO Style, Ella retreats back to the start of the dungeon carrying half a dozen mobs in pursuit.*

[Sharkerbob]

*in true mmo style, ella retreats back to the start of the dungeon carrying half a dozen mobs in pursuit.*

ELLAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA JEEEEEEEEEEEENKINNNNNNNNNNNNSSSS!!!

:V

Ranged grapple attack!

The long hand of the Law!

Although Nemo's more of a Neutral, I guess. Long hand of the Neutral doesn't roll off the tongue, though. :B

[Postmania]

I admit I did think we’d have gone through the gate sooner, but I look forward to Ella perplexing Jane mightily potentially

[Nik Hasta]

I am considering... a change to how healing functions. I was hoping to not make further changes once the game started but I feel like HP and ENR both being tied to PRE is an odd choice. The change I have in mind would only really effect a couple of players so I'm going to think about it and may tweak things.

Okay, I went back and added a bunch of techniques, just to get an idea for what I'm going for. Needs work, but I gotta break for the day.

Cool, a cursory look reveals a couple of things that don't work and a couple of things that are technically incomplete. Will be doing a write up when I get home this morning.

[Siriel]

I've been half-KO'd most of this week. I'll finish my sheet from what Nik provided (finally) and make a post tomorrow, and try to do better about posting every day (when others have done it anyway). You'd think that after a few months I'd be used to my new schedule, but I keep letting insomnia get the better of me.

[Nik Hasta]

Okay, Techniques for Sharkerbob

Looking at your stats, you have an extra Trait Bonus on AGI which shouldn't be there. Also your sync bonus on BRA should be 2 not 3, please adjust your sheet.

On that basis, your Affinity is a little off and should be:

Mundane: 7 (2 Body + 4 Spirit + 1 Mind)
Body: 1 Honed
Spirit: 2 Honed, 1 Epic
Mind: 0

So some of these Techniques might not be possible as you have fewer resources than you thought.

Sky Magic: Innate Flight, +20 SPD, Cost: 10 ENR per turn
Nemo can fly at any time, to reach high places, pass over dangerous terrain, or dodge. With the boost to SPD, she can cover 106 in any direction. This power will also allow her to propell herself through water, though there may be a drag penalty slowing her down. (Uncertain if this should count as a persistent.)

If you want them to be able to fly consistently, then you would need to upgrade this to Honed and make it Persistent. As a Mundane Tech, this is more akin to a like floaty jump thing.

Jackhammer Strike, +20 STR, Cost: 10 ENR
Although hand-to-hand isn't really her first choice, she has had some training as a kickboxer. Her signature move, learned from her teacher is the "Jackhammer", a flurry of multiple full-force blows. She can do this move with either fists or feet.

As a Mundane Body check, you would get a single Combo Body Effect on this.

Rae Recharge, +20 SKI, Cost: 10 ENR
Rae, being an Elsy, is a mass of living textile threads powered by String Magic. As aforementioned, she is entirely dependent on her ENR reserves to do anything if she is operating on her own. Nemo can sacrifice 100 ENR of her Mastered Pool to add to Rae's pool if the two are split up.

Putting a pin in this one until I pitch the change of Trait to you as this is quite a unique concept. Specifically, this is a tricky one because it's ENR transference rather than recovery. Like, I might not even make you have this as a Technique, just to free up the slot and will fold it up under the Trait.

HONED
String Magic: Strike, +20 SPD/+20 STR, Cost: 25 ENR
Nemo and/or Rae can manipulate masses of strings via a tactile telekinesis effect that enhances the string material. This can be used to whip, bash, stab, or snag/trip an opponent, or cluster of opponents. This can be used as an upclose melee attack, or can be used at mid-range for reduced damage.
In non-combat challenges, this can be used as a traversal assist, allow them to form grappling hooks, tight-ropes, or nets to climb and cross gaps. A bundle of threads are kept on their person, separate from Rae, for these more utilitarian purposes.

Okay, so because you want this to be multifaceted, I might use your other Trait to make this work. Otherwise, you get Combo Body Effects on this as well, up to two. Likewise, put a pin in this one.

String Magic: Ensnare (Grapple), +20 PRE/+20 STR, Cost: 25 ENR - Instead of a striking move, Nemo or Rae can attempt to entangle the opponent, Binding them in telekinetically re-inforced Strings, limiting their movements. This can be used in melee or at mid-range (presumably with reduced accuracy?).

There's no point splitting this between PRE and STR as both the damage and the Grapple would be governed by STR as well. If you want it ranged it would be +30 STR as you have to sacrifice boost to get range. I would also flag up stat Affinity at this point because certain stats can't be boosted with certain slots:

BODY Aligned Stats
STR
SPD
DUR
AGI

SPIRIT Aligned Stats
PRE
SKI
RES

MIND Aligned Stats
CHR
BRA

So keep this in mind when coming up with Techniques.

EPIC
Totemic Transformation: Jaguar (Persistent), +30 STR/+30 SPD, Cost: 40 ENR + 10 ENR per round
Nemo transforms into a large jaguar, bolstering her overall physical stats while granting her natural claw and teeth weapons. She cannot use her other Magics while in this form, however, so she tends to only use it as a last resort.

As an Epic Persistent, you can amp yourself further with two Defensive Body Effects Perhaps Rage and Regenerate might be a fun mix?

SPIRIT

MUNDANE
Snow Magic: Snow Bunny, +20 BRA, Cost: 10 ENR
Nemo creates a blast of snow that leaves behind a bunny-eared snowman. In combat, this is mostly a distraction move, with the initial snow-burst briefly obscuring her location and leaving behind a "decoy" that a startled opponent might swing at instead of her. Or she can just drop it on someone to distract them. However, this can be used for a minor blocking obstacle, a weight to hold down switches, temporary cold storage for something that needs to be refrigerated, a temporary brace to hold something in place, and other such mundane utilities.

This... hmm... it's a utility type spell but it feels closer to a Mind Technique in that it effects enemy behaviour. Let me think about this one some more.

Fire Magic: Candle Wisp, +20 BRA, Cost: 10 ENR
Creates a small hovering flame that illuminates a darkened area. Can also be used to set fires, or light actual candles, or can be set to follow a person to act as an impromptu lamp. (uncertain if this should count as persistent).

Mundane Techs cannot be Persistent. Again, because this is more utility, I'm tempted to just say that this is a thing Nemo can do as a smaller part of their fire magic because it hardly seems worth the slot.

String Magic: Surgical Stitch, +20 BRA, Cost: 10 ENR
Didsy or Rae can use surgical thread to perfectly suture a persons wounds, or repair torn textiles. This doesn't really heal, as such, but can staunch the Bleed effect.

Healing Techniques (at the moment) boost on PRE, otherwise this is fine.

Rat Magic: Whisker Aura (Dodge), +20 AGI, Cost: 10 ENR
The Whisker Aura is a very low-level preternatural awareness of one's immediate surroundings. This enables her to sense something about to come into contact with her body within a couple of feet, giving her a split-second advantage to dodge. In combat, this is useful for dodging incoming melee attacks, or slow ranged attacks. Also useful for cautiously navigating dark spaces. (Uncertain if this counts as persistent.)

If you just want this to be like quick flash dodge like a Spider-Sense, then no need to make it Persistent. However, AGI is a Body Stat so this isn't a Spirit Technique. Fortunately, Mundane Slots can go across any Affinity so this shouldn't be an issue.

HONED
Fire Magic: Flame Blasts, +20 PRE/+20 SKI, Cost: 25 ENR
Nemo can project fire like a flame-thrower at a target within a short range, or hurl a fireball at a target within medium range.
-Body Effect: Bleed (Burn) - Any Flame Blast attack has the chance to set the target on fire for persistent damage.

So to get Range you need to knock -10 off the boost. So it would be +15 PRE/+15 SKI. Otherwise fine.

Flesh Magic: Repair, +20 BRA/+20 SKI, Cost: 25
Nemo can use Flesh Magic to repair minor or major wounds, for up to 60 HP.
-Status Effect: This can also grant Regeneration on the Target.

Regeneration is a Body Ability so you would need to multi-slot this to get both healing and Regen. Also, healing is governed by PRE you would be better served to just make it +40 PRE to maximise the effect.

EPIC
Fire Magic: Micro-Nova, +20 STR/+20 PRE, Cost: 75
An Area-of-Effect, high-yield explosion attack. Nemo forms a large sphere of concentrated plasma, then hurls it at the ground, or an opponent, and it detonates on impact.
-Body Effects: Bleed (Burn), Crater

So... if you've done a multislot to get Crater... this would be an Epic Spirit slot + 1 Mundane Body Slot so would be...

Fire Magic: Micro-Nova, +40 PRE (60 - 20 for AoE)/+10 STR (20/2 for Effect Gain), Cost: 75
An Area-of-Effect, high-yield explosion attack. Nemo forms a large sphere of concentrated plasma, then hurls it at the ground, or an opponent, and it detonates on impact.
-Body Effects: Rupture [Burn], Crater

You do mention throwing it so the text implies range which would lower it to +30 PRE but that's a decision you can make.

MIND
1 Mundane

Draw Mana, +20 BRA, Cost: 10 ENR
Strictly speaking, each of Nemo's magical powers has their own recharging technique, but in the realm of Khazan, she finds she is able to draw upon the possibility energies of the Greater Multiverse to directly rejuvenate her abilities. Unfortunately, she has not yet achieved the proper Spark Resonence with said energies, and can only recover a relative sip at a time. She can recover 30 Mastered for herself, or 40 for an ally.

Recovery is Spirit and on PRE so this would need to use a different Slot.

[Nik Hasta]

Ran out of space in the last post.

So, to just run through the above post versus your actual Affinity:

Mundane Techs: 8 - which is one more than you actually have so one Mundane Technique will need to be dropped.
Honed Techs: 2 Body, 2 Spirit - you only have 1 Honed Body Slot so one of those, or you can sacrifice 2 Mundane Techniques and combine those Slots to make a Honed Slot to cover it.
Epic Techs: 1 Body, 1 Spirit - you only have 1 Epic Spirit slot so Jaguar Transformation will need to be cut or you can sacrifice 2 Mundane Techniques, combine them into a second Honed Body Slot and then combine that with your existing Honed Body slot to get an Epic.

So decisions to be made there. Will just respond to Siriel and then will make my pitch about modifying your Traits so we can lighten the load on your Techniques a little here and there.

[Nik Hasta]

I've been half-KO'd most of this week. I'll finish my sheet from what Nik provided (finally) and make a post tomorrow, and try to do better about posting every day (when others have done it anyway). You'd think that after a few months I'd be used to my new schedule, but I keep letting insomnia get the better of me.

Thanks for the update Siriel. As it's like... what... 5:30AM in Canada at the moment, I anticipate that we'll see something from you in the next 12 hours or so.

[Nik Hasta]

Okay, Nemo and Rae's Traits.

TRAITS
LOP-EL COMBO (STR +10/DUR +10) - Nemo's demihuman strength and resilience is reenforced by Rae bracing her body with her prehensile threads. When Nemo is wearing Rae, grant a +10 to strength rolls for both combat and strength-based challenges, and a +10 to durability as an armor effect. If the two are seperated, they lose this bonus.

SOLO RAE (SKI +10/ENR +10) - Rae is a fully separate entity unto herself, animated by her own natural String Magic, and has a mind and voice of her own to pitch in with a given sitution. She can quickly strip herself off Nemo to act on her own. She generally won't do this except for special circumstances, however.

While separated, Nemo and Rae lose their Lop-El Combo Trait Bonuses. Mechanically, every action Rae takes is checked against base stats of 10. Rae takes 200 Mastered ENR from Nemo's pool, and will burn through a minimum of 10 ENR every round, even if she does not use any techniques. Likewise, any damage Rae takes depletes her ENR meter equivalent to however much HP she would have lost.

Okay, so this is a cool concept however, for what you're getting, I think that it feels a bit unfair for you to have to use both Traits to do this and I want to make room to expand the flexibility of String Magic.

I will also note that Rae being at entirely base stats will make them incredibly vulnerable to attacks so separating in combat would be incredibly risky. Just flagging that up. I would also like you explain if it's possible or likely that enemies could tear the two apart, just so I know whether I have the option as GM.

So, I'm giving you permission to fold Rae's separate nature into a single Trait with the small boosts to Nemo's STR. I would also ask that you drop the DUR boost, as Rae is naturally so fragile, it doesn't really make sense for her to be able to provide armour.

This would leave you with an additional Trait slot so I figure you could use this to expand your String Magic to free up some Technique slots, I would pitch the following Trait (keeping the same stat boosts from solo Rae), flavour text is placeholder, I'm more focusing on the mechanics.

STRING MAGIC (+10 SKI/+10 ENR) Nemo's mastery of String Magic is flexible and allows her to meet almost any situation. With the designated "String Magic Invocation" (Honed Technique [Body]), Nemo can apply a Boost to the following stats by choice;

- STR
- AGI
- SPD

Additionally in instances where she chooses to boost STR, these attacks are ranged by default (and so confer a +30 boost rather than +40) and she can also choose any normal combination of Combo Effects (up to two with appropriate chaining) and apply them to her attack.

However, this multi-purpose Technique will have an enhanced cost of +10 ENR to its invocation making it cost 35 ENR per invocation and, as it is a single Honed Technique in of itself it can only be used once per round. Other String Magic based Techniques are not effected by this Trait.

Thoughts?

[Sharpandpointies]

The change I have in mind would only really effect a couple of players

*sighs*

Request permission to redesign my techs when this affects me.

[Nik Hasta]

*sighs*

Request permission to redesign my techs when this affects me.

I'm sorry, I also thought I was done tweaking. Your request is obviously granted haha.

To be clear, players should always take it as read that if I adjust the system mid-game, you are allowed to make reasonable adjustments to your build in response to that. Hopefully this will be the last one. (Though I imagine I'll have some thoughts after the first combat encounter or two.)

Anyhow, I suppose I should outline my thinking and my general direction for this patch.

So, currently Spirit [PRE] governs both HP and Mastered ENR restoration. This makes Spirit Builds uniquely adaptable and very able to manipulate the energy economy very easily, as we have seen with examples like Krys and, more obviously, Arcadia. This leaves Body and Mind kind of out in the cold when it comes to survivability which doesn't seem that fair.

Yes, Body Builds have a lot more HP to play with by virtue of stats that play into HP but ENR is also a great leveller in that you could choose to just build for Spirit and dump some points into Latent ENR and you are now effectively pretty tanky.

So, I want to address that imbalance. Plus, this is also an opportunity for me to tweak the energy economy a little to make it a little less easy just spam a Mundane Tech to complete restore oneself each round.

So, my proposal is as follows:

- Body/STR: Can now include Techniques classified as HP Restoration Techniques. This restoration is halved on the basis of 2 ATK STR : 1 HP Points restored.
- Spirit/PRE: Can still restore both HP and ENR but HP gain is now quartered. While ENR gain remains 1 : 1 when casting on other people, it is halved (1 : 2) when casting upon oneself. Spiritual HP restoration doesn't cure damaging status effects (unless the Technique includes Purge/Purify) and cannot be used to revive an ally who has fallen below zero HP.
- Mind/CHR: Can restore ENR on both self and others at halved rate. Can also be designated as curative Technique to lessen or reduce debuffs or purge individual status effects.


I did consider taking HP completely out of Spirit and just having Mind be curative rather than being able to re-energise but I think this is a better mix. So... it opens healing and restoration out just a little. Buffs Body and Mind, slight nerfs to Spirit.

Thoughts?

[Postmania]

Ouch, that definitely cuts into Jane’s self ENR since healing currently becomes more equivalent to standard recovery rate for players if they don’t use any techniques. But healing others is pretty unchanged and the party will need people to heal others more than ever now so…hmmm

Edit: Wait I misread the way the halving works. That’s not that different then, no reason to change if the halving works only on the technique boost like in the post on the main page I.e, Jane’s would be 60 + 30/2 - 25 or 50 self ENR

[Sharpandpointies]

I'm not so worried about the changes.

Yes, it always feels like the changes impact me, but I feel that's more because my character (and Post's) has been around the longest in some close-to-or-finished form. NOT because I'm being targeted. ^_^

As for the changes, they make perfect sense to me. I'll check my numbers; I know this will impact the healing severely (which is fine, never expected to be a group or self-healer, just having a bit of healing for emergencies that is linked with kicking out status effects), but while it also big-time impacts the Energy recovery...Krys is still getting 30 ENR back every time they use All Things (if PRE is stacked, and it will be the vast majority of the time). And I expect her PRE to rise as I level up, with the potential to put more stacks in it starting at level 2.

It's not broken any more (which, let's be real, it was - Krys was getting back 60 ENR every round while still using any Technique they wanted to use, 120 if they decided to skip techniques and focus on ENR recovery, honestly I was waiting to see when you would start whacking ENR recovery with the nerf bat), but it's still functional. Hasn't been slapped down to worthless or anything. ^_^

[Nik Hasta]

Ouch, that definitely cuts into Jane’s self ENR since healing currently becomes more equivalent to standard recovery rate for players if they don’t use any techniques. But healing others is pretty unchanged and the party will need people to heal others more than ever now so…hmmm

Edit: Wait I misread the way the halving works. That’s not that different then, no reason to change if the halving works only on the technique boost like in the post on the main page I.e, Jane’s would be 60 + 30/2 - 25 or 50 self ENR

Yeah, the idea is to not penalise teamwork but just make it a little harder to have players be completely self-sufficient.

I'm not so worried about the changes.

Yes, it always feels like the changes impact me, but I feel that's more because my character (and Post's) has been around the longest in some close-to-or-finished form. NOT because I'm being targeted. ^_^

As for the changes, they make perfect sense to me. I'll check my numbers; I know this will impact the healing severely (which is fine, never expected to be a group or self-healer, just having a bit of healing for emergencies that is linked with kicking out status effects), but while it also big-time impacts the Energy recovery...Krys is still getting 30 ENR back every time they use All Things (if PRE is stacked, and it will be the vast majority of the time). And I expect her PRE to rise as I level up.

It's not broken any more (which, let's be real, it was - Krys was getting back 60 ENR every round while still using any Technique they wanted to use, 120 if they decided to skip techniques and focus on ENR recovery, honestly I was waiting to see when you would start whacking ENR recovery with the nerf bat), but it's still functional. Hasn't been slapped down to worthless or anything. ^_^

That's a good reaction, we have spoken at some length about my concerns over the ENR economy on PM so I'm not surprised you were expecting some kind of nerf to it.

I'm not sure this fixes everything but it's definitely a lot more balanced.

Also, I think the change to Mind where they can offset and purge debuffs is pretty huge. Playtests definitely ran into the problem of debuffs just hanging around and not feeling too great so I want to create systems wherein they can be purged out.

[Sharpandpointies]

At some point, must consider a trait that offers a third technique action. I'd like to be able to do more than two, if need be, especially with Heat Death possibly running.