Fantasy Nine Billion Names

[Zeth]

1. Yep, we're playing on RPN.
2. Blasphemies are Circle-specific; if you want to combine them from across Circles, tell me what result you're looking for exactly and we'll work something out.
3. You just get the 4 Blasphemies, but you can augment them with Expressions and they grow in power with your Resonance.
4. Weapon damage is a flat value per weapon, + Strength (or other applicable Attributes), + successes rolled on the attack.
5. Correct - 10 Essence for up to 2 dice, but he could always spend 5 and keep the rest for other powers.
6. Essence is recovered at that rate automatically; you can recover it in half the time by harvesting a shrine or tapping some other source.

Questions are good and I know it's a lot to absorb, so don't worry at all about asking.

2. I think I'll just compensate with an Expression and an idea I had for a Martial Art. Knowing now that Expressions scale with Resonance - you've given me an idea! Thank you! Addenda: If a monastic order/temple is located in a Demense of a Noble, are they subjects of the said Noble? Or do orders have to be located in the wilderness in order to maintain their independence?
4. Addenda: Can the flat value be augmented with higher value, effects and properties if a character reforges the weapon via Craft? Are the bonuses thus acquired permanent?

New questions:

7. Whats the difference between Craft and Artisan skills? When translated in my native language, they mean the same - "Craftsman".
8. What is Craft Focus?
9. Can one use molten steel conjured from Steelburn for crafting/forging, or does it dissipate - virtue of it being conjured?
10. Final question: You mentioned demons can have their subsidiary selves as they rise in power/attain property. Is this available for PCs down the line?

Thank you!

 

[Grey]

2. Monasteries can be located more or less anywhere that has been found significant to the purpose, and technically retain their independence when in a Demense because they mostly look after themselves and afford the ruler some prestige just by being there.
4. It may be possible to increase the flat value by reforging, and there any many ways to apply various special effects which may situationally boost damage, and generally those bonuses will be permanent.

7. Artisan is for decorative features, but can also be applied to song and poetry, while Craft always deals in physical objects.
8, The specific kind of Craft a character focuses on - you might have a Focus like Craft: Swordsmithing, for example.
9. I'd allow it, but there are more exotic and powerful substances to be found.
10. Depending on the direction the game takes, it might be. It certainly is when I run Hell-based games centred on noble politicking, so the rules are in my files somewhere.

 

[BlackoutThieving]

Tell me if this is good for a concept:

Gurlash of The First Circle, proud Overseer of the All-Encompassing Red Lakes of The Laoban Monastery, host of the Mass-Arch, a Ceremony for only the most influential creatures of Hell. A Demon of absolute loyalty to The Laoban Monastery, otherwise tasked with the pollution and supervisory of the Lavapools that keep up the Monastery's prominence, has recently found himself without a function, as a renovation was deemed in order. Having done nothing but befoul and contimate the burning lagoons for millenia, his superintendents sought for a worthy task and sent him to spy on a rival monastery. Suddenly, he finds himself welcomed to a journey, much to his dismay, but takes up the mantle of his urges and fears, leading him to embrace the call for adventure.

I think it's funny because he's a poolboy.

 

[Grey]

Good start. I like the joke.
He's a long way from home.

 

[Zeth]

She is complete - or at least...almost. I've snagged by feet at 3 small issues.

Grey sorry for pestering you, but my inexperience strikes again. I've got three questions pertaining to:



1. How do we pick between these three different Focuses and how much do they cost?

Magic Resistance: = Willpower + any special traits

2. What traits would be considered applicable as a component for Magical Resistance?
3. If we have a Martial Art, do we get Bonus Focus - (Weapon) anymore?

I thank you in advance!

 

[Grey]

1. When you raise a Skill to 4, you must pick a Focus. As an example:
Craft 3
- Craft: Swordsmithing 4
- Craft: Armoursmithing 5

Rank 4 costs 3XP, rank 5 is 6XP, rank 6 is 9XP.
You can have as many Focuses as you like - it's always 3XP for the Rank 4 Focus.
So you can choose which of those defensive Focuses you want under your Defense Skill. Pick them based on what feels appropriate to your character - I've not yet ironed out functional differences between them yet.

2. Particular Expressions, in this case. Any Expression which is intended to confer a protection from spells.

3. Because of the way MAs work, you buy the Focus first and it unlocks techniques. But any special Focus already applied can stay.

Spoiler: Defensive Stuff

Something I'm toying with.
A successful use of Evasion allows you to make a free movement.
A successful Parry reduces enemy Defense for a turn.
A successful Block reduces enemy max Combat Pool for a turn.

 

[Zeth]

Lemme get this straight. So...

1. When you raise a Skill to 4, you must pick a Focus. As an example:
Craft 3
- Craft: Swordsmithing 4
- Craft: Armoursmithing 5

Rank 4 costs 3XP, rank 5 is 6XP, rank 6 is 9XP.
You can have as many Focuses as you like - it's always 3XP for the Rank 4 Focus.
So you can choose which of those defensive Focuses you want under your Defense Skill. Pick them based on what feels appropriate to your character - I've not yet ironed out functional differences between them yet.
...

...for an example - Craft is my character's Circle Skill and I spent 13XP to have Craft at 6. How much do I need to expend further XP to get Rank 6 Focus within Craft? If so, is it possible that my character can have superlative skill in Crafting, but just because I don't expend additional XP in Focusing they can't for an example, create a mace or sword as they lack Maceworking or Swordsmithing?

 

[Grey]

Ah, okay, so you should have Rank 3 Craft, and then one Focus from 4 to 6. Focuses are not optional - you always take one or more.
You can use Craft up to 3 for general things; swords, armour, a tin kettle. But the Focus is an area of specialization.
As long as you have at least 1 point of Craft, you can try to make anything.
So you don't need to spend any more XP, just decide what your first Focus is.

 

[Zeth]

Character complete - or at least version 1! I've spent a few hours creating this sheet, so I'll first PM you for preliminary check before posting. I do not have enough trust in my abilities to not screw something up.

 

[Grey]

Going to experimentally tag Teh Frixz

I'll have notes on any adjustments to characters tomorrow, and should have that Martial Art for Garutik by then, too.

 

[EbonChevalier]

Awesome! I'm gonna samba my way through hell!

 

[Grey]

Sorry for the delays; things are a bit crazy at work right now.
If I can stay awake long enough to post the stuff I have for ye after my shift, I'll do so today.

 

[Grey]

Spiderheart

Looks perfectly fine so far. Just need elaboration on the context of their Advantages. Do you want a martial art for them?

EbonChevalier

Looks you spent too many XP on Attributes - about 78, but I may have miscalculated and I'm too tired to run the numbers again.
Tail feathers can give a bonus die when charming or distracting anything that can see them.
Skills are basically fine, but you need to pick Focuses for any Skill over 3.

I think you both overspent a little here or there but it's not enough to be particularly bothersome, so don't stress.

I'll PM Nimani soonish with an evaluation of their numbers.


Rictus are you still interested?
Looks like Beaten Dog might need to be the scroll bearer.

I expect Epiphany might be busy, but since we do have nearly enough to start, perhaps she'd like to tweak Dashen and jump in.

MA for Garutik soon. Tweaking the balance.

 

[EbonChevalier]

Looks you spent too many XP on Attributes - about 78, but I may have miscalculated and I'm too tired to run the numbers again.
Tail feathers can give a bonus die when charming or distracting anything that can see them.
Skills are basically fine, but you need to pick Focuses for any Skill over 3.

I think you both overspent a little here or there but it's not enough to be particularly bothersome, so don't stress.

Okay here are my focuses for my over 3 point skills
Empathy- Reading Emotions
Mingling- Ingratiating my self with local demons
Perform- Dancing
Persuade- Seduction
Languages- A guess a decent grasp of most of hells languages
Athletics- Leaping
Unarmed- I've got full 6 so that would pretty much make me a master of my style and at least one other right?

 

[EbonChevalier]

Looks you spent too many XP on Attributes - about 78, but I may have miscalculated and I'm too tired to run the numbers again.
Tail feathers can give a bonus die when charming or distracting anything that can see them.
Skills are basically fine, but you need to pick Focuses for any Skill over 3.

I think you both overspent a little here or there but it's not enough to be particularly bothersome, so don't stress.

Okay here are my focuses for my over 3 point skills
Empathy- Reading Emotions
Mingling- Ingratiating my self with local demons
Perform- Dancing
Persuade- Seduction
Languages- A guess a decent grasp of most of hells languages
Athletics- Leaping
Unarmed- I've got full 6 so that would pretty much make me a master of my style and at least one other right?

 

[Grey]

Empathy is already about reading emotions, so you might want to zoom in on something like Charm.
Mingling ditto - maybe it should be Party Animal.
Perform - spot on.
Persuade - grand.
Languages - actually, you can spend those somewhere else. Demons are fluent in all languages and I forgot to delete it.
Athletics - Cool, could even go as far as Flight or Gliding.
Unarmed - You've mastered your style and that's that for now.

 

[EbonChevalier]

I got rid of languages and spend 3 of the XP towards administration I put the rest of it towards subterfuge.

 

[Rictus]

Sorry, RL be crazy right now so I been running around like a chicken with my head cut off. I am totally still interested tho!

 

[Grey]

No worries, it's crazy all over right now.
Remember the example characters are available to use, not just as examples.

 

[Spiderheart]

I don't think Beaten Dog would have much use for formalized martial arts, since its fighting style is centered on frenetic shapeshifting. To clarify the Advantages: Perfect Servant functions when putting others' needs before her own; Quiet Slave is named after the god of resentment and treachery from Pillars of Eternity, and unsurprisingly centers on manipulating and deceiving those more powerful than him; and Bloodied but Unbowed functions when they're on her last legs or facing a seemingly-insurmountable task.

 

[Grey]

Ah yes, I did like that god. IIRC the last DLC in Deadfire centers on them but I've yet to go back to it.

 

[Spiderheart]

Nah, Beast of Winter is about the god of entropy and decay. Skaen is a different kind of bastard.

 

[Grey]

Wasn't there a DLC released after that?
The Beast is also a really interesting god - quite enjoyed that questline

 

[Spiderheart]

Maybe Seeker, Slayer, Survivor came after, I don't know. But that one is centered more on Dudebro Artemis.

 

[Grey]

That was pretty good too. IIRC there was a third one where you have to walk around on a god's body (I have this inkliing it was Wael).
Deadfire was a damn fine sequel in my opinion. Deathlike pirate rogue was fun as hell to play.