this is a thread to attract SE4 forumers to the first Dungeon Oddessy roleplay thread

[Jack Simth]

Ah, you mean to get around being at the center of the bLast? Possibly doable, but modern nuclear reactors don't have internal detonations - they accelerate radioactive decay and use the radiation to heat water in order to drive a steam engine, which is hooked up to an electric generator.

Of course, having the power generation in a building (a fixed location) would be a decidedly limiting factor on how much territory a mage relying on it could control, wouldn't it? Also, it would be a pretty major undertaking, as the physical building needs to be constructed, enchanted to absorb the useable energy, and enchanted to withstand the unuseable energy - likely without a major power source during construction. It would probably end up being a guild installation, not under the control of any one mage.

Interesting thought.

[narf poit chez BOOM]

and if the alchemists and psionic's learn that the mage's guild is going to get more powerfull, they may have problems.

way i've been thinking, mage's are most powerfull in this world, but there's no real reason. on the other hand, two guild's just as powerfull, no real conflict...could be a good solution. both other guild's lean on the mage's to forget the whole thing...at least, until they find out a way to boost there power.

unfortuenatly, the only thing i can think of for psionic's is crystal's and my sense of cliche's doesn't like that.

[Jack Simth]

Originally posted by narf poit chez BOOM:
and if the alchemists and psionic's learn that the mage's guild is going to get more powerfull, they may have problems.

way i've been thinking, mage's are most powerfull in this world, but there's no real reason. on the other hand, two guild's just as powerfull, no real conflict...could be a good solution. both other guild's lean on the mage's to forget the whole thing...at least, until they find out a way to boost there power.

Impregnate a structure with enough damping dust and the mages' guild can scarecly do a thing about it. Coat an explosive potion in damping dust and the mages' guild can't touch it nor see it coming magically.

And remember, the process started out as alchemy, with the full release of energy (5% of the mass - that's about five times the release of a normal nuke, per pound of active material) - the alchemists could take out a reactor quite easily, as it uses the principals of alchemy.

Hang on - Psionicists are immune to alchemical defenses; mages have spells that block psionics, and alchemists make powder that neutralize magic. Skilled/powerful of each can get around the restrictions (mage overloads dust, psi catches mage off gaurd, alchemist uses exploding potions), but still - it's a rock/paper/scissors situation, isn't it? That could lead to a balance quite quickly; psionicists aren't a threat to the mages' guild, but the mages' guild will hire them if need be to get the alchemists off their back. The mage's guild has good reason to keep the psionicists available, and aren't threatend by them. The alchemists' guild isn't threatened by the mages' guild, but will hire them if need by to get the psionicists off their back. The alchemists have good reason to keep the mages available. The psionicists aren't threatened by the alchemists, but will hire them to get the mages' guild off their backs if need be, and so has good reason to keep the alchemists available. Hmm....

Originally posted by narf poit chez BOOM:
unfortuenatly, the only thing i can think of for psionic's is crystal's and my sense of cliche's doesn't like that.

Some ideas:

Hive mind: similar to a circle of mages, but for telepaths. Increses the functional distance of psionic effects and their power (harder to resist mental influence, more mass can be moved via telekenisis, et cetera), as well as pooling abilities, knoweledge, and skill from those involved in the hive mind.

Mindswap: A forbidden practice used by some skilled telepaths to prolong life. The psi trades bodies with the victim, keeping all abilities of the target based on physiology, but not their skills, memories, nor abilities based on mental ability.

Borrow skill: The psi temporarily borrows a skill from the target. Using the skill requires an active telepathic connection to the target, but it does not inherently alert the target to the psi's presence.

Lend skill: The psi temporarily lends a skill to the target. Using the skill requires an acive telepathic connection to the target.

Learn skill: The psi learns a skill from a target, without the target's knowledge. Requires telepathic contact with the target, but the learned skill is permanent. The time required to learn a skill depends on the complexity of the skill, the skill level of the target, and the skill level of the psi.

Teach skill: The psi teaches a skill to the target. Requires telepathic contact with the target, but the learned skill is permanent. The time required to teach a skill depends on the complexity of the skill and the skill level of the psi.

Rider: The psi can hitch a ride inside another's mind. The psi is limited to their own psionic or magical abilities for information, communication, or action, and does not have access to the target's memories, skills, senses, actions, et cetera unless the psi would be able to do so under normal circumstances via psionics or magic. Hitching a ride on another requires that the target be in telepathic contact with the psi when the ride is hitched; after that, the psi is not present in his/her body, and uses the target as the base for any range determination, including getting back into the psi's original body or jumping to another host.

Borrow senses: similar to borrow skill; the psi sees what the target sees, feels what the target feels, hears what the target hears, et cetera. This is limited to physical senses only; for psionics, see relay.

Lend senses: similar to borrow senses; the target gains access to all the psi's senses that the psi cares to lend.

Relay: allows a psi to act as a relay for another psi's abilities, allowing the distant psi to use their abilities as though they were at the relay's location. Multiple relays can be used. The psi whose abilities are being relayed must be within the relay's range.

Psionic projection: allows a psi to separate from their body, and travel without it. The body is unoccupied while the psi is away. The psi's skill determines how long the psi can go without a body, and how long the psi's body can go without a mind. The psi can rest as a rider, above, if the psi has that ability. While projecting, the psi can only interact with the normal world via psionic abilities or magic, as per rider, above.

Clairvoyance: The ability to see at a distance. Very useful for riders or projectors.

Claiaudiance: The ability to hear at a distance. Very useful for riders or projectors.

Clair(other): Of course there is one of these to match each base sense, but I don't remember all the names....

Psychometry: The art of learning the past of an object, person, or place available to the psi. Skill determines how far into the past the psi can read, power determines how close the target has to be to qualify as available.

Possess: A forbidden practice. The psi takes full control of the target, including the target's senses, skills and abilities (mundane, magic, or psionic). The victim does not remember anything from the moment of possession to the moment of release.

Imprint: The psi can imprint a memory or message into a physical object, which is then easily read by any psi with psychometry (similar to reading and writing, but for psi's only and based primarily on memory; any sense impression or thought can be imprinted).

Dreamwalk: Allows a psi to use any of their abilities normally under concious control while sleeping or unconcious (but not if killed).

[ September 02, 2003, 06:41: Message edited by: Jack Simth ]

[narf poit chez BOOM]

hmm...

Hive mind: similar to a circle of mages, but for telepaths. Increses the functional distance of psionic effects and their power (harder to resist mental influence, more mass can be moved via telekenisis, et cetera), as well as pooling abilities, knoweledge, and skill from those involved in the hive mind.

more cliche than crystal's

Mindswap: A forbidden practice used by some skilled telepaths to prolong life. The psi trades bodies with the victim, keeping all abilities of the target based on physiology, but not their skills, memories, nor abilities based on mental ability.

i don't really want to turn psionic's evil.

Borrow skill: The psi temporarily borrows a skill from the target. Using the skill requires an active telepathic connection to the target, but it does not inherently alert the target to the psi's presence.

see above.

Lend skill: The psi temporarily lends a skill to the target. Using the skill requires an acive telepathic connection to the target.

used in a 'hivemind' way, is less cliche. possible.

Learn skill: The psi learns a skill from a target, without the target's knowledge. Requires telepathic contact with the target, but the learned skill is permanent. The time required to learn a skill depends on the complexity of the skill, the skill level of the target, and the skill level of the psi.

still don't want to turn them evil.

Teach skill: The psi teaches a skill to the target. Requires telepathic contact with the target, but the learned skill is permanent. The time required to teach a skill depends on the complexity of the skill and the skill level of the psi.

used in a 'hivemind' way, is less cliche. possible.

Rider: The psi can hitch a ride inside another's mind. The psi is limited to their own psionic or magical abilities for information, communication, or action, and does not have access to the target's memories, skills, senses, actions, et cetera unless the psi would be able to do so under normal circumstances via psionics or magic. Hitching a ride on another requires that the target be in telepathic contact with the psi when the ride is hitched; after that, the psi is not present in his/her body, and uses the target as the base for any range determination, including getting back into the psi's original body or jumping to another host.

well, it wouldn't be evil if the target agrees. somewhat cliche'd

Borrow senses: similar to borrow skill; the psi sees what the target sees, feels what the target feels, hears what the target hears, et cetera. This is limited to physical senses only; for psionics, see relay.

we could include that in skills.

Lend senses: similar to borrow senses; the target gains access to all the psi's senses that the psi cares to lend.

same.

Relay: allows a psi to act as a relay for another psi's abilities, allowing the distant psi to use their abilities as though they were at the relay's location. Multiple relays can be used. The psi whose abilities are being relayed must be within the relay's range.

and if the mage trying to sense the psi sensed the psi who was sending and not the relay's, would make a great stealth attack. might wreck our rock-paper-scisser's. not very cliche. otherwise, fodder. evil.

Psionic projection: allows a psi to separate from their body, and travel without it. The body is unoccupied while the psi is away. The psi's skill determines how long the psi can go without a body, and how long the psi's body can go without a mind. The psi can rest as a rider, above, if the psi has that ability. While projecting, the psi can only interact with the normal world via psionic abilities or magic, as per rider, above.

ok, cliche'd but i like it anyway. more possiblilities: stealth look around and attack, nearly invulnerable, um...can get through most protections. might unbalance rock-paper-scissers. actually, some of this stuff might be more usefull against alchemists. i don't think there's much a psi can do against an alchemist or vice-versa. well, an alchemist could use potions which alter their mind's characteristics. but, while their 'stealthed' in various ways, a psi could unbalance an alchemists potions. maybe telekinisis would be very hard if stealthed to make up for it?

Clairvoyance: The ability to see at a distance. Very useful for riders or projectors.

the psi we were fighting had that; i was calling it clairaudience.

Claiaudiance: The ability to hear at a distance. Very useful for riders or projectors.

ah well. guess she has both.

Clair(other): Of course there is one of these to match each base sense, but I don't remember all the names....

let's not do telling the future. i don't want to do that whole 'fate or free will'.

Psychometry: The art of learning the past of an object, person, or place available to the psi. Skill determines how far into the past the psi can read, power determines how close the target has to be to qualify as available.

sounds good. cliche'd, but i still like it. well, i like cliche'd stuff to, i just try to aviod it if i'm writing the stuff. doesn't mean i'm going to force the rp to avoid it.

Possess: A forbidden practice. The psi takes full control of the target, including the target's senses, skills and abilities (mundane, magic, or psionic). The victim does not remember anything from the moment of possession to the moment of release.

i really don't want to do the whole 'psi are evil' storyline.

Imprint: The psi can imprint a memory or message into a physical object, which is then easily read by any psi with psychometry (similar to reading and writing, but for psi's only and based primarily on memory; any sense impression or thought can be imprinted).

good. not cliched at all, ran into it once i think and less complex Version's a few times.

Dreamwalk: Allows a psi to use any of their abilities normally under concious control while sleeping or unconcious (but not if killed).

good. a little cliche'd.

and there's me, monosylabic. oops.

[Jack Simth]

Much of the stuff you object to on ethical grounds changes as soon as the psi has permission (as you noticed on the rider); If I obtain permission from you beforehand about borrowing your medical skills every now and then so there will be a doctor nearby, perhaps paying you for the priviledge, then borrowing your medical skills hurts nothing. Ditto for learning a skill in such a manner; it then becomes similar to paying an instructor, but less time consuming for both. Further, it allows for multigenerational preservation of knoweledge, much like writing.

As for those that are unethical under virtually any circumstances, well, some things are forbidden, and only criminals do them. That is one of the primary functions of the psionics guild - enforcing such rules for the protection of those who can't defend themselves, much as modern police enforce 'don't shoot people unless in self-defense' for the protection of those who don't carry guns. It might be interesting to be hired by the guild to help track down a psi in violation. Can you imagine how hard it would be to track down a mindswapper, or a rider who routinely uses possesion? You'd need a police rider with you to scan potential victims.

As for things that are cliche, well, yes, a lot of things are. It's tricky to come up with something that is both new and widely useful. Sure, you can have a geokenetic, who can controls earthquakes, but that is pretty much just destructive, and wide area. About the only thing you can do with it is destroy things, perhaps prevent earthquakes. Great for blackmailing the local nobility and merchants, but that's about it; you can't really risk being caught in your own earthquake.

As for the rock-paper-scissors balance, simply make anything that would be unbalancing as a difficult task limited to the most skilled. For instance, we've already established that enough energy will penetrate damping dust - highly skilled/powerful magic can beat standard alchemy. Jack's mention of the origins of burning lead on his own plane imply that a highly skilled alchemist can indirectly cast spells - perhaps the magical mind block. By psionically projecting, a skilled psi can get past magical mind shielding on an area. Thus, a highly skilled psi can beat a standard mage, a highly skilled mage can beat a standard alchemist, and a highly skilled alchemist can beat a standard psi. The rock/paper/scissors only applies when the skill is about even. A highly skilled alchemist can make a mind block potion, sure, but a highly skilled psi can project in under that defense. However, when a highly skilled psi tries that on a highly skilled mage, the psi discovers that the mage gridded the psi defenses, rather than making it a stationary bubble, so that even after the psi has projected inside, the psi can't do anything as the psi is limited to effects that operate in litttle one inch cubes. A highly skilled mage can overload damping dust, but a highly skilled alchemist can make damping dust that can't be overloaded nearly as easily. At high skill levels, the balance is again restored.

Oh, and a psi could always telekenetically throw stuff around at random to mess up an alchemist. Imagine what happens to the poor alchemist who doesn't have defenses against psionics but maintains exploding potions.

[narf poit chez BOOM]

i'll do a real rundown when i wake up. few hours.

[Krsqk]

New post is up. I had company come Fri. before I was able to get on, so I was delayed. Evil minions of Sauron. I don't mind having psis be evil. I don't see it as psis with evil powers, but evil psis with powers. Most would be good (or at least restrained/compelled by the good ones/the guild), a few would be rogues and/or criminals, much like our current society. I would classify the psi we just fought as evil, although she might not label herself as that.