Shattered Innocence (OOC Thread) [M] )Closed(

[Azlan]

Sorry for being overly dramatic, but its my day of birth and I want to have just one Gandalf moment to myself... before you all resort to the typical passive-aggressive, veiled insults we always do about others' characters.

[Tipod]

Hey, passive-aggressive on the Internet is the only way to go

[ShadesFox]

I keep reading quotes like this in OOC, and then I kind of want to read the IC...

[Azlan]

Heh, it's the truth though... everyone thinks they are the best and strongest, so when someone challenges that illusion we of course blow it off and the worst of us add a veiled insult about the offending character in our responses.

It's 'strewth, if I was to say, "Tyrian is the oldest and obviously the most powerful in sheer magic and power!"  Everyone would laugh and scoff... despite it being true... and continue on their merry way, either ignoring the character's actions or brushing it off like a god swatting a fly with a skyscraper.

I do have a propensity for engaging in monumental scenes though, so I felt a need to apologize.

[Redeyessoul]

Wow ..... I guess I didn't realize how often I was posting, once again got a little carried away.

Sorry about the massive number of actions without much break for others to respond!    Just love playing. 

[Ghostwish]

Happy B-Day Azlan!

[Azlan]

*DOOM!*

[Redeyessoul]

How old are you? 1 billion?

[Corgatha Taldorthar]

I would like to complain about the past series of events.

Heh, it's the truth though... everyone thinks they are the best and strongest, so when someone challenges that illusion we of course blow it off and the worst of us add a veiled insult about the offending character in our responses.

Ok, I'll admit, I have some stake in Kedered being percieved, perhaps not as the toughest or the best, but at least as a competant member of the party.

Now, this chain of violence started when Zanfib, waking up after being healed out of unconsciousness, addresses Kassin by name, someone which he has presumably never seen before. Ked is almsot instantly holding over him with a sword at his neck, demanding to know how he knows them. In the first version of the post, Ked was flung clean out of the room. In this version, he's knocked off balance before he has a chance to react. How long does it take to lower a blade into someone when you're standing over their prone form? About 3/10ths of a second, give or take.

Ked rolls off, shakes himself loose, and counterattacks, this time more forcefully, to have Zanfib basically ignore his abilities. I don't believe that Ked is such a wimp that someone who has just been unconscious not 10 seconds ago! is capable of completely thwarting any attack he can possibly muster up and at the same time utter a taunting and seemingly completely effortless verbal barrage.

Personally, I think it's (expletive of choice) ridiculous, but perhaps I'm biased. I'm not demanding that Kedered be the top dog of the party, but right now, he seems to be that "Blundering stupid guy that makes the rest of the cast look more heroic".

oh, and

How old are you? 1 billion?

Tyrian is 950 I believe.

[Azlan]

I would like to complain about the past series of events.

Ok, I'll admit, I have some stake in Kedered being percieved, perhaps not as the toughest or the best, but at least as a competant member of the party.

Now, this chain of violence started when Zanfib, waking up after being healed out of unconsciousness, addresses Kassin by name, someone which he has presumably never seen before. Ked is almsot instantly holding over him with a sword at his neck, demanding to know how he knows them. In the first version of the post, Ked was flung clean out of the room. In this version, he's knocked off balance before he has a chance to react. How long does it take to lower a blade into someone when you're standing over their prone form? About 3/10ths of a second, give or take.

Ked rolls off, shakes himself loose, and counterattacks, this time more forcefully, to have Zanfib basically ignore his abilities. I don't believe that Ked is such a wimp that someone who has just been unconscious not 10 seconds ago! is capable of completely thwarting any attack he can possibly muster up and at the same time utter a taunting and seemingly completely effortless verbal barrage.

Personally, I think it's (expletive of choice) ridiculous, but perhaps I'm biased.

I do agree that there was some over exaggeration on Ghosty's reactions and level of coherence at that point, but it only proves my point...

oh, and

How old are you? 1 billion?

Tyrian is 950 I believe.

I think Azlan's age was being put to question, to which I can only say... I am fae.

As for Tyrian, his age was intended to be whatever it needed to be to hit about a minimum of a few hundred older than everyone else... so if the other critter ends up older, I can always say that was only the age Ty was willing to admit to.  So even if it turns out to be 25,000 years old... Ty will end up being 25,200 or so.  Everyone has certain themes, and mine is playing the oldest character.  My lawyer's information is available upon request if you feel the need to sue me.

[Redeyessoul]

*impressed whistle*  950?  Well that's quite a good number to have under your belt.  Imagine the cake and candle set up on that!  Maybe like two cakes.  I like that theme of being the eldest, it allows you do so much, but the question is what was that time spent doing? Training or watching or eating cheetos?

Now as for Zanfib, if my two cents means anything, the only precedence I have in mind is an anime reference or two: Gundam Heiro, was able to fool a machine designed to read brainwaves for activity when awake (assuming that they were awesome), moving around and unplugging himself without alarming anyone.  And that's without Psychic powers.  

However this was more impressive in a world without magic.  The Magically enhanced-ness of a cubi or demon as compared to a being here is awesomely overpowering.  Beings suffer endlessly in the hands of either.

Zanfib should be a match for a trained Cubi, if he himself is equally trained.  However I forgot how old Zanfib is and I'm fairly certain that the sheer difference in time spent training would allow Kedered to overcome Zanfib, the fact that Zanfib was unconscious from serious injury moments before aside.

EDIT: Wait a minute, .... Azlan are you in the DMFA comic and it's just been so long that I don't remember the name?  I thought the picture looked familiar!!!  *pre-emptive joy squeal!*

[Noone]

I'll admit, part of that is probably my fault for not responding sooner. I have another train to catch in the morning though, so I'll figure out something after that. Hopefully I won't have to DM-override anything and we'll be able to avoid something like this in the future, but yes, I do certainly see the legitimacy in Corg's claims.

Though, I admit, this set of circumstances may make it difficult to glue Zanfib in...

[Redeyessoul]

Safe Travels!

[Tipod]

To chip in on the whole power thing, it's pretty evident to me that Rafa's the weakest person in the entire group just by virtue of not having any magical ability, and he'd reluctantly admit it. Probably the only major use he'd have is engaging or distracting a group of other, physical-damage focused opponents.

And happy trails, Kob.

[Lisky]

Actually tip, i'd say you'd be the strongest in any stand up, toe to toe fight... hardening skin and razer sharp claws... unlike garis, who has to fight fast and get out, Rafe can stay in a fight, meaning once he gets in close, unless it's another demon, he's got the upper hand... i see this less as a numbers game, and more like a game of chess... each character has their advantages in certain styles of combat...

[Ghostwish]

Allright, look, I understand everyone here wants to be the most powerful character ever, and that's fine by me, but one thing yall keep saying is irking me quite a bit..

What the heck makes you think recent unconscious is going to affect Zanfib in any manner or form? Was I not clear enough in stating that he is a PSION? As in, a MASTER OF THE MIND? Shall I go further to say that his mental fortitude could very well be greater than anyone else's in the party, maybe even go out on a limb and say that perhaps he could well recover from trauma much faster than the present party, seeing how that is his forte and the sole-focus of his abilities? He is not a fighter! Not a spell-caster! He is a psion, through and through. I've observed in many fantasy/sci-fi environments that if a true psion isn't cut in half, dismembered, or dead, physical damage will not impede their abilities, at least not in the case of someone who is at least somewhat competent in exerting their will upon reality. Because a little pain here or there pushing a psion's ability off the deep-end is about the same as lopping the arm off a fighter, or interrupting a spellcaster's link to magic. It's a game-over. A psion is nothing, and I mean not even dick-squat without his concentration.

Or are we just going to force everyone to play over-powered creatures for the sake of balance? Because that also seems like what a fair few of you are suggesting.

That does it. I'm inventing a cubi-killing gun.

Edit: And then I go and pull a bad, because in my rant I forgot one crucial part.

'addresses Kassin by name, someone which he has presumably never seen before'

Don't assume. That adventurer isn't the only one with one of those pamplets.

[Azlan]

I almost sympathize with Ghosty, then I remembered his Sweeping Darkness character... playing an over powerful creature in a game of beings... but anyways, this ranting is not conducive to anything, so tone it down.

I would have to stand on the side of 'cubi in regards to the strength of mental abilities, beings just have the short end of the stick, their only advantage is numbers.  A stand alone being has no chance against a decent creature, hence why adventurers band together.  The world of Furrae is not designed for balance, and to that I say "tough titty said the kitty as the milk ran dry".  I cannot endorse any attempt to make a single being equal to creatures without the use of firearms and excessive technology.  Sorry, too bad, so sad that is just the way it is.

Since psions don't exist on furrae, I cannot endorse their use.  In every game system I have seen psionic based characters, they suffer from the same conditions as everyone else, including mind effecting ones... though they have a significant higher bonus to saves against mental conditions/effects... but I would think you are over-exaggerating.

I support neither Corg nor Ghosty in this.   

[Noone]

I was hoping to put this whole dispute business off until I had some time to settle down, I think what I'm going to do this time is just to let it slide, though, I would really really really prefer it if we don't have a repeat incident in the future.

What the heck makes you think recent unconscious is going to affect Zanfib in any manner or form? Was I not clear enough in stating that he is a PSION? As in, a MASTER OF THE MIND?

Even if it doesn't make sense in your mind, due to that you know your character better than the rest of us, I still hope you can understand why some might view said actions with suspicion. I think it's assumed that Zanfib (and Kshar) were grievously wounded and would have died without Kassin's aid. Generally, near-death experiences take quite a toll on the person involved, immediate recovery in less than a minute, especially to go into fighting form... doesn't seem very realistic, at least, that's my perception of Corg's point of view. I don't see a mentalist being impervious to injury or extreme trauma. There are also extents to which magical healing applies, and I'm pretty sure that recovery, especially from one being so close to dying, wouldn't be immediate. If I recall, the others weren't completely coherent after recovery either.
Not to mention, I don't think getting violent was the best way of getting you into the party, I strain to come up with a realistic way as to how the others would ever trust your character. Besides, I would  think a person with a blade right at his throat would be afraid, especially after what he had just been through.
But really, all I'm asking here is to take the view-point of the person issuing his complaint. Putting myself in his shoes, I certainly see his concerns as legit.

Or are we just going to force everyone to play over-powered creatures for the sake of balance? Because that also seems like what a fair few of you are suggesting.

Far from it, actually, when I take characters into consideration, I certainly don't judge it based entirely on how well they fight, and I certainly did not figure players attacking each other into my calculations. Regardless, beings do have quite a few advantages over non-being characters, largely because beings are generally more well received in Ithralia and Thularians won't try to kill them on sight, which certainly has it's advantages. In fact, being able to get near Thularians and read their minds without them trying to attack you might prove to be very useful when facing off against them. Generally, I try to make open fights avoidable or extremely easy, Nicha and the two adventurers were the only 'forced fights' in my notes for a while, which, they were quite easy to realistically beat, and were there more for plot advancement than anything else.
When I consider balance, I try to factor in everything. Actually, as far as beings are concerned, they would have a distinct advantage over creatures in your current instance, I don't think it would be too much of a spoiler to say that Kshar is soon going to find him/her self on that bounty list, whereas Zanfib would not. There, is a simple easy advantage of simply having a being character, since they could walk into various towns without having everyone with a ready weapon try to kill them.
What I'm really trying to say I guess, is that there is more to a character than 'how powerful?'.

I'm not going to penalize anyone for this little mess, as I prefer mercy over vengeance, and don't see the latter as productive. Just pleeeeeease try to understand what caused this mess and how to avoid it in the future.
With that, let's resume.

[Redeyessoul]

Had a bit of trouble with the internet connection earlier.  Sorry about the slow response time.  And very soon my husband has to use the computer for other things, most likely for the rest of the night.  I'm having so much fun. 

now would be a great time for a chase scene, lol.  dragon descends from the sky and what not  eeehehehhe

[Redeyessoul]

What's the deal with thought-readings?

I assumed that:
thoughts that were directed could not be heard by others
coloration was meant to be what a particular person experiences
that everyone who is cubi could and was shielding their thoughts

[Corgatha Taldorthar]

Ultimately, it's up to Kobra, to decide what is and isn't legit, but I was under the impression that any "loud" thought would be passively picked up by a 'Cubi unless he was shielded. A loud thought is something that is roiling on the thinker's mind, and if it's in Italics, it's probably fair game.

For his own usage, Kedered (There isn't an N in Kedered, why do people keep putting that N in there!?!?!one) doesn't employ a mind shield, as he likes to communicate back and forth with other 'Cubi through low level telepathy. (He consideres it somewhat beneath him to have to talk, but necessary for dealing with non-'Cubi. For a 'Cubi he'd rather telepathically communicate than actually speak) However he's extremely disciplined in what he allows to rise to the surface, so unless one makes a dedicated probe, it's going to be hard to read him.

[Redeyessoul]

Excellent ...

Now I just need to keep this in mind when writing
And thank goodness for the Demonology 101 Cubi Abilities. 

[Azlan]

Tough times at work at the moment... I apologize for the delays this has caused and may cause.  Hopefully the weekend will give enough free time to be able to post in a timely fashion.

[Noone]

I kind of think with directed thoughts anyways, that they can be 'wiretapped' by a mentalist, sort of how phone calls can get intercepted. I kind of assumed that Zanfib, Garis, and Kedered had some mental protection. I wouldn't think that a budding cubi would be mind shielded though (Dan wasn't), so, I don't see anything wrong with your thoughts being read.
On the subject of 'feeding' thoughts, I would think it would work the same way emotion jamming would, or at least be very similar, aka, it can be done to another mind-reader, but not to someone who can't read thoughts. (Like Eilan, Kassin, or Kyirri). I'd say Kshar would be a special case, since she seems to be attaining her cubi abilities, but ultimately that one is up to the player on whether she can have thoughts fed to her. I think it would be a pretty big boon to be able to have that.

[Redeyessoul]

Kshar is completely unprotected.  She doesn't understand what it is to be a Cubi.  So everything she's been thinking has practically been screamed at the top of her lungs.  Now I wonder if anyone has placed any manner of shielding on Kassin or the others ... It can be done according to the Demo101, I'm just wondering who else Kshar would pick up on.

[Noone]

Kassin, Kyirri, and Eilan don't have mind shields. Eilan's learned how to put up fake thoughts as a means of protecting himself, though such a method isn't perfect and he can slip up under stress.

[Azlan]

Eilan has two swords, so he likes to dance the blades too... I like him

[Redeyessoul]

I like your conversation with the light bulb

[Azlan]

I like your conversation with the light bulb

Hehe, I like randomness at times.

[Redeyessoul]

I like it too.  "Foamy Quantum space" Classic 


You know ... I was thinking earlier ... Fae aren't allowed because of godmoding ... it's what they do most of the time.  But then I was reading back over the races page of DMFA main page stuff and remembered that the Fae have rules they live by while interacting with different planes of existence.  So if enough rules were laid on one a Fae could potentially play and not muck up the situation.  However if your basic game play wouldn't make sense with the Undead there is a good chance that it won't be too grand to have them around for a reason other than GodModing.