Result = 5; standard success
Arabella steps sideways to a point that gives her an unobstructed line of sight to the colorful creature she had at first thought was a seagull. No seagull, this; not even a bird. Some kind of reptile with wings, a mini-dragon, perhaps. Arabella's scientific studies have not focused on biology except for the medical and physiological synergistic connections to the bioenergetics fields. Her knowledge of magical beasts is even more dependent on the tall tales of eccentric adventurers. It seems harmless enough and the boy's guardian(?) seems on hand to attend to whatever risks might surface.
"Opportunity," Arabella thinks, and quickly pulls her goggles over her eyes, flipping down the yellow-red glasses to filter out the extra blue light reflecting from the humid air and bright sun, while simultaneously turning a knurled wheel mostly hidden in the ornate brass frame holding the goggles together. A quick check of those nearest her confirms that everyone is focused on the creature. Arabella thinks the word "synergize," a trigger word that instantly shuts out external stimuli long enough to draw a bioenergetic synergy pulse into her forehead chakra and project it out and right back into her forehead, attempting to give herself the same boost to physical sensataion sensitivity she gave to Marko a few moments ago.
Result = snake-eyes.
"Bloody Hell!"
Connor's eyes widen, first in worry, and then in excitement, as the small creature lets go of its hold on the mast and begins swooping through the air. An excitement and sense of belonging unlike anything he's ever felt fills his heart as the dragon settles down so very close to him.
"Hi," he breathes. "I'm Connor. What's your name?"
Before he can reach out to it, strong as the desire is, it launches from the mast. His eyes follow it best they can despite his body's relative inability to turn from its current predicament. Leaping down he cautiously approaches the creature again, worried that it might fly off for good. Noticing for the first time the amount of people on the deck, Connor's anxiety builds, knowing that such a creature might be scared off. The idea of someone else startling away his new friend fills him with incredible rage.
The other bigs no longer a concern -- at least for the moment -- she contemplates the sounds the little-big made just before she flitted to safety.
Con. Nor.
She watches him jump down from the not-tree and awkwardly clamber up the boxes towards her. So clumsy, bigs are.
Angry.
Her eyes widen and she leaps backward several feet as a tidal wave of emotion washes over her. A moment of panic before she realizes the little-big's fury isn't directed at her.
Despite the intensity of his ire, she takes a cautious step towards him as he reaches her box. And then she takes another, stretching out her neck and sniffing the air as he comes within touching distance.
"Crzkt?"
There's only another half-dozen or so people on this side of the ship that noticed the mini-dragon, and they're all keeping their distance.
All eyes that are on the boy and the small creature are momentarily diverted by the expletive exclamation of the gorgeous woman with the ornate goggles.
Arabella :
(You were very lucky!) You are momentarily stunned as your device delivers a very small bioenergetic shock. [In game terms nothing happened. On a Success you would have been Shaken, which in melee you'd have to roll for to recover from. If there had been a Raise, you'd have also dropped a die value in your Notice for some time.]
Everyone with an Arcane Background, please post your current Power Points (excuse me, "bioenergetic energy pool" or whatever :) as you use them - Arabella, I think you're down to 8 now?
People who happen to already be looking your way when it happened would see multi-colored arcs of "light" flying all around your head for a second. Everyone else who looks after your exclamation sees your hair all frizzy, with little curls of smoke here and there. You hear titters of laughter all around.
Trying to use it again, you discover that you'll need to do some repairs on it before it will work again. You can try an immediate repair at -2, or for no penalty when you have at least a quiet hour to fiddle with it.
After such a boring trip, excitement now seems to be happening in 3's, as everyone hears some seaman shout out "Land ho! Off the port bow!", and anyone who looks can see the edge of a mountain range just peeking over the horizon to the left of the direction you're traveling.
Most everyone goes to grab their things, which for most of you simply involves getting the single bag you were allowed in your tiny cabins.
If anyone shipped anything larger in storage, please let me know.
By the time people start to gather back on deck, the ocean has given way to a strip of land stretching across the horizon in front of you.
Your new home!
Ignoring the shouting and commotion of shuffling feet, Connor slowly reaches a hand forward towards the small dragon, intending to touch its head. Doubt sets in as he's mere inches away, and he considers pulling back his hand. Before he can decide to, the little creature closes its eyes and pushes its head against his hand.
As if struck by a bolt of energy, Connor's body reels back, though more from shock than any actual pain, and he stares at the small dragon with wide eyes, the gears in his brain turning quickly to make sense of something unseen. His eyes well up with tears, though whether it's from joy or sorrow, even he's not entirely certain. "I'm alone, too." he says quietly.
Pulling back from his hand, the dragon looks up at him, and moves her tail as if to point to herself. As a voice fills his mind, Connor's eyes widen again. "WindDancer?" he thinks in response, hoping that he can share thoughts as easily as she can. Her reaction suggests that he can. Feeling somewhat stunned from everything that has happened, Connor blinks several times, as the dragon shoves her head against his hand again. He subconsciously strokes her, and swears he hears a low rumble, before realising that the dragon is purring.
Moving slowly, he picks her up, cradling her like a baby in the crook of one arm, as he turns and stares at the land in the distance, before looking back down at her with a smile.
She relishes the contact, wrapping her tail around his arm and snuggling against the little-big.
Against... her little-big. Against Con-nor.
When she catches sight of the continent, he feels her body stiffen briefly. Before he can react she surges up his chest and takes a position standing on his shoulder, tail wrapped gently around his neck.
Despite the comfort of being with Con-nor, the lack of solid ground beneath her is unnerving. She stretches up as far as she can and looks towards land. She's never seen it from the water -- at least not from this far out -- and the very tip of her tail twitches in excitement at the sight.
Home.
Result = 14, success + 2 raises
A nimbus of multicolored hues flicker momentarilly around Arabella's head, providing a mild shock and leaving her hair frizzed out. Stiffling a cry, Arabella reels and turns away from the crowd and steps behind a life-raft while she recovers her wits. "Well, that was awkward. Must have let the feedback damper get out of position."
Arabella removes the now non-functioning goggles and slips them in her cloak pocket before stepping back out to observe the crowd.
With land in sight and people talking about disembarking soon, Arabella swears to herself and strolls up to the tall white-hair.
Arabella smoothes her hair down before standing next to Azander and addressing him when he looks at her:
Mr. Blanche. I'm Emma. I'd like a word with you in private before we disembark. Might I meet you at your room in 15 minutes? I have a business proposition that may be mutually beneficial to us both."
"Emma" does the same with Marko and Alexander, referring to them as Mr. Montalvo and Mr. Taarnfalk, respectively. She directs Marko to Azander's room. Whether or not she has been formally introduced, she knows their names; she has been boosting her notice and eavesdropping in on their conversations from time to time. Maybe they noticed or maybe they didn't.
(If anyone wants to make Notice or Spirit rolls, go ahead. Alex, good luck! :)
If no one objects or comments by tomorrow (Tuesday) morning *real-time*, let's pick this up assuming everyone requested is present in Azander's room.
In case Alex gets the wrong idea, Arabella will make it clear she wants him to bring Connor (whom she refers to by name and as "your exceptionally gifted charge") and his new ... friend, as matters discussed will affect him/them.
Intrigued by the lovely woman's proposition, Alexander bowed slightly, tipping his hat. "It will be my - our - pleasure to attend, miss...?" He wouldn't be so uncouth as to refer to her by her first name, of course - he doesn't know her at all!
But I'd certainly like to, he thought, watching her leave appreciatively. Turning, he saw that Connor had managed to capture the flying lizard after all. Maybe that will calm him down. He's been a bit unmanageable of late.
"Good lad. Come along, Connor," he said briskly, not bothering to fetch his belongings - the large chest he had brought was better seen to by a pair of porters, in any case. "Fetch your things and get ready to disembark. We have an appointment with a lady before we go, and you mustn't keep a lady waiting." He eyed the lizard; it really did look astonishingly like the dragons he had seen paintings and drawings of. Well, at least it didn't appear vicious. "You can bring along your new friend, dragon tamer. Maybe you'll impress someone." He ruffled Connor's hair affectionately, then gave him a gentle push to get him moving.
Alex was glad Connor seemed to like the little creature; tormenting or beating animals was, in his opinion, a pastime for the lower classes. A good kid like Connor should be above that nonsense. He's just been so troubled of late. Elise never told me what a handful he is! Well, alright, maybe she did. But who knew she was being serious? In any case, it looked like he wouldn't have to reprimand the boy for rough handling of the beast. Small mercies, he thought. This trip has been trying enough.
Connor is pleased to find that Alexander isn't upset with him for keeping the dragon. Obviously he wouldn't have gotten rid of it no matter what he was told, but it was nice to not have to worry about hiding her.
"We are going to go see my room," he thinks to her as he reluctantly walks away from the distant island. Imagining her flying about the island like a guardian, he hopes that being indoors won't bother her too much. "It will be quick." he promised.
While the idea of attending a meeting with Alexander would ordinarily seem boring - after all, grownups had their own language and talked about things of little interest to him - he was pleased to have a friend with him to play with.
Arabella makes an attempt to fix her goggles while she waits for the group to assemble. She tries to stay out of sight, but where she can check on the room for new arrivals. She wants to be the last one to arrive.
Result = 4-2 = 2, no success.
Result = 7 (Target Number for Notice checks to spot her skulking in a nearby hall)
Once everyone is present, Arabella puts her goggles back around her neck and makes her entrance. She encourages everyone to sit as room allows and she remains standing near the hatch.
"Hello everyone. My name is Emma. ... Emma Watson," she adds, with a glance at Alex and a sly smile. "Thank you so much for hearing my proposal. Even if you decline, I appreciate your open-mindedness. I'm sure you are all anxious to get packed and off this floating tin can, so I'll get right to the point. I find myself in need of help. Forgive me, but I've spent much of this journey getting to know the passengers by eavesdropping on conversations. I am in a spot of trouble, you see, and I was not sure whom I could trust. I believe you all possess skills that could be helpful to me and each other; some of you, like me, have your own secrets," glances at Marko and then at Connor,"and all of you are also openminded enough to know that there is more to the world than the experts guiding us into the glorious new age of steam seem to realize. But let me start at the beginning of my story.
"I was orphaned at age 12. My father was an engineer and scientist and my mother an expert in Eastern philosohy and religion. As an only child, I absorbed much of their knowledge and wisdom, but they had so much more to teach me. Fortunately, I became the ward of another engineer scientist who not only provided for my needs, he taught me valuable lessons about science and he encouraged my exploration of my mother's passion for the Eastern idea that there exists an energy in all life forms which can be tapped and utilized.
"Long story short, after graduating from Oakbridge, I bought some crystals from the continent we are about to step onto. They had remarkable sensitivity to what I call bioergonic synergies. I incorporated them into my device for harvesting bioergonic synergies and distributing them to boost biological, mental, even spiritual abilities. I showed my invention," she touches her ornate brass goggles, with several crystals attached and some knobs and switches along the top and sides, "to one of the leading professors at the school. He encouraged me to confide in him and share my notes and such. That was a big mistake."
"This professor stole my ideas, published a paper, and simultaneously tried to get me imprisoned by planting evidence that made it look like I had embezzled money from some of the wealthy investors who regularly support his research. I saw no way I could prove my innocence, particularly with the distinguished nature of those accusing me, having no money for a lawyer, and no one of standing who could vouch for my character. So I grabbed what I could, bought a few things with what little money I have," she paused, drew the door to the cabin closed, and continued, "and boarded this ship under an assumed name."
"Forgive me for lying about my name, but I wanted to be sure my identity was not discovered before we could lose ourselves in the relative obscurity of life in this new world. My real name is Candace Steele. And in case anyone is fond of nicknames, I abhor being called Candy, so please use Candace when we are not in earshot of strangers."
"So my proposal is this. Please accompany me and help me find more of these crystals. I need to continue my research and prove my theories without fighting false accusations and possibly ending up in prison. In return, I will use my device to help you accomplish your goals. Even if you don't want to help me find more crystals, I would ask that you allow me to accompany you all in persuing your goals. There are many dangers in this place, and your fighting skills will undoubtably prove essential to survival." Arabella glances at Azander and Alexander. "I suspect, based on your unusual vocabulary, that Mr. Montalvo here knows some of the arcane arts, which can only be helpful. And Alexander could doubtless use some help in keeping an eye on Conner here. And Conner clearly has unusual abilities that need some space and time to grow, so we can all help him and perhaps in time benefit from his talents as he grows into manhood."
Arabella pauses and adds, "I've taken up enough of your time. Let me know what you think of the idea of forming what I believe the bards refer to as an 'adventuring party'?"
Result = 5+4 = 9
OOC: Anyone who has read Arabella's profile knows that much of what she said above is BS. But, of course, the PCs don't know that. I suggest that if anyone thinks his character might be skeptical about any aspect of this story, roll something and let the GM respond comparing your result to the TN in the hidden roll above, hiding the response so only the player sees the results. A normal roll to see if persuasion works on an NPC would be your spirit die. Success at a Common Knowledge roll (roll the Smarts Attribute die, see p. 23 SWD) might indicate the character saw Arabella's face on a wanted poster. You'll learn the truth about her eventually, but this might be an interesting way to moderate how and when details come to light for the group. But I'm not the GM, so this is just a suggestion, pending the GM's approval or alternate mechanic.
Note: I find the OOC tags make the font hard to read, so I'm not going to use it for OOC comments unless they are strictly parenthetical.
Arabella - just a technicality (but one that confused me for a little while till I figured it out) : the extra d6 is called a "Wild Die" (or just "Wild"), it's when any die value comes up maximum that it's called an "Ace" (or more commonly, "explosion").
Marko's mouth hung open for a moment at Arabella's accurate assessment of his arcane abilities. He had gotten used to hiding his powers as not everyone had an open mind and he preferred to not be burned at the stake, thank you very much.
He closed his mouth with an audible snap. He suddenly got the distinct impression that he was being tricked. His eyes narrowed as he thought it through. He had been very careful not to cast a single spell while aboard. And the thought of being able to judge arcane talent from one's speech was ludicrous.
That left only one possibility. She had snuck into his room and seen his spell book.
-Posted with Wayfinder
"Miss - Steele, I suppose. You'll have to forgive me, but I suspect that you are being less than honest with us."
-Posted with Wayfinder
Looking abashed and disappointed, Arabella says, No need to ask for forgiveness, as I've already confessed to trespasses by my eavesdropping. What can I do to convince you of my honesty and good intentions?"
OOC: I made an assumption about her ability to read Marko's arcane background in his speech patterns. If asked, I can make something up to make the connection. She certainly did not look in his books. We should probably hear from the GM as to how much persecution wizards suffer. I assumed that as this is a world where magic is not thought of as something demonic, just an alternative way of getting things to happen, as in most fantasy worlds. If that is true, than Marko would not need to be quite so secretive that he might not let something slip that indicates something of his skills/powers, perhaps even used some magic to help someone in distress, etc.
"Oh, come now, Mr. Montalvo. Having lived a hard life does not necessarily suggest wrongdoing," Alexander said, rising to her defense. Certainly, it was odd that she seemed to know of Connor's troubles, but perhaps she was simply a very perceptive woman.
"Banding together might not be a poor idea. I understand there are a goodly number of ruffians lurking about Keltica, and certainly we would not wish Miss Steele to run afoul of them. I'm sure one knowledgeable in the esoteric arts might prove useful to myself as well," he mused.
"I am sorry if I have offended you, Ma'am. We all have our secrets, and I will not pry into yours any further. I am indeed searching for well, adventure, for lack of a better word. A new continent of unknown wonders ripe for exploration. It should be fun."
-Posted with Wayfinder
She tightens her tail around Con-nor's neck a bit as he begins walking, and he can feel her claws digging in slightly to steady her balance... though not enough to be painful.
Her grip tightens a bit more and her head ducks reflexively as he steps through the doorway out of the daylight and into the darker cabin. Once inside she cocks her head to one side then raises her nose, sniffs...
... and sneezes violently.
Stinks!
Looking around and sampling the air more cautiously, she locates the major source of the aroma: the big she'd seen making mouthfiresmoke earlier. She shifts to her little-big's other shoulder to put more distance between them, rewraps her tail around Con-nor's neck, and stretches out on his shoulder to watch.
A Savage Worlds campaign in a fantasy setting (Elves, Dwarves, magic, etc.) with pre-Civil War technology (steam engines, locomotives, but only single-shot guns and no electricity). ... Think of a "typical" D&D medieval world that's had an extra couple hundred years of scientific/technological advancement. But most of that "hi-tech" is back on your home continents. ... Magic (of any sort) as a whole is not that common (maybe 1 person in 1000? 10,000?), but as PC's of course you might be on this adventure precisely because you do have the "gift"... Compared to PF it's definitely "low-magic" (you can't just walk into a shop and buy wands and such), but magic is still pretty powerful.
That's about all we have to go on so far. It might help to flesh this world out, particularly the dominant human culture (since that's our common background). So far we have very little information about anything in this world. I always feel more comfortable roleplaying in a world about which I know some history, religion, political power, nations, etc.
My sense of a "typical D&D medieval world" is not the same as our medieval world, where magic was feared as demonic. In a typical D&D Fantasy world, magic users may be rare, but no one thinks of them as (necessarily) possessed or evil. Furthermore, history probably would have been shaped by people with exceptional magical skills/powers, so there would likely be stories of magic use in history, if not also in folklore. Some of this would likely be showing magic used for good.
A lot also depends on what religious groups are dominant and what role magic has played in their history. If people can do magical healing, that would make magic users important members of a society. Even if rare, it would be viewed favorably, not only as a benefit to society but also as a sign of God's approval. On the other hand, if magic has been used by terrorist groups or evil religions, that would have a negative impact on the reputation of magic. How long advanced civilizations have been around would also have an impact on how magic is viewed. In Golarian, (Pathfinder campaign world), historical records go back about 7000 years. If magic use was around for all that time, that would make a difference to how it is viewed and accepted, even if it is rare.
But all this is just speculation on our parts. GM input would be very welcome. If we use any of our arcane powers, will we be viewed as dangerous and met with mobs with torches and pitchforks? Or will people say, "Oh, you're one of those folk," and get a mixed bag of reactions, ranging from disapproval to interest or fascination?
Wow, a lot happened while my back was turned! :) I'm not complaining, it's great that everyone is contributing this often! Uh, let's see, in order...
Arcane (to get used to the SW term) PC's are not that common (1 in a 1000 would mean one per several small towns or so), but neither does any culture (Human, Elf, etc.) generally persecute them. However, those individuals do have "powers and abilities far beyond those of mortal men", so they are probably...distrusted might be the best word...a bit (imagine knowing someone's psychic - you'd never know when they might be reading your mind, no matter how much they say they wouldn't...). It also varies by culture (Elves are much more ok with it) and region, and ruler. So Marko would probably want to keep a low profile just on general principle, but it's up to him. ...and now I just read Marko's OOC reply, so we're on the same page.
Alex, your Knowledge roll was a 4 (the better of the 4 and 1), which is generally a success in SW (4 is the "Target Number" or TN, barring any penalties to the roll). Don't need to retcon it unless you want to, but just wanted to let you know for future reference.
And now having just read Arabella's last post, she's also spot-on with magic being a rare but *integral* part of history - for both "good" and "bad". And some people can do amazing things thru the power of their faith in the gods, so religions in general would not be persecutive either. Note that those people are not always religious *leaders*, either (a la D&D Clerics) - they just do what they do thru their faith.
I think a lot of those questions have been answered, but I will attempt to come up with a more detailed history in the next few days.
Anyway, it sounds like Alex and Marko are on board with Arabella's idea. Azandar might be MIA for the next couple of days (per his post in Discussion), so let's move forward.
Arabella absorbs the exchange between Alex and Marko, glances at Azander chomping on a cigar; he seems to give silent assent to the proposal. She turns to Connor who is lost in a new world of his own that only contains his new friend. She moves closer, getting down on one knee so that her head is level with his, hoping to get his attention and also taking a closer look at WindDancer.
"Connor, what do you think about forming a group and going on adventures?" Then reaching out a tentative finger to touch WindDancer's head, she says, "And what about you, you beautiful little thing?"
(Ninja'd by Arabella as I worked on this - if anyone wants to retcon any further discussion/planning, please feel free.)
As everyone goes back up on deck, you see that your ship is pulling into a fairly large port (a dozen or so docks, many of them with ships being busily loaded or unloaded). A gangplank is lowered to the dock, and as you leave the dock you're all herded into what can best be described as a "corral" - a large loosely-fenced-in open area. On your walk down gangplank, over the dock, and into the corral, a cacophony of wolf-whistles and lewd comments from the sailors and dockhands seem to be directed mainly at Arabella. Many of them are merely cash amounts ("$10"..."$20"..."$25!").
Standing at the exit gates are two people, a large human man and a thin female Elf. The man has some kind of badge on his chest indicating he's a lawman, and two large pistols in a belt around his waist. Behind them, you see a large, sprawling city filled with wooden buildings up to 4 stories tall, most of which have smoking chimneys. It is early autumn, and there's a slight chill in the air. The lawman takes a deep breath and bellows out (almost by rote) :
"Attention, people! I want to welcome you to WeMadeIt, the largest human colony on Keltica! I'm here to tell you that the people of WeMadeIt want a *peaceful* city, and any disturbances to that peace will be punished harshly. Ignorance of our laws won't get you a lighter sentence, and I'll tell you up front anyone caught firing a gun except in self-defense will be banished from the city.
I don't rightly know or care what your business is here, but I would strongly urge you to learn the lay of the land before striking out into the wilderness to seek your fame and fortune. The Orc tribes resent our presence here, and are very fierce warriors to a man and woman. There's also lots of other critters and beasties out there that you've probably never even heard of.
You'll find fine hotels thataway (gesturing), good hotels thataway, and cheap hotels thataway.
Any other questions, find a talkative bartender - I'm not a tour guide! You can leave now, but I'll be asking some of you to stay behind for just another couple of minutes."
A couple of people open the gates, and the Elf starts muttering to herself, twisting her fingers in small odd patterns (a casual glance might lead you to think she's wringing her hands). She nods to the lawman occasionally, and he pulls a few people over to the side with a friendly nod but a firm grip. When everyone else has left, the small remaining group consists of Marko, Arabella, Conner, and a couple other fellow passengers. The lawman takes another deep breath and says :
"I know you people are 'special', and we here in WeMadeIt don't rightly care about that, unless you get out of hand. We don't abide no magic fights in the streets, and anyone caught using your 'abilities' to set fire to our town for ANY REASON will be shot on sight. So just stay peaceful-like and we'll get along just fine. Have I made myself clear?"
Not waiting for an answer, he shoos you out the exit to join the others.
Still fuming at being manhandled by the sheriff when a simple request to stay behind would have been sufficient, Alexander brushed off his sleeve and waved to a few porters lurking about, arranging to have his chest of belongings taken to a merely "good" hotel after recovering his rapier. He would have preferred whatever passed for a fine hotel in this place, but he would have to watch his finances with the boy in tow.
He glanced at Connor, noting that the lizard hadn't flown off yet. Odd. Perhaps it isn't a wild creature at all, but a wayward pet. Well, if its owner wants it, he or she will have to present themselves.
Turning to Miss Steele and the other gentlemen who had joined their little adventure, he cleared his throat. "Will you be joining us at the Hotel?"
I have more to say about what's going on right outside the corral, but want to wait for a while in case others want to post answers to this or the previous scene (WindyPrancer won't be able to post till tonight for example), so things don't get too out-of-order.
So y'all can *talk* right outside the corral, but don't assume you're leaving the area yet.
P.S. - WD, yes, now I'm getting the name wrong on purpose, just to annoy you! :)
Connor ignores most of the chatter, focusing instead of WindDancer. "No, I don't want to be here, either." he mutters, clearly bored. Remember that he doesn't need to speak for her to understand him, and transitions away from it. 'We have to do what the grownups tell us. But only sometimes.' He added, reassuringly.
When Arabella engages him directly, getting down on his level and talking straight to him, Connor pays considerably more attention, and his eyes light up at her question. "Adventure?" he gasps. "Where?!"
Marko tried not to bristle at being singled out for having magic. It wasn't as if he hadn't expected something like this. But he had hoped to avoid it all the same. And all in all he supposed it could have been worse. Indifference was certainly preferable to hostility.
"I have a little money, but all the same, I think I'll look into a cheaper hotel," he told the others.
-Posted with Wayfinder
@Connor: "That's the thing about adventures, you never know where or what until you go on them. But it might be dangerous. You'll need to talk about it with your ...." Arabella pauses, glances at Alexander, and waits to see if Connor will fill in the blank. While waiting, she notices the pillowcase over the mirror and wonders about it [unless the case was removed before we got to the room].
@WindDancer: "What's your name, little one?"
Before Arabella leaves to get her pack, she says, "Before we do anything else, I'll need to find a pawn shop. I spent every farthing of cash on the ticket, but I brought my tools and they'll get me something to hold me over until I can get a job or find some way to make some starting out cash." Stepping out she steps back almost immediately and says, "Remember, if you must address me in public, I'm Emma Watson. I doubt my accusers will send anyone looking for me, but I'd rather stay anonymous until we get farther away from civilization."
Back in her room, she'll make another attempt at repairing the goggles, if she has enough time.
Result = 6, success (even if she has to take the -2 penalty for a rush attempt)
While the elf is checking the passsengers for arcane types, Arabella will scan the area to see if anyone is watching the process. She'll be wearing her goggles with the tinted lenses, only lifting them if she needs a better look at something.
Result = 3, No success.
Bored.
That one big sure talks a lot! A yawn escapes her as she relaxes, stretched out on Con-nor's shoulder. Were it not for the unnerving lack of solid ground and the swaying of the room and the nearness of the other bigs, she'd have surely drifted off to sleep by now.
She warily jumps up as the talky big approaches and drops down in front of them. But then a happy wave of excitement from Con-nor rushes over her. She knows that feeling! It's what comes as she's sneaking up on prey, about to pounce. Anticipation. She lets the concern wash away and tries to focus on what talky-big is saying.
All that changes in an instant as the big reaches for her.
Danger!
With a sharp warning hiss delivered through bared teeth, she backs away from the big and tightens her grip on Con-nor's shoulder. Simultaneously, her tail whips away from his neck and, with a quick snap, an angled barb appears at its tip. As a small but throaty growl rumbles in her throat, the quivering tail hovers above her back like a whip waiting to be cracked.
To gauge Arabella's self-control in the face of WindDancer's tail snap:
Result = 5, success
Arabella keeps her hand steady and slowly backs away, while keeping an eye on the stinger. "Careful, Connor. Don't make him angry. Looks like he may be able use a poison stinger."
Connor's eyes narrow at the woman, thinking that if WindDancer doesn't trust her, maybe he shouldn't either. After all, he had reached out in much the same way with very different results. Realising that he knows nothing of who this woman is, he takes a step back from her, waiting to see if the small dragon settles down. He then replies, somewhat adamantly. "Her. WindDancer is a girl."
Tenseness leaves her body as the hand recedes, and she lets her tail barb retract. But she doesn't wrap it around her little-big's neck just yet.
Never shifting her gaze from the talky-big, staring almost challengingly into the other's eyes, she pointedly tilts her head and gently pushes the top of it against Con-nor's cheek.
Arabella - sorry, but that should have been a Repair roll to fix the goggles, and since it's a different die than your Weird Science roll, you'll have to roll again. You won't have an hour, so please include the -2.
For future reference, let's say that for any Repair attempt, if the *roll* (not the die or dice) is a 1 or less, you do further damage to the device, raising the TN by 1.
Landing scene, just outside the "corral"
Knowing that a shipful of easy marks...er, that is, welcome newcomers...was arriving today, the situation is chaos. Most of the people you see are Human, a roughly equal mix of men and women, with an occasional Elf, Hobbit, or Dwarf here and there. FWIW, you see that many are openly carrying sheathed weapons (daggers, swords, pistols, etc.).
There are several porter-like looking people hanging about. Alex, please make a Notice roll.
There's some nice "cabs" (horse-drawn carriages) with the names of several of the presumably nicest hotels. From one of them, the cabbie is calling someone's name (sorry Alex, it's not "Taarnfalk" :).
There's a smattering of people just standing around and calling out hotel names and adding "Clean rooms! Good food! Fair rates!" etc. etc.
One woman is calling, "Maps! Get the best maps in WeMadeIt here! Maps of WeMadeIt, maps of Keltica, you can't survive here without a map!"
Various others are shouting things like "Need a job? We're hiring!", "We pay the best!", "Whatever you can do, we got a job for you!", "The more you can do, the more we pay!", etc.
There's also carts with food : fruits (many of which you don't recognize), turkey legs, sandwiches/pitas, etc.
Alex, please make *another* Notice roll.
Arabella quickly gets surrounded by a bunch of guys (including an Elf), asking if there's *anything* they can do for you? Some sincere and eager, some with an obvious touch of lewdness to the offer.
So, what is everyone doing in this madhouse?
Eventually I'll need to know who's going off with who - so far it sounds like Arabella, Alex and Conner might go one way, and Marko might go another, but I'm not assuming anything's decided yet.
Alexander frowned, keeping one hand on the hilt of his rapier, glad that his money was tucked safely in the inner pocket of his vest.
"See here, the lady is quite all right. Give her some room!"
He kept an eye on Connor as well; the lad hopefully knew better than to go charging off alone, but after the boredom of the boat trip, it was best to remain watchful.
FWIW, I used Weird Science for the repair since it seemed that repair would be for more mundane machines. I would think someone without the weird science knowledge could not put the damage right.
Edit: I also reasoned that since it only takes Weird Science skill to make the device, that would be the skill to repair it.
Let's try again and see what happens. I would rather not wade into the city without some back-up if needed.
Result = 9, success + 1 raise
It was a simple matter of matching the bioergonic impedance level with the feedback level. Easy peasy.
Has it been an hour since the first use and if so, has it been able to repower at all?
Arabella reaches down and does some very unlady-like scratching of her crotch and says loudly to Alex, "Dear, the itching has gotten really bad! Find out where the lady-doctor is right away!" If the guys persist, she asks them, "Can one of you gentlemen tell where I can find a doctor to treat the clap?" Hopefully that will clear them out.
In case that requires a persuasion roll:
Result = 3 + 4 = 7, success
At some point before we are free to go, she'll tell Connor, "If you have any influence over her, try to keep her from using her tail against anyone in the crowd. If someone gets hurt, the authorities may try to take her away from you."
Once we are free to disperse, Arabella says to the group, "We should stick together until we know where each is staying. Alexander, I know you'd prefer something nice, but perhaps for the first night, until we have our bearings, we should find an acceptable and inexpensive place we can all afford. And I'll need to find a pawn shop before I'll have any spending money."
Alex, you notice that the first person that comes up to you offering to deliver your bags to [whatever hotel you're going to pick] *isn't* wearing the uniform typical of the ship's crew. When you challenge her on this, she beats a hasty retreat into the crowd.
So 5 vs. TN=2 is a Success with no Raises. Those of you who know SW well, did I do that right?
Alex - some time later, maybe while unpacking in the hotel, you'll discover that some little trinket of yours is missing. I looked thru your gear, but this is maybe something like a ring or some spare change, or maybe a brooch of your family crest that you wear on your vest - nothing that will affect your actual wealth.
Arabella - the Malfunction rules specifically say a "Repair roll" is needed. That's probably because most Arcane types have a very high Arcane skill die, so Weird Scientists also need to put points into the Repair skill to keep repairs from being "automatic". Your Weird Science background *allows* you to make the repairs to your devices, if that makes sense.
The energy in the crystals seems to regenerate itself (which is another reason why they're so special!). Sure, 1 point is back.
No roll needed (and your Charisma *wouldn't* be a bonus here anyway) - the men beat a hasty retreat.
It wouldn't change this result, but would a lowly pickpocket get a wild die roll? I thought only important NPCs got the wild roll.
See my post in the Discussion board about dice rolls and the preview function. If you get an ace, you must add the ace result below the original rolls to preserve the original rolls. You can't do the trick of changing it to a 2d6 unless that is the only die rolled. My repair roll would actually have been a double ace (6,6,1).
I intentionally added the Wild die, because some (generic) "bad guys" out there are as good as the PC's. Alex was targeted by an experienced, professional pickpocket who happened to roll not-so-hot.
ALL - I think what Arabella is saying is that it's ok to roll the Trait die and Wild die on the same line, but to be on the safe side, if either of them explodes, then create a new die roll below that line. And if that explodes, make a new line, etc.
Nothing short of astonished by Miss Steele's attempts to free herself from the attentions of the dock hangers-on, Alexander wore a perplexed look, wondering if perhaps Miss Steele was not entirely the lady she claimed to be. A niggling doubt crept into his mind, but her smile was terribly winsome...
"Ahem. Yes, perhaps I should save my money for more important matters. Very well, let us lodge together - but not at a seedy hotel, surely. There seem to be enough scum floating along the edges of WeMadeIt that we need not seek them out specifically." He scowled in the direction the fake "porter" had gone; why, the scoundrel might have absconded with his things entirely! Perhaps it was best to keep an eye on his chest as it was moved.
-Posted with Wayfinder
After the brief excitement in Con-nor's cabin, things had gotten calm again. But now she rides atop her little-big's shoulder as he steps onto shore along with all the other bigs leaving the floaty box.
To join even more bigs on shore. She's a bit unnerved by so many of them milling about so near her, but that's countered a little by having solid ground beneath her.
And completely trumped by all the colors and sounds and smells! She leaps atop her little-big's head for a better view and, following a quick adjustment after Con-nor grabs her tail to pull it away from his eyes, stands up on her hind legs to look around and sniff the air.
Amidst the constant fragrance of the salty ocean, her keen sense of smell picks out numerous other scents. Animals... several kinds. Spices. Moldy straw. Unwashed bigs. Food. Moss growing on rooftops.
Wait... food?
Hungry.
Looking around, she spies a cart laden with ripe, juicy fruits. Leaping from Con-nor's head, she flaps once, twice, and then streamlines into a high-speed pass at the stand, reaching out with all four paws, claws extended, as she zooms by.
Once we begin to walk, Arabella walks with Alexander, taking his arm if he offers, and says, "Sorry if I embarrassed you. I know you would have pummeled those guys if they had persisted but that might have gotten us a room at the local jail. Sometimes, when dealing with vulgar people, you must be vulgar to get them to understand. Men who are after just one thing will evaporate when they think you can't give it to them, or in this case when they think you will give them more than they want. At any rate, I'm not used to having someone around who is willing to try to protect me, so I have to protect myself as best I can. Thank you for speaking up in my defense." She smiles up at him and squeezes his arm.
Result = 9, success + 1 raise
"Uh Oh. Connor's girlfriend is trying to grab some breakfast. Better head over and pay for that."
To herself, Impressive. The cons I could pull if I could train a creature like that.
...STILL waiting for the Wild die, Nate - er, WindDancer... ;)
Actually, if you see this before work, please also roll a Stealth, just for fun...