Numenera (Inactive)

Game Master Aubster

Discussion thread is now open. Please post rules questions here. You can also introduce your character to the other characters and explain what your character is doing on the Fifth Stretch of the Wandering Walk

A word or two about XP (beyond what may be found in Player's Guide)

SPENDING EXPERIENCE POINTS
Experience points are meant to be used. Hoarding them is not a good idea, and if a player ever accumulates more than 10 XP at once, the GM can require her to spend some of them.
Generally, experience points can be spent in four ways: immediate benefits, short-term benefits, long- term benefits, and character advancement.
Immediate Benefits
The easiest, most straightforward way for a player to use XP is to reroll any roll in the game—even one that she didn’t make herself. This costs 1 XP per reroll. The player can reroll and use either the new roll or the original, whichever is better. She can continue to spend XP on more rerolls, but this can quickly become an expensive proposition. It’s a fine way to attempt to prevent a disaster, but it’s not a good idea to use of a lot of XP to reroll a single action over and over. A player can also spend 1 XP to refuse a GM intrusion.
Short- and Medium-Term Benefits
By spending 2 XP, a character can gain a skill—or, more rarely, an ability—that provides a short-term benefit.
Long-Term Benefits
In many ways, the long-term benefits a character can gain by spending XP are a means of integrating the mechanics of the game with the story. Players can codify things that happen to their characters (or that they want to have happen to their characters) by talking to the GM and spending 3 XP.
Long-term benefits can include the following.
Familiarity: The character gains a +1 bonus to rolls involving one kind of task: riding, crafting, persuading, and so on.
Contact: The character gains a long-term NPC contact of importance—someone who will help him with information, equipment, shelter, or physical tasks. The player and GM should work out the details of the NPC and her relationship with the character.
Home: The PC acquires a full-time residence. This can be an apartment in a city, a house, a cabin in the wilderness, a base in an ancient complex, or whatever fits the situation. The residence should be a secure place where the PC can leave his belongings and sleep soundly at night. Conceivably, several characters could combine their XP resources and buy a home together.
Title or job: The PC is granted a position of importance or authority. Although it might come with responsibilities, it probably also comes with prestige and reward. It might also simply be an honorarium.
Wealth
Build an Artifact

The other use of XP is to purchase the necessary character benefits to move up a tier as discussed in the player's guide.

I will have a full profile for Nasir ready tonight. Any notes or criticisms about his background in the recruitment?

There is one other character that's seen Nasir spare his prey (and whom he hopes will keep it quiet for the sake of his rep). I think he's joined the pilgrimage either in pursuit of a fugitive disguised as a pilgrim or for the opportunity to travel and seek stranger and more wondrous prey.

I can't seem to find the costs for armor in terms of Speed pool and Might Reduction. Is there a table for that somewhere that I just keep missing or is that in your book?

Also, has everyone done their connections and stuff yet?

The only reference to actual speed penalty and might cost for armor were in the Jack example. I didnt see them under equipment at all.

Connections are started, but nothing finalized yet.

I can't seem to find the costs for armor in terms of Speed pool and Might Reduction. Is there a table for that somewhere that I just keep missing or is that in your book?

Here you go...

Anyone can wear any armor, but doing so can be taxing. Wearing armor costs you Might points and reduces your Speed Pool. You can rest to recover these lost Might points in the standard manner, even if you’re still wearing armor. The Speed Poolreduction remains as long as you wear the armor, but the Pool returns to normal as soon as you remove it. Glaives and jacks have abilities that reduce the costs and penalties of wearing armor.
Might cost
Light 1
Medium 2
Heavy 3

Speed Pool Reduction
Light 2
Medium 3
Heavy 5

All - I think that everyone has their Cyphers and Oddities posted in the recruitment thread. Please let me know if I missed you.

Chirp ...

That'll be handy when sneaking ... :)

My profile's together, figuring out my equipment and weighing armor vs. no armor options.
I didn't see any cyphers or oddities for me in the other thread.

I don't believe I got an oddity. My connection is pretty simple, it's just that someone isn't hurt by my fire abilities. Also, I'll go ahead and put the backstory and larger concept of who Amadeus is here.

The Order of Truth knows that the Aeon Priests of the more out-of-the-way places of the Steadfast and out into the Beyond are at risk of either being targeted by those who would steal and use the different Numenera they collect for personal use or to fall to the dangers of being one of the few sources of knowledge in such rural environments and become despotic, which then reflects badly on the Order to both locals and travelers who make their way back to civilization with news of horrible Aeon Priests abusing ignorant farmers. To help prevent this, the Order has a group of Glaives collectively referred to as the Amber Knights who travel around to protect or police the priests as needed. They are trained to use powers of fire.

Amadeus Rikter has been sent to check up on people in the area of The Fifth Stretch and along the Wander. He's arrived only recently and has found that his first mentor in sword fighting has moved into the area to search for new students.

My profile's together, figuring out my equipment and weighing armor vs. no armor options.

I didn't see any cyphers or oddities for me in the other thread.

Ciyphers

Ray Emitter (Numbing)
Usable: Handheld device
Effect: Allows the user to project a ray of energy up to 200 feet (61 m) that numbs one limb of the target, making it useless for one minute.

Oddity
Sphere that produces vigorous bubbles when placed in water

I don't believe I got an oddity. My connection is pretty simple, it's just that someone isn't hurt by my fire abilities. Also, I'll go ahead and put the backstory and larger concept of who Amadeus is here.

The Order of Truth knows that the Aeon Priests of the more out-of-the-way places of the Steadfast and out into the Beyond are at risk of either being targeted by those who would steal and use the different Numenera they collect for personal use or to fall to the dangers of being one of the few sources of knowledge in such rural environments and become despotic, which then reflects badly on the Order to both locals and travelers who make their way back to civilization with news of horrible Aeon Priests abusing ignorant farmers. To help prevent this, the Order has a group of Glaives collectively referred to as the Amber Knights who travel around to protect or police the priests as needed. They are trained to use powers of fire.

Amadeus Rikter has been sent to check up on people in the area of The Fifth Stretch and along the Wander. He's arrived only recently and has found that his first mentor in sword fighting has moved into the area to search for new students.

Oddity

oh just realized that i may have connected to two different PCs. I can see that the connections don't necessarily have to be two-way.

Devrien - holds contempt for my civilized manner and flashy fighting style
Callidus - Galahad stopped a barfight where Callidus was attacked

Do both of the players of the respective PCs have any problems with this or want to change it? Just let me know.

Good with me ...

I need someone still that ...

tldr; Knows how to access my cybernetics.

long version: The person helped me connect the central processing units of my cybernetics into my nervous system. I had to be unconscious and this person needed to establish the wireless connection and instantiate the boot code. They know the protocol for wireless connection and the secret key to decrypt the signals. With the right equipment they can monitor or control my cyber-enhancments given this information.

if, for some reason, no one wants to, i dont have a problem with being that connection. but it should probably be someone other than Galahad, since he already has connections now (dont want to hog them all!)

I don't mind, per se, but since Amadeus is new in town I think it ought to be someone else unless Callidus has traveled fairly extensively.

Everyone got oddly silent...

Nasir grew up on the fringes of civilization, has no people skills and is employed as a bounty hunter. He's released his prey and someone witnessed it. Does that work with anyone else's background?

I could have easily seen you release your prey as I skulked around rummaging around in trash for parts ...

I could have as I moved from settlement to settlement.

NEWSFLASH!!! Gameplay thread is open :-)

I could have as I moved from settlement to settlement.

That sounds good to me- I don't think either of us have a connection yet so that works.

Perhaps you were in town when Nasir brought in a criminal that had been causing problems, only for the man to escape miraculously later that night. A few miles away, you happened to duck into an empty way station to escape the weather to find Nasir and his quarry dividing the bounty.

Excellent. Ok then, by some fluke of who-knows-what, you are also immune to my fire-based abilities.

Perhaps Galahad could have done your neuro-numeneric reboot Callidus. I took numenera as my flex skill at first anyway.

TALK LIKE A NINE-WORLDER: A SAMPLING OF COMMONLY USED WORDS
Drit: A fine, artificial soil made from microscopic pieces of ancient, unknown technologies and structures.

Peregrine: One who follows the Wandering Walk for religious, spiritual, or other reasons. Sometimes called Birds, usually derogatory.

Slying: A term used to convey a combination of lying and sly. While mostly derogatory, it also carries a hint of respect for someone’s skills at deception.

Galahad it is, Thanks.

no problem. i figured id give others a chance but with gameplay starting i figured everyone wanted their sheets squared away ASAP.

Is there a list of more numenera terminology anywhere. I've downloaded the stories ... will read next.

oh theyre human bones? i thought they were monster bones.

is there a link to the setting or something? the players guide has very little in the way of "fluff"

" each marked by a short, round wall built from the jaws of dead Peregrines " ... Peregrines got defined above and I think in the Campaign tab. But THAT is the extent of the fluff I've read! I downloaded the short stories from the numenera.com site ... 2.99 or so for the PDF.

Not much here either ... http://www.numenera.com/setting/

ah thanks. i had missed the campaign tab.

Any word from our other two players?

Is there a list of more numenera terminology anywhere. I've downloaded the stories ... will read next.

There's not a ton of terminology in the core rule book either.

My thought is to go ahead and feel free to make-up your own words (just define them). I will also try to add some extra fluff to each gameplay entry.

Some Geography

Places
The Steadfast comprises nine different countries. Collectively, the rulers are often called the Nine Rival Kings, or just the Nine. These kings, queens, princes, and councils share no love for one another and truthfully have no relationship except that each rules over a land whose people owe faith and favor to the Amber Papacy.
Generally speaking, the Steadfast is more settled and civilized than the Beyond, but it can be just as dangerous. Communities are isolated. Travel on the roads is risky and nearly unthinkable at night— but at least the roads exist.

The Beyond is a very Steadfast-centric term, used essentially to describe any area of the world that isn’t part of the nine kingdoms. As the scope of the world known and understood by even the most learned scholars in the Steadfast is limited, however, what the Beyond technically includes are the lands south of the Caecilian Jungle, west of the Clock of Kala, and north of the Southern Wall.
The people of the Beyond are even more disparate and isolated from one another than the folk of the Steadfast are. Although these lands are full of would- be rulers, most communities are truly independent. Many have little contact with the world outside their own limited bounds, and some have none at all. The scattered villages of the Beyond are called aldeia, and most are centered on a clave of Aeon Priests.
Due to the perils of the Ninth World, many aldeia don’t welcome strangers. Some of these villages are dangerous in and of themselves, as the inhabitants similar practices

Sorry all, class last night put me home late and work so far this mornin has kept me busy... I'll get caught up and post something ASAP.

Sorry all, class last night put me home late and work so far this mornin has kept me busy... I'll get caught up and post something ASAP.

Sounds good, looking forward to your post

Sorry guys, I have had some personal problems that needed sorting out (and still does) and I don´t know if i can find the time for even this, small commitment that it is, so I think I have to opt out on the game.
Sorry.
Now, good luck y´all.

Sorry guys, I have had some personal problems that needed sorting out (and still does) and I don´t know if i can find the time for even this, small commitment that it is, so I think I have to opt out on the game.

Sorry.
Now, good luck y´all.

Best of luck M.D. - PM if you want to get back in at some point

Tidbit of trivia

Common Numenera mounts include aneen, snow lopers, and the reptilian brehm. Less common mounts include the large, antelope- like espron.
Flying mounts include rasters and xi-drakes. A windrider is a technological mount.

Hey guys, I'll be replacing Mad Beetle in your party.

Some things I need to get squared away:

1. My cyphers (3) and oddity
2. My NPC Connection from being Charming - I am connected to an influential NPC that makes sense for the setting.
3. My PC Connection for Commanding Mental Powers - whomever I am connected to will have a telepathic link to me all the time regardless of distance, and will be unharmed by my Psionic Blast.

I also need to sort out why I'm traveling the Wander. I'm considering that I might have been a member of the pedigreed uppercrust for some time, going to parties and things like that, until I discovered my mental focusing gem, which awakened psionic powers in me and a desire to explore my growing power for fun and profit.

For some reason it's not allowing me to post under Balon Marr, but I will asap.

I have tech fused with me and discuss in my background connecting it to my nervous system ... if the link can be explained via that ...

Hey guys, I'll be replacing Mad Beetle in your party.

Some things I need to get squared away:

1. My cyphers (3) and oddity
2. My NPC Connection from being Charming - I am connected to an influential NPC that makes sense for the setting.
3. My PC Connection for Commanding Mental Powers - whomever I am connected to will have a telepathic link to me all the time regardless of distance, and will be unharmed by my Psionic Blast.

I also need to sort out why I'm traveling the Wander. I'm considering that I might have been a member of the pedigreed uppercrust for some time, going to parties and things like that, until I discovered my mental focusing gem, which awakened psionic powers in me and a desire to explore my growing power for fun and profit.

For some reason it's not allowing me to post under Balon Marr, but I will asap.

Cyphers

Monoblade
Level: 3
Internal: Injection into fingertip
Effect: Produces a 6-inch (15 cm) blade that’s the same level as the cypher. The blade cuts through any material of a level lower than its own. If used as a weapon, it is a light weapon that ignores Armor. The blade lasts for ten minutes.

Sonic Hole
Usable: Small handheld device
Effect: Draws all sound within long range into the device for 3 rounds. Within the affected area, no sound can be heard.

Oddity
Small mirrored cube

Tidbit of trivia

In the Black Riage, there is an abhuman brute named Chorolus that has a monoblade implant in his hand that he can call upon as often as he likes. It’s theorized that it interacts with his personal physiology somehow, so that if it were ever removed, it would stop working.

So.... just so I'm sure I understand this defense thing:

Say an enemy makes an attack roll, 18. That would be an intimidating challenge? And id try to dodge it with my speed? In which case I am specialized and I reduce the challenge by 2 categories?

So I'd have to roll a 12 to beat it?

Enemies don't roll attacks. You roll a dodge vs a difficulty assigned by the GM. The GM never rolls. As I understand it.

So.... just so I'm sure I understand this defense thing:

Say an enemy makes an attack roll, 18. That would be an intimidating challenge? And id try to dodge it with my speed? In which case I am specialized and I reduce the challenge by 2 categories?

So I'd have to roll a 12 to beat it?

Every rolls is made by the player. Your target number to hit is based on the level of whatever you are fighting. For example, to hit a level 3 creature you need to roll a 9 or better. You also roll for defense and again your target number depends on level of who is attacking you. If a Level 5 creature tries to bite your head off, you need a 15 or higher to dodge. Effort, training, etc can shift the difficulty in your favor. Melee attacks you can choice to use either your might or speed training, pool, assets, etc to modify. Ranged attacks use speed. Defense is speed also. Nano's have abilities that let them use intellect for attack and sometime defense.

ah i see, thanks for the clarification.

And the HP analogue is... Might pool?