Daniel, Tomtesserae, you there?
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My PC's backstory : Backstory: Elena Valderrama was born into a respected Criollo (locally born but purely Spanish-descended) family in Caracas. Her father was a wealthy landowner who oversaw a profitable coffee plantation in the nearby valleys. Her mother was from a well-connected Spanish-born family who maintained close ties with royal officials in the colony. Growing up, Elena lived a comfortable life surrounded by books, music, and tutors. Her education was unusually broad for a woman of her time—her father believed that a sharp mind brought honor to the family, and Elena devoured every subject, especially history and stories of adventure. She was expected to marry well, preferably to a native Spaniard who would strengthen the family's political standing. When she was fourteen, she discovered she had a special gift – the ability to heal others. Her favorite pet had been trampled by a spooked horse, and as she held it in her hands and prayed to the Virgin Mary, its wounds suddenly disappeared. She decided she was heavenly blessed to help others, but never told anyone about it, even her family. Over time, she discovered she could perform other “miracles” when she prayed to the Virgin. Beneath her privileged upbringing, she always sensed tension. The Criollos whispered grievances about the Crown’s restrictions. Native merchants and farmers complained about unfair taxes and trade laws. When Elena was sixteen, her older brother, Mateo, returned from studying in Bogotá. He had changed - he spoke passionately about freedom, equality, and self-governance. He argued with their father about the unjust hierarchy that placed native Spaniards above Criollos. Elena listened quietly, fascinated. But one evening, everything changed. A group of royalist soldiers arrived at the Valderrama estate unannounced. The lieutenant accused Mateo of involvement in revolutionary meetings. Her mother begged for mercy; her father demanded to see the official warrant. The lieutenant showed none. Soldiers seized Mateo and dragged him outside. Elena ran after them despite her mother’s pleas. Before the soldiers shot him, Mateo managed to shout “Elena, don’t let them silence us - fight for what’s right!” That night, while her mother wept and her father raged, Elena made her decision. Though she was young, Elena understood her Spanish heritage made her valuable to the rebels. Many Criollo families supported independence in secret, and Elena knew how to blend into aristocratic circles where information flowed freely. She left home under the pretense of visiting a distant aunt but instead traveled south to join a network of independence sympathizers. She began by carrying coded letters, overhearing royalist officers’ conversations at social gatherings, and smuggling news of troop movements to rebels hiding in the countryside. Because she was well-spoken, poised, and unmistakably Spanish, few suspected her. Over time, and with training from the rebels, by her nineteenth birthday she had become proficient at many aspects of espionage. She also learned how to fight with her fists and feet, since a woman carrying a sword or gun would draw too much attention. Her hatred for the Crown was never fueled by vengeance alone, but also by the injustice she saw done to Criollos, Mestizos, indigenous people, and enslaved Africans alike.
So, how much in-game harassment can we expect if we're not Spain-Spaniard or colony-Spaniard? Or since we're part of the independence movement, is race pretty much overlooked within the movement?
I know nothing of the actual history of this setting, so anywhere and anyone will do.
So, are two PCs enough for you to work with? Would it help if we each made up another PC?
Daniel Stewart - I gave your PC a quick glance, and saw that you took two Edges. Are you aware that in standard SW you get a free Edge just for being human? I noticed that you didn't put any Hindrance Points into your Attributes, but I can't tell easily if you put any Hindrance Points into your Skills. If you didn't, then you have 2 extra Hindrance Points to spend on an Attribute, Skills, or an Edge.
The existence of this game has been announced in every SW game I'm in or run (about 7 games in all). There's a good core of SW players on Paizo, but they're all pretty much at their number-of-games maximum right now.
Here's my first attempt : MyPC:
Agility d8, Smarts d6, Spirit d6, Strength d6, Vigor d6 Athletics d4, AB/Faith d8, Fighting d8, Knowledge (Common) d4, Notice d6, Persuasion d4, Spycraft d6, Stealth d6, Survival d4, Thievery d6 Derived : Pace 6, Parry 6, Toughness 5 Faith d4 Hindrances : Driven (Major), Heroic (Major)
10 PP
These are just the stats, I'll come up with a backstory once everything's settled. Notice that I went with your first description of Faith, as a non-Skill die value. I'm envisioning someone who's good at espionage (Spycraft, Thievery), and who uses her "divine" (in her mind) gifts to help others accomplish their goals. She can also hold her own in combat (Martial Artist).
Sorry, but I've noticed that the AB templates you've done vary widely in overall power, from : 3 Powers (1 strongly limited), 3 PP - can only cast one spell every hour at best!
The SW AB templates are mostly 3 Powers, 10 PP. These templates feel more like "classes", and you seem to have selectively nerfed some of them. Can I just pick from the Psionics, Magic, or Miracles ABs, with any 3 Powers and 10 PP as usual, as long as I make it thematically consistent?
Ok, but it sounds like you need some detailed rules about when the Faith die value can drop (perhaps from being broken), and how the Faithful to the Cause Edge raises it back up again. If in fact the die value can change at all. BTW, at one point you say Faith is a derived Trait, and starts at d4 (with no apparent way to increase it beyond taking an Edge). Later, you call it a Skill linked to Spirit, which if it's a regular skill, we could put as many points into it as we like. Which is it? Sorry for all these questions, just trying to understand your setting...
Wow - thanks for all that! It'll take me some time to get thru it. Any chance I could pick a different Power as long as its thematically linked to the specific AB, with your ok? In the meantime, Faith sounds a lot like Persuasion. Can you give some examples of how they're different or would be used differently? Faith is obviously a die, so what is meant by "you also regain +1 Faith" in the Faithful to the Cause Edge? Does "+1" mean "increase by a die type"? If so, someone with that Edge will soon have their Faith built up to d12 - or can it only be built up to your PC's starting die value? Under what circumstances can your Faith be "broken"? I know you said "through betrayal, doubt, or failure", but how traumatic does it have to be? I assume failing a single roll during combat would not count as a failure? Mechanically, would your Faith die be a "d0" when it's broken, or does it just drop a die type? How would you go about building it back up to the original build value? Or does the die type not change at all, you just roll on the Disillusion Table, take what happens, and move on?
Thanks for the feedback! Are any Arcane Backgrounds available? So functionally, Faith sounds a lot like Persuasion. Can you give an example of how they're different or would be used differently?
I love SW! I'm very interested. Couple of questions : What's the role of Faith in-game? Is it the strength of our own personal moral code, or is there some kind of shared belief system in the world? Under what kinds of circumstances would we be rolling it? I saw you mention Miracles in your post - are other Arcane Backgrounds permitted? Perhaps Weird Science? What would you say are "gotta have" skills for every PC in this setting (besides the obvious Fighting and Shooting)? Notice, Stealth, Survival, Spycraft, Faith? Others? Just BTW, for in-game realism the reload time on a flintlock should be at least 2. But I'll go with whatever you decide. Also, technically, the "musket" (the firearm) also uses a flintlock (the firing mechanism), and so the pistol should have the same reload time as the musket.
A swiftly savaged Sandpoint. Or the overly alliterative game play thread for Savage Burnt offerings.
Round 7! Ceri:
6 Bennies, 12 PP, Status : Normal, SitMods : LLV, Spell Effects : None Crastor:
5 Bennies, 6 PP, Status : Normal, SitMods : None, Spell Effects : None Evesk:
6 Bennies, 5 PP, Status : Hold, SitMods : LLV, Spell Effects : None Johhann:
4 Bennies, 0 PP, Status : Shooting d6, SitMods : None, Spell Effects : None Jzero:
2 Bennies, 0 PP, Status : Normal; SitMods : None, Spell Effects : None Velrek:
4 Bennies, 0 PP, Status : Normal, SitMods : None, Spell Effects : None Goblin #6:
Status : Normal, SitMods : None, Spell Effects : None Gecko:
Status : Shaken, SitMods : None, Spell Effects : None Goblin king:
Status : Incapacitated, SitMods : None, Spell Effects : None Engagements
Modifiers
Initiative
My PC's damage is d6+2*d10, so I want to roll a d10 once and multiply the result by 2. {dice=Damage}d6+2*d10{/dice} just rolls a d10 twice, NOT what I want. {dice=Damage}d6+d10*2{/dice} just rolls a d102, NOT what I want. The "dice" command seems to ignore the "*" completely. I tried "x" with the same results. Any advice? Thanks!
I only have the RIFTS Player's Guide. In any other source material, is there such a thing as a jet pack (not powered armor) that would let a PC fly? And not just short horizontal jumps. And if so (and I'm cringing in advance), how much does it cost?
He actually suggested you take the "selective" modifier with that cone as well. Yes, but that's only if you do take the Cone Modifier, which I won't, so I'll just be hitting a single target. If I even go with the Super, which I haven't decided yet. End of next week is no problem, I'll let you know when I'm ready.
I posted a question on Reddit HERE about the 0-SPP Cone Modifier for Ranged Attack, and got a very definitive answer that makes perfect sense, and explains the 0 cost : Single target ranged attack is the default. If you want, you can take the free Modifier to PERMANENTLY change the power to a Cone.
EltonJ - what's your take on Flight in Supers? Is it a Move action, so I can travel up to the listed Pace of my Flight speed, and then take Actions? If I took Healing with the Limitation of Self (which is far less than the "half as effective" required for the -2 penalty), could I have it for 1 SPP? I recently house-ruled in a Supers game that I'm running that for Heightened Senses/Hearing, the "can hear a whisper up to a mile away" works only as long as there's no completely enveloping barriers (buildings) around you or the sound. But, if you put your ear up to a wall, you can hear what's being said on the other side, even if it's a whisper, because the vibrations can travel thru the wall's material. What do you think about that? What's the Cone modifier for Ranged Attack all about? If I *don't* take it, are my normal attacks Cones or single-target? Thanks!
Is there anybody out there...out there...out there...???
EltonJ - thanks much, I really appreciate it! Here's my most previous CyberKnight : CyberKnight:
Attributes : Agility d6 Smarts d6 Spirit d8 (Hind. Points) Strength d6 Vigor d6 Derived :
Edges :
Skills :
Hindrances :
Powers :
Psi-Sword does d6+2*d8 (or d6+2*d10 with Boost Trait) damage, with AP 12
I haven't checked it over since I created it two years ago yet, but it was built with SWADE rules. Let me know if you see anything amiss. I made Hero's Journey and Narrative Hook rolls back then - can I use them, or would you rather I re-roll them for this game? How many SPP would a Supers get for a RIFTS game?
EltonJ - I know you said you were looking for 4 PCs, but I really love SW and RIFTS. It looks like you have 5 already, any chance you'd be ok with 6? If not, and someone drops out in the future, please keep me in mind, thanks! Since there's already a Cyberknight, I might do a Super, unless two Cyberknights are fine (I've always wanted to do a Cyberknight - I've been a Cyberknight in two games that closed down very quickly, which was kind of frustrating).
Daniel and Evindyll : you get 2 extra Advancements on your build to keep you even with the other PC's.
Maybe you could check with Verizon and see if there's no cost, a one-time cost, or a monthly fee just to *access* On Demand. If it's one of the first two, that shouldn't be too expensive...
Will create a character (within Paizo) and post with it "soon".
Just curious - what are we waiting for? Has everyone posted their finalized character(s)?
Thanks, but that wasn't my main question. Can I play the same PC in both?
So, you're going to go with two campaigns? I'm always up for more games, but above you said I could play them in either one, and I'm wondering if I can play my Cyber-Knight in both?
<poke> AFAIK, my PC is good-to-go, and I'm still here...
Heh - Storm Dragon, there isn't any balancing in RIFTS! Pick a race based on its perks, then pick a Framework (class) that sounds like it would be cool to run, and do the best you can with it. I don't know about SWADE RIFTS, but in SWD RIFTS the Frameworks were all over the place in terms of their raw power. Hopefully in SWADE RIFTS the Frameworks are more equally matched.
Why couldn't a mercenary-type PC have been captured and enslaved? Like, using power-dampening collars that suppress mental and tech abilities? These are all RIFTS-level PCs, no matter what their current situation is, so how to keep them enslaved has got to be accounted for. It's not like the slave PC is going to be a normal human...
Shouldn't you have arcane background (psionics)? Yes, it's in the book, I just didn't include it in my PC description. I'll update that, thanks!
EltonJ - I have a RIFTS PC already created, that I've been dying to play, but the last two games I played them in folded pretty quickly. They're human, but if this game gets off the ground I may change the race once I get SWADE:RIFTS:Atlantis. Let me know you're impressions of the top-of-your-head, thanks! CyberKnight: Attributes : Agility d6 Smarts d6 Spirit d8 (Hind. Points) Strength d6 Vigor d6 Derived :
Edges :
Skills :
Hindrances :
Powers :
EltonJ - thanks for all the info! I know a lot of people are on a really tight budget, so would you say that if a player went with SWADE RIFTS races and Frameworks, they wouldn't need SWADE:RIFTS:Atlantis at all? Or does it contain essential setting information in addition to races and Frameworks? And what content does RIFTS:WB2:Atlantis have that players may find useful or essential?
To be clear, I wasn't asking you to post content from the books verbatim or share the PDFs (I know that's a copyright violation), but if RIFTS:SW:Atlantis has for example a setting description, you could surely put that description completely in your own words and post it here, I doubt that would be a copyright violation. And I was only asking about the last two books on your list. I have the first two, so no problems there. What content does RIFTS:SW:Atlantis have that's needed? New races, PC templates, etc.? How "maybe" is RIFTS:WB2:Atlantis? What content does it have that the players may find useful or essential? And how do you feel about my posting this recruitment in my other games?
Sorry, I didn't see this until just now. I'm definitely interested, but it looks like I'm the only one so far. There's lots of SW players on this board, I'm not sure why they haven't replied. I can make a post in the Discussion of the six SW games I'm in, if you want. It may be that the number of books you're requiring us to have is a put-off. I have the first two, but am hesitant to spend $20 to get the last two. Is there any way you could post the relevant information that we would need from them in your own words, to avoid copyright issues?
PWGM - thanks for the clarification on cantrips and smoke. I'll stick with the Illusion power - this may be the only time in my life I'll get to play with illusions, so I'll take what I can get.
P.S. - but if I'm being honest, despite your reasonable arguments I can't help but feeling cheated by the serious nerfing you've given to the Illusion power compared to what I was expecting...
PWGM - regarding Complex Cantrips, I'm confused by your statement "for those w/o the book/pdf if you use an Arcane Background (Mystic Power users need not apply) you get to choose 2 of the following and an additional one whenever you take the Additional Powers edge." I took that to mean that only PC's who took plain-vanilla AB qualified to take these, and those with the Mystical Powers Edges could not? Just double-checking... Also, you present solid arguments for doing Illusions the way you want to, but as we advance in Rank, our opponents will almost certainly have higher Smarts dice, and so my illusions will become less and less useful. Just curious : how much of a penalty would a smoke cloud provide to hitting the target within it?
Rhodel - thanks for all your info and ideas. I imagine that my PC grew up in a relatively small, secluded clan, isolated from humans, and that for whatever reason, her being a half-elf wasn't a problem growing up. Perhaps her mother held a well-respected position in the clan? PWGM - you're right, I'm not that concerned about making my backstory a part of the plot. Illusion II counterpoints : I still have a problem with "If a wall suddenly springs up between them and the person they are trying to kill, they will get a Smarts check. And if say they are aiming an arrow at someone and they suddenly erupt in smoke or that pesky wall springs up they will get a smarts check." Barrier is an existing Power, so why couldn't that wall have appeared because someone cast it? I would argue that just because something "pops up" out of nowhere is *not* a reason for an automatic Smarts check. If an enemy is approaching, and I create a dozen extra fighters, well, I could be using Summon Ally - again, no reason to automatically get a Smarts roll. "Paying close attention" isn't a reason to automatically get a Smarts roll. The rules say "a viewer only gets a Smarts roll if they "contact an illusion or doubt it’s real". Since magic can do many different things, it's not unreasonable that things pop up out of thin air whenever a caster is around. I would at the very least say that someone would have to have "reasonable suspicion" (if by only observing what's in front of you, you can state anything that seems to be wrong, any specific reason why what you see couldn't be real) in order to have the doubt needed for a Smarts roll. Attacking a creature and seeing your sword pass thru it harmlessly creates reasonable suspicion. Or if the wall is a flame barrier, and you're close enough to it to notice that you're not feeling any heat from it. But a stone barrier or cloud of smoke just appearing out of nowhere? Nope, no reason for a Smarts roll until you contact it. And not to put too fine a point on it, but shooting into a cloud of smoke, you'd expect the arrow to fly right thru it. However, shooting at a stone barrier, seeing the arrow fly thru it constitutes reasonable suspicion. And, unless they've done some study and know the list of all the available arcane Powers, an ordinary common person isn't going to be able to say "hey, there's no Power that does that".
PWGM - I use my own spreadsheet to create PC's, and did something wrong in it which said that Spellcasting cost 4 points. I've dropped Riding. I remember reading your post about Complex Cantrips, but when searching these web pages with my browser's Find function, it doesn't show up. Can you tell me the date and time of the post? I found Twine and marbles in PF 2.0 Player's Guide, and made up values for the bells and flour : Twine(0.5 lb, 0.01 GP, 50 ft), several small bells (0 lb, 1 GP), marbles(2 lb, 0.1 GP), sack of flour (1 lb, 0.1 GP) Bringing my totals to 38.1 lbs, 212.62 GP. Her family lives in Aiudeen, but I'm not familiar enough with the world to name a specific area or clan name.
I have no problems with your list of what Illusion can't do, I wouldn't have tried any of them in the first place. But I will be trying some wacky stuff, so feel free to tell me I can't do it. Can I see thru my own illusions? I would think so... So, creating illusory furniture (or rocks, boxes, crates, etc.) to hide behind/inside is ok? Then is creating an illusion of the back wall of the room, 3 feet in front of the real wall, that we are all hiding behind ok? I am somewhat concerned with your comment "Using an illusion to block line of sight in a combat or stressful situation does grant the viewers the normal Smarts roll to see through." It's my understanding that a viewer only gets a Smarts roll if they "contact an illusion or doubt it’s real". So just seeing me conjure a smoke cloud to block line-of-sight doesn't automatically give every viewer an option to disbelive, because they have no reason to assume it's not a REAL smoke cloud. I mentioned earlier a document I wrote about how to handle illusions, mostly about when viewers get a Smarts roll to resist, it's HERE. I'd appreciate it if you'd give it a look-over (the relevant guidelines are less than a page and a half long), and then let's discuss it.
Jzero - sorry, the previous version of SW ("SWD") applied both the victim's AND Healer's Wounds to their roll. I knew SWADE had removed one of them, and just remembered wrongly as to which one. Rhodel - THANK YOU!!! PWGM - I just read somewhere that the PF Advanced Player's Guide re-defines the effect that being Entangled has : PF Core Rules : Entangled : can’t move and is Distracted as long as he remains so. PF/APG : Entangled: The victim can’t move and is Vulnerable as long as he remains Entangled. Can you confirm this? If it is true, which version will you use?
My PC: Name : Ceri Attributes
Race : Half-Elf
Skills
Derived Stats
Hindrances
Edges
Class
Powers
Entangle
ILLUSION
Shape Change
GENERIC MODIFIERS
Gear (300 GP, 40 lbs)
Miscellaneous :
Above totals : 34.6 lbs, 209.6 GP Could not find in gear list :
(Horse & Gear : 87 GP) - for the future Background
ALL - about Healing : The Healing Skill can only be used once by a PC on a specific victim. The Healing Power can be used on the same victim for as many times as the caster has Power Points. A Healing Skill of d4 is pretty much useless, because the number of Wounds subtracts from the roll, so a d4-1 has a 50% chance of Success, and d4-2 has as 32% chance of Success. We either need someone to bump their Healing skill up to d8-d10, or get a Cleric (which would be better anyway because of the repeat tries)!
PWGM : "Bloodline abilities carry over into shapechanged forms just like every other edge." So does the bloodline still affect the form of the creature? What if I want to sneak into some bad guys' lair as a rat? If I don't look like a regular rat, it'll be a dead giveaway. If it does affect the form, why are Sorcerers penalized for this and not the other classes? Regarding my Vow : I am intending to use Powers that only disable opponents from acting (more on that later), but I forgot that my Summoned creatures could easily kill opponents. So I'm changing Vow to Code of Honor ("doesn’t abuse or kill prisoners"). Since it specifies prisoners only, killing during combat shouldn't be a problem, yes?
Regarding multi-classing, if Clebsch's intent is to get the Healing Power, couldn't he take the Monk Class Edge, *and* the AB/Miracles Edge at Novice level? Since it's not a Class Edge, he should be able to take both in the same Rank. And it's a form of multi-classing. Unless I've missed a subtlety of the rules...
ALL - if you have a finished PC, and it's a spellcaster, please post if you have the Healing Power. Mine doesn't. It would be a *very* good idea for someone to have it...
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