Corruption, my opinion, should be added each round so you do not have to go back and add together the corruption. Characters do get into the act.
Pleasure Mechanic 2 = Better of the two in my mind. First 1 hurts to read and do as an example.
Combat, ooh like that idea. Through put in a super critical! Super Critical is if the to hit roll succeeds by 10 or more and boosts that d4 dice to a d6 dice. That's just my opinion and suggestion.
At minor actions - neato! My only problem with that is it should be abused just to gain more facets of the world, more facets or nuggets of information. Still that's just my opinion >.>
=============
Character Creation Part 1
Defending Herself - 2. Jane loved playing with magical forces and watching the lights dance and curve under her understandings. She needed a fine hand to keep those lights moving. Dexterity is the name of the game.
Jane’s Dexterity die is now a d8 instead of a d6
Jane’s Intelligence die is now a d10
Jane’s wisdom die is now a d8
+1 DEX
+2 INT
+2 WIS
Constitution +0
Mana +8
Spell Count +4
==
Being a Noble Lady - A. Jane knew, absolutely within her life knew, to get money for any research or studies or extracurricular activities needed to be able to lay on the charm and whisper tempting words to get what she wanted from them.
Jane’s Charisma die is now a d10
Charming: +3 to Charisma-based checks against Human, Elf, Dwarf, Half-orc, and Half-elf males.
==
Jane's Aunt - A. Jane's aunt knew her too well. Knowing what her delightful little niece is getting into. She taught her how to get the better of other hagglers and to put her natural charms to use.
Merchant
+ 2 on rolls to negotiate the price of goods.
+ 1 on rolls for any perception or sense motive checks involving the value of an item.
==
Aunt's Cautionary Tales on the monsters. . . Had Jane quite interested in harvesting them or for experiements. Nothing to do with a blushing face.
==
Janes first hand experience. . . A. She hasn't had the time! There are too many things to be researched, too many things to be done!
A) None at all – While not quite naïve, she is quite distanced from anything on the topic. She hasn’t even had her first kiss!
=============
Character Creation Part 2
The gift bearing noble brought to Jane as a forgive me for missing for so long present of. . . G.) An earring of amazing properties. Able to allow her to understand any individual as long as she can touch them to start the effect! The ideal of just using this to understand and create more. . .
G) An earring that allows the wearer to understand an individual for up to 3 hours, regardless of language. Physical contact must be made to initiate the effect.
==
Jane eating at her favorite restaurent was touched. . . C. Jane ignored it, quickly no not quickly but definitely running! Her face a blushing and to those gentlemen, she looked like a scared doe that just needed to be hunted down and pinned.
C) Jane ignored it and continued out the door seeing no reason to start a commotion in one of her favorite establishments or angering the other gentlemen at the table.
+ 1 WIS
+ 1 on Perception rolls
==
Jane's Opinion of the Slums. . . B. A district to use as a tool of discretion to garner some of the more. . . worse materials she may need.
B) It’s a district like any other - as long as you know to keep a close eye on your coinpurse and don’t walk down any narrow passages, it’s fine.
==
Jane's best friend is. . .B.) Maria, oh sweet sweet maria. This girl has potential to be a very good assistant for her at minimum, and an amazing partner at best. As long as she is able to understand and utilize her hard work.
B) Maria: Maria is a small, human girl who wants desperately to try and enter the Mage’s academy. Day after day she spends studying about magic in hopes that she can prove herself powerful enough to enter. She, of course, has time to spend with her friends and Jane is more than happy talking about the spellcraft or discussing the ancient civilizations and ruins that litter the landscape near Respeiro.
==
Picture Vote: Bigger breasts to my mind, rounder hips, curvier in general <3. But other then that, pict is good!
Perceptions checks are mostly made in the background.
If Jane notices something that could be of use in an area or while under pressure, or something hidden that is dangerous, a perception roll will be made using her wisdom. If...
A) Jane notices it, it is brought up in the story - sometimes in italics and sometimes pointed out explicitly - and the result is shown in the "Die Report" at the end of each post. The voters will need to decide how important and of what use the detail in question is. Or...
B) Jane doesn't notice anything. The object may or may not be described in the story at all and the die rolls for the perception check will not show up in the "Die Report" at the end of the post.
Also, Tomaito, you may want to say what you think of the fetishes – Just so I know more of my audience here.
In response to Diagas:
Sure! I like the” 10 more d6 more damage” idea. And I’ll try to keep close tabs on the minor actions situation – if it gets out of hand, I can reel it in and even scrap it if need be.
Alright, now… the BIG post: This post will most likely be the Final portion of the character creation, if not followed by a small “clean up” vote later on. Here, you will choose what spells our heroine has, as well as traits and cantrips – more on those later. For any items in this section that are "Blah blah blah. Chose an X to receive the bonus", we'll decide on that in a clean-up vote as I get the first chapter started.
From the look of the votes, 6 out of 10 want Jane to be full magic. To be anything else, we’d need five more votes to take a new majority, so I’m calling that specific, spoilered section of the character creation locked in with the bonus die going to Dexterity.
Also, for the pleasure mechanic: Taking into account your feedback and comments, I think I’ll go with the second system and apply corruption every post. The second system also meshes well with some other ideas I’ve had for it lately… some of which are quite devious! Anyway…
Now, for the magic, I’m going to try to define as many things as I can that are relevant – this is still a WIP, so the information is a little rough, but I will try and concisely explain what it all means as magic is a tricky subject that has gone through quite a few iterations for this story:
Mana: Spells cost a certain amount of mana, ranging anywhere from 1 to 3. I decided to change this as the more I worked on the spells, the more I realized my old direction – which was to make it seem as though she were an extremely novice mage and give her only very minor spells – was not something that was entertaining.
Mana Regen: A topic I’ve been thinking over, wondering if it should be 1 mana every 3 posts, but then considering how that would work in and out of combat, and then thinking of a meditation system, but I’m not sure. For now, I’m open to suggestions. As far as how fast it should be, I’m trying to make it not so fast that you guys are flinging spells at every enemy and wrecking them, but also, slow enough that you guys are considering “Should I attack with my blade or my spells”? Let me know what you guys think and what suggestions you may have.
Miscasting: When you cast a spell, the character has a chance to have the spell fizzle as they collect the energy to cast it. During the cast, the INT die is rolled, and as long as the result is above the amount of mana used to cast the spell, it is fine. For example, a fireball spell must have a roll of 3 or above to not fizzle as it costs 2 mana. Note: Touch spells are not affected by this and cannot fizzle.
Casting Time (CT): A rough estimation of the time it takes to cast a spell. You can think of them in general terms: Short, Medium, Long, and Instant. Short spells are a cinch to cast in combat, Medium spell are a little less so, and may make it hard to cast while actively fighting and are best cast at range, Long spells will take quite a bit of time and focus and are usually cast outside or before combat, and Instant spells go off as soon as Jane wills them to. The specific times, such as “5 Seconds” or “30 Seconds” are more of a general indicator, and a difference of two seconds, such as a 3 or 5 second cast time, won’t really come into play unless there’s some story element that is extremely time sensitive.
Range/Duration: Pretty self-explanatory.
Gesture: If this is a keyword on the spell, then Jane needs to perform a physical act to cast the spell, such as holding their palm up, making a certain sign, or putting their hand on a target for a touch spell. If she is grappled or bound, gesture spells can’t be used unless the her hands are freed or are afforded enough movement to commence the spell.
Touch: If this is a keyword on the spell, then Jane needs to touch the target with her hands to apply the spells effects. As with Gestures, if Jane’s hands are bound or grappled, Touch spells will be impossible or difficult to perform.
Verbal: If this is a keyword on the spell, then Jane needs to chant a phrase or set of keywords in order to cast the spell. If she cannot speak, she cannot cast it. Whispering an incantation is possible, but it takes twice as long.
Channeled: If a spell is channeled, Jane must constantly maintain focus while casting the spell. The spell's effects will end if she is interrupted.
Requires Focus: Mostly used for cantrips, Jane must focus on the task at hand completely to cast the spell, staying still and not moving.
Now, for the voting on spells Everyone has 10 points/weight to spend. Put down how many points you want in each spell and then, once I count everything up and everyone has put down their points, I will order them from most to least and apply these rules:
Top 4 Spells: These spells are memorized by Jane and can be cast at any time.
5th spell: This spell is bound to an item in Jane’s possession. Once the spell inside it has been cast, it can be re-enchanted by going to certain establishments and shops in cities - and maybe even towns – for a small fee. Consider it a one per "adventure" kind of item, as you never know when you'll be able to recharge it.
Spells 6, 7, and 8: These spells are scrolls. Once a scroll is cast it is gone for good.
I thought this system would make it so if someone reeeeeally wanted a certain spell they could improve their chances, but also, so we can technically get a majority vote on the ones we take, compared to “vote 4 times on the spells you want” and have the top spell have only 3 votes each. Also, I decided to add the "Item" and the scrolls to make it so you guys have more choices and options available to you, yet still have that sense that comes from choosing what Jane’s core spells are. Please, let me know if you guys have any concerns or comments on this setup. Now, the spells themselves…
I have spent quite a bit of time pouring over the spells, trying to come up with some interesting options, and, mostly, trying to keep them all desirable and balanced. I really hope you guys like ‘em:
- Daze (1 Mana): Make contact with an enemy’s head and daze them, causing mental trauma.
Effect: The target suffers 1d4 Mental Damage and is unable to act next round.
CT: Instant
Range: Touch.
Gesture
Saving Throw: WIS vs. Caster’s INT (Can only avoid 2nd round of stun)
- Racking Pain(2 Mana per round) Channel a series of terrors into the mind of the target, causing severe mental trauma.
Effect: For each round channeled, deals 2d4 damage to a humanoid target and keeps them from acting.
CT: Short (5 Seconds)
Range: 10 ft.
Gesture
Channeled
Verbal
Requires Focus
Saving Throw WIS vs Caster’s INT (Break’s Channel)
- Minor Fear(2 Mana): Speak a word of terror and cause nearby opponents to become shaken for a time.
Effect: Nearby enemies take a -2 penalty to all stats.
CT: Short (3 Seconds) Range: Target’s earshot
Verbal.
Saving Throw: WIS vs. Caster’s INT
- Minor Cure Wounds(1 Mana): The caster concentrates on their wounds, healing themselves in the process.
Effect: Heal yourself for your INT + Base INT.
CT: Medium(20 Seconds)
Range: Self
Gesture
Requires Focus
- Magic Armor(1 Mana): The caster puts a protective shield over themselves to ward off blows.
Effect: The caster has an armor value equal to their Base INT for 5 rounds.
CT: Short(3 Seconds)
Range: Self
Gesture
- Acid Splash(2 Mana): The caster sends forth a wave of acid, burning both armor and flesh.
Effect: Deals 2d6 + the caster’s Base INT in Acid Damage. Affected enemies have their armor reduced by 4 for the rest of the encounter.
CT: Short (3 Seconds)
Range: 10 ft. Cone
Gesture
Verbal
- Frost Touch(1 Mana): The caster instills cold into whatever they touch.
Effect: Deal 1d6 + Base INT Damage to a single enemy. Target suffers a d4 + 1 penalty to their Dexterity for the next 3 rounds.
CT: Instant
Range: Touch
Gesture
- Ray of Frost(2 Mana): The caster sends a ray of frost forward to freeze their enemies.
Effect: Deals the caster’s INT die + Base INT in Ice Damage to a single enemy. Target suffers a d4 penalty to their Dexterity for the next 3 rounds.
CT: Short (3 Seconds)
Range: 25 ft.
Gesture
Verbal
- Ice Spike(3 Mana): The caster fires a shard of ice at a target, impaling them.
Effect: The target takes 2x INT die in Ice damage and cannot move during their next turn.
CT: Medium(10 Seconds)
Range: 30 ft.
Gesture
Verbal
Saving Throw: DEX vs. The caster’s INT + Bonus
- True Strike(1 Mana): The caster chants for a few moments, allowing them to strike true with their weapons.
Effect: The caster receives an additional d10 on To Hit rolls.
CT: Short (5 Seconds)
Range: Self
Verbal
Swiftness(1/2 Mana): The caster channels the air around them to enhance their speed.
Effect: The caster gains a bonus of d4 + 1 (1 Mana), or d4 + 3 (2 Mana) to their DEX. This bonus decreases by 1 each round, the effect ending when it hits “0”.
CT: Medium (10 Seconds)
Range: Self
Verbal
Bolster(1/2 Mana): The caster focuses for a time, enhancing their physical prowess for a time.
Effect: The caster gains a bonus of d4 + 1 (1 Mana), or d4 + 3 (2 Mana) to their STR. This bonus decreases by 1 each round, the effect ending when it hits “0”.
CT: Medium (10 Seconds)
Range: Self
Verbal
- Burning Hand(1 mana): The caster’s hands alight with fire, burning anything they touch.
Effect: The caster burns a single target, dealing 1d8 + Base INT fire damage during the initial cast and 1d4 – 2 fire damage for the next 3 rounds.
CT: Instant
Gesture
Range: Touch
Saving Throw: DEX (6+ to put flames out)
- Fireball(2 Mana): The Caster shoots a ball of fire towards their foe that explodes on impact.
Effect: The target takes the caster’s INT die + Base INT in fire damage during the initial cast and 1d4 – 2 fire damage for the next 3 rounds.
CT: Short (5 Seconds)
Range 30 ft.
Gesture
Saving Throw: Dex (6+ to put flames out)
- Fire Swath(3 Mana): The caster builds a gout of flame over a period of time, releasing it as a massive, incinerating wave.
Effect: Targets in the affected area each take 2x INT die + Base INT fire damage during the initial cast and 1d4 – 2 fire damage for the next 3 rounds.
CT: Medium (10 Seconds)
Range 10 ft. Cone
Gesture
Verbal
Saving Throw: Dex (6+ to put flames out)
- Vine Lash(1 mana): The character summons a vine from the ground to latch onto and constrict the target.
Effect: The vine deals d4 damage each turn it is latched onto the target. As long as the vine is attached, the target cannot move while the vine is in effect.
CT: Short (5 Seconds)
Range: 15 ft. – Must be cast outside
Gesture
Saving Throw: The vine has 5 health and will release the target once dead. If the target succeeds at a STR check of 6, the vine also releases.
- Grasping Earth(3 mana): The character summons dirt and rock to rise up and incase the target’s legs, immobilizing them.
Effect: The target is unable to move.
CT: Short (5 Seconds)
Range: 10 ft – Must be cast outside
Gesture
Saving Throw: The rocks have 15 health and will release the target once “dead”. The target may break free after a successful STR 8 check.
- Shocking Grasp(1 Mana): The caster grasps a target, electrocuting them and leaving them disoriented.
Effect: Deals 2d4 + Base INT electric damage. For the next 2 rounds, when the enemy acts, roll a d6: on the roll of a 5 or 6, they suffer a -3 penalty to their DEX and STR that round.
CT: Instant
Range: Touch
Gesture
-Bolt(2 Mana): The caster blasts a powerful, if somewhat unwieldy, bolt of lightning towards their target with a thundering crack.
Effect: The target takes 4d4 electric damage. When casting the spell, roll a d6, on the roll of a 6, the bolt veers off target and strikes the closest individual, object, or surface.
CT: Short (5 Seconds)
Range: 25 ft.
Gesture
Verbal
- Wave of Force(2 Mana): A massive amount of force blasts forth from the caster’s palm, sending their opponent flying backwards.
Effect: Deals 2d4 + Base INT and send the target flying d4 x 5 ft.
CT: Short (5 Seconds)
Range: Melee
Gesture
- Conjure Blade(2 mana): The caster chants for a time, summoning an ethereal blade to use as a weapon for a time.
Effect: Summons a shortsword for one hour that can act as a normal weapon.
CT: Medium (10 Seconds)
Duration: 1 Hours
Gesture
Verbal
Ethereal Shortsword:
Damage = STR + Base STR + 4
Parry Bonus +1
Now, for cantrips. You guys have 10 points/weight to vote with for them. They are more of tricks and tools to use in the story, rather than combat spells. Jane will acquire whichever two have the most “Weight” and has three cantrips “charges” each day – sleeping for a few hours will restore all charges.
- Create light: Create an orb of light to illuminate your immediate surroundings. This orb becomes solid once conjured and can be held, rolled, or otherwise manipulated.
CT: Short (3 seconds)
Duration
Range: 20ft.
Gesture.
- Discern direction: After focusing for a few seconds, you instinctively know which direction is North.
CT: Long (1 Minute)
Requires Focus
- Mending: Repairs a simple object or a piece of clothing.
CT: Long (1 Minute)
Range: Touch
Requires Focus
- Erase: Remove writing from a piece of parchment or other small surface.
CT: Medium (10 Seconds)
Range: Touch
Requires Focus
- Conjure Water: Condense moisture around you to create a liter of water.
CT: Medium (30 Seconds)
Requires Focus
- Light telekinesis: Lift an object no more than 5 pounds and manipulate it for a minute.
CT: Short (5 Seconds)
Range: 20 ft.
Duration: 60 Seconds
Requires Focus
Channeled
Gesture
- Detect Life: Focus for a time to sense the presence of nearby creatures.
CT: Medium (30 seconds)
Range: 50 ft.
Duration: 5 Minutes.
Requires Focus
- Comprehend Language: The caster closes their eyes and concentrates, able to understand whatever those around them are saying for a short period.
CT: Medium (10 Seconds)
Range: Ear-shot
Duration: 5 minutes
Requires Focus
- Material Shift: The caster focuses, enhancing or weakening the strength of an inanimate material, such as wood or metal for a time.
CT: Long (60 Seconds)
Range: Touch
Duration: 1 hour
Requires Focus
- Obscuring Mist: The caster summons a mist to conceal themselves.
CT: Medium (20 Seconds)
Range: 30 ft. radius
Duration: 10 minutes
Requires Focus
- Spark: The caster creates a spark as though she had struck a piece of flint.
CT: Medium (10 Seconds)
Range: touch
Requires Focus
- Detect Curse: The caster attempts to scan a piece of equipment to see if it is cursed.
CT: Medium (30 Seconds)
Range: 5 ft.
Requires Focus
And finally, the traits/passives. Same deal with the votes: Each person has 10 points/weight with which to put down on those they like. The top 3 will be selected.
Swift Blade: If, when attacked, Jane’s DEX roll is 5 higher than the opponents, she may immediately counterattack with a +2 to hit.
Aphrodisiac Resistance: Jane’s Aunt, the learned traveler she was, was not one to take chances, and so she left Jane three potions to better resist the effects of aphrodisiacs – Hopefully, Jane is given the chance to imbibe it. Potion Effect: Aphrodisiacs only apply a -2 penalty to WIS when resisting pleasure instead of the usual -5.
Group Fighting: Thorold’s war-buddy, Gill, visits from time to time, and together they have taught Jane how to better defend herself against multiple opponents. Jane gains a + 2 to her rolls to Evade/Parry when attacked by multiple opponents.
Bullied: Jane was bullied at a much younger age during her years in school and is prepared to fight with only her fists. Jane gains an extra + 1 on To Hit, Damage, and Grapple rolls while Unarmed.
Dancer: Jane knows how to dance and has become more graceful as a result. + 1 DEX
Dirty Fighter: Jane’s gotten into one too many fights in taverns and other unorthodox places that she’s learned to look for weapons where others wouldn’t. Jane has a + 2 to perception checks to find makeshift weaponry or other helpful aspects in the environment.
Bookworm: Whether it’s studying with Scholar Ide or reading on her own time, Jane never passes up a good book. + 1 INT
Magically Resistant Ring: A gift from Maria, it will reduce the damage of any damaging spell by 1.
Canter: Of the thieves that would venture up into the Noble’s District from time to time, you befriended one and managed to learn a bit of Thief’s Cant, the secret language in which they conceal messages or speak in code. Jane can understand a few simple words and can make out the most basic point when she hears someone speak in Cant. If Lily is your best friend, you know how to speak all but the most complex phrases in Cant.
Willful Noble: Wanting to do right by her Father, Jane has made it one of her many goals to act the part of a noble around her father, and as such, has become strong willed in order to deal with the political world of the upper-class. Jane gains +1 WIS
Bilingual: Jane has learned the basic customs of another race, as well as the ability to read, write, and speak their native tongue.. Such in-depth study about some races may have unforeseen side-effects however. Choose one(Voting will be after this passive has been confirmed): Elf, Dwarf, Orc, Goblin, Ancient
Anatomy: Jane has studied quite a bit about the anatomy and behavior of a few different creatures. Choose 2 races from the list. Jane gains + 1 on To Hit and INT rolls against the selected races: Orcs, Goblins, beasts, Spiders and other bug-like enemies, Beastmen, or Tentacle Creatures.
Mana Reserves: Through hardship and training with Scholar Ide, Jane has learned how to better channel mana as she casts spells. After casting a spell, roll a d6: On the result of a “6”, the spell uses 1 less mana.
Spell Memorization: Jane has spent so much time overlooking her spells and scrolls that she can memorize one more spell! Jane gains +1 to Spell Count.
Cantrip Focus: Jane has spent some extra time researching how to better channel her cantrips, allowing her to learn one more and cast each one twice in one day.
Dispelled Past (Scholar Ide): During part of Jane’s training, she had accidentally been stripped of her magic for a period of time that had left her feeling completely helpless. Never wanting to feel so helpless again, she swore to train for just such an occasion. When deprived of mana, Jane fights harder, earning a + 1 bonus to STR and DEX.
Favored Spell: One spell has always stood out as Jane’s favorite – day after day, she has spent studying on how to best maximize its effect. Choose a damage-dealing spell. That spell receive an extra d6 to its damage.
Wheeew… that’s it. I’m going to leave this all here for a few days to let people put in their votes, change their votes, discuss with one other the best spells combinations, and all that jazz – while checking back from time to time of course – and will put it all together once everything looks good to go.
I hope this turns out well and you guys enjoy it! Yet again, Any comments, questions, and concerns: Please, let me know and don’t hesitate to even message me as I get emails alerting me to those.
Spells:
Minor Cure Wounds – 3 points
Magic Armor – 2 points
Fireball – 2 point
Ice Spike – 2 point
Minor Fear – 1 point
Cantrips:
Comprehend Language – 5 points
Create light – 2 points
Detect Life – 2 point
Detect Curse – 1 point
Passives:
Favored Spell (Fireball) – 3 points
Magically Resistant Ring – 2 points
Bookworm – 1.5 points
Mana Reserves – 1.5 points
Spell Memorization – 1 point
Cantrip Focus – 0.5 points
Group Fighting – 0.5 points
The passives were hard to choose from, as there are so many I like.
EDIT: On the topic of mana regeneration:
1) Allow resting to fully restore mana (or at least restore a large amount, depending on how long the rest was)
2) Have potions that can restore mana and/or provide a bonus to mana regeneration
3) Have mana regenerate at the rate of 1 point every few hours (for example 1 point per 4 hours) plus bonuses from items, spells and potions
Woo! Super Criticals are going to be applied, awesome!
==
Mana Regen: For this idea, instead of a blatant mana regen during combat, make it a debt system. She can overdraw herself, going over her natural max mana limit for a round but if she goes too far over, she becomes unable to cast any spell or magic for a set period of time. I'm thinking for ever 1 point of overdraw over her limit is 1 additional hour needed for recovery with the max limit for overdrawing being at double her mana. The idea of the overdraw system is that, while in combat she has no time to recover any additional mana and etc. (Exceptions of course through items and the whatnot.)
Of course if this is too complicated, for a set mana regen I'd put it as her WIS stat. So whatever that number is, is how much mana she regens per round with it being doubled or tripled when out of combat and meditating or sleeping.
Miscasting: Neato! The only problem I have with this is, there going to be a mastery scale by the spell? Aka the more mastered it is, the less the roll is required. IE: That fireball spell roll of 3 goes down from 3 to 2, then to 1, then to 0 depending on how mastered it is. (This way character shouldn't be able to fail an extremely simple spell they've casted hundreds and hundreds of times without some extuenating circumstances.)
(These are all suggestions. That is how I intend them to be read. Not trying to ursurp or step/stomp on your electronic toes/story >.<)
==
Spell Taking: Ahahah! Awesome. Through I feel like I should just dump all 10 of my points into one spell I reaaallly want. *Snort*
Spells
-Minor Cure Wounds: 4 points. | Reasoning: To be able to heal will always, always grant her some leeway and make people want to keep her alive.
-Bolt: 3 points. | Reasoning: This has some amazing intimidation factors to it. Also it does the most damage out the elemental four. I'd thought about grabbing a frost or grasping earth but realized, why should I do that when I have bolt? Which can mess with their nervous system and GLASS areas where it hits.
-True Strike: 2 points. | Reasoning: It's true strike. Seriously. To hit things is always godsend. The only reason why it's low on my point list is because I believe everyone is going to be trying to take it as well.
-Magic Armor: 1 points. | Reasoning: Simply put armor is good. Always good.
Spells in Spoiler are their full effects
- Minor Cure Wounds(1 Mana): The caster concentrates on their wounds, healing themselves in the process.
Effect: Heal yourself for your INT + Base INT.
CT: Medium(20 Seconds)
Range: Self
Gesture
Requires Focus
-Bolt(2 Mana): The caster blasts a powerful, if somewhat unwieldy, bolt of lightning towards their target with a thundering crack.
Effect: The target takes 4d4 electric damage. When casting the spell, roll a d6, on the roll of a 6, the bolt veers off target and strikes the closest individual, object, or surface.
CT: Short (5 Seconds)
Range: 25 ft.
Gesture
Verbal
- True Strike(1 Mana): The caster chants for a few moments, allowing them to strike true with their weapons.
Effect: The caster receives an additional d10 on To Hit rolls.
CT: Short (5 Seconds)
Range: Self
Verbal
- Magic Armor(1 Mana): The caster puts a protective shield over themselves to ward off blows.
Effect: The caster has an armor value equal to their Base INT for 5 rounds.
CT: Short(3 Seconds)
Range: Self
Gesture
So many spells, so little choices x.x. Picking and choosing IS hard.
==
Cantrip Taking: Oh reading through these. . . Lots of use. Lots of Misc Use and just wow.
Cantrips
- Discern Direction: 2 points | Reasoning: Getting lost is exceedingly painful. Knowing the way north lays freedom. Learn Discern Direction to always know north.
- Mending: 2 points | Reasoning: Repairing her armor or cloth at least small dings in it, is an amazing thing. This can also be construed as washing objects hopefully.
- Conjure Water: 2 points | Reasoning: Literally, you'll never know when this will come in handy. But when conjuring, make sure it is over a cup or some sort. Secondary reasoning is because you will CONJURE pure drinkable, non-poisoned water. Can use this to purify any water within a drink hopefully.
- Light Telekinesis: 2 points | Reasoning: This is always good in a pinch. In some way or some fashion it is good in a pinch. Especially if character is unable to get over to the area.
- Detect Curse: 2 points | Reasoning: Hopefully this will lay unused, but you really never know.
Cantrips in Spoiler are their full effects
- Discern direction: After focusing for a few seconds, you instinctively know which direction is North.
CT: Long (1 Minute)
Requires Focus
- Mending: Repairs a simple object or a piece of clothing.
CT: Long (1 Minute)
Range: Touch
Requires Focus
- Conjure Water: Condense moisture around you to create a liter of water.
CT: Medium (30 Seconds)
Requires Focus
- Light telekinesis: Lift an object no more than 5 pounds and manipulate it for a minute.
CT: Short (5 Seconds)
Range: 20 ft.
Duration: 60 Seconds
Requires Focus
Gesture
- Detect Curse: The caster attempts to scan a piece of equipment to see if it is cursed.
CT: Medium (30 Seconds)
Range: 5 ft.
Requires Focus
Cantrip taking: Oooh boy this is hard. Annoyningly hard just like spells to pick and sieve through.
==
Passives/Traits: Really. Oh this is just torture. Really torture. .
Passives/Traits
- Bookworm: 3 points | Reasoning: This fits so well into how I imagine Jane to work. Still this is my singular vision and I honestly don't expect this to make the cut.
- Willful Noble: 3 points | Reasoning: Again this fits so well! Jane utilizing her father and herself to get what she wants from the other nobles, their gold and patronage!
- Mana Reserves: 4 points | Reasoning: Yes. Just simply yes. It is luck based but any additional point of mana that can be conserved should be shrewdly taken. Honestly, I had a toss up between this and dispelled past but realized, dispelled past didn't work unless there is some big kerfluffle reasoning as to why.
Passives/Traits in Spoiler are their full effects
Bookworm: Whether it’s studying with Scholar Ide or reading on her own time, Jane never passes up a good book. + 1 INT
Willful Noble: Wanting to do right by her Father, Jane has made it one of her many goals to act the part of a noble around her father, and as such, has become strong willed in order to deal with the political world of the upper-class. Jane gains +1 WIS
Mana Reserves: Through hardship and training with Scholar Ide, Jane has learned how to better channel mana as she casts spells. After casting a spell, roll a d6: On the result of a “6”, the spell uses 1 less mana.
Hm. The passives were easier. My only problem with them is just that many seem to. . . allude to a fun background that may clash with what is established.
First off:
Mana regeneration would probably be best left as time-based which can be increased via resting/items/skills/training. (Per post seems silly because then you can get into arguments about how much we should get or not).
Spell Choices:
Minor Cure Wounds: 2. Because some form of reliable selfheal is pretty much required.
Minor Fear: 1. A far-reaching debuff never hurt anyone.
Ray of Frost: 1. What mage would we be without damage?
Fireball: 3. Kill it with fire.
Bolster: 1. Having some extra strength may just come in handy forcing things a fireball won't solve.
Magic Armor: 2. Because living is useful.
Cantrips:
Comprehend Language: 3. Silence is silver, Speech is golden.
Detect Life: 4. I assume it works on anything that resembles "life"?
Create Light: 3. Self-Explanatory.
Passives:
Group Fighting: 4. Because 1v1 NEVER happens.
Mana Reserves: 3. Because the more RNG the better.
Dispelled Past: 3. "Plan B".
Spells:
Minor Cure Wounds: 3
Bolt: 3
Magic Armor: 2
Minor Fear: 2
Cantrips:
Create Light: 3
Material Shift: 3 (usefull on doors that are stuck)
Conjure Water: 2
Detect Curse: 2
Passives:
Favored Spell (Bolt): 4
Mana Reserves: 3
Bookworm: 3
Mana should regenerate slowly (1 per couple of hours), or full mana replenish when you rest, but you could still get some mana back with mana potions, and mana regeneration items
Spells: Minor Cure Wounds: 1 weight Wave of Force: 5 weight Racking Pain: 5 weight
I choose healing for the obvious. Wave of Force seems useful if surrounded, giving Jane breathing room in case it's needed. Racking Pain seems infinitely useful to incapacitate an enemy, deal damage, and intimidate. I imagine Racking Pain would cause terror of some sort, so that's always fun >.
Cantrips: Light Telekinesis: 5 weight Material Shift: 5 weight
Oh my gosh, these two are a must for me! Forget the spells - being able to sling objects, both used as weaponry or distractions (Hey, many swords and other weapons weigh less than 5 pounds!) seems incredibly useful, and being able to change the strength of an object's material could come in handy for many different applications. Enhance a weapon perhaps to make it stronger (I assume this means weight and brittleness?) or lighter, perhaps an enemy's weapon or armor? Make a rope stronger than it should be, maybe make a wooden door smashable? Maybe my mind is racing with imagination, but I like these two in conjunction .
More intelligence for spells, more dexterity for + to hit and evade, and a chance to counterattack with the increase to dexterity when using a weapon. Simple, basic, and effective in my opinion
Hello, all! Thought I’d check in and gives the numbers for the top spells at the moment so you don’t have to count it up yourself. As long as people don’t edit their post after ( 9:30 PM EST October 13th, 2014 ), the results are the following. To make a change to your vote, make a new post, so this data everyone is referring to isn’t out of date.
This is just a count, I’ll leave this be until around Wednesday night at midnight, around my time (EST)… maybe longer, and then I shall lock everything into place.
Also…
Kasei: You applied 11 points to passives, so I took a point off Swift Blade as it was your third item. If you want to change them, go ahead and make another post.
And Gear: You applied 11 points to spells, so I removed your 1 point form Minor Wounds, seeing as how that’s already far in the lead.
On the short list, you gave wave of force 6 points when it only has 5 on the chart. That being said, I'd like to put one point into it, and actually make it 6
And another two points into Bolster.
All of the cantrips look useful. So, I'll put ten points in cantrip focus so we can have three of them!
Lastly, 6 points in create light, and 4 in material shift because why not. I'd prefer conjure water over comprehend language, but I won't push seeing as it was rated so high.
On the short list, you gave wave of force 6 points when it only has 5 on the chart. That being said, I'd like to put one point into it, and actually make it 6
And another two points into Bolster.
Alright, I’m almost ready to get underway, but two things first: I have edited the first post to reflect some new rules changes and decisions, and I wanted to talk to you guys about the few ties we have:
Firstly, there is a tie between “Bolt” and “Wave of Force” as the memorized spell or the enchanted item’s spell. I have, for the moment, gone with Wave of Force as our fourth memorized spell, as bolt and fireball are quite similar in their use.
Secondly, there was a tie for the piece of jewelry between the earring that allowed for language comprehension and the invisibility necklace. As the cantrip for understanding languages made the list, I have, for the moment, made it so that Jane has the necklace.
Thirdly, the scene in the restaurant...
If you guys aren’t comfortable with these options, let me know… as for now, I’ll start writing, and hopefully have the first passage up and ready to go by Thursday night, or the morning after. Also, make sure to read through the first post again, as I have touched it up and clarified the rules quite a bit now that we've had time to take in and apply some feedback.
As for everything else... Here is Jane!
Training: B2 – Jane took to magic extremely well: There was something she loved about wielding such magical power, even if it was tiny fraction of what many others possessed. Almost all of her focus went into furthering these magical powers.
Jane’s Strength die is a d6
Jane’s Dexterity die is a d8
Jane’s Intelligence die is a d10
Jane’s Wisdom/Willpower die is a d8
+2 INT
+2 WIS
+1 DEX
Charm School: A – Jane thought it was extremely useful. She took to the classes well and learned a great deal about how to act like a lady, perform the tasks a noble woman should, and how to woo any potential suitors.
Jane’s Charisma die is a d10
Passive gained. “Charming”: +3 to Charisma-based checks against Human, Elf, Dwarf, Half-orc and Half-elf males.
Aunt: A – Merchant
Passive gained. “Mercantile Mind”: +2 on rolls to negotiate the price of goods. +1 on rolls for any perception or sense motive checks involving the value of an item.
Sexual Experience: A – None at all. While not quite naïve, she is quite distanced from anything on the topic. She hasn’t even had her first kiss!
Jewelry: C – Jane has a necklace that allows the wearer to become invisible for a minute.
Restaurant Grope:B - She decked the poor fool right in the face Knocking him unconscious and then apologized profusely for doing such a thing, not wanting to anger the other men at the table.
+ 1 STR
"Working Name"+ 1 on Diplomacy rolls.
Opinion of Slums: B - It’s a district like any other - as long as you know to keep a close eye on your coinpurse and don’t walk down any narrow passages, it’s fine.
Best Friend: Maria - Maria is a small, human girl who wants desperately to try and enter the Mage’s academy. Day after day she spends studying about magic in hopes that she can prove herself powerful enough to enter. She, of course, has time to spend with her friends and Jane is more than happy talking about the spellcraft or discussing the ancient civilizations and ruins that litter the landscape near Respeiro.
Memorized Spells:
- Minor Cure Wounds
- Magic Armor
- Fireball
- Wave of Force
Enchanted Item’s Spell:
- Bolt
Scrolls:
- Bolster
- Racking pain
- True Strike
Passives:
Cantrip Focus: +1 Cantrip. +2 cantrip charges.
Bookworm: +1 INT
Mana Reserves: After casting a spell, roll a d6: On the result of a “6”, the spell uses 1 less mana.
Cantrips:
Comprehend Language
Material Shift
Create Light
With all that done, here is the pending template for Jane Theriner.
Jane Theriner.
Age: 20
Height: 5’ 7”
Weight: 128 lbs.
Breast Size: 34d
Hair: Brown
Eyes: Green
Spells:
Minor Cure Wounds
Magic Armor
Fireball
Wave of Force
Cantrips:
Comprehend Language
Material Shift
Create Light
Skills/Passives: Mercantile Mind: +2 on rolls to negotiate the price of goods. +1 on rolls for any perception or sense motive checks involving the value of an item. Charming: +3 to Charisma-based checks against Human, Elf, Dwarf, Half-orc and Half-elf males. Mana Reserves: After casting a spell, roll a d6: On the result of a “6”, the spell uses 1 less mana.
"Working Name": +1 to Diplomacy rolls.
Personally, I think it would be better to switch the restaurant scene to B:
B) She decked the poor fool right in the face Knocking him unconscious and then apologized profusely for doing such a thing, not wanting to anger the other men at the table.
+ 1 STR
+ 1 on Diplomacy rolls
My reasons are as follows:
1) Seduction doesn't really fit our character - she hasn't even had her first kiss yet, so I just can't see her suddenly trying to seduce people she meets during her travels
2) Seduction is rather limited in use. When dealing with a straight married woman, or a pair of gay men, or some old man that is simply too old to care about some young chick's attempts to seduce him, or a number of other situations, Seduction is unlikely to produce favorable results. In comparison Diplomacy might be a lot more useful in such cases, so I'd rather have that "+ 1 on Diplomacy rolls" bonus
Also, sooner or later our character will end up in a situation where she doesn't want to - or simply can't - use magic in combat. In such cases the +1 Strength bonus might be the difference between victory and defeat. And it has its non-combat uses, too, such as trying to open a jammed door, or trying to move something heavy without making too much noise (the extra strength might be the difference between having to drag something on the ground and being able to carry it), or trying to hold someone in place while they are trying to get away
In short, I find +1 Strength and + 1 on Diplomacy rolls to be more useful than +2 bonus to Seduction.
Alright, I'll change that one up - my original reasoning was that punching as an initial action was out of character for our "Mage", but I guess I'm a little tired tonight as I realize going with "E" would be an even bigger disservice and an even more outlandish of an action.
The way I imagined the scene in the restaurant was something like this: The guy grabbed Jane’s ass. She turned around and slapped him… HARD. Unfortunately three factors combined: the guy was not physically fit due to being a mage, he was very drunk, and he did not expect such a reaction. As a result of the three the slap made him lose balance, fall down, and hit his head, knocking him unconscious.
Jane noticed that some of the guy’s friends are the sons of other nobles and – not wanting to cause any unnecessary trouble for herself and for her family – apologized. But then rumors about the incident turned the whole thing into "I’m serious, she may not look like it, but she decked the poor fool right in the face and knocked him out cold!"
That way she stays in characters and still punches the guy out cold.
btw i still have 1 question about failed spellcasting, does it consume full mana, half or none at all, and is there a chance that it can blow in your hands (ie. fireball failure)?
Oh, yes - Sorry I didn't confirm it, but I implemented a bit of what you suggested:
I made it so that mana regens at 1 per hour, with a bit more while sleeping. Also, Jane can overdraw one spell. That is, she can only overdraw once while at 0 mana, and cannot do so again until she at least regains the 1-2 mana and goes back up to 0. Note, that this could have some dire consequences... the details of which I am not privy to reveal at this time.
Overall, when our heroine runs out of mana, she has to decide what is the lesser evil: melee or overdrawing. And thank you for bringing it up again, as I realized a mistake I made with the details a bit that has been corrected.
I also redid miscasting in the first post: I decided to change it up so that the only way to have a spell fizzle is to roll less than "2" - as long as the roll's a 2+ everything is dandy. However, being attacked, grappled, or otherwise distracted may make the roll a bit harder to pull off. To put it simply: spells have a 10% chance to fizzle most of the time, but have a small penalty when hit or having your concentration broken. Eventually - since Jane is still technically a novice in the use of magic - our heroine will become much better at casting magic, and the chance of having a spell fizzle will be extremely small, if almost non-existant.
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