Nioca

Originally Posted By: !FlUtTeRrAgE I think BoA was just a fail because its just a ripoff of BoE. Why have two "create Scenarios" Game about the SAME game, with different graphics and names? ...Have you even ever played BoE and BoA? Or any Exile and any Original Avernum? They may share the same plots and premises, but the two engines are wildly different. There were a lot of different reasons for BoA falling flat. It's learning curve and complexity is probably one of the bigger ones (although it's also likely the reason why BoA wasn't inundated with as many crappy scenarios as BoE). And seeing as how a Blades of Geneforge game would have an even higher learning curve, odds are BoG would wind up dying right out of the gate.

Both dates work for me. Also, yay perk!

24.5 hour warning, peoples!

10 minutes to showtime, people!

Originally Posted By: !WaItInG with my KnIfE n CuPcAkE I can't know nioca's real age so I estimated. Wait, you can't know my real age? As in it's some sort of brown note or Thing Man Was Not Meant To Know? That's... good to know. *makes preparations to shout his age in the Mod Board and take over SW*

Okay, thanks, I'll look into some of this. I had forgotten about Avira; I had it before, but switched to Avast! because I had heard it was better. I recall it ran pretty well the last time I had it, and will look into it. I'll also be looking into MalwareBytes as well.

Almost 6 years. That's over a quarter of my life. Wow. I feel old.

Originally Posted By: B.J.Earles Which reminds me, you guys have some loot to clear up. I'll do that soon. And perks! Don't forget the perks!

It's been a while since I did BoA, but I decided to get back into it with this scenario (and tDaR). I felt this scenario had a lot of promise, but it was a first effort and it shows. PLOT I'm honestly not entirely sure what the plot was supposed to be. It's like the creator decided to take cues from the LOST school of writing, always raising new questions but rarely bothering to give answers. From what I could see, there was an intriguing mystery plot going on, but it was too fragmented and incoherent to actually make much sense of it. On the bright side, the characters you travel with are exceedingly well done, and feel like more than just cardboard cut-outs. And I believe it's already been mentioned that the designer portrays violent sliths well. GAMEPLAY It felt like the designer had a hard time figuring out how to balance combat for the recommendations shown. Fights tended to be either tediously easy or ridiculously difficult, and it seemed that the designer was ignorant of the options and abilities that mid-level parties have; a few castings of Capture Mind rendered some clearly-intended-to-be-difficult fights as disappointing farce, while others involved praying that the RNG was on your side (or that the enemy refrained from spamming Lightning Spray like a jerk). On two different occasions, I got into a fight and got slaughtered before half of my party could even act. The temple Rockmaw fight was probably the worst offender in this regard; roughly 15 attempts with two different parties, and not ONCE did I make it out with more than one character alive. AESTHETICS The scenario was generally pretty, although it was also at times unpolished. The dialogue appeared superfluously grandiloquent on occasion, and there was the occasional typo or dropped word. Most importantly, though, the atmosphere felt incomplete and hollow; to some extent, I suspect this is because the towns were mostly devoid of anything that wasn't an enemy, a party member, or an ally attacking an enemy. No dialogue, aside from what pops up in the boxes, meant it's difficult to really get a feel for your surroundings. There was next-to-no scene-setting or descriptive dialog, either; the whole thing felt static, and there was nothing to really immerse myself into. TECHNICAL I think most of what I would say has already been said. The designer definitely knew what he was doing from a technical angle. It was also mostly glitch-free; the only thing I noticed was that it was possible to accidentally mess up the Temple dungeon if, after entering the town, you immediately turned around and exited. But that was about the only thing. VERDICT [rating]AVERAGE[/rating]. Worth a play, if you've got a mid-level slith party laying around and don't think too hard about the plot. Unless you're a master BoA combatant, min-maxer, or enjoy torturing yourself, you may want to avoid entering at the low end of the level recommendation.

Alright, so here's the thing. Right now, I'm kinda unsatisfied with the anti-virus I'm using (Microsoft Security Essentials), mainly because it tends to be a massive CPU hog; enough so that it can actually bring everything else to a screeching halt until it finishes updating, passive scanning, tidying rosebushes, or whatever the heck it decides to do at the moment. I switched to MSE after Avast! thoroughly screwed my system and almost turned it into a smoldering wreck. The SW community is rather tech-saavy, and my track record at searching for things online is not great. Thus, I thought I'd ask you guys: Which anti-virus software would you recommend I use? I'm looking for something that's low maintenance, works quietly in the background without eating up a ton of resources, is effective, and is free. Any help would be greatly appreciated here.

That's alright, I still needed to get my level in. I had a really hard time deciding whether to go for Melee or for Magic. On one hand, melee's my key skill. On the other, the last two fights have been done at range. Ultimately, I decided on melee. I'll PM in a new technique. Click to reveal.. (Yemirrr, XP-146) Yemirrr Smitten Semi-Unfettered Male Nephilim Bandit Chief Physical Description: Dark fur, large muscles, dark-colored eyes. Has tattered ears and a large scar from his left shoulder to his chest. Wearing ratskin pants, slightly damaged heavy plate mail, and a small, tribal-reminiscent necklace. 18/40 HP [+3] / 06/10 STM 21+2 DEF / 15 WIL 5-1 SPD / 000/146 XP ARMOR: Heavy (+2DEF/3Encumbrance/-1Speed) Melee (Axes) - 11 [+1] Magic (Force) - 5 Athletics – 8 [+1] Perception - 4 Thievery – 3 Stealth - 4 Composure - 2 Acrobatics - 1 First Aid - 1 Arcana - 1 Click to reveal.. (MISCELLANEOUS TECHNIQUES (1)) DEFIANT BRACE - Defensively maneuvers and braces so that the character's armor and natural hardiness absorb the brunt of the next wave of attacks, reducing the effects and damage of attacks that hit the defender that round. The better the character's armor and Athletics, the stronger the effect. Stamina can be spent to enhance the technique's power. This technique does not require a roll. Click to reveal.. (AXE TECHNIQUES (6)) UNFETTERED FURY (1PD 1STM) - All attacks gain a notable bonus to hit and do extra damage and all incoming attacks deal slightly less damage/have slightly reduced effects, at the cost of defense. The effects last until the end of the current battle. CRUSHING CLEAVE (FRAct 1STM) – As a full-round action, winds up and performs a massive cleaving attack, striking up to seven adjacent enemies in one hit. An improved or critical will in addition knock the victim back and prone. Each additional enemy targeted inflicts a -1 penalty to-hit, and the character takes a flat -2 penalty to defense that round if targeting more than 4 enemies. WRATHFUL RETALIATION (MAct) – Retaliates against an enemy who struck the character in melee that turn as a move action, at a slight penalty to hit and to the character's main action. Requires 1STM if the character's main action is a second attack. WAR CHARGE (FRAct 1STM) – Charges in a straight line up to twice the character's speed, then lands an attack with the character's weapon. If the character charges a distance greater than his normal movement speed, the damage done gains a +1 bonus and will potentially knock the target back. HAFT STRIKE – Strikes the target with the haft or blunt side of the weapon, doing less damage but also penalizing the target's actions and defenses that round. If a target is reduced to 0HP by a haft strike, the target is simply rendered unconscious instead of killed/bleeding out. (???) Click to reveal.. (FORCE MAGIC (4)) SMITE – Hits the target object with a lance of cold and magical energy. This spell is capable of doing limited damage even if the target is immune to cold damage. Multiple lances can be fired at a cost of 1STM per additional target. FLINGPULSE – Creates a pulse of force, capable of deflecting, knocking back, or throwing enemies, objects, or the caster. It can be focused on either a single target at long range or spread out over short range. Stamina can be spent to increase the power of the pulse, or increase the area of effect.[/color] DISPERSION – Creates a temporary shield around the target tuned to a specific element or form of energy (heat, electricity, cold, etc.), deflecting and dispersing it into the recipient's surroundings. This reduces its damage/effects while also potentially dumping it into nearby creatures or objects. Stronger castings can disperse greater amounts of energy, and multiple energy types can be shielded against at 1STM per additional type. AETHYRFIELD - Creates a frictionless barrier of force around a targeted creature, object, or part of an object, capable of blocking and deflecting any physical objects that come in contact with it. Typical use is as a shield around a creature to deflect physical blows and reduce physical damage, but it's useful in any situation a frictionless force barrier might be useful in. The caster has the option to make it impermeable to air as well, though if the barrier blocks the being's breathing organs, it limits the being's air supply. The field usually lasts a half-to-full hour. Depending on the use, stamina may be required. Stamina can also be spent to boost the shielding effect or duration. Click to reveal.. (INVENTORY) Bandit King's Plate Mail [Damaged] – Plate mail that once belonged to to the former bandit king Stewart. It's slightly damaged. Ratskin Pants – Pants stitched together from ratskins. There's a few pockets for storing things. Fine Steel Helmet – A sturdy steel helmet looted off of an Empire Captain. Round Shield – A non-encumbering round shield. Protects one from blows. Battle Axe – A nasty-looking steel battle axe that Yemirrr wields one-handed. Bone Necklace – A necklace made of rat bones. Pack – A slightly-frayed pack that was looted off of an adventurer. PACK Dried Meat x6 – Portions of dried lizard meat. Bread x5 – Loaves of bread. Potion of Battle – Provides a boost to accuracy and defense for a short time. Massive Halberd - A massive halberd. Industrial Axe - A heavy axe meant for industrial use. Knife – A small tool knife. Gold Pieces x20 - Currency. Yemirrr does not see the allure in it. Demonology Scrolls - Scrolls on demonology. Someone more knowledgeable needs to examine them to learn more. Chainmail Armor - Basic chainmail armor looted off of an imperial captain. Click to reveal.. (NPC Bandits) 16 NPC Bandits Total [5 Human Warriors, 3 Slith Warriors, 1 Human Archer, 6 Nephil Archers, 1 Human Priest] Sieberr [Nephil Archer/Scout | Wounded] - Second-in-command, Yemirrr's mate. Devos [Human Priest | Healthy] - A reasonable human, and primary NPC healer. Porrom [Nephil Archer | Healthy] - De facto leader of the nephilim in the bandit group. Jarvin [Human Warrior | Okay, Incapacitated] - Has a major feud with Arabella. Giffen [Human Archer | Healthy] - An older bandit. Seems fond of Pepper. Talented with artifice, particularly wagon repair. Xavier [Human Warrior | Healthy] - A friend of Jarvin's. Russos [slith Warrior | Healthy] - A large slith warrior. "NewSlith" [slith Warrior | Healthy] - A young and inexperienced slith warrior who joined two weeks ago.

It's horrible, and I can't... stop... laughing... From a taxidermy perspective though, props to whoever worked on the cat. Thing's lifelike enough that you could almost fool yourself into thinking it's alive (and also a superhero-cat).

Oh, also (and in a separate post, because the board software was having a lesser conniption with the size of the last one), I've added a bit of stuff on Saves to the QuadHack GM Core. Also, in case it's passed unnoticed, there's a list of feats up as well, though the listed feats are subject to further change. If you've got an idea for a feat, by all means, let me know. EDIT: But wait! There's more! Out of boredom, I also decided to do Epic Spells in QuadHack. These are the results: Click to reveal.. (Epic Spells) MARIONA'S GRACE (ABJU/LIFE/SPIRIT) - A powerful spell rumored to have been used during the battles with Chamulsep, this spell gives a single target a powerful protective aura that renders one completely immune to the effects of hostile life magic or undead corruption for 12 hours. (C3 D4 P5 S1 = DC26-39 4STM FRAct) [Necrotic Immunity, 12 Hours] XIAN BOMBARDMENT (CONJ/MATERI) - Bombards target with large anvil. All conjured anvils can be dispelled afterward. (C2 D3 P5 S1 = DC22-33 3STM FRAct) [Light Artillery Attack Spell, Anvil Remains 12 hours] IKAT'IKA'S FRIEND IN NEED (CONJ/MATERI) - Summons a rare and powerful creature trained to fight for the caster. The creature fights for several rounds of combat before disappearing. (C3 D2 P5 S1 = DC22-33 3STM FRAct) [Massive Summon] EKHART'S PERFECT PREDICTIONS (DIV/DEEP) - Causes the caster to see all outcomes of given actions for a short while, providing a +6 to all rolls, defenses, and saves. (C5 D3 P5 S1 = DC28-42 5STM FRAct) [+6 All Rolls, 30 Minutes] IMMACULATE SHIFT OF DREAMS (ENCH/DEEP/SPIRIT) - Casts any number of attacking creatures into a shadowy nightmare. They remain physically present, but cower in terror helplessly unless they can save against the spell. This spell affects a 30-foot line on the battlefield, and any creatures that cross it are affected by the spell. The line itself persists for 2 rounds. (C4 D2 P4 S2 = DC24-36 2STM FRAct) THE AGENCY OF MOLTEN LINES (EVOC/FORCE) - Strands of elemental fire are cast about the battlefield at random. Any creature that passes through the fire is ensnared, and the line constricts in to attack it. (C3 D2 P3 S3 = DC22-33 3STM) [Normal Attack Spell, Grapples Enemies] SUDDEN WINTER (EVO/FORCE) - Creates a tempest of snow and ice covering a large AoE. Anyone inside takes damage from the cold and will be tossed about by the wind. Particularly strong castings may freeze objects and slow down enemies. (C3 D2 P3 S4 = DC24-36 3STM FRAct) [Normal Attack w/ Slowing] ILIANDIB'S SINEWY ASCENT (TRAN/MATERI) - All targets gain sprout a pair of feathered wings (this does not conflict with armor, as the wings are not physical), and gain the ability to fly for 12 hours. (Cast on Single: C1 D4 P4 S1 = DC20-30 2STM FRAct) (Cast on Four: C3 D4 P4 S2 = DC26-39 3STM FRAct) (Cast on Party/Nine: C3 D4 P4 S3 = DC28-42 4STM FRAct) [Flight on targets, 12 hours] EGUES-TOL'S DESPICABLE PALL (VITA/LIFE/SPIRIT) - A dark fog forms on the battlefield, giving Perception checks a -5 penalty. All attack rolls also suffer a -2 penalty within the cloud. Creatures who spend a turn in the fog lose 1 stamina. The caster is unaffected. (C4 D2 P4 S5 = DC30-45 4STM FRAct) [-5 Perception, -2 Attacks, 1STMDmgOngoing, 6 Rounds, 16x16 AoE] LA-YIM'S LIFEBLOOD (VITA/LIFE/SPIRIT) - Heals all injuries, and automatically saves against all conditions currently effecting the target. (C4 D1 P6 S1 = DC36 3STM) [Full Heal, Full Cure] BREATH OF LIFE (VITA/LIFE/SPIRIT) - Brings a recently-deceased character back to life at 1HP. The body must be relatively intact for this spell to function. (C5 D1 P5 S1 = DC24-36 4STM) [Resurrect at 1HP] LEHUN'S INSTANT SERVITOR (VITA/LIFE/SPIRIT): This spell turns a newly-dead creature as an undead servant. This servant will obey all commands, and the caster will be able to see and hear whatever it sees/hears. If the servant was intelligent in life, it will retain whatever skills and knowledge it had. The same creature cannot be animated twice. The caster must remain awake to maintain the servant, so it will return to death when he rests. DC depends on the strength of the target. (C3 D4 P3 S1 = MinDC22-33 3STM)

Originally Posted By: B.J.Earles Originally Posted By: Nioca Curing: Curing spells don't function quite the same as normal spells. Instead, they derive their DC from the Complexity, Duration, Power, and Scope of the toxin it's trying to cure. I didn't see that noted anywhere in the wiki, so that's something that needs to be added. It's under QuadHack Evaluation Subsystem: Use in Determining Other DCs in the GM Core Rules. Quote: On Scope and AoEs: I don't understand why the sizes for the AoEs are even numbers. Usually, an AoE is centered around a single space and then covers every space within a certain radius, thus giving you odd numbered AoEs like 3x3, 5x5, 7x7, etc. So why are all of the AoEs listen under Scope even numbers? Mostly because I'm rather attached to the whole "Order of Magnitude" thing I've got going, and if I switch it to odd numbers, I've either got to toss out the "OoM" entirely or the AoE sizes balloon drastically (and still wind up even). An AoE's center could still very easily be placed on the corner of a space for fine-tuning, and grid combat doesn't come up that often anyway, so I generally don't consider it a big issue. ===== Oh, I promised characters, didn't I? Here's a bunch of my characters, statted out under QuadHack rules. I've included two versions here: The first is what the player would probably see and has a lot of the notes removed, and the second includes all the fun behind-the-scenes stuff. I didn't get into too much detail when it came to inventory and the like (and there's no backstories), but this should still give you guys an idea of what a finished character looks like. Click to reveal.. (QuadHack Characters, Player Revision) ETRIS TANNER The Flamekeeper Archmage (L5) 5 STR / 2 DEX / 5 PER HP 16/16 | STM 15/15 DEF 12 / WIL 10 / REF 7 ARM: 1 / ENC: 0.5 Arcana - 6 Culture - 2 Deception - 3 Engineering - 2 Interrogation - 1 Traits: Human Racial Bonus (???) Feats: Force & Deep Omnimagus, Force Magic Expertise, Casual Collateral Inventory: Flamekeeper Light Combat Robes, 2x Shortsword, Tardrowse Powder Familiar: Stygia the Winged Living Shortsword FORCE MAGIC SPELLS -Force Lance (DC10) - Fires a lance of force at the target, doing damage. -Force Shield (DC14 1STM) - Creates a bubble of force around the target, deflecting objects and physical attack. -Shockwave (DC16 1STM) - Creates a short-range shockwave that hits a small group of targets with bone-shattering force. -Telekinesis (DC8) - Moves and manipulates an object through pressure and force. -Illumine (DC12 1STM) - Creates a globe of light around the caster that illuminates his surroundings for 45 minutes. DEEP MAGIC SPELLS -Tanner's Hostile Divination (DC18) - Scans a target, picking up on its abilities and weakpoints. If the target has no notable weakpoints, the caster instead gets a +2 accuracy bonus versus the target. -Elemancy (DC15) - Detects the presence of the elements, either in a specific target or within the presence of the caster. The wider the range, the harder the DC. -Identify (DC21 1STM) - Tries to identify the purpose of a magical object or artifact. -Lehun's Messenger (DC15) - Allows the caster to send a brief verbal message to an acquaintance. The recipient may make a brief reply. -Detect Magic (DC12) - Detects magic, either on a target or around the caster. ======================================================================================= AMADAN RAYTON The Alchemical Hunter (L9) 2 STR / 5 DEX / 9 PER HP 10/10 | STM 15/15 DEF 15 / WIL 11 / REF 14 ARM: 1 / ENC: 1.0 Arcana - 4 Culture - 2 Engineering - 1 Forestry - 6 Stealth - 5 Custom: Alchemy - 4 Traits: Human Racial Bonus (???) Feats: Liea's Divine Attention, Material Magic Adept, Missile Proficiency, Material Magic Expertise, Arcane Archery Magic Specialization Inventory: Ricochet Bow w/ 20 Arrows, Leather Armor, Beetle-Carapace Shield, Athame, Prosthetic Gauntlet ARCHERY TECHNIQUES -Sniper's Garrote (DC18 2STM) - Takes careful aim and fires a shot at the target's throat. A successful hit will puncture the windpipe, preventing or strongly inhibiting the victim from casting spells, speaking, or using breath weapons until the arrow is removed and the wound healed. -Truefire (DC16 FRAct 1STM) - Utilizes the character's skills, intuition, and perceptive abilities, enabling the character to lock onto and shoot a specified target even if the character (or player) can't tell where the target is located. The shot takes no concealment penalties. -Arterial Break (DC16 1STM) - Attempts to strike and sever a major blood vessel within the target. If successful, the target will bleed, taking minor damage for several rounds or until the wound is healed -Shooter's Stance (DC17 MAct) - The archer holds their current position and remains steady; so long as the character does not move from that spot, they gain a bonus to missile accuracy and can inflict additional damage on stronger rolls. MATERIAL MAGIC -Fire Arrow (DC17 MAct) - Transmutes an arrow into elemental flame, causing it to deal additional damage to a target and potentially cause it to ignite. -Wavefracture (DC24 FRAct 3STM) This spell disintegrates EVERYTHING within a large cone of the caster. Any mundane material or objects caught in the fracture beam is completely vaporized; warded or magical objects hit have to make a save or also be disintegrated. Living (or necromantic) beings caught in the beam take heavy damage and, if killed, have their bodies and equipment reduced to component atoms. -Ameliorate (DC12-DC14) - Repairs a damaged object. Note that it needs to have all the components of the object to repair it. It can also be used as a healing spell at a cost of 1STM. -Basilisk's Gaze (DC16 1STM) - Turns a targeted object or creature to stone for a short time. ALCHEMY -Stamina Potion (DC18 2ING) - Recovers 4 STM. -Aerolyzer (DC21A 2ING) - Renders a potion aerosol. -Bloodlet Toxin (DC21 1ING) - Causes the victim to bleed from even minor wounds, resulting in additional damage from injuries. -Kath Inhibitor (DC30 4ING) - Provides a strong boost to saves versus toxins and poisons for several hours, and reduces the effects of poisons present. ======================================================================================= EVA ROE The Flamekeeper Mage (L7) 2 STR / 4 DEX / 8 PER HP 10/10 | STM 15/15 DEF 14 / REF 12 / WIL 10 Arcana - 8 Citywise - 4 Culture - 5 Deception - 1 Traits: Elven Racial Bonus (???) Feats: Force & Material Omnimagus, Force Magic Expertise, Material Magic Expertise, Magical Conservation Inventory: Synergy Robes, Spellbooks Familiar: Patches the Calico Cat FORCE MAGIC -Lightning Lance (DC10) - Fires a bolt of lightning at a target. [Normal Attack Spell] -Ball Lightning Mk.VI (DC22 FRAct 2STM) - Fires a sphere of lightning at a targeted enemy or area; upon impact, the sphere fractures into lances of lightning, striking all hostiles within AoE. The spell is capable of telling friend from foe. -Roe's Skydance (DC24L FRAct 2STM) - Enables the caster to fly for 30 minutes. Turbulent weather or a strong hit from a foe may require saves to avoid losing altitude or falling, and the caster is slowed down by excess weight. -Prismatic Armor (DC17 MAct) - Creates a barrier around the recipient that protects against magical spells. MATERIAL MAGIC -Resconjure (DC10) - Summons a non-unique non-magical object, which disintegrates after some time has passed. The DC depends on the object. -Restorative Cocoon (DC18 FRAct 1STM) - Creates a cocoon of bandages, gauze, and healing goo around the target's body, healing major damage. -Energetic Panther (DC20 2STM) - Summons forth a large panther imbued with the power of a specific type of energy. -Righteous Bulwark (DC14) - Creates a temporary bulwark, nearly weightless bulwark around the target, boosting their Armor score. ======================================================================================= MAL TRAVERS The Hero (L11) AP 15 / XP 26 / FT 6 9 STR / 8 DEX / 1 PER HP 24/24 | STM 15/15 DEF 18+4 / REF 9 / WIL 10 ARM: 3 / ENC: 3.0 Arcana - 9 Engineering - 3 Forestry - 5 Interrogation - 2 Medicine - 5 Sleight - 2 Traits: Lacewing Racial Bonus (???), Misty Escape (FRAct 3STM; Turn into mist, becoming immune to physical damage and capable of slipping through cracks/tight spaces) Feats: Melee Proficiency, Armor Proficiency, Heroic Valor, Go the Distance, Sword Weapon Specialization, Toughness Inventory: Chain Mail, Arming Sword, Ignition Blade, Kite Shield, Grappling Hook, First Aid Kit (10 Charges), Healing Tonic SWORD TECHNIQUES -Wings of Fury (DC14) - Uses lacewing wings to fling oneself to new heights, hitting an airborne enemy or clearing obstacles. -Blitz Barrage (DC14 1STM) - Strikes a flurry of blows, doing additional damage and potentially stunning the enemy. -Crimson Confiscation (DC14 1STM) - Strikes a blow against an enemy that also tosses a targeted object to the wielder. -Talon Defense (DC26 3STM FRAct) - Steps into a defensive stance, heavily boosting defense. Any melee attacks targeting the wielder that miss will riposte back on the attacker, and missile attacks that miss potentially hit someone else in their flightpath. -Impregnable Barrier (DC17 MAct) - Sets the wielder's shield to block a specific target, providing a bonus to ARM against that target. ======================================================================================= SARELIM SILVERWIND The Neophyte Shapeshifter (L4) 3 STR / 5 DEX / 3 PER HP 12/12 | STM 15/15 DEF 15+2 / REF 8 / WIL 6 Arcana - 1 Citywise - 2 Deception - 2 Sleight - 2 Stealth - 5 Traits: Unnatural-Born Shapeshifter Feats: Material Magic Adept, Material Magic Expertise Inventory: Metallic Mantle, 10x Throwing Knives, Climbing Equipment MELEE TECHNIQUES -Disarm (DC15) - Disarms the enemy of their weapon. If the character is not wielding a weapon, the character will take it as their own. -Cheap Shot (DC18) - Deliberately strikes at a painful spot on the target's body, stunning them for 1 round. THROWN TECHNIQUES -Shoot from the Shadows (DC18 Stealth 1STM) - Times an attack so that enemies cannot see where it came from, avoiding breaking concealment. -Interrupting Shot (DC21) - Lands a strike that interrupts a target's ongoing action, inflicting a penalty on it. SHAPESHIFTING SPELLS -Canis Morph (DC18 FRAct 2STM) – Shapeshifts into the form of a domesticated black dog. While in this form, the caster gains powerful senses of hearing and smell, and gains a small bonus to speed. However, combat damage is penalized in this form, and his small size makes him more prone to damage. [+1Hearing/Scent Perception, +1SPD, -1WeapDmg, -1ARM] -Feature Alteration (DC12) - Alters the caster's features. More advanced alterations have a higher DC. -Morphspace (DC16 FRAct 1STM) - This spell enables the character to access Morphspace items at any time, and also to store new ones in morphspace even when not morphed. -Biospout (DC20 3STM) - Creates a small biospout on a specified part of the body, which fills itself with either an incendiary or corrosive substance. As an Thrown attack, the caster can eject the substance at short ranges. Lasts for roughly 30 minutes. ======================================================================================= VORIA GREY AMERESTAU The Starship Engineer (L1) 3 STR / 2 DEX / 3 PER HP 12/12 | STM 15/15 DEF 12 / REF 5 / WIL 6 ARM: 1 / ENC: 0.5 Driving - 1 Electronics - 2 Engineering - 3 Feats: Gadgeteer Genius Inventory: Laser Pistol, Engineer's Uniform, Engineering Equipment, Multi-Function Solar Watch TECHNIQUES -Head Shot (DC21 1STM) - Fires a shot at the target's head, dealing additional damage and bypassing armor. -Arm Shot (DC18) - Fires a shot at the target's arm, reducing their ability to attack for a short time. -Leg Shot (DC18) - Fires a shot at the target's leg, reducing their speed for a short time. -Overcharge (DC21 Engineering) - Tinkers with an energy weapon and causes it to hold an increased charge, enabling it to do additional damage for a short time. ======================================================================================= DEVIN MCCLOUD The Rookie Cop (L5) 4 STR / 2 DEX / 6 PER HP 14/14 | STM 15/15 DEF 12 / REF 8 / WIL 10 ARM 1 / ENC 0.5 Citywise - 3 Culture - 1 Driving - 4 Engineering - 1 Interrogation - 2 Feats: Military Training, Heroic Valor, Parting Shot Inventory: SIG P226, Submachine Gun, Kevlar Vest, Mirror Shades TECHNIQUES -Head Shot (DC14 1STM) - Fires a shot at the target's head, dealing additional damage and bypassing armor. -Arm Shot (DC12) - Fires a shot at the target's arm, reducing their ability to attack for a short time. -Leg Shot (DC12) - Fires a shot at the target's leg, reducing their speed for a short time. -Spray and Pray (DC14 1STM) - Fires a spray of bullets, hitting everyone within a moderate AoE of the target. Click to reveal.. (QuadHack Characters, GM Revision) ETRIS TANNER The Flamekeeper Archmage (L5) 5 STR / 2 DEX / 5 PER HP 16/16 | STM 15/15 DEF 12 / WIL 10 / REF 7 ARM: 1 / ENC: 0.5 Arcana - 6 Culture - 2 Deception - 3 Engineering - 2 Interrogation - 1 Traits: Human Racial Bonus (???) Feats: Force & Deep Omnimagus (Adept in 2 circles with -2 penalty), Force Magic Expertise, Casual Collateral (Leftover damage transfers to next valid target) Inventory: Flamekeeper Light Combat Robes (Light Armor), 2x Shortsword (Normal Medium Weapons 5Dmg), Tardrowse Powder (Light Thrown Weapon, 3Dmg STM) Familiar: Stygia the Winged Living Shortsword (L2 4/2/1 14HP Special: Can be used as a shortsword with +1HIT) FORCE MAGIC SPELLS -Force Lance (C1 D1 P2 S1 x2 = DC10P 75%) - Fires a lance of force at the target, doing damage. [Normal Attack Spell] -Force Shield (C1 D2 P3 S1 x2 = DC14L 1STM 55%) - Creates a bubble of force around the target, deflecting objects and physical attack. [+4DEF] -Shockwave (C2 D1 P2 S3 x2 = DC16D 1STM 30%) - Creates a short-range shockwave that hits a small group of targets with bone-shattering force. [Normal Attack Spell, 16-square AoE] -Telekinesis (C1 D1 P1 S1 x2 = DC8 85%) - Moves and manipulates an object through pressure and force. -Illumine (C1 D3 P1 S1 x2 = DC12L 1STM 65%) - Creates a globe of light around the caster that illuminates his surroundings for 45 minutes. DEEP MAGIC SPELLS -Tanner's Hostile Divination (C2 D1 P2 S1 x3 = DC18L 35%) - Scans a target, picking up on its abilities and weakpoints. If the target has no notable weakpoints, the caster instead gets a +2 accuracy bonus versus the target. -Elemancy (C2 D1 P1 S1 x3 = DC15L 50%) - Detects the presence of the elements, either in a specific target or within the presence of the caster. The wider the range, the harder the DC. -Identify (C3 D1 P2 S1 x3 = DC21L 1STM 20%) - Tries to identify the purpose of a magical object or artifact. -Lehun's Messenger (C2 D1 P1 S1 x3 = DC15L 50%) - Allows the caster to send a brief verbal message to an acquaintance. The recipient may make a brief reply. -Detect Magic (C1 D1 P1 S1 x3 = DC12L 35%) - Detects magic, either on a target or around the caster. ======================================================================================= AMADAN RAYTON The Alchemical Hunter (L9) 2 STR / 5 DEX / 9 PER HP 10/10 | STM 15/15 DEF 15 / WIL 11 / REF 14 ARM: 1 / ENC: 1.0 Arcana - 4 Culture - 2 Engineering - 1 Forestry - 6 Stealth - 5 Custom: Alchemy - 4 Traits: Human Racial Bonus (???) Feats: Liea's Divine Attention (1PD call on Liea's Assistance), Material Magic Adept, Missile Proficiency, Material Magic Expertise, Arcane Archery Magic Specialization (+4 Spellcasting, +1 Effect) Inventory: Ricochet Bow w/ 20 Arrows (Medium Missile Weapon, +1 Accuracy), Leather Armor (Light Armor), Beetle-Carapace Shield (Light Shield, +1DEF/REF versus Magical Attack), Athame (Light Weapon), Prosthetic Gauntlet ARCHERY TECHNIQUES -Sniper's Garrote (C3 D2 P3 S1 x2 = DC18P 2STM 55%) - Takes careful aim and fires a shot at the target's throat. A successful hit will puncture the windpipe, preventing or strongly inhibiting the victim from casting spells, speaking, or using breath weapons until the arrow is removed and the wound healed. -Truefire (C4 D1 P2 S1 x2 = DC16P FRAct 1STM 45%) - Utilizes the character's skills, intuition, and perceptive abilities, enabling the character to lock onto and shoot a specified target even if the character (or player) can't tell where the target is located. The shot takes no concealment penalties. -Arterial Break (C2 D2 P3 S1 x2 = DC16P 1STM 45%) - Attempts to strike and sever a major blood vessel within the target. If successful, the target will bleed, taking minor damage for several rounds or until the wound is healed -Shooter's Stance (C1 D2 P2 S1 x2 +5MAct = DC17L MAct 40%) - The archer holds their current position and remains steady; so long as the character does not move from that spot, they gain a bonus to missile accuracy and can inflict additional damage on stronger rolls. MATERIAL MAGIC -Fire Arrow (C2 D1 P2 S1 x2 +5MAct = DC17P MAct 70%) - Transmutes an arrow into elemental flame, causing it to deal additional damage to a target and potentially cause it to ignite. -Wavefracture (C2 D1 P5 S4 x2 = DC24D FRAct 3STM 5%) This spell disintegrates EVERYTHING within a large cone of the caster. Any mundane material or objects caught in the fracture beam is completely vaporized; warded or magical objects hit have to make a save or also be disintegrated. Living (or necromantic) beings caught in the beam take heavy damage and, if killed, have their bodies and equipment reduced to component atoms. [Light Artillery Attack] -Ameliorate (C2 D1 P2 S1 x2 = DC12L 85% | C3 D1 P2 S1 x2 = DC14L 1STM 75%) - Repairs a damaged object. Note that it needs to have all the components of the object to repair it. It can also be used as a healing spell at a cost of 1STM. [+4 Heal] -Basilisk's Gaze (C2 D2 P3 S1 x2 = DC16P 1STM 45%) - Turns a targeted object or creature to stone for a short time. ALCHEMY -Stamina Potion (C1 D1 P3 S1 x3 = DC18A 2ING 30%) - Recovers 4 STM. -Aerolyzer (C2 D1 P1 S3 x3 = DC21A 2ING 15%) - Renders a potion aerosol. -Bloodlet Toxin (C2 D2 P2 S1 x3 = DC21A 1ING 15%) - Causes the victim to bleed from even minor wounds, resulting in additional damage from injuries. -Kath Inhibitor (C3 D3 P3 S1 x3 = DC30A 4ING) - Provides a strong boost to saves versus toxins and poisons for several hours, and reduces the effects of poisons present. ======================================================================================= EVA ROE The Flamekeeper Mage (L7) 2 STR / 4 DEX / 8 PER HP 10/10 | STM 15/15 DEF 14 / REF 12 / WIL 10 Arcana - 8 Citywise - 4 Culture - 5 Deception - 1 Traits: Elven Racial Bonus (???) Feats: Force & Material Omnimagus (Adept in 2 circles with -2 penalty), Force Magic Expertise, Material Magic Expertise, Magical Conservation (-1STMCost) Inventory: Synergy Robes (+1 Positive Spell Effects on Caster, -1 Negative Spell Effects on Caster), Spellbooks Familiar: Patches the Calico Cat (L3 1/3/4 8HP) FORCE MAGIC -Lightning Lance (C1 D1 P2 S1 x2 = DC10P 90%) - Fires a bolt of lightning at a target. [Normal Attack Spell] -Ball Lightning Mk.VI (C4 D1 P3 S3 x2 = DC22P FRAct 2STM 30%) - Fires a sphere of lightning at a targeted enemy or area; upon impact, the sphere fractures into lances of lightning, striking all hostiles within AoE. The spell is capable of telling friend from foe. [Heavy Attack Spell; 4x4 AoE; Selective Targeting] -Roe's Skydance (C4 D3 P4 S1 x2 = DC24L FRAct 2STM 15%) - Enables the caster to fly for 30 minutes. Turbulent weather or a strong hit from a foe may require saves to avoid losing altitude or falling, and the caster is slowed down by excess weight. -Prismatic Armor (C1 D2 P2 S1 x2 = DC17L MAct 50%) - Creates a barrier around the recipient that protects against magical spells. [+2DEF vs. Magic] MATERIAL MAGIC -Resconjure (C1 D1 P2 S1 x2 = DC10L 85%) - Summons a non-unique non-magical object, which disintegrates after some time has passed. The DC depends on the object. -Restorative Cocoon (C3 D1 P4 S1 x2 = DC18L FRAct 1STM 45%) - Creates a cocoon of bandages, gauze, and healing goo around the target's body, healing major damage. [Heal 16] -Energetic Panther (C3 D3 P3 S1 x2 = DC20L 2STM 35%) - Summons forth a large panther imbued with the power of a specific type of energy. -Righteous Bulwark (C2 D2 P2 S1 x2 = DC14L 65%) - Creates a temporary bulwark, nearly weightless bulwark around the target, boosting their Armor score. [+1ARM] ======================================================================================= MAL TRAVERS The Hero (L11) AP 15 / XP 26 / FT 6 9 STR / 8 DEX / 1 PER HP 24/24 | STM 15/15 DEF 18+4 / REF 9 / WIL 10 ARM: 3 / ENC: 3.0 Arcana - 9 Engineering - 3 Forestry - 5 Interrogation - 2 Medicine - 5 Sleight - 2 Traits: Lacewing Racial Bonus (???), Misty Escape (FRAct 3STM; Turn into mist, becoming immune to physical damage and capable of slipping through cracks/tight spaces) Feats: Melee Proficiency, Armor Proficiency (-1.5ENCUM, -1SPDPenalty), Heroic Valor (+2 Bonus to saving Sophonts, +4 when saving Innocents), Go the Distance (2STM to stabilize when dying, 2STM to recover at 1HP when disabled), Sword Weapon Specialization (+1Dmg, +2HIT), Toughness (+1ARM) Inventory: Chain Mail (Medium Armor), Arming Sword (Medium Melee Weapon 5+1Dmg), Ignition Blade (Heavy Melee Weapon 6+1Dmg, deals 2 fire damage to target and wielder when active), Kite Shield (Heavy Shield), Grappling Hook (Medium Improvised Thrown Weapon 3Dmg), First Aid Kit (10 Charges), Healing Tonic (+6HP) SWORD TECHNIQUES -Wings of Fury (C2 D1 P2 S2 x2 = DC14S 75%) - Uses lacewing wings to fling oneself to new heights, hitting an airborne enemy or clearing obstacles. -Blitz Barrage (C1 D2 P3 S1 x2 = DC14 1STM 75%) - Strikes a flurry of blows, doing additional damage and potentially stunning the enemy. [+1Dmg, Stun] -Crimson Confiscation (C3 D1 P2 S1 x2 = DC14 1STM 75%) - Strikes a blow against an enemy that also tosses a targeted object to the wielder. -Talon Defense (C4 D2 P4 S3 x2 = DC26 3STM FRAct 15%) - Steps into a defensive stance, heavily boosting defense. Any melee attacks targeting the wielder that miss will riposte back on the attacker, and missile attacks that miss potentially hit someone else in their flightpath. [+4DEF, RiposteMisses] -Impregnable Barrier (C1 D2 P2 S1 x2 +5MAct = DC17 MAct 60%) - Sets the wielder's shield to block a specific target, providing a bonus to ARM against that target. [+1ARM] ======================================================================================= SARELIM SILVERWIND The Neophyte Shapeshifter (L4) 3 STR / 5 DEX / 3 PER HP 12/12 | STM 15/15 DEF 15+2 / REF 8 / WIL 6 Arcana - 1 Citywise - 2 Deception - 2 Sleight - 2 Stealth - 5 Traits: Unnatural-Born Shapeshifter (Sustainable morphs automatically permanent, Revert as Free, Can only take Shapeshifting spells) Feats: Material Magic Adept, Material Magic Expertise Inventory: Metallic Mantle (+2AC, -2DRvsLightning), 10x Throwing Knives (Light Thrown Weapon 3Dmg), Climbing Equipment MELEE TECHNIQUES -Disarm (C1 D1 P2 S1 x3 = DC15S 40%) - Disarms the enemy of their weapon. If the character is not wielding a weapon, the character will take it as their own. -Cheap Shot (C1 D2 P2 S1 x3 = DC18S 25%) - Deliberately strikes at a painful spot on the target's body, stunning them for 1 round. THROWN TECHNIQUES -Shoot from the Shadows (C3 D1 P1 S1 x3 = DC18 Stealth 1STM 35%) - Times an attack so that enemies cannot see where it came from, avoiding breaking concealment. -Interrupting Shot (C2 D2 P2 S1 x3 = DC21D 20%) - Lands a strike that interrupts a target's ongoing action, inflicting a penalty on it. SHAPESHIFTING SPELLS -Canis Morph (C4 D1 P3 S1 x2 = DC18L FRAct 2STM 30%) – Shapeshifts into the form of a domesticated black dog. While in this form, the caster gains powerful senses of hearing and smell, and gains a small bonus to speed. However, combat damage is penalized in this form, and his small size makes him more prone to damage. [+1Hearing/Scent Perception, +1SPD, -1WeapDmg, -1ARM] -Feature Alteration (C2 D1 P2 S1 x2 = DC12L 60%) - Alters the caster's features. More advanced alterations have a higher DC. -Morphspace (C4 D1 P2 S1 x2 = DC16L FRAct 1STM 40%) - This spell enables the character to access Morphspace items at any time, and also to store new ones in morphspace even when not morphed. -Biospout (C3 D3 P3 S1 x2 = DC20L 3STM 30%) - Creates a small biospout on a specified part of the body, which fills itself with either an incendiary or corrosive substance. As an Thrown attack, the caster can eject the substance at short ranges. Lasts for roughly 30 minutes. ======================================================================================= VORIA GREY AMERESTAU The Starship Engineer (L1) 3 STR / 2 DEX / 3 PER HP 12/12 | STM 15/15 DEF 12 / REF 5 / WIL 6 ARM: 1 / ENC: 0.5 Driving - 1 Electronics - 2 Engineering - 3 Feats: Gadgeteer Genius (+4 when Creating/Repairing/Modifying Gadgets) Inventory: Laser Pistol (Light Missile Weapon 3Dmg), Engineer's Uniform (Light Armor, +1vsHeat), Engineering Equipment, Multi-Function Solar Watch TECHNIQUES -Head Shot (C2 D1 P3 S1 x3 = DC21P 1STM 10%) - Fires a shot at the target's head, dealing additional damage and bypassing armor. -Arm Shot (C1 D2 P2 S1 x3 = DC18P 25%) - Fires a shot at the target's arm, reducing their ability to attack for a short time. -Leg Shot (C1 D2 P2 S1 x3 = DC18P 25%) - Fires a shot at the target's leg, reducing their speed for a short time. -Overcharge (C2 D2 P2 S1 x3 = DC21 Engineering 10%) - Tinkers with an energy weapon and causes it to hold an increased charge, enabling it to do additional damage for a short time. ======================================================================================= DEVIN MCCLOUD The Rookie Cop (L5) 4 STR / 2 DEX / 6 PER HP 14/14 | STM 15/15 DEF 12 / REF 8 / WIL 10 ARM 1 / ENC 0.5 Citywise - 3 Culture - 1 Driving - 4 Engineering - 1 Interrogation - 2 Feats: Military Training (-3XP, Proficiency in Light/Medium/Heavy Weapons), Heroic Valor (+2 Bonus to saving Sophonts, +4 when saving Innocents), Parting Shot (One AoO vs. Foe when dropped to/below 0) Inventory: SIG P226 (Light Missile Weapon 3Dmg), Submachine Gun (Medium Missile Weapon 4Dmg), Kevlar Vest (Light Armor), Mirror Shades TECHNIQUES -Head Shot (C2 D1 P3 S1 x2 = DC14P 1STM 60%) - Fires a shot at the target's head, dealing additional damage and bypassing armor. -Arm Shot (C1 D2 P2 S1 x2 = DC12P 70%) - Fires a shot at the target's arm, reducing their ability to attack for a short time. -Leg Shot (C1 D2 P2 S1 x2 = DC12P 70%) - Fires a shot at the target's leg, reducing their speed for a short time. -Spray and Pray (C2 D1 P1 S3 x2 = DC14P 1STM 60%) - Fires a spray of bullets, hitting everyone within a moderate AoE of the target.

And here's the session 8 log.

That looks pretty good. Just a few notes: Click to reveal.. Elemental Ward: Scope is purely a measure of effect size (or, in the case of teleportation and other point-to-point spells, distance). So adding additional elements would not cause Scope to rise (but it WOULD cause Power to rise). Brafdyk's Mystic Succor: To answer your question, I don't see why not. The better question, though, would be "does the character really want to spend 1STM to heal 1-2HP?" So yeah, a power of 2 would probably be the default. Resconjure Minor: Duration would be at least 3, by a strict reading of the spell. However, spells are flexible under this system, and there's nothing stopping the character from summoning the item for a half a minute to do whatever they want before it disappears, reducing it to 2. Lehun's Messenger: Personally, I never quite understood why the spell had a stamina cost in the first case. That said, this is a point-to-point, so keep in mind that Scope rises with distance. Fireball: Someone (probably me) goofed when moving this spell to the wiki. The original spell cost 2STM, and iirc, the AoE was wider than the 4x4 described; So Scope should probably be 4. Telekinesis: That DC would be accurate... if the caster was making a fly zip around. Telekinesis is one spell which has a rather fluid DC; Complexity, Duration, and Power can go up depending on various factors (Power for heavier objects, Duration for the length of time the spell is maintained, Complexity for unusual or advanced manipulations) Teleportation: Keep in mind that Complexity can spike to 4 if the caster moves the target to something outside the caster's LoS. Curing: Curing spells don't function quite the same as normal spells. Instead, they derive their DC from the Complexity, Duration, Power, and Scope of the toxin it's trying to cure. It's good to see that it produced reasonable DCs in someone else's hands. How difficult or easy was the process to do, and would you say you'd be able to do it mid-session without too much trouble? ===== In other news, I'm planning to stat up some of my own characters (with spells and techniques) to show what characters look like under the new system. That post's coming soon!

Originally Posted By: Rowen is off to Palouse Falls You can take away our supplies centers, but you can never take away our freedom! let me keep what I have. FYT. (Although that'd mean more if the players in Anon weren't, you know, anonymous. ) Ah, what the heck. One more just for the heck of it.

4th and 5th work for me. 7th won't work because Abyss is also scheduled for the 7th. And again, I apologize for the hold-up here.

Hey. I hate to do this on such short notice, but I'm feeling seriously unwell, and do not think I'll be able to participate in a session tonight. Sorry for the inconvenience, guys.

Filled. Still haven't decided what to do with my level, since this may be the last session. I'm torn between another point in martial, and dropping 2 points in magic to upgrade one spell and get a new AoE one.

Session 7 Log. Also, I just realized, Sarelim spent that entire session as a dog. Does this make him the party's team mascot?

First up, it's Sarelim's Side Session with Vyncin. (I renamed it, hope that's alright with you, Earles) Second up, it's Session 6. Also, if you want to see something freaky, here's a quote from the side-session. Aside from getting used and tossed aside, is it any wonder why Sarelim's so ticked at Vyncin and thinks he's a [excised for family-friendliness]? Click to reveal.. (Foreshadowing, much?) Vyncin: "Well, if they do pursue, I can't guarantee that they'll stay alive. I'm not likely to kill them, especially that ninja, I hate to see an honorable person perish, but I can't speak for the man I'm working with. He might offer you a job, but I wouldn't cross him either if he does."

Originally Posted By: The Boy With The Andra-b Strap To be fair, stamina regen is something that has been addressed to some extent in Sarachim's latest campaign; two characters now have abilities that allow them to recover stamina after battles, and one of those doesn't even suck, because it basically just feeds on corpses, risk-free. Yeah, but it's something I'd rather have codified in the rules. Recouping stamina losses shouldn't involve the player having to finagle in techniques just to keep their stamina from dipping into the red, especially since some GMs shoot stamina-boosting techniques down on sight. Quote: I think I agree in theory that having a stamina debt is a bad thing - I'm feeling the pinch with Arabella (and did with my other healer character before her - this is why I dislike playing magic users), but at the same time I think it really adds a dramatic tension to things; healers are constantly (at the moment) torn between deciding to blow one of their precious stamina points healing a wounded ally, or deciding to try and kill the big bad before the party suffers any more damage. I don't want to kill the tension, and while I do think a test run is needed to be sure, I don't believe the stamina modification I outlined would actually do so. They'd still have to make decisions between using up stamina or trying to solve the issue another way, but if push comes to shove, having to use up stamina doesn't mean spending two or three in-game days (which can easily equal 6 or so sessions) skimping along and being rendered mostly useless. Quote: I don't really get too involved with mechanics (and End of Days suffered as a result) but I think having lower-end abilities cost less is perhaps a better way of going about things. I'd rather be able to cast two or three low-end buffs (or debuffs) for free than have them eat out of a pool I'd use for healing or high-end spells. And, as a player, I really don't know how to "price" abilities, so I sometimes feel like I'm giving a spell or ability too high a cost in order to keep it fair. Usually, of course, this means a strict stamina penalty. On the pricing thing, I think that's why both Lilith and myself have been taking steps to nail down a concrete stamina pricing systems within our variants. Most spell/technique costs in AIMHack are based on the player and/or GM pulling numbers out of unmentionable places, and to add to the confusion, with several variants floating around, what might be perfectly balanced in one variant might be unreasonable in another. Also, that's not to say that low-end spells/techniques cost a lot under QuadHack. It's just that, once you've actually got a foundation with which to base costs on, you notice that techniques start costing a bit more than you anticipated (and a few wind up costing less). If you stat out techniques in Nibiru, you'll notice that there's also a similar upward trend. Quote: But whilst lowered costs and a larger pool might work out the same in terms of mechanics, it doesn't feel like they do in practice. ...I'm honestly a little confused by this point, seeing as these rules haven't been practiced yet. Originally Posted By: B.J.Earles I am a little concerned by the weapon rules though. They look a little complicated, which can make things difficult to figure for the DM during a session. Though that might just be my inexperience talking. Yeah, I'll probably need to look through that again and streamline it a bit. That said, the damage values are most of what you have to pay attention to; most of the rest is really just me stating common sense.

Speaking of QuadHack, I've done some more work on it (along with some organization). More specifically, I've got Weapon and Armor rules up on the GM Core Rules. I also did a little work on the basic rules (and split the Take10/STMasNeeded/Assist rules into Tertiary). I'm guessing people probably don't want to go through the whole thing to spot the smaller changes, so I'll list them here. INCREASED MAX STAMINA AND REGEN: Click to reveal.. (Stamina Max/Regen) I don't have the Regen rules up on the GM page yet, but I did bump max stamina up to 15. The reason for this is that, with QuadScale Evaluation, stamina usage spiked. I dithered for a while on how to fix it, and I eventually realized that the stamina spike wasn't the problem. There have been some arguments back in the day to either increase stamina or reduce the load on it. The general counterargument was that stamina was meant to be a valuable resource. And therein, I think, lies the problem. Right now, stamina is too rare and valuable for the amount of stuff that relies on it. To give a list of what uses up or drains stamina, we have: Healing, Bleeding to death, Mid-to-High-end Spells/Techniques, certain athletic/acrobatic activities, general fatigue/lack of rest, lack of oxygen, certain spells and attacks which target STM instead of HP, and probably more that I'm forgetting. To give a list of what recovers stamina, we have: Rest, and stamina potions. Neither of which provide large amounts. The result is that, if a character winds up burning through a lot of stamina, or is playing a character that relies on stamina (Healers, Focused Wizards, and Sarelim come to mind), you can frequently wind up stuck with 2 or 3 stamina points for multiple sessions in a row, unable to climb out of stamina debt, if you will. Stamina's supposed to be a limited resource, but the slow regen rate can wind up acting as a bottleneck that hamstrings stamina-reliant builds. So, as a response, I'm devaluing stamina. To address QuadHack's stamina-hungry nature when it comes to techniques, I've boosted the stamina maximum to 15. To address the bottleneck, my intention is to double stamina regen rates, with the additional provision that if a character is extremely low on stamina, they'll regenerate a little extra to help them recover faster. Stamina would still be a limited resource that you'd have to watch carefully, but getting stuck with no stamina and a long, slow crawl to get it back is now far less likely to happen. TECHNIQUES AS MOVE ACTIONS: Click to reveal.. (Move Action Techniques) After some deliberation, I decided that any technique that was not an attack or a full-round action could be optionally performed as a move-action; doing so, however, boosts the DC of the technique by 5. MAGICAL HEALING: Click to reveal.. (Magical Healing) I decided to change up magical healing a bit. For one thing, healing spells always have a minimum complexity of 3 now. Healing amounts are now listed under the mechanical effects of Power (1 Effect = 4 HP, basically). WEAPONS: Click to reveal.. (Weapons) This is mostly just listing the ideas behind it and where it comes from; read the GM Core rules if you want to see the rules themselves. Anyway, this currently works as sort of a mash-up between how Nibiru handles weapons and how ZombieHack handles weapons. Basically, each type of weapon is tied to a specific attribute (meaning that, no matter which attributes you select, there's still weapons that you can use). Each weapon also falls into a specific class, which determines damage, advantages, and disadvantages. Light weapons are concealable and easily wielded, while heavy weapons are bulky but do a lot of damage. There's also artillery classes, which are meant to handle siege weapons and artillery should the need arise. Damage is determined typically by a weapon's class. The idea of the classes is that, no matter what you pick up, the GM can easily provide the appropriate stats and information, while still remaining fair and balanced. There are, of course, situations where common sense may have to prevail over the listed rules, but the system ought to work without too many exceptions. PROTECTIVE GEAR: Click to reveal.. (Armor) My original idea for this was to have three separate types of Armor: Primary armor, which provided Damage Resistance, Secondary armor, which protected the character's limbs and extremities, and Shields, which provided AC boosts at the cost of additional encumbrance and not being able to use two-handed weapons. However, as I started to type it out, I realized that that was getting into too much detail, more than was needed; so I pared it down to Body Armor and Shields. In its current implementation, it's actually surprisingly close to what Sarachim is using for armor in the Abyss campaign. Body armor acts as a character's mainline defense against harm; heavier armor protects against heavier attacks, and is generally a tank's best friend. It's divided into three classes (Light, Medium, Heavy). The better the class, the better the protection; however, medium and heavy armors are also rather encumbering and reduce the character's movement speed as well, meaning that the defensive bonus comes at a trade-off with mobility. Shields act to bolster a character's defense, and act as an excellent complement to a one-handed weapon. Again, there's three classes of shield, and the heavier ones also inflict an encumbrance penalty. Encumbrance itself is pretty simple; Each piece of armor adds anywhere from 0.5 to 3.5 points of encumbrance. When the character performs athletic or acrobatic actions or techniques, the encumbrance value is rounded down to get a flat penalty against the action (in short, just take the 1s digit). I'm hoping to have the rest of the rules worked out soon. Once the GM core rules are done, the system should be usable. I think I'll want to run some tests and one-shots to see how the system holds up and to spot any weak areas once I get that done.

Originally Posted By: VCH Sorry, but how does one join anonymously? You just join. The only person who'll know you joined is you; everyone else shows up as anonymous. It's more to help foster early-game communication; I imagine we'll be able to eventually tell who's who after a few messages get exchanged.