Wanderers of Weyard - OOC

That's the setup, here's the punchline: It's a crossover campaign of Friendship is Magic and Golden Sun. It takes place at around the same time as Golden Sun: Dark Dawn, but is more of an 'instead of' rather than 'alongside'. Intimidated? No worries, Golden Sun knowledge not required (though you may find me a lot more funny if you have it.) Functionally all I'm taking from it are a few motifs:

Adept - a user of magic
Djinn - Djinn are elemental spirits, when utilized by an adept the djinn can amplify and alter the adept's powers
Focuses - Oftentimes important spells will be imbued into objects, so that any adept can use them so long as they possess the focus.
Elements - Magic, and Weyard itself, is comprised of the four elements: air, earth, water, and fire (sometimes referred to as jupiter, venus, mars, and mercury respectively.)


This campaign does have a few different rules...
1. you don't level up normally, instead assorted djinn and treasure boxes provide you your upgrades gradually... for the most part.
2. This campaign uses several supplements, notably:

The Talent Specialization supplement

The Lost Elements of Harmony

The Harmonious Element

Flaws (One Free)

Grapple Rules can be used if you, the players, choose so; and I will endeavor to write upgrades for the Lost Elements WHEN (note the lack of the word if, please help me playtest these)one of them is chosen.

3. This campaign holds 4-5 players, requiring one for each classical element (and possibly a fifth with no magic.) Note that this only a slight requirement, you could flavor your 'necromancer' character to apply to ANY element, merely note which element you are.

4. Your characters do not know that they are fictional. Take 'fourth wall' talents if you wish, but the effects are going to come from 'psychic powers' of some sort.

5. PONIES. You can play any of the pony races, or zebras, or SEAPONIES, or some original thing you came up with, but your character must be pony shaped.

6. This game is PbP, and I SHOULD be able to check the thread and do some DMing quite frequently.

7. Your characters don't ACTUALLY have to be young. It is merely recommended.

8. You don't start with any equipment, but don't worry, you'll get some soon.




Characters:
Xel and Icy - Water & Love
Colter and Dancing - Fire & Hope
Kaji and Gusty - Air ?
Life and Pumpkins* - Earth & Trust
Doc and Silver - Mundane & Magic
Zamuel and Craft - Technology & Generosity

*Does that phrase sound to anypony else like the title of a philosophy book by Andrew Hussie?

I'm interested and will get a character sheet up within 15-16 hours.

Sure, I'll snatch up a slot.
Going with my fondest memories of Golden Sun, my character shall be a cook, and an air adept.
That is all I know so far

I may work on a sheet for this. I see you mentioning ponies specifically but wondering if donkeys would be allowed. Half is due to random curiosity while the other half is thinking of just editing this character to fit this campaign. Either way, will try to work on another character.

Honestly... The only think holding me back from wanting to join this game... Is the Element Add on... I'm not a big fan of that... I just... Don't see the point of it. And just feels out of place to me in this system as a whole.

@ Zamuel: donkeys are fine, though I'm not the biggest fan of character re-use, particularly when it means a character will be in two campaigns at once.

@ Xel: I'm not sure how the Element Upgrades are 'out of place' in the system... I think it does a nifty job of explaining how Celestia could use all the elements, and it is a bit more fitting than everypony who represents Kindness (a multifaceted concept) getting the same ability out of it... If your issue is just that it's unnecessary, rather than it being some sort of betrayal, you COULD just use the points as a +2 daily bonus.

If you mean the Classical Element theme, maybe it isn't a Pony Tales thing, but it is absolutely ESSENTIAL to the Golden Sun thing. If you don't feel like making an elementalist, maybe YOU could be the party's 'badflank normal'.

I mean about Fury's add on inspired by the talent spec doc... It just... I don't know... The more I look at it. It confuses me and just seem out of place because the elements are already quite strong and useful. And while with the Talent spec, I've grown to understand can work... And in a way it's interesting to try out. I kinda can't help but think the Harmonious Elements system just is a bit to overly complex for it's own good.

And I feel mixed feelings becuase I know I'd already be halfway done with a new character for this campaign cause I love Golden Sun. (didn't play dark dawn... And I never finished the second one's final boss, sadly... Still the setting is awesome.) But I'm just feeling all the unsure because of seeing that add on... Could I get some details explaining why it's being used? (hopefully that'll quell my mixed feelings and get me to building a character)

It's being used because of the central 'element' theme of Golden sun, and the also available group of FiM Elements. Things like a mixture of fire/loyalty to upgrade the crossover characters' power of both seems very appropriate. In addition, the 'Djinni' gameplay mechanic in the Golden Sun games was very important; and I wished to use Djinn in this campaign as well... Allowing a Djinni to be the manifestation of your element upgrades (and potentially also Talent Spec) seemed like a good implementation. However, if multiple players would prefer, I could just have the Djinn do a few set things I toss your way as story rewards... And again, the Element Upgrades DO have a simple implementation if you just don't want to bother...

I'd then suggest the usage of a Djinni mechanic as more upgrades/ulitity as something you write out for the djinni we'd find in-game or something. Maybe using the mechanics of the Harmonious Element/Talent Spec. If that's what your plans are for it.

Cause otherwise it'd just seem odd to me if we control whatever random djinni we just magically get do and how they help us. That doesn't fit the flavor of the game at all to me and just seems forced add on of a part of the game into this campaign just cause it was in the game.

Like I said, just make each Djinni do something on their own that that can be traded between players at times. That'd be a easier and more fun in my mind of how to implent a type of Djinni Game Mechanic.

Alright. I can do that. I thought it would be nicer to allow the players to pick that, rather than me just sending set abilities your way... But I can certainly just provide appropriate talents for you...

I'm not going to tell the other players, "No you can't upgrade your elements." I'll just offer some base bonuses as an alternative if you so desire.

Then I'll gladly take that option personally...

And now to run off and build me a Seer!

And I have made my self-proclaimed deadline! I don't think I need to tell you what his classical element is.

hint:

Well I'm happy it's not water... That's the element I've taken claim of!

Colter Bolt wrote:And I have made my self-proclaimed deadline! I don't think I need to tell you what his classical element is.

hint:

Hoo boy, that is one impressive 'do...
I like the character, but I'm not sure how much use you'll get out of arcana. Usually to use it in any active manner, you need magecraft, or at least a talent that draws on it like 'forcefield'.

Edit: Oh, and I'd better come up with some upgrades to 'Hope' for your usage.

Took your advice and switched out pyrotechnics with forcefield.

Two slots remain!

There's an easy opening for a nonmagical sort, and an earth adept.

Oh boy, this sounds interesting enough... we'll see if I can deliver an appropriate character. I only played GS briefly, but I've Read A Lot About It...

Z2 wrote:@ Zamuel: donkeys are fine, though I'm not the biggest fan of character re-use, particularly when it means a character will be in two campaigns at once.

Perfectly fair. Thinking up something though the build may not be done until after work tomorrow. Was planning on earth so this probably works out.

Welp, I've got Pumpkin Poultice. He's earth ALL THE WAY DOWN!

Lifeforce wrote:Welp, I've got Pumpkin Poultice. He's earth ALL THE WAY DOWN!

Ooo, nice... You're in.
I don't really want to EXCLUDE anypony, though. I could go up to six players, I suppose...

...

Does NOPONY want to play the nonmagical guy?

Oh, Zamuel, if you still sort-of want to use big encore, you could reflavor him as being a 'sound adept'

With all three present, I've designed upgrade sets for the Lost Elements of harmony. Here they are in case you don't want to browse the other threads to look for them:

Love:
[5] Alternative: Swap all 'conditions' with a willing ally: This means HP, MP, any kind of Poisoning, etc.
[10] Talent, Stackable: Store up to three more 'Gifts of love'
[12] Talent, Unique: Each additional gift spent grants the full +4 bonus.
[6] Talent, Stackable: Gain an additional +1 if you spend only a single 'gift of love' on an assist.
[1] Talent, Stackable up to 12: when you spend a 'gift of love' on an ally, they may roll a d20. If they roll at least a 21-x (where x is the number of times you've taken this ability,) they also gain a 'gift of love' to spend.

Hope:
[7] Talent, Unique: The protection offered by Hope allows ANY roll that makes the DC to succeed (e.g. 14 athletics, DC 15, roll a 1, succeed anyway)
[9] Talent, Unique: Hope's protection extends to the triggering roll as well
[4] Passive, Stackable: every time you or an ally fails a skill check, that player can add a +1 to checks on that skill for the remainder of the day
[10] Alternative (Nothing is Impossible): DOUBLE the roll made for a check with a DC of 60 or higher
[1] Ability, Stackable: Once per day, gain a bonus equal to twice the number of times you have taken this ability for a check made to prevent a death.

Trust:
[5] Talent, Unique: An ally that Trust is used on may choose to NOT receive any of your utility talents that they do not desire.
[5] Talent, Unique: If you 'Trust' an ally who has training in a skill that you also have training in, they gain an additional +5 bonus to checks using that skill
[7] Alternative (Burden of Trust): Target helpless creature must act as your ally for the next 1d20-4 hours (if negative numbers result, creature betrays you causing...trouble)
[1] Passive, Stackable: You gain an additional +1 from an allies successful assist check made to help you, but suffer a -1 if they fail
[4] Ability, Stackable: Pass off an active effect of an ability you've used to an ally... Target ally uses the effect as if they had activated it themselves.

Gusty is done, combat aside
Let's see how well I do with a character that has actual goals in mind.

I might try this, if My Little Fantasy doesn't come through. We'll see...

I've finished Icy Glare. Only thing left is adding the flavor.

EDIT: At noticed that Lifeforce's already a strong healler... I'm going to retool my combat build to be something different... We don't need two healers in this party. XD
EDIT2: And now fixed... Non-healer build is go.