Playing In The Sandbox (Recruitment, Info, And OOC)

>_<

Uh, well, I can't really answer that until I know if you're all done helping.

Also, interesting to note that none of you have Heal even so much as trained.

Ramsus wrote:>_<

Uh, well, I can't really answer that until I know if you're all done helping.

Well, >_< is not generally an emoticon associated with "overwhelming success". It might have been a better idea to have "checked what's wrong" first, but at the end of the day, you can't predict the whims of the die, and 15 is better than most.

I feel like story-time. If it helps Thag get better, fine. If not, oh well.

The two halves of the Sabotsu School of Learning were often referred to by the students as "War and Peace". The "War" side was set up like a dojo: In the courtyard, many students could be seen sparring, not with weapons or fists, but with their minds. Opponents would be set up a few yards from each other, exchanging psionic blasts full of direct force or emotion. Inside, students would more carefully focus their talents, either to increase their magnitude (pushing over a large metal statue), or their precision (trying to evoke a single tear from a person).

The "Peace" side was set up more like a "traditional" school: libraries, lectures, exams, all on history, geography, the workings of magic and psionics, the lineages of the daimyos. An informed mind is a powerful mind, as the teachers liked to say. Some students said that they preferred their lessons in the dojo, since at least you knew what to expect. Occasionally, though, some time was set aside for each student to receive some one-on-one time with a member of the faculty, who the students were encouraged to view as a mentor.

Skaimos's mentor was a gith by the name of Yangol Localo. His personal motto was to promote the "well-examined life". Some mentors felt it best to hammer the importance of tradition into the minds of their pupils, since confusion or lack of commitment could lead to a loss of focus, which could be devastating to a psion's ability. Localo disliked this approach, likening it to stacking a tower of stone blocks on one another: one unexpected wind would knock the whole thing over. Localo instead encouraged examining and questioning all things, and to not merely accept everything at face value. He compared this to growing a stalk of bamboo: while seeming less dense than rock, it was still quite strong, and able to withstand the winds from all directions.

Skaimos's appreciated having Yangol as a mentor, although it was often a blessing and a curse. On the one hand, Skaimos was never bored, and never felt like he was being lectured. On the other hand, it was sometimes difficult to tell exactly where the "lesson" was supposed to go, and he sometimes left his sessions a bit confused.

After their ritual introductions, Yangol and Skaimos took a seat in their meeting room. "Today, Terai-kun, we will be discussing one of the most powerful aspects of a person's view of the world. This force affects rulers and peasants, young and old. It has been the herald of golden ages, and it has rent empires asunder."

"...Politics?" Skaimos asked.

Yangol shook his head. "Emotion."

To be continued...

Congrats you've now bored Thag to death! On the plus side, I enjoyed it.

Well, maybe Thag will like this part. It involves smashing things!

Skaimos gave an exasperated sigh. "More of this? As if we don't have enough of this in psionics training." Skaimos started to recite what had been drilled into him over the years. "Emotion is a hindrance on the battlefield, creating indecision and inefficiency for the soldier, forcing him to be reactive rather than proactive..."

Yangol shook his head. "Yes, this is true. And you have trained well to control these emotions in combat, as well as shield yourself from the empathic attacks of other psions. However, in doing so, you may have become open to more conventional ways to use emotion against you. Now, we are going to play a little game. To win, all you have to do is stay where you are sitting and not move. I promise that no harm will come to you, and that you will not be forced to do anything against your will."

Skaimos was a little concerned. How was his teacher going to surprise him this time? Throw knives past his face to get him to try and dodge? Tell a funny joke so he would grab his sides with laughter? Well, he wasn't going to let any cheap tricks get to him. He got himself comfortable on his chair. "Is speaking allowed, Localo-sensei?"

"Yes, it is. Now, let us begin." Yangol reached into a sack, pulled out a brightly-colored vase, and set it near the edge of the table. "What is this?" Yangol asked. "...A vase," Skaimos replied. Upon hearing Skaimos's response, Yangol deftly pushed the vase off of the table, where it shattered on the ground. "...Are you going to ask me to clean that up, Localo-sensei?" Skaimos asked, raising an eyebrow. A similar trick had been used on him before to show how society's conditioning effects us in ways that are not always evident. Yangol shook his head, went to a corner of the room where a broom was resting, then used the broom to sweep the shards of the vase away.

Yangol then reached into the sack again, this time pulling out a plain clay pot. He placed the clay pot in the same position, near the edge of the table. "What is this?" Yangol asked. "A clay pot," Skaimos replied. "Ah, but that is where you are wrong. This particular pot was made by my daughter, Moraan, back when she was about your age. She has gone on to become a wonderful artist, creating wonderous sculptures out of clay, stone, and even glass. I even heard a rumor that the daimyo may ask her to make a wood carving for him. But out of all of her works, I like this one the most. Granted, it's not nearly as impressive as her later works, but I've kept it for all this time because it was the piece that she first displayed for her class. You should have seen her face, beaming with pride as her little pot was inspected and complimented by all the-"

While telling his story, Yangol had swept his arm in front of him, hitting the clay pot, which wobbled along the edge for a second before over the side. Skaimos quickly reached his arm out and used his telekinesis to catch the pot before it hit the ground. He then carefully lifted it back up and then set it gently on the center of the table. He then gave a small sigh of relief. Then realization hit him.

Yangol casually picked up the pot, examined it, then tossed it over his shoulder before looking back at Skaimos. "You lost the game, Terai-kun."

You shouldn't be telling me this. Alma may be cherubic and benevolent, but I am going to use this to manipulate the hell out of you.

Thag thinks that story is not the best smashing pot story he's ever heard but wasn't bad. I don't know what he means but, he's probably heard a lot of stories about smashing things. Even ones that probably weren't about smashing things.

Tethe would like to point out that you must not fear, for fear is the mind-killer! Because that helps somehow.

...Hey guys, guess what I remembered.

Pony Tales-Player's Handbook wrote: You can spend a Magic Point to give either yourself or anybody you can see or hear a +10 bonus on a skill check

Depending on recharge rates, I might not have a Magic Point (used it with Honesty earlier), but you might. Make your donations today!

Well that was a different day so you should all have yours at this point.

I dunno about you guys but I'm donating the Nine Hells out of my Magic Point.

I shall also donate one of mine. LIVE THAG LIVE!

And Mine as well. Thag will live to smash another day!

I'll just assume Tethe is using Generosity since... yeah, why would that not be the case?

So what's that total out to now? 50?

Yup, now the question is if we're going to go for 60 or even 70.

I'm going to save my magic point... Just something tells me I might be able to better use it somewhere else. Unless a 50 isn't going to make the DC... THEN MAGIC POINTS FOR THE MAGIC GODS!

Hey Bronymous, considering how Alma would actually be effecting the weather with weather-crafting, I think it would make the most sense for us to say it's an Arcana check instead of Athletics or Acrobatics since neither of those really make sense in this context.

For Level 2, I got Steadfast Ally and Iron Warden.

For Level 2, I chose Detect Thoughts and Fool Me Twice.

Did you mean just in general use Arcana, because if not I have no idea what you're talking about.

Took Form of the Frickin' Cool as Shit Desert Velociraptor as my UT. aren't any traits that I'm interested in, though. Was there ever an expansion to those, or is it just the ones in the Handbook?

I meant just use Arcana for Weather-Crafting checks.

The combat traits in the handbook are the only ones so far but, they're working on an expansion for more.

Edit: This would be my off the top of my head suggestion if there's nothing that particularly strikes out at you.

Inspiring Words
Whenever you target an ally with a power that has only a single target, that ally may roll a d8. If the result is 8, you and that ally both gain a pip.

I did consider that one. Interestingly, though, in the LL book it says roll 7 or higher.

Its either that, or Talented so I can more effectively switch tactics mid fight.

Edit: Does anyone know what this does?
Warmaster
Creatures gain combat advantage when making attacks that you grant to them.

It does nothing... Maybe it's something form the new traits update and they forgot that this isn't the tabletop system... Wouldn't shock me if that's the case.

Yeah, combat advantage is not a thing in the non-tabletop version.

Oh yeah by the way:

New Utiltiy: Freaky Knowadgle: [Arson] [Street Performance]

New Trait: A custom one:

A Taste of Power
+1 to all attacks