 Dual-nature and sub-orbital travel, Technical question |
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 Jun 11 2007, 02:45 PM
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#1
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Moving Target  Group: Members Posts: 181 Joined: 29-March 07 Member No.: 11,342  |
Hi all,
I'm currently running Harlequin campaign with a SR4 ruleset, and since the characters will have to take a sub orbital plane i realised they could have a problem. One of them is a potential Drake (well an un awakened drake actually, no one yet knows it). Since they live the "gaia-sphere" with a sub orbital travel, what would happen to such a character ? I would like to have something happen, not enought for the player to understand, but not just nothing because it could be a great opportunity to provide a first clue to the player's nature (so that he can realise in a few years that he had clues back then ...) I dont want either instant death but if that should be the case i'll have to find another way of travel. Any advices, or rule citations would be welcomed :) |
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Jun 11 2007, 02:51 PM
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#2
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Runner Group: Members Posts: 2,526 Joined: 9-April 06 From: McGuire AFB, NJ Member No.: 8,445 |
I'd give him a wave of rush, panic, nausia and a general sense of 'This is WRONG!' until he re-entered the manasphere. Probably discribe the events one on one with each person, leaving the room with them so the others dont know and just think it's all in his head. Might want to make the other people feel uneasy but not to his extreem.
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Jun 11 2007, 03:19 PM
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#3
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 777 Joined: 22-November 06 Member No.: 9,934 |
if he's magically active write down on notecards before the game increasing levels of sensory deprivation, and as you are describing the flight hand them to that player until they land. that way you give the rest of the players a sense of something is going on (which the characters would notice from their companion) without saying the words "hey you notice something odd about fido." since he can feel the magic around him one of his senses is being removed slowly as he moved further away from the center of the sphere, and when he leaves BAM, <points up to Konsaki's post> do that. then give him note cards of relie and resubmersion into the sense and magic he's used to. |
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Jun 11 2007, 03:20 PM
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#4
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The Dragon Never Sleeps Group: Admin Posts: 6,924 Joined: 1-September 05 Member No.: 7,667 |
I think one effect I might play up is that they go blind for some reason during the apex of the sub orbital flight. They can discover later this was some kind of survival reflex.
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Jun 11 2007, 03:34 PM
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#5
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 181 Joined: 29-March 07 Member No.: 11,342 |
I think that the rush of panic should be great (like some kind of draconic primal instinct). The character isnt magical active so he has no magical senses. Since he hasnt been revealed yet, none could see any magical activity or abnormality in his aura. Since the drakes are dual, they have innate astral senses. But before "revelation" they are blind to those magical senses. Do you think that an unawakened drake would have some kind of latent or residual magical sense (some kind of instinct) but that he would never notice it. Once in orbit, he'd loose this senses and thus notice he is missing something. (again this is more a technical question : i want some story impact, but not at the cost of innaccuracy regarding dual nature and drakes). I dont plan on giving insights to other players, anyway they'll all feel some nausea and since he's legendary for still having 2 in constitution, everyone will believe he didnt resist the effects of suborbital travel. Another possibility i thought about would be an astral projection : his meat body would be still in the plane and he'd have to go to the airport to find it ... (The character has taken the latent awakening advantage and i said ok, but you get cyberware allergy for free so he's expecting "magical" stuff) |
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Jun 11 2007, 03:46 PM
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#6
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Hoppelhäschen 5000 Group: Members Posts: 5,807 Joined: 3-January 04 Member No.: 5,951 |
Drakes are only dual in draco form - human form just has astral sight. If he's entirely unaware of his nature, he won't be astrally perceiving. Thus, he will just feel somehow weakened and might notice the changing background count as his magic attribute drops. |
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Jun 11 2007, 04:29 PM
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#7
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 829 Joined: 26-February 02 Member No.: 770 |
But astral perception causes dual-naturedness:
So...he should be pretty much boned:
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Jun 11 2007, 05:07 PM
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#8
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Shadow Cartographer Group: Members Posts: 3,737 Joined: 2-June 06 From: Secret Tunnels under the UK (South West) Member No.: 8,636 |
It would be like someone who since birth had always heard a background noise, the thrum of traffic or the beat of their heart and then one moment, one instant, it stops. You can't explain it. You can't make others understand because for the first time ever, you realise that you're the only one that was hearing it. The mana sphere is life, is energy and presence. To be taken away from it would be a sudden wrench of the soul stealing away a connection that you'd always taken for granted. And for the first time, you understand the feeling of isolation and disconnection that is the rest of humanity's lot. . . . My take, - K. |
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Jun 12 2007, 02:45 AM
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#9
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Target Group: Members Posts: 87 Joined: 14-March 07 Member No.: 11,228 |
I like that description Knasser. It sounds to me alot like what a technomancer goes through with no signal lol, only much worse in my opinion because its quite a difference between complete void and "no signal".
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Jun 12 2007, 03:54 AM
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#10
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 870 Joined: 2-October 06 From: Athens Ga Member No.: 9,517 |
Maybe a feeling of cold and suction.
Actually the thing that I could see happening is that action could make them astral perceive! Think about it. You have always felt the manasphere and it starts to go away from you. If something is pulled away don't you instinctively go towards it? I would have them take the damage and recover from it. That is much more dramatic. Then as they go back down they get a rush of mana and change into their dracoform! |
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Jun 12 2007, 05:26 AM
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#11
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Midnight Toker Group: Members Posts: 7,686 Joined: 4-July 04 From: Zombie Drop Bear Santa's Workshop Member No.: 6,456 |
He wouldn't notice anything.
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Jun 12 2007, 05:44 AM
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#12
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panda! Group: Members Posts: 10,331 Joined: 8-March 02 From: north of central europe Member No.: 2,242 |
One way i guess is to have sounds become distant and vision go gray. Interestingly, those are the same signals that indicate lack of oxygen to the brain Iirc. like when in a high g turn in a jet fighter.
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Jun 12 2007, 06:01 AM
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#13
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Canon Companion Group: Members Posts: 8,021 Joined: 2-March 03 From: The Morgue, Singapore LTG Member No.: 4,187 |
Read your own quote. Astral Perception doesn't cause Dual naturedness, using Astral Perception causes Dual Natureness. The PC doesn't know he has Astral Perception and isn't using it. So, nothing happens. |
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Jun 12 2007, 07:57 AM
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#14
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 181 Joined: 29-March 07 Member No.: 11,342 |
Seeing these posts and the rules for drakes again, it seems the possibilities are limited.
One question i didnt asked, and for witch i dont have an answer is about mages in such a travel ? Would they feel something even without astral percieving/projecting ? As i dont have the rules under my eyes, can a mage detect an astral void without using astral perception ? If yes than we can assume it would cause some kind of nausea, especially for someone that never felt anything. And what about physads ? are they affected by voids ? Thanks for all your answers, it is really interesting to me :) |
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Jun 12 2007, 11:26 PM
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#15
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Shadow Cartographer Group: Members Posts: 3,737 Joined: 2-June 06 From: Secret Tunnels under the UK (South West) Member No.: 8,636 |
All but the most powerful adepts will find their abilities gone entirely. Mana voids are very bad news for the awakened. They can kill. That's why I would go with some sort of descriptive effect, even if the character is not astrally perceiving / aware that they can. I think if you have drake that doesn't know its true nature in the group, this is too good and too atmospheric an opportunity to either trigger the new senses or provide some decent foreshadowing. |
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Jun 13 2007, 12:13 AM
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#16
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 546 Joined: 26-February 02 From: Manchester, England Member No.: 1,062 |
With voids, any awakened will notice them without perceiving, but it's only if they're perceiving that they'll suffer any real damage. Obviously they'll not be able to use magic unless they're real good, that'll be one key thing, but they're definately aware that it feels wrong and empty just so long as they're concious.
You could roll some dice for effect, and rule that he falls asleep soon after bording perhaps with a couple of other members of the group, then at the apex of the flight he's jolted awake by a sudden empty sick feeling in the pit of his stomach, everything seems quieter and his vision less focused. He feels trapped and scared, since he needs to get back onto the terra firma right fragging NOW! |
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Jun 13 2007, 01:40 AM
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#17
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Moving Target Group: Members Posts: 906 Joined: 16-October 06 Member No.: 9,630 |
How long would the sub-orbital flight last, the actual part that can be called suborbital.
A sub-orbital flight could travel from Europe to North America in under an hour. (in theory) It be godly expensive with todays technology but it being 2070 we can assume its become economically feasible. So another important question is how long is the flight outside the Mana sphere? A minute or two? |
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