Behind the Crown [OoC], Out-of-Character information for Behind the Crown Options

[pbangarth]

Thanks. I'll edit the IC post.

[pbangarth]

I believe Drain target can never be reduced to below 2, but I can't find the reference in the books.

EDIT: Found it, on p. 38 for ALL tests.

[pbangarth]

Here's a question I've had for a while about the Mindlink spell, the description of which is in the spoiler below.

[ Spoiler ]

Type: M • Target: 4 • Duration: S • Drain: S
Mindlink allows two voluntary subjects to communicate
mentally, exchanging conversation, emotions and mental
images. One success on the Sorcery Test is enough to establish
the link. The subjects must be within line of sight of the caster.
Once the spell is cast, the subjects must remain within the
range of the sense, but may move out of line of sight.

My question is, does the link allow the exchange of physical sensations as well? So, for example, a medical examiner, instead of asking "where does it hurt, and on a scale of 1 to 10 how bad is the pain, could just sense it for himself. And, I guess if one wants to get kinky, Mindlink could then share not just emotions but sensations as well during sex.

I'm figuring that once Cindy is awake Connor could get a mental image of the one(s) who injected her. (I think that is the likely case especially since she said that bit about clenching and hurting.) Thinking of this reminded me of the question.

[Koekepan]

I'll allow it, but:

* VOLUNTARY subjects
* It's on the strength of the mental image part of the description
* It doesn't guarantee accuracy in self-perception, nor direct translation of sensory information in the same way that simsense would

[pbangarth]

Sure, voluntary, but it is described somewhere that unconscious is voluntary. I don't want to try while she is unconscious because I want her to think of the assailants, if they exist.

Yeah, simsense is the gold standard, but I figured that it is hard to have emotions without physical sensations, and vice versa. In any case, I think I might have some fun with it down the road.

[pbangarth]

Seeing as Carlos is "without player" for perhaps ever, I am assuming he is not available for a job that needs a "speedy" resolution. Is that reasonable?

On the other hand, maybe Hopalong can be convinced to come along to keep Connor out of Big M's clutches ... and to get some extra money.

[pbangarth]

Hmmm. Single use spells: "Takes drain as if the caster had cast it." That doesn't mean they use the caster's WIL stat does it? Does it? And his Totem? Does it?

[Koekepan]

You can try convincing anybody of anything - success not guaranteed. Of course, common sense dictates that Hopalong's highly unlikely to split her attention.

Single use spells take drain at the time of creation, not use. This applies to the creator, not the person using them, and it uses the creator's stats. This means that sitting around cranking out one after the other is an exhausting business.

[pbangarth]

Very sensible. Thanks.

I guess Connor really is alone in this. Too bad. The others looked like fun.

[pbangarth]

Has Connor's karma pool reset?

[Koekepan]

Nope. He's had some sleep, but that's not how I'm measuring it, rather than what you might think of as contiguous bodies of work. So far it's been one piece of work: get out, break contact, go to ground.

A karma pool reset isn't far off, but it's not yet.

[pbangarth]

OK. Thanks.

[pbangarth]

How are those one-off items activated? Is it a matter of having contact and willing the effect to fire, or is there something to be read ... ?

[Koekepan]

How are those one-off items activated? Is it a matter of having contact and willing the effect to fire, or is there something to be read ... ?

In principle, it could be done with simple contact and will, but the fact is that this has resulted in all sorts of sadness, like fireballs going off at the wrong time because someone's thoughts were wandering. In practice, it's generally done as hold - gesture - speech combination. This provides an adequate degree of safety for most purposes. This is also why the procedure has to be taught to a recipient who's not a magician of the same tradition. Magicians of the same tradition can work it out easily.

[Koekepan]

By the way, he can't respond from the bathroom without feeding an aerial outside the building - remember I said the whole thing's shielded.

[pbangarth]

Oh, yeah. I'll add a post to demonstrate his error. Non-techie and all.

[pbangarth]

What. The. F#%$???

Gotta hand it to you, Koekepan. This is a new one to me.

[Koekepan]

Please enjoy your Biopocalypse Sundae ™ now with Basilisk Sprinkles! ™

Basilisk Sprinkles are known to California Free State to be carcinogenic or result in reproductive harm.

[pbangarth]

Also calcinogenic?

[Koekepan]

So good they'll stop you in your tracks, or your money back!

[Koekepan]

I'll want to see some kind of relevant check to see how much information you get from that infodump. You don't have to use law as such, so much as research. There is the contract itself, there's also a bunch of pictures which, in the absence of context, don't seem to mean much, but largely depict the exterior of a building with heavily locked and barred exits and windows, marked as Petsonal Petsonalities. There's a small parking lot, and from what can be seen a large delivery gate as well. There are also some TriD pictures of various people, apparently taken without their knowledge, and presumably employees or owners or customers or somehow related to the business in question.

[pbangarth]

Hmmm. With what little Blue knows of what is in the chip, I guess the following might provide some kind of mix of skills/edges for a test:

Attribute: INT 4

Edge: College Education

Skill: Biotech 1

Knowledge (Complementary) skill: Arcana 2, Alchemy 2, Biology 1 Magic Background 3 Corporate Culture 1

How about a default to INT 4, with a target of +3 (College Education), and a Complementary bonus from Arcana 2?

[Koekepan]

I'll follow the logic, but in this context Corporate Culture would be more applicable than Arcana. You wouldn't be trying to decipher a mystic formula, but a bureaucratic tangle.

But I'll allow the college education and int defaulting argument. Those make sense.

Roll the bones!

[pbangarth]

OK, thanks. Um, what is the target number, or should I just let you see the dice? Is it an ongoing thing, or do I get one shot at it?

[Koekepan]

Roll as for a target number of 9, but also tally successes as for a target of 4.

There are layers to unwrap.