TreeQuest: Magitech (Riot Quest)

You can know with perfect certainty that the results of critical successes/failures in Lie Magic will never be incorrect or sarcastic or deceptive in any way.
Oh. Huh. I'm going to consider that a critical success seeing as we do have sufficient Truth Magic to ward off the worse of the negative effects and we absolutely crushed look for illusions at the same time. Which means it definitely aided the villagers against the monsters without causing a massive incident so can't be a critical failure as we have no signs of said failure impacting us.
 
Look at the Spoiler under the Tree Name. It will say something like "7 in (Magic Elements)" - which is to say "any action with (Magic Elements) as a tag, gets 7 progress."
Oh, cool. That's what I thought at first and then convinced myself otherwise.

In that case, are any of the following available: Wizard Tree, Magic Tree or Special Research Tree?

In order of preference:

Magic Tree
Special Research Tree
Wizard Tree


[X][Action] Study Illusions (Magic Elements)
[X][Focus] Grow the Forest
[X][Focus] Grow the Forest X2
 
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The single most annoying Monster this turn was a small birdlike Monster (bird: looks most similar to mundane Owls and Ravens - the size of a good-sized Owl, though with nineteen legs that somehow worked together effectively) with impossibly sharp claws and beak (capable of cutting through solid oak with ease) and a mid-range relatively weak Magic Curse effect. While it was easily stopped by the Shield, it nonetheless was an utter nuisance. It showed up near the turn's start, just after nightfall, and stayed just out of easy range until just before dawn, when it left. This happened for seven nights straight, forcing the Forest to keep its Creatures under cover and being generally quite distracting. On the seventh night, the Elder Defender Ent managed to shoot a volley of Spikes at it - only for it to dodge. On the eighth night, the Forest (and Avo and Gadro) had to heal several Corvids that tried to gang up on it - its dodges and attacks were uncanny. On the ninth night, the Forest resolved to just shoot it with a Laser and burn the Resources to fire at night - so, of course, it didn't show up. (Cost: 5 Resources healing several Corvids from what would have been fatal wounds.)
Okay, don't know if this is something original or based on some mythology, but I can at least analyze its unstated Magic capabilities easily: The thing's precognitive. Likely specialized in exchange for increased accuracy, i.e. "it exclusively uses it to sense incoming attacks" sorta thing. Not sure if it also uses that precognition to avoid tripping itself with all those legs, though...

Though Luck's not out of the question, but considering how it inexplicably avoided us when we decided to just laser it I'm pretty sure it's some form of precognition.
 
[X][Action] Salamandastron (Magic Elements) (Magic Research)
[X][Focus] Salamandastron (Magic Elements) (Magic Research)
[X][Focus] Raise the Shield
[X][Focus] Raise the Shield x2
 
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I guess that means it's time to try to put 'Operation Hallmark Christmas Special' into action.

Provided I can remember who everyone is and I'm not too focused on the whole spy stuff I'm remembering we had to deal with.
Got any good ideas what a magic/research Tree could do for that?

-0 of 15 - Chemical Energy Storage (Onions, Potatoes, and several others) - Adds a storage of energy equal to (ForestSize^2)/2 that will fuel any nighttime Laser Usage and automatically recover from one Turn to the next (though not one Combat Round to the next).

[ ][Action] Fast-Travel Tome: Local Portals and Teleportation (Magic Research)
-The Fast-Travel Tome describes two basic paradigms for folding Space to rapidly move yourself from one location to another. One is designed to be cheap for short-range usage, but becomes increasingly expensive with range; the other starts out expensive, but grows more expensive much more slowly. This is the action to study and learn to use the shorter-range technique - which (with relatively minor tweaks) can manifest either as a Portal or as Teleportation.
-You're expecting it to cost roughly 1 Resource per Mile to Teleport Arthur Scrat, and the results to scale linearly by distance and surface-area. Surface-area's term may occasionally be replaced by volume or mass, in certain odd cases, such as teleporting a weighty object straight up. Additionally note that teleporting extremely tiny distances is expected to cost a small nonzero amount, though this is the way to go if you want combat teleportation.
Would the Onions, Potatoes etc resource storage also help with the resource consumption from teleportation (and other such things), or does it stay with current night-time-laser-only description?
 
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Got any good ideas what a magic/research Tree could do for that?

So I know this wasn't to me but my medium term goal is for us to unlock the Theory of Magic action. And in order to do that we need to get four more elements or negacion pairs to at least Competence. To that end I think it would be beneficial for those of us who are interested in magic element research to like pool our resources together to ge them done quicker.

This doesn't so much answer the "what element do we do now" but its at least the path of figuring that out. hehe
 
So I know this wasn't to me but my medium term goal is for us to unlock the Theory of Magic action. And in order to do that we need to get four more elements or negacion pairs to at least Competence. To that end I think it would be beneficial for those of us who are interested in magic element research to like pool our resources together to ge them done quicker.

This doesn't so much answer the "what element do we do now" but its at least the path of figuring that out. hehe
I'm specifically talking about the 'Operation Hallmark Christmas Special' for upcoming solstice celebration.
Though I am currently considering doing Study Illusions with a "destructive testing" note of using the Illusion-experiments to provide entertainment during the solstice celebration, so chances aren't bad for you getting my action.
 
I'm specifically talking about the 'Operation Hallmark Christmas Special' for upcoming solstice celebration.
Though I am currently considering doing Study Illusions with a "destructive testing" note of using the Illusion-experiments to provide entertainment during the solstice celebration, so chances aren't bad for you getting my action.

Ah yeah okay that makes sense. And also it totally makes sense for us to do illusion magic study and 'testing' during the holiday. Fun and educational, a good combo.

So I might participate in this as well!

---

Some notes about my goal to unlock Theory of Magic!

Currently locked - get another 4 Competent-or-higher Elements and/or Negacions to unlock (16 total)
Analyze Fundamentals of Magic - Reflect on everything you've learned about Magic. Find the similarities between different Elements, and learn a little more (both nominal and intuitive) about Magic itself.

Points to Competent
Bone: 5 of 60
Earth: 2 of 40
Ending: 17 of 80
Flesh: 27.47 of 50
Gravity: 0 of 50
Illusions: 62 of 120
Lie: 15 of 50
Sound: 21 of 64
Swordstreeship: 1.99 of 80

So the Study Illusions action provides the Forest with Competent skill at both Illusions (Mental) and Illusions (Physical). Is this 2 elements for the price of one action? If so I can see the benefit of us getting it.

As a note the Salamandastron action doesn't help us get the four more competent elements, since it brings it to Journeyman.

Current Magics
Dabbling - Air, Law, Gravity, Ending, Sound, Lie, Swordstreeship
Novice - Bone, Growth (Animal), Death, Earth, Flesh
Competent+ - Growth (Plant), Defense, Fire, Ice, Water, Light, Darkness, Movement, Steam, Void, Life
Negacion - Fire + Ice, Light + Darkness, Water + Fire

Oh so PS. If we want more of Lie we really REALLY need to get Truth of an equivalent value!!!!
 
Oh so PS. If we want more of Lie we really REALLY need to get Truth of an equivalent value!!!!
You are missing Truth in your list. It is at competent. So we could raise lie to competent, too.
Truth, competent - 2x Illusion resistance, +50% (multiplicative) to detecting spies and such; very difficult to deceive via mundane means; +5% Research.

Speaking of, i think @Robinton s count is off.
Magics:
  1. Growth (Plant), expert - grants and empowers your Growth actions.
  2. Defense, competent - grants and empowers your Raise the Shield action.
  3. Fire, journeyman - grants and empowers Fire attack action. +100% resistance to Fire. (Repeated practice adds -25% to side-effect damage of wielding Fire.)
  4. Ice, competent - grants +50% resistance to Fire and +50% resistance to Icy Weather.
  5. Water, competent - grants +5% Drought Reduction, resistance to excessive Rain or similar, and a +10% boost to Weather Manipulation.
  6. Light, journeyman - grants and empowers Lens Trees (Growth bonus increased by +5%), and the Focused Light attack.
  7. Darkness, competent - grants +50% resistance to Light-based attacks. Your Connected Creatures can now see slightly better in the dark, and enemies find it fractionally more difficult to see beneath your boughs.
  8. Movement, competent - assists Movement and allows Telekinesis.
  9. Steam, competent - Increases base effects of Weather Trees and related actions by +20%. The Forest counts as 25% smaller for purposes of resisting hostile Weather. Permanent +5% to Survival from better understanding of Transpiration.
  10. Void, competent - integrated with Empty Tree (Void).
  11. Life, competent - grants +10% to both Growth and Survival, as well as a small bonus to Creature Survival.
  12. Truth, competent - 2x Illusion resistance, +50% (multiplicative) to detecting spies and such; very difficult to deceive via mundane means; +5% Research.
Negacion Pairs:
  1. Fire + Ice, competent
  2. Light + Darkness, competent
  3. Water + Fire, competent:
(removed magics below competent, removed subpoints, changed list style to numeric)
12 magics competent or better, 3 Negacion Pairs competent=15. Not 12.

Currently locked - get another 4 Competent-or-higher Elements and/or Negacions to unlock (16 total) - Analyze Fundamentals of Magic - Reflect on everything you've learned about Magic. Find the similarities between different Elements, and learn a little more (both nominal and intuitive) about Magic itself.
 
You are missing Truth in your list. It is at competent. So we could raise lie to competent, too.
Oh oops. Thanks for the catch! And yeah us having them at equal could be fun. I mean its not a priority for me but its nifty.

(removed magics below competent, removed subpoints, changed list style to numeric)
12 magics competent or better, 3 Negacion Pairs competent=15. Not 12.

Oh this is cool. Makes us even closer to the achievement I wish to have. An achievement that I think would benefit us greatly!

---

Oh hey @Robinton, question. So my tree gives me 6 in Magic, Magic Elements, and Magic Research. Do I get a connection benefit in something that has the words Magic and Research in it, like Magic Biological Research. I mean its still magic. hehe

I mean I get it if not, its toooo broad, though I do like being an "anything with magic" type of tree. That is both magical research and development and also magical casting.

---

Anyway. The above said I think I figured out my vote. Its tentative right now in that I am willing to change the action to another magic research action if due to all the people doing the illusion one we get sooooo far over it it feels a bit of a 'waste'.

[X][Action] Study Illusions (Magic Elements)
-[X] Practical Testing, that is, its the holidays and lets combo our practicing of illusion magic with making holiday illusions in order to bring about joy to our people.
[X][Focus] Grow the Forest
[X][Focus] Store Resources Against Future Need
[X][Focus] Research Advanced Movement (Magic Elements) (Movement Research)
[X][Focus] Monster Energy (Magic Biology Research) (Biology Research) (Magic) (Esoteric Research)


(Action) Study Illusions (Magic Elements)
-The Forest has proven relatively weak to Illusions - particularly those of the widely-dreaded Shadow Spinners - and would like to learn how to counter them before any truly dangerous ones show up.
-This should grant the Forest skill Competent at both Illusions (Mental) and Illusions (Physical), along with a 1-rank Detection boost in each.
-Significant past experience with Illusions, practicing it themselves, and having extensive experience with Telepathy and the Minds of others, grants the Forest a good starting point on this project.
-Having Shadow Spinners to practice against grants +75% to this Action. Knowledge of Light/Darkness Negacion grants +25% to this Action, and a 1-rank boost to visual Illusions.
-62.07 of 120 successes


You are a Magic Tree.
2d in all categories, special rule:
6 in (Magic Research)
6 in (Magic Elements)
6 in (Magic)
 
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Got any good ideas what a magic/research Tree could do for that?
I'm specifically talking about the 'Operation Hallmark Christmas Special' for upcoming solstice celebration.
Ah yeah okay that makes sense. And also it totally makes sense for us to do illusion magic study and 'testing' during the holiday. Fun and educational, a good combo.

So I might participate in this as well!

That would make at least three of us potentially interested, anyone else want to join the list?
 
[X][Action] Study Illusions (Magic Elements)
-[X] Practical Testing, enhance stories told (and concerts sung) during the festivities with illustrating illusions

Another good chunk of slowness came from the following sequence:
  1. I realized I needed better scripting to cut down on number-crunching busywork.
  2. I tried to hilariously overengineer the scripting.
  3. I spent a while on item 2.
  4. I realized I was being silly and set up a much smaller script to just use the existing Spreadsheet from last turn better.
  5. I got back to writing the turn.
As xkcd put it so nicely in the images mouseovertext:
'Automating' comes from the roots 'auto-' meaning 'self-', and 'mating', meaning 'screwing'.
 
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Oh oops. Thanks for the catch! And yeah us having them at equal could be fun. I mean its not a priority for me but its nifty.
[/SPOILER]
I actively want Truth to be at least one higher than Lie tbh.

Lies... I'm kinda burnt out on the concept a bit.
I can see good reasons for raising Lie, but not for having it equal Truth.

[When it comes to raising our magic; I intend to focus on Earth (switching to Death for combat), and after that I was thinking Water.
But I'd be happy to help bring gravity/air or something else people are interested in to Competent instead!]
 
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I actively want Truth to be at least one higher than Lie tbh.

Lies... I'm kinda burnt out on the concept a bit.
I can see good reasons for raising Lie, but not for having it equal Truth.

[When it comes to raising our magic; I intend to focus on Earth (switching to Death for combat), and after that I was thinking Water.
But I'd be happy to help bring gravity/air or something else people are interested in to Competent instead!]

Yeah so I am with you on wanting Truth to be higher than Lies. I think there is more benefit to Truth than Lies personally.

On the raising of magic, I def agree that Earth needs to be raised to at least competent, that and water. Us having the traditional 'four elements' would be a super useful thing to have, and would aid us in knowing magic. So like I am all for assisting in those projects as well.
 
Alright, I know what I can do. We just got some new things to look at that might have weird biology, and if all else fails it will probably at least advance Monster Energy Research.

[X][Action] Examine Slimes
-How do they actually work? Are they really single-cellular or just pretending? How do they move? Do they have any organs? Can they do anything useful? Might there be interesting biological secrets contained within their squishy forms?!?

I can look into more creature design after we have Monster Energy or Flesh Magic finished out.

[X][Focus] Research Advanced Movement (Magic Elements) (Movement Research)
[X][Focus] Grow the Forest
[X][Focus] Grow the Forest x2
[X][Focus] Psionic Basics: Optimize usage to improve Range (Psionics) (Esoteric Research)
[X][Squirrel] Explore your Forest

We also might want that upgraded Sensing Tree soon. Our Sensing ability has been a huge help overall.
 
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[X][Action] Study Truth Magic
-[X] Practical Testing by trying to discern what is real and what is an illusion from other Trees practicing their Illusion Magic. Who knows, it could help them make their illusions more believable.
 
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Hmm, so no critical survival actions then, looks like I'm clear to cook, will note this for the next standard turn though.

[X][Action] Survival Write-in: Contribute to the Feast! I will be personally attending the celebrations just like last time, I should also take this opportunity to carry the forest's collective contributions to the feast as well (don't forgot to make their favorites! celebrations are the perfect time to do the things you like most!)
-[X] I wonder what types of odd foods the kids will try this time? seeing their challenge last time was so fun!
 
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[X][Action] Grow the Forest
[X][Focus] Grow the Forest
[X][Focus] Grow the Forest x2
[X][Creatures and Allies] Assist in Advanced Movement/Biology Research
 
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[X][Tree] Mind Tree
[X][Focus] Research Advanced Movement (Magic Elements) (Movement Research)
[X][Focus] Grow the Forest x2
[X][Focus] Bone, Not of My Bone (Magic Biology Research) (Magic Elements) x3
[X][Focus] Grow the Forest x4
[X][Action] A Little Bit of Gravitas (Magic Elements)
- [X] Destructive testing if the monster fights are still going on, maybe try to pin something?
[X] [Creatures and Allies] Assist in Advanced Movement/Biology Research

I'm here from the other tree quest, and I think that gravity is cool. And so is gravity manipulation. Not sure how to get a Negation Pair with it yet (it's a fundamental force, what's the opposite of it?) but Gravity is cool.
 
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Not sure how to get a Negation Pair with it yet (it's a fundamental force, what's the opposite of it?) but Gravity is cool.

There's three ways I see you could go with it.

First, Gravity is the Force of Attraction. It is the Force of things constantly pulling towards each other. If you're able to figure out some sort of Separation or Repulsion Magic, that might work.

Second, Gravity is the Force of Mass Interactions. Without Mass, there is no Gravity (I think?). What Force or Energy is entirely unrelated to Mass? If you can figure something out, that might pair up.

Third, Gravity is an aspect of Infinity. As long as there is Existence, as long as there is Mass and Matter, there is Gravity. The Magical Element of Finiteness, the Magical Element of Limitations, the Magical Element of Ending, might just pair up with Gravity in that context.

Or it might not.

Best of luck to you!
 
[X][Tree] Mind Tree
[X][Focus] Research Advanced Movement (Magic Elements) (Movement Research)
[X][Focus] Grow the Forest x2
[X][Focus] Bone, Not of My Bone (Magic Biology Research) (Magic Elements) x3
[X][Focus] Grow the Forest x4
[X][Action] A Little Bit of Gravitas (Magic Elements)
- [X] Destructive testing if the monster fights are still going on, maybe try to pin something?
[X] [Squirrel] Assist in Advanced Movement/Biology Research

I'm here from the other tree quest, and I think that gravity is cool. And so is gravity manipulation. Not sure how to get a Negation Pair with it yet (it's a fundamental force, what's the opposite of it?) but Gravity is cool.
Welcome to the forest!

Gravity Negacion is a tough one... Maybe Inertia?
Gravity is attraction -> movement, Inertia/Stillness is the opposite of movement.
Or Repulsion.
 
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