Remove ads

Attempting to Subvert the Plan: Dominion Edition

Retcon: Should General Horner (the MC) have been The Magistrate (Starcraft 1 PC)?

  • Yes

    Votes: 35 43.8%

  • No

    Votes: 29 36.3%

  • This does not matter to me

    Votes: 16 20.0%
  • Total voters
    80
  • Poll closed .
Reader mode
Penalties being per die was my assumption as well. But I'm not sure how you -29 for Regreening and that makes me think your entire post might be off? We only put one die into that.

EDIT: These numbers assume that dice can effectively go below zero from penalty when rolling, Etranger might not run it like that, in which case it's a little bit off here and there.

Augustgrad: -5 * 2 + 30 + 2 = 22/400
Brontes Cleanup: -5 * 2 + 65 + 94 = 149/300
Keresh Complex: -10 * 3 + 86 + 76 + 82 = 214/200 -> 14/??? Phase 2
Tyrador Workshop: -10 * 3 + 85 + 3 + 17 = 75/400
Korhal Regreening: -10 * 1 + 1 = -9 (or 0)/400
Farmsteads: -10 * 2 + 83 + 59 = 122/400
National Service: -10 * 3 + 81 + 18 + 18 = 87/DC 70
Korhal Academy: -5 * 4 + 75 + 8 + 60 + 5 = 128/200
Supply Bunkers: -10 * 1 + 94 = 84/50
Protective Ensemble: -10 * 2 + 18 + 38 = 36/100
Upper Echelons: -10 * 2 + 27 + 55 = 62/100
Vice Chancellor: -10 * 2 + 95 + 70 = 145/DC 50
Assistant: -10 * 1 + 59 = 49/DC 40
 
Last edited:
Simon_Jester said:
Uh, I think those -5 and -10 penalties apply per die, not per project.

So I think we're at

Augustgrad: 22/400
Brontes Cleanup: 144/300
Keresh Complex: 214/200
Tyrador Workshop: 75/400
Korhal Regreening: -29 (or 0)/400
Farmsteads: 122/400
National Service: 87
Korhal Academy: 128/200
Supply Bunkers: 74/50
Protective Ensemble: 36/100
Upper Echelons: 62/100
Vice Chancellor: We fucking killed it.
Assistant: 49, highest DC was 40
Click to expand...
Click to shrink...
If it's per dice then Brontes Cleanup would be 60+89 = 149 (not 144).
Also, I assume the actions with a set DC just takes the highest roll instead of combining multiple? So National Service wouldn't be 71+8+8 = 87 but simply 71 (DC 70).
 
The norm in plan quests is for actions with a set DC to have the dice added together but again, up to QM's preference. It doesn't really matter this time, thankfully.
 
Remove ads
Quest Policy on Dice Results and Omakes
  • Informational
    • Just a brief explainer here...

    If a project with a DC does not explicitly preclude using multiple dice in the project text, you can do so. I'll add the results together and take the total.

    Natural 1s don't have any mechanical effect outside of being a terrible result. If it's something funny or potentially catastrophic then I'll weave that into the narrative, but I'm not going to penalize you guys any further than the dice already did. If you had picked someone besides Horner, you might be subject to a Paranoia bump, but the good ol' boy can just shrug off mishaps like water off a duck's back.

    However, if you roll a natural 100, I'll reduce Paranoia by 5 (once per project) and include something suitably obfuscatory or mollifying for Mengsk to keep the heat off.

    Finally, if a die rolls below an applied penalty (rolling a 4 with a -5 penalty, for instance), you don't lose 1 point of progress, nor do penalties "spill over" onto other dice. Each penalty reduces its die and its die alone to a minimum of 0. The reverse is not true; if you roll a 99 with a +5 bonus, the result is 104.

    As for omakes: non-canonical omakes are worth 5 points on a single project, semi-canonical omakes are worth 10 points, and fully canonical omakes are worth 15 points. edboy's Granger picture is non-canonical (in my head, Horner is voiced and modeled on Clancy Brown) but if there had been a 5-point progress gap then the omake bonus would have filled it in this turn. Instead, I'll keep it stockpiled for later.
     
  • Informational
    • Okay so with that clarification in hand, I now desperately hope that Horner loses his penalty as quickly as possible because calculating this is going to be a mess. That changes the following like so.

    Augustgrad: 25
    Tyrador Workshop: 82
    Korhal Regreening: 0
    Korhal Academy: 128

    @Etranger when do we roll for the penalty reduction coinflip?
     
    Last edited:
    The Laurent said:
    Augustgrad: 30+2-5=27/400 progress, hugely underwhelming :(
    Brontes Orbital Cleanup: 65+94-5=154/300, honestly a really good start.
    Keresh Complex Phase I: 86+76+82-10=234/200, which is both great and gives us some spillover into Phase 2.
    Tyrador Workshop: 85+3+17-10=95/400, below average, but could have been worse.
    Korhal Regreening: 1-10=0, for instance it could be this stinker.
    Farmsteads, Phase 1: 83+59-10=132/400, a very good start!
    Obligatory National Service: 81+18+18-10=107, somehow we would have gotten the highest DC with just one dice. Oh well!
    Korhal Academy: 75+8+60+5-5=143/200, below average but should be in range of a 2-dice completion next turn for a nice Paranoia dip.
    Supply Bunkers: 94-10=84/50, we completed the hell out of it, hopefully there's overrun.
    Protective Ensemble: 18+38-10=46/100, underwhelming but we're within 2 of completing it, so that's next turn.
    Bureaucracy, Upper Echelons: 27+55-10=72/100, not a great roll but it does put us within 1-2 dice of completing it, so that's nice!
    Vice Chancellor: We fucking killed it.
    Assistant: 59-10=49, luckily the highest DC was 40! So we got it.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    Simon_Jester said:
    Uh, I think those -5 and -10 penalties apply per die, not per project.

    So I think we're at

    Augustgrad: 22/400
    Brontes Cleanup: 144/300
    Keresh Complex: 214/200
    Tyrador Workshop: 75/400
    Korhal Regreening: -29 (or 0)/400
    Farmsteads: 122/400
    National Service: 87
    Korhal Academy: 128/200
    Supply Bunkers: 74/50
    Protective Ensemble: 36/100
    Upper Echelons: 62/100
    Vice Chancellor: We fucking killed it.
    Assistant: 49, highest DC was 40
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    grimely said:
    Penalties being per die was my assumption as well. But I'm not sure how you -29 for Regreening and that makes me think your entire post might be off? We only put one die into that.

    EDIT: These numbers assume that dice can effectively go below zero from penalty when rolling, Etranger might not run it like that, in which case it's a little bit off here and there.

    Augustgrad: -5 * 2 + 30 + 2 = 22/400
    Brontes Cleanup: -5 * 2 + 65 + 94 = 149/300
    Keresh Complex: -10 * 3 + 86 + 76 + 82 = 214/200 -> 14/??? Phase 2
    Tyrador Workshop: -10 * 3 + 85 + 3 + 17 = 75/400
    Korhal Regreening: -10 * 1 + 1 = -9 (or 0)/400
    Farmsteads: -10 * 2 + 83 + 59 = 122/400
    National Service: -10 * 3 + 81 + 18 + 18 = 87/DC 70
    Korhal Academy: -5 * 4 + 75 + 8 + 60 + 5 = 128/200
    Supply Bunkers: -10 * 1 + 94 = 84/50
    Protective Ensemble: -10 * 2 + 18 + 38 = 36/100
    Upper Echelons: -10 * 2 + 27 + 55 = 62/100
    Vice Chancellor: -10 * 2 + 95 + 70 = 145/DC 50
    Assistant: -10 * 1 + 59 = 49/DC 40
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    Alright I'll do my own mathpost as well:

    Korhal: Capital City Augustgrad (Phase 1) [MANDATORY] 0+30+2+22-30 = 24/400 -45 R
    Brontes: Orbital Cleanup (Phase 1) [Reconstruction] 0+65+94-20 = 139/300 -40 R
    Korhal: Keresh Mining Complex (Phase 1) 0+86+76+82-30 = 214/200     -30 R Resource Gain Cost Reduction to all Augustgrad Phases
    Tyrador IX: Refugee Workshops (Phase 1) [Reconstruction] 0+85+3+17-30 = 75/400 -30 R
    Korhal: Regreening Effort (Phase 1) 0+1-10 = 0/200 -5 R
    Tyrador IX: Establish Farmsteads (Phase 1) 0+83+59-20 = 122/400 -20 R
    Obligatory National Service [Reconstruction] [MANDATORY] 81+18+18-30 = 87 DC 70 PASS Paranoia ????
    Korhal: Eastcliff Military Academy 0+75+8+60+5-20 = 128/200 -40 R
    Supply Bunkers (Tech) 0+94-10 = 84/50 -10 R +5 Paranoia
    Integrated Protective Ensemble (Tech) 0+18+38-20 = 36/100 -10 R
    Refill the Upper Echelons (Experts) 0+27+55-20 = 63/100 -10 R
    Appoint a Vice-Chancellor 95+70-20 = 145 DC 50 PASS -10 R
    Hire an Executive Assistant     59-10 = 49 DC 40 PASS
    On-The-Job Training 60 DC 51 PASS

    Resources: 450-45-40-30-30-5-20-40-10-10-10-10 = 200 stockpile + 225+?? incoming = 425? available
    Paranoia: 35+-??+5 = 40?/100
    Free Dice: 2

    Etranger said:
    Just a brief explainer here...

    If a project with a DC does not explicitly preclude using multiple dice in the project text, you can do so. I'll add the results together and take the total.

    Natural 1s don't have any mechanical effect outside of being a terrible result. If it's something funny or potentially catastrophic then I'll weave that into the narrative, but I'm not going to penalize you guys any further than the dice already did. If you had picked someone besides Horner, you might be subject to a Paranoia bump, but the good ol' boy can just shrug off mishaps like water off a duck's back.

    However, if you roll a natural 100, I'll reduce Paranoia by 5 (once per project) and include something suitably obfuscatory or mollifying for Mengsk to keep the heat off.

    Finally, if a die rolls below an applied penalty (rolling a 4 with a -5 penalty, for instance), you don't lose 1 point of progress, nor do penalties "spill over" onto other dice. Each penalty reduces its die and its die alone to a minimum of 0. The reverse is not true; if you roll a 99 with a +5 bonus, the result is 104.

    As for omakes: non-canonical omakes are worth 5 points on a single project, semi-canonical omakes are worth 10 points, and fully canonical omakes are worth 15 points. edboy's Granger picture is non-canonical (in my head, Horner is voiced and modeled on Clancy Brown) but if there had been a 5-point progress gap then the omake bonus would have filled it in this turn. Instead, I'll keep it stockpiled for later.
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    Are you going to Threadmark every Omake that has points on it in either Side-Story or Apocrypha? Or are you just winging it?
     
    Presumably, common sense and compatibility with what he has in mind for the ongoing quest's internal canon.

    If I write a story about Arcturus Mengsk seriously considering doing something that (to Etranger) he would never do, then that's probably semi-canon at best, for instance. If I write something that Etranger can integrate and say "yes, yes this exact thing is happening just exactly as you describe it, in my quest," then it'd presumably be canon.
     
    Remove ads
    Turn 1 (Q3 2506): Personnel Subvote
  • Threadmarks
    • August 22, 2506
    Dominion Treasury Building (Temporary)
    Vardona

    There's nothing to do about it. You've delayed the enemy long enough. Every holding action has proven temporary, every setback irreversible. You're on the back foot, and they're advancing on you from all sides.

    Yes, that's right. You're going to have to start stacking files along the windows now.

    Your office is a very nice corner affair, situated on the 135th floor of a skyscraper in downtown Vardona City (what an original name). You're pretty sure it used to belong to a Kel-Morian mining executive, before their firm fled Confederate space during the war. That would explain all the mineral dust you keep having to vacuum out of the carpet. The building's owner was happy to lease all of the mining company's formerly occupied floors for an excellent price, probably because she knew the alternative was forced requisition.

    The problem you're facing today is the steady flow of documents coming into your office without any appreciable outflow. You're being buried – no, drowned beneath the advancing tide. You're not what they'd call a speed-reader, not when you use your finger to mark your place on the page and occasionally pause to sound out the longer, more technical terms. But then, your particular genius was never on paper, anyway. Let's see one of these pencil-pushers put a successful orbital drop into hostile territory together without soiling their britches, eh?

    Fortunately, your salvation is at hand. You've managed to corral three strong possibilities to serve as your executive assistant, and their interviews are today. Well, two of the interviews are today. The third candidate needs no introduction, after all.

    Shifting the stack of files snugly into the corner between two floor-to-ceiling glass walls (your desk and the other brick-and-mortar walls being stacked high already), you breathe a sigh of relief and settle back into your plush executive's chair. This thing is coming with you to Korhal when you move in, that's for damn sure. After a moment, you tap a command into the keyboard, calling up the three possibility files for review...


    [] Irina Koslova
    Former executive assistant to the CEO of a major shipping concern, with an impeccable resume that includes a stint as a high-school math teacher. You get the strong impression that she's accustomed to tutoring inept executives on how to do their jobs, and to be perfectly honest that's probably her greatest selling point as far as you're concerned. She's also got this strict-librarian thing going on that'd be tempting if you weren't such a happily married man.

    Highly Professional: +1 Personal die
    Schoolmarm: +5 to all Services and Bureaucracy dice
    Eyes On Your Paper: When rolling to reduce High School Dropout, roll twice and take the higher result

    [] Jacob Arendt
    This guy's resume, on the other hand, is full of very promising euphemisms. Anyone who's done time (and you're using that phrase advisedly) as an "import-export specialist," a "transaction facilitator," and a "high-stakes contract negotiator" knows their way around a dark alley. By no means do you expect this guy to be bad at the paperwork side of things, but as accomplices go, you'd be hard-pressed to find someone more experienced.

    Specialist: +1 Personal die
    Facilitator: -20 difficulty to all Personal DCs
    Negotiator: 5R discount on all Personal project dice

    [] Adjutant SA-117
    Affectionately known as "Sally," this is your personal Adjutant cybernetic assistant from the Great War. You've enlisted a crackerjack programmer to shift her over from military tactics and logistics to a more civilian bent, and she'll come equipped with a full software suite of Confederate law and regulations (such as they ever were) and their Dominion replacements (once they're written). Also, as a non-sapient machine, she doesn't require days off or fall asleep while reading like you tend to. The downside is that she's not exactly a creative thinker, and if you want to get up to any scheming you'll have to do it yourself.

    Inhumanly Efficient: +2 Personal dice
    I Don't Sleep, I Wait: Once per turn, reroll a single project die and take the higher result; does not apply to natural 1s or 100s


    The Vice-Chancellor slot is much thornier. Unlike your assistant, who Mengsk will likely consider a piece of mobile furniture (or immobile, in Sally's case), your second-in-command will be just as political as you, without nearly as much history or affection shielding them from scrutiny. You'll have to consider your position carefully.

    [] Victoria Archibald III
    A blue-blooded scion of the Confederate Old Families who made the very wise decision to defect prior to the fall of Tarsonis rather than afterwards, she has neatly avoided the wave of arrests and prosecutions that followed the Dominion takeover. She served as Deputy Secretary for Industry under the previous regime, which was fitting given that the Archibalds used to own a sizable chunk of Nephor II. It's a shame that Mengsk (himself descended from the oldest of Old Families) hates aristocrats with a passion. (+5 Paranoia on hire)

    Titan of Industry: +1 Free die, +1 HI die, +1 LCI die
    Uncrowned Queen: +20 to all project dice on Nephor II; more Nephor II projects
    Imperial Disfavor: 50% chance of +5 Paranoia per turn

    [] Samuel Smith
    Possibly the blandest, most put-together person you've ever met. He expressed no firm opinions or individual thoughts during his interview and gave no hints of any personal inclinations or foibles of any kind. He was highly composed, thoroughly professional, and absolutely boring. His resume, of course, is excellent; multiple assistant deputyships under the previous government, as well as a stint in the private sector. Your only real concern is that he's about as flexible as a slab of tungsten. (-5 Paranoia on hire)

    Absolute Competence: +2 Free dice, +1 Bureaucracy die
    Retroactive Approvals: Convert all natural 1s into natural 100s and gain +5 Paranoia for each converted die; does not function above 80 Paranoia
    No Nonsense: -5 to all Personal dice; this character's positive traits cannot be applied to Personal projects

    [] Jamie Winston
    A veritable wunderkind who served as an engineer for the Sons of Korhal, they are best-known in the Koprulu sector for their pioneering adaptation of the Zerg burrowing ability, which led to the development of the Supply Bunker and a revolution in subterranean construction. They're also a multidisciplinary polymath whose lack of credentials is due entirely to being expelled from Tarsonis University for political activism. If only they weren't quite so... overly excitable. (-10 Paranoia on hire)

    Literal Genius: +1 Free die, +1 Environmental die, +1 Research die
    Perpetual Innovator: +20 to all Tech project dice; more Tech projects
    Stack Overflow: Once per turn, convert a natural 100 into a natural 1 and gain +5 Paranoia


    No plans, no moratoria, just votes! Feel free to approval vote if you want; I'll leave this open for a day or so.
     
    Last edited:
  • Threadmarks
    • Warwolf said:
    And what makes you consider one canon or semi-canon?
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...

    A canonical omake is a thing that definitely exists just as it was written, or with very minor tweaks, and is officially part of the quest narrative. A semi-canonical omake is something that is flavorful and has elements that might be suitable for inclusion in the quest, but is not fully part of the narrative. Finally, a non-canonical omake is a nice contribution to the thread that doesn't go into the quest narrative, for whatever reason. It's mostly a vibe thing.
     
    Okay, here's a not-plan.

    [X] Jacob Arendt
    [X] Samuel Smith

    This will leave us with an abysmal -13 to all Personal dice, BUT.

    We can improve that to -5 eventually, and a -20 to the DC of all Personal actions helps make up for that.

    Meanwhile, it gives us some extra Bureaucracy and a good deal of Free Dice we can use.
     
    Smith could be taken with Arendt, negating his negative.
    Fake edit: which The Laurent just did, derp.

    In any case, let's not take the aristo. Too much Paranoia gain.
     
    The Laurent said:
    Yeah, it sucks, but the huge malus to Personal rolls from Smith is going to be really brutal, because it's where we're going to be doing some of our "Subvert the Plan" part of "Attempting to Subvert the Plan."
    Click to expand...
    Click to shrink...
    He's probably still the best pick overall in that section yeah (although we'll basically never Nat 100 again), with Victoria turbocharging Paranoia and Samuel on counter-subversion.

    Assistant is a tougher choice. Jacob might be the best option there, but Irina has a good argument behind her, ditto the Adjutant (whose reroll is I think an average of +30 assigned randomly each turn).
     
    Like our big thing is how much room we have to really knock down Paranoia, and we'll choosing someone who will coin-flip drive it up every single turn. That feels like it's not playing to our strengths.
     
    I don't know, our paranoia is pretty low so far and none of her traits directly influence our own paranoia reduction abilities. That 50 percent +5 paranoia is worrying, I will agree...

    EDIT: I guess I'll change my vote
     
    Reader mode
    You must login or register to reply here.
    Remove ads
    Back
    Top