Now that votes have been locked in and we're quibbling about the finangling the detals, I figured I'd mention a thing.
Was the heart a trap? Sure. Probably. But it was also a choice, and a recurring theme of this choice has been that we define the nature of the universe- of both the quest choices and how the universe reacts- through our own decisions.
Had we chosen consuming the great wyrm, could it have corrupted us? Sure. Would it have corrupted us?
Now that we've chosen NOT TO, almost certainly, because by choosing not to, by declaring that it is a corrupting force and that it's a trap... we've made it into a trap option. We've defined that option we didn't take going forward, which in turn defines some of the universe and the future of this quest.
We saw this before with some of the different mission options- what happened when we didn't pick one. MJ12 even did a spiel on it that everyone seems to have forgotten.
Remember that you are all willworkers here, changing and voting on the destiny of this world, and the actions you choose to not take are just as important as the actions you do take.
Does that mean I think we've made the wrong choice? No. It means that I think that there are not necessarily any 'wrong choices' when the choices are equal, and that there are ways to make things work. I think that by denying a choice, we're defining what that choice means or would have meant in universe as to be negative, rather than making it something we can make good and just and right.
Is that confusing?
GOOD.
Now all that aside, the options we get by locking the vote in are all still incredibly potent, adding on to the already incredibly potent base that is John Kessler, DRAGONSLAYER. I think everyone has their own pet choice, so I'm going to discuss each of them.
[X] Forged By Dragon's Fire: Slaying the great wyrm has imprinted your name on the very dreams of Sleepers themselves. People who never knew what you accomplished will understand, instinctively, that you existed, that you could exist. You are legend. -2 Permanent Paradox.
I think the people who are voting for this- their stated reasons, and the people who are ignoring this, and their stated reasons, are doing a disservice to John, to humanity, and to the endstate of the game. This isn't just -2 permanent paradox, but something far greater that can't be measured in mere game stats. It's an idea, but an idea permanently imprinted on the very dreams of consensus. Do you have any idea how valuable that is? Not just to John for his actions and future actions, but for hope, for the future. With this choice he's creating a new legend, that humanity can triumph against the greatest of evils, and he's doing it with all those classic eighties values like brotherhood and friendship and determination and bonds of loyalty- the stuff that humanity needs now more than ever, the stuff that there, in that timeline that could have been where stasis won, had been stamped out and eliminated for the reality deviance it was!
On top of that, that -2 permanent paradox probably isn't the only benefit, just the most obvious one. Knowing that a man like John Kessler, that a hero could exist, that someone could rise to light the darkest hour- that's going to confer some pretty amazing benefits onto him whenever he's acting in what would be public. We're talking Blatancy 5 here at the very least. Like Chuck Norris facts except people actually believe they're true. And they are true. "Holy shit that guy just punched a laser beam!"
The bonus here is that it isn't just people understand and will understand that he actually existed- long after he's gone to his final rest- but they instinctively recognize that someone like him could exist. That's the real benefit here. That's hope and it's hope that will see the rise of heroes in the defense of mankind long after the man named John Kessler is dead and gone. I think that of all the options this one of the best- not for just the personal mechanical bonuses, but for everything else.
[ ] King Beowulf's Sword: It's a pathetic looking thing, isn't it? Poor quality steel, pitted and cracked from all this abuse, half-dissolved by the caustic wyrm's blood? Nevertheless, the importance of this weapon cannot be misstated. Should someone be able to take it apart and reforge it with better materials, its strength of story would make it a weapon of unbelievable ability, specialized in slaying those who would threaten mankind with monstrous might. Right now though it's just a really bad blade.
The part people are forgetting is that this blade is a legend in of itself. It has a preternatural existence where it finds its way into the hands of those who need it, those who are defending mankind against those who threaten it with monstrous might. Right now it's half-dissolved, pitted, worn, ruined, but just like the dragon it's still a thing of legend. It's a really bad blade, but a blade doesn't have to be a sword, or even a cutting edge. We could, absolutely, reforge it into a gun, into a replacement for John's trusty thunderhead, or a Mjolnir type or whatever. It would serve for a long time, and probably pass through many hands. It would brings its blessings and its legend to those who wield it, and stand against the enemies of man. But it is a weapon, and though it is legend, it has no will of its own. It can't make decisions, it can't even aid decisions, save by its appearance and disappearance, and frankly anyone who causes it to flee the coup probably won't care that it's gone.
I think the question is ultimately what tools you desire and what would you have mankind believe in. Would you have them remember a legend- for remember a legend they shall- for his weapon? To know that in times of darkness against threads dire that weapon could find its way to you, had you only the strength to wield it?
That's a powerful belief, and I cannot understate that this choice is just as strong as the first one, but that the particulars are different. This would be, for as long as we need it, for as long as John lives before he passes it on, immense personal utility to be used against mankind's enemies. It is a weapon of legend, and by reforging it, we would be reforging its legend.
[ ] The Dragon's Scales: Destroying the dragon means most of its treasure is lost forever. But even there, some of it is with you. Its very body is precious in a way that extends to metaphor. Its scales are beautiful, nigh-unbreakable. Its claws immensely sharp, capable of tearing through even the armor of a battleship. You can break some of them off, bring them back. You can use them as the basis of a... somewhat heterodox... Device of immense power.
This choice is interesting because it takes what remains of the dragon's legend and subverts it. By making an armor we have both weapon and protection, and the strength of the Dragon's legend now flows into the armor, and the one who wields it. But by doing so it is, in a way, purified, because all the rage and tyranny of the dragon has gone. That legend still matters, but it's toothless, the dragon can- has- and always will be defeated, and from its teeth we build the armory that will safeguard our future.
This option is a lot more personal powerup, but also riskier because while absolutely top tier, the armor would just be... armor. Weapons. A device, certainly, perhaps even a wonder with a spark of John's permanent willpower within it, but something that can be taken. Something that can be used against us. Of course nobody's taken the things we truly own before, not really, but it's something that can happen.
Of course by accepting that risk we are gaining a greater reward. This armor is legend, and it will protect the one who bears it and let them fight and win against nearly any foe, let them battle the enemies of man with clear eyes and open hands-that-end-in-battleship-piercing-claws!
For all the choices this one gives the best personal powerup. Risk? Reward. In all honesty it'd probably be way better than the Nobel November suit, and given who John is he could probably get the NN suit incorporated into it for the best of both worlds.
[ ] The Dragon(Slayer)'s Might: He who slays the dragon demonstrates his superiority over the dragon in might. Gain a Legendary Physical attribute of your choice and +1 to one other physical attribute. Had this been gained from eating of the dragon's heart, it would have echoed the first two (+3 to all attributes, Legendary Physical).
Legendary stats can't be undervalued. Jamelia has Legendary Dex, which lets her wallrun coincidentally. Legendary abilities, even when below their max, have added benefits. Additionally, a legendary attribute can be raised, naturally, to six, and will never incur permanent paradox for going beyond the human. So at the very least John will be losing a dot of permanent paradox for taking this, but it will be a personal decrease, not because of his legend.
I agree with Earthscorpion that Legendary Stamina is probably the best option- there are a number of ways that could manifest, and they're all pretty awesome.
For example:
Soak any attack with full soak regardless of conditions.
This would let John roll Stamina+Armor against any attack, even one that targets a chink in his armor or is made in a way that would bypass it. Mind freem? Stamina+Armor. Gas attack? Stamina+Armor. Missing both arms and in the middle of a major refit? Stamina+Armor!
Autosoak mundane attacks
We're talking Megastamina from Aberrant- the ability to dismiss mundane attacks automatically is something that John almost already does, though heavier attacks still threaten him. But when most of the enemies we go gun to claw with are supernatural that becomes less valuable- but cannot be understated. All the thralls of the vampires firing AKs and rocket launchers at him can now be ignored. He doesn't even have to worry about his synthskin burning off in public anymore.
Unkillable
The ultimate survivor, you will survive even in the face of all the odds. If any attack would reduce you to less than 1 HL from more than 1 HL, it reduces you to 1 HL instead. Though you may be bruised, battered, worn, and damaged, you will survive. No one who lives is tougher than John Kessler!
So those are the options, I've made my own vote but you should really consider each one accordingly, because they're all really really good and I think a lot of people have been excluding certain ones because the listed mechanical bonuses aren't shiny enough.
