Panopticon: A Game of Posthumans, Perniciousness, Paranoia, Politics, and Plasmaguns
FunkyEntropy
Occasionally insightful, possibly grumpy
- Location
- Los Angeles
If the vote's still open...
[x] Psychic Dimensional Science
One of Jamelia's biggest advantages is how she's dabbled in pretty much every sphere. Getting DiSci is going to be a direct buff to her supreme generalism, with only Prime left to get down the line.
[x] Psychic Dimensional Science
One of Jamelia's biggest advantages is how she's dabbled in pretty much every sphere. Getting DiSci is going to be a direct buff to her supreme generalism, with only Prime left to get down the line.
- Location
- National Capital Region, USA
Re: DSci voters
Jack of all trades, Master of none.
DSci 1 is not going to to much for Jamelia when she's amnesiac, and even when she regains her memories, a level 1 Sphere is still not a lot of anything. There's no need for Jamelia to spread herself out trying to get low levels of everything. Rose has better DSci, and we can get others with that Sphere at good levels if needed. DSci is not rare, whereas Legendary-level skills are. We can call up an assistant with DSci 1 or more at need. We cannot do likewise with Legendary Dexterity, which is more suited to Jamelia's role as a ninja-like stealth and stab fighter. Let's not miss this chance to acquire a truly rare and useful skill. DSci is nice and useful, but not hard to get and not worth passing up a much more hard-to-find option.
Jack of all trades, Master of none.
DSci 1 is not going to to much for Jamelia when she's amnesiac, and even when she regains her memories, a level 1 Sphere is still not a lot of anything. There's no need for Jamelia to spread herself out trying to get low levels of everything. Rose has better DSci, and we can get others with that Sphere at good levels if needed. DSci is not rare, whereas Legendary-level skills are. We can call up an assistant with DSci 1 or more at need. We cannot do likewise with Legendary Dexterity, which is more suited to Jamelia's role as a ninja-like stealth and stab fighter. Let's not miss this chance to acquire a truly rare and useful skill. DSci is nice and useful, but not hard to get and not worth passing up a much more hard-to-find option.
Okay. Dexterity in a Mage: The Ascension game is not absurdly rare or useful. It is not 'Martial Artist: The Awakening' and there's a reason for that. Basically, all 1 more dot of dexterity gives you is a single extra die for a few rolls. It does not open up new vistas for screwing with reality. It does not open your perception to new realities, or tell you when someone is actually an Extra Dimensional Entity, or possessed by an EDE, or let you see that an undetectable demon is about to step out of nowhere and eat your face. People who have actually played Mage who think the 'sense' level of Spheres are useless clearly haven't played with a GM who actually uses their enemies' abilities rationally.
You do not get Mind 1 to screw with other peoples' minds. You get it so that when people start screwing with yours, you notice.
[x] Moscow. Just Moscow. (+Dimensional Science)
[x] (0.5x) Why no, you're not here because there's something going on. Not at all. You're just here for a pleasure trip. With your new trophy boyfriend. Please don't kill me Serafina please please
[x] Set up some bait. What kind? How?
Last edited:
Uh, point of order, but you're precisely wrong there. Not only is DSci 1 really useful when you have a Transhuman looking for you (and also mention of Residents as well), because you can ID spirits, spirit possessed, and the use of spirit Investments on sight, but it means Jamelia can throw DSci 1 into her really wide range of spheres and can - for example - do Correspondence 2, DSci 1 to scry across the Gauntlet (which, notably, neither Rose nor Kessler can do). And with the capacity to look across the Gauntlet, you can in fact get information on an area which you simply can't normally - for example, the entire Special Projects Division would have been in real difficulty if someone with DSci 1 had looked up on what they were doing, or you can get a read off an area by looking at its spiritual reflection.
And yes, Jamelia is broadly a generalist. And her actual field of speciality is her mouth, not violence - she can't keep up in high end combat without being loaded down with gear, unlike Kessler and Rose, and even then she's squishy. If she really was looking for a Legendary speciality which synergised with what she spends most of her time doing, that would be Legendary Manipulation. And... uh, if you want higher Dex, you go "Serafina, give me Dex-boosting drugs please".
...
Now, both are broadly valid. I felt I just had to remind you that, no, Jamelia is not actually a combat-primary character, and that actually a lot of her success has been built on her very wide, generalist array of spheres and all that information gathering which it allows.
Also a point of order. You don't get Legendary Dex for the ability to buy +1 Dex. You get it for the Legendary boost. Cross has that, and that's where his "Yeah, penalties for called shots? Penalties from poor visibility? Yeah, fuck that; I can hit you in the eye with a knife in the pitch dark" comes from.
Last edited:
Sarpedon
Knight Errant
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Legendary [Attribute] as Kerrus explained a couple of pages ago doesnt add to your score in that attribute, it lets you raise it above 5 naturally without incurring Paradox cause you are that amazing. it also allows you to do ridiculous things related to that attribute like "I can soak Agg damage like its lethal" or "ignore situational penalties and/or have a bunch of autosux on every roll that uses this attribute"
Ginger Maniac
Subject to Gravity
- Location
- Old Blighty
[x] Moscow.
Because, as has been mentioned, the ability to notice that there's Something From Beyond The Veil trying to pull funny business is quite useful, especially since we can then notify Rose that there's an extra-dimensional entity in desperate need of a good killing, so if she'd get her arse over here pronto then that'd be great.
Because, as has been mentioned, the ability to notice that there's Something From Beyond The Veil trying to pull funny business is quite useful, especially since we can then notify Rose that there's an extra-dimensional entity in desperate need of a good killing, so if she'd get her arse over here pronto then that'd be great.
Last edited:
DSci is definitely more useful, but I got the impression that most people wanted the (non-Union-sanctioned) history lesson more than any particular skill.
I'll have to give it some more thought.
I'll have to give it some more thought.
I'm actually leaning towards switching my vote to Legendary Dex. Not for mechanical reasons - no; mechanically I think we're better off with DSci.
But narratively, I prefer the "I have the memories of an ancient Turkish assassin called Cemal in my head [1] - what the fuck" as the initial starting point for her adventures of self-discovery, especially if she's heading off to a mosque, rather than the "the British government is covering up the existence of aliens!" which Moscow produces.
Basically, my own write-in sold me on the Ixoi idea, and the Legendary Dex just happens to be the one associated with it
. Which is unfortunate, but eh. It's still a fairly decent choice.
Oh, what the hell.
Switching to
[X] (1.25x) Don't trust Senex. Find your own way (to the Masjid)
[X] Dream of an Ixoi assassin in a Europe long gone, running across rooftops and shanking people with hidden blades (+Legendary Dexterity)
for the sake of the narrative arc. I still want Psychic DSci, though.
[1] Cemal, of course, being the Turkish version of Jamal.
But narratively, I prefer the "I have the memories of an ancient Turkish assassin called Cemal in my head [1] - what the fuck" as the initial starting point for her adventures of self-discovery, especially if she's heading off to a mosque, rather than the "the British government is covering up the existence of aliens!" which Moscow produces.
Basically, my own write-in sold me on the Ixoi idea, and the Legendary Dex just happens to be the one associated with it
. Which is unfortunate, but eh. It's still a fairly decent choice.Oh, what the hell.
Switching to
[X] (1.25x) Don't trust Senex. Find your own way (to the Masjid)
[X] Dream of an Ixoi assassin in a Europe long gone, running across rooftops and shanking people with hidden blades (+Legendary Dexterity)
for the sake of the narrative arc. I still want Psychic DSci, though.
[1] Cemal, of course, being the Turkish version of Jamal.
[1] Cemal, of course, being the Turkish version of Jamal.
Yeah, in modern Turkish the un-accented "C" is a hard "J" sound.
Because fuck you English language Gallipoli 4evah, that's why.
Last edited:
It does come to mind that we have the ability to do something about the squishyness, if we really want to.
Narrative and mechanics wise, I think both Legendary Dexterity/Ixoi Assassin and the Moscow/Psychic D-Sci are both really cool "I Want" things. Both have stories that interested me, whether that be Cemal or HELMETSHRIKE and all.
Honestly, so long as in the end, we can get out of this with both of these, I will be happy.
EDIT: Changed to Ixoi and Mosque. I guess this time we'll go all Assassin's Creed. Which in itself is hardly a bad thing, really. Old school intrigue, plot, and murder.
[X] (1.25x) Don't trust Senex. Find your own way (to the Masjid)
[X] Dream of an Ixoi assassin in a Europe long gone, running across rooftops and shanking people with hidden blades (+Legendary Dexterity)
Honestly, so long as in the end, we can get out of this with both of these, I will be happy.
EDIT: Changed to Ixoi and Mosque. I guess this time we'll go all Assassin's Creed. Which in itself is hardly a bad thing, really. Old school intrigue, plot, and murder.
[X] (1.25x) Don't trust Senex. Find your own way (to the Masjid)
[X] Dream of an Ixoi assassin in a Europe long gone, running across rooftops and shanking people with hidden blades (+Legendary Dexterity)
Last edited:
I will fight you with knives to preserve Jamelia's "mostly baseline technothriller spy" aesthetic.
(No, seriously, aesthetics are a really big deal in oMage. Aesthetics are a statement of how you think the world should work, among other things. The character, I feel, doesn't work as a cyborg beyond the "implanted radio in her ear" kind of level, and has issues with too much Progenitor enhancement too. I'm actually really fond of the narrative things that it says that the team leader, and the one who's probably most dangerous at the strategic level, is just an incredibly well-trained, able-to-push-herself-past-her-limits-somewhat-through-training woman, ordering combat cyborgs and genetically engineered killing machines around. There's a humanist element to the NWO paradigm which I'm really fond of, the bit which says "In the end, it all comes down to what people think, society is something larger than any one man, and ordinary humans can do pretty much anything if they're working together and put their minds to it", and I don't want to lose it.)
Last edited:
Eukie
Powered by furious Canadian redheads
To echo ES' sentiments, Jamelia's squishyness is best solved by
1) a ballistic vest with ceramic inserts and a kevlar helmet
2) being inside an APC
3) not getting shot at
Actually, #3 is the best way ever to avoid problems of squishyness, and one Jamelia is superb at.
...Okay, I understand the sentiments behind 'Baseline Humanity Fuck Yeah!'even if I disagree with it.
But how does storming a den full of Kuei-Jin with only some MIBs for backup in Hong Kong then later running into a Construct filled with enemy agents, including ANGRY MARINE and a body-stealing douchebag even remotely make sense as 'Jamelia is superb at not getting shot at'? If she was good at not getting hurt, she wouldn't be recovering from a coma right now.
That reminds me. One of the bits of gear we got from the IBM, was a "Piezochem Nanoaug Injector".I will fight you with knives to preserve Jamelia's "mostly baseline technothriller spy" aesthetic.
(No, seriously, aesthetics are a really big deal in oMage. Aesthetics are a statement of how you think the world should work, among other things. The character, I feel, doesn't work as a cyborg beyond the "implanted radio in her ear" kind of level, and has issues with too much Progenitor enhancement too. I'm actually really fond of the narrative things that it says that the team leader, and the one who's probably most dangerous at the strategic level, is just an incredibly well-trained, able-to-push-herself-past-her-limits-somewhat-through-training woman, ordering combat cyborgs and genetically engineered killing machines around. There's a humanist element to the NWO paradigm which I'm really fond of, the bit which says "In the end, it all comes down to what people think, society is something larger than any one man, and ordinary humans can do pretty much anything if they're working together and put their minds to it", and I don't want to lose it.)
Well, Jamelia won't be using it. So what are we going to do with those things? Can we really do something with them?
Because on the one hand I kinda do want to see them used by our team. Because it's precious and cool loot; if you get a key item from a dungeon or as a quest reward, you should make use of it at least once! But on the other hand, the sort of people that combat enhancements would make sense for are Rose*, Kessler*, and Jamelia. Rose and Kessler already have a "enhanced/more than human" thing going so piling nanomachines on top of that (if it even was possible because it might not be -- they're already really enhanced and the nanoaug have an issue with pre-existing drivers) would sorta interfere with their thing with what they already are... ... Much like it would interfere with Jamelia's aesthetic.
So the three combat people are out. Who's left? Henriette*?
Or are we probably going to just let it sit as loot or trade it away. Which is a viable option, if we can't use it, but kind of boring.
If we knew an interesting enough secondary character, one who would be okay with becoming a nanomachine-boosted "next generation of cyborg warfare", who would fit the aesthetic, it could be cool to hand it over to somebody like that. Sorta like the Raiden to our Solid Snake.
*The nanoaugmentation has this note: "Not compatible with earlier Iteration X/Progenitor augment drivers". Which means that... Well. Prrrobably a problem. Does it mean that it's not compatible with pre-1999 tech? Or that it is incompatible with "any ItX/Progenitor stuff you already have when you take these"? If it's the latter, that means it wouldn't do any good for Rose, Kessler, Henriette or even Serafina because they all have some level of enhancement even if Serafina's is .
Grin_Reaper
Shadow Cabal Space Pirate
- Location
- Space Battleship Pennsylvania
There's also this later post by MJ about it. Specifically:That reminds me. One of the bits of gear we got from the IBM, was a "Piezochem Nanoaug Injector".
Well, Jamelia won't be using it. So what are we going to do with those things? Can we really do something with them?
Because on the one hand I kinda do want to see them used by our team. Because it's precious and cool loot; if you get a key item from a dungeon or as a quest reward, you should make use of it at least once! But on the other hand, the sort of people that combat enhancements would make sense for are Rose*, Kessler*, and Jamelia. Rose and Kessler already have a "enhanced/more than human" thing going so piling nanomachines on top of that (if it even was possible because it might not be -- they're already really enhanced and the nanoaug have an issue with pre-existing drivers) would sorta interfere with their thing with what they already are... ... Much like it would interfere with Jamelia's aesthetic.
So the three combat people are out. Who's left? Henriette*?
Or are we probably going to just let it sit as loot or trade it away. Which is a viable option, if we can't use it, but kind of boring.
If we knew an interesting enough secondary character, one who would be okay with becoming a nanomachine-boosted "next generation of cyborg warfare", who would fit the aesthetic, it could be cool to hand it over to somebody like that. Sorta like the Raiden to our Solid Snake.
*The nanoaugmentation has this note: "Not compatible with earlier Iteration X/Progenitor augment drivers". Which means that... Well. Prrrobably a problem. Does it mean that it's not compatible with pre-1999 tech? Or that it is incompatible with "any ItX/Progenitor stuff you already have when you take these"? If it's the latter, that means it wouldn't do any good for Rose, Kessler, Henriette or even Serafina because they all have some level of enhancement even if Serafina's is .
Well, we have interns now...
Last edited:
The impression I get is that the nanoaugs are already very covert. That's why they are nanoaugs and actually worth developing alongside things like the 'full body cyborg replacement which can bench press trains' thing that the Iteration X agents onsite had. Brokowski is certainly an option, although he still lacks the Spheres to hang with the likes of Kessler and Rose.
Loathe as I am to get into it with ES, the fact is the Nanoaugs would combine very well with the Legendary Dexterity that won out for Jamelia. If we actually are going to keep putting Jamelia in the frontline, this makes her a full-out combatant rather than someone likely to end up in a coma after a misstep or two.
Frankly she'd probably have enough bonuses from that to be wearing her skin and the bracelet and punch through superadvanced Threat Null HIT Marks like they were made of cardboard.
Loathe as I am to get into it with ES, the fact is the Nanoaugs would combine very well with the Legendary Dexterity that won out for Jamelia. If we actually are going to keep putting Jamelia in the frontline, this makes her a full-out combatant rather than someone likely to end up in a coma after a misstep or two.
You'd basically have Dexterity 7 for Jamelia plus the Legendary boost of whatever, plus a +3 [2] Superstrength, a +2 hyperdense skeleton bonus to unarmed, retractable claws, and the BRACELET OF DOOMPUNCH she is currently wearing.
Frankly she'd probably have enough bonuses from that to be wearing her skin and the bracelet and punch through superadvanced Threat Null HIT Marks like they were made of cardboard.
Last edited:
Sarpedon
Knight Errant
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Well when I say covert I mean see if Henriette can do something so that the subject doesn't get automatically found out as a Cyborg death machine by anyone with Matter 1. Or something similar. Though I am pumped for Jamelia's new augs because well while the halfassed TREADSTONE precursor that was INVISIBLE BEAR has served her well, we BLACKBRIAR now.