At your current levels, "plausible near-future tech" is a good guideline. A little bit of soft sci-fi can smooth the edges, but it can't be the main foundation. Anyone who can cite real-world science gets a gold star (And a very high likelihood of a favorable ruling).
Of course the natural laws of Petri are not necessarily 1:1 with ours. Those glowing purple crystals over the void have some interesting properties for example. So those can act as a basis of an idea too.
On your examples:
Pheromone: Would have much reduced effectiveness on species which don't rely strongly on them. Say full effectiveness on insects, and 1/3 on everything else.
Sonic: Hmm, I'm kinda split here. It wouldn't be quite as direct as described, but infrasound is kinda a thing, and there is a bunch of psychology work on sound too.
Basically you would be creating a hyper advanced dog clicker to aid with positive/negative reinforcement in training. I'll say it works, but would have reduced effectiveness with unfamiliar animals (Because it would be a training tool, and is less useful if you haven't trained them with/for it).
Brain harness: Direct brain interface stuff is going to require a higher level I'm afraid.
How about this
A implanted port in a skull that regulates the chemicals in our brain allowing for us to both go to sleep at a moments notice and which allows for us to have far more restfully sleep with inspiring dreams.
At first I was looking up ways for us to sleep less, but well there are methods we could use to get rid of a bunch of the side effects of lack of sleep, but many others are very insidious which just made the whole thing start seeming like trying to unweave a spider web without breaking any strains or causing any tangles. So if no sleep isn't an option restful sleep seemed like the way to go.
You will have to find out!
More seriously, they would have been an option if you picked one of the other starting locations. I'll start introducing more gods at a certain point, but not for a while. We are still in the prologue after all!
Oh, and some more questions, @JayTar: Does Leviathan know what kinds of species are common in the areas surrounding the city? Asking primarily to ascertain if it's worthwhile making specialised animal handling devices to interact with key species like dangerous predators for the expedition event.
Also, perhaps experimental projects should be their own vote, like technique creation was? It's a bit difficult for ideas and discussions to flourish in the weekly plan format.
Nope! Of note: "inhospitable wasteland". I won't say it's totally lifeless, but reasonable people don't leave the city unless they have a really good reason. And you haven't really studied it.
And the infinite boundary is a whole other ball park. There is a lot of strange stuff in there.
Hmm, good point about making experiments a separate vote. Maybe.
How about this
A implanted port in a skull that regulates the chemicals in our brain allowing for us to both go to sleep at a moments notice and which allows for us to have far more restfully sleep with inspiring dreams.
At first I was looking up ways for us to sleep less, but well there are methods we could use to get rid of a bunch of the side effects of lack of sleep, but many others are very insidious which just made the whole thing start seeming like trying to unweave a spider web without breaking any strains or causing any tangles. So if no sleep isn't an option restful sleep seemed like the way to go.
Our rival is right mechanical engineering allows for far more impressive effects than biology. I mean biology likely allows for much better quality of life improvements, but if you want to accomplish anything engineering seems to be the way to go.
Our rival is right mechanical engineering allows for far more impressive effects than biology. I mean biology likely allows for much better quality of life improvements, but if you want to accomplish anything engineering seems to be the way to go.
It's better than a chirping dictionary and meat puppet that I tried to think of, should I put the finishing AP at 13? It's at a 50% success rate at that. I could put it at 18 or 21 for 60% to 70% if we want better odds.
I actually found the original character creation vote of this quest very odd. It seemed like a bold move that I normally don't see in beginning votes. Then I read @JayTar 's other quests and it all makes sense.
I actually found the original character creation vote of this quest very odd. It seemed like a bold move that I normally don't see in beginning votes. Then I read @JayTar 's other quests and it all makes sense.
Yes, but I wasn't aware of that mad scientist quest when first reading this one so the vote seemed very out of character for what I have come to expect for SV which tends to trend to genetic good person unless given a lot of direction from the QM.
It's better than a chirping dictionary and meat puppet that I tried to think of, should I put the finishing AP at 13? It's at a 50% success rate at that. I could put it at 18 or 21 for 60% to 70% if we want better odds.
We should set it at 30 so we can do the Infinium contact! It's not even that inefficient for the deal!
Our average roll for Science is 21, with a standard deviation of 4.18, so we're covering about one standard deviation with 30 AP, which is to say we get a 90% chance to succeed. You can see the calculations below, but as far as I can tell, 30 AP is legitimately the most AP-efficient way to make this tier 3 experimental, with the added consideration of Infinium's contact.
X*(sqrt(30)-0.5) ≥ (9*2)^1.5 gives that X (the result) must be 16, = 90% success rate. 30/0.9 = 33
X*(sqrt(13)-0.5) ≥ (9*2)^1.5 gives that X (the result) must be 25, = 21% success rate. 13/0.21 = 62
X*(sqrt(18)-0.5) ≥ (9*2)^1.5 gives that X (the result) must be 21, = 55% success rate. 18/0.55 = 32.7
X*(sqrt(21)-0.5) ≥ (9*2)^1.5 gives that X (the result) must be 19, = 72% success rate. 21/0.72 = 29
We should set it at 30 so we can do the Infinium contact! It's not even that inefficient for the deal!
Our average roll for Science is 21, with a standard deviation of 4.18, so we're covering about one standard deviation with 30 AP, which is to say we get a 90% chance to succeed. You can see the calculations below, but as far as I can tell, 30 AP is legitimately the most AP-efficient way to make this tier 3 experimental, with the added consideration of Infinium's contact.
X*(sqrt(30)-0.5) ≥ (9*2)^1.5 gives that X (the result) must be 16, = 90% success rate. 30/0.9 = 33
X*(sqrt(13)-0.5) ≥ (9*2)^1.5 gives that X (the result) must be 25, = 21% success rate. 13/0.21 = 62
X*(sqrt(18)-0.5) ≥ (9*2)^1.5 gives that X (the result) must be 21, = 55% success rate. 18/0.55 = 32.7
X*(sqrt(21)-0.5) ≥ (9*2)^1.5 gives that X (the result) must be 19, = 72% success rate. 21/0.72 = 29
We aren't allowed to deliberately take longer on the project, but I don't think there would a problem with just not rerolling the planing phase even if we normally would.
Also normally combining two effects into the same project is very ineffective with how the formulas squaring works, but since we actively want the project to take 30 AP we might as well do a tier 3 plus tier 1 combination.
We are allowed to deliberately take longer on the project it is just that the suggested example was extremely egregious, and while it would draw the Dr's attention it would not be positive attention. That should not be a bad problem in this case.
We aren't allowed to deliberately take longer on the project, but I don't think there would a problem with just not rerolling the planing phase even if we normally would.
Also normally combining two effects into the same project is very ineffective with how the formulas squaring works, but since we actively want the project to take 30 AP we might as well do a tier 3 plus tier 1 combination.
Nono, you're thinking about this the wrong way. Experimental effects cannot be rerolled whatsoever, and you only know the roll result at the end, so you have to put in more AP to not randomly fail the project. A tier 3+1 would take way more than 30 AP to do reliably. 30 AP is just the right amount for tier 3, not too much just for Infinium's sake.
Well it isn't exactly terms after all this isn't a contract just a method of gaining attention, but the method is doing a 30 AP selfish science project. Normally research likely would not count, but in this case we are doing it to show up a rival.
We might even get a different contract then we researched after all gods aren't required to be consistent gods of mad scientists least of all.
Wrong. I made the vote completely unprompted. In fact. Absolutely none of any other quests I've been a part of are even close to science at all. I simply have a nefarious soul. and one of the location options was mad science city, who in their right mind would choose anything else?
Research is 100% valid for drawing Doctor Infinium's attention.
As for the audience here, as far as I have seen it is one part those returning from the other merchants of divinity quests, and one part new readers. I'm unaware of any following me here specifically.
The character creation going full mad scientist did take me by surprise, but in retrospect it was predictable. In Impetus's Constructs of Divinity's character creation there was a solid minority in favor of something similar. And I did include a mad scientist city as one of the options.
It's kinda funny because I did have some plans for the Dominion of Tom assuming the players went the more classic-heroic path. Twisting things around 180 to look at it from the other perspective was interesting. Over all I'm really happy with how it worked out.
In that case, switching out the "A way to communicate with and understand animals. Preferably, birds." to "This device uses a complex audial system to emit subsonic waves which stimulates parts of the brain responsible for recognizing hierarchy in order to increase willingness to follow commands. Easily shaken off by sufficiently intelligent beings, thus is primarily useful on animals."
Scheduled vote count started by JayTar on Mar 28, 2024 at 2:20 PM, finished with 82 posts and 9 votes.
[X] Plan Dice for Dice's Sake
-[X] Skill training (Jörmungandr) (Organizational Knowledge) (4 TAP)
-[X] Work: Things have settled into "Business as usual". For however usual this business is. Expected pay: 3 Decent dots. (2 AP)
-[X] Continue crafting the Neuroplasticity enhancer. 3 AP remain. (3 AP)
-[X] Arrange for an operating theater. You will need somewhere to work, and make sure you have sufficient supplies. (2 AP)
-[X] Arrange for a constant stream of patients. (3 2 (Reduced by networking) AP)
-[X] Start Experimenting. Requires lab. (Finishing AP: 30 AP) (1 AP)
--[X] (T3) This device uses a complex audial system to emit subsonic waves which stimulates parts of the brain responsible for recognizing hierarchy in order to increase willingness to follow commands. Easily shaken off by sufficiently intelligent beings, thus is primarily useful on animals.
[X] Plan Getting the Last Contract And Finishing Off Neuroplasticity
-[X] Skill training (University) (Science(Chemistry)) (4 TAP)
-[X] Work: Things have settled into "Business as usual". For however usual this business is. Expected pay: 3 Decent dots. (2 AP)
-[X] Start Experimenting. Requires lab. (Write in desired effect) (2 AP)
--[X] Experiment to find a T1 medicine surgery effect. Expected effect of +3 to Medicine(Surgery) checks.
-[X] Continue crafting the Neuroplasticity enhancer. 3 AP remain. (3 AP)
-[X] Old man Jack: Near the entrance to your Habitation block sits a old man. He sits there all day, always preforming some sort of hand craft. Whittling. Knitting. You should go give him a peace of your mind about such a shameful display! (3 AP)
[X] Preparing for science stuff
-[X] Skill training (University) (Science(Chemistry)) (4 TAP)
-[X] Work: Things have settled into "Business as usual". For however usual this business is. Expected pay: 3 Decent dots. (2 AP)
-[X] Continue crafting the Neuroplasticity enhancer. 3 AP remain. (3 AP)
-[X] Start Experimenting. Requires lab. (Write in desired effect) (3 AP)
--[X] Experiment to find a T1 Armor effect
-[X] Explore the city: The city contains many strange wonders. Some are even useful. Go out and find them. (2 AP)
[X] Plan Getting the Last Contract And Finishing Off Neuroplasticity, social scales version
-[X] Skill training (University) (Science(Chemistry)) (4 TAP)
-[X] Work: Things have settled into "Business as usual". For however usual this business is. Expected pay: 3 Decent dots. (2 AP)
-[X] Start Experimenting. Requires lab. (Write in desired effect) (2 AP)
--[X] Experiment to find a T1 social (Rhetoric) effect locked to be used with "artificial organ" to create "scales shining like gems", beautiful dragon scales that gives us an artful draconic appearance inducing the halo effect to make people more likely to listen to us/put more weight behind what we say.
-[X] Continue crafting the Neuroplasticity enhancer. 3 AP remain. (3 AP)
-[X] Old man Jack: Near the entrance to your Habitation block sits a old man. He sits there all day, always preforming some sort of hand craft. Whittling. Knitting. You should go give him a peace of your mind about such a shameful display! (3 AP)
[X] Plan Dice for Dice's Sake
-[X] Skill training (Jörmungandr) (Organizational Knowledge) (4 TAP)
-[X] Work: Things have settled into "Business as usual". For however usual this business is. Expected pay: 3 Decent dots. (2 AP)
-[X] Continue crafting the Neuroplasticity enhancer. 3 AP remain. (3 AP)
-[X] Arrange for an operating theater. You will need somewhere to work, and make sure you have sufficient supplies. (2 AP)
-[X] Arrange for a constant stream of patients. (3 2 (Reduced by networking) AP)
-[X] Start Experimenting. Requires lab. (Finishing AP: 30 AP) (1 AP)
--[X] (T3) This device uses a complex audial system to emit subsonic waves which stimulates parts of the brain responsible for recognizing hierarchy in order to increase willingness to follow commands. Easily shaken off by sufficiently intelligent beings, thus is primarily useful on animals.
You stare down at the vial in your hand. The very first dose of your Neuroplasticity enhancer. It looks utterly unremarkable, a clear liquid indistinguishable from water. Just this one dose took almost two weeks of work. But now that you have done it once, producing more will be entirely trivial.
You toast an imaginary audience and down it. To new a better you!
Neuroplasticity enhancer finished! Gain +1 to learning dice size so long as you have regular access to your lab.
Training With Jörmungandr: (3+3)d4=6d4 per TAP
4 TAP spent.
24d4 = [2, 2, 4, 3, 3, 2, 4, 1, 3, 1, 2, 4, 2, 2, 1, 3, 1, 2, 4, 4, 1, 2, 4, 2] = 59
Organizational Knowledge now at 2 (102/125)
You don't feel any different, but the improvement to your studies is obvious. Connections are made faster. Information memorized more quickly. Grease in the gears of your mind. You greatly anticipate how it will stack with your existing talents.
Alas your time has other demands beyond edification. Work comes for you. But you aren't one to stand idly. You could be doing so much more. So you do.
First you trawl the city's systems looking for relevant case law. In the city there is a saying that there is a filing for anything. It is only half true. Rather the extensive system of filings and paperwork are a framework. A facade under which the cold impartial judge of the city's AI rests. If one truly has no other recourse they may submit a free-form proposal directly for the AI's judgment.
Fortunately you are not so desperate. In a city of mad science, it is no wonder that many would not be content with the usual hospital system and instead blaze their own path. You only need to copy their work.
The response is instant.
Code:
TO: LEVIATHAN GRIMM, CITIZEN ID: 3906183
SUBJECT: Proposal #648962333676 "Request To Establish Independent Clinic"
STATUS: CONDITIONAL APPROVAL
In accordance with DIRECTIVE #3 you have been approved for the following categories of treatment: PRIMARY CARE, OUTPATIENT CARE, EMERGENCY MEDICINE: URGENT CARE
You have been granted conditional access to the Patient Scheduling System. Should you wish to increase your access tier file Form #82703 with attached proof.
File Form #82811 to requisition a clinic so long as minimum use requirements are met.
For the glory of Tom
It is everything you wanted, but you still have options to consider. A few subtle inquiries later you make your way down to the Undermarket to scout for other possibilities.
Perhaps you had not been as subtle as you thought as soon off the elevator you are met by a new face. Or rather a mask.
"If it isn't our newest little spark Ms. Grimm. I hear you are looking to to build a hearth." The lady in front of you says. She wears a porcelain mask and a bright orange and red gown.
"I don't believe we have met."
"Why I'm Ms. Mask of course. The fire-keeper around these parts".
If you interpret what she is saying correctly, "Can you offer me any kindling?"
She laughs high and clear. Like a parent delighted at a precocious child. "Many sparks hunger for fuel. But I would be delighted to see the rekindling of the dimming embers among us."
"So you will help me?"
"I can provide the bricks, but it is up to you to bring the blaze. So long as you burn clear you will burn long."
[] Take Ms. Mask's deal
- Each week roll Medicine + Surgery + Psychiatry
- For each increment of 6 gain 1 decent dot, up to 5. Increasing this will be difficult
- A constant stream of clients can be "Arranged" for the contract but it will cost you 1 high dot per week.
[] Take the City's deal.
- Each week roll Medicine + Surgery + Pharmacology
- For each increment of 6 gain 1 decent dot, up to 3
- For each increment of 1 over 18 gain 1 low dot with no limit
- You can schedule as many patients as you can handle for the contract so long as you pass an easy AI administrator protocols roll.
AN: Combined the operating theater and constant stream of patients actions as they are too interlinked.
