Marked for Death: A Rational Naruto Quest
- Thread starter eaglejarl
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- naruto rationalist romance armageddon is looking better and better damn you kishimoto explosions everywhere explosives solve everyone if in doubt surrender to the mercy of zabuza it seemed like a good idea at the time looks like a really bad case of being a jōnin my god. where does the lore end? precommitting is the winning plan screaming in kagome screw the rules i have explosives something bad might still happen sometimes you gotta sociopath stabby zabby subsection c of paragraph 9 should include we can weaponize this so hard
Jello_Raptor
(Confirmed Jelly)
- Location
- Left of Center
Yes, it continues in all three dimensions. It has a slight upward movement to begin with, and then accelerates because of increased downward force increasing the upward force (thanks forcewall!) which then accelerates until we bodily lift ourselves off the floor and into the ceiling, at which point we will decelerate against gravity. If you want to move in a direction, have everyone push on the opposing forcewall. Force walls on both sides of the frame are so that the force wall seals remain, although we are going to be at high risk at anything under cloud level (hey, what's that flying metal frame?). Replacing the seals in midair is going to be a hell of a bad time, but we can use the frame as a doubled skybase when the seals finally give out. Having footrests on the frame is a good idea that Akane with MechApt should be able to point out near instantly, and now we have a skyranger, with skywalker backups. Admittedly, this is much harder to hide, but we can always just drop it into the ocean.
I really hope that we can miniaturize force walls. I want that to be Kagome's next priority after the Zephyr's Reach Rifles (artillery pieces?). Then test out whether force walls will cut other force walls if perpendicular. If they don't, well, force wall armor for flight suits, no skywalker required. Holy shit we'd become literal flying mages with that. If force walls cannot be miniaturized, then hopefully some of the other seals that we learn should do interesting things.
I like this, it's the helicopter to my drone. Though I think it needs a good bit of design work to make usable. The big problem being that if the force pushing against a wall is off center, you'll turn.
This could be a feature with some design work, but it's going to be crazy hard to keep flight level if you're just pressing manually. Think the equivalent of balancing with your hands on a skateboard, doable with training, probably easy for most ninja.
But then try to get 5 people doing that on a single skateboard? That's going to be tough even if all of them are ninja.
Still, it's probably solvable with some simple engineering. The problem is probably similar to finding some way to evenly combine pressure from different sources. Which sounds like the sort of thing someone has probably already solved.
Edit: Oh also wind is going to be weird to deal with, since the whole thing will have a tendency to move into the wind.
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HoratioVonBecker
Imperfectly Aligned
@eaglejarl, @Velorien, @OliWhail, it is done. The first draft, at least. Gaze upon my works, ye mighty, and despair.
Combat Resolution
Combat has three ranges; Short, Medium, and Long. Short range is 'ninja melee ranges', Midrange is what Weapons and most ranged jutsu are used for, and Long range is mostly used during chases; attacks that work across that distance are rare.
Each person within Short range of each other is part of a group, which has a range from all other (groups of) combatants. This is mostly for calculating Area Attacks.
Attack Skills are Taijutsu, which covers all close combat, and Ranged Combat, which covers all Midrange combat. The other hugely combat-relevant Skill is TacMov, which allows ninja to change ranges. Taijutsu does not work at Midrange, and Ranged Combat does not work up close.
Each combat turn, each party may use a single Combat Skill. If using an Attack Skill, it must be rolled against a single target. If multiple characters* target the same combatant with Attack Skills, add [some percentage of the less-skilled fighters Attack Skills] to the most skilled fighter's dice pool, and roll the result as their combined fighting ability. Assign side effects (collateral damage) appropriately, afterwards.
*Or traps, or autonomous jutsu creations, or anything else with a combat ability...
When two parties roll Combat Skills against each other, use the existing conflict resolution mechanism. If it's a conflict between Attack Skills, assign injuries to the loser based on degree of failure. If it's a conflict between an Attack Skill and TacMov, a win for the party using TacMov lets them change range by one degree, while a loss gets them injured.
If you are hit with an Attack Skill and do not defend yourself, you automatically lose the roll.
In cases of ambush, roll the ambushing party's Stealth against the Awareness of their intended victims. If the would-be victims succeed, they get a turn when combat breaks out. Otherwise, they don't, and their only defenses will be their passive ones.
Area attacks target one or more Combat Groups. They cannot be countered with basic Attack Skills, they must be escaped with TacMov (or countered with unusual Attack Skills). Additionally, some are concealed, and the defender has to roll Awareness to realize what it is. (Although this doesn't preclude them dodging every time out of paranoia.)
Ninjutsu, Seals, Styles, and Weapons usually provide some number of bonus dice to a Skill, but some change the way it operates. Explosive Seals, Grand Fireball, and probably a whole lot of others make a Ranged Combat roll into an Area Attack without really changing the number of dice, Multiple Earth Wall acts as a malus to enemy Ranged Combat but mostly precludes attacking that turn, Hypersanguination no jutsu gives the opponent three injury levels above normal for a Taijutsu exchange, etcetera. With few exceptions, they are combined with a Skill when used in combat.
Also, Ninjutsu are usually single-level, chakra-boost-increase-plus-fluff Skills rather than general combat skills.
Combat Resolution
Combat has three ranges; Short, Medium, and Long. Short range is 'ninja melee ranges', Midrange is what Weapons and most ranged jutsu are used for, and Long range is mostly used during chases; attacks that work across that distance are rare.
Each person within Short range of each other is part of a group, which has a range from all other (groups of) combatants. This is mostly for calculating Area Attacks.
Attack Skills are Taijutsu, which covers all close combat, and Ranged Combat, which covers all Midrange combat. The other hugely combat-relevant Skill is TacMov, which allows ninja to change ranges. Taijutsu does not work at Midrange, and Ranged Combat does not work up close.
Each combat turn, each party may use a single Combat Skill. If using an Attack Skill, it must be rolled against a single target. If multiple characters* target the same combatant with Attack Skills, add [some percentage of the less-skilled fighters Attack Skills] to the most skilled fighter's dice pool, and roll the result as their combined fighting ability. Assign side effects (collateral damage) appropriately, afterwards.
*Or traps, or autonomous jutsu creations, or anything else with a combat ability...
When two parties roll Combat Skills against each other, use the existing conflict resolution mechanism. If it's a conflict between Attack Skills, assign injuries to the loser based on degree of failure. If it's a conflict between an Attack Skill and TacMov, a win for the party using TacMov lets them change range by one degree, while a loss gets them injured.
If you are hit with an Attack Skill and do not defend yourself, you automatically lose the roll.
In cases of ambush, roll the ambushing party's Stealth against the Awareness of their intended victims. If the would-be victims succeed, they get a turn when combat breaks out. Otherwise, they don't, and their only defenses will be their passive ones.
Area attacks target one or more Combat Groups. They cannot be countered with basic Attack Skills, they must be escaped with TacMov (or countered with unusual Attack Skills). Additionally, some are concealed, and the defender has to roll Awareness to realize what it is. (Although this doesn't preclude them dodging every time out of paranoia.)
Ninjutsu, Seals, Styles, and Weapons usually provide some number of bonus dice to a Skill, but some change the way it operates. Explosive Seals, Grand Fireball, and probably a whole lot of others make a Ranged Combat roll into an Area Attack without really changing the number of dice, Multiple Earth Wall acts as a malus to enemy Ranged Combat but mostly precludes attacking that turn, Hypersanguination no jutsu gives the opponent three injury levels above normal for a Taijutsu exchange, etcetera. With few exceptions, they are combined with a Skill when used in combat.
Also, Ninjutsu are usually single-level, chakra-boost-increase-plus-fluff Skills rather than general combat skills.
I'd say it's a close-and-midrange attack that does second-level injuries, but can't do third-level ones. Which still puts the victims at one loss away from death, and adds a fairly nasty dice penalty, assuming I get around to revamping Injuries.
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HoratioVonBecker
Imperfectly Aligned
Done. @eaglejarl, @Velorien, @OliWhail, you should see this too, and talk it over.
Injuries
First level injuries leave the injured party with 3/4 of most Skills, second level injuries with 2/3, and third level injuries leave them (almost) completely incapacitated and/or dead.
Jello_Raptor
(Confirmed Jelly)
- Location
- Left of Center
[X] Lore Update: The Ultimate Showdown (of Ultimate Destiny)
Jello_Raptor
(Confirmed Jelly)
- Location
- Left of Center
Vecht
Self-Requested Ban
- Location
- Snarksville, Snarkland
"You can have two hours to gather your gear, read each other in on your abilities, and do whatever prep you need, but you will leave tonight. All the codes and recognition signs you'll need are in the packet." Jiraiya turned to Akane. "Ishihara, your parents can be told that you're in the field for a few weeks. You are not to tell them anything else about this situation. Understood?"
"Yes, sir!"
"Good. Any questions?" He paused while the team looked back and forth uncertainly. "Okay, good. Get out of here."
Kagome, the Genin, and their new squad leader all turned to exit. All except Hazou.
"Lore Update." His eyes unfocused as he stared off into the distance, which failed to materialize thirty meters behind the Hokage's forehead.
There was a moment of awkward silence, and a few furtive glances exchanged. Minami whispered something to Keiko, who turned, paused momentarily, and then shook her head. Noburi shifted nervously, unsure what to do with himself. Kagome, who had already exited the office, doubled back and glanced around as if to inquire what the holdup was.
Eventually, when it was apparent that Hazou wasn't going to continue, Jiraiya cleared his throat, not so subtly letting the annoyance seep into his voice. "Uhm. Hazou? Did you have a question?"
No response.
Jiraiya stood abruptly, his eyes narrowing and his face contorting into something that was a mixture of frustration and worry. He stepped to the side and followed Hazou's gaze to the wall, as the boy continued to stare straight ahead in an apparent stupor.
"Uhh... You okay there, kid?" Jiraiya inquired, waving his hand slowly back and forth.
With an nervous laugh, Noburi cut in. "Oh, I'm sure he's just tired is all. A full day of training, research, listmaking... you know, the usual." Cautiously, he strode up and grabbed his nuisance of a friend by the shoulder, muttering just loud enough to be heard. "Hazou, you fucking doofus! Let's go and stop wasting the Hokage's t--"
"YOU STINKING FUCKING SAGE-STINKER LUPCHANZED MY APPRENTICE!"
The lurking ANBU were just a hair too slow. The explosions that followed were felt, not heard, clear across the village.
-o-
"Uhm. Hazou? Did you have... a question?" Jiraiya blinked.
Hazou abruptly snapped to, shaking his head and looking about. Catching Jiraiya's eyes locked on him in virtual death-glare, he immediately went pale, and rubbed at the back of his head with a stammer. "Oh? Uh, no, sorry, I uh... I mean." Eventually his wits caught up with him and he stood at attention. "No, Hokage-sama. No questions. Please forgive my inattentiveness."
Jiraiya regarded him cooly in silence. He had sat back down, elbows resting at the top of the Hokage's desk--his desk, now--with fingers laced in front of him.
"Sir. I meant no disrespect," Hazou rushed to add, clearly flustered. "Just, uh, so much to process at once."
"Indeed." Jiraiya replied, hardly waiting for the boy to finish. He waved his hand with a snap. "All of you, out. Now. Not a word. Except Hazou." He motioned to a chair in front of his desk. "Have a seat."
Kagome had looked to say something, but thought better of it as a pair of ANBU swooped in from nowhere. The team reluctantly left without fuss. Keiko, last to leave just before the ANBU, turned back as she exited with a worried glance for her teammate.
Another awkward moment passed as the room was cleared and the door slid shut.
Jiraiya burst into laughter. "You too, huh?"
Terrified out of his wits, Hazou only just kept himself composed through sheer force of will, even with his bloodline. His knuckles whitened as he gripped at his knees. Seeing as Jiraiya was still recovering from his outburst, he waited to respond until a respectful amount of time had passed. "'Me too?' Sir? I don't unders--"
Jiraiya's demeanor changed in an instant, and he slammed a hand down on the desk. "Bullshit! I mean, I had my suspicions, but..."
A pause.
"Wait, what?" He rubbed at his chin. "No shit. You mean you really don't know?"
Hazou could barely breathe, much less form a coherent response.
Finally, the Hokage stood, hands on hips, and addressed the fourth wall directly. "The fuck are y'all smoking? You're going to get him killed! I can hardly believe you all managed this much with only subconscious direction. You must have some really damn forgiving GMs. Back in my day--"
Jiraiya's voice faded out. The world darkened from the edges of Hazou's vision, and he suddenly felt like he was both burning up and too cold at the same time. As the realization dawned on him, his eyes went wide in horror and he began to hyperventilate.
He thought he had escaped. He thought he was safe. But no.
He had looked too long, spent too much time thinking about them. And now?
Now he was taken by the Out.
-o-
Jiraiya wasn't done, even though @Vecht's phone battery was nearing the critical range and he had work in the morning. With some strain, the fucking stinker forcefully wrested narrative focus back upon himself.
He was still in the same spot, still directly addressing the fourth wall as Hazou sobbed in a fetal position on the floor.
"Guys, no friggen Lore Updates, okay? I mean, you can if you really want, but we have to tie this thing to the prompt somehow, and the battery really is about to die."
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Noumero
Omit Needless Words
A typo.
- Location
- ...Nice try.
This brings up the most pressing issue we face:
Should we abbreviate "Tactical Movement" to "TacMove" or "TacMov"?
Cariyaga
Handsome Gentleperson
- Location
- United States
Abbreviate it to ™
e:
Also... I kind of want to offer Jiraiya a hug.
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Cariyaga
Handsome Gentleperson
- Location
- United States
Because it's freaking awesome
- Location
- USA
- Pronouns
- He/Him
PSA:
As mentioned before, I failed my Knowledge(Naruto Canon) skill check when writing the last chapter.
Jiraiya actually recognized:
- Konan
- Kisame
- Deidara
- The existence of Akatsuki and their uniforms.
- No one else.
I'll be updating the chapter appropriately.
As mentioned before, I failed my Knowledge(Naruto Canon) skill check when writing the last chapter.
Jiraiya actually recognized:
- Konan
- Kisame
- Deidara
- The existence of Akatsuki and their uniforms.
- No one else.
I'll be updating the chapter appropriately.
Cariyaga
Handsome Gentleperson
- Location
- United States
To be fair, Sasori canonically replaced his body with a puppet, so...
- Location
- Earth
So... I do agree a
[X] Lore Update
would fit, narratively speaking. (Personally, I'd love the acting Mizu(?)kage get the news.) However, if a Lore Update gets vetoed, what's our plan? Action Plan: Leaf Leaf only has 3 votes...
Unless they have a DEADHAND-esque MAD system or a rock-solid line of succession, I doubt they will be able to implement any plans.
[X] Lore Update
would fit, narratively speaking. (Personally, I'd love the acting Mizu(?)kage get the news.) However, if a Lore Update gets vetoed, what's our plan? Action Plan: Leaf Leaf only has 3 votes...
Unless they have a DEADHAND-esque MAD system or a rock-solid line of succession, I doubt they will be able to implement any plans.
- Location
- The Deep Blue Sea
The purifier immediately releases the air it takes in - you may be thinking of Tunneler's friend?
Unfortunately not - that would involve giving out tactical information that you couldn't get in character, since Jiraiya isn't locally omniscient and also doesn't have time to recount his own POV in detail right now.
I've always said TacMov or TM. If you're gonna abbreviate, abbreviate all the way.
[X] Action Plan: Leaf Leaf