Only other way I can see to do quick preparation for expedition is to teach our Crow a few tricks. Which is also useful for our eventually confrontation with Angela Bright. All likely to be useful on the expedition considering our own lackluster combat ability.
I get why he's doing it like that, but damn is that a massive downgrade to an otherwise fairly decent contract. Won't help us much if we're not dabbling more in the healing arts, but it's nice for the Weight of it alone.
The first contract give mental regen, though... which means that we mostly only have to worry about being physically healthy... and if we can get regen for that...?
Also, three weight for a yellow-cost contract is pretty nice in and of itself, especially when it's a contract that we're eventually going to hit just by working on augmenting our abilities in the area. Like... we're not going to stop working on being a more awesome surgeon, you know?
The first contract give mental regen, though... which means that we mostly only have to worry about being physically healthy... and if we can get regen for that...?
Also, three weight for a yellow-cost contract is pretty nice in and of itself, especially when it's a contract that we're eventually going to hit just by working on augmenting our abilities in the area. Like... we're not going to stop working on being a more awesome surgeon, you know?
Well if he hadn't offered that contract I could see us not prioritizing improving our skills as much. That contract seems like it requires us to get 5 + 5 plus some kind of augments on top. Which is a fairly big project if we were just going to get money.
The fact that it is a yellow contract that he didn't bother to explain seems to suggest that it finishes on our interpretation.
Doing an act of medicine that would be impossible alone, by working with a team seems like it might also fill the contract.
[]Plan expedition prep
-[] Training University (Biology) 6 TAP
-[][Continue Crafting: Tactical Retreat Injector (1/5) (Variable AP) (4 AP to finish)
-[] Teach your avian friend a new trick. Rolls Naturalism (Animal Training). Examples: Fetch, Guard, Attack (3 AP)
-[]Protective equipment. If you are going to be heading into the wastelands you will need at least something basic. Find a shop. (1 AP)
After that it become more optional
-[] Perhaps you should reach out to Dr. Nacre? An experienced doctor could be a valuable contact to cultivate, and you have a foot in the door. (3 AP)
I would do Reverse engineer the unknown abdominal implant. (((9+12)/(3+4)) = 3 AP), but the fact that we have to do science every week makes me want to space it out.
Well if he hadn't offered that contract I could see us not prioritizing improving our skills as much. That contract seems like it requires us to get 5 + 5 plus some kind of augments on top. Which is a fairly big project if we were just going to get money.
The fact that it is a yellow contract that he didn't bother to explain seems to suggest that it finishes on our interpretation.
Doing an act of medicine that would be impossible alone, by working with a team seems like it might also fill the contract.
I'm not saying that the contract won't influence us. it clearly will... but it's got no stings in it after the fact, and it's mostly just encouraging us to do stuff that we'd be doing anyway, with a bit of guidance.
Cheesing it by having a team feels weak. I assert that Leviathan has more pride than that. Hitting those highs via transhumanist self-augmentation might take longer, but it would be so much more satisfying.
I suspect that we don't have nearly as many AP as your plan thinks we do... and reaching out to Dr Nacre doesn't feel like a high priority. If we're going to go that far, we might as well put a cycle into working, so that we can have a bit more money to spend on survival gear.
Sure... but you're spending 6 TAP, when we have 4 of that, so that's an extra 2 AP, which means that your plan spends a total of 13.
I'm also not convinced that teaching our bird a new trick is necessarily all that super-useful. What new trick would you teach it that would be worth the time spent in the immediate future?
I'm also not convinced that teaching our bird a new trick is necessarily all that super-useful. What new trick would you teach it that would be worth the time spent in the immediate future?
I wrote them guard attack and fetch. All ways to have the bird fight so we don't have to. Fetch is more to allow us to avoid danger well picking up stuff.
You have 8 AP.
The 8/11 was intended to be read as "8 out of 11". In that normally you would have 11 AP, but 3 of them were already spent due to the marathon. I hope that clarifies things.
[X]Plan expedition prep v2
-[X] Training University (Biology) 6 TAP
-[X][Continue Crafting: Tactical Retreat Injector (1/5) (Variable AP) (4 AP to finish)
-[X] Teach your avian friend a new trick. Rolls Naturalism (Animal Training). Examples: Fetch, Guard, Attack (3 AP)
-[X]Protective equipment. If you are going to be heading into the wastelands you will need at least something basic. Find a shop. (1 AP)
[X][Expedition] Go on the expedition. (Occupies at least Turn 18)
Ok now just 8 AP.
Although not sure if we actually want to go on the expedition during our university course.
[X][Expedition] Back out.
[X]Plan not Expedition instead building.
-[X] Training University (Biology) 6 TAP
-[X]Work: You have a clinic to run now. Pay based on Medicine + Surgery + Pharmacology roll (2 AP)
-[X]Continue Crafting: Tactical Retreat Injector (1/5) (3 AP)
-[X] Look for a hidden place to build in. Go looking yourself. Beneath the city there are countless forgotten places, and that is exactly what you need. (3 AP)
The doctor in question looks more like a mummified corpse then a living person. Bandages cover every inch of skin expect for a few shadowed facial features. When he moves you can tell his bodily proportions are subtly off.
I feel like sending our raven into battle while on expedition is likely to result in a dead raven, and with that level of skill it absolutely won't result in a whole lot of damage. Past that, I don't want to ditch what is probably the safest chance we have to go on an expedition... especially since our rival is almost certainly going on an expedition, and we don't want to let her one-up us like that.
[X]Plan expedition prep with less bird
-[X] Training University (Biology) 6 TAP
-[X][Continue Crafting: Tactical Retreat Injector (1/5) (Variable AP) (4 AP to finish)
-[X] Work: You have a clinic to run now. Pay based on Medicine + Surgery + Pharmacology roll (2 AP)
-[X]Teach your avian friend a new trick. Rolls Naturalism (Animal Training). Fetch (1 AP)
-[X]Protective equipment. If you are going to be heading into the wastelands you will need at least something basic. Find a shop. (1 AP)
[X][Expedition] Go on the expedition. (Occupies at least Turn 18)
Turned two AP worth of bird training into a bit more paid clinic time, getting us a bit more spending money that we can use to buy protective equipment without dropping too low.
I'd just like to note that these aren't even the only ways to grant inspiration We'd probably get a lot if we beat our rival with their own reverse engineered tech for example. We really need to learn a little mechanical engineering for that sweet sweet IP from reverse-engineering our rival's tech.
Regardless though we're one IP away from super-charging our project speed... and I realized that the first contract from Doctor Infinitum gives a massive advantage to mad scientists in terms of Weight gain. It ensures that every contest with a genuine rival has stakes.
That's much less than I was expecting. Most pure doctors aren't going get much of a bonus to their rolls. Unless it also includes training rolls? In that case it sort of makes sense as an aid.
The main most important benefit isn't the resistance, it's the recovery. We had 20 HP mental traumas that healed incredibly quickly. Resilience doesn't just mean damage resistance, but the ability to bounce back from harm. Without the mental resistance the contract would still be worth it.
Don't discount the "rapid regeneration for most mental injuries and conditions". That is the real meat of the contract, the other parts are just knock on effects.
It is basically the mental equivalent of a strong regeneration contract, and can heal mental effects in combat-time.
I get why he's doing it like that, but damn is that a massive downgrade to an otherwise fairly decent contract. Won't help us much if we're not dabbling more in the healing arts, but it's nice for the Weight of it alone.
Medicine is how we make money, so bonuses to it would mean more cash for our research efforts. Don't forget the side effect that if we're ill in a subtle way, like a cancer that has yet to grow enough to be terribly noticeable, we're much more likely to catch it early. And of course we're unlikely to suffer mental ailments for terribly long.
Not relevant to us, but this contract is clearly meant to give the contacted a concrete reason for taking care of themselves. Sure they can justify it in an abstract way, but it's hard for that to feel real. This makes it a fact of their existence that they do their job better if they're in good health.
The doctor in question looks more like a mummified corpse then a living person. Bandages cover every inch of skin expect for a few shadowed facial features. When he moves you can tell his bodily proportions are subtly off.
Nonetheless when he speaks he sounds shockingly normal, only differentiated by a slightest accent which somehow conveys an aura of authority and respectability. "Good morning Ms. Grimm. I hear you have been looking for me." He greats you with a smile. The name on the his lanyard is MD Old Bones.
Minor trauma (Acid): -6 to non emergency rolls regarding or in the presence of acid. HP equivalent: 30
Minor burnout (Medicine): -6 to all Medicine rolls. HP equivalent: 30
Gain 4 Weight
Gain +Effective Weight/2 to most Mental fortitude (Resisting mental pain) rolls.
Gain +Effective Weight/10 to all other Mental fortitude rolls.
Gain rapid regeneration for most mental injuries and conditions.
Minor trauma (Acid): -6 to non emergency rolls regarding or in the presence of acid. HP equivalent: 30
Minor burnout (Medicine): -6 to all Medicine rolls. HP equivalent: 30
You the contracted will perform an act of medicine beyond peak human capability.In exchange, so long as you are fully mentally and physically healthy, the effectiveness of your medical endeavors will be enhanced.
Definitely a good contract. After all making our implants and some types of biological research can easily count as medical endeavors. Definitely applying implants for example.
but what counts as "beyond peak human capability"?
If we went for something like "Weight 10, Medicine 6, specialty 7" as an example... the average roll there is 13d7, right? so a DC 52?
Maybe lower, if I'm using higher values than required. maybe higher if it counts the use of high quality tools as part of the "peak human" toolset.
A few tools and inventions are likely to help us a fair bit, of course. Maybe the local medics also have a standardized procedure for that? THey might have identified a few "beyond peak human" medical operations they allow sufficiently qualified medics to work on, like some particularly complex surgery. They can even have the medic do it on animals to not risk human lives, it's still medicine after all.
Turn actions: It is currently Turn 17. Since the marathon ended early you have 8/11 AP (One of which must be spent on science) and 4 TAP.
You also have 2 unresolved TAP being carried over from turn 16.
At the end of Turn 17 the first expedition will start, assuming you don't back out.
[] Now that you have MD Old Bones' contract you could try approaching the medical association again? Surely those stuck up fools wouldn't brush you off now. (4 AP)
[] Perhaps instead of confronting your rival directly you should gather more information first? Approach your rival in a less confrontational manner and try to figure out what they have been up to. (3 AP)
That's much less than I was expecting. Most pure doctors aren't going get much of a bonus to their rolls. Unless it also includes training rolls? In that case it sort of makes sense as an aid.
most "good" doctors will likely reach weight 10 eventually by saving lives, getting X patients, raising their medicine skill, and the contract. a +5 bonus and the rapid healing from mental trauma is decent for a first contract.
No direct bonus to training. (Though being able to rapidly recover from conditions could allow for normally unwise types of training.)
Don't discount the "rapid regeneration for most mental injuries and conditions". That is the real meat of the contract, the other parts are just knock on effects.
It is basically the mental equivalent of a strong regeneration contract, and can heal mental effects in combat-time.
The contract increases your resilience not your resistance.
I get why he's doing it like that, but damn is that a massive downgrade to an otherwise fairly decent contract. Won't help us much if we're not dabbling more in the healing arts, but it's nice for the Weight of it alone.
nah, think about it: when we're doing medical work, we'll likely be in peak physical/mental conditions, unless we're in some kind of warzone and they got to us. and the first contract makes it MUCH easier to be "mentally" healthy when required, and we can deal with the physical part with our inventions!
Just to start it would help with any medical roll done in our medical studio or lab, basically.
Also... @JayTar isn't studying medicine a medical endeavor? If so it would ALSO work as a medicine training boost. And what about TEACHING Medicine? That could allow us to use this contract to boost our effort to get the Teaching contract...
eh, it's no big deal. we're reaching BIology 5 either next turn or once we're back. Worst case we won't make it to Biology 6 in this course I suppose, depending on how long it takes us.
I believe a skill of 5 was meant to be peak human, but if we can get healing powers that are not available to humans, that might work. It's not green so I can't be sure though.
We should probably take Bones' 2nd contract now, since there's no downside. Actually, did we ever sign Infinitum's second contract?
Also also: we tested our boundaries already this turn, so I feel like that counts for Infinitum. Pushing past our barriers of mental exhaustion like this was experimenting with our limits.
I believe a skill of 5 was meant to be peak human, but if we can get healing powers that are not available to humans, that might work. It's not green so I can't be sure though.
We should probably take Bones' 2nd contract now, since there's no downside. Actually, did we ever sign Infinitum's second contract?
Also also: we tested our boundaries already this turn, so I feel like that counts for Infinitum. Pushing past our barriers of mental exhaustion like this was experimenting with our limits.
good point on signing it out, though we're definitely far from the level required. and peak human is likely 5+5 or 5+6, as specializations are easier to get than the main skill.
That said my main doubt is if high tier medical equipment would be included in that "peak human" calculation.
for Infinium, we could sign, but I'm not sure it matters much. It's not like we can make such a complicated item by accident, while we MIGHT in theory have to try and save someone's life during the expedition and get lucky with high rolls.
Hmm. You know, this title could be just pure thematics or meant to be from Leviathan's perspective, but I wonder if this isn't meant to be the core catchphrase of the god itself? We already had "THE MARCH OF SCIENTIFIC PROGRESS IS UNSTOPPABLE", which fits Infinium perfectly, so I'd say these two chapter titles are actually describing the god it introduces, in true Merchants fashion.
It says a lot of good things about MD, honestly. I like the quote a lot. Though... there might be an Osogad kind of issue where there is a lot of incidental suffering involved in MD's ideal. Either way, Bones feels like a great core god to have in our portfolio.
MD Old Bones laughs jovially. "We gods are not machines, disregarding of a certain colleague of mine. The marathon method may be common, but it is hardly the only way to draw my attention." he jabs his pen in the air for emphasis. "But now a far more important question: How are you feeling today?"
If we had a high Academics (Gods) skill we could probably figure out said other methods, which is worth keeping an eye out for. We're actually on track to practically maxing out our Science (Biology) skill for most practical applications, so Academics could be on our bucket list.
Gain +Effective Weight/2 to most Mental fortitude (Resisting mental pain) rolls.
Gain +Effective Weight/10 to all other Mental fortitude rolls.
Gain rapid regeneration for most mental injuries and conditions.
...A lot stronger than I thought it would be. Genuinely thought it would be like "+1 dice to Mental Fortitude checks". The mental debuff system is pretty cool though.
You the contracted will perform an act of medicine beyond peak human capability.In exchange, so long as you are fully mentally and physically healthy, the effectiveness of your medical endeavors will be enhanced.
I wonder... I think we could do this, actually? We have 3+3 right now, and could get 3+4 fairly easily. At that point our average is 25-ish, and a tier 5 medical item could give +15 and bring us up to 40. That's solidly superhuman, ain't it? Also, "peak human" doesn't consider Weight, I'm pretty sure, so some Weight will help too. So possible given sufficient AP investment.
The real question is where we'd find a check that high, of course. Well, the city will provide I imagine.
Could be a simple dreamscape dissolving, but I think this is probably the void effect? We should see what happens if we contact a god after getting a bit of paradox resistance.
Anyway, plans!
[X]Plan expedition prep with less bird
[X][Expedition] Go on the expedition. (Occupies at least Turn 18)
Eh. Seems good. Gets the invention done for running and inspiration, gets the baseline protective equipment we want for the expedition, makes Kuthk a lot more useful.
Also... @JayTar isn't studying medicine a medical endeavor? If so it would ALSO work as a medicine training boost. And what about TEACHING Medicine? That could allow us to use this contract to boost our effort to get the Teaching contract...
[] Doctor Infinium. You have a new pending contract, perhaps you should research it? You don't think you will get much at your current skill level. (4 AP)
[] MD Old Bones. You have a new pending contract, perhaps you should research it? You don't think you will get much at your current skill level. (4 AP)
Like, one strategy is just to do everything we can to crank our medical abilities and keep doind what we're doing until we breach that line almsot by mistake.
As for research, though... woudl we need to? I mean, we have a more experienced doctor who's generally favorably inclined towards us, and doctors seem to be generally in favor of people becoming more doctory. We could just... ask her?
If we had a high Academics (Gods) skill we could probably figure out said other methods, which is worth keeping an eye out for. We're actually on track to practically maxing out our Science (Biology) skill for most practical applications, so Academics could be on our bucket list.
Like, one strategy is just to do everything we can to crank our medical abilities and keep doind what we're doing until we breach that line almsot by mistake.
As for research, though... woudl we need to? I mean, we have a more experienced doctor who's generally favorably inclined towards us, and doctors seem to be generally in favor of people becoming more doctory. We could just... ask her?
true, and I kinda wanted to ask her if the hospital offers help for the second contract too. Maybe tests for skill and ability before letting you do "peak risk" surgeries? Maybe cooperation with labs to implant really complicated implants?
In the original there was a Transcendent skill for getting a feel for the nature of a god. Which like helps a lot in interpreting their contracts. Of course you can also just ask the god. Although Leviathan likely shouldn't push her luck on that as much as Roland did.
