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Marked for Death: A Rational Naruto Quest

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As expected, researching the chakravores was judged to be unlikely to yield useful research given the danger of the attempt. On a meta level I predict the chakravores were designed to counter shadow clones and vampiric mist so that at least a little punching with real stakes can happen.

Infusing a rune near the chakravores sounded suicidally dangerous and I'm glad it was shot down. Hopefully we don't keep proposing stuff like that so our party doesn't think Hazō is stupid.

Unless we go into Biosealing I don't think chakra beasts are ever going to yield useful research. I suspect QMs also probably don't want to have to worry about chakra beasts they design as one-off encounters being used to break the setting.

For what comes next, I predict Hazō will make it to the cave water and aggro the cave system the moment he tries to ES it. Chakra golems appear and he immediately attacks them and we lose access to the cave water permanently. Finally, I predict the water will grant around a 20% chakra regen buff that fades over the next few months and has diminishing effects on subsequent doses. Hopefully I'm wrong.
 
Velorien said:
"Fine," Hazō said, allowing his frustration full rein as he switched mental tracks. "We kill them. We kill every last one. If we can't use them, then at the very least we won't let them hurt our family ever again."

Hazō didn't know what his face looked like at that moment, but he could guess from the way Snowflake flinched away.
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I want more of this >:3
 
Snowflake is a Shadow Clone who knows the Shadow Element. She already was on the dark side. Getting Kei onto the light side is going to be the tricky part.
 
If they're gaki, I would hope we can learn more about them, even if replicating their ability is impossible, because learning about gaki could give us some hints on path-related lore (the gaki supposedly being from the Preta Path).

eaglejarl said:
"C'mon, kid, you don't think this is the real Kagome, do you?" Kagome called impatiently. "I'm just a clone. Turn it in a circle. I want to make sure there isn't a lupchanz in there waiting to eat my brain. Or maybe a hunter-nin. Or a damnbeast. Or a--"
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OliWhail said:
"I figure Jiraiya is intelligent enough to keep us alive even if he's very upset at us, conditional on us being useful. I want to show him the PMYF and macerator seals--"

"You WHAT? Are you crazy?! That IS gonna involve a lupchanz getting stuck in your ears! And they'll probably staple your toes to the floor since after all you only need hands, arms, and eyes, so they can feel free to cut away all the other bits and feed them to their tame damnbeasts, or a gaki, or to one of the horrific medical experiments they keep secret from everyone below Double-Black clearance. Is that what you WANT?"
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Velorien said:
"So let's talk about gaki!" Kagome-sensei screeched at the top of his voice. "Fascinating things, gaki. Much more interesting than any old forbidden dimensions anyone might be wondering about. See, after a bunch of people got devoured, the sealmasters managed to seal the gate, but of course some bright sparks decided to keep a few gaki around, because having something that can eat souls is a great way to make sure people die when they are killed, if you know what I mean. Nobody knows the danger of immortals better than the Sage."

"Kagome-sensei, does the existence of gaki prove that souls exist too?"

Kagome-sensei shrugged. "The gaki seem to think so, but then again they're not all that bright. Me, I don't know about any seals that interact with souls, so I don't really care. Anyway, that's gaki. The damnbeasts… well, they're not really called damnbeasts. That's a stupid name. But bad things happen to people who go around using the real one. All I know is that they're smarter than gaki, and gaki are scared shitless of them, and so is everyone who knows even a little about them. So naturally Leaf made a deal with them to keep the gaki under control in exchange for keeping them well-fed."
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Velorien said:
Kagome is of the opinion that the chakravores could well be gaki; he certainly favours it over the Otter Scroll theory. He notes, however, that gaki are incredibly hard to kill unless you are a damnbeast, since they are not chakra beasts but hunger made flesh. (Further questions regarding damnbeasts, and especially where to obtain one on short notice, were met with screaming.)
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How about a rune which suspends the concept of hunger within a kilometer radius or so? Effects sort of like the sidereal charm Heartless Maiden Trance: everyone remains able to act mostly normally, but can't-and-doesn't-need-to eat, drink, breathe, excrete waste. Chakra already in coils remains available, but can't absorb more. Upon leaving the radius, or rune being switched off, relevant processes pick up where they left off with minimal side effects.

A hunger elemental might well fare as poorly in such an environment as would a water elemental stranded on salt flats, or submerged in a vat of industrial-strength dessicant.
 
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strange_person said:
How about a rune which suspends the concept of hunger within a kilometer radius or so? Effects sort of like the sidereal charm Heartless Maiden Trance: everyone remains able to act mostly normally, but can't-and-doesn't-need-to eat, drink, breathe, excrete waste. Chakra already in coils remains available, but can't absorb more. Upon leaving the radius, or rune being switched off, relevant processes pick up where they left off with minimal side effects.

A hunger elemental might well fare as poorly in such an environment as would a water elemental stranded on salt flats, or submerged in a vat of industrial-strength dessicant.
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And this would probably provide veterancy for the cannibal seals! Hunger is hunger, right?
 
is hazou calling in a portion of the large debt the arachnids owe him in order to get summons for kagome worth it?
if kagome's small chakra reserves makes it not worth it. should we test if we can swap scrolls between people repeatedly (ex: kagome and yuno)? given kagome isn't otherwise being useful with his possession of the scroll.
edit: we still haven't tried to get spiders to jutsu hack jutsu for humans. sure the dogs failed at that but the pangolins succeeded. and arachnids are more different than pangolins but still worth trying if it doesn't cost us much
 
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eaglejarl said:
The tan-brown soil was working hard to achieve its lifelong goal of absolute desiccation. The land rolling like a sleepy sea, flat fat hills of widened girth and shortened stature, all covered in silver-green scrub and lichens and an occasional sapling stubbornly refusing to accept reality and move someplace decent.
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Delectable word choice. A feast to the senses.
eaglejarl said:
"Here, little chakra dumplings! Uncle Noburi is going to drain you right to death."
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Poor dead beasties, suffering to relieve Noburi's Tsunade stress. How many species in Leaf extinct by Jiraiya's hand secretly have Tsunade to thank?
eaglejarl said:
"Fair enough." Tsunade visibly took a grip on herself. "Gōketsu Noburi. In my rank as Lead Doctor of Leaf General, I have worked closely with you for the past several months on a project of novel research. This project required you to demonstrate a wide array of medical skills, which you did with grace and aplomb. Your skills are significantly above those of your cohort, you have embraced the medical ethos and requirements of Leaf medic-nin and brought honor to the profession. In recognition of these facts, I hereby grant you the title of Senior Doctor within the Leaf medical establishment, along with all the rights and responsibilities of that rank. You have full access to hospital resources and you answer only to myself and Administrator Kon Ai." She paused, then shook her head and, in a move so bizarre that it made Noburi want to check her ears for lupchanzen, she smiled. It was a very, very small smile and it existed mostly on half her face rather than dare to attempt proliferation, yet still it was a smile.

"You've done a hell of a job, kid."
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Yes he has. It hurts, but a break from the hospital will do Noburi good. Too easy to get absorbed in helping the person in front of you when taking a step back and taking stock could do more over time. Sad that the trust with some colleagues might never be regained.
Paperclipped said:
"Alright, we're good now," Noburi said. "Going in. I'll meet you all, my fellow meat-people, at the pool."
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Two Noburi POVs! A rare treat.
Paperclipped said:
"I don't know why Noburi even has to be in here physically," he heard Yuno saying.
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If we had no Noburi and no meat person went down, things could have gone really bad. Meat people for the win.

Interesting to play out what conclusions we would have drawn if Noburi was taken out after the others were drained. Does he start looking shady?
Paperclipped said:
"I don't believe you," Candoru said. "Hazō only summons me to die in dramatic ways, and I'm pretty sure that there's something in here that's going to fuck me up in ways that even this guy can't prevent."
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LOL.
Paperclipped said:
"What she said," Panashe said. "Though, I guess this explains why we're rolling through the Dogs we find so easily, if you're all too lazy to even consider training against unconventional enemies."

"Listen here you scaley bitch," Candorui said, "I'm going to take your tongue and-"
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Holeey! This came out of nowhere! How do warring combatants even work together? Oaths are serious business. Sheesh.
Paperclipped said:
…he felt it. Strange, negative spaces in the soft static that normally filled his chakra sense when there was nothing there. He struggled to perceive it, adapting his sense to see a creature that could only be noticed by noticing where he felt nothing at all.
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What would the static feel like near the Great Seal? Hope the Toad Sages are taking Noburi's missed training with minimal outrage.
 
Paperclipped said:
Prep Telescope Rune. Difficulty Result: Hazou thinks he could maybe do this rune.
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Hm. Maybe we can make a version to map out the tunnel system. Could be done after killing the chakravores or before if we stay in a part of the cave that we consider safe.

I wish we took friend Neji.

@eaglejarl , I am not planning to take punching from you. In actuality it would become a super exciting chapter where you could write the group being an unstoppable force with cool squad tactics.
 
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Yeah, so these things eat chakra, including constructs and active techniques.

Have to kill them without chakra-laden techniques, probably from a distance because the area around their body noburi couldn't detect chakra would probably tear techniques apart before they accomplish anything.

Also if they are absorbing elemental chakra and being changed by it we should be very wary about using elements near them. Based on this they may actually be especially vulnerable to nature chakra, if they are extremely adaptable to the chakra they eat. Because nature chakra wants you to be a statue.
 
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@eaglejarl @Velorien @Paperclipped

Question for you guys about Consequences after reading some of the combats and discussing on Discord there appears to be disagreement in the QM team about what order (if any) Consequences are inflicted in.

The Rules Doc says this

Rules Doc said:
Assigning Damage
When you take stress...

  1. Determine how much stress was caused based on the roll.
  2. Apply equipment / special bonuses.
  3. If you were hit with a weapon, add the Weapon rating to the incoming stress.
  4. If you have an armor effect, subtract the Armor rating.
  5. Apply any other relevant bonuses or penalties.


If the resulting amount of stress does not exceed your stress track:

  1. Mark off the box corresponding to the number of stress remaining on the appropriate stress track. (1 stress = first box, 2 stress = second box, etc.) If the box you are supposed to mark is already full, mark off the next one to the right.
  2. Mark off any empty boxes to the left of the one just marked. (Note that this 'high lethality' rule is different from base Dresden Files.)


If the resulting amount of stress DOES exceed your stress track, you must take one or more Consequences in order to reduce the stress total such that it no longer exceeds your stress track. Once you have done so, you have two choices.

  1. You continue fighting, and proceed as above.
  2. You choose to lose the combat. You do not suffer the worst of the Consequences you just took, but you still reduce the stress total as if you did. You are now Taken Out and the combat is over. You are dead or unconscious at the attacker's choice.
  3. Some physical combat methods cannot be non-lethal, so 'Taken Out' always means death. Example: Grand Fireball jutsu.
  4. Social fights do not cause unconsciousness or death. Instead, you lose in a narratively-appropriate way (e.g. being laughed at by the entire audience).


Note that if, after taking as many Consequences as you can, you are still unable to reduce the stress total such that it no longer exceeds your stress track, you are Taken Out automatically. In this case, you do not benefit from any Consequence reduction.

Recovering from Stress
Once the conflict is over, it will only take a few minutes of recovery for your stress track to reset to 0. Consequences, however, are longer-lasting.

Consequences and Injury
By default you have 3 Consequences available to you for each stress track: Mild, Moderate, Severe. Especially high skill levels will give you extra Mild Consequence slots.



You cannot use a Consequence slot unless the incoming damage would exceed your stress track (i.e., you cannot farm FP by deliberately taking a Mild Consequence in every fight). Taking Mild, Moderate, and Severe Consequences reduces incoming stress by 2, 3, or 4 respectively. (This is different from base Dresden Files.) You cannot use a Consequence slot again until it heals
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So the order of things is
  1. Determine total damage and compare it to your stress track
  2. If it fits on the track, end. If it doesn't you must take Consequences until it does fit.
  3. Take Consequences until the stress fits on your track or all 3 Consequence slots are filled.
  4. If all Consequences slots are filled, and there is stress that won't fit on your track, you are Taken Out
So I have some questions about this process.

Is there an order you must take Consequences? Say you have a 7 stress hit incoming on a fully filled 3-box track. Can you take a Moderate + Severe to completely nullify the damage, or must you take a Mild first, so you'd end up with a Mild + Moderate + Severe for the same hit?

Secondly, say you have a 4 box track and you've marked off the first two boxes. Then you take a 5 Stress hit. This is rolling off your track, and you must take Consequences to reduce the damage. So you take a Mild reducing the damage to 3 Stress.

Is your 4th box still unchecked after you take that hit? It depends if all your boxes are checked before taking Consequences or after taking Consequences.

I think after Consequences makes more sense, especially in light of this line

Note that if, after taking as many Consequences as you can, you are still unable to reduce the stress total such that it no longer exceeds your stress track
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Seems like you're still trying to fit the stress on your track after taking Consequences
 
_The_Bomb said:
From this description, I would assume that Kagome enthusiastically learned Strength of the Storm pretty quickly after it went into our vault. Is that correct?
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Kagome can confirm that he learned Strength of the Storm from Mari shortly after she learned it from Orochimaru. That said, he will say that he hasn't been training it much, given his other priorities.

Sir Stompy said:
Just double checking here, the chakravore didn't drain the EC through the ES jutsu effect? There is an open chakra connection there since the jutsu is continuously fueled.
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The test that was run was to try creating an object with Earthshaping, and see if the chakravore would devour the created object somehow. The Earthshaping jutsu wasn't active at the time of the test.
 
Velorien said:
Kagome can confirm that he learned Strength of the Storm from Mari shortly after she learned it from Orochimaru. That said, he will say that he hasn't been training it much, given his other priorities.
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Wooohooo!

Even at only level 10 (which would cost 27.5 XP and take him two weeks to learn at 2 XP / day) he can still cast Strength of the Storm at Effect 4! I love that ninjutsu.
 
Speaking of Strength of the Storm, extremely nitpicky question:

@eaglejarl @Velorien @Paperclipped : In the known jutsu document, Strength of the Storm gets +100 strain from being multitaggable x4, and -40 strain from being self-damaging if four tags are used on a single roll. However, looking at Cloak of the Wind God, the strain cost of multitaggable x3 is +60. This means that the total strain cost of "multitaggable x4 but with disadvantage if the fourth is used" is the same as the total strain cost of "multitaggable x3", which is strictly worse. Is this intentional (e.g. maybe Lightning is better than Wind at being multitagged), or an oversight?
 
Kyreneryk said:
Speaking of Strength of the Storm, extremely nitpicky question:

@eaglejarl @Velorien @Paperclipped : In the known jutsu document, Strength of the Storm gets +100 strain from being multitaggable x4, and -40 strain from being self-damaging if four tags are used on a single roll. However, looking at Cloak of the Wind God, the strain cost of multitaggable x3 is +60. This means that the total strain cost of "multitaggable x4 but with disadvantage if the fourth is used" is the same as the total strain cost of "multitaggable x3", which is strictly worse. Is this intentional (e.g. maybe Lightning is better than Wind at being multitagged), or an oversight?
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Or, perhaps, something that is strictly better but takes much more TH ability to do?
 
Kyreneryk said:
Speaking of Strength of the Storm, extremely nitpicky question:

@eaglejarl @Velorien @Paperclipped : In the known jutsu document, Strength of the Storm gets +100 strain from being multitaggable x4, and -40 strain from being self-damaging if four tags are used on a single roll. However, looking at Cloak of the Wind God, the strain cost of multitaggable x3 is +60. This means that the total strain cost of "multitaggable x4 but with disadvantage if the fourth is used" is the same as the total strain cost of "multitaggable x3", which is strictly worse. Is this intentional (e.g. maybe Lightning is better than Wind at being multitagged), or an oversight?
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faflec.response


More seriously: probably an oversight, but will get back to you.
 
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