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NorseQuest (A Norse Xianxia)

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DeadmanwalkingXI said:
One for initiative has been mentioned, though not named, on Discord (Speed is a tiebreaker there, but one adding to it directly could exist)...we win that anyway against almost anyone though, so that's very situational (we currently only lose to people with ranged weapons or people taller than us with polearms)...worth grabbing in some fights but not as an all day, every day, thing. The 'make me prettier' option KittyEmpress suggests seems very good, all things considered, if it's available (it might not be, or might cap out at only one slot or something...you can only get so symmetrical).

Aside from that, mostly utility stuff, not combat. I'll bet we could manage to hold our breath for an hour or even grow gills, be perfectly comfy in specific environments like extreme heat or extreme cold, jump prodigious distances...extendo-arms have been mentioned and seem possible. But really, I'm drawing a blank on combat usages for the most part (though the breath holding and extendo-arms might have uses there).
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Interesting, well there is my ideas:

Elasticized Llimbs (1 slot) - Allows you to stretch your limbs in an unnatural way to reach distant targets and grab distant objects. Increases the range of melee attacks and grants you +1 Initiative.
Thermally Insulated Skin (1 slot) - Grants resistance to cold and cold-related damage.
Increased Lung Capacity (1 slot) - Allows you to hold your breath much longer and grants you 1 additional speed.
Secondary Heart (1 slot) - allows you to survive on 0 Endurance, but only for 1 round.
Strengthened Bone Structure (1 slot) - Makes it more difficult to amputate your limbs and makes it harder to stun you.
Improved Liver (1 slot) - Grants resistance to poisons and toxins.
Improved Intestinal Bacterial Flora (1 slot) - Makes the digestion of food faster and allows you to eat anything.
Improved Immune System (1 slot) - Speeds up your immune system's ability to adapt.
 
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TigerBoyd said:
Maybe one for poison resistance? Immune system refinement? Something to mitigate health issues? Redundant organs? Really anything passive would be good, or anything to help prevent assassinations. Just because it's dishonorable doesn't mean someone won't try eventually.
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Those seem like solid ideas, yeah.

Mystic Pentagram said:
Interesting, well there is my ideas:
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I'm dubious of the secondary heart...that seems problematic mechanically (trading shapeshifts for Endurance gets really weird...it's always a bad idea unless you'd die without the endurance and having only shapeshifts keep you alive gets very odd). Those seem generally valid to me otherwise.
 
DeadmanwalkingXI said:
I'm dubious of the secondary heart...that seems problematic mechanically (trading shapeshifts for Endurance gets really weird...it's always a bad idea unless you'd die without the endurance and having only shapeshifts keep you alive gets very odd). Those seem generally valid to me otherwise.
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I don't see the problem, Endurance covers from damage that would be fatal for a non-Cultivator. A backup heart that increases Endurance dosen't seem a stretch to me.

[X] Plan: Biomancy
-[X] 5 Shapeshift Slots for Halla (620 oz. silver)
--[X] 1 High-Twitch Muscles, 1 Elasticized Llimbs, 1 Increased Lung Capacity, 1 Improved Liver and 1 Secondary Heart
-[X] 5 Shapeshift Slots for Abjorn (620oz. silver)
--[X] His choice (if he absolutely insists that we choose, then all into Thickened Skin)
-[X] 4 Shapeshift slots for Stigmar (300 oz. silver)
--[X] His choice, if he asks then suggest High-Twitch Muscles

[X] Plan Bring Them All
-[X] Accept all new and returning crew members.

So this is my current idea, i think poison resistance is a must since Slavic Warriors apparently use poisoned weapons a lot.
 
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Ooh, maybe shape shifting a reduced need for sleep, or low level passive Regen for physical exhaustion. Can't be ambushed in your sleep if you never need to. Might even result in more dice to reflect extra training/work time, although that would be unlikely
 
TigerBoyd said:
Ooh, maybe shape shifting a reduced need for sleep, or low level passive Regen for physical exhaustion. Can't be ambushed in your sleep if you never need to. Might even result in more dice to reflect extra training/work time, although that would be unlikely
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Good idea, but i think that is a big enough mechanical advantage that Imperial Fister needs to approve it.
 
Mystic Pentagram said:
I don't see the problem, Endurance covers from damage that would be fatal for a non-Cultivator. A backup heart that increases Endurance dosen't seem a stretch to me.
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It's not a stretch conceptually, it's near worthless mechanically (Thickened Skin is flatly better) except when it's weird because it's all that's keeping you alive. The problem is mechanical.

And these aren't actually approved without IF's say so making a plan premature, IMO.

Mystic Pentagram said:
So this is my current idea, i think poison resistance is a must since Slavic Warriors apparently use poisoned weapons a lot.
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Planning to tailor things for the coming mission specifically is a terrible thing to do with shapecrafts, which are permanent and unchanging. We probably want an anti-poison thing for the coming mission, sure, but not necessarily in general. Not as much as something less niche, anyway. So we should do that with normal shapeshifting, not shapecrafting.

The same is true of temperature tolerance and increased lung capacity...we can shift to have those only when we need them and thus not waste slots on them when we don't need them...unless we shapecraft them. Then we're stuck with things that are almost never useful on all the time.
 
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DeadmanwalkingXI said:
It's not a stretch conceptually, it's near worthless mechanically (Thickened Skin is flatly better) except when it's weird because it's all that's keeping you alive. The problem is mechanical.

And these aren't actually approved without IF's say so making a plan premature, IMO.



Planning to tailor things for the coming mission specifically is a terrible thing to do with shapecrafts, which are permanent and unchanging. We probably want an anti-poison thing for the coming mission, sure, but not necessarily in general. Not as much as something less niche, anyway. So we should do that with normal shapeshifting, not shapecrafting.

The same is true of temperature tolerance and increased lung capacity...we can shift to have those only when we need them and thus not waste slots on them when we don't need them...unless we shapecraft them. Then we're stuck with things that are almost never useful on all the time.
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Okay, you are right. I will wait the approval of IF and then modify my plan.

By the way, do you think mechanicaly a shapeshift that gives acid blood would work? Or would that be redundant since Blood Infusions already exist?
 
Shapeshifting does not seem to allow for gross body changes like changing blood type or adding extra organs or limbs.

The second heart would be interesting, though, because of potential Stoker State uses.
 
To what extent does shape shifting work on the brain? Something like an eidetic memory, or a neuroplasticity adjustment would be insane. I would imagine it's probably super dangerous, but so would shape shifting in general. It also depends on whether Norse actually literally use their brain to think.
 
Shard said:
The second heart would be interesting, though, because of potential Stoker State uses.
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A second heart to increase Stoker State's cap seems possible as a shapeshift. It's not really growing a second heart that's a problem, but the mechanical implementation.

TigerBoyd said:
To what extent does shape shifting work on the brain? Something like an eidetic memory, or a neuroplasticity adjustment would be insane. I would imagine it's probably super dangerous, but so would shape shifting in general. It also depends on whether Norse actually literally use their brain to think.
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Hugr already gives perfect memory, or at least it can at higher levels. I doubt using shapeshifts will help given the Hamr/Hugr distinction.
 
I'm getting flashbacks to my old newborn monster quest, lmao.

Mystic Pentagram said:
Elasticized Llimbs (1 slot) - Allows you to stretch your limbs in an unnatural way to reach distant targets, you can grab distant objects and it also increases the range of melee attacks.
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This would effectively grant you +1 Initiative
Mystic Pentagram said:
Thermally Insulated Skin (1 slot) - Grants resistance to cold and cold-related damage.
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How, is the question? The skin is pretty damn important for homeostasis and messing with that can have unforeseen consequences
Mystic Pentagram said:
Increased Lung Capacity (1 slot) - Allows you to hold your breath much longer.
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This works, I'd also probably say that this would, effectively, grant you an additional speed.
Mystic Pentagram said:
Secondary Heart (1 slot) - Increases Endurance by 1, can only be taken once.
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Iffy on this. I'll say that adding the secondary heart allows you to survive on 0 Endurance, but only for 1 round.
Mystic Pentagram said:
Strengthened Bone Structure (1 slot) - Makes it more difficult to amputate limbs.
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I'd say that it also makes it harder to stun you.
Mystic Pentagram said:
Internal Filter System (1 slot) - Grants resistance to poisons and toxins.
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Improved Liver, perhaps? Otherwise it works
Mystic Pentagram said:
Improved Intestinal Bacterial Flora (1 slot) - Makes the digestion of food faster and allows you to eat anything.
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Technically, it's fauna not flora, but other than that, my only issue is with the 'anything' part of it. What qualifies as anything?
Mystic Pentagram said:
Improved Immune System (1 slot) - Gives greater resistance to diseases.
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Sure, this works. I'd have it be, like, it speeds up your immune system's ability to adapt.
TigerBoyd said:
Ooh, maybe shape shifting a reduced need for sleep, or low level passive Regen for physical exhaustion. Can't be ambushed in your sleep if you never need to. Might even result in more dice to reflect extra training/work time, although that would be unlikely
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I'd allow you to do Research without having to spend any dice on it.
 
Being able to shapeshift your gun fauna would be interesting, because your gut fauna is not actually a part of your body in the strict technical sense, so it would imply that Norsemen could shapeshift more things than they think they can Shapeshift.
 
DeadmanwalkingXI said:
Just one? Or more? And presumably still capped at 6 subjects per turn?
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One per shapeshift and yes.
Shard said:
Being able to shapeshift your gun fauna would be interesting, because your gut fauna is not actually a part of your body in the strict technical sense, so it would imply that Norsemen could shapeshift more things than they think they can Shapeshift.
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You're not shapeshifting your gut fauna, that's just the way of describing it for the audience. Halla doesn't know that gut fauna is a thing, her understanding of her body does not cover that. She does know, however, that she can digest food.
 
Imperial Fister said:
How, is the question? The skin is pretty damn important for homeostasis and messing with that can have unforeseen consequences
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Maybe sticking more fat under the skin for a bit more insulation. Idk if that would be enough for damage reduction, but for lasting longer in cold areas it could work. For a heat version more sweat glands maybe?

Ideas:
360 Degree Joints - turn most of the major joints in your body into ball-and-socket joints and elasticising the relevant tendons, letting them move far further than they normally can, for example having your elbow go backwards and turning you head all the way round.
Interior sustenance reserve - Extra fat and water stored in the body, allowing for much longer survival without food and/or water.
Padded organs - Extra fat around important organs, meaning that it is harder to cause organ damage through misc blunt force trauma
 
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Imperial Fister said:
Mechanically, +1 dice per shapeshift

Narratively, it's gonna be things like adjusting facial bone structure, hair luster, breast size, and so on and so forth.
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Sure, I figured on the narrative, I was looking for the mechanics. And very cool. How obvious is that? Like, is there some amount where people just assume makeup and good lighting or does any at all result in "That's shapeshifting, that is." Basically, can we use any amount relatively subtly, and if so how much?
 
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This is gonna look like such a weird question but I promise I am asking only for valid normal reasons:

Increased/decreased virility/fertility shapeshifts? To either make you more or less likely to have children when you... you know?

Family planning is important. No one wants to have a surprise
 
How many slots for removing the need for sleep entirely? 6? Would that have any narrative effects, or supplemental event changes? Is it even possible at all without some mental health issues?
 
KittyEmpress said:
This is gonna look like such a weird question but I promise I am asking only for valid normal reasons:

Increased/decreased virility/fertility shapeshifts? To either make you more or less likely to have children when you... you know?

Family planning is important. No one wants to have a surprise
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We IC have magic birth control if we want.
TigerBoyd said:
How many slots for removing the need for sleep entirely? 6? Would that have any narrative effects, or supplemental event changes? Is it even possible at all without some mental health issues?
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Think of our bear husband who will be sleeping without us!
 
DeadmanwalkingXI said:
Sure, I figured on the narrative, I was looking for the mechanics. And very cool. How obvious is that? Like, is there some amount where people just assume makeup and good lighting or does any at all result in "That's shapeshifting, that is." Basically, can we use any amount relatively subtly, and if so how much?
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Depends on if someone knows you or not. If they do know you, you're probably only going to get away with one or two before it gets noticed

If they don't know you, then go hog wild.
KittyEmpress said:
This is gonna look like such a weird question but I promise I am asking only for valid normal reasons:

Increased/decreased virility/fertility shapeshifts? To either make you more or less likely to have children when you... you know?

Family planning is important. No one wants to have a surprise
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Sure. Abjorn probably turns off his virility when he and Halla aren't trying for another kid.
 
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