I have a thread on the DVV Discord, but not a dedicated Discord. There's also a handful of PM conversations on-site. Here's a new link to the DVV Discord.
Is there an active discord for this quest? I checked the links and none of them are active any longer. I kind of just need a bit of pointers on how to Stat someone.
I have a thread on the DVV Discord, but not a dedicated Discord. There's also a handful of PM conversations on-site. Here's a new link to the DVV Discord.
Well the recent stuff made me remember the old Happily Ever After movie and I've been wanting to do something with the Evil Queen's brother from that film. Lord Maliss. He's got magic powers, can turn into a dragon, and can turn people into stone through his cloak. I'm just wondering how to go about stating him.
I've found that the best way to go about it is consulting either Temp or Tireless here or in Discord. Trait ideas are fairly simple - just think out a few relevant character traits and roll with that; balancing their mechanics can come after.
Well the recent stuff made me remember the old Happily Ever After movie and I've been wanting to do something with the Evil Queen's brother from that film. Lord Maliss. He's got magic powers, can turn into a dragon, and can turn people into stone through his cloak. I'm just wondering how to go about stating him.
My general guidelines are as follows:
Martial: 10 is a human who is in decent physical condition, has the willingness to defend themselves, and is in possession of a generally sound mind and isn't prone to bouts of insanity that would compromise their defense. 20 is in Army Ranger or Green Beret territory for a warrior, or a capable staff officer if in command. 25, you're reaching the realm of street-level superhero territory, and 30 is the absolute peak of human capability without either supernatural or mechanical aid. Traits can bring that up even higher in a specific field or specialty - for example, Von Lettow only has 15 Martial (down 5 from 20 because he's blind in his left eye), but his superb skill as a commander and field general lets him roll 60 when in command of a battle - but only when serving in an organizational or leadership position.
Stewardship: 10 - average organizational skills. 20 - MBA or doctorate, incredibly accomplished business magnate. 30 - human supercomputer, able to organize vast quantities of data in their head and effectively deliver it to others. In RL this is someone like Elon Musk, in the game Moriarty is reaching this tier (he has 27 Stewardship).
Diplomacy: 10 - Capable of an average conversation. 20 - Trained diplomat with several accomplishments under their belt or in possession of immense levels of native talent. 30 - A master orator, has made numerous treaties, knows how to be liked by all. In the game, this is Persephone - a literal goddess. Scheherazade is almost this level, with 25 Diplomacy.
Intrigue: 10 - can tell a lie with a straight face. 20 - Skilled spy or covert operative. 30 - Ace detective, able to tell your life story by how you maintain your shoes. In the game, this is Sherlock Holmes, who is to my knowledge the only non-divine character with 30 Intrigue.
Learning: My general rule of thumb here is +1 Learning for every year of school completed. A high school graduate with excellent marks has 12 Learning; a BA, 16; a PhD, 20 or a little higher. If you have 30 Learning, you're a genuine polymath who has mastered dozens of fields. Chiron has 30 Learning, Varian comes close with 29 (was originally 25, but he gained a few points thanks to some massive crits), and an additional +25 in either Alchemy or Engineering (if you've seen the Tangled show, you'll understand why I statted him that high.) Chiron has a trait that lets him roll +40 when serving as a tutor or personal trainer for a hero character.
Occult: Trickier, because it can reflect either one's knowledge of the arcane and supernatural or the ability to use the arcane or supernatural. Richelieu is 22 (17 prior to exorcising Frollo) because he takes the supernatural dead seriously, knows of its existence, and has limited authority when rebuking evil in the name of God. People approaching 30 are either archmages or low-tier divinity. (Frollo has 40 Occult following his ascension, because he's gotten a power-up and is a genuinely supernatural being at this point).
Traits are personalized to the hero, although I do have a few templates that I use across characters. "Omnidisciplinary" is one that I reserve for characters who show competency in every Learning field they're shown to attempt. "Great White Hunter", with modifiers, is used for characters who fit the archetype, like Clayton, Selous, and Gaston - accomplished hunters with particular skills specifically in the field of hunting and/or wildlife management. And "Purple Heart" is for those characters who are disabled or are missing body parts.
As a case study, here's the stats of an NPC we're unlikely to encounter for some time:
Martial: 22 (Edmund is a large and strong man who is a capable fighter, but his missing right arm slows him down.)
Stewardship: 16 (Edmund has kept himself supplied in a wasteland devastated by the Moonstone, a nearly superhuman feat of logistics; however, his skills were useless in staving off the devastation caused by the Moonstone.)
Diplomacy: 15-10 (5) (Prolonged isolation has driven King Edmund a little around the twist; even his attempts at being friendly can be more unnerving than anything else.)
Intrigue: 25-22 (3) (Edmund's network of ravens gives him knowledge of events happening far beyond his domains, making him one of the more well-informed rulers in Europe; in-person, though, the man literally cannot keep a secret to save his life.)
Learning: 12 (Edmund has the education worthy of a king, but little in the way of scholarly interests.)
Occult: 16 (Edmund is intimately familiar with the supernatural, seeing as how one manifestation of it destroyed his kingdom; that being said, he has about as much talent for using it as a piece of gravel.)
Traits:
"Purple Heart" - Edmund lost his right arm when he attempted to grab the Moonstone, and while he's still an incredibly powerful man and capable fighter, the simple fact is that he is vulnerable to the right. He suffers -5 Martial in overall personal combat, and -15 if attacked from the right. If Edmund can pass a Martial DC of 50, he can use the shoulder to check an attacker from the flank, with a bonus of +5.
"Fallen King" - Edmund's kingdom technically exists, but has been devastated by the Moonstone. The vast majority of his subjects are either dead or in exile. He gains +30 Diplomacy when interacting with a former subject, and +10 if he can leverage his noble status and bearing onto someone.
"Corvine Cohort" - With little else to do, Edmund has spent much of his time training the local ravens to bring back items and intelligence for him. He can bring his full Intrigue stat to bear when learning about outside events, and if his pets are in his vicinity he gains +2 to all rolls.
"Lost Son: Horace" - When his kingdom fell, Edmund sent his infant son beyond the kingdom's borders to preserve his life. He has lost track of him since the Upheaval, but a father never forgets. Finding the location of his lost son is one of his foremost priorities.
"The Brotherhood" - Edmund is a former member of the Brotherhood of the Moonstone, a secret organization devoted to protecting the incredibly powerful magical artifact. He will do anything to see it kept safe, and gains +15 to all rolls for that purpose. Should someone try to steal it or learn the secrets pertaining to it, he suffers a -10 Diplomacy malus as he does his best to keep it under wraps, but cannot conceal his anger or irritation. Lastly, should it come under threat, he will drop everything and return to protect the Moonstone.
"Dark Kingdom Monarch" - Edmund is the rightful ruler of the Dark Kingdom, and gains +15 to all rolls regarding the land or while present within it.
"The Glower" - Edmund likes using this expression to terrify willful subjects into compliance, but he must pass a Diplomacy check of 75 for it to come off as intimidating instead of silly. If he passes, he automatically succeeds on the next Diplomacy contest; if he fails the check, he automatically fails the next Diplomacy contest.
"Thinks Out Loud" - Over two decades in isolation without anyone to talk to has left him to resort to holding prolonged conversations with himself. Should other people be around, he'll retain this habit and narrate his thoughts out loud, and subsequently only enjoy 3 of his normal Intrigue stat of 25.
Edmund's stats are high because this is a King-type character, with significant accomplishments under his belt. His traits boost his stats sky-high as regards the Dark Kingdom or the Moonstone, but he's specialized because he only has those traits under those conditions.
And here's a more average hero - we saw his stats already in an omake.
Martial: 10 (Amos is a scrappy old man, and what he lacks in skill he makes up for in tenacity and sheer dogged determination.)
Stewardship: 8 (Amos ran a successful trapping line and turned a profit more often than not.)
Diplomacy: 6 (The cantankerous old man possesses a volcanic temper and an imaginative usage of profanity, but can on rare occasions be polite.)
Intrigue: 12 (Amos is not particularly trained in the art of the sneak, but possesses a decent understanding of bushcraft and can go unseen with ease - when he deigns to shut his mouth, at any rate.)
Learning: 8 (Amos never completed high school, and is largely self-taught with most of his skills.)
Occult: 5 (Amos doesn't even know how to spell 'seance', let alone ever attended one. That being said, the things he's seen whilst aboard The Spirit of Adventure have left him willing to at least consider the paranormal as an explanation, and is rather superstitious to boot.)
Traits:
"Hillbilly Huntsman" - Amos Slade is what one might consider the quintessential hillbilly. He's not very bright, doesn't like reading, and prefers a mug of beer to a glass of champagne. Even so, he has his strengths. Amos gains +20 Learning when training hunting dogs, and +10 when working on simple machinery (he kept his old truck running by himself for years) and on matters regarding outdoors survival and practical skills. He gains +10 to rolls when hunting beasts, and +20 when setting traps. His weapon of choice is a pump-action Remington 12-gauge, and grants him +10 Martial when battling man and beast alike. Finally, as a result of his experience as a fur trader, he gains +15 Stewardship when processing and selling hides and trophies.
"Simple Country Folk" - Amos never spent much time around the big cities; doesn't like them, doesn't like the people who frequent them. He suffers -5 Diplomacy when around people he considers his social betters, which is most of the passengers aboard The Spirit of Adventure. Conversely, he gains +10 Diplomacy when dealing with other country folk. That bonus is boosted to +20 if he gets the chance to share his homemade moonshine with those who appreciate it.
"Bears Are Bad News" - Amos holds a special enmity against bears, and gains +5 to all rolls when hunting bears in particular.
"Never Again" - Amos lost two of the best dogs he's ever had; he'll not let another dog fall under his watch if he can help it. Amos gains +10 Martial when defending a dog.
"Master of Hounds" - Amos and Charles Muntz have bonded over their mutual appreciation of dogs, and Muntz has given Amos the role of Master of Hounds in their merry little band of misfits. Amos gains +5 Martial and +15 Intrigue when using hounds to track prey, and can add his Learning score and perks to that of Charles when training new dogs or teaching new tricks to the old ones. He also helps Charles keep The Spirit of Adventure running, as the engines aren't that dissimilar to what Amos is used to with his old truck.
It helped a bunch Tireless, I think at this point the most difficult part for Maliss' stats will be his traits. Just a quick question. Would I list his Dragon form stats in parenthesis or just consider them as a base form?
It helped a bunch Tireless, I think at this point the most difficult part for Maliss' stats will be his traits. Just a quick question. Would I list his Dragon form stats in parenthesis or just consider them as a base form?
Sorry, I don't know enough about the character. Just from the clip I saw, though, I'm inclined to characterize it as a Changer state, with modified stats (increased Martial, fire attack, flight). It would all be contained under a Trait.
It seems Rouke was another puppet of Chernabog. Good for him having escaped from the devil.
And once again Iggy is being dragged kicking and screaming into being an alright person field.
Another thing to consider is that Gothel would probably die once the rejuvenation process expires, she was already old as dust when Rapunzel was an baby.
So she only have a turn to stave off insta death...
Well it seem someone relevant did die in this excursion.
I just find interesting the diferent way that villains flip sides.
Gaston: He just folowed the litle girl over the line he did not see before at the time, in hindsight he does not regret crossing it trough, Clayton and his sister kinda also folowed the kid, but gorila hunting obsession aside they weren't that bad to being with.
Hades: *Look at the line... Stares at the line a bit more... The dice and Qm recontextualized some of his actions... Realizes he needs some help*
*Sighs and put one toe over the line*
*Zeus pulls his brother into a hug and even deeper over the line*
Zeus: There's no escape, we are brothers again now.
Tai lung, Rouke and von lethow: In hindsight i was the bad guy, well diferent circumstances now, time to start over.
Iggy:
*NO I WANT TO BE THE BAD GUY!*
*The dice: I ain't giving you a choice*
PS: the professor is still an villain, it just that frolo was so badshit evil that the line temporarily moved under Moriarty, through the man himself did not changed at all.
I am exceedingly happy to see that all the stuff needed for a solid anti-Lemuria war base passed, most with flying colors.
Anybody have suggestions for more Great Teacher Tai Lung writing prompts? I have a few, but I'm hoping for something better than the half-stuff I've got.
Anybody have suggestions for more Great Teacher Tai Lung writing prompts? I have a few, but I'm hoping for something better than the half-stuff I've got.
PS: the professor is still an villain, it just that frolo was so badshit evil that the line temporarily moved under Moriarty, through the man himself did not changed at all.
When the opponent is a guy working for the Literal Devil in order to murder people and give power a demonic transformation and your a Criminal Mastermind who makes a network of murder and crime...
It makes Moriarty the "Good Guy" in this situation based on the fact he's actually LESS evil then Frollo.
In fairness, the Professor's goals are mostly materialistic or at least in the physical world. He's never threatened the damnation of people's souls in his plots, his own included.
Honestly the main issue with Moriarty is the lex luthor conundrum, lex luthor may have the right idea sometimes, but he always choose to execute them in the worst way possible.
How long have I been numb to the sorrow of all I have lost?
It was a question of sorts she had long been trying to not answer, and she had been keeping track of time rather punctually. It's just that, remembering how long it has been since the Upheaval separated the Furious Five was a painful and difficult process.
For the better part of a year, she had worked as a caravan guard helping the refugees and merchant guild get away from the worst of the fighting between the Rebellion, the Huns, and the forces of Lord Shen.
It was difficult and tiring work that bore little in the way of actual rewards, information on the rest of the Furious Five was a rumor at best, hearsay at worst. And Tigress knew better than anyone that trusting rumors without full verification would be nothing more than a wild goose chase.
Pun partly intended…
"Tigress…TIGRESS! You are blanking off into space again, look at you, working the lines and worry into your face. Just look at you…you need to keep up your strength and energy!" A manic voice said frantically preparing a small bowl and mat to pour a noodle and meat soup, an old army recipe.
"Oh, sorry Mr. Ping." She said looking at the traveling noodle cart vendor and the myriad of supplies that kept it running as well. She had in nearly a year of travel, learned the old goose's secrets and leaned on him in a similar way to Shifu.
If one replaces Kung Fu with noodle-making, customer service, and cooking. Not that she didn't know how to cook, it's just that she didn't know more than the basics.
The Goose was a stern taskmaster. And a part of her was both thankful and annoyed at his insistence on cleaning protocols.
Always boil everything for five to ten minutes before drying, and many many more rules he drilled into her head.
"You are tired aren't you?" he said, handing her a side dish of grilled tofu.
"I haven't found any real news on any of them in a year of searching. I feel like I'm chasing ghosts." She said bitterly.
"That is something I have to live with as well, were I twenty years younger I'd grab the shop on my back and search all of China to find him, and yet, I cannot do such a thing, I have to think of my own home, and because of this madness and war, care for you…" He said.
There was a tense silence as Tigress looked at the food.
"I didn't mean to be ungrateful, Ping, it is just that I'm frustrated at all the chaos around me…If I could just-" She stood tall for a moment and then clutched her side in pain.
"Need I remind you that you were not in the best of shape when I pulled you out of the Yellow River and helped you…need I recall what hurt you more than your wounds?" Ping said.
"The Valley of Peace was scourged?" She said remembering. "Shifu disappeared and the Huns breached the great wall, the capital was sacked and Shen, well Lord Shen started a civil war with the rest of the generals and lords going into their own camps."
"China Long United must divide," Ping said with certainty. "Though this time this division of the nation might be more chaotic than the last."
"Remember that Pirate turned Bandit?" She said, "Have you ever heard of a Pirate traveling overland because he was afraid of the sea? Sounds ridiculous."
He then gave her a tap on the head with his staff, "Less reminiscing more eating, eat it while it's warm Tigress. I will not heat it up for you again."
A small smile seemingly entered her lips as she had her meal. "This will be 15 coins?"
"I'll keep your tab running, as I do, now you can lower it by working a shift or two you know?" He said.
Looking around she knew they were likely going to reach the trade city of Canton in a day or two, so make sure the travelers are well fed when they arrive.
Finishing her food, she nodded in agreement.
"Alright Old Goose, let me clean my hands and finish, we have a lot of people to feed." She said.
First came the Noodles, they would have to go into the last of the prepared stockpile, as to why he would have one, she would never know, but it was filling nonetheless.
She was getting better at this. She was doing more than carving Tofu, that was for sure.
"It needs more-" She started.
"Leaks!" Ping said as she gave a small chuckle, handing them over.
It was a joy-filled night of cooking and profit.
It wasn't exactly what Tigress was looking for in the world's madness but she was glad that she found it.
We will find each other Tomorrow…another day is just an opportunity.
Master Tigress Of the Valley of Peace
Martial:18-4=14 (Tigress is the Master of the Tiger Style of Kung Fu, developed over the course of twenty years of training; unfortunately, injuries sustained from Lord Shen have left her abilities hampered.)
Stewardship: 12 (Tigress has, much to her chagrin and embarrassment, been working for the Ping Noodle Shop in its cart form and has to her surprise learned about the finance of running such a business.)
Diplomacy 9 (Tigress has been trained in Court Etiquette, as befitting Master Shifu's student, it's just she rarely has use for her manners in her rather rough and tumble lifestyle.)
Intrigue 10 (While being trained to hunt bandits and solve problems has given her much ability in the art of hunting a threat, her role and training have left little time for her to enhance it)
Learning 15 (As a student of Shifu, and Oogway, she has learned everything from literature to traditional first aid to history.)
Occult 12 (Having been raised by the Founder of Kung Fu himself along with Shifu, her mind is as open as a river to the Supernatural.)
Traits:
"Defender of the Valley of Peace, Status: RAZED"- Tigress was once the Defender of the Valley of Peace, her home, and she would do everything and anything to defend it, however after its sacking and razing by Shan Yu and Lord Shen, it is lost to its inhabitants. That does not mean her desire to return home is not apparent. When in the Valley of Peace, Tigress gains a +5 to all rolls, regardless of category, when Defending the Valley of Peace, she gains a +30 due to familiar knowledge of its terrain and geography.
"Tigress of the Furious Five"- Tigress is the de facto leader of the Furious Five and is widely considered its most experienced fighter. When fighting with the Five as a group, gain +15 to combat rolls and when alone, gains +5 to all combat rolls. If a Diplomacy Check is passed, Tigress can leverage her reputation and END THE FIGHT through the sheer terror of her reputation. She also gains +5 Diplomacy with other martial artists due to shared respect.
"Broadsided Aftereffects"- Tigress has survived a full barrage of grapeshot from the cannons of Lord Shen, and while medically she is on the mend, her body has yet to fully recover from such a traumatic experience. Current Status: -4 Martial.
"Apprentice in the Way of Noodles"- Tigress has in her bizarre experience, become an apprentice Noodle cook. This causes her embarrassment yet she suffers in silence. +5 to all rolls related to Noodle making and running Mr. Ping's Noodle Cart.
Actually, the only reason the Grapeshot didn't kill her...was the fact the cannon she was shot by was improperly mounted, getting it off target just enough for her to adjust herself so she won't be totally ripped apart by that.
Its not the lead shot in her, it was the infection she barely survived from floating down the yellow river with open wounds.
Don't ask HOW Ping Pulled off the Medical Roll for healing her...who knew he could pull it off.
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