[X] "you should come with us, we'll figure the other stuff out later." [Does not use monthly letter to father option. No relationship change with Xiao Lien)
I'm voting this option partly to be contrarian as it's never realistically winning and partly because I'm less interested in a Jia who immediately turns towards her father as the solution to everything.
Edit: this is more of a pet peeve of mine than a real criticism, but I think votes like this one and the eating vs fluffy tail vote last update are somewhat poorly designed as whenever given a choice between getting a thing and not getting a thing voters would almost uninamously vote to get the thing, which makes the vote feel superfluous and dosen't promote much discussion.
[X] "you should come with us, we'll figure the other stuff out later." [Does not use monthly letter to father option. No relationship change with Xiao Lien)
I'm voting this option partly to be contrarian as it's never realistically winning and partly because I'm less interested in a Jia who immediately turns towards her father as the solution to everything.
Edit: this is more of a pet peeve of mine than a real criticism, but I think votes like this one and the eating vs fluffy tail vote last update are somewhat poorly designed as whenever given a choice between getting a thing and not getting a thing voters would almost uninamously vote to get the thing, which makes the vote feel superfluous and dosen't promote much discussion.
Regarding the voting options I don't necessarily disagree, it's something I struggle with. With the previous option, there was probably a breakpoint between xp and new character that would have tipped things, but that's hard to guess at. For this one I had the option of having a vote that didn't have anything to do with the chapter or explain a mechanic and have a (likely) one-sided vote. I think the vote(s) for next chapter will have more debate, or at least there will be a greater spread of variety in the options.
Character sheet's been updated and there's a tiny bit of exposition on Quan Jia's mother (excerpted below). Also, to maybe provide something for discussion, since this vote's been a bit one sided. To account for the ~ 3 months worth of time Quan Jia's been Awakened I rolled for the cultivation experience she's gained (3 months * 4 weeks * affinity 6 = 72 dice * 1.5 (rich father)) = 108d10 = 53 xp.
Next chapter we'll have a vote on distribution of this xp, a cultivation technique, and a set of shinies. Hopefully that will wrap everything up and we'll start the sect proper the update after.
Your mother sought enlightenment through beauty and found it in the blossoming of a flower. Your father modified his core in an unusual, and dangerous, way to win the hand of the woman who had stolen his heart. Is it any surprise then that the sprawling estates of your childhood were full of gardens and jungles, oases and forests, home to ten-thousand species of plants? Is it any surprise that an easily bored child would escape to wander those endlessly changing vistas? That you would learn of the natural world by yourself, and at the knee of your father?
Quan Jia automatically succeeds in all gathering attempts for plants with a cultivation level equivalent to Diamond Core. The DC for gathering all plants is reduced by 1 dot.
The one's we can spend it on are between our art (0/25), our cultivation (15/20), Meridians (0/7), and Qi (0/25). There's also that cultivation technique incoming.
[X] "you should come with us, we'll figure the other stuff out later." [Does not use monthly letter to father option. No relationship change with Xiao Lien)
To call that magnificent edifice of Shen and metaphysics the Imperial Labyrinth is to allow the impression within lesser minds that words can convey and place constraints upon the true nature of that place. Unfortunately, there exists only one living being whose words can envelop the whole of that world, and as I am writing this memoir, it is of extremely limited utility to put quill to parchment and describe in full the wonder found within. Thus, regretfully, I, Weathered Spire, Li Geming, must circumscribe reality and use such words that can be understood by future readers.
The Imperial Labyrinth, counter to its name is in fact a bounded world set within a bubble of constancy deep within the Reflection. Upon the death of the previous Imperial Head, the Labyrinth will begin its drift toward confluency with reality. When that confluence is reached, seven cultivators will be allowed entry through those great warded gates. Within, they will find themselves first tested for their ████████.
It seems as though the edicts of Glorious Ascendant, Li Bao, bind even Emperors from the revelation of certain truths. It must then suffice to say that these seven cultivators are tested such that only one returns. They are then, as I once was, crowned emperor, and take within themselves the mantle of the Eternal Empire.
Memoirs of Emperor, Weathered Spire, Li Geming, 2nd Age, 253rd year of his reign.
Waiting in her stateroom at the inn that had been reserved for her private use was an engraved oak chest bound with a silvery metal and shimmering gemstones.
"Really pops, you don't have to go this far," Quan Jia smiles to herself, a complicated flash of emotion rolling through her, as she kneels down to place her thumb on the blood-activated ward sealing the chest closed.
It's my fault not yours...
For a change, she's by herself, or at least as close to alone as she's ever allowed to be. Mei Mei is in the far too small servant's chamber next door and Xiao Lien is in her own version of this stateroom down the hall, likely greatly enjoying the on call amenities offered. The thought of her new friend enjoying for the first time an entirely excessive amount of wealth turns Quan Jia's smile a bit more genuine.
Maybe I should head over and watch… no I think Xiao Lien probably needs some time to come to terms with things.
With a click, the wards release and the chest pops open. Inside are a pair of talismans, a small jade slip, and…
Pops, why… I don't deserve… I can't… thank you.
With uncomfortably trembling hands she reaches out for the talismans first. The… that thing can wait.
The first talisman was a simple piece of carved jade, a tiny plaque engraved with the branch of a cherry tree in full bloom. The bracelet is beautiful in its simplicity, and with the ease of long practice, she wraps it around her left wrist where it practically disappears amongst the loose sleeves of her dress. The second is a pendant with a small iridescent pearl dangling from the center which gets placed around her forehead, and as she looks over at the full length mirror, the shimmering glow from that pearl sparks a low flame in the eyes of her reflection.
[] Talisman 1
-[] Write in attribute bonus
[] Talisman 2
-[] Write in attribute bonus
Talismans are one of two types of equipment available to cultivators, artifacts being the other. Talismans provide passive bonuses to attributes, skills, or cultivation techniques. A cultivator can equip a number of talismans = 1 + their cultivation level and can access the bonuses of a talisman that are up to the same amount.
Thus, at her current cultivation level, Quan Jia can wear two talismans and each talisman can provide a total bonus of +2 to one or more relevant criteria.
These talismans are potent enough that they will "grow" in power as she does.
The next thing she takes out is a small jade slip engraved with thousands of tiny characters and imbued with the concepts of a cultivation technique.
[] Deprived Sleeper's Delirium
Potency: Diamond Core
Theme(s): Slumber, Hallucination, Control
Attribute: Awareness
Type: Esoteric Offense
Growth: 5 Misleadings
Description:
Both mortal and cultivator alike have commented on the hallucinations brought on when at the edge of sleep. This phenomena was first codified into technique by a second era cultivator who created elaborate, and elaborately inefficient, constructs. After that cultivator's death, the technique languished in the Imperial Archives for an Age before it was rediscovered by the Crimson Theologian, Tan Ru. Seeing in the technique a potential for those of the Lesser Souls, Tan Ru stripped out several complicated, and often contradictory, concepts and disseminated the technique as it exists now.
First Misleading (Qi cost: ●)
The simplest of those hallucinations which confuse and startle are manifestations of auditory sensation. Practitioners of the First Misleading learn how to best apply these sound based illusions to maximal effect.
The First Misleading inflicts a -1 dice to opponents esoteric defense dice pool.
XP: 0/25
[] Sleep's Glittering Sands
Potency: Diamond Core
Theme(s): Slumber, Earth, Shield
Attribute: Dexterity
Type: Physical Defense
Growth: 5 Dunes
Description:
Throughout the Dream, sands blow, a metaphor carved into the Dream by waking minds and enacted upon waking minds by the Dream. Despite its recursive nature, the sands of sleep may be manifested with slumber aspected qi and used to rob the impetus of an attack upon the cultivator. The Dreaming Tempest, Ma Qiu was the first cultivator to tap into this particular facet of the Dream and use it to defend herself from attackers. While this technique retains little of the potency of its progenitor, it is still an effective means of shielding a cultivator from harm.
First Dune (Qi cost: ●):
The Sands of Sleep draw away force, impetus, verve, from the waking world. Practitioners of the First Dune learn how to interpose discs of this sand between themselves and attacks.
The First Dune provides a +1 dice bonus to physical defense pool.
XP: 0/25
[] Emanating Fatigue's Wave
Potency: Diamond Core
Theme(s): Slumber, Enervation, Aura
Attribute: Resilience
Type: Physical Offense
Growth: 5 Waves
Description:
Eyes droop, leaves fall, minds slow, all things succumb to the lure of sleep eventually. A nanny in the Imperial Capital, at the end of his wits and sanity, and bereft of any other form of relief developed this technique from the singular desire for a moment of peace and quiet. So successful was this technique in settling overactive children and young adults that it spread like a wildfire throughout the ranks of caretakers and attendants from all corners of the empire. Despite the nature of its creation, this technique has also exhibited considerable success on the battlefields and sparring grounds.
First Wave (Qi cost: ●):
A muddled thought, a slowed reaction, a mind caught in the quicksand of fatigue. Practitioners of the First Wave learns how to radiate waves of fatigue inducing qi to slow the minds of their opponents.
The First Wave inflicts a -1 dice to opponents physical defense dice pool.
XP: 0/25
Mostly so that the let's call it order of operations of techniques does not takes precedence over the narrative of combat the mechanics of techniques are rather abstracted.
All techniques have a related attribute which is used when calculating the dice pool. All techniques benefit from potency.
Techniques are either physical (in which case they are defended against by stamina) or esoteric (in which case they are defended against by resilience). Physical techniques manifest a change in the physical world (this can be a qi construct such as fire, an environmental change, or a punch or kick, or something else entirely). Esoteric techniques manifest a change in the user or their opponent (this can be a sensory reduction or enhancement, precognitive awareness, or farseeing, or something else entirely).
Techniques apply affects by adding or removing 1 or more dice to either the user's or their opponents offensive or defensive dice pool. Multiple techniques can stack (though the attribute bonuses only apply once)
Each cultivator has an offensive and a defensive dice pool that consists of any relevant arts, techniques, skills, artifacts, talismans, bound cultivation sites, and any misc. Bonuses.
An example physical defensive pool could be 1 (stamina) + 2 (talisman) + 1 (technique) + 3 (technique att. bonus) = 7 dice
A round of combat consists of the combination of relevant offensive and defensive dice pools that are then rolled against each other.
Each degree of success is equivalent to one damage taken from the corresponding health pool (5 * Stamina for physical or 5 * Resilience for esoteric)
Gonna go ahead and apologize in advance for any future changes to the mechanics. I think things will work the way I want them to, but I just don't have the time or inclination to play-test a whole system like this, so we'll likely run into places where things have to be adjusted on the fly.
As written, I think this system will allow folks to build tall for offense, but have to build wide for defense. I'm fine with that, and it makes sense to me from a narrative standpoint. We'll see how it works in practice though.
The last thing in the chest is wrapped in cushions of cloud, an extravagant layer of protection for what would appear to be a simple piece of worked bronze. Unlike the talismans which radiate qi such that even the most unaware cultivator could feel it, or even the faint emanations from the cultivation technique, this third item was completely mundane. At least it appeared to be so.
Pops says these things glow with Shen, but how would I ever be able to tell…
Still, despite the otherwise unremarkable nature, Quan Jia recognizes it for what it truly was: an artifact, made by her father's hand.
[] A twisted bronze ring etched with a pattern of scales each colored in a slightly different hue of red. [The Font of Limits Unbounded provides a 2 dot bonus to qi all the way up to the peak of Amber Soul.]
Qi is an internal energy drawn passively from the environment by a cultivator. It is expended to utilize cultivation techniques and activate certain artifacts. Qi can be increased by direct cultivation of it, as a side effect of rare cultivation resources, as a bonus to unlocking levels of cultivation arts, rare cultivation sites, artifacts, and certain narrative events.
Mechanically: a cultivator has 1 or more dots of Qi that can be expended in the following manner: Qi cost = Qi - 3 (free usage of art), Qi - 2 (liberal use of art), Qi - 1 (handful of uses) Qi - 0 (singular use).
Thus, with this artifact Quan Jia would be able to use any of the cultivation techniques described above liberally (e.g. every round of combat for multiple sequential fights)
[] A censer scribed with the character for heat embossed in black enamel on each of its sides. [The Gyre of Five-Fold Enlightenment provides a multiplicative bonus* of 1.2 to the number of cultivation dice that can be applied to the cultivation of arts, techniques, attributes, and base cultivation level.]
Additive bonuses are applied first and then multiplicative bonuses are applied. Multiple multiplicative bonuses are added together and then applied.
This artifact is an exception to that rule, and as such applies its bonus after every other additive or multiplicative bonus has been applied.
[] A disc, illuminating a crescent moon in pale white against pitch black. [The Arbiter of Paths Unwalked provides a 50% reduction in the XP cost for unlocking meridians.]
The first ten meridians requires one more success than the meridian previous to it. Meridians 11 - 20 require three more successes than the meridian previous to it, 21 - 30 require five more, and so on.
To round out her character, Quan Jia also has three previously not observed abilities. Voters can select from some options below or write in their own (the options listed draw from Exalted/D&D/etc. and the flavor of the abilities will be similar to those systems).
In addition to the items above, Quan Jia has 53 XP to spend as she so chooses. XP can be spent on attributes (10 * number of dots), cultivation arts (xp listed in art), cultivation techniques (xp listed in technique), qi (25 * number of dots), base cultivation (xp listed on character sheet), meridians (see spoiler)
There's a lot of things going on here, and a general determination on the importance of short term vs. long term rewards, so please vote by plan. I think I've included all of the context necessary to make a decision, but feel free to ping me if you've got questions or want clarifications or whatever.
So that folks have a chance to think through build stuff, we'll have a moratorium of 1 hour before voting.
[X] Plan Let's be Sand(wo)man!
-[X] Dance of the Cherry Blossoms
--[X] Dexterity
-[X] The Powerfully Potent Pearl Tiara
--[X] Potency
-[X] Sleep's Glittering Sands
-[X] A censer scribed with the character for heat embossed in black enamel on each of its sides. [The Gyre of Five-Fold Enlightenment provides a multiplicative bonus* of 1.2 to the number of cultivation dice that can be applied to the cultivation of arts, techniques, attributes, and base cultivation level.]
-[X] Dodge
-[X] Martial Arts
--[X] Sleeping Equipment (Pillows, Blankets, etc.)
-[X] Knowledge
--[X] Cultivation
-[X] XP
--[X] Qi (25 pts)
--[X] Cultivation (5 pts)
--[X] Potency (10 pts)
--[X] Resilience (10 pts)
--[X] Dreamer's Endless Journey (3 pts)
The censer to balance out our low talent, dodge because our backstory mentioned a lot of trying to avoid our tutor, knowledge in cultivation because her failures probably pushed her into researching as much about it as she could, and the pillow weapon because it's hilarious but also because I really wanna see an unconventional weapon master.
Thoughts:
Talismans - we should grab Dex (since that's our one good attribute, emphasize strengths) and something else cool, I'd go with Potency.
Techniques:
I like Sands best, both because we can hum Mr Sandman, and also because it's a DEX attribute which is our one stat worth more than nothing.
Relic -
Ring giving +Qi is an absolute combat-hack at our level, but will eventually be outgrown. Do we need to be great at combat?
Censer is a great compensation for our less-than-good Talent. a 1.2x multiplier goes a long way to making up for the success-threshold-shortcoming, especially if we throw lots of money at cultivation resources to stack a big 'effin pile of dice. I think this is my favorite of the three since it's super versatile.
Disc lets us have gobs upon gobs of meridians, which increase affinity, which is already one of our higher stats.
For Abilities, I like:
Stealth (Hiding from tutor)
Dodge (Avoiding being restrained by tutor)
Medicine (Pairs well with Botany)
Knowledge: Politics/Etiquette/Culture/History/Basically Anything (Just makes sense w. character background)
Martial Arts, ofc, is always useful in a Cultivation setting.
Finally, as for XP spending, I think a point of Qi is 100% mandatory unless we take the Ring, not sure on the rest yet.
I think we should play to our strengths if possible as much as compensate for weaknesses. I think the debuff art might be best for that? Not my favorite flavorwise tho - I definitely like being Morpheus-Gaara.
[] A censer scribed with the character for heat embossed in black enamel on each of its sides. [The Gyre of Five-Fold Enlightenment provides a multiplicative bonus* of 1.2 to the number of cultivation dice that can be applied to the cultivation of arts, techniques, attributes, and base cultivation level.]
XP Spending:
+1 Qi (25 - 25 total)
+1 Cultivation (5pts to go - 30 total)
+1 Potency (10pts, 40 total)
+1 Resilience(10 pts, 50 total)
3 left over.
Rational:
Talismans - Dexterity is our one good stat, might as well bump it up. Potency picked as second stat because "raw cultivation technique power" sounds cool.
Technique: Sand is the coolest thematically. Also has the benefit of using Dexterity (our best stat, especially after Talisman) Downside: it's defense not offense, but at least we'll be pretty durable against physical attacks from the beginning.
Censer is a multiplicative bonus to a lot of things - basically everything except meridians and abilities. Stacking multipliers is probably our best-bet for not getting left in the dust with our less-than-idea talent.
Martial arts because Cultivation Kung Fu fighting is likely at some point - and we lack a magical attack for now. Knowledge Politics because... we're important politically and it's probably pretty important our character understand that to not screw herself over. Cultivation knowledge because it jives with earlier posts about how she studies the nature of diamond souls etc.
XP Spending - Qi is necessary to use techniques more than once at our stage, pretty important. Upping the cultivation stage because we're already almost there seems like a good idea, and the popping up Potency a point (so that it's nearly as good as Dex and we have a clear 'second stat' to try to work with) and then also increasing Resilience because we don't have a technique to resist esoteric arts yet.
question for @dmclain2 - can we use the sand-technique right from the get-go? or do we need to put 25xp into it first?
It's in the post where Meridians are described, it says that opening meridians slowly increases affinity (aka the base # of dice we roll. arguably the least-useful since we can burn money into raw dice)
if you want to name them feel free. I would say that generally a noble cultivator wouldn't name a talisman, they'd view that as some kind of plebian thing (too much wealth to value that kind of thing.) The flip side, is it's absolutely something Quan Jia would do, and probably with a kind of absurd name.
Xiao Mei weaponized laughter, so pillows would be different, but not extremely so.
[] A censer scribed with the character for heat embossed in black enamel on each of its sides. [The Gyre of Five-Fold Enlightenment provides a multiplicative bonus* of 1.2 to the number of cultivation dice that can be applied to the cultivation of arts, techniques, attributes, and base cultivation level.]
XP Spending:
+1 Qi (25 - 25 total)
+1 Cultivation (5pts to go - 30 total)
+1 Potency (10pts, 40 total)
+1 Resilience(10 pts, 50 total)
3 left over.
Rational:
Talismans - Dexterity is our one good stat, might as well bump it up. Potency picked as second stat because "raw cultivation technique power" sounds cool.
Technique: Sand is the coolest thematically. Also has the benefit of using Dexterity (our best stat, especially after Talisman) Downside: it's defense not offense, but at least we'll be pretty durable against physical attacks from the beginning.
Censer is a multiplicative bonus to a lot of things - basically everything except meridians and abilities. Stacking multipliers is probably our best-bet for not getting left in the dust with our less-than-idea talent.
Martial arts because Cultivation Kung Fu fighting is likely at some point - and we lack a magical attack for now. Knowledge Politics because... we're important politically and it's probably pretty important our character understand that to not screw herself over. Cultivation knowledge because it jives with earlier posts about how she studies the nature of diamond souls etc.
XP Spending - Qi is necessary to use techniques more than once at our stage, pretty important. Upping the cultivation stage because we're already almost there seems like a good idea, and the popping up Potency a point (so that it's nearly as good as Dex and we have a clear 'second stat' to try to work with) and then also increasing Resilience because we don't have a technique to resist esoteric arts yet.
question for @dmclain2 - can we use the sand-technique right from the get-go? or do we need to put 25xp into it first?
yes, unlike the cultivation arts, you can use the bonus(es) for a cultivation tech by unlocking it. That's not to say that just picking a bunch of techs and doing nothing with them for the bonuses is a good idea.
Drunk misunderstanding. Since the bonuses rely on the expenditure of qi, you can have as many arts as you have qi to spend on (within reason).
