Taylor Hebert and Her Rather Sad Life [Worm/The Gamer/D&D3.5]

How about we take a step back and ask a salient question that all Solar's ask? Even if we can do this why in god's good name should we? What are these ultra horrific spells that the PRT won't let us research and why do we need them? What to do they do that is so aparently worth wasting all this time staying out in the cold and being a skulldegerous little snipe, that is so good that the PRT won't simply approve and tell us to keep it on the downlow?

What do they aparently need plausible deniability for? Are we going to be reasearching how to summon chaotic evil outsiders who grant power in exchange for the sacrifice of children? What?

Considering all the myriad of protectorate power we see including the not pretty ones and the pyromancer what makes you believe this chain is so heavy?
Canon? What parts? Miss biblical plague?

To horrifying in implication: most of the School of Enchantment and some o the School of Illusion. I don't know about you but being able to dominate Bonesaw into deactivating her apocalyptic plague dead-mans' switches seems like a good idea. Human Master powers powers are not seen well but we may well need them.

Too horrifying in execution: Pretty much all of the School of Necromancy. It looks, feels, sounds like and is Evil MagicTM​ but it has some of the most powerful save-or-die effects that have a good chance to bypass bullshit cape powers

And this bailout option why exactly are we planning for failure in that way and why do we expect that we'll have to 'bail out'. Do you expect us to come to blows, and become a criminal without any reputation or recourse?

I mean we're over the Sophia hump. We're entering on good terms. And Taylor's really fucking hardline and in general the PRT are SV SB kind of people when we're putting on the jack boot and our super human social set is good for getting a seat at the big girl's table.


Absent a Cauldron reveal why is Taylor gonna bail after she start making friends, and in what scenario will she bail before we start gaining the ability to crash economies. Or crack open Panacea.

A Cauldron reveal could still happen. Remember Echidna was a Simurgh plot which means Ziz wants o crack the conspiracy open. This may well happen here too by a similar or different path.
 
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To horrifying in implication: most of the School of Enchantment and some o the School of Illusion. I don't know about you but being able to dominate Bonesaw into deactivating her apocalyptic plague dead-mans' switches seems like a good idea. Human Master powers powers are not seen well but we may well need them.
That bias is not actually as strong as people think. Not for heroes in good standing at least and not against exhumans.

Now if we spring this stuff out of no where after acting shady.

Too horrifying in execution: Pretty much all of the School of Necromancy. It looks, feels, sounds like and is Evil MagicTM​ but it has some of the most powerful save-or-die effects that have a good chance to bypass bullshit cape powers

See you just listed a whole bunch of reasons to not do it normally but why it would also be allowed in the ramp up to acing several sclasses and also why it should be discussed so people don't look at you funny and you can get donated bodies.



A Cauldron reveal could still happen. Remember Echidna was a Simurgh plot which means Ziz wants o crack the conspiracy open. This may well happen here too by a similar or different path.
I'd consider that a point of failure on our part really. And why must we leave instead of driving them out? If our wannabe master necromancer master illusionist feels she has room to talk.
 
That bias is not actually as strong as people think. Not for heroes in good standing at least and not against exhumans.

Now if we spring this stuff out of no where after acting shady.

And that would be fine except we are a prepared caster. That means we have to develop the shady spells before the S9 or other such threat rolls into town. Getting permission during the crises is worth nothing as we then need weeks of spell research to actually get the spells

See you just listed a whole bunch of reasons to not do it normally but why it would also be allowed in the ramp up to acing several sclasses and also why it should be discussed so people don't look at you funny and you can get donated bodies.

And I distinctly said we should discuss it just not ask for money to actually get the spells avoiding inconvenient paper trails that the media or, God forbid, the Youth Guard could get their hands on

I'd consider that a point of failure on our part really. And why must we leave instead of driving them out? If our wannabe master necromancer master illusionist feels she has room to talk.

Drive out Cauldron? Need I remind you of Miss Plot Powers? Cauldron can't be driven out unless it wants to abandon the project.
 
To horrifying in implication: most of the School of Enchantment and some o the School of Illusion. I don't know about you but being able to dominate Bonesaw into deactivating her apocalyptic plague dead-mans' switches seems like a good idea. Human Master powers powers are not seen well but we may well need them.
That is...not actually a problem. The PRT has human specced Masters in canon, in respected position. Pretender of Vegas was a member in good standing until he defected to Cauldron and his only power is to possess people. Theres at least two more in PRT Quest recruitment options.

Hell, the PRT is complaining about a lack of effective Masters and Strangers on their teams, because their types of triggers tend to lead to/or stem from conflicts or distrust with authority figures in their lives.

The Master prejudice is something fanon dreamed up. Cape prejudice is however, real.
Too horrifying in execution: Pretty much all of the School of Necromancy. It looks, feels, sounds like and is Evil MagicTM but it has some of the most powerful save-or-die effects that have a good chance to bypass bullshit cape powers
PRT Quest also literally had a Ward recruit who flays people alive to bolster her Brute power.

Kid Win's Alternator cannon is a dodge or die if you aren't a Brute. The only restriction was that he needed to get it authorized unless facing someone who could either take it, or someone with a kill order.
 
Illusion has some great none mind bending spells(like Shadow evocation or Shadow conjuration), and not all of Necromancy revolves around the dead and undeath
 
And that would be fine except we are a prepared caster. That means we have to develop the shady spells before the S9 or other such threat rolls into town. Getting permission during the crises is worth nothing as we then need weeks of spell research to actually get the spells.
Yeah you develop early after telling the boss and researching it in the lab. They'll pull do not open unless X stamp and thank you for the trust.



And I distinctly said we should discuss it just not ask for money to actually get the spells avoiding inconvenient paper trails that the media or, God forbid, the Youth Guard could get their hands on
Why would they get the specifics of our money trail and we heal. We get bodies for medical research and slip it in with boss lady say so.



Drive out Cauldron? Need I remind you of Miss Plot Powers? Cauldron can't be driven out unless it wants to abandon the project.
Well Lexy was on the way out. We can put our voice behind getting certain peep fire or like many decide to not splinter the lynchpin of strategic endbringer defense.
 
Illusion has some great none mind bending spells(like Shadow evocation or Shadow conjuration), and not all of Necromancy revolves around the dead and undeath

Which is why there are conditionals up there.

That is...not actually a problem. The PRT has human specced Masters in canon, in respected position. Pretender of Vegas was a member in good standing until he defected to Cauldron and his only power is to possess people. Theres at least two more in PRT Quest recruitment options.

Hell, the PRT is complaining about a lack of effective Masters and Strangers on their teams, because their types of triggers tend to lead to/or stem from conflicts or distrust with authority figures in their lives.

The Master prejudice is something fanon dreamed up. Cape prejudice is however, real.

I find it really hard believe it is just the authority figures that distrust human controlling Masters.

PRT Quest also literally had a Ward recruit who flays people alive to bolster her Brute power.

Kid Win's Alternator cannon is a dodge or die if you aren't a Brute. The only restriction was that he needed to get it authorized unless facing someone who could either take it, or someone with a kill order.

But he did not get to chose his powers, we do so they may well tell us to stay away from the horrific.

Yeah you develop early after telling the boss and researching it in the lab. They'll pull do not open unless X stamp and thank you for the trust.

Or they decide they'd rather not have a Ward have those powers and tell us to wait three years

Why would they get the specifics of our money trail and we heal. We get bodies for medical research and slip it in with boss lady say so.

Institutional transparency, groups like the Youth Guard thrive on it.

Well Lexy was on the way out. We can put our voice behind getting certain peep fire or like many decide to not splinter the lynchpin of strategic endbringer defense.

We would show up for Endbringer fights regardless. Anything else would be extremely OOC so that threat is hollow.
 
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Since we are going to be needing more PR-friendly spells I was looking through the Book of Exalted deeds and look what I found:

Necro: Sanctify the Wicked (F): Traps evil creature in a diamond for one year, then releases it as a sanctified creature.

Anyone up for Good Jack Slash? That would be the worst thing you could do to him.

On a more practical level:

Abjur: Telepathy Block: Blocks all telepathic communication within 80-ft. radius

"Did you say something Simurgh?"
 
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Since we are going to be needing more PR-friendly spells I was looking through the Book of Exalted deeds and look what I found:

Necro: Sanctify the Wicked (F): Traps evil creature in a diamond for one year, then releases it as a sanctified creature.

Anyone up for Good Jack Slash? That would be the worst thing you could do to him.

On a more practical level:

Abjur: Telepathy Block: Blocks all telepathic communication within 80-ft. radius

"Did you say something Simurgh?"

Can we get spells like Mind Blank in the version of Dnd we're using?

I find it really hard believe it is just the authority figures that distrust human controlling Masters.


Or they decide they'd rather not have a Ward have those powers and tell us to wait three years



Institutional transparency, groups like the Youth Guard thrive on it.

1.You do realize Paige only got fucked through a combination of Paranoia when what her powers could really do came out which was exacerbated by the fact she was a famous singer, the fact no one not even herself knew she was a human controlling Master, anti cape literally doing all the could to fuck her over, and the lack of support from people who could've helped her.

As Larekko mentioned, Pretender was the leader of the Las Vegas Wards and was in very good standing before his cauldron defection.

2. >decide they don't want the super charismatic, angelic asskicker who said she can also heal, copy powers, make "tinkertech", repair tinkertech, and literally gets stronger with more fights. Because she took the time to mention she can develop Master powers instead of just popping them out of the blue.

>in BB where the Empire alone matches or even outnumbers the wards and Protecterate together and the local PRT is led by the pragmatist that is Piggot.


3.
Her second avenue of inquiry was what restrictions were placed on the Wards. That information was much easier to find than the looting thing. Youth Guard was certainly eager to tell her all the measures they took to try to ensure the safety of the Wards. She'd have to attend school, which was a downside, but apart from a nebulous restriction on 'undue risk' which seemed to imply something more than fighting parahumans or showing up for Endbringer fights - the impression she got from it was that the PRT couldn't order her to take on a mission that was too much for her, and that they were supposed to stop her from doing the same. The rest were things like 'The child must not be subjected to overly harsh discipline' and 'The child should not be placed in action for prolonged periods of time' and stuff about costumes, which mostly boiled down to them not being able to make her wear a bikini into battle, and that they had to comply with the gender she identified with when making the costume and other such things. There was a general theme of 'Wards should be allowed to make their own decisions'.

Taylor searched around some more, and got the general impression that the Wards were allowed to fight super villains, though they were not the first choice in an emergency. Which made sense, really. She wouldn't send in the teenagers if she had a team of fully trained adults to send in instead, but if they were needed they were called. One could look up plenty of parahuman fights involving Wards on the internet, including several gory ones involving the one she'd met yesterday, Aegis. Though the effect was slightly diminished by him standing up and waving at the camera with a hole in him.

like I said earlier the BB Youth Guard HAS to be more lenient if these video are still up and aegis actually waved at a camera with a hole in him. Hell its even mentioned the impression is Wards are allowed to fight supervillains. Which makes sense given how in canon Wards are allowed to come in and fight S-class threats. Just that they normally wouldn't be the first response and that the PRT shouldn't send or allow them on missions that are too much for them. which let's be honest is completely reasonable.

and before anyone comments on that, BB is literall one of the worst cities when it comes to capes and Teko constantly says our leveling won't be affected by deciding to join the wards so we can expect fights.
 
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Can we get spells like Mind Blank in the version of Dnd we're using?

Yes but Telepathy Block is three spells levels lower and thus we can spam it. Not to mention the fact that it is proportianally faster to make magic items of it.

1.You do realize Paige only got fucked through a combination of Paranoia when what her powers could really do came out which was exacerbated by the fact she was a famous singer, the fact no one not even herself knew she was a human controlling Master, anti cape literally doing all the could to fuck her over, and the lack of support from people who could've helped her.

As Larekko mentioned, Pretender was the leader of the Las Vegas Wards and was in very good standing before his cauldron defection.

Pretender is not a Ward and I never advocated not telling the PRT just using our own money for that research so as to give them plausible deniability

2. >decide they don't want the super charismatic, angelic asskicker who said she can also heal, copy powers, make "tinkertech", repair tinkertech, and literally gets stronger with more fights. Because she took the time to mention she can develop Master powers instead of just popping them out of the blue.

>in BB where the Empire alone matches or even outnumbers the wards and Protecterate together and is led by the pragmatist that is Piggot.

Not every restriction they impose on Taylor would have the threat of leaving the program hanging over it. Hell we'd have to sell that to Dany and he may spontaneously develop enough of a spine to refuse if he has official support.

3.like I said earlier the BB Youth Guard HAS to be more lenient if these video are still up and aegis actually waved at a camera with a hole in him. Hell its even mentioned the impression is Wards are allowed to fight supervillains. Which makes sense given how in canon Wards are allowed to come in and fight S-class threats. Just that they normally wouldn't be the first response and that the PRT shouldn't send or allow them on missions that are too much for them. which let's be honest is completely reasonable.

This is a different sort of issue that can be sold differently: "Permitting a impressionable Ward to develop powers the use of which could have psychological effects on her innocent little mind" vs "patrolling the safer areas of the city and fighting Endbringers in extremis"
 
Yes but Telepathy Block is three spells levels lower and thus we can spam it. Not to mention the fact that it is proportianally faster to make magic items of it.



Pretender is not a Ward and I never advocated not telling the PRT just using our own money for that research so as to give them plausible deniability



Not every restriction they impose on Taylor would have the threat of leaving the program hanging over it. Hell we'd have to sell that to Dany and he may spontaneously develop enough of a spine to refuse if he has official support.



This is a different sort of issue that can be sold differently: "Permitting a impressionable Ward to develop powers the use of which could have psychological effects on her innocent little mind" vs "patrolling the safer areas of the city and fighting Endbringers in extremis"

I thought it was mentioned pretender had been on the Las Vegas wards before he became a protectorate cape? hm might've been fanon. but still the point is that there are government capes with Master powers.

wait you want to give people the ammo of "oh we didn't know she could use Master powers" or "We told her not todo it and she did anyways."

That's just asking for us to get punished like Kid Win did for taking out the Alterator cannon at the bank.

Aegis has videos of him waving at a camera with holes in him.

In canon, Vista hides the severity of wounds she got from fucking Hookwolf because she doesn't want people to treat her like a child.

in canon, Vista and CB were the ones who were deactivated bakuda's big ass bomb.

Also Gallant who is a BB ward has empathy and emotion controlling powers.

Hell we just bought Charm person. We already have a master power. Just say everything else is our power getting stronger which is technically true.
 
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wait you want to give people the ammo of "oh we didn't know she could use Master powers" or "We told her not todo it and she did anyways."

That's just asking for us to get punished like Kid Win did for taking out the Alterator cannon at the bank.

We can just say we developed them spontaneously during whatever fight we are going to need them in since that happens on occasion. There, everyone has deniability.

Aegis has videos of him waving at a camera with holes in him.

Also Gallant who is a BB ward has empathy and emotion controlling powers.

He has no fine control of what the targets do once exposed o his attacks

Hell if I remember right we just bought Charm person. We already have a master power. Just say everything else is our power getting stronger which is technically true.

That will likely work for Dominate Person and such but there are still Necromancy spells to consider
 
That will likely work for Dominate Person and such but there are still Necromancy spells to consider

Let's be for real. We probably wouldn't be able to get away with most Necromancy stuff even as an independent hero because holy shit Zombies tend to freak people. Especially when their zombies of people you've killed or you went around and rose bodies from graves which tends to piss people off. There's a reason Nercomancers and Necromancy in most magical settings are usually viewed as evil.

Also Piggot is a pragmatist and we could just use our superhuman charisma to convince her to let us get away with certain spells. If we need to, we could always go with we spontaneously developed the power for deniability as you said.
 
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Let's be for real. We probably wouldn't be able to get away with most Necromancy stuff even as an independent hero because holy shit Zombies tend to freak people. Especially when their zombies of people you've killed or you went around and rose bodies from graves which tends to piss people off. There's a reason Nercomancers and Necromancy in most magical settings are usually viewed as evil.

Also Piggot is a pragmatist and we could always go with we spontaneously developed the power for deniability as you said.

I meant the offensive save-or-die Death Effects, not making Undead.We'd probably need something like the Golden Morning to justify that especially as the more powerful kinds of Undead are sapient and retain their souls.

As to the lat part, Pigot's own deniability does not work if there is a paper trail for developing that spell.
 
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I meant the offensive save-or-die Death Effects, not making Undead.We'd probably need something like the Golden Morning to justify that especially as the more powerful kinds of Undead are sapient and retain their souls.

As to the lat part, Pigot's own deniability does not work if there is a paper trail for developing that spell.

One how are they supposed to know the paper trail is for a specific spell especially when we do have the ability to spontaneously gain new spells with levels.

as for the reasoning, points to the Endbringers. Say we're developing them to use for those battles.
 
One how are they supposed to know the paper trail is for a specific spell especially when we do have the ability to spontaneously gain new spells with levels.

Transparency, "what is the PRT spending taxpayers' dollars on?"

Neither Taylor not the PRT know that. Remember at this point in time the leading theory is that the Endbringers are parahumans.

While true, Death effects probably would not work on Weld either. They are kind of bound to the concept of organic life.
 
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Neither Taylor not the PRT know that. Remember at this point in time the leading theory is that the Endbringers are parahumans.

This.

This is still like 3 months before canon. Which itself was a month before the Levi fight where TT revealed the EBs were never human.

Transparency, "what is the PRT spending taxpayers' dollars on?"



While true, Death effects probably would not work on Weld either. They are kind of bound to the concept of organic life.

The EBs bleed. "Mostly for the purposes of looking damaged" but they do bleed.

Also how are they going to pinpoint exactly where the money is going to especially when we'll also be crafting in addition to our spells, power copying, and still be making money off bounties
 
Also how are they going to pinpoint exactly where the money is going to especially when we'll also be crafting in addition to our spells, power copying, and still be making money off bounties

They would just need to ask for the afferent documentation, which will exist as that is how bureaucracies work.

Also the argument originally began with someone saying we do not need bounties.
 
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