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Warhammer Fantasy: Divided Loyalties - an Advisor's Quest

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storryeater said:
Of course, that assumes the dwarfs can trace it to Marienurg. With their low intrigue stats, I don't think they can, and Marienburg prolly knows it...

Of course, it may not know that they are employing a capable grey wizard... and if it doesn't, well... bringing the Dwarfhammer on Marienburg's ass will be the easiest great deed we can accomplish for the empire.
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The most likely move would be to pay the nearby sakven enclaves to mess with the dwarves yes-yes? Its not like they can read-read skaven paperwork to figure things out.

Also, it doesn't take all of Marienburg to make a move, one or more of the merchant houses could act independently. Not that the empire would accept any such excuse of course.
 
Robotninja said:
Really? It would be absurdly handy for Jade.
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Sure, but it being really handy doesn't let them do it if they can't figure it out.
notanautomaton said:
@BoneyM should the Jade and Amber's being interested in adapting the Matrix, the economic benefits of K8P, and the strategic benefits of K8P be under the Pending Favors?
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BoneyM said:
Both projects petered out, unfortunately. Both tended towards organic and couldn't figure out how to adapt the static structure of the Matrix. They might be picked up again some time in the future.
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Alliterate said:
Now I think of it, Matilda seems to be going for the rarely seen Shadow Mage/Rogue Agent/Great Weapon Fighter/Luck Cleric quad-class combo.

Hopefully it's some weird power gamer build that pays off at high level.
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Sooo, (prompted back to this by a couple of likes by threadreaders)...

I guess the weird quad-prestige-class combo we badgered our GM into allowing has paid off.
Now adding levels in the usually racially-restricted Dwarf Thane class on a rules-lawyering technicality.
 
Alliterate said:
Sooo, (prompted back to this by a couple of likes by threadreaders)...

I guess the weird quad-prestige-class combo we badgered our GM into allowing has paid off.
Now adding levels in the usually racially-restricted Dwarf Thane class on a rules-lawyering technicality.
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No, see, you are misinterpreting things. We didn't badger the GM to allow us to quint-class. It is just that, as we are a single character party when most parties have 5-6 members, it just makes sense that we get 5-6 times the classes and 5-6 times the exp. That is how balance works, right guys? guys?

Edit: while saying exp twice may have inadvertedly make this funnier, it was not how the joke was intended to go.
 
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storryeater said:
No, see, you are misinterpreting things. We didn't badger the GM to allow us to quint-class. It is just that, as we are a single character party when most parties have 5-6 members, it just makes sense that we get 5-6 times the experience and 5-6 times the exp. That is how balance works, right guys? guys?
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Yes.
That's why, should some kind of fire demon appear, we will tell the ducklings to flee while we stall it.
Then we meet them next week with a dozen extra levels and a kick-ass staff as Mathilde The White of Many Colors.
 
Rules Lawyer (Hat) Mathilde.

"See, by taking the Favoured of Ranald feat, it says that our spellcaster level grants two times the usual Luck Domain Cleric rerolls per day ability... and because we can cast these two spells also on the Luck Domain list, that's enough to activate the Feat bonus, from page seventeen in the errata, here.

OK, I see you spotted my weapons. Now, normally I grant you we're barred from carrying Two-handed edged weapons- note the wording- but if we get this cool Rune from the Dwarven supplement...
So you see, training with a Greatsword should be totally fine, because we'll eventually be allowed one. I thought perhaps if we call our sword Dagger, it gets around Ranalds' stricture, but turns out that was in a different edition... I've worked out a totally awesome narrative where we use downtime training to get Proficiency, too, based on the precedent set here..."

And somehow throughout it all, we've managed to keep full Caster level progression.
 
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Redshirt Army said:
Creating a magic item so that Kragg can observe the Winds is something I'd very much like to do, but it will be non-trivial to create.

The "default" way such an item would work is by placing an enchantment on the person using it, and manipulating their perceptions.

This is not feasible for dwarves - the Ritual of Valaya would tear apart the enchantment before it affected them, and if we somehow bypassed that then they would start turning to stone instead.

So we'd need to create a free-standing illusion - a hologram that affects space itself instead of targeting the user.

The good news is that the MAPP fits that use case fairly well.

The bad news is that creating an enchantment to link a MAPP so it automatically updates based on Windsight is something Mathilde will basically have to invent from scratch.

The worse news is that as things stand, the only "magesight" spell known to the Colleges is Soulsight, a Shyish spell, so Mathilde will basically have to translate that spell to Ulgu just to get started.

Still, it's not like this research is single-purpose. Dwarves being able to see the Winds has a lot of value to them beyond just reverse-engineering Bok, and turning MAPP from something that only the caster can modify into something that can act as an automatically updating "display screen" has a huge number of implications when it comes to future enchantments.
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You know, I think we could use AV as the main sensor, we already know it reacts to the other winds by trying to reach to them, if we used films made of wind permeable materials (like the tower, but more filmey) we could make it so that only one part of the liquid actually reacts at any given time, we could then possibly translate this pressure (by means of micro-runes?) To a MAP display.
 
das_slash said:
Yes.
That's why, should some kind of fire demon appear, we will tell the ducklings to flee while we stall it.
Then we meet them next week with a dozen extra levels and a kick-ass staff as Mathilde The White of Many Colors.
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Does make me wonder just how much EXP killing several hundred thousand orcs would grant. Plus all the Skaven we murdered in the under-Caldera, and the Council agent, and then the dragon we diplmanced into not eating us... And if completing quests works, we also completely cleared out Karak Eight Peaks and survived a massive Waaagh, not to mention the thunderdome itself. That must be a great deal of Experience, right?
Although, thinking about that, it reminds me of how absolutely terrifying Mathilde must seem to a lot of people right now. Like, we've already seen hints that most people blame her for the Thunderdome and think it was entirely purposeful. Now combine that with the Waaagh she stirred up at the same time, only to obliterate most of it in a single moment after luring them into the Caldera. And then in a few months, when she pops up to mention that she also found the time to steal not only the Skaven language, but their entire tech-tree at the same time, as well as a bunch of insider information on their civil war. I know I would be terrified of anyone capable of pulling even one of those feats, let alone multiple.
 
I wonder how Mathilde would get along with the PCs from various other Warhammer quests. Having her as the advisor in those various quests would be fun.
 
Aranfan said:
I wonder how Mathilde would get along with the PCs from various other Warhammer quests. Having her as the advisor in those various quests would be fun.
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She'd have to show up in a high-power story, since an advisor with stats in the 20's would be overpowered as heck for a more modest starting character.

That's why we couldn't stick around for Roswitta - the players only spent enough shinies to get a few "get out of jail" tokens where a high power character bails them out, one of which they spent to get rid of Alakazam.
 
Ericwinter said:
Does make me wonder just how much EXP killing several hundred thousand orcs would grant. Plus all the Skaven we murdered in the under-Caldera, and the Council agent, and then the dragon we diplmanced into not eating us... And if completing quests works, we also completely cleared out Karak Eight Peaks and survived a massive Waaagh, not to mention the thunderdome itself. That must be a great deal of Experience, right?
Although, thinking about that, it reminds me of how absolutely terrifying Mathilde must seem to a lot of people right now. Like, we've already seen hints that most people blame her for the Thunderdome and think it was entirely purposeful. Now combine that with the Waaagh she stirred up at the same time, only to obliterate most of it in a single moment after luring them into the Caldera. And then in a few months, when she pops up to mention that she also found the time to steal not only the Skaven language, but their entire tech-tree at the same time, as well as a bunch of insider information on their civil war. I know I would be terrified of anyone capable of pulling even one of those feats, let alone multiple.
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At this point we should prepare for the inevitable alliance between time-traveling students and Skaven.
Hell, just imagine the Terminator 2, except Schwarzenegger is a Chamon cyborg made with Skaven tech, who looks just like Johann (and doesn't bother with clothes, because gold is better).
 
Redshirt Army said:
She'd have to show up in a high-power story, since an advisor with stats in the 20's would be overpowered as heck for a more modest starting character.

That's why we couldn't stick around for Roswitta - the players only spent enough shinies to get a few "get out of jail" tokens where a high power character bails them out, one of which they spent to get rid of Alakazam.
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How would she get on with Freddy in particular then? Or the second generation of Leibwitzes?
 
At this rate Ranald could wind up with a divine association with screwing over the skaven. Which would be hilarious and thematic as fuck given his cat theme.
 
Aranfan said:
How would she get on with Freddy in particular then? Or the second generation of Leibwitzes?
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Freddy shares Mathilda's love of dwarf friendship, and magic research, and hatred of undead. He married a magic user and tried to get magic more accepted in his providence. He also poured an absurd amount of money into improving the education and livelihood of his peasants.

Unfortunatly, he has a close personal relationship with both Sigmar and Thorgrim, thinks Ranald is a useless jackass, doesn't get the importance of intrigue and lacks the diplomacy to avoid these topics or ignore Mathilda's smug routine.

Basically? If they just heard about each other their reactions would be "Shine on you crazy diamond", but the most effective way I can think of to kill one of them would be to stick them in a room together.
 
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The Oddest of Oddities
  • Apocrypha
    • There exists in the mountains far to the south a most peculiar thing. This may not have been the oddest of oddities, for there are a great many things that can be said about the abnormalities in that general region, and an anomalous existence being found amongst other such anomalies makes it rather less of one. Especially on that continent. Even so, of all the strange occurrences found in that region, not least of which being the fact that a group of mountains could be found clustered in a ring, one is decidedly curiouser than the rest.

    Examining some of its competition for that descriptor, this may be hard to believe. After all, one does not usually encounter men with the countenance of grumbling beardlings on one's stroll, nor large arachnids diligently patrolling dwarf-marked roads. The ancient ice dragon sleeping a few kilometers above them is almost mundane in comparison. The debris strewn remnants of a half-mountain sized forge, certainly so. The two runelords bickering over an earth elemental could qualify, but upon further reflection probably don't. A golden man, reclining on a bed with elven silk, can be given some consideration. The cluster of halflings running about with buckets and shovels are a cut below the rest. The flustered woman clad in green chasing after them, slightly above. The dwarf who claims rule over all this, punching tables and promoting distinctly undwarfly tactics, is a contender... but it's not him.

    A restless ratchief, reading in a stone cell. A wonderful wolf, sleeping in a dragon's skull. A terrible tome, lying innocently in a hidden alcove. A structure of steel, radiating ominously in a mountain. The woman behind it all, scheming and dreaming and writing and fighting and riding and hiding and casting and lambasting and gambling and rambling and well, one gets the idea of a very busy wizardly official. But it's also not her.

    Unfortunately, the path to discovery for the oddment of oddments, the abnormality of abnormalities, the daemon of the deeps, has been thwarted by a creature of rather humbler means.

    "Snuggles! I know you like the big cat, but we've got a mission! Come on, let's get going!"
     
  • Apocrypha
    • thisisinsane said:
    Fteddy shares Mathilda's love of dwarf friendship, and magic research, and hatred of undead. He married a magic user and tried to get magic more accepted in his providence. He also poured an absurd amount of money into improving the education and livelihood of his peasants.

    Unfortunatly, he has a close personal relationship with both Sigmar and Thorgrim, thinks Ranald is a useless jackass, doesn't get the importance of intrigue and lacks the diplomacy to avoid these topics or ignore Mathilda's smug routine.

    Basically? If they just heard about each other their reactions would be "Shine on you crazy diamond", but the most effective way I can think of to kill one of them would be to stick them in a room together.
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    Eh Freddy got thorgrim when thorgrim still had hope and idealism and promptly helped hammer home that their was in fact still some hope in the world.

    So thorgrim probably wont even become what he is in canon or in mathildes timeline over in Drunk quest.
     
    ninjafish said:
    Eh Freddy got thorgrim when thorgrim still had hope and idealism and promptly helped hammer home that their was in fact still some hope in the world.

    So thorgrim probably wont even become what he is in canon or in mathildes timeline over in Drunk quest.
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    And the fact that Freddy dislikes Ranald, is the equivalent of a diplomatic squiggoth, and while he likes wizards in general he has a dislike with the "I am a sneaky allknowing wizardthing" stick that mathy is so fond of.

    Besides that, Freddy will probably smell like a refinery of alcohol even when compared to the dwaves that mathilda is so often around.

    Like, they might work around each other or like each other in the "s/he is ok I guess." But I dont see much else there on the interpersonal friendship stage.
     
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    notbirdofprey said:
    They could end up developing one possibly, if they get into a fight with Skaven and get cut off from allies or something.
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    Freddy already did that with the White Dwarf with no results beyond "You are barely acceptable in a situation where we are completely unarmed and surrounded by untold hordes of enemies where I cannot refuse any help above 'self-sabotage' levels of competence because it is just that horrible.". Unless I missed something.

    Still, it was Santa/White Dwarf so it might be different for a Mathilda Frederic team up, but I do not see them working that well together. Mathilda would be sneaking with an ogre and Urgdug which will probably cramp her style.

    On the other hand, she did like the guy Omegahugger wants to bring back and he was probably somewhat like a sober Frederic... maybe? I am unsure.
     
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    Something to note is that 'Marienburg' is a city. And a city of merchant guilds at that.
    Even if their current ruler (ruling council? Board of directors?) isn't keen on risking a fight with the dwarfs over the new canal plenty of independent merchants will see it as a do-or-die scenario.
    Lots of merchants can hire a lot of mercenaries. Not all of which will be stupid enough to use Martial over Intrigue when up against dwarfs.

    On the other hand this is very much a mundane problem. As such it is most definitively not the Loremaster's problem.
    If the diplomat or head ranger need our help they are quite capable of asking for it.
     
    Now that we are lacking enemies in the pecks we are going to have to renegotiate with the We. I wonder if they actually might be able to expand enough to solve our too many tunnels not enough bodies problem?
     
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