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When the world is falling apart, throw a little craziness at it!
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Post by Pandora on Sept 21, 2016 3:27:11 GMT
An ominous toll of a bell echoes among silence...
You come to with a start, an unsettling premonition alarming all your senses. Although you have no definite reason for the feeling weighing heavily upon you, you are certain of three things: one, the existence of this city, Eterna City, is in absolute danger; two, whatever fate is to befall it will occur by 6 PM tonight, in a mere 12 hours; and three, every fiber of your being is demanding that you to go to a certain place, the Redias Medical Center...
Welcome, travelers and residents, to the reborn Eterna City! This is going to be a rather unconventional, high-level, mystery-focused Pokemon Tabletop United campaign, so as much as I hate to say it, new players are discouraged from applying. You have been warned. With that done, let's get some basic info out of the way: Plot bunny: Contrary to all appearances, Eterna City is in the most dire circumstance it has ever been in, and your characters know it! But what is the danger? Why do they know it will happen? And most importantly, can they prevent it and save the city and themselves? Setting: After the disappearance of Team's Galactic's Cyrus and the disbanding of the dubious organization, the Team Galactic Eterna Building was razed to the ground to be replaced with a state-of-the-art hospital, the Redias Medical Center, which would become a shining new symbol of hope and a significant step forward for the fading city. Fast-forward 20 years later, and Eterna City now rivals the metropolitan capital of Unova in size, the hospital having become the world's top treatment center and medical research facility! Ventures into sci-fi territory with advanced biotech and experimental robotics. Players: As mentioned previously, I am discouraging new players from applying, but if you've made it this far, I won't stop you now. I am looking for strictly 4 players, with a few back-ups just in case. All applicants are allowed up to two (2) submissions. Because this is a mystery-focused campaign, I will automatically deny any characters that look like products of powergaming. Character Creation: There's a lot to this, so I'm gonna section it up. Please note however that we will be using the May and September playtest packets (and not the February one) without any exceptions. - Levels: You have two options for this. Either your trainer starts at level 30 with 240 levels and 6 egg moves to distribute among your pokemon, or your trainer starts at level 40 with 160 levels and 4 egg moves to distribute among your pokemon. The max level for any pokemon is 80, min level for any pokemon is 30. I want to promote as much creativity here as possible, so hopefully this is a good balance between those who want to have lots of strong pokemon, and those who want to have a strong trainer. (If anyone thinks this is unbalanced, please let me know your reasons, and I may try to adjust.)
- Trainer Classes: All Core classes beside Oracle, non-supernatural Game of Throhs classes, Researcher fields from Do Porygon Dream of Mareep, and playtest classes and Researcher fields are allowed.
- Allowed Pokemon: All canon pokemon except for legendaries, up through Gen 6. (This means no DPDOM Eeveelutions)
- Starting Cash and Equipment: 40,000 for pre-campaign preparations, and a separate 10,000 on hand at the beginning of the campaign. No preparation cash will roll over to the campaign. You are allowed one Mega Ring and Mega Stone if you wish. Any non-canon Megas need to be discussed with me.
- Purchasable Items: All Core items are allowed; the following DPDOM items are allowed - all gear under Basic Sci-Fi Gear except for Spacesuit, Mind Aegis, Universal Translator, Gravity Modulation Suit, Pokeradar, and the Genre Tech gear; all items under New Capture Technologies beside Contest Case; all Future Drugs beside Anti-Radiation Pills, Prescient Powder, and Oxygenation Vial; Pokebots; all Cybernetic Augmentations (side notes: pokebots and augmentations are still mostly in experimental stages and are not widely available to the public; the only drawback to augmentations is augmentation shock).
- Backstories: The only thing I really ask is that there be a reason why your character is in Eterna City in the first place and/or what is at stake for your character if he or she fails to prevent the catastrophe or runs away from it. Wanting to save a city is heroic, but many people won't risk their lives just for that, especially against the odds of something they know so little about. However, it's fine if that's the only reason, but the character needs to be compelling enough otherwise.
Miscellaneous Notes: Don't even bother with keeping hard track of EXP. I'll either give you guys full levels or none at all.
I will make the Discord link available immediately here for all, applicants and lurkers alike. Please note however that until you notify me that you have joined the group and I recognize it (either through PM or thread post), you will be unable to send messages or talk in the voice channels at all. For anyone who doesn't know what Discord is: it is a free chat client similar to Skype that is available on mobile, browser, and stand-alone client. Since I'm sure people will ask as well, I wish to use Discord as opposed to Skype because of the voice channel functionality and role assignments. My final note: this is more along the lines of a module than a full campaign, so it shouldn't last as long as most campaigns on this site. Of course, this also depends on the players chosen and future events, but don't expect lots of character progression, especially since we're already starting at high levels. Update: The last day to apply is September 30, midnight GMT-6 (CST). Decisions will be made during the following week. Update 2: This thread is now closed. Player decisions to come out in the upcoming future. Update 3: All players and backup candidates have been chosen, and the public Discord link has been removed. Thank you to everyone who showed their interest!
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Post by matanui3 on Sept 21, 2016 3:42:57 GMT
So, uh, what would be at stake if we failed to stop the mysterious catastrophe? It's hard to know what will happen if you don't know what will happen...
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When the world is falling apart, throw a little craziness at it!
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Post by Pandora on Sept 21, 2016 3:47:03 GMT
Ah, perhaps I should clarify that. Rocks fall, everyone dies. The city is going to be annihilated, to put it simply, along with anyone in it. That is the feeling, at any rate.
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Feb 27, 2016 16:58:12 GMT
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Post by twilightkiwi on Sept 21, 2016 4:27:09 GMT
Hi Pandora! This looks awesome. ^_^
Definitely coming up with something for this, but with all the options available to such a high-level start it's gonna take me a bit to settle on something cool that I'm satisfied with!
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When the world is falling apart, throw a little craziness at it!
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Post by Pandora on Sept 21, 2016 4:40:25 GMT
Hey, nice to see you! I've been wanting to run this for a while, so I'm glad that people like it :)
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Missing: One Skeleton
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Post by sandsofazorin on Sept 21, 2016 14:56:47 GMT
Working on an augmented thief for this, will be ready by tonight.
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Spaaaace
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Oct 25, 2023 14:56:46 GMT
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Post by Bowyer on Sept 21, 2016 15:28:22 GMT
Do you have an idea for the tone you want characters and the game to take? Scooby Doo is a mystery too but I have a feeling he wouldn't fit in here
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When the world is falling apart, throw a little craziness at it!
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Post by Pandora on Sept 21, 2016 16:21:32 GMT
Yeah, this is a little more serious than Scooby Doo, not that I'd count out slapstick here. Might keep up some good spirits in the long run.
Edit: Modified the OP to address Egg Moves, and included a Mega Ring in starting equipment (which I meant to do but completely slipped my mind, whoops.)
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Jan 16, 2018 19:32:50 GMT
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Post by stygianrose on Sept 21, 2016 19:35:50 GMT
I wanted to know if you plan to allow creative liberty with how we fluff our features and such so long as it doesn't change the crunch?
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When the world is falling apart, throw a little craziness at it!
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Post by Pandora on Sept 21, 2016 19:54:34 GMT
Of course! Just run them by me first to make sure they fit in with the setting.
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Post by stygianrose on Sept 21, 2016 20:17:26 GMT
I was hoping to do a Telekinetic / Upgrader + (Something) / Something / Something and flavoe TK Burst and TK Combat as manipulating some sort of metal polymer that is used in my augmentations, or nanites.
Rules-Wise if you choose a Melee Weapon for Embedded Weaponry it is a legal target for TK Combat but the visual of literally rippping off my arm, throwing it at someone, and then reattaching it was doing crazy things to my head.
I'd much rather use the fluff that TK Combat Ranged Attacks are me launching techno-biological blades limmed in psychic residue/kinetic energy to give them unnatural sharpness (Pierce! Weapon Move).
I am fine with whether it is a metal polymer or nanites, or anything really except my augmentations being like these really loud, steampunky things made of crude metal that spew smoke, grind or jerk into place, ect.
I really want to merge my augmentations with my TK, and with things like Lightsabers (Laser Sword, DPDOM) being in play along with most of the other sci-fi tech (except the OP stuff, like Mind Aegis) I didn't think that this was out of scope for the setting.
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When the world is falling apart, throw a little craziness at it!
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Post by Pandora on Sept 21, 2016 21:15:26 GMT
Just to clarify, the sci-fi weapons in DPDOM are not in play.
As for using Embedded Weaponry in conjunction with PK Combat... RAW they don't contradict each other, but it also doesn't sit well with me mechanically. The compromise I offer is twofold: one, you can wield a small melee weapon via Embedded Weaponry with PK Combat to benefit from using your Special Attack as the attacking stat, but are unable to use it at telekinetic range since it is attached to your body; or two, you can wield a short range weapon via Embedded Weaponry and use PK Combat to extend the range of the weapon to the full telekinetic range. To be perfectly honest, the second option sounds more like what you were intending to use it as anyway.
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Post by stygianrose on Sept 21, 2016 21:41:54 GMT
I respect that this is your game, but I fundamentally disagree with the practice of nerfing things that RAW work for Fluff reasons. You mention that this does not work 'mechanically', but there is no precedent for that case.
When you strip away all of the fluff surrounding them, we have the following rules logic:
-PK Combat allows you to use any item from your TK range. It further clarifies that you can use it to make Melee Attacks at your TK range. In no section of the Rules Language does it necessitate that you must hold the weapon in your hand before or after using TK to utilize it.
-Embedded Weaponry gives you a Melee Weapon (or Ranged) that is considered always equipped but does not take up a Hand slot. In no Rules Language does it specify that the weapon must actually be embedded subcutaceously (that is fluff), the weapon simply exists in Hammerspace in the Rules Language.
How, Where, and What Augmentations are is purely a fluff thing. Mechanically, they are Equipment-Like items that take up a series of Augmentation Slots instead of Equipment Slots, expend augmentation capacity, cannot be removed, and are disabled by Augmentation Shock.
If I had not wished to clarify the legality of my fluff, this would not likely have come up and the features would function as they were intended by the developers.
This affects whether I trigger 'Melee Attack' abilities (I no longer do) and whether my PK Combat attacks are Melee (they are not) and thus whether I break Stealth (the capability) by using them (I now do).
This is on top of losing the +1 DB for a Small Melee weapon, and the fact that if I pick up a ranged weapon in my hand I can't use it with TK but with a Melee I can - this presents a terrible rules case, again, only for fluff.
If I have to use theze options, I will, but I do not like the precedent it sets for the reasons I have outlined above.
I need to know if Gadgeteer + TK will also be nerfed before I put any more work into this character, as I have decided on a Telekinetic / Gadgeteer + Upgrader / Ninja / (Skirmisher if I go for the Lv40 Trainer)
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Post by elc on Sept 21, 2016 22:37:12 GMT
On the following in particular:
To be fair, three level 80s could easily outfight six level 40s. I think more of a point-buy approach would be better (a la D&D or Pathfinder).
Just a rough example for the first, Pokemon-focused one:
Pokemon Level Range: 30 to 80 Pokemon Level Point Pool: 420 Pokemon Level Point Cost: 1 each for 1 to 50, 2 each for 51 to 60, 3 each for 61 to 70, and 4 each for 71 to 80
Examples: 3 lv 80s; 2 lv 80 + 2 lv 60; 1 lv 80 + 4 lv 60
EDIT: not that it matters: it is your campaign after all, and based on the description seems to be more plot-based?
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When the world is falling apart, throw a little craziness at it!
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Post by Pandora on Sept 21, 2016 23:02:04 GMT
I never said it doesn't work mechanically, just that it doesn't sit well with me for a reason that you have mentioned: the melee weapon cannot be removed (technically, disarmed), so how is it able to be used at a range? In most cases of PK Combat that I've seen, what is happening is that the user is psychically manipulating the physical weapon directly to a range close enough to hit the target, thus being mechanically sound. Now, this isn't a normal case, since the melee weapon in question is physically tied to the user, thus it is in a mechanically grey area. This is why the fluff you provide helps me justify whether or not they could be used in conjunction. Leading to my next point: the fluff you suggested was unsatisfactory to me and I do not have an alternative suggestion. While the biotech of this setting is advanced enough to support augmentations, I have mentioned that those are still in experimental stages. Combined with the fact that regular R&D has not gotten to advance nearly as quickly in this setting, there isn't a functioning way that your Weapon could have the flexibility to be both a melee weapon and be manipulated into range via telekinesis without physically removing it from your person. The reason I would be okay with you have a short ranged weapon as your Embedded Weapon and being able to be used up to your telekinetic range is that what deals the damage is not the weapon itself but the ammunition, which is able to be freely manipulated. If you had not clarified the legality of your fluff, we had proceeded into the campaign, and you then tried to use this combination, I would have denied it to you and allowed you to respec your character since it would have messed with your whole plan. However, it would not have changed my final decision on how the combination would be ruled. I understand that being forced to choose between small melee weapon and short ranged weapon changes a lot, however that is my standing offer. As for Gadgeteer, it works perfectly fine, as it does not suffer from the same issue that I have with the combination with Embedded Weaponry. To be fair, three level 80s could easily outfight six level 40s. I think more of a point-buy approach would be better (a la D&D or Pathfinder). Just a rough example for the first, Pokemon-focused one: Pokemon Level Range: 30 to 80 Pokemon Level Point Pool: 420 Pokemon Level Point Cost: 1 each for 1 to 50, 2 each for 51 to 60, 3 each for 61 to 70, and 4 each for 71 to 80 Examples: 3 lv 80s; 2 lv 80 + 2 lv 60; 1 lv 80 + 4 lv 60 EDIT: not that it matters: it is your campaign after all, and based on the description seems to be more plot-based? If this were a PvP campaign, I would agree with a point-buy. However, since the PCs are not (supposed) to fight against each other, balancing the pokemon among them is not my concern. Especially since the campaign is plot-based, there will actually be relatively little combat, and the combat there will be is going to be rough no matter what levels the pokemon are.
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I'm not going to say it was damage, but it was damage.
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Apr 27, 2024 17:48:03 GMT
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Post by Robot on Sept 22, 2016 16:58:23 GMT
The point being made with that isn't a player versus player thing. Scaling encounters for your players that took Level 30 Pokemon, the level 80s steamroll. Scaling encounters for Level 80 Pokemon, only the players that took level 80s can reasonably deal with it. Unless you intend on constantly BSing your encounters for the entirety of your game, which I could see with you having tossed experience out the window entirely, you are looking at having a really bad time having any sort of reasonable encounter balance.
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Post by alanateardrop on Sept 22, 2016 20:43:57 GMT
Pandora can I be accepted into the Discord please.
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Dec 16, 2018 22:09:18 GMT
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Post by sixer on Sept 22, 2016 20:48:21 GMT
I'm interested and have joined the discord as pinetreeQ
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Post by weirdsound on Sept 22, 2016 21:11:36 GMT
So I'm thinking about throwing together an application for this. I note the timeframe will be about 12 hours. Will we be getting opportunities to refresh our daily features and moves over the course of this campaign? Or are we taking such things with the understanding that we shall only be using them once?
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Post by matanui3 on Sept 23, 2016 2:44:01 GMT
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