Soragakure Shippuuden: All Aboard That's Coming Aboard

[Bad Situation]

So no rebuilding our characers if we just pick up where we left off right?

So I need to make an AU sheet for Yousuke.

[ZeroNumerous]

Originally Posted by Bad Situation

So no rebuilding our characers if we just pick up where we left off right?

No, but there will be an opportunity to tighten things up in the future.

[TraceHyde]

What do you mean by chaos, Jacior?

I was confering with ZN on my notes for how I would progress the canon for the entire few hours where it seemed like that task would fall to me and put in a note of how to adequetly cross over Maaya and Cybele - a connection that would only exist on a team-wide basis for a single mission that I had planned, though more to come depending on how that went. I didn't realise that you guys were an entire two weeks behind us though - I assumed you were at most a week behind, for some reason. Not that it matters too much.

Mostly I was just experimenting to see how many of ZN's old ideas I could manage to work in. I found it quite efficient to tackle them, instead of as individual concepts, as different pieces of overall concepts - combining a sister scenario or two and what have you

[TraceHyde]

Okay, absolute last suggestion for the night.

This. Just... just that, yeah.

For some reason I want to do something Disgaea-related. Hmm... Yukari takes us to the Netherworld where we meet the cast of Disgaea (1d2+2)[4] and get into comedic fights of pure rule of cool against comedy villains.


Hmm, Disgaea 4 apparently, eh? Fair enough. Oh, fair warning Valvatorez is stronger than Remilia. Just sayin'
---

Anyway, people, let's give ZN some breathing room while he collects his thoughts - if he wants to tell us somehing, I'm sure he'll bring it up himself. In the meantime, I'll be sure to keep you busy

ZN, you want in our silly.. whatever game we end up doing here? Harvest Moon/Prank War/Serious-non-canon or who knows what?

When we decide what we'll do in my game, then I'll post character creation and conversion rules.

---

Nighty-night!

[ZeroNumerous]

@Silliness: I have no problems with it if I don't have to think up a new character. Mechanics I don't mind, but characterization would be a hassle.

As far as Valvatorez vs Remilia: One of them has total control over Fate, one of them is an uppity vampire who gave away all his powers.

While he may or may not be equal in physical combat, once Remilia's Charisma! comes into play Ole Valve isn't playing in the same ballpark.

[Bad Situation]

Needs more Laharl and Adell

[Jacior]

I thought Laharl was a disgea thing. But I didn't want to say anything in case I was confused.

[TraceHyde]

I'd put Disgaea 1 and 2 in the running, but I never finished those two, sadly. I only owned them on the PSP and the interface on that little thing kind of put me off - that and the unrefined mechanics of the first two games made it have a more noticeably rocky beginning. I'm sure they're great once you get into them - I fully intend to play both at some point since I hear good things about them - it's just that really getting into a big old strategy game takes a little too much time and focus than I have during term.

Don't go and dis the mighty Valvatorez, his ambiguously dedicated manservant werewolf will tear you apart!

Whelp, if you guys don't have any more suggestions, I'll grab breakfast and see about refining the ideas I have so far to put it all to a vote

[TraceHyde]

Originally Posted by Jacior

Wait. This means I need to read the Cybele IC, doesn't it?

Nah, you're fine. All you'd miss out on is some character descriptions, tops. For some reason I'd assumed you'd been reading it anyway - I remember SOMEONE in Team Maaya giving the occassional commentary on Cybele

[Cespenar]

I too thought that Jacior was reading your IC.

[TraceHyde]

Eh, maybe he just peeked every now and then. Or is psychic.

Anyway, I have an idea IU've been cobbling together. A higher-level game where we wage war with a Disgaea-style Netherworld (possibly to save christmas). It will be a world of twisted dimensions where death is not the end but neither is it preferable to characters wanting to keep their sanity; they'll be reincarnated as demonic satires of themselves until the curse is broken. It'll give us an excuse to use high grade battles since there's usually a way to make it out alive. There'll be quirky NPCs that'll decide to fight you to the death or stop fighting and crack weird jokes at the drop of a hat and over all a certain energy I think I can keep up well enough for a while.

Character creation will follow if you all decide to go for the Assault the Netherworld plot; I will be demanding that everyone chooses a theme song for themselves that they can use at climactic moments. I think we'll go at least level 8, but rather than going TOO high level, I'll actually use the Power Units rule: it'll make everyone stronger while keeping character creation more straightforward if we lack the patience to sit here and min-max otherwise

Possible plot hook so far: various character's 'evil' has been stolen by the Convictor Shinigami and sent to manifest in the netherworld, causing strange shifts in people's personality; you'll have to beat up a god or two to return everyone to normal. Amon might be dressed as a miko throughout.

[Jacior]

I was reading it! But I got sidetracked way back with the leaf and the Garou and I haven't picked it up since.

[ZeroNumerous]

Well, I'd just like to hear back from Zeone and Rion vis-a-vis restarting.

[Overlord Rion]

Dear god yes.

[TraceHyde]

I'll email them now, Zero, if you want.

Edit: Ninja'd. Well, that just leaves Zeone - he should show up sooner or later.

I guess that leaves us with the broader question of how everyone feels about me DMing until Zero's back on his feet. Eh, I'll finish writing up my mini-campaign, then see what you guys think of my notes

[ZeroNumerous]

Originally Posted by TraceHyde

Eh, I'll finish writing up my mini-campaign, then see what you guys think of my notes

I take it back: I'll play if I get to be a catgirl. And I'm not bringing this up just because the Nekomimi Headband is running commercials on Giantitp either.

[TraceHyde]

Neko-what headbands? Where? Eh, maybe that ad isn't running in my region for whatever reason, or perhaps I'm blind

Eh, sure, play what you want - we'll be going to a Disgaea-like dimension, you have some freedom to make an odd-looking character. Will you be playing human with cat features or is there some template you had in mind? I've seen from your notes you used some sort of 'Sealed Animal' template - where's can I find that, while I'm on the topic?

[ZeroNumerous]

Nekomimi Brain Wave Cat Ears.

I'd have to send you a PM with it.

I was intending to just playing a human with cat features.

[TraceHyde]

Huh. Never seen those before, nope.

Cool then. I'm thinking level ~10 for this adventure. For some reason I want to do 2d4+10 for stats. Don't know why, exactly.

I can't quite pick a villain out... I have a lot of ideas now, I'm just not quite sure how to combine them all. Eh, maybe I'm overthinking it - just having us jump through the hell portal may be good enough, y'know?

Although I am thinking bizarro-doppelgangers. Not sure why.
---

Huh, just got your PM, ZN. That all your content? If so you're pretty nifty with mechanics. How come there's no dragon though - isn't that what Meiling had?

---
Wasted a good 10 minutes looking for a decent pic of a 'Hyuuga girl' for a character, stumbled upon one of those pages full of funny pics. here's my favourite, in case by some bizarre phenomena you care

Spoiler

[zeone3000]

If you're up for it, I have no reason to decline.

[Cespenar]

So... we're doing silly anyway?

[TraceHyde]

Originally Posted by Cespenar

So... we're doing silly anyway?

Yup. The offer Zero extended to me, and correct me if I'm wrong, Zero, when I explained my predicament, is if I had a game of my own design that I could keep everyone busy with for a while, he would return to the proper canon with everyone.

So for at least the next week before my studies pick up, I'll run the silly; the game is specifically silly (and don't worry - I can be dramatic while being silly, I do it all the time) so that even when term gives way to the exams it shouldn't be too intensive for me to continue running if ZN isn't ready by then.

So, Ces, you comfortable with this arrangement?

[Cespenar]

Hmm. Well, as long as everyone's happy, I'm happy. Go for it.

[ZeroNumerous]

Originally Posted by TraceHyde

Huh, just got your PM, ZN. That all your content? If so you're pretty nifty with mechanics. How come there's no dragon though - isn't that what Meiling had?

Sealed Dragon is its own template, because it doesn't mimic the same type as Sealed Animal. It's a bit more versatile, and a fair bit weaker than Sealed Animal.

Spoiler

@@Sealed Dragon
Sealed Dragon is an applied template that can be added to any living, corporeal creature (referred to hereafter as the base creature).

A sealed dragon uses all the base creature's statistics and special abilities except as noted here.

@@Size and Type
The creature's size remains unchanged. A creature's type becomes Dragon. Do not recalculate BAB or saves.

@@Hit Dice
Increase base creature's HD by 1 step up to a maximum of a d10. Do not change if higher than a d10. Applies to class or racial HD.

@@Speed
A sealed dragon maintains the same speed of the base creature.

@@Transformation
A sealed dragon can, as a full round action, burst the seals of it's human form. A Sealed Dragon can only use this ability once per day per point of CHA modifier.

The base creature is modified as follows:

--+6 Strength, +4 DEX, +6 CON.
--Increase size to Huge. Do not gain the normal ability score changes based on size increases. Gain all other benefits/penalties.
--Gain a claw/claw/bite natural attack routine. A claw attack deals 2d6+STR damage and a Bite attack deals 2d8+STR damage.
--Gain a breath weapon that deals 1d8 damage per 2 HD in a 40ft cone with a Reflex Save(10+CON+1/2 HD) for half. Deals damage based on elemental variety. A sealed dragon can only use this ability once every 1d4+1 rounds.

This transformation lasts for a number of rounds equal to the Sealed Dragon's CHA modifier. The sealed dragon is then exhausted for an hour per round spent transformed.

@@Special Qualities
A sealed dragon has all the special qualities of the base creature, plus darkvision out to 90 feet and low-light vision. A sealed dragon has immunity to sleep and paralysis effects, and elemental resistance based on its dragon variety.

Earth = Doton
Fire = Katon
Wind = Fuuton
Water = Suiton
Frost = Hyouton
Lightning = Raiton

All Resistances are equal to 5+HD and stack with resistance granted from the base creature's elemental affinity.

@@Elemental Affinity
Sealed dragons gain a free elemental affinity based on their dragon variety as outlined above.

@@Abilities
Increase from the base creature based on dragon variety:

Earth- +2 CON, +2 CHA, -2 WIS, -2 DEX
Fire- +2 STR, +2 CHA, -2 INT, -2 CON
Frost- +2 DEX, +2 INT, -2 STR, -2 WIS
Lightning- +4 DEX, -2 CON, -2 INT
Water- +2 DEX, +2 WIS, -2 INT, -2 STR
Wind- +2 STR, +2 WIS, -2 CHA, -2 CON

@@Feats
A sealed dragon gains Blood Pact(Dragon) as a bonus feat.

@@Level Adjustment
+1

Originally Posted by TraceHyde

Cool then. I'm thinking level ~10 for this adventure. For some reason I want to do 2d4+10 for stats. Don't know why, exactly.

2d4 averages to 5, so with +10 you'll be looking at an average of 15 in each stat.

2d6 averages to 7, so with +6 you'll be looking at an average of 13 in each stat.

That's a very high stat-weight. For example, it's pretty likely that these next rolls will have a double 18 or double 17 in them.

Spoiler

(2d4+10)[17]
(2d4+10)[15]
(2d4+10)[16]
(2d4+10)[15]
(2d4+10)[17]
(2d4+10)[17]

(2d4+10)[14]
(2d4+10)[13]
(2d4+10)[16]
(2d4+10)[15]
(2d4+10)[18]
(2d4+10)[14]

(2d4+10)[16]
(2d4+10)[18]
(2d4+10)[16]
(2d4+10)[16]
(2d4+10)[15]
(2d4+10)[16]

EDIT: Case in point. Set #1 gave me 3 17s, set #2 is the "weakest" at 18/16/15, set #3 is the silliest at 18/16/16/16/16/15.

[TraceHyde]

Yeah, I guess you're right. Putting on my Statistician Cap (and brushing off the inch-thick layer of dust gathered on it) I realise there would be at once too little variety and too much chaos, if that makes any sense. I just felt the need to take us to a higher degree of power just to keep up with whatever silliness is thrown our way - so perhaps giving stat bonuses or power ranks would do nicely, but relying on the probability of a 2d4 roll shouldn't be done.

[Bad Situation]

There's also just using a high point buy.

[TraceHyde]

Yeah, fair enough. 40 point buy might do it. I just need to figure out what level to set my villains at and from there, the level the PCs should be at will follow

[ZeroNumerous]

Originally Posted by TraceHyde

Yeah, I guess you're right. Putting on my Statistician Cap (and brushing off the inch-thick layer of dust gathered on it) I realise there would be at once too little variety and too much chaos, if that makes any sense. I just felt the need to take us to a higher degree of power just to keep up with whatever silliness is thrown our way - so perhaps giving stat bonuses or power ranks would do nicely, but relying on the probability of a 2d4 roll shouldn't be done.

I find 2d6+6 gives the widest range of variety whilst maintaining a nice and sensible bell curve(most stats will fall along the 6+(6, 7, or 8) line giving an average of 13).

Originally Posted by TraceHyde

Yeah, fair enough. 40 point buy might do it. I just need to figure out what level to set my villains at and from there, the level the PCs should be at will follow

40 point buy caps out at 18/18/10/10/10/10 assuming you're aiming for the highest possible number of highest stats. It can also do an 18/16/14/12/10/10 or 18/16/14/14/10/8 if you want more reasonable stats. 16/14/14/14/14/14 is also doable if you'd prefer to be bland and uninteresting.

Personally, I favor 2d6+6 six times if you're interested in variation, but point buy works out best for mechanically interesting filler.

[TraceHyde]

Okay, I made a random Elite opponent to get an idea of what everything should be balanced to, so I guess I'll use that as a baseline to put up character creation rules shortly. And don't worry, I'll be keeping a light sort of atmosphere for the most part so you can afford to have glaring flaws and quirks in your build. "Ha, Yousuke is stalwart yet utterly susceptible to genjutsu, what a tool," and such.

Okay, here's what I got so far for the Assaulting Hell idea:
-A childlike Yama, judger of the dead, is sent to the human world to better understand the nature of sin, only to go on a random rampage of 'judgements', 'purifying' many bystanders of their Yin.
-After Amon and many others are caught in this rampage, our heroes must travel to hell and seek out what was lost. Thankfully the netherworld isn't nearly so torturous or full of malice as it's cracked up to be - in fact, the Yama is generally more fearsome than the cartoonish demons that inhabit hell
-if anyone 'dies' their soul is instead split into their good and bad halves.
-respect of demons is earned by your mischievousness and cartoon violence
-there will be Touhou characters
-Amon acts very... uniquely after being purified at the start of the game

Hmm... it's not terrible, but it needs that extra oomph, you know?

Unless you want to play a less structured silly game, in which case I could just play some roll-less game where we hunt ghosts.

---

Oh, putting that on the table now: Yousuke IS Velma: the Haunting of Soragakure (by g-g-g-GHOSTS!). We'll go looking for ghosts by the old mill or something, but it's really just the other team screwing with the first team. I like that actually, though I'm not sure if you guys do.

How about it - who wants to be on the investigator team and show wants to be the 'ghosts' who screw with the investigators? The latter should be smaller than the former.

[ZeroNumerous]

I have no opinion one way or another so long as I get to play--Wait. What level is it?

10?

Okay, if that's true, then I have two characters I want to try out. The first is a catgirl, and the second involves Unlimited Blade Works.