> 
> I am still keen to see this spell modified - if there is 
> agreement that it is broken.

It is not broken. 

Stop trying to break it. 

Mandos
/s


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Could you all please start thinking about what material you would like to 
contribute to the Times. We're after the usual: articles, stories, gossip, 
rumours, scandalous lies etc etc etc...

Puzzles, artwork, quotable quotes,  what's hot/not, advertisements & 
announcements  also required.

Thanks,

The editors
Seagate Times.


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Now that there is an unclaimed island, Gwydonia, between Terra Nova and 
Alusia (about the size of Stewart Island) who is likely to rush out and 
claim it in order to procure a strategic advantage or to form a stepping 
stone to the other continent. I can see the Destinians doing that and 
possibly the Terranovans. Anyone else?

Some merchant cartels will probably want to set up shop as well to trade 
with the Pasifikans which may attract the attention of the Western Church 
who would want to go down there and 'convert the heathen savages'. 
Michaelines perhaps?

I'm thinking of running an adventure down there in a session or two to 
explore the area

Keith.


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The Sea Elves lie somewhat off the western coast of Alusia.  I can see
Prince ?Gyronny? Gwydion? of the Elven Isles rapidly assuming control in
co-operation or competition with the Destinians - particularly as the island
has been named after him? his son?. I doubt the Terranovan Drow will find
the island unless they have been told - their traffic is coastal, with only
the occasional exception.

Unless the Pasifikans have many valuables, trading with them will not be
viable. Pearls and slaves may be gained through warfare or trading, but the
sheer volume of goods required to fill a large number of ships may be tricky
to find.

A trade outpost on an island that is otherwise in the middle of mana storms
and not much else is unlikely to be of use - all ships would gain from
stopping there would be fresh water, which their water mages could produce.
A naval base is far more likely, and more easily state funded.

However, I agree that missionaries (Gabrielites, traditionally, with
Michaeline support if the natives are restless) would rush in where angels
fear to tread.

May Gabriel have mercy on the heathen.

Andrew
-----Original Message-----
From: Keith Smith [mailto:phaeton@ihug.co.nz]
Sent: Wednesday, 29 August 2001 9:23 a.m.
To: dq@dq.sf.org.nz
Subject: [dq] Pasifika and it's neighbours


Now that there is an unclaimed island, Gwydonia, between Terra Nova and 
Alusia (about the size of Stewart Island) who is likely to rush out and 
claim it in order to procure a strategic advantage or to form a stepping 
stone to the other continent. I can see the Destinians doing that and 
possibly the Terranovans. Anyone else?

Some merchant cartels will probably want to set up shop as well to trade 
with the Pasifikans which may attract the attention of the Western Church 
who would want to go down there and 'convert the heathen savages'. 
Michaelines perhaps?

I'm thinking of running an adventure down there in a session or two to 
explore the area

Keith.


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Depending on the location of this island getting there may be slightly
problematic.  Attempting to cross the ocean directly from the barronies to
TerraNova takes you through some rather nasty (and usually fatal) mana
storms.  So I'm assuming that the island is south-west or south-south-west
from Seagate, well clear of the mana storms.

The Drow are the only ones on Terranova with Ocean going vessels and they
are facing significant threat from the Spawn at the moment.  Claiming
territory is probably lower priority than defending their homes.  There may
be some who would look at using the island as point to retreat/evacuate to
but they would be a minority.  Despite rumours to the contrary the
Terranovan Drow don't really care about us.
The spawn could have the ability to cross to the island but their master has
his attention focussed elsewhere.

The Destinians are faily well stretched at the moment and the island seems a
long way out of their way for little immediate benefit.  This doesn't mean
that one of the captains wouldn't be interested in checking it out as a
private venture.  And there's still a couple of ships of Don-Carlosites
floating around.

The church also has a lot of problems close to home.  This little dark
circle thing to the south-east, trying to maintain the appearance of numbers
and power when their ranks have been depleted by numerous wars and conflicts
with "evil".
Again there may be independants who think that going south is a good way to
gain power and prestige without being in too much danger.

What shape is the island in?  What resources does it have?  If it's a bare
rock recently risen from the sea and un-inhabited then it has very little
value to anyone unless it's loaded with valuable minerals or some such.  Or
maybe it has great natural harbours.

And as for the merchants, why go there when they could go to the individual
islands instead.  In the course of decades it might become a base for
trading but it wouldn't start that way.

Cheers, Stephen.

-----Original Message-----
From: Keith Smith [mailto:phaeton@ihug.co.nz]
Sent: Wednesday, 29 August 2001 9:23 a.m.
To: dq@dq.sf.org.nz
Subject: [dq] Pasifika and it's neighbours


Now that there is an unclaimed island, Gwydonia, between Terra Nova and 
Alusia (about the size of Stewart Island) who is likely to rush out and 
claim it in order to procure a strategic advantage or to form a stepping 
stone to the other continent. I can see the Destinians doing that and 
possibly the Terranovans. Anyone else?

Some merchant cartels will probably want to set up shop as well to trade 
with the Pasifikans which may attract the attention of the Western Church 
who would want to go down there and 'convert the heathen savages'. 
Michaelines perhaps?

I'm thinking of running an adventure down there in a session or two to 
explore the area

Keith.


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>The Sea Elves lie somewhat off the western coast of Alusia.  I can see
>Prince ?Gyronny? Gwydion? of the Elven Isles rapidly assuming control in
>co-operation or competition with the Destinians - particularly as the island
>has been named after him? his son?. I doubt the Terranovan Drow will find
>the island unless they have been told - their traffic is coastal, with only
>the occasional exception.

Point. Didn't know that. Although they, or the Spawn, could have found out 
by astrology readings.

>Unless the Pasifikans have many valuables, trading with them will not be
>viable. Pearls and slaves may be gained through warfare or trading, but the
>sheer volume of goods required to fill a large number of ships may be tricky
>to find.

It's not just the Pasifikan Islanders there, there are also the local 
merfolk. The islanders would mainly be trading pearl, coconut, kava, 
breadfruit and bananas while the merfolk would be trading exotic seaweeds, 
sunken valuables, shells, more pearl, seafoods, and whatever else they can 
come up with. Currently the merfolk are in the market for weapons to aid 
them in their battles against the sahuagan.


>A trade outpost on an island that is otherwise in the middle of mana storms

Haven't seen many in the vicinity yet, Pasifika seems to be unusually mana 
storm free.

>and not much else is unlikely to be of use - all ships would gain from
>stopping there would be fresh water, which their water mages could produce.
>A naval base is far more likely, and more easily state funded.

That's what I was thinking.

>However, I agree that missionaries (Gabrielites, traditionally, with
>Michaeline support if the natives are restless) would rush in where angels
>fear to tread.
>
>May Gabriel have mercy on the heathen.

Or may the ancestral spirits have mercy on the Gabrielites :-)

Keith.


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>Depending on the location of this island getting there may be slightly
>problematic.  Attempting to cross the ocean directly from the barronies to
>TerraNova takes you through some rather nasty (and usually fatal) mana
>storms.  So I'm assuming that the island is south-west or south-south-west
>from Seagate, well clear of the mana storms.

About latitude 10 South so it's roughly SW of Seagate. The other way there 
is by a network of standing portals but the nearest node to Seagate is 
located deep in the Sea of Grass, well within Dark Circle territory. Hence 
there's a possibility of Rashak taking interest in it, especially if there 
are a lot of raw materials for necromancy there.

>The Destinians are faily well stretched at the moment and the island seems a
>long way out of their way for little immediate benefit.  This doesn't mean
>that one of the captains wouldn't be interested in checking it out as a
>private venture.  And there's still a couple of ships of Don-Carlosites
>floating around.

Yes. I wonder what they're up to at the moment. Secret bases maybe?

>The church also has a lot of problems close to home.  This little dark
>circle thing to the south-east, trying to maintain the appearance of numbers
>and power when their ranks have been depleted by numerous wars and conflicts
>with "evil".
>Again there may be independants who think that going south is a good way to
>gain power and prestige without being in too much danger.
>
>What shape is the island in?  What resources does it have?  If it's a bare
>rock recently risen from the sea and un-inhabited then it has very little
>value to anyone unless it's loaded with valuable minerals or some such.  Or
>maybe it has great natural harbours.

It rose from the sea about six months ago so it's fairly barren. Coconut 
palms would have started to grow on the shorelines but that's about it. 
There's also the ruins of ancient civilisations about. As for valuable 
minerals, that's unknown at present.

>And as for the merchants, why go there when they could go to the individual
>islands instead.  In the course of decades it might become a base for
>trading but it wouldn't start that way.

Good point. Hadn't thought of that. There already is some minor trading 
down there but not much.

Thanks for your input.

Keith.


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At 08:15 29/08/01 +1200, you wrote:

>It is not broken.
>
>Stop trying to break it.

The Agony spell was used by NPC necros against parties in both the most 
recent adventures I have played in. In each case some players played to the 
rule, rather than the flavour of the spell, and that's the first reason why 
I see it as broken. Does it make sense that a character suffering some form 
of extreme agony can still perform athletic feats worthy of an Olympic 
gymnast, at NO PENALTY? Consequently I broadened the effects of the spell 
to include spell-casting and other actions. And directly affected initiative.

Secondly, the spell is frustrating for players. It's damned boring sitting 
there when all your character can do is pass actions. Adding a willpower 
check to fight back gives you some chance to act positively.

Third, I really don't like lingering area spell effects. This may be more a 
personal thing, but I tend to think that something that continually affects 
entities or matter in an area should require some level of concentration, 
and switch off when the caster is switched off. It's also adds more heroic 
flavour as the party tries to "Get the damned Necro!"

Fourthly, anything that affects an area the size of several football fields 
at high ranks, is just unmanageably BIG. You have to keep track not just of 
the current "dungeon" area, but areas above, below and sideways.

Jacqui


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Can we focus on issues for the next rule book please? Changes to agony etc
won't come in for 12 months...

ie binder/rune/ranger(?)

Ian

PS -
my records show Jacqui tried to change Agony on 21/7/01.

I do not want to be spammed each month on this.

The spell is not the problem. It is the failure of players to understand
basic rule concepts, such as what consitutes a pass action.

May I suggest our fixes focus on the broken bits.

-----Original Message-----
From: Jacqui Smith <flamis@ihug.co.nz>
To: dq@dq.sf.org.nz <dq@dq.sf.org.nz>
Date: Tuesday, 28 August 2001 21:43
Subject: [dq] Agony


I am still keen to see this spell modified - if there is agreement that it
is broken.

Agony (S-1)
Range: 15 feet + 5/Rank
Duration: Concentration; maximum of 10 seconds + 10 / Rank
Experience Multiple: 350
Base Chance: 10%
Resist: Active, Passive
Storage: Investment, Ward, Magical Trap
Target: Area
Effects: This spell causes all entities in the affected area, except the
Adept, to suffer extreme agony.
Entities who fail to resist must reduce their initiative by 20, and make a
once times willpower check to take any action other than a pass action for
the duration of the spell, or until such time as they leave the area of
effect. In addition their chance to successfully perform any action is
reduced by 30. Mind Mages gain a bonus to this willpower check equal to 10%
+ 2 × Rank with their Talent of Resisting Pain.
Entities who successfully resist must reduce their initiative by 10, and
must reduce their chance to successfully perform any action by 20.

The numbers are still fairly arbitrary - but I think initiative should be
affected directly, rather through being slowed. And after seeing two
characters leaping around Matrix-style while under the effect of a resisted
agony, I've come to the conclusion that it isn't just strike chances that
should be affected.

Jacqui


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