Print

Please login or register.
1 Hour 1 Day 1 Week 1 Month Forever
Login with username, password and session length

[Hapah]

Wouldn't add rooms for the sake of adding rooms, but if you think one is cool throw it in.

[piecewise]

Wouldn't add rooms for the sake of adding rooms, but if you think one is cool throw it in.

What I was thinking of doing was creating a lot of different rooms, the randomly selecting some for the level, so that once everyone in one batch of people had died off, we could reset the level to something new and play it again.

[syvarris]

Spoiler: My comments on various propositions (click to show/hide)

@Hap's word cooldown idea

I think PW's idea of having to recharge words is sufficient, at least if there's a large wordlist.  I was being conservative and recharging my words every turn, but I could have blitzed through my wordlist and had twice as many attacks per turn.

Although, the cooldown idea would work better if there's a massive wordlist, like in the original Perplexicon.  I don't think it should be based off of intensity though--maybe a static period instead, like two turns?

@Counterspelling

I think a large reason people don't counterspell is because there isn't that much pool to spare.  Also, effectively counterspelling a spell (in original perplexicon) usually costed more than the spell you're countering.  Another reason is that counterspells are as unreliable as anything, and are a waste if the attack failed.  Lastly, if people can PM their spells then it's just nearly impossible to effectively counter.

Large wordlists and lots of pool would probably encourage more countering.  It would probably need some extra rules too, maybe making it cheaper or easier.

@Lenglon's minimalism idea

I dunno how well that would work.  It would give more benefit to creativity, and I can't see any serious flaws beyond the stated "no goal" problem--which is trivial to solve by not running yet another arena.  As long as spells are more reliable than +0 potency, it would be worth trying.

I somewhat dislike there being no wordlists, because I really love the mystery of experimenting to find out what words mean, and trying to find creative uses for your limited knowledge.

@Finite noun lists idea

Hmm.  I don't think it would work well, for the already stated reason.  Perhaps you could have a rule that people *must* use a noun in every spell?  That could be rather interesting.

@Swapping words out

I don't think this should be free, at least not in the system we were playing in.  There should be a cost for every word you change.  Maybe you can expend three pool, and immediately get a new word of your choosing?  The idea of gaining words related to something you touch could also work well.

[piecewise]

Spoiler: My comments on various propositions (click to show/hide)

@Hap's word cooldown idea

I think PW's idea of having to recharge words is sufficient, at least if there's a large wordlist.  I was being conservative and recharging my words every turn, but I could have blitzed through my wordlist and had twice as many attacks per turn.

Although, the cooldown idea would work better if there's a massive wordlist, like in the original Perplexicon.  I don't think it should be based off of intensity though--maybe a static period instead, like two turns?

@Counterspelling

I think a large reason people don't counterspell is because there isn't that much pool to spare.  Also, effectively counterspelling a spell (in original perplexicon) usually costed more than the spell you're countering.  Another reason is that counterspells are as unreliable as anything, and are a waste if the attack failed.  Lastly, if people can PM their spells then it's just nearly impossible to effectively counter.

Large wordlists and lots of pool would probably encourage more countering.  It would probably need some extra rules too, maybe making it cheaper or easier.

@Lenglon's minimalism idea

I dunno how well that would work.  It would give more benefit to creativity, and I can't see any serious flaws beyond the stated "no goal" problem--which is trivial to solve by not running yet another arena.  As long as spells are more reliable than +0 potency, it would be worth trying.

I somewhat dislike there being no wordlists, because I really love the mystery of experimenting to find out what words mean, and trying to find creative uses for your limited knowledge.

@Finite noun lists idea

Hmm.  I don't think it would work well, for the already stated reason.  Perhaps you could have a rule that people *must* use a noun in every spell?  That could be rather interesting.

@Swapping words out

I don't think this should be free, at least not in the system we were playing in.  There should be a cost for every word you change.  Maybe you can expend three pool, and immediately get a new word of your choosing?  The idea of gaining words related to something you touch could also work well.

Thats actually something I was thinking about, requiring a noun. Increase the pool size by like 10 universally, require players to choose nouns that would have to be included in every spell. I think roll to magic did...something similar? I dunno, I've only glanced at it, but the idea of forcing people to chose a physical noun to use as their manipulated substance might be pretty neat. Especially since you could go somewhat abstract or even proper.

My chosen noun is Elvis. I summon an Elvis sword and an elvis bear to ride on.

[flabort]

OK, how about:
The cooldown idea where the cooldown is static (3 turns? 2 turns?)
Spend 1 pool to replace 1 word in your wordlist; the cooldown for the new word will be equal to the cooldown for the old word plus one (minimum one). Spend 2 pool to replace 3 words. Spend 3 pool to replace 5 words, 4 pool for 7 words, etc. (Words=poolx2-1) You can also earn new words to fill your list if you've gained more space for your list this way.

As for counterspelling, I don't like the idea of having to have specific counterspells for every spell, and thus needing to know the spell you're countering. But neither do I like a single pool being enough to counter it, nor do I like it costing more than the spell being countered.
My proposal re: counterspelling doesn't use a standard word. It may be used as a word, but doesn't have a cooldown or take room in your list. Furthermore, you may use it without specifying how much mana you're putting into it. If a spell is targeting you, you may counterspell it for 1 less mana than the spell cost. If the spell you wish to counter isn't targeting you, you may add a targeting word or something to the counterspell to counter it; the counterspell word will require one less mana to counter a spell if paired with another word.

So to counter a 5 mana spell (Let's say "Ray(3) bees venom") you would use either "I counter ay spells that target me" and consume 4 pool, or "Counterspell Ray", which would cost 4 pool as well. "Counterspell ray pointing" would cost 5 pool though.

[Egan_BW]

My idea:
you can use any word in the dictionary, the first time you use a word it's free, but every time you use it the pool cost goes up.
That way people have an incentive to be creative.

[syvarris]

@Flab

I have an issue with just being able to counter a spell by generically spending pool, especially if it's cheaper than the spell it counters.  In a duel of mages, it would invariably tip the balance even further toward the one who has more pool, not the one who's more creative.  You should have to think.

It could work well if we're doing a PM'd spell game, and you have to specify the pool.  That way, one could bluff another into wasting pool on an overcharged counterspell, or simply overpower the counterspell.  If you're not playing a PMS game, then countering should be something more organic and specific.

I think the best rule for counterspells would be something like "If you use a relevant and creative defense: you automatically roll a five/all words get an extra point of charge"  So, if a guy hurls iron spears at you, and you swat them aside with a magnetic field, your spell would get a bonus.  Countering fireballs with a sheet of ice would be the same.  Casting blur on yourself to counter a gaze spell is another example.

@Egan

Every word in the dictionary?  That would be fun, especially after the game goes on for awhile.  People would start slinging spells like "vitiate descried" "scud kris" "proffer dactylion" or "elocutionist perdu".

It would be especially great when someone messes up and says "erinaceous psyche".

[Devastator]

Here's what I would recommend.

Each point in memory gets you five words, one of your choice, four random.  (Or bought from a larger list, or something else). You get more creativity with fewer resources.

Pool is how many words you can say.  It recharges 2 per turn.

To add emphasis to a word, you need to spend a point of a non-pool stat.  1 for each (2), 2 for each (3), and so on.  At the end of each turn you recover one spent point.

At any time you may burn (permanently lose) a non-pool stat point to regenerate your full pool, or one pool point to regain all your spent stat points.

If you feel spell spam is too much, add the rule that no word may be used two tuns in succession.

I also wouldn't mind if there was a quirk added to characters as they spawn into the arena.

[Whisperling]

I think roll to magic did...something similar?

Roll to magic requires players to pick an affinity at the start. All of their spells need to involve that affinity in some way. They can cast spells with something that isn't quite their affinity, but doing so would give them penalties on their spell control roll. For instance, someone with the ice affinity could able to control water, but they would get a -1 on their spell's control roll.

[FallacyofUrist]

Pretty much. Roll to Magic gave a good demonstration of creativity- controlling water(melted ice) using the ice affinity would be easier than doing something more work-a-roundy. Of course, there's a point where you couldn't stretch your affinity any further (using frost affinity to control fire).

[Lenglon]

Pretty much. Roll to Magic gave a good demonstration of creativity- controlling water(melted ice) using the ice affinity would be easier than doing something more work-a-roundy. Of course, there's a point where you couldn't stretch your affinity any further (using frost affinity to control fire).

perfectly doable. just remove all cold from the target.

I've kinda spent an obscene amount of time figuring out fire-based exploits for things. I can make fire control = wind control or ice control easy enough, and the same tricks work for ice-to-fire pretty much.

[FallacyofUrist]

Unfortunately that is not possible, given cold is simply the absence of heat. You can't remove a negative, doing so just empowers it. Wind control to fire control is a bit more feasible(friction and whatnot), however.

[Lenglon]

Unfortunately that is not possible, given cold is simply the absence of heat. You can't remove a negative, doing so just empowers it. Wind control to fire control is a bit more feasible(friction and whatnot), however.

depends on what your base powerset is. if you can move your cold to attack a target with it, then you can make fire. so if coldbolts are possible, so is ignition.

[piecewise]

Alright, so I think we're gonna try that. Save your word lists, for now we're going with the idea of 1 point in memory equals 1 specific noun you can control. When you kill someone, you get the two points and one of their nouns, without having to up memory. Basically, memory is useless except to sink points into to start with more elements. And you've gotta use your noun(s) as the substance of your spell.

So choose your Noun.

Some rules for that:
1.Nothing metaphysical. No emotions or shit like that.
2.Nothing with stupidly large definitions. Ie, no "Physics" because that can be extended into practically fucking anything. Gravity might work. Or Magnetism.
3.You can't just say "Magic", ya fucking smartasses.
4.I'll get to have the final say if it passes or not.

Oh, and we'll say you all have nice sticks of white chalk now. Why? Well, you should try writing words down on things. Might be interesting.

Oh and now, when you speak your magic words, they will literally come out of your mouth as luminous text, and if you're targeting something, for an effect, the text will fly over to it. This is not only because it's cool, but makes dodging make more sense. 

[FallacyofUrist]

wot, no verbs?

Spoiler: Nouns (click to show/hide)

1. Derm
2. Electricity
3. Sword
4. Projectile
5. Love
6. Steel
7. Adamantium
8. Speed
9. Dwarf
10. Beer