Lords of Creation 16 (OOC)

[Celadon's Penultimate]

Tsubasa & Wen Tien wrote

I can understand that. It's just that he's saying that none of us understand the rules, so if we don't then he needs to explain so that we can. And I've remade one character twice to get reviewed on whether or not they're alright and I haven't gotten any opinions on how to improve them. So then here's Koneko once more for review and opinions:

Koneko
Imp Hero
Skills:
What’s Yours is Mine and What’s Mine is Mine (Active) (2): Koneko copies any mortal technique that she has seen, so long as it doesn’t require a special Artifact or Divine Artifact to use and at a lower level of mastery. Divine Techniques take more time and effort to replicate and even then, Koneko can’t use them to their full potential.
Martial Prowess (2): Due to having trained for several hundred years, Koneko is extremely skilled at several hand-to-hand styles of combat and cannot be beaten by most mortal warriors.
Archmage (2): Having had the time to study for several years, Koneko knows far more spells and is highly more potent magically than the average mortal mage.
Chosen of Gravas (2): Having been chosen and trained by Gravas, Koneko is highly adept at controlling the elements of wind and water.
Bio:
Koneko is the only Imp to ever have a chance to be a hero and even then, she is the one who does the most administrative work in all of Môsôoriku, making sure that the land’s governmental and economic factors all run as smoothly as possible. She is highly revered by the Imps and the Kata for being so good at what she does, but they stop just a hair short of treating her like a goddess.
Koneko was created during the Tournament of Heroes and has lived since then as the de facto leader of Môsôoriku. She has seen many of her fellow heroes decide to sit down and rest until things get bad enough to be called upon once more as well as been given reports saying that some of them died. However, she has not given up hope that things will get better. When the Lycanthropic Wars started raging across Gammara, Koneko tried to get everyone together to talk things out and have them choose a leader peacefully, but to no avail.

And no, the 'Chosen of Gravas' part is not a part of Gilgamesh's mana batteries but a part of training at the University of Elements.

 I tend to take Zale's silence as his approval, until he clarifies otherwise.

[Marvelous Miscreant]

Its not just the names as I understand it. Zale wants the skills to be a category of action so to speak. Instead of "They can shoot unquenchable fire from their hands that consumes anything" it becomes "The ability to control fire"

It functions differently in that it covers all actions related to controlling fire. It sore of makes it so that all skills, no matter how different, can even out. It raises the weak ones and lowers the powerful ones.

[Celadon's Penultimate]

So, basically, the descriptions should be simpler? Or more vague/general, to allow room for more/less power? I'm not getting that part. Are be trying to be more vague, allowing room for error, or trying to be clear, with multifaceted possibilities laid out within the description?

[Gentleman Vaultboy]

I think it's more trying to be Broad.

[Celadon's Penultimate]

 Well...okay, I see how that could be of benefit...

Ugh, now I feel bad, because stuff I do always ends up being outside of the standard.

*sigh* Okay. I'll edit the skills. It shouldn't be an issue. Though, a question remains. If I change the profiles on here to fit the guideline, then can the original descriptions be put onto the wiki (or vice versa)? I really like the names and descriptions I come up with for powers, so I'd kinda like them to be available somewhere.

If not, I can always just save it on my computer, but still...no harm in asking, right?

[Celadon's Penultimate]

 See? Then my instinct isn't entirely blunted. I knew something was up.

[Philote]

Have I been screwing up the rules as well?

I agree with Wulf though that the rules need to made more easily available. I understand that we are constantly making revisions and throwing out new ideas, but we need someone dedicated to keeping the rules compiled, most likely on the first post of the thread. (Zale is an admin so he should be able to edit Wulf's first post on this thread).

[Zaleramancer]

I've tried to explain this.

Multiple times.

People demand rules of me, then misunderstand them when I post.
I'm not sure, honestly, how to explain this further.

Is it so much to ask that people read posts in threads?

I do it. I may not respond, but I do read things.

A skill is basically an affinity for a particular action.

This may be something as simple as Dodging Weapons or as exotic as Surviving Mind Poisons.

The problem is people keep writing abilities which are absolutes and total abilities.

[Zaleramancer]

Those aren't nearly up-to-date.

Sigh.

Every-time I compile rules, people get stuck on them.

Even after I try to revise them, people still take the old ones as the ones to make things.

Or they get excited and make everything with the rules.

Eventually, we'll need to fix some crippling flaw, but no one will want to because it'll be to much work.

[Zaleramancer]

I apologize for my anger.

I had a migraine of the worst kind and just got off a long and very exhausting class, but that was no excuse to snap on everyone.

The proper wording isn't really needed as long as verbage occurs.

I'm going to re-write the skills of the seasonal gods to clarify.

Flower Prince

Charming Others (4)

Causing others to become more friendly to you.

Tool Of Office

Red Blade

Absorbing Emotions (3)

Any entity reduced to zero conflict points by this skill is rendered emotionless. Emotionless entities are hollow shells of their former selves, with little to no drive or wants.

Controlling Emotionless Entities (3)

Controlling the actions and desires of emotionless entities.



Does this clarify things, or not?

[Zaleramancer]

Summer Child

Sensing Hostile Foes (4)

Becoming aware that hostile enemies are about.

Tool of Office

Deflecting Energy Attacks (4)

Bouncing energy based attacks away from him.

Observing Others From A Distance (2)

Scrying, essentially.


I changed some things for the sake of fairness. Avoiding Attacks was far to broad, as was Absorbing them.

[Zaleramancer]

The Devourer

Devouring Things (4)

Attempting to eat nearly anything.

Tool of Office

Rusty Scythe

Aging Things (2)
 
Making things get older. The amount of age is left to the defender's discretion, unless they go mad.

Suppressing Abilities (4)

Making things stop working.. temporarily. Any artifact or entity loosing a skill check will have a single ability (Their choose) cease to work for a number of posts equal to the amount by which the Devourer wins the skill check, or until the conflict ends- whichever is shorter.


I think that might become a standard rule for duration of certain skills.

That is, short duration skills would last for however long you beat the skill check by.

[Zaleramancer]

The Merry Lady

Preventing Escape From Battle (4)

Keeping foes from fleeing you while fighting.


Tool of Office

A sword.

Sword Fighting (6)

Fighting with swords.



Well, I do miss some of the nuance of the old system, but this one is simpler and less likely to break.

Also, she's now a melee monster. Dayum, Merry, you scary.

[Philote]

I've read everything, I do not have everything memorized, but I have read everything.

I was aware numbers had changed, but the actual values where something I wanted a reference for.

Did I not do the skills for the Dragons correctly?

[Celadon's Penultimate]

Yeah, I figured that was what you meant.

I guess I can keep the detailed wording of my profiles elsewhere, though. No harm, no foul.

[Zaleramancer]

It's not detail that is bad.

It just needs to be phrased in the correct manner.

I encourage as much detail as is needed.

[Celadon's Penultimate]

 Then do you think my current deity profiles (for Arathet and Erganon) need reworking? Are they too vague, too broad, or not clear in any way? I mean, if sticking within my bounds is an issue, I actually detailed everything that power can do; I would do absolutely nothing outside of that which is described in that ability.

[Zaleramancer]

Draconic Spirit (3) - The source of power that all Dragons possess, an altered type of mana. Primarily is expressed through the Dragon's breath.
Gilgamesh's Scales (3) - The scales of all Dragons are resistant to most types of damage.
Predator's Might (3) - Dragon's are the prime predators of Eternus. Their speed and ferocity are unmatched by any other creature of the land.
Variable Breeding (1) - Not all Dragons are born equal. The same variable races of the Dragonborn are present in the breeds of Dragons.

...

Perhaps.

The first is.. I'm not sure what the first is to be honest. It seems like "I can do X, but also other things If I feel like it."

Scales are rather broad, since it's basically invulnerability against anything without skills.

Might is STR + SPD combo which I feel is a bit absurd. I'm not sure If I even approve of a straight up stat-for-skill thing, as they tend to apply heavily to lots of things.

Many.

Breeding isn't even a correct skill.

[Zaleramancer]

I think the problem is people are still thinking of skills as abilities..

As apposed to skills as.. skills.

If you want something to have an ability, just ask.

Unless it's insane, I'll probably approve.

Skills are particular specializations. Something they're good at.

The Draemar have tough skin.

Dragons have uniquely tough scales.

It's an area that they are very gifted in.

Little quirks to mythical beings don't really matter unless you need them to.

If you want a god or mythical being to be able to shapeshift, simply ask.

It's wholly in line with their level of power to do so.

If you want them to actually be able to trick powerful things into thinking they're something they aren't, invest a skill in it.

Your gods.

For example.

Muse's Zenith (2)
As the goddess of art, Arathet naturally has immediate access to her mother, Uburra-Namall's, Plane of Creativity. Though, she also has the ability to grant others' astral-projective access to this realm, by touch, word or thought. In doing so, affected subjects can experience presence within that realm through all senses they possess, and can even receive insight from denizens of that realm, that they encounter. However, any entity, force or influence the astral body encounters within, good or bad, also affects the physical body.

This isn't really a skill, because it's mostly an ability.

Beauty's Blade is a dagger that allows the user to cut through any non-divine thing viewed as artless, tasteless or physically ugly, at will. When Arathet grows older (and grows in power), it will also gain the power to grow into any kind of sword that the user desires. It is so powerful, it can even destroy ugly voices, ugly words or ugly, distasteful music, at the user's whim. Naturally, it is lovely to look at.

Her tool is an absolute power.

The fact that it can turn into any sword you like is a little perk that doesn't need a skill.

I, personally, would rephrase it as "Cutting or destroying ugly things".

In whatever wording you desire.

[Celadon's Penultimate]

 Oh, goodness, you're right.

I think I conflated deities' skills with mythos' abilities in the profile. Sorry about that.

Now that I think about it, those capabilities are best saved for just among their godlike abilities. Goodness, it's kind of embarrassing how long it took for me to realize that error...