Heju would hands up and walks to the graveyard, "Yeah, no. I am not continuing this. I rather to study the dead bodies than doing whatever the heck is that. Autumn, let me know when you are ready to go."
"You call this training? Suppression of the self is a pitiful path to walk. One should embrace one's emotions and desires and turn them to useful ends, not fight them. If this is what you call corruption, then I have little to fear from this alleged ambush. Such an assault would only inflame the effects of my abilities against them."
Shall I provide some background information on the cursemonger's beliefs and abilities? If not, suffice it to say that a mental attack of this type would generally put everyone within reach of his abilities in danger as opposed to having a control effect on him. (I'm assuming this knight has some sort of compelled duel effect that's generally associated with good-aligned clerics/paladins, and thus doubt the minions have a similar ability at their disposal.)
@cadstar369@FireOfGolden A story would indeed be good. I kinda already know Heju's, though. Anyway, the knight says "Well, I see that you have decided to foolishly reject the training and take on the minions without free will." "Perhaps we shall meet again." Before vanishing into a cloud of green, blue, white, and red mist. What would you like to do now?, vote: - A: I wonder who that weirdo was. Investigate. - B: WHOEVER HE WAS, I DON'T CARE. I'M GLAD HE'S GONE. - C: *Proceeds to ambush carefully* - D : Something else...
The cursemonger is curious as to who the knight was and what sect or order they might be affiliated with. While he's not sure what he could possibly turn up in this situation, he'd like to investigate anyway.
~~~ (Brief Background) ~~~
The scalebound cursemonger is a member of the Yù sect, a group of cultivators that practice various modao, such as assassination arts, curses, hemomancy, and varying branches of necromancy (e.g. corpse arts and soul arts).
What is often the most tempting facet of modao is that one tends to have significantly more freedom than zhengdao cultivators, who often have countless restrictions placed on how they live and act. Modao cultivators are generally encouraged to accept and embrace one's emotions and desires, sometimes even using them to fuel their abilities. Cursemongers in particular exploit connections to form paths upon which they weave curses, and are experts at using emotions and desires to forge, strengthen, and manipulate connections. (Notably, those emotions and desires need not be their own, and often aren't.) The nature of connections often makes curses exceptionally potent and difficult to handle relative to other mystical arts.
Among Yù sect cursemongers, there is a group called the Jìlún that specializes in curses based on the four seasons. For example, a winter cursemonger might whip up a paralyzingly frigid wind, a spring cursemonger unleash excessive growth, a summer cursemonger summon sweltering heat, and an autumn cursemonger call crippling decay.
(I have plenty more information prepared if you have questions or want more detail; I'm aware that I've glossed over multiple concepts that can get fuzzy or lost in translation).
The knight does seem to have left behind a primal feeling, but the only knight order with dragon scale equipment was disbanded centuries ago by angry draconic retaliation. The only other clue is that the knight radiated a semi-divine aura.
Anyway, as you proceed to the now no longer "ambushing" ambush, these leap out into your way and attack: The spectator who was sending you vision-messages. Creature side up, actually 2/3. (Effectively 2/3 for difficulty purposes.) You go first.
The cursemonger will probe enemy defenses with Curseblight (two -1/-1 counters on each enemy + they each discard a card). If they don't respond, he will follow up with Searing Malice (two more -1/-1 counters on each remaining enemy) and leave the rest to Heju. If they do respond, he will reconsider his second action accordingly.
@cadstar369@FireOfGolden Neb Xeclazeem responds with: Countering Curseblight. The corpse walkers are each blocked by the mutagenic infantry, slaying the infantry, but dealing no damage to Neb Xeclazeem. The Illithid Harvester casts: For X = 5, using a hidden mana source to fuel the spell and gain control of Heju and create a copy of Heju. The control effect was countered by an unknown ability, but a copy of Heju appears and sends two corpse walkers after the Cursemonger. Neb Xeclazeem holds his actions. Your turn. You may encounter dual realities and time travel if the Cursemonger uses the held action to change the course of history.
@cadstar369@FireOfGolden Suddenly as all hope leaves you, a huge well of divine energy blasts out of the sky and annihilates the harvester, and severely wounding Neb Xeclazeem. What caused this was: Cast by an unknown godlike figure. Neb Xeclazeem stumbles and dies. Combat won! 12 XP. I had to do that because you were losing badly, and it has to do with the plot... What would you like to do now? Continue exploring?
Were the players actually losing badly, or did the GM decide this is the story they want to tell? Neb Xeclazeem could likely counter any actions the cursemonger took while the Mutagenic Infantry prevent Heju's zombies from being effective, so the players were apparently helpless from the outset. At that point, why pretend it's a battle at all when it could have just been narration?
In this campaign, the players currently have no effective agency. The GM consistently denies players the opportunity to use their actions strategically, the players have no idea what enemies can do until the GM decides what happens (which tends to be a denial of at least one player's actions), most enemies aren't recurring so players can't learn from previous encounters, there's no boundaries on what the players can expect from anything… Are the 'players' participating in an RPG, or are they watching the 'GM' tell a story with a tattered veil of interactivity?
~~~
All that said, where would we even continue on to? Do we still have an objective at this point?
@cadstar369 Oops, sorry. Maybe you could offer a few tips to make the RPG more fun? I'd be happy to incorporate tips. Anyway, your objective is to defeat Xarxendroth. @cadstar369@FireOfGolden What would you like to do now? [REDACTED]
@kaoz42 It depends on RPG you create. My RPG, Figure World is more of based on Minecraft meets Skyrim. "There are no consequences for your actions" is the quote of Figure World. Unironically, Figure World has no endings as it is always tailored by the people who play it. Ironically, what is acted, there's a wave on the pond. There will be always a villian... Or a hero to stop you based on your rep. That means myself is the Netrual GM while LvB... Well, he's more of Evil GM. He always try find way to make player's life hellish whenever possible. I don't know why, but he seems always do.
We don't really have any direction at this point, so I guess let's try another spot on the map we were given earlier.
~~~
Regarding improving this RPG (really most RPGs on this site), a handful of suggestions come to mind:
Give the players challenges beyond DPS checks. This is easily the most important thing I can say, and if only one thing from this post gets implemented, please let it be this. When every encounter boils down to "the PCs must deal X damage to given targets before a certain amount of time passes or they die," it reduces the PCs to their DPS output, which is generally a fairly uninteresting aspect of the PC all things considered. It eviscerates utility since the only thing that matters is damage output, and encounter variety is roughly reduced to two types: spread damage across lots of small targets, or cut down one large target. Once there's a PC specialized in each of those tactics, every combat encounter will unfold in roughly the same way, especially if there's a third PC specialized in support to prevent the GM from disrupting the PCs without being blatantly heavy-handed about it.
Cut down on countermagic. Preferably the GM doesn't use it at all, but when they do it should tend toward effects like Lunar Force. This makes countermagic into a strategic problem posed to the players rather than the GM suddenly invalidating the players' actions out of nowhere. This also applies to effects like Gaea's Gift and Angelic Intervention that are effectively equivalent to casting countermagic.
Build the players' expectations. It's difficult for players to stay invested when they have no idea what any particular enemy can do, especially if there's also no basis for them to anticipate what they can do. Once the players are exposed to the tactics and tendencies of lesser enemies, when they encounter similar enemies or more powerful variants, they will be able to formulate an idea of how that enemy will act and what tactics they have available to them. Without these expectations, players have little choice but to approach encounters as 1-turn DPS checks, since anything could have unexpectedly fatal consequences.
Limit enemy options. When foes have access to multiple tactics, especially ones the players can see or are otherwise aware of, it can often be frustrating when those foes act unusually (often unintelligently) because it looks like the GM is messing around, though this varies between GMs. (Experienced GMs can occasionally sidestep this frustration. For example, one can deliberately deviate from players' expectations to cue meaningful information.)
Give players multiple objectives/motivations to work on. Having an overarching goal like a BBEG is all well and good, but it doesn't matter if the characters don't have reasons to pursue that distant objective. Give the players side quests, build on the roleplay they put out, heck the GM can even collaborate with players behind the scenes about developing a PC's backstory so they can throw hooks into the game, but there should be things to motivate the PCs to keep doing what they're doing.
For example, from (2) and (3), one can infer that instant speed interactions should generally be restricted to especially fast or crafty enemies. When encountering foes that can act at instant speed, the players should either be able to anticipate that the enemy can probably do so (and what that action might be!), or it should be a surprise that is generally insufficient to facilitate a TPK.
@cadstar369 Right. Trying best to incorporate as many as possible, with (1) as a priority.
@cadstar369@FireOfGolden As you continue in the direction of Xarxendroth's "kingdom," you notice a small hole in the ground, just big enough for both of you to go through one at a time. It has some writing carved into a nearby overgrown stone in an unknown language, but the writing feels a little more electric than just everyday static shocks to the touch. What would you like to do? Vote:
A: Pass it over. We have more important duties to attend to, like the promise we made to the eel-people.
B: Stop for a while and try to read and/or dig out the hole or writing, or illuminate the whole with a torch to see the drop.
The cursemonger will also take a stab at deciphering the writing, making sure to avoid standing by the hole as much as possible while doing so. (He was considering suggesting Heju toss a zombie into the hole, but we don't know if there's anything in there that might be alerted by excess changes in light/movement/intrusion.)
By the way, is this opening a straight drop, or is there a gradient to it?
@cadstar369@FireOfGolden The zombie hand "gloves" seem to work, but Heju still feels a little bit of static energy. Shining a torch through the hole reveals a very deep drop, you can't see the bottom, however there seem to be runic steps that are waaaaayyy too far apart leading down into the darkness. The writing seems very chaotic and inconsistent, and it seems to jump around a lot like electricity. However you manage to work out one rune, which seems to mean "lever." What would like to do now investigate further?, scour your adventurer translator for electric-sounding languages? Or something else?
If it were Wenkman, cursemonger would be in trouble all time due to Wenkman's curious. However, Heju will do anything for gaining power. Hence, Heju don't see what he can gain from pulling the lever that may risks his life. Heju will move on
@FireOfGolden while our characters think one of the runes means "lever," we haven't actually found a lever to try using. Given we have no idea what's going on or what might happen if we pull any such levers, the cursemonger doesn't feel inclined to spend time actively looking for one.
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Shall I provide some background information on the cursemonger's beliefs and abilities? If not, suffice it to say that a mental attack of this type would generally put everyone within reach of his abilities in danger as opposed to having a control effect on him. (I'm assuming this knight has some sort of compelled duel effect that's generally associated with good-aligned clerics/paladins, and thus doubt the minions have a similar ability at their disposal.)
I would like a story. ?
A story would indeed be good. I kinda already know Heju's, though.
Anyway, the knight says "Well, I see that you have decided to foolishly reject the training and take on the minions without free will." "Perhaps we shall meet again." Before vanishing into a cloud of green, blue, white, and red mist. What would you like to do now?, vote:
- A: I wonder who that weirdo was. Investigate.
- B: WHOEVER HE WAS, I DON'T CARE. I'M GLAD HE'S GONE.
- C: *Proceeds to ambush carefully*
- D : Something else...
~~~ (Brief Background) ~~~
The scalebound cursemonger is a member of the Yù sect, a group of cultivators that practice various modao, such as assassination arts, curses, hemomancy, and varying branches of necromancy (e.g. corpse arts and soul arts).
What is often the most tempting facet of modao is that one tends to have significantly more freedom than zhengdao cultivators, who often have countless restrictions placed on how they live and act. Modao cultivators are generally encouraged to accept and embrace one's emotions and desires, sometimes even using them to fuel their abilities. Cursemongers in particular exploit connections to form paths upon which they weave curses, and are experts at using emotions and desires to forge, strengthen, and manipulate connections. (Notably, those emotions and desires need not be their own, and often aren't.) The nature of connections often makes curses exceptionally potent and difficult to handle relative to other mystical arts.
Among Yù sect cursemongers, there is a group called the Jìlún that specializes in curses based on the four seasons. For example, a winter cursemonger might whip up a paralyzingly frigid wind, a spring cursemonger unleash excessive growth, a summer cursemonger summon sweltering heat, and an autumn cursemonger call crippling decay.
(I have plenty more information prepared if you have questions or want more detail; I'm aware that I've glossed over multiple concepts that can get fuzzy or lost in translation).
The spectator who was sending you vision-messages.
Creature side up, actually 2/3. (Effectively 2/3 for difficulty purposes.)
You go first.
You here? Your last reply was 5 days ago.
@cadstar369
Do you wanna continue with an NPC Heju?
Hey, hang on. I am still here, but I happened to be busy at moment.
Heju will cast two Corpse Walkers and send them to Neb Xec... Whoever is that.
Neb Xeclazeem responds with:
Countering Curseblight. The corpse walkers are each blocked by the mutagenic infantry, slaying the infantry, but dealing no damage to Neb Xeclazeem. The Illithid Harvester casts:
For X = 5, using a hidden mana source to fuel the spell and gain control of Heju and create a copy of Heju. The control effect was countered by an unknown ability, but a copy of Heju appears and sends two corpse walkers after the Cursemonger. Neb Xeclazeem holds his actions. Your turn. You may encounter dual realities and time travel if the Cursemonger uses the held action to change the course of history.
Suddenly as all hope leaves you, a huge well of divine energy blasts out of the sky and annihilates the harvester, and severely wounding Neb Xeclazeem.
What caused this was:
Cast by an unknown godlike figure.
Neb Xeclazeem stumbles and dies.
Combat won! 12 XP. I had to do that because you were losing badly, and it has to do with the plot... What would you like to do now? Continue exploring?
In this campaign, the players currently have no effective agency. The GM consistently denies players the opportunity to use their actions strategically, the players have no idea what enemies can do until the GM decides what happens (which tends to be a denial of at least one player's actions), most enemies aren't recurring so players can't learn from previous encounters, there's no boundaries on what the players can expect from anything… Are the 'players' participating in an RPG, or are they watching the 'GM' tell a story with a tattered veil of interactivity?
~~~
All that said, where would we even continue on to? Do we still have an objective at this point?
Oops, sorry. Maybe you could offer a few tips to make the RPG more fun? I'd be happy to incorporate tips.
Anyway, your objective is to defeat Xarxendroth.
@cadstar369 @FireOfGolden
What would you like to do now?
[REDACTED]
It depends on RPG you create. My RPG, Figure World is more of based on Minecraft meets Skyrim. "There are no consequences for your actions" is the quote of Figure World. Unironically, Figure World has no endings as it is always tailored by the people who play it. Ironically, what is acted, there's a wave on the pond. There will be always a villian... Or a hero to stop you based on your rep. That means myself is the Netrual GM while LvB... Well, he's more of Evil GM. He always try find way to make player's life hellish whenever possible. I don't know why, but he seems always do.
~~~
Regarding improving this RPG (really most RPGs on this site), a handful of suggestions come to mind:
- Give the players challenges beyond DPS checks. This is easily the most important thing I can say, and if only one thing from this post gets implemented, please let it be this. When every encounter boils down to "the PCs must deal X damage to given targets before a certain amount of time passes or they die," it reduces the PCs to their DPS output, which is generally a fairly uninteresting aspect of the PC all things considered. It eviscerates utility since the only thing that matters is damage output, and encounter variety is roughly reduced to two types: spread damage across lots of small targets, or cut down one large target. Once there's a PC specialized in each of those tactics, every combat encounter will unfold in roughly the same way, especially if there's a third PC specialized in support to prevent the GM from disrupting the PCs without being blatantly heavy-handed about it.
- Cut down on countermagic. Preferably the GM doesn't use it at all, but when they do it should tend toward effects like Lunar Force. This makes countermagic into a strategic problem posed to the players rather than the GM suddenly invalidating the players' actions out of nowhere. This also applies to effects like Gaea's Gift and Angelic Intervention that are effectively equivalent to casting countermagic.
- Build the players' expectations. It's difficult for players to stay invested when they have no idea what any particular enemy can do, especially if there's also no basis for them to anticipate what they can do. Once the players are exposed to the tactics and tendencies of lesser enemies, when they encounter similar enemies or more powerful variants, they will be able to formulate an idea of how that enemy will act and what tactics they have available to them. Without these expectations, players have little choice but to approach encounters as 1-turn DPS checks, since anything could have unexpectedly fatal consequences.
- Limit enemy options. When foes have access to multiple tactics, especially ones the players can see or are otherwise aware of, it can often be frustrating when those foes act unusually (often unintelligently) because it looks like the GM is messing around, though this varies between GMs. (Experienced GMs can occasionally sidestep this frustration. For example, one can deliberately deviate from players' expectations to cue meaningful information.)
- Give players multiple objectives/motivations to work on. Having an overarching goal like a BBEG is all well and good, but it doesn't matter if the characters don't have reasons to pursue that distant objective. Give the players side quests, build on the roleplay they put out, heck the GM can even collaborate with players behind the scenes about developing a PC's backstory so they can throw hooks into the game, but there should be things to motivate the PCs to keep doing what they're doing.
For example, from (2) and (3), one can infer that instant speed interactions should generally be restricted to especially fast or crafty enemies. When encountering foes that can act at instant speed, the players should either be able to anticipate that the enemy can probably do so (and what that action might be!), or it should be a surprise that is generally insufficient to facilitate a TPK.Right. Trying best to incorporate as many as possible, with (1) as a priority.
@cadstar369 @FireOfGolden
As you continue in the direction of Xarxendroth's "kingdom," you notice a small hole in the ground, just big enough for both of you to go through one at a time. It has some writing carved into a nearby overgrown stone in an unknown language, but the writing feels a little more electric than just everyday static shocks to the touch. What would you like to do? Vote:
Heju will try to examine the craved language, using dead body's hands as gloves to avoid contacting any shocks.
By the way, is this opening a straight drop, or is there a gradient to it?
The zombie hand "gloves" seem to work, but Heju still feels a little bit of static energy. Shining a torch through the hole reveals a very deep drop, you can't see the bottom, however there seem to be runic steps that are waaaaayyy too far apart leading down into the darkness. The writing seems very chaotic and inconsistent, and it seems to jump around a lot like electricity. However you manage to work out one rune, which seems to mean "lever."
What would like to do now investigate further?, scour your adventurer translator for electric-sounding languages? Or something else?