Mckeedee123 he/him Posted June 12, 2015 Posted June 12, 2015 Whoops, sorry for that downvote Twi! I balanced it with an up vote somewhere. yeah, but Epics can still use their powers on each other. Its different from one Epic personally using multiple different Epic's powers through gifting or Epic tech. :/ Yeah, I was sort of confused as to why there was a downvote on that
TwiLyghtSansSparkles she/her Posted June 12, 2015 Author Posted June 12, 2015 Whoops, sorry for that downvote Twi! I balanced it with an up vote somewhere. yeah, but Epics can still use their powers on each other. Its different from one Epic personally using multiple different Epic's powers through gifting or Epic tech. True, but I tend to think powers that heal are different from more destructive physical ones. Transferring damage from one Epic to another vanilla seems a little close to true healing.
Comatose he/him Posted June 12, 2015 Posted June 12, 2015 True, but I tend to think powers that heal are different from more destructive physical ones. Transferring damage from one Epic to another vanilla seems a little close to true healing. Well this power does not work by gifting, so that's not an issue. I know that some powers don't work on other epics while some do, but have we ever come up with a pattern or distinction? The only healing I remember seeing in the books is Prof's, which doesn't work on other epics because it can only be used on the self, and only seems to heal others when it is gifted. SIDE NOTE: This seems to indicate that Prof's healing would indeed function automatically, despite his apparent ability to suppress it, since the Reckoners are able to use his gifted powers without knowing what they are doing. Has Brandon that true healing' is less likely to work on other epics? Or do we just have a general idea that some epic powers work on other epics and some don't? If we want a distinction, I could change it so the damage transference is more difficult on epics. Maybe the severity of the damage is intensified when it is being transferred from an epic? It could also be lessened when transferred to an epic, limiting the Doctor's (Skinsaver perhaps? I do still like that name - good catch!) ability to use his powers offensively.
TwiLyghtSansSparkles she/her Posted June 12, 2015 Author Posted June 12, 2015 Well this power does not work by gifting, so that's not an issue. I know that some powers don't work on other epics while some do, but have we ever come up with a pattern or distinction? The only healing I remember seeing in the books is Prof's, which doesn't work on other epics because it can only be used on the self, and only seems to heal others when it is gifted. SIDE NOTE: This seems to indicate that Prof's healing would indeed function automatically, despite his apparent ability to suppress it, since the Reckoners are able to use his gifted powers without knowing what they are doing. Has Brandon that true healing' is less likely to work on other epics? Or do we just have a general idea that some epic powers work on other epics and some don't? If we want a distinction, I could change it so the damage transference is more difficult on epics. Maybe the severity of the damage is intensified when it is being transferred from an epic? It could also be lessened when transferred to an epic, limiting the Doctor's (Skinsaver perhaps? I do still like that name - good catch!) ability to use his powers offensively. Just the general idea. When asked about mind control Epics, Brandon said that Epics with mind-altering abilities would generally have more trouble with Epics, though come to think of it, that could be due to the large amounts of fear overloading Epic brains. It seemed to imply that Epic powers in general interfere with each other to some extent, though it could be some entirely different factor (like the fear, which I actually just thought of ). Anyone else have thoughts on this?
Paranoid King he/him Posted June 12, 2015 Posted June 12, 2015 Here is my epic idea: Epic name: FlashbackReal name: Jake AndersDescription: brown hair, black eyes, height of 6'2,Backstory: Originally from Texas, Jake worked at a glassworks factory. He rose quickly through the ranks but was forced to quit after a production accident. He became a delivery man for a few days before becoming an epic.Powers: Can travel back 10 minutes in time to "redo" a situation. Cannot rewind time again until previous 10 minutes are over. Can control light and heat to a minor extent, slight regenerative capabilities.Weaknesses: While not power-negating, he needs extra sleep to make up for time traveling. Unable to rewind time if dead. Regen capabilities will not heal from death. If he dies, he is dead. Epic weakness in unknown. It is reported that he time-travels to prevent anyone from discovering it. It may be mirrors, as he covertly melts any before looking into them. On the other hand, it may be gasoline, as he forbids it in his presence and lights it if he comes close.
Comatose he/him Posted June 12, 2015 Posted June 12, 2015 Just the general idea. When asked about mind control Epics, Brandon said that Epics with mind-altering abilities would generally have more trouble with Epics, though come to think of it, that could be due to the large amounts of fear overloading Epic brains. It seemed to imply that Epic powers in general interfere with each other to some extent, though it could be some entirely different factor (like the fear, which I actually just thought of ). Anyone else have thoughts on this? I'm also curious to see what people think. If it more has to do with mental powers, then healing is fine. If it has to do with powers in general, than perhaps my multiplication/reduction idea for transference could count as an 'interference' causing trouble when dealing with other epics.
TwiLyghtSansSparkles she/her Posted June 12, 2015 Author Posted June 12, 2015 I'm also curious to see what people think. If it more has to do with mental powers, then healing is fine. If it has to do with powers in general, than perhaps my multiplication/reduction idea for transference could count as an 'interference' causing trouble when dealing with other epics. That's what I was thinking, and I'm honestly not sure what the answer to this particular conundrum is. So opinions are most welcome.
Kobold King he/him Posted June 12, 2015 Posted June 12, 2015 That's what I was thinking, and I'm honestly not sure what the answer to this particular conundrum is. So opinions are most welcome. I can't think of a single instance of Epic powers interfering with each other in the books, aside from the obvious shenanigans that surround gifting. The closest I can think of is Fortuity, whose powers would obviously necessitate predicting the decisions of Epics. Maybe that indicates that the issues around Epic power interference are physical, not mental? Or... something? Honestly I have no idea.
TwiLyghtSansSparkles she/her Posted June 12, 2015 Author Posted June 12, 2015 I can't think of a single instance of Epic powers interfering with each other in the books, aside from the obvious shenanigans that surround gifting. The closest I can think of is Fortuity, whose powers would obviously necessitate predicting the decisions of Epics. Maybe that indicates that the issues around Epic power interference are physical, not mental? Or... something? Honestly I have no idea. I guess the question here is: Does transferring damage from an Epic to a vanilla count as healing that Epic?
Kobold King he/him Posted June 12, 2015 Posted June 12, 2015 I guess the question here is: Does transferring damage from an Epic to a vanilla count as healing that Epic? Epics can definitely affect one another's bodies, so I don't think it would be too far out of canon.
Blackhoof Posted June 12, 2015 Posted June 12, 2015 True, but I tend to think powers that heal are different from more destructive physical ones. Transferring damage from one Epic to another vanilla seems a little close to true healing. I see what you mean. I think powers that specifically heal others might not have any interference, but to be safe I think that it should just be a bit harder using it on Epics. So maybe it takes longer on Eoivs than on humans, and damage transferred from an Epic to a human is magnified, like Coma said? Just the general idea. When asked about mind control Epics, Brandon said that Epics with mind-altering abilities would generally have more trouble with Epics, though come to think of it, that could be due to the large amounts of fear overloading Epic brains. It seemed to imply that Epic powers in general interfere with each other to some extent, though it could be some entirely different factor (like the fear, which I actually just thought of ). Anyone else have thoughts on this? I think it makes sense, fear or no. Epics are physically altered by Calamity, they she slower, so increased mental fortitude and an inherent resistance to certain types of Epic powers seems likely. Here is my epic idea: Epic name: Flashback Real name: Jake Anders Description: brown hair, black eyes, height of 6'2, Backstory: Originally from Texas, Jake worked at a glassworks factory. He rose quickly through the ranks but was forced to quit after a production accident. He became a delivery man for a few days before becoming an epic. Powers: Can travel back 10 minutes in time to "redo" a situation. Cannot rewind time again until previous 10 minutes are over. Can control light and heat to a minor extent, slight regenerative capabilities. Weaknesses: While not power-negating, he needs extra sleep to make up for time traveling. Unable to rewind time if dead. Regen capabilities will not heal from death. If he dies, he is dead. Epic weakness in unknown. It is reported that he time-travels to prevent anyone from discovering it. It may be mirrors, as he covertly melts any before looking into them. On the other hand, it may be gasoline, as he forbids it in his presence and lights it if he comes close. Hey, welcome not sure of time travel like that would be ok, though. For one, it is likely non-canonical. We do have Timeport, but he only goes forward in time 5 minutes. Two, it has all sorts of implications when RPing (10 minutes can be a looong time in this), we wouldn't want to find ourselves repeating ourselves over and over as Flashback flashes back and stuff, you know? And there is also the paradox problem- if your character goes back in time to say, shoot someone who was planning to ambush you, then they never would have been able to ambush you in the first place, and you wouldn't have travelled back. And if you hadn't travelled back, you get ambushed, and so on. See the issue? Third, while its fine if no-one in-game knows your weakness, and its fine that fellow players (except the GM in whatever city you join) don't know your weakness, you need to actually have one decided on before playing. They rarely come into play but it is still important.
Kobold King he/him Posted June 12, 2015 Posted June 12, 2015 Hey, welcome not sure of time travel like that would be ok, though. For one, it is likely non-canonical. We do have Timeport, but he only goes forward in time 5 minutes. Two, it has all sorts of implications when RPing (10 minutes can be a looong time in this), we wouldn't want to find ourselves repeating ourselves over and over as Flashback flashes back and stuff, you know? And there is also the paradox problem- if your character goes back in time to say, shoot someone who was planning to ambush you, then they never would have been able to ambush you in the first place, and you wouldn't have travelled back. And if you hadn't travelled back, you get ambushed, and so on. See the issue? Third, while its fine if no-one in-game knows your weakness, and its fine that fellow players (except the GM in whatever city you join) don't know your weakness, you need to actually have one decided on before playing. They rarely come into play but it is still important. I'm kind of with Blackhoof here. While I love the idea of him, I think his implications for RPing are a bit too drastic. If he were added to a scene, every other poster would run the risk of having their posts immediately retconned. That could be a bit frustrating for the other players.
Paranoid King he/him Posted June 12, 2015 Posted June 12, 2015 Here is how I imagine the paradox problem working out: Imagine you have two timelines that are exactly the same, but one is 10 minutes earlier. Flashback gets in trouble in the first (later) timeline. He switches over to the second timeline, which is 10 minutes earlier. He now has information he didn't have before, but he is in the exact same situation as before. He doesn't cause a time paradox because he isn't in the same timeline anymore. I'm totally fine with having him travel back 1 minute instead of 10. His weakness is being blamed for something he didn't do. However, he loves to lay red herrings so that nobody is able to see that that is clearly his weakness.
Blackhoof Posted June 12, 2015 Posted June 12, 2015 Here is how I imagine the paradox problem working out: Imagine you have two timelines that are exactly the same, but one is 10 minutes earlier. Flashback gets in trouble in the first (later) timeline. He switches over to the second timeline, which is 10 minutes earlier. He now has information he didn't have before, but he is in the exact same situation as before. He doesn't cause a time paradox because he isn't in the same timeline anymore. I'm totally fine with having him travel back 1 minute instead of 10. ok, so there are never two Flashbacks at the same time? How would this work from the perspective of other players? Say we are role playing with him, and Iconoclast decides on a whim to attack him. Assuming he sees it coming, he activates his power, and... What happens? His weakness is being blamed for something he didn't do. However, he loves to lay red herrings so that nobody is able to see that that is clearly his weakness. ah, fair enough. I like that weakness.
Paranoid King he/him Posted June 12, 2015 Posted June 12, 2015 ok, so there are never two Flashbacks at the same time? Imagine that the Flashbacks from the different timelines trade places. There are never two at the same time. Say we are role playing with him, and Iconoclast decides on a whim to attack him. Assuming he sees it coming, he activates his power, and... What happens? Iconoclast would need to try to defeat him twice, after which he would concede defeat. Unless of course a trap is laid so that flashback is in danger for more than a minute but doesn't realize it. It's not really a prime invincibility because it can be easily overcome. It's mostly used for gathering information.
Mckeedee123 he/him Posted June 12, 2015 Posted June 12, 2015 (edited) Iconoclast would need to try to defeat him twice, after which he would concede defeat. Unless of course a trap is laid so that flashback is in danger for more than a minute but doesn't realize it. It's not really a prime invincibility because it can be easily overcome. It's mostly used for gathering information. Well, it's cool, but it's kind of hard to do in an RP format. People would have to rewrite posts continuously for the new timelines. Edited June 12, 2015 by Mckeedee123
Kobold King he/him Posted June 12, 2015 Posted June 12, 2015 Hmm... could we modify it so that those around him also retain memories of the other timelines? So he would reset everyone physically to their position from a minute before, but he wouldn't entirely negate the posts of other players since. Also, he should have a cooldown period for his time reversal, so he can't just keep turning back the clock and end up resetting himself to the Middle Ages.
Paranoid King he/him Posted June 12, 2015 Posted June 12, 2015 (edited) He rarely uses it around other people. He mostly uses it to spy and discover information without being discovered. I won't abuse the power Hmm... could we modify it so that those around him also retain memories of the other timelines? So he would reset everyone physically to their position from a minute before, but he wouldn't entirely negate the posts of other players since. Also, he should have a cooldown period for his time reversal, so he can't just keep turning back the clock and end up resetting himself to the Middle Ages. As said before, he can't use his power again until the previous time has run out. So if he is just a second away from being stabbed, and he replays time but can't find a way out in the minute, then he will die. Edited June 12, 2015 by Paranoid King
Kobold King he/him Posted June 12, 2015 Posted June 12, 2015 He rarely uses it around other people. He mostly uses it to spy and discover information without being discovered. I won't abuse the power We know you won't. The issue is, even if you have out-of-universe reasons for keeping him held back, there could be situations in which there'd be no logical reason for him to refrain using his powers to undo anything he finds inconvenient. In fact, as an Epic I could argue that his corruption would probably constantly drive him to reset things and other people constantly. The point is, we like to make sure characters are balanced in-universe as well as out-of-universe.
Paranoid King he/him Posted June 12, 2015 Posted June 12, 2015 (edited) Good point. I agree that others around him (anyone within hearing or speaking distance) should be able to retain information. I can't imagine how difficult it would be to role-play if you forget everything every few turns. And he could have a 1-minute cooldown between flashbacks so that he doesn't just replay a situation over and over again. It would be interesting because whenever he flashed back, everyone around him would have a deja-vu moment and know they had been compromised. Edited June 12, 2015 by Paranoid King 1
Blackhoof Posted June 12, 2015 Posted June 12, 2015 Hmmm that would certainly make things more fun and interesting than erasing past actions completely. I'm still having a little trouble visualizing it, but if people get it then I am cool with it.
Voidus Posted June 12, 2015 Posted June 12, 2015 Message to all players with characters in The Dalles: In most RP threads, weaknesses are to be PMed both to Our Lady Empress TwiLyghtSansSparkles and the sub-GM of the specific city, usually Edgedancer or Comatose. The Dalles, largely as we were novices at game expansion at the time, has never really enforced that as a rule. This past couple of days Twi and I have been discussing whether I should become privy to Epic weaknesses in The Dalles. There are many factors I've been considering, and it seems like a good idea to me--but then, I'm a bit biased. So I thought I'd take it straight to the people and see what they think. My main reasons for wanting to see weaknesses are as such: Since I effectively control the entire Dalles City Guard, the chances of me absentmindedly creating a new setting detail that happens to set off someone's weakness are not inconceivable. If I were to be made aware of weaknesses, I could make sure I don't set any off without their players' permission. Vondra works hard at uncovering the weaknesses of the Epics in his employ. If people tell me their characters' weaknesses, we could either guide him to them or steer him down the wrong rabbit holes. Whatever makes for a better story. Going slightly mad with power. [Lucentia whine] Comatose and Edgedancer get to see weaknesses! Why can't I? [/Lucentia whine] So that's that, fellow Oregon RPers. The choice of weaknesses is pretty much up to you now, so tell me what you think. Well you already have my Dalles character weaknesses so I support this.
Kobold King he/him Posted June 12, 2015 Posted June 12, 2015 Good point. I agree that others around him (anyone within hearing or speaking distance) should be able to retain information. I can't imagine how difficult it would be to role-play if you forget everything every few turns. And he could have a 1-minute cooldown between flashbacks so that he doesn't just replay a situation over and over again. It would be interesting because whenever he flashed back, everyone around him would have a deja-vu moment and know they had been compromised. Awesome. The loss of memories and the potential for large-scale time travel were the only nits I had to pick. He sounds awesome now. Well you already have my Dalles character weaknesses so I support this. How generous of you.
Mckeedee123 he/him Posted June 12, 2015 Posted June 12, 2015 (edited) Good point. I agree that others around him (anyone within hearing or speaking distance) should be able to retain information. I can't imagine how difficult it would be to role-play if you forget everything every few turns. And he could have a 1-minute cooldown between flashbacks so that he doesn't just replay a situation over and over again. It would be interesting because whenever he flashed back, everyone around him would have a deja-vu moment and know they had been compromised. Except that people would still have to rewrite posts. The storylines kind of get slowed up enough as it is, if there are enough perspective'd characters in the room. Note the scene in the MoNA where there was a little "meet 'n greet" between 13-ish characters and it lasted forever. I don't want to be "that guy," especially since I'm relatively new here, but I think that the format for writing this RP just can't support a character like this without severe backlog. I'm glad you're here, though. Edited June 12, 2015 by Mckeedee123 1
Voidus Posted June 12, 2015 Posted June 12, 2015 Also like the new Epic with the restrictions although if everyone else retains their memories I don't see a problem with him being able to play the minute over as many times as he wants. Could definitely make for some interesting scenes. He'd certainly be welcome in Salem if you'd like, Soulcaster would find him pretty interesting.
Recommended Posts