...hey @OurLadyOfWires , let's say we get to zero health next turn (dancing with death), end of turn we roll to heal, can we heal the damage from the failed ritual as well or can that only be healed the turn after?
You need to make your plans based on how you "start" the turn. So, if you start the turn with one (or in our case, zero) health points, all your options and planings will be done based on that.
If you eventually recover a health point, even if it is in an "immediate way" like through Forge Redemption ritual, it basically takes effect at the "end" of the turn.
Mechanically, because that way we avoid having to triple-plan, or do several if->else plans like "if we get healed, do X".
And narratively, because preparing a healing ritual, or even adjusting yourself to your newly-healed form, takes time. Which, in practice, can be stretched to a full month and a turn.
I can take certain liberties, if they make sense and if they further an interesting story. But these are basically the rules that we will generally follow.
@OurLadyOfWires copyedits:
There seems to be something unclear happening with the math here - neither of the roll+bonus equations add up, and Biedde's overflow increased by 28, which is neither the difference between the results as written (169-135=34) or as calculated (126-81=45)?
@OurLadyOfWires copyedits:
Thank you! I'll go over these updates as soon as I am done posting this.
@OurLadyOfWires how does siccing the Bureau on one of our enemies work narratively? Like, if right now we pointed them at Copper, would Velvet try and spin it as a suspected link to the changelings or something?
I know you asked "narratively", but let me start by talking about the mechanical aspects.
Mechanically, your Investigators can "investigate a foe", and narratively your constables can "perform an Expedition".
Now, you DO have a general expedition called "assault a foe". But having your constables attack someone (perform that general expedition) "because you said so" is pretty bad PR. So, mechanically, you are supposed to have your investigators scout a foe, and then you sic your constables on them.
Narratively, Velvet will just nudge her investigators into finding a "really bad pony" (your foe) and once they inevitably find something dirty you have all the justification to throw your constables on them.
Here's my tentative plan for next turn. Call it Gambling the Needle.
I truly appreciate this, and I sincerely apologize for the latest developments.
I mean I suppose there is the option of socialling up Mayor Mare or finding a new contact entirely. Or, I suppose we might be able to social Spoiled Rich, as some have suggested. She's not on our contact list right now, but Velvet is presumably aware she exists, so it shouldn't be too meta-y to write in a social action with her? ...I don't know if Mareinette can initiate a contact though (@OurLadyOfWires?), so if we went after Spoiled, we might have to start the contact with our free action and then Mareinette can take it from there.
"If it is a social action Velvet can do, Mareinette can do it instead."
Just go with that and you will be golden.
Granted, there are things VELVET would veto, like "having Velvet Mareinette read Silky a bedtime story". But jokes aside, yes, Mareinette can start a new friendship, invest in an existing friendship, or even do social fleeting opportunities.
Now, this is an important caveat. Mareinette does NOT have access to your personal skills. So, if you had asked Mareinette to talk to Comet Feet, things like "Conscript" would not be available, since that needed your Edge Influence.
But those cases are the exception.
Oh, and also. You do have enough...
information, to try and gun for Filthy's wife. You did talk to him enough to learn, in character, that his marriage is rough. That might be a thin thread to grab, but I'm fine with it.
...uh. @OurLadyOfWires is this representative of just how useful the Mirror will be to Eclipse, or can we assume they'll be able to use Lantern for some rolls we had to use other lores on? Can they use the artifact for APPLICATION bonuses? In that case it would also help in understanding the Blank and Branding Doors.
No comment. But more because that whole update is meta-knowledge.
I needed you all to know about Celestia, so that is all I will discuss on that matter.
@OurLadyOfWires question, if we reach turn 21 with Luna still having a single training action to do ((be it winter or general), could we have her do something like
1)something
2)something
diligent: the last training
Velvet: all 4 and general 30
No. Luna's training takes effect at the end of the turn. She would only be "done with her training" at the end of the turn, and Velvet would only be able to teach her starting the following one.
...though... @OurLadyOfWires sorry if I already asked, but can we sacrifice a changeling for lantern 4 personal sacrament, or grail 4 personal, if we capture one?
No. Pony sacrifices only.
That being said, I had a fun idea! Mostly because I remembered that Bird has allowed us to 'multitask' socials before when the multitasking made sense in a narrative context.
So, what if, instead of having Mareinette do a social, we have her give us a Grail Influence, then we do a social with Filthy Rich and Spoiled Rich combined? Considering they're literally, you know, married, I don't think it would be too much of a stretch to combine a Filthy Rich social action with a "get Spoiled Rich into our Contacts" action. Could you comment on this possibility, @OurLadyOfWires?
It wouldn't be as efficient as a focused action. But sure, it makes sense narratively, so that would be allowable.
And a side note. Instead of using Mareinette + Velvet action to get an Influence and do it yourself, you can also ask Mareinette to do it alone. Just reminding that is a possibility.
Or maybe it was just me, idk.
If it was "just you", then it was just the two of us!
On a similar note, @OurLadyOfWires now that we've come to terms with Comet do we know his Lores? Is it solely Edge 4?
Yes. Mono-Lore at Edge 4.
One mechanical piece @OurLadyOfWires — I am really surprised we rerolled here, on the first round?
So, here is the thing.
Combat still needs to be
remotely possible for both sides.
So, the re-rolls that you receive with Edge happen at a fixed interval. At your level, you ALWAYS roll twice, every six dice. Of course, you keep the largest number. But if you roll 80, and then 70, you keep the 80. And if you roll a 5, and reroll for a 50, you keep the 50.
But if you instead "kept" the re-roll until you lost a contest, that would make combat orders of magnitude more difficult for the other party. And combat still needs to be
risky.
Look at Biedded, for example. The Windigo did manage to put an overflow in. Not enough to wound him, but combat needs to involve putting your life on the line, even when you can casually swing a +80 bonus.
well, that's a clusterfuck and all our plans are now out of the window.
QM, were there any clues to this being prepared, or we got fucked over by some unlucky roll of the dice?
You have known that Copper hates you for months now. And you two already tried to murder each other with rituals. I fail to see how you could need more clues that you two are at war.
Unless... @OurLadyOfWires , are all our Realizations gone with our Lore Levels?
Yes.
I mean, you get them back if you stop dancing with death. But yes, you have nothing.
Doesn't that mean that we have moth 0? You know, the same level as Celestia?
You won't meet her in person while in this state. So don't worry.
Edit: Also, hypothetically speaking, if we die would there be a vote for a regrettable action that basically is "I keep living."?
No.
If a family member dies, you get a wolf-vote (with the alternative being "lose the quest").
If you die, you die. And Soft probably takes over in a continuation-quest, if people are interested.
But, uh, don't die. Even in canon CS cheating death was hard, you won't get a pass here.
This is actually a good turn to write Manuscripts, if we want. Assuming we can do that while our lore values are "non-existent" at least. It might be impossible right now... @OurLadyOfWires can we write manuscripts the coming turn?
No. You have "Nonexistent" on all Lores this turn.
Actually.... hmm. @OurLadyOfWires Since the "usable level" of Velvet's Lores are 0, will she still benefit from the bonus's they provide? Not for stat wise, but... Still seeing in the dark, hoof reading, reading two books with one action, two manus actions with one, ect?
Also no. And this is an important distinction.
You started the quest with "Lore level 0" on all Lores. and even that gave you very marginal bonus (Like, Grail 0 gave you +1, etc).
Right now you have your Lore is "Nonexistent". It's like Rarity's Winter level. Rarity is Grail/Forge, so she has no Winter. That is how you are on all Lores right now.
- - -
Also I get that Blidde had to focus on the Windigo but still its pretty bad form for a guy whos job is guarding to,
A: Leave a gate unlocked and open so the intruder could actually reach us before the Names fights were finished.
and,
B: Not just slit her throat on the way past to the Windigo as she is still just a mortal with 43 less attack bonus but whatever.
I get that it's game balance or whatever but I would assume that considering they had no Moth or Knock Cultists there, their expedition to kill us would have been to
1. Get past the guards with Edge (which they did ,one got past) and then 2. Get into the mansion grounds (which it seemed like they just got a free pass on), I would have thought Moth or Knock would be needed due to Copper having a Cult with wide Lore variety in its members, but I guess much like how the rivals Mansus climbs are simplified so too are their attacks.
Also seconding the question on if this was a narrative attack or poor dice roll one if it doesn't spoil anything, im kinda curious how stuff in this quest is decided on as interactive fiction like this seems so intensive to make.
This update has been cool and whilst the 1 off dice roll from the Church has kinda thrown the plans of mice and mares outta whack the opportunity to explore Dancing with Death narritively is pretty neat. Good work Birb looking forward to future updates.
First of all, thank you kindly! I really appreciate your words.
And second, I'm separating this quote so I can explain a few things better.
First of all. The mechanics of an attack, and of guarding your house.
An attack against you isn't as complex as an attack YOU make against an enemy. Things really are simplified to the extent that the enemies don't really need to sneak around/avoid guards and whatnot. Unless they wish to perform special actions, like stealing artifacts or resources, if that is what your opponent wanted them to do.
So, for a brutal frontal attack, the MECHANICAL aspect is basically open combat. I looked at how many attackers Copper sent (four thugs and a Windigo), I looked at what you had (Velvet, Biedde and Mareinette), and I basically treated it as a brawl in an open room.
Mareinette is Mareinette, so she tackled a group of enemies due to her high health pool and
[REDACTED].
Biedde (and this is important) has "Terrifying Opponent", remember? So, mortal enemies will avoid him like the plague. And since he was your main combatant, he decided to face the enemy's strongest combatant.
And numerically, what was left went for Velvet who was also their main opponent.
If anyone finished their combats first, they would move to aid their allies (and Biedde would have stepped into your combat if he had killed his Windigo one turn sooner). Likewise, Velvet would have moved to aid one of the Names if, for example, only three thugs had been sent. (And since only the main combatants hurt each other, she would have been safe on the sidelines).
And... well, that's basically it.
Now,
narratively, there is also a layer to it. I wanted to follow those mechanical bones, but I definitely sprinkled some things here and there.
For example, Mareinette fought out of your
side (EDIT: )sight.
Why?
And Biedde
allowed a combatant to pass him.
Again,
why? I see people saying that was incompetent of him, and that is a possible interpretation. But why not, instead, consider that he is
not incompetent. What does that tell you?
Names have agency. And they are watching you as much as you are watching them. Or maybe even more closely.
EDIT: Oh, and about Velvet herself. Why would I treat an enemy attack as a "brawl in an open room" instead of making it combat by stages? Well, because Velvet's home is her sanctuary, and her family is sacred. She will, unironically, meet her enemies on the front gate and fight them at the same time rather than
risk them stepping a single hoof on her home, and putting her family in danger.
Anyhow, that is what I had to say about the combat itself. Thank you for reading this far.
- - -
Also,
this is a reminder that Investigators and Constables only perform one action each per turn.
This is an important thing to consider if you pick the second option. Constables can't guard you and raid the changelings at the same time (and failing to guard you will decrease morale a little). And investigators, if asked to find Copper, won't be able to do anything else.
- - -
Finally, I don't think I missed any pings. Kindly direct me to anything I missed, if I somehow overlooked your post.
I will now go re-edit the update, and maybe check the math for accuracy. For example, I see I gave +50 to Mareinette instead of her +60 for social actions. But none of the final results will change. I'll go figure that out now.
I hope you are all doing well!
