Rain Harlow
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(Vol 6) Chapter 62: Reflection Over Trauma
🕑 Added 2024-10-16 15:15:09 +0000 UTCA quite new Special Trait was up in the continuing Review of the New.
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Multitask Magician
Utilizing ‘tertiary’ physical manipulation methods — such as supernatural telekinesis effects — is second nature to you, and you’ve become adept at effectively operating with additional hands or efficiently using alternate locomotion. If utilized on a long, multifaceted physical project requiring such manipulation, this will halve the time it takes you and potentially grant a circumstantial bonus if using multiple limbs synchronously is especially advantageous.
You can ignore up to -2 Effective Levels in penalties for doing ‘too many things at once’ if you leverage your additional manipulation methods, including for multiple defenses in a defense maneuver period, or difficulty tracking multiple targets for an attack. You are also never penalized for acting while utilizing unusual locomotion methods or being in nonoptimal body positions (upside down, prone) unless there is an actual physical limit (such as being confined by gravity without a telekinetic enhancer).
Your subconscious mind has enhanced depth of productivity, allowing you to perform relatively simple tasks (physically or virtually physical) without thinking about them.
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This one really made Sammy ponder and think back to her hellscape experience. She’d probably lived through it over months, effectively more time than she’d even spent in Calrenazzod, though looking back, it had a ‘condensed’ feeling when she wasn’t focusing on something.
The ability of course spoke to her adaptation to utilize the necessity of the octo-grippers. It was no simple adjustment in a completely 3-dimensional environment full of 3-dimensional threats, without the crutch of ‘superhero’ style flight available. The best anchor to position oneself at any given time could be up, down, left, right — any direction. The growing pains had been painful indeed, but by the end, she found she was operating upside down hanging from branches without even thinking about it, with mirrors constantly referenced to avoid ambushes.
Six arms, two legs, two heads, and another set in Azure to double-check. That was how we survived that bizarre, awful wilderness. I imagine some strangeness to that place and its mistress was due to elements of proto-existence far beyond and before our cycle. Disturbing.
And yet, whatever trauma it had shocked her with, she’d burned through and calloused over, because destruction was the only other option. They’d cried in each other’s arms more than once… at first… where the consolation of each other had been the salvation.
But beyond that period was a curious adaptation to a ‘new normal’ in order to match the horror. Something inherently personal. The dread of the next madness to encounter became complex problems of necessity to solve, and then devolved again into nothing more than a chore. Weeds to chop, grooves to fit. The grind of an alien machine they lived within — that they carved their own identity out of, hideous substance that it was.
Somewhere on the other side of how alien it felt, how inhuman, it began to feel familiar. At first, she thought perhaps she’d brought a little humanity into it.
No. Identity… carved out of it. I became its product, and it reminded me of what I really am. Inside.
“I think I’m a good quarter monster-alien now, Jeeves,” Sammy said, smirking at his mirror as it floated up.
The butler in the mirror raised his eyebrows. “Oh? I thought I detected some existential loathing in progress. What’s the full breakdown, now, Madam?”
“Half-human, quarter goddess, quarter monster-alien. One percent cosmic horror, as extra.”
“I’ll be sure to invite Cthulhu over for brunch sometime, then. Perhaps a 64 Atomic Claret as a table wine, to go with a soufflé of polenta mixed with the blood of the innocent?”
“Hmm, maybe, but he probably only likes seafood.”
“Salient point. Madam… I should think your humanity intact after the evidence of your compassion for Agatha so recently.”
“Ehh, so I’m a clannish monster, then. The Momma Bear. Just watch out when I get mad.”
Jeeves sighed. “Moving on, Madam. I wanted to say that I had noticed a large productivity and efficiency increase in the realm’s operations since your return. Something like a general intelligence boost you might say, where our growth was previously more straining progress than anything. After your review of [Multitask Magician], I believe that is the lion’s share of why.”
“Ah! Compartmentalization improvements. Technically everything you all do is using my psyche.”
“Quite so. I thought you might like to know about a secondary ‘perk,’ as it were.”
“I do. Thanks, Jeeves.”
“Of course. I do want to re-emphasize the need for more Servitors, however. We can make all the better use of them now.”
“Understood. I will do it soon.”
Jeeves bowed and excused himself as Sammy turned her attention to the next thing — an entry under [Slayer].
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Aura of Conquest: You have the presence — though not an actual reputation — of someone powerful on the scale of nations and the world as a whole. This adds +4 Effective Levels to interactions with ‘major players’ (such as rulers and generals) for diplomacy, threats, bluffs, etc. It also functions as [Charisma] for morale and leadership purposes, with anyone on your side of a conflict. Respect and/or fear will be a common reaction from neutral parties.
Too much evidence to the contrary in regards to this aura will suppress its effect on any given target.
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Nice. Channeling Ralli will make just about anyone take me seriously.
[Jack of All Trades 2] had an enhancement.
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Simple, Stupid: You have +1 Effective Levels to any basic, non-feint, non-deceptive, straight-forward attack of any kind that deals (Crushing) type wounding.
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Well, that’s an entry that keeps things simple and stupid. Tee hee! On that note, let’s check out Brute’s skill before the other thing…
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Scrapping
You are proficient with any weapon and ignore up to -1 Effective Levels in penalties for utilizing an inferior, damaged, or improvised object as a weapon or shield.
You have +1 Effective Levels for utilizing ‘close range’ attacks if you did not need to move more than one step to make the attempt. This includes such tactics as punches, pommel strikes, knee strikes, trips, stomps, grapples, attacks with small knives, blackjacks, etc. It never applies to weapons longer than 15 centimeters.
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Heh. Bar room brawls, here I come. Actually, I find this neat. It only reinforces my desire for a specialty enchanted shank. Rule #24 of the Sammyverse: Always have a shank!
Next up was a Snekky addition to Ascendant:
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Snake Friend: Snakes or snake-aligned beings sense you are their friend on a primal level. They will not attack you unless provoked or with some specific premeditation. You are considered to have [Reptilian Charm 2] with them, likely generating curiosity and improving the chances for aid or other agreements. Note that snakes normally ignore [Charisma], human attractiveness, etc.
You automatically understand any snake language.
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Sammy felt movement from the Ring of the Cheater and glanced at it to see the nagi smiling cheerily with her eyes closed, holding a thumbs-up briefly before shifting back into the default pose.
“Aww.” Sammy grinned and returned the gesture. “I’m glad you approve, cheaty snek friend!”
The golem provision under [Magical Invention] was her next review target.
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Golem Creation: You can create permanent golem constructs — large humanoid warriors. This requires hard, physical material as a medium, work hours of enchantment, and extensive mana investiture. You must spend four hours solo on the first core enchantment, and invest 25 MP per [Brute] level desired, up to your caster level -6 but with further maximum values dependent on material. You also reduce your Maximum MP by this same level.
The total MP required is 250 per [Brute] level, but may be provided by other mages through work hours of enchantment. Every four-hour period can transfer up to 10 times their caster level in MP, with up to twelve mages able to contribute at any given time.
You may spend time on an hour-by-hour basis, providing up to 5 times your caster level in MP and restoring your Maximum MP by 1. This latter effect can only restore up to half of what was drained, rounded up.
Level ranges by material — Clay or Wood: 1-6. Common Stone: 5-7. Hard Stone (such as granite): 7-9. Copper: 9-10. Iron: 9-12. Steel: 11-14.
Other lesser materials may fall within these ranges. Greater materials require an upgrade to this enhancement.
Size for non-metal golems starts at 2 meters tall and increases within the level range above to 3 meters tall, i.e. a level 6 Clay Golem is much larger than a level 1. Size for metal golems can be as small as an average human up to 3 meters, as desired (larger at lower strength are hollow inside or can be filled with an inert material that counts as encumbrance). Arms are normally oversized to provide reach, and a normally proportioned golem will not be as effective at punching.
These basal golems are simple fighters that specialize in [Brawling] and are penalized to use even simple melee weapons. They are basically proficient at grappling. They do not utilize advanced maneuvers or other skills. Golems are exceptionally tough for their level despite offensive liabilities, with high armor values (particularly metal varieties), toughness, and wound mitigation, normally requiring extensive, magically-enhanced battery to disable. Any other than Copper and Steel golems (without encumbrance) are slow.
You may optionally add Magic Resistance up to 1 level per 2 Brute levels, to a maximum of 5. This costs an additional 250 MP per level.
Golems have an ‘operational MP’ statistic that fuels them equal to 25 times their level. With minimum activity this degrades by double their level per day, worsening with greater activity levels. You may recharge them with 5 minutes of concentration, or any involved in their creation may with 1 hour of concentration.
If a golem is damaged, it can be repaired similar to creation but at 1/4th the time and MP expenditure. If a golem is destroyed, your Maximum MP invested in it will return at a rate of 1 MP per day.
Golem Creation Limit: None
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Cool. Certainly no free lunch, but a permanent badass warrior-drone should take a little effort, after all. Natural tanks. It’ll be on the itinerary to make one or two at the least. Golem Creation Limit? Huh. Anyway, now’s it time for the chuckle-inducing new modifier on something I don’t even remember reading!
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Conceptual Body
By default, your body is made of spirit-stuff and you are not anchored to a body. You may transmute bodily into spiritual realms instead of merely projecting (though you may also project from a temporarily-occupied body).
If previously a mortal, bodily limitations will be simulated in your spirit form, but are editable and can be turned off, with potential consequences to emotional response and mental outlook.
Bare Necessities: You always have at least +2 Magical Armor, even if without any form of material armor or clothing. This does not stack with existing Magical Armor values.
If entirely without other protection against an attack (such as when caught disembodied, stripped of enchantments, or physically nude) add +1 Effective Levels to any defense or resistance, as a (Bare Necessities) modifier.
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Despite that she was ready for it, Sammy was still a bit scandalized. She shook her head. “Incentivizing me being nude, Ozzy? Really? You’re such a pervert!”
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« (Vol 6) Chapter 61 | Table of Contents | Such baseless accusations! »
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Comments
Tejing
Multitask Magician is deceptively powerful. Given the role Sammy usually has in a fight, the ability to manage so many things at once is huge. Nevermind the secondary effects on her realm as a whole. Aura of Conquest is pretty nice, too. +4 is a lot. And she needs to interact with those folks more and more. Golem Creation sounds cool, but definitely has some downsides. Max MP loss, in particular, is a big limiter. Still, it's not a bad idea to have a couple of them for key uses.
Rain Harlow
Dig a lot of these I came up with for this... took a lot of time to conjure out of the vaguer concepts in my head while writing. I legit had to spend two entire writing day equivalents just to re-read the sections, collate and summarize, take notes, then filter it into what I wanted. In contrast, writing the final forms wasn't too bad. Some things are influenced in varying degrees of indirection by my recent obsession with replaying through Fallout: New Vegas and its DLCs in off time I'm better off not sequestering (but what can I say, I'm a gamer damn it!). I went all the way through the STILL BUGGY bastard on the first playthrough, suffering crashes aplenty. For the second playthrough, I dumped a metric shit ton of mods in to stabilize and smooth. Dear Goddesses, it's so much better! It's 200 or so from the mod pack Viva New Vegas using 'Wabbajack.' The wine Jeeves quotes above is from Old World Blues. 'Sonic dog bark attack' also came from there probably, lol. Not intentional in that case, just the nature of imagination and influence. One might also make a case for the alienation of the environment, the paranoia and such, coming from various FNV stuff. Dead Money is among the most dreadful of environments imaginable, as are certain irradiated vaults.
