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(Vol 6) Chapter 19: Ante Up
🕑 Added 2024-08-13 15:05:09 +0000 UTCMore reviews of upgrades awaited Sammy as she sat on her throne and poured away…
Floofa suddenly dropped out of nowhere into her lap, startling her. The cabbit had a carrot she was nomming away on hurriedly, her eyes shifting around and her ears twitching. She whispered with her mouth full, “Sammy hide Floofa?”
No sooner than she asked, Midnight was bounding through the air to land some distance away from the throne, looking around. She appeared to have a broccoli stalk in her hand. Her back was turned.
Floofa’s wide eyes took it in, her chewing going still. She gazed up at Sammy pleadingly.
Rolling her eyes, Sammy cloaked her in an illusion to hide her — just as Midnight was turning around.
The darker-colored cabbit was holding out the broccoli almost menacingly as she continued scanning around with narrowed eyes. “Hi, Sammy.” This was shortly followed by her yelling, “Floofa! Come eat! Good for you!”
In Sammy’s lap, the invisible Floofa shook her head emphatically, indeed looking at the broccoli as a dangerous weapon she feared. She chewed oh so slowly.
Sammy smiled politely at Midnight and waved. “She doesn’t appear to be here, but good luck in your search, Midnight.”
“I will find,” Midnight promised solemnly, holding the broccoli stalk over her heart like a knight’s sword. “For proper digestive health!” With that, she bounded off to resume her search.
After a long, tense period of silence, Floofa continued eating her carrot happily. She was smacking her lips with her eyes shut, making happy cabbit noises, when she declared, “Sammy stronger!”
Her hand propping her cheek as she smirked and shook her head at the mess in her lap, Sammy replied, “That’s right, Floofa. I’m still reviewing my level up, though.”
“Review, review! Level, level!”
“As you command, Princess Floofa!”
Floofa’s eyes went wide and sparkly. “Oooh, Floofa princess…”
Sammy continued her reviews. Dazzling Spectrum… added another +1 to the contest. It seemed to be simply more ‘rounds’ of such upgrades after something similar from level 7. If she had to guess, it was broken up irregularly and would continue at ensuing levels.
Mirror Sense was the minimal change that level, the surface becoming 11x11 centimeters required instead of 12x12.
Mirror Communication added another enhancement…
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Hide the Other Side (Illusion Synergy): For double the normal costs ( thus 2 FE (Illusion) or 4 FE at base), you may utilize [Grant Invisibility] through a mirror portal. They must touch the mirror, and you are at -3 Effective Levels in terms of the effectiveness.
You may also perform it on an object touching the mirror, or make the mirror itself invisible.
Current Level of Effect: 5. This only affects normal vision and lasts 1 hour per deity level. You may stack the cost for additional duration, a number of times equal to your level. Any attack or hostile spell or spell-like ability use by the subject on a foe ends the effect immediately.
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Ah, so I’d need… two more levels to grant invisibility that doesn’t pop after an attack. Though I could try Sympathetic Targeting instead, but would need a strong preponderance of links.
Mirror Walk changed to 33 kilometers range, from 22.
Sammy mused on the pattern. “Okay, so we went from 3 to 12, to 22, to 33. 9, 10, 11 increase. Plus 12 next? Unless it maxed out. 44, 55, 66… why do I feel like that’s exactly what divine abilities would do? In any case, I’m doubtful I’ll ever leap a continent in a single bound with this particular ability. That’s what the Bridge of Edges is for!”
“Sharp bridge?” Floofa asked. “Be careful, don’t run! Sammy get hurt.” She nodded sagely.
Sammy laughed. “I promise I won’t!”
[Sheath of Light] had a couple of upgrades:
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Sheath of Light acts like an improved Armor of Light spell, giving 3 wound negations, +4/+6 Magical Armor/Magical Armor against supernatural entities or against [Darkness] or [Shadow] effects, and transmutes worn armor into a minimum of Full Plate protection at +3 Physical Armor. If already wearing Full Plate equivalent, add +1 physical armor to the existing armor.
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“Cool beans. It seems I’ve unlocked general ‘3 wound negations’ at level 8.”
Floofa made a face as she was munching on a mostly-eaten carrot. “Beans gross. Not cool!”
“What about warm beans?”
Floofa shook her head emphatically. “No! No beans!”
“No beans. Aaaalrighty then…”
[Split Prediction] had a new enhancement to peruse…
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Precisive Action: Once per day, you may take a singular full action as a defense instead of a typical defense. This can be used for movement, potentially invalidating attacks.
You cannot combine full movement with an attack through this effect, but you can set up an advantageous attack for your next action if it proceeds immediately after. Movement is not instantaneous by default and you are likely to be perceived and reacted to, though likely at circumstantial penalty.
You may use this to both attack and defend, in which case attacks become functionally simultaneous. Your attacker is at -3 Effective Levels to defend and you are at -2 Effective Levels to defend.
Any ‘compression of time’ is for all intents and purposes due to natural efficiency and prediction.
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Oh, hell yeah! [Mirror Walk] as a defense?! How many times would that have saved my ass?
One she was particularly curious about was next: [Tarot Reading]. It had a new enhancement.
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Ante Up (Fate Synergy): After spending 30 seconds ‘shuffling’, you may allocate 1-7 Grant Prayer (Fate) uses for a given day to one of your Followers, which turn into the corresponding number of cards of the Tarot played immediately or ‘in reserve’. At any time, you or they may play a ‘hand’ and must select one card for an effect equal to a Present draw upon their person. This is never a permanent buff or curse, only temporary.
Every card effect obeys its facing, i.e. there are upright as well as reverse effects acting as curses. A selected curse will afflict the Follower.
These allocations drain Grant Prayer (Fate) once used, not when allocated. They may be pulled before use, in which case that Follower cannot be allocated Prayers in this way for the rest of the day. If you must spend FE to allocate Prayers, you will be refunded the amount when pulled. End-of-day reset may or may not carry over allocation, as desired.
Any use of Channel Domain will automatically pull and utilize any allocated Prayers to fuel it.
The effect cannot be removed or dispelled and only one may be present on an individual. Any lesser [Fate] buffs are removed when it goes into effect, and any [Fate] buffs or curses will not resolve on them for their duration.
Anyone with Ante Up either allocated or affecting them cannot be targeted with the standard operation of [Tarot Reading] for the day.
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“Well well, isn’t that interesting?”
Floofa blinked at her. “I unno. Is it?”
“Yes! From the sounds of it, the buffs are very powerful. As long as I allocate enough cards, the odds of all reverses are minimal. Though… I guess not zero, so there is some risk. Such is life, right?”
“Shoot for the stars!”
“That’s the spirit! Hmm. It might depend on their personality whether they want a potentially risky benefit like this. Someone like Lucky would go for it even with three, I bet. I think the odds are one in eight to get all lemons there. All seven would be like… less than a 1% chance.”
“You pick!”
“Hmm?” Suddenly, she realized. “Oh shit, I can pick! Duh! And I’m not obligated down here like up there with the System Deck, right? System, can you tell me if I can utilize my ability [Intuition] with these cards for Ante Up? Can I flip them either horizontally or vertically like in the System Deck?”
That is correct, Director. You may fully utilize [Intuition] to improve the odds of an upright result. However, this would require more time.
“Right, right, it’s more limited in an emergency. But that’s still pretty damn awesome.”
“Awesome possum!” Floofa agreed as she popped the last of her carrot in her mouth.
“Indeed. Know what else is awesome?” Sammy reached a hand behind her back.
“What, what?!”
“This.” Sammy produced a banana.
Floofa was rapturous as she grabbed it, immediately ripped it open with her little claws, and devoured the tasty treat. There was no taking her time like with the carrot.
“Damn, Floofa! I think I know what I actually have to limit you on, as opposed to carrots.”
Swallowing and licking her lips, Floofa gazed at her blankly. “Please have banana?”
Sammy frowned and raised an eyebrow, then quickly sighed in defeat at the cute, hopeful face of her pet. “Fine. But only one more banana, okay? Don’t ask for another one! Agreed?”
Floofa nodded vigorously, and Sammy produced another banana which was quite promptly devoured. After swallowing, Floofa’s eyes shifted to the side briefly, then she looked up at Sammy hopefully. “Please have carrot?”
Sammy widened her eyes in admonishment. “No, little missy!” At the disappointed face, Sammy made a little ‘shoo’ motion. “Run along, now! If you forage, I’m sure you’ll find more goodies.”
The hopefulness returned to the cabbit. “Okay! Love Sammy!” She hugged the goddess, then hopped away to continue her search, apparently intent on disobeying her sister in the new-found free-roaming expanses of Heaven.
Not to mention, the other new cabbits might not be the best influence, hehehehe…. Score one for Sammy, Red!
There was one other straggler ability to review to finish out Goddess Level 8’s review — The Unseen Animus.
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This is a hidden contest of Will that you have +3 Effective Levels for.
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Alright, I can dig it. Gives it a little more reach above and beyond my levels. Like a lot of my abilities are getting. Not [Removal], though. The insta-kill has been a flat-level comparison from the start. But, at least I can use [The Unseen Animus] to soften up for it.
Ideally, she wouldn’t have to remove people from existence. But such were the cards sometimes.
She noticed that all of her deific abilities did not add the ‘+1’ and such in the name like Detect Magic did, except for what had been from a quest reward. Why? Who knew? Probably because it was considered a special boost reserved for special scenarios. [Detect Magic] was special only in the sense of the unique application of that bonus, adding to interactions after detection, as it was by default not contest-centric.
She took a quick look at spells. Sure enough to her speculations, there was Radiant Armor at level 8, providing 3 wound negations, +2/+4 Magical Armor, and full plate physical Armor similar to Sheath of Light, albeit weaker. Despite that, it was a guaranteed new staple for her due to fewer restrictions, costs, and its default long duration.
Other common attack and defense spells that had been at ‘+2’ at lower levels became +3, showcasing further the theme of the bonus increase pattern. Energy Fortification was one such, giving +3 Warding against energy and magic attacks, as Energy Protection gave +2 at level 2.
Something new of note that she recognized was Wall of Force, which created a typical energetic construct, invisible if desired, but unlike most of them, it was invulnerable to damage, common spells, and even basic Dispel Magic. Naturally, there were equivalent-level counters of various kinds, but it was well known as a staple of wizards.
I’m sure my peeps, moi, or both will inevitably make use of it.
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« (Vol 6) Chapter 18 | Table of Contents | (Vol 6) Chapter 20: Bending the Wick »
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Comments
Tejing
Hiding the mirror itself sounds like a particularly useful application of Hide the Other Side, even with the -3 level penalty. Spying should get a lot easier that way. Ante Up sounds useful, but always just a bit risky, even with Sammy choosing. Allocating and playing more for more choice definitely helps, though. P.S. Floofa is adorable as always :-)
