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Post by Rigil Kent on Jun 7, 2014 13:09:02 GMT -6
You mentioned picking up Wild Talent. As I suspected, it does not work exactly like you thought. The normal Wild Talent ability will allow you to use the skill, but does not allow you to inexplicably be able to learn it. To accomplish that, you need the special enhancement Retention, which would bring the total cost up to 25, not the 20 you were thinking.
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Post by Rigil Kent on Jun 14, 2014 0:23:44 GMT -6
A reminder: you gained a new Quirk thanks to a failed Fright Check when the demon (with horns) tried to gore you.
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Post by Magman on Jun 14, 2014 19:04:46 GMT -6
A one second moment of hesitation when confronted with horned demons. Very minor flashback (The Horned Demon) Can I purchase wild talent (20pts) now then later purchase wild talent retention (5pts)?
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Post by Rigil Kent on Jun 14, 2014 19:30:31 GMT -6
That would be Glimpses of Clarity although "when confronted by horned demons" is pretty specific. I think it would work if it is simply "when confronted by things with horns."
As to the Wild Talent, I don't see why not.
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Post by Magman on Jun 14, 2014 20:47:58 GMT -6
That's good but I am going to call it The Horned Demon anyway. I just like the sound of it I will spend the 20 for Wild Talent and would like to pick up another point in Thaumatology.
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Post by Rigil Kent on Jan 9, 2016 14:53:50 GMT -6
Reviewing Police Rank - based on OSBI Rank Structure, I'm thinking you could increase to Police Rank 3 and would become "Special Agent III" (in terms of official rank.) Duties are "Responsible for leading broad, complex and highly specialized investigations or as a resident agent and does not supervise, badges have "Special Agent" inscribed". Your boss, Curtmantle, would have Police Rank 4 (Assistant Special Agent in Charge) so you could not advance to Rank 4 without either being reassigned or bumping him off.
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Post by Magman on Jan 10, 2016 19:51:02 GMT -6
I will take police rank 3. Curtmantle is save
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Post by Rigil Kent on Jan 23, 2016 9:47:27 GMT -6
So, something to consider: I noted that you have like 19 unspent CPs. One thing you might pick up is Luck for 15. This allows you two rerolls every hour in the real world so, in a case like we've had twice now where you missed a check, you reroll twice and take the best result. That might help prevent him sitting out the next "scary" fight. You might even be able to modify the 15 pts for Luck down by perhaps making it an item or something.
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Post by Rigil Kent on Feb 22, 2016 16:41:56 GMT -6
In the course of his usual rounds of Workaholic research in the Trailer, Jack has uncovered a curious box. It looks sort of like the below, but with different carvings on the top. Based on its weight and the fact that he can feel its balance shifting when the box is tilted, he is pretty certain it does have something inside. The carvings on the lid of this box look like this: Further research revealed that this box can be opened using the correct sequence of pushing the buttons along the sides. Additional examination of the buttons reveal that they have tiny symbols etched upon them and Jack realizes that he has seen many of these symbols in the books he has in the trailer. Thus, Jack has spent some time digging around the trailer in an attempt to uncover the proper combination to open whatever this is.
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Post by Magman on Feb 27, 2016 20:59:12 GMT -6
I would like to do a few things. Use single minded to search (Using Research skill)the trailer for the correct combination Use various skills. All Hidden lore, Theology, Thaumatology as to what the symbols mean. Use Eidetic Memory to try and remember if there is anything in the past that I might have read. And last if I figure it out. Use Intuition to decide if opening the box will be helpful in some way or bad.
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Post by Rigil Kent on Feb 28, 2016 12:48:34 GMT -6
Huh. I forgot you had Single Minded. Let's see ... that gives you a Research-16. Let's see what the dice say (BTW, if you want to roll instead, you can):
Zsox7S0h1-61-61-61-6·1-6·1-6
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Post by Rigil Kent on Feb 28, 2016 13:06:02 GMT -6
An 11. So that's a success by 5 which is pretty good by any measure. I'm going to say that combined with your eidetic memory, you have been able to locate most of the symbols throughout various books in the Trailer and are well on your way to figuring out the actual combination. Based on what you've found out, it seems like this was intentionally designed to be complex and really irritating. It seems intended to serve as a test of some sort, but some of the books you've found the symbols in aren't written in any language you understand (seems to be mostly in German, which might actually be something Jack consider learning since probably 50% or more of the stuff you have is in that language.)
This is a wholly separate task and will require further effort since (as stated above) at least half of the books that you find symbols in are written in German so you don't know what they mean. Yes, you can probably take a laptop into the trailer (providing there is some wi-fi nearby) and Google the worlds, but many of them still don't make much sense based on lack of context. Interestingly, most of the rest (probably 20% or 25%) are written in Hebrew, which you do read and there are many references to the Etz haChayim or Tree of Life in the Jewish Qabalistic tradition. A successful Theology (Abrahamic) is required to understand more.
Unclear. He just doesn't have enough information to make that sort of decision just yet.
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Post by Gigermann on Feb 28, 2016 14:06:50 GMT -6
Jack needs to find an archaeologist/anthropologist who specializes in Germanic studies
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Post by Rigil Kent on Feb 28, 2016 14:15:35 GMT -6
Jack needs to find an archaeologist/anthropologist who specializes in Germanic studies Played by Jürgen Prochnow, of course!
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Post by Magman on Feb 28, 2016 19:58:22 GMT -6
If possible because we are not in game and it talks more about skills. Use Wild talent to try read German and use retention and one point.
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Post by Rigil Kent on Feb 28, 2016 23:22:53 GMT -6
Hmm. Let me check on this.
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Post by Rigil Kent on Feb 29, 2016 10:47:31 GMT -6
Okay, found the answer. Short answer: No, you can't do that with Wild Talent because Languages aren't skills in GURPS, they're abilities.
Long answer: the way the Wild Talent ability is designed to only be utilized for skills; in the Powers book, there is a Wild Ability power that does something similar to abilities (which, man! That seems like an insane ability to have and, as a GM, I'd wince if a PC had it.) There are lots of technical skill balance reasons Wild Talent doesn't work in that way that make my head hurt when I try to read them - I checked the official GURPS boards and did find a thread asking the same question.
That said, you've have the Trailer for a quite a while now - not quite two years - and I seem to recall you declaring very early on that Jack was going to do an inventory of everything. Thus, he would have known from a very early time that most of his books are written in German, so I will allow you to retroactively spend points in learning the language (which would explain what he was doing in his off-time.) Interestingly, Jack has Language Talent so he will have picked this up much more quickly than a normal person.
So, question: is he just going for Written? With Language talent, 2 points in Language (Written) points comprehension level at Native. However, with those same 2 points, he could be able to speak the language at Accented and read at Literate. This would track with his other non-English languages (Cherokee, Hebrew, Latin, and Spanish) which are all at Accented/Literate [2 pts].
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Post by Gigermann on Feb 29, 2016 11:57:54 GMT -6
German uses the same Latin alphabet (with a few caveats)—he (as do we all) already has "Written German." You can't read it, and not be able to understand it spoken, I think.
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Post by Rigil Kent on Feb 29, 2016 12:10:15 GMT -6
German uses the same Latin alphabet (with a few caveats)—he (as do we all) already has "Written German." You can't read it, and not be able to understand it spoken, I think. I'm really struggling understanding what you mean. He does not have German (Written) or German (Spoken). Therefore, he does not understand it per RAW unless he spends the character points to learn the language. Besides, I took German in college and was far, far better at reading it than speaking or understanding someone speaking it.
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Post by Gigermann on Feb 29, 2016 12:15:36 GMT -6
You can't buy only "Written" comprehension—it just doesn't make any sense. Unless you're talking about an unfamiliar alphabet, like Japanese/Chinese—in that case, you can learn to read it without being able to comprehend what you're reading.
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Post by Rigil Kent on Feb 29, 2016 12:23:15 GMT -6
You can't buy only "Written" comprehension—it just doesn't make any sense. Unless you're talking about an unfamiliar alphabet, like Japanese/Chinese—in that case, you can learn to read it without being able to comprehend what you're reading. Where is that rule? I haven't seen any of the sort. Besides, I've already recommended he spend the 2 pts to get Spoken (Accented) and Written (Literate) like the other languages Jack knows, so the point is mostly moot.
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Post by Magman on Feb 29, 2016 20:13:57 GMT -6
Was going to horde points for a while again, but I'll go ahead spend the two points
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Post by Rigil Kent on Feb 29, 2016 21:52:04 GMT -6
You have Intelligence Analysis, right? Make a check on that - can probably add the Single-Minded bonus. That will allow you to properly decipher the information gleaned and identify the correct sequence that will serve as your combination.
In the course of his investigations, Jack will have determined that this puzzle serves as one of the tests for a would-be Schattenjäger. Schattenjäger is a German word that translates literally as "Shadow Hunter". It is the title used by a German family of supernatural investigators. The Ritter family of Bavaria is descended from Inquisitors, Jesuits, and Witch-hunters, and claims that some ancient charge to "serve the light" has shaped its destiny. There have been strangely few spellcasters in the family - according to what he has read, the few who were able to use magick were not powerful enough to merit entrance into the White Council - but he did find numerous references to the 'Eyes of a Schattenjäger,' which Jack expects are what his Supernatural Senses was called.
The current line started about 1210, the date of the first entry in the prayer book kept in the Schloss Ritter chapel although circumstantial evidence strongly indicates that it goes back much further. The family's patron saint is St. George, and it is in possession of a talisman of ancient design, which is alleged to have powers. Although it has broadened its outlook over the centuries, the family has strove to achieve its mission of hunting down and destroying supernatural evil. In 1993, however, most of the family line was exterminated by a coalition of supernatural entities (mostly vampires of the Red Court but with more than a handful of warlocks who had eluded the White Council.) Jack is directly descended from one of the survivors.
Based on his best guess, Jack suspects that there are "tools" within the box that will enhance his capabilities against the supernatural but all of the reading he has done indicates that once someone starts on this path, they very rarely die in bed. Having a genealogy that goes back to 1210, he can count on one hand the number of people who died natural deaths. Most of the entries read like 'killed by a revenant in Aachen' or 'gambled with a Fae lord and lost' or 'missing; believed eaten by Red Court vampires' and so on.
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Post by Rigil Kent on Mar 5, 2016 18:11:14 GMT -6
So, Jack has decided to hold off on popping open the box out of a concern that he might end up getting drafted into the Heavenly Host ... my question is what are the nature of his questions? You mentioned him attending a couple of churches so it seems logical that he's trying to figure something out. So tell me what he's wanting to figure out and I'll work out the answers to those questions.
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Post by Magman on Mar 9, 2016 20:59:04 GMT -6
After further thought Jack is going to open the box it's just a matter of when. What will the trigger be? This last weeks events may do it, I am waiting to see what transpires this week. The way things have gone for Jack recently he will start attending a southern baptist church every Sunday. If you will and it can be used that way I would like you to put blessed advantage on the spread sheet. Once I have gained the ten points needed I will pick it up.
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Post by Rigil Kent on Mar 9, 2016 21:52:46 GMT -6
The way things have gone for Jack recently he will start attending a southern baptist church every Sunday. If you will and it can be used that way I would like you to put blessed advantage on the spread sheet. Once I have gained the ten points needed I will pick it up. Which version of Blessed are you considering? For 10, there is the "visions" one and the 'heroic feats' one. And random observation: that advantage does not necessarily need to be stemming from God's blessing. You could make a deal with a faerie or ... something else if you wanted.
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Post by Magman on Mar 10, 2016 19:54:42 GMT -6
Visions. I believe that Jack will steer clear of any dealings with faerie's or the something else's. We all know where that could lead.
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Post by Rigil Kent on Mar 13, 2016 17:21:59 GMT -6
Urgh. Visions. Because of course you want that. To be fair, he has kind of made a deal with a powerful entity when he opened the box, only the entity is a Catholic saint (which is amusing given the expressed desire to go to Baptist stuffs.)
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Post by Magman on Mar 14, 2016 19:45:32 GMT -6
Upon further review I will go with heroic DX. Didn't realize that I will start attending a Catholic church then.
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Post by Rigil Kent on Mar 14, 2016 21:29:03 GMT -6
Upon further review I will go with heroic DX. Nah, it's fine. If you really want the visions, that's cool. I can work with that. Entirely up to you. Lutherans also believe in Saints - not quite to the extent that Catholics do, but really, they're just Catholic Lite anyway...
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