Jonah’s Game Master Notes

  Spell & Ability Updates.

  

  Reworking my spells and abilities was both easier and more difficult than I expected. On one hand, I was able to make tweaks which I think overall do a lot to improve them. On the other hand, without stats directly linking to performance I am concerned they will suffer in efficiency.

  I’m dedicating this page to comparing the previous and new version of each of my abilities. I’ll also include notes to remind myself of anything I think might be important to remember in terms of thought process or additional considerations outside of what I put in the description.

  Last note before I get started. I don’t think my “additional considerations” are actually taken into account in the abilities or spells. It appears that only the things I actually specifically and intentionally include are concretely honored. However, leaving things unwritten also appears to increase the flexibility of any given definition by some margin or another. It makes some sense, as in a game which is actively run by a game master there may be attempts to do something that aligns with a mechanic but isn’t specified. In that case, a roll of the die or just an agreement by the GM will generally determine whether the attempt succeeds. Given that I am both the GM and the player, the world itself appears to decide in some capacity. It’s something I’ll need to investigate further at a later date.

  

  P.S. This isn’t the order I converted these in, I collated then in no particular order other than splitting spells and abilities into their own sections.

  I never read a description of my RTS view. It didn’t have one, as far as I could find, which is odd considering all the others did have some form of description. My hypothesis is that the RTS View ability wasn’t actually originally intended to be “packaged” with the rest of the system. I think that came mostly due to my state of mind when I fell haphazardly into my first insight.

  From what I gathered, the gist is that I could observe the area around myself for around 100 meters. There was no fog-of-war limitation, but I also couldn’t move it further away from myself to see more.

  I’m not entirely certain how much it cost. It certainly cost some “GSM”, at least the same as my new version but possibly more. I didn’t track any of my resources all that much, as in moments it would have been a good idea I couldn’t be asked. Too much going on. Besides those moments, it just didn’t matter. Having resource bars in real life is fecking stupid.

  The game master may view the world around themselves from above in a manner consistent with an RTS view game.

  

  
• The game master can only view areas their physical body has been within 20 meters of. Areas where the game master has not explored will be covered by a fog-of-war.


  
• The game master may spend additional mana to expand the radius from their body in which fog-of-war is dispersed.


  
• The game master may move their view around the map, an additional 1MP per second is required per 100 meters away from the default viewing position - centered on the game master - the view is moved


  
• The game master may zoom in and out at will. The amount of detail lost or gained based on zoom percentage is based on the game master’s mental capacity to process and remember visual input.


  

  

  
• This ability consumes 1MP per minute it is active, with the mana being charged at the start of each new minute the ability is active.


  
• This ability always costs a minimum of 1MP.


  
• This ability has no mana-reclamation functionality


  

  Overall, I’m very pleased with the changes I’ve made to this ability. It feels more natural and plays into my strengths more directly. It’d be nice to not have a fog-of-war at all, but I couldn’t cut the ability costs to anything manageable.

  There appears to be limits to what I can and can’t define as an ability based, I assume, on how the world works and how my mana is capable of interacting with it. I suspect that if I gain access to a specialized form of mana which is better aligned to an ability’s tasks, I can expand its capabilities significantly.

  I think what I’m doing now is similar to running a computer with a CPU. I’m going to be able to do everything, but the efficiency is shite. I need to either upgrade my resources to prop up the general processing, or I need a more specific chip (mana) which is more specialized toward what I want to accomplish. It bears thinking a lot more about.

  

  Party Up Create a party with targets within view. Once partied, you can see the HP and MP of members of your party, along with their basic statuses as needed.

  The number of beings which may be added to your party at any given time is equal to (P = (1 x level) + (1 x CIELING(Connection/0.5) - (10 / Processing))

  Beings are removed from the party upon death.

  Maintaining the party costs ROUND((11GSM per minute per party member - ego * 0.10 - focus * 0.20 - Perception * 0.05)).

  Active ability which allows the user to form a party with other beings. Once partied, the user may see the MP of members of your party, along with basic health and danger statuses.

  You may further initiate an encrypted telepathic conversation between one or more party members at will.

  All party members are granted a temporary at-will ability which allows them to initiate an encrypted telepathic conversation between one or more party member at will. This temporary ability is removed when a party member leaves the party.

  

  
• User may only extend party invitations to beings within view (any direct or indirect live visual contact is sufficient)


  
• Party members automatically leave the party on death.


  
• Communication is encrypted in a manner which obfuscates the existence of the telepathic channel. Should the channel be detected, it is not impossible to breach. Breaches will result in the channel immediately shutting down and a new encryption key being generated.


  
• Communication channels are subject to laws of spatial relativity. Any space which is relatively commutable may be connected across. Any space with a difficult or impossible commute will not connect.


  

  

  
• Each party member added increased the cost by 1MP per hour for base membership.
  
    
  
  
    
  • The user may request the party member pay their individual cost of membership when they invite them to the party. The user will automatically pay the upkeep cost if the member ever becomes unable to pay it.
  
  
    
  
  
    


  
• Observing the MP and/or available status for any member costs 0.5MP per second per member observed. While unobserved, this feature has no overhead cost.


  
• Encrypted telepathic communications cost 3MP per included member per minute.
  
    
  
  
    
  • The user may request the party member pay their individual cost invite them to the communication. Any member who becomes unable to pay the communication’s upkeep will automatically leave the communication channel.
  
  
    
  • Any communication between party members which exclude the user will incur no cost to the user, each party member will automatically pay their own communication entry and upkeep.
  
  
    
  
  
    


  

  This one’s a straight up upgrade. The previous version was shite on a stick.

  

  Effortless Movement Passive ability which reduces the stamina and physical strain cost of all forms of traversal to (0/free). This passive ability reserves 3 units of the holder’s mana permanently.

  Passive ability which reduces physical strain and energy requirement of all forms of traversal to (0/free) for the holder.

  

  
• Secondary and modifying actions made while maintaining any form of traversal does not negate the cost of the unrelated action. The holder will still strain when holding a boulder over their head even while walking. However, there will be no additional strain due to the movement itself.
  
    
  
  
    
  • Note: Friction and wind-resistance against anything that is not the holder themselves are counted as secondary for the purpose of determining the physical cost of motion. For example, running at near super-sonic speeds will not apply any resistance cost based on the holder’s body. However, resistances applied to their clothing and anything they are holding or carrying will be counted.
  
  
    
  
  
    


  

  

  
• This passive ability reserves 3 units of the holder’s mana permanently.


  

  The limitation is annoying, but it’s based on how the ability actually worked before. Or, at least how I observed it working. When I tried to leave the restriction out, the mana cost wasn’t honored. It kept hijacking massive chunks of my mana. Worse, it would randomly change how much mana was required throughout the day.

  Overall, this restriction keeps the cost consistent and also doesn’t detract from what it was. In the future I want to refine it to increase the benefits while keeping the cost low. I’m sure it’s possible, I just need to figure out the right phrasing and caveats.

  

  Active ability which allows the user to simulate the outcome of a specific set of predefined actions. Simulation time takes N*0.0001, where N is the time required for each action.

  Simulate will strain the body and mind of the user, mitigated by strong focus, ego, and resolve.

  Simulation accuracy rises with higher focus, connection, ideation, and processing.

  Simulation accuracy falls against opponents with higher ego, processing, and focus.

  Active ability which allows the user to simulate the outcome of a specific set of predefined actions. Simulation time takes N*0.0001, where N is the time required for each action.

  

  
• Simulation accuracy rises the more creative, focused, and clever the user’s problem solving is.


  
• Simulation accuracy falls against opponents who are able to plan or react faster or more creatively than the user.


  

  

  
• Simulate will strain the body and mind of the user, this strain is mitigated based on the strength of the user’s body and mind.


  
• The user may spend mana as a buffer against the ability’s physical and mental strain. Any mana used as a buffer must be allocated to the purpose before the ability is activated.


  
• The user may spend mana to increase the accuracy of the simulation’s results. Any mana used as a buffer must be allocated to the purpose before the ability is activated.


  

  This one is fairly close to a 1:1 reproduction. I’m a bit concerned about my specifications on how the accuracy is determined, but they were the nearest terms that seemed near to whatever the hell those vague stats were doing.

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  Cost: 2 MP

  Type: Buff

  School: Divination

  Targeting

  May target any non-resisting being with the ability to both think and plan within caster’s view.

  Note: May be cast remotely through secondary viewpoints.

  Duration

  [1s per caster level + 1s per sum(resolve,will,processing,ego)] + [1s per focus*(presence/10)] + [1s per focus*(connection/10)] + [1s per target ego]

  Current est against target of equal ego: 67.6s = ([6] + [41] + [7.2] + [5.4] + 8)

  Description

  Increase the target’s focus when in battle, or when hunting prey.

  Competency Addition 1: Provides visual hints regarding enemy weak points. Weak point detection is more likely to succeed based on both the spell caster and spell target’s cumulative understanding of their enemy. Weak point detection is adjusted based on weaponry equipped by spell target.

  Increase the target’s focus when in battle, or when hunting prey.

  Provides visual hints regarding enemy weak points.

  

  
• Weak point detection is more likely to succeed based on both the spell caster and spell target’s cumulative understanding of their enemy.


  
• Weak point detection is adjusted based on weaponry equipped by spell target.


  

  

  
• Relative based on MP invested. 30s per 1MP invested.


  

  

  
• Relative, caster may choose to invest additional mana.


  
• Must be cast with a minimum of 1 mana.


  

  The previous duration calculation for this was ridiculous. I had absolutely no resistance when converting it as above. I think this ability can be refined and improved quite a bit, I’ll come back to it later. There’s too much other stuff to do and too many other spells and abilities to get to right now.

  Cost: 3 MP

  Type: Debuff

  School: Illusion

  Targeting

  May target any being within view with a primary sensory reliance from the following list: Visual, Auditory, Ollfactory, or physical micro particular.

  Note: May be cast remotely through secondary viewpoints.

  Duration

  [1s per caster level + 1s per avg(resolve,will)] + [1s per focus*(presence/10)] + [1s per (caster ego - target ego)]

  Current est against target of equal ego: 19.9s = ([6] + [8.5] + [5.4] + 0)

  Resistance

  Target may resist if their Perception is significantly higher than caster’s Focus.

  Description

  Plays a trick on the target. The target experiences a near-real hallucination with its primary sensory detection organ(s).

  Note: Targets with particularly balanced reliance upon multiple senses are more likely to detect the illusion for what it is; even if they fail to resist the spell.

  Plays a trick on the target. The target experiences a near-real hallucination with its primary sensory detection organ(s).

  The caster may choose to focus on a specific trick they wish to play, painstakingly imagining the exact form it should take. Or, they can cast without a specific goal and a distraction of some form will be conjured.

  

  
• Targets with particularly balanced reliance upon multiple senses are more likely to detect the illusion for what it is; even if they fail to resist the spell.


  
• If the caster chooses to provide the spell a specific trick they wish to play, the elegance and believably of their own imagination will directly impact how easily the target may see through it.


  

  

  
• Relative based on MP invested. 8s per 1MP invested.


  

  

  
• Relative, caster may choose to invest additional mana.


  
• Must be cast with a minimum of 1 mana.


  

  I’m pretty happy with my addition here. The ability to specify exactly what I want will make this much more potent in situations where I have time to think through what kind of distraction I’m looking for.

  Cost: 10 MP

  Type: Utility

  School: Conjuration, Abjuration, Illusion

  Targeting

  May target any non-resisting area. Spell will effect a circular area no larger than 5 meters per caster level (current = 30 meters).

  Duration

  [1 hour per caster level] + [5 min per sum(focus,presence,resilience,endurance)]

  Current est duration: 9hr 50m = ([6] + [3hr & 50m])

  Description

  Caster creates a mental image of one or more affects which would cause the target area to become more comfortable. These environmental affects will be applied for the duration of the spell.

  Competency 1: Enhancing existing environmental comforts is significantly easier than creating comforts from nothing.

  Note: The mental image must be Detailed. The more detailed the user’s imagined affect, the more perfectly it will be enacted within the creature comfort spell perimeter.

  Caster creates a mental image of one or more affects which would cause the target area to become more comfortable. These environmental affects will be applied for the duration of the spell.

  Enhancing existing environmental comforts is significantly easier than creating comforts from nothing.

  

  
• The mental image must be Detailed. The more detailed the user’s imagined affect, the more perfectly it will be enacted within the creature comfort spell perimeter.


  

  

  
• 10 Mins. per MP.


  

  

  
• Relative, caster may choose to invest additional mana.


  
• Must be cast with a minimum of 10 mana.


  

  I played with the description for this one for a while, but remaining close to the original seemed like the most efficient. I only spent a couple hours on it, but I ran out of mana to test. So I ended up just putting it back to be about what it was to start. I’m not sure how to make this one better, honestly.

  Cost: 5 MP

  Type: Debuff

  School: Abjuration

  Targeting

  May target any being within view with life-force.

  Note: May be cast remotely through secondary viewpoints.

  Duration

  [1s per caster level + 1s per avg(ideation,will)] + [1s per focus*(presence/10)] + [1s per (caster ego - (target ego*3))]

  Current est against target of equal ego: 5.4s = ([6] + [10] + [5.4] + [-16])

  Resistance

  Target may resist if their Resilience+Resolve+Ego is significantly higher than caster’s Resolve+Will+Presence+Ego.

  Description

  Creates a magical siphon between the target and the caster. When the target is harmed, (0.1*Caster focus+Connection) of the target’s lost vitality is sent to the caster.

  Competency 1: Overflow HP will be converted into MP or Stamina, depending on which resource is lower, at a 1/3 ratio.

  Note: Targets with corrupted vitality may poison the caster.

  Creates a magical siphon between the target and the caster. When the target is harmed, a portion of the target’s lost vitality is sent to the caster.

  Invested mana is not expended on undamaged targets. Duration only counts down while the target is actively taking damage.

  Overflow HP will be converted into MP or Stamina, depending on which resource is lower, at a 1/3 ratio.

  

  
• Targets with corrupted vitality may poison the caster.


  
• Targets with a stronger sense of self, determination, and purpose have a higher chance to resist.


  
• Targets who are unaware they are being targeted have significantly less of a chance to resist, or notice, this spell.


  
• For an additional 5 MP, the caster may choose a second target which will become the caster for the purpose of determine the effects of this spell.


  

  

  
• 1 Second per MP


  

  

  
• Relative, caster may choose to invest additional mana.


  
• Must be cast with a minimum of 5 mana.


  

  I think my small change on this one will have a massive impact on future battles. I considered changing the name of “limitations” to “other” or “extra considerations”, or maybe making an additional section for “additional options”. In the end, I just left it. Although the last “limitation” here is more like an option, the limitation is that additional mana is required and that it alters how the entire spell works.

  If I notice any unintended side-effects from calling it a “limitation” I’ll change it.

  Cost: 10 MP

  Type: Utility

  School: Abjuration

  Targeting

  May target any being.

  Description

  Trade places with another being. The swap is instantaneous.

  Swap may be resisted with a contested check. The caster’s score is defined as: [Caster level + sum(resolve,will,processing,ego)] + [focus(presence/4)] + [focus(connection/2)]

  While the target’s attempt to resist is defined as:

  [Caster level + sum(resolve,will,ego)] + [focus*(presence/2)] + [focus*(connection/10)]

  Note: Resist attempts are calculated on-demand using absolute stat scores, rather than indefinite/average stat scores shown on character sheet.

  Trade places with another being instantaneously.

  

  
• Unwilling targets may attempt to resist being swapped


  
• Beings with a powerful determination to not be moved are more likely to resist


  
• Unsuspecting targets are less likely to resist


  

  

  
• 10 MP


  
• Additional mana may be spent to increase the chance an unwilling target’s resistance will fail.


  

  The last thing I want on this summary page is my current upgrade tree. Instead of a ton of numeric stats, I’ve created a tree of different aspects which I can invest any gained xp (or potential, or raw potentia, it’s called so many different things but I’ll be sticking with xp).

  My tree so far is laid out like this

  ```mermaid %%{init: { “flowchart”: { “width”: 300px; } } }%% graph TD; flex(Flexibility) str(Strength) speed(Speed) dur(Durability)

  root([Jonah/System]) root([Jonah/System]) –> body_root(Body) body_root –> body_full(Full Body) body_root –> legs(Legs) body_root –> toes(Toes) body_root –> dot(…)

  body_full –> flex body_full –> str body_full –> speed body_full –> dur legs –> flex legs –> str legs –> speed legs –> dur toes –> flex toes –> str toes –> speed toes –> dur dot –> flex dot –> str dot –> speed dot –> dur

  root([Jonah/System]) –> mind_root(Mind) mind_root –> mind_full(Full Mind) mind_full –> flex mind_full –> str mind_full –> speed mind_full –> dur

  root([Jonah/System]) –> spirit_root(Spirit) spirit_root –> spirit_full(Full Spirit) spirit_full –> flex spirit_full –> str spirit_full –> speed spirit_full –> dur

  root([Jonah/System]) –> soul_root(Soul) soul_root –> soul_full(Full Soul) soul_full –> flex soul_full –> str soul_full –> speed soul_full –> dur ```

  Well, the UICI notebook can’t really contain the whole thing and is asking if I want to buy a “premium subscription” to support more nodes. Anyway, the idea is pretty simple. I choose from a root area: Body, Mind, Spirit, Soul. Under that, I can choose to improve the “Full” thing, or a specific piece. I’ve tried to include ever possible combination and detail I could think of. I even have “nerves” under body and “eyes->passive input processing” along with “bain->passive input processing.”

  In theory, I should be able to allocate with the exact same granularity as Willow or Naomi can. Better, unlike them, I can actually see where I’m investing and a percentage comparison at a later date!

  Now that I’m finally done converting all of my spells and abilities into my system and have a decent (I think) upgrade tree, I can hopefully start really improving. I felt like I was re-climbing the same stupid xp mountain every time with the old system.

  I think whoever designed the previous “GameLIT” system forgot that games are supposed to be fun.