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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
 Posted - 10 Dec 2003 : 15:07:21
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Sure, I'll believe that when I --
Er, I mean, of course, Sage, take all the time you need! 
Sorry, Bayne, been busy with work. Plus, I'd been going slow since until recently, I didn't even know where Jack was on Toril. I'd also been waiting for Sage to go over Jack's stats, though they really wouldn't have much to do with the story as it is. I'll see about getting more of the writing up soon. |
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 13 Dec 2003 : 09:30:59
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The crazy guy didn't seem all that surprised at how far Jack had leaped from him. Instead, he scowled and began to trace a new pattern.
First fire, then ice? It couldn't be. Jack's scientific training rebelled against the evidence of his senses. But, magic or illusion, Jack couldn't let this guy finish another pattern. He ran back at him, his feet feeling extremely light in these -- magical? -- boots. He closed the distance hurriedly, even though it went against his dueling instincts; Jack always preferred to make opponents come to him. But in the salle, it hadn't been necessary to stop anyone from doing something like this.
Aiming the point of his rapier at the young man's left shoulder, he thrust –-
Only to have his blade skitter off an invisible barrier.
Shield, a part of his mind supplied. He cast a shield spell.
Even as he wondered how this person had created some sort of force shield -- and more importantly, how he seemed to recognize it -- Jack gave his wrist a twist, slipping his sword's point back along its path. He ducked, bringing the blade down with him and snapping it forward. This time, it got through, and Jack sliced across the man's left shin. He then reversed the motion and came back up.
The other's eyes were filled with pain and rage. A cut on the shin didn't do much, even in the real world. In sabre fencing, which Jack preferred, it didn't count as a touch. However, when made with a real -- and sharp -- blade, it smarted.
"I can do a lot more, you know," Jack warned. "Don't make me hurt you."
"Silence, murderer!" he snapped. "It will take more than that to stop a wizard of the third magnitude!" He swung his staff at Jack, but it was a clumsy attack that he easily avoided.
Jack's sword flicked in at the other's shoulder again, and this time he managed to avoid the magical shield. The rapier tip pierced both cloth and flesh, sinking in about half and inch. His opponent clenched his teeth and gave a muffled scream of pain.
Jack backed off a step. "Listen to me. I didn't kill your master. I haven't even seen him."
"You are wearing his magical boots," the wizard snarled, clutching his bleeding shoulder. "Even if you haven't killed him, you're still a thief. More likely both. He has had those boots for many years. He would not give them up to anyone. He values them too much."
He suddenly reached into his robe, his hand reappearing with a short length of wood; this he pointed at Jack. Realizing that it must be a wand, or something similar, Jack lunged in for the attack. Unfortunately, he was again repulsed by the invisible shield, and the wizard managed to finish his motion. Jack had a moment to see three balls of energy form at the wand’s suddenly glowing tip, before they struck his chest -- hard.
Jack staggered back, stunned by the assault -- magic missiles? Was that what this was called? Whatever it was, it hurt.
Shield will block his magic missiles, Jack remembered, as the other man crowed with glee and aimed his wand again. Where he remembered this information from, Jack didn't know, but his empty hand began to trace its own pattern, and strange syllables came out of his mouth. A moment later, the wizard’s wand let out another three of those "magic missiles" -- but this time they hit a disk-shaped barrier that was hanging a foot away from Jack and disappeared. The disk glowed with captured energy for a moment, before fading back into invisibility. Jack felt some of that strange pressure in his head ease.
The wizard blinked at that, then scowled. "So. You are a mage as well as a thief. No matter. You will still die."
"What? No, I--" But Jack couldn't finish. The wizard had put away the wand and was attacking again, this time with a -- ray of flame, supplied the knowledge Jack had inexplicably gained. This one Jack managed to block with the shield he had somehow summoned; he could see it as a kind of shadow in the air, and directed it into the path of the spell with a thought. The magical flame hit its angled surface and splashed to the side.
Well, I seem to be able to do magic all of a sudden, Jack thought, watching the shield do its work. Either I'm crazy or it's real. Either way, I ought to be able to do some other things -- other spells, right?
Mentally, he summoned the knowledge he absorbed from someplace and found the place where the "pressure" was coming from. A pattern appeared, like it was actually in front of his eyes. With it came a sense of utter understanding, like he knew every nuance of that pattern by heart. It was very strange, and Jack knew at once he could never describe what the pattern was like to anyone who hadn’t seen it. It wasn’t a visual pattern, or anything that could actually be seen. In fact, he realized, only someone with the training could actually tell there was a pattern there.
Except he could, somehow.
All that flashed by in an instant as his mind traced that pattern of both form and nothingness. He found a curious part at the ‘end’ -- like a knot in a balloon, keeping the air in. He ‘knew’ this as well; by releasing that pressure, the spell would be cast. He had done the same thing for that magical shield, only he had done it by instinct.
Jack moved his free hand and spoke some sounds, actions that he ‘knew’ would break that knot. A moment later, three glowing balls of force were shooting towards the wizard.
Unfortunately, they impacted harmlessly on the other guy’s own invisible shield.
The wizard laughed derisively. "You must be the stupidest mage I have ever seen! How did you gain such power yet forget such a simple fact -- magic missiles cannot pass a shield spell!"
Actually, somehow, I did know that, Jack thought. But this is really new to me. How was I supposed to know that was the magic missile spell? He poked a mental finger around the spells in his head. There. This one feels powerful. Let's see if this works.
Jack ducked another spell, a fiery bolt this time, then jumped back to avoid one aimed at his feet. He was prepared this time for the power of his new magical boots, and landed about twenty feet from his opponent. If he’d been in an ordinary situation, he’d have taken the time to marvel at how he had so easily performed a backflip; however, now was not the time for such distractions.
He began a new spell as he landed, feeling the power in it surge through his mind as he did. The pressure that had been building released, and a globe of flame shot to his target. The wizard saw it coming and tried to run to the side, but the fireball detonated ten feet from him.
Jack flung his arm up to shield his face from the sudden, intense heat. He fell backwards as the flaming blast reached out for him, the magical fire looming dangerously close. Fortunately, the flames didn't spread any farther outward, and they disappeared as quickly as they had come.
Farther away, Jack thought shakily, getting on his feet again. Next time I cast that one, I need to be farther away first. |
Hell hath no fury like all of Candlekeep rising in defense of one of its own.
Download the brickfilm masterpiece by Leftfield Studios! See this page for more. |
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Bayne
Seeker
USA
86 Posts |
Posted - 13 Dec 2003 : 15:24:58
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That's a really good story so far.
I marvel at it, mark... Marvels |
Nindyn vel'uss kyorl nind ratha thalra elyhinn dal lil alust |
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Arivia
Great Reader
Canada
2965 Posts |
Posted - 13 Dec 2003 : 17:42:30
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| Very, very good, Bookwyrm. Well worth the wait. |
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 17 Dec 2003 : 17:31:05
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I'm glad you like it.
Note that today marks the day of relative freedom for me; I just got out of my last final for the semester. So I'll have more time to develop this story. I'll still take a while to post a new section; I need to rework some things about Jack's fighting style. I'll probably edit a few things already posted; if I do, I'll tell you what they were.
Of course, the extra time to get things out faster might not be as good for you. After all, once the PbeM starts, I won't be able to write out what's going on. All you'll know is his first few days in the city of -- oh, but I shouldn't tell you that now, should I? You might find out soon, especially if you're a member of the game (Sage hasn't told me if anyone else here is a part of it), but what kind of suspense-creating author would I be if I told you where he was? |
Hell hath no fury like all of Candlekeep rising in defense of one of its own.
Download the brickfilm masterpiece by Leftfield Studios! See this page for more. |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31701 Posts |
Posted - 18 Dec 2003 : 06:28:32
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Bookwyrm, three scribes here from Candlekeep originally contacted me about joining our game, but so far I have only one definite answer from those three. I'll be contacting the others shortly (sometime next week) to determine the final listing of PC's for the PbeM...but as always exams take first priority...
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Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 18 Dec 2003 : 07:45:03
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 Don't they always? And for me, it looks like the work doesn't stop . . . .
Alaundo and my professors must be in league. Both are always talking about more and more work.  |
Hell hath no fury like all of Candlekeep rising in defense of one of its own.
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 29 Dec 2003 : 07:48:21
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As meantioned before, I've been reworking Jack's fighing style. I'm currently using a system of four wards (that is, positions for attack and defense) based around a rapier rather than a traditional fencing foil.
I'm stuck on a name for this school, so if anyone has any suggestions, feel free to shout out. Note that foil, épée, sabre, and rapier are all taken (somehow I missed out on the rapier style earlier, likely because I suck at research). Also, I don't want to call it freestyle, since that was used in a fantasy novel (The Fire Duke, by Joel Rosenberg) I went to for a bit of inspiration.
(I ended up using I, Jedi, by Michael Stackpole, more than that one, but I'd prefer something else.)
The astute reader (assuming any such would frequent this scroll ) will notice that the following descriptions contradict several sections I've written. As I said, I'll need to revise. Unfortunately, I'm unexpectedly busy, but I'll try to do it as soon as I can.
First ward: hilt close to the body, blade moving in a cone-shaped area. Primarily for retreating; dangerous to attack from. Typically used in refused stance.
Second ward: blade is held out from the body, generally pointed to the opponent. Hilt stays about the same distance from the body, but otherwise moves around freely. Excellent for light parrying and attack.
Third ward: blade is held in one of four rough positions -- parallel to the floor (high or low) and perpendicular (left and right). Excellent for parrying, slow to attack from.
Fourth ward: blade is held in one of three diagonal positions, with the hilt at about shoulder height -- depending on the hand the blade is in, one of the bottom positions is too awkward. This is a rare stance, only used for heavy slashes or to defend against them.
(The fourth ward was almost an afterthought for Jack and his friends, since the heavy slash is non-existent in modern fencing. However, it defends well against the sort of swords adventurers typically use.)
Basically, this is an adaptation of rapier fighting. As noted, I haven’t thought of a good name for it, but it emphasizes a heavier weapon (like in rapier fighting), thus making it slightly slower -- but more realistic -- than modern fencing. It’s also slightly flashier, like is shown in the movies (thus making it popular with people who haven’t started on foil, which is more complicated).
The only other thing I’ve thought of is the scoring: one touch in the face or torso, or three touches anywhere else, wins the duel. This makes the “first blood” a bit less important, since in épée a duel is won with (usually) a touch to the arm or leg. It lets the fencer take a minor touch in order to move in for the “kill” (something I prefer, really; but I suppose it’s harder to accurately score this way in a tournament).
This was championed by one of the others who developed this style with Jack; he’d had a hard time not doing this in other styles. You can consider this person having a reverse of the (Combat) Expertise feat. Jack’s own style leans to attack from a position of defense; while he is prepared to take lumps, he prefers the military maxim “strategic offense, tactical defense.” |
Hell hath no fury like all of Candlekeep rising in defense of one of its own.
Download the brickfilm masterpiece by Leftfield Studios! See this page for more. |
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Bayne
Seeker
USA
86 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jan 2004 : 13:20:16
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quote:
Originally posted by Bookwyrm
Second ward: blade is held out from the body, generally pointed to the opponent. Hilt stays about the same distance from the body, but otherwise moves around freely. Excellent for light parrying and attack.
This was championed by one of the others who developed this style with Jack; he’d had a hard time not doing this in other styles. You can consider this person having a reverse of the (Combat) Expertise feat. Jack’s own style leans to attack from a position of defense; while he is prepared to take lumps, he prefers the military maxim “strategic offense, tactical defense.”
First off, I suggest the second ward, and secondly, would you please clarify what "Strategic offense, tactical defense" means?
I asked my father who was a military man, but I couldn't get much out of him. |
Nindyn vel'uss kyorl nind ratha thalra elyhinn dal lil alust |
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 17 Jan 2004 : 19:21:45
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Sounds like you were confusing the wards with feats. They aren't. They don't actually do anything with the numbers in gameplay; it's a roleplaying thing.
Strategic offense, tactical defense. Well, it's basically the idea of making the enemy play by your own rules. Tactical defense is simple: make the opponent come to you, in a place where you have the advantage (such as high ground).
Strategic offense is a bit more amorphous -- tactics are easy, but strategy is more complicated. The first just has to do with the present battle. The latter is the whole campaign. In D&D terms, you use tactics on the level of the room of the dungeon you're in, as you fight the undead. Strategy refers to how you're actually taking on the whole adventure of getting the princess back from that lich.
There are very few masters of this idea in all of history. Sun Tzu kind of was, but he was more of an armchair strategist. Belisarious, the general who reconquered part of the western Roman Empire for Emperor Justinian was perhaps the greatest master.
If you would like an example, I could show you a battle plan for one of my stories that uses this maxim. However, I'm sure that a lot of other people are sick of me talking about that story. |
Hell hath no fury like all of Candlekeep rising in defense of one of its own.
Download the brickfilm masterpiece by Leftfield Studios! See this page for more. |
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Bayne
Seeker
USA
86 Posts |
Posted - 27 Jan 2004 : 14:46:51
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quote:
Originally posted by Bookwyrm
Sounds like you were confusing the wards with feats. They aren't. They don't actually do anything with the numbers in gameplay; it's a roleplaying thing.
Strategic offense, tactical defense. Well, it's basically the idea of making the enemy play by your own rules. Tactical defense is simple: make the opponent come to you, in a place where you have the advantage (such as high ground).
Strategic offense is a bit more amorphous -- tactics are easy, but strategy is more complicated. The first just has to do with the present battle. The latter is the whole campaign. In D&D terms, you use tactics on the level of the room of the dungeon you're in, as you fight the undead. Strategy refers to how you're actually taking on the whole adventure of getting the princess back from that lich.
There are very few masters of this idea in all of history. Sun Tzu kind of was, but he was more of an armchair strategist. Belisarious, the general who reconquered part of the western Roman Empire for Emperor Justinian was perhaps the greatest master.
If you would like an example, I could show you a battle plan for one of my stories that uses this maxim. However, I'm sure that a lot of other people are sick of me talking about that story.
Well, I, personally, would love to hear that story, Bookwyrm. But what has happened to your Jack Archer story? It seems it just faded away... |
Nindyn vel'uss kyorl nind ratha thalra elyhinn dal lil alust |
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 28 Jan 2004 : 04:49:10
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Actually, I'm kind of glad you brought that up, though I was going to do it anyway. I'm surprised you haven't asked before.
The story's been delayed by a lot of things, 90& of which can be placed in the oft-hated category of Work. The rest is a mix of my natural laziness (surprisingly, it hasn't affected the story like it has other projects, I just haven't had much time), and depression over the fact that I lost a chunk of it. I don't know how, since I just opened the file and it was gone. Still, whenever that happens (more often than I'd like, but usually there's a reason), I get pretty depressed over the loss.
I did take a look into rewriting the combat so far, and found that there's been little I needed to change, at least in what I've put up here. Obviously, I'll need to remove the mention of the sabre style from when Jack slices Ashimar Len's ankle (yes, that's his name), but that's so little a change that I'm not even going to edit it. Not that I can, yet -- I still don't have a name for Jack's fencing style. Perhaps something Italian . . . .
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Hell hath no fury like all of Candlekeep rising in defense of one of its own.
Download the brickfilm masterpiece by Leftfield Studios! See this page for more. |
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Bayne
Seeker
USA
86 Posts |
Posted - 31 Jan 2004 : 19:22:53
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| Italian words are always catchy, so that seems like a good avenue to meander down. If you ever need any help in writing the story (not that you would need any), you can obtain it from me, and dare I say, the other patrons of Candlekeep. And try not to feel depressed over the loss of the work. Instead turn that into eustress, and meet the challenge with a new vigor. |
Nindyn vel'uss kyorl nind ratha thalra elyhinn dal lil alust |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31701 Posts |
Posted - 01 Feb 2004 : 04:16:53
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quote:
Originally posted by Bookwyrm
Not that I can, yet -- I still don't have a name for Jack's fencing style. Perhaps something Italian . . . .
Are you going to expressly limited yourself to something Italian...?. I only ask, because I can provide the martial arts/warfare dictionary I used for my revised Duelist class. There was a lot of interesting terms (in Italian, and a number of other dialects) in there that may have something you can use as a basis to create something (or even borrow) for Archer's particular style...
Either way, just let me know...
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Candlekeep Forums Moderator
Candlekeep - The Library of Forgotten Realms Lore
http://www.candlekeep.com -- Candlekeep Forum Code of Conduct
Scribe for the Candlekeep Compendium -- Volume IX now available (Oct 2007)
"So Saith Ed" -- the collected Candlekeep replies of Ed Greenwood
Zhoth'ilam Folio -- The Electronic Misadventures of a Rambling Sage |
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 02 Feb 2004 : 06:29:56
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Yeah, I know Bayne. And I needed to do part of it over again, since I did a spell description wrong. But I'm hung up on the transition from where I was to -- er, but I shouldn't say that right now, should I?
Don't worry, though. Part Four will be up soon. The section I was hung up in was Part Five. (Note, though, that these are artifical sections. When I put the whole thing up on my website (under construction), at least the first five will be gathered as Chapter One of the prologue to Sage's game.)
As for the Italian bit, I hesitated. Jack doesn't know much of any other languages (though he's going to have to learn it fast in the Realms). But I decided that just like I know interesting words in other languages (etymology's an interesting subject, and modern English is the result of liguistic piracy) Jack wouldn't have much problem with specific words. Sort of like how the both of us know some Arabic words simply because they're part of the terminology used in science. (Zenith, nadir, al-jebra (algebra), al-chema (alchemy).) I decided that one of Jack's old fencing instructors in his early teens was Italian-born.
Anyway, Sage, I already have that site bookmarked from when you mentioned it on that scroll. I've been going through it to see if there are any terms that Jack would use in French, Spanish, or (especially) Italian, rather than the English equivilent. If you (or anyone else) have any suggestions, though, I'm open.
While I'm on languages, I've been curious about some words in the Realms. See, I'm working on the assumption that Common is a psuedo-English, a non-technical version of the language Jack's used to. (You'll see that people get confused when he uses polysyllabic words, though after Part Four he's not doing much talking to people for a bit.)
I'm doing this for two reasons. One, I don't like the idea that he absorbed languages from that epic wizard (Len's missing master) that he got the spells from. Yet I also don't want him to be completely blocked by a language barrier. It just slows the story/game down. Two, this gives him some hope that a connection with Earth exists or has recently existed. (Hey, this game's got planar activity. Anything's possible. )
What I'm asking, though, is if you (speaking generally here, so any reader can answer) think that Jack should recognize other words. I already mentioned that "alchemy" ("the practice of chemistry") is from Arabic. There are also Latin words in D&D -- prestidititation, anamuensis, orison, Ignan and Aquan. Should Jack hear these words as he would at home, that is, know that they're from another language? Or should he hear them as if they were translated into words more "English": "slight of hand," "act of copying," etc.? (The words would remain the same, Jack would just react as if they were in English, rather than Latin/Arabic words he already knew.)
Hopefully I made that clear. |
Hell hath no fury like all of Candlekeep rising in defense of one of its own.
Download the brickfilm masterpiece by Leftfield Studios! See this page for more. |
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The Sage
Procrastinator Most High
Australia
31701 Posts |
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 03 Feb 2004 : 20:28:49
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 Uh oh.
Hey, are any of Sage's other players reading this? |
Hell hath no fury like all of Candlekeep rising in defense of one of its own.
Download the brickfilm masterpiece by Leftfield Studios! See this page for more. |
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Shadowlord
Master of Realmslore
USA
1298 Posts |
Posted - 03 Feb 2004 : 20:58:12
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| Hmmm, I don't know, but I'm waiting for part four with a great anticipation, Bookwyrm. Excellent work! |
The Chosen of Vhaeraun
"Nature is governed by certain immutable rules. By virtue of claw and fang, the lion will always triumph over the goat.Given time, the pounding of the sea will wear away the stone. And when dark elves mingle with the lighter races, the offspring invariably take after the dark parent. It is all much the same. That which is greater shall prevail. Our numbers increase steadily, both through birth and conquest. The dark elves are the dominant race, so ordained by the gods." Ka'Narlist of the Ilythiiri. |
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 03 Feb 2004 : 21:16:38
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Thank you.
By the way, I have read your story. I just need to figure out how to phrase my advice. |
Hell hath no fury like all of Candlekeep rising in defense of one of its own.
Download the brickfilm masterpiece by Leftfield Studios! See this page for more. |
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Shadowlord
Master of Realmslore
USA
1298 Posts |
Posted - 03 Feb 2004 : 21:27:08
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| Ah, I have begun anew, and the Story is much more detailed, similar to your own, and is not so much a general summary anymore. I guarantee it will be posted when I am done. |
The Chosen of Vhaeraun
"Nature is governed by certain immutable rules. By virtue of claw and fang, the lion will always triumph over the goat.Given time, the pounding of the sea will wear away the stone. And when dark elves mingle with the lighter races, the offspring invariably take after the dark parent. It is all much the same. That which is greater shall prevail. Our numbers increase steadily, both through birth and conquest. The dark elves are the dominant race, so ordained by the gods." Ka'Narlist of the Ilythiiri. |
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 03 Feb 2004 : 21:45:06
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| In that case, I think that most of my words would be wasted. I'll wait until you post it. |
Hell hath no fury like all of Candlekeep rising in defense of one of its own.
Download the brickfilm masterpiece by Leftfield Studios! See this page for more. |
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 09 Feb 2004 : 03:27:19
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As promised, the next installment of The Adventures of Jack Archer of Earth.
He began a new spell as he landed, feeling the power in it surge through his mind as he did. The pressure that had been building released, and a globe of flame shot to his target. The wizard saw it coming and tried to run to the side, but the fireball detonated ten feet from him.
Jack flung his arm up to shield his face from the sudden, intense heat. He fell backwards as the flaming blast reached out for him, the magical fire looming dangerously close. Fortunately, the flames didn't spread any farther outward, and they disappeared as quickly as they had come.
Farther away, Jack thought shakily, getting on his feet again. Next time I cast that one, I need to be farther away first.
This spell -- 'fireball,' that corner of his mind told him; a nice, simple, truthful name -- had left a circular area of scorched vegetation about forty feet in diameter; here and there, a few patches were still marked by sparks and tiny flames. To one side, almost out of the area completely, was the figure of his assailant, his robes and hair scorched. He was stumbling back to his feet, wiping his fire-blackened face with a similarly dirty robe sleeve. Jack noticed that he leaned rather heavily on his no longer immaculate staff.
"Well." The man glared at Jack. "You seem to be more powerful than I had previously suspected. No matter. I shall slay you anyway."
"You keep saying that," Jack retorted. He resisted the urge to add I do not think it means what you think it means. There was a time for jocularity, and it wasn’t now. "You've only managed to hit me once,” he continued. “How many times have I hit you?"
The man growled. "I am still standing. You won't be."
"Nice boast. You know, something makes me think I'm going to be walking away from this little battle of ours under my own power. I don't know what place I'm in, but surely not everyone is as insane as you are."
"Insane? Indeed! Who was it that slew a powerful mage and thought he would get away with it? Likely murdered in his sleep or meditation, for only then would he be vulnerable to a common brigand such as yourself. You might have some minor magics, but I assure you, it is nothing compared to the might of my master."
"And how many times do I have to tell you that I didn’t do anything to him?" Jack retorted, exasperated. "I found these over by that rock!"
"A likely story!" He scoffed in derision. "And I suppose you 'found' his cloak and rings over there as well?"
"There are two rings, a cloak, a robe, and two bracers over there," Jack told him calmly. "You may have them, and the boots, when you can prove proper ownership. Or that of your master's, whichever comes first."
"I shall do no such thing," the man retorted. "I shall take them from your cold, dead body first!"
He moved on that last word, but Jack was expecting it. He supposed that the wizard thought he was being subtle, but to Jack's trained eyes he might as well have told him anyway. This guy must have never learned how to keep from telegraphing his own moves. As the wizard traced a new pattern and tossed a bit of white rock in the air, Jack had already selected a new spell. For some reason, he hadn’t been able to find that fireball pattern again, but this one would do. Fortunately, he’d been able to identify some of it: it was a spell to cast on a weapon. Exactly what it did, he wasn’t sure. Whatever it was, Jack’s strength lay in his fencing, and he wanted to get close.
It took a bit of concentration, but Jack managed to cast this weapon spell while he ran to the side. Then, when he felt the pressure flow out of his mind and into his rapier, he switched directions and leaped in the air. He managed to time it right, and Jack soared briefly in the air as, below, a burst of what looked like snow or ice exploded where he had been heading a moment before. A slight shock wave came with it, buffeting his body, and he lost his balance upon landing.
It didn’t go quite as he had expected. Jack had meant to land only a few feet from his opponent. Unfortunately, he’d underestimated the power of the magic in his boots; they carried him a bit passed his target. With his timing already off, the icy explosion behind him didn’t help. He’d just barely regained his balance when he was knocked completely down -- by the hard wood of the wizard’s staff.
Points of multicolored light exploded in Jack's eyes, and he found himself on the ground without remembering a fall. He rolled instinctively, and took a glancing blow on his shoulder; then another on his hip. Jack's rapier lay a few feet to the side, where it had landed after that first blow.
A half-formed plan formed in Jack's mind, and he rolled aside to dodge the expected staff blow. Snatching at his rapier, he flipped around and brought the blade up into the fourth ward. It was a clumsy move, one that would never have worked against someone who knew what he was doing.
When his father had gifted him his rapier, Jack had been delighted to see that the blade’s construction had been reflective of the fencing style he and his friends had developed. Whereas "true" dueling swords were sharpened only at the tip -- a gentlemen fought to the first blood, not to the death or even true wounding -- Jack’s blade was sharpened down the first third of its length. It reflected the fact that like in sabre, touches in the style they’d named [NAME HERE] could also be made with the edge of the blade.
It wasn't the "sharp" of normal replica swords, either: it was sharpened to a very fine, very functional edge. Jack’s blade was Damascene steel, possibly the best material yet known for a sword blade. Certainly it was a highly sought after material for centuries; the secret of the “water steel” was closely kept by a handful of Islamic smiths despite all efforts by spies to wrest the formula from them. It was only rediscovered in the twentieth century, and the Spanish swordsmith who made Jack’s rapier was trained in both those techniques and similar ones used in Japan for centuries.
Jack’s blade could hold up to enormous stress and could hold a frighteningly sharp edge for an amazingly long time. It was sharp enough to shave with, should one want to use such an awkward razor; Jack had actually tested that once.
Even so, Jack was highly surprised when his blade sliced cleanly through the wood staff.
Jack had actually been aiming for the guy's hands, and specifically a thumb. It was the true weakness of the quartestaff that, while it was easy to make and easy to master, it gave no protection for the hands. Jack had been gambling that this "wizard" wasn't quick enough to shift his grip.
Either he was, or Jack had missed. It wasn't a total loss, though. The guy was left with just a thin, two-foot club for a weapon, sheared off maybe a centimeter from his fingers.
Must be that weapon-enhancing spell I cast, Jack thought, moving to his feet while the other was off his balance. I think I like this one.
His opponent threw the ruined stump of his staff at Jack’s face, but Jack slapped it away with the flat of his blade. He then raised a hand and opened his mouth, but froze when Jack’s sword tip came to a halt millimeters from his throat.
“Do it and I’ll make sure you’ll never cast a spell again,” Jack said coldly, his eyes and rapier both rock-steady.
“So, you shall kill me as well?” he spat.
“If I was going to do that, you’d be dead. I’d also be within my rights to do so, since I’d be defending myself. A simple slice right here, for instance,” Jack touched the tip of his blade to the other’s jugular, “and you’d bleed to death in a matter of minutes. Or here,” -- this time to the base of his Adam’s apple -- “and you could drown on your own blood.”
The man’s furious face began to pale, but his eyes held no trace of fear. Jack didn’t want his fear, though; he just wanted him to be aware of the situation. “What’s your name?” Jack asked after a moment.
“Ashimar,” he said, almost sullenly. Then he drew himself back. “I am Ashimar Len, son of Ferthvar Len. Wizard of the third magnitude. Remember my name well, cur.” He spat on Jack’s blade.
Jack ignored the posturing. “Hands on your head,” he ordered. When Len didn’t comply, he poked with his blade, drawing a small droplet of blood. “Hands on your head,” Jack repeated. “Interlace your fingers.”
Strangely, a look of confusion passed through Len’s face. However, he did as he was told.
“Now turn around.” When Len did this as well, Jack struck him with his pommel. Len slumped to the ground.
Jack quickly checked his pulse: a bit rapid, but slowing. Len was out, and it looked like he would live. Jack figured he’d regret letting this guy live, but he’d never killed anyone before, and he wasn’t about to start now.
Jack took a few calming breaths as he stood over Len’s unconscious body. Something was missing, or so it seemed to him. Something he’d forgotten.
Ah, yes. The salute. Jack was trained to salute at the beginning and end of every duel. Every duelist was encouraged to make a unique flourish, which was to signify that he or she was serious and respectful. Len had attacked too fast for that thought to cross his mind. Now Jack began his own salute, flourishing as he brought the quillions to eye level.
However, he stopped before his sword got that far. Ashimar Len had attacked without proof, had not even challenged him. As such, he deserved no respect under the code Jack had helped to create.
Jack’s mouth quirked as he thought of this, and he did something he had never done before. He slapped his blade on his open left palm.
This was the highest insult in any school of fencing: to hit your off-hand -- or something held in that hand -- with your foil. It conveyed extreme contempt for that person’s opponent, carrying a connotation of “you can’t hit me” with it. This was called swashbuckling; literally, to hit your buckler, or shield, with your blade. Jack had never done this, never even seriously contemplated it. Now he felt a sort of primitive satisfaction as he performed the insult.
After wiping it on Len’s sooty cloak -- which at least get the blood and the spit off the blade, if not making it actually cleaner -- Jack sheathed his weapon with a thoughtful expression. Now that he had a moment, his situation was starting to sink in.
First, he had evidence that he wasn’t home -- meaning Earth. Or the Earth as he knew it. He’d never been able to work magic before, beyond some simple parlor tricks. That was just illusion; this was far different.
After a bare moment’s thought, Jack decided he had to go on the assumption he wasn’t crazy. Not only was the alternative distasteful, he was experiencing a full sensory load. In a dream -- or a hallucination -- one never experienced all five senses at once, nor felt the effects of gravity. Or felt pain.
Since he could do all of that -- especially the latter; he could still feel the impact of those “magic missiles” -- Jack came to the logical conclusion that he wasn’t loony. Unfortunately, that suggested a possibility that also wasn’t too appetizing.
“Great,” Jack announced to the air. “Official conclusion: this ain’t Kansas. Or any of the States, for that matter.” He sighed. “And I don’t even have a little dog to keep me company. Or a nice group of midgets to point me in the direction I’m supposed to go.”
He half-heartedly kicked the unconscious body at his feet. “Just a homicidal magician who wants to kill me for wearing someone else’s boots.”
After a moment, Jack used that same foot to roll Len over. Len’s face was scratched and bruised from his fall, and his previously well-groomed goatee was now burnt from Jack’s fireball.
The next issue was that he had next to no resources. He mentally ticked off what he needed. Weapons. Money. Food. Shelter. Some kind of guide to the local area. He had exactly one of that: his trusty rapier. He didn’t think that his U.S. money would be accepted here. He had Len, who presumably knew his way around, but Jack didn’t think he’d be very helpful.
Except Len had done something peculiar, assuming that this was indeed another world. Len had spoken in a foreign language at first, something Jack hadn’t recognized. Yet a moment later, he’d switched to a stilted English. Did that mean that there was a way back home? Did this Len know it? Or was this a kind of alternate Earth, where magic worked?
Jack knelt by Len’s body and started frisking him down. Perhaps there was something on him that would give him answers.
To Be Continued . . . . |
Hell hath no fury like all of Candlekeep rising in defense of one of its own.
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 09 Feb 2004 : 03:40:41
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The end of the battle, and -- aside from Ashimar's unconsious body being in the next part -- the last you'll see of the "homicidal magician" for some time. After this, in fact, he's become an NPC at Sage's disposal.
Hopefully that brief aside (which didn't turn out to be as brief as I'd planned) on Jack's fighting style didn't distract you too much. I'm sure you noticed I've yet to figure out a name for it; once I settle on one, I'll go back and insert it into that placeholder.
Here as well, you can see some of the questions he'll be asking. The obvious stuff is where is he, is there a way home, how will he survive, etc. The perhaps less obvious ones are things like the writing systems, the biologies of each race and how they function, and of course how magic works. His magic problems will be hampered by the fact that he doesn't have a teacher, really, and that his ideas of "magic" (spontanious casting, but different) don't work like that.
I found that bit of story that I thought I'd lost for good, but some bad stuff just happened in my life that got me even more depressed. The next part won't be for a while, I think. |
Hell hath no fury like all of Candlekeep rising in defense of one of its own.
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Winterfox
Senior Scribe
895 Posts |
Posted - 10 Feb 2004 : 12:34:39
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Bookwyrm, do you have this archived anywhere in a format that's a bit... easier to read? No offense, but wading through the feedback/posts/non-story is off-putting. Especially since my connection decides to load Candlekeep forums with excruciating slowness. (No, before anyone asks, I'm not on 56k or 28k. I'm on bloody 10Mbps. I download 100+ Mb files on a regular basis. Thank you.)
First, the premise. I'm going to be blunt: it's been done before, a lot of times, as I'm sure you're aware. I'm a jaded fanfiction reader and fantasy reader, so I'm afraid I run into "twenty-first century Earthling finds him/herself in Middle-earth/Pokemonland/Ponyland/Toril/blah blah"... every day, of every week, of every month, of every year.
Protagonist from the twenty-first century gets thrown into some fantasy world or another. The protagonist gets all astonished with the magic/wonders/what-have-you. There's always, at some point, a scene where the protagonist has to explain his origins and dazzle the locals with "otherworldly" scientific knowledge and such. Am I correct? I'm hoping quite desperately that Jack doesn't end up as some prophesied savior or hero.
quote:
"I'm sorry -- could you say that in English?" Jack asked, frowning. That was a strange-sounding language, but anything other than standard American sounded strange to him. Jack wasn't known for his linguistic skills.
Unless I missed something and the stranger's cast a sneaky translating spell, or the boots Jack's picked up enables him to understand any language (clearly not the case), why would he understand anything? Common isn't exactly English, is it? This seems to be a common plot convenience. A lot of people just assume that Common/Galactic Basic/Westron/et all is English, while there's no reason it should be. Different world and all that.
The writing, mechanics wise, is sound. It flows, and I can discern no glaring grammatica/spelling errors. (Though admittedly, I didn't go through the text with editing mode on.) The attention to detail and descriptions are impressive. Can't say much about dialogue or characterization yet, as most of the text posted thus far involves combat. It's an intriguing story, though I think I can see where this is going. |
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 11 Feb 2004 : 03:10:03
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quote:
Originally posted by Winterfox
Bookwyrm, do you have this archived anywhere in a format that's a bit... easier to read? No offense, but wading through the feedback/posts/non-story is off-putting. Especially since my connection decides to load Candlekeep forums with excruciating slowness. (No, before anyone asks, I'm not on 56k or 28k. I'm on bloody 10Mbps. I download 100+ Mb files on a regular basis. Thank you.)
Yes, I do; I don’t write everything out on Candlekeep itself. I can send an RTF to you and anyone else who wishes it. When I have it up and running, I’ll also post it on my personal website. It will be just the story, though; not explanations or anything used in other posts.
As for the connection, I noticed that things were running slow late Monday/early Tuesday, and I too was working on a 10mbps computer. Granted, it was running off of my college’s server, but no one else seemed to be having that problem.
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First, the premise. I'm going to be blunt: it's been done before, a lot of times, as I'm sure you're aware.
Quite aware. I never claimed this to be a first in fan fiction. What I *am* claiming is that this is the first time such a character has been used in an actual D&D game. Jack isn’t a fencer with magic he’s picked up; he’s an F4/W5. At the moment, the F stands for “Fighter (with customization)” but hopefully soon it’ll be simply “Fencer” as Sage and I will be creating a new core class.
If you read it carefully, you’ll see that I tried very hard to keep things as close to the rules as I could. Most recently, Jack used the coup de grace action to knock Len out. The rules don’t say that it’s possible to knock someone unconscious like that, but so far I’ve only had one person say that it can’t be used that way. Farther back, I carefully examined the rules on attacking objects and weapons before allowing Jack’s rapier to actually slice through Len’s staff.
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Protagonist from the twenty-first century gets thrown into some fantasy world or another. The protagonist gets all astonished with the magic/wonders/what-have-you. There's always, at some point, a scene where the protagonist has to explain his origins and dazzle the locals with "otherworldly" scientific knowledge and such. Am I correct? I'm hoping quite desperately that Jack doesn't end up as some prophesied savior or hero.
*snort* Hah. Hardly. Well, admittedly, I can’t say for sure, since Sage controls the game, and thus most of the story. But I don’t think he’s adding in any “prophecies” into things. I certainly hope not.
As to explaining origins . . . Jack’s going to be reluctant to do so. How would you think you’d react if someone walked up the street and claimed to be from another world? Even in Faerun, that sort of thing wouldn’t be ordinary. Jack has no wish to be locked up.
On the other side of things, no one’s going to be impressed by this. If anything, people will consider a world without magic (not exactly true, since Jack’s world does have magic) a minor curiosity at best.
The main purpose of this character is to explore Faerun (and D&D) from the outside in. I had a lot of fun thinking up in-character explanations for things that most players would likely take for granted. For example, I used the explanation of magic I created for this story (which hasn’t been used here yet) in the other game I’m a part of. I got a “good job” letter from my DM (Mumadar) on that one.  (Having used it for the first time, I was rather pleased to have such a nice reaction.)
Jack’s not about to rock the boat. Admittedly, as I’ve already stated, any stereotypical gnomish inventors who talk with him will get enough ideas to last a lifetime. However, on the whole, magic is the governing force, and it does most of the jobs of modern technology.
I’m well aware of the stereotypes of this sort of story, and I’m trying hard not to use them. Often, though, it’s impossible, which leads us to the next of your complaints.
quote:
Unless I missed something and the stranger's cast a sneaky translating spell, or the boots Jack's picked up enables him to understand any language (clearly not the case), why would he understand anything? Common isn't exactly English, is it? This seems to be a common plot convenience. A lot of people just assume that Common/Galactic Basic/Westron/et all is English, while there's no reason it should be. Different world and all that.
You are quite right; even though I understand the reasons for it, I always hate it when the language barrier simply disappears. Don’t be so quick to think that it never occurred to me. In fact, I mentioned this in one of the posts here that you probably skipped over.
I thought long and hard about this. I finally decided that Common would be treated like a non-technical English, simply because I needed him to have a conversation right at the start. I also needed a lack of language barrier, or the story would really sag. I could have had Len cast a tongues spell, but all of his possessions become Jack’s now, including his spellbook; if Len had tongues, then so would Jack. I didn’t want that, because even though Common is essentially a simple English for this story, I wanted some language barriers.
It’s actually not going to be that easy from here on, not hardly. Len was well-educated, and smart besides. He could pick up most of the unfamiliar words, and the conversation wasn’t that advanced anyway. That held true until Jack used the word “interlace,” which Len wasn’t familiar with; he figured it out from the context (namely, “fingers”), but that’s a hint of things to come.
I’ve already written out a sample conversation Jack’s going to be having. I’m not posting it yet, but the content has to do with local laws. Jack wants to make sure he won’t get in trouble. The person he’s talking to is getting irritated at the unusual words, and says at one point “If yer going ta speak Common, man, speak Common!” The same conversation touches on the fact that words with multiple meanings are likely to have only one in Common, and are biased towards those used by merchants. Jack uses “free” in the sense of “unlimited”; the man he’s talking to thinks he means “don’t have to pay for it.” Common is a trade language, and I’m keeping that in mind.
Again, I don’t like using this literary device, since it lacks logic. In the very first story I wrote with this sort of plot, language barriers played an important and long-lasting part. In that system, magic didn’t allow you to speak another’s language exactly, the way tongues does in D&D. The most it could do was help you learn it faster, and the amulets that did the job had to be custom-made.
The wizards who made it in the story started with a “translation” spell (you wore an earing that repeated basic words in your language, but it was draining on wizard who made it as well as the wearer, it was slow and limited, it didn’t translate grammar, and it didn’t last long. Then they used that to work out a simple translation dictionary, which was included in each amulet made. After that, the wearer slowly learned the other language in the amulet, but was dependant on his/her own ability to learn more than common words and terms. It also often made mistakes with synonyms and re-translation errors were common. And, again, grammar was a problem.
quote:
The writing, mechanics wise, is sound. It flows, and I can discern no glaring grammatica/spelling errors. (Though admittedly, I didn't go through the text with editing mode on.) The attention to detail and descriptions are impressive. Can't say much about dialogue or characterization yet, as most of the text posted thus far involves combat.
Thank you. I try to be descriptive, though not in the manner that at least one other scribe had been irritated at. (I forget who, but I’m interested in who the author was.)
The combat was long-winded, and I apologize for that. Describing D&D combat in-character, especially the use of magic from the point of view of someone who’s never seen it, isn’t easy.
quote:
It's an intriguing story, though I think I can see where this is going.
And where is that? Remember, this is not typical fan fiction. This is the introduction of a character that (in less than a week from his point of view) will be part of a play-by-e-mail game. |
Hell hath no fury like all of Candlekeep rising in defense of one of its own.
Download the brickfilm masterpiece by Leftfield Studios! See this page for more. |
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Malaug
Acolyte
Australia
20 Posts |
Posted - 18 Feb 2004 : 12:42:58
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Bookwyrm, I just happened to read this post out of curiosity and I must congratulate you. It's a very interesting and well written story.
Every so often someone tries to mesh the two worlds together and invariably alot of them fail.
Joel Rosenberg had an attempt in The Sleeping Dragon and his worked quite well to a point.
I would have to say that this one is just a good.
I look forward to reading further instalments. |
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Capn Charlie
Senior Scribe
USA
418 Posts |
Posted - 18 Feb 2004 : 15:12:38
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Hmm, I must say I really enjoy this. I am literally on the edge of my seat waiting for the next part.
In the beginning it did seem a bit contrived, but then anything along these lines likely would. While I agree that it is in a very shaky region, and it would be a shame to see it go down the "campy" path, it looks like it will stay on the straight aand narrow. However if you are considering it, a Morte-like(If you've played the PS game you know) familiar acting as guide might be a bit much, depending on how heavily used it is.
I do hope that once you start the game you will continue to clue us in on Jack's adventures.
I am just curious as to whether he has Identify in his new spellbook, and how he reacts to the material component. Or by the way he threw that guano-less fireball will he be doing away with them altogether? Also have you considered using sorcerer levels to represent the intuitive nature of his magic, or will there be other nasty, nasty surprises that came along with those acquired memories? Or will you just use an Eschew Materials Feat?
As to terminoligy I have used a system of rank dependent on spell level for years. A Wizard of the xth Degree, Can cast Spells of the xth Order of Complexity.
This has already seen it's way onto an rtf in my personal archives, would it be ok if I sent a copy to my net-less friend who would also enjoy it immensely?
Kudos to you though! I can only hope this will help me clarify my style for an upcoming narrative that I am writing for my campaign. |
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 18 Feb 2004 : 23:14:20
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| I had a nice, long post to give after that, but I pressed the wrong button and it disapeared. I'll try to rewrite it later. |
Hell hath no fury like all of Candlekeep rising in defense of one of its own.
Download the brickfilm masterpiece by Leftfield Studios! See this page for more. |
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Bookwyrm
Great Reader
USA
4740 Posts |
Posted - 21 Feb 2004 : 17:26:17
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Malaug: First of all, céad míle fáilte. Second, I’d hardly consider this little thing as good as The Sleeping Dragon. Unless of course you mean in terms of someone from Earth getting stuck in a roleplaying game. In that case, this is better. Not that it’s really that hard to do better than that book, since the roleplaying-game part was just the excuse, and really it was just a trick to get them there. I’m not doing that; Jack’s never heard of Dungeons & Dragons, since the game was never invented on his Earth.
Thanks for the vote of confidence, though.
Well, thank you, Captain (is that O6 or O3? ). I have no problem with you spreading it around, either -- go right ahead. Let me know what (s)he thinks of it.
Also, don’t be afraid to get your own style. I’ve found in the past that it’s very hard to write the way others write, if you don’t already do that. I’m very, very jealous of Ed Greenwood in that respect, since he can just crank things out in whatever style someone wants him to. I’m having a hard enough time with Mumadar’s PbeM, which is supposed to be done in present tense, with minimal though description.
I’m not sure what you mean by a “Morte-like” familiar, though. He will be getting one that clues him in on several things, of course. I’ve already had some thought on that. As a level-five wizard, any familiar he gains will be able to talk to him. Since it’s supposed to be in a unique language born of the magical bond, it’s a bit much to think that it’ll spring up out of whole cloth. In actuality, the animal he joins with is a former familiar, whose mistress died recently. The familiar is glad enough to be joined again, and will help him on a few things that Jack doesn’t know about -- especially familiar abilities.
As to spontaneous magic, Jack can’t do that. For one thing, he’s got a Charisma modifier of -1. Hey, I only had the standard 32 points, so after Intelligence and Dexterity he didn’t have much left over. For another, he’s very Intelligence-oriented. Scientific training and all that. The wizard class is much better for him in that sense.
I suppose it’s natural to think he’s a spontaneous caster. After all, he’s suddenly gained these spells. Actually, they’re normal wizard spells, which he gained through osmosis, so to speak. He and the archmage who died summoning him coexisted for a moment, and Jack got a few spells (not much, not even his full daily allotment), and some “basic” magical knowledge. That is, one rank in Knowledge (arcana) and twelve in Spellcraft. Why the difference? Spellcraft is more in the nature of training and recognition. Knowledge (arcana) is book knowledge, not experience. It’s not much compared to the archmage’s own knowlege, of course; he was epic level, so he had a hefty Spellcraft ranking. It’s really not memories that he’s experiencing; it’s more like he downloaded a lot of mental files. Or he’s suddenly had an extra disk drive added. Either way, his brain’s pulling up new information in the mental version of text format: no pictures (meaning memories and emotions), just raw facts.
Maybe I should stay away from the computer metaphors.
Anyway, kudos yourself for noticing that Jack’s not using material components. He gained three metamagic feats while on Earth without knowing it, and he’s using them in the same way -- unknowingly. Eschew Materials is, of course, one of them. Fortunately for Jack, the archmage also had that feat, so he was able to cast that fireball.
How did he get these, without ever once casting a spell before today? It has to do with the way magic works on Jack’s Earth. See, while magic exists there, it’s really, really hard to work. In effect, if an arcane spellcaster went to Earth, (s)he’d find that his/her caster level was reduced, or something similar. How much is something I haven’t worked out, but it would be at the very least cut in half. (It’s hardly going to be important, though; unless Sage has something up his sleeve, we aren’t going back to Earth for a while. ) There’s also no equivalent of a Weave, or any uniform structure to magic. In essence, magic is “lumpy” on Earth. Western Europe’s got the strongest concentration, centered in the Irish Sea. That’s where the best mages have been in history. (Yes, Merlin was real in Jack’s Earth. ) Maybe sometime I’ll figure out where else magic is concentrated, but again, that’s not going to be important for a while.
These two facts are why magic died out; it takes at least four times as much time to learn to be a wizard there, so when people in Europe started getting antsy about magic, there were more wizards dying than were being trained. And then, after Newton’s laws made a final separation between philosophy and natural philosophy (aka science), magic was considered fantasy, and had no place in the universe.
In essence, Newtonian physics does not allow for magic, or anything without an observable cause. Einstein’s laws didn’t change this, either; it’s the study of big things, just as Newtonian physics is the study of things on our own scale. And so the idea that magic doesn’t exist is deeply ingrained in modern science and society. Yet quantum physics -- the study of incredibly small things and their interactions -- actually would allow for magic. Especially once it’s combined with chaos theory, a mostly mathematical discipline.
In particular, there’s the idea of quantum entanglement. For those who don’t know about that (which I’m sure is most of us here, which is hardly any kind of insult, I assure you), it’s the idea that occurrences in one area affect another, seemingly without connection. Einstein said that was “spooky.” In essence, he didn’t like it, since it seemed like magic. He absolutely hated the idea of random, unconnected phenomena -- “God playing dice with the universe,” he called it. Odd for a guy with magical talent, isn’t it?
Yes, that’s right: in Jack’s world, Albert Einstein had the innate ability to be a very, very powerful wizard. He, like Jack, saw the patterns in the world’s magical fields -- and, like Jack, turned to science for answers. That’s actually quite common there; people born with connections to magic (that is, the Spellcasting Prodigy feat) normally either become insane, or else become geniuses. After all, without being able to exercise their abilities somehow, they can’t take the strain.
Jack focused on two things: his love for knowledge, and his love for fencing. That’s where his abilities were focused as well. Remember at the start, where I wrote that Jack could feel that little something extra when he fenced? It wasn’t his imagination. He actually did send his magic into his rapier -- in game terms, he gained the Imbue Weapon feat. (+1 spell level to imbue a weapon not part of the caster’s body with a touch spell. It’s a d20 feat I found.) Of course, since he didn’t have spells to cast, nothing special happened.
His third and last metamagic feat is Energy Substitution (electricity). Any spell he memorizes with an energy-element descriptor will come out as electricity, at least until he figures out how to turn it off. (The same thing happens with touch spells taking an extra spell level to memorize. He’s going to be confused for a while.) He’ll assume to assume it’s because of that lightning hitting him as he was transferred to Toril from Earth. Of course, he’s wrong. In actuality, it’s because electricity is the easiest magical element to work with on Earth; it was no coincidence that the wild-magic storm on Earth’s end manifested as a lightning storm. It’s got nothing to do with conductivity -- metals like copper and iron will conduct electricity in the same way in both worlds. It’s simply a difference in magic.
Well, I think that’s all I wanted to say. I’ll try to crank out the next section so that you aren’t kept waiting long. (You do know it’s not safe to be on the edge of your seat like that, don’t you? ) |
Hell hath no fury like all of Candlekeep rising in defense of one of its own.
Download the brickfilm masterpiece by Leftfield Studios! See this page for more. |
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Shadowlord
Master of Realmslore
USA
1298 Posts |
Posted - 21 Feb 2004 : 21:55:34
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| Indeed. I've already fallen off several times... |
The Chosen of Vhaeraun
"Nature is governed by certain immutable rules. By virtue of claw and fang, the lion will always triumph over the goat.Given time, the pounding of the sea will wear away the stone. And when dark elves mingle with the lighter races, the offspring invariably take after the dark parent. It is all much the same. That which is greater shall prevail. Our numbers increase steadily, both through birth and conquest. The dark elves are the dominant race, so ordained by the gods." Ka'Narlist of the Ilythiiri. |
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Jack Archer of Earth
