Decadents & Dropouts OOC

[Nidhogg]

The spell has to end before my guy gets fatigued from the spell. Also, here is how the spell works by the rules of the D&D World.

You can see and hear some creature, which may be at any distance. The difficult ofthe spell depends on how well you know the subject and what sort of physical connection you have the them;

1. If you`ve seen them
2. Have a possession or item of theirs
3. Have a body part, lock of hair, bit of nail, etc.
4. Firsthand(you met the subject)

You are correct, however all targets can resist being scryed upon through their own innate willpower and any natural resistance they might have to magic. On top of that the scrying spell simply shows you that person and their surroundings in a 10ft radius. It does not point out the exact location of the person like a homing beacon on a map. And on top of that, pools of water are only used as a focus for people using natural/primal magic, as they can connect to the natural state of the water. For arcane scrying you have to use a 2ft x 4ft silver mirror that has to cost at least 1000gp. And on top of that, scrying is ritualistic divination, that takes 1 hour to prepare and cast before you get a view of the subject.

That is why people in fantasy magic worlds don't always know where everyone they're looking for is all the time, because it is a fairly involved process to pull off. A good spell for Trunfor might be more along the lines of something like "Locate Creature" which, while comparable in power to scry, functions more like a beacon. It points the spellcaster in the direction of the person they are looking for, and gives them a mental compass to them.

Now that I've gone and "nerded out" so to speak, I believe there is an important issue we all need to deal with.

We need to continue the adventures of Zheal...the paranoid, turnip farming gnome. I think we can all agree, that the gnome is the real star of this story.

 

[Avellan13]

Gnome! Gnome! Gnome! Gnome! Gnome! Gnome! Gnome!

I like the gnome. He`s funny so far.

 

[Belinda35]

Phyliss was so excited that she mixed up the names. But of course she will insist that she had asked Tronfur (i edited the post before) to look for Zaehn. (Because she thinks that the handsome merchant is called "Zahl", what means as well "number", "figure", "amount" and the imperative "Pay!" in german, so his second identy as his own employer is more likely Zaehn then Zahn.)

 

[DeathsKnight]

Phyliss kennt Deutsch? Wie nett

 

[Belinda35]

Not much. "You do not like mein snakes? You are ze schweinehund."

 

[DeathsKnight]

Ich liebe ihre schlangen, und ich möchte ein bastard als ein Schwein-Hund lieber sein.

 

[Belinda35]

Take care that you don't become der Grenzstein. (Naughty joke)

And somebody better tidy up on board before we have visitors. It all looks like krauts and turnips.

 

[DeathsKnight]

You will have to PM me that joke I am now curious about the ground stone

 

[Belinda35]

I just did, although it is a rather simple one.

 

[DeathsKnight]

I misread as usual LOL

boundary or corner stone

*face palms*

Also now after Gryph had created a nice fireshow, what is the next plan for him?

 

[Belinda35]

Similar like the barbarian hard-on. Now, Phyliss jumped to the shore, to rescue Zaehn (sic). He could simply bodyguard her, if he thinks that is necessary after all, or help to secure the ship. In fact, only with two sailors of whom one is mainly on the wheel, we soon will need some help running the ship. And, there is still the Haerdon-Relic-confrontation in future.

 

[Dizzyfish]

O____O XD I think Naunet doesn't
want to give up what she fished from
the river. I might have her try to drag
him back in with her. Just to be comical.
XD

 

[Belinda35]

If she does so, he will soon begin to stink. I wonder if shapeshifters get first slimy and then liquid, when they have passed? Surely it is very messy.

 

[Nidhogg]

*There is nothing important in this post. It is one of Professor Nid's lectures on the concept and origins of doppelgangers. If you want something interesting to read, you just need to skip to the very last little paragraph. I am not going to quiz anyone over the content of this post.*

Well they might if they are a gelatinous based shape shifter. Doppelgangers are an actual humanoid species, however. Generally in any fantasy setting they are pretty basic and lack any real amount of description other than a picture of their true form and the explanation of how and why they mimic other species. In most settings, there are no doppelganger societies or cultures because doppelgangers just don't like being themselves and feel more comfortable being another species. There are rarely details on how they procreate or where they come from, and those details tend to be sketchy.

In the D&D Eberron setting, a doppelganger PC race was introduced. However most people would agree that the "Changeling" race (although it is stated they are sometimes called doppelgangers) in Eberron are not doppelgangers in a sense of the traditional fantasy monster. They are more akin to a fairy-tale-esque changeling species. Not so far as to be "World of Darkness" Changelings, but still not a doppelganger.

What I have come to understand the doppelganger monstrous race as is a group of natural shape shifters who are not likely a by-product of any normal evolution. They only identify themselves as "doppelgangers" because that is what everyone else calls them. Doppelganger is a german word that simply describes a living person's copy. Translated I think it "double walker" or something like that. You German speaking folk can sort that out.

Early fantasy RPG doppelgangers weren't the shape shifters they are now, or how I'm playing Z. They were originally only able to copy an actual person, either through meeting or observing them, and generally had some evil plot in mind for that. Early doppelgangers also had what comic-book folk would know as "power-mimicry" where a spell or special attack you used on them they could copy and re-use on you.

The basic doppelganger concept I am using for Z would be based on the 2e AD&D through 3.5e version of them. His natural form looks like a 1950's era "grey" alien. There is also some slight additions to him from the Pathfinder version of doppelgangers. I have sort of a unique upbringing set up for him, so a single entry in any of the bestiaries won't accurately describe him. He was raised to learn to do a lot of complex shapeshifts, but he was not a very good student.

Basic information for you guys on his "natural form" would be that you won't see it unless he willingly shows it for some reason. When gravely injured he goes to a "neutral" state. It is just a very simple, average, generic human male. Basically imagine the most average man in the world, and he morphs in to something more average than that when he's hurt. This was a learned defense mechanism so if he was knocked out and needed to shift to fix some of his injuries he could shift to this generic human and anyone who saw him wouldn't immediately think "doppelganger" as there is no shortage of shapeshifting creatures and magic in fantasy settings. Right now he's paralyzed so he can't do that, but as soon as the paralysis is gone that is what he'll morph in to.

I was going to say he can shift to another form to fix severe injuries, like broken bones or lost limbs, but he'd transfer the cuts, bruises, poisons, spell effects and such to the new form. He's supposed to be able to regenerate...but again...he wasn't a good student. Which is also why he can't cast magic, and isn't much of a skilled fighter. His general policy for fights is "run like hell" or if he has no choice "change in to something big and smoosh the bad guy."

Sorry for ranting about crap, I needed to write all these thoughts down for myself more than for anyone else. I organize things better when I write them down, and now I have a reference in case I forget my own original idea.

Now that we're all in agreement about the gnome. I will be randomly interjecting small tidbits about this poor guy's life. His parents couldn't decide on 1 name for him, so he has about 20 names, all official. Even worse, there are lots of evil wizards, dark knights and other bad guys who share those names with him. He can't go a week without some group of adventurers stomping on his turnip patch and calling him an "evil foe."

 

[DeathsKnight]

Will read through that all in just a second, just wanted to state that if there is a problem with my post can just tell me and I'll edit it.

 

[Nidhogg]

Nothing wrong with it at all DK. DormantEvil and I had discussed briefly about Relic possibly being able to whip something up with Z's alchemy gear to help with the paralysis. Everything he has on him are for medicinal purposes, but they're ingredients from all over the world so...have fun!

You guys should be able to tell that as long as you keep an eye on him for possible fever or more bleeding, he's not going to die.

 

[Belinda35]

Skandölf is not an alchemist, but he has traveled to far places and spent some years as pirate, so he is familiar with all kinds of poisoned weapons, injuries and so on. So he is of some help at least.

 

[Nidhogg]

Yup, he certainly could. Even if he couldn't mix something up, he would probably be able to point out that an anti-paralytic medicine would be the best thing for Z.

 

[DeathsKnight]

Oh and direct translation of doppelganger means double walker

 

[Dizzyfish]

DK! COME BATHE WITH ME I AM
LONELY!!!! -whines- I are haz
bubblez! :3

 

[DeathsKnight]

I are wanz bed! ^^

 

[Dizzyfish]

Aww.. boo. Go to sleep sleep
:3 Sweet dreams.

 

[Belinda35]

Wanz bed? You mean Bettwanze.
And I would not take the bath if she has added shampoo against scales. (Bad for my hair.)

 

[DeathsKnight]

*gets into bath with Dizzy and relaxes*

Ahhhhh nice, juz neds cheeseburger

 

[Dizzyfish]

-giggles- I ar haz cheezeburger.