[X] Plan Mapping the Wastes
-[X] (AotL) Grail
-[X] (Steppes) Ask about any rumors and general perceptions of us, Fair Trial, and our respective institutions, among both nobles and the commonfolk.
-[X] (Forge) SH2, for Jade's RotT
-[X] (Social) Level up Jade
-[X] Summon a Mare-in-the-Light
--[X] To be performed on an inconspicuous place, located by Baldomare
-[X] Fleeting Opportunity: Comet Feet
-[X] Study: Forge 3, Forge 3, Mystery Book
-[X] Explore the Mansus (x2)
--[X] Find a new location in the Ashen Wastes (3x)
--[X] Explore the depths of the Ruined Church
--[X] Any overflow from exploring the Ashen Wastes should go to finding a new location in the Shattered Stairways
For what matters, this plan has my approval.
if I make my own, the only change I MIGHT make is giving up a mansus exploration to either Teach Rarity or maaaaaaaybe social Filthy Rich, but I'm starting to lean mansus more.
"Bird, when is Selene going to talk to her other sister, Soft Sweeps?"
"Bird, when are we learning about Ash?"
"Bird, it couldn't
possibly be that those two things are related, could it?"
Bird, you are truly worthy of your QQ nickname.
No rerolls used on DoA. Knock was a tiny bit clutch, but passing a roll by a little is still passing.
Nice. we PROBABLY won't need it, but Knock is used fairly often in the Mansus so there's a chance it's used there, especially if we do double exploration.
You can't tell for sure, really. Unironically speaking, an Edge AotL might be useful.
You know, I was actually considering it. A "Verbal attack".
If he tries a "why did you betray the master" or "why did you do X", Edge might help countering with a "Why did YOU leave the cult for Fluttershy".
...I'm quite seriously leaning towards Edge AotL instead of Grail.
Grails is persuasion through being liked... but Comet
doesn't like us.
He can still
respect us though, and Edge would help with that more I think. Especially if we take a confrontational tone over a conciliatory one.
All that matters is that Rarity will let you know if she definitely needs to succeed her roll during a turn. Just how like Jade tells you if she needs some time off.
Well, they might not tell you directly, but I will. So those fine details really aren't on Velvet's radar right now.
Nice to hear a definitive confirmation you'll warn us of those two things. It means we can take more risks on making use of their actions.
and that we'll KNOW if "taking a commission" is absolutely not a valid option. there's a non-zero chance we might want to take another commission next turn or the turn after, depending on Frangiclave expedition cost, for example.
About this. Let me dispel a misunderstanding that I think has been building up for a while.
Having a Sacrament doesn't mean you can teach other ponies Sacraments.
The requirements for teaching a Sacrament is literally a skill called "One who is very great".
Attaining a Sacrament doesn't make you a Very Great creature, the same way that graduating from school doesn't make you a professor.
So, unfortunately, perish the thought of having one character reach a Sacrament and then "spreading it around".
...I'm now wondering if "One Who Is Very Great" is basically a trait granted from being at Lore 6.
how does teaching a follower to 5 work, then? Do we bring them to 4 4/4, and then our Names give the final push? Or do we bring them there, and then they get to try for their own personal sacraments?
ok,
THAT ONE is perfect!
I can't wait for our dead dad to find out!
And STEPPES. he'll probably risk dying of laughter!
Sure. I'd appreciate a little more specificity on your wording, though, just so Steppes understands what you are asking.
And as always, he might be too busy to answer. But you can write to him whatever you want.
to be fair he'd likely want to answer even if he's busy.
We're no longer JUST his niece, after all. We're now
in the top 5 of the most important ponies in the country.
Just behind Princess Celestia, Princess Cadance, and somewhere around the same level as Fair Trial, the near-unknown Midday Dew, and maybe Shining Armor.
so it's not just a family obligation, it's just important for the VELVET FAMILY to keep us happy and close.
Especially considering we make no mistery of how little we care for our sperm donor formerly known as "father"
Well that isn't ominous at all.
Are you guys sure we want to confront Comet?
It's not really THAT ominous. Edge is Comet's nature.
talking with him is basically a verbal spar. If you don't "attack" verbally, you just come off as weak. and he cares enough about Fluttershy's opinion that I don't think he'd outright attack us PHYSICALLY over words unless we outright threaten him or more importantly Fluttershy.
So yeah, I'm leaning going AotL Edge, and when we go talk to him we "stand up to him" during the conversation.
We basically go "
We found out about the Master in Shining. They're now dead. I understand why you did it, but I NEED you to tell me if there's any other secret that might come back to bite him,because THE MASTER NEARLY RAPED A DEAR FRIEND OF MINE AND I WON'T STAND FOR ANY OTHER SECRET YOU'RE KEEPING HARMING ME AND MINE".
and if he tries some variation of "
and what if I don't" we go "
Don't make me threaten you, Comet. I killed a Name because they threatened me and mine. I don't have anything against you, but I can't allow your secrets to put people I care about at risk. You'd do the same for FLuttershy. You DID the same for Fluttershy. please, for BOTH of our sakes, meet me halfway."
Oh, and a small comment. I haven't checked all the plans yet, but this was right in front of me as I typed my last post.
So, there is absolutely nothing wrong with your plan, and this is fine. I just want to make sure you all remember that exploring the Red Church is a Mansus Expedition.
They only cost one Mansus-exploration action, and it's perfectly placed in this plan. But it's still one of those "dangerous, dark, scary" things that involve Velvet going somewhere, uh, complicated.
Again, no problem at all doing it. Just wanted to point out this isn't a regular "walk around the Blank Plains and find a garden".
I'm assuming our "All-4-but-Heart" makes it an acceptable level of risk. We've been overleveled basically for all of our mansus experiences, after all.
Random thought, but...
@OurLadyOfWires ,could we actually... offer a job to Comet?
A real job, I mean, to guard our house, and have him payed like all of our stuff?
We could even bring it up to our brother (considering Ponyville finances are up to him), that we know a strong pegasus stallion that would make for a good guardspony/security guard.
if nothing else he could use the bits to buy Fluttershy gifts
Let's absolutely do this, if we're confronting comet.
Hmmm. Then I really think any action that does this should also read the Forge books, because we're likely to get Forge scraps and then the books are useless.
agreed on both, but to be fair I think every plan has the three books study action.
Just gonna note, but, uh… while I'm pretty convinced that talking to Comet could end in violence, rolling up on him with a Name granted max Edge Influence probably makes that an absolute certainty. Because that's kinda a sign that Velvet is actively expecting a fight.
In the other hand, I totally wanna see her throw down a +90 check if he tries to pull something and want to see Biedde besides, so I'm not gonna complain.
well, maybe not violence because Velvet with an edge 4 influence could break Comet
in two like a kit kat bar, but it's definitely overkill.
AotL is more...
subtle. it's the world whispering advice in your ears, nudging you towards the most effective course of action. in a conversation with Comet, it would be Velvet not bowing down to a dominance display and countering with
cutting words
an Edge Influence is the world's laws
changing to make the lore more relevant. It's going to Comet with the world acknowledging that our talk is a fight, and we're there to win, and are armed with the equivalent of a nuke when we're going for a swordfight.
It's MASSIVELY overkill. And he'll KNOW it.
Honestly, he'll probably just be testing Velvet for strength or something, or maybe attack before she can properly explain. Either way, there's gonna be some violence.
I'm up for it.
Both Velvet and Comet care about Fluttershy. I don't think they'll go
too far with this.
Comet also seems to care about Stormchaser.
This would be more of the trope of "shounen friends having a brawl to clear the air"
I'm not even sure it would HAVE to be a physical fight. I could see edge bonus applying to a VERBAL attack instead.
And in general, if we're summoning Names, I'd prefer to stick to chances 90% or higher. Considering how expensive they are.
I'm willing to go as low as 80% personally, but that depends on how much we pay to improve our odds.
if we're paying, say, 45 bits for an extra 5%, then we might as well just add a conditional "if fail, try again" instead, potentially.
for Biedde in any case we need AT LEAST an edge 3 reagent. that's the bare minimum for me to consider it.
Mare in the Light sacrifice could be an option next turn, for example.
Does AotL and Influence stack? Is there a point in adding Edge AotL too?
AotL doubles the application bonus (+5 per lore level when it applies), so for Edge it would be an extra +20 to a SINGLE ROLL.
influence is +10 per tier of influence (goes from 1 to 4) to ALL rolls of that lore for the whole turn if given by a Name, and 2 turns if gained from Mansus or ritual.
so yes, they stack.
but AotL is kind of a subtle nudge, a whisper from the world telling you how to do something. an influence is the world's laws bowing to you to make that lore more prevalent, and you BETTER at it.
and generally speaking AotL might not be noticed by other lore users, but an Influence is
obvious. It's an Aura of Power.
It's going to Comet with a neon sign telling him "I'm ready to fight, and to win, and maybe to kill you".
Into the Sacrament, he didn't complete it, yes. But. Not the point.
The point is that the fleeting action is talking to Comet about Shining. Whether that question is "What the hell man" or "So, why didn't you kill him" or some variation on the theme. Either way.... This is Comet. If he even responds, if he says something as simple as "You wouldn't understand " he has a point. Velvet never lingered under an Edge Influence. Velvet never had to go out as the tool of war for the Master.
Even if she does understand, He won't be able to see that she understands. Her edge is too Wolf Tainted. An Edge Influence is... It's a way of telling him "I am trying to understand."
I don't think it's a bad idea. It makes the chance of escalation much worse. But I also think it has the chance that things improve.
I disagree in Edge influence being a good idea. I think it's too agressive.
I see an AotL as has trying to have a "verbal sparring". Us going "I know what you did, and I need to know if there's anything else that might make problems for me and mine, and you're going to tell me" but an Edge Influence is too far.
I mean, we've seen some though? Not even doing crazy Lore stuff. An early Twilight social had a DC 160 to really impress her, and there was a 180 breakpoint when introducing Rarity to noble society. I'm probably forgetting one or two others as well.
oh, I actually forgot.
Copper: "better than coinflip chances to summon a
fucking Name without even having to burn her best minions, and she wants
better? God, Velvet is
such a snob."
Copper approaches it like a Cultist.
Velvet is a
perfectionist. If we could, we'd roll with 99.9% chances every time, but we have to bow to the cruel reality that, at some point, it's just better to just try a second time if we fail
Let's be clear here. You're not saying we can't afford Biedde. You're saying that we can't afford any degree of risk in the Jade RotT.
I think that's a little misguided! 16% failure is tolerable! If we fail, we still have another turn — to do a Velvet super powered book search, or scry a book we can buy, or see if we get anything from the multiple expeditions we have planned.
And when the reward for accepting that risk is a very good chance at a NAME, I think we should.
scried book could not be on sale, but have to be gotten through an expedition. Bird said we can't decide to scry specifically for a book on sale, just for "a suitable book".
Expeditions are possible, but again not certain. canterlot part might very well not have lvl 5 books, and we might not even be able to afford Frangiclave expedition next turn.
as for a Velvet super-search (or Baldomare),the book would then cost 120 bits. So we'd risk not being able to do Frangiclave I think, as that's a lot of extra money to spend.
basically, while there's some possible fixes to that failure, they're VERY EXPENSIVE FIXES.
So yeah, I'd rather delay Biedde by one turn in exchange for reducing our chances of problems with Baldomare by quite a bit.
