freespace2dotcom Posted April 20, 2014 Author Report Share Posted April 20, 2014 The one minor problem I had with that was that the one skill point I got from the background "Prodigy: Secrets and silence" was enough to make it look like my character had intentionally learned it, but meh. that's nitpicking. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metis Posted April 20, 2014 Report Share Posted April 20, 2014 So that does still exist? I used Extrapolation of Evidence to get 3 Mastery subskills and thus Mastery 1, but the adventure didn't give me the option. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Posted April 20, 2014 Report Share Posted April 20, 2014 Maybe, if you are devious enough and research the enchantment in Vernin's records (there might be some) you could if you are skilled enough design and fashion a bracelet that cancels out the mark without removing it, allowing you to use mastery in "emergencies". Maybe the bracelet could create some kind of bridging effect that bypasses the mark. I'm sure you could pull that off without anyone realising it if you are skilled enough. Maybe a mastery adventure for later years involvign crafting and enchantment. The mark was the product of enchantment research after all. You would have to be very good at crafting, enchantment and Orthography for that though, I would immagine. Possibly some Mastery Theory aswell to understand what you're trying to bypass and channel through the jewelry. You would then have a good way of getting away by having the mark, as long as you don't go mental and try to conquer the city with Mastery or something really crazy where it's obvious what and who is doing what. It would take away a bracelet/wrist slot, but, might be worth it to a devious mastery user(least one who doesn't want to drop the craft entierly), while hiding behind the legal protection provided by the mark. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Posted April 20, 2014 Report Share Posted April 20, 2014 I guess I should be lucky she didn't notice all the Gates skills or other stuff hidden away in that oversized brain. Another thing, if you get good enough at these mindgames shoudln't it be possible to shield of parts of your mind without anyone noticing it. That would be a nice ability, it might even help against Mastery creatures or interrogators checkign you out using questionable methods. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metis Posted April 20, 2014 Report Share Posted April 20, 2014 A) Leene notices whether the PC knows Mastery because she has to remove the mental suggestion left by the Sageni, which is itself the result of a Mastery spell, and she finds it by blankly scanning the PC's memories for traces of Mastery. She could search specifically for just the Sageni's spell, but that would take more effort she won't think necessary because she wouldn't suspect the PC of knowing Mastery. The PC might be able to cast a spell to protect their mind beforehand, but for that spell to work on Leene without working on the Sageni itself would have to be more specific than a first year could devise/cast. Besides which, Leene's Synchronicity rolls are far greater than the PC's Mastery rolls, and while the PC may or may not have been trained to keep their feelings hidden, Leene is most definitely trained to find them. And even if the PC is trained to hide their feelings they'd fail at doing so during the adventure anyway, since the situation simply works against them no matter what. Leene will find out if the PC learned Mastery, no matter what the PC does or doesn't do. That said, the player can simply not choose the "Yes, I do know Mastery but I'll never admit that" options and Leene will be none the wiser. This is actually specifically so that situations like what free mentioned won't result in players being treated as having intentionally learned Mastery when they didn't, at least in character. Hell, I remember one time Station: Well-To-Do made me start with 2 ranks in Gates Methods. That was interesting. Creating a bracelet or something that would overrule the Master's Mark is, I think, possible, it's not a perfect enchantment by any definition, but there's the slight problem that anyone doing so and benefiting from it runs into a paradox. To wit: Someone that knows Sync that uses Mastery would know, instinctively, what they're doing to other people. They cannot lie to themselves about that, and if they don't notice they're not using Sync in the first place. They, thus, would either have to justify their actions, or ignore their conscience. The former runs into the paradox of them being unable to force people into doing what is genuinely best for them, since Sync allows them to convince people that something would be for the best without having to force it on anyone. The latter runs into the paradox of someone lacking a conscience logically lacking Empathy, which so happens to be one of the core skills of Sync, thus meaning they're no good at using them. Now it is, of course, possible to hold a set of moral standards that can rationalize it's way through the paradoxes, but that person would either have to either hide their moral values or be just have it be part of their normal moral fibre. The former again runs into the problem where if they cannot be open about it they cannot use Sync well enough for it to justify the risk and effort, while the latter runs into the problem where not only can they fall through an interrogation, but anyone actually trained with Sync would notice it very quickly. Now see why I often fail an Insight/Wits v13 roll with 11 Insight, 11 Wits, and a Familiar with at least 6 Bond and Wit. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
isadorbg Posted April 20, 2014 Report Share Posted April 20, 2014 I guess I should be lucky she didn't notice all the Gates skills or other stuff hidden away in that oversized brain. Another thing, if you get good enough at these mindgames shoudln't it be possible to shield of parts of your mind without anyone noticing it. That would be a nice ability, it might even help against Mastery creatures or interrogators checkign you out using questionable methods. I am sure that an advanced skill of Mastery or Negation (probably both) will do just that in the future . Someone that knows Sync that uses Mastery would know, instinctively, what they're doing to other people. They cannot lie to themselves about that, and if they don't notice they're not using Sync in the first place. They, thus, would either have to justify their actions, or ignore their conscience. The former runs into the paradox of them being unable to force people into doing what is genuinely best for them, since Sync allows them to convince people that something would be for the best without having to force it on anyone. The latter runs into the paradox of someone lacking a conscience logically lacking Empathy, which so happens to be one of the core skills of Sync, thus meaning they're no good at using them Depends on the situation really. I have to admit that i am no fan of Mastery and i am convinced that if such magic existed in real life the ban would be as harsh if not worse due to the ridiculous amount of power a Mastery mage can hold and the danger on free will which in our free societies will certainly be seen as a threat to human rights. But i disgress , even as sychro user you could use Mastery without using Synchro at the same time wich is not such a catastroph on the puppet really (depends of the severity but in the keystonen it wasn't that traumatising ) and people can have different "value" of empathy (didn't find better word sorry) for others . For exemple like albert said a dragon, people in Elumnia grow with the hates of dragons even a very moral mage might be tempted to make them suffer as much as he can, and so on depending of the personnality of the mage. I knew many people fairly open minded and generous who can have a suprising hate for those who don't share their view and even worse for hate criminal so yeah... As for my Vernin mage i made him the curious type, the kind of mage who is really more interested by rare magic and not so much of "mainstream" magic (Glammour, Incantation..) and Mastery is a very rare magic. Add to that a little pride with the almost cliche: i'll do better than the older and the teenagers "recklessness" and you might get the recipe for disasters In fact i almost hope it will come bite him in the a** haha... . Yeah i am a sadist Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metis Posted April 20, 2014 Report Share Posted April 20, 2014 Well, those are the logical conclusions. Since Sync and Mastery both work from/with emotions those situations are definitely not as simple in practice, but the general idea of combining Sync and Mastery being more effort than is worth, especially when you throw in the Master's Mark, stands. One problem is that wishing harm upon a Dragon means the person failed to empathize with said Dragon, since I'm fairly certain Dragons don't wish to suffer (don't personally wish to suffer, anyway). Now you could argue that empathizing on that level goes against the caster's, say, basic survival instinct, but it'd be an Empathy failure nonetheless. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
isadorbg Posted April 20, 2014 Report Share Posted April 20, 2014 Well, those are the logical conclusions. Since Sync and Mastery both work from/with emotions those situations are definitely not as simple in practice, but the general idea of combining Sync and Mastery being more effort than is worth, especially when you throw in the Master's Mark, stands. One problem is that wishing harm upon a Dragon means the person failed to empathize with said Dragon, since I'm fairly certain Dragons don't wish to suffer (don't personally wish to suffer, anyway). Now you could argue that empathizing on that level goes against the caster's, say, basic survival instinct, but it'd be an Empathy failure nonetheless. What I meant is that people have different levels of empathy to different person like you have more emphaty to your parent than to i don't know the cow which meat you ate yesterday. Just sayin And i don't know if mastery really works with emotion at least not at the level of sync, you just control someone like he's a puppet not real emotionnal investment Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xandran Posted April 21, 2014 Report Share Posted April 21, 2014 There is one major benefit to studying Mastery: Seal Against Mastery. Aside from that, it's just not that useful. Unless you do the silly thing I did in one playthrough involving 'Train Your Company' and Mastering your own clique, then it's useful but also incredibly silly. And you never get very fine control:your clique will be learning pretty much at random. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Posted April 21, 2014 Report Share Posted April 21, 2014 Well, those are the logical conclusions. Since Sync and Mastery both work from/with emotions those situations are definitely not as simple in practice, but the general idea of combining Sync and Mastery being more effort than is worth, especially when you throw in the Master's Mark, stands. One problem is that wishing harm upon a Dragon means the person failed to empathize with said Dragon, since I'm fairly certain Dragons don't wish to suffer (don't personally wish to suffer, anyway). Now you could argue that empathizing on that level goes against the caster's, say, basic survival instinct, but it'd be an Empathy failure nonetheless. Or you might empathise with the hudreds of screaming people that you feel the dragon wants to devour or slaughter just for fun. Having worked on your Composure, Dispassion, ethics, and (to some extent willpower to resist the manipulation others create to manipulate you). Dispassion seems the most important skill for people with empaty and all those other Syncronisity skills. When you got the dispassion that would make some mountains jealous or you're almost superhuman in your ability to manage fealings and instead immediately recognise what's right. Then you know what should be shielded away. So, Dispassion to help you avoid going insane among crowds, nevermind among a lot of suffering people would be vital for a syncronisity person. They would still pickup the needs of the people around them and be able to help them if they can and it happens to be the right thing to do at that given time. Ethics, to decide what's right and wrong! Willpower, it would help you resist outside manipulation once identified as undesirable. Composure to further increase your calm and selfcontrol. Serenity, which is a part of the syncronisity skill set also helps you identify what can be done and what can't and helps you ignore that which can't be changed. For example, when facing a dragon intent on killing lots of peopel includign yourself it won't help the situation to feel empaty or pitty for the dragon for what you're about to do to it to save all those people. You just have to accept that that can't be changed. (Unless you are so powerful that you can calm the dragon and disarm it and make it harmless without harming it. Can you do it forever? Can you convince the dragon to be good and leave and never hurt anyone?) The same would apply to other threats, given the situation you are in. I would say that the people with problems, who get into problems with Syncronisity and to some extent mastery, would be the people who have gained the mental bridging skill and empaty skill but who are lacking in the control and insight that allows them to control their powers. Their Serenity, instincts, dispassion, willpower and coposure might be seriously off. Which makes them unable shield of the pain of others when needed(or at least partialy shield it off). This would likely be a result of lacking training and maybe insight and inteligence. Having empaty is good, but knowing what's right and wrong and being able to do what's right is also imporant. I think that certain traits given to you by these skills should be used as checks in future games. (Passion contrast and whatever they are called) isadorbg controling someone does cause quite a bit of suffering to the person getting "enslaved" by your power, which an empatic person would feel and find somewhat stressful unless you are convinced that it's for the better good given the situation. I can understand the arguments there. But feeling sorry for a dragon, creature or other dangerous person that's about to harm people or cause you pain is somethng you should be able to dismiss given the circumstances. Least if you got balanced skills to handle your syncronisity powers. Having maxed your syncronisity pwoers is like being a telepath, you need to learn how to control it, or it will control you. That reminds me, these skills should be able to provide some protection against hostile "telepathic" creatures. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Mikka Posted April 21, 2014 Report Share Posted April 21, 2014 Sync would have been useful for poor Cyen or whatever his name was, that roleplay I did, when he was convinced Emilia was Mastering him. Poor kid. Learning Sync will be a number one priority in year two. ...It could also be useful for the next playthrough I have in mind. Hm. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Posted April 21, 2014 Report Share Posted April 21, 2014 There is one major benefit to studying Mastery: Seal Against Mastery. Aside from that, it's just not that useful. Unless you do the silly thing I did in one playthrough involving 'Train Your Company' and Mastering your own clique, then it's useful but also incredibly silly. And you never get very fine control:your clique will be learning pretty much at random. It's probably better to get really good at writing Caligraphy invitations that allows you to control your friends, it's not a hostile action, which makes it far superior when dealing with friends. Social skills are genearaly great for this aswell. Unfortunately, I think the masters mark the Syncronisity quest gives you makes it pretty mcuh impossible to cast Seal against Mastery. Someone who wants to fighter evil mastery users would probably be better off to be able to use both seal agaisn't mastery and the Syncronisity ability that allows you to make it harder for your enemy to cast mastery spells. Then you also have to remember that they likely got other skills aswell besides Mastery, a mastery user, most likely isn't powerless even if their mastery powers are dampened and made far less potent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Xandran Posted April 21, 2014 Report Share Posted April 21, 2014 I'm pretty sure if you used Synchronicity to link up with most dragons, you would immediately regret the horrible mistake you had made. So far I've only encountered one potentially non-evil dragon, and three definitely evil dragons, and basically all dragons are going to be better at magic than all but the most powerful and skilled archmagi. I'm just not convinced that Empathy is going to stop a Sync user from wanting to stop dragons from murdering and enslaving thousands. Also it's totally possible to learn Synchronicity and Mastery both before ever encountering the adventure. Which makes it really weird when you get the Bridging Stone. You just go 'Who is Leene????' So if you want to deal with Mastery users, learn Negation, Sync, and Mastery. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Posted April 21, 2014 Report Share Posted April 21, 2014 I'm pretty sure if you used Synchronicity to link up with most dragons, you would immediately regret the horrible mistake you had made. So far I've only encountered one potentially non-evil dragon, and three definitely evil dragons, and basically all dragons are going to be better at magic than all but the most powerful and skilled archmagi. I'm just not convinced that Empathy is going to stop a Sync user from wanting to stop dragons from murdering and enslaving thousands. Also it's totally possible to learn Synchronicity and Mastery both before ever encountering the adventure. Which makes it really weird when you get the Bridging Stone. You just go 'Who is Leene????' So if you want to deal with Mastery users, learn Negation, Sync, and Mastery. I agree, if you can't control your Syncronicity and links up with everything then you are a dissaster. It's actualy smart of them to have you train in those skill that allows you to control the inflow of outside interference and emotions before they inform you of those skills. I don't think Syncronisity should be a problem if you learn how to control it and yourself. Ofcourse, to the other kids you would likely seem quite unnerving, they got their youth and vitality and you are completely dispassionate most of the time acting like a thousand year old monk, that's escaped from a monastery holding crazy dispassionate monks and then disguised yourself as a student. It probably makes you a very studious and skilled student if you got the resolve to persue such studies, but you would stick out like a green alien among your class mates. You would probably seem more dispassionate, mature and in touch with your surroundings than most of the profesors. In that quest Nhordum's parrents were spooked by your swift progression in their skills and the ability to initiate Syncronisity on your own with the skill to save a fellow student. Even if the professors don't witness syncronisity or mastery or gates from a student wouldn't they still be somewhat courious towards this uncharacteristic student, that might even be top of the class in all the classes he/she is studying. Someone who is progressing faster than anyone else, who might not be content with what the educational system is providing. And seems more knowledgable in most matters than most people their age? Or is their reaction similar to professor Knoht, "Oh, I, ummmm forgot what a weather pheme looks like and can't write it on the board...." You there, who knows everything, show the class what the Weather pheme looks like! Student draws it in the air.... Professor Knoht: Oh, ahhh, there you go! Make notes all of you, that's what it looks like! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metis Posted April 21, 2014 Report Share Posted April 21, 2014 Quick correction: You're not taught Dispassion. You're taught Composure, Ethics and Listen(ing) before being taught Sync. Though you can take from the adventure that those aren't the only skills you're meant to learn, just the skills you actually did learn. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Schwarzbart Posted April 21, 2014 Report Share Posted April 21, 2014 What did you just say? I should Listen? Why should I do that with Herbert Downes nearby? Actual my current char have the other 3 skills maxed but Listen at 0 Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Posted April 21, 2014 Report Share Posted April 21, 2014 I think Dispassion seems like a perfect match and one of the bonuses given when yuo train Syncronisity gives a boost to dispassion to help you manage your emotions. It's also mentioned as a great tool for Mastery users in other ways. It looks like a perfect match for me. In a way Serenity seems to do the same thing as Dispassion, it's just less syncronisity specific, but if you got both then, I think they should support each other. It shoudl help you avoid mental breakdowns and overloads that sends you to a mental hospital. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metis Posted April 21, 2014 Report Share Posted April 21, 2014 Perhaps. I mentioned that the PC was told to learn more skills before trying to Sync, it's entirely possible that Dispassion is one of those skills. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Posted April 21, 2014 Report Share Posted April 21, 2014 Composure seems to be more about maintaining your outward calm. Not showing your fear, weakness or worry, often used by royalty, upperclass and military commanders to maintain their image of strength infront of others, even if the feel they are breaking up on the inside. While it might prvide some small amount of innercalm and contol it's focus is on the outside apperance and maintaining your pokerface and dignity. It's also good if you want to get away from suspisions of having done something bad, since you dont look guilty and nervous. Dispassion seems to be more of an internal mentalexercise where you breakdown emotions and employ logic to quickly decide what needs to be done. Almost like that startrek Vulcan logic and demeanor, or khulinar as it was called. A way of mastering your own mind and emotions. Serenity, which is one of the Syncronisity skills seems very similar to dispassion, it's aboyt identifying the problems you can affect and dismissing all that which you can't. Serenity seems more like a specialised version for controling your Empaty skill (other peoples emotions)that would otherwise run rampant, and your mindbridging skill. A skill for avoiding to get drowned by the emotions and mibds of other people. Instinct is almost like a set of emergency protocols for dealing with a wide array of problems. A reflex like defensive skill for your mind. Mindbridging seems very similar to Vulcan mindmelds. Empaty, the skill of identifying with other peoples emotions, to gain understanding. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metis Posted April 22, 2014 Report Share Posted April 22, 2014 Quick correction: Serenity concerns being able to mask your presence when Syncing with someone else. Identifying what you can and cannot do while Syncing belongs to Empathy, and personal reflection I think is more within the realm of Dialectic. Avoiding getting drowned by emotions is what Composure is for. It follows Serenity for exactly that reason - don't let things get the better of you, and from that point work on not letting it show. Instinct is necessary because when Syncing you operate at the speed of thought. There's not time to think or reason things out, you have to know what you have to do and focus on doing it. If you had to individually judge every thought and emotion on their worth you'd stay Synced for far too long and eventually just collapse from exhaustion. Incidentally that might also form an argument against Dispassion, since you have to feel things through and having too high Dispassion might interfere with that, but I'm pretty sure there's some way to correct that contradiction. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Posted April 22, 2014 Report Share Posted April 22, 2014 Dispassion is the skill of "Restraining"/dispelling passions, both your own and others. It allows you to ease psychological "stress" if they get to taxing on you. It doesn't make you incapable of feeling. It seems like a useful tool to manage straining "Mastery" sessions. It could also be used to dampen your "Empathy" if it get's overboard. By strangling that little HIPPIE inside you! And allowing you to save those thousands of innocent people who would otherwise get tortured and killed by this monster you're working if you let go. Instinct, as you say is a speed boost, it's like the skill to ride a bike, you just do what you have to do to not crash. Serenity: I don't know if you read the in-game description but it seems very much a logic thing, very "Vulcan" (Understandign and embrasing all the possibilities of the moment, and not wanting more. A way of maintaining control and forgettign abotu the rest. Empaty is clearly the thing that's causing you trouble when using hostile actions agaisnt others, your own pitty for this other "person", even if he/it wants to kill you and lots of other people. Then you need sometihng to reign that dangerous notion in, in this case Dispassion, and dispell your passion and empaty you yourself feel for that Dragon or warcriminal or murderer or whatever it might me. If you read the description of Composure it's about willpower over involuntary bodily reactions. It's a skill for poker players and people who want to bluff others. It's about manifesting a calm outside that's hard to read. Which helps you look innocent no matter how redhanded you were caught. While useful, I'm not sure how useful it is when it commes to mindgames inside your own mind. Pure willpower seems more effective than a pokerface in a battle of the minds. It would also make it harder for others to "Character study" you. I would think that your concious mind could balance these different teaching for you to fit your needs. Dispassion for example can make you seem even more passionate about something you decide to be passionate about. Maybe "Instinct" could help you balance things depending on the skillset you got available for it to use. Maybe Composure would be useful if this other person has direct line of sight and you don't want that person to know the trouble you might be having battlign their mind just by looking at you. It could make them surrender if they feel it's a hopeless battle. Or if you are helping someone it might calm them if they don't see your worry and concern. While the physical cues you're giving out might have a psychological impact on others, it might not help seem as much of a syncronisity or mastery victory other than the fact that you're capable of willfully blocking a physical manifestation of your internal workings, which could provide some comfort. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Posted April 22, 2014 Report Share Posted April 22, 2014 My thinking is that it depends very much on what you're attempting to accomplish. When you are helping someone it isn't as complicated as if you are using you skills as a kind of weapon. Tbh, Syncronisity doesn't seem like the best weapon, even if the anti-Mastery ability looks useful. If you use Mastery with a high empathy skill then you would need to keep it in check or it would break you. One of those empaty skills that you can activate gives a penalty to all kinds of hostile actions. It's activatable however, meaning it isn't on all the time. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metis Posted April 22, 2014 Report Share Posted April 22, 2014 On Serenity: --- "Serenity is less about staying calm and more about staying unnoticed. Those that are embraced are rarely skilled in our art, and are thus completely defenseless. They are at risk of being overwhelmed by emotions, be it their own fear of what is going on or the emotions of those embracing them. Serenity teaches how to manipulate your own emotions, to make a patient feel more at ease. Needless to say, being trained in the art of Composure helps tremendously." "Embrace" is the in-house term for Syncing BTW, and you can add that typo to the list of typos - it's in the game as well. On Composure: --- "Don't worry about anything [PC FIRST NAME], just focus on my hand.". Leene continues to rub your cheek, back and forth, wiping away any tears that flow out your eye. It's easy enough to stay focused on it, and soon you stop feeling your body's aches. Recall that when Syncing most things are handled not by logic or any sort of intelligent thought, it's handled by Instinct. Composure is necessary in part to make sure your own body doesn't freak out when empathizing with particularly strong memories, in part to make sure you can continue to make motions as Leene did above to put a patient at ease. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Albert Posted April 23, 2014 Report Share Posted April 23, 2014 The skills do sound useful, empaty sounds like it needs to be controled in your daily life to avoid going insane. All those people with their petty problems. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Metis Posted April 23, 2014 Report Share Posted April 23, 2014 They're useful for doing what they do, sadly they have little use outside that rather limited scope. Except Instinct. A blank +3% CoS at everything due to Lightning Reactions is awesome. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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