I’ve been wondering – what happened to the stones Gravy used to plok onto the heads of spirits to get them to talk sensible-like, way-back-when? Or that one stone that can be used for astral projection?
Are either of those things still necessary to his work, and we’re just not seeing them anymore? Or did he level up enough to no longer need material components?
ANSWER 1: SPIRITS ARE TETHERED TO THE ARROW MOMENTARILY BEFORE MOVING ON AFTER ITS INTENDED GOAL WITH THE ARROW HAS BEEN COMPLETED.
ANSWER 2: THERE’S NO SAYING HOW POWERFUL AN ENCHANTED ARROW WILL BE BECAUSE ALL SPIRITS ARE DIFFERENT.
ANSWER 3: GRAVEDUST IS PROBABLY THE LEAST PRESUMPTUOUS PERSON IN GUILDED AGE..
Disclaimer: Arkerra is not D&D.
But I’d say that based on the level of the deceased, you’d get a straight damage multiple. 5th level bard= 5d6.
This damage is magical. Arrows must be masterwork, and spirits may have other stipulations (a spirit with a Fey grievance may insist on cold iron, or a powerful dragon’s spirit may refuse anything less than a diamond arrowhead)
Every 4 levels of spirit grants +1 luck bonus to attack, and counts for overcoming damage reduction.
Savasi Mystic probably grants you a full round True Strike+attack a day, usable only with bonded arrows. Bonding a spirit to an arrow usually takes a skill check. Failure renders the spirit forever uncooperative.
Since I played Vampire the Masquerade the most, I feel inclined to guess (or suggest if such mechanic was to be implemented) it’s mostly based on willpower.
While in DnD Willpower is just an ability score (despite having just six of them), VtM has dozens of assorted stats, but willpower is by far one of the most important.
Crazy powerful being trying to charm everything in a ten-block radius? If you got greater willpower than them, nope. And even if they try something that doesn’t allow a willpower check, you can burn a willpower point to negate their effort. Even the humble muggle is something to be reckoned if you are searching for some quick blood and the dice bless you with a muggle with 8 or more willpower and and any amount of (true) faith – And faith here is how much you believe on your goddharma holything, whatever it is (so yeah, if your DM wants, he might route or even inflict aggrivated damage to your mighty and noble Ventrue with a cup of ramen noodles if they happen to be a really obnoxious pastafarian)
I guess that anything that would let you burn all your willpower at once would be extremely powerful, and I guess that would be those arrows. (willpower of arrow bigger than yours, roll fortitude or die?)
Back to DnD, there are the devourers, right? They eat the essence of a living being and while they are holding their soul (unwillingly) they get a bunch of low-to-medium spell-like abilities to cast, which is a pain to deal with. What if the soul is is willingly bound and instead of a bag of average spells (a random encounter devourer usually has a partially eaten soul and an average of 45 spells to sling at you IIRC) you get just one, big, out-with-a-bang 9th-spell-grade epic shot?
The spirits that Gravy recruits / commits to helping are willingly giving their all to help themselves achieve justice. We all know that blood magic is the most powerful of all magics, and THIS fuel source is committed willingly. No energy is wasted in coercion or murder. A high-level cleric, performing line #1 of his Duty, in his deity’s Domain, with the willing assistance of a sentient sapient being giving their all to the effect.
I think in D&D terms, True Strike + spirit’s character level + regular attack bonus to hit; + con d6 + cha d6 + (greatest 2 of str, dex, int, wis) d6 + regular damage bonus to damage; crit threat on 15+; if the attack roll would have hit without the true strike bonus it’s an automatic crit.
and think about how bad of a day that Ventrue would have if it was attacked by a True Faith cleric holding an arrow imbued with a spirit willing to permanently burn every point of willpower, and constitution they onced possesed?
What’s annoying is I get the feeling Gravy knows exactly the metagaming info we’re so clearly after. And refuses to divulge it. Because he’s all mysticy ‘n’ shit.
No, he’s probably an Optimizer. Optimizers start with a concept, then make that concept as powerful as they can. Seriously, he chose to be a dwarven mage-archer of all things – that’s a rough concept to work with in most games. Despite this, his arrows can do some considerable damage, strike with unerring certainty when enchanted…
So if a cultist died before fulfilling his/her destiny of killing a whole village does Gravy have to fire his arrow into a crowded village hall to give the spirit of the cultist his justice?
I’ve been wondering – what happened to the stones Gravy used to plok onto the heads of spirits to get them to talk sensible-like, way-back-when? Or that one stone that can be used for astral projection?
Are either of those things still necessary to his work, and we’re just not seeing them anymore? Or did he level up enough to no longer need material components?
ANSWER 1: SPIRITS ARE TETHERED TO THE ARROW MOMENTARILY BEFORE MOVING ON AFTER ITS INTENDED GOAL WITH THE ARROW HAS BEEN COMPLETED.
ANSWER 2: THERE’S NO SAYING HOW POWERFUL AN ENCHANTED ARROW WILL BE BECAUSE ALL SPIRITS ARE DIFFERENT.
ANSWER 3: GRAVEDUST IS PROBABLY THE LEAST PRESUMPTUOUS PERSON IN GUILDED AGE..
I HOPE THIS HELPS SOMEONE!
So that’s like what, +2 magic arrows? +3, maybe? Or is it more like +1d8 damage (or perhaps +1d3 CON damage)?
Disclaimer: Arkerra is not D&D.
But I’d say that based on the level of the deceased, you’d get a straight damage multiple. 5th level bard= 5d6.
This damage is magical. Arrows must be masterwork, and spirits may have other stipulations (a spirit with a Fey grievance may insist on cold iron, or a powerful dragon’s spirit may refuse anything less than a diamond arrowhead)
Every 4 levels of spirit grants +1 luck bonus to attack, and counts for overcoming damage reduction.
Savasi Mystic probably grants you a full round True Strike+attack a day, usable only with bonded arrows. Bonding a spirit to an arrow usually takes a skill check. Failure renders the spirit forever uncooperative.
Since I played Vampire the Masquerade the most, I feel inclined to guess (or suggest if such mechanic was to be implemented) it’s mostly based on willpower.
While in DnD Willpower is just an ability score (despite having just six of them), VtM has dozens of assorted stats, but willpower is by far one of the most important.
Crazy powerful being trying to charm everything in a ten-block radius? If you got greater willpower than them, nope. And even if they try something that doesn’t allow a willpower check, you can burn a willpower point to negate their effort. Even the humble muggle is something to be reckoned if you are searching for some quick blood and the dice bless you with a muggle with 8 or more willpower and and any amount of (true) faith – And faith here is how much you believe on your goddharma holything, whatever it is (so yeah, if your DM wants, he might route or even inflict aggrivated damage to your mighty and noble Ventrue with a cup of ramen noodles if they happen to be a really obnoxious pastafarian)
I guess that anything that would let you burn all your willpower at once would be extremely powerful, and I guess that would be those arrows. (willpower of arrow bigger than yours, roll fortitude or die?)
Back to DnD, there are the devourers, right? They eat the essence of a living being and while they are holding their soul (unwillingly) they get a bunch of low-to-medium spell-like abilities to cast, which is a pain to deal with. What if the soul is is willingly bound and instead of a bag of average spells (a random encounter devourer usually has a partially eaten soul and an average of 45 spells to sling at you IIRC) you get just one, big, out-with-a-bang 9th-spell-grade epic shot?
The spirits that Gravy recruits / commits to helping are willingly giving their all to help themselves achieve justice. We all know that blood magic is the most powerful of all magics, and THIS fuel source is committed willingly. No energy is wasted in coercion or murder. A high-level cleric, performing line #1 of his Duty, in his deity’s Domain, with the willing assistance of a sentient sapient being giving their all to the effect.
I think in D&D terms, True Strike + spirit’s character level + regular attack bonus to hit; + con d6 + cha d6 + (greatest 2 of str, dex, int, wis) d6 + regular damage bonus to damage; crit threat on 15+; if the attack roll would have hit without the true strike bonus it’s an automatic crit.
and think about how bad of a day that Ventrue would have if it was attacked by a True Faith cleric holding an arrow imbued with a spirit willing to permanently burn every point of willpower, and constitution they onced possesed?
What’s annoying is I get the feeling Gravy knows exactly the metagaming info we’re so clearly after. And refuses to divulge it. Because he’s all mysticy ‘n’ shit.
He’s one of those damned roleplayers that won’t take perfectly good perks that do bonus damage because they’re “out of character”.
No, he’s probably an Optimizer. Optimizers start with a concept, then make that concept as powerful as they can. Seriously, he chose to be a dwarven mage-archer of all things – that’s a rough concept to work with in most games. Despite this, his arrows can do some considerable damage, strike with unerring certainty when enchanted…
Optimizer, yo.
But in that case he’d gladly share the details of his build, wouldn’t he?
He is also a hardcore RPer. Optimizer and roleplayer are not mutually exclusive, they come in a pair more often than one would think.
Why?
Trying to see if you can kill the source of Rabies with a ghostly peasant railgun?
So if a cultist died before fulfilling his/her destiny of killing a whole village does Gravy have to fire his arrow into a crowded village hall to give the spirit of the cultist his justice?
True Neutral for the draw!
Adding to the soulcount? I guess a mystic’s work really is never done.
I think he makes exeptions when the killing of innocents may be involved.
Gravedust deals justice. The guy firing cultist souls into town halls is his cousin, Birthrock Forestaxe.
“I am the law.” -GD
smiling Gravedust is the best Gravedust.
No limit to justice? That sounds… pretty sinister.
Long story short: GHOSTPUNCH.
“Deeznuts from beyond the grave!”
Man I love Gravedust. So refreshing to see a dwarf character that isn’t a drunken brawler
Especially since he’s not automatically shoved into bad Scottish accent.
I kind of give him an accent close to Gandalf.
Cool. Now I want to make a Pathfinder class, probably an Oracle or a Shaman, with Gravedust’s powers.