Cantriped

Re: Daily Art Findings

No, I wish I did though, its a really cool piece. I've seen wall papers of the character herself that were bigger without much pixilation, but I haven't found that piece in larger form.

Re: Daily Art Findings

You know, I search the web a lot too, but never posted to this forum... perhaps it is time to change that.

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No idea where I got this one now... but it's for the Gameboy game Golden Sun

Re: Herophile Fantasy art

My latest piece of art-work, this one was drawn first, then completly redrawn and shaded in Photoshop.

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Re: Full Metal Alchemist

Yeah I came across that a few weeks back, its got some good info on it.

Re: Full Metal Alchemist

Well, it does provide a certain level of mystery in that its from a culture so far removed from there own. unlike the euro/american world where the major religion of the area was influenced by it.

It has the mystique and alien-ness of a fantasy, but the solid background you can only find in historical references.

Re: Full Metal Alchemist

Hmm, I just noticed how much Anime has Kabbalistic references, (which is surprising considering that my father studied the Kabbalah extensivly). Neon Genesis made extensive References to it, to the point of being absurd, And in the Manga of FMA the "Doors" shown early on when Ed experiences the Gate are imprinted with the Kabbalistic Tree of Life. (at least I think its the tree of life...)

AliceTheOwl, as to your position on Scan&Tran Manga I can certainly understand I'd hate to have sombody just steal my hard work. I'll snoop around the site a little and see if they got permission to Translate and host it. I think they may have cuz the Scans don't look like everyday Home scans (no darkening where the page would have curved towards the spine.) It is possible they got permission form the Author, but not likely.

Re: Full Metal Alchemist

The link I posted IS the Manga. readmanga.com is hosting the entire thing up to chapter 55 for free (they make money on the pop-ups no doubt). its fan-translation but for the most part it seems to be fine. I've only seen up to ep 3 in the Anime, but I've read enough spoilers to know the plot and it differs greatly from the Manga (and I mean greatly).

My conversion doesn't really include much in the way of spoilers yet as I haven't gotten into the whole Homunculus/Chimera/Philosopher's Stone Stuff, I'm a perfectionist so I want to make sure my base is solid before I move into all the crazy stuff

Re: Full Metal Alchemist

Oh BTW, for those interested, you can actually read a home-translation of the entire Manga series (up to Chapter 54 or somthing) at "www.readmanga.com". Be warned though, the site has enough Pop-ups to be a porn-site so make sure your Blocker is set to max. The site also tends to crash a lot.

That aside one should also note that the Manga and the Series deviate from each other extensivly. so while my system may be perfect for the Manga version, there will likely be stuff in the Anime version that contradicts it.

By this point I've pretty much abandonded the origional attempt, so much was wrong that its not even funny. Including the concept of using a VPP. VPPs sound great on paper, but in 90% of cases they are a very bad choice for defining a true system. Plus their a pain in the *** In-Game. Instead I'm now basing it on a Multi-Power because

1#: It's cheeper

2#: it makes the related Science/Knowledge skills more reasonable purchases

3#: It's easier to limit available powers.

And the only downside is the lack of the ingenuity aspect that was the prime reason for using a VPP in the first place. in order toaccount for that, I'm jsut including a Power skill as part of the Alchemist package. they want to try somthing interesting, make a skill roll, if they want to do it regularly they'll have to buy it (big whoop, because its a MP, and its got so many inherent limitations, anything short of a 75 AP power costs 1 point, and thats not counting extra limitations to account for Alchemies general lack of anything even moderatly similar to Range or just SFX.

PS: sombody post... only seeing myself for 5 or 6 posts is kinda monotonous. plus feed back is good, feed back is friend.

Re: Summon: Weapon?

Hmm... Rather then spend the next week writing out a description that will end up being to vague... I'll provide linkage!

http://www.herogames.com/forums/showpost.php?p=969336&postcount=115

I still need to rewrite the actual system "Crunch" stuff, but basically the system runs on a VPP. with abilitys above and beyond "normal" alchemy being purchased as seperate powers.

Re: Full Metal Alchemist

OK, heres what I've got thus far on updated flavor info.

Re: Summon: Weapon?

The system itself, given that its presented as a science, has a lot of clearly defined laws and restrictions.

Re: Summon: Weapon?

np, I often sound a lot more antagonistic then I really am.

As to CorpCommander's waryness, You make a valid point, but I'm not actually running a true fantasy, really it'd be more accuratly described as Steampunk with a lot of implied fantasy.

Re: Full Metal Alchemist

OK, time for another update, As I've worked on this little project I've read through the manga (Up to vol 8 now I think). and realized that a lot of my Alchemy system was well... jsut plain crap. the skill rolls added an unecessary level of complication to whats already a complicated concept, in that I was trying to mimic realism at the cost of flavor and practicality. so that and all its related and unecessary modifiers are being removed. The limitations based on Diagram size are being nixed as well. anyway I'll post the simplified version when I'm done.

Re: Summon: Weapon?

I might simply enforce what I feel is a good set of Limitations on the power (following some kind of metaphysical' date=' "you can't get something for nothing," law, assuming the game isn't on the extreme high-magic end of the spectrum).[/quote']

Said law is refered to as "Equivalent Exchange" but basicly its the gist. its mainly to force players to take environment into account in their transmutations. no making a broad sword in the middle of the forest (unless it's a wooden broadsword, then your fine. But certainly no guns)

Re: Summon: Weapon?

hehehe

Re: Summon: Weapon?

Thats... a very good point. Rep to yee!

Re: Summon: Weapon?

THe system is a conversion of the FMA conception, and a single Transform alone wouldn't be appropite to simulate the system properly, so it uses a VPP, Allbeit EXTREMELY limited (were talking -7 in limitations). with a lot of caveats that ended up bunched into one limitation since they don't effect Every power in the Pool but how the pool is applied.

And example of what I'm looking for is early on, the protagonist of FMA uses alchemy to make a spear out of the pavement floor. considering the SFX its mostly just a Summon: "Item" with SFX (and limitations) representing Conservation of Mass. much like how construction of somthing like a Golem is presented in the FHG. the Craft Item optional rule (that I'm so fond of citing) is also essentially a variant on Summon Mechanics. except that the AP was based upon the items RP cost, and the "loyalty" modifiers was replaced with a buttload of automatic Extra Time.

I would jsut use said craft item rule, but the Automatic Extra time would conflict with the systems existing time constraints for Alchemy, and the RP/based Active Point cost would make it too easy to perform.

Thus my quandry, do I simply muck with Summon to create an appropiate variant, or do I go with the "Jack of all trades" Transform method which can mimic any sfx, but usually poorly. My real problem with useing Transform though is the whole Dice of effect thing, players are already gonna have to make Skill rolls out the wazoo for Alchemy, but to throw in another roll on top of that when it shouldn't be necessary and dosn't fit the SFX would jsut drive me crazy. Not to mention that I'd have to account for the DEF of the material being transmuted.

There is a certain amount of precedent for using Summon for non-creature constructs, FHG presents to Summon based spell which creates a Base, the active points being the cost of the base I believe, but I'd have to check. If I were to go with the Summon method I would likely nix the whole Loayalty issue as its irrelevant to weapons (or bases and vehicals for that matter) and then base the Active points on the Active points of the item being created. that would follow the summon mechanics tradition of completely ignoring limitations no matter how much they may make the weapon suck (not being sardonic). while still keeping the AP of the power within a reasonable range for the item being created. The only problem with summon would be the number of said items an Alchemist can create at a time, which, realisticly wouldn't be limited to 1 at a time. but I find this a much easier rule to ignore then the problematic Dice of effect issue of Transform mechanics.

Slighly off topic but as anyone noticed how difficult it seems to be to deal with Weapon mechanics in an elegant method using existing powers. I mean building them as H/RKAs is fine in a superheroic campaign where everything is generalized, but in a more realism based game trying to compensate for weapon properties can be a real pain in the gluteous maximus. But thats a topic for another thread.

Well now that I've writen a friggen novel I'll leave ya'll to digest.

Re: Summon: Weapon?

So far its looking like a Transform would be my best bet then. as far as needing the least futzing with to get what I need out of it.

Re: Summon: Weapon?

The overall campaign setting is Heroic-level Steampunk, thus Characters arn't paying points for equipment. There isn't any "Magic" equipment per-say.

As for ballence problems, it isn't likely, an Alchemist probably couldn't produce a huge number of items of any sort at a time without making a friggen crator (The arms don't jsut pop out of no-where, the mass nessessary material has to come from somewhere), rate of breakage on their weapons would be higher as well due to poor craftsmenship (AkA, failed skill rolls). but once "created" won't just disappear if the Alchemist goes poof or hand em out or sells em.

Re: Summon: Weapon?

I was thinking of using a transform.

the reason I want to avoid building the "weapon" itself into the core "summon" ability is that while its possible to create a permenant or quasi permentant "weapon" using such a method it would require such a range of high end Advantages that have nothing to do with the "weapon" being created that the Active point cap on the powers would be bloated well out of proportion with the ability gained.

Perhaps it will help if I explain the usage. In another thread I presented a magic system (in a sense) based upon the Anime/Manga Full Metal Alchemist, in which the "Alchemists" literally transmute one thing into another, including creating finished items from raw materials.

Because the transmutation itself is an instant (or quasi-instant) effect, but the result could perpetuate itself for some time, Summon and Transform powers would be best for the mechanical concepts, but Transform requires a "Heal back" condition, and summon is priced for summoning entire characters, not objects or individual powers.

Thus my question is I supose which power would require the least Futzing with to get it to do what I want within the bounds of the system I'm using.

Ok, the title pretty much sums up my question. What would be the best way to handle, mechanically, a power which creates/summons permenant weapons, without resorting to

A: a Power Frame Work (since the power has to be able to go into one)

or

B: an inanly conveluted HKA/RKA build.

I was thinking of (most obviously) using a simple variant on the Summon or Craft Item powers (the latter having been presented as a optional rule in Fantasy Hero). Perhaps using either an "(AP+RP)=(AP of Summon)" or "([RP][x])=(Ap of Summon) formula. that way the "Summon" would account for limitations on the weapon when determining its AP value, without being inanly cheap either.

Re: Full Metal Alchemist

One thing I was considering was possible Cross-gening the concepts from Generator Gawl into this alchemy based system. it wouldn't be that difficult (Its actually a little scary how easy it would be to explain). and would probably as much or more sense then the whole Chimera angle (I might convert that into more of a "necromatic" thing, crafting dead flesh then reanimating it like a homuculas.

Re: Full Metal Alchemist

Not done yet, I still have a few bugs to work out. I need to change the modifier for not having the peoper complementrary skill to -30 at least. as it's suposed to be "Required". effecitly I working off the logic that even a failed roll indicates you managed to come up with some info on what your alchemizing the material into, it just may not be a very workable/effecient design. (ex: failing the comp skill to Alchemize somthing into a gun would indicate a poor design, making the alchemy itself more difficult). of course (for those who havn't red the converion yet) failing the main skill roll dosn't nessarially indicate failure, rather reduced effectivness/minor side effects etc. I felt that fit the special effect of alchemy better. On a side note: made the Extra Time limitation based on the size of the Diagram, (the value didn't change since the default for the default size is still 5 minutes, and you suffer heaty penalties useing smaller diagrams) effectivly the Extra Time now indicates the minimum time required for a diagram of that size. As I go along I'm finding more and more that I wanna distance myself form a true conversion. aside form the fact that some things don't really follow all that well I also want to emphesize different things.

Re: Full Metal Alchemist

Okie-dokie, I finished the main body of my conversion, and posted the entire thing Tables and all, in HTML format on the system page

http://aldaric.com/fullmetal?type=topic&keyword=alchemy

All thats left is sample power writeups.

Re: Full Metal Alchemist

I supose its a matter of preferance. I join Alderic Gaming. I'll post the Converion there when I get it uploaded. but for sake of ease its right here too.

Edit: Posted on Alderic under "Alternative conversion"