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General Category => RPGs => : Mckma April 18, 2011, 05:39:28 PM
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Ah, The World of Synnibarr, what can be said about it? Well, I hope to put in the effort to really find out. My goal is to spend the next 30 days reading through the source book, cover to cover, and (remaining sanity permitting) devise some sort of adventure or scenario to utilize as much of the system as possible. If people are interested, I can chronicle my thoughts (and confusions) each day into some semblance of a journal fit for a Lovecraftian tale. Also, if I manage to get through it, I may just run a Skype game for those who want to take the plunge with me. All that said, wish me luck (and maybe harass me with PMs and the like to keep me accountable)!
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Dear god, man! Have you taken leave of your senses? Don't do it!
There's an entire ward at every insane asylum dedicated to those who've tried to comprehend the were-were. That way lies madness! MADNESS!
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I approve 8)
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This Post is Relevant to My Interests.
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I have been into this idea since it was proposed several months ago. Few games have the dedication to add a chapter on building your own space ship.
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Give me the time and the date and we will DO THIS THING.
It will be glorious and terrible, and the world shall weep.
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Alright, here's the deal. 446 pages. 30 days. That's 15 pages a day. 250 pages in The Ultimate Adventurer's Guide. Things go well, I can make it through that too. That's an extra 9 pages a day...
And so it begins...
Meta Note:
I'm curious to give creative writing a bit of a shot, but I am in no means trained in the area. I would like to think that a "journal" of sorts could be amusing, but I am also fully cognizant of the fact that it might well fall on it's face. That said I hope it does work out or in the very least you excuse my dribble. And I would love it if people held me accountable and harassed me about this (though by no means expect it :P).
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We will remember you as you where Mckma. When we bury you it will be in memory of the you who was before Synnibarr.
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Day 1: Pages 1-18
I began in earnest, eager to uncover the deep secrets McCracken recorded. Immediately I was met with confusion as I attempted to puzzle out the history of the World (more properly Worldship) of Synnibarr. While the basics were easy enough to grasp (a powerful avatar saves the inhabitants of Earth by hollowing out Mars and turning it into a spaceship), the rest seemed to be obscure and random details pulled from a more complete tale. I imagine McCracken has volumes upon volumes stored in his residence outlining the history of Synnibar, down to including detailed accounts of each of the 400 original adventurers and their offspring.
I felt a certain sense of dread and uncertainty as I attempted to make sense of some of the "odd" occurrences in Synnibarr's history. From cosmic storms that cause stars to "go nova," to bipolar shifts in its population number, if any one word can be used to describe the image of Synnibarr I have begun to uncover, it would be chaos. Pure and utter chaos. Lacking rhyme, reason, and sense in general.
I was relieved to discover a fairly straightforward section on the basics of roleplaying games and an overview of what WoS actually represents. This only served as a respite however, as I immediately plunged back into the true grit with a glossary. There is not much more to be said about it other than the sense of foreboding that I may have to return here in days to come in an attempt at clarity.
I wrapped up my studies for the night with a sample adventure. This alone could merit pages upon pages of detailed examination, however I will keep it short, for it is getting late. The main lesson to be learned here is that Fate (the GM), must be truly be a dick in his or her facilitation of the game. Perhaps this was just because the players seemed less than intelligent, calling for "drake burgers" and "ninja burgers." In any case, it appears when I ultimately complete my studies, I will find the need to delight in my players' pain; refuse the their attempted use of the orbital ret-cannon (even when the player immediately redacts an action before finding the results); and make die rolls for no mechanical reason, just to worry them.
This will indeed be a most interesting journey...
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Ah, The World of Synnibarr, what can be said about it? Well, I hope to put in the effort to really find out. My goal is to spend the next 30 days reading through the source book, cover to cover, and (remaining sanity permitting) devise some sort of adventure or scenario to utilize as much of the system as possible. If people are interested, I can chronicle my thoughts (and confusions) each day into some semblance of a journal fit for a Lovecraftian tale. Also, if I manage to get through it, I may just run a Skype game for those who want to take the plunge with me. All that said, wish me luck (and maybe harass me with PMs and the like to keep me accountable)!
Oh my god, I love Synnibarr, I'd love to get it on this.
I think my first character was a 6'1 White Haired Brown Skin'd Brown Eye'd Latina Wereman. Combine her with the. . .drake of some kind, it shot freakin' lasers and they charged her ray-absorption-reflection thingie to kingdom come and blasted shit.
Fun times.
Also, female wereman is hilarious to say.
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Day 2: Pages 19-33
It is only the second day and I have already learned so much. The World of Synnibarr is a rich one indeed.
My studies today found me looking into the character creation process. It is one rife with rolling and consulting tables in the fashion of the finest random generation. It seems that character class and race are terms that while not interchangeable, in some ways refer to the same thing. A character is of a class, however sometimes it is a race, and races share the name of these respective classes, excepting the case where they do not in which case the character is human. It is most puzzling indeed and further research may be required.
I am pleased to report that Mr. McCracken certainly got his money's worth on table design and inclusion. The layout managed to fit an astounding thirty-four tables on a mere twelve-and-a-half pages (not including the large character sheet image and impressive picture of what I can only guess is a Bio Syntha Cyborg, one of the many race/classes outlined in the chapter).
While it initially appeared to be an overwhelming and intimidating process, I was relieved to find that in practice, character creation could be quite simple. One simply needs to roll many dice, consult the numerous tables, and blindly copy the numbers and words without any real understanding of what they mean, a process I will dub the "shut-up and do it" approach. It seems that it would be best not to question what over half of the calculations are for and I trust that Mr. McCracken has great things in store.
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hahahaha I too know the 'shut up and do it' approach when I made a Synnibar character.
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We need to save his journal so after he's dead he can drive others mad.
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Meta Note: I was a bit surprised and honored to find this stickied. Now I know I have to follow through...
Day 3: Pages 34-49
I feel I have finally gotten into the meat of it. I have begun to uncover that which my predecessors have found so puzzling. But as an academician, I choose to steel myself and soldier on.
Today, along with the next day or two will focus extensively on the "class/races." They are, puzzling, to say the least. It strikes me most that there seems to be no real rhyme or reason in what was chosen to be represented. On one hand we have Archers, which are merely gamble-happy humans who shoot magic arrows, and on the other Aquarians, a race of roughly amphibious humanoids with a host of random mutations. And they can also extract all of the oxygen from another creature, suffocating it. I suppose the best plan of record-keeping would simply be to list the "class/races" and a brief note about them.
Alchemist: Harnessing a mystical force called "starfire," they can make shields and call death from the skies in the form of "Star Bolts." Oh, and they receive a free bag of holding that instantly kills any living material placed inside.
Amazon: Exerting incredible powers, they can change the gender and appearance of their children whilst in the womb and begin teaching them the ways of the Amazon. They also receive high-tech infiltration kits and are penalized a full two levels for losing them (which begs the question of how this appears in game).
Aquarian: Mentioned earlier, they also communicate telepathically with sea creatures.
Archer: Mentioned earlier, they are artists who shoot magic arrows and love to gamble.
Bio Syntha Cyborg: They are machines. And people. They seem to be a race that functions entirely off of psuedo-science, which I find a most impressive feat indeed. They typically come in one of four "flavors" if you will, each with their own specialties.
Chameleon Drake: I found their backstory a bit of a chore to decipher. Likely just a result of the late hour and work already put in, I made what I could of it, that they descend from prostitutes who were magicked into drakes. And now they can change their type at will, in a fashion I like to imagine similar to the Pokemon Ditto.
I have begun to feel the drain of the task I have undertaken. I will continue, but already much of what I know has begun to be challenged. As a physicist, I view the world as a puzzle that is logical and solvable. The work of Mr. McCracken might yet challenge this view, and only time can tell what shall come of that...
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This feels like the diary of someone trying to decipher the Necronomicon FOR SCIENCE!
A noble task, certainly, but you have to understand someone's going to end up crazy leading a cult.
Or eaten by eldritch horrors. Y'know, whatever you prefer.
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Wait until you get to the equipment chapter. >=D
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Day 4: Pages 50-68
More characters. I am slightly disturbed that I seem to have developed something of a morbid fascination with the tome. Mr. McCracken just seems to have some sort of natural gift to come up with such elaborate and yet arbitrary backstories for these "class/races." I am beginning to see potential causes for trepidation, so I must strive to temper my "enthusiasm" with cold analytical thinking. Very well, the second half of the "class/races:"
Dwarf: Despite what other fantasies may have said, dwarves actually gain speed and nimbleness from their small stature. They know almost every language and easily learn and respect customs from every other culture. And they can teleport.
Giant: Giants seem to be like vikings from old and not necessarily reliable tales, but only if you made the vikings exponentially more viking-y. They sail and are generally crazy tough and wild. Not only that, but they can disguise themselves as "normal" humans by shrinking to half their size.
Gnome: A mysterious race, they can speak telepathically with plants and animals. Most telling however, I find is the first sentence in their description, transcribed here, "Gnomes are born wherever Gnomes are born, usually during winter."
Mage Warrior: Really just mages, I am not entirely sure why the warrior was added.
Mutant: As one might expect, they have mutations. It seems however, that they do not actually know what mutations they have and must be properly schooled to unlock their abilities.
Ninja: They are stealthy, poison brewing, assassins. It seems best not to mess with them as their attacks come at the speed of bullets and lasers.
Psielf: This group of psychics distinguish themselves by creating psychic weapons and armor from sheer willpower. They can also climb on any surface thanks to an adhesive substance that they excrete from their very pores.
Shadow Master: Shadow masters unlock their potential by being force to drink a strange potion as a child, driven insane by aforementioned potion, and then recovering with the help of their shadow master elders.
Shadow Warrior: Originally created by shadow masters as guards and protectors, they still guard and protect obsessively (despite being granted their freedom).
Shaman: They are all North American Indians who can cast magic by chanting and singing. They denote rank by sewing feathers onto their leather garments, and all shamans have descended from an initial 10 mother and father shamans.
Golden and Scarlet Tiger: I wonder if perhaps in my distracted mindset I imagined the properties of the tigers. So far as I understand it, they are martial artists dressed in tiger ears that become surrounded in fire when using their abilities. They perform basic chores and cooking because they don't need to sleep.
Mage Tiger: A tiger who learns magic instead of magic fire. They seem much more like mage warriors than the actual mage warriors...
Wereman: I'm not sure why they are called weremen as it just doesn't seem to make sense. Aside from that, they seem to be strange, modified men, much like Wolverine, but if instead of science, they were fiddled on with magic.
Winged Warrior: Natural hunters, they have powerful wings of feathers like steel. These can function as weapons as well. Apparently the most terrifying winged warriors are those that can become invisible.
Meta Note:
I thought I'd share this because it gives a better feel for the WoS. Most if not all of the descriptions of these "class/races" are based off of a character at 1st level (as in they have these powers at first level)...
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Two notes: Giants, specifically Ice Giants are amazingly overpowered, even for Synnibar.
Weremen (I love the 'class' it's so silly) are basically beam-catchers who then reflect them back for huge damage. Also hilarious.
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What happens when one group of weremen attacks another group of weremen with beam weapons?
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Lots of glowing, assuming the beams don't overload the weremen's Maximal Beam Storage Capacity. After that is hit, they begin taking damage as normal.
Also you missed the Raccoon, Talking.
They have skills with explosives and rocketry.
ROCKET. RACCOON.
I love Synnibarr.
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Also you missed the Raccoon, Talking.
Shh...
[Whisper]They don't come up until later[/Whisper]
:P
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I love that Alchemists get a bag of holding that kills anything because you know McCracken had played a game of D&D in the past where he put a person in a bag of holding and argued that the person would die and the DM shot him down.
I see him now . . . Raven McCracken sits at an old schoolhouse desk with pen in hand as he furiously scribbles his very first character class. Before he has created the world of Synnibarr, before he has established anything else about his game, he writes one sentence on a sheet of paper:
Bag of holding kills people . . . that'll show Dave.
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I love that Alchemists get a bag of holding that kills anything because you know McCracken had played a game of D&D in the past where he put a person in a bag of holding and argued that the person would die and the DM shot him down.
I see him now . . . Raven McCracken sits at an old schoolhouse desk with pen in hand as he furiously scribbles his very first character class. Before he has created the world of Synnibarr, before he has established anything else about his game, he writes one sentence on a sheet of paper:
Bag of holding kills people . . . that'll show Dave.
I can see that as well.
Also, I love that in old school D&D a portable hole + a rope was an instant hiding place.
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Dwarves can teleport.
DWARVES CAN TELEPORT.
for no reason.
Oh Synnibar.
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I love that Alchemists get a bag of holding that kills anything because you know McCracken had played a game of D&D in the past where he put a person in a bag of holding and argued that the person would die and the DM shot him down.
I see him now . . . Raven McCracken sits at an old schoolhouse desk with pen in hand as he furiously scribbles his very first character class. Before he has created the world of Synnibarr, before he has established anything else about his game, he writes one sentence on a sheet of paper:
Bag of holding kills people . . . that'll show Dave.
I can see that as well.
Also, I love that in old school D&D a portable hole + a rope was an instant hiding place.
Assuming they cannot exit the bag from the inside (or do not have the means to puncture it, which will immediately ruin it, and send the contents flying everywhere), creatures in a Bag of Holding will begin to suffocate in a number of rounds dependent on their size and the type of the bag, as they have only a finite amount of air.
Of course when you have something that can hold 250 cubic feet worth of stuff and thus has that much space for air, suffocation is going to take a very long time, making killing someone with a bag of holding nearly impossible and silly to try.
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That seems to be a bit of a flavor choice, I have always played that a bag of holding's physical form cannot be harmed whilst you are inside it's extra dimensional space because you cannot interact with the other dimension while in your new pocket dimension. So hold person + bag of holding is a pretty easy way to kills someone.
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I disagree, as the description of the Bag of Holding clearly states "If the bag is overloaded, or if sharp objects pierce it (from inside or outside), the bag ruptures and is ruined." Emphasis mine.
Further, while items are held in stasis (allowing you to store lit torches safely) creatures and magical effects are not, thus making Hold Person (which has a duration of only 1 round/caster level) and a Bag of Holding (which holds exactly 10 minutes of air for a Medium creature, 20 for a Small, and 5 for a Large) impossible to use as a clever murder method unless you're either such high level that your spell lasts for 100 rounds or you've abused metamagic to a similar degree.
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All items inside a bag of holding are lost if the bag is overweighted or otherwise damaged from the inside. I assume this includes people/monsters too.
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That's a very fair point. I hadn't considered that.
Of course, what it means by 'lost' is up for grabs.
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Stop it! Just stop debating this! You're enabling the McKraken's of the world!
These types of discussions are exactly how we got a book full of insta-death magic bags, weremen that bounce lasers back at each other like 7th-grade Earth Science prism experiments, and dwarves that, for some damned reason, can teleport.
You'll drive us all mad with this insane quest, Mckma! Doom! DOOOOOOOOM!
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Stop it! Just stop debating this! You're enabling the McKraken's of the world!
These types of discussions are exactly how we got a book full of insta-death magic bags, weremen that bounce lasers back at each other like 7th-grade Earth Science prism experiments, and dwarves that, for some damned reason, can teleport.
You'll drive us all mad with this insane quest, Mckma! Doom! DOOOOOOOOM!
But he hasn't even mentioned the Midnight Sunstone Bazooka, which deals 1,400,000 or so LP worth of damage yet.
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Further, while items are held in stasis (allowing you to store lit torches safely) creatures and magical effects are not, thus making Hold Person (which has a duration of only 1 round/caster level) and a Bag of Holding (which holds exactly 10 minutes of air for a Medium creature, 20 for a Small, and 5 for a Large) impossible to use as a clever murder method unless you're either such high level that your spell lasts for 100 rounds or you've abused metamagic to a similar degree.
Further, while items are held in stasis (allowing you to store lit torches safely) creatures and magical effects are not, thus making Hold Person (which has a duration of only 1 round/caster level) and a Bag of Holding (which holds exactly 10 minutes of air for a Medium creature, 20 for a Small, and 5 for a Large) impossible to use as a clever murder method unless you're either such high level that your spell lasts for 100 rounds or you've abused metamagic to a similar degree.
I think I misrepresented why hold person was important to the combo, it would just make it easier to put them inside said bag, not help them run out of air. Either way however if said person were a dwarf they could just teleport out of the bag because it MAKES PERFECT SENSE!!!
Why can't the Dwarves in Dwarf fortress teleport? I think that game needs an update to WoS rule sets.
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SYNNIBARR FORTRESS.
With eye-beam firing elephants.
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With Winged eye-beam firing elephants.
yes GOOD GOOD
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I would imagine that a Synnibarr Fortress game would simply result in near instant destruction of the planet after the game is started. Some crazy mutant or some other unbalanced NPC would cause some kind of apocalyptic event by casting a wereware spell on a werewman during the werestorm or some shit like that.
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I would imagine that a Synnibarr Fortress game would simply result in near instant destruction of the planet after the game is started. Some crazy mutant or some other unbalanced NPC would cause some kind of apocalyptic event by casting a wereware spell on a werewman during the werestorm or some shit like that.
Something to be were of, to be sure.
Assuredly, you must be were-y of such occurances.
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oShTJ90fC34
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I was not aware of that.
And a were we go!
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With Winged eye-beam firing elephants.
yes GOOD GOOD
Basically any scary predator has wings and laser eyes. Also Polar Bears are 2/10 immortal.
Also why does nothing have fewer than 100 Hp? I have a feeling combat will always require a calculator.
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I was not aware of that.
And a were we go!
Were DO we come up with these things?
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With Winged eye-beam firing elephants.
yes GOOD GOOD
Basically any scary predator has wings and laser eyes. Also Polar Bears are 2/10 immortal.
Also why does nothing have fewer than 100 Hp? I have a feeling combat will always require a calculator.
Because the average attack has damage in the high thousand ranges. More impressive ones (Midnight Sunstone Bazookas) deal millions of points of damage.
Armor works in 10ths. Essentially for every 10th, you divide the damage by 10, I think. It's not very elegant and it's overcomplicated, but it works.
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I have been bad. I have not read the last two days. I think I am going to end up 1 day behind. I apologize...
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I have been bad. I have not read the last two days. I think I am going to end up 1 day behind. I apologize...
As penance you must open up a 'So you want to make a Synnibarr character thread' and walk volunteers through it.
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I have been bad. I have not read the last two days. I think I am going to end up 1 day behind. I apologize...
As penance you must PROMISE NEVER TO open up a 'So you want to make a Synnibarr character thread' and walk volunteers through it.
Fixed that for you.
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Oh ho ho ho ho
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Day 5: Pages 69-92
Oh. Dear. Lord. What have I gotten myself into? I had found Mr. McCracken's writings to be interesting, or at the very least amusing before. Now it has become a real chore to read. Perhaps future days will bring back the ease of reading I previously experienced. Today I read about skills. All one-hundred and ninety-two of them (192!).
I... I just don't know what to say. I must admit I can appreciate the effort that went into considering what might be important and covering all of the bases, but there is also a line that, once passed, becomes excessive. Although I would like to put greater faith in the work, I have begun to feel a sense of mocking and general lack of seriousness from Mr. McCracken (as he lists one of the "Bonuses" of Astral Projection as, and I quote "saves on air fare"). Is the inclusion of Basket Weaving a subtle dig and reference to the old phrase "underwater basket weaving?" When I thought I was beginning to get answers, only more questions have arisen.
While it is not most vexing, certainly another point with which I have struggled is the seeming excess of specialization skills. Numerous skills are subdivided, and somewhat understandably. There are several types of engineering and medical fields, and I can accept this, but there are also several skill/anti-skill pairs (such as criminology and anti-criminology). Can it not suffice to simply say that knowledge of one would allow knowledge of the other? A minor point for certain in light of the other confusions, but something indeed...
Perhaps more puzzling were some of the "odd" prerequisites for some of the skills. I was most impressed that Mr. McCracken spent the time to give thorough thought to what would be needed to possess certain skills, but I find myself questioning his logic from time to time. For example, why would astro-physics require naval navigation, "Engineering, Chemistry, Medicine, and Biochemistry," astral projection, or acting require sewing? Regardless, I will place my trust in Mr. McCracken for a while longer and hope this will be made clear.
As I draw near the conclusion of my studies for the evening, I feel it necessary to record some of the more interesting skills for posterity sake:
Comedian
Combat, Grappling: From here on out, jokes will no longer be made about the complexity of grapples in 3.X Dungeons and Dragons
Contortionist: To quote Mr. McCracken "A 6-foot person can squeeze into a 1-foot-square cube (I know, I've seen it)."
Cryogenic Technician
Drafting: Drawing plans for houses and other buildings
Glass Blowing
Holography: Making 3D pictures or movies
Landscaping
Massaging
Medical, Dentistry: Mr. McCracken mentions "This skill is too painful to go into much detail," an "All work is done without the use of spells." I cannot help but wonder to myself about the unfortunate experiences he has had at the hand of the evil dentists...
Mime
Piloting, Skateboards: Full disclosure: Also includes roller and ice skates
Undertaking: The longest entry as it describes that all undertakers, as part of their training, learn how to create zombies and mummies.
I must admit I neglected to reflect on the actual aquisition and use of skills as, well, quite frankly it was complex and boring. Skills need to be bought with both skill points and currency and what can and cannot be done is confusing indeed. I fear further study will be needed to fully understand the intricacies.
And with this, I steel myself for the days to come.
Meta-Note: I decided to basically just divide the reading up into roughly 30 days, so I may in fact not finish in 30 calendar days, but I do hope to stay on top of things. I also tried to do a longer post that highlighted most of the absurdities as a small make-up for missing the last three days...
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http://ravencsmccracken.com/
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My hero.
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I apologize that things are a bit hit and miss over the past few days. It will probably be like this for the next few days as well (yay midterms). But by the end of next week, things will be on a better day-by-day schedule...
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Day 6: Pages 93-113
I find it difficult to fully process what I have read in my studies today. The subject material itself is simple enough and I was able to follow while I was reading, however I find myself struggling to really recall it's importance. I worry that perhaps the manuscript has begun to take its toll on me, something I have been warned extensively about. Nonetheless I will trek on as long as necessary to complete the task I have set out for myself.
I finished off characters first, reading about the interesting variant races. It seems Mr. McCracken really wants to allow freedom and outlines how to play almost any race given in the book. Granted their powers are not detailed as extensively as those of the other "class/races." This is made up for the fact that many of them have extra appendages, mutations, damage reduction, psychic powers, or any number of other outlandish benefits.
I still do not know how to feel about the following chapter. While I was originally expecting a standard explanation of character advancement, I instead found myself slogging through extensive descriptions of attaining Immortality, Demigodhood, and Godhood. Requiring more record keeping and math than an introductory algebra class, I begin to wonder about my own sanity. After all, why would someone willingly create such complex and intricate systems that seem to have no real reason?
Following such complexity and oddity in the previous sections, I was actually quite surprised when looking into the equipment. The number of weapons and miscellaneous items was almost underwhelming. Mr. McCracken are you letting us down? I notice that you spent time handcrafting and putting care into the description and explanation of each of the items; but with nearly 200 different skills, I would have expected more than 40 or so weapons...
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I love reading this thread. It's what I imagine CoC characters thinking when they read a mythos tome.
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Day 6: Pages 93-113
I find it difficult to fully process what I have read in my studies today. The subject material itself is simple enough and I was able to follow while I was reading, however I find myself struggling to really recall it's importance. I worry that perhaps the manuscript has begun to take its toll on me, something I have been warned extensively about. Nonetheless I will trek on as long as necessary to complete the task I have set out for myself.
I finished off characters first, reading about the interesting variant races. It seems Mr. McCracken really wants to allow freedom and outlines how to play almost any race given in the book. Granted their powers are not detailed as extensively as those of the other "class/races." This is made up for the fact that many of them have extra appendages, mutations, damage reduction, psychic powers, or any number of other outlandish benefits.
I still do not know how to feel about the following chapter. While I was originally expecting a standard explanation of character advancement, I instead found myself slogging through extensive descriptions of attaining Immortality, Demigodhood, and Godhood. Requiring more record keeping and math than an introductory algebra class, I begin to wonder about my own sanity. After all, why would someone willingly create such complex and intricate systems that seem to have no real reason?
Following such complexity and oddity in the previous sections, I was actually quite surprised when looking into the equipment. The number of weapons and miscellaneous items was almost underwhelming. Mr. McCracken are you letting us down? I notice that you spent time handcrafting and putting care into the description and explanation of each of the items; but with nearly 200 different skills, I would have expected more than 40 or so weapons...
The weapons seem underwhelming, until you get to the materials and the more. . . interesting rules regarding stacking.
And missile launchers.
You can launch 800 missiles as an action.
Eight. Hundred. Missiles.
Also about the variant races and non-classed characters, some of them are very awesome, and some are even more awesome, but many pay for it with their starting skill points (determined by adding all your attributes together and doubling them).
To make a (totally amazing) Chameleon Drake for example, you need to pay 230 skill points. These are poof, gone forever. You may then allocate any other skill points as you like.
Is it worth it? Well, one of the Chameleon Drake's powers is automatically disintegrating everything that weighs less than 1000 (or so) lbs +500 lbs per level.
Fuck yeah.
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Once again, I apologize for missing a lot of the last two weeks if you were super into this. Have had pretty intense midterms/homework during this time. That said, I'm all done except for what will probably be a time consuming take-home midterm sometime this weekend or early next week (general relativity, how exciting). But I will have something up tonight and hope to get onto a daily schedule until the midterm and again after it...
Oh also, if people are still interested in a Skype game, it would almost definitely be sometime mid-June or after (I don't think I can pull it off while still doing school)...
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You have my interest. June is good.
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Let's do it.
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Mid-June would work, but if it ends up being late June then I won't be able to make it.
Either way, this is a brilliant idea that cannot possibly go wrong. ;D
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Oh god I don't know why I'm saying yes but I'm saying yes.
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Day 7: Pages 114-132
My studies once again renewed after a temporary hiatus, I found myself delving again into Mr. McCracken's work. As I read the pages, I felt my mind begin to glaze over. It was difficult going at first. Reading about power armor and transportation, I struggled to make sense of it. There were so many different things, what did they mean? As I examined the bizarre tables and strange illustrations, I once again began to feel despair and horror creeping up on me. For several days now, I had been slogging through table after table, blocks of numbers followed by blocks of numbers. Was this how I was destined to spend the rest of my time with this manuscript? Reading about the required space to take off and land various aircraft? To attempt to understand the reason for a belt that lets you fly?
Finding information on biosynthetics gave me temporary hope. Perhaps this, I thought, would be interesting. I imagined all of the modifications I could make to a man with the proper technology. What could we become if we were not shackled by mere biology? Alas, I found the information swamped and weighed down by rules requiring replacement of body mass and numerous similar, but slightly different modifications. What I had hoped to use to save me from the repetition and tedium proved to be just that.
But at last, excitement! Oh joy I have found something that intrigues the senses once more! While I initially feared it was just madness setting in, I quickly accepted it as in fact wondrous change. Reading about the various drugs and chemicals was enjoyable and refreshing. How can I not appreciate the thoroughness of Mr. McCracken as he details the side-effects and ill-fated combinations? Oh the beauty and possibility! Drugs that wipe your memory, and those that replace sleep! They usher in an entirely new age of drug-addled citizenry. This is truly madness, and yet I find myself compelled by it...
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Day 8: Pages 133-146
Returning again to the strange, yet compelling, World of Synnibarr, I find it just as odd as I had left it. I found myself reading a few short chapters today. Despite this somewhat shorter reading however, I feel I have reached some sort of special truth and understanding about the work as a whole.
It seems to me that the Mr. McCracken is ultimately writing for people who want to claim to be creative and yet lack improvisational skills. He covers almost everything imaginable in nearly excruciatingly intricate detail. It seems utter madness that one would be able to competently use even one tenth of this jumbled manuscript.
And yet...
It still compels me. I spend yet another day reading deeper into its secrets and knowledge. I find myself once again renewed and invigorated to continue in my quest. Is this madness? I do not yet truly know. And perhaps by the time I might realize, it will be too late.
I already see potentially worrying signs. It seems the book itself is talking to me. At the end of the chapter on starship creation, Mr. McCracken warns adventurers about revealing where they come from. It seems to others in the galaxy, the World of Synnibarr is merely a myth. It does not exist!? Can the same be said for the manuscript itself? Am I merely going mad and mirroring my mental state with this manuscript that grows increasingly strange each day?
I must press onward...
Meta-Note: Sorry about the long hiatus if people were super into reading by babble. This last quarter was super crazy in the land of physics majors, but the summer is now largely wide open, and I hope to finish in the next two weeks or so. I'm looking forward to a potential Skype foray into this madness with fellow adventurers!
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Weee!
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Day 9: Pages 147-164
The infamous werestorm. I knew this day was coming, but I had no idea it would come so soon. While I cannot say with certainty, it is quite likely that the description of Terra, and the vicious werestorm that surrounds its entrance encapsulates and represents the ultimate "feel" of The World of Synnibarr.
It is somewhat glorious and completely frightening at the same time. Something that has no logical flow to it, and yet seems to fit perfectly. Why are powers cancelled in it? Does it even matter? What makes giants so determined and successful in sailing through absolutely everything?
With some effort I pull myself away from focusing solely on this fascinating idea and can recall the rest of my studies for the day. I found I learned much of Synnibarr's geography. The level of detail is fascinating, and quite varied. Mr. McCracken has quite the ability to describe these landscapes and geographical areas in such a way that they seem plausible and real, despite the fact that they have absolutely no physical right to exist. Canyons hundreds of miles wide, mushroom shaped landmasses that stand on pillars extend miles into the air, iron walls that extend beyond the atmosphere of Synnibarr guarded by Tree Demons.
What does it mean? Is there a reason the avatar created such a diverse and possibly insane landscape? Could he even comprehend what he was doing? Is this just a reflection of the madness of the universe impinging on a world, threatening to overwhelm it with complexity?
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Huzzah!
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haha you're doing the (were)god's work.
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Day 10: Pages 165-180
Today's study started innocently enough, reading the "Yellow Pages" as it were of Terra, the main adventurer's hub on Synnibarr. As I explore the text further though, I begin to notice a strange undertone. While it initially appears to be an innocently corny attempt at humor and wonder, I have begun to fear that perhaps Mr. McCracken is more devious and sinister in his writing than I first imagined. Some samples:
"Map Shop Owner: Tomarr, a 50th level something. No one knows."
"Aladen can duplicate a B.S.C. at a cost of $181,667,112,566.23!"
"We also carry a brand of rope that is alive and will attach itself to objects, stretch double length, and then contract on command. It can lift 1,000 pounds and its movement is similar to a snake's. It feeds on small microorganisms. It is in no way dangerous to its ownwer once it has been held for 5 continuous minutes. It is thin and red."
However with each additional phrase or sentence I read along these lines, I cannot help but notice how potentially frightening the writing is. Not one knows what he is? Not even himself? Was the knowledge of his class/race struck from existence as some form of punishment? What could one possibly do that is that terrible? Also, it may not be dangerous after 5 minutes, but I fear what could be done to one in the previous 4 minutes and 59 seconds by a rope that has the faculties to move on its own, stretch to double its length and has the strength to move 1,000 pounds. It is easy to imagine the trouble that merely 1 foot of this could cause.
Despite these worries, I had to press on. I soon found myself reading through what I could only imagine as Mr. McCracken's muddled take on multipe-dimension theories, curved space-time, and relativity of time. Areas I have studied and consider myself fairly competent in understanding. However his text has caused me to cast doubt on even things I thought I understood before. His descriptions seemed to fit so well with other clearly mad ideas he presented. What I thought seemed perfectly reasonable and understandable from my collegiate education seems to reside quite comfortably next to magical storms and creatures that can magically remove the oxygen from their victim's entire body. Who is to say what I have learned is in fact not the imaginings of a raving lunatic?
Despite all this however, I must steel myself for tomorrow I begin Chapter 8, Combat...
I leave one last excerpt for posterity, from Mr. McCracken's description of the source of the original adventurers who were magically gifted with incredible abilities and then teleported to Terra, and underwater city:
"Now I don't know about you, but I would find this fairly unnerving. One moment you're flossing your cat's teeth in good ole' suburban Katmandu, and the next you're a Ninja master on an artificial world, made from Mars, in a city under millions of gallons of water. Granted you have had some hint as to what was going on, but gosh darn it, something like this is liable to put a crimp in your social calendar, even if you're a llama trainer."
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Day 11: Pages 180-188
Odd...
It wasn't as bad as I thought it would be. The combat rules actually seem to flow and make some reasonable degree of sense. I think that this is quite well within the realm of possibility of running.
In retrospect, it seems perfectly reasonable to have combat set up as Mr. McCracken has. Three second turns are broken into 15 segments which can have actions occurring on them. To attack one must roll to see if they would hit. The target then has about five chances to avoid the damage (from dodging on their own to having their god intervene in their favor). If all of these rolls succeed or fail accordingly, you can then roll damage and move onto the next person acting on that segment. Repeat for each segment that has characters acting on it, and an hour later you finish the first three seconds of combat.
Oh dear...
I've just realized how ridiculous this actually is. What is wrong with me...
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Day 11: Pages 180-188
Oh dear...
I've just realized how ridiculous this actually is. What is wrong with me...
NO MCKMA!
YOU CAN'T HANDLE THE PRESSURE
DON'T DO IT
Still not as bad as FATAL.
Try running a combat in that, when you have to recalculate all your stats because someone cast a spell that changes your height by a centimeter.
Fuck you FATAL.
Synibarr is just ridiculous in a fun way, FATAL is just ridiculous in a why am I bothering way.
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You know, you've still 19 days to go!