[Mage: the Awakening] Legacy of the Stone Assembly

Hella_Tellah · Dec 8, 2008

magic_gathering2001 said:
What is the game mechanic for picking locks?

Dexterity + Larceny +/- Tools. You should also take a Wits + Larceny to see if you either brought tools along to pick locks (with 3+ successes) or can find something around you, like a bobby pin and pen knife (with 1 or more successes). It'll be at a -2 because it's kind of an unlikely thing to bring along.

Of course, there's more than one way to get around a lock, especially for a wizard...

magic_gathering2001 · Dec 8, 2008

Well, it seems as though Prometheus will not be picking locks... Mind and Prime just aren't the best for this one.

Hella_Tellah · Dec 9, 2008

magic_gathering2001 said:
Well, it seems as though Prometheus will not be picking locks... Mind and Prime just aren't the best for this one.

There are plenty of things you can do to get past the lock that don't involve picking it. For instance, you know that the lock and piano both extend into the Twilight, which is not the usual state of affairs. With Prime, you could analyze the items, and perhaps end that effect. Also, the lock certainly has a corresponding key; maybe you can find it. With Phantasm (Prime 3) you could probably make yourself a really nice set of lockpicks. Alternatively, there are at least two NPCs that you can talk to without the use of magic spells. Perhaps they could be of use? And your Celestial Fire (Prime 3) can target things in the Twilight, as well, if you can manage a large enough ball of energy.

Some GMs put a lock on something so the guy who knows how to pick them has something to do. I put it there hoping that you'll find a way to bypass it that I hadn't thought of.

magic_gathering2001 · Dec 9, 2008

That is true, but hopefully someone will have a more obvious solution for a problem this simple. If no one speaks up, I'm sure Prometheus can save the day somehow, but for now he will be content to simply watch. That being said, I think that trading with one of the ghosts/spirits seems like the best idea.

Solarious · Dec 9, 2008

Quick pop in, my finals are underway, and I should be fully back in a few days; before the end of the week, I think. A few comments on locks vs. magic, since we're on the topic...

Mind's Gain Skill spell is a wonderful spell - just materialize points in Larceny at will (please note that dots gained are capped at Mind dots - an error I made earlier - to a hard cap of 5 until Mind 4). Matter 1 defeats electronic locks easily simply by turning them off with Alter Conductivity. Matter 2 can shape a water-form key with a combination of Animate Water and Craftsman's Eye, or simply command it to open with a Ruling practice (screw Silver Ladder - Moros don't need any stinking Spirit magic to animate objects, like it doesn't need Mind for zombies that follow commands). Most fraying practices can simply destroy them. Space can trace it's sympathetic connections to keys that were made to open it, then use Finder to locate it. Fate could be used to find the key easily, especially if it's casually hidden. Time can Postcognate the last time it was opened, then try tracing the key from there. Spirit can communicate with the sleeping spirit of the lock and make it co-operative, and Life can transmute/command tiny insects to muck around with the gears, not to mention Puissant Skill for the experienced lock-picker and stat boosts.

...

Or you could just ask for the key.

magic_gathering2001 · Dec 9, 2008

Can you make a check for knowledge about alpha for Prometheus? I don't know exactly which skill it is, but I would like to know what he knows.

Hella_Tellah · Dec 10, 2008

Shayuri said:
"Can anyone play the piano?"

For anyone who wants to try this, the check would be your choice of Dexterity + Expression or Presence + Expression. If you succeed at it, we'll assume that you had piano lessons at some point, rather that worry about "OMG it's not on your charsheet you can't!!1"

Hella_Tellah · Dec 12, 2008

I thought it might help to give you guys a quick refresher of just what it is The Nemean wants you to do:

Hella_Tellah said:
"There's a spirit in Cormant House that doesn't belong here. While I get these dishes cleaned up, I want you five to try to get the spirit to move along. You're welcome to use any spells you like," he chuckled, "Just so long as you don't break anything."

Also,

Hella_Tellah said:
"Figuring that out [which spirit doesn't belong] is part of the test. You have to know where to look. I will save you some time, though: we have more than one spirit in this house. You need to pick the right one. And don't get rid of any of the other ones; I like those ones. Figure out the spirit that doesn't belong. You know: 'one of these things is not like the others...'"

Remember that the whole point of this is to impress him, and convince him that you're capable enough to do some work for the Consilium in exchange for a sanctum and hallow.

Annalist · Dec 14, 2008

Sorry Hellah, it's time I drop out. I just don't feel that fire or inspiration to post anymore. It's become more of a chore than something fun.

Don't get me wrong though, I think you're a badass ST and I really love my character but I'm just not feeling the inter-PC chemistry. I could churn out filler posts but it wouldn't be doing Gabriel justice. I put too much thought into his background to just put him through the motions.

Anyway, if you ever try your hand at ST'ing a Hunter: The Vigil game, definitely look me up. I'd love to apply.

Have fun and give The Nemean a few noogies from G.

Hella_Tellah · Dec 14, 2008

Well, the writing's on the wall: two players inactive, and one dropped out. It's time we called it quits.

I think we just didn't get the kind of player interaction or buy-in that's needed for the kind of character-based games I try to run. I wanted to see characters making choices, pushing the story forward with their actions and interactions, and we didn't get to that point. As Annalist said, there's no chemistry here, and we can't force that.

For my part, I didn't do nearly enough to present a situation you guys found interesting to interact with, so I didn't get the interaction I was after. The game needed a much more dramatic opening than I gave it. Future PbP games I run will put the players directly in the thick of the story at the start, rather than nibbling at the edges.

I've enjoyed the game, but it's time to shut it down. Thanks for playing, everyone.