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<blockquote data-quote="Primitive Screwhead" data-source="post: 1929329" data-attributes="member: 20805"><p><strong>Scribe of Worlds...</strong></p><p></p><p>So the intent was the highest DC and XP cost for the most precision, which is what I had assumed.</p><p></p><p> In the new Thieves' World anthology, there is a tale of a Crimson Robe adept who studies words and languages. Seeking out the words of power that are the building blocks of the world. With these words, one can create effects much like spells, or more correctly create the effects that spells attempt to emulate. </p><p></p><p> What I was thinking was a way to scale precision to how well the creator of the portal knows words. I think there could be a scale of precision vs number of words vs quality of words. A common phrase is that a picture is worth a thousand words. A talented poet can paint a picture in the readers mind with many less than that.</p><p>Basically, break the current chart down into two:</p><p>[code]</p><p> Craft DC, XP Cost, and Precision</p><p> 5 20 Must be at the location to scribe. </p><p> 10 100 Must be currently Scrying the location.</p><p> 15 200 5% chance of correctly identifying the intended location</p><p> 20 300 10% chance of..</p><p> 25 400 15% chance of..</p><p> 30 500 25% chance of..</p><p> 35 600 50% chance of..</p><p> 40 700 75% chance of..</p><p> 45 800 99% chance of..</p><p></p><p> Words Used, Modifier to Skill Check</p><p> 1 -15</p><p> 5 -10</p><p> 30 -5</p><p> 200 0</p><p> 500 +5</p><p> 1000 +10</p><p> > 1000 +15</p><p> The number of words can be limited to 200 when information about the real location is unavailable.</p><p>[/code]</p><p>If the chance roll is failed, the portal will still work, but will transport users to a very similiar appearing (at first) location. The GM can scale how dissimilar it gets by how much the roll was missed by.</p><p></p><p>In this manner, it takes a DC 20 skill check and 20 XP to write on a scroll "Here" and have it be a portal to the current location. This could be accomplished by a character who has just qualified for the feat. As a player, the best use for this feat would be transportation to known places. As a GM, the best use for this feat is convienant 'one-shot' adventures far off the path of the current campaign.</p><p></p><p>To take this into game context, in my new Eberron game, assume my mage5 wants to go this route. In order to adventure into the interior of Xendric he reads some books and studies up on the land. Then he scribes a Tome. Wanting to be go to the right place, he attempts to go the whole enchiliada.. DC of 45, XP cost of 800, and over 1000 words. He needs to roll at least a 18 (8 ranks + 2 INT + 2 Skill Focus + 15 word bonus). At that point, if he succeeds.. he deserves it!</p><p> Later, the group decides to adventure to Argonnessen and he tries again. This time there is no information he can gather, so he is limited to 200 words. The best he can do would be DC 30, and even then the portal may lead to a created world of imagination...or back to Xendric since primitive jungles look soo much alike <img src="http://www.enworld.org/forum/images/smilies/devious.png" class="smilie" loading="lazy" alt=":]" title="Devious :]" data-shortname=":]" /> </p><p></p><p>Of course, also in play you will probably never have a player come up with a thousand word description of his/her desired world of adventure.. if you do.. I want that player in my game! Instead you will get a "I make a portal to Terry Prachetts' Disk World... I rolled a Craft of 32 and spent my XP.. can we go now?" <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f61b.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":p" title="Stick out tongue :p" data-smilie="7"data-shortname=":p" /> This would mean having a monetary cost increase as part of using more words, call it the cost of good paper.</p><p></p><p>Actually, I have no idea where I am going with this. It just seemed very odd to me that there where no 'rules' as to precision in the use of the portals. As a player I would worry about taking a feat that may work, and then only if the GM feels inclined to let it work. If this particular tradition gets used in my game at all, it will be as a plot device only. But that does not make me any less willing to 'tinker' with the mechanics! <img src="https://cdn.jsdelivr.net/joypixels/assets/8.0/png/unicode/64/1f642.png" class="smilie smilie--emoji" loading="lazy" width="64" height="64" alt=":)" title="Smile :)" data-smilie="1"data-shortname=":)" /></p></blockquote><p></p>
[QUOTE="Primitive Screwhead, post: 1929329, member: 20805"] [b]Scribe of Worlds...[/b] So the intent was the highest DC and XP cost for the most precision, which is what I had assumed. In the new Thieves' World anthology, there is a tale of a Crimson Robe adept who studies words and languages. Seeking out the words of power that are the building blocks of the world. With these words, one can create effects much like spells, or more correctly create the effects that spells attempt to emulate. What I was thinking was a way to scale precision to how well the creator of the portal knows words. I think there could be a scale of precision vs number of words vs quality of words. A common phrase is that a picture is worth a thousand words. A talented poet can paint a picture in the readers mind with many less than that. Basically, break the current chart down into two: [code] Craft DC, XP Cost, and Precision 5 20 Must be at the location to scribe. 10 100 Must be currently Scrying the location. 15 200 5% chance of correctly identifying the intended location 20 300 10% chance of.. 25 400 15% chance of.. 30 500 25% chance of.. 35 600 50% chance of.. 40 700 75% chance of.. 45 800 99% chance of.. Words Used, Modifier to Skill Check 1 -15 5 -10 30 -5 200 0 500 +5 1000 +10 > 1000 +15 The number of words can be limited to 200 when information about the real location is unavailable. [/code] If the chance roll is failed, the portal will still work, but will transport users to a very similiar appearing (at first) location. The GM can scale how dissimilar it gets by how much the roll was missed by. In this manner, it takes a DC 20 skill check and 20 XP to write on a scroll "Here" and have it be a portal to the current location. This could be accomplished by a character who has just qualified for the feat. As a player, the best use for this feat would be transportation to known places. As a GM, the best use for this feat is convienant 'one-shot' adventures far off the path of the current campaign. To take this into game context, in my new Eberron game, assume my mage5 wants to go this route. In order to adventure into the interior of Xendric he reads some books and studies up on the land. Then he scribes a Tome. Wanting to be go to the right place, he attempts to go the whole enchiliada.. DC of 45, XP cost of 800, and over 1000 words. He needs to roll at least a 18 (8 ranks + 2 INT + 2 Skill Focus + 15 word bonus). At that point, if he succeeds.. he deserves it! Later, the group decides to adventure to Argonnessen and he tries again. This time there is no information he can gather, so he is limited to 200 words. The best he can do would be DC 30, and even then the portal may lead to a created world of imagination...or back to Xendric since primitive jungles look soo much alike :] Of course, also in play you will probably never have a player come up with a thousand word description of his/her desired world of adventure.. if you do.. I want that player in my game! Instead you will get a "I make a portal to Terry Prachetts' Disk World... I rolled a Craft of 32 and spent my XP.. can we go now?" :p This would mean having a monetary cost increase as part of using more words, call it the cost of good paper. Actually, I have no idea where I am going with this. It just seemed very odd to me that there where no 'rules' as to precision in the use of the portals. As a player I would worry about taking a feat that may work, and then only if the GM feels inclined to let it work. If this particular tradition gets used in my game at all, it will be as a plot device only. But that does not make me any less willing to 'tinker' with the mechanics! :) [/QUOTE]
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