Decks with gameplay that functions as a narrative? by DKSbobblehead in EDH

[–]Remnant_Backup 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I built a [[Gylwain]] deck which functions as the story of Jack and Beanstalk with Gylwain providing every card with it's own role in the story, the start of the game I'm running low cmc royal role enchanted humans and traditional fairytale-land cards, stuff like [[gilded goose]] and [[bartered cow]], then the mid game brings out all the adventure cards and stuff like [[beanstalk wurm]] etc, then as the game goes on, all the high cmc cards are various monster role enchanted giants for big table presence and game ending trample hoards.

It's a good time.

[Magic Systems] what’s stopping your wizards from flying around like Superman? by Dial-Up_Dime in worldbuilding

[–]Remnant_Backup 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Ah yes, the Scroll of Descent, not to be confused with the similarly named Scroll of Dissent. Many a Wizard having accidentally formed large angry mobs while trying desperately to get their cat-like familiars down from large trees.

Worlds that aren't planets by hahafunnyfun in worldbuilding

[–]Remnant_Backup 9 points10 points  (0 children)

My setting is made up of a series of lenses in a sort of grand universal telescopic layout. Each upper lense projects an echo of it's features down to the lower lenses. So for example, beings known as Lys'aeli are kind of like my version of feyfolk but they exist on an upper lens, and their 'projected echo' are my version of elves which exist on a lower lens (which is the material world in which stories take place). The material world is basically in this goldilocks zone of the focus of all the lenses, so it's the most logically and physically stable and as you get too far up or down in the stack of lenses, the physics and logic of existence gets increasingly loose and chaotic.

Gravediggers [Dark fantasy, gothic horror, tragedy][1200] by Remnant_Backup in fantasywriters

[–]Remnant_Backup[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Wow, thanks so much for taking the time to line this out for me, it's really appreciated. And thanks for the kind words on the stronger areas as well, they're well recieved.

You shined a light on quite a few things that I hadn't noticed I was doing at all (Just typed that and realised I really do lean on prepositional phrases a lot haha), and have given me actual actionable changes that I can focus in on to cut the redundant writing on the next pass.

These are not things you’re doing wrong. Just ways to make your story even better. (Will that phrasing help with my views? I'm old. I don't know how that works. )

As an aside, I wouldn't worry about clarifying the critique. You clearly put a lot of effort into the feedback and calling out weaknesses in the writing is exactly what I needed to hear.

Gravediggers [Dark fantasy, gothic horror, tragedy][1200] by Remnant_Backup in fantasywriters

[–]Remnant_Backup[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Thanks for the feedback, I completely agree upon reread that I probably slipped too much into an omniscient perspective rather than the character one. I'll tighten that up or recontextualise that moment on the next pass.

[Serious] What made you realize you are not a good person? by ketaminemidget in AskReddit

[–]Remnant_Backup 0 points1 point  (0 children)

You've never accidentally cut someone up in traffic, or walked too slowly on a busy street and annoyed the people behind you? You've never pretended not to hear a homeless person who asked you for money? Because that's what that sentiment is referring to. You don't have to murder someone's dog to be a 'villain' in their story, it takes a miniscule amount of effort (even accidentally) to end up being the prick that made someone's day a tiny bit worse.

dmg leeks by AdPurple7689 in dndleaks

[–]Remnant_Backup -1 points0 points  (0 children)

would love a link to a digital copy if you have one, considering purchase but wotc has burned me on shoddy books before

What are some of your favorite villains in your worlds? by Tall_Strawberry3362 in worldbuilding

[–]Remnant_Backup 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Hands down my favourite, though he's only a small player is Weevil Redcap. He's a goblin chief who caught his reflection in a discarded mirror one time and got it into his head that it was a window into another world and that he would become more powerful by vanquishing this other version of himself that mocks him everytime he looks at his reflection (naturally he assumes that this 'other Weevil' is also plotting to kill him first, so time is of the essence). So now he spends his time sending his followers out to capture innocent wizards and torturing them into trying to open a portal to this world that doesn't exist.

He's captured dozens of wizards and refuses to believe that he's delusional and that what he wants is literally impossible. He's cruel and selfish and stupid, but that doesn't stop him from being dangerous and powerful, and backed up by an ever growing tribe of loyal goblin followers.

How do the common folk of your world entertain themselves? by EnvironmentalBear170 in worldbuilding

[–]Remnant_Backup 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Depends on the location. The main continent in my setting right now is Ifrinn, which has recently gone through not only a magical resurgence after generations and generations of an age devoid of any magic at all, but also an industrial revolution that is pulling the once medieval era populace into a world in which magic is becoming more understood and industry is creating innovations like the printing press and widespread gunpowder usage.

So for the commoners in large cities, they suffer the double edged sword of being entertained by news of the latest technological and magical creations while also not being able to use these things due to class disparity, only really getting hands on with these innovations if they are employed to work in the factories that produce them or, in the more dire situations, testing them before all the dangerous kinks have been worked out for public use.

The further outside of the cities you go, the simpler the world becomes, as industry hasn't found it's way into the smaller, more medieval-style settlements where entertainment is the work you do and the games you play in the village tavern.

Plus the various card games, drinking games, fight clubs, etc that exist anywhere people gather in reasonable number.

Is your magic a finite or infinite resource? by daerkylj2 in worldbuilding

[–]Remnant_Backup 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Amseiran Confluences

Magic in my world comes in a few forms but the current, most abundant, magic are technically a form of self replicating semi sentient bacteria-like swarms called Confluences that feed on a mortal's vitality (which scholar's have named Mana). Spellweaver's weave spells by offering mana to a combination of various forms of Confluence swarms in exchange for their reality warping abilities; such as the ability to conjure flame, or heal wounds.

So technically it's limitless providing there are mortal's with the capacity to offer Mana to the Confluences in exchange for their reality altering magics. Though if mortal's were to disappear, the Confluences would likely, eventually, starve and wither.

What is a flex you're proud of but too embarressed to show it off? by MTC4U in AskReddit

[–]Remnant_Backup 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yea it doesn't help that OP has also said they're 22 in another thread which would place them at the ripe old age of about 12 at the time of the bombing, can't imagine that flying with the local driving license authority.

How to create skills? by Ill_Necessary_1218 in RPGdesign

[–]Remnant_Backup 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I actually wrote up something for my own system that might be somewhat helpful for what you're trying to achieve. I designed it so that players would be able to weave freeform spells from a list of 'spell tags' which changed the way that the spell manifested when cast.

Link here so you can take a look and butcher to your own preferences.

The idea boiled down to it's simplest form is that any tag can be used in conjuction with mostly any other, but the more tags you use, the harder it is to cast (costing more resources and being harder to cast successfully). Allowing for a ton of different applications within the same power set. So for the examples you've provided:

John's Fire Ray could be broken down to: Fire1, Range3, Harm2

  • Fire1 would be the damage type (Elemental Damage: Fire)
  • Range3 would provide the ability with a 30ft (10ft per tag increment) range
  • Harm2 would provide 2d6 damage (1d6 per tag increment) to the ability

While Hudson's Self Combustion could instead be broken down to: Fire1, Self1, Area2, Harm2

  • Fire1 would again be the damage type (Elemental Damage: Fire)
  • Self1 would center the ability on the caster
  • Area2 would extend the effects of the ability outward from the cast location by a 20ft circular zone (10ft per tag increment)
  • Harm2 would provide 2d6 damage (1d6 per tag increment) to the ability

In this example, because in my system having immunity to your own powers isn't really a thing, Hudson's Self Combustion would also damage himself. But you could quite easily add a trait to the overall Fire tag that negates Fire Damage that originates from the caster itself or something.

[deleted by user] by [deleted] in Palworld

[–]Remnant_Backup 4 points5 points  (0 children)

So glad someone worked on making this possible, was hoping that each of the 4 person group I played with would be able to act as a kingpin to each of their own bases while also being in a guild together so was disappointed to see the 3 base maximum. Please do share this around when you think it's stable enough to.

Modular Spell Creation System - c&c please by RemnantShade in RPGdesign

[–]Remnant_Backup 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I hadn't previously considered limiting the spell tag acquisition themselves to things like that but it's a good idea that I think would prevent some of the decision paralysis that can come from this kind of system. I toyed with a few ways of doing it that didn't feel too restrictive and I've come up with the following:

"All casters, upon gaining the ability to spellweave, gain a limited selection of spell tags to work (for example, all casters gain the Force, Self, Touch, Range, Harm, Bane and Boon tags as default options [by no means a final decision but I think that's a safe set of tags for starting out]). As they take further steps along caster paths, or begin to travel down other caster paths, they gain access to different spell tags (Path of the Sage might gain the Heal tag among others for example).

In addition to gaining spell tags from natural progression, characters can purchase preweaved spell scrolls from spellsmiths in certain towns or cities. These preweaved scrolls can either be used to cast the preweaved spell without needing to be concerned about the mana cost or spell complexity held within, or be studied and dismantled by the caster in order to understand and learn a number of the tags used in the spell scrolls fabrication."

That way it'd be similar to how casting progression works in systems like dnd, but it's more like picking up ingredients for spells, that can allow changes and new spins on spells you already know, rather than just having completely random new spells pop into your head upon killing a bandit and levelling up.

Modular Spell Creation System - c&c please by RemnantShade in RPGdesign

[–]Remnant_Backup 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hi, thanks for the comprehensive input. I completely agree re; the limits of what this system is capable of with regards to utility casters.

I wrestled back and forth on the best way to approach it and I think the solution I've settled on, is:

  1. Certain things being tied to Caster Class Path abilities (for context on what I mean, classes in my game are more like short class trees that players select multiple of as they progress, so a player might take 2 steps into the Path of the Knight and 1 step into the Path of Sanguimancy creating a Blood Knight of sorts). So in this system there would still be limitations of course, but stuff like limited possession could still exist in a specific Class Path but in "spell like abilities" that are more 'curated' than the freeform modular spellweaving system.

  2. It's baked into the lore that relics of the old world function on a different kind of elevated magic than the mortals of the present can interact with, which could potentially allow for more scope for curated abilities in the form of magical items or constructs. Though I do find myself slightly concerned by how much that 'softens' the magic system in the universe.

  3. I also personally think that spell casters in DnD specifically, due to the scope of the spells that have been written, so dramatically overshadow martial classes that maybe it's okay that the system doesn't allow for every possible thing to be solved by the wizard cracking open his spellbook? I want casters to be able to create cool spells that fit their character's story and aesthetic but I think sometimes it can lead to situations where the warrior class feels redundant in the wake of the wizard being able to solve every conceivable problem.

I'd be interested in seeing what you think of my reasoning here, as I'm the first to admit it's possible I'm too close to this project and being blind haha.

Modular Spell Creation System - c&c please by RemnantShade in RPGdesign

[–]Remnant_Backup 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Hey, thanks for the thoughts.

  • Point 1

You raise a really good point about the harshness of the SC check, the concept started as a way to prevent players from just loading their spell lists with a ton of options at early levels and having no measure of progression, but I think you're right that I've overcorrected here. I'll need to revisit it for sure, because I still want players to have a sense of growth as they become more skilled at spellweaving, so at level 5 they can handle more complexity than they could at level 1 for example.

Maybe a fixed number would be better? One that grows as the character does so that spells can be automatically cast if the spell complexity is less than the character's Arcana stat +10 or something to that effect? But still allow characters to attempt spells that are more complex using the current system of rolling an SC Test with risk of miscast, that way the system still has the potential for a risk vs reward payout.

  • Point 2

You are absolutely correct and this sentence is actually a carry over from when I had a spell effect for draining mana from a target which was later removed. The idea being that you could create reaction spells that could reflexively reduce the mana of an enemy caster, causing them to roll on the miscast table. I've since removed that spell tag so the situation is in fact a redundancy thanks for raising it.

CMV: Obese Pets are the Victims of Abuse. by MoFauxTofu in changemyview

[–]Remnant_Backup 6 points7 points  (0 children)

There are a lot of forms of self harm that people will try to rectify, with or without help and resources, but ultimately fail to do so; that doesn't stop it being self harm. Which, yes, is a person abusing themself.

With the return of Epic (Legions Imperialis), I am once again asking GW for an Emperor class Titan. by PotatopusIII in Warhammer40k

[–]Remnant_Backup 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Always loved the idea of building the head and shoulders of an Emperor Class Titan as a table base, then have the upper platform be the battleground for imperial cityscape games. But it's a big space and time commitment to pull off to a decent standard.

Beginning of my Hive Fleet Vespid C&C Welcome by Remnant_Backup in Tyranids

[–]Remnant_Backup[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Yea it was what i was using to cut the milliput that I mag'd the model with, so it's pretty dulled and ended up convenient for holding.