Myrddyn

Unequip Dog Fur Coat, equip Peacekeepers Totem, use Diplomacy: "What do you mean, 'maybe we shouldn't talk so freely'? Who do you think's going to overhear?" Erik says to Abe, missing the insinuation that the Heroes are up to no good, before turning back to Terrin. "I'd assume these prisoners you mentioned are being held for something normal, except for the fact that you were all being mind-controlled by a vampire, who seems to have been in league with the Rear Admiral. Either way, it sounds like they're our best bet for finding Morgan. Maybe you can tell us more about them?" Unequip Peacekeepers Totem, equip Dog Fur Coat.

"Yeah. I don't know why the not-Bonapartes would keep the crew prisoners, but if they don't need them alive they'll be dead already anyway." He starts to feel sad as he imagines Zasies dead, but due to the short-term effects of the Vampire Dust and the drain of all the magic he's used, he is again quickly distracted, this time when he sees that Hoke has woken up the Bonapartes. Running over, he fumbles out the Peacekeepers Totem and opens his helmet's visor, but decides to leave most of the talking to Hoke. Not zombies, then. He looks at Terrin, a bit guiltily after having had so much fun hitting him earlier, and puts his hand on the kid's shoulder. Hearing Reina speak, he drops the Totem to the floor, then reaches out to put the now-free hand on her shoulder as well. "Some kind of mind control. It was the mage who killed your friends, not you." He says diplomatically. "Now listen to the shiny man." He bends down to pick up the Peacekeepers Totem and put it away, straightens the Heavy Armour, Dog Fur Cloak and Lucky Die he has equipped, and wipes some Vampire Dust from under his nose. Not actually changing any equipment, Pie, I just need to boldly say these things so Erik can use Diplomacy.

Erik twitches and laughs. "Yeah. Perhaps. I don't think they're running this place anymore, though."

Erik uses his Ethereal Cloak to sweep the Vampire Dust into lines on the floor and snorts it. "That'll teach you" Woah "To mess with Heroes." He stands up again and blinks a few times. "Woah."

Erik climbs back to his feet, and peers down at Henry. He doesn't recognize the cadet from their brief encounter on the Magpie a year or so before, especially in the fancy armour. Straightening up, his eyes flit around the rest of the room, first glancing at Hoke, then Guts, then at the pile of Vampire Dust. He looks around for Mizuki, but is distracted when he sees the cat. "Did you say you wanted us going somewhere particular now, or shall we check the Lookout Tower and then the Laboratory?"

"Ugh." Erik gets knocked off his feet by the honour guard's sword hitting his armour. "You guys can finish him off, right?" He equips his Barbarian Boots in place of his Dog Fur Coat.

First off, I'm really enjoying Heroica as it is, and I think we should let it go as long as it will before we start seriously looking into starting HRPG: GAS. I think we should consider having the early discussion page for GAS on another site, so we don't risk the big mods getting annoyed at us cluttering the place up arguing about something that doesn't even exist yet, and also so the other Heroica people don't feel they're starting to be pushed out. I think google docs would work, with some more significant contributors having editing rights on the document and everyone else arguing in the comments, but maybe other people have other ideas or just want to stick it in the games forum. Either way, I really don't think Rules and Discussion is the best place for it, so we should stick it some place better as soon as possible. Also, if we are making a new RPG, I think it's important to look at some of the things in Heroica that caused problems, like gold gain, SP invincibility, and how fast ether burns up early on. Also, power creep - do we still want to use a level system, with upgradeable weapons and equipment? If we want more focus on faction reputation, this could give a different system of character advancement that doesn't cause difficulties balancing quests with big character level gaps. I do like Pie's class ideas, but I think there's a lot of overlap between them. I think we'd be better having less basic classes, and making the rest faction-earnt advanced classes. A basic-class tank, DPS, and support, and maybe a stealth class if we want to elaborate on stealth as a battle mechanic, rather than just a way to do more damage. Perhaps we could have some kind of in-battle objective besides wiping out the enemies? That could give a role to stealth-focused classes. It is sci-fi, so I think for a row replacement we could have route-power-to-weapons/route-power-to-forcefields. Possibly also other options, if we want to make it more complex. Yeah, anyone who can use a club.

I realize a hand cannont give me all you describe on a silver platter. It aspears this will take a lot of effort to earn. I guess I'll fetch my broomstick and get to work.I've already gotten my club tattoo, so people can tell at a g-lance that I'm a member.

Everybody wands to be in the cool kids club, but Pie's been a member long-sword-er than me, and he's an instrumental member, so I must bow to his decision. #129 is really great by the way Pie, I'm having loads of fun. And I'm not just saying that to suck up to a senior member of the cool kids club - that's too cloak and dagger for me.

Well, you can have the cool kids club in your inventory, you just can't equip it unless you change class.

Yeah, Barbarians, Beast Warriors, Infiltrators, Decamon Drafters and Alchemists only. You guys will have to join the cool kids mace.

Erik blows a wisp of smoky darkness away from the crystal at the end of his wand as he sees one of the few remaining Bonapartes fall to the ground, and another fall under his hex. Seeing the heavily armoured one still standing, he growls and shoots another bolt of darkness at him from the back row. Honour Guard Henry, darkness spell, Darkstar Wand, back row (repeat).

"This spellcasting is a lot more fun than I thought it'd be." Erik casts a Darkness spell at Bonaparte Honor Guard Henry through the Darkstar Wand from the back row.

I think there would be a free hit from Lowes. Unless it goes to Hoke even though he's Jump Hitting. Also I think Guts gets an extra action from his Dancing Shoes. Erik abandons his earlier decision to leave arguing with teammates until the fight is over, and opens his mouth again. "Nice work, leaving our flank unguarded like that. I see you've decided the wisest way to use your brain and shield is not to use 'em at all." He waves the Darkstar Wand in Robbie's face. "I'm a far better hero than the dragoon, right?" "You're a far better hero than the dragoon." "Thanks." Erik hits Robbie from the front row with the Darkstar Wand.

Guts has only 7 SP, but Pritch is only level 20, so he should have taken 13 damage from that, and Reina should have tried to use her special free hit but was sealed, rather than hitting Guts. Also, would Blinded prevent the free hits from Elite Canoneers using the Elemental Charges from the Elemental Bombers? "I'll be intruding in your splanch in a minute!" He yells, still in a rage from arguing with Hoke, but in the last of the dispersing smoke he can only find Terrin, who he swings at with the Darkstar Wand from the Front Row.

Sorry Pie Erik should be hitting Terrin rather than Reina. Lost in the smoke, Erik hears the vampire call out. He responds by yelling something about caving in heads, and punctuates his words with a couple of blows to Terrin's head from the front row with the Darkstar Wand.

Erik scowls as Terrin ignores the wound inflicted by the Darkstar wand. He attacks again, from the front row.

Argh stop nerfing clerics! Alright, WBD's suggestion does make sense, but I thought clerics were one of the more underrepresented classes, and they already pay for tonics and don't get paid for healing, and WBD's suggestion and the 5 ether per revive, and also the ether cost for shaman's shield means they'll pay even more. The 5 ether per revive is also something I'm in two minds about. It does make sense, but then a prophet has a much bigger ether pool to work with than a druid. It's also not like we have loads of druids running around. Or shamans. Battle mages are also affected by this, which makes me biased, but Erik has low ether costs anyway, and if this does turn out to affect him that much he'll just change to raider.

Erik clamps his mouth shut behind his helmet. Fight the vampire, then my questmates. Whatever happened to my famous diplomacy?

4x, I'm pretty sure. Undead is immune to physical, and weak to light, but unlike dark/demon not immune to dark. Humanoid takes 2x from dark but has no strength against light.

"Ha, I hope you're just as defensive with that shield as you are with your tongue." Erik responds. He hears the comment about pulling blows, but he's grumpy about the dragoon's accusations, and besides, the Bonapartes are probably beyond help now anyway, so he uses his barbaric petulance to add strength to his blows.

I blame Fabian. Not saying we should get rid of him, but the vampiric fenarian cloak is an ethereal cloak with +1sp, and an amethyst. The ancient loincloth sounds pretty gross, but its an earth-absorbing tricorne, only for your feet. These artifacts are only a little bit better than things anyone can get at the marketplace. Back when people were getting 2 HP artifacts, that was better than what anyone could get, because there was no artifact shop.

"Oh no, your effluence, please don't kill us with your hideous fashion sense." Damn, Heckz must be contagious. Erik turns to Hoke, somewhat undiplomatically. "Oh sorry, should I have waited until you'd finished messing around? I daresay they'd have woken up anyway as soon as someone did something that'd stop them from fighting." He glances at Guts. "Wow boss, you really look surprised. The weird frozen people attacking must come as a huge shock to you. I reckon if I hit the one with the silly hair and we leave the muddy one, there's a reasonable chance they'll all blind themselves, but maybe you'll want me hitting one of the bigger ones?" Erik attacks Bonaparte Elite Cannoneer Terrin from the front row with the Darkstar Wand, Amethyst on Shield, unless ordered otherwise by Guts.

"That would make sense, and he was a necromancer, so keep an eye on the dead ones as well." Erik glances at a nearby corpse and relaxes a bit. "That'd be nice. No ethical issues puttin' down zombies."

Charging through the door ready to fight, Erik stops short when he realizes the Bonaparte soldiers are already dead, or something. "I'd guess the admiral's been messing with some kind of dark magic, given how they're all standing up not doin' nothin'." He carefully makes his way amongst another group of soldiers near another row of bunks, away from Hoke's dragon, attempting to take away their weapons and equipment.