A Time For Secrets OOC

Gala wrote:

@Kouryuu: Holding your action will allow you to act later in one IP, but you can't wait until a later pass. So, no, you can't wait for the fourth IP (unless you're saving your counterspelling action or something like that).
Viking may recall that both the Fire Spirit and the Orb (Guidance Spirit) appeared at Ashe's side simultaneously. It's unlikely that this spirit is hostile, as she has allowed it to stay with her for 3 action rounds before whatever happened.

You may attack the Orb, or cast, as you wish.

then casting Increased reflexes, post coming up.

For the sake of good-will, I am going to allow that a Touch Range spell just succeeded at a distance of what was likely somewhere near 10 meters. Viking has just been magically teleported from Ashe's side to Specter's.

@Darkon: Specter now has 4 IPs; you may waste a complex action to re-roll your initiative, or you may add the +3 to your current Initiative. This will take effect immediately, as your action technically happens after Viking's. You may act for this turn.

@Kouryuu: Now might be the ideal time to point out that you may have been using your Sustaining Focus incorrectly. Since it is possible, but not certain, I didn't bring it up at the beginning of the combat. For clarity:
A Sustaining Focus allows you to cast a spell through the focus, and the focus will then sustain that spell for you indefinitely.
Any and all sustained spells are always astrally active, and cannot be "hidden" without the use of the Extended Masking metamagic technique.

When you posted at the beginning of combat that you "activated your foci" what that means, in technical game terms, is that they were now available to have a spell cast. They did not already contain previously cast spells. The reason I let that go at the time is because there is no reason that they could not have contained those previously cast spells, and you were simply describing it incorrectly, from a Game-Play perspective. And since your only error was that you used the wrong words, I let it slide. Remember, however, that your words actually have meaning. Make sure to take care with the words you choose to use.
As a side note: Not every GM will let that error slide, nor allow you to edit it. Some GMs will rule that you didn't have the spell cast in to the Foci for the simple reason that it's not on your Character Sheet as a pre-existing spell. This would be further supported by your description that you "activated your foci".

I don't think rerolling would do me much good. My initiative can't reach the enhanced of the others anyway.

But could Specter see the attackers with assensing? I mean, to take aim at them and cast a spell. Or are the boats walls too high to see anything? Or maybe, could the spirit provide Specter with the visual necessary?

You would be rolling 9 dice, instead of the 6 that you rolled before. Your same roll, providing you with only 1 hit would provide you with an intiative of 10, rather than the 7 that you have now. For all you know, the "Bad Guys" have only a 12 (you can't actually tell, because I haven't posted the number) so if you got 3 successes (33%) on your 9 dice, you would have a chance to go ahead of the "Bad Guys". That said, I don't disagree, I wouldn't re-roll either. But it's entirely up to you.

It's impossible to know until you've tried it. Switch your sight, and do an Assensing Test, if that's what Specter would do.

Gala wrote:

@Kouryuu: Now might be the ideal time to point out that you may have been using your Sustaining Focus incorrectly. Since it is possible, but not certain, I didn't bring it up at the beginning of the combat. For clarity:
A Sustaining Focus allows you to cast a spell through the focus, and the focus will then sustain that spell for you indefinitely.
Any and all sustained spells are always astrally active, and cannot be "hidden" without the use of the Extended Masking metamagic technique.

When you posted at the beginning of combat that you "activated your foci" what that means, in technical game terms, is that they were now available to have a spell cast. They did not already contain previously cast spells. The reason I let that go at the time is because there is no reason that they could not have contained those previously cast spells, and you were simply describing it incorrectly, from a Game-Play perspective. And since your only error was that you used the wrong words, I let it slide. Remember, however, that your words actually have meaning. Make sure to take care with the words you choose to use.
As a side note: Not every GM will let that error slide, nor allow you to edit it. Some GMs will rule that you didn't have the spell cast in to the Foci for the simple reason that it's not on your Character Sheet as a pre-existing spell. This would be further supported by your description that you "activated your foci".

yep, forgot about the range sorry. must be more careful next time.

about the foci - so it means the sustained spell is always active then? or how do you make it active for a moment?
if the only problem is the way i put it in IC then how would the correct form be, "releasing the spell sustained by the foci" or how?

putting the spells in the sheet just to go secure.

Ok, think of it completely differently: You cast a spell on Specter just now, right? It's not a self-sustaining effect, so you have to sustain that spell in order for the effect to last. This is an active spell, with a constant magical energy "cost" which you know about: -2 to all actions for the duration of your sustaining.

There are, theoretically, a few different ways to remove the burden of that sustaining:

Quickening - which is a Metamagic Technique allowing you to literally Tattoo the spell onto the subject. This makes it permanent, where the Tattoo is crafted in such a way as to sustain the spell for you.
Anchoring - which is a Metamagic Technique (and spellcasting focus) allowing you to cast the spell now, and have the effect of that spell exist at some time in the future. (The description you used would have been perfect if this was an Anchored spell)
Sustaining Focus - Which simply removes the burden of sustaining the spell for you. It is still an active spell, with a constantly active affect. So until you dismiss that spell from that focus, the spell is active, and the affects are on you.

That was a long way of saying that you don't describe it in IC. The spell doesn't stop being active in a sustaining focus. You can't turn it off and then turn it back on again. So, all of the magicians/dual-natured characters around you know that you're under the effects of an Armor Spell and an Increased Reflexes Spell, just exactly the same as if you were an Adept with Mystic Armor and Improved Reflexes as Powers. It's constant, until you turn it off.
Unlike the Adept power, however, when you turn off the Sustaining Focus, the spell dissipates. You'll have to re-cast the spell again in the future.

Now, I allow players to start the game with the spell already cast, provided they can cast it themselves. But even if they can't: they could go to a Talismonger, and have the spell cast on them for a price. This is a simple enough situation, in-game. I've done the same myself: In fact, Ashe has a Sustaining Focus, with Increased Reflexes in it. Notice that I didn't refer to it at all? Because the effect is constant. It sustains itself while you sleep, when you're unconscious... It doesn't end until you tell it to end. But then it's finished, and you'll have to re-cast it if you want it again in the future.

Gala wrote:

Now, I allow players to start the game with the spell already cast, provided they can cast it themselves. But even if they can't: they could go to a Talismonger, and have the spell cast on them for a price. This is a simple enough situation, in-game. I've done the same myself: In fact, Ashe has a Sustaining Focus, with Increased Reflexes in it. Notice that I didn't refer to it at all? Because the effect is constant. It sustains itself while you sleep, when you're unconscious... It doesn't end until you tell it to end. But then it's finished, and you'll have to re-cast it if you want it again in the future.

As far as I know, you cant use the spell some other has put on your foci, but I now understand what you where trying to say, and I will refrain to mention the foci any more, as activating, so there are no more misunderstanding.

@Darkon: It's Specter's turn.

I am working on it.

Edit: If you decide, the assensing takes a complex action. In the next IP Specter would cast a spell on them. I have a few ideas and not decided which to use yet.

Ok, do you want to discuss them with me? Assensing, like perception, may be used in many different ways. You can change your sight and take a peek to see what is obvious; this does not require an action, and may be done with a free action. If you want more detailed information, then your test will require a "Percieve in Detail" action, which is a simple action. Combined with changing your sight (also a simple action), that will take up your full turn. Lastly, if you're interested in specific information about an aura, that will be a complex action.

I want Specter to astrally perceive so she has a line of sight at the attackers in order to cast a spell, hoping the auras will not be obstructed by the boats sides. And I do not know how detailed a look it has to be to achieve that goal.

So either it's just the astral perception that helps, or Specter has to take a closer look, using up her action. She will look as long as she has to.

Ok, got it. Either way, changing your sight costs a Simple Action, so you couldn't cast then anyway.

Kesslan: It's your turn.

What about Koryuu? ALso, before I can write my post I need to know if I have a clear line of sight at the attackers.

Darkon wrote:

What about Kouryuu? ALso, before I can write my post I need to know if I have a clear line of sight at the attackers.

I guess my spell made you faster, or I lost my action preforming something, either way you are up, and if there is a mistake, we will get trough it anyway.

Viking has only 3 Initiative Passes; but his spell on Specter gave 4 Initiative Passes. We are currently in the fourth pass, so Viking doesn't get an action this pass. Specter, on the other hand, does get to act.
In the team, only Ashe and Kesslan normally have 4 passes. Viking's spell was sufficient to confer 4 passes on Specter as well.

The Attacker can resist the spell. As the Core Book says: For Mental Manipulation spells, the caster makes an Opposed Spellcasting + Magic Test against the target’s Willpower (+ Counterspelling, if available). If he fails, he acts out on the influence. If he gets confronted with the wrongness of his actions, he can roll again.

can we add Edge on the Resistance rolls and defence rolls - RAW GM discretion, so just asking.

Yes. Edge is applicable to any and all tests.

Gala wrote:

Yes. Edge is applicable to any and all tests.

Not to make IC just for one roll here is the defence roll.
Valkyrie is on fire

Well; it appears as though Valkyrie is not taking any damage...

Gala wrote:

Well; it appears as though Valkyrie is not taking any damage...

"On fire" I meant rolling 50% successes the second time in a row.

Kesslan, it's your turn. Then your turn again.

And that's how you fit a complex idea in to 6 words or less!

What is?