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Regarding the accuracy of Dimensional Portals, the Shifter O.C.C. in Rifts: Ultimate Edition notes how accurate the Shifter can be with their Dimensional Travel ability (#4), and then calls out that the actual Dimensional Portal spell would be more accurate. Here is how accurate their ability is:

Rifts Ultimate Edition, page 122 wrote:The Dimensional Travel ability can target the Shifter's home dimension, a random dimension, or a dimension visited by the Shifter at some time in the past.

When targeting a random dimension, the Rift can open anywhere within the resulting dimension. However, portals are drawn to high P.P.E. places like planets rich in P.P.E., so it is exceedingly rare that a random portal will appear in the depths of space or on a completely lifeless planet. However, it could lead to a place like Rifts® WormwoodTM which is inhospitable and dangerous to humans.

Targeting one's home dimension will create a Rift on a world the Shifter has visited previously, but the portal will open at a random but viable location on that planet. A human Shifter targeting Rifts Earth will not end up in the ocean, but on a landmass, and not in the middle of a desert either. Mid- to high-level Shifters (levels 5-9), can target a specific country or continent, and the highest level Shifters (level 10 and above) can arrive within 50 miles of their desired destination. Targeting a world previously visited in another dimension means the Shifter (and any passengers) will arrive at a reasonably hospitable, but random location on the desired planet.

For greater accuracy and for two-way travel, Dimensional Portal (1,000 P.P.E) or Re-Open Gateway (180 P.P.E., but can only re-open a portal to wherever the Rift went to last) are recommended.

Other books have included more details on the Dimensional Portal spell, but that info has since been lost in the endless cycle of copy/paste from book to book. Beyond the Supernatural 1st Edition had the table to determine what creature(s) may come through the portal and how often to roll on it. Transdimensional TMNT has excellent notes on how to direct a Dimensional Portal to reach specific dimensions.

I think if you combine all this information you have more of a complete spell which could look something like this:

Dimensional Portal
Range: A few feet away.
Duration: 30 seconds per level of the spell caster, or one minute (4 melees) per level of experience when performed as a ritual.
Saving Throw: None.
P.P.E.: One Thousand.

The dimensional portal invocation opens a two-way door to another dimension. The mage can open a door to a specific world or to a random destination. For random dimensions, use the tables in Rifts Ultimate Edition (pages 196-197) or Rifts Dimension Book 7 (pages 24-26) to determine where the portal opens. Portals are drawn to high P.P.E. places like planets rich in P.P.E., so it is exceedingly rare that a random portal will appear in the depths of space or on a completely lifeless planet.

The spell caster can concentrate on any of the following things to direct a Dimensional Portal:

Pursuit Focus. This is useful for following someone lost or moving between various dimensions. The spell caster concentrates on the specific person or creature he is seeking, calling them by name. If well known to the spell caster, there is a +10% chance of success. If the spell caster is working from just a description, or picture, or from just a brief meeting, there is a -15% chance of success. A successful portal requires a roll below 20% + 5% per level of the spell caster. If the roll fails, roll again on the following table:

01-15%: A portal opens to the person's home world.
16-30%: Portal opens to a dimension previously visited by the person.
31-50%: Portal opens to a close parallel to the person's home world.
51-00%: Portal opens to a random dimension.

Object Focus. The spell caster touches any object or person that originates from another dimension. Chance of successful location of the object's home dimension is 10% + 2% per level of experience of the spell caster. Failure means that a portal is opened, but to a completely random dimension.

Historical Focus. A spell caster can attempt to open a portal to a dimension with an alternate history. To do this with any accuracy, the spell caster must have a skill in History that covers the pivot point where that dimension became different from our own. Chance of successful location requires two rolls. The first must be under the spell caster's history skill, and the second is 20% + 4% per level of experience of the spell caster. Failure on either roll means that a portal is opened, but to a completely random dimension.

Inhabitant Focus. By visualizing the dominant race of the dimension, the spell caster attempts to find a new dimension. For example, the spell caster might try imagining a race of giant mutant pigeons. Chance of successful location is 5% + 1% per level of experience of the spell caster. Failure means opening a portal to a random dimension.

This spell is the only way a greater supernatural being can enter into our dimension. Once the dimensional portal closes, the only way back in or out is to open another portal. One of the real dangers of using this magic is that some "thing" unwanted often slips through. For every minute (4 melees) that the portal is open roll on the Quick Roll Monsters random generation table or roll on the following table to see what type of supernatural creature enters into our world through the portal:

01-02% Angel
03-09% Entity
10-16% Lesser Demon
17-23% Greater Demon
24-28% Deevil
29-31% Greater Deevil
32-36% Gargoyle
37-43% Elemental Fragment
44-50% Minor Elemental
51-57% Major Elemental
58-64% Monster
65-71% Oni One Hundred or Chinese Demon
72-78% Undead
79-85% Daemonix
86-90% Lesser Chaos Demon or Lesser Russian Demon
91-94% Greater Chaos Demon or Greater Russian Demons/Spirit
95-99% World Slayer or Chinese Demon
100% Alien Intelligence Essence Fragment

Expanded creature tables for each type above are found in Rifts: Dimension Book 7 (pages 57-60). Once through the portal, the creature(s) is likely to take off and hide until it can get its bearings and formulate a plan of action. It will confront the summoning mage and his associates only if attacked or if it believes it can defeat him/them.

How nice of them to explain that Dimensional Portal is more accurate, but not actually say how accurate.

Found it:

CB1 p176 wrote:A few poltergeists enter into our dimension every time a dimensional portal is opened or when a natural dimensional rift occurs at a ley line nexus. They also sneak in whenever a shifter/summoner uses a circle to summon lesser or greater supernatural forces.

None of the other entities have notes similar to this, so if we want, we could close the book on this one. The Author's intent appears to be that poltergeists slip through dimensional portals and rifts, but not the other types of entities.

So every time you cast Dimensional Portal you release a few poltergeists....
that sounds....sub-optimal

This is why the Coalition rightly hates mages Eliakon, they're just polluting the place with poltergeists.

Most humans can't reliably get rid of much less kill those things and they just cause chaos.

It would also explain the popularity of a spell meant to control them, since they're so plentiful.

I didn't know about that appearing in a random spot in the dimension thing. Analogy: "coin in a teacup" vs "coin in a swimming pool" perhaps? I do understand the benefit if that's how it works, I just assumed you ended up where you wanted when using Dimensional Portal, and that when you didn't it was due to some weird GM effect like a ley line storm warping the spell or the mage failing a skill roll even though there isn't a roll.

In-game there must be some way to make dimensional portals accurate though, otherwise why would Erin Tarn think she could use one to go to Central Mexico and skip over the Vampire Kingdoms if the portal was just as likely to dump her in a volcano or the ocean?

Good quote by Glistam about ability/spell accuracy comparison. The inhabitant/pursuit focus stuff sounds good but that seems more based on targeting the dimension not the spot within the dimension.

flatline wrote:If you don't want the entities around, having a Talisman of Expel Demons is a pretty good way to get rid of them. They save against an 18 and have to leave for 1d6 hours. And before anyone claims that won't work on Entities, Entities are specifically mentioned as examples of "lesser supernatural beings" in the description of the Constrain Being spell (BoM p115, and other places I'm too lazy to find).

Why is called Expel Demons if it works against any lesser supernatural being instead of just demons? I'd call it 'Expel Lesser Being' to match what it does.

Axelmania wrote:This is why the Coalition rightly hates mages Eliakon, they're just polluting the place with poltergeists.

Well the shifters, rifters, and others opening dimensional portals are. The rest of the mages who are not going around casting rare 15th level spells aren't

Axelmania wrote:Most humans can't reliably get rid of much less kill those things and they just cause chaos.

True you will need a psychic....or a mage to get rid of them.

Axelmania wrote:It would also explain the popularity of a spell meant to control them, since they're so plentiful.

Yep, lots of spells to get rid of entities....now we know why.

Axelmania wrote:I didn't know about that appearing in a random spot in the dimension thing. Analogy: "coin in a teacup" vs "coin in a swimming pool" perhaps? I do understand the benefit if that's how it works, I just assumed you ended up where you wanted when using Dimensional Portal, and that when you didn't it was due to some weird GM effect like a ley line storm warping the spell or the mage failing a skill roll even though there isn't a roll.

In-game there must be some way to make dimensional portals accurate though, otherwise why would Erin Tarn think she could use one to go to Central Mexico and skip over the Vampire Kingdoms if the portal was just as likely to dump her in a volcano or the ocean?

Flavor text and the like tend to not match game stats quite often unfortunately....

Axelmania wrote:

flatline wrote:If you don't want the entities around, having a Talisman of Expel Demons is a pretty good way to get rid of them. They save against an 18 and have to leave for 1d6 hours. And before anyone claims that won't work on Entities, Entities are specifically mentioned as examples of "lesser supernatural beings" in the description of the Constrain Being spell (BoM p115, and other places I'm too lazy to find).

Why is called Expel Demons if it works against any lesser supernatural being instead of just demons? I'd call it 'Expel Lesser Being' to match what it does.

Spell creep.
Originally the spell only worked on demons. There was a second spell that worked on Deevils and a third banishment spell for everything else.
Over the years these have been combined and blended until the modern 'expel spell' covers everything.

Axelmania wrote:In-game there must be some way to make dimensional portals accurate though, otherwise why would Erin Tarn think she could use one to go to Central Mexico and skip over the Vampire Kingdoms if the portal was just as likely to dump her in a volcano or the ocean?

They might have been leaving from a Pyramid. A shifter who knows how to operate a stone pyramid can be pretty accurate, IIRC. That's really all i've got though - other than the spell just isn't as detailed as it should be. Kevin tends to make a LOT of assumptions in his rules-writing.

I cant count the number of times someone has pointed out a rule lapse to Kevin and his response was "well of course it means X, Y, Z, how did anyone ever think otherwise?"

As a guy who writes rules systems semi-professionally, i understand it. THere have been several rules systems ive worked on where when i changed or wrote a rule, the intention was CLEAR in my mind, so every single time i proof-read the document, it made perfect sense. Only when an outsider looked at it and said "what the hell does this even mean?" did it jar me enough to make me realize that im reading the rules with my pre-conceptions firmly in place in my mind.

Same with RUE. How many of us didn't even realize (until it was pointed out to you by someone on these forums) that RUE isn't even playable as written - you literally CANNOT MAKE A CHARACTER strictly following the book. I never realized it. I already knew how to make a Palladium character so i never caught the issues in RUE until they were pointed out.

Thats why my editing process always involves someone who has never read the rules before going over them thoroughly before i move on to a second draft. Prefferrably as many someones as i can find.

I guarantee you that's what happened with Dimensional Portal. In Kev's mind, he already knows how it works. Adding a bunch of percentages or whatnot probably never even occured to him.

Colonel_Tetsuya wrote:

Axelmania wrote:In-game there must be some way to make dimensional portals accurate though, otherwise why would Erin Tarn think she could use one to go to Central Mexico and skip over the Vampire Kingdoms if the portal was just as likely to dump her in a volcano or the ocean?

They might have been leaving from a Pyramid. A shifter who knows how to operate a stone pyramid can be pretty accurate, IIRC. That's really all i've got though - other than the spell just isn't as detailed as it should be. Kevin tends to make a LOT of assumptions in his rules-writing.

I cant count the number of times someone has pointed out a rule lapse to Kevin and his response was "well of course it means X, Y, Z, how did anyone ever think otherwise?"

As a guy who writes rules systems semi-professionally, i understand it. THere have been several rules systems ive worked on where when i changed or wrote a rule, the intention was CLEAR in my mind, so every single time i proof-read the document, it made perfect sense. Only when an outsider looked at it and said "what the hell does this even mean?" did it jar me enough to make me realize that im reading the rules with my pre-conceptions firmly in place in my mind.

Same with RUE. How many of us didn't even realize (until it was pointed out to you by someone on these forums) that RUE isn't even playable as written - you literally CANNOT MAKE A CHARACTER strictly following the book. I never realized it. I already knew how to make a Palladium character so i never caught the issues in RUE until they were pointed out.

Thats why my editing process always involves someone who has never read the rules before going over them thoroughly before i move on to a second draft. Prefferrably as many someones as i can find.

I guarantee you that's what happened with Dimensional Portal. In Kev's mind, he already knows how it works. Adding a bunch of percentages or whatnot probably never even occured to him.

Especially since the spell originates in BTS first edition, where it was not really going to be a PC spell, but a plot device for NPCs. Just like the highly ambiguous Dimensional Rift power circle, they were originally designed to be exotic tools for the GM. Originally the only magic that a PC had real access to was the Dimensional Teleport spell. Which un-surprisingly has a much better write up since it was intended for PC use.
When Rifts came along the spell was cut-pasted in as was and has never received any revision. However the rules for Shifters have changed, as has the entire rules set on dimensional travel (Dimension Book 7)
Which is why we are here now with this issue.....
Basically its the 'well yah its vague...but its not like it was intended for PCs so it does whatever the plot needs' has become 'starting tool kit for PCs'

eliakon wrote:So every time you cast Dimensional Portal you release a few poltergeists....
that sounds....sub-optimal

Sometimes you take the good with the bad.

Poltergeists are relatively harmless and can actually be handy to have around sometimes.

GM: "okay, the dimensional portal opens. You look through the portal and see a large piece of paper on the floor with "AA" written on it in large letters".
Player 1: "My borg steps through."
Player 2: "My knight steps through"
Player 3: "I command the slave to step through"
GM: "is he still under Trance?"
Player 3: "should be"
GM: "he steps through"
Player 3: "Okay, I step through and close the portal"
GM: "It's a little crowded in the dimensional envelope"
Player 3: "I lead everyone out"
GM: "you're on the side of the hill between two big rocks on a ley line. You don't see anyone else around."
Player 1: "I keep my radar on passive scanning and visually search the area"
GM: "I'll let you know if you notice anything"
Player 3: "Okay, I remove the shackles, cancel Trance, and offer the slave a candy bar"
GM: "the slave becomes aware of his surrounding, looks scared, then looks angry, and then looks confused after he notices the candybar"
Player 2: "I ask him if he speaks English"
Player 1: "we heard him speak English when we bought him"
Player 2: "I know, but it seems like a good way to start the conversation"
GM: "he knods...and takes the candybar.
Player 2: "I tell him he's free. we got clothes for him, some supplies to get him started if he wants to leave, and we'll try to take him wherever he wants to go"
GM: "he wants to know why you bought him if you were just going to set him free"
Player 3: "buying slaves and then setting them free is way less risky than trying to break them out"
GM: "he wants to know why you bought him when you could have bought 10 other slaves for the same price"
Player 3: "we were told you were a spell caster and we hoped that perhaps you'd be willing to help us free more slaves."
GM: "Go on"
Player 3: "We've been supplying PPE batteries to an associate who has a store in the dimensional market and then using the proceeds to purchase slaves. Since you're a magic user, if you want to help, I could teach you Talisman and you could stay on this ley line with us and help us make more PPE batteries. We'll pay you $1000 credits a day that you work and as we free more slaves, hopefully more of them will stay and help with the effort."
GM: "What if I say no?"
Player 2: "Then you're free to go. There's a town a couple miles that way, or if you have some place in particular you want to go, we can try to get you there."
GM: "Okay, let's pause the game for a bit. Player 4 is on his way. Your newly freed slave will be his character."

...time passes...

Player 4: "Sorry I'm late!"
GM: "You brought pizza. All is forgiven"
Player 4: "What am I playing?"
GM: "Well, these guys bought what they thought was a magic using slave from the Splynn slave market and then set him free while at the same time offering to let him stay with them and help free other slaves. For the sake of the campaign, I suggest you accept their offer."
Player 4: "Okay, what are the other characters?"
GM: "Full conversion borg with some upgrades, a wolfen mystic knight..."
Player 2: "Coyle mystic knight"
GM: "...sorry, a coyle mystic knight..."
Player 4: "What's that?"
Player 2: "Looks like a small wolfen, less civilized than a wolfen"
GM: "and a temporal wizard demi-god with mind bleeder powers"
Player 4: "and what other power?"
Player 3: "what do you mean?"
Player 4: "demi-gods get their OCC, a selection from the godling power list, and then one similar to their parent"
Player 3: "Oh, I missed that during character generation."
GM: "Hmm...so did I. Maybe something will manifest later."
Player 3: "Nah, I'm good. No need to be greedy.
Player 4: "okay..." --flips through character sheets-- "is the group good or evil?"
GM: "mostly selfish"
Player 4: "a selfish group that frees slaves?"
Player 2: "we think we can turn a profit on it"
Player 4: "did they pay enough for me to be anything exotic?"
GM: "no, they bought you because you were cheap"
Player 4: "of course they did. How about a super-spy? The Splugorth wouldn't value his skills and he's a relatively weak caster. That might explain his low price."
GM: "Sounds good."

The previous post shows how new characters were often brought into our campaigns: a PC would replace a vaguely defined NPC already part of the campaign.

--flatline

flatline wrote:Player 3: "We've been supplying PPE batteries to an associate who has a store in the dimensional market and then using the proceeds to purchase slaves. Since you're a magic user, if you want to help, I could teach you Talisman and you could stay on this ley line with us and help us make more PPE batteries. We'll pay you $1000 credits a day that you work and as we free more slaves, hopefully more of them will stay and help with the effort."

Would the group role-play out the 26 days needed to learn that spell?

(Just thinking about the teacher & student spending a month "off camera.")

Mack wrote:

flatline wrote:Player 3: "We've been supplying PPE batteries to an associate who has a store in the dimensional market and then using the proceeds to purchase slaves. Since you're a magic user, if you want to help, I could teach you Talisman and you could stay on this ley line with us and help us make more PPE batteries. We'll pay you $1000 credits a day that you work and as we free more slaves, hopefully more of them will stay and help with the effort."

Would the group role-play out the 26 days needed to learn that spell?

(Just thinking about the teacher & student spending a month "off camera.")

Nope. By my rules, you can teach the spell in a couple of hours. It just takes 2 days per level of practice to be able to cast it competently. It's like your piano teacher showing you something in a half hour lesson and you practicing it for the rest of the week to master it.

Scroll conversion and canon examples of reading a spell in a spell book being sufficient to learn a spell make the idea of 2 days of instruction per level unpalatable.

Also, you can practice spells without casting them. Otherwise Death Curse, for example, would be impossible to learn.

I had a little free time this morning, and instead of writing the things I should be writing, I decided to revisit this. I like translating game stuff into story, so here's my take at the bit Flatline posted a few posts ago.

Within the voids of time and space sat a pocket of magically created existence shaped as a small rectangular room. It was bounded on all sides by the magical laws which constructed it and allowed it to exist within the cracks of the Megaverse®. A single sheet of paper with the letters "AA" written on it lay on the floor as the only proof that any being had ever been here. Suddenly the endless stillness of this miniscule dimension was broken by the appearance of a vertical shaft of bluish-white light. This light beam then bulged apart to create a somewhat circular, almost bulb-shaped hole which connected this false reality to another. Four humanoid figures stood on the other side of this hole; the sounds of a bustling, alien marketplace could be faintly heard in the background.

First to step through the hole was a 'Borg. Though she had sacrificed most of her flesh-and-blood Human body to live in this upgraded metal shell, she had been - until today, the most Human of her current companions. Following closely behind her was a Coyle Mystic Knight. Many who met her confused her for the taller, more noble Wolfen. She rarely disuaded them of that error but it usually didn't take long for them to figure it out. Coyles were far less civilized than the Wolfen, though no less fierce.

The fourth figure said aloud, "By my command, walk through the portal." The third figure stepped lazily and carelessly through the portal into the room. This Human, a former mercenary dressed in rags and bound by chains, walked as if sleepwalking. Once inside he just stood there mutely and stared ahead at the nothing wall. Finally the last figure, a Temporal Wizard, stepped through the portal and into the room with the rest. She appeared human but had a presence about her that indicated something... more. She could usually hide it but here in the safety of the dimensional space she created so long ago and among companions she could trust there was no reason to try and hide her nature or divine parentage. With a thought she closed the portal. The small room was plunged into total darkness and the four stood shoulder to shoulder, cramped together in this closet-sized hideout.

Though isolated as its own dimension this room nonetheless remained anchored to the spot in the Rifts Earth dimension from which it was originally created by a hidden dimensional doorway. Before anyone could complain about how they were packed in here the Temporal Wizard pushed forward on one of the non-descript walls to open that doorway and lead the other three out through the dimensional connection. A brief flash of light marked their transition of the boundary and all four of them found themselves on the side of a hill between two large rocks; a familiar spot to all but the shackled Human. The Temporal Wizard and the Mystic Knight could both feel the power of a Ley Line running though the area. There did not appear to be anyone around.

"I'll scout around and make sure we're alone," the 'Borg told her companions. She switched her internal radar to passive scan mode and began to walk around, performing a visual survey of the area. "I'll let you know if I notice anything," she confidently told them.

The Temporal Wizard didn't wait for the 'Borg to complete her survey. She removed the shackles off of the Human and cancelled the spell she had put him under. He awoke from that trance and noticed his surroundings for the first time. As he realized they were different than he last remembered he became scared but quickly recovered and got angry instead. He turned to face the Temporal Wizard that cast the spell upon him but stopped, confused, as he noticed she was offering him a candy bar.

"Do you speak English?" The Coyle Mystic Knight standing next to her asked him, gruffly.

The Temporal Wizard turned to the Coyle. "We heard him speak English when we bought him," she said to her.

"I know," she responded matter-of-factually. "But it seems like a good way to start the conversation."

The confused man nodded towards the two of them and took the offered candy bar.

"You're free," the Coyle told him as he hungrily bit into and began to eat the snack. "We got clothes for you, some supplies to get you started if you want to leave, and we'll try to take you wherever you want to go."

With his mouth still full he asked them, "Why did you buy me if you were just going to set me free?"

"Buying slaves and then setting them free is way less risky than trying to break them out," the Temporal Wizard explained to him.

"But why buy me when you could have bought ten other slaves for the same price?" He asked suspiciously.

"We were told you were a spell caster and we hoped that perhaps you'd be willing to help us free more slaves."

He swallowed the last of the candy bar. "Go on," he said to them with an interested tone.

"We've been supplying magical energy batteries to an associate who has a store in the dimensional market and then using the proceeds to purchase slaves. Since you're a magic user, if you want to help, I could teach you the spell 'Talisman' and you could stay on this ley line with us and help us make more of those batteries. We'll pay you a thousand Credits a day that you work and as we free more slaves, hopefully more of them will stay and help with the effort."

The former mercenary knew this deal was good. Almost... too good. His suspicious became raised again. They would teach him a nearly legendary spell, for free, and pay him a thousand Credits a day? "What if I say no?" He cautiously asked them.

The Temporal Wizard was stunned speechless for a moment. He was asking to back out? Why - were they not offering enough? Her Coyle companion didn't miss a beat though and answered for her. "Then you're free to go. There's a town a couple miles that way," she said as she pointed to the south-east. "Or if you have some place in particular you want to go, we can try to get you there."

"Let's say I accept this offer... I need to know who I'm dealing with here. Who or what are you all, anyway? And why would you even go through the trouble of freeing slaves like this?"

The 'Borg finished her survey and rejoined the others. To her dismay she saw they had already started without her. Her enhanced hearing easily caught the former slave's question though, and she answered as she walked up to them. "I'm a cyborg and I've been even further upgraded from there. Freeing slaves is the right thing to do, and we think we can make a profit off of it."

The Mystic Knight answered next. "I'm a trained Mystic Knight from the Magic Zone. I didn't care much for the... fervor of my Order's ways so I left." She looked at her companions then back to the former slave. "And we more than 'think' we can make a profit from this. We already have!" She grinned widely, showing off her sharp teeth as she considered all the fun toys she managed to purchase from the Splynn Dimensional Market.

The Temporal Wizard spoke last. "We're definitely going to make money. It will be dangerous. But with the Temporal and standard magic I command, my powers..." she concentrated for just a moment and veins became visible on her forehead, near her temples. "...my divine heritage, and the help of others, we should be able to stay one step ahead."

All eyes were now on the former slave, waiting for him to make a decision. He thought about it for a moment - the money, the magic he could learn, and the chance to give a little payback to the monsters that captured and enslaved him. "Well... I do know some magic. Just enough to be a successful mercenary, but obviously not enough to keep myself out of serious trouble. But I'm a quick learner. You've made a convincing case. I think I'll accept your offer to stay with you, if you'll have me. It should be interesting."

Glistam, that was great!

I had totally forgotten about this thread. I think I was hoping that others would provide examples from their tables, but perhaps I'll try to come up with some more of my own...especially if you're going to turn them into quality prose

--flatline

Well thank you!

I think I tried to reconstruct a few times what happened around our table and lay it out, but we had already turned it into journal entries, narratives, and other stories on the websites we maintained so it was hard to go backwards. Plus, we were terrible at teamwork. We frequently split the party and many activities which required teamwork were actually performed between a P.C. and trusted N.P.C.'s.. We also frequently got stuck in analysis paralysis.

I have not been to these forums for quite some time, but I am glad I spent some time here today. Glistam, your translation of game events into story are truly a breath of fresh air and wonderful reads! Thank you so much!

The fact that the 'Borg is reading 50 Shades had me laughing so hard I woke up my daughter. So far I am loving this thread. Thanks guys, for the laughs.

Here's one I deconstructed from an old game session. By this point the group had adventured in the ruins of Tolkien, traveled through Xiticix territory, witnessed the death of the goddess Athena in Calgary, survived the destruction of Calgary catalyzed by the goddesses death, received the weapon that killed Athena from the Deevil that killed her, and went to Lazlo to process all that had happened. They split up to have individual side-sessions and reconvened after a few months.

Player 1: Sowki Shifter
Player 2: Human Temporal Wizard
Player 3: Qua-Trau Pilot (from Aliens Unlimited)
Player 4: Greek Demigod Wilderness Scout
Player 5: Human Dreadguard (from Splicers)

G.M.: "Three months pass and you all finally meet back up at the Shifter's secret underground sanctuary. The Shifter's Asgardian Dwarf and Valkyrie minions are there, as is the Demigod's Cyclops friend and the Temporal Wizard's ex-Vanguard girlfriend."
Player 1: "Sorry you had to wait three months. It was a lot of work to create this hideout."
Player 3: "I take note of this place's defensive capabilities. What threat does this place pose to the Atorian conquest?"
G.M. (to Player 3): "There's no technological defenses here. You don't think this place would pose a threat."
Player 3: "Excellent."
Player 5: "I like that there's no technology here. It makes me feel comfortable."
G.M. (to Player 5): "But there is some metal around - not a lot, but you will need to be careful."
Player 5: "I'm less comfortable now."
Player 3: "I nod knowingly toward the Lady and her manservant, and then I wink."
G.M. (to Player 2): "You see the D-Bee who's been weirdly deferring to you and your girlfriend give you two a slow nod and a wink. She sternly asks you what 'that creature' is doing and if she can kill it yet."
Player 2: "I sigh and tell her she needs to at least try to get along with these beings if she wants to stay with me. If she can't do that then she needs to back out now."
G.M. (to Player 2): "She grumbles at you but doesn't leave. But she doesn't let her guard down at all, either."
Player 2: "That's fine I suppose. It's good enough for now."
Player 4: "Where's the artifact?"
Player 2: "I have it. I hold out an empty sack upside down and-"
Player 1: "Hold on, I've got a protection circle here on the floor. Let's make sure we're safe first. I tell everyone to get inside the circle and then I activate it."
Players 3-5: "Okay."
G.M.: "You all go inside the circle and it activates just fine. You all have the bonus for being inside an active Protection Circle: Simple."
Player 2: "Wait, no. I'm not in there. My N.P.C. definitely doesn't go in there either. She would stay with me - there's no way she'd leave me and go stand with all those D-Bees and monsters."
G.M.: "Fine. You two are mortal so it's activation won't have any negative effects on you. You two just won't get the bonuses."
Player 2: "I do think it's quaint that he's only using the 'Simple' protection circle instead of the 'Superior' one."
Player 1: "Would you like to say that to the Magma Demon I have waiting below us?"
Player 2: "Not if that circle was the only protection I had to rely on."
Player 3 (to Player 1): *angrily* "Watch what you say. That's the Lady's manservant you're talking to."
Player 1 (to Player 3): "What are you even talking about?"
Player 3: *innocently* "Who, me?"
Player 4: "I have my own runesword drawn and ready for when the weapon is revealed. Just in case."
G.M.: "Just in case what? Whatever, you do that. The spirit in your sword is still upset at you. She curses you out and calls you an idiot."
Player 4: "Aw, I love her too."
Player 5: "Just so you know, I'm in my armor."
G.M. (to Player 5): "Oh, I did not know that." *checks notes* "How long have you been in it? It feeds off of you, right?"
Player 5: "Yeah. Today is day one. I've been out of it during the last three months long enough to lose the penalties I had accumulated."
G.M.: "Okay, so all its weapons have regrown too. Got it. Those of you outside the circle we about to do something...?"
Player 2: "Yeah. I cancel the Dimensional Pocket spell on the bag so the sword inside will just fall out onto the floor without anyone having to touch it."
G.M.: *sighs* "Okay. A large, sword-shaped object falls out of a bag clearly too small to hold it and clatters to the floor. None of you can quite focus on it to see any detail, it's as if it's blurry or out of focus. What do you do now?"
Player 2: *smiles* "I've been thinking about this and I had an idea I want to try, to see if we can actually see the sword. I cast the spell Time Warp: Stop Time centered on the sword."
G.M.: "Um, okay. You cast the spell and it works - the sword immediately comes into focus. You can clearly see this is a sword unlike anything you've ever seen before, covered in what looks like runes. Congratulations. You guys are the first beings in thousands of years to actually see this weapon clearly in this form."
Player 1: "I have my Asgardian Dwarf minion get as close as he can to investigate the weapon. The Asgardian Dwarves are rune-smiths, he should be able to tell more about it."
Player 4: "I have the Cyclops join him. They're also rune-smiths, right?"
G.M.: "Yeah. Let me see..." *rolls some dice* "They can confirm that it's not a rune weapon. The symbols on the weapon that look to you like runes are actually something else. It almost seems like this was created with an earlier form of magic. Similar to rune magic but pre-dating the perfection of that craft. The Dwarf is fascinated by it and wants to take it to a rune forge to deconstruct and learn its secrets."
Player 1: "Well I tell him to stay back. We're not destroying this thing yet. It's too valuable."
G.M.: "Both the Dwarf and the Cyclops are uncomfortable by the Circle of Protection. Once they give you that information they go to the end of the chamber."
Player 1: "I cancel the Circle of Protection then. I can always re-activate it again for 4 P.P.E. if we need to."
Player 3: "So... what now?"
Player 5: "Now someone should pick it up, right?"
G.M.: *smiles*
Player 1: "I want to do it. That looks powerful. We know what it's done before - this is the weapon that killed Athena!" *looks at the G.M. smiling. "I'm worried there's some catch to making physical contact though, so I hold back."
Player 4: "Hey, that was my Aunt you're talking about. Have some respect. I have my sword use her psychic powers to Sense Evil on the sword."
Player 1: "I cast Sense Evil also."
Player 2: "The Deevil who wielded it last never touched it himself. He had some kind of rune robe he wrapped around his hands in order to hold it. I cancel the Time Warp spell so the Sense Evils can work on it."
G.M.: "Good catch. The sword detects nothing until the Time Warp ends. The weapon resumes being blurry. You both detect strong Evil."
Player 5: "Of course it's Evil. Now what?"
Player 4: "Maybe she can use Object Read on it? I'll touch my sword to the weapon and have her use Object Read."
G.M.: "He he he. The moment you touch her to the weapon she screams in your head in unbearable pain. She screams and screams-"
Player 4: "Ugh. I pull her back immediately. I ask if she found out anything."
G.M.: "She was in so much pain that she's still screaming. As her pain subsides she seamlessly transitions into the most unladylike cursing, all directed at you."
Player 4: "Whatever, I ignore her and just let her get it all out of her system."
Player 2: "Well I'm out. I'm only S.D.C. and Unprincipled, I'm not risking instant death by touching an incompatible alignment rune weapon."
Player 4: "Well I'm Scrupulous, same as my sword. I'm not having what happened to her happen to me."
Player 5: "I'm Unprincipled."
Player 3: "Me too."
Player 1: "I'm Anarchist. The Dwarf is Aberrant though."
Player 2: "Oh yeah, so's my N.P.C.. I'll have her grab the weapon!"
Player 1: "No, I tell the Dwarf to grab it first!"
G.M. (to Player 1): "Sorry, his N.P.C. is closer. With a scowl at the suggestion she bends down to carefully pick it up. She isn't afraid. Not like the rest of you."
Player 4: "This is a bad idea. I try to tackle her to stop her."
Player 3: "He's attacking the Lady! I tackle him to save her!"
*Dice are rolled for initiative and strikes. Good initiative rolls but pitiful strike rolls result in both Player 4 and Player 3 missing their targets, then the ex-Vanguard companion of Player 2 grabs the weapon.*
G.M.: *shakes his head* "The Dwarf starts running over but he's not quicker than the woman standing right by the weapon. She picks it up, ignoring the chaos unfolding around her. As soon as her hand grasps the hilt and she lifts it up you can see the weapon is no longer blurry. It now looks like it's pulsing or breathing. She seems to be in a daze, listening to something none of you can hear. After a few moments she drops the sword onto the ground. A portal that looks like nothing you've ever seen appears. It looks like some kind of Escher painting. Still dazed she tells you 'Only seven can go through. That is what he said. We have to help him.'"
Player 1: "I use my ability to read portals to learn what's on the other side."
G.M.: "The portal seems increasingly unstable. It doesn't look like it'll last long enough for you to do that."
Player 4: "Obviously we go through the portal. I raise my shield and run through to whatever's on the other side."
Player 5: "I yell 'For the Balance!' and run through also."
Player 2: "After seeing those two run through I shake my head and sigh. I guess both my N.P.C. and I will follow them. If there's a problem I can just transport us all back through one of my Dimensional Envelopes."
Player 3: "My Lady! I run through the portal after them."
G.M. (to Player 1): "Only two more can go through, if she was right. Do you go through? Do you take any of your minions or send them instead?"
Player 1: *glares at the G.M.* "Fine. I'll have the Dwarf keep an eye on the place. Maybe he can befriend the Cyclops and we'll be that much closer to eventually making rune weapons. I'll take the Valkyrie with me and we'll go through the portal."
G.M.: *grins widely*

Very cool!

Did you guys ever determine the capabilities of that weapon?

--flatline

Only a few. It turned out to be something like the Living Rune Weapons from one of the Rifters, only made by the Elder Races. He was the first of 7 we ultimately had to find in this campaign. After we "unlocked" the weapon through the adventure on the other side of that portal he became another N.P.C., but with a soul-drinking weapon (which somehow became a scythe upon our return) he couldn't lose. As he leveled up he became more powerful and would unlock more abilities.

GM: You finally come to the edge of the underbrush. You see the bandits camping on the side of the next hill.
Player 2: range finder says...?
GM: about half a mile.
Player 2: Perfect. Looking through my scope, I count the bandits
GM: you see 6 bandits, but the camp looks larger than that.
Player 1: Do you recognize any of them? Can you tell if these are the same bandits we ran into yesterday?
Player 2: Do I recognize them?
GM: These are the same bandits. You see scorch marks on the shoulder of one of the bandits where the borg got him.
Player 2: was that the leader?
Player 1: yeah, that was the leader. At least he was the one that did all the talking.
Player 2: okay, what's the leader doing?
GM: just standing around, talking to 2 other bandits.
Player 2: is he fully armored?
GM: as far as you can tell, they all are.
Player 2: okay, I re-cast Chameleon and then I line up a shot on the leader. Center mass.
GM: go ahead and roll. Aimed shot at a stationary man-sized target at 3000 feet. No other modifiers.
Player 2: ... hit.
GM: the laser hits the back of his armor. He's knocked off balance by the impulse and falls into the two bandits he's chatting with. All the bandits scramble for cover. How much damage?
Player 2: 8MD.
GM: any follow-up shots?
Player 2: nope. I'm done.
Player 4: You didn't pulse? why did you even bother?
Player 3: We're going to try to make nice with these guys tomorrow. If they join us, it's way easier for me to fix 8MD than 30 or 40. If they don't join us, then tomorrow night he can pulse.

--flatline

OP mentions getting ISP from a ley line. This a house rule or did I miss it in a book?

Axelmania wrote:OP mentions getting ISP from a ley line. This a house rule or did I miss it in a book?

It's in the book. 10 ISP per melee, but you can't store it. You have to use it each melee or it's lost.

--flatline

flatline wrote:

Axelmania wrote:OP mentions getting ISP from a ley line. This a house rule or did I miss it in a book?

It's in the book. 10 ISP per melee, but you can't store it. You have to use it each melee or it's lost.

--flatline

it is in the book, but it isn't 10, it's 1d6.

the reason you can't find it is because it's in at the very back of the RUE, in a section about psionic combat, as opposed to being in the psionics section or anything like that, and psionic combat is not a remotely intuitive place to look (as i recall, it also gives the information about regenerating ISP default rates). afb at the moment, but a part of me wants to say page 264.