Re: Lost in Dreams II (OCC)
 

They certainly had a plan, compared to most of the others.


He can pick it up quite quickly from a teacher: the big deal here is the number of defaults it unlocks.


That makes sense. I always forget talent is supposed to increase the speed of learning. Probably because It doesn't get used that way too often in games. People use it to boost their core competency skills, and its so often either not present or its maxed out, and most games (other than this one or that one time I stuck people on 8 month interstellar voyages) don't do much in the way of in-game learning.

Two levels of talent for dreamers would make sense, giving good defaults on new magic skills and shifting hard skills into easy ones.


After the first 24 points in Thaumaturgy, its essentially a four point talent.



I favor a 10-point talent for all magic in this style, but let me know what you want.




ahh, yes, the magic skill 15 breakpoint. Does it feel like power without that?

Its kind of funny just how fast people can walk along a road if they have good support and are used to it. Its a long ways, yes, and its work, yes, but a few weeks of walking will take you a LONG ways. People used to walk from the missisippi river to the pacific just over the summer.

Re: Lost in Dreams II (OCC)
 

What's kind of funny is I've been angling for him to take it for multiple reasons for a very long time.
Peter keeps it pretty fast paced. His time use based learning has been limited to hiking (so much hiking) and survival. With magic, he gets a far superior "Montage-Based" learning speed for the first point (Or half point for Yaka, but there were a half dozen!)

It does make sense. The lack of a skill bonus basic skill makes it feel like the dreamer is behind the curve learning magic in a place rather than ahead of it when it comes to skill and aptitude. They are way ahead in picking up that first point tho, obviously.

If you're cracking into the Dreamer template for updates, be sure to include the Energy Reserve. It's not actually listed on there!
Totally valid! Now to learn it!
I don't think Peter should have any special aptitude in the Yrth Ritual Magic over that of other worlds.
No it does not. If the spell has maintenance of 2, you have to get that bad boy up to 20 to maintain for free, and 21 to halve casting time. You need a high base skill if you're going to play a GURPS Basic Magic user with All The Powah!

Re: Lost in Dreams II (OCC)
 

On Peter's Martial training...

He has had some instruction from a number of sources, especially the martian commandos and yaka instructor with the blade.

Peter has 1 point in Brawling, (which really doesn't do anything, strangely) I'd like to flip that to Karate and bring that up to DX (or maybe DX+1), and I'd like to move his point in Knife to take Weapon Adaptation, Knife to Karate, so that his knife use is tied to the karate skill, and call that his "Yaka Blade Art".

So Replacing
Brawling @DX [1]
Knife @DX [1]

With
Karate @DX [4]
"Yaka Blade Art" - Weapon Adaptation: Knife to Karate [1]

And would Karate at DX+1 be okay if I wanted to devote that many points at once?

Re: Lost in Dreams II (OCC)
 

Most of the magic he's seen so far has been very narrow. extrapolating all magic from that seems a little shaky. Yrth has enough magic and people studying that it makes sense to learn it. This won't get rid of all familiarity issues though.



Yeah, I've tried to make that first point pretty easy, and to be generous with points (at least generous for me). But Peter is, as you say "pretty fast paced".


Hmmmm.


For now I think that's Peter specific, since he keeps running into FP powered magic. A reference of common "conversions" on the 50 point advantage isn't a bad idea though.


That makes sense. Now I'm considering if a 15 point talent for all magic is worth it (15 point talents almost never are) or if a 10 point talent for all magic is appropriate. Maybe just for casting it? (as opposed to say, aiming it)


Yeah, that magic 15 breakpoint is kind of weird.



All of those are fine point wise: converting Brawling to Karate is fine, spending four points on Karate at once is fine, and the weapon adaptation is fine in general. The question is if they can be justified with the instruction he has.

The Yaka instruction doesn't teach Karate. Its all very fencing style, with a small argument that this skill should be force sword. Rajat on the other hand knows karate for sure. He's been showing you stuff with a blade, but you've also been using a knife* for a good portion of the journey. Rajat has also had more time to train you, I think.

So I think its good, but give credit where credit is due: Peter learned this from Rajat.



*was that a knife? I know you had a blade of some sort.

Re: Lost in Dreams II (OCC)
 

Makes sense. I've been hoping Peter could have enough natural talent to start to teach himself based on his samplings for some time, to help it all come together.
I'm all for good reference materials!

Considering IQ! is [10], It does make 15 point talents hard to justify.

but I get the impression they would have the same affinity for any esoteric supernatural adjacent thing they might encounter. that's pretty clearly a 15 point Cosmic Esoteric Talent.

But you're free to set it as a campaign switch however you like.


You had to be dedicated to being a wizard to hit it with the standard 100 point starting character of the time the system was written. It works well based on the assumptions of the original GURPS Fantasy.
Gotcha. I was thinking of putting it all together and maximizing martian color, but I stand corrected!

He first had a machete, then had a knife most of the time, and Rajat got him a Rapier he trained with as well in the last leg.

Re: Lost in Dreams II (OCC)
 

Why does this feel like a request for "Sure, there's a guy, but he has deep plot related issues and should be colorful enough to be returned to again and again?"

Not complaining, just struck by it. Also, Serendipity is a thing.

Re: Lost in Dreams II (OCC)
 

Peter just thinks based on his experience thus far, his abilities and 'alien magic' would win over a great teacher, even if they were not looking for a student. We were just talking about how Peter keeps things moving... He's gonna check back each day on a waiting list? That doesn't sound like our guy, lol. Nah, he will try and leverage his social skills for a better 'in' than that, and sweet-talking Mom types are his specialty!

Let's save Serendipity for the incomprehensibly beautiful elven princess who falls inexplicably in love with Peter in his coming of age story... But while the player can make suggestions, Serendipity is a GM tool after all.

Re: Lost in Dreams II (OCC)
 

Pretty sure I've thrown out a couple "Girl his age" plot hooks already...


But if he's holding out for an elven princess I'll keep that in mind.


Thanks. Its always strange because I have my own private name for the world, but It usually doesn't make sense from The Dreamers's point of view. Unless the world has an explicit name, like Yrth or Riask.

Re: Lost in Dreams II (OCC)
 

Falling in love sounds like torture for a Dreamer. Once Amy realises that long-term romance has become almost impossible for her, she's going to have a whole new source of depression...

Re: Lost in Dreams II (OCC)
 

Timing is everything... and the Cat-girl was a good opportunity for Peter to show his, er, good moral fiber.


Peter is more likely to label it like a chapter header than a proper name... So really to him, it's the Beast in the Village.

Peter's a few weeks from 15. There are bound to be flings and heartbreaks at that age. He has enough control these days to have an on again off again / long distance thing.