4) they don't want their wounds healed


--
If life doesn't need intelligence,
Then why should intelligence need life?
--
http://www.elanthipedia.com/wiki/User:Legeres
http://www.myspace.com/ledge_ear_us
http://legeres.deviantart.com

I think it's also been stated before that some wounds (don't remember if there were specifics given) absolutely can't be healed by empaths, so that's an option too.
__
AIM: Ysselt

You just need to wave your hands, and it all makes sense.

---

>describe boar
It's a boar. It doesn't like you.

Empaths are a pretty diverse lot, so you'll probably get a wide variety of answers to something like that. Sticking to the subject of epic loot, I would have liked to see some armor and other defensive items, plus some useful magical devices. I'm not sure offhand what a "useful magical device" might do, except the obvious "something useful". I almost considered for half a moment getting the parry stick at the end of the dagger quest, but I wasn't about to take a chance on something that can't be appraised before being selected...I'd guess there's a nearly 100% chance it appraises the same as all other parry sticks anyway.

As for the lore primary thing, I'm also at a loss on that one. I guess there could be some sort of crafting related items that would be neat, but lore isn't just crafting. The problem is, there's not really anything other than crafting for lore right now, and even that's not complete yet. It's hard to put much stock in an identity driven by the lore skillset when it doesn't do much of anything. Anything academic is covered by Scholarship after the skill reorganization, but that pretty much just means the teaching system, which isn't at all interesting. Appraisal has something of a niche I guess, but it's not exactly something one would use as a point of identity (and an annoyingly large percentage of the things that rely on appraisal also take other skills into account). So that basically leaves Empathy, which also doesn't do much and doesn't involve items, but at least it seems like a sensible thing for Empaths to be using to derive their identity. Tactics seems like a strong choice for something that a combat-focused Empath could use to establish an identity, but then we come back to the diversity of the guild rendering that skill meaningless for a probably-not-insignificant percentage of members. There may or may not even be items involved in Tactics, anyway.

So...yeah, I'm not sure either :/

Thanks,
-Life Sustainer Karthor, who hopes that Life is actually Sustainable in Combat 3.0

>>So next question, if you are an empath player, or have an empath character what would be your ahh, now that's an empathicy (SP?) epic drop?

A big metal helmet that enhances empathy to supernatural levels, and then you can reach out with your empathy and KILL SOMEONE WITH THE POWER OF YOUR MIND.
*******
Malkien

>>Unless something has changed killing is about as unempathic as it gets, just because it ruins the link, nothing to do with moral, or being good, or anything, just not empathic.

It was still sarcastic.

Sadly, I can't think of any armor or weapons that are particularly "empathic." Your suggestions sound a lot like armor which functions like SoP, or like the various healing spells, which were I an Empath would make them somewhat redundant to me.

An Empath shield that could be invoked to auto-calm creatures in combat with you for a short period of time... now that would be annoying and useful.

*******
Malkien

>>So next question, if you are an empath player, or have an empath character what would be your ahh, now that's an empathicy (SP?) epic drop?

The things I think of for Empath epic drops:

1) Invulnerability bubble. You can't attack, they can't attack you -- or they simply act as if you aren't there. I realize that Innocence and GS fulfill this role but an item that took care of this similarly or just a little better -- with a higher level of consistency and less need for mana -- would be pretty neat.

2) Enhanced link. Link from a distance, perhaps, or have more control over how big the bonus is (or the range is boosted to the high end). Possibly the ability to create a link functioning something like Seer's Sense (keep tabs on a target from a distance). I feel like these should come with skill, but if not, an item would be cool.

3) Enhanced casting ability when wounded. (Maybe for healing spells only.)

4) Protection from overhealing. Something that gave you a warning when this was about to happen, or automatically stopped the process.

5) Weapons that work especially well vs. constructs.

6) Crafting tools you can link to to give a skill bonus.


-- Player of Eyuve

>>So next question, if you are an empath player, or have an empath character what would be your ahh, now that's an empathicy (SP?) epic drop?<<

Some special trinket that would let me decide what my Guardian Spirit would look like, and name it.

Think Altered GS. How amazing would that be?



~Villya

I'm glad I asked this some of these are really cool, I don't think mine did a proper task of being truly epic, but didn't want to go over the top either. And was just testing the waters.

The G.S. Alteration, now that be a neat thing for an auction item, or at least for an alterer to come to a paid festival. I'm going to think some more and see if I can't come up with anything else.


_____________________________________
Victory Over Lyras, on the 397th year and 156 days since the Victory of Lanival the Redeemer.

>>GS Alterations

Part of the thing with them, I think, is that it isn't a specific alfar that comes around each time, and they're sentient, willful, individual beings who might not be keen of having their appearances changed. We'll have to see what the GS code looks like after the rewrite. I'm not adverse to the idea if the code will support it without gymnastics, a decent lore reason can be dug up, and the Powers will approve the idea. Those are kinda big ifs though. I am not the one writing the GS code so I can't really predict exactly how it will fall out.

I like the idea, and I am reading this thread with interest.

I know anatomy charts get boring. I'd definitely like to see some cool Empath-geared quest and auction prizes. It might be a bit late for HE this year (somewhat due to my move) but there is always Chris' Mass, guildfest, quest prizes, and so on and so forth.

Melete

---

[Turmis] I'm about to shoot beards in the face

>>Part of the thing with them, I think, is that it isn't a specific alfar that comes around each time, and they're sentient, willful, individual beings who might not be keen of having their >>appearances changed. We'll have to see what the GS code looks like after the rewrite. I'm not adverse to the idea if the code will support it without gymnastics, a decent lore reason can be >>dug up, and the Powers will approve the idea. Those are kinda big ifs though. I am not the one writing the GS code so I can't really predict exactly how it will fall out.

In terms of lore reasoning - if you created a unique guardian that looks how you want, is the race you want, etc, it could be something that you quest for or something that has lore that looks something like this: You went to the home of those sentient beings or met one in the streets somehow. Regardless, you befriended this particular guardian who now, whenever they hear your call, are certain to come running to your defense/aid. So, the reason they are there is BECAUSE they are sentient and willful. They bump away anyone who might want to try to respond instead of them, because they love their friend that much. Perhaps your charisma determines how consistently your custom GS shows up, at least up to relatively low levels of charisma? How good of a friend you really were, how loveable you were, would both be related to charisma.

Needless to say, I think this is an awesome idea.

In terms of other items I might want to see that are "Now THAT is what being an empath is all about..." Cambrinth armor comes to mind, because it is defensive and also works with our magic casting in combat. Or a cambrinth parry stick that isn't very impeded by the cambrinth aspect of it (I've been told many cambrinth combat items are weak because of the cambrinth). I think an item that lets you sense someone's wounds (and perhaps heal them) from a distance with enough skill would be great, but since touch is required for healing, I'm not sure how this would work lore-wise.

I know, not as helpful, but I do really like the idea of a "custom" guardian spirit (or a set of custom guardian spirits, as you'd only have befriended one "type.")


~Player of ChelmorAes

>>Part of the thing with them, I think, is that it isn't a specific alfar that comes around each time, and they're sentient, willful, individual beings who might not be keen of having their appearances changed. We'll have to see what the GS code looks like after the rewrite. I'm not adverse to the idea if the code will support it without gymnastics, a decent lore reason can be dug up, and the Powers will approve the idea. Those are kinda big ifs though. I am not the one writing the GS code so I can't really predict exactly how it will fall out.

A Warrior Mage's familiar, which is a sentient creature from the plane of aether (IIRC), doesn't mind having the color of its fur changed, but a guardian spirit's above that nonsense, eh?
*******
Malkien

>>A Warrior Mage's familiar, which is a sentient creature from the plane of aether (IIRC), doesn't mind having the color of its fur changed, but a guardian spirit's above that nonsense, eh?

Yes, basically. The lore surrounding the two is completely different.

But as I said, that's not to say there isn't some lore way to make it work, just that such a way would be needed for anything like that to be implemented.

Melete

---

[Turmis] I'm about to shoot beards in the face

I'd love to see a wound hider. Works just like all the other hider items but hides your wounds from the public.

Even better, I'd love it to be a wearable voodoo doll that showed what your wounds really were when you LOOKed at it.

e.g.
<LOOK DOLL
The doll has minor abrasions across the chest and is bleeding lightly from it's right hand.

---

Another item I'd like to see is a voucher for a custom shift option. Whether it be for a predetermined special hair color, face shape, build type, etc or one that the owner customizes on his/her own with the GMs, I'd like there to be a way for there to be a limited number of empaths who could shift to that option.

Nikpack

>>A Warrior Mage's familiar, which is a sentient creature from the plane of aether (IIRC), doesn't mind having the color of its fur changed, but a guardian spirit's above that nonsense, eh?

Warrior Mage's familiars are no longer sentient. They've been retconned and are now manifestations of the caster's will. They may develop their own sentience, but they don't start with any. Which makes the limitations on their appearance a bit less logical.

Familiars can swing either way, from aether-puppet to willful intelligence. The default assumption is they sort of pick up a personality over time. Think the Doctor from Voyager or Death from Discworld and you're about there.
Guardian Spirits are willful, sentient creatures.
Shadow creatures are sentient, but are not willful in the way humans understand it.
Risen can have any sort of mental functioning, but are willful by default.

All of those forms except Risen are alive, even though familiars and Shadow creatures do not have what Elanthians would consider to be functional anatomy.

-Armifer
"In our days truth is taken to result from the effacing of the living man behind the mathematical structures that think themselves out in him, rather than he be thinking them." - Emmanuel Levinas

>>familiars and Shadow creatures do not have what Elanthians would consider to be functional anatomy.

I take that to mean this book would not be relevant in DR, then?

http://www.amazon.com/Everyone-Poops-My-Body-Science/dp/0916291456

i can see it now, having to form a bond with an alfar in order to get consent to shift her ;p

>>(in contrast, Sartre famously opined that man is the creature who is what he is not yet)
Armifer, out of curiosity, have you read the Long Price Quartet by Daniel Abraham?

Based on your descriptions of the summoned creatures just there, you may REALLY enjoy the series. The 'magical' creatures are concepts bound to reality by poets, who in turn must forever hold the concept in mind or lose it forever, but in doing so, are able to control the concept as a God. The creatures, being ideas/abstracts bound to reality, want to return to their state of non-existence, and and the life of the poet is one of constantly battling their bound creations.

It's really a phenomenal series, and while I'm sure you get a billion and one book recommendations a day by the player base, the way you described pets just made me think of it.