[OOC] World of Light

[Isaac]

<Snipped quote by Squashedquatch>

There are many Tarnished, so you're fine to claim that as your character, although in general 'real' characters are stronger choices than 'custom' characters when it comes to RPing them due to typically having a definite personality, backstory, and upgrade path to draw from. Someone once applied to this RP as the Bloodborne Hunter, but didn't give them any character to speak of, and seemingly got bored of writing for such a blank slate.

That's quite the powerful Elden Ring build! Faith-Arcane-Dex, is it? Putting aside the stats required, that equipment is in an endgame area, so it would take a long time to obtain in Elden Ring, and it'd probably take a long time to obtain all that in this RP, too. After all, everyone's PCs start weak in here, with just one Power and basic equipment, like an Elden Ring starting class--no matter how strong they were before. Common sense would dictate building up to the strongest abilities over time, like taking Fire Breath before Poison Breath before Rotten Breath, for instance, so it would probably be a while before those Powers manifested themselves.

As for equipment, I can't rightfully say where it would appear in the World of Light. We'll just have to take it area by area, looting what we can from the world and from spirits. On the way, you might find equipment from other games to hold you over, or even stuff you like better. At the very least, I can confirm that Deathblight wouldn't work on just Tarnished, since Tarnished represent an infinitesimal minority of the enemies you'll encounter. Most foes would be susceptible, although their resistance to it might vary massively. Whether you'll be able to instant-kill major foes, however, is up in the air. They might have so much Vitality that going for such a strategy would be a fool's errand, or offer risk comparable to the reward.

@Lugubrious

Sounds cool! I'll be sure to think about story. And hey, if DB fails, I'll just Blood loss the shit out of them with ROB. Reduvia is good too, and it's much less late-game. Maybe the Default knife and buckler to start, then Reduvia, a summon or two, and the Buckler next? Where would I learn how to summon though....hmm.

[Lugubrious]

<Snipped quote by Lugubrious>

Sounds cool! I'll be sure to think about story. And hey, if DB fails, I'll just Blood loss the shit out of them with ROB. Reduvia is good too, and it's much less late-game. Maybe the Default knife and buckler to start, then Reduvia, a summon or two, and the Buckler next? Where would I learn how to summon though....hmm.

@Squashedquatch

Those starting weapons sound fine, although if you start with a buckler then building to a buckler later might be unnecessary. Conceptually, the spirits from Elden Ring are fairly similar to the Strikers in this RP in that they let you call upon fallen foes. They're a little different, in that they don't cost magic but do transfer damage to the summoner, and they can only be summoned for one 'move' before going on cooldown, but that might be able to fill the niche you're looking for.

[Isaac]

<Snipped quote by Squashedquatch>

Those starting weapons sound fine, although if you start with a buckler then building to a buckler later might be unnecessary. Conceptually, the spirits from Elden Ring are fairly similar to the Strikers in this RP in that they let you call upon fallen foes. They're a little different, in that they don't cost magic but do transfer damage to the summoner, and they can only be summoned for one 'move' before going on cooldown, but that might be able to fill the niche you're looking for.

@Lugubrious

Maybe I can work up to a particularly powerful spell instead of the buckler, or perhaps an confrontation to get the Bloodhound's Fang for Shadow Step. Last question before I get to work, will you be reducing bleed damage or increasing it? See, Blood Loss, or Hemorrhage, does a guaranteed 15% (Normal Enemy) or 7% to a Boss + 100 or 200 depending on weapon in the real game so I'm not sure if it is too powerful, or not powerful enough.

[Lugubrious]

<Snipped quote by Lugubrious>

Maybe I can work up to a particularly powerful spell instead of the buckler, or perhaps an confrontation to get the Bloodhound's Fang for Shadow Step. Last question before I get to work, will you be reducing bleed damage or increasing it? See, Blood Loss, or Hemorrhage, does a guaranteed 15% (Normal Enemy) or 7% to a Boss + 100 or 200 depending on weapon in the real game so I'm not sure if it is too powerful, or not powerful enough.

@Squashedquatch

We can use those numbers as a baseline but there are a number of other factors in play, except for (ironically enough) numbers, since we don't really do specific values and have to ballpark percentages. Lots of people have strong abilities like blood loss, but enemies have their own abilities. They might be able to heal themselves, hide behind a powerful defense that doesn't count as their body, not have blood that can be lost, or purge/prevent status effects (or have so much resistance they can never be applied). Best of all, enemies might be smart (or just cautious enough) to recognize when someone has a game-changing ability and alter their behavior to account for that. Or they might not be in a situation where such a status can even come into play, like flying enemies, or ones that fight at long range. So I'm not too worried, but if it seems like your character is suffering or too strong, we can cross that bridge when we get to it.

[Isaac]

That's why I want poison and rotten breath! Maybe something with sleep too!

[Isaac]

Kaltak

Name: Kaltak Timmaeus Copernicus (Known as the Eldest Lord)
Game Origin: Elden Ring
Appearance:
Personality+Background: Cool, calm, and mysterious, this young man does not know fear. That part of him had been ripped out years ago when the position of Elden Lord was thrust into the hands of his manipulated and controlled eldest brother, who broke the ring once again and gave power to his most trusted advisors, who only went by the numbers 1-7. This gave them the power to take over the land and banish his brother forever, leaving their powers to run rampant as the seven immensely powerful wizards enjoyed the privilege of dictating the world and history itself. Having been exiled by then, Kaltak explored the world and came to realize how much he had missed sitting in the castle. Many years had passed, and he had become an older man, coming to be known as the Eldest Lord to both friend and foe. Wanting nothing to do with the Kingdom, but feeling responsible for not guiding his brother better, he stole into the castle, took the fragment, and for his troubles was confronted by the Wizards, now young and flourishing where they had once been old, wizened men. He quickly lost the battle against these almost divine beings, and was broken and beaten. As a final insult, the wizards killed him with the last remaining fragment....at least that's what it looked like. Suddenly, there was a flash of light, and the wizards were controlled to revive him, almost seeming to be controlled by a blob of snaking, sentient light. He took the fragments from the shell-shocked wizards and remade the ring, which enabled him to fight off the influence of the light. Suddenly, everything went black and he awoke in a new world, young and new again. He quickly met a spirit and it guided him to Kirby, prompting his adventure. New places make him suspicious, so really getting to know him is off the table for a bit.

Specialty: All-rounder minus traps
Level: 1
Experience: 0/10 (The amount of EXP required to level up will increase by 10 each level, but rewards get bigger, too)
Powers: Scholar's Armament

Strengths: Sword-fighting, Archery, Low-Intermediate tier spells

Weaknesses: Not used to the World of Light, has no knowledge of anything in the World
Spirits: None

Guest List: (Put up to three characters you like or want to see, and you'll run into them sooner or later in the RP. There's no restriction on what characters you put in, other than the same ones that apply to PCs)
Inventory: (Whatever gear, weapons, and items your character has)

WIP

[Isaac]

@Lugubrious Backstory ok?

[Lugubrious]

@Lugubrious Backstory ok?

@Squashedquatch

I'm not sure I can say that. Our characters should ideally come from games -and stories- that exist, with only a little up to interpretation or filling in the gaps. A Tarnished should hail from the Lands Between in the course of the story experienced in Elden Ring, and unless I've wildly misunderstood things, your character's backstory is rather different. It ends as beams of inexplicable light consume all.

In addition, it has been six and a half IC days since the encounter with Kirby on Precipice Knoll. Any new recruits aren't joining at the start of the journey, but where we are now.

As for non-backstory elements, which may or may not also be in progress, Powers should be explained and Weaknesses should deal with the character's personal shortcomings. Not only is an unfamiliarity with the WOL something not personal to him, but depending on where he was 'integrated' prior to joining the story, he may be very familiar with the area he's ended up in.

I should probably look into reworking some elements of the OP that have become cumbersome, outdated, and unclear, in all honesty.

[Isaac]

<Snipped quote by Squashedquatch>

I'm not sure I can say that. Our characters should ideally come from games -and stories- that exist, with only a little up to interpretation or filling in the gaps. A Tarnished should hail from the Lands Between in the course of the story experienced in Elden Ring, and unless I've wildly misunderstood things, your character's backstory is rather different. It ends as beams of inexplicable light consume all.

In addition, it has been six and a half IC days since the encounter with Kirby on Precipice Knoll. Any new recruits aren't joining at the start of the journey, but where we are now.

As for non-backstory elements, which may or may not also be in progress, Powers should be explained and Weaknesses should deal with the character's personal shortcomings. Not only is an unfamiliarity with the WOL something not personal to him, but depending on where he was 'integrated' prior to joining the story, he may be very familiar with the area he's ended up in.

I should probably look into reworking some elements of the OP that have become cumbersome, outdated, and unclear, in all honesty.

@Lugubrious

Hm, ok. I guess the backstory is just: He was about to kill the Elden Beast and instead a great beam of light took him away

[Lugubrious]

<Snipped quote by Lugubrious>

Hm, ok. I guess the backstory is just: He was about to kill the Elden Beast and instead a great beam of light took him away

@Squashedquatch

I take it he came from across the sea to the Lands Between to heed the call of long-lost grace? What path did he take to reach the Elden Throne? Which Shardbearers did he fell? What alliances did he make, who did he serve, and what beliefs did he hold? Did he seek to take the throne, never once straying from the path set before him by the Two Fingers? Did he become a Recusant of Volcano Manor? Did he follow in the footsteps of the Graven Witch, only to turn against her and side with Castellan Jerran once he realized the foulness of her misdeeds, yet be haunted by the loss of what could have been if only he kept his eyes to the stars? There's plenty of room to use the backstory to expand upon your character's character within the established setting of Elden Ring. I would ask that you differentiate the Backstory and Personality sections, as well.

[Isaac]

I haven't gotten there in the game yet. Would you like me to use a character I really know the lore for?

[Lugubrious]

I haven't gotten there in the game yet. Would you like me to use a character I really know the lore for?

@Squashedquatch

It's up to you. Having a wealth of information about any character would generally make playing them easier.

[Isaac]

WIP

Name: The Adventurer
Game Origin: Dungreed
Appearance:
Personality: Mysterious. Doesn't talk, Doesn't have emotions, just a cold monster killing machine. The best you can usually get from him is a serie of nods and gestures.

Background: The Adventurer came to a small town far away from the kingdom on a quest assigned by the king himself. Upon arriving, the town was almost completely in ruins except for one man, who claimed to know The Adventurer's father named Yulford. Either way, he is given an ancient weapon called the Shortsword, and told to fix a problem the town was having with a dungeon that swallowed everything. As The Adventurer started Walking forward, Yulford only had time to yell "STOP!" before the dungeon swallowed him (referring to The Adventurer.) As he woke up on a cold stone floor, he tried to find a way to escape and ended up fighting through Skeletons until a forboding gate, where he quickly entered and was confronted by the Warden of the first floor, Belial. He was quickly attacked and fell to the ground, unconscious. As Belial was about to annihilate him, a shroud of bluish light seeped in and carried him to the surface through magic. Shocked but alive, he once again went into the dungeon to finish his mission. The Adventurer finds a treasure chest, and inside is a Kunai, which he finds can reappear in his hand. Through days and months, failure after failure, he slowly builds powers and skills, finding items and fighting through floor after floor, saving others until he frees Lasley and clears up the misunderstanding with Arsha the mage, causing her to lose control of the magic maint\aining the great barrier holding back the Demon Lord. He was told again to climb the dungeon, which was even harder than the last time. He failed hundreds of times, but finally reached the top only to find a pillar of light instead, the dessicated husk of what looked to the Demon Lord near by, crumbling as it looked like it almost had been burned to a crisp by a savage light. However, the dungeon was still moving, and there was an evil presence within the light. Perhaps the real demon lord was within it, so he entered the beam.

Specialty: Everything except traps
Level: 1
Experience: 0/10 (The amount of EXP required to level up will increase by 10 each level, but rewards get bigger, too)
Powers: Perinu's Grace (Allows for revival once per month, allows for escaping any scenarios against Dungreed Themed enemies once HP hits 0. This works forever but results in more damage from non-Dungreed enemies and if he is killed by them, he dies. Period.)

Strengths: All Weapons of all eras that function like weapons from the dungeon, Hand to Hand, Dashing
Weaknesses: Cannot communicate well, Does not work with others unless he has to, and does not share.
Spirits: None

Guest List: Haken, Horerica, Coblovina
Inventory: Shortsword and Crude Hand Crossbow

[Isaac]

Are NPCs Recurring? @Lugubrious

[Lugubrious]

Are NPCs Recurring? @Lugubrious

@Squashedquatch

They are, depending on their location and story relevance.

[Isaac]

<Snipped quote by Squashedquatch>

They are, depending on their location and story relevance.

@Lugubrious

Ok because I am trying to decide between the shopkeep and the food lady. Food gives stats and health, and the shopkeep just sells stuff which I do not think is useful early game. I am including Haken, who gives you a free weapon before the start of the run, and Coblovina who you train your skills with as they are must-haves.

[Isaac]

Moved!

[Lugubrious]

It's up to you of course, but a character with no personality sounds like it would be very difficult to play. We're not going to be fighting 100% of the time, after all. Sometimes our characters just chat, have meals together, play games, talk about their pasts or their opinions, and make stuff.

'Specialty: everything' is something of an oxymoron, though I assume you mean something like a jack-of-all-trades warrior?

If this revival power only works if he's killed by enemies from his own game, in addition to only working once a month, it's such a specific power that it might as well be useless. There are enemies from countless different games available; I might not ever use Dungreed ones at all.

I would appreciate elaboration on 'All Weapons of all eras that function like weapons from the dungeon'. Maybe you could list said weapon types so that when I need to reference the sheet the relevant information is all there, and I don't have to trawl each time?

Guest List characters don't appear right off the bat. It just means they'll appear somewhere in the world at some point.

Probably the biggest problem is "Does not work with others unless he has to". Being a part of a team is basically this whole RP. If your character doesn't want to stay with the team, not only does that remove the social aspect of RPing, but it also demands that I go to the extra effort of doing different stuff for your character only. Which is a tough sell, if I'm being honest. Do you think that Adventurer would stick with a team despite not wanting to?

[Isaac]

It's up to you of course, but a character with no personality sounds like it would be very difficult to play. We're not going to be fighting 100% of the time, after all. Sometimes our characters just chat, have meals together, play games, talk about their pasts or their opinions, and make stuff.

'Specialty: everything' is something of an oxymoron, though I assume you mean something like a jack-of-all-trades warrior?

If this revival power only works if he's killed by enemies from his own game, in addition to only working once a month, it's such a specific power that it might as well be useless. There are enemies from countless different games available; I might not ever use Dungreed ones at all.

I would appreciate elaboration on 'All Weapons of all eras that function like weapons from the dungeon'. Maybe you could list said weapon types so that when I need to reference the sheet the relevant information is all there, and I don't have to trawl each time?

Guest List characters don't appear right off the bat. It just means they'll appear somewhere in the world at some point.

Probably the biggest problem is "Does not work with others unless he has to". Being a part of a team is basically this whole RP. If your character doesn't want to stay with the team, not only does that remove the social aspect of RPing, but it also demands that I go to the extra effort of doing different stuff for your character only. Which is a tough sell, if I'm being honest. Do you think that Adventurer would stick with a team despite not wanting to?

@Lugubrious

Sorry, he can talk I just forgot. What I meant by not work well is that he prefers to think and act alone, but he will join a team if he has to, and to clarify, the revival works once per month no matter what game characters he faces. It's the second ability that only works against Dungreed themed characters. The categories he can work with are very specific guns, melee weapons, magical weapons, and energy weapons. This doesn't limit his abilities though, as his knowledge of those weapons can fuel his understanding of non-Dungreed weapons.

[Lugubrious]

I see, that information is helpful. If you think it would be fun and engaging to play that character, then that's fine. There are some other characters engaged in teeth-clenched team work, so as long as he sticks with the others that's also fine. That does sort of render the weakness "doesn't work with others unless he has to" somewhat pointless, and would be better suited as a personality trait. Maybe some sort of weakness relevant to his fighting ability.

I do think that revival once per month is still pretty weak. For reference we have one character who can revive once every three minutes, although I probably won't permit something of that frequency again. You can choose something else if you like. By the way, if you intend for him to be able to use that crossbow, you should include crossbow bolts in his inventory.