Pseudo Stygian

Agartha: The Untold Tales (An RPG)

Ah, yeah, I'm gonna have to wait for some clarification on how stats affect damage too. Nanda gonna buff somebody but I got no idea which stat would best suit whatever she's intending to do.

Like, is Strength exclusively for deciding the things they can carry, or does that affect physical attack damage too? How about speed? If say, Arton was defending himself against the undead with his shield, would that be in any way affected by his Endurance or his Vitality?

Agartha: The Untold Tales (An RPG)

"I mean this group is really strong," said the king. "I should have called the WAA in the first place."

Nice sarcasm, your majesty, Nanda wanted to say, but she only smiled. She couldn't tell whether to take the king seriously. He seemed like someone who is unironically fun at parties, and that already earned a point of respect from her. Another point came when he revealed that the escort method is an honest-to-goodness flying carpet. Nanda shook her head in amazement.

"Boy, people would kill to get sights like this."

The view was certainly remarkable, and Nanda made it a point to memorise the layout of the city while they were far above. It was a very short trip unfortunately, and soon the dungeon was in sight.

It was a grim-looking place, and she could feel nothing but bad vibes coming from either the dark clouds or its dark cavern. "Loooooook at that cloud. It's so beautiful," the boy said, which surprised her. It took her a while to realise that, yes, well, there was something of a beauty to it? A beauty that was cut short by the emergence of the bloody soldier.

Nanda rushed to the injured man along with Sampson. "You're going to be okay," she said, firmly. "What happened in there?"

One of her hands went to the dagger in his belt. The red colour melted from his cloak, turning it the colour of the ground. She glanced at the dungeon's entrance. 15 elite knights, gone. Hmm, she might have to take this more seriously than the king was making it out to be.

Agartha: The Untold Tales (An RPG)

I can't... I can't tell how I'm supposed to voice the king in my head. On one hand, he's all regal and serious-deep-voiced but the next moment he just starts lulzing.

This is not a complaint. I love him. Hopefully we get to see him again.

Also, DM, sir, I appreciate your no-nonsense-let's-get-on-with-the=plot attitude.

Agartha: The Untold Tales (An RPG)

Been wondering for a bit. How/when is MP replenished, and would using magic sporadically out of battle counts as draining it?

Agartha: The Untold Tales (An RPG)

"Are you wizard?" asked the little urchin boy. He was fast, even for an urchin. He was always one step ahead of Nanda as she slipped through Meteora's many alleyways. "Is that how you do that trick with the coins, earlier?"

Nanda grinned. That trick earlier was nothing; something to impress people on the streets, and distract them from the urchins scurrying away with their purse. Perhaps not the best thing to do in a new city, especially since she was hired by the literal King of the place, but she couldn't pass the opportunity up. The kids were practically worshipping her now.

"What do you think?" she said. She flicked her fingers and her cloak burst into flames... or at least that was what it looked like. In a split-second the flames seemed to be absorbed into her cloak, turning the drab black cloth into a burning red. A velvety, expensive-looking burning red.

The boy stopped in his tracks and stared wide-eyed.

"Sure, I'm a wizard." She laughed. "So you said you know where the castle is?"

The boy grinned.

---

"Ananda, princess of Zamrud," she announced herself to the elderly steward. She was no proper princess, of course, but she made sure to look the part, mostly through her cloak. It was a piece of wonder, fine red velvet decked around the edges with what appeared to be gems.

Gunthrum said nothing as he read the official WAA parchment she had given him. Finally, he gave it back to her. "I though Zamrud doesn't have any royalty."

"It doesn't," Nanda chuckled. "There's no royalty so anybody can be prince and princess."

He sighed, apparently not seeing the humour in it. "Please, have a seat."

Nanda bowed with a flair, then turned her attention to the room. There were a couple of people already, some she thought she recognized from the WAA. And there's the king! At the head of the table, of course.

"It is an honour to meet you, your majesty," she said with a curtsey. This king in particular wasn't very much interested in court manners, she heard, but it seemed a waste not to pull it off. She then took a seat somewhere in the middle of the table, a good place to observe all the others, or to be seen herself.

BLUE LIVES MATTER! 👮👮‍♀️👍

There's a place called Lebanon in the US? Is there any place outside the US that doesn't have its name used by somewhere in the US?

Agartha: The Untold Tales (An RPG)

Nanda

Name: Ananda, daughter of Sahrin
Age: 18
Species: Human
Class: Rogue / Illusionist - Generally sneaky and quick. Capable of casting illusions which can indirectly harm enemies or support her teammates.

Homeland:
The City-State of Zamrud is an opulent merchant city on the coast. Zamrud has no government in the usual sense; instead the city is run and regulated by the merchant's guild and anyone rich enough to influence the populace. With no state-directed crime enforcement, the city is also home to a thriving black market, including all the thieves, bandits, and underground industry that comes with it.

Personality:
A charismatic trickster. Nanda has a demeanor that makes it easy for people to trust her. She is pleasant to talk to, always telling you what you want to know. She has a generally high opinion of herself, but will have no problem putting herself on the bottom if needs be. A perfect chameleon in social circles, although she has a penchant for dramatic flairs.

To strangers she always aims to impress first. That's often a misdirection. She puts a show in front of you so you won't notice when she nicks your purse. If your outfit is particularly shiny, she won't feel half-bad about it. If it isn't, she might feel a bit guilty, but she's still going to keep the loot.

Behind the charming facade and fierce confidence, there's an aimless girl who doesn't exactly know what she's going to do with her life. Stealing and tricking people is what she's good at, so she rolls with it. Traveling the world with the WAA is fun too; she enjoys seeing new sights. She's just not sure it's all she wants for life.

Appearance:
Ananda is a bit shorter than the average, although you might not notice it from her confident stride. She has shoulder-length auburn hair, dark brown eyes, and light skin. Most people would say that she's pretty, or at least cute. That's mostly thanks to her easy smile and that she keeps herself clean. Her outfit, since we're gonna go dungeneoneering, is more functional than stylish: a dark coat with many inside pockets, and a darker cloak. It's a bit nondescript, but she often cast some illusion spells to make it look nicer.

History:
Ananda's father is one of the most skilled thief in Zamrud. He is, however, a quiet man. While his skills are legendary and his heists infamous, not many people has guessed that it was all his doing. He uses enough of what he takes for a humble life, and he's eager to pass those skills along to his only daughter.

Ananda's uncle, on the other hand, is a traveling magician. He's able to put on the most marvelous shows with both his deft hands and his ability to craft illusions. Compared to her somewhat dull father, he was fascinating. His frequent visit was where Ananda learned how to walk the walk and talk the talk, no matter who she is talking to or where in Agartha she is doing it. There were plenty of real magic too, and not just the sorts one can do with smokes and mirrors.

Ananda's mother is an enigma. An adventurer in the WAA, she only appears in Ananda's life in brief, sporadic bursts. However, those bursts are enough to, eventually, push Nanda to use her tricks for more than simple thieveries and join the WAA herself.

Despite that, she still doesn't see her mother much.

Powers/Abilities:

If they believe it, then it exists.
Spell Name: Create Illusion
Element/Type: Illusion
Rank: B
Mana Drain: 15+
Create an illusion. An illusion can resemble anything the caster can imagine, which also means things from memory is easier than something one makes up. An illusion can't make any sound, can't make complex movements, are not solid to the touch.

For those moments when your natural charm is not enough.
Spell Name: Charm Speak (Efficient on NPCs with below 25 MP [Until higher level]. Only effect on PCs with their consent)
Element/Type: Illusion
Rank: C
Mana Drain: 5
Convince the target to do something.

Good lies are as good as the truth.
Spell Name: Fool Senses
Element/Type: Illusion
Rank: B
Mana Drain: 18
Effect: +2 to 1 Stat or +1 to 2 stats. Lasts 2 posts.
Buff the target's stat of caster's choice. Can target self.

If they can't hear you, they won't see you.
Spell Name: Fleeting Steps
Element/Type: Illusion
Rank: C
Mana Drain: 8
Movement will not make noise. Other creatures are less likely to notice the caster even if they see her passing by.

Leave their eyes no room for escape.
Spell Name: Rain of Terror
Element/Type: Illusion
Rank: C
Mana Drain: 8
Cast on a projectile weapon to create visual duplicates of it, making it seem like an unavoidable rain when fired.

Fire. For show. Also for setting things on fire.
Spell Name: Firesparks
Element/Type: Fire
Rank: C
Mana Drain: 4
Create sparks of fire. Given enough time and concentration, it can light a fireplace, although some flint and starter would help.

Equipment:
- Traveling cloak
- Coat with plenty of pockets, containing:
-- A bag of coins
-- A deck of cards
-- Needles and thread
-- A set of lockpicks
-- 5 Throwing Knives
- Belt, holding:
-- A dagger
-- A flask of water

Weapons:
Item Type: Dagger
Name: Just a dagger
Appearance: It's very functional; good for cutting ropes and monsters alike. Nanda polishes and cleans it daily, enough that she can use it to cut up food.
Ability: Nope
Damage: 5

Item Type: Throwing Knives
Name: She ain't gonna name all her things.
Appearance: A leaner, lighter variation of a dagger. Small enough a child can hold it. Probably will still hurts a lot.
Ability: Throw them to hurt.
Damage: 1 each.

Stats
Newbie
Level 1
HP 100
MP 50

Vitality: 4
Speed: 7
Strength: 2
Endurance: 4
Mana: 8

TL;DR: Daughter of a king of thieves, raised by a showman. At home in the spotlight as much as in the shadows. Support kid in battle.

Agartha: The Untold Tales (An RPG)

Since Ananda can perform illusions, could she have a “Rain of Terror” spell or ability where she’d throw knives but also create an illusion of many more knives as well, making it impossible for her target/s to block on counter the attack?

@Genni

Oh, that's neat. And flashy. I keep thinking she'll use the knives sneakily, like regular rogues, but she does like flashy. And I'm thinking she can also cast it on other ranged weapons, like Arwyn's arrows. I guess visual duplication can just be considered a Create Illusion, but something with combat effect might be worth a separate spell?

How's this then, @Champion?

Just keep giving me skill ideas will you

Leave their eyes no room for escape.
Spell Name: Rain of Terror
Element/Type: Illusion
Rank:
Mana Drain:
Cast on a ranged weapon to create visual duplicates of them, making it seem like an unavoidable rain when shot.

Agartha: The Untold Tales (An RPG)

@Pseudo Stygian This one is nice as well. Add her to characters section. And if I may suggest, it sounds like your character has the hand-eye skill to throw knives. She has all those pockets, fill them with knives. An illusion moving in a straight line shouldn't be too complex.

@Champion

Oh dang, how can I forget about knives-throwing? That's definitely her thing. I'm gonna add... 5 throwing knives in her pocket? They're recoverable and one damage each? Would basic throwing be a skill or can it just be an attack in general?

And you know what else I forgot about? LOCKPICKS.

Agartha: The Untold Tales (An RPG)

Aaand here's my character. I hope you don't mind that there isn't a picture. Lemme know if the numbers are off. I'm still not sure what the weapon's should be.

Sneaky Showman Girl

Name: Ananda, daughter of Sahrin
Age: 18
Species: Human
Class: Rogue / Illusionist - Generally sneaky and quick. Capable of casting illusions which can indirectly harm enemies or support her teammates.

Homeland:
The City-State of Zamrud is an opulent merchant city on the coast. Zamrud has no government in the usual sense; instead the city is run and regulated by the merchant's guild and anyone rich enough to influence the populace. With no state-directed crime enforcement, the city is also home to a thriving black market, including all the thieves, bandits, and underground industry that comes with it.

Personality:
A charismatic trickster. Nanda has a demeanor that makes it easy for people to trust her. She is pleasant to talk to, always telling you what you want to know. She has a generally high opinion of herself, but will have no problem putting herself on the bottom if needs be. A perfect chameleon in social circles, although she has a penchant for dramatic flairs.

To strangers she always aims to impress first. That's often a misdirection. She puts a show in front of you so you won't notice when she nicks your purse. If your outfit is particularly shiny, she won't feel half-bad about it. If it isn't, she might feel a bit guilty, but she's still going to keep the loot.

Behind the charming facade and fierce confidence, there's an aimless girl who doesn't exactly know what she's going to do with her life. Stealing and tricking people is what she's good at, so she rolls with it. Traveling the world with the WAA is fun too; she enjoys seeing new sights. She's just not sure it's all she wants for life.

Appearance:
Ananda is a bit shorter than the average, although you might not notice it from her confident stride. She has shoulder-length auburn hair, dark brown eyes, and light skin. Most people would say that she's pretty, or at least cute. That's mostly thanks to her easy smile and that she keeps herself clean. Her outfit, since we're gonna go dungeneoneering, is more functional than stylish: a dark coat with many inside pockets, and a darker cloak. It's a bit nondescript, but she often cast some illusion spells to make it look nicer.

History:
Ananda's father is one of the most skilled thief in Zamrud. He is, however, a quiet man. While his skills are legendary and his heists infamous, not many people has guessed that it was all his doing. He uses enough of what he takes for a humble life, and he's eager to pass those skills along to his only daughter.

Ananda's uncle, on the other hand, is a traveling magician. He's able to put on the most marvelous shows with both his deft hands and his ability to craft illusions. Compared to her somewhat dull father, he was fascinating. His frequent visit was where Ananda learned how to walk the walk and talk the talk, no matter who she is talking to or where in Agartha she is doing it. There were plenty of real magic too, and not just the sorts one can do with smokes and mirrors.

Ananda's mother is an enigma. An adventurer in the WAA, she only appears in Ananda's life in brief, sporadic bursts. However, those bursts are enough to, eventually, push Nanda to use her tricks for more than simple thieveries and join the WAA herself.

Despite that, she still doesn't see her mother much.

Powers/Abilities:

If they believe it, then it exists.
Spell Name: Create Illusion
Element/Type: Illusion
Rank:
Mana Drain: (I'm thinking it would depend on the illusion being cast?)
Create an illusion. An illusion can resemble anything the caster can imagine, which also means things from memory is easier than something one makes up. An illusion can't make any sound, can't make complex movements, are not solid to the touch.

For those moments when your natural charm is not enough.
Spell Name: Charm Speak
Element/Type: Illusion
Rank:
Mana Drain:
Convince the target to do something.

Good lies are as good as the truth.
Spell Name: Fool Senses
Element/Type: Illusion
Rank:
Mana Drain:
Buff the target's stat of caster's choice. Can target self. The effect is temporary. Greater buff can cause penalty in the long run.

If they can't hear you, they won't see you.
Spell Name: Fleeting Steps
Element/Type: Illusion
Rank:
Mana Drain:
Movement will not make noise. Other creatures are less likely to notice the caster even if they see her passing by.

Fire. For show. Also for setting things on fire.
Spell Name: Firesparks
Element/Type: Fire
Rank:
Mana Drain:
Create sparks of fire. Given enough time and concentration, it can light a fireplace, although some flint and starter would help.

Equipment:
- Traveling cloak
- Coat with plenty of pockets, containing:
-- A bag of coins
-- A deck of cards
-- Needles and thread
- Belt, holding:
-- A dagger
-- A flask of water

Weapon:
Item Type: Dagger
Name: Just a dagger
Appearance: It's very functional; good for cutting ropes and monsters alike. Nanda polishes and cleans it daily, enough that she can use it to cut up food.
Ability: Nope
Damage: 5

Stats
Newbie
Level 1
HP 100
MP 50

Vitality: 4
Speed: 7
Strength: 2
Endurance: 4
Mana: 8

TL;DR: Daughter of a king of thieves, raised by a showman. At home in the spotlight as much as in the shadows. Support kid in battle.