etraya | un: blackhat

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un: blackhat | text

Before we all head into the labyrinth, I figure we should have a level playing field for making calls about risk.

If you die here, apparently you don't stay dead. You're down for two days or so, then you resurrect wherever your body happens to be. So it's probably a nice gesture, if you see a corpse in the maze, to drag them somewhere not totally inconvenient to wake up.

The temporarily dead also come back fully healed of injuries, but the penalty is some kind of personal loss. Think scars, tattoos, a digit, possibly more intangible qualities, etc. I have no idea what the rules are on that, so if anyone has any useful speculation, consider the floor open.

In fact, if anyone is familiar with this kind of thing back in your universes, you're invited to share with the class. The more we know about resurrection in general, maybe the more we can figure out about how it works here. Bonus marks if you have first hand experience.

Flat | Top-Level Comments Only

What was the last mission that it was deadly enough to kill one of us?

For what it's worth, resurrection is a pretty known thing where I'm from as long as you have a skilled enough Cleric and enough resources to spare. The longer someone's been dead, the harder it is to bring them back, and the more likely it is that they'll be in pretty rough shape afterwards. But I've never heard of resurrection changing your tattoos or taking away limbs or whatever. What you're describing sounds like a punishment for failure.

Evil clones. Be happy you missed it.

I'm thinking the same thing. It makes sense, in a fucked up way. If you make a respawn mechanic free, players will abuse it.

What kind of resources does a cleric need to bring people back from the dead? I'm trying to work out the relative costs.

Oh, gross. Glad I missed it.

It being inconsistent with what we lose is just more evidence that it's meant as a punishment. If it was just the cost of doing magic, then it would probably remain consistent the entire time. It would at least always be something physical or something mental, not a total crap shoot, right? If their goal is to train us, then it wouldn't make sense for us to have the get-out-of-jail-free card of just beefing it at the beginning so by the time we come back, it's over.

If you get to the body within a minute, then that's a diamond. About 300 gold pieces worth. Within ten days, that's 500 gold pieces. Basically, it's just an insane amount of money. Which is why when most people die, they stay dead.

Very.

Especially since it comes with a free heal. That could get unpleasant.

[ The cure for a broken leg shouldn't be a two day death nap, ideally. ]

And you think the goal might be to train us, huh? I haven't heard that one before. Where are you getting that from?

So death is pay-to-win. Does the cleric keep the diamonds, or use them up?

The cleric doesn't get to keep the diamonds. They're used up as you cast the spell. I couldn't tell you much more than that, though. Magic's not really my thing.

The training thing is just one theory. That thing mentioned "bonding activities" for last month's 'mission'. Now we're being forced into a maze where we're supposed to collaborate with each other. If we take what they're saying about saving the world at face value, which I don't, then what it seems like to me is that we're being deliberately put into situations to test us and to force us to work as a team. It's a more like

Manufactured? I guess? Version of what they have us doing at the Academy back home.

Don't sweat it. Thanks for the info.

The question would be what they're training us for. Getting better at challenges? Teaching us the general rules we're working under? Why teamwork, anyway? If only some of our worlds are supposedly going to make it, that seems like an incentive to prioritize your success over everyone else's.

Unless the idea is to get us to form consistent groups and rate us as teams. The best ones help each other win, and the losers drag each other down. Which still raises the question of 'why' in a different way, but I'll admit, I still don't know what the fuck any of this has to do with how much our worlds 'deserve' to be saved. Sorry you didn't make the cut, Earth Theta - the unknowable alien picked a rep for you who sucks at being a team player, so now you all have to die.

Oh yeah, it's super suspect. The idea that they'd bring in ambassadors from different worlds to make these decisions with the expectation that we wouldn't just prioritize our own worlds is insane. Plus, if that was their goal, then why do some worlds get multiple representatives instead of just one? Not to mention their wild decision making in who they've brought here and an absolutely wild human-bias.

Basically, none of it is adding up. But if we can figure out the surface-rationale, it might get us closer to figuring out the true heart of things. [ He's been here for a week, and already his conspiracy board is getting cluttered. He needs another one. Maybe two more. ] Part of me thinks that this is all being filmed and we're just some sort of fucked up entertainment for whoever's running this. Some Real Househusbands of Bastion City type shit. We'll know more once we get through this stupid Labyrinth, I guess.

No kidding. Have you clocked the cape population? We're supposed to be competing with superheroes in a 'save the world' competition. Do you know what the last thing I competed in was? A video game tournament.

[ Whoever this is, they're speaking his language. Enough so that he decides to pass up commenting on 'human-bias', even though he's curious about the implied not-humanness involved. You can't just ask people if they're not human on the internet without looking prejudiced. ]

I've thought about the multiversal reality show angle. Fucked up as it is, it'd be less fucked up than what we're being told. Because if this is what Aurora is telling us it is, whoever's judging the fate of the universes has a real funny way of going about it.

Whatever happens in there, at least we get a better idea of the parameters we're working with.

Okay in fairness to you, a video game tournament sounds totally sick, and if we weren't contemplating life-or-death challenges in a spooky maze, I'd really want to hear more about it. We can bookmark that one.

Right?? I think the reality show angle has merit! The only problem is that there's no cameramen around for us to shoot in the face. Joking!

[ He's absolutely not joking. ]

The superhero thing is really weird too, now that you mention it. They're not really a thing where I'm from. It seems like half of the people here sharing the same background would give them a pretty big advantage when it comes to teamwork challenges. I can't say it's unfair when I came in here with half of my party, but there's just the three of us. Did you come in with anyone you know too?

[ It's hard to say what's more appealing: the appreciation of esports, or the definitely-just-kidding readiness to theoretically shoot a cameraman in the face. ]

If we both make it out, I'll tell you about it over an arcade game. Deal?

And that'd be convenient. Messing with the robots just makes me feel like an asshole.

Capes are a big thing where I come from. I'd never met any superheroes up close and personal like this, though.

[ 'Like this' is doing a lot of heavy lifting in the realm of keeping that statement technically true. ]

I'm not ungrateful they're here, considering what we're dealing with, but they're not capes from my world. Not really sure how I'm supposed to match up with people who have this as their day job.

And I didn't come in with anyone I know.

[ That one's only true to the extent he defines with as being on the same side, but that's true enough in the context of talking about teamwork. ]

Your friends, do they also go to this Academy of yours?

Deal! Just don't kick my ass too hard. I'm not very good.

Sucks that you came in alone, though. That must have been freaky. But yeah, my friends are from the Academy too. They're maximumlegend and everybodysoracle on here. [ Best to keep their real names off the network, because... there's no real reason to. He's just a paranoid wreck. ] Maybe you've spoken to them already? They're pretty awesome.

I'll be the judge of that. Deal confirmed.

[ Whether or not he kicks his ass; whether or not he's good; username theball can take his pick. ]

It's not that bad. I'm adaptable.

And I've talked to maximumlegend. He's cool. I'll keep an eye out for everybodysoracle.

[ He can respect some good old-fashioned discretion. No reason to mention Fabian couldn't wait to get his name out there. ]

So, are you all on the same Bloodrush team, or what's the story there?

Nah. Bloodrush isn't my thing. [ He desperately wishes it was, but his -2 to Strength says otherwise. But at least this dude agrees with the most important bit: Fabian is, improbably, cool. ] I'm in the AV Club.

We're in the same Adventuring Party. That's what I meant by saying this reminded me of an assignment from home -- we're expected to form balanced groups and tackle our assignments as a collective. You live or die by your Adventuring Party.

That's cool. I wasn't in the one at my school, but they let me get a look at their equipment sometimes.

[ Why couldn't he have talked to this one first?? ]

That makes sense. The game I play is kind of like that. Team-based, and everyone has their specialized role to cover anything that might come up. We even go into dungeons for the raids.

Obviously, I'm guessing it's different when you're doing it in real life.

[ You could have been asked to join Riz in tinkering instead, buddy!!! Instead you're stuck playing fantasy football!! ]

Different context, same general ideas. I think it carries over. There's nothing like practical experience, but practical adventuring skills only go so far when you haven't worked on the whole theory of the thing first.

But in that case... which was your role?

Illusion-subtlety-assassin hybrid.

The subtlety and assassin aspects were for picking off members of the opposing team as opportunities arose, and the illusion magic was for tricking them into expending resources early and concealing my team's movements as we made the push to the end game.

It's basically about drawing out and exploiting vulnerabilities. Fast, effective, and a build that people weren't expecting to have to counter.

Cool. Not very handy outside of a team build for full-on assaults, but very cool. If we were going to transpose that to my experience, you'd be a Rogue like me, just one with an arcano specialization. We're good at playing support.

But hey, are you gonna be okay out there? Like do you have any real world experience with fighting or what?

[ It was cool. ]

I only ever played seriously with a dedicated team, and that team only ever did full on assaults. It was sort of our signature.

People underestimate the support roles. That's where you can pull off the best tricks.

I'll get by. I don't have the kind of experience some of the rest of you have, but I'm not planning on trying a full on assault solo, either.

So what do you do on your team, as a Rogue? Does the trap disarming thing apply to you?

All right. As long as you've got some people to stick by to watch your back. You might want to go to that person's clubhouse or whatever -- she said there's some weapons there, and anything's usually better than just using your fists.

Yeah, you got it. A Rogue's job is to deal with anything fiddly, pretty much: disarming traps, picking locks, being able to get in and out of places without being seen, being able to notice things other people don't. That last bit is my personal specialty. I got my official PI license last year.

[ He has business cards! ]

This case is a little bigger than suspicious wives and cheating husbands, though.

That's the plan. My hands are far too valuable for me to start throwing punches if I can avoid it.

[ His gun is sitting on the coffee table in front of him, his second reward from Aurora. He's not interested in advertising that he's come into possession of one of the rarest commodities in this city just yet.

But he's not really thinking about the casual lie of omission. He's busy catching a small smile tugging at one corner of his mouth as he adds this new information into the emerging portrait of this interesting individual. ]

Would you believe you're the second PI I've met here? I guess we're covered if this does turn out to be a reality show, infidelity and all.

That's cool. And a solid class/profession synergy. Your friend has something similar with being a fighter and a bard, doesn't he? Is that typical for your party, or are you two the exceptions?

[ And given theball's discretion to date, Krouse might as well throw in - ]

Don't feel obligated to answer if that's strategically sensitive. I'm just curious.

If there's a bunch of superheroes, then why not a bunch of PIs too? Who's the other one?

And don't worry, it's not strategically sensitive. What class you choose really has less to do with your strategy than how you use it. Everyone in a single class can go in some wildly different directions. I haven't bothered multiclassing, personally. The PI thing is just a job.

[ Besides, Fabian's whole deal is less about strategic soundness and more about a monumental emotional breakdown and subsequent spiritual rediscovering of self. Which Riz doesn't get, personally, but he's just happy he's not shuffling around making weird little mournful noises anymore.

Instead he's making weird little happy noises. While he... twirls. It's fucking bizarre, but he's happy for him. ]

Most of us stick to our own class. Multiclassing is like a whole thing. It really piles on the homework too. There's arguments for and against it, but I'm pretty happy in my niche.

But you've collected a bunch of data on us, by now. How about you? Is professional gaming like your whole thing or are you in school too? I'm assuming you can't be that old in that profession.

[ Krouse weighs the call for a second. He's being generally discreet, but Jessica didn't seem to have any reservations about sharing her job. If she's unhappy about it, he can probably recover from the fumble. ]

Jessica. Tall, dark hair, pale, human, low tolerance for bullshit.

And I see. So it's more of how you focus within the class that defines how you end up executing it in practice, and there's a distinction between your class and your career. Multiclassing is like adding another focus to your degree program, more or less.

(Aside: what does adventuring homework look like? 'Fetch me ten bear hides by Monday? Turn in a theoretical essay on lockpicking?')

As for me, I'm done with high school. I'd been looking at college after that, but plans got disrupted. Now I'm here, deeply regretting the decision to be born in a universe where the most practical thing you can learn in standardized education is how to lie to school administrators.

Yeah, you've more or less got it. Our post-grad careers will probably have a lot to do with our specialty, but most people take what they can get while we're still in school.

[ Riz's is a special case, but he is, as his mother says, 'a special little guy'. ]

You're actually pretty close to the mark when it comes to our assignments. It's pretty dependent on your specialty there too. Like, wizards have to spend a long time writing essays on the structure of magical theory and stuff, but fighters will spend more of their time learning about different weapon techniques and forms, and artificers will lean how to construct magical items. That kind of thing. Then our bigger party-wide projects look more like us getting sent out to deal with outside threats to put those practical skills to the test.

Aguefort's not really your typical school. Most people go to a school that's probably more like yours. The adventuring life isn't really all that appealing to everyone. But you've got a point that your high school probably didn't really prepare you for whatever all this stuff is. What were you planning on going to college for?

I guess someone has to man the taverns and run the potion shops.

So it's essentially a magnet school, except your field trips involve a possibility of getting eaten by something and the unpopular kids can throw fireballs. I'm not sure if that sounds better or worse, actually. Do they still make you do pep rallies?

I hadn't decided what I was doing yet. Maybe something with computers. Related to what I was doing anyway, and it pays well. Which could have come in theoretically useful, if I'd actually had the chance to go.

On the other hand, this could be an opportunity to really fill out my college application packet, if you think about it. 'How I saved the world' is a hell of an essay hook.

Yeah, like 98% of jobs have nothing to do with adventuring. It's basically a very specialized trade school. With fireballs. And I think maybe with pep rallies still? I don't know, I don't really bother with a lot of the school spirit stuff.

[ He will not point out that he's the unpopular kid in this equation, sans fireballs. He just has a gun. This is probably not much better. ]

Correction: How I Saved The Universe, apparently. Personally, I think if that's actually the case, I should get an automatic pass straight through Senior Year. But seriously, if you have any independent computer know-how (I assume computers are just like crystal tech without the magic?) that might actually come in handy here. Something to discuss offline, I think.

un: blackhat | text

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