in_nomine-digest Thursday, September 19 2002 Volume 01 : Number 2779 In this digest: Re: IN> Ofanim angels? IN> Restaurant of Lost Souls IN> Finally updated... Re: IN> Finally updated... RE: IN> The Aegis Re: IN> Cow. IN> Re: The Aegis IN> Hex IN> Jinx IN> Richelieu IN> Richelieu Re: IN> Ofanim angels? Re: IN> Ofanim angels? Re: IN> Ofanim angels? Re: IN> Hex Re: IN> Ofanim angels? Re: IN> Hex IN> Expanded Resonances: Malakh(ite) RE: IN> Ofanim angels? RE: IN> Ofanim angels? RE: IN> Ofanim angels? Re: IN> Ofanim angels? Re: IN> Expanded Resonances: Malakh(ite) RE: IN> Ofanim angels? Re: IN> Expanded Resonances: Malakh(ite) Re: IN> Ofanim angels? IN> Triangulate Re: IN> Ofanim angels? Re: IN> Ofanim angels? RE: IN> Ofanim angels? ---------------------------------------------------------------------- Date: Wed, 18 Sep 2002 22:36:18 -0400 From: "William J. Keith" Subject: Re: IN> Ofanim angels? >Odd. The movement rate is directly based on the check digit of the roll in >IN proper - CD miles in a single minute. Yeah, that is weird. Most of the conversions preserve a bit more of the flavor than that. However, 120 mph on foot is plenty fast enough for >minute. (Now, I grant that that's only 42 miles in that minute, which >*still* doesn't seem fast enough to me... but it's a start.) Still not fast enough? Heh. How about the Lightning Attunement I proposed a while back (perhaps a difficult use of the regular Ofanite resonance, for anyone?): multiply the move of a vehicle in which the Ofanite is traveling. That way, no matter what humans create, Ofanim can always move faster. They just need a little help from those vehicles, that's all. :^) Eventually, you'll hit relativistic problems -- but that's a whole other regime. Mmm. I just had the image of an Ofanite doing this in a fighter jet. Actually, never mind; I just had the image of an Ofanite in a fighter jet.... Pity there's almost no place on the Earth's surface where such a sight would not utterly freak out the inhabitants. Ooh, 'nother free-association! Altered Time Rate, CD levels. 'Course, that's way too powerful, really -- turns every Ofanite into the Flash. Still... *muttermutterGURPScalculations* At 100 points per level, with the Resonance Roll Required and the Resonance Backlash, and limiting it to, say degree-of-success minutes, that'd be 25 GURPS points per level, or a reasonable 10 In Nomine points, for an Ofanite who had had his Resonance "fine-tuned" by his Superior. (At one level, you can take two actions for everyone else's one; at level two, you can take three, and so forth.) Requires a Resonance roll, and the Ofanite suffers dissonance on a critfail as usual. If an Ofanite in my game wanted it, I'd probably allow it if they paid the points. It's in line with the Ofanite nature, the point cost and possible backlash would (hopefully) keep it from being abused, and I personally think it looks neat. >-EDG William ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Sep 2002 23:31:02 -0400 From: "Josh Moger" Subject: IN> Restaurant of Lost Souls Actually, the restaurant is called "Thursdays." It's your usual, run-of-the-mill, theme restaurant. Customers usually come in to buy coffee and pancakes in the morning, and families tend to bring their children for the early bird specials. The real crowd, however, comes in between eleven and two. The specials of the day all seem to be in effect around that time. It attracts both blue and white collar workers, all eager for the actually quality cooking that they recieve. Even angels, especially of Creation and Flowers, like to come there for the quality fare. Which is surprising. Since the entire establishment is run by Impudites of Gluttony. It's odd, really. No one thinks of the best means of getting that daily dose of essence that humans generate every day at noon. One particularly observant Impudite (recently Fallen from Creation) who had been a cook in a previous Role, started a small hotdog stand, making sure to be on the corner of a particularly busy street around lunch time. It turned out to be the perfect opportunity. With just a smile and a bit of small talk, the Impudite hid his Charm resonance and drained his customer's essence. There wasn't much per customer, but there was plenty due to the number of customers. Eventually, though, customers started avoiding the hot dog stand, due to the series of unfortunate accidents that seemed to surround it. Desperate to prove his idea was worthy of a servitor attunement from his new master, the Impudite began using his band attunement to instill hunger in random strangers passing his cart, so as to gain new clientele and keep up his essence harvest. Unfortunately, the disturbance and the sudden biting hunger of a passing Malakite (who remembered shaking hands with a particularly friendly hotdog seller), resulted in the Impudite getting sent to his Heart (with a particularly humorous use of his own hotdog stand). Recovering from his weenie attack, the demon looked over his options and decided to present his plan to Haagenti, believing that his results would speak for themselves. Well, after Haagenti swallowed the Impudite whole (he still smelled of hotdogs... with relish. Haagenti looooooves relish), the Demon Prince remembered what his, former, servitor had spoken of. Restaurants where the patrons come for the food but leave with no essence? Hmmm... So "Thursdays" was implemented. The restaurant was in fact built over a tether to Gluttony (detailed in a later post). The Seneschal is a Habbalite Captain of Cannibals, who poses as the hostess, using her resonance to make sure that any customer who comes in will stay until filled and then eat a bit more. Haagenti actually planned the restaurant well. The waiters and waitresses are Impudites, but they only Charm/Drain during the lunch rush. The Seneschal has a linkup in her ear that allows her to get messages from an office behind the kitchen. The office is staffed by a Djinn of Technology on loan from Vapula. The Djinn constantly monitors one screen from a camera posted at the entrance to the door. It's not perfect, but the camera is a new technology incorporating the Impudite Technology band attunement glasses. The Seneschal makes sure to sit anyone who has a suspiciously high amount of essence at the tables the Impudites don't target for draining. Haagenti is using Thursdays as a test run. If it works, he'll look into a franchise. And then there's the Lilim waitresses/cooks he's thinking about bringing in... Josh ------------------------------ Date: Wed, 18 Sep 2002 20:41:37 -0700 (PDT) From: Maurice Lane Subject: IN> Finally updated... ...if I missed anything, let me know. (pause) BTW, did I ever mention in passing just what in God's name I was THINKING when I wrote out Phlegm Zombis? Was I down with a cold, or something? :) Moe ===== Liber Licentiae Moeticae: http://www.stormloader.com/users/moelane/innomine.html Last updated 09/18/02 (this is usually way out of date) __________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? New DSL Internet Access from SBC & Yahoo! http://sbc.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 00:49:24 -0400 From: "Josh Moger" Subject: Re: IN> Finally updated... ~~~~~~ Yves (reading aloud): "'Goldilocks went to the first bowl of porridge, but it was too hot. So, Goldilocks went to the second bowl, but it was too cold. But then, she went to the third bowl, and it was just right.' (looks up and smiles) I'm sorry, but were you asking me something?" "Never play chess with him - but trust him with your life. Without him, it will all fall apart so quickly that we could never hope to salvage anything from the wreck." ~~~~~~ Moe, I just had to say- you really do come up with some of the best Yves quotes. Josh ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 08:13:24 +0300 From: "Bergeron, Robert F., DS1(SW)" Subject: RE: IN> The Aegis - -----Original Message----- From: Michael Walton [mailto:thunderdog_sa@yahoo.com] Two quibbles: 1) The Aegis is mentioned in LR as an Artifact that Zadkiel intends to wield during Armageddon. It's doubtful that she would name an organization after it. =====

Michael Walton, #US2002023848

"Don't repent. Stop sinnin'." -- old cowboy saying

I dunno, seems like the perfect name for it, since she holds the Aegis herself. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 00:18:19 -0500 From: "Prodigal" Subject: Re: IN> Cow. From: "Whistling in the Dark" > > Furfur: Free range DEMON walking! Whoo hoo! Better run, boy! Steak > tastes better raw! Cow tipping, baby! ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 19:14:03 +0930 From: "G N E Z D A" Subject: IN> Re: The Aegis Regarding the name: I forgot about Zadkiel's Aegis, but I suppose having two things with the same name wouldn't be that bad. Afterall, there is a Valeforian organisation (the Shepherds) that has the same name as servitors of Destiny. The Aegis just seems to be the perfect name for it though. Regarding inter-word affiliation: Well, I had planned to have an inter-word affiliation. The organisation is, on paper, an organisation under the aegis (*mgrin* :)) of Zadkiel, however many servitors are 'on-loan' from other Superiors, and many Superiors do lend support. For example, Novalis grants her Cherubim of Flowers attunement to some of them (so they can heal people who are mortally wounded if there isn't time to take them away from danger before they die), Laurence has a very strong connection to them given their sense of honour, dedication and their unity (so David does have *some* sympathy for them too, but he's more of the school 'Let them die in that warzone, it'd strengthen the rest', in my opinion), etc. But any other inter-word connections you spot that I may have missed, feel free to inform me, so I can expand its influence. :) - --- Outgoing mail is certified Virus Free. Checked by AVG anti-virus system (http://www.grisoft.com). Version: 6.0.381 / Virus Database: 214 - Release Date: 2/08/2002 ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 07:23:00 -0400 From: EDG Subject: IN> Hex This is, perhaps, overpowered. Moe'll love it. - -EDG New Attunement: Hex (Destiny, Fate) Hex allows a character to draw the forces of luck down upon another. Whenever the GM or another character makes a roll, this character may spend 3 Essence to force a re-roll. He must declare before the re-roll occurs whether the better or worse roll will be kept. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 07:29:53 -0400 From: EDG Subject: IN> Jinx This may also be overpowered. - -EDG New Attunement: Jinx (Fate, the Game) Jinx allows a character to temporarily give another person a run of bad luck. This power costs 2 Essence, and lasts for a number of minutes equal to the Essence spent (including the activation cost; the minimum duration is therefore 2 minutes): when used, the target character (who may be an NPC) suffers a penalty to *all* rolls equal to the user's Celestial Forces. This power cannot be layered: only one Jinx may be placed on a target at a time, with the first Jinx overriding all others until it expires. A more powerful version of this exists, known as Curse: the cost is 10 Essence, but the effect is permanent. (The penalty is equal to the user's *current* Celestial Forces, in this case; raising one's statistics does not raise the penalty.) A Curse can be considered a Celestial Discord, and may be removed or ameliorated like one, although it does not affect daily Essence regeneration. (A Jinx, however, is simply a temporary setback.) ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 08:40:12 -0400 From: BC Petery Subject: IN> Richelieu > I imagine that Richelieu's dedication to preserving France's political > stability and independance allowed him to achieve his Destiny, as opposed to > his Fate. Now in Heaven, he would gravitate to serving The Sword, serving > as an advisor in human politics to the Archangel who would most benefit from > a human opinion... There's a nice write up of Richelieu in GURPS Who's Who. A useful tome for historical campains and for describing souls in the afterlife. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 08:40:12 -0400 From: BC Petery Subject: IN> Richelieu > I imagine that Richelieu's dedication to preserving France's political > stability and independance allowed him to achieve his Destiny, as opposed to > his Fate. Now in Heaven, he would gravitate to serving The Sword, serving > as an advisor in human politics to the Archangel who would most benefit from > a human opinion... There's a nice write up of Richelieu in GURPS Who's Who. A useful tome for historical campains and for describing souls in the afterlife. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 05:54:49 -0700 (PDT) From: Michael Walton Subject: Re: IN> Ofanim angels? - --- "William J. Keith" wrote: > I'd be surprised if Ofanim of Light > weren't able to travel at lightspeed, at least briefly. That is in fact the Choir Attunement that I wrote for them back when I tackled Lighties. =====

Michael Walton, #US2002023848

"Don't repent. Stop sinnin'." -- old cowboy saying

__________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? New DSL Internet Access from SBC & Yahoo! http://sbc.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 05:59:50 -0700 (PDT) From: Michael Walton Subject: Re: IN> Ofanim angels? - --- EDG wrote: > The fastest jet in the world has a top speed of 2190 mph It's a bit faster than that, actually. The SR-71 has an _admitted_ top speed of about Mach 3. It's known that it can go faster than that, but the U.S. government won't say exactly how much faster. And the Blackbird was designed and built in the late 1960's; we surely have faster stuff now. > an orbiting > spacecraft, on average, travels about 14 times as fast as > an 18-Force > Ofanite who spends all of his Essence on a single > minute's speed (20,000 miles per hour). Escape velocity alone is 7 miles per second, which works out to about Mach 33. Humans build some impressive stuff. =====

Michael Walton, #US2002023848

"Don't repent. Stop sinnin'." -- old cowboy saying

__________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? New DSL Internet Access from SBC & Yahoo! http://sbc.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 09:07:22 -0400 From: EDG Subject: Re: IN> Ofanim angels? At 10:36 PM 9/18/2002 -0400, William J. Keith wrote: >... for an Ofanite who had had his Resonance "fine-tuned" by his Superior. Now this... ...this is an interesting concept. Resonance tuning... (but it has to be done by an Archangel of the same choir...) - -EDG processing... ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 06:04:39 -0700 (PDT) From: Michael Walton Subject: Re: IN> Hex My one quibble is that Destiny and Fate seem to concentrate more on time. Randomness and luck are portrayed as being under the auspices of Theft and the Wind. =====

Michael Walton, #US2002023848

"Don't repent. Stop sinnin'." -- old cowboy saying

__________________________________________________ Do you Yahoo!? New DSL Internet Access from SBC & Yahoo! http://sbc.yahoo.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 09:13:01 -0400 From: EDG Subject: Re: IN> Ofanim angels? At 05:59 AM 9/19/2002 -0700, Michael Walton wrote: > It's a bit faster than that, actually. The SR-71 has an >_admitted_ top speed of about Mach 3. It's known that it >can go faster than that, but the U.S. government won't say >exactly how much faster. And the Blackbird was designed >and built in the late 1960's; we surely have faster stuff >now. That's what I get for trusting an encyclopedia. ;) > Escape velocity alone is 7 miles per second, which works >out to about Mach 33. Humans build some impressive stuff. Which is why Ofanim need to be updated (two of their three resonance options have become obsolete in the last century)... ...or other choirs need to start becoming obsolete. I wonder if that's a sign of the End Times? - -EDG ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 09:15:42 -0400 From: EDG Subject: Re: IN> Hex At 06:04 AM 9/19/2002 -0700, Michael Walton wrote: > My one quibble is that Destiny and Fate seem to >concentrate more on time. Randomness and luck are >portrayed as being under the auspices of Theft and the Wind. Mm, true. (I was thinking of Escaflowne when I wrote this up, though.) - -EDG ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 07:40:35 -0600 From: Julian Mensch Subject: IN> Expanded Resonances: Malakh(ite) I will not offer to post something until I'm sure I have it ready. I will not offer to post something until I'm sure I have it ready. I will not offer to post something until I'm sure I have it ready. That out of the way, here's the basic rundown on my Backwards-heretical look at expanded resonances. The basic concept is that resonance is more an aptitude then a power, and (_especially_ on the angelic side, where Celestials are very concerned with hewing closely to traditional perceptions of their role in the Divine Order) it governs a great deal about an angel's skills, methodology, attitude and general nature beyond it's game mechanics. There's a number of rules tweaks, as yet mostly only in my notebooks rather then written out fully, but here's the basic jist: * Resonances are broken down into sub-aspects called Facets. Each Facet of a resonance has a corresponding skill rated from one to six. Any resonance roll starts out with a base penalty of -6, lessened by one for each level of the corresponding Facet skill that the user has. Thus, one Menunim might be better at understanding hopes, while another focuses on fears. Celestials recieve six free resource points to spend on Facet skills at creation. * Trivial uses of resonance require no roll, nor do any charts need to be consulted. This is essentially just making official a common-sense rule anyway, but it can be significant with the infernal resonances, as demons backlash. Essentially, it's "resonance cantrips." Each resonance defines what's trivial differently - Seraphim, for example, can sense without rolling if a speaker is directly and intentionally lying (i.e., CD 1 on their table) if the speaker's Total Forces + Lying Skill resource level is lower then the Seraph's Total Forces. (They can still roll to get a better check digit, of course.) Calabim, OTOH, can destroy any inanimate object that could be destroyed by a single unarmed blow from someone with Strength equal to their Corporeal Forces, without needing to roll. Let's start with the Malakim, since they didn't get much new in the way of bennies in the APG. This is a _very_ early draft, BTW. Comments welcome. Malakim Resonance ================= Malakim resonate for righteousness in all it's forms, themselves being right conduct personified. Strangely, they have no supernatural insight into the objective nature of right and wrong in the manner that some of Dominic and Michael's attunements grant, nor do they have a revealed understanding of the desires of God, as Metatron's servants do. Rather than being judges, they are avengers, enforcers of the orthodox moral standards set down by Metatron, Uriel, Dominic, Gabriel and other divine theologians. The diversity of viewpoints among Heaven's many Words -- and especially the four Superiors above -- is thus an acute source of tension to the Choir as a whole. While Elohim personify objectivity, it is the Malakim who grasp for it the most fanatically -- and often find it eluding their grasp. To reconcile the diversity of Word-perspectives with their inborn belief that there must be one absolute right in all things, Malakim have strong inter-Choir bonds that are almost cultic in nature, with special groups policing the Choir as a whole attempting to enforce orthodoxy. This does more to subliminate the problem then rectify it, however -- the simple truth is that the Malakim resonance is based upon each individual Malakh's understanding of right and wrong, and thus two Malakim can get completely different readings on the same subject. For example, a Urielite would almost surely read a devout pagan as debased and evil, while a Dominican, would see the subject as free of any objective wrongdoing, if somewhat dis- tasteful to angelic sensibilities. The Malakh resonance has the following four Facets: Virtue and Sin: The ability that almost all Malakim emphasize the most and learn first allows them to percieve virtue and sin in a subject, by their own standards. This requires a standard Perception-based resonance roll, and uses the following table: 1 You know the most despicable thing the person has done that week, by your own perceptions of nobility. 2 You know the most noble and despicable thing the person has done that week, by your own perceptions of nobility. 3 You know the three most despicable things the person has done that year, by your own perceptions. 4 You know the three most noble and the three most despicable things the person has done that year, by your own perceptions. 5 You know the person's greatest virtue and worst sin. 6 Also, you can percieve the most likely virtious ascent and good works that person has the potential for, as well as what is presently most likely to lead him to Damnation. [ Replace "Damnation" with "Fate" for canon IN. No Fate or Destiny in my heresy, see... ] Obligations: Just as Malakim are bound by their Vows [Oaths], so their resonance can reveal unto them the obligations that bind others -- personal, professional and religious. This ability can reveal another Malakim's Vows or the geasa gained from the Lilim resonance -- though few Malakim consider the licentious trickery of the Lilim to be any kind of legitimate obligation, they do represent something a person has sworn themselves to*. 1 You know the rough nature (filial, professional, ethical, religious, etc.) of the greatest obligation a person has, from his perspective. 2 ... and the rough nature of all his most serious obligations and duties ... 3 ... and how dutiful or negligent in general he has been with regard to each one ... 4 ... and the one most severe infraction of duty he has performed recently ... 5 ... and all the severe breeches of obligation in his history ... 6 ... and what, if anything, would drive him to take his duties more seriously. [ This is very vague and needs revision, I know. It's a basic concept draft. ] [ * You have to _agree_ to a Backwards-Lilot's geas. Malakim probably shouldn't read geasa as vows in canon, cause people get stuck with them invoulantarily. ] Sensing the Guilty: Malakim can also pick the perpetrator of a specific crime or general sin out of a crowd. This can be anything the Malakh desires, from "the soul in this crowd most corrupted by the sin of Pride" to "the individual who commit the murder of Eleanor Ann Langly." The criterion chosen must be specific enough to net one unambigious most guilty party, however, and it can only be used to pick out things the Malakh truly believes are evil. This is a standard Perception- based resonance roll, but a failure means that this specific Facet is "burnt out" in regards to sensing anything remotely connected to the criterion given for the remainder of the adventure it was used in. If nobody matches the criterion given, the resonance will tell the Malakh that. 1 Pick the guiltiest person out of a group of up to five people, all of whom must be in the Malakh's line of sight right now. 2 Pick the guiltiest person out of a group of up to twenty-five people, all of whom must be in the Malakh's line of sight right now. 3 Pick the guiltiest person out of a group of up to fifty people, all of whom must have been in the general area the Malakh is in now within the last minute. 4 Pick the guiltiest person out of a group of up to a hundred people, all of whom must have been in the general area the Malakh is in now within the last hour. 5 Pick the guiltiest person out of all the people who have been in the general area over the last 12 hours. 6 Pick the guiltiest person out of all the people who have been in the general area over the last week. [I'm think this will get revised so that the Malakim can only pick up on someone's crime not currently present if the Malakh is at the actual scene of the crime. And yes, I saw _Unbreakable_.] Moral Paradigm: While most Malakim are distinctly... physical in their approach to dealing with evil, the current dynamic in Heaven looks strongly askance at violence. [ Peace Faction's the major power in my heretical world; the "hot" War ended in the Middle Ages. ] Many younger Malakim seek different ways to fight against the things that they see as evil or corrupt in the world, and this aspect of their resonance gives them a powerful tool for seeking more social or spiritual weapons to evil. Still, very few Malakim outside of the Garden [Novalis], Providence [Zadkiel] or Innocence [Christopher] profess much skill with this Facet. Put simply, a Malakh can use this Facet to determine _why_ a person views something as right or wrong, and how that perspective can be changed into something more to the angel's liking. 1 You can sense if the subject's understanding of morality is severely deviant from your own... 2 ...and, from your perspective, what the subject's one single most flawed moral axiom is. 3 You know in a few words the basic nature of the subject's moral paradigm (ethical vs. pragmatic, atruistic vs. self-centered, rule-driven vs. situational, objective vs. subjective, forgiving vs. severe, conservative vs. liberal, etc.) This will detect a sociopath, who has no moral paradigm. 4 ... and you know how the subject applies that paradigm to a few issues of your choice ... 5 ... and what circumstance or temptation has the greatest chance of damaging his ethics... 6 ... and you are able to sense what would bring the subject closer to (your perception of) a truer moral understanding. - ------------------------------------------------------------ This is 10K, according to Outlook, so I'd better stop here. Mercurians or Elohim sometime next week, maybe. If there's high ASCII, I'm sorry. This was a Word doc, and I tried to weed it all out. - -- Julian Mensch ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 07:53:21 -0600 From: Julian Mensch Subject: RE: IN> Ofanim angels? << > Escape velocity alone is 7 miles per second, which works >out to about Mach 33. Humans build some impressive stuff. Which is why Ofanim need to be updated (two of their three resonance options have become obsolete in the last century)... >> I _strongly_ disagree that everything Celestial needs to be bigger then what humans make, just cause. The Ofanim travel plenty fast for a _natural_ mode of locomotion. A supernatural power that gives your body the same inherant toughness as a flak jacket does is useful in any number of ways that the jacket isn't, even though there's far better kinds of armor then a flak jacket available. Fortitude in Vampire is like this -- the best types of armor offer way more soak dice, but Fortitude is still invaluable to the Kindred for many (fairly obvious) reasons. Same with the Ofanim resonance. It's innate. There's no acceleration stresses. It can be used in celestial form. And no matter what, it's always available and can never be taken away. For any reasonable-length trip, it's all but guaranteed to take less time then arranging for mundane transport. Truthfully, I think Ofanim have the third best resonance in the game, after Kyrios and Mercurians, in terms of raw power and utility. - -- Julian ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 14:03:58 +0000 From: "Charles Glasgow" Subject: RE: IN> Ofanim angels? >From: Julian Mensch >Subject: RE: IN> Ofanim angels? >Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 07:53:21 -0600 [snip] >Truthfully, I think Ofanim have the third best resonance >in the game, after Kyrios and Mercurians, in terms of >raw power and utility. And in GURPS IN, they have what might very well be the most powerful resonance of them all -- an only slightly above-average Ofanite will average a Dodge roll of 16- on 3d6! (In GURPS IN, the margin by which you make your Resonance roll adds to your Dodge roll... and the Ofanite in question had a Resonance roll of 18 and a normal Dodge of 9.) Given that in GURPS mechanics, a successful Dodge roll lets you avoid anything short of an area-effect attack, the Ofanites were moving like "Matrix" characters -- except that they actually *could* "Dodge this." - -- Chuckg _________________________________________________________________ Join the world’s largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail. http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 14:04:48 +0000 From: "Charles Glasgow" Subject: RE: IN> Ofanim angels? *snip* Ofanim. *BONKs* self on head /Ofanim/, dammit. Sorry. *g* - -- Chuckg _________________________________________________________________ Join the world’s largest e-mail service with MSN Hotmail. http://www.hotmail.com ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 10:17:55 -0400 From: Whistling in the Dark Subject: Re: IN> Ofanim angels? On Thursday, September 19, 2002, at 10:03 AM, Charles Glasgow wrote: > [snip] >> Truthfully, I think Ofanim have the third best resonance >> in the game, after Kyrios and Mercurians, in terms of >> raw power and utility. > > And in GURPS IN, they have what might very well be the most powerful > resonance of them all -- an only slightly above-average Ofanite will > average a Dodge roll of 16- on 3d6! (In GURPS IN, the margin by > which you make your Resonance roll adds to your Dodge roll... and the > Ofanite in question had a Resonance roll of 18 and a normal Dodge of > 9.) > > Given that in GURPS mechanics, a successful Dodge roll lets you avoid > anything short of an area-effect attack, the Ofanites were moving like > "Matrix" characters -- except that they actually *could* "Dodge this." > Which is so freaking *cool.* I'm playing an Ofanite of the Sword in a game -- a tyro, who's therefore under the command of a more experienced Swordie. They're currently in a combat zone, protecting some humans. A Bright Lilim, a couple of Malakim, a Djinn (don't ask) and Ripley, who's my Ofanite. Never, ever let it be said that the Ofanim compare badly to Malakim in the arts of war. It's like playing Jackie Chan hopped up on crystal meth, I swear to god.... - -- Eric A. Burns Freelance Writer and Textual Whore http://www.annotations.com (Sidewinder d20 -- because politeness increases with calibur.) ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 10:28:57 -0500 From: Earl Wajenberg Subject: Re: IN> Expanded Resonances: Malakh(ite) By the way, I applaud your use of the singular forms "Malakh" and "Lilot" instead of "Malakite" and (ick) "Lilim." I also like re-naming the Words of Novalis, Zadkiel, and Christopher as the Garden, Providence, and Innocence. Any other changes in your game? Earl ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 10:36:09 -0400 From: EDG Subject: RE: IN> Ofanim angels? At 07:53 AM 9/19/2002 -0600, Julian Mensch wrote: > I _strongly_ disagree that everything Celestial needs >to be bigger then what humans make, just cause. It's not "just cause". Ofanim were designed to be the fastest things around. They are supernatural agents of motion. To say that an artificial construct can always, *always* move faster than they can is to say that humans have overtaken God as the authority on speed. > The Ofanim >travel plenty fast for a _natural_ mode of locomotion. This *isn't* a natural mode of locomotion. This is an Angel of God doing the thing that he was specifically designed to do. > A >supernatural power that gives your body the same inherant >toughness as a flak jacket does is useful in any number of >ways that the jacket isn't, even though there's far better >kinds of armor then a flak jacket available. Fortitude in >Vampire is like this -- the best types of armor offer way >more soak dice, but Fortitude is still invaluable to the >Kindred for many (fairly obvious) reasons. However, in terms of soaking damage, the armor is going to be better. Yes, Fortitude has *other uses* - but they aren't related to soaking damage. > Same with the >Ofanim resonance. It's innate. Yet an average Ofanite fails his roll more than 50% of the time, unless he uses Essence. Less than 5% of all planes *ever* have stopped working in midair. > There's no acceleration stresses. Actually, this is never touched upon. Ofanim may, in fact, be experiencing 16 gravities as they begin and end. > It can be used in celestial form. I'm not sure that I see your point. > And no matter >what, it's always available and can never be taken away. Except for those times when it's unusable because, like the odds insist, you just failed your roll. >For any reasonable-length trip, it's all but guaranteed >to take less time then arranging for mundane transport. There's a difference between "taking less time" and "being faster". >Truthfully, I think Ofanim have the third best resonance >in the game, after Kyrios and Mercurians, in terms of >raw power and utility. Ofanim have a three-part resonance. Two parts are extremely useful (adding resonance CD to Agility-based rolls, and locating commonly-known places), although the second has become outmoded with the advent of the reliable GPS. The third part is, IMHO, not only unreliable but unreasonably underpowered in a modern-era game. - -EDG ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 10:39:06 -0400 From: EDG Subject: Re: IN> Expanded Resonances: Malakh(ite) At 07:40 AM 9/19/2002 -0600, Julian Mensch wrote: >* Resonances are broken down into sub-aspects called > Facets. Each Facet of a resonance has a corresponding > skill rated from one to six. Any resonance roll starts > out with a base penalty of -6, lessened by one for each > level of the corresponding Facet skill that the user > has. Assuming 6 Facets, an average character, with evenly-distributed characteristics and Facet ranks, has a 1-in-216 chance of successfully using his resonance (trivial uses notwithstanding): since his target number is 1, he *must* roll an Intervention in order to succeed at the roll. If an otherwise average character spends all 6 points on a single Facet - in other words, he is as skilled as he could possibly be in that use of his resonance - his chances of success rise to 41.6% (42.1% if a demon), and he *still* needs to roll an Intervention in order to succeed at any other use of his resonance (TN 0). I can't begin to imagine that that's what you intended. Suggest the default penalty be -4 at *most*. > Thus, one Menunim might be better at understanding > hopes, while another focuses on fears. Celestials recieve > six free resource points to spend on Facet skills at > creation. Nitpick: The singular is Menunite. >* Trivial uses of resonance require no roll, nor do any > charts need to be consulted. This is essentially just > making official a common-sense rule anyway, but it can > be significant with the infernal resonances, as demons > backlash. Essentially, it's "resonance cantrips." What about choirs and bands (such as Ofanim and Shedim) who don't *have* analogues to these examples? > Calabim, OTOH, can destroy any inanimate > object that could be destroyed by a single unarmed blow > from someone with Strength equal to their Corporeal > Forces, without needing to roll. The problem here is that Strength has almost nothing to do with damage. How about "any inanimate object that they could destroy with a single unarmed blow"? It gets rid of the passive voice *and* the emphasis on someone else's statistics. >...Malakim have strong inter-Choir bonds... I think you mean "intra-Choir" here. I don't see anything particularly wrong with the rest of the write-up. Unfortunately, what this means is that GMs are going to have a *lot* more work to do. (It's already tough to come up with virtues and vices on the fly - the Mercurian resonance notwithstanding!) - -EDG ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 10:45:38 -0500 From: Earl Wajenberg Subject: Re: IN> Ofanim angels? Do Ophanim at least get a bonus to learn or perform the Songs of Motion? Earl ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 11:30:28 -0400 From: EDG Subject: IN> Triangulate Inspired by FLEM Comics, of all places. "Only Imperial Stormtroopers are so precise." Everybody knows they couldn't hit Luke if they tried... but what if they weren't trying to hit Luke? - -EDG New Attunement: Triangulate (The Sword, War) This attunement can only be used when using a ranged or thrown weapon. The user of Triangulate may, by spending 1 Essence, negate *all* range penalties for a ranged weapon or halve the range penalties for a thrown weapon, for a single use of that weapon. In other words, with a firearm, bow, or other similar weapon, the combatant can make any single shot within the weapon's maximum range with no penalties for distance, as long as he knows where the target is and there is nothing obstructing the shot. (Note that this does not have to be a clear shot; an angel with Triangulate can shoot *over* buildings, although with a gun this may require a near-vertical angle of fire.) With a thrown weapon, range penalties are halved, since part of the penalty is aiming and part of it is *getting it there*. Extended use: For 2 Essence, the user may negate all range penalties for (Ethereal Forces) rounds, and for 4 Essence, he may negate all range penalties for the entire combat. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 11:51:31 -0400 From: "William J. Keith" Subject: Re: IN> Ofanim angels? >Do Ofanim at least get a bonus to learn or perform the >Songs of Motion? > >Earl Yep. +1 to the CD. This is the standard "bonus" mechanic for affiliation of any celestial with a Song, used throughout the LCant. William ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 12:04:00 -0400 From: Whistling in the Dark Subject: Re: IN> Ofanim angels? On Thursday, September 19, 2002, at 11:45 AM, Earl Wajenberg wrote: > Do Ophanim at least get a bonus to learn or perform the > Songs of Motion? > Yes. ------------------------------ Date: Thu, 19 Sep 2002 12:07:15 -0400 From: "William J. Keith" Subject: RE: IN> Ofanim angels? >>Truthfully, I think Ofanim have the third best resonance >>in the game, after Kyrios and Mercurians, in terms of >>raw power and utility. > >Ofanim have a three-part resonance. Two parts are extremely useful (adding >resonance CD to Agility-based rolls, and locating commonly-known places), >although the second has become outmoded with the advent of the reliable >GPS. The third part is, IMHO, not only unreliable but unreasonably >underpowered in a modern-era game. > >-EDG Remember, folks, before this thread degrades: the notion of what's "best" is purely subjective. ;^) That said, despite my proposals earlier (which I don't think were too unusual), I tend to agree that I wouldn't really do much to change the Choir resonances. Matrix-level Ofanim are already eye-popping, In Nomine is already pretty cinematic, and I think there's plenty to explore yet (but then, my game lasted about twenty sessions total before being suspended; here's hoping it comes back soon). For example, though it's not a listed use of the resonance, I was trying to figure out what a 120-mph Ofanite would do with a bodycheck. %^) Finally, for those that want the extra abilities while hewing to a canon game, there are always minor Word-Bound to use as a source of goodies. Maybe your standard Ofanite on foot can't outrun a racecar; your Ofanim of Lightning or Plants can, over a short distance. So can the Angel of Racing, or the Angel of Speed(Citius, Altius, Fortius!), or whoever your character has dreamed up as a patron and has an Attunement to hand out. (And over longer distances, regardless of how fast humanity builds a rocket, a PC with need can jump Tethers from Hong Kong to Jupiter in minutes, with Jean's permission. That's better than lightspeed right there!) The PCs with Danger Sense are lowering the uniqueness of your Malakite of War? Sic Baal's Demon of Ambushes on them. (NO ONE expects the Demon of Ambushes!) There *are* going to be things humans can do better than celestials. They're special... aren't they? Exploration of the notion is a great button for an In Nomine game. William ------------------------------ End of in_nomine-digest V1 #2779 ********************************