Pantheon: The Third Age - Rules and Comments Thread

[Zephyr]

No, we are submitting Turn 6 moves now. We always get a turn's results, then we submit that turn's moves.

[variol son]

Concerning the rule about not inventing characters to help you achieve certain ends, does that mean if we want an artisan to create a work of art for us then we have to wait until you give us one as a random event? Or if we want to study a magic ritual that you need to have given us a mage? Or are you talking more about "get-out-of-jail-free" style character creations?

[Cameraman Jenn]

Gimme back my gold star then... I think he's talking about charactors of convenience, Variol Son. In cases where you need an artisan or a mage, I think creating the charactor is justified because you have a specific and serious purpose for them but you might have to then pay the artist for the artwork or something like that.

[Dorian]

No problem with the guidelines. Look all good to me.

Although I agree that alot of non DRP moves are necessary. stuff like moving around armies, prophets etc, or me calling in all the refugees last turn and what not, theyre all quite important.

As for characters of convenience, I have alot of characters in my stories but none of them do anything in my turns except The Scholar. And I hope your example was entirely false! If someone thought they could get away with that, then they need their head examined

[variol son]

Well it wasn't me! I just created a character who doesn't really do anything way back during the first turn, but they might do something one day. I thnk that's ok.

[balon!]

He may have been referring obliquely to me. When I took back a city that had turned against me, I had the Twins gather all the loyal believers in the city revolt. I assumed there WERE loyal followers, but now that I think back, there may as well have been none. I don't really know.

[variol son]

I dunno. I would call that a dangerous assumption rather than a conviniently invented character.

[balon!]

My middle name is Danger.

[variol son]

That's a dumb middle name.

[balon!]

That's a dumb middle name.

You wont be saying that when we've been captured by communist militants who are going to torture us for information, and I'm the only one you have to look to for escape.

[variol son]

Communist Militants? That's so Cold War.

Besides I'm from NZ - I have no information any militants would desire.

[Xar]

Since you want a summary of moves now, can we dispense with the descriptive submittals? in the past, the way a submittal was written made a difference in the success or failure of results.

No, you misunderstand me. The summary of moves simply makes it easier for me not to miss anything while parsing your turn into individual events. I still read the descriptive text, and act accordingly, but when I'm processing moves, having a short summary is helpful to reduce processing time. So: both summary and description are best.

from the new rules bit:

- While writing your moves, resist the temptation of creating characters who, "coincidentally", can help you overcome an obstacle. For example, if you are attacking a city, avoid writing something like "it just so happens that in that city, Mr. X is sympathetic to my cause and decides to open the gates to my army" unless you already were informed of Mr. X's existence, or you're willing to spend power to accomplish this end.

There may not be an answer to this question, Xar, but I'll ask anyway. If you say in my results, "one of your followers decides to do X"(but no more details), can I then make up a backstory for said character so that I can use X to my advantage? As long as it's not too preposterous, of course!

(I kinda need some sort of answer to this soon, as alot of tomorrow's turn might be affected! )

Yes, that is possible, but within limits. If I decide that the backstory is too preposterous or too coincidentally useful for your current situation, I'll take steps

Concerning the rule about not inventing characters to help you achieve certain ends, does that mean if we want an artisan to create a work of art for us then we have to wait until you give us one as a random event? Or if we want to study a magic ritual that you need to have given us a mage? Or are you talking more about "get-out-of-jail-free" style character creations?

I'm talking more about "deus ex machina" characters... i.e. a plague infests your city and, "miraculously", you describe a character in that city who is not only immune, but who discovered how to make others immune as well. Or, you're attacking a fortified city which you know you couldn't easily breach, and "coincidentally" you describe how a helpful traitor from inside just happens to be able to open the gates for your soldiers. This sort of stuff.

[Anaya]

I thought so - thanks for the clarification.

[Keev Furaha]

If people try that kinda stuff you should just send back a message that says, "Weak and your turn FAILS."

[Madadeva]

If people try that kinda stuff you should just send back a message that says, "Weak and your turn FAILS."

I think it is also related to 'cost'. If I said ... for example. "Uses 30 DRP to identify a helpful traitor from inside just happens to be able to open the gates for your soldiers. " - That exercise of POWER (boy ... I wish I had that much power ) gives the example substance.

[Menolly]

*raising hand*

Guilty of several, if not all, of the listed problems.
I will strive to do better.

[Montresor]

*raising hand*

Guilty of several, if not all, of the listed problems.
I will strive to do better.

Why does this not surprise me . . . ?

[Menolly]

Should it be a surprise to anyone?

[Madadeva]

Turn in!

< 700 words!!

[uKulwa]

All look good to me. And I agree with Keev...I hope people haven't been getting away with that stuff. (Pretty sure I'm not too guilty...I do use lots of non-drp moves, but as Dorian said, for necessary stuff that equates to real-world verbal orders only. And if it's a complex order, I use TP.

As for descriptions, my moves are very rarely descriptive. Usually no more than a couple lines, rarely more than a couple short paras.

This submittal was 675 words, and I consider that fairly long. Stories are for the threads...moves are orders to your faithful or expenditures of power...they don't require stories, just explanation.