What do gemmed elementalists do?

[Is Friday]

I truly doubt that the fear of magick would be so minor that the average joe would pick a fight with you.  It would seem, to me, to be like picking a fight with an invisible mul whose abilities you don't know.

Yet it happens at least twice a week (rl), that someone tries to brawl/beat up/threaten physically a gemmer, they don't know and have just met in the Gaj.

Who's wrong, the people who think that gemmers are too scary to get hit.. or, the people acting "IC" who know they can beat up a gemmer?

Here's something I'm curious about.

If Trooper Amos goes with "kill gemmer" in the Gaj, (instead of hit, so it's not a brawl,) will the gemmer be instant-arrested as well for responding with magick? Or would it have to take a while for the PC Templar/staff to do it?

Also: If it's possible for average joes to attack gemmers, shouldn't a gemmer be entitled to a magickal response that brings about no collateral? (No coded collateral, anyway.)

[Majikal]

Well.. average Joe slinging his sword around doesn't have as much potential to start a city-wide panic as average gick slinging his lightning bolts around. Just saying. One of those deals that just plays out how it comes, depending on who's involved and what goes down.

[brytta.leofa]

If Trooper Amos goes with "kill gemmer" in the Gaj, (instead of hit, so it's not a brawl,) will the gemmer be instant-arrested as well for responding with magick? Or would it have to take a while for the PC Templar/staff to do it?

I'm pretty sure that they'll both be arrested.
- Amos will be crim-flagged for initiating a serious attack, and
- the vile wiggler will be crim-flagged for the action of casting.

Also: If it's possible for average joes to attack gemmers, shouldn't a gemmer be entitled to a magickal response that brings about no collateral? (No coded collateral, anyway.)

A gemmer?  Entitled? Look, if gith start popping up out of the sewers, the only lawful action for an elementalist is to beat feet back to his temple and judiciously burninate any smellies that actually come inside.  The gemmed may use magick only in their temples, outside the city, or at the specific authorization of a templar (at which point, fellow players, you should insist on being clanned Arm-of-the-Dragon 'til things settle down).

(However, 'gickers should totally own the streets after dark.)

[Jingo]

Or you could give a templar 'the shinies' and get away with a lot more.

[jstorrie]

One would think that, but Lord Templar Hardnose can't really do much to save you from being NPC-guard-swarmed unless he's in the room to pardon you immediately.

[spawnloser]

Who's wrong, the people who think that gemmers are too scary to get hit.. or, the people acting "IC" who know they can beat up a gemmer?

Who 'knows' that they can beat up a gemmer?  I think you're confusing metagaming with acting IC.  Just because you, the player, know something about skills and the code means jack crap.  Your character should be scared that his/her naughty fun parts will fall off/out and that his/her hair will become poisonous to himself/herself if the gemmer so much as looks at you funny.  This is backed up by the code.  A strong magicker can kill with one spell.  One action.  No rounds of combat spam, just one simple casting and you see the mantis head.

One would think that, but Lord Templar Hardnose can't really do much to save you from being NPC-guard-swarmed unless he's in the room to pardon you immediately.

Incorrect, as already suggested by someone else, if you are clanned AoD you may cast in Nak with impunity... so long as other conditions are not violated (exactly what these are, you should find out IG).

[maxid]

Who's wrong, the people who think that gemmers are too scary to get hit.. or, the people acting "IC" who know they can beat up a gemmer?

Who 'knows' that they can beat up a gemmer?  I think you're confusing metagaming with acting IC.  Just because you, the player, know something about skills and the code means jack crap.  Your character should be scared that his/her naughty fun parts will fall off/out and that his/her hair will become poisonous to himself/herself if the gemmer so much as looks at you funny.  This is backed up by the code.  A strong magicker can kill with one spell.  One action.  No rounds of combat spam, just one simple casting and you see the mantis head.

You're on my side, quit acting like you're the only one who thinks this way.  I'm actually accusing other people of metagaming and I am bitching about that.

People do not act afraid of magickers in the Gaj.  The way gemmers are treated is at about the level that breeds are treated by the majority of PCs.  Disdain, and eager to beat them up to show them who's boss.  That's annoying, and bullshit.

[Ampere]

If some particularly self-destructive toon decides they've had enough of these abominations loitering in their bar, that's their prerogative. There are always exceptions to the rule.  Personally, I've never played a character who would pick a fight with a walking hydrogen bomb, regardless of how uncomfortable they made me feel.

[brytta.leofa]

People do not act afraid of magickers in the Gaj.  The way gemmers are treated is at about the level that breeds are treated by the majority of PCs.  Disdain, and eager to beat them up to show them who's boss.

I don't dispute that you've seen unlikely play, but some folks are doing just fine.

[Aaron Goulet]

If some particularly self-destructive toon decides they've had enough of these abominations loitering in their bar, that's their prerogative. There are always exceptions to the rule.  Personally, I've never played a character who would pick a fight with a walking hydrogen bomb, regardless of how uncomfortable they made me feel.

I think that magickers as 'walking hydrogen bombs' is a good analogy.  I think one of the reasons people think that open anger and violence against magickers is okay is because, ICly, there are angry mobs congesting the entrance to a certain part of town.  However, if I were to put myself in my character's shoes, knowing what they know, I would feel nervous/uncomfortable about standing neck to someone with freakish, superhuman powers...  Not angry.

[maxid]

I don't dispute that you've seen unlikely play, but some folks are doing just fine.

That's fair.  Some people play it well.  However, a lot of people do not.

[Qzzrbl]

Ignore me, my post made no sense....

[Lizzie]

I think the operative word here is "mobs." There aren't angry individuals getting all up in gemmers' faces. There are angry mobs. While an individual would likely be angry, and hating on a mage, I don't think it's likely he'd instigate something without an active mob to back him up. So for example...

PC Joe is standing at the corner where the angry mob is. Gemmer comes up the road. PCJoe's player emotes something about how he is one of the many in the crowd hissing and booing. Maybe even PCJoe hides, and becomes one of the anonymous members of that mob, and uses regular emotes so Mage sees "Someone in the midst of an angry mob hisses and boos upon your arrival."

Now, PC Joe is at the Gaj. Mage walks in and has a seat. PC Joe notices that there is no "angry mob" here, and that most people (meaning, the NPCs and VNPCs) are minding their own business, or vomiting on the floor, or farting, or whatever it is they do when they're in the Gaj. No one is actively hating on the mages. Not wanting to risk drawing attention to himself (since angry mobs are mobs, because they're chicken-shit and wouldn't dare try anything as induhviduals), he sits down at the -other- end of the bar from the mage, mutters something unintelligible, and begrudgingly orders an ale. He avoids looking at the mage, because he knows that it'll just draw attention to himself and that mage will recognize him when she needs her monthly human-flesh sacrifice.

[maxid]

words

But here's what happens.

PCjoe sees GemPC in the bar.  PCjoe goes over to GemPC, threatens them, spits on them, tries to use brawl code if the GemPC is standing up, and instigates as far as he's able, to the point of walking outside the walls with the magicker, because PCjoe knows that GemPC is actually not all that powerful, due to equipment/etc.

[Lizzie]

words

But here's what happens.

PCjoe sees GemPC in the bar.  PCjoe goes over to GemPC, threatens them, spits on them, tries to use brawl code if the GemPC is standing up, and instigates as far as he's able, to the point of walking outside the walls with the magicker, because PCjoe knows that GemPC is actually not all that powerful, due to equipment/etc.

I've seen this a few times. But, here is what I've seen:

1. PCJoe is a combat-oriented character who's been around for a long time, has done battle against, and beside, mages for years, and really -is- hot shit and can easily take down a mage before the mage can stutter out the chant to cast a spell, and PCJoe knows it, and the mage probably does too.
2. PCJoe is a total and complete noob who has read the documentation but hasn't seen it applied in the game yet, and has interpreted it such that he ends up really really really pissing off a mage, draws his weapon, and gets WTFPWNED by the mage who doesn't have to cast a single spell, because the soldiers show up and gank PCJoe.
3. PCJoe is played by someone who has chosen to intentionally disregard and/or twist the documentation. If it isn't something that can reasonably be handled ICly by the PCs involved, then a wish up to staff, and/or player complaint, will often get the message across.

[Saellyn]

Depends on the PC and how they were raised and where they're from and whether they're an angry person inside and they have to get that rage out. And it also depends on how the gemmed speaks to the other PC, I think, that really determines how the PC is going to react to the person involved.

[Akaramu]

to the point of walking outside the walls with the magicker, because PCjoe knows that GemPC is actually not all that powerful, due to equipment/etc.

That's a very dangerous assumption, because PCjoe might not see all of GemPC's equipment.

And just because PCjoe is a 100 day warrior and has taken out five newbie magickers doesn't mean the sixth isn't going to wipe the floor with him. 

[Kalai]

For some reason the mention of gemmed equipment has raised in my mind new and interesting superstitious conjectures about varied items and magick.

I will have to explore these further in my mind...maybe work out a few myths for some or other of my characters to believe.

[Dan]

to the point of walking outside the walls with the magicker, because PCjoe knows that GemPC is actually not all that powerful, due to equipment/etc.

That's a very dangerous assumption, because PCjoe might not see all of GemPC's equipment.

And just because PCjoe is a 100 day warrior and has taken out five newbie magickers doesn't mean the sixth isn't going to wipe the floor with him. 

Very dangerous assumption. PCjoe might not see GemPCs friends he went outside the gates to meet either.

[jstorrie]

One would think that, but Lord Templar Hardnose can't really do much to save you from being NPC-guard-swarmed unless he's in the room to pardon you immediately.

Incorrect, as already suggested by someone else, if you are clanned AoD you may cast in Nak with impunity... so long as other conditions are not violated (exactly what these are, you should find out IG).

Not everyone is clanned AoD. Getting a gemmer clanned AoD is something I've seen to be extremely uncommon, given that the AoD doesn't directly employ magickers (they tend to work directly for a templar or Oash, instead, neither of which generally get them 'immune to the law' mode). I get the impression that staff actively discourages gemmers being made crimcode immune, and I can see why, too.

[maxid]

That's a very dangerous assumption, because PCjoe might not see all of GemPC's equipment.

And just because PCjoe is a 100 day warrior and has taken out five newbie magickers doesn't mean the sixth isn't going to wipe the floor with him. 

Very dangerous assumption. PCjoe might not see GemPCs friends he went outside the gates to meet either.

Right.  I don't know why you guys are explaining this to me.  I completely agree with you, and am bitching about people who act like idiots.

[jstorrie]

A more productive use of your time in that regard might be playing a scary magicker who shows people why they should be afraid.

[WWYD]

One would think that, but Lord Templar Hardnose can't really do much to save you from being NPC-guard-swarmed unless he's in the room to pardon you immediately.

Incorrect, as already suggested by someone else, if you are clanned AoD you may cast in Nak with impunity... so long as other conditions are not violated (exactly what these are, you should find out IG).

Not everyone is clanned AoD. Getting a gemmer clanned AoD is something I've seen to be extremely uncommon, given that the AoD doesn't directly employ magickers (they tend to work directly for a templar or Oash, instead, neither of which generally get them 'immune to the law' mode). I get the impression that staff actively discourages gemmers being made crimcode immune, and I can see why, too.

I've been told by a staff member previously that gemmers just aren't supposed to be clanned AoD at all, though god knows it's been done a whole lot.

[FantasyWriter]

One would think that, but Lord Templar Hardnose can't really do much to save you from being NPC-guard-swarmed unless he's in the room to pardon you immediately.

Incorrect, as already suggested by someone else, if you are clanned AoD you may cast in Nak with impunity... so long as other conditions are not violated (exactly what these are, you should find out IG).

Not everyone is clanned AoD. Getting a gemmer clanned AoD is something I've seen to be extremely uncommon, given that the AoD doesn't directly employ magickers (they tend to work directly for a templar or Oash, instead, neither of which generally get them 'immune to the law' mode). I get the impression that staff actively discourages gemmers being made crimcode immune, and I can see why, too.

I've been told by a staff member previously that gemmers just aren't supposed to be clanned AoD at all, though god knows it's been done a whole lot.

I've been clanned AoD as a gemmer many times, but always temporarily: Like a vivaduan after a massive attack to help heal the wounded masses for example, or a group of magickers assigned to protect the city against nasty things along side the Templarate and soldiers.
But you should rebel as SOON as the ordeal is over, assuming the Templar forgets to dump you.

[brytta.leofa]

I've been clanned AoD as a gemmer many times, but always temporarily: Like a vivaduan after a massive attack to help heal the wounded masses for example, or a group of magickers assigned to protect the city against nasty things along side the Templarate and soldiers.

Yeah, that's the sort of thing I meant.  When a gemmer is working attached to an AoD unit and expected to be casting, it's a good idea to clan him for the duration of the RPT or whatever.  (Contrariwise, if the gemmer decides in the midst of things to revoke his citizenship with extreme prejudice, he'd jolly well better rebel first.  Noblesse oblige.)