Magickers in Allanak

[IssacF]

http://gdb.armageddon.org/index.php/topic,36171.msg469384.html#msg469384

Was reading different topics and came up with this one. Do notice the beggining quote about the X-Men Magickers. In this last HRPT I actually enjoyed that despite my character's fears for the Gemmed, he had a healthy respect for them and never spoke ill off them as well as willing to work with them for the benefit of His City. Furthermore they all turned out to be extremely valuable during the beggining of the HRPT all the way leading to the events of its conclusion. Furthermore from an OOC perspective it was funny how many people were suddenly willing to have Magick touch their bodies in the form of protecive spells. And how mostly everyone was suddenly treating Gemmed with respect. Ironic? Maybe.

I'd wish the Gemmed weren't X-men Magickers doing everything and not leaving a chance for us mundanes to do anything. But by that same token I think us mundane should have at least a modicum of respect because one never knows when they will need one to cover ones a**.

Thoughts?

[manonfire]

I thought the Red Robe present during the HRPT did a pretty great job mitigating all the twitchy nervousness most characters were expressing over the 'gickers doing their thing.

It's really the only reason my character wasn't completely losing his shit.

[LauraMars]

all the twitchy nervousness most characters were expressing

This was awesome, by the way.

[Barsook]

all the twitchy nervousness most characters were expressing

This was awesome, by the way.

[ShaLeah]

Magicks are scary, they're unknown, fabled, terrifying. In Allanak where they are very present and very marked, I'd say even more so.

That said, even some of that fear might end up in cautious respect if a character is always around them gicks. As a regular commoner I would think we'd be really suspicious of ANYONE who is chummy with gicks.

I played a HG who was raised by a gick, she had no fear of anything but the dark, she was a perfect fit for someplace. But she was also stupider than most.

[IssacF]

Well my character straight out feared them but hid it well. It was a constant debate between his logic and his instinct.

Logic says, in a calm voice: These Gemmed are here to assist us. They provide us with water, transportation and will burn out enemies.
Instinct says, screaming at the back of your head: How do you know that water isn't poisoned huh?! Or that during one of those transportations they teleport you to the wrong place and say 'Oops'?! Or that during the moment they are shooting fire they don't accidentally hit you with a fireball?!

[Barzalene]

http://gdb.armageddon.org/index.php/topic,36171.msg469384.html#msg469384

Was reading different topics and came up with this one. Do notice the beggining quote about the X-Men Magickers. In this last HRPT I actually enjoyed that despite my character's fears for the Gemmed, he had a healthy respect for them and never spoke ill off them as well as willing to work with them for the benefit of His City. Furthermore they all turned out to be extremely valuable during the beggining of the HRPT all the way leading to the events of its conclusion. Furthermore from an OOC perspective it was funny how many people were suddenly willing to have Magick touch their bodies in the form of protecive spells. And how mostly everyone was suddenly treating Gemmed with respect. Ironic? Maybe.

I'd wish the Gemmed weren't X-men Magickers doing everything and not leaving a chance for us mundanes to do anything. But by that same token I think us mundane should have at least a modicum of respect because one never knows when they will need one to cover ones a**.

Thoughts?

Magickers are played well. That's awesome. But if we justify their ic ick factor with justifications like they're useful, Joe's a good guy etc. we lose something. It's better for the game to always remember that if you stand too close to nice and useful Joe, there's a good chance your peepee may fall off.

[IssacF]

Checked the TvTropes page and saw this:

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MagicIsEvil

Although I highly agree I think that if the Gemmed are around and the City hasn't gone to shit, and Templars keep these 'weapons' in line maybe our fears are too excessive and misplaced? I mean there are occurences were Nice Joe the Gemmed totally <flips> but they usually end up executed, which usually deters the next Nice Shmoe from being so stupid. But still His City hasn't gone to Gicker Hell and there are quite a few of them...

[Nyr]

Your fears about magick or magickers are never too excessive, nor are they misplaced.  You never know if you'll be walking down the street now, minding your own business, when suddenly

volcano

[Patuk]

Checked the TvTropes page and saw this:

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MagicIsEvil

Although I highly agree I think that if the Gemmed are around and the City hasn't gone to shit, and Templars keep these 'weapons' in line maybe our fears are too excessive and misplaced? I mean there are occurences were Nice Joe the Gemmed totally <flips> but they usually end up executed, which usually deters the next Nice Shmoe from being so stupid. But still His City hasn't gone to Gicker Hell and there are quite a few of them...

I added that trope to Arm's page already. Check it out.

Anycase.

Allanak has gone to 'gicker hell. Baby die in childbirth? 'gicker. Person gets sick? 'gicker. Can't find any proper salts lately? 'gicker. Your pack sunback creeps out and scurries the fuck off? 'gicker scared him. Get pregnant and it hurts like fuck? 'gicker placing a demonspawn inside of you. Merchant can't cut a good deal for weeks? 'gicker cursing them with bad luck.

I could go on, but you get the idea.

[IssacF]

Checked the TvTropes page and saw this:

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MagicIsEvil

Although I highly agree I think that if the Gemmed are around and the City hasn't gone to shit, and Templars keep these 'weapons' in line maybe our fears are too excessive and misplaced? I mean there are occurences were Nice Joe the Gemmed totally <flips> but they usually end up executed, which usually deters the next Nice Shmoe from being so stupid. But still His City hasn't gone to Gicker Hell and there are quite a few of them...

I added that trope to Arm's page already. Check it out.

Anycase.

Allanak has gone to 'gicker hell. Baby die in childbirth? 'gicker. Person gets sick? 'gicker. Can't find any proper salts lately? 'gicker. Your pack sunback creeps out and scurries the fuck off? 'gicker scared him. Get pregnant and it hurts like fuck? 'gicker placing a demonspawn inside of you. Merchant can't cut a good deal for weeks? 'gicker cursing them with bad luck.

I could go on, but you get the idea.

Heh yep. Valid point. Anything that goes wrong is automatically the gicker's fault. Then why have them around? That's like having mini Hulk's around. And everyone knows Hulk is considered a loose cannon. It's like throwing a grenade into a group and hope it kills only the bad guys. Why don't we just kill the gickers on site? I know they have value as 'weapons' but is it a good idea to have these weapons around who can suddenly do some serious s*** to you?

[Patuk]

Checked the TvTropes page and saw this:

http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/MagicIsEvil

Although I highly agree I think that if the Gemmed are around and the City hasn't gone to shit, and Templars keep these 'weapons' in line maybe our fears are too excessive and misplaced? I mean there are occurences were Nice Joe the Gemmed totally <flips> but they usually end up executed, which usually deters the next Nice Shmoe from being so stupid. But still His City hasn't gone to Gicker Hell and there are quite a few of them...

I added that trope to Arm's page already. Check it out.

Anycase.

Allanak has gone to 'gicker hell. Baby die in childbirth? 'gicker. Person gets sick? 'gicker. Can't find any proper salts lately? 'gicker. Your pack sunback creeps out and scurries the fuck off? 'gicker scared him. Get pregnant and it hurts like fuck? 'gicker placing a demonspawn inside of you. Merchant can't cut a good deal for weeks? 'gicker cursing them with bad luck.

I could go on, but you get the idea.

Heh yep. Valid point. Anything that goes wrong is automatically the gicker's fault. Then why have them around? That's like having mini Hulk's around. And everyone knows Hulk is considered a loose cannon. It's like throwing a grenade into a group and hope it kills only the bad guys. Why don't we just kill the gickers on site? I know they have value as 'weapons' but is it a good idea to have these weapons around who can suddenly do some serious s*** to you?

Because the Templars will tear you a new one for doing so in plain sight.

When the plain sight thing does not apply, well.. All bets are off.

[IssacF]

Hmm basically same reason why Avengers have the Hulk. The potential damage he can inflict on the Avengers enemies outweigh their own fears of Hulk going on a rampage destroying cities.

So in other words for Templars, Gemmed are the equivalent of potential weapons in their power struggles(?)

[Patuk]

Hmm basically same reason why Avengers have the Hulk. The potential damage he can inflict on the Avengers enemies outweigh their own fears of Hulk going on a rampage destroying cities.

So in other words for Templars, Gemmed are the equivalent of potential weapons in their power struggles(?)

For some, yes.

There's a lot of templars, though, and some may hate the gemmed as much as any other man. Or not.

Look, there isn't always a homogenous answer to everything. There's multiple reasons for all this, and factors contributing to hate, trust, uses, but the bottom line is that without the templarate and His Arm to go with them, the Gemmed would be at the mercy of the common folk.

As to what that would mean for the gemmed, well.. Look at our various tribals, I'd say. They're fairly good examples of what'd happen if you leave people to deal with magick by themselves.

[IssacF]

Hmmm... Yes I believe that without the Templars to regulate things the common folk would have attempted to oust and exterminate the Gemmed. As it stands their fears of the Gemmed is suppresed by their greater fear of the Templars. Makes perfect sense.

[JustAnotherGuy]

I know personally I change up every characters opinion on magick and magickers.  Some are tolerant and just keep their distances, some despise to downright hate them due to whatever reason or no reason at all, and even some like them, but maybe not openly as to cause issues amongst others.  Though I have thought of a concept of a character that wanted to be a magicker but never will be... magicker wannabe.  Heh, that would be an interesting concept.

[Harmless]

Fear.

Bottom line is, fear is the basic emotional response to magick, and that should be nearly universal.

Other than that, it can go however you like.

[IssacF]

I know personally I change up every characters opinion on magick and magickers.  Some are tolerant and just keep their distances, some despise to downright hate them due to whatever reason or no reason at all, and even some like them, but maybe not openly as to cause issues amongst others.  Though I have thought of a concept of a character that wanted to be a magicker but never will be... magicker wannabe.  Heh, that would be an interesting concept.

This topic is making me think of a concept:

A magicker who before he became magicker had an irrational hatred and fear of them... And now 'oops' he is a magicker. Will he get depressed? Hate himself? Be an hypocrite?

[jstorrie]

That's every magicker.

[BleakOne]

As for the HRPT, I think a lot of PCs were just more scared of angering the city's Powers That Be who were literally right there, to announce the normal concerns and disgust.

[Vwest]

buffz plz

[RogueGunslinger]

buffz plz

I'm not going to lie, this bugged the shit out of me.

[Delirium]

I guess it can be explained as: when shit hits the fan, people are more afraid of dying than they are of magick.

But it would seem kind of jarring.

edit: as for my opinions on magickers, I think the comparisons to them as walking grenades is reasonably apt.

[IssacF]

I guess it can be explained as: when shit hits the fan, people are more afraid of dying than they are of magick.

But it would seem kind of jarring.

edit: as for my opinions on magickers, I think the comparisons to them as walking grenades is reasonably apt.

We agree. That is how I see them. Or the equivalent of Hulk for the Avengers. And the Avengers <got> powers yet they all reasonably fear Hulk. So much that they exile him off to space...

[Dresan]

At least magickers were handled better then in the coppers wars from the point of view of the enemy.  Back when you were considered a complete and total twink if your 50 day ranger decided to attack a sleeping unprepared noob magicker rather immediately dropping all their gear as an offering and running to shiver in the nearest corner.  Back when whirans were still 4 karma. Back when you still had to dismount before attacking. And barrier wha? One prepared magicker is hard to deal with, no rp fear necessary but several magicker all buffing each other. Oh boy sure was fun losing my 20 or 30 day old character to that even though they were riding around with a large group including templars. Well they were captured thanks to magickers which he could do nothing about so the death was kinda cool.

It is really a balance issue.

Armageddon isn't really balanced through its classes but there is a wonderful balance to it which is sometimes facilitated through RP.  A magicker has to choose between being isolated or being unprepared most of the time, basically you can't be fully buffed and sitting at a tavern around people.  Magickers should be feared, otherwise if working with magickers became the norm rather then a unique experience, then those people who have absolutely no chance to work with them would be at a severe disadvantage in terms of RP experience. Why make a warrior in the north, when i could make him in the south, befriend a magicker and do and experience a lot cooler stuff without any consequences?

Personally i would love to see mundanes get just a few more neat stuff in order to make being a magicker just a little less attractive. Something like flying mounts being more common or something but that is probably just me.