Abyssals: Whom Death Has Called (again) [PEACH homebrew]

[Beans]

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1YW1ptPYb-5CpDbq8P_zDQLhzkN8_IClH-f8Xf-lvbDc/edit?usp=drivesdk

The boys are back in town (for a given value of 'back' and of 'town'), which is to say that Kell and I are getting back to this nonsense. Some Occult Charms have been ported, and overall we appreciate input. Likely today or tomorrow later I might like to lay out some charm concepts for help banging them into shape. That, and I'm sure Hungry Ghost needs work still.

[ElfSpeaker]

Awesome, I was just looking for an Abyssals homebrew as I started working on some NPCs. I may write up some thrown charms, what would be the best way to contribute them? How are you handling Abyssal charms that are close to Solar charms?

[Beans]

You could put suggested charms in a google doc. Many of the charms are close to Solar charms, but I'm unsure what you specifically mean by "handle".

[Leetsepeak]

Great to see this is back!

This is sort of a minor thing, but I guess it's just food for thought. I noticed your usage of the term Passion as a proper noun, presumably in reference to previous edition mechanics for ghosts, and I do have a suggestion about that, namely that I would probably avoid doing that, if nothing else than because Passions and Fetters seem like the kind of stuff that would be folded into Intimacies. They kind of even correspond a bit to Principles and Ties, even.

Gonna look at Charms now.

[ElfSpeaker]

You could put suggested charms in a google doc. Many of the charms are close to Solar charms, but I'm unsure what you specifically mean by "handle".

By handle, I was referring to the way Ex2 presented mirror charms. Is that something you're trying to avoid in your write up?

[Beans]

Leet: Good point! Mostly I think I was meaning to hit the thematics more than anything else but I'll make sure to clean it up to avoid confusion.

Elf: the devs expressed that Abyssals would start with Solar-like charms and then branch out; somewhat following that, some charms I have are straight mirrors or mild deviations, while others are meant to be more different. What I'm doing to avoid the big Mirror Problem is to not just go "look at the solar charm" even if it's the same. Of course, this early in charm dev, not everything is done and there's an unspoken "other than these, just use solar stuff until I get things set down". That's not my desired end-state. Full charm library completion, should I ever achieve it, may also involve giving each ability its own doc.

[Leetsepeak]

Leet: Good point! Mostly I think I was meaning to hit the thematics more than anything else but I'll make sure to clean it up to avoid confusion.

Elf: the devs expressed that Abyssals would start with Solar-like charms and then branch out; somewhat following that, some charms I have are straight mirrors or mild deviations, while others are meant to be more different. What I'm doing to avoid the big Mirror Problem is to not just go "look at the solar charm" even if it's the same. Of course, this early in charm dev, not everything is done and there's an unspoken "other than these, just use solar stuff until I get things set down".

I strongly support this. The problem with Mirror is not to have baseline charms that work similarly, it's to force people to look in multiple places. Some black paint on Essence 1 charms is not a bad thing IMO. Like, does one really need to make Monkey Leap Technique work differently in its Abyssal form as a hypothetical example?

Good to hear either way! I left a few comments, will keep reading. I believe I'll use this to make Abyssals in my game should I need them. Thanks so much!

[Beans]

Glad you find it useful! Your comments are super helpful and I hope tomorrow to be able to work on them. Knowing people not only care enough to fix my failings but actually like what I'm doing is what keeps me going!
As a further holdover I may start making lists just of straight mirrors to give them their spoopynames. Eventually they'll have their full descriptions, but for now knowing what edgy moniker they require will have to suffice.

[Leetsepeak]

By the by, I did start working on some Necromancy stuff based on what Ekorren did. It includes some spells I converted/reimagined and some ideas for Necromantic Initiations. If you want to yank any of it or use any of it to inspire your own Necromancy work, please feel free.

Necromancy (WIP)

Hope it's idea fodder if nothing else!

[Beans]

That al looks pretty great! I'd like to put it directly in the doc if that's okay, though of course indicating it's your work. You made Shattering Void Mirror look sensible, and I was basically terrified of attempting that one.

[Leetsepeak]

Go for it!

As some broad thoughts on Necromancy: I would encourage that, rather than having a lot of spells which only effect ghosts, that it should have spells which have a general effect on things (let's imagine deathly essence as a thing which can touch many other things!) that in some situations, the guideline might be that it effects all things, but maybe it effects ghosts more severely.

Other instances like Master's Pollen are more niche, but the capacity to access that niche is also a striking hallmark of Necromancy.

I'll try to throw more comments in there.

[Beans]

I'm going to try to work with that. I guess if Sorcery is "shaping and manipulating the Essence of the (living) world", Necromancy is "shaping and manipulating the essence of the Underworld/death".

I'm currently working to merge our respective Necromancy works and also touch up the whole document's formatting.

Also, edging into Survival charms that involve athropophagy and drinking blood, and also trying to figure out how to handle the concept of charms that get around Abyssals not regenerating WP for sleeping in Creation---whether it needs prereqs, how high its trait requirements should be, its cost, etc.

EDIT: added a question about Crypt Bolt Attack.