---------Suptg Archive:---------http://suptg.thisisnotatrueending.com/archive.html?searchall=Shadow+Quest+---------Archive compiled with story posts and pictures for an easier read, as well as ability and metadata tables:(big thanks to contributors, especially Sorry!):---------https://www.dropbox.com/sh/akcvpyo893vvae6/ieUkT-2X3j---------Twitter (quest times, cancellations, updates):---------https://twitter.com/ShadowMaster_tg---------Theme music:---------https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sLTQ5PlEWko------------------Notes on Rolls and Voting:When I request rolls, each set of three rolls counts for one action. For example, a two-step plan would take the first 6 linked rolls. A particularly bad failure can stop your plans early.When rolling 1d100, I will consider criticals within the first ten linked rolls. Only criticals that occur in the first three rolls will be counted as "supercrits". This is still the case even if you'd have plan long enough to require more than ten rolls.When I roll 1d20, the rules are the same, but I only consider criticals for the first five rolls, rather than ten. Criticals in the first three are still "supercrits".When a plot choice results in extensive debate, I'll try to weed out the most popular trains of thought, and then call a vote on them. When voting, please respond with only a link back to the post and the number corresponding to your opinion. Other votes are discounted.Finally, note that this is not a democracy; it is a benevolent dictatorship.
>>28801090The sexiest QM has arrived!
>>28801112the other one was better. someone post that one.i love that shadow hat on her.
>>28801090IT'S SHADOW TIME!Also, a gift from the QTG
Recent Events Summary:You have collected and reforged each Shard of your past self. Three of the four keys to Hecate's prison are in your possession; you are certain as to the location of the last. The Black Lady has joined the alliance between the Great Forest, Felnoir, and Archon. More importantly, you've convinced both you allies in Haven that this is a good thing. Soon, your collected followers will meet in Arland, ready to shock the world with a force comprised of outsiders and rulers joined together against the demon lords summoned by Kan-Abar.It's halfway through winter. Auriel has predicted that Kan-Abar won't move until the snow thaws and spring arrives, working in the meantime to consolidate control over their newly captured territories. So far, that prediction has held true.A banquet was held in the Black Lady's honor by Yi Fang, introducing her to the Archon nobility. Originally, it was to celebrate Abigail's councilorhood, but the twin purpose served perfectly: it made good on Abigail's promise to extend a hand to new allies, and remake Archon not as an antagonist to the Empire of Light, but cornerstone of world stability. The ball concluded without incident, cementing Abigail as a major political force in Archon, and building ties between the Archonians and the Black Lady.Once again, Fang turned the unexpected into a powerful advantage. The only people that know the Black Lady's true identity, however, are yourself and Auriel. You hope that the secret stays just that, as you find yourself unable to predict exactly how Fang would react.>con't>>28801112I'm one sexy masterminding bitch in that fedora, huh?
On the whole, things seem to be aligning themselves as you've planned for some time. However, one last thing weighs on your mind: City 002, the source of the highly aggressive constructs that have repeatedly attacked you. You followed the trail of the robots through the tunnels they dug to attack you, and meandered into the Timorian Deep, the dark underground reaches of Venia.You encountered and fought a Vog Brain, a powerful Spirit creature that could use other Vog as part of a larger body. And to your pleasant surprise, Steward 001, the amicable robot that first made contact with you, came to your aid. But your battle drew the attention of a second robot: Steward 002.001 held off his counterpart briefly so you could make your escape, and now you're on the run from 002, sprinting through the Deep at top speed.You reached the ancient dwarven city of Va'ad, and found Steward once more. He explained the nature of the situation, including 002's quest for vengeance against the surface by harnessing the power of the Core of Chaos at the heart of Venia.He also suggested a plan: by deactivating the power generators feeding mana to the city, it would be possible to weaken 002 so that the code holding the other artificial intelligences under his command could be eliminated. You've managed to Pocket both of the generators, and the city has gone dark.You now confront 001 in the core of the City...>>28801133
Ability TreeGREEN abilities have been unlocked and learned.BLUE abilties are unlocked, but are not yet purchased.RED abilities are revealed, but locked due to prerequisites.UNDERLINED abilities are active-use, as opposed to passive. Not all active abilities require mana.All Revealed Ability Descriptions:http://pastebin.com/m9Qj5aywBooks the Main Character has read:http://pastebin.com/dAXR00gPCharacter Sheet including learned abilities and other important information:http://pastebin.com/63LdjPMz
Current Statistics:HP: 81/81Mana: 50/58EXP: 11Shards of Order and Chaos:(Retribution) - Strong(Maker) - Normal(Silence) - Normal(Peace) - Normal(Breeze) - Weak(Hammer) - Strong(Ardor) - Normal{Resolve} - Broken{Humanity} - Resonant--Summoned--Wisp - 1 mana to order--Automatons--Vita (Shade)--Equipment--Utility belt with purse--Inventory--Aurora Water Gem (pocket)Steam Golem Core (pocket)--Teleport Anchor--Haven - Inner Fortress--Current Location--Va'ad------------------Known Mana Pools:Jacob's Field - entrance to Hecate's tomb - SpiritPalthair Mines - Magnock's Lair - SpiritArchon - Spirit District - SpiritArchon - Shadow District - ShadowArchon - Earth District - EarthArchon - Water Distric - WaterHaven - ShadowAbbotsford - ShadowAurora - WaterVa'ad - South Generator - EarthVa'ad - North Generator - Earth
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7H5lH9-zPGUThe tower of lights and steel flashes and glows. Three more spheres lift off its surface and begin to rotate around the construct. A heavy earthen shield forms around its center.6 other spheres separate away. 4 form another ring and fly toward Shade. The other 2 begin gathering earth mana.Lights higher up on the dome walls shine bright green - five in total.<Ila, focus up top! Shade, lure that ring toward me!>"Got it!""Understood."Ila blasts off the ground. Wings of Shadow unfurl from her back as she flies to the top of the dome. Shade skates toward the approaching ring on sliding jets of shadow, leading them back away from you.You fire a Nightblaze at the two drones gathering mana. For a moment, you think that you've disabled their spell - but the charging sensation of mana pauses only briefly before continuing.>mana: 48/58You hear the crash of metal on the stone and feel an explosion of shadow up above. Ila is making quick work of the shining green focal points. Shade hasn't been touched, and he's beginning to double back toward you.Undeterred by your failure, you quickly unleash a flurry of shades to throw the magic of the two charging drones off-target.>mana: 45/58But suddenly, the shielding that coats the central construct-tower glows a deeper brown, almost maroon."I won't be fooled by your illusions again."A pulse of earth magic echoes through the dome. All your shades vanish!The twin drones have finished charging, and a beam of cutting earth slices toward you, more powerful than any earth magic you've felt before. The adamantium floor ripples like water in its wake.<Peace!>>con't
>SQ so earlyWhoa, what?
For a moment, you feel a silent, wordless gaze. It's the first time you've called upon the new Isolation.A small orb of mana appears in front of you - black and white, twisting together softly. And as the beam of earth closes in, a powerful barrier crystallizes out of that orb, ink-dark plates of order lined by a mortar of blazing white chaos. The earth slams into the shield. For a moment, you think it will be deflected - but then it vanishes. Absorbed.>mana: 58/58>Peace - NormalYou don't have a chance to contemplate that development, because Shade reaches you, the ring of drones right behind him, snapping and crackling with earth magic. You rotate on a dime and blast a shadowy Cone of Destruction directly into their midst.Earthen power flares. Brown light connects the ring together, forming a sort of miniature shield of mana. One of the drones fizzles and dies, but the other three are unharmed. They fly back toward the central construct, where they're joined by a new, fourth drone rising from the core, undoing your work in a moment.>mana: 50/58Meanwhile, the other two drones begin to charge for another shot."Finished up here!" Ila shouts. An explosion follows her words. You glance up. She's a tiny blip of shadow high in the dome, but every green point of mana is a smoking wreck.But then, the ring of four drones flies upward, targeting her!What do you do?>have Shade intercept the 2 drones that are charging another earth-ray. Go after the ring targeting Ila yourself.>Ila can handle the ring. Work with Shade to down the other 2 drones.>have Shade attack the central tower construct while you go for the 2 drones>use nightblaze to destroy the central tower's shielding so you can attack it directly; have Shade deal with the drones>some other strategy
>>28801133This is perfect!
>>28801226>use nightblaze to destroy the central tower's shielding so you can attack it directly; have Shade deal with the dronesSeems like no matter how many drones we destroy, it will be meaningless because the central construct will just remake them.
>>28801225day off
>>28801226blink, cone of destruction the 4 going for Ila, tell Illa to go for 2 charging up if we get them off her and to help mopem up if we fuck up, shade help support where needed.
Guess we'll be low on voters for a bit due to the hour.Informal voting time!Focus on the central construct yourself, or have Ila and Shade take on the 2 drones while you intercept the ring of 4 drones?
>>28801383I say focus on the central construct and have Shade back up Ila. Maybe throw a Dark Blizzard on the drones first to slow them down.
>>28801383Ila and Shade take on the 2 drones while we fuck up the ring of 4
>>28801383Shadow get the ring.
>>28801383>have Ila and Shade take on the 2 drones while you intercept the ring of 4 droneswe better not fuck up and get a 1, could cost us an arm and a leg
>>28801419>>28801421Combine these. Hit the 4 with a DB and then focus on nighblazing the central construct's shielding.
>>28801262>>28801304>>28801383Damn, both of those are good options right now.Option 1) would ensure Ila's safety but it might only prolong the battle.Option 3) would allow us to deal a major blow to 002 but Ila and Shade would be in serious danger.Can't we just flash blink while next to each drone and just knock them on the walls? That should give us an opening to attack the Central Construct.
>>28801421>>28801427>>28801430Eh, we DID say that we would try and be less reckless, and I guess this is the only safe choice right now.
>>28801442>Can't we just flash blink while next to each drone and just knock them on the walls?Sure, I'd consider that fast blink combined with a physical attack.It seems the majority want to deal with the ring of drones directly. Ila and Shade will target the 2 drones charging up.>blink to intercept the ring, physical attack>fast blink to increase evasion and intercept, then physical attack>blink to intercept, magical attack
>>28801505>blink to intercept the ring, physical attackWe can use Shiva to attack all four on the same time, correct?
>>28801505>blink to intercept, magical attackDB.The fast blink might work too but it sounds like more rolls and might not go over well.
>>28801522Yes, attacking all four physically would occur in a single action.
Rolled 11>>28801505Fast blink is my vote
>>28801468Seconded so hard.What we really need to do is target the mana supply that 001 is using.We have spirit siphonWe could also use various spells and stuff to block off the place the reinforcements are coming from. Adamantize the spawn doors shut?Think tactical control, guys
>>28801533>The fast blink might work too but it sounds like more rolls and might not go over well.Silly anon, more rolls mean that the nat 1 will get pushed towards the end of the actions!>>28801556>>28801505Then I vote for fast blink+physical attack
>>28801383>Focus on the central construct yourself, or have Ila and Shade take on the 2 drones while you intercept the ring of 4 drones?Just hit ALL our enemies with dark blizzard, max power (we have plenty of mana) and use fast blink to put ourselves in a position to support our next move.
>>28801505>>blink to intercept the ring, physical attackslice em up into lil robo bits
>>28801505>blink to intercept the ring, physical attack
Here comes the physical attack.Roll 1d100
>>28801594That's not how it works at all. More rolls means more actions that might not actually work. Magical attack are also more reliable than physical. So less rolls and lower DC to use DB than to Fast Blink + physical attack.
Rolled 66>>28801621
>>28801604>tack>slice em up into lil robo bits>>28801605>>28801594>Then I vote for fast blink+physical attackWe went over this already though - magical attacks are more reliable.And we have yet to use dark blizzard, like, ever!Stunning and freezing and damage! Think of it like a ranged shiva that hits more than four enemies at once.Fast blink into position, dark blizzard, THEN shiva the remainders!Fuse the two plans into something superior!
Rolled 34>>28801621
>>28801505>fast blink to increase evasion and intercept, then physical attack
Rolled 81>>28801621
>>28801646Why not.
Here
>>28801646People just want to smash things. They're very uncreative.I blame DW for this.
Rolled 62>>28801621
>>28801702Yes.And its gotten us into trouble before - SM pointed out that BRUTE FORCE APPROACH is counter productive - sometime we need to drive wedges deeper and actually use tactics before going for the killshot/most powerful shot.We need to take a step back, use less darkness within, and play Shadow like we used to: Sneaky, tactical, round by round.Another anon also had a great point about darkness within: It puts us on autopilot. Its just not fun to play because its bland and uninteresting.
>>28801646We've used Dark Blizzard, pay attention.
>>28801733When?Every time it comes up to be used, it gets shut down.Especially in the vog fight, where it would have wrecked shit
Rolled 85>>28801621here we go.
>>28801754Against Shaper and we actually did use it on the Vog, I think.
>>28801754>Especially in the vog fight, where it would have wrecked shitWasn't it used there too? Our first time was against the flesh heart shaper was making.
Rolled 72>>28801621Kill them drones.
Rolled 53>>28801621Rollan
Rolled 72>>28801621
>>28801775>Against Shaper and we actually did use it on the Vog, I think.No, we didn't.New thread and lol all the planning went out the window, and we nearly got our shit wrecked because of it.We were GOING to, and then everyone forgot.Case in point: Don't forget to use things besides physical attacks.
I say we carpet the drones with DB after this and go after the central construct.It's pointless to keep breaking things that will just respawn. Slow them down and have Ila and Shade fight them while we take out what actually needs to be stopped.
These are really good rolls we got.
>>28801754Night blaze worked better, and I remember we were running low on mana.I still don't see why we didn't consume the pocketed power core during that fight especially after the consume morons prolongedit.
I find it funny that people think that Dark Blizzard is our safest bet when both Shade and Ila would be caught within it too.
>>28801819>It's pointless to keep breaking things that will just respawn>>28801577>We could also use various spells and stuff to block off the place the reinforcements are coming from. Adamantize/earthforge the spawn doors shut?>>28801842Ila has our own shadow resists tho
>>28801842The 4 drones are approaching Ila, they're not near her.
>>28801842Ila has shared resistance, at least. Shade is a lot tougher than a meatbag.Just let them know before we fire.
>>28801852Only half.
>>28801852>>28801867That's idiotic. Hit them with it because they'll soak some of the damage? It's also Water Element and causes status effects (Stun/Freeze). Well, Ila is immune but that might put Shade out of commision.You don't hit your allies. Hell, the 4 drones aren't even next to anyone.
>>28801909Read >>28801863But it may end up as danger close fire.
<Ila, dive and take out the other drones, I'll intercept the ring!>"Ok!" Ila calls out.<Shade, you help her!>"Understood."Shade blasts off his feet and glides toward the 2 drones. At the same time, Ila turns from her position at the pinnacle of the dome and falls into a sharp dive, building speed rapidly.You're the crux of this pincer attack - you've got to stop the ring from attack Ila. In an instant, you blink between them and their target. Your first limb catches the ring by surprise, and you smash one of the metal spheres to the side. It flies through the air and smashes against the stone wall.A moment later, Ila rushes past you, diving straight down. She's clear!With one robot gone, the ring of earth magic connecting the drones vanishes. The remaining 3 attempt to rearrange themselves and restore the magic, but at point-blank range, you're fre too quick. A second and third pulverized drone joins their companion, though the 4th manages to get away from you, flying back toward the tower.>con't
>>28801867>>28801852She has only 50% of our resitance.
>>28801909>Well, Ila is immuneShe only has half our water resistance and Shadow's WR is at "Mighty", half of that is only "Good".
An explosion of shadow roars under you. You glance down and see the remainder of Ila's shadow bomb rolling off the two robots. She's still plummeting toward them at full speed.But with them magic temporarily turned upward, they've left themselves defenseless. Shade comes in with an arm shaped by shadow into a pointed stake. It crushes through one of the drones. The magic linking them blinks out, and their shield vanishes. Ila only barely slows before slamming into the survivor with shadow rolling off her hands in the shape of a piledriver. Her landing is cushioned by the force of the blow, and she flips backward, skipping several times to absorb the momentum until she slides to a stop near the wall.Suddenly, parts o the tower flip outward - three pointed projections. Earth magic glows at their tips - and just as suddenly, the green points of earth that Ila destroyed earlier crackle and snap. The light on the projections dies. Without the support from above, this new weapon can't do a thing!The construct tower still lingers behind its main mana-shield. Two more drones fly out of it, leaving the total number at 3. 2 of them immediately pair off and begin charging their magic from behind the barrier.What do you do?>use nightblaze on the mana barrier>break the barrier with a physical attack>have Ila and Shade attack the barrier with ranged attacks while you move in directly>some other strategy
>>28801939Immune to status effects. Purity of Order.
>>28801943>use nightblaze on the mana barrier
>>28801943>use nightblaze on the mana barrierHave Ila and Shade focus on disrupting the drones.
>>28801943Nightblaze the mana barrier. Have Ila and Shade fire Shadow Assault or Shadow Beam at the drones.
>>28801943>use nightblaze on the mana barrierMax Power
Rolled 17, 15, 12, 11 = 55>>28801943Roll 1d100
Rolled 35>>28802070
Rolled 26>>28802070I really hope you didn't just roll for the drones
Rolled 90>>28802070
Rolled 48>>28802070
Rolled 16>>28802070
Rolled 95>>28802070
Rolled 3>>28802070
>>28802095>>28802117>>28802103Well, that might sort of work since magic is less swingy. Too bad Resolve is broken
Rolled 19>>28802070
Rolled 14>>28802070...
Rolled 37>>28802070inb4 1
Rolled 79>>28802070Tenth
You build power for a nightblaze and aim it at the barrier of mana. As the sphere of negative energy barrels toward the shield, you shout orders to your companions. <Move in! My spell will take down the shield!>Shade and Ila dash toward the center from opposite sides of the dome. You unleash your nightblaze. A sphere of negative energy roars across the room and slams into the barrier of earth.>mana: 42/58The mana shield weakens immediately, then begins to flicker. Again, the green points at the top of the dome whine and spark in a futile attempt to draw external power, but they're unable to do so. Still, the shield isn't quite broken.Luckily, Ila realizes the problem and fires her own smaller nightflare. While her spell isn't as powerful, it proves the grain of sand to tip the scale. A blast of heated air from the construct hails the fall of the earth-shield.Shade is at the barrier right when it falls. He slams into the lone drone closest to him, dashing it against the side of the construct. Wires and cables snap and break to the floor.Another two drones fly out of the core! The remaining 2 are almost done charging, but Shade and Ila have them cornered.What do you do?
>>28802245Rip and tear the core, have Shade and Ila deal with the drones.
schatten the core. buy shadowrage to maximize damage.
>>28802245Earthforge some rocks into the gaps where the machine shits out the cores, maybe that will stop it.
>>28802272Can we do this?
>>28802245We just need to take out the tower right? Blink right up to it and Cone of Destruction. Get the two drones leaving within the blast.
>>28802272>>28802306These.
>>28802245I like these>>28802271>>28802272Earthforge the drone slots shut then follow up with german shadowy warfare
Vote 1:>use earthforge to try and 'plug up' the tower, stopping the flow of new dronesVote 2:>schattenkrieg right through the center of the towerVote 3:>blink, then use Cone of Destruction, catching both the newly emerging drones and the tower in the spell
>>288023391
>>288023392
>>288023393
>>28802271Yeah no we are fighting against something that uses magic as its main attack for now.>>28802319Seconded
>>28802339 2
>>28802339cutting off votes
>>28802406But then the drones will have moved away to fight our allies. We could have hit them first to keep from being outnumbered and then Earthforged to prevent that entirely.
Roll 1d100 to earthforge and adamantize your earthworksSix rolls, 11 mana
Hey if we get shadefang poison would that complete the consumption tree?
Rolled 5>>28802459
Rolled 55>>28802459
>>28802459
Rolled 81>>28802459
Rolled 52>>28802459
Rolled 57>>28802459
Rolled 97>>28802459
Rolled 24>>28802459 all these 50s hah
Rolled 96>>28802459lets do it.
>>28802473>>28802476>>28802495Pretty good.>>28802507>>28802519>>28802524Nice.
Rolled 93>>28802459
Rolled 59>>28802459I vote for using a shard.
Rolled 33, 45, 59, 97 = 234rollin'
>>28802547Fuck. Meant >>28802503>>28802556No.
Rolled 8, 10, 2, 18 = 38>>28802566 wrong dice
>>28802578Who gets which rolls? Ila for the first two, then Shade for the second two?
>>28802578Not liking that last roll, but for the rest, that could have been waaaaay worse.
>>28802596>>28802606Oh right, unless he's rolling for our allies.
Rolled 54>>28802571The second dice are in the 50s and we will be healing these shards after the fight.
>>28802606At least none of them has abbigails luck.
<Don't let them fire that attack!>Ila and Shade close in on their foes. You focus on the tower. You've got to cut off the stream of reinforcements!You use Earthforge. The stone and steel around the base of the tower leaps to your will, clay in your hands. You shove it into the drone-spewing hatches, and there it solidifies. You pour more magic into that barrier, and it wavers, hardening into the consistency of adamantium.>mana: 31/58A heavy clanging resounds from inside the tower. They're trapped!Ila and Shade close in on the two drones, but they're not quite quick enough. Rather than one huge beam of earth magic, however, the drones each fire two smaller, individual magic spells.Shade, who was closest, isn't able to dodge, and he takes the blow straight on! His magic rushes to his defense, shielding him with pure order, but his central core strains with the effort. He's forced to a standstill as all power goes to deflecting the earth, and he's left down on one knee, stunned.Ila has more time to react, and neatly dodges the attack meant for her. Her wings swing her up off the ground in a wide corkscrew, and then she dives back down, punching through one of the drones with twin daggers lined in shadow. She rips them free, shredding the lone robot.The 3 remaining metal spheres quickly give ground and form a triangular formation. Lines of brown, earthen light connect them together. They zoom toward your stunned construct!What do you do?>combine your nightblaze with Ila's nightflare to down the drones>let Ila intercept the drones. Focus on taking down that tower>some other strategy
>>28802668Nightblaze or Cone of Destruction the drones. Have Ila attack the tower to disrupt 002's thought processes.
Rolled 13>>28802668>combine your nightblaze with Ila's nightflare to down the drones
>>28802668Combine
>>28802692Supporting this. we kill the drones, illa goes for the tower.
>>28802668fast blink, we know that destroying one breaks the link they have so thats all itl take with a physical attack
>>28802668>combine your night blaze with lla's night flare to down the dronesI'm surprised no one suggested consumming the drones.
Rolled 10, 9 = 19>>28802668Roll 1d100 for double nightblaze!
>>28802668Night blaze away!
Rolled 56>>28802898Forgot your trip.
Rolled 57>>28802898lets turnem into scrap metal
Rolled 35>>28802898I assume that's SM?
Rolled 53>>28802898
Rolled 81>>28802898assuming it IS him.
Rolled 14>>28802928>>28802933>>28802935Okayish.>>28802898
Rolled 45>>28802898
>>28802898trip!I was busy spreading the Word of Paul to less cultured corners of 4chan.
>>28802985Please don't make us reroll.
>>28802994No no, those rolls are fine.
With Shade unable to defend himself, you decide that taking out the remaining drones should be priority. <Ila, target their magic!>You fire your Nightblaze. Ila sends a wave of anti-magic out in a Nightflare. Your orb combines with with her darker wave. They twist together and shoot forward like in an arrow of darkness that warps and distends the light around it.>mana: 23/58The swirling point impacts the lead drone of the triangle. There's a spark, and a fizzle, and the earthen light connecting them vanishes. The drones collapse to the stone, drained of power.Shade clambers back to his feet. Ila draws closer to you, breathing heavily. She's used a lot of mana in a short amount of time.The reinforcement drones still bang and clank against your earthen seal. A rush of magic tells you're they're attempting more drastic measures. Your adamantized rock bends slightly, but it holds."So," she says, "I guess we take out that tower?"What do you do now?>physical attack>schattenkrieg>cone of destruction>some other strategy
Rolled 97>>28803118GAPING.MAW.
>>28803118Cone of destruction is fine as it is.
>>28803118Is it edible?Ila best waifu.s
>>28803118>cone of destructionDrop the Earthforge and hit them all with the blast.
>>28803118Max consume
>>28803118KRIEG time. Guys remember what happened last time you tried to eat the enemy without doing any damage
>>28803152This, let's regain some of our mana before the final boss battle.
>>28803184This.
>>28803207it's just a big battery, what's it going to do?consume
Rolled 87>>28803118>cone of destruction
Vote 1:>CONSUMEVote 2:>open up your seal and blast all the drones with a cone of destruction aimed into the core of the construct
>>28803118>>28803152>>28803167>>28803199Let's do this>>28803207Its Defenseless right now
>>288032391
>>288032392
>>28803239 1
>>28803236There's a fuck ton of drones with it behind the wall we'd have to eat through too.If you guys get Ila hurt just because you were fucking hungry I'm going to be pissed.
>>28803239cutting off votes
>>28803276i imagine it either one of two ways, we open it up and it explodes like a clown car or only like 2 pop out cos the machine was jammed.
Good old Shadow Quest, build up all these tactical advantages just to piss it all away by jumping the gun with consuming.It's the Vog all over again.
>>28803326Hmm. Well, this vote doesn't count because it has something in the email field, which means we have a tie.Using the power vested in me as your benevolent dictator, I arbitrarily declare that you will be using the cone of destruction tactic.Roll 1d100
>>28803371All the sensible anons are probably at work or studying.
Rolled 16>>28803389
Rolled 48>>28803389
Rolled 46>>28803389ROLLIN FOR MAXIMUM DESTRUCTION
Rolled 92>>28803389
Rolled 91>>28803389Based SM!
Rolled 38>>28803389
Rolled 25>>28803389an arm and a leg guys
Rolled 81>>28803389
Rolled 52>>28803389
>>28803397>>28803399>>28803401...well, they're all bunched up together, so maybe we don't need high rolls.
Rolled 36>>28803389rollan'
>>28803397>>28803399>>28803401>>28803404>>28803417Dagnabbit.
>>28803495Magic is more reliable so it should work. How are they going to defend stuck behind a wall with the only opening spouting shadow magic, anyway?At least those three weren't a consume roll. We'd have been torn apart by drones trying to eat that tower.
<Fall back a bit. I'm going to destroy the rest of them.>You clamber up the side of the tower to the drone hatch. The commotion goes on without halt. You begin building a sphere of concentrated Shadow in front of you until it's rotating with a fierce, barely-contained power. In a way, this beginning of the spell is rather like a dynamo, clenched tight by your constant concentration.You dissolve the force holding the rock adamantized, and morph it out of the way.A cloud of eight drones connected by earthen magic is packed like sardines into the tight space leading into the construct.You unleash a Cone of Destruction.>mana: 16/58A howling blast of Shadow crushes through the steel out a crack in your held sphere of darkness. The drones, caught point-blank, have nowhere to go, and nether does the force of your magic. The steel and adamantium of the tower buckles and distends as the drones are vaporized. A core of magic within the tower is destroyed.Quiet falls. A few pieces of scrap metal clink down into the crater left in the side of the tower. No more drones emerge.<And that takes care of - >"Defense tower damage critical. Initializing self-cannibalization."The top of the tower moves. Steel bends and shifts into steel. The entire construct begins to collapse like sheets of paper folded into nicely packaged units, and sink down into the lower part of the dome.What do you do?>consume all you can (Gaping Maw)>schattenkrieg>physical attack>fall back>some other strategy
>consume all you can (Gaping Maw)
>>28803555Now we Gaping Maw, while it's distracted.
>>28803555>consume all you can (Gaping Maw)
>>28803555>schattenkrieg
>>28803555>>fall backEven though I know consume is going to win out, I recommend caution.
pocket our minions, better safe than sorry
>>28803555>fall back
>>28803615This.
Roll 1d100 for gaping maw
Rolled 75>>28803662
Rolled 62>>28803662
Rolled 41>>28803662This probably isn't its final form, but we might as well eat.
>>28803662Make sure to tell our friends to leave pls.
Rolled 34>>28803662Rollin
Rolled 27>>28803662
Rolled 34>>28803662JK Rolling.
Rolled 88>>28803662
>>28803672>>28803675>>28803688Not bad.
Rolled 4>>28803672>>28803675>>28803688best rolls of the day so far.>>28803662
>mana: 12/58You leap to the top of the collapsing tower. A whirling vortex of shadow clamps down on the steel, and you start to chew. Bit by by, you absorb the magic running through the adamantium until you've consumed almost half the tower.>you've gained 6 EXP (17)>you've gained 15 mana (27/58)There's a powerful core of earth just ahead. That should make a good meal..."You are a predictable adversary."The core of earth glows brighter, and a moment later, it explodes.Earth swirls around you, eating into your shadow. You didn't even have time to brace yourself. You're seen careening through the air. Adamantium shrapnel from the tower shreds and beats on your skin like a hail of daggers. You slam into the stone, hard, and fall to the floor, just managing to catch yourself on your legs.>you've taken 20 damage>HP: 61/81>regen: 64/81The center of the dome begins to shift around the crater left by the destroyed tower. A deep cylindrical hole unfolds in its center. Stairs leading down into the depths of the building split out from the walls.What do you do?>head down alone>head down with Shade, leaving Ila upstairs>go heal and recharge at an Earth mana pool>open a portal to Haven and use that mana pool to heal and recharge>some other strategy
>>28803815Send Shade down first, follow if nothing bad happens.
>>28803815>>open a portal to Haven and use that mana pool to heal and rechargeFucking called it!Someone refresh my memory, was that the last of the defenses here?
>>28803815>"You are a predictable adversary.">you've taken 20 damage>HP: 61/81>regen: 64/81002 are you even trying?
>>28803815>go heal and recharge at an Earth mana poolBecause opening a portal ain't going to go over well.
>>28803815DEEP FOCUS PEOPLE
>>28803815>some other strategyDeep focus+Send the wisp to scout the new area
>>28803862seconding this course of action.
>>28803862>>28803870This.
>>28803870>>28803862This
roll 1d100 for deep focus
>>28803870I can get behind this
>>28803870This.
Rolled 83>>28803893I SEE EVERYTHING
Rolled 67>>28803893
Rolled 58>>28803893
Rolled 64>>28803893
>>28803815<if im so predictable then howcome you didnt predict me using a shade to enter the building first, now you just seem desperate 002>
>>28803899>>28803906>>28803913STOP ROLLING
Your Focus resounds down the swirl of stone steps.At the bottom of the dome is an even larger series of rooms. The first is expansive - even bigger than the room you're in now, roughly shaped, as if dug from the ground. Other rooms branch off from it - more neatly squared and organized. You can sense banks of 'servers' resting in the constructed rooms, now just barely powered with a hint of earth mana.A powerful orb of earth magic waits in the chamber below. It's 002.You doubt he's going to be very patient.You also sense another hole in the large room, going still lower. Some sort of magic echoes from deep within, but it's so far away you can barely feel it.What do you do?>tell your allies to fall back and confront 002>go heal and recharge at a mana pool>some other strategy
>>28804002>tell your allies to fall back and confront 002Maybe throw in a great heal while we are at it.
>>28804002Go heal and recharge. 002 can wait.
>>28804002Buy Army of Darkness while we're at it. Decoys usually work on 002.
>>28804002>go heal and recharge at a mana pool>tell your allies to fall backAlso how thick are the walls between here and there? If they are thin enough we could use Schattenkrieg to drill right through them.Alternatively we could use multishade, and then have them follow behind us while we lead the illusions in a double misdirection. The goal being to make him think that we are hiding in the crowd and not leading the illusions.
>>28804002>not collapsing the cavern with earthforge and thus destroying his servers
>>28804138We're trying to take the servers intact.
>>28804002Tell Ila to take a hike, she's obviously too tired to fight any longer and it's too risky to open a portal yet, we'll do it if we win.
>>28804138I think Steward needs those
>>28804138>implying those are the real servers and not just a trap so he can trap us in a trappy trap because we're so predictable
>>28804138They aren't even functional while the power is offline, the big bot is our only concern at the moment.
>>28804002Consume Ila for a health boost and head down to fight the robot.
Rolled 3>>28803893
>>28804231Are you even trying?
>>28804135I'm not exactly sure where 'here' and 'there' are, so...The walls between your currently position and down below are thick, solid stone for several stories. Technically you could drill through it, but there's a set of stairs right in front of you.The dome is made of stone with an adamantium frame; i.e., concrete with a steel frame. You could also blast through that. But there's a door right behind you anyway.Both moves would be effective in getting from point A to point B, but hurt you somewhat. You can just ram through solid material without some loss of health.Vote 1:>go take a break and fully rechargeVote 2:>tell Ila to fall back and confront 002 (can still decide on one or two abilities before hopping right down)
>>28804236bit slow on the draw there cowboy
>>28804323>I'm not exactly sure where 'here' and 'there' are, so...You know what, neither am I. But in that light, my plan sounds pretty bad.
>>288043231
How about we get Army of Darkness then head on down.
>>288043232
>>28804323depending on how fast we can close our portal i would like to send Ila back to haven and recharge at that mana pool, if we can shut down everything if we hear even the slightest anything
>>28804323 2
Slow and steady thread today. I like it.
>>28804323cutting votes
>>28804355>>28804379>>28804409>>28804433>>28804443We have a tie.
why do people keep thinking army of darkness will work on him when he already figured out how to disable it.
>>28804443how fast can we close our portal? faster that we asume 002 can get through all those floors of rock or get up those stairs?
>>28804505It takes 2 turns to open and 2 turns to close. I think it's pretty easy to see that he could get up there faster than you could open and close it.--------Since there's a tie, I'm going to arbitrarily decide that you're confronting 002 immediately without pausing for a break.Everyone seems to have acute amnesia regarding incredibly important points that were brought up two threads ago. Granted that was a week ago in the real world, but still. Come on people.When you hate me forever at a later date, remember that I threw you a bone!I'll be back in a few hours, I'm going to eat dinner and run an errand.
>>28804549Goddamnit, SM, let us take a break. Don't make the rest of us suffer because of the idiots.
>>28804592He was saving us from fucking up.
>>28804592This is me, giving you said break. I've made the correct decision for you for each tie that's occurred, including the latest one.You needed to confront him immediately for very important reasons.Be back in a bit.
>>28804592he talking about you chuckle fucks that want to leave haven in danger, he just threw a bone by choosing the other option.
>>28804592>thinks opening a portal to our home base in the middle of a dungeon crawl is the right choice
>>28804757Why the fuck would I agree toFine. Fuck it. Don't look a gift horse in the mouth and all that.
so what do you think SM will use that 1 on? I'm betting it will have to do with Core of chaos accidentally freeing Hyperion or some shit, or something simple like just ruining our big alliance meeting.
>>28804869>ruining our big alliance meeting.I'm expecting this. He's going to make us regret that promise to stand by the Black Lady if shit goes south, I just know it.Only sperg-anon can save us. Maybe.
>>28804869I'm thinking it will hurt flint or Abby and that it has something to do with johnny.
>>28804935Joey? How many weeks has it been since we left him in Ring City?
>>28804954enough for sandy to brain wash him.
>>28804640I understand that opening a portal to haven is a bad idea but why wouldn't we pop down to the local manamart and juice up? I'm know I'm missing something obvious but its been a long week and i'm tired.
>>28801128>Wake up>See SQ>Someone likes my lewd pic better than Decu's
>>28805044Takes 2 turns to open the portal and 2 turns to close it.IE, 002 will wait until it's open and then shove a million tonnes of earth magic directly into Haven's asshole.
>>28805122We couldn't go to one of the earth mana pools, though? Or are they locked off?
>>28805143We have a time constraint, it seems. SM just said bad things will happen if we don't confront him immediately.
>>28805122I meant the local mana pools, the earth ones.
>>28805163Oh. I wish we had some kind of spell like a grenade that we could toss into the room before us. Remember that kamikaze Army of Darkness spell that Silence used? That would come in really handy right now.
>>28805198Yeah, too bad people have been ignoring all the people who want to finish off the middle tree.
>>28805174it not about weather we open a portal or not it mor like "hurry up nigga that busta is settin u up da bomb 2 take down all of dwarf town because fuck you"
>>28805198Buy Shadow Bomb and Army of Darkness and it'll unlock. Think people want Earth tree/Magic Power more though>>28805209I'd like to pick up Shadefang Poison for the consume tree completion bonus.
>>28805198Nah m8 we need dat magic power upgrade. It'll make ALL of our magic powers stronger as well as increasing our regain.
>>28805143>>28805174We don't really have time to kill.
>>28805255We actually got the Consume Tree completion bonus early due to double 100 consuming Darkxis, or however it was spelled.
>>28805198Except 002 knows that trick already and is going to see it coming.I say we just walk straight in. He'll probably hit us with something weak to test the waters.
>>28805273Oh, right. Shadefang Poison will never get picked up then. We kill things too quickly to need it.
>>28805255Another exp burning power for us to never use
>>28805297Some of them are amazing passive bonuses. Like Vaporal, Purity of Order, Waterborne and the increase to all physical stats we got.Vaporal is the consume tree bonus that we got from double crit consuming Isolation so it doesn't matter anyway.
>>28805291oh shit what if we send in a shade then when nothing happens we send in a second shade "HAHA SO PREDICTABLE ERIBUS WOW THINK I WOULD FALL FOR THAT A SECOND TIME WOW U R DUM"
>>28805297It might also be a massive passive bonus to consuming.
do you guys think we could double bluff 002 and just walk down there like we are a shade
>>28805494Leave a shade up top.
>>28805494>buy conceal>cast shade>conceal shade>go in uncloakedI think bluffing is kind of dumb, but it would be pretty funny.
>>28805494I actually think we should.
>>28805494That's gay.You're gay.
>>28805545>>28805510>>28805494Sounds fun, lets do it
>>28805613Let's not.
>>28805648It's a good plan!Kind of
>>28805775002 is going to blast us the second we walk into the room.Again, let's not.Actually, why not flood the room with Surge?
>>28805775It's completely reliant on 002 expecting us to do the same trick that already didn't work twice and not checking to see if we're an illusion or not and ignoring us.
>>28805806>>28805808Okay, no shade double bluff, so what do you think would be best?
>>28805878We could also send in a shade, let it be vaporized, then send in another one.
>Everyone seems to have acute amnesia regarding incredibly important points that were brought up two threads ago. Granted that was a week ago in the real world, but still. Come on people.Anyone remember what point was brought up a couple threads ago?Because the only thing I can remember is 002 trying to use the chaos/order dynamo inside the world to destroy the surface.Is that it?Because if that's the case maybe we should be on the lookout for machinery he'll use to that end when we get to his chamber.
>>28805914>lets see who will run out of mana first
>>28805920>Because the only thing I can remember is 002 trying to use the chaos/order dynamo inside the world to destroy the surface.>Is that it?OH SHITThe magic we sensed deep down. He's trying to crack through the shell.
>>28805959And we probably gave him a way too when we fucked and accidently the seal for a moment there.
...What kinds of tactics and abilities haven't we used against 002 yet?
>>28805978fucked up*
Hey SM you should use either >>28801112 or >>28801133 for your twitter avatar
>>28805997We haven't really done much besides beat shit up, nightblaze, and pocket generators.We should open with a Surge and then freeze it with a Dark Blizzard.
>>28805997Water and Spirit magic.
>>28806035>>28806040So a Surge/DB to freeze a moving target/all of his defenses, or a Mind Crush/Spirit Siphon on his construct.That has me wondering if we've yet to try to mindcrush a robot.Also has me wondering what would happen if we used Spirit Siphon on whatever device he's using trying to use to access the underworld dynamo.
>>28806114Wait, what have 002's robot assassins seen us doing? They might have transmitted what they saw of our capabilities back to 002.
>>28806168Mostly the same thing. Shadow Magic and physical attacks.We've never really busted out the other elements besides using Earth these fights.
>>28806195Water and Spirit, then. But with our mana so low we can't afford to keep throwing spells at him.
>>28806227Wait, never mind. We have like 27 mana, plus whatever we get from regeneration.Do we have mana regeneration?
>>28806245That's our HP.
>>28806168Lots of blinking, lots of night flaring, lots of shadow kalaripayattu.Looking back at the fight for right after we handed them a power core in the desert, and then the pre-haven teleport confrontation, and the small fight we had with the dynamo warrior on top of the airship, and then everything we've done here,I think we can reliably assume that 002 has only seen us use Blink/Shadow Magic/Illusion Bait tactics combined with brute force/consume tactics, with a small ability to manipulate earth.>>28806242We do, but it isn't very quick. It's much faster in water, though I don't suspect SM would let us earthforge a hole and then surge some water into it and then lay in the puddle for mana regen, because that would be OP.
>>28806283>I don't suspect SM would let us earthforge a hole and then surge some water into it and then lay in the puddle for mana regen, because that would be OP.IIRC it has to be a natural body of water for our regeneration to work.I might be misremembering that, though, and it could just be that it has to be a LARGE body of water.
>>28806283Alright then, we open up with a Surge, followed by a 10-mana Bind. After that we start up Spirit Siphon and slurp up some mana.Alternatively, we can use Frostbite and freeze up his joints instead of Binding him.
>>28806327We need to be fully submerged, IIRC. Either that or natural body of water.
>>28806331I'd vote for surge followed by DB, though only if he has multiple defenders.
>>28806331Just DB if he has back up. It freezes and stuns as well as does damage.
>cast surge into the hole>fight underwater and have 002 at a disadvantage
>>28806367>>28806376It's only him down in the next room. But yeah, DB works too. I wonder if we can Confuse him, but that might be limited to organics only.
>>28806430AoE is easier to hit with and stacking multiple status effects on top of damage is worth it. Leaves us with 8 mana to pool into our Spirit Siphon.
>>28806428>what are drainage pipes
>>28806327>>28806283I can just see this now.We're in the War Camps of Arland, recharging from a harrowing fight with a Demon Lord, we open a hole in the ground and then spew water into it before diving in.And then Auriel asks us why the hell we pissed in a hole and swam in it.<Shadow Physics, Auriel. Shadow Physics.>
>>2880645514 mana Dark Blizzard + 8 mana Spirit Siphon leaves us with 5 mana for an emergency. I think we should scale back a little on the Spirit Siphon, though, maybe 6 mana instead of 8.
>>28806486We should put on an erberus voice and tell her we are beyond her comprehension.
>>28806506You forgot we're opening with Surge.Surge (5) + Dark Blizzard (14) = 19 mana. 8 left over.
>>28806506Why not just go BIG with the Spirit Siphon? Instead of just regaining mana, think of it as taking lots of mana away from 002.
>>28806535I thought we were just using Dark Blizzard.
>>28806331>a 10-mana BindI can't help but think that there are better things to use our mana on than keeping 002 pinned down, especially since his mobile platform is probably still quite strong, and his defenses so far have mostly consisted of separate drones that a Bind wouldn't disable.Dark Blizzard does seem like a reasonable choice, though, especially if his mobile platform continues to utilize drones for defense.
>>28806545We were opening with Surge because the water would disrupt anything he's doing and cover the whole field. It'll also give DB more of an advantage.
>>28806562Already changed my mind to support Dark Blizzard or Surge. I'm not sure about Spirit Siphon, though.>>28806588Okay, but that leaves us with no more mana for emergency situations. All we have left then is physical evasion and Blink.
I think mind crush would be particularly useful against an AI
>>28806588>>28806545It's still up in the air guys, the process we use depends on what kind of defense we see him using when we face him.
>>28806601Spirit Siphon absorbs our opponents mana. We use the 8 left over to get more back.
>>28806606Or ineffective entirely. Could go either way.
>>28806606>>28806641If only we had some kind of robot to ask the question of whether or not a mind based spirit attack would work against an intelligent construct.HMMM.
>>28806616There's a chance we'll only get one mana back. We're heading towards the time slot with the crappiest rolls, too.>>28806610If it's just him, we use Surge or DB. If he's got drones with him, then we use Dark Blizzard to clear a road. Drones can probably avoid Surge fairly easily.>>28806680Like Shade?
Hey SM I've got a question for when you get back,>You may establish one portal anchor at a location of your choosing. Afterward, a portal to the anchor can be opened at any time. It takes 2 turns to open in battle, and it takes two turns to close.Am I correct in assuming this means that if we open a portal to our anchor and never close it or disrupt either side of the portal it will just stay open?
>>28806616It has a 50% base chance to absorb their mana, which changes based on what sort of enemy we're up against.I feel like the Vog Overmind we used it on before was just about the perfect target, seeing as it was a naturally magical enemy with very little in the way of passive shielding, and I can't help but think it'd be less effective against a combat robot running off of auxiliary power exclusively.It WOULD be interesting if the victory condition for the fight was to completely deplete 002's mana to deactivate him, but I'm not sure that's going to be the case.
>>28806741I think he has a dynamo that has mama to spare and SM said the dynamo was fair game.
>>28806828maamaa!
>>28806741He has a dynamo, while they can be overused, it's pretty close to having his own personal mana pool linked to him at all times.
>>28806857welp that was my phones auto correct.(I just finished my speech exam)
>>28806857
Can we consume things while Titanic?
>>28807050We can't. Check the character sheet in the dropbox.
>>28807050no and the only reasonable time we will ever use the exp burning powers is if we completed the trees or at a final battle.
>>28807113I dunno, if this fight goes south I'm all for using Erasure and giving 002 a nice big hug. Like say if he is 1-2 turns away from doing w/e the fuck he is doing in that hole, or if Ila is about to die.
>>28806519Or just start ranting about UNLIMITED COSMIC POWERRRRR while we sit in a puddle.
>>28807166It will only come to that if we're stupid and our rolls suck.Don't hope for such a thing.
>>28807175i almost feel sorry for Auriel with all the shit we put her through
>>28806729Once opened, your portal will stay open indefinitely unless acted upon by an outside magical force.I'm just gonna go and make a new thread for our next post.But first, let's figure out what we're doing.Some strategies I've heard involve double-bluffing with shades, or flooding the stairs and following up with a dark blizzard to freeze the place over.
>>28807226wouldn't flooding the place damage any machinery we're trying to preserve? i'd rather not fuck up everything we're trying to get back
>>28807226I vote for just heading down there
>>28807226It's amazing you managed to find the ones that sucked the most.First, we get down to 002.
>>28807226Flood+dark blizzard.It's time we start pulling some new tricks out of our hat.
>>28807295>let's use this new trick>on STAIRS
>>28807226Let's check things out first but Dark Blizzard sounds good.
>>28807290I don't think there is a smart way to walk down these stairs. Obvious trap is obvious. He calls us predictable, he does this every single fucking time.
>>28807226I vote for just heading to where 002 is quickly
>>28807226I don't think the double-bluff is the way to go. We've led with a shade every single step of the way so far, so we're probably at that point where even if we just walk straight in, he's likely to try and 'dispel' us.Let's save any of our other shenanigans for when we actually know what we have to deal with. We only know a bit of what his mobile platform was capable of at full power, and we don't know what his secondary inner defenses are like so it'd help to see what he's left with after being powered down first.
>>28807328He will never see it coming.
>>28807226Head down with the fact that it's a trap in mind, and be prepared to use the non-mana Blink to go down further if possible.
>>28807342we only have 1 shade at a time, right? otherwise walking in with a group of shades and making him pick might be effective at buying time
>>28807342>even if we just walk straight inI should also mention that he's ESPECIALLY likely to assume we're a shade if we walk in alone in spite of us previously having two allies, which looks like our plan anyway.I'd wager that the genocidal robot isn't going to account for our desire to preserve our allies at the cost of a loss of combat prowess, and will assume we're just a shade again, and will be coming down with our whole crew after "it" trips any traps.
>>28807406Multishade allows more, but both cost mana that we want to use for actually fighting 002.
Vote 1:>surge+dark blizzard lead-inVote 2:>head down the stairs as quickly and carefully as possible, keeping an eye out for traps and staying on your toes
>>288074442
>>288074441
>>28807406He has something like a nightblaze that he used on them before.
>>28807461>>28807467>>28807469What's wrong with wanting a super-slide?>>28807462This guy gets it!
>>28807444Which is less predictable given his statement of our predictability? I wonder whether there's a second gambit in play.
>>28807444I mean we could have tried diplomacy with 002just kidding
>>28807493Don't worry; there'll be plenty of time to build Venia's first water park when we're NOT in mortal peril.
>>28807444 1
>>28807444cutting off votes
Looks like you're taking the stairs.New thread shortly.
Rolled 93, 56, 63, 34 = 246>>28807516Use the name field, anon. E-mail field invalidates your vote.
>>28807692I did
>>28807719No, you didn't.
>>28807692>>28807719I just checked on my phones browser, it must be the 4chan phone app.
>>28807692>>28807719>>28807734>>28807748It's also irrelevant, the votes been settled.Still kind a scary that nearly half of you guys wanted to attack stairs with spells.
>>28807748yeah I use the same app it won't let you roll or use anything in the email field, so I usually just end up using the phone's browser for quest.
>>28807776Hey, I just got here, don't put me in with those people. Besides, I was just letting anon know that he was using the wrong field cause I didn't want his vote to not matter in the future.
New Thread:>>28807942
