Report 917

Report #917
Skillset: Psychometabolism Skill: PortraitReading
 Org: Nekotai Status: Completed Jul 2012
Furies' Decision:
We will add an on-command ability for solution 2, but it will remain locked
overall.
Problem: Psionic PortraitReading is a locked channel def applied to a hung,
enchanted painting. It enabled "hearing" what is openly said in linked room. I
understand this skill is intended for flavor / utility, & fails as such. For a
skill evenly shared between mages / monks, PR strongly favours the city mage:
only Spellcasters can enchant portraits, & there is a lack of places to hang a
portrait in a forest commune. Glom/Seren monks are at a significant
disadvantage. As "spy" skills are concerned, it is highly unlikely that anyone
would actually be caught talking aloud on the other side of the portrait.
[A: 0 R: 0] Solution #1: Change PR to a locked channel defense cast on
 enchanted figurines. This item can be dropped into
 location and alert when people/beasts pass through.
 Consider adding a figurine level requirement balance
 cost/benefit ratio.
[A: 0 R: 0] Solution #2: Change PR to an open channel action that allows one
 to project their minds through paintings and
 portraits to "sense" what is on the other side in
 terms of room descriptions, people, and beasts.
[A: 0 R: 0] Solution #3: Change PR to a locked channel defense cast on a beast
 to confer a stripped down version of Tracking
 HuntingCompanion to enable basic "Look" and "Listen
 [on/off]" on a pet.
Player Comments:
---[Hiriako on 7/12 @ 19:42 writes]:
Solution 1 could be interesting, and it'd be nice to have a way to actually
sense movement like that. However, I'd have to propose that it would be like
most psionics abilities and stay within a small radius/local area at best.
Solution 2 I think I like a lot more, as it's not too dissimilar from the
initial one, using psionics to pierce an enchantment and discern the other side.
If nothing else, perhaps just having it feed back a general sense of 'where' the
painting goes to, as right now there's no way to tell except by using it. With
gates having just been changed, it only seems proper that this be changed too.
Solution 3 just feels out of place to me. Sol 2.
---[Janalon on 7/13 @ 01:46 writes]:
Agree that Sol 3 feels out of place (though I still like the idea, especially
because mages get guild pets) and Sol 2 would be the most appropriate fit. In
regards to Sol 1, I imagined that radius could scale with figurine level. Not
sure how it would take "sneaking" into account.
---[Shuyin on 7/15 @ 18:15 writes]:
Solution 1 is fine, Sol. 3 is weird
---[Ushaara on 7/16 @ 13:27 writes]:
I'm pretty much in agreement with Hiriako in that if solution #1 is implemented,
it should be limited to local area making it like bells on traps. But solution
#2 makes the most sense to me.
---[Neos on 7/16 @ 13:54 writes]:
I'm more in favor of Sol 1 or even 3, as Sol 1 doesn't really help out a mage as
they can't sneak into an area and drop a figurine like half the monk guilds. So
the skill would go from useless for a mage and monk, but tailored to a mage, to
useless for a mage, and only useful for a monk.
---[Janalon on 7/17 @ 00:34 writes]:
It should go without saying that any of these changes would warrant a name
change. For example, Sol 3 could be BronyLink (hehe). You get the idea.
---[Xenthos on 7/17 @ 05:13 writes]:
Solution 2 is preferred. Solution 1 has issues with dropping a flamed figurine
and nobody being able to get rid of it. You don't even need to sneak, just
DivineFire past the guards, drop it, and try to run. If you die, well, you
still got the figurine there and it stays there as long as the figurine lasts
(potentially RL years).
---[Janalon on 7/17 @ 09:13 writes]:
@Xenthos I believe all Enchanters (including tinkerers) can DISENCHANT SIGIL
FLAME for 2 power. I believe this to not be as large an issue as you suggest
seeing how this ability is spread across city/commune.
---[Zynna on 7/17 @ 15:52 writes]:
@Janalon DISENCHANT SIGIL FLAME only works on a flame sigil that has not been
attached to an item. Once attached to a dropped item, the only way to remove the
dropped item is through divine intervention or waiting until the dropped item
has decayed. I SUPPORT Solution 2.
---[Eventru on 7/20 @ 00:43 writes]:
What do you think of the current functionality in conjunction with Solution 2?
Solution 3 feels weird to me, and Solution 1 would be weird, and I myself am
pretty fond of the current design (even if it is mostly flavour).
---[Janalon on 7/20 @ 10:52 writes]:
Sol 1 & 3 aside, I am intrigued by your idea to fuse Sol 2 with the current PR
skill. First, can you expand the current "Portrait Reading" channel lock skill
to also include gates? This would most immediately address my city/mage concern.
Secondly, Solution 2 as stated would address my utility concern. Finally, would
it be possible to make a name change more appropriate to a broadened PR?
Something to the effect of "Sensory Projection" on the account that you can
listen to a gate/portrait, or see through to the other side.
---[Talan on 7/26 @ 19:12 writes]:
Agree with Eventru - support adding solution 2 to the current functionality.