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Author Topic: Demon Team - Chiaroscuro Arms Race: Strategy Phase 10  (Read 39125 times)

Doomblade187

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Re: Demon Team - Chiaroscuro Arms Race: Design Phase 0
« Reply #15 on: November 12, 2019, 10:31:14 am »

Quote from: Botefriends
Designs:
Evil's Forge: (0)
The Subtle Pull: (1) Doomblade
Mindblock: (1) Doomblade
Lobbyists: (0)
Demon Spell: Intuitive Possession: (0)
Telekineser: (0)

Mindblock:
A simple spell to prevent mind reading, mindblock functions not by actually blocking mental intrusion, but by subverting the mental intrusion against it's caster's intent, giving the opposite of expected readings.

Lobbyists:
By sending our cultists in not as cultists, but as merchants, we will wine and dine political figures to win them over to our side.
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In any case it would be a battle of critical thinking and I refuse to fight an unarmed individual.
One mustn't stare into the pathos, lest one become Pathos.

NUKE9.13

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Re: Demon Team - Chiaroscuro Arms Race: Design Phase 0
« Reply #16 on: November 12, 2019, 10:41:37 am »

Mindblock:
A simple spell to prevent mind reading, mindblock functions not by actually blocking mental intrusion, but by subverting the mental intrusion against it's caster's intent, giving the opposite of expected readings.
A basic spell to guard against mental intrusion would be relatively simple to create. Easy and Common.

Quote
Lobbyists:
By sending our cultists in not as cultists, but as merchants, we will wine and dine political figures to win them over to our side.
While requiring some training to portray themselves as merchants successfully, this would not be extremely challenging. Creating such faux-merchants would be an Easy design. However, there is a slight issue; your cult does not have access to great stores of wealth, and as such, these Lobbyists would be Rare without a steady source of income.
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TricMagic

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Re: Demon Team - Chiaroscuro Arms Race: Design Phase 0
« Reply #17 on: November 12, 2019, 11:08:22 am »

We kow of Imps, and these Black Imps will go very well wit the forge. Which means we can make some actual weapons easily.

Summon- Black Imps: A short, sturdy creature fond of drink and industry. Black imps are squat, covered in bristly black fur, and have large hands and feet that resemble the paws of a mole. Though they have little talent for magic, they are skilled diggers, and capable metalworkers. They insist upon consuming alcohol at every possible opportunity, are both OCD and very messy, and are deathly afraid of large fish and elephants.


Note nothing has really been changed from the regular description, obviously.

Quote from: Drawrven crafted Votebox. It menaces with spikes of Voters, and is of the highest dwarfmenship. It is crafted of imp and human and evil.
Designs:
Evil's Forge: (1) TricMagic
The Subtle Pull: (1) Doomblade
Mindblock: (1) Doomblade
Lobbyists: (0)
Demon Spell: Intuitive Possession: (0)
Telekineser: (0)
Black Imps: (1) TricMagic



I mean, those two are natural fits for each other, and a revision should let us upgrade our Cultists with actual weaponry.
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Doomblade187

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Re: Demon Team - Chiaroscuro Arms Race: Design Phase 0
« Reply #18 on: November 12, 2019, 12:01:32 pm »

Sons of The Void

A mutated cultist bathed in corruption, sons of the void are direct melee combat units. Their bodies are bathed in writhing unnatural shadow, and while they may appear as normal humans otherwise, they actually can sumon seemingly countless appendages from their flesh, tipped with claws, bone blades, and toothy maws.

They are omnivorous, and typically fed a low-blood content diet to increase their bloodlust for battle.
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In any case it would be a battle of critical thinking and I refuse to fight an unarmed individual.
One mustn't stare into the pathos, lest one become Pathos.

NUKE9.13

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Re: Demon Team - Chiaroscuro Arms Race: Design Phase 0
« Reply #19 on: November 12, 2019, 12:25:54 pm »

Sons of The Void

A mutated cultist bathed in corruption, sons of the void are direct melee combat units. Their bodies are bathed in writhing unnatural shadow, and while they may appear as normal humans otherwise, they actually can sumon seemingly countless appendages from their flesh, tipped with claws, bone blades, and toothy maws.

They are omnivorous, and typically fed a low-blood content diet to increase their bloodlust for battle.
To enable a humanoid figure to posses that level of (re)generation would be tricky, especially given a lack of prior experience. You'd be looking at a Hard design- and the end result would likely be sufficiently insane to be incapable of masquerading as an ordinary human. They would also be Rare, due to the precise control needed to infuse a human with that much Evil (without them exploding or suffering lethal random mutations).

Summon- Black Imps: A short, sturdy creature fond of drink and industry. Black imps are squat, covered in bristly black fur, and have large hands and feet that resemble the paws of a mole. Though they have little talent for magic, they are skilled diggers, and capable metalworkers. They insist upon consuming alcohol at every possible opportunity, are both OCD and very messy, and are deathly afraid of large fish and elephants.
As mentioned on Discord, these would be a Normal design. Compared to the Brown Minions suggested earlier, their more constrained skillset makes them easier to design.
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TricMagic

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Re: Demon Team - Chiaroscuro Arms Race: Design Phase 0
« Reply #20 on: November 12, 2019, 12:32:26 pm »

Let's vote for something different. Or rather, a diffierent type of Vote.

Code: (Which are you?) [Select]
Lawful Evil [1] TricMagic
Neutral Evil [1] TricMagic
Chaotic Evil [0]

You can pick Neutral and 1 other option. Or just 1 option if you're completely that Evil type. This is mostly for fun, but it will let us see where everyone's loyalties lie.
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Doomblade187

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Re: Demon Team - Chiaroscuro Arms Race: Design Phase 0
« Reply #21 on: November 12, 2019, 01:18:58 pm »

Quote from: Which are you?
Lawful Evil [1] TricMagic
Neutral Evil [1] TricMagic
Chaotic Evil []
Legion of Corruption and Subversion [1] Doomblade
« Last Edit: November 12, 2019, 01:21:22 pm by Doomblade187 »
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In any case it would be a battle of critical thinking and I refuse to fight an unarmed individual.
One mustn't stare into the pathos, lest one become Pathos.

TricMagic

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Re: Demon Team - Chiaroscuro Arms Race: Design Phase 0
« Reply #22 on: November 12, 2019, 01:34:01 pm »

On a starry night, all is quiet in the Duskmorne Mountain Range. Until a shining star seems to erupt from the earth in one of it's valleys.

From the wreckage, a being unknowable spreads it's body, before forming into something recognizable. Around it can be seen forested mountains, and it can smell water in the distance. And people.

And so it travels to a nearby village, small, and starts it's rein by a mountain lake.



-Base Location: Where did your journey begin? Describe the environment that your base is situated in. This will have slight mechanical effects, although don't bother trying something like "At the peak of a mountain, accessible only by a narrow, winding path"- I will forcefully balance things if necessary; you can have a base at the peak of a mountain, but it will not be strictly better than one situated in open fields (though it may influence what tactics work better).

Duskmorne Mountain Range
An area that is brisk for most of the year, before the winter sees temperatures plummet. Very few make their lives here, though it does have a trade route running through it. Needless to say, that is some ways away.

The area is lightly forested, though there are open areas abundant in some places. Access to the current location is mostly doable through the local trade route, or going through the mountain range.(which is more difficult due to no clear path to walk for humans).


Note, it is entirely possible for humans to hike their way to the current location. I'm just describing the basics.
« Last Edit: November 12, 2019, 01:37:30 pm by TricMagic »
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Rockeater

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Re: Demon Team - Chiaroscuro Arms Race: Design Phase 0
« Reply #23 on: November 12, 2019, 01:35:54 pm »

War-Sheep
Ordinary sheeps grownby thepeople under our control curropted with Evil to make them more useful in battle, their hooves transform to claws, theier teath turn as sharp as daggers and their wool is as barb wire, it's mind so curropted by Evil it attacks anything infused with Good on site.

Those would mainly be used as shock troops and front line.


Quote from: Drawrven crafted Votebox. It menaces with spikes of Voters, and is of the highest dwarfmenship. It is crafted of imp and human and evil.
Designs:
Evil's Forge: (1) TricMagic
The Subtle Pull: (1) Doomblade
Mindblock: (1) Doomblade
Lobbyists: (0)
Demon Spell: Intuitive Possession: (0)
Telekineser: (0)
Black Imps: (1) TricMagic
War-Sheep:(1) Rockeater
Waiting on the desition for a second design
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Damnit people, this is why I said to keep the truce. Because now everyone's ganging up on the cats.
Also, don't forget to contact your local Eldritch Being(s), so that they can help with our mission to destroy the universe.

Doomblade187

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Re: Demon Team - Chiaroscuro Arms Race: Design Phase 0
« Reply #24 on: November 12, 2019, 01:37:30 pm »

Quote from: Drawrven crafted Votebox. It menaces with spikes of Voters, and is of the highest dwarfmenship. It is crafted of imp and human and evil.
Designs:
Evil's Forge: (1) TricMagic
The Subtle Pull: (1) Doomblade
Mindblock: (0)
Lobbyists: (0)
Demon Spell: Intuitive Possession: (0)
Telekineser: (0)
Black Imps: (1) TricMagic
War-Sheep:(2) Rockeater, Doomblade

The Simmering Draughtsmith

In a corner deep within our base, sits a room, lined with class and horn flasks full of concoctions unimaginable. This is the Draughtsmith's domain, one of mutagens and madness. The exact method of creating these beverages is known only to a few, but the looming war has ensured that this will now change - we are now hiring test subjects, and unpaid interns. We even took out a wall to make room for another cauldron!

With these new expansion, the Draughtsmith will be able to use their trademark combination of demonic magic and alchemical formulae to impart strengthened physical characteristics and/or mental characteristics to our soldiers, with the aim to be able to affect the mind but not the body.
« Last Edit: November 13, 2019, 10:28:39 am by Doomblade187 »
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In any case it would be a battle of critical thinking and I refuse to fight an unarmed individual.
One mustn't stare into the pathos, lest one become Pathos.

Jerick

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Re: Demon Team - Chiaroscuro Arms Race: Design Phase 0
« Reply #25 on: November 12, 2019, 05:38:13 pm »

Language of Inception
This is a magical language that requires a ritual to write and must be written in the writer's own blood. The written rune when viewed imparts an idea into the mind of the viewer regardless of the readers understanding, ability to read or even their awareness of what is happening. The more often and longer the rune is viewed the deeper the idea takes root in the mind of the viewer. The more runes that are written together the more complex an idea they can implant. Though for a collection of runes to be effective they must be written in one sitting. Runes written at separate times or by separate people impart different ideas and cannot be combined into larger and more complex ideas. Due to the nature of rune writing them requiring the blood of the writer few people can write many at once.
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TricMagic

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Re: Demon Team - Chiaroscuro Arms Race: Design Phase 0
« Reply #26 on: November 12, 2019, 06:10:12 pm »

Since it's unlikely my designs will pass, have another.

Soul Snatchers

Ghostly translucent wisps who cling to shadows, they creep underneath and through any cracks they can find to a sleeping target and enter them. Slowly, over the course of a week, they copy the target's mannerisms and memories, before eventually consuming the target's soul and taking their place overnight.

They have a mental connection with their summoner, and will follow their orders, acting as their body would, except when it would interfere in those orders. The perfect replacements.
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NUKE9.13

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Re: Demon Team - Chiaroscuro Arms Race: Design Phase 0
« Reply #27 on: November 12, 2019, 07:23:19 pm »

The Simmering Draughtsmith

In a corner deep within our base, sits a room, lined with class and horn flasks full of concoctions unimaginable. This is the Draughtsmith's domain, one of mutagens and madness. The exact method of creating these beverages is known only to a few, but the looming war has ensured that this will now change - we are now hiring test subjects, and unpaid interns. We even took out a wall to make room for another cauldron!

With these new expansion, the Draughtsmith will be able to use their trademark combination of demonic magic and alchemical formulae to impart strengthened physical characteristics to our soldiers, with initial focus on refining flexible bladed limbs and stab resistant flesh.
So, I mentioned on Discord that this is possible- Alchemy is a mortal method of inducing mutations, and can also be used to stabilise mutations (making their use somewhat safer), in a way Good/Evil cannot. However, it is a considerably more complex process, and one that Demons have little knowledge of. On top of that, it is a forbidden art in most places, and practitioners must be careful not to get caught. To establish a baseline of alchemical capability would be Hard, representing the difficulty of merely locating a source of such knowledge.
If you want to get immediate results, that will increase the difficulty. I'm not clear on whether the last sentence is meant to suggest future plans, or an immediate goal. If it is an immediate goal... you'd be edging into Ludicrous, actually, since such mutations would be a whole design by themselves.

Language of Inception
This is a magical language that requires a ritual to write and must be written in the writer's own blood. The written rune when viewed imparts an idea into the mind of the viewer regardless of the readers understanding, ability to read or even their awareness of what is happening. The more often and longer the rune is viewed the deeper the idea takes root in the mind of the viewer. The more runes that are written together the more complex an idea they can implant. Though for a collection of runes to be effective they must be written in one sitting. Runes written at separate times or by separate people impart different ideas and cannot be combined into larger and more complex ideas. Due to the nature of rune writing them requiring the blood of the writer few people can write many at once.
This would be a Normal design, being a fairly average entry into mind-manipulation.

Soul Snatchers

Ghostly translucent wisps who cling to shadows, they creep underneath and through any cracks they can find to a sleeping target and enter them. Slowly, over the course of a week, they copy the target's mannerisms and memories, before eventually consuming the target's soul and taking their place overnight.

They have a mental connection with their summoner, and will follow their orders, acting as their body would, except when it would interfere in those orders. The perfect replacements.
Permanent, unwilling possession of this sort would require a rather advanced summon, and even then would have to contend with mental defences as much as any other mental attack. This would be Very Hard. A more gradual entry into the field would be easier.
« Last Edit: November 12, 2019, 07:28:25 pm by NUKE9.13 »
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Man of Paper

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Re: Demon Team - Chiaroscuro Arms Race: Design Phase 0
« Reply #28 on: November 12, 2019, 10:38:49 pm »

One of each thing we need to come up with instead of all the ideas I have, because I'm tired and need to get up in 7 hours so wheeeeeeeeeee. The design and demon/hq don't have to be paired and aren't written to be (unless votes go that way). I just like the theme.


Demon + HQ Idea
The Forgotten City - The Forgotten City rests within a vast jungle interspersed with drastic, steep mountains. The city was carved out of the peak of one of these very mountains, the capital of an ancient empire. The natives worshiped patently false gods, throwing vast hoards of material goods they deemed important into a nearby magma tube as "offering", as well as hanging chosen humans upside-down, cutting the body in a number of places, and exsanguinating the sacrifice atop a pyramid making up the highest point in the city (with the altar being the original peak of the mountain.). Sacrifices were performed daily, with suitable candidates brought in from villages and towns all across their land. Members of noble families were often volunteered by relatives for the honor of appeasing the gods with their most suitable blood. Nobody can be sure how many volunteers actually went willingly, and how many sacrifices led to a relative's sudden good fortune (in the form of inheritance).

Their behavior, and the bloodletting and nobile backstabbing (technically throatslitting) in particular, made The Forgotten City a particularly enticing location for Magoc the Many-Tongued, The Manipulator, That Which Twists, Bearer of Secrets, to start on it's path to dominance over all within reach once the entirety of their people were wiped out by a plague. Some suspect another Demon may had been involved but this occurred eons ago, so who knows. Either way, the jungle is littered with ruins and relics of this lost empire, and none yet have probed the jungle deep enough to uncover the capital at The Forgotten City. Except for Magoc, of course.  [Terrain features I'm aiming for are Jungle, Mountain, and Ruin, if at all possible depending on what NUKE has planned]

Magoc the Many-Tongued is a muscular humanoid biped with a deep blue, almost black hide. It has a pair of curled horns and a snout. It has a wide maw that can open from ear to ear if Magoc desires, and seems to chatter incessantly but makes no noise. This stops when Magoc speaks, though the actual motions of It's mouth do not usually match the words spoken. Magoc the Many-Tongued speaks in many languages, with no consecutive words ever being rooted in the same language. Somehow though It's words are understood by those It addresses, even when speaking languages forever lost to time. It is a charming Demon, and more intellectual than most of It's primal kin. Magoc the Many-Tongued wishes to learn how to twist those It asserts dominion over so as to make their form (both body and mind) fit their function, and is very skilled at convincing others to assert said dominion for It.

Within weeks of rising in The Forgotten City, Magoc the Many-Tongued gained a large following. All was going well until the Angel made It's presence known. The Angel would no doubt seek to end Magoc the Many-Tongued's quest before it truly had the chance to start, and with the area of The Forgotten City under It's control, it was time to strike.

[I imagine most of that fluff won't have a direct impact. I was just in the mood to paint a picture. With words.]

 
Design Idea:

Cultist Conversion Chamber - The Focused Effort Thing That Does The Two Actions For One Thing Thing: An old stone chamber lined with shackles and caked in layers of blood centuries old, if not older. In the center lay a table with two pairs of attached shackles and a leather strap at the middle. The stone floor is laid out in such a way that the grooves between individual stones form a glyph. When the grooves fill with blood they allow a Ritual of Mutation to take place. The blood evaporates rapidly as the ritual takes place, and while a single human sacrifice is enough to fuel a very minor mutation, more complex mutations will require a greater number of sacrifices - hence the multiple sets of shackles along the walls. The target of the ritual is secured to the central pedestal and will likely be in some level of pain for the duration. Currently we can only give those who follow us the ability to see in little to no light, but we are sure to entertain some of our more...exotic ideas if we dedicate time and effort to the art of mutation.

[So I think this has four things it tries to do: give use a ritual for mutating, give us a dedicated building for a ritual of mutating, give us a mutation, and perhaps make it easier to perform or create mutation-related things so long as the use of the chamber is applicable. With the doubley designey thing it'd hopefully be Very Hard at most, but that's for NUKE to have final say on]


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NUKE9.13

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Re: Demon Team - Chiaroscuro Arms Race: Design Phase 0
« Reply #29 on: November 13, 2019, 05:14:52 am »

Cultist Conversion Chamber - The Focused Effort Thing That Does The Two Actions For One Thing Thing: An old stone chamber lined with shackles and caked in layers of blood centuries old, if not older. In the center lay a table with two pairs of attached shackles and a leather strap at the middle. The stone floor is laid out in such a way that the grooves between individual stones form a glyph. When the grooves fill with blood they allow a Ritual of Mutation to take place. The blood evaporates rapidly as the ritual takes place, and while a single human sacrifice is enough to fuel a very minor mutation, more complex mutations will require a greater number of sacrifices - hence the multiple sets of shackles along the walls. The target of the ritual is secured to the central pedestal and will likely be in some level of pain for the duration. Currently we can only give those who follow us the ability to see in little to no light, but we are sure to entertain some of our more...exotic ideas if we dedicate time and effort to the art of mutation.

[So I think this has four things it tries to do: give use a ritual for mutating, give us a dedicated building for a ritual of mutating, give us a mutation, and perhaps make it easier to perform or create mutation-related things so long as the use of the chamber is applicable. With the doubley designey thing it'd hopefully be Very Hard at most, but that's for NUKE to have final say on]
The ability to perform mutations does not require a design- the reason that Doomblade's suggestion would is that it employs the mortal technique of Alchemy, rather than using Evil, which would grant access to more stable mutations. Which, I now realise, is not actually specified in the design, but was discussed in Discord. My apologies for any confusion. Anyway, the point is, while you could do the above design, you'll want to specify the benefits that go with this technique.
As written, this would be a Normal design (Easy as a High Effort Project). Simply establishing infrastructure to make mutations easier and cheaper would be on the lower end of Normal, and a trivial see-in-the-dark mutation wouldn't raise that to Hard- the mutations mentioned in Doom's proposal (sword arms and armoured skin) are more ambitious.
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