Clipboards

Artisans can make a new kind of desk called a clipboard. These use about the same comms as a desk, but last only a fifth as long. When wielded, they allow you to write without a desk or chair.

Guild Administrator Artifacts

Guild administrators get a non-decaying, resetting clipboard, which transfers to new GAs when they're elected. A GA using his clipboard can also mail things from wherever he is, not just in a post office, just like how people who have pets with a mail upgrade can. (However, the clipboard won't be the one to deliver it; it will be delivered by whatever bird or beast that GA's guild's nation's post office uses.)

The form would vary from guild to guild; for instance, the Aquamancer GA might get one made of coral and decorated with seashells, the Ur'Guard GA would have one made of iron, the Shadowdancers GA would have one woven of shadows and webs, and the Spiritsinger GA would have one decorated with tiny musical chimes.

Guildmaster Artifacts

Guildmasters inspire and lead. A guildmaster's artifact is something they can USE once per weave, which will inspire any guildmates in the room at the time. For a period of one day, those guildmates (not including the GM herself) will have a 10% damage reduction, similar to (but less than, and not cumulative with) the reduction caused by a highfavour.

The form would vary from guild to guild; for instance, the Serenguard GM would have a tribal drum, the Paladin GM would have a rallying banner, the Geomancers GM might get a shard of the Stone of Truth, and Blacktalon's GM might get the Eye of Crow.

Wow, I like that idea. The clipboards alone would be an awesome addition to the world of Lusternia. And the GA getting a permanent one would be great. But I'm not so sure about the GM artifact. I'd be going for more of a "Lead" artifact than an "Inspire" artifact, personally. Don't ask me what it'd be, though. Something more practical than a 10% damage reduction for members in the room every day or so.

There's all kinds of things that'd be nice little buffs, but I thought damage reduction was a good one for two reasons. 1) Because it isn't duplicating readily available other buffs like infused food, yet it's something that'll take very little coding since it does replicate something that is already in the code. 2) Because reducing damage is something likely to encourage people to be brave.

I think something really good for a GM (battle-wise, and keeping with the "Lead" part of it) would be an artifact that makes your presence and location known to all the people on your allies list, and give people around you in the guild an option to automatically walk to your location and start following you, or something. That'd be great for people who get left behind.

Hmmm.

Neato.

Another two things it could possibly do is mark an enemy for attack - if you're in the same room or something you can alert everyone to their presence - or perhaps point out an ally leader to be followed.

I'd like to point out that GM's are not the Cities/Communes fighting leaders, they lead the City/Commune and maintain relationships between the Guild and whatever organization they are joined to.

Great idea, but you're ultimately going to find at times there are no motive for a GM to fight and especially to lead a fight.

That's another part of what inspired my idea, actually. It's more like the pep-talk in the locker room for the guys who will actually go out and fight. I think it's a bad idea for the GM's gadget to actually make him better at fighting (which is why I specifically excluded him from its effect), both to avoid abuses and to avoid infringing on the GC's area.

I can understand where you're coming from, but perhaps the inspiring bit can go in another direction?

GM's are the political leader of the Guild, the figurehead as Kalodan is very keen on reminding me of. Since their way is mostly diplomacy, perhaps a small bonus to influence. The fighters and hunters of Lusternia are the ones most rewarded often, and those who influence or do more pacifistic activities are often excluded as their effects just don't show as often or as boldly as a fighters.

Just a suggestion, if there must be.

I don't see that any of that is necessarily true. Most leadership jobs are left pretty open-ended as far as their role. There have been times before where a GM was more combat-savvy than a Champion and didn't hesitate to lead people into combat. GM's aren't figureheads or pacifistic by definition either. That may be the job description you've written for yourself but it doesn't apply across the board.

Yes, some are more so. And no, it's honestly not. It's just one view on how they are. And at current, I can take a look at a few GM's and say 'They don't lead their people in combat.'

But look at it one way for a second. Fighters are often more rewarded because their actions show up far more so than say an influencers. Or anyone that's just quieter in their actions because they're not the big bad fighter of the City/Commune. So why not try and aim for the quieter ones to 'inspire' them to become more active and more visible.

Why I don't like the influencing perk is that it benefits the GM, not the guild. The others are geared towards helping the leader help the guild, not himself. (The GC one is fuzzy on that, but we assume they get their perks so they can use them to defend their guildmates, not so they can go around kicking toosh, at least in principle -- if only all GCs were principled.)

I can see arguments for changing which buff that the GM can give to guildmates, though I've not seen one suggested I like better than my original proposal. But I am not convinced about changing away from the central idea of the suggestion.

In any case, we all seem to agree about clipboards and the GA artifact! So far, at least.

Mmmh. Be careful with giving out blanket resistances because they can get very overpowering very quickly when stacked if you don't keep a careful eye on them.

As long as it's non-stacking with things like truefavour it's probably fine though.

What other blanket resistances are there? Divine favour was the only one that occurred to me, but if there are other ones, let's say it doesn't stack with them either.

Drawdown? Nightkiss?

(And some of these clipboard artifacts would be nice for a few of the Commune Ministers, too. Don't forget that there is a Commune/City leadership structure as well)

While I'm not adverse to the idea of artifacts for the GA and GM, I'm not sure about the clipboard (is the GA really a glorified office manager?) or a GM item that allows combat benefits.

For the GA, what about an artifact that increases xp of novices (and the GA) when grouped together in an entourage? Maybe all the GA's and secretaries could get this benefit but the GA artifact gives an even greater boost?

For the GM, what about some sort of rod that gives a special favour to a guild member that is a combination of a stronger guild favour and city/commune favour? It could only be given once per month and the recipient has to physically stand before the guildmaster to receive it.

Just some thoughts.

LOVE IT, we need something like that.


I also love the clipboard idea.

I like both of those ideas, actually. Those'd be interesting, especially the +exp for young members following a GA / secretary. I've been spending a lot of time recently leading little ones around hunting, for example, and I end up "stealing" a good chunk of their experience, though I learn about nothing from it myself.

Would there be anything similar for organization leadership outside of a guild? Ministers and leaders also spend a fair bit of time dealing with stuff-- especially Power Ministers, for example, if they're doing their job. Same with Culture.

Can we still get a guild pet? *twiddle*

I want Jezebel on a leash!

Check to the clipboard idea as a general Artisan skill, but not necessarily as a GA artifact.

Would the GM sceptre thing just make his existing favor stronger, or would it give him a second favor per day?

Per the +xp, although I'm never opposed to increasing experience I would think it would be more beneficial to stop the bigger person from "stealing" all of the experience. Even for things like rockeaters that novices could probably take around level 15 giving them a decent amount of experience, only gives a point or two when following someone else. The ability to, for example, split the XP 50% or 33% instead of the way it's weighted now would be beneficial.

Now that I think about it, it might be useful for the mythbusters to experiment on what affects XP distribution amongst groups.