Does the skill give you descriptions that preclude particular shapes? Seems like unless it does, no reason you can't decide what shapes you use.

Love Love Love.

I also love Kiradawea's idea re: gems/stones. Maybe it can't be implemented fully but there can be some middleground? I get that there's a tension between blending magic and science without going to extremes at either ends. But thinking about where this might go is already making me excited.

The only thing on the table is tweaking the spinning gems and possibly removing wands and replacing with crystaltool. I know people like toolbelts and golems and whatnot, but that's not going to happen and there's no middle ground at this point.

So go look at my Aesthetics tertiary for bards. With Hallifax out, it's even more appropriate than it was, and Fain was very impressed with it. Pleasepleaseplease?


Druids have three. Therefore, they don't need it nearly as bad as the guilds that don't have three yet.

Tools ain't boring.





...

Oh, sure. Why not.



And nevermind that inventors like Tesla used tools as well. The idea is to think like an engineer, not construction worker. We're scientists making cool stuff. Not musclehunks following the recipe of an architect.

Can we just consider our wands a 'universal tool' of sorts, and please have those lovely effects?

I would like a crystaltool over a wand. Your earlier path-based tool proposal was nifty. I don't care about golems or toolbelts and, preferably, I would like only one tool. No need to fumble around trying to find different tools in the middle of a fight.

The only 'tools' a scientist needs anyway are a pen and paper.

No, sorry. Wands would go and be replaced by tools.

I say keep wands, change some abilities to single target, and beef up the rest of the skillset then. Unless there is a tool that vaguely resembles a wand, or is innately magical and caters to the mystically inclined folk.

Sonic screwdriver?

I agree with this. Addressing the relative lack of background/explanations for the spheres (which Elostian has offered to do) and adjusting some of the mechanics of the gems (allowing them to be targeted and balanced accordingly, for example) really would make everything wonderful.

EDIT: Not that it isn't already awesome.

Jokes aside now, if something is seriously being considered then a group of players would be willing to sit down and help with writing/designing, so it takes some of the burden off your shoulders. Personally I think it'd be really fun. I think that's what happened for the creation of the monk guilds too.

No, sorry, design by committee doesn't work for me. If you have ideas/suggestions, now is the time to share!

Which was not a good thing in my opinion. Once the players were allowed to control the development path their respective monk guilds, it put monks out of whack balance wise.

I can see how that can become a problem. Well, I was thinking writing/designing like literally just writing the descriptions. However, if I can think of anything neat I'll post it here then!

Would you consider formations perhaps? Useable only when a player has a full crystalplex surrounding them, they channel power through the arrangement and/or the harmonies created to some effect.

One formation might cause the gems to arrange themselves around their owners feet, creating a platform that could lift them giving pseudo-flight. Mainly just a random idea from a long train ride but could make the crystalplex a bit more than a collection of gems and give us a way to incorporate possible future expansions to the skill.

Either way, just thought I'd put this forward. Shatterplex might actually be an example of this, just targetted against an enemy rather than for the caster.

No, that's not on the table right now. We are -not- looking for a redesign of the skillset right now but rather tweaking the spinning gems (as we've discussed) and possibly replacing the wand with crystaltools (though seems to be mixed reaction to that). I don't dislike your idea per se but it's not something I am willing to jump into immediately--feel free to discuss with your envoy, however. As with every new skill we will probably do a special report within the next few months.

I like the tools idea myself!

Anything that lets me run around with a sonic screwdriver, no matter where I am, is an awesome idea according to me. *nodnod*

Shulamit, have you looked at the current description of your wand?