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PostPosted: Thu May 03, 2018 9:58 am 
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Just skimmed earlier topics. We discussed undead wearing plate in two threads. I wonder what skills they retained from life? Can you ask a zombie to light a lantern? Can you ask a skeleton to ride a horse? Just thinking about such limitations. They have darksight right?

On that matter, will darksight mean orcs are blind in a lighted room? Should be totally blind in daylight and outdoor daytime activities.

Can you convince skeletons to operate machinery? like siege engines and grain grinders? Can they chop wood without crushing themselves and others and with detailed supervision?

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PostPosted: Thu May 03, 2018 11:06 am 
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We discussed undead wearing plate in two threads. I wonder what skills they retained from life?

I would think the 'lower order' undead (i.e. the largely mindless ones) would retain only the most basic skills. The ability to fight (but not with any great skill), to push open doors, carry things...

Lighting a lantern is quite a complex task (involving oil, trimming a wick, getting a flame going using flint and tinder - unless you already have a flame handy); I think they wouldn't succeed. But you could ask them to hold a lantern.

As for riding a horse, you have to ask yourself what kind of horse would accept such a rider? I like the idea that "undeath" has its own sinister feel which animals instinctively pick up on.

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On that matter, will darksight mean orcs are blind in a lighted room? Should be totally blind in daylight and outdoor daytime activities.

The bonuses/penalties for Darksight are the exact reverse of Normal sight. Thus, I would expect orcs to be as hampered in bright daylight as humans at night. They wouldn't be totally blind, but their vision would be severely restricted (simply imagine you were directing your characters' actions on a dark night). As the daylight gets dimmer, their vision improves...

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Can you convince skeletons to operate machinery? like siege engines and grain grinders? Can they chop wood without crushing themselves and others and with detailed supervision?

You don't have to convince them - they should do what they're told (or they simply won't). As for machinery; so long as the task itself is basic/simple (e.g. turning a wheel when told to, pulling a lever when told to), then they might be able to - but they'd need someone to command them.

They might be able to chop wood, but they might need someone to pick the wood for them... And don't expect any fine carvings.


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PostPosted: Thu May 03, 2018 12:34 pm 
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Not so sure about zombies, but skeletons appear to be relatively intelligent (more so than most animals) and Myrkyn's servants seemed to be able to perform all the basic tasks of sentries (surveillance, archery, operating the portcullis etc) without too much trouble. They would have no trouble at all with simple machines and I feel like they probably lit the fires in his castle etc too. Not sure about riding a horse though.

Incidentally, has anybody ever actually inspected at a real skeleton close up? When I studied biomedical ethics many years ago at uni there was a genuine skeleton in the Flinders Hospital teaching rooms where we took our classes, and although I didn't try to lift the whole thing (that would have been very silly) just based on lifting one arm that thing weighed almost nothing. In fact if undead skeletons are dry (i.e. not full of bone marrow etc) according to Google they should only weigh 10-20kg. This means a skeleton in mail probably weighs less than its arms and armour! The best way to defeat one will be to give it a slight push. It should go down like a pile of sticks.

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PostPosted: Thu May 03, 2018 1:27 pm 
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As a skeleton has no muscle or other system of generating force, we can presume that one animated by magic is imbued with some kind of sorcerous energy that applies its own force to move the bones. No doubt interacting with a skeleton would result in being able to feel this force in a tangible, physical way.
Perhaps skeletons are sheathed in an invisible, arcane approximation of their flesh, unseen and intangible to mortals, yet able to interact with the old bones it covers.

Perhaps a Mystic with 'See Enchantment' or 'Allseeing Eye' might be able to discern the vague shape that is a magical recreation of the skeletons once living body.


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PostPosted: Thu May 03, 2018 2:10 pm 
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Perhaps skeletons are sheathed in an invisible, arcane approximation of their flesh, unseen and intangible to mortals, yet able to interact with the old bones it covers.

Interesting idea.

I like to think that skeletons are powered by the "force of undeath" (for want of a better name) and, not hampered by flesh, they can move as quickly as the sorcery will allow. I tend to give them REFLEXES 18 when determining order of combat (assuming this reaction speed is already reflected in their combat scores) - just to give the players something to worry about. It makes a weak monster appear powerful and just slightly unworldly.

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Myrkyn's servants seemed to be able to perform all the basic tasks of sentries...

That's true enough. Maybe I've been a bit harsh on skeletons...


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PostPosted: Thu May 03, 2018 2:22 pm 
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I suppose, without armour they might be able to survive falling better than most characters, considering their low weight. Whats to stop them wielding battleaxes?

Just thinking of a simple gameplay concept, tanks, artillery, you have sappers who can set traps and alter terrain. Summoners/conjurors is another type, and I think the Knave would be one. Rather than raising undead they would probably be best to manage hirelings.


Seems cumbersome to create intelligence stats, but it would be appropriate for npc management. What about wolfcall? Couldn't you give instructions like 'fetch that staff'? Or 'Defend that child'? How about 'guard passageway', or 'don't attack children/civilians/unarmoured types'?

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PostPosted: Thu May 03, 2018 2:32 pm 
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Quote:
Whats to stop them wielding battleaxes?

Nothing at all, unless there are no battleaxes around...

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...a simple gameplay concept, tanks, artillery, you have sappers...

Is this for DW in Legendary War II (LW2)? Where the modernised armoured forces of Kurland smash through the forces of Chaubrette, brushing aside the Elleslandic Expeditionary Force?

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What about wolfcall? Couldn't you give instructions like 'fetch that staff'?

I don't know. The description in the spell reads "summons one wolf to the caster's side to fight for him." I'd suggest it's up to the GM's interpretation: either the wolf can be summoned for the odd extra task (understanding commands like a well-trained hound) or, seriously annoyed at being summoned in the first place (and with nothing to fight), the wolf decides to bite a chunk out of the caster before running off...


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PostPosted: Thu May 03, 2018 3:37 pm 
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Starkad wrote:

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...a simple gameplay concept, tanks, artillery, you have sappers...

Is this for DW in Legendary War II (LW2)? Where the modernised armoured forces of Kurland smash through the forces of Chaubrette, brushing aside the Elleslandic Expeditionary Force?




Contemporary tanks and artillery, as in knights and sorcerors and archers.. Sappers would, in a video game alter terrain to affect the outcome of a battlefield, area denial, concealed ambush positions and 200m pits. I thought that the sorceror acts as the 'summoner' in that they do get access to low skilled minions that do their work for them.

Perhaps the demonologist takes this one step further? I'm sure demons can do much more complex tasks to affect the outcome rather than bloodily kill political figures.

Might be room for a dedicated necromancer class, pure spectre and wraith summoning/binding class. Don't think we already have that in the latest materials do we?

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PostPosted: Thu May 03, 2018 5:57 pm 
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The bonuses/penalties for Darksight are the exact reverse of Normal sight. Thus, I would expect orcs to be as hampered in bright daylight as humans at night. They wouldn't be totally blind, but their vision would be severely restricted (simply imagine you were directing your characters' actions on a dark night). As the daylight gets dimmer, their vision improves...


I have some great homebrew vision rules somewhere, I'll have a look ...


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