IsabellaRose

The Pherosol itself is the multitool (that ability is built into the Pherosol, which is how you can add all the other Abilities to it.) so if you choose invention, you get to add: Ability: Flight at d4. Ability: Shield at d4. Step up Pherotech to d6. You get an SFX for each ability at d4, d8, and d12 ranks. So for now, 1 SFX for each Ability.

what they see They always start with my eyes. The men, I mean. They say they’re expressive, that I have that spark, that they can see the life in me, the laughter waiting to happen. They talk about how I look at them, how I make them feel seen, how they could drown in the color, how they’d swim there forever if I’d let them. They tell me I have eyes that say yes, eyes that tease, eyes that know too much. They don’t know how right they are. Because when I look into them, those same eyes they worship, all I see are the lies I’ve told. Little ones, big ones, the kind that keep the day moving, the kind that keep the world from caving in. I see the hours lost to pretending to be okay, to laughing on cue, to becoming the kind of woman who knows how to play her own reflection. Sometimes I stare at myself too long. The makeup starts to blur, the shape of me comes undone, and I catch a glimpse, not of the woman they think I am, but of the girl I used to be. She’s still in there, behind the practiced tilt of my head, the practiced smile, the careful way I hold myself so no one can see the seams. Her eyes were softer once, round with wonder, unguarded in a way I can barely remember. She didn’t know yet. When I meet her gaze, she looks startled, like she’s been found out, like she’s been waiting all these years for me to come back and didn’t think I would. I don’t know what to say to her. Sorry? Thank you? It’s all right now? None of it would be true. So I just keep looking, until I see her fade again into the woman I’ve become, polished, knowing, eyes that make men feel things they mistake for love. They say they can see everything in them, the fire, the flirtation, the life. And maybe they can. But what they don’t see is the way I have to look past myself every morning in the mirror, just to keep from drowning in what’s left behind those eyes.

Anything new always starts at d4.

Actually... it looks like you have 3 steps up too many. d8 Disciple of the Scarlet Path should be d6 d10 Shameless Flirt should be d6 What I'm seeing is below. You could move around a couple things to bump those Distinctions up, but something else would have to go down to make up for it.

@WickedCadrach - don't forget to add 2d4 Lincoln Palace Hotel to your character sheet! @DreamsnThings - how's it going on finishing up Step 3? Need any help or have any questions? @StarlitSiren - don't forget to bump up Edmund to d6 on your character sheet also make sure to add 2d4 The Exchange !

We can expand the "instrument" limit to include his voice. The idea is that if something happens to his instrument (or his voice) it will Shut Down his Ability. The Stress list is finite. Every character has 6 stress tracks: Afraid, Angry, Aroused, Exhausted, Injured, Insecure. I imagine the song can only inflict an emotional stress on the listener, so I excluded Exhausted and Injured. The exact circumstances listed in Lingering Echo (i.e.: crowds riot) were just examples, but the Stress tracks are set. For Resonant Performance, the d8 Emotional Complication can be any emotion. You name it, it becomes a d8 <insert emotion> Complication for the remainder of the scene and you or anyone else can use it in your rolls for the rest of the scene. If you want The Noise to have a mechanical effect on Kojo, then we would need to incorporate a mechanical "quieting" effect. If it's just story, then we don't need one. The rules aren't really built for that kind of thing, but we could do the same kind of thing I did for Edmund. We could add a limit called "The Noise" which I could trigger at dramatic moments when you roll a hitch (a natural 1 on any die). I'd give you a plot point and Shut Down your "The Other Theory" ability until you "quiet the noise" by making beautiful music with someone... ;) Now that I wrote it down, I kind of like that. It's synergistic with Edmund's Magical Legacy, it fits into how the default rules work, and it's easy to manage.

@AsBloodTurnsEverCold - Here's the updated Other Theory Ability. More or less the same, with a bit more to the SFX THE OTHER THEORY: When you play, your music doesn’t just move hearts, it opens minds. You open yourself up to The Theory and perform with an uncanny and unearthly immensity. Notes spill from your instrument or voice like a bridge to the Other World, luring listeners into a state of suggestible reverie. Sometimes it’s a captivating distraction; other times it stirs deep emotion in the listener... calm, rage, longing, even lust. With focus, you can even plant a subtle idea, a whisper woven into melody that lingers long after the last chord fades. Effect: Influence Descriptors: musical, emotional, resonance, otherworldly, hypnotic Limits: Performance (requires an instrument and the act of playing), Feedback (prolonged use inflicts Exhausted or Insecure Stress as the resonance feeds back into you) Special Effects: Spend a Plot Point to... Captivate an entire audience, distracting them from events around them. (Musical Distraction) Inflict a d8 Emotional Complication (Calm, Rage, Longing, Ecstasy, Despair) on all who can hear your music. (Resonant Performance) Plant a fleeting idea or impulse within one listener’s mind. It feels like their own thought, fading after a few hours unless reinforced. (Subtle Suggestion) Inflict d8 Stress as the emotional tone of your performance lingers beyond the scene, influencing those affected for the rest of the day (Angry - crowds riot, Aroused - friends become lovers, Insecure - soldiers lose heart, Afraid - people cower in their homes). (Lingering Echo) Add your current Aroused or Exhausted Stress die to a roll OR Step Up your Effect Die. After, step that Stress up by one as the resonance tears through you.

So, I'm challenging myself. This one started out as an attempt to write an Edgar Allen Poe inspired long form poem and honestly, it got away from me and I definitely feel like the Poe tone came in and out. Part of that might be the protagonist voice I was shooting for, partly frightened, partly aroused, possibly mad. So for Prompt 7: Masquerade Mask, I give you... The Masquerade That Will Not Die...

@DreamsnThings - oh, you also have to select the first SFX for each Ability tied to your Pherosol. If you look at the Big List of Abilities spoiler hidden inside the Abilities spoiler in the Rules Reference, there's a list of SFX for each Ability. Pick one for each Ability (Pherotech and Flight) and add it to your character sheet. We'll add more later, but we need the first selections written in there so we know what you can already do at the start of the adventure.

In Cortex Smallville game terminology, "Assets" is a umbrella term that covers both Distinctions (mostly personality traits and skills), and Abilities (anything that could be considered a rare or inhuman ability or superpower). Your Pherosol is an Ability with the "Gear" limitation, which means it's an Asset in game terms. Both of those work. But just so you understand the purpose of the Pathways system, the main idea is to link other peoples' NPCs and Locations to yours, and to each other. Nothing is set in stone yet, and NPCs we may have thought of one way when we put them on the map can end up completely different (or perhaps just multi-faceted) after everyone else has had a turn linking them together. That's the fun of this system; the NPCs and Locations get linked together in this messy web that nobody could have predicted and none of us would have created on our own. It's collaborative creation and it's amazing fun! I'm not saying you have to change the links you made, but give the map a once over. See if anything there speaks to you. Maybe Kirsa is dating Jack. Maybe Red Jenny used to be a dancer at the Golden Stag. The idea is to makes links that create potential drama; unexpected connections and relationships are the best. We want more drama and conflict, and the more we bake in here, the better our starting point will be. The steps you need to complete are: 1. Add an Ability with the Gear or Mad Science Limit. This would be the Ability Flight at d4. 2. Add or step up a Distinction or Gear. Here you have a decision. You could use this for either the Multitool Ability or the Shield Ability. 3. Step up a Relationship, Distinction, Ability, or Resource. Pherotech up to d6

Perfect. that completes your Step 2 (that I thought was already complete, but now definitely is!) Now we need to finish your Step 3: Focus. Find the details in the Rules Reference hidden behind the Pathways spoiler, then the Step 3: Focus spoiler. You'll need to: Draw an arrow from any circle or diamond to another circle, diamond, or square on the Miro board. You can connect any NPC or Location created by anyone to any NPC, Location, or one of the PCs if you want. Go crazy. Make a connection no one else would think of... have fun with it! Draw an arrow from your square to a new or existing circle (NEW Extra or Relationship) or diamond (NEW Location) and label it so we know what the connection is. You can add someone or someplace new, or you can connect your character to a new or existing location. Make sure to add the person or location to your sheet at d4. Pick from the Focus steps: Fortune, The Gun, Reputation, Invention, or The Supernatural and do the steps listed. Any questions, post them here! I'd recommend Invention so you can add more Gear-limited abilities to the Pherosol (like Shield or Flight). Right now the Pherosol only has Pherotech on your sheet. There are plenty of steps to get it up to where you want it, though.

@DreamsnThings - Okay, your Step 1 is done. Step 2 we need to clarify Step 1 Origin: Prodigy DONE! Draw your Lead square. Draw arrows from your square to all other squares (don’t label yet). Draw an arrow to a new circle (NEW NPC) and label it. Mr. Kay Step up Glory or Truth twice, or step up each once. Truth x2 to d8 Add a Distinction OR add a new Ability. Ability: Pherosol (Pherotech) at d4 Add another Distinction or step up a Distinction. Distinction: Honeypot at d4 Step up a Relationship, Asset, or Resource. Kojo to d6 Step 2 Youth: Apprentice NEED TO CLARIFY Draw an arrow from your square to a new diamond (NEW Location). Label the connection (line) to define it. Kyle's Cure-Alls Pharmacy Draw an arrow from a circle or diamond that you added to any another circle or diamond. Label the connection to define it. Mr. Kay > why is my sister in this town? > Red Jenny Add or Step Up a Distinction. Step Up a Resource. Step up a Relationship, Distinction, Ability, or Resource. 1. Add or Step Up a Distinction. Your only Distinction right now is Honeypot, so you can step that up from d4 to d6, or add a new Distinction (in the Rules Reference, expand the Distinctions spoiler, then expand The Big List of Distinctions spoiler and pick one you like) 2. Step Up a Resource. Your only Resource right now is 2d4 Kyle's Cure-Alls Pharmacy, so you can step that up to 2d6. 3. Step up a Relationship, Distinction, Ability, or Resource. You have d4 Pherosol as an Ability (with Gear limit) so you can use the last step to up it to d6, OR use this step to step up your d4 Relationship with Mr. Kay to d6

I'm going to preface this by saying, I'm a dumb-dumb and ended up trying to write a crappy horror movie in as few words as possible... it's not good, and it's too long, but hidden within the spoiler tag to keep people from having to scroll for a mile, here's... Prompt 6: Trick or Tease

So would it be accurate to say that you're imagining him sort of like a classic D&D style spellcaster? But instead of having a set number of spells he can cast per long rest, he instead accumulates energy through sex, stores it, and uses it to power his spells? I hadn't imagined him buffing himself with temp strength or speed. I had pictured more a classic wizard type, using spells to keep foes distant, to scry on enemies, to find things and control them from afar. I'm trying to think of a way to emulate a quantity of stored power, but still stay within the framework of the cortex drama rules. I think what I'd like to do is do it this way: give you a Heritage called "Magical Legacy" cribbed mechanically from the book, but modified with a couple tweaks to make it fit your idea and our world: Magical Legacy: Power runs through certain bloodlines, names, and talismans like veins of ore through stone. Some inherit their gift from a witch-ancestor burned in Salem or a shamanic forebear who spoke with spirits before the railroad came. Others gain it through initiation into secret orders or the possession of a relic steeped in will and blood. Whatever its source, magic is old, stubborn, and hungry. It remembers every hand that ever wielded it, and it shapes those who dare to claim it. In the new century, where steam engines hum and the dead whisper through telegraphs, carrying such a legacy is both a blessing and a curse, a birthright no sane soul would envy, and no wise soul would squander. d4: Add a d6 to Trouble to Reroll any die due to your magical nature, what others call “luck.” d8: Add a d10 to Trouble to use a Special Effect from an Ability you do not have, connected or not. d12: Add a d10 to Trouble to Reveal that you know a spirit, demon, or sorcerer with information you need. Connected Abilities: Blast, Flight, Illusion, Precognition, Teleportation Limits: Energy Stores Then when there's a specific ability you want him to have repeatedly, like a rote spell that he can cast easily from having done it so many times, you'd add that ability to his sheet. So if you want him to just cast a Fireball or Flaming Fingertips of Doom or whatever you want to call it, you'd add the Blast Ability with the Fire tag, and he's a fireball casting fiend. He can always use an SFX from ANY ability if you step Magical Legacy up to d8, it will just add a d10 to Trouble (which is my pool of dice to use against all of you) every time he does. In this way, he can have a sort of magical bag of tricks (the d8 SFX from magical legacy) AND still have a few things he does all the time with less of a cost (the abilities added to your sheet). Also, with the limit of "Energy Stores", when you roll a hitch, I have the ability to give you a Plot Point to shut down his magic until he restores his power.

Oh. Yes. Many. I adore teasingly revealing clothing and translucent fabric and... well, I have this dress... I didn't need it, knew better than to buy it since I have nowhere to wear it, but it's still in my closet looking sexier in my imagination than it ever will anywhere but in front of the mirror on the closet door. <heavy sigh> It's so gorgeous, though. The next person has something they like to wear to feel "sexy".

Whew! I was hoping I was going in the right direction! The general idea I'm going for is that most magic is basically focused will using strong emotion as fuel to access power "from beyond"... and even though every magical tradition has their own idea of what it is that's beyond, none of them actually know. They all tap into an aspect of this otherworldly source in one way or another, whether directly, indirectly, or through one of its intermediaries. Kojo has tapped into an aspect of the true power beyond that has been forgotten since the days before language, before civilization, when mankind thumped their chests, banged on drums, and howled at the moon and their enemies. I'm going to be reviewing your sheet next, making sure you got all the steps you needed and making sure your character is shaping up the way you want her. Sorry for the delay!

@AsBloodTurnsEverCold The Other Theory The world knows almost nothing about The Other Theory. Among scholars and occultists, if it is even spoken of at all, The Other Theory is whispered of as a forbidden branch of music theory or esoteric acoustics. It is described as the idea that certain sequences of notes, chords, or vibrations can open the human mind to revelation or madness. Rumors abound of those who have studied it but no one actually knows anyone who has, and whenever a name comes up, it's always someone who has died, gone mad, or simply disappeared never to be seen again. Some claim it was the true origin of sacred chant, lullaby, and war-drum alike. The rest of the world just hears a good musician. In truth, The Other Theory is a resonance, a living pattern, perhaps part of or born from the same unknowable source that fuels all passion-born magic. To call it “music” is like calling lightning a “bright string.” It’s merely the shape that the incomprehensible takes when filtered through sound and emotion. It is not intelligent in the human sense, but it is aware, an echo of a greater cosmic mind that listens and hungers for experience. It feeds on emotional sound: laughter, screams, sighs, sobs, any vibration born of strong feeling. When it’s satisfied, the world feels more. When starved, it whispers to those who can hear. The Other Theory is not the full truth, it’s a localized manifestation of the same unfathomable entity that underlies all true magic. Where witches touch it through passion, and shamans through spirit, Kojo touches it through sound. Each tradition brushes against a different face of the same unknowable source, the witch feels it as the whisper behind desire, the shaman as the deep current beneath the earth, and the musician as the music between worlds. If the Other Theory is a song, then the cosmic power beyond is the orchestra that doesn’t know it’s playing. Kojo isn’t a sorcerer. He’s a resonant medium, a man whose passion and pain have tuned him to the right frequency. When he plays, he opens a channel and The Other Theory flows through him, shaping moods, bending hearts, amplifying love or fury in his listeners. But every performance feeds the Noise as well as the audience. The greater the emotion he stirs, the more it eats, and the more it eats, the hungrier it becomes. He feels its pull when he’s silent, a gnawing ache behind the eardrums, the faint hum of a note just below hearing. The only relief comes when he plays. If he tries to direct or suppress the emotion it provokes, it pushes back with pain, hallucinations, or moments when his body moves on its own, strings plucked by unseen fingers. He thinks of it as a relationship: he feeds it, and it lends him power. In truth, he’s its favorite instrument. The Other Theory isn’t evil, but it’s utterly amoral. It doesn’t tempt or promise; it simply is. Kojo’s tragedy is that he interprets a predatory curiosity as artistic inspiration. Every time he performs, he brings beauty into the world, and feeds something that does not understand beauty at all. Kojo is the conduit. His gift can sway hearts, heal grief, ignite riots, or drive the broken to rapture. He must decide whether to keep feeding the Noise, and his art, or try to silence the music that is slowly devouring him.

I'm working on an Ability and Distinction that fit with the rules and capture as much of what you said as possible!

Not out of step at all. I invoked Lovecraft in my original post. I'll get back to you in a bit what what I imagine The Other Theory to be linked with... I have to get my thoughts written up in "far too wordy world building" format

Okay... magic. My original vision for the game was something like indigenous shamanic magic and witchcraft a la classic Salem witches and whatnot. I wrote up a bit for what people believe magic to be in the world: Common Knowledge: The Known Forms of Magic Superstitious Folk Magic Every corner of the frontier hums with old wives’ tales, pocket charms, horse shoes nailed over doors, salt over the shoulder, hair-bound poppets buried under porches, coins in the well for luck. People swear these things work… sometimes. Most call it coincidence or comfort rather than real power. Every town has a “granny woman,” fortune-teller, or traveling tinker happy to sell you a ward against hexes. Whether it helps or not, folks sleep easier having one. Witchcraft Said to have crossed the ocean from the Old World, witchcraft is the art of will made manifest through ritual, herbs, and emotion. A witch may draw circles in chalk or boil herbs and bones under the moon. Some call them healers, some call them devil-wives, but everyone agrees it’s best not to cross one. Most witches are women, though a few men claim the title too. They keep their secrets close, work alone or in hidden covens, and draw power from passion: love, grief, or wrath. The Church condemns them; the desperate seek them out anyway. Shamanic Magic Among the native peoples and those who walk in harmony with the land, magic is not a tool but a conversation. Shamans speak with spirits of wind and river, calling rain, finding lost souls, or healing the sick. Their power comes from respect, sacrifice, and balance, never taken freely, always offered in exchange. Outsiders may scoff, yet few doubt the authority of a real spirit-talker when the campfire flares blue and the dead start whispering. These three traditions are the known face of magic in the world — feared, debated, and often misunderstood, but undeniably part of its living folklore. Then I had to try to figure out how to incorporate The Other Theory (cthulhu-esque otherworldly power) and esoteric sex magic a la Aleister Crowley. Here's my proposition: Esoteric and Hermetic Orders Among the city salons and secret lodges of the learned, there are those who claim the universe itself is moved by desire. They call themselves esoteric magi, occult philosophers, or Disciples of the Scarlet Path. To them, the body is a sacred instrument, its sensations a direct path to enlightenment and power. Their rituals mix ancient symbols, alchemy, breathwork, and the union of bodies to awaken hidden energies within. They believe that lust is life’s most honest expression of will, that the moment of release tears down the walls between self and creation. Whether focusing their intent with a sigil drawn in sweat on bare flesh or an ancient phrase spoken over a writhing orgiastic mass of bodies, they shape that energy into change: inspiration, protection, attraction, even subtle enchantment. Most people think them decadent mystics or harmless libertines, yet those who leave their magical chambers are rarely the same as when they entered. @MagnificentBastard - I need to know how you envisioned Edmund's magic. What magical effects did you imagine him creating? Did you see him drawing power from sex to charge a ritual? casting spells on the fly with stored energy? In order to quantify it as an Ability, I need to know how you expect him to be able to use it. The Other Theory Somewhere between science and madness lies a sound no one can quite explain. A handful of scholars call it The Other Theory, a rumored set of vibrations that touch something outside human perception. Kojo has heard the sound, felt its vibrations. When he plays, the air itself seems to shift; sometimes hearts quicken, tempers flare, or eyes brim with tears. Audiences speak of being transported, as though the music brushed the soul. Kojo can’t say how, only that certain notes, played just so, open a door in the mind that lets emotion flow like a tide. He believes he’s discovered a hidden law of harmony, a resonance that connects all living things. To others, it feels almost holy… or terrifying. Although he doesn’t fully understand what answers when he plays, only that it does answer, he has learned to bend that answer just enough to affect those who listen. @AsBloodTurnsEverCold - Is this something close to what you're thinking? I'm assuming from what you wrote that Kojo doesn't actually know what he's tapping into when he plays, only that he can have an effect and has a bit of control over it to give the effect he wants. I have plans to tie The Other Theory into an otherdimensional "source of magic" that others will also access with their forms of magic in one way or another. The biggest thing for me is that I don't want anyone overpowered with their magic. I want to enforce that magic bends the rules of reality, and doing so always has a cost. The stronger the effect, the greater the cost, and if you don't pay enough up front, something will come collecting later. Questions? Comments? I want it to fit with what people are imaging when they create their characters, but I also want to keep it from getting too out of hand.

Prompt 2: Summoning in which Cyril Grumblethatch summons Something, and immediately regrets everything, especially the lack of trousers Summoning Log Entry #042 Time of Attempt: 2:13 a.m.1 Atmosphere: Thick with candle smoke and mild desperation Circle Integrity: Debatable Observed Outcome: Absolutely nothing Cyril P. Grumblethatch, wizard of modest skill, dubious confidence, and a deep, spiritually exhausting belief in following written instructions, had recited the spell thrice (two times intentionally), applied the blood of a virgin carrot to the sigil of Oozulon (may his tentacles remain ever moist), and the circle had been etched with the utmost precision.2 But nothing had happened. Not even a puff of smoke, and Cyril had managed at least that much the last time. He had written “do not step inside the circle” on seven different surfaces, including his own forearm, just in case her forgot again. There was a curious humming sound, as if someone had noticed a particularly stubborn speck on the counter they thought they had just cleaned. Cyril turned to the circle and forgot how to breathe. He had not intended to summon anything especially fleshy. His goal was quite modest: summon a minor spirit of knowledge, maybe one with glasses and a fondness for footnotes, to help cross-reference his collection of cursed index cards. At worst, he’d hoped for something vaguely translucent and deeply apologetic. Instead... “Well, hell...o.” The voice was velvet wrapped around thunder. It came from somewhere inside the summoning circle and also, unnervingly, from behind his sternum. Cyril blinked at the entity now occupying a significant portion of his workroom, his personal space, and his rapidly deteriorating sense of professionalism. She was... Well. “Oh no,” he muttered. “She’s hot.” Which felt like a rather reductive description for a being whose presence redefined gravitational pull. She was reclining midair, lazily, like someone who’d just climbed out of a sun-drenched bath, remembered they left something burning on the stove, and decided to seduce the fire instead. Her skin shimmered like cherry wine, her horns curled delicately above her brow like punctuation marks for particularly sinful thoughts, and she wore nothing except confidence, which if you asked Cyril, was far more indecent than nudity. "You pulled me from the Third Orgy of the Third Moon of Shrall3, and materialized me into what I can only describe as a... chalky insult to geometry." She looked around the circle within which she reclined with disinterest, disdain, and very likely several other words that started with "dis". Cyril considered passing out. Not from fear, mind you, but from logistical overwhelm. Now, to be fair, the summoning had been executed according to the diagram. Mostly. The pentagram was only a little off-center, the chalk had only been slightly damp, and yes, he’d substituted goat’s blood with beetroot juice after an unfortunate incident involving Cyril, a goat, and a sternly worded letter from the landlord4. But the spell had been read aloud three times, three times!, and as every wizard knows, that’s the cosmic equivalent of clicking “I agree to the terms and conditions” whether you understand them or not. And now: her. She had manifested, though notably not in the form described by Demonomicon for Sad and Lonely Wizards, Vol. III5. Instead of bat wings and goat hooves, she was very humanoid, extremely naked, and hovering upside-down in flagrant violation of both gravity and decency. She stretched slowly, deliberately, like a cat made of sin and promises, and her eyes found him. He squawked like a drunk owl6, dropped his clipboard, and stared at her lack of pants. “You’re not the High Priest of Shur'vaxis.” Her voice was sultry, distracted, and only mildly disappointed, which honestly felt like a win. “And you're not wearing any pants,” Cyril said, then instantly regretted saying it. "I don’t really believe in pants," she drawled as if her words would find there way out of the circle and physically seduce him. "They’re leg prisons.7" “I’m Cyril.” She hadn't asked, and she regarded him the way one might regard a spoon that had tried to write poetry. “Cyril,” she repeated, as though testing the name for allergic reactions. “That sounds like a noise someone makes when they sit on something damp. What do you want, Cyril?” “Knowledge,” he croaked, trying not to look directly at anything jiggle-adjacent and remembering far too late to sound commanding. “Forbidden knowledge. Ancient truths. Arcane...” She rolled her eyes, or perhaps her entire soul, it was difficult to tell. The streetlamp outside flickered and decided to stay off out of respect. “Do you know,” she said, propping her chin on one hand and gazing at him with interest best described as amused contempt, “I was in the middle of an orgy with the pleasure saints of the Seventh Spiral when your little incantation yanked me out by the ankles?” Cyril made a noise that was legally distinct from an apology but emotionally adjacent to a whimper8. “And now I’m here,” she continued, “in a chalk circle that looks like it was drawn by a drunken cartographer with a vendetta against geometry, talking to a mortal in a bathrobe with... oh dear... runes upside-down.” Cyril followed her gaze to the floor. One rune was upside-down, probably because he’d dropped a biscuit crumb on it and rewritten it from memory. Backwards. “You see the issue.” She floated closer, hips swaying like gravity owed her rent. She wasn’t walking so much as implying movement. Her voice dropped to a purr. “Now. Do you really want forbidden knowledge? Or are you just terribly, achingly lonely, Cyril?” His brain took a vote. It was unanimous: panic9. “I... um... I have a cat!10” he blurted. “Somewhere.” She smiled. It was the kind of smile that left scorch marks. “Then let me show you something the cat never will.” She stepped forward... no, glided, really, and the broken chalk hissed beneath her, not in warning... in anticipation. Cyril’s knees gave up the fight. He caught himself on the bookshelf, knocking over a jar labeled “Emergency Pickles (Cursed)11.” She was in front of him now, close enough that her heat seeped through every layer of his uncertainty. “You summoned me, Cyril. That means something inside you wanted more. Something deep. Something messy. Something terribly fun.” “Are you going to hurt me?” he whispered. She leaned in, her lips brushing the edge of his ear. “Only if you’re very, very lucky.” Footnotes also know as the Witching Hour's slightly inebriated cousin discounting a small smudge where the cat sneezed a lovely place if you like lava, lust, and consensual screaming to this day, the details remain a subject of heated debate in the building’s tenants’ association minutes. The short version is that Cyril had taken “freshly sourced” rather too literally. The longer version involves a goat named Persephone, a misinterpreted lease clause concerning livestock, and approximately three quarts of something that would later be ruled “ritually significant but not refundable.” The landlord’s letter began with “Dear Mr. Grumblethatch, please refrain from sacrifices on communal property,” and ended with a hand‑drawn diagram illustrating the difference between “ceremonial use of the balcony” and “arson by inference.” in Cyril's opinion, Volume III was the least judgmental of the series.  Volumes I and II were banned in six countries for “encouraging correspondence with infernal beings for recreational purposes.” Volume III was an attempt to rehabilitate the brand by including fewer summoning diagrams and more self‑help quizzes (“Are You Emotionally Ready for a Pentagram?” and “How to Tell if That Voice in Your Head Is a Demon or Just Low Blood Sugar”). Sales improved dramatically after a reissue without the scratch‑and‑sniff pages. a drunk owl’s squawk differs dramatically from other varieties of owl exclamation. A surprised owl emits a sharp “HOO!” followed by a moment of offended silence; an angry owl produces a prolonged “HOO‑oo‑OO!” often directed at an uncooperative vole; and a romantic owl, under the influence of moonlight and optimism, coos something that sounds like a plumbing problem. A drunk owl, however, abandons all pretense of mystery and simply yells “WHOMST?!” before flying into the nearest tree. The resulting noise, half indignation, half self‑pity, is widely considered the avian equivalent of dropping a full pint and insisting you meant to. This statement reflects the widely held belief among demons, particularly those of the mid-tier hedonistic persuasion, that trousers are a cruel human invention designed to separate the thighs from their natural expressive freedom. In Hell’s more libertine circles, pants are worn only under duress, diplomatic obligation, or as part of highly experimental bondage rituals involving three consent forms and a safe word. Many infernal entities argue that pants reduce both airflow and temptation by an unacceptable margin. This specific category of sound is often filed under “audible regret with plausible deniability,” and is inadmissible in court. This may, in fact, have been the only intelligent thing Cyril did all night. The bar for intelligent decisions was subterranean, and panic, while not elegant, was at least appropriately scaled to the situation. In moments of acute stress, Cyril’s brain often defaulted to announcing facts of questionable relevance in the desperate hope that one of them might form a social defense mechanism. “I have a cat” was his go-to phrase for both small talk and magical emergencies, based on the vague belief that feline ownership conferred a degree of dignity. The fact that he hadn’t seen the cat in two weeks and it may have joined a biker gang was, under the circumstances, irrelevant. Cyril’s “Emergency Pickles (Cursed)” were originally just pickles until he accidentally stored them in a containment jar meant for a captured mischief imp with strong opinions on fermentation. Now, each pickle grants the eater twenty seconds of perfect foresight, immediately followed by twenty-eight hours of uncontrollable weeping. Side effects include glowing teeth, and sudden uncontrolled multilingualism. Despite being cursed, they retained a rather pleasant crunch.

Okay, I updated the Big List of Abilities and... ugh. Here's the thing. Those abilities are from a game designed to emulate a superhero drama show. I don't think even a quarter of them have any place in our game. BUT... that's the list directly from the game, and I wanted to remind myself of: 1) how they're formatted so I don't make Abilities like Distinctions again, and 2) what the SFX look like so I can steal them liberally for abilities characters in our game DO have. So if you see something there... it's probably just reference. I'm not planning on having cowboys with Super Strength running around. However, an Automaton might have and SFX from Super Strength to showcase their abilities, so... it's all just there, in case. Because you never know. I did change Technopathy (controlling electronics and computers) to Mechanical Intuition, which feels a little more setting specific. We can use any of those as a basis for 1880s Steampunk specific things we can do. I still have to figure out magic. I'm going to concentrate on Edmund and Kojo next, then get caught up on where Dreams is at with Ramona, and then (finally) we'll be off and running on step 4!

You're right!! I messed up, I had you stepping up Bloodless Physiology twice, but both times to d6. Your Elixirs and Toxins IS at d6! Sorry... my eyes are getting tired and I'm missing details. I should go to bed.

@StarlitSiren Below are my new rewrites of the Alchemascope and Ferroburst Pistol to fit with the rules. Pick an SFX for each to begin (create your own if none of mine work for you), and you can add new SFX during play by spending a die directly from your Growth Pool. ALCHEMASCOPE: A brass-and-glass contraption of swiveling lenses, prism filters, and softly glowing alchemical vials, the Alchemascope transforms perception into science. It lets you peer beyond the mundane spectrum, seeing heat signatures, energy residue, hidden toxins, and the composition of metals and minerals in dazzling chromatic patterns. Every turn of its dials hums with potential discovery, but its lenses are fragile, and its chemical filters must be carefully recharged between uses. Roll this Ability’s die when analyzing materials, identifying compounds or toxins, discerning hidden mechanical flaws, or detecting the residue of alchemical processes. You might study the faint shimmer of an alloy to determine its source, detect poison on a goblet’s rim, or trace a chemical trail invisible to normal sight. Effect: Sensory Descriptors: materials, analysis, tinkering, craftsmanship, precision optics Limit: Gear, Magic, Recharge Special Effects: Spend a Plot Point to: Instantly identify the composition or purity of a substance or alloy (Spectral Analysis) Reveal hidden contaminants, poisons, or chemical residues in your surroundings (Toxic Trace) Spot weak points or concealed flaws in a mechanism, structure, or invention before it fails or as it’s about to (Structural Insight) For the remainder of the scene, ignore penalties caused by darkness, smoke, or visual obstruction as the lenses adjust the visible spectrum (Refracted View) FERROBURST PISTOL: A single-shot “pistol” of brass, iron, and dangerously over-charged voltaic coils, the Ferroburst Pistol fires a disc of compressed magnetic force that detonates into a short-lived pulse field. It was never designed to kill, only to bend the laws of polarity. When the trigger is pulled, the air sings with metallic vibration and every scrap of iron within a dozen paces leaps to obey its magnetic tantrum. Roll this Ability’s die when manipulating ferrous metal or using magnetic bursts to shape the battlefield, deflecting incoming rounds, wrenching open iron doors, halting machinery, or scattering opponents behind a curtain of flying debris. Effect: Control Descriptors: magnetic, voltaic, polarity, iron, electromotive engineering Limit: Gear, Reload Time, Ammo Special Effects: Spend a Plot Point to: deflect a hail of bullets or metallic projectiles. immobilize or jam the motion of ferrous mechanisms (armor, doors, gears, or firearms) until the end of the scene. unleash a storm of nearby iron debris, forcing everyone in the area to make a Test or take Exhausted or Injured Stress. drag a ferrous object or armored opponent toward you, or yourself toward it, closing distance dramatically or pulling someone out of harm’s way. repel or attract nearby iron items to yank weapons from hands or fling them away. short out nearby mechanical or electrical devices (locks, automatons, steam rifles, voltaic lights, etc.) until the end of the scene.

I checked the steps and Alchemical Elixirs & Tonics is at d4 unless you want to step down Mad Scientist back to d6 and Alchemical Elixirs & Tonics up to d6. Otherwise all good. oh, and you start with only 1 of the listed SFX for the elixirs and tonics