<!--fonto:Times--><span style="font-family:Times"><!--/fonto--><!--sizeo:3--><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo-->Trying to think of the right way to word this in game and OOC, I don?t want to discourage any of you. So here we go;<!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec--><!--fontc--></span><!--/fontc-->

<!--sizeo:3--><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo--><!--fonto:Times--><span style="font-family:Times"><!--/fonto-->Without giving too much detail out about earth and humans (terrans as Eve calls them. After all, it is considered arrogant for the humans to call their home planet Earth when so many planets of so many races are also made of earth..) numbers or nova numbers I will say that Novas are a rare find in the universe right now. As far as most of you know, you are the only Nova?s left. {{a couple of you know that?s not true but unfortunately have not spoken up. Yet}}<!--fontc--></span><!--/fontc--><!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec-->

<!--fonto:Times--><span style="font-family:Times"><!--/fonto--><!--sizeo:3--><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo--> <!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec--><!--fontc--></span><!--/fontc-->

<!--sizeo:3--><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo--><!--fonto:Times--><span style="font-family:Times"><!--/fonto-->FYI:{{}} is the sign for OOC chat.<!--fontc--></span><!--/fontc--><!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec-->

<!--fonto:Times--><span style="font-family:Times"><!--/fonto--><!--sizeo:3--><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo--> <!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec--><!--fontc--></span><!--/fontc-->

<!--fonto:Times--><span style="font-family:Times"><!--/fonto--><!--sizeo:3--><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo-->In spite of the fact that there are few quantum powered beings out there that can shoot lasers out of their eyes and run the speed of sound, there are many many races out there that have developed various talents. For instance, a race called Nautyans (Naw-shuns) all have mega strength of 3+, have invulnerability/Armor at mastery levels, and regenerate fairly fast and are over 8? tall. Another race called the Haytyans (Hay-shuns) all have telepathy/psionics (some at mastery levels), Mega perception, and have a knack for gadgets. Then a take on the High Elves sets them all with mega dexterity, intelligence, and appearance as well as some talent with nature mastery. All of them do it without a node and all are born with their gifts.<!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec--><!--fontc--></span><!--/fontc-->

<!--fonto:Times--><span style="font-family:Times"><!--/fonto--><!--sizeo:3--><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo--> <!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec--><!--fontc--></span><!--/fontc-->

<!--fonto:Times--><span style="font-family:Times"><!--/fonto--><!--sizeo:3--><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo-->Now for the most part you are going to run into people with talents exceeding those of the normal human standard you are used to; this is simply due to the fact that this reality is much harder for the most part and the peoples have adapted over time. These talents are not however going to make them similar to nova?s as they will not have powers to speak of but might simply be exceedingly skilled at something or have a gadget that grants them a ?power.? You have already encountered forcefield packs on the troops Smite and crew took out in the siege.<!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec--><!--fontc--></span><!--/fontc-->

<!--fonto:Times--><span style="font-family:Times"><!--/fonto--><!--sizeo:3--><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo--> <!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec--><!--fontc--></span><!--/fontc-->

<!--sizeo:3--><span style="font-size:12pt;line-height:100%"><!--/sizeo--><!--fonto:Times--><span style="font-family:Times"><!--/fonto-->Down the road a bit, some things will change about the above as you all come into a comfort zone.<!--fontc--></span><!--/fontc--><!--sizec--></span><!--/sizec-->

Given that most of the PCs are novas, can we then tell the difference between quantum-based, psion-based, and other-based superpowered beings and technology, using node checks, Quantum Attunement, or other powers?

How do powers like Quantum Leech, Quantum Vampire, Quantum Authority, or other powers loosely based on quantum work on the psionically- and other-superpower-based beings?

All you will be able to discern for sure is if the person is or is not a nova by detecting a node. Psionics will not scan for you nor will most other sources of power. However, Quantum Awareness might let the viewer discern more details.



If the power is not Quantum Based, the varios quantum named powers will have no effect on it. Leech will not work on psions nor will Quantum authority or the like, but it will work on some others. There is no way for the character to determine before hand, at this point in the game, whether or not their powers will work or not work on a given target. This phenomena is simply too new to nova's as a whole.

What about Quantum Leech working on ambient quantum in the environment...ie drawing upon the strong and weak nuclear forces, gravity and electromagnetism that is ubiquitous even in vacuum?

What about Quantum Leech working on ambient quantum in the environment...ie drawing upon the strong and weak nuclear forces, gravity and electromagnetism that is ubiquitous even in vacuum? <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->



Leech will work sometimes without a focused source like a node to draw from, but without a node or nova to sap, the energy drawn will be minimal at best. You will deifnately notice the difference between drawing from ambient quantum (which simply is not in the form focused enough to Leech from) and drawing from a nova.

I was thinking that since this game includes Mages and the other WoD archetypes (of which I am an avid player as well) would Q-Leech also work on Tass which is focused quintessence? In Mage this is the term for the "fundamental building blocks" of reality.

In fact there are many similarities between Novas and Mages, especially at the higher levels where those (like Mal and Ba'laan itself) realize that they can do anything with reality. The difference mainly that Mages use their Avatars (which some would call theur shard of the Pure Ones) and Novas do it via a specialized organ.

Granted I dont yet understand the full extent of your integrations in this manner but would the Q-leech work on Tass or even simply at (Nodes/Cairns/Nexuses/Freeholds/etc...)?

If so I would speculate that the prevalence of such poolings of power would relate to the Magic level of the world in question though not neccessarily...for example it is commonly agreed that (Ley-Lines/Dragon Roads/Spirit Paths/Faerie Tracks/Rivers of Quantum Flux/etc...) also crisscross space...(???)

Quantum and Tass are very similar. I have defined quintessence crudely as filtered Quantum. Leech would work nicely in these areas.



Ba'laan and Mal are are still on different scales so dont compare them yet until you know a little more.



Yes.Addressed above.



The emboldened words are dissimilar energies but.....



As quantum and quintessence and some oy=ther energies are somewhat in agreement, even though not terribly popular as an energy to focus and gather, Leech ought not to have too hard a time finding energies to suck. But in the beginning, more often than not, unless you drain a nova nearby, you will be out of luck as far as having something to drain.

Lesser energies like fae, ley,, etc are simply too low in the spectrum to be useful without finding a large nexus or node.

Understood. Thanks for the clarification and I am stoked that your game includes the WoD concepts. Its actually something my friend and I have considered doing, though not with the scope you have brought or the ingenious blending with the DC Mechanics. Bravo.

Oh and I realize that Ba'laan is way different than Mal. I was merely refering to the fact that canon lists Mal as realizing that he can do anything with his Quantum Power and Node given time and that by the end of the aberrant war he has Q 10, and goes off creating a new universe(s).

Interesting thought... If one accepts the idea that all possibilities/realities/universes/multiverses already exist, then it can actually be cheaper to max out cross time travel and go to a universe that matches your desires than to "create" one from scratch...

Probably not, I've seen no evidence that *ALL* worlds exist.

And lets run with that for a moment. Finding a world where you are the President of the USA will be difficult... if it can be done at all. I leave the possibility open only because as a nova it's at least somewhat possible you could pull off something like that. Finding a world where you are the President and you can take his place easily and without anyone noticing is probably impossible.

Note the number of alternate worlds could still be endless, but one set of infinity can still be much larger than another set of infinity.

Probably not, I've seen no evidence that *ALL* worlds exist. <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Its the idea from quantum physics that every possible outcome exists to any given moment or set of circumsatnces. The one we actually experience as reality is simply the most probable, unless something alters the probability one way or another. I refer you to the excellent film "What the &*&^% do we know?" called "what the bleep"

and of course you wouldnt see any evidence of this unless you really were a nova or had some probability field ability. However our real world mathematicians/quantum physicists have theorized such infinite realities already and could probably even prove it to you with the right math.
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->And lets run with that for a moment. Finding a world where you are the President of the USA will be difficult... if it can be done at all. I leave the possibility open only because as a nova it's at least somewhat possible you could pull off something like that. Finding a world where you are the President and you can take his place easily and without anyone noticing is probably impossible.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->If one reads the description of cross-time travel one will see that finding a reality that matches what you want is merely a matter of enough successes and your ability to visualize and articulate what you want. I believe 7 or 8 successes would be all that is neccesary...not that difficult for mega-int/perc novas...
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Note the number of alternate worlds could still be endless, but one set of infinity can still be much larger than another set of infinity.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

there is only one set of infinity...infinity. infinity cannot be larger than another infinity. Only two finite sets can be larger or smaller in relation to each other...

A good theory. Three problems.

1) Not all worlds *can* exist. For example in no world would the next two statements make sense.

The following statement is true. The previous statement is false.

There are lots of things we can write that don't make sense in the real world. I'm unlikely to find a world where I'm a god (if I did then I wouldn't be me).

2) Not all worlds are going to be equally probably. Given an infinite number of me, all starting out more or less the same, most of them will be much like me and darn few of them would have me be a famous actor. There are 250 million people in the USA but the chances of me being President are much, much, much, worse than that. Chances are very good the world you want to go to is one of an infinately small set, small enough that even with 10 succ you'll never find it.

Part of the problem is Universe Creation lets you make worlds where if your requirements conflict it doesn't matter. CTT doesn't. I'm ruler of the world and everyone likes me freely of their own will and this world is extremely similar to our own. Engineering Saying: Good. Fast. Cheap. Pick any two.

3) Granted I'm not ST, but if I were then I wouldn't allow CTT to be used as Universe Creation even with 10 succ. Meaning that CTT functions at the whim of the ST, not the player.

I played in a CTT game where the ST has stated the number of reachable worlds was 6 (or 8?) or so... and these were all the worlds that CTT could reach even if a player got it. You could go to one of those worlds and reach a different 6 (well, 5 would be different). Worse yet, all 6 of those worlds were *different*. One was so alien the gate wasn't stable. Two or three didn't have human life because of eviromental issues. We weren't sure the ones with human life were better.

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->1) Not all worlds *can* exist. For example in no world would the next two statements make sense.

The following statement is true. The previous statement is false.

There are lots of things we can write that don't make sense in the real world. I'm unlikely to find a world where I'm a god (if I did then I wouldn't be me).<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->Im actually not making it up. It is a real world theory. The opposing statements can be simultaneously true. You just have to open your mind to the idea of realities where paradoxes exist. We cant really imagine it but in theory all possibilities do exist. To some extent you are correct. There is a reality where you are god...but in that sense it wouldn't be you. Just like there are infinite realities where the only difference is that a leaf blew 1 mm to the east or you are the same but your name is thomas. Quantum field and string theory allow for all possibilities to be exisiting simultaneously. Of course none of this necessarily applies to any STs thought on the matter.

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->2) Not all worlds are going to be equally probably. Given an infinite number of me, all starting out more or less the same, most of them will be much like me and darn few of them would have me be a famous actor. There are 250 million people in the USA but the chances of me being President are much, much, much, worse than that. Chances are very good the world you want to go to is one of an infinately small set, small enough that even with 10 succ you'll never find it.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Actually in the power description only 7 are needed to find the reality that you want down to any detail you care to specify.

True some things are much less probable. But consider this...in science there is no such thing as a probablility of 100% and nothing can be said to have zero. There is always a chance because our information base is incomplete. It may be 1 out of a humongous number but the possibility exists. I believe there is an extra that would allow for the more extreme possibilities (like a universe with paradoxes and other impossible to imagine to a human mind scenarios.)
<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->Part of the problem is Universe Creation lets you make worlds where if your requirements conflict it doesn't matter. CTT doesn't. I'm ruler of the world and everyone likes me freely of their own will and this world is extremely similar to our own. Engineering Saying: Good. Fast. Cheap. Pick any two.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Again I refer you to the extra and also that there does exist a world like this one and where you are ruler...its highly improbable but not impossible. truly science cannot speak in absolutes. There may even be a reality where there are no other realities...a paradox to us but what do we know?

<!--quoteo--><div class='quotetop'>QUOTE</div><div class='quotemain'><!--quotec-->3) Granted I'm not ST, but if I were then I wouldn't allow CTT to be used as Universe Creation even with 10 succ. Meaning that CTT functions at the whim of the ST, not the player.

I played in a CTT game where the ST has stated the number of reachable worlds was 6 (or 8?) or so... and these were all the worlds that CTT could reach even if a player got it. You could go to one of those worlds and reach a different 6 (well, 5 would be different). Worse yet, all 6 of those worlds were *different*. One was so alien the gate wasn't stable. Two or three didn't have human life because of eviromental issues. We weren't sure the ones with human life were better.<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
Obviously whatever the ST wants goes, irrespective of any real world scientific or philosophic thought.

<!--fonto:Verdana--><span style="font-family:Verdana"><!--/fonto--><!--fontc--></span><!--/fontc-->

<!--fonto:Verdana--><span style="font-family:Verdana"><!--/fonto-->Me being the be-all of this reality were in, I know for certain that the number of realities are not infinite and definately are numbered, at this time. Successes would not matter for CTT in this instance.<!--fontc--></span><!--/fontc-->

Well string-theory has come quite along way since its infancy. We dont have to discuss it here, though I did want to point out that in terms of what we DO know and CAN prove, the rules change at the quantum level. We know that what appears to be solid matter is just energy force fields vibrating at certain frequencies and that the vaccuum of space is in reality completely filled with cosmic radiation...

The point is that all is not as it appears...

I'll stick with the method for CTT that I'm using in my Trans-D campaign, where every split is linked to the 'Home Earth' at some point in time. So the same laws of physics still apply. That's obviously not true for Ba'alt though, but I bet that a PC with CTT still wouldn't be able to find worlds where dramatically different natural laws applied.

On a side note, if I'm remembering correctly, one of the rules of the Ban is that if a world is reachable by a Ban world then the reachable world is (now) covered by the Ban.

Ack! Talk about bringing trouble to other people's doorstep...

This is another area that ST and I differ. I believe that there are infinite number of realities and an infinite number of possibilities. I do not think that all worlds are accessible without a major godlike power to access them (Mal, Sidhe, some Primals, Ba?laan himself, etc.). Part of why the group is seeing some uber enforcers of the ban and the Time Quake happening is that Ba'laan is trying to keep all the realities in His order. But what matters most is the "REAL" reality. There is only one True reality and that is the universe that we are playing in. So, although there are infinite possibilities, they are really of little relevance because their interaction with this universe is really insignificant. Some of your characters slipped through from other realities which are all good but the universes that you knew are probably of little consequence since they will not be able to interact on any significant scale to this universe. Ba?laan is that powerful! He can prevent the interaction of infinite universes interacting with the true existence. Because the way I understand the game universe, all these other universes originated one way or another from this existence. If this existence is some how destroyed (highly unlikely) all the other existences would cease to exist but vice versa would not necessarily be true. But if we were to travel to the other existences, we would be subject to those existences natural laws.

Doc brought out an interesting point of one world possibly infecting another world with the Ban. That can happen. I am curious on how you think one world can infect another world with the Ban.

Another thought? Since some of you come from alternate existences that would make you a direct enemy of the Ban even if you were for the Ban. You were never intended to live in this universe let alone, exist. Actually, all Novas are a new creation that never existed in the ?True Reality?. Using WOD terms, paradox (the Ban) is trying to wipe you out of existence. I am reading the interaction of Doc and the newly awakened ones and I find the distrust really amusing.

While we are on the subject, Chronos told me that Kara ( and I assume also Kaelan, being of House Rathien) was probably not a nova, although we know that at least Kara is through the roof on power levels. Are the members of House Rathien spellcasters? Aliens? Can you tell us or is it supposed to be a secret?

So we're going up against a Prince of Amber? We are so screwed.

There goes Doc looking under my skirt again and encouraging others to do the same.

Kara is a Rathien not a Nova. She was born on planet Rathien and trained by the academies that exist on New Planet Rathien. New Rathien exists on the border of the Void just slightly inside of the Void. She is a Metafacultist. I will allow ST to give you the finer details of the Metafacultist when he deems the time to be right. Think along the lines of a psionisist. Her specialties are the disciplines of body and mind. The combination of the two and her centuries long training are reflected in the chart. She was one of the founders of Pax Con and advanced to be a Security Officer of the Protectorate. I know a lot of this doesn't make tons of sense but it is to further emphasize her extensive training. She is bound by the laws of the Paramanders and that is why she is not one to reveal all her ?talents?.

Not all of Rathien would appear as Kara does to those who have quantum attunement. Kara is of a special bloodline.

Well, you are an eyefull. You're to good looking what Superman is to strength.

And I figured he needed a long talking to and heads up to make a character that would fit in this mad house.

Thanks for the compliment Doc but, one day your youthful enthusiasm to know everything is going to get you into trouble. Not everyone is as leniant as I am...

House Rathien is a race of beings called Rathien (Ray-theen). The race is not innately magic or gifted in anything you might call a superpower, ie,; they cant typically shoot energies out their eyes or fly the speed of sound. They are however naturally dense in physiology and will weigh about 3-4 times their human counterparts. They also possess high levels of regeneration and general ability to take a lot of damage both mentally and physically. Incredibly high levels of perception among Rathien are not unheard of. House Rathien offers a galacticly renowned academy in which they teach what is called metafaculties, or the higher functions of the mind like Coercion, Creativity, Farsensing, Psychokinesis, and Redaction (which Kara is a master of) and most of the House has had at least minimal training at the academy to unlock latent powers or to give them a better focus on mind defenses. (this comes form having a mortal enemy who as a race are entirely made of master level telepaths.)
Among Rathiens, Kara might be considered slightly above average in most areas and Kaelan would be considered a legend among his people.
Kara and Kaelan are both native Rathien. Both of them have gone through the intensive military training offered to the military of the House and both served in the Inquisition, an elite section of the military devoted to rooting out enemy influence and acting as a counter-espionage branch.

So a short answer is no, we are not aliens, you are. We look human but are not. We can breed with humans (or Terrans as Earthlings are called) and in a crowd you could not pick us out over most humanoids. We are not spell casters either as most have sworn against what we might call the ?lesser arts.?
So we're going up against a Prince of Amber? We are so screwed.
<!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->
I am not sure of the referrence to te Prince of Amber so I am not certain if I should be afraid or not.

Among Rathiens, Kara might be considered slightly above average in most areas and Kaelan would be considered a legend among his people.





Who are YOU calling slightly above average??? From what I remember, I am the one that got trained by the academy while you and Kinnommon and Yakmircha were having to be rescued by Grandpa every other day? Seriously, it was like every other day that they had to regrow you from a hair particle because you got obliterated by something on Faerun. I think they still have a hospital wing permanatly reserved for you for the next time you three get tangled in some mess. I on the other hand have not had to be regrown. So your right, you are a legend among the Rathiens but maybe not for what you think...

Think of a most dysfunctional family with the ability to walk between alternate universes pretty much at will and rearrange them also at will - and on top of that, better-than-human abilities on par with Mega-Attributes of 2-3 as an average. Some examples of what they do: heading out to find a universe where they are worshipped as gods, then leading an army of millions to a destination; fixing a room where a 6-on-3 fight took place, repairing all of the furniture, walls, removing blood stains, all as though nothing had ever happened; 'finding' a horse than can outrun a racecar and a pack of hounds that chases down and eats regular vehicles; causing avalanches, sudden forest fires, and similar pitfalls to someone following them between universes.

Think of a most dysfunctional family with the ability to walk between alternate universes pretty much at will and rearrange them also at will - and on top of that, better-than-human abilities on par with Mega-Attributes of 2-3 as an average. Some examples of what they do: heading out to find a universe where they are worshipped as gods, then leading an army of millions to a destination; fixing a room where a 6-on-3 fight took place, repairing all of the furniture, walls, removing blood stains, all as though nothing had ever happened; 'finding' a horse than can outrun a racecar and a pack of hounds that chases down and eats regular vehicles; causing avalanches, sudden forest fires, and similar pitfalls to someone following them between universes. <!--QuoteEnd--></div><!--QuoteEEnd-->

Yup, sounds like Ba'laan on a bad day.

The upside (for us) is that Ba'laan is only one. The downside is that he has no angry relatives we could convince to oppose him out of spite.