Rules Updates: Many various little things :)

The following items have been added / defined in the Smithing Rules:

Kunckles (Exotic Weapon):
Knuckles are weapons used by fist-fighters and martial artists that allow them to enhance their fighting abilities, without changing their style.  A character with the skill Brawling or Martial Arts may wear a single or pair of Knuckles.  The Knuckles will allow the character to strike for the type of material the Knuckles are made from, and use any Augment effects or other enhancements that normally target weapons, while still using their Brawling or Martial Arts skills.  Knuckles do not offer any form of protection to the wearer's hands.  Knuckles are represented by a Small Weapon physrep (like a fist), and should be decorated appropriately.

Claw Sheath (Exotic Weapon):
Claw Sheaths are weapons designed to cover a character's natural claws, enhancing them for combat.  Claw Sheaths are specific to the character they are made for, and should be noted as such on the item card.  The Claw Sheaths will allow the character to strike for the type of material the Sheaths are made from, and use any Augment effects or other enhancements that normally target weapons, while still using their claw based skills.  Claw Sheaths do not offer any form of protection to the wearer's claws.

The exotic weapon "Bola" has been removed.

The following line has been added to "Natural Weapons" under "Combat":
Natural Weapons may not be the traget of effects that have the Weapon trait.

[HR]

The following spells & prayers have been updated:

Lesser Dispel Magic Effect (Renamed)
This prayer dispels the effect of an active spell upon the subject. This spell cannot reverse damage or other effects that occur instantaneously, only spells that remain active upon the subject for a specific duration. The caster must state the effect she is targeting with the dispel, and if the recipient or opponent is not under that effect, then the dispel is expended with no result. Abilities that require concentration to maintain cannot be dispelled.

Dispel Magic
This spell strips all arcane magical effects upon a recipient or opponent. Abilities that require concentration to maintain cannot be dispelled.

Lesser Dispel Prayer Effect
This prayer dispels the effect of an active prayer upon the subject. This prayer cannot reverse damage or other effects that occur instantaneously, only prayers that remain active upon the subject for a specific duration. The caster must state the effect she is targeting with the dispel, and if the recipient or opponent is not under that effect, then the dispel is expended with no result. Abilities that require concentration to maintain cannot be dispelled.

Dispel Druidic
This spell strips all druidic effects upon a recipient or opponent. Abilities that require concentration to maintain cannot be dispelled.

Whispers through the Black Gate
This prayer allows the caster to ask one question of a corpse, or the site where a death occurred if the person has resurrected. Only a “yes” or “no” answer can be elicited by the question. The answer must be based on the living experience of the person whose death occurred, up to and including the moment of the death of that body, but nothing beyond. The person whose death it is must answer the question truthfully, regardless of whether that person has since resurrected, or passed on through the Great Nexus.

Rot Limb / Wither Limb
This spell causes an opponent's limb to instantly wither and fall off, and unable to be reattached.  The caster chooses which limb is so destroyed.

Deep Pockets / Secret Pocket
This spell protects a pocket, pouch, purse, or other worn container from a successful pickpocket attempt. The pickpocket is told that nothing is found in the container.

[HR]

The "Muscle" template for Hired Help has had the Small Weapon skill added.

[HR]

The skill Guile has been dropped from the game.

[HR]

The skill Positive Energy Barrier has been reworded as follows:

This skill allows a character to create a barrier of positive energy. Negative energy creatures, such as Undead, Lycanthropes, and True Warlocks cannot pass through the barrier on any plane of existence. A Greater Undead, Greater Lycanthrope, or True Warlock possessing the knowledge of True Form can choose to pass through the barrier, but if it elects to do so it suffers 400 Direct Body damage, which cannot be resisted in anyway.  Once crossed, that creature is no longer affected by that specific barrier.  The character creating the barrier must role-play inscribing it for at least one second per foot of length, and must call out the skill every five feet, as the process of creating the barrier is visibly obvious.  A character can create a barrier equal to five times her level in feet (to a maximum of 50 feet). The barrier cannot be circumvented from above or below. The barrier will last up to one hour, provided that the character that created it remains within fifty feet of it and conscious for the duration.  The barrier must be a straight line, curve, or simple enclosed shape, may not cross itself, and must be inscribed on a flat surface.  The presence of the barrier must be announced to anyone who enters the vicinity of the barrier, and the barrier cannot be covered or disguised in any way.

[HR]

Under the Commodities, Trades, and Lifestyle Build rules, materials have been dropped.  This does NOT affect Smithing in any way.

The 1st Rank Creation prayer "Artisan's Knowledge" has been reworded as follows:

This prayer allows the caster to enhance the quality of a single commodity, so that it counts as two of the same commodity for Lifestyle purposes.  This prayer is cast at the time the cards are turned in to a Marshal.  A character may only receive the benefits of this prayer once an event.

[HR]

The spells Grant Strength and Bear Strength have been updated to a 5 minute duration.

[HR]

The skill Truth of the Gypsy and the Bard Song Riddle of Deceit have been updated as follows:

This (skill / song) allows the character to tell one lie in response to a skill, spell, or ability that compels her to speak the truth or that detects the truth. This effect can only be used to avoid speaking the truth concerning one question, if the interrogating ability allows for more than one question.  No matter how many methods or instances are employed, the character using this ability is immune to answering the resisted question truthfully for a duration of thirty minutes – even if asked by a different person.  The person using the detection ability believes that the character has made a statement they believe to be true (even if is blatantly not), and that their skill or effect has worked properly.

Two skills that were unique to the "Gambler" lower list have been removed from the game in the last two months.  I am interested to know what staff plans on replacing them with.


-adam

Under lesser dispel magic effect the first line states "This prayer" and the remainder of the effect says "This spell"... minor thing but I thought I'd point it out.

Thank you, I'll correct that when I update the rulebook.

Dispell Prayer Effect is a R II Sacrament prayer.  It reads:
Dispel Prayer Effect

2 FP; Traits: Attack, Ranged
This prayer dispels the effect of an active prayer upon the subject. This prayer cannot reverse damage or other effects that occur instantaneously, only prayers that remain active upon the subject for a specific duration. The caster must state the effect she is targeting with the dispel, and if the recipient or opponent is not under that effect, then the dispel is expended with no result.

You referenced Lesser Dispel Prayer Effect .  Is this the new name of the RII Sacrament or am I looking at the wrong Domain? 

If their is a Lesser Dispel Prayer Effect, is there also a Dispell Greater floating around?

As far as gambler skills being removed,  Darts was OP and guile was just terrible.  If it really a huge deal, just buy more lucks.

Does that mean that no one can bring cheating devices in game, or that everyone can?

Charlie,

  It was renamed lesser dispel prayer effect to make it clear that it was identical to lesser dispel magic effect.  The simply Dispel line for magic and druidics was a greater effect than the lesser prayer and lesser magic dispels.  So, there is not a greater impending at the moment.

Under lesser dispel magic, it says that you cannot remove effects that require concentration to maintain. Does that mean that i can no longer dispel walls or magical sanctuary?

Under lesser dispel magic, it says that you cannot remove effects that require concentration to maintain. Does that mean that i can no longer dispel walls or magical sanctuary?

Correct.

I like all those changes excellent job by the dedicated rules staff.  The only question I have for knuckles now is how many units and CP does it require to create them is it the same as claw sheaths or less?  I have not checked the smithing rules yet but just wanted to figure out how many units of materials I should acquire after I learn IG about how smiths can create them.  Thank you.

Matt B.

Also, can knuckles be shattered, petrified, or disarmed?

Does that mean that no one can bring cheating devices in game, or that everyone can?

You could bring in a pair of weighted dice or marked cards if you wanted to. I would however say that anything you bring in should be run by James for approval. Also keep in mind, there is no skill needed to discover a cheating device, so unless you're really smooth someone could easily find you out.

I haven't had a chance to update the actual Rulebook yet, but will include the units when I do so.  Knuckles will be 5 Units each (Small weapons), Claw Sheaths will be appropriate to the size claw they are sheathing.

Since both are weapons, they can be targeted by weapon-targeting effects as normal.  Nothing special here - unless you see an exception, the normal rules apply.

For cheating devices, they would be like any other item you brought into the game.  If you want it to have a game mechanical effect, it needs an item card.  If there's no game mechanical effect, you can use it for RP only without an item card.

For cheating devices, they would be like any other item you brought into the game.  If you want it to have a game mechanical effect, it needs an item card.  If there's no game mechanical effect, you can use it for RP only without an item card.

Just to clarify this, playing a game using a cheating device is RPing, but for instance, you couldn't say, "The dice are loaded so I get to use the skill second chance," unless of course you had an item card that said you could use "second chance" on it.

What he said.   (Thank you, Alex.)

These have all been entered into the Online Rulebook.