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Joss
Dec 14, 2005 22:30:52 GMT -5
Post by Scott on Dec 14, 2005 22:30:52 GMT -5
In a galaxy far, far away, Darth Weigel posted this
and this
I was thinking JOSS might fit the bill. As my Mythus experience is still very limited, I was hoping an expert might weigh in with an opinion.
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Wizard
Duke of Indiana, Knight Commander
Posts: 2,032
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Joss
Dec 15, 2005 12:32:08 GMT -5
Post by GT on Dec 15, 2005 12:32:08 GMT -5
Indeed, in Mythus joss rpresents the inherent "luck" and "good karma" that seems inherent to the brash but heroic. It is not unlimited, but it can alter a situation enough to make a difference. There was also "anti-Joss"... ^__^
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Joss
Dec 15, 2005 12:35:48 GMT -5
Post by geneweigel on Dec 15, 2005 12:35:48 GMT -5
But was it supposed to represent the same residue in the components of magic item creation?
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Wizard
Duke of Indiana, Knight Commander
Posts: 2,032
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Joss
Dec 15, 2005 14:29:26 GMT -5
Post by GT on Dec 15, 2005 14:29:26 GMT -5
Not directly--although any character could accumulate Joss. It's hard to compare Mythus to AD&D--I actually feel that Mythus had the better system for such things. But you could give Fighters in AD&D a somewhat watered-down version of Joss I reckon... kinda like a minor "Change Reality" to impose a bit of the balance that you are seeking. All the way back in 1979, my original DM incorporated "luck points" which were hard- earned and hoarded for the right moment. I never incorporated that into my campaign, but...
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dcas
Warlock
Duke of Pennsylvania, Knight Commander
Posts: 481
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Joss
Dec 15, 2005 15:42:14 GMT -5
Post by dcas on Dec 15, 2005 15:42:14 GMT -5
So what did Joss do? Give you a mulligan when you needed it?
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Wizard
Duke of Indiana, Knight Commander
Posts: 2,032
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Joss
Dec 15, 2005 16:33:08 GMT -5
Post by GT on Dec 15, 2005 16:33:08 GMT -5
Heh! you could "spend" it when you needed it to better your situation. Page 129 of the Mythus manual gives a run-down on this... It was not omnipotent and could be countered by joss spent by opponents. Basically, it emulated the dumb luck that might save your behind in a dire situation. It wasn't necessarily easy to come by... if your HP (character) attempted an extremely difficult task and succeeded, you might get a point or two; and likewise at the conclusion of an extremely difficult module (like Necropolis or Lost Ziggurat, for example... ^__^)
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dcas
Warlock
Duke of Pennsylvania, Knight Commander
Posts: 481
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Joss
Dec 15, 2005 16:55:14 GMT -5
Post by dcas on Dec 15, 2005 16:55:14 GMT -5
I'd like to hear some more about this Lost Ziggurat module. This is the 2nd time I've heard you mention it.
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Wizard
Duke of Indiana, Knight Commander
Posts: 2,032
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Joss
Dec 15, 2005 17:11:18 GMT -5
Post by GT on Dec 15, 2005 17:11:18 GMT -5
I've threatened Rob to hand it over to him at some point when he finishes all of his other projects. It was an unpublished Mythus adventure (like the city setting of Ascalon in that respect). It was set in Babylonia in a strange underground labyrinth built by the evil Irra-Dumu, and the majority of encounters were based on the old Sumerian-Akkadian-Babylonian mythos. There was a brief trip to Tyre involved, and a possible tie-in with the Starfire Guild. My group ran it, and Gary got to review the critter stats; then T$R intervened and the project halted. But, who knows... it may yet see the light of day.
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dcas
Warlock
Duke of Pennsylvania, Knight Commander
Posts: 481
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Joss
Dec 15, 2005 17:29:08 GMT -5
Post by dcas on Dec 15, 2005 17:29:08 GMT -5
You could hand it over to me instead. . . . Of course, that wouldn't help get it published.
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Wizard
Duke of Indiana, Knight Commander
Posts: 2,032
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Joss
Dec 15, 2005 17:39:33 GMT -5
Post by GT on Dec 15, 2005 17:39:33 GMT -5
I promise that when I get a new scanner, you and Scotty and Gene will be the first to see the thing. I think Scott may have seen a critter stat list from the adventure--don't remember for sure. Gary made me tone down one of the monsters a bit. It has weaknesses, but they are not easy to take advantage of... And remember, you're dealing with demons, undead and a would-be demi-god!
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Joss
Dec 15, 2005 20:08:01 GMT -5
Post by Scott on Dec 15, 2005 20:08:01 GMT -5
It would probably translate well into LA. I've seen the monster list, but it was one of the files I lost when my computer crashed, along with tons of old letters from Gary, Rob, Ernie, Luke, Mark Ratner, etc. The shadow critters, the monsters from the lower planes, the Unhallowed Rules, the Changeling rules, etc. etc. etc. Definately looking forward to seeing it.
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Joss
Dec 15, 2005 20:18:09 GMT -5
Post by Scott on Dec 15, 2005 20:18:09 GMT -5
Of course, I'd like to see how it translates into a D&D, CU, C&C, "generic" format as well.
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dcas
Warlock
Duke of Pennsylvania, Knight Commander
Posts: 481
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Joss
Dec 15, 2005 20:18:41 GMT -5
Post by dcas on Dec 15, 2005 20:18:41 GMT -5
It would probably translate well into LA. That's what I was hoping.
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Joss
Dec 15, 2005 23:21:19 GMT -5
Post by geneweigel on Dec 15, 2005 23:21:19 GMT -5
If you read page 102 of Mythus it says the term "joss" is Pidgin English for "deus". As in "deus ex machina". Which if you look at it thats exactly what it is: a way out of an impossible situation. I think we recently had a conversation about "d.e.m." somewhere. Where the hell was that? Anyway, thats not what I was aiming at in my elaboration elsewhere although it could be extrapolated later on from what I was driving at.
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Joss
Dec 15, 2005 23:26:34 GMT -5
Post by geneweigel on Dec 15, 2005 23:26:34 GMT -5
I found it, It was the Deities & Demigods thread that I was sidetracked on.
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dcas
Warlock
Duke of Pennsylvania, Knight Commander
Posts: 481
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Joss
Dec 16, 2005 12:54:50 GMT -5
Post by dcas on Dec 16, 2005 12:54:50 GMT -5
If Necropolis can be D&D-ized, I would think that Lost Ziggurat could, too.
GT, I take it that LZ is a typewritten MS. at this point? How many pages? Might it not be possible to photocopy it and send it out to a few folks (ahem) for transcription? Or were you planning on investing in some OCR software along with the new scanner?
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Wizard
Duke of Indiana, Knight Commander
Posts: 2,032
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Joss
Dec 17, 2005 1:03:47 GMT -5
Post by GT on Dec 17, 2005 1:03:47 GMT -5
Well, actually the text is on a disc, although it started out hand-written/typewritten---but all of the maps are currently hand-written on graph paper. I'm sure it can be D&D-ized a la "Necropolis", but because of the "Sumero-Babylonian Culture" of it, it stands better in Mythus. I wanted to run some of you guys through it at some point to get some other points of view. In my old group of players it claimed three or four victims out of a party of twelve... ^__^
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Lord Kjeran
Prestidigitat
Dark Lord of Isungsgardr
Posts: 5
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Joss
Dec 19, 2005 17:51:03 GMT -5
Post by Lord Kjeran on Dec 19, 2005 17:51:03 GMT -5
Chello! That sounds like an excellent adventure for Mythus!!! I always liked the Middle Eastern as presented therein...they had the feel of "ancient and wicked" civilizations, old and decadent. And I really wanted to see the Ascalon set... Tony
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dcas
Warlock
Duke of Pennsylvania, Knight Commander
Posts: 481
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Joss
Jun 1, 2006 19:30:51 GMT -5
Post by dcas on Jun 1, 2006 19:30:51 GMT -5
I was reading the old "Lejendary AsteRogues" files and it appears that there was a Joss "stat" in there, too.
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