Proposal: Gapped Pattern

Random discussion, related to the game, but not really of a rules nature.
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Joshua
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Proposal: Gapped Pattern

Post by Joshua »

Gapped Pattern
5, 10, 15, or 20 points.

This is similar to Broken Pattern as it fills in the gap between "Follow Shadow Trails" at 5 points and "Walked the Pattern" at 25.

In normal Broken Pattern, the gaps in the pattern are too far gone, too fractured to walk properly, so you follow the gaps into the center. Gapped pattern is intact enough to walk the lines. The gaps are still deadly, but they are small enough to step or jump over.

Of note, there is no extension to gapped pattern, walking an actual patten is the only advancement possible at this level. Although, one could walk a more intact gapped pattern, I suppose.

What allows a Broken pattern to be walked to the center without touching the lines is the lack of the three veils. Gapped pattern is grouped by how many veils are still intact. At 5 points, there are no veils that you've walked through, at 20 points, it has all 3.

Each missed veil makes the pattern easier to walk in terms of endurance. One missed veil allow the pattern to be walked with Chaos endurance. And three missed veils make it possible to walk with Human endurance. The challenge, however, becomes jumping over the gaps.

At 20 points, the gaps are minor and there is no chance of falling off from the jumps. At 5 points, you're looking at needing a running start to clear some of the gaps. Plus, since you can't back up, you have to plan it in advance.

Any level allows you to use all the powers of the 25 point Pattern Imprint... except, like the pattern you walked, there are gaps. Gaps in what you can see, gaps in what you can walk to, and gaps in what you can understand.

So, not sure if this would be better than broken pattern for some players, but... just curious if anyone has an interest.
Wyvern
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Re: Proposal: Gapped Pattern

Post by Wyvern »

While I don't see Alys having any more immediate interest in traversing this versus the full Pattern or a regular Broken Pattern, I as a player would find it a useful transition mechanism; 25 points for basic pattern is... a lot, and it'd be nice to have some way to get return on intermediate investments without the truly serious drawbacks of Broken Pattern.

In other words, OOC interest, yes absolutely, but I'd need to come up with a really good IC excuse if I wanted to use it.
Chtalo
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Re: Proposal: Gapped Pattern

Post by Chtalo »

Ch'talo's backstory certainly makes this a better fit than just Broken Pattern. If he can continue with the thematic "cheat" of the sand paintings/dance, it could also provide a good IC justification for levelling up without needing to just bank a lot of points for a proper Pattern walk.

Of course, he has a couple more Shapeshifting skills to buy to get his full Lunar abilities back...
Draylen
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Re: Proposal: Gapped Pattern

Post by Draylen »

I like this, more for the implications in it than anything I'm likely to do with it. If there's a Broken Pattern between Pattern and Logrus, and a Gapped Pattern between Pattern and Broken Pattern, it makes me wonder if there's some kind of Structured Logrus between Broken Pattern and Logrus... and if there's that kind of reflection, maybe there's something strong enough to reflect more than a mean reflection of them both.
Spellbinder
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Re: Proposal: Gapped Pattern

Post by Spellbinder »

Joshua wrote:Gapped Pattern

Any level allows you to use all the powers of the 25 point Pattern Imprint... except, like the pattern you walked, there are gaps. Gaps in what you can see, gaps in what you can walk to, and gaps in what you can understand.
I am assuming this translates to Storyteller created difficulties/plot twist as needed. Of course the player can throw in their own as well. What you don't pay for with points you pay for in storytelling. :)
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Joshua
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Re: Proposal: Gapped Pattern

Post by Joshua »

My initial examples:
At 20 points, you cannot understand numbers. You cannot, as an example, walk to "a group of 20 soldiers". Math and similar is impossible for you.
At 15 points, you cannot understand colors. Not only do you become color-blind, you cannot pattern walk to anything where a color is specified.
At 10 points, you cannot understand written words or orderings. For pattern walking, you cannot find anything that is 'better' or 'worse' then another.
At 5 points, you cannot see, understand or experience cats. This includes people like Asai. Cats can see and interact with you just fine.
Wyvern
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Re: Proposal: Gapped Pattern

Post by Wyvern »

I take it back. This has a significantly more serious drawback than regular broken pattern. Still kinda interesting, but the cost is just too high; even the 20 point example is a crippling flaw.
Draylen
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Re: Proposal: Gapped Pattern

Post by Draylen »

Those are rather... incredibly extreme, yes. I feel like it's almost flipped, all things considered... given that the omnipresence of numbers, colors, and literacy, in that order, anything that takes away those things for their levels is incredibly... dramatic. That the gaps remove such deep, integral parts of the world for you are incredibly severe.

I'd probably suggest something more like this...

At GP5, in order to traverse the gaps, you bridged them with something severe. This is something that would be universally around, in almost every shadow - for example, you may have used your knowledge of, say, Arithmetic to bridge the gaps. You'd still understand what each number is and means, but you might not be able to get, say, 10-7=3 anymore. You still understand what three, seven, and ten are, and if somebody else tells you that such a thing is true, you may believe or disbelieve them as you would ordinarily, but if ten enemies began the encounter, and you had defeated seven of them, you would still count ten enemies, not only the three remaining.

At GP10, in order to traverse the gaps, you bridged them with something major. This is something that might be a significant aspect of a majority of shadows, but something you can successfully survive without. For example, perhaps you used your knowledge of a written language to bridge the gap. You would be limited in a number of major ways, but in many places, reading is not something necessary to truly get by. This may be significant in a handful of shadows, but will rarely be truly inhibiting.

At GP15, in order to traverse the gaps, you bridged them with something minor. This is something that is either a minor impediment or something that is a small part in a small number of Shadows. For example, you might have used the specific color Cerulean, which would prevent you from seeing and identifying the color Cerulean, or you might have used your knowledge on paper money to buy goods and services. In either case, you would still be perfectly aware of everything else, other shades of blue in the case of using Cerulean, or using coins and bartering for goods and services.

At GP20, in order to traverse the gaps, you bridged them with something insignificant. This is something very small, but might have a minor impact. As an example, you might have used the word Cat to bridge the gaps. You would still be able to know what a cat is, and interact with cats (including Asai's character), but you wouldn't be able to call them cats. The word cats would not exist.
Wyvern
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Re: Proposal: Gapped Pattern

Post by Wyvern »

The passage of time might be another example at the five point level, reducing the world to past/now/future with no understanding of how "Meet me tomorrow" differs from "Meet me in five minutes", and a corresponding ability to simply not realize or understand that you've been staring at a brightly colored beetle crawling along the wall for hours rather than seconds.
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Joshua
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Re: Proposal: Gapped Pattern

Post by Joshua »

5 was only included for completeness. At that point, you are better off walking it like a broken pattern and it causes less issues.

For 10 points, you have as much trouble as Broken Pattern. For the record, with BP you have two major drawbacks vs the 25 point starter pattern.
  1. You have an insanity that represents the breaks in pattern. This is mostly the logrus* infection on the pattern.
  2. You shadow shifting only goes through the 'worst parts' of Shadow. Slum areas, dangerous roads with brigands, etc. Again, representing walking through cracks in reality, which are the places where chaos infects the shadow the most.
For Gapped pattern, the first one (gaps in awareness) is a bit stronger. Mostly because a lot of these gaps doesn't make the shadow-walking that much worse.

The 15 and 20 points are simply an attempt to move from that base-level to not having any issue at 25 points.
__________
*: One theory, supported by advanced Broken Pattern. I suppose one could make a broken pattern that was Abyss infected. The Advanced version would look a lot different.
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