Public Occultism and Risk

Discussion about the occult and arcana in general. (Don't call it "magic" if you want to be taken seriously by scholars.)
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Lexx416
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Joined: Wed Sep 06, 2017 6:14 pm

Public Occultism and Risk

Post by Lexx416 »

Just a thought I'd had the other day, but I think it'd be appropriate if performing Occult Activities in public areas (IE: areas with Crowd code, probably specifically in towns) should generate risk every time an action is taken. Example: Use the DRUID command to channel, generate risk, cast a druid ability, generate risk. Draw parts of a circle, generate risk, activate a circle, generate risk.

In addition, I think having obvious occult effects up (glowing tattoos, force shields, floating objects nearby, terrifying claws) should also generate risk in those same rooms, probably every few seconds. Effects that are not visibly noticeable, or that are up and don't provide a penalty to stealth when sneaking, should probably not increase risk when sneaking any further.

This essentially would simulate normal townsfolk (both in Shadgard and the unnamed Other Town, since they're more Occult Friendly but that doesn't mean the normal townsfolk wouldn't stand around and gawk) that aren't weird adventurers taking notice of you. I don't think it should necessarily equate to automatic jail time, but something to suggest that the Occult in the Lost Lands isn't as normal as Players tend to think it is, perhaps with a message attached now and again describing such, with the messages becoming more frequent and obvious the more risk has built up.

Example: If you start drawing a Small Circle in Shadgard Commons, you get a little message about a passerby watching you with curiosity/trepidation (maybe have it a chance, with less "nice things" being skewed/weighted towards reactions that are more negative). When you're on your 5th circle in a row, and your risk is getting close to 100, you get messaging about crowds of people pointing and staring.

Doing such in private areas (inn rooms, bank vaults) or areas that aren't flagged as having Crowds (mines, back alleys, etc.) shouldn't trigger such.
"You hear the Woses, the Wild Men of the Woods... Remnants of an older time they be, living few and secretly, wild and wary as beasts."
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Marcuson
Posts: 226
Joined: Mon Jul 26, 2021 1:29 am

Re: Public Occultism and Risk

Post by Marcuson »

I'm posting in this thread to bring attention back to it. We recently discussed this subject in voice chat. Risk rising as a result of occult-related activities in town would be a good way to hint to newer players that Shadgard is leery of the occult (even though, apart from sorcery, it isn't technically illegal).
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