Attunements: Difference between revisions
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== Attunement Powers == | == Attunement Powers == | ||
Powers are what distinguish an Attunement from a club or a gang. Which powers grow where is a mystery; some Attunement sets manifest exactly what you'd expect, some are so far off the stated goals that onlookers suspect a hidden agenda. Progression, mercifully, is well-studied and linear. Power grows as a function of dedication to the philosophy; adventurers refer to this measurement as "[[Favor]]", even where that term is imprecise. It arose from some of the more public and prominent Attunements where it fit perfectly; adventurers being what they are, then lumped every other measure into that box and called it a solved problem. | Powers are what distinguish an Attunement from a club or a gang. Which powers grow where is a mystery; some Attunement sets manifest exactly what you'd expect, some are so far off the stated goals that onlookers suspect a hidden agenda. Progression, mercifully, is generally well-studied and linear. Power grows as a function of dedication to the philosophy; adventurers refer to this measurement as "[[Favor]]", even where that term is imprecise. It arose from some of the more public and prominent Attunements where it fit perfectly; adventurers being what they are, then lumped every other measure into that box and called it a solved problem. | ||
A couple of caveats: | |||
''This list is not exhaustive.'' Some examples are provided here. These are things that were relatively well-known or referenced heavily enough that most characters are at least very loosely familiar with them. It represents a small sampling of various attunements and their powers. Many, many others exists across the worlds, some operating openly in unfamiliar places, some operating in the shadows and careful to avoid exposure. We raise this here for two reasons: | |||
# Attunements were intended to expand characters as they grew into interests and themes. It was not long after their introduction that they became a shopping list item, usually right after Skills. I never wanted that. I rapidly grew to hate optimization-of-theme. Optimize skills - that's what they're there for and a well-tuned character is satisfying in its way - but at the point where I have players involved in stories they do not like to get powers they do, we have gotten so far away from the idea that it's no longer recognizable. In that light: | |||
# If there's an interesting theme that's not represented below (like most themes) please feel free to submit it for consideration. We obviously can't accommodate all possible themes. Some things are at odds with the cosmology of the overall game. Some present gameplay difficulties that are either insurmountable or only surmountable at too high a cost in overall playability. Some rely on roleplay inconsistent with a friendly game - there is space in the game for necromancers but they inspire negative interactions. And headaches.. Some are overtly too powerful to introduce. Some are gnomes. We can't promise to introduce your theme, but we can (and should) at least review it for feasibility. | |||
''Some entries on the list below are under current review for power sets (Moon-Blooded and Kensai are currently under review, others will be reviewed (and if needed, updated) before launch.'' | |||
. | . | ||
Revision as of 22:59, 13 May 2024
Attunement Binding
Attunements are sources of power, generated by some unifying ideology. Power concentrates differently in different cases; some Attunements boast hundreds or thousands of members working towards similar goals in very different ways. Some are small bands with a very narrow, local focus. Most lie somewhere in between. Scholars have been trying for centuries to find the underlying law of reality that determines which factors develop into Attunements and which will not. Not one has come close. Every Attunement is easy to explain after its birth. No one has succeeded in predicting new formations with any accuracy.
New Attunement formation is thought to be comparatively rare. Many 'new' Attunements are actually re-formations of philosophies long thought deceased, or variants of other philosophies that forked far enough away to develop their own bonds. That said, surveillance across the planes is not all that scholars could wish, and Attunements could easily be born, serve out their functions, and disband before Nexus scholars even hear rumors of them.
Attunement Powers
Powers are what distinguish an Attunement from a club or a gang. Which powers grow where is a mystery; some Attunement sets manifest exactly what you'd expect, some are so far off the stated goals that onlookers suspect a hidden agenda. Progression, mercifully, is generally well-studied and linear. Power grows as a function of dedication to the philosophy; adventurers refer to this measurement as "Favor", even where that term is imprecise. It arose from some of the more public and prominent Attunements where it fit perfectly; adventurers being what they are, then lumped every other measure into that box and called it a solved problem.
A couple of caveats:
This list is not exhaustive. Some examples are provided here. These are things that were relatively well-known or referenced heavily enough that most characters are at least very loosely familiar with them. It represents a small sampling of various attunements and their powers. Many, many others exists across the worlds, some operating openly in unfamiliar places, some operating in the shadows and careful to avoid exposure. We raise this here for two reasons:
- Attunements were intended to expand characters as they grew into interests and themes. It was not long after their introduction that they became a shopping list item, usually right after Skills. I never wanted that. I rapidly grew to hate optimization-of-theme. Optimize skills - that's what they're there for and a well-tuned character is satisfying in its way - but at the point where I have players involved in stories they do not like to get powers they do, we have gotten so far away from the idea that it's no longer recognizable. In that light:
- If there's an interesting theme that's not represented below (like most themes) please feel free to submit it for consideration. We obviously can't accommodate all possible themes. Some things are at odds with the cosmology of the overall game. Some present gameplay difficulties that are either insurmountable or only surmountable at too high a cost in overall playability. Some rely on roleplay inconsistent with a friendly game - there is space in the game for necromancers but they inspire negative interactions. And headaches.. Some are overtly too powerful to introduce. Some are gnomes. We can't promise to introduce your theme, but we can (and should) at least review it for feasibility.
Some entries on the list below are under current review for power sets (Moon-Blooded and Kensai are currently under review, others will be reviewed (and if needed, updated) before launch.
.
Racial Attunements
Knights of the Fallen Leaves- High Elf Racial