Return [To Madness]: Act 1, Scene 2

[Styrius]

OOC: Axid will rest a couple of hours longer. He will be almost topped off by then. I would inquire about the Players Option Skills and Power Rejuvenation: This proficiency allows a psionicist to recover PSPs more quickly than is usual by entering a rejuvenating trance. This state of deep concentration requires a successful proficiency check. For every hour a hero maintains this trance (and makes the check), he regains PSPs at twice the usual rate (one-quarter of his total instead of one-eighth). He can't expend PSPs while in this trance, and his state is much like deep sleep. Check made WIS -1.

[TristenC]

[As, or, If] anyone mentions the feeling of being watched to Allikhain her brow will furrow and she will take precautions and then speak softly to someone who has the mind link to distribute the following silently to everyone. [Some of the other Mages/ Priests or Psionicists would likely also be familiar with this]:

Direct remote observation (whether by spell, device or psionics) typically targets an individual. Once an individual is observed, if they are surrounded by any others who are directly observed they may also soon become viable targets. Meaning if a member of the party is observed then almost anyone around them at the time can become a new target: Officers, guards, porters, stewards, undead minions... etc.


[OOC]
I was going to ask for a fairly easy check for some of the above knowledge, but I went ahead and rolled for Allikhain. She made every check, so it's just information the party collectively has and shared.

For the psionicists with respect to the Rejuvination NWP:
I won't ask for a check just like I won't ask if the party wants to set a watch.

To simplify things, we can say the camp is <currently> secure enough that the party is given ample space and peace to rest and recoup uninterrupted. That means that for times they rest in-camp there will be no minor interruptions, no need to arrange watch amongst themselves, and their food and shelter is considered taken care of in all aspects.

This will only change if:
-An assault on the 100+ person camp occurs to a degree that it requires their direct intervention
-Something targets one of the party directly in a manner that would disturb their rest (remote observation can be noted without disrupting rest)
-In the future the camp itself is reduced to a degree the party needs to take an active role in keeping watch/ dealing wirh issues

[Lord Torath]

<More worryingly, once they have scried you, they can psionically contact you and read your thoughts without your knowledge. Only the training Master Brasspick and I have in the Way protects us from this this. "Loose brains end campaigns" as it were. Fortunately, doing such mind reading takes Will, and even for me that is a limited resource. Not every mindbender is capable of such feats, but knowing that at least some of our opponents are trained in the Way means we can't assume our thoughts are sacrosanct.>

[Nocturno]

Using the mind link exclusively unless needed. "Is there something we can do with this mind link to help shield us from the enemy?"

[Lord Torath]

<Not on short notice, I'm afraid. Given time I could create objects that could provide protection against remote contact. An opposing mindbender could still overwhelm them, but that would requiring being within bowshot and direct line of sight, and would buy you at least two minutes of protection. I would need a day at least for each one.>
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Steve could create small pieces of jewelry and Empower them with the Mind Blank psionic defense mode. Mind Blank doesn't have a maintenance cost, so the item could keep it up indefinitely, and as long as it's touching you, you benefit from it.

Two of the other telepathic defense modes have an area effect, but the range is 10' max, and they are too expensive to keep up all the time.

It will take around 350 PSPs for each one, which will take about 18 hours to recoup the spent PSPs.

[Nocturno]

"Could you counter surveil along their link?" He will ask.

[Lord Torath]

<No, but neither could they counter-surveil along our link. They are trained in the Way, which means I cannot enter their minds without their knowledge.>
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If I'd known we'd be facing psionic opponents, maybe I could have started the game with some of those Empowered Mind Blank items.

Jack, Jag, Landro, Allikhain, Ke'Sha, and maybe Miss Gallus makes six armbands. 18 hrs x 6 = 3/4 days x 6 = 9/2 days or four and a half days if you guys decide you want Steve to do nothing but Empower items. He could also make items that would let you know when you're being observed (and possibly block it if it's remote viewing) for the same amount of time. But I get the idea that, despite the weeks/months it took us to reach this place, we don't have that kind of time.

[BishGada]

Officers, guards, porters, stewards, undead minions... etc."

"Oh no... not the minions." Ke'Sha responds.

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(OOC: I guess we are short of time since once they are aware of you they try to target you and finish you off.
I think we shouldn't stay inside the 100+ people camp if that endangers them, or at least let Lenna know the situation.
If you want Restoration, and Axid wants extra time maybe we can delay half day and Stefen could create at least one protection item during the extra time. And our first priority will be to target the psionic. Can you use the mind link attempts to turn the other way around to locate the psionic? Can some divine intervantion do that? The Lord wouldn't want his undead being mind linked after all
Ah, oops that's what Nocturno meant by counter-surveil... Nevermind then. Sorry.
)

[Lord Torath]

[OoC]There are probably some divination spells you could cast to locate our opponents. Gur doesn't seem terribly happy about casting them, however.

[BishGada]

Indeed, he seems to have some unsettled issues with other demons...

[Lord Torath]

[OoC]Do we want Stephen to try to make a protective item? He'll be mostly useless for psionics during the dungeon exploration for the day if he does.

I mean, not that he's been that effective anyway. Life Detection is relatively useless now, and Truthear's been neutered. Mostly he's opened a couple of short-range doorways (things Axid could do just as easily) and a pair of longer-range ones to get us in and out of the Labyrinth.

[BishGada]

These portal are crutial. But I misunderstood. I thought you could make the device AND regain the PSP. If that's not the case I believe the protection is not that important. The forces knows about us and if our mind will be guarded they will seek other ways to solve the problem. I think we just need to be fast.

[Lord Torath]

I can make the item, but it costs 330 psps minimum to create it (assuming I succeed on all the power checks). I only have 260 at full capacity, which means I have to take a break in the middle to recover, and I'll be mostly out of PSPs when it's done.

25 psps to pump my wisdom up (for psionic purposes only)
50 psps to prep the item
100 psps to give it access to telepathy
100 psps to give it Mind Blank
50 psps to seal the item
4 psps to keep my wisdom pumped up for the entire process.

If I have the PSPs, the whole thing only takes 5 minutes, but then I need to rest for 18 hours to recover all those psps.

[TristenC]

[ooc] How do Jack and Landro want to get back? Are they walking or getting portalled out.[/color]

[Nocturno]

If there are psps teleport would be great, but Jack will walk if needed.

"Seems the job is done, anyone have magic energy left to get us back?"