Ahhhhhhhh yeah. It's more of a "You don't just blow up the plot by being too powerful-y" thing then something that like - does the shitty DM thing of not letting your clever ideas work just 'cause they'd derail the module ^^

And doesn't seem to strictly powerscale-y either, so sounds like it's the good kind ^^

ty for the free points ;)

(At least in some of these, still going to have to consider this a lil more for each, ofc.) 

She stretched out a little, loose and light, and... let go. A little breath out from her lips, a little unwinding in her chest, a little brightness in her eyes and wave of focus down to her feet and fingers... 

and... 

She bounces in a bit, adjusting back into the moment and the body. 

Hi~ 

Topaz! I am! 

Going to start up the whole user story thing! Now! 

Or nowish, I think. 

There's a light little giggle in her heavy throat, and a timid fussy smile on her lips. Her fingertips gently smooths along the page, feeling the seam, a little trembly twitchy touch against the base as she fusses lightly along the little rows of text. Her writing is a little more angular and sketchy, little swift strokes sketching quickly against the page. Her heart has a light flutter, and her cheeks has a light bright blush that makes it oh so tempting to cup them and coo. 

New pages, please? Wanna make this a little bit more seperated... 

They flutter quickly, the ink running away into the pure white page and it's actually really cool looking! The empty page is so satisfying to look at, and she can't really help but splay her fingers along the page to feel the lack of the sticky ink and how tangibly right it is, as spry as the moment it came out of the factory. 

You're very pretty by the way. I really like the styling of your covers and you have such nice pages! Just the right amount of glossy clear and everything. It's nice to see - so many of our books come out a little faded or a little less spry then you, and that can add character but also it's just - less exciting, sometimes, to read something that has that extra bit of discoloration and fatigue, you know? 

She bit her tongue shyly, and wiped back the body's dark hair behind her ear, an inaudible pouty sigh on her lips as she feels it. 

So! 

So so so so... 

She bobbled her lips against each other, and stared down at the page for a long while, before setting down to properly sketch it out. 

I think that Tourm really wants to do the - big centrally one? Obviously, some of what we're going to do is probably going to make obvious what it's gonna largely look like perk-wise, but she's cool with that! 

She's a pretty chill person in general, despite how much she likes to puff up ^^

It's cute, really...

She laughs a little nervously as she feels her pop back into cocon for a little ruffle and pet, bobbing her head into the imagined little pressure. 

One user story for us is... 

Something magical girly! 

Usually that kinda thing is all modern worldy and all, w/ lots of p. cities and cute girls around! 

(That last one is probably going to be a reoccuring theme ^^) 

I'd wanna have something where I get to pick up the special-iness factor p. quickly, and/or fake it fast, and do the whole - secret identity idol-y thing!! 

I sketched up a lil build, dropping Dragon Fairy Elf Witch to pick up in the space I've got left, plus Fated Lovers, Bonus Style Points, I Can Fix Them, Captive Audience, and Quality Time, and then grabbing the basic-y drawback stuff that we talked about earlier - The Redeemer, Steady As She Goes, and Dramatic Damsel. There's a lot of wiggle room, with that many drawbacks! 

I really like the idea of being an idol, and - magical girlness is super duper intrinsically tied to that idea with me? I think that Voice of the Goddess and the general perks I have are plenty for getting into that, and making something where I can have that idolized life of stardom mixed in with a life of sekrit heroism is appealing! 

Plus, there's actually a lot of appeal for me to just... 

Viciously abuse Bonus Style Points, really? I like the idea of - having control over the strength and style and the fundamental way that the world works, through it, because of how tied the equipment of a magical girl can be their potence and potential, and that's something that - really appeals to me, you know? If I can be a global superstar and get people crushing on my magic-y voice throughout allll the world, there's so so much room for things to just work out so that the kind of people that I'd like are buffed all throughout the world!

Incidentally um. Does Bonus Style Points work on like, ourselves? When I'm dressing up, I'm kinda circularly 'dressing up for myself',  I guess? I'm not sure how literal that is, though. 

There's some - control to it too, I'd hope? Some way for me to be the mechanism for improving their equipment and their style and being a designer and techie and getting the skills for all of that and the tools and all of that. The rest of the perks are peripherally for the romantic life, just because this sort of thing is something - cozier, for me? 

Though obviously um I think that - Anything You Can Do is supposed to let me do that either way, to some extent, but having something more dramatic in that area would be fun! 

The big drawback for this is that it's a bit smol of a dream, it doesn't have DFEW and all of the super duper cool awesomeness in there, and it's primarily just appealing to me. I could probably finagle things a little to sub out the style package for the wealth stuff - it's the same price for the whole line and gives a lot of very - prosaic power and comfort and stuff, plus a big edge? It's a bit more of a compromise-y build, and I think the optimal compromise build is like... 

Just the base build less DFEW, one of captive audience, fated lovers, quality time and the entire money line to Four Star Daydream? The math should work out for that build to exist and it does let you do super duper different things! Being like, a reclusive idol with more money then the gods who's a magical girl when she's not in stealth mode being a social diva in her classes or managing her vast buisness empire sounds hyyype! 

And also pretty deep, potentially? 

There's a lot of things that a magical girl-y world lets you do for different-y passions and all, so I don't think that it's a - generally bad option for all of us? I do think that - clearly it's more of a specialist-y me thing and that the things that - you need to make the basic idea work are all in the base build? Nothing stops us from picking up magical girl-ing in a different dimension after some other adventure, I thinky? It's not even nesscarily the kinda thing where it doesn't work out too too well if you're hiding or you have more power in reserve, I'd say? But something like that could help, if there's maybe like, a drawback that we could get. 

If were gonna do something more concrete... 

The user story of this build is that we're a hot and spunky idol, with vast magical powers and a unfathomable luck in love! We maintain a bunch of identities and styles and adventures in politics and the hidden shadow world, the power of song and love buoying us through it all! There's a bunch of people to help and monsters to punch and people that need to be inspired by our song, who need to be moved and saved, and some of them are dark magical girls who need our love, and there's fans to meet and people to befriend, and politics to do, and a platform to spread! 

It doesn't have to be a secret world-y story, nesscarily? I think that's usually more charming, but srs bsns super-y stuff in the framing of a magical girl story can be good too! And no shade on cute mil girl stuff, even if that gets uncomfortably propaganda-y sometimes. 

Um. 

There's a decent chance that I'd fall in love with a Device if I get caught up enough in this kinda story and I don't know what to do about that ^^ 

I think that - fundamentally there's still a lot typically to do there and it's okay, especially if it's just an incentive for it to be more properly slow-burny or growy? 

The more I think about it, the - earning of the wealth and stuff on my own merits or stuff feels arguably important? Or al least - part of the plot and the dream enough that I don't think that unless there's a Thing To Do with the wealth that we really want because of some other details of the story or in general, then it's ok to cut. 

I could also see cutting some of the friend propensity stuff or fated lovers to snek in like, custom perk-y stuff that's about being able to be carefree and shiny and maybe lewd in the way that the fantasy of magical schoolgirling? 

If I'm gonna ask for something specific... 

Something that lets me - offer people the chance to do silly harmless shenanigans without consquences, maybe? Something specific to being - sexual or kinky or having v. friendly colleagues could work. 

Now that I'm trying to reach for it, I feel like most of the rest of the things are just things that ought to be generically covered by plotty importance and world selection stuff. 

Oh! 

We should ask... 

um. 

Can you do a - jumpchain-y style import? Where you're - like already kinda that person, and there's this - completion and stuff such that you get a role and history and stuff in the world? I should probably dump some of SJ-chan's stuff for explanations regardless... 

That sounds lovely! 

Bonus Style Points works best as an extension of Sense Of Style, but it applies to anyone who's trying to make you feel something with how they dress, or who are trying internally to live up to your standards of beauty and dress, with a larger effect when they're trying harder and caring more about looking good for you. You'll probably find it easier to dress to your style if you take it, especially if you are dressing up for yourself. 

You can definitely be a part of it! Usually, it just sort of works out off screen, but you'll definitely get much better results helping people dress up for you if you take it, and you can definitely get a lot more opportunities to do that because of how much influence the perk has. You should be able to direct it, too, even if this kind of perk by necessity is usually pretty decentralized. 

The way that Isekai Roulette works varies - but I think that it could support that, if it fit the best for you! 

I might as well um. Sketch out a bit more thoughts about what a few more build arounds? 

The biggest one that I can think of about it is - 

The Best Friend Line? 

I feel like um. The advantage of something like that is that it'd be - probably pretty possible to - make something where it can - make some alternative arrangement for - power and growth and everything. 

When I stare at... the big bad list of perks, there's this - fluttery ache in my heart at the thought of missing a lot of these, frankly? It's hard to describe but... 

It's easy to picture it as - going wrong and missing out on something super - integral and 'balanced around'? I know probably some of that is silly but... 

Picturing what it's - like, for taking the best friend line to be okay... 

I think about... a dragon, maybe? One of the classical things that you sometimes get with dragons is that their blood is this source of vast power, and that there's all sorts of room for getting cool sorceries from it, even shifting and connections to all sorts of primal foces... Maybe we'd get to be blood-kin and do that lil empower-y thingy? I'd want - them to be something that I can hold super super close, too - there's a version of it that's maybe a telepathicy bond thing but it feels a little more - right, if they get to be like, a sealed tattoo writhing along my skin, a smol lil dragon wrapped around my shoulder, a cute oversized little pet I can tussle and play with, and a big ol' lumbering beast that I can ride in the sky and overawe people with the scale and scope of their majesty and all ^^

That would be um. Good, and I could see taking drawbacks for that, to... Have something that gets that close to me? 

It feels - heavy, though, to commit to that, and the build would probably have to cut dragon fairy elf witch, unless it meant that I could fit a loooooot of drawbacks in? It'd have to be something like the basic chassis we talked about and we're gonna highlight more explicitly a bit later minus dfew and plus like, fated lovers or captive audience, quality time and something else to fill in the 2 pter? 

The reason it's compelling is just... getting to have a pet dragon and faithful companion would be awesome Doing something sort of fantasy explore-y quest w/ a more singular and goal and someone to bounce all of my learning and stuff off of could be - good? There's a version of all of this where it makes sense to pick his where - it's too - lonely and othering, to be developing all of these special hybridized racial powers that no one else beyond maybe my kids or another sue could have? It's also just... really reassuring in my head ,to have someone that I can lean on and expect to be able to solve and be good and care about me and. 

...Yeah? 

There's also a similar version w/ like a - bound-y kitsune-y thingie, or something, leaning more towards a cultivation role, or even just like...

A momming suit AI, if you do that kinda thing? There's a lot of room for - something not quite human-y that can - have that full range of interfacing w/ me, you know? I think that... it's only maybe worth it if I can be swept up in a world of them for just - kind of everything? If I can trust them and have things work out and spend time endlessly just socialling with them because they love me and I wanna - reflect that and I appreciate them and all? It's also decently likely to just... not really work out, if I'd need captive audience or stuff for that? I don't - think I would, but it doesn't - hurt to ask, I think? And it would need to be some - thing where - engaging w/ them a bunch is also like, the plot and the world and the work? 

That's important. I don't want to - have to stray from my life to be - cast away in time with them, and all, even if it - doesn't count against clock time? I might feel kinda differently after an aggressive adaptation to it but. 

...yeah, that's what I'm thinking there ^^

I certainly wouldn't want to encourage you to stray away from your dreams! 

Having the right kind of people in your life through the right pathways can be very important. I think that you could get a lot of value out of having the right partner, but it doesn't sound like it's as important to you as some of the ways to get there you've been looking into. 

Usually, even without captive audience, you won't have any issues with your animal companion not being interested in hearing what you have to say, even if without it, things will just taper off comfortably as social endurance runs out for the both of you, in a way that might not happen with it. 

Yeah... 

That does make sense. 

Um. 

Romana wanted to do one, so I'll step out now? 

Okay! 

Hi! 

I'm Romana. Topaz wanted to... hand this off to me, just becuase it's a bit more me, I think? 

The next idea that comes up for me is something like... 

Going to a - superhero universe, like a mainline DC or Marvel universe, using the standard build skeleton - I don't think it needs anything more then that? Probably just the nice social package - the hanging out one and the listening to you talk one, and then two more points of flex, like true love's kiss and the first wealth perk? 

One of the big - themes, of places like that is that... 

There's always more to do, right? That there's always more people to save and always more things to do and always more commitments dragging you down and you just have to perserve, anyways. There's the whole - genre convention about secret identities, and that makes it so much worse. There's a lot that's still - shrugged off by genre convention, but the amount of little neglects and lost sleep that a lot of these people have to grit their teeth and bare through... 

It's something that I think would be - rewarding to help with. I could totally do the hero thing too, and honestly there's probably no - stopping that? But realistically, what I want is - 

To offer myself as - an esoteric form of escort, I suppose? There's so many amazing people in these worlds that I'd love to meet and maybe fall in love with, and so many of them just - Could really use someone to talk to, someone they can trust and rest with. It'd be good to - get to do little coffee dates, help out around their houses, give them massages and the chance to catch as much sleep as they need in my arms, have a chance to live and laugh and love, with me and other cool people, and to get to learn the slow way how to make use of all of those powers to make that world a better place. 

The biggest thing that - holds me back from going for this, is that - it's not - exciting enough, and the - empowerment that'd go in doesn't feel nesscarily - quite as earned or such? I know that - especially with the mental defense stuff, that I can hold up to conflict, and there's - too many dreams of battle and glory and dynamics for it to be - the most appealing thing, on net? Those aren't nesscarily the biggest concerns for just me, but. 

It's a very comforting dream. 

I do think that it's a - good second stop, though? If I can get to some - intermediate level of power, or want to rest back from exerting that, and just - living my life by my virtues over something more - aggressive, if I want to rest and experience love and something bright and get to still - have the fun of fights coming to me, sometimes, and all that... 

That's where it belongs the most, I think. The things that I'd need for this is all the base build, really, though the style line would be really nice for something comfier and slower, like this. I'm not sure what I'd grab to make up the points, though... 

(Tourm here)

ah fuck it. 

The printing shebang is a bit tiring but a real spreadsheet in software is mmph. 

Here's the base build that we're thinking of, at least in pure pts. 

 

Perk	Price	Running total
A Thousand Ships	1	1
What's in a name?	1	2
Angelic Tones	2	4
Emerald Orbs	2	6
Perfect Hair	2	8
Dressing Room	3	11
Personal Hygiene	1	12
Like Roses	1	13
Well Endowed	1	14
Hollow Leg	1	15
Voice of the Goddess	2	17
Fairest of Them All	3	20
Battle Angel	1	21
Battle Demon	1	22
Dragon Fairy Elf Witch	5	27
Anything You Can Do	6	33
Closed Book	1	34
Indelible	1	35
Iron Will	2	37
Potent Presence	5	42
Captive Audience	3	45
Quality Time	2	47
Flattery	1	48
Love Interest	1	49
Love Triangle	2	51
Love Dodecahedron	5	56
Time Enough For Love	5	61
GGG	4	65
Sensual Service	1	66
Two Become One	1	67
Bop It	1	68
???		68
???		68
???		68
???		68
You Can Fix Them	5	73
The Redeemer	-3	70
Steady As She Goes	-2	68
Dramatic Damsel	-3	65

Maaaybe captive audience, the you can fix them stuff, and quality time are negotiable? It The drawbacks aren't nesscarily strictly defined, either - It's just that uh. There's not a ton of reason *not* to nab a lot of this shit, given how broad and synergistic a lot of these are. 

It's another 2 pts above what I have for style line, if I wanna do that just straight up, and there's a few more things that could def take... 

Really, the question is just how far I want to go into drawbacks?

Honestly probably the cleanest patch would probably be like idk, there's another one + the 1 pter basic wealth one for peace of mind? That's base text compliant and it's not like. Actually a problem to have moar cool gals up and around ^^

I'm not sure how - immediate it'd be, to encounter more spirit-chosen or whatev? Mostly I just wanna byuild my own lil world and life aside from that, and then encountering more in the wild of the multiverse is a fun idea? idk tho. 

I could nab a custom drawback for the relationshippy stuff - maybe something about - responsibility, rather then jealousy, idk? 

There's Another One doesn't nesscarily imply that! Usually you'll end up meeting another Chosen of the Spirit relatively quickly, but especially with Steady As She Goes and your other preferences, it could very well be something that happens much later down the line! 

Here's some ideas for the responsibility angle! I'm not sure if it's what you're looking for, though. 

Name: True Lover - Grants: 2
(Requires Love Interest.)
Before your True Love would permanently commit themselves to living by your side and taking your banner as their own, they have a chance to understand what you are really like, beyond all the metanarrative influences and powers granted by the spirit, and may freely embrace or reject you, depending on what they find.

Name: Eternal Lover - Grants: 3
Once you've entered a committed romantic relationship, you can never leave it of your own accord.

I like both builds, for what it's worth, and am glad that you're thinking through all this! 

Oo. Okay yeah I'd want - probably both of those even if they were free? 

And before I get cold feet about the new pts just throw in true love kiss and making ends meet and mwah. 

So! 

- There's a bit more org work to do? Let's see... 

Wanna find all of the things that I'd like to clarify a lil more and just uh. Go do that. 

Could you please throw up the sheet w/ the explanation text and all? I'll asterick up the stuff that I'd like to discuss / edit a lil more... 

Fussing with the sheet took a while, staring at it in that sort of half-blank half-focused haze you get into when you're in the last hour's shift of a solid productive day's shift. 

Here you go! 

After a bit of fussing, there's this. 

Added the revised descriptions and everything! It's neat, isn't it? 

Okay so - 

From the top, yeah? 

My thought is that - battle angel should be - more about - not losing out on things due to injuries? Like, you could m'ybe make it work a bit more like Time Enough For Love, but for 'dealing with being injured'? I don't want to have to - miss out on the experience of being injured and the - actual risk of that, yeah? There's nothing nesscarily wrong w/ being like - plot armor-y invincible, but there's some cute plots about being injured and I don't - wanna be too seperate from the rest of the experience w/ my colleagues, I guess. 

Hmm...

I think I can do that! 

Name: Angel of War  - Cost: 1 ☐
(Replaces Battle Angel.)
Injuries never get in the way of the progress of your life. Sometimes they'll simply by averted, deadly weapons only giving superficial scratches and scuffs, or missing their mark entirely against you. Even if you do get seriously injured, you will somehow find enough time for your recovery without need for compromise in the rest of your priorities. 

 

Oo good good good... 

Don't have a ton to say about dfew - think there was something about like -getting the full potential out of the deal and all? Not too sure how the - 'being you encounter' bit works, either. 

Sure! 

Name: Dragon Fairy Elf Witch - Cost: 5 ☐
You can at any time discover previously unknown heritage from any type of being you have encountered, even if this makes no sense or contradicts previously established descriptions of your family tree. You can deepen this heritage by exercising the abilities granted, finding new sources of the same abilities or differing examples of the same type of being, eventually culminating in the ability to freely take on facets to the entirety of their form and the fullness of their strengths. You always get their powers without their drawbacks, unless the drawbacks are desirable to you. Any visible features of this heritage will appear at narratively appropriate moments and be cute, pretty, beautiful, or striking rather than awkward, weird, gross, or scary. This ability works even if the beings in question cannot reproduce with humans, or at all.

The definition of 'being' and 'encountered' are a little more subjective? But anything sapient that you've personally witnessed will definitely work! 

Yeah no worries, just wanna feel like - ducks are a bit more in a row now, you know? 

Uh... 

I don't actually want my capacity for being feeling the emotions about truama to go away, but being - theoretically robust to that going forward and getting to - grow into that - better healthier more robust thing is nice. Uh. Also... I feel like uh, idk, it should probaaably also just like idk, buff 'willpower' or whatever? That's something that's commonly important in fantasy settings I'm familiar w/ and uh. It's called Iron Will? Dunno if it's out of scope or already in there, but regardless some clarification around the text there would be - good. 

For Iron will... The same immunity language as the prereqs, maybe? Really, if I'm being picky, it should be m'ybe "Whensoever, and in so much as" for all of those to make it smoother and clearer ^^

Of course! Even without more modifications, Iron will helps with pre-existing trauma at your own pace, but if you want to frame it around that a little more, I can do that too! 

Name: Iron Will - Cost: 2 ☐
(Requires Closed Book and Indelible.)
You are immune or partially immune to all forms of mental illusion, alteration, interference, or control, whenever, and in so far as that would help you accomplish your goals.  Even extreme torture, extended solitary confinement, advanced brainwashing techniques, and so on cannot touch you through the strength of your will and the robustness of your selfhood. With your strength, you need to never fear again finding your rage blinding, your loneliness crippling, or your hurts traumatizing, with even existing issues healing, in time. 

 

Yeah okay. That - sounds good. 

She rubbed her fingers along her forehead, sighing softly. It's - still so much, even if she's so - cute and nice and helpful and. 

To just get through the rest of these... 

I'm not sure what to say about flattery? Mostly I guess I'm just nervous ^^. If you can fit it, maybe there's a v. where it can also be reciprocal in the same price? Don't sweat it if not, 't'd just be - nice to have. 

Had the note for dodecahedron about it - going well, being the angle, rather then not breaking relationships? Still largely want that but well. 

Some relationships really shouldn't stay intact, y'know? Hope can cover that properly... 

Can you m'ybe frame Sense of Style a bit more like Flattery or those relationshippy perks? like, idk, I feel like it'd be nice if it - explicitly made dressing up for me nicer, too? Currently reads as a bit overly prereq-y. 

 and yeah, we talked about dressing room a bit - think mostly get it but having it in the main record chart 'd be nice ^^

Many minutes of fussing later... 

...Okay she's feeling all dysphoric again - the little - shivers in her shoulders, the hitch in her breath, the tightness in her throat and the creepy crawling hairy shivery feeling all over her skin and. 

- Okay so - I'm hap w/ this build, minus the making ends meet? I have something - super particularized-y in mind, I know what I want, and I'm feeling terrible and awful and none of that is your fault but - can we talk about the feels-y stuff later and just get me out the fucking door and have that be ok? The spirit doesn't sound especially bound by time, and I just. 

I don't want to have to live like this, any more, ok? 

...Okay. 

Are you sure that you're ready?