Fallout Equetria PNP

[Arcane_Scroll]

I'm wondering what all y'all's take is on whether they have magic or not. I'm kind of partial to the idea that buffalo use some kind of ritual magic to call on the aid of spirits (though usually not evil spirits like windigos or discord) but I'm not 100% sold on that idea if someone had a better one.

Like maybe a shamanism system? That would be rather cool and would fit in well with their design.

[icekatze]

hi hi

Yeah, something like shamanism. They could have spirits with an affinity for their special talent that give them guidance from time to time, or maybe the spirits can be powerful but unreliable, so they don't rely on them too much. I dunno. I haven't read very many fics with mules or buffalo in them.

[Arcane_Scroll]

Maybe, there is a chance of becoming temporarily possessed by the spirit everytime it is invoked, adjusted for the health/stamina of the caster. If possessed, the character temporarily becomes an NPC under the control of the game master (overmare?) . Spirits have their own interests and goals, which may or may not benifit the player. The spirits are unpredicitable and should be invoked with caution.

Percentage chance could increase until the character rested.

Just some suggestions

[Kattlarv]

Le damn, now I got even more reasons to step up my game and work the system out xD
Ugh, being [insert stuff] can be really annoying at times, especially when there's others waiting for you. But hopefully I can get back up and find some motivation to work.

As for buffaloes and donkeys. The buffalo I see as having a more shaman/Indian culture. (the zebras sorta have one thou. But maybe base theirs more on spiritual guidance as said.) Would be neat with having their "ancestors watch over them" and etc. As for the mules, I really don't have much of an idea... maybe have them a bit like orks? ("stubborn as a mule" you know? xP -but only in the sense of how they use their "magic")

[icekatze]

hi hi

Griffins and Zebras posed a bit of a challenge for me too, since they're so close to Pegasi and Earth Ponies, I didn't know how to distinguish them.

Earth Ponies supposedly have a connection to life, plants and things. Their presence can make plants grow, but also they have a sort of intuitive sense about things, what plants need and such. And like how unicorns have magic relating to their special talent, I imagine that earth ponies have the same thing. (Pinkie Sense comes to mind as an intuitive sense about life that complements Pinkie Pie's random nature.)

Zecora is the only Zebra we know from the show, and I suspect her cutie mark (a little swirly thing) is about mixing things, namely potions and alchemy stuff. Thats her special talent, and I think her "Zebra Sense," as applejack put it, might be that she has the magical ability to understand the nature of the various ingredients and allows her to make them reach their full potential.

So, from all of this, I am getting the impression that Earth Ponies and Zebras have a similar power, but Earth Ponies is more focused on influencing things, but they have a little bit of sense about things too, since its a connection that goes both ways. Zebras on the other hoof, are more about sensing things and less about influencing things, but the result is still very close to the same... A high degree of technological advancement due to their abilities to enhance themselves and the things around them.

Griffins and Pegasi were another sticking point since they're so alike, they both manipulate weather, walk on clouds, etc. But reading about how much trouble they had clearing the clouds away from Tenpony tower, I had an inspiration. Like Earth Ponies and Zebras being two specializations of the same coin, I figured this might be a similar situation.

Pegasi are supposedly very good at manipulating weather, but it also effects them a little bit too. I figure that Griffins could have a less strong ability to manipulate the weather, but conversely, draw more from the elements of nature to bolster their own abilities. So perhaps depending on the weather, rain, sun, snow or whatever, their magic performs a little differently... of course in the wasteland, the weather was very much the same all the time, which would have been to their disadvantage.

As for mules, I'm sort of leaning towards the idea that their half of Earth Pony magic helps them bolster themselves or maybe even donkey magic involves drawing strength from the Earth itself, allowing them to dig their hooves into the ground and stand firm... but I don't know how to make something like that relate to special talents yet.

[Kattlarv]

Well, griffins have natural weapons, are bulkier and have easy to work with their claws. They don't seem to have the same control over weather thou, just cloud use.

EP and zebras would be semi-similar, but the zebras have voodoo and alchemy to bolster themselves. So leaving shamanism entirely to the buffalo could be neat. I would however not say the zebras are "technologically advanced", they use trinkets and thingamajigs, not technology. That's like calling a tribe of powerful wizards that can raise dead and toss fireballs, but that are still living in straw huts without even having crops, technologically advanced. The EP was the technological ones. The zebras made talismans to enhance them, EP BECAME the enhancement. (Take Red Eye for example)

Anyhow, as for mules, I'd say they instead draws energy from somewhere else, like say... Ki. Yeah, maybe have them have a "inner peace" thing? believing in karma and balance? Zebras are like, kung-fu, maretial arts (see what I did there?) things or whatnot, EP are like fighters/artificers and mules could be monks. (Buffalo shaman/barbarian) Or heck, if you get bored, have them use ninja stuff and draw power from the elements, using veils or ninjustus or whatever they hay they are called.

[icekatze]

hi hi

Griffins do have natural weapons, but from a game balance point of view thats not very useful. From a thematic point of view, they did clear the skies over Tenpony Tower. Maybe not as easily as a pegasus might have, but they still managed... Still I feel like they should have some kind of magic, since it is a magical world. But, if they're not drawing power from the elements to buff themselves, perhaps they're better at amplifying existing elements rather than changing them like pegasi are?

Kkat had this to say about Zebra technology:

Zebras also had a level of functional technology that (in most fields) actually surpassed that of Equestria, particularly when it came to enchantment-enhanced or alchemically-enhanced technology. (The ponies had Steel Rangers with rocket launchers... the zebras had megaspell-carrying ICBMs powered by alchemical superfuels.) Many of the advances promoted by the Ministry of Wartime Technology were in response to superior zebra technology (such as the anti-machine rifle which was in response to zebra sentinel robots).

On that note, as well as monsters, zebra lands are riddled with hostile robots. Yay.

I like the sound of some kind of inner balance magic for Donkeys and Mules, but I'm not coming up with many useful applications yet... not sure how they'd use that magic.

[Kattlarv]

It's sorta like how unicorns got a horn you know. It might now be "useful" from the PoV of gunfights, but they still have it, and it might come in handy. Griffins are like pegasi, but bulkier and with a more lethal natural weapon. The price they pay for "racial bonuses" is reduced weather control. And not all races need to be "magical" magical. Personally I'd make donkeys like monks or whatnot, having greatly improved senses and all that, able to control their breathing and etc, having higher resistances to death saves and against fear.

And oh yeah.. I sorta forgot about that part haha xP My bad.

[icekatze]

hi hi

From a purely gameplay point of view, it is problematic to give a race a bonus that pidgeonholes every character into a specific archetype in order to benefit from it... or at least it does when you compare it to the versatility of pony magic. Pony magic relates to a character's special talent and so it is always useful for them no matter what archetype they are.

Also: Kage, the only griffin melee fighter we saw used wing razors and hellhound claws instead of his own claws in order to be effective in combat. (and conversely, Xenith used her bare hooves to pulverize a pony in steel ranger armor.)

[AMARDA]

Xenith uses Fallen Caesar to deal with Ponies. I think it was said that it was developed to combat power armour. Although that may just be conjecture on my part. Also remember that the Zebras were big on the entire Drug induced rage/fighting style.