The Powers That Be have decided that the Shifters playtest will be extended, at least long enough for me to catch up with all the digests my lead has sent me. It was supposed to end yesterday. Now I don't know when the anticipated end will be.
More on this as it develops.

-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

I just had a truly sick idea for a song and effect. I'd put it in the thread for songs that Doug should *NEVER* play, except for the fact that it's... well... sick. Have I mentioned that this idea's just plain sick? Anyway... scroll down for it.

Do Not Scroll below this Point if Under 18.

"Every Sperm is Sacred", by Monty Python.
Possible Effects: General increase in fertility rates, including an increase in multiple pregnancy, in the area, sudden disappearance of condoms... you get the idea.

Since I haven't been lurking on the forums for all that long, I don't know if this question's been asked before. Still, I'm curious, enough to -stop- lurking. It's assumed that Doug isn't jumping entirely randomly every time he hits on a successful gate song - he's getting closer to his home universe with each step in the Walk.
So, what's the rationale for that? Does it have anything to do with the Laws of Sympathy and Contagion, as described in Chapter Seven of DW2? Or is his subconscious control of his metagift giving him some kind of vague directional compass each time he gates out of a universe?
Considering how much planning seems to go into the writing of Drunkard's Walk material, I assume it ain't just authorial Deus Ex Machina at work. =D

= Acyl =
-- Acyl

I have to wonder: what happens if Doug lands on a world with fundamentally different laws of magical physics? I know that you managed to conspiracy-theory it away in the Harry Potter universe, but what do you do when that's not possible?
Take Robert Jordan's "Wheel of Time" series, for example. Magic apparently splits itself into five separate elemental flows, and has separate sources aligned with male and female gender. Additionally, there's the madness-inducing taint on the male half of the source. In a situation like this, what happens with Doug's Metagift?

I don't know if it has been released is USA but what the hell.
Clawfinger
"Clawfinger" (1997)
Biggest & The Best
Nobody perfect but I'm pretty fucking close
and I'm here to give you all a heavy heavenly close
I think you better listen cos I know who you are
and I think that you should treat me like a superstar
because I'm more than just a human I'm the gift to all of you
and I'm here to make sure that my message gets through
I wonder if you're really all as dumb as you look
or are you smart enough to learn the rules in my book
I hope you understand that the knowledge I bring
puts me in the position of a good or a king
'cos I blessed with the gift of the magic touch
and I wouldn't say that I'm asking too much
all you have to do is get down on your knees and prey
and I promise you the remedy is on its way
but you can never be like me so don't waste your time
because I reign supreme and my position is divine
What's wrong with being self possessed?
nobody satisfied with being second best
I've got the gift and I know that I'm blessed
and I've got to get it off my chest
I'm the biggest the best
better than the rest
better than the rest
I'm not afraid of competition cos I'm know that I'm best
and you haven't got a chance to even pass my little test
even if you wanted to you couldn't pay the price
there ain't no room for losers in my perfect paradise
'cos life is always based upon the weight of your success
so I'll make sure that I get the most and nothing less
if I love myself then everyone will love me too
and there's nothing you can do for me that I can't do
So welcome to my kingdom and enjoy your little stay
even if you can't afford it I'll still make you pay
so you better come and get it and enjoy it while you can
don't tell me that you're dumb enough to think I give a damn
I couldn't care less about what you achieve
and there's only one thing that you have to believe
the only thing important that you have to understand
is that no matter what you say it's still a god I really am

It came to me in a flash as I was driving to work this morning. I won't go into the details here -- not until I get a chance to type it all up, and probably not even then. (Gotta preserve the dramatic tension and all...) But it feels right -- just like the end of DW2 presented itself to me five years ago.

-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

Chapter 12 was shaping up to be another long, long one like chapter 11. However, I have a natural break point a couple scenes back from where I'm currently writing. As soon as my wife gets through reading the extant material and gives me her okay on the portrayals of Shadowwalker and Silverbolt (or forces me to rewrite them ), I'm going to split the chapter and post what I have as 12.
This means that the entire story will probably be 14 chapters long. And don't worry about the time spent to get there -- a lot of the final chapter was written years ago.

-- Bob
---------
Then the horns kicked in...
...and my shoes began to squeak.

This was posted over in the Fuzion character sheet thread, as part of another discussion, but I realized it could be posted over here as well. I bet most of you never figured this one out! ^_^

(TECH GEEK NOTE) OH!!! That reminds me!! I was about to mention the fight between Nene and the Boomer that was assisting Mason on top of the Genom tower in BGC 3 Blow Up as an example here (she did take him down on her own, after all!). And I just remembered something about Nene's hardsuit that I thought I should mention and that none of the BGC fuzion books seem to have caught. Nene actually has one knuckle bomber on her right power arm. In all of BGC, it was only shown one time. There's a quick clip of her backhanding the head of the boomer that's on top of her in that fight on top of the tower. And when she does, there's an explosion that takes him out! I wondered if she had triggered her laser at point blank, but that wasn't ever described as something she could do with that weapon. I never knew how that one blow seemed to have taken out the boomer until I looked closely at the tech drawings of Nene's hardsuit and guessed at some of the original Japanese notations in the big ARTMIC BGC book (where R. Talsorian got most of it's line art from). Nene's knucklebomber is directly opposite of her laser on the power arm - on what would be heel of the "hand". It looks like an aperture or coverplate for another laser, but it's really a single knucklebomber that she can use in desperation. And it's in perfect position for that backhand blow that takes out the BU-55C in that fight. I'm 99% sure of this. It would make all kinds of sense for Sylia to provide Nene with one "holdout" weapon in case of emergencies. (END TECH GEEK NOTE)
-Logan

I just saw Vision of Escaflowne (subbed) in a marathon session. First, I'd just like to say: Eglahblah!
Next, I -like- it. This is so supremely nifty. I wonder what the various manifestations of destiny-so-called would make of his probability field?
Probably a triple gainer with a quarter left twist.
And then there's Doug's reaction to Guymelefs: "Okay, there's a giant mechanical thing with a cape and a sword the size of a school bus. I need to remember that pot blend."
Blessed be.
-n
(fried)
===========

===============================================
"V, did you do something foolish?"
"Yes, and it was glorious."

Bob,
Not sure if you've been told this, but I was rereading the Concordance this afternoon and noticed the entry on the Kenny Rogers song, "Just Checked In To See What Condition My Condition Is In." You cite the original and a remake, but neglected to mention that it recently (i.e., like two years ago) was the theme for "The Big Lebowski," starring Jeff Bridges, and written and directed by the Coen Brothers. The movie is great fun, and the "music video" for the song (a drug trip that Bridges' character undergoes) is lovely, surreal silliness.
Ebony the Black Dragon
aka Draco Draconis Ebenium
known to the Dude as Aaron F. Johnson
Senior Editor, Living Room Games
www.lrgames.com
(who, like the Dude, abides)
Ebony the Black Dragon
http://ebony14.livejournal.com

"Good night, and may the Good Lord take a Viking to you."