Black Tablet Shard / Discussion

This is the discussion related to the wiki page Black Tablet Shard.

page 1 of 212next »

Magnifico 30 Nov 2013 03:30

I buffed my Strength to be my highest attribute and learned an instance of Blocky Script technique where up to now I have been learning Angular Script technique (with Perception as my highest). Valmo suggests that you might only learn the techniques in fights where you don't use a script technique.

I used the Angular Script technique to get the Angular Script effect. Then on the next round I used Blocky Script technique and the Blocky Script effect replaced the Angular effect. Nothing notable that I noticed post-fight. So there's no obvious advantage to chaining two of them together.

EDIT: Also nothing for chaining them together in the same pass.

EDIT AGAIN: Oh, yeah, so far nothing that I've noticed from using the techniques with the odd sketchbook equipped.

Last edited on 30 Nov 2013 03:35 by Magnifico Show more

bigalphillips 30 Nov 2013 04:08

With the following stats,

Perception: 72 (78)
Reflexes: 39
Strength: 46
Will: 62 (69)

my bonuses page tells me I'm getting +2 Power to Techniques Using Will. Both my buffed and base perception is higher though. Can anyone else confirm this? EDIT: seems to be coming from my staring shard. Percentage-based stat increases don't seem to be taken into account?

EDIT, but a couple turns later I had the following stats
Perception: 72 (65)
Reflexes: 39
Strength: 46
Will: 62 (65)

and both +2 to perc/will techs showed up, and got this:

You glance down at the shard, finding mysterious symbols that seem as likely to be rhythmic notation as text.
You learned a new Technique: Mysterious Script

(etheric, dripping with gore, using a combo of ranged/melee techs)

~30 turns later, non-etheric, using perception techs (with minor evasion) with perc highest:
You glance down at the shard, finding a strange language of blocky letters.
You learned a new Technique: Blocky Script

Got a second blocky shortly afterwards.

Also - I did manage to get a new copy the same turn I used a script technique

You're not sure if you're closer to translating the strange text, but you certainly feel closer to understanding it.

You glance down at the shard, finding a strange language of blocky letters.

You learned a new Technique: Blocky Script

Some time later, I now have 7 copies of Blocky Script, 1 Mysterious, zero of the others. I got the blocky with either perception or reflexes as highest stat, using either perc or ref or str techs, etheric or non-etheric.

Last edited on 30 Nov 2013 04:57 by bigalphillips Show more

bigalphillips 30 Nov 2013 17:20

The tablet now does take into account percentage/conditional bonuses, and as a side effect, morale now does too. (thanks Kinak!)

Magnifico 01 Dec 2013 01:46

Kinak, on how there are four types of script (that we know of so far …) when the museum guide says there are three languages on the tablet:

All is explained in time. Dun dun dunnnnnnn.

At least I think so. It's possible I didn't explain it. But I knew it.

bigalphillips 02 Dec 2013 00:38

Four Scripts and four Runes so far. Sometimes the runes explode and sometimes they don't. There seems to be certain pairings of runes with scripts (which may be randomized per player for all I know).

Anyway, here's what I'm getting. (still haven't gotten any flowing scripts)

	Angular	Blocky	Flowing	Mysterious
Open		rises		explode
Humanoid	explode	rises		rises
Triple	rises	rises		rises
Jagged		explode		rises

Hm, actually I just noticed that there are four forms of techniques, 3 as follows plus the sober one:

You etch an symbol like a humanoid figure before opponent. Strange light radiates from the rune, dealing it x damage.

You etch an symbol like a humanoid figure before opponent. The rune rises over opponent, its strange light dealing him x damage.

You etch an symbol like a humanoid figure before opponent. The rune shatters with overwhelming power, dealing him x damage.

I haven't gotten the radiates from the rune message at all today, may require etheric.

The text is all the same across techniques, and the ids are all grouped together, unlike Kinak's normal methods which makes me think that they may be randomized.

Last edited on 02 Dec 2013 01:04 by bigalphillips Show more

Kinak 02 Dec 2013 12:46

Hm, actually I just noticed that there are four forms of techniques, 3 as follows plus the sober one:

You should be seeing a wider range of results than that. Fixed some issues, thanks!

Cheers!
Kinak

bigalphillips 02 Dec 2013 17:15

Ah thanks Kinak!

Starting my table over:

Non-etheric:

	Angular	Blocky	Flowing	Mysterious
Open	descend/lighta?	falterb	rise/burn	shatter/overwhelmb
Humanoid	shatter/overwhelmb	descend/crusha?	falter	rises/lighta
Triple	falterb	rises/lighta	shatter/overwhelm	descend/crusha
Jagged	rises/burn	shatter/overwhelmb	descend/light	falterb

Etheric:

	Angular	Blocky	Flowing	Mysterious
Open		falter
Humanoid
Triple	falter	rises/light		descend/crush
Jagged				falter

^a Effect continues to exist
^b Effect gets used up

Random new messages:

You etch an open rune before the guard. The rune crackles and falters, dealing him 10 damage.

You etch three blade-like shapes before the dockhand. The rune descends on the dockhand, crushing him for 15 damage.

EDIT: Ah shoot, there are two "descend" moves, I should have been keeping track of which one happened when:

You etch an open rune before the guard. The rune descends on the guard, its strange light dealing him 12 damage.

+ show block

F:Dockhand, Dockhand
C:You tap out a pattern, like Morse code or some stranger language.#The dockhand leaps into you for 1 damage.#The dockhand leaps into you for 2 damage.##You etch three blade-like shapes before the dockhand. The rune descends on the dockhand, crushing him for 15 damage.#The dockhand punches you for 1 damage.#The dockhand punches you for 1 damage.##
F:[Dockhand], Dockhand
C:You etch an open rune before the dockhand. The rune shatters with overwhelming power, dealing him 13 damage.#The dockhand punches you for 2 damage.###
F:Dock Security, Dockhand
C:You dive for cover.#The guard dives for cover.#The dockhand leaps into you for 1 damage, but you duck behind cover, which absorbs all of the damage.##The guard shoots you for 2 damage.##
C:The guard shoots you for 2 damage.#The dockhand leaps into you for 1 damage.##The dockhand punches you for 2 damage.##
C:You hunch over and twist your hand into strange patterns, faintly reminiscent of sign language or some sort of blocky script.#The guard shoots you for 2 damage.#The dockhand sneaks up behind you and punches you square in the kidney for 6 damage.##
C:You etch an open rune before the guard. The rune crackles and falters, dealing him 10 damage.#The guard shoots you for 1 damage.#The dockhand leaps into you for 2 damage.##The dockhand punches you for 2 damage.##
C:You hunch over and twist your hand into strange patterns, faintly reminiscent of sign language or some sort of blocky script.#The guard shoots you for 1 damage.#The dockhand leaps into you for 2 damage.##
C:The guard shoots you for 2 damage.#The dockhand sneaks up behind you and punches you square in the kidney for 6 damage.##
C:You dive for cover.#The guard shoots you for 2 damage, but you duck behind cover, which absorbs all of the damage.#The dockhand sneaks up behind you and punches you square in the kidney for 7 damage.##
C:You etch a jagged runic shape before the guard. The rune shatters with overwhelming power, dealing him 15 damage.#The guard fires a short burst into you, dealing 2 damage.#The dockhand sneaks up behind you and punches you square in the kidney for 7 damage.###
F:Dockhand, Dockhand
C:You dive for cover.#The dockhand leaps into you for 2 damage, but you duck behind cover, which absorbs all of the damage.#The dockhand punches you for 1 damage, but you duck behind cover, which absorbs all of the damage.##
C:You tap out a pattern, like Morse code or some stranger language.#The dockhand leaps into you for 1 damage.#The dockhand punches you for 2 damage.##The dockhand punches you for 1 damage.##
C:You etch a jagged runic shape before the dockhand. The rune crackles and falters, dealing him 14 damage.#The dockhand leaps into you for 2 damage.#The dockhand sneaks up behind you and punches you square in the kidney for 7 damage.##
F:[Dockhand], Dockhand
C:You slash your hand through the air, creating letters in an angular script.#The dockhand leaps into you for 2 damage.##You etch an symbol like a humanoid figure before the dockhand. The rune shatters with overwhelming power, dealing him 15 damage.###
F:Third Eye Ganger
C:You dive for cover.#The thug shoots you for 1 damage, but you duck behind cover, which absorbs all of the damage.##
C:You hunch over and twist your hand into strange patterns, faintly reminiscent of sign language or some sort of blocky script.#The thug dives for cover.##The thug punches you for 3 damage.##The thug hammers you unrelentingly, dealing 12 damage.##
C:You etch three blade-like shapes before the thug. The rune rises over the thug, its strange light dealing him 12 damage.#The thug dives for cover.##The thug punches you for 3 damage.##The thug hammers you unrelentingly, dealing 12 damage.##
C:You etch an symbol like a humanoid figure before the thug. The rune descends on the thug, crushing him for 18 damage.#The thug dives for cover.###
F:Dock Security
C:You tap out a pattern, like Morse code or some stranger language.#The guard shoots you for 1 damage.##You etch an symbol like a humanoid figure before the guard. The rune rises over the guard, its strange light dealing him 14 damage.##
C:You hunch over and twist your hand into strange patterns, faintly reminiscent of sign language or some sort of blocky script.#The guard fires a short burst into you, dealing 1 damage.##
C:You slash your hand through the air, creating letters in an angular script.#The guard fires a short burst into you, dealing 1 damage.##
C:You etch an open rune before the guard. The rune descends on the guard, its strange light dealing him 12 damage.#The guard fires a short burst into you, dealing 2 damage.###

And Mag reports another new message, and can also confirm that it's randomized differently than me (I got descends for Triple+Myst, but he got shatters):

The rune shatters over <opponent>, dealing her x damage.

Last edited on 06 Dec 2013 00:48 by bigalphillips Show more

Magnifico 02 Dec 2013 18:20

It's probably worth having another set of data up here, so I'll put my table too. It's hard to tell when my script effect is getting consumed and when it isn't, because often getting the Rune tech off wins the fight on the same round. From Al's data, it looks like it happens with "shatters" or "falters" but not otherwise.

	Angular	Blocky	Flowing	Mysterious
Open	descends/light (non-etheric)	rises/burning (non-etheric)	shatters/overwhelming (non etheric)	falters (non-etheric)
Humanoid	shatters/overwhelming (non etheric)	crackle/falter (non etheric)	rises/light (non etheric)	descends/crush
Triple	Rises/burning (non-Etheric)	descends/light (non-etheric)	falters (non-etheric)	shatters (not always overwhelming)
Jagged	falters (non-etheric)	shatters/overwhelming	descends/crushing (non-etheric)	rises/light (non-etheric)

It's unlike Kinak to repeat a trick, but right now this is reminding me of the crystal spine. If the parallels hold up, it might be that you have to learn all 4 runes and script techniques, and then find the unique combo for each rune that makes it shatter with overwhelming power. Maybe if you make that happen for each rune and then look at the runes in Called Back to the Tablet, something cool will happen.

Oh, not that I expected Kinak to make a really old legacy item interact with this, but I had to try it anyway, because theme. FWIW, reading the mysterious puzzle tablet after fooling around with runes and whatnot doesn't seem to do anything special.

---

Well, it's not as simple as I had hoped. I got each of the runes to shatter with overwhelming power (open, humanoid, triple, then jagged), then went to Called Back to the Tablet and chose "contemplate the runes" and got "no answers present themselves". This was non-Etheric, with Fantasies of the Stone active. >.<

Last edited on 02 Dec 2013 18:56 by Magnifico Show more

Magnifico 04 Dec 2013 16:49

I'm sort of stuck on this. I figure first we need to understand the runes and then eventually understand the tablet as a whole. I have been trying to trigger the post-fight message about understanding to see if eventually it unlocks something. I was hoping doing all of the rises/descends script & rune combos that give the combat message about strange light would do something. (I'm leaving the falters and shatters for now, since those seem to get rid of the script effect.) Maybe doing things in the right order (rise, rise, descend, descend? rise, descend, rise, descend?) would matter. I have gotten the understanding message often with angular/open and flowing/humanoid, but just can't seem to make it trigger for flowing/triple. I'm not sure if that's important data or just RNG.

For what it's worth, using both the flowing/humanoid (rises/light) and then angular/open (descends/light) in the same fight triggered the understanding message but didn't do anything else noteworthy.

bigalphillips 06 Dec 2013 01:58

Nothing for contemplating the runes/statue with a museum guidebook equipped, nor for using a bunch of random scripts/runes with it equipped.

I also tried using a whole bunch of scripts that gave off light in a row (used about 20 with a variety of runes), no luck so far.

Also - I just realized that Will has been the highest stat pretty much the entire time. I wonder if that matters, especially considering the bonus on the item? A quick test with buffing my Perception to highest still gives the same messages for the four rune moves. What I'm most curious about is this message:

The rune shatters over the woman, dealing her x damage.

Mag says he got it against the Spearwoman I think? But I haven't been able to reproduce it. (Presumably the above message doesn't remove the script effect too.) I wonder if there is an alternate message for the falters message too?

When I attack the spearwoman:

You etch an open rune before the woman. The rune shatters with overwhelming power, dealing her 15 damage.

Last edited on 06 Dec 2013 02:00 by bigalphillips Show more

page 1 of 212next »