Suggested Item Type: Pataphysical
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What functionality is missing? What is unsatisfying with the current situation?
There are all sorts of types of items. Some are equipment, or consumables. Some can be researched, like magical items or machines can be reverse-engineered. But some items you can only learn how it works, but not how to replicate them. These items I refer to as "pataphysical", something common to The SCP Foundation. It works because it works. Yeah there are the players and creators who will 'deus ex machina' (not always bad) or 'that guy' (80 quadrillion percent bad) these items, but they can also be done right. Let's use some examples. Example 1: Let's say your character has a pokedex, but they isekai / transmigrate to Avatar the Last Airbender. None of the creatures there would get entries in a pokedex, because they aren't monsters. They're animals. How does the pokedex know it? The characters could try to research it, but it's pataphysical- the players all know how it works, but no one else does. Example 2: Let's use another Pokemon example. In the movie Zombieland, zombies count as monsters. Pokemon is short for "pocket monsters". Why are they called that? Because of the invention of the pokeball. Before that invention, what were they called? Monsters. So a pokeball can catch a zombie, as long as it is considered a monster in the universe it comes from. Other zombies might not be monsters! How does the pokeball figure this out? The players and game master know it, and that's enough. Are these items magical? No. Are they purely technological? Also no. But they don't count as purely magitech either. They're pataphysical- they work purely based on the story's narrative. That's patphysics.How does this feature request address the current situation?
I'm hoping others could make use of it too. Some of my items in my world are pataphysical, but since that's not an item option I have to say technological, which it isn't, or magical, which it's not.What are other uses for this feature request?
Uh... *grasps at some straws and accidentally gets a silly straw* It helps the Game Masters / Dungeon Masters / Narrators confuse the player characters, while keeping the players themselves on track to the plot since there's less wrong directions for them to go.
Current score
24/300 Votes · +1809 points
Votes Cast
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+1
by BrandedTales
on 2022-09-05 05:30 -
+300
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-300
by namako
on 2022-08-30 08:57I really don't see the need for this? I think there are already a number of types you could use, you'd just have to make a choice (or leave it empty).
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+300
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+100
by Mochimanoban
on 2022-08-22 19:08 -
-300
by A Fierce Orc
on 2022-08-22 03:44 -
+1
by A Beloved Elf
on 2022-08-19 09:01 -
+100
by restlessGalaxy
on 2022-08-18 20:21 -
+100
by JetpackMonkey
on 2022-08-18 11:11 -
+100
by Endrise
on 2022-08-18 08:55 -
+1
by A Mischievous Unicorn
on 2022-08-17 16:49 -
-300
by A Beloved Devil
on 2022-08-17 07:07 -
+300
by SebGreg732
on 2022-08-16 10:58When you mention it is an SCP term, I was sceptical on possible copyright grounds (having never heard of the term personally). But having Googled it, I can see that it is both an already established descriptor (dating back to the late 19th century), and something not covered by the existing item types. Therefore, I have no problem unconditionally supporting the suggestion.
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+1
by Adcheryl
on 2022-08-15 15:12 -
+100
by BARON229
on 2022-08-15 14:27 -
+1
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+300
by Batcoder
on 2022-08-15 00:37 -
+1
by A Glamorous Elf
on 2022-08-14 23:41I respect the effort made here
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+1
by Scalenex
on 2022-08-14 23:24 -
+100
by Nysn
on 2022-08-14 17:13 -
+1
by tjtrewin
on 2022-08-14 16:15 -
+1
by A Roaring Bananafolk
on 2022-08-14 13:16 -
+300
by AuraGuard
on 2022-08-13 21:00 -
+300
by SoulLink
on 2022-08-13 17:58This seems like a lot of effort to get a small type added to a selection ^^
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+300
by Viirin
on 2022-08-13 15:25
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