Deck fort, Workshop, 3:41 pm
<03:21:23:42>
Blackjack sits at his sketching table drawing with intense focus, glancing over to the countdown clock every few minutes. The Invasion Events were a monthly occurrence within the game, It was an event where multiple waves of Monsters would invade one of the games levels lead by a high level boss or several mid level bosses, but unlike the game the alert didn't tell him where the invasion would occur nor the identity of the bosses.
["I'll have to be prepared for the worst, a sword won't be enough, and the bow won't have enough damage."]
"If this world can disobey the games design, I don't see why I can't." he finishes the design for a rapid fire plasma gun. and places it upon the crafting table.
<Invalid>
"what the hell?" he grabs the next drawing of another laser weapon; a concentrated beam rifle
<Invalid>
"Dammit! I guess I'm limited to tech level of the world" he says discouraged as he tosses the rest of his Sci-Fi weapon designs into the garbage pail next to the desk and sits at his desk holding his head." sigh lemme think..." he says leaning back in the chair before suddenly there's a knock at the door.
"Master! are you ok? you haven't left the workshop since lunch." Trixie says concerned as she knocks on the door. Blackjack gets up from his desk and opens the door.
"I'm fine Trixie I just remembered something I had to do?" he says appearing calm." where's your friend?"
"She's outside talking to Clover, we were about to go out for smoothies and were wondering if you wanted to join us."
"Yeah, I could go for a smoothie" he says smiling.
"Great then let's go" she says walk to the door.
Ponyville, 3:54pm
<03:21:10:12>
The gang walks through town, Trixie and Clover walk in the front discussing their next magic show, Starlight and Blackjack follow behind.
"So...um... If you don't mind, I'd like to ask you more about your magic" starlight say a little curious.
"That's fine as long as you can answer a few of my own after." he responds
"Of course." she says with an eager smile.
"Alright, shoot."
"How is it that you can unleash such powerful spells without and drawback or exhaustion.?"
"Unlike you ponies my Magical power and Stamina are separated, Even if I use all of my magical power I won't suffer from fatigue."
"Wow and here I thought you just had a large pool of magic power, hehe"
"I mean I do but that's not the whole reason" he says causing starlight to chuckle.
They enter Sugar Cube corner to the sight of a massively jazzed pinkie pie "Hiiiii Blackjack!!!" she says loudly waving her hooves."Great Party, I can't wait till the next one!" blackjack chuckles as he takes his smoothie and walk towards the exit, the party pony always seemed to make him laugh despite her annoying tendencies.
"lets make it bigger next time" Blackjack says casually taking his smoothie and leaving.
"Can't wait!" she yells with a bright smile."
<Message received>
Subject: RSVP for Party
[Sigh, That pony is weird]
The gang continue to walk through the town, Trixie and Clover spotted a sale at the magic shop and decide to check it out while blackjack and Starlight find a bench to continue their conversation.
"So do you only use Dark magic? or do you have other spells too?" she asks taking a sip of her strawberry kiwi smoothie.
"I can use spells of any element, Fire and Darkness are just the ones I've mastered." Blackjack responds.
"Ah I see, so you just use what you know." starlight says understanding." so what kind of magic did you use to improve Trixie's power and skills?"
"Uhhhh [Fuck how do I explain this?]" he says scratching the back of his head. "It's not exactly magic, it's just an ability I have when creatures... join me. All the power Trixie has, she earned herself I just helped her bring it out" he says calmly as starlight nods with an understanding smile happy that all the new power her friend gained was her own and not something given to her by Blackjack.
"Hey Blackjack would you mind coming back to the castle with me? Knowing Trixie she'll be in there for a while, and Twilight was also really curious about your magic too." Starlight asks
"Sure I don't mind" he says taking out a piece of paper and writes on it " but first...." after finishing his writing the page disappears in green fire.
"What was that?" she asks tilting her head
"Just telling the girls where I'll be and to pick me up some things" he explains as they walk towards the castle.
Castle of Friendship, Twilights study, 4:37 pm
<03:20:27:32>
As Starlight and Blackjack enter the room twilight is at her desk writing notes, while spike is placing books upon the shelves.
"Hey twilight guess who I brought." Starlight says gesturing to blackjack
"Oh Blackjack, what brings you here?" Twilight says seeing them
"Well Starlight said you were curious about my magic and rather than answer two sets of the same questions I figured I'd let you pick my brain for a while" he says sitting on the couch near twilights desk.
Twilights face lite up in excitement as she used her magic to clear her desk grab a fresh stack of papers and pens. "Spike! Clear my schedule and make some tea, we're about to study a new System of Magic!" she yells excited as the dragon sighs and flies out the room already used to his sisters antics. Hilariously twilights first questions were almost the same as Starlight's only with more detail and a faster tone. Soon Spike returned with a cart of tea and some snacks.
["Huh, the runt is already showing signs of growth he's putting on weight and even grew a bit"] Blackjack smiles pleased that the results of his treatments were beginning to show but soon turned his attention back to twilight as she finished her notes of his last answers
"Alright, I think I understand the physical difference between our magic systems." she says going over her notes " It's amazing that you can control dark magic with such ease and no negative side effects, How's that possible?." she asks just before taking a sip of tea
" Darkness is just another magical element, if you train in it; you'll master it" Blackjack answers taking a sip of his tea.
"Interesting" she says taking down her notes " So what kind of magic did you use to accelerate Clovers growth" she asks causing starlight to spit up her tea.
"Wait speed up what?" she asks surprised
"Oh right you didn't know, Clover is only about a week old but Blackjack used some kind of magic to accelerate her growth" twilight explains " I've never seen magic like that work on living creatures before."
"That's amazing!" Starlight responds impressed at the humans power.
"That wasn't a spell it was a magic item" Blackjack answers " It's called a Time Shift Gem, when applied to a beast it will accelerate them to their next growth stage" he takes another sip of his tea " and before you ask no I can't make them."
Twilight continues to write. "where did you get it?" she asks curious
"It was an experimental item from my world that had long been discontinued"[ one of many pay to win items] blackjack explained.
"If your people are so good at magic then why do you need magic items?" Starlight asks
"The same reason why ponies use hot air balloons and trains, its convenient and doesn't require magic to use" he answers taking another sip of the tea." they're made for people who aren't trained in magic." Twilight continues to write as Spike reloads everyone's tea.
"So what other magic items do you have?" Twilight asks curiously
" Oh well, There's The Mythical Eye of None ya." Blackjack says
"None ya?" she responds raising an eyebrow
"None ya business" he says causing starlight and spike to chuckle and twilight to embarrassingly glare at him " Oh come on! You set yourself up for that one" he says joining in the chuckle.
"Fair enough, we'll skip that one." Twilight says rolling her eyes.
"I think it's my turn to ask some questions now" Blackjack says leaning forward.
"Oh sure, I'd be happy to answer them" Twilight responds
"Is everything powered by magic or is there something else?"
"Well most of the lights and small machines are powered by magic but other things like Trains, Balloons and Some homes are powered by either Steam or coal, depending on the area and resources" Twilight answers knowledgably.
[So it's like modernized industrial age here, that narrows thing a bit] "Alright that makes sense." he says nodding "ok next question, What are the elements of harmony?"
"It's the most powerful magic in all of Ponydom , 6 relics each representing an attribute of Friendship; Honesty, Loyalty, Kindness, Laughter, Generosity, and Magic. When combined together they can restore the balance of Equestria and Banish any threat that would harm the land." Twilight explains bringing up projections of the elements.
Acquired Skill: Magic Projection
<Acquired Lore: Elements of Harmony>
"Interesting, so you and your friends are the wielders?"
"That's right" Twilight answers with a smile "We protect Equestria when enemies threaten the harmony of the world"
"Ok I think I understand [ So they're like a nuclear deterrent ]" he says nodding.
"Anything else ?" Twilight says eager to share.
"yeah actually I'd like to exchange some spells with you" Blackjack says causing Starlight and Twilight's eyes to widen in excitement." Since our magic systems are different it would be easier to understand if we learned each others spells and practice with them." Blackjack explains "so what do ya say"
"Let's do it" they says excited as they grab blackjack and drag him to the practice room.
Outside the Everfree Forest, 9:14 pm
<03:15:46:57>
Blackjack walks back to the Deck fort scrolling through his newly acquired spells and info
Acquired Skill: Levitation
Acquired Skill: Advanced Teleportation
Acquired Skill: Transfiguration
Acquired Skill: Magical Shield
Acquired Skill: Accelero
<Lore Acquired: Tree of Harmony>
" Yawn well that was five hours well spent." blackjack says approaching the entrance of his compound "these spells are impressive and all I traded were some basic attacks spells and a few minor support spells" Blackjack grabs the Mail from his box and walks down the path to compound gates " Trixie ,Trixie ,Trixie, Trixie, jeez the girls does one magic show and everyone in town writes her letters." he says going through the stack of mail. "I wonder if the girls managed to find what I asked them to?" Blackjack enters the gate of the compound and is greeted by the sight of over three dozen crates stacked in front of the house.
"Welcome home master" Rover says bowing his head with his tail wagging " Ms. Trixie has brought home many crates for you."
Blackjack walks to the closest crate and tears off the lid, inside the crate were fireworks in various sizes and shapes. Blackjack couldn't help but smile pleased that his apprentice accomplished her task. "Perfect, bring these crates to the workshop." Blackjack orders before entering the house. Inside Trixie is at the table experimenting with her new magic props.
"Oh Master!" Trixie says noticing him enter the house "I was wondering when you'd comeback, As you can see Trixie acquired plenty of fireworks." she says proudly
"I noticed, how'd you get so much?" Blackjack asks as he tosses the mail on the table.
"Well the pony who ran the shop is a fan from the show and he gave me a discount" Trixie explains
"Oh sweet" Blackjack says impressed
"Master if I may ask, Why do you need fireworks when you could just cast a spell for the same effects?"
"I like having the real thing, It saves on magic" he says walking to his workshop." and Trixie, can you take me to the shop tomorrow? I'd like to talk to the sales pony myself.
"Oh sure master I'd be happy too" she says smiling.
"Thanks" he says entering the workshop.
Inside his workshop Blackjack sits at his desk and begins reading the new lore entrees he obtained. "So the elements of harmony are basically a set of Exotic items that cast magic equal to a War Spell" he says rubbing his chin as he continues reading." If that's the case even I won't be able to resist their power, but like all War Spells there's a flaw. according to Twilight they require all six users to activate the spell and all the users have to be synchronized to cast it ,if not the spell won't work." he says sketching the elements. " And apparently they can't be used to kill, they can only seal, banish or purify." Blackjack finishes reading through the lore entries and begins a new sketch."Ok let's start with something simple" he draw the image of a simple spear with a cylinder attached just below the head.
Created Item: <Fire lance Schematic>
"Alright let's see if this works" he says before placing the sketch on the crafting table and to his surprise the crafting menu opened
Fire Lance
Materials:
Iron Spear x1
Metal Tubing x1
Gun Powder x30
Fuse String x5
Shrapnel x20
"Wow it actually went through, I guess I can make weapons from any period so long as it's not ahead of the worlds current tech. I can't wait to star....." Blackjack eyes are drawn to the red letters below the Lances materials list
<Requires Engineering >
<Requires Pyrotechnics:75>
"Dammit!, where am I supposed to learn engineering?" he says tapping his fingers on the table in frustration. " Maybe the fireworks pony will know, sigh oh well I guess I'll have to wait for now." he says taking a deep breath and closing the crafting menu.
Blackjack exits the workshop and heads up stairs to his bedroom, upon entering his room he tosses off his jacket and boots and opens his cabinet to retrieve a bottle of Hoof field family Whiskey, Pouring himself a glass he sits on his bed takes a sip, his eyes drawn to the still counting down clock. beneath his mini map. "I guess I'll have to work with what I got, hopefully it'll be enough." he says staring at the clock
<03:01:00:05>
<03:01:00:04>
<03:01:00:03>
<03:01:00:02>
<03:01:00:01>
<02:24:60:59>
Ok what time for sombra come
9732690
He can but he'd still need to actively practice the job skills to gain levels in it
New Item added <black powder revolver Schematic>
taylorsfirearms.com/media/catalog/product/cache/1/image/9df78eab33525d08d6e5fb8d27136e95/s/a/sa.jpg
9732751
read Authors notes
9732768
No problem :)
So he can get black powder from fireworks?
Also why did he have to exchange the spells? Couldn't he just ask them to show them to him and his ability would copy them?
Another thing, he can't build advance stuff, but what if he would create basics and parts for them and then manually do the rest
So I guess he's gonna have to manually bump up the tech level.
9733070
that's alright, it just means he has to go through the cool different levels of inventors (and he can mix them together, the best idea for this I could come up with is a crossbow that's rapid fire and enchants the bolts with different effects depending on the user's intended disired effect)
Mentioning the tree oh harmony i think about the castle built on top of it the castle of the two sisters, it would be cool if he rebuilt the castle for whatever purpose
Also thinking about it, if the equestrians have trains it also means they have could have guns made around the time that was around, aka flintlock pistols and muskets
I Love This!!!
9738686
Actually, if Blackjack has any sort of basic electrical engineering knowledge, he could just make items by hand (say, an electrical coil), then use some Alchemy to create soldering tin and a battery... then see about making a lightbulb - they're not that complicated, and I'm sure he could replace the air inside the bulb with an inert gas (it doesn't need to be vacuum)... Connect it all together, and it should not only give him Engineering, but perhaps also satisfy the "basic electricity" technological requirement (maybe even drop a "circuit design" skill, along with a "soldering" skill - those two seem like a must).
As far as lasers, he'd have to experiment a little bit with focusing the sun first. After that, he'd need to fuck around with crystals and Alchemy to see if he could get some current going through them. Once he actually gets somewhere with that, the rest is basically reflectors and focusing optics.
As far as plasma goes, that's just superheated gas (that can be achieved by big-ass coils and a fuckload of current, generally). Still, he'd need to wrap the "projectile" with some sort of magic, because as far as we currently have it, plasma doesn't work all that well as a projectile (it needs to be kept inside a containment field).
I wonder how many things he'd blow up before figuring out he'll also need some way of cooling these things... :D
Remember, he has Diamond Dogs - getting stuff like rare earths and metals (think: tungsten) to make freakishly strong magnets and filaments shouldn't be an issue. Also, as far as the lightbulb goes, the early designs were made with graphite filaments - they didn't go for hours and hours (they'd go for hours at best :D), but they worked... and I get the feeling this might just be enough to satisfy the requirements.
Also... they have techno music, right? That's Electronics, unless it's entirely powered by magical effects. Glowsticks? Chemistry and Alchemy, easy (again, unless). So where do we stand with this?
Also, I feel that "minor programming" (whatever that means :D) would lend itself well to enchantment and spell creation...
9732809
I'm assuming that's what he did - though the best way to 'acquire' a skill is to have it used on you, in the setting.
Also, Twilight should be at least a little freaked-out by the fact that he can pick Equestrian spells up like it's nothing, but needs to thoroughly explain his own before she can make heads or tails of 'em.
And as for gunpowder, I assume that's what he's going to the shop for - to make a deal, or to learn how to make it (again, Diamond Dogs - getting the necessary resources won't be an issue).
Speaking of which... crude oil, anyone? Also, why isn't nuclear power yet a thing? (Again, Diamond Dogs ;P lots and lots of Diamond Dogs... ... :D)
This guy's a game developer / programmer, right? So, if he's anything like the general consensus says he should be, he's probably done a Wiki-walk or two in his life. He should know a little bit about everything, from bagels to battleships. Most current-day technology works on very simple principles - the only reason the implementations are so complex is because we don't have magic to simplify many of the processes. With magic at his disposal (and I'm championing him creating a completely new branch that deals with adapting technological-equivalent effects - like displays), he should be able to kickstart Equestria's technological revolution like nopony's business. I mean - printing press and loom.
And, to be honest, I don't think it'd be boring at all. The dramatic conflict would come from those that'd oppose him, and the various dilemmas that come with technological progress (can vs should, privacy vs security, power vs pollution, globalization vs local culture, efficiency of big cities vs the allure of hamlets like Ponyville... etc.).
This lighthearted wish-fulfillment could yet turn into a discussion on today's society and its flaws...
Also, something to remember: as soon as he makes weapons - of any kind - they now exist in Equestria. That means anyone can steal one, figure out how it works... and that would upset the power balance something fierce! I mean, suddenly you can equip a small group (say, 50 ponies) with weapons that'll make short work of palace guards... ummm... yeah.
*a few minutes later*
Dude. Radio. That's a big one. Profound, even. Not only do you give Equestria the ability to deliver news in an instant, you also give it a tool to propagate "popular culture", allowing all sorts of performers and entertainers a much wider audience. I'm not saying "TV", because we don't want ponies to get lazy and fat, but seriously - radio. Radio stations, man.
Besides, I think DJ-Pon3 might be interested in a long-term partnership... ;] And that might open showbiz doors... Trixie might have something to say about that...
9748631
Very true
More please make more
When does the next one come out?
Beautifully written original with the diamond dog shipping never read that before and I've never read anything with a party like that so go Tonya if you make any more stories those type of things are going to be nice to have good job
Slight error on the clock that no one seems to have caught yet.
Last one should be <03:01:00:00> then <03:00:59:59> with the next highlight being <03:00:00> then <02:23:59:59>
Well, this counter is definitely glitched. How did it pass the QA like this? Ah, right, death march to release, that's how.