...wait, really? Maybe I should reread it.

She rereads Soundtrack. 

Alright, maybe I'm more tired than I thought, if I managed to miss that it gives narrative hints. I've not been Named for long in the grand scheme of things, but it's been long enough to work out that seeing (or hearing, I guess) the shape of a story forming just that little bit earlier than the other players is a major advantage. 

Maybe it would have warned her about the stupid Pattern of Three with William before she went and got herself stuck in it. Just as an example. She upgrades it from dot to squiggle; Soundboard can stay at a dot. 

I'm glad I could point it out to you, then!

Yeah, thanks. 

She still doesn't entirely trust the notebook, but it's hard to stay completely guarded around something (someone?) that seems so determined to be friendly and helpful. 

I should probably put this down for the night. Commanding a legion is hard work, I need my beauty sleep. Can we pick this up another day? 

Of course! I'm not in a hurry.

Of course not. That would be less than perfectly cooperative and convenient. 

It's a few days before she picks up the notebook again.

I've got some time this evening. Where were we? 

Hello again!

You had just finished looking at Soundtrack and Soundboard.

Right, yeah. So next is...Well Endowed. 

Alright, you can't tell me this one has some secret strategic advantage on its own. Unless you count seduction as a valid tactic, which I don't. 

Heiress definitely does, not that she'd need the help with it. Don't think about Akua Sahelian's tits, Catherine. 

Well Endowed is a pretty straightforward power, yes. It's good to have if you want the thing that it does, or if you want one of the follow-up powers that uses it as a foundation, and not otherwise.

...she does, kind of, want the thing that it does. She's only human, alright, and every time she's around Heiress she starts feeling insecure about her comparative lack of "assets". And it's not as though the notebook is going to start judging her at this stage. Well Endowed gets a squiggle.

And then she'll read the other powers it's apparently a prerequisite for. 

Is Hollow Leg also purely cosmetic or does it let me keep (or gain) strength and endurance without needing to exercise?

Hollow Leg is somewhat cosmetic. It does let you push your strength and endurance more than you should be able to given your lifestyle and appearance, but if you want to really push those things then you want Inner Strength.

Does she want Inner Strength? Enough to give it a dot, at least. Hollow Leg can get a squiggle. 

I can think of uses for being able to lift entire buildings, but it seems unlikely that the outcome of a campaign will turn on whether I personally have the strength of ten ogres, given that I have more than ten ogres under my command. 

You might find yourself in a situation where you want the help of ten ogres but don't have any around, but it sounds like that's not the kind of situation you plan to be in.

If I ever do find myself in such a situation, having not taken Inner Strength, I'll feel very foolish. But I'm not even a quarter of the way through this list of powers, and I'm already up to 34 points worth of powers that would be as nice to have or nicer. It's the sort of nice-to-have that I'm comfortable putting on the chopping block if I need to make room for nicer ones. 

Yes, that's a very sensible approach.

I thought so too, or I wouldn't be doing it.

Hmm, Lightfoot is less compelling. 

I guess this would be useful for dodging? 

Yes, and climbing, and crossing difficult terrain, and winning dance competitions.

She snorts. 

Dance competitions? Does that come up much?

Not unless you're the sort of person who really wants more dance competitions in your life, which it sounds like you are not.

It's never occurred to me before to be thankful for all the dance competitions my life doesn't have in it! 

Lightfoot does seem like it has its uses, though, so it can get a dot. 

Starstuff is...

So, remember when I said I think it's important for me to keep being human?

Yes.

Yeah. I don't think this one is for me. 

She doesn't have all the prerequisites for it anyway, and doesn't especially want to spend even more points to get them. 

Next is...Battle Angel and so on, which she's already ticked, and Gloryseeker, which can stay at a squiggle. After those are the money powers. 

My usual money problems are on a slightly larger scale than "my personal lifestyle". How would Motherlode stack up to the task of, say, keeping 2,000 legionaries fed and equipped?

You would probably want something stronger for that, although it would definitely help.

Yeah, Four Star Daydream (what's with the name, by the way?) seems like it would definitely be sufficient based on the description, I'm just wondering if it's necessary. This would be on top of our regular supplies and funds, so Motherlode might be enough on its own.