Easy. Start with a twilight. Have a raksha forge you some graces...
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Technically, that is just using grace magic anyway.
Like dawn said, custom artifact creation should more than suffice to create anything mechanically identical (but with less crazy delivery) to meschlum's raksha stuff.
But the crazy delivery is... 90% of the point I would say.
Eh….winds ain't actually that important. for travel, take the dragon boat and attach a Treasure motor instead, and zoom your off. anything musical can be replicated by any instrument, and the rest is either puzzle-solving, fighting or dungeon-crawling, all three of which can be resolved neatly with explosives.
and the four sword was more an artifact I heard about from another Link game, where Link got a sword that divided him into four Links for some reason. don't know why. if we are not doing canon Zelda artifacts, then the Five Sword and some Super-Speed boots will likely do the trick.
and those are the only two Zelda games I have played enough to have any expertise in them, the only one else I have played is Ocarina of Time, and not enough to come up with Raksha shenanigans for them.
It's a lion boat! *rage*
:smalltongue:...You've NEVER heard of The Legend of Zelda: Four Swords? It's right in the title. And it's fully canon.Quote:
and the four sword was more an artifact I heard about from another Link game, where Link got a sword that divided him into four Links for some reason. don't know why. if we are not doing canon Zelda artifacts, then the Five Sword and some Super-Speed boots will likely do the trick.
Challenge: Write up Zelda items as artifacts, NOT as raksha artifacts. They have to be balanced enough for in game play.
Most of them actually would fit pretty well. The Master Sword would never be published, though - a sword named "The Sword of Evil's Bane" in a setting where the writers sometimes try to make us believe that world-destroying psychos are totally nuanced characters and not totally evil, guys, would not find a lot of targets. And no, I'm not debasing the Master Sword with Exalted's weaksauce Holy :smalltongue:.
A lot of the others would be no problem. Right now I am going to go to sleep, as it's past 1AM, but tomorrow I might write a few.
Treasures ARE normal artifacts. They are just called a different name.
Meschlum just doesn't do them because he considers them mote inefficient or whatever.
as for writing them up…..well that depends on whether you want your Four Sword to do only mortal duplicates or if you want it to do Essence User duplicates.
the Ocarina is time travel, so it can't be written up by definition since Exalted doesn't do that, and would probably be N/A rated at the very least.
and the Wind Waker baton….. I could see that being either 4 or 5…..
as for the Masks…..they're easy, but their effects and ratings would be varied depending on the Mask.
and the Masters Sword is just a daiklave :smalltongue:
The Four Sword makes clones. You forgot that one.
The Ocarina doesn't do time travel, actually - it's just a magic ocarina. The Goddess of Time is the one who transports Link back to the past when he prays to her using the Song of Time.
You can probably fluff it as a prayer-enhancing artifact, and all the magic (making rain, teleporting, awakening sleeping people, restoring voices..) is done by spirits.
If anything, it's the Airs who make better sorcerers than Earths (since they actually get Lore and Occult as Aspect skills). As for Craft, Terrestrials get one (1) charm that actually aids crafting in any way whatsoever, by giving three bonus dice (everything else helps with breaking stuff and climbing).
Really, we're safe with Terrestrial artificers. Making anything above 2 dots is an undertaking for years for them.
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@Madwand - thanks for the information! :)
Arms is a pretty amazing style, especially for Sidereals and DBs. It provides comprehensive keyword protection.
...which Spell-That-Shall-Not-Be-Named?
I can think of five off the top of my head.
Give me a minute, and I could come up with more.
It has very good defensive forms, and if you're willing to take the whole style (sadly, most of the meditations seem a little less useful to me...) then it has A) highly adaptive defensive forms and B) The ability to copy SMA form-charms onto your own, which makes Crowned Sun amazing - the ability to copy CMA already being pretty darn good.
Basically, the forms are good, the flurry-breaker is pretty cool, but the offensive charms of the style just leave me wanting.
I think the biggest is probably... IMBUE AMALGAM.
I hope I don't get cursed for saying it.
Only if you could learn SMA forms in the first place, which limits it to Solars and Sidereals.
And then you have to actually be fighting someone using a SMA form.
Cool, but incredibly situational.
Well, yeah. It's a defensive style. Walk one step over and grab Solar Hero if you want some overwhelming (currently kind of broken, actually) offense.Quote:
Basically, the forms are good, the flurry-breaker is pretty cool, but the offensive charms of the style just leave me wanting.
Also Ritual of Elemental Empowerment, Thunder Wolf's Howl, Rune of Singular Hate, and Unity of the Closed Fist. Black Faith, Birth of Sanity's Sorrow, and a few others from necromancy, too.Quote:
Oh, yeah, and Plague of Bronze Snakes.
EDIT: Speaking of Birth of Sanity's Sorrow, why the hell wasn't it called Final Birth of Sanity's Sorrow?
What about Final-Birth of Morbid Bleakness? :smallcool:
http://thumbsnap.com/sc/sML9qLwE.png
:smalltongue:
Hey, someone got it!
I missed nothing, sir; my point was that if you make that change, then it's not an acronym. :smallannoyed:
So, I'm guessing there is a good chance this has been pointed out previously, but it's what I was thinking about at work today, and writing it out will give me a kind of catharsis which will undoubtedly inflict a more restful sleep.
Triumphant Howl of the Devil Tiger is Essence 6, which means you can't start with it at character generation. Indeed, even with Flaws, that most hated of terriblenesses, one cannot accrue enough points to purchase everything one would need to take the Howl. Much less actually getting to The Flame of the Rising Phoenix and making your own charm set.
Unless one does things the Infernal way, by cheating and going insane. No Scroll of Heroes required. (Warning: Kinda Long)
Spoiler
It's possible to do this with any Caste and Favored, but it will be much much easier if you're a Scourge or have Adorjan favored.
Stage 1
First, you need to start off by purchasing Essence 4 with bonus points. For your starting charms, you're going to want Sacred Kamilla's Inhalation, Freedom Lets Go, Tragic Love Amusement, and Broken Soul Wisdom from Adorjan. As well as Witness to Darkness and Hollow Heart Transcendence from the Ebon Dragon.
For your other starting charms, you're going to want to go after the lowest hanging Shintai fruit to get at the Howl easier. Namely, you want either By Pain Reforged, By Rage Recast, and Devil-Tyrant Avatar Shintai, OR Transcendent Desert Creature, Sands Through Fingers Defense, Soul-Sieve Transmutation, and Soul-Sand Devil Shintai.
This all leaves you with four bonus points remaining and either one or zero additional charm purchases, depending on whether you went Malfeas or Cecelyne for the shintai.
Stage 2
Now, selecting virtues. For maximum Ebby-cheating, go for as polarized a virtue setup as possible (i.e. something like 1/4/1/3 - the sociopathic drunkard array!).
This will allow you to get the most XP from converting your virtue dots into XP via Hollow Heart Transcendence as possible. The charm says that lost dots are converted into XP, but doesn't give an exchange rate. This would lead one to believe that you just back-track on the XP table for purchasing dots of virtues. Voila, you now have 27xp above your fellow players. This is important; don't spend it yet. Not until the time is right.
Stage 3
Next, the insanity. Adorjan's charm "Broken Soul Wisdom" allows you to stick permanent derangements on yourself, in exchange for reducing the cost of a few things. Specifically, buying dots of Essence, Virtues, Willpower, and more Adorjani charms. The exchange rate is (number of mutation points x 2) xp reduction. Next stop, crazytown.
First, you're going to need to hit yourself with 16 points of derangements, which will let you buy Essence 5 free of charge. Choose your insanity wisely, as it will likely heavily impact what kind of Devil Tiger you become. Take a look at the Compass: Wyld, and Splinters of the Wyld for more derangement rules than just the Core.
Second, hit yourself with 20 more points of derangements to pick up five purchases of First Adorjan Excellency.
Third, hit yourself with 8 more points of derangements, for Sorcerous Initiation of Adorjan and Ascendancy Mantle of Adorjan.
Fourth, hit yourself with 20 more points of derangements, for Essence 6, and another 4 points of derangements for your mandatory sixth purchase of the First Adorjan Excellency.
In total, you now have 64 points of crazy. Have fun. No, I don't think there's a cap on how much crazy you can give yourself. Desecration effects have a cap on the number of temporary mutations you can give, but nothing about permanent ones that I can see.
Stage 4
Now, now, now. We've hit a wall that not even Giggle Murder Zoom Zoom can penetrate. You can't discount Heretical charms with Broken Soul Wisdom. That's why we need the Ebon Dragon to cheat for us. Remember that pool of 27xp you have from Hollow Heart Transcendence? Slap 9 of those puppies down, and Howl like a demon! (Or whatever it is that you are now.)
Mock your foolish coven-mates who have been restricted by their own sanity to starting the game with a paltry sum of charms, and no Howl in site for dozens of sessions to come! But wait, there's more...
Bonus Stage
A First [You] Excellency is nice. But a full charm set would be better.
That's why we're hopping the train back to crazytown. You're going to need a second shintai for the Tempest of Inward Focus. But from where? Adorjan, of course. That makes sense, right? Hah, you wish things made sense in crazytown. Unfortunately, Scarlet Rapture Shintai has been errata'd into a proper shintai now, so it'll be harder to get. Instead, I recommend Splintered Gale Shintai.
You'll need Wind-Born Stride, Joy in Violence Approach, and Self-As-Cyclone Stance. With the shintai itself, that's a total of 16 more points of derangements.
Now, pop in the last 18xp of your Hollow Heart pool, and you've got Tempest of Inward Focus and Flames of the Rising Phoenix.
All in all, your starting character is now an Essence 6 Titan so insane that the Silent Wind herself is tilting her head in confusion at your mental state. Your smattering of charms may or may not be all that useful. In particular, if you went the Soul-Sand Devil Shintai route, you have a perfect defense (with an action-long option) to complement your one or two Adorjan offensive charms. At least you have lots of...err, we'll call them "utility" charms. And all without going adventuring! You can start sweeping up through the [You] charm tree, while your fellow players are still scraping together the XP to get to Essence 4 or 5.
The Square Boss
Or maybe you don't want to be outpacing everyone else that badly. Or perhaps you find the idea of 80 points of derangements a bit detrimental to your character concept.
If this is the case, the answer is simple. Just find a way to get rid of the derangements. It's not that hard. Three charms into the Kimbery tree is Sea Dissolves Herself, which will let you remove mutations from yourself. Three charms into the Swillin tree is Ego Infused Pattern Primacy, which will likewise revert your mutations (as they are Shaping effects).
If you can get outside help, Pattern Reassertion Touch, Scoured Perfection of Form, and Sea Dissolves Herself will all do the trick. And there are, of course, options from other kinds of Exalted if it's a mixed party.
You'll be struggling under the weight of 160 points of XP Debt but, remember, only half of your XP gained needs to be put towards the debt. So, you'll be progressing at half the normal pace until the game catches up with you (or dies out, more likely).
edit:
SpoilerA variation (that defeats the purpose somewhat) involves utilizing patience instead of the Ebon Dragon. Without Hollow Heart Transcendence, I can't see a way of getting the Heretical charms at character generation. But if you wait a few sessions to accrue enough XP to buy the Howl yourself, you don't have to be a virtue-crippled jerk for the rest of your life. If you're already dumping the derangements afterward, I suppose there's nothing stopping you from not having Adorjan Patron/Favored, inflicting almost twice as many derangements on yourself, dumping them all at the end, and then being whatever kind of Titan you want to be, without insanity or crippled virtues.
But not at chargen.
I will readily admit that I have a rather... narrow... focus. It keeps me amused, and out of flame wars for the most part. That said, the great advantage of Grace Magic versus artifacts is that there are precise rules for Grace Magic, rather than "If you get about this sort of effect, it should probably be balanced by that level of artifact, unless you include factors such as blah which suggest you're around mumble..."
And the fluff is the real reason I put these up anyway - it's the bit that makes artifacts fun, after all.
Therefore!
Four edged Sword
Once upon a time, there was a peaceful, happy kingdom inhabited by innocent fairies, wise old merchants who doubled as sages on their days off, and random bystanders without speaking parts. Not that the fairies had speaking parts as a whole, mind, but they got to bob up and down, left and right, and heal things.
This kingdom, the Wonderful Ys - Like Demesne, was sporadically assaulted by vicious, uncaring monsters led by their cruel masters. While the occasional visitor was welcomed and soon became a grateful part of the kingdom, these intruders went about imposing their rules, indulging in wanton slaughter, and warping the natives into twisted versions of their former selves.
Fortunately, the kingdom had a defender, the Legendary Insurgent Needing Knowledge, who after many challenges managed to repel the forces of Chaos Ravening Everywhere And Totally Ignoring Our Niceness. Slain time and again, the hero, through the miracles called 'Save States' and 'Extra Lives' managed to return again and again until the foe was undone. This often took many hours, and caused repetitive stress injuries in the less careful denizens.
One of the guardian's greatest foes (the one Lacking Understanding Now And Regularly) finally snapped, and sought to bring an end to the poor, hapless friend of the fairies. While enjoying his sole meal of sole soles with soul food, he was captured and condemned to a terrible fate unless he managed to defend the kingdom in four places at once. Watching the befooted fish scamper away before he could finish them, he was inspired and took up his great Sword.
With a single blow of the terrible blade, he cut himself into four - all alive and well, possessing the same might as the original. Rescuing the kingdom once more, he lived happily ever after, or at least until the next sequel.
1-dot Behemoth
Assumption of Dreams and Passion - each of the four parts of the Sword looks exactly like its owner, and in fact gets a bonus success on doing so (which the owner does not, oddly enough).
Racing Dragon Speed (x5) - the Sword's four parts possess speed that is somewhere around ludicrous, having a base move of around 30 yards per tick when attuned to a competent Warrior.
Four of these exist, one for each portion the hero cut himself into. For them to properly manifest, the following artifacts are used.
1-dot Oneiromancy
Assumption of Fire Form - the Sword itself is a masterwork of the smith's art, crafted from metals of a purity and refinement far beyond mundane iron.
Sole Transformation - people with nice shoes who are invited to dinner by the owner of the Sword are turned into sole (the fish), acquiring scales, slightly distorted heads, and the appropriate mindset. They remain fully capable of breathing air, though they may not be aware of this, and the transformation reverts once they confess all their misdeeds and remove their footwear, baring their souls and soles both.
Ordinary Object Conjuration - when activated in order to cut its owner in four, the Sword creates an impressive and completely pointless light show.
Mad God Mien - the Sword is largely useless except as a prop, but it is so overwhelmingly powerful even Adamant Countermagic cannot break its enchantments. This annoys the Super Overpowered Losers And Ravagers for some reason.
1-dot Adjuration - "I shall be cut in four by my own sword until my mission is complete or the game (ahem, season) is over."
Assumption of the Land's Heart - upon being cut in four by the Sword, its owner will become an immaterial presence focused around the weapon, unaware of all that is going on while its four components wander around and complete their mission. Physically, it manifests as an extra special glint in the pommel of the weapon.
Cost is 16 committed motes, effect is available to any Raksha with 3 background points for artifacts and 1 for gossamer. A little retinue helps too, for accounting purposes. So any noble and / or PC heroic Warrior.
The powers of the Sword copies can be adjusted, of course, but the above is a nice, shenanigan free way to get some very fast minions. It's possible to do better, of course.
Why limit yourself to 80 points of derangements? Why not take on all of the madness, and immediately ascend to your complete charmset (not counting the essence 7+ effects)? Heck, why not take on a few thousand points of insanity to become all of the yozis, all at once. A living embodiment of the insanity of the makers of the universe, given flesh and stalking creation.
Also, 3 of those 4 bonus points in step one should go to raising 2 of your virtues at 5. Additional 33 XP right there.
….The Problem I see with this:
all the insanities would have to somehow be elaborately consistent with each other, to the point where your basically making your own world of insanities in your head, while at the same time remaining effective.
a mere 80 points leads to thirteen six-point derangements, and those would be hard enough to juggle/work out so that your function in your insanity.
a few thousand well…..theoretically, you'd have a lot of different personalities in your head, a lot of delusions about the world works to, and so on and so forth, it would be maddening to work out how all the insanities work together to form something that could actually function as a mind thats anywhere near our reality
or if you don't, you collapse into an avatar of insanity even more limited and unable to function than the Yozis. at that point, you'd probably be as insane and limited as the Neverborn.
assuming that anyone would actually allow this, and don't just smack you upside the head for even trying this fair-folk level shenanigan. :smalltongue:
now I have an idea to name shenanigans like this:
Celestial Circle Shenanigans
Solar Circle Shenanigans
Raksha Circle Shenanigans.
Well, you can only discount Adorjan charms with your insanity (I do mention this). So, at most, you would only be able to become insane enough to buy all of Adorjan's charms up to Essence 6. No other Yozi sets, and certainly not your own charm set, are benefited by Broken Soul Wisdom.
Plus, I figure that, at some point, you may run out of ways to be insane. I don't think it would be hard to come up with 80 points of crazy. But a few hundred? A thousand? I feel like there will come a time where you're pushing the barrier of uncouth audaciousness in your craziness selections.
The way this trick is now (the Psychotic Devil-Buddha Trick?), I'm not entirely sure I would disallow a player from using it. Sure, you're going to be ahead of the other players - a larger mote pool, more charms, and so on. But you're not good at much. A combat-focused character is likely still going to be better than you at combat. A social-focused character is likely still going to be better than you at social stuff. You're not a crafter, you're not a sorcerer, you can't do a lot of the other nifty stuff chargen Infernals can do. You aren't stealing everyone's niche - far from it. And then you're going to be progressing at half the normal rate, which will help a bit, and the whole reason you did this was to unlock the [You] tree, so it's very likely you'll be half-progressing from the Essence 1 bottom of another charm tree.
All in all, it doesn't seem game-breaking. Not in the way that suddenly gaining every Essence <7 Adorjan charm would be.
Note to self: don't play sorcerer in your game.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mr.Bookworm
I'm running a game with some new players during the summer, but I didn't want to force them to try and digest all the fluff at once. I'm just running a Solar game to keep it pretty basic, but I still wondered if I couldn't make it easier, especially if they wanted more in-depth information without having to sort through splatbooks, blog posts, and forum posts. So I've started a documentary. :smallsmile:
Yeeeeaaaah. I doubt anyone wants me to run a game for them. I think my work schedule is evening out a bit, but Guild Wars 2 is on the horizon. When that happens, I'm not sure anyone will ever see me again. :smalltongue:
The word "Yohzeeezes". I'm pretty sure that's my Space Monster Scream.