Keychain of Creation 3: Not-a-Keyblade Understanding & Falafel-is-Awesome Prana Combo

[Ganurath]

Deedee! She must be Deedee.

[Aquillion]

Lets see... broken things in Glories?

Luna is pretty good. I don't have it on hand, but the only thing I can remember being particularly broken is Heaven-spanning Staff of the Monkey King. I have a Full-Moon build that, with 75 EXP, can dual-wield Warstrider Goremauls, has 20-something accuracy with them, and can produce them at any time for about 12 motes and a WP. I called this build Hammerspace.

You're an E5 Lunar. You're rolling a lot of dice and wielding big weapons, so what. It's nice and fun but, at that point in the game, not really game-breaking -- 20-something accuracy still doesn't get you past a perfect defense. And now you have to commit 8 motes and spend a WP at the start of every single fight or you can't use your main weapons at all.

Let's see... Unconquered Sun..

GttMH is broken unless your ST knows how to play the Limit breaks you're constantly hemorrhaging against you.

What's broken about it?

Terrible Sun-King Condemnation is pretty broken, in addition to being hilarious. I recall that during a game, a Zenith limit-broke, and during that time, condemned a shop-keeper who tried to refuse to give him a discount as a Creature of Darkness.

...turning a shopkeeper into a CoD isn't broken (in fact, you could already do that using a HotGM and WST.) And this is a weaker way to do it than those available to Infernals.

Shedding Infinite Radiance, specifically the Twilight/Daybreak Variant, reduces the cost of all sorcery/necromancy by half, and stacks with other things that have similar effects rather easily.

This was nerfed by errata. It now only reduces the costs by Essence x 2 or half, whichever is less.

Maidens has a SMA. I haven't seen it in action, but I'm just going to make the reasonable assumption that it breaks things.

It isn't.

[Tavar]

Correct me if I'm wrong, but aren't SMA all high essence? And thus, broken when compared to lower essence charm's, like the entirety of the core Solar and Lunar books? Note, this is just from hearsay.

[Xelloss]

I hereby declare open "Guess what is secret's name !"

Deirdre !

Summary :
Rockphed- > Desdemona
Ganurath -> Deedee
Xelloss -> Deirdre
Gez -> Deville
Tackyhillbillu -> Debbie

[Drascin]

The problem with discussing brokenness in Exalted, mechanically, is that, well. Like half of Exalted is broken, really (in that it makes the other half utterly worthless mechanically speaking) - starting with many things in core. There's less balance here than in the M&M core book, and that's no small feat when the M&M devs tell you straight on that they weren't even trying for balance at all . Some options are just so self-evidently better to everything else that you realize the writers just like some things more than others.

But then, this is a White Wolf game. Amazing setting but schizophrenic mechanics written by a team of random people working at cross-purposes with one another are more or less their standard, really . Honestly, I was more arguing from the simple utility standpoint.

Anyway, back to the strip - dammit Jukashi. I'm surprised to see Secret's father giving lip to Misho even as he stands in the summoning circle, though. Marks a certain type of character. I'm sure this conversation will be interesting.

[Eco-Mono]

Stop trying to guess Secret's name, guys!

You'll give her Resonance...

[The Rose Dragon]

She'll only gain Resonance if she responds to her name with intent other than to reject it.

[Weimann]

Damn it, you can't do that. That's not allowed. It's just not okay.

Guessing her name seems a futile exercise, since we aren't likley to get to know it anyway. I like the Rouen, though. He seems less than cowed by the Lawgiver who brought him forth, which is no small feat.

[ZeroNumerous]

He seems less than cowed by the Lawgiver who brought him forth, which is no small feat.

Well, honestly, it's kind of easy to do when you know and comprehend that the end of all things exists and is manifest in the Neverborn and their champions. Compared to them, what's a Solar going to do to you?

[Xelloss]

Well, honestly, it's kind of easy to do when you know and comprehend that the end of all things exists and is manifest in the Neverborn and their champions. Compared to them, what's a Solar going to do to you?

Send you back into the cycle of reincarnation ? You know, the thing ghosts doesn't want by nature ?

[Gez]

I hereby christen her Deville. And if you get it, you are either truly a major geography nerd, or you're a master googler.

[Tackyhillbillu]

Secret's name is Debbie.

[Ganurath]

I hereby declare open "Guess what is secret's name!"

Mine was not a guess, it was a suggestion for a nickname. I jut want that on the record. She's got the right combination of Woobie and Moe that a chipper name like Deedee is humorous.

[ScIaDrd]

Secret's name is Debbie.

Hey, you stole that from my tounge.. err keyboard That was preciesly what I had in mind .. No fair And also does Round seem stragely unimpressed by Misho? I mean, if I were a ghost I would bear realla amazed an terrified i were to be invoked by Solar
. I woul de really amazed So let you wait how it turns out Three curses of the Neverborn and the Grenn Sun at you for such an stingy clffhanger.. How it taunts us..., it burns..

[Ganurath]

Well, Rouen is presumably from Skullstone, which would help explain why he's a ghost more easily than dumb luck on Misho's part. If that's the case, Celestial Exalted are just another part of society. Solars in particular are likely viewed as backwards cousins to the Abyssals, trying to emulate their divine grace without earning the status of righteous dead first. No wonder they're Anathema!

[ZeroNumerous]

Send you back into the cycle of reincarnation ? You know, the thing ghosts doesn't want by nature ?

And? How is that any worse than being completely and totally obliterated, you know, the thing every existing entity doesn't want by nature?

[Ganurath]

And? How is that any worse than being completely and totally obliterated, you know, the thing every existing entity doesn't want by nature?

If he's from Skullstone, he's either expecting to be reincarnated anyhow or expecting to spend an eternity being a modestly worshipped member of an undead utopia. As far as he knows, no Oblivion.

[ZeroNumerous]

If he's from Skullstone, he's either expecting to be reincarnated anyhow or expecting to spend an eternity being a modestly worshipped member of an undead utopia. As far as he knows, no Oblivion.

That's also assuming he's never run into any nephwracks in the Underworld.

Either way: It's still providing adequate reason for why he's not terrified of a Solar.

[Yuki Akuma]

Not every ghost understands the cycle of reincarnation, or the fact that eventually they're going to pass into the Void. Most ghosts are just normal mortals who were too stubborn to reincarnate, after all.

[Sojiko]

Luna is pretty good. I don't have it on hand, but the only thing I can remember being particularly broken is Heaven-spanning Staff of the Monkey King. I have a Full-Moon build that, with 75 EXP, can dual-wield Warstrider Goremauls, has 20-something accuracy with them, and can produce them at any time for about 12 motes and a WP. I called this build Hammerspace.

I'm not sure what you are saying here, is this supposed to be an example of a broken Charm? Because that's pretty weak build, the kind of stuff that gets owned by a starting solar. The additional damage is cute, but mostly useless overkill.

GttMH is broken unless your ST knows how to play the Limit breaks you're constantly hemorrhaging against you.

It's not even doing anything you couldn't do before. It simply cannot break the game because it does less than just stand there on your ass for a few years. It's a pretty handy bypass for players, though, and a useful Charm.

Terrible Sun-King Condemnation is pretty broken

If you mean "that is so weak it's useless", I' will have to start over that conversation again to make you see the light. If you mean that it's too powerful, I am seriously confused. Not only does it do nothing you couldn't do with the Core Book alone (Wyld Cauldron Technology ahoy!), but it's about as easy to use as to kill your target. Making it a CoD instead of whatever else you want is just a way to humiliate it, it's not an effective way to overcome any opposition.

There are some... interesting things you can do with Dragon-Riding Meditation and Worthy Mount Technique, especially if you're riding say... your Lunar mate. I haven't explored this fully, however.

Actually, a given reading of the rules used to grant that benefit without even buying the Charm. Now it is established that it is possible but since it is worth a few XPs, it's not available to just anyone. It's cool, but hardly game breaking, people have been using those rules for year without problem.

The Arms of the Unconquered Sun style is rather annoying, in that it allows any martial artist who is using an unarmed style to take a 4m unstoppable flurry breaker at char-gen, and then never touch the otherwise rather interesting style again.

You'll note that this only works correctly for Solars and Abyssals since they are the only ones with a step 7+ perfect.

Not exactly broken, but abusable.

Even if you use the absolutely awesome ISC as your defense, that's a 6m flurry breaker that only affect a single attacker and has no other benefit, SSE+LDM cost the same, protects against bad touches, has no chance to fail, can prevent others from hitting, circumvent encirclement, and can be used to gain ground as a ranged fighter. And to compare in reliability you need AST for 8m total, so that's more expensive. Other than that, the same effect without combo can be obtained for 1m cheaper in Dodge.
No, it's not abusable. It's a good Charm, and useful to some but hardly worth mentioning in an optimized build.
The reason this interesting style tend to be shunned is the 2nd Charm, which is significantly less interesting, and the forms create redundancy (cause you can't activate them together, of course) until you get the switching Charm, but that's hidden behind various situational post-form Charms.

Shedding Infinite Radiance, specifically the Twilight/Daybreak Variant, reduces the cost of all sorcery/necromancy by half, and stacks with other things that have similar effects rather easily.

The one that reduces spell cost by 8~10 motes? That's not broken, no.

Maidens has a SMA. I haven't seen it in action, but I'm just going to make the reasonable assumption that it breaks things.

That's called a prejudice, not a valid example of something broken. As a matter of fact it's a wonderful example of how a SMA can be well designed. No, it's not game breaking.

There aren't as many broken things in glories as I had suspected, but there are also quite a few ridiculously situational or otherwise not-worthwhile charms. I do like Glories as a whole, but saying nothing inside is broken is wrong.

hat's an opinion that hasn't really been supported, for now.

People also tend to seriously underestimate the applicability of some of the Charms. Youth Restoring Benison is about the only one to be largely useless.

[Lord Raziere]

Denny, I say Secret's name is Denny.

[Justyn]

I feel like "Delilah" would be a good name for her...

[Recaiden]

Deepnita?
Dehateh?
Deianira?
Despina?
Desus?

I think Delihlah sounds good, actually.

EDIT: Apparently, I agree with Justyn.

[Tackyhillbillu]

Why do I think that Rouen is just going to say something like "Alright, Pumpkin"?

[Weimann]

He could have been just about to say "Dear?"

[spectralphoenix]

He could have been just about to say "Dear?"

Secret's reaction wouldn't make sense then.

[MReav]

Secret's reaction wouldn't make sense then.

Maybe he was saying "Deer"

[Jerthanis]

hat's an opinion that hasn't really been supported, for now.

People also tend to seriously underestimate the applicability of some of the Charms. Youth Restoring Benison is about the only one to be largely useless.

I don't think that's true at all. A lot of the charms are pretty useless or harm existing charms through their implications (Rose Lipped Seduction Style, Dragon Riding Meditation), or contribute to further increased atmosphere of "paranoia combo every round or die" (Armor Shattering Strike if the target is wearing artifact armor, Shining Razor Wind for corner builds, Crystal Chameleon)

Heavenly Mandate Marking might be useful if you condense the first two purchases into just one, but it seems to have been written unaware of how many experience points you're sinking into it if you want the third effect. 24 experience points is a heck of a lot of experience points to spend to not have to run your kingdom, which is a strange desire for someone so invested in the skill involved in running kingdoms.

And? How is that any worse than being completely and totally obliterated, you know, the thing every existing entity doesn't want by nature?

Speak for yourself.

[The_Shaman]

I'm hoping it's something quite simple, really, something not very fitting for a deathknight. Maybe Dinah.

Edit: duh, it was de-somthing. Maybe Denise, then.

[Revlid]

I like how the comic's already given me a sense of who Secret's father is.
Likely a cynic (though possibly dedicated enough to the Silver Prince's rhetoric to disrespect a Solar), believes he's better than most other mortals because of his understanding of what others are too blind to see. Likely thinks the word "sheeple", even if he doesn't say it. Mildly nihilistic in his cyniscism, which lends him a kind of self-assurance. This pedestal is utterly (and quite satisfyingly) shaken when evidence of one of his mistakes (a big 'un, considering the state Secret's in) shows up.

Now I wait to be proven totally wrong next comic.