General Exalted Discussion: There's a God for that! Except for Sorcery, of course.

[The Rose Dragon]

I want to play this game?
Lessee... Shilo, young Solar. Nathan, possibly a turned Abyssal. Rotti, probably the same. Luigi and Pavi and Amber, likely Infernals. Graverobber Sidereal. Blind Mag... Solar? DB?

Nathan is a nephwrack. Rotti is a Deathlord. Luigi, Pavi and Amber all ghost-blooded. Graverobber is a Day Caste, while Blind Mag is a Midnight Caste. Shilo is a mortal.

Repo! The Genetic Opera maps closely to the Underworld themes.

[Lix Lorn]

Naaah, Nathan is a Night caste, possibly Dusk caste. Corrupted into servicing the deathlord.
...but otherwise that fits reeeeaaally well.

[Xefas]

Should we be thinking of a witty name for General Exalted Discussion II? Only a few pages off.

[Cyborg Mage]

(I'm probably gonna get kicked for the meme, but...)

"IT'S OVER NINE ESSENCE!"?

EDIT: 'Nother one.

"Now 60% Whispers-free!"?

[SurlySeraph]

How easy is it for one type of Exalt to disguise himself as another type of Exalt? I know Lunars have Ten Thousand Heroes Face, and Sidereals have Sorcerer resplendent destinies and their Arcane Fate disguise bonuses, plus (Type) Exalt Ways from Prismatic Arrangement of Creation Style to briefly imitate their anima effects. What about DBs, Alchemicals, and (fallen or non-fallen) Solars?

[Reynard]

Anyone can take a 3-dot hearth stone to imitate the appearance AND effects of the Fire Aspect Anima.

Other than that, the Solar Larceny Charm Perfect Mirror allows you to create such a good copy of someone/thing that something like the anima would be trivial. You don't get their effects, which might tip someone off, but you can copy the exact appearance of the anima, provided you've seen it at all stages (in the case of copying a real person).

[Lix Lorn]

Alchemicals have a charm. I'm afraid I forget the name, but it's number two in a tree.

[golentan]

Infernals have an Ebon Dragon charm that makes them appear physically, supernaturally, and even astrologically to be whoever they feel like (including completely made up folks).

I vote for General Exalted Discussion II: No longer mortal

[Reynard]

General Exalted Discussion 2: 50 more until 3rd edition.

[Xefas]

I actually wouldn't mind "It's over nine Essence?!". I just find all-caps in a thread title to be bad form.

How about: "General Exalted Discussion II: Weddings Are An Act of Villainy"
(Obviously I have to be the one to lobby for an Infernal reference)

How easy is it for one type of Exalt to disguise himself as another type of Exalt? I know Lunars have Ten Thousand Heroes Face, and Sidereals have Sorcerer resplendent destinies and their Arcane Fate disguise bonuses, plus (Type) Exalt Ways from Prismatic Arrangement of Creation Style to briefly imitate their anima effects. What about DBs, Alchemicals, and (fallen or non-fallen) Solars?

Face of the Titans allows an Infernal to reconfigure their caste mark and anima banner into anything they want. It explicitly says that they cannot exactly copy the anima banner of another kind of Exalt. So, you could turn your Slayer Caste mark into, say, a Zenith Caste mark, and turn your green anima gold, but there would be some subtle flaw. Maybe it wouldn't shine as brightly, or maybe it would be tinged a little of a different color at the edges, or something. However, I can't imagine it making that big of a difference to most people. You can just tell the other Solars you took "Slightly Less Shiny" as a 1pt flaw.

This does, however, come with the sizable proviso that you do have to be dedicated into becoming some sort of Sun-Primordial.

[The Rose Dragon]

We all live in a Manta-class Submarine?

[Mr.Bookworm]

GED II: I Shot A Man In Malfeas, Just To Watch Him Die

...can you guess the song I have on right now?

DBs, Alchemicals, and (fallen or non-fallen) Solars?

Dragon-Bloods I'm guessing don't have access to anything that would let them impersonate another Exalted type on the metaphysical level, which is what really matters in this kind of thing.

Alchemicals don't even know other types of Exalted exist, so they have nuthin'.

Solars probably have something in the Night caste trees, Abyssals maybe too, but Infernals have hands down the best disguise charm in the game, Black Mirror Shintai. Which replaces your character sheet with the target's. Even pre-BMS, they have Charms that let them disguise themselves almost perfectly and a Charm that lets you mask the nature of your Essence to appear as whatever you want it to be. These are all in the Ebon Dragon's Charmset.

[The_Snark]

How easy is it for one type of Exalt to disguise himself as another type of Exalt? I know Lunars have Ten Thousand Heroes Face, and Sidereals have Sorcerer resplendent destinies and their Arcane Fate disguise bonuses, plus (Type) Exalt Ways from Prismatic Arrangement of Creation Style to briefly imitate their anima effects. What about DBs, Alchemicals, and (fallen or non-fallen) Solars?

Abyssals have a Larceny Charm that allows them to masquerade as Solars (and Solars have a Mirror version, though it doesn't seem quite as useful). It's pretty cheap to maintain, but it doesn't hold up to Essence Sight.

Infernals have the Ebon Dragon Charms Loom-Snarling Deception, which lets you impersonate whoever you like and can be upgraded with Eldritch Secrets Mastery to fool Essence perception. I don't think it does anything to mask your anima banner or Obvious Charm use, though, so it's best used carefully.

Alchemicals have Trans-Chosen Emulator, which lets them mimic the anima banner and caste mark (or lack thereof) of any caste and type of Exalted they've ever seen. It doesn't give you the anima power, but still.

Lunars have Shifting Penumbra Stance, which doesn't disguise you as any other sort of Exalt but does make it impossible to determine what kind of supernatural being you are, even if the observer would normally recognize a Lunar. I... actually don't remember Ten Thousand Heroes Face; where's it from?

[SurlySeraph]

Thanks!

EDIT: Now that I look again, Ten Thousand Heroes Face is homebrew. But it's by the Demented One, and since he's now an official writer there's a chance that it'll get officially released through Ink Monkeys. Shifting Penumbra Stance will do, though.

I definitely like "Weddings Are An Act of Villainy," especially because I finally read RotSE. Which I loved, somewhat to my surprise, especially the

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Lotus Massacre.

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Because I'd gotten the impression that it was "The Scarlet Empress personally murders every single Sidereal, except maybe the PCs. Deal with it." When in fact it's "A bunch of Sidereals die, and Kejak dies. How many depends; some didn't make it to the meeting they got attacked at, some explicitly survive the raid and drive off the attacking Infernals after killing a lot of them, and even part of Kejak's Empress-assassination task force may survive."

It also had lots of totally awesome possible moments, like

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the UCS blessing and forgiving the ghosts of the dead Solars and telling them to go forth and be righteous. And the UCS's assassination, and his vengeance. And the explicitly noted possibility of using an Astrological Charm to appoint a new Unconquered Sun; searching the world for the perfect candidate would be an incredibly epic campaign in and of itself. And Gaia making the Scarlet Empress into a new Elemental Pole of Earth, which in context is just the best possible ending.

[Yuki Akuma]

Abyssals have a Larceny Charm that allows them to masquerade as Solars (and Solars have a Mirror version, though it doesn't seem quite as useful). It's pretty cheap to maintain, but it doesn't hold up to Essence Sight.

Infernals have the Ebon Dragon Charms Loom-Snarling Deception, which lets you impersonate whoever you like and can be upgraded with Eldritch Secrets Mastery to fool Essence perception. I don't think it does anything to mask your anima banner or Obvious Charm use, though, so it's best used carefully.

Alchemicals have Trans-Chosen Emulator, which lets them mimic the anima banner and caste mark (or lack thereof) of any caste and type of Exalted they've ever seen. It doesn't give you the anima power, but still.

Lunars have Shifting Penumbra Stance, which doesn't disguise you as any other sort of Exalt but does make it impossible to determine what kind of supernatural being you are, even if the observer would normally recognize a Lunar. I... actually don't remember Ten Thousand Heroes Face; where's it from?

...Sidereals have X Exalted Ways, which gives them the caste mark and anima power of a particular type of Exalt.

(Okay, it's an MA charm, buit's SMA..)

[horngeek]

You know what would be interesting? RotSE spoilers

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Both the UCS and Luna dying, and the appointments for their replacements being female and male, respectively.

...this is actually inspired by the Giant's New World articles.

[Lix Lorn]

Thanks!
[spoiler]
It also had lots of totally awesome possible moments, like

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the UCS blessing and forgiving the ghosts of the dead Solars and telling them to go forth and be righteous.

But... but... I had that idea D:

Also, horngeek

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Don't be silly. Anyone who is tied to the concept of gender is no Luna.

[a_humble_lich]

Also, everyone has access to the Terrestrial Circle Sorcery spell Disguise of the New Face which explicitly lets you mimic the targets anima. Of course, if someone used All Encompassing Sorcerer's Sight on you you'd glow like a thing that glows a lot, but sorcery is fairly easy for anyone to get.

[Xefas]

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Because I'd gotten the impression that it was "The Scarlet Empress personally murders every single Sidereal, except maybe the PCs. Deal with it." When in fact it's "A bunch of Sidereals die, and Kejak dies. How many depends; some didn't make it to the meeting they got attacked at, some explicitly survive the raid and drive off the attacking Infernals after killing a lot of them, and even part of Kejak's Empress-assassination task force may survive."

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It's also the perfect comeuppance, though only a few Sidereals may be able to relish the true irony; one of which being Kejak. The whole Lotus Massacre mimics the initial Usurpation banquet quite well.

I also especially like that with the Omphalos broken, and the edges of Creation fraying as a multitude of Fair Folk flow inward...they might just ally with Creation to take the Ebon Dragon down. They would rather have the eternal monument to everything they despise continue to stand rather than see the Ebon Dragon victorious. Yes.

I definitely like "Weddings Are An Act of Villainy,"

It is unanimously official, then.

[Jokasti]

Don't worry about the next thread title. Samsara tells me I will have thought of an awesome one by the time it hits 50.
Hopefully.

[SurlySeraph]

Ooh, Disguise of the New Face looks nice, and since it's Terrestrial a mortal could potentially cast it. That opens up a lot of plot; and there are more ways to impersonate other Exalts than I expected.

Incidentally, I asked because I first thought "Hey, infiltrating Autochthonia would be an interesting motivation," then of a Sidereal infiltrating Autochthonia posing as a Starmetal Caste, then a Lunar as a Moonsilver Caste, then wondered whether a wide-ranging mixed circle could do the same. And then I thought it would be hilarious if one of them was an Alchemical who infiltrated their circle impersonating another Exalt when he heard they wanted to get to Autochthonia, then "pretended" to be an Alchemical with them, and basically turning it into a ridiculous series of demaskings.

[Lix Lorn]

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It's also the perfect comeuppance, though only a few Sidereals may be able to relish the true irony; one of which being Kejak. The whole Lotus Massacre mimics the initial Usurpation banquet quite well.

I also especially like that with the Omphalos broken, and the edges of Creation fraying as a multitude of Fair Folk flow inward...they might just ally with Creation to take the Ebon Dragon down. They would rather have the eternal monument to everything they despise continue to stand rather than see the Ebon Dragon victorious. Yes.

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Even THEY hate that ****ard?

Ooh, Disguise of the New Face looks nice, and since it's Terrestrial a mortal could potentially cast it. That opens up a lot of plot; and there are more ways to impersonate other Exalts than I expected.

Incidentally, I asked because I first thought "Hey, infiltrating Autochthonia would be an interesting motivation," then of a Sidereal infiltrating Autochthonia posing as a Starmetal Caste, then a Lunar as a Moonsilver Caste, then wondered whether a wide-ranging mixed circle could do the same. And then I thought it would be hilarious if one of them was an Alchemical who infiltrated their circle impersonating another Exalt when he heard they wanted to get to Autochthonia, then "pretended" to be an Alchemical with them, and basically turning it into a ridiculous series of demaskings.

I would play that!

[a_humble_lich]

Ooh, Disguise of the New Face looks nice, and since it's Terrestrial a mortal could potentially cast it. That opens up a lot of plot; and there are more ways to impersonate other Exalts than I expected.

Incidentally, I asked because I first thought "Hey, infiltrating Autochthonia would be an interesting motivation," then of a Sidereal infiltrating Autochthonia posing as a Starmetal Caste, then a Lunar as a Moonsilver Caste, then wondered whether a wide-ranging mixed circle could do the same. And then I thought it would be hilarious if one of them was an Alchemical who infiltrated their circle impersonating another Exalt when he heard they wanted to get to Autochthonia, then "pretended" to be an Alchemical with them, and basically turning it into a ridiculous series of demaskings.

Me too. I also really like the idea of a mortal sorcerer going around pretending to be a Dynast. "Hey everyone, I'm a Prince of the World. GIve me stuff!"

[Drascin]

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I also especially like that with the Omphalos broken, and the edges of Creation fraying as a multitude of Fair Folk flow inward...they might just ally with Creation to take the Ebon Dragon down. They would rather have the eternal monument to everything they despise continue to stand rather than see the Ebon Dragon victorious. Yes.

Now we need decent Ishvara rules so some players can go all Laashe on Ebby's ass.

I'm pretty sure a fair few Lunars would have an aneurysm if in the end it was Fae that saved Creation, though.

[SurlySeraph]

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Even THEY hate that ****ard?

He's the most hateable thing for everyone ever. The designers really hit it out of the park on that one.

I'm pretty sure a fair few Lunars would have an aneurysm if in the end it was Fae that saved Creation, though.

But it's fun to make Ma-Ha-Suchi cry!

[Xefas]

But it's fun to make Ma-Ha-Suchi cry!

I dunno about that. Knowing Ma-Ha-Suchi, hes probably developed a Lunar charm that turns tears into rape.

[TheCountAlucard]

I dunno about that. Knowing Ma-Ha-Suchi, hes probably developed a Lunar charm that turns tears into rape.

Probably? Our circle has dealt with Ma-Ha-Suchi, and let me tell you, there's no probably involving this guy.

[Jokasti]

He's the most hateable thing for everyone ever. The designers really hit it out of the park on that one.

I love him. It's all just part of his charm.
Don't hate; relate.

[golentan]

I love him. It's all just part of his charm.
Don't hate; relate.

See, sometimes understanding leads to acceptance.

Sometimes, however, it makes you realize how petty and insignificant, almost cute your previous "hate" was compared to the towering rage that understanding brings.

[SurlySeraph]

@Jokasti: You mean "Love to hate him," of course.

I once said "Man, that part of Creation would be so much more pleasant if Ma-Ha-Suchi went back to his original motivation."

Then I thought about it for a moment.