General Exalted Discussion V: Our Armies are Pants

[Tavar]

Okay, quick question. The Solar charm Flashing Vengeance Draw says it can't be used unless a suitable weapon is able to be drawn. Would you be able to activate it in a combo with Immaculate golden bow?

[golentan]

Simple answer: No. Flashing Vengeance is Combo-basic, Immaculate Bow isn't combo-ok and is simple. No combination of rules allow that combo to work.

[TheCountAlucard]

So it's a mech that devours love...I think this calls for adapting some mechanics from Bliss Stage.

Pretty sure that as far as right now goes, it's just a name.

As a tentative suggestion, how about switching the Solar's usual means of reducing Limit for Exquisite Bride Obsession (or whatever it's called, the Ebon Dragon's "I'll catch you my pretty" charm).

Err, first off, Solars don't have a means of reducing Limit. It either breaks, or he continues to have it until he dies. Second, this is a Green Sun Princes game. If my PCs wanted to go off pursuing marriages, they would be doing so already. And thirdly, it's not a Charm, it's an Act of Villainy.

[Urpriest]

Pretty sure that as far as right now goes, it's just a name.

Err, first off, Solars don't have a means of reducing Limit. It either breaks, or he continues to have it until he dies. Second, this is a Green Sun Princes game. If my PCs wanted to go off pursuing marriages, they would be doing so already. And thirdly, it's not a Charm, it's an Act of Villainy.

Most of those were my mistakes due to Exalted ignorance. However, I have no idea how the word charm fit its way in there.

[Tavar]

Err, first off, Solars don't have a means of reducing Limit. It either breaks, or he continues to have it until he dies. Second, this is a Green Sun Princes game. If my PCs wanted to go off pursuing marriages, they would be doing so already. And thirdly, it's not a Charm, it's an Act of Villainy.

Actually, there are a couple charms that do allow one to reduce limit, though it's generally difficult to do so(like, once a story, if you manage to end it in a very, very, specific way).

Simple answer: No. Flashing Vengeance is Combo-basic, Immaculate Bow isn't combo-ok and is simple. No combination of rules allow that combo to work.

Opps, I think I was combining the Summon the loyal bow and Immaculate Golden Bow erratta. Of course, this leads to another question; the erratta of Flashing Vengeance Draw reads as follows

Flashing Vengeance Draw
(p. 188)
Type: Permanent
Keywords: Martial-ready, Mirror (Doom Drawn and Imminent)
Duration: Permanent
If the character rolls the highest Join Battle result at the start
of the fight, the first attack he makes following Join Battle is
unexpected. The Solar must gain the highest result; ties spoil
this effect.
Martial-ready: Martial Arts, Melee, Thrown.

Does this replace the old text, or is it in addition to it? If the latter, is doing the former still a charm activation (as the Permanent Keyword would suggest)? If not, could you then combine Immaculate golden bow and Flashing Vengeance Draw?

[Turalisj]

Unless otherwise noted, charm errata replaces the old text with new.

[Mr.Bookworm]

That shouldn't really matter. A 3-dot ally is a 3-dot ally no matter what...

Most definitely not. A 5-dot Ally for a mortal might be a fairly experienced Dragon-Blood, but for an elder Solar, it might be Luna. Sort of like how the Sifu background for Sidereals gives you someone who knows CMAs and SMAs, but for mortals your Sifu just knows TMAs.

Making it an objective scale would get silly, fast.

Okay, on several charms in the Solar Hero style Martial art(errata'd), I see this descriptor: Enhancement. I get that these are more powers, but are their any limitations on how they are activated?

They just enhance the usage of the charm automatically for Solar Exalted. It was intended to bring Solar Hero up to the level of native Solar charms for Solars, so the guy who wants to fight bare-knuckled isn't an idiot for not picking up a daiklave and taking Melee charms.

Unless otherwise noted, charm errata replaces the old text with new.

That's backwards, actually. Unless otherwise noted by a little "Replace text of this Charm with the following:", it's in addition to the regular text.

[Tavar]

So...what does that mean for Flashing Sunset Vengeance? Is that an additional effect that's always on? Or what?

[golentan]

I'm pretty sure you don't need to combo it, because it's a permanent benefit that only triggers when you win a join battle, as written. Though if you used/included the original, I think that would be a charm activation that you still couldn't combo with Immaculate Golden Bow. I think.

Total rewrites that alter even the fundamental underpinnings of charms bug me for this very reason.

[Tavar]

Okay, new question; Join battle is a Wits+Awareness roll. Would general awareness charms, like Keen [Sense] Technique/Unsurpassed Sense Discipline be able to modify it?

[tonberrian]

Okay, new question; Join battle is a Wits+Awareness roll. Would general awareness charms, like Keen [Sense] Technique/Unsurpassed Sense Discipline be able to modify it?

That's what I figure, so long as the player stunts it into the proper sense.

[TheCountAlucard]

I generally also go with that as well, especially if the player in question stunts it.

[golentan]

Absolutely. Is there any reason it wouldn't?

[Show]

Hai! I just got the core exalted book(2e) and I've got two questions which the internet hasn't been able to answer yet:
1) What are the rules for xp? How can players spend it, how is it gained?

2) What are good IC reasons why the Realm wouldn't just take the property of anyone who exalts? I mean, if the PCs have enough dots in resources to make a difference, wouldn't it also be ostentatious enough to attract the Realm's attention?

Thanks in advance. Sorry if I put this in the wrong place/ failed to use proper thread etiquette/ started anything on fire.

But seriously, I didn't mean to set anything on fire.

[Dragnar]

1. XP is handed out by the storyteller as they see fit. Characters can spend it to buy ability dots, charms, essence... anything really. The table for costs is in core somewhere...

2. If the realm KNOWS you are exalted? you are probably in very big trouble anyway. They would not take your stuff. They would kill you. So yeah... either be ready to fight them off forever, or keep a low profile.

[SurlySeraph]

1. See p. 273-5.
2. Of any new Solars, that is? Because they don't know they exist (Creation is a very big place), don't know that they Exalted, don't have enough troops to spare, or don't think it's worth the risk.

[Tavar]

Hai! I just got the core exalted book(2e) and I've got two questions which the internet hasn't been able to answer yet:
1) What are the rules for xp? How can players spend it, how is it gained?

End of chapter 6, the storytelling chapter.

2) What are good IC reasons why the Realm wouldn't just take the property of anyone who exalts? I mean, if the PCs have enough dots in resources to make a difference, wouldn't it also be ostentatious enough to attract the Realm's attention?

Well, first off, the Realm doesn't control everything; other nations wouldn't look kindly one the realm just taking stuff. Secondly, how does the Realm know who's exalted and who isn't?

[Kylarra]

Hai! I just got the core exalted book(2e) and I've got two questions which the internet hasn't been able to answer yet:
1) What are the rules for xp? How can players spend it, how is it gained?

2) What are good IC reasons why the Realm wouldn't just take the property of anyone who exalts? I mean, if the PCs have enough dots in resources to make a difference, wouldn't it also be ostentatious enough to attract the Realm's attention?

Thanks in advance. Sorry if I put this in the wrong place/ failed to use proper thread etiquette/ started anything on fire.

But seriously, I didn't mean to set anything on fire.

1) Page 273 will answer your query in depth (technically starts on page 272, but only technically), but standard advancement is 4XP/Session which can be spent on improving traits per the table on pg 274.

2) By exalts, I'm gonna assume you mean Celestials and not terrestrials (DBs). But, assuming your character isn't stupid, then they're not going to publicly pronounce their status as anathema. Not to mention that the Realm only has varying levels of influence on Creation as a whole outside of the Blessed Isle.

[Qaera]

Sidereals, ofc.

[Turalisj]

2. Of any new Solars, that is? Because they don't know they exist (Creation is a very big place), don't know that they Exalted, don't have enough troops to spare, or don't think it's worth the risk.

To emphasis how big Creation is, look at the island in the middle of your map just inside the cover of the Core book. That's called the Blessed Isle. It is slightly larger than Asia.

[Kylarra]

I like to think of them as Adamant Castes, if those existed.

[golentan]

1) XP is gained basically at the mercy of the ST. When he tells you you get it, you do. You spend it using the training time and xp cost chart at the back of the storytelling chapter. Put in the time, mark off the banked XP, boom, new/improved stuff.

2) The realm is not all powerful. It doesn't have much of any pull beyond the threshold or in the scavenger lands, for example. And with the massive surge of exaltations and the limited number of sidereals and the decrease in the wyld hunt due to the empress's disappearance and the resultant political infighting the realm is going through, many exalts can slip under the radar unnoticed as long as they don't do something exceptionally stupid to draw attention to themselves. Not that the realm would have an easy time freezing their assets in a primarily cash based economy anyway. Particularly given their lengthy not-a-battle with the guild for control of commerce in the threshold and shipping on the inner sea.

Edit: White Veil Society'd (thought it would make an interesting change from sidereals/adamants)

[Show]

All right! Thanks for all the help(that was a lot of responses)!

I was overestimating the Realm's power and underestimating everyone else's subtlety...
I think it's time to start planning my first exalted campaign.

[Qaera]

I wasn't commenting on the Veiled in this thread, but rather responding to this.

Secondly, how does the Realm know who's exalted and who isn't?

Sidereals, ofc.

I could've made that clearer.

[Turalisj]

All right! Thanks for all the help(that was a lot of responses)!

I was overestimating the Realm's power and underestimating everyone else's subtlety...
I think it's time to start planning my first exalted campaign.

I suggest simply playing in a few first. Learn the ropes. Exalted is an odd game to run, especially compared to DnD.

[Show]

Sadly, I don't know anyone who does play. In fact, all I've seen anyone play is dnd 3.5. With your suggestion in mind, I might have a look about the playground, though.

Fortunately, I think I've got the main concepts down.

[Qaera]

Yeah, uh, we play. Sometimes.

[Show]

Well, that you do! How convenient! I'm in a few too many pbp's now, sadly. Once one or two games end I'll not hesitate, though.

[Kris Strife]

So, inspired by a medical practice (and some painkillers), I want an artifact or charm called the Knee of No.

[TheCountAlucard]

So, another concern of my Green Sun Princes game...

One of the PCs has both his Motivation and Urge related to defeating the Bull of the North. He intends to do it in a fairly head-to-head manner, gathering up forces of his own and challenging the Bull.

This, of course, leads to the troublesome issue of mass combat.

Okay, first and foremost, I still haven't read the rules for it; I keep trying, and I only ever get part-way through before sighing and taking a three-day sabbatical from even looking at an Exalted book.

As such, I don't feel particularly-encouraged at the prospect of using such a ruleset. And even from what I have read, the system looks pretty darn bad.

The best solution seems to be, well, not resorting to mass combat. Unfortunately, looking at the Bull of the North's Charm loadout, it looks like that would be putting him at a rather severe disadvantage; so many of his Charms are War Charms that it'd be akin to fighting with both arms tied behind your back.

In addition, it seems likely not only is his set of Charms more oriented to deal with mass combat, but his army is objectively better. They have the benefit of larger numbers for higher Magnitude, Tiger-Warrior Training Technique for better Drill and relevant combat stats, warstriders and demons for Might... realistically, his army should beat their army.

So, just looking for input, for thoughts on how I might handle this... also, before you ask, yes, I intend on giving the Bull of the North a perfect defense.