General Exalted Discussion V: Our Armies are Pants

[Volthawk]

Deliberately left ambiguous. It could mean any random Joe like ATW said or for those who've read Luna's Guide to Being a Raksha in Creation, it's the Ebon Dragon.

Oh...that Steve.

[Turalisj]

That essay is hilarious.


Nah, he's Conviction 5. Dedicated to destroying the Guild's drug business, so he buys all their products and destroys them. Nasally.

Ok, so he has 1 intelligence, 1 wisdom. How the hell would someone with such idiocy become a solar?

[Qaera]

Have you read Panther's backstory? Come back to me after you have (if you haven't). If you have... yeah.

[Tavar]

There's a reason people find most of the canon solars very underwhelming.

[Qaera]

Yup. (also just saw this, wits not wisdom, not that it's that important)

[Turalisj]

There's a reason people find most of the canon solars very underwhelming.

DEMETHIUS wants to know why you are not ENTERTAINED.

[Qaera]

Well, Demetheus, we have:
-Some mercenary guy. He has a mustache, I think. He also has a sword. Maybe gold?
-Hookers and blow, chest tattoo, token black guy.
-Scarface, Smart Woman, General bitch- otherwise interesting.
-Antisocial archer. Sometimes known as Jumps on Roofs. Has a thing for a Demon.
-Desus. Nuff said.
Lotsa room for improvement.

[Turalisj]

Er, what are you talking about?

I'm talking about Demetheus, the Dawn caste who seems to be based off of The Rock. He also practices Solar Hero Style.

[Tavar]

Well, I did say most. Personally, I don't think dropping either Panther or the twilight from the Iconic circle would lose much. The others are okay, but those two...

Er, what are you talking about?

He's talking about the Iconic Solars; Dace, Panther, A-whatever, Ms. Fanservice, and Swan. I think he's overstating the issue, but it's pretty well known that there are some major problems with the circle.

[Mr.Bookworm]

There's a reason people find most of the canon solars very underwhelming.

1) The main problem, in my opinion, is that 1E had a crapload of fairly interesting background and information on the signature Solars, mainly in the form of novels and fluffbooks, but none of the lore was reprinted for 2E. So the sig characters come across as Stoic Big-Sword Merc Guy, WHAT THE CHRIST ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, BLUH BLUH HUGE BITCH, Trigger Happy Stripper Ninja, and Kung-Fu Wife Issues, instead of actual characters.

Speaking of all of this, I would highly recommend tracking down the Caste/Aspect books, which are just superb at portraying Exalted and really getting a feel for what it means to be one.

2) Even with all of the above, Panther still sucks.

3) I also think you're confusing "canon" and "signature". The sig characters are the five main ones, and they're the ones who get all of the flack.

There are a bunch of canon Exalted beyond that, though, and quite a few of them are balls-out awesome (Sayn, Admiral Sand, Demetheus, Karal Fire Orchard [who should really be the Zenith sig character], Yurgen Kaneko, Wind, ?, etc., etc., etc.).

4) WORDSWORDSWORDSWORDSWORDSWORDS

[Lord Raziere]

yea, well Solars were always bland to begin with...

on the other hand, maybe we could come up with a better band of iconic Solars, guys who are actually epic, make The Bull in North one of them.

[Turalisj]

yea, well Solars were always bland to begin with...

Talking about canon or PC's from games? Because if from games.... Then you haven't played in any good ones.

[Qaera]

1) The main problem, in my opinion, is that 1E had a crapload of fairly interesting background and information on the signature Solars, mainly in the form of novels and fluffbooks, but none of the lore was reprinted for 2E. So the sig characters come across as Stoic Big-Sword Merc Guy, WHAT THE CHRIST ARE YOU TALKING ABOUT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!, BLUH BLUH HUGE BITCH, Trigger Happy Stripper Ninja, and Kung-Fu Wife Issues, instead of actual characters.

Great breakdown.

Speaking of all of this, I would highly recommend tracking down the Caste/Aspect books, which are just superb at portraying Exalted and really getting a feel for what it means to be one.

I agree. I don't have them, but I didn't "get" the Wood Aspect until I read their book.

2) Even with all of the above, Panther still sucks.

WHAT THE CHR- Oh wait, yeah.

3) I also think you're confusing "canon" and "signature". The sig characters are the five main ones, and they're the ones who get all of the flack.

Yup.

There are a bunch of canon Exalted beyond that, though, and quite a few of them are balls-out awesome (Sayn, Admiral Sand, Demethius, Karal Fire Orchard [who should really be the Zenith sig character], Yurgen Kaneko, Wind, ?, etc., etc., etc.).

I think it's Demetheus, either I'm wrong or a few people are >.>
Please dot shiv me, Occam.

4) WORDSWORDSWORDSWORDSWORDSWORDS

hey that is my thing man come on

~ ♅

[Xefas]

4) WORDSWORDSWORDSWORDSWORDSWORDS

All I can think about now is an Elloge charm for "Word Swords".

[Lord Raziere]

Talking about canon or PC's from games? Because if from games.... Then you haven't played in any good ones.

canon. and mechanically. I'm sure other people like them and make great PC's out of Solars, but....eh. I'm not that interested in them, I basically prefer all the other Exalts. I'm mean sure, I have some Solar PCs of my own but that is just because that is the only place they make sense.

Solars are like the sun to me alright: they are there, and they are completely uninteresting because they are always there. sure, Exalted itself can't really exist without them, but thats the necessity of the sun. nothing really else.

[Qaera]

All I can think about now is an Elloge charm for "Word Swords".

YES. YES.

canon. and mechanically. I'm sure other people like them and make great PC's out of Solars, but....eh. I'm not that interested in them, I basically prefer all the other Exalts. I'm mean sure, I have some Solar PCs of my own but that is just because that is the only place they make sense.

Solars are like the sun to me alright: they are there, and they are completely uninteresting because they are always there. sure, Exalted itself can't really exist without them, but thats the necessity of the sun. nothing really else.

The Scarlet Dynasty would like to chat, play a game of Gateway, impregnate someone, and tell you this is wrong.

~ ♅

[golentan]

canon. and mechanically. I'm sure other people like them and make great PC's out of Solars, but....eh. I'm not that interested in them, I basically prefer all the other Exalts. I'm mean sure, I have some Solar PCs of my own but that is just because that is the only place they make sense.

Solars are like the sun to me alright: they are there, and they are completely uninteresting because they are always there. sure, Exalted itself can't really exist without them, but thats the necessity of the sun. nothing really else.

This is me, only solars fall one step above abyssals in my mind.

[Turalisj]

canon. and mechanically. I'm sure other people like them and make great PC's out of Solars, but....eh. I'm not that interested in them, I basically prefer all the other Exalts. I'm mean sure, I have some Solar PCs of my own but that is just because that is the only place they make sense.

Solars are like the sun to me alright: they are there, and they are completely uninteresting because they are always there. sure, Exalted itself can't really exist without them, but thats the necessity of the sun. nothing really else.

Really? You just see the sun as 'always there'?

The sun is raw energy, unlimited potential, a beacon to look forward to at the darkest hour. The sun is grand and awe inspiring. There is nothing greater than it.

When thinking of inspiration for a Solar, you can't think in modern terms. There's a reason that most religions in the world place central importantance on. The sun was, and is, the provider of life and warmth.

[Lord Raziere]

The Scarlet Dynasty is awesome, eleven houses full of stories, five elemental directions and five Aspects of potential Exalts, complex social schema, lots of weapons and intrigue and brink of civil war stuff....my favorite Exalt that I've made is a Water Aspect schemer who plans to save the Scarlet Empire then the world just to save the one woman he loves- and he has Compassion 1, so he is literally saving all the people he doesn't care about just to save the one he does. and he has no problem making deals with other kind of Exalted to help him do that. and thats not even half his backstory.

[Mr.Bookworm]

I think it's Demetheus, either I'm wrong or a few people are >.>
Please dot shiv me, Occam.

Don't be silly. Razors are blunt on the end, so while you could theoretically stab someone with them, it would be kind of a pain for everyone involved.

You have to slash, instead. None of that bullcrap you see in fiction where you they cut just by gently sweeping the blade. You have to push hard when the blade makes contact. With minimal penetration capability, you have less targeting options. The carotid and femoral arteries are the best options, although you need to make diagonal cuts to prevent them for closing up. Tendons are another decent choice, and if you can get to the ground, the achilles tendon is an excellent target.

i will kill you with logic

hey that is my thing man come on

All I can think about now is an Elloge charm for "Word Swords".

You might have a point there, sir.

[Qaera]

Exalted itself can't really exist without them, but thats the necessity of the sun. nothing really else.

Also, the Sun isn't there during the night. And this is what I was pointing out.

Don't be silly. Razors are blunt on the end, so while you could theoretically stab someone with them, it would be kind of a pain for everyone involved.

You have to slash, instead. None of that bullcrap you see in fiction where you they cut just by gently sweeping the blade. You have to push hard when the blade makes contact. With minimal penetration capability, you have less targeting options. The carotid and femoral arteries are the best options, although you need to make diagonal cuts to prevent them for closing up. Tendons are another decent choice, and if you can get to the ground, the achilles tendon is an excellent target.

i will kill you with logic

Okay, I'm taking a class called Biomedical Engineering, and we are learning all about anatomy right now, so this is actually quite... more meaningful I guess. It's strange.

Also, check this out.

There's another one with Occam's Razor that I'm too lazy to find.

~ ♅

[Lord Raziere]

Also, the Sun isn't there during the night. And this is what I was pointing out.

~ ♅

I love the night, Lunars and Abyssals dwell there.

[golentan]

Really? You just see the sun as 'always there'?

The sun is raw energy, unlimited potential, a beacon to look forward to at the darkest hour. The sun is grand and awe inspiring. There is nothing greater than it.

When thinking of inspiration for a Solar, you can't think in modern terms. There's a reason that most religions in the world place central importantance on. The sun was, and is, the provider of life and warmth.

See, for me it's a combination of "familiarity breeds contempt" and the fact that solars just never had enough of what I think of as sun flavor to meaningfully distinguish them and make them interesting. They're just glow-y people who go insane and beat everything. They don't get any awesome powers that only they can get (disregarding native charms) the way lunars have knacks and sidereals have astrology and alchemicals have protocols and GSPs have ascension and... you get the idea. And while some of the special things are charms, they all uniquely feel right for their exalt type. I can't actually think of a single thing solars do that is such a special option.

*shrugs* I 'unno. To each his own, and to thine own self be true.

[Qaera]

See, for me it's a combination of "familiarity breeds contempt" and the fact that solars just never had enough of what I think of as sun flavor to meaningfully distinguish them and make them interesting. They're just glow-y people who go insane and beat everything. They don't get any awesome powers that only they can get (disregarding native charms) the way lunars have knacks and sidereals have astrology and alchemicals have protocols and GSPs have ascension and... you get the idea. And while some of the special things are charms, they all uniquely feel right for their exalt type. I can't actually think of a single thing solars do that is such a special option.

*shrugs* I 'unno. To each his own, and to thine own self be true.

This is why I started my players on DBs, not Solars. I think it gives a better sense of power levels. Instead of "everyone is weaker than Solars" they think "Solars are more powerful than everyone else". I do think each splat should have something unique to them (lunars can shapeshift their body, mind, and soul sociality; sidereals get Fate-stuff; infernals get sweet awesome everything; solars get... sorcery? that's not applicable over every character). They do need something flavorful besides "awesome", I'd agree.

~ ♅

[Xefas]

Solars can take Unthinkable Shining Horror. I think that's enough for them.

[Turalisj]

Solars can do anything anyone else can do, only better. With 2 charms, you can have sharper senses than anything else. You can steal the clothes off someone's back, make a nation bow to your glory, and lead an army of 300 to crush an army of ten thousand.

Edit: maybe if they had something like an infernal's shintai charm? Something that represented their perfection.

[Qaera]

Solars can do anything anyone else can do, only better. With 2 charms, you can have sharper senses than anything else. You can steal the clothes off someone's back, make a nation bow to your glory, and lead an army of 300 to crush an army of ten thousand.

Not shapeshifting, Fating, Primordializing, or writing emo poetry. Or being the Unconquered Sun, cause he gets 10 auto successes to beat you. They can't become a Hannya, or time travel, or resurrect. (Lunars, Sids, Infernals, Abyssals. UCS, swarm of Fae, Nocturnals, Nocturnals)

~ ♅

[Tavar]

Nocturnals are not canon, so they can't really factor into this. As for the others... you're confusing methods of doing things/states of being with actually doing things.

[Xefas]

Edit: maybe if they had something like an infernal's shintai charm? Something that represented their perfection.

I made a Solar charm where you turn into a tiny sun and beat the hell out of people with your tiny sun fists, but they yelled at me.

[Kris Strife]

I made a Solar charm where you turn into a tiny sun and beat the hell out of people with your tiny sun fists, but they yelled at me.

You should have given them two scoops. Of raisins