General Exalted Discussion Thread VIII: Ten Thousand Playgrounders Post As One!

[Lord Raziere]

tough. she already gets a charm for getting more arrows. if she wants to always have more on hand, make her carry a plant around or just say she always has a reasonable amount of arrows because the ST says so. the amount of arrows isn't important to the story, so just assume she will always have a reasonable amount on hand.

[Volthawk]

Think of it as plot proofing your main form of attack. The guards took your quiver away at the gate? Joke's on them!

Yeah, that's how I think of those charms - ways of making sure that regardless of your circumstances, you have your proper appropiate firepower available.

[Turalisj]

Isn't Archery already one of the better combat paths you can go in Exalted?

[aetherialDawn]

I think that the ammunition charms are indeed a combination of
A) Exalts can fire a lot of arrows.
B) Plot-proofing: Nobody can say you don't have arrows. Ever.
C) Cool alternative summoned arrows.

(But there is indeed a healthy amount of D - they make darn good speedbump charms and Archery doesn't need a buff...)

If you want a quiver that makes arrows, may I recommend a bow which makes them, instead, and/or having the arrows possess a distinctive feature or two?

[Lord Raziere]

tough. if she really wants more arrows on hand, make her carry a potted plant around!

In other news…

One/Two new Lunar artifacts!

Handheld Moonsilver Toolbox
Artifact 2
Attunement: 5
This handheld rod of moonsilver can replicate any mundane tool that can be held in one hand by spending one mote. It can even replicate a mundane knife, but no other weapon other than that.

Two-Handed Moonsilver Toolbox
Artifact 3
Attunement: 8
As Handheld Moonsilver Toolbox, but it can replicate any mundane tool held in two hands for two motes, as well as any mundane weapon. It can even be used to replicate rope and ropes with grappling hooks.

Also a new crafting idea:

Blessings! Stuff gods can craft! they are like normal artifacts, but they are intangible and attach themselves to the person or thing with the Blessing! allows more flexibility of powers and such! also expands the world of Exalted a little, while still remaining consistent with it! after all, only the mightiest of gods like the Incarnae could do N/A Blessings.

also, Blessings are a way to explain in mutations without using the Wyld.
"how did you get those wings?"
"A god blessed me with them cause I helped him out."
"Cool."

that and there could be plot hooks for Blessings! like maybe the Immaculate Order hates the gods giving Mortals Blessings or something and comes to stomp them out.

[Sanguine]

Aren't there already Spirit Charms for that?

[Lord Raziere]

yes, but artifact Blessings are more customized and unique.

[Hiro Protagonest]

You could have an infinite quiver come with each powerbow.

[TheCountAlucard]

How many arrows can they fire in one minute?

Absent Extra Action Charms? Thirty. On the other hand, though fights have taken upwards of four hours IRL to resolve, they've never taken more than forty seconds in-game, absent Mass Combat (which I intend to avoid).

I prefer the more economical route, though, of firing one arrow and hitting a bunch of people with it. Arrow Storm Technique is awesome like that.

Sure they could headshot everyone in an army, but should they really have that many arrows available in an instant?

Again, I love Arrow Storm Technique. Rain of Feathered Death is also fun that way.

The one I know best is the Solar charm, which lets you create any of the 3 types of arrows instantly, and the upgrade adds a bonus.

Fair enough - for comparison, the ones created by the Terrestrial Charm are actual arrows, made by imbuing your Essence into a plant, which then grows said arrows into existence.

Think of it as plot proofing your main form of attack. The guards took your quiver away at the gate? Joke's on them!

I still prefer Generalized Ammunition Technique. Yank the drawstring from someone's jacket, and murder someone with it.

Plus, I would think that Summoning the Loyal Bow would work for the accessories of the weapon - after all, keeping your sword in Elsewhere but still having the sheath belted would look a little suspicious.

tough.

tough.

So nice you had to say it twice, huh?

if she wants to always have more on hand, make her carry a plant around or just say she always has a reasonable amount of arrows because the ST says so.

That's what I was going to do in the first place.

the amount of arrows isn't important to the story, so just assume she will always have a reasonable amount on hand.

Again, it's what I was intending already...

Yeah, that's how I think of those charms - ways of making sure that regardless of your circumstances, you have your proper appropiate firepower available.

Fair enough, I guess.

Isn't Archery already one of the better combat paths you can go in Exalted?

For Solars? Yes. Not experienced enough with Dragon-Blooded to know for certain.

Plot-proofing: Nobody can say you don't have arrows. Ever.

Eh, I really wasn't intending to take them away in the first place.

Cool alternative summoned arrows.

Aside from the fact that you can have pulled them from a field of grass, there's not much that's impressive about the Dragon-Blooded's summoned arrows.

But there is indeed a healthy amount of D - they make darn good speedbump charms and Archery doesn't need a buff...

I'm not that fond of speedbumps in the first place.

If you want a quiver that makes arrows, may I recommend a bow which makes them, instead, and/or having the arrows possess a distinctive feature or two?

Go on...

Also a new crafting idea:

Blessings!

Gods can already bless people. They have, like, a million ways of doing it.

Have you made a Devil-Tiger yet? I suggest you do so, with reinventing the wheel being one of the themes in its Excellency.

[Hiro Protagonest]

I think I ninja'd you while you were writing your long post. Just want to make sure my suggestion isn't missed.

[Lord Raziere]

………aaaaaaaw.

oh well. at least I made Handheld Moonsilver Toolbox.

I'm just…..gonna go ignore the duration part of the blessing thing for character creation and do whatever I want with blessings that already exist and such….

[TheCountAlucard]

I think I ninja'd you while you were writing your long post.

You did, in fact.

I guess I'll talk to her again about it.

[Tavar]

I think you should ask her about why she wants the infinite ammo quiver.


Also, with regards to the familiar, you could use something along the lines of the proposed 'legendary familiar' rules. Make it a god-blooded, with inheritance equal to it's background rating.

[golentan]

So, a question came up with my GF the other day. Does checking off your incapacitated lethal health level while By Agony Empowered is active and not healing it start you dying when the scene ends? I don't think it does...

[aetherialDawn]

Er... I LIKE the craftable Artifact 'Blessings' idea.
I've already been considering trying out some immaterial artifacts with my Defiler, and were I to ever read the Abyssal books I would very much like to stitch together my very own ghosts (Zombies and necrotech war machines are just too crude!)

Now, crafting 'blessings' for mortals, I don't see that being needed. But crafting immaterial or semimaterial things - let's have as an example a floating servitor made of light, or fire - does interest me.

The original idea was artifacts that were little more than wisps of structured motes, which behave similarly to Touhou familiars (They're hugely expendable little balls of light that fire bullets.)

[Lord Raziere]

My idea for Blessings is simply a thing that closely RESEMBLES an Exaltation, but isn't, the idea being that the normal Celestial Exaltation is probably an N/A level Blessing or something.

which basically means it exists in an immaterial state and is grafted onto the soul.

as for Abyssals….eh Necrotech is all they have in that book aside from Abyssal charms. the main stuff for manipulating ghosts is Necromancy and Roll of Divinity 2.

that and it wouldn't just be for mortals….I imagine Exalts would want some Blessings to, to get powers they normally can't do. that and semi-material stuff like a sword made out of some gods purview like light or hope does sound like something possible within Exalted.

[KaganMonk]

Light and Hope sound like marvelous ingredients for an Artifact. Hope you could get a Raksha to solidify for you, I think. And I can almost imagine a Sidereal turning Light into an arrow with their charm.

[Sanguine]

Light and Hope sound like marvelous ingredients for an Artifact. Hope you could get a Raksha to solidify for you, I think. And I can almost imagine a Sidereal turning Light into an arrow with their charm.

Wyld-Shaping can turn them into solid things as well.

[Lord Raziere]

also I think Blessings would be a background available to certain types of Exalts:

Solars and Lunars would probably be normal. As well all "outcast" characters like Ronin, Casteless and Outcastes.

Dragon-Blooded Dynasts and Lookshyans would probably not have this at all. Immaculate Order and all that.

Sidereals and Abyssals would probably get more since they are surrounded by spirits.

Infernals eeeerrrrh….they are also surrounded by spirits but the spirits aren't really nice, either more or normal.

Alchemicals……no…..not with the way Autocthonia is set up, the spirits there are very material, and Blessings are immaterial so…no craftable Blessings for Alchemicals.

Raksha probably get this background as normal, since they can probably make immaterial stuff in the Wyld.

Heroic Mortals could probably get this background, but it would cost more since the mortal would have to go through more to get a god to make something for them.

Dragon Kings and Jadeborn are probably normal as well, since they each have a relationship of dealing with spirits in some manner

edit: the only problem is that Blessings, since they are grafted to the soul, are already attuned to you, so the cost of having a Blessing might mean higher mote payments or other different costs to activate their effects.

[TheCountAlucard]

Dragon-Blooded Dynasts and Lookshyans would probably not have this at all. Immaculate Order and all that.

The people of Lookshy don't quite go with the Realm's version of the Immaculate Order.

Raksha probably get this background as normal, since they can probably make immaterial stuff in the Wyld.

We've seen the kind of blessings meschlum can cook up - they really don't need more.

(And no, "but those are material" doesn't fly - he will make immaterial blessings if he wants them. )

[Tavar]

Spirits in Autochthonia can be just as immaterial as ones in Creation. It's just that Autochthonia exists both in the material and immaterial, for the most part. Thus, being immaterial isn't as huge an advantage for them.

[gareth]

...also interesting. Tell me, how is it that you plan to mechanically forbid Solars and Lunars from manipulating basic thaumaturgy...like geomancy?

That's a good question, actually. I like mortals being able to build manses, but I'd have Dragon-Blooded have the unique abilty to create new demenses and change the power and aspect of existing ones. This would only work with elemental demenses. Granted that's not exactly what was in the description, I'll revise it.

It would be simple enough to remove these charms from the Solar tree. Perhaps not elegant, but simple.

Right, I'm pulling stuff out of the Solar charmset to make the other splats interesting. Wyld-shaping going to Lunars is not actually my idea, I saw it suggested on the White Wolf forum. It's true that this will leave Lore a bit skimpy, but those charms were an awkward fit for Lore anyway.

[Xefas]

Fractional Cosmic Repetition
Cost: 10m, 1wp; Mins: Cytherea 0, Essence 6; Type: Simple
Keywords: Combo-OK, Blasphemy
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Big Bang Attack, Mass Singularity Defense

There are certain rules that the universe imposes that even its creators cannot cast aside. One can halt the flow of time, alter its current, but never travel backward through what has already transpired. Cytherea is an immortal being, however, ancient before even the eldest Primordials can recall. In her old age, she begins to see patterns, and it is not as if she does not have the time to wait.

By activating this charm, the Infernal leaves. He just goes. He goes to sit and wait. In the trillions of exaseconds that pass, the entire cosmology of the Exalted Universe collapses and reforms an arbitrarily large number of times. When a universe forms that is identical to the one that he left, the Infernal slips back into place, like a missing puzzle piece fitting into its perfect slot. However, the Essence of the Divine Ignition spent to fuel this charm allows some wiggle room - the Infernal may take his place 1 tick before he used this charm in the prior universe he existed in.

There are some side effects. Essence, Health Levels, Willpower, and so on, are properties of the Exalted universe, and while waiting outside of it, the Infernal cannot spend nor regenerate these resources. Additionally, the Infernal's perception of time will continue to extend as they get older during their waiting period (much as how a year is perceptually longer when you're 10 years of age than when you're 50 years of age). When they return, they may experience some minor dilation to the tune of hundreds of millennia passing in what they perceive as seconds.

[Lord Raziere]

Spirits in Autochthonia can be just as immaterial as ones in Creation. It's just that Autochthonia exists both in the material and immaterial, for the most part. Thus, being immaterial isn't as huge an advantage for them.

darn! hrmmm….but still I think Alchemicals should be techno and artifact and not Blessing methinks.

also, now I'm confused of how to deal with Blessings in places like the Underworld, Malfeas and Autocthonia….hrrmmm….

The people of Lookshy don't quite go with the Realm's version of the Immaculate Order.

We've seen the kind of blessings meschlum can cook up - they really don't need more.

(And no, "but those are material" doesn't fly - he will make immaterial blessings if he wants them. )

1……eh, looks like I'll have to pick up Compass: Scavenger Lands rather than South next time I get an Exalted book.

2. good point. no Blessings for Raksha.

@ Xefas: Watched that episode of Futurama have we?

@V Sanguine: Authors!? Writers!? Best. Explanation. Ever. Now I definitely want to play a Solar, since now I actually have a way of expressing my love for writing and novels in game.

[Sanguine]

It's true that this will leave Lore a bit skimpy, but those charms were an awkward fit for Lore anyway.

I actually saw an interesting justification for Wyld-Shaping being a Lore Charm. It was tied into the doing human things only turned up to 11 aspect of Solars. Authors* create entire new world and people and any number of other things in their imaginations. There are similarities between the imagination fueled realms of mortal dreams and the Wyld. As evidenced by Quicksilver Hands of Dreams and a few Fair Folk Charms. Now with that similarity in mind Wyld-Shaping is only different from what an author does in that it's creations are able to interact with "reality".

I hope that was coherent; it's just about midnight here and I really need to get to sleep.

*Which the justification pointed out was more a Linguistics thing. But Lore works to a lesser extent.

[gareth]

Here's Solars:

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The Solar Exalted can excel in every field of human endeavour, becoming undefeatable in almost any activity they choose to specialise in. The exceptions are impersonating specific people, communicating with other Exalts, and manipulating and enhancing mortals. Other Exalts can match Solar abilities in these areas. Solars are capable of granting mortals the ability to channel essence, but cannot share motes with them.
Lawgivers have the most powerful attacks and most efficient defences of all Exalts. Their abilities extend beyond extraordinary talent into the supernatural, but always have some connection to skills of mortals. A mortal swordsman may draw his weapon so fast it seems to appear from nowhere – a Solar can simply retrieve a sword from Elsewhere. But no mortal can fly, so neither can a Solar. Lawgivers can extend their powers beyond these limits by using Sorcery, the Adamant Circle of which is exclusive to them, or the first two Circles of Necromancy. The Obsidian Circle of Necromancy is restricted to Deathlords.
Solars can easily conceal themselves but have difficulty concealing the mark of the Unconquered Sun. In extreme cases fortresses may appear to be infiltrated by disembodied, glowing caste marks.
Lawgivers can easily become immune to the dangers of the Wyld, the Underworld, and Malfeas, and can prevent areas of Creation from being absorbed by any of these planes of existence. However, they are incapable of extending Creation into the Wyld, shrinking shadowlands by other than mundane effort, or expelling intrusions of the Yozis into Creation.

[TheCountAlucard]

Their abilities extend beyond extraordinary talent into the supernatural, but always have some connection to skills of mortals. A mortal swordsman may draw his weapon so fast it seems to appear from nowhere – a Solar can simply retrieve a sword from Elsewhere. But no mortal can fly, so neither can a Solar.

Mutation: wings. Various power armors. Sorcery. Fair Folk artifacts.

Seriously, though, I guess I just find it odd that banishing and retrieving a weapon from Elsewhere gets a pass by this rubric, but flying as per Eagle Wing Style doesn't.

Anyway, a little more development on my Lookshy game...

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I spoke with the "magic quiver" player, and explained to her how I have no intention of screwing her over by forcing her out of her element and declaring her to be out of arrows. Still haven't had the chance to talk about the Familiar issue, but I'll see about it soon enough. She in turn has decided that despite being a Wood Aspect, her character was born into Gens Karal.

She also gave the Medicine Charms a look, and decided she might take a few of them.

The martial artist PC, on the other hand, belongs to Gens Teresu, and a member of the navy of Lookshy - however, his biggest affinity is for the martial arts, hence his desire to learn Water Dragon Style.

[golentan]

Mutation: wings. Various power armors. Sorcery. Fair Folk artifacts.

That one athletics charm: eagle wing style (on looking it up).

And pretty much everything you said about other realms of existence is wrong, gareth. Solars can create creation out of the wyld, extending its borders (the order conferring trade pattern in the first age is an example of how they stabilized it), they have magic to shrink shadowlands (whether through sorcery or I can't remember if they have a charm for it, I want to say they do but I can't remember it), and they can most definitely deal with yozi intrusions: it's what they were built for, and the original primordials were a quite a few notches up. They can call on surrender oaths, or failing that just beat the everliving (literally) crud out of them.

[TheCountAlucard]

That one athletics charm: eagle wing style (on looking it up).

I was referring to options mortals for flying, since he said mortals can't fly.

[golentan]

I was referring to options mortals for flying, since he said mortals can't fly.

Yeah, but your version was all altered mortals and basically outside items flying and taking the mortal along for the ride (sorcery excepted). My point was pointing out how *incredibly* wrong it was to imply solars can't fly under their own power.