General Exalted Discussion Thread IX: Errata is Combo-Ok!

[Xefas]

I have incarnated Infernals (from Exalted, a game I don't play) into D&D (another game I don't play). Such is my love for Infernals.

(The problem is that stuff like DitV, IAWA, and Mouse Guard are already perfect in every way, so there's nothing to 'brew...)

[golentan]

Okay, so I've played with this idea before, but I decided to update it for 2.5.

The Ultimate Social Character: The Sexiest City Alive.

An essence 10 Moonsilver or Orichalcum alchemical, with:
A base appearance of 10
5 purchases of the fourth appearance augmentation (appearance 15)
A purchase of the fifth appearance augmentation, with 45 motes spent activating it (appearance 30)
Orichalcum Wings of the Raptor (appearance 33)
Thousandfold Courtesan Calculations with Ultimate Ardor Upgrade (full appearance may be employed as MDV penalty/bonus, without limits. Also anyone who has sex with (within?) the city is subject to particularly effective mental influence)

Due to lack of stacking in 2.5, this is (I believe) the maximum. If anyone has suggestions for an alternate appearance boosting item I would welcome suggestions.

Next:
Performance, Presence, and Socialize all at 10.
Manipulation and charisma given same boosts as appearance (to 30 and 30)
Clockwork Attribute Perfection Nodes installed for Charisma and Manipulation, with Metaconductive Circuitry (all dice pools may be traded for 1/2 successes + essence bonus successes)
Conviction 5 + Patriotism Provoking Display (2 willpower to resist social attacks to support a group, conviction is automatic successes on the roll, makes it unnatural mental influence)
Pheromone Regulation System (everyone within 330 yards is subject to increased willpower to resist preyed upon emotions, specifically including seduction)
Emotive Aesthetics of the Body Electric (makes social attacks without speech or action)
Synergy Promoting Upgrade + Communal Supremacy (the maximum number of teamwork providers increases to 33, all teamwork dice are automatic successes, each teamwork die replaces on of the base dice with an automatic success)

All told...
All individuals coming within 330 yards of the city are subject to a social attack (unnatural mental influence) consisting of 35 automatic successes against which they are at -(33 - their appearance) MDV to resist every few minutes. It costs 3 wp + the effect of whatever bonus successes are involved (likely a lot) to resist. This incites them to join the city in a citywide orgy. As people join this gathering of the sockless, the attack increases to 70 automatic successes. Anyone who gives into the orgy is subject to a further, undodgeable social attack of the alchemical's choice.

I may be misreading the benefits of clockwork attribute perfection nodes, in which case the attack's automatic successes are -10 from listed, but even so...

[Fortuna]

Okay, so I've played with this idea before, but I decided to update it for 2.5.

The Ultimate Social Character: The Sexiest City Alive.

An essence 10 Moonsilver or Orichalcum alchemical, with:
A base appearance of 10
5 purchases of the fourth appearance augmentation (appearance 15)
A purchase of the fifth appearance augmentation, with 45 motes spent activating it (appearance 30)
Orichalcum Wings of the Raptor (appearance 33)
Thousandfold Courtesan Calculations with Ultimate Ardor Upgrade (full appearance may be employed as MDV penalty/bonus, without limits. Also anyone who has sex with (within?) the city is subject to particularly effective mental influence)

Due to lack of stacking in 2.5, this is (I believe) the maximum. If anyone has suggestions for an alternate appearance boosting item I would welcome suggestions.

Next:
Performance, Presence, and Socialize all at 10.
Manipulation and charisma given same boosts as appearance (to 30 and 30)
Clockwork Attribute Perfection Nodes installed for Charisma and Manipulation, with Metaconductive Circuitry (all dice pools may be traded for 1/2 successes + essence bonus successes)
Conviction 5 + Patriotism Provoking Display (2 willpower to resist social attacks to support a group, conviction is automatic successes on the roll, makes it unnatural mental influence)
Pheromone Regulation System (everyone within 330 yards is subject to increased willpower to resist preyed upon emotions, specifically including seduction)
Emotive Aesthetics of the Body Electric (makes social attacks without speech or action)
Synergy Promoting Upgrade + Communal Supremacy (the maximum number of teamwork providers increases to 33, all teamwork dice are automatic successes, each teamwork die replaces on of the base dice with an automatic success)

All told...
All individuals coming within 330 yards of the city are subject to a social attack (unnatural mental influence) consisting of 35 automatic successes against which they are at -(33 - their appearance) MDV to resist every few minutes. It costs 3 wp + the effect of whatever bonus successes are involved (likely a lot) to resist. This incites them to join the city in a citywide orgy. As people join this gathering of the sockless, the attack increases to 70 automatic successes. Anyone who gives into the orgy is subject to a further, undodgeable social attack of the alchemical's choice.

I may be misreading the benefits of clockwork attribute perfection nodes, in which case the attack's automatic successes are -10 from listed, but even so...

Haven't read it all, but an Orichalcum Infinite Resplendance Amulet gets you +4 Appearance, so replace the Wings of the Raptor for another +1 to Appearance.

[golentan]

Duly noted.

By the by, this concept was developed in honor of our very own primordial of free love, Lix Lorn. Just for the record.

[Fortuna]

A noble and worthy goal. I salute you for your efforts.

[TheCountAlucard]

By the by, this concept was developed in honor of our very own primordial of free love, Lix Lorn. Just for the record.

I knew my Lix Lorn sense was tingling for a reason!

[Rikandur Azebol]

Awesome stuff Xefas, and good luck in Your fight against Bookworm.

[horngeek]

Incidentally!

Does anyone have any idea of a Charm allowing a Solar to pull this (spoilers for Fate/Zero) trick off?

I'll settle for the army. I don't want to summon a desert.

And if there's nothing in canon Charms, a homebrew would be nice.

[Madwand]

Ok, quick question:

Which infernal excellency is best suited to War? I would like to know your opinion..

Does anyone have any idea of a Charm allowing a Solar to pull this (spoilers for Fate/Zero) trick off?

It is fair folks fantasy!

[Turalisj]

Depends on what type of War. Large armies, guerrilla campaigns, etc.

[horngeek]

Ok, quick question:

Which infernal excellency is best suited to War? I would like to know your opinion..

The answer is the same as all others... how does your character wage war?

If they like to do tricky stuff, Ebon Dragon. If they use the appropriate amount of force, SWLIHN. If they just go overboard and use the entire Realm army to crush a village, Malefas. And so on.

[Madwand]

Depends on what type of War. Large armies, guerrilla campaigns, etc.

Assume gradual build up from small guerrilla force to large army. I know that diffrent excellencies are good for diffrent types of war. It is why I have such hard time to make choice..

[Drascin]

Incidentally!

Does anyone have any idea of a Charm allowing a Solar to pull this (spoilers for Fate/Zero) trick off?

I'll settle for the army. I don't want to summon a desert.

And if there's nothing in canon Charms, a homebrew would be nice.

Army summoning is something Raksha can do pretty well, since they can just shunt their minions into Elsewhere at will. Solars, though... honestly, no idea. I'm not even sure how much it fits them to summon armies out of nowhere.

[horngeek]

I'm thinking along the lines of Glorious Solar Army. Or something like that.

[Rikandur Azebol]

By learning Raksha charms, of course. Or by being Abyssals and killing enough Extras and then using Arise and Slaughter.

[Turalisj]

I'm thinking along the lines of Glorious Solar Army. Or something like that.

Have them all tiger warriors with a high essence charm that summons your army when dramatically appropriate.


"You and what army?"

A proper dawn king should be able to answer that by making a dramatic gesture and having several thousand soldiers appear out of nowhere ready to fight.

[Andreaz]

Have them all tiger warriors with a high essence charm that summons your army when dramatically appropriate.


"You and what army?"

A proper dawn king should be able to answer that by making a dramatic gesture and having several thousand soldiers appear out of nowhere ready to fight.

"surprise fleets" should be enough on most cases. It's not a solar theme to bring people out of nowhere... So you have to make do with Artifacts, Sorcery and Other Splats.

[Qwertystop]

What game? If I can play a Solar, Lunar, or Infernal, I'm in.

Same question, except "if you're fine with a new player".

[Yuki Akuma]

Incidentally!

Does anyone have any idea of a Charm allowing a Solar to pull this (spoilers for Fate/Zero) trick off?

I'll settle for the army. I don't want to summon a desert.

And if there's nothing in canon Charms, a homebrew would be nice.

Hand of the Great Maker with a Protoshinmaic Vortex, and spam Wyld-Shaping Technique to create soldiers.

Alternatively, She Who Lives In Her Name Principle Emulation, and then buy her version of Wyld-Shaping Technique, because it has an upgrade that lets it be used in Creation proper.

[Yuki Akuma]

Okay, so...

My friend and I are making a new type of Exalted (yes yes, I know). The fluff is that they gain their magical power through their connections with people, places and things - that is, Backgrounds.

Each caste has Caste Backgrounds, which are cheaper to buy, etc. etc. Not important right now.

The thing I want to ask, however... We've decided to use Past Life, but give it different mechanics because, well, these aren't Infernals. The idea is that, once per story per Background rating, you can spend 1 willpower to temporarily 'learn' a charm that you have the prerequisites for (that your Past Life could have known - if you're Akuma, no taking Infernal charms, etc.). How balanced is this? How long should it last?

[Rhyvurg]

I don't have any advice to offer but this idea intrigues me.

[Gensh]

The thing I want to ask, however... We've decided to use Past Life, but give it different mechanics because, well, these aren't Infernals. The idea is that, once per story per Background rating, you can spend 1 willpower to temporarily 'learn' a charm that you have the prerequisites for (that your Past Life could have known - if you're Akuma, no taking Infernal charms, etc.). How balanced is this? How long should it last?

Well, many Charms would be useless for less than a scene, so let's go ahead and make that the baseline. I can think of a few different models:

• One scene, rating times per story - this makes it a vaguely useful boon on par with some of the social backgrounds, but less useful than Artifact, so it would be a rarer background; the greatest benefit lies in being able to pick any qualifying Charm whenever you use it
• One scene, unlimited times per story, set list - this is an interesting point of balance; one of the major benefits to the background would be modularity; in this case, that is exchanged for more-or-less permanently having additional Charms, at a cost - which might need to be increased
• Indefinite with commitment - perhaps too strong; this makes it a definite plus, especially if the character can commit multiple points, but ultimately sets it in the Artifact range of utility, particularly if used with a set list

Of course, since even my best game boiled down to the Dusk (and sometimes the Dawn) soloing everything because the rest of the party couldn't so much as tie their shoes, my estimates on balance might be a bit off.

[Tavar]

Balance wise, it's going to be very, very, very hard to make it work. The Eclipse Anima power is one of the more contentious balance points in the game, and this seems like it could be much, much worse.

[Gensh]

Balance wise, it's going to be very, very, very hard to make it work. The Eclipse Anima power is one of the more contentious balance points in the game, and this seems like it could be much, much worse.

I believe you misread; it's only Charms for which the character already has the prerequisites. While situationally very useful, it's not a huge leap in power. Compare a 3-dot Artifact for 9xp vs a new Charm for 8-10xp. Obviously, there's a whole lot of wiggle room there depending on which Charm is chosen, but 1) that's a fault of Charm design; 2) it's really only putting the character a few sessions' worth of XP ahead at most. Unless Yuki changes it so that the character can get multiple Charms at once. Then it becomes quite a bit hairier.

[Tavar]

Ack, you're right.

I think the best comparison point would be Alchemicals: they can do something similar, and have built in costs.

[Xefas]

Gensh, is your new avatar 'Disco Mummy Shintai'?

Because that would be awesome.

[Gensh]

Gensh, is your new avatar 'Disco Mummy Shintai'?

Because that would be awesome.

Nah, that's just my regular swag. It's hard to tell but I'm using Tron Lines Shintai.

[Lord Raziere]

Tron Lines Shintai?

I have to go make a new avatar now. I have to show you how its done.

[Rockphed]

Balance wise, it's going to be very, very, very hard to make it work. The Eclipse Anima power is one of the more contentious balance points in the game, and this seems like it could be much, much worse.

The obvious solution would be to fix the Eclipse Anima power rather than trying to balance against it.

[Turalisj]

You mean like how they 'fixed' the Twilight anima by making it almost completely worthless without having a specific charm active?