General Exalted Discussion Thread X: Playground Cosmic Principle

[tonberrian]

Looking to make a Zenith based on Cain, got a background in mind (Supposedly mortal soldier, rather than freakish luck and Jurgan's special talent, he's a Solar), but well, I'm still not great at crunch as a few people on here can attest to.

Using these house rules for it.

*has his eyes on Kris*

[meschlum]

Meschlum, thanks in particular for the Grace magic ideas, I may use some of those in the deprogramming attempt.

(And I do mean it when I say deprogramming/healing. The GSP in question used to be the Lunar's best friend, I've seen her use a Heretical charm, and the last thing she said to the Lunar before using Freedom Lets Go was "I won't let you fall with me". She's suffering from massive Charm-induced amnesia and torture-induced PTSD, but I'm hopeful there is actually a chance for a somewhat positive ending here.)

Happy to help!

The Architect of Mind

The deep South has nervous legends of a being known as the Architect of Flesh, a weird resident of the Wyld who ventures into Creation in order to remake the bodies of its inhabitants. Those unfortunate enough to survive are warped and altered to a drastic degree - sometimes even in ways matching their desires.

In the North, one can find the Architect of Mind instead, an equally alien entity which leaves bodies untouched but thoughts and perhaps souls strangely reforged. Unlike its counterpart, those encountering the Architect often emerge in better shape than they were before, though such kindness from the forces of Chaos has its cost.

As matters of the mind and body are fluid, the Architects manifest in a myriad of different ways, often favoring the guise of a doctor of some sort. Dispensing mildly miraculous cures as a sideline, an Architect will eventually select a suitable candidate to focus upon then vanish from Creation's realm, channelling its powers upon, and through, the fortunate Creation-born.

Those who dare come close to one chosen by an Architect are liable to bear the full brunt of its rejected plans. Dispensing altered bodies or strange madnesses to such secondary beings, the Architect seeks to refine and improve its chosen vessel. And, eventually, will consider itself successful or witness the end of its host.

When questioned, the Architect of Mind has admitted that its purpose in seeking out and conquering the madness of the Creation-born is its desire to challenge and fight the geratest foes it can find - and thus far, it has proven ever victorious.

Creation-level Xia
Compassion 5, Valor 5 (Cup and Sword 5 each) - 2 bp
Essence 3 - 10 bp
Birth 2
Artifact 1

Assumption of Dreams and Passion
Rejection of Conflict
Rejection of Desire
Soul Carving Artifice
Heart Stealing Kiss
Manacles of Virtue
Fantastic Grotesquerie Shell

Some (more) Artifact, Gossamer, and Birth are worth looking at.

1 free charm, 7 background points and 6 free bp

Mind-healer's Oath: "Until my patient is healed, I shall live within their dreams".

One of the tools of the Architect, the Oath allows its owner to sink into the body and mind of a patient. This allows it to become a Wyld taint and gain great insight into the thoughts of the patient.

1-dot Adjuration
Assumption of the Person's Heart
Surpassing Excellence - healing the mind of the patient.

Lenses of Soothing Perception

The Lenses are one of the Architect's first gifts to a prospective patient. Only one pair exists, but they have a truly phenomenal effect: when the person wearing them witnesses something horrifying, all memory of that event is erased from their memory. While this deception does not restore a shattered mind, it does enable one whose thoughts are fragile to travel without fear of seeing distressful reminders of matters best unrecalled.

Overuse of the Lenses can prove dangerous as the person wearing it may be utterly (and dangerously) oblivious to beings and events in their vicinity.

1-dot Oneiromancy
Assumption of Dreams and Passion - the Lenses look very comforting.
Fall of Night Shadows the Truth - when someone wearing the lenses witnesses a triggering event, the memory of said event is erased. This can reach a few minutes into the past, and be activated as often as necessary.

Mechanically, Heart Stealing Kiss and Manacles of Virtue allow the Architect to edit the Virtues of a patient, seeking to manage a reasonably balanced mindset.

Significant social skills allow some tampering with Intimacies so as to help with healing.

The Lenses let its patient interact more easily with the world, though their memory may have extra hiccups.

Soul Carving Artifice provides fluff for going into the patient's mind and fighting the bad things within.

Rejection of Desire combined with Assumption of the Person's Heart lets the Architect remove memories of people who have made the patient's life difficult. The Architect can also collect memories of supportive people from previous patients or bystanders and use these to help the current patient.

Similarly, Rejection of Conflict allows the erradication of an enemy, battle, and the like. Again, a good way to cut down on stress. Or share memories of final victory, of course.

Fantastic Grotesquerie Shell could be used for a set of mind stabilizing mutations (or Derangements), which are then shared with the patient.

Of course, to fuel all this, the Architect needs to partake of the souls of numerous other Creation-born, and possibly steal a few of their better memories. But it's all for the good of the patient, so it must be all right!

[Kobold-Bard]

Necromancy is more tied to the Labyrinth and the Neverborn than the Underworld as a whole. Or, that's what my justification would be. Not to familiar with necromancy or the like myself.

Fair enough, just seemed a bit odd.

I'd say it would fit in as a Lunar charm. What specific parts do you want?

The ageing rapidly thing is the main thing I was after, though the subconscious knowledge transfer might help. The main aim is to have one specific kid to not take a decade and a half while they grow up, but in general Beastmen that can fight in 1 year instead of 10 might eventually be helpful.

[meschlum]

The ageing rapidly thing is the main thing I was after, though the subconscious knowledge transfer might help. The main aim is to have one specific kid to not take a decade and a half while they grow up, but in general Beastmen that can fight in 1 year instead of 10 might eventually be helpful.

Akshata Sexual Methodology lets you create childern with... unique... features.

Access to the Wyld (or a Chancel) gives you narrative time and thus can modify the time that passes in Creation while your spawn grows to maturity.

Shuffling the Pieces gives you minions each time you kill an opponent.

Awakened Dream Manufacture lets you create a servant with power comparable to a god-blood every scene. Shape Forged Servant is even better.

An oneiromancy with Behemoth Forging Meditation and Mayfly Transformation can drastically accelerate the growth (and possibly learning) rate of those nearby.

Granting a Creation-born child a few potent 'guardian spirits' via Assumption of the Person's Heart can confer significant physical and mental prowess, as long as the child does what the voices tell him to. It's a bit mote and virtue intensive, though.

Crafter's Arsenal lets you create fully trained units of Extras in a single season.

Beating up the Fair Folk until they agree to help lets you do all this, if you don't just pick up a few Graces and do it yourself.

[Kris Strife]

I know someone's put a Chainsword homebrew up: might be the Demented One before he joined up with White Wolf.

Need more advice?

Seems I was wrong, I could use a link to that chainsword homebrew, Google has failed to bring up any stats, and Chain Daiklaves are something else altogether.

*has his eyes on Kris*

Hey, at least I'm not making a video game or anime character.

[The Demented One]

Seems I was wrong, I could use a link to that chainsword homebrew, Google has failed to bring up any stats, and Chain Daiklaves are something else altogether.

Can you wait until Shards?

[Kyeudo]

The Ink Monkeys are taunting the forums again . . .

[Kris Strife]

Can you wait until Shards?

Personally, I could but I don't think my storyteller would appreciate that.

[The Demented One]

The Ink Monkeys are taunting the forums again . . .

Don't think of it as taunting. Think of it as a chainspoiler.

[Tavar]

Wow. Oramus, a poster on the White Wolf Forums made something awesome. He distilled into a single page of the internet the White wolf forums. Or, at least, some of the common talking points.

Best one I've seen:

Lunars are imcompatable with Lunar protagonism!! This should never be allowed.

The ageing rapidly thing is the main thing I was after, though the subconscious knowledge transfer might help. The main aim is to have one specific kid to not take a decade and a half while they grow up, but in general Beastmen that can fight in 1 year instead of 10 might eventually be helpful.

Not sure about balance or naming, but here:

Cost:10m, 1wp(10m); Mins: Wits 5, Essence 4; Type: Simple(in Long Ticks)
Keywords: Shaping, Training
Duration: One Season
Prerequisite Charms: None

This charm is applied to a group of children no larger than magnitude 1. Those effected grow at an accelerated rate, reaching adulthood at the end of the charm. They gain a heroic motivation, and start out as normal Heroic mortals with 2 extra attribute dots split between two attributes and then Essence x2 bonus points that can be divided however the Lunar chooses.

At Essence 6, the Lunar can instead tie this charm to an area. This must either be an area the Lunar claimed with Boundary-Marking Meditation or Invisible Warren Creation. All children or infants who dwell in the area for a long enough time gain the benefits, and all of the extra attribute dots and bonus points must be spend in the same way.

Seems I was wrong, I could use a link to that chainsword homebrew, Google has failed to bring up any stats, and Chain Daiklaves are something else altogether.

Here. Found it on the Demented One's old Temporary Homebrew Compendium page.

[Teln]

Wow. Oramus, a poster on the White Wolf Forums made something awesome. He distilled into a single page of the internet the White wolf forums. Or, at least, some of the common talking points.

I got this:

Sidereals are detrimental to setting verisimilitude!!! This should never be allowed.

[Kobold-Bard]

...
Not sure about balance or naming, but here:

Cost:10m, 1wp(10m); Mins: Wits 5, Essence 4; Type: Simple(in Long Ticks)
Keywords: Shaping, Training
Duration: One Season
Prerequisite Charms: None

This charm is applied to a group of children no larger than magnitude 1. Those effected grow at an accelerated rate, reaching adulthood at the end of the charm. They gain a heroic motivation, and start out as normal Heroic mortals with 2 extra attribute dots split between two attributes and then Essence x2 bonus points that can be divided however the Lunar chooses.

At Essence 6, the Lunar can instead tie this charm to an area. This must either be an area the Lunar claimed with Boundary-Marking Meditation or Invisible Warren Creation. All children or infants who dwell in the area for a long enough time gain the benefits, and all of the extra attribute dots and bonus points must be spend in the same way.

...

That looks really cool, but only lasting one season could be an issue.

Thanks very much.

[Tavar]

That looks really cool, but only lasting one season could be an issue.

Thanks very much.

It takes a season to take effect, but the duration is permanent.

[Kobold-Bard]

It takes a season to take effect, but the duration is permanent.

Ah, that's much better. Thanks.

[golentan]

Some of the best I got...

Alchemicals are laughably underpowered in relation to Alchemical playability. This should never be allowed.

When I ST, Dragon-Blooded are laughably underpowered in relation to Liminal design space - Dragon-Blooded aren't even real Exalted!

Solars will create Alchemicals. This defies Solar Eminence Doctrine

[Mr.Bookworm]

Challenge accepted.

*pulls out las pistol*

*BLAM*

Ah, I see you picked up the Desus Charms.

Wow. Oramus, a poster on the White Wolf Forums made something awesome. He distilled into a single page of the internet the White wolf forums. Or, at least, some of the common talking points.

It's updated for even more talking points now!

When I ST, Demons are laughably underpowered in relation to Lunar morality. Why don't the devs fix this?

People say Compassion sucks, but they forget that one time a Lunar fed an orphan so hard that Mardukth's face imploded.

[golentan]

And another good one.

The point of the matter is, Alchemicals are detrimental to Alchemical playability. This is objectively suboptimal.

[tonberrian]

Don't think of it as taunting. Think of it as a chainspoiler.

CAN'T DELAY GAME FOR CHAINSPOILER

Would I be able to have a Chainbeamklave?

[Hiro Protagonest]

*grumbles*

When I ST...

When I ST, Abyssals can parry Ghosts. What's to stop SWLiHN blowing stuff up again?

Another few rounds, waiter!

Demons should permanently escape Infernals. What's to stop SWLiHN blowing stuff up again?

Solars should expediently kill Demons. The Usurpation isn't even mechnically supported...

At my table, Dragon-Blooded are deprotagonising to Deathlord doomtrains. This defies Solar Eminence Doctrine

[Blackdrop]

My favorites:

Spoiler

Show

Dragon-blooded can beat Demons. Why hasn't this been errata'd yet?

Deathlords are laughably underpowered in relation to Dragon-Blooded Charm copy. Mortals shouldn't be allowed to win!

Arianna is such a magnificent defender of creation. This should never be allowed.

Solars must grapple Lunars. Shut up and take my money!

[The Demented One]

CAN'T DELAY GAME FOR CHAINSPOILER

Would I be able to have a Chainbeamklave?

Hahaha god.

I guess there's nothing stopping you from applying the template, other than your Storyteller smacking you.

[Tavar]

Hahaha god.

I guess there's nothing stopping you from applying the template, other than your Storyteller smacking you.

Pretty sure he is the Storyteller in this case.

[Teln]

Dug up some more gems from the forum imitator.

Spoiler

Show

Only a fool would argue that Fokuf is such a brilliant example of a well-constructed NPC. Mortals shouldn't be allowed to win!

As far as I'm concerned, The Green Lady is such a magnificent defender of Creation. I'm fed up of all these strawmen.

As far as I'm concerned, Lunars should kill Fair Folk. Why don't the devs fix this?

For my group, Liminals can expediently beat Abyssals. Death should NEVER be an upgrade.

Solars can never beat Solars. This has ruined Exalted forever!

Only a fool would argue that Arianna is such a terrible failure. Stupid useless compassion.

[Mr.Bookworm]

Quick request: Does anyone happen to have the Old Realm font lying around? All I can find are defunct links.

EDIT: In my search for that, though, I did find an automatic High Realm translator, which is pretty cool.

[Exthalion]

Quick request: Does anyone happen to have the Old Realm font lying around? All I can find are defunct links.

EDIT: In my search for that, though, I did find an automatic High Realm translator, which is pretty cool.

Old Realm isn't the same kind of alphabet we use, the sounds are positioned into word glyphs. So a traditional typing program can't do it correctly.

[Rikandur Azebol]

That translator is very fun, Mr Bookworm. Thank You from the bottom of my heart !

Pa-La-ya-ga-ro-u-nu-du ... just giggle worthy !

[The Demented One]

oh hey what's this

[Lord Raziere]

Its The Scarlet Shepherd standing opposite to the Crimson Empress on her Chainklave Throne, over the Scarlet Secretary and the Chief Empress of the Imperial City Police.

Did I answer correctly?

[Hiro Protagonest]

oh hey what's this

Unnamed hot redheaded Dragon-Blooded from different Shards. And one android or cyborg.

Not sure why one would be a secretary though... unless she's from a reality where the Solars still rule.

Is the one on the chainsawklave throne the Empress in the Burn Legend Shard?

[Teln]

Unnamed hot redheaded Dragon-Blooded from different Shards. And one android or cyborg.

Not sure why one would be a secretary though... unless she's from a reality where the Solars still rule.

That's no secretary, that's President Scarlett on her way to deliver the annual State of the Realm address.