General WoD Discussion #2: Its time to Celebrate!

[SiuiS]

I don't remember, can you get tricked into swearing a Changeling Oath?

Yes. It comes up in rites of spring, actually. Specifically, if you say "or die trying" and a changeling acknowledges it,you're boned.

What... no?

Ahem.

C:tL pp.176 "Step 8: The terms of the pledge are described to all parties, and all agree, paying the necessary invocation cost. The wyrd settles the pledge into the fate of all parties and the pledge is sealed."

Cognizance is necessary. You can't spring it on people like that. They don't have to *believe* the pledge will actually come true, but they need to know what the terms are and agree to them. A mortal might swear a pledge with an odd faerie unknowing that it will be enforced by destiny itself. An ignorant vampire might do the same. One who knows about pledges won't.

Rites of spring (often considered the second half of changeling core, for all that matters) covers it. Again though, storytelling system. Any ST who screws you over with "sorry those are the rules" deserves to get punched in the face.

It appears that a new discussion has popped up in the thread while I was procrastinating on my reply. I'll just slide in smoothly and...

Er, the post I was replying too was talking about the corruption of the Legacy member mind due to the gulmoth body parts. Not anything to do with training. Did you reply to the wrong part of my post?

No, I don't believe so. I'm speaking in general. The difference between a normal legacy and the Legion is in the fluff. Mechanically, they still show up on soul marks, and are still just shaping your soul, which still requires induction into the legacy somehow. The strongest way into that is through a mentor. Although I could see the mentor being the Gulmoth itself.

Anyways, you have a valid point. I don't think it's as cut and dry as you say though and offer these possibilities as evidence:

You could find a daimonomicon. The book says that

Now daimonomicons are rare but I don't see why finding one is harder than finding the member of a forbidden Legacy who's attainments almost require them to hide from people. The book also says

Harder or easier is moot. If you make it known to the ST this is your goal, you'll get there at the speed of plot. The most important part is what's good for the story.

A legacy is evolving your soul. You could consider that as important as having a template in D&D and get it for the +2 then ignore it, or it could be important to the game. I prefer and respond more to the second one, because otherwise you don't get any role playing you just have a bunch of dice rolls and declarations of successes. It becomes like arguing a contract, and its boring to me.

So preemptively, yes, you could have the Legion legacy and no one bats an eye and you have cool powers, but that's stupid and I don't care and I don't understand why you would want something so useful and powerful at driving a story and then not want that story.

You could also hide your lack of devotion to the Abyss long enough to get training,

I don't think so, actually. Using the abyss to file your magic is addictive and eventually twists you into serving it. Tome of the mysteries lets a Mage infuse his casting with abyssal energy, cuts paradox and works like most drug mechanics. You get to the second stage of addiction, and you're now scelestus.

There's also the fact that you master may not be Scelestus. Perhaps he's like you and joined the Legacy out of practicality.

That's possible, but unlikely. Your mast would have gnosis 7' which is a requirement (I think?) for passing on a legacy, which means that its not just between you. And your master — it's between you, your master, and three reality-feasting demons, one of whom may have replaced said master's CNS.

Could I get a quote from the writers? Because otherwise I strongly disagree with you (again, all my thoughts are my impression. I'm totally open to being proven wrong).

I find it a little tacky that you request a citation and then counter my assertion with surmise of your own. Either we are dealing in good faith or we are not.

The Abyss is not good. The Abyss is not evil either. The Abyss is nonsense. It's meaningless personified.

The abyss is many things, possibly nonsense included. The abyss in non-ens, but you missed the point of my statement. If you pin down the abyss then you're setting yourself up, because anecdotally (and this you CAN get from the writers, since it shows up in every example of the abyss that applies which I have read) everyone who thinks they have hate abyss figured out gets twisted. Every. One. It's not a rule, it's not fluff, it's a metaconceit.

If you want pure evil you're much better off looking at the demons from Inferno.

If you want pure evil, look to pandemonium. It is He'll, after all. Except pandemonium is the kind of evil you can learn from, and better yourself thereby. Stygia is a terrible bleak place and no one would ever really want to get there, except its balm for the soul in a literal fashion.

The abyss isn't. It takes. It does not give. And this does come from somewhere, though I can't recall exactly which section of which book (but I only have core, tome of the mysteries, adamantine arrow, mysterium, tome of the watchtowers, keys to the Superbad tarot, legacies: the ancient, magical traditions and seers of the throne)' but it does say somewhere that there are those who think they get something out of the arrangement, but in the end it is ashes in their mouth, as they trade away substance for fleeting illusion.

TL;DR: The Abyss is bad for the Fallen World but it isn't actually evil.

I said bad, myself.

...

It occurs to me that if that's what you meant all along than I've just gotten all these quotes for nothing...ah screw it.

Not for nothing. Cerebral stimulation is fun on occasion, I just like variety. If I wanted pure numbers crunching I'd go back to D&D ;)

Also, I disagree with you interpretation that every time you deal with the Abyss it ends in horrible tradgedy. All the times people get screwed over when dealing with the Abyss is not really just the Abyss's thing. It's simply an extension of the game's theme of "Hubris is bad".

"I know thousands of years of history say the abyss is
The
Worst
POSSIBLE
THING!
But I know better because I'm not shackled to objective morality like those other guys" is hubris at its finest, it is at its core saying I'm correct, you're not, because I'm better.

Personally, I think the game benefits from an objectively bad thing which cannot be beaten. You don't triumph against the abyss. There is no abyssal happily ever after. The best you can do is lock it back up and move on. It's a poisonous thing, like an abusive relationship. You don't reform the abyss. You move, change your phone number and don't send a postcard.

Gilmore?

Sorry, iOS devices don't like the word Gulmoth. You'd think after several corrections they would stop fixing them. I am notorious for these slips unfortunately. The device has waited up to a full 30 seconds before "correcting" a word before. Hard to catch sometimes.

The Gulmoth Legion replaces body parts with are explicitly not corrosive to reality just by existing. The book does not say anything of that sort.

The Gulmoth replaces the body part with a gulmoth, which is an abyssal entity, which the book does posit is likely corrosive to reality.

I think you meant sapient instead of sentient cancer?

Also, I assume you're trying to evoke a certain feeling when you call it cancer? Legions body parts aren't really like cancer at all.

Not bothering with the links. The implications of both have been different every time I've looked, and the point is to convey an ability to have intention.
And reality might disagree with you on the Gulmoth not being cancer. Rallies made weaker, sickened and partially killed by the Gulmoth growing in it.

Though yes, I was going for a certain feel.

The problem I have with this line of reasoning is that you're applying human motives to being from a corrosive paradoxical incomprehensible anti-reality.

Now it's true that many intruders seem kind of humanlike in their thoughts. Your line of reasoning could concievably apply to many of them. I do not think Legions gulmoth are those intruders.

For one it's unclear how smart the body part gulmoth even are. The Legacy writeup describes them as the "least" of the gulmoth. Maybe they have intelligence on the level of insects and can't tell the difference between murdering a pentacle mage and murdering another intruder.

How would a single Legion mage destroy the Abyss anyways? He can't by just fighting Intruders. I think it's perfectly plausible for one gulmoth to not care if you beat up another one (particularly if you helped the first). After all, would the somalis care if you gave them food and water and then went and beat up some americans?

Abyssal entities are extensions of the abyss. Literally. If the abyss goes away, the Gulmoth also goes away because it doesn't exactly have the same relationship to the abyss as a human has to earth.

Is it also worth pointing out that you say Gulmoth involved may be as dumb as insects but also smart enough to realize that's lone Mage cannot beat the abyss?

Why would the Legion gulmoth even care if you destroyed the Abyss? After all, it attached itself to you didn't it? If space-cattle destroyed earth life would suck for the humans still on it but the humans in the space-cattle spaceship (who went their on their own) wouldn't be effected much.

To follow this further, they wouldn't be human anymore. They would be changed enough to survive spacecattle environs, genetically, mentally, spiritually. Attaching legion Gulmoth changes your soul. With other legacies, we have a nominal nod to "you're still human, just refined" from the rest of the awakened world on most legacies. Not so much with legion.


Or Daksha. But I'm not sure if blue skinned, three eyed hermaphrodites are lateral, or an improvement to the human condition. But legacies don't exist so I guess it doesn't matter. At least they are nice enough not to ape being human.

By the way, did you get what I sent you about that Winter Court person I was thinking of making? The game I was considering her for seems to have died, but she still seems like she'd be fun to play, so if you'd be up for helping me flesh her out, that would be lovely...

Oh, I'm sorry. I thought I sent that D:
I'll have to see if I still have my response queued up, or failing that if I still have your message.

[Lady Serpentine]

You know, I'm pretty sure the freehold should have stepped in to stop that kind of idiocy long before the vampires caught wind of it. Ensorcelling half the city would be a huge beacon for the Gentry, complete with a sign saying "Changelings this way --->" in bright neon letters.



Uh, so you're saying that you were dealing with the problem for them and had successfully rescued the hostage, and their response was to attack you? Sounds like there are some other problems here besides just your resulting predicament...

Not to mention that by all logic the freehold higher-ups should have gone in early on to talk things out with the vampires and work damage control, considering the severe risk of blowback against them on account of a rogue PC.



Oh, and make sure they mention the Summer Court Patent-Pending Sun Lasers.

There are no freehold higher-ups in the city, from what I can tell. They all blew themselves up, figuratively speaking, hence the need to hedgewalk elsewhere to recruit help that I alluded to - if it weren't for the fact that the PCs appear to be the only Changelings around, I'd have just suggested going to the elders of the local Summer Court, if there is one, or, failing that, preferably Autumn, though, really, any would do, in a pinch.

However, the existence, or lack thereof, of freeholds aside, ensorcellment isn't easy - it takes at least two Sanctions on the Mortal, assuming they get nothing else out of out of it, and if the Changeling wants anything from it other than the existence of a mortal who can see the world as it really is, they have to add at least one extra Boon and Sanction to their side, too.

That being the case, since it naturally makes for some fairly involved pledges, what I want to know is how he managed to ensorcel people on sight, especially a large number of them - it's not like he could just say 'do you want to see things you've never seen before?', or something along those lines, and use that to bind them to a pledge.

While I don't know the details, it seems like at least some of the people he met should have said 'You're crazy, dude. Leave me alone.', rather than accepting the Pledge. I can see getting away with that if you're LARPing or something, since then they'd just assume that you were talking in-character if it wasn't nonsensical with the setting, but not just with whoever you meet walking the city. Admittedly, a fair number of them could just be going 'yeah, sure, whatever.', just to shut him up and get away, but I'd imagine that in that case, the first thing they'd do would be run away screaming because the guy they were talking to just turned into something completely different than what he was a minute ago.

Oh, I'm sorry. I thought I sent that D:
I'll have to see if I still have my response queued up, or failing that if I still have your message.

It's fine. :)

And thank you!~

[SiuiS]

Oh, and make sure they mention the Summer Court Patent-Pending Sun Lasers.

Gotta love those sun lasers!

Oh, found this from DaveB, one of the writers for Mage.

I didn't know it was possible to be tricked into learning a Legacy. Doesn't it require clear intent and consent to change your soul like that?

Joining a Legacy the normal way requires a tutor to teach you the oblations and, through some kind of ceremony that isn't particularly well defined in the line, create an arcane link between your soul and theirs identifying themselves as your mentor.

Thing is, though, that lots of Left-Handed Legacies have gotten *really really good* at hiding the questionable parts of their beliefs and practices until students are in too deep to back out. The Mystery Cult works against the newbie here - he believes what his mentor tells him, and only once hes got the first attainment does he find out that the second involves eating babies. Sucks to be him.

You can also learn a Legacy by paying a flat 10xp to copy the attainments from a Daimonomicon or Soul Stone into your own soul. You only have the word of what's written in the Daimonomicon or any associated records with teh Stone as to what your new Attainments will actually do - which is why the Pentacle really discourage young mages from doing it. Several Daimonomica are even enchanted to make victims think it's a really good idea to use them. And once you're in, you're in. No changing your Legacy without archmagic.

Neither of those force the newbie to actually fal lin line and follow his new Legacy's beliefs, of course, but if the Pentacle will kill you if they find out anyway, you're sliding toward apostasy at a best result.

Relevant quote is relevant.



C'nor, I found my response, but at the time it was "I'm swamped, here's a little bit of data until I can do some research" so I'm gonna actually do that research, to give you a decent response.

Have you been in the Gathering of Mists OOC thread at all? I think a recent discussion would be interesting to you.

[Lady Serpentine]

C'nor, I found my response, but at the time it was "I'm swamped, here's a little bit of data until I can do some research" so I'm gonna actually do that research, to give you a decent response.

Have you been in the Gathering of Mists OOC thread at all? I think a recent discussion would be interesting to you.

Seems sensible.

And no, I haven't. I lost my subscriptions again a while ago, and forgot to track them back down... I'm sure it probably would be, though. You guys cover all sorts of cool things.

[Selrahc]

Potential solution to the Bloodbinding Problem, assuming GM collaboration:

Changelings may be "Prenaturally conditioned for servitude" in this game world, but they definitely don't like it! Your character might not be able to resist the thrall, but other changelings would see it as distinctly unhealthy.

So go and let on the situation to other Changelings. At a Goblin Market or something. Befriend them, then start obsessing over your vampire regnant in an unhealthy way. Don't directly aswk for help, but make it clear that you need it. If they're decent enough individuals, they might well offer it. I think a group of PC changelings in the same situation might well do so.

OOCly, basically, let the GM know that you want out of the blood bond, then pitch him a way to do it within the context of the game.

[Lady Serpentine]

Sorry for posting so much, but I meant to do this last post, and we're on the subject of Changeling at the moment, so... Would anyone mind informing me just how horribly I messed up my first attempt at Pledgecrafting?

Spoiler

Show

By my true name, I grant you the power to see those who would hide from you for a single moon, one short month. One turning, dark to dark, in which all things will be revealed to you. Further, I swear that none but I shall walk through your dreams for this span, and your pleasant dreams shall themselves be my reward for this service.

By your true name, you grant me leave to walk there that I may perform my task. Swear that you will let me take from your dreams what I deem fair payment, so long as it does you no harm. Swear that you will keep the knowledge I grant you from all who do not know it already, even as I keep your dreams, until the moon is as it was when we swore once again.

And let the one who is forsworn in this oath wake to find its teeth at their throat; ill-luck follow you if you are proved false in your promise of silence, and may my strands on the loom of Fate tangle and snap should my boon prove empty.

Do you so swear?

Changeling:

Dreaming: -2
Ensorcellment: -2
Glamour: +2
Blessing: +2
Curse: -2

Moon: +2

Mortal:

Ensorcellment: +2
Forbiddance: -2
Curse: -2

Moon: +2

Type: Oath, True Name

Invocation: 1 point of Willpower (both?), 1 point of Glamour (Changeling)

Effects:

The Changeling gains a point of Glamour each night that they enter the mortal's dreams, and works to make them both pleasant and safe from other intrusion. They also add two dots to an existing Merit, or gain a new Merit of two dots in strength, for the duration of the Pledge.

The mortal is ensorcelled, gaining the ability to see the things of the supernatural world, so long as they maintain silence about the things that this allows them to see with those not aware of their existence.

Should either party break this pledge, they are immediately afflicted with ill-luck; only a 9 or 10 in any dice pool counts a success.

[Sith_Happens]

assuming GM collaboration:

Unfortunately, that seems to be the main obstacle.

[Selrahc]

Unfortunately, that seems to be the main obstacle.

I'm getting the GM is resistant to changing the rules and has a certain view of how blood bonds and changeling psychology work. I think suggesting a storyline solution that fits within that viewpoint, and creates a game situation that the player finds more tolerable, might work.

[ToySoldierCPlus]

Sorry for posting so much, but I meant to do this last post, and we're on the subject of Changeling at the moment, so... Would anyone mind informing me just how horribly I messed up my first attempt at Pledgecrafting?

Spoiler

Show

By my true name, I grant you the power to see those who would hide from you for a single moon, one short month. One turning, dark to dark, in which all things will be revealed to you. Further, I swear that none but I shall walk through your dreams for this span, and your pleasant dreams shall themselves be my reward for this service.

By your true name, you grant me leave to walk there that I may perform my task. Swear that you will let me take from your dreams what I deem fair payment, so long as it does you no harm. Swear that you will keep the knowledge I grant you from all who do not know it already, even as I keep your dreams, until the moon is as it was when we swore once again.

And let the one who is forsworn in this oath wake to find its teeth at their throat; ill-luck follow you if you are proved false in your promise of silence, and may my strands on the loom of Fate tangle and snap should my boon prove empty.

Do you so swear?

Changeling:

Dreaming: -2
Ensorcellment: -2
Glamour: +2
Blessing: +2
Curse: -2

Moon: +2

Mortal:

Ensorcellment: +2
Forbiddance: -2
Curse: -2

Moon: +2

Type: Oath, True Name

Invocation: 1 point of Willpower (both?), 1 point of Glamour (Changeling)

Effects:

The Changeling gains a point of Glamour each night that they enter the mortal's dreams, and works to make them both pleasant and safe from other intrusion. They also add two dots to an existing Merit, or gain a new Merit of two dots in strength, for the duration of the Pledge.

The mortal is ensorcelled, gaining the ability to see the things of the supernatural world, so long as they maintain silence about the things that this allows them to see with those not aware of their existence.

Should either party break this pledge, they are immediately afflicted with ill-luck; only a 9 or 10 in any dice pool counts a success.

Mechanically sound, I like the prose overall. Good job.

[imany]

You know, I'm pretty sure the freehold should have stepped in to stop that kind of idiocy long before the vampires caught wind of it. Ensorcelling half the city would be a huge beacon for the Gentry, complete with a sign saying "Changelings this way --->" in bright neon letters.

There pretty much was no freehold. There was a storyline arc (still going) with loyalists/a cult assassinating the freehold leaders and kidnapping changelings. ICly it was established most changelings in the area left, aside from 3/4 court leaders being dead and the last being a traitor.

Uh, so you're saying that you were dealing with the problem for them and had successfully rescued the hostage, and their response was to attack you? Sounds like there are some other problems here besides just your resulting predicament...

Correct, but it was a kill first ask questions later situation given they knew the hostage had been kidnapped and didn't know what had gone on in the hedge.

Not to mention that by all logic the freehold higher-ups should have gone in early on to talk things out with the vampires and work damage control, considering the severe risk of blowback against them on account of a rogue PC.

Again, there were no higher-ups. My character was the highest ranking of active changelings. We had another Summer player who claimed the freehold crown and attempted diplomacy after the initial kidnapping which resulted in a ceasefire. He, however, pretty much made the claim, was accepted, and then disappeared from play, so everything that has happened after that has been up to us.

Whoops, forgot to write this before...

If you have any unbound-but-active Changelings on the grid, you could have one of them go to the vampires and say something along the lines of "Those of us here are less powerful than you are. We admit that. But the freeholds here that blew up on themselves aren't the only ones in existence. Knock it off, or we'll hedgewalk over a few cities and get some help.

Sure, it may not be their problem directly, but we all take being made into slaves, even well-treated ones, seriously, so do you really want to risk that?"

Theoretically, that should make them back off. And if not, well, fine, then, you can do exactly what you said.

We don't, otherwise this would be a great solution. We might soon (there's a player run plot where a few mortals are turning into changelings) but they'll be build-wise weak due to sheet conversion and probably not want to deal with the vampires. In addition, one undergoing durance is already bound to a vampire.

There are no freehold higher-ups in the city, from what I can tell. They all blew themselves up, figuratively speaking, hence the need to hedgewalk elsewhere to recruit help that I alluded to - if it weren't for the fact that the PCs appear to be the only Changelings around, I'd have just suggested going to the elders of the local Summer Court, if there is one, or, failing that, preferably Autumn, though, really, any would do, in a pinch.

Pretty much spot on :(

However, the existence, or lack thereof, of freeholds aside, ensorcellment isn't easy - it takes at least two Sanctions on the Mortal, assuming they get nothing else out of out of it, and if the Changeling wants anything from it other than the existence of a mortal who can see the world as it really is, they have to add at least one extra Boon and Sanction to their side, too.

That being the case, since it naturally makes for some fairly involved pledges, what I want to know is how he managed to ensorcel people on sight, especially a large number of them - it's not like he could just say 'do you want to see things you've never seen before?', or something along those lines, and use that to bind them to a pledge.

While I don't know the details, it seems like at least some of the people he met should have said 'You're crazy, dude. Leave me alone.', rather than accepting the Pledge. I can see getting away with that if you're LARPing or something, since then they'd just assume that you were talking in-character if it wasn't nonsensical with the setting, but not just with whoever you meet walking the city. Admittedly, a fair number of them could just be going 'yeah, sure, whatever.', just to shut him up and get away, but I'd imagine that in that case, the first thing they'd do would be run away screaming because the guy they were talking to just turned into something completely different than what he was a minute ago.

Wasn't that many, there were only four eligible mortals on grid, and of the two that were offered, both agreed because they'd seen things previously. One I believe may have been converted to a hunter sheet, but wasn't actively a hunter. The other was a high fame mortal. My character warned the changeling after finding out about those two, because she had run-ins with the latter that seriously threatened her existence.

The former is what got us into trouble. She was looking for a missing hunter and ended up bound at the hands of the vampires who killed said hunter. Since she knew about the changelings, she was interrogated to the point of breaking her pledge, after which she called the other changeling besides me for help, getting him captured and bound as well.

Potential solution to the Bloodbinding Problem, assuming GM collaboration:

Changelings may be "Prenaturally conditioned for servitude" in this game world, but they definitely don't like it! Your character might not be able to resist the thrall, but other changelings would see it as distinctly unhealthy.

So go and let on the situation to other Changelings. At a Goblin Market or something. Befriend them, then start obsessing over your vampire regnant in an unhealthy way. Don't directly aswk for help, but make it clear that you need it. If they're decent enough individuals, they might well offer it. I think a group of PC changelings in the same situation might well do so.

OOCly, basically, let the GM know that you want out of the blood bond, then pitch him a way to do it within the context of the game.

This is a good solution, and I will give it a try later. Right now, my character concerned she might be cut off from her court due to being bound.

[comicshorse]

Oh, and make sure they mention the Summer Court Patent-Pending Sun Lasers.

Or for non Summer Changelings Contract of Hours Level 5.
" Ill met by moonlight Changeling foe "
" Actually, for you its about to be sunlight "

( Not to mention a nasty, rules lawyering interpretation of the rules indicates Vampires don't get to resist the power)

[SiuiS]

A thing I found

Yeah, they're using a variation of my Dramatic Combat (not that I'm accusing them of ripping me off. I got the idea from some optional rules in Dogs of War and expanded on it, and they're clearly running along a similar track because it works). The net result is a fight just as lethal, but less boring, as you'll often avoid being hit at all, but if you do get hit, it hurts. Also, the WoD system is at its most interesting around 1-3 dice, where you have a real chance of success or failure (because a single success is all you need). Very high dice pools are only useful for extended rolls. In the old system, the only way to really get ahead in combat is to outclass your opponent by 3 dice or more. With this sort of system, having one or two dice on your opponent can make enough of a difference. Finally, it makes options like All-Out Defense and All-Out Attack sensible. Before, x2 defense was pointless, as all it did was delay the inevitable. Now it might mean you don't get hit at all. And +2 to hit while sacrificing your 2 defense was a zero sum game, and largely just cosmetic. Now, you're potentially sacrificing a lot to get enough dice to get a decent chance at hitting your opponent, which might be enough to end the fight right there. Tactical choices! Brilliant.

Thoughts?

Personally, I find the "1-3 dice sweet spot" baffling. I've found 4-6 dice to be the point where someone will try something without whinging about how bad a spot they are in, and 1-3 being the "god I can't believe I am doing this" area.

[Sith_Happens]

This is a good solution, and I will give it a try later. Right now, my character concerned she might be cut off from her court due to being bound.

If your ST does go for it, remember that the next step after getting unbonded is to turn the tables on the vampire with a Pledge.

My suggestion would be to pretend that you're still bonded and unaware of the fact, get all lovey-dovey with him, and make a comment about how he's such a great guy that he'd rather [X] than do anything to control you, right? If he takes the bait and plays along with the irony of that line, you seal the Pledge.

Alternatively, just flat-out tell him "I'm not your thrall any more, and if you still want my help with anything then it needs to stay that way." That way is a lot riskier though, so you might want to find out OOC from the vampire player what his reaction is likely to be. At the very least, be prepared for the fact that he has the upper hand in any negotiation to work out the terms of a voluntary Pledge (after all, what's to stop him from refusing and just bonding you again?).

[Patient RFM]

Would anybody be up for starting a game of Genius: the Transgression? I see people wanting to play it all the time, but almost nobody actually finds an ST and gets a game going. Which is a shame. Because science.

[Chen]

If your ST does go for it, remember that the next step after getting unbonded is to turn the tables on the vampire with a Pledge.

My suggestion would be to pretend that you're still bonded and unaware of the fact, get all lovey-dovey with him, and make a comment about how he's such a great guy that he'd rather [X] than do anything to control you, right? If he takes the bait and plays along with the irony of that line, you seal the Pledge.

Alternatively, just flat-out tell him "I'm not your thrall any more, and if you still want my help with anything then it needs to stay that way." That way is a lot riskier though, so you might want to find out OOC from the vampire player what his reaction is likely to be. At the very least, be prepared for the fact that he has the upper hand in any negotiation to work out the terms of a voluntary Pledge (after all, what's to stop him from refusing and just bonding you again?).

The first can be a good one (assuming you get unbound somehow) especially if the player is arrogant about his own power. However, the second one seems downright suicidal, unless you have some way to back up your threat. I mean he refrained from killing you the first time because of the bond. If you can break that and you're a threat to him or his influence, its probably time for you to die.

[imany]

Well, by the time I'm even able to break the bond I'll be at least Wyrd 6 (I need 88 xp to get there averaging about 14 a week, and there are other things I want to buy along the way) unless someone else kills him for me, at which point I'll be at the mercy of the other vampires (which is the worst possibility, since they apparently hate all changelings).

I'd rather make sure we're pledged in some sort of alliance before that happens. Plenty of time for it, I guess.

[Mewtarthio]

So, does anyone else have Mummy: The Curse yet?

[Turalisj]

Yup. I wanna get playing in a game of it at some point.

[WitchSlayer]

So, does anyone else have Mummy: The Curse yet?

Yes.

Mummy matches mage for overpoweredness.

[The Glyphstone]

How does their 'Power Stat 10 and falling' thingamajiggery work? Do you pay XP to start with a lower power stat and get something for it, instead of paying for a higher stat?

[Turalisj]

Yes.

Mummy matches mage for overpoweredness.

Could you expand on how you came to this conclusion about a splat that is only a few hours old?

How does their 'Power Stat 10 and falling' thingamajiggery work? Do you pay XP to start with a lower power stat and get something for it, instead of paying for a higher stat?

Doesn't look like you can start with more than 10. You have to deal with freaking out every human you come across until your Sekhem goes down. Which, y'know, you don't want since it is pretty much your lifeline.

[The Glyphstone]

Could you expand on how you came to this conclusion about a splat that is only a few hours old?



Doesn't look like you can start with more than 10. You have to deal with freaking out every human you come across until your Sekhem goes down. Which, y'know, you don't want since it is pretty much your lifeline.

That's not what I meant. I meant that normal supernaturals start their Power Stat at 1, and gain it as they age (or buy it up with XP). Since Mummies start with their Sekhem at 10, is it an option for them to voluntarily start lower than 10, and do they have to pay XP for that privilege?

[Turalisj]

Sorry, tired. Meant less than 10.

[WitchSlayer]

Could you expand on how you came to this conclusion about a splat that is only a few hours old?



Doesn't look like you can start with more than 10. You have to deal with freaking out every human you come across until your Sekhem goes down. Which, y'know, you don't want since it is pretty much your lifeline.

Really quick reader and really good at optimization. And no, you don't get to start with a power stat lower than 10. You start at 10 and it slowly falls over time with checks. When it drops to 0 you "die" and come back later with it back at 10.

[Turalisj]

Actually, it's hidden away in the "ways to get descent rolls quickly" area. If you increase your Memory, you automatically roll Descent. So buy up Memory and you'll have a good chance of dropping your Sekhem a bit.

Of course, you can always graffiti another Arisen's Tomb and poop in their soul jars, but that's only if you can get away with it.

[The Glyphstone]

"Professor Jones, look at these heiroglyphs!"
"Fascinating, Steve. They appear to be an obscure and ancient pre-Egyptian dialect."
"What do they say?"
"Hmmm...let me see....Tutakhatokamen...is....a....colossal....raging...p ile...of...crocodile..."
"Er...Professor? What's that moving behind you?"

[Turalisj]

That’s it! Other than avoiding certain occult atrocities
and paying lip service to the culture that owns her
obedience anyway, the only thing that puts an Arisen at
risk is being a person. One can be a pretty evil sonofabitch
without imperiling one’s status in Duat. Murder, rape,
arson? Go nuts with that; just don’t try to take credit for
anything positive.

Someone took the Exalted meme of "murderhobo" to a very literal degree.

[ToySoldierCPlus]

Someone took the Exalted meme of "murderhobo" to a very literal degree.

I thought murderhobo was just a general descriptor for your average fantasy RPG character, system irrelevant. Anyway, is the game available on DrivethruRPG yet? It didn't seem to be last night, and I'm getting tired of waiting.

[Mewtarthio]

I thought murderhobo was just a general descriptor for your average fantasy RPG character, system irrelevant. Anyway, is the game available on DrivethruRPG yet? It didn't seem to be last night, and I'm getting tired of waiting.

Did you donate to the Kickstarter?

[ToySoldierCPlus]

I did not, for multiple reasons. But people seem to be getting their PDFs, which means it's ready, which means it should be up for sale. Despite this, it's not. And I'm getting impatient.