General Exalted Discussion XVI: Chej Kejak, Pokegod Trainer!

[Sydonai]

Congratulations. The Yozi are now terrified of you. Also, of all the conceivable paths to transcendence, why would you take the one that explicitly makes your own terminal illness a core facet of your identity?

Because Auto's charm-set can explicitly break boundaries and limitations.
A little robo-cancer that can be stalled as long as you don't go into a thousand-year nap is a small price to pay.

[TimeWizard]

Because Auto's charm-set can explicitly break boundaries and limitations.A little robo-cancer that can be stalled as long as you don't go into a thousand-year nap is a small price to pay.

Psssh, you're a Solaroid. Breaking unreachable boundaries and doing the impossible are what get you out of bed in the morning.

[Lord Raziere]

oh, I think I finally figured out something I could see a character of mine Exalting over:

inventing the Hadoken while still mortal.

[Yuki Akuma]

Ansatsuken would fit as a Terrestrial martial art, so I can see that happening - an enlightened mortal invents their own TMA and Exalts after mastering the final charm.

[golentan]

Well, I'm playing a Dragonblood in a predominantly celestial game. So I may be worthless inside of the first few sessions.

On the upshot, I got enough bonus points to get the really fun war charms, and I got a free warstrider from the Kyeudo Fix, so I can do massive alpha strike damage and area control.

[Exthalion]

Well, I'm playing a Dragonblood in a predominantly celestial game. So I may be worthless inside of the first few sessions.

On the upshot, I got enough bonus points to get the really fun war charms, and I got a free warstrider from the Kyeudo Fix, so I can do massive alpha strike damage and area control.

You might consider loading up on ally DBs with teamwork charms. Celestials don't get quite the same synergy out of it.

[Qwertystop]

I wrote something in my notes today that sounds like a Charm.
"bound-breaking overflow problem"
Just tweak it a little. Error or Method instead of Problem. Any idea what that would do?

[GenericMook]

Psssh, you're a Solaroid. Breaking unreachable boundaries and doing the impossible are what get you out of bed in the morning.

Except that Autochthon is explicitly a better craftsman that anyone in the Solar Deliberative was at the height of their power. Opening the Seal of Eight Divinities was something that eluded even the brightest Solars of that time. Combine that with Solaroid capabilities, and well, you've got something very dangerous.

Plus, you aren't held down by things like soul hierarchies to prevent you from fixing your own terminal illness, so that's a thing.

[Exthalion]

Except that Autochthon is explicitly a better craftsman that anyone in the Solar Deliberative was at the height of their power. Opening the Seal of Eight Divinities was something that eluded even the brightest Solars of that time. Combine that with Solaroid capabilities, and well, you've got something very dangerous.

Plus, you aren't held down by things like soul hierarchies to prevent you from fixing your own terminal illness, so that's a thing.

Until you get to E10 with the full transcendent power of E10 charms, you are in about the same place the Twilight is in comparison to Autochthon.

[Phelix-Mu]

Had a properly epic stunt by one of my players' characters last session, a Twilight kung-fu doctor/masseur.

A Jade caste Alchemical was hard-wired into his city-organ in a rapidly collapsing Autochthonian apocalyptic hellscape. The arrival of the party coincided with some stress on the city's defenses, and the Alchemical's remaining essence was being drained away as the city tried to fend off the near omnipresent blight of the dying machine god.

The party was clueless, and I had planned that, if they manage to communicate with the semi-catatonic Alchemical or extend his life (via Essence Lending Method, which almost half the party had as a pre-req for other stuff), then he could impart some vital information on the otherwise operationally blind Solars (and one former Lunar turned into a Raksha by Luna...long story).

Anyway, so the Solar Doctor, who hates to see people die and is by far the most virtuous and upright of the characters in the campaign, is leafing through his charms. I have already warned them that the blight is sucking essence everywhere, and will affect their essence regen rates; the lower their pool goes, the lower their regen will be. And Medicine charms are rather expensive essence-wise, and he's not even sure he can do anything for the guy as his white jade cybernetic body is overrun with fleshy tumors.

"I could maybe use Science of Mutation to give him an organ that would fend off the disease," the player said, thinking out loud.

Whoa, I thought, major curve ball.

Long story short, I made it properly hard and several players got together and aided in the attempt, and the Doctor drained himself down to 1 mote remaining (from full E6 Solar pool), dumping everything he had in an attempt to make it work. He exceeded my difficulty by nearly twenty successes, and brought himself to the edge of death.

Duly impressed, I decided that he basically altered the basic motonic nature of the Alchemical enough that he would never (or at least practically never) succumb to the essence-drain/blight that otherwise was consuming all of Autochthonia (and eating the Alchemicals as they attempted to hold the realm together). The Doctor basically stuffed a piece of the UCS' unquenchable glory into the Alchemical, giving him the power to exceed the limits of his dying realm (which he was bound to through the city-organ).

Like I said, properly epic.

[Turalisj]

oh, I think I finally figured out something I could see a character of mine Exalting over:

inventing the Hadoken while still mortal.

Does it run on love?

[golentan]

Does it run on love?

Every time you use it, someone somewhere loses a compassion channel.

[Sith_Happens]

Psssh, you're a Solaroid. Breaking unreachable boundaries and doing the impossible are what get you out of bed in the morning.

[ROW ROW FIGHT THE POWER intensifies]

[golentan]

[ROW ROW FIGHT THE POWER intensifies]

That show is why 3e needs to have rules for group anima banners as well as personal.

[ShadowFighter15]

That show is why 3e needs to have rules for group anima banners as well as personal.

And if it doesn't; the homebrewers better get their stills ready.

[golentan]

So I'm working on my homebrew Shard, World of Exalts, where everyone exalts. No exceptions.

[Lord Raziere]

So I'm working on my homebrew Shard, World of Exalts, where everyone exalts. No exceptions.

Hm, sounds interesting. What would truly distinguish people then is what they do with the power they have rather than whether they have it.

I'm currently working M&M3e versions of Isidoros and Oramus powers. I'll have to someday get around to converting all of the Exalts to M&M3e versions of them.

[GenericMook]

Alright, so I've been on a crazy kung fu/wuxia binge lately (more so than normal), and I kinda really want to play a martial artist in Exalted.

So, I'd like to ask, is using multiple MA styles actually worthwhile as a thing? I've played martial artists before, but I've usually just stuck with Hero styles and expansions, instead of multiple CMA dabbling

[Tome]

Alright, so I've been on a crazy kung fu/wuxia binge lately (more so than normal), and I kinda really want to play a martial artist in Exalted.

So, I'd like to ask, is using multiple MA styles actually worthwhile as a thing? I've played martial artists before, but I've usually just stuck with Hero styles and expansions, instead of multiple CMA dabbling

It depends on the specific styles.

If they have similar restrictions regarding weapons and armour and don't have too many overlapping charms, yes, you can do that. There are also a couple of styles that specifically combo well with others, such as Infernal Monster Style.

[Qwertystop]

So I'm working on my homebrew Shard, World of Exalts, where everyone exalts. No exceptions.

Hm. Does that mean there's an unbounded number of Exaltations of all types, or is it just that everyone who doesn't manage to earn a Celestial exaltation eventually becomes a Dragon-Blood?

How do Alchemicals work?

[TimeWizard]

How do Alchemicals work?

Well, when a Twilight and and Earth Caste really love each other... and nine months later you emerged from our science tank! of love. because we built you.

[Andreaz]

Well, when a Twilight and and Earth Caste really love each other... and nine months later you emerged from our science tank! of love. because we built you.

Such an adorable nanite girl you are!

[Drascin]

So I'm working on my homebrew Shard, World of Exalts, where everyone exalts. No exceptions.

...and this world still exists? Clearly it's made of sterner stuff than both Earth AND Creation.

[HalfTangible]

Hm. Does that mean there's an unbounded number of Exaltations of all types, or is it just that everyone who doesn't manage to earn a Celestial exaltation eventually becomes a Dragon-Blood?

How do Alchemicals work?

I'm guessing that's where fate comes in. 'Welp, time rev up this class of terrestrials...' 'Nope, this guy's gonna exalt as a celestial' 'oh okay'

[Exthalion]

I'm guessing that's where fate comes in. 'Welp, time rev up this class of terrestrials...' 'Nope, this guy's gonna exalt as a celestial' 'oh okay'

Wouldn't the high essence celestials have to refrain from breeding to avoid diluting the Dragon's Blood with their essence? Assuming half castes are a thing of course.

[golentan]

Hm. Does that mean there's an unbounded number of Exaltations of all types, or is it just that everyone who doesn't manage to earn a Celestial exaltation eventually becomes a Dragon-Blood?

How do Alchemicals work?

Kind of both, but inverted.

There's no limit to the number of people who may exalt as celestials, but such people are known as Asyncs and are viewed with attitudes ranging from superstitious awe to fear in most communities, because, well, they're dangerous. Imagine if that creepy kid who pulled the wings off of flies suddenly woke up with access to Glorious Carnage Typhoon and Arise and Slaughter one day, and could learn void circle necromancy if left alone long enough. Most people exalt as terrestrials about when they hit puberty. Asyncs of all varieties have their exaltation come later, usually around age 20, but it can be triggered any time after hitting puberty by sufficiently stressful circumstances (like, say, the town getting together to kill them).

Alchemicals are an experiment in creating artificial people using extant souls and artificial bodies. A mad Twilight used the first soulgem to fuse herself with all her machinery, and became the first alchemical Metropolis, and soon starting making more. Some people tried to transfer themselves into alchemical bodies because they were nearing death, but alchemicals are a new person distinct from their past lives, so that didn't work out, but now many communities are using Alchemicals to enshrine their dear departed and (possibly) gain access to the benefits of all those sweet municipal charms.

The world is, actually, several apocalypses in. It's currently known as the Seventh World, with each preceding one ending in a cataclysm and having to rebuild from the rubble.

The metaphysics of the world aren't an exact analogue to creation's. Half castes aren't a thing and celestials don't dilute terrestrial blood. Also, I've written each splat with a path to some sort of transhuman ascension, requiring centuries of effort and refinement of your own essence. Primordials weren't the creators of the world, they were once Infernals, the neverborn aren't trapped in eternal torment and helplessness, and aren't slain primordials, they are the final stage of evolution for abyssals.

[Rater202]

I've written each splat with a path to some sort of transhuman ascension, requiring centuries of effort and refinement of your own essence.

Okay then, would ou mind sharing the ones for the Solars and Lunars?

[Mewtarthio]

Such an adorable nanite girl you are!

I was expecting this.

The world is, actually, several apocalypses in. It's currently known as the Seventh World, with each preceding one ending in a cataclysm and having to rebuild from the rubble.

That's a pretty neat-looking setting. What's the aesthetic? The use of words like "Async" makes it sound a bit cyberpunky.

[golentan]

Okay then, would ou mind sharing the ones for the Solars and Lunars?

Lunars become a God-beast, a unique creature of colossal power and with limitless capacity to evolve itself into something new, sometimes called a "mother of monsters" for their tendency to birth strange behemoths. As an example, there's the Seed of the Mountain, who most often takes the form of a giant cocoon. He burrowed into the ground when he ascended, and a colossal mountain grew at the site, breaking free from gravity to form a comet which flew out into the void. When he passes overhead, nature reshapes itself, living things struck by his light mutate rapidly and unpredictably, some of which he sends servants to collect for as yet unexplained reasons.

Solars become a Progenitor, the first and greatest of a new type of exalt. They ascend more rarely than any other type of Async. As an example, I mentioned offhand the Theopolis of Om, albeit not by name, the first Alchemical.

Edit: I haven't settled on a core aesthetic yet. I'm embracing some high fantasy, some eastern mythology, some post apocalyptic themes, and some science fantasy.

[Exthalion]

Lunars become a God-beast, a unique creature of colossal power and with limitless capacity to evolve itself into something new, sometimes called a "mother of monsters" for their tendency to birth strange behemoths. As an example, there's the Seed of the Mountain, who most often takes the form of a giant cocoon. He burrowed into the ground when he ascended, and a colossal mountain grew at the site, breaking free from gravity to form a comet which flew out into the void. When he passes overhead, nature reshapes itself, living things struck by his light mutate rapidly and unpredictably, some of which he sends servants to collect for as yet unexplained reasons.

Solars become a Progenitor, the first and greatest of a new type of exalt. They ascend more rarely than any other type of Async. As an example, I mentioned offhand the Theopolis of Om, albeit not by name, the first Alchemical.

Edit: I haven't settled on a core aesthetic yet. I'm embracing some high fantasy, some eastern mythology, some post apocalyptic themes, and some science fantasy.

Would that mean that Solars become new Incarna like beings and catalyze their own Exaltations? (Who each then get their own path to transcendence?)

Also, do all Lunars have to become Cthulhuesc beings of madness and horror or could they be something else like a tree the size of a nation with microcosms growing like fruit in its branches?