General Exalted Discussion II: No Longer Mortal

[Lix Lorn]

A Gremlin syndrome GSP would be hated by yozis, autochthonians and Neverborn. He'd probably be too busy running for his life to do enough evil to be hated by normal people

But EVERYONE hates the ED. EVERYONE
I mean, I want to give the First and Forsaken Lion and Adorjan hugs, but the ED? Kill on sight.

[ShadowFighter15]

Originally Posted by Jokasti

It's really not. Many of Creations mortal residents don't go to school, or have standardized learning. Sort of like medieval Europe, the commoners got by with simple math and memorizing things as opposed to writing them down.
Mask of Winters is fantastic at memorizing things.
I've thought about making a traveling scholar-tutor character whose Motivation is to increase Creations literacy rate.

You know you're too used to DnD when you keep forgetting about stuff like that.

Anyone think I need to make changes to what I've worked out so far? I'm totally stumped myself. Gonna try and get the Abilities sorted before I start looking at Charms.

[Weimann]

Originally Posted by tonberrian

Probably.

Especially if he went Heretical.

Let me just point out here, he could never "go Heretical." It's by definition impossible; Heretical charms are charms that the established Yozi doesn't have. Since a Yozi literally is the entirety of his charmset, the Ebon Dragon would have to have charms he didn't have to "go Heretical." That's a logical contradiction.

[tonberrian]

Originally Posted by Weimann

Let me just point out here, he could never "go Heretical." It's by definition impossible; Heretical charms are charms that the established Yozi doesn't have. Since a Yozi literally is the entirety of his charmset, the Ebon Dragon would have to have charms he didn't have to "go Heretical." That's a logical contradiction.

I meant the theoretical Gremlin Syndrome GSP.

[Cyborg Mage]

Homebrew!

Spoiler

Essence-Compressing Capture Sphere
Artifact ●,●● or ●●●●

Essence-Compressing Capture Spheres are roughly fist-sized metal orbs, split horizonntally in half and held together by a white metal stud and a hinge-like mechanism and covered in arcane symbols and occult patterns. They can be made from any material, require no attunement and are considered throwing weapons of speed 5, rate 3 and 50 ft range until they actually contain something, gaining all the bonuses for an attuned ranged weapon of that material (Excluding those pertaining to damage). When they succesfully hit a spirit, elemental or non-human creature (Alchemicals and Jadeborn are considered human), instead of calculating damage, the target rolls (Resistance+Integrity) against the user's (Thrown+Presence). Should the target fail the roll, they are converted into a stream of compressed essence and sucked into the Sphere. From then on, the creature or spirit is considered the owner's familiar; they will automatically obey any order given to them by their master unless they fail or pass a required Virtue roll, or pass an integrity roll against an order that opposes their mental or metaphysical nature (such as ordering a nephwrack to defend a living being). Additionally, though they can disagree with their master, they will not actively oppose them unless under the effects of unnatural mental influence, and if owned by a player character, their actions in combat are completely directed by the player. Captured beings automatically pass their rolls on future capture attempts. Whilst inside the sphere, beings heal and respire (For applicable beings) twice as fast, and are immune to environmental effects outside the sphere. For the purposes of respiration, underworld denzins are considered inside the underworld whilst in a soulsteel Sphere.

As mentioned before, Spheres can be made of any material, and provide a -3 penalty to the rolls of the target creature should it be made of a specific material:

• Orichalcum and Starmetal Spheres apply the penalty to devas and gods.
• Jade Spheres apply the penalty to elementals and kami.
• Moonsilver Spheres apply the penalty to Wyld creatures and mutants with 5 or more mutations.
• Soulsteel Spheres apply the penalty to all types of ghosts.
• Adamant Spheres apply the penalty to Autochthonian elementals and examachina.
• Any vitrol-corrupted Sphere applies the penalty to demons instead of their original targets.

Additionally, Spheres are much more common than other artifacts. A set of six Spheres of identical material can be purchased for Artifact ●● at startup, and Jade spheres can be purchased in most towns in a Second Age setting by any character with Resources ●●●+ or equivalent (purchasing more than 10 Spheres in a month subtracts one dot), with Spheres of other materials available from more specialized shops. In a First Age game, Spheres of any material (Excluding Soulsteel and, after Autochthon's exile, Adamant) can be purchased by Resources ●●+ or equivalent with no such restrictions. In Autochthonia, Spheres of any material can be purchased for resources ●●+ or equivalent (●●●+ in the Second Age).

Beings above essence 5 require specialized Spheres for capture, which raises the artifact level to 4 and rendering them entirely unavailabe for purchase in the Second Age (They can be purchased in the First Age for Wealth 3 or equivalent). Attempting to capture beings of essence 6 or 7 with an unspecialized sphere imposes a -3 penalty to the user's rolls, while beings of 8+ impose a -5 penalty. Additionally, succesfully capturing an essence 8+ being with an unspecialized Sphere causes it to explode in a perfect 75 foot ball of shimmering, concentrated essence in the colour of its component material, glowing with the intensity of a star. Beings within 300 feet of the blast are blinded for six months unless underground or inside a windowless building (Exalted and essence 4+ beings may roll Resistance), while those inside the blast suffer both this roll and 10 levels of unblockable, undodgable Aggrivated damage.

While a person can possess any ammount of empty spheres, they may only possess six occupied Spheres at any one time. Should they possess a Manse, excess Spheres are automatically transported to a vault in said Manse should they have their hearthstone somewhere on their person. This vault can be accessed remotely while meditating uninterrupted for over five minutes with the hearthstone. Otherwise, succesful captures are automatically released. While these vaults are practically unlimited in most games, Storytellers may impose a limit on the capacity of these vaults. In this case, these vaults are considered to have a maximum capacity of (Manse levelX5). At the Storyteller's discretion, a manse with definite statistics may have a specialised vault, increasing the capacity to X10.

Incidentally, although Alchemical Akuma are usually impossible, what happens if we throw an Alchie into a vat of vitrol?

[Teln]

Personally, I favor treating it as an acid bath that does aggravated damage, as Malfeas vents his anger upon the unfortunate servant of the traitor Autochthon.

[Lix Lorn]

I'd say screw the rules, Akuma Alchie. xD

....also, I love the capture spheres. Why can't they work on exalts?

[Xefas]

Originally Posted by Cyborg Mage

Incidentally, although Alchemical Akuma are usually impossible, what happens if we throw an Alchie into a vat of vitrol?

I actually asked this in the first thread, I think, and-

Originally Posted by Teln

Personally, I favor treating it as an acid bath that does aggravated damage, as Malfeas vents his anger upon the unfortunate servant of the traitor Autochthon.

-I'm pretty sure Teln told me this. Along with a few other poo-pooers.

Afterwards, I actually drew up rules for a Vitriol Caste, though it wasn't so much "throw into a vat of vitriol", but "baptize with vitriol refined with Chalcanth", like you would alter an artifact or create a Hellforged Wonder.

[Tavar]

Hmm...what Languages does Lookshy Speak? I'd imagine that Forest Tongue/Riverspeak are useful, but those might be more along the lines of Spanish in certain parts of the US today.

[Xefas]

Originally Posted by Tavar

Hmm...what Languages does Lookshy Speak? I'd imagine that Forest Tongue/Riverspeak are useful, but those might be more along the lines of Spanish in certain parts of the US today.

After scouring the Compass: Scavenger Lands and the Scroll of Heroes (they have a Lookshy section if I recall) for a character I wanted to make from Lookshy, I couldn't actually find a definitive answer.

My best guess is that you can get by with High Realm or Riverspeak in Lookshy. Riverspeak being like Spanish in the US: a few hundred years from now when Spanish is just ubiquitous.

[Cyborg Mage]

Originally Posted by Lix Lorn

....also, I love the capture spheres. Why can't they work on exalts?

Thanks. And to answer your question, because it raises both gameplay and moral issues. Not that many people will enjoy being given un-disobey-able orders. And... um... yeah.

[tonberrian]

Originally Posted by Tavar

Hmm...what Languages does Lookshy Speak? I'd imagine that Forest Tongue/Riverspeak are useful, but those might be more along the lines of Spanish in certain parts of the US today.

Everywhere important in the world, somebody important usually speaks Old Realm.

[Urpriest]

Originally Posted by Cyborg Mage

Thanks. And to answer your question, because it raises both gameplay and moral issues. Not that many people will enjoy being given un-disobey-able orders. And... um... yeah.

I would favor it instead working on Exalts, and having the spheres usable only by mortals. But that would lead to a rather different campaign.

Also, am I misreading it, or would Dragon Kings be capturable?

[Lix Lorn]

Or only on DBs.
Solar: GO, FIERY EXPLOSION OF PETALS!
F.E.P. :I swear I'm going to kill you.

[Cyborg Mage]

Mmmm... Gonna have to think about that. Depends on how many people play them. As for the Exalts-as-Pokemon idea, that may work for a mortal-oriented campaign. Unless we're talking about giving 12-year olds these things. In a setting like Exalted, that's asking for trouble. Ironically, making them only work on DBs brings them even closer to what they were originally intended to be-subservient foot-soldiers of the Solars.

[Lix Lorn]

Exactly my point.
Hmm...
Wild planning!
The DBs got more and more freedom as the first age went on, as Solars became lax. This led to them having enough freedom to usurpation, after which they tried to destroy the pokeballs essence capture spheres. Unfortunately, they were indestructible, so they buried them and destroyed all records.

Guess what just got dug up?

[Cyborg Mage]

The Dynasts just asked for a pay rise. And the Wyld Hunt. Especially the Immaculates. The Lookshyans just comitted seppuku.

[Lix Lorn]

Yeah, sounds about right. xD

[SurlySeraph]

Originally Posted by Cyborg Mage

Unless we're talking about giving 12-year olds these things. In a setting like Exalted, that's asking for trouble.

Wouldn't that be the whole point of giving them to mortals?

Also, I'm attempting to homebrew a Sidereal Martial Art, which I'm calling Resplendent Firmament Style. It is, unsurprisingly, about stars. I was thinking of having one charm for each of the 25 constellations, but that's kinda ridiculous, so I'm doing 12 charms total - 2 for each for each of the astrological houses in the Sidereals book, plus a form charm and a capstone. I'd like feedback on the names and concepts of the charms before I try to work out the details:

Resplendent Firmament Style

Spoiler

Starlight Reaches All
The Sidereal can instantly travel to an object or being that he has touched before anywhere inside Fate, and make an unexpected attack against them if he so chooses.

Unbridgeable Lacuna Insouciance
Perfect dodge against physical or social attacks, with which the user is as distant from harm as the stars, and cares about the attacker exactly as much as they do. The attacker must roll Willpower, and if fails loses 1 wp from frustration at the Sidereal's blithe denial that they pose any threat.

All Fists Under Heaven
For a moment, the Sidereal holds every weapon on the battlefield. He can force characters with a total Essence equal to his total dots in House of Battles colleges (maximum 25) to launch a coordinated attack against a target of his choice, with no need to make the normal Charisma + War roll.

Unlock the Three Treasures
If the Sidereal hits, the target loses ~ 5m, 1wp, and the Sidereal automatically perfectly dodges if the target attacks him on its next action, by reading its planned actions through its surface thoughts.

Crow Feeds From the Pyre
The Sidereal binds himself to one opponent on the battlefield, with Essence no greater than his martial arts + highest dots in a House of Endings college, maximum 10. For each health level of damage that opponent takes, the Sidereal heals a health level or gains another corresponding health level.

Resplendent Firmament Form
-1 to the TN and difficulty of all combat-related rolls, and +2 to all DVs, for the duration of the scene. Also, all attempts to move the Sidereal against his will have no effect on him. Also, he can fly.

To Clearer Skies
The Sid can move the entire battle he's in to a more suitable location of his choice anywhere inside Fate. Opponents can resist, but if they do anyone who doesn't resist goes along – so opponents have to choose between letting the Sid's group escape and having to fight them in the Crimson Panoply of Victory, the slopes of Mt. Meru, 20 miles in midair, etc. Only usable within 2 actions of joining battle.

Sky-as-Divan Repose
Scene-length perfect dodge against physical or social attacks, but only functions on ticks where the user's action is Guard, Aim, or Inactive. Doing anything more violent than observing breaks the perfectly untroubled state of mind that the Sidereal must maintain to ignore attacks.

Fivescore Flawless Blows
Kill 100 extras (or a mass combat unit with Might 2 or less and Magnitude 3 or less) instantly.

Twilight Guardian Revelation
Gives the effects of Whirlwind of Fate, as a reflexive action

Falling Star Cataclysm
Drops a star on the target, automatically knocking him and everyone in a wide radius around down, dealing lethal piercing damage to him and bludgeoning damage to everyone in the radius. Only perfect parries work against it, but can be dodged as normal. The Sidereal can choose to have the star of a god who is personally known to him fall, and can choose whether that god dies or whether the star springs back up to heaven, leaving the god shaken but unharmed. Reckless use of this charm is a really good way to get audited to death.

Inescapable Million-Star Doom
Perfect attack. that target can only avoid by accepting a Descending Destiny of the Sidereal's choice for a number of actions equal to the Sidereal's Essence – if refuse to accept it, can't avoid it with a perfect defense, because he had an opportunity for a perfect defense by accepting the Destiny. It's meant to be balanced on Singular Escape Strategem.
The attacker may voluntarily forego any defense in order to take none of the attack's usual effects, but if he does so he must accept a Descending Destiny crafted by the Sidereal on the spot.

[Xefas]

Originally Posted by SurlySeraph

Inescapable Million-Star Doom
Perfect attack that target can only avoid by accepting a Descending Destiny of the Sidereal's choice for a number of actions equal to the Sidereal's Essence – if refuse to accept it, can't avoid it with a perfect defense, because he had an opportunity for a perfect defense by accepting the Destiny. It's meant to be balanced on Singular Escape Strategem.

They will shout at you. They will say things like "But Perfect Defenses work anyway because of 'UFIO', so your charm does nothing!". They will mock you for your point of balance being Scroll of the Monk material.

I say "they" for I am merely the herald of the wolves.

[meschlum]

Originally Posted by Lix Lorn

....also, I love the capture spheres. Why can't they work on exalts?

They can. Just give the Exalt a few Wyld mutations (Mute: must repeat the same syllable over and over, Delusions: capture sphere owners have good tactical sense, Attribute reallocation: lower brains and increace cuteness), and a Moonsilver sphere works.

Easy.

[SurlySeraph]

Originally Posted by Xefas

They will shout at you. They will say things like "But Perfect Defenses work anyway because of 'UFIO', so your charm does nothing!". They will mock you for your point of balance being Scroll of the Monk material.

I say "they" for I am merely the herald of the wolves.

And they're probably right, but I'm proposing it anyway.

[Tavar]

Why? If you know it's a bad idea, why do it?

And getting around perfects is a bad idea.

[Reynard]

Getting around perfects is not just a bad idea. It is flat out not allowed by the rules.

Originally Posted by Scroll of Errata

Where two effects make absolute statements which conflict, and one effect is an attack, and the other is a defense, the defense always takes priority. For this purpose, the statement “this attack is unblockable” and “this attack cannot be blocked” are considered equivalent, and would pierce certain ‘perfect’ defenses—for example, the Sidereal Charm Impeding the Flow will not stop an unblockable attack (Impeding the Flow specifically notes that it is fallible in the face of unblockable attacks, and so there is no conflict). However, the Solar Charm Heavenly Guardian Defense will block such attacks, because Heavenly Guardian Defense states that it is capable of doing so. These two statements (can’t be blocked/can block even unblockable attacks) are in conflict, and since the first statement is an attack, and the second a defense, Heavenly Guardian Defense takes priority.

In the case of attacks which state that they defeat even perfect defenses, such as the shockwave produced by a Soulbreaker Orb, this applies only to perfect defenses which do not possess the ‘block the unblockable/dodge the undodgeable’ clause, such as certain Dragon-Blooded, Alchemical, and Martial Arts Charms.

Block the unblockable, dodge the undodgeable, row, row, fight the powah!

[WalkingTarget]

Originally Posted by Reynard

Block the unblockable, dodge the undodgeable, row, row, fight the powah!

That being said, having your proposed charm be both unblockable and undodgeable with the allowed defense you propose would mess with anybody who doesn't have HGD or one of its relatives.

I dunno how that would work out in play, though.

[SurlySeraph]

Originally Posted by Tavar

Why? If you know it's a bad idea, why do it?

And getting around perfects is a bad idea.

Because having the ultimate attack of a fate-themed martial art be easy to completely ignore leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Plus I think "You can perfect away this attack for free, but if you do your rolls are at +1 TN or +1 difficulty for about 6 actions" isn't terribly unbalanced.

[Kyeudo]

Originally Posted by SurlySeraph

Because having the ultimate attack of a fate-themed martial art be easy to completely ignore leaves a bad taste in my mouth.

In Exalted, it is always easier to defend against something than to inflict that something. Shaping attacks are shut down by an Essence 2 Integrity Charm, while applying them is an Essence 4 Lore Charm.

Also, Martial Arts should not interact with Sidereal Astrology ever. Martial Arts Charms can be picked up by anyone and Sidereal Astrology is the sole province of the Sidereal Exalted.

[Urpriest]

Originally Posted by SurlySeraph

Because having the ultimate attack of a fate-themed martial art be easy to completely ignore leaves a bad taste in my mouth. Plus I think "You can perfect away this attack for free, but if you do your rolls are at +1 TN or +1 difficulty for about 6 actions" isn't terribly unbalanced.

Perhaps instead flip it around: make an attack, the attacker may voluntarily forego any defense in order to take none of the attack's usual effects but must accept the penalty.

[The Rose Dragon]

Originally Posted by Kyeudo

In Exalted, it is always easier to defend against something than to inflict that something. Shaping attacks are shut down by an Essence 2 Integrity Charm, while applying them is an Essence 4 Lore Charm.

Integrity-Protecting Prana is Essence 1, actually.

[TheCountAlucard]

Originally Posted by The Rose Dragon

Integrity-Protecting Prana is Essence 1, actually.

Aww, you beat me to it!

Anyway, one of the players who'd intended to drop may well be able to play after all. I suppose I'll let you guys know how the game goes next week...

Oh, by the way, thought I'd drop this in here... the guy's asking to buy a three-dot Martial Arts mentor. Would it be too much for me to have the sifu be a Gold Faction Sidereal?