Green Flame Rising (Exalted vs Dresden Files)
- Thread starter DragonParadox
- Start date
- Crossover Fantasy
You could totally destroy Hamlet with the right Exalted power. Mass censorship is totally in theme for both SWLiHN (and Wicked City I guess) and Solar bureaucracy/lore. In fact IIRC there's an elder essence Solar lore charm that actually lets you redact written information worldwide.
To further this, how would you handle the limitations of
The Splendor causes a transformation in accordance with its character, as defined by Form
Elements such as Form of Graceful Air. The nature of the transformation depends on the Form or
Forms in play, but might include transformation into things like a sparrow (air), pig (earth), a
living flame (fire), a fish (water), a stag (wood), a walking corpse (death), a semitranslucent
spirit (spirit), or a fantastic beast such as a sphinx (dreams). These are meant to be examples, and
not an all-inclusive list.
As an Adornment, this Splendor requires a point of Willpower and a turn spent in transformation
to either assume the characteristic form or return to the user's native form.
As part of a Fascination the maximum duration of the transformation (assuming it isn't cut short
earlier by fulfilling some criteria built into the Splendor) is one day for a 1-2 dot Splendor, one
week for a 3-dot Splendor, one month for a 4-dot Splendor, and one year for a 5-dot Splendor.
Elements such as Form of Graceful Air. The nature of the transformation depends on the Form or
Forms in play, but might include transformation into things like a sparrow (air), pig (earth), a
living flame (fire), a fish (water), a stag (wood), a walking corpse (death), a semitranslucent
spirit (spirit), or a fantastic beast such as a sphinx (dreams). These are meant to be examples, and
not an all-inclusive list.
As an Adornment, this Splendor requires a point of Willpower and a turn spent in transformation
to either assume the characteristic form or return to the user's native form.
As part of a Fascination the maximum duration of the transformation (assuming it isn't cut short
earlier by fulfilling some criteria built into the Splendor) is one day for a 1-2 dot Splendor, one
week for a 3-dot Splendor, one month for a 4-dot Splendor, and one year for a 5-dot Splendor.
My idea / thought / hope was that we could build a splendor with "transform into 'Arcana design'" effect. So, essentially, we design an X dot arcana, then we built an X dot splendor that has a functionality of "transform into this arcana for a limited time".
This is basically a henshin device in functionality, with appropriate side-effects / additions. A werewolf transformation belt, a sailor moon brooch, a power ranger's morpher, etc.
They key difference between it and fomori transformation is that it's temporary and the mortal remains mortal.
That is doable but the Arcana has to be at least somewhat Elemental for one of the five elements.
No death / spirit / dream alignment?
No, elements in an Exalted context means something quite well defined. They literally had five Elemental Poles that kept Creation going: Earth in the center and Fire, Earth, Water and Wood in the four directions
Thats not true. The QM said some factions would have no problem with it, or might consider it a sign of strength. Not the same thing. The people who would take it the worst are the human-aligned factions. The people who Molly cares the most about, even if they dont have as much supernatural power.
You're out here arguing that the Catholic-raised girl who literally sensed an angel in her father's sword, and was the recipient of a message from an archangel at secondhand, and who has a Knight of the Cross as Mentor 5, is going to be less scrupulous about this shit than the aggressively secular White Council. Seriously.
I dont find that credible.
1)Not actually true. Fluff has no mechanical effects, and often makes claims well in excess of its effects.
For example, this:
Does not mean that a hit is an autokill. Its mechanically a success-doubler; thats all.
2) See my previous posts on this subject.
You are under the impression that artifacts are immutable and unsubvertable. Which is...mistaken.
In Exalted 2E, artifacts are routinely tainted by exposing them to Infernal Essence and vitriol.
In WoD, Wonders were routinely stolen during the Ascension War.
In the Dresdenverse mythology, we know that the Blackstaff was a Fae artifact.
That Balor's Eye was literally an implant in Ethniu's head, and was still knocked out and stolen.
That Amoracchius, the Sword of Love, was literally stolen in the second book of the series.
We have Fallen running around this setting, and people able to summon the help of greater Outsiders like the great Walkers.
The idea you can bind an artifact unchangeably to a mortal seems hilariously improbable.
No, thats not true.
This conspiracy had perpetrated a breach of treaty terms between sovereign supernatural entities, and had organized an actual assassination attempt not just on Cauldron but Molly herself.
Even under human society rules, this would have been a clear case of defence of others.
And yes, we do accept the White Court's legitimacy to pass judgement and make laws among its own people.
We did that when we agreed to a treaty with them.
1) It does not. Text is as follows:
Murder is Meat (•)
The Infernal's nature is that of the killing wind. Murder nourishes her, as it does the Hell from which she draws her power.
System: Whenever the Infernal murders a sentient being, the act nourishes her as though she had just eaten a four-course meal. If she slays a ghost or spirit, then she can reflexively roll Dexterity + Occult against a difficulty of its Willpower. Success conjures a vortex of crimson flaying winds which slice its dissipating substance into stray motes of Essence. The Infernal regains 2 Essence, and the ghost or spirit is entrapped in the Hell of Being Skinned Alive.
Condemning a jaggling-level or greater spirit that is not a creature of darkness in this fashion "rolls back" the number of times the Infernal is considered to have attempted to don her Shintai form during the current story by one, re- ducing its cost or difficulty accordingly (to a minimum of Essence 2, Willpower 2, and no roll requirement).
The Infernal's nature is that of the killing wind. Murder nourishes her, as it does the Hell from which she draws her power.
System: Whenever the Infernal murders a sentient being, the act nourishes her as though she had just eaten a four-course meal. If she slays a ghost or spirit, then she can reflexively roll Dexterity + Occult against a difficulty of its Willpower. Success conjures a vortex of crimson flaying winds which slice its dissipating substance into stray motes of Essence. The Infernal regains 2 Essence, and the ghost or spirit is entrapped in the Hell of Being Skinned Alive.
Condemning a jaggling-level or greater spirit that is not a creature of darkness in this fashion "rolls back" the number of times the Infernal is considered to have attempted to don her Shintai form during the current story by one, re- ducing its cost or difficulty accordingly (to a minimum of Essence 2, Willpower 2, and no roll requirement).
2) Its not meant to be read or interpreted in a vacuum. As a rule, fluff does not override mechanics.
If I went by the fluff?
Iron Skin Concentration would make a Solar's skin as tough as steel, instead of adding Stamina to soak.
Falling Icicle Strike would be an autokill instead of doubling damage.
Lightning Speed would have a Solar moving at the speed of light instead of tripling base speed, and the 4-dot Abyssal charm Splinter of the Void would destroy the earth the first time it was used and opened a black hole in its victim.
Even Murder is Meat would have Molly literally able to sustain herself by killing fish. Or mice, or frogs.
Definition of sentience said:
Definition of SENTIENT
capable of sensing or feeling : conscious of or responsive to the sensations of seeing, hearing, feeling, tasting, or smelling; aware; finely sensitive in perception or feeling… See the full definition
www.merriam-webster.com
She would have no need to eat, just go out and stomp a frog underfoot each day to get the equivalent of a four-course meal, and a satchel of mice would serve as Essence topoffs mid-combat. If I read your snipped phrase in isolation, any living creature that qualified as sentient would be sufficient.
I think most GMs, and indeed most players, would agree thats not the design intent, and would dismiss that out of hand.
Thats true for Ex2.
Not for ExWoD. Different settings here.
I am not, which the second sentence of the quote you made directly states. BlackStuff, and Amorachhius are not relevant here. They are not parts of Michael / Mother Winter. My point is that if the mortal in question is literally a large part, the foundation for the design of a splendor, then removing the mortal is likely to break the splendor, and the effort to remake it without mortal would be significant.
No it wouldn't be. At all. And you'd be laughed out of court with such an argument. Defense of others is for immediate danger, like shooting a hostage taker who has a gun to the hostage's head. Not for murdering members of a conspiracy in a state dinner.
That's... not how it works. A treaty of "we don't touch each other's interests" recognizes that there are two entities (Molly's faction and White Court), but it doesn't inherently recognize said entities' right to murder their members.
Yes, and you are ignoring the first sentence. Again:
This, right here, is charm activating every time we murder a sentient being. Mortals included.
This, most likely, is the author misusing sentient in place of sapient. At least that's my interpretation.
They are most definitely relevant here.
They are instances of top-tier, much higher powered artifacts from some of the loadbearing Powers in this setting, which are still not protected against grand larceny by people other than the creator(s).
I fail to see why you think that linking a mortal to your wonder will somehow proceed to give you more protection than those.
Its not like World of Darkness doesnt have multiple examples of wonders linked to or incorporated into mortals.
I mean, how many HITMarks have the Traditions stolen from the Technocracy?
How many Traditions mages have been made into ATLAS platforms? You dont get fiat backing for any of these features, and a lot of the factions here have had millenia to gather knowledge and resources.
Wishful thinking is no protection.
Not actually true.
defense of others
The letter of the law makes no such distinctions in US jurisprudence.
Not that it matters.
Because this is supernatural law and practice in supernatural international society, and a matter of foreign affairs between two sovereign entities. This would fall somewhere between redress for wrongs, request for military aid, and yes, defense of others.
That was the argument that Dresden used in canon under the same circumstances.
That is precisely how it works.
Binding legal instruments require that you recognize that the other party has the right to make that sort of agreement in the first place. You cannot sign a peace treaty with an organization you refuse to accept is legitimate.
Im not.
You are reading that sentence in isolation and coming to erroneous conclusions.
And you would be wrong.
Non-sapient spirits exist in WoD; many gafflings are non-sapient.
That phrasing is characterized explicitly to encompass them. Non-sapience does not mean they arent dangerous.
Furthermore, in the Dresden Files, Sue the zombie T-rex was definitely non-sapient.
And Im reasonably sure that antagonists like slime golems, Ick demons and shoggoths are pretty clearly established to be non-sapients as well.
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It's not linking. It's building a splendor with the mortal as a core component. And, again, I said that yes, it would be possible to steal. But in stealing, the splendor is likely to break, and the effort to steal and keep the splendor working is unlikely to be worth it.
And even if it can be stolen, frankly, so what? Almost everything can be stolen, taken, broken, re-purposed and twisted. It's not a reason not to empower mortals.
As far as I know "to use force on the third party" is usually interpreted to be immediate threat. I.e. if someone in a pub says "yeah, I'm going to finish my drink and go shoot my wife", you are not allowed to shoot them in defense of said wife, even if you have all reason to believe that they are serious.
Not all legitimate organizations have absolute and unlimited rights in regards to their members. A corporation has a legal right to fire their employee, and you can sign a legally binding contract with an organization under the assumption that should the employee of said organization breaches it, they'll be fired, and fined and perhaps sued. You do not need to assume that the organization has a right to kill their members in order to enter binding agreements with them.
The sentence exists. You can try and twist it as much as you want, but it still exists, and means one thing and one thing only - MiM affects mortals. Not all affects of MiM activate when we kill mortals, but some are.
- Location
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The protection against theft is just a fundamental part of Holden's rules for Splendors.
It is not the same as non-Exalted crafting and does not have to follow the same rules.
Unless DP explicitly posts that our Splendors are treated the same way as most Dresden artifacts, we should assume that the rules as written take priority.
Splendors are made of the shadows and tatters of the Age of Legends, they are at their core designed to be used by Exalts. Now there are exceptions to that as @Yog showed, but these things still use Essence in some form. What adding the element that lets mortals handle them does is put in a very crude version of the Essence conversion engine in Molly's soul.
So does that mean that anyone can steal those? No since this is still soul sorcery and an Exalt, most often the maker, has to attune this thing to the mortal who will use it. In order to steal it you would have to counterfeit that which is not easy because you have to work with Essence which most things in this world do not. From Molly's perspective they work with denatured Essene byproducts (be it life-force; wizard magic, Chi etc...). She does not have a precise bead on this, but she suspects the standard for being able to mess with a Splendor is 'Fey Queen/Angel/Jade court Arhat', the thing is things that you can legitimately call godlike, beings that are not just powerful but old enough they might remember quite a lot of the past turnings of the Wheel.
The Fifth Age is coming to a close and these are marvels of the Second.
So does that mean that anyone can steal those? No since this is still soul sorcery and an Exalt, most often the maker, has to attune this thing to the mortal who will use it. In order to steal it you would have to counterfeit that which is not easy because you have to work with Essence which most things in this world do not. From Molly's perspective they work with denatured Essene byproducts (be it life-force; wizard magic, Chi etc...). She does not have a precise bead on this, but she suspects the standard for being able to mess with a Splendor is 'Fey Queen/Angel/Jade court Arhat', the thing is things that you can legitimately call godlike, beings that are not just powerful but old enough they might remember quite a lot of the past turnings of the Wheel.
The Fifth Age is coming to a close and these are marvels of the Second.
MIM has been clarified by the GM to completely destroy the being it is used upon. No escaping from hell, you just cease to exist.
So, if we are to equip Daniel with a sword, he'll also need armor. I cobbled this together, which should synergize with @BronzeTongue 's item, I think. With it, the user might actually be Molly's peer or close enough. At least as far as pure combat goes. It's a shame that Michael didn't kill Ferrovax, since using Earth-elemental Dragon bones for this is perfect.
@DragonParadox would you allow "transform into X, keep the highest of Attributes and abilities"? The transformation should not cause amnesia, so stuff like Science Ability should be preserved, but it might affect the mind. Up to you. If you'll allow it, I'll further optimize the build.
Also, someone please check my math.
The Splendor takes the form of something that is solid and durable and sturdy. It might be made of stone, metal, or mineral deposits. It might be a crystal or gemstone. It might be dirty and roadworn. This Element defines the Splendor's physical form and gives it a character, and that character is aligned with the elemental power of earth. Other Elements may draw upon this fact.
The Splendor is extremely rugged, and the first attempt to damage or destroy it in any scene automatically fails. As an Adornment, it grants its user one extra die of soak. As the basis for a Fascination, it may generate the creator's choice of: useful tools for a certain kind of work; an aura of quiet and serenity; periodic foreboding tremors in the earth.
The Splendor is extremely rugged, and the first attempt to damage or destroy it in any scene automatically fails. As an Adornment, it grants its user one extra die of soak. As the basis for a Fascination, it may generate the creator's choice of: useful tools for a certain kind of work; an aura of quiet and serenity; periodic foreboding tremors in the earth.
The Splendor manifests in the world as an enchantment embedded in a specific person present at the time of its summoning, chosen by its owner. If it has no other Form Element, then it appears as a mark like a tattoo somewhere on the infected individual's body. Wherever they go, so too goes the Splendor. If it has a physical Form Element, then it appears in the infected individual's possession, and will always return to them at the beginning of each scene even if thrown away, left behind, or given away. If its physical Form is something immobile like a tree, then the targeted individual is going to find that tree wherever they go for the duration of the Splendor's manifestation.
If the Splendor is an Adornment, then this Element allows its benefits to be enjoyed by the person to whom the Splendor is attached, even if they're not its owner and not attuned to it. Even if they're not Exalted at all.
If the Splendor is an Adornment, then this Element allows its benefits to be enjoyed by the person to whom the Splendor is attached, even if they're not its owner and not attuned to it. Even if they're not Exalted at all.
The Splendor causes a transformation in accordance with its character, as defined by Form Elements such as Form of Graceful Air. The nature of the transformation depends on the Form or Forms in play, but might include transformation into things like a sparrow (air), pig (earth), a living flame (fire), a fish (water), a stag (wood), a walking corpse (death), a semitranslucent spirit (spirit), or a fantastic beast such as a sphinx (dreams). These are meant to be examples, and not an all-inclusive list.
As an Adornment, this Splendor requires a point of Willpower and a turn spent in transformation to either assume the characteristic form or return to the user's native form.
As part of a Fascination the maximum duration of the transformation (assuming it isn't cut short earlier by fulfilling some criteria built into the Splendor) is one day for a 1-2 dot Splendor, one week for a 3-dot Splendor, one month for a 4-dot Splendor, and one year for a 5-dot Splendor.
As an Adornment, this Splendor requires a point of Willpower and a turn spent in transformation to either assume the characteristic form or return to the user's native form.
As part of a Fascination the maximum duration of the transformation (assuming it isn't cut short earlier by fulfilling some criteria built into the Splendor) is one day for a 1-2 dot Splendor, one week for a 3-dot Splendor, one month for a 4-dot Splendor, and one year for a 5-dot Splendor.
One of the Splendor's snares or benefits is particularly wicked or potent. Modify one roll associated with the Splendor by increasing or decreasing its difficulty by two, or modify one value associated with activating or resisting its effects (such as the number of points of Willpower that must be spent to shake off a Beautiful Lie) by two.
The Splendor creates a mundane object which resonates with one or more of its characters, as defined by Form Elements such as Form of Crackling Fire or Form of Ash and Dust. Conjured objects can have a Resources value no higher than the Splendor's rating.
Incorporated into an Adornment, this Element allows the Exalt to spend a turn and to make a Wits + Craft roll against difficulty (4 + object's Resources value) to summon whatever object she likes to hand, so long as it resonates with the Splendor's character in some way, such as a shovel for an earth-affiliated (or death-affiliated…) Splendor. Objects can be created no more than once per scene.
Incorporated into a Fascination, this Element allows the Splendor to create particular objects in response to certain stimuli and conditions which are in accord with its character — often, this trigger is "when someone is cursed by the Splendor's Root Element." No more than (Splendor's rating) objects can be created per scene.
Incorporated into an Adornment, this Element allows the Exalt to spend a turn and to make a Wits + Craft roll against difficulty (4 + object's Resources value) to summon whatever object she likes to hand, so long as it resonates with the Splendor's character in some way, such as a shovel for an earth-affiliated (or death-affiliated…) Splendor. Objects can be created no more than once per scene.
Incorporated into a Fascination, this Element allows the Splendor to create particular objects in response to certain stimuli and conditions which are in accord with its character — often, this trigger is "when someone is cursed by the Splendor's Root Element." No more than (Splendor's rating) objects can be created per scene.
The Splendor manipulates and reshapes that which resonates with its character, as defined by Form Elements such as Form of Crackling Fire and Form of Ash and Dust. The benefits provided depend on whether the Splendor is an Adornment or Fascination, and on which Form or Forms it has incorporated.
Incorporated into an Adornment, this Element allows the Exalt to use Craft actions to sculpt wind, water, and fire as though they were clay, creating impossible works of art or short-lived elemental tools. Living wood can be induced to grow into patterns the Exalt desires in the same fashion, while the difficulty to work with stone or metal is reduced by two. The difficulty to craft dead flesh into Arcana may be reduced by two as well. The Exalt can raise or lower the Gauntlet by one degree per success on a Crafts roll to modify it, and can rework the chimerical identity of things.
Incorporated into a Fascination, this Element allows the Splendor to rewrite the details of landscapes and objects, rerouting the paths of a graveyard, changing the appearance of a corpse, repairing a rundown wooden shack, or making a barren landscape green and verdant.
Incorporated into an Adornment, this Element allows the Exalt to use Craft actions to sculpt wind, water, and fire as though they were clay, creating impossible works of art or short-lived elemental tools. Living wood can be induced to grow into patterns the Exalt desires in the same fashion, while the difficulty to work with stone or metal is reduced by two. The difficulty to craft dead flesh into Arcana may be reduced by two as well. The Exalt can raise or lower the Gauntlet by one degree per success on a Crafts roll to modify it, and can rework the chimerical identity of things.
Incorporated into a Fascination, this Element allows the Splendor to rewrite the details of landscapes and objects, rerouting the paths of a graveyard, changing the appearance of a corpse, repairing a rundown wooden shack, or making a barren landscape green and verdant.
A large multicolored diamond embedded into an iron amulet, cast from the blood-wrought iron of a celestial exalt and its mortal user, it provides the user an ability to transform into a mighty form of an immortal warrior golem. With an effort of will the user's form is engulfed in a cocoon of jade, which shatters a moment later, revealing the Shining Armor Form (described below), which can be clad in armor and equipped with weapons made of stone-aligned materials, such as reinforced concrete shield, or a an advanced ceramic bulletproof vest. Normally, the form is clad in an intricate cloth spun from ceramic threads.
(4 dot Golem)
8 willpower (3 +5 freebie points)
8 willpower (3 +5 freebie points)
Physical (primary, 2X purchases of superior body)
Strength 8
Dexterity 7 (3+4 from Superior Body x2)
Stamina 4 (3+1 from Superior Body)
Social (tertiary)
Charisma 2
Manipulation 1
Appearance 3
Mental (secondary, one purchase of superior mind)
Intelligence: 3
Perception: 5
Wits: 3
Strength 8
Dexterity 7 (3+4 from Superior Body x2)
Stamina 4 (3+1 from Superior Body)
Social (tertiary)
Charisma 2
Manipulation 1
Appearance 3
Mental (secondary, one purchase of superior mind)
Intelligence: 3
Perception: 5
Wits: 3
Talents:
Alertness 4 (3 +1 freebie point)
Athletics 5 (3+2 freebie points)
Awareness 3
Brawl 3
Intimidation 1
Skills:
Melee 5 (3 + 2 freebie points)
Firearms 3
Survival 3
Knowledges
Occult 3
Medicine 2
Alertness 4 (3 +1 freebie point)
Athletics 5 (3+2 freebie points)
Awareness 3
Brawl 3
Intimidation 1
Skills:
Melee 5 (3 + 2 freebie points)
Firearms 3
Survival 3
Knowledges
Occult 3
Medicine 2
Increase the Arcana's Strength and Stamina by two each. This may increase their ratings above the maximums normally permitted for the Arcana's dot rating and Arcana Features. Golems may never have any Mental Attribute rated above 5 dots, even if another Feature might potentially provide it. A Golem cannot have an Appearance higher than 3, even if another Feature might potentially provide it. Golems can soak lethal damage, but not aggravated.
Golems are always obviously not human, and obviously made of inanimate materials
Golems are always obviously not human, and obviously made of inanimate materials
The Arcana gains three additional dots of Mental Attributes, which may increase its traits to 6. Taking this Feature a second time provides only two bonus dots, but raises the permitted cap to 7.
The Arcana gains three additional dots of Physical Attributes, which may increase its traits to 6. Taking this Feature a second time provides only two bonus dots, but raises the permitted cap to 7.
The Arcana's body is made primarily out of stone or clay. It reduces the difficulty of soak rolls by one, or by two against harm inflicted by stone weapons. All Arcana constructed by Dragon-Blooded must take one Elemental Frame quality.
The Arcana's body is made of tougher stuff than others of its kind. If the Arcana could normally only soak bashing damage, it can now also soak lethal damage. If the Arcana could normally soak lethal damage, it can now also soak aggravated damage at difficulty 8
A pact or some other metaphysical occurrence has left you
with what old-school witch-hunters consider a "devil's mark": a
minor but noticeable deformation that remains insensate to pain
and yet allows a creature to draw your Quintessence out through
your body in physical form. Despite preconceptions, the origins
of this mark might not have come from a pact with some infernal
entity. That fact doesn't keep people – Sleepers and otherwise –
from looking askance at you if and when this mark can be seen,
especially since there's often something disconcerting about the
way it appears – a third nipple, a red or black growth, a vaguely
demonic face or sigil embedded in your flesh, and so forth.
Thankfully, you don't have to worry too much about
witch-hunters in the technologically industrialized world.
(Other regions are a different story; even rural areas of socalled
advanced nations still hold people who will harm or
kill someone who's "different.") The mark's disconcerting
appearance, though, may lead you to cover it up anyway. Folks
who do believe old-fashioned ideas about "witches" will not take
kindly to that devilish brand, so it could become a real problem
under the wrong circumstances. On the plus side, however,
you actually can nurture a Familiar (as in the Background
Trait of that name) on the mark, and do so without physical
discomfort. Of course, the idea of a talking, midnight-blue
winged tarantula taking hits of Quintessence off your body
may be uncomfortable in its own right.
with what old-school witch-hunters consider a "devil's mark": a
minor but noticeable deformation that remains insensate to pain
and yet allows a creature to draw your Quintessence out through
your body in physical form. Despite preconceptions, the origins
of this mark might not have come from a pact with some infernal
entity. That fact doesn't keep people – Sleepers and otherwise –
from looking askance at you if and when this mark can be seen,
especially since there's often something disconcerting about the
way it appears – a third nipple, a red or black growth, a vaguely
demonic face or sigil embedded in your flesh, and so forth.
Thankfully, you don't have to worry too much about
witch-hunters in the technologically industrialized world.
(Other regions are a different story; even rural areas of socalled
advanced nations still hold people who will harm or
kill someone who's "different.") The mark's disconcerting
appearance, though, may lead you to cover it up anyway. Folks
who do believe old-fashioned ideas about "witches" will not take
kindly to that devilish brand, so it could become a real problem
under the wrong circumstances. On the plus side, however,
you actually can nurture a Familiar (as in the Background
Trait of that name) on the mark, and do so without physical
discomfort. Of course, the idea of a talking, midnight-blue
winged tarantula taking hits of Quintessence off your body
may be uncomfortable in its own right.
Your metaphysical prowess occasionally warps reality in
your presence, even when you don't want it to do so. Weird
stuff happens when you're not expecting such phenomena, and
those quirks of strangeness seem to be rooted in the sort of
magick you pursue. A specialist in Entropy could suffer twists
of probability and decay; a Life-attuned healer discovers odd
growths and mutations in the life-forms around him, while a
Forces-gifted mage bends the physics in his general vicinity
These phenomena ebb and flow without your guidance or
control. Perversely, the more skilled you become in magick,
the stronger these tides of weirdness become.
System-wise, the Storyteller determines, once or twice per
game session, to roll your Arete against difficulty 6. If the roll
succeeds, the Storyteller throws in some random occurrence
that's based on a Sphere you possess – most often, on your
Affinity Sphere. Grass could grow suddenly, mirrors could crack,
psychic impressions could inform you of the sexual habits of the
person standing next to you in the elevator – that sort of thing.
If the roll fails, then nothing unusual occurs. If the roll
botches, however, then a Paradox backlash expels one point
of Paradox in your current pool for each dot you have in
your Affinity Sphere; or all of your current Paradox, if you
have fewer points than that in your Paradox pool. (If, as an
example, Jinx has three dots in Entropy but only one point
of Paradox, the backlash dispels that one point in a backlash.)
These small backlashes won't be terribly damaging, but given
the unpredictable nature of this Flaw, they could come at very
inconvenient times.
your presence, even when you don't want it to do so. Weird
stuff happens when you're not expecting such phenomena, and
those quirks of strangeness seem to be rooted in the sort of
magick you pursue. A specialist in Entropy could suffer twists
of probability and decay; a Life-attuned healer discovers odd
growths and mutations in the life-forms around him, while a
Forces-gifted mage bends the physics in his general vicinity
These phenomena ebb and flow without your guidance or
control. Perversely, the more skilled you become in magick,
the stronger these tides of weirdness become.
System-wise, the Storyteller determines, once or twice per
game session, to roll your Arete against difficulty 6. If the roll
succeeds, the Storyteller throws in some random occurrence
that's based on a Sphere you possess – most often, on your
Affinity Sphere. Grass could grow suddenly, mirrors could crack,
psychic impressions could inform you of the sexual habits of the
person standing next to you in the elevator – that sort of thing.
If the roll fails, then nothing unusual occurs. If the roll
botches, however, then a Paradox backlash expels one point
of Paradox in your current pool for each dot you have in
your Affinity Sphere; or all of your current Paradox, if you
have fewer points than that in your Paradox pool. (If, as an
example, Jinx has three dots in Entropy but only one point
of Paradox, the backlash dispels that one point in a backlash.)
These small backlashes won't be terribly damaging, but given
the unpredictable nature of this Flaw, they could come at very
inconvenient times.
You prefer – maybe even need – to eat weird shit… quite
possibly in a literal sense of that expression. Perhaps you've
sworn a vow, suffered a curse, been treated (or created) with
unhallowed rituals or arcane hyperscience, or initiated into
an occult fellowship with… interesting admission demands. In
any case, you must consume substances that may be degrading,
unpleasant, expensive, or downright illegal.
The more inconvenient the substance, the more this Flaw
is worth:
• (2 points) Easy to procure, though not as easy to devour
(paper, fresh eggs, poop, etc.).
• (3 points) Unpleasant, hazardous, and perhaps illegal
to consume (rotten meat, swamp water, raw cannabis,
and so forth).
• (4 points) Specialized, foul, criminal, and /or expensive
chow (human blood, custom-brewed potions or meals,
and the like).
• (5 points) You really shouldn't eat such things… but
you must (live humans, toxic sludge, gold dust, highly
specialized food-like concoctions, and other similar
forms of sustenance).
For each dot in your Stamina Trait, you can go one day
without satisfying your special dietary requirements. After that,
you lose one health level per day until you either consume
your particular substance, or else die of hunger or thirst, suffer
the punishment of a vow unfulfilled, or otherwise endure
whichever other consequences might result from denying your
bizarre hunger.
For a related (and probably essential) companion Trait,
see the physical Merit: Cast-Iron Stomach, p. 36. And for a
potentially related focus-instrument, see the Chapter Three
Expanded Instruments entry for Cannibalism, pp. 206-207.
possibly in a literal sense of that expression. Perhaps you've
sworn a vow, suffered a curse, been treated (or created) with
unhallowed rituals or arcane hyperscience, or initiated into
an occult fellowship with… interesting admission demands. In
any case, you must consume substances that may be degrading,
unpleasant, expensive, or downright illegal.
The more inconvenient the substance, the more this Flaw
is worth:
• (2 points) Easy to procure, though not as easy to devour
(paper, fresh eggs, poop, etc.).
• (3 points) Unpleasant, hazardous, and perhaps illegal
to consume (rotten meat, swamp water, raw cannabis,
and so forth).
• (4 points) Specialized, foul, criminal, and /or expensive
chow (human blood, custom-brewed potions or meals,
and the like).
• (5 points) You really shouldn't eat such things… but
you must (live humans, toxic sludge, gold dust, highly
specialized food-like concoctions, and other similar
forms of sustenance).
For each dot in your Stamina Trait, you can go one day
without satisfying your special dietary requirements. After that,
you lose one health level per day until you either consume
your particular substance, or else die of hunger or thirst, suffer
the punishment of a vow unfulfilled, or otherwise endure
whichever other consequences might result from denying your
bizarre hunger.
For a related (and probably essential) companion Trait,
see the physical Merit: Cast-Iron Stomach, p. 36. And for a
potentially related focus-instrument, see the Chapter Three
Expanded Instruments entry for Cannibalism, pp. 206-207.
You're badass enough to shrug off injuries. They still harm you, but they don't stop you. Game-wise, this Merit allows your character to soak lethal damage – NOT aggravated damage. Story-wise, those gunshots, knife wounds, broken bones, and so forth still tear your character up – he's not bouncing shotgun rounds off his chest. By soaking the associated health levels, however, your character can push on through wounds that would cripple or kill most folks.
Lethal injuries require the usual amount of time to heal. Soaking is not healing. If the Storyteller decides to use the Cinematic Damage option (Chapter Nine, p. 412), this Merit
has no purpose and does not apply..
Lethal injuries require the usual amount of time to heal. Soaking is not healing. If the Storyteller decides to use the Cinematic Damage option (Chapter Nine, p. 412), this Merit
has no purpose and does not apply..
A Trait held most commonly by trolls and redcaps, Granite Skin is quite literally an epidermal layer of thin, hard stone.
You're a great deal tougher than you might be normally, but have the undesirable effect of leaving small flakes of stone behind every time you bend or flex. You possess the equivalent of chainmail armor at all times (see C20 p. 285, it's rating 3). Granite Skin does not cause a Dexterity penalty, but does impose a +1 difficulty to all rolls involving moving quietly.
You're a great deal tougher than you might be normally, but have the undesirable effect of leaving small flakes of stone behind every time you bend or flex. You possess the equivalent of chainmail armor at all times (see C20 p. 285, it's rating 3). Granite Skin does not cause a Dexterity penalty, but does impose a +1 difficulty to all rolls involving moving quietly.
It looks like an ideal of human form as seen by something that measures time in geological epochs and doesn't notice movements lesser than those of continental plates. A skin of iridescent half-transculent diamond-like crystal, muscles literally chiseled out of granite, and nerves woven from jade, with petrol-like blood running through its veins, this is a living statue that breathes controlled violence and strength. It would be called beautiful, except that it is clear that its maker was far more concerned with functionality over beauty of its form. As such, it is only pleasant to view, instead of utterly enthralling. A single blemish marks it - a sword-like rune seemingly cast out of bronze, embedded into the palm of its right hand, with veins of bronze snaking from it up its arm.
As it is a living thing, it requires sustenance, and no mortal food would nourish it. Instead, it consumes petrol, metals and rare earth, and even diamonds are required to sustain its health. Once per month, in order to rekindle the spark of its gifted might.
As it is a living thing, it requires sustenance, and no mortal food would nourish it. Instead, it consumes petrol, metals and rare earth, and even diamonds are required to sustain its health. Once per month, in order to rekindle the spark of its gifted might.
So, this is a warform. And a very good warform indeed, I feel. Golem template allows increasing Stamina and Strength to 9 points with additional purchases of Superior Body. I left Strength at 8 to get more Stamina, but that can be changed.
It soaks aggravated damage at difficulty 4 thanks to a combination of Golem (-1 difficulty to soak), Too Tough to Die (soak lethal), Hardened Body (increase soak by one category, aggravated is soaked at DC 8 normally), and the Splendor Effect (-3 DC to soak). When hitting 5 dots, we could take Reinforced Body for 3 additional soak dice. It already gets a bonus soak die from Form of Steadfast Earth of the splendor it is the effect of.
For flaws i went with strangeness (i.e. techbane, essentially, that's actually useful in context), bizarre hunger (it needs to eat, so the user will spend some time in this form eating stuff like car batteries and diamonds and drinking machine oil and petrol), and Devil's mark. Devil's mark is essentially a synergetic with the sword, as it's basically a connector port to attach a splendor weapon to.
I also used a superior mind to get high perception, which is useful for a warrior.
In terms of purely combat abilities, this is Molly's peer before excellencies, and Lydia's superior.
It soaks aggravated damage at difficulty 4 thanks to a combination of Golem (-1 difficulty to soak), Too Tough to Die (soak lethal), Hardened Body (increase soak by one category, aggravated is soaked at DC 8 normally), and the Splendor Effect (-3 DC to soak). When hitting 5 dots, we could take Reinforced Body for 3 additional soak dice. It already gets a bonus soak die from Form of Steadfast Earth of the splendor it is the effect of.
For flaws i went with strangeness (i.e. techbane, essentially, that's actually useful in context), bizarre hunger (it needs to eat, so the user will spend some time in this form eating stuff like car batteries and diamonds and drinking machine oil and petrol), and Devil's mark. Devil's mark is essentially a synergetic with the sword, as it's basically a connector port to attach a splendor weapon to.
I also used a superior mind to get high perception, which is useful for a warrior.
In terms of purely combat abilities, this is Molly's peer before excellencies, and Lydia's superior.
If I can get "transform into the form, keep highest of Attributes and abilities" feature approved, then I'll drop superior mind, while maintaining perception 5, drop Charisma to 1 to get appearance 4, use the freed Arcana Feature slot for reinforced Body probably
@DragonParadox would you allow "transform into X, keep the highest of Attributes and abilities"? The transformation should not cause amnesia, so stuff like Science Ability should be preserved, but it might affect the mind. Up to you. If you'll allow it, I'll further optimize the build.
Also, someone please check my math.
I could see taking the highest of abilities, but not attributes, you are shape-changing after all, in all cases in this system turning into something else comes with attribute changes.
- Location
- washington
odin is explicitly called benevolent by woj calling him santa isn't gonna get him hostile. Might get him slightly annoyed based off affects but this is a guy who likes dresden for being well dresden.
Ok, sure, that works, no problem. The build should stand then, I think. It's still a super-tanky combat form that probably could have fought Will of Kakuri at least.
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[X] As Donar Vadderung, Head of Monoc Security
Just had a thought. Molly finally dies of old age and all the non mortal things take a deep breathe and wipe the sweat off their brows cuz holy shit was she powerful. Then a few days later they get some new of a different mortal running around with a sword glowing green and slaying stuff.
Sorry to bother you again. What about willpower dots?
Hmm... willpower is inherent, but it is also mental and going off how werewolves work they should keep it. Yeah sure they can keep the highest of the two
Iirc Infernals have a 150 year expiration date if they don't get to essence 6 then it's 300 years and so on and so forth until they either die or make their own charm set (Heresy) or come to embody a Yozi (Orthodox).
This just ends with us kneecapping ourselves by not using our abilities. In the end the best we can do is make the security a cast iron bitch to get through and make examples of anyone who tries.
Probably also good against high soak creatures depending on how it's represented mechanically.
If it's a pure debuff instead of damage then strictly speaking most methods of boosting soak wouldn't matter. Personally I'd model it by having a chart you check base stamina against to see how effective it is on a target and then make people who qualify to get zapped roll will against the pain.
It's not actually causing damage in the first place and that isn't the point of it, so rolling soak with factors like regeneration or natural armor factored in doesn't make sense.
Mechanics are that you're harvesting power from something to get that free lunch.
My assumption so far has been that the targets we get essence from are the ones big enough to sink our teeth into, and that all other qualifying opponents who don't basically get scarred up as scrape by Molly's spiritual teeth.
Or maybe a better metaphor would be solid vs. liquid; you can chew on ice, but not on a gulp of water. If you try you'll still swallow some, if you do it with your mouth open you're going to spill most of it.
It doesn't explicitly say it kills their souls, so it could go either way, but the charm is getting power from somewhere and unlike many others this one specifies that it's the target providing it everywhere else. Seems reasonable to me that everyone on the other side of MiM is worse off somehow than they would be if we didn't activate it.
Not that it really matters; the point of the charm is that if we want something dead it stays out of the game after we kill it. As long as the target doesn't come back it doesn't matter if we had to force the issue or if they're good sports about it and stay on the bench without our interference.
I'd be surprised if she did have dots in stealth. She doesn't seem to appreciate how her powers make her hard to notice, or the advantages it gives her if she's serious about fighting back.
Even without a splendor she's basically built for being an unfair fuck-you tier sniper/ranged combatant.
In fact, I think a splendor gun would be the best thing for her. Your design is great and should get used, but maybe for Isabella or a future circle member instead?
I'm just thinking that an infallible sniper with an Arcana dedicated to detection and local area defense would be very scary in combination with someone good at hiding and deflecting attention.
I don't have time for a full build right now, but imagine these working together:
Physically wooden charm bracelet, or perhaps a pocket knife with an elaborately carved handle and no actual blade.
Set shattered futility to soak with the condition of taking damage from a weapon used by the splendor's wielder.
A mortal sniper can throw 20 dice down range with prep time, and unlike the guy who shot us she can use magic to make it virtually impossible to notice her before she takes it.
If soak isn't a viable target then having a gun that turns off melee would be good for a mortal worried about getting shredded.
Really I'd prefer to home brew it closer to the other curse effects. Trade that stupid duration for a thematically appropriate curse that has a shorter duration and a narrower effect.
Instead of losing melee, brawl, or whatever entirely for a month instead they lose their greatest active defense until the end of the scene under the same "take damage from the wielder" condition.
Or if that's too broad, take damage from the wielder while you're unaware of their location. That nerfs the weapon a lot, but we are supposed to be adding our own limits to splendor operation when building them.
Either way Olivia would be really scary in short order, especially working with a team.
Still a lot of mundane obligations and mental trauma to deal with. Not a good plan to take someone like that into high stress situations.
fictionfan
Please sir, may I have some Meows?
- Location
- Tempe, AZ
That limitations was Yozi enforced. They wanted Infernals to either grow quickly (to save them) or have their Exaltations move on to someone that would.
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