Green Flame Rising (Exalted vs Dresden Files)
- Thread starter DragonParadox
- Start date
- Crossover Fantasy
If perfect darkness works, we should definitely be buying Bloodless Murk Evasion. It shouldn't be hard to generate dark areas, turning battlefields to our advantage.
Also, I would like to ask @DragonParadox: are only the servants of the White God able to generate holy attacks in this quest? Can other deities and spirits do it?
Yzarc
The Spark of Madness
Ah. Sorry, I understand your point now. So yeah it is Staminax2 but that is still 18 dice at Stamina 8.
Harry Dresden can generate holy attacks in this quest (under limited circumstances like with the Loup Garou). All that takes is genuine faith and the use of a symbol of that faith. That said it is easier for someone like Michael or say a devout Buddhist or Hindu than it is for a wizard, even one who holds magic sacred. Human brains deal with personalized divinity better than with abstract sacredness.
I added additional plan for those who are invested in the prayer-eating mechanic.
It will also blind our allies. I would like to add, that you spend the difference in XP to Ox Bodies, which are useless, if we have a reliable perfect defence.
Thanks, that is exactly my point: BME won't work against holy attacks and we are allies of only a fraction of those who can use holy effect against us. If we spend XP on perfect defence, it should be perfect.
Let me repost my edited plans:
[X] Plan Speak Softly and Have Reliable Defence
-[X] Molly: 28 XP
--[X] Alertness 2: 5xp
--[X] Awareness 1: 3xp
--[X] Counter-Conceptual Interposition: 16 XP
--[X] Source Code Compliance Protocol: 4 XP
-[X] Lydia: 7 XP
--[X] Mo Kung/Demon Fighter (•) (Training Discount): 2xp
--[X] Willpower 6: 5 XP
Also, plan for those, who are invested to unlock prayer-eating tree this arc:
[X] Plan Speak Fervently and Have Reliable Defence
-[X] Molly: 28 XP
--[X] Alertness 1: 3xp
--[X] Awareness 1: 3xp
--[X] Counter-Conceptual Interposition: 16 XP
--[X] Source Code Compliance Protocol: 4 XP
--[X] Hear Prayers: 2 XP
-[X] Lydia: 7 XP
--[X] Mo Kung/Demon Fighter (•) (Training Discount): 2xp
--[X] Willpower 6: 5 XP
Edit:
I have another consideration against BME from mechanical point of view: it doesn't let Molly to tank attacks. It teleports her to the nearest shadow, while CCI creates a shield. This means BME can be problematic in the situation, where Molly needs to defend a point or a VIP.
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Here we go.
VOTE
[X]Plan Hell in Vegas
-[X]Molly: 26XP + 2XP Reserve: 28XP
--[X]Alertness 1: 3xp
--[X]Awareness 1: 3xp
--[X]Survival 1: 3xp
--[X]Ox-Body 2: 3xp
--[X]Hell-Walker Technique: 12xp
--[X]XP spent: 24xp
--[X]Unspent XP: 4xp
-[X]Lydia: 7xp (26/4, rounded up)
--[X]Mo Kung/Demon Fighter 1: Steelskin(Training Discount): 2xp
--[X]Occult 2: 2xp
--[X]Spies 1: 3xp
--[X] XP spent: 7xp
-[X]Total Unspent XP: 4xp
-[X]OTHER: Hand over Jade Talisman/Essence Battery to Lydia, with caveat that we might borrow it later to see if we can duplicate it
RATIONALE
We are going to Vegas in January in pursuit of Sandra, and we know several things about the situation:
1) There's a Sin-Eater in Vegas that was summoned by the previous Native American inhabitants of the area to guard a Rift/Hellgate/weak spot in Creation that either goes Outside or to some incredibly hostile layer of the NeverNever.
The Sin-Eater and its agents was responsible for Vegas becoming a major city in the first place
2)The Dragon is a Red Court vampire that has served as the Sin-Eater's viceroy for most of the twentieth century, and essentially helped build Las Vegas into the city it is today.
He will have eyes, ears and hands at the highest and lowest levels of the city.
3)Sandra is an Outsider agent, maybe a Nemesis agent.
In World of Darkness terms, she's a K'llasshaa Nephandus. As such, she is guaranteed to have supernatural Investments of some sort, and potentially the ability to call up backup.
And the fact that she came to Las Vegas suggests she has plans that involve that rift/hellgate.
We need to prep for this.
Hence I am prioritizing the ability to talk to spirits for interrogation, negotiations and directions, and to travel across the Gauntlet into the other layers of reality, and even Outside, just in case Sandra's plans have gotten more advanced than we anticipate.
Or even just to catch her.
MOLLY
Alertness 1 improves Molly's ability to passively notice mundane threats before they attack.
Awareness 1 improves her ability to passively notice occult/supernatural threats.
We are going to a city thats essentially the wholly owned subsidiary of a major spirit; we need the buffs.
Ox Body 2 improves Molly's Health by 4x extra HLs, going from 11 to 15.
It allows her to sustain more damage without dying or having to go into shintai in a fight.
We specifically panicked over this when we were fighting Arianna, so we should address it.
Hell-Walker Technique + Survival 1 allows Molly to pursue people into the NeverNever, to navigate her way there, and to get back out. This avoids the situation where we are relying on other people when the skinwalker was following us back from the Monoc base; remember that the last time we had to do stuff in the NeverNever, Lydia was not available.
Even if she is, Lydia's Essence pool is less than half Molly's maximum(Lydia has 7, Molly has 15), and she doesnt recover it as fast as Molly does either. So Molly needs to be able to do it herself, so Lydia can save her Essence until its absolutely necessary. Also, since Lydia doesnt have a Shaping defense, there are places that Molly can go that Lydia cant.
Hellwalker also allows her to communicate with spirits as well in the event that she needs directions.
And it acts as a universal translator for the human languages that humanity shares with spirits, which in the Dresden Files is all of them.
LYDIA
Mo Kung 1 gives her a scenelong Stamina buff, which increases her +Soak in combat.
Occult 2 improves her native counterspelling.
She has no antishaping charm at the moment, so she is reliant on her reflexive Wits + Occult roll to defend against shit like enemy death curses, shaping attacks, possession and being turned into a toad.
Furthermore, her Open/Close The Way charm that forces magic gates open and shut is a Wits+Occult roll; if she comes to Vegas with Molly, there's good odds she will have to use it to close a magic gate.
She needs better Occult for rolls like that. Much better Occult.
Spies 1 improves her ability to gather information and early warning against opposition, both hostiles entering Chicago, and the conditions in other cities and locations. It synergizes with her Mentor Background.
It helps avoid a repeat of a situation where akuma or skinwalkers enter Chicago for several weeks and we never hear a word.
Its also thematic for the girl-woman who talks to ghosts to start putting together an information network from them and other spirits and people.
That Spy network might help with the Vegas mission as well.
VOTE
[X]Plan Hell in Vegas
-[X]Molly: 26XP + 2XP Reserve: 28XP
--[X]Alertness 1: 3xp
--[X]Awareness 1: 3xp
--[X]Survival 1: 3xp
--[X]Ox-Body 2: 3xp
--[X]Hell-Walker Technique: 12xp
--[X]XP spent: 24xp
--[X]Unspent XP: 4xp
-[X]Lydia: 7xp (26/4, rounded up)
--[X]Mo Kung/Demon Fighter 1: Steelskin(Training Discount): 2xp
--[X]Occult 2: 2xp
--[X]Spies 1: 3xp
--[X] XP spent: 7xp
-[X]Total Unspent XP: 4xp
-[X]OTHER: Hand over Jade Talisman/Essence Battery to Lydia, with caveat that we might borrow it later to see if we can duplicate it
RATIONALE
We are going to Vegas in January in pursuit of Sandra, and we know several things about the situation:
1) There's a Sin-Eater in Vegas that was summoned by the previous Native American inhabitants of the area to guard a Rift/Hellgate/weak spot in Creation that either goes Outside or to some incredibly hostile layer of the NeverNever.
The Sin-Eater and its agents was responsible for Vegas becoming a major city in the first place
2)The Dragon is a Red Court vampire that has served as the Sin-Eater's viceroy for most of the twentieth century, and essentially helped build Las Vegas into the city it is today.
He will have eyes, ears and hands at the highest and lowest levels of the city.
3)Sandra is an Outsider agent, maybe a Nemesis agent.
In World of Darkness terms, she's a K'llasshaa Nephandus. As such, she is guaranteed to have supernatural Investments of some sort, and potentially the ability to call up backup.
And the fact that she came to Las Vegas suggests she has plans that involve that rift/hellgate.
We need to prep for this.
Hence I am prioritizing the ability to talk to spirits for interrogation, negotiations and directions, and to travel across the Gauntlet into the other layers of reality, and even Outside, just in case Sandra's plans have gotten more advanced than we anticipate.
Or even just to catch her.
MOLLY
Alertness 1 improves Molly's ability to passively notice mundane threats before they attack.
Awareness 1 improves her ability to passively notice occult/supernatural threats.
We are going to a city thats essentially the wholly owned subsidiary of a major spirit; we need the buffs.
Ox Body 2 improves Molly's Health by 4x extra HLs, going from 11 to 15.
It allows her to sustain more damage without dying or having to go into shintai in a fight.
We specifically panicked over this when we were fighting Arianna, so we should address it.
Hell-Walker Technique + Survival 1 allows Molly to pursue people into the NeverNever, to navigate her way there, and to get back out. This avoids the situation where we are relying on other people when the skinwalker was following us back from the Monoc base; remember that the last time we had to do stuff in the NeverNever, Lydia was not available.
Even if she is, Lydia's Essence pool is less than half Molly's maximum(Lydia has 7, Molly has 15), and she doesnt recover it as fast as Molly does either. So Molly needs to be able to do it herself, so Lydia can save her Essence until its absolutely necessary. Also, since Lydia doesnt have a Shaping defense, there are places that Molly can go that Lydia cant.
Hellwalker also allows her to communicate with spirits as well in the event that she needs directions.
And it acts as a universal translator for the human languages that humanity shares with spirits, which in the Dresden Files is all of them.
LYDIA
Mo Kung 1 gives her a scenelong Stamina buff, which increases her +Soak in combat.
Occult 2 improves her native counterspelling.
She has no antishaping charm at the moment, so she is reliant on her reflexive Wits + Occult roll to defend against shit like enemy death curses, shaping attacks, possession and being turned into a toad.
Furthermore, her Open/Close The Way charm that forces magic gates open and shut is a Wits+Occult roll; if she comes to Vegas with Molly, there's good odds she will have to use it to close a magic gate.
She needs better Occult for rolls like that. Much better Occult.
Spies 1 improves her ability to gather information and early warning against opposition, both hostiles entering Chicago, and the conditions in other cities and locations. It synergizes with her Mentor Background.
It helps avoid a repeat of a situation where akuma or skinwalkers enter Chicago for several weeks and we never hear a word.
Its also thematic for the girl-woman who talks to ghosts to start putting together an information network from them and other spirits and people.
That Spy network might help with the Vegas mission as well.
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- Location
- Germany
But just about everyone we fought so far was a Creature of Darkness in itself.
Basically, outside of some humans we haven't fought anything with holy powers yet.
And no Infernal defence is perfect, they all have a flaw by design.
OctarineShrike
Avatar of Mandos
What if we upgraded our cyber devils? I don't have the PDF in front of me at the moment to know the XP cost but 3 or 4 dot to minimize the chances of a repeat incident.
And it doesn't mean that Molly won't find herself against someone who can use holy attacks.
Yes, and the only flaw of CCI is the increased cost in case Molly doesn't know, what her enemy is. This flaw can be countered with acquiring additional information from Bob. Also remember that Molly has Occult 5.
Also consider the ability to cheaply defend against enemies with multiple attacks and this:
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We are currently at Cyberdevils 3.
It will cost us 6xp to get them to Cyberdevils 5.
We'll do that eventually, but I would argue that right now we have other, more pressing priorities.
Remember, Cyberdevils are not going to give us information that isnt on the Internet, in a computer, or accessible by technological means. Thats outside their focus.
Which is why Im having Lydia buy Spies 1.
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Is this even allowed? You are attempting to conjure in-game plot-relevant events out of XP expenditure only.
Take a wizard, or someone else capable, if we need to.
Source Code Compliance Protocol is 4 XP, and it has broad uses, both in combat, and outside of it.
That's ridiculous, you're basically suggesting that the flaw doesn't actually exist at all. Creating shadows is less so, but it's worth noting the flaw here is among the most obvious and easy to exploit even setting aside the holy stuff*.
I mean, what do you think the occult roll is to notice we only teleport between shadows and that bright enough ambient light at the starting point disables it? At which point any idiot can at least try to suppress it.
* which we shouldn't, because attacking the arch devil thing with holy water isn't exactly a novel idea.
[X] Cavalar
[X] Uju32
fictionfan
Please sir, may I have some Meows?
- Location
- Tempe, AZ
[X]Plan gaining influence
-[X]Verdant Emptiness Endowment (•••••) (20 XP)
-[X]Ox Body x2 (6 XP)
-[X]Prayer Eating (•) (2 XP)
--[X] Lydia: 7 XP
-[X] Mo Kung/Demon Fighter (•) (Training Discount): 2xp
-[X] Willpower 6: 5 XP
I really want to give our loyal subjects a safe word.
[X]Yzarc
Also seems to have good ideas.
-[X]Verdant Emptiness Endowment (•••••) (20 XP)
-[X]Ox Body x2 (6 XP)
-[X]Prayer Eating (•) (2 XP)
--[X] Lydia: 7 XP
-[X] Mo Kung/Demon Fighter (•) (Training Discount): 2xp
-[X] Willpower 6: 5 XP
I really want to give our loyal subjects a safe word.
[X]Yzarc
Also seems to have good ideas.
I have doubts that I have ever been more then 27 feet from a shadow my entire life. Where there is lights and things exist there are shadows.
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I just checked, and the mechanics of the charm are slightly different than has been presented in a way that makes the flaw make sense again:
Note that is says you dissolve and may teleport not that you dodge by teleporting.
The difference being that you can stay in one place if you want, just allowing the attack to pass through you, but that proximity to shadows isn't relevant to the flaw condition.
If we're in bright enough light it doesn't matter if we're close to a shadow, we're not allowed to initiate it.
fictionfan
Please sir, may I have some Meows?
- Location
- Tempe, AZ
Ya so? We haven't been able to have a fight in daylight even when we actively try and make it happen. Most of the stuff we fight burn in sunlight.
How about that whole thing with Broken Seeker?
We're not the only ones that control when we have to fight, and we do go around trying stuff during daylight hours.
Once someone notices that we're using something enhanced or touching on darkness we're going to get the vampire treatment, even if we discount people like Harry's ability to literally bottle the stuff.
Let me remind you that Nazis and the Fallen Valkyrie didn't burn in sunlight. Denarians and Black Hats, Fae and Outsiders won't.
Yes? We bought Familiar 1 for Lydia.
We have been witness to Lydia spending active effort building contacts among the ghost population of Chicago.
We went to a party in a graveyard a couple months ago, and we were told that she did something similar over Christmas.
Not to mention that she has her father's voice in her head telling her people to look up, and people he used to contact.
The IC justification has been established; she's put in the work onscreen and off.
Counterpoint:
Hank the lesser skinwalker incident while we were in the NeverNever. And Lydia being out of the city when Seeker and his coven of acolytes showed up to play. We cant actually rely on people who may not be available when its needed.
Besides, Dresden does not have an antishaping defense, which rules him out of some potential spots that we might cross over in pursuit of an enemy or information.
Lydia does not currently have an antishaping defense because its too expensive to buy.
Not especially convinced at this time.
Like I pointed out earlier, Hell-Walker Technique appears to cover most of the friendly use cases for Source Code. And while I like the thematics, I dont think I can justify buying both it and HWT this turn.
Furthermore, I cant think of any other 1-dot charm on Molly's list thats important enough to buy immediately.
I think we should rather save that 4XP to raise Lydia's Willpower next turn.
Or to increase Molly's Alchemy rating, which we're still working on.
Or to buy up Shih Bridge of Dreams 1 and 2, because Dreams 2 is the point where we can regen Willpower.
fictionfan
Please sir, may I have some Meows?
- Location
- Tempe, AZ
It isn't as if we are helpless without BME. We have invested a lot into combat before getting it. It is just helpful and we don't need it against most of the things that will fight us in sunlight.
On the other hand, just imagine that with CCI Molly will be able to tank Eye of Balor for two motes or, if she takes a crash course of Irish mythology beforehand, for one mote.
[X]Plan gaining influence
Our people need a get out of trouble option, VEE also allows them to rapidly gain influence and power in the world, which flows back up to us. Also the benefits the hell overall by allowing Molly to fix a number of issues with the right wish.
Our people need a get out of trouble option, VEE also allows them to rapidly gain influence and power in the world, which flows back up to us. Also the benefits the hell overall by allowing Molly to fix a number of issues with the right wish.
fictionfan
Please sir, may I have some Meows?
- Location
- Tempe, AZ
Was that fight during the day?