Green Flame Rising (Exalted vs Dresden Files)

[X] Miraculous Remembrance of Life
Thank you! This is very encouraging that I am not the only one interested in this kind of plot. Let me make a pitch for it, actually:

Ok, no chance of this winning, probably, this is a "for fun" narrative driven version of Molly that is meant to appeal to those interested in Exalted legacy.

[X] Miraculous Remembrance of Life
-[X] Past Lives 5
-[X] Living legend, 5 pts
-[X] Inner Knight, 5 pts
-[X] Guardians Angel, 6 Pts
-[X] Spirit Magnet, 6 Pts
-[X] Spirit Mentor, 3 Pts
-[X] Oracular Ability, 3 Pts
-[X] Eidetic Memory, 2 Pts
-[X] Acute Senses, 3 Pts
-[X] [Power] Armored Skin, 1 pt
-[X] [Power] Mega-Attribute: Perception, 1 pt

This is the most I can make. It's meant to be Molly from the perspective of Past Lives and exalted legacy. You let her out in the Sanctuary, and she roams discovering ancient past, guided by spirits like Mother of Spiders, Traveler of Nullspace, and the Shadow of All Things.

The name was selected with meaning.
This is the "plot hook" Molly. The one that is meant to be given almost entirely to @DragonParadox to pull in directions they are interested in. Essentially, the closest I could get to build a sidereal-like "you need to do this" thing. She is meant to do two things: provide connections to Exalted ancient lore, and provide avenues of exploration for prime Molly. There are several trait combos here:
1) Past Lives - Living Legend - Inner Knight, which generates a connection to Molly's past life
2) Guardian Angel - Spirit Magnet - Spirit Mentor which are meant for outside input. Some ancient spirit from Sanctuary, Uriel dropping hints, stuff like that.
3) Oracular Ability - Eidetic Memory - Clear Sighted Acute Senses- Mega Attribute (Perception) together generate the ability to interpret the signals from both inside (Past Lives combo) and outside (Guardian Angel combo). If anyone has any suggestion on what to change Eidetic Memory and Clear Sighted here, I am all ears, I realize that this is not the best possible combination.

All of these work together, obviously.

Essentially, the idea here is to set MRL (which is the name reference to the legendary iconic Solar queen from the First Age) into the sanctuary as a free explorer, and to see what shakes out. Something should.
 
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The God-bot may be a tourist attraction of sorts and has its own cult in Vegas. A boiling pot for supernatural and mortal activity alike. People like Charon (or an imposter) along with whatever deity supports the woman we had fix the Thralls and other significant characters like the Dragon and Sineater having been known to keep guard over a breach to the Outside have all been interested or located in Vegas. Attention drawing events have been happening here for awhile.

I find it very hard to believe that something like the statue of Ra a well-known sungod here of all places wouldn't ever have been looked into. It suspends disbelief.
The cult only came to Vegas recently, and the statue hasn't really been public, as I understand it. Plus, before the recent lightshow, the statue was very good at concealment, as I understand it.
 
The cult only came to Vegas recently, and the statue hasn't really been public, as I understand it. Plus, before the recent lightshow, the statue was very good at concealment, as I understand it.
I don't remember reading that they are a recent thing but I'll go back and check. Wait actually @DragonParadox is the cult of Ra a recent arrival to Vegas or have they been here for some time now?

I don't see how that would be the case. Where would you even hide such a thing? The Luxor pyramid and replica Sphinx are also here as tourist traps in Vegas. No way the on theme statue wasn't an attraction.

What in text gave you the impression that the statue cares for concealment or has any particular skill there?

Edit: Again contradicting yourself here. You've been saying safety in obscurity now your saying that the statue is very good at concealment and that's why it's charge has remained hidden.
 
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I don't remember reading that they are a recent thing but I'll go back and check. Wait actually @DragonParadox is the cult of Ra a recent arrival to Vegas or have they been here for some time now?

I don't see how that would be the case. Where would you even hide such a thing? The Luxor pyramid and replica Sphinx are also here as tourist traps in Vegas. No way the on theme statue wasn't an attraction.

What in text gave you the impression that the statue cares for concealment or has any particular skill there?

Edit: Again contradicting yourself here. You've been saying safety in obscurity now your saying that the statue is very good at concealment and that's why it's charge has remained hidden.
I am saying that they had safety in obscurity. They don't have it now. And that before it had to act, I am willing to concede that the statue could probably pull off concealment. I am not willing to rely on only its defenses or concealment now.

On them being recent:
"Does the group Pallbearers of Ra Descending mean anything to you?" You say, meeting the eyes of the woman across from you. "What of the name Lavender Fischer?"

"Can't say the name means anything to me, but the group," she taps a manicured finger to her chin. "They are new, quite wealthy, though that is hard to judge in this city where the easiest way to get rich is to play the part." She does not seem to like these people very much, though it does not quite cross over into open enmity, more the way someone would see a group with is astray, like devout Catholic might talk about a really out there denomination, which is quite odd on its own. Ancient pagan cults are not after all known for caring about each other's specific rites. "Their leader a Mr. Oliver Adkin tried to buy the Xanadu from Silk, though she is unwilling to sell, you'll have to ask her why. Instead they somehow acquired the right to set up in the Springs Preserve..."
 
The Library has limited resources, and while they've had success with Las Vegas, I can't see that success justifying more resources when the US nearly got its financial and political system blown up by Mikaboshi. I'm sure the highest priority for the LOC right now is figuring out how to prevent supernatural forces from deploying economical/political bombs to cripple America, and Las Vegas being dealt with just means less resources will be allocated in that direction.
The economic collapse is still going to happen just not be quite as bad as it was IRL.
 
On them being recent:
Thanks.

I am saying that they had safety in obscurity. They don't have it now.
And I'm saying that nothing we've seen of Las Vegas in this Quest- the city with at least two Gods involved (one with a follower here they're willing to lend a hand to assist when asked, the apparent other enforcing NeutralGrounds for everyone) a breach in reality guarded by a 'Dragon', a huge tourist trap pyramid, replica Sphinx, Red Court flesh trafficking, cult of Ra worshipers that showed up half a year ago, and whatever else is here, lends the theory of 'safety in obscurity' any meaningful weight.

Why would this specific thing have gone ignored with everything else going on in this ridiculous city? As your saying now the more likely explanation is that the statue has protections of some sort that conceal its charge from precog and the like. Anyone who doesn't know what to be looking for going in likely isn't going to suddenly figure it out now just because the city is more active than usual.
 
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Thanks.


And I'm saying that nothing we've seen of Las Vegas in this Quest- the city with at least two Gods involved (one with a follower here they're willing to lend a hand to assist when asked, the apparent other enforcing NeutralGrounds for everyone) a breach in reality guarded by a 'Dragon', a huge tourist trap pyramid, replica Sphinx, Red Court flesh trafficking, cult of Ra worshipers that showed up half a year ago, and whatever else is here, lends the theory of 'safety in obscurity' any meaningful weight.

Why would this specific thing have gone ignored with everything else going on in this ridiculous city? As your saying now the more likely explanation is that the statue has protections of some sort that conceal its charge from precog and the like. Anyone who doesn't know what to be looking for going in likely isn't going to suddenly figure it out now just because the city is more active than usual.
Because 6 months is a very short time. The cult have been nobodies before coming to Vegas, newcomers when they came to it (and half a year, as I said, is a very short time), but now they are important. People will be investigating them. In these conditions, I don't trust the security they have at all.
 
Initial draft for Pods.
===================
VOTE
[X]Plan Newborn Scholar
-[X][Power]Unholy Blessing
-[X][Power]Unholy Blessing
-[X][Power]Mega-Attribute: Perception
-[X][Power]Mega-Attribute: Wits
-[X][Power]Armored Skin
-[X][Power]Numbing
-[X][Power]Corpse Hide
-[X][Power]Disguise
-[X][Power]Sense The Unnatural
-[X][Power]Bestial Mutation
-[X][Power]Enhanced Bestial Mutation
--[X][Standby Power]Sirens Veil
--[X][Bestial Power]Wicked Weapons of Malfeas: Instincts For Violence
-[X][Power] Enhanced Super-Beast Mode: Intelligence
-[X][Power] Wicked Weapons of Malfeas: Hideous Breath
-[X][Power] Extra Speed
-[X][Power] Twisted Gifts
-[X][Power] Greater Gifts of Malfeas
-[X][Gift] Cybersenses(Glass Walker 1)
-[X][Gift] Apecraft's Blessings(Homid 1)
-[X][Gift] Plug and Play(Glass Walker 1)
-[X][Gift] Touch of the Muse(Black Fury 2)
-[X][Gift] Grandmother's Touch(Children of Gaia 2)
-[X][Gift] Coils of the Serpent(Uktena 2/Bunyip 2/W20)
-[X][Gift] Strength of Purpose(Philodox 2/Croatan 2/ Get of Fenris 2)
-[X][Gift] Pain Chain(Children of Gaia 3)
-[X][Gift] Universal Interface(Glass Walker 3)
-[X][Gift] Barring The Will(Black Furies 3)
-[X][Gift] Pulse of the Invisible(Theurge 3/Bunyip 3)
-[X][Gift] Mental Speech (Metis 3/Philodox 3)
-[X][Gift] Eyes of the Cat (Metis 3)
-[X][Gift] Adaptation(Silent Strider 3)
-[X][Gift] Speech of All Things(Children of Gaia 3)
-[X][Gift] Trust of Gaia (Children of Gaia 5)
-[X][Gift] Assimilation (Homid 5/W20)
-[X][Gift] Harmonious Unity of the Emerald Mother (Stargazer 5/W20)
-[X][Gift] Break The Bonds(Galliard 6/Philodox 6/W20)
-[X][Merit][Special Advantage] Soak Aggravated Damage: 2 (after discount)
-[X][Merit] Ability Aptitude: Occult: 1
-[X][Merit] Eidetic Memory: 2


=========
RATIONALE
35 points of powers+Gifts
5 points of Merits

STAT CHANGE
-4DC to activate powers + gifts
-2DC to soak
+3HLs
+3 Perception, +3 Wits, +3 Stamina, +1 Dex, +4 Strength
+2 Stamina, +2 Dex, +2 Strength, +5 Intelligence and Appearance 0 when Bestial Mutation is active
+2 Charisma, +2 Appearance, +2 Manipulation when Siren's Veil is active
+1 Action/turn
X1.5 Speed

EXPLANATION
1-2) Reduce difficulty to activate powers
3-4) Buff to Perception and Wits
5)Soak lethal with stamina
6)Wound negation + bonus health
7) Reduced DC to soak damage
8) Hide signs of active powers
9) Detect and identify supernaturals within 20 yards
10) Super mode that gives attribute buffs while active
11) Switchable mode that gives two options:
11a) +2 to all Social attributes and makes them appear as ideal woman/man/person when supermode is off
11b) Automatic melee counter attack when supermode is active
12) Super mode upgrade that adds Intelligence buff
13) Ranged energy blast(DC5 Dex+Athletics) with range and damage of pistol with usual Firearms penalties
14) Extra free action per turn + speed buff
15) Unlock extra Gifts and allow the use of Willpower instead of Rage/Gnosis
16) Unlock Gifts above Rank 2 + allow the use of Willpower instead of Rage/Gnosis
17) X-ray vision, radar, sonar etc
18) Reduce DCs for using human-made or -designed tools, from crafting to driving a car to wielding a sword
19) Any computer is omnicompatible with any other digital device, regardless of physical ports, OS, or lack of wireless
20) Reduce social DCs
21) Heal self and others
22) 30 feet long telekinetic arms that can be used to grapple,carry, hold, perform utility but not attack
23) Automatically recover points of Willpower every scene with a roll
24) Discover the chain of command/responsibility of anyone who you are interested in, with faces and identities
25) Summon magic computer thats automatically connected to the Internet regardless of location(real world or NeverNever) and to Sanctuary/cyberdevil network
26) Recover full Willpower any scene that you make the roll
27) See into the NeverNever
28) Telepathy with a range of 10 miles*activation successes
29) See in the darkness.
30) Ignore poison, disease, temperature extremes and environmental conditions for several hours per activation
31) Read, speak and understand any language. Does not protect against infohazard
32) People trust and confide in you like a trusted friend and automatically assume the best of you. Wyrm creatures immune
33) Blend into any society, ignore all social penalties
34) Gives stat buffs of Crinos warform for the entire day
35) Immunity to supernatural coercion(mind control, emotion control, mind reading, etc). Break physical bonds on self and others like she has Strength 15, and banish mental bonds on others(geases, vampire blood bonds, etc) with a roll.
36-37) Soak aggravated damage. Normally 5 points, but since we can already soak lethal, reduced to 2
38) DC buff to Occult rolls
39-40) Perfect memory

=====
Source:
W20. W20 Book of the Wyrm. W20 Book of the Wyrm Companion.
M20 Gods and Monsters. Mage Revised. Wyrmfoe
 
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How does that help against Mindcontrol though?
You're flatout immune. Permanently.
Mind control, emotion control, the like. It just nopes, no roll.
This is the W20 version for it:
Break the Bonds (Level Six) — This Gift shatters
all bonds, whether physical or mental, from sturdy iron
chains to the slavery of a vampire's bewitched blood.
The
Garou may use it to benefit any being, including herself.
It is taught by any Incarna with the freedom to come and
go as they please.

System: The Garou is automatically immune to any
supernatural coercion,
and may break bonds as though she
had Strength 15. She may also break another's physical
bonds with that same Strength, or banish mental bonds
from another with a Manipulation + Leadership roll (dif-
ficulty 11 – target's Willpower).
This is the version in Book of Auspices:
Rank 6 Philodox Gift / Rank 6 Galliard Gift
There are many ways to mystically blend the will of another. This Gift shatters all such bonds, from the blood domination of a vampire to a mage's mind control or a Half Moon's geas. Those who know this Gift may use it on any being, including themselves. This Gift is only granted by an Incarna or equally powerful spirit, usually as a reward for some great service.

System: The Garou is automatically immune to any supernatural coercion save from any being more powerful than an Incarna. The Gifted one may break another's mystic compulsion by touching her, spending a Gnosis point and rolling Manipulation + Leadership (difficulty 11 – the target's Willpower).
 
You're flatout immune. Permanently.
Mind control, emotion control, the like. It just nopes, no roll.
This is the W20 version for it:

This is the version in Book of Auspices:
We can't use level 6 gifts I did save it to the file that I was using to reference to make characters but we can't use level 6 gifts it would be a six dot power and only true faith can go above 5. Though I maybe wrong.
 
We can't use level 6 gifts I did save it to the file that I was using to reference to make characters but we can't use level 6 gifts it would be a six dot power and only true faith can go above 5. Though I maybe wrong.
Only True Faith can go above 6. 6 is permissible for merits at least. Not sure about gifts (I still haven't opened Werewolf books).
Initial draft for Pods.
I like it a lot. To be honest, I feel very uneasy about buying True Faith for our clones, because that would be True Faith in Molly, and I get how it's narratively logical from the perspective of "third circle deva of a primordial" but it still somehow feels like cheese.

Do you have any suggestions for my MRL clone? As described here, it's meant to be primarily a plot hook discovering agent, connecting us to traces of exalted stuff. I feel that Eidetic Memory and Clear Sighted don't really fit into the build, though.
 
I don't think the problem has to be urgent. Not pushing it so means we could move at something closer to a DF timeline and actually enjoy playing with the setting instead of rushing past the point where it makes sense.
Because 6 months is a very short time. The cult have been nobodies before coming to Vegas, newcomers when they came to it (and half a year, as I said, is a very short time), but now they are important. People will be investigating them. In these conditions, I don't trust the security they have at all.
Thanks.
And I'm saying that nothing we've seen of Las Vegas in this Quest- the city with at least two Gods involved (one with a follower here they're willing to lend a hand to assist when asked, the apparent other enforcing NeutralGrounds for everyone) a breach in reality guarded by a 'Dragon', a huge tourist trap pyramid, replica Sphinx, Red Court flesh trafficking, cult of Ra worshipers that showed up half a year ago, and whatever else is here, lends the theory of 'safety in obscurity' any meaningful weight.

Why would this specific thing have gone ignored with everything else going on in this ridiculous city? As your saying now the more likely explanation is that the statue has protections of some sort that conceal its charge from precog and the like. Anyone who doesn't know what to be looking for going in likely isn't going to suddenly figure it out now just because the city is more active than usual.
Near the Rifts the Essence of Yomi thickens yet the power of the Kings wanes, for there rest the roots of that which they were set to contain. Jailers they were, though not at first of mortal man.

It recalled the account of the battle in the depths of the twisted city, the abomination they had found there, but also a fragment of a fragment of verse. He had read not so long ago, though when it had been written even the Wanderer could not say.

The Beast of Gold and the Beast of Night were shackled with Jade that is of the Sphere Terestrial beneath the raging sea. The heirs of Ten Thousand Dragons guard the way. Jailers they are, though not of mortal man.

All if it came back to the sea. Good, the old man knew the sea.
Well I don't particularly agree that it's going to be under threat soon I think if we don't do something about it something about it will be done. The one in Vegas is keyed to release when the Beast of night is Shackled no longer. Which we know the Abyssal was sealed in a unknown vessel at the bottom of an ocean and the Beast of gold is the one in possession of the cult.

If we follow a Dresden Files timeline on following up on it we won't need to worry about following up the consequences will make themselves known to us sharply and definitively soon enough.

So while the cult isn't in danger nor the solar exultation to not do anything about it is to declare that we're ready to let fate take its course no matter what course that may be.
 
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We can't use level 6 gifts I did save it to the file that I was using to reference to make characters but we can't use level 6 gifts it would be a six dot power and only true faith can go above 5. Though I maybe wrong.
Pretty sure you're mistaken.
The restriction was about Merits, not Gifts.
And the limit was 6-dots anyway.

If you notice, it took 2 Gifts in my plan to unlock unrestricted access to Gifts at Level 3 and higher.
Base fomor get Level 1-2 Gifts.
If you guys want to risk that connection yes other Mollies as aspects of her greater being would be able to do that.
It seemed a reasonable ability.
Especially since she cant take anyone with her, she can only go on her own.
But its worth asking about; Im still debating dropping Eyes of the Cat for something else.

I like it a lot. To be honest, I feel very uneasy about buying True Faith for our clones, because that would be True Faith in Molly, and I get how it's narratively logical from the perspective of "third circle deva of a primordial" but it still somehow feels like cheese.
Thanks.

Yeah, I dont regard the narrative basis for True Faith in herself as being sound. True Faith is a foundational character trait, especially at those sorts of high levels, not just something you slap on.
Molly is still a practicing Catholic. So would her shards/clones.

That level of faith in herself would be either blasphemous or clinically narcissistic.

Do you have any suggestions for my MRL clone? As described here, it's meant to be primarily a plot hook discovering agent, connecting us to traces of exalted stuff. I feel that Eidetic Memory and Clear Sighted don't really fit into the build, though.
I dont actually have a problem with Eidetic Memory.
Clear Sighted is over-costed for what it does, because its balanced for Hunters and ghouls, not for Mages and high-powered games IIRC.

But I dont see how Guardian Angel works narratively. Oracular Ability is another problem
Both lean heavily on the QM playing the game for us.
And for an ExWoD game, Past Lives seems like it has some of the same issues.

They work for a story.
For a high-power game, not so much, if you are building the character around them.

EDIT
This is much the same with most narrative Merits that rely on QM adjudication everytime you are going to use them
For example, Lydia largely uses her Mentor merit as justification for access to resources, money and training.
If she built her build around it, she would be a lot less sound as a playable character


EDIT2
Also, your build soaks damage like a mortal.
You need to do something about that, or it will get shot by a gangbanger and die.
 
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So while the cult isn't in danger nor the solar exultation to not do anything about it is to declare that we're ready to let fate take its course no matter what course that may be.
For the record, I'm of the same mindset. I think before touching the Solar one we should look into the Abyssal first as we don't know anything about it's status. Also we get those benefits while fighting underwater.
 
I just realized that we completely wasted an opportunity to screw with Charity's head. When we revealed Polly to her, we should have told her Polly was her granddaughter from the future. I'm sure we could have managed to keep a straight face for at least a few minutes.
 
But I dont see how Guardian Angel works narratively. Oracular Ability is another problem
Both lean heavily on the QM playing the game for us.
And for an ExWoD game, Past Lives seems like it has some of the same issues.
That's actually the idea of the whole clone build - it's meant to give @DragonParadox an easy narrative tool to give us missions / quests / things to do. It's at least a part of the core function. Narratively within the story we know that Sanctuary is full of spirits, some of them very old, and I left a lot of stuff in there as homages for Exalted stuff. In-story, for example, DragonParadox put "Mother of Spiders" spirit in there, who may or may not be Asna Firstborn. Some of those taking interest and approaching Molly's clone seems like a likely thing to happen. Plus, can't Usum be materialized inside our Kingdom?

Right now we are fairly limited for stuff like this - we get second-hand missions from White God through MIchael sometimes (by choosing to join him), and asks from Faery Courts and Odin. Nothing from Exalted side. Molly effectively has past lives already (in a narrative sense, not the mechanical sense), we certainly get enough flashbacks for that. I wanted to have a character that's more focused on that. So, I made this. Within this paradigm, what do you think I should change Clear Sighted to? I would get rid of Eidetic Memory, because one of Fivefold Court charms is "perfect memory". I am not asking you to support the vote or anything, just mechanical advice - you have put a lot more work than me into those. I think it should be focused on either Perception or Awareness bonuses - most parts of the build are based around those.
 
On a case by case basis, I can think of at least one level 6 Gift that would be way more trouble than it's worth for me, the one that lets you steal enemies magics if they are used on you and teach them to others.
Yeah, Firebringer.
I've avoided that one because it seems difficult to write around.
That's actually the idea of the whole clone build - it's meant to give @DragonParadox an easy narrative tool to give us missions / quests / things to do. It's at least a part of the core function. Narratively within the story we know that Sanctuary is full of spirits, some of them very old, and I left a lot of stuff in there as homages for Exalted stuff. In-story, for example, DragonParadox put "Mother of Spiders" spirit in there, who may or may not be Asna Firstborn. Some of those taking interest and approaching Molly's clone seems like a likely thing to happen. Plus, can't Usum be materialized inside our Kingdom?

Right now we are fairly limited for stuff like this - we get second-hand missions from White God through MIchael sometimes (by choosing to join him), and asks from Faery Courts and Odin. Nothing from Exalted side.
Molly effectively has past lives already (in a narrative sense, not the mechanical sense), we certainly get enough flashbacks for that. I wanted to have a character that's more focused on that. So, I made this. Within this paradigm, what do you think I should change Clear Sighted to? I would get rid of Eidetic Memory, because one of Fivefold Court charms is "perfect memory". I am not asking you to support the vote or anything, just mechanical advice - you have put a lot more work than me into those. I think it should be focused on either Perception or Awareness bonuses - most parts of the build are based around those.
The QM hasnt had a problem with giving us missions so far.
And with Molly about to park a clone semi-permanently in Sanctuary, any old spirit(assuming there's any) knows where and how to reach her. I dont think thats something to worry about.


If anything, we have an abundance of missions we havent taken; the Labyrinth is still there, as is Siriothrax's hoard, the Comet thing, the Exalted artifact we havent examined, and so on.
And with this being primarily the Dresdenverse setting, it makes sense that Dresdenverse missions take primacy over ExWoD ones. Its an Exalted in the Dresdenverse quest, not an Exalted in Creation quest.


We have multiple Exalted facing missions:
The Labyrinth in Molly's Hell. The Vegas warbot and the Exaltations around it. The Dark Rider artifact we just recovered.
They just arent as immediately pressing as the Dresdenverse issues

=====
If you're looking for Awareness/Perception bonuses?
I would suggest looking at the Acute Senses Merit(3pt). Alternatively, the Heightened Senses Gift (Lupus 1) gives a -2/-3DC bonus to Perception rolls for a scene, but its only scene long and requires Gnosis to activate. But its much cheaper than Clarity.

Sense The Unnatural (Lupus 2/Fianna 3/W20) would also work for detecting and potentially seeing through supernatural shit, and it doesnt cost Gnosis to use, and is permanent.
But the detail you get depends on how many successes you roll.

I cant think of any Merit off the top of my head you might find useful.
 
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