Alchemical Solutions [Worm/Exalted] Thread 7: Ghastly Guardian’s Godly Gallantry Garners Gapes

[Spindler]

If we figure out how to make an Autochthonian beam weapon version of a throwing knife we'd destroy any weapon they tried to parry with and wreck their armor when they try to soak the damage. Besides, once we get this far it shouldn't be too hard to set it up so the knife automatically returns to us when we throw them.

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I think the throwing weapon of choice for alchemicals is the gyrochakram. A clockwork stabilized circular saw for throwing.

 

[.IronSun.]

With Ping, that first one might have been able to kill Behemoth. If it wasn't for the 'new target' aspect.

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woah, THERE'S AN APP FOR THAT!!


RECURSIVE FRACTAL TARGETING CALCULATIONS
Cost: 7m, 1wp [1m]; Mins: Dexterity 4, Essence 3;
Type: Extra Action
Keywords: Combo-OK
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Aim-Calibrating Sensors
Recursive Fractal Targeting Calculations creates a magical flurry of attacks at the character's full dice pool, with a Speed rating and DV penalty equal to the highest values within the flurry. The number of attacks is equal to the lower of the Alchemical's Dexterity or Wits, ignoring Rate. All attacks must be targeted at a single opponent. If an attack fails to strike the target, the Alchemical cumulatively adds one die to his next attack within the flurry. Successfully hitting the target resets this bonus to zero.

One of the charms requires Essence 4, and both have pre-requisites. Using 4 charms module slots for them is not at all worth it to me.

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Aim Callibrating sensors compensates for external aim penalties when triggered, and has a submodule that let's you do the same for internals as well or compensate for both for an extra 6 motes.

And the module I've posted here is the prerequisite for the LOLnododging module. I see no reason why these 4 mods together would be a bad purchase for a ranged build. We can add peripheral mote storage tank modules that give us an extra 10 peripheral motes apiece if we're short on motes. granted, stealth would be useless if we start spamming peripheral motes, but with a good weapon we wouldn't need it in most cases after using these attacks. We need to do some meditation to figure out how to use our banner correctly anyway; it should only be affecting hostile actions towards us, not debilitating our allies as well.


granted, these magical flurries are expensive and extra arms would be a way to make standard flurries more viable, but each arm would cost a module slot we'd be better off using for something else and we'd need a weapon for each arm. If we store those internally we'd eventually reach the point were paying the motes to extrude them would cost the same as either of the flurry modules I've already posted.

I think the throwing weapon of choice for alchemicals is the gyrochakram. A clockwork stabilized circular saw for throwing.

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I know, but beam weapons are badass. They auto-destroy any nonmagical weapon used to block or parry them, they cause burn damage when they hit and lop off any bare limb when someone tries to block or parry without a weapon, and they destroy armor soak values.

 

[Alratan]

If we want to flurry, the best option is probably the cyber-insect drone idea, and build hundreds of them, all controlled and targeted by her.

 

[.IronSun.]

If we want to flurry, the best option is probably the cyber-insect drone idea, and build hundreds of them, all controlled and targeted by her.

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That's a good idea if we can get it working, since everything else we've been talking about requires a Vat to install. The problem with the swarm flurry idea is that the drones will vastly easier to kill than us and would be limited in the kinds of weapons they can actually carry.

 

[Alratan]

That's a good idea if we can get it working, since everything else we've been talking about requires a Vat to install. The problem with the swarm flurry idea is that the drones will vastly easier to kill than us and would be limited in the kinds of weapons they can actually carry.

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If they have ping damage because they're effectively wielded by us then we can give them individually very weak long ranged energy weapon attacks.

Remember that the drone can be of any size as well. One the size of a pidgeon should be more than enough.

 

[1986ctcel]

If they have ping damage because they're effectively wielded by us then we can give them individually very weak long ranged energy weapon attacks.

Remember that the drone can be of any size as well. One the size of a pidgeon should be more than enough.

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yeah like the Gadelaza

Problem with the idea is that while we have the technology and idea for an insect/machine interface and the ability to design drones, we just plain don't have even the basics of cybernetics to work on, while insects, with a lifecycle of days or weeks, which die in masses, are a terrible combination for lifetime wiring. Effort invested does not match gains. Cybernetics are complex and quite an investment to make, unless you want to dedicate a large amount of time for the insects to be constantly cybering new bugs.

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edit:Or we just allow them to be PILOTED by the bugs instead of installed.

 

[Alratan]

Problem with the idea is that while we have the technology and idea for an insect/machine interface and the ability to design drones, we just plain don't have even the basics of cybernetics to work on, while insects, with a lifecycle of days or weeks, which die in masses, are a terrible combination for lifetime wiring. Effort invested does not match gains.

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Automate production. Dragon has neuron-silicon interfaces, I think, and they're probably easier to make than very miniaturised controls. You can also get insects that live for years. Termites can live for decades, fo example.

 

[landcollector]

If we ever do get the drone series of charms modules, we need to recreate this:

 

[Alratan]

edit:Or we just allow them to be PILOTED by the bugs instead of installed.

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Because it's probably easier to make silicon-neuron interfaces than miniatuised cockpits, and they'll be more relaible, due to having less moving parts, and we can directly interface with the sensors through the insects nervous system to close the loop.

Current day tech can make the brain interfaces for insects. It dosn't inherently require Tinker-tech, wheras an Armsmaster tech miniaturised cockpit would.

Still not economical. What advantages do difficult to replace cyberjacked insects grant over regular, extremely replacable insects? Can these advantages be replicated by expendable normal insects operating difficult to replace technology?

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Regular insects can't carry laser guns. Normal insects will find it tremndously harder to pilot tiny cokcpits than

Not to mention mass production and tinkertech. If we could do that there are a lot of other things that would be valuable to mass produce.

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If each insect drone could cause Ping? Not really against Endbringers.

 

[.IronSun.]

If you could make the interface small enough, you'd be better off with bug bears. They're insanely tiny, but they make roaches look like mayflies.

 

[FunkyEntropy]

Using bugs and tech, rather than charms, to up our offensive capabilities is the right approach. If we need a real heavy hitter then that's a role that we should look for someone on our Assembly to fill rather than trying to do everything ourselves. Any further charm purchases ought to focus on building one of our strengths - production/administration - or shoring up our defenses by getting the DDV penalty remover and the PD.

 

[FunkyEntropy]

Problem is that we're no closer to figuring out who to add to our assembly, or how to add them, than we were before Behemoth's attack.

From Grom's comments, the Cradle is still accessible somehow, but we don't know 'how.'

So, until we find that out, we need to plan as if we 'will' have to do it all ourselves.

At least until Taylor finds out that the Cradle is still around.

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Wait, are you seriously suggesting that we'll get access to the Vats, which require an incredible amount of infrastructure to create, before we get another chance to turn people to the cause of GLORIOUS MAGICAL ROBOT COMMUNISM?!?

HAHAHAHAHHAHAHA

[edit]
Oh, wait, I forgot. Even funnier - Vats require a 4-dot Manse or better, which means we probably can't create one anyway until we reestablish the Cradle or whatever since, y'know, to the best of my knowledge Earth-Bet doesn't have any dragon lines.
[/edit]

 

[.IronSun.]

Our best bet right now is to work on our Medicine and instal that medical unit into our armor and start mass producing it. Maybe add some kind of genetic lock to them so only their intended owners can use them. Wouldn't ant Coil stealing a crate full of them.

 

[FunkyEntropy]

*ponders*

Where did I ever indicate that?

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Context of what I was saying and how you replied.

Using bugs and tech, rather than charms, to up our offensive capabilities is the right approach. If we need a real heavy hitter then that's a role that we should look for someone on our Assembly to fill rather than trying to do everything ourselves. Any further charm purchases ought to focus on building one of our strengths - production/administration - or shoring up our defenses by getting the DDV penalty remover and the PD.

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I was talking about charm selection once we had access to the Vats, which almost certainly won't happen until after we've reconnected with the Cradle.

Problem is that we're no closer to figuring out who to add to our assembly, or how to add them, than we were before Behemoth's attack.

From Grom's comments, the Cradle is still accessible somehow, but we don't know 'how.'

So, until we find that out, we need to plan as if we 'will' have to do it all ourselves.

At least until Taylor finds out that the Cradle is still around.

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Should be rather obvious why I concluded that you thought that (1) we'd have access to the Vats before we do the Cradle, and (2) that we ought to plan our charm purchases as if we did have to do everything ourselves.

 

[Alratan]

I'm sorry, but how advanced is this? I've read some stuff about this recently, but is it actually complex enough to use in the manner your describing, and when was it made?

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Read this for control. The image on the second page should tell you enough.

Or this, for the opposite, getting information out of an insect brain

Because if it was anytime past the divergence date, I can completely see it never having been made due to butterflies. I'm rather hoping this is the case, because if the drones actually would allow Taylor to do ping damage that way and can be mass produced, it would basically trivalent most encounters due to the way exalted 2.0 combat works. From a IC standpoint I can understand why taylor would want it, but from a OOC standpoint drastically cuts the sort of things that can challenge her from a rather early point in the game, which from my perspective somewhat lessens the enjoyment of the game.

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Remember that Earth Bet has a pinhole wormhole to Earth Alep through which information can travel. As the other world has no Endbringers and very few capes scientific advancement there shouldn't be retarded, but it should benefit from anything reverse engineered from Tinkertech. Publicly avaliable research like I've cited from one side should be avaliable on the other.

 

[1986ctcel]

Speaking of our Assembly, what are the basic roles in an Exalted party? That is, in D&D you have a Cleric/Wizard/Thief/Meatshield set, with an emphasis on caster power. Exalted doesn't have classes the same way, but is there a similar dynamic?

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Something along the lines of warrior/scholar/priest/assassin/diplomat.

 

[Alratan]

Speaking of our Assembly, what are the basic roles in an Exalted party? That is, in D&D you have a Cleric/Wizard/Thief/Meatshield set, with an emphasis on caster power. Exalted doesn't have classes the same way, but is there a similar dynamic?

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For normal assemblies, much less so, as they can change their load out. If you need a combat heavy team, everyone equips combat charms, etc.

 

[Zen]

snip

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... I read that 'retarded' as the normal word meaning being held back or slowed, not retarded in an insulting sense. Is my reading comprehension failing?

 

[Alratan]

Um, no offense, but you could not do this to the extent you do the whole "exalted bullshit physics" wherever your talking about exalted game mechanics? I get that you aren't impressed by certain aspects of either setting that are useful to maintain said setting things, but it's necessary to do that almost every post you talk about them.

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Retarded as in 'slowed down'.

Exalted bullshit physics is a reasonably affectionate term for it, actually, not insulting. I'm not the one who came up with it.

 

[.IronSun.]

Well class distinctions are especially hazy for Alchemicals, since they can switch out their charms on the fly and EVERY one of them is a tinker to at least SOME degree.

-We're the tactician, and in charge of mass production of items once we get that up and running. Our drawbacks are that we're pretty terrible at social-fu or gaming the system, and we have to rely on armor suits and conventional weapons for our combat ability. On the other hand our experience crafting the two and our ability to mass produce items means we can pump them out for use by others as a major force multiplier. We'll also be gaining XP faster than the other members of our assembly, so we can afford to generalize a bit while our recruits will need to specialize more to remain effective. To that end we need to pick people who already fill the roles we need to some degree, so that their current skills will synergize with what they earn as Alchemicals.

-I'd like someone good with healing, and with the kind of mods available that fit into that class they could result in something halfway between Panacea and Bonesaw in terms of capability and available skills. There is actually an ability that can restore everything short of a total amputation and one that can cure even that, but the former can be used on someone else while I"m not sure about the latter. A good craftsman/medic can make stop-gap limb and organ replacements easily and far superior ones as well, though those will need the creator to have EOD or they will take to long to produce. Base creation time for a high quality limb is 100 hours, while an internal organ is 200. I'd like either Panacea or Bonesaw for this role, although recruiting Bonesaw has several problems, from the Public's negative reaction to the difficulty or recruiting her in the first place. Both of my candidates have some serious mental issues, though Panacea would likely be easier to heal than Bonesaw.

-We need someone who can get stuck in and stay there. Someone with a good heavy punch and lots of durability. Someone with that kind of raw power would need to be very conscious of how that same power would frighten normals, and would need to be able to handle that. Bascially we need a LITERAL textbook example of the Jade Caste. My personal preference for this would be Chevalier. The public loves him, and as someone has already discussed earlier his powers would make him an insanely durable Alchemical. Warstrider Chevalier would be the spongiest sponge to ever sponge. Give him an Autochthonian beamglave (which wouldn't take too much of an effort for him to convert to given what he already swings around) and he'd also do a great job stripping Soak stats and breaking gear on his opponents. Armsman could fit this role as well, but he's more Orichalcum than Jade, since he's rather cold unlikeable and authoritative. Getting him to fall in line and not try to run the show would probably be pretty difficult.

-We need someone to take care of hum-int., either manipulating public opinion (making us look good and spreading the joys of Bullshit Robot Communism) or gathering info on our opponents. Glen would be a PR GOD with alchemical upgrades if we could convince him to work for us and stop trying to handle us. On the other hand if Coil doesn't kill her off I think it would be easier to recruit Tattletale. I KNOW SOME PEOPLE DON'T LIKE HER, THIS IS MY PERSONAL OPINION. She would be perfect for gathering information and manipulating public perception wouldn't be that much of a leap for her. Her analysis would also make her a deadly combatant. Her analytical skills would allow her to pick out an enemy's weak points easily, and being an Alchemical would giver the tools to exploit them and the durability to survive combat.

-This leaves two slots unfilled, and I'd prefer to fill them with generalists of a sort to keep us flexible. To that end I'd like to pick up Kid Win and Vista. We already have positive Intimacies with both, we're social peers and it would be fairly easy to get them to follow our lead.

-Kid Win would help us boost our tech development immensely as an actual Tinker as opposed to our basically emulating one. His speed and durability would make him an excellent ranged fighter, with the speed to stay at range and avoid damage and the durability to take a hit if his speed fails him. His speed also makes him an ideal fast response unit.

-Vista's ability also makes it easy for her to move around quickly, as well as letting her create and/or exploit tactical opportunities. Her skills would also make her deadly in combat, and she could easily fill both ranged and melee roles and be terrifying in both. Heck she could kit out as both and switch between the two literally at will.


And with that, my ideal Power Rangers Super Friends Venture Squad Assembly is complete.

 

[.IronSun.]

Because apparently in this crossover the exalted is the actual person, not a new individual with access to their predecessors' memories.

EDIT: I guess we could, but it seems unnecessary and a bit of a risk to me. A single Exalted individual would be a known quantity, a fusion of the two's memories as a new entity would be something else altogether.

 

[Creticus]

I just want to know if I missed a post that said we couldn't do the usual Alchemical Exalt route and put multiple people's souls into the formation of a new member of our Assembly. Because every time someone mentions the whole "Panacea or Bonesaw" thing all I think is "why not both?" and throw another healer if we can find a few.

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So . . . kill one with the soulgem before killing the other with the same soulgem? Eh, that sounds kind of complicated.

 

[aledeth]

I just want to know if I missed a post that said we couldn't do the usual Alchemical Exalt route and put multiple people's souls into the formation of a new member of our Assembly. Because every time someone mentions the whole "Panacea or Bonesaw" thing all I think is "why not both?" and throw another healer if we can find a few.

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Because I really doubt that people would be OK with getting mashed into a soul-gestalt-soup thingy if they knew it would happen to them. And not telling them would be an absolutely horrible thing to do.

I could maybe see it if they were all on their deathbeds and this was the only option, but unless the soul storage is something that can be done on the fly, there's no situation where we couldn't just get them to a healer instead.

 

[.IronSun.]

We could ask Panacea while we have higher Clarity and she's vulnerable over the loss of GG to accept a soulgem while we wait for the opportunity to get Bonesaw. Also gives her a lifeline and a "greater purpose" to live for.


The choice could be made by themselves, become part of something everlasting always be there in spirit to save people or risk dying if not now then sometime later. If nothing else at least use the opportunity to accept Magical Bullshit Robot Communism as their Lord and Saviour if we can prove that the Soulgems preserve a person's, well, soul.

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that's a seriously messed up thing to do though.

 

[Creticus]

We could ask Panacea while we have higher Clarity and she's vulnerable over the loss of GG to accept a soulgem while we wait for the opportunity to get Bonesaw. Also gives her a lifeline and a "greater purpose" to live for.

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I'm not sure that we have the materials needed to make a soulgem. Not to mention that I don't think it's a good idea to ram a rock into an Exaltation candidate's head without getting some practice in. Autochthon can manage it fine, but we're not Autochthon.