Beckoning Shadows: The Dark is calling [Exalted/Shadowrun Quest]
- Thread starter HioH
- Start date
- Location
- The end of all things
[x] Face
[X] Technomancer
I want to work in the Matrix. And ED/SWLiHN only works for me as caste/favoured. The Adorjan Excellency works for tearing down structured society, which can work with hacking MegaCorps.
A relevant quote for consideration:
I want to work in the Matrix. And ED/SWLiHN only works for me as caste/favoured. The Adorjan Excellency works for tearing down structured society, which can work with hacking MegaCorps.
A relevant quote for consideration:
MoEP: Infernals said:
[x] Face
[x] The nightclub where your contact, Luca, can usually be found.
Since we still have a Deck, I am going to be voting to increase our Lore to 5, because it's relatively cheap (9xp) to increase it to human maximum (I won't give up on my Decker). Though it would be prudent to increase our social abilities a bit first. Also, we've still got 6 more "free" charms, I think.
Since we still have a Deck, I am going to be voting to increase our Lore to 5, because it's relatively cheap (9xp) to increase it to human maximum (I won't give up on my Decker). Though it would be prudent to increase our social abilities a bit first. Also, we've still got 6 more "free" charms, I think.
HioH
Gentleman, Scholar, Dinosaur
Yep, I would recommend a list. Also, this is a good chance to pick up non-favored charms cheap.Dark Lord Bob said:
HioH
Gentleman, Scholar, Dinosaur
Sample list (s):
Base: basics of a paranoia suite, which is always useful. Plus some mobility.
Wind-Borne Stride: Parkour + Super running. Always useful
Joy in Violence approach: Mostly a gateway charm, but it can be very useful.
Threat-Monitoring Excitment: Suprise Negator, Nuff' said.
Who Strikes the Wind?: Perfect defense, always useful
-SET 1: This does two things, it gives you a damage increase with nimbus, and sets up for an overdrive pool and the Adjucator charms that spawn from it.
Insignificant Embers Intuition
Green Sun Nimbus Flare
Skyfire-Seizing Repast
-SET 2: Defense increase and some mutations, mostly as a set up for the Shintai
By Pain Reforged
Scar-Writ Saga Shield
By Rage Recast
-SET 3: Subtle effects mostly. A nice bad touch/ assasination charm and initiation into Sorcery for a whole slew of future options.
Mother Sea Mastery
Spiteful Sea Tincture
Sorcerous Enlightenment of The Ebon Dragon
-SET 4: Mind-Hand Manipulation, the bread and butter of SWLiHN charms, the very important Essence sight. And For extra fun, Chirality Prohibition Index
Essence-Dissecting Stare
Mind-Hand Manipulation
Chirality Prohibition Index
-SET 5: Nothing can stop you, nothing can hold you.
Witness To Darkness
Cracked Cell Circumvention
Seeing is Blindness
----
All this is simply an example, you can make whatever list you want. Just get a majority vote for it.
Base: basics of a paranoia suite, which is always useful. Plus some mobility.
Wind-Borne Stride: Parkour + Super running. Always useful
Joy in Violence approach: Mostly a gateway charm, but it can be very useful.
Threat-Monitoring Excitment: Suprise Negator, Nuff' said.
Who Strikes the Wind?: Perfect defense, always useful
-SET 1: This does two things, it gives you a damage increase with nimbus, and sets up for an overdrive pool and the Adjucator charms that spawn from it.
Insignificant Embers Intuition
Green Sun Nimbus Flare
Skyfire-Seizing Repast
-SET 2: Defense increase and some mutations, mostly as a set up for the Shintai
By Pain Reforged
Scar-Writ Saga Shield
By Rage Recast
-SET 3: Subtle effects mostly. A nice bad touch/ assasination charm and initiation into Sorcery for a whole slew of future options.
Mother Sea Mastery
Spiteful Sea Tincture
Sorcerous Enlightenment of The Ebon Dragon
-SET 4: Mind-Hand Manipulation, the bread and butter of SWLiHN charms, the very important Essence sight. And For extra fun, Chirality Prohibition Index
Essence-Dissecting Stare
Mind-Hand Manipulation
Chirality Prohibition Index
-SET 5: Nothing can stop you, nothing can hold you.
Witness To Darkness
Cracked Cell Circumvention
Seeing is Blindness
----
All this is simply an example, you can make whatever list you want. Just get a majority vote for it.
How many free charms do we have left? Because getting Base and another Set would be 7.HioH said:
Yzarc
The Spark of Madness
How is this list looking?
Edited List-
Essence-Dissecting Stare
Wind-Borne Stride
Joy in Violence approach
Threat-Monitoring Excitement
Who Strikes the Wind
Insignificant Embers Intuition
Hardened Devil Body
Note: not an actual vote. I am asking if this is ok or not as I don't know what we will be facing in the Shadowrun verse.
Edited List-
Essence-Dissecting Stare
Wind-Borne Stride
Joy in Violence approach
Threat-Monitoring Excitement
Who Strikes the Wind
Insignificant Embers Intuition
Hardened Devil Body
Note: not an actual vote. I am asking if this is ok or not as I don't know what we will be facing in the Shadowrun verse.
Maybe replace SEoTEB with Essence-Dissecting Stare, as HioH has pointed out that that will be vital in helping us survive spirits. Maybe replace the spell with Hardened Devil Body or Insignificant Embers Intuition. HDB gives us more health levels, and IEI supplements roles to gather information about someone, which is useful for a Face.Harish said:
I think that requires Essence 3, which we don't have yet.BlackWarth said:
Yzarc
The Spark of Madness
Yes but it needs CCC which while useful is a favored Charm aka we learn it instantly. Right now we are taking as many non-favored charms as we can, cause its instant and cheap. Second it always helps to have a second perfect just in case the first is lolnoped. Finally if we take the ED perfect now we also have to take CCC which takes up a slot that we could use to take a non favoured charm (Which takes weeks/month to learn).BlackWarth said:
HioH
Gentleman, Scholar, Dinosaur
Seven new charms. 6+1 from BPDark Lord Bob said:
HioH
Gentleman, Scholar, Dinosaur
Update is coming along nicely, should be posted in 1-2 hours. Here are some more Homebrew rules in Effect. Both Lifted From Sojiko. (And are much better than Canon, but not Cannons.)
NEW CRAFT ABILITY RULES:
Ability is raised like a normal Ability and you get your first type of Craft for free. Getting a new type added costs as much as an additional rank would. You have the same rating for everything.
NEW ANIMA ABILITY:
Dramatic actions using Caste Abilities take only half the normal time to complete. That includes (but isn't limited to) teaching academic subjects (Lore), drawing a complex diagram for a summoning (Occult), searching a room for clues (Investigation), treating a patient to help him recover from a disease (Medicine), or building an object (Craft).
NEW CRAFT ABILITY RULES:
Ability is raised like a normal Ability and you get your first type of Craft for free. Getting a new type added costs as much as an additional rank would. You have the same rating for everything.
NEW ANIMA ABILITY:
Dramatic actions using Caste Abilities take only half the normal time to complete. That includes (but isn't limited to) teaching academic subjects (Lore), drawing a complex diagram for a summoning (Occult), searching a room for clues (Investigation), treating a patient to help him recover from a disease (Medicine), or building an object (Craft).
Yzarc
The Spark of Madness
......the Exalted for Dummy version please?HioH said:
Edited. Ok I think I get it.
Say we have 3 dots in craft, then we get one craft say fire free.
By buying genesis we pay one dot's worth of xp and it is instantly raised to 3 dots.
This right?
HioH
Gentleman, Scholar, Dinosaur
yepHarish said:
HioH
Gentleman, Scholar, Dinosaur
[x] The nightclub where your contact, Luca, can usually be found.
Of all my usual contacts, Luca is the one I trust the most. We've known each other for years, had a couple of flings, and I like to think that we trust each other at least a little. But he was also the one who put me into contact with the Johnson of the run and was probably well connected enough to know what it was about. So he was a suspect, or at least a possibility.
We had meet while trying to con each other. I was trying to get to his credstick, him into my pants. In the end, we both got what we wanted and soon we began to meet up more often for drinks. Luca, as it turned out, was in the business of knowing people. If I needed something, he could get it for me and in return I helped him if he needed a Runner for a job or two.
He spent most of his time in the nightclub called The Rainbow Palace, a gaudy place, but one that straddled the line between high and low society. People from all strata came to unwind there, and it was the hunting ground for countless social predators.
-
I caught sight of the club two blocks before reaching the entrance. The building itself was rather non-descript, steel and glass tastefully arranged, but it's true form could only be seen in the matrix. The building changed, becoming a shining beacon of multi-colored light. The very building itself seemed to be made from solidified rainbows, with gentle curves that glowed with inner radiance. It was a surprisingly complex example of matrix engineering, and it showed.
As I closed the distance to the club, I walked past the line of well-dressed partygoers waiting to get in. Half of those were probably employees, and the line itself was actually unnecessary. But people had expectations, and it made the place seem more classy. Turning down a side alley, I greet the bouncer, Frank, guarding the side door with a nod. I was a regular here, and while he seemed surprised at my new and improved appearance he opened the door with a smile.
"Hey Jenny, Here to see Luca?" His voice is gravelly, and he towers above me. Which is natural, considering he's a Troll.
"Hey Frank, yea. Had one hell of a week though, so gonna grab a drink or two before I do."
"Well, you know the drill. Any weapons?" I flash him my shoulder holster, and he nods running a quick scanner over it before nodding. "Alright, it's tagged, go on in."
"Thank you, Frank." I say with a small smile.
A large hand comes up and scratches one curling horn. "No problem. And Jenny? Looking good." He gestures for me to enter and I step inside, the door closing behind me.
---
If the outside of The Rainbow Palace is gaudy, the inside is worse. Even in meatspace, everything seems to have been decorated by someone exploding a rainbow over the place. It's done subtly enough so it doesn't get overwhelming, but it's still somewhat annoying. The music throbs around me, and I move through the undulating crowd towards the bar. Luckily, I don't have to overpower the noise to order a drink. Instead I simply order one through my AR interface.
A few seconds later, a well groomed elf slides the glowing green drink across the bar. As soon as I touch the glass, a small ping tells me the NuYen has been deducted from my account. I begin to move again, this time towards a spiraling staircase shaped like, what else, a rainbow. Stepping past the SIN-check sensor, which checks my Fake-SIN against a list, I step upstairs. It is quieter here, the music muted by the thin glass separating this area from the rest of the club. The area is mostly made up of dozens of almost completely enclosed booths, giving their occupants a modicum of privacy. But even so, I caught glimpses of naked flesh and slack, drugged, faces as I passed them. Finally I reached the one I want.
Stepping inside I ran my eyes over insides. Scattered across the small table where a dozen or so empty glasses, multicolored residue staining the bottoms. Looks like he had been drinking pretty heavily, a point in his favor. The two scantily dressed elves splayed over his lap was a point against him though.
"Get off and get out." My voice was sharp, and a slight movement to show off my holstered weapon makes them very eager to comply. With the distractions gone, I turn my attention to Luca himself. He is an elf, and like most elves he looks very good, but I can see the thin lines of stress running across his face. Baggy eyes, and a slight haggard greyness, tells of sleepless nights recently. His eyes are wide, shocked to see me, and he can only stammer when he tries to speak.
"Jenny? But… You're dead…"
I ignore him for the moment and sweep my arm across the table, clearing it. Then, taking a seat across from him, I pull out my gun and lay it down in front of me. For a second I simply stare at him. Then I speak, tone low.
"As you seem to know, the job went south. Looks like I was the only one who survived."
My anger flared, and I hit the table hard enough for small cracks to spiderweb from my fists impact point.
"They knew we were coming Luca! Someone told them." The implied 'Was it You?' didn't even need to be said out loud.
"Come on Jenny, it's me. I wouldn't do that to you."
His voice was shaky, but his statement is -TRUE-. I flinch, what the hell? When he said it wasn't him, I could feel power well up from within and I KNEW that it was true. In the same way that one knew that the sky was blue and the world was round. A simple, undeniable, truth.
I let out a shaky breath, relieved that I wouldn't have to kill a friend.
"I believe you."
He flashes me an unsteady grin that is more a grimace. "Just like that? Not that I'm complaining, mind you."
I narrow my eyes. "You may be 'Innocent', but someone either fucked up or set us up. And I want to know who. You're going to help."
He lifts his hands and hold them out disarmingly. "Hey, Hey. You know I don't do field work! But I can put you in touch with some 'Friends' of mine in that can help you and try pointing you in the right direction." He hesitates for a second before adding. "Free of charge, of course!"
I sigh to myself, it would have been disappointing but Luca not being the problem meant that this whole thing turned it a much larger undertaking. Picking up and reholstering my pistol, I focus my attention on the languid Elf.
"Alright, what are my options?"
Team: Pick Recruitment Priority Order
[x] I know a gal, real though, you'd like her. She's the best Street Samurai and Adept this side of Boston. A Troll, but smarter than the average one.
[x] As far as Hackers go, theres a Dwarf. He's starting to get old, but in the Matrix stuff like that doesn't matter. One of the best I've seen with a Deck.
[x] Rigger, Escape Driver, and part time sniper. This Orc knows her way around Seattle. You can't ask for better support.
[x] There's a mage I know, he isn't the strongest, but he works with what he's got better than anyone.
[X] I don't need anyone; Alone is best.
Leads: Pick one to follow up.
[x] Shouldn't tell you, but your client, 'Mr.Johnson', works out of the local Renraku place, I can get you his real name if you need it.
[x] The home of a Yakuza leader is a long shot, but they do have deep connections with MCT.
[x] Lone Star might have records on their dispatches, but the local office is heavily defended. I might be able to wrangle up an ID though.
Of all my usual contacts, Luca is the one I trust the most. We've known each other for years, had a couple of flings, and I like to think that we trust each other at least a little. But he was also the one who put me into contact with the Johnson of the run and was probably well connected enough to know what it was about. So he was a suspect, or at least a possibility.
We had meet while trying to con each other. I was trying to get to his credstick, him into my pants. In the end, we both got what we wanted and soon we began to meet up more often for drinks. Luca, as it turned out, was in the business of knowing people. If I needed something, he could get it for me and in return I helped him if he needed a Runner for a job or two.
He spent most of his time in the nightclub called The Rainbow Palace, a gaudy place, but one that straddled the line between high and low society. People from all strata came to unwind there, and it was the hunting ground for countless social predators.
-
I caught sight of the club two blocks before reaching the entrance. The building itself was rather non-descript, steel and glass tastefully arranged, but it's true form could only be seen in the matrix. The building changed, becoming a shining beacon of multi-colored light. The very building itself seemed to be made from solidified rainbows, with gentle curves that glowed with inner radiance. It was a surprisingly complex example of matrix engineering, and it showed.
As I closed the distance to the club, I walked past the line of well-dressed partygoers waiting to get in. Half of those were probably employees, and the line itself was actually unnecessary. But people had expectations, and it made the place seem more classy. Turning down a side alley, I greet the bouncer, Frank, guarding the side door with a nod. I was a regular here, and while he seemed surprised at my new and improved appearance he opened the door with a smile.
"Hey Jenny, Here to see Luca?" His voice is gravelly, and he towers above me. Which is natural, considering he's a Troll.
"Hey Frank, yea. Had one hell of a week though, so gonna grab a drink or two before I do."
"Well, you know the drill. Any weapons?" I flash him my shoulder holster, and he nods running a quick scanner over it before nodding. "Alright, it's tagged, go on in."
"Thank you, Frank." I say with a small smile.
A large hand comes up and scratches one curling horn. "No problem. And Jenny? Looking good." He gestures for me to enter and I step inside, the door closing behind me.
---
If the outside of The Rainbow Palace is gaudy, the inside is worse. Even in meatspace, everything seems to have been decorated by someone exploding a rainbow over the place. It's done subtly enough so it doesn't get overwhelming, but it's still somewhat annoying. The music throbs around me, and I move through the undulating crowd towards the bar. Luckily, I don't have to overpower the noise to order a drink. Instead I simply order one through my AR interface.
A few seconds later, a well groomed elf slides the glowing green drink across the bar. As soon as I touch the glass, a small ping tells me the NuYen has been deducted from my account. I begin to move again, this time towards a spiraling staircase shaped like, what else, a rainbow. Stepping past the SIN-check sensor, which checks my Fake-SIN against a list, I step upstairs. It is quieter here, the music muted by the thin glass separating this area from the rest of the club. The area is mostly made up of dozens of almost completely enclosed booths, giving their occupants a modicum of privacy. But even so, I caught glimpses of naked flesh and slack, drugged, faces as I passed them. Finally I reached the one I want.
Stepping inside I ran my eyes over insides. Scattered across the small table where a dozen or so empty glasses, multicolored residue staining the bottoms. Looks like he had been drinking pretty heavily, a point in his favor. The two scantily dressed elves splayed over his lap was a point against him though.
"Get off and get out." My voice was sharp, and a slight movement to show off my holstered weapon makes them very eager to comply. With the distractions gone, I turn my attention to Luca himself. He is an elf, and like most elves he looks very good, but I can see the thin lines of stress running across his face. Baggy eyes, and a slight haggard greyness, tells of sleepless nights recently. His eyes are wide, shocked to see me, and he can only stammer when he tries to speak.
"Jenny? But… You're dead…"
I ignore him for the moment and sweep my arm across the table, clearing it. Then, taking a seat across from him, I pull out my gun and lay it down in front of me. For a second I simply stare at him. Then I speak, tone low.
"As you seem to know, the job went south. Looks like I was the only one who survived."
My anger flared, and I hit the table hard enough for small cracks to spiderweb from my fists impact point.
"They knew we were coming Luca! Someone told them." The implied 'Was it You?' didn't even need to be said out loud.
"Come on Jenny, it's me. I wouldn't do that to you."
His voice was shaky, but his statement is -TRUE-. I flinch, what the hell? When he said it wasn't him, I could feel power well up from within and I KNEW that it was true. In the same way that one knew that the sky was blue and the world was round. A simple, undeniable, truth.
I let out a shaky breath, relieved that I wouldn't have to kill a friend.
"I believe you."
He flashes me an unsteady grin that is more a grimace. "Just like that? Not that I'm complaining, mind you."
I narrow my eyes. "You may be 'Innocent', but someone either fucked up or set us up. And I want to know who. You're going to help."
He lifts his hands and hold them out disarmingly. "Hey, Hey. You know I don't do field work! But I can put you in touch with some 'Friends' of mine in that can help you and try pointing you in the right direction." He hesitates for a second before adding. "Free of charge, of course!"
I sigh to myself, it would have been disappointing but Luca not being the problem meant that this whole thing turned it a much larger undertaking. Picking up and reholstering my pistol, I focus my attention on the languid Elf.
"Alright, what are my options?"
Team: Pick Recruitment Priority Order
[x] I know a gal, real though, you'd like her. She's the best Street Samurai and Adept this side of Boston. A Troll, but smarter than the average one.
[x] As far as Hackers go, theres a Dwarf. He's starting to get old, but in the Matrix stuff like that doesn't matter. One of the best I've seen with a Deck.
[x] Rigger, Escape Driver, and part time sniper. This Orc knows her way around Seattle. You can't ask for better support.
[x] There's a mage I know, he isn't the strongest, but he works with what he's got better than anyone.
[X] I don't need anyone; Alone is best.
Leads: Pick one to follow up.
[x] Shouldn't tell you, but your client, 'Mr.Johnson', works out of the local Renraku place, I can get you his real name if you need it.
[x] The home of a Yakuza leader is a long shot, but they do have deep connections with MCT.
[x] Lone Star might have records on their dispatches, but the local office is heavily defended. I might be able to wrangle up an ID though.
For those who don't know, Joy in Violence lets start the fight faster. WStW? is a good perfect defense for Scourges. It's quite limited when you don't want that playstyle and the upgrades are unfavored. We already have two good perfect defenses. the Ebon Dragon has one with an integrated teleportation for flurry breaking, and the SWLiHN one always work and can perfectly parry for other people. And the potential upgrades would be at favored cost.HioH said:
So I'm not for WStW?. The rest is gold, though.
IEI is mostly useless (tell you someone's power level, meh).HioH said:
GSNF is OK, but only gets good with the numerous upgrades. Which are not going to be easy for us to get. Pass.
SSR is not a very good Charm, it mostly gives some resistance to elemental attacks, rather limited. The reason to get this Charm is that it gives access to a good Charm tree (which is going to be entirely unfavored).
So I'm not a fan of this set, not at all.
By Pain Reforged prevents pain penalties from bashing (aka stun) damage. Stun damage isn't a big problem in Shadowrun, so it's not a very good Charm until you get the upgrade (which requires to learn how to remove the need for sleep, so that's 2 unfavored Charms).HioH said:
Scar-Writ Saga Shield is very weak until you get the 2 upgrades and the other soak Charms that go along with it.
By Rage Recast is very nice, though.
Overall not terrific, but not terrible either.
MSM gives bonuses in water. Limited, but nice when it applies.HioH said:
Spiteful Sea Tincture is a very good poisoning Charm.
SEotED has nothing to do with the rest and is already favored.
The other two sets are good, but favored. No advantage in getting them at chargen.