[Exalted, ?] Most High
- Thread starter Rihaku
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- exalted (white wolf)
[X] The Sorcerer
I almost want this just for workings, even emerald workings can change the shape (figuratively) of the entire world while with sapphire ones you start getting literal. With adament circle you start changing the cosmic laws by which worlds are formed but we don't have that yet.
I almost want this just for workings, even emerald workings can change the shape (figuratively) of the entire world while with sapphire ones you start getting literal. With adament circle you start changing the cosmic laws by which worlds are formed but we don't have that yet.
Rihaku
The Internet
Anyway, I definitely wouldn't say that Strategos is better for War or Sorceror is better for peace; you can abuse Strategos to enormous effect in peacetime. Stack buffs on the Academy until it turns out a battle-hardened, tightly-comprised unit of officers loyal unto death, or onto the Navy to turn the tide of its losses; Stack de-buffs on House Cathak, or even change the incentives of neutral houses such that they are more likely to ally with Zao. You could even do something like incentivize the rise of a heretical idea, The Good Anathema - for while it may be a demon that has consumed the person you knew, perhaps that demon is rebelling against its own kind and serves the dragons? - within the echelons of the Immaculate Order!
The latter would probably take much more than a nights' studying of the texts to take hold, but, well...
Similarly, we've already gone over the massive utility of Sorcery in War; even a single bound 2CD is the equivalent of the average E4-E5 Dragon-Blood, which is an enormous asset. Never mind the army-destroying Charms and all that, which allow you to strike with devastating power from a distance. Or, perhaps even more important, the stealth reconnaissance Charms and Workings.
The latter would probably take much more than a nights' studying of the texts to take hold, but, well...
Similarly, we've already gone over the massive utility of Sorcery in War; even a single bound 2CD is the equivalent of the average E4-E5 Dragon-Blood, which is an enormous asset. Never mind the army-destroying Charms and all that, which allow you to strike with devastating power from a distance. Or, perhaps even more important, the stealth reconnaissance Charms and Workings.
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Really, as appealing as war is, and as unprepared as everyone else is for it... Zao is not anticipating this. Would he be okay with us making such a drastic decision based on the results of an accident? He would certainly go along with it, because the alternative is unpalatable, but we've made a number of impositions of Zao lately and I think we could probably do better as far as alpha strikes go.
Rihaku
The Internet
Can we get a preliminary vote count?
He would certainly be asphixiatingly pissed at you in the beginning, but that would not stop him from seizing the moment and taking as much advantage from the situation as he could. I doubt it would affect your long-term interactions in any way,since he is going to die
He would certainly be asphixiatingly pissed at you in the beginning, but that would not stop him from seizing the moment and taking as much advantage from the situation as he could. I doubt it would affect your long-term interactions in any way,
Emerald Oracle
Chaos, yet harmony. Death, yet the Force
- Location
- The Else
Both? Neither? It's more a general statement that Odyssial-that-was is batshit crazy anyway and Fate doesn't dare inconvenience him for fear he will perceive such inconvenience and create an anthropomorphic manifestation of it to enact a punishment that is neither finite nor bearable while still allowing it to function properly.
Rihaku, since its possible to learn evocations for Glorious solar saber, are we able to get free ones for it from Wake the Sleeper?
Sure we can't really use GSS since its usually an obvious solar effect but once we attain an high enough position of power we can break it for out for two sword combat. Or perhaps we give it evocations that let its tags change as needed for the situation. Given the example of Heartflame in the book with its limited Ghost Eating Technique evocation, we could try for some limited solar charm effects.
Perhaps we shape our GSS to be a small throwing dagger and get some evocations mimicking the Thrown charms.
Sure we can't really use GSS since its usually an obvious solar effect but once we attain an high enough position of power we can break it for out for two sword combat. Or perhaps we give it evocations that let its tags change as needed for the situation. Given the example of Heartflame in the book with its limited Ghost Eating Technique evocation, we could try for some limited solar charm effects.
Perhaps we shape our GSS to be a small throwing dagger and get some evocations mimicking the Thrown charms.
Alternatively, you can use it to weaken the Great Houses while boasting your own forces by scooping up what they lost.
Rihaku
The Internet
Probably not, Wake the Sleeper is about studying an actual artifact. I would be more inclined to allow it if GSS were your primary weapon, but Odyssial kind of replaced his GSS with Ambition anyway, it's just that he can use GSS if he really wants to, but it's dramatically inferior in almost every way...
Btw guys, don't forget that Magma Kraken's Control Spell would let you simulate a Fire Aspect's anima!
'Asphyxiatingly pissed', eh? Not a turn of phrase I've heard before, though it does conjure up unpleasant images of Zao using his mastery of the winds to do a passable Darth Vader impression. He's not going to die, though! Not if I have anything to say about it!
[X] The Strategos
Anyway, I like the idea of turning Seacrown's students into a tightly knit fighting force composed entirely of fanatically loyal elemental supermen who also happen to be tactical geniuses. The option has us following in our own footsteps by becoming a masterful strategist and eschewing Sorcerous power in favor of sheer excellence, in true Odyssian tradition. Speaking of traditions, passing up Sorcery is nearly as time-honored a custom as Zao dying, and with Ambition, we hardly need Magma Kraken to solo armies. Lore lets us uplift our friends now, and while the power of SCS is appealing, the Shrike lets us inflict apocalyptic devastation on an enemy of our choosing once we hit E5.
Didn't you say that certain Realm savants and scholars would likely see through such deceptions, though?
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Rihaku
The Internet
If you don't take Sorcery here, we probably won't get another decision point for it until very late E4 / Early E5, where you can almost buy Solar Circle in one go. May be more efficient, but who knows how long it'll take for you to accumulate the XP - and achieve a feat - capable of reaching E5, especially with the impending dearth of training time? Even if you avoid war, you'll only get one month more of training at most, before your abilities become too prodigious not to simply put to use. Prophet of Seventeen Cycles alone can break nations; the cost-effectiveness simply doesn't compute in favor of you continuing to train after getting something of that level. Same with CCS.
Rihaku
The Internet
Yes, Mnemon would still be able to pierce the deception with sufficient time and given motive, but it would prevent the much easier forensic route of simply examining battlefields you've fought upon and noting the distinct lack of burned things. Though, that is not as much of a problem if you're allowed to activate Immortal Blade Triumphant, beforehand.
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You can fight Fate but can you fight... Tropes?
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We're a Solar Exalt; we can fight anything we damned well please.You can fight Fate but can you fight... Tropes?
Actually, on reflection, Odyssial did kill tropes. Haha.
Rihaku
The Internet
Do note that Prophet of Seventeen Cycles does require three components:
1) One full day's worth of study and meditation (Odyssial probably uses his Battle Meditation)
2) An authoritative or definitive source on the means by which you will impose your Prediction - a thousand years' worth of weather records if the weather is to be your vehicle, extremely detailed and sophisticated astrological charts if the tugs and circumstances of Fate are to be, etc. Acquiring such a source could be a task in and of itself!
3) Storyteller approval; your Prediction must be at least remotely plausible. "Creation is doomed unless I take the throne and no one may oppose me" is probably not going to fly, at least not until times are far more dire than they presently seem.
It is the prep-time Charm, so it requires actual prep time. You can't spam it unless you have a way through all three bottlenecks, though of course even four castings a month (once per week) would be devastating.
Yup, you took Subduer of the Wyld! The Fair Folk are terrible indeed... but there is one they fear. In their tongue he is Samapta, The End of Stories...
*Skyrim theme plays*
1) One full day's worth of study and meditation (Odyssial probably uses his Battle Meditation)
2) An authoritative or definitive source on the means by which you will impose your Prediction - a thousand years' worth of weather records if the weather is to be your vehicle, extremely detailed and sophisticated astrological charts if the tugs and circumstances of Fate are to be, etc. Acquiring such a source could be a task in and of itself!
3) Storyteller approval; your Prediction must be at least remotely plausible. "Creation is doomed unless I take the throne and no one may oppose me" is probably not going to fly, at least not until times are far more dire than they presently seem.
It is the prep-time Charm, so it requires actual prep time. You can't spam it unless you have a way through all three bottlenecks, though of course even four castings a month (once per week) would be devastating.
Yup, you took Subduer of the Wyld! The Fair Folk are terrible indeed... but there is one they fear. In their tongue he is Samapta, The End of Stories...
*Skyrim theme plays*
meianmaru
The Devourer of Fiction
Argh. Having to choose between Sorcery and Lex Luthor / Batman -build. Well, if I have to choose one over the other, I would say that the Strategos, regardless of whatever we go to war now or not. Ulyssian hypercompetence shenanigans on the scale of the whole world sound just too awesome to pass.
[X] The Strategos
Also, its kind of funny how the system works:
Exalted-Newb: So, my character wants to conquer the whole Creation and unite people under one, glorious Solar flag. Grand strategy and all that. So its pretty obvious that I should take War as my Supernal Ability, yeah?
GM: Eh, you could, but I would suggest either Lore or Bureuacracy over it.
Exalted-Newb: Wait, what?
GM: Here, take a look at few of these Charms from those Abilities.
Exalted-Newb: *reads* I can just announce that specific projects I don't like grind to an almost complete halt, even if I don't know if they even exist?!
GM: Check the next one after it. Or God-King's Shrike from Lore.
Exalted-Newb: ...What the actual fuck.
GM: If you want to win battles, get War. If you want to win wars, well, I think you get the picture.
[X] The Strategos
Also, its kind of funny how the system works:
Exalted-Newb: So, my character wants to conquer the whole Creation and unite people under one, glorious Solar flag. Grand strategy and all that. So its pretty obvious that I should take War as my Supernal Ability, yeah?
GM: Eh, you could, but I would suggest either Lore or Bureuacracy over it.
Exalted-Newb: Wait, what?
GM: Here, take a look at few of these Charms from those Abilities.
Exalted-Newb: *reads* I can just announce that specific projects I don't like grind to an almost complete halt, even if I don't know if they even exist?!
GM: Check the next one after it. Or God-King's Shrike from Lore.
Exalted-Newb: ...What the actual fuck.
GM: If you want to win battles, get War. If you want to win wars, well, I think you get the picture.
Guile
Having a really great time right now
That's nice and all, but I'd prefer to go with the group teleport.
That has all kinds of usefulness.
- Location
- The end of all things
Really? That few? I would have guessed an order of magnitude or so more, even only counting Exalts(most demons and gods are effectively in another world). Most of those were probably Sidereals killed in the Wracking, though. They always had an infrastructural advantage in teaching sorcery, and more reasons to use it than most.
Still, I would have expected at least a dozen or two Lunars to be Celestial Circle Sorcerers. Either the Lunar Elders have been hoarding this knowledge for themselves or something weird is going on. This also implies worrisome things about the lack of potent sorcerous opposition that Abyssal Necromancers and Infernal Sorcerers will face, though I suppose the resourcefulness of Solars means that they won't be too far behind as their essence matures.
I had assumed that a Realm Civil War would have involved a hundred or more Second Circle Demons being unleashed like missiles, but I suppose it will only be a couple dozen at most. Unless we wait a few years. Then it will most certainly involve hundreds.
[X] The Strategos
[x] Demonstrate Massive and Total Remorse.
[x] The Strategos
[x] The Strategos
Rihaku
The Internet
Well, actually, even a Size 5 Battlegroup of Elite Beastmen with a Might Blessing and a Supernal War general will probably lose to a Solar Arete using clasher, since they throw around at most 36-40 dice to Engage into Savage and the Clasher gets ~30+ effective dice with almost double effectiveness. Most Battlegroups tend to fold to one or two serious attacks from a truly dedicated combatant, though they are of course very good against moderate and low tier combatants. Their lack of damage charms makes them kind of suck though, because raw withering damage applied against soak, even with Size and Might buffs, just isn't terribly relevant against opponents that can get 35+ Initiative from one attack against your general. Also, orders don't buff battle group Defense, so you have to Defend Other them, which means you are getting attacked.
That said, something like a Realm Legion, which is 5 Size 5 Battlegroups supported by 3 Size 5 auxiliary / ranged Battlegroups, with each group lead by a competent Terrestrial officer and defended by probably at least one Terrestrial backup, would be a different story. That, you'd probably want to be an optimized or near-optimized E4+ combatant before tangoing with.
Emerald Oracle
Chaos, yet harmony. Death, yet the Force
- Location
- The Else
Y'know that's kind of sad actually. I mean, I dig that Logistics and Strategy have a place, but it's a bit unfortunate that the place they have isn't in the skill explicitly FOR THEM. Meh. This whole discussion has made me decide to go for Strategos, I will of course campaign mightily for Solar Power when we hit E5 if such a time ever comes, but for now peerless excellence is good times. Lore Charms will probably help with passing the exam too... if that's even relevant anymore.
[x] I meant to do that
[x] The Strategos