If you shift the point of impact a foot to the side, that should still be deflecting, right? And still close enough to kill you dead.
General Exalted Thread
Very high, and there would be side-effects.
samdamandias
Apprentice Plane Wizard
Great, now I have the image of a pair of Exalts playing Spacewar, leading to all sorts of ripples in fate as the Loom vomits out error codes.By which I mean "go up to the Dome of Heaven with a perfect parry and a baseball bat "
How much does it produce, how fast does it produce it, and what do you need to feed it? Anywhere between Artifact 3 and Artifact N/A depending on those answers.
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Also, just for curiosity, what are the side-effects? How easy is it to properly dose? Do you often end up accidentally becoming a toddler and then everyone's like, "How the fuck did a four year old Exalt?!"
- Location
- Singapore
OMG I got just the quote for this.Do you often end up accidentally becoming a toddler and then everyone's like, "How the fuck did a four year old Exalt?!"
- Location
- Pittsburgh, PA
To echo the others who've replied, it's all about the specifics - how big of a scale is this thing supposed to act on (can it provide benefits to one person, a small Scooby Gang, a village, an empire?), does it prolong life or provide total agelessness, does it have side effects*, is it a singular wonder or are we talking something you can take cultivars from and grow more of, etc.
I'd assume you're aiming for something that would permit broad-spectrum benefit, in which case it'd be Artifact N/A for the Second Age - which is, remember, a postapocalyptic ruin where the average person considers steel to be a bit hoity-toity. Within a setting where anti-aging technology is widespread and relatively free of side effects, you could probably price it as either Artifact 2-3 or a Resources 1-2 purchase, especially using the former to represent the shrub itself and the latter as commercial pricing for a supply of the drug. If it's not supposed to be something the average person in the setting flips their wig over, it's probably a low dot rating.
* Just off the top of my head:
Every use just pushes back the clock, so you start aging again at a normal pace after using it and will eventually need another dose once you get old again.
If you take it, you need to keep taking it or the "lost" age catches up.
Every use of the drug strains the connection between hun & po; repeated usage ultimately kills the user, at which point their souls immediately rise as ghosts.
The shrub is a pseudo-Manse that channels the power of the demesne it rests in to provide the anti-aging effect - people who take the drug and then try to leave the geomantic aura of the demesne suffer an immediate fatal reaction.
The shrub needs to be "fed" with Essence or diamonds or human hearts or something, requiring more "fuel" as the number of people making use of it increases.
Using the drug makes you beholden to whatever being created it, so your eternal life comes at the cost of having to do its maker's bidding.
Exalts cannot benefit from the drug, and using the drug renders you permanently unable to receive an Exaltation.
Every use just pushes back the clock, so you start aging again at a normal pace after using it and will eventually need another dose once you get old again.
If you take it, you need to keep taking it or the "lost" age catches up.
Every use of the drug strains the connection between hun & po; repeated usage ultimately kills the user, at which point their souls immediately rise as ghosts.
The shrub is a pseudo-Manse that channels the power of the demesne it rests in to provide the anti-aging effect - people who take the drug and then try to leave the geomantic aura of the demesne suffer an immediate fatal reaction.
The shrub needs to be "fed" with Essence or diamonds or human hearts or something, requiring more "fuel" as the number of people making use of it increases.
Using the drug makes you beholden to whatever being created it, so your eternal life comes at the cost of having to do its maker's bidding.
Exalts cannot benefit from the drug, and using the drug renders you permanently unable to receive an Exaltation.
- Pronouns
- They/Them
I was, admittedly, also thinking about mental side effects of de-aging.
Rognthor Homebrew: Infernal Charms
- Location
- my house
Reposting these in their final form! With one additional charm. Please Evaluate and Critique Honestly.
Serf Sacrificing Salvo
Cost 3m; Mins: Essense 3; Type: Instant
Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Fealty Acknowledging Audience
Malfeas' subjects have no purpose save furthering his goals. If they must die to do this then so be it. This charm allows the Infernal to cause one person marked with Fealty Acknowledging Audience to explode with green fire, acting in all ways as a grenade (Scroll of Kings page 134). The target deals 9L in damage to all targets within 1 yard, including the target, and 3L to all within 2 yards. The target has an accuracy of + 0. Upon using this charm, the brand placed by Fealty Acknowledging Audience is removed, and must be replaced on the target before this charm may be used on them again. Any charms which effect Green Sun Nimbus Flare treat Serf Sacrificing Salvo as Green Sun Nimbus Flare for the purpose of those effects.
Assuming Direct Control
Cost 10m 1wp; Mins: Essense 3; Type: Instant
Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious, Sorcerous
Duration: Indefinite
Prerequisite Charms: Fealty Acknowledging Audience
Malfeas is surrounded on all sides by idiots , and cannot always risk leaving tasks in their incapable hands. Sometimes a more personal touch is required. This charm allows the Infernal to take control of a person branded by Fealty Acknowledging Audience, controlling its actions as he does his own body. During this time, the Infernal becomes paralyzed, aware of his surroundings but unable to move. While under the Infernal's control, the target performs all actions using his own attribute score but the Infernal's ability scores. While under the control of the Infernal, the target must manifest a suite of +3 obvious mutations. In all other ways the target acts as it normally does, though it is under the direct control of the player.
King as Kingdom
Cost 5m 1wp; Mins: Essense 3; Type: Instant
Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious, Sorcerous
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Assuming Direct Control
A kingdom is not land, it is its people; anywhere they go, so may their king. This charm may be used on any character currently branded by Fealty Acknowledged Audience. When activated, the target of this charm is consumed by radioactive fire, killing them instantly. The Infernal Exalt emerges from this sacrificial pyre instantaneously, allowing them to travel to any location in which they have minions.
Really tired right now, so will work on the fluff of King as Kingdom later, its not flowing the way I want it to. If anyone has any advice on how to word/change it I would appreciate it.
On an unrelated note, has anyone done Malfean travel charms? I feel like he should have some charms based on roads and such since he is the demon city. He seems to have a dearth of city based charms in general now that I think of it.
@ManusDomine Please Threadmark this.
Serf Sacrificing Salvo
Cost 3m; Mins: Essense 3; Type: Instant
Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Fealty Acknowledging Audience
Malfeas' subjects have no purpose save furthering his goals. If they must die to do this then so be it. This charm allows the Infernal to cause one person marked with Fealty Acknowledging Audience to explode with green fire, acting in all ways as a grenade (Scroll of Kings page 134). The target deals 9L in damage to all targets within 1 yard, including the target, and 3L to all within 2 yards. The target has an accuracy of + 0. Upon using this charm, the brand placed by Fealty Acknowledging Audience is removed, and must be replaced on the target before this charm may be used on them again. Any charms which effect Green Sun Nimbus Flare treat Serf Sacrificing Salvo as Green Sun Nimbus Flare for the purpose of those effects.
Assuming Direct Control
Cost 10m 1wp; Mins: Essense 3; Type: Instant
Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious, Sorcerous
Duration: Indefinite
Prerequisite Charms: Fealty Acknowledging Audience
Malfeas is surrounded on all sides by idiots , and cannot always risk leaving tasks in their incapable hands. Sometimes a more personal touch is required. This charm allows the Infernal to take control of a person branded by Fealty Acknowledging Audience, controlling its actions as he does his own body. During this time, the Infernal becomes paralyzed, aware of his surroundings but unable to move. While under the Infernal's control, the target performs all actions using his own attribute score but the Infernal's ability scores. While under the control of the Infernal, the target must manifest a suite of +3 obvious mutations. In all other ways the target acts as it normally does, though it is under the direct control of the player.
King as Kingdom
Cost 5m 1wp; Mins: Essense 3; Type: Instant
Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious, Sorcerous
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Assuming Direct Control
A kingdom is not land, it is its people; anywhere they go, so may their king. This charm may be used on any character currently branded by Fealty Acknowledged Audience. When activated, the target of this charm is consumed by radioactive fire, killing them instantly. The Infernal Exalt emerges from this sacrificial pyre instantaneously, allowing them to travel to any location in which they have minions.
Really tired right now, so will work on the fluff of King as Kingdom later, its not flowing the way I want it to. If anyone has any advice on how to word/change it I would appreciate it.
On an unrelated note, has anyone done Malfean travel charms? I feel like he should have some charms based on roads and such since he is the demon city. He seems to have a dearth of city based charms in general now that I think of it.
@ManusDomine Please Threadmark this.
Last edited:
Parabola Homebrew: Laughing Monster Style
Parabola
Divided Loyalties Librarian
- Location
- The Destination of Fate
- Pronouns
- She/Her
I finally got around to fixing and tuning everything that had been bothering me about Laughing Monster style. I'm a bit sleep-deprived right now so I probably messed up somewhere. Please let me know what you think.
The charms I'm most insecure of are the rewrites of Unitary Being Forge and Shuffling the Pieces. The latter in particular seems very strong, but I think it's balanced out by how it's going to be incredibly hard to get someone to switch sides to yours unless you've already softened them up a lot with things like Poisoned Whispers or such. And if you didn't need to soften them up first, they probably weren't that loyal to their side in the first place, in which case Shuffling the Pieces just simplifies the process.
I guess in general I'm also a bit afraid it's too much like Black Claw's Outrage Kindling Cry.
Laughing Monster style is an alien martial art occasionally used by the Fair Folk, who ride into Creation from the Wyld. Perhaps the style is just a 'natural' imitation of some of the rakshas' behaviors and narratives, developed by some lost savant. Or perhaps, even the bizarre denizens of the lands beyond Creation found it in themselves to learn the discipline of martial arts and for whatever reason created their own; the truth of the matter is unknown, and probably beyond the boundaries of this world.
The Laughing Monster is a demonic child ruled by impetuosity and wicked humor, a merry prankster who takes inordinate joy in the humiliation of his rivals. The Laughing Monster mocks the idea of society, and those who follow this path abandon all pretense of diplomatic solutions. A martial artist who plays the role of the Laughing Monster adopts the persona of a childish and rude trickster. Many, however, take pleasure in using this style to mock cruel dictators and humble the proud and haughty.
Laughing Monster Weapons: Laughing Monster style utilizes unarmed attacks, staffs, swords and spears. Laughing Monster utilizes elegant, sweeping movements meant to draw the opponent's attention and cut through stalwart defenses. Any unarmed strike or staff attack enhanced by a Laughing Monster charm can be always stunted to deal lethal damage.
Armor: Laughing Monster Style is compatible with light armor.
Complementary abilities: All Laughing Monster stylists have some expertise with at least one social Ability. True masters, however, benefit from all three of Presence, Socialize and Performance.
Furiously Stalling Destiny
Cost: 5m; Mins: Laughing Monster Style 2, Essence 1
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Counterattack, Uniform, Stackable
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: None
The Laughing Monster turns every attack back against his attackers, mocking their every effort. This charm may be used either after the stylist has been targeted by a decisive attack, or after someone has attempted to influence him socially in combat. In the former case, the martial artist may attempt a normal decisive counterattack. In the latter case, the martial artist may roll (Charisma + [a social Ability]) to instill or inspire her target with an emotion related to anger, frustration, or distraction. Either way, if successful, the opponent faces a -1 penalty to attempting to attack or socially influence the stylist for the rest of the fight. The penalty imposed by this charm is cumulative, up to a rating of the user's Essence.
Using Furiously Stalling Destiny while Laughing Monster Form is active allows the stylist to respond to an attack with a withering counterattack.
Deeper into Trouble Technique
Cost: 3m; Mins: Laughing Monster Style 3, Essence 1
Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Uniform
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Furiously Stalling Destiny
The Laughing Monster's tomfoolery drives her enemies to distraction and rage. Deeper into Trouble Technique supplements a physical attack or an attempt at inspiring an emotion related to anger or distraction. If successful, the Laughing Monster's mien is so infuriating that, those affected must pay 1 wp and 2i to target anyone other than her with their attacks or attempts at social influence for the rest of the fight. Enemies who pay this cost become immune to the effect for the rest of the scene. Affected enemies may still choose to attack other targets if the stylist is considerably out of reach, nowhere within sight, or incapacitated.
Laughing Monster Form
Cost: 6m; Mins: Laughing Monster 4, Essence 2
Type: Simple
Keywords: Form, Mastery
Duration: One scene
Prerequisite Charm: Deeper Into Trouble Technique
The martial artist infuses her body with the essence of the dweller in the between, the laughing monster that twists oaths and intentions against their holders. While this Form is active, enemies suffer a penalty of (the stylist's Charisma) to read her intentions, and the stylist automatically knows when someone fails to read them. Additionally, opponents with a negative Tie towards the stylist along the lines of anger, frustration or distraction within short range of her lose (Essence/2) extra points of Initiative upon attempting to use the Disengage, Withdraw, Full Defense, or Delay actions. People with a positive Tie along the lines of love, friendship or protectiveness towards the stylist ignore all the effects of this Form; the Laughing Monster's narrative is broken through by those who genuinely like her. Those with Ties of obedience or loyalty, be they positive or negative, are affected only by the penalty to read her intentions.
Special activation: The stylist may activate Laughing Monster Form as a Reflexive charm if she intentionally makes an enemy out of someone who bore no hostility towards her, or if she manages to sway a hostile enemy to be her ally.
Mastery: Opponents within short range of the stylist with a negative Tie towards her instead lose (Essence/2)+1 extra points of initiative when attempting the aforementioned defensive actions.
Inauspicious Moment for Attack
Cost: 2m per target; Mins: Laughing Monster 5, Essence 2
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Mastery
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charm: Laughing Monster Form
With the arts of distraction and omen, the laughing monster slows the enemy's advance. This charm may only be used at the beginning of a battle; the martial artist spends two motes per target to be affected, and then rolls (Charisma+Presence). Each opponent whose Resolve is beaten by the result of this roll is rendered unable to target her with an attack for (Essence/2) turns, or until they have been attacked by her. Battle groups count as a single target, and the stylist cannot target enemies she is not aware of, or that are not aware of her.
Mastery: Opponents are instead unable to target the stylist for (Essence) turns.
Thieves Fall Out
Cost: 5m, 1wp; Mins: Laughing Monster 5, Essence 2
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Perilous, Terrestrial
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charm: Inauspicious Moment for Attack
Before the Laughing Monster's trickery, alliances fail and bonds of friendship shatter. Upon successfully defending against a physical attack or an attempt at socially influencing the martial artist in combat, the stylist may attempt to redirect the attack or social influence to a viable target. The attacker rerolls his attack or influence against the new target's Defense or Resolve, applying the same Charms in effect. An appropriate stunt or explanation is necessary to explain how the stylist redirects certain attacks (particularly ranged ones) or attempts at social influence that do not target an appropriate Intimacy of the new victim's, or else the attempt automatically fails. In the latter case, some raksha stylists recommend making sly allusions towards Intimacies she knows the new victim to have and passing it off as something the original attacker would say; i.e. saying uncouth things about someone's heritage.
Terrestrial: The attacker of the redirected attack or influence instead uses his failed roll's result.
Subtle Hammer
Cost: 2m; Mins: Laughing Monster 5, Essence 3
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Mute
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charm: Laughing Monster Form
Those who carefully observe the Laughing Monster's intentions must take care to realize whether they themselves are being carefully observed. When someone fails to read his intentions, he may roll (Charisma+Socialize) against that person's Guile. If successful, the martial artist may cause the attempt to instead 'reveal' any other motivation he desires. It costs 1 wp to see through this deception.
Poisoned Whispers
Cost: 8m, 1 wp; Mins: Laughing Monster 5, Essence 3
Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Psyche, Terrestrial, Mastery
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charm: Thieves Fall Out
Lies and dissimulation permit the Laughing Monster to turn his enemies against one another. Like a demented child, he exults in their discord. This Charm supplements an instill attempt to weaken one of the target's Intimacies. If successful, the martial artist is able to immediately invert a positive Intimacy into a negative one with a connotation of her choice, or viceversa. This change of heart lasts only for the rest of the scene, but can be immediately rejected by spending 2 wp.
Terrestrial: This effect instead requires 1 wp to resist.
Mastery: If the target does not immediately resist the effect, they are so taken in with the stylist's deception that their change of heart is indefinite, until they remember the original context of their Intimacy, at which point they may pay (the stylist's Essence) wp to shake off the effect. Said cost may be paid in different installments.
Unitary Being Forge
Cost: 5m; Mins: Laughing Monster 4, Essence 3
Type: Simple
Keywords: Mute
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charm: Laughing Monster Form
The Laughing Monster is ever ready for awkward silences and social faux pas and can seize upon such moments to humiliate his rivals and heap scorn upon them. The stylist attempts to inspire ill will and aggression to an audience within short range through a mix of short words and subtle body language, rolling (Charisma + Performance). As with all inspire actions, how the affected target wishes to express their ill will or aggression is up to them, ranging from petty gossiping to outright violence. For the rest of the scene, the stylist may treat anyone whose Resolve was beaten by his roll as though they possessed a negative Minor Tie along the lines of distrust, hate, or antipathy (target's choice) towards another individual or party within short range (stylist's choice). If one whose Resolve has been beaten possessed a Minor Tie with a negative context towards the chosen target, the stylist may instead choose to treat them as though said Tie was Major.
Some raksha use this Charm to map unfamiliar social environments in which they find themselves; others find it an amusing way to pass a slow afternoon.
Shuffling the Pieces
Cost: 4m, 1wp; Mins: Laughing Monster 5, Essence 3
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Psyche, Terrestrial
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charm: Unitary Being Forge
The Laughing Monster's works revise the world, rendering the pounding march of armies into simply another opportunity to expand the ranks of her retinue. After successfully incapacitating or killing an opponent, the martial artist communicates a simple idea: "Follow me." She may roll (Charisma+Martial Arts) to attempt to persuade or threaten an enemy target to not just abandon the fight, but to switch sides to the stylist's. The target must have seen both her and the opponent she disabled, and they must already be participants in the battle. Battle groups count as a single target. The stylist also gains two non-Charm successes on this attempt if the target is under the effects of Inauspicious Moment for Attack, Poisoned Whispers, or Unitary Being Forge. Any character whose Resolve is overcome by this roll fight along or for the stylist against her enemies for the rest of the scene. Characters must enter a Decision Point to resist the influence, calling upon an Intimacy that represents loyalty, valor, or their stake in the fight, to resist. A character that resists this influence is immune to successive uses of this charm for the rest of the scene.
The stylist's new retinue, if any, will almost always need further motivation to remain loyal to her after the scene concludes.
Terrestrial: A Dragon-Blooded stylist may only activate Shuffling the Pieces to attempt to convince a battle group to switch to her side.
Dancing Wind Monster Transformation
Cost: 10m, 2wp; Mins: Laughing Monster 5, Essence 4
Type: Simple
Keywords: Perilous, Mastery
Duration: One turn
Prerequisite Charm: Shuffling the Pieces, Subtle Hammer, Poisoned Whisper
The Laughing Monster is a creature of divisions, who enters or leaves the story at his own pace. By concentrating until his next turn, he fades away, leaving only the sound of his mocking laughter and the enraged bellows of his beaten foes, or he appears unexpected, astonishing his impromptu hosts.
This charm may be used to escape any confined space in which the martial artist finds himself in, depositing him just outside such boundaries, but only if such a space poses danger to the martial artist (such as a large prison full of angry inmates looking to tear the martial artist apart, a clock tower full of monsters, or even a sealed coffin underneath the earth in which the martial artist has been buried alive). This charm may alternately be used to enter inside one such nearby confined space, but only as long as there is something within that poses danger to the martial artist (such as a Solar tomb full of automatons, a sealed city which a government has declared a quarantined area, or even the inside of the Imperial Manse1.
In either case, the charm will never immediately kill or injure the martial artist for using it - if the nearest exist to a high tower is an open window on the seventh floor of a tower, he will appear outside of the front door on the bottom floor. If he is entering the secret volcano lair of a local god, he will not suddenly appear in a pit of lava. However, the Charm does not account for any guards or traps nearby that might feel hostile towards him. The narrative of the Laughing Monster leaves the rest of the stylist's escape or infiltration up to his own cleverness and skill.
This Charm may only be used once per story, but may be reset when the martial artist goes out of his way to get himself into or out of trouble, after spending a considerable amount of time trying to do the opposite.
Mastery: The martial artist may take along (Essence) other consenting characters in short range with him into or out of trouble.
1 It would be worth noting that such an attempt at entering such highly-protected locations is likely to backfire somehow, but if a stylist has progressed enough in this style to achieve this technique, they probably don't care about common sense or their own self-preservation that much.
The Laughing Monster is a demonic child ruled by impetuosity and wicked humor, a merry prankster who takes inordinate joy in the humiliation of his rivals. The Laughing Monster mocks the idea of society, and those who follow this path abandon all pretense of diplomatic solutions. A martial artist who plays the role of the Laughing Monster adopts the persona of a childish and rude trickster. Many, however, take pleasure in using this style to mock cruel dictators and humble the proud and haughty.
Laughing Monster Weapons: Laughing Monster style utilizes unarmed attacks, staffs, swords and spears. Laughing Monster utilizes elegant, sweeping movements meant to draw the opponent's attention and cut through stalwart defenses. Any unarmed strike or staff attack enhanced by a Laughing Monster charm can be always stunted to deal lethal damage.
Armor: Laughing Monster Style is compatible with light armor.
Complementary abilities: All Laughing Monster stylists have some expertise with at least one social Ability. True masters, however, benefit from all three of Presence, Socialize and Performance.
Furiously Stalling Destiny
Cost: 5m; Mins: Laughing Monster Style 2, Essence 1
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Counterattack, Uniform, Stackable
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: None
The Laughing Monster turns every attack back against his attackers, mocking their every effort. This charm may be used either after the stylist has been targeted by a decisive attack, or after someone has attempted to influence him socially in combat. In the former case, the martial artist may attempt a normal decisive counterattack. In the latter case, the martial artist may roll (Charisma + [a social Ability]) to instill or inspire her target with an emotion related to anger, frustration, or distraction. Either way, if successful, the opponent faces a -1 penalty to attempting to attack or socially influence the stylist for the rest of the fight. The penalty imposed by this charm is cumulative, up to a rating of the user's Essence.
Using Furiously Stalling Destiny while Laughing Monster Form is active allows the stylist to respond to an attack with a withering counterattack.
Deeper into Trouble Technique
Cost: 3m; Mins: Laughing Monster Style 3, Essence 1
Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Uniform
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Furiously Stalling Destiny
The Laughing Monster's tomfoolery drives her enemies to distraction and rage. Deeper into Trouble Technique supplements a physical attack or an attempt at inspiring an emotion related to anger or distraction. If successful, the Laughing Monster's mien is so infuriating that, those affected must pay 1 wp and 2i to target anyone other than her with their attacks or attempts at social influence for the rest of the fight. Enemies who pay this cost become immune to the effect for the rest of the scene. Affected enemies may still choose to attack other targets if the stylist is considerably out of reach, nowhere within sight, or incapacitated.
Laughing Monster Form
Cost: 6m; Mins: Laughing Monster 4, Essence 2
Type: Simple
Keywords: Form, Mastery
Duration: One scene
Prerequisite Charm: Deeper Into Trouble Technique
The martial artist infuses her body with the essence of the dweller in the between, the laughing monster that twists oaths and intentions against their holders. While this Form is active, enemies suffer a penalty of (the stylist's Charisma) to read her intentions, and the stylist automatically knows when someone fails to read them. Additionally, opponents with a negative Tie towards the stylist along the lines of anger, frustration or distraction within short range of her lose (Essence/2) extra points of Initiative upon attempting to use the Disengage, Withdraw, Full Defense, or Delay actions. People with a positive Tie along the lines of love, friendship or protectiveness towards the stylist ignore all the effects of this Form; the Laughing Monster's narrative is broken through by those who genuinely like her. Those with Ties of obedience or loyalty, be they positive or negative, are affected only by the penalty to read her intentions.
Special activation: The stylist may activate Laughing Monster Form as a Reflexive charm if she intentionally makes an enemy out of someone who bore no hostility towards her, or if she manages to sway a hostile enemy to be her ally.
Mastery: Opponents within short range of the stylist with a negative Tie towards her instead lose (Essence/2)+1 extra points of initiative when attempting the aforementioned defensive actions.
Inauspicious Moment for Attack
Cost: 2m per target; Mins: Laughing Monster 5, Essence 2
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Mastery
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charm: Laughing Monster Form
With the arts of distraction and omen, the laughing monster slows the enemy's advance. This charm may only be used at the beginning of a battle; the martial artist spends two motes per target to be affected, and then rolls (Charisma+Presence). Each opponent whose Resolve is beaten by the result of this roll is rendered unable to target her with an attack for (Essence/2) turns, or until they have been attacked by her. Battle groups count as a single target, and the stylist cannot target enemies she is not aware of, or that are not aware of her.
Mastery: Opponents are instead unable to target the stylist for (Essence) turns.
Thieves Fall Out
Cost: 5m, 1wp; Mins: Laughing Monster 5, Essence 2
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Perilous, Terrestrial
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charm: Inauspicious Moment for Attack
Before the Laughing Monster's trickery, alliances fail and bonds of friendship shatter. Upon successfully defending against a physical attack or an attempt at socially influencing the martial artist in combat, the stylist may attempt to redirect the attack or social influence to a viable target. The attacker rerolls his attack or influence against the new target's Defense or Resolve, applying the same Charms in effect. An appropriate stunt or explanation is necessary to explain how the stylist redirects certain attacks (particularly ranged ones) or attempts at social influence that do not target an appropriate Intimacy of the new victim's, or else the attempt automatically fails. In the latter case, some raksha stylists recommend making sly allusions towards Intimacies she knows the new victim to have and passing it off as something the original attacker would say; i.e. saying uncouth things about someone's heritage.
Terrestrial: The attacker of the redirected attack or influence instead uses his failed roll's result.
Subtle Hammer
Cost: 2m; Mins: Laughing Monster 5, Essence 3
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Mute
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charm: Laughing Monster Form
Those who carefully observe the Laughing Monster's intentions must take care to realize whether they themselves are being carefully observed. When someone fails to read his intentions, he may roll (Charisma+Socialize) against that person's Guile. If successful, the martial artist may cause the attempt to instead 'reveal' any other motivation he desires. It costs 1 wp to see through this deception.
Poisoned Whispers
Cost: 8m, 1 wp; Mins: Laughing Monster 5, Essence 3
Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Psyche, Terrestrial, Mastery
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charm: Thieves Fall Out
Lies and dissimulation permit the Laughing Monster to turn his enemies against one another. Like a demented child, he exults in their discord. This Charm supplements an instill attempt to weaken one of the target's Intimacies. If successful, the martial artist is able to immediately invert a positive Intimacy into a negative one with a connotation of her choice, or viceversa. This change of heart lasts only for the rest of the scene, but can be immediately rejected by spending 2 wp.
Terrestrial: This effect instead requires 1 wp to resist.
Mastery: If the target does not immediately resist the effect, they are so taken in with the stylist's deception that their change of heart is indefinite, until they remember the original context of their Intimacy, at which point they may pay (the stylist's Essence) wp to shake off the effect. Said cost may be paid in different installments.
Unitary Being Forge
Cost: 5m; Mins: Laughing Monster 4, Essence 3
Type: Simple
Keywords: Mute
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charm: Laughing Monster Form
The Laughing Monster is ever ready for awkward silences and social faux pas and can seize upon such moments to humiliate his rivals and heap scorn upon them. The stylist attempts to inspire ill will and aggression to an audience within short range through a mix of short words and subtle body language, rolling (Charisma + Performance). As with all inspire actions, how the affected target wishes to express their ill will or aggression is up to them, ranging from petty gossiping to outright violence. For the rest of the scene, the stylist may treat anyone whose Resolve was beaten by his roll as though they possessed a negative Minor Tie along the lines of distrust, hate, or antipathy (target's choice) towards another individual or party within short range (stylist's choice). If one whose Resolve has been beaten possessed a Minor Tie with a negative context towards the chosen target, the stylist may instead choose to treat them as though said Tie was Major.
Some raksha use this Charm to map unfamiliar social environments in which they find themselves; others find it an amusing way to pass a slow afternoon.
Shuffling the Pieces
Cost: 4m, 1wp; Mins: Laughing Monster 5, Essence 3
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Psyche, Terrestrial
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charm: Unitary Being Forge
The Laughing Monster's works revise the world, rendering the pounding march of armies into simply another opportunity to expand the ranks of her retinue. After successfully incapacitating or killing an opponent, the martial artist communicates a simple idea: "Follow me." She may roll (Charisma+Martial Arts) to attempt to persuade or threaten an enemy target to not just abandon the fight, but to switch sides to the stylist's. The target must have seen both her and the opponent she disabled, and they must already be participants in the battle. Battle groups count as a single target. The stylist also gains two non-Charm successes on this attempt if the target is under the effects of Inauspicious Moment for Attack, Poisoned Whispers, or Unitary Being Forge. Any character whose Resolve is overcome by this roll fight along or for the stylist against her enemies for the rest of the scene. Characters must enter a Decision Point to resist the influence, calling upon an Intimacy that represents loyalty, valor, or their stake in the fight, to resist. A character that resists this influence is immune to successive uses of this charm for the rest of the scene.
The stylist's new retinue, if any, will almost always need further motivation to remain loyal to her after the scene concludes.
Terrestrial: A Dragon-Blooded stylist may only activate Shuffling the Pieces to attempt to convince a battle group to switch to her side.
Dancing Wind Monster Transformation
Cost: 10m, 2wp; Mins: Laughing Monster 5, Essence 4
Type: Simple
Keywords: Perilous, Mastery
Duration: One turn
Prerequisite Charm: Shuffling the Pieces, Subtle Hammer, Poisoned Whisper
The Laughing Monster is a creature of divisions, who enters or leaves the story at his own pace. By concentrating until his next turn, he fades away, leaving only the sound of his mocking laughter and the enraged bellows of his beaten foes, or he appears unexpected, astonishing his impromptu hosts.
This charm may be used to escape any confined space in which the martial artist finds himself in, depositing him just outside such boundaries, but only if such a space poses danger to the martial artist (such as a large prison full of angry inmates looking to tear the martial artist apart, a clock tower full of monsters, or even a sealed coffin underneath the earth in which the martial artist has been buried alive). This charm may alternately be used to enter inside one such nearby confined space, but only as long as there is something within that poses danger to the martial artist (such as a Solar tomb full of automatons, a sealed city which a government has declared a quarantined area, or even the inside of the Imperial Manse1.
In either case, the charm will never immediately kill or injure the martial artist for using it - if the nearest exist to a high tower is an open window on the seventh floor of a tower, he will appear outside of the front door on the bottom floor. If he is entering the secret volcano lair of a local god, he will not suddenly appear in a pit of lava. However, the Charm does not account for any guards or traps nearby that might feel hostile towards him. The narrative of the Laughing Monster leaves the rest of the stylist's escape or infiltration up to his own cleverness and skill.
This Charm may only be used once per story, but may be reset when the martial artist goes out of his way to get himself into or out of trouble, after spending a considerable amount of time trying to do the opposite.
Mastery: The martial artist may take along (Essence) other consenting characters in short range with him into or out of trouble.
1 It would be worth noting that such an attempt at entering such highly-protected locations is likely to backfire somehow, but if a stylist has progressed enough in this style to achieve this technique, they probably don't care about common sense or their own self-preservation that much.
The charms I'm most insecure of are the rewrites of Unitary Being Forge and Shuffling the Pieces. The latter in particular seems very strong, but I think it's balanced out by how it's going to be incredibly hard to get someone to switch sides to yours unless you've already softened them up a lot with things like Poisoned Whispers or such. And if you didn't need to soften them up first, they probably weren't that loyal to their side in the first place, in which case Shuffling the Pieces just simplifies the process.
I guess in general I'm also a bit afraid it's too much like Black Claw's Outrage Kindling Cry.
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Life extending methods aren't common, but they aren't rare either.
-Age Staving Cordial is a Resources 3 purchase, and slows aging by 25% as long as you take it once a week.
-Perfect Agelessness for a singe person was a 5 dot hearthstone.
-First Age had the life giving Manse ability which would slow your aging by 25(3 dot), 50 (4 dot), or 100% (5 dot) provided you don't leave the manse or the effect range.
-I vaguely remember some high end celestial charms giving you an extra millenium of life or so, at the cost of permanent limit. Might not have been canon.
-Bracelet of Shared Life is a two dot artifact that allows any mortal to have the same lifespan as their partner, meaning they can live forever if a true immortal agrees to partner with them. Of course, such a thing probably comes with a lot of strings attached to it...
Overall, I don't see them being a huge deal at the lower end of their effect. Very useful, but diet and exercise could get you about the same effect (US has had about a +30% increase in the last eighty years.) I remember something about the Dragon Blooded restricting use if the drug extended life by more than 25%, which implies that anything below that wasn't worth the bother, if they were rich enough to afford it.
Using the Cordial as a base for creating an artifact to extend life, I would say three dots would be the absolute minimum for a 25% reduction in aging, and it would probably only produce enough for you. Artifact 4 would probably be enough for a small group of people (around twenty maybe), and Artifact 5 would probably be enough for a hundred or so. Up the artifact rating if it slows it even more, and probably up it again if it effects Exalts as well as mortals.
Regarding Comets:
Only mention of comets I can remember is Gaia's magical spaceship Gnosis that she took with her when she left Creation for adventure.
Going off of that and how rare comets are, I'd say most comets might be Third Circle Demons/Devas that were concerned with the Wyld. Most of the time they were well away from creation and people didn't see them. Whenever their comet appeared, they were back in town, meaning:
A- They followed the Wyld home, meaning there was probably an invasion of Fair Folk, Wyldstorms, or some other chaos about to happen.
B- They were taking a break and start messing around with Creation because why the heck not. Given the scale of Third Circle Demons and the things they do to amuse themselves, this is a bad thing.
C- Once the First Age started, same as B, except it could also mean the Yozis were trying to free themselves, or far more likely, some insane Solar just summoned them for reasons far more twisted.
-Age Staving Cordial is a Resources 3 purchase, and slows aging by 25% as long as you take it once a week.
-Perfect Agelessness for a singe person was a 5 dot hearthstone.
-First Age had the life giving Manse ability which would slow your aging by 25(3 dot), 50 (4 dot), or 100% (5 dot) provided you don't leave the manse or the effect range.
-I vaguely remember some high end celestial charms giving you an extra millenium of life or so, at the cost of permanent limit. Might not have been canon.
-Bracelet of Shared Life is a two dot artifact that allows any mortal to have the same lifespan as their partner, meaning they can live forever if a true immortal agrees to partner with them. Of course, such a thing probably comes with a lot of strings attached to it...
Overall, I don't see them being a huge deal at the lower end of their effect. Very useful, but diet and exercise could get you about the same effect (US has had about a +30% increase in the last eighty years.) I remember something about the Dragon Blooded restricting use if the drug extended life by more than 25%, which implies that anything below that wasn't worth the bother, if they were rich enough to afford it.
Using the Cordial as a base for creating an artifact to extend life, I would say three dots would be the absolute minimum for a 25% reduction in aging, and it would probably only produce enough for you. Artifact 4 would probably be enough for a small group of people (around twenty maybe), and Artifact 5 would probably be enough for a hundred or so. Up the artifact rating if it slows it even more, and probably up it again if it effects Exalts as well as mortals.
Regarding Comets:
Only mention of comets I can remember is Gaia's magical spaceship Gnosis that she took with her when she left Creation for adventure.
Going off of that and how rare comets are, I'd say most comets might be Third Circle Demons/Devas that were concerned with the Wyld. Most of the time they were well away from creation and people didn't see them. Whenever their comet appeared, they were back in town, meaning:
A- They followed the Wyld home, meaning there was probably an invasion of Fair Folk, Wyldstorms, or some other chaos about to happen.
B- They were taking a break and start messing around with Creation because why the heck not. Given the scale of Third Circle Demons and the things they do to amuse themselves, this is a bad thing.
C- Once the First Age started, same as B, except it could also mean the Yozis were trying to free themselves, or far more likely, some insane Solar just summoned them for reasons far more twisted.
Except that this is Age-Reduction rather than Life-Extension.
It's a little different, both in effect and theme.
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Yes! It's your only chance to play a preteen Exalted!
(As far as it goes, there are probably twelve year olds or thirteen year olds who, in real life, have done things that might gain a Solar Exaltation if there's not too much else heroic going on, but the younger you get (I mean, below adulthood) the less likely it all is because, well, that's the point of Solar Exaltations. Even if they're just a lottery or whatnot, they're a lottery you have to get a ticket for by going above and beyond... like very few people manage, let alone ones who aren't fully grown into their understanding of themselves.)
- Location
- Spain
Yes! It's your only chance to play a preteen Exalted!
Nah.
You can also play a high breeding Dragon blooded.
Or the Shoat of the Mire.
Ah, my bad.
Well, I know there was a Solar Charm that could restore a person to the prime of their life, but it was pretty high up from what I recall, and it either needed to be repeated once a year, or needed XP to stay in effect. Can't remember where it is though.
An Essence 7 Lunar Charm allows the user to enter a coma and reverse age at half the normal rate (2 days in coma gets you one day back.) With a cap at the Age of Exaltation.
Well, I know there was a Solar Charm that could restore a person to the prime of their life, but it was pretty high up from what I recall, and it either needed to be repeated once a year, or needed XP to stay in effect. Can't remember where it is though.
An Essence 7 Lunar Charm allows the user to enter a coma and reverse age at half the normal rate (2 days in coma gets you one day back.) With a cap at the Age of Exaltation.
- Pronouns
- They/Them
True.
I mean ultimately, there are many ways to play as a spoiled, headstrong Exalted that is given to childish tantrums and has the real emotional maturity of a rampaging animal and who ultimately needs to grow up.
Oh, and there are also ways to play as a pre-teen Exalted, sorry, got distracted.
- Location
- Singapore
Does doing insanely dangerous and heroic things because you're not smart enough to realize its dangerous count as a valid opportunity for a solar exaltation?Yes! It's your only chance to play a preteen Exalted!
(As far as it goes, there are probably twelve year olds or thirteen year olds who, in real life, have done things that might gain a Solar Exaltation if there's not too much else heroic going on, but the younger you get (I mean, below adulthood) the less likely it all is because, well, that's the point of Solar Exaltations. Even if they're just a lottery or whatnot, they're a lottery you have to get a ticket for by going above and beyond... like very few people manage, let alone ones who aren't fully grown into their understanding of themselves.)
Like, say, a boy sees his mother being attacked by a band of bandits. Grabbing a small knife by the side, he charges them. The Unconquered Sun sees this boy's foolish valour, and then poof! Solar Exalted.
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Eh, maybe if they charged an army rather than a group of bandits?
- Location
- Denmark
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Guys, by that point you're setting the qualia for Solar Exaltation at ridiculously high levels where it might as well not mean anything anymore.
Daily reminder that Panther Exalted as he faced himself and decided that no, lazy indulgence was not enough. You Exalt as a Solar in your time of need, and an untrained boy with a small knife against several bandits should be a valid story, and is also pretty fucking much a "time of need".
Daily reminder that Panther Exalted as he faced himself and decided that no, lazy indulgence was not enough. You Exalt as a Solar in your time of need, and an untrained boy with a small knife against several bandits should be a valid story, and is also pretty fucking much a "time of need".
Solar's exalt all the time from things like this. The Peasant farmer who has no idea how to fight picking up a stick and going to confront the bandits that are raiding his village is a trait that all but breaths Solar Exalation. Like really, read the core-book. It flat out mentions this scenario. The Solar faces an impossible challenge but overcomes it through the Exaltation.
Of course the manner they face this challenge is just as important as it is the challenge itself.
- Location
- Singapore
....Manner?
greensun
You shall all burn beneath my light!!!
Do they just kill them all, do they repair a broken first age relic to drive them off or do they brow-beat them with the force of their personality, or do they offer them a deal to send them off or do they let them into their home, wait til they fall asleep and then slit their throats?
Each of those define a different caste in a broad manner, and are certainly good enough for simple prologue.
even before the exaltation, how they try to drive off the bandits is important. So they try and sneak around to take out the bandits one by one solid snake style? Do they try and pull down a Burning building on their head? Do they try and sword fight all the dudes? Do they try and make a deal with the bandits to save their village? Do they prey to the great river God who has been allied with the village for three hundred years?
And as mentioned once they DO exalt...how do they act now that they are the one with power?
And as mentioned once they DO exalt...how do they act now that they are the one with power?
- Location
- Library
Neither are Creation's Sun and Moon.
No, no, no. Sun and Moon being magical spaceships with accessible "ohh, look, super tech" is one of those sh*tty ideas, possibly by people who bungled Exalted 3ed so bad they were fired for it.
Sol Invictus is sun because he was made in the image of Ligier. Ligier is not a battleship, he is a green sun. Simple.
frozenchicken
Does not have a custom title.
Technically they're not referring to Sol Invictus. They're talking about the Daystar and Silver Chair. The Daystar is more like Sol's dog/car/house/nuke. Not actually clear on the Silver Chair.