Salty
Shadow Cabal Assumptor Supreme
- Location
- Sun, Moon, Talia
- Pronouns
- I/Me
The consensus on GWM is that it's excellent flavor, but is useless for actually running a game involving human beings playing, and is mechanically horrible anyways.
General Exalted Thread
- Location
- Singapore
Eh, I'm looking for good flavour, anyway. Never played a game before.
Graypairofsocks
What is Grammar?
- Location
- earth
Is it really mechanically worse than solars?
- Location
- Singapore
City from Blame!?
The giant, cityscape dysonsphere, filled with mad machines, that is the size of a solar system?
That's the one, yes.
- Location
- Spain
Blame! imagery is perfect for autochtonia, full stop. In any shard.
- Location
- Singapore
- Location
- Philippines
Technically, to play a Raksha is to play a roleplayer who only plays as Mary Sues. They are living stories who, by their nature, must warp the world around them to commit to their story. So, they're mechanically broken. They're better than human so they're given points and special rules to emphasize that.
Want to be richer than the Realm? You can put a few points on your Gossamer during character creation and spend as much as you want.
Want to be better than Mozart? Put 5 points in the ability, mortal prodigies can only reach 3, if memory serves.
- Location
- Singapore
- Location
- Philippines
Oh, if that's the case, then a Raksha can have 7 on that ability at the start. It's been a long time since I read Graceful Wicked Masques.
- Location
- Spain
Raksha aren't broken because they are better than mortals. Being better than mortals isn't a notable thing at all.
They are broken 'cause they can have static (As in, before mote use) dice pools greater than full excellency Solars .
Also, if I remember correctly, it's possible make several million of them in...a few hours?
Basically, the mechanics were really bad, and the patch only fixed things slightly if at all.
- Location
- Singapore
azoicennead
Overly-Affectionate Zombie Squad
- Pronouns
- He/They
I'm pretty sure the most of GWM's mechanics was replaced by the errata.
Exalted 2e had plenty of mechanical problems, but it works well enough that they didn't need to rewrite most of the Solar charmset.
No.
Commoners had a cap of 5, and Nobles had a cap of 7.
Also IIRC some of their stuff just melts if someone resists it with Essence-based abilities, so basically any Charm used against them could cut their dice-pools down to more manageable levels.
IIRC they were mechanically designed to effortlessly slaughter mortals and job to Exalts.
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Parabola
Divided Loyalties Librarian
- Location
- The Destination of Fate
- Pronouns
- She/Her
That's the sort of thing that's only possible by RAW, though. It's like the Commoner Railgun in D&D - it can be done, I guess, but only in an imaginary world where the ST is going to be silly or dumb enough to allow it.
That said, yeah, I may hold Jenna Moran to be a high priestess of some sort, but the mechanics of GWM are pretty hard to grok and not really practical to use with Exalted in general due to how the Wyld and Creation interact together. It's like the whole thing in 2e about how Abyssals are weak in Creation but super-strong in the Underworld and viceversa due to essence recovery rates. Only you have to deal with shaping combat, which is a few magnitudes more complicated and involves some existentialism.
Also, they fucked up the shinma too, which just goes to show it was another thing that Alex "Raping Rapists being Raped by Rapists" Alexander didn't understand (apart from, you know, how to write mechanics and how to write a setting element which doesn't include rape).
In 1e, Advaita Iraivan the Divine Creator was established to be an aspect of Nirguna. That means that Advaita Iraivan does not exist, because it is an aspect of the Shinma of Existence, and thus there is no divine creator in Exalted. Then 2e went and decided that, oh no, Advaita Iraivan was the Shinma of Separation despite the fact that... uh, that's entirely superfluous because it's covered by Nirupadhika.
Wasn't that entire part IC knowledge from the Pov of the Raksha, and thus the whole thing is just Unreliable Narrator turned up to eleven?
- Location
- Singapore
I just like the fact that the UCS powers is tied to his virtues.
You can't smash him apart or tear through him via brute force. You have to think. To force him to suppress his temperance. To write a story to defeat him.
- Location
- Gladstone, OR
Today on Sunlit Sands, @Aleph contends with the terror that is ridiculous success.
Session Log
Session Log
So we continue where we left off last session, though we're finally getting back into the more fluid 'dramatic action' timescale instead of the more concrete 'dialogue' one. You'll note that we've never used Join Debate rules just yet, mostly because all existing scenes are usually 1v1 and we already have a convention of taking turns. As Inks gets more Social Charms, we may need to start using Join Debate more.
Now, Pipera is still 'settling in' as a character, but she's already starting to be useful and develop a personality. I haven't taken the time in-character to really dig into her backstory though, not yet.
One thing about this game and Exalted in general is the evaluating and use of assets- Inks has backing 4 with the Despot, she has authority to draw on his own assets within reason, or invoke his favor... but she really doesn't want to right now.
But that still gave me the idea to note the rest of the court as a resource and exploited it just so. My stunt to use Inks's obvious sensual charms worked out better than expected, with a pool of 10 +10 from 1st excellency, and +2 from stunt, I earned 13 successes...
And Aleph wonders why I always go for Maximum Excellency. Answer: No Wyld Hunt. More seriously, the storyteller's job is to make the player feel comfortable and confident enough to engage the game. A timid player is a boring player. Note that's not the same as a timid character.
Culturally, Gem and by extension Creation is... insular is the wrong word, but nationalism and city-state mentality is apparent. Neigbhors are 'Others', intemperate and strange. Alliances between them are tenuous and fraught with cultural clashes and so on. It's not racism, but more nationalism or jingoism. Salib as a diplomat is inherently biased against the people he's intended to diplomance with.
But regadless, he gives Inks a wealth of information!
Building on that theme (and checking in on some old NPCs), we note that Ryabu as a 'Ranger of Gem' would likely have insights, but also be even more fervently patriotic, so invoking him would have been ill-advised. From here, mulling upon her goal of buying the medicine sparked an inspiration.
One thing about Exalted as a game, is that it's easy for players to get complacent, and easy for storytellers. And sometimes it's easy to do the opposite. Solving all your problems with one tool makes the game feel samey, but a storyteller who arranges all problems to be solved with a single tool is equally samey. And extending, a storyteller who pushes players Constantly out of their specialites can almost miss the point of Exalted-
You are Greater Than, and should be allowed to show that off. If Inks never gets to use her Craft or Medicine, the dots on her sheet are only relevant as character garnish, and thus we never see how good she is in comparison to the rest of the world.
Mulling, the Hepatizon forges are something I've been wanting to expand for a while- they are currently Scope 3, meaning they supply Magnitude 3* worth of hepatizon products a season. I can't expand them under the current plot conditions, but it's on the to-do list. I did note the valuable consideration that the Despot doesn't want Inks exporting materials without his say-so.
But regardless, I and by extension Inks got an idea!
Teamworking with Pipera, we determine that offering a commission to one of the medicine-supplying Mountain Lords, the Coxati people- is a good idea. I should note that the word 'Coxati' sounds very mesoamerican/aztec, considering the 'mountain lords' and our proxmity to An-Teng... Well, I feel cultural blending is in my future. Also I would not deny Aleph the opportunity to pull in Familiar content from her previous game experience.
Next, after several sessions languishing in plot-hook purgatory, Inks finally fixes those dang tablets, and discovers they're... signposts? Pipera jumped back inb efore I could make a further conclusion, but my thought is that there might be a sunken first age city, or ruins of such somewhere. 11 successes to repair, 7 to translate- this was the worst roll of the session.
After more research, we're given overviews of three likely clients who can supply the medicine. Aleph again is very good at writing good 'choices' at a narrative level; the three potentials all have costs and benefits to invoking them, though I should say that as a Player, I see no reason not to eventually call on them all.
However, after some deliberation, Inks and Pipera agree to offer the commission to Saudari Etayadi Fire-in-Earth. Emphasis mandatory.
After a brief pause to hash out some mechanics, we have Pipera roll for the negotiation... 16 successes on 19d.
I'd like a moment of silence for Aleph's peace of mind.
The results of this ridiculously well-executed propsoal means that Inks has a surplus of 'Essence-radiation treatment supplies' on hand just in case, or availible to sell locally if she needs. Ajjim meanwhile rolled for his own healing, and as log states, if Inks had not put him in the bath, Ajjim would've rolled 5d; -4d at Diff 3...
15, 13 and 12 successes, btw, for Inks's three rolls in short succession.
More plothooks sprinkle in about the Desert Mother, who is increasingly likely a 'lost' or 'dead' god. Having secured one of her proper titles though, Inks could in theory start a cult to her and possibly bring her back.
And oh dear, the exorcist. Hahaha. The log speaks for itself.
Tying off this session is an indulgent craft stunt, but it also underlines a key point about Solar Charm design that I personally support. Inks has a houseruled Craftsmen Needs No Tools that lets her craft bare handed, yes, but always works better With tools. So she went from [barehanded] to [rudimentary] to [basic] with her initial rolls, and then actually used her [masterwork] tools to make the mask and jewelry for her client. This is working as intended.
And I got 14 successes. As Aleph points out, Inks may've overpaid. Hopefully not enough to offend.
Lastly, we move on with some legwork, investigation! After some mechanical discussion, we get to the stunting and the rolling and- again, as is the trend for this session, Inks wins.
And so we end on a suitably dramatic note, and I am looking forward to next session!
Now, Pipera is still 'settling in' as a character, but she's already starting to be useful and develop a personality. I haven't taken the time in-character to really dig into her backstory though, not yet.
One thing about this game and Exalted in general is the evaluating and use of assets- Inks has backing 4 with the Despot, she has authority to draw on his own assets within reason, or invoke his favor... but she really doesn't want to right now.
But that still gave me the idea to note the rest of the court as a resource and exploited it just so. My stunt to use Inks's obvious sensual charms worked out better than expected, with a pool of 10 +10 from 1st excellency, and +2 from stunt, I earned 13 successes...
And Aleph wonders why I always go for Maximum Excellency. Answer: No Wyld Hunt. More seriously, the storyteller's job is to make the player feel comfortable and confident enough to engage the game. A timid player is a boring player. Note that's not the same as a timid character.
Culturally, Gem and by extension Creation is... insular is the wrong word, but nationalism and city-state mentality is apparent. Neigbhors are 'Others', intemperate and strange. Alliances between them are tenuous and fraught with cultural clashes and so on. It's not racism, but more nationalism or jingoism. Salib as a diplomat is inherently biased against the people he's intended to diplomance with.
But regadless, he gives Inks a wealth of information!
Building on that theme (and checking in on some old NPCs), we note that Ryabu as a 'Ranger of Gem' would likely have insights, but also be even more fervently patriotic, so invoking him would have been ill-advised. From here, mulling upon her goal of buying the medicine sparked an inspiration.
One thing about Exalted as a game, is that it's easy for players to get complacent, and easy for storytellers. And sometimes it's easy to do the opposite. Solving all your problems with one tool makes the game feel samey, but a storyteller who arranges all problems to be solved with a single tool is equally samey. And extending, a storyteller who pushes players Constantly out of their specialites can almost miss the point of Exalted-
You are Greater Than, and should be allowed to show that off. If Inks never gets to use her Craft or Medicine, the dots on her sheet are only relevant as character garnish, and thus we never see how good she is in comparison to the rest of the world.
Mulling, the Hepatizon forges are something I've been wanting to expand for a while- they are currently Scope 3, meaning they supply Magnitude 3* worth of hepatizon products a season. I can't expand them under the current plot conditions, but it's on the to-do list. I did note the valuable consideration that the Despot doesn't want Inks exporting materials without his say-so.
But regardless, I and by extension Inks got an idea!
Teamworking with Pipera, we determine that offering a commission to one of the medicine-supplying Mountain Lords, the Coxati people- is a good idea. I should note that the word 'Coxati' sounds very mesoamerican/aztec, considering the 'mountain lords' and our proxmity to An-Teng... Well, I feel cultural blending is in my future. Also I would not deny Aleph the opportunity to pull in Familiar content from her previous game experience.
Next, after several sessions languishing in plot-hook purgatory, Inks finally fixes those dang tablets, and discovers they're... signposts? Pipera jumped back inb efore I could make a further conclusion, but my thought is that there might be a sunken first age city, or ruins of such somewhere. 11 successes to repair, 7 to translate- this was the worst roll of the session.
After more research, we're given overviews of three likely clients who can supply the medicine. Aleph again is very good at writing good 'choices' at a narrative level; the three potentials all have costs and benefits to invoking them, though I should say that as a Player, I see no reason not to eventually call on them all.
However, after some deliberation, Inks and Pipera agree to offer the commission to Saudari Etayadi Fire-in-Earth. Emphasis mandatory.
After a brief pause to hash out some mechanics, we have Pipera roll for the negotiation... 16 successes on 19d.
I'd like a moment of silence for Aleph's peace of mind.
The results of this ridiculously well-executed propsoal means that Inks has a surplus of 'Essence-radiation treatment supplies' on hand just in case, or availible to sell locally if she needs. Ajjim meanwhile rolled for his own healing, and as log states, if Inks had not put him in the bath, Ajjim would've rolled 5d; -4d at Diff 3...
15, 13 and 12 successes, btw, for Inks's three rolls in short succession.
More plothooks sprinkle in about the Desert Mother, who is increasingly likely a 'lost' or 'dead' god. Having secured one of her proper titles though, Inks could in theory start a cult to her and possibly bring her back.
And oh dear, the exorcist. Hahaha. The log speaks for itself.
Tying off this session is an indulgent craft stunt, but it also underlines a key point about Solar Charm design that I personally support. Inks has a houseruled Craftsmen Needs No Tools that lets her craft bare handed, yes, but always works better With tools. So she went from [barehanded] to [rudimentary] to [basic] with her initial rolls, and then actually used her [masterwork] tools to make the mask and jewelry for her client. This is working as intended.
And I got 14 successes. As Aleph points out, Inks may've overpaid. Hopefully not enough to offend.
Lastly, we move on with some legwork, investigation! After some mechanical discussion, we get to the stunting and the rolling and- again, as is the trend for this session, Inks wins.
And so we end on a suitably dramatic note, and I am looking forward to next session!
- Location
- The sixth circle of Hell (second on weekends)
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Yes, but then he gets a bullshit super-form that's barely one step down from flat invincibility despite the fact that it thematically makes no sense given how his might is tied to his Virtues (and by casting them off he should be lessened into an almost Ligier-esque "Blue Sun" who's low-Incarna level but still pretty damn tough.
- Location
- Wörms, the half continent
I'm not actually sure what the difference would be. Can you explain in more detail what you mean by a timid player?
Sucal
The Devil’s Cut
- Location
- Bottom of the barrel
Wasn't that from the Errata though, not the actual book? (would check but about to go to work)
I mean I tend to ignore the shit out of Magnanimous Unbound Sun as it is