General Exalted Thread
azoicennead
Overly-Affectionate Zombie Squad
- Pronouns
- He/They
Revlid
blob of bugs
- Location
- England
Yes, that is the default assumption when women are involved. They have a distressing yet consistent tendency to swallow all narrative and roleplay into the gaping fetish-fanged cavern of dripping perversion that is their genitalia. Hold fast against such grotesquely arousing descents! Play only men, with other men, playing other men, being men, and doing manly things - like wrestling. Devoid of clothes, which are soft, womanly things! And oiled, to avoid unnecessary friction. Yes. This is good. More of this, yes.
Whether or not you like the new edition, I think it's grossly unfair to characterize Ex3 Lunars as slaves or buttmonkeys based on a few sentences which, in context, are clearly meant to act as a contrast to their current circumstances.
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That's interesting! I'll be honest, I haven't given TAW as much of a look as I should have. I'll be sure to give it a good read when I have a stretch of time available, but until then what similarities have you noticed?
More Charms from Keris-game - Kimmy social stuff which Keris... uses. Yes. Uses.
Yes, she's fond of Martyr's Open Endearment. She is very MOE.
(I managed to resist calling a charm Deep Empyrean Sea Underneath, mostly for fear that Aleph would murder me)
Attention-Holding Grace
Cost: 5m; Mins: Essence 2; Type: Simple (Speed 4 in long ticks)
Keywords: Combo-OK, Compulsion, Social
Duration: One scene
Prerequisites: Mother Sea Mastery
A creature of unquestionable poise and elegance, every flowing word and inhumanly beautiful gesture from the Great Mother draws the eye and ear away from lesser beings. The Infernal rolls her (Appearance + Performance). All targets who can perceive her with a Dodge MDV lower than the successes on this roll are affected by an unnatural mental influence which compels them to stay in her company. They are obliged to ignore any other character who has a lower Appearance than the Infernal, unless they are competing for her attention or both obeying a direct command from her. Resisting this Compulsion for up to five minutes costs one willpower, and once they have spent three willpower they are immune for a scene.
Martyr's Open Endearment
Cost: 7m; Mins: Essence 3; Type: Reflexive (Step 2)
Keywords: Obvious, Compulsion
Duration: One scene
Prerequisites: Attention-Holding Grace
Wrapped in a mantle of victimhood, the Great Mother seeps into the impulsive and lonely hearts of those who would oppose her, and makes them hers and hers alone. This Charm surrounds the Infernal in an exquisite wide-eyed aura of supernatural vulnerability which seeps into the minds of those empty-hearted souls who do not love others, or those with weak minds who are controlled by their lusts. This negates any physical or social attack made against her unless the attacker succeeds on a reflexive resistance roll. The Infernal chooses when purchasing this Charm whether a Compassion roll or a Temperance roll is the appropriate means of resistance. These rolls are difficulty 1, and need only succeed once per action, regardless of the number of attacks made. This is unnatural mental influence which costs 3 willpower to resist for a scene.
This Charm may be repurchased for half the cost. The attacker must now roll the lower of Compassion and Temperance to attack the Infernal.
Beauty-Over-Truth
Cost: 5m, 1wp; Mins: Essence 2; Type: Simple
Keywords: Combo-OK, Illusion
Duration: One Scene
Prerequisites: Attention-Holding Grace
It wasn't his fault! They'd always hated him! It was self defence! Upon activating this Charm, the Infernal rolls (Appearance + Performance), adding a number of automatic successes equal to his Essence. Observers with a Dodge MDV less than the number of rolled successes automatically rationalise anything they see the Infernal doing as being provoked or otherwise justified, as an Illusion effect which automatically affects the character too. If he cuts down a man in the middle of the street, well - they were an assassin going for a weapon. If he takes a sweet delicacy from an infant, he was just doing it to protect the child's health. Resisting the Illusion for the remainder of the scene costs two willpower points, or one willpower point if the Infernal threatens or harms the character or their possessions. The Illusion does not prevent targets from defending themselves, although they do so reluctantly, sure that this is all a misunderstanding.
Even after the Charm has ended, witnesses accept the justifications their mind produces and do not attempt to correct their recollection without external prompting and a personally compelling reason. The human mind is all-too-fallible and creates further justifications, meshing their recollections into a web of rationalisations. They must spend four Willpower points to accept the spite of a world which would deny such a beautiful creature just cause.
Carmine Mantled Emissary
Cost: 10m, 1wp; Mins: Essence 3; Type: Simple
Keywords: Combo-OK, Pantheon
Duration: Indefinite
Prerequisites: Beauty-Over-Truth
Within the dark hidden places of his body, the Infernal coats the accumulated malice and hate of a world which unfairly persecutes him in a protective scarlet nacre, birthing a nascent hungry soul. When he nudges this newborn into wakefulness, it grows strong on the wrongful cruelties of harsh reality. The Infernal's player rolls ([Manipulation or Appearance] + Socialise), adding a number of automatic successes equal to the Exalt's Essence. An almost imperceptible halo of crimson light briefly forms around her head, before fading into intangibility. The first time in any day another character attempts to remember any way which they have been wronged or offended by the Infernal, or anything which would negatively affect her judgement of the character, she must reflexively roll (Intelligence + Socialise) and achieve more successes than the Infernal. If she fails, she can only remember the positive - in her memories, she rationalises them as being someone else's fault, brushes them over, or simply fails to remember them. Characters who have a negative Intimacy towards the Infernal and channel Conviction on this roll add successes rather than dice.
Grotto-of-Sweet-Songs Shintai
Cost: 15m, 1lhl; Mins: Essence 4; Type: Simple (Speed 10, -2 DV)
Keywords: Combo-Basic, Form-type, Obvious, Sorcerous, Emotion, Compulsion, Shaping
Duration: Indefinite
Prerequisites: Martyr's Open Endearment, Carmine Mantled Emissary
Across Creation, there are tales of lost castles beside the sea where all things are graceful and the inhabitants are fair beyond belief and of hidden grottos where beautiful witches await the visits of heroes. These are but half-remembered tales of the palaces of the Great Mother, and they are beyond mortal comprehension, for she is castle and grotto and unfairly-trapped princess alike. Within such hallowed halls, the most beautiful gather and adore the Demon Sea. Making such tales a reality, the warlock's flesh surges to anchor itself and resculpt a graceless Creation.
Yes, she's fond of Martyr's Open Endearment. She is very MOE.
(I managed to resist calling a charm Deep Empyrean Sea Underneath, mostly for fear that Aleph would murder me)
Attention-Holding Grace
Cost: 5m; Mins: Essence 2; Type: Simple (Speed 4 in long ticks)
Keywords: Combo-OK, Compulsion, Social
Duration: One scene
Prerequisites: Mother Sea Mastery
A creature of unquestionable poise and elegance, every flowing word and inhumanly beautiful gesture from the Great Mother draws the eye and ear away from lesser beings. The Infernal rolls her (Appearance + Performance). All targets who can perceive her with a Dodge MDV lower than the successes on this roll are affected by an unnatural mental influence which compels them to stay in her company. They are obliged to ignore any other character who has a lower Appearance than the Infernal, unless they are competing for her attention or both obeying a direct command from her. Resisting this Compulsion for up to five minutes costs one willpower, and once they have spent three willpower they are immune for a scene.
Martyr's Open Endearment
Cost: 7m; Mins: Essence 3; Type: Reflexive (Step 2)
Keywords: Obvious, Compulsion
Duration: One scene
Prerequisites: Attention-Holding Grace
Wrapped in a mantle of victimhood, the Great Mother seeps into the impulsive and lonely hearts of those who would oppose her, and makes them hers and hers alone. This Charm surrounds the Infernal in an exquisite wide-eyed aura of supernatural vulnerability which seeps into the minds of those empty-hearted souls who do not love others, or those with weak minds who are controlled by their lusts. This negates any physical or social attack made against her unless the attacker succeeds on a reflexive resistance roll. The Infernal chooses when purchasing this Charm whether a Compassion roll or a Temperance roll is the appropriate means of resistance. These rolls are difficulty 1, and need only succeed once per action, regardless of the number of attacks made. This is unnatural mental influence which costs 3 willpower to resist for a scene.
This Charm may be repurchased for half the cost. The attacker must now roll the lower of Compassion and Temperance to attack the Infernal.
Beauty-Over-Truth
Cost: 5m, 1wp; Mins: Essence 2; Type: Simple
Keywords: Combo-OK, Illusion
Duration: One Scene
Prerequisites: Attention-Holding Grace
It wasn't his fault! They'd always hated him! It was self defence! Upon activating this Charm, the Infernal rolls (Appearance + Performance), adding a number of automatic successes equal to his Essence. Observers with a Dodge MDV less than the number of rolled successes automatically rationalise anything they see the Infernal doing as being provoked or otherwise justified, as an Illusion effect which automatically affects the character too. If he cuts down a man in the middle of the street, well - they were an assassin going for a weapon. If he takes a sweet delicacy from an infant, he was just doing it to protect the child's health. Resisting the Illusion for the remainder of the scene costs two willpower points, or one willpower point if the Infernal threatens or harms the character or their possessions. The Illusion does not prevent targets from defending themselves, although they do so reluctantly, sure that this is all a misunderstanding.
Even after the Charm has ended, witnesses accept the justifications their mind produces and do not attempt to correct their recollection without external prompting and a personally compelling reason. The human mind is all-too-fallible and creates further justifications, meshing their recollections into a web of rationalisations. They must spend four Willpower points to accept the spite of a world which would deny such a beautiful creature just cause.
Carmine Mantled Emissary
Cost: 10m, 1wp; Mins: Essence 3; Type: Simple
Keywords: Combo-OK, Pantheon
Duration: Indefinite
Prerequisites: Beauty-Over-Truth
Within the dark hidden places of his body, the Infernal coats the accumulated malice and hate of a world which unfairly persecutes him in a protective scarlet nacre, birthing a nascent hungry soul. When he nudges this newborn into wakefulness, it grows strong on the wrongful cruelties of harsh reality. The Infernal's player rolls ([Manipulation or Appearance] + Socialise), adding a number of automatic successes equal to the Exalt's Essence. An almost imperceptible halo of crimson light briefly forms around her head, before fading into intangibility. The first time in any day another character attempts to remember any way which they have been wronged or offended by the Infernal, or anything which would negatively affect her judgement of the character, she must reflexively roll (Intelligence + Socialise) and achieve more successes than the Infernal. If she fails, she can only remember the positive - in her memories, she rationalises them as being someone else's fault, brushes them over, or simply fails to remember them. Characters who have a negative Intimacy towards the Infernal and channel Conviction on this roll add successes rather than dice.
Grotto-of-Sweet-Songs Shintai
Cost: 15m, 1lhl; Mins: Essence 4; Type: Simple (Speed 10, -2 DV)
Keywords: Combo-Basic, Form-type, Obvious, Sorcerous, Emotion, Compulsion, Shaping
Duration: Indefinite
Prerequisites: Martyr's Open Endearment, Carmine Mantled Emissary
Across Creation, there are tales of lost castles beside the sea where all things are graceful and the inhabitants are fair beyond belief and of hidden grottos where beautiful witches await the visits of heroes. These are but half-remembered tales of the palaces of the Great Mother, and they are beyond mortal comprehension, for she is castle and grotto and unfairly-trapped princess alike. Within such hallowed halls, the most beautiful gather and adore the Demon Sea. Making such tales a reality, the warlock's flesh surges to anchor itself and resculpt a graceless Creation.
- The lower trunk of the Infernal's body bloats into immensity, fusing with the ground before sheathing itself in pearlescent beauty which can be mistaken for geography. This extends in a radius of (Essence x 5) yards around her, and does not move after activation. She may move her protruding torso within this area, but cannot move her corpulent bulk without deactivating this Charm. Otherwise, she may carry out any action that can be formed without the aid of legs.
- Over the next minute, the Infernal's influence extends in a vast wave across a surrounding area no more significant than a large palace or small forest. Her anima suffuses the area, turning all into wonder and aesthetic artistry. All objects and non-sapient animals brought into this area are affected by an active Shaping effect which transforms them so they are artistic masterpieces with a Resources value equal to the Infernal's Essence (while still retaining their previous functionality). This includes objects in use by characters - even the tattered rags of slaves who wander into the area become fine robes. Natives of Malfeas are Shaped into beauty, and treat their Appearance as being equal to the Infernal's Essence if it would be lower, save for interactions with the Infernal herself. The aesthetics the transformation takes are perfectly suited to the Infernal's tastes and preferences, cast through the lens of Kimbery. Reviled characters and their possessions are immune to the Shaping effect, for they are not worthy. When this Charm ends or the character or object is removed from the affected area, the transformation reverses itself over the course of a minute or so, though traces will remain in non-artefact objects.
- Any character with an MDDV lower than the Infernal's Appearance + Socialise + Essence is affected by an Illusion which leads them to believe that everything which occurs within the area is perfectly normal and reasonable, which can be resisted by spending 3wp. Characters who resist this effect can see the hellish taint to the twisted aesthetics with a Difficulty 3 roll of (Perception + Occult).
- Within the grotto of such a beautiful empress, all hearts are swayed towards protecting such a fragile thing. All characters within the affected area are under a Compulsion to answer any attacks or threats against the Infernal in kind. Social attacks which would build a negative Intimacy or attack a positive Intimacy compel the listener to attempt to do the same against the misguided soul, while threats of physical violence - or heaven forbid, actual violence - compel violence in turn. This unnatural Compulsion can be resisted for one willpower per provocative act, and once a character has spent three willpower resisting this effect, they are immune for five days. Natives of Malfeas are only rendered immune for one day.
- Each scene spent within the affected area counts as a scene towards building an intimacy of 'Adoring Devotion' towards the Infernal. Each consumed item of food or drink affected by the Shaping effect counts as an additional scene. This unnatural Emotion effect can be resisted for one willpower, and once a character has spent three willpower resisting this effect, they are immune to it for five days. If a character has consumed (Willpower) items of food or drink and possesses this Intimacy, they receive the Creature of Darkness mutation as a Desecration effect and become a Native of Malfeas, and may count time spent in the affected area as training for their Appearance, up to a cap of the Infernal's Essence. This makes the changes to their features permanent.
- Location
- The sixth circle of Hell (second on weekends)
- Pronouns
- She/Her
And I would have. Dear god, I would have.
I would advise a little caution in using this one in particular. The first time I used it I boosted my pool hilariously high and got like 9 sux, hitting literally everyone because MDV 9 is virtually non-existent, and, uh... well, if you read the wording of the Charm carefully, you notice (too late) that it basically makes the entire area into a toxic brew of people fighting over the pretty lady, because they can only notice other people if they're a) working together to do what she tells them to or b) competing for her attention.
Several duels were fought over me. In one of them in particular, swords were drawn. And, uh, I got up to leave just as they started fighting, and despite both having a pool of 7 dice, one of them managed to fail his attack roll and the other botched and stabbed himself through the foot. Presumably they were both distracted by the sexy.
So that was a little bit awkward.
Well, I mean, I'd be willing to try, but given that my normal style of roleplaying is "figure out the crucial parts of their background and act like myself whenever they aren't relevant", I'd have to spend something like a week making her so I could actually tell how to act appropriately.
greensun
You shall all burn beneath my light!!!
And yoink. I've got to do a Kimbery social monster some day soon; this is just too funny.
Golden Lark
The First Fiction User
Hmm.
In the vein of using Martial Arts styles as toolkits rather than primary combat engines . . .
Naruto.
Specifically, the very basic Konoha Ninja Academy bottom-of-the-barrel stuff as a Terrestrial MA
Replacement technique, clone technique, transformation technique. Call those a decent dodge charm that re-establishes stealth, another stealth re-establishment aid, and a stunt-fodder trick for confusion. Add in a bit of an athletics boost and a bit of a larceny boost in there too with some other charms. The Form charm would make the replacement technique easier and cheaper to use.
Your end result is a Style that won't really do much for DBs against other DBs or anything much stronger . . .
But if you teach this to a pack of enlightened mortals? Then even against a much larger crowd of unenlightened mortals, they will kick solid ass, and against a 'fair' fight they have a much better chance of escape. It also provides lots of utility.
Best part? It gives you a template for powers for ninja mook extras!
More esoteric stuff (like Naruto's pack of shadow clones he uses in brawls) might be celestial, but at that point things branch out and customize a bit.
In the vein of using Martial Arts styles as toolkits rather than primary combat engines . . .
Naruto.
Specifically, the very basic Konoha Ninja Academy bottom-of-the-barrel stuff as a Terrestrial MA
Replacement technique, clone technique, transformation technique. Call those a decent dodge charm that re-establishes stealth, another stealth re-establishment aid, and a stunt-fodder trick for confusion. Add in a bit of an athletics boost and a bit of a larceny boost in there too with some other charms. The Form charm would make the replacement technique easier and cheaper to use.
Your end result is a Style that won't really do much for DBs against other DBs or anything much stronger . . .
But if you teach this to a pack of enlightened mortals? Then even against a much larger crowd of unenlightened mortals, they will kick solid ass, and against a 'fair' fight they have a much better chance of escape. It also provides lots of utility.
Best part? It gives you a template for powers for ninja mook extras!
More esoteric stuff (like Naruto's pack of shadow clones he uses in brawls) might be celestial, but at that point things branch out and customize a bit.
Walker of the Yellow Path
Ho There!
- Location
- The Land of Memes
Which page and book is Silence in Her Wake on? I can't find it.
Also, does anyone have a link to the Fourth Soul Devil Domain page? I want to use it for a game.
Also, does anyone have a link to the Fourth Soul Devil Domain page? I want to use it for a game.
- Location
- The sixth circle of Hell (second on weekends)
- Pronouns
- She/Her
notanautomaton
I've got 99 quests, I've finished one
I'm having trouble coming up with a totemic anima for a character I'm playing over on SB. She's an extremely arrogant Eclipse designed to be the party face. Her backstory is that she was born a Tepet, and Exalted when she ended a slave rebellion with a speech. She was rescued by a passing Lunar, and has been fleeing southeast in an attempt to escape her families Wyld Hunt. Any ideas for a good totemic anima display for her?
- Location
- The sixth circle of Hell (second on weekends)
- Pronouns
- She/Her
Is she associated with any specific aesthetics? Any totems - not necessarily animalistic, but "totem" in the sense of an image or aesthetic that fits or suits her?
For instance; the Dawn called Hatchet Splitting Oak is from the Far East, and grew beyond the restrictions of her tribe; her anima is green-gold like the sun rising through the Pole of Wood, and her her totem is a dragon of dawn-light coiling around a great, vibrant redwood. Keris has a scarlet ocean-whirlwind full of blade-fish and spear-serpents, which her souls manifest in when she pours on the power. Sasimana is a Dynast-turned-Malefactor, and she has an eagle-headed dragon that sheds silver sand.
notanautomaton
I've got 99 quests, I've finished one
She tied to the Realm and their things (She has positve intimacies towards house Tepet and the Immaculate Order), and she's also civlized. If she got power she would probably be rather draconian, though she would still try to improve the lot of the common citizen. She also has a couple of appearance boosting charm, and she is extremely imposing despite her low combat ability. What sort of symbols are associated with the realm?
Dragons?
Some sort of Lady Liberty/ Lady Justice imagery might fit her, as a bringer/enforcer of civilisation.
If she's the narcissistic sort of arrogant she could even have herself as her anima banner
Chain imagery could fit. Like broken chains continuously reconstituting themselves from swirling separated links. Referencing her moment of Exaltation, her draconian nature, as well as possibly her remaining ties to the Realm.
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notanautomaton
I've got 99 quests, I've finished one
I think I'll go with a dragon, as that would reflect both her arrogance and her connection to the Realm. Thanks for the help.
What about Bow-Breaking Assault Kraken's Ascent?
grommile
nasty-minded old cynic
- Location
- NERV-Mercia
- Pronouns
- Traditional/Animate
*watches from a safe distance*
*through a welding glass, just to be sure*
Well, remember to account for her mental state. I would suspect that a considerable number of Dynastic Celestial Exalts do in fact kill themselves, because Exaltations select for strong-willed people who are willing to die for their beliefs - and that means you have strong-willed Exalts who genuinely do believe that they're now possessed by demons and they don't have long before the demon takes over and so the Immaculate thing to do would be to use their remaining free will to save Creation from themselves (and totally get a sweet reincarnation out of it, because that's exactly what I'd work into the Immaculate faith - someone weak enough to be possessed by an Anathema who manages to retain enough control and save Creation from themselves purges all the sin of the possession and is all but guaranteed a Terrestrial birth next life).
Whole lotta Dynastic Celestials are going to be preeeeeetty fucked up for the first while after their Exaltation. Exactly when they most need their heads in the game.
I tentatively agree with you, keeping the entirety of this quote in mind. Basically, if a Dynastic Celestial Exalted doesn't kill themselves almost immediately, it's not going to happen IMO.
There's actually a discussion going around the Onyx Path Forums where it's not out of the realms of possibility for a Dynast to conclude that they're the only legitimate Solar Exalted, although I'm not sure I agree with the arguments being put forwards there either.
notanautomaton
I've got 99 quests, I've finished one
I'm roleplaying her as having lost her faith well before Exalting. Her elder sister bullied her, with both cruel gossip and some physical violence. Nothing that would be remarked upon, just a few more bruises than a child would normally have, a painful arm-lock behind a tree, bugs in her food, things of that nature. However, one day, she fought back, hitting her sister with a rock. Her sister then gained her Exaltation, and broke several of her bones. After seeing that Dragonblooded were not moral paragons, she lost her faith in the Order. When she Exalted, there was a Lunar nearby who was able to get her safe, tell her what was going on, and point her towards the Lunar's dominion in the Dreaming Sea, which should bean that worrying about Anathema shouldn't be a massive problem.
If I weren't in a circle, I might run with this, as she is totally arrogant enough to believe it.
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Yes, but that quote bores me and I ignore it, especially since it's not in the text. Easy solutions to moral dilemmas and resolving the question of your personal faith is dull, and the fact that they chose probably the most tedious way out... yawn. I have no interest in characters being handed easy answers.
No, as far as I'm concerned it's up to your Dynast to find a personal way of resolving what they are, and work on their own to piece together whatever past life memories they have and their own beliefs and come to some kind of personal view of what they are.
Nemone Sasimana, Keris's covenmate/superior/girlfriend, for example went through a pretty rough patch where she basically ran away and had to hide in some caves, and her personal kludge of her previously devout Immaculate faith was basically to work through and decide, yes, she is an Anathema (ie, a demonically-powered ancient tyrant fuelled by magic stolen from the sun), and that the Immaculate Faith was completely correct - because the most effective lie is the truth. It's natural and correct for demonically-powered ancient tyrants to rule the world, because the demons made it in the first place and the Dragons are treacherous demons who betrayed their siblings because they hungered for power.
This means that given her social stats and Charms, she can in fact give amusingly cutting Immaculate-based Yozi-worshipping (and also her-worshipping) twistings of doctrine that require a really good grounding in the Immaculate Faith to properly refute, because her personalised heresy is well-rooted in orthodoxy and orthopraxy before it becomes heterodox.
And yet she's meant to have Intimacies towards the Realm and towards House Tepet.
House Tepet really isn't fond of the Anathema right now. Because, you know, there's a good chance that she's lost several family members to the Bull of the North. That's going to play quite a role there.
notanautomaton
I've got 99 quests, I've finished one
She loves her family. They want to kill her and regularly send Wyld Hunts to kill her. It's a bit strange, but it's my attempt to show that despite her speeches on how non-Solars are worthless and most Solars are inferior to her, she still cares about others, including her family. It's meant to be contradictory in a way that will lead to interesting events in the game.