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General Exalted Thread

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Aleph said:
And similarly, if someone else has done this, you don't get to shortcut the moral dilemma of "this is a terrible person, but if we kill them we will lose all their accumulated knowledge that could help so many, which they are hoarding precisely because it makes people like us hesitate to kill them" by going "actually we can just copy your memories into this handy Pensieve we have here!" No, you either murder them and lessen Creation until you can independently redevelop the lost knowledge (which could well take Ages, in the capitalised sense of the word), or you live with them as a necessary evil just as they want you too.
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This. I ran a game on this theme not long ago, and the ease of resurrection in D&D made it so i had to go to some lengths to actually make it a dilema.
 
Aleph said:
And similarly, if someone else has done this, you don't get to shortcut the moral dilemma of "this is a terrible person, but if we kill them we will lose all their accumulated knowledge that could help so many, which they are hoarding precisely because it makes people like us hesitate to kill them" by going "actually we can just copy your memories into this handy Pensieve we have here!" No, you either murder them and lessen Creation until you can independently redevelop the lost knowledge (which could well take Ages, in the capitalised sense of the word), or you live with them as a necessary evil just as they want you too.

Now, if they were stupid enough to leave a ghost while being fully aware of what necromancy can do to the dead, and didn't have something set up so that they went straight to Lethe, do not pass Go, do not collect $200... well, then there's no need for a convoluted "destroy them and cache some sort of memory copy" spell; you can just bind them to write down everything they know and then make them do jumping jacks over a floor covered in caltrops for the rest of eternity, or whatever else suits your amusement or whim. Ghosts are basically your bitch if you know necromancy; in some ways even more so than mortals.
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'course if you get lucky enough to capture them alive and are using the (admittedly bad) 2e social system just drain them of willpower then social charm them into writing down all they know.
 
Aleph said:
I speak for 2e and 2.5e here, of course, as I don't know how 3e has impacted these themes, or if they still care about the "no takebacks" thing that was such a strong part of Exalted's inception.
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"No takebacks, except for master Craft users, who can regularly produce disposable Solaroid Doombots to die in their place"

(Socialize has a "cheat death" capstone effect, but it leaves you explicitly and permanently lessened for it and doesn't really keep a dedicated enemy from just stabbing you until you finally die to death.)
 
NonSequtur said:
Really? How's that fluffed?
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With enough Socialize you can set up alternate personalities that have different appearances, Intimacies, Abilities, Charms, and so on, running on a limited number of dots and half your normal XP. Soul Reprisal lets you immediately reincarnate into one of them when you die.

I don't know if I like it as a Solar thing, thematically, but in terms of pure mechanics it seems fine, since effectively losing half of your XP total and a bunch of your dots is a huge punch in the gut and if somebody has you at their mercy they can just kill you again to make it permanent.
 
Roadie said:
With enough Socialize you can set up alternate personalities that have different appearances, Intimacies, Abilities, Charms, and so on, running on a limited number of dots and half your normal XP. Soul Reprisal lets you immediately reincarnate into one of them when you die.

I don't know if I like it as a Solar thing, thematically, but in terms of pure mechanics it seems fine, since effectively losing half of your XP total and a bunch of your dots is a huge punch in the gut and if somebody has you at their mercy they can just kill you again to make it permanent.
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Uh... why isn't this, not just the reincarnate thing but the general mechanic, a Lunar or Sidereal thing? I'm guesisng these variants are probably also more useful than Alchemical charm swapping as well.

Ah fuck, we all know why. Solar supremacy appears to be alive and well in 3e.

Somebody needs to inform the 3e design team that Solar thematics are not "Whatever sounds interesting as Charm design space" please.
 
I finished the drafts of two more charms that probably need a lot of work, including the one that almost had a prayer specialty (that's the second one, Shadow of the God-Spear).

Corona of Radiance
Cost: - Duration: Permanent Type: Permanent
Keywords: Holy, Native
Mins: Melee 5, Essence 4
Prerequisite Charms: Glorious Solar Saber, Sun-Sword Concentration, Bulwark Stance

The Chosen of the Sun were born as weapons for a war, and their abilities often reflect this. The blades of the Lawgivers cut deepest when used against the architects of Creation, for that was their purpose. Lawgivers who take this charm have discovered some of the ancient glory that made their weapons so effective.

When fighting Creatures of Darkness, this charm provides the following permanent enhancements:
  • rolls of 10 on damage count as two damage successes against creatures of darkness.
  • minimum damage against creatures of darkness is increased by 1. This stacks with the Overwhelming tag.
  • if they have an Overdrive pool, they gain 1 offensive mote every time they successfully deal damage to a creature of darkness with an attack.
When her anima flares to the 8+ mote level, the Lawgiver gains these additional benefits:
  • her bashing and lethal soak are increased by (Essence/2) points against creatures of darkness. At Essence 5+, this increases to (Essence) points.
  • her attacks gain the Piercing tag against creatures of darkness. If her attack would carry the Piercing tag from another source, it ignores an additional (Essence) points of soak from this charm.
  • she gains +1 to her DVs against creatures of darkness. This does not count as dice added by charms.
Any being which has subsidiary souls, like a Primordial, is considered a creature of darkness for the purposes of charms used by a Lawgiver with this charm. This extends to its subsidiary souls. Furthermore, the Lawgiver can never be considered a creature of darkness.

Additionally, she is automatically considered to meet the requirements to purchase Enemy-Castigating Solar Judgement, and may buy it at the cost of a charm for a Favored or Caste ability. This discount is applied retroactively if necessary, refunding the difference if she has already purchased Enemy-Castigating Solar Judgement.


Shadow of the God-Spear
Cost: - Duration: Permanent Type: Permanent
Keywords: Holy, Native
Mins: Melee 5, Essence 5
Prerequisite Charms: Corona of Radiance, Enemy-Castigating Solar Judgement

Rarely, a Lawgiver sees the Unconquered Sun and seeks to emulate him in all ways. They have never succeeded in truly matching his glory, but some have managed to internalize some small measure of it in this charm. This represents an extreme level of devotion to the Ignis Divine, almost unheard of even in the First Age, but those who did were among the only ones he looked favorably upon even after he turned his face from Creation.

By taking this charm, a Lawgiver gains an additional Motivation of "Defend Creation from all threats." (or an appropriate mirror to the motivation of the Unconquered Sun, if that is not it). This Motivation can be reduced to an Intimacy by committing 3 points of temporary willpower and (Essence) motes. This Intimacy does not count toward the normal limit of (Willpower + Compassion) Intimacies, cannot be eroded, and every day spent with the Motivation suppressed this way gives the Solar 1 point of Limit.

The Solar also gains an innate knowledge of the threats to Creation, as seen by the Unconquered Sun. She can spend 1 mote to know if a creature is a creature of darkness or otherwise considered a threat to Creation by the Unconqured Sun. When she attacks a creature of darkness, she adds (Essence/2) dice to her attack, and any Virtues channeled in doing so provide automatic successes instead of dice.

Furthermore, the cost of Enemy-Castigating Solar Judgement is reduced to 1 mote, and its duration is extended to "One action".

Finally, the Lawgivers who devote themselves to the purpose of their patron this way are granted the benefits of being a priest of the Unconquered Sun, and reduce the difficulty of prayers to him by 1 (to a final Difficulty of 5 - Resources value of their sacrifice).

I'm actually kind of enjoying working on these. I've got Hail-Gathering Practice, an unnamed shield-use charm, Steel Hammer Method, and Blades of Gold Method that are still being refined but are mostly complete.

Also, the current draft of Swords Fly Like Swallows:
Swords Fly Like Swallows
Cost: 6m (+1m) Duration: Instant Type: Reflexive (Step 1)
Keywords: Combo-Basic, Martial-Ready
Mins: Melee 4, Essence 2
Prerequisite Charms: One Weapon, Two Blows?

This charm enhances a disarm attempt. The -2 external penalty for the called shot is negated, and the character adds (Essence/2, rounded up) automatic successes to the attack, which count as dice added by charms. Opponents who cannot use essence do not get a (Wits + appropriate wielding Ability) roll to resist if the attack succeeds; their weapon is instead thrown (Melee + Successes) yards. Against opponents who can use essence, the weapon is thrown (Essence + Successes) yards after the (Wits + appropriate wielding Ability) roll instead of (Successes) feet.

At Essence 3+, Lawgivers can use this charm to prevent their foes from trivially retrieving their weapons. By spending an additional mote, she can ensure the weapon sticks in the scenery, preventing magic from removing it. This does not make picking it up more difficult, merely forces her opponent to physically pick up the weapon and not call it to hand with magic.

Martial-Ready: Martial Arts
Would still appreciate someone pointing out remaining problematic aspects. Also, not sure what I should add for flavor text yet.
 
Guys, I'm looking for advice. Songstress Ninja as a character concept. What do you think? Do you people think a Night Caste that use Silver-Voiced nightingale is viable?
 
Salbazier said:
Guys, I'm looking for advice. Songstress Ninja as a character concept. What do you think? Do you people think a Night Caste that use Silver-Voiced nightingale is viable?
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Well, they might *hear* your character, but they'd be able to neither hear nor actually find her. That terrible melody that haunts you, forever following you wherever you flee :p
 
Salbazier said:
Guys, I'm looking for advice. Songstress Ninja as a character concept. What do you think? Do you people think a Night Caste that use Silver-Voiced nightingale is viable?
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The whistling is the vector for a social attack to make them panic and reduce there readiness to fight. A haunting tune that makes them fear and huddle in there rooms so that you can freely move through the building.
 
I'll note that Larceny could be used instead of Stealth as a primary infiltration tool with such a character. Larceny and Socialize.
 
What I do like about the new Night spread is the ability to be the spy of the courts, rather than just a thief. Or at least, that's made explicit- as much through the new Socialize Charms as anything else.
 
Rule question for 2.0/2.5

God blooded / Demon blooded

When they hit Essence X, they get transformed into Gods / Demons (of the type that was their sire) correct?
 
fitzgerald said:
Rule question for 2.0/2.5

God blooded / Demon blooded

When they hit Essence X, they get transformed into Gods / Demons (of the type that was their sire) correct?
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Essence 4. Mortal humans cannot exceed essence 3, so a essence 4 would have to be something more than human.

I think the "demonblooded son of a neomah became an oddity: a male neomah" was suggested as a thing somewhere.
 
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