I still think it a bad idea to take any negative trait's for the inner world. Almost everything we would want can be earned with time and effort. And it is not worth damaging Molly's soul structure to take a negative.
Green Flame Rising (Exalted vs Dresden Files)
- Thread starter DragonParadox
- Start date
- Crossover Fantasy
We can't make it that much bigger and increase the population by orders of magnitude with time and effort.
I think that the way I found how to handle it wouldn't be a negative. Hopefully. In a couple of hours I'll be ready to present 1.3 version of the Courts (I'm writing a list of laws governing the resurrection right now).
You know; I was considering hell concepts, and was wondering if a hostile environment could be that the place is an ideal location for enlightenment, so people there without the willpower to hold back tend to transcend their material desires and achieve nirvana/theosis (union with god).
The local devils would largely be immune as they're content with their role and nature and don't seek to overcome it, but local humans would have to distract themselves with worldly things so as to avoid enlightenment.
This is a call back to the demons of Malfeas playing music to ward off Adorjan and her much less pleasant enlightenment.
I also think that kind of thing would suit an Infernal that truly believed in God. Their Hell is 'hostile' because it's really good at its job of encouraging souls to repent/enlighten and pass on.
In this way places of safety would actually be places of vice, representing the flaws and vices the Infernal is tempted by.
The local devils would largely be immune as they're content with their role and nature and don't seek to overcome it, but local humans would have to distract themselves with worldly things so as to avoid enlightenment.
This is a call back to the demons of Malfeas playing music to ward off Adorjan and her much less pleasant enlightenment.
I also think that kind of thing would suit an Infernal that truly believed in God. Their Hell is 'hostile' because it's really good at its job of encouraging souls to repent/enlighten and pass on.
In this way places of safety would actually be places of vice, representing the flaws and vices the Infernal is tempted by.
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fictionfan
Please sir, may I have some Meows?
- Location
- Tempe, AZ
Golden years tainted black as least has the advantage of being costless to use. So we can give it try on all enemies. Or even multiple trys just in case their defenses cost something.
From what I see this is the ideal starting point
Size Large Cost: 1 point
Accessible Terrain Cost: None
Heavenly Cost: 2 point
Balanced Ecosystem, Earthly Fauna, Earthly Fauna (Cost: None)
Human Populace Cost: None
Advanced Social structure Cost: None
Advanced tech Cost: 2 points
Loyalty can be gained easily for an exalted. Grand Grimoire, Exclusive Transportation, and Gaols can all be built after establishing loyalty. It might even eventually be possible with Exalted skill to make a time differential, even if does take maintenance. Resident devil's can easily be gained by the charm Spawning Pit Sanctification. Along side increasing size at E6 and E7, to world sized.
Size Large Cost: 1 point
Accessible Terrain Cost: None
Heavenly Cost: 2 point
Balanced Ecosystem, Earthly Fauna, Earthly Fauna (Cost: None)
Human Populace Cost: None
Advanced Social structure Cost: None
Advanced tech Cost: 2 points
Loyalty can be gained easily for an exalted. Grand Grimoire, Exclusive Transportation, and Gaols can all be built after establishing loyalty. It might even eventually be possible with Exalted skill to make a time differential, even if does take maintenance. Resident devil's can easily be gained by the charm Spawning Pit Sanctification. Along side increasing size at E6 and E7, to world sized.
Yzarc
The Spark of Madness
Same. Vast is non-negotiable for me. I can compromise on pockets of safety but not on Vast. Because once we pick the size, we are stuck with it. All others can be worked on but not size.
DP hasn't yet accepted any E6+ material. We haven't even started to discuss how to adapt Healing World to this quest or decide which of its optional rules are to be included and or/adjusted.
A lot of its mechanics are intrinsically tied to oWoD-specific things that aren't true in this quest. I think that the way it handles E6+ charms is promising, but also bound by limitations that end up making the whole thing either underwhelming or kind of busted.
I think it is an absolutely amazing starting point, but I don't think just porting it without changes entirely is particularly good idea.
DP is open to the possibility.
Winning Vote
Arc 6 Post 9: A Demon, a Monk and a Holy Knight
A Demon, a Monk and a Holy Knight
2nd of October 2006 A.D.
The unique melange of redbrick construction and traditional Chinese architecture casts sinuous shadows against the orange glow of the streetlamps that seem almost to coil at the feet of the travelers, more like dragons than any of those you spy staring back at you from shop windows or restaurant doorways. Though a girl in an Iron Maiden t-shirt ripped jeans and combat boots accompanied by a man in a long white cloak and another one in the robes of a Nepalese Monk surely make for an odd trio no one seems much inclined to look up from their own path to pay you much mind. Odds are good they dismiss you as some kind of tourists or cosplayers, but there is more to the haste of those footsteps, trying to get back under the safety of their own roofs as quick as possible than being standoffish
"They know something is wrong," you say, as much to yourself as to dad and Brother Divsimar. "Did you notice how there are no children in the street, no teenagers even...? Takes a lot to keep us in."
Dad smiles at the self-deprecating humor, but you can see he is worried as well. The deeper you went into Chinatown the more if felt like a city under siege, its people weary and furtive. Some of it you know is the murderers themselves, though they had not made the news as much as more infamous serial killings of the past had, but it is not just the murders. Somewhere among this little corner of Chicago, the smallest of its neighborhoods monsters twice over lurked, damned once by death and once by their choice of master..
Is one of them watching even now? you wonder, pushing down the urge to sharpen your senses, just the same. For all your power, you are still limited by the amount of essence you can contain and the night, as they say, is still young.
***
The first murder you look into is that of an elderly toy-maker as shih master suggests that would make for a very fine cover for a shaman willing to mediate his relationship with the spirits through his craft, but you find nothing there save for his family unable to believe anyone could have killed the old man, who was known for having no enemies and many friends, much less by some strange poison. His daughter had even managed to convince herself that the coroner is wrong and he had Larry Zhou's heart had just given out. There is no magic here, lest a long and well counted life be counted that so you move on, seeking out someone who not only has the unbroken Divine Bones of a shaman, but had found the Divine Road. You find just that in a far more unlikely place.
The Pink Swan is a nightclub tucked between the waters of the Chicago River and the old volunteer firehouse that has just barely outrun demolition so long that it ended up in historical conservation. As befits its odd ambiance the swan is the haunt of those looking to dance to odd beats, odd enough in fact that no one marks the three of you as out of the ordinary when you walk in, grab a lemonade each and start chatting up the staff about their former DJ named somewhat confusingly DJ J.
Then something soft brushes against your leg, a cat, or at least that is what it looks like at first, though as your eyes strip away the shifting colors of the club lights you notice a coat of spots like a leopard and instantly know this is no common beast, but a creature of the threshold of worlds. Guardians of the dead, perhaps messenger, you reason, considering how you might follow the odd kitty.
But Brother Divsimar. places a hand on your shoulder and in a tone only just above the music: "Ware the senri who will hunt any that seem weak enough and make bargains with the strong, even if that strength is of the akuma."
The cat looks up at him and hisses then flounces off, tail held proudly aloft... or is that tails?
What do you do?
[] Follow the strange cat shen, if it is power it bends to you have that aplenty
[] Keep investigating the club and try to find out more about the dead DJ, if he had something like this hanging around his former place of work that means he must have been a full shaman and thus more likely to leave clues about what killed him and why
[] Write in
OOC: For anyone wondering the reason why this took so long... a large portion of it was me having to refine some background notes now that Molly is actually here. I did not know if you guys were going to poke the killings or from what direction before.
fictionfan
Please sir, may I have some Meows?
- Location
- Tempe, AZ
Is it weird that we would have an easier time if the cat shen is a COD? Also I know nothing about this.
- Location
- Earth
[X] Keep investigating the club and try to find out more about the dead DJ, if he had something like this hanging around his former place of work that means he must have been a full shaman and thus more likely to leave clues about what killed him and why
-[X] Activate All Things Betray, and occult excellency
-[X] Activate All Things Betray, and occult excellency
Weird that something billed as a guardian of the dead would also be considered likely to work with Akuma of all people.
[X] Follow the strange cat shen, if it is power it bends to you have that aplenty
-[X] Activate All Things Betray
For the moment Molly's baseline abilities work, and we can turn the excellency on later if we need it.
I'm hoping that this is related to the local supernaturals and not just a trap. It's weird that the Akuma could roll in and start killing people in major city unopposed. Not because of the mortals exactly, but because this was probably someone's territory already.
That's a fair enough point, though I'd say that's more grounds for rebalancing them than ignoring most of the charm tree.
Stuff like Witness to Darkness, for example, are obviously screwed up and don't provide enough benefits to justify the draw backs.
I partially disagree on this particular case though. Counting out Nicodemus is unwise, but the Dresden Files are short on ergonomic esoteric/mental defenses and the big nickelhead himself isn't specced as a mage.
He's not ignorant, but he also isn't the guy I expect to pick up and deflect a novel form of attack using his Batman style utility belt of purpose built tools.
Perhaps I'm too attached to the idea though; it'd be a shame if the one group CLW would be the most effective against and their leader who it's almost the perfect poison to were immune to it from the start because everyone hates social effects.
fictionfan
Please sir, may I have some Meows?
- Location
- Tempe, AZ
[X] Follow the strange cat shen, if it is power it bends to you have that aplenty
[X] Follow the strange cat shen, if it is power it bends to you have that aplenty
-[X] Activate All Things Betray
The night is still young and we have two friends with us for rerolls.
[X] Follow the strange cat shen, if it is power it bends to you have that aplenty
-[X] Activate All Things Betray
The night is still young and we have two friends with us for rerolls.
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- Location
- Germany
Wan Kuei in general are pretty good with spirits and ghosts both.
And you can hide your nature as Akuma, there's low-level disciplines to keep your Aura neutral, even if they chose to not even try towards Molly.
- Location
- Germany
It's just that Daemons, the former ministers of creation, who have seen all kinds of shit that there is under the sun at least once, are extremly difficult to fool with any kind of Illusion or mental effect.
But, since Nick and Anduriel are actually different people, how about hitting the other way?
Make Nick, the mentally squishy mortal, forget about Andy and wonder why the hell there's an evil voice in his head.
Might even be a miniscule chance he drops the Coin if they are both surprised.
fictionfan
Please sir, may I have some Meows?
- Location
- Tempe, AZ
A Cold and Lonely World (••) requires us to touch him and spend the essence. If we are in a position to touch him we have other options more likely to work.
Golden years tainted black (••) on the other hand costs no essanse to use and just requires that we jog his memory somehow. "Remember all those good times with Anduriel? Remember all the promises he made you when you first picked up the coin?". Or swinging our sword reminding him how he learned his sword skills.
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Goldfish
Friendly Spider-Fish Abomination
- Location
- Formerly of the Far Realm
[X] Keep investigating the club and try to find out more about the dead DJ, if he had something like this hanging around his former place of work that means he must have been a full shaman and thus more likely to leave clues about what killed him and why
My thoughts: A Cold and Lonely World can in principle, be used on ourselves. At which point it becomes a good disguise and escape charm. If we ever draw too much heat, or are being targeted by the government, or need to infiltrate a place without attracting attention, we could use this to temporarily stop being Molly, and become "a generic person of no background".
It can also be used to kidnap people, and to extract them from prisons / law enforcement. If we had it when Dresden was arrested, and had no other options, using it on him would probably allow him to slip away from cops.
It's also a charm to use on deniable assets. Let's say we train Olivia as a ninja assassin. Let's say we send her on a mission to kill Marcone or someone else. Before she goes, we hit her with the charm. It adds to her stealth, and it makes anyone tracking her lose interest.
Basically, despite how it looks, it's not a charm to be used against hostiles.
Note that it's a minor plot point that it's only the good guys who are bad at mental defences, because the way their magic works means they are terrible at the kind of experimentation and training required developed them, as the trainer/attacker in the experiment to develop defence techniques would be breaking a Law in the process.
The bad guys don't have that problem.