I don't want us to remove her from him. At the moment she's locked up in a prison with a built-in warden that we have some confidence won't be corrupted by her. I don't trust her enough to switch to an alternative at this time.
I'd say it's okay with both the spirit and the letter of the oath.
We promised not to use our powers to know the mind of God and such, we never promised not to learn things by mundane means.
Asking Uriel is fair game, asking other Angels and Fallen is as well. We are not doing anything unique to Exalted after all.
[X] Time For the Tigers to Break Free!
-[X] «There is one thing that will help me to trust you...»
-[X] Comission and help Harry to make a vessel for a powerful spirit.
-[X] Offer him to exorcise Lash into the vessel with the Sapphire Ritual of Exorcism.
@DragonParadox now that we have the charm - did we retain any of the souls of minster we killed before we got it? Ie do we have any to use for splendor / prodigy crafting?
@DragonParadox now that we have the charm - did we retain any of the souls of minster we killed before we got it? Ie do we have any to use for splendor / prodigy crafting?
No, if you want to trap souls you are going to have to actually build soul traps or capture them some other way. Murder is Meat consumes, it does not salt and store the souls.
No, if you want to trap souls you are going to have to actually build soul traps or capture them some other way. Murder is Meat consumes, it does not salt and store the souls.
No, if you want to trap souls you are going to have to actually build soul traps or capture them some other way. Murder is Meat consumes, it does not salt and store the souls.
Yeah, I guess it was too much to hope for. However, if we are using Holden's rules, CCoP does salt and store after MiM finished eating them. Here is the quote:
Gather the Power: Splendors are formed from concentrated supernatural power. The Charms
that enable an Exalt to create a Splendor also allow her to capture such power within the cage of
her Essence and to store it for up to (Essence rating) stories before it dissipates. During that time, she must advance to the next steps and use the power before it dissipates.
But just talking about "power" isn't very informative. The might necessary to forge a Splendor
can come from one of several places:
• A formidable monster: The Exalt may capture the departing supernatural essence, and
possibly even the soul, of a monster in the moment of its death. In order to do so, the monster
must be truly destroyed (as with Ghost-Eating Technique in the case of spirits that can later reform themselves, and the like), not just temporarily defeated or dispersed. Only powerful
monsters are suitable for this purpose, such as elder vampires, veteran werewolves, master
magicians, and the like. This can produce a Splendor rated one or two dots, depending on the
Storyteller's evaluation of how powerful the monster was. In the case of legendarily formidable
foes, such as a Methuselah vampire or godlike spirit, a three-dot Splendor can be forged.
This is the only means by which Lunars can create new Splendors.
Yeah, I guess it was too much to hope for. However, if we are using Holden's rules, CCoP does salt and store after MiM finished eating them. Here is the quote:
That does make sense, basically as Molly would consume something she makes a quick arcane gesture (which may or may not look alien/horrific/dreadful beyond words ) and she keeps the thing in a form that can be used later... you know like any good Demon Smith.
@DragonParadox sorry to keep bothering you, but how are you handling "all Arcana / Splendor / etc designs must be unique"? If, for example, we were to take an action to god forge house gods for every Order of Cauldron member, numbering at 10+, I am fairly sure that neither we, nor you, would want to actually design 10+ unique stat sheets for... ballparking it, 3 dots emanations. And neither would it be reasonable to assume, I think, that we spend a week designing each god either. We made Bane much quicker. So, how would this work?
@DragonParadox sorry to keep bothering you, but how are you handling "all Arcana / Splendor / etc designs must be unique"? If, for example, we were to take an action to god forge house gods for every Order of Cauldron member, numbering at 10+, I am fairly sure that neither we, nor you, would want to actually design 10+ unique stat sheets for... ballparking it, 3 dots emanations. And neither would it be reasonable to assume, I think, that we spend a week designing each god either. We made Bane much quicker. So, how would this work?
I think this game has enough that is unique without forcing it mechanically. We can drop that rule entirely. Two AP to deign the thing then you can make them as normal
Would this affect the design rate? Because I was talking about design phase:
Design: First, the Exalt plans out a design for the Arcana. This is an extended roll of Intelligence
+ Occult against difficulty 9, with each roll made at the end of a week of intensive design work,
which must accumulate a total of (Arcana's rating x 3) successes. A botch means the Exalt must
discard all successes and start over. In the case of Solars or Infernals designing golems or
simulacra with a technological rather than sorcerous basis (a big robot servant, or a human-like
android), Technology may be substituted for Occult. In the case of Solars making simulacrum
clones, Science may be substituted for Occult.
I think this game has enough that is unique without forcing it mechanically. We can drop that rule entirely. Two AP to deign the thing then you can make them as normal
Hmm, so I assume this means that our design phase is not accelerated (that's logical, that's not crafting, that's designing what we are crafting), but is the actual creation process accelerated? There's an argument that it should be, as this is basically craft, even if we are rolling Occult for Phantasms / god forging.
Would this affect the design rate? Because I was talking about design phase:
Assuming it does affect the design phase (I hope it does), that rather changes the calculus.
Hmm, so I assume this means that our design phase is not accelerated (that's logical, that's not crafting, that's designing what we are crafting), but is the actual creation process accelerated? There's an argument that it should be, as this is basically craft, even if we are rolling Occult for Phantasms / god forging.
[X] Time For the Tigers to Break Free!
-[X] «There is one thing that will help me to trust you...»
-[X] Comission and help Harry to make a vessel for a powerful spirit.
-[X] Offer him to exorcise Lash into the vessel with the Sapphire Ritual of Exorcism.
I am fairly sure it applied to alchemy at least (I think?), even if it was mortal magical craft.
Anyway, trying to make a pattern for an Order of Cauldron attendant home-god. The idea is to have a bodyguard that takes on features of its master, learning their path and helping / advising them as needed. The functionality is explicitely beyond mere protection, it's also something to help protect the order members from (accidental) Law violations, and help them improve by growing with them. The thing is a 4 dot Emanation arcana - a major god (5 dot are quite a bit more powerful, but require magical keystones to bind, so this is as high as we can go). This probably needs serious revision and possibly a full remaking depending on the actual role / concept of a home god we agree on.
• All Attributes begin at 1 dot.
• Rank categories of Attributes (Physical, Social, Mental) in order of importance to the Arcana's role.
• Divide 7 dots among primary Attributes, 5 dots among secondary Attributes, and 3 dots among tertiary Attributes.
• All Abilities begin at 0 dots.
• Rank categories of Abilities (Talents, Skills, Knowledges) in order of importance to the Arcana's function.
• Divide 13 dots among primary Abilities, 9 dots among secondary Abilities, and 5 dots among tertiary Abilities.
• No Ability can have more than 3 points without spending Freebie Points.
• Record Willpower (3) and Backgrounds (0).
• Record Health Track (Bruised, Hurt, Injured Wounded, Mauled, Crippled, Incapacitated — a standard track).
• Select 5 Arcana Features (Arcana Type feature is free).
• Spend Freebie Points (15), and, optionally, purchase Merits and Flaws (max. 7 points).
Willpower 7 (3 + 4 freebie points)
Emanations can soak lethal damage, but not aggravated.
Select either the Umbra or the Underworld. This is the emanation's native home. It may roam freely in its native realm, where it enjoys the natural ability to converse with the other native denizens and to navigate without undue difficulty (in the Umbra, this amounts to having the Charm Airt Sense, while in the Underworld it amounts to having several dots of Argos). The phantasm may manifest in the physical world only while within one hundred yards of its keystone, or within ten yards of its master. It must pay one Willpower to remain manifest for a scene. It may pay one Willpower to immediately teleport to its master's or keystone's location.
If the phantasm's master speaks the emanation's name, the Arcana hears her words wherever it may be. If she commands the emanation to attend her, it may teleport to her master's location and manifest without paying any Willpower. If the keystone is destroyed, the phantasm is also destroyed. If the emanation is slain, it may reform one hundred years later within its keystone. Each point of Essence fed into the keystone by its master quickens this recovery by 10 years.
If the emanation's master has learned The King and the Kingdom: The Thousand and First Hell, the phantasm may treat its master's Hell as a keystone.
Emanations are always otherworldly, disturbing beings with demonic features of some sort that cannot be mistaken for as human.
The Arcana's body is made primarily out of stone or clay. It reduces the difficulty of soak rolls by one, or by two against harm inflicted by stone weapons. All Arcana constructed by Dragon-Blooded must take one Elemental Frame quality.
The Arcana's body is made of tougher stuff than others of its kind. If the Arcana could normally only soak bashing damage, it can now also soak lethal damage. If the Arcana could normally soak lethal damage, it can now also soak aggravated damage at difficulty 8.
The Arcana gains three additional dots of Physical Attributes, which may increase its traits to 6. Taking this Feature a second time provides only two bonus dots, but raises the permitted cap to 7.
The Arcana can project its thoughts into the minds of other nearby people to communicate with them. It can communicate with its master across up to (Arcana rating x 100 miles) of distance. By spending a point of Willpower, it can also receive communications from someone… or, to put it another way, it actively reads their surface thoughts for the rest of the scene. The target can always sense this, and can shut the Arcana out by spending a point of Willpower.
The Exalt has either already made extensive study
of the mystic arts prior to Exaltation, or has the po-
tential to do so in the future. She may buy Paths and
rituals from Sorcerer Revised Edition. A dot of a Path
costs 4 Freebie Points during character creation, while
rituals cost 2 Freebie Points. During play, Paths cost 4
experience points for the first dot, and current rating ×
4 for additional dots, while rituals cost their rating in
experience points. Twilight Castes, Daybreak Castes,
No Moon Castes, Air Aspects, Chosen of Secrets, Mar-
row and Soil Aspects, and all Infernal Exalted pay cur-
rent rating × 3 for additional dots, instead.
The Merit costs only 3 points for Chosen of the
Twilight, Daybreak, and No Moon Castes. It costs 4
points for Sidereals, Air Aspects, Marrow and Soil As-
pects, and Infernals.
Hellfire Path 1 dot - 4 freebie points
As mentioned before, this build is designed for two things:
1) Protection of the household
2) Acting as an advisor, helper and partner for a Cauldron member. Essentially, their Bob (but with far less knowledge)
For the combat role, I prioritized dexterity, while attempting to give at least some thought to survival. Hence the ability to soak aggravated damage and a -1 difficulty for soak rolls. Though I'll have to run calcs later - maybe an alternative feature which gives +3 soak dice is better mathematically (I think it might be). Melee, Brawl and Firearms for combat abilities at 3 points - the arcana is a competent mortal-level fighter with supernatural level of defenses. Medicine is in order to help its master in case of medical emergency
The main weapon of the arcana, however, is the path sorcery, for which I had to take Hedge magic merit. Unless all Emanations are inherently capable of learning Path Sorcery, in which case I think it could be swapped (drop 1 medicine point) for either an absolutely fantastic
When you declare you are using a point of Willpower and
roll for successes, your self-confidence may allow you to gain
the benefit of that expenditure without losing the Willpower
point. You do not lose the point of Willpower unless you fail
your roll. This also prevents you from botching. This Merit
may only be used when the difficulty of your roll is 6 or higher.
, Guardian Angel (also a 6 point merit, where our god gets a guardian angel of its own), or Inner Knight merit, where our gods get what's essentially past Life knowledge:
In your heart of hearts, you're a hero. While your com-
panions work toward their own selfish ends, you embody a
higher purpose. This purpose guides you in uncanny ways that
feel, at times, as if you're being moved by a force greater than
yourself – a noble force, naturally, but one that transcends even
your personal Enlightenment. In dreams, you see yourself as a
Warrior of Reason, a Champion of Truth. A paladin. A genius.
A knight of everything that is worth defending.
Intended more for Technocratic operatives and skeptical
technomancers than for mages who accept reincarnation as a
metaphysical truth, this Merit grants you special gifts when it
seems like all hope has been lost. These gifts allow you to…
• access Traits you don't possess, as per the Background:
Dream
(at a rating of 5) but without entering a trance;
• add five temporary points to your Willpower Trait, to
use during that "hope is lost" crisis;
• …and perhaps recall things from a previous life that the
character could not possibly have known – a language
she does not know, an escape route in a place he's never
visited, a person they've never met before, and so forth.
These boosts last only through the current scene, but
include a burst of vitalizing energy and a sense of your inner
hero coming through to save the day again.
This isn't the sort of thing you talk about, of course, especially
not if you're an agent of the Technocratic Union. The benefits,
though, cannot be denied, even if their source is clearly… well,
improbable, at best. And while this Merit was originally created
for the sourcebook Guide to the Technocracy, any mage with
a sense of higher purpose can take it. Just remember that the
biggest difference between a knight and a murderer is the side
of his sword you happen to be on at the time.
Importantly, immediately after creation, Arcana only has 1 dot in Hellfire path, which is its primary offensive power (the big question is whether we can make an arcana that uses a path we don't know). However, the idea is that it will quickly learn from its master / the Order member its assigned to, giving it a second option. I did it this way because frankly I couldn't build anything with a mechanical ability to defend against large groups of people without additional access to a lot of resources. Survive? Yes. Defend a property against attackers? Not really. Magic seemed the only solution. The Path Ability should be Occult, and Hellfire stat is Dexterity, giving the Arcana 10 dice to play with. The effect of Hellfire path is "For each success allocated to damage, two dice of Lethal damage are done. An additional two successes can convert the damage to Aggravated, as can the expenditure of a point of Mana.".
Telepathy is so it can communicate with its master without manifesting, and also so that it can stay in untraceable contact with other emanations assigned to other members of the Order. Ideally, they will spend time learning paths from their masters and then sharing information.
