Green Flame Rising (Exalted vs Dresden Files)
- Thread starter DragonParadox
- Start date
- Crossover Fantasy
- Location
- Germany
We probably should have just made a smash and grab on Sandra the moment we came to Vegas, before she could get ready for a sudden Infernal in her face.
We would have missed out on a lot of connections and lore, particularly the Solar and Abyssal Exaltations, but we would almost certaknly have stopped Sandra before anything of the current events could be happening.
There's just not many options you have to be constantly ready for a combat-focused Exalt to draw your location from out of nowhere, appear from the nearest body of water and vader-choke you out in one round.
We would have missed out on a lot of connections and lore, particularly the Solar and Abyssal Exaltations, but we would almost certaknly have stopped Sandra before anything of the current events could be happening.
There's just not many options you have to be constantly ready for a combat-focused Exalt to draw your location from out of nowhere, appear from the nearest body of water and vader-choke you out in one round.
OK, looks like we are going to check this stuff out.
It took that long because we (OOC)wanted to take the opportunity to regen some Essence.
And my time forecast was 1-15 minutes.
The alternative is the equivalent of YOLOing into a flooded house to turn off the electricity.
There is certainly a time and place for when immediate action is called for.
But when your opponent has had the advantage of literal months of preptime, its simply good sense to consider the angles.
Or you'll end up fucking up because you're missing critical information.
Probably drive by either the Hanging Gardens or the Pallbearer Temple and leave them there.
Safest spots in Vegas.
Our charms can handle this just fine.
She's just on the offensive after more than half a year of preptime. That gives her first-mover advantage and the equivalent of a lot of pre-rolled successes to deploy.
That said, yes, Fortune is very useful.
Its in the top 5 Paths we want, along with Alchemy, Divination, Summoning/Warding and Enchantment.
13xp to 3 dots. 34xp to 5 dots. Dunno if we are on the 5-dot or 6 dot scale.
Given 34xp to spend on Path Sorcery, we are more likely to go 3 dot/3 dot/2 dot across 3 different Paths than to max out 1 Path alone to 5 dots.
No we werent. You are once again, underestimating the woman.
She spent more than half a year on preptime in this city's power structures and has been aware that Maeve both knows where she was, and is after her ever since Winter sent the first messages to the Dragon. She was expecting intervention.
We were never going to be able to pull a surprise entry.
Leave aside narrative reasons, since the QM is unlikely to invest research time and effort in building an enemy force and potential encounters and characterizing a new city and then let you simply ignore it. Mechanically, Molly showing up in the city is something even relatively low level people like the Reds who showed up in Henderson can notice.
Giving off Big Archdevil Energy is hard on the stealth scores. And thats not counting everyone else with us.
This is also where its worth reiterating the point that Molly and her group rolled into Las Vegas a little under 24 hours ago at this point in time. And of the time since in-city, she has spent around a third of it healing in a bleach bath after eating friendly fire from a magic robot.
She has still found time to retrieve a White Court vampire, kill a Black, uncover a mind-controlling conspiracy , dig up a millenia-old prophecy and the probable locations of two Solaroid Exaltations, and foil two significant attacks on civilian structures.
Three attacks, if you count the RPGs.
All that in around sixteen hours of activity.
If we'd been able to have spent the eight hours we lost running around, we'd be a lot further along right now.
As is, the lowkey dissatisfaction Im getting doesnt really seem warranted.
They can't tho, like we would if we could, we need to expand our capabilities and sorcery paths are one of the potential paths. Because do have to spend our exp some way
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- Location
- Germany
How can you defend against a mid-level Exalt popping up from the nearest body of water and going for the throat?
I'm not necessarily saying we should have done so, I like the city and the narrative and we would have missed out on all that, but realistically there is very little anyone who isn't an ancient monster that can personally throw down wirh gods could do to stop an assassination or abduction from Molly.
They can.
We are managing our resources, not going all out because we both dont need a Masquerade breach, nor do we want to burn all our juice and be caught napping if she pulls another surprise.
EDIT
Thats not saying we dont want to expand our capabilities in the future mind.
Im just saying that as far as I can tell, our capabilities and those of our party appear to be quite capable of handling the problem at hand.
Given what we know of Sandra Marling, the Outsider agent with access to mind control, Alchemy and Enchantment skills, and the ability to throw up veils with either magic or items?
Danger Sense is literally a 2-dot Merit available to every WoD character in chargen, mortal or supernatural.
No need to invest in Divination or Precognition, both of which are also options.
Furthermore, contingency teleport is a 3-dot Conveyance ritual, assuming she doesnt have a magic item for that too, or even a potion. Potion, I say? Yes, Dresden Files has had shortrange teleport potions since the beginning of the series; Dresden brewed an escape potion back in Book 1 and used it to get away from a demon that broke through his early wards.
And Sandra apparently has Alchemy dots.
I will also remind you of our final encounter with Kattrin Sigfridsdottir, where her array of skills and Time magics allowed her to not only avoid Molly's attention in the museum, but to counter-ambush her by shooting her in the head at point-blank range.
And a pseudo-perfect defense that almost allowed her to survive getting shanked. Almost.
We're incredibly good, but she has options. And literally months of setup time.
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My big concern here is that this is a trap, that there's another truckload of explosives ready to be detonated if Molly shows up.
We're risking a lot by going there directly in person rather than popping up outside and sending a scout in.
We really need to do more prep. Having a swarm of small Cyberdevil piloted drones/model aircraft available in the FFC that we can deploy when necessary would be very helpful.
We're risking a lot by going there directly in person rather than popping up outside and sending a scout in.
We really need to do more prep. Having a swarm of small Cyberdevil piloted drones/model aircraft available in the FFC that we can deploy when necessary would be very helpful.
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- Location
- Germany
Kattrin was an ancient monster as mentioned though, and Molly was weaker back then.
Setting up an escape is of limited use when Molly can read the scene ho know where someone went and get there very quickly.
Ultimatly this is the scry-and-die problem. You can't really fix it in-universe, only avoid doing it in polite agreement with the QM.
Arc 11 Post 81: Goblins in the Gears
Goblins in the Gears
13th of January 2007 A.D.
"Mr. Harrowmont, get out of there as quickly as you can, I..." you hesitate. On the one hand it is tempting to just have Clippy call in a bomb threat to clear the campus, but how many people are even there on a Sunday, this does not feel right for one of Sandra's targets. Not to mention you would be distracting bomb squads from other hot spots. This is magical weirdness so... "I'll be over there in a few minutes to have a look." Turning around you explain the situation to the others. Even though Harry is not exactly thrilled at splitting up he cannot deny that you can take care of yourself.
The bathroom you end up using is Burger King so Tiffany gets her way.
Water guides, a thread like silver through pipes of PVS and galvanized steel, down, around and up again into an empty bathroom thankfully on the ground floor not far from the staff-room where you were meant to meet Harrowmont. No sooner does your hand touch the door knob that you hear comotion from down below, the sound of many feet and the clatter of metal on metal. Armed men... armed something running up the stairs, those voices do not sound human.
You start running, the steady sprint that's kin to the wind itself, not caring if you are seen. And so you turn the corner just in time to see a late twenties guy in a cream suit and horned rimmed glasses running up down a corridor, clutching a book to his chest and coming up behind him a horde of whoping screening grey and splotched skin humanoids, goblins wearing what you can only describe as psychedelic Mad Max attire, pink and green shades matched with a chain mail over ripped jeans, a Hawaiian shirt with added splotches of water color under a vest
sown with silver elf-chain and paired with a baseball bat with copper nails hammered into the head.
"CHARGE!" the fellow in front, sporting sunglasses so large they cover half his face, shinning with their own neon glow.
"Soldiers of Winter!" your voice cracks like ice crashing upon stone and the chill of your presence seems to expand outward. "What is thine purpose!"
It is, you will admit quite funny to see what you can now tell are about a score of goblins trip over each other in their haste to stop.
"Who... wocha doin' here your frostiness?" the apparent leader stutters out. He had managed to keep his feet in a rather remarkable show of nimbleness or good luck. "We ain't Winter no more, we're the free goblins of Wanderland marching to tip the scales of disaster back to a fair shake."
"And what pray," Harrowmont says, gulping down air from his run. "Did that have to do with me?"
"Pocking your nose where it didn't belong little man." the Goblin harks back like he is about to spit on the ground, looks at you and thinks the better of it. "Went in found one human cheatin' the world, buncha baaad shit guards, killed 'em, opened the way up, there's this other human trying to send a walkin' candle down, probably one of the bad ones, one of the world-cheaters." It does not take a genius to realize that last bit is Wanderland slang for Outsider servant.
"Well I'm not! Shit, shit, go, just go!" Harrowmont seeme to if anything get more upset as he comes down off the adrenaline high.
"He's not, he was investigating the issue same as you," you agree, half in warning to the goblins, half soothingly to the scholar who obviously does not have 'goblin chase' as part of his day job. "I thought Wanderland had departed Vegas."
"Oh yeah Fortunato upped stakes, a gambling hall ain't much good in a war, but that does not mean he was going to leave the city to die on a fall of loaded die. We're gonna gut some leeches and maybe some other shit, just like the old days!" The phantom lights in his glasses are getting redder.
Looks like help unlooked for does happen, though you are not sure if you want another literal wild card in the mix.
"Mayhap they are worth more than the sharpness of their blade to your plans, wise and forethoughtful Majesty," Usum whispers thoughtfully at the back of your mind. "They are creatures of this place yes, deep rooted and it is their desire to make things fair. This Chaos is most unfair, perhaps they could disrupt it somewhat, slow the spread."
For once his advice does not have a sting in the tail so you propose it, but the head goblin, who is still withholding his name, shakes his head. "You bring a cheater our way we'll fix em right up, but this side of the veil we don't own the streets and halls, Dragon does and Dragon's down."
"Excuse me, if I understand this correctly the problem is that by reason of your fey nature you may not contest some kind of... curse on the city without owning it. That would not apply to mortals would it? It would not apply to me?" Your eyes snap to the scholar in something approaching shock as he pushes up his glasses self-consciously and plows on. "I would require a lot of help with the heavy lifting but I know a rain summoning rite that honors Persephone in her guise as goddess of fertility which could perhaps be combined with her aspect as the Lady of the Underworld to banish unclean, unnatural energies to Tartarus." This is not an amateur speaking, nor is it a fool, but in the gaze behind those glasses you spy a gleam of desperation, a sense that this is his last best chance at his heart's desire.
"It would be a fine distraction and he might even survive the attempt," Usum opines. There's the demon on your shoulder you're used to.
"Why not do it now? Break her hold and..."
"Lady draped in glory, endless is thy might, but short has been our preparation and long has been that of our foes, to challenge her power against power and skill against skill with this lesser magician for our master of ceremonies is to invite disappointment."
What do you do?
[] Let Harrowmont go aheal with his ritual just as you make your way into the tunnels, hopefully stretch Sandra's attention to the breaking point
-[] Only with the goblins
-[] Leave one of your party members behind
--[] Harry, a proper wizard used to this kind of magic
--[] Lydia for her affinity with death
--[] Tiffany for her understanding of old powers
[] Screw this, there has to be a way to give Harrowmont the insight he needs to put out the fires until nightfall when you can deal with the arsonist herself.
-[] Write in any additions you want to make to your ad hoc attempt at a mana manipulation ritual (By Default everyone will be involvedin this)
[] Write in
OOC: Harrowmont basically cannot cast in combat, it is beyond him, but he can do ritual magic. As seen in Death Masks you do not strictly need power of your own for those.
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Rolls
Finding your way in, 2 Successes needed to find the right floor
Harrowmont to not get mobbed by goblins
Listening for odd sounds
Intimidating Lesser Creatures of Darkness... yeah that works
Harrowmont to realize the goblins technically owe him for the chase and the mistaken identity...still too shaken up
Usum pondering Gambling Goblins... good roll, but not quite enough for the whole picture
Does the Book Mage know a book for that? Yep
Does he Dare? Enthusiastically so
Reading Harrowmont
Finding your way in, 2 Successes needed to find the right floor
Harrowmont to not get mobbed by goblins
Listening for odd sounds
Intimidating Lesser Creatures of Darkness... yeah that works
Harrowmont to realize the goblins technically owe him for the chase and the mistaken identity...still too shaken up
Usum pondering Gambling Goblins... good roll, but not quite enough for the whole picture
Does the Book Mage know a book for that? Yep
Does he Dare? Enthusiastically so
Reading Harrowmont
… Could we retarget this at Molly, maybe play off her charm set, and double dip on the benefits?
As in he ritually banishes the energies to us, and Molly's theme of taking power from death and the unclean via MiM and CSR get used to eat it for essence.
That would not be safe for him since he would have to touch the bad magic. Harrowmount's idea is just to hose the conceptual flames of chaos down with magically and spiritually empowered water.
Can harry act as a channel to us.
No, he has never practiced anything close to such a thing and he just does not have Mind or Spirit high enough for that.
Is it not an entropy spell. The curse i mean.
That would work as well but he also does not have that. Actually you know what, Molly's worked with him enough. Here are Harry's spheres:
- Forces 3 (Specialty Fire 1)
- Prime 3 (+1 since quest start from all the deep magical lore you've been giving him)
- Corrospondence 2
- Matter 2
- Spirit 2
- Location
- Germany
I think technically he'd need to have Spirit 3 for his feats in summoning a demon and in opening Ways.
Unless those things are easier in DF cosmology than in WoD.
It is easier and he's called out as not being very good at it.
He is a fucking chump bro. Lmao. True underdog protagnist swag.
I mean he's got Arette 5, that is pretty beefy in general and exceptional for his age.
- Location
- Germany
Forces 3 at Arete 5 is enough to put out room-filling attacks with easy 6 or 8 dice of aggravated damage.
Say what you will, the man can melt cannons off a possessed submarine, if you remember the museum.
Say what you will, the man can melt cannons off a possessed submarine, if you remember the museum.
A storm would be very helpful for Molly indeed.
It would mean water was flowing through the storm drains, so while her allies assault the external defences and act as a distraction Molly can bypass them with RDV and jump right next to Sandra.
Even if the water is only ankle deep it should be enough.
It would mean water was flowing through the storm drains, so while her allies assault the external defences and act as a distraction Molly can bypass them with RDV and jump right next to Sandra.
Even if the water is only ankle deep it should be enough.
He is a failed mage who desperately wants to matter. He was always too weak to be and suffers because of it, remember his reaction to the initial call. Now his city is collapsing. Moreover if our side fails, he is dead regardless. To send him home now is to destroy him, since he either gives up on all of his ambitions entirely or, more likely, tries the ritual anyway alone and, success or failure, probably dies in the attempt.
On the other side, with our help he has a real chance to succeed, and that would be another step into bringing the small practitioners together and showing that they matter, like Molly already attempts in Chicago. I say we go for it and afterwards involve him into the plans of organizing small practitioners directly.
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