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Green Flame Rising (Exalted vs Dresden Files)

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It's a really good read. Anyone that wants to try Exalted can honestly try this system instead of the main system.

Because let me tell you this as an Exalted Second Edition player, it sucks. I love it to bits, but by God, the mechanics really wanted to choke you. White Wolf could've at least made a new system for Exalted, but nooooo. They used the old World of Darkness ruleset for the game and copy and pasted things straight from 1e with no regard to crunch.

Third Edition? Bah, the Charm bloat, Initiative, Crafting. It's all one huge mess. I suggest playing ExWoD as your first introductory game to Exalted or Essence. Although Holden, the guy who made this fan supplement, is currently trying to make Exalted: Demake. Which would simplify Exalted so that it would lose most of its headache-inducing aspects.
 
Jack vile Ripper said:
It's a really good read. Anyone that wants to try Exalted can honestly try this system instead of the main system.

Because let me tell you this as an Exalted Second Edition player, it sucks. I love it to bits, but by God, the mechanics really wanted to choke you. White Wolf could've at least made a new system for Exalted, but nooooo. They used the old World of Darkness ruleset for the game and copy and pasted things straight from 1e with no regard to crunch.

Third Edition? Bah, the Charm bloat, Initiative, Crafting. It's all one huge mess. I suggest playing ExWoD as your first introductory game to Exalted or Essence. Although Holden, the guy who made this fan supplement, is currently trying to make Exalted: Demake. Which would simplify Exalted so that it would lose most of its headache-inducing aspects.
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Tried out essence?

Also ow. I feel called out.
 
I do like the Shintai mechanic, looking forward to build a nice combat-shape once we reach Essence 2.
So many cool options and interesting potential signature-charms.
 
I have my eyes on either Devil Avatar, Demon Emperor or Beast. Transcendent Anathema is a must though for that sweet, sweet Aggravated damage. So is Demon Weapon.
 
DragonParadox said:
Technically you could buy Essence 2 at character generation and go all Empress of Hell on the Scarecrow. That would... come with its own pros and cons I cannot say more without spoilers.
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As much as the thought amuses me, we need those Freebies Point in order to buy ourselves more Charm. Since we only have 7 Dots to allocate. And even more so than that Willpower.

You think raising Attributes, Abilities and Essence in-game are hard. Wait until you find out the EXP cost for Willpower. Next time we are able to spend Freebies, spent 5 of them on Willpower.
 
I don't actually know the scene we are in from the book, didn't read nearly that far, but I assume Arctis Tor is as cold as it sounds?
Cause a big general bonus while subjected to cold environment sounds neat for this case.
Without Honor, Without Hope (•)
The chill of the Night Realm forever abides with - in the Infernal's heart, leaving her inured to all lesser chills and discomforts. Indeed, they become a source of strength to her.
System: The Infernal is completely immune to en - vironmental hazards based on freezing cold, from arc - tic nights to raging hailstorms. When she has to soak direct attacks based on ice or supernatural cold, she lowers the difficulty of her soak roll by two. Finally, the Infernal adds two dice to all rolls while subjected to cold-based environmental hazards from which she is protected by this Charm.

Signature Effect: When the Infernal dons her Shintai form, it comes into the world accompanied by a howling blizzard. Anyone caught in the storm with - out sufficient protection (such as heavy-weather gear, a vampire's indifference to freezing to death, or some form of protective magic) suffers one level of bashing damage per minute, alongside a –2 penalty to all rolls.
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My man Artemis, reading Kakuri as well. The Charms are good, no?

Also, if any of you want to know more about these Thousand Hells that Infernals kept referencing, read the Thousand Hells Supplement for Kindred of the East.

But basically, Kakuri is the hellish realm of the youngest Yama King. He is basically a corrupt modern CEO archetype taken to its comical evil extreme.
 
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Earth-Destroyer said:
Dresden File is a not a setting where you want to go around exploding people. It is all about the stealth and hiding your goals.
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We can do subtle too, which is why I put Subterfuge as our Key Abilities. It's just that... well, in the word of Holden himself, putting an Exalt into any setting besides its own is like throwing a hand grenade against a room full of mirrors.
 
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Earth-Destroyer said:
Dresden File is a not a setting where you want to go around exploding people. It is all about the stealth and hiding your goals.
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Being an Infernal Exalted is all about emulating the demon-gods of old in their terrible glory and splendour though.

There are times for being subtle, and there are tools in our skillset to be stealthy.

But there are also times when you have to remind the world that you are an out-of-context problem that can turn into a 15-foot demon that wields a sword of nuclear fire and can shrug off most infantry-carried explosives-
 
I will say that much, the 'throw a molotov in the middle of complicated political intrigues' from Exalted vs WoD applies, you can totally blow things up with the ancient titan-killing super-weapon bound to your soul and service. Just be aware that people will notice that.
 
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DragonParadox said:
I will say that much, the 'throw a molotov in the middle of complicated political intrigues' from Exalted vs WoD applies, you can totally blow things up with the ancient titan-killing super-weapon bound to your soul and service
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The moment that we can make an entire realm of existence/personal hell that people can wander into after they're dead is going to be a one giant glorious revelation that I am oh so waiting to happen.

Also, fun fact. Your personal hell need not be actually filled with pain and agony. You can make a totally wholesome and benign Hell. Like, The Hell of Eternal Pleasure or The Hell of Solemn Rest or The Hell of Awesome Food.

Infernals are fun, aren't they?
 
Personally I want to go big into summoning, building up a personal army.

Especially finding and utilizing those rare demons that have the will to grow, learn martial arts, raise their essence become citizens, maybe even learn sorcery.

The concept of by actively searching for a demon or finding one by random chance that is well above the norm is something I would love to see explored.
 
Artemis1992 said:
I don't actually know the scene we are in from the book, didn't read nearly that far, but I assume Arctis Tor is as cold as it sounds?
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It's the capital of the Winter Court, the strongest fey nation.
It's not something that comes up early on, but a
big theme in the Dresden Files is that power comes with a purpose and the more of it you have the less agency you tend to keep. With mortals getting to cheat because they're gifted with free will.

The courts aren't just the closest parts of the nevernever, they have jobs that they're obligated to fill.

Winter holds the Outer Gates, the boundary between reality and the empty night. Which is a void full of mind bending monsters that want to break into creation and do horrible things to it.

To do this they have a ridiculous fuck huge army full of stompy monsters, some powerful magical abilities of the traditional fey varieties, and a triad of queens that have at least two members which arguably qualify as mid league gods.

Hell, Mab might actually have a few lesser deities frozen in her garden as ornaments/punishments/toys.

Despite how much ass they kick most of their power is actively required for their job, leaving only a small fraction to sit around in their core territory. A small fraction that happens to be pretty damn powerful by most standards.

Summer's job is, as far as I recall, to be just powerful enough to counterbalance Winter so it doesn't colonize the mortal realm or something equally unpleasant.

Though they do help with the horrors beyond reality when they can.

This fight is basically taking place in the living room of one of the most active supernatural superpowers with regular access to the mortal world.

If anything, I'd be skeptical of labeling it a "lesser chill" to anything. I don't know enough about the night realm referenced in that charm to say though.
I wrote all this, and then realized I don't actually recall what might have come up on the courts before the first visit to Arctis Tor. Sorry if some of it is redundant.
 
Something I don't think we've talked about enough is how we're going to deal with Mab, because right now she's currently sitting in her garden watching all of this, and unless Dresden and co somehow pull a win out of their asses and drag Molly's chrysalis out with them we're almost guaranteed to end up her prisoner.

I'm also kind of wondering how this exalt is supposed to work, because a lot of things about this situation just aren't adding up.
DragonParadox said:
The demon tilted its head just a bit too far to the side be be human and it asked: "Do you always plan treachery so loudly? You should really learn a bit more subtlety once you take up the Crown..." Fear raced though you like a lightning bolt, but it was not done speaking. "I am not bound to some bit of jade to be spent and passed on, nor do I know aught of the Proud Morning Star you speak of, much less do I serve him. The power I offer you is deeper than the vaults of the Underworld and more sublime than the than the Vaults of the Heavens. Small is its seed slumbering under the ice in this Rhaska's palace, but great would be its blooming grafted to the tree of your soul."
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This for example, makes no sense. All demons in the Dresden Files serve Lucifer, whether directly or indirectly, and even if you remained really distant to his spheres of influence a demon would at least know of him. I'm kind of thinking that this is less of a shared verse like the Exalted vs WoD splat and more like a crossover, where one side gets transplanted into another universe.
 
flotter said:
This for example, makes no sense. All demons in the Dresden Files serve Lucifer, whether directly or indirectly, and even if you remained really distant to his spheres of influence a demon would at least know of him. I'm kind of thinking that this is less of a shared verse like the Exalted vs WoD splat and more like a crossover, where one side gets transplanted into another universe.
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You might be on to something, but I think that particular example is a terminology thing.

Lucy's gang of rejects are almost exclusively referred to as fallen in DF.

They're also kind of a big deal; even the weakest angel is powerful enough that what the rules say they're allowed to do is more relevant than asking if they have the ability to pull off a particular stunt most of the time.

The kind of demon that delivers an exaltation is pretty good, but unless I've missed something they aren't in the same league.

There isn't a reason that using a particularly generic term for evil supernatural thing needs to link the two groups together.
 
Jack vile Ripper said:
As much as the thought amuses me, we need those Freebies Point in order to buy ourselves more Charm. Since we only have 7 Dots to allocate. And even more so than that Willpower.

You think raising Attributes, Abilities and Essence in-game are hard. Wait until you find out the EXP cost for Willpower. Next time we are able to spend Freebies, spent 5 of them on Willpower.
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warp stone. playing a dragon blooded in EX/World of darkness and the gm is allowing us to buy things with XP at bonus point costs :V

It's nice to be able to buy things ever.
Jack vile Ripper said:
Also, fun fact. Your personal hell need not be actually filled with pain and agony. You can make a totally wholesome and benign Hell. Like, The Hell of Eternal Pleasure or The Hell of Solemn Rest or The Hell of Awesome Food.
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"Hell of blackjack and hookers because no one can stop me."

flotter said:
we're almost guaranteed to end up her prisoner.
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Sounds like a job for Cracked Cell Circumvention.

Would make an excellent apotheosis charm for Molly too. Very thematic for her.

Not sure it's in this edition though...
 
zxzx24 said:
Not sure it's in this edition though...
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Check the ExWoD Revised PDF, it's there under (you've guessed it!) Kakuri.

This proves that Kakuri is yet again, the best Key Charm Category that we should choose.

EDIT: Also, I haven't read Dresden Files that much, but I can infer from you guys' talk that we're gonna be under scrutiny and attention of some of the most powerful Faes in the world, and that our chance of survival are slim?

Sounds like Monday in Creation for an Infernal honestly. Heck, sounds like Tuesdays for Solars too.
 
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Jack vile Ripper said:
Check the ExWoD Revised PDF, it's there under (you've guessed it!) Kakuri.

This proves that Kakuri is yet again, the best Key Charm Category that we should choose.

EDIT: Also, I haven't read Dresden Files that much, but I can infer from you guys' talk that we're gonna be under scrutiny and attention of some of the most powerful Faes in the world, and that our chance of survival are slim?

Sounds like Monday in Creation for an Infernal honestly. Heck, sounds like Tuesdays for Solars too.
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I would love to get Cracked Cell then.

Also yes. Yes we are.
 
Also, @DragonParadox I'm surprised that you didn't use any Merits and Flaws. Most of the WhiteWolf game that I've been on tends to maximize the amount of Flaws they can get so that they'll get the maximum amount of Freebies Point. Are we not allowed to have it here (of which, I can understand, you're the ST of this game) or is that a next update kind of thing.
 
Jack vile Ripper said:
Also, I haven't read Dresden Files that much, but I can infer from you guys' talk that we're gonna be under scrutiny and attention of some of the most powerful Faes in the world, and that our chance of survival are slim?
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Being killed or imprisoned is an uncomfortably high risk, but the bigger danger are that we're dealing with classic fey.

If you make any kind of agreement with a fey and don't keep your word they can use it as a channel to do really nasty stuff depending on what you owe. Or just sell your debt to someone, leaving you to learn about the transfer when a complete unknown decides to yank your proverbial leash.

One of Mab's favorite games is leveraging debt to get someone to agree to a seemingly simple payment plan only for whatever she asked about to turn out to be a clusterfuck that slowly pushes you deeper into her influence.

I'm less worried about getting stuck as a garden gnome than I am about Mab backing us into a corner and forcing an agreement.
 
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