#Exalted

1 messages · Page 56 of 1

velvet raft
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This honestly feels like it would be fitting for a Citrine Poxes user

fierce star
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I'd rather infected wounds but you'd need a rat stylist to apply it to you every time you need it reset

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... though since you're a sidereal why not be a rat stylist

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it flows well into citrine poxes

bleak hazel
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I think there are a few ways to get supernatural infected wounds but I can't remember if any of them are an easy self-application

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Syphilis and Infected Wounds have the benefit that you basically always succeed the IFP roll

fierce star
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I'd let a player make a decisive attack against themselves

bleak hazel
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that's not supernatural, that's just punching

fierce star
bleak hazel
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I suppose the easy way is to just carry around some syphilis-infected matter and poke yourself with a needle whenver required

fierce star
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ooh but the mastery makes it moribdity 3

bleak hazel
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don't go all into rat

fierce star
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that's a dealbreaker I think

bleak hazel
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just dip it, that charm's at the start

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Sids only have mastery in form or when they know all charms of a style

fierce star
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oooh

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yeah that's fair then

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so yeah a single charm dip into rat as long as yoru GM lets you hit yourself is doable for easy reapplication of a shitty disease

bleak hazel
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this is basically the same thing except you have to reset it every week or two and it doesn't produce as many STD jokes

velvet raft
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Honestly this feels extremely fitting for a Sid

bleak hazel
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not sure two charm buys + 3 MA dots is worth it to take 1HL off the cost of Burn Life when you could just buy 3 more ox-bodies

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but it's cool

prisma sun
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I will admit that I would rather use burn life on its own for the aura

bleak hazel
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(objection not valid for Battles Georg, who already has 5 ox-bodies and the Giant merit)

prisma sun
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Imagine gear 2 but luffy first contracted an std

tulip folio
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Giant Merit is fun but so expensive for what it gives.

velvet raft
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This is exactly the kind of cultivator bullshit that makes sense to me

prisma sun
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Men need to be taxed to prevent them from all being 9 foot ogres

fierce star
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a lot of mutations are priced for 'what is this worth to a normal mortal', not 'waht is this worth to a generic exalt'

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so giant, which is like, the only way to get health levels without ox bodies, is worht a lot to a mortal

bleak hazel
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A lot of them are also priced assuming you already maxed out the relevant pool

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so the join battle one is balancing on the assumption you already have Wits 5 Awareness 5 because it's worse value than more of either

tulip folio
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Also: Tiny merit when? RiRi wants tiny bonuses.

velvet raft
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v. smol

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Should be an alternate progression path for alchemicals, really

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Miniaturization

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Moore's Law

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(/j)

bleak hazel
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An alch going osmosis jones mode inside a normal alch who is going osmosis jones mode inside a metropolis who is going osmosis jones mode inside of Autochthon

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Alchception

tulip folio
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Eventually develop Alchemical God Ways as you just Fantastic Voyage into the other guy's brain

bleak hazel
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I wonder if you could god ways a metropolis

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Momentarily become the biggest starman

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the red giant

velvet raft
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If a Sid uses God Ways on a Metropolis I think the plot of Gurren Lagann kicks off

bleak hazel
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It does last until you make [essence] non-reflexive actions outside combat, so you could do a decent amount of city stuff if things were chill

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Hey, you said your Permanent Undersecretary knows PAOC

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I wonder if he could take over from a sleepy metropolis on a shift basis

tulip folio
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Hahahah

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With infernals being worked on, I should finish up that SWLIHN-themed grappling martial art.

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The GM for that game has a homebrew upgrade submodule to the 'do martial arts' charm to let an alch pick a single SMA they can learn but that's something he's admitted he'd never allow in a mixed game or would want published in a real book. It's literally just 'sure, the doctor alch can learn the doctor martial art' for this game.

fierce star
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citrine... poxes....

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(hi I'm the doctor alch)

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imagine how many FUND ISEASES autochthon has

tulip folio
fierce star
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I think you use social charms for that

tulip folio
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Eternal Orbit Alignment
Cost: 3m; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 2
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Dual, Mastery
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Vivisection of Thought From
The orbits of the spheres are predetermined, eternally set paths. However even in these set paths, they move seemingly freely.

Against an attack, this ignores reductions to Defence from Grappling and may apply her Defence normally against Savage and Slam attacks. If the martial artist successfully defends against an attack this way, the attacker loses 1 initiative, which the martial artist gains. If the attacker is clinching with the Martial Artist, she may also add or remove one round of control to the grapple.

Mastery: This Charm’s duration is extended until the martial artist’s next turn.

Hmm...

buoyant summit
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Apparently the guy who I convinced to parlay is 30 feet tall and his mount is a skeleton whale

dense verge
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does the skeleton whale know sorcery

buoyant summit
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Fucking idk I'm not the necromancer.

tulip folio
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Iron Bands of Thought
Coast 3(?)m; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 2
Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Dual
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Vivisection of Thought From
She Who Lives In Her Name understands that one must disassemble a foe not only physically but mentally, letting them know deep in their soul that they are defeated.

This supplements a Savage or Slam. Instead of rolling damage normally, roll (Half Intelligence, Rounded Up). For each success, the target loses 1 Temporary Willpower. Turns of control sacrificed this way for a Slam add 1 die per turn sacrificed to the dice rolled.
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Trying to make it a grapple style but not just a 'Turn a guy into paste' grapple style.

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As grapple has a tendency to be very 'Yep, I got him. Now he's a red smear'

nova yew
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oh my god sidereals are so stupid

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i love them

velvet raft
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Consider, Karen, that these 100 jerks erase themselves from the memories of everyone else

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Automatically

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And so can only actually maintain close relationships with each other

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And they're all jerks

tulip folio
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Hey, they're also able to be remembered by non-sid members of the department of destiny. So 'sids' and 'people who willingly put up with sids' 😛

chilly sluice
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is there a reason your Circle can remember you btw, or is that just a gameplay concession?

prisma sun
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Latter, mostly

fierce star
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exalts have an easier time piericng arcane fate but are still effected, so it's mostly the latter

spring lynx
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i could be making this up but i think the longer you're around them the easier the memories stick? for exalted at least, mortals never get any better

tulip folio
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The stronger your intimacy, the easier it is.

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You can build an architect who's got like a 95% chance to remember the average sid as they've got a few charms for 'permanent autosuccesses on remembering things.'

velvet raft
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Explicitly the latter

nova yew
velvet raft
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Only Bureau of Destiny gods

nova yew
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oh really?

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huh

velvet raft
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And even with them it's not perfect

nova yew
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fascinating

velvet raft
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Piercing arcane fate is a pretty high difficulty check, and while a suitable exalt or a deity can make it consistently, it'll never be 100%

tulip folio
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And some sids are Particularly Unmemorable.

nova yew
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mhm

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what about being severed from the thread of fate

velvet raft
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Yeah, the first Stealth charm makes it harder

tulip folio
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And those guys even a big stacked effort is difficult to remember

tulip folio
nova yew
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mhm

velvet raft
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This was also the point, the Sids shattered a constellation in order to render themselves immune to prosecution

tulip folio
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Because 2e had the issue of sids just sort not-working on All The Things Sids Are Supposed To Be Fighting.

velvet raft
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Conversely in 3e sids are Quite Good at fighting those things

tulip folio
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My sid has a Workaround but it's not really a workaround she likes as it doesn't let people remember her, just a slightly more specific identity.

nova yew
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interesting...

tulip folio
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She's got an artifact that makes everyone who sees her wearing it see her as a specific person the artifact counts as. So people can't remember her but they can remember that identity.

fierce star
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back in 2e I had a workaround in that one of my sids had a resplendent destiny that was Just Her, Pre-Exaltation, but RDs are no longe rspecific people, so

prisma sun
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I actually think being an enemy of fate makes you immune?

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Can't recall

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Theres some kinda caveat

tulip folio
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It used to but doesn't any more

coral wraith
nova yew
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oops

coral wraith
tulip folio
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...considering we've got demon-based exalts and undead-based exalts, it would be cool some time to get fey-themed exalts to have all the Enemies of Fate/Creatures of Darkness have an exalt type.

Lunars have a little wyld stuff to them but they're not really Fey Exalts.

nova yew
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"thats right bitches, excrucians again!"

wise ocean
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I'd play a Green Knight or a changeling in a heartbeat, there's a lot of freaky stuff to draw on in the mythos that appeals

tulip folio
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I messed about with it a while ago but kinda ran into 'one person can't design a full exalt' 😛

limpid badge
coral wraith
nova yew
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HAH

coral wraith
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Yes

velvet raft
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Before Nobilis

tulip folio
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I had fun setting them up as a good bit of brer rabbit, a chunk of youxia and a bit of green knight.

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Darkest Sky Deception
Cost: 3m; Mins: Manipulation 2, Essence 1
Type: Supplemental
Keywords: None
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: None
Grinning an infuriating grin, the Wanderer poisons her words, driving her foe into a rage to prove her wrong.

The Wanderer doubles 9s on a persuade roll to convince others to take a course of action.

If she gets more success than her Target's Guile, they they can’t use negative Intimacies towards the Wanderer or groups she belongs to to bolster their Resolve against her influence or resist it in a Decision Point. Observers with a Guile lower than her successes see her genuinely trying to argue against what she is convincing her target of.
dense verge
prisma sun
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I had my fae Exalts

velvet raft
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Consider: she cut her teeth on Exalted 1E and In Nomine

prisma sun
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I forget what I called them

nova yew
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oh im aware

tulip folio
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'Please don't throw me in the briar patch' charm

chilly sluice
nova yew
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evidently i see some of the stuff jenna used

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for her own stuff

prisma sun
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So too, do the Things in the Wild. 

Yet their dreams are tangible, their whimsical fantasies and idle daydreams enough to break every law and rule lesser beings abide by. And these figures they dream of must come from somewhere, and sometimes the deep Things are too impatient to be fed. 

The calcification of Creation can only do so much against so terrible a force on so singular a purpose. A single Tendril, a pinky's effort breaking into Creation. Those who study this call them the Threads, for lack of a better term. They are an infinite beings desires made finite for a fluttering moment, and nothing in this world may impede it. The Threads find their victim, hooking into them, and pulling them back into the Wyld to be remade.

One might assume this to be a phenomena relegated only to the fringes of Creation, but humanity has always been ignorant of that above and below. A noose of briars can descend  to abscond a mother into the night sky, a ring of fire dragging a pirate to the darkest sea.

There they are brought face to face with Everything. There is no time to mutate, or degrade from the Wyld. No fae would touch the claimed prey of a God. The taken are blasted clean of all but their most core personality traits. Memories, identity, all are pointless. An echo of a personality is all that is left, a role to fill in a distant thing's daydream. This is barely a conscious action, should such a being be capable of it. Its as much a malicious act as scratching an itch or sighing.

And just like that, the deep thing loses interest, the dream fades, the toy dropped.```
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I found em

tulip folio
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Bedside Detective Manner
Cost: 3m; Mins: Intelligence 2, Essence 1
Type: Supplemental
Keywords: None
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: None
The Wanderer steps past what is to what could have been, tracing sicknesses back to their true cause.

The Wanderer doubles 9s on a roll with any Attribute to diagnose a patient or examine a body. In addition she treats the roll as if it was also an attempt to Case the Scene or Introduce a Fact, without needing a lore background, in relation to any maladies the target is suffering. 

For example, if her Patient has a disease she could learn that it must have come from the local stream being tainted by a necromantic ritual, or if the victim is suffering from a mystical curse she could introduce the fact that a local plant may be able to help alleviate it.

The issue is mostly that 'Iki doesn't have the attention span/effort to make a full new exalt charmset that's as big as lunars' 😛

prisma sun
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I forgot what I called them

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The idea is that theyre essentially dark parodies of the exalted

tulip folio
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I liked the Weird Craft + Evocation + Eclipse Charm charm I gave them.

prisma sun
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People gifted with godlike power but having their souls hollowed out as a result

tulip folio
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Thousand Year Herb Elixir
Cost: —; Mins: Intelligence 4, Essence 2
Type: Permanent
Keywords: None
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisite Charms: None
The endless travels of the wanderer have brought her into contact with a number of herbs and medicines thought to be miracle cures, allowing her to distill their mythological essence into reality.

The Wanderer can use Intelligence + [Craft(Alchemy), Survival or Medicine] in order to craft Elixirs. Elixirs are artifact potions, pills or other drugs that grant impossible powers to the imbiber. They are crafted as consumable artifacts (Even if the Wanderer lacks the requirements to otherwise make artifacts) that have no passive effects, attunement cost and a single evocation or Eclipse charm. Upon consuming the drug and attuning to it, the imbiber gains access to the Evocation or Charm.

A person may only have a single Elixir within their system at a time and consuming another Elixir will purge the previous one's effects. Unlike other artifacts, mortals may consume and attune to Elixirs, paying an additional 1 willpower cost instead of motes for the Evocation or Charm. However, consuming such a drug is dangerous to the body, taking with it a year of the mortal's lifespan and causing him to age at twice his normal rate until the Elixir is purged from his system.

Sidebar: "How many dots of drugs?"
Elixirs can be any dot value of an artifact, depending on the power of the evocation, however most are between 2 and 4 dots as they are easier to create than traditional artifacts. Generally, when setting a dot value for an Elixir, it will be roughly 1 dot less than a comparable artifact due to the specific nature of the charm, only providing a singular Evocation and the limitation on only a single one at a time.
prisma sun
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You start as a doodle of a person

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An idle daydream with no depth

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Creation gives you more of a soul and more of a personality

nova yew
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could fuck around with some warmain vibes

being some alien thing that only really becomes a fleshed out person by murdering and fully assimilating something (or multiple things) of creation

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through murder, becoming alive

tulip folio
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My take was more about turning stories into power. They take the power of a myth and make it real.

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Like brewing a potion made from herbs that exist only in stories

velvet raft
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Thought: a Ligier/Theion SMA should be heavily Threaten-based

tulip folio
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...oh right, I included a lot of Time Lord in this too.

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Eternal Dream Revival
Cost: 1wp; Mins: Stamina 5 or Intelligence 5, Essence 5
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: None
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Embraced By the Darknessx3, Elixir Of Immortality
While most exalts find the dream elixir too bitter, their exaltation shedding its protection, the Wanderer has perfected the concoction for themselves and become an immortal being.

The Wanderer can use this Charm when she’s incapacitated or would suffer death for any reason, her spirit hanging onto life despite the state of her body. Come the next midnight, she rises in a flurry of wyld energy with all damage and crippling injuries healed, no matter how severe they were. She may drag herself out of a grave, well, or the ashes of a pyre where hopefuls burned her corpse. The only way her foes can kill her is to wait for her to rise, then try again. This rise can come with any number of cosmetic physical changes, the Wanderer potentially awakening with a new face to live a new life.

In exchange for this revival, she may not benefit from Embraced By The Darkness or Eternal Dream Revival for the rest of the story.

Special: This may be purchased as a Stamina or Intelligence charm.
prisma sun
nova yew
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no no see

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thats the fun part

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you murdered someone to become a person and now you have to live with that

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yummy yummy guilt!!!!!

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i love guilt

prisma sun
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Its exalted Karen people will kick flip off a corpse for 50 talens and a pack of smokes

nova yew
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beforehand you were too alien to conceptualize that guilt but now youve absorbed the pieces that can feel remorse and its like "damn"

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this is true

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shit i'll do that for FREE-

prisma sun
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But the main thing that helps them actualize is running into things their stereotype isnt built to handle

velvet raft
prisma sun
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So a killer needs to comfort a grieving widow

nova yew
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YEAH

prisma sun
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A lover needs to kill

nova yew
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ooo

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hn

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fuck thats good actually

prisma sun
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Like that sorta thing

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Thus do you earn depth by contrasting yourself

nova yew
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still
i do really really enjoy "gaining enough personhood to actually feel the remorse over your own actions"
that is like, crack to me

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but contrasts are good

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...

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maybe theres something to play with in intimacies actually

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as sources of definition

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idk

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im not as in deep to the exalted juices so i cant actually conceptualize good mechanical ideas for this.
but intimacies as sources of feeding/identity...idk

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intimacies are a good mechanic

prisma sun
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I think the goal with this exalt type would be to GAIN limit

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Limit breaks bring depth

nova yew
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OOO

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YEAH

tulip folio
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My shot at it had intimacies be a big part of it as it's about your connection to the places you'd gone, forming special intimacies called Touchstones.

Making a Touchstone
A touchstone is a specific region with a defined identity, such as a specific desert or the district of a large city. There is no specific limit on the size (Touchstones within the Wyld can defy the very concept of distance) but it should be small enough that the Wanderer has visited most of it and has seen most of the sights it has to offer. As such, more dense areas (such as a district) tend to be smaller Touchstones than emptier ones (A chunk of ocean in the West with only a few small fishing villages could cover quite a vast area).

Most important, however, is the emotional connection the Wanderer makes with it. A wanderer who stands at the peak of the Imperial Mountain and feels nothing could not claim it as a touchstone in the same way that a humble farmstead where the locals invited her in like she was kin would be. Each Touchstone a Wanderer has is a distinct Tie. It can be positive or negative (There are plenty of Wanderers who are driven by the stench of human misery in the slave markets of Nexus) but they must care about it in some way. At the end of each scene, if a Wanderer’s Tie towards one of their Touchstones has been eroded to nothing, they regain a minor Tie towards it.

Finally, each Touchstone has a metaphysical alignment. This is similar to the elemental alignment that a Manse might have, though there are not limited to such and can even contradict the local flows of Dragon Lines. A Desert has powerful Fire dragon lines but to a Wanderer, their memories might draw to the cool, sharp sensations of the Water of an Oasis within it.

A single location can produce multiple Touchstones, though they are treated as individual Touchstones for all purposes.
nova yew
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i like that

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i like that a lot

tulip folio
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...man, I'm tempted to start on this again but I'll get like 20 charms in and then go 'I am le tired' and it will stall again.

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Also it would require me to have to learn what an exalt needs in its craft setup to make artifacts at a given level.

feral cipher
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Funky!!

astral turret
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Been living next to a sidereal for 23 years. No idea who the fuck that guy is

feral cipher
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also, did a little writeup for my character's manse

The Tomb Of Pluto, a grim slab of basalt and slate dredged from the underworld and left to rest on the coast nearby Thorns, is equal parts fortress, palace, and vault. Behind its bleak walls hide grand chambers and unfathomable riches, ghostly clerks computing records as dead labor hauls things to be bought and sold, and the Legion Of The Tithe stands guard. Under the rule of The Grave Calls For Its Due, the Tomb has become a rising locus of Underworld trade - but the Deathknight will surely not stop seeking ever greater prospects.
coral wraith
velvet raft
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Having a Sid for your garden hermit is the highest level of garden hermitage

nova yew
velvet raft
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Contemplating what to do with four dots of merits.

fierce star
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what's your character look like so far?

velvet raft
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This is the Sid I periodically work on, Red Evening Sky. I was previously going to give her a suit of Silken Armor, but I'm thinking maybe something different instead.

fierce star
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what do you currently have, merit wise?

velvet raft
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Not having any Resources is a deliberate choice

fierce star
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consider: cult. A bunch of people who worship the ideal of her and keep managing to SOMEHOW track her down and go RED EVENING SKY SENSEI PLEASE KICK MY ASS

velvet raft
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Hmmmmmmmm

fierce star
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i'm a sucker for 'cult, but you really wish they wouldn't'

buoyant summit
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I have 'cult, and they're a fucking posergang from Cyberpunk'

velvet raft
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I can see the vision but I don't think it quite fits

coral wraith
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Where are her 3 dots of resources she'd normally have going? That probably informs the merit more than anything

nova yew
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Ally

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3 dot ally

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Some sort of minor serpent spirit or something

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:3

buoyant summit
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I'm hopefully about to pull off some "Won't you shake a poor sinner's hand?" type shit

nova yew
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I don’t actually know how powerful minor gods are or I would have suggested that

nova yew
prisma sun
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I specifically don't have Drifts have resources

buoyant summit
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I've instilled a minor tie of respect with this gigantes

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know he's power hungry

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and am going to make him shake my hand doing the anima thing for Moonshadows where that makes the oath cosmically binding

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So I hope

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He's not smart enough to know what a Faustian Bargain is

fierce star
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yeah legit

velvet raft
fierce star
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I saw 'socially nonfunctioning' and thought 'what would be hilarious there'

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oh, wait

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you need languages

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you only speak old realm I think

velvet raft
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And Riverspeak

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Sids get Old Realm for free

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But yeah, could do languages

fierce star
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oh I thought they just ignored the ability requirements/got it as their native if heaven raised

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riverspeak plus old realm is probably fine depending on the campaign tbh

nova yew
velvet raft
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Anys Syn knows but is not going to fix this for her when she could literally just walk into the bursar's office

nova yew
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hahahahahhaha

tulip folio
# 
Thousand Year Herb Elixir
Cost: —; Mins: Intelligence 4, Essence 2
Type: Permanent
Keywords: None
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisite Charms: None
The endless travels of the wanderer have brought her into contact with a number of herbs and medicines thought to be miracle cures, allowing her to distil their mythological essence into reality.

The Wanderer can spend an hour to craft an Elixir. Elixirs are wondrous potions, pills or other drugs that grant impossible powers to the imbiber. A Wanderer may have a maximum of (Essence) Elixirs crafted at any one time.

Each elixir is for a single evocation or Eclipse charm. The Wanderer can only create Elixirs for Charms and Evocations they have personal experience with. A week or downtime or the dissection of a being bearing a desired Eclipse Charm can allow them to familiarize themselves enough with that charm to produce elixirs of it in the future. Likewise, an in-depth study of a new and strange ingredient may grant knowledge of an evocation thematically linked to that ingredient's capabilities.

Upon consuming the elixir, the  Wanderer gains access to the chosen Evocation or Charm. They may only have a single Elixir within their system at a time and consuming another Elixir will purge the previous one's effects.

Those other than the Wanderer who consume these drugs find them unpleasant but otherwise have no effect.

One of the big Wanderer tricks. It's their equivalent of how alchs can just Learn Evocations or how Lunars can Eat A God and get their Eclipse Charms. The strength of it is that it's a library of charms where you can swap in and out which elixir you've drunk. The weakness of it is you can only have one at a time active/it takes an hour per potion so you can't easily swap back and forward without downtime/you need to still go learn them to make your recipes.

chilly sluice
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when it would be trivially fixed

nova yew
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gk has used this character for my nobilis one shot

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its so fucking funny how dumb this girl is

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shes so socially anxious

velvet raft
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Ye

nova yew
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my brain is fried i think
this really isnt that funny
but i love the mask of winters and his goofy ass grin

image.png
chilly sluice
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well he also has a frowning mask on the other side

nova yew
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true

coral wraith
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If you can't handle me at my >:) you dont deserve me at my ;(

nova yew
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so true

prisma sun
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god can I pay someone to fill in these fucking stats for me into foundry

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This is agonizing

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Guys why does Exalted hate GMs

mighty rover
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The yozi were the original GMs so y'know

tulip folio
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Pondering a scene-long charm effect for a celestial-teir exalt and if it's too silly.

Impossible Perfection
Mins: Charisma 3, Essence 1
Cost: 5m, 1wp
Type: Simple
Keywords: Mute
Duration: One scene
The Wanderer lives a charmed life, mortal tools and mortal skills flowing easily to her.

The Wanderer cannot botch rolls and adds (+1/2 essence, rounded up) dice to all actions that are otherwise not affected by the wanderer's charms, including excellencies. The Wanderer may choose not to benefit from this bonus if she intends to boost a roll with another charm later.

At Essence 3, this also provides a +1 bonus to Defence, Guile and Resolve as long as the Wanderer has no other bonuses to those values from her charms.

So you get a much lesser excellency that does not apply if you're using any other charm, including excellencies. So if you've got a +2 die bonus, you'll still have to spend 3 motes to get +3 dice, as it's not stacking.

nova yew
prisma sun
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A battlegroup of warghosts shouldn't like

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wipe 4 exalts right

nova yew
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how big's the battlegroup

prisma sun
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uhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh

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as many as will not kill the party

tulip folio
#

It also depends on 'how fighty are those exalts'. A dawn could likely wipe that solo if well set up.

prisma sun
#

It's a Serenity Sid, Water Melee Deeb, Warstrider Air Deeb, and Fox Exorcist Exigent

dense verge
#

a warstrider is probably able to body some warghosts right

prisma sun
#

There is also a Big Funny Abyssal

#

And potentially a Kraken

fierce star
#

sounds like they have anti-bg tech then yeah

prisma sun
#

Oh I mean

tulip folio
#

Yeah, a warstrider will wreck the shit of a BG.

prisma sun
#

the enemy crew

#

has an Abyssal and a Kraken

#

Guy named Drowner of Saints who's the Admiral of the Silver Prince

#

of course I'm giving him an undead kraken

#

It's gonna fight the chosen of Slaughter's Siaka later

buoyant summit
#

The gigantes who I'm talking to has a bakekujira mount for some reason

#

Speaking of Weird Mounts

tulip folio
#

Okay, I checked. War Ghosts are kinda not that scary. Like they're not bad (They'll have might 1, unlike their mortal counterparts) but they're more like 'Wyld Mutant' scary than 'Hungry Ghost' scary.

prisma sun
#

I do not know what a bakekujira is

tulip folio
#

They're basicly 'Medium Infantry But Dead'

image.png
nova yew
#

theyve also got a fun little ignore soak ability

#

dunno how scary it is

image.png
nova yew
tulip folio
nova yew
#

oh

tulip folio
#

They won't beat an exalt solo but they'll shred through most mortal forces like a buzzsaw.

nova yew
#

okay so thats good fodder for our armies nodnod
writing down notes

"make sure...to create...swarms of hungry ghosts..."

tulip folio
#

There's a rank 2 necromancy for exactly that!

nova yew
#

there is!

#

but i am alas essence 1

#

so

#

getting to shadow circle will take a while ;-;

tulip folio
#

Hungry Ghosts are most comparable to Elite Troops, being basicly the undead replacement for Jannisaries or Dismounted Knights.

image.png
#

They're more fragile but they're much scarier in terms of 'ability to kill things'

nova yew
#

unfortunately the sunlight problem

#

so we should keep them in large stone jars between battle

#

luckily!

we dont need to feed em

#

logistically great

tulip folio
#

Oh, actually, I got war ghosts a bit wrong. War ghosts are might 2. That's very solid actually.

#

I'd perhaps still give the edge to hungry ghosts due to being More Skilled

#

But War Ghosts are no slouch when it comes to beating up mortals, as they've got the same might value.

knotty islandBOT
#

Ooh. Where in the core book do the battlegroups live?

buoyant summit
tulip folio
#

So you take a war ghost, then battlegroupify it.

#

With Size, Drill, Might etc

knotty islandBOT
#

I see. I ask, because part of my campaign intention is raising troops.

prisma sun
#

Ye

#

It'll come up a lot

#

The fuckin

tulip folio
#

And Size/Drill/Might are basicly modifiers to NPCs.

image.png
prisma sun
#

Foundry has this importer

#

that I have no idea how it's supposed to work

tulip folio
#

Zombies? Terrible! Size 5, Might 1 Unending Horde of Zombies? Much scarier

nova yew
#

yeah!

knotty islandBOT
#

Bǎihé was like "Oh I can take that", then realised what Might 1 entailed and went "Hm, maybe not.".

#

Let's just hope they don't get enfeebling poisons. </game ref>

Ikiryo ↩️

[Reply to:](#1161699000836165714 message) Zombies? Terrible! Size 5, Might 1 Unending Horde of Zombies? Much scarier

prisma sun
#

hmmmm

#

Zombies or Warghosts

tulip folio
# prisma sun Zombies or Warghosts

Maybe both? Give him a small battlegroup of both? So like a poor drill, decently sized horde of zombies and an elite drill smaller group of elite war ghosts in heavy armour?

prisma sun
#

That's probably good

tulip folio
#

It gives him some professional soldiers and also some 'the guys I killed getting here'

prisma sun
#

The one thing I know for certain

#

is he's appearing like this

#

even though I do not like chief I have to admit this is an evergreen clip

tulip folio
feral cipher
#

looking forward to seeing how they tear shit up

prisma sun
#

Drowner isn't going to really be beatable in this fight at least

#

the main goal is to stop him from just

#

smashing the ship inn half

tulip folio
#

She'll eventually get upgraded hungry ghost statlines too. So her zombies will use Grizzled Mercenary statlines and her Hungry Ghosts use Elite Troops statlines. She lacks quantity of the dead but she's got quality.

feral cipher
#

How are you swapping up from zombies themselves?

tulip folio
feral cipher
#

Oh, funky

#

I'm just cruising off of command 4 right now but i'll probably be trying to tap into higher-essence War stuff later

buoyant summit
#

I've come up with the most amazing gimmick for Envoy's sword, speaking of artifacts

#

It's meant to let you learn and leverage intimacies through combat

feral cipher
#

Cool cool

buoyant summit
#

Fluffwise

#

Via ontologically forcing the enemy to talk-no-jutsu

#

They cannot help but monologue at the wielder

#

Every Fight Is Ontologically A Shonen Anime Battle

feral cipher
#

I've got my (tweaked) nemesis armour
so now I can piss people off in combat with my free influence actions to make them worse at killing me

tulip folio
# feral cipher Oh, funky

Basicly: Her artifact gives undead she summons a tiny spark of who they were back. So undead soldiers under her command can still use their weapons to some degree.

feral cipher
#

I see! Very cool

#

and yeah zombies aren't incredible but not having to worry about routs rocks

tulip folio
#

Yeah. The GM approved this because RiRi kinda lacks the 'fuck it, get more corpses' than the average abyssal has 😛

feral cipher
#

I picked up an ability that lets me just, automatically recruit mindless undead that don't already belong to people

#

and also turn corpses into zombies for a mote
and the party has a necromancer who can rumble me up some skeletons to boss around

#

i'm Never gonna run out of bodies to throw at things

#

specially with some later abyssal war charms

tulip folio
#

The big late game thing for her will be:

Ghost-Lit Heroism
Cost: —; Mins: Essence 4
Type: Permanent
Keywords: None
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisites: Ghost-Lit Champions, Hundred Shade Breath
A vanguard of the greatest souls of the dead are called, bringing immortal skill and undying devotion.

When you raise Hungry Ghosts, you can instead raise Jiangshi. Jiangshi are treated as Elite Troops, except they are Undead and have both Blood Scent and Earthbound. Unlike Hungry Ghosts, Jiangshi raised this way have the self control not to harm the living if left unattended.
feral cipher
#

Oh wild

tulip folio
#

She won't have Endless Hordes of undead but she makes up for it with her undead A) Not being shitheads B) Have memories of how they fought when they were alive.

# 
Ghost-Lit Duty
Cost: —; Mins: Essence 1
Type: Permanent
Keywords: None
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisites: Raise the Skeletal Horde
Under the ghostflame light of Innocent Oblivion, the souls of the righteous dead rise again to defend the same ideals they did in life.

When you Raise the Skeletal Horde, instead of Zombies, you can instead raise Ghouls. Ghouls are treated as Militia, except they are Mindless and Undead. Ghouls raised this way have the self control not to harm people if left unattended.

Her base ones also have the same 'no, they won't hurt people if you leave them alone'

#

Which is always a worry with zambies 😛

feral cipher
#

I think my best bets are these, later

image0.jpg
#

But also I'll probably hit a point where I can just look at the GM and go 'hey i'd like to rally a legion of war ghosts' and flex all my resources/influence/command/what the fuck ever into that

tulip folio
#

They've barely shown up in fluff but Jadeborn might genuinely be one of the better answers to Abyssal armies.

nova yew
#

I’m a supplier

tulip folio
#

They're one of major 'non-mortal' armies about who are defined by 'you can't raise them as undead, as they're animated earth, not flesh and blood'. XD

nova yew
#

Just you wait

#

I’ll figure it out

tulip folio
# nova yew I’ll figure out how to reanimate it worse

Hahahah. That would be really tricky. Jadeborn Souls are in the same list as 'Exaltations' in terms of being 'Capital I immutable'. So like, it could be done but it would be on par with turning solars into abyssals. XD

nova yew
#

Oh fun fact @feral cipher I can awaken some of your mindless zombies to memories they had in life if need be

nova yew
#

But fair enough

#

Then again

#

The deathlords are the ghosts of former exalts

knotty islandBOT
#

Hm.. I wonder if I could raise improved conscripts with spears, but not quite as good as true troops, at first.

nova yew
#

Maybe an echo

tulip folio
#

The Jadeborn are very fun, concpetually. They're Autocthonn's first take at making humans.

#

They're stronger, smarter and spiritually powerful...but they lacked the primary thing that the gods wanted humans for.

nova yew
#

Oh there’s the issue

#

Autochthon!

#

That fucker

tulip folio
#

Their prayers don't empower gods. XD

nova yew
#

We’re still busy murdering creation.
We’ll get to autochthon later

tulip folio
#

So the gods went 'who cares if it's better in every other way. It doesn't help us, personally' and then they had Autocthon make humans.

nova yew
#

Nodnod

tulip folio
#

...eh, let me just grab the fluff bit I wrote for '3e jadeborn'. it goes over all the established fluff nice and quickly.

# 
The first of Autocthon’s species, it was from the Jadeborn that humanity was crafted. When the Primordials rampaged, it was the Jadeborn who sheltered the first humans within their cities and taught them Autothon’s gift of creation. They saw their younger sibling alone in the world and reached out their hands to help shield them.

When the Incarnae raised up chosen humans as Exalts, they did not fight alone. They had sworn, like all other beings, not to raise hand against the primordials. Like some gods however, they did everything they could to skirt this oath. Their blades cut down the lesser souls of Primordials to buy openings for the exalted and their craftspeople wrought the bones of creation into weapons that an exalt’s hand could wield in their stead.

However, this kinship did not last. As they had not directly fought the Primordials, paranoid exalts saw the mostly unharmed Jadeborn as a threat to a new human creation. There were pogroms and cries out against these beings that had dragged the celestial host down by refusing to truly fight like the exalts had. Some even called for their destruction, too much of a threat for humanity to be allowed to live. In desperation, Autocthon shattered brilliant jade upon his anvil. 

The true jadeborn of long ago are no more, broken apart into castes that represent a small aspect of what they once were. They are no longer Samildánach, equally skilled in many arts. Instead each is restricted in body and mind, confined within the cells of their own souls and limited to a singular role. This appeased the Exalted, giving them slaves rather than equals.

However, Autocthon’s creations are not so fragile as to be unable to be repaired. Through reincarnation after reincarnation, they move slowly towards enlightenment, pulling the fragments of their souls back together. Only a few have achieved this enlightenment and it is uncertain if all ever will. They will never be like they were but those who have achieved their true selves can at least be whole and independent.
knotty islandBOT
tulip folio
#

They're a much Elfier Terracotta Sentinel but it's not wrong

knotty islandBOT
#

Well keep in mind, this is just based on the name and the knowledge they're constructs.

tulip folio
#

The old 2e book that covered them.

#

All three of those are Jadeborn

dense verge
#

ive never actually read/seen the description of jadeborn, ive just pictured them as people wrought of pure green jade

tulip folio
coral wraith
#

Could you use Death Is No Respite on a martial arts attack?

#

No reason why not right

tulip folio
#

As Jade can be multiple colours.

#

The warrior and worker up front only have eyes of jade visible and are otherwise earth.

dense verge
#

ah, dirtflesh, makes sense for shattered jadeborn

tulip folio
#

They're profoundly cursed. Like, no exalt has a curse as bad as the Jadeborn

#

And the primordials didn't even curse them. The solars did!

coral wraith
dense verge
#

the solars did a lot of things

tulip folio
tulip folio
coral wraith
#

Lmao

dense verge
#

i do like the jadeborn from what ive seen of them. want them to have the spotlight at some point again

tulip folio
#

'Refusing to build an artifact for exalts? GO STRAIGHT TO CURSE JAIL'

coral wraith
#

The funnier thing is aiding enemies of creation

#

Since RAW if you help a Celestial Exalt using summoned demons as assistants....

tulip folio
#

Abyssals and Infernals are in this hilarious area where if they ask you to make them an artifact, you are just fucked.

#

As they're an exalt and an enemy of creation...

coral wraith
#

Oh yeah lmao

#

Horribly thought out system

tulip folio
#

I had fun basicly doing up Enlightend Jadeborn (Jadeborn who've regained some of the power from the shattering, are more exalt tier than beefy mortal tier) up like a lancer Alt Frame for Alchemicals.

knotty islandBOT
#

Are Abyssals and Infernals celestials?

dense verge
#

my pbp is slowly moving along again so i have the exalted itch

#

yes!

knotty islandBOT
tulip folio
#

The version of limit I did for my 3e update on them is not quite as cruel.

image.png
#

It lacks some of the 'Make me magic items, magic item slave!' or 'You can't defend yourself as a solar beats your ass'

coral wraith
#

Celestial exalts are Abyssal, Solars, Infernals, Lunars, Getitimans and Sids

#

Though realistically they're further divided into solaroids and non-solaroids

next delta
dense verge
#

and alchs are celestial, technically, i think, at least mechanics-wise

coral wraith
#

Oh yeah that's true

dense verge
#

everyone except dragonbloods, liminals, and most exigents are celestial

tulip folio
coral wraith
#

Solaroids are basically brute force power, they're very explosive and just have good dice pools, while the non-solaroids all have unique mechanics and such to compensate for Less Big Power

#

Well, more extensive unique mechanics

tulip folio
#

It's not really canonical with how it works but I liked how I did up the Geas being a Bit More Interesting than just 'When it hits 10, you autofail every roll until it stops being 10'.

#

Where it works more like the Abyssal limit breaks

#

Where Shit Goes Wrong Around You

dense verge
#

the autofail is good

tulip folio
#

Where the geas clamps down and just Imposes Order around you, like it or not

#

Alternatively, it can fail dramatically and the fact that Jadeborn were formed from Fae Souls becomes very obvious briefly.

#

So rather than just 'obey exalts or fail', they have more or a push and pull between Too Much Order and Too Much Wonder

#

If that remotely makes sense?

#

Sorry for rambling.

buoyant summit
coral wraith
#

They collaborated on it, even

buoyant summit
#

Ye!

limpid badge
#

Now there are DEATHS LAWGIVERS and GREEN SUN PRINCES

tulip folio
#

Death Lawgiver and Green Lawtaker. 😛

buoyant summit
#

This giant is likely trying to waste my time

#

Which Envoy will take as Fucking Rude

coral wraith
buoyant summit
#

he is Inspiring to ragebait me

coral wraith
buoyant summit
#

He botched it

buoyant summit
coral wraith
#

the former

buoyant summit
#

The person running advertised their pbp on the Exalted server and it's being run on their own server

#

Also 11 sux instill roll to make the giant go 'Oh I made the diplomat happy by making it clear I have no interest in diplomacy?'

#

'Oh no'

coral wraith
buoyant summit
#

Back in Stygia our uh

#

God what's the other spy caste...

#

Day Caste?

#

Nope, our spy is a Midnight

#

our Midnight is doing fun spy skullduggery shit with her Lunar mate

coral wraith
#

beautiful

buoyant summit
#

I haven't explicitly succeeded in instilling the gigantes with the fear tie

#

However

#

11 sux

coral wraith
#

that is a very high amount

limpid badge
#

hiiii @tulip folio you're awake and im having martial arts thoughts so i want to fuss with you slightly-

how do you think it'd be best to mechanically represent "in an area around the martial artist the terrain is bouncing like a trampoline/rubberhose cartoon"

#

mostly because im thinking about the effect of making the world "bouncy" would be great as a form charm for the SMA... maybe shaping effects for terrain? babbling a little but seeing all the jadeborn stuff is making me think about clickyparts you know

tulip folio
limpid badge
#

true, i was just also worried about people just Skipping It with Graceful Crane Stance

#

as nice as it would be to get some use out of its ribbon portion, it is an SMA im writing

#

as much as giving siddies a soak booster might be a bad idea? i think it would also make a good charm, i know its a weakness of theirs and i don't wanna totally paper over that (im rubber as a soak technique, so boost your soak and take knockback)

tulip folio
#

Vague Pondering: Force rolls to do any sort of movement that isn't flying (Including jumping, as you need a footing for jumping). Even automatic movement is opposed by your 'I'm luffy and welcome to jackass' roll.

bleak hazel
#

Sids can get soak if they really care, almost certainly not an issue

tulip folio
#

So it's a bit of a lockdown effect as people go 'the fuck is this, how can you move like this?'

bleak hazel
#

hell, there's one in PAOC, although it's quite bad

limpid badge
#

oh yay, i don't know why i remembered that then

tulip folio
#

And like...Toad exists

limpid badge
tulip folio
#

Which just flat doubles your stamina for soak

bleak hazel
#

Sids actually have some really mean post-soak damage reduction tech so if you do make a Siddie soakbeast they become genuinely quite hard to hurt

tulip folio
#

I've got a sid with Toad and Unusual Skin 5

#

So attempts to punch her bare skin involve a lot of 'oww my hand'

bleak hazel
#

specifically, this thing

image.png
#

since it's a penalty on the roll

#

and the number of dice you roll is post-soak

limpid badge
#

that's pretty cute...

#

gotta figure out a good way to do it bc rn the idea i had was "increase soak by number of range bands you're willing to get punched"

bleak hazel
#

Brawl has similar tech, although stacking them gets too expensive

tulip folio
#

Vague Pondering: Make it a clash. You clash an attack with like athletics or resistance or something.

#

And if you win, you negate the attack and yeet yourself

limpid badge
#

oooooh

#

that is a great way to do it

tulip folio
#

I could also see a form stealing an effect from the Ifrit NPC. Let me grab the wording.

# 
automatically reduces withering attacks from fire- and heat-based sources to minimum damage. Decisive attacks from such sources only deal bashing damage.

You could steal the second half for blunt attacks.

#

'Blunt force decisive attacks deal bashing damage, even if they would normally do lethal or aggravated damage'

#

So a guy beating your ass with a goremaul finds it impossible to really kill you but he can knock you out so it's not a major mechanical bonus

#

Just a cool ribbon

limpid badge
#

nodding nodding yeah~!!

#

thats exactly the kind of thinkin i was hoping to get, this is very helpful thank you both

#

(i will seek you Misc when i start doing Numbers)

bleak hazel
#

an effect somewhere that lets you guarantee people who go down aren't killed would actually be unique outside a couple of Crane moves, and despite being the most basic of combat medic priorities it exists nowhere in any medicine tree

#

area effect on form or whatever just to ensure that your ally who got slapped across the room by the Brawl supernal is actually fine after a couple of weeks

limpid badge
#

honestly could be a good part of the "Cartoon Aura" that i want to make the form charm

tulip folio
velvet raft
#

Hell, Burn Life while unarmored gives +(Strength) soak, including extra dots from Burn Life

#

So yeah sids can get soak if they want to

limpid badge
tulip folio
#

Like one of their main combat trees is appearance, where they go 'Look at how much cooler I am than you' and you feel bad.

# 
Blue-Eyes Exhibition
Cost: 8m 1wp; Mins: Appearance 5, Essence 3
Type: Supplemental
Keywords: None
Duration: One scene
Prerequisite Charms: Undeniable Presence, A Good Few Others
There is nothing a crowd loves more than a hero and creation is no different, the wanderer playing to the stars and stones themselves and basking in their praise.

This supplements an Instill, Inspire or Threaten action targeting a character that can see her. If successful (Even if resisted by willpower), the target becomes Overawed by the Wanderer.

While he is Overawed, her Appearance adds bonus dice (Exalted, p. 218) on all physical rolls against him. Unlike most dice added by Appearance, these count as a bonus from Charms when added to attack rolls. In addition, she gains +1 to Parry and Evasion against that character if his Resolve is lower than her Appearance.

This effect ends if the Wanderer is crashed by the affected target.

Reset: Once per scene, unless reset by incapacitating a non-trivial character.

I still really like their big charm for combat in appearance is just 'Hey, I'm the Face and you're the Heel' and reality goes 'Shit, she's right...and the face has to win'

#

But I should really focus on E1 stuff for now.

#

It's the biggest part of a charmset

#

And also the most needed for 'get them playable in the most basic ways'

tulip folio
#

...I've also found out that my Jadeborn in 3e homebrew and one of my Sid's backstories don't work in 3e.

#

As while we've not seen them much, they've entirely redesigned the Mountain Folk/said they wouldn't include the Geas if they did more with them.

coral wraith
tulip folio
#

(I also think the 3e Jadeborn look is incredibly generic for a group called 'mountain folk'. Like that is literally just D&D 4e Earth Genasi)

velvet raft
tulip folio
velvet raft
#

Hot take: Pattern Spiders should be more like Mice of the Sun in having special properties when serving as familiars for sids

velvet raft
#

Sids are weird

#

Building a sid has moments like when you realize you don't need Stealth favored for a stealthy character because most of the physical stealth charms are over in Athletics

nova yew
#

LMAO

velvet raft
#

me realizing I don't need to have Stealth as favored for Red Evening Sky specifically, since there's literally only one Stealth charm she wants and it's available at E1

mighty rover
ruby geyser
#

Infernals Linguistics through Occult manuscript is out to backers
Mind-Hand Manipulation still absolutely fucks

#

also they kept the death-fugue state charm for learning necromancy, but only up to 2nd circle

velvet raft
#

Oh, Occult, I was waiting for that

nova yew
#

Makes sense

velvet raft
#

Fuckin' A

image.png
nova yew
#

Wowza

velvet raft
#

Mainly I just love this because familiar rules in general are pretty undercooked

nova yew
#

Internals seem cool

#

I want to read them after I read sidereals

ruby geyser
#

Infernals remain the GOAT rooGlory

bleak hazel
#

more stuff leaking (politely) out of Agents of Heaven

image.png
#

I really like this one

#

I can make Super Crane Form and beat people up with Empowering Justice Redirection adding a shit ton to my unarmed counters

#

that's +4 overwhelming and +1 autosux on the damage, as well as 1 autosux and +1 accuracy on the attack roll, stack with Ways of Exaltation and you're actually overclocking your dice cap

#

hitting full excellency limit but some of it is autosux counting as 1, with artifact accuracy

#

and then the PAOC form becomes somewhat funny, although at that point like 55% of your motes are in ongoings

#

because this is yet more [essence] scaling so you get the +7 whelm fists

velvet raft
#

PAOC: It needed to be stronger, amirite /s XD

bleak hazel
#

I think that's the juice I needed to go unarmed on Rival

#

he was kind of struggling with whelm at higher levels because he couldn't go FMMF

velvet raft
#

Hm, Rat Style's first two or three charms seem excellent as a dip for an Ebon Shadow stylist

#

Especially for sids since it's a knife style and therefore usable with Unweaving Method

limpid badge
fierce star
#

🤔 is triple H an akuma solar with mcmahon as his yozi patron

limpid badge
#

yes

fierce star
#

I feel mildly cursed for having typed that tbh

ruby geyser
#

warlock* rooSit the 3e manuscript preview refers to what used to be called akuma as warlocks

#

which i like more tbh

velvet raft
#

It feels very D&D >_>

limpid badge
#

I’m not sure how? It’s a word that usually means “scary evil guy (magic)”

#

Like, just cause D&D uses a word doesn’t mean they own it

velvet raft
#

Warlock = swore a demonic pact is where I’m coming from

#

That feels specific enough for the comparison

prisma sun
#

Its specifically a man who made a pact with Satan

#

So its pretty fitting

velvet raft
#

Also this is not a criticism but as always I find it funny given warlock means “oathbreaker”

limpid badge
tulip folio
#

I'm not a fan of the new term mostly because it was the term for Infernals previously.

#

So there are warlocks but they're not warlocks, who are still about.

#

It's a bit of an annoying name swap that I fumble with.

ruby geyser
#

the general term for Infernals is now just Green Sun Princes i think

#

granted i think its at least a little bit intentional that (Insert Exalt) Warlock and Actual Infernal are hard to distinguish between, in-setting

#

at least in 2e it was a very intentional thing that the derogatory nicknames the Realm had for the Solar castes were used by the equivalent Infernal castes as a badge of pride

tulip folio
#

Yeah, I'm less annoyed with infernals not using the term and more with 'why did you return the term for another thing, that just causes player confusion'. XD

#

If that makes sense?

ruby geyser
#

presumably because akuma is a little bit orientalist and most people used the Green Sun Princes nickname anyways; i was vaguely aware that Warlock was another term for them, but i tended toward GSPs if i wasnt just saying 'infernals'

#

and unlike WoD, new editions for exalted don't move time forward or anything, so this is essentially a complete rewrite rather than an update/retcon

#

they're already doing a big revamp of infernals anyways vvShrug

tulip folio
#

I know. Some of the decisions they've made are...kinda questionable, watching the kickstarter info. :S

#

really not a fan of the update to Limit. Infernals had the most dynamic, interesting limit setup next to Alchemicals previously.

#

But they've folded off all the 'do interesting things to interact with your limit' to charms you have to buy instead of base mechanics.

ruby geyser
#

i mean, it makes sense, 2e Infernals were written as a direct response to how busted some of 2e's mechanics were, so they flaunted or broke a lot of the established rules and stuff, 3e is revamping them and bringing them back to a reasonable position compared to the other exalts

tulip folio
#

Likewise dragging them way back towards 'Green Solar' feels like a major step back in 'interesting design'.

ruby geyser
#

they're a lot less 'green solar' than abyssals were 'black solar' in 2e

tulip folio
#

...sure but they're a lot more green solar than they were.

#

They're now an ability-based exalt with a supernal.

#

Like they literally just copied the solar mechanic there

#

Infernals were interesting in how not solar they were.

limpid badge
#

And like, they were always ability based and supernal is Bad Mechanic they seem married to this edition

tulip folio
#

...no? They were not ability-based in the past.

#

That was a change for 3e

ruby geyser
#

right, and they also have the devil-body mechanics and all the universal charms that let you become a mini-yozi without actually breaking away from being an exalt of hell, and a lot of flavor in their charms that makes them more than just 'Solars, but with a green tint'

tulip folio
#

In 3e terms they'd be essence-based with how they were previously.

ruby geyser
#

and we knew from the word go that Infernals were going to be ability-based in 3e

limpid badge
#

I always remember the malfeas tree as Resist

tulip folio
ruby geyser
#

like the very first teaser we got from them way back in the og Ex3 KS made it clear they were dropping that, im honestly surprised they kept it a thing for Exigents at all

limpid badge
tulip folio
#

For me, the deciding factor was always going to be their limit system. I could handle going ability-based. I could handle being less experimental but...the 2e Infernal Limit system was one of the single best mechanical decisions 2e ever made, linking it beautifully into the fluff. Pushing that off into charms instead of how the system works by default kinda broke me there.

bleak hazel
#

mechanically they have fun stuff but they also seem to have 10000 save-or-suck powers, which I dislike

#

(although it would help if shaping defences weren't wildly variable in effectiveness - the Deeb and Sid ones barely do shit, the Abyssal and Lunar ones are basically total immunity and Solars were too early to have one at all)

tulip folio
#

It's an area where something worked wonderfully and it works less well in 3e.

tulip folio
limpid badge
#

That’s fair? Like. I can’t change your mind Iki, I just don’t think it like, ruins the whole splat in some way to try it again from the ground up- especially with the original book being the best of a very bad time

tulip folio
#

I think part of it was that I asked one of the devs about it and he said they changed it because they thought the 2e version was goofy.

#

With acts of villainy and such.

bleak hazel
#

especially since Infernals can just volley bullshit at you

#

"get 10 sux to resist poison or die! now shaping defence or die! no, +3 resolve won't cut it, real shaping defence!"

tulip folio
#

But I'll stop grumbling about that 😛

#

The Alchemical shaping defence is...a bit piecemeal.

#

It takes a repurchase to work against most things.

bleak hazel
#

infernals are also giga-super-frontloaded, since all their class features basically come online at E1/2 and they get supernal, so they get best of both worlds on Solar/Lunar

#

all that stuff scales, especially the near-infinite demon army, but I don't think anyone's touching them at E1

velvet raft
#

3e Infernals seem to be compatible with the thing that's most important to me, personally (despite chapter 1 just being completely disconnected from anything that follows in that respect), but I do largely agree with Iki that I think the exclusions and removals are mistakes

ruby geyser
tulip folio
velvet raft
#

That's not really out of keeping with how Abyssals can drop resonance by being Extremely Goth, yeah

limpid badge
#

I mean no? The Trappings of Death keep you from eating a -2 in the land of the Living, you Vent Limit with smaller Bleak Expirations

nova yew
#

They gain limit by showing mercy(not in death’s chivalry), forgetting they’re a dead person, or answering to old names

#

Yeah

#

Abyssals can vent limit

velvet raft
#

Good-guy Infernals and Abyssals benefitting from wearing capes and going muwahahahahaha is a feature imo

nova yew
#

I love the trappings of death

#

You get a goth dress code or else it becomes hard to breathe and the sun is too bright

limpid badge
#

You do gain limit for being insufficiently Goth with “To go among the living and act as though you still were one”

nova yew
#

You’re uncomfortable in the world of the living. You need to bring a bit of death with you

velvet raft
#

i am in favor of solaroids having mechanical incentives to act like Ru or my friend fro

tulip folio
#

Acts of Villainy were also really good for Promoting Good Play Experience. They had you do more to let the GM know what your plans are so the GM can interact with them, keep antagonists alive so they can recur etc.

limpid badge
#

I just also believe that Supernal as a mechanic should be taken out back and shot

velvet raft
#

Yes

tulip folio
#

Oh, 100%

velvet raft
#

We are all in agreement on that

limpid badge
#

Bad idea!!! Bad idea hamster and sex-pest!!!!

velvet raft
#

I could see it staying as Essence+1

#

But I have yet to meet anybody who likes it, really

tulip folio
# bleak hazel "get 10 sux to resist poison or die! now shaping defence or die! no, +3 resolve ... 
The Alchemical adds (Intelligence/2, rounded up) to her Resolve as a non-Charm bonus against a Shaping effect used by a gremlin, fae, or undead. Alternatively, she can add that many automatic successes on a roll with any Attribute opposing such a Shaping effect. If she succeeds, she gains one mote for each 10 she rolls, or each 1 on a roll against her Resolve.

With Essence 2, this Charm can defend against unrolled Shaping effects, forcing an opposed (Willpower)roll. Each installation of Transpuissant Intelligence Upgrade the Alchemical has adds an automatic success on the roll.

Submodules
Reality Stabilization Matrix (3xp; Essence 2): This Charm can defend against all Shaping effects.

The Alch Anti-Shaping charm is pretty decent but really doesn't come online until E2.

tulip folio
velvet raft
#

They're stuck

bleak hazel
#

Sid one is also E2 but provides zero non-charm benefit unless it's an unrolled effect

velvet raft
#

They don't want to do 3.5

bleak hazel
#

making it damn near useless against anything that could already beat your resolve

#

I am tempted to evocation myself a better one

tulip folio
#

Sid shaping defence upgrade: 'If this shaping effect would stop me doing my Job or make me happy, stop it'

velvet raft
#

I mean like ... I've expressed that my personal favored version of the setting would see the Neverborn and Yozi get all of the Solar exaltations from the jade prison so that we don't have to think very much about Solars and their sick bones and their murderhobo tendencies

#

I kinda stand by that

tulip folio
#

...silly pondering: Are demons a type of spirit, mechanically?

velvet raft
#

Yes

#

Mechanically and narratively

tulip folio
#

I knew narratively, I wasn't 100% sure mechanically.

velvet raft
#

They're a political and lineal classification of spirit

tulip folio
#

Okay, so Alchs can invoke the name of Primus to command demons.

#

Which has got to be real awkward.

#

'In the name of your brother you really don't like, do my bidding'

limpid badge
#

Also I realize I keep getting handed charms that fit my character concept perfectly with infernals which is probably the major reason I’m very “yaaaay lalala” about the book

prisma sun
#

I mean its not really too different for demons

#

Exalted get to boss them around

#

Its in the peace treaty

velvet raft
#

Ultimately I do like what we're getting with Infernals, I just could like it more

#

And I think chapter 1 needs to be completely rewritten

bleak hazel
#

I like the vibes and am a bit concerned the mechanics will heavily incentivise just throwing instakills at everything

#

or things-that-are-basically-instakills

tulip folio
prisma sun
velvet raft
#

I am concerned that Infernals are very, very powerful

prisma sun
#

Or is it spread out

velvet raft
#

Even compared to other solaroids

bleak hazel
#

getting mega-disease or mega-shaping or mega-mote-drain on your combat skills for free is cool but it also means that the enemy Jimmy Swords is totally fucked unless he's gone and picked up defence charms for every possible threat

merry arch
ruby geyser
velvet raft
#

I think the designers are also kicking themselves on their failure to come up with Keys sooner

bleak hazel
#

will definitely be putting "hey, maybe cool it on the save-or-dies" in the feedback form at some point

#

(obviously not in those words)

velvet raft
#

Keys are going to make the charms section vastly more readable

nova yew
tulip folio
#

I think the save or dies being so heavy on the combat skills I'm a bit iffy on.

limpid badge
tulip folio
#

Like, gimmes some evil-ass curses in occult

#

So the magic infernal can contribute to the battle by being a horrible goblin creature.

#

But not 'Do it while also punching a guy to the moon'

#

If that makes sense?

bleak hazel
#

also the devil-body is perhaps a bit nuts at Essence 1 because it can easily be three different save-or-dies that you get for free

#

so you go super saiyan at E1 and the entire opfor of enemy exalts just melts instantly even if you were getting your arse kicked because nobody has anti-poison and anti-shaping at E1 and it's literally impossible for them to resist legendary size grapple before E3

ruby geyser
#

Mind-Hand Manip has a shaping effect upgrade, which is the typical go-to for non-sorcery magical bullshit(see: crypt bolt attack on abyssals)

bleak hazel
#

that shaping effect is also one of the worst offenders because it's a huge mote/wp drain and that's yet another method of instant kill

tulip folio
#

As an aside: Man I wish war charms more often had charms for anything related to war that isn't just 'when leading a battlegroup'.

#

I don't think I've ever seen a war charm work with Siege Weapons etc

bleak hazel
#

especially the willpower drain

#

since enemy combatants tend to spend their willpower

velvet raft
#

Mind-Hand looks good

tulip folio
#

"Catch these hands. Now, catch these brain hands."

velvet raft
#

Hot take: Infernals should have more sorcerous martial arts

prisma sun
#

Lunars have a siege weapon charm tree

#

Solars do too I think

#

Specifically for manning battlements yourself

ruby geyser
velvet raft
#

Indeed

#

It’d be a shame not to with their predisposition to sorcery

tulip folio
#

...I'm gunna have to double check but I'm pretty sure Lunars don't have a siege weapon tree because as attribute-based exalts, all their ranged combat stuff is in dex but you roll int to fire siege weapons.

velvet raft
#

I do wish that wasn’t locked up in Occult

ruby geyser
#

although itll probably not explicitly be sorcerous, just weird magical stuff

#

shaping effects and all that

prisma sun
#

I think its about manning siege engines yourself

ruby geyser
#

Sorcerous as a keyword is dead 😔

velvet raft
#

Aye, I mean like Flying Guillotine

tulip folio
#

New Martial Art: MAGMA KRAKEN GRAPPLER

velvet raft
#

Yes

tulip folio
#

More seriously: I'd love to see a martial art that lists those various natural weapons you get for transforming your body. Like the 'turn into lightning' or 'turn into molten metal' spells.

velvet raft
#

The preview for the Sid companion suggests it will give us an Incomparable Body Arsenal style

tulip folio
#

As that has the mechanical advantage for design of just Having A Weapon To Work With.

velvet raft
#

So that’s something

velvet raft
tulip folio
#

Also: I know it's ot a huge thing but man game, can you give us so more thaumaturgy? There is more 'First Circle Attack Spells' than 'All thaumaturgy'. It makes having thaumaturgy as a thing feel kinda pointless 😛

ruby geyser
#

welcome to exalted vvvSip

velvet raft
#

Thaumaturgy’s place in-setting in 3e is weird

fierce star
#

Ex2's thaumaturgy was actually useful and pretty in depth

velvet raft
#

It used to be stuff anybody could learn

fierce star
#

ex3's thaumaturgy is like

#

it's the fucking appendix of the system

velvet raft
#

Now you need the Special Thaumaturgy DNA

#

Meanwhile sorcery is easier for a mortal to pick up

ruby geyser
#

tbf it's kind of been supplanted by sorcerous workings

velvet raft
#

It’s weird

ruby geyser
#

i wonder if we would have gotten more thaumaturgy stuff if the og ex3 devs had kept going vvvSip

#

granted, in that case, we might still be waiting on the lunars book /j

limpid badge
ruby geyser
velvet raft
#

I do think that Infernal sorcery needs more juice

#

Like

ruby geyser
#

there will probably be some neat initiations considering the direct lines to 3CDs and all that

velvet raft
#

Give unlock charms to more abilities, let all Infernals treat spells as favored, put the really hot shit charms in occult

tulip folio
#

Hell, you want to do something simple but very 'oh, infernals are king shit of sorcery?'

#

'This charm lets you pick a second control spell for terrestial sorcery. You can repurchase as E3 and 5 for celestial and solar'

velvet raft
#

I don’t mind making Occult absolute hottest shit for it

#

But making the basic unlocks into universal charms feels right

velvet raft
#

We are the Infernal Grognards

tulip folio
#

Pondering for Horrible Witch purposes.

#

Do you think it's reasonable for a Sorcerous Working to take the form of a one-use object? Like say, 'whoever pricks their finger on this spinning wheel will sleep forever?' or 'whoever drinks this potion will get the mutations picked out for the sorcerous working'

velvet raft
#

The lore and occult line does look like it’ll suit my Excessively Reasonable Infernal Ex-Cultist

tulip folio
#

I'll mostly be happy if infernals lets me play a Horrible Day Ruining Witch.

#

I want to curse people for not inviting me to parties.

velvet raft
#

You know what would be fun

#

I have not looked at Bureaucracy

#

So this could already be there

#

But a Bureaucracy line centered around that

buoyant summit
velvet raft
#

Bureaucracy for geases and curses

tulip folio
#

Yes my mental image for an infernal is 'Disney Villain, complete with songs'

buoyant summit
#

I'm kind of playing a Disney villain in the Abyssals game

tulip folio
#

...infernal perform needs a charm that forces other characters in the scene to take part in your performance. They can keep fighting you but they're still singing along etc.

velvet raft
limpid badge
#

i usually err towards "shonen villian" personally

tulip folio
buoyant summit
ruby geyser
#

cant remember the name but iirc it makes it so their dice pools for anything except participating in your performance are capped by their (Cha+Perf) or something along those lines

#

i had a PC in a game that lasted over a year who would reliably use that in every fight if she was actually involved, and i think she also had uhh the MA style that lets you make Kiai strikes

tulip folio
#

infernal and abyssal both starting off with 'I got friends on the other side' and then just giving each other the dirtiest 'I had it first' look

bleak hazel
#

that particular Solar one is busted as fuck, to be fair

buoyant summit
#

hands off

ruby geyser
#

Respect-Commanding Attitude, the first Utility charm

buoyant summit
#

xD

bleak hazel
#

start singing before the fight starts and only the world's most specific counter can do anything about it

ruby geyser
#

and Silver-Voiced Nightengale Style is the MA in question

limpid badge
#

sorry i just use dadmetal for all of my abyssal

tulip folio
#

Yeah I'd love to see Infernals get a more balanced version of that solar charm.

limpid badge
#

(the secret is you put enough anime in the playlist to trick the children into eating it)

fierce star
#

babymetal is my infernals soundtrack

velvet raft
#

God, keys have been such a long time coming

next delta
velvet raft
#

That chapter is going to be vastly more readable

#

Than any prior charms chapter

#

Simply because of keys

next delta
#

(this might be more appropriate to a fae charm)

limpid badge
velvet raft
#

Capstone Infernal Performance charm should just be the BoKL capstone charm again

#

The one that made you go play a completely different game

#

:V

fierce star
#

so what exaclty are keys?

velvet raft
#

A key is a charm that improves on or changes another charm

bleak hazel
#

it's just a repurchase but better formatted

velvet raft
#

It doesn't get a full listing because it doesn't need one

bleak hazel
#

and also rolling in a bunch of the "charm that upgrades charm X" stuff

#

I like that to go necromancy mode they have to Ebon Dragon it up

ultimate_darkness_internalization.png
velvet raft
#

So now instead of a charm line being 6 charms scattered across the ability

#

It's a low-essence charm, and 5 keys

fierce star
#

so it's like repurchases or upgrade charms or alchemical submodules but Full Priced, and with More Easily Understood Formatting?

velvet raft
#

Much easier to reference and figure out what you want

#

Yes

limpid badge
#

yah basically

fierce star
#

well that just makes plenty of sense to have now don't it

velvet raft
#

Yep

bleak hazel
#

the only reason it needs a fancy name is because they hadn't deployed it before now

velvet raft
#

It does, hypothetically, incline infernals more towards a smaller list of different schticks per ability, that are improved upon more

#

But fundamentally it's a formatting thing

ruby geyser
#

i have to wonder if calling them Keys came from Demon the Descent

velvet raft
#

Could be

#

IIRC Sin-Eaters also had Keys

ruby geyser
#

Ex3 seems to be taking more hints from nwod/cofd than previous editions

velvet raft
#

Fuck, pondering Magma Kraken Kung Fu

ruby geyser
#

right, though they used the word Keys for different things rooThink Geist Keys were just 'whats the elemental flavor of your powers', Demon Keys were 'what powers are super special to your particular nature as a demon and your vision of hell'

velvet raft
#

The preview suggested we will probably get a Blood Lash martial art, and an Incomparable Arsenal martial art

ruby geyser
#

neither is an exact fit for Infernals

velvet raft
#

Really they could've just picked the name out of a hat

#

"It unlocks stronger versions of the charm, uh, keys"

velvet raft
#

Wait

#

Cerulean Lute of Harmony weapons: Stylists fight defensively, striking with pushing strikes, heel-steps, and hand-traps that open opponents’ guards. It uses batons, parasols, and war fans, typically wielded in combination. Appropriately sized string instruments such as ouds or lutes count as batons.
Another unweaving method-compatible style!

#

I have an unreasonable affection for Unweaving Method

bleak hazel
#

current best candidate for Magma Kraken Style remains PAOC because most of the kraken scales off essence

#

so you can make an even larger kraken

velvet raft
#

Ye

bleak hazel
#

the magmost kraken

velvet raft
#

But that's the SMA, we need Magma Kraken-specific charms :D

#

"The best thing is PAoC" well yeah duh XD

#

Alright. Let's say, for the sake of argument, you're building up to PAoC.

#

You want Celestial Circle Sorcery, since that gives you the best discount with Spell-Shattering Palm, and also Magma Kraken is a cool spell.

#

But to get celestial circle sorcery, sids need to know 5 spells.

#

What are our five spells of choice, and why is one of them ISOB?

bleak hazel
#

oh so they do

#

hrm

#

thought they could just circle up without additional prereqs, that's annoying on Rival

#

since he has the cast-any-spell-once merit so he really wants to be the world's most dilettante sorceror

#

I guess he sticks at terrestrial so he can have the Exalted Car and ISOB

bleak hazel
velvet raft
#

Yeah, I was thinking since we can get the Key of Mastery from PAoC that Stormwind Rider might be the other control spell accessed via that

bleak hazel
#

probably a blasty spell

#

for the fifth

velvet raft
#

Where is Peacock Shadow Eyes?

bleak hazel
#

Lunars

velvet raft
#

Amusingly, Five Magical Materials Form also hypothetically lets us steal the You Are A Pathfinder Magus evocations to use unarmed

#

Which works well with this

tulip folio
#

...I wonder how those sid charms that let you add a weapon to a martial art interact with the spell martial arts.

bleak hazel
#

but then you can't magma kraken at +2 essence

velvet raft
#

You've got options!

#

And then at Essence 5 you get to use all of your options simultaneously

#

And as a small limit, the very best of the Seven Star Alignment evocations specifically require martial arts compatible with a seven-section staff, which PAOC is not

coral wraith
#

honestly, Flying Guillotine for a 5th spell if you want single target

#

Otherwise Obsidian Butterflies is the goat

#

"Take a severe crippling injury or double 9s on damage dice" is nuts

velvet raft
#

Flying Guillotine is also very nice for running on Intelligence

#

Rather than Perception like most offensive spells

coral wraith
#

true

velvet raft
#

I think it's just Flying Guillotine and that one spell in ... Heirs?

#

The one that dehydrates things

#

For basic offensive spells that don't need Perception

coral wraith
velvet raft
#

Aha

coral wraith
#

there are a lot of goated spells though

#

do love a good Silent Words of Dreams and Nightmares

velvet raft
#

There are very few Sid charms that use Dex, hm ...

coral wraith
#

and Sid charms are all about unorthodox application of stats

#

Dex is the opposite of unorthodox

velvet raft
#

Yeah, I'm just pondering the efficiency of grabbing the Strength to attack, Stamina to Parry, and Appearance to Evasion charms

#

It's 40 XP to go from Dex 1 to Dex 5, and 24 XP to grab those three charms, so if one already has those stats high, it is cost-effective

#

The question that then arises is martial arts, but surprisingly few of them actually care about Dex

#

Snake, Water Dragon

#

Wondering if there's any way to key Stealth off something other the Dex

coral wraith
#

underling invisibility practice

velvet raft
#

Since there's a bunch of good Martial Arts stuff that keys on Unexpeted Attacks

#

White Veil lets you do it with Manipulation in Form, I guess

tulip folio
# 
Gravitational Pull
Cost 5m; Mins: Strength 3, Essence 1
Type: Supplemental 
Duration: One Scene
Prerequisite Charms: None
The Wanderer has walked long and far. She understands the pull of far-flung families and the journey that each object has travelled to reach this point.

The Wanderer manipulates gravity within Short Range of herself.

-She can use it to lift or suspend objects within range as a Feat of Strength.
-She adds (Essence) to her Strength rating to determine if she may attempt a feat of strength (Exalted, p. 229). If this raises her effective Strength over a feat’s minimum, each dot over adds a non-charm bonus die.
-She may make Disarm and Unhorse gambits against enemies within ragne with a (Strength + Athletics attack) roll.
-At the Storyteller’s discretion, this may let her perform some actions at range with (Strength + Athletics), as long as they don’t involve fine manipulation.

Keys:

Stellar Debris: The Wanderer may complete feats that normally takes an extended period of time, such as bashing through a brick wall, in an instant, if the Storyteller deems it feasible. Even if it is not, the time required to complete it is divided by the Wanderer's (Strength + Athletics). When doing so, the wanderer may choose to have a non-artifact target of this feat is not just broken but reduced to its original components, undamaged. A clock can be reduced to gears or metal, or a cake disassembled back into eggs and flour despite its processing.

Orbital Spinbowler: She may propel objects in the area she meets the minimum strength to lift as Improvised Weapons. When using an improvised weapon this way, it gains Thrown(Short), +1 Accuracy, +(1/2 Essence, rounded up) to damage and overwhelming values and waives the initiative cost to attack with.

Okay, did a rewrite of that wanderer 'I'm doing feats of strength' thing to play more with their Space subtheme.

#

The base one lets you do some basic gravity-based telekinesis, with the upgrades letting you just dissolve shit into base components or fucking yeet objects at people.

velvet raft
#

Might want to look at the gravity-based nunchaku in the sid book

tulip folio
#

Oh? I didn't know that existed. Cool.

#

I've got a few inspirations for 'Wanderers Fighting' and the 'You're doing Strength or Dexterity Stuff' side is very Gravity Rush 'Oh god, what the fuck is this'. Not in a sid 'this makes no sense' way and more in a 'this person is fighting in an entirely different gravity situation to everyone else'. With a bit of Control in there too.

(Manipulation on the other hand draws very specificially from The Doctor in its particular form of madness and bullshittery.)

velvet raft
#

Hm, okay, I think it's just this and White Veil form (for Sids, anyway)

image.png
fierce star
tulip folio
#

Keys is a new keyword from the infernals book. It's literally just 'repurchases'

#

Lets you have repurchases that are not just sequential improvements.

fierce star
#

legit

knotty islandBOT
#

I think I've realised why Exalt names sound like that: They're translated.

ruby geyser
#

what exalt names are you referring to? the titles/sobriquets? those are actual in-universe nicknames the characters have gotten for their deeds, officially

fierce star
#

the bull of the north's given name is Yurgen Kaneko

ruby geyser
#

and Abyssals are edgelords given their special florid names by the deathlords when they exalt and punished if they try to use their living names vvvSip

velvet raft
#

As a result, we tend to think "sequence of nonsense sounds" is the norm for a name

#

But it isn't

#

(Loanword names are not unique to English by any means, but we do a lot of it)

fierce star
#

your pal Mike's name is actually (assuming it's short for Michael and not, like, Mikestopher), is 'There Are None Who Are Like God'

velvet raft
#

IIRC it's "Who Is Like God?"

fierce star
#

there's a few translations of it I believe

velvet raft
#

But yeah, any -ael, -iel, or -uel name is a direct reference to the divine

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Since those are all Hebrew names

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So ... in most of the world, naming your kid Light or Morning Dew or Thousand Forests or Harmonious Jade is absolutely the norm

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And we do still do it in English

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Mostly with Christian virtues, but still

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Hope, Prudence, Joy

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Faith, Charity

fierce star
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Suffer-Not-A-Witch-To-Live Jebediah

ruby geyser
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Thou-Shalt-Not-Commit-Adultery Pulsifer

velvet raft
#

I think Exalted deliberately evokes the fact that an English-speaking audience tends to think of word names as unusual and sorta wuxia-flavored, while simultaneously playing into the fact that they're completely normal.

knotty islandBOT
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I see. I'm thinking of like. The names that people keep referring to people as, and noting the fact that Bǎihé does not have one of those, which is probably considered odd.

Rats (He/They) 🐀 ↩️

[Reply to:](#1161699000836165714 message) what exalt names are you referring to? the titles/sobriquets? those are actual in-universe nicknames…

bleak hazel
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not really, there are many of those

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Chejop Kejak is just Chejop Kejak, he doesn't have a cool title

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same for Ma-Ha-Suchi or most of the deeb elders

fierce star
#

oh hey misc, I have a sidereal question for you

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other than 'turn a mortal into a dragon at the cost of traumatizing them forever' what is sidereal ride good at?

bleak hazel
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recruiting familiars and chumps, giving them spirit tricks and riding strange entities

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it's eaten all the beastmaster stuff Survival normally has

fierce star
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nods

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I had this idea for a sidereal character inspired by one of my legend of the five rings characters--basically the idea would be 'show up to an important battle on your Magnificant Steed, challenge the person in charge to a duel, kick their ass, be Cryptic at their army, then ride off into the sunset'

velvet raft
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Notably even before the dragon thing, it can turn an animal familiar into a spirit in the celestial bureaucracy

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Complete with giving them a posting or whatnot

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And then upgrade them and etc

mighty rover
fierce star
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what if the problem is 'the mortal has too much trauma'

mighty rover
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Well that one's not my problem

nova yew
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As long as they don’t turn into a giant snake

velvet raft
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Sids are the splat with Dead Spouse Defense, they're just sort of like that

velvet raft
prisma sun
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Dead Spuse defense is so fucking funny

velvet raft
prisma sun
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What if you stab me so hard YOUR wife dies

nova yew
knotty islandBOT
#

P.. Pardon?

gkathellar (he/him) ↩️

[Reply to:](#1161699000836165714 message) Sids are the splat with Dead Spouse Defense, they're just sort of like that

nova yew
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No wait it’s just a dragon

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That’s fine

prisma sun
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Dragons are snakes

next delta
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Legged snakes

nova yew
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The rules are very clear

velvet raft
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Dead Spouse Defense lets you displace an attack to a trivial character you know

nova yew
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Turning into a giant snake never solves anything!

knotty islandBOT
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Oh.

nova yew
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But a dragon

knotty islandBOT
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I thought it was something quite different.

nova yew
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Well that’s a different story

velvet raft
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They die and you don't take the attack

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There is not really any way to defend against this, they're just Not Important so they get killed instead

lament owl
prisma sun
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So no legs

next delta
#

For some reason Sidreals all become super cynical

next delta
bleak hazel
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Dead Spouse Defence can target spouses but nothing is mentioned about it being your spouse

velvet raft
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Yep

mighty rover
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yeah they've got legs

velvet raft
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It's any trivial character

prisma sun
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They sometimes have arms

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But they never have legs

velvet raft
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You can just declare someone the universe considers insignificant dies

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To avoid the hit

mighty rover
next delta
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Dead Spouse Defense is particularly wild because it's one of an ostensible closed set of charms the maidens chose to make (I think that's still the lore?)

velvet raft
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To be clear, East Asian dragons are snake-y enough that I thought the joke was worth making

next delta
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It definitely is

mighty rover
velvet raft
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They are not snakes

prisma sun
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In exalted they are definitely not portrayed with legs

velvet raft
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They are, however, probably mythologically related to naga

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Who are snakes

next delta
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I found it funny to riff on that and legless lizard

prisma sun
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Well every culture has a giant mythological snake worm

velvet raft
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And uh, no, Exalted dragons have legs

bleak hazel
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Dead Spouse Defence is also just like, the best perfect

velvet raft
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They have claw attacks

bleak hazel
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as long as you are willing to kill random puny mortals for it, you perfect block, prevent any other negative effects and reset the enemy to base init because they hit you, and you can do it after the attack roll

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for an extremely low mote/wp cost

prisma sun
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Thats what I am saying they got arms but they are never drawn with legs

velvet raft
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I don't think that's accurate

next delta
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"it's the best perfect excluding the unimportant person who dies" is very on brand for a Sidreal lol

prisma sun
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I only know 4 art of elemental dragons and none of em got legs to my remembrance

bleak hazel
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it's high essence but also not too far down the skill tree

prisma sun
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And thats if you count storm serpents as elemental dragons

velvet raft
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Storm serpents are specifically not elemental dragons

prisma sun
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They are dragons that are elementals though

bleak hazel
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Dead Spouse Defence is the third charm from the base of the tree, I love Sid flat-tree formatting

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E4 sid can just go "actually I want to be a real bastard this week"

velvet raft
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But like, in the core book

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There is a dragon depicted on every spread

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And it has two sets of legs

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Storm serpents are serpents

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Front legs and back legs

image.png image.png
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We don't really have much dragon art period, and most of it is just close-ups

prisma sun
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Thats not a dragon statblock

mighty rover
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The watermark

prisma sun
#

Oh

velvet raft
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The watermark that's on every page of that chapter

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We have some art of an elemental dragon here (from Sids), but that's just the face

image.png
bleak hazel
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you know speaking of Sid Ride or any other familiar tree, they're all quite evenly balanced and then I just look at Infernals and it's like "nah, if you don't have 3 E9 3CDs and a horde of 2CDs loyal only to you by E5 you're a little bitch"

prisma sun
bleak hazel
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Infernals are great but I have a feeling Soul Hierarchy is going to annoy me

prisma sun
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So we got no legs and then arms

velvet raft
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Most of that first one's body is out-of-frame

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The fact that you cannot see the legs on an incomplete depiction is not really evidence that dragons do not have legs

prisma sun
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I would also counter that art of something that is not explicitly an elemental dragon that has legs does not prove the existence of legs

velvet raft
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I don't know why that would be the default assumption

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Since dragons in exalted are based on East Asian dragons, which have legs

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I'm just sort of baffled where this is coming from

nova yew
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That could solve lots of problems

prisma sun
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See Karen gets it.

nova yew
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Listen! As long as it’s not turning into a giant snake

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It all works out

velvet raft
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Well, the trick is that the charm turns somebody else into a long, sinuous reptile

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Not yourself

nova yew
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It all works out

prisma sun
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You can then order another long sinuous reptile off amazon.

velvet raft
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It is possible to turn yourself into a long, sinuous reptile using an artifact Evocation