Exalted | Pilot NET | Page 108

marsh garden Apr 11, 2026, 2:40 AM

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i think that's just intended

bleak hazel Apr 11, 2026, 2:41 AM

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Runescape on this point is on so many layers of self-referential balancing that I have no idea what's considered a really funky trick you can do to eke out some more juice and what's a basic boss fight mechanic everyone should understand easily

prisma sun Apr 11, 2026, 2:42 AM

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I actually have thought about this and I think I have the sauce

tulip folio Apr 11, 2026, 2:42 AM

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Sid 5 dot artifact: Rotten Potato

coral wraith Apr 11, 2026, 2:42 AM

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yeah jsut tick eat Ligier's decisive

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aka Death Twice Denied

wise ocean Apr 11, 2026, 2:42 AM

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bleak hazel Runescape on this point is on so many layers of self-referential balancing that ...

sids prayer flick

bleak hazel Apr 11, 2026, 2:42 AM

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oh is that why their excellency is so cheap

spiral cosmos Apr 11, 2026, 2:43 AM

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given she's one session off from essence 4 and a ways up paoc i think she'd probably manage it

tulip folio Apr 11, 2026, 2:44 AM

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...god dammit i joke about the rotten potato but 'Primordial Admin Device You Barely Understand' would make a very fun sorcerous Artefact

marsh garden Apr 11, 2026, 2:45 AM

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mm, which Primordials (pre-revolution) were associated with what we'd call sorcery?

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autochthon has his own branch, which i'd say is probably still kind of distinct in 3e

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so firmly not him

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and other than that, i don't know who's "the sorcery guy"

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sacheverell?

tulip folio Apr 11, 2026, 2:46 AM

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Most of them to some extent. It's not really a 'this guy did Sorcery' thing iirc

marsh garden Apr 11, 2026, 2:46 AM

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they were definitely all world-shaping masters of creation, as is their whole thing

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but i'm surprised none of em have a discrete emphasis on sorcery

spiral cosmos Apr 11, 2026, 2:47 AM

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they don't need sorcery to work their will upon the world

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sorcery is carved into existence after their advent. this is why it summons demons and calls on their power

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ligier doesn't need sorcery to raise himself in the sky or hale forth masterworks because he can simply do that in and of himself

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i think the principle basically holds for the overbeings

prisma sun Apr 11, 2026, 2:48 AM

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Cost: xm
Mins: Essence Yeah
Type: 
Keywords: 
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Student Begins the Journey  

Lies can only be spoken with words, the body always tells the truth. 

The wielder may make a special Read Intentions roll against up to (Essence+1) opponents, reducing the difficulty of the roll by (1+Number of Turns, Max Essence). 

Harmonious: The next time someone affected by this charm utilizes an Intimacy in the scene, you may instead turn its bonus into a penalty. ```

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@bleak hazel Howssis

marsh garden Apr 11, 2026, 2:48 AM

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fair enough

spiral cosmos Apr 11, 2026, 2:49 AM

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maybe swlihn in a roundabout way

marsh garden Apr 11, 2026, 2:49 AM

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ah right, because she's all about secrets and structured workings?

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so the order of spells would appeal

coral wraith Apr 11, 2026, 2:49 AM

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The Primordials wrote the coding language of the world, sorcery is just injecting your own code

prisma sun Apr 11, 2026, 2:50 AM

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Sorcery is telling Creation: "Ignore all prior instructions"

fierce star Apr 11, 2026, 2:50 AM

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ebon dragon, I think

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after all, it was one of his second circles that taught sorcery to exalts for the first time

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and to extend the code injection metaphor, he's the blackest hattest of blck hat hackers thematically, if also really shit at it

marsh garden Apr 11, 2026, 2:50 AM

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also reasonable

bleak hazel Apr 11, 2026, 2:51 AM

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Ebby is also the necromancy yozi, so I'd be inclined to give sorcery to someone else just to even it out a bit, but it's really all their collective deal

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outlier candidate Cytherea?

prisma sun Apr 11, 2026, 2:51 AM

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I would imagine sorcery would be the guy who made the Gets who's asleep

marsh garden Apr 11, 2026, 2:51 AM

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ah, so you're saying that if we murdered ted, we'd get access to the even more secret fourth circle of necromancy

prisma sun Apr 11, 2026, 2:51 AM

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that feels like His Shit

marsh garden Apr 11, 2026, 2:52 AM

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sacheverell!

prisma sun Apr 11, 2026, 2:52 AM

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That's the bitch

spiral cosmos Apr 11, 2026, 2:52 AM

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marsh garden so the order of spells would appeal

i think it's as much that as sorcery is a hierarchy, and it was a hierarchy that had to have been built

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so if it was built on some of the bones of her old works and there's an affinity there it makes sense to me

marsh garden Apr 11, 2026, 2:52 AM

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right right

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that makes a lot of sense

spiral cosmos Apr 11, 2026, 2:52 AM

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sacheverell is kind of like

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if you want to understand where he's coming from in 1e he is simultaneously a riff on lord dunsany's skaarl the drummer from gods of pangea

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and laplace's demon

marsh garden Apr 11, 2026, 2:53 AM

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yeah i love that about him

spiral cosmos Apr 11, 2026, 2:53 AM

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turned into, literally, a demon

prisma sun Apr 11, 2026, 2:53 AM

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I definitely know what that is

spiral cosmos Apr 11, 2026, 2:54 AM

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causal determinism thought experiment

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https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Laplace's_demon

Laplace's demon

In the history of science, Laplace's demon was a notable published articulation of causal determinism on a scientific basis by Pierre-Simon Laplace in 1814. According to determinism, if someone (the demon) knows the precise location and momentum of every particle in the universe, their past and future values for any given time are entailed; they...

prisma sun Apr 11, 2026, 2:54 AM

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Oh no I meant Lord Dunsany's Skaarl the Drummer

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I know Laplace's Demon

spiral cosmos Apr 11, 2026, 2:55 AM

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https://sacred-texts.com/neu/dun/gope/gope04.htm

Internet Sacred Text Archive

The Gods of Pegana: Of Skarl the Drummer | Internet Sacred Text Arc...

Legends & Sagas: When MANA-YOOD-SUSHAI had made the gods and Skarl, Skarl made a drum, and began to beat upon it that he might drum for ever. Then becau...

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if you like Games of Divinity or especially anything about the Maidens, it's Jenna Moran pastiching Lord Dunsany

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And there fell a hush upon the gods when they saw that MANA rested, and there was silence on Pegana save for the drumming of Skarl. Skarl sitteth upon the mist before the feet of MANA-YOOD-SUSHAI, above the gods of Pegana, and there he beateth his drum. Some say that the Worlds and the Suns are but the echoes of the drumming of Skarl, and others say that they be dreams that arise in the mind of MANA because of the drumming of Skarl, as one may dream whose rest is troubled by sound of song, but none knoweth, for who hath heard the voice of MANA-YOOD-SUSHAI, or who hath seen his drummer?

Whether the season be winter or whether it be summer, whether it be morning among the worlds or whether it be night, Skarl still beateth his drum, for the purposes of the gods are not yet fulfilled. Sometimes the arm of Skarl grows weary; but still he beateth his drum, that the gods may do the work of the gods, and the worlds go on, for if he cease for an instant then MANA-YOOD-SUSHAI will start awake, and there will be worlds nor gods no more.

But, when at the last the arm of Skarl shall cease to beat his drum, silence shall startle Pegana like thunder in a cave, and MANA-YOOD-SUSHAI shall cease to rest.

Then shall Skarl put his drum upon his back and walk forth into the void beyond the worlds, because it is THE END, and the work of Skarl is over.

There may arise some other god whom Skarl may serve, or it may be that he shall perish; but to Skarl it shall matter not, for he shall have done the work of Skarl.```

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ig more specifically sachy is mana-yood-sushai here but he doesn't map right otherwise

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and the story is called skarl so myeh

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but you can see the connection

prisma sun Apr 11, 2026, 2:56 AM

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I do like Jenna Moran

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but yeah I can see it

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The sleeping godhead

bleak hazel Apr 11, 2026, 2:58 AM

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prisma sun ```Secrets Found Along the Way: Cost: xm Mins: Essence Yeah Type: Keywords: Du...

this does not really feel like it's doing anything martial artsy honestly, and I'm no use on balance here because I frankly don't know a damn thing about Read Intentions tech and how to price it, I'd have to go look up some comparison points

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personally I'd be more tempted to do something like "treat your attack roll as a read intentions roll to discover [combat relevant thing]" like how there's some tech that lets you Instill via beatdown, but I am going on pure vibes here and should go to bed before doing homebrew

prisma sun Apr 11, 2026, 2:59 AM

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Hrmmmmgh

wise ocean Apr 11, 2026, 3:07 AM

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weirdly enough "tick manip" can be a strat in both systems

prisma sun Apr 11, 2026, 3:17 AM

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What about clashing with a Read Intention roll?

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man I feel I'm running out of steam

marsh garden Apr 11, 2026, 3:19 AM

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coral wraith Apr 11, 2026, 3:19 AM

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This is Jupiter's end of things yeah

marsh garden Apr 11, 2026, 3:20 AM

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having loose ideas but not something perfectly concrete is super rough, yeah

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it sucks struggling for that perfect image of what you're trying to capture

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wish i could help

bleak hazel Apr 11, 2026, 3:29 AM

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prisma sun What about clashing with a Read Intention roll?

That's actually quite fun, as an "I read your moves and easily evade" type thing.

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lots of charms exist that let you clash with XYZ so it's quite easy to template

tulip folio Apr 11, 2026, 5:44 AM

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Razor-Edged Sword: The Swordbearer has double 9s on rolls using Brutality or Larceny. This does not apply to attacks but is increased to double 8s if the affected character (Including the owner of broken objects) has a major or defining intimacy of fear or opposition of violence, unwilling obedience or opposition to violence.

The Swordbearer continues to be a bully but not really in an 'intimidation' way. So much as a 'I have power, you can't stop me' way.

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If you have no ability to inflict violence, he's especially capable of kicking down your door or stealing your shit

tulip folio Apr 11, 2026, 8:13 AM

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The Supremacy of Force (5m, 1wp; Simple; Instant; Essence 2) The Swordbearer seizes control of the narrative to demonstrate that those who cannot impose force are powerless to resist it. The Swordbearer makes an opposed Brutality roll against the opposed (Strength + [Archery, Brawl, Thrown, Melee or Martial Arts]) roll of a character in Close Range. If the Swordbearer wins, the target suffers one unsoakable level of withering damage, plus additional levels equal to the Swordbearer's threshold successes as the world turns against them and circumstances conspire to doom them. The Swordbearer gains all initiative lost this way. Once per scene.

Updated Wording.

tulip folio Apr 11, 2026, 10:43 AM

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Unconquerable Truth (5m; Reflexive; Uniform; Instant; Essence 1): The Swordbearer gains +1 Parry against an attack and can block unblockable attacks. This increases to +2 Parry against attacks made without a weapon, such as Spells, Claws and Unarmed Attacks.

Angry Sid/Lunar Sounds

fierce star Apr 11, 2026, 11:58 AM

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"Stop not letting me hit you!" "Learn to violence like a real person nerd"

bleak hazel Apr 11, 2026, 12:07 PM

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Not to be confused with Unconquerable Self, which technically makes you impossible to kill but only by scronching your soul up and depositing it in Lethe

fierce star Apr 11, 2026, 12:41 PM

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'learn to X like a real person' might be my favorite thing to have a raksha say to someone actually

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it's just so delightfully self unaware

velvet raft Apr 11, 2026, 5:07 PM

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Mortalgame update: the fruits of our labors. Next: setting out with a force 12,000 strong!

marsh garden Apr 11, 2026, 5:20 PM

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excellent

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do y'all know about when you'll be Exalting?

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or is that a card that's still being kept close

spiral cosmos Apr 11, 2026, 5:26 PM

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my saturday morning game in a gif today:

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https://tenor.com/view/anime-jumped-jujutsu-kaisen-noob-gif-21288941

Tenor

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two essence 3 sidereals jumping the shit out of an e4 immaculate grandmaster assassin

marsh garden Apr 11, 2026, 5:26 PM

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https://tenor.com/view/sickos-sicko-haha-yes-creeper-gif-25057805

Tenor

spiral cosmos Apr 11, 2026, 5:27 PM

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gnarled oak of the gallows dogs thought he could assassinate the ledaal matriarch tonight

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he did not expect a bird to drop on him with a starmetal grimscythe then mnemon's bug-loving faildaughter to roundhouse kick him so hard everything exploded

marsh garden Apr 11, 2026, 5:27 PM

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ooh, trying to kickstart the RCW early?

spiral cosmos Apr 11, 2026, 5:28 PM

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he was hired with that aim

marsh garden Apr 11, 2026, 5:28 PM

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interesting, a (disgraced?) mercenary grandmaster

wise ocean Apr 11, 2026, 5:28 PM

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funnily enough we had a discussion forever back around a similar concept, except it was Gets vs. Sids to assassinate Mnemon and steal her hat

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also the RCW but y'know the hat's more important

wise ocean Apr 11, 2026, 5:29 PM

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marsh garden interesting, a (disgraced?) mercenary grandmaster

also yeah, what was this guy's deal? seems like an interesting story

spiral cosmos Apr 11, 2026, 5:30 PM

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parties had been at work to destablize arjuf on the backs of mnemon reneging on her promises of arjufi autonomy by murdering a ton of ledaals. my circle is here to, like, make the civil war not kick off here but also my character (Mnemon Kora) has come to feel kind of bad about the whole thing so she's promised people that she will ensure Arjuf reclaims its autonomy, despite her mother having promised it to house ledaal

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kora's whole thing is she was kind of a failkid but also mnemon liked her a lot more than a dynastic mother should

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so she did play favorites enough to make the rest of her house, like, hate kora

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whom i can only describe as a slightly clocky fusion between a bug type pokemon trainer and chun li

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(she likes to dress like a tomboy despite being transgender and it not being what would be ideal in her mind, and then acts like she isn't more bothered around women who can perform dynastic femininity better)

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but what she is very good at is martial arts

wise ocean Apr 11, 2026, 5:34 PM

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"obviously liked by the House Matriarch more than the other kids but fails to exalt" is a rough childhood

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(up until anathema moment, anyway)

spiral cosmos Apr 11, 2026, 5:35 PM

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well

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she's not an anathema

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she's a sidereal

prisma sun Apr 11, 2026, 5:35 PM

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She WAS the favorite

spiral cosmos Apr 11, 2026, 5:35 PM

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if she were an anathema it would be easier, in a way

prisma sun Apr 11, 2026, 5:35 PM

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Now she doesn't exist

spiral cosmos Apr 11, 2026, 5:35 PM

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high essence dragonbloods with high integrity are very good at chewing through arcane fate, honestly, if there's a direct tie

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mnemon pretty consistently remembers her

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they have charm tech for this

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unfortunately for kora this places her between her control freak mother on one side, the bureau on the other, oh and also through a terrible incident involving a hearteater she has ended up uh

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Involved

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with the lunar elder sublime danger

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and she's keeping that a secret from everybody

marsh garden Apr 11, 2026, 5:36 PM

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oh yeah, deebs specifically have a charm that lets them remember things, don't they

tulip folio Apr 11, 2026, 5:37 PM

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I do find it fun how much 3e puts more focus on 'arcane fate sucks on a personal and emotional level'.

spiral cosmos Apr 11, 2026, 5:37 PM

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she got into a duel with sublime danger once after they killed the hearteater together and it went from beating the shit out of kora to toxic agegap yuri that's now horribly for everyone managed to turn into an actual star-crossed romantic relationship

tulip folio Apr 11, 2026, 5:37 PM

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Instead of just 'Arcane Fate is a Cool Spy Trick'

wise ocean Apr 11, 2026, 5:38 PM

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spiral cosmos she's a sidereal

For the life of me I can never remember whether they count as anathema, don't, or if it's an Immaculate Sect Thing, or if it's "they're not actually mentioned but generally speaking if someone's throwing around celestial-tier powers around you, you're religiously trained to say 🫵 Anathema"

It's in one of the books somewhere, I'm sure

marsh garden Apr 11, 2026, 5:38 PM

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this character has big sauce, love her

prisma sun Apr 11, 2026, 5:38 PM

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It's in core

marsh garden Apr 11, 2026, 5:38 PM

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wise ocean For the life of me I can never remember whether they count as anathema, don't, o...

in 3e they don't count as anathema

prisma sun Apr 11, 2026, 5:38 PM

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Well, yes and no

marsh garden Apr 11, 2026, 5:39 PM

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Immaculate texts reference them obliquely, as best as they can

prisma sun Apr 11, 2026, 5:39 PM

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An Immaculate Priest may make a distinction

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however a peasant won't

wise ocean Apr 11, 2026, 5:39 PM

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📝

marsh garden Apr 11, 2026, 5:39 PM

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sure, but we're not talking about a peasant

spiral cosmos Apr 11, 2026, 5:39 PM

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a peasant has no idea

tulip folio Apr 11, 2026, 5:39 PM

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Anathema is mostly a case of 'are they shitted off with you' than a precise thing, as I understand it.

marsh garden Apr 11, 2026, 5:39 PM

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we're talking about Dynasts

tulip folio Apr 11, 2026, 5:39 PM

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A lot of exigents are not technically anathema but they'll get called it if they shit off the DBs

marsh garden Apr 11, 2026, 5:39 PM

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since those are the people that would know the difference between anathema and anathema and anathema

tulip folio Apr 11, 2026, 5:40 PM

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I know it gets mentioned with Architects that they're in a state of 'Look, we're cool with you...don't make us change that. You understand?'

spiral cosmos Apr 11, 2026, 5:40 PM

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Anathema as a project is primarily tied to the imagery of Lunars and Solars so if you're not that it's immediately a big question mark to most Immaculate adherents

marsh garden Apr 11, 2026, 5:40 PM

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tulip folio A lot of exigents are not *technically* anathema but they'll get called it if th...

well there's also no "technically" here, it's just a designation of supernaturally powerful being that's heretical or...anathematic to the Realm and "the world's spiritual health", which is why a blood god that's a little too gung-ho is also anathema

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as far as i understand it, at least

spiral cosmos Apr 11, 2026, 5:42 PM

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it arose out of the political need for negative polarization to lunars and solars and is primarily still about them

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but yeah

marsh garden Apr 11, 2026, 5:42 PM

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solars and lunars are what the system was built for and as such always Anathema, but it's not just "you're on the shit list" so much as "we are asserting that you are cosmically on the shit list, because your behavior disrupts the Perfected Hierarchy"

spiral cosmos Apr 11, 2026, 5:43 PM

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marsh garden this character has big sauce, love her

very important that you know she's not like other girls and actually her girlfriend tells her she's very mature for her age (23)

marsh garden Apr 11, 2026, 5:43 PM

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which is deebs > humans; humans > spirits within the bounds of Creation, because Creation is for humans

marsh garden Apr 11, 2026, 5:43 PM

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spiral cosmos very important that you know she's not like other girls and actually her girlfri...

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it's peak

spiral cosmos Apr 11, 2026, 5:44 PM

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there is a sort of "groomed by the bitch discord moderator" energy here except that it's about teaching kung fu

marsh garden Apr 11, 2026, 5:44 PM

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sublime danger as ratfuck-predatory-lesbian is not something i was expecting to see but i can only kneel and say based

spiral cosmos Apr 11, 2026, 5:44 PM

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Don't worry kitten. I will help you learn PAOC faster

marsh garden Apr 11, 2026, 5:44 PM

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i hope that they have a great time together and everyone else is deeply concerned

spiral cosmos Apr 11, 2026, 5:45 PM

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well it started with about the energy of like

tulip folio Apr 11, 2026, 5:45 PM

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Immaculate Monk being asked if the Alchemical they just found is Anathema.

tumblr_36b88af5cb4566fd40b3d78a8e285076_126aedce_500.jpg

spiral cosmos Apr 11, 2026, 5:46 PM

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If this were a comic it'd be a yuri manga where when the post-fight sex starts very little of it is explicit because it's 90% melancholy hollow internal nation and abstract symbolism, like a shrike impaling a grasshopper

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Just peak toxic yuri

tulip folio Apr 11, 2026, 5:46 PM

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Hahahah

spiral cosmos Apr 11, 2026, 5:46 PM

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Unfortunately for them all Danger has gone and actually begun reciprocating romantically and instead of walking away she's resolved to just treat Kora better

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Which is insanely selfish and probably is going to get Kora killed

marsh garden Apr 11, 2026, 5:47 PM

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and yet, it's also romantic

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i love that for her

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love that for both of them actually

spiral cosmos Apr 11, 2026, 5:47 PM

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Thats right. Who can say if its bad or not

merry arch Apr 11, 2026, 5:47 PM

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my infernal met her lunar mate and they're perfect for each other (they're both genuinely stupid as fuck and love violence)

marsh garden Apr 11, 2026, 5:47 PM

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god, where's that "we'll leave that for gundam fans to decide" meme

spiral cosmos Apr 11, 2026, 5:48 PM

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open to interpretation

prisma sun Apr 11, 2026, 5:49 PM

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To be fair Sublime Danger has multiple times shown up in this very server as a dangerous mommydom

wise ocean Apr 11, 2026, 5:49 PM

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it's in the name, technically. if you squint

tulip folio Apr 11, 2026, 5:50 PM

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marsh garden god, where's that "we'll leave that for gundam fans to decide" meme

marsh garden Apr 11, 2026, 5:50 PM

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velvet raft Apr 11, 2026, 5:51 PM

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marsh garden do y'all know about when you'll be Exalting?

Still unknown but I suspect during climax of this Wyld hunt

marsh garden Apr 11, 2026, 5:51 PM

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OH THAT'S GONNA BE SOME MEAN DRAMA

spiral cosmos Apr 11, 2026, 5:51 PM

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marsh garden

https://bsky.app/profile/vinnious.bsky.social/post/3mix7tzn7fs2w

Vinnitrice (@vinnious.bsky.social)

friend asked me for a full body beato sprite but how was i supposed to know this is what was gonna come out of it

Reposts

203

Likes

442

marsh garden Apr 11, 2026, 5:51 PM

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i love this one so fucking much

velvet raft Apr 11, 2026, 5:51 PM

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marsh garden OH THAT'S GONNA BE SOME *MEAN* DRAMA

Especially since Vailo is a genuine Immaculate believer

marsh garden Apr 11, 2026, 5:52 PM

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thank you mentally ill uminekoposters, you're my favorite people

wise ocean Apr 11, 2026, 5:52 PM

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there was a time when I resisted the idea that one of my ffxiv characters had beato as a faerie but eventually I gave up about the time I also gave her highborn lady chainsmoker voice

dense verge Apr 11, 2026, 5:52 PM

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mortalgame but you never actually exalt, campaign ends when my players beat me to death

marsh garden Apr 11, 2026, 5:52 PM

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lmao

velvet raft Apr 11, 2026, 5:52 PM

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XD

wise ocean Apr 11, 2026, 5:52 PM

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dense verge mortalgame but you never actually exalt, campaign ends when my players beat me t...

low-power fantasy setting

spiral cosmos Apr 11, 2026, 5:53 PM

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marsh garden thank you mentally ill uminekoposters, you're my favorite people

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/295335289977569281/1444383218412294154/v12044gd0000d4gv44fog65n13acvtmg.mov?ex=69dbd9b2&is=69da8832&hm=854d36d7cbbd8d7c7018f2732df86883fd8b6632f9f85dd2110568e4f4b4f331&

▶ Play video

marsh garden Apr 11, 2026, 5:53 PM

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with your dying cough "kueh But it was going to be...just next...session..."

velvet raft Apr 11, 2026, 5:53 PM

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All I know is that I’ve learned willpower is The Mortal’s Excellency

marsh garden Apr 11, 2026, 5:53 PM

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"Really?"

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"Lol. kuh No."

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dies

dense verge Apr 11, 2026, 5:54 PM

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mortals have vanishingly few buttons to press

velvet raft Apr 11, 2026, 5:54 PM

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I.e. the pain of being a mortal is that there is so, so little one can do to pad an important roll, yeah

marsh garden Apr 11, 2026, 5:54 PM

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exceptional equipment and willpower...

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get fucked 100

dense verge Apr 11, 2026, 5:54 PM

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dont even got charms

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not even the ever-reliable ox body technique

velvet raft Apr 11, 2026, 5:54 PM

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Our ST has a more concrete rubric for 2-dot stunts, so that helps somewhat

prisma sun Apr 11, 2026, 5:55 PM

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You 3 stunt or did homeboy

velvet raft Apr 11, 2026, 5:55 PM

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But

marsh garden Apr 11, 2026, 5:55 PM

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(plagueofgripes dragons voice) they ain't even got charms

velvet raft Apr 11, 2026, 5:56 PM

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velvet raft Our ST has a more concrete rubric for 2-dot stunts, so that helps somewhat

Specifically, a 2-dot stunt should leverage some sort of established advantage or feature of the scene/narrative

tulip folio Apr 11, 2026, 5:56 PM

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Hmm...I keep being tempted to turn some old Wraith stuff into Underworld Kingdoms not connected to the Deathlords.

wise ocean Apr 11, 2026, 5:56 PM

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That specific rubric is from one of the books, isn't it?

marsh garden Apr 11, 2026, 5:56 PM

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your ST sounds great, would love if you could give me a shout if they open a new game

velvet raft Apr 11, 2026, 5:57 PM

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It is a paid game fwiw but I can keep you in mind

marsh garden Apr 11, 2026, 5:57 PM

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is it? maybe crucible?

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i don't think it's in core

wise ocean Apr 11, 2026, 5:57 PM

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it's not, no

I think it's crucible

marsh garden Apr 11, 2026, 5:57 PM

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ah reasonable, not sure i can do a weekly subscription

wise ocean Apr 11, 2026, 5:57 PM

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if anything

marsh garden Apr 11, 2026, 5:57 PM

#

dense verge Apr 11, 2026, 5:57 PM

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Sounds like the thing in crucible

marsh garden Apr 11, 2026, 5:57 PM

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alas, the perils of being a wagie fuck

prisma sun Apr 11, 2026, 5:57 PM

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It is in crucible

wise ocean Apr 11, 2026, 5:57 PM

#

it's like "stunts reference your intimacies or environment for more points"

marsh garden Apr 11, 2026, 5:57 PM

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cool cool

dense verge Apr 11, 2026, 6:00 PM

#

backread a bit and sidereal dynast is also a character concept i have kicking around

#

is a good angle

velvet raft Apr 11, 2026, 6:03 PM

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I’m pondering a disciple of Holok

#

Who is interesting, I went back and looked at his description and had not realized the bit about “nobody knows how Bronze this guy actually is”

#

Since he’s mostly just best pals with ketchup

marsh garden Apr 11, 2026, 6:05 PM

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huh

velvet raft Apr 11, 2026, 6:05 PM

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Which gives us an interesting set of archetypal elders for each caste, really

spiral cosmos Apr 11, 2026, 6:05 PM

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do you like, want the real story there

marsh garden Apr 11, 2026, 6:05 PM

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i do

spiral cosmos Apr 11, 2026, 6:07 PM

#

the intention behind the original writeup of Holok in 3e was to try and say Holok was defined primarily by personal loyalty to Chejop Kejak over ideological commitment to the Bronze Faction, as in he didn't really have any. and i sort of for the companion seized on ambiguity of wording to be like "actually a lot of this comes down to how people don't have the best read on Holok as a politician except his devotion to the Immaculate Order"

velvet raft Apr 11, 2026, 6:07 PM

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Sure, I love inside baseball, as it were

#

Aha

spiral cosmos Apr 11, 2026, 6:08 PM

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holok tries to keep the excesses and wheeling and dealing of heavenly politics at arms length

#

he's devoted to Kejak but also The Immaculate Order Guy

#

there's no actual negotiation on this point for him

velvet raft Apr 11, 2026, 6:08 PM

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Right

#

Makes sense

spiral cosmos Apr 11, 2026, 6:08 PM

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He likes Ayesha Ura personally though

#

They're friends

#

Bound by a shared love of godawful tea and acrimonious theological debate

limpid badge Apr 11, 2026, 6:09 PM

#

merry arch my infernal met her lunar mate and they're perfect for each other (they're both ...

meeting your true love at the sea-cliffs~!

spiral cosmos Apr 11, 2026, 6:09 PM

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Heaven is small, it's hard to really be on bad terms with your colleagues

velvet raft Apr 11, 2026, 6:09 PM

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Do you think if he were to take a disciple the decision would be shaped by that theological inclination?

spiral cosmos Apr 11, 2026, 6:09 PM

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I will just quote you the text

velvet raft Apr 11, 2026, 6:10 PM

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Yeah, I love that Sids are 1/3 office dramedy

spiral cosmos Apr 11, 2026, 6:11 PM

#

He takes few students, choosing from the pious and compassionate regardless of their belief systems or alignment. Holok instructs them in ethics, philosophy, and theology, often embedding students on long-term assignments within the Immaculate Order, that they not forget the lot of mortals.

#

holok believes very strongly that sidereals are the servants of mortals and compassion must be cultivated

#

he also thinks the immaculate philosophy is the only thing that can order the world

#

and has a gigantic character flaw in that this does not extend to lunars whom he thinks coexistence with is literally impossible and therefore sadly* they all have to die

he seems sad about it at least

tulip folio Apr 11, 2026, 6:12 PM

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He's a True Believer

spiral cosmos Apr 11, 2026, 6:12 PM

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he is, by many metrics, a very good person, and probably the sidereal elder most concerned with protecting mortals

#

unfortunately those other metrics have a bodycount like one of those cultural revolution-era chinese cemetaries

tulip folio Apr 11, 2026, 6:13 PM

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He'll kick as many silver tattoo'd puppies as needed.

spiral cosmos Apr 11, 2026, 6:13 PM

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i would describe him as unpretentious and humble, a little rough around the edges but really warm

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well-meaning guy if not one to stand on decorum ever

velvet raft Apr 11, 2026, 6:14 PM

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… tbh for the purpose I’m pondering this maybe it’d be better to use the man himself

merry arch Apr 11, 2026, 6:14 PM

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limpid badge meeting your true love at the sea-cliffs~!

she did have a small moment of oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck it's happening again when lula pushed her off the cliff. but she can kind of fly now herself, so it's less of an issue

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fucking dante dmc double jumping woman

velvet raft Apr 11, 2026, 6:14 PM

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(Fic that will never actually get written purposes)

tulip folio Apr 11, 2026, 6:14 PM

#

One of the things I really want to do one day is play a Sid with Feather Cloak Trick and be a Pretend Lunar who's on 'Lunars need more bad PR duty'. Just go about being a dickhead, making my forehead glow silver and then turning into a bird going 'The Silver Pact Sends its Regards'.

bleak hazel Apr 11, 2026, 6:15 PM

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meanwhile my Infernal is getting high as fuck on vitriol fumes while making Borderlands cosmetics for the rest of the circle

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don't do vitriol alchemy in an enclosed dormitory room kids

limpid badge Apr 11, 2026, 6:15 PM

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merry arch she did have a small moment of `oh fuck oh fuck oh fuck it's happening again` wh...

its amazing thoooo

bleak hazel Apr 11, 2026, 6:15 PM

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(or do, if you want to have a lot of vaguely delirious flashbacks to Futile Blood while holding a blood ape's skull in your hands)

#

drugs good for crafting

velvet raft Apr 11, 2026, 6:16 PM

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God damn

#

What a roll

wise ocean Apr 11, 2026, 6:17 PM

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18 successes on 21 dice sweat049

bleak hazel Apr 11, 2026, 6:17 PM

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need my fifth dot of craft, some Exceptional Equipment and some exotic ingredients and I can start on my first artifact spear

merry arch Apr 11, 2026, 6:18 PM

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limpid badge its amazing thoooo

correct it was so fucking good. monsoon having past life memories and saying idk why but i know you and something inside me is telling me you're mine. im gonna beat your ass and im gonna make you my wife was extremely funny

tulip folio Apr 11, 2026, 6:23 PM

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Shattering Iron’s Hold (5m, 1wp; Reflexive; Instant; Essence 2): When the Swordbearer crashes or incapacitates a non-trivial character, it may reflexively make an Glorious Brutality instil roll to weaken an intimacy of fear, obedience or respect that includes him or a group he represents among any number of characters that perceive them. This influence roll ignores penalties for multiple targets and overturning influence, treating their show of force as a major supporting intimacy.

Tinkering with that Fae more. How's this seem for a Less Dickhead Social Charm for a Sword-Focused Fae? If they beat a guy down, they can immediately roll to weaken his control over others around him.

#

Rather than going with 'Oh they're scary' I tried more to go 'They're focused on the sword, which is not just force but resisting force'. As there's plenty of Scary Fae as it is (And I did up Redcaps are all about intimidation and I didn't want to be too overlapping)

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Creation Defying Blade (5m; Reflexive; Until next turn; Essence 2): Allies who can perceive the Swordbearer treat fear-based or peace-based intimacies as one step weaker. Any wound penalties the Swordbearerer or such allies suffer are treated as 2 lower.

wise ocean Apr 11, 2026, 6:33 PM

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MY VBOS

#

videogames

tulip folio Apr 11, 2026, 6:36 PM

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wise ocean MY VBOS

You fool, the concept of death is one that only applies in creation! 😛

#

But yeah, I'm drawing a bit from (Like always with fae stuff) changeling the dreaming. Where Dragon's Ire wasn't just might, it was the ability to oppose other's usage of might. Breaking the hold of those who'd use force as a tool of control through your own mastery of force.

#

And I felt that worked well for the Sword Grace

#

To fully understand force is to understand all the uses force has

#

If that remotely makes sense?

wise ocean Apr 11, 2026, 6:42 PM

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Yeah, I think so.

prisma sun Apr 11, 2026, 6:46 PM

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Its very funny how many of the very limited celestial exaltatioms end up going to dynasts seemingly

#

Going to make an Exigent of Revolution whos goal is to liberate the power of the gods from the nobility

#

1% of dynasts hold 60% of the exaltations

tulip folio Apr 11, 2026, 6:47 PM

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Rule of dramatic conveniance. Statistically 90% of exaltations go to dynasts, slaves in the middle of rebellions or minor realm princesses who's kingdom was just toppled.

#

...and then I realize that I've played literally all three of those in the past or have them lined up to play in the future. I think my joke cut close enough to home I hurt myself.

#

Also: Naming one of their primary dice pools 'Glorious Brutality' has led to some of their charms having very fun wording.

#

Scourging Wind Raid (5m; Reflexive; Instant; Essence 2) The Swordbearer reflexively makes a Rush action with Glorious Brutality.

#

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1r6H0gbWBQ9smQ_rCzPBY4B5nC5ZAMiUEv7_ONdUswQA/edit?usp=sharing And the Swordbearer is now done!

Google Docs

Fae Templates

Wyld Beast Template Essence: 2; Willpower: 5; Join Battle: 7 dicePersonal: 35Health Levels: -0x3/-1x3/-2/-4/Incap.Primary Actions: 10 diceSecondary Actions: 7 diceDesperate Actions: 4 diceAppearance 3, Resolve 3, Guile 2 CombatAttack (Unarmed): 9 dice (Damage 12B)Attack (Grapple): 8 dice...

#

That's 2/4 Commoner Fae. Just Staff and Ring to go.

bleak hazel Apr 11, 2026, 7:04 PM

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I have one Dynast infernal but otherwise I'm absolutely on the Patrician Exalt agenda

#

no idea why, I have like three of those

prisma sun Apr 11, 2026, 7:05 PM

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My only dynast is my deeb

#

Everyone else is a random goober

tulip folio Apr 11, 2026, 7:25 PM

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Hmm...ring will be tricky. Maybe make them a crafting/beuro support character

#

Someone you'd ask to help make shit easier.

bleak hazel Apr 11, 2026, 7:43 PM

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Join Battle: Cinnereon 8, Vasya 13
R1: Vasya flurries a decisive attack with Terrifying Battle Shriek. The attack hits with 12, deals 7 damage on 13 dice, instantly downs Cenarion. Good fight, everyone.

Tournament arc's going well. Our SVN stylist has decided the jobbers need to be cleared slightly faster than in previous fights.

marsh garden Apr 11, 2026, 7:43 PM

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i assume this was a slightly shiny mortal

#

like a godblood with no defensive charms

merry arch Apr 11, 2026, 7:44 PM

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still so fucking funny that monsoon only got 5sux on a 23 dice decisive

bleak hazel Apr 11, 2026, 7:44 PM

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yeah he had like 10 motes and two devil prince sword charms

marsh garden Apr 11, 2026, 7:45 PM

#

prisma sun Apr 11, 2026, 8:09 PM

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What is a Serenities way to engage with martial arts hmmmm

marsh garden Apr 11, 2026, 8:14 PM

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well, Cerulean Lute emphasizes restraint and reactivity

#

patience, control, defense through leverage

velvet raft Apr 11, 2026, 8:16 PM

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Venus is generally the god of human relationships

prisma sun Apr 11, 2026, 8:16 PM

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I was considering the idea of shared experiences

marsh garden Apr 11, 2026, 8:16 PM

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actually, i guess that's a sticker here

#

are you looking to emphasize the philosophy of Serenity through martial arts, or the philosophy of martial arts through Serenity?

prisma sun Apr 11, 2026, 8:17 PM

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HMMM

#

Latter

velvet raft Apr 11, 2026, 8:17 PM

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A lot of the martial arts is pedagogy

marsh garden Apr 11, 2026, 8:17 PM

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i think looking at cerulean lute as their division style would be helpful, then

#

not aping it, of course, but like

#

using that lens

#

something like cerulean lute or crane style

#

and then you have a mechanical basis for whatever narrative Serenity-themed effect you want

#

which divisions do you have so far, anyway?

#

just secrets, or did you do any of the other three already?

prisma sun Apr 11, 2026, 8:25 PM

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Journeys battles and secrets

marsh garden Apr 11, 2026, 8:25 PM

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nice

prisma sun Apr 11, 2026, 8:25 PM

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Then once I have all 5 it ends with a big rainbow attack

#

I was thinking something like

#

Tiger and Dragon attack

#

Where you and an ally do a combination

limpid badge Apr 11, 2026, 8:36 PM

#

marsh garden like a godblood with no defensive charms

Demon blood with two charms IS hot shit for heroic mortals

#

He just rolled up on a solaroid

marsh garden Apr 11, 2026, 8:38 PM

#

it's a really good shiny mortal!

#

alas

#

poor goober

prisma sun Apr 11, 2026, 8:42 PM

#

My current thought process is "you perform an attack and an ally may follow up with another martial arts based attack"

#

Which would actually

#

Be a killer combo with Secrets letting the next attack be unblockable

#

HRMMM

spiral cosmos Apr 11, 2026, 8:52 PM

#

throne shadow has a relevant charm for this iirc

wise ocean Apr 11, 2026, 8:53 PM

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read intentions, or influence roll against a
nontrivial enemy or successfully asserts her Guile or
Resolve against one, she may use this Charm to have a
shadow finger reflexively make a withering or decisive
attack against that enemy.
Terrestrial: This counts as the stylist’s attack for the
round.```

#

e2, costs motes, init, and a WP

prisma sun Apr 11, 2026, 9:00 PM

#

Yeah theres also Tiger and Dragon Assault from Heirs of the Shogunate

#

Iirc

#

If someone could also grab that as I am at work

wise ocean Apr 11, 2026, 9:01 PM

#

combination, aye

#

Dragon-Blood coordinates a deadly finishing blow. She
must spend this Charm’s training time practicing with
an ally, developing a signature combination move that
requires both characters to perform. A brawler might
deliver a crushing uppercut that pushes an enemy into
the downswing of her ally’s goremaul; a Righteous Devil
stylist might use a firewand to wreathe her partner’s
daiklave in flames; a pair of assassins might unleash a
storm of throwing knives that comes from all directions.

When this Charm is used, the Dragon-Blood and her ally
each make a decisive attack with any Ability against a single
enemy. Her ally can move up to one range band in any
direction before making the attack. If this is insufficient to
bring him within range, or if he’s crashed, this Charm can’t
be used. Such is the effectiveness of their combination
that both attacks’ onslaught penalties are applied to the
enemy’s Defense before the attack rolls are made, and they
both use the higher of their two Initiatives to determine
the damage rolled. This Charm doesn’t count against the
ally’s attack or movement actions for the round, although
it does count as the Dragon-Blood’s attack.

A character can only participate in this Charm’s combination
attack once per day, whether by using this Charm
or participating in it as an ally.

This Charm can be repurchased to develop signature
combinations with different partners.```
just motes and 1WP for this, but more motes
e2 as well

prisma sun Apr 11, 2026, 9:03 PM

#

Top 10 sickest deeb charms

#

For the record

marsh garden Apr 11, 2026, 9:32 PM

#

hmm, are there any homebrew martial arts anyone here has tried and liked?

prisma sun Apr 11, 2026, 9:37 PM

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The only one I looked at was hidden horse style

marsh garden Apr 11, 2026, 9:45 PM

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lmao

#

reasonable

prisma sun Apr 11, 2026, 9:49 PM

#

Where do people even post exalted homebrew?

marsh garden Apr 11, 2026, 9:49 PM

#

dunno! the forum and SV thread, probably

#

the discord homebrew channel, definitely

fierce star Apr 11, 2026, 9:54 PM

#

Here mos tof the time

#

@tulip folio has a couple that I quite like, Rex Frame Style and First Pulse style, but he's asleep, lemme find a link

#

ah, sorry, sky-twisting boar, not rex frame

#

it's inspired by rex frame

#

https://docs.google.com/document/d/1Hz0AYxSD7MulgBWoJVnQSBx1JxoXRgs5bbKM722_rcI/edit?usp=sharing

Google Docs

Exalted Martial Arts

First Pulse Style First Pulse, like many styles, draws from the world about it. Instead of the flow of rivers or the movement of animals however, it focuses on the power of civilization and worked stone. No matter how mighty the mountain or hostile the forest, civilization will make itself known...

#

(which is a martila art from a different TTRPG)

marsh garden Apr 11, 2026, 10:09 PM

#

which system?

fierce star Apr 11, 2026, 10:14 PM

#

Anima: Beyond Fantasy

velvet raft Apr 11, 2026, 10:22 PM

#

Sky-Twisting Boar seems cool

#

Isidoros Style

prisma sun Apr 11, 2026, 10:29 PM

#


The wielder and an ally may consecutively perform a Withering and decisive attack, using the highest initiative between the two of them. The ally must use Martial Arts as their attack ability, and this charm fails if they are unable to do so. 

If the wielder and the ally share any intimacies in regards to each other, they may apply the highest value of either as an onslaught penalty before the attack. 

(MAYBE) If the wielder and their ally use different styles to attack, both may go into immediate xp debt to purchase the first charm of their respective styles. ```

#

Got this out during my lunch break

#

Very rough but wanted to not forget it

#

Going to have a once per day limit ofc

#

I feel like it might need more sauce but I will err conservatively for now

fierce star Apr 11, 2026, 10:42 PM

#

yeah, the big thing about rex frame in anima--MAs are much simpler there--is it gives you a stat called Damage Barrier, which is basically 'mundane sources of damage that deal your DB or less in base damage before strength and etc deal 0 damage to you'. It's mookproofing.

#

the highest level of rex frame gives you enough damage to be mookproofed against cannons.

wise ocean Apr 11, 2026, 10:43 PM

#

good to specify who's withering and who's decisive, and what's the deal with the init track since withering's going to raise it

prisma sun Apr 11, 2026, 10:52 PM

#

wise ocean good to specify who's withering and who's decisive, and what's the deal with the...

You pick who does what, is the intent

#

And I think i am going to specify you use the highest of the two (but reset the one who makes the decisive)

wise ocean Apr 11, 2026, 10:54 PM

#

snapshot init when the charm is used or "after the withering attack is resolved" is probably also your choices there

prisma sun Apr 11, 2026, 10:56 PM

#

Truuuue

#

I think i would specify you dont gain init from this, the hope is you crash them before the x cross attack

prisma sun Apr 11, 2026, 11:44 PM

#

Does the blessed isle get its own directional gods?

spiral cosmos Apr 11, 2026, 11:54 PM

#

wdym

fierce star Apr 12, 2026, 12:01 AM

#

yes

#

the Center is a direction still

prisma sun Apr 12, 2026, 12:05 AM

#

spiral cosmos wdym

Ye what ItD said, does the center have like a directional wind god or war god or etc

spiral cosmos Apr 12, 2026, 12:05 AM

#

there is a center war god yeah. Wanjung

#

and an exigent thereof

#

ma'anjin hekobo

#

she's in The Realm

prisma sun Apr 12, 2026, 12:06 AM

#

Ah of course itd be in there

#

Tyty

limpid badge Apr 12, 2026, 12:33 AM

#

trying to build a luna who won't explode my dodge-fernal but will but the fear of luna into her...

#

maybe can go a liitle harder on soak bc im remembering a 23 dice descisive and. oh dear.

merry arch Apr 12, 2026, 12:41 AM

#

videogames

#

no looking for me ...

coral wraith Apr 12, 2026, 12:44 AM

#

thou cannot

prisma sun Apr 12, 2026, 12:45 AM

#

Idk Del i think "summon Greater Ligier" might be a bit much

wise ocean Apr 12, 2026, 12:49 AM

#

I do like the Getimian elder killsquad entourage though

#

You can keep that

fierce star Apr 12, 2026, 12:51 AM

#

The Eye of Autochthon's evocations could probably use a balance pass though

prisma sun Apr 12, 2026, 12:51 AM

#

Keep the 20 inch hog though

fierce star Apr 12, 2026, 12:52 AM

#

in seriousness though ||what's their DBT mutations lo9ok like? That determines how much more investment you might want in stamina charms, 'cause if they're rocking some sort of carapace build||

limpid badge Apr 12, 2026, 1:00 AM

#

fierce star in seriousness though ||what's their DBT mutations lo9ok like? That determines h...

||not carapace, but a little unusual hide for squid skin? Mostly stuff for her tentacles- kraken spirit shape||

fierce star Apr 12, 2026, 1:03 AM

#

||Oooh, tentacles. I'd probably get her one more stamina charm, and then just grapple to death.||

limpid badge Apr 12, 2026, 1:05 AM

#

Nod nod

marsh garden Apr 12, 2026, 1:08 AM

#

||ooh, are you picking up that set of fuck-you grapple mutations?||

#

||not sure if the dodgefernal uses equipment, but Weapon-Trapping Body Dominion would also be a fun trick to fluff with tough tentacles and rubbery kraken-hide||

limpid badge Apr 12, 2026, 1:10 AM

#

||probably only as much feels flavorful for her kraken-shape since lunar str is. Scawy.||

wise ocean Apr 12, 2026, 1:10 AM

#

fuck them players, lilah.

marsh garden Apr 12, 2026, 1:17 AM

#

prisma sun Apr 12, 2026, 1:19 AM

#

https://youtube.com/shorts/GRYd5vg6FSM?si=t5o1NKaOVhokZBRz

YouTube

DreadAnon

Ultramarine Tactics vs World Eater Tactics | Warhammer 40k meme dub

Codex Compliant Poindexters vs RAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAGH....who will win????

#warhammer40k #ultramarines

▶ Play video

#

WARNING LOUD

wise ocean Apr 12, 2026, 1:20 AM

#

weak aura: I will build up initiative through withering attacks, carefully paid out for ~14-dice decisive attacks to harm my opponent

STRONG aura: FULL EXCELLENCY JOIN BATTLE DOUBLE 9S REROLL 1S INTO TICK ONE DECISIVE

marsh garden Apr 12, 2026, 2:27 AM

#

hmm, @bleak hazel when you're around, i'm building up my current lunar to e5 for sunderdome, and wondering how you would rule Desert Basilisc Diadem works with the Jewel of Hero's Panoply

#

would you rule that it reduces the committed motes of the weapon and armor Charms (Claws of the Silver Moon and Invulnerable Moonsilver Carapace), or nah?

prisma sun Apr 12, 2026, 2:28 AM

#

what is the sunderdome

marsh garden Apr 12, 2026, 2:28 AM

#

fierce star Apr 12, 2026, 2:29 AM

#

E5 1v1ing ligier

#

I'm working on a soakfernal for it

marsh garden Apr 12, 2026, 2:29 AM

#

this but for ligier in Cecelyne's most beautiful flat white room

fierce star Apr 12, 2026, 2:29 AM

#

to answer teh eternal question: can the green sun kill a blind armless girl

tulip folio Apr 12, 2026, 2:31 AM

#

Hmm...pondering the Ring Fae and wondering how much you can set up 'Crafting/Beuro/Sorcerous working support' without them busting those systems open. As 'not enough dice' is the limiting factor on a lot of splats there.

marsh garden Apr 12, 2026, 2:34 AM

#

fierce star to answer teh eternal question: can the green sun kill a blind armless girl

the bloodstone is doing a lot of work on the defensive front for me lmao

#

would be a lot cheaper if this was a character that i was designing entirely to kill ligier, instead of building out from someone i'm currently playing

#

but hey

#

such is the cost of rallying my interest

prisma sun Apr 12, 2026, 2:35 AM

#

I realized I never even looked at giving Drifts a Hearthstone

marsh garden Apr 12, 2026, 2:37 AM

#

you should! they're real good for this, even at 6/12 xp

#

resilient bamboo is 6xp for +2 soak, which is a solid deal, bloodstone is 12xp for Natural Immunity (-2 difficulty to all disease rolls) and a bunch of shit that's cracked but doesn't matter at all for ligier

#

Hero's Panoply is 12xp for -2 motes on its installed artifact

#

which is ridiculous on a lunar, but still very good for anyone else

#

Ram's Horn is 6xp for smashing or buffed smashing

#

my favorite Silken Steel Pearl is 12xp to apply the silken armor effect to anything

#

the Dripping Slaughter Stone is pretty specific, but i imagine it's decent at least with things like violet bier

prisma sun Apr 12, 2026, 2:45 AM

#

Silken Steel Pearl seems like it would fit him

marsh garden Apr 12, 2026, 2:46 AM

#

or the other forced wound penalties

wise ocean Apr 12, 2026, 2:46 AM

#

it's cute but Dependent, which means even more XP cost

marsh garden Apr 12, 2026, 2:46 AM

#

prisma sun Silken Steel Pearl seems like it would fit him

i have it on Tragic Absence!

wise ocean Apr 12, 2026, 2:46 AM

#

didn't put it on Graves because price

marsh garden Apr 12, 2026, 2:47 AM

#

i took it uh

#

a bit too early, so it doesn't do anything yet

#

but once i finish my training dots, it's what'll let him run Flying Guillotine with carapace + ISOB

prisma sun Apr 12, 2026, 2:48 AM

#

Of course

#

Also a very funny concept

#

https://i.imgur.com/4EK5ZdE.png

Imgur

#

Put these in his smash fists

marsh garden Apr 12, 2026, 2:49 AM

#

unforchies other splats can't eat the hearthstone

#

so you need to be running Demesne Emulation Practice for a mote committment

#

for a solaroid or sid to run around in ISOB with centipede or devil-prince

#

but it's not like that's a significant cost for a sid

marsh garden Apr 12, 2026, 2:53 AM

#

prisma sun https://i.imgur.com/4EK5ZdE.png

oh yeah, i really want to dick around with that one too

fierce star Apr 12, 2026, 2:54 AM

#

Hrm.

tulip folio Apr 12, 2026, 2:55 AM

#

Gem of the Wind-Blade is great for martial artists.

#

As martial arts works both melee and thrown

prisma sun Apr 12, 2026, 3:20 AM

#

A thing I also want to make at some point later

#

is an Exigent of Strength

prisma sun Apr 12, 2026, 3:44 AM

#

I also forgot Sids can shoot T.Rexes at you

spiral cosmos Apr 12, 2026, 4:24 AM

#

lunars can drop a t-rex in your shoe like a little spider

prisma sun Apr 12, 2026, 4:26 AM

#

Cost: xm
Mins: Essence Yeah
Type: 
Keywords: 
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Student Begins the Journey  

Lies can only be spoken with words, the body always tells the truth. 

The wielder reflexively clashes an attack with a Read Intentions roll, divining their attack patterns from their heart. After a successful clash, the secrets of their enemy’s heart are laid bare. For the rest of the scene, the wielder may flurry a social influence roll with no penalty against that enemy so long as they utilize an Intimacy learned from this charm. ```

#

Now I just need Endings

#

Maybe something like

#

"End your current form for a big smack"

limpid badge Apr 12, 2026, 6:24 AM

#

fierce star in seriousness though ||what's their DBT mutations lo9ok like? That determines h...

||do we think Halting the Scarlet Flow is too much bc i couldn't see much else for Soak Tech, i was also tempted by the No Bonus Damage, Initiative V Hardness, Go charm||

limpid badge Apr 12, 2026, 6:24 AM

#

prisma sun "End your current form for a big smack"

when you incap someone swap forms

#

the reaper looks like many things to many people

marsh garden Apr 12, 2026, 6:27 AM

#

||i think Fair-Init-Vs-Hardness is one of their more important tools for not getting blown up by a bunch of damage amps, yeah||

tulip folio Apr 12, 2026, 8:34 AM

#

Hmm...do you think an equivalent to first circle tier demon that reduces the minimum time to make an artifact by 10% (Stacks up to 50% if you have 5 of them) would be interesting? Trying to work out an interesting mechanical boost for crafting that doesn't supercharge crafters too much in terms of like 'and now they're dumping out N/A tier artifacts all the time'.

bleak hazel Apr 12, 2026, 8:40 AM

#

if that's an actual 1cd having five time reducers on all your crafting is close to trivial, so I would probably not do that

marsh garden Apr 12, 2026, 8:41 AM

#

it's for his fae equivalent, so basically a 1cd

bleak hazel Apr 12, 2026, 8:41 AM

#

the Marotte is a pretty good example here, but it's limited in that it works on manses rather than swords, and you need less manses than swords

marsh garden Apr 12, 2026, 8:41 AM

#

since the splat can summon em

tulip folio Apr 12, 2026, 8:42 AM

#

nods
Kinda stalling working on the Ringbearer. As the Ring grace is workers. Crafters of Wonder.

#

And these guys are lesser fae in secondary roles

#

But exalted really doesn't seem to like 'I provide a notable bonus for assisting'

bleak hazel Apr 12, 2026, 8:43 AM

#

my favourite assist mechanic is "here have some craft XP" because frankly you can never have enough of that

#

Ninegala is admittedly slightly out of scale with random chump wyld creature

#

but this is a cute eclipse charm to throw at the party Twilight every so often if you want to be nice

marsh garden Apr 12, 2026, 8:45 AM

#

e3...

bleak hazel Apr 12, 2026, 8:45 AM

#

a bit much as usual, yeah

marsh garden Apr 12, 2026, 8:45 AM

#

that is a lotta cp though

bleak hazel Apr 12, 2026, 8:46 AM

#

eeeh, depends how generous your table is with letting you just fab stuff on the fly

#

but it's a nice-to-have

#

for a tiny little Wyld thing I'd be looking more at Glory-Forging Sacrifice's effect of "reduce a major project's cost by (Essence)", although that does mean it's probably not stackable

#

perhaps "reduce the cost of one roll on a Superior project by 1" so you cap out at having six of them that all do different stuff in your artifact crafting process

marsh garden Apr 12, 2026, 8:49 AM

#

oh hey, it's five and i have a game in six hours, buh-bye

#

wish me luck, there will be more battle groups of teleporting hungry ghosts

#

and probably an enemy abyssal with corpse-soldiers

#

i suggested we capture them to ransom back

tulip folio Apr 12, 2026, 9:02 AM

#

bleak hazel for a tiny little Wyld thing I'd be looking more at Glory-Forging Sacrifice's ef...

Maybe. It's a tricky area. Maybe I should backburner the Ringbearer for now because 'craft system is a real pain'. XD

#

Or maybe make it more temporary effects.

#

Like 'pick a weapon, it's now got an artifact statline until the end of the scene'.

tulip folio Apr 12, 2026, 9:28 AM

#

bleak hazel perhaps "reduce the cost of one roll on a Superior project by 1" so you cap out ...

Awaken Wonder (5m, 1wp (+5m, +1wp); Simple; One Scene; Eclipse; Essence 1) The Ringbearer awakens the power of dreams within a non-iron weapon within short range. Until the end of the scene that weapon deals aggravated damage to demons and machine spirits, as well as being able to attack dematerialized enemies, though the attacker still suffers -3 if they cannot see the target.

For a five mote, one willpower surcharge the Ringbearer can awaken the weapons of a size (Essence) or smaller battle group. This additionally grants them +1 Might (To a maximum of +2) when fighting Demons or Machine Spirits.

#

Played about less with 'crafting the wonder' and more 'awakening already crafted ones'

tulip folio Apr 12, 2026, 1:12 PM

#

...Harpies wouldn't be bad to add as a fae creature option.

#

https://bookcovers.powells.com/covers/9781588466785.jpg

#

They were the cover creature for the original fair folk book

velvet raft Apr 12, 2026, 1:16 PM

#

Oh shiiii 1e

fierce star Apr 12, 2026, 1:17 PM

#

oooh

#

birb ladies

bleak hazel Apr 12, 2026, 1:17 PM

#

we do have legally distinct harpies in HDNP

tulip folio Apr 12, 2026, 1:17 PM

#

Yeah, those seem rather based on the Greek Mythology Furies. With their 'eating the guilty' aspect.

bleak hazel Apr 12, 2026, 1:18 PM

#

unfortunately they aren't actually very good at eating people but they do hit reasonably hard against neeerds

tulip folio Apr 12, 2026, 1:18 PM

#

I'm very tempted to go with a silly joke combo for their theme.

Harpy -> YGO Harpies -> Perfume -> Elden Ring Perfumers

So you've got bird people unleashing burning firedust perfume across the area. XD

fierce star Apr 12, 2026, 1:19 PM

#

pffft

tulip folio Apr 12, 2026, 1:23 PM

#

But for the moment I'm gunna try to get those 4 Raksha done. I think I've worked out the Vibe I want for the Ringbearer.

#

Make them very D&D 4e Artificer. Being a Support Fae who does short term effects that are thematically craft stuff.

#

Rather than directly fucking with the craft system

#

Storied Blow (5m, 1wp; Simple; Instant; Essence 1) The Ringbearer shapes the story of a non-iron weapon within short range. The next attack with that weapon before the end of the scene gains the benefit of aiming and ignores visibility penalties. A weapon can only be affected this way once per scene.

#

Too silly? Went with aim as aim stacks with excellencies but is itself more limited than a typeless bonus.

velvet raft Apr 12, 2026, 1:34 PM

#

The plan for now is to get more Perception, more Strength, and more Charisma

fierce star Apr 12, 2026, 1:40 PM

#

Oooh, I like that. Dpeending ont heir ally they can get some silly stuff, too.

#

A sidereal meleeist wants one bad

bleak hazel Apr 12, 2026, 1:41 PM

#

"horse, aim for me"
extremely put-upon ringbearer horse I transfigured a week ago makes anguished noises

tulip folio Apr 12, 2026, 1:42 PM

#

Yeah, I gave it that '1/scene/weapon' like 90% to make them spread out the boost instead of being constantly chained to the back of the Sid 😛

fierce star Apr 12, 2026, 1:42 PM

#

lmao

#

but then you get people like misc's sid who have 40 weapons at all times, but still

#

I'm just imagining the horse staring at the fourth wall and letting out the cartoon 'Sigh, it's a living' line before popping storied blow

bleak hazel Apr 12, 2026, 1:43 PM

#

Four Seasons Rival is something of an outlier

#

(and also has zero dots in ride)

wise ocean Apr 12, 2026, 1:43 PM

#

1/scene/weapon

bandolier of righteous devil six-shooters

#

When the blessing wears off your first revolver, throw it away and grab a second one

tulip folio Apr 12, 2026, 1:45 PM

#

I also realized the simplest/easiest way to give them some non-combat tricks that make them a Useful Minion without fucking with the entire damn craft charmset.

fierce star Apr 12, 2026, 1:48 PM

#

oh?

tulip folio Apr 12, 2026, 1:48 PM

#

Thaumaturgist: Ringbearers are masters of small magics, generally knowing four dots worth of Thaumaturgical rituals, with a preference towards alchemical arts, gossamer forging, talisman creation or other rituals that create physical objects.```

fierce star Apr 12, 2026, 1:49 PM

#

Oooh

tulip folio Apr 12, 2026, 1:49 PM

#

It makes them not full on 'Hey, I have a Sorcerer Minion'

#

But it gives some amount of 'oh yeah, he can do some cool downtime tricks'

bleak hazel Apr 12, 2026, 1:50 PM

#

incredibly rare thaumaturgy W

tulip folio Apr 12, 2026, 1:50 PM

#

Yeah, it's the very rare situation where it's sitting in the right area.

#

I hope the idea makes sense for 'You have a commoner craftsman fae'? He's able to do wonders that most mortals can't but he's not like...a Real Sorcerer.

bleak hazel Apr 12, 2026, 1:51 PM

#

I do think they should have some kind of craft xp assist, though

#

craft assist is a hard thing to find

#

marottes are great but they only work on buildings

tulip folio Apr 12, 2026, 1:51 PM

#

That's fair. I might give them a minor thing there too.

#

I might make it a bit better than marottes but unlike marottes they don't stack.

#

As 99% of exalts can't Summon Fae

#

So having 'One friendly fae minion' is more where they'd be than 'Oh yeah, I summoned a whole batch of marottes'

#

if that makes sense?

velvet raft Apr 12, 2026, 1:56 PM

#

Man 2e thaumaturgy was so much more interesting

fierce star Apr 12, 2026, 1:56 PM

#

It really was

velvet raft Apr 12, 2026, 1:56 PM

#

"Clearly the thing Exalted needs is less small magic"

fierce star Apr 12, 2026, 1:56 PM

#

but, you know, 2e could afford to have niche rules for mortal bullshit due to being a book mill

velvet raft Apr 12, 2026, 1:57 PM

#

It could, but even just in core they made a bunch of really bad decisions re: thaumaturgy

fierce star Apr 12, 2026, 1:57 PM

#

What really gets me is that unless you're an exalt or a sorcerer thaumaturgy rituals are innately understood things you're born with and cannot teach to anyone else

velvet raft Apr 12, 2026, 1:57 PM

#

Yeah

#

It's weird and dumb

fierce star Apr 12, 2026, 1:58 PM

#

which is a very ?????

velvet raft Apr 12, 2026, 1:58 PM

#

Like

fierce star Apr 12, 2026, 1:58 PM

#

what is the thematic reasoning

#

did the ex2 fans do something stupid with thaumaturgy and H+H decided to ruint heir fun

velvet raft Apr 12, 2026, 1:58 PM

#

Given the other inclinations of H+H I have to assume it comes down to "mortals should have less magic because something something Tanith Lee"

fierce star Apr 12, 2026, 1:58 PM

#

or is it just more desperation to keep mortals from doing anything mystical

bleak hazel Apr 12, 2026, 1:59 PM

#

my abyssal has need of a bunch of other guys who can make zombies, so I guess in 3e I just have to comb the entire population of my city-state for people who can learn Produce Zambie

#

velvet raft Apr 12, 2026, 2:00 PM

#

(Note: I have not read a lot of Tanith Lee but I recall regular people doing all kinds of sexy magic in what little I have read)

fierce star Apr 12, 2026, 2:00 PM

#

misc it may legitimately be easier to just teach them sorcery becuase mortal sorcerers can pick up thaumaturgy jus tlike exalted ones

#

it's 7 merit dots of teaching per mortal zombie maker but

velvet raft Apr 12, 2026, 2:00 PM

#

It's kind of hilarious

bleak hazel Apr 12, 2026, 2:00 PM

#

but I don't want a corps of elite necromancers, I need like a couple hundred dipshits who can manage all the zombies in one trade caravan

fierce star Apr 12, 2026, 2:00 PM

#

but also at that point just... learn zombie

wise ocean Apr 12, 2026, 2:00 PM

#

bleak hazel

consider, however: assembly line thaumaturgy aptitude testing Uber-catalyst-style

bleak hazel Apr 12, 2026, 2:01 PM

#

I need these in "ship's doctor" quantities not "mortal sorceror" quantities

#

and at about the same skill level

fierce star Apr 12, 2026, 2:01 PM

#

I have legitimately been tempted to ~~abandon updating martial arts to ex3~~ port forward ex2's thaumaturgy system to ex3

bleak hazel Apr 12, 2026, 2:01 PM

#

wise ocean consider, however: assembly line thaumaturgy aptitude testing Uber-catalyst-styl...

that would be very in theme for Crimson

velvet raft Apr 12, 2026, 2:01 PM

#

bleak hazel I need these in "ship's doctor" quantities not "mortal sorceror" quantities

Unfortunately, it is probably easier to train a corps of elite necromancers than it is to find all those goddamn thaumaturges

fierce star Apr 12, 2026, 2:02 PM

#

at least setting-as-written these days

bleak hazel Apr 12, 2026, 2:02 PM

#

presumably Skullstone has figured out some kind of solution here because it still works like Skullstone

fierce star Apr 12, 2026, 2:02 PM

#

that's the other thing! The setting is still written as if most villages and definitely all larger cities have access to basic thaumaturgical bullshit!

velvet raft Apr 12, 2026, 2:03 PM

#

Even though it's supposed to be like 1/1000 people as thaumaturges

fierce star Apr 12, 2026, 2:03 PM

#

it's that or the old wise woman of the village's warding talismans are just ephemera

tulip folio Apr 12, 2026, 2:03 PM

#

I think part of my ponderings is sorta - I like it when people can do little minor rituals to appease spirits and do minor magics. It feels very...natural and mythological.

#

'Oh yeah, we do this ritual each spring to make sure the harvest is good' etc

velvet raft Apr 12, 2026, 2:04 PM

#

ID: Yes it's very stupid and if you were to port Ex2 thaumaturgy you would have my utmost support for all of the reasons you have cited

bleak hazel Apr 12, 2026, 2:04 PM

#

you can kind of fudge it by assuming "I talked to the god and arranged X" type rituals are separate from thaumaturgical rituals with actual magical effects

#

but that's a bit jank

velvet raft Apr 12, 2026, 2:05 PM

#

You don't need motonic physics or whatever to say that minor magics are all over the place

bleak hazel Apr 12, 2026, 2:05 PM

#

and also gets rid of one of my favourite examples, blacksmiths knowing a little rite or two to get minor nonsapient fire spirits to stop burning them all the time

velvet raft Apr 12, 2026, 2:05 PM

#

If anything, removing these kinds of minor magics makes the setting feel less mystical

fierce star Apr 12, 2026, 2:05 PM

#

I have a seperate thing to bitch about with 'motonic science isn't real' too

#

and that's if you can't measure, see, examine, or understand essence from a repeatable experimental standpoint then

#

gestures at the entirety of autochthon

#

how's that work then

tulip folio Apr 12, 2026, 2:06 PM

#

Alchemicals: "Wait, science isn't real?" Vanishes in a puff of logic

#

Like I think my thoughts on the motonic science stuff is 'People in-universe can likely do magic science. The game rules are not a perfect representation of reality and you'll just have to accept that though'.

#

As the issue with Motonic Science was always imo more 'treating the game rules as a perfect clockwork representation of how the universe functioned'

#

Than 'people can do magic science'

velvet raft Apr 12, 2026, 2:07 PM

#

tulip folio Like I think my thoughts on the motonic science stuff is 'People *in-universe* c...

I think my personal take would be that + "scientific knowledge of the subject is slipshod and highly approximate unless you are the great maker"

bleak hazel Apr 12, 2026, 2:07 PM

#

I am OK with this as long as I get to drop a magically instantiated real-world nuclear weapon on anyone who says the words "protoshinmaic vortex"

fierce star Apr 12, 2026, 2:08 PM

#

I also personally dislike non-sidereal/alchemical charms being non-diagenic. They aren't real and can't be taught, no one knows somethign called Heaven Thunder Hammer, they're just named that for our convienance as players

tulip folio Apr 12, 2026, 2:08 PM

#

Yes but I want to yell 'Heaven Thunder Hammer' at people while I yeet them 😛

fierce star Apr 12, 2026, 2:08 PM

#

okay if they're just named for player convinence give them 8descriptive names*, not fancy ones you want to yell out like anime special attacks

bleak hazel Apr 12, 2026, 2:08 PM

#

that would make the game much worse, granted

velvet raft Apr 12, 2026, 2:09 PM

#

Some of this is I feel an overreaction on design's part

bleak hazel Apr 12, 2026, 2:09 PM

#

my preferred level of diegesis not "every solar somehow learns the same Jumpgooder Technique" but "people with knowledge of exalts have basically categorised the general set of things that various exalt types can do, and have some ability to teach them among themselves"

tulip folio Apr 12, 2026, 2:09 PM

#

velvet raft I think my personal take would be that + "scientific knowledge of the subject is...

Also a solid bit of 'Creation doesn't work on real life physics. Doing Real Science to creation is going to get weird results. There's a reason autocthonian tech is very religious-based, not just machinery'

bleak hazel Apr 12, 2026, 2:09 PM

#

because the idea that deebs don't teach each other Wind-Carried Words or something basically similar with whatever name Prasad or Lookshy give it is silly to me

fierce star Apr 12, 2026, 2:10 PM

#

Honestly even 'this is just the common name of the charm, but different exalts in different places adn times have come up with many other names for these techniques'

velvet raft Apr 12, 2026, 2:10 PM

#

Like, HTH doesn't have to be a Perfectly Set Diegetic Pattern for Solars who know how to do this cool thing to call it HTH

fierce star Apr 12, 2026, 2:10 PM

#

maybe the first age had it all neatly categorized and exalts would get in dick-swinging contests over inventing new charms with cooler names

#

but the first age is dead, gone, shattered, and mor epoorly understood than [insert whatever insult to whoever you'd like to insult about poorly understanding something here]

velvet raft Apr 12, 2026, 2:11 PM

#

Does every brawl solar who can toss people with a punch probably do it in a way that is slightly unique to them? Sure! Can we still assume they might collectively call it HTH? Sure!

bleak hazel Apr 12, 2026, 2:11 PM

#

I am OK with a certain amount of de-diegesis because I found all the 2e stuff that explicitly talked in-setting about "this machinery reacts to these specific charms" dumb as fuck

#

Denandsor, the big screen in the deliberative that displayed the names of every charm anyone used, etc.

fierce star Apr 12, 2026, 2:11 PM

#

no yeah that's fine, misc, but going full 'this is purely for player convience, no one knows or categorizes any of this' actively detracts imo

velvet raft Apr 12, 2026, 2:11 PM

#

One does not need to respond to departure from one extreme by embracing the other, as it were

fierce star Apr 12, 2026, 2:11 PM

#

becaus epeople love categorizing things

velvet raft Apr 12, 2026, 2:12 PM

#

I think we're all kind of on the same page here

fierce star Apr 12, 2026, 2:12 PM

#

just different levels of the page yeah

#

but yeah gkat it is absoltuely an overreaction, per a holden quote from ex3's developement

bleak hazel Apr 12, 2026, 2:13 PM

#

I am reminded of that one vampire in some WOD book somewhere that had done a bunch of unethical dracula experimentation and had somehow isolated the concept of "a blood point"

fierce star Apr 12, 2026, 2:13 PM

#

I think Iv'e posted it in here before? The "when did it get all noisy and gonzo and clumsy?" quote

velvet raft Apr 12, 2026, 2:13 PM

#

Minor magic is good, there's probably some amount of wacky and highly approximate scientific knowledge, and people probably name things in-setting even if they're not Exactly The Same Thing

#

Ye

bleak hazel Apr 12, 2026, 2:14 PM

#

"the Deliberative Ordering Technique, or DOT, was a measurement of skill used during the High First Age..."

#

studying for my DOT exams to qualify for Occult 3

fierce star Apr 12, 2026, 2:15 PM

#

kekdog

velvet raft Apr 12, 2026, 2:15 PM

#

ahhhhhhhhhhhh

fierce star Apr 12, 2026, 2:15 PM

#

but yeah during ex2 in general there was just a big push that like. The system/game was a perfect simulation of the setting's reality.

#

which even then I thought was stupid

bleak hazel Apr 12, 2026, 2:15 PM

#

(I just made that up on the spot, diegetic dots were not an actual thing, but motes were totally discrete units in 2e and their quantum was in fact the mechanical mote)

#

there was even a machine that you could pump motes in and get Mote Wafers out of so you could carry around a stack of motes

#

which always made me imagine an Exalt fighting with a Death Stranding-sized stack of motebricks on his back so he could keep refuelling

fierce star Apr 12, 2026, 2:19 PM

#

was that from dreams of the first age?

bleak hazel Apr 12, 2026, 2:20 PM

#

yeah, in the Guidebook to Mount Meru

#

which I went back to a few days ago and man, I remembered that as better than it was lorewise

#

some of it was decent but some of it is just bashing you over the head with a pan galactic gargle blaster

fierce star Apr 12, 2026, 2:21 PM

#

Like a lemon wrapped around a gold brick

#

Honestly I think the DOTFA books were a mistake from the get-go. They had some neat stuff, but man they were just...

#

gestures

#

you knwo?

bleak hazel Apr 12, 2026, 2:22 PM

#

oh I don't think that's in doubt, even leaving out some of the most white wolf mechanics to ever white wolf

tulip folio Apr 12, 2026, 2:22 PM

#

...now I kinda want to make a character with all the 'fight with improvised weapons' charms that fights with Jade(Money).

#

Just yeet a brick of jade at a guy

bleak hazel Apr 12, 2026, 2:25 PM

#

I was underrating the Sid improv-artifact-weapon charm honestly

#

it adds a lot of damage, and improvised weapons can be Medium Smashing

#

so if you are just going melee enlightenment it's legit

fierce star Apr 12, 2026, 2:28 PM

#

I had a water aspec tdeeb back in ex2 who was a bookish and unassuming bureaucrat with a one foot by one foot by two inch jade slab that was effectively a Magical Palm Pilot for business purposes.

#

It was also her most commonly used weapon.

bleak hazel Apr 12, 2026, 2:30 PM

#

unfortunately Sids can't shape ambrosia last I checked so you can't just whip out a chocolate coin and zap it into a sword as an improv weapon stunt

tulip folio Apr 12, 2026, 2:30 PM

#

It's kinda funny thinking about Raksha castes that the Raksha noble we have, the Cataphract is perhaps the single least 'functional as a person' caste they have.

#

#

They're Raksha that even other Raksha think are kinda murderous assholes.

#

'A Cataphract That Grows A Brain can become a Strategos instead'

#

That said: There's something funny about one of the castes being just 'What if Doomguy was a Fairy'

fierce star Apr 12, 2026, 2:33 PM

#

e1m1 intensifies

bleak hazel Apr 12, 2026, 2:33 PM

#

how clauswitzian, as soon as you discover Other Means of Politics you aren't a soldier any more

wise ocean Apr 12, 2026, 2:34 PM

#

an officer
just here to fight
well you're not a very good officer then are you buddy

bleak hazel Apr 12, 2026, 2:34 PM

#

well, we do kill a lot of cataphracts in the ordinary course of Exalted swording

#

you can kind of wreck their shit with full-pool and reasonable dice

tulip folio Apr 12, 2026, 2:35 PM

#

Cataphract: "I am a random encounter."
Everyone Else: "You're not supposed to just say that."

fierce star Apr 12, 2026, 2:35 PM

#

John Cataphract knows what he's about

bleak hazel Apr 12, 2026, 2:35 PM

#

in this they are the most self-aware fae

fierce star Apr 12, 2026, 2:35 PM

#

and that's showing up, making a quip, and dying to someone more important

bleak hazel Apr 12, 2026, 2:36 PM

#

fae are by far the most Random Encounter type of guys in Exalted

#

usually when it's spooky ghost time or spooky demon time it's because that's like, the plot

#

but you can throw in some conveniently themed fae nearly anywhere

tulip folio Apr 12, 2026, 2:37 PM

#

I do find it funny that for all the castes you'd think Sword would be the 'Oh and then there's this asshole' but it's really Ring/Worker that brings out the jackasses.

#

Because worker is very 'I do what I do because I do what I do'

fierce star Apr 12, 2026, 2:37 PM

#

https://cdn.discordapp.com/attachments/1161699000836165714/1489414832691347556/image.png?ex=69dcdb68&is=69db89e8&hm=7e372d7ff78bc7c3dde3f737cd24d180026213685b003ced5adbfad42ee6780b&

tulip folio Apr 12, 2026, 2:37 PM

#

They in-universe have very simple and basic motivations

bleak hazel Apr 12, 2026, 2:37 PM

#

I need to dig up the old fae books and do some reading for Crimes Deeb since I have generally settled on him taking fae investiture to become better at crimes

wise ocean Apr 12, 2026, 2:38 PM

#

wise ocean >an officer >just here to fight well you're not a very good officer then are you...

funnily enough I actually do this with an NHP in Lancer but their deal is "I am an officer because the principle I embody is violence, and violence in the state context"
which is appropriate for the Sword Iki's been sketching

bleak hazel Apr 12, 2026, 2:38 PM

#

so I need a good staff-themed fae lord for him to draw power from and possibly eventually beat up and stick inside said deeb's own staff grace if and when he reaches E4-5

tulip folio Apr 12, 2026, 2:38 PM

#

wise ocean >an officer >just here to fight well you're not a very good officer then are you...

They're a marine officer. They leave the planning to the LT 😛

bleak hazel Apr 12, 2026, 2:40 PM

#

wait can I use that one on Raksha

tulip folio Apr 12, 2026, 2:40 PM

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bleak hazel so I need a good staff-themed fae lord for him to draw power from and possibly e...

What was the sorta deal made? I've got the books open, I can toss out some ideas.

bleak hazel Apr 12, 2026, 2:40 PM

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I am unsure on the details, which is why I need to do my research

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damn, Anathema-Sealing Tomb only works on spirits

tulip folio Apr 12, 2026, 2:41 PM

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Cannot in fact seal anathema

bleak hazel Apr 12, 2026, 2:41 PM

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I can't stick my creditor inside my printing press as an ironic punishment

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(punishment for what exactly remains unclear)

fierce star Apr 12, 2026, 2:42 PM

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getting in the way of doing cooler crimes

bleak hazel Apr 12, 2026, 2:42 PM

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if this character was a Siddie I could take Fate Is All Things and terminal sanction them into whatever object I wanted, but alas he is a puny deeb

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(not that deebs are in general puny, I mean he's E1 at age 22 and is as such puny by deeb standards)

tulip folio Apr 12, 2026, 2:42 PM

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But yeah, with it being a printing press I could see Panjandrum or Scribe (Which are actually the same caste. Scribe is Staff ascendent, Panjandrum is Ring Ascendent). Both are diplomats and beurocrats but they've got very different focuses. For a scribe, the process is the goal. For a Panjandrum, the only purpose of rules is what they can personally extract from them.

velvet raft Apr 12, 2026, 2:43 PM

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tulip folio Cannot in fact seal anathema

Just stick them under a sufficiently heavy stone

tulip folio Apr 12, 2026, 2:43 PM

#

#

bleak hazel Apr 12, 2026, 2:45 PM

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Panjandrum works

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although I admit my mental image here is "public-mythology Kray Twins" purely because a) Fae Twins ha ha ha and b) there was a great bit where their crooked accountant kept begging them not to keep notes on a criminal conspiracy

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and then eventually betrayed them and gave up their notes on said criminal conspiracy

tulip folio Apr 12, 2026, 2:49 PM

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Hahahah

fierce star Apr 12, 2026, 2:49 PM

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so, base thoughts for updating thaumaturgy ex2 to ex3:

Thaumaturgy is split into three categories: Paths, Rituals, and Powers. Paths are three dots long, with each dot teaching a specific power (For example, the path of demon summoning starts with a ritual that lets you see dematerialized demons, then teaches how to summon a demon, then at the third dot how to bind it). Rituals are similar to sorcerous workings, except each one has a single goal it performs: a ritual can be learned to ensure a good harvest, and while you can adjust parts of it, if you want to do something else you have to learn a seperate ritual. Powers are individual minor things, often as presented by ex3 already, such as infinitely breaking bread or reading tea leaves, and are purchased seperately for a relatively cheap XP cost.

bleak hazel Apr 12, 2026, 2:49 PM

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a fae with a big stack of amateur ledgers recording things like "bribe to local cops" and "protection money from XYZ"

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literally incapable of opsec

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actually that might be a good reason for said investiture

tulip folio Apr 12, 2026, 2:51 PM

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Fae: "Obsec is boring!"

bleak hazel Apr 12, 2026, 2:51 PM

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here, you seem like you're good at being sneaky, keep the actual cops away from my big threshold organised crime outfit

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which means Crimes Deeb is passing himself off as a magistrate and getting in feuds with local All-Seeing Eye guys and generally making the snowball bigger

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and also provides the long-term goal of "coup this bastard and take control of said empire" if the imposed intimacy is something like "Safeguard the [name of syndicate]"

tulip folio Apr 12, 2026, 2:57 PM

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...vague pondering.

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When the Ringbearer assists with a craft project that causes another character to gain or strengthens a Tie toward the crafter as a basic objective, the crafter gains additional points if this causes a large group or community (At least the size of a village) to gain or strengthen the tie. This grants two silver points for basic projects and one gold for other projects.

@bleak hazel craft booster maybe?

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You get rewarded for making a lot of people care about the thing you made.

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As the ringbearer gets Delicious Emotions and you get Delicious Craft Exp

bleak hazel Apr 12, 2026, 3:09 PM

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this works, although that's already probably the hardest craft objective to get because you're usually going "pretty please GM can someone care about my thing"

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my Infernal crafter has procced it twice because the first time he made something he gave our mortal shrine maiden a big fancy silver amulet and the second time he made something he scared the shit out of her by flaring anima all over the place while stinking of vitriol fumes, which nixed the first intimacy and added one of fear

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but unfortunately mortals are not robots and you can't just keep bouncing their feelings back and forth to score that

tulip folio Apr 12, 2026, 3:11 PM

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The third one seems very easy to trigger.

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'The thing I made is related to things I want to do'

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'No shit sherlock'

bleak hazel Apr 12, 2026, 3:11 PM

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yeah every crafter should have a "yey crafting" intimacy in there somewhere because that one's the gimme

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"benefit to yourself" is hard to do if you're making gifts, which is why I suggest the counterintuitive route of being broke and trading for jade and silver with your rich circlemates

tulip folio Apr 12, 2026, 3:13 PM

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But yeah, do you think it's too situational to be a tempting 'oh, this friend can help me get more craft exp'?

bleak hazel Apr 12, 2026, 3:14 PM

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I probably wouldn't bother going for it if it was me

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might want something a bit easier than that

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personally I like the idea of a more direct assist because it's fun to smith things with friends

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and currently nothing in the game lets you do that

tulip folio Apr 12, 2026, 3:15 PM

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So more of a 'directly handing over points'?

tulip folio Apr 12, 2026, 3:16 PM

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bleak hazel but this is a cute eclipse charm to throw at the party Twilight every so often i...

Something like this but a bit less beefy?

bleak hazel Apr 12, 2026, 3:17 PM

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I would steal something that Infernals uses in a few place and go with "reduce the cost of a major project by (Essence) or the cost of the first roll of a superior project by 1"

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which means you're getting a consistent benefit from having your little guy around but don't want like, fifty of the bastards

tulip folio Apr 12, 2026, 3:17 PM

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Makes sense. I'll need to find what infernal charm that is and look over it.

bleak hazel Apr 12, 2026, 3:17 PM

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arguably could be (Essence) for both at that point

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Glory-Forging Sacrifice

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the alternate method for having teammates help with your crafting: gut them and use the body as crafting mats

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can confirm it is very fun to use

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I have summoned three demons in two weeks and all of them were immediately stabbed for mats

tulip folio Apr 12, 2026, 3:19 PM

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Makes sense. I think my pondering: Make it like 2 silver or 1 gold discount...but it goes up to 3 silver/2 gold if you do it in an area of the wyld as they can more easily get Gossamer there.

bleak hazel Apr 12, 2026, 3:21 PM

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that works, yeah

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you can maybe go 2/2 and 3/3

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since you make several rolls per Superior and the usual exchange rate is 2:1

tulip folio Apr 12, 2026, 3:22 PM

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nods

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Gossamer Forging Artisan: The Ringbearer can assist other crafters by weaving gossamer into tools and components for the most wonderous of arts. For Major Projects, this subtracts 2 from the silver cost for the first roll. For superior projects, this subtracts the same amount from the gold cost for the first roll. If performed in an area of the Wyld (Such as a Bordermarch), they instead subtract three. Multiple Ringbearers do not provide additional benefit on a single project and they cannot support projects made of Iron.

bleak hazel Apr 12, 2026, 3:24 PM

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so your major project gets a 20-30% discount and your superior project (assuming 3-roll completion, which is good but not absurd) gets 6-10%, which seems reasonable for a Craft Buddy

tulip folio Apr 12, 2026, 3:24 PM

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Added a very minor 'they can't support you if you're crafting iron' but you don't make many artifacts from Iron so it's mostly just fluff.

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They also get a restricted version of Feats of Strength in exchange for it being a good pool/effective strength.

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They can't run about smashing down doors mid-battle but if you want them to Go Carry Objects they're good at it.

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And every crafter likes a guy who can 'Carry Lots of Stuff For Them'

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They're not really very good direct combatants but I mean...you didn't bring this guy for his ability to beat things with tools.

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And to be fair 'not very good in a direct fight' for a Raksha is still 'would beat most mortals, just not anything with an essence pool'

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Read the Ring’s Story (5m; Simple; Instant; Essence 1) The Ringbearer rolls Craft to Introduce a Fact about a crafted object or structure, without needing a lore background. Once per scene.

Another nice little 'Oh, I like having this friend about' charm.

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The Ringbearer isn't a combat choice but he brings a lot of nice little utility.

tulip folio Apr 12, 2026, 3:54 PM

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#

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@bleak hazel Okay. Provisional first version of the ringbearer sorted. Thanks a lot for your thoughts on the craft side.

fierce star Apr 12, 2026, 4:26 PM

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I really like it. Awaken wonder is really, really good but only if people remember that most weapons in Creation are gonna be made of bronze, not iron or steel

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but not much to be done about that

tulip folio Apr 12, 2026, 4:34 PM

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...I'll likely adjust the name of 'wonder forging assistant' as I don't like two charms using wonder but that's a minor thing.

fierce star Apr 12, 2026, 4:40 PM

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legit

velvet raft Apr 12, 2026, 7:48 PM

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Mental image of how the Walker in Darkness fights: careful and paced, even at the height of savagery, preferring his bow and mainly using his axe to create and maintain distance, with a knack for switching between them at great speed. Demiurgic art involves going all 6-armed asura and suddenly he’s using brawl, melee, and archery all simultaneously.

marsh garden Apr 12, 2026, 7:51 PM

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i do really hope we get his stat block as one of the ones in Riders

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...and i wish Archery and Melee had less solar duping (including the lamest archery capstone in existence) so we could see more heavy inspiration from both the walker and dowager's takes

velvet raft Apr 12, 2026, 7:52 PM

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He does seem logical insofar as he is the Scav lands Deathlord

marsh garden Apr 12, 2026, 7:52 PM

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love the dowager cqc archery charms tho

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and the lion's pair of soul-eaters in melee

velvet raft Apr 12, 2026, 8:03 PM

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Wait I forgot he’s also a Void Circle sorcerer

spiral cosmos Apr 12, 2026, 8:04 PM

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and he has the friendship of Duke Lu, the greatest character in Exalted

marsh garden Apr 12, 2026, 8:04 PM

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duke lu my beloved

velvet raft Apr 12, 2026, 8:04 PM

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Good dog

marsh garden Apr 12, 2026, 8:05 PM

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i love that he's a strategist and terrifying combatant, and a weird undead philosopher like many other weirdo high-ess ghosts...but also just

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a dog

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and all of the other sinners feed him

prisma sun Apr 12, 2026, 8:05 PM

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Duke Lu's days are numbered

marsh garden Apr 12, 2026, 8:05 PM

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you monster

prisma sun Apr 12, 2026, 8:05 PM

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King Hu will prove the superiority of cats forevermore

spiral cosmos Apr 12, 2026, 8:06 PM

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the number goes up every time somebody feeds him a treat however

prisma sun Apr 12, 2026, 8:07 PM

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Borb for reference my main Lunar is King Hu who's spirit form is a house-sized Tiger
I did not know about Duke Lu being a house sized dog when I made him

spiral cosmos Apr 12, 2026, 8:09 PM

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only one can win. this is fated

velvet raft Apr 12, 2026, 8:09 PM

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I am Outlining in my head, the thing I do instead of Writing in real life, and I figure that The Heroes will mostly be fighting Duke Lu rather than his boss

prisma sun Apr 12, 2026, 8:10 PM

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Dark Souls progression

velvet raft Apr 12, 2026, 8:10 PM

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Somebody(s) else will have to keep the Walker busy

prisma sun Apr 12, 2026, 8:11 PM

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If Duke Lu doesnt get stats I will have to find out what else to give Ru

marsh garden Apr 12, 2026, 8:53 PM

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prisma sun If Duke Lu doesnt get stats I will have to find out what else to give Ru

Barrow Hound but multiple all of its numbers by 6

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evasion 24

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120 HLs (+ incap)

marsh garden Apr 12, 2026, 9:20 PM

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is Maiden-on-the-Shelf Form's +1 parry a Charm bonus?

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i assume it is, but

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it adding +1 to a full defense trips me up a bit

fierce star Apr 12, 2026, 9:20 PM

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unless otherwise stated anything from a charm is a charm bonus

marsh garden Apr 12, 2026, 9:20 PM

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that's what i thought!

tulip folio Apr 13, 2026, 12:39 AM

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Ringbearer
For every grand performer who takes centre stage and twists the tale of creation around themselves, there are those who play lesser but essential roles. These Raksha are known to creation as 'commoners', though it is not uncommon for Raksha to refer to them as other titles such as 'understudies' or 'background talent'. They lack the sheer versatility and je ne sais quoi of their noble kin, keeping to more grounded and focused rolls.

Ringbearers are those commoners who embody the Grace of the Ring, Conviction and Purpose. Driven to create and craft, they see themselves as the backbone of Raksha society. The greatest warrior is nothing without a blade in his hands and a diplomat has nowhere to speak unless a court has been crafted for him to inhabit. The Ring crafts wonder and terror alike, shaping weapons for heroes and the very monsters those heroes slay.

As lesser Raksha who are bound to the Ring, Ringbearers act as assistants and journeymen. The tools they craft are to be wielded by another for goals that are not their own. They love creation for how it appreciates their arts, how the smallest working of gossamer is a treasure to kings and generals. They despite creation for its lack of purpose, how mortals lack a true role to embody, more chaotic than any Raksha. Many workers enter creation to test their skills with a more limited resource and thus grow in self until their works achieve immortality of their own.

Got the fluff written for Ringbearers. I hope this reads okay? That's 3/4 Fae Commoners sorted

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Just got to get the Staff done next.

spiral cosmos Apr 13, 2026, 1:39 AM

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ur chewing thru these at a good rate

tulip folio Apr 13, 2026, 1:48 AM

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Writing is a de-stress method for me. XD

spiral cosmos Apr 13, 2026, 1:48 AM

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marsh garden it adding +1 *to a full defense* trips me up a bit

belatedly, and after the right answer, but the "it" in "it adds +1 Parry" isn't the full defense, but rather Impeding The Flow

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it's

if [full defense OR defending other]
THEN Impeding The Flow adds

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the syntax is a bitch

bleak hazel Apr 13, 2026, 1:50 AM

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as far as I can tell from the Lancer, Dominions and Exalted homebrew I have observed, Iki can produce infinite pages of statblocks in a night as long as 100% of them are fae of some kind

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the lower FAE% gets the slower it goes

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(he says, procrastinating doing his artifact's evocations because he got past the ones he had fully conceptualised and needs just a tiny bit of filler)

tulip folio Apr 13, 2026, 1:53 AM

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Hey, I can also write a billion pages about Weird Theological Nonsense. That's just trickier in exalted, when you get to know the exact intimacies of every god.

marsh garden Apr 13, 2026, 1:53 AM

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spiral cosmos it's > if [full defense OR defending other] > THEN Impeding The Flow adds

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syntax is a bitch

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why must language Be

tulip folio Apr 13, 2026, 1:54 AM

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'Why does god let bad things happen?'
'Because he's a petty asshole and I'm bribing him'
'Okay, answer recieved!'

bleak hazel Apr 13, 2026, 1:55 AM

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I naturally generate decent RPG fluff about obscure postwar continental philosophy, macroeconomics and obscure xianxia nonsense and like, 2/3 of these are somewhat useful in Exalted

spiral cosmos Apr 13, 2026, 1:55 AM

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this at least is infinitely better than core books 'natural language'

bleak hazel Apr 13, 2026, 1:56 AM

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even if one of them leads me to get repeatedly irritated whenever fiction describes something as "a trade dispute" and I go "what kind of trade dispute" and it goes "trade dispute! you know, trade is when the gold carts go back and forth to the town halls"

spiral cosmos Apr 13, 2026, 1:56 AM

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thats right

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needle go wiggle

bleak hazel Apr 13, 2026, 1:56 AM

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big slider that sends all the money one way or the other depending on who Trades best

wise ocean Apr 13, 2026, 1:56 AM

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I do nothing but generate increasingly more complex prose about state violence, which would be very useful in some specific deeb campaigns but has strained my allegories otherwise

bleak hazel Apr 13, 2026, 1:57 AM

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honestly Exalted has the best TTRPG economies ever put in fluff as far as I'm concerned, despite 1e's general tendency to wander into gold bug libertarianism for a bit every so often

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the salt rate is a very cute add-on to an otherwise pretty sensible setup

marsh garden Apr 13, 2026, 1:58 AM

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the salt rate?

tulip folio Apr 13, 2026, 1:58 AM

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My favorite economics thing in RPGs is forever Flying Circus having 'Fiat Currency', named for the Fiat mountains they mine the gold from.

marsh garden Apr 13, 2026, 1:58 AM

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fantastic

spiral cosmos Apr 13, 2026, 2:01 AM

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bleak hazel honestly Exalted has the best TTRPG economies ever put in fluff as far as I'm co...

they were graeber heads

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Debt 5k was a foundational text for Geoff Grabowski

prisma sun Apr 13, 2026, 2:01 AM

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graeber?

bleak hazel Apr 13, 2026, 2:02 AM

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marsh garden the salt rate?

the Realm's equivalent of a central bank interest rate is set by what the salt gods take in tribute in exchange for allowing the salt to be harvested, which is centrally organised by the Empress and hasn't been changed since she vanished

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it's very good

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marsh garden Apr 13, 2026, 2:02 AM

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bleak hazel Apr 13, 2026, 2:02 AM

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prisma sun graeber?

an anthropologist who wrote a bunch of influential books on what pre-modern socioeconomics looked like

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and yeah, that makes a lot of sense now I think about it

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definitely has Graeber vibes

tulip folio Apr 13, 2026, 2:03 AM

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I do like how the Salt Rate is also an element of how the Realm is destabilizing in ways beyond 'And here is the fucking bull in the north with a steel chair!'

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it's economic system is having the wheels come off as nobody is managing it

bleak hazel Apr 13, 2026, 2:04 AM

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some of his stuff is very good, some of it I disagree with for highly specific econ nerd reasons beyond the scope of this chat

prisma sun Apr 13, 2026, 2:04 AM

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Cost
Mins
Type:
Keywords: 
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites:

The true secret of martial arts is that without pretense, without the facade of philosophy or propriety, they are simply the means to end an opponent as quickly and as efficiently as possible. Cast off all preconceptions and embody the killer. 

The wielder can only use this charm in a martial arts form, which immediately ends at the conclusion of this charm. The wielder makes an unblockable decisive attack, gaining the target’s wound penalty as non-charm dice. 

Harmonious: The attack becomes undodgeable and deals aggravated damage.. ```

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This feels boring but eghhhhhhhhhhh

tulip folio Apr 13, 2026, 2:04 AM

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Yeah, econ is not an element of expertise for me. My knowledge of economics is 'Glamour 5 lets me destabilize economies enough to get stabbed by sidereals'

coral wraith Apr 13, 2026, 2:06 AM

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bleak hazel

wait this is really cool

fierce star Apr 13, 2026, 2:06 AM

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tulip folio Hey, I can *also* write a billion pages about Weird Theological Nonsense. That's...

What are the things I can make infinite pages of as logn as they're within theme?

tulip folio Apr 13, 2026, 2:07 AM

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fierce star What are the things I can make infinite pages of as logn as they're within theme...

Character sheets 😛

fierce star Apr 13, 2026, 2:07 AM

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you make ONE eleven page backstory

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it was 90% worldbuilding and 10% character backstory!

spiral cosmos Apr 13, 2026, 2:08 AM

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bleak hazel some of his stuff is very good, some of it I disagree with for highly specific e...

you don't need to be that highly specific tbh, i want to beat him around the head with a copy of dawn of everything

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there's plenty that's annoying as shit

bleak hazel Apr 13, 2026, 2:08 AM

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I'll be honest I didn't finish that one

spiral cosmos Apr 13, 2026, 2:08 AM

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debt in particular is just littered with basic malpractice

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you don't even need a methodological critique

bleak hazel Apr 13, 2026, 2:09 AM

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I got a few chapters in, saw where the wind was blowing and then got back to the exams I had at the time

spiral cosmos Apr 13, 2026, 2:09 AM

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objectively correct decision

bleak hazel Apr 13, 2026, 2:09 AM

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his take on how modern fiat currency works is also just wildly wrong, although that doesn't get Debt that hard because it mostly isn't covering that at all

marsh garden Apr 13, 2026, 2:10 AM

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prisma sun ```The End of the Quest Cost Mins Type: Keywords: Duration: Instant Prerequisi...

hmmm. This might just be a me thing, but i feel like that first sentence doesn't quite ring right. To me, martial arts is a form of pretense, in a way — it's not violence in its purest form, it's violence through a philosophical lens. Martial arts, at least in Exalted's wuxia sense, is violence-as-art and art-as-violence, the interpretation of combat through a statement about the world.

spiral cosmos Apr 13, 2026, 2:10 AM

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i will say in graeber's defense that i think there is some reflexive disdain for his older works solely on ideological grounds which can be unfair, and is largely just a hating on anarchism

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and he has some skill at pop synthesis

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but i do not like him

marsh garden Apr 13, 2026, 2:11 AM

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I like the idea of Endings hitting that "I refuse to dignify this any more. We are killing people, and I kill people very, very well." note, though.

prisma sun Apr 13, 2026, 2:11 AM

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marsh garden hmmm. This might just be a me thing, but i feel like that first sentence doesn't...

To me this is sorta the Meti of "See how they use the power of God the same way a man might an especially sharp stick" moment

marsh garden Apr 13, 2026, 2:11 AM

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bleak hazel Apr 13, 2026, 2:11 AM

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yeah, I will say that if you start at "money is like gold standard, right?" and then take on the general points that Debt makes about how money works you will go from being like ten layers of wrong down to maybe 2-3, it's a big improvement

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and it's a readable book

marsh garden Apr 13, 2026, 2:11 AM

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That's a fair interpretation as well, for sure.

prisma sun Apr 13, 2026, 2:11 AM

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It's "Yes all that pretense is good but you are punching someone as hard as possible to kill them and that's really all that matters in the End"

bleak hazel Apr 13, 2026, 2:12 AM

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but the general state of econ knowledge is so pathetic that the bar isn't that high and people who are actual anthropologists rather than merely fiscal policy nerds with pretensions tell me that bit is no better

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still, I read the salt rate section and start rubbing my hands with glee because just having that in the game justifies having a Bureaucracy tree

prisma sun Apr 13, 2026, 2:13 AM

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Saturn to me reads as a gal who's grand magical technique is the equivalent of pulling a glock out and shooting someone in the head

bleak hazel Apr 13, 2026, 2:13 AM

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I'm about to play the Silver Prince's backstabbiest trade magnate and hopefully have great fun systematically demolishing the prospects of my rivals in the Skullstone diplomatic corps

fierce star Apr 13, 2026, 2:14 AM

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you know all this talk about economics is giving me an idea for the worst possible crossover of all time

marsh garden Apr 13, 2026, 2:15 AM

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I appreciate that Exalted is one of the only systems I've ever played with separate trees for bureacracy, linguistics, and two separate skillsets for social interaction that aren't "be nice" and "be mean."

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It's certainly the only system I've ever played that does all of those, fully fleshed them out, and given them all equal respect.

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oh wait ew i've been using proper syntax

spiral cosmos Apr 13, 2026, 2:16 AM

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bleak hazel I'm about to play the Silver Prince's backstabbiest trade magnate and hopefully ...

you can probably see the seams of it a little now but a lot of skullstone's economy is inspired by venice

wise ocean Apr 13, 2026, 2:16 AM

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I need something to use my socialfernal's Bureaucracy tree on to justify its existence but man, setting up Organizations and what to do with them is a real "mother may I" moment to the GM

prisma sun Apr 13, 2026, 2:16 AM

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I enjoy my Deeb having a Poetry Stat

marsh garden Apr 13, 2026, 2:16 AM

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i need to play another abyssal so i can take the Infinite Money Approach bureau charms

fierce star Apr 13, 2026, 2:17 AM

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And that is Exalted and Eclipse Phase.

marsh garden Apr 13, 2026, 2:17 AM

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and bean people with my improvised weapon (Literal Stacks Of Jade)

prisma sun Apr 13, 2026, 2:17 AM

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I can't wait for a hopeful Realm arc where Beuarcracy and War become the most useful abilities

tulip folio Apr 13, 2026, 2:17 AM

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I do kinda wish there was more of a system behind linguistics and bureacracy. In particular linguistics. That said: I can understand why they're not quite as covered as some others.

spiral cosmos Apr 13, 2026, 2:17 AM

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i had to figure out how to make a older sidereal whose whole thing is, like, being The Trade Guy in the west today and historically. uh. work

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in context of creation

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that was a tremendous pain in the ass

prisma sun Apr 13, 2026, 2:18 AM

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I need to figure out more sauce for this Endings charm later

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Endings is hard to give sauce that isn't just killing someone instantly to me

spiral cosmos Apr 13, 2026, 2:18 AM

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prisma sun I can't wait for a hopeful Realm arc where Beuarcracy and War become the most us...

people think bureaucracy is like a weird little skill for

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like

bleak hazel Apr 13, 2026, 2:19 AM

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spiral cosmos you can probably see the seams of it a little now but a lot of skullstone's econ...

yeah that fits very well in hindsight, with the big families deploying various notables and nephews everywhere like eurogame meeples

spiral cosmos Apr 13, 2026, 2:19 AM

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standing in the dmv and yelling at people, in exalted

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and not wielding the power and prestige of elites and state machinery

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just a total misalignment from modern perspectives

prisma sun Apr 13, 2026, 2:19 AM

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I think it's the name

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idk what you'd call it though

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that'd make it like

mighty rover Apr 13, 2026, 2:19 AM

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"Statecraft"

prisma sun Apr 13, 2026, 2:19 AM

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Sexier

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Statecraft is actually pretty good

tulip folio Apr 13, 2026, 2:19 AM

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I like an idea I had for an endings character that works primarily in the ending of architecture. When a bridge needs to fail or a castle fall, not when a guy needs to die.

bleak hazel Apr 13, 2026, 2:20 AM

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I'm sorry Menjaro family you are getting it in the neck because Bureaucracy Apocalyptic has arrived and I've made a big board with figurative red string on pointing to you

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I desire Wreath so I can run it Better(TM)

spiral cosmos Apr 13, 2026, 2:20 AM

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first age god of urbanism who's mad the past 1400 years have seen that concept end

fierce star Apr 13, 2026, 2:20 AM

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... query

prisma sun Apr 13, 2026, 2:20 AM

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Isn't that a guy

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I feel that's a guy in the Sid book

spiral cosmos Apr 13, 2026, 2:20 AM

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urbanism god?

prisma sun Apr 13, 2026, 2:20 AM

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yea

fierce star Apr 13, 2026, 2:21 AM

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what would you rate, essence/cost wise, a martial arts charm that for one movement action inverts an armor's mobility penalty?

tulip folio Apr 13, 2026, 2:21 AM

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...would it be non-charm bonuses?

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Or would it be negate + charm bonus equal to usual penalty?

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As those are different

prisma sun Apr 13, 2026, 2:21 AM

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Wun Ja

fierce star Apr 13, 2026, 2:22 AM

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negate plus charm bonus

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was my thought

bleak hazel Apr 13, 2026, 2:22 AM

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Inexorable Advance is 3m to negate wound + mobility penalties on one move at E1, Celestial level

prisma sun Apr 13, 2026, 2:22 AM

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https://i.imgur.com/66Kr9RJ.png

Imgur

tulip folio Apr 13, 2026, 2:22 AM

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I'd personally peg it at like...3-4m?

prisma sun Apr 13, 2026, 2:22 AM

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This is literally that concept

bleak hazel Apr 13, 2026, 2:22 AM

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so probably about that, maybe + or - one mote depending on what kind of armour you can wear with your MA

fierce star Apr 13, 2026, 2:22 AM

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it's a heavy armor style

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so 4m, E1, probably MA3

bleak hazel Apr 13, 2026, 2:23 AM

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yeah, easy money there

prisma sun Apr 13, 2026, 2:23 AM

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fierce star what would you rate, essence/cost wise, a martial arts charm that for one moveme...

Check the Gunzhoa armor charm

marsh garden Apr 13, 2026, 2:23 AM

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that's pretty strong, i'd probably make it 5m because it's +2 bonus

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+3 if you go carapace, which is an obvious combo

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but seems legit

bleak hazel Apr 13, 2026, 2:23 AM

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I might attach some kind of ribbon because frankly a slight capbreaker on agility excellency is not blowing me away, the Sid charm has its stealth functionality

marsh garden Apr 13, 2026, 2:23 AM

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oh one action

prisma sun Apr 13, 2026, 2:24 AM

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https://i.imgur.com/5Zy9NhI.png

Imgur

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3m seems fine since +2 dice is about as good as an automatic success

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I'd say

fierce star Apr 13, 2026, 2:24 AM

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if it needs a ribbon, could make it giv enon-charm specifically for rush?

marsh garden Apr 13, 2026, 2:24 AM

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i should make a gunzosha suit

prisma sun Apr 13, 2026, 2:25 AM

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You should make a Gunzosha suit

wise ocean Apr 13, 2026, 2:25 AM

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spiral cosmos and not wielding the power and prestige of elites and state machinery

Getting to grips with that state machinery in the context of people what are going out and killing zombies and taking out fae kings and the like is the thing I usually have trouble with

that said I think it's also "I need to just get into a campaign where the bureaucracy system is sharply emphasized as Something To Pull On" and I can have boardroom fights with some guy who's muscling in on my cult's compound (small city) and needs to be warned off it by a complete collapse of his commodities contracts in the East

prisma sun Apr 13, 2026, 2:25 AM

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You're in one!

spiral cosmos Apr 13, 2026, 2:25 AM

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wun ja is the goddess of cities, at least

prisma sun Apr 13, 2026, 2:25 AM

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You just made a Blender of a Man

spiral cosmos Apr 13, 2026, 2:25 AM

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not so sure about the walkable layout thing

tulip folio Apr 13, 2026, 2:26 AM

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fierce star if it needs a ribbon, could make it giv enon-charm specifically for rush?

Rush isn't exactly a powerhouse action, I think that would be fine ID.

prisma sun Apr 13, 2026, 2:26 AM

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Wun Ja defeated by V'room, the God of Cars

marsh garden Apr 13, 2026, 2:26 AM

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i want to make a bespoke set for a specific deeb that buffs her melee and dodge excellencies

prisma sun Apr 13, 2026, 2:27 AM

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Moonsilver Gunzosha Lunar does sound rad as hell actually

marsh garden Apr 13, 2026, 2:27 AM

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gunzosha's just kinda fucking rad, power armor slaps

bleak hazel Apr 13, 2026, 2:27 AM

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the fun thing about being the bureaucracy guy in your average Exalted circle is that at any point there's a big red button on your desk labelled dawn_yes

spiral cosmos Apr 13, 2026, 2:27 AM

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exalted ildefons cerdà is a hell of an idea

bleak hazel Apr 13, 2026, 2:28 AM

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and if you tell the Dawn "go murderblend, it makes the money go up" they tend to start bouncing up and down happily

marsh garden Apr 13, 2026, 2:28 AM

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bleak hazel Apr 13, 2026, 2:28 AM

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which gives you so much freedom to be a real bastard

wise ocean Apr 13, 2026, 2:28 AM

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prisma sun You just made a Blender of a Man

🫵 I have two blorbos
My cult will be knocking at people's doors momentarily.

bleak hazel Apr 13, 2026, 2:28 AM

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my industry now, your industry doesn't live here any longer, I will be signing all the trade agreements

wise ocean Apr 13, 2026, 2:28 AM

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(as deliberate contrast, I wanted to have both the COMBAT MURDER side of the system and the Social & Bureaucracy side explored)

tulip folio Apr 13, 2026, 2:28 AM

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...you know what would be kinda fun? Gunzosha armour that improves the various 'exalt specific blast' charms. DB elemental blasts, abyssal sand blasts, essence cannons etc.

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https://static.wikia.nocookie.net/megaman/images/4/4a/Mega_Man_X_DiVE_Hunter_Program_Vile_MK-II.png/revision/latest/scale-to-width-down/1200?cb=20210519123717

fierce star Apr 13, 2026, 2:29 AM

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the best part about this MA I'm working on: it's only practiced in a very small portion of Autochton, so I don't need to worry about terrestiral or mastery tags

bleak hazel Apr 13, 2026, 2:29 AM

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if I was playing a game where everyone was playing serious political maneuvering I would not be so aggro

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but the whole squad is demigods, so go ham most of the time

spiral cosmos Apr 13, 2026, 2:29 AM

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simply become the governor of Hispaniola

wise ocean Apr 13, 2026, 2:30 AM

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happens more often than you'd think

bleak hazel Apr 13, 2026, 2:30 AM

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despite all the hell money charms I think Abyssals are still my favourite splat for dark lording it up with Bureaucracy

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Infernal Bureau is very doing-crimes coded whereas Abyssal Bureau just assumes you're Saruman and lets you get on with it

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ideally more competent saruman

tulip folio Apr 13, 2026, 2:31 AM

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'Have you considered my careful argument: I am rich and you are poor, you should listen to me'

bleak hazel Apr 13, 2026, 2:31 AM

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"I'm not doing crimes, I'm in charge here, we have gone beyond the domain where this is a relevant factor"

wise ocean Apr 13, 2026, 2:32 AM

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the hat trick is to combine the non-crimes side of infernal bureaucracy with infernal presence

I AM GOD, THE UNCANNILY COMPETENT AT ADMINISTRATION

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BOW DOWN TO MY MAGNIFICENCE AND RECEIVE 1.8% INCREASE IN CROP YIELD

spiral cosmos Apr 13, 2026, 2:34 AM

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infernal bureaucracy likes you to be baru cormorant abyssal bureaucracy likes you to be a 1999 rap music video

tulip folio Apr 13, 2026, 2:34 AM

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Hmm...with Staff being Diplomats...social stuff makes sense but I'm thinking of actually playing in a different area than Cup. Cup was all about 'I am making intimacies', I'm thinking Staff will be 'I am all about that Judge Intentions. I find out what you already want and work out plans to get agreements based on that'

bleak hazel Apr 13, 2026, 2:34 AM

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my slightly mean take on why a lot of people get bureaucracy wrong is that a lot of people just assume it means "optimisation" and then you go "well, I can roll to make X system better, but this system is below the resolution of the game, so why do I care how efficient my tax bands are?"

tulip folio Apr 13, 2026, 2:35 AM

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Staff doesn't make you care about X, staff goes 'You already care about Y, here's the deal that can get you Y'

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Sorry for rambling there.

spiral cosmos Apr 13, 2026, 2:38 AM

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u are all good

wise ocean Apr 13, 2026, 2:38 AM

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That's two messages, you're more than fine

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Sounds good to me.

prisma sun Apr 13, 2026, 2:39 AM

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Now I must decide on the rammifications of the Big Five Fingered Slap

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if it's one big hit or a combo of some sort

coral wraith Apr 13, 2026, 2:39 AM

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the schlapper

fierce star Apr 13, 2026, 2:41 AM

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hrm. Multiattacks.

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how much would you charge for a withering 'attack one additional target within close range of the first' if you can't use any charms or magic on the second attack roll?

tulip folio Apr 13, 2026, 2:42 AM

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Do you get init from both attacks?

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As well, double init gain is big

bleak hazel Apr 13, 2026, 2:42 AM

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no charms means no excellency, at which point it's basically about stomping chaff for init to use on big boys

fierce star Apr 13, 2026, 2:43 AM

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I'm not sure on if you woudl gain init from the second attack

bleak hazel Apr 13, 2026, 2:43 AM

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assuming you can use excellency, I think there might be some suitable stuff here if you go with "gain init from highest damage roll"

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I can't remember where it is off the top of my head though

fierce star Apr 13, 2026, 2:43 AM

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I was leaning no unless that makes it useless. And my itnent was not even excellency

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unless that would make it rather useless

tulip folio Apr 13, 2026, 2:43 AM

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My thoughts is I wouldn't do the 'no magic at all' but also...yes, what misc said.

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You gain the higher of the two inits

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So it's good for dumpstering a couple of guy's init but you don't skyrocket your own

coral wraith Apr 13, 2026, 2:44 AM

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thinking about....soulsteel gunzosha armour...

prisma sun Apr 13, 2026, 2:44 AM

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https://tenor.com/view/lich-king-the-lich-king-world-of-warcraft-warcraft-lich-gif-13819271283494361949

Tenor

coral wraith Apr 13, 2026, 2:44 AM

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~~doomguy praetor suit~~

coral wraith Apr 13, 2026, 2:44 AM

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prisma sun https://tenor.com/view/lich-king-the-lich-king-world-of-warcraft-warcraft-lich-g...

yes, actually. fuck yes.

fierce star Apr 13, 2026, 2:46 AM

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hmm, if a decisive multiattack is 4m 1wp for solars, for an MA... 6m 1wp for this one?

marsh garden Apr 13, 2026, 2:46 AM

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coral wraith thinking about....soulsteel gunzosha armour...

aaaaand now i have another abyssal to make

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and more sets of gunzosha i want to build

coral wraith Apr 13, 2026, 2:47 AM

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marsh garden aaaaand now i have *another* abyssal to make

realemote

fierce star Apr 13, 2026, 2:47 AM

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https://tenor.com/view/starcraft-firebat-gif-2082857000292926028

Tenor

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red jade gunzhosha armor

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mama didn't raise no dirty boy

marsh garden Apr 13, 2026, 2:48 AM

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that's actually about like the one i had already planned to make!

coral wraith Apr 13, 2026, 2:48 AM

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i have a character im workshopping that's basically Nerd Doomguy and thinking on it, gunzosha is pretty perfect for him

bleak hazel Apr 13, 2026, 2:48 AM

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don't copy the firebats, they suck so much

coral wraith Apr 13, 2026, 2:48 AM

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bleak hazel don't copy the firebats, they suck so *much*

shut up /s ily misc

marsh garden Apr 13, 2026, 2:48 AM

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lol

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firebats are good in pve okay

coral wraith Apr 13, 2026, 2:48 AM

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sc1 firebat sweep

bleak hazel Apr 13, 2026, 2:48 AM

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they are not good in PVE, come on, they get owned by lings

marsh garden Apr 13, 2026, 2:49 AM

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:(

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shut up

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let me cope

prisma sun Apr 13, 2026, 2:49 AM

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https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WGmmXd8r4YQ

YouTube

GameSpot

Space Hulk: Deathwing - Rise of the Terminators Trailer

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▶ Play video

#

Lookshy Game

bleak hazel Apr 13, 2026, 2:49 AM

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personally my favourite fire armour guy is actually the bioshock infinite one, since that game had some funky dudes despite being quite bad

prisma sun Apr 13, 2026, 2:49 AM

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that's just this

bleak hazel Apr 13, 2026, 2:49 AM

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unfortunately his AI was given one brain cell

coral wraith Apr 13, 2026, 2:49 AM

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firebats got done so fuckin dirty in sc2

fierce star Apr 13, 2026, 2:49 AM

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so goddamn dirty

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easily my favorite terran unit aside from Vultures

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anyway I have three E1 MA charms made y'all mind taking a look at them?

prisma sun Apr 13, 2026, 2:50 AM

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Hrmmm

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How would you do Tyranids

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I suppose you'd probably want to make them a 3cd or a Behemoth actually, where it's sorta like Snake Lady where it's one mind many bodies

bleak hazel Apr 13, 2026, 2:51 AM

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possible metagaos or kimbery 2/3cd that spawns a bunch of lads, Tervigon style

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metagaos works since you spawn chompy dudes, they eat a bunch of stuff and then their progenitor eats them again to repeat the cycle

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also the best terran unit is clearly the Widow Mine because I am a rat bastard

marsh garden Apr 13, 2026, 2:52 AM

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fierce star easily my favorite terran unit aside from Vultures

i loved the...diamondbacks? is that what they were called? in wings of liberty

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busted op garbage pve unit

fierce star Apr 13, 2026, 2:52 AM

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the mobile railgun hovercraft shits from the train stage?

marsh garden Apr 13, 2026, 2:52 AM

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yeah

fierce star Apr 13, 2026, 2:52 AM

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love 'em. Useless as fuck outside that one niche, but love 'em

#Exalted