Dice Shadows of the Setting Sun (OOC)

[D. Rex]

Maybe could argue a stunt that by Afureru failing it to probably laugh at the weakness of supposedly cruel solar and grow stronger from it. Afureru might accrue a point of limit. But it its for a good cause.

 

[Random Word]

No, no, don't worry about trying to trade dice with me. The dice say some stroke of really improbable misfortune happened, we just have to sort out what it was. Some hyper-specific PTSD trigger while cutting down the corpses blindsides her? Surprisingly powerful angry spirit hiding in a corpse attacks her before being dissipated by the sun? Incredibly well concealed poison traps in some of the bodies? Don't know. I'm open to fun suggestions, but of course WlfSamurai gets to decide.

 

[Esbilon]

Does anyone at the end of our "session" believe that they have hit one of the bonuses for Solar XP? Either the Role Bonus or the Expression Bonus?

Expression and Zenith boni are directly tied to Major or Defining Intimacies, and none of Zoya's have come up, so she can't get any. That's not to say she hasn't interacted with things she believed in, so maybe it would make sense to rework her Intimacies to reflect that, but not as written.

 

[WlfSamurai]

Man, we had some really great RP in our little beginning "session" here. I'm finding the intimacies, as tied into the system as they are, are more constraining than helpful in driving RP...

I think that Rykon's argument for some hitting those milestones makes sense. I'm just having a hard time buying into giving Solar/Lunar XP to some and not others.

What do you guys think?

 

[Rykon]

Man, we had some really great RP in our little beginning "session" here. I'm finding the intimacies, as tied into the system as they are, are more constraining than helpful in driving RP...

I think that Rykon's argument for some hitting those milestones makes sense. I'm just having a hard time buying into giving Solar/Lunar XP to some and not others.

What do you guys think?

I've no objection with an even distribution with Solar and Lunar XP. I'd prefer it to be honest.

 

[WlfSamurai]

As far as Exalted Essence is concerned, I’m not willing to change over to it if it changes the characters we already have. I would consider changing the chargen to fit our characters, but if there’s no way—once it’s finished—to represent the characters you guys already built, we will stick with as-is for sure.

 

[D. Rex]

I also have no objections with an even xp payout.

 

[Random Word]

If I'm being entirely honest, if we switched to Essence it would cause me physical pain not to switch to another Exalt type. Getimians are fucking terrifying and seem like Solars-but-cooler in basically every respect ("What's that? You're back to save the world in its hour of need, just like your First Age Incarnations before they went nuts and made a dog's breakfast of it? Well, I'm back to save the world, which I just did last week, as a mortal. Except it's all been undone and now I have to do it all over again, but this time with reality warping superpowers. You get free Excellencies and win ties? That's cool, but I hand out non-Charm bonus dice/successes to myself and others that don't consume the user's single Charm activation for the round.") I would not sic a Getimian antagonist on anyone except maybe D. Rex, because he, like me, goes in for that sort of thing. They're 2e Ebon Dragon + Kimbery Infernal levels of 'I reject your reality and substitute my own', but, like, heroes instead of irredeemable monsters. I understand now why the Five-Score Fellowship can never permit a Getimian to survive to Essence 5, and why they're too busy to hunt down all the returning Solars. They have bigger problems to deal with now.

It's always hard to pass up Sidereals, and though I haven't seen their Charms yet, if the Getimian Charmset is anything to go by I'm excited. To be fair, I haven't seen the Solar Charmset, either, but I found Abyssals and Infernals uninspiring. Golden Years Tarnished Black and Our Little Secret are back, but GYTB is E3 and OLS is a bit underwhelming, and Getimians can do an arguably better GYTB + OLS at E1 instead of E3 with Forgetting the Lie + Sleeper Guiding Whisper. Wish-Granting Wickedness is gated behind E3 and it's fun but Getimians again just do it better. Infernal War is just complete trash, composed of one E5 Charm that's really underwhelming. Malfeas really dropped the ball for the Slayers on that one. The personal combat murder charms aren't bad, though. The Shintais are gone, and the one-size-fits-all replacement is kind of neat but again feels like a missed opportunity. The options could be so much cooler and weirder.

I could recreate something like Sigrdrífa in Essence, but (barring surprises in the Solar Charmset) she probably wouldn't be able to do some of the things she's done on screen anymore (and certainly not some of the things she's capable of but hasn't demonstrated), and it would mean turning down a lot of options I find personally much more exciting.

I think my biggest problem with the Essence Charmset so far is it seems like it was written by two people: One of them got the memo that individual Charms in Essence were meant to do and be more than their 3e counterparts in scope, flexibility, and flavour, and the other one thinks doubling 9s on a certain kind of action can compete with Devil-Queen's Court for a Charm purchase. The person who got the memo seems to have written almost all the Getimian Charms.

 

[jaydude]

I've no objection to even distribution of Solar/Lunar exp. As for switching to Essence, I haven't seen it for myself yet, but I'm okay with such a thing, provided it's not too hard to port Makuro over.

 

[Sherwood]

Tyree is a pretty simple character with a simple combat style. Hit enemy with pointy end of magic spear, repeat as necessary. I have not delved too deep into the different Charms and other kinds of Exalts offered up in Exalted Essence, mostly because it can all change with final drafts so dramatically.

As far as awarding Solar/Lunar xp, I am not against an even distribution of points.

 

[Teh Frixz]

I still can’t find anything about Raksha pc’s for 3E let alone Essence. Even distribution of xp is fine by me. I have no strong opinions either way.

 

[WlfSamurai]

Okay, let’s do 2 Solar/Lunar XP per person for our last “session”.

Esbilon Epiphany Rykon Sherwood D. Rex Random Word Teh Frixz jaydude

 

[WlfSamurai]

Hey gang, I've added an XP tracking section to the first post in the Characters thread:

Dice - Shadows of the Setting Sun (CS)

Please post your character sheets here. Standard character creation rules Solars, Lunars, and Dragon-Blooded permitted Character background Please write a character background for your character It can be as long or as short as you like It should include: Where your character is from What was...

www.rpnation.com

 

[Rykon]

I'll get a proper post in soon by the way. The ever-expanding to-do list has been putting up a mighty impressive fight. I'm still in the process of catching up on various games.

 

[WlfSamurai]

N

I'll get a proper post in soon by the way. The ever-expanding to-do list has been putting up a mighty impressive fight. I'm still in the process of catching up on various games.

No worries. Take you time.

 

[jaydude]

I'll get a proper post in soon by the way. The ever-expanding to-do list has been putting up a mighty impressive fight. I'm still in the process of catching up on various games.

I feel like I can sympathize. The heat where I am has had quite the soporific effect on me these last few days. Not exactly conductive with regards to writing.

 

[D. Rex]

WlfSamurai

What is your ruling in learning charms and using xp? Do you want us to use training times and spend in game time developing our abilities and techniques?

 

[Random Word]

Edit: There was meant to be a quote of Teh Frixz's post in here.

The devs have said there are no current plans for playable Raksha in either 3e or Essence. Could change in the future, but it's not on the roadmap.

 

[Teh Frixz]

Insert one of the immeasurable disappointment and day is ruined memes here

 

[Random Word]

Sigrdrífa's weird half-Night half-Dawn with a splash of Twilight doesn't really work so well in Essence. Essence wants characters to start focused, and then maybe spread out later.

New Sigrdrífa is actually quite different. She's suddenly a bit more charismatic, but has lost her super-senses (partly because it couldn't fit, partly because Essence Awareness Charms for super senses are lame). She's nowhere near as tough and durable, but is better at picking locks and making disguises (This is a lie, she's passable at the first and for now largely incapable of the second). She's strong, but can't throw Tyrant Lizards over the horizon or wrestle titans anymore (Mostly because Supernal is gone. At E2 and again at E3 she gets closer to her current strength). She can no longer walk naked through a blizzard without caring or bathe in ice water comfortably. She can't craft a raft-shield out of sequoias in two minutes and then casually carry it over her shoulder (Essence Craft speeder-uppers don't work the same way. CNNT in 3e doesn't quite translate - even Quickening the Forge and Artisan Needs No Tools together still has you rolling your Craft Venture at Scene intervals). She can still be super stealthy, even though she's actually much worse at stealth, by virtue of Solar Stealth Charms continuing to be I Win buttons. She's much worse at running/jumping/swimming/etc since strength was moved from Athletics to Resistance and renamed Physique.

Excellencies are boring but basically obligatory purchases for Solars, since our biggest Advantage is using them for free. For Solars, the Close/Ranged Combat Excellency in particular is basically a must-buy if you want to be fighty and aren't already buying a combat Charm you want to use every round (and that gets really expensive really fast), leaving relatively little room for more interesting starting Charms.

She is still a larger than life hero, but less so.

Spoiler: Experimental Essence Sigrdrífa

Night Caste Solar

Spoiler: Advantages & Anima Effects

First Among Equals: Solar Exalts always win ties, even when there’s no clear defender (see p. XX). Solar players’ characters win ties against Solar Storyteller characters; player characters vying against one another use normal tie rules.
Supremacy of Ability: Solars don’t pay the mote cost to activate Excellencies.
Divine Resonance: Solars are resonant with all magical materials, especially orichalcum.

No One Special (Passive): The Night Caste can dampen her anima, preventing others from seeing it until she wants to be noticed. She cannot suppress her iconic anima.
Cloak of Shadows (Active): The Night Caste wraps her anima around her like a cloak and moves about unseen. Add her Essence in automatic successes to Stealth and Athletics rolls. Anyone who does notice her sees only a flickering shadow-visage; it’s impossible to discern her identity.
Vanishing Foe (Iconic): Spend 1 anima, After resolving a successful attack, the Night Caste may move instantly to any other location in the scene and gain her Essence in Power.

Essence 1; Motes 5
HLs: 0/0/-1/-1/-1/-1/-1/-2/-2/Inc
Soak 1; Hardness 3; Defence 4

Attributes (4/3/2):
Force 4
Finesse 2
Fortitude 3

Abilities (5/4/3/3/3/2/2/1):
Awareness 3
Athletics 2
Close Combat 4
Craft 2
Embassy
Integrity 1
Navigate 3
Performance
Physique 5
Presence
Ranged Combat
Sagacity
Stealth 3
War

Charms:

Spoiler: Ox Body Technique

Prerequisite: None
By virtue of her Exalted health, the character endures greater levels of injury.
The Exalt gains an additional -1 level. This may be purchased a number of times equal to the character’s Physique.
Solar Mode: The Exalt gains their choice of an additional 0 or two -1 Health levels.

Spoiler: Ten Ox Meditation

Prerequisite: Physique 2
Pouring Essence into her muscles, the Exalt performs impossible physical feats.
Spend 1 mote. When the character attempts a feat of strength, reduce the difficulty of the roll by her Essence plus one, to a minimum of one. If this reduces the difficulty below the need to roll, the attempt happens automatically.
Thunder’s Might (Upgrade, Physique 5, Essence 2): At Physique 5 and Essence 2, the Exalt may spend an additional mote to attempt a feat of strength that would normally require a venture in a single roll instead.
Triumph-Forged God Body (Upgrade, Essence 3): The Exalt may spend an additional mote to perform a single Extreme feat of Strength without needing to roll.

Spoiler: Shroud of Night’s Law

Prerequisite: Stealth 1
The man-shaped shadow compels unwanted observers to avert their eyes.
Commit 1 mote. For the scene, the only people capable of noticing the Solar’s actions are those directly affected by them. This does not guarantee their notice — the Solar may still attempt an action to conceal himself from them.
Vanishing from Mind’s Eye: At Essence 3, the Solar may activate this Charm retroactively by spending 2 motes. He erases his presence from the applicable witness’ memories of events.

Spoiler: Close Combat Excellency

Prerequisite: [Ability] 1
Whatever the Exalt attempts, she does so with superhuman ability.
When purchasing this Charm, choose an Ability. Spend 1 mote. This applies on Step 1 during combat. Outside of combat, this may be used to boost passive values. Add that Ability as a dice bonus to an applicable roll involving the chosen Ability. You may add Close Combat dice to Close Combat attacks, or add Integrity dice to Integrity rolls to resist the sway of a Deathlord, but may not use Stealth dice to add to a Close Combat attack or Ranged Combat to add dice to a Navigation roll. This Charm may be purchased more than once, but you must choose a different Ability every time.

Spoiler: Physique Excellency

Prerequisite: [Ability] 1
Whatever the Exalt attempts, she does so with superhuman ability.
When purchasing this Charm, choose an Ability. Spend 1 mote. This applies on Step 1 during combat. Outside of combat, this may be used to boost passive values. Add that Ability as a dice bonus to an applicable roll involving the chosen Ability. You may add Close Combat dice to Close Combat attacks, or add Integrity dice to Integrity rolls to resist the sway of a Deathlord, but may not use Stealth dice to add to a Close Combat attack or Ranged Combat to add dice to a Navigation roll. This Charm may be purchased more than once, but you must choose a different Ability every time.

Merits (5/3/1)
Allies 5 [Sigrdrífa has no equivalent to a 5 dot Merit in her background, except maybe the Abyssal she grew up with, so I'll toss 5 merit points into a Mystery Ally of WlfSamurai's choice.]
Artifact 3 [Belt of Shadow-Walking]
Influence 1 [Champion of the Snow Leopard Tribe]

Virtues:
Courage [Major]
Ambition (Complete the Trials of Snow Leopard and Bring Glory to My Name) [Minor]

Intimacies:
I Will Slay the Greatest of Monsters and From Their Legends Stitch My Own [Major] [Ambition]
Toun (Affection) [Minor] [Loyalty]
Snow Leopard (Loyalty) [Minor] [Loyalty]

 

[D. Rex]

Sigrdrífa's weird half-Night half-Dawn with a splash of Twilight doesn't really work so well in Essence. Essence wants characters to start focused, and then maybe spread out later.

New Sigrdrífa is actually quite different. She's suddenly a bit more charismatic, but has lost her super-senses (partly because it couldn't fit, partly because Essence Awareness Charms for super senses are lame). She's nowhere near as tough and durable, but suddenly is much better at picking locks and making disguises (This is a lie, she's passable at the first and for now largely incapable of the second). She's strong, but can't throw Tyrant Lizards over the horizon or wrestle titans anymore (Mostly because Supernal is gone. At E2 and again at E3 she gets closer to her current strength). She can no longer walk naked through a blizzard without caring or bathe in ice water comfortably. She can't craft a raft-shield out of sequoias in two minutes and then casually carry it over her shoulder (Essence Craft speeder-uppers don't work the same way. CNNT in 3e doesn't quite translate - even Quickening the Force and Artisan Needs No Tools together still has you rolling your Craft Venture at Scene intervals). She can still be super stealthy, even though she's actually much worse at stealth, by virtue of Solar Stealth Charms continuing to be I Win buttons.

Excellencies are boring but basically obligatory purchases for Solars, since our biggest Advantage is using them for free. For Solars, the Close/Ranged Combat Excellency in particular is basically a must-buy if you want to be fighty and aren't already buying a combat Charm you want to use every round (and that gets really expensive really fast), leaving relatively little room for more interesting starting Charms.

She is still a larger than life hero, but less so.

Spoiler: Experimental Essence Sigrdrífa

Night Caste Solar

Spoiler: Advantages & Anima Effects

First Among Equals: Solar Exalts always win ties, even when there’s no clear defender (see p. XX). Solar players’ characters win ties against Solar Storyteller characters; player characters vying against one another use normal tie rules.
Supremacy of Ability: Solars don’t pay the mote cost to activate Excellencies.
Divine Resonance: Solars are resonant with all magical materials, especially orichalcum.

No One Special (Passive): The Night Caste can dampen her anima, preventing others from seeing it until she wants to be noticed. She cannot suppress her iconic anima.
Cloak of Shadows (Active): The Night Caste wraps her anima around her like a cloak and moves about unseen. Add her Essence in automatic successes to Stealth and Athletics rolls. Anyone who does notice her sees only a flickering shadow-visage; it’s impossible to discern her identity.
Vanishing Foe (Iconic): Spend 1 anima, After resolving a successful attack, the Night Caste may move instantly to any other location in the scene and gain her Essence in Power.

Essence 1; Motes 5
HLs: 0/0/-1/-1/-1/-1/-1/-2/Inc
Soak 1; Hardness 3; Defence 4

Attributes (4/3/2):
Force 4
Finesse 2
Fortitude 3

Abilities (5/4/3/3/3/2/2/1):
Awareness 3
Athletics 2
Close Combat 4
Craft 2
Embassy
Integrity 1
Navigate 3
Performance
Physique 5
Presence
Ranged Combat
Sagacity
Stealth 3
War

Charms:

Spoiler: Ox Body Technique

Prerequisite: None
By virtue of her Exalted health, the character endures greater levels of injury.
The Exalt gains an additional -1 level. This may be purchased a number of times equal to the character’s Physique.
Solar Mode: The Exalt gains their choice of an additional 0 or two -1 Health levels.

Spoiler: Ten Ox Meditation

Prerequisite: Physique 2
Pouring Essence into her muscles, the Exalt performs impossible physical feats.
Spend 1 mote. When the character attempts a feat of strength, reduce the difficulty of the roll by her Essence plus one, to a minimum of one. If this reduces the difficulty below the need to roll, the attempt happens automatically.
Thunder’s Might (Upgrade, Physique 5, Essence 2): At Physique 5 and Essence 2, the Exalt may spend an additional mote to attempt a feat of strength that would normally require a venture in a single roll instead.
Triumph-Forged God Body (Upgrade, Essence 3): The Exalt may spend an additional mote to perform a single Extreme feat of Strength without needing to roll.

Spoiler: Shroud of Night’s Law

Prerequisite: Stealth 1
The man-shaped shadow compels unwanted observers to avert their eyes.
Commit 1 mote. For the scene, the only people capable of noticing the Solar’s actions are those directly affected by them. This does not guarantee their notice — the Solar may still attempt an action to conceal himself from them.
Vanishing from Mind’s Eye: At Essence 3, the Solar may activate this Charm retroactively by spending 2 motes. He erases his presence from the applicable witness’ memories of events.

Spoiler: Close Combat Excellency

Prerequisite: [Ability] 1
Whatever the Exalt attempts, she does so with superhuman ability.
When purchasing this Charm, choose an Ability. Spend 1 mote. This applies on Step 1 during combat. Outside of combat, this may be used to boost passive values. Add that Ability as a dice bonus to an applicable roll involving the chosen Ability. You may add Close Combat dice to Close Combat attacks, or add Integrity dice to Integrity rolls to resist the sway of a Deathlord, but may not use Stealth dice to add to a Close Combat attack or Ranged Combat to add dice to a Navigation roll. This Charm may be purchased more than once, but you must choose a different Ability every time.

Spoiler: Physique Excellency

Prerequisite: [Ability] 1
Whatever the Exalt attempts, she does so with superhuman ability.
When purchasing this Charm, choose an Ability. Spend 1 mote. This applies on Step 1 during combat. Outside of combat, this may be used to boost passive values. Add that Ability as a dice bonus to an applicable roll involving the chosen Ability. You may add Close Combat dice to Close Combat attacks, or add Integrity dice to Integrity rolls to resist the sway of a Deathlord, but may not use Stealth dice to add to a Close Combat attack or Ranged Combat to add dice to a Navigation roll. This Charm may be purchased more than once, but you must choose a different Ability every time.

Merits (5/3/1)
Allies 5 [Sigrdrífa has no equivalent to a 5 dot Merit in her background, except maybe the Abyssal she grew up with, so I'll toss 5 merit points into a Mystery Ally of WlfSamurai's choice.]
Artifact 3 [Belt of Shadow-Walking]
Influence 1 [Champion of the Snow Leopard Tribe]

Virtues:
Courage [Major]
Ambition (Complete the Trials of Snow Leopard and Bring Glory to My Name) [Minor]

Intimacies:
I Will Slay the Greatest of Monsters and From Their Legends Stitch My Own [Major] [Ambition]
Toun (Affection) [Minor] [Loyalty]
Snow Leopard (Loyalty) [Minor] [Loyalty]

Already that far ahead? I can't wait to get to see the book myself. I just backed it today.


Still, no supernals is going to hurt! I kind of liked being able to start out far ahead in one thing.


I dont fully get it though. The new system. Other than "we get charms instead of xp". But looking through it, Essence Sigfrida does admittedly seem less Sigfrida.


Affy shouldn't be too hard though. She is a thoroughbred dawn. All about "fear me" and cutting through waves of enemies like she was from a Dynasty Warriors game.

Though depending Iron how martial arts are handled, it may be difficult. And she may have to give up Beast.

 

[Random Word]

No, she'll keep Beast, and she'll still be incredibly good at terrifying anything she doesn't instantly shred. Invincible Sword Princess Riding a Tyrant Lizard is absolutely a niche the rules have excellent support for. Martial Arts Charms are just regular Charms now, no merit buy in.

 

[jaydude]

Just got access to the Essence manuscripts myself, and currently looking through them. Depending on how things go, I might consider running a game later on, just so that we can try the system out.

 

[Sherwood]

That would be awesome. I've only scanned the works since I fully expect that the text will be changed a bit before the final version is published, but it is an interesting shift from core Exalted.

 

[jaydude]

That would be awesome. I've only scanned the works since I fully expect that the text will be changed a bit before the final version is published, but it is an interesting shift from core Exalted.

So far I've only really read through the rules relating to character creation, and had a very quick skim of the Charms sections (I've been looking to recreate Makuro with Essence rules). But yeah, it's definitely a change from core Exalted. Besides making things a bit less complex, there seems to be an encouragement towards specialization as opposed to Jack-of-all-trades approaches (less starting Charms, fixed numbers for stats as opposed to points you can assign as you please), which feels like it could be an interesting.

If there's one thing I like, it's that you get rules for playing as Exalt types besides Solars, Lunars and Dragon-blooded. Right now, I think the only thing making me reluctant to try running a game is that Essence doesn't yet have stat blocks for NPCs, or any Artifacts and/or Evocations.