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Dice The Soulbound Pact - OOC

After looking through Solar Medicine charms, I'm really wanting to mirror some of the early ones to worsen/inflict disease rather then weaken/cure it. Abyssal medicine feels like something that should focus on inverting the Solar physician's goal of healing. So, y'know, no Hippocratic Oath for me.
 
Esbilon Esbilon Are there any powers of the sword that you're leaning to besides claiming souls and manifesting ghostly troops? (e.g. Does getting advice from the souls stored within seem like something that fits your theme?)

I'm torn between a sword and a pair of hatchets, but I think I've mostly settled on what I want for powers and evocations
  • It has ordinary stats, except that for every Size of the battle group of souls stored in the weapon(s), it gets a +1 bonus that can be given to any of the weapon's stats, and no single stat can get more than half.
  • Evocation (ess 1): All of those fallen in battle within (close/short/long/extreme depending on Essence) range are called upon to serve with a Charisma+Presence roll. If they have an intimacy that protects them, they can refuse service.
  • Evocation (ess 1): Summon forth battle group of Size (Essence/2 rounded up +1). If the character is Resonant, +2 instead.
  • Evocation (ess 2): Summon forth a single ghost who can offer advice or service as a bodyguard.
  • Evocation (ess 3): Those summoned come with the finest deathly gear, granting them Might 1. If the character is Resonant, they also become valid targets of Training Charms.
  • Evocation (ess 4): Can force a single ghost into the blade, even if they are unwilling and even if they did not fall in battle.
  • Evocation (ess 5): Summon *all* of the souls trapped in the sword, and give them the armaments of the Void itself, granting them Might 3. After their purpose is fulfilled, the Void consumes them and the blade is empty once more.
What do you guys think? Too much, too little, @Erasmus am I stepping too much on your warlord vibe with a weapon like this and a concept to support it?
 
Black Prophet Legacy Black Prophet Legacy What else will your character be good at or designed around? Specifically, I'm wondering if we make it a heavy armor artifact and then it can have Evocations that highlight the fact it's just not normal armor. Vixthral, the Cradle of Ruin, or something... It can still feel necrotechy, if you want, but it'll mechanically be a soulsteel artifact. The Keeper could have crafted it, or had someone craft it, to house/contain the Abyssal.

Well I was planing a craft heavy design, but with Necromancy being all sorcery and not based on craft, I suppose a change is in order.

I think a child (or baby for that mater) that talks to spirits (ghost) is a common trope, but a good one. Also the Necromancy circles support that well. The question then becomes, what advantage does a child necromancer have? The standard go-to is, a child understands esoteric and vague enigmas better, because they see them as a whole and do not compartmentalize self contradicting statements. So, I suppose it would spend most of it's time researching the Lore of creation, and looking for rituals to blot out the sun.

I was also thinking of a delusion (or derangement I am not sure what they are called in Exalted) were it thinks it can talk to magic, and that motes are sentient. Basically it's a take on Sanguinary Animism. Perhaps it takes on the form of a very simplistic take on Essentialism, were magic motes make up the essence of a tree and I think I am talking to the matrix tree code. I don't know if this even fits into the lore of Exalted. Perhaps this is too much since I am already a damn baby.
 
Setting up a placeholder character post so I can edit in my Moonshadow bureaucrat stuff later.
 
I just want to jot this down b4 bed.

Vixthral Bonestrider, Cradle of the Ill-gotten: A bassinet attached to a soulsteel skeleton with a socket for a hearthstone.
Evocation: Ever Growing Mountain of Flesh, the Exalted begins by containing chaos. She then spends motes = to the number of corpses targeted. By focusing and tracing a temporary sigil on Vixthral, the wearer may assign points were flesh, muscle, and bone may be grafted. After the sigils are draw and an incantation is spoken, chaos spring forth and breaks the corpse(s) into it's most useful parts, and adds them to the ever growing mound of Vixthral's corpus. The additions are random, but generally resemble a biped.
 
Well I was planing a craft heavy design, but with Necromancy being all sorcery and not based on craft, I suppose a change is in order.

I think a child (or baby for that mater) that talks to spirits (ghost) is a common trope, but a good one. Also the Necromancy circles support that well. The question then becomes, what advantage does a child necromancer have? The standard go-to is, a child understands esoteric and vague enigmas better, because they see them as a whole and do not compartmentalize self contradicting statements. So, I suppose it would spend most of it's time researching the Lore of creation, and looking for rituals to blot out the sun.

I was also thinking of a delusion (or derangement I am not sure what they are called in Exalted) were it thinks it can talk to magic, and that motes are sentient. Basically it's a take on Sanguinary Animism. Perhaps it takes on the form of a very simplistic take on Essentialism, were magic motes make up the essence of a tree and I think I am talking to the matrix tree code. I don't know if this even fits into the lore of Exalted. Perhaps this is too much since I am already a damn baby.

Creating things from souls (hey, soulsteel) or bones can still be, is still Craft. It's just the idea that animating an undead construction is going to be necromancy. As for advantages, I would certainly suggest it might be easier for an infant, relatively untainted by life, to hear the Whispers and insights of the Neverborn... or other things that might come from Oblivion itself. That sort of instinctive connection to greater, darker powers seems good. Honestly, the idea of talking to motes seems pretty intellectualized, which I interpret (although I am not saying I'm right) as the opposite end from the instinctive connection. Talking to magic might be fine, but it seems like it would be through (to use Mage terms) the paradigm of the Neverborn and the Void... all of these living things are imperfect and suffering. That and, well, yeah, you're already biting a lot off with being a baby.


I just want to jot this down b4 bed.

Vixthral Bonestrider, Cradle of the Ill-gotten: A bassinet attached to a soulsteel skeleton with a socket for a hearthstone.
Evocation: Ever Growing Mountain of Flesh, the Exalted begins by containing chaos. She then spends motes = to the number of corpses targeted. By focusing and tracing a temporary sigil on Vixthral, the wearer may assign points were flesh, muscle, and bone may be grafted. After the sigils are draw and an incantation is spoken, chaos spring forth and breaks the corpse(s) into it's most useful parts, and adds them to the ever growing mound of Vixthral's corpus. The additions are random, but generally resemble a biped.

We can call it a bonestrider, if you like the name, but I just want to say that, short of some pretty high Essence Evocations, I don't imagine it's going to be balanced if we let it do anything like 2nd edition's bonestriders. Honestly, until we have 3rd edition rules about them (whether it's in the Arms of the Chosen or something later), I'm super hesitant to try anything like a warstrider (or at least to try to port it myself).

Now, if it's just a suit of armor (well, for your character) that adds body parts on it to accomplish various effects, that's fine. Walking around in a giant mound of corpse-parts just seems like it should be a relatively temporary thing (or the additions are easier to cut off/destroy than the armor itself)... something. Also, I think 2 hearthstone sockets. I mean, Beloved Adorei has 3, but I don't see anything else with that many.

I'm torn between a sword and a pair of hatchets, but I think I've mostly settled on what I want for powers and evocations
  • It has ordinary stats, except that for every Size of the battle group of souls stored in the weapon(s), it gets a +1 bonus that can be given to any of the weapon's stats, and no single stat can get more than half.
  • Evocation (ess 1): All of those fallen in battle within (close/short/long/extreme depending on Essence) range are called upon to serve with a Charisma+Presence roll. If they have an intimacy that protects them, they can refuse service.
  • Evocation (ess 1): Summon forth battle group of Size (Essence/2 rounded up +1). If the character is Resonant, +2 instead.
  • Evocation (ess 2): Summon forth a single ghost who can offer advice or service as a bodyguard.
  • Evocation (ess 3): Those summoned come with the finest deathly gear, granting them Might 1. If the character is Resonant, they also become valid targets of Training Charms.
  • Evocation (ess 4): Can force a single ghost into the blade, even if they are unwilling and even if they did not fall in battle.
  • Evocation (ess 5): Summon *all* of the souls trapped in the sword, and give them the armaments of the Void itself, granting them Might 3. After their purpose is fulfilled, the Void consumes them and the blade is empty once more.
What do you guys think? Too much, too little, @Erasmus am I stepping too much on your warlord vibe with a weapon like this and a concept to support it?

Looks good, overall. I'll have to get back to you on this, but, honestly... I think we might dial up the Might. These guys might not be the fully-moliated warghosts that are Might 2, but they'd certainly qualify for Might 1 by just being ghosts (I would think). Eh, I may be wrong about this... it just seems like your theme of raising the worthy dead should rank above just any mortal (or a mindless zombie). I do really like that capstone Evocation.

The "equip" bonus I like, although I think it needs some kind of restriction on moving those points (whether it's, say, whenever you first get the bonus or it increases; maybe it's every Calibration or even midnight of the new moon... something so it's not just in the middle of combat, or that you do alter for every combat).
 
Creating things from souls (hey, soulsteel) or bones can still be, is still Craft. It's just the idea that animating an undead construction is going to be necromancy. As for advantages, I would certainly suggest it might be easier for an infant, relatively untainted by life, to hear the Whispers and insights of the Neverborn... or other things that might come from Oblivion itself. That sort of instinctive connection to greater, darker powers seems good. Honestly, the idea of talking to motes seems pretty intellectualized, which I interpret (although I am not saying I'm right) as the opposite end from the instinctive connection. Talking to magic might be fine, but it seems like it would be through (to use Mage terms) the paradigm of the Neverborn and the Void... all of these living things are imperfect and suffering. That and, well, yeah, you're already biting a lot off with being a baby.




We can call it a bonestrider, if you like the name, but I just want to say that, short of some pretty high Essence Evocations, I don't imagine it's going to be balanced if we let it do anything like 2nd edition's bonestriders. Honestly, until we have 3rd edition rules about them (whether it's in the Arms of the Chosen or something later), I'm super hesitant to try anything like a warstrider (or at least to try to port it myself).

Now, if it's just a suit of armor (well, for your character) that adds body parts on it to accomplish various effects, that's fine. Walking around in a giant mound of corpse-parts just seems like it should be a relatively temporary thing (or the additions are easier to cut off/destroy than the armor itself)... something. Also, I think 2 hearthstone sockets. I mean, Beloved Adorei has 3, but I don't see anything else with that many.



Looks good, overall. I'll have to get back to you on this, but, honestly... I think we might dial up the Might. These guys might not be the fully-moliated warghosts that are Might 2, but they'd certainly qualify for Might 1 by just being ghosts (I would think). Eh, I may be wrong about this... it just seems like your theme of raising the worthy dead should rank above just any mortal (or a mindless zombie). I do really like that capstone Evocation.

The "equip" bonus I like, although I think it needs some kind of restriction on moving those points (whether it's, say, whenever you first get the bonus or it increases; maybe it's every Calibration or even midnight of the new moon... something so it's not just in the middle of combat, or that you do alter for every combat).

Did I say 2? I had intended 1.

I just like the name Bonestrider as a throwback to 2nd Ed. The fact that it is covered in body parts is just for coolness factor, and I think I already commissioned so art work for it.

Intellectual vs intuitive talking to magic, only in an Exalted forum will you find that conversation. Yes the whisper merit does the same thing thematically, I was thinking it would be an either whispers or magic animism, but Whispers seems to fit into this better so I will go with that.

Tyvm
 
Did I say 2? I had intended 1.
You said one. I am saying I think it warrants 2 hearthstone slots (unless you have a thematic reason for just one). 2 is the standard number, as far as I can tell, and I could not find a single piece of armor with only one-socket (although a couple weapons had only one). Sockets are not something that has to be filled, just an option. One big advantage of having 2+ sockets is you have the opportunity to use Dependent hearthstones (which must be socketed in the same artifact as another hearthstone to function).
 
We going to enable Liege as a 3e background?
Yes. For now, we'll use it identically to 2e. That said, as it was then, it is also a Merit with a price attached.

EDIT: By "for now," I mean "unless we find something unexpectedly wrong with it later."
 
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Looks good, overall. I'll have to get back to you on this, but, honestly... I think we might dial up the Might. These guys might not be the fully-moliated warghosts that are Might 2, but they'd certainly qualify for Might 1 by just being ghosts (I would think). Eh, I may be wrong about this... it just seems like your theme of raising the worthy dead should rank above just any mortal (or a mindless zombie). I do really like that capstone Evocation.

The "equip" bonus I like, although I think it needs some kind of restriction on moving those points (whether it's, say, whenever you first get the bonus or it increases; maybe it's every Calibration or even midnight of the new moon... something so it's not just in the middle of combat, or that you do alter for every combat).
I'm all for them having Might 1 out of the gate and getting Might 2 with that fourth Evocation, plus possibly some other benefit if you don't think that's too much. I agree that the bonus shouldn't be something to shift around every round. I light midnight of the new moon, it seems a reasonable interval. I might also want to tweak the cost of different stats since ordinary Daiklaves have so much more damage than accuracy and so much more accuracty than defense. Maybe something like spending 2 points to raise Defense, 1 to raise accuracy, and getting 2 for 1 when raising Damage?
 
I might also want to tweak the cost of different stats since ordinary Daiklaves have so much more damage than accuracy and so much more accuracy than defense. Maybe something like spending 2 points to raise Defense, 1 to raise accuracy, and getting 2 for 1 when raising Damage?

If you look at Light vs. Medium vs. Heavy weapons, Accuracy+Damage is equal, which slightly helps lighter weapons since those dice get used first for to-hit then for extra threshold successes. Overwhelming is where the heavier weapons make back what they've lost, since that's the way you get through armor and other soak.

Defense is what I worry about, since there's only a single +1 and it's just to medium (I guess because they're a middle that needs some help against various min-maxing strategies at the light/heavy ends). Having a really high static Defense kind of worries me. That said, we can try out the increased cost. If nothing reasonably hits your character (in an unbalanced way), we'll fix it.
 
Vivisector has been porting over Medicine Charms, Blackadder's character looks basically ready, but I'm interested to see how things are progressing for the rest of you. Please let me know if there's something I can do to help.

I'll probably start up a Lore/information thread later in the week, just to accumulate some notes on things your characters already know about.

Also, I was checking something in 2e Abyssals, and thought it would be good to remind everyone of a handy rule Abyssals benefit from:
MORTALS, LIVING AND DEAD
In case it’s not clear, all Abyssal Charms that mentally or socially affect living mortals also affect ghosts. Charms that affect animals also affect animal ghosts and the plasmic entities of the Underworld that exhibit animal behavior. Deathknights need special, dedicated Charms only to deal with the walking dead, hungry ghosts and other deathly creatures who lack true minds. Maybe this point should be obvious, but many Abyssal Charms mirror Solar Charms that are defined as affecting mortals. For Abyssals, the term “mortal” includes the deceased.
 
Sorry I disappeared, but I have been at a con all week. I will try and get something like a 1st draft up tomorrow night, but I have a wake to attended. Not sure what frame of mind I will be in after wards, so it may have to wait till Wednesday.
 
OK, I have my schtick, magically killed baby inside a walking corpse covered artifact, bounty/ghost hunter.

Necromancy and Craft are just a means to an end. Main focus is on researching the weaknesses of, and then tracking down the enemies of my Mistress.

Considering Dire (Supernal) Investigation or Lore.

Most likely take Emperors Chains as my control spell.

Raparth Raparth , is there any problem with taking Talisman of Ten Thousand Eyes (E3 p470) as a Shaping Ritual? I monstly want the Eye of Crimson Warning merit** in there. Perhaps the talisman was Sister Gentea's given to me by the Deathlord after the Dark Exaltation.

Also, for evocations for Vixthral, would it be fine to port Invulnerable Skin of Bronze (E3 p474) and Incomparable Body Arsenal (E3 p477&478)? I know they are sorcery, but I think they have the flavor of something artifact armor could due. Also, I know this is not a table game, but they might need to be dumbed down a tad.

Can you specialize in Countermagic under Occult?
 
I've been working on Abyssal Medicine Charms, based primarily around the use of disease and inflicting harm rather than healing. For the most part I've straight-up mirrored Solar Charms, but I've done my best to keep the feel of an Abyssal when mirroring. Here is the Google Doc I'm using. It's open for comments, and I welcome any thoughts, ideas, etc. that come along.
 
Raparth Raparth I've got a final-ish version of my Valhalla-sword

Skofnung (Soulsteel Daiklave)
An ancient sword forged from the souls of the twelve greatest kings of the North. It calls out to fallen warriors, compelling them to once more raise their swords in battle.

Accuracy: +3*
Damage: +12*
Defense: +1*
Overwhelming: 5
Attunement: 5
Tags: Lethal, Melee, Balanced
Hearthstone slots: 3

Skofnung can house the souls of the fallen. Those who have been called to serve by previous wielders describe the world inside as a vast battlefield surrounding a single great hall of black stone. They would fight from grim morning until a darkness as complete as Oblivion fell, and then feast in the torch-lit hall until morning when the fallen would once more pick up their weapons and join a battle without purpose.

When Skofnung contains souls, it gains the following bonuses to its traits depending on the number
1-6: +1 Accuracy
7-36: +1 Damage
37-144: +1 Defense
145-1200: +1 Accuracy
1200+: +1 Damage

Calling Home the Fallen
Cost: 5m; Mins: Essence 1
Type: Simple
Keywords: Psyche
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: None

Solemnly placing the sword point first into the soil bloodied by war, the wielder calls to those fallen in battle all around them and compels them to find a new home within Skofnung. Roll (Charmisma + Presence) to influence the ghosts of all those fallen in battle no longer three days and three nights before, and who are close enough to be affected. All those whose Resolve is low enough to be resolved are automatically compelled, unless they have an Intimacy they could use to resist the call, in which case they may spend a point of Willpower to resist the call of Skofnung. The range of this power depends on the wielder's Essence rating in the following manner:
Essence 1: Close range
Essence 2: Short range
Essence 3: Long range
Essence 4+: Extreme range

If the wielder is Resonant with Skofnung, their Essence counts as one higher than it is for the purpose of determining range, and only a Major or Defining Intimacy can protect a ghost from being called.

Unleashed from Beyond
Cost: 5m, (1lhl); Mins: Essence 1
Type: Simple
Keywords: None
Duration: One Scene
Prerequisites: Calling Home the Fallen

Raising the sword high, the wielder summons the fallen to fight once more. This brings forth a Battle Group of the fallen from within Skofnung. This Battle Group has size (Essence/2 rounded up + 1), though it cannot be larger than the total of all souls contained within Skofnung. They arrive armed and ready to fight, but are Immaterial unless the wielder has spent the extra activation cost of (1 lhl), Materializing them through their own blood. Any ghosts slain while called into the world like this return unharmed to the blade once the Charm has run its course, or once they fall in battle.

The Battle Group's traits are determined by the average member, it further has Perfect Morale and Might 1.

If the wielder is resonant with Skofnung, the Battle Group is of size (Essence/2 rounded up + 2), though still limited by the number of souls contained within the blade.

Wisdom of the Gravebound
Cost: 5m, (or less); Mins: Essence 2
Type: Simple
Keywords: None
Duration: Indefinite
Prerequisites: Unleashed from Beyond

Holding the sword close to their heart, the wielder calls forth an individual contained within the blade to serve them in a wider capacity than simply as an army. Those called forth come fully realized with all the memories and knowledge of their former life, as well as their Intimacies, though they have acquired an additional Defining Intimacy of loyalty (or a similiar emotion) towards the wielder. While the Charm is active, it may be activated once more to call forth another ghost to serve. The cost to activate the Charm goes down by 1m for each ghost already manifested in this manner. No more than (Essence + 1) ghosts can be manifested at once.

If the wielder is resonant with Skofnung, the number of ghosts than can be simoultaneously manifested is doubled.

Relics of the Dead
Cost: -; Mins: Essence 3
Type: Permanent
Keywords: None
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisites: Unleashed from Beyond

When the dead come forth, they do so with the finest gear taken from all the battlefields of Creation. Every time the wielder calls forth the ghosts bound within Skofnung, they may decide how the ghosts are armed and armoured (or even dressed with Wisdom of the Gravebound). Furthermore, when called forth with Unleashed from Beyond, the Battle Group formed has Might 2 rather than 1. Similarly, when called forth with Wisdom of the Gravebound, the ghosts may have simple Thaumaturgical items to aid them.

If the wielder is resonant with Skofnung, the ghosts become valid targets for Training Charms such as Tiger Warrior Training Technique or Flowing Mind Prana.

Irresistible Call of Oblivion
Cost: 10m; Mins: Essence 4
Type: Simple
Keywords: Psyche
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: Wisdom of the Gravebound

By placing the pommel of the sword on the forehead of one recently dead, the wielder may force them into service. Activating this Evocation requires no roll, and cannot be resisted, even with a Defining Intimacy. However, such intimacies still remain, so the wielder of Skofnung should take care when calling forth the ghosts of those who hate them.

What the Void Spews Forth
Cost: 10m (1lhl/scene); Mins: Essence 5
Type: Simple
Keywords: None
Duration: One scene
Prerequisites: Relics of the Dead, Irresistible Call of Oblivion

Raising the blade above their head, the wielder calls calls upon the Void itself to empower the ghosts under their command, and the Void answers. In return for the souls of the slain, Skofnung's ghosts come clad in the raiments of Death itself, and fight with the strength of the Void. When called forth with this Evocation, there is no size limit to the Battle Group summoned, every single soul is called from within Skofnung. They arrived armed and armoured in Soulsteel, granting them a Might rating of 3, and each ghost counts as two for the purposes of determining the Size of the Battle Group. However, once the Charm has run its course, every single ghost as well as the souls of all those slain by this army of the dead is doomed to Oblivion. Skofnung is empty once more, and the forbidding castle in its core falls silent.

If the wielder is resonant with Skofnung, they may prolong its Duration by spending paying 1 Aggravated Health Level per additional scene. This damage may not be healed while the Charm is active.
 
Oh, also, what do you think is an appropriate artifact level for this? I'm thinking 4, but wouldn't be opposed to 5.
 
Sent around some messages to check in on people's progress, but feel free to let me know here as well, if there's anything that I can do to speed things along.
I'm hoping we can get into actual play by the end of the month. That's my goal, a tleast.
 
Updated my sheet with some tweaks to my sword based on input from the OP forum, added Intimacies, made Lore Dire and outlined a bg. Will try and actually write it before too long.
 

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