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Revlid
2010-06-07, 07:04 PM
This is a character-specific artifact I've come up with for an Infernal Scholar.

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The Macawdex: (Artifact **)
The Macawdex is a large book – most mortals would have trouble lifting it with one hand. Its cover is dark red leather and its spine is tainted jade, the sickly green material carved by Alveua with figures equal parts avian and insect. A slender but deceptively strong brass chain dangles from the beak of one of these creatures, allowing the book to be locked shut, linked to a belt, or even swung like a librarian’s flail, while leftover chips of jade have been fixed to the inside rim of the cover, forming (hopefully) decorative teeth. The book's pages are wine-red and just slightly rough in texture, gathered from the shed plumage of the Malfean behemoth Halkomelem. They bear Old Realm writing in a softly pulsing golden script which shifts to the desired passage, moving like mercury across the page.
Powers: The Naneke bound within the jade spine of this artifact has standards - attunement to the Macawdex requires a minimum Lore of 3, and the ability to read Old Realm - this attunement costs two motes. Anyone attuned to the Macawdex may add an additional die to any Lore or Occult-based pools.

The Macadex may be read by anyone who can read Old Realm – it contains the autobiography of its attuned owner. This autobiography is written automatically, describing events as they happen in perfect detail, albeit from the owner’s point of view. The autobiography automatically includes any events that occur while it is in contact with its owner, and ceases recording when removed from his possession, although it retains what it has written even if it is deattuned - it only loses this information if it is attuned to a new owner, in which case it is wiped clean and starts recording again. The attuned owner may choose to add any missing periods to the book himself once it is returned simply by concentrating, just as if the book had been in his possession for those periods. So long as the attuned owner can read the Macawdex, its perfect record grants him the Eidetic Memory Merit (Scroll of Heroes, pg52).

The behemoth-red pages of The Macawdex are immune to vandalism; ink and other writing materials are absorbed perfectly by the pages, leaving no mark. Any physical damage to the pages – their removal or destruction – may be perfectly repaired by the attuned owner spending a single mote, as they (and their writing) grow back like eerie leaves over the next hour. Any stolen pages retain their writing for one week before fading, allowing a canny thief to get an insight into the attuned owner's character or history. Note that the sheer volume of information contained within the book means that the thief would need to spend time investigating it, or else be very lucky to get any information of value.

The one exception to this protection is the attuned owner, who may scribble on blank pages as he wishes, and wipe them clean with a thought. If he is an Infernal or Abyssal Exalted, then the malevolent entities with a stake in his soul may add their own notes in the margins – he gains an additional point in the Whispers or Unwoven Coadjutator Backgrounds, as appropriate.

The book's final ability is perhaps its oddest, and entirely unintended on the part of Pirash (though Alveua may have included it as a joke). The Macadex may be "fed" any other non-Artifact book, scroll, poster, etc. Its dark-jade teeth clamp and chew, as the manuscript vanishes into its pages. From that point on, the information contained in the consumed book may be read from the Macawdex - it appears on the pages in much the same manner as the autobiography.
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TL;DR:
Macadex - Artifact **
+1 dice to Occult/Lore 1/1
Eidetic Memory 3
+1 Malfean-Themed Specialty 1
May eat books

NeoRetribution
2010-06-09, 01:03 AM
What do you think? Good for a 2-Dot Artifact?

The first matter that I would have to offer is the use of the word: font. Font, though small, might break the fourth wall for some people in a description. Letters, symbols, runes, colors, ink... There are many words which would fit well to replace it.

But to be specific this artifact strikes me as more in level three. These are why:




– he gains an additional point in the Whispers or Unwoven Coadjutator Backgrounds, as appropriate.

So long as the attuned owner can read the Macawdex, its perfect record grants him the Eidetic Memory Merit (Scroll of Heroes, pg52).

The behemoth-red pages of The Macawdex are immune to vandalism
This latter note could be read as, "Can not be stolen." It also does not state whether the immunity is permanent or only after attunement. Whether the artifact must be in the attuned user's possession for immunity is also not stated.

Most artifacts that can not be stolen or altered by outside tampering are almost always echelon four.

Unfortunately, I can not comment on either background because I do not know them. As an ST, though, I tend to require background improvements to be through roleplay rather than an artifact. The reason for this is that a background being present or absent based on the possession of an item is...irksome.

Beside those notes the rest seems more in order. At the least I can say that you bothered to make a useful history which all artifacts must possess.

Revlid
2010-06-09, 02:56 AM
The first matter that I would have to offer is the use of the word: font. Font, though small, might break the fourth wall for some people in a description. Letters, symbols, runes, colors, ink... There are many words which would fit well to replace it.
Good point. I'll fix that.


This latter note could be read as, "Can not be stolen." It also does not state whether the immunity is permanent or only after attunement. Whether the artifact must be in the attuned user's possession for immunity is also not stated.

Most artifacts that can not be stolen or altered by outside tampering are almost always echelon four.
Ah, no. What the immunity to vandalism refers to is purely the unattuned writing and the destruction of pages, as specified directly after that. It can be stolen, just as any other Artifact can. I'll specify the conditions for the immunity - it's always immune to being written on, but the user must be attuned to heal pages.


Unfortunately, I can not comment on either background because I do not know them. As an ST, though, I tend to require background improvements to be through roleplay rather than an artifact. The reason for this is that a background being present or absent based on the possession of an item is...irksome.
Ah, well;
Eidetic Memory is from the Scroll of Heroes - it allows the character to recall anything he has experienced, with a roll being necessary if it was experienced quickly or in really bad conditions.
So if the player asks whether his character remembers the way back to the clearing he was led to and from blindfolded, the ST has to say yes. Or if the ST mentions something the player thinks may have appeared before, he may ask the ST if he's seen anything like that before in-game, rather than having his memory be treated as the characters.
It's rather less useful in a post-based game, I believe.

Unwoven Coadjutator is basically the remnants of the demon that formed an Infernal, talking in his head. At low values it's quiet or counterproductive, at higher values it gives a free Malfean specialty (*), bonuses to social rolls with demons (**), bonuses to social rolls with Yozi cultists (***), a bonus to Join Battle (****), and a bonus to Perception & Join Battle (*****).


Beside those notes the rest seems more in order. At the least I can say that you bothered to make a useful history which all artifacts must possess.
Why, thank you!

BLiZme.2
2010-06-09, 03:21 AM
NeoRetribution is right about the word font might I suggest the word script as well
I do not think there is any merited in the no theft interpretation it seems to cover the no tampering perfectly though. As I read it the indestructibility is automatic except you need to be attuned to put h mote in to grow the pages back at least that’s how I would run it.
i also lean toward 3 dots edic memory as a is granted by a 2 dot heart stone if I recall right so...

Revlid
2010-06-09, 04:12 AM
NeoRetribution is right about the word font might I suggest the word script as well
Good suggestion. Changed.


I do not think there is any merited in the no theft interpretation it seems to cover the no tampering perfectly though. As I read it the indestructibility is automatic except you need to be attuned to put h mote in to grow the pages back at least that’s how I would run it.
Exactly. Clarified in the entry.


i also lean toward 3 dots edic memory as a is granted by a 2 dot heart stone if I recall right so...
One dot, actually - the Stone of Memory from Oadenol's Codex. And since that's a Hearthstone it also gives you 2 extra motes of Essence an hour, whereas this thing costs two motes of commited Essence.

So you could read it as:
1 dot Hearthstone
-Manse
-2 motes of commited Essence
-Essence regen
+1 dice in Lore and Occult
+1 Background dot

The last one is obviously worth a dot, but +1 dice in two seperate Abilities would be weak for a 1-dot Hearthstone.

NeoRetribution
2010-06-09, 06:09 PM
It seems I need to clarify.

Artifacts that are immune to vandalism, the ripping and stealing of pages, while it is not attuned to a user and not in their personal possession would add a mote of value to that artifact based on the guides in Oadenol's Codex. It is only my opinion that both this trait and the addition of backgrounds would add at least one mote to the artifact's potential impact.

In addition there is no description indicating a Hearthstone setting or the required use of one. That implies the possibility that the artifact is capable of immunity at all times without direction from any owner.

In any case it would be nice to have a description of what might happen should a page be stolen from the above artifact and whether it can be useful to the thief. Even if this artifact is intended for a specific character, it would also be nice to know what happens to the former autobiography should a new owner lay claim to it.

I do not wish my thoroughness to upset anyone.

The word eidetic, as I understand it, refers to perfect visual memory recall.

Revlid
2010-06-10, 04:32 PM
Artifacts that are immune to vandalism, the ripping and stealing of pages, while it is not attuned to a user and not in their personal possession would add a mote of value to that artifact based on the guides in Oadenol's Codex. It is only my opinion that both this trait and the addition of backgrounds would add at least one mote to the artifact's potential impact.
...I can't find that bit, myself.
There are guidelines for what each dot of Artifact should be like, but to me this book seems more like something that is "quite useful in specific circumstances or moderately useful in a broader range of situations" than "a great advantage in a single discipline or a significant advantage in a broad range of circumstances". It's just not on par with any three dots I can find.
Pages can be taken or destroyed - they can just be repaired very easily.


In addition there is no description indicating a Hearthstone setting or the required use of one. That implies the possibility that the artifact is capable of immunity at all times without direction from any owner.
No, it doesn't. If you're attuned, you can use the book's special powers with those committed motes. If you're not, you can't, but it still acts as a book. That's all.
Heck, adding a Hearthstone Setting would increase its power.


In any case it would be nice to have a description of what might happen should a page be stolen from the above artifact and whether it can be useful to the thief. Even if this artifact is intended for a specific character, it would also be nice to know what happens to the former autobiography should a new owner lay claim to it.
Good thoughts. Added.
If a thief gets hold of a page, they can read it until it fades (after a week). If the book is stolen/the owner dies, the writing stays. If the book is reattuned, however, it is all lost.


The word eidetic, as I understand it, refers to perfect visual memory recall.
No, it refers to any type of memory - visual, audial, etc. More to the point, here it refers to a specific Merit.


I do not wish my thoroughness to upset anyone.
It's not! I posted this for criticism, and I'm glad that you've given me some - thank you!