[Exalted] Playing a God-Blooded in an exalt party and being useful.

[Mattarias, King.]

Hey playgrounders, I'm just getting into this awesome-looking system, and I've really taken a liking to the God-Blooded. I've made my character, but my group's storyteller (That's the DM equivalent, right?) says I might be too weak for a party full of exalts (Two dragonbloodeds, an alchemical, and one unknown), so I'm here asking for your help, you wily optimizers, you.

I don't know of any online Exalted sheet hosts, but I'm focusing on combat, being the son of a powerful fire god of blood and war. Also with a bit of inspiration thrown in, because being overspecialized in combat makes you a dull boy outside of it.

Here's my stats:


Attributes:
Str: 4 Cha: 4 Per: 2
Dex: 4 Man: 1 Int: 2
Stam: 2 App: 3 Wit: 2

Abilities:
Melee(favored): 5
Martial Arts: 3
War: 3
Athletics: 3
Awareness: 3
Dodge: 4
Presence: 3
Resistance: 1
Craft (Fire): 3

Advantages:
Backgrounds:
Inheritance: 4
Resources: 3
Artifact (Flaming straight sword): 2

Mutations:
Immortality
Natural Immunity
Night Eyes
Crest of Fire (Homebrew)

Vulnerability (4)
Behavioral Archetype
Natural Enmity (2)
Unnatural Being

Charms:
Affinity [Fire] Control
Blessed [Fire] Body

Weapons:
Flaming Straight Sword

Willpower: 6

Virtues:
Compassion: 2 Temperance: 1
Conviction: 2 Valor: 4

Merits: Favored Weapon

Essence: 2

Equipment:
Chain shirt.
????


So, uh.. Yeah. I'm unsure exactly how well I stack against, say, a Solar, but I don't want to be a dragonblooded or other exalt, and god-blooded get some really cool stuff. At least in my opinion.

Any thoughts on how to improve? -Also, does anyone know how I can have a flaming straight sword worthy of two dots in artifact? My ST and I are having some trouble figuring it out.

Thank you kindly in advance. Sorry for being sorta all over the place with the post.

[The Rose Dragon]

Try getting one purchase of God-Body abomination, if you can. The son of a war god would probably have some kind of war form, and its benefits are substantial.

I'm assuming you favor Melee? Try getting three dots of specialties you can use half the time (straight swords is useful in your case). Also, a Melee Excellency would also be good to have (the spirit version is limited to your Essence in dice or half your Essence in successes, but every little bit counts).

If you can sacrifice something to raise your Dexterity to 5, do so. It is widely considered a god-stat in Exalted, as it adds to nearly every physical combat trait.

Immortality is kind of useless unless the game you're playing takes over a really long time. If you really want to optimize, you should probably drop it for something like Healing Factor.

And really, God-blooded are weak. You can build them to be as strong as a Terrestrial, but their Essence pools are fairly small, and spirit Charms are not as useful to non-spirits as Exalted Charms outside of Excellencies and a few other exceptions. However, Alchemicals and Terrestrials are on the lower end of Exalted power level, so the difference won't be too huge even if you don't make a very powerful God-blooded.

[Kylarra]

The flaming sword part is easy, choose an artifact sword worth 2 dots (daiklave, reaper, reaver, wavecleaver), call that its base stats, and then choose an appropriate material, starmetal maybe, and give it those bonuses when it is "activated and flaming".

The problem with being a godblooded is that you already start off weaker than your counterparts, 6/5/3 vs 8/6/4 +1 floating (alchemicals) or 7/6/4 (Dragonblooded)

no exp reductions on certain charms and a much lower essence pool...

Overall, depending on the op-fu of your counterparts you'll probably be okay in your specialty until they start actually using their excellency charms, and as TRD said, try to get that dex to 5. And definitely take God Body Mutation somehow.

[Teln]

You've got a high Dex score--good. Dex is more than a bit of a god stat. A combat-oriented Solar will give you a hard time at low Essence--at high Essence, you'll be slaughtered, no matter what your build is. Dragonbloods get some pretty nice group buffs, so try and talk your DBs into getting them, if they haven't already.

You haven't listed any Charms. I'm not really familiar with God-Bloods--do you have access to any Charms? If so, get a Melee Excellency if you can. Fair warning, since you're not an Exalt, you're going to be low man on the totem pole in...pretty much everything, especially if you don't have Charms.
EDIT: Oh, wait, you did list Charms. :smallfrown: Sorry. (But still, get a Melee Excellency, as well as Divine [Melee] Subordination--perfect defenses are Tier 0!)

A daiklave is a 2 dot artifact on its own, and it's not too much of a stretch to say that a red jade one can start fires. (Matter of fact, I think the Bull of the North explicitly uses one for just that.) Since you're hanging with Dragonbloods, justifying one shouldn't be a problem.

[Yuki Akuma]

You've got a high Dex score--good. Dex is more than a bit of a god stat. A combat-oriented Solar will give you a hard time at low Essence--at high Essence, you'll be slaughtered, no matter what your build is. Dragonbloods get some pretty nice group buffs, so try and talk your DBs into getting them, if they haven't already.

You haven't listed any Charms. I'm not really familiar with God-Bloods--do you have access to any Charms? If so, get a Melee Excellency if you can. Fair warning, since you're not an Exalt, you're going to be low man on the totem pole in...pretty much everything, especially if you don't have Charms.

A daiklave is a 2 dot artifact on its own, and it's not too much of a stretch to say that a red jade one can start fires. (Matter of fact, I think the Bull of the North explicitly uses one for just that.) Since you're hanging with Dragonbloods, justifying one shouldn't be a problem.

God-Blooded use spirit charms - just like Gods. Their Excellencies suck, but at least they have them.

[The Rose Dragon]

(But still, get a Melee Excellency, as well as Divine [Melee] Subordination--perfect defenses are Tier 0!)

God-blooded can't get Divine Subordination of Ability, since it requires Essence 5. Spirits can get it without Essence 5, but because spirits are cheats.

[Teln]

God-blooded can't get Divine Subordination of Ability, since it requires Essence 5. Spirits can get it without Essence 5, but because spirits are cheats.

*Actually looks at the Charm requirements*

...I'm gonna go home and get some sleep, now.

[Reynard]

Principle of Motion, however, is Essence 3. And is really, really good.

[Tengu_temp]

Dexterity 5 + Melee 5 + 3 dots in a Melee specialty is a good recipe for making any character at the very least useful in combat, especially if you pick a good artifact weapon. Heck, you could pull it off with an awakened mortal and pull your weight in a starting Solar party!


Principle of Motion, however, is Essence 3. And is really, really good.

Oh yes. This is one of the best tricks spirits, and by extensions God-blooded, can use. Get it.

[Mattarias, King.]

Bwuh, sorry for the late response. :smallconfused: *Blink* Let me try to digest all of this...

First of all, awesome on the Red Jade sword part. I didn't know Jade came in elemental colors. Though I shoulda guessed. But don't I need an Anima Banner in order to use the five magical materials? :smallconfused:
...Also, Daiklaives, while awesome, are a leeetle huge for what I'm thinking.

...I CAN get Excellencies?! I thought that was an Exalt thing. Huh.. I'm.. Afraid I'm unsure how they work though. Do I buy them like charms? :smallredface:

God Body I do plan on getting, just through Experience. I figured a dot in dodge and one in dex were better ideas than starting off with God Body, as they'd be more constant. Also, it would be less expensive that way.

..And what do you mean by "specialties"? :smallconfused:

I want to build something of a glass cannon. Huge attacks, low survivability, high dodging prowess. Ox-Body I don't think I'm even allowed to get, according to what I've read in the description of god-bloods in Scroll of Heroes.

[Yuki Akuma]

You need an essence pool to attune to artifacts. [i]Mortals/i] can do it, with the right tricks. Why couldn't a God-Blooded do the same? They just have to commit more motes.

Excellencies are charms. So yes, you get them like charms.

A specialty is a bonus you can apply to ability roles in certain situations. For example, a Melle specialty in cutting swords would give you a bonus to attacks and parries with cutting swords. They're rated from one to three.

And if a daiklave is too big... get a short daiklave. They're only a bit bigger than a mundane sword.

[The Rose Dragon]

I want to build something of a glass cannon. Huge attacks, low survivability, high dodging prowess. Ox-Body I don't think I'm even allowed to get, according to what I've read in the description of god-bloods in Scroll of Heroes.

Only Star-born cannot get Ox-Body Technique, because God-blooded aren't allowed to have extra -0 health levels, and Sidereal Charms give only -0 health levels.

[Mattarias, King.]

Only Star-born cannot get Ox-Body Technique, because God-blooded aren't allowed to have extra -0 health levels, and Sidereal Charms give only -0 health levels.

O... Kay. So... I can or can't? :smallconfused: Either way, I don't really have a lot of points to work with..

[senrath]

Since you're not a Sidereal Half-Caste, yes, you can. It's just rather expensive (unless I'm remembering incorrectly).

[One Step Two]

Just my two-cents on the Artifact, if you just want a plain straightsword that happens to be made of fire, is able to ignite, or is just on fire at all times, it's more equivalent to a 1 dot artifact, being a simple cool looking effect, and perhaps a simple +2L damage increase. If it is a Daiklaive of some description, then follow on as others have mentioned.

[Mattarias, King.]

Alright, thanks guys. My ST's been asking for sources on where you guys are finding stuff about Red Jade, attuning to artifacts despite not being Exalted, and the like. :\ Maybe I'll just link him here. I dunno.

Glorious Divinity 1 says "Spirits can use the First, Second and Third (Ability)
Excellencies for each Ability, as well as Infinite (Ability)
Mastery, as long as they meet the prerequisites for
each Charm as described on pages 181–186 of Exalted." (Emphasis mine) -It says spirits specifically can use those excellencies. Does this exclude god-blooded or am I just reading this wrong and not getting how excellencies work? :smallconfused:

..Also, Artifact 1 huh? Hm. Alright then, I'll try to run that by him. Found out which book contains the artifact making rules, so it should be simple enough. Thanks.

Sidenote: I'm thinking of dropping Craft for a sword specialty. Good idea? How much do specialties cost, and can they be bought with points that are specifically for abilities?

[Kylarra]

God-blooded can learn any charms that their parent could learn. That's part of why half-castes are so powerful.

Red Jade is in Oadenol's Codex.

All you need to do to attune to an artifact is have essence. It's gaining the abilities of the magical materials that are generally difficult, but you can still do it by paying a surcharge (2x normal attune) and succeeding on a wits+ lore roll.

[Yuki Akuma]

Gob-blooded can learn spirit-only charms. It's how they work.

So can Eclipse-caste Solars, Moonshadow-caste Abyssals and Fiend-caste Green Sun Princes. Although those three wouldn't want the spirit Excellencies because they suck.

You can't buy specialties with ability dots, but you can buy them with bonus points and experience points. I'm not entirely sure what the bonus point and experience point costs are for God-blooded, though.

I think it's... 1 BP for 1 specialty, or 1 BP for 2 favoured specialties?

Also, remember: your specialty only applies to rolls and derived values for the specific ability your bought it for. So even if you buy a Melee specialty in hook swords, your Martial Arts rolls with it are unaffected.

Basically what I'm saying is if you want to get Even Blade Style or something, take a Martial Arts specialty. And if you don't intend on ever getting a sword-style martial art, ignore me.

[The Rose Dragon]

All you need to do to attune to an artifact is have essence. It's gaining the abilities of the magical materials that are generally difficult, but you can still do it by paying a surcharge (2x normal attune) and succeeding on a wits+ lore roll.

Most beings can never attune to the magical material bonuses, even if they commit double the motes. Ghosts, for example, can only attune to jade and soulsteel without paying double. Jadeborn can only attune to the magical material bonus of jade, while Dragon Kings have the same thing with orichalcum.

[Kylarra]

Most beings can never attune to the magical material bonuses, even if they commit double the motes. Ghosts, for example, can only attune to jade and soulsteel without paying double. Jadeborn can only attune to the magical material bonus of jade, while Dragon Kings have the same thing with orichalcum.My bad, I was extrapolating from the core book because I didn't have the others on hand. If later splats have clarified the matter, I stand corrected. :smallredface:

[Mattarias, King.]

Alright, cool. Scroll of Heroes says I can learn specialties "as normal". Though the main book says next to nothing about how to buy them. :smallannoyed: Hrm.

Still, sucks that I can't buy them with ability points. :\

I'm unsure about Martial Arts. Charms are ridiculously expensive, so I think I might just focus on melee. Might either keep Martial Arts in case I really need to kick someone in the face, or trade it in for some other ability. Like Integrity or Lore (For the attunement thing) or something. Same with Craft. -On that note, is craft(fire) a specialty, or do I just pick an element when I pick Craft? :smallconfused:

Are there any negative mutations in other books that I could take? I've only taken ten points in negatives, I can take up to twenty. Problem is, there isn't much that fits my theme. Possibly erratic temperament, but the way that's phrased, my group would keep calling it a "man-period". :smallannoyed:

[The Rose Dragon]

Might either keep Martial Arts in case I really need to kick someone in the face

Unless you intend to invest heavily in Martial Arts (Charms and specialties and stuff), you could use Melee with your kicks if you have iron boots.

[Kylarra]

Well if it's as normal then specialties are 1bp for non-favored abilities and 1 bp for 2 in a favored ability. (Look on page 116 of Scroll of Heroes).

Craft(fire) is just a normal craft ability per the normal rules, many people houserule the craft ability though.

Too perfect is not worth many points, but it potentially fits a god-blooded, though amongst an alchemical and 2 DBs, unlikely to come into play.

[Ganurath]

God-Body costs fewer BP than a Charm, stacks on itself, and I'd rather have +3 divided among my Physical Attributes for a scene than up to my Essence in dice for an action any day.

Plus, it allows your god of fire and war to burst into flame before going into battle, making it Awesome Yet Practical.

[Mattarias, King.]

Unless you intend to invest heavily in Martial Arts (Charms and specialties and stuff), you could use Melee with your kicks if you have iron boots.

:smallbiggrin: Awesome!


Well if it's as normal then specialties are 1bp for non-favored abilities and 1 bp for 2 in a favored ability. (Look on page 116 of Scroll of Heroes).

Craft(fire) is just a normal craft ability per the normal rules, many people houserule the craft ability though.

Too perfect is not worth many points, but it potentially fits a god-blooded, though amongst an alchemical and 2 DBs, unlikely to come into play.

Hm, I guess Too Perfect would work. Though I guess that means I can't have any scars? Hm.

Also, it says 1 bp for 2 in a favored ability, and it says specialties can't increase something more than three dice. Does that mean I have to waste half a point? Or do I just get four dots in a specialty and can't use the last one? I'm confused. :smallconfused:


God-Body costs fewer BP than a Charm, stacks on itself, and I'd rather have +3 divided among my Physical Attributes for a scene than up to my Essence in dice for an action any day.

Plus, it allows your god of fire and war to burst into flame before going into battle, making it Awesome Yet Practical.

:smallbiggrin: I know, it's pretty sweet. Might try to get enough flaws or negative mutations in order to get it, or just get it with Experience, as a "You just got more powerful!" thing.

Can you increase attributes over 5 with those extra points, by the way? :smallconfused:

[Kylarra]

You'd either lose the half bp or pick up a 1 dot specialty in something else, so you could have a specialty in your sword for +3 and then say a +1 for kicking or something else melee related.

[Mattarias, King.]

Ooh. Makes sense. Alright, sounds good. I'll likely go specialty (Double-edged swords) and (Charging attacks), or something. Because I like attacking on a charge. Though I dunno how it'd work in Exalted..

[The Rose Dragon]

You'd either lose the half bp or pick up a 1 dot specialty in something else, so you could have a specialty in your sword for +3 and then say a +1 for kicking or something else melee related.

That is actually illegal - you can only have 3 dots of specialties in a single Ability without specific Charms.


Ooh. Makes sense. Alright, sounds good. I'll likely go specialty (Double-edged swords) and (Charging attacks), or something. Because I like attacking on a charge. Though I dunno how it'd work in Exalted..

Flurrying a dash action with an attack action. Has no mechanical benefits aside from being able to attack a really far away target (and allowing you to use Adorjan Charms).

[Kylarra]

That is actually illegal - you can only have 3 dots of specialties in a single Ability without specific Charms.Huh, I've always interpreted it as you can't have more than 3 different specialties within that ability, but any or all of them could be up to 3 dots.

[The Rose Dragon]

Huh, I've always interpreted it as you can't have more than 3 different specialties within that ability, but any or all of them could be up to 3 dots.

So did I. Imagine my disappointment when I learned it's illegal.

[Kylarra]

So did I. Imagine my disappointment when I learned it's illegal.Source? Not that it's going to change the way I run my games, but I'm curious.

[The Rose Dragon]

I first read it in Lords of Creation, page 12 in the recent .pdf release.


You can have a maximum of three specialty dots associated with a single Ability, and you can split those three dots up among different specialties or put multiple dots in a single specialty. For example, if you wish to specialize in Melee, you can have Melee (Daiklave +3), Melee (Daiklave +1, Sneak Attack +2) or any other combination your Storyteller approves.

[Kylarra]

Mm I see. I'll still play it with my interpretation for now, but it's good to know for playing in other people's games.

[Mattarias, King.]

:\ Ouch. So do I just lose that half bp/have a useless fourth dot in a specialty?

[The Rose Dragon]

Define useless. Specialties are almost never useless, unless you pick something that is impossible to come up in all but the most absurd situations.

It is, however, possible to lose half a bonus point during character generation if you have an odd number of favored abilities.

[Yuki Akuma]

Specialties are never useless. Get a 1-dot specialty in sword smithing for your Craft (Fire) or something.

[Mattarias, King.]

Well, specialties can't go over three, right? So if I have 4 (If I even can), the last one is kinda useless, non? Or can I transfer it over to something else?

[Yuki Akuma]

...I'm not sure what you mean.

Are you asking if you can spend 1 BP to get specialties in two separate favoured abilities? Because yes.

[Kylarra]

God-blooded only get 1 favored ability.

I'd just ask your ST how he wants to rule specialties, or if you can maybe get some other bonuses to account for the fact that you're the low man on the totem pole due to being inherently weaker than an exalt of any flavor.

[The Rose Dragon]

You cannot get a 4th specialty dot in an ability. And I don't mean "you can get it and not use it", I mean you literally cannot get one. If you only have one favored ability, and spend two bonus points to get 3 dots of specialties for that ability, you lose half a bonus point to no effect.

The same goes if you have three favored abilities and spend 5 bonus points on 9 dots of specialties. Lunars have a lesser seen version, as they also get Attribute specialties, but it requires a Charm that requires Essence 3 for each Attribute.

Among other Exalts, only Sidereals can lose half a bonus point by buying too many specialties.

[Yuki Akuma]

...Huh. God-blooded only get one favoured ability? Okay then, yeah. Buy two specialties and buy the third with XP later.

[Mattarias, King.]

...I'm not sure what you mean.

Are you asking if you can spend 1 BP to get specialties in two separate favoured abilities? Because yes.

Kinda. Good to know, but I only get one. I was wondering if I could spend 1 bp to get two specialties in the same favored ability, and I guess not.


God-blooded only get 1 favored ability.

I'd just ask your ST how he wants to rule specialties, or if you can maybe get some other bonuses to account for the fact that you're the low man on the totem pole due to being inherently weaker than an exalt of any flavor.

Alright, I think I will. Thanks. I might just link him to this thread, so any suggestions and stuff would be cool.


You cannot get a 4th specialty dot in an ability. And I don't mean "you can get it and not use it", I mean you literally cannot get one. If you only have one favored ability, and spend two bonus points to get 3 dots of specialties for that ability, you lose half a bonus point to no effect.


Alright, that's what I was wondering. Thanks.


...Huh. God-blooded only get one favoured ability? Okay then, yeah. Buy two specialties and buy the third with XP later.

Alright, will do. Thanks. :smallsmile:

Sidenote, the water dragonblooded's player is instead playing a lunar. Crab Lunar. He can't let go of things. :smallbiggrin: And the unknown is an Abyssal. ST promised her bonus points if she made a four-paragraph name. :smalltongue:

[The Rose Dragon]

I was wondering if I could spend 1 bp to get two specialties in the same favored ability, and I guess not.

You can do that. What you cannot do is spend 2 bp to get 4 dots of specialties in the same favored ability.

[Mattarias, King.]

You can do that. What you cannot do is spend 2 bp to get 4 dots of specialties in the same favored ability.

Blurgh. ._. I'm so confused. Okay then, so for two points, I CAN get melee specialty (double-edged swords) AND Melee specialty (whatever)?

[The Rose Dragon]

Blurgh. ._. I'm so confused. Okay then, so for two points, I CAN get melee specialty (double-edged swords) AND Melee specialty (whatever)?

As long as their total is three dots, yes.

[Mattarias, King.]

As long as their total is three dots, yes.

Bluhr, okay. Now I get it. Thanks. :smallredface:

Any suggestions for making my sword a two-dot artifact? He's agreed that a straight sword that just does an extra 2L due to fire damage is just an artifact 1 weapon, but I've already spent two, so what effects could I add to make it worth artifact two? :smallconfused:

Sorry for all the questions and confusion. First time with the system and all. :smallredface:

[Kylarra]

Maybe make it a perfect weapon so it gets two +1 bonuses and one +2 bonus to spread among its stats?

[The Rose Dragon]

Maybe make it a perfect weapon so it gets two +1 bonuses and one +2 bonus to spread among its stats?

Or you could just get a daiklave. Wavecleaver daiklaves are only three-feet long.

[Kylarra]

Or you could just get a daiklave. Wavecleaver daiklaves are only three-feet long.I would definitely support getting a daiklave, in fact I suggested it earlier, but assuming he doesn't want one for some reason, then a perfect weapon will give him stats somewhat close to one, if we're not counting material bonus.

[Mattarias, King.]

Material bonus? :smallconfused: Can I make a regular straight sword out of red jade? ..AND make it perfect? Might be sweet.

The reason I prefer the straight sword is that it's the favored weapon of my character's father. Though I guess Daiklaives could be cool too. Just less flavorful. Hm.

[Yuki Akuma]

...Daiklaves are straight swords (or short swords, or hook swords, or..). Just... artifact versions.

Unless you're going to claim god kicking boots aren't metal boots, goremauls aren't hammers and smashfists aren't gauntlets.

[Mattarias, King.]

...Daiklaves are straight swords (or short swords, or hook swords, or..). Just... artifact versions.

Unless you're going to claim god kicking boots aren't metal boots, goremauls aren't hammers and smashfists aren't gauntlets.

It's mostly a problem of size. Aren't even regular Daiklaives plain HUGE? :smallconfused:

[The Rose Dragon]

The reason I prefer the straight sword is that it's the favored weapon of my character's father. Though I guess Daiklaives could be cool too. Just less flavorful. Hm.

For future references, daiklaves are straight swords, reaver daiklaves are chopping swords (possibly wavecleaver daiklaves as well), short daiklaves are short swords, reaper daiklaves are slashing swords and grand daiklaves are great swords.


It's mostly a problem of size. Aren't even regular Daiklaives plain HUGE? :smallconfused:

Four feet long in most cases. They aren't too huge.

[Mattarias, King.]

Four feet long in most cases. They aren't too huge.

:smallconfused: Ohh.. Okay then. I was thinking they were, like, fullblade-sized. That's what turned me off on them. Alright. Just sticking with a Daiklaive then. Red Jade, most likely.

[The Rose Dragon]

Daiklaves tend to be 3', 4' and 6' long, with rare exceptions and those built for warstrider-sized or larger beings.

[Mattarias, King.]

Alright. They were always described to me as HUGE, so I guess that colored things strangely for me. Sorry 'bout that mixup.

I'm currently looking at flaws to take so I can get enough points for God-Body. Or maybe another dot point of essence. Might be useful.

Any suggestions for Dark Secrets, Oaths, Enemies, reasons for being Wanted, a derangement, or a Vice?

[One Step Two]

Two Point Artefact Sword:

Brand of Purity
Artifact 2
Attunement Cost 3m

To all appearances in mortal hands this is but a perfect straightsword with the odd property that it is but warm to the touch. However in the hands of an Essence Channeling being who attunes it correctly it's true Strength is revealed.

The sword ignites, the the blade becomes white hot as flames lick about it in a perpetual burning light. This confers the weapon +4 Lethal Damage, but the burning light can hamper those who would try to stand against the weapon, causing defenders to lose a number dice from their defensive pools equal to the wielders Essence as it's flames are stoked by wielders own power. By spending 5 motes and 1 willpower the wielder can cause the weapon to explode with powerful light, blinding all but the wielder within 20 yards for his Essence in turns.

Re: Flaws

Flaws can be good when you remember that in an able players hands, they are actually fun. Use them to develop plot hooks, but most importantly, remember that you have them. Glorifying them can be fun too. Especially things like wanted, rival, or enemy.

I've only skimmed the thread so I don't know your backstory if you posted any but, an example for the Rival flaw, is that most God-Blooded work for their parents trying to get status, or eventually a position in heaven, Rival can represent a half-sibling who is trying to do just that, is specifcally out to screw you over to do so.

Wanted needs a crime attached, if you can give a good in character escapade for your backstory, more power to you. Besides, uttering lines like, "Yeah, I can't go to that city anymore, I upset some people. I may have slept with the mayors daughter. Well, She was okay with it, but.... her dad and husband, less so. :smallwink:"

[Yuki Akuma]

For future references, daiklaves are straight swords, reaver daiklaves are chopping swords (possibly wavecleaver daiklaves as well), short daiklaves are short swords, reaper daiklaves are slashing swords and grand daiklaves are great swords.

And hook daiklaves are hook swords. :smallwink:


Alright. They were always described to me as HUGE, so I guess that colored things strangely for me. Sorry 'bout that mixup.

Four feet is huge... for a straight sword. Most swords are at most two feet and usually smaller.

But it's not bigger than you, at least.

[The Rose Dragon]

But it's not bigger than you, at least.

Those would be grand daiklaves and grand goremauls, for people shorter than 6' (which is a lot of people).

[Kylarra]

One of my friends is a Djala. :smallbiggrin:

[The Rose Dragon]

One of my friends is a Djala. :smallbiggrin:

I'm afraid of the djala that uses the Crimson Bow.

Not because it is the Crimson Bow or because it is twice as large as the djala, but because only the strongest of djala could wield it properly, and if a djala is that strong, despite her size, you should run the hell out of here.

[Mattarias, King.]

OST: :smallbiggrin: AWESOME! I'll run that by my ST, see what he thinks. But I think I might just use a red jade Daiklaive with a one-dot drawback of "cannot be used when wet". Still, sweet.

I'll definitely remember my flaws. That's why I take them. They're fun to roleplay. Also, bonus points.

And yeah, four feet is pretty huge, but it's not bigger than me, which is what I thought.

I got rid of immortality and took a few negatives in order to get God Body. Though now I have two more points to play with. Not to mention the flaws I've yet to take... Might pick up Healing Factor for another two points.

Can the points God-Body gives increase attributes past 5? It doesn't mention anything about that... Especially if you take it multiple times.

:smallbiggrin: And Djala are cool. Those are the bald panda-spotted people, right?

[Kyeudo]

Two Point Artefact Sword:

Brand of Purity
Artifact 2
Attunement Cost 3m

To all appearances in mortal hands this is but a perfect straightsword with the odd property that it is but warm to the touch. However in the hands of an Essence Channeling being who attunes it correctly it's true Strength is revealed.

The sword ignites, the the blade becomes white hot as flames lick about it in a perpetual burning light. This confers the weapon +4 Lethal Damage, but the burning light can hamper those who would try to stand against the weapon, causing defenders to lose a number dice from their defensive pools equal to the wielders Essence as it's flames are stoked by wielders own power. By spending 5 motes and 1 willpower the wielder can cause the weapon to explode with powerful light, blinding all but the wielder within 20 yards for his Essence in turns.


This is a horrible artifact idea. Only a suicidal fool would use it, as defense is MUCH more important in Exalted than offense, especially damage. More damage is cheap to get, a higher DV is expensive.

[Mattarias, King.]

...Only a suicidal fool would use it...

<<; Where does "son of a fiery war god concerned only with acquiring the greatest offense possible" come in?

[Kylarra]

This is a horrible artifact idea. Only a suicidal fool would use it, as defense is MUCH more important in Exalted than offense, especially damage. More damage is cheap to get, a higher DV is expensive.I seem to be reading it as causing a -Ess DV penalty to people defending against its attacks, which would be absurdly good actually.

[icefractal]

I seem to be reading it as causing a -Ess DV penalty to people defending against its attacks, which would be absurdly good actually.That's how I'm reading it too. "hamper those who would try to stand against the weapon" seems pretty clear.

[Kyeudo]

Looks like I read it backwards. I change my opinion to "That artifact is too powerful for a two dot artifact. It is at least four dots in strength."

[One Step Two]

Something to remember however, is that most God-blooded dont get above Essence 3 (in 1st edition anyway, havent looked at th 2nd ed stuff for them) I built it with that in mind.

I've played Exalted since release, so my views on powers and scaling has been might be jaded by constant out-doing of my friends when we play. By jaded however, I mean turned to eleven. :smallwink: In our groups we would consider a level 4 artifact to do something unique, such as, using the flaming sword as an example, by spending a willpower point or a few motes, extinguish all flames in the area to feed it's power, increasing it's stats a few points as you choose.

[Yuki Akuma]

Something to remember however, is that most God-blooded dont get above Essence 3 (in 1st edition anyway, havent looked at th 2nd ed stuff for them) I built it with that in mind.

That changes absolutely nothing. It's still too strong for Artifact 2.

[FelixG]

Just a small quick question! Why are Alchemicals considered to be on the lower end of the power spectrum for Exalts? I think they are rather nifty! And if these are on the lower end of the spectrum what is at the upper levels? (top 3 lets saY) and why?

[sebsmith]

I think the current exalt power spectrum is:

Solar/Abyssal/Infernal>Lunar>Alchemical>Dragon-blood>Sidereal

This is neither what it's supposed to be, nor what the fluff portrays.

[Yuki Akuma]

Wait, how are Siddies weaker than Terrestrials?

[Tengu_temp]

Just a small quick question! Why are Alchemicals considered to be on the lower end of the power spectrum for Exalts? I think they are rather nifty! And if these are on the lower end of the spectrum what is at the upper levels? (top 3 lets saY) and why?

Alchemicals start very strong, thanks to very easy access to artifacts and charms that boost their abilitied up the wazoo, but they get weaker with time - their high essence charms are much less impressive than what most other kind of Exalted can do, and they can't use all of their charms at once because of the socket system. Furthermore, most of their charms are very cost-inefficient.

Sidereals are on the other end of the scale - initially they lack the raw power of other Celestial Exalted, but as they grow in Essence their SMA let them pull off crazy stuff, even by Exalted standards.

[The Rose Dragon]

Sidereals are on the other end of the scale - initially they lack the raw power of other Celestial Exalted, but as they grow in Essence their SMA let them pull off crazy stuff, even by Exalted standards.

Well, if your ST lets them play with SMAs without the Sidereal errata. Except for Sapphire Veil of Passion, they are accepted to be largely unplayable.

[Mattarias, King.]

:smallbiggrin: I think I'll just stick with a red jade daiklaive. Taking points out of Martial Arts and putting them in thrown in order to HURL my four-foot long blade at people. Here's my current stats, according to suggestions.


Attributes:
Str: 4 Cha: 4 Per: 2
Dex: 4 Man: 1 Int: 2
Stam: 2 App: 3 Wit: 2

Abilities:
Melee(favored): 5
Thrown: 3
War: 3
Athletics: 3
Awareness: 3
Dodge: 4
Presence: 2
Resistance: 1
Lore: 3
Linguistics: 1

Specialty:
(Melee) Double-edged swords: 2

Advantages:
Backgrounds:
Inheritance: 4
Resources: 3
Artifact (Red Jade Daiklaive): 1
Artifact drawback:
(1 point: Unusable in water/when wet.)

Mutations:
Fire Adaptation
Natural Immunity
Night Eyes
Crest of Fire (Homebrew)
God Body
God Body

Vulnerability (4)
Behavioral Archetype
Natural Enmity (2)
Unnatural Being
Temperature sensitivity
Too Perfect
Hungry
Burning Blood (Homebrew, 2)
Limited Manifestation

Charms:
Affinity [Fire] Control
Blessed [Fire] Body

Weapons:
Red Jade Daiklaive

Willpower: 6

Virtues:
Compassion: 2 Temperance: 1
Conviction: 2 Valor: 4

Merits:
Favored Weapon
Legendary Strength

Flaws:
Climate sensitivity (2)
Vice: Drugs (3)
Multiple Personalities (3)

Essence: 2

Equipment:
Chain shirt.
Firedust Grenades

In God Body form, I get 6/5/5 for my physical stats. :smallbiggrin: Fragile as hell, but we have a crab lunar that has at least 22 lethal soak and SO MANY HEALTH LEVELS, he can intervene if necessary.

Thoughts?

[Kylarra]

I'd switch up your physical stats to Str 3, Dex 5, Sta 2. Not only is that 5th point of dex better overall, adding to attack and DV, but it'll cost less to bring strength back up to 4 via exp than it would to get dex to 5.

[Mattarias, King.]

I'd switch up your physical stats to Str 3, Dex 5, Sta 2. Not only is that 5th point of dex better overall, adding to attack and DV, but it'll cost less to bring strength back up to 4 via exp than it would to get dex to 5.

Really. Huh.. Alright then, I guess that works. Still balances out with God Body.

God Body doesn't allow stats to go over 5, right? Not without Legendary (Attribute) or raising essence over five, correct?

[Tengu_temp]

I'd switch up your physical stats to Str 3, Dex 5, Sta 2. Not only is that 5th point of dex better overall, adding to attack and DV, but it'll cost less to bring strength back up to 4 via exp than it would to get dex to 5.

Nitpick: It won't raise his DV. Currently he has (4+5+2+2)/2, which means 7. Essence-users round all fractions up, except for lethal soak from stamina and dodge MDV.

[Kylarra]

Nitpick: It won't raise his DV. Currently he has (4+5+2+2)/2, which means 7. Essence-users round all fractions up, except for lethal soak from stamina and dodge MDV.Counter-nitpick: it'll raise his dodge DV, just not his parry one, and his parry DV is currently [4(dex)+5(ability)+2(daiklave)=11]/2 = 5.5= 6.

[Tengu_temp]

Specialties add extra +2.

[Kylarra]

Specialties add extra +2.So they do.

If he purchases a third specialty via exp, the 5th dot in dex will raise his DV then. :smallwink:

[Teln]

Something to remember however, is that most God-blooded dont get above Essence 3 (in 1st edition anyway, haven't looked at the 2nd ed stuff for them) I built it with that in mind.


In 2nd edition, once a God-Blood hits Essence 4 he becomes a god on the spot, and therefore largely unplayable. If he ever wants to get more powerful, he has to maneuver his way through the ranks of the largest, most bloated, most corrupt bureaucracy in all of Creation. Have fun!

[Yuki Akuma]

Alternatively, get a few allies with Essence-raising charms so you don't have to worry about the bureaucracy thing!

Or a Sidereal with that charm that lets them give gods new jobs.

[Mattarias, King.]

Okay, so that fifth dot in Dex ISN'T a huge waste then? :smallconfused: Sounds awesome.

...And how do allies with essence charms let me avoid bureaucracy? :smallconfused:

I do plan on either ascending or exalting. Or both. Whatever the ST feels like, I guess. Though I'd prefer ascension. I guess I should read up on the whole being a god thing, then. Hm.

[Yuki Akuma]

Gods need to advance in the Celestial Bureaucracy to be able to spend XP to raise their Essence... unless someone else raises it for them as a Training effect.

[Mattarias, King.]

:smalleek: Oooohh. Ouch. Alright. Did not know that. Seems kinda silly, but alright then..

Oh! Speaking of gods and bureaucracy, I was wondering how I'd make my backstory work. Here's the gist:


There is a kingdom that resides on its own pseudo-plane, isolated outside time and space, that is able to manifest only when destiny wills, and only in a southern desert tied to the element of fire. This kingdom is ruled over by the Burning King, a powerful god of war and fire. As passed down from generation to generation, whenever this southkingdom is anchored to a plane, he leaves a steward on his throne and wanders the world.

During this time, he meddles in all manner of battles, favoring the side he finds most righteous, from peasant uprisings to world-shattering conflicts. This tends to anger the preexisting gods of said world, often leading to various clashes that the King enjoys.

His purpose in wandering, however, is singleminded- Find a queen with strong blood. When one is found, he uses whatever means possible to gain her hand and sire an heir. More often than not, the queen does not survive. Depending on the King, he then either raises his heir until he is of age, teaching him how to wield a sword and control his powers, or leaves him with parents he deems strong enough. Either way, the King, along with his kingdom, disappears when his son comes of age. The son, possessing only his father's hair and eye color, is left alone in the world, and must somehow ascend and make his way back to the kingdom where he is meant to rule. My character is the son born in creation.

My ST vetoed it on account of "there are no other planes outside creation". Which, I mean, that's kinda right, but there's still Yu-shan and Heaven, and the Abyss, and Malfeas, and who knows what. So I dunno, that's kinda silly. Thoughts/suggestions?

[The Rose Dragon]

My ST vetoed it on account of "there are no other planes outside creation". Which, I mean, that's kinda right, but there's still Yu-shan and Heaven, and the Abyss, and Malfeas, and who knows what. So I dunno, that's kinda silly. Thoughts/suggestions?

All of those, however, were created by Primordials (alive, dead or castrated). Malfeas is made up of one. There is only Elsewhere outside of Creation, and the Wyld around it.

However, all is not lost. There is a Solar Circle spell specifically built to send regions to Elsewhere, and they reappear in Creation once a century. There are other ways of getting in and out of the region, but otherwise you can use that spell to do a similar thing.

[Mattarias, King.]

All of those, however, were created by Primordials (alive, dead or castrated). Malfeas is made up of one. There is only Elsewhere outside of Creation, and the Wyld around it.

However, all is not lost. There is a Solar Circle spell specifically built to send regions to Elsewhere, and they reappear in Creation once a century. There are other ways of getting in and out of the region, but otherwise you can use that spell to do a similar thing.

:smallconfused: Hmmm.. Sounds interesting. Especially combined with the Sanctum stuff gods can get.. I'd have to run that by him, then. Thanks.

[The_Snark]

Well... your ST is kinda right; that sounds like a backstory designed for D&D, or some other game where there are a lot of undefined worlds and great powers.

That said, the Wyld is a good place to put things that don't seem to fit elsewhere, and a kingdom that only appears every few centuries sounds like a classic Wyld realm. You want to play a God-Blooded, not a Fey-blooded, so... perhaps the original Burning King was a god whose domain fell into the Wyld during the Balorian Crusade, some 700-800 years ago? Twisted by the Wyld into an archetypal warrior-king of the desert, he re-enacts the same story over and over, siring a son who takes his father's place and begins the cycle anew.

Creation is less than happy about this, for the Burning King left fate behind when he left Creation, and his upheavals disrupt the Loom of Fate. The agents of Heaven hound him whenever he appears, and the Burning King has twice met his death at the hands of Sidereal assassins; yet the story continues, and he is born anew.

Summary of the changes I'd make and why:

Details. Your ST is completely correct when he states that there aren't a bunch of pocket dimensions floating around—Exalted's cosmology is quite well-defined. There are large undefined areas within the defined realms of existence, though, and the Wyld seems like the best place to work this in without making significant changes to the setting. It's full of bizarre things already, like ships that sail on the underside of the sea and cities built on clouds; a kingdom that regularly appears on the edges of Creation for a few years and then vanishes is practically mundane by comparison.


Scale. As you've written it, the Burning King seems to be a major power in the world, inciting world-shattering upheaval and laughing at the threat of reprisal. This is really, really not the role that gods in Exalted play. With the exceptions of the Incarnae, gods are not major world powers. They simply haven't got the raw power to maintain that kind of influence across Creation; there are too many other beings who can match their power, not to mention the actual powers of the setting, who can generally destroy them without too much fuss. On the small end of the scale, there are a lot of gods scattered across Creation; they are usually concerned with their own domain first and foremost, but anybody making trouble across a large area will make a number of divine energies. The Exalted are less common, but often much more dangerous; the Solars have been gone for the last couple millennia, but the Lunars are still around on the edges of Creation, and many of them are more than capable of destroying a god who makes trouble in their territory. The Dragon-Blooded who rule the center of Creation take a very dim view of gods throwing their weight around, and while they're less powerful than the other Exalted on an individual basis, they're much more numerous and better organized.

Perhaps most importantly, there's Yu-Shan. The Celestial Bureaucracy is spectacularly overworked, and tends to ignore troublemakers who keep a low profile, especially if they bribe the right people... but anyone who stirs up trouble world-wide is going to attract attention, which could mean anything from divine censure and demotion, to a Sidereal hit squad. Which, again, is more than capable of killing a deity.

A good example of a powerful god is Ahlat, the war god of the South. As gods go, he's pretty powerful: he's spread his cult all across the South, and a few centuries ago he even managed to influence events to create a theocracy dedicated to himself. This is probably about as powerful as you could reasonably make your god: influential in a certain area, but not world-shaking.


Your status in Heaven. Most God-Blooded have a good or neutral relationship with Yu-Shan, depending on who the divine parent is and whether they've been involved in the God-Blood's life. The child of a renegade god should probably expect to be treated more like a Demon-Blooded, Fey-Blooded or Ghost-Blooded. You probably won't be killed on sight, but your father wasn't a friend to the Celestial Bureaucracy, and some gods will consider you an enemy as well.

This isn't too much of a change, since you noted that the Burning King often clashes with other gods, but I thought I'd clear up the ramifications. It seems bad, but it gives your ST a very interesting plot hook to work with. The obvious way to play it is to have agents of Heaven hunting you, but that's far from the only thing your ST could do with it. Perhaps there's a faction that believes they can win your loyalty, bringing this incarnation of the Burning King back into Heaven and ending the disruptive cycle. Perhaps the Burning King has allies or enemies among the Southern Fair Folk, who are inclined to extend their friendship/hostility to his son. There's an interesting choice: will he embrace his heritage and leave Creation, knowing that he will one day return to bring chaos and war, or will he turn his back on his father? Try and reconcile the two? Something else?

I'm not sure how heroic or villainous you wanted your father to be, but this would allow you to play it either way. Similarly, Heaven could be anything from a righteous force of divine justice to a stagnant, corrupt bureaucracy, depending on which parts your Storyteller wants to emphasize.
Short version: needs a bit of work to help it fit into the setting, but it definitely has potential.

[Mattarias, King.]

:smalleek: Oh wow. I'm definitely- just- Wow.

I really like this retelling. You have no idea. I'm running this past my ST RIGHT NOW. Seriously. :smallbiggrin: Thanks, Snark! I don't know enough about the setting to come up with something like that. But- .. Yeah. Be right back. :smallbiggrin:

Edit: He likes it!

[The_Snark]

You're quite welcome. Glad I could help!

[Yuki Akuma]

:smalleek: Oooohh. Ouch. Alright. Did not know that. Seems kinda silly, but alright then..

Why? A god's power is tied directly to his domain, and therefore his position in the Celestial Bureaucracy. To get more powerful, he needs a more influential domain, and the only way to do that (that doesn't involve murdering a god and calling down a Sidereal hit squad on yourself) is to advance in the Bureaucracy.

And by that, of course, I mean you have to bribe someone.

[Mattarias, King.]

Why? A god's power is tied directly to his domain, and therefore his position in the Celestial Bureaucracy. To get more powerful, he needs a more influential domain, and the only way to do that (that doesn't involve murdering a god and calling down a Sidereal hit squad on yourself) is to advance in the Bureaucracy.

And by that, of course, I mean you have to bribe someone.

:smallconfused: Oohh.. Well, that makes sense then. I interpreted it as... Well, I forget what I interpreted it as, but this makes so much more sense than what I thought. Thanks. I'll have to look up those essence charms and that sidereal thing, not to mention this whole heavenly bureaucracy, for if I ever ascend..

[Yuki Akuma]

Also a point of note: your domain doesn't have to be officially recognised, but it does help. Five Days Shadow, the Unconquered Sun's shadow, is basically the unofficial God of Calibration - because the Calendar Gods are ***** and won't let him join. But he's still Essence 7.

One assumes if he was officially appointed he'd shoot up to at least 8.

[Mattarias, King.]

:smallconfused: Ooh. Huh. Good to know.

Reading up on the bureaucracy stuff now. Man, gods can be JERKS to each other.

Unrelated question: Affinity (Fire) Control, as written, gives me no means of actually conjuring said element. How do I do this? I don't want to be Pyro. He sucks. :smallannoyed: I mean, yeah, I have grenades, and my ST gave me the power to make sparks by spending motes, but... I dunno.