[Exalted] Black Ops DBs working for the Mask

[Draxar]

So, I'm planning to run an exalted game for some friends, and could use some help with what I'm going to throw at the.

The characters are going to be Dragonblooded working for the Mask of Winters, performing 'black ops' missions that don't need an Abyssal, can be best performed by someone able to naturally respire the essence of creation, and/or can be best performed by someone who can swan in and go "Look at me, I'm a Dragonblooded".

The game is going to be somewhat silly, with relatively short missions. It may eventually work it's way up to a proper arc plot, but at the moment I'm thinking mostly of starting with tasks that can be done in a single game.

It's very rare that I ST, and most of the games I've run haven't lasted long. I will be honest and admit that part of the reason for me running this game is so that I can introduce these friends to Exalted (they know of it, but have never played it), with the vauge hope that one of them may eventually run a game of it. Emphasis on 'part' though.

I've chosen dragonblooded because the power level is lower, there's less they can do to utterly turn situations on their heads, and because it means I'm much less needing to run battles that turn into perfect-offs.

What I could use at the moment are some suggestions as to what missions to send them on. Simple and short is good, silly is entirely viable; the overall world they are in will remain fairly reasonable, but they can be asked to do rather crazy things within said world.

I'd like to start off with a mission to show them how much better they are than 'mortals', and indeed, than your average starting character in most RPGs. Sometime early on I'd like a mission that emphasises 'There are bigger fish than you out there'

So, can anyone offer any suggestions for missions? Particularly for the two things above, but other suggestions are also very welcome.

Currently, it's going to be three players. They're playing somewhat buffed starting characters – they get the Realm starting stuff, but with 10 charms + Wind Carried Words Technique, and 25 freebies. They get realm backgrounds, but the Abyssal Manse rules (with the same option to take Manse from the core, but having to look after it themselves), and with Abyssal Command available too.

One is playing a badger beastman with Three String Sword Prana (the Kung Fu Hustle musician charm), who's essentially a stealthy assasin. Another is playing a guy who was from Lookshy, was a eugenicist there, but took it too far and got kicked out, has some fighting and some healing charms. The third hasn't yet decided what he's going to do, but 'vaugely the face/talky character' is what he's thought so far.

Edit: Explanation for non-Exalted players: Dragonblooded are significantly more powerful than humans, to the point of easily killing large numbers of unskilled humans, and even fair numbers of experienced ones, with a starting character. They have elemental and soldier-themed powers. The Mask of Winters is a Deathlord, one of a group of beings that want to kill everything in Creation (the world), the Mask is known for bold and innovative, if sometimes unwise, strategems.

[TheCountAlucard]

How about sabotaging the schemes of other Deathlords? Or maybe counter the sabotage attempts of another Deathlord?

Scroll of the Monk hinted that Mask of Winters intended on hosting a martial arts tournament; perhaps have a couple of missions involving that?

Tailoring one to the face-talky-type, how about a diplomatic mission to Nexus, to ensure that the Guild is willing to trade with him?

Or for the assassin one... if diplomatic mission goes bad, gank the Guild representative and hope that the next one is more amenable to Mask of Winters' plans?

Then again, there's always the option of stealing some First Age tech from Lookshy. If they can get away with that, you have some good players on your hands.

[Overshee]

This situation screams for contracted infernals.

DB wise, corrupt nations so that they can be taken over,
create shadowlands,
reconnaissance of various countries and stuff,
infiltrate the realm...

[Draxar]

All good ideas to chop up into bits to make the individual missions, but what I'm drawing a blank on is 'what to do in the first session'. Sure I'll do some 'This is why I've brought you here tonight' from the Mask, but I also want to do some kind of mission for them, something relatively easy, something that reflects the nasty guy they're working for, and something that shows them how powerful their characters are, without it just being 'go to this town, kill everyone there'

[Overshee]

For that I'd run a quick assassination mission, infiltrate a social gathering as Dragon-Blooded, kill somebody with information about Mask, a dignitary who didn't do what Mask wanted, something like that.

Gets a message across, could easily branch into further conflict... (revenge, somebody who saw them, etc)

[TheOOB]

Well, dealing with Celestial exalts who pop up is always good work, and trying to tear apart Lookshy's government if a definite objective with plenty of ways to be fun. I always imagined a perfect circle of Lookshy dragon-bloods as a opponent ground, who do lots of superfluous martial arts, and when things get tough they enter their color coded warstriders that eventually combine. Their version of the "Green Ranger" would of course be a Sidereal.(Power Rangers reference for those who don't get it).

As for general advice, if I've learned anything from exalted, it's to keep the numbers fairly equal. The party will have a lot of trouble facing notably superior numbers unless the enemies are vastly weaker than the exalts(ie, mortals), and a lone enemy will be torn apart by a group unless they are extremely overpowered. This is due to the defensive nature of exalted combat causing undue essence drain on fighters who are outnumbered, and once you are out of essence, you're pretty much dead.

[Overshee]

P.S. Destroy Gem.

[The Rose Dragon]

P.S. Destroy Gem.

No, you're thinking of FaFL. Mask of Winters doesn't live remotely near Gem.

...though you'll find a way to destroy it anyway, won't you?

[Overshee]

No, you're thinking of FaFL. Mask of Winters doesn't live remotely near Gem.

...though you'll find a way to destroy it anyway, won't you?

It's Exalted, you always destroy Gem!

[Draxar]

Poor Gem.

And thanks for the help folks, I like the 'infiltrate and kill at a social gathering' plan.

[The Rose Dragon]

It's Exalted, you always destroy Gem!

In some games, before the roleplaying even starts!