Things I May No Longer Do While Playing 13: This Is A Banned List Not A Drinking Game

[Bohandas]

Wait, is "wall of meat" a real spell, or are you casting it by plopping an elephant or five down between you and your enemy? I'm pretty sure it is the latter, but having a spell that makes a wall of size proportional to the corpse you use as material component would be a very necromancer thing.

I don't know if there's a spell that does this by itself but I do know that there's a Wall of Stone spell and a Stone to Flesh spell

[Rater202]

I cannot base major NPCs on harem anime archetypes.

[danielxcutter]

Wasn’t there a system for that here on the forums?

[Lord Torath]

I cannot base major NPCs on harem anime archetypes.

Wasn’t there a system for that here on the forums?

* No, of course not! Why would there be? Okay, there could be - and probably is - something here on the forums for harems.
** We just said it's forbidden!
*** We really mean it!
**** Really!

[danielxcutter]

Okay, what the fresh Baator did I miss?

[KorvinStarmast]

I don't know if there's a spell that does this by itself but I do know that there's a Wall of Stone spell and a Stone to Flesh spell

You remind me of a shenanigans event from a long ago AD&D game.

* I may no longer refer to the wood golem that our tabaxi wizard recovered from a 'turned-to-stone' druid as "walking scratching post"

** I may not make use of double entendre when I speak to the noble elven woman (she gave us a sending stone so that we can report to her the progress on our anti-evil-elemental clean up mission) using 25 words or less.

[Anonymouswizard]

* Not every piece of advanced technology has a vibrate setting.

[danielxcutter]

* Not every piece of advanced technology has a vibrate setting.

**May not try to add a vibrate setting to every piece of advanced technology.

[Telok]

* The fact that I had to hack the website html on the e-tools to fix a spell & my hp (where did the 12 extra hp come from? why the **** wouldn't they go away?) does not mean I'm allowed to set my level to 150% of the game cap just to check if they validate the incoming data.

** Thinking about setting my familiar to be the avatar of a god by comparing & passing in id numbers makes me a bad boy.

*** The fact that the bloody thing is giving me an untraceable extra +1 on attacks is not cause for me to reverse engineer and viciously abuse the vtt plug-in. I should just knock a point off manually.

**** Really should not try to add a vibrate setting to the vtt.

[thorr-kan]

* The fact that I had to hack the website html on the e-tools to fix a spell & my hp (where did the 12 extra hp come from? why the **** wouldn't they go away?) does not mean I'm allowed to set my level to 150% of the game cap just to check if they validate the incoming data.

E-Tools, as in the D&D 3.x Character Generator? Or generic e-tools, like dndbeyond.com?

[Telok]

Generic. Its always bad when being good at your job makes you double up one the evil. And being bad feels so good.

Ed: I'm probably technically violating some rule by figuring out enough about the system just by looking at it and knowing enough about the type of system to fix the error. Then fixing the mistake probably violates another 3 to 6 rules or something. And I understand why you wouldn't run a complete numbers update on a character for every submission if you were trying to save $ by minimizing processing for a few hundred thou users. But it really does let incremental errors creep in if there's nothing but hand coded partial updates with no tracking or occasional full recalculations. The only truely annoying thing was not being able to fix the bad info from the programming error with the tool provided for exactly that purpose.

[thorr-kan]

Generic. Its always bad when being good at your job makes you double up one the evil. And being bad feels so good.

I see your conundrum.

Thanks for the reply.

[Rater202]

There are options for a no-equipment mission other than "falsely arrested with all equipment confiscated as part of the intake process" and "undercover investigation at a nudist resort."

[danielxcutter]

I would actually like to hear those options.

[Socksy]

* Achaekek is not my waifu and I should stop referring to them as such.

[Wookieetank]

**May not try to add a vibrate setting to every piece of advanced technology.

***Sonic features are right out

[Anonymouswizard]

***Sonic features are right out

To be fair, the Sonic Screwdriver does already have a vibrate setting.

[Rater202]

My last wish can't be for a ring of three wishes that recharges to full every 24 hours.

[Anonymouswizard]

* I can't change into my city destroying Kaiju Form just because I'm late for school.
** Mainly because it wouldn't help anyway.

[Rater202]

* I can't change into my city destroying Kaiju Form just because I'm late for school.
** Mainly because it wouldn't help anyway.

Nor will transforming into my kaiju destroying city form.

...I hope that 3e alchemicals still have the option to become giant robots or living cities. I know that elder essence is being downplayed and also treated as "growing out" rather than "growing up" but being a city is cool.

[Anonymouswizard]

Nor will transforming into my kaiju destroying city form.

...I hope that 3e alchemicals still have the option to become giant robots or living cities. I know that elder essence is being downplayed and also treated as "growing out" rather than "growing up" but being a city is cool.

On the one hand I can see the 'so far out of the intended power scale' argument. On the other hand I hear that the author of Nobilis is working on Exalted 3e, so I can totally see it starting to come online earlier than 2e.

Maybe I'll pick up Exalted 3e after the Nobilis 4e Kickstarter lands. But I'm really getting into the Jennaverse, so Exalted is below Nobilis in my wishlist.

Like, playing as cities sounds cool af, but it also sounds wildly out of scale with other Exalted. It's one of the things that might be better off in a dedicated book (if Onyx Path didn't have a policy of 'aannounce everything, have too many projects to complete any of them').

[Rater202]

On the one hand I can see the 'so far out of the intended power scale' argument. On the other hand I hear that the author of Nobilis is working on Exalted 3e, so I can totally see it starting to come online earlier than 2e.

Maybe I'll pick up Exalted 3e after the Nobilis 4e Kickstarter lands. But I'm really getting into the Jennaverse, so Exalted is below Nobilis in my wishlist.

Like, playing as cities sounds cool af, but it also sounds wildly out of scale with other Exalted. It's one of the things that might be better off in a dedicated book (if Onyx Path didn't have a policy of 'aannounce everything, have too many projects to complete any of them').

I guess.

I just kind of like the idea of the player starting as something and ending up fundamentally something else. I tried to come up with "full transhuman" options for all Exalted types—The Exalted, in general, are transhuman, being mortals elevated to a God-Like state by having a self-sustaining shard of Elemental, Divine, Primordial, or Necrotic Power jammed directly into their souls which results in not only a spiritual evolution but their body being transformed into an image of perfection by some metric or another. Anything becomes possible to the Exalt and as long as they keep putting in the effort they're just going to keep getting better.

So I figured "why not commit to it?" Infernals and Alchemicals are already set, and it's not to hard to adapt a more "benign" version of 2es Chimeras for Lunars(3e already has a starting point) and vague ideas for Liminals(Go from an imperfect imitation of a human to a perfect example of a human) Gettimians(You're already a living loom of fate who shouldn't exist trying to impose a reality that never was on Creation. It's not hard to see where to go for a "living glitch in the matrix") and Abyssals(Basically the opposite of Liminals, become even more an undead abomination) but coming up with options for Solars and Dragonblooded was hard.

2e had a fan splat called "Gaians" whose shtick was that they were enlightened Dragonblooded who mastered all five elements and then became something else, on par with Celestials, but that kind of gives the impression that Dragonblooded are "half-formed, baby-exalts" and that's not the kind of thing I'd want to go for. And becoming full-fledged elementals would be a step-down.

And the only suggestions I ever got for solars when I shared were "solars but more" and "solar stays the same but has a fisher king effect where other people around them get better" which is a completly different mood.

Anyway back on topic:

*Just because Infernals are "primordial solars" does not mean that there are Primordial versions of the other main exalt types.
**Just because Getimians manipulate fate and were created by two Primordials doesn't make them Primordial Sidereals.
***Just because Alchemicals were created by a Primordial, have attribute charms, and a power set based on altering their bodies to solve different problems, that doesn't make them Primordial Lunars.
****There are no primordial Dragonblooded.

*Just because the Abyssals are "underworld Solars" that doesn't mean that there are underworld versions of the other main exalted types.
**Just because Liminals are weaker than celestial exalted, are essentially born with their power, and have aspects that correspond roughly to the five elements instead of castes corresponding to abilities or attributes does not make them Underworld Dragonblooded
***There are no Underworld Lunars.
****UnderworldSidereals would probably be the doom of creation.

*Neither the Demon City nor the Underworld have any counterpart of equivalent to the Exigence.
**The Wyld does not have a counterpart for any kind of exaltation.

...So now I'm imagining Raskshas trying to merge with mortals in an attempt to imitate the story of an Exalt only for them to pick the wrong mortal and end up a concentrated Fragment of The Wyld empowering a mortal with the power of Chaos and Narrative. Nine times out of ten it just results in a Raksha wearing a hollowed-out human as a costume so it happens relatively regularly but that one time out of ten the mortal is made of sterner stuff...

[Anonymouswizard]

Oh, I get it, and think it should totally stay in there, I just see the logic in saying 'intended Essence level is 1-5, this happens at 6+'. FWIW I think Internals should have kept the 'can become full Primordials' aspect.

I'm also not against complete rejection of the transhumanist state as an option, even if it means limiting your power level.

For Solars, I believe their theme is being philosopher-kings? I'd play into that, Solars begin their next stage when they formulate an ideal or theory and incorporate this into the core of their being. This cuts them off from any power not related to their philosophy, but in their presence this is how the world works. As in the laws of physics literally changed withing something like 2^Essence metres of the Solar if they'd contradict their theory

A transcended Solar isn't a fisher-king, they're theory incarnate.

[Rater202]

The theme is being God-Kings.

What kind of God King depends on Caste: Dawns are warriors who lead from the front, Zeniths are Motivators or Spiritual Leaders, Twilights are Scientists and Sorcerers, Nights are tricksters and infiltrators, and Eclipses are diplomats and oathkeepers.

Philosophy doesn't really play into it.

Beyond that, being devoted solely to a specific concept and unable to se powers unrelated to its more of a Primarodial thing than a Solar thing... In fact, it kind of explicitly goes off-brand for Solars. Their whole shtick is human excellency taken to absurd extremes.

[Anonymouswizard]

At that point you've kind of cut yourself off from transcendence. Becoming a god is at best a sidestep because Exalted, and if your theme is 'human++' you just can't become something else without violating that concept. You can become bigger, a version of yourself that's just more, but you're not going to become something else.

Like, you can throw ideas at the wall all day and nothing's going to stick. At best you take one element of being human and focus on that.

[Rater202]

At that point you've kind of cut yourself off from transcendence. Becoming a god is at best a sidestep because Exalted, and if your theme is 'human++' you just can't become something else without violating that concept. You can become bigger, a version of yourself that's just more, but you're not going to become something else.

Like, you can throw ideas at the wall all day and nothing's going to stick. At best you take one element of being human and focus on that.

Hence the dilemma.

*Shapeshifters do not collect identities like ten-year-olds collecting pokemon.

[Anonymouswizard]

* I may not wish for clothing to be optional.
**I may not make any wish that reduces the practicality of clothing.
*** I can wish to become a squirrel,but I must still wear trousers.

[Lord Raziere]

Spoiler: Exalted things

Show

Technically Dragon-Blooded ARE primordial. Made by Gaia, who is a Primordial. Technically they're more primordial than actual Infernals, as Infernals are just Solar Exaltations with Yozi essence put into it, and the Yozis are not technically the same beings after the Primordial War- they're lessened in ways vague and poetic. though this also means the Getimians are more primordial than Infernals as they were made before they got turned into Yozis.

and yeah, Solars are human excellence, first, and foremost with sun powers being a minor second. philosophy, morality, stuff like that? Not a thing they do. What no Exalt does. I don't think you CAN make Solars transhuman with Solar power alone because that would go against the point of their Exaltation: their power is human power. specifically. like it or not, they cannot transcend themselves with their charms, no matter how great their power. they are already canonically the most powerful and flexible Exaltation in the setting and can already do everything an Exalt could possibly do- they don't need any greater form. sure with sorcery, a Solar can probably finagle a transhuman form of existence, probably better than most better most Exalts. but sorcery is there to specifically go outside themes. So in a way, no but also yes.

within theme transhuman Dragon-Blooded....thats more viable. a big theme of Dragon-Blooded is teamwork, and there is already a charm to link their thoughts telepathically. To extend that, a transhuman Dragon-Blooded path might be for five Dragon-Blooded to literally fuse into one like captain planet but more serious and permanent and fighting for the Realm, or become a hive-mind being with five bodies (the elemental stuff isn't as important as the teamwork thing, but I guess you can try for elemental bodies or even dragons if you want)......maybe combine the ideas into five Dragon-Blooded fusing to become a five-elemental dragon person.

yeah, the whole stealing Exaltations and infusing them with Yozi/Underworld essence seems to be Solar-only thing, because if you get the most powerful Exalts.....eh, you don't really need to steal or infuse the others. Solars are just that good to have. while OOC, it'd just be stale, uninteresting and not really contribute much to have other Exalts to be turned like that.

* There is no way I'm making Rakarys my vampire high elf mage from modded Skyrim into any other system or setting
** mostly because she is an all-powerful mage who does things like join the Dark Brotherhood and Harkon's Court while going around lethally draining mortals to gain power
*** may not have a spell to just reflect all the damage I take back at the enemy thus when the foe hits me they die instead
**** may not telekinetically pull the enemy to me in midair just to magic punch them away.
***** may not use frenzy to make enemies kill each other every time
****** The Thalmor are attacking me because I'm Dragonborn, not because they're jealous that I'm closer to achieving godhood than them.
******* May not use spells to call down meteors to instantly end battles between armies.....where I don't care about the sides or what is being fought over.

[Rater202]

Spoiler: Exalted things

Show

Technically Dragon-Blooded ARE primordial. Made by Gaia, who is a Primordial. Technically they're more primordial than actual Infernals, as Infernals are just Solar Exaltations with Yozi essence put into it, and the Yozis are not technically the same beings after the Primordial War- they're lessened in ways vague and poetic. though this also means the Getimians are more primordial than Infernals as they were made before they got turned into Yozis.

Spoiler

Show

I thought that they were created by the Five "main" Elemental Dragons.

Who depends on the edition are either Gaia's Devas(and thus, while PArt of Gaia, are also separate entities who are merely) very powerful spirits, or else are just her children, and are therefore closer to the Icarnae than to a Primordial.

A primordial terrestrial would be like, if the cast-off broken pieces of the Primordials who were slain or suffered fetich death, the parts that were excised to make the Yozi, everything that made the Primordials That Were different from the Yozi and Neverborn that are ended up pooling together and then broke back apart and feel into the cycle of reincarnation so every so often someone is born with a little extra piece of soul that's made up from the scraps of the Titans That Came Before.

I would call them Titanian Exalted. Rather than imitating the Deceased Demiurges that were the origin for their power, their Charms are about channeling raw cosmic power through their works. Charms might correspond to "little gods" that reside within the Titanian's anima who are born when the Titanian achieves a certain level of skill mastery and embody the Titanian's power and drives. When a titanian swordsman channels power into his Daiklaive a brilliant Warrior Spirit manifests within the blade or a waifish Forest Nymph appearing behind a Titanian Sorceress to help her shape motes to summon a wood elemental. Alluding to both the existance of Deavas and the Primordials creating the gods to assist them or perform jobs in their place.

Aesthetically think Persona, Shaman King, Jojo, Maybe a little Bleach...

****** The Thalmor are attacking me because I'm Dragonborn, not because they're jealous that I'm closer to achieving godhood than them.

I'm pretty sure that those statements mean the same thing.

[Anonymouswizard]

* If I can't fence it I'm not allowed to steal it.
** No matter how high my Larceny skill is.
*** This includes historic buildings, landmarks, and internal organs.