[Exalted 2e] Something Something Realm

[ShadowFox89]

 Oh, I should note another houserule- Craft ability is collapsed to one instead of 5. Each dot of Craft gives you access to another basic craft (air, earth, fire, water, wood) while you can pay the equivalent of a specialty for access to advanced crafts provided you would otherwise meet the prerequisites (magitech, genesis, glamour, etc).

[Chajesdad]

Ok, so what you are saying is advanced Crafts are capped at 3, like Specialties? I have to admit, Genesis is on my to do list.

[ShadowFox89]

 Advanced crafts aren't capped but are separate from specialties.

[Zaer Darkwail]

*poke*

Moar charcheese pls folks :).

[Chajesdad]

Name:   Dark Oak Bodhisattva   
Type:   Dragon-blooded (Dynast)   
Aspect:   Wood Dragon   
Intimacies: House V'neef, House Tepet, Immaculate Faith, Sister (Medira), Hostel for Benevolent Life, Grotto of the Twisted Monkey, To Attain the Dog-faced Gremlin
Motivation: Perfection, through the successful understanding of Essence in all of it's forms.


Description:   
   Height between 4' 6" and 6'10" At 120 pounds he has a bare stick-like appearance with what skin shows. Shaven head, Prominent brow, Heavy tan almost barklike, mossy green beard and mustache, always moist. Broad thin robes cover obvious shoulder coverings, an elegant silver and blue jade headband rests upon his brow while black and green jade bracers peek from beneath deep sleeves. Has the scent of wet moss and dirt about him.  (Even before he exalted.) 

History: 
   Raised worms and bugs in the garden before he exalted. Quiet child of the House, often said to be elemental in nature because of my interest and comfort with animals and insects. Never truly good with them, but always comfortable around them, he has been bit, gored, and kicked, but never angry at the animal for reacting as it would. Post exaltation gravitated to the martial arts where he  had a natural affinity. Graduated from the Cloister of Wisdom. Recently married into House Tepet. Recently acting as a Fist of the Immaculate Order, being sent out to deal with specific ordeals such as rogue gods, and lone ghosts or small fey, individual annoyances.

Atributes: 
1   Strength
5   Dexterity
4   Stamina

2   Charisma
2   Manipulation
3   Appearence

4   Perception
2   Intelegence
3   Wits


Air:
3   Linguistics      (High Realm: Southern Blessed Isle)
2   Lore
3      *Occult         BiomancyX2
0   Stealth
0   Thrown

Earth
3      *Awareness
0   Craft: Air   
0   Craft: Earth   
0   Craft: Fire   
0   Craft: Genesis   
0   Craft: Magitech   
0   Craft: Water
1   Craft: Wood      Husbandry
2   Integrity   
2   Resistence   
1   War      

Fire:   
3   Athletics
2   Dodge
1   Melee
1   Pressence
2   Socialize

Water
0   Bureaucracy
0   Investigation
0   Larceny
4      *Martial Arts
0   Sail

Wood:
1      *Archery
2      *Medicine      Infection
1      *Performance
1      *Ride
1      *Survival

Languages: High Realm, Old Realm, Riverspeak

Backgrounds: 
3   Arsenal (Imaculate Order:  Dragon Tear Tiara (For service to the order), Folding Servant, Perfected Lamelar)
2   Artifact (Hearstone Bracers, Skin Mount Amulet)
2   Backing (Imaculate Order)
4   Breeding
0   Connections (Tepet)
1   Connections (Vneef)
2   Manse  (

3   Essence

Virtues:
2/2   Compasion
4/4   Conviction
3/3   Temprence
2/2   Valor

7/7   Willpower

Motes: 
14/14   Personal
34/17   Peripheral

Charms: 
Pasiap's Humility
Moment of Da'nad

Wood Dragon Martial Arts: 
--Eyes of the Wood Dragon
--Mind over Body Meditation
--Wood Dragon Vitality
--Soul Marking Strike
--Wood Dragon Form



Thaumaturgy:
--Art of Husbandry:  Judge the Pure Beast, Warding the Crop.  1.  2.  3.


Clinch

Punch

Kick

Self Bow
6   Speed
   Accuracy
1+Arrow   Damage
   Range

[Chajesdad]

Sorry thought I had already pitched this into the queue. Also trying to wrap my mind around the Craft rules, say I have 4 in Craft, (water, earth, fire, and life) and I purchase Craft: Genesis for the specialty cost of 3 experience, is my Craft: Genesis 1, 4, or 5?

[ShadowFox89]

 Life? You mean wood, right? :P

And it would be Craft (genesis) 4.

[Meliai]

     

Name(s): Iselsi Avelle, Distant Silver Whispers
Caste: Changing Moon
Age: 19
Height: 5'6"
Weight: 135lbs
Hair: Black with hints of deep purple in the sun. Long and wild, usually tied back in in a ponytail an attempt to keep it under control.
Eyes: Sea green
Skin: Rather pale, with tinged sea green around her eyes
Languages: High Realm, Low Realm, Old Realm
Spirit Shape: A sleek (or maybe just scrawny) odd-eyed domestic cat with short black fur.
Tell: Miss-matched eyes; left is always blue, right is a color appropriate to whatever form she is in. For instance, when in her original human form people that can perceive her tell see her right eye as its natural green color and her left as blue. In the dark her eyes seem to flash or glow faintly, like a cat's.

Motivation: Uncover the secrets of the Realm Defense Grid to protect Creation from the Wyld

Intimacies: Lunar Exalted (camaraderie)   House Iselsi (filial duty)   Solar Exalted (wary distrust)   Terrestrial Exalted (conflict)   Saraban Riya (trust and gratitude) 

Essence: ● ●
Personal: 12
Peripheral: 34 (8 committed)
Overdrive:

Anima: Avelle's full Anima manifests as field of shadows rising up behind her back and spreading across the ground beneath her feet. Monsterous, yellow, cat-like eyes of every shape and size open across the shadow field and stare balefully at Avelle's foes. Her tell becomes fearsome, causing her mis-colored eyes to glow with an eerie blue like moonlight reflected off a still pond. 
Disguised: When under Riya's Disguise spell, Avelle's anima appears to be that of a rather un-remarkable Water Aspect terrestrial.

Willpower: ● ● ● ● ● [] [] [] [] []
Compassion: ● ● ● ● [] [] [] []
Conviction: ● ● ● [] [] []
Temperance: ● []
Valor: ● ● ● [] [] []

Health Levels:

~0 x 1    ~1 x 2    ~2 x 2    ~4 x 1    ~Inc x 1    ~Dying x 3

[] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] [] []

ATTRIBUTES:

[] Strength:  [] Dexterity:  [] Stamina:

●●●●●                  ●●●●● ●●●●●

[●] Charisma: [●] Manipulation:    [●] Appearance:

●●●●●                  ●●●●● ●●●●●

[] Perception:  [●] Intelligence:    [] Wits:

●●●●●                  ●●●●● ●●●●●

Abilities:

WAR Archery Athletics Awareness    Dodge Integrity Martial Arts Melee Resistance Thrown War

●●●●●          ●●●●● ●●●●● ●●●●● ●●●●● ●●●●● ●●●●● ●●●●● ●●●●● ●●●●●

LIFE Craft (air, fire, water)    Larceny Linguistics Performance    *Presence Ride Sail Socialize Stealth *Survival

●●●●●          ●●●●● ●●●●● ●●●●● ●●●●● ●●●●● ●●●●● ●●●●● ●●●●● ●●●●●

WISDOM Bureaucracy Investigation    Lore Medicine Occult

●●●●●          ●●●●● ●●●●● ●●●●● ●●●●●

Specialties:
Lore: First age ²
Larceny: Impersonation ²

Charms:
Second Charisma Excellency, Culling the Pride
Second Manipulation Excellency, Mask of White Jade, Falling Leaf Distraction

Knacks:
Humble Mouse Shape, Subtle Silver Declaration

Backgrounds:
Backing: ●● (Silver Pact: Swords of Luna)
Artifact: ●● (Black Jade Hearthstone Bracers)
Artifact: ● (Good luck talisman, disease warding talisman)
Allies: ●● (Saraban Riya, Dragon-blooded sorceress & member of the all-seeing eye)
Manse: ●●● (Stone of Aquatic Prowess)
Resources: ●●●
Hearts Blood: ● (Nightingale)

Exceptional Chain Shirt - Soak +4L/2B     Mobility 0     Fatigue 0
Exceptional Self Bow - Speed 6, Accuracy +1, Damage +1, Rate 3, Range 150,
Arrows -
     Broadhead - Str +2L base damage
     Fowling - Str +2B
     Frog crotch - Str +4L but lethal soak of the target’s armor is doubled before applying the damage
Black Jade Hearthstone Bracers - +3d Dodge

Calculations:
Bashing soak - 3 {5}
Lethal soak - 1 {5}
Hardness - 0
Dodge DV - 4
Join Combat - 5
Move/Dash - 10
Dodge MDV - 5

Attacks:


BP Spending:
4 - Stamina +1
5 - Presence +4, Survival +1
5 - Resources 3, Hearts Blood 1, Artifact 1
3 - Intelligence +1


Avelle was born into the crumbling remains of House Iselsi on an inauspicious, storm-wracked morning. Though her mother clung to the possibility that the awful storms may have been a sign from Daana'd or Mela, the girl's outlook was rather bleak. The branch of the family tree Avelle had been born to was one of the unlucky few left to struggle and die in the wake of Iselsi's false disgrace, a pathetic reminder to the other Houses of what the Empress's wrath looked like. It had been generations since anyone in Avelle's immediate family line had exalted - by the time of her birth, they were struggling just to survive. On top of the same hardships all peasants had to endure the family still had a good deal of responsibilities to the realm they were expected to fulfill, as well as the occasional humiliating visit from once-friends of the family.

Convinced that their daughter was destined to Exalt and do great things, redeeming at least their little family for the sins of their fore-bearers, Avelle's parents scrimped and saved from the moment she was born, eventually saving up enough to send her to school. Unfortunately for Avelle, the only school they could afford was a rather dour place notorious for the high percentage of it's students who went on to either the House of Ancient Stone or Palace of Tamed Storm. Smaller and far more good-natured than most of the student body, she immediately found herself the target of many of her peers' ire. The fact that she would rush to the defense of anyone being bullied did nothing to help her standing among her fellow students; those she stood up for saw her as a bleeding-heart who'd coddle those too weak to make it in Dynast society, and those she stood up for often resented her for making them look helpless (turns out wealthy nobels don't like being saved by peasant girls, no matter how badly they're being thrashed.)

To the surprise of many, including Avelle herself, nothing managed to break her spirit though over the years she did develop a rather flippant disregard for her own well-being. She proved surprisingly cunning and bright, and without the behavioral problems that plagued most of the student body she excelled in all her classes. However as student after student Exalted around her, Avelle found herself in an ever shrinking pool of students. Spending hours a week praying desperately to Parad and Lytek she gradually grew bitter and fell into a moody despair the likes of which most teenagers could only dream of.

At 15 she gave up schooling, refusing to enroll in a secondary school for un-exalted or enter an apprenticeship. Her parents, for their part, had lost interest in the girl with each passing year and made no protest when she volunteered for a dangerous position covertly investigating possible corruption in a remote stratapy. A young but powerful Water Aspect spy named Saraban Riya took an interest in Avelle and taught her a few tricks, how to put people at ease, how to move silently and go unnoticed. Unbeknownst to Avelle, Riya was in fact a close cousin of her's, a member of House Iselsi and an initiate of the All-Seeing Eye. For much of the year she attended the Heptagram, with the intention of infiltrating the Blessed Isle's sorcery societies after graduation. She felt guilty for the way Avelle's family had suffered to keep the rest of the line safe, and admired the kindness and concern for others she showed despite the fact that she'd gained nothing from it.

Before long Avelle was relocated to the Stratapy, assigned as a simple mortal assistant to the local lord, her only tie to her home the occasional letter from Riya. It was laughably easy to find the evidence her employers were after; poorly hidden documents revealed that the Stratap had been selling citizens of his lands to the Fair Folk for years; orphans or small families that wouldn't be missed. Unfortunately, Avelle was caught. She was throne into the holding cells, tortured for weeks as the Stratap tried to extract the identity of her employers. She remained silent, knowing she'd be killed as soon as he had the information he needed.

WHOOPS still have a couple more paragraphs of my stupidly long backstory to do and I need to re-read the combat rules so I can calculate her attacks but I told Shadow I'd have this up yesterday so I'm tossing it up as a WIP so folks and see what I've got and let me know if I made any stupid mistakes. I'm heading to a concert here in a few minutes, so I'll try and finish this up when I get home later.

[ShadowFox89]

 You only spent 17 of 18 bonus points.

[Zaer Darkwail]

So far background story looks good but Shadow pointed out the only flaw in it :). I would suggest perhaps a contact or influence at All-Seeing Eye? Assuming you are still one their agents.

[Laughing Hyena]

Ooooh exalted. Nice. I honestly haven't played in a while but it replaced 3.5 DnD for me until Pathfinder came along. It takes me back. Anyway Shadow, By my count I see five players so Im out naturally I believe.

[Zaer Darkwail]

This is not first serve game Hyena; those who have completed charsheets and chosen by ST are counted to be in the game :).

[Laughing Hyena]

That's good news, say has anyone here played on the exalted java chats? Dawn of a New Age and Web of Memories? Felt nostalgic and felt like talking with a few old friends but the chats seem to no longer work or Im just missing a plug in.

[Zaer Darkwail]

Nop, not me but I am quite several exalted games over at Rpol.

[AndyZ]

You mean the old chats on White Wolf?  Yeah, I was on there under a bunch of characters, Kiara Thoughtweaver probably being my longest running, with Swift Agony being my favorite.  They shut those down a few years ago, along with their WoD stuff and some others.

If it comes to numbers, I can always drop mine if someone uber excited wants in the game.

[Laughing Hyena]

Anyway Im going to make a Twilight Caste Solar. One from there since he makes a lot of sense in such a dangerous setting such as the Realm where any one not a Dragon Blood or Sidereal is going to be hunted. And also his motivation might actually work this time instead of lounging in what was seemingly an MMO version Exalted Chat.

-_- Nostalgia sucks at time.

And nah I'd rather play again with someone familiar Kiara. Torhan Zed/Aramil Blackthorn here.

Let's just see if I remember how to do this.

[Zaer Darkwail]

Well, just note the 2.5 errata rules are in use. I give below quick brief about the changes in below;

Character Creation
Exalted Character Creation
(pp. 73-85)
The following adjustments should be made for the creation
of Exalted characters. These changes apply in whole to Solar,
Abyssal and Infernal Exalted. Those marked by an asterisk also
apply to Dragon-Blooded, Lunar, Sidereal and Alchemical Exalted
character creation.
• Players may raise any of their character’s Abilities to five
without spending bonus points.
• Players receive four specialties to distribute amongst their
character’s Abilities.*
• Virtue dots may be purchased for 1 bonus point each.
However, Willpower is calculated independently of Virtues.*
• Characters begin with Willpower rated at 5. Willpower
may be increased at a cost of 1 bonus point per dot.*
• Characters may start with (Willpower + Compassion) Intimacies
without spending bonus points.*
• When selecting Charms, players no longer need to choose
at least five Charms from Caste or Favored abilities. The character
may start with any ten Charms she meets the prerequisites
for.
• Charms cost 4 bonus points, or 3 if they come from a Caste
or Favored Ability.
• Players receive 18 bonus points at character creation.*

Also all perfects costs 8m (even DB one's which costs WP too :P). Also weapon stats (mundane and norm) have changed across the board (I can provide specifics if need be). Also piercing tag no longer halfs soaks but gives -4 penalty for it. Also no longer you do minimum dmg egual to essence but only 1 dice (or using artifact weapons, as now all of them give O tag which mostly is 2). Shields count now weapons which have high defense rates. But overall 2.5 errata could be downloaded for free and exalted wiki has errata notices edited in.

[Laughing Hyena]

Well I have been out of this for a while. What the heck is the Overdrive keyword!? Really? All perfect Ds now cost 8 motes? For real? Man I was out for some time.

[AndyZ]

Anyway Im going to make a Twilight Caste Solar. One from there since he makes a lot of sense in such a dangerous setting such as the Realm where any one not a Dragon Blood or Sidereal is going to be hunted. And also his motivation might actually work this time instead of lounging in what was seemingly an MMO version Exalted Chat.

-_- Nostalgia sucks at time.

And nah I'd rather play again with someone familiar Kiara. Torhan Zed/Aramil Blackthorn here.

Let's just see if I remember how to do this.

Names are very familiar but I'm blanking in my sleep-deprived state.  But yeah, Exalted didn't tend to work very well in a chat setting, where you're just saturated with power but they had to keep you from destroying the setting.

Fair warning that for this one, it'll be on the Blessed Isle, so only go for an Anathema if you think you can hide.

And yeah, make sure you download the latest Scroll of Errata.  http://rpg.drivethrustuff.com/product/84593/Scroll-of-Errata has it for free.

[Laughing Hyena]

Considering I had the notion of running a restaurant within the Blessed Isle as a front and heavy on perhaps social and sorcery, I shouldn't have too many problems hiding my true nature or running like a little girl. This actually did fool a TON of people when I first did it. Hell even an ST was thinking that it seemed kind of underwhelming and she questioned me on why I was even exalted if I just "cooked food". In the end I got to keep him exalted.

[Zaer Darkwail]

The errata was launched few months ago. Also extra scary be for any UMI's. As of now that besides the base cost to resist them (which is between 1-3) if there is roll involved vs your MDV, if aggressor gains 3 sux over your MDV it costs additional WP to resist UMI (and it stacks so if 6 sux over MDV then it costs +2 extra WP to resist and so on. Max WP cost any UMI along extra sux is 5 though).

But there was good stuff too; no longer combos cost WP to activate and no longer need spend XP in making them. So in essence you can mix charms whatever fashion you like in combat.

Anyways check errata as it has also updates for Twilight and all charms with new key words. Overdrive is something related to Ink Monkeys but not sure do we use them. But you can download Ink Monkeys Ultimate Collection for free in same website where Andyz linked at. Overdrive charms in general just give free motes in specific scenarios. Example infernals who favor Adorjan gets charm which allows collect overdrive whenever they feed via using one their charms (or kill mortals in general). Overdrives usually lock on 10 extra motes.

Anyways I think we can help you make twilight :). Just need contact, ally or mentor who disguises your anima to look like elemental aspect instead solar alike and cheat with heartstone to mimic anima power benefits of aspect your cheating to be.

[Laughing Hyena]

Well I know I'm not going to be able to hide impeccable and ultra incredible cooking as a mere mortal. However I take disguise of the new face and mask my anima to look like a minor god of culinary or something. As for those pesky destiny seeing sidereals, the best defense is a gold factioned sidereal that has been covertly keeping an eye on Curious after finding his thread involves innovations and inventions to help Creation recover from the fall of the First Age. The sidereal intends to make sure nothing happens to Curious until he sees for himself what he can do at his own devices.

I do know however I will need lots of motes and the most common ways to get those are manse and hearthstone amulet sockets. So just one of those and then a few of those overdrive charms in managing my businesses.

The tavern and inn Curious runs is but a front for an information gathering bracket. People tend to be rather relaxed in conversation when eating, of which Curious takes tremendous advantage of to get information. It also hides his more private experiments with engineering and inventions. His first idea was one to invent more revolutionary and mundane means of flight.

[Zaer Darkwail]

Gold Faction sidereal sorcerer is your best ally sit tight and hide in Realm indeed :). Anyways do you plan only cook or will you actually participate in events more direct manner? Or is it more long term plan once you learn kung-fu from same gold faction sidereal?

Anyways benefit as twilight you could copy cat DB's charms or god charms for that matter to act like minor god who walks in flesh running best restaurant in Nexus (at moment). So you could have many contacts among high society of Realm.

[Laughing Hyena]

Thats an eclipse yer thinking of right Zaer? I thought they were the ones with the skills to learn charms outside their boundaries? Curious upfront only cooks. However that same tavern doubles as a way to gather information and because Curious would probably have multiple fronts he would be probably a very well informed man. How much of that is the Gold Sidereals doing is another's guess. He doesn't sell this information. But he does harvest and use it. Lastly it also masks his true work which is involved in his inventions and studies. His first intention was to replicate and improve upon the flying machines of the North and the East. The reason is because it would revolutionize trade, and war. Since the realm is headed in that direction tis a good time to try and become a silent trading superpower in it.

[Zaer Darkwail]

Ahaa, my bad. I mix Twilight and Eclipse name wise :P.