Alchemical/Automaton NPCs

[Skari-dono]

I've been trying to find some outlines to make both Alchemical and Automaton NPCs (like the ones in the Apendix in the Exalted Core Book) but with very little luck.  I don't have any ideas how the automatons work, how strong they can be or how weak, and I have no ideas how Alchemical Charms work or how to calculate their Essence.  I know that the best source for Alchemicals is their own Exalted source book, but neither do I have that book nor the funds to buy it.


If anyone could point out a page in another book or even explain it to me, that would really help.

 

[Persell]

The second best book is time of tumult.

 

[Quchu]

Alchemical Essence pools... Personal is (Ess x3) + Willpower, and Peripheral is (Ess x5) + (Willpower x3) + (Highest Virtue x2) + (Auxiliary Essence Storage Unit). Alchemicals have dice adders for all 9 Attributes (limited by the Attribute,) and a Charm that boosts one Attribute by one dot (With this, a Starting Alchemical could start with Attributes at 7 with Legendary Attribute merit.) Alchemicals are specialists... they are forced to be. Their Charms require Personal motes commitment. Because of that most Alchemicals dont' have more than about 25 Charms at most. However, most of Alchemical Charms have 2 or more functions.


Alchemical power level is sort of hard to say, in my opinion. Because a starting Alchemical focused on beating things up could make an Array that does damages in upper 50s and Accuracy pool of 20s, and another properly sexed up Alchemical can turn Temperance 6 people into mindless sex addicts over a night. But the downside is that the Deathbot of Deathy Grand Beamklave will be no better than a mortal at speaking or anything beside hitting things good (or worse, considering the points invested in combat abilities and etc.) This isn't because Alchemicals are intended to be minmaxers (even if it's just me, I'll deny the truth cuz I'm like, flawless) but because of their specilization theme... I don't know if this is a good analogy, but a mad sports car won't be good at food processing. It might manage to do it somehow, but I doubt the final product will taste very good. Or the food processor won't be very great at computations and etc. But, uh, er, Alchemicals in general are below Lunar and Sidereal level. No matter how much soak or oration dots you have, they won't beat perfect effects. Only thing closest to perfect effect for the Alchemicals is a dodge, and it's still very limited.


Er, I suddenly think what I typed isn't very useful. But oh well, I hope you find something useful there, so I wouldn't feel too.. uh, what's the word.


EDIT: Said something blatantly stupid. Blah.

 

[Kajata]

They also work well as team leaders.  A lot of their charms have synergy effects that work with mortals, allowing them to be highly effective formen and the like.


Their stealth charms are also quite well developed, allowing them to go invisible, totally conceal their anima and essence banner and even take on human appearance (which only really helps if they're essence 1-3, as if they're higher than that they start becoming bigger than human size).  They have internalised weapons, such as pneumatic bows which deploy from their limbs.


A lot of their charms are mechanically practical; ie. they can fly with a jet booster.  Anything you see in a hero like Iron Man's armour or whatever is something that could turn up in an Alchem.


And their dice bonus is limited to attribute + speciality.


What you tend to be looking at is cool effects but with a lack of high dice pools and stuff.

 

[Quchu]

Wait, Attribute+Specialty? You sure? Because if you are right, then uh, crap.

 

[Spook]

Wait, Attribute+Specialty? You sure? Because if you are right, then uh, crap.

the fiction and adventures make them seem stronger then they really are.

 

[Kajata]

Yeah, I mean, 3 of them take out a city or whatever, but tbh, they've just not got the power to fight a lot of mortals at once, which even a sidereal can do relatively easily.  Not to insult sids; I love 'em, but they're just not made to be hardy and tough.  They normally go with the "I was never here" approach


I think it's a case of Alchemicals making very effective leaders of troops rather than the Alchems themselves laying a autochthon-spawned-smack-down upon the enemies.  Which sucks if you're trying to play one.  On the other hand, you don't have to eat/breath/sleep so it's not that bad!

 

[Quchu]

Er, I think I might be lost somewhere, but Transitory Augmentation of Attributes, the only dice adder beside specialty adders, are limited by the current score of Attribute.


...though, it sounds like I'm some things. Am I?

 

[Cthulhu_Wakes]

That's why I like making automatons instead of Alchemical NPCs, you can make anything! They can be weak brainiac bots or little machines used to record thoughts. Or advisors to the Solar freakin' Delibrative like it was mentioned in one of the books ^^; (sorry don't remember which it may have been Bot3C) Personally I'm making several dozen types for my new game that I've posted on the forums. It's good times. Most are new designs relatively, but it all falls within modest parameters, I mean come on look at the Brass Legion or the Brass Leviathan, both automatons (although the leviathan is a bit sentient).

 

[Kajata]

Ah sorry, I didn't reference to the book (it was somewhere else at the time I was posting) and I thought it included specialities as well.  Though I guess, as an alchem, just the attribute isn't all that bad since just starting alchems can start in the 6-7 dot region with their attributes and it only gets bigger and better from there.