Blissful Battle Visage

[The Scorp]

Now, I was looking at Ascendant Battle Visage and thought, there has got to be a better way of using this charm without flipping out, and then it dawned on me.  I quickly turned to our friend the Celestial Monkey's form charm.  While under the form charm, I believe that you DO NOT have to make that Virtue check.  SOoooooo you can continue to pop off ABV each turn and get Essence in auto suxx for any combat roll (including MA), without getting beaking your limit OR going bonkers.  What do you guys think?  


Also, would you deem that every turn you reflexively continue the charm that it counts as a charm use for the turn?

 

[The Scorp]

*bump*


any thoughts? I wanna know if this seems to work out the way I think it does.

 

[Persell]

Celestial Monkey Form means the Exalt doesn't make Virtue tests. Ascendant Battle Visage doesn't require Virtue tests, rather, it increases Limit by the number of successes gained on a Virtue roll.

 

[The Scorp]

I dunno about that.  A virtue roll and a virtue test are the same thing.


So would you have your players roll their Virtue Flaw Limit Break Condition even under the effects of the Celestial Monkey Form?


Thats a roll that acts in the very same way the charm rolls does.  What the charm does is replace the Virtue flaw condition and makes the Solar "lose control of himself and act out his Flaw." albeit only after the charm ends.


But if you have it that under the Celestial Monkey Form, that you DONT have your players roll their Virtue Flaw Limit Break Condition, then they shouldn't roll under that other charms effect.  One effect negates the negative of the other. Thats the power of the Blissful Sage Martial Art.


See where Im going?


Now, if you DO allow your players to roll their VFLBC even under the effects of the MA Form, cuz you dont see that as a virtue test, then I can't argue with that.  


I think I'll allow it for my players I guess.


But what do you think about the other question though?  Does it count as a charm use for the turn, OR can you use other charms after that first activation of Ascendant Battle Visage?

 

[Persell]

You've thought through our disagreement perfectly well, but I'll spell it out a bit more for the rest of the forum.

A virtue roll and a virtue test are the same thing.

A Virtue test is when you roll a Virtue to see if your character is forced to act on behalf of their Virtues. Rolling a Virtue, however, is when you roll your Virtue's value in dice for whatever sort of reason.


This is not explicitly spelled out, so as far as your interpretation goes, be my guest and we'll just agree to disagree. Note though that the Celestial Monkey Form makes reference to circumstances normally associated with fleeing in terror or being moved from more practical considerations by Compassion. It is not set up as a Charm that allows Exalted to avoid the effects of the Great Curse.

So would you have your players roll their Virtue Flaw Limit Break Condition even under the effects of the Celestial Monkey Form?

I would. Because the Great Curse doesn't require Virtue checks. It's a different mechanic for a totally different phenomenon. And as you say, that's where our practices differ.


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But what do you think about the other question though?  Does it count as a charm use for the turn' date=' OR can you use other charms after that first activation of Ascendant Battle Visage?[/quote']
The book's ambiguous. The only bit of evidence pushing me either way is that the Charm's duration is one turn, and the Charm text refers to renewing (rather than extending) the duration. So I'd rule that it does count as a Charm activation.

 

[Kajata]

I'm not fully aquainted with this problem, but I'd just read the flavour text.  I mean, if ABV is based on your emotions and virtues and such, I'd say the virtue suppressing powers of CM would work... but like I said, I duno.

 

[Persell]

I think it would be interesting playing a Celestial Monkey practitioner ina  game where it doesn't allay the Great Curse. The character would be striving for mastery of detachment and bliss, and there would be this insurmountable obstacle holding them back from mastering their martial art.


That's not an argument in favour of my position, just an idea that occurred to me last night.