Dispute on Perfect Reckoning Technique

[Thenlar]

Sail Charm, page 237 of the core rulebook.


A dispute arose in my game today as to what this Charm can do. The ship had had part of its mast destroyed, and the sails were furled anyways. A sea monster attacked the ship, and the ship's captain wanted to use this Charm to escape.


I said that the Charm doesn't magically propel your ship all on its own, it just lets you travel at the max of what is possible, with no sails, that's effectively zero. I figure it's basically a Charm to make your long-distance travel extremely efficient.


My player said that the Charm's text states "The ship travels on course at its maximum speed" which means it'll go the listed maximum speed, sails or no sails.


The question was shelved when another player pointed out it's a Dramatic Action charm and is specifically interrupted by things like combat, but the question still remains.


Can this Charm allow your ship to travel its maximum speed with its normal means of propulsion non-functional?

 

[Kyeudo]

Depends on what side of the reality line you're playing on. If you want to be extremely RAW, I think you are technically correct. If you want to go for crazy awesome, then let one of the Chosen of the Gods bend the laws of physics with his sheer awesome: Give him a chance to stunt the Charm into working.

 

[The zombie cat]

I would interpret it as maximum speed for its current state of repair, having lost a mast that will be reused, but you mentioned some sails where furled, as in still attached to a mast, the charm would assist with rapid deployment of these, even with no mast a stunt involving a broom and a bed sheet will result in a surprising turn of speed.


Edward

 

[FluffySquirrel]

I'd say technically the lower one would be right.. but then.. do many of your players actually -bother- taking Sail charms? Might be worth rewarding them for doing so by letting them be useful

 

[Thenlar]

I'd say technically the lower one would be right.. but then.. do many of your players actually -bother- taking Sail charms? Might be worth rewarding them for doing so by letting them be useful

Well, seeing as how the game is set in the West, Sail is pretty important...

 

[Brickwall]

Ships move without sails. Currents and high winds can still move them. Just, you know, a lot slower. If the beast is stationary, this might work. If not...your call.


Of course, if a Circle is at the point where they need to run away from a fight, you should be asking yourself why you had a monster attack them in the first place.

 

[Ledaal Kajiri]

Ships move without sails. Currents and high winds can still move them. Just, you know, a lot slower. If the beast is stationary, this might work. If not...your call.
Of course, if a Circle is at the point where they need to run away from a fight, you should be asking yourself why you had a monster attack them in the first place.

Sometimes...the PCs lose. Especially in sea based epic tales. Or, an ST overestimates the abilities of PCs. Or, well, sometimes, you shouldn't just make every fight somethign the PCs are guaranteed to win...if anything, that seems less than interesting to me. If every battle, challenge or puzzle, plot or scheme always is victory without question...to my mind, then there is no sense of accomplishment for success at all. It's just a ST saying 'You're all just so cool'. Which...isn't very interesting as stories go.

 

[Brickwall]

Yes, but as I understand it, the fight is random. If you make a random encounter kill the PCs, then you've made the story have an uninteresting conclusion. That makes you fail as a Storyteller. If the PCs fail, it should be just as interesting as when they succeed. It does not seem like it would be so in this case.

 

[Kyeudo]

How do you convey the danger of Creation's oceans if every fight is related directly to the current story? It's just like the weather. It can't always be bright and sunny or it will seem fake. Sometimes it's got to rain and sometimes giant sea monsters come out of nowhere to eat the party.


Besides, they are fighting a sea monster. It more likely than not lacks any form of Charms. The Solars will tear it in half without too much trouble.

 

[Brickwall]

Why is there a need to convey danger? Does it add to the story? Seriously, nobody likes it when they're trying to get back to town 'cuz they're out of health potions and they keep getting random encounters every two steps.


Exalted isn't about "this is how the world is. Deal with it." Exalted is about "Let's tell an exciting story." Random encounters are not exciting. Hell, they're a chore, usually.

 

[Kyeudo]

Odd. I always get bored if I go too long without a good chance to cut loose with everything my Solar has, and you just can't do that often when you are just starting out as a Solar. I'd relish a chance to teach a giant squid why it should keep its tentacles to itself.


Besides, Random encounters can become part of the story or complications to the plot with ease. Travel between point A and point B shouldn't always be the Storyteller narrating "time passes and you arive."

 

[Thenlar]

Getting off topic, but I'm going to chime in specifically why they're fighting a "sea monster." They're carrying a MacGuffin of sorts, which is effectively a portable Shadowland (among a host of really other not-nice traits, but the relevant one here). So while they're sailing.. it hits night... and wham, they're in the Underworld. The Underworld's oceans are nasty and filled with behemoth-style sea monsters. It was to impress on them the danger of carrying this thing around and the need to destroy it right goddamn now.

Ships move without sails. Currents and high winds can still move them. Just, you know, a lot slower. If the beast is stationary, this might work. If not... your call

This doesn't answer the question. Telling me sure, it might work, I should make the call doesn't answer my question when I was asking what you think. Do you mean it'll travel at its normal max (with sails) speed even if it's only being pushed by currents and wind against the hull, or at the max speed of that particular phenomenon?

 

[Tikor]

I think it means the ship would travel at max speed. Here are my reasons:


Making a ship go as fast as it can is a busy job requiring the sailors to constantly readjust the sails to catch every wisp of wind. It might also require shifting weight to allow the ship to harness particularly powerful winds without tipping. I think the charm should be capable, provided the materials are available even if they aren't in repair, to do the job of many exceedingly efficient sailors. This means unfurling sails, providing anti-tipping forces, and if need be, holding the damn mast up. Because inspiring a crew of sailors to hold the mast up with rope instead of abandon ship while riding storm-strength winds to your destination would be my definition of epic. Perfect Reckoning Technique just does it with magic.


So while I don't think a bamboo raft with no sail can keep up with anything I think a full blown sailboat, even if it's in shambles from a battle, should be able to GTFO like it just left port for the first time. This allows the ship to take damage and allows the Solar to be able to deal with said damage heroically. At least until the charm ends, at which point the forces that represent the best crew ever end, and you've just got a seriously busted up boat.


I'd also restrict the use of this charm to targets whose little god thinks the object is a ship. Now, with some prayer/social combat that can be anything, but you don't have to tell your players that, let them figure it out ^^

 

[Ker'ion]

The Charm suggests that it gets you around obstacles safely, thus removing all external penalties.


It doesn't seem to mention damage to the ship anywhere. So a damaged ship moves as a damaged ship.


Storm-Weathering Essence Infusion might cover repairing the mast while fighting off the sea monster. That combined with Hull-Preserving Technique would be the best bet for getting away from the monster in one piece.