Feats of strenght to break artifacts

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rattleingpython

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Can a feat of strenght be used to break an artifact weapons.


If so what would be the Str+Athletics nesscary.


In Ordeles codex it says add the artifacts rating to the Str+Athletics required but how does that work. Could A charecter with St+Athletics 10 and and Excellency break a Grand Grimscythe in two with his bare hands?
 
Generally no, artifacts are supposed to be nigh-indestructible. Breaking an artifact is like destroying the One Ring, it can be done but it's accomplished via an epic quest that fits special conditions, not a really hard punch.


There are rules for breaking hearthstones in the core rulebook, if you wanted to have players smash artifacts you could probably start there and modify them as needed.
 
thats what I thought but on page twelve of Oadenels codex it states the feat of strenght nesscary to break an artifact and that confused me.
 
rattleingpython said:
thats what I thought but on page twelve of Oadenels codex it states the feat of strenght nesscary to break an artifact and that confused me.
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There's more than one thing in Oadenol's that's worth ignoring.
 
Perhaps that's a reference to artifacts not made of the 5MM but of weaker stuff. ISTR tat thaumaturgy can make low dot equivalent artifacts out of more mundane stuff. It could be to break that.


Generally a character who's invested in artifacts will probably be dependent on those artifacts to survive, breaking them in combat can kill the character fast. Mundane stuff a little less sp because if you're only using a short sword you can probably also afford a backup weapon for the same resources cost, and since you didn't pour resources into a magical sword you put those resources somewhere else useful.
 
Essence-infused 5MM = indestructible like the One Ring.


Not-Essence-infused 5MM = just freaking tough.


Essence-infused not-5MM = tougher than usual but not necessarily indestructible.
 
Here is the Exact text


<Quote Exalted The books of Sorcery volume III- Oadenol's codex.>


Unless noted otherwise, all artifacts share a number


of general traits...


...• Artifacts are difficult to break. Creation of a


magical wonder solidifies Essence flows in a harmonious


manner, making artifacts difficult to break. The


base (Strength + Athletics) needed to break an artifact


equals that of a normal object of its type plus its


Artifact rating. First Age artifacts increase this value


by another one, due to techniques now lost. Also,


use the mundane equivalent’s soak and health levels,


adding two to each trait per dot of the artifact’s rating.


Artifacts that are more or less diffi cult to destroy say


so in their descriptions.


</Quote>


This is the text there is no distinction for diffrent kinds of artifacts. My issue is a player charecter heard this was possible and wants to create a charm that lets him use feats of strenght to break items im combat. Problem is this feels to easy and if I let him do it. I have to let the enemys do it. It feels like if it only requred ST+Athletics 5 to break a short Diaklave there be no Orchiclcum short Diaklaves left. Hell with a Str+Athletics 10 you could break any artifact weapon in the coreboook. That doesnt make any since to me.


Is this just something I should houserule out of my game or is there something im missing. Also is there a location where it states that artifacts are indestructable so i can have a reference to back me up.
 
Slight handwave here, but let's try it:


The "normal version" of an orichalcum short daiklave is not just a shortsword. It's an orichalcum shortsword, forged by a master smith.


The normal version of a soulsteel artifact breastplate is not just a breastplate. It's a soulsteel breastplate, made from the tortured remains of broken ghosts.


These are not just objects- these are Magical and Shiny objects.
 
What does that mean mechanically. Double the base Str + Athletics base. Add 10 and then the basic value.


Or vary it something like:


Orchiclum and Soul-steel: +10 (The basic one)


Moonsilver: +11 (moonsilver bends before it breaks its protean nature giving it some extra Defense)


Jade: +9 (mass produced)


Starmetal:+8 (To help balance starmetals ridiculous advantages)


I still dont like it but at least its out of reach for most mortals.
 
Breaking a magical artifact should have the similar narrative weight as ruining a nation, corrupting a religion or poisoning the good standing of a respectable person. Simply because you can hold a Daiklave in your hand doesn't mean that it's -merely- an object. It's enchanted with the magic that forms the very fundamental aspects of the universe.


If you want a way to make an artifact useless, the better way to do it is to depower them. Most Exalts have access to means of forcing an opponent to lose their Essence commitment in weapons and armors, rendering them useless for a while. This way, you preserve the narrative importance of an artifact while having an access to remove the advantages others have.
 
I feel that if there is a mechanic written down in one of the books to use a feat of strenght to break an Artifact i feel that if a player charecter wants to use it i shouldnt just house rule the mechanic out of existence. I would want to make it so its something only a very strong exalt could do. 15+ for breaking artifact weapons seems difficult without charms but possible.


The way it is worded right now its just to easy to do and to make it impossible feels a bit unreal to.
 
Artifact Weapons and Armor are all marked as being indestructible sans specific magic to break them. Even Abyssal Charms that are specifically for destroying weapons can't destroy artifact weapons.
 
Kyeudo, where is that located. Thats what i thought before I read the section that said all artifacts could be broken unless something says they cant. Hence my problem.
 
I can't name a single place I remember seeing a "artifacts weapons and armor are indestructible" that I could point to, but the idea is woven throughout the fluff in multiple sourcebooks.
 
Mechanics say they can be and thats whats creating the problem. Fluff<Mechanics at least thats the usuall rule and I have a hard time saying the rule of cool says you cant break an artafact over your knee.
 
See Weapon-Breaking Defense Technique (exdb.204, part of Earth Dragon Style) for an example artifact weapon breaking charm.


I tend to rule that artifact weapons "destroyed" by this charm are merely rendered unusable as weapons until they are repaired.
 
rattleingpython said:
Mechanics say they can be and thats whats creating the problem. Fluff<Mechanics at least thats the usuall rule and I have a hard time saying the rule of cool says you cant break an artafact over your knee.
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For Exalted, Fluff == Mechanics. The game's rules are so intertied with the setting that if the fluff says something, it may as well be a rule.
 
wordman said:
See Weapon-Breaking Defense Technique (exdb.204, part of Earth Dragon Style) for an example artifact weapon breaking charm.
I tend to rule that artifact weapons "destroyed" by this charm are merely rendered unusable as weapons until they are repaired.
Click to expand...
I think I saw some errata that said that Weapon Breaking Defense no longer breaks artifact weapons, rather it forces immediate the wielder to immediately de-attune.


Ah, here it is: clickly
 
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