Dice Into the Ruins - Exalted 3e OOC

[Purr]

(That moment when I realize I'm probably asking too many questions. =) )

EDIT: Psychie I'll just make the changes so we can get on with the game. Heh!

 

[Purr]

Psychie I've made the following final adjustments (and no longer know my Combat Stats again. Hah!). Let me know if you want revisions?

Reduced Dodge from 3 to 0 (relying totally on Dexterity of 4 for the time being).
Increased Melee from 1 to 3.
Increased Larceny from 2 to 3.

Removed Direction Sense from Merits (in the hopes of future purchase).
Increased Heart's Blood Merit from 2-3 and added 3 "extremely dangerous" animal forms: Ox-Dragon, Armored Terror, Tyrant Lizard. From the "stronger animals" category, swapped out Orca/Killer Whale for Strix (giant forest owl).

Changed Ability Specialty- Athletics: Running to Awareness: Initiative.

Changed Limit Trigger to "An adversary exploits the Lunar’s mercy or compassion."

 

[Psychie]

Psychie I've made the following final adjustments (and no longer know my Combat Stats again. Hah!). Let me know if you want revisions?

Reduced Dodge from 3 to 0 (relying totally on Dexterity of 4 for the time being).
Increased Melee from 1 to 3.
Increased Larceny from 2 to 3.

Removed Direction Sense from Merits (in the hopes of future purchase).
Increased Heart's Blood Merit from 2-3 and added 3 "extremely dangerous" animal forms: Ox-Dragon, Armored Terror, Tyrant Lizard. From the "stronger animals" category, swapped out Orca/Killer Whale for Strix (giant forest owl).

Changed Ability Specialty- Athletics: Running to Awareness: Initiative.

Changed Limit Trigger to "An adversary exploits the Lunar’s mercy or compassion."

Cool beans. Lets get you up to speed and see what changes need to be made to your numbers.

Dodge DV is now 2.
Parry DV is now 4, 5 with the sword's DV in hand.
Join Battle goes up 1 to 9.

IC post will be up sometime today for everyone.

 

[Rykon]

Oh. And before I forget, I like your new avatar! =)

Thanks! I've been having a hard time deciding on how to update various profiles lately. This one seemed like a good fit for RPN what with being similar to the old one and somewhat cozy looking with the turning of the seasons up here in TN.

If you don't mind my bringing it up again, how do you want Aredin and Da Chonk to know each other? Our dear Psychie sounds like she is soon to put my dear ol' Fat Cat into the game and I think, especially at the very beginning, that a strong foundation built on communication between PCs makes for a better game while the opposite... well... you know. Heh!

I've been working my way through your background story to make sure I can give an answer that meshes well. So let's see...

Looks like Da Chonk has been Exalted for a bit longer than Aredin and their brushes with death a bit farther apart in the timeline. For the sake of something simpler and less timing driven then, perhaps Aredin grew fond of the tailoring work of Da Chonk's family in his own rise through the ranks of the wealthy? Such handiwork would've been unmistakable to Da Chonk and thus the context of their introduction.

Bonding could've been a matter of shared goals. Aredin doesn't condone slavery but has witnessed more butchery than captivity. Da Chonk knows Aredin was involved in taking down a merchant prince that was part of a cult along with his twin brother and uncle. The cult was using what Aredin and his family called a cursed relic, but Da Chonk's associates in the Silver Pact know enough to identify precise information on the natures and capability of it. The most troublesome part of this item was that it needed to feed on the dreams of people to use much of it's higher level abilities. However, the last time Aredin saw it, it was destroyed. It could always resurface somewhere if it serves the plot, especially given what little understanding I have of 2E Fae lore it wouldn't be abnormal for it to do so.

 

[Purr]

Psychie

Elsewhere, Da Chonk is running through the night with a steady, loping pace that covers ground rapidly, with a fellow Lunar seated in the saddle on his back. Chonk's companion is a young woman that calls herself Wren, a rather tiny young thing that is a bird totem and a rather skillful thief that takes great pleasure in being able to bypass just about any mundane security system, and even some magical ones for that matter.

Um, don't get me wrong - I am hugely grateful to you and everybody here in helping me go from zero to a terrific character, but Psychie, if I had known that you were putting in an NPC who appears to be a better "rogue" than my own, I wouldn't have made some of the decisions I made.

And now I've got some stranger telling my character what to do? I thought my PC was to be the only Lunar? This means he knows other Lunars and not just Aredin the Solar? This changes things. I thought Da Chonk was finally all ready to go. Now suddenly he's not again (O Mighty Fat Cat v1.7 coming up!). His role appears to be taken up now.

My biggest question - should I change Da Chonk again? If so, into what?

Maybe it's my odd brain again (sorry!), but I'm suddenly... very confused.

And is my coffee ready yet? =) Writing all this out has helped me get it out of my head at least. I hope everyone is having a good day! It's so nice to have power back! 8D =)

For the sake of something simpler and less timing driven then, perhaps Aredin grew fond of the tailoring work of Da Chonk's family in his own rise through the ranks of the wealthy? Such handiwork would've been unmistakable to Da Chonk and thus the context of their introduction.

Rykon The whole thing works for me except that Da Chonk doesn't know his own blood family anymore (see his Flaw: Amnesia). He was raised by the One Village when he reached them and lost all contact with his family of traveling tailors. It's a huge gap in his life. If someone were to come up and connect Fat Cat with his blood family again, it would probably be another huge life-changing event for him.

Ah! So you live in Tennessee! Some of the warmest, most friendly people I've gamed with over the Internet come from that wonderful state! That's so very cool. Hooray for TN and hello from Florida! =)

 

[Purr]

Oh. Just had to add - I love my coffee! =)

 

[Psychie]

Psychie

Um, don't get me wrong - I am hugely grateful to you and everybody here in helping me go from zero to a terrific character, but Psychie, if I had known that you were putting in an NPC who appears to be a better "rogue" than my own, I wouldn't have made some of the decisions I made.

And now I've got some stranger telling my character what to do? I thought my PC was to be the only Lunar? This means he knows other Lunars and not just Aredin the Solar? This changes things. I thought Da Chonk was finally all ready to go. Now suddenly he's not again (O Mighty Fat Cat v1.7 coming up!). His role appears to be taken up now.

My biggest question - should I change Da Chonk again? If so, into what?

Maybe it's my odd brain again (sorry!), but I'm suddenly... very confused.

And is my coffee ready yet? =) Writing all this out has helped me get it out of my head at least. I hope everyone is having a good day! It's so nice to have power back! 8D =)


Rykon The whole thing works for me except that Da Chonk doesn't know his own blood family anymore (see his Flaw: Amnesia). He was raised by the One Village when he reached them and lost all contact with his family of traveling tailors. It's a huge gap in his life. If someone were to come up and connect Fat Cat with his blood family again, it would probably be another huge life-changing event for him.

Ah! So you live in Tennessee! Some of the warmest, most friendly people I've gamed with over the Internet come from that wonderful state! That's so very cool. Hooray for TN and hello from Florida! =)

I didn't mean to throw a wrench into your character idea with the intro of an NPC. Your character is more combat focused than Wren is, with her being a tricky Changing Moon that was contacted by Lord Dunsbury to get the Circle out of a potential trap along with Chonk.

The Silver Pact is a loose coalition of Lunars that maintain limited contact with one another, and the numbers of Exalts in it are small, so there is a good chance that you know other Lunars by at least reputation and known territory that they claim. Are you wanting to have Chonk not be a part of the Pact at all, and have no contact with other Lunars? How can I help resolve this?

 

[Purr]

Update: I have created a short version of Da Chonk's Background. =)

Psychie Oh, I never thought you meant to throw a wrench anywhere; you always get benefit of the doubt, good Psychie! =)

Are you wanting to have Chonk not be a part of the Pact at all, and have no contact with other Lunars? How can I help resolve this?

I'm not sure, but I'm so happy you ask (but not surprised; it's you, after all).

Maybe we should start by removing his Intimacy for Minor Tie: Silver Pact? As a Player, I'm clearly ignorant of them and I definitely don't mind Da Chonk being the same.

Concerning The Guild, you asked me to take the Guild Cant language for Da Chonk so that implies that he works for them or at least knows their language because of his dealings with them. But in the Exalted Core book, they describe the Guild as putting profit before all things. They too are slavers! Da Chonk would never work for slavers. So... that too appears to be something to be discussed, yes?

As for his role in the Circle, when I first started creating O Mighty Fat Cat, I didn't care about roles. Now suddenly I do. I see Chowlett's character as being a wonderful stealthy guy but without Larceny. So, I thought that Fat Cat could work as a "good guy" with his Larceny Abilities, but this Wren appears to have all of that well-covered.

Uh... how can Da Chonk aid a Circle like this? Should he just stay in the shadows and be some kind of back-up while Wren takes center stage? I mean, the party needs a "safe-cracker" and that's exactly what she appears to specialize in. I don't mind; I just want to play in a way that steps on no one's toes. Ultimately, you know me - I want everyone to have fun, you included! =)

 

[jaydude]

Maybe we should start by removing his Intimacy for Minor Tie: Silver Pact? As a Player, I'm clearly ignorant of them and I definitely don't mind Da Chonk being the same.

I don't know how much you've read up on Lunars, but if Chonk's a Full-Moon Caste, he would have had to have made contact with at least one Lunar in order to get his Moonsilver Tattoos (basically a Lunar thing that allows them to have Castes in the first place). He could still remain uninvolved with the Silver Pact as a whole in this scenario however.

 

[Purr]

I don't know how much you've read up on Lunars, but if Chonk's a Full-Moon Caste, he would have had to have made contact with at least one Lunar in order to get his Moonsilver Tattoos (basically a Lunar thing that allows them to have Castes in the first place). He could still remain uninvolved with the Silver Pact as a whole in this scenario however.

Yes. His master, right? The "Shahan-ya," yes? I would like for that to be the person who trained him in martial ways too.

I am watching videos like this one to learn more about Lunars (as the book loses me from time to time and this player, at least, is very good at describing things I think I ought to know. Even only a few minutes into this video, I find myself very happy with Fat Cat - he is an outcast of sorts, he is a guardian, he is both a monster and a (at least would-be) champion of freedom! If this is what it means to be Lunar, I am pretty certain have made the right choice in making Fat Cat a Lunar! =)

Spoiler: Who are the Lunar Exalted?

Exalted: Who are the Lunar Exalted?

 

[jaydude]

Yes. His master, right? The "Shahan-ya," yes? I would like for that to be the person who trained him in martial ways too.

I wouldn't say necessarily, but it's certainly possible.

 

[Psychie]

If you are wanting a more Larceny-focused character, we would be looking at a few different Charms to get you the optimal build to get the job of breaking and entering done well. Compared to Fat Cat, Wren has a lot fewer combat abilities, having her focus being on stealth and larceny. You could sit on her and squish her flat with your Chonky rear end.

I had seen Fat Cat being more of a specialist in getting what you need where you need it, using his shapeshifting powers to slip into impossible places and then get back out again. And if that doesn't work to be able to fade away into the darkness, his combat skills are such that he can fight his way out of a lot of situations.

 

[Purr]

You could sit on her and squish her flat with your Chonky rear end.

Psychie Heh heh! As always, I'm not about competition between characters; Wren could have 5 Essence and I would not mind. Call it a thing I've taken from a life of studying martial arts, but even in role-playing, I compete with myself only. Everyone wants to be useful in a team. The fun comes first! Heh! =)

I had seen Fat Cat being more of a specialist in getting what you need where you need it, using his shapeshifting powers to slip into impossible places and then get back out again. And if that doesn't work to be able to fade away into the darkness, his combat skills are such that he can fight his way out of a lot of situations.

That is accurate, but isn't Larceny required to be a Transporter? To have experience in dealing with the underworld? Or is Socialize or Bureaucracy better for that?

And what about this Guild that actively engages in slavery? Is the Merchant Guild you mentioned different from this one Guild? I'm asking because I was under the impression that the Larceny Ability helped one in making deals with the kinds of people Da Chonk would most likely be dealing with. Yes?

 

[Psychie]

As I see it, Larceny as it applies here would be a narrow slice of the seedier side of interactions between you and your Guild contact that is trying to hire you for a job. This does not cover the more 'above board' types of jobs you may have of taking VIPs or special cargo across Creation rapidly that is not a smuggling operation.

 

[Sherwood]

Perhaps a dot in Bureaucracy to help the more upright business side of your character, unless you want Chonk to be solely a transporter of illicit goods and people?

 

[Psychie]

Or you just have an agent that takes care of that for you, dealing with the paperwork of the job. Perhaps it is Aredin?

 

[Purr]

As I see it, Larceny as it applies here would be a narrow slice of the seedier side of interactions between you and your Guild contact that is trying to hire you for a job. This does not cover the more 'above board' types of jobs you may have of taking VIPs or special cargo across Creation rapidly that is not a smuggling operation.

O.K.. So... what if Fat Cat does not deal with the Guild at all? What if he deals with a different society (one that does deal in the trafficking of humans)?

Perhaps a dot in Bureaucracy to help the more upright business side of your character, unless you want Chonk to be solely a transporter of illicit goods and people?

Hi, Sherwood! =)

In the movie, The Transporter, the main character deals mainly with criminal elements. Like the main character, Fat Cat often uses illegal means to transport items or people and he leaves himself out of the details. Legit or illicit, it matters not to him; it's the people that he's doing the dealing with and the deals themselves that matter (hence his not wanting to work with human traffickers, but if he can, work against them). In this way, I think he's opposed to the Guild if they, in our game here, deal in slavery.

If so, are different Abilities called for?

I wouldn't say necessarily, but it's certainly possible.

Hmm. Maybe his Shahan-ya could be a Transporter and taught Fat Cat the trade? First to help the village that helped raise him, then later to free those who could not free themselves and deliver important items and people against difficult odds?

Or you just have an agent that takes care of that for you, dealing with the paperwork of the job. Perhaps it is Aredin?

There's an idea! Maybe he deals directly with Aredin and trusts him.

 

[Sherwood]

In my mind, the Guild handles just about anything that might make them a profit to sell. They are a massive business conglomeration that spans all of Creation, and even dips into trade in the Underworld for goods and services that the ghosts of the dark realm wish to operate with. You can have a completely upright and legal dealing with the Guild, or only interact with the criminal side of it as you wish.

 

[Psychie]

A very accurate description of the Guild. They will deal in anything that will make them money.

 

[Purr]

In my mind, the Guild handles just about anything that might make them a profit to sell. They are a massive business conglomeration that spans all of Creation, and even dips into trade in the Underworld for goods and services that the ghosts of the dark realm wish to operate with. You can have a completely upright and legal dealing with the Guild, or only interact with the criminal side of it as you wish.

Yes, but if Da Chonk learned that his employer dealt in slavery (and he's a cat that likes to do his research!), he would cut all ties. Again, according to the book, they are slavers. And if this is also true in Psychie's game-- (Psychie just posted).

A very accurate description of the Guild. They will deal in anything that will make them money.

Bingo. That clinches it. Da Chonk wouldn't do business with them in the first place. Hmm.

 

[Sherwood]

Even as a criminal smuggler, you can still have your own code of ethics and not take on certain jobs, and have the reputation in the guild as one that will not deal with human trafficking.

 

[Purr]

Even as a criminal smuggler, you can still have your own code of ethics and not take on certain jobs, and have the reputation in the guild as one that will not deal with human trafficking.

Sherwood, would a true pacifist make a living dealing with a company that sold bombs?

Da Chonk will not deal with slavers. Sure, young Lunars can be quite naive (according the gentleman in the video I'm watching), but I'd rather Da Chonk not have that crud hanging over his head. I'd rather him have a reputation (one that Psychie is comfortable with) for doing what he does with the kinds of people he would do business with. I've described Da Chonk before as the "opposite" of a human trafficker.

Which begs the question. The act of Transporting can be legal or illegal depending on many things (methods, circumstances, what is being transported, etc.). Is it possible that Da Chonk can Transport for a living without any use of the Larceny Ability? Perhaps he deals with people like merchant princes (Aredin) or noble houses or something like that and therefore... Socialize and Bureaucracy are the ways to go?

 

[Psychie]

It would be along the lines of a person refusing to sell drugs or be a part of that line of work.

 

[jaydude]

Hmm. Maybe his Shahan-ya could be a Transporter and taught Fat Cat the trade? First to help the village that helped raise him, then later to free those who could not free themselves and deliver important items and people against difficult odds?

Yeah, that could work. Your backstory's pretty much up to you and the Storyteller.

 

[Psychie]

Sherwood, would a true pacifist make a living dealing with a company that sold bombs? Da Chonk will not deal with slavers. Sure, young Lunars can be quite naive (according the gentleman in the video I'm watching), but I'd rather Da Chonk not have that crud hanging over his head. I'd rather him have a reputation (one that Psychie is comfortable with) for doing what he does with the kinds of people he would do business with. I've described Da Chonk before as the "opposite" of a human trafficker.

Which begs the question. The act of Transporting can be legal or illegal depending on many things (methods, circumstances, what is being transported, etc.). Is it possible that Da Chonk can Transport for a living without any use of the Larceny Ability? Perhaps he deals with people like merchant princes (Aredin) or noble houses or something like that and therefore... Socialize and Bureaucracy are the ways to go?

Sure you can. It all depends on just how you make your move across Creation, hauling stuff for upright guys like Aredin and getting paid very well for it, since there are certain items, letters, or goods that absolutely must get there in a hurry, fast enough that only a Lunar can do it.