Dice Into the Ruins - Exalted 3e OOC

[Purr]

Seeing as it's been three hours, yes.

Okies!

 

[Eonivar]

Are everyone's Anima Banners back down to Dim now?

Yea I believe one of the crossed off items on Mercy’s current list is

Make sure anima banner is dim

 

[Purr]

Yea I believe one of the crossed off items on Mercy’s current list is

~~Make sure anima banner is dim~~

Ha ha ha!

 

[Chowlett]

I will say that the readings for everyone will come out the same: Your lives are all in dire peril, and you are going to be taking a long journey soon. I may add to that depending on how many successes you roll.

Fabulous, thanks. That lets me write that up!

About these statues - may I attempt to Declare a Fact that I am roughly familiar with these wards, and have an inkling how they work or may be disabled? If not, may I roll to figure it out (I'm thinking Int + Lore, but am open to suggestions)?

 

[Purr]

Good going, Chowlett! =)

 

[Purr]

Spoiler: Loot list

Given your level of skill and some time, I am comfortable with you being able to divine out what the various artifacts are and what they can do.

Starting out with the Lute. When the owner attunes the instrument for 3m, it grants two (2) extra dice and one (1) success to any Performance rolls dealing with playing it.

The boots.

Spoiler: Future Sight

Future Sight (White Jade Boots ***) User: Zan, Kendra
Smith: Zan
Era: War of the Gods
These boots were built and named during the Godʼs War. After the war it became increasingly more difficult to create or use time dilation
magics. Zan first used them to give himself more time to learn from the Jadeborn. Later on he used them to make more gear in a day than would be normally possible.
However, Future Sight took on a much different use after the war had ended. With time dilation all but impossible, they sat on Zanʼs workshop shelf for several decades. They were passed on to a promising young student named Kendra. Kendra watched Zan reforged them with plates of white Jade to aid the young terrestrial in her duties to the Realm.

Evocation of Future Sight
The user of Future Sight no longer tires from travel on foot, be that a forced march across desert or a slow push through dense forest (they can still be fatigued by exertion, such as combat). Their feet never get cold or hot and are never swollen or blistered.
Future Sight costs 5 motes to attune.

Long Haul
Cost: -;Min: Essence 1
Type: Permanent
Keyword: None
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisite: none
Future Sight significantly improves the userʼs speed on foot. While walking the user can cover 10 miles an hour, if they run they can cover 30 miles an hour, terrain permitting. When used in combat the user is considered to have a +2 Speed Bonus as if mounted. Often allowing them to run down all but the fastest of mounts.

Stealing from the Future
Cost: 3 or 4m per hl; Min: Essence 3
Type: Simple
Keyword: Dissonant
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite: Long Haul
After decades Zan managed to get some of the original time dilation of Future Sight working again. It manifested in a very odd way but still
proved useful, especially since Kendra was a poor healer. The user of Future Sight may borrow health from their future self.
At the cost of 3 motes per Bashing or 4 motes per Lethal the user may heal themselves. This comes with a cost- for every Health Level healed they replace one die in their dice pools with an inauspicious die. Every “1” rolled by an inauspicious die subtracts one success from the roll. This can cause the roll to fail or botch. These dice remain in the userʼs die pool until they roll a “1”.
Dissonant: A character dissonant with Jade also subtracts one success on the roll of a “2” on an inauspicious die. This removes the die from their pool as well.

The Inkpen, like the Lute, adds two dice and one success to any written Linguistics rolls for the cost of just 1m.

The Bracers.

Spoiler: Fire Dancer

(Starmetal
Hearthstone Bracers ***) User: Josse Martinus
Smith: Josse Martinus
Era: Dreams of the First Age
Originally planned to be a simple modification of Hearthstone bracers, Fire Dancer took on a life of its own as Josse forged it. The young Battles Castes Sidereal originally just wished for a set of bracers that could hold two heartstones, but during his labor he poured his hopes and dreams into Fire Dancerʼs creation.
Each night he would slave away at the forge speaking to Fire Dancer as if the pair were a person telling the bracers of the world and where
he would take them. Together they would dance the night away on both the battlefield and the ballroom to keep Creation safe.

Evocations of Fire Dancer
A user of Fire Dancer may place one of their Intimacies, which must be Defining, as their “innermost desire”. While the Intimacy is set and Fire Dancer is worn the user increases their Withering Damage by 4 when fighting for a cause related to the Intimacy.
Equally, while set the Intimacy is blatantly obvious to any observer. A character that has “Love of my wife” set so cannot hide that Tie. The chosen Intimacy cannot be used to defend against social actions while connected to Fire Dancer.

It costs 4 motes to attune Fire Dancer which has two hearthstone sockets placed on the forearms lined by an etching of dancing couples.

Dance the Night Away
Cost: -;Min: Essence 1
Type: Permanent
Keyword: -
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisite: None
Josseʼs musings and overly romanticized creation of Fire Dancer along with his auspicious nature bleeds through.
The user rolls at target number 6 for Performance and gains the Specialty “Dance” while wearing Fire Dancer.

The two hearthstones.
Jewel of Hero’s Panoply (Solar, Greater)
Keywords: Dependent, Linked
While this glittering white gem is socketed in an artifact, reduce that artifact’s attunement cost by two, to a minimum of one.

Key of Mastery (Solar, Greater)
Keywords: Dependent, Linked
When a sorcerer places this diamond-bright jewel in an attuned hearthstone socket, she gains the opportunity to awaken the following Evocation:
Purity of Sorcerous Focus
Cost: —; Mins: Essence 1
Type: Permanent
Keywords: None
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisites: None
The sorcerer gains new insight into a spell of the Terrestrial Circle, imprinting its Essence upon the stone. The chosen spell provides all the benefits of a control spell for as long as the stone remains attuned.
The sorcerer can switch to a different spell once per story.
At Essence 3, the sorcerer can instead imprint a spell of the Celestial Circle. At Essence 5, she can choose a spell of the Solar Circle.

The devil caster taken from Kerwin is:

Spoiler: Sirrush

(Blue Jade Devil Caster,
Artifact ••••)
The Solar champion Vaznia took up dozens of artifacts across the ages, but few held her interest for long. Among those arms were Sirrush and Anshar, a pair of artifact flame pieces she commissioned to match a favored concubine’s eyes. She gifted them to her lieutenant Rylo
Stormsong without ever wielding them in battle. A thrill-seeker, Rylo went looking for trouble in every teahouse and dark alley of Old Wu-Jian. Thus she entangled herself in all manner of violent altercations, from battling armies of thugs sent by double-crossed crimelords to stealing relics from hidden shrines to forbidden undersea gods. In extricating herself from such situations she employed her twin devil casters to deadly effect. Eventually she found herself outmatched, hunted by an affronted sorcerer’s seademons. Leaping from the pinnacle of the Crescent Temple into the sea-spray to escape pursuit, she never surfaced.
Sirrush was found a thousand years later by Wu-Jian mudlarks. It worked its way up through the city’s teeming layers in cutthroat deals and throat-cut thefts, until one of the now-defunct Lords Criminal traded it to the outcaste pirate Storm Mother’s Son for a cargo of firedust.
Sirrush’s counterpart Anshar remains lost.

Attunement: 5m
Type: Medium (+12 DMG, OVW 4)
Accuracy: Close +1; Short +5; Medium +3;
Long +1; Extreme −1
Tags: Lethal, Archery (Short), Flame, One-Handed,
Mounted, Slow
Hearthstone slot(s): None
Era: Dreams of the First Age

Evocations of Sirrush
Firedust-Gathering Practice
Cost: 1m; Mins: Essence 1
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Dissonant
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: None
As the wielder fires Sirrush, a breeze draws fresh grains of firedust from her ammunition pouch into its barrel. Activating this Evocation reloads the weapon without an action.
Special activation rules: Unless the Exalt is dissonant with jade, she unlocks this Evocation for no experience cost when she first attunes to Sirrush.

Lightning Draw Method
Cost: —; Mins: Essence 1
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: None
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: None
Sirrush all but leaps into its wielder’s hand when danger looms. On the first round of combat, she may treat her Initiative as (Wits) higher than it actually is to determine when she acts in the round, but must use her turn to make an attack.
Special activation rules: This Evocation awakens at no cost when the wielder wins Join Battle against at least one non-trivial foe.

Storm-Dueling Maneuver
Cost: 5m, 2i; Mins: Essence 2
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Clash, Uniform
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: Lightning Draw Method
Sirrush responds to threats before its wielder can even process that they’re there. Whenever she is the target of a surprise attack (Exalted, p. 203) from close or short range, she can activate this Evocation to clash with a withering or decisive attack, reflexively drawing Sirrush if it isn’t ready. She cannot use this Evocation to clash an ambush. This doesn’t count as her combat action for the turn.

Fiery Gale Barrage
Cost: 4m, 1i; Mins: Essence 2
Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Uniform
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: Storm-Dueling Maneuver
With a wild barrage of fire, the Exalt shatters every obstruction between her and the perfect shot. This Evocation supplements an attack against a target behind cover, treating the attack roll as a feat of strength to destroy whatever provides the cover, as long as it doesn’t require a Strength higher than 5 to attempt. Cover thus destroyed provides no protection against the attack.

Forked-Lightning Flame Attack
Cost: 10m, 3i, 1wp; Mins: Essence 2
Type: Simple
Keywords: Decisive-only
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: Fiery Gale Barrage
As forked lightning peppers the earth, Sirrush sprays the air with fire. The Exalt applies a single decisive attack roll against up to (Wits) opponents within an 180-degree arc in front of the wielder. This cannot target opponents behind cover. Divide up her Initiative equally among all targets hit, rounded up, for rolling damage, up to a maximum of the wielder’s (Essence + 3) dice per target. Against battle groups, there’s no limit on how much damage is rolled and the wielder doubles 10s. After activating this Evocation, the wielder must make an ammunition check.
This Evocation can only be used once per scene, unless reset by crashing a non-trivial enemy or routing a battle group.

Devil’s Last Gasp
Cost: 3m; Mins: Essence 2
Type: Simple
Keywords: Decisive-only
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: Forked-Lightning Flame Attack
Rylo Stormsong was prone to expend her firedust profligately, so she and Sirrush learned to make do with the dregs of wind and fire. If the wielder hasn’t reloaded Sirrush after attacking, she can activate this Evocation to coax a blast of scorching air from the weapon. This is
a difficulty 3 gambit that, if successful, knocks the target down and back one range band. On a successful gambit, she may reflexively aim at that enemy.

Inferno-Drinking Stance
Cost: —; Mins: Essence 2
Type: Permanent
Keywords: Dissonant
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisites: Firedust-Gathering Practice
Sirrush now feeds directly on flame. This Evocation augments its prerequisite, allowing Sirrush to reload by pulling in tongues of flame from any bonfire or larger flame within short range, rather than firedust. Whenever the Exalt does so using an Evocation requiring an ammunition check, Sirrush completely consumes all nonmagical flames within short range. Flames beyond that range may spread back into the radius normally.
Special activation rules: As long as the wielder isn’t dissonant with jade, this Evocation awakens at no cost when she fails an ammunition roll while fighting to uphold one of her Intimacies.

Wind-Fire Twister
Cost: 5m, 5i, 3a; Mins: Essence 3
Type: Simple
Keywords: Dissonant, Perilous
Duration: One scene
Prerequisites: Devil’s Last Gasp, Inferno-Drinking Stance
Mingling air Essence, its wielder’s bonfire anima, and far too much firedust, Sirrush spits forth a twisting vortex of wind and fire. This fire whirl is an environmental hazard with difficulty 5, Damage 4L/round that fills an entire range band within close range of the wielder.
Any flammable objects the whirlwind passes over are set ablaze. On each subsequent turn, the wielder may direct it to move one range band in any direction as a miscellaneous action. After activating this Evocation, the wielder must make an ammunition check (Exalted,
p.202). This Evocation ends and the fire whirl dissipates if the wielder is crashed.
Wind-Fire Twister can only be used once per day.
Dissonant: Characters dissonant with jade cannot awaken this Evocation.

And his hearthstone is set in a hearthstone amulet.
Hearthstone Amulet (Tiara, Bracer, etc.)
A wide variety of decorative artifacts exist whose sole purpose is to provide a socket into which an attuned hearthstone may be placed. The most common form of these artifacts are amulets wrought of the five magical materials, though hearthstone bracers are nearly as popular, and some Chosen—particularly Sidereals—prefer circlets or tiaras which fix the hearthstone in the center of their forehead, directly over their Caste Mark. All such items cost a single mote to attune.
If a character wears magical armor of the same material as a worn hearthstone amulet (tiara, bracer, etc.), then the amulet’s socket is considered to be part of that armor for the purpose of dependent hearthstones (see p. 604).

The stone is:
The Fountain-Summoning Stone (Standard)
Keywords: Steady
This hearthstone is a dark oval emerald, cold and moist to the touch. If the Fountain-Summoning Stone is buried in the soil and left undisturbed for a short period (ranging from a minute in fertile riverlands to half an hour in the desert), it will presently spring back to the surface atop a gushing fountain of water, which persists until the sun rises and sets. The Fountain-Summoning Stone won’t operate anywhere that a spring couldn’t possibly appear, such as a balcony garden or in a barrel of soil aboard a ship.

I have some questions about the loot (short answers are just fine):

1. Unless I miss something, no one seems to be going for the Fire Dancer Bracers, but why? Is it that social negative involving one's innermost desire in the description?

2. Hearthstones. I don't have the books in front of me. Can these be popped in and out of artifacts freely?

2a. I got the impression that hearthstones require an artifact to be set in? Why? What's to stop somebody from carrying hearthstones in their pocket or a small bag like dice?

3. Earlier, a PC attuned to an artifact so quickly I thought it was what might be called a "miscellaneous action." Is this the case for all artifacts? Just pay the motes and boom-done?

4. Hearthstones affect the amount of Motes a character can use? Or is it just they can only have as many artifacts attuned to them as they have Motes?

5. And am I reading it right that the powers on artifacts require XP to unlock them unless otherwise stated? This is "the cost" they're referring to? XP?

6. Can existing artifacts have Hearthstone sockets added to them?

 

[Sherwood]

1. Unless I miss something, no one seems to be going for the Fire Dancer Bracers, but why? Is it that social negative involving one's innermost desire in the description?

I like the bracers, but I didn't want to be greedy and ask for everything and not share. I have to let others have some goodies too. But, if someone wants the Boots, I could go for the Bracers in their place.

2. Hearthstones. I don't have the books in front of me. Can these be popped in and out of artifacts freely?

Usually, yes. Many artifacts will have listed the number of hearthstone slots in them, and you can add a stone to them without trouble. In fact, there is one stone that is socketed into an opponent's armor or artifact to make it extremely heavy and unable to be used.

2a. I got the impression that hearthstones require an artifact to be set in? Why? What's to stop somebody from carrying hearthstones in their pocket or a small bag like dice?

I don't know the name of the Charm off of the top of my head, but there is a Lunar one that lets you insert a hearthstone into your own skin. You get some nice benefits from that. I'll have to look for it for you.

3. Earlier, a PC attuned to an artifact so quickly I thought it was what might be called a "miscellaneous action." Is this the case for all artifacts? Just pay the motes and boom-done?

That depends on the storyteller.

4. Hearthstones affect the amount of Motes a character can use? Or is it just they can only have as many artifacts attuned to them as they have Motes?

As far as I know, you can have as many hearthstones as you wish. Some stones do require you to commit motes to them to make them work, so there is a limit to how many you can have from that.

5. And am I reading it right that the powers on artifacts require XP to unlock them unless otherwise stated? This is "the cost" they're referring to? XP?

All Evocations (unless the artifact specifies different) require you to unlock them with xp. It is basically a Charm that is tied to the item that has it instead of being one of your own.

6. Can existing artifacts have Hearthstone sockets added to them?

Yes, if the artifact has room for it. For example, my sword has only one socket, but my armor has two open slots in it.

 

[Sherwood]

Desert Basilisc Diadem is the Charm I was thinking of. On pg 289 of the Lunars book.

 

[Purr]

In fact, there is one stone that is socketed into an opponent's armor or artifact to make it extremely heavy and unable to be used.

Oh yeah! I remember reading about that one! Talk about cool! =)

Desert Basilisc Diadem is the Charm I was thinking of. On pg 289 of the Lunars book.

Yeah! I couldn't think of the name of it either, but that Charm specifically states it won't take the one Hearthstone Fat Cat has (and with darned good reason, I think). I remember reading it and laughing because they specifically mention the Charm of Incomparable Wellness by name. Hah! =)

All Evocations (unless the artifact specifies different) require you to unlock them with xp. It is basically a Charm that is tied to the item that has it instead of being one of your own.

So, let's say you make it to Essence 3 and you put like... 3 Real Life months of XP into this item and then during the course of the game, you lose the item. That investment doesn't return until you recover the item; the XP is lost with the weapon.

And... if it's destroyed or otherwise permanently lost, you really lose all of the invested XP? Oh man... (I remember Psychie saying it's difficult to destroy some artifacts but no one said it was impossible.) (I think I remember when Pathfinder 2nd Edition first came out it had a similar ruleset to limit magic items per character and I shot that down in my Sharseya game so fast it was like lightspeed.)

No wonder people aren't jumping at some of these Artifacts. Oof. That concept is going to take awhile to get used to. (I think Rykon explained all that before and only now is it sinking with certainty in my head.) And at... 10 XP each per Evocation? Evocations instead of Charms? Or Willpower or Attributes or Abilities?

Yeah. Oof.

Yes, if the artifact has room for it. For example, my sword has only one socket, but my armor has two open slots in it.

I don't understand. How do you know how many Hearthstone sockets could be added to your sword or your armor? What does having an empty or full socket have to do with adding another socket to the item? Is there a chart somewhere? (One of the reasons I'm asking is because the Sirrush Devil Caster has no Artifact Sockets in it and I've no idea if any can be added via Crafting or whatnot.)

I like the bracers, but I didn't want to be greedy and ask for everything and not share. I have to let others have some goodies too. But, if someone wants the Boots, I could go for the Bracers in their place.

Back to the Fire Dancer Bracers. So... as a Circle, we could pop those two Hearthstones out and put two others inside? That might make it more attractive seeing as one of the Hearthstones is caster-friendly.

EDIT: Oh wait. I see that Eonivar has already touched on this. I'll make a quick post on interest checks on the loot in a moment. =)

 

[Purr]

So... here are the interest checks we have so far (sans the Manse's Hearthstone here whatever that may be):
Amara - Future Sight Boots. Maybe the Fire Dancer Bracers?
Aredin - The magical Lute.
Grey Stone - jaydude I don't see any posts where you address interest in loot for Grey Stone?
Mercy - Key of Mastery Hearthstone.
O Mighty Fat Cat - Sirrush Devil Caster, Water Hearthstone.
Silent Glade - Jade Hearthstone Amulet. The "Solar Hearthstone" (I guess that's the same "Key of Mastery" Mercy's interested in.)

That leaves (and I'm just thinking aloud here)...
Magical Ink Pen (Mercy? She's the one doing the writing and crossing out her TTD list [Things To Do])
Jewel of Hero’s Panoply (Grey Stone? Faith's Pillar seems to have an empty socket.)

Rykon Rykon hasn't posted in a bit so I'm guessing Real Life has temporarily kidnapped our merchant prince! Oh noes! =)

 

[jaydude]

Jewel of Hero’s Panoply (Grey Stone? Faith's Pillar seems to have an empty socket.)

I'll take it if no-one else wants it. Having a couple more uncommitted motes wouldn't hurt right now.

 

[Chowlett]

The Jewel of Hero's Panoply is the one I'd mentioned, but again only because extra essence is always good. I don't have any particular tie for it.

 

[Rykon]

Rykon Rykon hasn't posted in a bit so I'm guessing Real Life has temporarily kidnapped our merchant prince! Oh noes! =)

Yeah I've been a bit swamped. I'm hoping to catch up soon. I'm neck deep in my family's birthday season leading into the holidays.

 

[jaydude]

Yeah I've been a bit swamped. I'm hoping to catch up soon. I'm neck deep in my family's birthday season leading into the holidays.

Hope you enjoy the celebrations, bud.

 

[Sherwood]

I don't understand. How do you know how many Hearthstone sockets could be added to your sword or your armor? What does having an empty or full socket have to do with adding another socket to the item? Is there a chart somewhere? (One of the reasons I'm asking is because the Sirrush Devil Caster has no Artifact Sockets in it and I've no idea if any can be added via Crafting or whatnot.)

Ah, I misunderstood your question the first time. As far as I am aware, once an artifact has been crafted, you cannot add more hearthstone sockets to it. That, of course, is up to the storyteller for the final say.

 

[Purr]

Yeah I've been a bit swamped. I'm hoping to catch up soon. I'm neck deep in my family's birthday season leading into the holidays.

Have a blast, Rykon! =)

 

[Purr]

Ah, I misunderstood your question the first time. As far as I am aware, once an artifact has been crafted, you cannot add more hearthstone sockets to it. That, of course, is up to the storyteller for the final say.

Good to know! =)

 

[Purr]

I'll take it if no-one else wants it. Having a couple more uncommitted motes wouldn't hurt right now.

I threw that out there because I'd like everybody in the Circle to have something. =)

 

[Eonivar]

Mercy has an empty hearthstone slot on her skycutter Black Wind, and yes she would be interested in the Key of Mastery Hearthstone obviously. If no one else wants the pen she is happy to take it, otherwise she is not really interested in the other items and feels that they would be better suited for one of the others.

 

[Purr]

So... is this the way it's going?

Here are the interest checks we have so far (sans the Manse's Hearthstone here whatever that may be):
Amara - Future Sight Boots. Fire Dancer Bracers.
Aredin - The magical Lute.
Grey Stone - Jewel of Hero’s Panoply.
Mercy - The magical inkwell.. Key of Mastery Hearthstone?
O Mighty Fat Cat - Sirrush Devil Caster. Water Hearthstone.
Silent Glade - Jade Hearthstone Amulet. Key of Mastery Hearthstone?

Perhaps Mercy and Glade can roll-off on the Key of Mastery Hearthstone? Each roll d100? Highest takes it?

Or perhaps hold off until we find out what the Manse's Hearthstone is and go from there?

Honor and fun,
Dann =)

 

[Purr]

Eonivar What kind of tea is Mercy making? =)

 

[Chowlett]

It makes a lot more sense for Mercy to have the Key of Mastery, she's much more heavily into sorcery.

 

[Psychie]

Question, so the runes are protecting the hearthstone? Right? Do we need to get to the hearthstone to accesss the towers? Or can we look in the towers to maybe figure out a clue to the statues?

Also the party (including Mercy) may want to see the significance of the statues to maybe get a clue as to how to solve the puzzle. Presumably if we cannot determine the Lore of the Statues for the puzzle then there may be a clue within the towers. Or the lore may be lost and their may be no way to access the Hearthstone without dealing with the statues or whatever the runes trigger

The runes that cover the two towers appear to be anchor points for the wards that are intertwined around the hearthstone. You believe that it is designed to prevent someone from stealing the stone without having the proper permission to do so. There are a few options for you. One is to just take the stone and see what happens. Another way is to try and find some clue inside the remaining towers that might unravel the wards safely.

There is a chance that the wards might not go off at all as intended since one of the three towers that had these runes on them has collapsed.

So... is this the way it's going?

Here are the interest checks we have so far (sans the Manse's Hearthstone here whatever that may be):
Amara - Future Sight Boots. Fire Dancer Bracers.
Aredin - The magical Lute.
Grey Stone - Jewel of Hero’s Panoply.
Mercy - The magical inkwell.. Key of Mastery Hearthstone?
O Mighty Fat Cat - Sirrush Devil Caster. Water Hearthstone.
Silent Glade - Jade Hearthstone Amulet. Key of Mastery Hearthstone?

Perhaps Mercy and Glade can roll-off on the Key of Mastery Hearthstone? Each roll d100? Highest takes it?

Or perhaps hold off until we find out what the Manse's Hearthstone is and go from there?

Honor and fun,
Dann =)

Is this the plan for splitting up the artifacts you've found? Just making sure.

 

[Sherwood]

I am wondering if I really want to have that much of my Essence pool committed into artifacts, but the benefits of all the stuff is just so hard to pass up.

 

[Purr]

Is this the plan for splitting up the artifacts you've found? Just making sure.

I'm O.K. with it. =)