New Sidereals Book in hand

It has its attraction, if spoken fluently. Few Irish people can do so, since being forced to learn it in school, in addition to the manner in which it's taught sometimes, puts a lot of people off.
 
I just hope that the Sidereal book is good this time.  Last time I wasn't a big fan of it.  The only book I liked less was the Fair Folk book.  Neither were easily understood and I could care less about metaphysics.   I just want good charm trees that make sense and balance.  


Then again I'm biased because I think martial arts should be about punches, kicks, grappling, and throws, not swords and flame pistols.
 
Kendo. Fencing. Both are forms of real world martial arts. Neither is about fighting unarmed. There are numerous other martial arts that are similar in this fashion, even ones that use things like bows. These are formalized combat styles that teach a very specific fighting style.


And yes, fencing, especially non-Olympic fencing, is a martial art. (Sorry to those who favor such, but going back and forth down a run isn't the same thing to my mind...even if it did help my footwork a good bit) Just because a technique isn't Asian, does not mean it isn't. Greco-Roman Wrestling is also a martial art. So is boxing.


Now, am I aware of a form of real world Flamethrower Fu? No. But even in our world, the martial arts are not just about punches and kicks, grapples and throws.
 
Sure, they're a martial art, but then there should not be a melee, archery, or thrown skill.  


If they really wanted to go that route they should have had "unarmed" instead of martial art.   Then each form had different prerequisites.  Rightous Devil Style should have had a prereq of archery 3, Velvet Beir melee 3, etc.


But I'm just biased.  Mostly because we played a long 1E campaign that started right when the book came out and lasted 2-3 years.   So I played a Solar with melee (and a grand daiklaive) because I liked it and then every single new book that came out had 10 martial arts charms and only a small handful of useful melee charms between all the books combined.   So I just wished some of the books would have given attention towards something other than martial arts.
 
Well, Ben... that's just it... martial arts are universal instead of exalt specific, which makes things easier for the writersm who don't have to worry about stupid things like balance and pre-requisite or even exalt type themes.


Also, if you're going melee... you should be making -custom- charms. Like what I did with my eclipse who specializes in thrown.
 
Sure, but that doesn't mean I have to like Martial Arts as WW does them.  I'm just not a fan of all the attention it gets.


And proposing house charms to the DM is totally differnet than stuff that gets published.
 
It's not that different, the ST has the right to veto any charm in question, INCLUDING ones from the books, unlikely as that is.


Personally, MA styles are nifty, and honestly, -most- people aren't going to get that many MA charms... finishing a single style or branching out into multiple styles at the lower levels is what most people do unless they're given an abundance of xp/bonus points.


I've played a Dragonblooded outcaste, whose ONLY combat charms are pre-form charms from 5 dragon style and excellencies. The rest of the charm selection are ALL non-combat, not soak, not dodge... but sail, athletics, lore and such being about on a ratio of 2 non-combat to 1 combat charm... And the thing is... I can't see my outcaste going any higher in terms of combat capabilities beyond what is already there.


I've also got a Lunar whose ONLY combat charms are silver claws and dexterity excellency with MA (because it just makes sense ^_^ ;; ;) .


Exalted may mave lots of combat in it, but that doesn't mean that someone HAS to get lots and lots of it. I've seen solar PCs with nothing but the plain bread and butter solar melee charms massacre dragonblooded.


Martial Arts is good... but it's not the end all and be all of combat. Seriously.
 
Haku said:
<snip> which makes things easier for the writersm who don't have to worry about stupid things like balance and pre-requisite <snip>
Click to expand...
*cough*bullshit*cough*


Looking at the powerlevel of Charms presented in SotM I think its obvious they *have* been paing attention and done their best to try to balance things out. I think I've gotten a more solid understanding of the differences between Terrestrial/Celestial/Sidereal styles because of that book. Admittedly, there's *always* gonna be problems with balance etc, when the rule-set of a game is as fluid, and large as an RPG. But hey, that's what gives us as players something to do, right?


I *would* like to see more, and varied Charms for the other charm-sets, but I have no problem with WW giving us more MA-options. As has been stated, that's the whole point of MA.


Getting really good at MA is a lot of work though. When it comes to effectiveness you're not going to get around the fact that the base-Charmset is better at their respective areas of influence (and there's something you can base your power level balancing off of - if an MA Charm does something a base-set Charm does, and does it cheaper and better, then it's too powerful).
 
Haku said:
honestly, -most- people aren't going to get that many MA charms... finishing a single style or branching out into multiple styles at the lower levels is what most people do unless they're given an abundance of xp/bonus points.
Click to expand...
If only we all had such non-twinky players. One of the players in my game has put something like 80% of his xp into MA charms. He literally just stands there and picks his nose if the group isn't killing something. Good guy (the player) but seriously 2D character.
@Solfi I don't know what styles you've dealt with, but Tiger Style seems a bit unbalanced, especially with the scene long multiple action and counterattack charm. Seems a bit overdone to me.
 
After reading the whole book from Dragon Con. (Got mine there too.) I must say that Siddies are very balanced versus Solar and Lunars. Even with the slightly broken Blade of the Battle Maiden (which I consider one of their charms only). Most the time the Sidereal is going to use social combat, in which they are actually very nicely skilled. You and Yours Stance is the 'stay in social combat or else' charm.
 
This might have been brought up before butt....


Martial arts charms...


any EXTRA sideral martial arts...


Call me a power gamer if you will...
 
I don't know what styles you've dealt with' date=' but Tiger Style seems a bit unbalanced, especially with the [i']scene long[/i] multiple action and counterattack charm. Seems a bit overdone to me.
Click to expand...
While the counterattack bit of Angry Predator Frenzy Style is great, the extra action part isn't as good as it sounds. In the first place, it isn't a "multiple action" effect, it is a "multiple attack" effect (and only MA attacks, at that), which is not at all the same thing. Want to flurry a jump with an attack? To bad.


Secondly, since it is an extra action charm, and an extra action charm "functions as a normal flurry but has no multiple action penalties", this effect does not stack with flurries because it is, itself, already your flurry. So, want to attack three times instead of two? To bad.


Thirdly, there is some question about how a scene long extra action charm even works. The rules don't say much about it. Is it possible, for example, to avoid using the effect (say, to replace it with a different, normal, flurry)? Or, are you forced to cancel the charm if you want to do that?
 
Honestly, if you are already THAT bothered by a celestial martial arts (and to be frank, a lot of people consider tiger style extremely underpowered), what feelings do solar melee characters with grand goremauls provoke in you?
 
Personally I think it doesn't get any more broken than goremaul made of orichalcum in the main hand and a moonsilver baneclaw as a parrying weapon. But the combination has no style whatsoever.
 
The picture on page 87 is absolutely priceless. Also, is upside down cleavage in vogue, or does Kiyo just really like underboobs?
 
I'm still amused by the image on page 51... the poor cow even has a 'ghost' breath coming out... ^_^
 
An interesting odd tibbit, according to Melissa Uran when I was talking to her via IM, the sidereal epilogue comic is "suppose" to be Mnemon inside the Empress' Red Warstrider. But then, you get the whole Black Rose text bit and Ejava comment by you know who... of course, this was pretty late at night... and she could have been sleepy... ^_^ ;;;


And seeing that there is no text by her on the comic ( http://meluran.deviantart.com/gallery/ ), I'm guessing that there is some sort of mix-up with the script handed to her or a typo might have occurred during the text bits being added in there.


And yes, I can sort of see/like this 2e variant of Sad Ivory...
 
Obviously, through treacherous turns of events, Roseblack, Mnemon and the Scarlet Empress' Warstrider combine to form Supermnemonblack, the only entity capable of handling the demon queen herself.


I mean, Roseblack and Mnemon. They woud so combine with each other.
 
Oddly enough, the ear-ring worn by Vegata to combine with Goku would be a nifty N/A artifact
 
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