On the Balancing of Some Epic Toys

[JerryMcJerrison]

So I've just started a story, and I decided to try something different: not letting my players have their character sheets. My group tends to try to rules lawyer and shenanigan their way to victory, and I'm hoping this will help them focus more on the story and the numbers underneath. However, we've group had a sudden swell in membership, and I decided that I couldn't keep track of 7 player's stats and all the npcs, so I took away everyone's charms (and even had a good idea for how). Eventually, they are going to learn to develop them, but for now, I gave everyone 5-dot artifacts to play with. I think I came up with some good ideas, but I wondered if perhaps I could run them by some more experienced storytellers to help even them out some. I would drop these into the Compendium, but they're not finished so doing that would make my teeth itch.


Five Pillars of the Rising Sun

Spoiler

Made for the Dawn Caste that maxed out all his Dawn abilities for poops and giggles. A giant orichalcum gauntlet with a utility for each Dawn ability.


Archery- Fires a bolt of light from the palm,


Spd 5, Acc +1, +6+(Essence)L, Range 50, Rate 1, 3 motes per shot.


Martial Arts- Can flatten palm and create khatar-like essence blade for 1 mote or wield as normal gauntlet.


Speed 4, Acc +2 +6B/L, Def +4


Melee- User can either double his strength for damage rolls with 1 or 2 handed weapons, or use two handed weapons in one hand, or use three handed weapons in both.


Thrown- Can create essence grenades for 5 motes. User is immune to the splash damage.


Spd 6, Acc -1, +7+(Essence)L on target, +5L in 2 yard radius


War- Can move elements of the battlefield to create defensive positions. Can be applied to near anything large enough to make cover: trees, walls, earth, etc. Not sure how effective it should be, but I was thinking 5 cubic yards per success on a War+Essence roll. Costs 4 motes.


Rings of Saturn

Spoiler

A red ribbon that enhances anything it is tied around, most often the owner's body. Most often in combat it can be commanded to completely wrap around the user, granting 8B/12L armor, and allowing the ends to be extended and used as rope weapons. Otherwise it can be wrapped around any specific part of the body to double a stunt bonus related to where it was placed; around ones calves might be used to aid athletics rolls, around ones forehead to aid in stunts requiring focus or mental acuity. Changing the position of the rings is free every time the owner takes an action.


Ribbons


Spd 5, Acc +0, +8B/L, Def +2 Rate 3


Thousandfold Scales of Hesiesh

Spoiler

Player requested that he be able to "Grapple things and then explode". Scale armor that completely covers the body, made of alternating Red Jade and Orichalcum. Offers 10B/10L armor, improves unarmed attacks, and, of course, explodes. I'm not really sure how to handle the exploding, because I want him to be able to spend between 5-Infinite motes per explosion.


Fisticuffs


Spd 4, Acc +3, +2L, Def +4, Rate 3


Kickticuffs


Spd 4, Acc +2, +5B, Def +0, Rate 2


Bear Hugs


Spd 5, Acc +2, +2L, Def +0, Rate 1


Inevitable

Spoiler

An orichalcum grand grimcleaver that cannot be stopped. Can only be parried by a stunt or perfect defense, in which case the defender must check for knockdown as if it had hit with zero successes. User can use Thor-flight by throwing it and not letting go, using Dex+Thrown for precise targets. Locking its momentum costs 2 motes, unlocking it is free.


Spd 6, Acc +0, +15L/4, Def -2, Rate 2


Arm of Inexhaustible Resource

Spoiler

A breech loading pistol that can be loaded with anything, even so far as to remove chunks of objects too big to load otherwise. After being loaded, the user can pull the barrel off like a sheath, creating a blade made of the material it was loaded with. I would like to give a special ability for everything, but that's a lot of stuff. As is, I'm just allowing him to stunt what he loads into it; for example, he loaded it with grass to give it a chance at revenge on the giant grazer crabs the party had provoked, so he got +2 Accuracy against the crabs.


Basic Blade


Spd 4, Acc+2, +6L, Def +1 Rate 2


Basic Gun


Spd 5, Acc +1, +6L, Rate 3, Range 75, Clip 6


Branch of Possibility

Spoiler

Orichalcum staff, inlaid with moonsilver. Can be extended by the user, unto infinity. Can be broken along any point, with the option of a chain connecting the pieces, which can also be extended near forever. The chain can disconnect at will, and pieces can be rejoined if the user wishes. Discarded pieces remain for a day before fading to mundane steel, unless the user allows them to be attuned, either to himself or another. This allows for the creation of simple artifacts, such as the lamellar armor most of the party is getting. However, the pieces cannot be cut, melted down, or otherwise altered except for length.


x-Section Staff


Spd 5. Acc +0, +8B, Def +4 Rate 3


Javelins


Spd 4, Acc +3, +5L, Rate 2, Range 50


Patience

Spoiler

A small orichalcum block the size of a fist, that can be unfolded into a number of differently sized crossbows, the size of which depends on how much time is spent unfolding it. a hand crossbow takes 2 ticks, a light one takes 3 more, and the largest one can hold with two hands takes 4 ticks on top of that. This process can be continued for an entire year tops, resulting in a siege weapon capable of firing anything as large as an aircraft carrier. Can make bolts for 1 mote/shot, but the cost triples for every step larger than Grand.


Hand-


Spd 4, Acc +3, +4L, Rate 2, Range 100


Bland


Spd 5, Acc +3, +6L, Rate 2, Range 150


Grand


Spd 6, Acc +3, +10L, Rate 1, Range 200


Good lord. What have I gotten myself into, it takes hours just to summarize my PC's artifacts. :shock:


Well, now that it all in the same place and not just scattered to the winds of my oscillating fan, I think the only mechanical bits I need help with are how to scale the explosions made by the Scales and the different stages past Grand that Patience has. That and making sure nobody got a particularly short end of any stick.


In case you're wondering, no none of these have any manner of solid creation myth, because I pretty much just asked everyone what they wanted to use in combat and gave it a ridiculous power.

 

[wordman]

Five dot weapons are actually sort of hard to make. While I like nearly all of these, I don't think most of them are 5-dot artifacts.

 

[Ledaal Kajiri]

Indeed. Really they generally fall into around the high 3, to mid 4 range, depending on which, when compared to other artifacts. In general they are more multipurpose than many other artifacts, but their individual powers are weak enough, that rather like the cannon Ultimately Useful Tube, they're more a multipurpose 3 or 4 dot than anything approaching a 5 dot artifact. Compare just about any of them to say Dragon Armor, and they come off on the worse end of the deal. Overall, I'd say they're somewhere between the level of the Ultimately Useful Tube, the Power Mace or on the upper end of them Gunzosha Armor without the maintenance, which is technically a 4 dot...but a mid to weak 4 dot, not a top end 4 dot. On average, I'd say they probably just squeak into the Artifact 4 range, though some among them are a bit weaker, more on par with the Power Mace or the like, and others are a bit stronger, though not enormously so.


Frankly, it sounds like what you're after is something like an Enlightened Mortal game with things, which can be fun, but, really, I've always felt one of the good points of Exalted was it was less about your equipment, and more about you. Sure, gear is nice...but when all you have is gear...it tends to fall into the same kind of 'Let's try and get the best gear, screw everything else' that D&D and the like have a history of suffering. Exalted's strength isn't as a gear based system, really. But, if it works for you, I wish you luck.

 

[Ker'ion]

Five Pillars of the Rising Sun

Spoiler

Made for the Dawn Caste that maxed out all his Dawn abilities for poops and giggles. A giant orichalcum gauntlet with a utility for each Dawn ability.


Archery- Fires a bolt of light from the palm,


Spd 5, Acc +1, +6+(Essence)L, Range 50, Rate 1, 3 motes per shot.


Martial Arts- Can flatten palm and create khatar-like essence blade for 1 mote or wield as normal gauntlet.


Speed 4, Acc +2 +6B/L, Def +4


Melee- User can either double his strength for damage rolls with 1 or 2 handed weapons, or use two handed weapons in one hand, or use three handed weapons in both.


Thrown- Can create essence grenades for 5 motes. User is immune to the splash damage.


Spd 6, Acc -1, +7+(Essence)L on target, +5L in 2 yard radius


War- Can move elements of the battlefield to create defensive positions. Can be applied to near anything large enough to make cover: trees, walls, earth, etc. Not sure how effective it should be, but I was thinking 5 cubic yards per success on a War+Essence roll. Costs 4 motes.

Spoiler

I'd brain a gamer who asked to make this, as it's only setup seems to be "I add dice to my obscene pools for crushing my target".
Needs flavor like a cheap pack of noodles.


Possibly a level 5.

Rings of Saturn

Spoiler

A red ribbon that enhances anything it is tied around, most often the owner's body. Most often in combat it can be commanded to completely wrap around the user, granting 8B/12L armor, and allowing the ends to be extended and used as rope weapons. Otherwise it can be wrapped around any specific part of the body to double a stunt bonus related to where it was placed; around ones calves might be used to aid athletics rolls, around ones forehead to aid in stunts requiring focus or mental acuity. Changing the position of the rings is free every time the owner takes an action.


Ribbons


Spd 5, Acc +0, +8B/L, Def +2 Rate 3

Spoiler

Eh?
Nice basic setup, but the free changing of it's placement every time you take an action thing is a little messed up. If you flurry to the extreme, you can use it's bonuses in a dozen different places every round. I'd tell them to try again.


I'd give it a weak 4.

Thousandfold Scales of Hesiesh

Spoiler

Player requested that he be able to "Grapple things and then explode". Scale armor that completely covers the body, made of alternating Red Jade and Orichalcum. Offers 10B/10L armor, improves unarmed attacks, and, of course, explodes. I'm not really sure how to handle the exploding, because I want him to be able to spend between 5-Infinite motes per explosion.


Fisticuffs


Spd 4, Acc +3, +2L, Def +4, Rate 3


Kickticuffs


Spd 4, Acc +2, +5B, Def +0, Rate 2


Bear Hugs


Spd 5, Acc +2, +2L, Def +0, Rate 1

Spoiler

This one is funny. I like it. Set a limit on the Essence use, making it around 3 motes per [Essence]L.
I'd say it's a Level 4.

Inevitable

Spoiler

An orichalcum grand grimcleaver that cannot be stopped. Can only be parried by a stunt or perfect defense, in which case the defender must check for knockdown as if it had hit with zero successes. User can use Thor-flight by throwing it and not letting go, using Dex+Thrown for precise targets. Locking its momentum costs 2 motes, unlocking it is free.


Spd 6, Acc +0, +15L/4, Def -2, Rate 2

Spoiler

Ok, I'm taking it, using every ounce of my Strength and all Charms I can combo and throwing it at the offending legion, then locking the momentum. I win. And if I don't win, I keep flying at insane speeds away from the bastards. Kinda wonky, especially the "roll against zero successes" part (I'd make it "the weilder's Essence").
This is also a Level 4.

Arm of Inexhaustible Resource

Spoiler

A breech loading pistol that can be loaded with anything, even so far as to remove chunks of objects too big to load otherwise. After being loaded, the user can pull the barrel off like a sheath, creating a blade made of the material it was loaded with. I would like to give a special ability for everything, but that's a lot of stuff. As is, I'm just allowing him to stunt what he loads into it; for example, he loaded it with grass to give it a chance at revenge on the giant grazer crabs the party had provoked, so he got +2 Accuracy against the crabs.


Basic Blade


Spd 4, Acc+2, +6L, Def +1 Rate 2


Basic Gun


Spd 5, Acc +1, +6L, Rate 3, Range 75, Clip 6

Spoiler

BWAHAHAHAHA. Er, wha?
I'd say it's a 3, tops.

Branch of Possibility

Spoiler

Orichalcum staff, inlaid with moonsilver. Can be extended by the user, unto infinity. Can be broken along any point, with the option of a chain connecting the pieces, which can also be extended near forever. The chain can disconnect at will, and pieces can be rejoined if the user wishes. Discarded pieces remain for a day before fading to mundane steel, unless the user allows them to be attuned, either to himself or another. This allows for the creation of simple artifacts, such as the lamellar armor most of the party is getting. However, the pieces cannot be cut, melted down, or otherwise altered except for length.


x-Section Staff


Spd 5. Acc +0, +8B, Def +4 Rate 3


Javelins


Spd 4, Acc +3, +5L, Rate 2, Range 50

Spoiler

NO. No infinite-extension items. Up to [Essence] times as long per X motes, maybe, but then I'd still disallow you to break up an Artifact into little pieces. As it is, there goes the price of steel across creation as it gets extended to a mile long, broken up into little chunks and sold to the steel mills. Then the PC dies at the hands of the Guild. And the "remain for a day" part means that someone can royally rip people off with the ton of Orichalcum and Moonsliver for sale, going fast.
This whole concept needs to be redone, even though it's the ultimate 10-foot-pole.


Not a chance in the pits of Malfeas, as it's a Level 2 for an Artifact, unless you include the "breaking the banks of creation" portion, then it's an N/A that I can't see anyone allowing.

Patience

Spoiler

A small orichalcum block the size of a fist, that can be unfolded into a number of differently sized crossbows, the size of which depends on how much time is spent unfolding it. a hand crossbow takes 2 ticks, a light one takes 3 more, and the largest one can hold with two hands takes 4 ticks on top of that. This process can be continued for an entire year tops, resulting in a siege weapon capable of firing anything as large as an aircraft carrier. Can make bolts for 1 mote/shot, but the cost triples for every step larger than Grand.


Hand-


Spd 4, Acc +3, +4L, Rate 2, Range 100


Bland


Spd 5, Acc +3, +6L, Rate 2, Range 150


Grand


Spd 6, Acc +3, +10L, Rate 1, Range 200

Spoiler

I'd say up to [Essence] levels allowed, period. 1st size is 1 mote per shot, second size is 2, third is 3, etc.
Make the base damage be double the size, plus [permanent Essence], the Range as [(level of weapon made x 50) + 50] and increase the Speed by 1 for every size up. So, if the smallest (1st) size is a Speed 4, the 10th size is a Speed 13, but has a damage of 30L per shot, though the shots cost 10 motes each.


MAYBE a Level 5, though probably only a 4.


So, in all, I'd dampen down the Five Pillars of the Rising Sun a bit to make it a decent Level 4, power up the Arm of Inexhaustible Resource some to make it a 4 (why isn't this just a sword hilt that "grows" the material as a blade?) and tell the group they all get level 4s (except that guy who wants the Branch of Possibility).

 

[wordman]

So I've just started a story, and I decided to try something different: not letting my players have their character sheets. My group tends to try to rules lawyer and shenanigan their way to victory, and I'm hoping this will help them focus more on the story and the numbers underneath. However... I took away everyone's charms.

This is speaking more to your original problem than these artifacts. I'd be extremely interested to know if my Exalted Aspects system might work for you in this situation. If the players knew only their aspect list, it might give them a little something to chew on for both story and mechanical effect, and might very roughly emulate the sort of "I can do cool things in this area" that charms do.