Equusheart
One Thousand Club
That was my next question because I was getting a little confused (I hate my brain sometimes). Merits, what and how do I use them?
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Dice [OOC] - To Stand Against the Crimson Tide
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Tachyon
Not a bird
On page 157 of the Exalted Core book (so not the Dragon-blooded book) they start describing merits and what they are.
Some notable things you probably want is
Resources - How much wealth you can throw around. The scale here is pretty bonkers, but I'm guesstamating that Sayuri would have 2 or 3 in resources.
Backing - You are part of a noble house, you have a superior and you can throw around the name. (Do you know of you are talking to? I'm Sayuri of House Akechi)
Influence - You are famous and respected. Maybe having both Backing and Influence is a bit of an overkill, you can maybe think of it like how you want to flavor her status in high society. Influence represents more fame, admiration and informal power (I think).
There are 3 different "I have a relationship with someone of about Exalted-level power.";
Allies - Someone who you work with and have a good relationship with, but neither of you are above the other. A peer
Mentor - Someone you look up to, a teacher, a guide. Someone more powerful (usually).
Retainer - Someone who work for you, they are loyal to you. Someone less powerful.
Then there are a bunch of "I have a relationship with a bunch of mortals."
Contacts - You know people. And know people who know people. You have a finger on the pulse.
Followers - A number of mortal followers that are loyal to you. If you just want hired help, resources can do that.
uuuh, I think that's pretty much it? At least for the fun/social merits. There are also things like Artifact (Objects of power, like Nott's mask!) and some more stuff. The book have the details.
You have 10 merit dots to start. If you are chomping at the bit to play, I'd suggest banking some of these like you do with charms. Since Sayuri is a person of privilege, maybe use like 5-7 for relationships? Just so Random know who Sayuri is and what place in society she occupies. Then you can use the rest once the first few scenes get rolling.
Random Word
Three Thousand Club
That's a chapter-worthy topic!
So your DB book has this to say:
Step 4: Merits
Choose thirteen dots’ worth of Merits (Exalted, p. 157).
In addition, Dragon-Blooded who belong to the Scarlet
Dynasty, Prasad’s Dragon Caste, or Lookshy’s gentes
may distribute five additional dots among the Backing,
Command, Contacts, Followers, Influence, Language,
Resources, and Retainers Merits, representing the
benefits of her privileged position in society.
You aren't a Dynast, Prasadi, or Lookshyan, so sadly you don't get the amazing 5 dots of bonus Merits for being a scion of the masters of Creation. Still, you have 13 dots to spend, and you can buy more with XP. Why would you spend your precious XP on Merits instead of more Attributes, Abilities, or perhaps most exciting of all, Charms? It really depends on your vision for your character. Merits define your character's ties to the world, as opposed to their innate talents. Merits can be incredibly powerful. If you'll recall the discussion we had previously about Merits, they're the difference between being a beggar in the streets without an obol to their name or a proud empress with coffers overflowing with silver and jade, a powerful court sorcerer, the ear of the gods, and a mighty army. Merits cover a lot of the ground in between, too.
Merits that are about your own personal abilities are usually not very effective purchases, but this is by design. Sometimes you want to be the wandering vagabond warrior with no money or friends but a fantastic magical sword, and you still need something to spend your Merit dots on.
Merits, in brief:
Allies - An ally is a powerful friend who has your back for so long as you have theirs, and maybe longer depending on how manipulative you are. It ranges from a very skilled or influential mortal (who doesn't need a good accountant?) at 1 dot up to a young Celestial Exalt who considers you one of their best friends at 5 dots. Honestly, the most broken mechanical build in the game is to dump everything you have into 5 dot Allies. Nothing else comes close. Allies will, however, want you to help them with their problems as often as they help you with yours. This is, as in real life, an amazing trade.
Artifacts - Artifacts are wondrous magical artifice. A sword that kills people right dead real good with the power of volcanoes. A ship that folds up into a briefcase. A flying castle. A sentient puzzle box. A stone that traps and allows the replay of memories. A flute that summons vermin. A sword that cuts memories and ideas out of people.
Backing - You are a member of an influential organization, and they support you at a level appropriate to your role. 1-3 dots determine how powerful the organization is, and how influential your role is. At 3 dots, you have an important role in a very powerful organization, and thus access to considerable resources, so long as you're furthering the aims of the organization. A little bit of buttering your own bread may be permissible, but too much might get you in trouble.
Command - You and what army? You and this army. More dots = Bigger army. Does not come with any way to pay or feed your army. Fantastic if you have some War charms, great even if you don't. If you don't want to actually command your Command, buy a Retainer or Ally to do it for you.
Cult - People worship you, and you get neat bonuses. The more dots, the more people worship you.
Familiar - A loyal pet! You have charms for taming animals, so you can have this for free for any mundane animal you like. 2 or 3 dots can get you supernatural animals, which can be cool.
Followers - Loyal and skilled people who follow you. A group of architects, assassins, bodyguards, doctors, clerks, sailors, etc. Does not come with a way to feed or pay them.
Influence - Who cares what you think? This merit tells us exactly who cares what you think. It can range from, "People in this one organization," to "Everyone who is anyone in the West would grant me an audience and listen when I speak."
Language - Languages! They're great. You already speak your native tongue for free, but this lets you speak to foreigners or spirits or other exotic things.
Manse - Do you want a magical palace? This is a magical palace. Or maybe a religious site, or a vinyard, or a forge. It's a magical building of some kind. It also grants you a magic stone you can carry around with you that does neat things.
Retainers - Like an Ally, but trades power for loyalty. Where an ally considers you one of their best friends, for a retainer you're BFFs. With an emphasis on the forever part. You have to really fuck up to drive off a Retainer. They might consider themselves duty bound to your family, or maybe you saved their life, but whatever it is they're definitely in your corner when things get rough. In exchange they're one dot more expensive than an ally, and that means they cap out at Dragonblooded or minor god or other supernatural but not Celestial Exalted tier power.
Resources - The money, honey! This ranges from "You can support your household comfortably as an ordinary citizen" at 1 dot all the way up to "The only people richer than me are Mansa Musa and Emperor Trajan."
That's a lot of things to consider, so there are two approaches I can suggest:
So your DB book has this to say:
Step 4: Merits
Choose thirteen dots’ worth of Merits (Exalted, p. 157).
In addition, Dragon-Blooded who belong to the Scarlet
Dynasty, Prasad’s Dragon Caste, or Lookshy’s gentes
may distribute five additional dots among the Backing,
Command, Contacts, Followers, Influence, Language,
Resources, and Retainers Merits, representing the
benefits of her privileged position in society.
You aren't a Dynast, Prasadi, or Lookshyan, so sadly you don't get the amazing 5 dots of bonus Merits for being a scion of the masters of Creation. Still, you have 13 dots to spend, and you can buy more with XP. Why would you spend your precious XP on Merits instead of more Attributes, Abilities, or perhaps most exciting of all, Charms? It really depends on your vision for your character. Merits define your character's ties to the world, as opposed to their innate talents. Merits can be incredibly powerful. If you'll recall the discussion we had previously about Merits, they're the difference between being a beggar in the streets without an obol to their name or a proud empress with coffers overflowing with silver and jade, a powerful court sorcerer, the ear of the gods, and a mighty army. Merits cover a lot of the ground in between, too.
Merits that are about your own personal abilities are usually not very effective purchases, but this is by design. Sometimes you want to be the wandering vagabond warrior with no money or friends but a fantastic magical sword, and you still need something to spend your Merit dots on.
Merits, in brief:
Allies - An ally is a powerful friend who has your back for so long as you have theirs, and maybe longer depending on how manipulative you are. It ranges from a very skilled or influential mortal (who doesn't need a good accountant?) at 1 dot up to a young Celestial Exalt who considers you one of their best friends at 5 dots. Honestly, the most broken mechanical build in the game is to dump everything you have into 5 dot Allies. Nothing else comes close. Allies will, however, want you to help them with their problems as often as they help you with yours. This is, as in real life, an amazing trade.
Artifacts - Artifacts are wondrous magical artifice. A sword that kills people right dead real good with the power of volcanoes. A ship that folds up into a briefcase. A flying castle. A sentient puzzle box. A stone that traps and allows the replay of memories. A flute that summons vermin. A sword that cuts memories and ideas out of people.
Backing - You are a member of an influential organization, and they support you at a level appropriate to your role. 1-3 dots determine how powerful the organization is, and how influential your role is. At 3 dots, you have an important role in a very powerful organization, and thus access to considerable resources, so long as you're furthering the aims of the organization. A little bit of buttering your own bread may be permissible, but too much might get you in trouble.
Command - You and what army? You and this army. More dots = Bigger army. Does not come with any way to pay or feed your army. Fantastic if you have some War charms, great even if you don't. If you don't want to actually command your Command, buy a Retainer or Ally to do it for you.
Cult - People worship you, and you get neat bonuses. The more dots, the more people worship you.
Familiar - A loyal pet! You have charms for taming animals, so you can have this for free for any mundane animal you like. 2 or 3 dots can get you supernatural animals, which can be cool.
Followers - Loyal and skilled people who follow you. A group of architects, assassins, bodyguards, doctors, clerks, sailors, etc. Does not come with a way to feed or pay them.
Influence - Who cares what you think? This merit tells us exactly who cares what you think. It can range from, "People in this one organization," to "Everyone who is anyone in the West would grant me an audience and listen when I speak."
Language - Languages! They're great. You already speak your native tongue for free, but this lets you speak to foreigners or spirits or other exotic things.
Manse - Do you want a magical palace? This is a magical palace. Or maybe a religious site, or a vinyard, or a forge. It's a magical building of some kind. It also grants you a magic stone you can carry around with you that does neat things.
Retainers - Like an Ally, but trades power for loyalty. Where an ally considers you one of their best friends, for a retainer you're BFFs. With an emphasis on the forever part. You have to really fuck up to drive off a Retainer. They might consider themselves duty bound to your family, or maybe you saved their life, but whatever it is they're definitely in your corner when things get rough. In exchange they're one dot more expensive than an ally, and that means they cap out at Dragonblooded or minor god or other supernatural but not Celestial Exalted tier power.
Resources - The money, honey! This ranges from "You can support your household comfortably as an ordinary citizen" at 1 dot all the way up to "The only people richer than me are Mansa Musa and Emperor Trajan."
That's a lot of things to consider, so there are two approaches I can suggest:
- Focus on your story. Look at the story you envision for your character, look at the Merits, and decide which ones at which ratings are appropriate for representing the story you have in mind. Then find a way to pay for those dots. That can be easy or hard, depending on how powerful you imagined your character to be.
- Kid in a candy shop. Look at all the shiny things you can buy, decide what you want, and then make a story around it.
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Equusheart
One Thousand Club
Side note, I really am grateful for all the help you guys give. Sometimes I over worry about bugging people.
Equusheart
One Thousand Club
Also, I was going to ask
Sherwood
. Could a way for Sayuri be called to the group is maybe Sjet sent word to Sayuri or something?
Sherwood
. Could a way for Sayuri be called to the group is maybe Sjet sent word to Sayuri or something?
Tachyon
Not a bird
Speaking of merits!
Random Word
I can't find any descriptions of Manses in 3e, other than the small blurb in the core book. Would it be super out-of-place for a Sidereal manse somewhere in Ombrelune, a little hidey-hole? If so, I may upgrade my Hearthstone merit to a Manse merit.
Random Word
I can't find any descriptions of Manses in 3e, other than the small blurb in the core book. Would it be super out-of-place for a Sidereal manse somewhere in Ombrelune, a little hidey-hole? If so, I may upgrade my Hearthstone merit to a Manse merit.
Random Word
Three Thousand Club
That is entirely reasonable, and even probable, given the history of the island. There are manses described in a few books. Lunars, DBs, and the artifacts books all describe some manses, I think. Older edition manses can likely be ported. Other books probably mention some manses as well.Speaking of merits!
Crocodile
Mister Zero
Psychie Well, that took a while, but Garret is up!
Sjet is Crashed, but the allied warriors prevented her from getting squished - for now!
Red Shadow Claws Droplets and Thousandfold Wings are up in her combat. You can act for your Zombies as well.
Crocodile I haven't heard from you for a while. If you're around, let me know, otherwise I'll assume real life incap'd you and your slot is open.
I provide all relevant combat stats for enemies, so go ahead and roll your own to hit and damage dice! Assume the enemy spends essence on defence if you spend essence on offense. I'll mark on their character sheets if they have any fancy tricks, and the rules for when they use them, if it's relevant. We'll try to eliminate back and forth as much as possible. Ideally you can resolve your own turn entirely by yourself.
Yeah, sorry, going through a job change currently and its killed my drive for this character at the moment. I'll go ahead and bow out. Thanks for the chance though. Hope the game goes well!
Random Word
Three Thousand Club
No worries! I hope the new job treats you well, and thank you for letting us know!
Sherwood
Luna's Concubine
Sorry to see you go. Hopefully everything comes out good for you in Real Life.
Equusheart
One Thousand Club
Sorry to see you go. Hopefully everything turns out good for you.
Random Word
Three Thousand Club
I'll always include the combat stats of enemies in the Combatants spoiler section of a combat post. If I ever forget, remind me! I want to speed up combat resolution as much as possible. I rolled the damage dice for you, and you crashed the Aurochs! Now you're up to 16i.
Psychie
Princess Psychie
Awesome.
Random Word
Three Thousand Club
Psychie
Garret has been attacked! You can declare your defence.
Sherwood
Sjet is up!
Red Shadow Claws
Thousandfold Wings is up again!
Sherwood
Luna's Concubine
Question. The spear-throwers on the roof. Can I sweep my Obsidian Butterflies across them to try and clear the rooftop?
EDIT Without hitting any allies in the process?
EDIT Without hitting any allies in the process?
Random Word
Three Thousand Club
Hmmm... You'd need to get above your allies. If someone could lift you up, yes you could. Without that, from prone in a crater, you can't. If you have the ability to jump or be lifted up a range band, or want to take an athletics check to jump or climb high enough to get clear, or you ascend the tower at least partway, then yes you can.
Sherwood
Luna's Concubine
Understood.
Random Word
Three Thousand Club
Withering, right? I think Obsidian Butterflies is withering, or maybe it's dual, but you're crashed so you definitely can't be launching decisive attacks.
I know Obsidian Butterflies gets a damage bonus against battle groups. Did you include that one?
Tachyon
Not a bird
Death of Obsidian Butterflies, like almost all spells I think?, is a decisive attack.
Nott needs an Area of Expertise for his Lore. Suggestions? Would be cool to be able to introduce facts about the criminal underworld, but I can't really think of an academic field that would fit that.
Edit: Litterature is actually a suggested field in the ability blurb. Obviously my poet will know of other poets!
Edit: Litterature is actually a suggested field in the ability blurb. Obviously my poet will know of other poets!
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Red Shadow Claws
Six Thousand Club
Death of Obsidian Butterflies is Decisive-only, and Perilous, so can't be used when Crashed
Red Shadow Claws
Six Thousand Club
I would allow Criminal Underworld as a Lore Specialty, especially for a Chosen of Secrets.
In any case, I don't know the Sidereal Charmset enough, but most Exalts seem to have Charms in other Abilities that allow them to Introduce Facts in their field, so a Criminal Organization specialty in Larceny might yield a similar result, if you have such a charm.
Tachyon
Not a bird
There is a such a charm! It's in Performance unfortunately, and somewhere in the process I dropped that ability.
On that note, I want to say that I'm done with Nott's mechanics (except for the artifact, but won't be buying evocations anytime soon). I could fiddle with dots and charms in perpetuity, so at some point I have to declare that I'm done official otherwise I'll never stop
Sherwood
Luna's Concubine
I am going to have to redo my IC post since I can't use DoOB. I'll delete it and start over.
Sherwood
Luna's Concubine
Aiming for this Archon of Air with a Withering attack
8 Successes to hit her DV of 6
Damage of a normal sling is +7; what is h er soak?
8 Successes to hit her DV of 6
Damage of a normal sling is +7; what is h er soak?
Red Shadow Claws
Six Thousand Club
Yay, Thousandfold Wings drew first blood! Giving the captain 4 levels of damage!
