Some House Rule proposals [Crearth: The Third Age]

[Dracogryff]

I got a few ideas for house rules that I've been meaning to ask about. One of them really only affects LK and NPCs, as it involves Dragonblood Charms, another would only affect Mr. Twilight and NPCs, and probably only NPCs, as I doubt Mikey's gonna be taking Glorious Golden Saber any time soon. The third one, though, would affect everyone.


Firstly, on Dragonblood Charms, there are some that have elemental aspects to them (Dragon Graced Arrow, Elemental Bolt Attack, etc), and some of them can be purchased outside your element, while others cannot. This kind of bothers me, since I can't tell why just about all of them are how they are (there are one or two I can understand), and others aren't. I'm figuring either make them all purchasable only by your element (possibly with an exception or two), or all of them purchasable for any element, though you will need to buy your own element first. Opinions?


Secondly. After seeing the Lunar Moonsilver Claws, I'm really not seeing a good reason to buy Glorious Solar Saber. The return doesn't seem enough, I guess. Anyone have any proposals on how to balance this Charm?


Finally. Willpower. I'm thinking of making Willpower much like it is in nWoD. It makes a kind of sense to me anyhow. Anyhow, how this would work is that you do not buy up Willpower ever (unless you lose some by a fae munching it or something like that), you buy up your Virtues. When your highest Virtues go up, so does your Willpower. If your Willpower is somehow dropped below its normal value (of the sum of your two highest Virtues), you can buy it up, but only to it's normal value. Opinions, thoughts? Good, Bad, Ugly?

 

[Ledaal Kajiri]

On the issue of House Rule #1, I would go with the former option, with maybe one or two specific exceptions, primarilly (Element) Protection Form, as for at least one aspect it would be all but useless otherwise. Being able to purchase any element easilly to me seems to dilute the elemental focus of the Dragonblooded, and to make certain charms in the Dragonblooded Medicine tree i.e. Most Beneficient Seed of the Five Dragons, and the charm coming out in Dreams of the First Age based off of it rather...less special. The only possible exception to this I might suggest would be for those who mastered a specific Dragon Path, I might allow that element's charms to be selected.


On the issue of House Rule #2...I'm not sure. I'll think it over some and edit this with such commentary later. I do agree it could certainly use some work, but exactly how to go about such eludes me currently. As is, it's quite possible to have a non-Artifact weapon that is significantly superior to GSS, while few Artifact weapons can compete with Moonsilver Claws.


As for House Rule idea #3...I certainly wouldn't be opposed to experimenting with such. Rather similar to how nWoD treats Willpower. On the other hand, you know how I am with virtues and tending to have multiple virutes rather high. (Even in Frodi's case having them ALL rather high near the end...and not just because Arcanoi were based off of such.)

 

[Ledaal Kajiri]

*pokes Ops and other person* Any commentary on these ideas here? If she just wanted my commentary, well, there wouldn't have been much reason to post here asking for opinions.

 

[Guest]

Looks good to me.


I'm not really up to speed with EX2 rules yet.  I'm trying to NOT know them in depth actually, just to prevent confusion with NWoD rules for the sake of the TT game.

 

[Dracogryff]

MMkay. Still no real help with Glorious Solar Saber..but there haven't been any objections to the other two. Since the first only affects LK, and I doubt anyone else cares, it's been made official.


Before I do the same with the Willpower, I want to make sure everyone's okay with this...if you don't respond to this by sunday (the 9th), you'll have to deal with it even if you don't want to. So I suggest you respond.


To summarize, Willpower cannot be bought up with bonus points or experience...unless it for some reason drops below the level of the sum of your two highest virtues. However, as soon as you buy up one of your virtues, be it with bonus points or experience, your willpower will rise as well. (If this goes into effect, you'll have a bonus point to reallocate, Ops, since you put one into Willpower to make it a 7, note.)


If for some reason it is lower than the possible maximum (such as a fae eats it), it may be purchased back up with XP, but only to the possible maximum (IE sum of two highest virtues).


My intent here is to emphasise what I feel is supposed to be part of the epic feel of Exalted, where people gain determination (willpower) through having strong beliefs (virtues). Without those strong beliefs, one isn't as likely to perservere in the face of adversity as one who does believe that strongly.


I'd like a yay or nay on this by sunday. I would also appreciate a reason why you feel it shouldn't be implemented if you're not in favor of it. A mere no doesn't tell my why you don't feel it an appropriate house rule. No response at all before then is considered a yes.


If you want to give reasons you like it, I'm also more than happy to hear such.

 

[Guest]

The Willpower one makes sense to me.


Now, what the heck do I do with one bonus point...

 

[Ledaal Kajiri]

Buy a favored ability up? Buy a specialty, either 2 points in favored, or 1 point out? Buy up a background or get a new one? Buy the Selective Conception Merit so Golden Jesus can get laid with less consequences? All kinds of options.

 

[Guest]

If he was "Golden Jesus" he'd be celibate.


Which he isn't. He's just awkward with the girls.

 

[Dracogryff]

Aw, that assumes you think Jesus was celibate. *g*


'Course, I'm likely going to hell for that comment, but oh well, I was probably already going to go there anyhow. *chuckles* And beside the point as well.


And yeah, could get a favored higher or a two dot specialty in a favored. Maybe 'In the Field' or 'Disease' or something for Medicine, or you could get 'Pharmaceuticals' for Craft (Water), or perhaps 'Professional Demeanor' or 'Bedside Manners' for Presence.


Specialties are cool.

 

[Guest]

Aw, that assumes you think Jesus was celibate. *g*

I do, not just because he was supposed to be the son of god and all perfect, but he was just too dang busy.


You preach, and heal the sick, and perform miracles, and see if you got enough energy to care about sex that night.  And heck, if I could make water into wine, I'd never stop drinking, and it don't work right when I'm drunk...


Ok, I'm going to hell now too.

 

[Dracogryff]

Mmkay, back on topic. Still want to mess with the Glorious Solar Saber Charm.


Only thought I have currently is to try making it give you your melee score in points to add to the accuracy, damage, defense and rate of a particular weapon of your choice. You choose the weapon upon purchase of the Charm. The weapon's resources cost can't be higher than your Essence score or something. 2 XP (or however much it requires to buy additonal things on other charms like the arrow one) will buy a different weapon. If you want to dual wield with it, you need to activate the Charm twice.


Or something. Comments, critisism, suggestions?

 

[Dracogryff]

Hmm. Seems nobody cares enough about GSS to comment on trying to fix that. Oh well...shouldn't surprise me in a game where the only Solar PC currently is a pacifist with no combat abilities favored. *chuckles* I'd love some input though, or I might consider just using that one fix kicking around on the Game Mechanics forum (so long as it doesn't break in comparison to the custom artifact rules we're using)...


Anyhow. I also have something else I want to get input on, even if it's not really a house rule, more of an interpretation of the wording of a rule.


I was putzing though the errata, and came upon this question about Hybrid Body Rearrangement, which I'd like to discuss with people for this game as to how they think it's supposed to be, since it'll actually matter for Kat. And possibly Jesse eventually too, since Kat will likely start wanting to trade knacks or such. *g*


Now, I had originally assumed the cost was one mote per mutation, however, upon rereading it because of the above question, I'm not so sure that's the right interpretation. To quote the relevant sentence from the Knack itself for those too lazy to look it up...

The player selects (Essence+4) points of mutations the character can invoke at a cost of one mote each' date=' then make go away when she doesn't need them any more.[/quote']
Actually reading this sentence fully instead of just skimming it, it does seem that it costs one mote per point of mutation you wish to affect, so a pox would cost a mote, while an abomination would cost six. It makes a lot of sense in that context as well, since it should be easier to make a minor change (like enhancing your eyesight) as opposed to a major one (like shrinking to the size of a mouse). What say the rest of ye?

 

[Ledaal Kajiri]

I'm pretty sure your reading of it is correct, so far as I can tell, on Hybrid Body Rearrangement. As for GSS...I'm really not sure. I've never been fond of how it was done, and it certainly needs a fix...but I'm less than sure what would be best.

 

[Zero-Point_Essence]

I dunno, and not just cause I'm the one its gonna smack the hardest. Almost everyone who reads it right off interprets it the way it was initially, one mote per mutation. The fact that noone gave it any thought till someone asked about it specifically shows that the way the sentance reads by common english is 'one mote per mutation'. It could be interpreted the other way to I can see, but there are a lot of charms that get better with higher essence but don't increase in cost, and if the intent were to have it the other way, wouldn't it have been written 'The player selects (Essence+4) points of mutations the character can invoke at a cost of one mote per point'. I have never seen the word 'each' refer to a point cost like that in any other charms. Also at 6 for an abomination it costs more to get 6 points of mutations then it does to get essence x 4 points and a bunch of bonus attributes by going hybrid (which also doesn't increase in mote cost but keeps getting more mutation points).


Between your interpretations on hybrid rearrangement going poof at 11+ motes and now this, your makeing me wish this wasn't part of my concept really and I don't see why it needs so much tweaking... it lets me fly and if I don't spend very many motes... swim too. That to me doesn't seem to need adjusted. The mote thing is to keep a lunar from disguiseing herself when spending to much essence, and I will still always maintain that it doesn't effect anything other than fully assumeing another shape besides your true forms, when you partial shift wings, or lengthen your arms.. your still you, not a squirrel. That to me is still a true form, just like flow like blood is not a shapeing charm despite supposedly atomiseing your form. Since there are charms that change aspects of a lunars form as part of their function yet still don't count as true form, I don't see how just cause its called a knack in the book instead of a charm that it is functionally any differnt. [/rant]


-ZPE

 

[Dracogryff]

Of course, I could point out that I assumed that it was one mote per mutation because that's what you said, and so I skimmed over it, saw '(Essencex4) mutation points -blahblah- one mote -yaddahyaddah- from forms in library -so on and so forth,' paid it little more mind than that, other than being bothered by the fact that it's exceedingly powerful that way, and moved on, after figuring that it would be limited to true form mutations at 8+ motes (so you don't lose your wings ever unless you want to, since your true form is a raven), in all actuality to be nice to you and let you keep the concept, and now I feel like I'm attacking people.


Now that I've done a horribly run-on sentence that I'm not certain is proper english...I'm going to say, all I was doing was asking because I'd hardly looked at it before noticing that line. Which, considering with the 'one mote per mutation' interpretation, means it costs the same effort (motes) to shrink four feet (small) as it does to shrink down to mouse size (miniscule)...that just seemed kind of funny to me. So I asked other opinions. So that I could see what other people thought of it. I didn't expect to get attacked for it. Thank you. *sighs* I can see that trying to have people's opinions on things count is going to get me hated. Sometimes I wonder why I try asking. It seems like often I get either get a 'we hates it, why are you being evil?' or nothing/whatever works, I don't care. -.- I can understand the latter, but I don't like being accused of attacking someone's concept. I've had issues with plenty of concepts, but I keep my mouth shut, and I would have asked this even if nobody in the party used it. *points at the GSS question*

 

[Dracogryff]

All things considered, forget I asked. Forget I wanted people's opinions so that I could make sure the game was fun for everyone. Forget that I was trying to be fair about things. Forget I ever asked about the damn Knack. I NEVER want to hear it's name again at this point. So don't.


Oh, and if anyone ever wants to use GSS, base speed 5, (Melee+Essence)x2 points to distribute. Making it speed 4 , giving it piercing or an overwhelming of (Essence+1) each cost 3 points to do. Adding to speed, accuracy, defense or damage is 1 point each. You can't put more than your essence in points in accuracy or defense. Infinite rate. Not that anyone cares.


I'm tempted to replace my prior post with this, but then it would probably make even less sense. Simply put, when it ruins my mood as badly as this has, I really don't want to deal with it any more. I forced myself to delete effective 'I quit, find another DM' comments from that last post about three times. I'm not going to because I know it's irrational and stupid...but since I kept trying to, I don't want to deal.


I did not specifically mean anyone in this game with my comment about having issues with concepts. I can only hope I didn't offend anyone, I suppose. It had not been my intent to attack anyone. It had not been my intent to try and force people to look at it my way. I was asking for opinions because I don't want to be a tyrant. That post made me feel like I was one anyway. So...whatever. Just please don't mention that Knack to me ever again. It's ruined one evening, I don't want it to happen again.