Taking the Secrecy out of being a Solar Exalt (lil'Rant)

The Scorp

The Scorp

Senior Member
I thought much of the premise of Exalted was to hide your talents  because you were Anathema.  Now with how the charms work, it makes it SO much harder.  What gives?  The purpose of peripheral and personal essence is so that you have a chance to actually hide your powers while being the great solar that you are.  But now, charms have "Obvious" displays when used, personal essence usage be damned.  


So now, not only are you limited to your personal essence, you are also limited to charm usage too.  I personally think its a crock.  Im about to play my char using constant peripheral essence, prancing around screaming "I dont give a fuck if they know Im a Solar!!! LALALA!!"
 
Nothing has changed, really. First Edition has lots of Charms that are "obvious". RSB was just kind enough to explictly label them in 2nd Edition.


Check the 1st Ed. description of Fivefold Bulwark Stance, for instance, and tell me that's not "obvious".


-S
 
I considered that flavor text.  And if it wasnt, atleast if used with personal essence it wouldnt show.
 
I considered that flavor text.  And if it wasnt' date=' atleast if used with personal essence it wouldnt show.[/quote']
Then  ignore the "obvious" keyword. My point is that nothing's actually changed, so there's no need to get heated about it.


-S
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And my point is that things have changed.  To each his/her own.  


And I wish I could ignore, and I would if I could, and I will when I run my own games, but when you play in others, gotta respect the rules.  And I just think it sucks.
 
I considered that flavor text.
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The debate over what is "flavor text" is what spawned the Obvious keyword.


If you as ST houserule that Charm X is or is not Obvious, you still can.  It's just that there's now an explicit mechanism for declaring it.  Instead of the former mechanism, where idiots endlessly debated things which were the province of an ST ruling.
 
And my point is that things have changed.
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Not in any way which substantiates your original gripe. There have always been "obvious" Solar Charms, they just weren't explicitly labelled, and you chose to ignore the descriptions. What's the big deal?


-S
 
And actually there is still a difference between obvious charms and spending peripheral essence. You can kill some guy in a dark alley with obvious solar charms and still escape the guards under the veil of the night... as long as you did not spend peripheral essence.
 
an excellent point safim.


and I dont think even a "obvious" charm should be identified by everyone in most cases, just those who are looking carefully.


(well at least with 5fold bulward stance, not with "glorious solar *******" but anyone who couldnt recognize that deserves to be shot.
 
What is the 'Obvious' mechanic, anyway?


 If it's a Per+Occ roll of moderate difficulty to determine that the person you're facing is an Exalt (note: DBs likely have 'Obvious' charms too), that's one thing.


 Speaking of which, is sorcery considered 'Obvious,' or beyond?
 
[QUOTE="Core book]
Obvious: Observers can tell that the Exalt is using a Charm, and they have a rough idea of its effects. Obvious Permanent Charms are only obvious when actively in use.

[/QUOTE]
Personally, I interpret this as the Charm's effects being blatantly beyond the capability of a mortal, and this, obviously a Charm. It doesn't require occult knowledge. It's just the kind of shit that would make any obsverver go, "Holy shit! That was impossible!"


Incidentally, 5BS, which has a quite magical and flashy sounding description in 1st Ed, is not keyworded "Obvious" in 2nd Ed.


And no, the Sorcery Charms are not "Obvious". The spells themselves are obviously a different matter.


-S
 
Well, not to be rude (if I sound that way, I appologize), but even spending motes of Essence on something that isn't labeled as Obvious from t he Peripherial pool still brings up the anima banner.


You'd still have to be careful with Essence expendature as well as what charms you use.
 
I don't think anyone's overlooked that. The original complaint was that some Charms are obvious even with personal essece.


-S
 
I've found evidence to bolster my point:


On p.187, Trance of Unhesitating Speed is keyworded as Obvious, however, it says that it is only so if the Charm is used to exceed the rate of the bow.


This demonstrates that the Obvious keyword has nothing to do with essence expenditure, but rather, the Charm surpasses mundane capabilities. This Charm is Obvious because, using this Charm, the character can operate the bow faster than is possible by a mortal.


Even without these keywords, only a dullard, or someone extrememly ignorant of archery, would fail to notice that the Solar is firing impossibly fast.


-S
 
Also, I've seen nothing in the Obvious mechanics that indicates "Anathema". Correct me if I've overlooked it, but it seems to me that Obvious shows you're supernatural, not that you're Anathema.


Spending peripheral is tempting in 2nd Ed, I like it. I'm playing a Twilight, and getting mad damage reduction with my anima banner? Fries with that too, please.
 
BTW, "Sorcery is inherently Obvious. Observers might not know what spell the Exalt is casting, but it is obvious that the Exalt is using sorcery unless the spell description states otherwise." (Second Edition, pg. 251)
 
It doesnt state Anathema, but it does state Charm being used.  In 1st ed, when you spent personal, it was NOT obvious that a charm was used.  That was the point of personal essence as well as the point of Night Castes anima power.  It was all about stealth and hiding their true nature.  The Obvious keyword negates that.  No, it doesnt state anathema, but it does state that a charm IS being used and that the observer has a rough idea of its effects.  And alot of Solar effects probably scream solar exalt here.  Especially to an experienced DB.  I just say you could have gotten away with alot more in 1st ed as the charms were flavor text, that it was up to the player on how what the effects looked like if there were any.  Now, you don't.
 
No, there were several Charms that were, as has been stated earlier in this thread, just very obviously not humanly possible. And that's what the 'Obvious'-thing is for.


The Charms that were obviously Solar in nature, are *still* obviously Solar in nature. And the Charm that were just plain supernatural are *still* plain supernatural (whether the beholder suspects the Charm user to be Solar is another thing entirely).


If you got away with more in 1st ed, that was just because you didn't really think through what the effects of your Charms really looked like to spectators. Now you don't have to think about it, since there's a mechanic for it. You don't like it? I'll quote you on that:

To each his/her own.
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Just ignore the mechanic (the Golden Rule is still king) if you don't like it. I for one welcome the clarification.
 
bah...


I know y'all are right...


but its just sooooo finalized now, since there is a ingame mechanic for it.


bah humbug
 
bah...
I know y'all are right...


but its just sooooo finalized now, since there is a ingame mechanic for it.


bah humbug
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Considering the oceans of bullshit I've had to wade through on forums about Charm rulings?  I consider "finalized" a benefit.  I don't feel my ST masculinity threatened by what the devs put in the book.


Come on.  Look at all the "Borgstrom sucks" whining that goes on here because of the way she wrote Charms.  Do you enjoy reading that? :)
 
I take overquantified over underquantified any day... The stuff I don't like, I throw the Golden Rule at. Simple as that.
 
memesis said:
bah...
I know y'all are right...


but its just sooooo finalized now, since there is a ingame mechanic for it.


bah humbug
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Considering the oceans of bullshit I've had to wade through on forums about Charm rulings?  I consider "finalized" a benefit.  I don't feel my ST masculinity threatened by what the devs put in the book.


Come on.  Look at all the "Borgstrom sucks" whining that goes on here because of the way she wrote Charms.  Do you enjoy reading that? :)
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heh, actually, some of it yeah.
 
<- Loves Borgstrom. How it would suck if charms were just mechanics, that would take a whole lot of fun away from it, for me at least :P
 
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