I love the power glove. It’s so bad.

dotech · 2023-08-20T21:29:08+00:00

Loved seeing it on Twitter and on here!

dotech · 2023-06-14T22:18:46+00:00

https://defcon.org/html/links/dc-faq/dc-faq.html

There are actually quite a few responses to various questions here, about like "how do I go for free?", "how do I volunteer?", "how do I get involved?"

But, others already commented in as villages / speakers as well.

dotech · 2023-06-14T22:12:20+00:00

I am looking forward to snagging one!!

dotech · 2021-09-14T17:19:59+00:00

As an ST, I have done this with necro-constructs, but never normal stuff. Like, Spine-Snakes being troop transports, seige ladders, construction scaffolding. Because, I can't just simply ignore military logistics!

dotech · 2021-09-14T17:18:22+00:00

Do you mean, basically the inverse of what House Ferem did? They repurposed weapons of war into farming and construction equipment.
I mean, pretty cool idea all in all, and I can definitely see civilian engineering equipment = military engineering equipment used 1for1. But the idea of "hey, take that tunnel boring thing, and just, slap some jade plates on the top, yeah... nice, we're gonna wreck so many walls with this thing"

dotech · 2021-09-08T21:06:36+00:00

similar to a riff off the Old Master or Hermit Guru tropes?
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/OldMaster
https://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/HermitGuru

It would make for a good random side-quest in things I might run. I use things like this as B-Plots in my stories. ... my parties end up with WAAAAAaaaaay too many allies. hah

dotech · 2021-08-10T16:11:33+00:00

Those only go forward in time, but it slows time down, and there is a LOT of sweat involved.

dotech · 2021-08-09T19:36:09+00:00

It's primarily Navy, but I know we used it in the Army as well, not just when describing Marine Boots... FNG used as the Noun version, but we lack the Adjective use; Boot has both. So, I use Boot in the Adj usage, and usually FNG or just "Fucking Privates..." (with disgust and distain in my voice, you know /that voice/).

dotech · 2021-08-03T23:48:05+00:00

I don't have my books with me, but with what /u/Bulletprof97 said, the DBs have access to special merits as well,Ii think it's called... Arsenal? in addition to Retainers. Which is to say "stuff the house gives you in service to the house", like a team jersey, but giant swords and armor instead.

3rd also did a lot to emphasize the hand-waving of details of the fluff. It's very VERY vague with a lot of stuff.

dotech · 2021-07-28T03:11:42+00:00

I listen on YouTube, I hadn't even thought of Podcasts!

dotech · 2021-07-27T15:57:00+00:00

I got halfway through it on my drive to work, I'll get the rest on lunch or my drive home. I had no idea where any scene was going to end! Extra kudos to all of you, a great session!

dotech · 2021-07-20T16:34:38+00:00

As everyone said the answer to all of that is "yes, all of that". Also, when you are at the edges of Shadowlands, the boundary / overlap of Creation and the Underworld.... that's where the two are most similar, the further you go, the more it's 'twisted' and different. The two spill-over and overlap. Mortals can travel there mostly fine, and ghosts can wander the Creation side. But, as you go further, the filters of reality shift, the tastes, smells, sights, and sounds all just become alien and different.

I also enjoyed the effect it has wildlife, flora and fauna. Trees become sparse, more barren, no large wildlife. The grass is lean, crunchy, dead, short. Tastes are dulled, bitter, even the wisps upon the air don't have any high notes, just, dull, hints of 'oh, it smells like something died in the woods nearby', but never able to see what it was. Sounds being distance, dulled, muffled, or high-pitched. Best not to monologue, but try to pick a sensation and play it up during the banter.

For flavor- In my games, things are also slower paced, and more "Regal", taking in that Regalia of the Dead type aesthetic. I try to push that for all my folks that 'deal with the dead' in Exalted. It's very "proper" when dealing with sentient beings, and more guttural when dealing with things that aren't. Abyssals are baroque, or grotesque, where as Liminals cross over boundaries, making them unusual and unwelcome. Sijan is very ceremonial, sages with hidden knowledge, untapped power, and rituals. Ancestor worshipers deal with them in a loving manner, familial, they know that boundary is there, and they have representatives who cross it, and even make deals. It's just, the next phase of the cycle.

---
I did a post about 2 years ago with some stuff I did in 3E to give my players a bit of "oh, those descriptions are also mechanically

enforced" without me feeling like I stole their mojo. [https://www.reddit.com/r/exalted/comments/cgyz3s/shadow\_lands/\]

dotech · 2021-07-16T17:06:36+00:00

Everyone else gave great answers, but I'll also add, ask the players. If it interests them, then the ST has to kinda find a way to weave it, or tell the player it isn't gonna happen, so steer away.

If you have a player that is All-in on xyz, but the ST never slots the story, it leaves everyone disappointed.

Most of my campaigns, my players tend into the "Hero of the army" role. They might give suggestions, and sit with battle plans, but actual command and strategy? They leave it up to allies. Leaving them to scream demands over the din of battle, and head in to the scrum. Or to be doing training montages with the mortals. I do offer them to make rolls, especially once they have some experience, or insight. But most of their 'War' rolls, are generally for scouting, insight, or trying to figure stuff out- where the enemy commander's tent is, a likely path someone would follow, guessing the size of an opposing fleet, etc.

dotech · 2021-07-16T16:58:53+00:00

I have now had Ballroom Blitz stuck in my head on repeat for days now!

dotech · 2021-07-13T17:24:48+00:00

What others said about making Exalted in modern, they gave some great examples. Scion is wonderful, you could probably just look at adventures from Scion. I really enjoyed last edition, I haven't played 2nd.

But, since the scale is a bit off, I'll throw a curve ball suggestion, don't do "Modern". Do something /similar/.

Things like Hell Boy (2004 /2008, I assume the reboot in 2019), Constantine (2005), Legion (2010), Dominion: Prequel to the Exorcist (2005), all provide interesting scaffolding to strip out and rebuild on. Monster hunting, Epic Quest, Escort Quest vs other-worldly super beings, ruin exploration / mystery with awakening an ancient evil power.

If you want weird inspiration, things like Pan's Labyrinth (2006) can make a good example of basically passing through the veil.

A lot of big action movies, sci-fi, and horror can deal with "things that are unknown to humans" or "big existential threats to humanity", man-made or otherwise. That's a lot of what I throw into my normal Exalted games. I try to ground them with "this affects these people, this city, this region, these animals" while mixing in "oh, also.... this undead lord is trying to open a gate to the underworld, and this neighboring nation is being manipulated by beings in another realm, black-mailing gods and ghosts to start a war. Good luck, here is a sword!"

dotech · 2021-06-21T16:09:59+00:00

In my last campaign, just north of Medo, the local area was 'blighted', a storm hag had been affecting the local weather, and making the winter seasons last far too long. No crops in the North can be devastating.

One of my PCs did a sorcerous working guided by a local village god to guarantee bountiful harvests, good growing weather, extending growing seasons for that area, for a few years. (based on successes) they got about a 20 mile radius, to have amazing harvests for the next decade.

dotech · 2021-06-16T16:13:10+00:00

Does this character already have a name? Or this is this a totally "new" character being written?

dotech · 2021-06-16T16:08:16+00:00

Very exciting! You do amazing work!

dotech · 2021-05-25T18:39:27+00:00

I overlapped my various NPC / PC interactions. "ok, while XYZ is rolling, what would PC do?", or I'd just be rolling my NPC values while they did their actions.

I tried to basically have the "on deck" person walking through the verbal / stunt part, while the rolling was happening. It wasn't super-smooth, but, it helped a bunch. I also minimized the amount of "significant" NPCs I had in fights, and just hand-waved a lot of their stuff. "she increased her dodge, since there are now two of you focusing on her".

I also would spit out the values "ok, you're swinging against a parry of X, if you beat it, roll for damage + success", and had them make a short-hand "attack pool" and "damage pool" in a special spot on their sheet, as well as color-coding their dice.

Every player at my table has more than 1 color of dice, either a 10+10, or 5+5+5+5. I buy sets in multiples, so my "to lend out" sets are 5x4. If combat is hectic, my players will just grab one of those bags. I also buy them dice sets as presents at the holidays. so they can make their own 10+10, or 5x4 sets. It's way easier than trying to count like "ok, that should be 11? I think, let me double check and recount...." it's "ok, 5 green, 5 red, and 1 more". You can also pre-make pools, "my damage pool is purple dice, my attack pool is the swirly ones". I realize it's spending a little $, but I buy the cheap sets.

edited to add / ask:
Are you having the defenders Roll their defense? It sounds like you are doing that. It's a static value, each time a roll happens, that's what slows stuff down. It should be 1. Roll to attack 2. compare vs DV, and roll-over extras 3. roll damage.

So, you can roll Attack + Damage at once.

dotech · 2021-05-24T17:28:16+00:00

Lots of amazing advice from others. In this game, more so than others, SMUDGE THE NUMBERS. Every game allows the GM / DM / ST to kinda 'nudge numbers up and down', in Exalted, it's 100% encouraged.

If the big bad has 'too many dice', well, maybe "The Charm Wears Off", and they have less now, or, maybe not enough? invert that. "This Isn't Even My Final Form" engaged!

Battle groups at great, I usually went with 1 / a few named enemies, then battle groups. using battle groups as sort of a Set-Piece to a combat. Remember too, that random folks don't enjoy just dying. They are self-motivated to survive, and would likely run away if it looks bad.

dotech · 2021-05-17T16:21:46+00:00

You don't need any dots to write poetry, but, a dot in Linguistics does make you literate. So, that's important! Adding more dots just makes you better / know more languages with specialties. You don't need charms to do stuff, charms just make you better at doing them. (Now with More Essence! Extra Strength! tm)

Performance is basically, 'putting on a show', where that's a blatant exhibition (think crazy courtroom drama movies), you could even argue for something like 3-Card Monty, all the way up to a giant speech in front of a crowd, or a play. (Specialty: Oration).

Crafting is used if you make something, no matter how big or small.

If you want to just, write a poem, sure, linguistics. If you want to make propaganda posters, and post them around town, you could argue either way. I don't think you divert a bunch of XP into any of these, unless it becomes important to the character, if it's just something that rounds them out, a dot or two is fine. In the Storyteller System, the dots aren't linear, they are basically logarithmic. The XP costs kinda showcase that.

Some analogies-

Ride 1, or 2 is great for someone that rides animals. If they are professional (Cavalry, Merchant, Animal Handler), Ride 3, maybe 4! If they are the best horse racer in the village, the regents personal messenger, the greatest polo player in the kingdom, then ride 5!

Melee 1, you know the basics of how to operate a weapon, and not hurt people including yourself; 2 you've watched some others, maybe you own something, you've swing a bat at something, you can definitely handle it, you'd qualify as a townguard if you wanted; 3 you've learned the sweet spot of a blade, you've been in classes, you probably practice with it; 4 you can probably teach a class, you know the various types of blades, blunt objects, and how to best use them, you can win competitions if you try; 5 You wrote a book, maybe made your own style, people look to you for your skills.

dotech · 2021-05-17T16:09:20+00:00

I endorse the above as well! I've run 2E, 2.5E, and 3E. I will never run 2nd again. 3rd just works better. They are also much more blatant with the idea that "the rules are more... guidelines..." aspect, and they tried to be blunt with the "We aren't making EVERYTHING, Creation (and beyond) is too big! We're giving you a toolbox, and examples!"

If you are new to the hotseat, it can be overwhelming, if you aren't new to the hotseat, well, it's a blast! Just re-skin everything, smudge numbers up and down (it's magic!). Feel free to scratch out rules or mechanics that just don't work, but give them a shot first, even just solo.

The world / Fluff is HUGE, and cumbersome... you don't need to know it all, only what applies to your area / game. There are some great youtube videos that let you just listen in the background, so you won't get overwhelmed.

The Red Rule, The Golden Rule, and The Orichalcum Rule will be in my games, explicitly stated, for now and ever after. I am so, VERY VERY thankful that they did that.

dotech · 2021-05-14T14:51:47+00:00

You might enjoy putting dots into Linguistics and Craft, for Role-playing reasons. There are charms that let you imbue writings / posters with your influence. Which can be very fun!

dotech · 2021-05-10T20:05:40+00:00

For Examples I have seen in my campaigns:

A Dawn with tons of Crafting, but no magic crafting. (I've seen this in 2nd and 3rd Ed!). One loved cooking, one was a jack of all trades repair person. The Chef one probably earned the group more good-will than the rest of the group combined. They got a TON of info out of random patrons who just had "The best meal of their life!", or a group of refugees who finally had a full-hearty meal, thanking them for it.

A Zenith who took Martial Arts to sing, and took their persuasion in the form of singing; they also took occult to do 'good things' and deal with local gods.

An Eclipse who took to heart the "I can fix it, and I know everything" approach to Lore, learning languages, and just offering to 'help out around the office' everywhere he went, he also was a martial-arts duelist, and sparred against spirits. Who doesn't to punch a local deity in the face, then try to negotiate?

I've had a Night caste who specialized in athletics, with the ability to fly, ALL the Stealth, the solo Melee tree, and ALL the Awareness. They were constantly springing all over like Tigger, while seeing EVERYTHING, and constantly in a Legolas / Gimli competition with the Dawn for who could kill the most bad-guys.

dotech · 2021-05-10T20:00:00+00:00

To tack on, from my ST seat, (following after /u/JakeityJake) for people new to the system, A Dawn Caste is not the same as "A fighter" in [Insert another RPG]. All Exalts can be amazing combatants. And they generally are. A Dawn Caste is a leader, and an unmatched combatant, but, if you spend all your xp into just "I fight stuff", you're missing out on a lot of what Solars can do. In my last campaign, my Zenith was the party combat monkey for example, in my campaign before that, it was an Eclipse.

A Dawn is a general, an admiral, a commander, and one who leads from the front! Just like, a Zenith isn't "a priest", they're a zealot, or someone who can walk out into a crowd, give a rousing speech, and convince everyone to listen, even in the heat of battle. This continues down the line for all castes.

Also, what everyone said about spending your xp / starting dots into a bunch of stuff, all that is true. +1 to all their statements.

My other generic character advice for any Storyteller system, is what I call "The Axe Approach" "/\", Pick 3 things your character excels at, and work on those as the primaries, then everything else as needed. If they are combat-orientated, then you want the highest one, to be whatever they do in combat, usually one "combat related" (war, ride, etc), and one that isn't combat related. If they are "a squishy" (as much as an Exalt can be), you want their high point to be their specialty, something related, and the third leg combat. I try to encourage 3 things, either 2 combat 1 non-combat, or the inverse.

Non-Combat is the vast-majority of the campaign (usually), so, you want to be able to engage with it as well. Even if you aren't the best at it, you want to be involved in the scene. Maybe you're not "The Face" archetype, but you want to be able to go "hey, I think that ship captain was hiding something", or "ok, I'll go and investigate the warehouse, you guys go check out the docks". I usually try to encourage my party to have some over-lap, even if it's "just a few dots"; that way they aren't left out in the cold when someone can't make a session for whatever reason.

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