Rate this Artifact

[william]

Archived from groups: alt.games.whitewolf (More info?)

It looks likely I will be playing my first Exalted game very soon, and
(of course) character design is already well underway even before the
game is certain

Crows at Midnight, however, has hit an unexpected snag. Namely, artifact
creation rules. I have and am using Book of Three Circles. Neither me
nor my GM have much experience with Exalted, though the GM has run a two
session gore-and-giggles Abyssals game.

Unfortunately, the power levels of example artifacts in the books seems
to be very variable, and not match up terribly well with the suggestions
for each level either. I'm looking for experienced opinions.

So: Rate this Artifact!

Blood Gilt in Gold
Item: Reinforced Breastplate
Concept: Ancestral Armor
Materials: Bronze and Orihalcom
Material Power: -1 fatigue penalty (to zero) for Solars wearing this armor.
Powers:
+6 Lethal and Bashing Soak
All charms used in direct opposition to Charms or Sorcery of the wearer
cost +2 Essence.
Once per round, a true and loyal companion fighting at the wearer's side
may use the Twilight caste ability, using the wearer's Essence score and
Essence Pool.

I don't want to say what level I was building this at, for fear of
biasing replies.


William

 

[william]

Archived from groups: alt.games.whitewolf (More info?)

William wrote:

> Materials: Bronze and Orihalcom
> Material Power: -1 fatigue penalty (to zero) for Solars wearing this
> armor.

Man. Already found an error. Didn't remember the core book defined the
effects of Magic Materials for armor. Orihalcom: +2 soak for Solars.

So, total soak 15/14 for the armor, 16/17 with 3 stamina, 22/29 and no
ping with Invincible Skin of Bronze... yeah, I think my Social Monkey
will be pretty safe ignoring those pesky viking waraxes while stunting
Performance (or incorporate them - having a dozen war axes bounce off
your chest does wonders for your "Surrendor now" speech).

William

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.whitewolf (More info?)

On Wed, 06 Oct 2004 23:46:31 -0400, William
<wilit0613@postoffice.uri.edu> wrote:
>Crows at Midnight, however, has hit an unexpected snag. Namely, artifact
>creation rules. I have and am using Book of Three Circles. Neither me

There's more rule in Savant and Sorcerer.

>nor my GM have much experience with Exalted, though the GM has run a two
>session gore-and-giggles Abyssals game.
>
>Unfortunately, the power levels of example artifacts in the books seems
>to be very variable, and not match up terribly well with the suggestions
>for each level either. I'm looking for experienced opinions.
>
>So: Rate this Artifact!
>
>Blood Gilt in Gold
>Item: Reinforced Breastplate
IIRC, your basic orichalcum reinf. breastplate is at artifact 2.

>All charms used in direct opposition to Charms or Sorcery of the wearer
>cost +2 Essence.
>Once per round, a true and loyal companion fighting at the wearer's side
>may use the Twilight caste ability, using the wearer's Essence score and
>Essence Pool.

These are the only powers which are not in the basic oric.reinf.breat,
IIRC.

I'd say Artifact 3 or 4, and complain about how a 1-5 scale is not
granular enough.
On the end, since the twilight caste ability is fueled by the wearer
(can he say no to the use ?), I'd say 3.
In fact, it depends on the first power : if the wearer use ..
Efficient Strike (+1 die/mote on attack) on an opponent, do
dodge/resistance/parry charms of the opponent cost +2 ? ?
If yes, (which means the power is effective quite often), I say four.
(More exactly, I'll say 3.5+, but...)


Guillaume

 

[P]

Archived from groups: alt.games.whitewolf (More info?)

>>So: Rate this Artifact!
>>
>>Blood Gilt in Gold
>>Item: Reinforced Breastplate
>
> IIRC, your basic orichalcum reinf. breastplate is at artifact 2.
>
>
>>All charms used in direct opposition to Charms or Sorcery of the wearer
>>cost +2 Essence.
>>Once per round, a true and loyal companion fighting at the wearer's side
>>may use the Twilight caste ability, using the wearer's Essence score and
>>Essence Pool.
>
>
> These are the only powers which are not in the basic oric.reinf.breat,
> IIRC.
>
> I'd say Artifact 3 or 4, and complain about how a 1-5 scale is not
> granular enough.
> On the end, since the twilight caste ability is fueled by the wearer
> (can he say no to the use ?), I'd say 3.
> In fact, it depends on the first power : if the wearer use ..
> Efficient Strike (+1 die/mote on attack) on an opponent, do
> dodge/resistance/parry charms of the opponent cost +2 ? ?
> If yes, (which means the power is effective quite often), I say four.
> (More exactly, I'll say 3.5+, but...)

Yes, I think I'd back the level 3, and then maybe offer you something
like +2B/+1L to soak, maybe.

And then go mope in a corner about the 1-5 scale... 😉

P

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.whitewolf (More info?)

My turn!

The Left Hand of Darkness

This Abyssal Artifact is a long glove that reaches past the elbow of
the user; it has a single hearthstone on the palm of the hand. To
activate it, the user peels off the glove and channels Essence into
it, causing the glove to reshape itself into a large bird-like
creature (the appearance of the bird is based on the type of glove: a
dusk warrior may have a leather glove which becomes a large raiton,
while a Moonshadow courtesan may have a lace or velvet glove which
becomes a shiny raven). The hearthstone becomes the bird's single left
eye and transmits everything the bird sees back to the one attuned to
it. The bird possesses standard stats for a creature of its kind, +3
dots added wherever the creator desires.

============================================================================

Blessed Hand of the Maiden

This Sidereal Artifact is an ornate hand-bracelet crafted of
Starmetal. Upon activation, it guides the attuned hand to making the
most immediately fortunate choice, tho it's longterm use is
increasingly unreliable. It might give +3 to an attempt to disarm a
First Age weapon, but only +1 to defeat the strategy of a master
Gateway player.

What should these be rated at? Any suggestions for additional rules?

Any other Artifacts to rate?

Dex,
curiosly obsessed with hands today...

 

[william]

Archived from groups: alt.games.whitewolf (More info?)

Hand-of-Omega wrote:
> My turn!
>
> The Left Hand of Darkness
>
> This Abyssal Artifact is a long glove that reaches past the elbow of
> the user; it has a single hearthstone on the palm of the hand. To
> activate it, the user peels off the glove and channels Essence into
> it, causing the glove to reshape itself into a large bird-like
> creature (the appearance of the bird is based on the type of glove: a
> dusk warrior may have a leather glove which becomes a large raiton,
> while a Moonshadow courtesan may have a lace or velvet glove which
> becomes a shiny raven). The hearthstone becomes the bird's single left
> eye and transmits everything the bird sees back to the one attuned to
> it. The bird possesses standard stats for a creature of its kind, +3
> dots added wherever the creator desires.
>
> ============================================================================

I'd add a minor thematic effect (while worn, wearer's hand immune to the
claws of any bird?) and call it level 2.


>
> Blessed Hand of the Maiden
>
> This Sidereal Artifact is an ornate hand-bracelet crafted of
> Starmetal. Upon activation, it guides the attuned hand to making the
> most immediately fortunate choice, tho it's longterm use is
> increasingly unreliable. It might give +3 to an attempt to disarm a
> First Age weapon, but only +1 to defeat the strategy of a master
> Gateway player.
>
> What should these be rated at? Any suggestions for additional rules?

That's an incredibly wide range of uses - it won't be long, for
instance, before the bonus is being applied to every parry and attack
roll. Level 2 at least.

William

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.whitewolf (More info?)

William <wilit0613@postoffice.uri.edu> wrote in message news:<2ttllfF252190U1@uni-berlin.de>...
> Hand-of-Omega wrote:
> > My turn!
> >
> > The Left Hand of Darkness
> >
> I'd add a minor thematic effect (while worn, wearer's hand immune to the
> claws of any bird?) and call it level 2.
>
>
I suppose if it actually gives a combat bonus, like extra soak, then
it'd call for level 3...I like the thematic idea, tho...

> >
> > Blessed Hand of the Maiden
> >

> That's an incredibly wide range of uses - it won't be long, for
> instance, before the bonus is being applied to every parry and attack
> roll. Level 2 at least.
>
See, at first I deliberately wanted to restrict its use to non-combat
situations. But I couldn't think of any good reasons why it wouldn't.
Maybe just a design flaw Drawback? Maybe it should also provide a
hand-related dexterity boost (+2 to pickpocketing, massaging, etc)?

Dex,
devising The Blow-Up Doll of the Maiden of Serenity...^^