Actually, that's Mark.

Indeed, I am Mark. In my eternal quest for a fitting name.
Spoilers: I probably won't be keeping this. It's an attempt at the poetry of Exalted names, but... ehhh... seems to be missing the point. Reflecting on the names given in in-world stories and discussing with friends as to how I should be approaching it.

I've found Exalted names work best as either <DESCRIPTION> <NOUN>, or <DESCRIPTION> <NAME>.  Dynast names tend to work differently, though I don't think that is an issue considering your backstory.

Thinking about names, it should be noted that if we are in snow, my name is Yukigo, water Namigo, etc.

You really like blending in, don't you?

Wait, I looked back at my character sheet, and I didn't take prehensile feet. I think it's fair to say that isn't a very feline feature anyway, and I'm overspending on merits as is. I'm debating dropping the mechanical qualities of the ears just so I don't spend 3 BP on getting +2 to hearing-based perception. Points better spent in, say, increasing my natural aptitude for noticing details of all varieties. Or increasing my natural aptitude for reaction.

Well, you will have to get that worked out before we start playing on Wednesday.

And I will be at Battlegrounds at the usual time.

In reply to The All-Seeing Eye (msg # 19):

which is timewise ?

Wel, I'll be there by around 5:30 or so, so hopefully we can get running by 6:30 or 7 at the latest.

If the Strollas can be by at 5, I can leave then. I wouldn't plan on doing anything before 6:30 with people's work schedules and all, but if we're gathered we'll start.

That's about what I was expecting anyways.  Work and stuff, plus I will need to get some food after work, too.

I feel like the old Dwarf Fortress standby is going to give us some real trouble - something, or someone, specialized in grappling... and then biting. A lot. But specifically doing that on the standard Exalted crack, to keep up with the slowdown of withering/decisive.

Grappling requires a Gambit at difficulty 2. This means you need to make a decisive attack, hit, and beat difficulty 2 on the damage roll - which causes you to lose only 3 Init (based on the difficulty of the gambit + 1, rather than a reset). After which point, you can savage the hell out of him with the right merit and charms. Also, you're both at -2 Defense, can't flurry, can't take movement actions, take -1 on all attacks, and -3 on two-handed attacks (grapple the guy with the surfboard sword and Crash him. Do it.)

Escaping a grapple requires succeeding on a contested Strength + Brawl/MA roll, and good luck accomplishing that as anything but another grappler. I'm sure a couple people here could, but... I do swords. I'm more likely to stab at him until he Crashes out of the grapple. Or just, turn to water, metaphorically speaking.

At least on the plus side, they only get a number of rounds grappling equal to the net successes on that Str+Brawl/MA! And they lose rounds of grappling when attacked and when damaged: two rounds per attack that also deals damage. And they lose the grapple if they Crash.

Just uh, don't let the giant Creation-porcupine grapple you into his Loving Embrace of Chestquills, and gnaw on your jugular, while skewering you in 20 points with his ghetto acupuncture skills.
This message was last edited by the player at 08:18, Tue 17 Nov 2015.

It is dangerous, but it is meant to be.  Of course, you should keep in mind that they'll need between 4 and 6 Initiative to reliably make the Gambit, and before that, they still have to make the Decisive Attack (i.e. no Accuracy bonus).  Against a high Parry or Evade character, that could be difficult (barring Charms and stuff).

Though, yes, you should beware the Giant Man-Embracing Porcupine, for many, many reasons...

So do we want to go ahead and talk about Seduction? Because I have a feeling there could be a lot of seduction here. What's a good "mature content" Exalted game without some potentially easy, potentially uncontested, dramatic shifts in social influence? I'm seriously considering Charisma 3 / Appearance 4, and if I intentionally shoot myself in the proverbial foot with regards to sincere argument, I'm going to be using that Appearance dot for something, and it isn't just going to be getting obscene bonuses to inspire the average crowd through dance.

Seriously though, we've got a romantic prince and a man who plies his trade in enjoying the benefits of being shirtless and using his muscular arms to "swell passions and deeper emotions." Even if the word "seduction" isn't used, the same tension will be evident. And both Qin'ai and Rikuto are rocking at least 8 intimacies at this point, with expectations to ride the roller coaster of building/dissolving intimacies.

P.S.: The subject definitely didn't change for this post.
This message was last edited by the player at 20:56, Wed 18 Nov 2015.

In reply to Nine-Swords Rikuto (msg # 26):

Well Qin'ai not Rhys is very much a man of passions. I can see seduction being a stable way of dealing with problems. I can also for those who know Dr. Who seeing him as a captain Jack hartness type of guy.

At the very least, I can see it coming up, and hope it doesn't offend anyone or come off as too awkward. I'll try to be tactful.

Also... I found my anima banner. ;D
It's... being finnicky in TinyURL though, so. Link. http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-Rv5B...589_M%25281%2529.jpg
Imagine the above, classic image... but of course, less of an Egyptian spin - some other "tribal" (alternate cultural) symbol in the halo above, standing over Rikuto as a paragon avatar emanating coruscating wings of flowing silver stylized in a curved blade shape.

Not to completely rip off the thousand daiklave wings, but... I had to use that inspiration. It's just too perfect! And at the very least, there are reasons to symbolize a silver scimitar spin.

I might be leaning on Brian for... all, of my gear, at this point. I'll try. But it's coming down to time. :P
I can't imagine I'll have much more than light armor, two mundane curve/elastic blades, and the Sword/Song of Creation. Maybe the equivalent of a "survival kit" and some other traveling supplies. Maybe a cestus on his off hand, and a few custom-fit chakram for his tail.

You can't have a band without groupies.

And why is the discussion about seduction entitled grappling?

Hehehe. "Grappling."

Caravan - I think I have a good plan for our crowning, premier, debut of a performance! Hear me out, this plan may be gold.

I want to instill in these people a sense, a belief, a FOLLOWING - that if they can make it through this fight, not unscathed but not decimated, then they done so through the providence of the Solar Exalted: they have resisted the tyranny of the Realm, through our power and theirs combined. I want to coordinate a dance, a performance really, with everyone in the Circle involved in some way, even if indirectly. I want this final dance to establish the Solar Exalted as glorious warriors who are fighting in their name, for their cause, in defense of their fallen citizens in that first deadly battle with the Dragon-Blooded. If all goes according to plan, we may, just may, be able to garner a small culture willing to accept Solar Exaltation as anything less than a curse, and maybe, just maybe, a small cult following for our Circle as an entity. It may have to be assigned to someone, and I would probably at that time nominate the actual apparent performance leader (Steelthorn Flamesinger). But first, we'll have to see how everyone stunts their part in this group plan. Feel perfectly free to reject it, I can do my dance as a sideshow to what actually splinters out of first contact with the enemy. (My overly cultural performance will probably be dissonant with the 80's rock god over there anyway - a tasteful duality.)

I'm eager to see how this session goes! Just about every Solar hates the Realm for one reason or another, and it's a Defining principle to me, as well as Major Principles to spread trust in the Exalted and to extol the Circle as the harbingers of a brighter dawn. This is already something I'm destined for, and probably won't get many shots at with this good of a context. Props to Cat for setting the scene, and I think everyone will get a chance to shine.

Ok - Cat's probably not going to be there tomorrow (though hopefully that will change).

I am still planning on running, though we'll be down to 3 (and possibly 4 if Jason shows up).

Sword guy, martial voicer, and craftsmancer... and potentially the ninjassassin. That should be enough to let the battle group have their fight while we take down the chainbelter.

Note to self. Get a nice, exceptional fighting chain. For reasons.

In reply to The All-Seeing Eye (msg # 31):

so far Jason says he will be there

Cat, Mike:  Add 5 regular EXP for the session last night.  You can still earn up to 6 Solar EXP from posts and such between now and the next session.

I will be fine for running on Wednesday.

Also, while he probably won't be showing up, I am beginning to brainstorm and work on Little Bear, and his Familiar, Boo-boo.  Little Bear is the Chosen of Minoru Ursa, the Eastern God of Trauma, Bears and Their Unfortunate Confluence.

Perfect.

We should probably decide how Rush works in our game, even if we change the rules up a bit. It's a strange mechanic, since it doesn't allow for any difference between striding and all-out sprinting, etc. (Brian - feel free to skip the rest of this post, which is mostly clarification and examples, if you already have an answer in mind.)

By the book, the Rush action is a combat action which declares that you devote this round to making some ground on the opponent. You first take a reflexive move action to advance one range band, and then your combat action might trigger when the opponent moves. You roll an opposed Athletics test with the opponent. If you get more successes, then when they make a move action away from you, you follow them one range band, like the Step Up feat in Pathfinder. However, this means that if they stand their ground, your combat action essentially did nothing, except perhaps pressure them into reacting to you.

Let's say you're a mortal swordsman fighting a mortal archer, to take out some charm variables. The archer is shooting at you from Long range*, but has to aim to do so. They just fired at you, and missed.

You decide you're done hiding behind cover, and charge at them. In game terms, you take a Rush action, with your reflexive move action to get to Medium range. You get 5 successes on the Athletics roll, and he gets 3.

In scenario one, the archer thinks he can get you with one more shot, and stands his ground to aim. You are now at medium range, and your Rush action did nothing for you this round (even though you beat him, he didn't move). You take another Rush action (getting 4 successes to his 2), in case he breaks off after his shot, and your reflexive action moves you to Short range. He takes his combat action to shoot at you, and misses again. Seeing he's beat, he tries to break off and escape, because you are now at Short range and he can't aim again. He uses his reflexive action to move to Medium range, but because you got 4 successes to his 2, you advance again to Short range. On your action, your reflexive carries you to Close/Melee range, and you can now attack him.

In scenario two, the archer realizes he has no support, and you're the better melee combatant, so he decides to break off immediately and escape combat, or at least get behind a landmark nearby, perhaps allies or a drawbridge at Long range from him. As mentioned earlier, you got 5 successes to his 3, so when he takes his reflexive move away, you keep at Medium range. He takes a Rush action, getting 3 successes to your 2, and it's your turn. You take your reflexive to close to Short range with him, but his Rush action triggers and he advances to Medium range. You take your Rush action to keep up and close with him, and get 2 successes to his 3 (again.) It's his turn, and he takes a reflexive move away from you to Long range, while your Rush action failed. He takes a Rush action to keep you from closing with him, but he gets 1 success and you get 4. On your action, you'll advance to Medium range without contest, and your Rush action might overtake his, but he's getting closer and closer to a better combat position...

In these examples, we show that the rules system is designed with the intention of an exciting, fast-paced footrace, which turns into an opposed sprinting roll... with exceptions - perhaps you have a charm that advances you two range bands at the cost of Init, or perhaps there are five Solars chasing down a mortal hero, or perhaps you're sprinting together but the opponent makes distractions (difficult terrain), or perhaps the opponent only needs to move two range bands until he's behind those allies/drawbridge/cover, and so on. The drawn-out victory condition for the prey is to escape to Extreme range at which point his Withdraw action allows him to disengage combat entirely; but declaring Withdraw all but crashes you outright, in exchange for moving further each round.

I'd be perfectly amenable to a house rule where taking the Rush action and succeeding on the Athletics test simply moves you 2 range bands immediately, but that might overpower some Charms, that might allow you to overtake and flurry on archery/thrown combatants more easily than intended, and that might UNDERPOWER charms like Thunderclap Rush Attack which explicitly allows you to immediately move a range band when you declare it, i.e. right after your turn's reflexive move action, so long as this places you within range to make an attack.

I don't mind how we flavor it, but I do need to know which it is, for taking charms and stunting combat. We might need to reword some charms depending on the house rules we set for the baseline. The default "you might waste your move, but you pressured them to rethink their action" is alright, but might result in too many wasted turns and back-and-forths for our highly aggressive play. :P


*ALSO - I just double-checked the Rush rules, and it says you can only attempt this at Short range to keep at Short and, presumably, advance to Close and attack next turn. I figure this rule would work well even at Medium/Long range if you're dealing with an archer, especially an Exalted archer, who's trying to keep away from you and keep shooting; only allowing it to maintain Short range nullifies the stunt of all-out sprinting into arrow fire, and an Exalt wouldn't need to aim to keep shooting and moving a range band back, shooting and moving, shooting and moving... while a swordsman advanced and parried, advanced and parried, advanced and parried... Definitely need thoughts here.
This message was last edited by the player at 21:29, Wed 09 Dec 2015.