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The Cometary Exalted - Chosen of Tigranes, Harbingers of Victory

Table Of Contents

Chapter One: History - The ancient history of Sedna and the Cometary Exalted.
Chapter Two: Aspect - The Essences and Exaltation of the Cometary Exalted, their Aspects, and the powers that they wield.
Chapter Three: Character Creation - How to make a hero.
Chapter Four: Traits - Special Backgrounds of the Cometaries, their anima banners and innate capabilities, and their Limit.
Chapter Five: Charms - The Charms that form the powers of the Cometary Exalted
Chapter Six: Storytelling - Ideas for how to use the Cometary Exalted in your games.

Brainstorming

This page is here because I am a maniac.

I am a maniac because I have decided to create another new type of Exalt - the Cometary Exalted. Why? Because the idea occured, and I was unable to remove it. Le argh.

At the moment, this is entirely a brainstorming page. Once I've got enough of a framework together, I'll start working on something more concrete to turn this into a proper project.

The Cometary Incarna

Hrm. This one is tricky. I'm thinking someone who spent centuries forging through the Wyld, scouting, exploring for new Primordials, and blazing his way across the endless reaches. His times in Creation were few, but he grew to hate the Primordials that kept screwing things up while he was gone. After the War, he left again on another trek through the Wyld... and failed to return?

The Cometary Aspects

Basically, I want to go WEIRD with this. Therefore, I have decided to go with the ultimate bizareness in Aspect. The Aspect of a Cometary Exalt is dependant on his Permanent Essence rating; as they grow in power, their purpose to the other Cometaries changes.

Essence 2: Impending Caste - Most defensive, to give them time to grow in power Essence 3: Approaching Caste - Removes training times, something about understanding quickly? Essence 4: Perigee Caste - battle-related powers Essence 5: Departing Caste - stealth powers? Essence 6: Apogee Caste - natural teachers

While I like Perigee and Apogee, I can't think of proper names for the other three.

Anima powers have to be something with generic utility. The key here is, given the way that people are going to be forced into aspect based on their Essence, it is critical to have anima powers as widely applicable as possible, without giving up their identity. This will, of course, be a monster to figure out.

Also, since aspect changes, cometaries have no aspect Attributes. Instead, they have only Favoured ones - I'm thinking one each from Physical, Social, and Mental.

Cometary Charm and Essence Purpose

Cometary Exalted don't have extended lifespans the way that the other Celestial Exalted do. Instead, the higher their Essence ratings become, the closer they become to death. Those who reach Essence 6 have only a few years left to live; their power burns through them rapidly, as their patron tries to match the power of the other Incarna within them.

This makes the Cometary Exalted the shock troops of the Celestials. Where the Solars led, the Lunars defended, and the Sidereals guided, the Cometaries struck. They leapt into the fray, opening pathways for the other Exalted to follow. Their arrival was an omen of the fall of their enemies, and they counter-attacked with ferocity.

Cometary Charms are thus made to shatter and break through the foes. They are in some ways a mix of Solars, Sidereals, and Abyssals; innately destructive, able to appear without warning and blast through their foes, and focused more towards offensive than defense. In fact, they may have the most potent counter-attack Charms and the least potent defenses of the Celstial Exalted. They are not good at maintaining a world once it is won, only in winning it. They are particularly not good at surviving that win, but there are always more Cometaries to follow. Those few who reach the higher tiers become subtle, passing their training and powers to their students before vanishing in a blaze of glory.

Cometary Charm Mechanics

Alright, so down to brass tacks. Cometary Charms are going to be Attribute-based, both because this allows for greater versatility for the Exalted, and because it makes the Lunars less alone on that front of the major Exalted. Also, because I like Attribute-based Charms. ;)

Cometary Charmsets are good at sudden appearances, breaking stuff, and inspiring others to break stuff. They differ from the Abyssals in that damage is more important than destruction; the primary purpose of the Cometaries was to open holes for others to exploit, although they can take advantage of those holes themselves. No slow corruption or necrotic Essence here. They're good at short-term persuasion, but their social effects tend to fall apart far faster than other Celestials'. They might be good at pre-attack sabotage...

Ah-hah. I have a plan. The Cometary shtick is hang-and-release effects. Many of their Charms require committed Essence in advance, and then can be released to activate the effect. They can hang these on both themselves and, in some cases, others - resulting in later-activated sabotage surprises.

Cometary History

Comments

Friv - Well, if you're going attribute-based, might I inquire about the patron a bit more? I once read a nice discussion of how attribute-based exalts were generally primordially-involved, and ability-based ones were celestially involved. Something along the lines that Alchemicals were entirely primordial-based, while Lunars, arguably a cross-breed of Luna and Gaia, have both some favored attributes and some favored abilities. It's always resonated well with me, due to the nature of both types. Something to consider, at least. As for hang-and-release effects, I might also mention a significant lack of scene-longs. Something more along the lines of the ability to use multiple charms per turn (perhaps like the Terrestrials, perhaps not), such that they maintain their charms by burning through essence, rather than simply fire-and-forget. Done right, there's a fine line as each turn you decide which protections and bonuses you need at a given moment. Just some thoughts that might help you out - or not! -- GreenLantern

While the Attribute and Ability split is a neat theory, there is a major hole in it - the Dragon-Blooded. The Terrestrials are based entirely on the Five Dragons, which are souls of Gaia. I think the better idea is that Ability-based Exalts are those based on skill, while Attribute-based Exalts are based on power. If that makes sense. Solars, Dragon-Bloods, and Sidereals are designed to be increasingly ineffable, specializing into areas. Lunars and Alchemicals are much more likely to be generalists.

I like the lack of scene-lengths as a fundament, even if it really messes with them. I was thinking of the hang-and-release as how Cometaries mainly get around Charm limits; by mixing those with instant effects, they have the ability to blast through effects and then they tap out. - FrivYeti

Along the lines of the Hang and Release charm, perhaps this could be their unique excellency. (like terrestrial reenforcement / essence auspicious / ability flow / and the lunar one I can't remember atm)

Spectacular 'Attribute' Impact

1+m, 1w, simple.

Activating this charm the Cometary Exalt commits a number of motes, not to exceed his (Attribute + Essence). These motes can then be de-committed at a later time as a non charm reflexive action, releasing the commitment of a single mote releases them all. When the commitment is released a number of dice are added to a single roll equal to three times the number of motes that were committed.

This would give them a rather unique mechanic that allows for a single almighty roll, but not one that they can use very often. As it is a simple charm that is NOT combo-ok, it is not the sort of thing that is going to be refreshed in the middle of combat. However, if one manages to land a hit on his foe and then releases a strength impact that had say 12 motes committed, that would be an extra 36 dice of damage. I think it fits rather well with the cometary impact theme that they are supposed to have going. -- Rathmun

I'm not sure I could get behind that entirely. As a basic charm, you're burning the willpower for what seems like one strike, and that's that. Many of the other 'uniques' all have much more lengthy effects. I'd wonder if perhaps allowing you to bleed off the points over time wouldn't be a smoother mechanic - essentially making a pool that you can draw from. Given the 'hang-and-release' nature Friv speaks of, in which you hang and release once, the unique would then allow you to release multiple times, giving you a bit of a burn-time. Just my thoughts - no harm intended. -- GL

Actually, essence auspicious for the siddies costs a willpower to turn all the dice to successes. so I don't think costing a willpower is beyond reason. Also, given their role in the Exalted line of battle, I think that a single use could still work since they could withdraw back behind friendly lines after exhausting their resources. However, letting them hang multiple copies of "Spectacular 'Attribute' Impact" could work well I suspect. -- Rathmun

I like the term "Spectacular Attribute Impact", and I'll probably go with a mix of GreenLantern and Rathmun's ideas - I've got to say, though, it'll have to have a die-adder cap of some sort on it. Adding 36 dice to an attack is kind of too much. To damage doubly so. - FrivYeti

true, perhaps the cap on comitted essence to any one copy should be essence, then at ess 6 you could add 18 dice, totaling at 30 dice for 15 sux average, once. I think that compares well to a solar at ess 6 with infinite mastery who can throw 24 dice for an entire scene, for the same cost as a cometary throwing 30 dice 4 times.

Hello there, FrivYeti. I'd just like to ask if you've abandoned this project or not. I thought it was pretty awesome, and I'd like to see more from it. Plus, I'd like to ask some questions if you haven't... ^_^;-- Kuiper

Usually, comets are in orbit about the sun, so they have the terms "Perihelion" and "Aphelion" rather than "Perigee" and "Apogee". --Puellanivis