TrialByFire/ChallengeForum

This is the place for positing more information about challenges you are looking to do, or for setting things up. Once a basic challenge is agreed on in principle, you should set up a page for it and do things like sign negotiations there. This is more for connecting people to fight. Have fun.

The Challenge

In hindsight, everyone knew trouble was coming when Monkey drunkenly declares, "The true martial artisht relies not on artif, arties..., not on schtuff, y'know what I mean?" The part where he told Broken Wing Shun, "not like you. You're a... a shorcerer. We marshallarist. You shoosh" was definitely trouble knocking. But still, it could've been avoided, since Broken Wing Shun is the epitome of level-headedness and can't possibly be provoked. But when Monkey emphasizes his point with a Distractingly Lewd Gesture, well, Broken Wing Shun must react, lest he loses the respect of everyone.

Well, Ian, I'm sure you've looked at my working sheet and expected this. Since it's just you and me so far, well, it's just you and me. - TonyC

Shun smiled at Monkey, placing a hand on the man's shoulder. "I have heard you are quite strong, and it seems you have heard of my battles as well. Let me buy you a drink, and tomorrow, let us meet on the beach so you can prove to everyone what you say is true."

Yup... let's do it. I have a sneaking suspicion my butt is toast though. What with your stacking form bonuses and turning into three of yourself. - IanPrice

Seeking

• Actually, I'd like to see an Invicible Sword Princess in a Royal Warstrider (Juggernaut warstrider's okay too). Yes, a melee focused Exalt in a warstrider. If said Princess has Appearance 5, I promise I'll have Monkey fight her naked, that way the audience will see cheesecake from at least one combatant.
• And where is the Surfer Dude with a Windblade daiklave?

- TonyC

I'd like to try out some SMA goodness next, so I'm thinking of writing up a version of Shun using PAoC and some things I used from the previous fight. A rematch with Monkey is one option, but really I'd like to see some other contestants join the fray. Who's up for it? - IanPrice

I'd love to play a match against someone. You're thinking an SMA on SMA match? I'd throw up a CMoS practioner against the shiny new PAoC Shun.-Ambisinister, back and with time to spare

At least I've already got experience trying to go up against superior opponents with independent actions... though I'd like to stick with the normal TrialByFire terms, and not let you go above Essence 5. PAoC was my choice since it can be fully taken within that limitation. - IanPrice, who is out of town at the moment, but will be back in a couple of days.

Wait, that's not said anywhere, is it? Er... let me think about this. I'll come up with something when I return home. - IanPrice

Okay, I've thought it over. I'll accept the CMoS challenge, but if you'd like to specify elder Exalts who can reach Essence 7, I think we should use a bit more than 500 XP. Specifically, I think we should use the guidelines for elder exalted in the 2e book (reprinted from the 1e PG), which would give such a person around 1500 XP. - IanPrice

To be honest with you, I was totally confusing Shun with Monkey when you suggested remaking Shun with PAoC. Monkey with PAoC would be absolutely terrifying (and have independant actions) which is why I suggested CMoS as a competing style. That being said, I've dealt with my confusion and have some options to offer: A) proceed with the fight and I'll build an elder essence CMoS practioner. B) I can build a CMoS practioner who only uses charms up to essence 5. Or C) Go with a different type of warrior since I don't have to try and contend with and opponenet who can benefit from 9 forms simultaneously and have fully indpendant actions. - Ambisinister, who is really content with all the presented options

P.S. I"m guessing that since you modded PAoC to 2e, that is the rule set you'd like to use?

In all fairness, Monkey could only benefit from 6 forms at once, because PAoC form would count all the monkey forms as one outside form due to Fivefold Monkey Mastery, and then it would allow any one other form. But yes, he would be disturbingly scary. As if he already wasn't. Anyway, if you want to go for elders, I'll be busting out some custom charms of mine for testing. If not, I'm putting up the new, Dawn-Caste version of Shun from an alternate timeline with 490 xp spent now (though this isn't final, since I don't have the Sidereals book with me to check on how Sutras work). If you don't have a preference, then I say we just stick with 500 XP and Essence 5 for simplicity. - IanPrice, preferring 2e for similar reasons.

I think I misread how Three Fold Partition of the Soul worked when I came up with that number of forms. Monkey aside, Shun will be scary as hell as well. Rocking all five PAoC forms is very formidable, as is using Celestial Monkey form and one of the PAoC's forms so you can do the whole fight in heavy armor with goremauls. Back to the business at hand, I'll build an essence 5, 500xp CMoS guy. I'll miss not having Cannibalistic Heritage Technique and Water Spider Bite, but I'm sure I'll find some way to get on with my life. We can roll it 2e if you'd like. I haven't done anything with the system yet, so you'll have to bear with me if we do. If CMoS hasn't been converted yet, I'll do that as well. Regarding Sutras: I believe that according to cannon only Sidereals can use them. If you know the form of a charm of a Siddie MA then you can spend a will to activate the student sutra which discount all charm costs within that style by 5 motes. If you know all the charms in the style you can spend a will to activate the elder sutra which discounts all charms in the style by one will and 10 motes. Even if we houserule that solars can use sutras, that'll give you a decent advantage over me as i won't have access to my elder sutra. I also have a quick question regarding character construction: The method is straight out of the book, +500xp with the noted backgrounds restricted, correct?- Ambisinister

And those backgrounds not mentioned as restricted, otherwise unlimited (no need to spend those points). I'll check on the Sutras thing when I have access to my friend's Sids book and my Player's Guide again, to see if there is in fact a restriction to Sids for Sutras. If I can't use 'em, then I'll have to be selective about what I activate, because I won't have the Essence to commit for everything at once (let alone any left over to use Charms with). - IanPrice

Comments

I don't know much about high Essence combat, but the warstrider idea is intriquing. Since the rules require combatants be a master of some MA style, what would work well with a warstrider? Solar Hero? Air or Water Dragon? -- Wordman

The rules could be bent if a Melee tree was to be tested or something, but I'll note that any MA that allows armor allows warstriders. - IanPrice

There's a wiki MA somewhere -designed- for warstriders. Can't remember what it was, though.
-- Darloth

Lucent Guardian in the Night Sky? ~WillCoon