Heru/ModernDayOldComments
Modern Day Exalted Old Comments
All of the old comments from my Modern Day Exalted page will be posted here.
On Spirit magic, why not have it focus more on concepts, and absolutes than the other magic of the exalted. Seeing as the Gods are themselves impart what they represent, their magic should focus on clunkier aspects of just that. A God of Lust might come up with a spell with a spell that makes all mortals that make eye contact with the target of the spell fall in love, assuming of course said mortal meets precise requisites of whatever the hell a god of Lust might deem appropriate. How many levels of spirit magic do you want, and who do you want to use it?
Untouched Bastion 20 motes, 1+WP per essence of target This spell was created by Querius the Red-Blooded, in an effort to remind the world of what lust was in the days of old. It has gifted this curse/blessing too a chosen few who would see the world of man turn in on itself with unbridled, and unreasoning need and desire. For as long as the target of this spell remains in a state of purity, and retains virginity all mortals and extras that would consider her an appropriate mate gains a temporary intimacy that lasts a number of scenes equal to the targets essence.
Where as the magic of the living-world focuses on manipulating reality to ones advantage, spirit magic absolutely fortifies favored concepts and ephemeral things, and warps those that are anti-thesis.
Quenching the Flame 35motes, 1+wp per an Intimacy. Created by Lilan of the Untainted root to remind people that purity is the highest and most noble of goal, by undermining that which would see it tainted. Gifted too several celestials who will champion his cause of reminding the world of true self-denial by turning that which one loves too ash on the tongue. This spell turns any intimacy one has that could serve to compromise oneself against the bearer by subtracting a point of willpower from the target each time they pursue said intimacy. Specifically this spell targets things like loves, loyalties, and pretty much any intimacy that doesn't have to do with achieving ones full potential, or forcing the world too do like-wise. -Cazady
Wow, Cazady, cool. Your points are awesome, well thought out and very interesting. I am very glad that you posted your comments here, its appreciated. Now, let me see to answering you questions. What I just took to calling Spirit High Magic comes in three circles like Sorcery and Necromancy and is like in power, though aspected differently. I very much like your idea of how High Spirit Magic would aid in doing what the Gods do, but to greater levels - they take Spirit Charms and turn them to 11. I figure that HSM would also allow the Exalted to create elementals and gods.
- Solars would have access to all three levels of all three types of magic, they are the quintessential lord of everything and mastery of everything. They are pretty powerful and thus the rarest of all types of Exalted.
- Abyssals have access to 3 levels of Necromancy, 2 levels of Sorcery and 2 levels of the Spirit High magic.
- Lunars have access to 3 levels of Sorcery, and 2 levels of the other two.
- Sidereals have access to 3 levels of their Spirit High Magic, and 2 levels of the other two.
- Elemental Terrestrials have 1 circle in Sorcery.
- Underworld Terrestrials have 1 circle of Necromancy.
- Calendrial Terrestrials have 1 circle of Spirit High Magic.
I think that I am more than likely going to make the Underworld Terrestrials become the Netheral Exalted, as in the Netherworld.
I also think I am going to alter the Abilities that I listed up their, I think for the most part the current Exalted abilities work fine. Also no Limit though something like the Great Curse will exist. Also no Wyld Taint in Lunars, Resonance in Abyssals or the fate thing for Sidereals.
The two example spells you list are awesome, perfect and so fit the theme. I am glad that you posted them here (I think I said that already, :) ). Anyway, I would love to hear more of your thoughts on this topic, I love the idea of making an Exalted modern game. Scion doesn't really cut it for me as I don't like the way they did the power systems.
-Heru
Thanks, I love the shape your Modern Exalted is taking, and look forward to playing it someday.
Since Spirit magic is supposed to crank what spirits do to the max, as far as the three levels go are you thinking about adding more ritual too it's magic, like some of the sorcerory in the Treatsies, or did you wanna go more hand-wavey? Do they require quests, and epic tasks that Gods either tend to themselves, or send their worshipers too?? Do you want spirit magic affecting just extra's and hero's, or Exalted aswell??? A fun trait for Spirit sorcery might be that unlike the other schools of reality-warping, spirit magic always requires sacrifice, and can always be canceled if some kind of condition is met. How does this look:
1. The first circle of spirit magic is used to create items of power and expression, often more impressive and absolute than thaumetry, and obviously more occult than anything modern man has come to expect from the world.
Himolapa lady of the Himalayan Mountains has created a curse that turns land-masses larger than a hill into a phobia inducing terror. This spell which she has taught some of her newly recruited followers stacks a single internal penalties on any mortal who would challenge said natural earthen land-mass, while awarding a bonus dice on any mortal aspected to the element of wind in some way. This spell is broken by simply diminishing the cursed land.
2. The second circle of spirit magic deals with abstraction, and warping reality without so much changing it.
Himolapa has created a curse which she has put upon several of the worlds largest sky-scrapers, which adds external penalties equal to her cult-rating. Anyone who enters such a place, and tries to go above the ground floor is increasingly met with impossible chill, shearing winds, and ice-slicked carpets (As the case may be.) And no matter the mundane efforts to correct these conditions the effects are only momentarily dissipated. Space heaters, wet-vacs, fire, all are merely stop gaps, and just barely at that. Too defeat this curse someone just needs to go to the highest point on these "Imposter Mountains" and diminish it by making it taller. (A flag will do it.)
3. Deals with absolute effects, magics of this level will leave an eternal mar on the middle world, and forever after leave a reminder as to what it is to be a god.
Himolapa has ordained that her mountains will forever be unpassable by man. A storm forever blankets the Himalayan mountains in snow, ice, and hail from edge to edge. Strange creatures have begun to emerge from it's crevices. Things that were assumed extinct for untold generations claim their territory around the place. Great Woolie Mammoths bigger than any known fossils, furred bats which descend on warm-blooded pray to suck away their lifes-blood, pale colored saber tooth tigers stalk the edges of the mountains waiting for pray foolish enough too walk roads that just summers prior had been parched stony paths. Too defeat this curse one must desecrate the Mammoth grave yard that is accumulating underneath the mountains.
What do you think?
I can't wait too see what you do with the new kinds of Terrestrials!
As far changing the abilities, any chance your gonna ditch dodge? It always struck me as redundant with athletics. My old group replaced it with profession to better emulate the "Professional Hit Man" night-caste. One player played a maid-ninja who took out Mnemmon, and in a differnt game she played a miner-assassin who was taking out workers and bosses who were working mines for the Dynasts in Harborhead. -Cazady
I figure that Spirit High Magic (I still need a name, any suggesstions) will manipulate the spiritual essence of the spirit world like Sorcery manipulates living essence and Necromancy manipulates death essence. Because this method of magic is similar to the other two its effects will be accomplished the same way - so long rituals and stuff are more common than useful battlefield effects. Still, at lower levels fast casting might be useful and at higher levels battlefield control will be performed.
Also like Sorcery and Necromancy (which, by the way, I refuse to accept require sacrifices and other bullshit, the power to reshape Creation is something Exalted can do by stint of being Exalted, it is a difficult thing and takes time and effort but not a requirement that a caster give up the ability to love his parents) the power is independent of the gods and masters of Creation and thus do not really depend on them. I should also mention that I figure, and this is just a thought, that very few gods actually utilize this type of magic directly. Instead, they utilize spirit charms of uncommonly powerful potency and connection to their spheres and stuff. Only really powerful, independent and mighty gods have access to the independent effects of this magic.
Honestly, while it is cool and all that, I don't think it should require sacrifices or anything beyond normal Essence expenditure. Of course, I could see the creation of an NPC Infernal High Magic that does, in fact, require such things. That would be a fun metaplot and stuff. Infernal High Magic would produce highly corrupted versions of what the other High Magics do. hehe
Before I get into describing my thoughts, I just want to come in and say I love your examples. They are beautiful, vivid and very descriptively useful. Glad that you put them in your post. :)
1. I like the idea of the first circle allowing for this. Now, like the first circle of Sorcery is Emerald and the first of Necromancy is Onyx I wonder what material this will be.
2. Again, I wonder what its name would be. I like because gods have the job of both monitoring, enhancing and securing the world. Their powers should allow such effects. I think that they would have more of an impact on the spiritual sides of existence, which would then force the material to change and meet up with the new state of reality.
3. Very very nice. This sort of magic would be able to deal with issues of reincarnation or the sun moving through the sky and stuff. It would also deal with certain Primordial-designed laws and practices that they put into Creation.
So as one gets up in power one goes from basics to absoulutes, and concepts to directives. I like this. I also think it fits the concept of how godly power works - from the terrestrial powers to the celestial powers to the Incarna itself. Actually, as a thought, that is a nice broad description of effects. hehe
Again, I love your descriptions. They are really cool, plus, especially the last description, could aid in explaning why magical creatures suddenly returned - the gods wanted them to and as gods want things happen.
So, what do I think, I think your ideas are awesome and that they have breathed new life into this old but never forgotten alternate setting idea.
About the new kinds of Terrestrials, well my decision goes with my concept that each of the Celestial Exalted types should have their own direct minion Exalted. (The Solars, on the otherhand, get to use all the others as well as Half-caste, which I think suits them well and reminds them of their roots.) Anyway, the fact that their were three Celestials and only 1 Terrestrial seemed kinda off. So I created the idea for the other two Terrestrial types. One serves the spirit world as some sort of super spirit shaman and immaculate monk-like dudes while the other serves as a sort of super ghost shaman and dealer of the dead. Both will have five castes, the five underworld elements and five heavenly elements that I need to choose from - maybe the Five Magical Materials, though the Alchemicals already took that.
Honestly, about the abilities, I don't know. While I think its fine to monkey around with new forms of magic (technically, something like a new sorcery is just creating new spells with a different focus, not that game breaking) but something as fundamental as the ability system is a little hard. Plus, with Dreams of the First Age I definitly saw how something like Lore and Craft could be applied to a more technological infrastructure. Its the same with Ride (which is used for cars and stuff) and Sail (which is used for planes as well as boats and stuff). I think I would change the names of Archery and make it Firearms so I would cause some changes, but I wouldn't do the making a Technology Ability or totally upsetting the Ability dynamics.
You are right about Doge and Athletics being roughly the same, and really if I united the two all Dodge Charms would be in the Athletic Ability and nothing would truly be lost. About adding Profession, maybe, I would have to really think about what Night-esche ability should be put in to replace it.
I should note that one of the reasons that this idea kinda stalled was that I am great on setting and fluff but not so great on entirely new rules that come out of nowhere. So while I knew how to modify things, and even create campaign possibilities, the ability of me to create new charms, magical spells, thaumatircla rotes, martial art styles, etc. etc. is kinda limited.
Now, you, on the otherhand, seem particularly suited to coming up with some rules things. At least that is how it seems with what you have already posted - especially the spells in the first post you made, they were really good and highly connected to the point that I was getting. Anyway, the point that I am trying to make (long winded though it may be) is that it would be cool if you could provide both story ideas and imput as well as some more game and rules concepts.
If that occurs then maybe this entire idea can be brought to a level where it can be remotely considered directly and totally usable. -Heru
Going through various things I think I came up a name for my companion high magic in this setting - Theurgy. Officially it means magic using the power of the the divine which fits entirely with the theme of Spirit High Magic. A practitioner of Theurgy would be a Theurge, just like a practitioner of Sorcery is a sorcerer and a practitioner of necromancy is a necromancer.
Sorcery
First Circle - Emerald - Terrestrial Second Circle - Sapphire - Celestial Third Circle - Adamant - Solar (change its name to Heavenly)
Necromancy
First Circle - Iron - Shadowlands Second Circle - Onyx - Labyrinth Third Circle - Obsidian - Void (change its name to x)
Theurgy
First Circle - Amber - d Second Circle - Diamond - d Third Circle - Quartz - d
Ideas are appreciated as always.
