DBSInfernalExalted

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Infernal Exalted

Excuses

Running an Exalted game with the Infernals as the main adversaries, I've inevitably had to fill in a few mechanics from where WW left things delightfully vague. I've offered them up for communal use, but I don't mean to undermine the existing sets of Infernal mechanics, beautiful as they are. Indeed, I've drawn some inspiration from the great ideas already up here, and if you like my work please remember I'm just standing on shoulders - Ikselam and FourWillowsWeeping, I couldn't have done it without your passive assistance. Thankyou, and enjoy!

If people would like to see an alternative rendition of the Infernals splat, the BoXPInfernals project envisions them as champions of ancient order instead. Enjoy!

Concept

Infernals are something other than their Exalted kin. They don't possess the troubled heroism of the Solar Exalted, nor the deluded determination of the Abyssal Exalted. They are chosen from the ranks of the cruel, the licentious, the proud and the vicious, those who used their talents toward foul end. They serve a cause that seeks not greatness or final peace, but vengeance, pain and suffering. They use the divine fragments of the Solars at the peak of their debauchery, marred further by the manipulations of the Yozis. Their cause is one of revenge and spite. In other words, they are neither the heroes or antiheroes of their cousins, but villians, pure and simple.

The rules are intended to reflect this; more than just akuma that have accepted an unethical bargain, the Infernal Exalted are foul and corrupt to the core. Their Sins are the source of much of their power, but they are despicable in nature and force them to become protagonists. Their Charms despoil, distort and control rather than offer aggrandisement or finality. Their patrons respond to them in a matted web of love and hate that shapes the relationships they then form with others. Nothing about them is redeemable or worthy of respect, and this is the way they are intended.

Mechanics

Back to DeathBySurfeit's page

Feedback

I've had an idea. Unless you want the infernals to be -vastly- expensive, have the die-adders only kick in when the target -uses- that type of defense. Then you can supplementarily roll some more dice depending on how many you steal.
This only applies to those that are linked to a defense...
-- Darloth maybe thinks something should be tied to a parry defense, not just stealing melee? Just a thought

The die stealing effects have been instead altered to restrict them to Instant-duration effects; hopefully this should suffice....DeathBySurfeit

I'm in love with this stuff! Great job so far. I like the flavor text on a lot of the charms as well. Keep up the good work. My only alteration would be to utilize Limit in some way, as Ikselam and Willows have both indicated an inclination for. I think it would add an interesting way of tying the whole idea of twisted virtues / sins even tighter to the arch-meta-concept of the Infenals that seems to be developing. Just a thought, and I'll be checking back frequently for updates and reference. I've already incorporated some of this material into an NPC for my game, so I'll let you know how it ultimately turns out. Thanks! -Suzume

Good to hear they're proving useful, Suzume, and I'm glad to hear you like them. Although I have tampered with Limit (in the form of the Great Curse), I have decided not to incorporate it into Charms (instead playing around with Virtues and Sins), as I had objections to the previous systems; that Infernals should get progressively more effective as they violate their natures before dropping down to extremely inefficient once more seemed quite bizarre, though not in a good way. Instead, I hope the existence of Sins and the Great Curse in its present form is an effective mechanism for encouraging villainous play (much like it is for Abyssals). Of course, I am open to suggestions...DeathBySurfeit

My Infernals don't use the same Limit rules as Solars do; instead, when they Limit Break, they are broken out of their shells of corruption by the stresses of acting so inhuman. This is from my Limit page: "When an Infernal's Limit Breaks, his Limit does not reset to 0, nor does he gain Willpower from it. Instead, each turn he may 'burn' a single point of Limit into (permanent Essence) motes, which he must use that turn to fuel one or more Charms. An Infernal in the throes of a Limit Break act with genuine virtue; the Limit Break continues until he has spent each point of Limit." What this does is it basically makes you very good at accomplishing goals that you don't really want to accomplish, which I find very thematic for my take on them. - willows

Actually, the idea of Limit as a sort of supernatural form of "Stress" seems as if it would work quite appropriately in a Sins based system. Any time an Infernal suppresses the urges driving her, say to accomplish her current goal, she accumulates more of the warped and perverse energy that drives her psyche. The more frustrated she is, the greater the energy she can bring to bear to gain the ultimate revenge she seeks. In other words, the more she is forced to do good, the easier it becomes for her to do evil. Just one way of meta-explaining the connection. All of that said, though, I AM intrigued by the dice-stealing concept. So I have, of course, been toying with ideas on how to combine the two...  :) -Suzume

Sorry, words didn't quite relay my intent on this. willows, I consider your use of Limit to be an excellent reflection on your own take on the Infernal rules; it was my differing thematic outlook that bade me create my own rules set, and hence why I haven't implemented the Limit factor in my Charm mechanics. Secondary concerns are for careful balance (as Infernals could be potentially underpowered at times and overpowered at others), and also to accurately account for the nature of Sins - much as Virtues cannot be ignored by Solars, so Sins cannot be ignored by Infernals, as they will eventually succumb to them; it is only a matter of time.Suzume, I heartily encourage such experimentation (and should it yield results, I would be happy to display them here), but hope my explanation above suffices for the present state of affairs...DeathBySurfeit

In other words, what you meant to say was, "I don't think that Limit mechanics are thematic for my Infernals in the way that they are for the others," which I wholly agree with. Enjoy! - willows
Aptly put. Hoorah for translators of late night posts! ...DeathBySurfeit
Fair 'nough.  :) As soon as I have a chance to use this material in some depth, I'll let you know how it worked. -Suzume (And I understand the late night problem far too well!! ^^; )
I've been thinking some more about Limit being an unbalancer. I have to agree, but must point out that this is no more a disruption--on a conceptual scale--of balance than effects that pull on Essence or Willpower or any other measurement that can change during play. It can over-power Infernals on occasion--and can leave tham without any power on others--if handled incorrectly. As for Sins and Virtues being un-ignorable, by virtue of the rules, they CAN be ignored... at a cost, and for a time. Eventually, the character in question will succumb to her vices or benificent qualities, but until then, they can accomplish a great deal (Otherwise there wouldn't be much point to playing the game). Of course, as you have said, Limit in this sense might not be the mechanism for your characters or your games, but I don't think that power-balance is as absolute a reason as it seems to be. -Suzume

Scytheus: I like, I like. If only the Wiki was more printer friendly. I'd like to incorporate an Infernal into my game one day.

I am a bad man, for various reasons. (right click and save as) ~ G
omigoshupwn! I can't cop out at the last minute when you all contribute in such funky ways. A bad man indeed, G...DeathBySurfeit
Well, I needed an excuse to learn InDesign...>.> ~ G

Much love also goes to Trithne for his Charm diagrams (the first one of which is up under the Melee tree). Other people's contributions tend to make me go all fuzzy inside, and this is no exception...DeathBySurfeit

I'm shocked and appalled that I've never seen this before. Can I get a reservation if you ever start an online game with Infernals? (Yeah yeah, I know they're mainly antagonists). ~ Seiraryu

I aim to shock and appall! Or something. Glad you like the splatwork. I'm not planning on an online Infernals game anytime soon but, should that change at all, I shall keep you in my thoughts...DeathBySurfeit
Awesome, greatly appreciated. Anyway, back to seeing how I can fix this stupid new Martial Arts style. ~ Seiraryu

Artwork

Before I launch myself into my next big project, I owe it to you all to come up with a completed pdf of the Infernals splat. In the abscence of Grandmasta, Trithne has volunteered to wrangle the formatting, so many hats off to him. The end result will be replete with character creation rules, charm trees, sample characters and everything else you'll need to introduce these fiendish types into your campaign. It'll have its own artwork, too; some of the illustrations will be my own work (and will be featured here, once I've scanned and coloured them), but I wanted to extend the invitation to anyone else who would like to see their fine creations showcased. All submissions are welcome, and will be thoroughly accredited. Simply link your artwork below or pledge your support; you have my undying thanks in advance...DeathBySurfeit

Princess Lilelia - Unclean Caste signature character by DeathBySurfeit

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a3/DeathBySurfeit/PrincessColour3.jpg

Khalid Az-Kashur - Deceiver Caste signature character by DeathBySurfeit

http://i8.photobucket.com/albums/a3/DeathBySurfeit/DeceiverIII.jpg

Art Feedback

It's weird, but because of the length of her arms and the way that her dress flows, I keep getting the impression that the Princess is a taller girl who has had her legs chopped off above the knees. Whether that was the intention or not... it kind of creeps me out. Also, on a related note, the link to the artwork found on the Unclean page itself doesn't show up in my browser. ~ WeepingStar

Thanks for the critique, and I confess freely that I've muddled the proportions somewhat; I haven't much experience with drawing children. I've put up a second picture, incidentally - not one I'm particularly fond of, but a second picture nevertheless.

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