XerExaltedLite/Expression
Contents
Expression
Composing
Intelligence + Expression (or applicable Performance Skill)
Successes can be assigned to:
- Time taken
- Quality of work
- Length of work
At least one success must be assigned to the Length of the work.
- The composer may assign successes to Quality. Quality begins at 0 (utter gibberish or trash), becomes 1 with 1 devoted success, and each level thereafter requires twice the successes of the previous.
- - Poor (1 success). Extremely hard to read.
- - Average (2 successes). Not that great, but readable.
- - Good (5 successes). An enjoyable work.
- - Excellent (10 successes). An astounding work. Instant classic.
- - Legendary (20 successes). A perfectly spoken phrase, timed beat - unforgettable.
- - Exalted (50 successes).
- The composer may assign a number of successes to the time she takes in her work. This is continuous, uninterrupted work.
- No Successes - Two days (50 hours)
- 1 Success - one day (25 hours)
- 2 Successes - ten hours
- 3 Successes - fifth of a day (five hours)
- 4 Successes - two hours
- 5 Successes - one hour
- 6 Successes - 30 minutes
- 7 Successes - 10 minutes
- 8 Successes - 5 minutes
- 9 Successes - 2 minutes
- 10 Successes - 1 minute
- 11 Successes - 30 seconds (10 Turns)
- 12 Successes - 15 seconds (5 Turns)
- 13 Successes - 6 seconds (2 Turns)
- 14 Successes - 3 seconds (1 Turn)
- At least one success must be assigned to Length. This is difficult to relate, so the Length is referred to as a number of Turns.
- 1 Success - One Turn. Not even a haiku.
- 2 Successes - Two Turns. About a haiku length.
- 3 Successes - Five Turns
- 4 Successes - Ten Turns
- 5 Successes - One minute.
- 6 Successes - Two minutes.
- 7 Successes - Five minutes.
- 8 Successes - Ten minutes.
- 9 Successes - Thirty Minutes.
- 10 Successes - One hour.
- 11 Successes - Two hours.
- 12 Successes - Five hours.
- 13 Successes - Ten hours.
- 14 Successes - One day.
- 15 Successes - Two days.
- 16 Successes - Four days.
- 17 Successes - One week.
Extended rolls can be made to add to the length of a work, to produce one of a roughly set length. Time taken, once taken, is gone forever. A part of a work must be recomposed in order to improve its quality.
A character who makes a work faster than they can write it down or otherwise record it needs to remember it. Even if they forget pieces, however, the overall work is easily recovered, and the Storyteller need not punish too harshly.
Performing
Presence + Expression (or applicable Performance Skill).
- +1 Success if performing a work or act composed or written by the Character.
Add the overall Quality of the work, minus 2, to the successes rolled.
The actual impression will depend on the length of the performance. There are, however, times when a pithy phrase is greatly appreciated.
Persuasion
Persuasion rolls made via Expression (and Expressive Skills) appeal to the emotions of the target.
The Character rolls Manipulation or Presence (subtle or forceful, respectively) + Expression (Emotional Persuasion). The target rolls her Conviction + Attribute (typically Wits). Each roll takes place over one minute.
The difficulty of this roll is then applied to social soak as per the target's beliefs (as described inXerExaltedLite/Socialize). Once a number of cumulative successes equal to the target's Willpower * permanent Essence traits are reached, a point is conceded, depending on the sense of the argument.
This only means the target agrees in certain circumstances, depending on the arguement itself. Ultimately, emotions are involved and Compassion is invoked - this cannot convince someone of the rightness of an uncompassionate act outright, but they could certainly be convinced that a Deathlord might see things a certain way.
Praying
A Prayer is a Presence + Expression roll at a difficulty equal to square of the (permanent Essence + Cult Background) of the target, or merely the target's (Cult Background + permanent Essence), if the penitant is a Priest of the diety (cooperation rules help!). If the penitant is a High Priest of the diety, the difficulty is only one.
Seduction
Seduction rolls appeal to the carnal desires of the target. The Target may gain dice to their roll based on their orientation and mood.
- Characters with horrific appearance may not seduce.
- True, gelded Eunuchs and the like are much harder to seduce.
- Andro: Only cares for men, not seduceable by women. Adds Temperance when males are seducing them.
- Bi-Andro: Prefers men. Adds Willpower for males seducing, or Temperance + Willpower if females are seducing.
- Bisexual: Both ways. Adds Willpower to all such incidents.
- Bi-Gyno: Prefers women. Adds Willpower for females seducing, or Temperance + Willpower if males are seducing.
- Gyno: Only cares for women, not seduceable by men. Adds Temperance when females are seducing them.
The above is added as dice, automatic successes, or not at all depending on the mood of the victim:
- Loose: Either Willpower or Temperance (one of them must normally apply) do not count in seduction attempts.
- Normal: The added Traits get rolled as dice.
- Chaste: The added Traits count as automatic successes.
Seduction rolls take about a minute to perform. The seducer rolls her Presence or Manipulation (if she is being forceful or subtle, respectively), plus her Expression (seduction), against one of her victim's Attributes (typically Wits), depending on how they intend to resist, adding the above where appropriate.
- Note that the 'sexy' version of the Appearance Merit converts either Presence or Manipulation into automatic successes.
Successes are accumulated over the course of the scene. Once the seducer achieves a number of net successes equal to her victim's Willpower*Essence, she 'wins'.
- Beliefs regarding Chastity will add soak to these attempts as defined in theXerExaltedLite/Socialize section.
Torture
Intimidation through Expression assaults the inner fears of a victim, or tries to create new ones. It is the basis for torture.
It's subtle work - Manipulation + Expression (Torture), versus the target's score, depending on the situation.
- The Horrific Appearance Merit turns Manipulation into automatic successes.
The dice the victim gets depend on how compromised they are.
- Under active torture, they get only Valor.
- While trapped or imprisoned, they get Valor + Willpower.
- While merely under duress, they get Valow + Willpower + Wits (or another Attribute if there is a reason to resist differently).
If the intimidation is impinging on the victim's beliefs, they get soak as described inXerExaltedLite/Socialize
Each roll takes a minute, and successes last the scene. Once extra successes are accumulated past the victim's Willpower*Essence, the victim crumbles in some way.
Tortures effects take a long time to realize, and actually gaining information requires multiple subjects and getting them to tell corroberating stories. A person can be 'broken' fairly fast, but only in the sense that the words coming out of his mouth are what his torturer wants to hear.
