Arianna Explains Not Dying - Revision history

GORT: Protected "Arianna Explains Not Dying": Excessive spamming ([edit=autoconfirmed] (indefinite) [move=autoconfirmed] (indefinite))

2012-05-03T00:24:20Z

Protected "Arianna Explains Not Dying": Excessive spamming ([edit=autoconfirmed] (indefinite) [move=autoconfirmed] (indefinite))

← Older revision	Revision as of 00:24, 3 May 2012
(No difference)

GORT: Reverted edits by 188.143.232.12 (talk) to last revision by Knockwood

2012-05-03T00:23:56Z

Reverted edits by 188.143.232.12 (talk) to last revision by Knockwood

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:23, 3 May 2012
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	~~Hey~~ there ~~Deanna! thanks so much! Sorry I didnt reponsd sooner. Yes, I have~~ to ~~remember~~ that ~~even~~ a ~~pound a week is going in~~ the ~~right direction~~, ~~and~~ that ~~there are several other progresses to look at even if~~ the ~~scale shows 0~~ . ~~Looking forward to trying~~ your ~~Salmon steaks~~! ~~looks yummy~~!~~! Keep up~~ the ~~awesome job on~~ your ~~progress-~~ you~~'re doing~~ great!		==Other ways to defend: Tactical Fun==

			Of course, there's lots of ways to stay alive that don't necessarily involve buying up big on charms:

			*Not a combat character, or using Archery or Thrown? Then don't charge that Deathknight - hang back behind your Circlemates, and try using ranged weapons, social abilities, or the environment against your enemy (just because the Dawn chapter doesn't SAY you can incite the slaves to pull down the fortress walls with Performance charms during combat, doens't mean you CAN'T, or that it isn't cool). Alternately, try going after your bigger foe's lieutenants, flunkies, concubines or objectives while he's busy tangling with the Dawn.
			*The terrain is your friend. Got Graceful Crane Stance or good Athletics? Scuttle out of reach! Wuxia-style athletic displays or epically strutting around the battlefield doesn't have to mean staying within sword-swing! Charms like Monkey Leap, Spider Foot Style, and Feather Foot Style can really cut down on the number of foes able to engage you.
			*A Windhands Gemstone will give you an active defence against ranged attacks.
			*Sorcery offers a number of great defences, including soak (Invulnerable Skin of Bronze), parry (Guardian of Flame), and anti-ranged (Invincible Frost Barrier).
			*Look for ways that your other abilities can defend you. Presence has Terrifying Apparition of Glory, which makes a great layer for any defence. A decent stunt and a Performance roll might turn enemies into an audience, in which case Respect Commanding Attitude will keep them respectful. Craft can allow for some quick scenery-modification, and Stealth can make the whole point moot!
			*Body Mending Meditation won't defend you, but it will heal those wounds fast, turning weeks of bed rest into mere days.


	==How much of this stuff do I really need? I want to take social charms!==		==How much of this stuff do I really need? I want to take social charms!==

188.143.232.12: /* Other ways to defend: Tactical Fun */

2012-05-02T23:11:34Z

Other ways to defend: Tactical Fun

← Older revision		Revision as of 23:11, 2 May 2012
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	~~==Other ways to defend: Tactical Fun==~~		Hey there Deanna! thanks so much! Sorry I didnt reponsd sooner. Yes, I have to remember that even a pound a week is going in the right direction, and that there are several other progresses to look at even if the scale shows 0 . Looking forward to trying your Salmon steaks! looks yummy!! Keep up the awesome job on your progress- you're doing great!

	~~Of course~~, ~~there's lots of ways~~ to ~~stay alive~~ that ~~don't necessarily involve buying up big on charms:~~

	*Not a ~~combat character~~, ~~or using Archery or Thrown? Then don't charge~~ that Deathknight - hang back behind your Circlemates, and try using ranged weapons, social abilities, or the environment against your enemy (just because the Dawn chapter doesn't SAY you can incite the slaves to ~~pull down~~ the ~~fortress walls with Performance charms during combat, doens't mean you CAN'T, or that it isn't cool)~~. ~~Alternately, try going after~~ your ~~bigger foe's lieutenants, flunkies, concubines or objectives while he's busy tangling with the Dawn.~~
	*The terrain is your friend. Got Graceful Crane Stance or good Athletics? Scuttle out of reach! ~~Wuxia-style athletic displays or epically strutting around~~ the ~~battlefield doesn't have to mean staying within sword-swing! Charms like Monkey Leap, Spider Foot Style, and Feather Foot Style can really cut down~~ on ~~the number of foes able to engage you.~~
	*A Windhands Gemstone will give you an active defence against ranged attacks.
	*Sorcery offers a number of great defences, including soak (Invulnerable Skin of Bronze), parry (Guardian of Flame), and anti-~~ranged (Invincible Frost Barrier).~~
	*Look for ways that your other abilities can defend you~~. Presence has Terrifying Apparition of Glory, which makes a~~ great layer for any defence. A decent stunt and a Performance roll might turn enemies into an audience, in which case Respect Commanding Attitude will keep them respectful. Craft can allow for some quick scenery-modification, and Stealth can make the whole point moot!
	*Body Mending Meditation won't defend you, but it will heal those wounds fast, turning weeks of bed rest into mere days.


	==How much of this stuff do I really need? I want to take social charms!==		==How much of this stuff do I really need? I want to take social charms!==

Knockwood: Reverted edits by 218.104.125.2 (Talk); changed back to last version by Epoch

2008-12-19T02:51:24Z

Reverted edits by 218.104.125.2 (Talk); changed back to last version by Epoch

← Older revision		Revision as of 02:51, 19 December 2008
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	~~c4tdro~~
	==Intro==		==Intro==

218.104.125.2: trzelelelta

2008-12-19T01:37:38Z

trzelelelta

← Older revision		Revision as of 01:37, 19 December 2008
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			c4tdro
	==Intro==		==Intro==

Epoch: Added internal link

2005-06-29T05:54:53Z

Added internal link

← Older revision		Revision as of 05:54, 29 June 2005
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	(Pssst....there's a short "Buy this" at the end if you don't want to read all this)		(Pssst....there's a short "[[#Buy_This\|Buy this]]" at the end if you don't want to read all this)

Epoch: /* Active Defences - Dodge and Parry */ - Corrected formatting

2005-06-29T05:50:41Z

Active Defences - Dodge and Parry: - Corrected formatting

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	You can parry with the Melee, Martial Arts and Brawl abilities - so chances are most characters will be able to parry. The question then is, which charms should I buy so that my active defences are better than a mortal's?		You can parry with the Melee, Martial Arts and Brawl abilities - so chances are most characters will be able to parry. The question then is, which charms should I buy so that my active defences are better than a mortal's?

	''''''EVERY CHARACTER SHOULD HAVE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING CHARMS'''''': Golden Essence Block (Melee), Dipping Swallow Defence (Melee), Reed In the Wind (Dodge), Shadow Over Water (Dodge)		'''''EVERY CHARACTER SHOULD HAVE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING CHARMS''''': Golden Essence Block (Melee), Dipping Swallow Defence (Melee), Reed In the Wind (Dodge), Shadow Over Water (Dodge)

	Golden Essence Block and Reed in the Wind let you reflexively add dice to their respective defences. This isn't cheap (1m/2 dice), but adding another 6-10 dice to a parry or dodge can be a real life-saver. They also let you make a parry or dodge from nothing, letting you defend with a small pool even if you don't have an action to defend with.		Golden Essence Block and Reed in the Wind let you reflexively add dice to their respective defences. This isn't cheap (1m/2 dice), but adding another 6-10 dice to a parry or dodge can be a real life-saver. They also let you make a parry or dodge from nothing, letting you defend with a small pool even if you don't have an action to defend with.
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	You can't dodge an attack twice, that'd be silly. But you can dodge it (say with a full dodge), and if you don't get enough successes, use Dipping Swallow Defence and attempt to parry the remaining successes. Not only does that let you effectively throw double the dice at the problem, but you don't need to use the second defence until after the first one fails.		You can't dodge an attack twice, that'd be silly. But you can dodge it (say with a full dodge), and if you don't get enough successes, use Dipping Swallow Defence and attempt to parry the remaining successes. Not only does that let you effectively throw double the dice at the problem, but you don't need to use the second defence until after the first one fails.



	==Passive Defences - Soak and Health Levels==		==Passive Defences - Soak and Health Levels==

Neverway: Formatting

2005-06-29T00:00:58Z

Formatting

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			==Intro==

	<i>Arianna, I took Ox-Body just like the book says I should, but I died! Why did the book lie to me, Arianna? Why?</i>		<i>Arianna, I took Ox-Body just like the book says I should, but I died! Why did the book lie to me, Arianna? Why?</i>

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	~~<b>~~Active Defences - Dodge and Parry~~</b>~~		==Active Defences - Dodge and Parry==

	OK, I'll level with you. You need to have one of these. You've got to be able to either dodge or parry, and to be honest it would REALLY help if you could do both. You don't need charms for both, but you should have ability dots allowing you to do one of these, and preferably both.		OK, I'll level with you. You need to have one of these. You've got to be able to either dodge or parry, and to be honest it would REALLY help if you could do both. You don't need charms for both, but you should have ability dots allowing you to do one of these, and preferably both.
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	~~''''~~Passive Defences - Soak and Health Levels~~''''~~		==Passive Defences - Soak and Health Levels==

	Once again, your good, trustworthy friend Arianna is going to be honest with you: Passive defences just aren't as good as active defences. Soak (whether from Armour or Charms), or extra health levels (from Ox-Body Technique), are not sufficient defences.		Once again, your good, trustworthy friend Arianna is going to be honest with you: Passive defences just aren't as good as active defences. Soak (whether from Armour or Charms), or extra health levels (from Ox-Body Technique), are not sufficient defences.
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	~~''''~~Other ways to defend: Tactical Fun~~''''~~		==Other ways to defend: Tactical Fun==

	Of course, there's lots of ways to stay alive that don't necessarily involve buying up big on charms:		Of course, there's lots of ways to stay alive that don't necessarily involve buying up big on charms:

	- Not a combat character, or using Archery or Thrown? Then don't charge that Deathknight - hang back behind your Circlemates, and try using ranged weapons, social abilities, or the environment against your enemy (just because the Dawn chapter doesn't SAY you can incite the slaves to pull down the fortress walls with Performance charms during combat, doens't mean you CAN'T, or that it isn't cool). Alternately, try going after your bigger foe's lieutenants, flunkies, concubines or objectives while he's busy tangling with the Dawn.		*Not a combat character, or using Archery or Thrown? Then don't charge that Deathknight - hang back behind your Circlemates, and try using ranged weapons, social abilities, or the environment against your enemy (just because the Dawn chapter doesn't SAY you can incite the slaves to pull down the fortress walls with Performance charms during combat, doens't mean you CAN'T, or that it isn't cool). Alternately, try going after your bigger foe's lieutenants, flunkies, concubines or objectives while he's busy tangling with the Dawn.
			*The terrain is your friend. Got Graceful Crane Stance or good Athletics? Scuttle out of reach! Wuxia-style athletic displays or epically strutting around the battlefield doesn't have to mean staying within sword-swing! Charms like Monkey Leap, Spider Foot Style, and Feather Foot Style can really cut down on the number of foes able to engage you.
	- The terrain is your friend. Got Graceful Crane Stance or good Athletics? Scuttle out of reach! Wuxia-style athletic displays or epically strutting around the battlefield doesn't have to mean staying within sword-swing! Charms like Monkey Leap, Spider Foot Style, and Feather Foot Style can really cut down on the number of foes able to engage you.		*A Windhands Gemstone will give you an active defence against ranged attacks.
			*Sorcery offers a number of great defences, including soak (Invulnerable Skin of Bronze), parry (Guardian of Flame), and anti-ranged (Invincible Frost Barrier).
	- A Windhands Gemstone will give you an active defence against ranged attacks.		*Look for ways that your other abilities can defend you. Presence has Terrifying Apparition of Glory, which makes a great layer for any defence. A decent stunt and a Performance roll might turn enemies into an audience, in which case Respect Commanding Attitude will keep them respectful. Craft can allow for some quick scenery-modification, and Stealth can make the whole point moot!
			*Body Mending Meditation won't defend you, but it will heal those wounds fast, turning weeks of bed rest into mere days.

	~~- Sorcery offers a number of great defences, including soak (Invulnerable Skin of Bronze), parry (Guardian of Flame), and anti-ranged (Invincible Frost Barrier).~~

	- Look for ways that your other abilities can defend you. Presence has Terrifying Apparition of Glory, which makes a great layer for any defence. A decent stunt and a Performance roll might turn enemies into an audience, in which case Respect Commanding Attitude will keep them respectful. Craft can allow for some quick scenery-modification, and Stealth can make the whole point moot!		==How much of this stuff do I really need? I want to take social charms!==

	~~- Body Mending Meditation won't defend you, but it will heal those wounds fast, turning weeks of bed rest into mere days.~~


	~~''''~~How much of this stuff do I really need? I want to take social charms!~~''''~~

	This is a tough question to answer - different games have different amounts of combat in them. Some GMs might be harsh, and make sure every PC gets attacked no matter how they try to keep out of the way, whereas others might only introduce fights that any Dawn can easily handle with a minimum of charms, leaving everyone else completely safe. In general, however, Creation is a land of savage adventure, and you can usually rely on getting into combat on a semi-regular basis.		This is a tough question to answer - different games have different amounts of combat in them. Some GMs might be harsh, and make sure every PC gets attacked no matter how they try to keep out of the way, whereas others might only introduce fights that any Dawn can easily handle with a minimum of charms, leaving everyone else completely safe. In general, however, Creation is a land of savage adventure, and you can usually rely on getting into combat on a semi-regular basis.
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	''''Arianna! My players have short attention spans and don't read forums. What should I tell them?''''		==Buy This==

			'''Arianna! My players have short attention spans and don't read forums. What should I tell them?'''

	Buy Dipping Swallow Defence OR Shadow Over Water. Buy one Ox-Body. Buy some armour.		Buy Dipping Swallow Defence OR Shadow Over Water. Buy one Ox-Body. Buy some armour.
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			----
	Original Author: Kasumi on RPG.net		Original Author: Kasumi on RPG.net


	[[Category:Exalted]]		[[Category:Exalted]]

Neverway: Created page

2005-06-27T01:27:12Z

Created page

New page

Arianna, I took Ox-Body just like the book says I should, but I died! Why did the book lie to me, Arianna? Why?

Now, now, the book didn't lie to you, it just didn't explain the full story.

Creation is a dark, gritty place, where people hit by sharp things tend to bleed messily and die. Combat is terribly dangerous for mortals, and any encounter could easily see even the mightiest warrior slain, or left to die in agony via infection.

If you're a Solar, you're probably going to get into fights all the time, even if fighting isn't really your thing. Pesky Dragonblooded, monsters holed up in the Manse you're exploring, crazy people who don't see you taking over their kingdom as a good thing, and old Lunar hags trying to steal your man - any of these things could engage you in combat at any time. Now if you were mortal, this would suck, because combat is dangerous and you'd die.

Of course, apart from not bleeding much and being resistant to infection, the only thing separating you from a mortal in combat is your charms. So if you don't have any relevant charms, you're probably going to die if you do any fighting.

So let's talk Charms, specifically charms that prevent you from dying, as well as other measures you can use to stay alive (which are handy if you don't want to blow too many charms on defence).

(Pssst....there's a short "Buy this" at the end if you don't want to read all this)

Active Defences - Dodge and Parry

OK, I'll level with you. You need to have one of these. You've got to be able to either dodge or parry, and to be honest it would REALLY help if you could do both. You don't need charms for both, but you should have ability dots allowing you to do one of these, and preferably both.

The reason for this is the minimum damage rule - if you get hit, no matter how tough you are, you'll have at least one damage dice rolled against you. Over lots of opponents, or with an opponent that likes to make multiple attacks, this adds up fast - and healing in Exalted is not easy! Dodge and parry can stop you from being hit at all.

I tend to think everyone should have at least some dodge. As an ability, it simply represents getting out of the way of harm. You can stunt the aesthetics of that however you like to fit your concept, whether it's leaping about like a hyperactive ninja, taking a single slow step so the attack just *barely* misses you, or just having the crazy knack of not quite being where your opponent thought you were. For someone with Melee, Martial Arts or Brawl, Dodge could represent the footwork of your fighting style. If you DON'T have Melee, Martial Arts or Brawl (and it's OK not to!), you really should grab some dodge.

One of Dodge's key advantages is the ability to do a Full Dodge. By sacrificing your action for the turn, you get a dodge against each attack made against you (though at -1 dice each time). Not only that, but you don't need a weapon in hand to dodge - just room to move (or a good stunt).

You can parry with the Melee, Martial Arts and Brawl abilities - so chances are most characters will be able to parry. The question then is, which charms should I buy so that my active defences are better than a mortal's?

''''''EVERY CHARACTER SHOULD HAVE ONE OF THE FOLLOWING CHARMS'''''': Golden Essence Block (Melee), Dipping Swallow Defence (Melee), Reed In the Wind (Dodge), Shadow Over Water (Dodge)

Golden Essence Block and Reed in the Wind let you reflexively add dice to their respective defences. This isn't cheap (1m/2 dice), but adding another 6-10 dice to a parry or dodge can be a real life-saver. They also let you make a parry or dodge from nothing, letting you defend with a small pool even if you don't have an action to defend with.

Dipping Swallow Defence and Shadow Over Water let you reflexively parry or dodge with your full pool - at 2 motes, they're a steal. They're the easiest way to mount a full-pool defence when you're out of actions, or before your initiative! You can also combo them with Golden Essence Block or Reed In the Wind (respectively) as they stack!

Pro tip: You can Dodge *AND* Parry an attack

You can't dodge an attack twice, that'd be silly. But you can dodge it (say with a full dodge), and if you don't get enough successes, use Dipping Swallow Defence and attempt to parry the remaining successes. Not only does that let you effectively throw double the dice at the problem, but you don't need to use the second defence until after the first one fails.

''''Passive Defences - Soak and Health Levels''''

Once again, your good, trustworthy friend Arianna is going to be honest with you: Passive defences just aren't as good as active defences. Soak (whether from Armour or Charms), or extra health levels (from Ox-Body Technique), are not sufficient defences.

On the other hand, you'll probably be VERY unhappy if a hit gets through on you and you don't have some.

If you're not a Martial Artist, buy some armour. It doesn't have to be artifact armour, you don't have to wear it all the time and the soak doesn't have to be huge, just have a set you can put on if you know things are going to get heavy. If your concept demands not wearing armour (which is fine, you can't beat aesthetics), just remember you're sacrificing an easy opportunity to have some soak, and look after your active defences accordingly - Exalted is a game where you really can not get hit ever if you want, but it's not trivial.

How high should your soak be? Well, there's essentially diminishing returns, but it's worth remembering that a glancing hit from a Daiklave will normally do about 9 damage, so at around 8-10L soak you shouldn't be taking very much damage from mortals or young Dragon Blooded. Lower than that is fine (even 6L will be a big help against mortals), but just remember to be careful when the jade starts swinging! However, if you want to be a serious combat character, you should really consider 10L to be your minimum goal, unless your active defences are quite good.

Iron Kettle Body is a good pick for some soak-on-demand, though remember you'll need a combo to use it in the same turn as a parry or dodge charm.

Ox-Body is a great charm to have, and it's probably worth picking up one purchase of it. The -1/-2/-2 version is probably best - the dice penalties themselves are fairly minor, so the reason you'd want to go for the other versions would be the shorter healing times (which in some games might be a big deal).

Stamina doesn't provide a lot of soak (though every little bit helps) - but be careful about ignoring it. Low Stamina (and low Resistance) makes you vulnerable to knockdown, stunning and infection - not to mention poison, and environmental damage (which is hard to parry!). It's probably worth putting a dot in Resistance and Endurance if you don't have a good reason not to.

Shields aren't soak, but portable cover. Nonetheless, they're a great passive defence, since they work in tandem with your active defences, rather than helping when they fail.

''''Other ways to defend: Tactical Fun''''

Of course, there's lots of ways to stay alive that don't necessarily involve buying up big on charms:

- Not a combat character, or using Archery or Thrown? Then don't charge that Deathknight - hang back behind your Circlemates, and try using ranged weapons, social abilities, or the environment against your enemy (just because the Dawn chapter doesn't SAY you can incite the slaves to pull down the fortress walls with Performance charms during combat, doens't mean you CAN'T, or that it isn't cool). Alternately, try going after your bigger foe's lieutenants, flunkies, concubines or objectives while he's busy tangling with the Dawn.

- The terrain is your friend. Got Graceful Crane Stance or good Athletics? Scuttle out of reach! Wuxia-style athletic displays or epically strutting around the battlefield doesn't have to mean staying within sword-swing! Charms like Monkey Leap, Spider Foot Style, and Feather Foot Style can really cut down on the number of foes able to engage you.

- A Windhands Gemstone will give you an active defence against ranged attacks.

- Sorcery offers a number of great defences, including soak (Invulnerable Skin of Bronze), parry (Guardian of Flame), and anti-ranged (Invincible Frost Barrier).

- Look for ways that your other abilities can defend you. Presence has Terrifying Apparition of Glory, which makes a great layer for any defence. A decent stunt and a Performance roll might turn enemies into an audience, in which case Respect Commanding Attitude will keep them respectful. Craft can allow for some quick scenery-modification, and Stealth can make the whole point moot!

- Body Mending Meditation won't defend you, but it will heal those wounds fast, turning weeks of bed rest into mere days.

''''How much of this stuff do I really need? I want to take social charms!''''

This is a tough question to answer - different games have different amounts of combat in them. Some GMs might be harsh, and make sure every PC gets attacked no matter how they try to keep out of the way, whereas others might only introduce fights that any Dawn can easily handle with a minimum of charms, leaving everyone else completely safe. In general, however, Creation is a land of savage adventure, and you can usually rely on getting into combat on a semi-regular basis.

If you really don't know how much combat there's going to be, here's a solid minimum survival pack:

Reed In the Wind 
Shadow Over Water 
Ox-Body Technique (-1/-2/-2)

Any armour.

You can subsititute in parry or soak charms without problems, but spending three charms on defence, and making sure at least ONE of them is an active defence, is a great way to go. With these charms, you'll be pretty safe against mortals, and at least able to survive against Exalts - and with that in mind, you can afford to be a bit more proactive, which is always good fun.

If you're not a combat character, don't be too worried at spending three charms - you'll note that most non-combat charms are powerful and broadly applicable, especially some of the great entry charms like Ten Magistrate Eyes and Masterful Performance Excercise. This lets you spend a few charms on defence and remain extremely effective in your areas of specialisation.

If you ARE a combat character, be prepared to spend a lot more than this on defence. Defence is stronger than offence in Exalted, and if you rock up with a "The best defence is a good offence!" attitude, you'll probably die. You don't NEED perfect or persistent defences to begin with, but you should really think about picking them up with XP. If you're a Martial Artist, I must stress that Martial Arts alone is NEVER good enough - you will need to buy some Dodge charms as well.

''''Arianna! My players have short attention spans and don't read forums. What should I tell them?''''

Buy Dipping Swallow Defence OR Shadow Over Water. Buy one Ox-Body. Buy some armour.

That's not the full story, but it's pretty much foolproof. Follow that and you probably won't die unless you're being silly, or your GM is nasty ^_^

Original Author: Kasumi on RPG.net

[[Category:Exalted]]