I think it's appropriate to have a specific topic for this one.
I like most of the Charms that have been published, but I'll start my first post by talking about the ones I don't like actually, don't let that make you think I'm negative about the upcoming game. These are Charms that either create more rolls when it's not necessary (to me), or that I don't think players will have a real use of because the situation rarely happens (at least in my games), or because I feel there is a sort of contradiction with the base system (the effect seems good reading it, but the system doesn't seem to actually make it good). Maybe some people will show me good reasons on why this Charm was design like this and make me change my mind about it. I understand that the devs made these decisions intentionally most of the time, I just probably don't understand their intentions.
Flickering Shadow Evasion (and it's Close Combat counterpart)
"On Step 4, roll your choice of Attribute + Athletics, and add your successes to your Defense against the attack." I really don't like rolling for defense, I thought that 3e did the good choice by removing rolls for defense. I think any option like "Add Ability do your Defense" would be as effective and less annoying
Efficient Crafting Technique
In particular, I don't understand the Solar mode : At Essence 2, the Solar waives all penalties from inappropriate tools or workspace (upgrade from negate 3 penalties). From my understanding -3 is the biggest environnemental/external penalty you can have (corresponding to some kind of Yozi curse for example), and they don't stack. I'm really unsure what this mode is for.
Strange Tongue Understanding
The base effect "Their understanding is not sophisticated, however. They get by with minimal reading and speech in a foreign tongue without needing to roll, but complex discussion or literature requires an Embassy roll at default difficulty." seems good on paper, but if I try to imagine a scene where this comes on I don't think it's actually appropriate. If you can actually just understand foreign tongues with an Embassy rolls, and complex discussions are at Default Difficulty (meaning 3 to me), the actual character would success understanding a basic conversation with any Embassy roll, and I don't get what this Charm is for. There is another specific mechanical bonus on this Charm after that seems good though, but it's "core effect" seems to not really work mechanically to me
Stubborn Boar Defense
I don't usually spam my PC's with the same social influence effect when it has failed once as it seems a bit repetitive, or at least I don't do it again during the same session. This really doesn't seem useful for my players. Do you guys have regular occurence where this Charm would be useful ? I'm genuinely curious
Memetic Dogma Discipline
I don't usually use rolls between my NPC's to make them convince each other, as the social system is not as "basic" as the DD one, considering you have to account for Intimacies, Virtues, repurhase of social influence, etc ... This could arguably have some effect on other PC's but I feel like this is a bit niche. I think I understand the intended purpose of the Charm, but mechanically I really don't feel like someone at my table is gonna have use of this Charm. I would have preferred something like a Venture to spread ideas through Performance, or directly "Any person in contact with the initial spectators will form a temporary Minor Intimacy towards the Exalt's ideas or make a Hard Bargain"
Essence-Lending Method
"Essence Font Technique (Solar): Roll Finesse + Lore against difficulty 3. On success, the Exalt generates three additional motes which may be transferred to the target in place of their own. These motes dissipate immediately if not transferred." Depending on wether you actually need to pay at least 1 mote for the Charm to function, this feels like a possible "infinite mote for my allies" shenanigan
Cunning Warrior Regimen
I genuinely can't tell what the difference is between this Charm and League of Iron Preparation.
As a thing that bothers me a little, I notice a lot of the Social Charms have effects like "For the rest of the scene, gain +1 success on rolls to ..." or "For the rest of the scene, gain 1 resolve to ..." which I don't like for the same reasons that I don't like these Charms in 3e (dice adders). I guess this design comes from the fact that Exalts don't regen motes outside of combat quickly, and they noticed that without Charms like this anyone who is not a Solar for excellencies would quickly have 0 possible way to augment his rolls in any action scene past the first few rolls
I like most of the Charms that have been published, but I'll start my first post by talking about the ones I don't like actually, don't let that make you think I'm negative about the upcoming game. These are Charms that either create more rolls when it's not necessary (to me), or that I don't think players will have a real use of because the situation rarely happens (at least in my games), or because I feel there is a sort of contradiction with the base system (the effect seems good reading it, but the system doesn't seem to actually make it good). Maybe some people will show me good reasons on why this Charm was design like this and make me change my mind about it. I understand that the devs made these decisions intentionally most of the time, I just probably don't understand their intentions.
Flickering Shadow Evasion (and it's Close Combat counterpart)
"On Step 4, roll your choice of Attribute + Athletics, and add your successes to your Defense against the attack." I really don't like rolling for defense, I thought that 3e did the good choice by removing rolls for defense. I think any option like "Add Ability do your Defense" would be as effective and less annoying
Efficient Crafting Technique
In particular, I don't understand the Solar mode : At Essence 2, the Solar waives all penalties from inappropriate tools or workspace (upgrade from negate 3 penalties). From my understanding -3 is the biggest environnemental/external penalty you can have (corresponding to some kind of Yozi curse for example), and they don't stack. I'm really unsure what this mode is for.
Strange Tongue Understanding
The base effect "Their understanding is not sophisticated, however. They get by with minimal reading and speech in a foreign tongue without needing to roll, but complex discussion or literature requires an Embassy roll at default difficulty." seems good on paper, but if I try to imagine a scene where this comes on I don't think it's actually appropriate. If you can actually just understand foreign tongues with an Embassy rolls, and complex discussions are at Default Difficulty (meaning 3 to me), the actual character would success understanding a basic conversation with any Embassy roll, and I don't get what this Charm is for. There is another specific mechanical bonus on this Charm after that seems good though, but it's "core effect" seems to not really work mechanically to me
Stubborn Boar Defense
I don't usually spam my PC's with the same social influence effect when it has failed once as it seems a bit repetitive, or at least I don't do it again during the same session. This really doesn't seem useful for my players. Do you guys have regular occurence where this Charm would be useful ? I'm genuinely curious
Memetic Dogma Discipline
I don't usually use rolls between my NPC's to make them convince each other, as the social system is not as "basic" as the DD one, considering you have to account for Intimacies, Virtues, repurhase of social influence, etc ... This could arguably have some effect on other PC's but I feel like this is a bit niche. I think I understand the intended purpose of the Charm, but mechanically I really don't feel like someone at my table is gonna have use of this Charm. I would have preferred something like a Venture to spread ideas through Performance, or directly "Any person in contact with the initial spectators will form a temporary Minor Intimacy towards the Exalt's ideas or make a Hard Bargain"
Essence-Lending Method
"Essence Font Technique (Solar): Roll Finesse + Lore against difficulty 3. On success, the Exalt generates three additional motes which may be transferred to the target in place of their own. These motes dissipate immediately if not transferred." Depending on wether you actually need to pay at least 1 mote for the Charm to function, this feels like a possible "infinite mote for my allies" shenanigan
Cunning Warrior Regimen
I genuinely can't tell what the difference is between this Charm and League of Iron Preparation.
As a thing that bothers me a little, I notice a lot of the Social Charms have effects like "For the rest of the scene, gain +1 success on rolls to ..." or "For the rest of the scene, gain 1 resolve to ..." which I don't like for the same reasons that I don't like these Charms in 3e (dice adders). I guess this design comes from the fact that Exalts don't regen motes outside of combat quickly, and they noticed that without Charms like this anyone who is not a Solar for excellencies would quickly have 0 possible way to augment his rolls in any action scene past the first few rolls
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