Orichalcum Chefs Assemble

[John Mørke]

Today's questions:

Would you buy Charms that allow your Solar to be genius chef? Why or why not?

What Ability would you want to see that in?

[SamuraiMujuru]

Maybe it's just because God of Cookery is one of my absolute favorite of Stephen Chows movies, but I absolutely would love to have charms that let my Solar to be a genius chef.

As for what ability? Crafts is technically the logical one,since you're making something from something else, but I could also see something like performance being a relevant ability if going for a more showman hibachi chef style, or for particular intricate dish arangement.

[While My Guitar]

Yes I would, because I love cooking, and the concept of the Badass Chef is something I'd want to play at least once.
I'd put it in Craft.

[Isator Levi]

Would you buy Charms that allow your Solar to be genius chef?

I assume by "genius chef" you mean skilled in culinary arts such as would be featured in haute restaurants?

I would.

Why or why not?

Well, for one thing, to lend some more credibility to playing out stories centered around haute cuisine.

Although it would more likely be a somewhat incidental thing for a character to do as a sideline thing to the actual thrust of the story; not quite downtime, but scenes that the characters can have for themselves.

What Ability would you want to see that in?

Crafts.

[Okamigrif]

Absolutely yes, I've always enjoyed cooking as a road less traveled for my characters, I've even used it as part of a social attack. As far as ability is concerned I'd like to see it under Performance or craft (fire). Performance to me makes more sense because there are so many things you pick up from being a chef that lend itself to the way you carry out your actions. Smooth fluid grace as you dart and dip around the kitchen, Rhythmic tempo as you knead dough or whisk ingredients, sharp focused finesse in the small but important movements with your knife.

[SuddenThunder]

Yes, but possibly not very many.

Being a virtuoso cook could be an interesting and useful part of an Exalt's personal legend. If you're the magnificent Seven Spices Li then you may be able to get yourself into the Dragon-Blooded wedding on the pretext that you're catering, trade favors for magnificent meals, develop and have contests with rivals, and develop a range of other stories out of the fact. And being able to apply Exalted puissance to your signature skill seems like it's a thing you should be able to to. Although I'd probably be more inclined to buy Charms that individualized or customised the product rather than just made it happen better. One imagines there will still be basic dice adders and they would probably do for the purposes of just increasing the quality.

This applies for a lot of other skills beyond cookery too. A lot of them fall into Performance (dancers, singers, etc) but people will also travel great distances, pay ridiculous sums of money and do strange favors for the custom of premiere artists, sculptors, hairdressers and cosmetic surgeons (possibly that last one isn't applicable to Exalted!). I'd say cooking, and most of these 'virtuoso' type skills probably falls under Craft.

[Crumplepunch]

It would depend on what kind of game I was playing. In a DB social drama or high society First Age game, I could see it being fun, but in most games you just won't get the same mileage out of being a great chef as you will investing the same motes in being a great warrior, sorcerer, orator, writer, physician or what have you.

As for Ability, I think it's a bit of a stretch for anything but Craft (Water). Barring culinary sorcery or martial arts, anyway.

[JayTee]

No, not really. I can see a charm that adds a global upgrade to your Craft skills include cooking, but a charm solely dedicated to cooking seems too overspecialized for a Solar charm. How often would it really be of use in actual play and not be considered a speedbump charm?

[Jutlander]

I can imagine cooking as a theme for a Martial Arts style (imagine Casey Ryback, but more esoteric, I guess) , but I honestly have a hard time seeing cooking Charms being useful and in-theme for Solars.

In my experience, it is difficult for a lot of players to play it straight if their characters can cook, and all too often have I seem them become whiny and obnoxious joke characters. But again, that is just my experience.I fear such Charms might encourage them.

Broad Craft Charms that incidentially encompass cooking would be another thing, though.

EDIT: And if that broad Craft Charm encompassed working as a costumier, then I would get it for sure.

[Limited Reagent]

Today's questions:

Would you buy Charms that allow your Solar to be genius chef? Why or why not?

What Ability would you want to see that in?

Entirely depends on the character whether I'd buy genius chef Charm. Most Solars I've made don't have that as part of their repertoire. And honestly, even if there was a genius chef Charm in the corebook, most of my characters still wouldn't take it.

There's obviously a place for it. There are definitely characters I can imagine that would have such a Charm as part of their capabilities, or of course the character who's concept is one who makes great food and all that surrounds it (as Kukla points out, there can be a lot). So yeah, I'd buy it for certain characters, but it really feels more like a custom Charm given how specialized it is.

Where I'd want it? Probably Craft, as that's always where I've put cooking. Depending on the specifics of the Charm, I could see it in Survival (make food out of anything?).

[Ghosthead]

<obligatory>Like AzumaKazama they could have Solar hands...</obligatory> But may that's more for elemental sentai team (Heat! Humidity! Freshness! Aeration! Crunchiness! By our powers combined!).

Stealth? I reestablish culinary surprise!

Perhaps Socialize is what you'd want to be tactical sommelier and setter of menus though? That's more of a chef de cuisine, perhaps, very skilled at organising his sous chefs. This guy could mix it up in the banquet hall as well. I can't imagine many Charms here though.

I like the idea of a tough, experienced, world travelled, supreme cook fueled not by technique but by a supreme palate earned from years of experience tasting everything from everywhere. I Am The Idealized No Reservations Archetype! Not sure where that would fit in Solars though.

edit: I can't actually imagine many characters buying such Charms though.

[Edward Eldritch]

Yes, because it means my character can gain entry to almost anywhere through honest (if magically boosted) work. It offers another means besides music or dance for a character who doesn't want to lie or isn't good at it to gain someone's attention and perhaps even ear.

That said, I would prefer it were either part of a general Crafts charm that enhances other things as well.

While a chef and an architect are two different roles, I'm not sure they need different charms.

[Tiresias]

Would you buy Charms that allow your Solar to be genius chef?

The giant pile of money I'm going to throw at Viz once they start publishing Shokugeki no Soma* says 'yes'.

Why or why not?

There are two things that would get me to buy cooking Charms.

First, if the charm applies to Crafting in general and happens to include cooking. Stuff like Craftsman Needs no Tools. I assume this is what most Craft charms will fall into.

Second, if the charm applies to cooking specifically, but provides multiple benefit. Something like the Ex3 Salty Dog Method preview we got.

Conversely, there are two things that would discourage me from learning cooking charms.

First, if the rules for cooking suck.

Second, if the cooking charm is just a grab bag of miscellaneous crafting effects that enhance cooking, jewelry, carpentry and a bunch of other sub-crafts. That would just feel like you had ideas for a bunch of crafting effects, but didn't know what to do with them, so you just bundled them together randomly.

That being said, I would be extremely interested in seeing three or four charms that enhance more niche applications of craft, like one cooking charm, one jewelry charm, one blacksmithing charm, one thatching charm, etc., just to show how it can be done and help players come up with custom charms for their weird crafting niche.

What Ability would you want to see that in?

Definitely Craft. I might throw some Performance in to make it look more impressive, but I'd consider that separate from the actual cooking.

*Seriously, you need to read Shokugeki no Soma.

[harlokin]

No. I wouldn't mind it if it were a charm that boosted Craft skills, including cooking, but I would be somewhat annoyed at limited space in the book being dedicated to such a very narrow charm.

[Ladikn]

*looks left*
*looks right*
*looks left*

Really? Nobody else will say it? Alright.

Please consider Orichalcum Chef Style for 3rd edition!

http://www.rpdom.com/threads/orichal...odified.47218/