Wyld-Shaping at Essence 1

[Colin_Fredericks]

It's time for another how-to!

Today on Stranger Creations I talk about how to use Wyld-Shaping Technique as a starting or near-starting character. Here's the direct link:

https://strangercreations.wordpress....ade-of-dreams/

Much as with my Artifact 5 at Essence 1 tutorial, I'm interested in having people critique the charm use and assumptions for this process. Wyld-Shaping is a pretty complex press-your-luck process, and I'm anticipating needing to update the spreadsheet on that page at least once. Yes, I needed a spreadsheet for this one.

[Baaldam]

I'm pretty sure that that section is a 'no, you cannot shenanigans' rider, rather than anything to do with the merit's actual function.

Probably, not that i see much of a problem either way, but that's me.

Besides which, Adiva never went into the Wyld until after she had the Lore Tree's anti-Wyld effects.

Good to know, it becomes clearer it ain't really an option in the context of her background & concept as i learned some bits here and there through the previous posts.

[Colin_Fredericks]

If you want Wyld Shaping Technique, you -really- want a Twice Striking Lightning Prism for +1 Essence when calculating your effects. It also grants you +4 Motes per hour regenerating. With Wyld-Cauldron Mastery and Harmonious Academic Methodology you are gaining +2 Non-Charm Successes and +2 Successes on every roll. You are also doubling the area you create. Generally speaking, Wyld Shaping lets you create merits out of thin air or have a huge direct hand in the story. That is its primary use. You also want to bat eyelashes at your ST for some exceptional equipment to help you with Wyld Shaping (a tome or guide from the first age, perhaps), but don't count on it.

Thanks for the Heathstone input! Those effects are really nice. I generally only looked at charms when I was working these up.

[Valles]

Actually, there's some wiggle room for the idea of replacement in the final paragraph of the merit, when it discusses actually paying xp on MoSaC's effects that circunvent the fading in play. That's what partly inspired me to suggest that as an alternative to WST in the first place.

I'm pretty sure that that section is a 'no, you cannot shenanigans' rider, rather than anything to do with the merit's actual function.

Yes, from that angle teaching and training others would be much too early indeed, thanks for pointing it out.

Besides which, Adiva never went into the Wyld until after she had the Lore Tree's anti-Wyld effects.

[SoulGambit]

If you want Wyld Shaping Technique, you -really- want a Twice Striking Lightning Prism for +1 Essence when calculating your effects. It also grants you +4 Motes per hour regenerating. With Wyld-Cauldron Mastery and Harmonious Academic Methodology you are gaining +2 Non-Charm Successes and +2 Successes on every roll. You are also doubling the area you create. Generally speaking, Wyld Shaping lets you create merits out of thin air or have a huge direct hand in the story. That is its primary use. You also want to bat eyelashes at your ST for some exceptional equipment to help you with Wyld Shaping (a tome or guide from the first age, perhaps), but don't count on it.

[Baaldam]

As the player of the PC in question...

First, Miracles of Shadow and Chaos wouldn't work, because the in-character point is to replace Wyld with stability and reality, and MoSaC's effects fade away when exposed to reality. It wouldn't actually destroy the Freehold. For a character whose relevant intimacy is 'BLEEP these Faerie and the delusion they rode in on', that's unacceptable. Converting the territory into something more useful than tundra would be, in computer gaming terms, an optional objective, not a mission objective.

Actually, there's some wiggle room for the idea of replacement in the final paragraph of the merit, when it discusses actually paying xp on MoSaC's effects that circunvent the fading in play. That's what partly inspired me to suggest that as an alternative to WST in the first place.

Second, while teaching and training others would be an entirely in-character thing for her to take an interest in eventually, acquiring those students at this point would require nearly as much alteration of plot elements and character design as excising WST entirely. From a Doylist perspective, Adiva is a Wandering Student, not Confucious.

Yes, from that angle teaching and training others would be much too early indeed, thanks for pointing it out.

[Valles]

Kyman, as an aside on your interests, have you thought of, instead of using wyld-shaping per se, getting a Sorcerer with the "scarred by nightmares/warped depths of the Wyld" initiation, the "Miracles of Shadow and Chaos", some followers/disciples and some of those "i can get more xp than i spent on training them" Lore charms? I think it might work nicely for "less than Deep Wyld" places like the ones you're interested on.

As the player of the PC in question...

First, Miracles of Shadow and Chaos wouldn't work, because the in-character point is to replace Wyld with stability and reality, and MoSaC's effects fade away when exposed to reality. It wouldn't actually destroy the Freehold. For a character whose relevant intimacy is 'BLEEP these Faerie and the delusion they rode in on', that's unacceptable. Converting the territory into something more useful than tundra would be, in computer gaming terms, an optional objective, not a mission objective.

Second, while teaching and training others would be an entirely in-character thing for her to take an interest in eventually, acquiring those students at this point would require nearly as much alteration of plot elements and character design as excising WST entirely. From a Doylist perspective, Adiva is a Wandering Student, not Confucious.

[Baaldam]

I like HTC for its broad applicability, but if you're not going to use the rest of its applications, you're probably right. If you're strapped for time in your shaping and the rest of your circle isn't Wyld-protected very well, SotNG or another defensive charm is probably a better bet.

Nothing against HTC per se, it can be quite useful in a number of contexts and situations indeed - what i find less than ideal is actually getting it at Ess 1, because the PC's own low Essence level considerably nerfs its usefulness at this stage.

A supernal ability is awesome in the number of options it opens up to a starting character due to the waiving of the required Essence trait, but it can be its own drawback, as some of these charm options (Ess-capped dice adders mostly) get considerably diminished effectiveness due to the same lowered Essence.

Caveat Emptor.

[Colin_Fredericks]

On a first read of the list (truth be told i had been thinking of doing the same), at Essence 1 i would suggest getting anything but Heaven-Turning Calculations, because just 1 success looks like a terrible waste of a charm option to me. I would probably leave it for a later purchase (around Ess 3+ possibly) and instead go for enhancing one's defensive options or Savant of the Nine Glories, that permanently lowers the mote cost of Wyld-Shaping Technique by five motes.

I like HTC for its broad applicability, but if you're not going to use the rest of its applications, you're probably right. If you're strapped for time in your shaping and the rest of your circle isn't Wyld-protected very well, SotNG or another defensive charm is probably a better bet.

[Baaldam]

On a first read of the list (truth be told i had been thinking of doing the same), at Essence 1 i would suggest getting anything but Heaven-Turning Calculations, because just 1 success looks like a terrible waste of a charm option to me. I would probably leave it for a later purchase (around Ess 3+ possibly) and instead go for enhancing one's defensive options or Savant of the Nine Glories, that permanently lowers the mote cost of Wyld-Shaping Technique by five motes.


Kyman, as an aside on your interests, have you thought of, instead of using wyld-shaping per se, getting a Sorcerer with the "scarred by nightmares/warped depths of the Wyld" initiation, the "Miracles of Shadow and Chaos", some followers/disciples and some of those "i can get more xp than i spent on training them" Lore charms? I think it might work nicely for "less than Deep Wyld" places like the ones you're interested on.

[Kyman201]

How else can you create new lands, demesnes, manses, artifacts, valuables, people... Out of nothing, in minutes/hours?

Then you use a Sorcerous Working to lift your swank new fortress into the sky and cruise back into Creation.

[TGUEIROS]

How else can you create new lands, demesnes, manses, artifacts, valuables, people... Out of nothing, in minutes/hours?

You can say I can do more with 10 charms in Melee than I can with 10 charms in Brawl... So what? I want to be a Brawler, not a Armsmaster.

What is the measure to judge WST's worth?

[Sanctaphrax]

Doesn't look worthwhile. There's so much else you could do with that many Charm purchases, that much trouble, and that much xp.

One note on mote respiration: since you get 5 motes per round of combat, I suspect the shaper will end many of the easier fights with more motes than they went in with. That ought to help with the cost of the shaping.

[Zelbinnean]

Also if you look at it, being a Solar with IPP and a difficult-to-breach base in Firewander is a lot more valuable than getting Nexus yet another mundane district.

[Colin_Fredericks]

I think the people in Firewander might be pretty upset by that.

Probably true. Though I suppose that if not ticking people (or behemoths) off is a goal for your character, Wyld-Shaping Technique is not for you.