Let's Cook Up Some Crown Attainments

[amechra]

So we have Crown Attainments for Forces, Mind, Prime, and Space. Let's make some for the rest of the Arcana.

Looking at the existing Crowns, the following things stand out:

• They are obviously themed after the Exarch in question. So Life's Crown Attainment is going to be the Crown of Predation, not the Crown of Growth.
• They consist of two benefits.
• The first benefit is roughly equivalent to a Utility Attainment, but a bit better - remove the Mana cost for something, get a new way to recover Mana, etcetera.
• The second benefit scales with the Arcana rating, and look like they're more focused on countering penalties than supplying bonuses.

Given that we have four examples, the last two bulletpoints are negotiable.

(I'll try to come up with one after I get done with my studying, if I don't immediately go to bed.)

[Mrmdubois]

The main reason additional prelacies don't exist is because it seems that only the Exarchs in ascendancy within the Seers are capable of manifesting the power to develop them. Other than that, cheers.

[atamajakki]

For reference, the other Exarchs:

The Chancellor: The Exarch of Matter promotes corporate capitalism and the commoditization of every resource. Water, air, people — they should all have a price, owner, and the ability to be bought and sold for profit. The Chancellor’s star rises under his Ministry of Mammon, and Seers whisper that he’ll one day be recognized as an Archigenitor.

The Nemesis: This Exarch enforces the division between flesh and spirit. The Shadow represents an untamed part of the Fallen World that even the Ex-archs cannot bring to heel. The Spirit Seal lets human ignorance and passions breed monsters in the Shadow, but it conceals the arts that shamans and traditional sorcerers use to placate and bind them.

The Psychopomp: Death’s Seal commands souls. Barring them from Stygia’s release, it condemns them to abide in numerous incarnations or erode into gray shades. If there is a heaven, the Psychopomp guards the way with a sword, and will only let the greatest Seers enter.

The Prophet: This Exarch’s followers say Time is propelled by the actions of the elect upon the guileless masses. The ideal Seer is a “Great Man” who drives history toward an inevitable triumph; Sleepers must follow in lockstep or be crushed beneath the tide.

The Raptor: The Seal of Life promotes faith in natural law, unleavened by free will. The world is predator and prey, rot and renewal, and individuals are helpless to choose how they flow along the world’s life cycle. Instinct and resignation replaces free will.

The Ruin: Fate’s Seal is the entropy that destroys dreams, relationships and even civilizations. Mystic destinies create new opportunities, but the Ruin en-sures that people are skeptical and cynical about the opportunities ahead of them.

Plus our old friend The Gate, who probably doesn't bestow Prelacies.

[amechra]

The main reason additional prelacies don't exist is because it seems that only the Exarchs in ascendancy within the Seers are capable of manifesting the power to develop them. Other than that, cheers.

That doesn't mean that the others aren't going to climb to the top of the heap any time soon, or that they've always been on top.

If I want to play a historical game, and The Ruin is currently on top (because Rome is falling and decaying)? I'm going to want a mad whack Ruin ninja to show up.

(I also want Servitors for all of the Arcana. And a pony.)

[ArcaneArts]

*pays attention for Ruin and Prophet Crowns*

[Octavo]

That reminds me: does Pantechnicon have an Exarch as a sponsor? I thought I remembered that it's in competition with Mammon for the Chancellor's favor, but I haven't been able to find anything.

Edit: Dave mentions it here http://theonyxpath.com/new-order/ in the comments, so never mind. I guess I should think of something for the Chancellor.

[atamajakki]

I'm thinking that The Nemesis' Crown should either raise or lower the nearby effective Gauntlet rating by one, but can't decide between the two. Raising it falls in with the idea that the Exarchs shun the Shadow for not being their domain, but that screws over the Prelate who is hopefully decent at Spirit magic; lowering the Gauntlet is beneficial to the Prelate and allows spirits to run amok and terrify Sleepers, but is out of tune with the existing fluff.

It's a shame Honorary Rank is already the existing Four-Dot Attainment for Spirit, because that would be perfect. Maybe something making it so that Spirit Sight is automatic and separate from Active Mage Sight?

[glamourweaver]

Yeah, Pantechnicon and Mammon are competing for the Chancellor's favor. It's one of the main barriers between either and claiming Greater Ministry status.

[atamajakki]

Yeah, Pantechnicon and Mammon are competing for the Chancellor's favor. It's one of the main barriers between either and claiming Greater Ministry status.

I'd pay so much money for a pre-written campaign about uniting them in order to finally topple the Hegemonic Ministry and elevate the Chancellor to Archgenitor status. It would be a blast to actually toss out some stuff aimed at playing as the Seers, and would nicely illustrate the pettiness of the Iron Pyramid.

[amechra]

I'm thinking that The Nemesis' Crown should either raise or lower the nearby effective Gauntlet rating by one, but can't decide between the two. Raising it falls in with the idea that the Exarchs shun the Shadow for not being their domain, but that screws over the Prelate who is hopefully decent at Spirit magic; lowering the Gauntlet is beneficial to the Prelate and allows spirits to run amok and terrify Sleepers, but is out of tune with the existing fluff.

It's a shame Honorary Rank is already the existing Four-Dot Attainment for Spirit, because that would be perfect. Maybe something making it so that Spirit Sight is automatic and separate from Active Mage Sight?

While I'm taking a break:

It totally should raise the Gauntlet rating by 1 around them (as a passive, always on thing), and let them ignore penalties due to Gauntlet rating equal to their Spirit Dots. Because why not do both?

[atamajakki]

While I'm taking a break:

It totally should raise the Gauntlet rating by 1 around them (as a passive, always on thing), and let them ignore penalties due to Gauntlet rating equal to their Spirit Dots. Because why not do both?

Well, that's elegant and nicely does the job for me. Yay!

It sounds like a Crown from The Raptor runs afoul of the whole "why are the Thyrsus bad at driving emotions" thing that's been such a hot topic recently. I might want to go for "opponents lose Doors equal to your dots in Life," except The Unity already covers that. How would you balance a scaling Composure penalty?

[amechra]

Well, that's elegant and nicely does the job for me. Yay!

It sounds like a Crown from The Raptor runs afoul of the whole "why are the Thyrsus bad at driving emotions" thing that's been such a hot topic recently. I might want to go for "opponents lose Doors equal to your dots in Life," except The Unity already covers that. How would you balance a scaling Composure penalty?

I'm not sure; I'm weighing heavily towards "pick something else", though.

The scaling benefits (other than Fury's) are all buffs to you that work in a pretty raw way.

• The Crown of Unity makes you so good at reading people that you could sell sand in the desert.
• The Crown of Purity makes your fallen form a better vessal for mana, letting you hold more.
• The Crown of Vision makes your vision all-piercing.

Meanwhile, the Crown of Fury... gives you instinctive knowledge on how to counter specific fighting moves.

I wish Fury had been something more along the lines of "your attacks get Piercing equal to your dots in Forces" or something similarly overwhelming, violent, and direct.

---

For the Raptor, I'd honestly lean towards something that rewards you for being primal and instinctual, rather than a way to penalize others.

I'd say "add Life to your Gnosis for the purposes of your Nimbus", but that's not very Life, now is it?

[atamajakki]

Here's an odd idea; what if the Crown bestowed by The Raptor negated penalties made on rolls to Force Doors? It encourages devotees to take what they want from others /right now/, nevermind social niceties and the potential consequences.

[cmwatford]

I can't help but wonder what a Gate prelacy would be like and just what kind of person it would take to earn it.

[glamourweaver]

I can't help but wonder what a Gate prelacy would be like and just what kind of person it would take to earn it.

Well there is a secret cult of the Gate. It even has its own Left-Handed Legacy (as in one that's Left-Handed from the perspective of other Seers).