[OOC] [Exalted 2.5] The Scarlet Sky Conspiracy – An Epistolary Game

[wonderandawe]

I never realized how close the two backgrounds were. Reputation has a mechanical bonus but influence is far stronger plot wise. Influence is better so I agree with going for that instead.influence 2 is home city-state or satrapy so Cherak, Cathak is a blessed isle family :P.

There needs to be more letters in the alphabet so every name can have it's own letter. :P

[BlueWinds]

Where does Reputation have a mechanical effect?

I won't deny that Influence is a more powerful background, and maybe Reputation didn't need to exist, but reputation is both what I already have a dot of and what I was working for a second one towards - getting people to recognize "hey, here's a name we recognize," rather than "hey, here's a person I owe favors to."

Basically, first acquire a Reputation, then leverage that into Influence later.

Also, wonderandawe, you might want to clarify the OP in this thread:

You may work on at most two different backgrounds in one letter. For example, you can’t double up on increasing your resources in one letter. Two different backgrounds in the same category (Contacts: Legion, Contacts: House Cathak) can be worked towards in the same letter.

That says "may... at most", then says you can't double up. Should it instead be "must... at least"?

[wonderandawe]

You can't work on more than two backgrounds in one letter. You don't have to work on any backgrounds if you choose.

You can't double up on backgrounds. For example, you can't get two points towards Ally Roseblack in one month. But you can work towards one point in Ally Roseblack and another point in Ally Bob the Fence.

I need to find Reputation in the Ex2 books. I didn't see it in the core.

(Edit: Google says it is in the Dragonblooded book. I'll look it over when I get home.)

[BlueWinds]

You can't work on more than two backgrounds in one letter. You don't have to work on any backgrounds if you choose.

You can't double up on backgrounds. For example, you can't get two points towards Ally Roseblack in one month. But you can work towards one point in Ally Roseblack and another point in Ally Bob the Fence.

I need to find Reputation in the Ex2 books. I didn't see it in the core.

(Edit: Google says it is in the Dragonblooded book. I'll look it over when I get home.)

I guess what I'm trying to get at is this: you can only get one dot of backgrounds in a letter. So the sentence about "doubling up" is completely redundant, isn't it?

Oh, sorry, I guess I never did mention where the background was! Yeah, MoEP: DB, page 110.

[Eura]

This is an instance I like to call "browning the beef" where everyone assumes somebody knows something assumed to be common knowledge.

[wonderandawe]

It is redundant. I'm probably bring my corporatese into the game. I write redundant emails all the time, just to verify a business client understands the technical explanation I am giving. And to make sure they don't use something that isn't completely clear against me later. "You said I could have two backgrounds, so why can't I use both of them in resources." "Those are background points, not backgrounds." "I don't see the different. I still want my two resource points. "

I didn't realize I was doing it. I doubt you guys are going to try to argue technicalities like my clients, so I'll try to be less corporate.

[BlueWinds]

I wrote 90% of my letter last night, ready to post today once I received an answer... and this morning I can't find it. I could swear I saved it somewhere on my computer, but no go.

Arg.

Will write it up again soon, tomorrow if not tonight. Right now I'm going to eat dinner and mope about it.

[wonderandawe]

I wrote 90% of my letter last night, ready to post today once I received an answer... and this morning I can't find it. I could swear I saved it somewhere on my computer, but no go.

Arg.

Will write it up again soon, tomorrow if not tonight. Right now I'm going to eat dinner and mope about it.

Bah. That has happened to me before. Nothing worse than rewriting what you have already written from scratch.

We are posting letters starting on Friday. I just need to hear from Guancyto and Volivat with their Resplendent Air actions.

You can up Reputation, BlueWinds. I'll change the background in my previous post. I believe the last thing you are waiting for is a description of the operation around the Imperial Manse. Is that correct?

[Volivat]

Hi,

Whispering Twilight is up to these things:

1. Bumping his ally from 3 to 4, making him a dragon lord in the legion he serves in.

2. Gaining dot 1 contacts in the Great House Ledaal

(When is the next new moon?) Planning on summoning a spy themed 2nd circle demon.

[wonderandawe]

Hi,

Whispering Twilight is up to these things:

1. Bumping his ally from 3 to 4, making him a dragon lord in the legion he serves in.

2. Gaining dot 1 contacts in the Great House Ledaal

How do you plan on getting your friend promoted? Arjuf doesn't see too much combat, so I assume your character and his friend are going to be playing legion politics. Is your friend going to solve a thorny problem for his legion, thus impressing the general? Or are you planning on backstabbing his competition for the promotion? Or both?

Create a contact for yourself in House Ledaal. Come up with a plausible way your character could meet the contact. Maybe you impressed him with your lore knowledge? Or just struck up a good conversation?

(When is the next new moon?) Planning on summoning a spy themed 2nd circle demon.

*checks calendar*

New Moon is 12th, 13th, and 14th of this month (and every month). Do you have a particular 2nd circle demon in mind or are you created a custom one?

Let me know the answers to these questions and I will get back with you with the dice rolls.

[Volivat]

1.

One of the dragon lords in the legion is an outcaste and wont be missed that much by the powers in the realm. So Whispering Twilight's ally will get him alone for a chat while his manservant is present. Then when the manservant (Whispering Twilight) serves the outcaste dragon lord his glass of refreshment he makes sure to accidentally touch the outcaste and then using hyponotic tongue technique to compel him to confess all his damning secrets, in the eyes of the legion, to his ally. The ally will utilize that info to usurp that dragon lords spot.

2.

My ally is a Ledaal himself so I ask him for some connected people in the Ledaal household that visits Arjuf now and then. Wearing a disguise as an old man (spell disguise) I strike up a conversation with one of them discussing lore and occult matters. The contact in particular is a sorcerer so it is likely he will find the topics interesting.

3.

I just checked the demons available, seems like id need to design one. Any thoughts on how we should go about doing that? Ill most likely copy some other demons stat block and just change things towards spying.

[wonderandawe]

1.

One of the dragon lords in the legion is an outcaste and wont be missed that much by the powers in the realm. So Whispering Twilight's ally will get him alone for a chat while his manservant is present. Then when the manservant (Whispering Twilight) serves the outcaste dragon lord his glass of refreshment he makes sure to accidentally touch the outcaste and then using hyponotic tongue technique to compel him to confess all his damning secrets, in the eyes of the legion, to his ally. The ally will utilize that info to usurp that dragon lords spot.

That's so immoral and back stabby. I like it.

Roll your Hypnotic Tongue Technique Roll (Manipulation + Larceny) against a Mental DV of 5 (I used Tepet Lisara (Ex2 Core page 326) as a template for this NPC).

Have your Dragonblooded Ally roll Socialize (Difficulty 2) to take advantage of the situation your characters created.

2.

My ally is a Ledaal himself so I ask him for some connected people in the Ledaal household that visits Arjuf now and then. Wearing a disguise as an old man (spell disguise) I strike up a conversation with one of them discussing lore and occult matters. The contact in particular is a sorcerer so it is likely he will find the topics interesting.

Roll Disguise of a New Face to create your persona.

Roll Lore or Occult (Difficulty 2) to Impress your new friend.

3.

I just checked the demons available, seems like id need to design one. Any thoughts on how we should go about doing that? Ill most likely copy some other demons stat block and just change things towards spying.

Yeah, Just tweak a stat block to spying type. The most important part of creating a new demon would be the demon's background. What makes this demon a second circle besides higher stats? What is their exotic interest in Creation? Is this demon going to be pissed at you for dragging it away from its domain in Malfeas or thankful you are giving it an outlet for all of its voyeur instincts?

Roll either Occult or Lore (Difficulty 3) to make sure you are summoning the right demon. I doubt you are going to find a second circle demon's true name in the White Treatise.

Roll your Demon Summoning dice.

[wonderandawe]

I created a spreadsheet to track Experience and Backgrounds. Please let me know if I am missing any XP purchases.

I haven't added the backgrounds from the upcoming letter yet, as it hasn't been written.

[wonderandawe]

I'm toying with the idea of tracking all the moving parts of the game on the Obsidian Portal. We will still play and discuss here, but I want to create a wiki to keep all of our ducks in a row.

[BlueWinds]

I'm toying with the idea of tracking all the moving parts of the game on the Obsidian Portal. We will still play and discuss here, but I want to create a wiki to keep all of our ducks in a row.

I think that's an excellent idea.

Also, letter is now written for the second time, just going to let it sit a few hours and proofread again before posting.