Alternative infernals

[Minty]

Personally, the main thing I want to do with Infernals is play a heroic one. Which I hear 2e is fine for, but it looks like 3e might not be, so maybe I should just stick with 2e?

I think Infernals are far enough down the line that using one of the 3E homebrews that are floating around or making one yourself makes sense if you want to play an Infernal but like the 3E rules. I'm actually using rules created by Sandact6 from this forum now, and while they obviously have some differences from what the devs talked about in the preview I am having fun with it (I just wish he would add to them, trying to figure out Ebon Dragon stuff is hard!).

That said, if you just mean that you like the idea of playing a heroic Infernal I don't see why you wouldn't be able to do that with the Infernals in 3E when they come out. From what I have seen, Infernals in this edition will have more freedom to do as they will, not less. While they are characterized as the mad and decadent Solars of the First Age there is no reason your Infernal can't turn out more like Salina, or start out a self-centered god-king and undergo a transformation of character. If you want to play an Infernal who uses their powers for justice and freedom then do that. And if that seems too far out from what the Infernals of 3E are, then you can always be a character who selfishly pursues selflessness. More than one "hero" in fiction does it for the fame, adoration, benefits, or just to make themselves feel better about themselves.

[diagrapher]

Personally, the main thing I want to do with Infernals is play a heroic one. Which I hear 2e is fine for, but it looks like 3e might not be, so maybe I should just stick with 2e?

[Minty]

That sounds interesting, though I remember seeing that one of the devs said that they would be doing away with charm slots for Alchemicals in 3E. Still, I'd love to see what you come up for it. Since there is a definite feeling of mutation and body horror, I think if you were still working on it when Liminals/Lunars got material that those might have some good stuff to draw from as well. Do you think your parasite charm evolutions would take any inspiration from the various natives to Malfeas, or would they have a different sort of theme?

[Ekorren]

This sounds pretty interesting, do you have a link to this?

It's still too early that I haven't put together a draft yet. The idea I'm working on now is similar to how Alchemicals work, but with different bodyparts being different "evolution slots". For example, I have a couple of "brain charms" and "eye charms" written up (unlike Liminals, these are focused on mutations and being like a chimera more than being Promethean). You unlock body slots and spread the parasite throughout your body. I'm going to test a Homunculus NPC for my group soon to see how the concept feels in game.

[Minty]

3. Homunculus (a homebrew project I'm working on where a Yozi parasite turns the character into Alex Mercer from Prototype).

This sounds pretty interesting, do you have a link to this?

[Ekorren]

Some of my ideas for Infernal Exalted are:

1. Green Sun Princes. Top of the chain.
2. Some kind of Exigent variant bestowed by second or third circle demons. These could very well be called Akuma even though they aren't anything like 2E Akuma.
3. Homunculus (a homebrew project I'm working on where a Yozi parasite turns the character into Alex Mercer from Prototype).

[The Hug Ninja]

Our Infernals Storyteller feels that the Unwoven Coadjutor is a somewhat wasted element of Green Sun Princes unable to compete with the other components but cool enough to be the basis of someone's powers. I've been thinking about it more since reading The First Heretic and enjoying its portrayal of the Gal Vorbak.

[Beans]

Worrying: I don't why I had this idea, and I don't know if it's any good, and I know I won't be working on it in the foreseeable future:

Instead of being corrupted solar shards, these Infernals are more like Exigents; when ever a Yozi gets annoyed at one of their 3rd circle souls, they summon it to a special basilica, sealing the Unquestionable as a tight little sphere, draining their essence and power to create an Exaltation without killing the demon; and when the exalt dies, the demon regains their power without a permanent sacrifice.

Unlike Exigents, these Infernals have a large general set of charms set to attributes, however their anima and favoured attributes are decided by the 3rd circle used to create the exaltation - So a Ligier based one would have an anima of green fire and hundreds of glorious arms of demonic power, favouring Appearance, Dexterity and Intelligence (for shining glory and infernal craftsmanship). The general charms are decent, but there are a special more powerful charms, each of which are based on and controlled by a particular Yozi; requiring their tutelage, or at least their patronage, in order to learn it. After learning it, the Infernal can use the charm as often as they want, however, each of these charms come with something called a 'catch', something the Infernal can do to enhance the charm, all of which obvious helps or at least appeases the Yozi; like enforcing a Law of Cecelyne or using a Ebon Dragon charm to support one his scheme's on Creation. So these Infernals are free of direct Yozi control, but are given incentive to push the agendas of those damned Primordials. Note; this isn't the best in setting, but gives an interesting dynamic for players to use.

That's pretty intriguing. If you end up working on this idea I'll happily offer my (admittedly meager) assistance, even just to see how it pans out.

[Matt the Bruins fan]

I can certainly see Oramus being up to the challenge, however. It's entirely possible that Exalts that are worrying to the other Yozis are functioning exactly as he intended.

[PraxisCat]

Additionally, the Infernal Preview says, "Oramus, the Dragon Beyond the World, and Isidoros, the Black Boar That Twists the Sky both tried to make their own Exalted, and the Yozis were disquieted by the results."

Given how weird and bonkers some of the 2nd and 3rd circle demons are, the Yozi exalted would have to be PRETTY WEIRD for them to disquiet the Yozi, who are certainly ok with acid being a natural element of their home.

[Minty]

The devs have said that Green Sun Princes will not be the only Infernals in 3E, and that akuma won't really be a thing. While I don't believe that they have given any indication as to what these other Infernals will be like, I would not be surprised if the Yozis had used "black market" Exaltations from the Exigence to do something.

Everything I have seen so far makes me believe that they would be too averse dealing with the Law of Diminishment themselves, but it has been mentioned that other gods could "taint" an Exigent Exaltation before any god actually gives it to a mortal, so I could believe that there are Primordial-tainted Exigent Exalted.

Additionally, the Infernal Preview says, "Oramus, the Dragon Beyond the World, and Isidoros, the Black Boar That Twists the Sky both tried to make their own Exalted, and the Yozis were disquieted by the results." This leads me to believe that their are at least a couple Yozi Exaltations out there. Whether they are made using the Exigence or Oramus and Isidoros somehow figured out how to make their own Exaltations I cannot say.

[Leetsepeak]

I think that's certainly an idea, but it seems contingent on a kind of mutilation that feels self-destructive and weird.

When I tend to want peculiar forms of power derived from the Yozis, I tend to go with weird specific ways individual 3rd circles might empower a person, like Lypothymie turning them into an emotional disease and stuff.

[Mr.Jaxus]

Worrying: I don't why I had this idea, and I don't know if it's any good, and I know I won't be working on it in the foreseeable future:

Instead of being corrupted solar shards, these Infernals are more like Exigents; when ever a Yozi gets annoyed at one of their 3rd circle souls, they summon it to a special basilica, sealing the Unquestionable as a tight little sphere, draining their essence and power to create an Exaltation without killing the demon; and when the exalt dies, the demon regains their power without a permanent sacrifice.

Unlike Exigents, these Infernals have a large general set of charms set to attributes, however their anima and favoured attributes are decided by the 3rd circle used to create the exaltation - So a Ligier based one would have an anima of green fire and hundreds of glorious arms of demonic power, favouring Appearance, Dexterity and Intelligence (for shining glory and infernal craftsmanship). The general charms are decent, but there are a special more powerful charms, each of which are based on and controlled by a particular Yozi; requiring their tutelage, or at least their patronage, in order to learn it. After learning it, the Infernal can use the charm as often as they want, however, each of these charms come with something called a 'catch', something the Infernal can do to enhance the charm, all of which obvious helps or at least appeases the Yozi; like enforcing a Law of Cecelyne or using a Ebon Dragon charm to support one his scheme's on Creation. So these Infernals are free of direct Yozi control, but are given incentive to push the agendas of those damned Primordials. Note; this isn't the best in setting, but gives an interesting dynamic for players to use.