Nocturnals fans - what do you consider iconic?

[Lioness]

A while ago I promised to do some Quick Characters for the Nocturnal Exalted in a similar style to the other NPCs in the corebook.

I've got some half-finished ideas a year ago involving liberal use of the Chance keyword and was going to finish them when Arms of the Chosen came out which brings us to my current problem.

I've never used or played Nocturnals myself, to me the 'iconic' Nocturnal character is the three-eyed lady in Heaven's Strife so I wanted to get a feel for my target audience and know if anyone had any strong opinions on what they should do.


As a final thing, please don't worry about what the Getimian Exalted might be capable of.

[Jetstream]

...? Nocturnal Exalted?

[Epee102]

...? Nocturnal Exalted?

A particularly complete/famous/popular fan splat.

[marin]

A particularly complete/famous/popular fan splat.

Written for 2e, based on optional canon from MoEP: Sidereals about Nox, the Five Maidens' brother.

[Hark]

I'd have to go back and actually look over Nocturnals as I never got a chance to use them. All I really remember is they go an artifact named after me, "Hark's Ranging Bow," I believe was the name. It allowed you so shoot a target and swap places with them, should be a really fun one in the age of Evoctions.

[Yue Ryong]

The thing I found excited my interest and my desire to use them in play more than anything else was their unique relationship with other Shards/Manvantara - in particular their power of Fluctuations; those were cool, engaging and let me do a lot of the interesting genre blending I really liked as an ST.

[LostLight]

the thing that I like the most about the Nocturnals is their theme of both Heralds and Harlequins, artists of the future which is to come from one side, and servants bound by geas from the other. Fluctuations and the Alter Ego are both important aspects of the Nocturnal Exaltation, and the Chosen themselves being those who had their Fate denied from them- or at least, champions who were destined to fulfill a future which may not be able to exist right now, but could be.

[light-hero]

The ability to choose the alternative. Being presented two choices and making a third.

[Patricl_Gleason]

Their ability to interact with AUs and even force some of them on the MU by the way of Fluctuations.

[Dragonmystic]

For those confused, Here is the book

Trying to boil it down, here's what I think is iconic:

• Theme of Probability, obscuring what must be so that what can be may come to pass.
• Literally rolling a dice for mechanical ability on a charm....and the ability to manipulate it.
• Temporal shenanigans.
• The duality of paradox.
• The Fluctuations mechanics, where you can craft changes into the world...temporarily.

As for specific charms:
* Improbable Response (chance that your future self will perform a Defend Other action on you)
* Laughing Pharmacist Placebo: (Lie to the patient so well they get better)
* Absurd Satirist's Mask: (Attack a social position by agreeing with it to such an absurd degree that it becomes undesireable)
* Too Pretty To Die: (Apply Appearance DV to physical)
* Calender-Cracking Pugilist: Punch the ticks out of a person. As a Coup de Grace, you may be able to punch someone into next week.

[Solar]

I loved their unique aging mechanic.

It was very flavorful, even if it didn't come up much.

[PlotVitalNPC]

I loved their unique aging mechanic.

It was very flavorful, even if it didn't come up much.

You'd experience more renewals if you got the upgrade for the 'throw an injury into the future (make it a poison)' charm that caused it to make you undergo Renewal if the poison kills you, rather than dying for real. But yeah, most games don't run for 80 ingame years or somesuch, I imagine.

[Solar]

I don't really mind that it doesn't come up much, though I think it could have been played with in the Stamina Charms a bit more. I think it's just a cool element to them. It makes them feel very unique.

[Intrepid Vector]

Apologies if this is a necro (what is the generally accepted time frame for that?), but Nocturnals have been on my mind lately and I happened across this thread.

I agree with much of what is said here, but would specifically like to highlight "Schrodinger's cat" effects as being a hallmark of the Nocturnals for me. Charms that capitalize on manipulating uncertainly, like "I haven't looked in this box, so maaaaaybe it has the sword I need" and "It's possible this character and I have a shared history, so now we do."

In general, Nocturnals should feel like cheaters, momentarily suspending the rules to accomplish tasks instead of increasing their own ability. Don't become strong enough to leap over a building like a Solar, tweak reality so that you fall upwards. Don't fight off a disease or toxin with the rugged strength of a Lunar, rewrite your personal history so that you immunized yourself to it long ago.

[The Nilbog]

It strikes me that a lot, and I mean a lot of the Charms and features of the Nocturnals were rather blatant Doctor Who references, if that helps any.