Mistress of the Dance (Re: Gun-Fu Solar)

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.whitewolf (More info?)

Well, James (and the write-up for the Dreaming Pearl Courtesan Style
MA in the Player's Guide) inspired me...so, here's the CS:

Name: Emperor's Orchid
Caste: Eclipse
Concept: Diplomat of the Dance
Nature: Gallant/Hedonist
Anima: Peacock with crystalline multicolored plumage

History: Life in the patriarchal West can be difficult for a woman,
even if she's the well-off daughter of a successful merchant prince on
the floating city-state of Denzik. Even the few successes she was
given the opportunity to secure for her people where written off as
the gains of the delicate beauty she'd merely inherited. Channeling
her passionate frustrations (and large amounts of free time) into
evocative dance, Emperor's Orchid hoped to one day turn the blind
prejudices and lusts of the powerful men who denied her against them.
The Unconquered Sun gave her her chance.

After badgering her father into giving her a rare chance to show her
trading skills by allowing her command of an expensive shipment of
spices (with appropriate supervision, of course), Emperor's Orchid
found her vessel captured by the dreaded Lintha pirates. Noting her
practiced movements, the captain taunted her into providing a show for
his men before they ravished her. Hoping to delay death (and worse)
for as long as possible, and looking for any way out, she danced; and
marvelled to find her steps lighter, her movements surer than they'd
ever been. Guided by a certainty that felt as strong as it did alien,
she slaughtered her first few pirates and freed her men before the
rest could react. Retaking the ship proved little problem. Her father
has since entrusted her with more shipments.

Now Emperor's Orchid uses the expansive network of her father and her
people to further her goals--which largely consists of the elimination
of piracy. It's amazing how an elegant performance of a nation's
historical or liturgical dances can sway a difficult magistrate to
alter his opinion, bend the rules or sign that anti-pirate
legislation...

Not that her efforts have gone unnoticed. The Lintha already want
revenge for the loss of Family, but once they realize her larger
efforts against them...Fortunately, she has also attracted admirers,
such as an oddly-familiar Lunar who has gifted her with the location
of an island Manse, the Coral Palace.
Her greatest enemy, however, may be the very spark of the First Age
Solar that empowers her, whose lusty needs have driven her into more
beds than she'd like to be known...

(Emperor's Orchid's other goals: To obtain the Heavenly Thunder
Leaves, which belonged to her previous incarnation; and to witness and
master the 13 Efficacious Dances of Stanewald...)

Strength: 1 - Dexterity 4 (Graceful) - Stamina 2
Charisma 4 (Enticing) - Manipulation 3 - Appearance 4 (Exotic)
Perception 3 - Intelligence 2 - Wits 4 (Improvisational)

Martial Arts (Dreaming Pearl Courtesan Style) 4 [F]
Performance (Dance; Seductive +2) 4 [F]
Presence 2 [F]
Athletics 2 [F]
Dodge 2 [F]
Thrown 2
Investigation 2
Lore 2
Medicine 1
Occult 1
Larceny 2
Stealth 2
Bureaucracy 1
Linguistics 1
Sail 1
Socialize 2

Backgrounds:
Artifact 2 - Seven Jeweled Peacock Fans
Artifact 3 - Silken Armor (Hanbok)
Ally 2 (Mmobius, The Whale That Walks Like A Man)
Contacts 2
Manse 2 (Jewel of the Graceful Courtesan)
Resources 3

Weapons: Leg Sheath of Feathersteel Throwing Knives (+1 Acc, +3L Dam,
Range 20)

Charms:
Graceful Reed Dancing
Demure Carp Feint
Pearlescent Filigree Defence
Lethal Paper Fan Attack
Dreaming Pearl Courtesan Form
Triple-Distance Attack Technique
Graceful Crane Stance
Harmonious Presence Meditation
Wise-Eyed Courtier Method
Body-Mending Meditation
(Emperor's Orchid is working on a Combo that includes Graceful Reed
Dancing, Demure Carp Feint and Lethal Paper Fan Attack)


Willpower: 6
Compassion: 2
Conviction: 2
Temperance: 3 (Overindulgence)
Valor: 2

Perm Ess: 2
Personal: 11
Peripheral: 29
Committed: 8

Soak: 5L/3B (Silken Armor)

Merits/Flaws:
Selective Conception (handy during Limit Breaks!)(1 pt)
Signature Style - Making Combat Look Choreographed (2 pt)
Throwback (3)
Enemy - Lintha Family (2 pt)
Wanted - Bounty (2 pt)

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.whitewolf (More info?)

James Stein wrote:

> Also, that a starting Lunar stands a chance against a starting Solar.
> And that at 200 XP, that Solar will break the lunar like a little bitch.
> Only advantage Lunars have is beastmen armies; flying archers and the
> beastman Might bonus are inestimably handy. A solar with beastmen would
> be unbeatable.

Health levels, too. Remember that units effectively have a number of
health levels equal to the health levels of the commander times the
unit's magnitude. Lunars with 5 Ox-Body Techniques set to maximum
health lead tough units.
--
Stephenls
Geek
"I'm as impure as the driven yellow snow." -Spike

 

[william]

Archived from groups: alt.games.whitewolf (More info?)

Hand-of-Omega wrote:
> James Stein <JamesSpamtein@si.rr.com> wrote in message news:<vzwec.13572$mX.5045227@twister.nyc.rr.com>...
>
>>Hand-of-Omega wrote:
>>
>>
>>>Well, James (and the write-up for the Dreaming Pearl Courtesan Style
>>>MA in the Player's Guide) inspired me...
>>
>>Pretty description, ewy MA, IMO.
>>
>>Just ... not effective, from what I can see. I'm thinking of writing up
>>a rough combat run-through just to see how it holds up in combat, 'cause
>>the description as it settles in my head isn't impressive in combat.
>
>
> Well, feel free to use Emperor's Orchid if you don't feel like rolling
> up someone new, then. Just let me know how she performs...^_~
>

You know, I've missed the DWL (Dungeon Wrestling League. Most fun I've
ever had from DnD) since I left URI.

Anyone interested in an EWF (Exalted Wrestling Federation) to test these
very types of questions? Exalted seems to fairly cry out for something
like that.

William

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.whitewolf (More info?)

Stephenls wrote:

> James Stein wrote:
>
> > Also, that a starting Lunar stands a chance against a starting Solar.
> > And that at 200 XP, that Solar will break the lunar like a little bitch.
> > Only advantage Lunars have is beastmen armies; flying archers and the
> > beastman Might bonus are inestimably handy. A solar with beastmen would
> > be unbeatable.
>
> Health levels, too. Remember that units effectively have a number of
> health levels equal to the health levels of the commander times the
> unit's magnitude. Lunars with 5 Ox-Body Techniques set to maximum
> health lead tough units.
>

You apparently forget how little 200 XP is for Lunars. And I was doing
it at reduced costs, even - 10 XP in -attribute, 12 XP out, as opposed
to 12/15.

I built up the Lunar and Solar as evenly as possible; both went into
their best Social charms with starting charms just high enough to build
up their "This will kick ass when leading an army" charms, and the rest
were dedicated to combat. Each got one free armor, one free weapon. At
200 XP, the Lunar was *seriously* lagging.

Actually, I'll just post the CSs, you judge.

200 XP Lunar. Caste: Full moon.
strength 5, Dex 5, Stamina 5, Cha 5, Manip 3, App 2, Perc 2, Int 2, Wit
4
Athletics 2, Awareness 2, Dodge 5 (F), Endurance 3, Melee 5(F) (Whatever
Weapon He Uses +3), Resistance 2, Performance 5(F), Presence 5 (F),
Survival 3 (F), Lore 1
Backgrounds: Artifacts. Moonsilver Superheavy Plate (15L/15B, Fat 2, Mob
0, Commit 8). Moonsilver Grand Daiklaive (Spd 10, Acc 4, D12L, Def -1,
Rate 3, Commit 5)
Charms: Glorious Battle Presence (and all its prereqs), Courage Building
Address, bowing Reed Technique, Unmoving Bear Defense, Flowing Body
Evasion, Armor Forming Technique (and prereqs), Limb Shielding Growth,
Sensing the Deadly Flow, Finding the Spirits Shape, DBT x 4 (Sta +16,
Impenetrable Beast Hide, Beastial Reflexes)
Willpower 7, Compassion 1, Temperance 1, Conviction 2, Valor 5
Soak: Bashing 27, Lethal 27, Agg 15, Hardness 25, All attacks at +1
diff. vs. him (This takes into account his committed essence to Armor
Forming Technique and Limb Shielding Growth, in Hybrid Form.)

Essence 4, Personal 18, Peripheral 50, Committed 27

Army: 200 Wolfmen (Magnitude 4, Hand to Hand 3, Hand 2 Hand Damage 3L,
Armor 3L/4B, Valor 3, Drill 3, Might 1)
50 Hawkmen Archers (Magnitude 2, Ranged 3, Ranged Damage 3L, Armor
1L/1B, Valor 3, Drill 2, Might 1, led by a heroic hawkman.)

200 XP Solar. Caste: Dawn.
Strength 3, Dex 5, Sta 3, Cha 5, Manip 2, app 2, perc 2, Int 2, Wit 3
Archery 1(F), Brawl 1(F), Martial Arts 1(F), Melee 5 (Whatever He's
Using +3) (F), Thrown 1(f), Awareness 2(F), Dodge 5(F), Endurance 3,
Performance 5 (F), Presence 4 (F), Resistance 1(f), lingustics 2, Ride 2
Backgrounds: Orichalcum Superheavy Plate (17L/17B, Mob 2, Fat 2,
Hardness 4, ommit 8) Orichalchum Grand Goremaul (+10 spd, +1 acc, +9L
dmg, +2 def, rate 4, commit 5)
Charms: Respect Commanding, unruly Mob dispersing, fury inciting
presence, tiger warrior training technique(!), Ox-Body x 3, Armored
Scout's Invig, Flow like blood (prereqs), heavenly guardian defense
(prereqs), excellent strike, hungry tiger technique, 5-fold bulwark
stance(prereqs), fire and stones strike, 1 weapon 2 blows, peony blossom
attack. Combos: Peony blossom + hungry tiger + fire and stones +
heavenly guardian.
Willpower 6, Compassion 2, temperance 2, conviction 3, valor 5
Soak: Bashing 20, Lethal 18, Agg 17
Essence 4, Personal 18, Peripheral 46, Committed 19 (29 with FLB and
5-Fold Bulwark up)

Army:
200 Elite Swordsmen (Magnitude 4, H2H 3, H2H dmg 2L, Armor 2L/3B, Valor
4, Drill 5, Might 0)
50 Elite Archers (Magnitude 2, Ranged 3, Dmg 2L, ARmor 2L/3B, Valor 4,
Drill 5, Might 0. Leader: Elite trooper hero.)


As you can see, what's saving the Lunar's army here is the Lunar's
Hardness. Which is what I was aiming for with the absurdly high Stamina
in DBT.

I mean, strategy does come into play here ( I think the two batteries of
archers are the main thing here - the hawkmen can hang back and fire at
the covering army, forcing the solar's elite archers to come forward and
meet them, but then the lunar's troops can rush forward to try and get
the archers.)

Er, anyway, besides the archer cat-and-mouse games, I think that the
Solar's bound to crush the lunar here. The lunar's got some
super-hardness going on, but the Solar's double-persistents will
probably let him avoid the Lunar's attacks indefinitely, and the Solar
only needs to hit him once to stack up on the Hungry Tiger and Fire and
Stones strike, the combination of which can quite possibly break the
Lunar's hardness. One would hope.

 

[Guest]

Archived from groups: alt.games.whitewolf (More info?)

James Stein wrote:

>Solar
> Essence 4, Personal 18, Peripheral 46, Committed 19 (29 with FLB and
> 5-Fold Bulwark up)

Oh, and the Committed count also takes into account his Armored Scout's
Invig, negating all penalties from his armor.