New ways around the Essence age cap... (Glories)

molez:

Lunars get a knack that means if they eat their Solar mate, they get a bump in Essence (by one) for a year and a day. It has some further negative effects if the Solar mate you sacred hunt is an Abyssal or Green Sun Prince.

I haven't had the luxury of getting the book yet, but I seem to remember that there are some Lunar knacks that allow one to perform the Sacred Hunt without killing the target.

Segev:

Holden:

The original plan was not to let Lunars have an Essence-cap-bypass method at all.

Then I had a nastier idea.

Now I'm curious. What is the reasoning behind having the Sidereals and Solars have one, but not the Lunars? (Leaving the nastier idea out of the equation.)

Sidereals don't have one, that I'm aware of.

The plan was for the lesser Celestials not to get one, period. Then I decided to give Lunars a way to get themselves into trouble, because that might be interesting plot-wise.

In this case, the hunt, explicitly, must be lethal.

Holden:

Sidereals don't have one, that I'm aware of.

molez:

The Unconquered Sun can raise Essence beyond the age limit (not just ONE above the age limit, but as many as he wants) in return to a prayer from anyone... I find it a little odd that the logic is if a Lunar wants an Essence bump they should pray to the UCS.

That's because he's the UCS. He's just that fuckin' cool! :D

molez:

The Unconquered Sun can raise Essence beyond the age limit (not just ONE above the age limit, but as many as he wants) in return to a prayer from anyone... I find it a little odd that the logic is if a Lunar wants an Essence bump they should pray to the UCS. This is something I will definitely be house ruling in my games.

Well, he can't just give you E10, since he can't use it on people who are in experience debt, though.
But more seriously, it's logical the UCS has a ultimate charm to bring the Illumination to people. He can use it on any one, so the solars don't have more of a way to raise their essence than lunars do, they both use the same method as Joe mortal (while Sidereals can get direct link from their boss).
On another totally unrelated point, the solar "f**k the rules, I am too awesome for this %@#" function allow them to bypass yet another rule : essence cap.

Endowment and transcendance charms are different topic and shouldn't be mixed. Or you should keep the distinction firmly in your mind, at least.

molez:

Holden:

Sidereals don't have one, that I'm aware of.

The Maidens can do it as a training effect in response to prayer

"Ask a spirit to Endow you" is not a native means of bypassing the age cap.

Personally, I'd think that they'd have a "Essence counts as two more for the purpose of creating Martial Arts styles" They still wouldn't be able to use them but sidereals would be able to create Martial arts styles.

Holden:

"Ask a spirit to Endow you" is not a native means of bypassing the age cap.

I didn't think that was a means at all.

Lantis:

Holden:

"Ask a spirit to Endow you" is not a native means of bypassing the age cap.

I didn't think that was a means at all.

It is if they're the Incarnae.

Lantis:

I didn't think that was a means at all.

It always was. There are rules for that in Rolls of Glorious Divinty I. The all encopassing endowment requires Essence 7 to raise someone's essence by 1 over the limit for example.

I must have missed that part. But I suppose that makes sense.

A random pack of Lunars are just as likely to NEED to be buffed by a Maiden as a Sidereal or a Solar, or an Alchemical.. actually no.. Since Creation clearly needs more giant robot cities an Alchemical is the one most likely to have the Maidens randomly give them Essence.

I think extending the duration of this knack a bit (or decreasing it) so that it ceases to work after the Solar's Essence actually re-unites with a mortal and empowers them might make it more interesting. Otherwise, it kind of sucks if the Solar's essence decides to hang around for a decade before finally Exalting someone.

Holden:

Sidereals don't have one, that I'm aware of.

The plan was for the lesser Celestials not to get one, period. Then I decided to give Lunars a way to get themselves into trouble, because that might be interesting plot-wise.

Well, Sidereal can get an effect that permanently lowers their experience point costs for charms to less than what a Lunar pays. That seems somewhat comparable to getting an extra dot of Essence a little early.

Yes, that relies on ST fiat, but then so does the Lunar's. If the ST doesn't introduce the Solar mate, the Lunar won't ever be able to use the knack. And if the ST decides the Exaltation hangs out for a few years before "respawning" the Lunar is SOL.

AnubisXy

AnubisXy:

Well, Sidereal can get an effect that permanently lowers their experience point costs for charms to less than what a Lunar pays. That seems somewhat comparable to getting an extra dot of Essence a little early.

Actually that only repair an injustice from the conversion to 2E, and istotally different anyway. It won't let you unlock greater powers.

Also the idea to change the duration to however long the reincarnation take is pretty bad, since it can happen just the next week, making the duration of the charm potentially way too short, random, impredictible, and totally based on ST fiat.