[Exalted] Mass combat questions

[Katherine]

Two probably stupid questions about Mass Combat.

1. Are the combat Abilities of a character acting as Solo Unit still capped by their War score?

2. What would be a good Ess/Ability level for a Solar Stealth charm that allowed the user to make an Unexpected Attack on special characters and leaders in an opposing unit and potentially vanish immediately (Re establish Surprise).

[Aaron Peori]

Originally Posted by Katherine

Two probably stupid questions about Mass Combat.

1. Are the combat Abilities of a character acting as Solo Unit still capped by their War score?

Yes.

2. What would be a good Ess/Ability level for a Solar Stealth charm that allowed the user to make an Unexpected Attack on special characters and leaders in an opposing unit and potentially vanish immediately (Re establish Surprise).

There is a Thrown Charm which does precisely this. Observer Deceiving Attack.

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Epsilon

[Katherine]

Originally Posted by Aaron Peori

Yes.

Thanks. Wonder what the rationale is behind that rule is and if ignoring it would break anything.

There is a Thrown Charm which does precisely this. Observer Deceiving Attack.

Doesn't that just allow Thrown based attacks though?

[Jon Chung]

Originally Posted by Katherine

Thanks. Wonder what the rationale is behind that rule is and if ignoring it would break anything.

The mass combat system is dodgy, it works best if you don't try to think too hard about what actually happens when you use it.

Ignoring the War cap for solo units doesn't break anything.

Originally Posted by Katherine

Doesn't that just allow Thrown based attacks though?

Yes, it's a Supplemental Charm.

[Katherine]

Originally Posted by Jon Chung

Yes, it's a Supplemental Charm.

Oh, okay. The charm I and the Night caste's player were tossing around would allow any sort of attack. Probably Simple, Combo-ok.

[Stephenls]

Originally Posted by Katherine

Thanks. Wonder what the rationale is behind that rule is and if ignoring it would break anything.

The idea, basically, is that if you don't know how to fight in a mass battle, then fighting in a mass battle is not something you're good at and the people who are good at fighting in a mass battle are going to be able to take advantage of your ignorance to pull shit on you.

It's exactly like how, when you're fighting mounted, your combat scores are capped by Ride, and when fighting on uncertain footing, your combat scores are capped by Athletics.

[Aaron Peori]

Originally Posted by Katherine

Doesn't that just allow Thrown based attacks though?

I meant to add "thus you can use its essence/ability minima to determine appropirate minima for your Charm".

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Epsilon

[zenten]

Originally Posted by Stephenls

The idea, basically, is that if you don't know how to fight in a mass battle, then fighting in a mass battle is not something you're good at and the people who are good at fighting in a mass battle are going to be able to take advantage of your ignorance to pull shit on you.

It's exactly like how, when you're fighting mounted, your combat scores are capped by Ride, and when fighting on uncertain footing, your combat scores are capped by Athletics.

It doesn't work for two solo units fighting in mass combat of course, but that's really the wrong system for that anyway.

[Jon Chung]

Originally Posted by zenten

It doesn't work for two solo units fighting in mass combat of course, but that's really the wrong system for that anyway.

If you don't houserule that sidebar away, it happens a lot if your Exalts are out for every mechanical advantage.

[The Demented One]

To throw in with another question–the War cap limits your combat abilities, it doesn't replace them with War, right? Which means that the War excellency is useless for enhancing attacks made in mass combat?