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thanks.

how did you say we are doing ox-body for eclipse/moonshadow castes wanting to mix and matche lunar/solar versions? what is the cap and all that?

Ultimately I think my decision is that if you have a native (ie: not other exalt or spirit) version of a charm, you're only able to take that. This would prevent being able to take other types of Ox-Body or other types of Essence Pool boosters and prevents access to non-Abyssal Ability (but not Attribute) Excellencies.

Honestly, 8xp for a single extra health level isn't really worth it anyway (unless, arguably, you're a Sidereal and that's your only option).

well, for ox-body it is worth it. you get the two extra dying health levels. but i don't care all that much. my stamina is going to probably cap out at 2 or 3 anyway.

what about fateful excellency? that isn't a booster, so i assume it would still be viable?

Yes, you'd be able to learn it, as its totally different than any other charm and isn't replicated by anything else. The big trick there is finding Sidereals that have the Fateful Ex you're wanting. MA is pretty easy, Mentor-Man has that. Others are a little tougher. He doesn't have many (any? I'd need to check his sheet) Linguistics charms for example.

I want to clarify some on the Crafts ability, as I've not been terribly clear and its changed a lot. My understanding of the House Rule I'm adopting has also been refined, so let me attempt to explain it.

In the base game, Craft is split into a number of totally seperate, but related Abilities, seperated by Elements. Craft (Fire) governs blacksmithing and other related topics wherein materieal is heated before being crafted, while Craft (Air) governs high-complexity/precision works such as calligraphy, jewelry making, and clockwork.

With the house rule I am adopting, all crafts are crammed together under the heading Craft(Elemental), with a caveat - when you purchase the skill you only have access to one of those elemental associations. More can be purchased for the price of a specialty, but are not actually a speciality. Specialties for Craft(Elemental) can be things like Fire, Air, etc.

We'll use Avilister as an example, since he's a Crafting monster.

Avilister was originally built under the house rules as a character with Craft (Elemental) with access to only Fire crafts. For a single BP (since he favors Crafts) he could add Earth, Air, Wood, or Water crafts to his Crafting ability. Alternately doing so after play starts costs 3 exp. This essentially INSTANTLY raises additional crafts to your overall Craft(Elemental) rating and keeps it there.

Now say Avilister has access to Craft (Elemental) 5 (Fire+3, Air+2, Earth+1). Assuming he started play with Craft at 5, no specialities, and access to only Fire crafting, this would cost a total of 24 exp. Adding Air and Earth costs 3 exp each, total of 6. 6 points of specialties then cost another 18, grand total of 24.

EDIT, IMPORTANT: If you've already purcahsed a specialty for Crafts at some rating, I am not requiring you to spend any additional exp, just keep things as they are. You've got access to whatever craft you have a specialty in.

this mainly affects haley and thael. haley has water, and is fairly narrow at that.

A reference to the other thread, but just so everyone is aware:

Sorcery and all spells can be learned without a mentor as long as you're willing to invest training time into it. This can be done during downtime or as part of the ongoing adventure. Initiation into Sorcery requires going through several 'stations' and I'll probably be using those if anyone picks it up during play.

i'm tempted to pick it up just so i can sacrifice things. sounds like fun.

FYI for the party I left the Heptagram with several books on Sorcery (terestial and some spells at that level) so we have materials available for learning even if the mentor is not there to cut down on training times

you're the mentor now.

Avilister also has a number of particularly old looking books. Some of them are falling apart and before anyone can use them he has to put them back together with Essence. Not all of them are about sorcerery (in fact, only a few are) but a number are on First Age art, architecture (including a number about Manse construction), textiles, smithing, and other assorted topics. Most of the sorcery books he's got focus on summoning, binding, and controlling demons.

i have a book on force fields that he might be interested in.

also, can anything be the beneficiary of riding charms? so long as it can be ridden and isn't terribly bright? is there something that deals with this question?

Well since we have spare readers I would definately offer their use to Alvilister to help in the preservation of his tomes... granted he will need a stone for each reader to make them work

Avilister has craft charms which I bought for him during play that allow him to put pretty much anything back together and to reinforce it against damage. His books, once he's done putting them back together, take a conscous application of strength, and not a small amount, to rip or tear, much less erode with time. Go go Durability Enhancing Method, Object Strengthening Touch, and Crack Mending Technique. (All of which I bought in play specifically to preserve the books I'd found.) If you're ever with him when he's reading, he also speed reads like a mofo. The game rate is 2 pages per second. :p There's a Linguistics charm he learned out of the old Eclipse Caste Book from 1st Ed that lets him speed read like a fiend. He used that and Sagacious Reading of Intent to figure out which books were worth keeping :P

He's only got two Hearthstones. One is obviously a Master Crafter's Hand (or whatever it is, the Earth aspected stone that helps with crafting). The other is completely wierd and has spirals that lead off into infinity. He keeps the Hand in his armor, which is Orichalcum Lamellar, and the other weird one in his daiklave, which he called The Edge of a New Age.