More Sophisticated Uses of Resonance

[Jason]

I know the errata for the Angelic Players Guide noted that some of those extended/special/sophisticated uses of resonance are slated for complete replacement, and I think there was talk around the forum or elsewhere that the desire was to have special uses that (a) didn't require tables and (b) didn't mimic other resonances or attunements too closely. I was wondering if anybody had come up with house rules or refinements that might be usable.

I feel kind of bad that I basically allow "special uses" for some Choirs and Bands*but not for others...

Seraphim & Ofanim: These require no table, and are just a broader interpretation of how the resonance works, so I use them as is.

Cherubim: I actually like the "nemesis" attunement as proposed, but I have never had a player choose to play a Cherub. The errata notes that the tables are to be examined.

Kyriotates: I kind of like the change in the errata about detecting memories better than the one that impinges on Yves' attunement, but I'm wondering if anyone uses any other alternatives. In general I think interpretations that make their dissonance condition easier to avoid are a good idea (as making someone black out for ANY length of time without explanation seems like it would automatically court dissonance).

Elohim, Malakim, & Mercurians: I forget what their more sophisticated use is and the book is in the other room. Lazy.

I forget most of the special uses of demonic resonances, but I'm curious if folks have ideas about those as well. I was always kind of uncomfortable about Habbalah still getting access to some version of the Elohite resonance, but it seems to be referenced in other books, so I'm hesitant not to allow my players access to something that's considered widely established...

[Jason]

Is it weird to reply to my own post? I was going to edit it, but the edit got so long that I thought this made more sense.

Elohite special resonance looks way too much like Cherub resonance. I kind of like the idea that you get better results from someone you spend more time around, but I'd prefer it works more like the resonance roll giving results continually over a short period of time without needing to reroll.

Cherub -4 resonance looks way too much like Mercurian resonance. Cherub -2 resonance is kind of nice, though presents problems if GMs want to have a mystery surrounding why a Cherub's attuned is being targeted by somebody. I like the idea that it can be used to give more info about who means harm against the attuned, but I would prefer to limit the information gained to a vague sense of "when": is the threat imminent or remote, either based on time or proximity of whoever bears ill will? And I still like the nemesis attunement idea.

Malakim don't really have a "special use," but they already have a very useful resonance, the inability to Fall, and immunity from Trauma, so I don't think they need anything else.

Mercurian -2 resonance looks way too much like Lilim resonance, though their -4 resonance seems a logical extension of what they can do already; I might just replace the -2 roll with that, and run it as something that doesn't require another table. Like, if you make a roll at -2, you get one clue about how to use the info you found to gain someone's trust; higher check digits might not automatically imply deeper/longer lasting trust, but that's already giving you more personal information, so the clue could be from the most personal information available. (Rolling normally might reveal that a married man has three kids and a mistress; rolling at -2 might reveal that he's more likely to trust someone who hints that extramarital affairs are actually quite common.)

[Matthias Wasser]

Perhaps the Kyriotes Resonance fills in the victim's memory with something plausible?

Originally Posted by Jason

I forget most of the special uses of demonic resonances, but I'm curious if folks have ideas about those as well.

I've always preferred to think of Balseraphs as capable of Lying to the Symphony as a whole, such as to become Truth (as operationally defined by Seraphic CD4-6.) This is mostly to make things more mysterious.

I was always kind of uncomfortable about Habbalah still getting access to some version of the Elohite resonance, but it seems to be referenced in other books, so I'm hesitant not to allow my players access to something that's considered widely established...

One distinct possibility is that Habbalah believe that their Resonance is informative rather than effectual in nature - after all, that's how it works for all true angels, is it not? And if what they notice tends to be more convenient for them than mere chance would provide, well, God cares for Her own, does She not? (You could also give them access to Elohite-style Resonances and hint that perhaps the Punishers are on to something.)

[JCD]

Originally Posted by Jason

Is it weird to reply to my own post? I was going to edit it, but the edit got so long that I thought this made more sense.

Elohite special resonance looks way too much like Cherub resonance. I kind of like the idea that you get better results from someone you spend more time around, but I'd prefer it works more like the resonance roll giving results continually over a short period of time without needing to reroll.

Cherub -4 resonance looks way too much like Mercurian resonance. Cherub -2 resonance is kind of nice, though presents problems if GMs want to have a mystery surrounding why a Cherub's attuned is being targeted by somebody. I like the idea that it can be used to give more info about who means harm against the attuned, but I would prefer to limit the information gained to a vague sense of "when": is the threat imminent or remote, either based on time or proximity of whoever bears ill will? And I still like the nemesis attunement idea.

Malakim don't really have a "special use," but they already have a very useful resonance, the inability to Fall, and immunity from Trauma, so I don't think they need anything else.

Mercurian -2 resonance looks way too much like Lilim resonance, though their -4 resonance seems a logical extension of what they can do already; I might just replace the -2 roll with that, and run it as something that doesn't require another table. Like, if you make a roll at -2, you get one clue about how to use the info you found to gain someone's trust; higher check digits might not automatically imply deeper/longer lasting trust, but that's already giving you more personal information, so the clue could be from the most personal information available. (Rolling normally might reveal that a married man has three kids and a mistress; rolling at -2 might reveal that he's more likely to trust someone who hints that extramarital affairs are actually quite common.)

Beth did a serious errata of the APG. Frankly, most of the resonance changes she vetoed, particularly the Mercurians.

Did you check that section first?

Cherubs and Seraphs have been left alone as far as she recalls, but she hasn't been in that book for a while.

[Jason]

Originally Posted by JCD

Beth did a serious errata of the APG. Frankly, most of the resonance changes she vetoed, particularly the Mercurians.

Did you check that section first?

Cherubs and Seraphs have been left alone as far as she recalls, but she hasn't been in that book for a while.

The most recent thing I see is a bunch of items "slated to be examined and possibly replaced" (including the Cherubim -2 result). If there's something more recent that reveals the result of these examinations, please do pass it along. I figured this thread could serve as a sort of "unofficial examination and replacement process."