Rules Help

[Jason]

Quick rules question to tack onto the list:

Numinous Corpus Tail gives "an additional melee attack." My players believe this means "in addition to anything else we want to do this turn, including performing a Song." I always assumed it meant "in addition to another melee attack." Thoughts?

[Rocket Man]

Originally Posted by Jason

Quick rules question to tack onto the list:

Numinous Corpus Tail gives "an additional melee attack." My players believe this means "in addition to anything else we want to do this turn, including performing a Song." I always assumed it meant "in addition to another melee attack." Thoughts?

My ruling would be that it meant you could make two melee attacks in a turn without penalty instead of just one. (Or, mixing the rules with logic, that you could choose to make one attack in a turn but have the attack come from the tail.) I'm basing it on the words *additional* melee attack -- hence, "adds one attack to the attack you already get."

All the other actions? You could do them so long as you could also do them at the same time as a single ordinary attack ... otherwise, no dice.

[JCD]

Originally Posted by Jason

Quick rules question to tack onto the list:

Numinous Corpus Tail gives "an additional melee attack." My players believe this means "in addition to anything else we want to do this turn, including performing a Song." I always assumed it meant "in addition to another melee attack." Thoughts?

Check Core Rules page 68 "Combat Summary". One use of something is an attack. So you get a Song OR a corporeal attack. However, many attunements would also be permited. The Seraph of War comes to mind immediately.

In the case of a tail, I would rule it allows you "Attack + Tail" otherwise it's a waste of points.

YMMV

[Archangel Beth]

Originally Posted by Jason

Quick rules question to tack onto the list:

Numinous Corpus Tail gives "an additional melee attack." My players believe this means "in addition to anything else we want to do this turn, including performing a Song." I always assumed it meant "in addition to another melee attack." Thoughts?

Interesting catch! I could indeed read it either way. When in doubt, the GM's way trumps and would be how I'd interpreted it all this time -- but if you wanted to have them run some sample combats and see if the other way was too abusive...

[Jason]

Originally Posted by Archangel Beth

Interesting catch! I could indeed read it either way. When in doubt, the GM's way trumps and would be how I'd interpreted it all this time -- but if you wanted to have them run some sample combats and see if the other way was too abusive...

Nah, I'm the evil kind of GM. As far as I'm concerned, if I can't competently read and watch TV at the same time, then they can't use a resonance and attack with a tail simultaneously. Thanks, Beth, JCD, and Rocket Man!

[JCD]

New Question

It seems that the Habbalah have one of the broader skill sets.

For example, can they make a person emotionally Trust? It seems that this emotion is a reasonable replacement for both the Belseraphs and Impudites. What is a lie but a trusted statement? What is charm but sudden trust?

How would the GMs out there jigger this?

[Matthias Wasser]

Originally Posted by JCD

New Question

It seems that the Habbalah have one of the broader skill sets.

For example, can they make a person emotionally Trust? It seems that this emotion is a reasonable replacement for both the Belseraphs and Impudites. What is a lie but a trusted statement? What is charm but sudden trust?

How would the GMs out there jigger this?

"Emotion" is a pretty slippery word - or Word, if you like - and I think it helps to conceive the Habbalah Resonance as regulating "moods" or "fits of passion" - they can excite someone into a heightened state of fear, or lust, or goodwill, but it takes a lot of skill to use it at all subtly, and they can't specify the object of the passions. So a Punisher could get someone into a state of trusting euphoria, but it wouldn't last the way a Balseraph's Lies would, and it wouldn't be specific to the Punisher, and it wouldn't be compatible with them being in livid rage.

Any Habbalah with two Ethereal Forces to rub together will be able to parlay this into getting people to befriend it and believe what it says - unless it likes playing the pariah or Cassandra, which I bet many of them do - just like a clever Balseraph or Impudite can exploit their Resonance for sophisticated emotional control.

[Rocket Man]

Originally Posted by Matthias Wasser

"Emotion" is a pretty slippery word - or Word, if you like - and I think it helps to conceive the Habbalah Resonance as regulating "moods" or "fits of passion" - they can excite someone into a heightened state of fear, or lust, or goodwill, but it takes a lot of skill to use it at all subtly, and they can't specify the object of the passions. So a Punisher could get someone into a state of trusting euphoria, but it wouldn't last the way a Balseraph's Lies would, and it wouldn't be specific to the Punisher, and it wouldn't be compatible with them being in livid rage.

Any Habbalah with two Ethereal Forces to rub together will be able to parlay this into getting people to befriend it and believe what it says - unless it likes playing the pariah or Cassandra, which I bet many of them do - just like a clever Balseraph or Impudite can exploit their Resonance for sophisticated emotional control.

I think you' ve pretty much nailed it. To me, "trust" isn't an emotion, it's a decision that can be influenced by your emotions. It's like being in a situation where you can't tell an artist what to create, but you can specify the materials available ... and some materials are more amenable to some subjects than others.

[Jason]

Originally Posted by Rocket Man

I think you' ve pretty much nailed it. To me, "trust" isn't an emotion, it's a decision that can be influenced by your emotions. It's like being in a situation where you can't tell an artist what to create, but you can specify the materials available ... and some materials are more amenable to some subjects than others.

Agreed. This actually came up for me just two nights ago; my player asked if her Habbalite could inspire trust, and I said she could try for "calmness" and try to fill in the gap with conversation. It worked out pretty well.

[JCD]

Originally Posted by Jason

Agreed. This actually came up for me just two nights ago; my player asked if her Habbalite could inspire trust, and I said she could try for "calmness" and try to fill in the gap with conversation. It worked out pretty well.

What are your thoughts on the efficacy of inspiring 'love' in the victim? Seems a much better fit and works for hours, beating the Charm of Impudites.