Just an experiment, to demonstrate how just.. utterly worthless AI can be while it asserts its value. Something of a continuation from the [[AI as a Trend]]. This was done via Kagi Assistant with DeepSeek Chat V3 loaded up. This actually LOOKS at a glance like a real setup Exalted encounter. Though it uses terms and stats that are either not Exalted terms or not Essence terms at all. Basically it's a very convincing facsimile of an Exalted Essence encounter without actually being it. Because that's all an LLM is ultimately able to produce here. It doesn't understand these words in the way a person would. (I will give Kagi Assistant some credit. This isn't really a tool for me ultimately, but I do appreciate that it let me just download the whole thing in Markdown format.)
# Exalted Essence Encounter Building Help
> Can you help me build an encounter for Exalted Essence?
Certainly! Let's build an engaging encounter for *Exalted Essence*. Here's a structured approach:
### 1. **Define the Encounter Type**
- **Combat**: A fight with enemies (e.g., Wyld mutants, Dragon-Blooded assassins).
- **Social**: A negotiation or intrigue (e.g., persuading a Guild merchant, uncovering a spy).
- **Exploration**: A challenge in a dangerous location (e.g., a crumbling ruin, a Wyld zone).
### 2. **Choose Adversaries or Challenges**
- **Example Combat**:
- **Enemies**: 3 Dragon-Blooded warriors (Fire, Air, Water aspects).
- **Stats**: Use the *Exalted Essence* adversary guidelines (e.g., Might 4, Defense 3, Health 10).
- **Example Social**:
- **NPC**: A scheming Guild factor with Manipulation 5, Resolve 4.
- **Goal**: Convince them to release a captive ally without paying a ransom.
### 3. **Set the Scene**
- **Location**: A bustling Nexus marketplace (combat) or a shadowy teahouse (social).
- **Complications**:
- Bystanders in danger (combat).
- A rival faction eavesdropping (social).
### 4. **Add Stakes and Rewards**
- **Success**: Gain a rare artifact (combat) or a Guild favor (social).
- **Failure**: Alert the Realm (combat) or owe a debt (social).
### 5. **Balance the Encounter**
- For combat, ensure the enemy’s stats match the circle’s power level.
- For social/exploration, provide clear paths to victory (e.g., clues, leverage).
### Example Combat Encounter Outline:
```markdown
**Title**: Ambush in Nexus
**Enemies**: 3 Dragon-Blooded (Fire, Air, Water)
- **Might**: 4 | **Defense**: 3 | **Health**: 10
- **Abilities**: Fire Aspect uses *Burning Wrath* (AoE damage), Air Aspect dodges easily.
**Goal**: Defeat or drive off the assassins before they kill the informant.
**Twist**: The informant is secretly a demon in disguise.
```
Would you like to refine this further (e.g., specific charms, terrain effects)?
> Could we make the encounter mode deadly and add a Wood aspected opponent as well?
Absolutely! Here’s a **deadly-tier** encounter with a Wood Aspect added for extra danger, designed to challenge a seasoned *Exalted Essence* circle:
---
### **Encounter: "The Verdant Executioners"**
**Threat Level**: Deadly (for a full circle of experienced Solars/Abyssals/etc.)
**Adversaries**:
1. **Wood Aspect Immaculate** (*Master of Poison and Patience*)
- **Might**: 5 | **Defense**: 4 (6 vs. ranged) | **Health**: 12
- **Abilities**:
- *Thorned Whisper Technique*: Poisons a target on hit (Resistance 4 roll or take -2 to all actions).
- *Forest’s Embrace*: Once per scene, vanish into foliage (auto-dodge next attack).
- **Gear**: Serpent-sting daggers (Lethal, Poison 3).
2. **Fire Aspect Immaculate** (*The Blazing Fury*)
- **Might**: 6 | **Defense**: 3 | **Health**: 10
- **Abilities**:
- *Dragon’s Roar Strike*: Unleashes a cone of fire (Damage 8, ignores cover).
- *Burning Resolve*: When bloodied, gains +2 Might but loses Defense.
3. **Air Aspect Immaculate** (*The Untouchable Storm*)
- **Might**: 4 | **Defense**: 5 | **Health**: 8
- **Abilities**:
- *Wind-Cutting Blade*: Counterattacks missed melee strikes.
- *Gale Step*: Teleports 20 yards as a reflexive move.
4. **Water Aspect Immaculate** (*The Silent Tide*)
- **Might**: 3 | **Defense**: 4 | **Health**: 10
- **Abilities**:
- *Crashing Wave Form*: Grapples with crushing force (Might 7 for hold).
- *Mist Shroud*: Grants allies +2 Defense for 1 round.
---
### **Battlefield: The Poisoned Garden**
- **Terrain Effects**:
- **Choking Vines**: Every round, roll Dexterity 3 or be immobilized (Wood Aspect immune).
- **Burning Pavilions**: Fire Aspect’s attacks ignite terrain (Damage 3/round to those inside).
- **Hidden Pools**: Water Aspect can dive and emerge anywhere within 10 yards.
---
### **Twists & Stakes**
- **Phase 2 (When 2 enemies fall)**:
- Wood Aspect drinks *Jadeblood Elixir*, transforming into a **Jadeborn Golem** (Might 8, Health 20, loses stealth but gains Armor 3).
- **Reward**:
- *Immaculate’s Last Breath* (Artifact 3): A dagger that stores slain foes’ Essence for one free Charm use per scene.
- **Failure**:
- Circle gains a **Brand of the Immaculate Order** (social penalty with Dragon-Blooded, hunted by Wyld Hunts).
---
### **Design Notes**
- **Deadly Balance**: The Wood Aspect’s poison and terrain control forces players to prioritize targets or suffer attrition.
- **Synergy**: Air/Fire harass ranged attackers, while Water/Wood lock down melee foes.
- **Escape Valve**: If overwhelmed, the Water Aspect may flee to warn the Order (setting up future arcs).
Need adjustments (e.g., more environmental hazards, custom Charms)?
> Could you make one of the opponents a sorcerer?
Absolutely! Let’s replace the **Water Aspect Immaculate** with a **Dragon-Blooded Sorcerer** (Earth Aspect for thematic contrast) and amplify the encounter’s lethality with strategic spellcasting. Here’s the updated version:
---
### **Encounter: "The Verdant Executioners"**
**Threat Level**: Deadly (Optimized for a circle with combat-focused Charms)
**Adversaries**:
1. **Wood Aspect Immaculate** (*The Thorned Shadow*)
- **Might**: 5 | **Defense**: 4 (6 vs. ranged) | **Health**: 12
- **Abilities**:
- *Thorned Whisper Technique*: Poisons on hit (Resistance 4 or suffer -2 to all actions).
- *Forest’s Embrace*: Vanish into foliage (auto-dodge once/scene).
2. **Fire Aspect Immaculate** (*The Blazing Fury*)
- **Might**: 6 | **Defense**: 3 | **Health**: 10
- **Abilities**:
- *Dragon’s Roar Strike*: Cone of fire (Damage 8, ignores cover).
- *Burning Resolve*: Bloodied → +2 Might, -2 Defense.
3. **Air Aspect Immaculate** (*The Untouchable Storm*)
- **Might**: 4 | **Defense**: 5 | **Health**: 8
- **Abilities**:
- *Wind-Cutting Blade*: Counter missed melee attacks.
- *Gale Step*: Teleport 20 yards reflexively.
4. **Earth Aspect Sorcerer** (*The Obsidian Hierophant*)
- **Might**: 3 | **Defense**: 2 | **Health**: 10
- **Spells**:
- *Death of Obsidian Butterflies* (Opening Move): 10-yard AoE, Damage 6, ignores Armor.
- *Summon Elemental* (Phase 2): Calls a **Jade Hound** (Might 5, Health 8, tracks poisoned foes).
- *Invulnerable Skin of Bronze* (Reactive): +4 Armor for 3 rounds (1/scene).
---
### **Battlefield: The Shattered Manse**
- **Terrain Effects**:
- **Living Thorns**: Wood Aspect’s poison spills into terrain (Damage 1/round to moving foes).
- **Floating Earth Platforms**: Sorcerer rearranges them as a bonus action (blocks paths or creates cover).
- **Burning Script Circles**: Fire Aspect’s attacks ignite sorcerous runes (Delay 1 round → Explode for Damage 5).
---
### **Twists & Stakes**
- **Phase 2 (When Sorcerer is bloodied)**:
- Casts *Total Annihilation*: Sacrifices self to summon a **Blood Ape** (Might 7, Health 15, gains +2 Damage vs. wounded foes).
- **Reward**:
- *Sorcerer’s Grimoire* (Artifact 2): Contains one Terrestrial Circle spell (player choice).
- **Failure**:
- Cursed by *Fivefold Breath of the Elements* (-1 to all rolls vs. Dragon-Blooded for 1 story).
---
### **Why This Works**
- **Sorcerer’s Role**: Forces players to split focus (kill fast or suffer spells). *Obsidian Butterflies* punishes grouped PCs.
- **Synergy**:
- Air protects the Sorcerer with counters.
- Wood/Fire herd foes into spell AoEs.
- **Escape**: If the Sorcerer dies early, the Blood Ape ensures Phase 2 still threatens.
Need tweaks? I can add more spells, adjust HP, or introduce a **custom Sorcerous Working** as a pre-battle complication!
> Sure. Add the working.
Fantastic! Here’s the **finalized deadly encounter**, now with a **sorcerous working** that triggers mid-battle to escalate chaos. Designed to force the circle into split-second tactical choices—and maybe a desperate retreat.
---
### **Encounter: "The Verdant Executioners"**
*"The Dragon-Blooded didn’t come to fight you. They came to finish their ritual."*
#### **Adversaries**
1. **Wood Aspect Immaculate** (*The Thorned Shadow*)
- **Might**: 5 | **Defense**: 4 (6 vs. ranged) | **Health**: 12
- **Abilities**:
- *Thorned Whisper Technique*: Poisons on hit (Resistance 4 or suffer -2 to all actions).
- *Forest’s Embrace*: Vanish into foliage (auto-dodge once/scene).
2. **Fire Aspect Immaculate** (*The Blazing Fury*)
- **Might**: 6 | **Defense**: 3 | **Health**: 10
- **Abilities**:
- *Dragon’s Roar Strike*: Cone of fire (Damage 8, ignores cover).
- *Burning Resolve*: Bloodied → +2 Might, -2 Defense.
3. **Air Aspect Immaculate** (*The Untouchable Storm*)
- **Might**: 4 | **Defense**: 5 | **Health**: 8
- **Abilities**:
- *Wind-Cutting Blade*: Counter missed melee attacks.
- *Gale Step*: Teleport 20 yards reflexively.
4. **Earth Aspect Sorcerer** (*The Obsidian Hierophant*)
- **Might**: 3 | **Defense**: 2 | **Health**: 10
- **Spells**:
- *Death of Obsidian Butterflies*: 10-yard AoE, Damage 6, ignores Armor.
- *Summon Jade Hound*: Might 5, Health 8, tracks poisoned foes.
- *Invulnerable Skin of Bronze*: +4 Armor for 3 rounds (1/scene).
---
### **The Sorcerous Working: "Fivefold Crucible of the Elements"**
**Effect**: The battlefield itself is a **partially completed ritual circle**. Each round, the sorcerer rolls Intelligence 4 to advance the working. At **3 successes**, the ritual completes:
- **Stage 1 (1 success)**: The ground quakes. Everyone rolls Dexterity 3 or fall prone.
- **Stage 2 (2 successes)**: Elemental vortexes spawn (Fire/Wood/Air/Earth/Water). Move through one to gain +3 Damage or suffer Damage 5.
- **Stage 3 (3 successes)**: The **Manse’s Heart awakens** as a **bound Elemental Dragon** (Might 9, Health 25). It attacks *everything* (PCs, NPCs, terrain).
**How to Stop It**:
- Disrupt the central glyph (Might 6 to smash, requires bypassing the Air Aspect).
- Kill the sorcerer (resets progress but doesn’t undo stages).
---
### **Battlefield: The Shattered Manse**
- **Terrain**:
- **Glyph Chains**: Stepping on them deals Damage 3 but grants +1 success to disrupting the ritual.
- **Living Thorns**: Wood Aspect’s poison spills into terrain (Damage 1/round).
- **Floating Platforms**: Sorcerer rearranges them to block line of sight.
---
### **Twists & Stakes**
- **Phase 2 (Bloodied Sorcerer)**:
- Sacrifices self to complete the ritual instantly (*"The Order… will remember…"*).
- **Reward**:
- *Sorcerer’s Grimoire* (Artifact 3): Contains *Death of Obsidian Butterflies* and a map to a **Celestial Manse**.
- **Failure**:
- The Dragon *spares the circle*—but only to deliver a message: *"Your heads belong to the Scarlet Empress."* (Cue Wyld Hunt arc.)
---
### **Design Notes**
- **Ticking Clock**: The ritual forces PCs to choose between DPS race and battlefield control.
- **Oh-Shit Moment**: The Dragon is a "lose condition" but also a potential story hook.
- **Synergy**: Air Aspect bodyguards the sorcerer, Fire/Wood corral PCs into glyph traps.
Want to add **custom Charms** for the Dragon-Blooded or tweak the Dragon’s stats? I can refine further!
---
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