Exalted

[ralphmelton]

About a week ago, I finished reading the Exalted RPG. I have two simultaneous reactions:

- This is so cool! and
- How would I use this?

It's cool because it is an epic fantasy setting and ruleset that is really high-powered and makes sense. All the classic fantasy gaming tropes are present:
- exotic locations to explore
- potent artifacts to discover
- undead armies
- nasty Fair Folk encroaching at the borders of the world
- demons and elementals
- deities that might be responsive to priests
- giant monsters
- dragons
Not only are they all present, but they fit into a reasonably coherent whole. And it's all cool. Starting PCs are far far above normal people, and that's really evident, as opposed to some D&D settings where every guard is an 8th-level fighter or whatnot.

And the magical abilities seem a lot better integrated than D&D's. There are far fewer absolute effects than D&D has (no save-or-die petrification, for example). And spells like 'Death of Obsidian Butterflies' just ooze style.

Plus attention in the rules to seduction, intrigue, and manipulating bureaucracies!

This is so cool that I could imagine using Exalted for my next campaign--or at least, I could easily feel a temptation to do so.

But I'm also daunted. I'm not confident of my ability to design adventures for such high-powered PCs, and I have similar doubts about my ability to provide good tactical challenges, or the rich descriptions such RP would call for, or the complicated intrigues of the opposition...

But cor, it would be so easy to get the fever and go out and buy all the books in the line.

Comments

Verrrrry cool!

[dianamarie.livejournal.com]

This sounds like a totally cool gaming system. I think I might have to get a hold of it myself. I know that for D&D I tend to think that it becomes more RP and less combat oriented when characters reach high, high levels and try to do things like found dynasties or ascend to godhood or something, but a system that makes it good to challenge them in combat still really would lend itself to making some awesome epic quests.

We looooves epic quests!

Re: Verrrrry cool!

[ralphmelton.livejournal.com]

I'd say that it's well worth checking out.

I should also have mentioned that it has a very exotic Asian/anime flavor, which adds in a very nice way.

[rickj.livejournal.com]

Yes, Exalted does indeed rock. Only the knowledge that I couldn't find a game has saved my bank account from being emptied. It encourages the kind of gaming I like.

My only possible complaint is that it can require Champions-sized fistfulls of d10s - which to some is a feature, not a bug. ;>

[aquamarcia.livejournal.com]

It's fair to say that the bookkeeping for that many dice is a bit of a pain, but I think it adds to the visceral nature of playing Exalted. It's good when your character's attack feels powerful in your hands. :)

[ralphmelton.livejournal.com]

I agree with that--it does feel mighty to roll a whole passel of d10s.

[dvarin.livejournal.com]

People who want to do this in D&D play burn mages--I need two hands to roll all the d6s for Chain Lightning, anyway. :)

The fighter system of "roll this d8 and add sixty bazillion" is a little less visually impressive.

[ralphmelton.livejournal.com]

Agreed. That's one thing I like about GURPS--my fighter gets to roll handfuls of dice.

The Storyteller dice mechanic is pretty nice for rolling handfuls of dice, because you are only counting the results, not adding them up. I haven't actually tried it, but it seems it would be quicker.

[ralphmelton.livejournal.com]

I had the extra good fortune of picking up the core book for $12 at Half-Price Books, so I haven't emptied my account yet.

If I were to become a hardcore Exalted fanboy, I would find or make d10s with the faces in four different colors, to make it really easy to distinguish failure, normal success, double success, and chance of botch.

[dvarin.livejournal.com]

Play D&D until 12th level. When anyone hits 13th, convert the entire game to Exalted. :)

I have gotten the 10-minutes introduction to this game, but that's pretty much it. Struck me as something that would be interesting to try sometime, but I have this irrational prejudice against White Wolf games that I blame on Vampire Larpers. :) In particular, it seems geared toward a whole lot of things that I wish I could do well but don't, like, say, intrigue and role playing. Or maybe that was just the bias of the guy who was explaining it to me.

Oh, and a god who's called "The Unconquered Sun"? C'mon, that's just _begging_ all the other deities to band together to conquer him. :)

[ralphmelton.livejournal.com]

I've had that irrational prejudice at times myself, but Adventure cured me of that.

In particular, it seems geared toward a whole lot of things that I wish I could do well but don't, like, say, intrigue and role playing.
I feel the same way towards those things; I wish I could do them well, but I'm not sure I do.
But Exalted certainly has plenty for die-hard combat enthusiasts.

And on the Unconquered Sun--in fact, there were uprisings against him, or at least his Solar Exalted.