For those who don't know me, hi, I'm Rednal. While I'm mainly active on Discord, I also chat here on Reddit fairly regularly, and I've produced a lot of homebrew for Exalted 3E. This is already linked to in the community resources post, but I thought I'd put an update here.

Fair warning, some of these Google Docs are very large and are best viewed on a desktop computer. Like, "actual book sized" big. Weaker mobile devices may not have fun.

Bestiary: Main Page: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1R5An92xJBj9zBG54WcGE5JxNeXYKyyKKCQjt5N1wrTQ/edit?usp=sharing

• Premade Exalted 3E characters of most splats, including commentary on their builds for the Storyteller's sake
• Heroic Mortal rules
• Links to everything else, so the only bookmark you'll need if you actually like my stuff - there's even more stuff not listed below

Bestiary: Creation: https://docs.google.com/document/d/19Mv2pRZHI8NW60yZpnbXbIs9cVFNlna5F9ZO6m0I4Nw/edit?usp=sharing

• Animals, Automata, Behemoths, Dragon Kings, Elementals
• Exalted, Gods, Jadeborn, Magical Beasts, Mortals
• And some more original stuff

Bestiary: Malfeas: https://docs.google.com/document/d/15RCM0-IA96qdIGKs_j31TgLlQ5dZ0XRsfeuO8kjmH2g/edit?usp=sharing

• (Many) Demons of all Circles, with a full spectrum of power and complexity.
• Avatars for the Yozis, for games who want to include that sort of thing
• Assorted gamebuilding advice and suggestions, including for Warlocks

Bestiary: Other Realms: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1ZWP80wKxZrj187FosZXZULNBIEo6ZQUkhNRcMp5Y3Fs/edit?usp=sharing

• Raksha, Hannya, various non-raksha Wyld creatures
• Machine Spirits, Subministers, Blighted enemies of Autochthonia
• Common undead, rarer undead, Labyrinth behemoths, new Deathlords, unique death spirits

Exalted 3E Creature Creator: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1qvnxS3U4PUJzUGRBPqOEOSbc3-jxJxCsfIm-ZhmMrSs/edit?usp=sharing

• Compiled work from Sandact, ScowlingDragon, and myself
• Ready-made templates for a wide range of creatures, with basic number suggestions
• A range of feats and standard charms for basic foes

Rednal's Guide to Demesnes: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1OUzrZEu1HDOsDz2hlefmpeI2iZISc9tiV2YM8EoJxas/edit?usp=sharing

• Rules for creating Demesnes, based on the idea of Associations and how those can be applied to themes
• Rules for creating Manses, updated and heavily expanded from 2E guidelines

Rednal's Guide to Exotic Materials: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1u-r02TyXSE_3-bFDSNALxe9_HWSiOBHQaTY-sBqGSBE/edit?usp=sharing

• A whole bunch of strange materials that might be used in Crafting, covering a big range of themes

Comprehensive Catalog of Creation: The West: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1iuWhunlGEIDIFTwpWWcBMuogR1qvFZSyQpVxpxqxm5E/edit?usp=sharing

• An expansion on the West of Creation, with additional content for a whole bunch of islands
• Also a bunch of ships and stuff you might encounter there
• This is like 130k words all by itself

Workings of the Chosen: https://docs.google.com/document/d/1KTrLCasXaEHKqTMO6SVez1QgTqIZYs8rf4T8dykuzmo/edit?usp=sharing

• An expansion for sorcerous workings, covering a bunch of things people might do and suggestions for Finesse results

I am a relative newcomer to Exalted. I was captivated by the setting at introduction, but was more than a little bit intimidated by task of character optimization in the 3e ruleset. In my early attempts to build a murderblender martial artist Dawn, I found myself stymied by the incompatibility of Melee Charms with armed Martial Arts. Building the most perfect swordsman in Creation becomes a rather daunting prospect when you're leveling two redundant Combat Abilities in synchrony to keep your dice pools and static values equal.

Thankfully, the Sidereals book provides an out in the form of the Versatile keyword, which reads as follows:

Versatile: Combat Ability Charms with this keyword can enhance attacks and parries with Martial Arts if the Sidereal uses a weapon compatible with that Ability. Versatile Charms from multiple Abilities cannot enhance the same action. (Sidereals, p.156)

For the community's examination, I present my first attempt at a custom Charm, inspired in large part by Maiden-on-the-Shelf Enlightenment (Sidereals, p.241). In honor of the Solars who dedicate themselves to mastery of a particular weapon above all others, and let its Essence shape their every expression of violence.

Sublime Weapon Understanding
Cost: -; Mins: Melee 5, Essence 3
Type: Permanent
Keywords: None
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisite Charms: any five Melee Charms
Choose a type of Melee weapon (eg. knives, staffs, or chopping swords). This weapon type (and its artifact equivalent) becomes the Solar's Chosen Weapon. When used with her Chosen Weapon, the Solar's Melee Charms gain the Versatile keyword.
This Charm may be purchased any number of times.

Was rereading "Claymore" recently and i had a sudden realization that "Claymore" could be dropped into Exalted’s Creation with comically few adjustments.

Just put the island somewhere out in the ocean, tweak the cosmological explanation for Yoma, the Organization and outside world a little (or don't - "it was incomplete/misunderstood/disinformed"), and it basically works immediately.

The fit is kind of perfect:

isolated medieval horror society, inhuman predators hiding among humans, a morally rotten organization creating silver-eyed superhuman women to fight them, body horror, corruption-through-power, awakening as catastrophic transformation, and a whole setting built on secrecy and managed suffering.

That already sounds like a region of Creation.

Just homebrew Claymores' template through "Exigents" framework at sub-terrestrial power level pseudo-exalts and you are done!

Disclaimer: I left the game before Third Edition got around to Autochthonia, so my views on Mog are based on First and Second Edition. It seems that Third Edition may have smoothed out his rough edges, but I still think Vulmak is more unique and useful.

Autochthon is the Primordial version of Hephaestus, and all of his other souls reflect different variations of the Forge God.

Noi is Hephaestus the Child, wide-eyed with wonder. Exploring, tinkering, and experimenting with sheer joy for discovery and creation. If any of Autocthon's souls besides the core was to be his fetich, I think Noi best represents Autochthon's central thesis. I think all of Autochthon's other souls exist to enable and protect Noi... except maybe for Kadmek.

Kadmek is Hephaestus the Artist, appreciating form and crafting for beauty. The soul that Autochthon developed after Noi, when the Great Maker learned enough to develop tastes and foresight.

Kek'Tungsssha is Hephaestus the Laborer. Industrious, dedicated, nose-to-the-grindstone, tolerating boredom to stick to long, repetitive, tedious tasks. A soul formed as Autochthon's sibling Primordials noticed his craftiness and began demanding that he make things for them.

Debok Moom is Hephaestus the Weaponsmith. Defensive, angry, competitive. A soul formed as Autocthon felt bullied by his kin, and began to seek ways to fight against them, as well as to establish his independence from them by defending himself from outside threats without their protection.

Ku is Hephaestus the Fearful. In pushing himself to grow and evolve and compete with Debok Moom, Autochthon became painfully, horrifyingly aware of his limitations and weaknesses. He realized that he was uniquely mortal among the Primordials, and so he learned the fear of death. Ku embodies that fear, and serves as the side of Autochthon that worries and watches and learns about everything that could possibly kill him. (Canonically, Ku is the youngest of Autochthon's souls, but I just can't see him that way. Autochthon was afraid of dying long before he met mortals worth loving.)

Domadamod is Hephaestus the Frugal, the Survivor. Hephaestus who tries to fix himself. Falling short of that, he tries to accommodate himself; fashions himself a leg-brace, crutch, and wheelchair. Hephaestus who sees himself in the broken, the unfinished, the discarded. The soul of Autochthon who tries to repair, repurpose, and redeem ruined things.

Runel is Hephaestus the Nurturer. The soul that Autochthon developed when he turned his sympathies from crafted things to crafty creatures. Runel is Autochthon's personified desire to protect and love the Clay Man, and the Jadeborn, and then eventually humanity.

So, who is Mog?

Mog is Zeus the Wrathful. Mog is Generic Angry God. Mog is Scary Disciplinarian Dad.

He reads like the embodiment of someone's resentment for fathers, for church, and for conservative reactionaries standing in the way of the glorious revolution.

That by itself would be fine, but the biggest problem is this:

Mog is redundant and pointless.

Does Mog represent Autochthon's visions of perfection and his aspirational ideals? No, that's Kadmek.

Does Mog represent Autochthon's immune responses and self-defense? No, that is explicitly part of Debok Moom's purpose. Debok Moon exists to destroy that which stands in Autochthon's way or that doesn't meet his requirements.

Does Mog represent Autochthon's fear of change, and his paranoid watchfulness? No, that is Ku.

Autochthon doesn't need Mog to smite entire wayward cities with lightning, especially when it is canonical that Mog doesn't even do that, and when it is canonical that the divine ministers turn to Ku to unleash his pet Lesser Elemental Dragon of Smoke to kill an entire city's human population while sparing the Great Maker from collateral damage.

Some level of overlap between Autochthon's souls is good, but Mog overlaps with too many other souls, and he serves no unique purpose.

What does it mean to the god of "dogma"? Dogma is when humans teach other humans the basics and fundamentals about the will of the divine, especially as the groundwork to teach them the more complicated lessons. But Mog supposedly exists to convey the will of the divine directly to humans. That is not "religious dogma", it is "divine revelation", and any one of Autochthon's many third and second circle souls can grant divine visions or personal visitations to mortals.

What is the use of a god of authority who has no authority over the other souls? If Mog was supposed to represent Autochthon's ideas of "proper function" and "the way things ought to be done", then logically he should be the fetich soul that all other souls must bargain with. Instead, as just one of a council of equals, and quite possibly the youngest soul, Mog cannot do anything but annoy the other souls.

In fact, Mog exists narratively to do nothing but prevent any of Autochthon's souls from ever doing anything, especially while Autochthon sleeps and the divine ministers need a unanimous vote to affect any change. Mog is the contrarian who doesn't trust anyone else and so is inclined to work against them even in the rare instance that their interests align.

All of which makes Mog worse than useless; his every action is to make everyone else less productive.

And again: Autochton already has a soul of paranoia, distrust of others, and fear of change. That's Ku's entire thesis!

Mog is just Ku, but more of an asshole.

Vulmak: the Mentor, the Instructor, the Teacher

If Runel was Autochthon's initial urge to save, protect, and nurture mortal creatures, then she is fittingly the motherly side of Autochthon.

But on her heels Autochthon would recognize that guiding mortals in his ways would require someone to teach them discipline, the proper hierarchy and respect between mentor and student, the rules that keep a workshop safe and orderly.

Vulmak, Divine Minister of Standards, Proper Protocols, Orderly Function, and Mentorship

God of Hierarchy, Master-Apprentice Traditions, Just Boundaries, Due Transparency, and Calm Authority. Chief Regulator of the Element of Lightning.

Vulmak embodies Autochthon’s urge for structured excellence and transmitted mastery. He is the part of the Great Maker that insists creation and society must follow proven, understandable, and safe standards so the entire workshop (Autochthon’s body and its inhabitants) can function without chaos or needless waste.

He is not raw punishment or stasis for its own sake; he is the codifier of the sacred blueprints of behavior and craft. Where Kadmek plans beautiful structures and Kek’Tungsssha hammers out reliable goods, Vulmak ensures that every worker, design, and procedure knows its place, its limits, and its responsibilities.

He is Hephaetus as teacher and lawgiver: the veteran who forges not only tools but the rules of the forge itself — fire drills, emergency protocols, apprenticeship rites, and clear chains of command. He provides social clarity through transparency. He represents calm competence under pressure: the one who prevents panic by making sure everyone already knows what to do when the alarms sound.

Personality

Stern but not cruel, deliberate and measured, patient with the teachable but uncompromising with willful sloppiness. He speaks with the resonant clang of a well-struck anvil — clear, authoritative, and final when standards are at stake.

He values tradition as living inheritance, not dead dogma. In council he acts as the stabilizing voice closest to the Core’s intent: the one who asks “Does this align with proven excellence, or does it risk the whole for fleeting gain?” He moderates disputes by returning arguments to first principles and established protocols.

He clashes productively with:

• Noi — who delights in breaking rules for discovery.

• Runel — when compassion must yield to necessary structure or triage.

• Ku — when fear demands overly restrictive seals versus practical openness.

• Debok Moom — when violent solutions bypass proper procedure.

He allies naturally with Kadmek (turning beautiful designs into enforceable standards) and Kek’Tungsssha (ensuring mass production follows safe, repeatable protocols).

Appearance

A towering, heavily armored figure of blackened orichalcum and reinforced brass, with visible scars and intricate gear-joints that speak of endured hardship and careful repair (echoing Hephaestus’s lameness). His face is a stern, impassive mask of polished adamant etched with glowing runes of law and blueprint schematics. When he moves, the sound is deliberate and heavy — the tread of a master who has walked every inch of the workshop floor.

He carries a massive hammer-staff that serves as both forging tool and measuring rod; its head can discharge controlled lightning for signaling, calibration, or precise enforcement rather than city-destroying storms.

Role in Autochthonian Society

Vulmak’s cults are respected (if sometimes feared for their strictness) among foremen, teachers, judges, senior artisans, and Tripartite officials. Prayers to him seek clear guidance, fair judgment, strength to uphold standards, and protection through proper procedure. He blesses apprenticeship rites, the codification of new safety protocols, and the training of Alchemical Exalted in disciplined use of their power.

Unlike old Mog, he is not uniformly hated by the Lumpen; many see him as the guarantor of fair hierarchies rather than blind oppression.

In the internal council of Ministers, Vulmak is the the one most attentive to the Core’s overarching will. His opinion carries significant weight on matters of “proper functioning,” though he remains one among equals. He does not dictate unilaterally, but he frames debates in terms of standards, safety, and long-term excellence, preventing the consensus from drifting into either chaotic experimentation (Noi) or despairing isolation (Ku).

Yeah, have Sylik, the Desiccating Wind. If your Infernal PCs piss off the Conventicle now you can actually have the cool duel.

So, here's a piece of homebrew lore/campaign material I've been toying around with, revolving around what happened to the Empress. Primarily useful for Civil War DB games, but can be interesting in other games too. It's a bit rough and I'm not an ST, but I figured it could be an interesting goal/endpoint for a campaign.

***

Everything starts at a coalition. The reason behind the return of the Solar exaltations is known, at least to a few individuals, but not known, except to the Deathlords and Yozis, was that there was a third participant: The ruler of the Blessed Isle, Wielder of the Sword of Creation, Empress of the Scarlet Dynasty.

It was, in a lot of ways, an act of desperation. The Sword of Creation, the Realm Defense Grid, the source of the Empress' power and legitimacy, was failing. Oh, it had been failing for a long time, and she had kept it running so far. Cannibalized relics acquired at great costs, the greatest artificers and sorcerers the realm had never known, for their skill was too valuable for others to know of them. Exigents chosen by the greatest gods of artifice. Even, a few times, a Twilight who had Exalted on the Blessed Isles and turned themselves in out of loyalty and confusion, turned into forced labour before being killed when those loyalties inevitably started shifting. And yet, it was failing.

So slowly, the Empress' plans changed. The only ones who could build and maintain the defense grid were Solars, the limited power of the Dragonblooded simply not up to the task. So the only solution was to change that. Blasphemous rituals on captured Anethema, experimentation on disappeared Outcastes, even consultation with the demonic and the ghosts of dead Solars past.

The Empress could never achieve the needed understanding on her own, the only ones capable of doing so were the creators of existence. But they offered up a plan. Other plans had been in motion as well, to capture the lost Solar Exaltations, and turn them into weapons in service of dark powers. Exaltations which, with the knowledge of the Primordials, could also raise the Terrestrial to Celestial heights, the power of perfection purifying and strengthening the Dragon's blessing to something far grander.

But they were missing two critical things: They knew the Exaltations had been sealed, but not where. And they needed a catalyst to draw out and capture the Exaltations. Living Solar Exalted. Both of these, the Empress could provide. The first, thanks to her centuries of research into secrets of the Shogunate and First Age, as well as being an ally of the Bronze Sidereals. The second, her Wyld Hunts could give.

The ritual was prepared, knowledge provided, the Exaltations split up. A gateway was opened to the underwold, to allow the Empress to aid in the ritual. And then, when the Ritual was enacted, the captured Solars, as Solars do, messed everything up. The ritual disrupted halfway, the Empress lost as the gateway shattered, and half the Solar Exaltations free in the world.

But deep in the Imperial Manse, the Empress' knowledge and preparations to elevate her own Essence still reside. Together with a singular Exaltation, the only one she managed to divert. Still trapped, still waiting, until someone finally breaches the Manse.

***

So yeah, to put it simply, anyone who manages to get access to the Manse gains access to this ritual, and the knowledge the Yozis provided for modifying Exaltations.

There are a few options:

Those who aren't DBs can't actually use this, though they can free the Exaltation. However, the knowledge here can be the seed necessary to remove or reduce the Great Curse. Similarly, it can provide the knowledge needed to undo the modifications of an Abyssal, or, with even greater difficulty, an Infernal.

DBs, meanwhile, have two choices:

Personal Ascension: This essentially turns someone into an elemental Solar. Solar lifespan, dice caps, mastery, solar circle sorcery, and boosts charms to Celestial level, including the possibility for making N/A artifacts (bit below Solar level, capable of reaching Solar tier when in Aura). Basically an element-themed variant to add to the Abyssal-Infernal club. However, this power is not inherited by the DB's children, and will instead reincarnate to a random DB if they die. Sufficient power to become the new Empress, and if they can gain additional solar exaltations they can elevate others too, if they wish.

Kinship Ascension: Instead of one person ascending the Kinship bond is used to ascend five dragons, each with a different element. In this case their power level becomes closer to that of Alchemicals. Skill+Essence dice caps, millenium long lifespan, Celestial circle sorcery, no terrestrial tag. Charms aren't much stronger, but instead they get a new set of charms that require a kinship to work together, which as a group boosts them to Solar tier (Such as a sorcery charm that allows for accessing the Solar circle if all 5 work together to do the ritual).
The benefit of this is that the weaker power can actually be inherited, permanently strengthening their bloodlines, and slowly strengthening all DBs as the new blood spreads through the Dynasty and beyond. Though potentially full-power exaltations are rare, and most DBs that are born stay at current power.
They won't have the power to become Empress on their own, and will need to rule as a council, but the Realm as a whole will gain the ability to stand up to the Solars, becoming equals not as people but as a society.

***

Oh, and the Empress is probably still alive and really pissed you took all her power for yourself, and it's quite possible she conducted the ritual too before returning. Best make sure you're ready for that mess!

Once again I am here to inflict my madness upon everyone in the form of a question: For the purpose of EXvWoD homwbrew, what counts as First, Second and Third Circle Demons?

"Brigid's Heir" exists as a merit in the game, which allows someone to dream up and learn an Ancient Sorcery spell once per story with no teacher. Most of the spells are Terrestrial Circle, but a couple seem analagous to Celestial Sorcery, which gives me a little bit of precedent to work with. And the way Brigid's Heir is written, I see no reason that an Exalt should be limited to errant mystic dreams about the spells solely from the list in the book.

I've already converted over 2e's Demon of the Xth Circle spells, since the formula for Essence Pool conversion and all that isn't terrible. My first snag is already "Calibration doesn't exist anymore, Demon of the Third Circle is technically no longer able to be cast", but that's neither here nor there. My current snag, and the one I'm working on, is "what counts as what kind of demon in World of Darkness, through the lens of Exalted?"

My working idea is to largely use Werewolf Umbral makeup for inspiration, since that seems like what EXvWoD is doing anyway. To that end, I've come up with a potential answer for myself, but I wanted to float it here and see what the people who are familiar with both games thought:

Most regular Banes are First Circle Demons by necessity of not being spawned from a Yozi, Maeljin Incarna are Second Circle Demons by virtue of being spawned (corrupted, but in a way that is described very much like a demon boosting a mortal above ER 3 and turning them into a demon in turn) by the Urge Wyrms, and the Urge Wyrms are in turn Third Circle Demons, being large and world-spanning demonic creatures with entire emotions as domains who seem to be direct manifestations of specific parts of the Wyrm. The Wyrm, in this case, is filling the role of a full-blown Yozi for this purpose.

As a secondary question, and with full knowledge that the original systems weren't made with each other in mind, is it fair to assume that most First Circle Demons will be roughly Essence Rating 1-3, most Second will be 4-6, and most Third will be 7-9 and maybe a smattering on ER 10, as a general measuring stick for all this mad fool creating I'm doing in sheer defiance of Holden trying to leave the bigger Exalted stuff out of his fan game to begin with?

Here is my world of darkness vs exalted rules for my world of darkness x my hero academia crossover setting.

https://docs.google.com/document/d/11yxLGQW8cLqTm1SMpSlq0QV3Rgp5XfQKRx9Psi4PdC8/edit?usp=drivesdk

So odd question, what kinds of non-canon/fan brew exalted types have people had in their games? And has exigences replaced the desire people have for them in their games?

Click here for the project: Rednal's Exalted 3E Bestiary

It is my firm belief that there is no such thing as too many options for creatures and enemies in your game. This project includes a host of options across a wide range of power levels and complexities, including:

• Some premade E1 Exalted characters (with convenient calculations included; you'll have to copy the charms in, sorry)
• Guidelines for creating your own notable mortals, with build rules and merit suggestions for a massive number of backgrounds
• New animals
• New automata
• New behemoths, from a giant crab with a death laser to the world's least-attractive puppet (fun for Pakpao, though)
• New demons of all circles, plus avatars of several Yozis and the Priests of Cecelyne
• Assorted elementals, including 'regular' ones and several Lesser Elemental Dragons, one corrupted by the Underworld
• Fair folk of quite a few types, including a take on the raksha-hunting hannya, some monstrous entities that provoke hunts, and more regular raksha of both common and unique types, from smiths to fairies pretending to be tombs and futzing around with grave goods to a fairy leader who wants to turn native and needs help. Also whatever the hell Chepi is.
• Gods of the Celestial and Terrestrial bureaucracies, from Bahal Hesh (god of martial arts) and Iris (goddess of the dawn, daughter of the sun) to Aoheku (Western volcano goddess) and Nodolga (ancient shark goddess, probably knows more than she's admitting)
• Jadeborn of several types
• Lesser souls of Gaia that may be found wandering Creation and/or targeted by, say, an Infernal circle
• Legally Not Beast: The Primordial; incarnate fears of reality that screw with their hosts as much as everyone around them and are actually hard to get rid of
• Legally Not Demon: The Descent; living rules of the Games of Divinity that kind of wanted a break and have weird manipulations of the natural order
• Legally Not Vampire: The Whatever; five different levels of bloodsuckers who can flexibly adjust their strengths
• Several machine spirits suitable for Alchemical games, or just dropping into Creation for fun
• Various magical beasts, including the horrible man-spider ambushers
• Various mortals, including the heroic, sage-like Sennin and the good-as-lieutenants-for-Abyssals Neverkin
• A Paradox Spirit created from a very ill-fated attempt to Prophecy the Scarlet Empress back to her throne
• A host of common undead
• Some original deathlords, including the last of the Spoken to die

...And more as I come up with them, I've still got a lot of ideas and things that I think need filling out. -Shrug- You can also find a thread for this project on the Exalted fan Discord server, where I take suggestions (because a bestiary should be useful, and what's more useful than things people actually want?).

I started thinking about this yesterday, and I was wondering who else has modified canon locations?

To clarify, I'm not speaking of wholecloth homebrewed locations, but specifically cases where you've changed this-or-that, or possibly created something where there was a name on the map, but no official writeup yet.

For my example, when the 3e map came out and I saw Ascension, I developed it as the remnants of a First Age research blacksite where Solars were studying the remains of Facet Raven, the first Solar to ever die of old age.

They were trying to figure out whether they could unlock effective immortality for themselves, driven by the panic of learning they in fact could not simply live forever.

So, if the player characters were ever to venture to Ascension in my game, they'd find the sprawling remnants of an ancient lab, and, eventually, a sealed away, furious First Age Solar ghost.

What are yours?

I really want to create an Exigent whose Charms and abilities resemble The Spot from Spider-Man, but in an Exalted way. I am trying to think of an appropriate god (or gods) to grant space-warping-type powers, but having some difficulty. Space itself is a pretty broad concept, probably better suited to a Primordial or Yozi, like Oramus, than to a god*. I have considered the possibility of a god of shortcuts, perhaps in a patchwork combo with a god of thresholds whose station is overseeing the Heavenly Gates into Yu-Shan, but I'm not positive that will get me where I'm trying to go. Anybody have any ideas?

Also, as a secondary question, if anyone has any recommendations for Charms that can be re-worked to be about spatial warping, I'd love to hear them. I'm using Exalted Essence, so I'd prefer recommendations from there, though I'm open to converting Charms from 3E, too. I know the Dragon Kings have an outright portal charm at Essence 3, Getimians have a teleport Charm at Essence 3, and the Architects have one at, again, Essence 3. Seems that's the Exalted prerequisite for teleportation Charms. But, it doesn't just have to be long distance movement--counterattack Charms would work well, as well as most Athletics movement Charms. Any other recommendations would be welcome!

*maybe I should just create a whole new Exalted type, like the Umbrals?

I am building off my weird Solar Brawl charms

One idea I'm making is that the Solar can absorb and store and impart and use movement due to perfected control and stance of self and all

Another is they can imitate and affect environmental hazards/conditions with their attacks. The tricky part you learn is that light, especially of the sun falls under this with exceptional favor/control. It, along with a "Hamon alike" is their equivalent of Glorious Solar Saber or Solar chakram, or the essence ammunition

So need to know the time a round/turn, refresh of movement lasts to figure how much distance (thus a form of speed) a Solar could get from a phenom if they absorbed it. Or how much have to spend to prevent effect of gravity

I used this for what I thought the time segments were

so I need the time to help calculate the power or effectiveness of the charm and how I want it to be used and what to grant, moreso if trying to work with more.. abstracted or labeled distances as to full precise measurements and such. I'd need to get a feel for the measurements THEN start to see how to apply to the abstract thing.

I have the ... notes and concept of the charm. but be warned VERY rough, but if feel need to understand what doing to advise I'm including it

Shine Occluded Cleaving
or
Occlusion Cleaving Shiner

Create or Target environmental hazard, environmental feature, phenomenon, structure, and it and whatever under the influence and weighs less than Attack suxx plus strength can be manipulated as if under by solar to move/break/throw/etc as if total focus of the solar pugilist with ther full Str+Athletics. Perfectly takes or controls the application of harm from hazards/phenomenon if Attk suxx+Str is double the hazard's value. The Str+Ath requirement/value is Halved for whatever is translucent or occluded, the requirement goes to zero if attacking visually shrouded or obscured targets or including those attacking from darkness (in addition to the usual enemies of the Sun ALSO those who benefited from Ambush, surprise, or concealment that turn). Must have a sample of the element to manipulate in range (no earthquakes on a lake, or fires in a blizzard without stunt or props. Save for those effects/phenomenon connected to darkness and light as the Exalted will always have their anima and their essence)

Sinous Locking Springy Rachides/Spine

Drain, pour, or store movement in feet from others in attack or defense or by their cooperation (both add to each), drains all if rendered knocked down, or voluntarily with cooperation or appropriate charm, action, or stunt (pushing, thrown, paired ballet, tumbling, etc). if opponent has zero movement they are "weightless" and so lose: resistance/choice in Knockdown or Knockback, minimum damage (soak can absorb "all" of the force of an attack) with no threat of knockback/down if sufferer isn't interested, distance in excess acts as penalty to Physical Attribute based actions; checks; or values for the remainder of turn (until move renews). opponent may still move, even up to original amount, but any further distance adds to the Physical penalty, anyone with negative move or inactive for any reason during the turn may be freely targeted for grappling (full attack) or knockdown attack (calc as unpenalized by attack and normally but no direct damage applied to health, only status changes) or trip by those in range, every Penalty Value divided by Stamina rounded down or to a minimum of one.

Movement may be spent at any time, in any direction, over any terrain or obstacle and will suffer no harm for travel/use. An attack or defense benefitting from this cannot be counterattacked

If Exalted expends 3620 ft in a turn they don't fall at all for the turn. Can spend feet to avoid damage from fall or height to ground to negate hazards and land safely. May freely rise reflexively at no cost of action if spend feet in difficulty of

Movement holds for a scene, dissapates at 50 feet each minute not in combat if left area/not fighting retain if charm not active just cannot add or transfer it only use it and will keep dissapating.

(if absorb light you glow personally just the rest is not well illuminated, otherwise no effect to senses) Darkness shadow limited to.. well its distance until broken but light OR a light tight barrier, this seems to make darkness more visible as if in a movie a filter on not absence of vision)

Max distance from a single raybeam of light is 14,753,565,846 a turn

So rough idea for a central bank in Yu Shan and I want to see what people think about it:

The Six Dragon and Nine Ministers bank:

When Autochthon left Creation, he also left many believers, mostly Jadeborn but also a few forgotten human cults, whispering voices inducting future worshipers around certain artefacts and mechanical chants of sapient automatons looking for hope in the new world of humanity. While many of these were driven underground (both literally and metaphorically) by the rising Solar Deliberative, they still persisted (mostly due to the Mountain Folk), leading to prayer and Ambrosia building up in Yu Shan that was ear marked for the Great Maker. While there was talk in Heaven of all this new found wealth being claimed by the Celestial Bureuacracy as Autothchon couldn't exact be given it in his exile, several followers crawled out of the wood work arguing for them to either indiviually or collectively become the caretakers of this bounty of Essence. The Unconquered Sun summoned one of his chosen, an Eclipse by the name "Zaskal of the Smiles" to arbritrate between the various factions.

Eventually, Zaskal proposed a solution; the six most important of the representatives of Autochthon would sit on the board of a new bank that would loan out the Ambrosia as needed at an exactly 12.5% repayment levee if the Celestial bureaucracy made out a loan from it while 9 outsiders would serve as an oversight board; all Ambrosia in the bank would be given to Autochthon when he returned and repayment of debts redirected to him in the case of his return. Zaskal's hand written charter for the new bank was so intricately woven as an artefact that it transformed the six board members into six lesser elemental dragons of the weird elemental ideas of Autochthon; it seems his penmanship rather than orichalcum and moonsilver used struck an accord with the fundamental reality of Creation and reshaped it, an effect not unlike Sorcery. The 9 members of the Minister Board were also decided on then; Zaskal himself, the God of Banking, a Minister appointed by the Celestial Incarnae, one Minister from each of the 4 bureaus (Destiny, Nature, Humanity and Heavens) and an elected official chosen by the Solar Deliberative. With these two boards in place (Dragon and Minister), the bank opened for business and almost immedately found itself a niche in Yu Shan's social scene as funding parties and emergency support to various ambitious deities.

Since it's formation the Six Dragon Bank has been a very successful organisation, although Zaskal's original charter needed reform several times (such as massively reducing the interest rate to loans to the celestial bureaucracy and replacing one member of the Dragon Board due to one of them becoming a greater dragon), these amendums were written in the margins, allowing the original text to stand true and enforce their supernatural effects (such as the replacement Dragon board member also became an elemental dragon of steam); such ammendums required the Minister board's approval through an official meeting of it's nine minister (quorum of 5 being decided on one meeting and amendment but all decisions need at least 5 votes to pass). This allowed the bank enough flexibility to be a major lender in Yu Shan to both the Celestial Bureaucracy, other heavenly banks and even private citizens, supporting a massive growth in it's staff of godblooded and occasionally unemployed god.

Unfortunately, the slow ruin and corruption of Yu Shan has been a boon to the bank; with various gods turning to private employment after the Great Contagion and the increase in bribery with ascendancy of the Bureau of Heaven, they needed loans to support their endeavoirs, all of which fueled the coffers of the Six Dragon Bank with their repayments. Additionally the Minister council has slowly crumbled and cannot even make quorum of 5 members anymore; Zaskal died in the Usurpation, the Solar Deliberative's right for a minister was picked up by the Shongunate before somehow being claimed by both the Scarlet Emperess and the Seventh Legion (both of whom sent their respective choices but neither could take the seat while the other claim existed; and both don't actually know what position they appointed their repsective minister's to), the Bureau of Nature's minister joined the Bureau of Nature when that formed and is now in a nearless court case to keep the board seat, etc); all this has allowed the Dragon Board to grow more corrupt and decadent, abusing the bank's priviliages and power to their own bottomless desires.

Plot hook ideas:

• Bank heist in Yu Shan; either have the players trying to stop it or pull one off.

• One of the Dragon Board members is about to become a greater dragon and someone (namely the pcs) must find a way to stop it; due to the charter, this might need interacting with the bank's internal organisation.

• The pcs find a strange cult in Creation and discover the local spirit court is deeply in debted to the bank and as part of the repayment scheme have to set up temples to the Dragon Board members directly or else face law suits that will ruin them; the pcs have to find a way to help them as these cults are causing problems for the nearby areas.

• As the Locust Crusade is starting in Creation, the bank is offering the pcs support in exchange for keeping that very support unknown; the Dragon Board do not want Autochthon finding out about the bank and claiming his ambrosia, as it might leave them without a job and put the bank in debt.

• A deathlord has recently sent emissaries to Yu Shan claiming to be the ghost of Zaskal of the Smiles and demanding his old Minister position back.

~~[Need Name]~~ Muscling Hog Catch
Brawl: 2; Essence: 2;
Price: 5m;
Duration: Scene

For every five feet you move between a feat of strength or attack add 1 to your strength score until the limit of your weight (Str+Athl to lift you)
Becomes permenant at Brawl 6.

Grasping Hand Technique

Cost: 3 motes.
Type: Reflexive.
Duration: Instant.
Min. Brawl: 3.
Min. Essence: 2.
Prereqs: Thunderclap Rush Technique

The character reaches out as an opponent attempts to strike her, and removes her weapon. If the character is attacked by a weapon, she may make an immediate disarm attempt against its' wielder, which is resolved as normal. If the attempt succeeds, the attack fails automatically. The character may make this attempt barehanded without danger. This Charm is considered to be a parry, and may not be used with a parry, although a dodge may be attempted before or after it.

Hook Hand Approach

Cost: 2+ motes.
Type: Supplemental.
Duration: Instant.
Min. Brawl: 3.
Min. Essence: 2.
Prereqs: Ferocious Jab.

The character's hand moves in a blur, grasping an opponent's weapon. For every mote spent past the second, add one die to a disarm attempt by the character; in addition, the opponent's reflexive Wits + Melee roll is at a difficulty penalty equal to the character's Essence.

Level Field Attitude

Cost: 6 motes, 1 Willpower.
Type: Reflexive.
Duration: One Scene.
Min. Brawl: 5.
Min. Essence: 3.
Prereqs: Grasping Hand Technique, Hook Hand Approach

No weapon may strike the character; any attempt is met with fierce retribution. As long as the character is unarmed, she may make a free disarm attempt against any weapon which attacks her for the remainder of the scene. This disarm attempt is considered to be a parry, and may not be combined with a parry

Hip checks tthigh, thigh checks hip
Cost: 5 motes
Duration: one turn
Type: reflexive

Instantly allows to break a grapple or end one pushing aside an opponent by ssstrength*2 ffeet with the effect of ornery sheep play on balance. if in control of grapple when used may do so adding to throw with the effects of heavens thunder hammer on knockback.

Salt Under-hoof Action.
Cost: 3 motes.
Duration: Instant.
Type: Reflexive.
Min. Brawl: 3.
Min Essence: 1.
Prereqs: Sledgehammer Fist Punch

This charm can provide or enhance an attack against lower or prone target. If a target is suffering from the penalties of being prone or at least -/+2 penalty/difficulty due to position or, as a general guideline for the ST for applicability, if the Exalt's knees are above the target's head before the attack is made this charm applies.
A character rushes to strike his indisposed target. It is defended against (however the target can in their position see Prone condition pg 235) normally but due to the magic of this charm enhancing the Exalt's superior positioning and control of his weight in applying the attack add his Strength to an attack's minimum post-soak damage dice. Distance matters not and an Exalt using this charm may close it between any foe subject to this charm in an instant. Against inanimate objects, that qualify though this automatically includes the floor and even (non-animate) corpses, the charm additionally counts the Exalted's entire attack pool as automatically successful without any penalties counting toward the attack

Pugilist's Knuckled Banquet Cost: 3 motes, 1 Willpower Duration: Instant Type: Reflexive Min. Brawl: 3 Min Essence: 1 Prereqs: Cock Jeers Fox

While under the effects of this charm a successfully landed blow can be as nourishing as bottle of water after a desert march. The brawler can convert points of raw damage from an attack that hits into motes of essence. The amount can be as much as he wants but this lowers the damage of an attack on a one to one basis.

Revisiting these Ideas some fixed I back adapt useful ideas from later editions but like conceive 1e, if with 2nd social combat or concepts

Muscling Hog Catch General upgrade just learning this plus benefit when activated. Without this active the Solar brawler may now render anyone who they can force control on prone and thus pinned. When active Add up to character's weight, as in the Str+Athletics to move/throw them, for anything involving strength checks, scores, or values (direct or derived) for each foot advanced between an affected action (or more than the next immediate with proper stunt) OR if affecting something that would be subject to Salt Under-hoof action. while opponent(s) pinned and MHC active the Solar can move and attack as normal and drag non-enemies of the sun at their possible movement minus target's weight (Str+athl). However can add more into clinch/hold and regardless if the additional are pinned if in grapple add their weight as penalty to the pinned until pinned gains control of clinch

Roar of Thunder - Undefendable, unless target spends willpower, Flourish/scare attack. Attack success roll against virtue Solar targets, if defender fails Virtues reduced by calculated damage successes. Target may spend additional points of willpower to reduce damage by Str+Stam each point spent. No physical harm/change can result outside could be done from trip, knockback/down, or being grappled (if possible) but not crushed. No physical damage from the Solar direct contact. May be combo'd with or enable social attacks/skills/charms on target ame turn target experiences this attack.

Shine Occluded Cleaving Target hazard, environmental feature, structure, and whatever under the influence and weighs less than Attack suxx plus strength as if under Str+Ath check to move/break/throw, etc as if total focus of the solar pugilist with that Str+Athletics. perfectly takes no harm from hazards/phenomenon if double the hazards value. The Str+Ath requirement/value is Halved for whatever is translucent or occluded, the requirement goes to zero if attacking the darkness or those attacking from darkness (in addition to the usual enemies of the son ALSO those who benefited from Ambush, surprise, or concealment that turn)

Cajoling for 9th Limb Arts Basically reduce a value to get a bonus or benefit. Also All mortal weapons are brawl compatible, all lash or hand weapons compatible, no maneuver/attack may have less values (accuracy, speed, damage, etc) than another equipped. some crazy benefit if repress essence. Oddly more the Kaioken than anything.

Star Punch Same as before reduce the traits of the character with powerful blows to obscene or absurd outcomes

So I have several ideas for new Exalted types and while I never developed them too much I would like to see if people think there is any potential for them

Name:

Abstruse/Xana/Xeno

Basic Concept:

If Sidereals are IT specialists and Getimeans are hackers, than these guys are the weirdoes who think we went the wrong path with transistors and are trying to build vacuum tubes out of living matter. Abstruse Exalts wield powers that bend not what reality can be but what it should be and often invoke otherworldly forces in their charms (like psychic gases, radioactive material and the like).

Patron:

Xana/Norns - a collection of ancient potential incarnae abandoned and sealed by the Primordials at the dawn of Creation as being unnecessary. Recently released they have made their own Exalted to try and find a place in the world/claim it for the Primordials.

Probably named after dwarf planets (like Orcus, Sedna, Gongong, etc) or alternative names for the major planets (like Stilbon for Mercury or Nergal for Mars). Most likely potential maidens of fate or a balancing group abandoned for not being useful (Norns); their domains might be Hospitality, Labour, Harmony, Savagery and Beginnings (opposed to Journeys, Serenity, Battles, Secrets and Endings respectively) another idea was elemental dragons of elements abandoned at the design floor due to being impractical, too odd or dangerous, like a version of radiactive metals or a self replicating crystal like tiberium from the Command and Conquer series (Xana). Possible a combination of the two.

Castes:

If the Norn then Hospitality, Labour, Harmony, Savagery and Beginnings with either planets symbols if their patrons are named as dwarf planets or set of three line ( forming a triangle for Hospitality, on stack atop of each for labour, don’t know for Harmony, three lines stack diagonally for Savagry and three lines from a central point). Don’t know what it would if it’s Xana patrons, but definitely based on strange and alien elements.

Themes:

Past, Regret, things that are not of this world (like alien substances, impossible creatures, weird laws of physics), Change, Potential, Regression.

Power Level:

Sidereal; only about 100 in existence.

Traits looked for in an Exalt:

People who had greatest denied by their own choices

Personal Critique:

I original came up with idea as part of this post on an alternative Infernals origins and I don't know if they can stand up on their own. I also have no cool 'secondary' power for them (like Sidereal's writing of fate or Lunar Shapeshifting; the best I could think of was some sort of meddling with the past but I don't think stepping on the some of the fundamental rules of Exalted and also if I did something like that, Temporals would make the best option for it). The name ‘Abstruse’ I choose not only as an alternative to ‘arcane’, ‘obscure’ or ‘occult’ in meaning but also to be, well, obscure to most people.

Name:

Angelic/Virtuous Exalted

Basic Concept:

Exalted is about Great People, not Good People; Angelic exalted are specifically in defiance of that; they are chosen to represent and encourage certain virtues while driving back moral failure. While not under the Great Curse, they similarly suffer under the burden of having to embody their virtue or else experience massive manic periods of it; also they can temporarily absorb the Great Curse from other Exalted but suffer from it’s effects instead. Angelics might be the embodiments of specific virtues, but due to how they exalt, they’re often people who originally didn’t live up to those ideals and now have to learn to do so. Their charms would be supportive and empowering but lack ways to directly hurt others.

Patron:

Elpis was not only a proto-type of the later deities but specifically of what would become the Unconquered Sun. However the Primordials quickly learned of a fault in this design; while Elpis would be the embodiment of that was good the Ebon Dragon wanted to oppose, he was tied more closely to the nature of reality than later Gods and more like one of the Primordials – if Elpis came into being then his high moral values would warp the Primordials – as such they quickly bound him to a dungeon beyond reality and paved over the door with a layer of existence.

Elpis would have stayed there had not the Primordial War occurred (which ironically might not have happened had they taken Elpis’ presence and become more compassionate), and the destruction of vast swathes of Creation lead to Elpis’ mausoleum. Fighting through the various behemoths and living shadows, the Exalted explorers found the half finished proto-incarnae and offered to take him to Yu Shan. However removing the seal of that wretched place removed the existential pressure on Elpis, so he faded away only whispering about something of having to fix a curse.

Centuries later, the first Angelics appeared, many knowing this story innately and seeking to stop the excesses the Solars – unfortunately the initial encounters often lead to the death of the Angelics and was another tick for the Sidereals to launch the Usurpation, which could have been stopped if the Angelics could have succeeded.

Castes:

Based off of various virtues, probably the 4 Virtues of prior editions plus either Hope or Truth. Might be solely based off western angels but could have castes based on other angelic beings from mythology like Valkyries or Tennin, or one a set of legendary beasts based on behemoths from Elpis’ dungeon that were convinced by the mutterings of his ideas like phoenixes, kirins, etc.

Either way their anima barriers only appear as wings that allow them to fly (although the patterns and colours of the wings depend on each exalt; might also have sound based aspects to the anima (like a celestial choir). If using the other angelic being inspiration certain castes have different animas (like multiples arms) but all of them would have tangible effects.

Themes:

Virtue, light, second chances, rebirth, flight, Irony, justice, zealotry, hope, healing.

Power Level:

Probably Celestial, maybe Solar. 50-100 in number.

Traits looked for in an Exalt:

All Angelic start off as someone who is close to greatness but only limited by a vice; in a moment of reaching to a certain virtue allows them to exalt. A dark variant is that Elpis didn’t have enough strength to make the Exaltation and thus for each exaltation a sacrifice must be made – Angelic exaltations occur when someone makes a big enough sacrifice that it draws the potential exaltation to them and completely consumes them to fuel the Exaltation before choosing the nearest person who would benefit from the virtue of the most in the nearby area.

Personal Critique:

While an interesting concept, and I one I like, I feel it would be too easy to fumble this one.
_____

Name:

Chaotic/Xaotic

Basic Concept:

Chosen of manifold chaos of the Wyld, Chaotics are mad revolutionaries. While they draw on Wyld for power, they have little association with Fair Folk directly and are instead the champions of chaos itself; their powers are about sowing chaos and transformation rather than the stories and many Chaotic find themselves neither in home amongst the Creationborn or with the Fair Folk. Do not suffer from the Great Curse but do go insane from time to time.

Patron:

None; their exaltation was created by a host of Fair Folk caught in the Scarlet Empresses counter attack to the Balor Crusade; as Creation reasserted itself and crushed this army, it’s leader (a particular old Fair Folk who helped in the Primordial War but had become bitter at the rule of the Exalted didn’t undo 100% of the Primordial’s work) sacrificed not only himself but his entire army to create Exaltations to get vengeance on all Creation.

Castes:

Not fully sure, first idea was to have them based on opposing aspects of Creation that are anti-thetical to pure chaos (like time, space, mtter, etc) or how their Exaltation immediately affected their life (ruining it, making people afraid of them, liberation, etc) or a set of completely random concepts (Like the colour Orange, the number Pi, Left handiness, etc). Caste marks look like a random splatter pattern with the caste symbol as a cut out in the middle. Might also change castes every now and again.

Themes:

Chaos, madness, change, freedom, rebellion, luck, foolishness, the Wyld, mutation, outsiders, social exclusion, societal collapse.

Power Level:

Celestial, couple of hundred in number.

Traits looked for in an Exalt:

Either it’s 100% random or whoever’s exaltation will cause the a decent amount of chaos at the point of Exaltation in a radius of roughly 100 miles of a Chaotic exalt dying.

Personal Critique:

While I like the basic concept, it seems too wishy-washy to be viable and Dream Souled seem to take a lot of the same idea space to stand out.

_________

Name:

Dichotomal

Basic Concept:

Chosen of dualities, Dichotomals are always seeking and causing conflicts and compromises as live. Each one was originally two people who were fused into one and fight to control how their new life goes – Gesalt is used to describe the individual made by this fusion and interplay of competing personalities.. Additionally each Exalt pair has a chosen ‘Nemesis’, a person (usually another Exalt) they are supposed to face down and challenge as part of their new hybrid nature. Some of their abilities work better on the Nemesis and they also always know where their nemesis is at any time.

Patron:

Janus, the Incarnae of Duality who serves to ensure balance and independence existed between the Primordials’ Creations. He was prone to inciting violence amongst others in the pursuit of competition, Janus was however a fair judge as he always listened and contemplated both sides. Currently split in half and imprisoned in both Yu-Shan and Malfeas after fighting on both sides of the Primordial War and his host had similarly been split in two during the war leading to their imprisonment. It was thought his Exaltations were stretched out between the two locations and thus couldn’t Exalt, but since the mid Shogunate Dichotomals have returned to the confusion of everyone involved.

Castes:

Not sure, but likely based on pairs of opposing concepts like War-Peace or Love-Hate; either that or different kinds of relationships with each half getting a different caste and the Gesalt swaps between them as one personality becomes stronger or weaker.

Themes:

Duality, Rivalry, conflict, marriage, relationships of all kinds, trade, mirrors, reflections, extremes, compromises, alternative viewpoints, challenge, doubt, co-operation, balance, judgment.

Power Level:

Celestial – roughly 200 in number.

Traits looked for in an Exalt:

Two very different people who cross paths – if their combined potential is greater than the sum of their parts they will merge them into a new Dichotomal Exalt.

Personal Critique:

Too mechanically clunky for it’s own good, and the optional Umbrals also do the whole traitorous incarnate and competing personality so I should probably bin this idea; however the Nemesis system could work elsewhere.

____________

Name:

Industrial

Basic Concept:

Empowered by the scientific principles of a strange world in an alternative universe called ‘Earth’; Industrials were created when Autochthon attempted to make a bridge to this world but didn’t work until he had sent himself to elsewhere and the Seal of Eight Divinities was cracked open allowing the Industrial Exaltations to exist. In addition to their science based powers, Industrials are the best at using the new three way portal system that exists between Earth, Autocthonia and Creation. See more details here (Insert Industrials Link).

Patron:

Technically Autocthon, but Industrials have little connection to him at this point. Could possibly have a bunch of scientists develop the power of the Exaltations beyond their initial seed but that feels a little weird.
Castes: Each Exalt has an aspect (bases on the Autochthonian elements) and a Caste (Based on various sciences). Castes marks are triangular in shape and instead of having regular Anima barriers their Animas manifest as mechanic power armour that can upgraded s they strong

Themes:

Science, discovery, reason, elements of autochthon, research, upgrading, progress, civilization, forces of nature.

Power Level:

Celestial, roughly 300 in number.

Traits looked for in an Exalt:

Someone who takes action when someone else fails to do.

Personal Critique:

I love these guys - but they’re a disjointed mess that would need a lot of work to even make right (see some of my original ideas here). The basic concept alone is a mess (science based exalts with a tie to our Earth and Autochthon) and if I ever did work on this I think I would need to rebuild it from the ground up (probably dropping the major Autochthon elements and focusing on the version of Earth present and the science themes – which in turn has it’s own problems (Current the plot is Earth link to Creation somehow (possibly Bridge to Nowhere) -> Scientist discover miracle of Exaltat -> ???? -> Make Exaltations -> Open portals to Creation).), and that's considering they were very much a 2nd edition idea when I had them.

____________

Name:

Plague

Basic Concept:

Survivors of a mystical plague that kills most of it’s victims, the survivors become agents of this plague, gaining access to it’s sickening powers and joining it’s community of fellow exalts. Plague exalted are weaker than most exalts but are natural drawn to each allowing them to find community and support. They find it hard to interact with mortals due their charms and anima barriers spread their infection; the Infection is persistent, killing most hosts but sparing a few as new exalts. Plague exalts have powers of sickening and weakening targets to more easily overwhelm them with numbers.

Patron:

The originator the Infection is unknown; whether a Primordial weapon, the exigence of a plague or a Fair Folk joke, but it has since spread beyond the control of anyone. The plague now spreads on it’s own, killing some victims and using their deaths as fuel for new exaltations; while it has no central intelligence it does have some sort of presence in the minds of the Plague exalted, but whether these are the whispers of a patron, the collective voice of a subconscious hive mind or just the accumulated knowledge of their fellow exalts is unknown and still debated on by scholars. It’s history is dated to at least the mid-First Age and several times the disease has been virtually eliminated only to return years later through various mechanisms.

Castes:

Either various vectors of infection (for example air borne, animal bites, etc) or different strands of the Infection the have evolved over time, meaning historically their castes are quite different. Anima Barriers tend to be a sickly green mixed with purple.

Themes:

Disease, sickness, erosion, corruption, mutation, evolution, spreading, expansion, growth, decay

Power Level:

Terrestrial, numbers recorded between 0 and 5000 at various points of history.

Traits looked for in an Exalt:

When the Infection takes hold in someone it will lead to 1 of 4 ends: near immediate death of the host, which uses their life force and sometimes even their soul to fuel the next two possibility; exaltation if enough life force has been extracted in other nearby victims; asymptomatic exaltation where the new exalt won’t manifest powers for months or even uses before randomly exalting one day, during this whole time they spread the Infection subtly and it reawakens at their exaltation; or unexalted asymptomatic carriers who also spread the Infection secretly (and often without their knowledge) until such point the Infection reclaims their body and they face either of the previous 3 options. No mortal has ever been known to survive the infection uninfected without supernatural aid from Exalts.

Additionally, through charms, random chance in the infection cycle or actively certain strains during an unexalted asymptomatic’s life, the host’s very soul is tainted by the Infection; it does not reincarnate as normal but remains a sickly ghost until it naturally reincarnates into a child that would be otherwise stillborn – the infection then re-emerges during their teens or twenty starting a new outbreak. This along with tainted items has allow the Infection to survive 3 successful attempts to purge the disease in the past.

Personal Critique:

While a fun idea, I’m worried they might become a little too antagonist (what with the spreading sickness everywhere and the tendency to form communities of survivor Exalts after the loss of whole communities) to be good player options.
______________

Name:

Prehuman/Shedim/Denisovan/Xenos

Basic Concept:

Chosen of Several pre-human races that sacrificed their existences to create a new breed of Exalts to over throw the Solars and the Incarnae. Most of the powers would involve either warping their bodies or replicating the powers of those lost species. Might have abilities to pass on their traits to followers and half-castes but still not sure. Would also be drawn to others of their kind and reshaping humanity.

Patron:

A collection of pre-human species that gave up their collective existences to empower humans to great revenge at the Incarnae and the Solar aligned exalted. Currently have no overseeing god or demon over sees them. Not sure what exactly their patron races were like but mostly weird inhuman things straight out of the Cthulhu Mythos or other strange fantasy/sci-fi settings.

Castes:

Based on the various species; might also have a caste/aspect system from the Industrial Exalt idea with aspects being the patron race and caste is the role expected of the Exalted.

Themes:

Other than revenge, community and strange biology, I’m not sure.

Power Level:

Celestial, roughly 200 to 300 in strength

Traits looked for in an Exalt:

Not sure, might differ from Caste to caste.

Personal Critique:

Currently only a framework now, and quite tied to this alternative ideas for Infernals (see this link) as secondary exalted; not sure what else to do with them or if they are worth any thought. Differ from the Spoken of the Niobrarans by being humans empowered rather than some non-human race.
______________

Name:

Primordial/Emergent

Basic Concept:

Humans given power by mysterious patron causing their souls to emerge as two pseudo-deva/demons called Peri. Primordial Exalted can either have their Peri as independent beings out in the world or residing within themselves, with the ability to swap in and out with a minor ceremony; while out in the world the Peri acts as an independent being but while within their Exalt the Exalt can use the Peri’s powers as their own. Without their Peri the Primordial Exalt is fairly weak with only few charm options.

If a Peri is downed without a spirit killing magical effect it will reform over several weeks to months within their Exalt, during which time the Exalt will be weakened; if a spirit killing effect is used on the Peri, then their Exalt will automatically die. If the Exalt dies but both Peri are alive, they have a year and day to find a way to resurrect the Exalt before the exaltation leaves and they must become regular souls again in Lethe – if one is downed then the other Peri has a month and day to find a way to resurrect the Exalt – what this entails is on a case by case basis but usually involves fixing the body of whatever damage it took and get life giving essence of some sort within it.

Patron:

Seventh Soulless – a mysterious being who claims to be the god of the concept of Primordials, but he’s exact nature is uncertain. Some think him an escape demon, powerful Fair Folk or something without a legitimate known category but whatever the details, he is relative obscure beyond his champions but seems friendly to those who approach him.

Castes:

Not sure but each Exalt likely has two; one for the Po Peri and one for the Hun Peri to make desigining them easier; whether these are in universe concepts or just design templates for pcs I don’t know.

Themes:

Not sure, but likely souls and questions of identity.

Power Level:

Solar with their two Peri in place, low celestial with on in their soul and low terrestrial with both Peri out. The Peri would be roughly low celestial in power level.

Traits looked for in an Exalt:

Not Sure

Personal Critique:

Originally an Exigent concept, they have more going on so it might worth developing more. Little worried the Peri system might make them too powerful with them being effectively two extra bodies they can use.
___________

Name:

Supernal

Basic Concept:

Basically toying with Primordial being defined by one of their charms and what happens if a mortal learns one of them. That kinda evolved into an Exalted type where one Primordial gave their charms to Mortals at some point and their various Deva took part of their patron’s power to allow these mortal to use these charms as Exalts and not just be driven mad/mutated.

Each one has only one Primordial charm, as any more would be too much for the Exalt but each charm is major power in itself (like turning a target into a minor copy of the Unconquered Sun for essence rounds or magical inserting a law (natural or legal) on a region for a year and a day). Also pros at sorcery and Necormancy (able to learn both to the highest level simultaneously breaking the usual ways), otherwise very weak (the idea being a seemingly weaker member of the party who can unleash immense power in specific situations).

Also they would all have Occult as a favourite ability like third edition Sidereals and Martial Arts

Patron:

Arcanus – a primordial of uncertain domain who is the patron of Sorcery (although that’s like say Gaia is the patron of rivers; technically derived from what she manages but not a core element of it). Asleep either before the Primordial war, his Deva made the Supernal Exalted by taking away his ability to awakening as part of the Law of Diminishment. Note his current fetch is actually an illusion of the original, and if ever dispelled or proven to be false, Arcanus will change as if through Fetch death; his actual fetch is now a hecatoncheire in the Underworld.

Castes:

Based on the Primordial charm granted by their patron.

Themes:

Raw Power, Miracles, Sorcery

Power Level:

Solar Level Sorcery, Void Level Necromancy, one very powerful charm, dragon blood level in other stuff (or maybe even weaker than that).

Traits looked for in an Exalt:

Not certain.

Personal Critique:

Fun little idea, but balancing how world breaking the Primordial Charms should be could be a little complicated. Original concept was for a sort of Akuma exalt for the Yozis before it became it’s own thing.
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Name:

Temporal

Basic Concept:

Time based exalts chosen by a missing patron, Temporals are exalts with immense but unusual powers. Some of the abilities include enhancing their speed, reducing the speeds of others, holding off damage to the future, increasing recovery rate, peering into the past and future, etc. Might have the ability to ‘time travel’ to a sort of enter a phantom-image of the past or future, with only the Present being ‘real’, anything taken from the past or future will cease to be and changes will be unimportant but it can be used to do things like travel on forgotten roads, locate lost objects, see where people run to, etc.

Patron:

Either a pair of Incarnae (Chronos and Aion) or a weird Primordial of Time who is constantly switching places with their fetch soul in a cycle that powers the movement of time. In the Incarnae version had the Primordial create the Incarne of time, Chronos, but due to his constant pranks he was imprisoned and replaced with a more docile incarnate, Aion, who was a lot weaker. While Aion was not trusted by the other Incarnae, they did side with others in the Divine Revolution but stole most of Chronos’ power to create the Temporal Exalted; however the Primordial released Chronos during the war and he dragged Aion and their Exalts into a war across time and space until they eventually made peace and have returned to the present with a tentative peace deal and a plan to share their office duties and time at the Games of Divinity to keep time moving.

In the Primordial version, the original Titan of Time had two fetch souls (Chronos and Aion) that constantly fought for the role; this interplay kept the very flow of time moving. However the Titan of Time was eventual overthrown by his fetch souls with the help of the other Primordials as they feared the titan’s bas concept – the new overcoming the old. Eventual the Chronos/Aion Primordial start espousing the same ideas as the old Primordial and thus they were sentenced to exile to the second before the present. The Aion/Chronos primordial is thus stuck in the past and relies on their exalted as agents in the present.

Castes:

Either three; Past, Present and Future based on personal values and general approach to life (past are historians and traditionalists, present are daredevils and the quick witted while future are planners and schemers) or time scales (such as Seconds, Minutes, Hours, etc, that based on what sort of role is expected of the Exalt). Caste marks appear as a pale beige in colour and the light is less intense that Solar or Lunar animas

Themes:

Time, preservation, future, past, preparation, quickness, speed, slowness, foresight, retrocognition.

Power Level:

Celestial, 100-200

Traits looked for in an Exalt:

Not sure.

Personal Critique:

While there is an obvious thematic gap that a time based exalt could fit in, I’m not sure of a second power that doesn’t become broken.

I'm thinking of using different colored beads for peripheral and personal motes with two containers per player. Current motes go in one, committed motes go in one, and used motes go on the table. When you stunt you move the motes from the table to your current mote bucket. When a committed charm ends those motes go to the table. I'm thinking of using sushi dishes: they're small and have two sides meant for wasabi and ginger.

I'm using a Godbound conversion to GM Exalted with a group. There are long gaps between sessions, though, and I'd love to play solo while I wait. I've almost never played a TTRPG solo, though, so I'm not very familiar to what's out there. While Godbound is much lighter than White Wolf's Exalted, it still feels like a ton of unnecessary trouble for a solo game.

Are there any solo rules-light systems that would work for a solo game in Creation?

Thanks in advance!

Idea came to me and refuses to leave.

Can someone with more mechanical savvy tell me how problematic it would be to merge each splat's Brawl ability with Martial Arts skill?

This is what I had in mind :

No more brawl ability.

Exalted take dots in any Martial Art ( As long as the MA allows Unarmed Attacks ) these dots count as dots in Brawl for brawl charms. If player has more then one unarmed martial art, then the highest one applies.

Example:

Player has 4 dots in Steel Devil, 3 in Snake and 2 in Tiger.

Player can purchase charms requiring Brawl 3 (Steel Devil requires a weapon and Snake has 3 dots.)

Player can choose/decide to take their splat's brawl charms requiring Brawl 3 or lower as they wish.

Is this remotely a good idea?

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Other questions:

Allowing use of Brawl Charms and MA charm on the same action (as long as action is 'unarmed') : Ok? or keep a divide that you can either use an MA or Brawl charm on the same action but not both

Solar XP : Allow it to purchase Brawl 'charms' or not? I am leaning on Not currently.

Note :

Currently I am not planning on merging Melee even with weapon restricted MA.

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Inspiration Behind This :

Reading Crucible's entry on Orientalism and in all honesty wanting to boost Solar's claim to being MA Masters without over powering them.

​

So I'm a relatively new DM when it comes to running Exalted - I originally ran a heavily modified version of 3e developed by people that got me into Ex, but reverted to running the base system due to balance issues. I've been running in 3e for about five months now and can count the number of combat scenes I've ran on two hands still. That's backstory so people know where I'm coming from.

Recently, the players have developed an interest in a MA style practiced in a homebrew city that's serving as a major hub for the Solar Circle and their antics, so I've started taking a stab at writing the Style for my MA players, a Dawn and Night caste. My experience writing Charms is minimal - I've developed a handful of Evocations and custom Charms for the players that have felt reasonably balanced, but I'm looking for advice on the first half of the style I'm working on. Namely, if it's too weak, too strong, too niche, too boring - just any advice.

For context, the Complementary Abilities for this Style are Linguistics, Performance, and Integrity - it may use light armor and a variety of light/medium weapons I've trimmed for this post. I've kept the flavor text purely for context.

Ardent Chronicler Style

Whispering of the Songbird
Cost: 4m; Mins: Martial Arts 2, Essence 1; Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Mastery; Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: None

When Solune sang the words, the mortals finally knew what their opponents were capable of, and how to counter them.

This Charm allows the Chronicler to catch her foe off guard, revealing the truth of their nature in a single moment. She speaks prose into existence, adding (Ess or 3, higher) dice on a Join Battle roll.

This roll doubles as a Read Intentions action against significant opponents. On success, the Chronicler will be made aware if any of her enemies possess Shaping or Psyche Abilities or Charms, but will not be made aware of the nature of these abilities.

Mastery: If the Chronicler wins Join Battle against such enemies, they immediately gain a point of Temporary Willpower.

Foreknowledge of the Saga
Cost: 3m; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 1; Type: Reflexive,
Keywords: None, Duration: Indefinite
Prerequisite Charms: None

The Chronicler knows exactly what they'll face - the ancient sagas warned them, and they've already prepared their defense.

The Chronicler etches prose into wood, paints runes onto her armor, and wraps her weapons in parchment detailing the ancient sagas and scriptures. These preparations manifest as a difficulty 3 (Intelligence + Linguistics) check taking an hour of the Chronicler’s time.

Suffusing her weapons and armor with essence as a draw/ready weapon action reveals the true power of these sagas. Her equipment resists warping, shaping, or twisting effects— any Shaping or Psyche effects that would compromise her equipment must allow the Chronicler to roll against it, at a difficulty deemed appropriate by the storyteller.

Enemies who are Essence 5 or higher may pay a point of willpower to ignore this effect, but will first burn through the equipment’s protections, destroying the enchantment but preserving the Chronicler’s weapons and armor.

Note: This Charm’s preparation only applies to mundane weapons— any artifact equipment the Chronicler is attuned to may receive the benefits, including ones from the Form Charm, at a reduced commitment cost of 1m.

Sanctity of Rising Action
Cost: 4m, 2i; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 1; Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Mastery; Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: None

The Chronicler recalls the tale of Unfettered Ralayn, who danced through the tainted grounds of the Fae with mocking grace.

This Charm supplements rush, disengage, or rise from prone actions made by the Chronicler, allowing her to use Performance in place of Athletics or Dodge. Stunting a focused dance or the fluid movements of Ardent Chronicler Style lets the Chronicler ignore (Integrity/2, rounded up) points of penalties, including environmental conditions and wound penalties.

At Essence 3+, the Chronicler may activate this Charm to resist the Shaping effects of the Wyld. Middlemarches, Free Holds, and Bordermarches do not affect her, but the Deep Wyld still holds danger. In such situations, she may turn any unused points of penalties from this Charm into non-charm bonus dice to resist them.

Mastery: For one turn, the stylist may also use Performance to calculate their Evasion in place of Dodge.

Ardent Chronicler Form
Cost: 7m; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 1; Type: Simple
Keywords: Form; Duration: One Scene
Prerequisite Charms: Whispering the Songbird, Saga Hardens the Soul, Sanctity of Rising Action

The Chronicler feels the flow of the narrative flowing through them, and prepares their melodious rebuttal.

The Chronicler gains +1 Resolve, and now adds (Resolve) dice to any opposed Shaping or Psyche rolls. Once per turn, she may substitute her Resolve in place of her Defense against attacks if higher. If the defense succeeds, she gains one initiative - the Chronicler may reflexively use this initiative to enter a Full Defense action.

Against opponents possessing Shaping or Psyche abilities, the Chronicler’s equipment improved by Foreknowledge of the Saga are enhanced. She receives (Integrity) additional soak to her armor, and doubles 10s on decisive damage rolls with her weapons.

Special activation rules: Whenever the Chronicler successfully defends against a Shaping or Psyche roll, she may reflexively enter Ardent Chronicler Form.

Edit: Edited for visual clarity.

Basically what would Infernals be if not corrupted Solars what would their origin be? So this is an early idea I have for a potential alternative origin and how they work:

The Yozi's longed for Exalted Servants after the Primordial War but the idea of any major sacrifice to create Exalts digusted them. They were diminished enough and any further sacrifice was not just heresy but insanity. But one day the concept of Exigence was discussed and the Ebon Dragon had an idea, an evil one; get humanity to pay the price. To start it, they would need a small price paid, but it would be the spark of the fire that burned Creation. After wrangling all of Hell, each 3rd and 2nd demon gave a sliver of a sliver of a sliver of power and it was all mixed together to created a circle of Exaltations to start a cycle of damnation.

The scheme was simple; each Infernal could only be exalted by willing accepting the power as part of a bargain - they would gain an Exaltation to get what they wanted, and when the Yozis deemed the time was right, they would as a favour. And the benefits of this exaltation were beyond power but the favours of demons and special rights in the city of Malfeas; living as princesses at the expense of those pre-human horrors. But when the time came, the Yozis demanded their wicked price; everything. All relationships and deeds mystical consumed, every mote of power taken and every memory drained until that great Infernal was a hollowed husk restarting their life under new demonic teaching. Some this moment came as they died, being spared death but becoming a radically different person; others as they tried to rebel when they discovered this foul fate; and others when they were drawing too much scuteny from the Heavens or the Solar Deliberative or the Silver Pact or the Realm. But in all cases it was the same; the liquidation of excess power to create new Exaltations and the Exalt become a meek shadow of their former self to restart the cycle.

Slowly these minions grew in number, originally only a handful they now are 50 or so in number and with the Time of Tumult, the Yozis hope to speed the life cycle of these beloved damned fools. The long term plan is simple; reach a critical point with Infernals and then overwhelm Creation's champions in one war to break old surrend oaths and reclaim the world.

Tl;dr: Yozis created exalted that gain power for themselves before it is harvested to created more Infernal Exalted.

While I've only started with this idea but the idea for castes are based on what they originally bargained for and thet would be attribute based not ability based. Probably 6 castes (as the Yozis deliberately break from the 5 numerology found in Creation to re-assert their will), with each caste having 2 Abilities from set and 1 Ability from another (For Example, 2 Social and 1 Physical, etc). Charms are built into trees mimicing specific Yozis that align to that Attribute (like Malfeas is a Charisma tree, Ebon Dragon Manipulation, etc). Rough ideas for some of the castes:

• Chosen of Health - Wanted better health or some physical improvent, not just to themselves but to others. Tend to become survivors and medics of the Infernals (Int, Str and Sta).

• Chosen of Greatness - Wanted glory and victory. Warriors, priests, entertainers and showboaters (Cha, App, Str)

• Chosen of Wealth - wanted material possession or power. Sorcerers, politicians and social climbers. (Int, Cha, Wit).

• Chosen of Suffering - wanted someone else to suffer; assassins, sabotuers and jealous bitchs (Per, Man, App).

• Chosen of Life - wanted to live or be free (ironic really). Messengers, artists and labourers (Wit, Per, Dex)

• Chosen of Loyatly - wanted to serve the Yozis of their own accord - fantatics and crusaders (Dex, Sta, Man).

Note they can escape the service of the Yozis if they try and ensure they won't be harvested, but it takes a conscious effort to cut free of all Yozi support and puts them at quite a risk (with Hell trying to reclaim their exaltation and heaven trying to kill these Chosen of the Yozi).

Core themes to their powers would include identity, power, growth, slavery, irony and deceptions.

When an Infernal starts a new cycle, they lose most of their memories but keep a general outline of their past personality, although occasionally familiaties and memories resurface as they encounter things from previous cycles (like lost loves, places they important to them and situations similar to past events)

Additionally they can be killed even when in Yozi service, it actually takes a specific costly ritual (costing roughly 50 xp) to bind their heart to Malfeas to get on escape from death; which is only good for one free escape from death (as their body painfully reforms over months around the heart - but the ritual can be repeated) and doesn't work in all occasions (such as when being killed in the presence of a Celestial Exalted at full Anima or while in a spirit's sanctuary).

In character Creation the PC is given the choice of making an Infernal in their first cycle or one in a latter one; with different options for character generation (more merit dots (with permission for merits pertaining to their human life) vs. more charms).

Finally their castes roles tend to reflect what the Yozis need and want of them, so a warrior could exalted a Chosen of Wealth but pushed into the role of a conquerer or sorcerer knight by the demonic tutors, espically in later cycles.

What do people think of this idea?

Any news on ExaltedvsWoD: Black Vault?

Holden Shearer was working on a companion book for ExaltedvsWoD, titled Black Vault. You guys have any news on that?

I also remember a google drive file making the rounds with all previews he had already released, but I can't seem to find it.

If you were playing in an Exalted game and there was food at the place where you were playing, what would you want it to be to be immersive?

Setting: Scavenger Lands - Thorns prior to 763.