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View Full Version : Learning about Exalted finally! Suggestions?



FishAreWet
2010-04-29, 10:44 AM
I have the book titled Exalted currently. Trying to understand the system but it's really complex! Is there an SRD for the system? Any suggestions on how to learn it better?

Best books to pick up?

Indon
2010-04-29, 10:47 AM
I have the book titled Exalted currently. Trying to understand the system but it's really complex! Is there an SRD for the system? Any suggestions on how to learn it better?

Best books to pick up?

There's a wiki! (http://wiki.white-wolf.com/exalted/index.php?title=Main_Page)

That said, for just starting the system, the basic book is a solid foundation. From there, you can get books for things that specifically interest you in the system - if a specific type of Exalt interests you, get their Manual of Exalted Power. If you like an area of creation, get the sourcebook for that part of creation. If you like the martial arts, get Scroll of the Monk. If you like sorcery, get whatever the heck the Sorcery sourcebooks are called.

And so on. Sourcebooks in Exalted are not necessary, they're just nifty.

Terraoblivion
2010-04-29, 11:08 AM
The sorcery sourcebook is called The White and Black Treatise. And i agree with Indon, sourcebooks are not needed, the game is entirely playable without them. They do add a lot of depth to the system and the setting, however, so they are worth buying if you do like Exalted.

Also if you want to make learning the system easier read the combat examples in the wiki Indon linked. They are utterly golden for learning how combat, including social combat, works in this system. Those bits are the only really tricky mechanical bits. Also make sure to remember the character creation summary on page 84-85. It handles most of the fiddly little bits of character creation that are easy to forget. Beyond that not much more help i can give you other than accept that White Wolf cannot edit a book if their life depended on it and don't try to figure out the deeper logic of the organization.

FishAreWet
2010-04-29, 11:23 AM
I seem to be having troubles finding the example combat. Could you give me a link please?

Terraoblivion
2010-04-29, 11:25 AM
They're here (http://wiki.white-wolf.com/exalted/index.php?title=Category:Essays).

They do appear to be oddly hidden, though. In any case they helped me a lot when i was first learning the system and i believe they have been refined a great deal since then.

Kobold-Bard
2010-04-29, 11:28 AM
I have the book titled Exalted currently. Trying to understand the system but it's really complex! Is there an SRD for the system? Any suggestions on how to learn it better?

Best books to pick up?

Welcome to my world, I'm trying to make a Dragon-Blooded Power Ranger and the combat mechanics make my brain cry.

There is a main sourcebook for each type of Exalted besides the Solars in the main book (Lunar, Terrestrial, Abyssal, probably others they're the three I have). They give the rules for the other types.

Sanguine
2010-04-29, 11:32 AM
Welcome to my world, I'm trying to make a Dragon-Blooded Power Ranger and the combat mechanics make my brain cry.

There is a main sourcebook for each type of Exalted besides the Solars in the main book (Lunar, Terrestrial, Abyssal, probably others they're the three I have).

Sidereals, Infernals, and Alchemicals are the other types of Exalts you didn't mention. And I really have nothing much to add to this conversation other then if you want a wider range of artifacts Wonders of the Lost Age and Oadenol's Codex(which has a lot of other cool stuff as well, and is actually named after a book in the setting) are great.

MickJay
2010-04-29, 11:36 AM
Charms, hearthstones and artifacts tend to be more powerful/useful, on average, in extra sourcebooks (artefact armours, for example, are both more interesting, and cheaper - considering their relative power - outside of core). I am new to the system as well, but my GM is quite experienced and keen to help with designing the character, so I didn't have much trouble with searching for stuff.

Aquillion
2010-04-29, 11:44 AM
Welcome to my world, I'm trying to make a Dragon-Blooded Power Ranger and the combat mechanics make my brain cry.

There is a main sourcebook for each type of Exalted besides the Solars in the main book (Lunar, Terrestrial, Abyssal, probably others they're the three I have). They give the rules for the other types.
If you are playing a Dragon-Blooded, be sure to get Thousand Correct Actions. The original 2e DB charmset was just really badly designed; TCA fixes it.

Kobold-Bard
2010-04-29, 11:48 AM
Sidereals, Infernals, and Alchemicals are the other types of Exalts you didn't mention. And I really have nothing much to add to this conversation other then if you want a wider range of artifacts Wonders of the Lost Age and Oadenol's Codex(which has a lot of other cool stuff as well, and is actually named after a book in the setting) are great.

Sidereals! :smalleek: How did I forget Sidreals. I have their book.

I'm an idiot :smalltongue:

------------------

The charm automatically and perfectly blocks any attack, so long as the defender is aware of it, even if it's unblockable.

Well then...Exalted sounds interesting :smallbiggrin:

Sanguine
2010-04-29, 11:49 AM
Charms, hearthstones and artifacts tend to be more powerful/useful, on average, in extra sourcebooks (artefact armours, for example, are both more interesting, and cheaper - considering their relative power - outside of core). I am new to the system as well, but my GM is quite experienced and keen to help with designing the character, so I didn't have much trouble with searching for stuff.

I'm not sure I would agree with you there. Except for maybe Celestial Battle armor being much better then the various artifact plate armors but they were over rated even without outside source books. Also the core Solar 5 Hearthstone sucks but the Gem of Grace is one of the most powerful hearthstones I've seen as is the Seven Leaping Dragons Stone both of which are in the core book. And I can only think of a handful of charms outside core or there respective Manual of Exalted power that aren't Martial arts which as i don't have scroll of the Monk I won't comment on. Of course if you're talking dreams of the First Age stuff I don't have that but have heard it is crazy overpowered.

MickJay
2010-04-29, 01:15 PM
I'm not sure I would agree with you there. Except for maybe Celestial Battle armor being much better then the various artifact plate armors but they were over rated even without outside source books. Also the core Solar 5 Hearthstone sucks but the Gem of Grace is one of the most powerful hearthstones I've seen as is the Seven Leaping Dragons Stone both of which are in the core book. And I can only think of a handful of charms outside core or there respective Manual of Exalted power that aren't Martial arts which as i don't have scroll of the Monk I won't comment on. Of course if you're talking dreams of the First Age stuff I don't have that but have heard it is crazy overpowered.

Well, as I said, I'm new to the game, that's just the first impression I got, perhaps I'll change my mind after getting to know stuff better :)

The two stones you've mentioned are Celestial, I was thinking more along the lines of elemental stones alone, I should have mentioned that.

Artanis
2010-04-29, 01:24 PM
Sidereals! :smalleek: How did I forget Sidreals. I have their book.

That happens a lot with Sidereals :smalltongue:

Kobold-Bard
2010-04-29, 01:26 PM
That happens a lot with Sidereals :smalltongue:

http://www.dahmus.org/blogimg/fry-see-what-you-did-there.jpg

Damn pattern spiders.

Sanguine
2010-04-30, 01:50 PM
Well, as I said, I'm new to the game, that's just the first impression I got, perhaps I'll change my mind after getting to know stuff better :)

The two stones you've mentioned are Celestial, I was thinking more along the lines of elemental stones alone, I should have mentioned that.

I don't know I didn't see any stones in Oadenol's codex better then the Gem of Immortality(I think that's the right name) of course I haven't looked at all the hearthstones in their closely yet.

senrath
2010-04-30, 01:54 PM
Eh, I'm not sure if the ability to not age, ever, is something I'd call the "best" hearthstone. I mean, it's powerful, but I wouldn't call it the best.

FishAreWet
2010-04-30, 10:53 PM
I have some questions:

As a Dawn Solar, what charms can I learn? Can I learn, say, Harmony of Blows, a Sidereal melee charm?

Talkkno
2010-04-30, 10:57 PM
As a Dawn Solar, what charms can I learn? Can I learn, say, Harmony of Blows, a Sidereal melee charm?
No, only Eclipse Caste Solars and their Fiend and Moonshadow castes can learn other Exalts charms, and hefty 2 mote surcharge and exp cost. You can only learn Solar and Supernatural martial art charms.

Tavar
2010-04-30, 10:59 PM
You can, however, learn Sidereal Martial Arts, if you can get a Sidereal to teach you. And these martial arts to things like punch people into ducks, so that's a major things right there.

FishAreWet
2010-04-30, 11:10 PM
Can Melee charms be combined with Martial Arts charms or are they separate abilities completely?

Tavar
2010-04-30, 11:11 PM
Can Melee charms be combined with Martial Arts charms or are they separate abilities completely?

Well, they can be comboed together, yes. But it's like comboing Melee and Dodge charms togheter. They are different abilities.

FishAreWet
2010-04-30, 11:15 PM
Ah I understand. It just feels like a Dawn Solar, for example, doesn't really have that many charms to choose from unless he plans on specializing in archery/melee/martial arts. Right?

Talkkno
2010-04-30, 11:23 PM
You do get to pick 5 other favored abilities you know...

The_Snark
2010-04-30, 11:26 PM
You can choose any Solar Charm, not just Charms from your Caste Abilities. Charms that fall under your Caste Abilities are slightly easier to acquire, but you also have five Favored Abilities to pick from the remaining 20 abilities, and those will likewise be easier to pick up.

So no, you aren't forced to specialize in any of those. Most Dawns are warriors of some kind, so most do, but they can pick up Presence Charms to make themselves into charismatic warlord-figures, Survival and Awareness for a mighty hunter, Larceny and Stealth for a bandit hero... or all of those things, if you feel like it and are willing to spend the experience points.

Jerthanis
2010-04-30, 11:50 PM
If you are playing a Dragon-Blooded, be sure to get Thousand Correct Actions. The original 2e DB charmset was just really badly designed; TCA fixes it.

I was told TCA was almost exclusively Mass Combat oriented in terms of mechanics.

Aquillion
2010-05-02, 05:36 AM
I was told TCA was almost exclusively Mass Combat oriented in terms of mechanics.Not true!

Charms in TCA include things like DB meta-excellencies for reducing Excellency costs, a DB AESS variant, charms to boost elemental attacks of all sorts, a charm to substitute dodge MDV for dodge DV, a DB phoenix renewal tactic equivalent, DB training charms, an upgrade charm to turn Portentous Comet-Deflecting Mode into a proper DB perfect defense, an insanely awesome upgrade to Dragon-Vortex Attack, various medicine charms, and so forth. Plus a lot of mass combat charms too, of course, though many have applicability outside of mass combat.

Many of the new charms are also noted as having Solar and Abyssal versions.