Exalted: Glories of the Most High

[The Demented One]

God, I hope this comes out tomorrow.

If you've not heard, a set of three pdf releases that detail the Celestial Incarnae, as well as providing numerous high-essence Charms, more martial arts, artifacts, creatures, and more. My anticipation of this is literally titanic.

[The Rose Dragon]

I'm still waiting for the North book to come out on RPGNow.com.

Why would it come out tomorrow, though?

[The Demented One]

I'm still waiting for the North book to come out on RPGNow.com.

Why would it come out tomorrow, though?

The way White Wolf's AP release schedule comes out, it'll be coming out on a Wednesday–and since it's been delayed since the start of October, coming out this one would be lovely. It's theoretically finished and ready to go, so it's far from impossible.

(And btdubs, Compass: North should hit in pdf form on the 11th)

[ZeroNumerous]

Eh. I've never liked the idea of stating out the Incarnae, Primordials, Neverborn or any of the setting-wreckers as they are. Sure, you could throw stats on after the circle has been through an arduous journey to weaken the target and/or empower themselves to the point where they stand on even ground. But as is: I feel it limits the immense might of these kinds of beings.

[Weimann]

Surely you could just disregard the book in that case? :)

[The Demented One]

Eh. I've never liked the idea of stating out the Incarnae, Primordials, Neverborn or any of the setting-wreckers as they are. Sure, you could throw stats on after the circle has been through an arduous journey to weaken the target and/or empower themselves to the point where they stand on even ground. But as is: I feel it limits the immense might of these kinds of beings.

Given that killing immense, world-creating, all-powerful beings was why the Exalted were made in the first place, I think it fits with the game.

(And even if you aren't a fan of Incarna stats, everyone's gotta love more high-Essence Exalted goodies. Especially Sidereals)

[ZeroNumerous]

Given that killing immense, world-creating, all-powerful beings was why the Exalted were made in the first place, I think it fits with the game.

Sure, superficially. But like every other MacGuffin, they're not really a prominent figure in anything except the final battle. They loom overhead menacingly, but never come down and step on you because it doesn't make for a good story. Which is partly why I don't like having them stated out to begin with. But it only gets worse when they're weaker than the PCs currently are.

For example: The Unconquered Sun is invincible in battle as is. So, if you have stats for him before the epic quest to slay him begins and he's runty compared to your Circle... Well, why haven't they just up and killed him already? White Wolf certainly hasn't done terribly well in the past with Deathlords, so I'm not expecting a lot from them in terms of deific stats.

High Essence-wise: I always end up running Exalted rather than playing.

[Indon]

Eh. I've never liked the idea of stating out the Incarnae, Primordials, Neverborn or any of the setting-wreckers as they are. Sure, you could throw stats on after the circle has been through an arduous journey to weaken the target and/or empower themselves to the point where they stand on even ground. But as is: I feel it limits the immense might of these kinds of beings.

While I agree with running a bit rules-loose with the most powerful beings in the setting, I might note that Exalted have every bit the capability of matching those beings. The Incarnae only have Essence 10, even (per the Infernals book).

The idea that a circle (or small army, more likely) of Exalts could up and kill the Incarnae is an entirely reasonable thing in the setting. Ditto the wildly powerful Deathlords and Neverborn, or the Yozis.

If it exists in the Exalted setting, an Exalt can kill it. Sometimes, if it doesn't exist in the setting, an Exalt can still kill it.

[Draxar]

Sure, superficially. But like every other MacGuffin, they're not really a prominent figure in anything except the final battle. They loom overhead menacingly, but never come down and step on you because it doesn't make for a good story. Which is partly why I don't like having them stated out to begin with. But it only gets worse when they're weaker than the PCs currently are.

For example: The Unconquered Sun is invincible in battle as is. So, if you have stats for him before the epic quest to slay him begins and he's runty compared to your Circle... Well, why haven't they just up and killed him already? White Wolf certainly hasn't done terribly well in the past with Deathlords, so I'm not expecting a lot from them in terms of deific stats.

High Essence-wise: I always end up running Exalted rather than playing.

As they stated on Admiral Leviathan's statblock, they tend to lean towards understatting rather than overstatting, because it's rather easier for an experienced group to see the style/aim of a statblock and upgrade it to meet their player's power level, than it is for an inexperienced group to down-power.

[Jerthanis]

As they stated on Admiral Leviathan's statblock, they tend to lean towards understatting rather than overstatting, because it's rather easier for an experienced group to see the style/aim of a statblock and upgrade it to meet their player's power level, than it is for an inexperienced group to down-power.

I very much disagree with this.

If a creature has Accuracy pools of 23, and five powerful listed charms, it's easier to take away two charms and lower the accuracy to 17 than it is to spontaneously create two appropriate charms.

If they gave Plentimon of the Dice everything he has currently, plus a power that automatically turns up every die rolled against him as a 1, and I noticed nothing the PCs had could get through that defense, I can very swiftly, on the fly take that away from him.

If the charms he's got are not helping at all in the arena the PCs are engaging him in, and I want the conflict to be dramatic, it's very difficult for me to spontaneously say, "Uh... he activates X power that I just made up."

I really have no idea where white-wolf got that idea in their head.

As for Glories, I might pick it up for setting detail and chapter comics. I don't have confidence Exalted will ever put out usable high essence content.

[ZeroNumerous]

While I agree with running a bit rules-loose with the most powerful beings in the setting, I might note that Exalted have every bit the capability of matching those beings. The Incarnae only have Essence 10, even (per the Infernals book).

Two beings at Essence 10 are not on the same scale power-wise. While every Exalt has the possibility of matching any of these creatures in Essence-stats, they lack the possibility of matching them in the stats which are relevant. Particularly since Gods and their ilk can up and break the rules concerning ability/attribute dots. I'd be surprised if the Unconquered Sun had less than 20 in anything before any enhancement from charms. After all, he's not a very good god of perfection if he's not perfect.

The idea that a circle (or small army, more likely) of Exalts could up and kill the Incarnae is an entirely reasonable thing in the setting. Ditto the wildly powerful Deathlords and Neverborn, or the Yozis.

As Creation is currently? I doubt it immensely. Remember what it took to kill the Primordials originally: All 300 Solars, all 300 Lunars, all 100 Sidereals and millions, potentially billions, of DBs with armor made by Autochton, weapons made by the Mountain Folk and magic stolen from the Primordials themselves. And in the end they still sacrificed 90% of Creation to kill just a few and enslave the rest.

Granted, it'd be possible if they gathered all those things up. But I doubt they'd succeed with anything less than that, and Creation is just too... Lesser, I guess, to produce that level of awesome on demand. If they did decide to take the fight to the Gods, the remaining Yozis or the Neverborn then it'd be a thing which takes a few centuries just to breed enough DBs to sacrifice.

[The Demented One]

*Makes the Victory Over Publishing Delays Mudra*

[Indon]

Two beings at Essence 10 are not on the same scale power-wise. While every Exalt has the possibility of matching any of these creatures in Essence-stats, they lack the possibility of matching them in the stats which are relevant. Particularly since Gods and their ilk can up and break the rules concerning ability/attribute dots. I'd be surprised if the Unconquered Sun had less than 20 in anything before any enhancement from charms. After all, he's not a very good god of perfection if he's not perfect.

Can spirits take perfect actions? I don't know of any 2E Exalted spirit charms, so.

As Creation is currently? I doubt it immensely. Remember what it took to kill the Primordials originally: All 300 Solars, all 300 Lunars, all 100 Sidereals and millions, potentially billions, of DBs with armor made by Autochton, weapons made by the Mountain Folk and magic stolen from the Primordials themselves. And in the end they still sacrificed 90% of Creation to kill just a few and enslave the rest.

Yes, the Exalts are less. But so are their enemies.

The Incarnae are beings inferior to the Primordials. The Yozis possess a fraction of the power and knowledge they once had. The majority of the power of the Neverborn is, in fact, the power of their Deathlords.

The only whole primordials denoted in the setting are Autocthon, who is sleeping, and Gaia. Arguably, exalts of the Second Age would have their work cut out against those two.

[The Demented One]

Can spirits take perfect actions? I don't know of any 2E Exalted spirit charms, so.

Divine Subordination of (Ability) lets any spirit take a perfect action. The Unconquered Sun's Perfection Beyond Imagining lets him do it even more so.

The Incarnae are beings inferior to the Primordials. The Yozis possess a fraction of the power and knowledge they once had. The majority of the power of the Neverborn is, in fact, the power of their Deathlords.

Define "inferior." If we're talking just straight combat, Sol Invictus could kill the Ebon Dragon in one blow–and this is no hyperbole–were it not for the geas. The Primordials are nigh-omnipotent within their sundry and somewhat schizophrenic purviews, less so outside of them.

[The Demented One]

As they stated on Admiral Leviathan's statblock, they tend to lean towards understatting rather than overstatting, because it's rather easier for an experienced group to see the style/aim of a statblock and upgrade it to meet their player's power level, than it is for an inexperienced group to down-power.

The Incarna statblocks come with pretty detailed advice for raising or lowering their power level.

[The Rose Dragon]

Now I have to wait until Saturday to buy these.

Damn the allure of New World of Darkness products' discount!

EDIT: *sigh* Yet still no The North.

[Jerthanis]

Pfft, no chapter comics and no original art whatsoever.

I am impressed by the varieties of mechanics presented, they included things like Thamturgical rituals, which would be weak for starting Dragonbloods. Truly these books would be useful for all levels of play, even if only a couple paragraphs. I like the explanation for what's going on with Gaia, though I'm frustrated that I have to throw it out completely for the plot I'm running because it wasn't ever indicated anywhere.

I haven't gotten into the charms yet, but while flipping through I noticed there was a charm about improving Anima effects. I sure hope what they did to Zenith was "one additional die above what it was before" rather than "one die INSTEAD of what it was before"

The Night effect from that charm is probably too good when you take into account Observer Deceiving Attack.

[The Demented One]

I haven't gotten into the charms yet, but while flipping through I noticed there was a charm about improving Anima effects. I sure hope what they did to Zenith was "one additional die above what it was before" rather than "one die INSTEAD of what it was before"

That would be correct.

[The Rose Dragon]

By the way, can you give us a quick summary of content that is usable pre-Essence 6?

[The Demented One]

By the way, can you give us a quick summary of content that is usable pre-Essence 6?

FREAKIN' TONS.

The vast majority of the Charms are pre-Essence 6, which isn't to say that there aren't good Elder Powers (World-Scarring Glory and God-Beast Transcendence come to mind). There are also four CMA (Arms of the Unconquered Sun Style, Crystal Chameleon Style, Crane Style, and White Reaper Style). In addition, as a nice little touch, each of the Incarna has a list of thaumaturgical rites they grant to their worshippers.

[The Rose Dragon]

Dammit.

Any information on Pluto?

[The Demented One]

Dammit.

Any information on Pluto?

There's a quick reference to potential other maidens, but no concrete details.

[Jerthanis]

There's one Sidereal Martial Art and most incredibly, additional Sidereal Charms.

The explanation is that they were Primordial War charms sealed away by the Maidens ever since. That in the modern age these wards could be shattered, and the charms relearned. None of them are greater than Essence 5 though.

[The Rose Dragon]

What is the Sidereal Martial Art about?

More importantly, what are its sutras?

[The Demented One]

What is the Sidereal Martial Art about?

More importantly, what are its sutras?

Sex.


Once, there was a lustful maiden...
...who desired the ideal lover.
She flirted her way across Creation,
courting handsome boys
and smiling girls.
She attended great debauches, but quantity did not satisfy.
Finally, she met a mirror. Realizing she had learned nothing,
the maiden was satisfied.

One morning, the maiden awoke...
...to find herself wearing a leash and collar.
She could not recall when or where she had acquired such fetters.
She set about to follow the leash,
pursuing it past a line of all her former lovers,
and found that it resided in her hand.

[Jerthanis]

What is the Sidereal Martial Art about?

More importantly, what are its sutras?

Uh...

Once there was a lusty maiden...
...who desired the ideal lover.
She flirted her way across Creation,
courting handsome boys
and smiling girls.
She attended great debauches, but quantity did not satisfy.
Finally, she met a mirror. Realizing she had learned nothing,
the maiden was satisfied

Elder sutra

One morning the maiden awoke...
...to find herself wearing a leash and collar.
She could not recall when or where she had acquired such fetters.
She set about to follow the leash,
pursuing it past a line of all her former lovers,
and found it resided in her hand.

I'll let you figure out what concepts it embodies for yourself.

Ninja'd

[Sir Homeslice]

So I'm reading through UCS' statblock and uh...

Bureaucracy 6 (Celestial Bureaucracy +1, Ruling the Universe +2), Craft (Earth) 3 (Temples to Himself +3), Ride 6 (Luna +1)

I just found it amusing is all.

[ZeroNumerous]

So I'm reading through UCS' statblock and uh...

I just found it amusing is all.

Ride 6 (Luna +1)

I find this infinitely more amusing.

[The Demented One]

I just found it amusing is all.

(Ruling the Universe) is now my favorite specialty, ever. Luna's Ride (Gaia +3) specialty is a close second.

[Justyn]

I got the entire set, and looking over the Solar charms, they are really good. Really freaking good. A melee charm that makes One Weapon, Two Blows permanent and than lets you double the effect by activating the charm, one that makes Fire and Stones Strike scene length. A supplemental charm that lets you make any attack perfect and holy.

And those are just the Melee charms.