I love it. It would have to be a relatively high powered campaign if the players are intended to be able to do anything about it, but it's a great idea. I may make use of this in the future if I have an appropriately high level group of characters at some point :3
Personally, I try not to think about it to much. I give my players the charging bonus if one of the two characters in question is moving at running speed or faster directly toward the other. *shrug*
Allow me to put this as simply as I can for you.
One....can...parry...using...their...limbs.
You do NOThave to have a weapon in order to parry an attack from someone who is using a weapon. The fact that you keep saying this is impossible shows you have no concept of how martial arts work...
Seriously, go to Ireland and talk to people in some of the older areas about Fae. The Fair Folk didn't start off as cuddly pixies for children, they were the things that would get you if you strayed to far from town. They were the creatures that would lure you in with a beguiling gaze and then...
I can understand Firewands using Archery, as it seems the most applicable skill. When it comes down to it, firewands are, in essence, guns. Guns are probably the easiest to use weapon man has ever invented. Once he knows how to load one, any idiot can pick one up, point it what he wants to die...
You could always attach a Smashfist to the end of a pole and hit people with it. That would be used with Melee, right? I see your point though, it really only seems viable as a Martial Arts Weapon. It could be yet another issue that was overlooked by Whitewolf's infamous editing department. I've...
Incorrect. I've spoken DIRECTLY to a few of the writers and artists for Exalted, and they said that they wanted to capture the feel of anime in the game's combat system and artwork. In fact one of the artists, Peter Mohrbacher, who has worked on numerous whitewolf games including Exalted 2nd ed...
It kind of depends for me. I've had points where combat has actually ceased as the characters briefly parlayed to have a debate with their enemy before open hostilities resumed, and I had everyone roll a new join combat. Most of the time however I simply allow the characters to talk as combat...
While traveling in the southern deserts, the characters come across a badly wounded man, crawling toward the caravan they travel with. Bringing the man to the caravan, they find he is fatally wounded. He manages to choke out a startling story with his final breaths. Just to the southwest lies...
For many years the kingdom of Shanarinara has had the will to expand, but due to constant watch (and intervention) from Whitewall, Gethamane and the Haslanti League, the city-state has lacked the means. Recently however, this has changed. As soon as the spring thaw came upon the North, the...
I forgot a section.
Video Games
The Dynasty Warriors Series - This whole series is a perfect representation of what happens when Exalts fight mortals. Not to mention most of the main characters in the series are elementally aspected, and very much look the part of Dragon Blooded. Check out...
Wuxia Films
House of Flying Daggers - This movie is an AMAZING representation of Exalted martial arts. All of the use of throwing daggers in this movie is probably the best representation I've ever seen in a film of throwing charms in action. The sleeve scene with the drums is also a great...
Big stuff that happens during Calibration? Well:
House Cynis hosts the year's biggest, most luxurious party during Calibration. You'd be able to find pretty much every vice known to man during a bacchanal of that magnitude.
Calibration is the ONLY time of the year you can cast Demon of the...
Once a benign childhood malady, the Violet Pox has suddenly become lethal in a remote area of the 1000 kingdoms. Entire villages have already been wiped out by this new strain of the disease and if allowed to continue, the strain could become a terrible plague. The spirits of the area are in...
While laying low in Nexus, the characters run across a young boy being assaulted by thugs in a back alley. Before the characters can intervene, the boy exalts as a Zenith Caste Solar and lays waste to the thugs before their eyes, then leaps the building and is gone before they can react. As they...
As far as awakening the elemental dragons goes, it would basically be the end of the world as far as humanity was concerned. Read the entry in the old Games of Divinity book on The Kukla. The Kukla is only a greater elemental dragon, and releasing him is tantamount to destroying the mortal...
In the middle of the night the characters are visited by ALL 7 of the Hidden Judges of the Secret Flame and escorted to Yu Shan. There they are told that they faces charges of crimes against both creation and heaven. They have one week to prove their innocence, problem is, no one will tell them...
As far as what the memories could be, you could have the fully restored memories show that they were not in fact betrayed by their circle, but that their circle sacrificed their lives trying to protect the character. If that's not good enough, you could always pull the "love conquers all" card...