Alternate Setting details

[garrowolf]

I was working on an alternate setting for Exalted. It is a little lower power level in various ways but characters are still playing Solar Exalted.


I made some changes to some things and I was wondering what people thought about some of it.


Essence:


There are Elemental Essences. They are tied to the land. The Terrestrial Exalted as well as Mortal Thaumaturges can only use this kind. Then there is the Celestial Essence which all the others come from. Only Celestial Exalts can use it. They can use Lore to convert it into Elemental Essence and back. Celestial Exalts can use Elemental Essence to pretend to be Terrestrial Exalts. Some charms - especially MA charms - can be learned by both types but will have different effects depending on what type of essence is used. Elemental Essence can be found in high essence areas in the form of Tass which even Mortals can use in simple ways.


Caste Changes:


Dawn Caste: These are the generals and leaders. Melee, Ride (mounted combat), Presence, Brawl, and War


Zenith Caste: More Shaolin Monk like. Martial Arts, Endurance, Resistance, Medicine.


Twilight Caste: Sorcerer Sages. Lore, Occult, Thrown, Linguistics. Sorcerers can use thrown to attack with some of their arcane bolts and such.


Night Caste: As normal, would like to move Archery to them. maybe remove Larceny.


Eclipse Caste: Inquisitor Diplomats. Investigation, Socialize, Sail, Theurgy


They are focused on not only dealing with people but also with spirits. They can link to a powerful spirit as a part of their anima ability and call it forth to defend them as in Final Fantasy. This replaces their pact sanctifying ability.


Skill Changes:


Moved Poison Lore to Medicine.


Get rid of Bureaucracy. Move some aspects to Socialize. Move the rest to Craft.


Add Subterfuge


Get rid of Larceny. Move some aspects to Subterfuge, some to Stealth, and maybe some to Socialize.


Theurgy is all the spirit based charms as well as socializing with spirits. This is now the focus of Twilights.


War covers managing armies.


Divide Martial Arts into Hard Style and Soft Style. Maybe replace Brawl with Hard Style or maybe keep seperate. All Martial Arts weapons go back into Melee (or other applicable). Have a smaller set of more common styles. Each style has a level that anyone can learn. They don't require essence or willpower. They are really just techniques. If a Dragon Blooded uses it then it will have an enhanced effect. If a Solar uses it it will have a spectacular effect. Many martial arts will have charms that require rolling other abilities instead. Some will have a Master Level that requires essence to get even the basic technique part.


Charm Changes: Dropped OX Body in favor of giving a free version to everyone. Solars get 5 boxes + their stamina + their Essence - 1.


Body Mending now under Endurance and is a permanent charm now called Obediant Body Technique.


Using most of the Sol Invictus Charms.


Disallowing Artifacts at character creation and making them rare. Replacing them with more Talismans and Foci. Foci let you put a charm that you have into an object or weapon and use it without counting as one of your charms used for the turn. They can hold moderate amounts of essence and are bonded to that person (ie they are useless to others). Not as powerful as many of the artifact weapons but still very useful. Plus they are made of Jade so a Solar can more easily pretend to be a DB.


Instead of allowing them to get their old weapons and armor they have to go on a series of quests to get the right materials and bring them to someone who can forge them for the PCs. Then they become powerful Foci.


Any artifacts they find are going to be rare and odd.


Any suggestions?

 

[Jakk Bey]

More about the setting, as opposed to the mechanical effects would be a good start.  That might explain a bit on the why you made the mechanical changes.


Or you could take a look at the Eberron setting for d20, which would provide pretty much what you're looking for--an alternate fantasy setting without the baggage of the Primordials, maybe?

 

[garrowolf]

The setting is based on Exalted in the broad strokes but is toned down lot. First off I don't have alot of the books so I had to simplify alot of things. I love the Dragon Blooded and the Solars so I'm focusing on them. I don't have the Lunars or the Siderials book so I'm not using them. People don't know about the Siderials anyway so my PCs wouldn't either. Also I don't like mixed games anyways so my PCs can only be Solars. Abyssals are a possible threat far down the road but not for now. Fae and Autochotihian are right out.


Okay so I have DB, Solars, and the other Blooded races from the Players Guide. No Dragon Kings though. Characters start as Heroic Mortals in order to learn the setting and game mechanics a bit first.


The setting is more asian in feel. People are more likelhy to know some form of Martial Arts. Schools of Martial Arts are important social factors.


More later

 

[garrowolf]

The setting has some historical aspects increased. I made the Dragon Blooded more Japanese-esque. The Northerners are more Norse and follow the Norse Gods. There are alot of Celtic aspects to the Easterners. The South is more Sumerian/Akkadian. The West is based on the Phoenicians.


There is a lot more focus on the Mortals in the setting. They are either training to get stronger or studying to gain power or worshipping to gain favor, etc. They have access to some religious favor from spirits. They focus on the Gods and the Spirits.


There are a decent number of powerful wizards that live in their own towers with servants protecting them. Sometimes there are many wizards to a tower. Think Ars Magica.


Then there are the Dragon Blooded which are fairly uncommon. About 1/3 are not part of the Empire. In the Empire they are more like Samauri.


DB Wizards can give themselves over to their element and become a bit less human. They can eventually become altered by their element.


A major component of Terrestrial Magic is Glyphs and Foci. Glyphs are magical symbols that can be painted on to objects to turn them into low level magic items such as glow stones and purify water, etc. They can also augment weapons in minor ways. They can be used to create wards and magical circles, etc.


Foci are a magical weapons that use special stones, Jade, and blood of the wielder to create a focus for that person's abilities. They are tied to one of their Virtues and can only be used in ways that conform to that virtue to gain the benefit. Using them also makes you more passionately feel your virtue so Solars will pick up limit break points faster. Foci can store a charm or two that the owner knows. This allows them to use that charm at the same time as using another charm. You can change which charms are in a focus whenever you want to. These replace access to Artifacts at character creation.


The Solars are basically in the same situation but there are less of them. They start off as Heroic Mortals and Exalt in game. They have no access to artifacts to start with. They have less charms as well.


I have more ideas but I'm tired and having problems remembering.


Any questions or ideas so far?

 

[garrowolf]

Alternate Lunars


I was just on a different forum when I got an interesting idea.


What if the Lunars were not one of the original Exalted. What if they were actually Wyld corrupted Solars? During the Userpation many of the Solars became depressed at the actions of the DBs and the loss of thier mates so they walked off into the Wyld. Luna saw what the Unconquered Sun had done and knew that all of them should not be lost so she changed those Solars into the Lunars. They came back centuries later - different - and bitter at what had happened. Now that their mates are returning they are starting to come out of the edges of civilization.


If I ever get the Lunars book I may use them this way. What do you guys think?

 

[Djalan Pride]

i actuallly like your setting, it seems like it would be a riot to play.


doesnt have much in common with exalted except for 10 sided dice and charms.... but thatsthe beauty of being creative. you get to make an interesting game for yourself and the players.

 

[garrowolf]

i actuallly like your setting, it seems like it would be a riot to play.
doesnt have much in common with exalted except for 10 sided dice and charms.... but thatsthe beauty of being creative. you get to make an interesting game for yourself and the players.

Thanks


I hope my players will enjoy it. Some of it comes from players that don't like Exalted because of a few specific problems. I wanted to open it up to them.

 

[Persell]

Im sure it will be fun. Much of it sounds interesting to me. Please post more as you get going and let us know how it works out.

 

[Lotus1]

dont know why everyone has a thing for samurai, the west has a great equivalent, i.e. knights and they are far from pussies, i think it would be cool if the Realm was spanish inspired. Alot of explorers trying to expand and become more wealthy. DB's are like Elite cavalry or maybe they are like Templars, trained to harness the elements.


make lookshy japanese. And their DB's are samurai'sh. Just my thought on it, but whatever its your tale and i agree its very cool and intriguing.

 

[Jakk Bey]

Lotus--You might notice that the Japanese have a thing for Western knights--if you look at how many frippin' series have fellas in big ass plate armor and swords the weight of Shetland ponies--because they are exotic to the Japanese.  


Folks are attracted to the exotic.  Be it samurai, be it Tenochan military elite, be it Polynesian royalty, be it Malay or Thai, or Indian, or African, or what not.


I'm holding on for some better details about the actual setting.  So far, it's about as clear as mud for details and central themes.  Toning down the power levels on the whole...it's one way to approach it, but what is the setting actually about?  


Ravenloft was about gothic horror.  Gamma World has central themes.  Even Talsorian's Cyberpunk setting had very central themes, as did []Shadowrun[/b], and even Mechwarrior.  I'm looking for less about the mechanics, than the sort of stories you hope to tell.  What are you setting about to actually accomplish with this setting?

 

[Lotus1]

fine if he wants it to be exotic, then make realm a huge freakin Zulu tribe inspired country. That would also be bad ass.

 

[garrowolf]

I'm holding on for some better details about the actual setting.  So far, it's about as clear as mud for details and central themes.  Toning down the power levels on the whole...it's one way to approach it, but what is the setting actually about?  


Ravenloft was about gothic horror.  Gamma World has central themes.  Even Talsorian's Cyberpunk setting had very central themes, as did []Shadowrun[/b], and even Mechwarrior.  I'm looking for less about the mechanics, than the sort of stories you hope to tell.  What are you setting about to actually accomplish with this setting?

You know I've been sitting here thinking about your post and I realized that I don't know. I have a fairly open GMing style. I try to set the stage and arrange things for the players to make their own stories with. I rarely start out with a story. I find out the player's backgrounds and start from there. They will usually have problems going on in their lives and I can always supply more if they avoid or solve them quickly. I am ready to generate more details depending on what they do and allow them to take things in any direction they want.


On the other hand I believe in consequences. Much of my games come from the consequences of the actions of the characters. Sometimes the bizzare results or sometimes they dig themselves into a large hole and I sit back and watch them either dig out or dig down.


I think in terms of the gritty of life and people striving to rise above it. I believe that you have to start with the ground to reach for the heavens. I believe that fortune favors the bold.


I know that Exalted is supposed to be Epic but I would prefer for the characters to build towards the Epic and earn it instead of have it decided for them. I try to be a neutral world that the players can write epic stories upon or write basic human ones if they so choose.


Maybe a way to describe my setting would be Gritty Mythology.

 

[Lotus1]

still say spanish conquistadors... Samurai shit is hella over played... Hell if yoou wanna think out of the box go with Siamese inspired. Watch the LEgend of Suriyothai and tell me that couldnt be a dragon blood movie.

 

[Persell]

I actually tend to use a byzanthine theme for the realm. Politics, style, art... all that screams east roman empire for me.

 

[Lotus1]

i could see that, but seriously samurai... the realm isnt even feudal last time i checked.

 

[Cthulhu_Wakes]

Lookshy tends toward Japanese trends and a touch of the ancient Mayan/Incan/Aztec feel of the First Age. The Realm is more like Rome or the ancient Chinese Empires.

 

[Lotus1]

finally someone who knows! like i said lookshy should be japanese. And Realm... Spanish Empire.

 

[Silence In Daylight]

Intersting point by Monsieur Pot de Chambre...care to elaborate on the Spanish Empire? And what era you're referring to?

 

[Cthulhu_Wakes]

Gah, the wicked Spanish, they were boring for my tastes, aside the destruction of a few Empires.

 

[Lotus1]

Well i am thinkin you could go with a Age of Exploration or Reconquista.


I think the age of exploration is best in terms of dragon-blood like behavior. But you might now like the whole feel and look of the armies. So you could have Reconquista style armor and clothes, but Age of Exploration habits and ways. ( i think it would be bad ass to see a spanish lookin dragon-blood with Spanish Conquistador, its more unique i think, plus you can integrate fire-dust units hehe.)


Catholic Church= Immaculate order.


( remember how they conquered the Inca? And how the fact that savages were un-believers gave them permission to do as they would to "bring the word of the lord")


Inquisition=Wyld Hunt


( haha nothing nicer then a dudes with official position and power to torture anyone suspected of heresy)


Conquistadors= Private Armies of the Houses


i would say private armies of the great houses, they are ruthless and very effective at slaughter innocents


(Cortez was a bad ass)


Fidalgo/Knights=Dragon bloods


(pretty much most dragon-bloods in realm, they are lower nobles, and most do not own land or property, for everything belongs to their house. They are the leaders/ warriors/ and heros of the Realm.)


Aristocracy= Noble Houses.


(They rule, the control, they own.)


Anywho thats the main stuff, i have alot more but its too much to type so you you wanna know more about the setting  i created just ask haha.


Cus like i played two exalted campaigns, the first was our first game and i wasnt story teller, i had no idea about the world lol. The Second time we played again i wasnt story teller, and we kinda skipped over the worlds description. We were noobs and the storyteller didnt care about it. Me i love diversity so i ST once but it wasnt anything really new.


Realm= Roman Empire


Threshhold= Greek City-States


South= Egypt


Far South=Arabia


Far East= Ancient China


North East= Mongolia


North= Britannia


North West= Japan


South West= India


West= Carthage


South East= Medieval Europe


All pretty much basic stuff, so i decided that on my Second time story telling i wanted more of a Later Medieval//Reniessance deal goin on.


So thats how i came up with Spain about 2 months ago i began writing up the world description. Unfortunately i have no one to play with so i am like  :cry:  so i got this description for the world but no one to play it.


Is it original? Probably not, but i think its less played out then Samurai// Japan.

 

[Cthulhu_Wakes]

I think you've got something good there with this Spanish Empire thing. Looking good.