Experiences with Mixed games

[psychoph]

First off my definiton of Mixed for this game is A sidereal or Lunar playing with a Solar group or vis versus.


What I am wondering is how people have handled them and if they have been successful?


Do you think it is better to run all one type of game or is Mixed pretty well balanced that you can do it and not have to much headache?


For a new ST would you suggest doing all one or the other first before trying a mixed game?


I ask because my game starts in a month and I am still debating about allowing other types.  All the players for the Game are old Hats at 3rd ed WW but never played exalted, infact all but one of them doesn't even have a core book.  They have read bits and peaices of the two I have though.

 

[Flagg]

What I am wondering is how people have handled them and if they have been successful?

I've mixed DBs, Lunars, and Sidereals into my predominantly Solar games with 100% success.


The two key factors to me are:

1. The players of the non-Solar characters must understand that they have chosen this character type strictly for thematic reasons, and thus may or may not be weaker and less effective mechanically than the other characters.
   
2. A plausible scenario must exist for the Exalts of different types to be working together. Really, this applies to all games in general. I think with the exception of joke games, there should always be a plausible reason for all the characters to be associating, not simply because "they're all Solars/DBs/etc".

-S

 

[psychoph]

Seems logical, I think with my players I will have to pick and choose who would be allowed to due simply to the fact that some are more RP and some are more power gamers (this being same thing as a min maxer) which means to me that the RP's would have fun with other lesser exalted that would the min maxers who want to be the most effective they can.


I have begun to realize my group is less rp and more power gamer.

 

[Halfdead Frodi]

Relative success.


I've done pretty well with such...actually, these days, most of my non-dragonblooded games are mixed...there's simply too much creation and not enough exalted of each type for single type games to make that much sense without a damn good reason...well, save for the psycho Sidreals... But I've had a fair amount of success so long as people are willing to accept that not everyone is on the exact same powerlevel... Even relative success with mixing in the occasional god-blood in higher level games... so long as people can find their own niche, it works out pretty good. The only real difficulty is if you make no effort to keep things in check....if someone say starts out with a non-rogue Sidereal while everyone else is stuck with Outcaste Dragonblooded, people might feel shafted.... it's better to allow the whole group to be a mix instead of just allowing one person to play something different...especially if ONLY one person has that option. Alternatively, I've found for Celestial types I prefer people start out with a mortal, and what happens, happens...if they do som'at that might EARN a Celestial exaltation or some such....well, congrats. But they don't just wake up one day and find they have leet Kewl powerz.

 

[Flagg]

Re: Relative success.

I've found for Celestial types I prefer people start out with a mortal' date=' and what happens, happens...if they do som'at that might EARN a Celestial exaltation or some such....well, congrats. But they don't just wake up one day and find they have leet Kewl powerz.[/quote']
While this has some merit, I find a scenario where an entire group of allied mortals all happen to Exalt, at one point or another, a bit contrived.


-S

 

[Halfdead Frodi]

IT can be, true...


However, in not all of my groups has every person Exalted at all... but that's because in the initial bit I've offered people a small mix of Inheritance, Experience, and Knowledge...and some chose to be godbloods... Somewhat suprisingly, one groups half-dead is doing rather well at keeping up with his Exlated counterparts... in part because he doesn't try to be something is not, and instead takes full advantage of his own gifts.... A few Arcanoi, a bit of Shadowlands Necromancy...and a more gifted purely non-magical healer one won't find. At the least I've tried to avoid the O.k. everyone, you all exalted today, have fun... usually I've tried to tie it in with their own type, and their own personality. Though with one such group's occasional casualties, replacements have come in already Exalted or godblooded up....or, if someone wanted, I'd rather like it if someone tried a mortal Terrestrial MartialArtist... but then that group has been working very hard at turning their small town into an essence battery...giving Thaumaturgy lessons to everyone and having the resident Outcaste battle leader using training charms before such lessons... I think they're going for an eventual mini-Lookshy.

 

[psychoph]

Re: Relative success.

I've done pretty well with such...actually' date=' these days, most of my non-dragonblooded games are mixed...there's simply too much creation and not enough exalted of each type for single type games to make that much sense without a damn good reason...well, save for the psycho Sidreals... But I've had a fair amount of success so long as people are willing to accept that not everyone is on the exact same powerlevel... Even relative success with mixing in the occasional god-blood in higher level games... so long as people can find their own niche, it works out pretty good. The only real difficulty is if you make no effort to keep things in check....if someone say starts out with a non-rogue Sidereal while everyone else is stuck with Outcaste Dragonblooded, people might feel shafted.... it's better to allow the whole group to be a mix instead of just allowing one person to play something different...especially if ONLY one person has that option. Alternatively, I've found for Celestial types I prefer people start out with a mortal, and what happens, happens...if they do som'at that might EARN a Celestial exaltation or some such....well, congrats. But they don't just wake up one day and find they have leet Kewl powerz.[/quote']
While an idea that has merit I unfortunatley think this is a bit beyond my groups rp level, maybe even maturity level.


I am curious however what determines if a person exalts or not, and what they exalt to?  Is it something you discuss with the players before hand or somehting that you determine by your self basedon rp and actions and such.


Exalted always seemed like an easy game to get the group together since you have gods and visions and such, but a Mixed game seems logicaly harder to keep together unless the group has a common goal 90% of the time.

 

[Athrun the Bear]

The whole "let's start out with a group of mortals" thing never worked well for us.  As for mixed games...I think most of the games we've run have, at some point, been mixed.  Heck, even for a group of all Solars, Lunars, or Dragon Blooded, you still need to have a reason for them to be together.  Instead of having everyone start at the same time, have them meet along the way.  That way you can slowly work them into the rest of the group without it feeling unnatural.


Along the lines of what Stillborn said, as long as everyone involved understands the different power levels in play, there really shouldn't be a problem once the game gets going.  I realize that these players are new to Exalted, so if, for instance, there turns out to be a Lunar or two amongst a few Solars, just fill them in on what Lunars can do better than Solars and encourage them to build their characters along those lines.  Same with those who play Solars or Dragon Blooded or whatever.  Just fill them in on what their particular exalted of choice does best and trust them to go from there...if they need a bit of help along the way, hey, that's what ST's are for.

 

[psychoph]

Along the lines of what Stillborn said, as long as everyone involved understands the different power levels in play, there really shouldn't be a problem once the game gets going.  I realize that these players are new to Exalted, so if, for instance, there turns out to be a Lunar or two amongst a few Solars, just fill them in on what Lunars can do better than Solars and encourage them to build their characters along those lines.  Same with those who play Solars or Dragon Blooded or whatever.  Just fill them in on what their particular exalted of choice does best and trust them to go from there...if they need a bit of help along the way, hey, that's what ST's are for.

Care to fill me in?  I havne't had time to read all the charms for all the systmes yet, I got through the solar ones and then started reading part of Outcaste and then Savant and Sorcer to under stand sorcery, next was Scavavenger son to get knowledge aobu the area i wanted to set the game, the east and south east.  And now I am reading the Bone and Ebony book somewhat to get knowledge about necromancy but I shoudl really read the abysmal charms because I am using them as the bad guys.

 

[Athrun the Bear]

Well, for instance, a Lunar's shapeshifting.  Through shapeshifting, not necessarily charms, a beginning Lunar is much better than a beginning or even mid-level Solar at stealth and information gathering.  Sure, a Solar can drop five or six essence and really boost their stealth rolls, but a Lunar can just drop two or three essence to go through the forms of a bird to get to where they need to be, a mouse to navigate the place, and whatever else might be needed.  What mortal (or even most Dragon Blooded) gaurd pays attention to a bird or a mouse?  Or a common housecat in a rural neiborhood?  The real power of a Lunar is their ability to adapt to any situation.  Sure, Solars and others can get some nifty charms to swim and even breathe underwater, but Lunars can simply turn into a dolphin or something.  Why climb a mountain when you can fly up it as an eagle?  If the players take Deadly Beastman Transformation (as an ST, limit them to starting out with one, or MAYBE two copies of it) the beginning Lunar can absolutely destroy opponents in battle, but the advantages here don't last nearly as long.  Lunars rock at combat, but that really should NOT be their focus.  Lunars also tend to have some sway over (and perhaps a bit of worship from) the local tribes.  Convincing these tribes to lend some of their best warriors, a night's stay and some food, or even some of the tribes' young ladies, is going to generally be easier for a starting Lunar.  Solars can eventually do it better with charms, but Lunars do it first.  Thanks to their anima ability, No Moon Lunars are the best battlefield sorcerors in Creation (spend motes to reduce the cost of evey spell you cast for the scene by that many motes).


Solars are great at...pretty much everything, eventually.  The starting charms are quite crappy, but get two or three charms up any list and Solars have distinct advantages.  Nobody defends like a Solar can defend.   Only Solars can ascend to Solar Circle Sorcery...but I personally don't give a rip about Solar Circle Sorcery, the Celestial Circle has always been enough for me.  Many don't agree.  I honestly find a Solar's real strength comes from the more intellectual charms than the aggressive ones.  Solar socialize charms can do some amazing things.


Abyssals excel at bringing death through both combat and non-combat related charms.  They have some awesome performance, socialize, and "medicine" charms.  Winter Strikes the Forest is one of my favorites for any type of exalt.  Their skill at necromancy is second to none...other than the Deathlords themselves, I suppose, and they can "buy" necromancy very cheap.  Zombies may not be pretty or disciplined, but they get the job done and do so with little need for logistics (compared to mortal soldiers).


Dragon Blooded...well, they work great in groups.  Individually they are far from weak, but in groups they are nearly unstoppable.  Learn their synergy charms and get them to cooperate and you've got a very effective fighting force.  The fact that they are in charge of the Realm at the moment also has its advantages when procuring supplies or in social situations.  (So long as no one knows that they aren't with the Realm)


Sidereals are the best bureacrats in Creation.  If you need something done, they can get it done.  Even if they have to change fate to do it.  They are also the best martial artists in Creation, but I always down-play combat in my games.


Of course, these are just a few suggestions, far from an exhaustive study.  And, of course, not everyone will agree with me.  Some people think a Lunar's shapeshifting ability is useless in the presence of Solar charms.  Some people point to other things as a Dragon Blooded's greatest strength.  Regardless, they key thing for any player is their creativity.  If they're creative enough, the power of Solar charms means little.

 

[Athrun the Bear]

Notice how those paragraphs in my post above keep getting smaller as you go?  Any guesses as to what I play most and know best?

 

[Jakk Bey]

Give everyone equal time...


That's the real key to mixed games. Not power level of enemies. Not goodies. But give everyone a chance to shine at what they do.


Give each character challenges equal to their powers. If that means that the Dragon Blooded characters are rolling up on hordes of God Blooded while the Celestials are engaged with something tougher, then there it is. If that means that the Dragon Blooded are engaged at talking to the Powers That Be while the Sidereal is convicing a Spirit NOT to munch the bunch, then there you go.


Each character should have tasks for them, tasks that are important. Even if that character is a Heroic Mortal and the rest of characters are Solars and Lunars. The key is to give them tasks and equal screen time, and tasks that are important.


It means you have to take a little more time in preparing encounters, but not much more than you would normally, since a good ST tailors encounters for a group anyway, and not just pulling some random thing out of a hat.


Yes, it may mean that you have to play mix and match a little bit with your encounters, it will mean that you will have to mix things up a bit with your villains, but if you've got a mixed bag of character types rolling against them, then there is a good chance that the enemies aren't going to be just one type either. If it's important enough to get Solars and Sidereals, Lunars and Dragon Blooded together, then it's probably important enough to get a varied bag of enemies as well.


Just be sure that the tasks are challenges for each character, and that they are geared to make each character important for the success of the missions. Everyone feels important, everyone contributes.