Solar/Lunar game, some XP, current age, need storyteller

[Kaelik]

Hi. I'm somewhat new to exalted. But every game I've ever been able to get into was basic Exalts, and either First Age or Sidereal.


But in a lot of ways the game seems designed for Solar/Lunars against the Dragonborn.


I was really hoping to have a chance to play a game that is like that. Preferably with some decent starting XP, maybe 50-100? Not too sure about that.


It would be nice to deal with the Wyld Hunt, and to fight numerous Dragonborn, ect. Maybe even some Abyssals.


Are there any Storytellers willing to run such a game?

 

[Haku1]

Welcome... and I do wish you the best in finding a ST who hasn't been tied down.

 

[Snuggly]

I might be willing to run a game like this (or any game really), but I won't be able to begin planning a game for another few weeks yet due to IRL obligations.


If you're patient and keep your eyes peeled though, I might be able to help you out

 

[Kaelik]

I might be willing to run a game like this (or any game really), but I won't be able to begin planning a game for another few weeks yet due to IRL obligations.
If you're patient and keep your eyes peeled though, I might be able to help you out

Well I'm cool with waiting. Not like I'm swimming in Storytellers or anything. I look forward to it.

 

[risaphoeniix]

i'd be interested in playing. i'm quite fond of lunars and only got to play once.

 

[TalinXT]

I'd be happy to give a lunar game a shot as a player as I've never had a chance to make much use out of them.

 

[Axelgear]

Personally, I'd probably end up playing a Solar to all your Lunars. Most likely a kooky Twilight, given my nature.

 

[Red Shadow Claws]

I might be persuased to run such a game, but I need a bit more inspiration :mrgreen:

 

[Axelgear]

If it's inspiration you seek, just tell me the sort of idea you wish to shape and I can immerse you in the subject matter.


Think of me as an Imagination Pusher. :twisted:

 

[Red Shadow Claws]

my mind is drawing blanks a bit right now. I guess the thing I need is a location or some plot hook to develop a game like this.

 

[Axelgear]

How about a Shadowland on some island out in the West where it continually rains without cessation? Perfect for horror material. Or perhaps the frigid, frozen North, where a stash of Solar artifacts, long hidden, has been discovered by some Lunar messenger and another group of Lunars from the Silver Pact has been sent along (with my Twilight in tow of course)? Maybe doing battle with Fair Folk in the wooded borders of the East? Maybe explorations underwater?


Or, if you're adventurous, there's always the First Age stuff.

 

[Persell]

I'm definitely interested, since I've been looking for an Exalted game to play a Lunar in, though... with only one person considering going Solar so far, I don't know if that would be the best idea or not.


As for inspiration... my mind is a bit blank at the moment as well, but you could try reading some book summaries or watching some movie trailers and see if those give you some ideas. That sometimes helps me, at least.


You could also try using some random plot generators and see if those help. While the ones I've seen rarely produce anything that can be used without significant changes, they can be good for inspiration, or at least for a few laughs. Sometimes for both, as you try to figure out just how to make something ridiculous work. If you want, I can send you links for the random generator sites I know of.

 

[Axelgear]

Mixed groups can be fun, as long as you're aware of what you're getting into.

 

[Persell]

I was mostly worried that an overabundance of Lunars would mean a lot of overlap with character roles, but... admittedly I'm new to Exalted and haven't done more than skim the Lunar Charms chapter, so I don't know if that would be a problem or not.

 

[Axelgear]

Meh, I'm certain we can find something unique for everyone. True enough, the Lunars lack a bit of diversity, but, hey, we'll find something.


Besides, if the ST picks a First Age game, it's moot anyway, since Lunars get back two castes.

 

[Red Shadow Claws]

You know what? in order to make it more interesting, why don't any of you interested post a short blurb regarding your character idea. One of them might spark something.

 

[Midboss]

Hey, I just had an idea to suggest. How about the story of an exalted group that has a journey to do to accomplish a mission (find an artifact, investigate the cause of a disaster, save someone...). Of course, that journey would force them to travel very very far and they would see/do many things on the way. Think Journey to the West or Saiyuki as examples of this sort of adventure.


Either way I'm maybe interested in joining if another player is needed.

 

[Persell]

I kind of like Midboss' idea, actually... while I actually know little about those two examples apart from playing Saiyuki: Journey West a few years ago, I think that kind of plot would work well in Exalted, what with the size and variety Creation provides. And while the only PnP game I have much experience with is D&D, it might be an interesting change for the party to get involved in adventures because they're traveling, rather than traveling because they get involved in adventures. If that makes sense.


The only problem with this is all the methods for quick travel that the game provides, such as the Greater Sign of Mercury and the spell Chariot of the Blazing Sun... we'd probably either have to just say they don't exist, or come up with a reason that they can't be used. Maybe the party's mission has to be kept secret, and any significant use of Essence to travel would attract attention?

You know what? in order to make it more interesting, why don't any of you interested post a short blurb regarding your character idea. One of them might spark something.

I'll post mine as soon as I actually get my ideas in order. I... haven't actually settled on anything apart from Caste and some basics.

 

[Red Shadow Claws]

while there are numerous faster ways to travel, rememeber that they are not always inconspicous, and someone might notice you and call in the Wyld Hunt, or it might attract other forces.


But I can see a journey kind of scenario taking place. Maybe moving an artifact to a distant location, or going in search of someone, trying to find clues to his/her/it's whereabouts. That will also force you to take slower routes.

 

[Persell]

Actually, looking at the spells again, most of them don't seem too bad... the only spells I see that would reduce the longest and most difficult of journeys to a minor inconvenience of a couple of days are the ones that summon something to carry you, such as the Chariot spells. And using those would be pretty much like holding a flashing neon sign over your head saying "DANGEROUS ANATHEMA HERE", which likely wouldn't work out well, especially if the party has worse enemies to worry about than the Wyld Hunt.


I also had an idea, though I don't know if it would work out well... the party could have to visit one/all of the elemental poles for their mission, maybe to destroy something particularly dangerous, or as a way to contact some god or other being for some reason, or just to check on and/or do something to reinforce them before something goes wrong. The first would give the party a reason to keep their journey as secret as possible, while the other two would help avoid making the story into as much of a traditional "save the world" scenario at first, which (unless I'm remembering it wrong, which is quite possible) was one thing I liked about the plot of Saiyuki: Journey West.


But... eh. It's just something that popped into my head, and I don't know much about running or designing Exalted games.

 

[Axelgear]

In terms of a short blurb, I'm honestly of two minds for an idea.


Idea 1: A madman inventor, a bit like Leonardo Da Vinci if he'd had magic. They're a genius who gets a little too involved in their experiments and, frankly, it's nothing short of a miracle that he still has all of his fingers. Well, truthfully, he doesn't, but he's replaced the lost ones with prostheses that work just as well. He's probably not the first person to attempt to design a weapon to transform an opponent into a chicken, but he might just be the first to succeed.


Idea 2: A biotech shaper, who has come to love the elegance of mutable natures. They are rightly referred to as an it, as their actual gender has been lost to time and their preferred "natural" form is an androgynous neuter shape, thanks to an ability gained from a Hearthstone from a manse they discovered. They are rather beautiful, whichever gender they assume or the lack thereof, and are constantly improving themselves, thanks to a very potent Xaomorphic implant they have attuned to them. Anyone who tries to enforce a set identity on them is in for trouble...

 

[risaphoeniix]

I'll have to go through and look through the books again, get a sense of what I want to do.

 

[Kaelik]

So after looking at character creation, especially for lunars, I think maybe since part of my goal was to play at the 4 essence level, that maybe even more XP than 100, 150-200 even.


Also, as far as character, I had an idea for an ancient Lunar who has worked for the Silver Pact for a while. However, he is now growing upset about the Solars return growing more and more open and big deal. Concerned about that, he wants to create an organization for Solars to contain their crazy optimism.


1) With a motivation like that, he can do a lot of things, that either indirectly or directly help in that goal.


2) Also, I like the traveling idea, but even more so, if everyone else is okay with working towards my goal or having similar motivations, we could have a goal of finding a bunch of solars to try to create that organization.


This means we would have to travel around a lot, and, it'd be a reason to find a bunch of people who are generally hard to find.


Oh yeah, and his actual organization, let's just say that even though the organization is going to have 90% solars, it will ideally be ruled by about a council of 13, exactly 6 of which would be Lunars, even though there are no other Lunars in the organization. (The six might be most of us, and maybe a couple Silver Pact uppity ups which some of us might be).


Also, if anyone is worried about the accompanying solar(s) outshining us, this could help a little.

 

[Red Shadow Claws]

Ancient Lunars are hard to play, and they tend to have hundreds, or thousands of XPs.


In every game I've run, Lunars were allowed to use those alternate rules you linked to.

 

[Kaelik]

Ancient Lunars are hard to play' date=' and they tend to have hundreds, or thousands of XPs.[/quote']
Well as I said, I want to play an essence 4ish game, on the high side of 4, swimming in charms and combos. So hundreds is a minimum.


But ancient can be relative, I don't mean first age, I just mean pre Breaking of the Prison, depending on when we set the timeline, that doesn't have to be too old, though it'd probably be at least 50 years after the Prison broke before anyone would be going about trying to set up a Solar organization, I mean, first you have to have enough exalts, then you have to have enough that survive the hunt, then you have the Lunars decide to actually go do something about it.


I mean, I guess a 100-150 year old Lunar could be able to get up to essence 5 or something, but I don't think 200-300XP would be too few, and I don't think I'd have essence 5 with that much, I was mostly just planning on buying lots of charms and combos and ability points and backgrounds and virtues. So, basically everything.


Also, I find it a little silly that every time I discuss XP numbers, my ideal gets higher and higher. Someone better start a game soon, or I'll hypothetically play my way into creating the organization and waging war on the Blessed Isle with my Lunar/Solar army of a thousand XP, or something else equally ridiculous.


So what say you, anyone want to Storytell a game of a band of Lunars (and a couple Solars) heading out to hunt down powerful Solar Exalted from all over the world to create an organization to reign in the Solars that are increasingly developing their own kingdoms or organizations, or doing something crazy like killing some Dragonborn family heads?


You'd have to come up with a lot of good varied Solar characters, both in mechanics and motivations, and you'd have to make small solar run kingdoms, and organizations headed by those people. Lots of work. But I think it would be fun.