Exalted: The Light is Coming

[dorkknight23]

"The whole idea is that there isn't just one cosmic force about to destroy Creation, there's a whole bunch of cosmic (and not-so-cosmic) forces that are all about to destroy Creation. Between declining empires of elemental supermen, zombie hordes, vengeful elder ghosts, dead primal gods, imprisoned demon-Titans, Cthulhu elves, Satanic pirates, necrophagic dinosaur-men, miscellaneous ancient artifact-slash-WMDs, international mercantile conspiracies, curse-addled reality ninjas, Conan-wannabe werewolves, assorted Godzilla-knockoffs, well-meaning but terminally misguided anime heroes, mutants up the wazoo, and the Machine God and his Aztec Cyborgs, Creation is about ten seconds away from getting gang-banged to death by every epic-fantasy cliche in the book all at once." — Sir Bob

(I stole the above from TVTropes. They have a great article on Exalted, here’s Wikipedia’s. Both provide some good background to this setting.)

WANTED: Four-to-six Demigods, for epic mythological adventure and heroism. Great risk, little reward, no gratitude. Inquire within.

I really am getting into the idea of running an Exalted game. It’ll be pretty by-the-numbers for the setting: epic heroism with a dash of sword and sorcery and just a pinch of shonen anime, Rule of Cool, craziness, awesomeness, and crazy-awesomeness. I have no problems with a mixed Circle, and I have the Core rulebook (which covers the Solar Exalted) as well as the race splatbooks Lunars, Dragonbloods, Sidereals, Abyssals, and Infernals…

…Don’t have the books? No problem. I can hook you up with at least what’s necessary. The above articles can at least provide a bit of initial insight as people cook up concepts.

I’d be interested in a group of 4, maybe 6 at the most. Action would be a big part of the game, but I’d want to put in some opportunities for politics and intrigue as well, possibly quite a bit if the team focuses in that.

Any questions?

[thuellai]

I'll be willing to put in on this - would we be focusing on any particular corner of Creation or sort of generally globe-trotting? I have characters who play well for either approach - I'm quite fond of the East and South myself as settings. If we're playing this from the side opposed to the Realm I'd take it as a Solar but Terrestrial would be fun too, though it might take some adjustment.

[dorkknight23]

Jan 26, 2010 23:50:22 GMT -5 thuellai said:

I'll be willing to put in on this - would we be focusing on any particular corner of Creation or sort of generally globe-trotting? I have characters who play well for either approach - I'm quite fond of the East and South myself as settings. If we're playing this from the side opposed to the Realm I'd take it as a Solar but Terrestrial would be fun too, though it might take some adjustment.

I'm flexible at this point, but I'd definitely prefer globe-trotting.

[thuellai]

Actually that works better for me too, just I have some characters who're more suited for one than another. I'm leaning towards either a Haltan or a Chiaroscuran Solar, depending on which archetype I wanna play with - the Chiaroscuran's more of a thinker whereas the Haltan is a bit more action-y, so it depends where I end up in the group [when a group is formed, of course]

[dorkknight23]

Both sound pretty awesome, to be honest. At this point, I'd say go with whichever you like more.

[thuellai]

Yeah - the Chiaroscuran is actually a fun character for me. He's an escapee of the Perfect [Have you read the Terrestrial Direction books? The one for the South has inspired me especially to do an adventure or three there someday] and has a really deep problem with authority. I actually modeled a lot of his personality on Mike Carey's run of Lucifer... He's vaguely sociopathic [part of his particular Great Curse] but he's deeply faithful to individuals and refuses to lie even in his own best interests, mostly because he feels he has the power to back it up. He's a Twilight [the thinker caste, in any case - I remember that as Twilight but I'd have to dig up the books/sheet to be sure - could be an Eclipse, but those are the diplomats, yeah?] with a lot of flame-themed Charms and a ridiculous sobriquet. In other words, a model Solar.

The Haltan is a bit less defined but would likely be the stealth Caste and a fighter - ironically the Haltan was first modeled as the Solar counterpart to my Abyssal, Laughter In The Bones of Creation in Mirth of the Inevitable Nepenthe of the Grave [...I love Abyssal Names] Laughter is a grinning killer and psychopath who enjoys manipulating others to act on their worst desires and who intends to send the entire world spiraling into an oblivion of physical pleasure in preperation for the oncoming harvest, a sort of twisted magnification of the things that made him an amazing leader as a Solar in the First Age [and in this game, I suppose] - A deep understanding of people, a love for exploration in all things, and a deeply rooted silver tongue buried behind a killer's smile. I see his Solar incarnation as something of a benevolent dictator, the sort who's perfectly kind to everyone else because to him, everyone else is an inferior. He's not out to hurt anyone else, but he will do whatever it takes to make you stronger and get what he needs from you. Basically the sort of person everyone in the DC universe seems to fear Superman will eventually become.

[dorkknight23]

Jan 27, 2010 2:51:42 GMT -5 thuellai said:

Yeah - the Chiaroscuran is actually a fun character for me. He's an escapee of the Perfect [Have you read the Terrestrial Direction books? The one for the South has inspired me especially to do an adventure or three there someday]

Still reading a lot of the stuff, but the Compass books are all high on my 'to read' list. I've primarily pounded through the Core Rulebook and the Race splats (skimmed Scroll of the Monk.)

and has a really deep problem with authority. I actually modeled a lot of his personality on Mike Carey's run of Lucifer... He's vaguely sociopathic [part of his particular Great Curse] but he's deeply faithful to individuals and refuses to lie even in his own best interests, mostly because he feels he has the power to back it up. He's a Twilight [the thinker caste, in any case - I remember that as Twilight but I'd have to dig up the books/sheet to be sure - could be an Eclipse, but those are the diplomats, yeah?]

Yeah, Twilight's the brains, Eclipse's are the diplomats.

with a lot of flame-themed Charms and a ridiculous sobriquet. In other words, a model Solar.

Sounds about par for the course. But I like the idea of a Twilight as arrogant brainiac.

The Haltan is a bit less defined but would likely be the stealth Caste and a fighter - ironically the Haltan was first modeled as the Solar counterpart to my Abyssal, Laughter In The Bones of Creation in Mirth of the Inevitable Nepenthe of the Grave [...I love Abyssal Names] Laughter is a grinning killer and psychopath who enjoys manipulating others to act on their worst desires and who intends to send the entire world spiraling into an oblivion of physical pleasure in preperation for the oncoming harvest, a sort of twisted magnification of the things that made him an amazing leader as a Solar in the First Age [and in this game, I suppose] - A deep understanding of people, a love for exploration in all things, and a deeply rooted silver tongue buried behind a killer's smile. I see his Solar incarnation as something of a benevolent dictator, the sort who's perfectly kind to everyone else because to him, everyone else is an inferior. He's not out to hurt anyone else, but he will do whatever it takes to make you stronger and get what he needs from you. Basically the sort of person everyone in the DC universe seems to fear Superman will eventually become.

Wow, I like both of them! If I had to pick one I like the first best, but both are great!

[thuellai]

The other possibility is an Akuma but I don't know how well I could pull one off in a heroic campaign, mostly because I haven't read much of Infernals and so I don't know how much they're bound to their masters - I know Abyssals are just about in a death grip.

And yeah, both are actually comics-influenced - The Haltan is very nearly Red Son Superman.

[dorkknight23]

Quickly starts jotting down ideas for a Dragon-Blooded Lex Luthor... prepare "world in a bottle" comments.

Both Infernals and Abyssals can rebel, it's just really difficult to, and their respective masters have definite issue with it. Both would make good "repentant anti-hero atoning"-type characters.

[thuellai]

Abyssals are damn near in a chokehold because of that whole "if I try to do good things, things around me will explode and die" thing. Green Sun Princes might have a BIT more wiggle room... Akuma look to be in a straight chokehold. A GSP could be interesting though. I like to play the tainted Solars because to me it's an excuse to take the "heroic" aspects of the Solars right into the "utterly goddamn terrifyingly insane" territory. Which is easy enough to do because it's not like the Solars are exactly perfect either.

I'd probably lean towards the Urge of the Ebon Dragon, both because I like playing out the horrors of utter me-for-me philosophy to their extremes while still trying to make it heroic, and because you have to respect a villain so evil he INVENTED GOOD so that he'd have something to compare himself to. When you invent the very concept of good just so that you can go, "Look at that and then imagine the exact opposite. That's me" that is some straight up mustache-twirling magnificent bastardry right there.

[dorkknight23]

Intriguing, especially playing with whole idea of a "Lucifer"-inspired character. Are you thinking a Fiend Caste Infernal, or Scourge?

[thuellai]

Actually was leaning Scourge. I'm currently thinking of some ways to justify combining the inevitable silencing of all things in ice-cold psychopathy, a deeply individualistic and free-spirited personality thanks to the Urge, and heroic desires. He'll definitely be a sort of noble demon type... I see him as a twisted hero, a guy who really wanted to change things but found himself without a leg to stand on at some point in his life and turned to the Yozi when he had nowhere else to go. He tried to stand up for others but was never Chosen - and so, stuck with mortal limitations, he failed. Only to be offered the power to enact his will on Creation and revenge himself on his oppressors... And then he becomes an anti-hero with occasional moments of self-acknowledge villainy because well, you have to cackle at least sometimes to placate the Yozi. If you're going to try and be nice without accruing Limit, it seems like your best bet is cartoonish supervillainy.

EDIT: Continued reading of Infernals has me leaning towards a sort of exaggerated Guy Fawkes/V type, a devastated revolutionary and saboteur, probably with a deep hatred of the Realm that unites him with whatever Solar heroes we end up with. But then, there's no guarantee I'll even USE this guy in this game... but he's growing on me regardless. Now if I could just figure out a concept I liked for a Sidereal. Also, yep, to avoid Limit, it basically requires you to occasionally twirl a mustache or two. Expect a few Insufferable Genius Declarations, at the least.

[dorkknight23]

Jan 27, 2010 12:21:07 GMT -5 thuellai said:

Actually was leaning Scourge. I'm currently thinking of some ways to justify combining the inevitable silencing of all things in ice-cold psychopathy, a deeply individualistic and free-spirited personality thanks to the Urge, and heroic desires. He'll definitely be a sort of noble demon type... I see him as a twisted hero, a guy who really wanted to change things but found himself without a leg to stand on at some point in his life and turned to the Yozi when he had nowhere else to go. He tried to stand up for others but was never Chosen - and so, stuck with mortal limitations, he failed. Only to be offered the power to enact his will on Creation and revenge himself on his oppressors... And then he becomes an anti-hero with occasional moments of self-acknowledge villainy because well, you have to cackle at least sometimes to placate the Yozi. If you're going to try and be nice without accruing Limit, it seems like your best bet is cartoonish supervillainy.

EDIT: Continued reading of Infernals has me leaning towards a sort of exaggerated Guy Fawkes/V type, a devastated revolutionary and saboteur, probably with a deep hatred of the Realm that unites him with whatever Solar heroes we end up with. But then, there's no guarantee I'll even USE this guy in this game... but he's growing on me regardless. Now if I could just figure out a concept I liked for a Sidereal. Also, yep, to avoid Limit, it basically requires you to occasionally twirl a mustache or two. Expect a few Insufferable Genius Declarations, at the least.

This idea is really growing on me too.

[thuellai]

And their charm selection is beautiful, too. With ten charms, Perfect Dodges are WAY too easy to achieve with a Chosen of Adjoran. To steal a quote: "I'm a leaf on the wind. Watch how I soar." Sure, most of my amazing defense requires me to be constantly on the move, but they have a Charm that makes Dashing reflexive and gives it a -0 DV penalty. At that point, as long as I'm a halfway decent swordsman I can just dance around my enemy long enough for them to be utterly, hilariously screwed. I love Exalted.

[dorkknight23]

At a certain point it isn't how hilariously broken you are, but what you do with it, and how many scenarios you can be ridiculous in.