SoF Exalted/CC Summary
Contents
Character Creation Summary
(introductory blurb)
Note: I've put these headings in and for now they're summaries with links, but we may wish to bring them all into this page. At least the shorter ones, Anima Powers is probably too long to fit in here even with titles for navigation.
The stages of character creation are as follows:
1. Determine Campaign Power Level (CamPL)
2. Choose appropriate concepts and character types
3. Select five Character Aspects
4. Purchase Abilities
5. Select five Speciality Aspects
6. Purchase Advantages (including Power Packages and Anima Powers where relevant)
7. Purchase starting equipment
These steps are largely unchanged from those on page 15 of the SoF rulebook
Campaign Power Level
The choice of Campaign Power Level (CamPL) for the game is a critical one because it defines the capability and competence of the PCs. It also, to an extent sets out the parameters for advancement as well; a game starting as Heroic Mortals has a much broader scope of advancement potential than one starting out as Celestials. The GM/group should select the CamPL appropriate to the sort of game they want to play.
This adaptation uses customised Campaign Power Levels (CamPL) which are felt to be more appropriate to both the power of the various types of Exalt, but also reinforces the distinctions between the various tiers. A Heroic Mortal should not expect to be able to take on a Dragon-Blooded in single combat and live, not stacking the deck in their favour in significant ways.
Note that one exception to the usual rules is that the limits on how many APs you can spend on a single Advantage remain in place during play, not only while character generation is going on. This is to preserve the distinction between the tiers, and encourage a broadening of capability rather than hyper-specialisation on one or two things.
The CamPLs for Exalted are shown in the table below.
Campaign Abilities Adv. Power Level Refresh (Max) Points Available Advantages --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Mortal 4 24(3) 2(1) Expert Only Expert Mortal 5 25(3) 5(1) Expert Only Heroic/Enlightened Mortal 7 28(4) 9(2) Expert, Heroic and Powers (Restricted) God-Blooded 8 29(4) 12(5) Expert, Heroic and Powers (No Super Powers) Dragon-Blooded 9 30(5) 15(6) Expert, Heroic and Powers (No Super Powers) Celestial Exalted 10 32(6) 20(10) All, Metro Class Super Power Only Experienced* Celestial 10 34(6) 30(12) All, Up to World Class Super Powers Only
Mortal: You are an average denizen of Creation. Good luck.
Expert Mortal: A mortal with a useful skill set.
Heroic/Enlightened Mortal: You are an extremely capable mortal, possibly with a powerful Destiny. You may even be Enlightened, possessing the ability to use Essence to surpass mortal limitations.
God-Blooded: You are the child of a powerful being, most commonly a God of some sort, but possibly an Elemental, Ghost, Demon, or even one of the Exalted.
Dragon-Blooded: You are one of the Terrestrial Exalted, the most common (and weakest) of the Exalted. With teamwork and discipline you can face nearly any threat.
Celestial Exalted: You are one of the most powerful of the Exalted. Your potential is practically limitless, but there are likely a lot of people who want you dead.
*Experienced: Mortals and Celestial Exalted are not the only types of characters that have an Experienced option, they're simply the only ones listed as such. Experienced Heroic/Enlightened Mortals, God-Blooded, and Dragon-Blooded are all made using the next Campaign Power Level.
See page 16 of the SoF rulebook for more information.
Tech Level
The general Tech Level (TL) of Creation is TL2 and in some places with strong surviving magitech TL3. First Age artifacts and the like can raise it higher than this. This gives a guide to the sorts of mundane equipment available.
However, with regards Powers, a special Power Tech Level (Power TL) is used, which is based on character tiers.
See page 15 of the SoF rulebook for more information.
Power Tech Level
An exception to the usual way in which Tech Levels are used is with regard to Powers. This is designed to enforce the strict differences in scale between the different tiers of character. Thus when Powers use TL as the basis for their effects, use Power TL for your character's type instead.
In most instances Power TL is fixed. The exception to this are mortals, who might become any of the higher-tiered types in play.
Character Power Type TL -------------------------------- Mortal, Expert Mortal 0 Heroic Mortal 1 Enlightened Mortal 2 God-Blooded 3 Dragon-Blooded 4 Celestial 5
Character Concepts
Once you have an agreed CamPL, that should start to inform the kinds of characters that would be appropriate in the game. Drawing on the agreed details of the setting (eg where and when in Creation) and specific premise (eg a particular location and who the PC group are), try to encapsulate what your character is about in a few sentences or so.
Something that CamPL will determine is just what sorts of characters are available. These are outlined in more detail below.
Non-Exalted Character Types
While the focus of the core game is often on Exalts, they're not the only people in Creation who are out there doing important things. There are a variety of non-Exalted types from mortals to the children of powerful beings with supernatural power flowing through their veins. Not only that, there are a lot of them, they are the majority of PC types in existence.
Mortals
The vast bulk of the population of Creation are mortals, teeming in their untold millions. While it could be easy to dismiss them because of their short lifespans and lack of Essence, they are the bedrock upon which every society rests. Without the common man or woman, the great heroes have nothing to eat, drink or wear, no one to fight and die for. One additional nuance is that many of the Exalted begin their lives as mortals, discovering their heritage or destiny later in life.
Ordinary Mortals
Most mortals are average people who might have a trade or a craft. Farmers, artisans, labourers, priests, merchants and the like. Tradition, inherited privilege, hard work, practised skill and applied effort are some of the ways they get by. They are built using the Mortal or Expert Mortal CamPLs, and they have no Advantages that are out of the ordinary or supernatural in origin.
Heroic Mortals
A small subset of the ruck and run of humanity are just a little bit more capable and competent than the rest. Whether by birth, circumstance or some other factor, they excel. They are built using the Heroic Mortal CamPL.
Enlightened Mortals
An even more select group are those who by exposure to the Wyld, extreme meditation and exercise, the application of divine powers or several other means have their spark of life Awakened. This allows them to manipulate Essence like the Exalted and other powerful beings, stealing just a fragment of that divinity for themselves. While they are normally built using the Heroic Mortal CamPL, they also get the Enlightened Mortal Power Package for free.
They may learn Terrestrial Martial Arts, Terrestrial Sorcery and have an enhanced use of Mortal Thaumaturgy.
Optional Rule: Gritty Consequences
Mortals are distinguished from all the supernaturally-powered beings in Creation by their fragility. They bleed profusely from wounds, suffer infection and disease, fall easily to poison. If you wish to evoke this in all its glory, even beyond what is covered in the SoF rulebook, one option is to use Gritty Consequences.
This means that when mortals take Consequences, they may take more than just time and rest to recover from, requiring medical attention. Needless to say, Exalts with their blessed constitutions do not need to worry about any of this.
See pages 269 and 285 of the SoF rulebook for more information on Disease and Poison/Drugs.
God-Blooded
Where mortals have to make their way in life through luck and effort, the collection of beings known as God-Blooded do so because of their august heritage. Sired by powerful beings, they carry a spark of that divinity in their blood. They do not approach the true Exalted in sheer power, but they are even more numerous than the Terrestrial Exalted.
A God-Blooded character's nature is dependent on their parentage. This determines what Powers they have access to and their relationships with other powerful beings.
Demon-Blooded
Fae-Blooded
Ghost-Blooded
God-Blooded
The most common of the God-Blooded are those for whom all those with mixed mortal and supernatural heritage are named. They are the children of humans and either gods or elementals.
Half-Castes
Half-Castes are the children of the (non-Terrestrial) Exalted who have inherited a small share of their parent's power. There are five varieties of Half-Caste, corresponding to each of the (non-Terrestrial) Exalted.
- Golden Children are the offspring of the Solar Exalted.
- Moon-Born are sired by the Lunars.
- Star-Blessed are the children of the Sidereals.
- Shadowwalkers are the children of the Abyssals.
- Grandchosen of the Yozis are the get of the Infernals.
Exalted Character Types
All types of Exalted are the chosen champions of some powerful, divine patron. One and all they are exceptional in some way, even before their Exaltation they would have been noteworthy. How this Exaltation manifests depends entirely on the divinity which empowered them. All Exalts receive the same Power package for free, but beyond that their Powers depend on their type.
Terrestrial Exalted
Air Aspect
Earth Aspect
Fire Aspect
Water Aspect
Wood Aspect
Celestial Exalted
Solars
Dawn Caste
Eclipse Caste
Night Caste
Twilight Caste
Zenith Caste
Lunars
Changing Moon Caste
Full Moon Caste
No Moon Caste
Sidereals
Chosen of Battles
Chosen of Endings
Chosen of Journeys
Chosen of Secrets
Chosen of Serenity
Other Exalted
Abyssals
Day Caste
Daybreak Caste
Dusk Caste
Midnight Caste
Moonshadow Caste
Infernals
Akuma
Green Sun Princes
Defiler Caste
Fiend Caste
Malefactor Caste
Scourge Caste
Slayer Caste
Alchemicals
Adamant Caste
Jade Caste
Moonsilver Caste
Orichalcum Caste
Soulsteel Caste
Starmetal Caste
Character Aspects
Aspects are as important here as in any Strands game, particularly because they can act as shorthands for nebulous minor abilities and levers to make things happen - for good and ill. The defining Aspect should reflect a characters supernatural nature if they are more than mortal. Ideally it should refer to their character type in some way so that it can be Invoked for bonuses and effects relating to the things they are normally good at. For example, a Solar character can Invoke their defining Aspect when engaged in skilled activities.
If you're using the Aspect Alphabet, some of those phases have parallels with facets of Exalted. These are as follows:
- Ambition is the same as Motivation.
- Background is unchanged.
- Conviction can cover Virtues - pick out the strongest.
- Disadvantage can cover The Great Curse.
See pages 17-19 of the SoF rulebook for more information.
Abilities
The regular Abilities are unchanged in this adaptation. They range from 0-6, with 2 being average for a mortal and 5 being the pinnacle of mortal ability. 6 is reserved for the seemingly superhuman abilities of some Celestial Exalted in their favoured fields.
You purchase them normally at character generation, adding extra Ability points with the Experienced Advantage.
See page 103 of the SoF rulebook for the Experienced Advantage.
The Essence Affinity Ability
There is an additional thirteenth Ability in this adapatation, Essence. It is the Affinity Ability which enables all Essence-fuelled supernatural powers. Most ordinary mortals have an Essence rating of 0, they cannot manipulate the flows of Essence at all. You must buy up your Essence Ability if you wish to use any Powers; without it you cannot access the majority of them. There are exceptions for beings for whom Powers represent their natural capabilities, but this is rarely the case with player characters.
See page 92 of the SoF rulebook for more on Affinity Abilities.
Essence Stress Tracks
In addition to the Essence Affinity Ability, all those with Powers have a Custom Stress Track which is used whenever Powers are triggered. The Essence Stress Track is calculated differently depending on the type of character you are playing.
- Enlightened Mortals have Willpower
- God-Blooded have Affinity Ability + 2
- Terrestrials have Affinity Ability + Willpower
- Celestials have Affinity Ability + Willpower + 2
A character who changes type in play (such as an Enlightened Mortal who Exalts) also changes how their Essence Stress track is calculated. Consequences are taken on the track as normal. For Exalts, the first Consequence they take is always "Visible Anima Banner".
All character types who start play able to manipulate Essence receive both at least one point in the Essence Affinity Ability and the Essence Stress track for free as part of their Power Package.
Manses, Demenses and Essence Stress Tracks
Speciality Aspects
Choose five Speciality Aspects against your Abilities as normal. Using the Aspect Alphabet is optional.
Advantages
Choose Advantages as normal. The CamPL tells you how many you have to spend, and the maximum you can spend on any one Advantage.
Note also that there are several New Advantages specific to this adaptation.
Expert and Heroic Advantages
These represent mundane and non-supernatural areas of strength. With the exception of Thaumaturgy, these are the only Advantages available to (un-Enlightened) mortals.
Power Advantages
All supernatural abilities fall under the aegis of Powers in this adaptation, no matter what their source. There are two sets of potential "freebies" available to characters who are more-than-mortal, Power Packages and Anima Powers. Everything else is done with Power Advantages, which might be considered Mortal Thaumaturgy, Sorcery or Supernatural Martial Arts amongst other things. Anything that isn't covered by another category falls into Powers. The Power Advantages rules are used to model everything that mundane skills and knowledge cannot do, whether it's done by an Exalt, Fae, Demon or God or something else.
Mortal Thaumaturgy
Thaumaturgy is the only supernatural learning available to the un-Awakened. This is detailed at length in Mortal Thaumaturgy.
Power Packages
Beings at the higher character tiers are gifted with "Power Packages" (ie they are free at character generation) to represent the very basic properties they have regardless of any other distinctions. These are things common to everything of their type, and are the access points to all of their Power Advantages. Without one of these Power Packages, you cannot use Power Advantages, Sorcery or Supernatural Martial Arts.
Enlightened Mortal
This package represents the basic characteristics of those mortals who possess Awakened Essence.
Enlightened Mortal Package (3 AP)
- The Essence Affinity Ability at 1 (1 AP)
- An Essence Stress track (2 AP)
God-Blooded
This package represents the basic characteristics of the various beings known as the God-Blooded.
God-Blooded Package (6 AP)
- The Essence Affinity Ability at 1 (1 AP)
- An Essence Stress track (2 AP)
- Resistance [Disease - Improved Resistance] (2 AP)
- Resistance [Poison - Resistance] (1 AP)
Exalted
This package represents the basic characteristics of all Exalted.
Exalted Package (12 AP)
- The Essence Affinity Ability at 2 (2 AP)
- An Essence Stress track (2 AP)
- Regeneration (2 AP)
- Resistance [Disease - Immunity] (4 AP)
- Resistance [Poison - Improved Resistance] (2 AP)
Anima Powers
All Exalted have a collection of innate Powers, called Anima Powers. These are detailed at length in Anima Effects.
Supernatural Martial Arts
Distinct from the mundane fighting and meditative arts learned by mortals are the Supernatural Martial Arts which those with Awakened Essence can learn.
Sorcery
Sorcery is performed using the Control (Reality) Power, and the base power represents Terrestrial Circle Sorcery. Celestial and Solar Circle Sorcery are modifiers on the base template. That base template is as follows:
Sample Power Aspect: Mastery of Terrestrial Circle Sorcery
Base AP Cost: 6AP
Activation Difficulty: 2 + Control Modifiers (Terrestrial), 1 + Control Modifiers (Celestial), 0 + Control Modifiers (Solar)
Activation Time: Free Action
Base Template: Control Reality (9AP), Rote Dependent (-3)
Requires a Power Source and the Essence Affinity Ability at 3
Modifiers:
-1 (Inability to Focus): You may not spend additional rounds to focus on a use of Sorcery.
-1 (No Rituals): You may not utilise the Ritual option of Sorcery.
-2 (Limitation: FP Cost): Each use of Sorcery costs a Fate Point to activate, in addition to the Activation roll.
-1 or -2 (Limitation: Increased Activation Difficulty): Sorcery's Activation Difficulty is increased by 2 or 4, depending on the version of this Limitation taken. This is treated as a Control Modifier, rather than increasing the base Activation.
+2 (Celestial Circle): You have access to the Celestial Circle of Sorcery. See Control Modifications for details. Requires an Essence Ability of 4, and only Celestials can use Celestial Circle Sorcery.
+4 (Solar Circle): You have access to the Celestial Circle of Sorcery. See Control Modifications for details. Note this replaces (and does not stack with) Celestial Circle. Requires an Essence Ability of 5, and only Solars can use Solar Circle Sorcery.
A Note On Negative Modifiers: Negative Modifiers (beyond Rote Dependent) are very unusual for an Exalted to possess. They are most commonly found among God-Blooded and Enlightened Mortals, where they represent specialization or flawed understanding of some aspect of Sorcery.
Control Modifications
Sorcery utilizes the Control Meta-Power with the following Modifications:
TL
- Unlike other Powers at a character's disposal, each Circle of Sorcery possesses a different Power Tech Level that is used to determine the base Activation and when called for by a Power. The Terrestrial Circle has a PTL of 4, the Celestial Circle has a PTL of 5, and the Solar Circle has a PTL of 6.
- Unlike other Powers, Sorcery does not possess the PTLx2 cap on WR/AR (Subject to change upon testing).
Emulate Other Power
- Terrestrial Circle spells follow the standard rule of not being able to Emulate a Power with an AP cost greater than your Affinity. For Celestial and Solar Circle spells, however, this is multiplied by x2 and x3, respectively.
- Unlike standard Control, Emulate Other Power may always be used, even if it produces a result better than simply using Control.
- The activation difficulty is equal to the activation difficulty of the Power to be emulated(plus the base difficulty of Control), or the Power's AP cost (x2), whichever is higher.
Ritual Control
- Terrestrial Spells work exactly like standard Ritual Control, only an Affinity greater than 3 does not allow you to gain a bonus every 10 minutes. Instead, those who have access to Celestial Circle Sorcery may Ritually cast Terrestrial spells at the accelerated rate, and those initiated into the Solar Circle can do the same with Celestial. In addition, those initiated into the Celestial and Solar Circle may gain a bonus of Affinityx2 and x3, respectively.
- Sorcery is capable of incredibly long-lasting effects. If you spend a Fate Point at the end of performing Ritual Control you may roll on the Time Table (SoF, pg. 295) using your Affinity Ability to determine the duration of the resulting Power. You may use part, or even all of the bonus you gain from performing Ritual Control on this roll. Terrestrial spells have a maximum duration of one year, and Celestial and Solar Circle 10 years and Forever, respectively (This is, needless to say, prone to abuse. It is necessary to emulate some spells, however).
See page 189-197 of the SoF rulebook for more details on Control.
Rotes
Some example Rotes to get people started.
Death of Obsidian Butterflies
Control:(Attack)
Sample Power Aspect: Razor-Sharp Magical Manifestation
Activation: 12 (2)
Activation Time: Simple Action
You unleash a swarm of razor-sharp obsidian butterflies that leave a wide swath of distruction in their wake. This is treated as a +6 ExR attack that affects an entire Zone.
Emerald Countermagic
Emulate Power: Nullify
Sample Power Aspect: First Circle Dispelling
Activation: 8 (2)
Activation Time: Simple Action
Modifiers: Improved Nullifcation (+1), Deconstruction (+1)
This spell can be used to counteract another spell being cast in the Sorcerer's presence, or used to dispell a spell already in effect.
Invulnerable Skin of Bronze
Emulate Power: Armor
Sample Power Aspect: Body of Bronze
Activation: 8 (2)
Activation Time: Simple Action
Duration: Scene (24 hours with FP)
Modifiers: Passive (+2)
Your body is transmuted into living metal, granting you a +6 AR that lasts for one scene (24 hours with FP).
See page 198 of the SoF rulebook for more information on Rotes.
Combinations
It is possible to string multiple Powers together so they go off at the same time, in a Combination. To build Combos, see the Linked Advantage Meta-Power. Note that mortals and God-Blooded may not use Combos.
See page 200 of the SoF rulebook for more details.
Equipment
Purchase equipment normally. In many instances equipment is unchanged from one system to the other. In a few instances a translation from one to the other is necessary, and is explained.
Mundane Equipment
The prevailing Tech Level for most of Creation is generally TL2, meaning metal weapons and armour, and other medieval-ish equipment. Some places have TL3 (firewands and the like). First Age artifacts and infrastructure might raise it still further in localised areas.
Armour
Rather than create a new armour table for the types available in Exalted, instead here is a translation guide:
Exalted Armour Strands equivalent ------------------------------------------------------------ Buff Jacket, synthetic leather Leather or hide Breastplate, reinforced Buff Chain mail or breast jacket, chain shirt plate Lamellar, reinforced breastplate, Ring/scale mail or chain hauberk lamellar Articulated plate, chain swathing, Plate Mail plate and chain,
See page 308 of the SoF rulebook for more information on armour.
Shields are unchanged, only those up to TL2 are available.
See page 306 of the SoF rulebook for more information on shields.
Weapons
Weapons are unchanged, generally only those up to TL2 are available, unless otherwise noted. Below is a translation guide for Exalted weapons where relevant:
Exalted weapon Strands equivalent ------------------------------------------------------ Chopping sword Longsword Straight/slashing sword Rapier Poleaxe Halberd Sledge Maul Tetsubo Great club Spear Long spear Self bow Short bow Firewand Musket Flame piece Matchlock pistol
See pages 306-307 of the SoF rulebook for more information on Weapons.
Other equipment
Artifacts and Items of Power
See pages 299-340 of the SoF rulebook for more details on Equipment.
