[Exalted] Monsters? I'm new to Exalted

[Axinian]

I only just got the Core Exalted Rulebook and am really interested in running a game, but I don't know if there are any books or resources out there that serve as a sort of Monster Manual for the game. Are there any? What are some other good places to find Exalted monsters? I really don't want to have to stat out a bunch right away.

[The Rose Dragon]

There is not. There are books that do have antagonists, but on the same Essence level, they will always be weaker than a Celestial Exalt. All the Compasses, for example, have critters that can be fought or talked with, the Books of Sorcery have spirits and weirder things still, and Graceful Wicked Masques and Scroll of Fallen Races have non-human, non-spirit beings. However, most of the time, you will either be fighting a custom behemoth or another Exalt.

[Drascin]

However, most of the time, you will either be fighting a custom behemoth or another Exalt.

Sadly, this is true. Hope you like human antagonists better than fighting great monsters, because with most STs you're going to be fighting other Exalts for the most part :smallsigh:.

[The Rose Dragon]

Sadly, this is true. Hope you like human antagonists better than fighting great monsters, because with most STs you're going to be fighting other Exalts for the most part :smallsigh:.

Why sadly, though? Exalted's whole setting shtick is that actions have consequences that cannot be reversed easily. So, the harder the choice, the more important it becomes. That's why fights with animals, demons below the Third Circle and a lot of gods are not very difficult - because they won't affect the setting much. A Third Circle demon can quickly pop a new soul, and gods can be replaced by their superiors. However, slaying a Third Circle demon is much more staggering to a Yozi, the more powerful gods are more difficult to replace, and each Exalt is going to be a big deal eventually, even if they are not one now.

[Tengu_temp]

Roll of Glorious Divinity I has stats for spirits and elementals (and rules how to make your own), Roll of Glorious Divinity II for demons. Storyteller's Companion gives you simplified rules on making many times of Exalted, not enough for PCs but more than enough for creating NPCs, and has some sample stat blocks you can use as a base. Every Compass of Terrestial Directions has stat blocks for creatures and monsters native to the region, but most of them are laughably weak in comparison to even starting Exalted. If it can't use Essence, it's not really a challenge.


Exalted's whole setting shtick is that actions have consequences that cannot be reversed easily.

Eh... I see where are you coming from, but I don't buy it. I think you're reading too much into this. Did WW state anywhere that this is indeed their intention?

[DeadManSleeping]

The whole setting schtick is "we have a ton of writers who don't really quite agree on what the setting is supposed to be like".

If you want to make monsters, I recommend getting your hands on a copy of Compass of Celestial Directions: The Wyld. Lots of mutations to apply to your standard corebook animals. Mutate them until they're essentially unrecognizeable. Bam! Monster!

Of course, if you want to go for the REAL monsters of Exalted, like behemoths, you've pretty much got to make them up yourself. Give them some unique magic powers and stuff. There are one or two examples in every Compass of Terrestrial Directions book, but you shouldn't need splatbooks to GM an effective game.That last statement is the ANTI-schtick of Exalted.

[Drascin]

Why sadly, though?

Well, I like monsters and the dearth of cool onesis certainly a problem in my eyes. But I was talking about the whole mstly fighting only Exalts thing. Kind of robs them of all the specialness and rarity they're supposed to have - especially since an Exalted fight lasts about twenty seconds, IC, and most usually ends up on someone dying, so the antagonist turnover can get huge pretty quickly.

[Arbane]

1st Edition had the Creatures of the Wyld sourcebook, which had a lot of weird things in it, from monkeys to Behemoths - not sure how easy it would be to convert, though.

[SurlySeraph]

There are a few good monsters in Oadenol's Codex too, though they're more "Plot hook!" or "Thing to save the village from" or "There are 30 of them, now they're a threat" than things that can take on a party individually. About the only things that can really threaten a group of Exalts alone are Behemoths, high-Essence spirits/ ghosts/ demons, really high-Essence raksha, and other Exalts. Of those, high-Essence spirits and demons are the easiest to find statted out and probably the easiest to run. (If the party is curbstomping and it's getting boring, use Principle of Motion and take whatever actions are necessary to make them feel threatened again. If the party is going to overkill it and you need it for the plot, use Hurry Home or dematerialize).
Also, Oadenol's Codex is a great book in general.

[Teln]

Eh... I see where are you coming from, but I don't buy it. I think you're reading too much into this. Did WW state anywhere that this is indeed their intention?

Honestly, do they need to? My understanding is that "No takebacks" has been a part of the game since First Edition; hence why the only two Official Big Nos are time travel and bringing the dead back to life.

Axinian, you and every single person who's ever played a Lunar have wanted a Monster Manual.

Here's (http://www.thefreedomstone.com/?p=298) a homebrew animal creation system designed to be used in conjunction with the Beastman creation rules. I've never had occasion to use this system, and the creator would love any feedback you might have.

[Tavar]

Eh... I see where are you coming from, but I don't buy it. I think you're reading too much into this. Did WW state anywhere that this is indeed their intention?

There's also the fact that some of the huge, world changing events have had very bad consequences, but were almost certainly necessary. See Downfall of Primordials/Creation of Neverborn, Usurption, etc.

[Doc Roc]

There's also the fact that some of the huge, world changing events have had very bad consequences, but were almost certainly necessary. See Downfall of Primordials/Creation of Neverborn, Usurption, etc.

You know, I've always found the setting pretty Grimdark underneath it all.

[Tavar]

It kinda depends on a couple things. I mean, yeah, it's kinda grimdark, but that makes sense. In the original Canon, Exalted turned into the WoD, after all.

That's changed with the current edition, but yeah, it's easy to make a grimdark game. It's also easy to make a more heroic game. The deciding factor is whether the PC's can do anything to change the setting in fundamental ways.

[randomhero00]

I only just got the Core Exalted Rulebook and am really interested in running a game, but I don't know if there are any books or resources out there that serve as a sort of Monster Manual for the game. Are there any? What are some other good places to find Exalted monsters? I really don't want to have to stat out a bunch right away.


Sadly, this is true. Hope you like human antagonists better than fighting great monsters, because with most STs you're going to be fighting other Exalts for the most part :smallsigh:.

Actually when I played (for a year) we mostly battled fey and warped chaos monsters and things from the underworld.

[SurlySeraph]

You know, I've always found the setting pretty Grimdark underneath it all.

I think that's a lot of the point, yeah. If you're lucky, you can be incredibly awesome and change the world. But almost everyone is stuck with cholera, poll taxes, and dying horribly the moment they annoy someone powerful.
And even the awesome super-people can fail miserably. Fairly often, actually.

I mean, this is a setting where the creators of the universe seem to have been closely modeled on Azathoth (ultrapowerful, oblivious, and very stupid in some important respects); the good gods are all basically crack addicts with pretty serious mental issues on top of that;* and all the normal-ish rulers of the world have been breathtakingly hedonistic and irresponsible.

The subtly bleak elements of the setting are part of why I love it. There's lots of room for hope and awesomeness to prevail, but there's also room for games where things were actually better under the Primordials and the Reclamation is a good idea, or (more plausibly) where things just can't get better and the Abyssals are heroes making room for a new and better start.

*UCS: Ignoring all the world's problems that he could solve without much effort, in the most perfect possible way.
Luna: just plain crazy. Crazy in love, sure, but also crazy in crazy.
Mercury: Mostly OK.
Venus: Whee, love is actually pretty terrible. I'm going to enjoy myself as much possible and try to ignore everything bad.
Jupiter: I could save everyone all kinds of trouble if I told someone about the Great Curse. But I don't do things like that.
Mars: KILL! KILL! KILL!
Saturn: Die. Die. Die. You too, Mr. Sun.
Autochthon: Mope. Mope. Mope. Tumorize.
Gaia: Mostly OK.

[The Rose Dragon]

The main problem with all five of the Maidens is twofold: one, they love their Chosen, and two, they love the Unconquered Sun. To that end, they have to blind themselves to the samsara so they won't have to act against them, but that also means they are weaker for that. They are best when they act as inhuman enablers of the future, but their attachments to others make that difficult.

[Sanguine]

You know it's not Autochthon's fault he has super tumors. He was born* with them. Of course sealing himself off from Chemo, metaphorically speaking, probably wasn't the best idea.

*Or however it is Primordials come into existence

[Axinian]

Thanks for the help so far guys. It seems like it will be worth picking up some of the adventures for adversary ideas, which ones do you guys think I should get?

[Drascin]

You know, I've always found the setting pretty Grimdark underneath it all.

"Pretty" Grimdark? Creation is almost a hellhole, and it seems everything and everyone of power is either useless, wanting to destroy the world, or a total and complete self-absorbed tool. Of course, WW's writing is likely to be highly responsible for that last bit, but still. Creation's not a nice place to live.

[Mr.Bookworm]

"Pretty" Grimdark? Creation is almost a hellhole, and it seems everything and everyone of power is either useless, wanting to destroy the world, or a total and complete self-absorbed tool. Of course, WW's writing is likely to be highly responsible for that last bit, but still. Creation's not a nice place to live.

Yeah. If you're a non-heroic mortal, you're likely to be screwed with warning at any second by one of the millions of beings stronger then you, and if you're not a mortal, you're probably one of the people doing the screwing.

On another note, Axinian, if you want to make Exalts to fight the players, you probably want to get the Storyteller's Guide. It has rules for making Exalts quickly, even without the relevant books.

[Tengu_temp]

Exalted is not really that much more grimdark than most other low fantasy settings. Do note that Exalted and other Essence users are rare: most people go through their lives without even meeting one supernatural creature.

[Indon]

Exalted is not really that much more grimdark than most other low fantasy settings. Do note that Exalted and other Essence users are rare: most people go through their lives without even meeting one supernatural creature.

Not necessarily true regarding mortal essence users. Many villages in the setting have, if not some mystic of their own, access to or knowledge of a local mystic, be it an Immaculate monk, some hedge wizard, or just a healer with enlightened Essence.

Edit: As for easy monster-making for a new group, I find that wild animals (sometimes with Wyld mutations) make for good warmups for groups composed of new Exalted players.

[Tavar]

Those may be Thaumaturges, but they often don't have enlightened essence. The two don't always coincide.

[The Rose Dragon]

Actually, supernatural creatures are more common than one might think. Even if you never meet one of power, small elementals and least gods are everywhere. The only solace is that a mortal can defeat most of those in combat if sufficiently trained.

[Indon]

Those may be Thaumaturges, but they often don't have enlightened essence. The two don't always coincide.

True, only a minority of thaumaturgists have awakened essence. Still, thaumaturgy itself is quite common. The Exalted universe is one in which a group of kids with a dusty book can conceivably summon a demon they cannot control, for instance... which would make for a fine horror plot, or Exalted session if the players come into the scene.

[Tavar]

Thaumaturgy is common, but it's also hard. And, how is that different from other fantasy settings. I mean, in forgotten realms, the same thing applies.

[Leliel]

...I'm sorry SurlySeraph, but some of your information is faulty.



.
Luna: just plain crazy. Crazy in love, sure, but also crazy in crazy.

Neither addicted to the Games of Divinity or not in control of herself.

Jupiter: I could save everyone all kinds of trouble if I told someone about the Great Curse. But I don't do things like that.

She can't. It's why the Maidens don't like looking at Samsara.

Mars: KILL! KILL! KILL!

...Okay, this is just plain wrong. She's just as compassionate and kind as the rest of the Maidens, she's just a bit cold due to her purview. Indeed, she prefers to have as little war as possible.

Saturn: Die. Die. Die. You too, Mr. Sun.

Even more wrong. More like "Renew. Renew. Renew. It has to be done, and I'll try to make it as painless as possible, while also giving my medical expertise."

[SurlySeraph]

Luna: "Now Luna struggles to protect Creation and Gaia while laboring under a crippling addiction to the Games of Divinity. But of all the Celestial Incarnae, it is she who shows the strongest resistance..." Glories of the Most High, p. 3. She's addicted, just not as badly as the others.

Jupiter: Yeah. Like how the Ebon Dragon can't be nice, She Who Lives can't disobey orders from Malfeas, etc. Being completely unable to do something that would really help you is, in my opinion, a serious mental issue. Even if you can't be otherwise.

Mars: True, she does deeply care for soldiers and feels pain that she has to send them to their deaths. But only she and Jupiter know that; all anyone else sees is "Any business not having to do with battles, contests or war distracts her from her careful planning and causes her savage irritation" and "ruthlessly pragmatic, quick to take offense and caring little for those mortals questionably blessed by her presence." (GotMH p. 5). Plus her Motivation *is* “Make sure all things come into conflict as they should.” It hurts her to obey her overriding motivation, the entire purpose she was created for. Being unable to stop doing or even stop wanting to do something that you find very painful? Serious mental issue.

Saturn: Every year at the Carnival of Meeting, she challenges the UCS to something. "Every year, she has been defeated. And every year, at the conclusion of the match, Saturn bows to the Unconquered Sun, looks up at him gravely and whispers, 'Next year, perhaps.'" (MoEP: Sidereals, p. 73). It's not like she's chasing him around with a knife, but the implication is clear.
Page 72 also says there are rumors that "she has looked into the heart of the Labyrinth itself, seen the ultimate manifestation of death... and liked what she saw."
Also, in RotSE sheInsists that the Maidens do nothing to help the UCS during the assassination attempt.
She's certainly better than the Neverborn, and all the evidence suggests that she's all for reincarnation rather than for Oblivion, but her motivation is “Make sure all things end as they should.” Creation is a thing.

[Leliel]

Luna: "Now Luna struggles to protect Creation and Gaia while laboring under a crippling addiction to the Games of Divinity. But of all the Celestial Incarnae, it is she who shows the strongest resistance..." Glories of the Most High, p. 3. She's addicted, just not as badly as the others.

That, and she can multitask. *cough*Ant and Starfish Trick *cough*.

Jupiter: Yeah. Like how the Ebon Dragon can't be nice, She Who Lives can't disobey orders from Malfeas, etc. Being completely unable to do something that would really help you is, in my opinion, a serious mental issue. Even if you can't be otherwise.

True enough. Unlike them, she's aware of the problem and knows exactly how to avoid it-don't look at Samsara.

Mars: True, she does deeply care for soldiers and feels pain that she has to send them to their deaths. But only she and Jupiter know that; all anyone else sees is "Any business not having to do with battles, contests or war distracts her from her careful planning and causes her savage irritation" and "ruthlessly pragmatic, quick to take offense and caring little for those mortals questionably blessed by her presence." (GotMH p. 5). Plus her Motivation *is* “Make sure all things come into conflict as they should.” It hurts her to obey her overriding motivation, the entire purpose she was created for. Being unable to stop doing or even stop wanting to do something that you find very painful? Serious mental issue.

Very, very true. That's what I meant by "as little war as possible"-she's not a jerk about it, it's just her job.

Saturn: Every year at the Carnival of Meeting, she challenges the UCS to something. "Every year, she has been defeated. And every year, at the conclusion of the match, Saturn bows to the Unconquered Sun, looks up at him gravely and whispers, 'Next year, perhaps.'" (MoEP: Sidereals, p. 73). It's not like she's chasing him around with a knife, but the implication is clear.
Page 72 also says there are rumors that "she has looked into the heart of the Labyrinth itself, seen the ultimate manifestation of death... and liked what she saw."
Also, in RotSE sheInsists that the Maidens do nothing to help the UCS during the assassination attempt.
She's certainly better than the Neverborn, and all the evidence suggests that she's all for reincarnation rather than for Oblivion, but her motivation is “Make sure all things end as they should.” Creation is a thing.

As is war, disease, sorrow, suffering...

Besides, Oblivion isn't so bad. Once it gets you, you're gone. You aren't trapped in an empty void, you aren't in pain, you're just gone. Seems like she just had an existential crisis, made her peace with it, and saw the Void was morally neutral.

And that's not what I picked up from that line at all. Just seems like she's reminding Sol that he isn't all-powerful. About ROtSE: Remember Samsara? The little 8-Ball of Destiny? If it proclaims something, the Maiden has to go along with it. It's why no one wants Sachaverell to wake up.


In any case, I like the debate. I just so happen to focus on the "Reconstruction" side of things that is present in 2nd Edition.

[Indon]

There's lots of room for hope and awesomeness to prevail, but there's also room for games where things were actually better under the Primordials and the Reclamation is a good idea, or (more plausibly) where things just can't get better and the Abyssals are heroes making room for a new and better start.

Making the Reclamation a good idea would require a tremendous amount of Primordial-improvement on the part of the Infernals.

All of the conceptual crippling that the Incarnae experience pales before the degree to which any of the Primordials are, according to the reckoning of even the most humble mortal human, pitifully mentally handicapped. Autochthon is probably the most cognitively broad of the Primordials, and I think that's saying something.

Not to mention that it kinda was humans who killed five+ Primordials, captured the rest, and exterminated most of their other creations, while the gods were (under orders themselves) telling them to stop. That means the Reclamation is unlikely to produce good results for humanity.

And you have to manipulate the game's cosmology a good deal for the triumph of Oblivion to be a new start. Oblivion is not the formlessness of the Wyld - it is the irreversible obliteration of everything - and there's nothing saying the Wyld is exempt from this. Admittedly, Exalted is a universe in which characters can manipulate the game's cosmology, but still.

[SurlySeraph]

I took that line as "She has to try to conquer/ end the UCS once a year," much like the bit in GotMH about how Venus keeps proposing marriage to the UCS, he keeps accepting, and Saturn keeps breaking off the engagement. It's very unlikely that they're ever actually going to marry, and it's very unlikely that Saturn's actually going to beat the UCS, but they have to keep trying.

And it's true that Oblivion is underrated, but reincarnation's a pretty good deal. :smalltongue:

Point on RotSE; I was assuming that she wanted that to happen, but inability to act is also possible.

[Tengu_temp]

Actually, supernatural creatures are more common than one might think. Even if you never meet one of power, small elementals and least gods are everywhere. The only solace is that a mortal can defeat most of those in combat if sufficiently trained.

Yeah, but most of those stay hidden away from mortal sight and care little about intervening in the lives of mortals, just doing their job instead most of the time. So even though your village has many weak gods around, there little chance you will actually meet any of them.

[Agrippa]

Yeah, but most of those stay hidden away from mortal sight and care little about intervening in the lives of mortals, just doing their job instead most of the time. So even though your village has many weak gods around, there little chance you will actually meet any of them.

This may or may not be relevant, but that does sound a lot like a more benign or even benevolent version of Fire God (http://jrients.blogspot.com/2009/02/um-fear-my-wrath-puny-mortals.html). If they're sapient of course.

[Sanguine]

This may or may not be relevant, but that does sound a lot like a more benign or even benevolent version of Fire God (http://jrients.blogspot.com/2009/02/um-fear-my-wrath-puny-mortals.html). If they're sapient of course.

As I understand it they are quasi-sapient. Also they would be benign; they aren't really capable of benevolence, they just do their jobs.

[Agrippa]

As I understand it they are quasi-sapient. Also they would be benign; they aren't really capable of benevolence, they just do their jobs.

I understand that one, thank you.