General Exalted Discussion Thread IX: Errata is Combo-Ok!

[Revlid]

To be honest, I'm convinced that removing all the elements of "antagonist splat" from Lunars was a poor decision. Infernals and Abyssals are both presented largely as "antagonist splats" in their own books, and Dragon-blooded and Sidereals tend to be presented that way outside of their own, as do raksha.

Solars are presented as basically perfect heroes, but with great potential for abuse of (and corruption by) their power.

Terrestrials are presented as basically elemental heroes, with their power turned to propping up a corrupt edifice that nevertheless keeps Creation safe.

Sidereals are presented as basically manipulative heroes, who are underappreciated and overworked as a fact of existence.

Abyssals are presented as basically horror heroes, who will have to slog through tragedy and pain to purify themselves.

Infernals are presented as basically alien heroes, who will have to squeeze their humanity and see what remains.

Alchemicals are presented as basically state heroes, who defend an inefficient system because it's the best chance humanity has.

Lunars are presented as... um.

Lunars are presented as basically animal heroes, who build societies with their magic to prove that the world doesn't need societies built by magic?

Alright, Lunars don't have a well-defined theme, this isn't news. My point is that even Solars, the baseline protagonists of the setting, are generally presented with this edge of "when you turn the world on its head, things will fall out of its pockets". Also known as the "holy **** he knows Taboo-Inflicting Diatribe no-one talk to anyone" effect.

Even Alchemicals, who are the most mortal-friendly Exalt type in the game, have the twin prods of "1984 was a guide to a good government" and "TETSUOOOOO" poking at their backs.

Lunars, by contrast, are presented as possibly the most white-hat splat in the game. They save Creation from the raksha, they constantly live on the borders of the world to better defend it, they build better societies for mortals because they recognize that it'd be better if the world didn't need them, they're looking for the returned Solars to help return them to their rightful place, their superpowered evil side was caused by that nasty Usurpation and can be perfectly suppressed by magical silver tattoos, lah lah lah. Plus all that animal-totem spirit-of-the-world garbage that isn't really supported anywhere else in the game's metaphysics but suggest "good guy" to anyone who really really enjoyed Werewolf: The Apocalypse.

Now, the manner of this presentation doesn't help, at all. It could have been done a lot better (basic tips like: if you're presenting a splat as awesome cool guys, don't make Raksi and Ma-Ha-Suchi its most visible elders). But the fact remains that, out of all the splats, Lunars are the ones who tend to lack the normal double-bladed presentation.

This being the splat whose most basic power, shapeshifting, requires that they hunt someone down like an animal over a period of hours and eat their heart. What the hell.

Solars are heroes. Lunars are the monsters at their back. Acknowledge this, and things become a lot easier from a design perspective.