General Exalted Discussion Thread XI: Great Job, You Broke the Scale.

[Kyeudo]

Originally Posted by Gensh

Third edition is coming!
Possibly after the apocalypse.

I find the return of Grabowski to be the most interesting thing mentioned. First Edition's core book was what hooked me on Exalted and got me to shell out all this money for everything written for Second Edition.

Guess I need to get down to work on getting out my Exalted project before the new rules hit.

Thought: Third Edition Alchemicals will probably not show up for another three years.

[Xefas]

Originally Posted by Gensh

Third edition is coming!
Possibly after the apocalypse.

My prediction:

The math gets cleaned up. Combat is more streamlined. The progression curve isn't so weird. All the Exalted have clearly defined themes and places in the setting from the beginning. None of the developers know what's actually wrong with the system. It's still terrible at telling Exalted stories. Systems with 5-page rule-pamphlets designed for 24 hour design contests will still be better than its professionally developed years-in-the-making 400 page monstrosity.

[Tavar]

Xefas, pray tell what are the stories Exalted is meant to tell?

[Kyeudo]

Originally Posted by Xefas

It's still terrible at telling Exalted stories.

I ran a game for three years under unerratad second edition rules and had an awesome ride. The system has hiccups, but those hiccups aren't that bad.

[Mr.Bookworm]

Originally Posted by Kobold-Bard

So why keep releasing 2e books? They're still going to be releasing at least one between now & December (Scroll of the Monk 2 I believe). If they knew the books were going to be replaced within a year, why keep selling them since that's obviously going to aggravate people (or maybe I'm just a moody git).

Hatewheel has said that SotM2 is cancelled. There's no new Exalted 2E books on the schedule, so presumably Shards is the last 2E product ever.

Really, my only complaint about this is that it cannot come fast enough. A year for Dragon-Bloods! A yeeeeear.

[Kyeudo]

KB, there's this thing called money. It's really useful for getting what you want out of other people. To get it, you have to convince people they want to give you money in return for something.

[Tavar]

Also, do note the last, what, 3 books released: Masters of Jade, Compass: Auto, and Shards. None of those are really mechanics heavy, and the setting information they give will likely still be relatively canon.

[Drascin]

Interesting. Freeing the game from the stranglehold of mutual contradiction and errata might actually make it possible to convince people to try it.

On the other hand, probably not buying it for a while. I don't really play solars, so until the splatbooks start coming out, it'd be pretty silly

[Xefas]

Originally Posted by Tavar

Xefas, pray tell what are the stories Exalted is meant to tell?

It's not like we haven't been over this before. 2nd Ed rewards standing in place and flurrying. It rewards hyper-specializing and sticking to your one shtick. Its "fiddly parcel" progression system overly restricts what you can do with a given concept (I have to pay separately for "Hits real hard", "Hits real accurately", "Hits a couple times", "Hits a lot of times", "Hits in a special way", "Hits in a slightly different special way"). It's overly concerned with being a tactical fighting game, rather than a game about telling stories. But then fails at being tactical. It doesn't incentivize, reinforce, or especially facilitate the roleplaying of your character. On and on. 3rd edition will be the same way, but a little better in the wrong direction.

That's not even bringing in the disconnect between system and setting. Artifacts, good god.

(If you'd like me to rehash my old complaints a bit more, it'll have to wait until tonight, because I'm about to go to work.)

Originally Posted by Kyeudo

I ran a game for three years under unerratad second edition rules and had an awesome ride. The system has hiccups, but those hiccups aren't that bad.

Congratulations. You're awesome at telling stories about Exalted in spite of the system. I'd be in awe of what you could accomplish, given something decent to work with.

[Geostationary]

For those of us ignorant of early Exalted, who's Geoff Grabowski? I take it he was instrumental in 1e in some manner?

[Kyeudo]

Originally Posted by Geostationary

For those of us ignorant of early Exalted, who's Geoff Grabowski? I take it he was instrumental in 1e in some manner?

He set the tone of First Edition Exalted, with its epic conflicts between super-powered demigods in a world slowly dying from greed, corruption, and political infighting.

He is specifically not to blame for Lunars sucking, because he wanted Conan and got civilization-hating werewolves who need different weapons to be told apart.

[TheCountAlucard]

Civilization-hating rapist werewolves who need different weapons to be told apart.

[Lord Raziere]

Originally Posted by Kobold-Bard

Infernals with no thematic restrictions. So basically you want to play a Solar?

Geh, this attitude makes me sigh. if I want to play a mutant unrestricted by thematics, Solars ain't the place I go to. Too human and straightforward.

also in response to Third Edition, I will say it thrice more:

great, now I have to purchase this all over again.

I will keep saying it, probably until time ends.

Still buying it though. the new corebook might actually make me like Solars.

[Tavar]

Originally Posted by Xefas

Congratulations. You're awesome at telling stories about Exalted in spite of the system. I'd be in awe of what you could accomplish, given something decent to work with.

Perhaps then you'd actually answer the question: what stories is Exalted supposed to tell?

[Jade Dragon]

*grumbles*

I've shelled out about two hundred bucks for paper and ink in some fancy format... and now most of it is useless.

I want my money back! *shakes cane*

[/old man]



Okay, seriously, I can't wait for this to come out.

[Yuki Akuma]

I just hope the system is close enough that we can still use 2e books until they release 3e equivalents.

Otherwise... I don't really want to wait three years for Infernals to come out again, for instance.

[Lord Raziere]

don't worry. with enough hard work and smartness, you can convert anything to anything! edition to next edition changes are actually very easy…..

[horngeek]

Lunars. Going to be awesome again.

*starts foaming at mouth*

[Sanguine]

Originally Posted by Yuki Akuma

I just hope the system is close enough that we can still use 2e books until they release 3e equivalents.

Otherwise... I don't really want to wait three years for Infernals to come out again, for instance.

Honestly I'm more concerned about Alchemicals. I don't think I've ever actually played one despite them being my favorite splat.

[Yuki Akuma]

Originally Posted by Lord Raziere

don't worry. with enough hard work and smartness, you can convert anything to anything! edition to next edition changes are actually very easy…..

Yeah, see, there's my problem.

[Rhyvurg]

Originally Posted by Kyeudo

Thought: Third Edition Alchemicals will probably not show up for another three years.

You hate me, don't you?

[Sanguine]

Okay, I am seriously considering requesting an Alchemical game, so that I can actually play one before 3E comes out and everyone switches over.

[Jade Dragon]

Originally Posted by horngeek

Lunars. Going to be awesome again.

*starts foaming at mouth*

If they're good, and they still have Twin-Faced Hero, I will probably be playing some.

But in the meantime, I'm rewriting my Infernal Charm.

Still no Name
Cost: 0-4 (+2), see text; Mins: Essence 3; Type: Simple
Keywords: Heretical, Combo-OK
Prerequisites: By Rage Recast, Loom-Snarling Deception

This trick requires the Infernal to be able to use Malfeas' shapechanging powers, but also be able to delicately manipulate them, as those who study under the Ebon Dragon can do the Loom of Fate.

At a cost of 6 - (permanent Essence) motes, the Infernal can change his form to look like any human, beastman, or other human-sized biped without any particular advantages over humans (such as gills or thick scales).

With a +2 surcharge cost, the Infernal can even take on superior forms, granting him his permanent Essence in mutation points for the form he takes on.

You can also pay this Charm's cost when using Loom-Snarling Deception to combine the two Charms. You may still create the illusory clothes when using Loom-Snarling Deception, but it is advised that the Infernal buys clothes that comfortably fit.

[aetherialDawn]

Originally Posted by Sanguine

Okay, I am seriously considering requesting an Alchemical game, so that I can actually play one before 3E comes out and everyone switches over.

Agreed.
But the question is - which Shard?
I have to admit, Modern Alchemicals are pretty nifty.


As for the Still No Name charm: What advantage does this offer over Loom-Snarling Deception? Actual shapechanging as opposed to illusions?
If so, rather than combining the shapechanging of Malfeas with the delicacy of the Ebon Dragon, I recommend treating it as combining the many faces of the Ebon Dragon with the absolute dominion over his own body that Malfeas grants. - Malfeas is not defined by a changing shape, but by one that is absolutely what he says it is. Ebby will let you lie about what you are, and forms the basis for the trick, merely modified by Malfeas.
Also remember that your disguise is not/should not be impenetrable as a Lunar's is; if you want to disguise yourself as a person, you must still impersonate them and properly envision their form - AKA, this charm doesn't (and shouldn't) negate a disguise check to impersonate someone.

And I still think this steps on Lunar toes too much for too little interest. It just doesn't feel very Infernal to me.

[Rhyvurg]

Honestly I don't care what Shard, as long as I get to play an Alchie it's all good.

[Qwertystop]

I still say it should be named Crushing Luna's Paw.

[Sanguine]

I was actually thinking standard Autochthonia. But if we did do Shards I would prefer Gunstar. Heaven's Reach doesn't have much info on Alchemicals, and I would prefer normal Alchemicals to Modern ones plus the Gunstar Alchemicals have a cool place in their society. But at this point I'd be willing to play anything Alchemical.

[horngeek]

Same here- I'd actually like a standard Autocthonia game.

[aetherialDawn]

Originally Posted by Sanguine

I was actually thinking standard Autochthonia. But if we did do Shards I would prefer Gunstar. Heaven's Reach doesn't have much info on Alchemicals, and I would prefer normal Alchemicals to Modern ones plus the Gunstar Alchemicals have a cool place in their society. But at this point I'd be willing to play anything Alchemical.

At least Modern has Alchemicals. They're so sadly absent from Heaven's Reach, and ridiculously absent from Burn Legend.

I personally like that Gunstar Alchemicals occupy nearly the same place in society, but the context is so overwhelmingly different.

Normal Autochthonia and Gunstar are both good with me.

[Exthalion]

I would really like an alchemicals game that got to the metro/patropolis level. Designing our city forms would be cool. To avoid playing at that level we could just use silo charms.