Epithets

 

Amongst Men, Lu Bu 「人中吕布，马中赤兔」

[Lu Bu]

Lu Bu’s Unique Epithet

“君，驍勇無敵，善戰無前，然勇而少計，暴而少仁。恐眾叛旦夕之間。”

“Your Excellency’s Martial Prowess are without Equal, and no one in history can match you.  While your might is unstoppable - you lack insight, while dauntlessness - you lack mercy, I fear it would not be long before everything turns against you”

Lu Bu’s combat skills are phenomenal.  He is without doubt the finest warrior in History.  His combat awareness is profound and his stances perfect.  As such he never suffers onslaught penalties, including any penalties from charms and effects that are categorized as Onslaught.
          His defense is so well formed that he is able to protect himself from all assailants without leaving any opening.  Thus he is exempted from the rule of one enemy gaining unsuspected attack when maximum number of opponents in any combat space is reached.  This combined with his blazing speed and terrifying aggression allows him to ignore coordinated attacks against him as long as he attacks.
          His nearly impenetrable defense is so robust that his Wound Penalties do not modify his DVs - though it still lowers his dice pools normally.
          Perhaps most potent of them all, Lu Bu adds his Essence Score (this includes the Might Rating of his troops in Mass Combat) as automatic successes to all Combat Related Actions of Physical Prowess and Awareness (including Join Battle Rolls).  This adding of successes also modifies relevant Static Values by the same amount.  These bonus successes are not considered bonus from Charms and does not make his attacks “charm infused.”  Like Second Excellency, this ability does not allow him to pursuit impossible attacks – such as multiple action penalties in excess of his dice pool.
          Lu Bu is also Fearless and perfectly defends against all fear effects.  This overwhelming confidence is such that as long as he is active his complementary unit is considered to have perfect morale as they are strengthened by the knowledge their commander is undefeatable.
          Regardless of his Intimacies, Motivations, Charms, and Any effects he is subjected to (Perfect or Otherwise), Lu Bu cannot be prevented from choosing to betray those around him for a sufficiently attractive prize.  This is not a mechanical effect, but should be handled in story narratives.

 

Bull of the North

[Yurgen Kaneko]

Decimate the Tepet Legions

Just a title - granted to the person who turned the current world order upside down.

 

Catalyst

[Aata]

Attune the Artifact “Clockwork Heart”

Face Celestial Justice

 

Confessor

[Flawless Oak]

Cause an NPC to commit suicide because of Guilty Conscience

Free specialty “Presence: Interrogation +1”  This does not count towards the max of 3 specialties, but it does count towards the +3 cap for total bonus dice from specialties.

 

Deliberator

[None Currently]

Become one of the 5 Solar Deliberators

Gains 1 Willpower point every Sunrise.  Regain 4 extra motes of Essence per hour.  +5 to Personal Essence Pool and +10 to Peripheral Essence Pool.

 

Devourer, The

[None Currently]

Be declared “The devourer”

No [Game] Mechanical Bonus

 

Famous Archer General

[Yurgen Kaneko]

Achieve 5 consecutive victories against mass combat units that have a minimum of magnitude 6, higher troop quality and higher magnitude than the character’s own range unit.  These victories can be spread over multiple battle/wars, but the character must not suffer defeat in between.

When commanding Mass Combat Archery Unit, the complementary unit gains +1 to Morale (max 6)

 

Famous Calvary General

[Renath of Diamond Hearth]

Achieve 5 consecutive victories against mass combat units that have a minimum of magnitude 6, higher troop quality and higher magnitude than the character’s own Calvary unit.  These victories can be spread over multiple battle/wars, but the character must not suffer defeat in between.

When commanding Mass Combat Calvary Unit, the complementary unit gains +1 to Morale (max 6)

 

Famous Infantry General

[No One Currently]

Achieve 5 consecutive victories against mass combat units that have a minimum of magnitude 6, higher troop quality and higher magnitude than the character’s own Infantry unit.  These victories can be spread over multiple battle/wars, but the character must not suffer defeat in between.

When commanding Mass Combat Infantry Unit, the complementary unit gains +1 to Morale (max 6)

 

Heavenly Spear (天槍)

[Rhianna of Marukan Alliance]

Rhianna’s unique Epithet

Combat Abilities is effectively 2 dots higher when applied to the use of any Piercing Polearm (Spears, Lances, Javelins, etc.).  Essence Score is also effectively 1 dot higher under such conditions.  This enhanced Essence score cannot be used to meet the Essence requirement to learn charms.

Some Examples are War Ability when leading Lancers, Spearmen, Javelineers.  Martial Arts when using a style that uses Spears.  Thrown when tossing a Javelin.

 

Isolation Specialist

[Flawless Oak]

Fail the Elemental Court of Wood’s Test

No [game] mechanical bonuses nor penalties

 

General of Legend

[Tepet Arada]

Gain Famous Archery General, Famous Infantry General, and Famous Calvary General, without suffering any defeat in-between.

Loses the epithet Famous Infantry General, Famous Calvary General, Famous Archery General.

The general’s complementary unit gains +1 to Morale (no max) and +1 to Drill (no max)

Opposing Mass Combat Units lose 1 dot of Morale – unless protected by Charm vs. Natural/Unnatural Mental Influences

 

Ghost Buster

[Alabaster hand of the Heaven]

Be the first to use ghost eating technique to permanently kill a ghost

Converts one attack dice to automatic success when using Ghost Eating Technique against a Ghost.  Character loses one success on any attempt to establish positive relationships with Ghosts.

 

Golden Beacon of Hope, The

[Clytemnestra]

Be the Leader of the Gold Faction Solars

Gains the “Born to Rule” merit.  Gold Faction Solars are automatically considered to be his/her “lessers”.

 

Golden Custodian of North and East

[Yurgen Kaneko]

Gain the title of the Golden Custodian of North and East

+/-1 automatic success to all social rolls depending on whether the title is a positive benefit or negative

 

Golden Custodian of South and West

[Balan, Dagnir]

Gain the title The Golden Custodian of South and West

+/-1 automatic success to all social rolls depending on whether the title is a positive benefit or negative

 

Matchless Salesman

[Alabaster Hand of the Heaven]

Alabaster’s Unique Epithet

NPCs Natural Dodge MDV is halved against Alabaster’s attempts to gain their trust.  This halving is before modifiers are applied.

 

Militia Leader

[Flawless Oak]

Suffering no losses when leading a unit with Drill 1 to victory against a superior foes in all other statistics

The character can put his complementary unit into regular formation regardless of their Drill rating.

 

Miracle Worker

[Hastha-sth]

Become the High Priest of the Unconquered Sun

Can Invoke the Miracles of any God under the governance of the Unconquered Sun – which means pretty much every Celestial and Terrestial God.  Only Malfea and Underworld gods are not under the Unconquered Sun’s governance.

Successfully invoked Miracles function at double potency. Failures on “Invoke Miracle” actions are treated as successful invocation with 0 threshold.  Botches are considered simple failures.

 

Partaker of the Forbidden Fruit

[Flawless Oak]

Survive the experiences of the The Menagerie of Fathomless Freedom

Character is forever reshaped by the inevitable corruption of such an expedition.  His Temperance Virtue is effectively 2 dots less when confronted with Temptation of the Demonic Flesh.  He also gains a token of remembrance – The Dema Sutra.  His jaded tastes however gains him superior performance in just such a situation.  Effectively gaining 3 dice to his “performance” rolls.

 

Slayer

[Nalla Bloodaxe, The]

Personally kill over a thousand sentient beings in one battle.

Opponents/Units who are under fear effects of the character cannot use coordinated attack against her.  Fearful effects are things such as successful intimidation attempt that was not resisted or fear inducing charms and effect such as Dawn’s anima.

 

Sleepless

[Currently No One]

Enter into more than 5 Eclipse Oaths concurrently.

Add 1 dot to Conviction, Temperance or Valor (Pick one, to a max of  5 dots).  Willpower Gain Rolls are penalized by one success (to a minimum of 0 successes).

 

Trainer of Heroes

[Dace]

Train more than 10,000 people with Tiger Warrior Training Technique

Gain +1 dot bonus to the Magnitude that can be trained by Tiger Warrior Training Technique

 

Training Wheels

[Dusk Princess of the Obsidian Heart]

Be chosen by the Neverborne as a Death Lord replacement candidate

+1 dot to Whisper Background with no maximum ceiling.

 

Unsavory Attraction

[Alabaster Hand of the Heaven]

Alabaster’s Unique Epithet

Alabaster is cursed (Unnatural Mental Influence) to be unable to join any religion he believes to be “Good.”  The cause can be anywhere from not be interested to actively self-sabotage his own enrollment.

 

War? What is it Good For?

[Balan]

Mire one corner of Creation into constant War for the foreseeable future

Gain the intimacy “Warmongering.”  This intimacy cannot be eroded for as long as the character possesses the Epithet.

 

Zealous for Justice

[Aata]

Rather choose death for his crimes rather than accept mercy

Set the precedence in the Third Age that Solars are subjugated to Celestial Jurisdiction.

Ghost Stats Correction

I think there is a mess up in Exalted 2nd Edition’s Core Rules.

In the book the physically most potent ghost is actually Hungry Ghosts.  War Ghosts are the weakest of the batch.  Nemissaries are second, and Nephwracks are the greatest.

While this might be intentional it makes little sense with me.

So I am switching them out a bit

Average Hungry Ghosts
Strength 4, Dexterity 2, Stamina 3, Charisma 1, Manipulation 1, Appearance 1, Perception 3, Intelligence 1, Wits 3

Average War Ghosts
Strength 4, Dexterity 4, Stamina 3, Charisma 2, Manipulation 2, Appearance 2, Perception 2, Intelligence 2, Wits 2

Average Nemissaries
Strength 6, Dexterity 4, Stamina 4, Charisma 2, Manipulation 3, Appearance 2, Perception 3, Intelligence 2, Wits 3

Average Nephwracks
Strength 6, Dexterity 6, Stamina 6, Charisma 2, Manipulation 4, Appearance 1, Perception 5, Intelligence 4, Wits 6

These stats will replace the ones in the book

Mass Combat: Issue of “Might”

As it stands right now Might’s only function is to add number of success to the attacker’s roll.

It less effective than a higher Combat Rating, which adds half its value to DV.

Yet it is all encompassing of all the Charms and Supernatural Powers of the complementary troops, including such things as Soak charms, Perfect Defenses, and does not in any way modify defense.

So I am going to change Might to a more useful trait.

It still retains its normal bonus

• add as number of successes to the Commander’s attack
• added to the Commander’s Essence value to determine resistance and qualification against charms and spells

It will now add to other traits as well

• It will add to DV on a 1 to 1 basis.  So a Might rating of 3 will add +3 to the DV.  Since right now an army of gods with charms (and might rating) has the same inherent DV bonus as an army of mortals.
• It will add to Soak on a 1 to 1 basis.  So an army of mortals wearing super-heavy plate, will have less final soak than an army of essence 10 war gods wearing super-heavy plate.  Since right now Soak is only determined by armor and the leader’s stamina.
• It adds number of dice equal to rating to the Unit’s Valor/Hesitation checks.  So a mortal army with nothing but steel backing them up is more likely to hesitate and route than an army armed with good luck charms, walk-away, warding, and other thaumaturgy enough to grant them a might rating of 1.
• To reflect the more useful nature of Might, it’s rating will be strictly enforced.  The official books seems to exaggerate the Might Ratings of most units.  Such as the Lookshy Gunshoa Armor having rating of 4 when it suppose to be max 3 by Core Book Rules.  It will be fixed as these things come up.
  • Astartes is now Might 2, not 4.  In time as they actually learn some Spirit Charms they will become Might 3

Rebalanced Charm: Arrow Storm Technique

The reason Arrow Storm Technique exist as a charm is it allows one to use just 1 set of Reflexive for all the attack it makes at no additional cost – unlike Extra Action Charms.

Unfortunately with my addition of Patterning Arrow Storm Technique lost some of its usefulness when combo-ed with Reflexive Charms (it is Combo-Basic).  So I am going to rebalance it in a very simple manner:  Placing this charm in a Combo will remove the 1wp surcharge for combo activation.

For example, Since the Charm has Bull of the North as the illustration image in the core book, I will give him the Combo.  Let say he activates the Combo consisting of this Charm and Second Excellency.

Normally it would cost him 1wp for the Combo, 1wp 8m for Arrow Storm, and 2 motes for each success (max of 6 successes).

With the adjustment it will cost him 0wp to activate the combo, 1wp 8m for Arrow Storm, and 12 motes for 6 successes. 

For a total of 1wp, 20 motes, for 15 archery attacks against 15 man-sized objects, or 15 times against a military unit or large object, or Combinations there of.

Each attack will be adding 6 successes.

He can quite possibly reduce a Magnitude 10 Extra army to just the commander in 1 shot.

However, if he uses the Charm by itself he will still pay 1wp and 8m to activate it.  Since the discount only applies to combos.

Exalted Types and Their General Charms

All maxes, unless specifically noted are for starting out characters – in other words Essence 1-5.

Dragon-Blooded

• Dice Cap are (Ability + Applicable Specialty), Max 8
• Can use Reflexive Charms without need to Combo them
• First Excellency adds 2 dice per 1 mote spent
• Second Excellency adds 1 success per 1 motes
• Terrestrial (Ability) Reinforcement: raise other's ability for the rest of the scene
• Has Cooperative Effects, Dragon-Blooded using charms in conjunction with each other gain greater effects.
• Sorcery Access: Terrestrial Circle
• Necromancy Access: Shadowland Circle
• One of a thousand or so Dragon-Blooded have oddity of blood, probably result of mixing bloodlines with Ghost-Blooded, and these can learn Shadowland Necromancy but not Terrestrial Sorcery.  The reverse is true as well.  Normal Dragon-Blooded cannot learn Necromancy at all.

Sidereal

• Dice Cap is Essence, Max 5
• Their Excellencies can keep buy off penalties without counting towards the cap.  E.g. they can add 5 dice to their dice pool, or 8 dice if the dice pool is suffering a –3 penalty.
• First and Second Excellency is same bonuses and cost as Solar Version
• Third Excellency is 3 motes
• Fateful (Ability) Excellency - Essence Auspicious: Lower Difficulty values for the roll.  For 4m 1wp turn every dice in the dice pool into automatic success (if defending double DV)
• Propitious(Ability) Alignment: Same as Infinite Mastery, but can only have 1 active at any time.  Each dot in the astrological college of the alignment lowers the cost by 1.  Min of 1
• Can use Astrological College

• Sorcery Access: Celestial Circle
• Necromancy Access: Shadowland Circle

 

Lunar

• Dice Cap is Attributes and not Abilities, Max 6 (With Legendary Attribute Merit)
  • [My Modifications] With the Modification that all applicable Specialties now raise Caps, the Max cap for Lunars, with the correct Attribute Specialty, are now 9
• A few Charms specifically allow Attribute + Essence (maximum 11)
  • [My Modifications] With the Modification that all applicable Specialties now raise Caps, the Max cap for Lunars, with the correct Attribute Specialty, are now 14
• First and Second Excellency is same bonuses and cost as Solar Version
• 3rd Excellency is 4 motes
• Instinctive (Attribute) Unity: Same effect as Solar’s Infinite Mastery
• Flawless (Attribute) Focus: Allow the purchasing of Attribute Specialties for that attribute.  Similarly since Attributes are much broader than Abilities, so does their specialty.  Attribute Specialties share the same cap as ability specialties, any combination there of cannot exceed +3.
• Can use Shape-shifting Knacks

• Sorcery Access: Celestial Circle
• Necromancy Access: Shadowland Circle

 

Solar

• Dice Cap is Attribute + Ability, Max is 12 (with House Ruled Prodigy and Legendary Attribute Merits)
  • [My Modifications] With the Modification that all applicable Specialties now raise Caps, the Max cap for Solars, with the correct Specialty, are now 15
• Cheapest Perfect and readily available prefect charms
• Infinite (Ability) Mastery: lower the cost of invoking 1st, 2nd and 3rd Excellencies by 1 mote for every 2 motes committed.  Min cost is 0.
• (Ability) Essence Flow: allow invoking of 1st, 2nd and 3rd Excellencies as natural abilities, thus no need to combo, but their costs cannot be discounted either.

• Sorcery Access: Solar Circle
• Necromancy Access: Labyrinth Circle

 

Abyssal

• Dice Cap is Attribute + Ability, Max is 12 (with House Ruled Prodigy and Legendary Attribute Merits)
  • [My Modifications] With the Modification that all applicable Specialties now raise Caps, the Max cap for Abyssals, with the correct Attribute Specialty, are now 15
• Masters of Killing
• Treat mirror charms’ "mortals" as including deceased (ghosts, etc.)
• Abyssal Charms that mentally or socially affect "living mortals" also affects ghosts.  Charms that affect "animals" also affect Ghost Animals and Plasmic Entities.  Need specialized charms to affect undeads with no minds.
• Mostly mirrors of Solar Charms.  The potent ones are generally cheaper, but has the surcharge of 1wp when used outside of Shadowlands or the Underworld.
• Excellencies are generally the same
• Ravening Mouth of (Ability) - Reflexive: One version for Archery, Melee, Thrown, Martial Arts.  regains 1 mote for every level of damage dealt to sentient being (Subjected to cannot gain more than 20m per action rule).  Including indirect damage (such as health level paid by the target to activate defensive charms) but not ongoing damage such as poison.

• Sorcery Access: Celestial Circle
• Necromancy Access: Void Circle

 

Infernal

• Looks too complicated, didn’t bother trying to understand it enough to summarize
• Pretty sure their dice cap is the same as Solars
  • See “Solar” section for actual numbers
• Sorcery Access: Solar Circle  (Speculation)
• Necromancy Access: Labyrinth Circle (Speculation)

 

Alchemical

• Dice Pool are equal to Attribute, Max  6 (With Legendary Merit) but can go as high as 9 with 3 installation of Fourth (Attribute) Augmentation Charm
• Charms are Equipment, and each Alchemical have General and Dedicated Slots.
  • General Slots hold any charm, Starts with 4
  • Dedicated Slots hold only Caste and Favorite Attribute Charms, Starts with 4
• Being Equipment Charms can be modified with "Submodules" which are like Permanent Charms that alter other Charms but without requiring a slot of their own – since they are modifications to existing charms.
• Combos are charms combined into new gear called Arrays
• Has the broadest ability to combine charms into combos - as long as they have the right keyword (combo-basic, simple, etc.), follow Combo Rules (Simple only goes with reflexive, etc.), and can supplement the action.  They are not strictly segregated by Ability or Attribute like other Exalts.
• Their Combo Arrays provides access to any and all legal combos of the combination of Charms in the Array
• Cheaper to Add Charms to existing Combos
• Some of their Duration Charms have no commitment costs
• Excellencies are called Augmentation for Alchemicals
• First and Second Augmentation is the same cost and effect as Solar Versions
• Third Excellency is 3m in Healthy Autochthonia, 5m everywhere else.
• Fourth (Attribute) Augmentation - Essence Integrated: 1m commitment (for 1st Charm, it is a permanent charm)  Can install up to Essence/2 Rounded up times per attribute.  Each time adds 1 to that attribute, considered natural additions - including raising the cap for charms.  Always Obvious.
• Fifth (Attribute) Augmentation - Scene long Attribute adder.  3m, gain a +1 bonus to that attribute for the scene, count as bonus dice from charms.  1 wp surcharge the first time it is activated in a scene.
  • Submodule: Unbound Essence Booster (Essence 5, 1xp) changes it to 3m/+1.
• Sixth (Attribute) Augmentation - Permanent (1m), Purchased for a particular Attribute+Ability Rating.  Ability (outside of the purpose for valid actions) are considered at its maximum rating.  E.g. If purchased for Strength + Martial Arts, Martial Arts will be considered 5.  If his Essence is raised to 7 (and thus his max natural rating is now 7) MA will be treated as 7.  Valid actions are things like minimum requirement to learn a charm, etc.
• Transpuissant (Attribute) Upgrade - Purchased for an Attribute.  When activated it turns any specialty bonus into automatic successes.  if used for attack, it also convert post soak dice of equal amount into automatic successes against creatures of the void.  If it is used for mental influences it provides double the normal bonus (+3 becomes +6) as a bonus Axiomatic effect.
  • Submodule: Machine Logic Subroutine (Essence 4):  When performing an action in relations to high-Clarity (their "Great Curse") stunt dice are converted to successes as well.  Gain 1 point of Clarity.
• Clockwork (Attribute) Perfection Nodes - forgo a roll to simply get the total dice pool/2 rounded up as successes for the action.  Can still roll if he wants, and just use the higher of 2 results.  Apply this effect after all modifiers to dice pool are applied.
  • Submodule: Metaconductive Circuitry (Essence 4): Spend 5m 1wp, add Essence as automatic successes to the converted result.  Cannot raise successes higher than the total dice pool.

• Sorcery Access: Celestial Circle
• Necromancy Access: Labyrinth Circle
• Can use Man-Machine Protocol (Sort of Sorcery more powerful than Terrestrial Spells but less powerful than Celestial Spells)

 

Overlapping Specialties

I am not sure if you guys are aware of that more than one specialty can apply at any given situation.

Remember that “Bow +3” is actually 3 Bow +1 and because they are the same when one is active then they are all active.  Specialties are not all or nothing things. 

If you have "Melee: Against Multiple Opponents +1, Fierce Blows +1, Jumping Attacks +1 (4)” it means you have a total of +3 bonus when you are fighting multiple opponents and performing a leaping fierce blow.

Just wanted to clarify if you guys were under a different impression.

Which Ability for Artillery?

Going to separate all artillery into Archery and Thrown.  No more Lore for any form or Artillery, high-tech or low tech.

However, Lore is still needed to operate exotic siege weapons, just not to attack.

All direct fire Artillery will use “Archery.”  Weapons such as Steam Cannons, Ballistae, Prayer Cannons, Steam Mortars, etc.

All Sling type Artillery will use “Thrown.”  Weapons such as Catapult, Trebuchet, etc..

Minimum Attack Speed

I do not believe Exalted Standard Rules ever set a floor for attack speed.  But the entire game mechanic breaks down when Attack Speed is reduced too low.  Thus I am setting a floor value.

The Minimum Attack Speed of any attack is going to be 3, no combination of effects, however Legendary or Unique, can reduce attack speed to lower than this.

There are effects that can fit more attacks into this time frame.  Such as Extra Action Charms, or Ridill (Reaper Daiklave that attacks twice for every attack the wielder makes with it).  But the basic speed of the attack action, and thus DV refreshes, Charm Activations, etc., cannot be lower than 3.

Principle of Motion and Extra Attack Charms

Just incase there are any confusion.

Principle of Motion is considered an Extra Attack Charm, even though it stores “actions” and not attacks – it is still a Magical Flurry.

Thus it falls under the same restrictions as Extra Attack Charms

• You cannot combo it with other Extra Attack Charms
• You cannot invoke an Extra Attack Charm within the Magical Flurry it Provides (e.g. using the Actions provided by Principle of Motion to Invoke more Principle of Motion, or something like Iron Peony Blossom)
• You cannot invoke it as part of an Counter Attack

Zenith Anima Power Fix

My view that Zenith Anima lacks power is obvious.  So here is their New Anima Power

Anima Effects: The Zenith Caste is empowered by the light of the Unconquered Sun himself.  With but a touch, the Golden Bulls can burn the bodies of the fallen for one mote of Essence per body, sending the smoke (and soul) to Heaven and preventing the body from rising after death as a zombie or and the lower soul from rising as a hungry ghost. They are protected from and can strike down demons, the undead and other creatures of darkness. As his action, a Zenith Exalt can channel 10 motes of Essence through his anima. He then glows with the holy fire of the Unconquered Sun and illuminates the area around him as brightly as if it were noon. This illumination extends for (Permanent Essence x 10) yards.  For the remainder of the scene (or until he chooses to let the effect dissipate), he imposes an External Penalty equal to his Essence to non-reflexive actions of all Creatures of Darkness within this area of effect.  This effect comes into play automatically once the Solar spends 11-15 motes of Peripheral Essence.

Clearification of Graceful Crane and Feather-Foot

GRACEFUL CRANE STANCE
The Solar Exalted are as graceful as sunlight on water. This Charm lets the Exalt automatically succeed on any valid Athletics action to keep his balance. Moreover, this Charm allows the Exalt to keep his footing on any surface at least as strong and wide as a human hair. He treats it as a three-footwide ledge capable of supporting a thousand pounds of weight when determining what movement and Athletics actions he can take and what penalties to them might apply.

FEATHER-FOOT STYLE
Prerequisite Charms: Graceful Crane Stance
The Lawgivers tread lightly when they choose. This Charm allows the Solar to run or walk on unstable surfaces (using the Move and Dash actions) as if she weighed no more than a feather. This makes surfaces such as rice paper, water, lava and writhing maggots effectively solid beneath her feet—though not necessarily harmless. To stop and stand on such a surface requires a successful reflexive difficulty 2 (Dexterity + Athletics) roll for each action in which the character wishes to maintain balance.

• The main difference between the 2 charm is weight.  Graceful Crane does nothing to reduce the weight of the Exalted.  It only allows her to perform Movement and Athletic Actions on that surface as if it can support 1000 pounds and is a 3 foot-wide ledge.  While she can run vertically by stepping off leaves, she cannot at any moment stop on top of a leaf without it dropping like a rock.  Graceful crane only allows movement actions from the surface. 
• Feather-Foot style actually reduce the weight of the Exalted (and everything she carries) as no more than a feather.  She can walk across pressure sensors and only register as if a feather landed on it.  Something Graceful crane cannot do.  She can also stop and stand on surfaces, which graceful crane cannot do.
• Graceful Crane actually have a surface requirement.  It has to be as strong and wide as a human hair – meaning water does not qualify, only things floating on top of water.  Feather-Food Style is under no such limitations.  As long as the surface can support a feather (which human hair can).
• Also the two charms can be combined.  If a person uses feather foot and graceful crane together he can stand and stop on surfaces without needing to make any rolls.  Since Graceful Crane automatically succeeds in any rolls to maintain balance. 
• They are both scene long charms, so you can just use 2 actions, as opposed to putting them in a combo (Both are Combo-Ok, Reflexive)

Four Flaws of Invulnerability, The

Standard perfect defenses against physical attacks are a
cheap way to entirely ignore attacks, but each has one of four
flaws.  A given Solar may learn any number of these perfect
defense Charms (including buying the same Charm twice),
but he can only choose a maximum of two different flaws
among all the standard perfect defenses.

For instance, he can choose Adamant Skin Technique with the Conviction Flaw, Heavenly Guardian Defense with the Conviction Flaw and Seven Shadow Evasion with the Temperance Flaw.

Valor Flaw

The Exalt must move toward the opponent he considers most dangerous, on every tick where this is possible without magic, until his DV refreshes twice.

Compassion Flaw

The Exalt can only use this Charm when in the presence of someone or something he cares about.

Temperance Flaw

The Exalt cannot take movement actions such as move, dash, flight, teleportation or jumping until his DV refreshes twice.

Conviction Flaw

Charms carrying this Flaw do not function when the character has taken some action during the scene that is contrary to her Motivation.  If, during the scene, she has acted against any Intimacy, or a Virtue she has rated at 3+, then Charms with this Flaw add a +3m surcharge to their activation cost. 

Old Conviction Flaw that was Errata-ed
This Charm does not function when a Solar’s actions are contrary to his Motivation. The Storyteller should assume that a Solar’s actions qualify unless an enemy deliberately arranges for terms of conflict that dispirit and shake the purpose of the Exalt. The player can interpret it more strictly if desired.

Dual-Wield

Since we were watching Tron and it follows the trend of Dual-Wield = pwnage, I am clarifying the rules of Dual Wield in Exalted.

• Using an weapon in the off-hand is a –1 internal penalty. 
• You use the accuracy rating of whatever weapon you are attacking with
• You use the defense rating of whatever weapon you are defending with (so logically you will use the higher of the 2, but keep in mind the –1 penalty for Off-hand Weapon)
• Rates are independent of the weapon.  So if you have a rate 3 weapon and a rate 2 weapon, you can have a flurry of 5 attacks, with one weapon making 3 attacks, while the other making 2, in any order/combination.

That is pretty much dual-wield in a nut shell.  Though technically legal, it is a bit odd to say I have 2 fists so I can make 2 rate 3 attacks.  Natural weapon should already have factored in the fact there are 2 of them into the calculated Rate.

The difference between Prayer, Prayer and Prayer

In Exalted when one sys Prayer there are actually 3 separate types.

First is the Bread and Butter of the Gods, the measuring stick for their might and status.  This is the simple prayer in which one humbly show devotion and makes entreaties to the Gods.  Such as “please keep xxxxx safe”, or “please make yyyyy fall in love with me”, or “dear god we like to thank you for this meal”, and such.  Gods have the natural ability to both hear and process these prayers. 

The Standard Rule Book mentions that Prayer action requires a difficulty 7 roll of Charisma+Performance with each dot of resources sacrificed lowering the difficulty by 1.  That makes little to no sense in the fact that humans are designed to provide prayer as fuel for the inhabitants of Yu-Shan.  With these stringent requirements all of Yu-Shan would starve.  There for it must mean a separate form of prayer.  This roll will now be called “Invoke Miracle” as opposed to “Prayer.”  Success in this action means this special prayer not only sounds special in the ears of the God, it also creates an link between the two.  The God is able to use a single Charm through the person or on the person.  Failure in this roll means little, the God would still hear it as a basic prayer and may still intercede, and, like basic prayers, he would have to physically arrive at the invoker to utilize his charms.  Thus it is best to do these rituals at/near the God’s sanctum or domain.  Thus you have these story of Merlin arriving at the Lake (Lady of the Lake’s Sanctum is near by) to beseech her help (thus whether he succeed or not, the Lady may still aid him.  Should he do so elsewhere the Lady can only provide aid if he succeeded in his Invoke Miracle roll.  It is unlike the Lady will physically travel to his location and provide aid should he fail.)

The third type of prayer is the Thaumaturgy Religious Rituals.  These are holy processes that invokes an aspect of the God’s power and nearly always use Charisma+Performance instead of Intelligence+Occult as per normal Thaumaturgy rules.  Like all methods that taps a god’s aspect, the god in question cannot stop someone from gaining bonuses from a correctly performed holy rite.  However, these rituals may be Thaumaturgy but they are still prayers.  So a God is aware when it is performed and still get his allotment of Ambrosia.  Thus most do not care when it is put to a inoffensive purpose.  One might want to think twice about invoking a Religious Ritual against the God’s interests however.

Abyssals and Solars Charm Trading

I briefly mentioned it on Saturday.  I am putting it in official record for reference.

Abyssals can learn any Solar Charm without Holy Tag.  Even their Eclipse counterpart cannot learn it.  Their corrupt nature simply cannot channel Holy energy.  If they should try to channel the body would automatically convert it to Abyssal Essence – which means the Charm does not function.

Solars cannot learn ANY Abyssal Charms, even though Solars Charms and Abyssals Charms have Mirror Relationships.  Solars simply do not have the corrupted Spark that facilitates the Abyssal Charms.  Eclipse Castes, however, can learn them.  However, they are still governed by the rules for non-solar charms and abyssal charms.  Meaning, it cost 2 motes more, and they have to meet all requirement – some Abyssal Charms have the Whisper Background requirement.

For those who can learn the other’s Charms – Mirror Charm Relationship is maintained.  Thus they can use them for meeting pre-requisites.

Greeting the Sun

From “Glories Most High, Unconqured Sun” Page 40

The Art of Husbandry (0, Charisma, 1, Five minutes)

First Age Solars mandated a schedule of worship wherein all mortals made five daily prayers to the Unconquered Sun: once at sunrise, then at noon, midafternoon, sunset and midnight. These prayers were not simply shows of respect to the Most High, they enabled the sun’s righteous blessing upon the people.  A successfully completed daily prayer to the Unconquered Sun obviates one botch between the time of the prayer’s performance and the next scheduled prayer in the cycle, making it a normal failure instead. (A prayer at sunrise would alleviate the first botch that occurred between dawn and noon.)

By the end of the First Age, the Solars had allowed most mortals to grow lax in their devotions, and the majority of individuals did not awaken to make a midnight prayer.  As a result, the small hours of the morning became widely associated with misfortune and disaster, an association that has persisted into the current day.  Only a very few communities still greet the sun according to the old methods, though the Cult of the Illuminated has recently revived the practice among its training camps.  This procedure uses Performance in place of Occult.

[My Adjustment]

It is now just a normal prayer ritual, it is no longer a Thaumaturgy Rite that uses Performance.  However, it now requires a Week of the scheduled prayer (Charisma + Performance, Difficult 1) before it start to take effect.  Once broken for whatever reason, it will need another week before it takes effect again.

The Ritual be started within a 10 minutes window at each phase.  It does not matter why it was missed, the person has to start anew.

It also only negates 1 Botch between Sunrises, not Once every 6 hours.

Otherwise the ritual is unchanged.

Keep in mind it is a Religious Ritual/Prayer.  Akin to the rites of Islam.   It is not a quiet silent thing one does under one’s breath in secret.  It is the reciting of the Unconquered Sun’s Litany while prostrating oneself towards the direction of the Sun (or lifting hands in prayer towards the middle of the sky should it be noon or midnight).  The ritual last 5 minutes.

Mass Combat: Heroes, Sorcerers and Relays

Heroes

Heroes are better visualized as the Vanguard of the Army.  Like Marcus Antony to Julius Cesar, or Achilles to Agamemnon.  They are pretty much a “mini” commander.

• Heroes can assume commander’s role if the Commander dies.  If there are no Heroes within the army then the unit immediately undergoes disbandment.
• Heroes must be in the front.  If the Special Character are not leading from the front then they are Sorcerers.  It also means even of the Hero is using a range attack he cannot commit to “snipe” action.  He can only “duel” other Heroes.  Since he is deep in the thick of the battle and doesn’t have the luxury to patiently wait for the perfect opportunity to attack an opposing special characters.
• Heroes are under the command of their generals, and there for use the General’s War or their own War as ability caps.  Under no circumstance will a Heroes War Ability be used as Cap for the Unit.  To do so he has to usurp command of the Unit and replace the Commander.
• Heroes because they are right in the thick of it are the edge of the unit’s blade.  A unit can rally around the Hero and use HIS Close Combat Rating instead of the Units.  Thus even the lowliest of peasants will be emboldened by Achilles heroism and push deep in to the enemy line at every attack – getting effective Close Quarter Combat Rating of 7 (for Achilles).  This makes a good pairing of Heroes and Commander nigh invincible.  Which is the case of Kaneko and Nella.
• [My Changes] Heroes attached to a pure Range Attack Unit can lend the Range Attack Unit his Range Attack Score.  This is balanced out by the fact I am allowing Sorcerer’s to use Charms to benefit the Unit.
• They can make an additional attack that is separate from the Unit as a whole – as a Solo Magnitude 0 Unit.
• Heroes because they are fighting in the front cannot attack a target that the Unit is not attacking.  To do so he has to break away and form his own unit.
• Heroes can become a unit in his own right.  Becoming a new independent unit.  Standard split unit action rules apply.
• [My Interpretation] Heroes because of their limited focus (in the frontlines leading the charge) cannot use Charms to benefit the Unit.  They can use Charms to argument their solo attack to to raise his own Close Quarter Combat Rating, but he cannot use Charms otherwise to benefit the Unit.  E.g. he cannot use sorcery to teleport the entire unit to safety, he cannot use charms to defend the entire unit, etc.

 

Sorcerers

Sorcerers are those special character with skills that are deep behind the army lines.

• Sorcerers are not Heroes.  There for they cannot assume command in the Heat of the Battle.  He can reform the army after its rout, but he is not at the focus of the fight to stench the bleeding wound should the death of the commander shatter morale.
• For rule purposes Sorcerers cannot split the Unit (no idea why, but that is the rules).  They however can split from the Unit independently and become a “commander” of his own magnitude 0 unit, and they under go merge/split action to gain more magnitude.  No idea why the game mechanics force it this way but I am honoring the rules.
• Sorcerers however cannot use their own War Rating.  They are always capped at the Commander’s War.  Even for their own independent range attack.
• Like Heroes, Sorcerers can also make independent attack as Magnitude 0 Units.  Because they are not in the frontlines they can only attack with Ranged Attacks.
• Unlike Heroes, the only Combat Rating a Sorcerer can impart to the Unit is Range Attack Rating.
• Because they are away from the action they have the luxury of using Sorcery.
• Because they are away from the action they can support the whole unit as opposed to marred to their knees in the bodies of the enemy.  Thus they can use Charms to aid the entire unit.  Such as Perfect Parry or Perfect Soak.

 

Relays

While Relays have no direct combat advantage they are vital to large units.  Relays are not necessary messengers.  It embodies the entire command structure.  The Co-Captain is a Relay, so are Lieutenants, Signallers, Runners, etc.

• Relays are abstractions, but they are also special characters.  Being such being a relay does not “remove” the person from being counted in Magnitude (just like Heroes and Sorcerers).
• Units with Magnitude 3 or higher must have at least 1 relay for every dot.  Since a Army can have 2 special characters for every Magnitude, it means for magnitude 1-2 they can have 2 and 4 Special characters respectively.  For every dot beyond that it really only adds 1 special character slot, since the other will be taken by a relay.
• For each relay that is missing the unit suffers -2 to its effective Drill.
• Since Relays are the Command Structure they can stand in for the Commander for Command functions.  Rolls such as Rally Checks, Hesitation Rolls, Route Tests, etc.  Thus a completely not likable commander may still function if his second in command is popular and charismatic.

Night Caste Anima Clarification

Here are some clarifications so we are all on the same page in regards to Night Caste Anima Powers

1. It allows Motes spent on charms to not add to anima banner.  Except those by sorcery.
1. When the Charm is normal it only cost 1 extra mote to not have it add to Anima Banner
2. When the Charm is Obvious it cost double to have it not add to anima banner.
3. It does not make an obvious charm not obvious.  It just stops it from adding to anima banner and nothing else.  So it pretty much just turns peripheral essence into personal essence (and thus there is no point using it if you are using personal essence already.)
2. When Iconic it makes the character unidentifiable
1. Think of it as if the character is donning a super hero costume.  When Batman puts on his suit no one knows he is Bruce Wayne.  But anyone who see him putting on knows it is Bruce Wayne.  Anyone seeing a person wearing the Bat Suit (anima banner) again knows it is Batman again.  There is nothing supernatural about it.  It is just a matter of the animal obscuring the character’s appearances.  Making him non-identifiable on physical appearance alone.
2. This only prevents identification by physical features.  It does nothing to hearing, smell, or texture.  Thus it is of little effect on Blind people.  The anima does not cover up smell or voice (aside from the muffling, see below) to any significant degree as to make detection thus impossible.
3. When Iconic it adds half the essence of the Solar (rounded up) to tracking attempts
1. Keep in mind this is an Anima Power.  Which means when this happens you are subjected to the Stealth is Impossible Rule of Anima Banner.  Thus it only affects people who are tracking you (without direct visual contact).  A person who can just follow the giant glowing source of light has no difficulty modifier.  It is only applicable when they lose sight of you and must track you by things you leave behind.

Mass Combat

From “Exalted 2nd Edition,” Page 160

Although it is theoretically possible to run a combat with dozens or even hundreds of active participants, such battles last
interminably and quickly stop being fun. As a result, Exalted uses the following rules to abstract mass combat into the existing
system by making battle a clash of units rather than individual characters. Units do not fight in the standard one‐tick increments of
individual battle. Instead, they track time with long ticks that last approximately one minute each. Storytellers should keep in mind
that these rules aren’t appropriate to every engagement, particularly if the clash of armies only serves as a dramatic backdrop to
smaller‐scale personal combat. Once protagonists become involved in the direction of mass combat or the Storyteller wishes to
leave a battle’s outcome to dice rolls and strategy rather than a plot device, use these rules. Moreover, mass combat in Exalted
assumes that unit Commanders fight at the vanguard, leading from the front rather than the safety of the rear. Those who wish to
direct a battle from the rear are not unit Commanders. Instead, they take the role of generals, using relays and standard bearers to
communicate orders to the unit Commanders under their command. Therefore, a distant general can direct an entire force but
cannot personally rally troops to victory through her own prowess.

“YOU WEAR THEM”

The metaphor of the rules that the military apparatus of mass combat is merely an enhancement to the commander. Troops
comprise a bonus for their Commander, adding to his traits. In addition, troops marching in formation possess the ability to force
their context on individual they engage. Characters who come into contact with aggressive units of troops will be forced to fight
them as solo stacks in mass combat, not as heroes facing a large number of individuals in normal combat. This is a part of the nature
of Creation, and Storytellers shouldn’t let characters fight individual members of units once the unit is gathered together in the field.

It’s worth noting that units in mass combat are rarely destroyed through sheer damage unless they are set upon by a truly ferocious
supernatural power. More often, units are rendered ineffective by exhaustion and gradual loss of Magnitude by failed morale
checks, until their commanders stand alone and unaccompanied on the battlefield.

UNITS

Each unit on a battlefield falls into one of two broad categories. First, there are solo units, who are individual characters that are not
part of any group. However, most units are complementary units, made up of a commander and all those who directly follow her
orders. Statistically, a complementary unit is its commander, with trait bonuses awarded according to the numbers, equipment and
training of her troops. These special traits of complementary units include:

Magnitude: The size of a unit
Drill: The trained discipline of a unit
Endurance: The physical reserves of a unit’s member. Solo units also have this trait
Might: The overall mystical power of a unit, factoring in magical equipment
Close Combat/Ranged Attack Rating: The skill of unit members at attacking.
Close Combat/Ranged Attack Damage: The lethality of unit members when attacking.
Armor: The average protection provided by unit members’ armor
Morale: The overall bravery of a unit.
Special Characters: A non‐numerical listing of important characters within a unit’s ranks.
Formation: A non‐numerical trait that describes a unit’s current tactical arrangement.

Magnitude

When a unit attacks another, the larger unit applies the difference in magnitude as bonus successes to its attacks or subtracts the
difference from the successes of attacks by the smaller unit. This bonus/external penalty cannot exceed +/‐3.

My Modification: Keep track two Magnitude values.
“Actual”: Calculated based on raw number of troops in the unit. This will be used for maneuvers and rally rolls. This eliminates the penalty for a 100 Solar Exalted army being as clumsy and hard to manage as 700 men army.
“Effective”: This is the actual value used for attacks and such. So a 100 Solar Exalted fight just as well as a 700 men army.

Might

This value is added as number of successes to the Commander’s attack.  It is also added to the Commander’s Essence value to determine resistance and qualification against charms and spells

Close Combat/Ranged Combat Attack Rating

This value is added as successes to the Commander’s attack
This value is capped by Commander’s War Rating
This value is doubled for Close Formation
Half this Value is added to the Commander’s Parry DV

Close Combat/Ranged Combat Damage Rating

This is added to the Raw damage of the Unit’s Commander

My Modification: Unit does not use the weapon damage of the Commander.  Instead it only use the Skill of the Commander and Stats.  It is assumed the commander is “wielding” the Unit’s Abstracted Weapon.  So if everyone in the Unit is using a Reaver Daiklave, it is assume the commander is using the same.  If everyone gets the material bonus, it is assumed the commander does so as well.

Armor

This value is added to the Commander’s natural soak to determine the Unit Soak.

Morale

The lower of the “average valor of the unit” or the “Commander’s.”

Special Characters

• Maximum special characters in any unit is Magnitude x 2
• When attacking the special character uses the higher of the Heroes’ Close Combat (Attribute + Ability) or the Commanders, limited by Commander’s War ability.
• When attacking the special character uses the higher of the Sorcerer’s Range Combat (Attribute + Ability) or the Commanders, limited by Commander’s War ability.
• Units with Magnitude of 3+ must have at least one relay for every dot of magnitude, or suffer communication failure.

Hero: These characters are sub‐officers who are capable of assuming command if their unit commander dies. Furthermore, heroes may attack other units in close combat as if they were solo units, effectively giving their unit additional (but weaker) attacks.  Finally heroes can break away entirely and take part of a unit with them, transforming the breakaway group into a new unit under their own command. A hero can lead her Close Combat Rating to her unit, using her trait rather than the unit
Commander’s but the trait is limited as normal by the commander’s War.

Sorcerer: These characters might be actual sorcerers, skilled archers or neutral observers embedded deeply in the ranks for their own protection, but First Age tactical manuals such as “The Thousand Correct Actions of the Upright Soldier” use the designation “sorcerer” for all such individuals. Sorcerers can lead the unit in missile fire, lending their rating in the place of the unit’s. This is limited by the commander’s War rating, as normal. In addition, sorcerers have the capability to make ranged attacks independently of their unit, but they cannot assume command or lead troops to break away into new units as heroes can.

Relay: Possibly the most important special characters to organize military units, relay are the assorted drummers, buglers, standard bearers and signalmen who carry the commander’s orders through the ranks. Units with Magnitude of 3+ must have at least one relay for every dot of magnitude, or else, they suffer communication failure. This means the unit can only assume the unordered information and it suffers a penalty of ‐2 to its effective Drill. Besides passively maintaining order and communication, relays can stand in for the commander when the unit hesitates and tests for rout, and in other situations when commands are vital.

Formation

Unordered: Undisciplined Mob, add 2 to the difficult of hesitation rolls.

Skirmish: 2x shield/cover bonus against all attacks, additional +3 DV against ranged attacks. Enemy units attacking with close combat attacks 2x their Magnitude for purpose of calculating attack bonuses. If the attacker is in Close Formation, then 3x attacker Magnitude. Unit in skirmish formation add 2 to the difficulty of hesitation rolls.

Relaxed: Standard formation, no advantage of disadvantages. Double shield and cover bonuses against ranged attacks.

Close: vulnerable to AOEs. 2x unit’s Close Combat Rating, 2x their DV bonuses from shields/cover against Close Combat Attacks.
Enemies attacking with ranged attack bonuses 2x their magnitude. Subtract 2 from all hesitation rolls.

Combat Summary

• In mass combat, use the lower of the relevant combat ability or the commander’s War ability.
• When on horse, use the lower of the relevant combat ability or the rider’s Ride ability.
• The commander adds her unit’s Close Combat Rating and her Unit’s Range Combat Rating as bonus successes to close and
  ranged attacks.
• The Bonus successes added cannot exceed the commander’s War Rating, before applying modifications from formation.
• Add an additional number of successes equal to the unit’s Might value.
  • So a crack unit of young Dragon‐Blooded archers with Range Combat 5 and Might 2 commanded by a character with War 4 would add 4+2=6 successes to range attack rolls.
• If a unit attacks another and those units have different Magnitudes, the larger unit applies the difference as bonuses successes
  to its attack or subtracts the difference from the successes of attacks by the smallest unit. This difference cannot exceed +/‐ 3.
• Besides Improving Attacks, Might also adds to the commander’s Essence Rating to determine if particular effects can target the
  unit and/or to help him defend against the effects of hostile Charms.
• One half a unit’s Close Combat Rating adds to the Commander’s Parry DV. This is not modified by formation.
• A Unit’s Close Combat/Range Combat Damage adds to the raw damage of the commander with his weapon, respectively.
• A Unit’s range and its range increment are based on the range of the Unit’s weapon, not the Commanders.
• A Unit’s Minimum damage is not equal to the commander’s Essence or the Minimum damge of the weapon. It is equal to the
  Magnitude of the Unit, including Formation Modifiers.
• A Unit’s Armor adds to its Commander’s natural bashing, lethal and aggravated soak.
• A Unit’s number of health level is equal to the Commander’s full health levels.
• A Unit does not suffer wound penalties.

Eclipse Oath and Objective Truth

The way we are handling Eclipse Oath is too broad.  The ability to swear Eclipse Oaths on Objective Truth opens too many ways for it to be abused.

E.g. Have an Extra swear an Eclipse Oath that “Plan A” is the best plan to destroy Death Lords.  If the oath fails then you know “Plan A” is not the best.  Then you move on to the next Extra who swears “Plan B” is the best course of action.

Thus from now on the Eclipse Oath is no longer able to be used for Objective Truth.  In the above example the Oath would become that the Extra absolutely believes that Plan A is the best course of Action – thus making it a Subjective Truth.

The rest of how we handle Eclipse Oath should not need any modification.