D&D 4E 4E and Exalted: Use the setting

[med stud]

Ugghh. Die, panda people. Die. Die. Die.

I figured that if you like halflings, you probably like panda people as well

(as in the general "you")

 

[Dr. Strangemonkey]

I would put other exalted in NPC-territory, at least for a start.

Personally I'd be tempted to just make Exalted demi-gods or angelic servitors. Leave them as monsters, and then create Paragon Paths or Epic Destinies that relate to them.

Basicaly, I'd be using DnD to add an epic adventuring option for mortals beyond becoming exalted.

I'd also stat out the various Exalted societies as religions in their own right.

Hmm, I'm not certain if this description is getting across what I want to say, I may just have to actually write it up, but my overall temptation is to do what Monte did with WoD and just create a DnD version of the whole world order.

 

[Graf]

Very interesting thread.
The vast mechanical complexity of Exalted is a turn off for me.
A lot of the charms (and that frigging flowchart? with the whole "to make a charm good you have to make it instant" thing?) seem excessively complex.

I've tried running a nWoD game recently and it's amazingly fiddly.
Exalted seems like that on crack.

Which is shame because it seems like it could be very awesome with a lighter system (DnD, or maybe everway...)

 

[Bestopheles]

I think this is a great idea. I've been a huge fan of exalted for years...though beyond a 6 month campaign when it first came out, I've never been lucky enough to get a group to go for the mechanics. Which I totally understand, but I think the flavor is just great. With the new system, it seems like a few simple house rules could make it work. A few I've thought of:

Re: Caste Mark/Animae

At will Abilities: Caster mark glows lightly when certain abilities are used, but this can easily be hidden by a hat, headband, etc. This lasts for 1 round.
Encounter Abilities: Caste mark glows brightly, and can not be hidden (Will shine through head pieces, etc). Also, entire aura glows with phantosmal totem. Caster mark lasts full enouncter...totem lasts 1 round.
Daily Abilities: Caste Mark Glows like the sun. Also, Totem glows super brightly, and seems almost solid. Caster Mark lasts enouncter, Totem lasts enounter.

Hero points/Stunts:

Gaining HeroPoints: Acts of Paticular Heroism/Daring allow the hero to gain 1 hero point.

Using: IN addition to standard uses, Hero Point can also be used (with DM's permission) to grant 1 additional use of second wind.



All the rest of the character classes/races can be mined for crunch bits and combined with flavor from Exalted, of course. Lots of idea jump out...Figthers for Dawn Caste, Warlords for Zenith. Etc Etc.

 

[Engilbrand]

It's not that difficult to do, really. D&D characters can quickly start doing some pretty crazy things. As they get even higher in level, the abilities start to seem even more magical. Just operate on the idea that most people have "minion" status and don't count as any race, ie. no mechanical benefits from a race. The only ones that are special are the Dragon-blooded, but the only thing that makes them special is that they have a race and class levels. That takes care of the beginning of it all.

 

[hong]

Oh, another question: has the treatment of Yu-Shan and the Games of Divinity changed any in 2nd Ed? That was another of my personal 1-1-1 diagonal issues.

 

[Dr. Strangemonkey]

Oh, another question: has the treatment of Yu-Shan and the Games of Divinity changed any in 2nd Ed? That was another of my personal 1-1-1 diagonal issues.

It has changed, but I don't know that it's changed in a direction you would like. Could you tell us more about how you found it offensive?

 

[hong]

I thought the treatment of the Games of Divinity as being simply an incredibly addictive pastime that was distracting the gods from running Creation robbed them of all gravitas. This is a pretty common complaint about the Games, actually.

(You need something to handwave why the gods don't fix all of Creation's problems themselves, but you can do better than having them play games all the time. Someone on the WW boards described a scenario where the gods are preoccupied with making sure the borders of reality can withstand the forces of chaos, for example. On that scale, things like exalt/human empires rising and falling, or millions of deaths to the great plague, are just minor blips.)

(Edit: post is here.)

 

[parcival42]

I thought the treatment of the Games of Divinity as being simply an incredibly addictive pastime that was distracting the gods from running Creation robbed them of all gravitas. This is a pretty common complaint about the Games, actually.

(You need something to handwave why the gods don't fix all of Creation's problems themselves, but you can do better than having them play games all the time. Someone on the WW boards described a scenario where the gods are preoccupied with making sure the borders of reality can withstand the forces of chaos, for example. On that scale, things like exalt/human empires rising and falling, or millions of deaths to the great plague, are just minor blips.)

I had always thought that the Games of Divinity being played by the gods were directly affecting creation. Fixing creation is in the best intrests of some gods, but not others, so the Games are more of a way for them to handle the balance of celestial power without resorting to war. So, when your Solar Circle is changing the world for good, the Unconquerable Sun is winning...

It reminds me of Clash of the Titans actually, when Zeus affects the world by messing with the clay figurines...that's kinda what I imagine happening.

 

[Dr. Strangemonkey]

I thought the treatment of the Games of Divinity as being simply an incredibly addictive pastime that was distracting the gods from running Creation robbed them of all gravitas. This is a pretty common complaint about the Games, actually.

(You need something to handwave why the gods don't fix all of Creation's problems themselves, but you can do better than having them play games all the time. Someone on the WW boards described a scenario where the gods are preoccupied with making sure the borders of reality can withstand the forces of chaos, for example. On that scale, things like exalt/human empires rising and falling, or millions of deaths to the great plague, are just minor blips.)

(Edit: post is here.)

Well, the last time I saw it treated the official position seemed to be that there were multiple conflicting official positions.

One the one hand, the games of divinity were super awesome and addictive sublime experiences that may have been a cursed gift of the Yozis. The gods are addicted to them and that's all they or the games do.

On the other hand, the gods are also clearly being active in many respects, the games clearly have effects outside of the Pleasure Dome, and there are all sorts of hints that the games have deeper metaphysical or mechanical significance than is or can be generally known.

This parallels the official explanation for the gods revolt against the primordials too:

1.) The gods did it because the primordials were abysmal to creation. For great Justice!

2.) The gods did it because they grew tired of the insult of running creation for game addicted overlords. For specific and possibly ironic justice!

3.) The gods did it because they wanted some of that sweet sweet games of divinity flava. For Great Drugs! Woooo!