D&D 5E ASCENSION, The Codex of Exalted, Book 1: Players Guide

[Rogerd1]

Sadly no - I'm dealing with a lot of personal / family issues for the past year or so and haven't been able to make a comeback yet. I think that will chance soon!

I hope everything turns out okay.

I have been looking at some of the stuff here in a bit more detail. Now some of this stuff seemed derived from here, as I recall liking this when I first got it some years ago, would that be right?

DriveThruRPG

www.drivethrurpg.com

It also sent me flicking through some of my older M&M 2e pdf's, which would be perfect (it uses DnD 3e stats etc). So I am certainly going to have my M&M 2e books to hand when you start up again.

 

[dave2008]

I hope everything turns out okay.

I have been looking at some of the stuff here in a bit more detail. Now some of this stuff seemed derived from here, as I recall liking this when I first got it some years ago, would that be right?

DriveThruRPG

www.drivethrurpg.com

It also sent me flicking through some of my older M&M 2e pdf's, which would be perfect (it uses DnD 3e stats etc). So I am certainly going to have my M&M 2e books to hand when you start up again.

No, I've never seen that book. I am not sure if it is its own system or D&D derived. I couldn't tell from the description. Regardless it seems interesting and I may pick it up.

My primary inspiration was the original "Immortals Rules" from the BECMI series. I have then taken parts from 1e, 2e, 3e rules and 3PP ideas too. I have a lot of 5e fan made and 3PP post lvl 20 content that has influenced this as well.

Fortunately my life is getting stabilized and I do hope to get back to this soon!

 

[Rogerd1]

The Book of Immortals has a more unified approach in that they can draw powers from deities so you have a less You vs Them approach.

Though to be honest, re-reading some of the older 3e Mystara Immortals rules I would be inclined to change the name to Eternals, but that is just me.

Essentially, Mystara Immortals are, for me, more akin to Moorcock's or DC Lords of Order and Chaos. Hope you get back to writing soon though

 

[Yaarel]

Quintessence

"Quintessence", literally the "fifth" (quint-) "element" (essence), is the same thing as ether. Namely, earth, air, fire, and water are the four elements, plus ether is the fifth element.

In D&D each element corresponds to its own plane. But the ethereal plane encompasses the other four. Ultimately, the other elements are made out of ether.

Ether is a mysterious element. Ether is force. Force is physical but immaterial. It can push stuff physically. But it lacks matter. Ultimately, mass is made out of force. Compare the fundamental forces resulting from the big bang.

Also ether relates to consciousness, so that minds and souls are made out of it, sometimes as a virtual body, such as that of a ghost.

In a sense, ether is how thoughts become the matter of the material world.

The "Weave" of all magic is arguably the same thing as quintessential ether.

 

[Yaarel]

I would be inclined to change the name to Eternals, but that is just me.

Sometimes I refer to Celestials and Fiends as "Astrals", in the sense that they inhabit domains in the astral plane.

The astral plane is a realm of pure thought, lacking matter. Everything there is thought constructs, paradigms, symbols.

The "aster" is a name for the thoughtstuff ghat everything there is made out of.

 

[dave2008]

The Book of Immortals has a more unified approach in that they can draw powers from deities so you have a less You vs Them approach.

I'm not sure what you mean by us vs them. In this set of rules the players are immortals/gods. They are "them"

Essentially, Mystara Immortals are, for me, more akin to Moorcock's or DC Lords of Order and Chaos. Hope you get back to writing soon though

I could see that, but that is not what I am going for here. The exalted can go well beyond the bonds of what immortals could do in BECMI

I've been trying to get back into it, but my personal life has made that difficult. I hope that changes soon.

 

[dave2008]

Quintessence

"Quintessence", literally the "fifth" (quint-) "element" (essence), is the same thing as ether. Namely, earth, air, fire, and water are the four elements, plus ether is the fifth element.

In D&D each element corresponds to its own plane. But the ethereal plane encompasses the other four. Ultimately, the other elements are made out of ether.

Ether is a mysterious element. Ether is force. Force is physical but immaterial. It can push stuff physically. But it lacks matter. Mass is made out of force. Compare thr fundamental forced redulting from the big bang.

Also ether relates to consciousness, so that minds and souls are made out of it, sometimes as a virtual body, such as that of a ghost.

In a sense, ether is how thoughts become the matter of the material world.

The "Weave" of all magic is arguably the same thing as quintessential ether.

I'm using the old BECMI "spheres" as inspiration: Matter, Energy, Time, Thought, and Entropy and the binder is Power. I have essentially renamed "spheres" to "authority" and "power" to "quintessence." However, I have been leaning away from quintessence towards primary essence or simple Primary.

 

[Yaarel]

I'm using the old BECMI "spheres" as inspiration: Matter, Energy, Time, Thought, and Entropy and the binder is Power. I have essentially renamed "spheres" to "authority" and "power" to "quintessence." However, I have been leaning away from quintessence towards primary essence or simple Primary.

Thought = astral plane
Matter = material plane
Energy = positive plane
Entropy = negative plane
Time = ethereal plane (thus elements, fey, shadow, and matter have time)

 

[Rogerd1]

I'm not sure what you mean by us vs them. In this set of rules the players are immortals/gods. They are "them"

I could see that, but that is not what I am going for here. The exalted can go well beyond the bonds of what immortals could do in BECMI

I've been trying to get back into it, but my personal life has made that difficult. I hope that changes soon.

What I mean is Immortals vs Gods. It creates a setting whereby both can interrelate more readily, and coexist with less fighting.

As you mentioned essence, perhaps Aetaltis books may help? It has essence, which has different flavours, personal, core, corrupted, and dark essence.

So in your mind, what are you trying to create with your ascended beings, more akin to Stargate, or cosmic ascended? I think that may help?

Hope your personal stuff works out mate, really do.

 

[dave2008]

Thought = astral plane
Matter = material plane
Energy = positive plane
Entropy = negative plane
Time = ethereal plane (thus elements, fey, shadow, and matter have time)

Neat idea, but not how I am doing in my setting (I don't necessarily have a negative and positive energy plane among other things). Not quite at least. Also, in BECMI entropy opposes all of the other authorities/spheres, so it is not quite one of five. The general concept in BECMI was that all planes (and all things really) have some of all 5 spheres and only the Prime Material has a balance of all 5 - that is why it is special. So no plane is all thought, or matter, or time, etc. Though some could be extremely biased on way or another.