Exalted (d6). Help me, please.

[DanMcS]

Sorry for the slight threadjack here, but (to put it bluntly) is Exalted worth it? I know I can find a thousand drooling fanboys on rpg.net, but I'm looking for some objectivity. It has tempted me for several years now, but the price, word of its complexity, and the simple truth that I'll probably never get to play it have kept me away. Is it a good read? Would it make an engaging one-shot? Is it easy to pick up and play? (Yes, I have played lots of oWoD and have read nWoD, if that matters in your answer.)

The version of the rules Exalted is most familiar to is Adventure!/Aberrant/Trinity. NWoD is vaguely similar.

It's not worth it for a one-shot, in my opinion. The system just isn't suited for it. It's as complex as D&D 3.5, has lots of individual little rules exceptions in the charms, and works best for a group that's willing to master it and get good enough at it to be rewarded for their mastery. When you understand the rules enough to build a good combo, and then you can throw defenses at the enemy's attacks until you catch him vulnerably low on magical energy and unleash it on him, that's awesome. And the stunting rules are fun. But the prereq to get to that point is a thick hardback of rules, and it's too much to expect all your players to learn the system for a one-shot.

You'd do better to get the Return to the Tomb of 5 Corners, which has a fast-play version of the game in it, for your one-shot. Or else get the 1e core book cheap at half-priced books for the setting and run it using Wushu.

 

[Asmor]

Idea: Turn a d6 into a d10. Takes a little extra work (surprisingly little).

First, reroll 6s. Keep rerolling them until you get a number 1-5.

4 or 5 is a success.

In addition, whenever you roll a 1 or a 5, reroll it to confirm if it's EXTREME! If you reroll a 1 and get an even number, it's EXTREME! (i.e. it's actually a 1). If you reroll a 1 and get an odd number, it's just a regular failure (treat it like a 2). Same thing for 5s, if you roll even treat it as a 10 otherwise treat it as a 9.

Example: Roll 5d6. You got 1, 3, 3, 4, 6.
Reroll the 6: You got 3.
So you've got 1, 3, 3, 3, 4.

Reroll the 1 to confirm if it's a botch or not, you roll a 2 (so it is). That's one success (the 4) minus 1 botch (the confirmed 1).

It's a little extra work, but it's exactly the same as rolling d10s.

 

[pawsplay]

Just buy some danged dice.

 

[NilesB]

Using a d6 pool in this way tends to have a slightly higher standard deviation than a pool of exalted d10s- you're more likely to roll towards either extreme (lots of successes or very few).

How would the standard deviation look using 4+ as a success no double successes on 6?

Izzat a better idea you think?

 

[DanMcS]

How would the standard deviation look using 4+ as a success no double successes on 6?

Izzat a better idea you think?

It would be less variable, but I think Exalted thrives on the chance of rolling heaps of dice for heaps of successes, so I'd use the 5, 6s-twice method.

 

[jdrakeh]

It's not a kumquat tattoo, is it?

No

 

[jdrakeh]

Just buy some danged dice.

The only problem that I have with plunking down $30-$40 for a bucket full of ten-sided dice (other than the rediculous expense) is that I'll never use them for anything else. Buckets full of D6, on the other hand, come in handy for several games that I play (hence why I already own them). A bucket full of ten-sided dice is just a horrible investment for me, both in terms of finance and practicality.

 

[jdrakeh]

Since you say you don't want setting. . .

Well, I didn't exactly say that. What I don't want is setting heavy on "official" plot. Setting sans plots is just dandy. Take the setting chapter of the core book. . . it sets up some history but leaves the future wide open. That's fantastic! What I don't want are books that provide a lot timeline advancing fluff. That's metaplot. I can do without that.

The Manuals of Exalted Power (so far dragonblooded and lunars) might be useful if you plan on one of the types being the major adversaries of your game, otherwise just fudge it with the core book and the storyteller's guide.

I very nearly picked up the Dragonblooded book but instead went with the Book of Sorcery (Volume 1) as the ST's guide and the core book provide more than enough info on Dragonblooded to make a game (and, more importantly, because this Book of Sorcery contains the rules for War Striders).

If you're ok with PDFs, drivethrurpg has the exalted books for 2/3 price, so that might let you pick up a few spare rulebooks.

If my only PC hadn't burned up on Memorial Day, I'd be all over this

 

[pawsplay]

The only problem that I have with plunking down $30-$40 for a bucket full of ten-sided dice (other than the rediculous expense) is that I'll never use them for anything else. Buckets full of D6, on the other hand, come in handy for several games that I play (hence why I already own them). A bucket full of ten-sided dice is just a horrible investment for me, both in terms of finance and practicality.

http://www.amazon.com/Exalted-Dice-...09/ref=pd_sxp_grid_pt_2_2/105-9101036-1375637

Ten of the suckers for seven dollars. Buy two. Wear the handy felt bags as mittens. Order four and get free shipping.

$27.96 for 40 ten-sided dice, plus felt bags.

It doesn't get much better than that.

 

[Gez]

Make a success on a 5 or a 6, with 6 counting double like the 10 in Exalted. The reduced chance of normal success but increased chance of double success should balance each other.

In normal Storytelling system, a die represents 50% of "win" (30% x 1 success, 10% x 2 successes). There, a die would also represent 50% of win (16.67% x 1, 16.67% x2). So, statistically, you should still expect on average half the dicepool as the amount of successes.