[UN] Sing me the song... [Interest, Exalted]

[Kelvered]

Let me sing you a song, of a world not warped,
Twisted into a tiny marble, hurtling through the void,
Wandering through the darkness, cold and alone.

Let me sing you a song, of a world level and without end,
Stretching into chaos on all sides,
Into wonder above and horrors below.

Trapped between a chaos that would extinguish,
A void that would consume,
The very Makers who would enslave,
And other forces, dark and terrible.

Against these horrors stand a thin veil,
A few whom have been Chosen,
For though their task is impossible,
They may be enough,
For they are the Exalted.

And here I humbly invite you,
To take your rightful place as a Chosen,
So that as I sing my song to you.

That you may sing me that saves the world.

Or sing me the song that dooms it.




If you are not familiar with Exalted - or even if you are familiar with it, allow me to present this snippet from Hávamál.

Those songs I know, which nor sons of men
nor queen in a king's court knows;
the first is Help which will bring thee help
in all woes and in sorrow and strife.

A second I know, which the son of men
must sing, who would heal the sick.

A third I know: if sore need should come
of a spell to stay my foes;
when I sing that song, which shall blunt their swords,
nor their weapons nor staves can wound.

A fourth I know: if men make fast
in chains the joints of my limbs,
when I sing that song which shall set me free,
spring the fetters from hands and feet.

A fifth I know: when I see, by foes shot,
speeding a shaft through the host,
flies it never so strongly I still can stay it,
if I get but a glimpse of its flight.

A sixth I know: when some thane would harm me
in runes on a moist tree's root,
on his head alone shall light the ills
of the curse that he called upon mine.

A seventh I know: if I see a hall
high o'er the bench-mates blazing,
flame it ne'er so fiercely I still can save it, --
I know how to sing that song.

An eighth I know: which all can sing
for their weal if they learn it well;
where hate shall wax 'mid the warrior sons,
I can calm it soon with that song.

A ninth I know: when need befalls me
to save my vessel afloat,
I hush the wind on the stormy wave,
and soothe all the sea to rest.

A tenth I know: when at night the witches
ride and sport in the air,
such spells I weave that they wander home
out of skins and wits bewildered.

An eleventh I know: if haply I lead
my old comrades out to war,
I sing 'neath the shields, and they fare forth mightily
safe into battle,
safe out of battle,
and safe return from the strife.

A twelfth I know: if I see in a tree
a corpse from a halter hanging,
such spells I write, and paint in runes,
that the being descends and speaks.

A thirteenth I know: if the new-born son
of a warrior I sprinkle with water,
that youth will not fail when he fares to war,
never slain shall he bow before sword.

A fourteenth I know: if I needs must number
the Powers to the people of men,
I know all the nature of gods and of elves
which none can know untaught.

A fifteenth I know, which Folk-stirrer sang,
the dwarf, at the gates of Dawn;
he sang strength to the gods, and skill to the elves,
and wisdom to Odin who utters.

A sixteenth I know: when all sweetness and love
I would win from some artful wench,
her heart I turn, and the whole mind change
of that fair-armed lady I love.

A seventeenth I know: so that e'en the shy maiden
is slow to shun my love.

These songs, Stray-Singer, which man's son knows not,
long shalt thou lack in life,
though thy weal if thou win'st them, thy boon if thou obey'st them
thy good if haply thou gain'st them.

An eighteenth I know: which I ne'er shall tell
to maiden or wife of man
save alone to my sister, or haply to her
who folds me fast in her arms;
most safe are secrets known to but one-
the songs are sung to an end.

Now the sayings of the High One are uttered in the hall
for the weal of men, for the woe of Jötuns,
Hail, thou who hast spoken! Hail, thou that knowest!
Hail, ye that have hearkened! Use, thou who hast learned!

You may wish to search for Neil Gaiman's American Gods for a more meaningful translation - charms instead of songs, as Exalted uses.

Of Exalted's setting, story, and potential, I absolutely adore it. The rules, however, leave an immense quantity to be desired.

I am hoping to run something, with these twin songs - the twin which I will post later - a bit in between the extremes of having no rules and of having many. In fact, I plan to have very little in the way of system.



The first rule is that you may only play one major character, in either song. So you may sing the song that saves the world, or the song that dooms it, but not both.

The second rule is that, if you going to play a major character, I would hope that you have enough commitment to be able to make a graceful in-character exit during your leaves of absence.

The third rule is that all who play must have an instant messenger, and be willing to share with all others who play. I would much prefer to see dialogues posted from a chat than to have them waiting.

The fourth rule is that there are going to be many minor characters, of my creation and yours. I expect you to be able to handle these within their realms and to do so appropriately to them. You will for the most part play your own minor characters, but may hand them off as needed.

The fifth rule is that all players must add to the background. This includes 'background characters' or 'extras'. If you wish in a city scene to end up planting your face into a random woman's bosom, and to determine her reaction, so be it.

The sixth rule is that knowledge between characters and players must remain separate. Violating this is called metagaming - either by telling the other Song what is going on, or by applying knowledge of Exalted's setting that your character does not know.

The seventh rule is that, within reason, limits set by players for their major and minor characters should be respected. Limits for minor characters are by necessity going to be lesser than major.

The eighth rule is that characters will perish. Two songs oppose each other, and as the chorus reaches its climax, notes will be lost routinely, and near the end, an entire chord may vanish for good. I expect all players to be prepared for this. I will be asking everyone who wishes to play one major character to have a minor character of theirs to assume that mantle.

The ninth and final rule is that those who are familiar with Exalted's setting assist those who are not in learning it.



This is going to be Creation-spanning - and shaking. I wish to include every element of Exalted in these songs. This means that I hope to have a few people who can familiarize others with alternate aspects of the setting.

I am not going to set a hard limit on the number of major players, but I can only handle a few. I hope that you will be able to take the initiative to handle a considerable amount on your own. People wishing to create minor characters may come and go so long as they suitably hand their characters off.

I do not have any set limits for what the game may end up including. I will be sure to label descriptions of torture and so on - not necessarily of player characters - accordingly. Major characters are not going to be forced into so much as a bondage situation without their consent to the matter - they are powerful and will truly shake their realms. If someone wishes to place limits on what happens to a minor character, they must be clear about these things up front, and I will veto anything that would let them be effectively 'major'.

If there is interest, I shall post the mechanics I wish to use for this; they are not terribly complex. They are quite loose, however, and will require that you improvise a fair deal about your own capabilities, while keeping in mind the limits that they impose.

Thank you for your interest.

[Muse]

Well, this certainly has my attention.  I'd actualy like to know about the expected pace before I sign on, but it sounds exciting. 

[HairyHeretic]

Are you talking about PC Solars and Abyssals in opposition?

[Kelvered]

Thank you, sir Muse, and it is a bit more broad than that, sir Heretic. There will be multiple powers - and I would hope that those who come to play would, eventually, guide most of them. So I am not opposed to allowing Sidereals, Lunars, Chimera, or Infernals when the rules come up. Likewise, I am not opposed to allowing renegade Abyssals on their path to redemption - but I think I may only permit a few such stories - they need to be distinct.

There will be opposition though, yes. The pace will largely be determined by the players, but I will try to encourage the continuation of smaller stories in older eras. I've been toying with the idea, of meeting with all of the major actors once a week for an hour or so to actually determine the pace for the next week, and so on. Not necessarily all at once, but there will be occasional need for that.

What I plan on doing is dividing the game intro eras rather than by location - at least at first. The game will begin with all of the major characters in a limited set of areas, and rather than force roleplay about a given era to stop, we merely place certain limits or requirements on what happens, allowing that story to be played out or told at leisure, rather than being hung up on minor points.

When moving from era to era, I will make a set of posts about the state of Creation, its 'sisters' in the Wyld, Malfeas, Autocthonia, Yu Shan, the Underworld, etc. and the state of the currently known major and minor characters and the realms which they influence.

That is my thought, anyway.

[HairyHeretic]

Its certainly ambitious, if I get what you're aiming at. It almost sounds like the players would be taking the roles of Gods, Deathlords and similar powers.

[Kelvered]

Its certainly ambitious, if I get what you're aiming at. It almost sounds like the players would be taking the roles of Gods, Deathlords and similar powers.

It is certainly ambitions.

They could, but I would much prefer to ease into that, see if the core concept functions first, and then expand.

[HairyHeretic]

*nods* Makes sense.

Well, I'm certainly interested to see how it develops out.

[Kelvered]

*nods* Makes sense.

Well, I'm certainly interested to see how it develops out.

In playing, sir Heretic, or just watching?

Depending on your and sir Muse's reaction I would only need one additional person - preferably female if that is okay, since I would like to keep a balance here. If so, I will begin explaining how I want the rules to be set up.

[HairyHeretic]

Watching just for the moment. I'm in the process of setting up a couple of new games myself just now. I'm happy to chip in with background help though. I've been playing Exalted since 1st ed, and have just about everything for the game 

[Pumpkin Seeds]

Wow that seems real big.

[Muse]

Delighfuly ambitious indeed, sir, i'd like to give it a try.  Doubly so if dear lady Asku dares too as well. 

[The Dandy]

This could be interesting. I have been an Exalted fan for quite some time and would love to see how this plays out. Count me in if anything happens.

[Kelvered]

I am currently working on the rules and other necessary items to make this attempt with. Hopefully it will not take me too terribly long.

[Kelvered]

So, I think we may have our third. We may be forced to sing only one song here, but it is probably best to scale back ambition in the name of, well, actually playing.

As I mentioned, I do not want to get bogged down in the minutiae of the entire cast's abilities. You may notice the eighteen songs in the first post. Eighteen supernatural abilities of which the teller is supposedly capable. There is no such thing as an excellency in that list, though some things are more miraculous than others. Some things - such as perfect defenses - will be common to all major characters.

Rather than worrying about prerequisites, we are going to concern ourselves with your character's core abilities. You do not unleash "Peony Blossom Attack", you strike eight times with a single breath, and that number may increase as your character develops. Someone should be able to look at your character sheet and have a solid impression of what that character is capable of, save for secrets.

I will go into more detail with that later, especially as my thoughts are not fully complete on the subject.

For now, I want to go into the basics of the simplified system.

Exalted's quick start only had six scores: Fighting, Magnetism, Scholarship, Stealth, Embassy and Essence.

Some of those names, pardon my term, 'suck'.

The idea is plain, however: I want a small set of core traits and mechanics, driving things based more on story than on bothering about specific reactions and capabilities. I need to trust you to handle that on your own.

This is all quite basic. I want to see if I can throw this out, and have it work. Play now, refine later, so to speak. If people still find this idea attractive I will post character creation notes.



Attributes are those things that every independent actor possesses as a matter of course. If something does not possess one of these, then they need assistance in order to interact with the world.

A score of one is poor, two is human average, three is notable, four is standing out in the crowd. Five is truly exceptional, and six would be legendary. Scores above that are comprehensible, but completely outside the human norm.

Might: The combination of strength and stamina from the typical Storyteller rules. Those two were always somewhat lame ducks. Might represents raw physical power and endurance.
Dexterity: Not really changed from Storyteller's rules. Dexterity represents agility, coordination, and raw physical speed.
Charisma: Again, not really changed, though some of the stuff about how one presents oneself could certainly apply here, and it may take the role of manipulation in some cases.
Willpower: I was never really comfortable with having it be a stat you 'spent'. We have virtues for that sort of thing. Willpower is your sense of self and identity, how easily you can be coaxed.
Wits: As per the original rules, Wits is thinking on your feet. Along with Dexterity in physical combat and Charisma in social, it determines how fast you are actually capable of acting.
Perception: Again, not really changed from original rules. Represents not only your physical ability to sense, but your mental ability to make use of the information your senses provide.

Abilities are what most systems call skills. What you know.

Major characters are usually assumed to have a passing capability in all of these, as are all Exalted. Some may not, however, so they actually start at a score of negative one, rather than zero, representing the difficulty required in training - especially in such general areas.

Conflict: All the arts of War, and your character's place in them. From swinging a sword to giving sound orders on the battlefield. Good orders may require Expression, however.
Craft: The art of creating. Most sorts of construction and maintenance fall under this ability, thought sometimes scholarship or expression is also needed.
Embassy: Embassy is somewhat of a catch-all that covers situational, regional, or other knowledge that varies with time or place, not just etiquette, local dialects and the like but also the ability to pick up on these things quickly.
Expression: Personal creativity, not just in terms of creating art but also in manners of speech, choosing one's words carefully and with flair.
Prowess: Another catch-all that covers skills appropriate to a situation - survival, athletics, navigating a ship or riding a horse to name some examples.
Scholarship: Lore, the Occult, and knowledge whose application is generally used in support of some other activity. Things you research, learn, and apply. Embassy might give you a local legend, Scholarship the truth behind it.
Subterfuge: The art of being up to no good at all. Sneaking about, bluffing, taking things that do not belong to you and in general being a nuisance.

The Mechanics of the above are fairly simple. Rather than clearly defining the outcome, a character's scores guide how their story progresses. If they are in a conflict with someone who has more skill, but lower attributes, the combat will play out so that their opponent's superior knowledge routinely trips up their own natural aptitude. A character with a wits and dexterity of eight moves like a whirlwind, and well beyond the capacity of any mortal to handle in physical combat without significant aid.

Characters who are completely outmatched are going to be forced to retreat from the scene at best. Minor characters are more susceptable to being captured or killed than major ones, due to Plot.



Mitigations come in several forms - setting, motivation, intimacies, virtues, essence, and traits.

Setting is scenery. If you are fighting in magma, and your opponent is a fire elemental, you are at a significant disadvantage. Extras - background characters - are also scenery. Wading through enemy hordes to get to the general also carries with it a penalty.

Motivation is your character's goal. Major characters should have motivations that represent their desire to shape, preserve, or guide Creation on an epic scale. When acting towards your Motivation, you have a free point of Essence to spend for the scene. Fulfilling a suitably epic Motivation permits the character to raise their Essence score.

Intimacies are those things your character cares for above all else, on a small scale - personal friends, family, a concept such as 'children' and so on. You have a number of intamacies equal to your Compassion virtue plus your Essence - not many, but they represent your closest friendships and concerns.

The four Virtues cover certain personality traits of your character. They are guidelines, though, as you purchase them yourself, they are your own. Every major character - and many minor characters - must have one at at least three, however. A score of one is seriously deficient in some manner - callous, lazy, hedonistic, or cowardly. Two is the human norm, while three represents a sort of code that a character may have difficulty forcing themselves against. Scores of four through six are possible, but become increasingly dominant aspects of the character.

Virtues govern how often - and how much - you can use Charms and some artifacts. Each virtue has a certain number of points equal to its score, and refreshes once a certain condition is met, up to once per scene (as in scene of a story). This basically adds the score to your number of points remaining - there is no specific cap. Expending a virtue point requires that the virtue be appropriate to the situation, however.

Compassion is concern for others. You have a number of intimacies equal to your compassion, people or small groups that you care about above and beyond common friendships. The nature of this caring can take dark turns depending on philosophy - especially in the case of Infernals and Abyssals. Your Compassion pool refreshes when you make a sacrifice or place yourself in harm's way in defense of an intimacy.

Conviction is your drive, your sense of purpose and unwavering dedication towards your goals. While Compassion governs your number of intimacies, conviction lets you know how strong they are. Your conviction pool refreshes when you make a personal sacrifice to persue your goals.

Temperance is your personal objectivity. Acting without bias and placing yourself on equal footing with others, not moving rashly or doing things to excess are signs of temperance. Temperance refreshes when you make a sacrifice of yourself in order to uphold what is right.

Valor is your bravery, particularly in the face of significant opposition. Refusing to back down in the face of a superior opponent, taking risks to achieve your goals, and so on. Valor refreshes when you face a truly challenging obstacle or opponent whom you know to be better than you.

Major Characters usually have a Virtue Flaw, at least by Exalted's core rules, but I am going to waive that for now in the interests of getting this going. If this turns out to work well, these can be added to.

Essence is the fundamental basis for all things in Creation. A character's Essence score determines the strength of their charms, the limits of their attributes, abilities, and virtues, the number of artifacts they may be attuned to, and the amount of raw power that they have at their disposal. A character's attributes and abilities are limited to a maximum of five or twice their Essence, whichever is higher. A character has a number of essence points equal to this score, which are sometimes spent as virtue points are, committed to artifacts or other effects. Essence recovers at a rate of one point per night of rest, but can be completely recovered through a full day of meditation. Manses and Demesnes also increase this rate of recovery.

Traits are aspects of a character that are not properly defined by the above, being human, their possessions or their Charms. A character's anima and Exalt abilities are Traits - a Solar always knows the time of day and a Lunar always knows the phase of the Moon. Working wings is a trait, as is breathing underwater, a Dragon-Blooded's Breeding, and so on.



Charms are a character's magic - their ability to influence the world directly but not through mundane means. Permanent Charms, things that become part of the character's fundamental nature, instead become traits.

Charms have several levels of power, loosely defined. They are based in part on a character's actual raw power within the story. A character's Essence score loosely defines the relative power of their Charms at a given level.

* Trivial Charms influence the outcome of an action. Major characters may possess these, but they are character decoration for them.
* Minor Charms change the outcome of an action, or influence the scene. A perfect or persistant defense - or attack - would be an example of such a Charm.
* Moderate Charms change the outcome of a scene, or influence the story. Most training Charms fall under this category, as would curing a terminally ill character.
* Major Charms change the outcome of a story, or alter the setting. Removing - or creating - a major Shadowland, a spell that renders your army invincible for a battle, and so on.

For a minor character, a trivial Charm requires the expendature of a virtue point or an essence point in order to function. Major characters are assumed to have an assortment of these, whose effects are assumed in the rules governing their interaction with minor characters. They do not actually spend anything for activating them, in the mechanical sense, however.

A minor character needs to expend both a virtue point and an essence point in order to enact a minor Charm, whereas a major character needs only to expend a virtue point.

A minor character needs to expend three virtue points and two essence points in order to make use of a moderate Charm. A major character need only expend a single virtue and essence point.

A minor character is incapable of enacting a major Charm. A major character can invoke one at a cost of three virtue and two essence points.

In any of these cases, an essence point may be expended in place of a virtue point to activate a Charm.

[Muse]

I wouldn't be teribly intrested in the quick start Exalted at all, I'm afraid. 

I'm still a bit confused, really.  Are you trying to tell an epic multi generational exalted,d or use the exalted style to tell a difrent story? 

[Elohim]

I have to admit,  while the exalted rules are kind of clunky at times I'm not interested in learning a new system...  or an altered system.

[The Dandy]

I'm afraid that I am also going to have to jump on this band wagon.

[Kelvered]

Apologies, the holidays kidnapped me.

In any case, I am sorry to disappoint. Unfortunately, I do not possess the time required to run Exalted by its normal rules in such a manner. Perhaps, in a future life, I might be able to do so someday.

[Elohim]

I wouldn't mind it being run completely free forum,  but...  I just don't feel the inclination to latch onto new rules.