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[Exalted 3E] Tales of the Briar Throne

Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2016 9:02 am
by BriarThrone
I hope you enjoy my material! Feel free to contribute your own! Everything I post is a work in progress - suggestions welcome!

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Solars
Dawn
Callan O'Shea

Night
Dane O'Shea


Setting Information
Gaelic Lands and Tribes in Exalted
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Since not everyone here will know about the game, I'll do some introduction.

What is Exalted 3rd Edition?
Well, that's actually two questions.
Exalted is a game for sword-and-sandals epic stories, presented wuxia-style in a giant, diverse, magical world. You play as one of the Chosen, demigods imbued with power by the Incarnae, the most powerful of the gods... or by other, perhaps more sinister entities. Straight out of the core book, you play one of the Solar Exalted, Chosen of the Unconquered Sun, paragons of excellent skill. Other options include the shape-stealing Lunar Exalted, the inscrutable Sidereal Exalted, the Dragon-Blooded, heirs of Creation wreathed in elemental power, the death-tainted Abyssals... and more!

Well, eventually. The Third Edition is still new. I highly recommend it over the previous editions. The mechanics are generally better thought out. The focus of the line is tighter. I like how the mechanics flow in play. The only drawback right now is that there is only the core book and a small supplement out. Solars are the only option for PCs currently, and you're even stuck resorting to homebrew for a lot of NPCs.

That's okay, though, because it's an awesome foundation worth building on.

What are you doing with it, BriarThrone?
I've read that a lot of people who play Exalted are sick of European fantasy. They prefer to play in the South for African or Arabian fantasy, or the Southeast for India-inspired fantasy, the West for Polynesian fantasy, and to them I say, that sounds awesome! I'd love to play that! But my first love is still European fantasy, so a lot of my material will be based on fantasy Europe. Usually Gaelic or Norse inspired. I don't limit myself to that, however, and neither should you! If you want to contribute something from outside that influence, please do!

Yeah, but what are you doing with it here, BriarThrone?
I'm sharing builds, setting notes, ideas! Characters, Artifacts, locations, all of it! None of it is deliberately optimized for maximum power output, but I'd like to optimize to the best of my ability within concept. Note "best of my ability." My system-fu isn't great. I haven't worked on it. Everything I post will be playable (with approval), but if you see a way to execute a concept better, please let me know.
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Re: [Exalted 3E] Tales of the Briar Throne

Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2016 9:03 am
by BriarThrone
Solar Exalted - Dawn Caste
Callan O'Shea

Supernal: Melee
Anima: Stag King

Attributes
Physical
Strength: 3
Dexterity: 5
Stamina: 3

Social
Charisma: 5
Manipulation: 1
Appearance: 3

Mental
Perception: 2
Intelligence: 2
Wits: 4

Abilities
(c) Athletics: 5 (Specialty: So Fast...)
(c) Awareness: 5 (Specialty: Join Battle)
(c) Brawl: 2
Bureaucracy: 1
(f) Craft (gold): 2
Integrity: 2
Medicine: 1
(s) Melee: 5 (Specialty: Swords)
Lore: 1 (Specialty: Geography)
(f) Occult: 1
Performance: 1
(f) Presence: 2
(c) Resistance: 5
Sail: 1
Socialize: 1
Survival: 1
(c) War: 2

Merits
Resources: 3
Backing: 2 (O'Shea family is noble and famous near his homeland)
Languages: 5 (Skytongue - native, Riverspeak, Forest-tongue, Wavetongue, Flametongue, Low Realm)

Charms
Athletics
Graceful Crane Stance
Lightning Speed

Melee
Excellent Strike
One Weapon, Two Blows
Dipping Swallow Defense
Bulwark Stance
War Lion Stance
Solar Counterattack
Flashing Edge of Dawn
Fervent Blow
Over-and-Under Method

Presence
Tiger's Dread Symmetry

Resistance
Durability of Oak Meditation
Spirit Strengthens the Skin
Iron Skin Concentration

Intimacies
Defining Tie (Loyalty): "My People" - tribe, clan, followers, companions
Major Tie (Hatred): Immaculate Order
Major Tie (Emnity): House Sesus
Major Principle: "There's nothing like the thrill of combat."
Limit Trigger: His people suffer, and he can't oppose it.


Biography: Callan's father was the leader of a famous war band, The Thirteen. Not the biggest or strongest among them, Cormac was famed for being quick, cunning, and bold. Even growing up among the children of these warriors, Callan stood out. He was a prodigy with the blade, and his athleticism was unmatched. His antics and feuds with other youth were the talk of the Iceni tribe. He also embraced the arts of farming, fishing, and goldsmithing, and was fascinated by the lore of the tribe's Fair Folk neighbors.

Just as he was reaching adulthood, and ready to embark on his family's traditional journey abroad, House Sesus arrived.

Eager to expand their tax base and seeing the divided Gaelic tribes as an easy target, the Sesus set about claiming their lands. Opposition was complicated by the tribes' history of bitter feuding, as well as the unpredictable nature of the Fair Folk. The Gaels also had little to counter the might of the Dragon-Blooded.

After a year and a half of campaigning, the tribes managed to bring their armies together to confront the Realm's forces. The Sesus army held the advantage, and seemed likely to win relatively easily... until they were thrown into disarray by a surprise rear assault by Callan's men and his satyr allies.

That was when Callan encountered Sesus Voren, the enemy commander. After a long and careful battle, evading Voren's flaming aura, Callan took his Second Breath, his golden anima filling the sky in the shape of a great stag with a viciously sharp crown of antlers. The shock was too much, and Voren was quickly overcome, and Callan led the rout of the Sesus forces.

The war over, but one of the Realm's Great Houses had been shamed by a Solar. The Gaels feared that the Wyld Hunt would soon come, and that they would be punished for harboring Anathema. Cursing the Immaculate Order that turned his people against him, Callan left his home after all, vowing to return one day as a hero.



Build Notes: Callan isn't meant to be a primary, threatening damage-dealer. He's meant to protect more vulnerable Circle-mates and punish enemies for attacking. Use his mobility to dash to the side of a vulnerable character, use War Lion Stance to force the enemy to attack Callan instead, and then smash the attacker with Over-and-Under Method.

Unless he's headed into pitched battle, Callan never opts for armor, relying on his shield and his daiklaive to protect him.

His Manipulation is low because he finds lying or hiding things to be tedious and not worth his time. It might rise later in his life, building on deceptive battle tactics, but for now, he doesn't see the point.


Advancement: You'll be doing a lot of Decisive Attacks with this Charm set, so the need to pick up Increasing Strength Exercise is obvious. Five-Fold Bulwark Stance, Ready in Eight Directions, Hail-Shattering Practice, and two purchases of Victorious Wreath are important to progress the concept. More offensive Melee Charms would be nice, but I would focus more on Resistance for a while, for those attacks he can't catch. Athletics increases his options for mobile combat, and Presence keeps people reluctant to even start a fight. Occult would allow him to better understand and threaten more esoteric enemies.

Callan is a very broad-concept character, so there's never a shortage of places to spend XP. Stamina is a good investment, combat-wise, but for character development, Intelligence, Craft, Occult, Medicine, War, and eventually some more Bureaucracy would be good choices. He's meant to grow to be a knowledgeable and cunning leader.

He should eventually get an awesome daiklave.


Comments: I love this character. He's cheerful, shameless, and genuinely fun. He doesn't see the need to filter himself. If you're his friend or follower, he's with you to the end, and woe be unto your enemies. His enemies know they're his enemies, and that they have a Big Problem. Roleplaying as Callan is the most relaxed fun I've ever had in gaming.

Re: [Exalted 3E] Tales of the Briar Throne

Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2016 10:06 pm
by BriarThrone
House Rules:

Custom Merits
Lots of times my friends and I have ideas for a character that don't fit cleanly within the rules as presented. That's fine. I can usually treat that element as an Artifact, something to build Evocations off of.

Re: [Exalted 3E] Tales of the Briar Throne

Posted: Sun Nov 06, 2016 10:07 pm
by BriarThrone
Image
In my Creation, Europe's northern coast replaces the coast northwest of Gethamane . Some allowances, of course, have to be made, but remember, Creation is huge compared to Earth, so a lot less than you'd think. The Mediterranean coast vanishes, melded into the continent. Remember to put plenty of space between the actual space occupied by the tribes, though, because in this setting, the whole area is lousy with small kingdoms of Fair Folk, who feud and scheme with each other just as much as their mortal counterparts. Alliances between Fae nations and Gaelic tribes are relatively common, and it is not hard to find Gaelic Fae-Blooded.

Besides the Fair Folk, the Gaels worry about raiding boats from further north, their Pictish neighbors with their bizarre cannibalistic prophecy rites, and the Realm, ever eager to claim more satrapies. Despite all this, the typical Gael's worst enemy is another Gael. They will raid their neighbors for cattle or trade goods to sell to the upcoming Guild caravans.

The Gaels are famed craftsmen, which is fortunate, because they are also cunning tradesmen, and the Guild would avoid them altogether if their wares weren't so valuable. That being so, the Guild has begun to recruit heavily from Gaelic lands, particularly talented craftsmen and leaders of trade ships and caravans.

Re: [Exalted 3E] Tales of the Briar Throne

Posted: Thu Aug 24, 2017 5:57 am
by BriarThrone
Solar Exalted - Night Caste
Dane O'Shea

Supernal: Stealth
Anima: Blinding golden blizzard against a dark blue background

Attributes
Physical
Strength: 2
Dexterity: 5
Stamina: 2

Social
Charisma: 2
Manipulation: 4
Appearance: 2

Mental
Perception: 3
Intelligence: 5
Wits: 3

Abilities
(c) Athletics: 3
(c) Awareness: 3
(c) Dodge: 3
(f) Lore: 2 (specialty: heraldry)
(f) Occult: 5 (specialty: Shape Sorcery)
(f) Sail: 5
(c) Socialize: 2
(s) Stealth: 5 (specialty: Join Battle, stalking)
(f) Survival: 1
(f) Thrown: 5

Willpower: 7

Merits
Command: 4 (sailing crew of Unseelie fae)
Artifact: 3 (Belt of Shadow Walking)
Influence: 2 (Faerie Knight)
Familiar: 1 (osprey)
Fey Heritage*
Fey Patronage*

Charms
Sorcery
Terrestrial Circle Sorcery (Shaping Ritual: Fueled By Terror - once per scene, in a situation with anxious or frightened people, double stunt bonus involving that fear for a Shape Sorcery roll)
- (control) Mists of Eventide
- Flight of the Brilliant Raptor

Stealth
Blinding Battle Feint
Stalking Wolf Attitude
Shadow Victor's Repose
Flash-Eyed Killer's Insight
Easily-Overlooked Presence Method
Mental Invisibility Technique
Hidden Snake Recoil
Mind Shroud Meditation

Sail
Salty Dog Method
Fathoms-Fed Spirit
Ship-Claiming Stance

Thrown
Triple Distance Attack
Cascade of Cutting Terror


Intimacies
Defining Tie: My Queen (loyalty)
Major Tie: My family, the O'Sheas (loyalty, love)
Major Tie: Parthin (rivalry, hatred)
Minor Principle: "I love seein' 'em quiver in fear."
Limit Trigger: Wounded Pride

Values
Join Battle (normal): 6
Join Battle (Stealth): 11

Attack
Franciscas (Thrown): 11+Range Modifier
Flight of the Brilliant Raptor: 9

Defense
Parry: 3
Evasion: 4
Natural Soak: 2

Movement
Rush: 8
Disengage: 8

Social
Guile: 3
Resolve: 2
Read Intentions: 5

Biography: Dane is Callan's cousin. His father is an Unseelie sidhe, and Dane was raised alternately in the chaotic, treacherous world of faerie politics and the much more friendly home of his mother's brother. He put the skills learned among faeries to cause mischief back home, and used the allies he gained in friends and family to find ways to triumph over fae rivals.

He was already a Knight of Queen Mab upon taking his Second Breath. He views being one of the Chosen to be a powerful tool he can use to his advantage in fae politics.

He is a ship captain in Mab's service, complete with a crew of vicious Unseelie fae. His most valuable crew member is a redcap named Grazzek. He finds great opportunity in sailing with his cousin, and a lot of fun along the way.

Parthin is a sidhe rival for Mab's favor, and their feud has grown more intense as they've gained power. The gossip in the court is that they're sure to have a final confrontation some day, and one will surely die.

Build notes: Dane is an example of how a combat sorcerer in 3E operates effectively: he hides, unable to be perceived or remembered as anything other than a creeping menace, until he lets rip with a powerful spell or a shockingly brutal Thrown attack. Be sure to hide before combat - you can do it in plain sight if you need to. If you want to play battlefield control with a cool damage element, sorcery attacks are great. (Mists of Eventide is OP. Will wreck encounters.) If you want to go straight-up vicious single-target damage, go Thrown from hiding. It's gross. The player likes Cascade of Cutting Terror, but it's not really the best choice. Precision of the Striking Raptor, Steel Storm Descending, and Flashing Draw Mastery would turn a Stealth character into a crazy alpha-striking beast capable of turning a single tactically-important target into chili every couple of turns. If things get dicey, he can go stand next to Callan, right out in the open, and dare the enemy to come get him.

Fun fact: When you make yourself so invisible that you fade from people's minds, and then you throw out a big showy attack like a sorcerous firebird, they aren't going to remember that you doing so is a possibility. This should scare the crap out of your Circle every time.

Advancement: Precision of the Striking Raptor, Steel Storm Descending, and Flashing Draw Mastery to max out damage output. It also doesn't take many more Stealth Charms to do crazy stuff like taking control of a person by hiding in their soul, a couple forms of teleportation, and Ninja Replacement Technique - GET THOSE ASAP.

The character is roleplayed in such a way that his Social scores are criminally underrepresented. All Social Attributes need to come up, plus Presence.

*See House Rules

Re: [Exalted 3E] Tales of the Briar Throne

Posted: Thu Aug 24, 2017 6:11 am
by BriarThrone
I finally decided to start posting a few of these, like I intended to when this forum began. Hope to get out one or two a day for a while.

Re: [Exalted 3E] Tales of the Briar Throne

Posted: Thu Aug 24, 2017 9:45 am
by Jabroniville
Awesome! The first character looks fun (I love how you threw in stuff about how evil tax collectors are, :) too :)). Posting here to say that, and to "subscribe" to the thread.

Re: [Exalted 3E] Tales of the Briar Throne

Posted: Thu Aug 24, 2017 2:20 pm
by BriarThrone
Jabroniville wrote: Thu Aug 24, 2017 9:45 am Awesome! The first character looks fun (I love how you threw in stuff about how evil tax collectors are, :) too :)). Posting here to say that, and to "subscribe" to the thread.
In this particular case, it was about the evils of predatory colonial expansion, but yeah, taxation too.

Re: [Exalted 3E] Tales of the Briar Throne

Posted: Thu Aug 24, 2017 7:16 pm
by L-Space
Exalted always seemed like it would be a really fun system to play in. My former roommate used to hype it up and talk about how he had so many awesome adventures and it really made me want to try it. Granted it was this same friend that had me roll up a character, sit through 4+ hours of doing other people's 'individual' quests, and then left before I got to do mine :x.

I had thought about picking it up myself, but the amount of lore (and product books!) behind the setting was daunting.

Re: [Exalted 3E] Tales of the Briar Throne

Posted: Thu Aug 24, 2017 7:44 pm
by danelsan
Well, the current edition is at the start (only the core book, a really minor supplement, an introductory adventure, and the equivalent of a few entries of the Threat Reports for M&M), so this might be a good opportunity to get into it. The system is also, at least in my opinion, a considerable improvement over past editions in most aspects.

Re: [Exalted 3E] Tales of the Briar Throne

Posted: Thu Aug 24, 2017 8:33 pm
by BriarThrone
I like the work the previous developers did on the 3E Core, but a lot of months went by without any progress on new stuff. I understand that there was a lot of personal stuff going on, but it's Onyx Path's intellectual property and they want people in charge of the line that can put out product. The new guys have Arms of the Chosen nearly ready, and are making progress on the Dragon-Blooded book and the Realm setting book. I'm super excited about new Exalted material, finally. The preview material looks great as well.

Re: [Exalted 3E] Tales of the Briar Throne

Posted: Thu Aug 24, 2017 9:18 pm
by L-Space
Hmmm, sounds like this would be a good time to hop on. Wish I would have known sooner, my FLGS had a big 50% off "Sorry you're not at Gen Con" sale last weekend. Either way looks like I'll have to do some shopping.

Re: [Exalted 3E] Tales of the Briar Throne

Posted: Thu Aug 24, 2017 9:33 pm
by BriarThrone
It's PDF or POD only. It's a shame for those who require physical books or like to support their FLGS, but it eliminates warehousing costs and printer deadlines, both of which contributed to the fall of White Wolf.

The PDF is great and works fine for me. If you require a physical book, I've heard good things about modern DriveThru's POD books. Supposed to be quality stuff.

Re: [Exalted 3E] Tales of the Briar Throne

Posted: Sat Aug 26, 2017 1:13 am
by L-Space
BriarThrone wrote: Thu Aug 24, 2017 9:33 pm It's PDF or POD only. It's a shame for those who require physical books or like to support their FLGS, but it eliminates warehousing costs and printer deadlines, both of which contributed to the fall of White Wolf.

The PDF is great and works fine for me. If you require a physical book, I've heard good things about modern DriveThru's POD books. Supposed to be quality stuff.
Huh, interesting. Don't see a lot of companies go strictly PDF for RPG books.

Re: [Exalted 3E] Tales of the Briar Throne

Posted: Sat Aug 26, 2017 3:58 am
by BriarThrone
L-Space wrote: Sat Aug 26, 2017 1:13 am Huh, interesting. Don't see a lot of companies go strictly PDF for RPG books.
I did some more reading today, and it looks like the POD books are... well, they're high quality in most respects, but a 600+ page book is too big for a traditional binding, and the weight of it tears the book apart. Erk. I'm glad I'm okay with the PDF...

I was going to post a Twilight tonight, but I lost the character sheet, and the player is being frustrating about helping me remake the character. Aiming for tomorrow instead.