Wordman/ORExThoughts

The One Role Exalted (OREx) system, written by Martin 'Democritus' Nerurkar, aims to marry Exalted and the One Roll Engine system as used in REIGN. This system, while it does what it sets out to do and is well put together, isn't what I was looking for in a port of Exalted to ORE, following a much different philosophy than I would have used. This post, then, is not so much a critique of OREx, but an outline of "how I would have done it". The OREx project is free to use any of this as they see fit; however, given the different philosophical approach, I suspect that most of this will not find its way back in OREx. If not, I guess you can consider this an outline of an alternate version, though it's unlikely I will ever flesh it out.

In most of what follows, I will be making comparisons between what OREx does and what I would like to have seen in my "ideal" version of an Exalted ORE port. Rather than use repetitive phrasing to identify which is which, when it matters, I'll use OREx to refer to Democritus' system and WORX (Wordman's One Roll Exalted, if you like) to identify what I would have done. Use of "Exalted" will mean canonical Exalted, and "Reign" refers to the ruleset in Reign. (BTW, from here on, I spell it "Reign" instead of "REIGN", because it's not a freaking acronym.)

Also, keep in mind, this is an outline. It isn't finished, playtested or even fully gelled. It is not intended for "real" games, but for discussion.

Philosophy

It's probably worth laying out WORX design goals and approach here. Reasonable people can disagree reasonably with any of this, so if you find yourself blanching at these statements of direction, you might want to bail out of reading any further, as the system probably won't do what you want it to. Here's what I'm looking for:

• ORE as default. If you have a source system A, and you like target system B well enough to port A into it, it seems to me that you should stick with system B as much as possible, and import things from A only when needed. OREx seems to do the opposite, essentially keeping Exalted largely intact, but importing ORE's dice mechanics and adding some simplification. There is nothing wrong with this, and OREx does very well with this approach. While I love the Exalted setting, however, I think nearly all of its mechanics (and even most of its mechanical ideas) are pretty bad, so WORX starts with ORE (and Reign, in particular), and sticks with it unless it makes no sense.
• Charms are bad. Exalted First Edition had nearly 200 charm trees (which equates to thousands of charms). Second Edition already has over 130. While some level of customization for character "tricks" can be useful, that's just way to many charms, each with its own special rules. Some will argue that charms are what makes Exalted Exalted. This statement may be true, but that is sad and unnecessary. While WORX will make use of a certain amount of "charm-like" behavior (probably more than I originally intended), I think it is entirely possible for a skilled, disciplined gaming group to play Exalted without them, using only stunt-like concepts (but, first, give me the disciplined gaming group).
• Story rules. When given a choice between two rules, one of which creates, encourages, enforces or changes some aspect of the story and one that does not, the former is the better rule. In canon Exalted, very little does this and even rules that try to, like Motivation, don't really work that well. Reign, in contrast, seems to have made many choices about its rules with this concept in mind. A blatant example is the way its esoteric disciplines all come with varying degrees of plot related baggage that add depth not only to the character, but the story itself. Other examples, even things like choices of skills, are a bit more subtle.
• Not everything needs rules. Its no secret that Exalted has a lot of rules but the actual problem with this isn't immediately evident. Rule lookups kill game momentum, so a good storyteller typically wings it to keep the game moving. The problem with this is that Exalted has so many interlocking rules that snap judgements that seem good at the time can completely unravel a game later. Once this happens, the best that can be done is either a "reset button" or an ever-escalating set of house rules and exceptions. Better, then, to have some systems that are and always will be governed by snap judgements, set up to serve the story and not some notion of rule purity. (There will always be GMs and players that can't handle this kind of game. WORX isn't for them.) WORX has a bit of this everywhere, but it is, by far, most prevalent in the Primal Magic system.
• Minimize Racial Homogeneity. Broadly speaking, "racial rules" are those game mechanical benefits and drawbacks a PC gains automatically just for being a certain "race". In Exalted, the "races" are mostly the various types of exalted, and all the members of a "race" work exactly the same way. I don't mind the mechanical distinction of "races", but the "exactly the same" part bothers me. WORX tries to keep the "free" things that "race" buys to a minimum and give at least a little selection in their character. (It could probably do this better.) Generally speaking, a PC's "race" gives her access to certain choices, but whether or not she takes those choices is up to the player.
• Mortals. Exalted treats mortals as fodder. This, perhaps, is how it should be. But one of the results of this is that exalts pretty much leave their mortality (or, perhaps, mortal-ness) at the door, and almost immediately get used to being hyper-beings without much thought for their mortal aspects. Since the duality of mortal and god inherent in each exalt is one of the more interesting things about them, this sucks. WORX attempts to make the gap between mortals and exalts at least a little smaller.
• More to Exalted than solars. While OREx mentions the other types of exalted, it (so far) is written in a fairly solar-centric way. Given that the cooler parts of the Exalted world don't have anything to do with solars, it seems to me a better approach is to tackle all of the "races" at once.

Mechanically, WORX focuses on four basic "systems":

1. The ORE dice mechanics.
2. The "advanced" combat system from Reign
3. An expansion of Reign's "esoteric discipline" path ideas. Detailing this forms the bulk of the text in this post, but the basic principle is fairly simple.
4. The introduction of a Primal Magic system to cover the more reality-altering types of magic in the Exalted setting (sorcery, necromancy, astrology, shaping, etc.).

OK, enough philosophy. Now, where to start? I know...

Stunts

Stunts are far and away the best mechanical idea in Exalted, so much so that I now use some version of them in any other game I play. The important thing about them, though, is not the bonuses they give, but the following:

1. Stunts allow the players to take control of the narrative. This is the primary purpose of stunts and should advertised as such. As a very simple example, say the player says "I run up a nearby cart, flip over and stab the guy", what matters is that there wasn't previously a cart in the scene, but there is now. The player is taking limited control of the story to make it more interesting. This is good. Obviously, there are limits to this, but that's why the GM is there.
2. Stunts allow the players to bend the rules. This is the secondary purpose of stunts and should advertised as such. Extending the cart stunt, suppose the player doesn't really have enough movement to run up the cart. The benefit of the stunt is that this does not matter, because the cool overrides the need for some number as an intrinsic "power" of stunting.

Stunts as presented in OREx work fine, but in WORX, they do not (by default) provide mote paybacks (why this is so should become more clear later).

Character

The basic character concept in WORX is that every character is a bare-bones mortal until they buy some ability that makes them otherwise. Even exalts, when choosing their "race", don't get anything for free other than access to things they can choose to buy. Most will always choose to buy certain things, but there is no requirement for them to.

I hate the soybean trading made possible by the cost difference between generation and improvement in most systems, including Exalted, OREx and Reign. I do, however, like the triangular sum progression used for improvement in both Exalted and some parts of Reign (where progressive ranks of something get more costly as you increase them). WORX uses XP for everything, usually using some multiple of the current value of something as an XP cost to improve it. The exact numbers of the system (how many XP do what, and how many you get to start) depend a lot more on how the rest of the system works, so I don't particularly care about the exact numbers for the purposes of this post. OREx seems to use a 10x multiplier for xp costs for things compared to Reign, presumably so the many things in the OREx rules that award xp for various things have a less unbalancing impact. This probably makes sense, and is a good starting place for WORX. This is more for disciplines, Essence and schools, though. Things like stats and skills may not necessarily need triangular progression, because the way the dice probabilities work in ORE mean that higher levels of skills actually offer diminishing returns already. (That is, when you increase a skill from 2 to 3, your probability of success increases by a certain amount, but when the skill moves from 4 to 5, the probability of success doesn't improve by nearly as much.)

Stats

The stats used by Reign seem much more exalted-like than Exalted itself, so WORX keeps them. I don't see the point of relabeling them like OREx does, as this seems to greatly change their meaning (particular using Wits for Sense).

I dislike the concept of "favored" stats in Exalted (and OREx) for two reasons. The first is that their main purpose seems to be to enforce stereotypes, often penalizing someone for picking a caste for purely story reason. As a player, I don't need a reason to make certain skill choices to fit my character concept, so I fail to see why the system should force me into such choices. The second reason is that it adds a layer of complexity to both the stat and the experience system that seems completely superfluous to me.

The addition of Essence as stat the way OREx does it is a good idea, and is used to good effect in OREx, so no change needed for WORX.

Skills

Having messed with Exalted's skill system on several occasions, it should come as no surprise that I don't like Exalted's skill choices very much. I suspect that much of what I dislike about it ultimately is caused by the "five skills per caste" idea, forcing the existence of exactly 25 skills whether you want that many or not. And I certainly wouldn't have chosen those 25.

I suspect that OREx uses these skills because it a) made the charms match better and b) it fit the "favored" concept. Since WORX basically jettisons both of these concerns, it has no real need to use the canon Exalted skills either. The skills in Reign are a better starting place, but are still not perfect.

For one thing, I like the freedom in Exalted to mix Attribute and Ability to fit the situation. While Reign allows this too, it's clearly more of an exception type of thing, with skills fairly strongly tied to specific stats. WORX weakens this tie, treating a skill's link to a stat only as the default to be used if there isn't a reason to use something else. This seems like a minor point, but its existence allows the simplification of the skills a bit, since they are no longer bound so tightly to stats. Other changes allow even more simplification. In particular:

• Endurance is merged into Vigor
• Run is merged into Athletics.
• Climb is merged into Athletics.
• Perform no longer requires being listed with both Coordination and Command.
• Ride takes on more of an Exalted concept and becomes Dominion. This skill measures your ability to mentally dominate a (usually) lesser creature. As in Exalted, the most typical use for this is riding animals, but the skill often covers things like possessing another creature (in which case, it is usually used with Command, not Coordination).
• Weapon Skill x is removed. Fight is used instead, combined with the way the Perfected Lotus (see below) works.
• Counterspell is eliminated.
• Healing becomes Medicine, and takes on the various meanings that skill has in the game, including its use in necrotech and genesis.
• Hearing and Sight are merged into Awareness.
• Direction and Eerie are merged into Intuition, an measure of extra-sensory ability. In addition to sensing direction and magical activity, it might be used to sense the presence of spirits or ghost, as well as influence of the Underworld, Heaven or Malfeas.
• Integrity is added, defaulting to Command. It measures mental resilience, strength of identity and defense against mental attacks.
• Instruct is added, defaulting to Command. It measures teaching ability and how well the character can convey information, make lessons memorable, etc. Rating in this skill acts as an upper bound on the rating of any skills the character can teach someone else.
• In addition to its ability to cover other types of skill, the Expert x and Student of x skills can be used to represent things that Exalted represents with Craft, Larceny, Sail and Survival.

Other traits

From a story standpoint, Reign's concept of Passions is both more interesting and more useful than the idea of Motivation in Exalted and OREx, so WORX will use it. I see the point in OREx avoiding two dice-adding effects, though, so rather than award dice, Passions should reduce penalties.

Virtues in Exalted hold the glimmer of a good idea, but not the greatest execution. It seems like it would be possible to base a whole game around virtues and little else. Unfortunately, I'm not sure how to do that. What I propose in this post is a fairly large departure from both Exalted and Reign (see Virtue Paths, below). I'm not entirely sure that it will work, but I think it can be made to. The Great Curse gets changed to become, essentially, more tempting to use, sort of like the dark side, and also altered to fit the same discipline mechanics as everything else (see the Great Curse, below).

Like OREx, WORX uses Reign's concept of Advantages.

Terminology

The basic terms used in the game are well laid out in OREx; however, many effects will alter the dice in strange ways. Most of these ways are predictable enough to give them specific terms and rules, so that the same explanations don't have to be repeated every single time they are used. One of the important aspects of these terms that is not immediately apparent on a first reading of the ORE system is how they interact with penalties. WORX uses the following (many of which you will find in OREx):

• Excellency dice: These work as per OREx. An important factor of these dice is that penalties downgrade them to normal dice rather than eliminate them.
• Stunt dice: Also as per OREx. In particular, penalties always hit these first. So, if you have an effect awards dice you want to be first on the chopping block, call them stunt die.
• Gobble dice: As per OREx, used in opposed tests to erode dice of another.
• Area dice: As per OREx, mostly used for area damage. Some effects might use area dice for other purposes, however.
• Waste dice: As per OREx.
• Bonus dice: These are normal dice added to a pool, treated as normal dice. An important consideration here is that they cannot increase the pool past ten dice.
• Boost dice: These are like Bonus dice, but they can increase the pool past ten. They are always added to the pool last, just before penalties kick in.
• Expert dice: These are dice that are unrolled, but set to specific values prior to rolling. Many ORE games use expert dice, but OREx replaces them generally with excellency dice. Some specific effects, however, may want dice that work like this. Expert dice are targeted by penalties before normal dice are. Reign lists restrictions on how many expert dice can be used an so forth, but these are ignored in WORX. Since they are not a general mechanic, any limits can be left in the hands of the effect that generates them.
• Master dice: These are dice that are unrolled, but set to specific values after rolling. These otherwise work like expert dice.
• Curse dice: These dice are unrolled, but set prior to rolling as the lowest possible "straight" that can be made with them. For example, if your pool is inflicted with three curse dice, they are set to 1, 2 and 3 before rolling. You still have a chance to make sets with them (no curse is absolute) but they are usually not helpful. Note that the lunar excellency makes them somewhat more resistant to curses than others.
• Difficulty: Success is normally weighed by the presence of sets, not their height. Difficulty penalties prevent success unless the set is at least a certain height. Difficulty is the preferred way of making a test harder, as its impact is independent of pool size.
• Penalty: Penalties eat dice from a pool (see below). Penalties hurt people with small pools worse than those with large pools.
• Threshold: It doesn't happen often, but some effects will manipulate the minimum width needed for a set to succeed. Standard actions have a threshold to two by default (i.e. the set needs to be width two to succeed). If a set exists that doesn't meet the threshold, some effects might allow it to be a partial success. Dice in such sets are not considered waste dice. Threshold does some sort of trippy things and I don't fully understand its impact. Probably best to avoid this one unless you have a really good reason.
• Squish point: A squish point allows you to "squish" a set, reducing its height by one and increasing its width by one. So, two squish points would allow you to turn a 3x9 set into a 5x7 set. Squish points are almost always awarded singly but, no matter how many you have, use of any of them is optional unless the effect says otherwise. The game impact of squish points is extremely dependent on the context in which they are used. Effects that produce them should only do so in a well-defined context. That is, effects should say "you get a squish point making this particular roll or in this particular situation", not "you get a squish point that you can apply to anything you want".
• Stretch point: Stretch points work exactly like squish points, but in the opposite direction, selling width to buy height.

Fortunately, you'll only likely need to apply these effects a few at a time. The order of how you apply them, however, does matter. That works like this:

1. Base pool is assembled, typically from stat + skill.
2. All non-boost, non-penalty effects are applied.
3. The pool is capped at 10 (or twice Essence, if higher).
4. Boost dice are added.
5. Penalties eliminate stunt dice.
6. Penalties downgrade excellency dice to normal dice.
7. Penalties eliminate master dice.
8. Penalties eliminate expert dice.
9. Penalties eliminate normal dice (including those resulting from downgrading excellencies).
10. Penalties eliminate curse dice.

Combat and Such

Health boxes and damage work as per OREx. Healing works as it does for mortals, but there is no automatic reduction in healing time for exalts. By default, the rules for Dying on OREx are not applied. (See, however, the Exalted and Ox-Body paths.)

Social combat may be the worst thing about Exalted Second Edition. First Edition had a problem in that there was no coherent system of mental defense. In most games, role-playing (and story) is enough to resolve social conflict, but once magical mental influence enters the game, some kind of mechanic is useful for adjudicating it. Social combat, however, is complete overkill. All that is really needed is some kind of opposed test (with the defender using something like Command + Integrity) and, possibly, some kind of cherry (xp maybe) for properly role-playing the result of a failed mental defense. I may come up with more on this later, but don't care enough about it right now.

I love the way OREx approaches Excellencies. I'm not entirely sure I like the way Abyssal or Sidereal dice work, but I haven't seen or thought of a better alternative. (I'd like them both better if they messed with other people's pools.) As with healing, access to excellency dice is not automatic (see internal disciplines).

The limit on artifacts in OREx is also interesting. The only thing it looses is the variation of magical materials, which I always liked. I've tried to add it back slightly in the internal disciplines.

Disciplines

Of the two types of magic at work in WORX, disciplines are by far the most common. Nearly everything in WORX centers around them. Two flavors of these are present in Reign: Esoteric Disciplines and Martial Paths. WORX makes use of several others. This is about as close to charm effects as WORX will get.

All disciplines contain a path of steps (usually five) that get progressively more useful and expensive as you learn them. The steps on the path have a linear "rank" (one through five) and must be learned in order. Their cost follows a triangular progression. That is, to learn a rank, a player must spend some multiplier times the new rank in xp, with the exact multiplier depending on how xp will ultimately work (in Reign, the multiplier is one).

Some effects may make reference to the character's commitment to the path. This is a numeric value that counts how many ranks the character has learned in the path. So, a character that has learned three ranks in a discipline has a commitment to that discipline of 3.

Disciplines come in several basic groups, some more open than others. They are:

• Internal disciplines depend on a character's type (that is, their "race"). They, for example, provide the basic powers of the different types of exalts, raksha, spirits and so on.
• Virtue disciplines derive power from the embodiment and practice of philosophical outlooks. Most characters are restricted to a subset of virtue disciplines, ultimately derived from the internal disciplines they have learned.
• Esoteric disciplines are, more or less, the same as they are in Reign. They are secret, non-combat techniques that anyone can master. They are largely non-magical, but essence users may use some short cuts to learn and use them.
• Martial disciplines represent the whole of the Perfected Lotus, access to which depends on internal disciplines.
• Restricted disciplines define a higher rank of magic, only open to those who meet certain criteria.

Some disciplines provide permanent effects (either passive effects or those that are "always on"). Others provide effects that are used on a "per round" basis. In general, there is no limit to how many "per round" effects that can be used in a single round; however, once a roll is made, a given set can only be altered by a single discipline effect. So, you might have a bunch of effects that change the makeup of the pool before the roll, but if you roll two sets, only two set-altering effects can be brought to bear after the roll, one on each set. For this purpose only, waste dice are collectively treated as a single "set". So, if, for example, some discipline allows you to build sets from waste dice, this effect counts as altering the waste dice "set", and any sets resulting cannot be altered further. Not being disciplines, excellency effects work independently of this limit (and are typically applied first).

Internal Disciplines

Before a player of WORX chooses whether her character is a solar, a lunar, a dragon king, a spirt or what have you, the character is no more powerful than a mortal. After she chooses the character's type, well, the character is still no more powerful than a mortal, they just have gained more potential. Even exalts are really just "mortals plus magic". It is internal disciplines that provide such magic. Choosing a character's type defines what internal disciplines may be bought for the character, but the player still must actually purchase them to use them. Players are not required to buy any internal disciplines, it's just highly recommended.

The disciplines listed here are only rough guidelines and need tuning. With a few exceptions, internal disciplines should be structured such that the first two ranks will be taken by nearly anyone who can do so. The third rank will appeal to most of that type, the fourth to some of that type and the fifth to only a few.

Warning: these get a bit long-winded and may be misguided. If you object to the idea of players needing to pay incrementally for these things, you can just as easily consider this a list of "free racial abilities" instead. If you want do the opposite and go even more crazy with the idea, you could build paths by caste instead of (or in addition to) "race", though this seems like overkill to me.

Ranks in internal disciplines are permanent effects and do not cost motes to use (though, in a couple of cases, the permanent effect is to provide a power that does, in fact, cost motes).

Exalted Path

Open to: abyssal exalted, alchemical exalted, infernal exalted, lunar exalted, sidereal exalted, solar exalted, terrestrial exalted.

1. You are allowed to buy ranks in the Perfected Lotus up to Planting the Perfected Lotus. In addition, when calculating mechanics, you round up instead of down. You also gain a life span measured in a few centuries.
2. You get the benefit of Body "dying" health boxes. These work like the "Dying" rules in OREx and stack with others.
3. Successful stunts gain you motes equal to twice the awarded dice.
4. You heal four times faster than normal.
5. Spirits pay you more respect than others of your kind.

Terrestrial Path

Open to: terrestrial exalted.

1. You gain access to an Essence pool (of some formula), which does not respire in the Underworld or Malfeas, and an anima effect. In addition, for the purpose of calculating your artifact limit, artifacts made of jade are considered to have one less point of rating (yes, this means you can essentially use infinite Rating 1 jade artifacts, but presumably the storyteller will stop you). Also, your exaltation has a chance to be passed on to offspring. Lastly, you are considered to have an elemental aspect appropriate to your caste (see Restricted Disciplines).
2. You may buy terrestrial excellency dice. You may also purchase any of the following virtue disciplines: Conviction, Duty, Expression, Harmony, Order, Succor, Valor.
3. You may buy ranks in the Perfected Lotus of Understanding (see Martial Paths) up through Root of the Perfected Lotus at normal cost. With effort and help (that is, if there is a good story reason for it), you may buy the Bulb of the Perfected Lotus at double the cost.
4. You may "force learn" esoteric disciplines with magic (see Esoteric Disciplines, below). You may also learn restricted disciplines that require any elemental aspect.
5. You may purchase ranks in a Sorcery school up to the Emerald Circle, if you complete the proper initiations (see Primal Magic).

Celestial Path

Open to: lunar exalted, sidereal exalted, solar exalted.

1.  ?? Even longer life span. Reincarnation.
2. You may "force learn" esoteric disciplines with magic (see Esoteric Disciplines, below).
3. You have the right to enter heaven.
4. You may purchase ranks in a Sorcery school up to the Sapphire Circle, if you complete the proper initiations (see Primal Magic).
5. You may purchase ranks in a Necromancy school up to the Shadowlands Circle, if you complete the proper initiations (see Primal Magic).

Lunar Path

Open to: lunar exalted.

1. You gain access to an Essence pool (of some formula), which does not respire in the Underworld or Malfeas, and an anima effect. In addition, for the purpose of calculating your artifact limit, artifacts made of moonsilver are considered to have one less point of rating. You can also attune to wyld artifacts, but for the purposes of calculating your artifact limit, their rating is increased by one.
2. You may buy lunar excellency dice. You may also purchase any of the following virtue disciplines: Conviction, Cunning, Freedom, Passion, Succor, Valor, Wisdom.
3. You may spend x motes to change your form into any normal animal that you have ritually hunted and eaten. This takes an action, which can be combined with other actions using the normal multiple action rules, but you must apply the widest set to the shapeshifting. You are considered a shapeshifter for the purposes of Restricted Disciplines. You also gain Problems of a Tell and the possibility of going chimera.
4. You may buy ranks in the Perfected Lotus of Understanding (see Martial Paths) up through the Bulb of the Perfected Lotus. With effort and help (that is, if there is a good story reason for it), you may buy the Blossoming of the Perfected Lotus at triple the cost.
5. You may purchase ranks in one or more Shaping schools up to the Common Circle, if you complete the proper initiations (see Primal Magic).

Sidereal Path

Open to: sidereal exalted.

1. You gain access to an Essence pool (of some formula), which does not respire in the Underworld or Malfeas, and an anima effect. In addition, for the purpose of calculating your artifact limit, artifacts made of starmetal are considered to have one less point of rating.
2. You may buy sidereal excellency dice. You may also purchase any of the following virtue disciplines: Conviction, Cunning, Duty, Harmony, Succor, Temperance, Wisdom
3. You may buy ranks in the Perfected Lotus of Understanding (see Martial Paths) in its entirety. Further, you pay half cost (round up) to purchase terrestrial martial paths (though normal cost to activate them).
4. You may purchase ranks in the Astrology school associated with your caste (see Primal Magic).
5. You may purchase ranks in all other Astrology schools (see Primal Magic).

Solar Path

Open to: solar exalted.

1. You gain access to an Essence pool (of some formula), which does not respire in the Underworld or Malfeas, and an anima effect. In addition, for the purpose of calculating your artifact limit, artifacts made of orichalcum are considered to have one less point of rating.
2. You may buy solar excellency dice. You may also purchase any of the following virtue disciplines: Compassion, Conviction, Expression, Freedom, Passion, Temperance, Valor
3. You may buy ranks in the Perfected Lotus of Understanding (see Martial Paths) up through Bulb of the Perfected Lotus. With effort and help (that is, if there is a good story reason for it), you may buy the Blossoming of the Perfected Lotus at double the cost.
4. If you have mastered Sapphire circle sorcery, you may purchase ranks in a Sorcery school up to the Adamant Circle, if you complete the proper initiations (see Primal Magic).
5. If you have mastered Shadowlands Circle necromancy, you may purchase ranks in a Necromancy school up to the Labyrinth Circle, if you complete the proper initiations (see Primal Magic).

Corrupted Solar Path

Open to: abyssal exalted, infernal exalted.

1. Your orders are expected to be followed by intelligent ghosts (if abyssal) or demons (if infernal) by default, though there may be reasons why they do not comply. You are also able to pass into your native plane (i.e. the Underworld or Malfeas) and back unhindered by the natives. You also gain an obligation to master, such as a Deathlord, Malfean or Neverborn.
2. You may drain essence from mortals. You must select the mechanism by which you do this, such as drinking their blood, taking time off their life, sucking their soul, etc.
3. You may "force learn" esoteric disciplines with magic (see Esoteric Disciplines, below).
4. You may purchase ranks in a Necromancy school up to the Labyrinth Circle, if you complete the proper initiations (see Primal Magic).
5. You may purchase ranks in a Sorcery school up to the Sapphire Circle, if you complete the proper initiations (see Primal Magic).

?? Lifespan. ?? Resonance

Abyssal Path

Open to: abyssal exalted.

1. You gain access to an Essence pool (of some formula), which respires only in the Underworld, and an anima effect. In addition, for the purpose of calculating your artifact limit, artifacts made of soulsteel are considered to have one less point of rating.
2. You may buy abyssal excellency dice. You may also purchase any of the following virtue disciplines: Conviction, Cunning, Duty, Expression, Freedom, Passion, Valor
3. You may buy ranks in the Perfected Lotus of Understanding (see Martial Paths) up through Bulb of the Perfected Lotus. With effort and help (that is, if there is a good story reason for it), you may buy the Blossoming of the Perfected Lotus at double the cost.
4. If you have mastered Labyrinth Circle necromancy, you may purchase ranks in a Necromancy school up to the Void Circle, if you complete the proper initiations (see Primal Magic).
5.  ??

Infernal Path

Open to: infernal exalted.

1. You gain access to an Essence pool (of some formula), which respires only in the Malfeas and the Underworld, and an anima effect. In addition, for the purpose of calculating your artifact limit, artifacts made of black lead are considered to have one less point of rating.
2. You may buy infernal excellency dice, which function like those of solars. You may also purchase any of the following virtue disciplines: Conviction, Cunning, Duty, Order, Passion, Temperance, Wisdom
3. You may buy ranks in the Perfected Lotus of Understanding (see Martial Paths) up through Bulb of the Perfected Lotus.
4. If you have mastered Sapphire circle sorcery, you may purchase ranks in a Sorcery school up to the Adamant Circle, if you complete the proper initiations (see Primal Magic).
5. If you have mastered Labyrinth Circle necromancy, you may purchase ranks in a Necromancy school up to the Void Circle, if you complete the proper initiations (see Primal Magic).

Alchemical Path

Open to: alchemical exalted.

1. You gain access to an Essence pool (of some formula), which does not respire in the Wyld, the Underworld or Malfeas, and an anima effect. In addition, for the purpose of calculating your artifact limit, artifacts made of the same material as your caste are considered to have one less point of rating.
2. You may buy alchemical excellency dice. You may also purchase any of the following virtue disciplines: Conviction, Duty, Harmony, Order, Temperance, Valor, Wisdom.
3. By undergoing retrofitting, you can lower your rating in any path to raise the rating of another path you know. A given path may only every be one rank higher or lower than its real rating. You may lower a path to zero, but not above five.
4. You may buy ranks in the Perfected Lotus of Understanding (see Martial Paths) up through Bulb of the Perfected Lotus.
5. You may purchase ranks in any Weaving school, if you complete the proper initiations (see Primal Magic).

Dragon King Path

Open to: dragon kings

1. You gain access to rather fierce natural weapons and armor. You may also purchase any of the following virtue disciplines: Compassion, Conviction, Duty, Expression, Passion, Temperance, Valor.
2. Successfully completing a stunt enlightens you to your potential, and provides a "bank" of stunt dice equal to the number of dice awarded for the stunt (e.g. a three dice stunt provides a bank of three dice). This "bank" can be used on your next roll, after which they disappear. Should a stunt be awarded on a roll where this bank is used, the dice stack, though the pool may not exceed ten dice. Should the new stunt succeed (likely), the "bank" is replaced by the result of the new stunt.
3. You gain access to an Essence pool (of some formula), which respires only in Creation. You also gain the ability to attune to orichalcum, crystal and vegetative artifacts. You may also buy ranks in the Perfected Lotus of Understanding (see Martial Paths) up through the Root of the Perfected Lotus.
4. You may "force learn" esoteric disciplines with magic (see Esoteric Disciplines, below).
5. You gain enough familiarity with a single element to be considered aspected to that element for the purposes of learning Restricted Disciplines. This stacks with other such aspects.

Raksha Path

Open to: common raksha, noble raksha

1. When you attempt to stunt, your descriptions can alter the environment in way that could not be naturally explained, such as flower blossoms appearing out of thin air, rain falling indoors, music playing from a barstool, etc. The rank impact on the environment is commiserate with the rank of the stunt, but cannot be directly harmful (e.g. you might be able to coat the floor with oil, but not magma) and cannot alter others or their possessions. You may also purchase any of the following virtue disciplines: Compassion, Conviction, Expression, Freedom, Harmony, Passion, Valor.
2. You gain access to an Essence pool (of some formula), which respires only in the Wyld. You can attune to both standard and wyld artifacts, but for the purposes of calculating your artifact limit, the rating of standard artifacts is considered to be increased by one. You may also buy ranks in the Perfected Lotus of Understanding (see Martial Paths) up through the Root of the Perfected Lotus. You may also buy the Bulb of the Perfected Lotus at triple the cost.
3. You may drain essence from mortals who share Virtue Paths with you. You must select the mechanism by which you do this, such as eating their dreams, interacting with them socially in a specific way, sex, goading or tricking them into certain behavior, etc.
4. Over a period of about half a minute (i.e. not in combat), you may change your form. You are considered a shapeshifter for the purposes of Restricted Disciplines.
5. You may purchase ranks in one or more Shaping schools up to the Glamour Circle, if you complete the proper initiations (see Primal Magic).

?? Destruction of body doesn't kill, health, etc.

Noble Raksha Path

Open to: noble raksha

1. You may select one Stat and three Skills that may be improved up to six.
2. You gain x motes any time someone nearby uses a Virtue Path that you know, feeding on the ambient emotions.
3. You may "force learn" esoteric disciplines with magic (see Esoteric Disciplines, below).
4. You may summon any wyld artifacts to which you are attuned from anywhere with an action. The summoning can be combined with other actions using the normal multiple action rules, but you must apply the widest set to the summoning. Do this costs motes equal to the wyld artifact's rating.
5. If you known the Glamour Circle of a shaping school, you may purchase up to the Grace Forging Circle in that school, if you complete the proper initiations (see Primal Magic).

Jadeborn Path

Open to: all mountain folk

1. You gain access to an Essence pool (of some formula), which respires only in the Creation or Autochthonia. In addition, for the purpose of calculating your artifact limit, artifacts made of jade are considered to have one less point of rating. You also gain an earth aspect for the purpose of restricted disciplines.
2. You may buy ranks in the Perfected Lotus of Understanding (see Martial Paths) up through the Planting of the Perfected Lotus. You may also purchase any of the following virtue disciplines: Compassion, Conviction, Duty, Harmony, Order, Temperance, Valor.
3. Stunt die
4.  ??
5. You may purchase ranks in a Weaving school at double cost, if you complete the proper initiations (see Primal Magic).

?? Dying levels, health, etc.

God Path

Open to: gods

1. You gain access to an Essence pool (of some formula), which respires only in Creation or Heaven. You are naturally immaterial, but may pay x motes to materialize. You may also buy ranks in the Perfected Lotus of Understanding (see Martial Paths) up through the Planting of the Perfected Lotus.
2. You may purchase any two virtue disciplines, receiving the first rank of them for free. Additional ranks in these two disciplines may be purchased at half cost (round up).
3. Successfully completing a stunt that fits into the general "flavor" of any Virtue path you know restores a number of motes equal to four times the number of dice awarded. These motes can exceed your maximum pool size, but those that do fade away if unused at one mote per turn.
4. You may purchase ranks in a Sorcery school up to the Sapphire Circle, if you complete the proper initiations (see Primal Magic). You need an Essence of 5 to learn Sapphire Circle sorcery, however.
5. You may buy ranks in the Perfected Lotus of Understanding (see Martial Paths) up through the Bulb of the Perfected Lotus. To learn Bulb of the Perfected Lotus, your Essence must be higher than five.

?? Destruction of body doesn't kill, health, etc.

Elemental Path

Open to: elementals

1. You have an elemental aspect for the purposes of Restricted Disciplines. Any such paths that require this elemental aspect may be purchased for half cost (round up). You may also buy ranks in the Perfected Lotus of Understanding (see Martial Paths) up through the Planting of the Perfected Lotus.
2. You gain access to an Essence pool (of some formula), which respires only in Creation or the Wyld. You may also purchase any three virtue disciplines. You may also dematerialize for x motes.
3. Successfully completing a stunt that favors or advances your element restores a number of motes equal to three times the number of dice awarded. These motes can exceed your maximum pool size, but those that do fade away if unused at one mote per turn.
4. You may purchase ranks in a Sorcery school up to the Sapphire Circle, if you complete the proper initiations (see Primal Magic). You need an Essence of 5 to learn Sapphire Circle sorcery, however.
5. You may buy ranks in the Perfected Lotus of Understanding (see Martial Paths) up through the Bulb of the Perfected Lotus. To learn Bulb of the Perfected Lotus, your Essence must be higher than five.

?? Destruction of body doesn't kill, health, etc.

Ghost Path

Figure this out later.

1. Stunt cherry
2. Necromancy?

?? Destruction of body doesn't kill, health, etc.

God-blooded Path

1. Stunt cherry

?? Dying levels, health, etc.

Mortal Path

1. You may also buy ranks in the Perfected Lotus of Understanding (see Martial Paths) up through the Planting of the Perfected Lotus. You may purchase any virtue path.
2. On performing a successful stunt, you may treat your primary virtue as one rank higher than it is for one round per die awarded for the stunt. You may use effects of that rank for free during this time.
3. With effort and help (that is, if there is a good story reason for it), you may buy the Root of the Perfected Lotus at double the cost.
4. You gain access to an Essence pool (of some formula), which respires only in Creation or the Wyld.
5. You may purchase up to the Ritual rank in any one Sorcery school.

Virtue Disciplines

The virtue disciplines derive power from the embodiment and practice of philosophical outlooks. Anyone can learn disciplines, but most entities have intrinsic natures that limit them only to certain choices (defined by the internal disciplines). Exalts, for example, find it difficult to stray from from the ideals of the god who exalted them. Others, such as raksha, simply find some concepts to alien to master easily. (See, however, the restricted discipline Walking the Universe, below.) In one of their few true advantages, only mortals have free reign over all the different virtues.

When buying virtue disciplines, you must select one of them as your primary virtue. Rankings in other virtue paths you learn cannot exceed your ranking in your primary virtue. Some effects (particularly the Great Curse, see below) reference the primary virtue and make use of it in various ways.

As with the other disciplines, each path has five ranks. The first two ranks never require mote expenditure, as mortals can use virtue paths just as well as exalts. Usually, the higher ranks do require spending motes to use, which prevents all but the most enlightened mortals from using them. Most ranks supply "per turn" type effects, but some may also supply permanent effects.

Virtues in WORX extend beyond the four available in Exalted, but usually a given character will consider only a handful of the really "virtuous". Indeed, some might follow certain virtues so strongly that they consider the others a sin.

I haven't thought of the exact paths for these disciplines, but some obvious mechanisms for building them exist:

• Powers the reward the character for doing things that are in line with the virtue.
• Powers that assist in situations where the use of the power successfully would "enforce" virtue.
• Powers related to the ideal of the virtue.
• Powers that "inflict" the virtue on the surroundings or targets.

The distribution of which types can use the virtues looks like this:

||Type||Compassion||Conviction||Cunning||Duty||Expression||Freedom||Harmony||Order||Passion||Succor||Temperance||Valor||Wisdom|| ||Abyssals|| - || X || X || X || X || X || - || - || X || - || - || X || - || ||Alchemicals|| - || X || - || X || - || - || X || X || - || - || X || X || X || ||Dragon Kings|| X || X || - || X || X || - || - || - || X || - || X || X || - || ||Infernals|| - || X || X || X || - || - || - || X || X || - || X || - || X || ||Jadeborn|| X || X || - || X || - || - || X || X || - || - || X || X || - || ||Lunars|| - || X || X || - || - || X || - || - || X || X || - || X || X || ||Mortals|| X || X || X || X || X || X || X || X || X || X || X || X || X || ||Raksha|| X || X || - || - || X || X || - || - || X || - || X || X || - || ||Sidereals|| - || X || X || X || - || - || X || - || - || X || X || - || X || ||Solars|| X || X || - || - || X || X || - || - || X || - || X || X || - || ||Spirits||||||||||||||||||||||||||any two|| ||Terrestrials|| - || X || - || X || X || - || X || X || - || X || - || X || - ||

Compassion

Sympathetic pity and concern for the sufferings or misfortunes of others.

Powers in the Compassion path should either provide bonuses when a character shows compassion, or provide assistance in doing things like protecting or healing the innocent, etc.

Conviction

A firmness in belief or opinion, unswayable.

Conviction powers should allow enduring hardship, provide mental defense, bonuses in pursuit of a goal, etc.

Cunning

Having or showing skill in achieving one's ends by deceit or evasion.

Cunning path ranks should either provide bonuses when the player avoids conflict by doing something clever, gaining knowledge, fooling someone, etc.

Duty

A moral or legal obligation; a responsibility.

Duty powers could reward for following orders against better judgement, or for remaining loyal when others don't. They could encourage duty in others, etc.

Expression

The process of making known one's thoughts or feelings.

Expression ranks could provide assistance in a creative endeavor, provide rewards when feelings are properly and completely expressed, give bonuses in interpreting the expression of others, etc.

Freedom

The power of self-determination attributed to the will; the quality of being independent of fate or necessity.

Freedom powers would reward for liberating others, assist in defeating tyranny or slavery, inspire others to do so, etc.

Harmony

The quality of forming a pleasing and consistent whole.

Harmony powers would reward for achieving a natural balance, aid in the removal of obstacles to an ideal state, encourage inner peace in others, etc.

Order

The arrangement or disposition of people or things in relation to each other according to a particular sequence, pattern, or method.

Powers to order could be those that enforce law, reward when law is enforced or events transpire in an exactly specified manner, assist in enforcing the chain of command, etc.

Passion

An intense desire or enthusiasm for something.

Ranks in Passion would aid in matters of the heart, encourage desire in others, etc.

Succor

Assistance and support in times of hardship and distress.

Succor powers would reward or aid the making of alliances and compromise, going out of your way to assist those in trouble, etc.

Temperance

Moderation or self-restraint

Temperance powers would be those that reward restraint, encourage patience in others, or get people to stop and think.

Valor

Great courage in the face of danger.

Ranks in valor would reward victory over long odds, encourage fearlessness in others, etc.

Wisdom

The quality of having experience, knowledge, and good judgment.

Wisdom powers would aid in reaching good judgement, learning, etc.

Esoteric Disciplines

Esoteric disciplines are non-combat enhancement paths available to anyone with the will, knowledge and training to follow them, even mortals. They are not magical effects, but rather the result of, well, discipline and hard work. Nearly all of these disciplines are closely guarded secrets, usually with some kind of social structure protecting them, such as a monastic order, tribal code, national secret service, etc. As such, learning these disciplines is quite an undertaking and usually comes with a great deal of obligation to the organization that controls it. It is these obligations and organizations that make esoteric disciplines interesting, so some care should be taken to set these up.

Ranks of esoteric disciplines always provide "per round" effects. These effects cost nothing to activate for someone who has the proper training.

Magic, however, changes things. One of the benefits of magic is that it can act as a shortcut for the lazy. Various internal disciplines (see above) can be purchased allowing those who wield magic to force learn esoteric disciplines. This doesn't allow them to invent or use disciplines they've never seen before. Once exposed to an esoteric discipline, however, either by seeing it in action or even reading details about its philosophy and potential, a forced learner can buy ranks in these disciplines at normal cost, but without all the rigamarole. To use the effects, however, a forced learner must spend motes equal to the effect's rank. Such is the cost of laziness. One other limitation is that disciplines learned like this can only be taught in a similarly forced way. The practitioner has no idea how to teach the discipline to those who cannot use magic.

Even sidestepping the training process, however, doesn't necessarily make the forced learner immune from obligation. Those who control the discipline, for example, will likely be none to pleased. Note that those who are able to force learn can still learn the discipline the old-fashioned way, with all that entails.

In some circles, particularly certain parts of terrestrial society, force learning esoteric disciplines is considered somewhat crass and low-brow. Some consider it "peasant magic" with claims that those that practice it do so only because they cannot master "real magic". Others consider it merely a waste of time or simply inefficient, since most esoteric effects are weaker than restricted effects with the same activation cost.

Any esoteric discipline published for Reign should probably be considered in a WORX game, though the social specifics will need to be changed to fit the setting. If creating new esoteric disciplines, it is probably best to start with the organization and go from there. For example, no doubt the Cult of the Illuminated is teaching their mortal followers some interesting things. Effects of these disciplines should definitely be balanced from the point of view of mortals using them, and are almost always weaker than restricted effects. For example, look at the "Think Not, Obey!" effect (Reign, pg. 96). You can easily imagine a solar version of this effect that would affect more targets, for less cost. Also note that these effects are always considered non-magical (even when activated by magic), and some effects may need to take this into account. For example, the "Absolute Domination" effect (Reign, pg. 97), should be altered to work only against non-magical morale attacks (otherwise its a perfect social defense).

The intent of including esoteric disciplines in WORX is threefold. First, it provides some good story opportunities. Second, it allows the game to leverage work done by others to expand Reign. Lastly, it gives mortals at least some tricks and abilities, closing the gap with exalts a bit without having to resort to "enlightened mortals".

Martial Disciplines

Anyone can use their Fight skill to smack someone. Fighting with finesse, however, requires some rank of knowledge of the Perfected Lotus. This is a discipline path that unlocks access to increasingly higher orders of combat techniques. Its costs remain the same as other disciplines, but access to the various ranks of the Lotus are controlled by the Internal Paths.

The Perfected Lotus of Understanding

All creatures with Fight skill can use Simple Maneuvers (Reign pp 204-208). For simple creatures like animals, this is as complex as they can fight. To fight in more sophisticated ways, you need the purchase ranks in this discipline. You can only do so, however, if an Internal Path tells you that you can.

1. Contemplating the Perfected Lotus: Can use Fight skill make Advanced Maneuvers (Reign pp 209-213).
2. Planting the Perfected Lotus: Can use Fight skill to make Expert Maneuvers (Reign pp 214-216).
3. Root of the Perfected Lotus: Can use Terrestrial martial paths (see below).
4. Bulb of the Perfected Lotus: Can use Celestial martial paths (see below).
5. Blossoming of the Perfected Lotus: Can use Sidereal martial paths (see below).

Terrestrial Martial Paths

Terrestrial paths typically base their effects on lessons learned from a particular concept. Like esoteric disciplines, terrestrial paths are usually closely guarded secrets in the mortal world, and typically come with a great deal of obligation and other story-related restrictions. For those who learn these techniques this way, through discipline and hard work, effects on terrestrial paths cost no essence to use; however, those with essence pools (including enlightened mortals), and use magic as a shortcut for generating these effects. This functions just like force learning esoteric disciplines.

Nearly all "combat secrets" or "martial paths" published for Reign are terrestrial paths. Most do not have Essence minimums. Effects are almost always "per round". Note that, because terrestrial paths work like esoteric disciplines, it is possible to learn them without using essence, or even having an essence pool at all. Mortals, therefore, can access them within needing to be "enlightened", which departs from canon Exalted philosophy. Also, a well organized group, such as the Scarlet Empire, would be able to launch a program to teach a terrestrial style (such as Five Dragon Style) to a large collection of both mortals and dragon-blooded, who could then practice it without using essence.

The intent of making terrestrial arts work like this is similar to that which colors the esoteric disciplines

Celestial Martial Paths

Celestial paths largely base their effects on completely emulating a particular concept, such as an animal (snake, tiger, etc) or ideal (righteous devil, dreaming courtesan, etc). Celestial paths can only be learned magically and, by default, cost motes equal to one greater than the rank of the effect to activate (e.g. a rank three effect costs four motes). Celestial paths typically require Essence 2 to 5. Most paths usually have at least one effect that lasts for a scene.

Sidereal Martial Paths

Sidereal martial paths base their effects on directly manipulating a particular concept or altering the world with a metaphor. Sidereal paths can only be learned magically and, even then, always require an instructor. By default, they cost motes equal to two greater than the rank of the effect to activate (e.g. a rank three effect costs five motes). Sidereal paths typically require Essence 4 and higher. Most paths usually have at least one effect that lasts for a scene.

Restricted Disciplines

When people who look down their noses at esoteric disciplines because they are not "real magic", the real magic to which they refer are restricted disciplines. Effects of these disciplines fill that same purpose as charms do in canon Exalted. The intent, however, is that paths are not usually tied to specific "races", but rely on some other type of selection that allows them to be shared among various types.

Access to an essence pool is a necessary, but usually not sufficient, condition for using restricted disciplines. Most have other restrictions as well, usually based on requirements that are fulfilled by internal disciplines, but not always. As an example, some paths require the user to have a particular elemental aspect. Looking through the internal disciplines, there are several types of entity that can gain this (dragon-blooded, elementals, dragon-kings, etc.). All of them would be able to buy that path.

Each rank often has its own requirements. A particular Essence rating is the most common rank requirements, but anything else can be used as well. It is possible (though, in my opinion, not desirable) that certain ranks might have effects that change based on "race", or even caste; however, this runs the risk of making paths "branchy", which I'd rather not do.

One note about requirements: it is rare that a path has a requirement like "must be {a specific kind of exalt}", though it is possible. Instead, most paths that want to restrict on the basis of "race" have requirements like "must possess {a specific kind of exalt} excellency dice". This is not exactly the same because a) its possible (though rare) to be, say, dragon-blooded without having bought excellency dice and b) if someone manages to gain access to other types of excellency dice (see Walking the Universe, below), they can be used to gain access to paths of other "races".

Although a couple sample restricted disciplines are provided in their own sections below, I haven't sussed out most of them. Here is a list of some possibilities:

• Paths supplying powers that fill archetypal narrative roles not covered by the Virtue paths. These would probably restrict based on Essence, but higher levels might be restricted to the "race" that lends itself to that schtick. Archetypes include:
  • The Architect
  • The Avenger path
  • The Black Widow
  • The Corruptor
  • The Demagogue
  • The Diplomat
  • The Executioner path
  • The Exorcist
  • The Gambler
  • The Gossip
  • The Healer
  • The Hedonist
  • The Holy Warrior
  • The Judge
  • The Leech
  • The Liberator (actually, this might be the Freedom virtue path)
  • The Mentor
  • The Messenger path
  • The Mother
  • The Muse (probably the Expression virtue path)
  • The Pilgrim path
  • The Savage path
  • The Seducer
  • The Seeker
  • The Slave
  • The Swindler
  • The Trickster path
  • The Troubadour
  • The Trusted Betrayer path
  • The Visionary
  • The Whore
  • The Wise Councillor (probably the Wisdom virtue path instead)
• Elemental paths
  • Some clever name: (air elemental aspect, spirits only at highest levels) - manipulates wind, cold, electricity and weather
  • Some clever name: (air elemental aspect, any excellencies, highest levels need celestial excellencies) - deals with spirit interaction.
  • Some clever name: (air elemental aspect, db excellencies at high levels) - deals with mobility. Some interaction with Freedom path?
  • Some clever name: (earth elemental aspect, spirits only at highest levels) - manipulates stone and rock
  • Some clever name: (earth elemental aspect) - deals with soak-like defense, hardness, etc.
  • Some clever name: (earth elemental aspect, db excellencies at high levels) - deals with stillness, stubbornness, immobility, etc. Some interaction with Temperance path?
  • Some clever name: (fire elemental aspect, spirits only at highest levels) - manipulates fire and heat
  • Some clever name: (fire elemental aspect) - deals with unpredictability, consumption, dodging
  • Some clever name: (fire elemental aspect, db excellencies at high levels) - deals with strong emotions. Some interaction with Passion path?
  • Some clever name: (water elemental aspect, spirits only at highest levels) - manipulates water
  • Some clever name: (water elemental aspect) - deals with illusion and mutability
  • Some clever name: (water elemental aspect, db excellencies at high levels) - deals with relentlessness, inevitability and slowly wearing things down. Some interaction with Conviction path?
  • Some clever name: (wood elemental aspect, spirits only at highest levels) - manipulates plants
  • Some clever name: (wood elemental aspect, db excellencies at high levels) - deals with growth, healing, regeneration. Some interaction with Expression path?
  • Some clever name: (wood elemental aspect) - deals with poison, thorns, disease.
• Shapeshifter paths
  • Some clever name: (shapeshifter) extends what you can change into
  • Some clever name: (shapeshifter) enhances physical form, natural weapons, physical tricks, etc.
  • Some clever name: (shapeshifter) builds and enhances a hybrid form
  • Possible paths for elements from other planes (Underworld, Autochthonia, Malfeas)
• Some clever name: (increasing Essence requirements, various celestial excellencies toward the end) Parry path, topped by perfects.
• Some clever name: (increasing Essence requirements, various celestial excellencies toward the end) Dodge path, topped by perfects.
• Some clever name: (increasing Essence requirements, various celestial excellencies toward the end) Social effects based on awe.
• Some clever name: (increasing Essence requirements, various celestial excellencies toward the end) Social effects based on deception.
• Some clever name: (increasing Essence requirements, various celestial excellencies toward the end) Mental defense.
• Some clever name: A path defending against disease, poison, etc.
• Some clever name: A path that does something with anima flares
• Some clever name: Various types of Company related paths.
• And so on.

Ox-Body Path

1. Delaying the Inevitable: (Body 2) You get the benefit of Essence "dying" health boxes. These work like the "Dying" rules in OREx and stack with other such dying levels.
2. Ox-Body Technique: (access to essence pool) You add your Body in health levels. The first level adds to the -2 track, the next adds to the -1 track, the next adds to the -0 track, and then the cycle repeats. So, someone with a five Body would gain one -0 level, two -1 levels, and two -2 levels. On reaching Essence 3, you add another Body health levels (again starting at -2). This occurs again at Essence 5. Should your Body be improved, you recalculate the applications of Body scores using the new rating each time.
3. Iron Skin Deflection: (Essence 2) 3 motes: you add your Essence to your Armor for a single attack.
4. Growing Mountain Body: (Essence 3) For each point of Essence past the second, add a -2 and a -1 health level.
5. Adamant Skin Defense: (excellency die other than terrestrial or alchemical) 5 motes: infinite armor for one attack.

Walking the Universe

1. Some clever name: (access to essence pool) You may learn one Virtue Discipline outside your type.
2. Some clever name: (Essence 3) You may learn another Virtue Discipline outside your type.
3. Some clever name: (Lore 3) You gain enough familiarity with a single element to be considered aspected to that element for the purposes of learning restricted disciplines. This stacks with other such aspects.
4. Some clever name: (Eclipse or Moonshadow caste) You may buy excellency dice of another type of exalt.
5. Some clever name: (Eclipse or Moonshadow caste) You may buy excellency dice of yet another type of exalt.

The Great Curse

The Great Curse is a special type of path that does not cost anything to learn. It represents a sort of downward spiral of insanity. Ranks are gained automatically any time the primary virtue of an exalted character is denied, fails, backfires or otherwise doesn't work as the character expected or desired. (If you really like the idea of break conditions, you could add that as a trigger here as well.) Each time this occurs, the player makes a "tic mark". If the number of accumulated tic marks match the next ranking of the Great Curse, that ranking automatically takes effect and accumulated tics are erased. So, one tic activates the first rank, two more activate the second, three more activate the third, and so on.

Note that the effects provided by the Great Curse are bonuses. They cost nothing to use, but their allure is a slippery slope: each time a Great Curse effect is used, the player adds another tic.

When the player reaches the final rank, he or she "breaks". Both Exalted and OREx would use specific flaws here, so that the character breaks the same way each time. I think its more interesting when the break is situational, yet still guided by the primary virtue. Typically, a breaking character would either act exactly opposite to the virtue or gain an irrationally strict, idealized version of it. In any case, the break lasts for as long as is interesting, after which all ranks the character has in the Great Curse vanish.

The main ideas here are twofold: first, the path to breaking is gradual but usually accelerating. Two, while the number of "tics" increases from standard Exalted, they should occur more often.

1. Gain a 1d bonus when using effects from your primary virtue path.
2. You may use your primary virtue path in situations where the virtue would not normally apply, so long as you can concoct even the most flimsy of rationalizations for it.
3. You may use the effect from any virtue path you know that is provided by one rank beyond your commitment, but only if it is applied as part of an extreme interpretation of the virtue (e.g. using Compassion to justify mercy killing, following Duty to its letter rather than its intent, punishing a child for a minor violation of Order, etc.)
4. You may use any power or ability you have, including primal magic, without paying its mote cost, but only if doing so demonstrates some kind of over-the-top excess, utter disassociation from humanity, irreversible act of madness or similar corruption of personality.
5. The moment you reach this rank, you break. You immediately gain 15 motes, which can exceed your normal limits. During this time, you cannot use any virtue paths and lose access to the previous ranks of this path as well. Once your break concludes, you loose all Great Curse ranks.

Primal Magic

The Primordials built Creation out of pure will. Ever since, their offspring have been trying to figure out how they did it. Some of them have even succeeded, at least partially. The ability to just think something to make it happen remains elusive, but several different approximations have been developed (possibly only with the help of the Primordials themselves). These approximations are known collectively as primal magic.

In theory, even these lesser approximations have few limits on what they can accomplish. The minds of mortals, exalts and gods, however, are not built to handle such primal forces, and trying to wield them is imperfect at best and hazardously unstable at worst. As a result, practitioners rely on "crutches" that lessen versatility but make the practice safe enough to use. The typical crutches are predefined "formula" or "spells", increased time to channel the energy, specific ritual actions and so on. Training in various "schools" of primal magic also act as a crutch, wrapping an understandable sugar coating around the inscrutable ways of the titans.

There are several varieties of primal magic. Each is basically a tool to turn the will of the user into reality, but they each work through a different filter or metaphor, none of which is the whole truth. Each variety is further divided into schools, which refine the metaphor even further. The basic varieties are:

• Sorcery is the most general type of primal magic. Practitioners typically use rote spells for safety, but need a lot of raw power to make it work.
• Necromancy is thought by some to be simply a version of sorcery with a more specialized focus on death, destruction and the dead. Others feel that its connection to the underworld makes it a different thing altogether.
• Shaping probably comes closest to the Primordial mechanism of turning will into reality, but even it remains a pale shadow, more illusion than reality.
• Astrology, lacking a need to rote spells, is more flexible than sorcery in some ways. It is more limited in others however, routing its effects through Primordial-created machines for safety and, thus, limiting its flexibility.
• Weaving is little known in Creation, but popular in Autochthonia. It is an odd middle-ground between sorcery and astrology, routing specific spells through Primordial-created machines.

Regardless of the style of primal magic, it is all resolved with the same kind of roll. Primal Magic rolls are made much the same as other rolls used in ORE, but the results are interpreted differently. In primal magic, only a set with a height of ten represents the effect the caster is trying to achieve (called the casting result). Other sets that are rolled create side effects. If these sets as as wide or wider than the casting result, bad things usually happen to and/or around the caster, even if his desired effect works as planned but especially if it doesn't.

Each school of magic provides the character with access to a circle of that type of primal magic. Each circle controls a certain power level of effects, and has a specific threshold that the casting result must meet to succeed. Each circle also has an inherent degree of instability that is represented by adding a fixed number of wyld dice to the pool (using a different color for these dice is recommended). Wyld dice act as curse dice, forming the lowest straight possible. As such, they can never add to the casting result and are likely to cause side effects.

Every effect also has an interval. The default for this depends on the variety of magic. Most sorcery, for example, has an interval of rounds, while most astrology has an interval of days. Each interval spent channelling the primal magic increases the chances that the effect will be successful. When channeling, it is difficult to do much else. If done during combat, a roll must be made using the base pool for the casting (see below). This can be combined with other actions, using the normal multiple action rules, and at least one set must be used only for the channelling. For long intervals, rolls may be need for things like staying awake and so on.

The basic roll works like this:

• A basic pool is created using Essence + some skill related to the desired effect.
• If a predefined formula or spell is being used, one die in the pool is set to 10, and three wyld die are eliminated.
• No excellencies can be used when casting.
• Wyld dice are added to the pool.
• For each successful interval spent channelling the spell, the caster can either eliminate a wyld die or set a normal die to 10.
• Any number of intervals can be spent channelling, including zero.
• When the effect is cast, the roll is made.
• Remaining wyld dice are re-rolled until the show a result other than 10.
• The sets produced by the roll are examined and take effect from widest to narrowest. Wider effects are also more powerful. The effect generated depends on the height of the set:

1. 1. A random effect that either opposes, counterbalances or undermines the caster's desired effect.
   2. Some of the caster's intended effect reflects back onto him.
   3. Creatures and/or objects materialize out of thin air.
   4. The local environment is mutated or altered in some random way.
   5. An elemental effect of some type is generated around the caster, afflicting all in its area.
   6. A random effect related to the caster's primary virtue manifests.
   7. The target benefits from an effect related to her own primary virtue.
   8. The local weather changes.
   9. A loud, flashy and strange effect occurs around the caster or the target, but has no mechanical effect.
   10. The casters desired effect.

Note that much of the primal magic system operates assuming a "that looks good" approach by the Storyteller, rather than a huge block of rules.

Examples

The basic concept of the way Primal Magic rolls work is actually simple, but it isn't immediately obvious. Some examples should illustrate the idea.

Careful summoning

Able has just learned sorcery and is summoning his first demon. He wants to be very, very careful, so will spend much more time channeling than he needs to. He is summoning a first circle demon using Emerald Circle sorcery. He knows a spell specifically for demon summoning, which has an interval of one hour. His roll works like this:

• He intends to cow the demon into subservience, so the skill he will use is Intimidate. (If he were less arrogant, he might try to negotiate with it instead, using Haggle.) He adds his rating of 3 in Intimidate with his Essence (also 3) to get a base pool of six dice.
• As Emerald Circle magic, he gains 4 wyld dice and has a threshold of 2x.
• Since he will be using a rote summoning spell, one die in his pool is set to 10, and three wyld dice are eliminated.
• Being careful, he decides to spend four hours (four times the spell's interval) channeling. Since he is not being threatened, he need not roll to do so. For each hour he does this, he decides to change a die to 10. At the end, he has a pool with five 10s, one standard die and one wyld die.
• He rolls the dice. The 5x10 remains and the standard die comes up 3. The wyld die is set to 1.
• The only set is the 5x10, which measures the desired summoning effect. This more than matches the threshold needed for the spell, so the demon comes and is bound (or, perhaps the spell has specific mechanics that happen now).

Combat spell

Belis needs to set some people over there on fire. She knows a spell that calls a column of fire from the heavens. Trusting her companions to help her, she takes a bit of time to channel. Her roll works like this:

• She is trying to attack, so uses her Fight skill (4), adding her Essence (also 4) for a pool of eight dice.
• This is Sapphire Circle magic, adding five wyld dice and giving her a threshold of 3x.
• Using a rote spell, one die is set to 10, and three wyld dice are eliminated.
• Since she has a threshold of 3x, she decides to guarantee the spell will work by channeling for two intervals. For this spell, the interval is a round, so she spends two rounds channeling. At the end of this, she has 3x10, five standard dice and two wyld dice.
• She rolls. She keeps the 3x10 and gets 3x2, 2x5 on the standard dice. The two wyld dice are set to 1, 2.
• The final result is 4x2, 3x10, 2x5. Effects are determined from widest to narrowest:
  • The 4x2 set is an unintended side effect. Looking at the table, height 2 indicates that "some of the caster's intended effect reflects back onto him". In this case, since this set is wider than the set for the intended result, there is a backlash of magic onto Belis and her comrades that even more damaging than the one that will hit Belis' enemies.
  • The 3x10 set is the intended effect. This meets the threshold, so fire lands on the enemies as planned.
  • The 5x2 set is an unintended side effect. Looking at the table height 5 indicates that "an elemental effect of some type is generated around the caster, afflicting all in its area". The GM decides that this elemental effect will be part of the backlash caused by the 4x2 set, changing it to a wood-based effect. The backlash causes vines of poisonous thorns to erupt from the ground around Belis and her allies, attacking them this round.

Fast combat spell

Having not learned any lessons from Belis on backlash, Cron is in a real jam and needs to stop an invading horde right now. He "shoots from the hip" the same fire spell Belis cast. His roll works like this:

• Even though this is an attack spell, Cron's player argues that he is really trying to deflect the horde, and convinces the GM to let him use his Parry skill (5). Adding his Essence (4), he has nine dice.
• This is Sapphire Circle magic, adding five wyld dice and giving him a threshold of 3x.
• Using a rote spell, one die is set to 10, and three wyld dice are eliminated.
• Cron doesn't channel at all, casting the spell instantly. This leaves him with 1x10, eight standard dice and two wyld dice.
• He rolls, keeping his ten and setting the wyld dice to 1, 2. The eight standard dice come up 1, 1, 3, 3, 5, 7, 8, 10.
• The final result is 3x1, 2x10, 2x3, which do the following, in order:
  • The 3x1 set is an unintended consequence causing a "random effect that either opposes, counterbalances or undermines the caster's desired effect". Since he was trying to repel the horde, instead the effect of the spell works to help the horde get in, rather than turn them away. Perhaps the flames destroy a gate that was holding them back, or some other such circumstance.
  • The 2x10 set is the desired effect, but it does not meet the 3x threshold. The intended frying of the enemies doesn't occur. Note that if this had been wider, the enemies would have been burned as planned, but the 3x1 result would have also helped them get in.
  • The 2x3 set is an unintended consequence causing "creatures and/or objects materialize out of thin air". Since this set was not that wide, the GM rules that this summons a number of small birds made of fire, that swarm around irritating both sides of the battle.

Improvisational magic

Decon is trying to escape pirates, and wants to cause a vortex in the water to swallow their ship. He knows sorcery, but has no knowledge of a spell that does this. He tries it anyway.

• Decon convinces the GM that, as an expert sailor, his skill gives him knowledge of how water flows and how a vortex looks and works. The GM allows him to use Expert: Sail (5), adding his Essence (4), giving a pool of nine dice.
• The GM decides that this is Sapphire Circle magic, adding five wyld dice and giving Decon a threshold of 3x.
• There is no spell, so Decon has to use the pool he's got.
• Since the pirates are closing in a ship, the GM decides to make things dramatic and gives the "spell" an interval of a minute. Decon, looking at the speed of the approaching ship, decides that he can channel for four minutes, but no longer, and even that is cutting it close. He does so, deciding to eliminate one wyld die and change three dice to 10. This leaves him with 3x10, four wyld dice and six standard dice.
• He rolls, keeping the 3x10, setting the wyld dice to 1, 2, 3, 4 and rolling 1, 3, 4, 6, 8, 10.
• The final result is 4x10, 2x4, 2x3, 2x1, which work like this:
  • 4x10 is the desired effect. This meets the threshold with width to spare and a vortex opens up under the pirates as planned.
  • 2x4 is an unintended side effect, which "mutates the local environment in some way". The GM decides that the ocean in the immediate vicinity starts to boil.
  • 2x3 is an unintended side effect, in which "creatures and/or objects materialize out of thin air". The GM decides that the swirling of the vortex spawns a number of dog-sized "vortex elementals" that start attacking everyone. (Oh yes, thanks to the previous effect, they are made of scalding water.)
  • 2x1 is an unintended side effect, which creates "a random effect that either opposes, counterbalances or undermines the caster's desired effect". The GM decides that the boiling seas and vortex elementals are making the main vortex unstable. Its a minor effect, but a skilled pirate crew might be able to use it to keep their ship upright and escape the vortex (that is, if they stunt like hell, the GM would be more lenient than usual).

Sorcery

Sorcery is flexible, powerful and useful, but it is not subtle. A typical reaction to failed sorcery (assuming the caster survives) is to try the same thing again, but using more motes. Where sorcery fails to match real Primordial power is both in its unpredictability and in the nature of its effects. Sorcery tends to accomplish its goals through some kind of action, rather than direct realization of will. For example, while it might mow through enemies with a storm of glass shards, it can't just directly unmake those enemies. It might grow a forest to wipe out a shadowland, but it can't just dispel the shadowland directly.

Sorcery is more flexible than in canon Exalted, as it doesn't require set spell formula, but the emerald, sapphire and adamant circles are otherwise the same. Sorcery continues to have the same limits (whit.10) and the power levels of the three circles remain intact.

Thaumaturgy (in all its forms) is now considered a very weak form of sorcery, split into two levels. The first, given the name "thaumaturgy" deals with personal or minor magics. The second, called "ritual" deals with more complex effects that require time, theater and usually helpers. Even rituals are weaker than emerald circle, though they are capable of summoning demons.

Schools: The Devonian, Salinan and Silurian schools differ in philosophy and approach, each also with slightly different twists on the trials needed to learn them. Mechanically, the schools are identical (although you could probably find some little rules tweak for each, if you wanted). Each school as the same five levels:

1. Thaumaturgy (default interval: minute, threshold: 2x, wyld dice: 2)
2. Ritual (default interval: hour, threshold: 2x, wyld dice: 3)
3. Emerald Circle (default interval: round, threshold: 2x, wyld dice: 4)
4. Sapphire Circle (default interval: round, threshold: 3x, wyld dice: 5)
5. Adamant Circle (default interval: round, threshold: 4x, wyld dice: 6)

Schools provide independent paths, so if, for example, you learn Emerald circle in the Salinan, if you wanted to change schools to the Silurian, you'd need to start over with Thaumaturgy.

Necromancy

As with sorcery, necromancy is largely as in Exalted canon, except that it also doesn't require set spell formula. It's versions of thaumaturgy and ritual have a similar twist to those available through sorcery

Schools: The Ajaian, Shizuan and The Maw schools differ in philosophy and approach, but not mechanically. Each school as the same five levels:

1. Thaumaturgy (default interval: minute, threshold: 2x, wyld dice: 2)
2. Ritual (default interval: hour, threshold: 2x, wyld dice: 3)
3. Emerald Circle (default interval: round, threshold: 2x, wyld dice: 4)
4. Sapphire Circle (default interval: round, threshold: 3x, wyld dice: 5)
5. Adamant Circle (default interval: round, threshold: 4x, wyld dice: 6)

Shaping

Unlike sorcery, shaping really can directly manifest will into reality. The reason it falls short of Primordial power is that the reality is manifests is fragile, weak and not entirely real. Creatures of Creation, in particular, are quite resistant to it, and can usually see through it and stubbornly cling to the version of reality they share with the rest of Creation. Any Creation-based entity who matches or exceeds the width of the casting result with a Command + Integrity (or similar) test can essentially ignore the effect, though they gain a point of difficulty while it is in effect from distraction. Once a Creation-born has bought into the reality of the shaping however, either by participating in it, accepting its benefits or otherwise lending it credence, if they want to try to resist it later, their test to do takes a three die penalty.

Shaping effects basically tell a story, and those who believe it (or who can't resist it), treat the story as true, gaining whatever benefits it provides. For example, if the story told by the effect is something like "all who enter this house become stronger and become whole", then those who buy into the story actually gain Body rating and would regenerate limbs, at least while the effect lasted. This type of shaping is called "narrative shaping". Shaping can also be used to create particular items or creatures, known as "item shaping".

Schools: The schools of shaping magic all have the same levels, but only allow those levels to work within a specific sphere of influence. Unlike sorcery schools, different shaping schools are often learned simultaneously, though ranks in each are bought separately. Schools are based on canon Exalted's concept of graces, so there are four primary schools, though there may be others:

• Cup shaping builds emotional effects, particularly those involving pleasure, fear, self-control, addiction and so on.
• Ring shaping builds effects around obligation, rules and law, setting up stories in which the targets become encumbered with obligations to perform particular tasks.
• Staff shaping builds social effects, setting up stories that ensnare targets into oaths of various kinds.
• Sword shaping builds stories of physical conflict that move those in them to physical action.

1. Common (default interval: round, threshold: 2x, wyld dice: 1): this circle only functions in the Wyld, immediately shredding if exposed to Creation.
2. Glamour (default interval: minute, threshold: 3x, wyld dice: 2): this circle allows narrative shaping to function in Creation. Item shaping at this circle can make items that persist in creation for a time, such as armor and weapons.
3. Grace Circle (default interval: hour, threshold: 4x, wyld dice: 2): this circle provides a greatly improved control over the Wyld, allowing the caster to create the graces that make up the raksha. It can also transform items in Creation (e.g. a pumpkin into a carriage) briefly.
4. Greater Glamour (default interval: day, threshold: 5x, wyld dice: 3): Narrative shaping can be much grander and, though no more convincing, can be made permanent. Item shaping at this level can use graces as raw material to produce wyld artifacts, behemoths and items that project their own narrative shaping.
5. Freehold Circle (default interval: day, threshold: 6x, wyld dice: 3): Graces can be used to turn pockets of the Wyld into sections of a freehold. Effects can transform mortals into wyld creatures.

Astrology

An indirect method of primal magic, astrology works by harnessing the abilities of Primordial-built machinery to alter Fate. The drawback compared to real Primordial magic is that the effects are both slow and very subtle, and are subject to the limitations of the machinery being used.

Astrological effects tend to be very minor, usually in the form of small bonuses or penalties, but they last for a long time. The width of the casting result set colors how long or strong the effect is or how many it effects (probably some use for the company rules, here). Unlike in canonical Exalted, astrology can be used to place more story-based curses and blessings on its targets.

Schools: Schools are divided by astrological house, but usually practitioners develop in more than one. The ranks of each school are the same, but the influence of the house colors what effects can be used and on who. The houses work much like in canonical Exalted.

1. Resplendent (default interval: day, threshold: 3x, wyld dice: 1)
2. Ascending (default interval: day, threshold: 4x, wyld dice: 2)
3. Descending (default interval: day, threshold: 4x, wyld dice: 2)

Weaving

Sorcery never came to Autochthonia, but living in a sleeping Primordial has its advantages, weaving among them. In terms of effects, weaving functions much like sorcery, but it actually functions more similar to astrology, with Primordial-built machines doing much of the work.

Schools: There is only a single school for Weaving, but it's possible that different cities have different schools.

1. Thaumaturgy
2. Ritual
3. Man-Machine
4. God-Machine