Discussions/TerrestrialLunars

Essentially for my alternate setting, one of the things I have is that the various Exalted did create their own "exalted" servitors and allies during the first age. The Solars eventually created the Alchemical Exalts (which help from the Mountain Folk) the Siderals created an as yet undefined "fate ninja" to help them, and specific to this, the Lunars created their own terrestrial version of the servants of luna. Now, I'm using GoldenCat's Lunars for the celestial lunars, but I'm still working a bit on my terrestrial lunars. So far, I have the following ideas:

• 1. They are shapechangers, but based on the forms of their lunar creators, so thier "Base" form is a beastman-- unlike lunars they don't have a human "true form". (which rather constrains their ability to hide out in hostile areas especially if they blow lots of essence).
• 2. They are more focused-- I so far have four castes, of which each one is oriented towards a function-- the warriors get the DBT cheap, but they also spend more on other charms, while the mystics get occult charms cheaply, but spend more on physical.
• 3. They all have a single, favored "shapechanging" charm tree which allows them to take different forms that they have drank the hearts blood of, but those forms ahve to be normal, and non-essence manipulating.

Any other suggestions?  

The biggest problem I'm seeing i the fact that lunars are attribute based. Now to keep the lunar "feel" they should also be attribute based, but that makes them (unless something is changed) equal to the lunars in dice pools, at least in terms of excellencies. Yet cutting the dice they get from attributes down too far renders them at a disadvantage compared to the DB's with their charms.

1. Maybe let them have attribute based charms as is, and depend on thier lower essence, higher XP costs and the fact that Celestial lunars, as they get more powerful, gain charms they just can't get?

Another option might be to two-step things. One of the tricks with Lunars is that with only 9 charms, you can get an excellency for dang-near everything, unlike Ability-based Exalts, which need 25 excellencies. Thus, I might suggest something like a Lesser First Excellency and a Greater First Excellency - one gives you a small die cap, or a poor mote-to-dice conversion rate, while the second sets you up like a Lunar. -- GreenLantern

That's a thought-- it does run into the question of why the godblooded get full powered lunar excellencies (of course I could just say that they get them, but since they can't combo them, the terrestrial blooded still come out ahead). Maybe something like increasing the mote cost to two motes, and then having a permanent charm at oh, say, essence 3 where it goes down to one mote charm? By that time the celestial lunars will have outstripped the terrestrial cousins due to their better XP charm cost and generally more powerful charms. -- CharlesGray

Hmmm, so focused? That is like canon Lunars, Charles, and that is everything I tried to stay *away* from. If you just want Empowered Beastmen - remember that can be done with my rules. There is a Charm, Children of the Silver Moon which makes Beastmen who Channel Essence and have animas. The Charms are all there. You can make an Essence 6 version that works, like, once a year and makes them out of a normal person if you wish.

Now, if you want to make EXALTED out of them, you will need flavor. You will need purpose. And you will need not to shoehorn the poor bastards so much! Exalted are cool and flexible. If you are going to make them so, you have to think on what they *are*. Terrestrial means more than weaker, you know. The Terrestrial Exalted are... physical. Which is a reason Alchies should've been, too. They are... this world.

Terrestrial Exalted should be something similar. Like... Vital Exalted. The Exalted of life. They should be separated by type of being, not aptitude. Probably make their cascades Dragon-King like, since you can only go so far.

Like... Avians, lords of the Sky, all with a basic package of bird-like mutations, and the ability to fly really fast or command birds in their anima. Cascades to control birds and ride their minds, to throw sharpened feather, to have impossible eyesights. Swarm, lords of insects, all with a basic package of insect-like mutations, abilities to create hive-minds, silent communication, control swarms of insects, consume, destroy. Cascades for natural armor and weapons, intimidation... Shroud, lords of fungus, terrestrial equivalents of Endings, dealing with decay, cleaning physical things away from the world, bane of the undead, able to consume dead matter so quickly, able to change and damage living matter... all sorts of things! Maybe an extra type of lower-end Celestial for 'Wyld Exalts' too, which is also a Lunar thing. But if you are going to make Exalted... make EXALTED! Otherwise, just use super-beastmen, seriously >.> -- GoldenCat