MicahHakubi/HouseRules
This is the basic opener that I sent out to the people involved in said campaign; I'm leaving it intact for nostalgic purposes. The chrunchy stuff is down below
Exalted is like Crack. You'll do anything for a fix, and you can't get enough. Until your heart explodes from the overdose and you die.
Righto.
You bastards have roped me into ST'ing Exalted. I loathe you all. No, not really.
The day for the campaign will be Sunday - I can start the game as early as 1pm Central Time Zone, and can run it till atleast 10pm, which is when I go to bed, assuming you bastards don't drain me dry. I'm going to have to kill myself with espresso shots to pull this off, I just know it...
Anyways.
Getting to the fluff; I've named this chronicle...
...'Stand Tall and Shake The Heavens'.
The theme for this campaign is twofold; 'Power' and 'Change'. Rather than deal with any overall single threat, this will instead deal with how Creation reacts to the forceful designs of an Exalted circle with the merit, the will, and the power to back up thier ideals, and how the Circle will, in turn, deal with them.
With this in mind, understand thus; The Exalted Charachters are whirlpools of fate. Either by design, chance, happenstance, or machination, they are destined to become giants amoung men, either in personal power or the power they hold over others. They draw others of fate to them. They will, one way or another, become the peers of Those Whom Shape The Plot.
Charachter-wise, this is what I'm looking for; Solars are preferred above all others, with Lunars and Rogue Abyssals secondary. Dragonblooded are permissible, but will likely come from Lookshy if this is done. Sidereals would not likely be the best charachters for this, as they tend to be the ones whom tug at the strands of fate, not tear through them bloody-handedly. Note that I am not against Rouge Abyssals being Heros and not Angsty Sir Killsalot, but they will have to fight viciously to tear thier doomed fate from the hands of Oblivion. Personal goals and actions will be rewarded, while idle-ness will result in your charachter being ignored. As always, the ST has the right to refuse any charachter concept that he knows ahead of time will cause problems, or be unfair to the person playing them.
Concept-wise, I'd be looking for a Artifact Savant, Leader, Warrior, Diplomat, and Stealth. Yes - a perfect circle, or the closets thing thereof. Granted, you can mix and match the concepts at will, of cource, and I'm expecting some rather inventive concepts to spring from this, but those are the core of what I'd prefer your charachters to be. I expect communication between all of you, and if two of you wish to start the campaign already knowing the other, this is fine, but otherwise I'll be working you into the game sepretely. Also keep in mind that I'll be throwing challenges at your charachter that fit her overall concept - I won't be unfair and throw a diplomatic mission at the Dawn, to give an example, unless they truely deserve it. Also, while personal goals are admirable, overall incompatible, disruptive, silly goals will be dismissed - understand, while the charachter may not be prepared for Fate, Fate is more than prepared for it. (Put another way, I'm not so much looking for 'Laudible goals' as 'determination to make a choice and follow through').
Settings-wise, this will take place in the East, in the Threshold states and reigions. I don't have any plans to have the PCs interface directly with the Blessed Isle and the Dynasts - hence, the remarkable lack of need for a pet Dynast for the group.
A few addendums; I've never ST'd before. Keep this is mind, but also understand I'll gladly step aside if everyone agrees that I just plain suck. This also means I'll run things fast and loose to begin with, if only to find my mojo and do horrible things with it, and hence, to the charachters. In a good way. Honest.
Also, just to clarify on charachter concepts - to be honest, if your charachter is honestly good enough, I will make the effort to include him/her in the Chronicle. Entertain me. Make me want to use the charachter. This doesn't mean that I'll suffer fools, mind, and I'd prefer Exalted above -all else-, and if you try and wrong me, I'll beat you half to death with the Old Bastard Stick.
So sayeth the Old Bastard.
The Meat; Charachter rules and Requests(Abstract);
1 ) No pure combat charachters
- ) Unless you want to sit through bits and peices of places where the more Socially Inclined players wade through the fun roleplay stuff. While I'm not dead set against the notion of having a group token badass, I'd suggest having a bevy of roleplaying notion and ideas for your charachter so you aren't bored as hell outside anywhere but the middle of a dice-fest battle.
2 ) Straight up Combat Will Be Rare
- ) For the explicit reason that rolling out and describing up combat on a muck is SLOW AS HELL. This is not to say that your charachters will not be bad ass mofo combat wise, or never get the chance to shine, but they will likely be in grand, glossed over melee style encounters rather than straight up 'desc everything you do' fashions. The latter will likely be limited to the 'Season Breaker' show-down with the bad guy.
3 ) No duplicated Caste
- ) Once, just ONCE I'd like to see the results of a perfect circle of Solars. Yes, I know, I'm guilty of this transgression as well in Phobos' game. That said...
4 ) Play to your roles / castes.
- ) You are a Twilight / Zenith / Night / Eclipse / Dawn Caste Solar for a REASON. I would prefer not to see any 'crossing over' of roles/relations in the game unless they are done WELL or KICKASS, with me being the judge of what is WELL or KICKASS. This does not mean I am not flexible, but it also means I don't want to see someone playing up a 'Priest' in common play while being a Night Caste because they want to 'l33t coolz ninja powerzs!' or having an Eclipse with the only stealth artifact / charms in the game. Bomb, I'm looking at YOU.
5 ) I am the ST.
- ) And I am here to make you scream. Exquisitely. For my pleasure. I want to make you beautiful and horrible and kickass, but I will not suffer fools. You are the main charachters - ACT LIKE IT.
6 ) Fleshed out histories will be enjoyed and used.
7 ) Histories not fleshed out/left vauge will be enjoyed and abused.
- ) Unless you specifically entail me to 'have fun' with your mysterious backstory, in which case I shall assume you are sadomasochistic and I am your Dom, and will treat your charachter as such. In which case, the management takes no responsibilities for the mental and emotional damage incured from the things I will do to your charachter. You really like it when I do that, admit it.
8 ) Solars are preferred.
9 ) But not limited to.
- ) Understand that I prefer Solars as a whole, but am not restricting your options to such. Impress me. Make me want to use your charachter. But I also reserve the right to refuse it on grounds that it's either stupid and or has no sensible reason to be within the group. Given a choice, I'd choose Abyssals / Lunars over a Dragonblood, mind.
10 ) You will all start out together, but possibly not unscathed nor fully aquiainted with one another. You will all likely know you're fellow Exalts.
11 ) I love you all and will fondle your charachters in horribly wicked manners whilst making obscene 'come hither' gestures with one hand.
- ) But keep in mind that if you do not snap up the oppertunities to DO something that I lay in front of you I will more than likely ignore you in favour of those that actually do impressive and cool things. I may be the ST but I am not going to grind myself to the bone to get you to dance to my carefully laid plans.
12 ) If I am unclear, tell me.
- ) I do not read minds. I merely scare you into thinking I do.
13 ) My time, and the other player's time, is valuable.
- ) Hence, I do not accept non-attendance from a game - if you are either late or non-attendant to said game unexpectedly, I will have no restraint against starting without you. As such, various mishaps can happen to your charachter as a result of this - from the ST assuming temporary control to your charachter getting shuffled off the playing board where weird and wonderful things can happen. I do not care if you and the other players are on a raft in the middle of the west - if you do not think I can come up with a plausible reason for your charachter not to be present even in such a situation, try me.
- ) However, I do accept that sometimes you have to be elsewhere, and as such, any player that announces in a weeks advance they will not be in attendance will receive a slight benefit from thier miniature 'sidestory' that takes them out of play for said session. If nothing else, you won't be gnawed on by fae in the meantime.
14 ) This is my first time. Be gentle.
- ) This does not, however, mean that I will be gentle with -you-...
15 ) NO DRAGONBLOODED ANCHORS.
- ) If I am giving a Dragonblooded Anchor, expect horrible things to happen to him/her.
- ) A Dragonblooded Anchor is defined by a single Dragonblood unknowingly in the same group with the Solars that intrudes all the time and prevents them from getting down to good Solary-buisness.
16 ) The 'It's stupid' clause is always in effect.
- ) If it's stupid, don't do it.
- ) The ST reserves the right to define what is stupid and what is not.
Charachter Rules and Requests; (Concrete)(Subject to addition/change)
1 ) All Solars / Lunars / Abyssals upon Exaltation automatically get 'Old Realm' as an additional language, with no cost to lore.
- ) I just like this little quirk.
2 ) There is only one Craft skill, but profiencies in areas of Craft must be bought for 3xp/1 Bonus Point/1 Skill point each.
- ) Craft always gets nerfed. Not this time.
3 ) Custom charms are permissible and encouraged and can be trained per normal charms.
- ) They are not permissible, however, unless given ST permission.
- ) Bomb, I am looking at YOU.
4 ) Righteous Devil Style shall be henceforth considered a list of Archery charms.
- ) No, a bow/powerbow cannot be used with said charms.
- ) Yes, all the archery charms can be imployed while using a Plasmatounge Repeater.
- ) Yes, I am trying to be evil.
5 ) Elaborate histories, fanart displaying your charachter, little story bits and whatnot WILL receive Bonus Points if I deem them good enough.
- ) The ST enjoys being entertained.
6 ) Willpower is regained by rolling your highest virtue, not Conviction.
7 ) The Silver Pact does not exist.
- ) Neither does Reknown.
8 ) All charm changes from the Players Guide are in effect.
9 ) No, we will not use Power Combat, however.
10 ) But the 'Exalted Unskilled' rule is still in effect.
- ) I like that rule.
11 ) Rogue Abyssals are Permitted.
12 ) Lunar XP costs will be altered, but this is moot if no one chooses a Lunar Charachter.
- ) In addition, should someone play a Lunar Charachter, the ST reserves the right to alter Lunar Charm abilities under the 'It's Stupid' clause for the better.
13 ) The Solar Charm trees will be pruned.
14 )
15 ) Only Sidereals and Solar Dawn Castes can learn Sidereal martial arts, for various reasons.
- ) This does not mean that Solar-only MAs are lower in power than Sidereal MA - infact, they'd likely be moreso, but that's neither here nor there.
16 ) Merits and Flaws can be used, but require ST permission to be admitted.
17 ) There will be anywhere from a 1 week to 3 week period right after the game starts(possibly 4) where I will allow minor tinkering to the charachter sheet. Major changes will be rewarded with a dirty look and a snarl, so be careful.
18 ) Sail Ability covers piloting Airships; Ride Ability covers piloting any vehicle that only sits one individual, wether it flies or no, Warstriders excluded. FYI. KISS.
19 ) Mundane equipment fitting the charachter concept requires no point spending(within reason) - just a list. (This includes mundane weapons and armour, but doesn't count for exceptional).
20 ) 'Call the Blade' has been cut out of that particular melee charm tree.
21 ) It was pointed out to me that due to Players Guide charm changes, 'Feather Foot Style' and 'Lightening Speed' have been compressed together under Feather Foot Style - consider Lightening Speed cut out with Feather Foot Style taking it's place in that charm tree.
