XerExaltedNations/Glossary
Contents
Glossary
Actions
Trivial actions (those involving significantly less than a minute of time) are ignored. A character does not roll to pick a lock, she rolls to infiltrate a building. She might even enter if she gets no successes at all (a Night caste is rather likely to do such things).
Depending on the scope, an action covers between a minute and a decade's worth of time. The former tends towards fast-past things - combat and such, while the latter would be for something like constructing the Realm Defense Grid.
Character
Characters are rarely individuals. Every city, village, and town is a Character. Every army and fleet is a character. A third-circle demon with her full entourage of souls would be a single character.
Sometimes, however, they are an individual. Deathlords, Celestial Exalted, the Incarna, Malfeans, Primordials and Yozis are characters. More specifically, they receive no penalties in conversion for acting as individuals.
Class
Individual Characters are divided into Classes, based on their raw power.
Supernal Class: Abyssal, Chimerae, Lunar, Sidereal, Solar, Deathlord, 3rd Circle Demon, Unformed Monster, Primordial, Yozi, Malfean, Incarna.
Divine Class: Essence 6-9 Gods, Elemental Dragons, Enlightened Mountain Folk, 2nd Circle Demon, Dragon Blooded, Dragon Kings, Heart 4 Raksha, most Behemoths.
Mystical Class: First Circle Demons, Essence 2-5 Elementals, Essence 2-5 Gods, Essence 4-5 Ghosts, Heart 3 Raksha, Unenlightened Mountain Folk, Spirit-Blooded.
Heroic Class: Heroic Mortals, Heart 2 Raksha, Heroic Ghosts, Essence 1 Elementals, Essence 1 Gods.
Mundane Class: Common mortals, Heart 1 Raksha, common ghosts, least gods.
Extras: Sucks to be them.
This is used during conversion to Exalted Nations, and will be referenced from time to time.
Points
Up to five twelve-sided dice get rolled by a character taking an action - one for each type of Trait. Each success may grant a different number of points.
- Essence: 3 points
- Virtue: 2 points
Traits
There are five types of Traits. The Essence Trait, the Virtue Trait, the Personal Traits, the Celestial Traits, and the Elemental (or Terrestrial) Traits. In Nations, a character can roll a die for each of these five categories.
Essence
The Essence Trait is a class on its own. It represents the inherent magic and will of a character. It applies to every action she takes.
Virtue
The Virtue Trait defines the rightness of the character. Fate, Luck, Prowess and Trickery be damned. The Fair Folk, Primordials, Yozis, Malfeans, Deathlords, and Celestials do a fair bit to define what is right for themselves. Regardless, it's still rolled as Virtue.
Personal
Personal Traits refer to abilities of the character that are often considered to be trained but not learned. Unlike the Celestial Traits, which Personal Trait is rolled depends on the part of the action involved, rather than character choice.
- Force: (Brawn, Presence, Intelligence)
- Force is a measure of raw strength. Of character, of body, of mind.
- Finesse: (Dexterity, Charisma, Wits)
- Coordination, subtlety. Quick-thinking.
Celestial
Celestial Traits are the perview of the skies. That which is above Creation. They also have inverted and twisted aspects. Where the Terrestrial Traits represent Action and Skill, Celestial Traits represent Method and Means. Regardless, only the Sun trait is universally applicable. Moon Diminishes in the Wyld, Chaos everywhere else, and even then, there are situations where trickery does not work. Stars is even more focussed in terms of regions, though it can be used to gain pre-emtive edges on situations. And, cracks must first be made in a thing before Oblivion can begin to take hold.
Moon Chaos
- Trickery, cleverness, the Moon Trait embodies outwitting one's problems. It covers illusion, mind games, and second guessing others. The Moon's inverted aspect is Chaos. The Moon Trait becomes progressively harder to use the further one delves into the Wyld, eventually becoming useless once one reaches Pure Chaos. As Moon Diminishes, Chaos becomes more important. It is possible for some characters to develop both Traits, though only a few behemoths, Lunars and Solars have the built-in ability to accomplish this.
Stars
- Fate, destiny, and luck. The Stars Trait only works in Creation and Yu Shan, however, Autocthonia and the Underworld could be understood given enough study.
Sun Obliviion
- The Sun Trait represents glory and perfection. The character does not need to resort to trickery or the strength of her destiny - her supernal skill is enough. Oblivion is the cursed opposite, exploiting flaws and imperfections, turning even the slightest of them into gaping wounds. It is not possible to know both Oblivion and Sun.
Terrestrial
Terrestrial are things that may be known. Ie, skills.
- Air: (Lore, Subterfuge)
- Earth: (Craft, Might)
- Fire: (Combat, Expression)
- Water: (Socialize, War)
- Wood: (Natural, Prowess)
