Mortos/Rules

Custom rules and setting for my Exalted Campaign: This is based on first edition with power combat.

Attribute Issues

Problem: Dex more powerful than strength and stamina. Need to make strength and/or stamina based characters more feasible.
Solution: Strength and stamina boons are now 1.5 times their previous values, rounded up. Strength 5 does 8 extra damage. Stamina 4 gives 6 bashing, 3 lethal soak.

Brawl Issues and Charms

Problem: Brawl kinda sucks. Why not just go martial arts? Solution: Change brawl to equate to rough and tumble improvised fighting and add new improvised/untrained weapons rules, as follows: Any weapon that the player has no real training with counts as an improvised weapon (see below, it also does not get any special abilities). An improvised weapon uses the half of the character's applicable attack skill plus brawl, rounded down. There are now new charms in an additional brawl tree:

Skill of the fury. No prereq. Minimum 3 brawl. 4m. Simple. Scene long. Improvised weapon stats change from: (Accuracy = modifier, Damage = original, speed = original + modifier, defense = modifier, rate = 1) to the new (Accuracy = 0, Damage = original, speed = original, defense = 0, rate = 2) (If defense, accuracy, or rate on the original weapon were lower than this, the stats stay what they were) Modifiers
0 commonly used item, not a weapon (pencil, hat, sponge)
-1 simple item, straightforward to be used as a weapon (stick, thrown rock, a ripped-off arm)
-2 somewhat awkward either by shape or size (an untrained weapon type, potted plant, table)
-3 very awkward (a cat, the wall of a building, a living enemy, kitchen sink)

Both damage and modifier may be doubled or tripled given the size of some objects

Breaking the bottle. No prereq. Minimum 2 brawl. 2m. Instant. Supplemental. The damage of the weapon is doubled for the purposes of a single attack, with a max increase equal to the rank in brawl plus permanent essence. In the attack, the weapon breaks completely beyond use. This charm may only be used when wielding an improvised weapon that can be broken (not a magical material).

Darts fly true. Prereq: Breaking the bottle. 2m. Instant. Supplemental. Provided the object has a base damage lower than twice the characters strength, the brawl score may be added to the accuracy of a single thrown attack with an improvised weapon.

Weapon within. Prereq: Darts fly true. Minimum 3 brawl. 4m + 1w. Scene. Simple. For the rest of the scene an improvised weapon is weilded with the stats of the weapon it most resembles. It can still be broken as if it hadn't changed though. If the weapon is broken, the used may apply this charm to another weapon with a reflexive spending of 4m.

Dance of many things. Prereq: Weapon within, Skill of the fury. Minimum 5 brawl, 3 essence. 10m + 1w. Scene. Simple. Skill of the fury must be activated to activate Dance of many things. For the rest of the scene, the user may weild any and all objects he can grab as the weapon they most resemble, using his straight brawl skill. He gains one additional free action per round that may only be used for attack. As any weapon is used, either for attack or defense, it breaks. The user may reflexively grab a new item to replace it, provided there is one nearby. (If a non-breakable or magical item is used, it doesn't break, but it doesn't get the benefits of this charm either, and has merely the improvised weapon stats). This cannot be used outside of combat. You cannot use this to steal objects from your enemy. For the purposes of feats of strength to get to or use an object, add the brawl score to the users strength.

Power vs Regular Combat

Problem: Speed in standard combat and power combat both make sense, what do I use? Answer: Speed will be handled by giving each weapon 2 speed ratings, its battle (standard) and range (power combat) speed. In close combat where combatants begin the round within weapon length of the other, the weapons use their battle speed rating. Assuming at least one combatant begins the round out of reach of the other, the range speed will be used. This makes sense because, in close combat, the speed of the attack will be based on how quickly it takes to bring the weapon to bear; a knife will be ready for attack much quicker than a spear. However, if either of the combatants is too far away to attack, the person with the longest weapon hits first, and any time bringing the weapon to bear happens when closing distance.

Ride and Sail suck

Problem: Ride and sail suck. Answer: Use second edition charms for those trees.

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So, I would really like input on more possible changes to make the system make more sense, while keeping things kinda simple. Also, opinions on my changes, especially the new brawl tree balance, would be greatly appreciated. - Mortos

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