Thus Spake Zargrabowski/PowerCommentary

Some thoughts on this matter, in an unofficial type of voice. This isn't some sort of canonical rules addendum, please don't treat it as such. I haven't played any of the Trinityverse games, so I'm just speculating based on studying the mechanics of Aberrant and knowing Exalted pretty much inside and out.

First thing: Whose combat rules are we using? While the basic systems are very similar, Exalted has a restrictive timing system. Existing inside that is going to hurt other characters, existing outside of it is going to hurt Exalts. Likewise, Exalted has a very firm "speed limit". Going over 100 mph is a *major* power. Is that in effect for the Trinityverse characters, or has it been lifted for Exalted outside of Creation?

Second thing: Have the Exalted adapted to the modern world? Their gift is that they excel at everything they do. From an Exalted-centric point of view (which I obviously favor, go figure) they won't be "outpaced" or "left behind" by technology because their power is their ability to drag their anime action genre along with them, regardless of setting. In that genre, technology is nothing more than a prop. If exposed to the modern world, their attacks, defenses and Abilities list should shift to reflect their setting. This doesn't necessarily mean they'll increase in power, just that they'll become modern mythic heroes -- Chow Yun-Fat as the god of two-gun killers, rather than as an invincible monk -- and that will increase their power, because eventually you'll get Magical Material-enhanced bioVARGs or something.

Final thing: Remember that the power levels depend on who you compare to whom. Cestus Pax can surely beat ass on Panther, sure but can he beat someone of roughly equivalent power, like Mask of Winters (from the main Exalted book), Ahlat, God of Blood and Cattle (from the soon-to-be released Games of Divinity) or Arad the Hunter (from the upcoming Creatures of the Wyld)? Eventually, you're going to hit a point of total fiat, because you're going to end up with Divis Mal either fistfighting the Unconquered Sun, or trying to wink Creation out of Existence and at direct loggerheads with the Maiden of Endings and / or the Malfeans. Then you pretty much decide which game you like more. =)

In general, the person that wins first is going to be the one that realizes this weird person they've just encountered doesn't seem to obey the "rules" they're familiar with, but is neverthless quite powerful and needs a full-force attack unloaded on it. After extended contact, it gets very dicey, as you start getting into technical questions of how you want the system to work, which is really a question of your bias.

Geoffrey C. Grabowski\\ Exalted Developer, WWGS\\ raindog@white-wolf.com

Comments

I'm... I'm sorry, I just had to say I love this guy. I've been reading his comments here all night, and to see that not only is he smart and hilarious, but still a huge enough RPG-dork to talk, in all earnestness, about "who would win in a fight, Caestus Pax or Mask of Winters?"... that's just awesome. -- DigitalSentience