Uncouth/Character
Character creation and representation is largely unchanged from Exalted. Changes have to do with the move to effect-based magic and changes to combat. This chapter outlines the few changes needed to character advancement and rules for specific character types, including a summary of how rules from other chapters impact them.
Changes to character generation
To do. Needs:
- Cost in background points for effects
- Cost in background points for paths (bonus points spent as xp)
- Changes to motivation and intimacies
Leaning an effect has a base cost of 5xp for a caste trait, 6 xp for a favored trait and 7xp otherwise. This cost is multiplied by the rank of the trait being learned. The following table expands the math of all the above rules:
| Experience Costs | Incremental XP | Cumulative XP | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank | MinEssence | Caste | Favored | Unfavored | Caste | Favored | Unfavored |
| Instantly | +0 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 5 | 6 | 7 |
| Tenaciously | +1 | 10 | 12 | 14 | 15 | 18 | 21 |
| Persistently | +2 | 15 | 18 | 21 | 30 | 36 | 42 |
| Constantly | +3 | 20 | 24 | 28 | 50 | 60 | 70 |
| Intrinsically | +4 | 25 | 30 | 35 | 75 | 95 | 105 |
| Training times | Caste/Favored | Unfavored | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Min Essence | Trainer | No trainer | Trainer | No trainer |
| 1 | 1 day | 2 days | 2 days | 4 days |
| 2 | 2 days | 4 days | 4 days | 8 days |
| 3 | 3 days | 6 days | 6 days | 12 days |
| 4 | 4 days | 8 days | 8 days | 16 days |
| 5 | 5 days | 10 days | 10 days | 20 days |
| 6 | 6 days | 12 days | 12 days | 24 days |
| 7 | 7 days | 14 days | 14 days | 28 days |
| 8 | 8 days | 16 days | 16 days | 32 days |
| 9 | 9 days | 18 days | 18 days | 36 days |
| 10 | 10 days | 20 days | 20 days | 40 days |
Anima
Anima powers in Exalted provide yet another example of its "caused-based" thinking: because you have an anima, you can do this. Uncouth considers the anima to be just another explanation forUncouth/Effects. Still, within Exalted, anima powers act as a differentiator between the various castes, so how to capture this idea in Uncouth? The mechanism used here is to allow character type and caste to provide primary effects (seeUncouth/Effects).
Each character type considers all effects based on a particular boon to be internal effects. All this means is that, during a Cycle, the character can designate one of these effects as a primary effect, in addition to the one primary effect all characters can use automatically. The effect can be related to any Ability (or Attribute, for some characters), but must use the particular boon for that type of character. The character must know and pay for the effect as normal; he just gets to use it without paying the price for a secondary effect. This provides a strong incentives for certain types of characters to make use of certain types of effects.
Most characters also consider effects based on a particular boon (related to their caste) combined with caste or favored traits, known as caste effects. Apart from the more limited selection, these function just like (and in addition to) internal effects.
- Example. One cycle. Next cycle. Wants to use, but can't because he never learned it.
Characters with a fully iconic anima banner consider effects based on yet another boon (related to their caste) combined with caste abilities as iconic effects. A fully iconic character can designate one iconic effect that she knows as a primary effect. Further, the mote cost of that effect need not be paid, though any other costs must be. This benefit ends as soon as the banner subsides to less than iconic, ending any iconic effects that might still be running.
- Example.
Character Changes by Type
Rules in this chapter and other change how characters work. Some of these changes are specific to various character types. This section summarizes how these changes work, by type:
Abyssal Exalted
Effects linked to: Abilities
Pool limit: Attribute + Ability
Internal effect boon: Entropic
Caste effect boon:
Dusk: Intense
Midnight: Compulsive
Daybreak: Infectious
Day: Subtle
Moonshadow: instead of a caste-based effect, Moonshadow exalted increase the number of primary effects they can use each cycle by one.
Iconic effect boon:
Dusk: Emotive
Midnight: Disdainful
Daybreak: Preventive
Day: Fast
Moonshadow: Profane
Restricted boons allowed to use: Perfect
Alchemical Exalted
Effects linked to: Attributes
Pool limit: Attribute
Internal effect boon: Augmented
Caste effect boon:
Orichalcum: Physical
Moonsilver: Fast
Jade: Preventive
Starmetal: Overwhelming
Soulsteel: Emotive
Iconic effect boon: Efficient (all castes)
Restricted boons allowed to use: Augmented
Infernal Exalted
Effects linked to: Abilities
Pool limit: Attribute + Ability
Internal effect boon: Overwhelming
Caste effect boon: ?
Iconic effect boon: ?
Restricted boons allowed to use:
Lunar Exalted
Effects linked to: Attributes
Pool limit: Attribute
Internal effect boon: none - lunars gain additional primary effects with shapeshifting
Caste effect boon:
Full Moon: Mobile
Changing Moon: Illusionary
No Moon: Efficient
Casteless: none
Iconic effect boon: none
Restricted boons allowed to use: Augmented
Sidereal Exalted
Effects linked to: Abilities
Pool limit: Essence
Internal effect boon: Auspicious, Manipulative
Caste effect boon:
Journeys: Mobile
Serenity: Emotive
Battles: Preventive
Secrets: Hypnotic
Endings: Piercing
Iconic effect boon: Wide (all castes)
Restricted boons allowed to use: Auspicious
Solar Exalted
Effects linked to: Abilities
Pool limit: Attribute + Ability
Internal effect boon: Triumphant
Caste effect boon:
Dawn: Intense
Zenith: Emotive
Twilight: Physical
Night: Subtle
Eclipse: instead of a caste-based effect, Eclipse exalted increase the number of primary effects they can use each cycle by one.
Iconic effect boon:
Dawn: Emotive
Zenith: Holy
Twilight: Preventive
Night: Fast
Eclipse: Orderly
Restricted boons allowed to use: Perfect
Terrestrial Exalted
Effects linked to: Abilities
Pool limit: Ability + Specialty
Internal effect boon: Efficient
Caste effect boon:
Air: Mobile
Earth: Hardened
Fire: Fast
Water: Resurgent
Wood: Poisonous
Iconic effect boon:
Air: Airy
Earth: Earthen
Fire: Fiery
Water: Watery
Wood: Wooden
Restricted boons allowed to use: Synergistic
Fair Folk
Effects linked to: Abilities
Pool limit: Highest feeding virtue
Internal effect boon: Withering
Caste effect boon:
Diplomat: Compulsive
Entertainer: Hypnotic
Warrior: Optimal
Worker: Synergistic
Noble: Gain effect of primary Grace and, at creation, may also claim either Wyld or the caste effect from their "shadowed" Grace
Iconic effect boon: none
Restricted boons allowed to use:
Mountain Folk
Effects linked to: Abilities
Pool limit: Highest feeding virtue
Internal effect boon: Resurgent
Caste effect boon:
Warrior: Optimal
Worker: Synergistic
Artisan: Mystical
Iconic effect boon: none
Restricted boons allowed to use:
Dragon Kings
Effects linked to: Abilities
Pool limit: Ability
Internal effect boon: Excellent
Caste effect boon: none (Dragon Kings gain physical benefits base on their breed)
Iconic effect boon: none
Restricted boons allowed to use:
Ghosts
Effects linked to: Abilities
Pool limit:
Internal effect boon: Soulful
Caste effect boon: none
Iconic effect boon: none
Restricted boons allowed to use:
Spirits
Effects linked to: Abilities or Attributes
Pool limit:
Internal effect boon: Mystical
Caste effect boon: none
Iconic effect boon: none
Restricted boons allowed to use:
Elementals
Effects linked to: Abilities or Attributes
Pool limit:
Internal effect boon: The elemental boon related to their element
Caste effect boon: none
Iconic effect boon: none
Restricted boons allowed to use:
Summary
| Name | Cost | Min Trait | Tests | Defense | Internal | Caste | Iconic |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Airy | 3m, 1w | 3 | x | x | Air elementals | Air aspect | |
| Augmented | 2/point | 3 | x | x | Alchemicals | ||
| Auspicious | 1/reduction | 3 | x | x | Sidereals | ||
| Compulsive | 3m | 2 | x | x | Midnight, Diplomat | ||
| Crippling | 3m | 3 | x | x | |||
| Distainful | 2m | 3 | x | x | Midnight | ||
| Earthen | 3m, 1w | 3 | x | x | Earth elementals | Earth aspect | |
| Efficient | special | 3 | x | x | Terrestrial | No Moon | All alchemical |
| Emotive | 3m | 2 | x | x | Soulsteel, Serenity, Zenith | Dusk, Dawn | |
| Entropic | 1/die | 1 | x | Abyssals | |||
| Excellent | 2m/conversion | 1 | x | Dragon Kings | |||
| Fast | 4m | 3 | x | Moonsilver, Fire | Day, Night | ||
| Fiery | 3m, 1w | 3 | x | x | Fire elementals | Fire aspect | |
| Flawless | 4m | 4 | x | x | |||
| Hardened | 1/point | 1 | x | x | Earth | ||
| Holy | 2m | 3 | x | x | Zenith | ||
| Hypnotic | 3m | 2 | x | x | Secrets, Entertainer | ||
| Illusory | 3m | 2 | x | x | Changing Moon | ||
| Infectious | varies | 3 | x | x | Daybreak | ||
| Intense | 3m | 3 | x | x | Dusk, Dawn | ||
| Manipulative | 1m | 4 | x | x | Sidereals | ||
| Mobile | 1m | 3 | x | x | Full Moon, Journeys, Air | ||
| Mystical | varies | 4 | Spirits | Artisan | |||
| Optimal | 2m | 3 | x | x | Warrior | ||
| Orderly | 2m | 3 | x | x | Eclipse | ||
| Overwhelming | 1m/die | 1 | x | Infernals | Starmetal | ||
| Peerless | 3m, 1w | 3 | x | x | |||
| Penetrating | 4m, 1w | 3 | x | x | |||
| Perfect | 5m, 1w | 5 | x | x | |||
| Physical | 1m/1L or 2B | 4 | x | x | Orichalcum, Twilight | ||
| Piercing | 3m | 2 | x | x | Endings | ||
| Poisonous | varies | 3 | x | x | Wood | ||
| Preventive | 5m | 2 | x | Jade, Battles | Daybreak, Twilight | ||
| Profane | 2m | 3 | x | x | Moonshadow | ||
| Restorative | 4m | 4 | x | x | |||
| Resurgent | 4m | 1 | x | x | Mountain Folk | Water | |
| Soulful | 3m | 4 | x | Ghosts | |||
| Spiritual | 3m | 3 | x | ||||
| Stretched | 1m/interval | 1 | x | ||||
| Subtle | 2m | 4 | x | x | Day, Night | ||
| Synergistic | 1m | 2 | x | x | Worker | ||
| Triumphant | 3m/sux | 1 | x | x | Solars | ||
| Unblockable | 3m | 4 | x | ||||
| Undodgeable | 3m | 4 | x | ||||
| Vandalistic | 2m | 3 | x | x | |||
| Watery | 3m, 1w | 3 | x | x | Water elementals | Water aspect | |
| Wide | 1m/yard | 2 | x | All sidereal | |||
| Withering | 5m | 3 | x | Fair Folk | |||
| Wooden | 3m, 1w | 3 | x | x | Wood elementals | Wood aspect | |
| Wyld | 1m | 1 | x | x | some Fair Folk nobles |
