I was running a Pathfinder session when one of the players linked me to some olden webcomic I read when I was a wee lad (Keychain of Creation). Out of nostalgia, I checked it out again.
And it was still good. It had a sense of humor, even if it was one of the dem Order of the Stick knockoffs at the time.
Still, it was a good time, and then I realized "Oh, it was also based on some kind of roleplaying game? I kinda missed that initially" (I thought it was modelled after an MMO).
And so I read Exalted, the latest edition.
I feel like I had been punted in the head. Social justice up the butt was one thing. And so where the generally bloated mechanics.
But the prose....The goddam prose. Felt like I was reading fanfiction.
"Im super duper awesome but cursed and everything is gonna die and suck and woa is me but we are awesome but everything sucks, but Woeee is meeeee"
It felt like a setting Im supposed to observe and not play in. Where the plot hooks? Places where my PC could get involved to make a difference? Im just supposed to mess around with the set dressing until the world implodes?
Reading Gurps after it felt like a breath of fresh air. Even in post-apocalyptic settings they expect you to be able to DO something about it.
It's a game that I desperately want to love but I'm turned off by the sheer effort required to actually play it.
If you like the setting and don't mind patching a competent but needs some house rules/fixes system, go check out Exalted 1st Edition.
If you would rather have a much smoother, robust, less broken system but a dry presentation of the setting, go get 2nd Edition.
If you want something that works out of the box and will help you make your own setting check out Godbound (the basic version is free (https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/185959/Godbound-A-Game-of-Divine-Heroes-Free-Edition)).
Quote from: Shrieking Banshee;1114282I was running a Pathfinder session when one of the players linked me to some olden webcomic I read when I was a wee lad (Keychain of Creation). Out of nostalgia, I checked it out again.
And it was still good. It had a sense of humor, even if it was one of the dem Order of the Stick knockoffs at the time.
Still, it was a good time, and then I realized "Oh, it was also based on some kind of roleplaying game? I kinda missed that initially" (I thought it was modelled after an MMO).
And so I read Exalted, the latest edition.
I feel like I had been punted in the head. Social justice up the butt was one thing. And so where the generally bloated mechanics.
But the prose....The goddam prose. Felt like I was reading fanfiction.
"Im super duper awesome but cursed and everything is gonna die and suck and woa is me but we are awesome but everything sucks, but Woeee is meeeee"
It felt like a setting Im supposed to observe and not play in. Where the plot hooks? Places where my PC could get involved to make a difference? Im just supposed to mess around with the set dressing until the world implodes?
Reading Gurps after it felt like a breath of fresh air. Even in post-apocalyptic settings they expect you to be able to DO something about it.
The White Wolf school of design focuses on what sounds cool rather than what is functional. A significant chunk of their fans are people who just read the books rather than actually play.
Quote from: shoplifter;1114286It's a game that I desperately want to love but I'm turned off by the sheer effort required to actually play it.
Don't worry, you're covered: http://aakin.net/wiki/doku.php?id=qwixalted
Quote from: Shrieking Banshee;1114282And so I read Exalted, the latest edition.
Want Exalted without the bullshit? Try Godbound instead. Here is a link (https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/185959/Godbound-A-Game-of-Divine-Heroes-Free-Edition) to the free version on DriveThruRPG. You will thank me later. That said I too miss Keychain of Creation.
Quote from: Snowman0147;1114360Want Exalted without the bullshit? Try Godbound instead. Here is a link (https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/185959/Godbound-A-Game-of-Divine-Heroes-Free-Edition) to the free version on DriveThruRPG. You will thank me later. That said I too miss Keychain of Creation.
Oh its the Stars without Number people. I liked their subsystems for that thing allot....
Il say im not a super gronard tho. THAC0 turned me off from Stars Without Number till the revision got rid of it. How does godbound compare?
Edit: I already like the blurb:
"Will you make the choice to be awesome, or will you make the choice to be an asshole?"
Its about your choice not about fate choosing for you.
Still THAC0, but given 3e Exalted I think you rather deal with THAC0. Still 1d20 + attack bonus + mod + target's AC = if 20 or greater it is hit is far more easier to understand what Exalted had produced in its third edition. Hell it is easier than Exalted 2e combat clock which handles initiative. I will, however, say that Godbound is far more streamlined and have much more freedom to make your character the way you want him to be. It is simple and has depth. It does the job that Exalted could not.
Quote from: Snowman0147;1114365Still THAC0, but given 3e Exalted I think you rather deal with THAC0. Still 1d20 + attack bonus + mod + target's AC = if 20 or greater it is hit is far more easier to understand what Exalted had produced in its third edition. Hell it is easier than Exalted 2e combat clock which handles initiative. I will, however, say that Godbound is far more streamlined and have much more freedom to make your character the way you want him to be. It is simple and has depth. It does the job that Exalted could not.
Well GURPS has taught me to at least get used to roll-under systems. Even if I still think their not that great and roll over systems are better.
But THAC0 is at least easy to invert into a to-hit system. Anyway checking it out right now.
I may not like it still. But Il give it an honest look.
Edit:OK Im already loving it so far. I like the lore quite allot.
"REALITY HAS BEEN KIDNAPPED BY NINJAS
ARE YOU A BAD ENOUGH DUDE TO RESCUE REALITY?"
The base implication is that you WILL have an impact. Creation isn't doomed.
And I also like the more traditionally Jueodo Christian inspirations.
Don't go with 2E if you want less broken (it requires a lot of errata and its default play states are less than desirable for anything resembling human enjoyment), go with 1E through and through.
Quote from: DeadUematsu;1114386Don't go with 2E if you want less broken (it requires a lot of errata and its default play states are less than desirable for anything resembling human enjoyment), go with 1E through and through.
Unfortunatly Godbound has already smitten me lock stock and barrel. And the fact that they have a cheeky offbrand version of exalted in their own game means Im unlikely to ever need to use the Exalted system in any manner to play it.
Quote from: Shrieking Banshee;1114387Unfortunatly Godbound has already smitten me lock stock and barrel. And the fact that they have a cheeky offbrand version of exalted in their own game means Im unlikely to ever need to use the Exalted system in any manner to play it.
Sure.
I bought the 3rd ed pdf a while back (that was pretty expensive IIRC) but have only ever managed to scan it before realising there are too many other books I want to read, and life is too short, for me to get my ageing head around that level of background. Now it sits there on my hard drive making me feel guilty whenever I notice it.
You know at this point I have to ask what part of exalted is even awesome? Maybe this is an issue with 3e but It just doesn't tickle the imagination.
The setting just feels incongruous. With spirits and robots and goblins and gods and such behind every corner but somehow this really mundane society. Is it one or the other? But where is the intersting part?
Where are the hooks?
Quote from: Snowman0147;1114365Still THAC0,
There's no THAC0 in Godbound. It's d20 + attack bonus vs ascending AC.
Quote from: Sable Wyvern;1114828There's no THAC0 in Godbound. It's d20 + attack bonus vs ascending AC.
You still add your enemies AC to your attack. Its weird
Quote from: Shrieking Banshee;1114829You still add your enemies AC to your attack. Its weird
I was completely wrong, it's descending AC. Instead of defaulting to THAC0, here's a fixed target number and you add AC to the attack roll, as you mention, but it's functionally equivalent to THAC0.
I love Exalted...via the Exalted 1e quickstart (http://kschnee.xepher.net/rpg/exalted/Exalted%20Starter%20Kit.pdf).
I've run several short campaigns and many one-shots with just those rules and its been a blast. I couldn't believe how much of a mess the full game was in comparison, but it was the same thing with Aeon Trinity where the quickstart rocked so hard, but the big thick book of wank and the splat line of splatiness just tore out the soul of the original idea.
Quote from: Spinachcat;1114836I love Exalted...via the Exalted 1e quickstart (http://kschnee.xepher.net/rpg/exalted/Exalted%20Starter%20Kit.pdf).
I've run several short campaigns and many one-shots with just those rules and its been a blast. I couldn't believe how much of a mess the full game was in comparison, but it was the same thing with Aeon Trinity where the quickstart rocked so hard, but the big thick book of wank and the splat line of splatiness just tore out the soul of the original idea.
Greetings!
The "Big, thick book of wank..." *LAUGHING* The downfall of many game books, with endless splat books following, all full of gibberish!
Semper Fidelis,
SHARK
I tried to make a character in 3e Exalted that I made in Godbound (I didn't end up super loving the system but creation was fast and exciting) as a test.
It gave me a headache again.
To describe the system, it's like if a regular White Wolf magic system had a tumor and that tumor grew in size until it ate the original magic system completely and became the new system and had some more tumors.
It's impressively awful. Not being hyperbolic here: I could make something this bad if I tried, but I would have to TRY.
And I guess this Book is an exalted solar, and its excellency is White wolfs terrible editing. Because the editing was exaltedly bad. I know white wolf's information layouting is awful. But this is that normal level of awful but exalted.
Buckets of dice
Quote from: BedrockBrendan;1115169Buckets of dice
Shadowrun is buckets of dice.
Exalted is 10 unlabeled cups of dice (With closed tops) with 90 other cups that contain nothing.
Like I said I was impressed.
Here is a video of a basic combat round. Notice I said BASIC COMBAT ROUND.
[video=youtube;ZgepDFYVXXY]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZgepDFYVXXY[/youtube]
Quote from: Shrieking Banshee;1114282I was running a Pathfinder session when one of the players linked me to some olden webcomic I read when I was a wee lad (Keychain of Creation). Out of nostalgia, I checked it out again.
And it was still good. It had a sense of humor, even if it was one of the dem Order of the Stick knockoffs at the time.
Still, it was a good time, and then I realized "Oh, it was also based on some kind of roleplaying game? I kinda missed that initially" (I thought it was modelled after an MMO).
And so I read Exalted, the latest edition.
I feel like I had been punted in the head. Social justice up the butt was one thing. And so where the generally bloated mechanics.
But the prose....The goddam prose. Felt like I was reading fanfiction.
"Im super duper awesome but cursed and everything is gonna die and suck and woa is me but we are awesome but everything sucks, but Woeee is meeeee"
It felt like a setting Im supposed to observe and not play in. Where the plot hooks? Places where my PC could get involved to make a difference? Im just supposed to mess around with the set dressing until the world implodes?
Reading Gurps after it felt like a breath of fresh air. Even in post-apocalyptic settings they expect you to be able to DO something about it.
I had a similar experience and share a similar opinion. Here, have a copy of my high-powered martial-arts post-apocalyptic rpg-thing, for free. (https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/244258/Tian-Shang-Lone-Wolf-Fists-Playtest-edition)