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So after two threads full of why Exalted and its Dev-team suck incarna-level in magnitude :D - how would you do an Exalted game done right?

What do you need to do what Exalted wanted to do?
Exalted's fluff always promised stuff that the mechanics never delivered. There are many more fans of Exalted - the setting out there than there are Exalted - the whole package fans ... and i always thought that that's a shame.

So...how would YOU do it?

I am mostly interested in the mechanical side, but if you have ways you want to make the setting "more Exalted" than tell us that as well...even if it's a whole new setting ;) (as this is a "Exalted with the serial numbers filed off" thread...so i guess we need some setting changes as well...right? Right?! ... )

I would start with this: http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/144651/Exemplars--Eidolons?term=exemplars+and+ (http://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/144651/Exemplars--Eidolons?term=exemplars+and+)

Then I would take a good, hard look at the free advanced rules that Kevin Crawford put out for pushing E&E to demigod-levels of play, including rules for high-powered sorcery and organizations. It would still need some work and tweaking in areas, but at least I'd have a solid base to build on. And combat with a decent-sized group wouldn't take five hours.

Quote from: Anglachel;840155So after two threads full of why Exalted and its Dev-team suck incarna-level in magnitude :D - how would you do an Exalted game done right?

What do you need to do what Exalted wanted to do?
Exalted's fluff always promised stuff that the mechanics never delivered. There are many more fans of Exalted - the setting out there than there are Exalted - the whole package fans ... and i always thought that that's a shame.

So...how would YOU do it?

I am mostly interested in the mechanical side, but if you have ways you want to make the setting "more Exalted" than tell us that as well...even if it's a whole new setting ;) (as this is a "Exalted with the serial numbers filed off" thread...so i guess we need some setting changes as well...right? Right?! ... )

By now I can do Exalted with, more or less, any system that has more or less freeform magic, and with many that have discrete effects. So mechanically, it's simply no longer an issue.
My last trick was to develop a way to run it with Sorcerers of Ur-Turuk of all games, because it was new.
Currently we're playing Exalted using Runequest6 rules. And the GM is doing to the setting the same thing you have to do any setting in order to run it:).
Namely, you have to decide on your vision of the setting and the setting's conflicts, and stick to it, while still being ready to allow unorthodox solutions;).
I guess it's more a "which system do I want to use" issue for me.

In a way, I can credit the poor rules of Ex2 for this. I'm not even making effort to file the serial numbers off, I've bought the setting and can play it in any way I see fit.

Kill the rules. All of them. The modified storyteller system doesn't handle slightly superhuman characters like Vampires all that well (in any of its incarnations). It completely fails at a more powerful scale, even before the characters are reaching for divinity. There are much, much better alternatives out there. Depending on the intentional scope of the game, I would suggest a set of rules that might work with superheroic characters of truly mind-numbing power, as well as ordinary characters, namely a version of the Runequest/BRP system; Stormbringer or any of the related Eternal Champion based games should work as a rough foundation to build and expand on.

A significant part of the game should be about becoming exalted, not being it. The resulting powers become a lot more rewarding if the players have to work for it. Apotheosis is a pretty decent carrot to dangle in front of most players, but the important part is becoming a god, not necessarily being one. That is then a pretty good follow-up.

Simplify the game dramatically. Get rid of or streamline the "Feat chain" (I forget what term the game actually used) way of handling powers and kung-fu moves and such.

I'd probably use something like Apocalypse World, mixed with a robust but simple combat system underneath.

At present, I'm using a houseruled Mutants and Masterminds 3e to run Exalted and it's worked pretty well so far.  Setting wise, my players and I worked out what we liked the most and either axed or changed the stuff we didn't.  The end result would probably infuriate most Exalted fans, but as long as everyone is having fun, I could care less.

The setting, as hinted at, was never my problem. Sure, i don't use all of it at once, but that is true for all published settings i used over time.

Where i really think Exalted lacks is in the rules-department. Such potential gone to waste with the clunky and unfitting rules.
Maybe the new Sardonyx system could do Exalted (at least better than the existing system does, but that is not a high bar at all)...who knows.

For me, i have some options/ideas : Strange Fate could do the trick and well, i think (never tried it so far though). Something similar to Fate that i can see me using - Cortex + in its heroic iteration (there even is a good fan-hack for Exalted in that system). I think it can handle epic well and as it was designed for superheroes, well, we are right on the spot.
Lately i have been reading the newest OVA...and i like it. I think it could do Exalted reasonably well (but i have no real-play experience with the system).

Recent rumour on the Eden forums said that Beyond Human was in the editing and layout phase. I'd like to see if Cinematic Unisystem could be adapted for Exalted level characters.

I think it's actually pretty easy: start with a functional supers system. Work out what you need from there.

Honestly, I'd say that FATE more or less covers anything you'd want to do with Exalted - particularly when it comes to stunting.

Sardonyx would be a good system.  Could easily make mortals be TN 8, terrestrials TN 7, Celestrials TN 6, and Solar level exalted be TN 5.  This means solars would have more chances of success which is powerful.  I would expect the Unconquerable Sun to have TN 1 since he is the most perfect being in that setting.

Though I am working on something as well.  Mainly my custom system that bridges FATE like games with traditional games.  Well bridge in the way I like it and how many traditional gamers would like it.  Mainly fuck the meta gaming fate points and put more focus on awesome character descriptors that empowers your character.  As in something organic in play instead of meta.

A example would be Din the Strong.  When doing normal feats of strength Din just passes the test with a number of degrees of success equal to his rank of that asset.  When pulling off extrodinary feats of strength that is thought to be impossible Din uses heroic points to do it as if using mana for casting a spell.  When Din wants to restore points he doesn't just make odd choices, or do things that screw him over for heroic points.  No he just lift weights and train to improve his mighty muscles during his rest time to regain those heroic points.

Quote from: Godfather Punk;840410Recent rumour on the Eden forums said that Beyond Human was in the editing and layout phase. I'd like to see if Cinematic Unisystem could be adapted for Exalted level characters.

I'm only somewhat familiar with Classic, but I'd love to see what Beyond Human will look like if it ever comes out. Supers is still something of an unfulfilled niche in my RPG library.

What about Qwixalted (http://aakin.net/wiki/doku.php?id=qwixalted)?

I know the designers and helped play-test it. I thought it did Exalted brilliantly. I was never a big fan, but this lighter version made it super fun (INHO).

Quote from: Warthur;840460Honestly, I'd say that FATE more or less covers anything you'd want to do with Exalted - particularly when it comes to stunting.

I've used Mutants and Masterminds because in Superhero games, stunting is just part of the way it's meant to be played, no special rules necessary for over the top action.

And that's pretty much what I would do, if I really wanted to run a Super Fantasy game.

High-level Arrows of Indra.

Quote from: Marvelous_Metal_Man;840309At present, I'm using a houseruled Mutants and Masterminds 3e to run Exalted and it's worked pretty well so far.  Setting wise, my players and I worked out what we liked the most and either axed or changed the stuff we didn't.  The end result would probably infuriate most Exalted fans, but as long as everyone is having fun, I could care less.

I'd like to hear about your setting changes. If you don't feel its on topic or right for the thread feel free to PM me.

Quote from: Nexus;840862I'd like to hear about your setting changes. If you don't feel its on topic or right for the thread feel free to PM me.

Discussing Exalted-your-way is totally ok in this thread.
As i said in the OP, i am interested in both, mechanical changes/replacements AND Setting changes/replacements.

So how about it, Nexus? How does your Exalted look like? Ruleswise and settingwise.

System:  I would use Mutants and Masterminds 3rd edition; I've used it for a Naruto style game, so I'm familiar with it and have it seen work for high powered characters who can chew scenery.  Exalted characters would have a substantial starting package, one which when utilized in game would put them on a level with the very best the mortal world has to offer. A Banner or aura or some such would be appropriate, something that marks their nature to everyone else.  I think I'd use hero points pretty much as written, this would be an appropriate sort of game to give players a slice of narrative authority.

Lots of points would be provided on top of the starting package (up to PL 10-12ish I'm guessing), with direction to the players that they should pick a thematic direction for the character and buy stuff that will make that theme immediately obvious to anyone who observes them act.  I would remind them that I run combat heavy games, and that while the starting package will see them through initial encounters I will pull no punches when they become known or start shit.

I'm not sure how much "mote economy", if any, would really be appropriate.  There's a good argument for the idea that humans who've been jumped up, should be humans wearing that upgrade in a way.. that they should have limited resources with which they can achieve vast things, but only as long as they play their cards right.  On the flip side, economy breeds OOC optimizations to account for economy, takes game time and mindspace, and can sometimes make things feel gamey and dumb when they're supposed to feel epic.

I'd retain the limits on teleportation and movement abilities from Exalted in some form, it's sloppy but I'd want at least minor mechanical incentives to care about whatever locale they're presently stomping through.  In the long run I would probably have to let these slide, but at least at the start there should be an attachment to the current location.

Story:  I know lots of anime, some western mythology, and little eastern mythology, so the fluff would slant that way.  I think I would retain the theme of rebellion-->rebellion-->rebellion.  A Great Curse of some sort would be appropriate but I'm not sure what form it would take; limit breaks might better be replaced with some sort of long term cumulative bonus to actions when acting in a specific damaged fashion, to provide incentive to players to find ways to leverage that bonus.

There would be gobs of uninhabited land, much of it previously settled at some point in history; I would retain the idea of Ages having come and gone.  The majority of settlements would be clusters of civilization where natural resources are located (rather than being evenly distributed).  It wouldn't feel right without a Realm or Roman Empire of some sort, but the game would start far away from it, to give the players space to decide on what terms they engage with it.

Heavenly forces, in whatever form they took, would be some combination of preoccupied with themselves, and wedged in a bad peace where nobody can meet their obligations because they fear conflict more than whatever the consequences are of things hitting the ground.  There would be places in the world where fundamental parts of nature are damaged in hilarious and horrifying ways on account of this.  I think I'd almost have to go with an A!MG technomagic feel to them.  Rather than being first generation usurpers, they might be merely the latest in a long line of creatures to gain dominion.  They would also provide some of the justification for the "Elminsters" of the setting not coming down from their towers every time the orcs come out of the mountains; they would be entangled in Heavenly politics and beholden to their masters in these matters.

On the whole, I would try to make the game less about beating specific encounters or obstacles, and more about the consequences of which conflicts the players choose and which they do not choose.  There would be a lot more fights for them to take than they would have hours in the day, which they could work around by building civilizations capable of functioning without them.  The downsides would be all the downsides of civilization I've seen demonstrated.

Quote from: Nexus;840862I'd like to hear about your setting changes. If you don't feel its on topic or right for the thread feel free to PM me.

I butched the something fierce.  Basically I completely removed the story of how Creation was made from the equation.  Here's the early draft I had concerning the history of the world:

"Before everything, there was the Wyld; it was strange and wonderful, and it was all things, and it was none of them. There was no time, and all time, and it was good.

And then it changed; a brief pinprick of light shone forth, and kindled the Sun. He was great, and beautiful, and he was called Unconquered, for his brow was bright, and no stratagem of war could overcome him. He strode forth, driving back the Wyld whither he went; but he wept, for he had no place to call home.

He visited the Mad Sage, all argent glory and shadowed wisdom, who held the secret of names; but she could not aid him. "Let me walk with you for a time", she said, and so they strode forth.

He visited the Maiden Who Was One and Five, and asked of her, "Do you know my home?"

"No," said she, "but I shall walk the journey with you." And so the Sage named her the Lady of Roads, and it was good.

They walked for a time, until they found a vast place, a den of monsters and wild spirits; it was of the Wyld, and not of the Wyld, and it was beautiful. And the Sun Unconquered asked, "Are you my home, preordained and wondrous?"

And that place answered with a voice sweet as milk and honey, "I am not; but if you will, you may rest here." And so the travellers, road-weary, entered that place. And the Maiden did weep that such a place, lovely and fair, could exist in the all-wastes of the Wyld; and so for her joy the Sage named her the Lady of Grace, and it was good.

Long tales could be told of the traveller's warring with the great beasts of that place, when the Maiden was named Lady of War; much could be said of the time when they took the place, and hid it from the demon-folk, when the Maiden was named Lady of Silence. Much could be said of their revelry, when the Sage and the Sun did love one another and wed.

But at long last, they stood, looking down upon the world they had made safe, and it asked Luna, "do you know me?" And the Sage did grin, and declared, "but of course, you are our Home." And it was good. And the Maiden wept a second time, for their journey had come to an end; and for that, she received her last name, that of the Lady of Finality.

And they ascended into the heavens, and placed themselves amongst the stars to rest."

Such is the tale that the wise men tell of the discovery of Home, when they have time for stories. But they seldom do; in their world of monsters and wonders, there is little time for stories.

I later established the Yozi up as weird god monsters who found Home about the same time as the Incarnae and got into a big fight with them and the natives of Home, spirits and mortals.  Eventually a truce was reached between the three: the Incarnae would receive dominion over the skies, spirits/mortals over the land and seas, and the Yozi and their spawn over the Lands Beneath (the underdark/hollow earth).  We settled on having the Incarnae and Yozi being unable to directly interfere in matters of the surface world without being summoned as part of the truce.  The Yozi are alien and barbaric, but not evil or uniformly malicious towards spirits and mortals.  We wanted Yozi to a viable faction to side with without being insane, evil, and/or hopelessly gullible.  In this setting, the title of "god" is strictly reserved for the Yozi and Incarnae, mostly to reflect the tastes of me and my players.

The Underworld is still a thing in setting, albeit completely reworked to better fit the revised backstory.  The Underworld is one of the many things left over from the times before Home was discovered by the Gods and no one's entirely certain of how it came to be.  Not even the eldest ghosts in the Underworld can say where it comes from.  The Underworld is a metaphysical sinkhole full of corrupted magic that allows mortals to linger on beyond their death and causes unconsecrated corpses to rise as feral undead.  Opting to linger on as a ghost has drawbacks: if you're not willed enough, the magic of the Underworld will make you crazy and either way, you won't be able to easily leave the realm.  On the upside, if you pull it off, you become immortal and gain access to some pretty potent magics.  In this model, Deathlords are just powerful ghosts who command entire kingdoms in the Underworld, each with their own motivations, agendas, and moral outlooks.

Exalted are still mortals who have been infused with divine power.  Dragonblooded still work the same way.  I set them up as being kin to the mightiest of the spirits, the Elemental Dragons.  My players and I actually kind of liked the idea of Exigents, but we all felt like they were redundant in the face of god-bloods.  We opted to have god bloods as the "design your own exalt" exalt, with the explanation for why there aren't more of them being that only a select few spirits are strong enough to actually sire them.  Celestial and Infernal Exalts are mortals who have earned the favor of the Yozi or Incarnae.  They tend to be regarded with suspicion and distrust as they are viewed as being living loopholes in the truce between gods and spirits, and in some cases, these suspicions are not unfounded.  The Gods can't hijack the wills, mess with the minds of their Champions, or revoke their gift as that would violate the truce, so instead they rely on more mundane means of manipulation when they wish to meddle in the affairs of spirits and men, assuming if that's what they want.  There are times when the gods are honestly impressed enough with a mortal that they grant them their blessing as a reward for being awesome.  

Abyssal Exalts are champions of the Underworld and walk the line between life and death.  We're still trying to work out the exact metaphysics of how they work.  How they are viewed tends to depend on what kind of relationship people have with the Underworld and those who reside there.  

Fair Folk are still around.  I'm portraying them as purely unsympathetic monsters because that's how I like my creepy soulless faeries.  Besides, it's not too different from their canon portrayal no matter how people try to spin them.

Dragon and god bloods have lifespans of 3 to 4 hundred years.  Celestial, Infernal, and Abyssal can live an average of 7 to 8 hundred years.  The shorter lifespans solves the issue of elder exalts and coming up with reasons why a bunch of demigods haven't accomplished anything in 3000 years.  If a situation where an elder exalt is needed, we can easily handwave it away using sorcery.

We decided to keep the Realm because everyone liked it as an antagonistic entity.  It required very little effort to adapt considering empires lionizing their gods and champions while demonizing those of their enemies is just something that empires do.  

We also decided to drastically downplay the anime, wuxia, and magitech elements and emphasize the sword and sorcery aspects; this was more a matter of personal tastes than anything else.

And that's it.  I basically gutted Exalted for some terms and ideas and made my own setting from them.  I can't honestly call it Exalted anymore, but me and my players are having loads of fun with it, so I don't care.

One idea I had was to use 3.5/Pathfinder D&D with 15th level  Gestalt (http://www.d20srd.org/srd/variant/classes/gestaltCharacters.htm) Characters, some bodged rules for tomb raider/parkour/assassins creed type action and a base system that covers the bonuses given by magic items.

I figured if every normal person in the world capped at L6 and heroes at L8  it would feel like Exalted in play with absurd skills, amazing powers beyond the ken of mortals and so on.

It wouldn't be too hard to give the feel of Exalted player side  with the right make, take say a Shifter (from Ebberon) Gestalt him with War Blade (From Tome of Battle) and I dunno Druid or Witch or something and you'd have something that feels like a Lunar Exalted in play. An Abyssal could be I dunno a Tiefling Fighter/Dread Necromancer oer whatever

This set up would also have the advantage of ease of use and familiarity for most groups and a system more to my liking as I do not care for dice pools.

I don't know it it would be a "done right" version though but it would be easy to set up and play which improves things on the mechanical end and of course all that D20 crud is available for support

As an added bonus things that are broken in normal D&D are fine here since all the PC's are OP

 If memory serves I called it Exemplars but never went far with it as my players had no interest.  

Instead the concept got moved to  Inuyasha inspired GURPS game which while short was pretty fun.

Quote from: Marvelous_Metal_Man;842779And that's it.  I basically gutted Exalted for some terms and ideas and made my own setting from them.  I can't honestly call it Exalted anymore, but me and my players are having loads of fun with it, so I don't care.

Very interesting change and you've really maintained the mythic elements of the original in what seems more coherent and less, frankly crapsack, the "World of Darkness" with a bigger sfx bud.

Lords of Olympus?

D&D 4E

No, no, hear me out before the lynch mob.  I've done this before.  What's the primary complaint people have about 4E?  Okay, ignoring theory crap (dissociated mechanics, metagaming, whatever the fuck that all means), that it feels like "fantasy superheroes".  That's fairly legit.  No one is dying to a goblin with a rock in 4E.

And that's a GREAT tone for Exalted!  If your Exalted are dying to mooks, you're doing it wrong.  Plus it solves all the whining about "why can my fighter only do X once a fight?"  Hell, let them flare their anima to reuse a daily power, that's pretty fucking awesome.  

Limit the caster classes since exalted is heavily focused on physical combat (also because magic sucks donkey balls in Exalted) any you're practically set.  Start everyone at level 11, and bam, you're off.

Plus my fucking god was I tired of running an Exalted game.  It's sincerely a tiring affair.

4e? Get a rope.

Actually I'm with Kiero. The powerlevel of Exalted, as a conceit of the game, is essentially Supers. That's where it needs to scale down from. I've thought about FASERIP'ing Exalted... but I have way too many irons in the fire to even start.

MM3e (as said upthread) is a good idea too.

How is M&M 3E?  I've glanced over one of the editions (maybe 1E) and it was interesting, but nothing that novel.  And I was burned out on the D20 everything craze.

I'm considering using Hero System.

Quote from: Nexus;843898I'm considering using Hero System.

I think the biggest problem with using Hero System (or GURPS for that matter) would be that there are some absolute abilities in Exalted that Hero wouldn't handle elegantly.  You'd have to be wiling to accept that, say, "Perfect Defense" isn't perfect.

It's certainly not insurmountable but I think it's an issue that at least has to be considered.  Of course, it's not like this sort of thing doesn't rear its head in Champions at times either.

Quote from: Kiero;840452I think it's actually pretty easy: start with a functional supers system. Work out what you need from there.

Yeah. Sounds like your best bet.

I'd probably go with GURPS outta old habit allthough it's probably not the best suited for The job. Some heavily modified D&D/OSRgame could probably work too. Or HERO for that matter.

Quote from: ThatChrisGuy;843902I think the biggest problem with using Hero System (or GURPS for that matter) would be that there are some absolute abilities in Exalted that Hero wouldn't handle elegantly.  You'd have to be wiling to accept that, say, "Perfect Defense" isn't perfect.

It's certainly not insurmountable but I think it's an issue that at least has to be considered.  Of course, it's not like this sort of thing doesn't rear its head in Champions at times either.

Quite true.  Unfortunately it also ends up being hard to resolve in Exalted. ;)

Basically you need a mechanic to simulate that sort of absolutism while still giving competing characters means to either escalate or go around each other's absolutes.

So I actually agree with Pundit.  Use Lords of Olympus.  Or Amber, which is of course the same thing. :D

JG

Quote from: ThatChrisGuy;843902I think the biggest problem with using Hero System (or GURPS for that matter) would be that there are some absolute abilities in Exalted that Hero wouldn't handle elegantly.  You'd have to be wiling to accept that, say, "Perfect Defense" isn't perfect.

It's certainly not insurmountable but I think it's an issue that at least has to be considered.  Of course, it's not like this sort of thing doesn't rear its head in Champions at times either.

There's a much bigger conceptual problem with Perfect Defenses: the very idea is stupid. It's bad design to put in something whose entire purpose is negatory. It's not adding anything to the game, just shutting down options in a boring way.

Quote from: James Gillen;843916So I actually agree with Pundit.  Use Lords of Olympus.  Or Amber, which is of course the same thing. :D

JG

Close to the same thing. But in this case, LoO might be a better choice.  Exalted plays somewhat off the style of classical myth, and Lords of Olympus is closer to that style than Amber.  You could do it with either, but LoO is already slightly more inclined.

Quote from: The Ent;843908Yeah. Sounds like your best bet.

I'd probably go with GURPS outta old habit allthough it's probably not the best suited for The job. Some heavily modified D&D/OSRgame could probably work too. Or HERO for that matter.

Indeed.

Not that it will stop some rabid fanboy coming out of the woodwork to tell you in great detail why Exalted isn't supers.

Quote from: Marvelous_Metal_Man;842779*Snip several paragraphs of pure awesome*

I'm so borrowing your setting changes next time I run Exalted..

and most likely it'll be with 3e.

Quote from: AsenRG;844024Man, I've been looking for this post to reply to. Except I was wondering why it doesn't show in the Exalted with different systems thread:).

That said, I don't have the full information. I gave some ideas to the GM, but I'm a player. And so far I've not exalted, which might or might not have anything to do with me stating that I like it as a heroic mortal;).

Basically, the charms aren't used one-for-one. Instead, the different magic systems are used to simulate different Exalts. Solars, being masters of normal skills, are straight Mystics, I believe.
Excellencies work differently depending on the kind of Exalted you are, for Dragonblooded you just gain +10 per level of effect.

To quote myself from another thread;).

I've toyed with the idea of using super-high-level AD&D.  All player stats are 16+1d8, mods from Deities & Demigods apply (revulsion/awe power for charisma, strength's huge damage/to-hit bonuses, wisdom's save bonuses plus spell bonuses, the various at-will things you do as a deity, and so forth), but I think that would only really work for a low-power "exalted" like game.

I've played in a 4e/5e Hero System exalted game that ran for a good while that was loads of fun; 500 point characters, doing silly things.  Very few limits on what we could and could not do.

Quote from: ThatChrisGuy;843902I think the biggest problem with using Hero System (or GURPS for that matter) would be that there are some absolute abilities in Exalted that Hero wouldn't handle elegantly.  You'd have to be wiling to accept that, say, "Perfect Defense" isn't perfect.

It's certainly not insurmountable but I think it's an issue that at least has to be considered.  Of course, it's not like this sort of thing doesn't rear its head in Champions at times either.

That's a valid point but there are ways to simulate "perfection" in Hero System, especially with some of the tools introduced in 6 edition.

But I really feel that Perfect Defenses were an aspect of the game that skewed it badly in implementation and were mainly in place to help offset that innate lethality of Storyteller at almost any power level. I don't think they're nessecary to capture the feel of Exalted. At least the aspects of I and my group enjoy anymore than the exception based phone book of charms. Of course mileage varies allot about that.

Hero System has always been my go to for really cinematic to over the top campaigns so personal comfort is an issue here for me too. I fairly confident it'll work well.

Hmm....use 3rd edition Mutants and Masterminds...

Change the "Hero Point" economy. Rather than starting with only "1" Hero point, characters start with a few...and can earn them still all the same...perhaps even regenerating a certain amount every day...

Rename Hero Points "Essence Motes" (Maybe even create a new Trait called "Essence" an extra attribute that determines how many Hero Motes you can have total and start with)

Make characters as normal, but give less power points per level. Maybe only give 10 PP per level....so say your starting Solars are level 8, give them 80 PP to play with...

This will encourage more reliance on equipment, skills, and advantages rather than straight up powers... the extra Hero Points allow them to "Stunt" and manifest "Charms" when needed or give them that little extra push..

Have All Solars start with "Ultimate Effort" for free, and let them apply it to Toughness or Defense....when spending a Mote point to activate, it allows for a "Perfect Defense" against the attack type.