Quote from: fonkaygarryI still can't tell you what a Yozi is.

I'm not the expert here, but I think a Yozi is the dead portion of the primordials (the live portions are trapped and become the Malfeans...), that reside in the underworld and wish for oblivion...


but don't quote me on that.

Well, the vastness of the setting can be somewhat perplexing, but no-one is expecting you to know it all. Much like you don't need to know the entire history of the US to do a campaign set in the modern world. Most of the stuff can be added on a need-to-know basis. If you are adventuring in the south, you really shouldn't know everything about the funeral customs of Sijan, as Sijan is farther away than the moon is from where you're sitting now (and this is less hyperbole than it may sound).
It is more presented to make you get ideas and a sense of the culture of a certain place, rather than a list of stuff every Creationer nows. If you are just recently exalted in Gem, all you should know about Sijan is that it is rumored to be a vast cemetary, all you know about the West is that there's nothing but water until the Elemental Pole, and all you know about the north is that it is damn cold up there. If your players decide to go there, you can fill them in on the blanks as they go.

Probably the only state everybody knows about is the Realm, but even then for most it is just the big neighbour that occasionally demands tribute and is the place where most Dragon-blooded come from.

Oh, and a Yozi is a Primordial, one of the creatures that created the world but was overthrown by the Exalted. They are currently the demon lords. But even that is more than your average creationer knows. Only experienced demonologists could tell the difference between a second- or a third-circle demon, so only they would need to know such stuff. All a non-demonologist must know is that they better run away, before the demon notices them.

1st edition was actually worse in its terminology, with e.g. the Malfeans, who, naturally enough, had nothing to do with Malfeas

Quote from: SpikeI'm not the expert here, but I think a Yozi is the dead portion of the primordials (the live portions are trapped and become the Malfeans...), that reside in the underworld and wish for oblivion...


but don't quote me on that.

And... QUOTE

Actually, the Yozis are the Primordials that survived. The Neverborn are the ones that died (even though in Creation if a Primordial dies, the standard procedure is: "That is not dead that can eternally lie...")

The Yozis are what remains of a Primordial when its fetich soul is slain, forcing it to reform its very nature. They are, however, very much not dead.

Quote from: ThranduilWell, the vastness of the setting can be somewhat perplexing...

Well hot damn!  All this positive talk makes me want to dust off my splats and write up a campaign.

Thanks, dude.

Quote from: fonkaygarryWell hot damn!  All this positive talk makes me want to dust off my splats and write up a campaign.

Thanks, dude.

No problem!
Now we just need to add an [EXALTED+] tag to this post, and then this place will be truly like RPG.net. After which I crawl back to my masters, the evil mods of that dark and purple place, and tell them that my unholy mission is fulfilled...
Seriously, I like to be positive about Exalted. The main problem is that it is a system that polarises. RPG.net is full of the positivists, while this site is barren of all things Exalted (or all things White Wolf in general).

But, the actual reason I am posting (yet again) is to point out that not everything is necessarily perfect. The setting is one of the coolest and most well-thought-out around, yes, but the mechanics can sometimes be a bit overwhelming and just overly detailed. I honestly don't see the point of having those super-detailed rules on wounding and disease and knockback, as the book then continues to point out that the Exalted are basically just not affected by all of those. I would have liked it much better if they would have used those pages to give combat examples, or explain how dual-wielding works exactly.

Also, creating combos is highly recommended for combat, but the rules for those can be really confusing at first. And I have a love-hate relationship with perfect defences.

So, what I'm trying to say is that the system has its issues. It is IMO good at what it tries to do, and it works, but you'll need houseruling somewhat, just as with any system. Kasumi's Combat 201 example is great, but he is really using all possible rules, which is definately not how I run it, and not how I would recommend it to anyone.

I tried to add the tag, but I can't edit the title of the OP, only the text.

Something to point out, the reason my Actual Play takes so long to write in general, is that it's not just a recount of what happened. The part of the project I'm interested in is to detail how the rules influence what we do, and how I feel about them. So, if you check it out, you'll generally see things like how the math breaks down, where I get confused, and how I feel about the results.

While it's a setting well-suited for epic storytelling and really interesting setting, I just don't think that's how it's going to go here. I really think that this game is pretty much a general fantasy game with big protagonists. As such, stuff like Yozi's, seperate reality-warping universes, and Byznatine politics are probably going to be left out. Also, at the power-level we're playing at, it really wouldn't be all that hard to kill us. We're pretty tough, but not that tough.

I mean, starting out playing a sorcerer, I don't really have any magic but I still had to buy the charm, the abilities, et al. My damage is coming from punching people, which just isn't that amazing.

I think that the Exalted setting, to use another rpg.netism, makes toast and then rocks on it.

The core book setting, where it's vast and full of possibility but also sticks to a kind of mythic truth.

The system makes baby Balbinus cry, but the setting as presented in the 1e core book I absolutely loved.

Exalted is one of the few White Wolf games that isn't ashamed of or afraid to wield power, openly encourages the acquisition and use of it, and builds its rules to reward players for doing so.  It's also reflected in the setting, as PCs are increasingly powerful (in raw ability and in specific capabilities, including gear) as they earn and spend XP.  In few other games is it so openly acknowledged that power is biased towards its own use, and thus favors those that will do so over those that don't- regardless of the user's morality.

Quote from: ThranduilAnd... QUOTE

Actually, the Yozis are the Primordials that survived. The Neverborn are the ones that died (even though in Creation if a Primordial dies, the standard procedure is: "That is not dead that can eternally lie...")

The Yozis are what remains of a Primordial when its fetich soul is slain, forcing it to reform its very nature. They are, however, very much not dead.

Yar, I was thinking when I looked this thread back up that I might have gotten it backwards. The Malfeans are the dead ones in the underworld, the Yozi's the demons (the primoridials that lived to be banished)...

In theory, I could suggest that the malfeans are the dead portion of the Yozi's, the Fetich (why, or why, couldn't they say Fetch or fetish, why the hybrid term? ugh) that was slain.

The more I read the Exalted books the less I want to play, the more I read the threads the MORE I want to play. Damn white wolf and their crappy system stretched past the breaking point!

Cue Kirk screaming 'Khan!' into the screen in extreme close up!

second edition rules are MUCH better, they only tend to fall apart when opponents go on the same tick (it's awesome when allies go on the same tick, doing magical super-sayin combo attacks, like say surfing on a Flying Gulliotine).


Also, avoid social-combat...it's not very good.

I don't know if they're really a lot better, since I've only played 1st Ed. The rules have been quite serviceable and I've not had any problems except getting my head around the charm trees, splitting actions, and essence tracking.

I do understand that they're quite different though. I hope I get a chance to look at the new(er) edition in the future to compare.

I've said it before; decent setting, ridiculously and unnecessarily complicated system.  Why does a supernaturally fast kung-fu fight take an hour and a half to resolve?

Quote from: CessnaI've said it before; decent setting, ridiculously and unnecessarily complicated system.  Why does a supernaturally fast kung-fu fight take an hour and a half to resolve?

Because rolling buckets of dice is awesome

Y'know, it's not even the 'hour and a half to resolve' that gets to me re:exalted.  I've run and played in fights that felt damn dynamic and fast only to realize after just how much time we'd actually spent.

No, it's the damn charm structure. This charm is necessary, that charm is pointless....   IF we are talking about 'kung fu' style combat, then why do all 'weapon weilders' have the same selection of 'abilities'?  There is no 'he whups out his 'horse kicks the knee' technique he just learned from his master to counter the previously unstoppable 'Eagle claw rends the eye' attack from the big bad. And Horse kicks the Knee proves less than optimal against 'Frying eggs in Goose Fat' from the kung fu cook over there.  

A spear guy fights like a sword guy fights like a dagger guy fights like the dude with a tree he ripped out of the ground and uses like a bat....

The four perfect defenses are the ultimate 'if you don't have it you die by your second ever fight' techniques.

Bah.