This is a crosspost from rpg.net, where (wonder of wonders) I'm not getting much in the way of a response.  I know Exalted's not too big here, but I'd rather pick ya'll's brains than to go to *shudder* White Wolf's forums, so...

I was invited to, of all things, a 1e game of Exalted.  I dusted off my old book and genned up a character, and now I'd like to put it up for a looksee and a make-over:

Chaun Feng "The Ghost Tiger"
Visionary Solar Exalted (Dawn Caste)
Init 7+Spd-Dmg, Senses 4 awareness
Anima A skull-faced tiger. Its eyes burn with the light of the sun and its head is wreathed in flame; Ability Terrifying visage. 10m to appear huge and terrifying. Mortal creatures must make Valor checks or subtract 2 dice from attack rolls.  Creatures that botch flee.
Languages Riverspeak
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Soak lethal 10, bash 10, agg 10; Dodge 6; Parry 14 Spine Scream, 7 fist, 2 kick
Health 1 bruised, 3 hurt, 4 wounded, 1 crippled, 1 incap.
Limit Break Berserk Anger (whenever the character is insulted, belittled, demeaned or deliberately frustrated)
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Speed 19 Spine Scream, 7 fist, 4 kick
Melee Spine Scream 13 Acc, +13L Dmg, 4 Rate or
fist 6 Acc, +4B Dmg, 5 rate or
kick 6 Acc, +7B Dmg, 3 rate
Ranged none
Combos Spiteful Ghost Stance (dipping swallow defense 2m, excellent strike 1m/die, hungry tiger technique 1m)
Combat Gear Spine Scream (orichalcum dire lance), orichalcum breastplate
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Attributes Str 4, Dex 3, Sta 4, Cha 3, Man 3, App 1, Per 3, Int 2, Wits 4
Charms graceful crane stance, lightning speed, spider-foot style, ox-body technique (one -1 HL and two -2 HLs), body-mending meditation, dipping swallow defense, excellent strike, golden essence block, hungry tiger technique, spirit-detecting glance
Abilities (archery) 1, (brawl) 2, (melee) 5, endurance 1, (resistance) 2, (lore) 2, medicine 2, (occult) 2, (athletics) 3, awareness 1, (dodge) 3, larceny 1, stealth 2; Specialties (melee): lance 2
Essence 2; personal 14; peripheral 34 (-7 committed = 27)
Willpower 8; compassion 2, conviction 4, temperance 2, valor 4
Backgrounds Artifact 3 (orichalcum dire lance "Spine Scream", orichalcum breastplate), Cult 2 (of the Ghost Tiger), Manse 2 (Solar; Temple of the Ghost Tiger)
Possessions Combat gear and gem of perfection (socketed: breastplate).
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Origin Chaun Feng was a resident of Shade Town for his entire, long, lifetime.  Shade Town was a small village that performed ancestor worship.  Chaun Feng became the village's elder and priest, and for three generations Shade Town was peaceful.

Then came the deathknight Walks in Silence, and Shade Town which was already a haven for necrotic energy was razed to the ground and its villagers put to slaughter to fuel the birth of a new shadowland.  Only Chaun Feng stood against Walks in Silence, armed with the gleaming weapons of the ancient mountain temple dedicated to the Ghost Tiger, protector of the dead.

The battle was legendary, and Walks in Silence was forced to flee back to his deathlord.  Shade Town was destroyed, however, and the remaining villagers began to worship Chaun Feng as the reincarnation of the Ghost Tiger.  Knowing his destiny no longer lay with his people, Chaun Feng led them to the safety of a nearby city and left to wander the earth and avenge the spirits of the dead from the desecration and enslavement of the Deathlords.
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Age 131, gender male, height 4'11", weight 133 lbs., build heavily muscled, eyes gray, hair bald, skin chocolate
Home Town Shade Town
Quote "Vengeance for the thousand ghosts and the weeping ancestors!"
Demeanor Inscrutable and often inappropriate and lewd.
Dress Chaun Feng dresses in a tattered mockery of an Immaculate funerary ceremonial robe, and wears a necklace of human skulls.  His gleaming orichalcum direlance, "Spine Scream" is a gruesome totem pole with carved effigies of howling hollow-eyed faces.  He wears a large coolie hat to hide his face, and he keeps his muscular physique and orichalcum breastplate hidden beneath the robes, hunching over to present an enfeebled outward appearance.
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Spiteful Ghost Stance (dipping swallow defense 2m, excellent strike 1m/die, hungry tiger technique 1m) Weaving his weapon about him in a complex motion, ghostly trails weave about the Chosen's form, protecting him from attack.  When he strikes, his body moves in several directions at once as if shadows of his soul were fighting his enemies.

I like it. The Little Old Man You Do Not Want to Fuck With is usually relegated to npc status, and makes an interesting alternative to the 8-feet tall muscle gods and 14-year old Lolita's that seem to populate most games Dawn Caste. It's a nice twist having him steeped in the trappings of death whilst remaining an implacable foe of the Deathlords, I can easily see him getting involved in the politics of Sijan at a later date.  

I tend to think more in 2e terms these days, but the mechanics of the build seem solid enough. I'd probably lower his Willpower a little and juggle a few other stats to buy One Weapon, Two Blows. The character concept is well suited to a multi-attack approach, and a version of Spiteful Ghost Stance that included Iron Whorlwind would be hideously effective.

The willpower comes exclusively from virtue purchases (two 4 dot virtues).  I agree about the multi-attack idea, but I may just have to swallow it and build a new combo with experience points if the storyteller doesn't allow me to update Spiteful Ghost Stance.

Also it seems that I made a mistake in transcribing the character from EdExalted:  I don't think the game's using power combat, but the weapon stats include rate and stuff, so it's probably all wrong.

Quote from: RedFoxThe willpower comes exclusively from virtue purchases (two 4 dot virtues).  I agree about the multi-attack idea, but I may just have to swallow it and build a new combo with experience points if the storyteller doesn't allow me to update Spiteful Ghost Stance.

Gah, I missed the virtues on my first read through.

Thinking about it a little, it may be more appropriate to have Solar Counterattack added to the combo at some point. He seems to be the kind of bloke who would bring swift retribution to those whom deal out death indiscriminately.

Looks good for a starting character. Good concept too. The one thing you might want to change is the "Cult" background. It doesn't quite match with the idea of a solitary wanderer, especially if he doesn't return to harvest the essence periodically. I'd put the points into either more artifacts, or maybe a reasonably powerful spirit ally?

Quote from: PseudoephedrineLooks good for a starting character. Good concept too. The one thing you might want to change is the "Cult" background. It doesn't quite match with the idea of a solitary wanderer, especially if he doesn't return to harvest the essence periodically. I'd put the points into either more artifacts, or maybe a reasonably powerful spirit ally?

From what I recall, Cult doesn't require "harvesting" of Essence or any sort of maintenance.  So long as you have worshipers out there, somewhere, it functions.

I was basically looking for a "his legend spreads across the land" kind of background and that was the best I could find.

Anywho...

On RPG.net someone said I should roll a dot each of Str and Sta into Dex to max it out as super important, and I should ditch Archery and Brawl and get Martial Arts instead.

Is that really all that important do ya'll think?

Nah, you're probably ok. Really cool character, btw.

Quote from: RedFoxFrom what I recall, Cult doesn't require "harvesting" of Essence or any sort of maintenance.  So long as you have worshipers out there, somewhere, it functions.

I was basically looking for a "his legend spreads across the land" kind of background and that was the best I could find.

Anywho...

On RPG.net someone said I should roll a dot each of Str and Sta into Dex to max it out as super important, and I should ditch Archery and Brawl and get Martial Arts instead.

Is that really all that important do ya'll think?

Only if you value optimization over concept.

I think the character is strong enough as is. Any area you feel is lacking can easily be bumped up via the Solar's acclerated xp progession, anyway.

Okay, thanks a lot guys.  If this game ever gets going I guess I'm ready.  

If you're really worried about it, Solar Melee is where it's at, I'm told.