All Creation

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This is an (eventually) Creation-spanning campaign that will consist of multiple STs running chronicles in tandem. They will be high-powered, epic, and world-shaking.

The current ST's are Muse and myself (Xeriar), but any player familiar with the rules can run a Chronicle.

Chronicle

A Chronicle is a given ST's main storyline, consisting of their overall metaplot for a specific region. Others can run their own adventures in the region, of course, but these need to fit within the overall main story. Crossover between Chronicles is possible, but it will be rare - they will usually influence each other through intermediaries - news spreading, and so on.

Weeks

Chronicles are broken down by weeks. First of Ascending Fire, Second of Ascending Fire, and so on. Calibration occurs after the Fourth week of Descending Fire, making 61 'Weeks' per year.

During a given Week (besides the introductory ones, of course), players of a given Chronicle will declare their main character's goals. Rather than continuous sessions with strict GM involvement, these will largely be roleplaying exercises with challenges that may even be player-run. The benefits of these will be commensurate with the character's capabilities, and challenges posed. Going artifact-hunting in the safer areas of Rathess may reward a minor artifact, for example, and what gets considered 'safer' will expand with the player's capabilities.

For the above reasons, the players are expected to be creative, and willing to develop and document parts of the setting as well. Rather than force the poor storyteller to come up with every last detail of a given week, players instead roleplay out specific scenes with each other in order to show their progress.

This doesn't have to be with the Storyteller, but instead can be with NPCs or PCs other players have created. Any respectable amount (at least 30 sentences per player / 30 minutes) of roleplay at all gives the base value of one xp going towards background dots for that week for the participating players' main characters, with more according to the following table:

  • Sentences Per Player or Minutes: Reward
  • 30: 1 background-only xp
  • 60: 2 background-only xp
  • 90: 3 background-only xp
  • 120: 1 xp + 1 background-only xp
  • 150: 1 xp + 2 background-only xp
  • 180: 1 xp + 3 background-only xp

These will be eyeballed, roughly, I'm not too concerned about trusted players cheating on this since it's invitation only. In the case of spell research, background xp points can go towards the cost of the spell. This is the only form of training that permits this sort of development, however.

  • Major characters in a chronicle have an xp total equal to half their player's main character, provided they are played somewhat regularly.
  • Backgrounds over three dots require ST approval, as do all manses / demesnes and anything else that has a spot on the map.
  • Backgrounds above five are exceptionally rare, and require six points per dot instead of three. They will need to be considered individually.

Events

Events occur when players or the Storyteller decide to shake up the chronicle a bit. They take the place of normal weekly training, searching, and development, and are much more like traditional gaming sessions. These will ideally be scheduled to complete in a given day.

Character Creation

Merits and Flaws

Merits and Flaws are allowed within reason, with appropriate changes and restrictions:

  • Merits and Flaws that force the ST's hand are banned
  • Merits and Flaws with 1e-specific mechanics need updating
  • Some Merits and Flaws require clarification.
  • Banned Merits:
    • Destiny is not permitted.
    • Legendary Artifact is banned. Not that they won't come into play, but such things need to be agreed upon by all Storytellers.
  • Banned Flaws (Major and Main characters only):
    • Dark Fate - banned for all
    • Dying

Flaws are 'public' knowledge, so that other players who end up running adventures may react to them normally.

  • Clarified / Changed Merits
    • Driving Passion applies to your motivation (Duh) - making it stronger.
    • Eternal Vow needs to be worked out with another Player.
    • Jack of All Trades is already possessed by all Exalted, and they have no need to take it. Non-Exalted must take this merit in order to avoid the -2 die penalty for untrained abilities.
    • Mutations use the new Wyld Mutations as their base, naturally. Some of these will not be permitted.
    • True Paragon has nothing to do with the Paragon Nature, since they don't exist any longer.

Backgrounds

Backgrounds (see link for the Lieutenant background especially) from the Player's Guide on may be purchased when allowed, with the exception of Inheritance and Experienced.

Minor Characters

Players may make additional characters as Henchmen (heroic mortals), Retainers (normal mortals), or Followers (normal mortal extras). These may be allied with their main or major characters with the appropriate background, or simply built as general antagonists or scenery.

Such characters are expected to be treated appropriately. Those not allied with a main or major character should act that way.

Major Characters

The Lieutenant Backgrounds describes what qualifies as 'major' characters, who actually utilize experience points. Those not allied with a main character are expected to be played appropriately. Players are expected to diversify their free major characters in a chronicle appropriately.

4 and 5 dot characters ought to be unique individuals. Players are not to control more than one of a given type per Chronicle, and no more than five ●●●●● characters that their main characters do not have as lieutenants.

Major character purchases and developments must be approved like any other. They are expected to be played.

  • Major characters get 5 xp for a background and description (don't need to be long).
  • Major character information is public.

Main Characters

Players are initially permitted one Main Character (a Celestial Exalted) per Chronicle. Solar PCs will begin as heroic mortals, and undergo a Celestial Exaltation during their first Event. No two main characters of a player may share a caste, nor may two PC characters within a Chronicle. Diversify!

Essence may only be raised once (to four) at character Creation. Characters may not begin with Sidereal Martial Arts.

  • 5 bp will be awarded for a background leading up to the character's appropriate position in the Chronicle.
  • 5 bp will be awarded for a character and anima description.

Solars

  • Begin with 30 ability dots, instead of 28
  • May select one Favored Attribute (Costing 1 less bonus point or experience point to raise per rank, as Lunars)
  • Begin with 5 background dots, instead of 7
  • Begin with a twenty (20) Charms instead of 10, ten of which must be Favored, Caste, or Calling (see below)
  • Begin with an Essence of three (3) instead of two
  • Begin with 25 bonus points, instead of 15

In addition, Solars begin with a Calling. Calling Abilities function much like Caste or Favored Abilities - the cost of their respective Charms are reduced by 1 bonus point or 2 experience points, specialties for Calling Abilities are 1 point per 2, and the abilities themselves cost one point per dot to raise, and cost one less xp point when raising. This stacks with the cost-reductions of favored and caste abilities (3bp or 6 xp for Charms, etc). In the case of ability dots and specialties, ability dots are bought 2 for 1 (one bonus point buys 2 ability dots), and specialties are 1 bp for 4 specialties, and such specialties can be raised to +4 for such powerful abilities. (Note: These rules are slightly different than the Cult ones - I'm importing them to encourage diverse Charm purchasing).

Feel free to make your own calling, the following are some examples:

  • Exemplar: Martial Arts, Resistance, Lore, Medicine, and Integrity
  • Inquisitor: Martial Arts, Awareness, Bureaucracy, Investigation, and Larceny
  • Itinerant: Martial Arts, Linguistics, Occult, Presence, and Survival
  • Architect: Melee, Bureaucracy, Craft, Lore, and Socialize
  • Deacon: Melee, Larceny, Ride, Stealth and Survival
  • Paladin: Melee, War, Resistance, Performance and Presence
  • Champion: Archery, Athletics, Dodge, Ride and War
  • Prelate: Archery, Linguistics, Medicine, Occult and Performance
  • Justiciar: Archery, Awareness, Integrity, Investigation and Stealth

Lunars

  • Begin with 28 ability dots, instead of 25
  • Begin with five (5) favored abilities, instead of two (including survival).
  • Begin with 10 background dots, instead of 7
  • Begin with a fourteen (14) Charms or Knacks instead of 8, seven of which must be Favored, Caste, or Knacks
  • Begin with an Essence of three (3) instead of two
  • Begin with 25 bonus points, instead of 15

House Rules

I'm trying to keep this list short. What follows are the best and most important ones I've come up with.

  • Celestials are considered to have all Reflexive Charms with the Combo-OK keyword in each of their combos, for free.
    • This means they also begin with a 'free' combo, where they can spend a willpower to make use of any and all Combo-OK Reflexives known, provided they have only used another Combo-OK Reflexive Charm during their action. This 'combo' is updated as more such Charms are purchased, and the result is similar to the free reflexives Dragon-Blooded get, but is more limited.
    • This means (Ability) Essence Flow doesn't exist. See Excellencies for a list of additional excellencies, and (slight) house rules for them.
  • Characters have incapacitated health levels equal to their Essence.
  • Extras use my Fast Extras rules.
  • Fulfilling a sufficiently epic Motivation will allow a main character to raise their Essence above 5.
  • Celestial Exalted pay one less bp and two less xp for Charms.


  • Sorcery and Necromancy require mastery of thaumaturgy to learn properly.
    • The Knowledge background may be purchased by major and main characters to fill this need. Players who don't want to mess with the old PG rules can simply buy up the background equal to the required Occult rating and assume they know enough.
    • Rather than purchasing specialties for an Art, they can be 'mastered' for 7 bp / 12 xp (requires purchasing the Art first). This gives 3 dice, replacing the original 2, but cannot be taken with specialties.
    • Exalted (only) get a 2 bp discount on purchasing all arts and sciences with the knowledge background, and a 2 xp discount otherwise.
    • Favoring Occult -and- Lore gives a 2 bp discount / 2 xp discount that stacks with the above, and works on Rituals.
  • Mass Combat rules will change.