Ars Exaltavi

Introduction

This is the page for an Exalted campaign I was... talked... into doing. As the name suggests, I'm borrowing (stealing) an idea from Ars Magica - namely, group construction. Players will design a domain, and, in many ways, determine the setting. Like Mandate of Heaven, but with less... well I'll keep my opinions about the Mandate of Heaven and Mass Combat rules to myself. The game will be played on OpenRPG. That is not negotiable, sorry.

It works like so - each person who creates a Celestial for the campaign (currently, only Solars) begins with no backgrounds. Instead, they get a number of Construction Points to spend on their domain, which includes things like armories, veins of magical materials, contacts, allies, underlings, peoples... you get the idea. Heck, nothing says the domain has to be a piece of land - it can be a wandering army, a skyship, etc.

Characters bring fifteen (15) Construction Points to the table. They may purchase up to ten (10) more, at a cost of two bonus points each. Since I am looking for a perfect circle to start, that implies a minimum of 75 points to spend. See Ars Exaltavi Domain Creation for the rules.

Character Creation

The players' 'main' characters will be more experienced than normal - or at least, otherwise more talented.

• Attributes: Begin at 2 instead of 1. 7/4/4
• Abilities: Five at 4 (must be favored or caste), Five at 3, Five at 2, Five at 1, Five at 0 (may not be favored or caste).
• Virtues: Primary virtue begins at three, remaining virtues begin at two.
• Willpower: Begins at seven - raising virtues does not raise willpower
• Essence: Begins at three
• Backgrounds: None. See above and below
• Charms: Begin with twenty. Every caste and favored ability must have at least one.
• Bonus Points: Begin with 25

• • Physical Merits Allowed: Selective Conception, Ambidextrous (1 pt version only), Large Size, Small Size (2 pt Merit, as Flaw but no strength penalty and +1 to DV), Legendary Attribute (May raise score to twice permanent Essence), Special Sense, Mutation
  • Mental Merits Allowed: Internal Compass, Eidetic Recall, Prodigy
  • Social Merits Allowed: Innocuous
  • Property Merits Allowed: None
  • Supernatural Merits Allowed: Alternative Divination, Priest, Lucky, Taint's Warning

• Flaws: Small and Greater Curse may be taken without explicit permission. You may ask for one other flaw, but social and property flaws are banned outright. There will be a limit of 5 points without good reason.
• No, you may not begin with Sidereal Martial Arts or Solar Circle Sorcery.
• If you take Legendary Attribute, you may not raise an attribute higher than six at character creation.

House Rules

• The Mandate of Heaven and Mass Combat rules are not going to be used. At all. I have rough drafts of my own, based off my Exalted Lite work, and they will be used when needed.
• Characters have a number of Incapacitated health levels equal to their permanent Essence.
• Reflexive Charms may be added to combos after the combo has been purchased.
• Craft is one skill, period.
• Obviously, Backgrounds are completely different.
• Raising Essence to 6 or higher does not take a century or more for PCs (though it still can't be done at character creation and will definitely requires something special).
• Complex devices like warstriders and skyships are considered to be multiple artifacts, working together. A common warstrider usually requires an armory or similar multi-artifact background (of the kind Terrestrials of Lookshy and the Realm get) at ●●●●● to purchase, while more complex items require an even heavier investment. I do have a rather comprehensive set of rules for this but I will leave it generic unless required.

• I tend to up the power of Celestial and Solar Circle Sorcery, as well as Labyrinth and Void Circle Necromancy.
  • Secondary circles (Celestial, God-Machine, Labyrinth...) always require Essence 5, and I am fairly liberal about interpreting spell effects, and will allow players to tweak spell effects that seem weak. In addition, there is no such thing as Sapphire Unweaving Rune (not that it makes any difference with any canon spell).
  • Third Circle magic requires Essence 7. Few spells act as weakly as described - they are each mighty, nation-shaking powers.