Exalted

by Christopher Moeller, Geoffrey C. Grabowski, Emilia Hart

Youve Heard the Rumors Before the Impergium before the Mythic Ages before the Sundering before there was a World of Darkness there was something else. And now it is revealed, at last. Come adventure... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Hardcover
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1565046234
• ISBN13: 9781565046238
• Release Date: August 2001
• Publisher: White Wolf Publishing
• Length: 304 Pages
• Weight: 2.95 lbs.
• Dimensions: 0.9" x 8.7" x 11.1"

Customer Reviews

Fantasy Roleplaying With a Wuxia Twist

I love RPGs. I'll take them anyway I can get them. Pen-and-paper or computer. Single player or MMORPG. Live action or table-top. You name it, I've probably played it at least once. Where fantasy table-top pen-and-paper RPGs is concerned, D & D used to be it. But what always killed me about the game was how small and insignificant your character was at 1st level and how long it took to get him to a level where he could really be heroic. Those days are gone. Exalted leaves behind the Tolkien inspired fantasy of D & D and it's various clones in favor of a world based on classic epics and wuxia martial arts films. Throw in demigod-like heroes with powers similiar in form and function to those found in most action-adventure anime shows, and you have a game that's original and fulfills many players' desires to play very powerful characters from the beginning. And what powers they are. In Exalted, players take on the roles of humans who have been granted incredible power by the Gods. These beings are called Exalted and they are stronger, faster, and thanks to their status as living near-gods, they can accomplish feats and miracles beyond anything a mere mortal could ever dream possible. With these powers, the Exalted are expected to go forth and be the Gods' army against those who would destroy Creation, namely the Yozi and their demonic hoardes. There's also the problem of the Fair Folk, chaotic beings from beyond Creation who want to digest the Essence of all things living. And then there's the Deathlords of the Underworld and their champions, the Abyssals. Unfortunately, things seldom go the way they're planned. In Exalted, the Gods are falable beings given to pursuing their own, very human, lusts and desires with as much vim and verve as Zeus, Ares, Aphrodite, or any Greek God. And their champions are no different. The rules present you with great choices for your character. At character creation, you have the opportunity to give your Solar Warrior of Virtuous Zeal a staggering array of high-level skills and abilities right off the bat. Combine this with an array of Charms - special mystical abilities inherit to the Exalted, that double his already high stats - and spells that can literally shake the foundations of Creation itself and you have a powergamer's wet dream made real. And the rules encourage this. As much as the setting is grand in scope and scale, filled with characters of long and flowery titles, the rules are just as epic. A few dice aren't enough to determine Fate's favor for our heroes. Oh no. You must roll scores of dice. Using a system similiar to the one used in the World of Darkness games, players roll a number of 10 sided dice equal to their ratings in the pertinent abilities. Success or failure is determined by the number of dice that score 7 or better. Some actions require more successes than others, according to conditions, tools used, and the situation. As you can see, combat is serious and comp

Inspired, fluid, artful... definitely outdoes D & D!

I am a gamer of about 12 years, and in even my jaded opinion, Exalted is something to get excited about. The world created by the authors is nothing short of fascinating, the dice system is an old favorite of mine (though tweaked from games like Vampire to be more heroic), and the Charms are an inspired method of magic. Combat, if done correctly, is very smooth and dynamic, unlike the unwieldy systems of other games.The only flaws are the "extra dice for stunts" rule (and even that is only applicable with immature players), and the severe lack of sorcery spells in this book. I'm going to pay the extra $30 to buy the sorcery supplement "Book of Three Circles," but a few more spells in the core book would be nice.How great is this game? Well, suffice to say that I haven't bought anything but Exalted supplements and food for the past couple months. It's addictive!

Surprisingly Refreshing

This book is a story and an entire playing system in one. It is a refreshing break from the Dungeons & Dragons style of fantasy that seems to have a chokehold on the fantasy market as of late. The world is both creative and detailed while still leaving enough room for a story teller (A.K.A. game master/dungeon master/etc..) to create a world bent towards his/her style of game play. The system is similar to other white wolf products but has a larger than life feel to it. Abilities of characters within the game are extremely flexible allowing a player to create almost any type of character he/she can imagine. I highly recommend this book and the game system in general to those looking for a way to get away from the normal mainstream fantasy systems currently available.

Most Interesting

One part Anime, One Part Dungeons and Dragons, and a dash of X-Men, and you've got your average Solar Exalted.This game has a lot of potential, and White Wolf is cranking out quality supplements for it, building upon every aspect of the main book. Definately worth a look-over by any gamer!

World of Light...it is about time...

It is about time. White Wolf finally produced a system for all of those of us who prefer there to be some chance that the heroic characters can actually make a difference. And they managed to do so without being fluffy! There are still vast challenges and dramatic evils. But now there is hope!Other reviewers have questioned whether Exalted will even appeal to hard-core WoD players. My answer is: yes! Sure, there is hope in Exalted, unlike the doom-n-gloom of the typical WW game. But a storyteller who just can't let go of his angst can always play up the dread empire of the Dragon-Blooded, and still gain the benefit of a fresh new genre.Paul G. says it took flak for being the ancient history of the WoD; myself, I think that is yet another strength of Exalted. If you've ever enjoyed pondering the mystic connections between the genres of the WoD (as I have), you'll find no end to pondering the links and implications of Exalted. My favorite is this: Where are the Solars in the WoD?[The answer I'd like to see for 'where are the Solars': Aberrant was a figment of your imagination...what will really happen in the future of the WoD is that at the Apocalypse/Gehenna/LongWinter/etc, the Solars will return again and bring some light back to the WoD, setting the struggle into a still-hard-but-not-hopeless situation. Maybe WW can learn from their Exalted and find a way for some of the light to leak into the WoD?]Of course, aside from all that, Exalted stands well even if you haven't played a WoD game before.