A little break from the depression
Guess what finally came out? Scroll of Exalts!
After months of confusion and delays, White Wolf's much awaited Exalted supplement, Scroll of Exalts, finally arrived at gaming stores across the country. As one of those whose pre-order has been sitting uselessly in a file for multiple rolled-back release dates, I was understandably excited. Scroll of Exalts, much like the Roll of Divinities before it, details backstories and stat blocks for Exalted NPC characters from around the setting that hadn't been fleshed out before. Need a Dragon-Blooded politician to throw at your Solars? An Anathema for your Wyld Hunt to track down? Just curious about why Risa is so loyal to Dace or what Ma-Ha-Suchi's charms are? This is the book you need.
While, like all other Exalted books, the art quality varies from page to page, there are no truly awful illustrations (though sometimes the artist's interpretation of a character makes you wonder) and some of the pictures are pretty outstanding (take a look at Crimson Banner Executioner). As to the textual content, much of it is more or less what you'd expect, but some of it seems to contradict earlier canonical sources, possibly in the interests of making the signature characters starting level (I haven't sat down with character sheets to see if I'm right, but it's my working theory). In my opinion, the problems are more than outweighed by having stat guidelines that any Storyteller can change if he or she wants anyway and, more importantly, backstories to base those stat changes off of.
On the whole, if you want to run a campaign set in the rich Exalted world, you'll want a good handle on the NPCs that make Creation what it is and provide lively and interesting enemies and allies for your players. And yes, Chejop Kejak's essence is exactly what you think it is.
- Chejop Kejak = Essence 10. Raise your hand if you're surprised. No one? Good. Also he's shirtless in his picture. He's one fit old guy.
- The Coming Next box has the Return of the Scarlet Empress!
- I like all the comics in this book. They're great for characterization in their own right.
- Dace has had Adventures. I want to know about them. For a character that gets no love from the canon, he's sure interesting. Also "A Day as Dark As Night" seems to still be canon.
- The Exalt with No Name still has no name. And no actual backstory, just some urban legends. This is how it should be.
- Boring Panther is still boring.
- Arianna's picture isn't very good, but she is just as haughty as she should be. And Swan is her sidekick. Heh.
- Elias Tremalion looks like an ugly woman. I'm going to continue to imagine him as James Bond.
- Faka Kun: Nope, still hate you.
- Swan still makes me d'aww. And now he has stats and a backstory and everything! I did expect his Int and Wits to be higher though. Seems like something important for a diplomat...
- Lilith...has no arms? And also a hilarious motivation. And predictably terrifying stats. That hug could have killed me.
- Ma-Ha-Suchi, you poor bastard.
- The artist who drew Anja Silverclaws is hereby prohibited from ever drawing female characters ever again. Especially if they have cat parts.
- Why does Madame Vert have breasts and hair? She's a lizard!
- Nothing surprising about Ayesha Ura, but I still like her. Not as much as Tammiz Ushun, though.
- Shepherd of the North Star has a terrible picture, but I love his backstory and personality. He's so plucky! But suddenly he doesn't know Quicksilver Hand of Dreams or sorcery? What happened? On the other hand, Celestial Monkey Style and Best Friend's Couch are perfectly in character.
- Wondering how to perfectly sum up why Iron Siaka is Serenity? "For her, though, beating the crap out of her enemeies is a deeply visceral pleasure"
- Crimson Banner Executioner actually has a personality now!
- Back to Chejop Kejak...he actually ordered the hit against Tammiz. That's just not right.
- Yep, May Blossom's a bitch.
- Black Ice Shadow isn't a bad guy! And he's secretly adorable! And is Compassion primary! And he doesn't know Charcoal March of Spiders anymore?
- Is Nazri really Endings? I thought he was Battles?
- Tepet Arada: still cooler than you. And the plot thickens.
- Mnemon is much more noble than I thought. And there's no mention of her leeching power from Gaia to survive, so I guess it's just the Gem of Immortality. I think I liked her better as a bad guy, but I guess since the Empress is coming back, they couldn't make them so similar.
- Ragara Myrrun still knows Violet Bier, which is just wrong, but other than that, he's not all that bad ass. The sidebar even says to kill him.
- Wait, since when is Karal "Karl" Linwei a girl?? Did we all just miss that the whole time? And why did the artist decided to make her look like Yuffie from FFVII? Not exactly how I would have imagined the battle-hardened leader of the Seventh Legion...
- I still like Risa. That's all, really.
- There's not really anything new about Tepet Ejava, but her mother was apparently awesome.
- Disciple of the Seven Forbidden Wisdom's previous incarnation got a sex change. WTD*?
- Typhon's still a little bitch, but there's no mention of his being the Mask's butt-boy. There is, however, mention of his "pouty and eminently kissable" lips, so I guess it's just a given.
- Oh, Captain Gyrfalcon, why are you playing 7th Sea?
- Excessively Righteous Blossom is just as much of a prick as you think he is.
- Six Alchemical castes?
- Yes, there are more people in this book than I mentioned. I just put the ones I wanted to talk about.
*this is my new internet abbreviation. It stands for "What The Deuce?" Go forth and spread its usage!
After months of confusion and delays, White Wolf's much awaited Exalted supplement, Scroll of Exalts, finally arrived at gaming stores across the country. As one of those whose pre-order has been sitting uselessly in a file for multiple rolled-back release dates, I was understandably excited. Scroll of Exalts, much like the Roll of Divinities before it, details backstories and stat blocks for Exalted NPC characters from around the setting that hadn't been fleshed out before. Need a Dragon-Blooded politician to throw at your Solars? An Anathema for your Wyld Hunt to track down? Just curious about why Risa is so loyal to Dace or what Ma-Ha-Suchi's charms are? This is the book you need.
While, like all other Exalted books, the art quality varies from page to page, there are no truly awful illustrations (though sometimes the artist's interpretation of a character makes you wonder) and some of the pictures are pretty outstanding (take a look at Crimson Banner Executioner). As to the textual content, much of it is more or less what you'd expect, but some of it seems to contradict earlier canonical sources, possibly in the interests of making the signature characters starting level (I haven't sat down with character sheets to see if I'm right, but it's my working theory). In my opinion, the problems are more than outweighed by having stat guidelines that any Storyteller can change if he or she wants anyway and, more importantly, backstories to base those stat changes off of.
On the whole, if you want to run a campaign set in the rich Exalted world, you'll want a good handle on the NPCs that make Creation what it is and provide lively and interesting enemies and allies for your players. And yes, Chejop Kejak's essence is exactly what you think it is.
- Chejop Kejak = Essence 10. Raise your hand if you're surprised. No one? Good. Also he's shirtless in his picture. He's one fit old guy.
- The Coming Next box has the Return of the Scarlet Empress!
- I like all the comics in this book. They're great for characterization in their own right.
- Dace has had Adventures. I want to know about them. For a character that gets no love from the canon, he's sure interesting. Also "A Day as Dark As Night" seems to still be canon.
- The Exalt with No Name still has no name. And no actual backstory, just some urban legends. This is how it should be.
- Boring Panther is still boring.
- Arianna's picture isn't very good, but she is just as haughty as she should be. And Swan is her sidekick. Heh.
- Elias Tremalion looks like an ugly woman. I'm going to continue to imagine him as James Bond.
- Faka Kun: Nope, still hate you.
- Swan still makes me d'aww. And now he has stats and a backstory and everything! I did expect his Int and Wits to be higher though. Seems like something important for a diplomat...
- Lilith...has no arms? And also a hilarious motivation. And predictably terrifying stats. That hug could have killed me.
- Ma-Ha-Suchi, you poor bastard.
- The artist who drew Anja Silverclaws is hereby prohibited from ever drawing female characters ever again. Especially if they have cat parts.
- Why does Madame Vert have breasts and hair? She's a lizard!
- Nothing surprising about Ayesha Ura, but I still like her. Not as much as Tammiz Ushun, though.
- Shepherd of the North Star has a terrible picture, but I love his backstory and personality. He's so plucky! But suddenly he doesn't know Quicksilver Hand of Dreams or sorcery? What happened? On the other hand, Celestial Monkey Style and Best Friend's Couch are perfectly in character.
- Wondering how to perfectly sum up why Iron Siaka is Serenity? "For her, though, beating the crap out of her enemeies is a deeply visceral pleasure"
- Crimson Banner Executioner actually has a personality now!
- Back to Chejop Kejak...he actually ordered the hit against Tammiz. That's just not right.
- Yep, May Blossom's a bitch.
- Black Ice Shadow isn't a bad guy! And he's secretly adorable! And is Compassion primary! And he doesn't know Charcoal March of Spiders anymore?
- Is Nazri really Endings? I thought he was Battles?
- Tepet Arada: still cooler than you. And the plot thickens.
- Mnemon is much more noble than I thought. And there's no mention of her leeching power from Gaia to survive, so I guess it's just the Gem of Immortality. I think I liked her better as a bad guy, but I guess since the Empress is coming back, they couldn't make them so similar.
- Ragara Myrrun still knows Violet Bier, which is just wrong, but other than that, he's not all that bad ass. The sidebar even says to kill him.
- Wait, since when is Karal "Karl" Linwei a girl?? Did we all just miss that the whole time? And why did the artist decided to make her look like Yuffie from FFVII? Not exactly how I would have imagined the battle-hardened leader of the Seventh Legion...
- I still like Risa. That's all, really.
- There's not really anything new about Tepet Ejava, but her mother was apparently awesome.
- Disciple of the Seven Forbidden Wisdom's previous incarnation got a sex change. WTD*?
- Typhon's still a little bitch, but there's no mention of his being the Mask's butt-boy. There is, however, mention of his "pouty and eminently kissable" lips, so I guess it's just a given.
- Oh, Captain Gyrfalcon, why are you playing 7th Sea?
- Excessively Righteous Blossom is just as much of a prick as you think he is.
- Six Alchemical castes?
- Yes, there are more people in this book than I mentioned. I just put the ones I wanted to talk about.
*this is my new internet abbreviation. It stands for "What The Deuce?" Go forth and spread its usage!