A deluxe supplement detailing the Lunar Exalted for the Exalted 3rd Edition tabletop RPG
Latest Updates from Our Project:
CHARMED, I'M SURE - CHARMS PREVIEW 1
almost 6 years ago
– Thu, Feb 14, 2019 at 06:56:47 AM
Hello Gatecrashers!
WOW! We've had an amazing first few days of this campaign - not only have we FUNDED this deluxe Lunars book, but we've unleashed FOUR STRETCH GOALS already!
Together, we're revealing the true form of Many-Faced Strangers, the Lunars companion book, which now includes sections on:
Lunar Charms Expansion - 5,000 additional words of Lunar Charms.
Animal Bestiary Expansion: 5,000 words of animal quick character stat blocks (roughly seven animals), something very useful for Lunar shapeshifters, but also for Storytellers and anyone looking to take an animal familiar.
Heroes of the Silver Pact: Stat blocks for four prominent Pact Lunars described in Fangs at the Gate: the retired orca warlord Leviathan; the spider king Aum-Ashatra; the markhor sorcerer Aqadar; and the devil of the Burning Sands, Smiling Zamisha.
We'll take a quick detour for our next Stretch Goal target before we get back to building an amazing companion. Next up is a classic Onyx Path stretch goal, a little Kickstarter style opportunity...
At $160,000 in funding - KICKSTARTER BACKER T-SHIRT – hosted on the redbubble store for a limited time, a Lunars-themed shirt at a steep discount. All backers will be notified when the shirt becomes available.
And then, back at our main task -
At $175,000 in funding - MANY-FACED STRANGERS – Martial Arts Expansion: Four distinctly Lunar martial arts styles: the incredibly resilient and venomous Toad style; the brutal, grappling-focused Bear style; the Sun Wukong-inspired Monkey style; and the stealthy, disease-spreading Rat style.
So, let's spread the word and get more Lunars to join our silver company, and keep this campaign transforming...
Tula illustration by Melissa Uran
Tomorrow, we'll be sharing the first part of our CHARMS previews from the manuscript (there are so many Charms that we're breaking it up into 4 sections...). Here's a small sample, served up on a quicksilver spoon...
Charms
New Keywords
Protean: A Protean Charm gains greater power when the Lunar uses it while shapeshifted into certain animal or human forms. (Her own human shape doesn’t count.)
Totemic: Lunars with certain spirit shapes may learn a Totemic Charm as a Charm of a different Attribute than it normally belongs to, using different minimum Attributes and potentially enjoying Caste or Favored Attribute discounts. Totemic Charms usually have alternative prerequisite Charms from this second Attribute, unless they have no prerequisite Charms, or their prerequisites are Totemic themselves. This extends to the Attribute minimums of any automatic upgrades or repurchases of the Charm, but not to any dice rolls or other calculations involved.
Chimera-Soul Expression
Cost: —; Mins: Essence 1
Type: Permanent
Keywords: None
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisite Charms: None
The Lunar’s true self transcends definition, manifesting itself as a chimerical combination of beasts. She permanently alters her spirit shape by granting it aspects of a second animal, applying six dots of mutations based on that animal. These mutations also automatically apply when she uses Hybrid Body Transformation. The Lunar treats both animals as her spirit shape for Totemic Charms.
Mutations
Mutations are Innate or Purchased Merits (Exalted, p. 158), mundane or supernatural, that alter or improve a character’s physical body, such as Ambidextrous, Giant, or Wings.
Hybrid Body Transformation
Cost: 4m; Mins: Essence 1
Type: Simple
Keywords: None
Duration: Indefinite
Prerequisite Charms: None
The Lunar shifts into hybrid form, combining her human self and her spirit shape. Upon purchasing this Charm, her player chooses six dots of mutations reflecting her spirit shape. While in her true human form, she may use this Charm to gain all the chosen mutations. This doesn’t count as being in an animal form for Protean Charms.
Players can freely describe the visual appearance of their Lunars’ hybrid forms — their features might be purely animalistic, such as a tiger’s head or dragonfly wings, or indirect reflections of a spirit shape, like multiple arms for a spider or a prehensile neck for a giraffe . Players can include purely cosmetic traits, like changed skin color or animal ears, that aren’t included in the mechanical benefits of their selected mutations.
Giant Proportions
Lunars Charms can temporarily grant or suppress the Giant mutation (Exalted, p. 161). If a character loses Giant, damage contained in its −0 health level goes with it. If she regains Giant, that damage remains in that health level. Natural or magical healing still apply to this damage while Giant isn’t active. The same’s true for other effects that work similarly, such as combining Changing Phases Transformation and Ox-Body Technique.
The Lunar clothes herself in the Essence of one of the beasts that dwells in her blood, assuming its role in a culture. When stunting an influence roll with any Attribute, if her stunt’s description invokes an animal whose shape she possesses and its cultural significance to her targets, she adds a free full Excellency. If a nomadic clan fears wolves for preying on their flock, she could enhance a threaten roll by adapting a lupine posture or wolfish grin.
This Charm can only be used once per day.
Protean: If the Lunar’s in the shape of the animal she invokes, this Charm’s cost is waived.
Silver Ripple Mirage
Cost: 6m, 1wp (1m); Mins: Appearance 5, Essence 5
Type: Simple
Keywords: None
Duration: One scene
Prerequisite Charms: Mirror Slip Trick (x2)
Infinitely elusive and ephemeral, the Lunar sloughs off corporeality and inverts her nature, becoming a living reflection. While using Mirror Slip Trick, she may use this Charm to emerge from a mirror in a dematerialized form. She’s quasi-visible, reflected in ripples of air and droplets of water vapor: Material characters can see her (but not perceive her using other senses) without needing magic, but suffer a –5 penalty on Perception rolls against her without magic.
For one mote, a Lunar using this Charm can become tangible for a single action, letting her attack materialized characters or interact with physical objects (but rendering her vulnerable to counterattacks and clashes). Characters who lack magic for attacking dematerialized enemies can still attack her by directing their attack against a reflective surface within close range of her, wounding her but leaving the mirror unmarred. If none exist, the Storyteller should be generous in letting opponents create one with gambits or stunts.
When this Charm ends, the Lunar may reflexively use Mirror Slip Trick for free to enter a reflective surface within close range.
Wolf Devours Shepherd
Cost: 4m; Mins: Appearance 2, Essence 1
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Totemic (Strength)
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Glorious Battle Presence
Chaos breaks across the battlefield as the Lunar comes into view. When an enemy takes a command action targeting a battle group that can see the Lunar, he suffers a −(her Appearance − his Resolve) penalty, minimum −1. If he fails, he loses Initiative equal to the 1s on his roll (which the Lunar doesn’t gain) and the battle group suffers a −3 penalty on all actions until its next turn ends.
Totemic: A Lunar whose spirit shape hunts in groups may learn this as a Strength Charm.
Debt of Borrowed Skin
Cost: —; Mins: Charisma 3, Essence 1
Type: Permanent
Keywords: None
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisite Charms: None
The Lunar trades favors for faces. She performs a sacred hunt to take a human’s shape by performing a serious or life-defining task (Exalted, p. 210) on his behalf. Her target must have assented to her doing so and consider it to be equal in value to his heart’s blood (along with any other compensation he provides for the task) at the time he does so, though he needn’t know of or consent to that aspect of the exchange, and can’t later renege on the deal.
If the Lunar fails to accomplish the task or abandons it, the sacred hunt fails, and she can’t take her target’s shape through this Charm for the rest of the story. She may still attempt sacred hunts against him by other means.
To further discuss what you’ve read in today’s manuscript preview, feel free to post a comment on this update or in the general Kickstarter comment section for this project!
Lunars Fiction - A Spark.
almost 6 years ago
– Wed, Feb 13, 2019 at 04:43:04 AM
The smell of roasting rabbit made Sazay’s chops water. She’d caught two of them earlier while Tegama started the fire, and now she lay curled up as a fennec, tip of her tail touching the tip of her nose, eking as much warmth out of the flames as she could. Sazay had teased Tegama about cooking meat they could perfectly well eat raw, ribbed him about clinging to his aristocratic ways, but she’d only half-meant it. Now, she had to admit, the hot meat would be welcome in this dreadful cold.
“Perhaps if you were a different kind of fox,” Tegama suggested as she edged closer to the fire, careful not to get singed. He was from the Scavenger Lands, cooler than the Southern climes Sazay called home, but still warmer than this frigid corner of the North. He’d wrapped his lean form in a fine wool coat; Sazay’d teased him about that, too. “Fennecs live in the desert, don’t they? Up here they're all tail and thick fur. And much smaller ears.”
“Ah, but these ears will tell us if we’re being pursued,” she said, flicking one to emphasize her point. Sazay sat up and stretched, letting her human form come slowly; she hated losing the warmth her fur had soaked in. “Since you wouldn’t let us stop to fight those Dragon-Blooded bastards.”
“Our shahan-yas would never forgive us if the Wyld Hunt killed us before we found the fledgling. Or worse, led them to her door.” Tegama passed her a rabbit before thoughtfully stripping a chunk off his own, hissing at the hot grease
“Pish. I’ve seen you fight. Two of them would be dead before they saw you draw. Then you’d realize I’d already killed the other three. Think of the tale: ‘While searching for a new Lunar, Sazay Shadow-Dancer and Azu Tegama Asarkon defeated five Dragons, simply to pass the time.’” She tore into the rabbit like it was one of the Dragons’ throats, and Tegama laughed. They both knew she was boasting; such a battle would never be so easily won.
“Perhaps we’ll see them again, and you can try. But reaching Tula…”
Sazay nodded. “I know. It’s more important than tweaking the Realm’s nose.” Spirits and spies had brought the name of the new Lunar in the North to their shahan-yas’ ears. In turn, those esteemed elders had entrusted Sazay and Tegama with seeking her out and recruiting her to the Silver Pact.
“She’ll need training, and protection when the Wyld Hunt does take notice.” Tegama was no fool. The Realm would notice, eventually. Its resources might’ve been spread thin these last few years, but thin wasn’t non-existent. If the order didn’t come from the Blessed Isle, a bored Dynast stationed in some backwater satrapy might get it in her head to seek glory and call a Hunt. Or the ones Sazay and Tegama’d slunk around a day’s journey south might get wind of the new Lunar in Kulinth and investigate.
I hope they do. But not until Tula was ready. Sazay and Tegama had a plan, and they needed her to help carry it out. “Do you think we can convince her to join?”
Tegama’s smile was cold as the Northern night around them. “If we can, the three of us will do more than tweak their noses. We’ll cut out their hearts.”
•••••
“Tula,” Sazay repeated, though it was unlikely the Realm’s soldiers had ever bothered to learn the bandit woman’s name. He’ll learn it now, and fear it for the rest of his life. Which wouldn’t be long, of course. She wasn’t so foolish as to leave him alive, wouldn’t let him run back to Kulinth with Tula’s name on his lips.
Capturing him had been easy, and Tegama’d left Sazay to her questioning. They were well outside the city, but her Full Moon companion refused to risk a surprise patrol ruining their mission so close to its end. Over the last few hours, her captive had proven quite knowledgeable about bandit activity near Kulinth, enough to fill in the last pieces of information they needed to find Luna’s new Chosen.
Still, she wasn’t done. Sazay stepped closer, looming over the soldier as her skin rippled and shifted. Her bulk filled the makeshift shelter, her shoulders touching the walls and her head brushing the ceiling as her war-form took shape. Sharp teeth filled her mouth, and Sazay leaned in, snapping at the air inches from her prisoner’s face. “Tula,” she growled. “Say it.”
“Tula! Tula! Please, I’ll —”
Whatever promises he made, Sazay paid them no heed. Soon enough he’d be too dead to keep them.
•••••
Snow crunched beneath their feet as Tegama and Sazay trudged through the forest. They were a half-day’s walk outside of Kulinth, nearing the abandoned barn where the soldier said a group of bandits used to hide.
On their way through the city, Tegama had noted the garrison soldiers wore heavy, fur-lined cloaks and boots, plenty of protection against the cold. The peasants’ attire was far less opulent, which he’d expected, but was patched and threadbare to a degree he hadn’t. Once, such details wouldn’t even have registered with him. But that was a lifetime ago, when he thought his royal birth meant people ought to respect him, not that he should strive to earn the respect his position conferred. He’d learned better since then, and now recognized the gaunt looks that said people were going hungry, the darting glances and scurrying pace that meant they were afraid of the very soldiers meant to protect them. No wonder they turned to banditry.
Now and then a dove called out in the branches above them, though Tegama had yet to spot it. His attention had been focused on the ground for the last mile or so, sure they were being followed. Had the Wyld Hunt found them after all? He’d seen no signs of any Dragon-Blooded in the area aside from the garrison’s commander — would she have sent troops after her missing soldier? Sazay hadn’t left evidence of her interrogation, but that didn’t rule out a search.
The attack came from above, heralded by the flutter of wings. Tegama had time to look up and register the woman barrelling down at him, her emerald wings shifting into outstretched arms, a warcry echoing through the trees. Tegama’s daiklave flowed into his hand as she struck, and they tumbled away into the snow. He regained his feet quickly, and she followed. He turned aside thrust after thrust of her spear.
“Where’s the rest of your Hunt?” she screamed. “They said you’d come after me sooner or later. Where are the others?” Her fury grew with each step of her advance, as did Tegama’s understanding: She thinks we’re the Wyld Hunt.
He turned aside another blow. What she lacked in skill, passion made up for. “Stop! We’re not here to fight you.”
Snarls rent the air off to Tegama’s left, belying his claim. Where he’d last seen Sazay in human form, two gray wolves now circled one another warily. Blood spotted the snow and stained the larger wolf’s teeth.
“Look.” Tegama pointed behind his opponent, at the smaller wolf — Sazay — and her wounded shoulder, at the swirl of moonsilver in her fur. “We’re like you. Like both of you.”
The woman paused and glanced back at the wolves. Sazay had heard Tegama’s plea. She stopped circling and sat on her haunches. She wasn’t the type to expose her belly or her throat, not so quickly, but the other wolf seemed to accept the truce.
The other Lunar shifted into an androgynous hybrid form, a chambered shell growing from their back, its lacquered surface a swirl of deep yellow and white. They hunkered within and watched as Sazay shifted too, human once more.
Tegama sheathed his daiklave slowly, so Tula couldn’t mistake his movement for a renewed attack. “Let’s start again. You must be Tula. I’m Tegama Asarkon.” He left off the honorific “Azu”; they were all equals here.
Tula glanced toward the nautilus-Lunar, but they only shrugged. “How do you know my name?”
“My companion Sazay and I heard rumors and followed them here. A farmer forced to banditry by the satrap’s ever-increasing taxes. A strange incident when the soldiers came for the lot —” here, Tula ducked her head, and Tegama continued softly. “Luna chose you, and we came to help.”
“She has help. Found me herself.” The nautilus-Lunar peered between Tegama and Sazay.
Sazay looked about ready for another shot at them, despite her bleeding shoulder; the sharp-toothed smile she flashed held a challenge in it. But the nautilus-Lunar merely rolled their eyes, and Sazay dropped the threat. It gave Tegama a measure of comfort — Sazay simply wanted the chance to best a worthy competitor, not eliminate an enemy.
But Tula couldn’t know the nuance of Sazay’s many smiles. She stepped between them and said, “This is my... friend, Silent Pearl.” She seemed to be testing out the word, watching the others’ reactions to it. For their part, Silent Pearl only nodded. Sazay grunted.
Tegama startled. "Silent Pearl? But...they’ve been gone for centuries.”
“Not gone. Sleeping.” They regarded Tegama curiosly. “You know my name?”
“I know stories.” The Lunar who’d tattooed Tegama had told tales of others while she worked: Ma-Ha-Suchi and Lilith, Sha’a Oka and Vanamithri Mirror-Soul. And of Silent Pearl, herbalist and healer and witch of the marshes, whose last tale was spun before the Shogunate fell.
“I found them,” said Tula. “In a ruin a few days east of here. I needed... I didn't know what. Something to help my people. A weapon, maybe.”
“And you did!” Silent Pearl seemed quite pleased with themself. This time, when they looked at Sazay, they received a genuine smile. “I thought more would have changed, but it appears the usurpers have only changed some names. We have a satrap to drive out.”
“Then in that,” said Sazay, “we might find common cause.”
•••••
Tula added another pinch of salt to the stew. It’d been a while since she’d fed a group, and she’d missed it. Meals with Silent Pearl were pleasant enough, if a little perfunctory; the older Lunar sometimes still seemed to be shaking off their long torpor, or maybe they’d simply never been much for light conversation. Watching how easily Sazay and Tegama bantered and bickered warmed Tula’s heart in a way she hadn't realized she’d needed. Her gang used to do this, plotting out their next strike while she cooked, clamoring to be the one who got to taste the sample spoons she offered during the process. Sazay came sniffing around the most often, though she didn’t offer any opinions other than “’s good.”
Earlier, the four had joined a flock of snow buntings and flown over the city so the newcomers could view it from above. Now, Silent Pearl had drawn a rough map of Kulinth in the dirt. They marked out where the barracks were, the storehouses, the building where the tax collectors stored their records. Tula peered over their shoulder, making adjustments and pointing out vulnerable spots and escape routes for refugees. Much as she wanted the satrap and the Realm’s forces gone, she wanted there to be a city left for her people to return to.
Tegama impressed Tula with his insights. He’d helped overthrow a tyrant in his time, and knew what they should expect, yet he deferred to Silent Pearl’s wisdom. Sazay asked about the power structure, who hated whom, what rivalries she could exploit. Silent Pearl grinned from within their nautilus shell and mentioned going to talk to an old, old friend.
“And you, Tula,” they asked, as she passed around bowls of steaming stew and a hunk of crusty bread, “what will you do?”
She thought of the people who’d sheltered her, after the night the garrison came for her and her gang. The farmers who starved themselves to pay the Realm’s hefty taxes, the people who worked the land and fished the rivers, and kept so little of their harvests... the very people who’d provided her the ingredients in the stew they were all scarfing down, who risked the satrap’s wrath by leaving bundles of food at her door.
They ought to be part of this, too.
“I’m going to spark a rebellion.”
FUNDED & Stretch Goals!
almost 6 years ago
– Tue, Feb 12, 2019 at 11:53:14 AM
Chosen of Luna,
We have officially funded the creation of a deluxe hardcover edition of Lunars: Fangs at the Gates. In just 45 minutes. Incredible!
The excitement and support this project is receiving is really rewarding. I know that the developers (Robert Vance and Eric Minton) and the Onyx Path team have worked very hard on this project, and on building the Exalted community in general. It’s wonderful to see everyone turn up in support of their efforts.
And, we've been moving so fast that I actually forgot to post the backer badge in the first update!! (Or did I? I'm already breathless, trying to keep up...) So, take two:
If you’d like to show your support for this project, feel free to Right Click and download this Backer Badge to transform your social media, forum, and Kickstarter profile.
And now that the project has been funded and will become a reality, let’s look at how we can make this campaign even more exciting: Stretch Goals!
STRETCH GOALS
As we increase the overall funding and support for the project, we’re able to add additional resources to the project, expand the rewards listed, and add in new offers and opportunities. Each Stretch Goal will have a target that, once reached, will unleash a new reward. We will continue to build on this list when we achieve these targets during the campaign. Whenever we achieve a stretch goal, I’ll transform the main page to reflect the achievement.
At $80,000 in funding - NEW ADD ON - Creation of a Lunars-themed Storyteller Screen, offered as a +$20 ADD ON to any reward tier that includes a DELUXE hardcover version of Lunars: Fangs at the Gate
At $100,000 in funding - MANY-FACED STRANGERS – Lunar Charm Expansion: 5,000 additional words of Lunar Charms.
Many-Faced Strangers, the Lunar companion, is going to be our main focus as we move through these Stretch goals, though there will be lots of other fun treats! But I'm excited to see how much more we can add to the Lunar lore that gets unleashed!
Congratulations, everyone! Remarkable start!
And #ReiIsCanon
#FangsAtTheGate
#Lunars
#Exalted
#FUNDED
INTERNATIONAL SHIPPING
almost 6 years ago
– Tue, Feb 12, 2019 at 11:37:14 AM
Greetings, Chosen of Luna!
One week ago, the new Lunar year began – the Year of the Pig! (“Year of the Earth Pig!” is what my sister-in-law would say, but that sounds more Dragon-blooded, so I’m sticking with just the animal name.)
And, in the Year of the Pig, everything is more expensive.
The cost of producing these Exalted deluxe editions has already gone up a bit, but the real impact will be felt by backers like myself – non-US residents that fall under the umbrella of “International Shipping.”
For the past few years, Onyx Path has tried to keep shipping charges as affordable as possible, including subsidizing the shipping charges using the margin from the books that were being created and shipped! But that way is untenable, and will lead to disaster.
So, with the cost of shipping going up, again, Onyx Path has unfortunately had to follow suit and increase the additional shipping costs on the kickstarter rewards sent to International backers.
For some, this may prove a difficult hurdle to overcome. To that end, I just wanted to make sure everyone was aware up front and early in the process, and to provide a list of alternative ideas and considerations.
PDF ONLY – I’m an old-school, physical book fan to the point that I felt the need to purchase a copy of the core Exalted 3rd Edition rulebook when I ordered the deluxe Dragon-blooded book. (I’ve also re-bought all the George R.R. Martin books when the last one came out with new trade dress, so you know, it can be a problem.) I like physical books.
But, I’m also running out of shelf space. And, though I often own the physical book, I often end up using the PDF version as my go-to reference, especially when most of my gaming lately has been online and I’ve got two screens already up and running for the game. Going digital not only saves shelf space – and trees! – but also saves shipping charges with instant download delivery. If you’ve been thinking about going digital only, perhaps this project is the tipping point for that direction.
MULTI-BUY – acting as the point person with a partner or for your whole gaming group will allow you to pledge to the Moon-And-Sun Partnership or Honored Shahan-ya reward tiers, and have multiple copies sent in a single shipment. While it’s still expensive to ship, dividing the cost between 2 or 5 books may bring it down to a manageable level.
RETAIL ORDER – If you have a friendly local gaming store, perhaps you can pre-order a copy and get them to back at the Patron of the Thousand Fangs Army reward tier, which provides retailers with 5 copies to sell to their customers.
PRINT-ON-DEMAND - Onyx Path’s partners at DrivethruRPG.com use various PoD companies to create their Print-on-Demand versions, and these companies may have locations closer to your home and charge less for shipping. Right now, the Exalted 3rd Edition core book is available as a PoD item. Eventually, Dragon-blooded and Lunars will be as well. You could back at the PDF level now and wait for the eventual PoD release to order a physical book, which will possibly have lower shipping costs depending on your location.
If you are thinking of waiting to purchase later or order the PoD and aren’t interested in the PDF version (or want to wait until there may be a PDF + PoD bundle), you could back at the Casteless reward tier, which allows you to follow along with the campaign, access all of the manuscript previews, and you can even add on the Many-Faced Strangers PDF for an additional +$15 (once that book gets sections added and nears completion).
FREIGHT FORWARDING – Another option is to join up with a freight forwarder or global shopping company. If you join up with a company like ARAMEX, for example, they provide you with a US address for Onyx Path to. Once they receive your project, they provide different options to ship from their facility to you. I believe you can even combine a few shipments from different vendors, so this may be an idea for someone looking to purchase multiple items from the US.
YOU HAVE TIME TO DECIDE – This campaign has just started and will run for 30 days. Backing now allows you to follow along with our updates and manuscript previews, but you don’t have to make your final backing decision now – you can click on any reward tier and change your options up until the campaign ends.
Additionally, we will be running a post-campaign pledge manager with BackerKit after the campaign has ended, which will allow kickstarter backers to shift their pledges to a higher tier (and pay for the adjustment) up until the books are ready to ship, allowing you to contemplate all options before committing any further dollars.
While none of these solutions is ideal – personally, I can’t wait for teleportation technology! – there are more options than a simple binary choice. And there’s time to think it through. And know that I’m right there with you – shipping to Canada is TEN TIMES the cost of shipping within the US, and likely to get more expensive in time.
Good luck, fellow International Backers, and please share any other ideas you may have in the comments.
Update #1 – Backers Only – Manuscript Preview Part 1
almost 6 years ago
– Tue, Feb 12, 2019 at 11:04:05 AM
This post is for backers only. Please visit Kickstarter.com and log in to read.
