homebrew Anyone do an Exalted conversion?

[frogboy_1101]

Hey guys. Im working up to doing a conversion of the Exalted rpg. Was wondering if anyone else here had done one and if so would be interested in seeing how they did things. Just looking for different opinions on spinning the wheel. Thanks

[Christopher]

Only ever heard of it by name, but Wikipedia says it uses a modification or variant of the Storyteller/Storytelling System. Maybe you could expand your search to other games that use this System/derviates of this system?
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Storytelling_System

https://whitewolf.fandom.com/wiki/Storyteller_System

 

Edit:

The Roll resultion System seems highly influenced by Shadowrun, based on a old SR designer being in the team.

Attributes (1-5) and Skills (0-?) grant dice. I asume a planned dice pool cap around 10 dice. They use pools of D10 rather then D6.

Every dice at or above a "target number" was a sucess. The target number (and if 1 counted as a -1 success) varried a bit by System (6-8). I asume as a way to finetune the feeling of power for the specific setting.

 

Atributes are ordered in a 3x3 Table. The colums are Physical, Social and Mental. With the Rows relating to Strenght, Agility/precision and Resistance in those fields respectiely.

A number of derived Attributes is in use, based on combining 2 Stats.

Again, that seems similar to SR.

 

If you are looking for a Sanity/Corruption System, that will propably be the hardest part, as Hero does not have a premade one like Storyteller has:

 

 

Edit 2:

There is a free intro-adventure (think SR Food Fight) at least for World of Darkness. That should give me some more data.

[DShomshak]

I wrote and developed a fair number of Exalted 2nd ed supplements. (Whether I did them well... Um, let's move on.) The core mechanics are extremely unlike Hero, to the extent that I do not think any systematic conversion is possible. I suspect that any conversion would be so complicated that you'd effectively be creating a new game system that happened to use similar world-concepts and character-concepts.

 

Let me give an example. Basic task resolution is by rolling a number of 10-sided dice. Every die that rolls a 7 or better counts as a success; 10s count as two successes. If you roll enough successes, you succeed at the task; if you roll more successes beyond that minimum number, you succeed especially well. So far, so simple.

 

Every type of Exalted character (there are several) has some way to expend a resource to increase the chance of success. One way is to add dice to the pool. Another is to add successes directly to the dice roll result. Another is her is to add successes directly. Another is to get a reroll. And one kind of character, the Sidereal Exalted, can change the target number to 6-or-higher, or 5-or-higher, etc., becomes a success. And there are still others, specialized for various Exalted types. Each of them gives various tactical options and is more advantageous in some circumstances than others.

 

But in the Hero system it's all just a 3d6 roll. You can give a bonus or penalty to the roll, but that's it. Maybe this doesn't matter to players; the result, after all, is still "increase chance of success." But it's not a simple translation. And this is one of the simpler aspects of Exalted.

 

Like I said: You'll be building a whole new game, virtually from scratch. Maybe someone has done this; I don't know. It might be worth it, because the Exalted game mechanics has severe problems that amount to both Instant Win buttons and Campaign Self-Destruct buttons. But I'm sure it would be a lot of work.

 

Dean Shomshak

[Christopher]

6 hours ago, DShomshak said:

Let me give an example. Basic task resolution is by rolling a number of 10-sided dice. Every die that rolls a 7 or better counts as a success; 10s count as two successes. If you roll enough successes, you succeed at the task; if you roll more successes beyond that minimum number, you succeed especially well. So far, so simple.

 

Every type of Exalted character (there are several) has some way to expend a resource to increase the chance of success. One way is to add dice to the pool. Another is to add successes directly to the dice roll result. Another is her is to add successes directly. Another is to get a reroll. And one kind of character, the Sidereal Exalted, can change the target number to 6-or-higher, or 5-or-higher, etc., becomes a success. And there are still others, specialized for various Exalted types. Each of them gives various tactical options and is more advantageous in some circumstances than others.

The first part is really just Shadowrun Dicerolling. Extended Actions. Contested Actions. Failure/Critical Failure. Health Levels and Effect on Dicepools. The way good success adds to Attack Damage and you dodge/Soak the damage. Heck, even the Dice you roll in 3E and the target numbers (D6 and 5+):

All ripped straight from the Shadowrun Games. No subtlety about it.

 

Adding Dice to the Pool and Rerolling is Shadowruns Edge. And there are cases when Edge can be used to add direct Successes too (like instantly going first in a phase). HERO also has a bunch of Optional Rules. Rerolls can be found in a APG, while Heroic Points fall into the Edge Territory.

No idea about changing the Target Number. SR stopped having moving Target Numbers with 4E, but 3 or prior might offer some ideas here.

 

So I can only repeat that any Shadowrun Conversion would be a really good starting point. On top of all the Other Games using this Game System.

 

I did finally find a exalted Intro Adventure btw:

https://de.scribd.com/document/25894992/White-Wolf-Free-Download-Series-Exalted-Quick-Start-Story

This should help with getting a better feel of how the game plays.

 

Castes:

Of course a big difference to Shadowrun is that it appears to be "Class Based". D&D classes and Tyical Shadowrun roles in particular. Between the Anima Effect and Favoured Traits, there are clear specialisations in the Castes. I will try to translate the 5 Exalted Castes from the Quick Start to Hero Terms:
Dawn Caste (Fighting): The Anima is a debuff to enemy attacks. Presence Attacks might match it. But so might a Change Environment effect.

Zenith Caste (Magnetism): The Anima is basically Turn Undead from D&D, mapped to Exalted Mechanics.

Twilight (Scholarship): A damage Reduction seems like a really odd Anima Effect for the Scholar/Mage Guys. I guess it makes some sense in how casting makes you unable to defend a primary target?
Night (Stealth): Their Anima deals with Hidden use of Power. 6E1 124 deals with Sensing Powers and how to hide their use.

Eclips (Embassy): Their Anima allows them to turn any Promise into a Geas like effect. And they also have a "Circle of Protection from [X]" effect, down to the break condition.

With the Exception of the Night, the Anima effect is really hard to map.

 

Traits:

Each of the 5 traits seems to map to multiple Hero mechanics.

Fighting: OCV, DCV, Damage Classes and even SPD/Initiative. With some Initimidation Sprinkeled in.

Magnetism: Leadership, Constitution and Willpower, Tracking seems like a odd combination

Scholarship: Casting Magic with Essence, as well as Crafting, Languages and Knowledge Skills

Stealth: Stealth/Subterfuge/Perception. Agility. Again SPD/Initiative and even a DCV standin

Embassy: Everything Social Related. Presence Attacks. Social Skills.

 

Essence:

At first glance it seems to be some kind of "Mana". Usually those Map to various END or Charge based mechanics. Longterm Endurance or a really slow END Reserve.

But it also seems to have Elements of a Complication/Obviousness of Power use. Edge from Shadowrun- Force Points from West End Games Star Wars D6. And of course Heroic Action Points.

Recovery is based on hours or succeding while doing a "Stunt" description.

 

Summary:
The dice and combat system seems not that hard to map. It is just a SR 4 or SR 5 conversion with way smaler dicepools.

Mechanically it seems both simpler then SR and way more Cinematic, while still maintaining a level of "need to stay low profile".

Essence and it's uses (Particular the Anima, Dice Doubling) is where it really starts to break down however. This is the big issue to map to HERO.

[Spence]

On 3/6/2019 at 3:30 PM, frogboy_1101 said:

Hey guys. Im working up to doing a conversion of the Exalted rpg. Was wondering if anyone else here had done one and if so would be interested in seeing how they did things. Just looking for different opinions on spinning the wheel. Thanks

 

I have to ask.  By conversion, do you mean setting or actually trying to somehow convert the game mechanic.

 

Most "conversions" I have dealt with.  Make that "successful conversions", do not try to actually translate specific game stat to specific game stat.  Instead they translate the intent of one game system and stat it in the new systems rules.  The fluff can remain the same with the PC/NPC/Threats being built under the new system. 

 

If that is what you are looking for than an analysis game mechanics is straying from the point.  

Taking a step back you'd need to develop setting rulings defining each type of Exalt would be built and what restrictions their powers are.  

 

Exalted always made me think that they wanted to make the Anime X (Manga X/1999) into an RPG but didn't want to pay for a license or "alienate" US gamers by reveling it was an Anime RPG.   

 

All in all, with the flexibility and capability of Hero, I'd not worry as much about a mathematically accurate direct conversion.  Instead I'd think on how to impose the necessary build restrictions needed to model the Exalts and the limitations imposed by the need of the five magical materials are used to forge artifacts and weapons.  

 

All in all, don't get lost in trying to directly translate the nine stats into Hero's seventeen'ish stats.  Instead build things based on intended outcome.  Direct translations never work as hoped and manage to suck hours from your life you'll never get back. 

 

Good luck and great gaming

[frogboy_1101]

18 minutes ago, Spence said:

 

I have to ask.  By conversion, do you mean setting or actually trying to somehow convert the game mechanic.

 

Most "conversions" I have dealt with.  Make that "successful conversions", do not try to actually translate specific game stat to specific game stat.  Instead they translate the intent of one game system and stat it in the new systems rules.  The fluff can remain the same with the PC/NPC/Threats being built under the new system. 

 

If that is what you are looking for than an analysis game mechanics is straying from the point.  

Taking a step back you'd need to develop setting rulings defining each type of Exalt would be built and what restrictions their powers are.  

 

Exalted always made me think that they wanted to make the Anime X (Manga X/1999) into an RPG but didn't want to pay for a license or "alienate" US gamers by reveling it was an Anime RPG.   

 

All in all, with the flexibility and capability of Hero, I'd not worry as much about a mathematically accurate direct conversion.  Instead I'd think on how to impose the necessary build restrictions needed to model the Exalts and the limitations imposed by the need of the five magical materials are used to forge artifacts and weapons.  

 

All in all, don't get lost in trying to directly translate the nine stats into Hero's seventeen'ish stats.  Instead build things based on intended outcome.  Direct translations never work as hoped and manage to suck hours from your life you'll never get back. 

 

Good luck and great gaming

Thats what i meant. Not directly convering mechanics but feel. I was just curious to see if anyone had done such a project to see if i could jumpstart my own. Though after reading above posts and taking a more simple look over both systems i dont think this will be too difficult. Thanks all

[frogboy_1101]

Also a big thanks to Christopher for breaking it down into even simpler bites. 

 

The basic idea of Exalted to me is simply superheroes in a asianish fantasy setting. Not really reinventing the wheel on hero system much imo

[Christopher]

13 hours ago, frogboy_1101 said:

Also a big thanks to Christopher for breaking it down into even simpler bites. 

 

The basic idea of Exalted to me is simply superheroes in a asianish fantasy setting. Not really reinventing the wheel on hero system much imo

I agree, it seems to be at it's base a Fantasy setting with Superhero Level Characters.

 

Essence is hard to map, as it is at least:

1. a Mana System
2. a Pushing System
3. a Luck System
4. and a Incentive to describte your actions (Stunts)

There is a big border between 1+2 and 3+4. We can simulate any one of those, but they propably end up being two seperate Systems if you want to cross that border.

For 1+2, see below.

For 3+4, Heroic Action Points fit the bill propably the best. But those are loosely defined to begin with, so they might fit a lot of bills. They may be tied into the pushing System, IIRC.

But getting a accurate value for "Power needs a HAP to use" is basically impossible. It depends too much on gain speed, wich in turn is based on the GM and Players.

 

15 hours ago, Spence said:

Exalted always made me think that they wanted to make the Anime X (Manga X/1999) into an RPG but didn't want to pay for a license or "alienate" US gamers by reveling it was an Anime RPG.   

I am seeing that Anime connection as well. And there was this one idea I developed and have been floating for Anime Conversions. It goes like this:

1. Use the Optional Long Term Endurance Rules
2. Let Pushing be Automatic, but cost LTE
3. Allow a "also costs LTE" Limitation and use it on powers you are uncertain will break the game balance/new powers in general. You can either keep powers like that, allow the Limitation to be bought off or have to retroactively forbid the power.
4. As a additional option, use these Rules from APG I: Contest of Power, Interference, Enhancement. They seem very fitting regardless of the previous 3 points.