I originally posted this on RPG.net as I had figured that we had enough preview material released to start making characters (also to drum up some hype, always the hype!) So I thought I'd mirror it for the fine folk here:
Hello all, the Exalted 3rd edition Lunars Kickstarter seems to be charging blithely forward so I thought I might drum up some interest and engage in an interest of mine, thinking way too much about the intricacies of character building. So I made this thread for everyone to post and discuss about Lunar Exalted characters:
Let us begin with a concept I call: The Knight of Bone and Ivory. I'm calling it a concept because really I'm just putting the bare bones of a character here, the flesh is up to you and there are quite a few ways it could be built out.
All I've given it is the ability to take a truck to the face and laugh.
So the Knight is built with Shapeshifting in mind. Shapeshifting is supposedly the Lunar's equivalent to Solar Mastery or Sidereal Martial Arts, and if you play your cards right (like we are in this case), then it is really powerful.
Let us begin:
Step 1:
Pick a Concept and a Caste. Pick A Spirit Shape and a Tell
Concept: Knight of Bone and Ivory
Caste: You really can go with whatever you like, No Moon, Full Moon, Changing Moon, Casteless. I'll pick Changing Moon for variety.
Spirit Shape: Pestletail (what?)
This is a Pestletail:

otherwise known as Doedicurus clavicaudatus. It was basically a gigantic prehistoric Armadillo.
Tell... I will tell you later, a ha!
Step 2:
Select two Caste Attributes from the relevant list (or none, if Casteless):
Caste attributes for Changing Moons are in Social. I pick Charisma and Manipulation! (But whatever you like)
Select two Favored Attributes, which can’t be the same as Caste Attributes.
One of these (or a Caste attribute if you are a Full Moon) should be Dexterity. By no account should you pick Strength. Wits is good to favor. Other than that, whatever you like.
Place one dot in each Attribute.
Divide 9 dots among primary Attributes, 7 dots among secondary Attributes, and 5 dots among tertiary Attributes.
Lunars get so many Attributes! They will end up with 3 more attribute points than SOLAR EXALTED. So take those 5s and don't look back!
Here are my choices:
Physical (Secondary, 7 points)
Strength OO (Human Average is enough here)
Dexterity OOOOO (Max this)
Stamina OOO (a reasonable amount is fine)
Social (Primary, 9! points)
Charisma OOOOO
Manipulation OOOOO
Appearance OO
Whatever you want here really.
Mental (Tertiary, 5 points)
Perception OO
Intelligence OO
Wits OOOO (This is favored and good for combat, I intend to raise it to 5 with BP, cheap at 3bp per dot)
Note: This character could easily have Primaried Physical or Mental if they wanted to, really. Just take 5 in Dex, and as much Wits as you can, otherwise, put the points wherever you like.
Step 3:
Divide 28 dots among all Abilities. None may be raised above 3 without spending bonus points.
Assign three specialties.
Exactly the same as Solars. So what I'm going to do here is put my must haves and nice to haves up, everything else is up to you.
Must haves -
- Brawl (This is most Lunars' main combat ability and it is explicitly the only one to use for Shapeshifted forms. Max to 5 with bp)
- Awareness (Going First and Join Battle is important)
Nice to have -
- Dodge (You have max Dex so it's always good to have two decent defences if you can)
- Larceny (Disguise is an Int + Larceny roll)
- Socialize / Integrity (High Wits and High Manipulation basically means you are a social tank)
- Stealth (Lunars get so many forms with a Stealth bonus, they can be really, really good at it)
But outside of the "Must Haves" I leave you to make your choice.
Step 5:
Select 10 dots of merits
Okay, here is another important choice. Be sure to use the points this way:
Mutation (Unusual Hide) OOOOO
This mutation is extreme value for the Merit dots, with the drawback that you are basically as obvious as a skinless terminator. Because that is what you are, with this merit. Your skin is so freakishly tough that you are granted 5 points of extra soak, forever. But it is real not subtle.
Now remember the Tell I said I'll tell you about later, the Tell is a Lunar's achilles heel, because it gives everyone a (extremely difficult) chance to notice them. The Tell is present in all the Lunars forms, shapeshifted or not, and the tell can be attached to a mutation which becomes in effect the Lunar's Tell.
In this case I choose to attach the Tell to my Mutation (Unusual Hide) OOOOO Merit. Yay! I'm protected forever! But also painfully obvious to anyone save the blind!
Artifact (Moonsilver Chain) OOO
A good pick, light armor will give you even more Soak (5 extra points) and the Chain is explicitly concealable under normal clothing.
Phew, still Charms to go, I'll pick that up in the next post.
Hello all, the Exalted 3rd edition Lunars Kickstarter seems to be charging blithely forward so I thought I might drum up some interest and engage in an interest of mine, thinking way too much about the intricacies of character building. So I made this thread for everyone to post and discuss about Lunar Exalted characters:
Let us begin with a concept I call: The Knight of Bone and Ivory. I'm calling it a concept because really I'm just putting the bare bones of a character here, the flesh is up to you and there are quite a few ways it could be built out.
All I've given it is the ability to take a truck to the face and laugh.
So the Knight is built with Shapeshifting in mind. Shapeshifting is supposedly the Lunar's equivalent to Solar Mastery or Sidereal Martial Arts, and if you play your cards right (like we are in this case), then it is really powerful.
Let us begin:
Step 1:
Pick a Concept and a Caste. Pick A Spirit Shape and a Tell
Concept: Knight of Bone and Ivory
Caste: You really can go with whatever you like, No Moon, Full Moon, Changing Moon, Casteless. I'll pick Changing Moon for variety.
Spirit Shape: Pestletail (what?)
This is a Pestletail:

otherwise known as Doedicurus clavicaudatus. It was basically a gigantic prehistoric Armadillo.
Tell... I will tell you later, a ha!
Step 2:
Select two Caste Attributes from the relevant list (or none, if Casteless):
Caste attributes for Changing Moons are in Social. I pick Charisma and Manipulation! (But whatever you like)
Select two Favored Attributes, which can’t be the same as Caste Attributes.
One of these (or a Caste attribute if you are a Full Moon) should be Dexterity. By no account should you pick Strength. Wits is good to favor. Other than that, whatever you like.
Place one dot in each Attribute.
Divide 9 dots among primary Attributes, 7 dots among secondary Attributes, and 5 dots among tertiary Attributes.
Lunars get so many Attributes! They will end up with 3 more attribute points than SOLAR EXALTED. So take those 5s and don't look back!
Here are my choices:
Physical (Secondary, 7 points)
Strength OO (Human Average is enough here)
Dexterity OOOOO (Max this)
Stamina OOO (a reasonable amount is fine)
Social (Primary, 9! points)
Charisma OOOOO
Manipulation OOOOO
Appearance OO
Whatever you want here really.
Mental (Tertiary, 5 points)
Perception OO
Intelligence OO
Wits OOOO (This is favored and good for combat, I intend to raise it to 5 with BP, cheap at 3bp per dot)
Note: This character could easily have Primaried Physical or Mental if they wanted to, really. Just take 5 in Dex, and as much Wits as you can, otherwise, put the points wherever you like.
Step 3:
Divide 28 dots among all Abilities. None may be raised above 3 without spending bonus points.
Assign three specialties.
Exactly the same as Solars. So what I'm going to do here is put my must haves and nice to haves up, everything else is up to you.
Must haves -
- Brawl (This is most Lunars' main combat ability and it is explicitly the only one to use for Shapeshifted forms. Max to 5 with bp)
- Awareness (Going First and Join Battle is important)
Nice to have -
- Dodge (You have max Dex so it's always good to have two decent defences if you can)
- Larceny (Disguise is an Int + Larceny roll)
- Socialize / Integrity (High Wits and High Manipulation basically means you are a social tank)
- Stealth (Lunars get so many forms with a Stealth bonus, they can be really, really good at it)
But outside of the "Must Haves" I leave you to make your choice.
Step 5:
Select 10 dots of merits
Okay, here is another important choice. Be sure to use the points this way:
Mutation (Unusual Hide) OOOOO
This mutation is extreme value for the Merit dots, with the drawback that you are basically as obvious as a skinless terminator. Because that is what you are, with this merit. Your skin is so freakishly tough that you are granted 5 points of extra soak, forever. But it is real not subtle.
Now remember the Tell I said I'll tell you about later, the Tell is a Lunar's achilles heel, because it gives everyone a (extremely difficult) chance to notice them. The Tell is present in all the Lunars forms, shapeshifted or not, and the tell can be attached to a mutation which becomes in effect the Lunar's Tell.
In this case I choose to attach the Tell to my Mutation (Unusual Hide) OOOOO Merit. Yay! I'm protected forever! But also painfully obvious to anyone save the blind!
Artifact (Moonsilver Chain) OOO
A good pick, light armor will give you even more Soak (5 extra points) and the Chain is explicitly concealable under normal clothing.
Phew, still Charms to go, I'll pick that up in the next post.
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