"You were born to rule Creation. The world calls you Anathema."
Exalted is epic fantasy from Onyx Path. You play the Exalted: mortals touched by a shard of divine power that lets them cleave mountains and bargain with gods. The Third Edition (2016) is a 650+ page book: d10 pools where 7+ succeeds and 10s count double, initiative-driven combat instead of hit-point attrition, and hundreds of Charms that build into a personal fighting style. The setting, Creation, mixes wuxia, anime and myth on a vast scale. If Ex3 feels heavy, Exalted: Essence is the lighter one-book core where any kind of Exalt is playable.
Creation is a flat world ringed by the chaos of the Wyld and the shadowlands of the dead. Fifteen centuries ago the Dragon-Blooded overthrew the Solar Exalted and branded them demons. Now the Scarlet Empress who ruled the Realm has vanished, her empire is cracking, and the Solars are returning — with the Wyld Hunt already on their trail. Silk palaces, First Age ruins, Deathlords and fallen gods wait for anyone bold enough to seize the world.
d10 pools: 7+ and double 10s
Roll Attribute + Ability in d10s. Every 7+ is a success and 10s count twice. Stunts — vivid descriptions of an action — add +2 dice and restore Willpower, so the table keeps raising the stakes.
Initiative combat
Withering attacks strip Initiative from a foe and add it to yours. A decisive attack rolls your banked Initiative as damage, then resets you to 3. Drive an enemy below zero and they crash.
Charms and Essence
Hundreds of Charms tied to Abilities, from swordplay that scatters armies to crafting and court intrigue. They burn motes of Essence, and spending big lights up an anima banner seen for miles.
Ex3 or Essence
Exalted Third Edition is the full, crunchy game with a book for each type of Exalt. Exalted: Essence is the lighter one-book core for any Exalt, now backed by its own Player's Guide and Storyteller's Guide.
Open in Session Zero to let every player vote and see the results.