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Jacqueline Bryk, Jacob Burgess, Rachel Cole, Meghan Fitzgerald, Elliott Freeman,
Emily Griggs, Violet Green, Matt Herron, James Huggins, Charlie Raspin, Lauren Roy,
James Mendez Hodes, Neall Raemonn Price, Monica Speca, H. Ulrich, and Robert Vance
 CRUCIBLE OF LEGEND

Credits Special Thanks

Writers: Jacqueline Bryk, Jacob Burgess, Rachel Cole, Dixie Cochran, for constant support.
Meghan Fitzgerald, Elliott Freeman, Emily Griggs, Violet
Green, Matt Herron, James Huggins, Charlie Raspin, The Exalted Slack and Discord channels, for brainstorm-
Lauren Roy, James Mendez Hodes, Neall Raemonn ing and Exalt-focused camaraderie.
Price, Monica Speca, H. Ulrich, and Robert Vance
To Margaret Mead for the line about a small group of
Developers: Neall Raemonn Price and Monica Speca people changing the world at the end of Chapter One.

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“Never doubt that a small group of thoughtful, commit-
Exalted Lead Developers: Eric Minton and Robert Vance ted citizens can change the world; indeed, it’s the only
thing that ever has.”
Editor: Gavyn F. Duthie

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Art: HIVE Studios, Gong Studios, Studio Navela, Digital
Art Chefs, Melissa Uran, Lalita Wapulanusat

Art Director: Mike Chaney & Maria Cabardo

Creative Director: Richard Thomas

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© 2023 PARADOX INTERACTIVE AB.

All rights reserved. Reproduction without the written consent of the publisher is expressly for-
bidden, except for the purposes of reviews, and for blank character sheets, which may be repro-
duced for personal use only. Exalted and Exalted 3rd Edition are registered trademarks of Paradox
Interactive AB (publ). All rights reserved.

Visit World of Darkness online at www.worldofdarkness.com

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 TA B L E O F C O N T E N T S

Social Influence 43
Introduction 9
Social Influence and Time 44
This Book at a Glance 9
Intent is Everything 45
Chapter One Spending Willpower 45
Running a Game 11 Lore 45
Styles of Play 11 Knowing a Fact 46

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Introducing a Fact 46
Creation as Stage 11
Challenging a Fact 46
Creation as Threat 14
How to Run a Wyld Hunt Game 47
Creation as Cost 17

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Hunting a Solar Circle 48
Combining Styles 18
Dragon-Blooded on the Wyld Hunt 51
Session Zero 19 Hunting a Lunar Circle 53
Genre of Game 19 Sidereals on the Wyld Hunt 56
Collective Character Creation 20 Hunting an Abyssal Circle 58
Safety Rules and Best Practices 22 Hunting an Infernal Circle 59
Bringing the Players Together 24 Exigents — The “Ones of
a Kind” on the Wyld Hunt 60
The Two Topics 26
Naming Conventions
in Creation
What’s in a Name?
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28
The Great Curse
What the Great Curse Should Be
What the Great Curse Shouldn’t Be
61
61
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Heroic Sobriquets 28 Storytelling the Great Curse 62
Rules Hacks 64
Chapter Two The Great Curse and Modes of Play 66
Storytelling Exalted 31
Chapter Three
How to Teach Exalted 31
Optional Rules 69
Teaching Lore 32
The Orichalcum Abacus 69
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Teaching Roleplay 32
Adjudicating Higher Difficulty 69
Treating Topics
with Respect 33 Easier Stunts 70
Initiative 71
Fantasy Versus Reality 33
Recovering Initiative 72
Intentional, Consensual 34
Combat Movement 72
Orientalism and Creation 34
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One-Roll Resolution or
Asian Inspirations 35 “Down-and-Dirty” Combat 72
Customizing the Setting 36 Optional Death 73
Naval Combat 73
Removing Exalts from Your Game 36
Gambits 74
Games for One Exalt Type 38
Battle Groups 74
Adjusting the Scope
and Scale of Your Game 40 Antagonist Guide 75
Framing the Modes of Play 41 Pick Your Battles 75
Games for Multiple Exalt Types 42 Contextual Adjustments 75

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 CRUCIBLE OF LEGEND

Storyteller Tactics Alternate Character

and Roleplaying Hints 77 Creation and Progression 104
Fine-Tuning 77 Unified Character Creation
Minions and Masters 79 and Advancement 105
Other Conflicts 80 Streamlined Creation and Advancement 105
Exalted Quick Characters 80 Training Montages and
Variants for the Modes of Play 81 Moments of Inspiration 107

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Styles of Play and Streamlined Progression 107
Generational Games 83
Training Montages and
Dragon-Blooded Dynasties 83 Moments of Inspiration 107
Celestial Legacies 86 Styles of Play and Streamlined Progression 107

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Virtues 87 Training Montages and
Moments of Inspiration 107
Virtues and Character Creation 87
Styles of Play and Streamlined Progression 107
Virtues and Social Influence 88
Guideposts for Roleplaying 89 Chapter Four
Troupe Play 89 The Chosen in Play 109
Teamwork 90 The Alchemicals 110
The Mandate of Rulership: Project Rules 92 The Alchemical Castes 110

Mandate Rules
Conceiving Projects
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Progress Trackers and Risk Trackers 92
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93
Play One of the Alchemical
Exalted If You Want
The Infernals
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Scope 94 The Infernal Castes 112
Difficulty 94 Play One of the Infernal Exalted If You Want 113
Progress Trackers in Play 95 The Getimians 114
Risk Trackers 95
The Getimian Castes 114
With Prejudice 96
Return of the Solars 116
Granularity 96
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Core Concepts 116

Travel and the Journey system 97 Elements of Play 117
Rules of the Road 98 Storytelling Challenges 118
Distance Without Maps 98 Keeping Solars Fresh 119
Misery by the Mile 99 Introductory Play 120
Paths and Progress 100 Solar Exalted Quick Characters 122
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Simplified Crafting 100 Dragon-Blooded —

Craft Ability 100 The Dragons Rule Creation 124
Crafting Experience and Rolls 100 Themes and Stories 124
Projects and Scope 101 Dragon-Blooded for Beginners 124
Conditions 102 Realm Civil War 126
Beyond the Realm 128
Persistent Conditions 103
Coming of Age 129
Condition Lapse 103
Introducing Conditions 103 Lunars — Reflections of a Thousand Selves 130
Example Conditions 103 Core Concepts 130

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Elements of Play 131 Alchemicals — Ex Machina 150

Storytelling Challenges 133 The Octet 151
Sidereals — Servants of Destiny 136 The Divine Ministers 151
Core Concepts 136 The Locust Crusade 152
Elements of Play 138 Getimians — War in Heaven 153
Storytelling Challenges 139 The Origin 154

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Abyssals — Death’s Lawgivers 144 The Sleeper Awakens 154
Core Concepts 144 Jamais Vu 155
The Chivalry of Death 144 Rise of the Infernal Exalted 156
Storytelling Challenges 145

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Vengeance is Theirs 156
Birth of the Liminals 148 No Escape 157
Core Concepts 149 Infernal Revolutionary 158
Elements of Play 149

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 It’s been a bizarre week, Wandering Teeth winds, such that escaping a binding was pure
reflected, as he dangled upside down. instinct to him. “There’s no need for this. You
could have just told me to scamper off and that
Shakudo, the Crimson Crane, stood before the would have been that. Now I’m angry,” he said
once and future tomb-robber, watching him airily, “And you don’t want me to be angry.”
dangle from the gilded fetters that held him fast.
The tomb’s antechamber had all the requisite Shakudo dropped their torch to the floor, leaving
traps for its age and occupant’s station it seemed. it to gutter out in the dirt. As they straightened

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Wandering Teeth had been so focused on from the wall etching they were examining and
disarming the traditional seven deadly traps that smoothed the wrinkles from their robes, they
he’d failed to notice his companion preparing one shimmered, an anima banner’s light playing
of their own. across their sinewy frame and bare, corded
arms. It was unlike any Wandering Teeth had

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Shakudo had approached him on the street in seen before: Shifting black-and-white and pastel
Nexus, all carmine robes and too-neat facial blue patterns like a snowstorm in moonlight,
hair, offering him a chest full of jade for his help and a strangely shifting caste mark so unlike his
plundering an ancient tomb. Wandering Teeth own. Teeth thought, for a moment, that he saw a
was Chosen of the Unconquered Sun, and had gilded spider scuttling over the Exalt’s skin. Their
no need for the wealth of nations any longer… ostentatious moustache quirked as an aggravating
but he’d never considered himself the sort to ever smile played across their handsome face.
turn down a job, and there might be something
else in it for him, so he’d said yes. A few shady “Feel free to ponder your next move while I get

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dealings, a long boat ride, and an uncomfortable
trek through the jungle later, and they were
plunging into the depths of some forgotten tomb.
Well, he thought, that part at least was pretty
what I came for, friend,” they said. “I’ve expended
all of my uses for you.”
Wandering Teeth struggled, genuine anger rising
in his chest “That wasn’t part of the deal. You said
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exciting. Bribing the wrong scavenger lords with you needed my help.” Wandering Teeth was of
plundered relics had gotten them in trouble, and course really after what Shakudo was seeking;
it was only with Teeth’s skill they’d escaped.. whatever it might be.
Rather than cooling their excitement, the
experience had made Shakudo only more eager. “Yes,” Shakudo replied, “I said I’d pay you for
Perhaps, Teeth thought, that should have been your assistance, and you assisted me, and I’ve
my first indication that this whole thing was about paid you. It’s fallen out of your shabby pack, but
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to go to Hell. you’ll have plenty of time to pick it up when I’m

finished.”
They had bypassed the early chambers easily
enough; even before the whispers in his head Wandering Teeth’s gaze shifted to the pile of
had gifted him with knowledge, Teeth knew his coins he’d been given, indeed now in a scattered,
way around ancient things. What traps or wards glittering pile beneath him on the dusty floor.
he couldn’t disarm or wipe away, he sundered In the flickering light of his companion’s anima,
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with inhuman strength and the demon’s temper he realized the mint of these coins was entirely
in his breast. A tomb was just a cage locked from unfamiliar. Probably fake and as good as
the inside, and what cage was more formidable worthless; nice trick he thought.
than shadows and sunlight? “If you’ve given me counterfeits,” he said,
Wandering Teeth struggled with the tethers scowling now, “I’m going to kill you.”
restraining his legs, which only bit tighter the If the Crimson Crane heard him, they didn’t show
more he moved. “Okay, friend,” he said to his it, walking out of the antechamber and into the
strange companion, keeping his tone affable, darkness beyond. Wandering Teeth watched the
more amused than anything else. Wandering other Exalt’s slender back vanish into the tomb.
Teeth wasn’t particularly worried; he knew the Treachery, Teeth could respect. Being ignored
tricks of Hell’s slithering shadows and silent was intolerable.

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