This is the tale of a forgotten age before the seas were bent, when the world was flat and floated atop a sea of chaos. This is the tale of a decadent empire raised up on the bones of the fallen Golden Age, whose splendor it faintly echoed but could not match. This is a tale of primal frontiers, of the restless dead, of jeweled cities ruled openly by spirits in defiance of Heaven’s law. This is a tale of glorious heroes blessed by the gods, and of their passions and the wars they waged in the final era of legends.
This is your tale. This is Exalted. What legends will they tell of your deeds?
Exalted 3rd Edition depicts both a revitalized and expanded Creation, and the triumphant return of the Solar Exalted—but whether their rebirth will herald the salvation or destruction of the world, none can say. The system redesign takes the best parts of the previous editions and streamlines the mechanics for maximum playability.
Exalted 3rd Edition includes:
New Fiction - Read a new tale by original Exalted developer and author Geoff Grabowski. New Artwork – See the Realm in a new light with stunning artwork by both new and classic Exalted artists working under the direction of Maria Cabardo. Expanded Locales – Expand your campaigns with a detailed overview of the sprawling and decadent Second Age of Man. In addition to classic locales such as Chiaroscuro and Nexus, find many new locations not detailed in previous editions, from the treacherous intrigues of Port Calin to the proud warriors of the frigid plains and forests of Medo, held in check only by the iron hand of the Realm. Intrigue and Mystery – Discover a revitalized Realm, still standing at the brink of civil war, but more dangerous than ever before; and the Lunar dominions which harry its borders, seeking redress for ancient crimes while pursuing modern ambitions. Expanded Character Creation – Create and play Solar Exalted characters and compelling mortal heroes with more information and fleshed out details. Combat System – Fight with a new cinematic combat engine, primed to deliver dynamic, exciting, and easily resolved battles between heroes, gods, and armies. Charms – Explore a vibrant new Charm set encompassing both classic Solar powers from previous editions and all-new powers to shift the course of Creation. ...and much, much more!
After digging into the 3rd Edition book, I think I'm a fan.
Combat resolution is interesting and more straightforward (mostly). Requires two dice rolls to resolve most actions, but the Initiative Dueling system feels like it will be good at the table.
They take enough queues from Chronicles of Darkness to make advancement much less agonizing. The fact that every 50 XP characters just get more Essence is a huge improvement, and points costs look like they will grant satisfying advancement. They make specific call outs to how merits should be handled in play, and which ones are the purview of the GM to administer and which ones characters are responsible for acquiring.
Their social system is way easier to understand than the social combat from the previous edition, also likely taking some inspiration from Chronicles of Darkness' Social Maneuvering System. Reducing intimacies to simple ratings makes that system feel a lot more manageable.
In general, I like the updates and expansion they have made to the setting; in particular, I like the Exigents and Liminal Exalted types.
I really like how they have updated Sorcery. That was always one of the cool promises of the Exalted setting that never lived up in practice.
The stunt system feels easier to grasp and the mechanical rewards feel more substantial.
Now, to wait for more material for the updated system...
It takes a great system and improves a lot upon it. However there is a reason as to why it did not earn 5 stars.
The book opens up quite a lot for homebrew, yet offers little in the ways of guidelines for it. Which is not a huge issue for those intimatly familiar with previous editions of Exalted, but for new players this book can be difficult to navigate at times when it comes to matters like evocations and making custom artifacts and the like.
But it is still a good book and a good upgrade to 2.5 and it does simplify quite a bit of the combat and make things quicker and easier to grasp. So all in all it is a betterment of the system as a whole. So if you already like Exalted, this is a must have now or down the line when more books are out.
7 years ago, when I first read this book, I gave it 5 stars. I have been a massive Exalted fan since 1e came out like what, 23 years ago or so? I loved the updates to the setting in 3rd edition and the rules seemed fascinating and different. It seemed like the whole package.
But then I actually played it. Yes, the writing and setting are the best they have ever been. But the system…oof. It’s probably the most complicated modern game on the market. There are so many subsystems here and resolution takes forever. Plus, all your players need to be true system masters and also really into RPG systems in general. There’s just too much here for 2024.