Sep 22, 2021 10:05 pm
Every character has two Virtues, one Major and one Minor. Together, they define how she interprets the world around her. A Virtue isn’t just what drives an Exalt to act, it defines what kinds of actions she’ll take to accomplish a goal or deal with a situation. Her Virtues color everything she does and explain where her impulses come from and her base reactions to any situation. When choosing your character’s Virtues, consider why she has this outlook.
• Ambition: The Exalt desires greatness through action. She sets goals for herself regularly and works towards overcoming them. When choosing this Virtue, decide on a large-scale goal for the character, such as Purge corruption from the Realm or Drive the Guild from the Southern threshold. This goal can be changed during the game when the character accomplishes a major Milestone. For example, Lydia the Dragon-Blooded’s Ambition is to become the leader of House Cynas to prove her brother wrong.
• Compassion: The character easily puts herself out for the sake of others. She is empathetic to their needs and wants, and often sacrifices her own in order to help others. She cares for the downtrodden, the oppressed, and the meek and makes enemies of the wicked and tyrannical. For example, Rhaetmandius the Infernal’s Compassion is driven by his desire to relieve the common people of the burden of oppression.
• Courage: The Exalt thrives in adversity, viewing each new challenge as a chance to prove herself. She values decisive actions, and scoffs at things like impossible odds or dangerous endeavors. She is not easily intimidated, and scorns those who are cowardly. For example, The Gate that Stems the Flow the Abyssal’s Courage comes from her deep desire to show everyone she is the best.
• Discipline: The character values personal restraint and dedication. She acts with precision and methodical thought using caution to ensure victory. While cautious, she is not cowardly, that would go against her own views of dedication or devotion. She hates rash action and impulsivity. For example, Violet Sky the Liminal’s Discipline drives her to resist the advances of wicked necromancers who would turn her from her work of laying the dead to rest.
• Justice: The Exalt values the laws and behaves righteously. She cares about doing the right thing above all else and cannot abide wrongdoing of any kind. She feels it is her personal responsibility to punish wrongdoers, seek revenge for crimes, and protect the innocent. For example, Wandering Teeth the Solar’s Justice stems from his need to oppose rampant banditry and criminality in and around Nexus.
• Loyalty: The character dedicates herself wholly to someone or something that she values. It may be an organization, a leader, a country, or an institution. She values loyalty in others and reacts in kind. She acts for the good of those she is loyal to and abhors betrayal of any kind. For example, Silver Star the Lunar’s Loyalty is to the Southern Tribal Confederation for saving her life.
• Wonder: The Exalt views the world with a sense of wonder and curiosity. She always tries to discover new things and treats all experiences as valuable for learning. She values learning, discover, adventure, and exploration. She can’t stand to see the destruction of knowledge or the incurious. For example, Amber Rose the Sidereal’s Wonder comes from their desire to go new places and find new experiences.
Virtues are defining features that an Exalt isn’t going to leave behind or abandon on a whim. The only way to change a character’s Virtue is during game and through a story that changes the character’s fundamental nature and applies when she accomplishes a major Milestone. The story is likely to happen over time, and cause a gradual shift, and could happen between large time skips. For example, a Loyal character may experience so much betrayal that she becomes disillusioned and shifts her Virtue to Justice. Or an adventurous character with Wonder as a Virtue might encounter so many dangerous situations that she loses her sense of Wonder and shifts instead to Courage. Work with your Storyteller to help decide when these kinds of shifts make sense.
Changing Virtues
While shifting a character’s Virtue in play requires a story and time, sometimes you may find that your chosen Virtue no longer represents your character’s outlook without even trying. Sometimes you pick a Virtue for your character, but through play realize they are focused on something else entirely. Players should feel free to change out one Virtue for another if it just isn’t working for the character without going through the process of shifting a Virtue with story.
Virtues in Play
Exalts are people who act in extremes. Without outside impetus, the character acts in line with her Virtues. Both trivial actions made without thought, and large decisions follow in line with them. She isn’t incapable of acting outside of her Virtues, and she might obfuscate her true intentions to manipulate her foes, but it takes outside input for her to even consider acting any other way.
Use your character’s Virtues to help decide how to react to most situations. When hung up on an action, how to proceed during a story, or just what to say to a Dynast who is asking your group for assistance, look to the character’s Virtues for guidance. You can also use the character’s Virtues to help describe Stunts or influence dramatic moments for your character.
• Ambition: The Exalt desires greatness through action. She sets goals for herself regularly and works towards overcoming them. When choosing this Virtue, decide on a large-scale goal for the character, such as Purge corruption from the Realm or Drive the Guild from the Southern threshold. This goal can be changed during the game when the character accomplishes a major Milestone. For example, Lydia the Dragon-Blooded’s Ambition is to become the leader of House Cynas to prove her brother wrong.
• Compassion: The character easily puts herself out for the sake of others. She is empathetic to their needs and wants, and often sacrifices her own in order to help others. She cares for the downtrodden, the oppressed, and the meek and makes enemies of the wicked and tyrannical. For example, Rhaetmandius the Infernal’s Compassion is driven by his desire to relieve the common people of the burden of oppression.
• Courage: The Exalt thrives in adversity, viewing each new challenge as a chance to prove herself. She values decisive actions, and scoffs at things like impossible odds or dangerous endeavors. She is not easily intimidated, and scorns those who are cowardly. For example, The Gate that Stems the Flow the Abyssal’s Courage comes from her deep desire to show everyone she is the best.
• Discipline: The character values personal restraint and dedication. She acts with precision and methodical thought using caution to ensure victory. While cautious, she is not cowardly, that would go against her own views of dedication or devotion. She hates rash action and impulsivity. For example, Violet Sky the Liminal’s Discipline drives her to resist the advances of wicked necromancers who would turn her from her work of laying the dead to rest.
• Justice: The Exalt values the laws and behaves righteously. She cares about doing the right thing above all else and cannot abide wrongdoing of any kind. She feels it is her personal responsibility to punish wrongdoers, seek revenge for crimes, and protect the innocent. For example, Wandering Teeth the Solar’s Justice stems from his need to oppose rampant banditry and criminality in and around Nexus.
• Loyalty: The character dedicates herself wholly to someone or something that she values. It may be an organization, a leader, a country, or an institution. She values loyalty in others and reacts in kind. She acts for the good of those she is loyal to and abhors betrayal of any kind. For example, Silver Star the Lunar’s Loyalty is to the Southern Tribal Confederation for saving her life.
• Wonder: The Exalt views the world with a sense of wonder and curiosity. She always tries to discover new things and treats all experiences as valuable for learning. She values learning, discover, adventure, and exploration. She can’t stand to see the destruction of knowledge or the incurious. For example, Amber Rose the Sidereal’s Wonder comes from their desire to go new places and find new experiences.
Virtues are defining features that an Exalt isn’t going to leave behind or abandon on a whim. The only way to change a character’s Virtue is during game and through a story that changes the character’s fundamental nature and applies when she accomplishes a major Milestone. The story is likely to happen over time, and cause a gradual shift, and could happen between large time skips. For example, a Loyal character may experience so much betrayal that she becomes disillusioned and shifts her Virtue to Justice. Or an adventurous character with Wonder as a Virtue might encounter so many dangerous situations that she loses her sense of Wonder and shifts instead to Courage. Work with your Storyteller to help decide when these kinds of shifts make sense.
Changing Virtues
While shifting a character’s Virtue in play requires a story and time, sometimes you may find that your chosen Virtue no longer represents your character’s outlook without even trying. Sometimes you pick a Virtue for your character, but through play realize they are focused on something else entirely. Players should feel free to change out one Virtue for another if it just isn’t working for the character without going through the process of shifting a Virtue with story.
Virtues in Play
Exalts are people who act in extremes. Without outside impetus, the character acts in line with her Virtues. Both trivial actions made without thought, and large decisions follow in line with them. She isn’t incapable of acting outside of her Virtues, and she might obfuscate her true intentions to manipulate her foes, but it takes outside input for her to even consider acting any other way.
Use your character’s Virtues to help decide how to react to most situations. When hung up on an action, how to proceed during a story, or just what to say to a Dynast who is asking your group for assistance, look to the character’s Virtues for guidance. You can also use the character’s Virtues to help describe Stunts or influence dramatic moments for your character.