Dragon-Blooded: What Fire Has Wrought is a core expansion for the Exalted tabletop roleplaying game. Exalted 3rd Edition is set in a mythic world where spirits walk openly among men, warring demigods topple kingdoms, and the restless dead roam on moonless nights. Heroes granted power by the mightiest gods war and intrigue against one another for the fate of Creation. These are the Exalted!
This post is for backers only. Please visit Kickstarter.com and log in to read.
Hello Dragon-Backers,
Nothing major here, just a quick post to count some days.
5,845 days ago... Dragon-Blooded for Exalted 1st Edition was released (April 1, 2002)
Sixteen years of passionate fandom, epic stories, amazing art, and enduring mythology. The deluxe hardcover for Dragon-Blooded: What Fire Has Wrought truly is a celebration sixteen years in the making.
7 days ago... We launched the kickstarter campaign to fund the production of a deluxe hardcover version of Dragon-Blooded: What Fire Has Wrought. With your help, we have not only funded the project (in just over 2 hours!), but have added lots of additional content through Stretch Goal achievements!
In the past week, we've achieved 9 Stretch Goal additions, and are well on our way to the 10th - we may hit that before we start our second week!
We've passed 300% of our funding target and have more than 1,500 backers! In one week!
1 day from now... We'll be revealing the second of our manuscript previews, receiving Chapters 3 & 4 in a fiery blaze! And adding a fiery dragon backer badge, which I will proudly display for historical reasons.
While we've achieved so much so far, we're about to enter the slower middle-weeks typical of most Kickstarter campaigns. So, keep sharing your enthusiasm and continue to spread the word about this project. There are many more sections we can add to Heirs to the Shogunate, the Dragon-Blooded Companion supplement, so let's keep bringing in new backers and hitting those stretch goals.
And a heads up, for those thinking of jumping on the Archimandrite of the Immaculate Order Reward Tier, which featured Onyx Path's final copies of the deluxe hardcover version of the Exalted 3rd Edition Rulebook - those copies are now half-gone, with just under 75 to go...
(Speaking of, if you're interested purchasing any of the items created as part of the Exalted 3rd Edition Kickstarter back in 2013, the remaining stock is available from the IPR store <at this link> . I know some backers have been asking about the Ex3 Storyteller Screen or the Chibi bookmarks - or the ULTRA-DELUXE HARDCOVER - so you'll see whatever's left on that site.
- James
Hello, backers!
Dixie here, and I’m sure at that a lot of you went, “Wait, who’s Dixie?” Well in case you don’t follow the Monday Meeting Notes over at the Onyx Path blog (and you should), I came on back in February after the amazing Rose Bailey resigned. Now I, along with Eddy Webb and Matthew Dawkins, am one of the in-house developers at Onyx Path, and Exalted is one of the lines that falls under my purview.
“But what does that mean?” you may ask. “Does it mean everything is going to change?” Short answer: no. I love and support the work that Eric and Vance are leading, and the whole team is really fantastic. I’m here to support them when they need it, encourage, manage odds and ends, and make sure everything is running smoothly and that the content of current and future books is what we want to deliver. I’m essentially the project manager; the creative team is unchanged. Also, full disclosure, Exalted is one of the Onyx Path lines I was least familiar with when I came on. Though I’ve listened to several fans and coworkers talk about the game at length, so far I’ve only read one book all the way through, The Realm, and that’s because I was its editor. (You’re going to like it, though! It’s fantastic.) I’ve been a White Wolf/Onyx Path fan and player for about 17 years now, and an editor at Onyx Path for about three, but for some reason I just never really dove deep into this particular line. That said, I’m loving learning about it. Creation is a fascinating place, and with the support we’ve received so far, my excitement is only building to explore more of it.
So thank you, Dragon-Blooded backers, for helping the world to grow! As I write this, we’re teetering on the edge of an increased art budget, and we’ve got a lot more exciting stretch goals lined up. As you’re already receiving the manuscript via backer previews (check for those if you haven’t) Eric, Vance, and I decided to give you a little preview from The Realm instead. It seemed fitting, as this was my first Exalted book, and I know a lot of you are going to be getting it in your bundles. In this excerpt, you’ll learn about the satrapy of Fajad and its people and customs, as well as how all those interact with the greater Realm. Enjoy! And feel free to drop your favorite things about Exalted in the comments. I love seeing all the different things that get everyone hyped.
Like a hidden treasure, jewel-bright Fajad nestles amid the far Northwestern coast’s cold whiteness. The city is strangely temperate, its harbor free of pack ice, the snow melting as it touches the particolored domes of the prince’s palace and the Grand Mosque’s airy minarets. This alien warmth grows strongest at the city’s heart, where steaming hot springs gather at the base of the thousand-foot stony spire called the Needle. Drawn down from the heavens by its master, the sorcerer Aqadar, it yet pins the behemoth Pyrevein’s smoldering, still-living body beneath the earth.
But the jewel of Fajad has lost its luster. Trade that once enriched the city now flows along different routes — or into pirates’ holds — while its satrap squeezes more from its coffers than it has to give. And while there are those who’d pry it free of the Realm’s grip, others would see it crushed.
CLICK HERE TO DOWNLOAD FAJAD, A PREVIEW OF THE REALM
Hi Dragon-Backers,
James here again. Just wanted to say thanks to Dixie for that awesome preview! Make sure you click that link - it's substantial!
We've achieved many more Stretch Goals since I last mentioned them. To catch up, here's where we stand on the Dragon-Blooded Companion supplement, Heirs to the Shogunate:
In addition to bulking up the contents of the Dragon-Blooded Companion, we've also increased the art budget for Dragon-Blooded: What Fire Has Wrought.
At $182,000 in funding - HEIRS TO THE SHOGUNATE - PRASAD EXPANSION – Additional setting detail and mechanics for the Empire of Prasad will be added to the Dragon-Blooded Companion PDF.
At $190,000 in funding - DIGITAL WALLPAPER – Am awesome digital wallpaper for your computer desktop featuring the Dragon-Blooded Exalted.
At $200,000 in funding - HEIRS TO THE SHOGUNATE - LOOKSHY EXPANSION #2 - Additional setting detail and mechanics for Lookshy, elaborating on military forces and redoubts will be added to the Dragon-Blooded Companion PDF.
So spread the word and rally your forces! Let's go take a second look at Lookshy and judge their military forces!
- James
Hello Dragon-Backers,
Has everyone had a chance to read through the first manuscript preview, posted back in the very first update? If you haven't, it's absolutely worth it to go back and click that link! If you have, and you're like me, you're already loving how things are being presented in this book.
And, if you're like me, you always like a peek behind the curtain to see how all of this comes together. I'm lucky enough this morning to be able to share some notes from the developers on our first manuscript preview. And now, I hand the microphone over to Eric and Robert...
Dragon-Blooded: What Fire Has Wrought has undergone an unusual development cycle. The book was originally outlined by the previous developers, and much of the material was written to that outline during their tenure. Later, we revised the outlines on the sections that had not yet been written, and moved forward with redlines and development on all of the material. This makes it difficult to discuss developer intent, as much of the material is a synthesis of our own ideas and our predecessors’. But we’re going to talk a bit about developer intent anyway!
The Great Houses of the Scarlet Dynasty have always been a big part of the play experience for Realm Dragon-Blooded. They help define a Dynastic character’s background and idiosyncrasies, and provide the playing field for Dynastic politics and social interaction. But in previous editions, they often came across as rather one-note. So one of the goals for Dragon-Blooded: What Fire Has Wrought was to make all of the Great Houses distinctive, memorable, and engaging, full of story hooks for players and Storytellers alike. We wanted them have the same iconic power as the Camarilla clans from Vampire: the Masquerade, able to grab new players’ attention and hold long-term players’ interest.
A large part of our aim in developing Dragon-Blooded and The Realm has been to provide material that makes the world feel developed, organic, and real, as well as structural information that aids players and Storytellers in understanding and working within Realm society and culture. For the former, we’ve made sure to provide concrete examples of people and places, such as the “Major Holdings” and “Scions of Note” entries in the Great House write-ups. For the latter, we’ve tried to fill in basic information on each house’s economic, military, political, and social situations, as well as establishing an overall framework for house governance by their matriarchs and ruling councils.
House Cathak has kept its military focus, of course, but its new emphasis on the importance of well-trained legions over the prowess of individual warriors sets it apart from House Tepet. It's far from one-note, though — it has a distinctive approach to politics, a streak of creative brilliance, and a passion for all forms of competition. Finally, Cathak Cainan's increasing piety as he grows older is reflected in the house, an illustration of the fact that the houses' natures have changed with their history.
House Cynis has moved away from the over-the-top depravity of prior editions, but its scions are as decadent and debauched as ever, while also branching out into new fields. Their lavish galas fuel their intrigues, funneling all sorts of interesting blackmail material into their hands. Many Cynis scions are expert herbalists, and the house's access to strange and exotic flora throughout Creation makes them the Realm's premiere dealers in both efficacious medicines and deadly poisons. It'd be a big mistake not to take House Cynis seriously.
House Iselsi is no longer content to fade into obscurity without putting up a fight. Its scions still languish in obscurity throughout the Realm, hidden away under false identities or within the Immaculate Order and the All-Seeing Eye, but they're far from broken. The other Great Houses betrayed them, and the Iselsis' vendetta will only be satisfied by blood.
House Ledaal's history has seen a major shake-up, positioning it as the successor house to the corrupt House Jurul. Though the house retains its image as knowledgeable and quick to act against evil, this has assumed a more ideological, zealous tone. The founder Ledaal's discovery of her own mother's wicked bargain with a Lunar Anathema acts as the mythic precedent for the house's shadow crusade, an endless vigil against Anathematic threats to the Realm.
House Mnemon aims for a more multifaceted approach to “the religious house,” rooting it financially in its founder’s mastery of geomantic architecture, while providing a romantic, heterodox flair that contrasts with Cathak’s aggressively orthodox posture. Mnemon herself has been made more complex and sympathetic without making her any less of an antagonist; though her motives are more understandable and sincere, she remains as arrogant, ruthless, and ambitious as ever.
House Nellens' weak pedigree and inclusion of its mortal scions in positions of importance may still draw derision from the other houses, but it’s no laughingstock. Thanks to its incredible business savvy, Nellens is the only house wealthy enough to avoid indebtedness to House Ragara, and it's cultivated relationships with merchants and businesswomen at every level of Realm society. It also boasts a prominent matchmaking program whose savants and mystics bolster the house's pedigree through well-made pairings. House Nellens' blood may be thin, but it won't stay that way for long.
House Peleps' reputation has pulled a 180. It’s a house of romantic figures that exemplify Imperial virtue — they make daring voyages across savage seas to claim new satrapies in the Empress' name, are familiar with the exotic splendors of distant lands, achieve positions by merit alone, and are so honest that the Peleps name is all but synonymous with the Imperial courts. They also have a new venue for expansion in the West, although their hated rival House V'neef isn't going to make that easy for them.
House Ragara is still a ferociously predatory financial powerhouse, but its depths now hide darker secrets. Many of its scions are unaware of the Inner Circle's scheming, so there's plenty of room for heroic Ragaras (like perennial favorite Ragara Szaya), but the Ragara elders are delving into things far nastier than high-interest loans. The threat of being caught is very real, which makes the demon hunters of House Ledaal and the Immaculate Order significant dangers to the Inner Circle.
Though House Sesus retains its outward semblance of brutish incivility, this conceals its true role as spymasters par excellence. Though not every Sesus is a spy, their intelligence network winds through the entire house, serving the aims of the enigmatic Masked Council. The house’s devious attitude runs through its other endeavors. Sesus merchants abuse inside knowledge to gain advantage, while the house legions — as numerous as in previous editions — rely on espionage and mind games rather than Cathak discipline or Tepet zeal.
For House Tepet, its transformation revolves around its legendary namesake, who Ex3 presents as a warrior-hero of a Shogunate gens that tried and failed to overthrow the Scarlet Empress in the early years of her reign. House Tepet's received an infusion of Shogunate-era traditions and mysticism that are unique among the Great Houses. The house emphasizes the prowess of the lone hero over the coordinated might of the legions, and the warrior's code of honor is all-important to Tepet scions. The mystical traditions of the sublime armigers and the yamabushi are also a reflection of House Tepet's Shogunate roots.
House V'neef has expanded beyond just its founders' immediate family, filling out its numbers with adopted outcastes. V'neef herself is a credible contender for the Scarlet Throne, with social graces and business acumen to rival the Empress. House V'neef's traditional rivalry with House Peleps over control of the Merchant Fleet now draws it into conflict with House Peleps' westward expansion, setting the stage for War in the West.
This merely summarizes the changes to the Great Houses. A far fuller portrait can be found in the house write-ups in Dragon-Blooded: What Fire Has Wrought, which are available for perusal by all project backers at every level.
***
Awesome stuff! Remember to check out Update #1 for the first manuscript preview, and we'll post the next part of the manuscript on Tuesday.
Also remember to spread the word about this Kickstarter campaign. We've had an amazing first three days, but now is the time to share with friends and family. (Those who've heard from me on other Kickstarter campaigns know that I'll be taking every opportunity this weekend to notify my extended family about every detail!)
NEW REWARD TIER - The final, very last copies of the deluxe hardcover edition of the Exalted 3rd Edition rulebook have been added in as a reward to the recently unveiled Archimandrite of the Immaculate Order tier. If you missed the last Exalted Kickstarter and were wondering how to build a deluxe collection, this is an opportunity!
Spread the word. Share your excitement. Enjoy the ride!
- James
Hello Dragon-Backers,
So, how was your day?
Because WOW - our first day was awesome. Together, we managed to fund the creation of a deluxe hardcover edition of Dragon-Blooded: What Fire Has Wrought in just over two hours!
And, at just over 20 hours into the campaign, we've already hit 200% funded and have over 1,000 Backers supporting this project.
Response to the first manuscript preview has been really positive! If you haven't read it yet, make sure you check your e-mail or the campaign page for Update #1.
In addition to funding the deluxe book (WHICH IS AMAZING!), we've ALREADY achieved three stretch goals:
A New Add On - Creation of a Dragon-Blooded Storyteller Screen, offered as a +$20 ADD ON to any reward tier that includes a DELUXE hardcover version of Dragon-Blooded: What Fire Has Wrought.
HEIRS TO THE SHOGUNATE– CHARMS EXPANSION - A selection of new Charms will be added to the Dragon-Blooded Companion PDF.
HEIRS TO THE SHOGUNATE - LOOKSHY EXPANSION - Additional setting detail and mechanics for Lookshy, including stats and Evocations for their fabled gunzosha armor will be added to the Dragon-Blooded Companion PDF.
This is just the start - I'm hoping we can add new topics to the DB Companion book - and expand these first few even more! Who doesn't want more Charms?
At $135,000 in funding - HEIRS TO THE SHOGUNATE – FOREST WITCHES EXPANSION– Additional setting detail and mechanics for the Forest Witches, including mechanics for the dead of Atsiluth Eternal will be added to the Dragon-Blooded Companion PDF.
At $150,000 in funding - KS BACKER T-SHIRT – Hosted on the redbubble store for a limited time, a Dragon-Blooded-themed shirt at a steep discount. All backers will be notified when the shirt becomes available.
At $160,000 in funding - HEIRS TO THE SHOGUNATE – OUTCASTE EXPANSION - Additional setting detail and mechanics for outcaste groups featured in What Fire Has Wrought will be added to the Dragon-Blooded Companion PDF.
Let's keep up the good work! The first 24 hours is the most exciting - and sometimes easiest - part of this campaign. We've got 29 more days to go, and so many more Stretch Goals and previews to share. Remember to spread the word and let your friends and gaming group know about this project. Whenever we finish a Kickstarter campaign - literally within minutes - I start getting e-mails from fans who just found out about the project and missed the boat. In my experience, you can never share the news about a Kickstarter project enough - somebody is bound to miss out. Make sure it's not anyone in your circle (especially someone who may want to borrow your copy for an indefinite period of time...)
So, share your enthusiasm on social media. Talk about the manuscript preview on message boards and forums. Tell your gaming friends!
We've got a LONG way to go, and plenty of distractions along the way. Enjoy these first achievements and let's see how much more we can add to the Heirs to the Shogunate PDF supplement and to everyone's Reward List before we reach the end!
(By the way, isn't the art amazing?! I'm hoping to share as much as possible in my updates, so stay tuned for more...)
- James