Exalted Unified Conflict System

In kinda-cheatsheet form; to be expanded outside of posting schedule...

Step 1: Declare Intent

Each player declares his character's goal, and the way in which he proposes to accomplish them.

Based on these methods, the ST chooses an Ability; this is the Ability the whole conflict will use. We'll call it the Focus. He chooses three Attributes, for Accuracy, Force, and Defence. For a shorthand, you might just want to use Dex/Str/Sta, Man/Cha/App, and Wit/Int/Per, but remember that this is a shorthand and not a full accounting of options. The Attribute set will not change throughout the conflict, but the Focus may shift repeatedly.

What You Do In A Turn

Conflicts proceed in "turns"; these are abstract time units whose lengths are defined at runtime.

Each turn, roll initiative (method TBD) and proceed with the characters in initiative order.

Each turn, you have one mobility action and one standard action. A standard action is a full dice action, which may be split or delayed as per the rules in Exalted. Similarly, it may include defensive actions. Mobility actions are slightly different; using a mobility action, you may only move "one turn's movement", or reFocus. You can perform mobility tasks with a standard action as well, but, unless you have an exotic source of multiple actions, reFocusing twice in a turn is not more useful than doing it once.

Attacks

The most common action you will take is an attack. The dice pool for this is Focus+Accuracy. Add the successes of this roll to Force to determine the "raw damage" of the attack. Subtract the defender's Focus; supernatural creatures add their Defence to this. The damage can't be reduced below the attacker's Essence. Roll the resulting dice pool at a difficulty of the defender's Essence; upon success, the defender suffers an injury.

Defensive Actions

You can take a defensive action to reduce the successes of an attack roll before damage is calculated. Each Exalted Caste is associated with a defensive Ability. You defend against attacks with the defensive Ability of the same Caste of your heritage; make a roll of this ability plus Accuracy and subtract the successes from attack successes. In addition, Dodge may always be used when a Dawn Ability is the Focus or when the goal defended against involves physical harm.

Attribute-based Exalted may use Defence alone, except when Dodge is applicable. Gods under the Sustainers rules may defend with specific abilities when the Focus falls under a Sphere; then they use the other Ability as defence.

• Defences for Solars & Abyssals: Melee, Resistance, Lore, Larceny, Socialise
• Defences for Sidereals: Endurance, Performance, Brawl, Stealth, Athletics
• Defences for Dragon-Blooded: Linguistics, Awareness, Presence, Bureaucracy, Archery

ReFocusing

As your mobility action, you may reFocus, which means that you shift the conflict's Focus to another Ability in the same Caste, based on your own heritage. Obviously, Attribute-based Exalted cannot reFocus, nor can mortals; spirits may reFocus a conflict to another Ability that shares a Sphere with the current Focus.

Damage

An injury reduces your score in the Focus by 1; when you have 0 in the Focus Ability, then you must either reFocus on your next action, or suffer the consequences of defeat.