Chosen by the gods, their power tempered only by human hearts, the Exalted are all that stand between Creation and the forces that would ruin the world. Set in a rich and intriguing setting that draws from real-world histories and fantasy archetypes, Exalted: Essence features streamlined rules for a new way of playing a classic game, incorporating story-focused action and a presentation designed to appeal to new players and longtime fans alike.
The Exalted: Essence Player’s Guide is a book chock full of player-facing content. Within, we’ll walk you through how to think about playing your character, what kind of person they might shape up to be, and how to consider their strengths and weaknesses as well as Intimacies and Virtues. Beyond advice for roleplaying, each chapter also contains dozens of new Charms for characters to take, shaping the outcome of your campaigns.
Unlike other Exalted books, this does not contain any new setting material. It’s all about your character and your campaigns. Most books also speak directly to the Storyteller, assuming they’re the person who does most of the reading. Not so here! If you’re a player in a game of Exalted, this book is for you. You don’t have to read the whole thing cover to cover, but the section that applies to your character has so much there for you.
The Exalted: Essence Player's Guide is an expansion for Exalted: Essence. Players of all experience levels will find detailed guidance on how to play each Exalt type and how to get in the mindset of their characters. Each of the ten playable Exalt types has a rich chapter full of roleplaying advice and new mechanical content for players to enjoy.
Jump in and learn what it means to be Exalted.
Ten chapters each dedicated entirely to one Exalt type, packed with roleplaying advice, all-new Exalt milestones and dozens of new Charms.
Two brand-new Exigents, each with a complete Charm set.
Expanded Exalt-specific rules for unique features such as Sidereal destinies and Lunar shapeshifting.
This Book at a Glance
Exalted of Creation
Chapter 1: Dragon-Blooded covers everything to play one of the Ten Thousand Dragons including non-Dynastic characters. Delve into their themes of hierarchy, family, and empire to better bring a character to life.
Chapter 2: Lunars contains expanded shapeshifting rules and deep dives into their themes of liminality, monstrosity, and identity. Find new ways to steal forms and beguile enemies with their new Charms.
Chapter 3: Sidereals contains a full suite of expanded rules for shaping destiny as well as a summary of the Constellations. Alongside exploring their themes of arcane fate, destiny, and duty, it introduces all-new Constellation modes for their Charms.
Chapter 4: Solars covers their themes of virtue, excellence, and legacy. It introduces new Caste modes to reinforce the peerless mastery of the Sun’s Chosen.
Chapter 5: Exigents includes four Exigent types: the Architects, chosen of cities; God Admirals, immortal mariners whose power comes from slaying each other; March Lords, protectors of Creation’s boundaries; and the Sovereigns of Uluiru, a complex dynasty with gemstone themes.
Exalted of Other Realms
Chapter 6: Abyssals discusses their themes of deathly chivalry, rulership over the dead, and dark emotions. It contains an expanded discussion of the Chivalry of Death along with an overview of the Deathlords and who they are.
Chapter 7: Alchemicals explores their themes of artificial life, building a better future, and community. In addition to new Charms, this chapter includes an expanded discussion on the world of Autochthonia.
Chapter 8: Getimians covers their themes of memory, reality, and things that never were. It includes a process for creating a character’s Origin in addition to new Charms.
Chapter 9: Infernals discusses their themes of vengeance, duality, and their unpeaceful livelihoods. It guides players towards thinking about a life in Malfeas as well as Creation in addition to all the other expansions.
Chapter 10: Liminals covers their themes of undeath, liminality, and the thread of life. This chapter assists in creating the Thread of Life as well as all-new content.
Exalted: Essence is not a revision to the Exalted Third Edition system, nor is it an outright replacement. Instead, Exalted: Essence provides an alternate framework to interact with the characters, setting, and story of Exalted. Where the Exalted Third Edition game features a robust system of mechanics and rewards system mastery, Exalted: Essence streamlines the system, shifting focus to the characters and story. Exalted: Essence paints in bold, bright colors, showcasing epic tales of action, intrigue, and heroism, whereas Exalted Third Edition delves deep into the details, allowing you to examine individual brush strokes and each thread of the tapestry.
Both games are tales of the Exalted, set in the same world of Creation. Both share the same characters, have the same histories and geographies, and chronicle the same epic legends. Exalted: Essence and Exalted Third Edition simply provide different interfaces to connect with the world of Exalted. The systems are not designed to mix-and-match — they're different engines powering the same vehicle — but all of the lore for the setting, all of the information about Creation presented in the books is consistent and equally valid.
The primary purpose behind this Crowdfunding campaign is to enable Onyx Path to create a fully-developed PDF and hardcover versions of the Exalted: Essence Player's Guide. Your support will allow Onyx Path to produce a deluxe hardcover edition for Crowdfunding backers, as well as a "standard version" hardcover and PDF released for purchase.
Exceptional funding may allow the Exalted: Essence team to expand and further explore various aspects of the game, from the Exalted of Creation to those who come from far distant realms. Additional support will provide Onyx Path with inspiration and resources to unlock even more reward options!
Beyond those campaign-specific goals, the hope is to do what these games have always done — build a community invested in each other's stories and shared imagination. Every person who participates is joining with the goal of expanding this game and bringing this book into the world, and that common goal is a powerful spark that can fuel many great things! When you back this project, you join us on this epic journey and become part of the extended Exalted family.
All participants who would like to make this project happen can pledge their support and add to the overall campaign total. If the campaign meets the funding target ($20,000), then we will have funded the project and it will become a reality. Your pledge will only be collected if we achieve our funding target.
In thanks for your support, we offer rewards based on your level of funding pledged. The Reward Tiers listed under the "Pledge Levels" tab at the top outline the various rewards reflecting various levels of support pledged. Please note that shipping costs ARE NOT included in the cost of your pledge. You will be charged for shipping after the campaign through the pledge manager.
DecideYour Destiny: do you save some shelf space and go digital-only with the PDF version, upgrade to the standard rulebook, or go all in with the deluxe hardcover version? Are you just interested in the new book created by this campaign, or looking to add extras with the Add-On options available as well? Please note that physical rewards may automatically add additional charges to cover shipping expenses.
While the world of Exalted is full of epic characters and larger-than-life adventures, we've kept supporting this project as simple and straightforward as possible. To pledge support to this project and receive the book in one (or more) of the formats offered, pick one of these reward tiers:
Alchemical Exalted: This is the PDF-only reward tier. So, if you're saving trees or saving shelf space - or avoiding the shipping charges that are absolutely ever-increasing - this is the reward tier options that you should begin with. The PDF will be fulfilled by our partners at DriveThruRPG.com - when it is ready, you will receive a link to add it to your DTRPG library at no cost and be able to download at your leisure.
Sidereal Exalted: This reward tier includes the standard hardcover version of this book. Shipping costs ARE NOT included in the cost of your pledge. You will be charged for shipping after the campaign through the pledge manager. In addition, this option also includes the PDF version, so you will get a digital copy as described above.
If you're a big fan of Exalted: Essence and want to really impress your gaming group, we're also offering a special edition Deluxe Exalted: Essence Player's Guide hardcover book.
Lunar Exalted: This reward tier includes the deluxe hardcover version of this book. Shipping costs ARE NOT included in the cost of your pledge. You will be charged for shipping after the campaign through the pledge manager. In addition, this option also includes the PDF version, so you will get a digital copy as described above.
Need the Exalted: Essence Core Rules as well? They form the system upon which the Exalted: Essence Player's Guide isbuilt. We've set up these one-click pledge options to get you started! If you don't already have a copy of the Exalted: Essence Core Rulebook, you soon will by choosing any of these reward tiers.
Liminal Exalted: A digital entry into Exalted: Essence, this pledge path contains PDF versions of both the Exalted: Essenc Player's Guide sourcebook as well as the Exalted: Essence Core Rules.
Getimian Exalted: This pledge path will get you both the PDF and standard hardcover books for both the Exalted: Essence Player's Guide sourcebook and the Exalted: Essence Core Rules. Quantities are limited, and shipping costs are not included in your pledge and will be added prior to fulfillment in the Pledge Manager.
Solar Exalted: This extremely limited pledge selection will get you both the PDF and Deluxe Edition hardcover books for both the Exalted: Essence Player's Guide sourcebook and the Exalted: Essence Core Rules. Shipping costs are not included in your pledge and will be added prior to fulfillment in the Pledge Manager.
In addition to these primary reward pledge paths, we also offer the following options:
Dragon-Blooded Exalted: Not ready to commit, or just looking to offer general support? This terrestrial path is for you. This does not include our primary reward, but allows you to select some digital optional Add Ons, as well as participating in the post-campaign Pledge Manager as a backer. You'll also be able to read the draft manuscript of the Exalted: Essence Player's Guide that we post throughout this campaign.
Abyssal Exalted: This limied tier offers a special premium reward in addition to the basics, including the option to suggest a Third Edition Charm to be included in subsequent Exalted: Essence release. Check each of the Pledge Tier descriptions for more details.
Finally, we love retailers, but modern publishing methods don’t always make it easy for them to get books into their stores. With this Exalted:Essence Player's Guide campaign, we have created a special Reward Tier just for you. Any retailer who pledges at the Infernal Exalted Pledge Tier will get 5 copies of the Exalted:Essence core rules standard hardcover, 5 copies of the Exalted: Essence Player's Guide standard hardcover, 5 copies of the Exalted: Essence Storyteller Reference Screen (as well as the PDF versions of each) at a retail-specific discount so that they can sell in-store.
ACCESS TO DRAFTMANUSCRIPT UPDATES – During the course of the campaign, we will be posting the ENTIRE manuscript for Exalted: Essence Player's Guide. These previews will be shared via Backer-Only updates. You must be a backer of this project to receive these updates.
EXALTED: ESSENCE PLAYER'S GUIDE BACKER PDF - Crowdfunding backers will receive a redemption link for an early version of this book before it goes on sale to the public. This initial "Backer Version" will be used to get feedback from the fans to make the final version the best that it can be. When it has been updated to the final version, it will automatically be added to your DriveThruRPG library and available for download at your convenience.
EXALTED: ESSENCE PLAYER'S GUIDEHARDCOVER BOOKS - The main goal of this campaign is to fund the creation, production, and print run of a standard and limited edition deluxe hardcover editions of this book. Note that all Reward Tiers that include a physical hardcover version also include the digital PDF version as a bonus. Shipping costs ARE NOT included in the cost of your pledge. You will be charged for shipping after the campaign through the pledge manager.
OPTIONAL DISCOUNTED PoD VERSION – For this Exalted: Essence Player's Guide campaign, you will have the option of using DriveThruRPG.com’s Print-On-Demand service to purchase a printed copy of the PDF directly from their PoD partners at discounted cost (this cost is not included in your pledge, and you do not need to increase the cost of your pledge to use this option). When the PoD versions are available to order (which maybe some time after the books have gone to print), you will receive links to purchase these versions of the books from DriveThruRPG.com. You DO NOT need to take advantage of this PoD offer as it does not affect in any way your pledge rewards.
In addition to the rewards listed in each Pledge Level, backers can add extra options via the Add On menu associated with your reward format. Digital Rewards can be added to any pledge, while physical rewards can only be added to rewards lists that include a version of the Exalted: Essence Player's Guide hardcover book, and will therefore have a shippable order when information is downloaded in the fulfillment system.
As we increase the overall funding and support for the project, we’re able to add additional resources to the project, expand the rewards listed, and add in new offers and opportunities. Each Stretch Goal will have a target that, once reached, will add a project to the reward list for backers of the relevant Pledge Levels. Whenever we achieve a stretch goal, the listing will be updated to reflect the achievement.
ACHIEVED! At $30,000 in Funding - ESSENCE EXTENDED (Exalts of Creation Expansion I)
Onyx Path will create a supplement further exploring the Solars and Sidereals. This supplement will be released for purchase on DriveThruRPG and added as a free bonus reward to all backers receiving the Exalted: Essence Player's Guide standard hardcover or Deluxe Edition[SIDEREAL PLEDGE+]
ACHIEVED At $40,000 in Funding - ESSENCE EXTENDED (Exalts of Creation Expansion II)
Onyx Path will expand the new supplement, adding material on Dragon-Blooded and Lunars. This supplement will be released for purchase on DriveThruRPG and added as a free bonus reward to all backers receiving the Exalted: Essence Player's Guide standard hardcover or Deluxe Edition [SIDEREAL PLEDGE+]
ACHIEVED At $50,000 in Funding - ESSENCE EXTENDED (Exalts of Other Realms Expansion I)
Onyx Path will expand the new supplement, adding material on Abyssals and Infernals. This supplement will be released for purchase on DriveThruRPG and added as a free bonus reward to all backers receiving the Exalted: Essence Player's Guide standard hardcover or Deluxe Edition [SIDEREAL PLEDGE+]
ACHIEVED At $60,000 in Funding - ESSENCE EXTENDED (Exalts of Other Realms Expansion II)
Onyx Path will expand the new supplement, adding material on Alchemicals, Getimians, and Liminals. This supplement will be released for purchase on DriveThruRPG and added as a free bonus reward to all backers receiving the Exalted: Essence Player's Guide standard hardcover or Deluxe Edition [SIDEREAL PLEDGE+]
ACHIEVED At $65,000 in Funding - REDBUBBLE SHIRT DESIGN
An Exalted: Essence Player's Guide-themed Backer shirt will be hosted on Onyx Path's Redbubble store for a limited time. All backers will be notified when the shirt design becomes available for purchase. [DRAGON-BLOODED PLEDGE+]
ACHIEVED At $70,000 in Funding - ESSENCE EXTENDED (Exigents Expansion)
Onyx Path will expand the new supplement, adding two new Exigent write-ups. This supplement will be released for purchase on DriveThruRPG and added as a free bonus reward to all backers receiving the Exalted: Essence Player's Guide standard hardcover or Deluxe Edition [SIDEREAL PLEDGE+]
ACHIEVED At $75,000 in Funding - DESKTOP WALLPAPER
Exceptional Exalted: Essence Player's Guide artwork will be used to create a digital wallpaper for your computer desktop. The digital wallpaper will be added to the rewards list of all backers supporting this project. [DRAGON-BLOODED PLEDGE+]
ACHIEVED At $80,000 in Funding - ESSENCE EXTENDED (Universal Charms Expansion)
Onyx Path will expand the "Essence Extended" supplement, adding more Universal Charms. This supplement will be released for purchase on DriveThruRPG and added as a free bonus reward to all backers receiving the Exalted: Essence Player's Guide standard hardcover or Deluxe Edition [SIDEREAL PLEDGE+]
ACHIEVED At $85,000 in Funding - VTT TOKEN PACK
Digital assets will be created to support online play for Exalted: Essence, including key character and creature tokens from this book. This online asset pack will be added to the rewards list of all backers supporting this project. [DRAGON-BLOODED PLEDGE+]
At $90,000 in Funding - EXALTED NOVELLA
A short story written to explore the world of the Exalted and the play experience will be will be added to the rewards list of all backers receiving the Exalted: Essence Player's Guide PDF [ALCHEMICAL PLEDGE+]
Shipping has become increasingly expensive and is often prohibitive to non-US backers. Several contemporary publishers have decided to discontinue international shipping completely. For this project, Onyx Path wants to keep all options open to our customers, though shipping costs will reflect the expense.
PLEASE NOTE: Shipping costs ARE NOT included in the cost of your pledge. You will be charged for shipping—and have an opportunity to adjust your pledge—after the campaign through the pledge manager.
The following are estimates for shipping a copy of the hardcover book with full package tracking, projected on current trends. Please note that these are estimates only and are subject to change by the time of fulfillment (currently projected by May 2027)
DOMESTIC MEDIA MAIL (USA): $10 USD + $12 USD per additional book/item
CANADA: $45 USD + $18 USD per additional book/item
UNITED KINGDOM: $55 USD +$18-$20 USD per additional book/item
EUROPEAN UNION: $60 USD +$18-$20 USD per additional book/item
AUSTRALIA/NEW ZEALAND: $75 USD +$28. USD per additional book/item
BRAZIL*: $90.00 USD +$28 USD per additional book (only books available to ship to Brazil)
THE REST OF THE WORLD: $62 USD +$23 USD per additional book/item
Again, we will be charging the actual costs via our BackerKit pledge manager once the books are preparing to ship. These are estimated costs only, and the final costs charged will reflect the actual rates at the time of shipping. At this time, there's a lot of speculation about what that may mean, but we have no real way of knowing until we're there. Prepare for the worst, hope for the best.
*Orders to Brazil will be shipped with tracking numbers once only. Should the order become lost in customs processing or during last-mile delivery within Brazil, we'll need full payment of a second order before any re-ships can take place. At this time, we can only ship books to Brazil.
ALTERNATE OPTIONS FOR INTERNATIONAL BACKERS:
If you live outside of the US, here are your options for obtaining a physical copy:
Pledge to the campaign at the $25 Alchemical Exalted pledge level to get the PDF version plus a redemption code to purchase the print-on-demand version of the book at a discounted cost (plus shipping) from DriveThruRPG.com once it's available (see Reward Descriptions, above, for more details).
Pledge to the campaign at the $5 Dragon-Blooded Exalted reward tier to get access to the preview manuscript. Later, you can buy the PDF and/or Print-on-Demand when eventually released.
Contact your local game store and make sure you're put on a preorder list so they know there's demand for the game that they're being asked to fill, and then encourage them to back at the Retailer Tier for this campaign!
Look into a freight forwarding service that can give you a US-based shipping address and get packages delivered to it and forwarded to you.
After the campaign is over we'll launch our Pledge Manager and invite the backers to set up their rewards via survey. This allows you to confirm your pledge and add on anything that you might have missed, as well as possibly increasing your pledged reward tier, should you choose to expand your reward selection. This option will give international backers additional time to investigate shipping options, should they choose, knowing they can confirm a physical reward at a later date. We will also use BackerKit's Pledge Manager to charge actual shipping costs for international orders when we're approaching order fulfillment. Funding collected by BackerKit after the crowdfunding campaign does not count toward any campaign Stretch Goals, however.
Onyx Path Publishing has managed more than 60 crowdfunded projects, and that experience allows us to maintain manageable projects and achievable goals. To read more about the knowledge that has been applied to this project, you can read the FAQ linked here: http://theonyxpath.com/about/faq/crowdfunding/
