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In Short

Fans of the first edition Dragon-Blooded may rejoice. The Houses and myriad political factions remain largely unchanged. Many Charms carry the same names and perform the same functions, the rules for creating a Dragon-Blooded are very similar, and in general this is a very familiar product. The mechanics are updated for Second Edition, the Aspect abilities have been made broader and more useful, Cooperative Charms now let Dragon-Blooded pool their strength, and the text in general is much clearer than First Edition.

Those who are new to the Dragon-Blooded will have no difficulty with this product. The organization is excellent, the writing is clear and concise, and a newcomer only needs Exalted Second Edition to immediately make use of this product.

The Physical Thing

The Ideas

This product presents three major paths for a Dragon-Blooded. Most Dragon-Blooded are born in the Realm, Exalted between 10 and 20, and attend challenging schools until they become adults. These Dragon-Blooded tend to focus on the interests of their family and the great Houses they belong to, often doing everything in their power to win the admiration of others within their House and advance the goals of that House. These are soldiers, monks, scholars, and above all politicians.

The Dragon-Blooded of Lookshy with their impressive armament stand apart from the Realm. While their noble families and influence are not as great as the Dragon-Blooded of the Blessed Isle, the training and protection offered by Lookshy is impressive by any standard. Finally, the Dragon-Blooded that grow up in creation and live outside of these two great powers take on roles as varied as the cultures of Creation

Under the Cover

This very brief intro to the product is helpful in that it provides a lexicon of terms for the rest of the book.

Chapter 1 The Scarlet Dynasty 40 pages.

This chapter presents the Scarlet Dynasty, an empire based around the Scarlet Empress – a woman who activated powerful magical artifacts many centuries ago in order to defend the world against the invading Fair Folk. In addition to the Empress, who has recently gone missing, the Realm is primarily controlled by eleven great Houses. These Houses largely represent the Dragon-Blooded aristocracy, and they control the military and the many satrapies of the Realm (the area controlled by the Scarlet Empire).

The chapter kicks off with the origin of the Dragon-Blooded, soon followed by a general history. The chapter quickly moves to focus on the life and society of the Dragon-Blooded. The society has a strong Roman feel in many respects, with plenty of Asian and general high fantasy influences as well. The biggest concepts to keep in mind involve the importance of success, sexual mores, and the role of Dragon-Blooded in the world.

From birth onward Dragon-Blooded are enrolled in various extremely demanding schools meant to prepare them for their role in life. Since most Dragon-Blooded don’t Exalt (actually become Dragon-Blooded) until they are 10-20 years old the earlier schools are a little more general and focus on important but mundane abilities such as archery, mathematics, swordsmanship, religion, and other such topics. Those children who become one of the Terrestrial Exalted get a lot more attention from their families and various other higher education opportunities, including learning Sorcery or Immaculate Martial Arts. As a general matter the society values Dragon-Blooded far more than others, so children who fail to Exalt are considered extreme disappointments to their families. Quite a bit of information is provided on the various major schools.

The eleven Houses play an extremely important role in the Scarlet Empire, maintaining the military and economic backbone behind the rule of the Scarlet Empress. Every entry discusses the House generally and also presents goals, economics, alliances, and important NPCs within the House.

House Cathak has used its high Exaltation rate to build and field the strongest armies among all of the Houses. Members of the House are known for their great might, strategic insight, and occasional poor judgment. House Cathak is associated with the element of Fire.

House Cynis has extensive contacts with the Guild (a major economic power) and makes most of its fortune off of extensive participation in the slave trade. Known for orgies and all manner of unusual pleasures, many Dragon-Blooded from other Houses often deal with Cynis in an unofficial capacity. House Cynis is associated with the element of Wood.

House Iselsi is a dying House with, perhaps, a few decades of life left. After a failed assassination attempt by House members on the Scarlet Empress the House has been slowly destroyed by the Empress until little remains. House Iselsi is associated with the element of Water.

House Ledaal is active in attempting to do something about the Deathlords, which it considers to be a powerful threat to Creation. House members are known for their curiosity, inventiveness, and worldiness. They often encourage the other Houses to be more active in the world. House Ledaal is associated with the element of Air.

House Mnemon boasts more Exalts than any other House, and is a strong player in Realm politics. The House upholds education and discipline as strong virtues, and has more members enter the Immaculate Order (a group of monks) than any other House. House Mnemon is associated with the element of Earth.

House Nellens is unusual as it is ruled by mortal patricians. Exalted are rarer in this House and generally enjoy less attention than they would elsewhere. The House has a powerful sway over the mortals of the Blessed Isle, however, who hold the House in high regard. House Nellens is not associated with an element.

House Peleps controls the majority of the navy and is strongly loyal to the Realm. As it would happen members are also known for being liars, manipulators, cheats, and generally unsavory. House Peleps is associated with the element of Water.

House Ragara is the most accepted of the Houses and for good reason, they take pains to make friends with everyone and generally not hog the spotlight. An economic superpower, House Ragara lends money to just about everyone and reaps interest in both jade and favors. House Ragara is associated with the element of Earth.

House Sesus boasts a very powerful military but little else. While the House is known for incredible expertise in warfare, its lack of aptitude in any other pursuit is slowly killing it. House Sesus is associated with the element of Fire.

House Tepet is a House desperately trying to rebuild. Over the span of three months their legions were completely destroyed, along with most of the Dragon-Blooded in the family. Now they make offers to any and all Dragon-Blooded who wish to join their growing House. House Tepet is associated with the element of Air.

House V’neef is a strong, non-confrontational House known for its incredible breeding. The youngest of the Houses, V’neef boasts many merchants and traders using their charm to try and increase the strength of the House. House V’neef is associated with the element of Wood.

A discussion of “Lost Eggs” rounds out this chapter. Lost Eggs are Dragon-Blooded born outside the Realm, and obviously it is a term used by the Realm Dragon-Blooded who believe that all other Terrestrials should serve the Realm as they do. Generally Lost Eggs may still be adopted (if they are young) and take their place in the Realm. If they are older they can still serve, usually either as a soldier or a monk.

Chapter 2 The Outcaste 32 pages.

This chapter breaks down the Dragon-Blooded communities throughout creation by dividing them into the four cardinal directions. Each direction discusses major cities, families, organizations, and other groups that have a strong Dragon-Blooded focus. With multiple groups for every direction, there are quite a few different factions presented here.

The Scavenger Lands, Lookshy, The Forest Witches, White Wall, and organizations familiar to first edition veterans are presented in this chapter. A discussion of the groups’ politics, major goals, concerns, and other helpful information is provided. Plenty of information is provided to run campaigns based around these groups with this product alone, though there are no maps or other support to help flesh out exactly where these groups exist.

Chapter 3 Character Creation 18 pages.

Chapter 4 Traits 18 pages.

I am discussing these two chapters together because of their strong overlap.

Dragon-Blooded are largely created the same way Solar Exalted are, in that Attributes, Abilities, Advantages, and Bonus Points are spent to build a character. The largest difference is that instead of Castes Dragon-Blooded choose elemental Aspects. These Aspects determine what Abilities a Dragon-Blooded is naturally good at and provided a special bonus when their Anima flares.

Air Dragon-Blooded excel at Stealth and studious Abilities. When their Anima is activated they may triple their leaping distance, take no damage from falls, and may add their Essence to their Dodge DV against Archery and Thrown attacks.

Earth Dragon-Blooded are pillars of personal strength and have an intuitive knowledge of tactics. They gain a discount on resistance Abilities and War. Their Anima allows them to Soak attacks with their full Stamina, increase their Stamina by their permanent Essence while standing on the ground, and to resist grapple and knockdown attacks.

Fire Dragon-Blooded excel at Abilities involving passion and motion. They excel at many close combat and social Abilities. Their Anima makes them immune to fire while surrounding them with a nimbus of flame that harms everything in the area.

Water Dragon-Blooded excel at a mixture of Abilities that makes them both excellent seafarers and detectives. Their Anima allows them to breathe water, move freely in the water, and even run across water like solid earth.

Wood Dragon-Blooded excel at abilities related to the outdoors. When their Anima is activated they become immune to plant based toxins, produce a toxin from their skin, and may add their Dodge DV against weapons with wooden hafts or shafts.

Attributes are purchased through prioritizing Physical, Social, and Mental as with Solars but seven, six, and four dots are assigned to each priority. Abilities and Backgrounds are a little different. Those Dragon Blooded who were raised in the Scarlet Dynasty or Lookshy have gone through intense training all their lives. Dragon-Blooded of either group begin with 35 dots of Abilities, though each has required expenditures reflecting the sorts of Abilities they would focus on while growing up. Other Dragon-Blooded (the Lost Eggs) begin with 25 dots to distribute. In all three cases many of these dots must go into Favored Abilities, determined by Elemental Aspect.

For Backgrounds the Dynasts gain 12 dots, Lookshy Dragon-Blooded gain 13, and others gain 7. Certain Backgrounds are only available to a given group, and for the most part those who come from the Realm and Lookshy have far more resources at their disposal than other Dragon-Blooded. New Backgrounds are presented for the Dragon-Blooded, the three major ones worth mentioning being Arsenal, Breeding, and Connections.

Arsenal reflects a Dragon-Blooded who may take resources from a House or other organization that she serves. It is far more powerful than Resources, but anything a character takes for use must ultimately be accounted for. At level 5 Arsenal can purchase up to 85 Resource dots worth of equipment or Nine dots worth of personal equipment, easily enough to equip trusted henchmen and servants with the very best.

Breeding increases a Dragon-Blooded’s Personal and Peripheral Essence pools, makes it cheaper to activate the elemental Anima, and generally makes them a more desirable mate as their chance of breeding another Dragon-Blooded is much higher. Connections combines Contacts and Influence to create one powerful social background. Finally, it is worth noting that Artifact and Manse each award about twice what they do in a Solar game.

The Great Curse affects Dragon-Blooded, but on a much weaker scale and in a way that tends to manifest through their elemental nature. Anima Flux (the big nimbus that appears around Exalted when they spend lots of Peripheral Essence) is more destructive for the Dragon-Blooded, and tends to make it dangerous for them to be around allied troops or ride mounts during heavy combat. Finally, a new spell is presented called Sworn Brothers’ Oath that binds a group of Dragon-Blooded together so that they may take strength in their shared loyalty and devotion to one another.

Chapter 5 Charms 62 pages.

Charms are largely the same for the Dragon-Blooded as for the Solar Exalted, but there are some important differences. First, if a Charm is linked to an Ability that is not a Favored Ability the character must spend an extra mote of Essence to activate it. So, for example, if a Fire Aspect activates a Lore Charm they must spend one extra mote because Lore is a Favored Ability for the Air Aspects, not Fire. This represents a Dragon-Blooded drawing power from outsider their Elemental Aspect.

A Dragon-Blooded may use reflexive Charms whenever they like, even while using other Charms, and this use does not require a Combo. This lets the Dragon-Blooded be a lot more flexible in what they can do in combat than a Solar, but since their Essence pools tend to be very small they can’t combine Charms like this too frequently. Additionally, a Dragon-Blooded cannot more than double their Attribute + Ability dice pool by using Charms.

Along with these changes come new types of Charms. Cooperative Charms allow multiple Dragon-Blooded to pool their power for much greater Effect. A Fire and Earth Aspect could combine their Elemental Bolt to send a fiery blast of earth at an enemy, likely doing much more damage than they would as individuals. Elemental Charms have an affect based on the Aspect of the user. Elemental Bolt is also an Elemental Charm. A Fire Aspect does extra damage and throws a bolt of flame, while an Earth Aspect does a knock down effect and flings a blast of earth.

Dragon-Blooded Charms tend to be more efficient than Solar Charms, corresponding to the Dragon-Blooded’s smaller Essence pools. They also tend to be weaker than Solar Charms, producing smaller effects. Terrestrial Sorcerers may not learn Celestial or Solar Sorcery. However, that’s just game mechanics stuff. These charms are extremely cool, and almost impossible to read through without imagining a Dragon-Blooded calling upon their birthright to accomplish amazing feats of elemental power.

Chapter 6 Martial Arts 28 pages.

There are two martial arts styles available to most Dragon-Blooded: Five Dragon Style and Terrestrial Hero Style. Both are really neat techniques in their own right, but pale in comparison to the five Immaculate Styles. Those characters who choose to be Immaculate Monks receive fewer charms during character creation but may select from the Immaculate Styles. One exists for each of the elements, and students are not allowed to learn new styles until they have mastered their current technique. These martial arts are the sort Celestial Exalted use, and thus are far more powerful than most other Dragon-Blooded Charms. In short, the Immaculates gain powerful martial arts at the cost of greater Charm breadth.

Chapter 7 Storytelling 24 pages.

This chapter begins with a discussion of game styles, emphasizing the most common types of Dragon-Blooded games. House politics, monster hunting, boarding school drama, and other similar sorts of games are suggested. Variations on common game themes are also mentioned, and my favorite remains the suggestion of a boarding school drama set in the Heptagram (magic school) that borrows quite a bit from Harry Potter.

In addition to the many game suggestions this chapter provides an excellent discussion of what the Dragon-Blooded are capable of and how they compare to Solars. Flashbacks and other Storyteller techniques ideal for characters with such long life spans (Terrestrials live for centuries) are also discussed. The chapter concludes with a brief discussion about mixed games involving Celestial and Terrestrial Exalted and different options to make them work.

Finally, this chapter provides brief support for the Mandate of Heaven rules introduced in the Storyteller’s Companion by expanding the use of many of the Dragon-Blooded social charms.

My Take

As a product meant to update the 1st edition Dragon-Blooded this book does an excellent job. It is difficult to comment on the new Charms without seeing them in play, but they are generally more flavorful. The new Charm types (Cooperative and Elemental) are a welcome addition and highlight the two greatest strengths of Dragon-Blooded – their elemental power and coordination. Houses, Charm names and effects, and the vast majority of information related to the Dragon-Blooded remain unchanged from 1st edition. The final review score is really meant for those unfamiliar with Dragon-Blooded. Those who already own 1st edition are really only getting clearer writing and a 2nd edition update here.

For those who are new to Dragon-Blooded this is an incredible product. The writing here is very clear and well organized, making it easier than ever to understand Dragon-Blooded nature and culture. The Houses, Charms, NPCs, and myriad political groups really bring the product to life and give the reader a completely different perspective on Creation. While the power level is lower here, there are many opportunities to do extremely cool things and be a badass. Whether a character is commanding thousands of troops in the field, winning the day in the political arena, or hunting monsters throughout Creation the possibilities for fun and rewarding campaigns are endless.

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