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Lunars: Fangs at the Gate $19.99
Average Rating:4.9 / 5
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Lunars: Fangs at the Gate
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Lunars: Fangs at the Gate
Publisher: Onyx Path Publishing
by Aowyn B. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 11/28/2022 04:46:51

Lunars: Fangs at the Gate was, based on what I was initially told about the Lunars, based on their write ups in 1st and 2nd Edition for Exalted, was something I was a mixture of pre-emptively dissappointed in and curious to see how Lunars would flounder yet again. I was extremely happy to see I was completely wrong, and the Lunars presented for Exalted 3e makes them among the most compelling Exalted in the context of the greater setting, and their purpose in it.

Mechanically, the Charms are far more readable and have more utility than they did in 1st and 2nd Edition Exalted. The focus on attributes is the same, but its done in a much more deliberate and universal manner, boiling down the extra complexity of knacks into a far more usable and easy to grasp system alongside, as a whole, far more better and focused charms, with Knacks and Charms just being rolled into charms. Mechanically, the Lunars exist above the Dragon-Blooded and below the Solar Exalted, as expected, and, based on the basic mechanics we have for Exalted NPC stats, pretty on par with Liminal and Sidereal Exalted.

But the greatest aspect of Fangs at the Gate isn't good crunch, it's the excellent fluff. Lunars are somewhat notorious for some of the particularly gross or nasty parts of their characterization, and feeling relatively out of place in the larger setting, and existing as the lesser to Solars, rather than a fully dynamic Exalted culture. That has since been changed, with the Silver Pact being a coalition of states meant to be the primary opposition to the Realm, Dragon-Blooded, and their Sidereal string pullers. There are 400 Lunars to 300 Solar Exalted (including their subtypes), so the Solar Bond is an optional player choice, rather than having the looming spectre of a controlling Solar-type exalt who could show up at any time to force you into submission. The Beastmen were reworked to merely be either the Children of Humans and Lunars in a Hybrid form, or those that passed a special trial constructed by Lunars, rather than the previous descriptions for how Beastmen were made. Many Lunars as a whole, like Raksi, Ma-ha-Suchi, and Lilith were rewritten around their established themes, and the 3e takes on their characters is a refressing take while still being true to their core themes.

The final aspect is the one that spoke to me the most. Luna loves outcasts and survivors, doers and those pushed to the fringes. The appeal of shapeshifting and personal liberation has blatant appeals to non-cisnormative people, and as a whole, this book weaves that in wonderfully. Luna loves their children, and the gender-queer of them aren't treated any lesser, and are given the bodies they always wanted. Its neither diminished or played for queer-baiting, and several key characters are presented as Nonbinary, Trans, and Genderfluid in respectful ways, and as a whole, as a Transwoman myself, from their lackluster place in earlier editions, Lunars are simply put hands down the Exalt that I adore the most in 3e, purely from this Exalt Book alone.

This book was beautifully written through and through, and definitely worth the price, even at full. The mechanics, fluff, and themes are excellent and well constructed, and finally gives Lunars a damn amazing place in the setting.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Lunars: Fangs at the Gate
Publisher: Onyx Path Publishing
by Corey R. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 02/11/2022 16:45:51

I just finished my cover to cover read-through today. The charm set is amazing. The thematic domain of the Lunars is incredible. Simple but powerful rules for shapeshifting are much appreciated. It's definitely a great addition to the Third Edition line. There is a distracting amount of sexual deviancy in this book. And while that is to be expected in a gender-bending splat like Lunars, it really is way over the top here.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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Lunars: Fangs at the Gate
Publisher: Onyx Path Publishing
by Justin S. [Verified Purchaser]
Date Added: 01/22/2021 22:56:43

The Lunar Exalted have always been in the worst spot compared to the other Exalt types. In 1E, Lunars were safely regarded as the worst written of all the splatbooks, with the initial intention of never being playable only to be written without coherent themes in mind and then pigeonholed into a ravaging barbarian archetype. While 2E Lunars was certainly an improvement, that was certainly a bar that was low enough to trip on. In terms of their presentation they lacked a coherent place in the setting beyond sidekicks to Solars or else nebulous social engineers without any of the mechanics needed to actually bring this about. Their charmset was also awkward, and poorly put together.

3E offers a genuinely coherent vision for Lunars by starting with a simple idea of opposition to the Realm and its successors. They lack the passivity of 2E Lunars, who were unusually tolerant of a government that considers them enemies that must be purged on sight. However, they are not pigeonholed as rampaging destroyers of 1E, either. They have a charm set that's far better equipped towards shaping and building societies, as well as elements of tricksters and manipulators that go into far more depth than prior editions. The Lunar power set is flexible, creative, and thematically evocative. The art in the book is, compared to 3E's core, far more consistent in quality along with some fairly briliant pieces in place, and the setting fluff gives Lunars a far stronger role in a setting.

Even if 3E is not your preference, I do recommend this book to Exalted fans, both to finally give Lunars a coherent place in the setting as well as have examples of powers and abilities that are both effective and interesting. This is a definite improvement compared to poor showings from prior editions, and after the stellar showing that the Dragonblooded also benefitted from I am very eager to see how future splats and archetypes develop.



Rating:
[5 of 5 Stars!]
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