RULES HACK: DOOM OF
THE BLACK EXALTATION
The following rules replace the rules for Resonance
and Dark Fate found in The Manual of Exalted Power—
The Abyssals. They are intended for use in the Gunstar
Autochthonia, Heaven’s Reach, and Exalted: the Modern
Age shards, as well as any other shard where the Abyssal
Exaltation’s curse is carried in its very nature, rather than
by ties to some external force such as the Neverborn. Storytellers
may also wish to use these rules in default-setting
Exalted series.
RESONANCE
Like other Chosen, Abyssals are cursed. Unlike their
brethren, this is not the lingering death-curse of the slain
Primordials, but an affliction arising from the deathly Essence
that suffuses their body, soul, and Exaltation. Abyssals
know this curse as the Black Resonance of the Grave, or
Resonance for short—a shadow cast over their lives, which
ensures that wherever they travel, death will follow close
at their heels. Resonance can be fought, mitigated, even
placated, but it can never be denied. So long as an Abyssal
bears the Black Exaltation, he must always take steps to
account for his nature, or risk being swallowed whole by
the power of death.
Each Abyssal Exalt has a 10-point Resonance track.
This works much like the Limit track of their Solar counterparts,
but with some key differences.
GAINING RESONANCE
There are several means by which Abyssals accumulate
Resonance:
• The Abyssal must define one Virtue he possesses
at a rating of 3 or above as his primary Virtue. When he
spends Willpower to defy this Virtue, he gains one point
of Resonance.
• The first time in a scene the Abyssal spends Willpower
to resist unnatural mental influence, he gains one
point of Resonance.
• Whenever the Abyssal experiences the trigger condition
of his Doom (see below), he must roll a number of
dice equal to the rating of the Virtue associated with the
Doom. He gains one Resonance per success.
• Siring or bearing a child with a living lover produces
three points of Resonance upon the child’s birth.
• Walking in Creation, among the living, without
adopting the trappings of death (see The Manual of Exalted
Power—The Abyssals, p. 95) produces one point
of Resonance at the end of a full week of masquerading as
one of the living without respite. (Deathknight infiltrators
may avoid this penalty so long as they privately retreat to
surround themselves with the trappings of death for at least
eight uninterrupted hours per week.)
• The Abyssal gains four points of Resonance after a
month elapses in which he has not slain any sentient living
creature, or permanently destroyed any spirit.
• The Abyssal gains one point of Resonance the first
time during a scene he is adversely affected by a Holy effect.
• While the Abyssal may acknowledge or use his living
name without automatically gaining Resonance, doing so
exacerbates his potential to gain Resonance by other means.
If he gains Resonance (or rolls to gain Resonance) in a
scene where he has already acknowledged his living name,
he automatically gains an additional point of Resonance.
If he acknowledges his living name in a scene after he has
already gained Resonance, then he gains an additional
point upon doing so.
LOSING RESONANCE
Abyssals may mitigate the build-up of Resonance by
embracing their deathly nature, or spreading the power of
death out of themselves and into the world around them.
• The Abyssal loses all Resonance once he recovers
from being swallowed by his Doom (see below).
• The Abyssal loses three points of Resonance after
spending a full month within the Underworld, or one
point after a full month within a shadowland. Moving
between the Underworld and shadowlands within a month
without stepping out into Creation counts as time spent in
a shadowland.
• Spending three days performing no significant exertions
while surrounded by the trappings of death (sleeping in
a crypt, wearing funereal garb, avoiding the sun, subsisting
on only blood, lighting incense and singing hymns to the
dead, etc) removes one point of Resonance.
• Permanently destroying a spirit or killing a sentient
living being in order to protect or promote the Abyssal’s
Motivation or one of his Intimacies removes one point of
Resonance (to a maximum of one point removed in this
manner per day).

RESONANCE BLEED
As Resonance accumulates within the Abyssal’s body
and soul, its deathly power bleeds out into the world,
producing eerie and unnerving phenomena. Such Resonance
Bleed effects are generally under the control of the
Storyteller, though players utilizing two or three-die stunts
may incorporate cosmetic Resonance Bleed effects into the
scene via dramatic editing. Resonance Bleed isn’t constantly
active, but comes and goes unpredictably while the Abyssal
is within certain degrees of Resonance buildup. As a
general rule, the higher the Abyssal’s Resonance, the more
frequently Resonance Bleed appears.
Resonance 1-2: Events conspire to cast the Abyssal
in a sinister light, and ill omens dog his heels, but these
events remain within the boundaries of possible coincidence.
When he arrives in town, he will like as not pass a
funeral procession on the road. When he opens the door
to a teahouse, the candles blow out. Gamblers experience
runs of bad luck in his presence. In settings containing high
technology, lights tend to dim when he appears.
Resonance 3-4: Minor unearthly effects manifest upon
the Abyssal. His eyes may gleam or glow in unnatural hues,
or his skin might grow ice-cold to the touch. His shadow
could include monstrous features such as barbs or spines,
or gesture menacingly and out of sync with the character’s
own movements. His reflection could appear twisted and
monstrous, or he might cast no reflection at all. His voice
could chime like mourning bells, or echo as though cast
into a vast cavern.
Resonance 5-6: Level 3-4 Resonance Bleed effects
become more common. Additionally, the character’s presence
begins to blight the world. Delicate plants may die at
his touch. A cold wind could follow him about, stirring his
hair and clothes and chilling those around him. Animals
might begin to howl and panic in his presence, or raitons
to crowd onto trees and rooftops wherever he lingers. What
food he touches could become spoiled, curdling or exploding
with maggots when cut into, while water he lingers
near becomes brackish and stale, or freezes solid. Shadows
stretch toward the Abyssal as though pulled in by some
awful gravity, or bow down in his presence regardless of
the actions of their owners.
In settings containing high technology, monitors and
televisions may begin to display static, or sudden jump-cuts
of disturbing imagery. Eerie wails emit from speakers, lighting
flickers, and blood may drip from ventilation systems.
Resonance 7-9: At this level the character experiences
near-constant level 3-4 Resonance Bleed effects, and
frequent level 5-6 effects. Additionally, during moments of
stress, emotion, or great concentration, truly frightening
deathly manifestations may appear around him. All divine
symbols within a mile might tarnish, crack, or shatter. If
the deathknight peers into a mirror while incensed, it is
likely to shatter or explode. The sky may grow dark and
overcast, flickering with black or red lightning and blocking
out the sun, building over the next hour to a terrible
storm. Seas might grow becalmed, or could be stirred into
violent froth. Corpses could whisper frantic prayers to the
Abyssal’s glory, or weeping red eyes might open in the
shadows all around. Those sleeping where the Abyssal
passes may be tormented by horrid nightmares in which
the Exalt features prominently.
In settings containing high technology, video
display systems may cease to function, displaying only
images of ghosts, corpses, or other unnerving imagery.
The voices of the dead can be heard from radios, speakers,
and telephones. Electrical lighting fails entirely, or
bulbs burst with no warning, while plumbing backs up
and spits out blood, or other, less identifiable but still
unwholesome substances.

THE CURSE: THE DOOM OF
THE ABYSSAL EXALTED
Each Abyssal carries a Doom, a deathly curse that
consumes him when he reaches Resonance 10. This curse
is chosen during character creation, and is tied to the
Abyssal’s primary Virtue (which must be a Virtue rated at
3+). Each Doom contains a trigger condition which may
cause the Abyssal to gain Resonance (see above). Unlike
the Great Curse which afflicts the Solar Exalted, Abyssals
may not spend Willpower to mitigate the effects of their
Doom, and experience no catharsis at its conclusion. While
the Great Curse seems to its victims to be their own fault,
a momentary lapse of control in which their passions break
free and lead them to blind and terrible acts, there is nothing
subtle about an Abyssal being swallowed by his Doom.
He is in the grip of a curse, bent beneath the weight of his
own terrible, deathly nature, and knows it.
CURSES OF COMPASSION
Doom of the Killing Saint
The Abyssal’s heart breaks, then drowns in a rising tide
of darkness. She cannot stand to witness an individual suffering,
and acts to alleviate such misery as best she is able.
If she cannot relieve an individual’s sorrow by other means,
then she sends them to the peace of the grave.
Duration: (Essence) days.
Trigger Condition: The character sees innocents suffering
and is unable to effectively intervene.
Doom of the Black Sun
Undone by her keen empathy, the Abyssal is no longer
able to withstand the constant awareness that she is an
affront to the living Essence of Creation and a perversion
of what her Exaltation was meant to be. She is driven to
retreat from the light of the sun, for only shadows and the
night can bring relief and hide her shame. The Abyssal must
make a Willpower roll each action (difficulty 3) to take any
action other than flee for the nearest available dark shelter
when exposed to the direct light of the sun. She must spend
a Willpower point to willingly leave such shelter and expose
herself to sunlight. Exposure to diffused sunlight, such as
on a heavily overcast day, or through heavy curtains, does
not trigger the compulsion to flee, but imposes a -1 internal
penalty on all actions.
Duration: (Essence) days.
Trigger Condition: The Abyssal experiences difficulty
achieving her goals because of fear or rejection by the living.
CURSES OF CONVICTION
Doom of the Scorched Heart
The Abyssal’s heart becomes as a burnt stone in his
chest. He neither feels nor expresses emotion—in his actions
he seems not robotic, but simply dead inside. He effectively
has no Intimacies while this Doom is in effect, and considers
only efficiency when selecting a course of action. This lack
of tact also imposes a -2 internal penalty on all Social rolls.
Duration: (Essence) days.
Trigger Condition: The character’s emotions lead him
into a course of action he regrets.
Doom of the Cold Soul
The Abyssal falls into a state of “cold mind,” emptying
her thoughts of all but her goals and passions and proceeding
with the single-mindedness of a restless spirit. She becomes
incapable of acting on any matter that has no bearing on her
Motivation or Intimacies, save to protect herself from direct
assault. An Abyssal under this Doom will pass by a burning
orphanage or the greatest of First Age treasures without
comment or a second glance, if they have no relevance to
her mission or those things she values.
Duration: (Essence) days.
Trigger Condition: The character suffers a personal setback
because she allowed herself to be distracted from her goals.
CURSES OF TEMPERANCE
Doom of the Heart’s Judge
The Abyssal’s heart becomes a scale in which those
around her are weighed and found worthy or wanting.
Any individual who expresses disrespect for his ancestors
or the dead in general, or who disdains his own life in her
presence, she is compelled to slay.
Duration: (Essence) days.
Trigger Condition: The character suffers a significant
setback due to the selfishness of others.
Doom of the Hungry Ghost
The Abyssal is filled with a great, aching, and uncontrollable
hunger for life, and seeks to fulfill this need at all
costs. She forgoes all other priorities to binge on the rudest
of living pleasures, gorging on food, sex, and blood, as opportunities
present themselves. A Temperance roll must be
made to avoid fighting anyone who attempts to deny the
Abyssal the pleasures she seeks.
Duration: One day.
Trigger Condition: The Abyssal must forego a worldly
pleasure to avoid endangering others.
CURSES OF VALOR
Doom of the Grave Blade
The character becomes an embodiment of death, answering
those she feels pose a challenge to the grave through
their bravado. Whenever she encounters a character that
seems to have no fear of death, she must challenge them to
battle. She slays those whose bravado exceeds their skill,
but is compelled to devise some reward for those who are
able to stand in the face of death’s avatar and triumph (assuming
she survives challenging them). This might mean
slaying a personal enemy on the fighter’s behalf, or perhaps
bequeathing her daiklave to the mighty one.
Duration: One day, or until she has appropriately
rewarded an individual who defeated her.
Trigger Condition: Another individual expresses a
lack of fear of death in the character’s presence, with apparent
sincerity. Doom of the Eternal Knight
Having been to the cusp of death and returned, the
Abyssal is without fear. Convinced that she is death’s master,
she recklessly places herself in the forefront of battle,
challenges enemies without regard to their strength, and
tackles missions regardless of the danger involved. She will
not retreat or back down under any circumstances.
Duration: (Essence) days.
Trigger Condition: The character’s valor is impugned