Exalted: The Dragon Blooded

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Game type: RPG
Core or Supplement: Supplement
Publisher: White Wolf
Medium: Hardbound
Price: $29.95
Review by: Randall Constant

Everyone who is a fan of the Exalted RPG by White Wolf has, of course, been waiting for a Dragon Blooded supplement. After all, one of the attractive aspects of any White Wolf game is the fact that you can play anything that exists in their world. All species, races, factions, and creeds are open for experimentation in the White Wolf universe. The Dragon Blooded of Exalted are no different.

What surprised me immediately with The Dragon Blooded supplement was the book itself. It's huge. In fact this sourcebook is almost the size of the core rulebook. It is also hard bound. You would think that it is another game unto itself, but it isn't. The entire book is pure background and source material.

You not only get all the mechanical information that you need to play a Dragon Blooded character, but you also get an in depth description of culture. Everything from the origins of their empire to, personal relationships, marriage, coming of age, philosophy, entertainment, education, and marriage traditions.

Mechanically speaking, I was glad to see that there was no power creep in this supplement. As stated in the core rules, Solar Exalted are more powerful and this has been upheld in this supplement. This is not to say that the Dragon Blooded are weak, but it still remains obvious why that the Solar Exalted were the leaders of the Realm before their fall. I liked the direction that White Wolf took with the Dragon Blooded's powers – they are elemental based and actually quiet stylish. The Dragon Blooded's abilities are very military as is appropriate for their history.

Something else that I was glad to see was that White Wolf resisted the urge to "white wash" the Dragon Blooded. The society of the Dragon Blooded is elegant but cruel. Bigotry, corruption, elitism, and decadence are hallmarks of their culture and this supplement continues this. While that there is plenty to draw one to want to play a Dragon Blooded, there is nothing to make you admire them. In my opinion this is as it should be. This is a society of great potential that went horribly wrong.

The fiction in this book is very good. The stories do a great job of showing the reader the mind-set that they will be dealing with in the game. One of the stories gives a bonus. Read carefully and you will find out what happened to the Scarlet Empress! If you are a fan of the World of Darkness supplements, this is yet another tie-in between the two worlds. That's the great thing about White Wolf they always bring it together.
 
As for production value, the book is very good. Again you're getting a hardbound cover, with great art. The interior is easy to read, and has a nice layout. My only gripe is that the interior art often has nothing to do with what you are reading. Still, the art does display the tone of the supplement.

Overall, I would have to say that this is probably the best game supplement I've ever read in terms of content. White Wolf put a lot of work into it and it shows.

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