Exalted

Exalted are fair-skinned humanoids with a heavenly aura and a glow of peace and natural grace, opposite the nature of the changed world surrounding them. Most exalted are the direct offspring of angels and mortals, though some are the result of the union of two exalted or from bloodlines that include exalted blood in their past.

Some say that the exalted are an indication of the sheer desperation of the forces of good and law. The forces of evil regard with contempt the angels’ mating with humanity to bolster the number of agents for rightness and morality.

In the name of good and law, especially in these incredibly dire circumstances, the ends can justify the many means, and the exalted are not always the faultless paragons of virtue that they aspire to be.

Racial Traits

Your human character has these traits.

• Ability Score Increase. Your ability scores each increase by 1.
• Age. Humans reach adulthood in their late teens and live less than a century.
• Alignment. Most humans tend toward lawful alignments, while chaotic exceptions live as rebels in the fortress cities or work to escape from undead slavery. Humans follow a wide range of moral philosophies; good, evil, and neutral humans can be found everywhere.
• Size. Humans vary widely in height and build, from barely 5 feet to well over 6 feet tall. Regardless of your position in that range, your size is Medium.
• Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
• Languages.You can speak, read, and write Common and one extra language of your choice. Humans typically learn the languages of other peoples they deal with, including obscure dialects.

Variant Racial Traits

These are in addition to the variant human traits listed in the core rules.

• Heart of the Fortress. Many humans of the fortress cities train their entire lives in the fine art of combat and weaponry. You gain proficiency in martial weapons. This racial ability replaces the Ability Score Increase trait.
• Heart of the Wastes. You have proficiency in Perception and Survival. In addition, you gain advantage on saving throws to resist poisons and disease. This racial ability replaces the Ability Score Increase trait.
• Heart of the Twilight. Humans living under the dreadful rule of the undead have adapted over time to the dark conditions they are forced to work under. You can see in dim light within 30 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray. This racial ability replaces the Ability Score Increase trait.

Personality

The exalted project an aura of defiance and desperation. Many blame the gods for the current state of affairs and, unable to strike at the gods or their messengers, they strike at the exalted. Though they are twice removed from the target of blame, they are the only ones an angry populace can turn their revenge upon.

Exalted tend to be thoughtful and long-suffering; many develop a martyr complex over time, feeling unappreciated by and even turning on the people they have tried to help, who seem to be ungrateful at best. No matter the setbacks or disappointments-often as they are-the exalted always seem able to pick themselves back up and carry on, though.

The exalted strive to be open, to care, and to understand the state of the world and the problems of the people in it. Unfortunately, this tendency leaves them open to being exploited, which they are. It is difficult, even for the most determined of exalted, to maintain a face of calm, peace, and goodness; even when it breaks down, though, some small seed of their nature remains: the trust and belief in the essential goodness of man.

Physical Description

The exalted are considered beautiful by mortal standards.

Typical exalted are of medium height and build, with light skin ranging from milky white to glowing tan. For some reason, all exalted, male and female alike, are bald and cannot grow hair upon their heads.

The divine blood from their angelic side reacts with the inherent sin of their mortal body to produce swirling patterns on their skin, which appear as tribal tattoos; none are born without these marks. Those who slip from their high moral expectations find themselves marked even more, as their divine blood mixes with the unavoidable blasphemy of living day to day in the realities of the world.

Relations

Due to the angelic nature of the exalted, others typically avoid developing any relations with them, fearing retribution from the great powers. Exalted, by their nature, are open, caring, and understanding, but many forces in the world have foolishly taken this as a weakness.

Those who have failed to seize control over an exalted have come to know what the term “divine fury” truly means.

Lands

The exalted have no homeland. They can be found scattered around the world, avoiding each other more than seeking others of their kind, as exalted in numbers attract too much attention from the undead and the forces of chaos. Older exalted take into their care exalted children who have reached their teenage years, teaching them of their birthright and their history before releasing them to wander the lands alone. These connections bind the exalted with a sense of racial oneness; without it, they would be nothing more than singular, isolated freaks of nature.

Names

All exalted share the same family name of “Al Zebadiah” as a mark of respect to their spiritual father. All exalted are named on the seventh day after their birth by their divine parent, though they may also carry a separate mortal name.

Male Names: Amon, Chiram, Darnass, Esdras, Itai, Lemuel, Matyas, Taneli, Xyphon, Zuriel

Female Names: Abra, Brachah, Elisavet, Hephzibah, Kefira, Matea, Ora, Parash, Yona, Zapheth

Family Names: Al Zebadiah

Racial Traits

Your exalted character has a number of traits in common with other exalted.

• Ability Score Increase. You gain a +2 bonus to any one ability score.
• Age. Exalted mature at the same rate as humans but live up to three centuries.
• Alignment. Most exalted are lawful by nature and do not veer from that position; most are also good. Exalted inherit a powerful moral compass from their divine aspect and usually have a defined and absolute sense of right and wrong that they are powerless to alter. Eventually, the sheer grind of living day to day chips away at the edges of these beliefs, but the exalted are markedly more devoted to their particular alignment than most. While all too many exalted fall to evil, an exalted falling to chaos is unheard of.
• Celestial Heritage. You have a mixed human and angelic heritage and are considered to have the celestial creature type.
• Size. Your size is Medium.
• Speed. Your base walking speed is 30 feet.
• Darkvision. You can see in dim light within 60 feet of you as if it were bright light, and in darkness as if it were dim light. You can’t discern color in darkness, only shades of gray.
• Divine Spells. Choose two of the following spells from the cleric spell list: ceremony, cure wounds, protection from good and evil, purify food and drink, or sanctuary. You may cast each of these spells once between long rests. Charisma is your spellcasting ability for these spells.
• Extra Language. You gain one of the following languages: Celestial, Draconic, Dwarven, Elven, Gnome, and Infernal.
• Hand of Grace. You gain proficiency in one additional type of saving throw of your choice.
• Languages.You can speak, read, and write Common and Exalted.

Variant Racial Traits

• Angelic Wings. As bonus action, you can manifest a set of translucent, multicolored angelic wings. With these wings, at 1st level you gain the benefits of feather fall, and you can manifest the wings as a reaction. At 3rd level, you can use the wings to levitate for a number of minutes equal to your level. At 5th level, you can fly for a number of minutes equal to your level. These minutes need not be consecutive, but they must be spent in 1-minute increments. Levitation and flight each recharge following a long rest. This replaces the divine spells racial trait.
• Elemental Resistance. You have resistance to your choice of cold or lightning damage. This replaces the hand of grace racial trait.
• Soulsword. As an action, you create a 3-foot-long beam of bright white light, fashioned partially from a piece of your soul and wielded as if it were a short sword. Attacks with the soulsword are melee weapon attacks that deal 1d6 points of lightning damage plus a number of points equal to your proficiency bonus. Because the blade is immaterial, Strength modifiers do not modify damage dealt by the soulsword. Against fiends and undead, the soulsword deals 1d8 points of lightning damage plus double your proficiency bonus. The soulsword lasts 1 minute per level and recharges following a short rest. This racial trait replaces the divine spells racial trait.

Adventurers

Exalted cannot help but be thrust into a life of adventure.

If they are found, they will be hunted. Even if they try to hide, their over-developed sense of right and wrong will soon force them into harm’s way. Exalted are doomed to be adventurers, as it is the only way of life that can give them real purpose and a chance of survival.