Character Advancement

As characters go on adventures and grow and learn their statistics and traits can change. For this game, we will use Milestones, Breakthroughs and Power-Up events (each of which also contains the previous ones). In-caste Charms must always outnumber Out-caste at all points during these events, Abilities must be in a valid pyramid and no Approach can ever be raised above 5 (there is no pyramid or required relationship between approaches).

Milestones

For adjusting more than empowering the character.
After each week of in game time you can (if you like) do one of the following:

• Switch the ranks of two Approaches or Abilities†
• Rewrite one stunt
• Purchase a new stunt at the cost of one refresh
• Rewrite any one aspect (apart from High Concept)
• Swap one Charm

Breakthrough

At the end of each story arc, in addition to a Milestone you can do all of the following:

• Rewrite High Concept
• If you have any moderate or severe consequences not yet in recovery, you can begin the recovery process and rename them. Any that were already in recovery may now be cleared.
• Increase the rating of one approach or ability† by one step—even from Mediocre (+0) to Average (+1) or learn one new Charm

Power-Up

In addition to a Breakthrough, do all of the following:

• Gain a point of refresh (which you can immediately spend to gain a stunt)
• Increase an approach by one or learn one new Charm

†Abilities must follow the rules for the skill pyramid.

Charms, Essence and Scale

Each Exalted character’s power is expressed via Charms, Essence level and Scale, and these are related - the others increase based on the number of Charms known.

• Purchase 6th Charm, Essence raises to 2, Scale raises to 1
• Purchase 11th Charm, Essence raises to 3, Scale raises to 2
• Purchase 16th+ Charm, can attempt raising Essence to 4. When level 4 is achieved, Scale becomes 4
• Purchase 21st+ Charm, can attempt raising Essence to 5 (or 4 then 5). When level 5 is achieved, Scale becomes 6

Reaching Essence 4 and 5

To reach the higher levels of Essence the Charms threshold is not enough, the character must also immediately after purchasing the Charm start a period of meditation, at least 8 hours every day (each day missed requires two additional days). Three months to reach Essence 4, four months to reach Essence 5. Then roll an Overcome with difficulty 6, no scale counts. The typical Minor Cost is a flare of Essence that can be detected by someone interesting, Major Cost is the Character needing to start a major undertaking or quest that reflects their Caste in order to stabilise their Essence at the new level (abandoning the quest drops Essence back to the previous level, failure does not or of course the player can choose that the character failed and has to try again after their next Charm purchase.

Essence 6 is possible, as might be still higher levels but exceeding 5 requires at least a century of experience as an Exalted.