Back to Index or Rule Guidelines
The Exalted are larger than lives, embraced by the Gods and grander than destiny itself. They cannot help but attract the loyalty and service of others. A Follower is anyone who loyally serves one of the Celestial Exalted (the Dragon-Blooded have a slightly different system, using both Command and Henchman instead of Followers). What these individuals get from this relationship is often hard to see; most of them simply cannot help but bask in the reflected glory of the Exalt. Actual followers, of course, fall all around the entire spectrum. Some are true heroes in their own right, while others are but moths attracted to the flame of the Exalt.
The followers background represents the number of close friends, companions and servants the character has under him. There are two important notes for Followers. First, their loyalty must be specifically toward the Exalt himself. It's possible for Followers to be paid servants, but only if they would stay at the Exalts side even in the abscence of such things. Also, those who the Exalt has authority over only count as Followers if they consider him the person they serve and not whatever larger organization offically connects them. Lastly, and more importantly, Exalted are never followers. The strongest Followers are heroic mortals or even magical beings in their own right. However, the Chosen are never so meek. Instead, Exalted companions are measured as allies.
| Rating | Description |
| x | You face the dangers of the Second Age alone, with no one to stand beside you. |
| o | You are no longer alone, but have only begun to gain the loyalty of others. 5 points. |
| oo | You have attracted others, who add their own touches to your legend. 10 points. |
| ooo | You have taken up your mantle as one of Creation's true leaders. 15 points. |
| oooo | You have because a cause all your own, attracting the allegiance of others and becoming a force astride Creation. 30 points. |
| ooooo | You can no longer be considered simply 'one'; you are a multitude, a coalition of heroes that stands united against the world. 50 points. |
It is quite likely that individual Followers come and go, but in general, the legend of an Exalted tends to only grow -- only rarely will it actually shrink. As Followers fade away, die or retire from your service they are replaced by new fresh faces. It is possible for drastic events or personal foibles to turn an Exalted leader into an involuntary loner.
Optional Rule: Followers 0 -- A character might have 1 or 2 points of followers, even if he doesn't have any points in this backgrounds.
the Average Person (1 point)
It is not uncommon for the Exalted to attract the attention of average people, though for their own safety such followers are often pushed away so as not to endanger them. Some Exalted find some use for such followers, however, either as cannon fodder or lesser aides.
Some average people stand out more than others, however. Notables (2 points) have some special skill or trait that makes them more useful. They might be useful in combat, having some training in war. It is more likely that they have various useful skills, such as some Lore or skill at blacksmithing.
Heroic Mortals (5 points)
Some people stand out above the ruck and run of the average, being heroes in their own right who are attracted to the bright flame of the Exalted. These heroic individuals are able to stand on their own at the level of the Exalted, in some fashion, having full character sheets and all of their health levels. They are not treated as extras.
Some heroic mortals are more impressive than others. You can add to the cost of a Heroic Mortal by giving him the Experience or Knowledge backgrounds, at a rate of 2 points per dot of either background. Some of these mortals might initially be more potent than beginning characters, but the Exalted have the advantage due to charms and other abilities.
God-Blooded (10 points)
The most potent of the Exalted eventually begin to attract the attention of the particularly potent beings of Creation, those with legends and power all their own. These lesser heroes don't attach themselves to the star of just any Exalt, only acting as companions to those who are worthy of them. These potent followers are treated as minor allies, and generally demand a certain level of treatment.
The average God-Blooded has an Inheritance rating of 2. Every three extra points you spend on the God-Blood raises his Inheritance by 1, so that an Inheritance 5 Demon-Blooded follower would cost 19 points. You can purchase even more impressive beings such as Dragon-Kings, Mountain Folk, or other such beings for an increased cost. This cost is up to the Storytelller, but generally starts at 15.
Sometimes a Follower doesn't represent an discrete individual, but instead the loyalty and service of a large group of normal humans. These kinds of followers are not handled as above and each individual member of a pirate crew or a mercenary company does not have to be bought individually. Instead, you pay a certain flat cost for the allegiance of the group as a whole and any additional costs for notables, heroic mortals, or god-blooded.
Small Allegiance (10 points)
A small allegiance is a small self-contained group, that is used to being together over extended periods of time. These can include the crew of a trading or pirate vessel, the various employees and travellers of a caravan, the city guards stationed in a given part of town, or some similar good-sized group.
Large Allegiance (15 points)
A large allegiance is considerably more numerous than a small allegiance, but is still a pretty limited group all in all, with a distinct identity. It might be a large mercenary company, the members of a Bureau of the Thousand Scales, or most of the members of a small neighborhood in a large community.
Huge Allegiance (20 points)
A huge allegiance is large enough that its unlikely the character himself knows every individual member of it, and such individuals are likely to come and go in any event. However, the character holds the allegiance of the group as a whole. This might include a small army, the villagers in a given town, or the inhabitants of an entire neighborhood.
Why not use Backing?
The Backing background isn't quite the same as having the Allegiance of a larger group, though they can be quite similar. In general, you use Backing to have official standing in some kind of organization. A general in the Legions has Backing, as does a high-standing Factor of the Guild. Allegiance differs from backing in that its less formal and much more personal even at the highest levels. The young girl from the village that everyone loves might have Followers 5 because everyone loves her and is willing to do things to protect her and make sure she's okay, even now that she's Anathema. That doesn't mean that she's the mayor or the baron, however, which would be closer to what Backing represents...
Stryck Wiki