Exalted Scenes 8.0: a whole new way to run your scenes (Patreon)

Hey everyone! <3

I've been really excited to share this one with you. Exalted Scenes 8.0 is here, and it changes the part of the module that bothered me the most: how much work it could take to use it.

I love what Exalted Scenes lets us do at the table. But, as it grew, it also picked up more windows, more menus, more layers on top of layers. Sometimes a simple change in a scene took far more clicking than it should. I felt that in my own games, too.

So, for this update, I wanted to rethink the whole experience. And this is the change I'm happiest about.

Everything together, in one window

Meet the Directing Desk. Scenes on the left, characters in the middle, controls on the right.

Your cast, the way the scene looks, the music, the layout. It's all right there. You can make a change, preview it privately on your own screen, and press Play when you're ready to share it with your players.

The interface is simpler, but the module hasn't lost its depth. Portraits, Hero Mode, Theater, slideshows, sequences, Cast Only, and the Narrator Jukebox integration are still here. I wanted to make those tools easier to reach and more comfortable to use.

Change the place. Keep your preparation.

This is probably my favorite thing in 8.0.

Imagine your party walking through a forest and arriving at a clearing. Same characters, same conversation, just a different place. Now you can change the background and your cast, expressions, and settings come with you. You don't have to put everything back together just because the story moved a few steps.

And if you like preparing a specific setup for a scene ahead of time, you can absolutely still do that. Save its cast and settings, then load that saved setup from the Scene controls when the moment comes. Your carefully prepared scene is still yours to call up.

I really wanted both ways of playing to feel good: making changes as the session unfolds, and having something special ready before everyone sits down.

Rain, snow, fog, and ash. Finally!

You've been asking for these for months, and I'm very happy they're finally here.

The new Atmosphere controls let you add rain, snow, fog, and ash to your scenes. Put them behind the characters, in front of them, or in both layers, adjust the look, and save your favorite combinations as presets.

It makes such a lovely difference to the mood of a scene. And each player can choose a lower weather quality or turn it off on their own screen if they need to.

Foundry targeting, right from the character

Another request that made it into this update: native Foundry targeting.

When a character is linked to a token on the current map, hover over their portrait or Hero artwork and press your Target key, T by default. You're targeting their actual Foundry token. Hold Shift if you want to keep your other targets selected, too.

A few more things you'll find inside

There are quite a few smaller changes alongside the big ones:

A new character workshop, with clearer tools for identity, emotions, and Hero poses.

Easier imports. Bring in whole folders of emotions, or add multiple backgrounds in one go.

More control over audio changes. With Narrator Jukebox, choose whether the next scene keeps the current music and ambience or replaces them.

Light and Dark looks for the new windows, plus clearer display and stage controls.

Seven languages across the new screens: English, Portuguese (Brazil), Spanish, French, German, Japanese, and Polish.

Lots of fixes, including character flickers, audio restarting during background changes, and inconsistencies between the GM and player views.

Thank you for helping me get here

Exalted Scenes is one of the modules that means the most to me. Seeing how many of you enjoy it makes me want to keep taking better care of it.

I'm excited about the new effects and features, of course. But what I'm most excited for you to feel is how much quicker and more enjoyable it is to run a scene now. Open the window, change what you need, and get back to the people at your table.

You can find Exalted Scenes on Foundry VTT. It supports Foundry V13 and V14 and installs through Foundry's premium content system. If you have access through Patreon, make sure your Patreon access is linked to your Foundry account.

Thank you for the patience, the ideas, the bug reports, and for supporting this work. I really hope you enjoy 8.0. Let me know how it feels in your games! <3

Gabú