The August Art of Getting Shit Done
Bureaucracy. A skill that might, at first glance, seem useless – how often in, say, D&D are you going to be rolling to fill out paperwork?
In Exalted, Bureaucracy can be an incredibly powerful skill, because you are an incredibly powerful person. Especially in the Realm, where formal systems allow the wise to exploit the systems for personal gain, a skilled bureaucrat can be an invaluable ally – or a devastating foe.
The Power of Systems
Exalted attempts to present a world based on history, and the fact of history is that those who had power structured a system to benefit those who know how to use it. Kings, ministers, and other officials wielded incredible power, and in Exalted your fledgling kingdom can be made or broken by the people you invite to be part of it.
This is all a long-winded way of saying that if you choose to be good at Bureaucracy, and you make sure to actually use it, you can enact some major wide-reaching and subtle change. Adjusting tax rates and negotiating import/export duties doesn’t sound thrilling, but a well-placed bribe in the form of a marginal tax break can sway some people more than even a knife to their throat.
Administration
Administration is your ability to work within an existing system. You use this aspect of Bureaucracy to interact with ministers and be part of a bigger system.
Orchestration
Orchestration is your ability to orchestrate projects and organize lots of people to work to a shared goal. You use this aspect of Bureaucracy to run a business, manage employees, and plan and execute projects.