diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 303a561..9ae83e4 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ all:
       username: root@pam
       password: !vault |
         $ANSIBLE_VAULT...
-      host: pve01
+      node: pve01
       storage: local-lvm
 
   children:
@@ -268,7 +268,7 @@ The first user's credentials are prompted interactively via `vars_prompt` unless
 | `url`        | string | --      | API host (Proxmox/VMware)                            |
 | `username`   | string | --      | API username                                         |
 | `password`   | string | --      | API password                                         |
-| `host`       | string | --      | Proxmox node name                                    |
+| `node`       | string | --      | Target compute node (Proxmox node / VMware ESXi host; mutually exclusive with `cluster` on VMware) |
 | `storage`    | string | --      | Storage identifier (Proxmox/VMware)                  |
 | `datacenter` | string | --      | VMware datacenter                                    |
 | `cluster`    | string | --      | VMware cluster                                       |
diff --git a/inventory_example.yml b/inventory_example.yml
index c17a9d2..944cd4a 100644
--- a/inventory_example.yml
+++ b/inventory_example.yml
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ all:
       url: "pve01.example.com"
       username: "root@pam"
       password: "CHANGE_ME"
-      host: "pve01"
+      node: "pve01"
       storage: "local-lvm"
     boot_iso: "local:iso/archlinux-x86_64.iso"
   children:
diff --git a/roles/global_defaults/defaults/main.yml b/roles/global_defaults/defaults/main.yml
index 2cb2cf8..317001d 100644
--- a/roles/global_defaults/defaults/main.yml
+++ b/roles/global_defaults/defaults/main.yml
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ hypervisor_defaults:
   url: ""
   username: ""
   password: ""
-  host: ""
+  node: ""
   storage: ""
   datacenter: ""
   cluster: ""
@@ -136,10 +136,10 @@ system_defaults:
 # All virtual types additionally require network bridge or interfaces.
 hypervisor_required_fields:
   proxmox:
-    hypervisor: [url, username, password, host, storage]
+    hypervisor: [url, username, password, node, storage]
     system: [id]
   vmware:
-    hypervisor: [url, username, password, datacenter, cluster, storage]
+    hypervisor: [url, username, password, datacenter, storage]
     system: []
   xen:
     hypervisor: []
diff --git a/roles/global_defaults/tasks/_normalize_system.yml b/roles/global_defaults/tasks/_normalize_system.yml
index b8e12e6..b96f076 100644
--- a/roles/global_defaults/tasks/_normalize_system.yml
+++ b/roles/global_defaults/tasks/_normalize_system.yml
@@ -77,7 +77,12 @@
           if (system_raw.mirror | default('') | string | trim | length) > 0
           else _mirror_defaults[system_raw.os | default('') | string | lower] | default('')
         }}
-      path: "{{ system_raw.path | default('') | string }}"
+      path: >-
+        {{
+          (system_raw.path | default('') | string)
+          if (system_raw.path | default('') | string | length > 0)
+          else (hypervisor_cfg.folder | default('') | string)
+        }}
       packages: >-
         {{
           (
diff --git a/roles/global_defaults/tasks/main.yml b/roles/global_defaults/tasks/main.yml
index 1bcf33f..bba32b0 100644
--- a/roles/global_defaults/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/roles/global_defaults/tasks/main.yml
@@ -32,12 +32,19 @@
       api_host: "{{ hypervisor_cfg.url }}"
       api_user: "{{ hypervisor_cfg.username }}"
       api_password: "{{ hypervisor_cfg.password }}"
-      node: "{{ hypervisor_cfg.host }}"
+      node: "{{ hypervisor_cfg.node }}"
   no_log: true
 
 - name: Normalize system inputs
   ansible.builtin.include_tasks: system.yml
 
+- name: Inherit folder from hypervisor when system path is empty
+  when:
+    - system_cfg.path | default('') | string | length == 0
+    - hypervisor_cfg.folder | default('') | string | length > 0
+  ansible.builtin.set_fact:
+    system_cfg: "{{ system_cfg | combine({'path': hypervisor_cfg.folder | string}, recursive=True) }}"
+
 - name: Validate variables
   ansible.builtin.include_tasks: validation.yml
 
@@ -85,3 +92,12 @@
   when: hypervisor_type == "vmware"
   ansible.builtin.set_fact:
     ansible_connection: vmware_tools
+    ansible_vmware_host: "{{ hypervisor_cfg.url }}"
+    ansible_vmware_port: 443
+    ansible_vmware_user: "{{ hypervisor_cfg.username }}"
+    ansible_vmware_password: "{{ hypervisor_cfg.password }}"
+    ansible_vmware_guest_path: "/{{ hypervisor_cfg.datacenter }}/vm{{ system_cfg.path }}/{{ hostname }}"
+    ansible_vmware_validate_certs: "{{ hypervisor_cfg.certs | bool }}"
+    ansible_vmware_tools_user: root
+    ansible_vmware_tools_password: "{{ system_cfg.root.password }}"
+  no_log: true
diff --git a/roles/global_defaults/tasks/validation.yml b/roles/global_defaults/tasks/validation.yml
index 5994378..eda9916 100644
--- a/roles/global_defaults/tasks/validation.yml
+++ b/roles/global_defaults/tasks/validation.yml
@@ -166,6 +166,23 @@
     label: "hypervisor.{{ item }}"
   no_log: true
 
+- name: Validate VMware placement (cluster or node required, mutually exclusive)
+  when:
+    - system_cfg.type == "virtual"
+    - hypervisor_type == "vmware"
+  ansible.builtin.assert:
+    that:
+      - >-
+        (hypervisor_cfg.cluster | default('') | string | length > 0)
+        or (hypervisor_cfg.node | default('') | string | length > 0)
+      - >-
+        (hypervisor_cfg.cluster | default('') | string | length == 0)
+        or (hypervisor_cfg.node | default('') | string | length == 0)
+    fail_msg: >-
+      VMware requires either hypervisor.cluster or hypervisor.node (mutually exclusive).
+      cluster targets a vSphere cluster; node targets a specific ESXi host.
+    quiet: true
+
 - name: Validate hypervisor-specific required system fields
   when:
     - system_cfg.type == "virtual"
@@ -293,8 +310,8 @@
     system_disk_mounts: >-
       {{
         (system_cfg.disks | default([]))
-        | map(attribute='mount')
-        | map(attribute='path')
+        | map(attribute='mount', default={})
+        | map(attribute='path', default='')
         | map('string')
         | map('trim')
         | reject('equalto', '')
diff --git a/roles/system_check/tasks/main.yml b/roles/system_check/tasks/main.yml
index 5b205e5..b55b107 100644
--- a/roles/system_check/tasks/main.yml
+++ b/roles/system_check/tasks/main.yml
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@
       block:
         - name: Query Proxmox for existing VM
           community.proxmox.proxmox_vm_info:
-            node: "{{ hypervisor_cfg.host }}"
+            node: "{{ hypervisor_cfg.node }}"
             vmid: "{{ system_cfg.id }}"
             name: "{{ hostname }}"
             type: qemu
@@ -66,6 +66,7 @@
     - name: Check VM existence in vCenter
       when: hypervisor_type == "vmware"
       delegate_to: localhost
+      become: false
       module_defaults:
         community.vmware.vmware_guest_info:
           hostname: "{{ hypervisor_cfg.url }}"
@@ -106,6 +107,7 @@
     - name: Check if VM already exists on Xen
       when: hypervisor_type == "xen"
       delegate_to: localhost
+      become: false
       ansible.builtin.command:
         argv:
           - xl
diff --git a/roles/virtualization/tasks/vmware.yml b/roles/virtualization/tasks/vmware.yml
index 0bc89af..88d6d8f 100644
--- a/roles/virtualization/tasks/vmware.yml
+++ b/roles/virtualization/tasks/vmware.yml
@@ -32,7 +32,8 @@
           {%- endfor -%}
           {{ ns.out }}
       community.vmware.vmware_guest:
-        cluster: "{{ hypervisor_cfg.cluster }}"
+        cluster: "{{ hypervisor_cfg.cluster if (hypervisor_cfg.node | default('') | length == 0) else omit }}"
+        esxi_hostname: "{{ hypervisor_cfg.node if (hypervisor_cfg.node | default('') | length > 0) else omit }}"
         folder: "{{ system_cfg.path if system_cfg.path | string | length > 0 else omit }}"
         name: "{{ hostname }}"
         # Generic guest ID — VMware auto-detects OS post-install
diff --git a/vars_example.yml b/vars_example.yml
index 59c3871..ee5aa02 100644
--- a/vars_example.yml
+++ b/vars_example.yml
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@ hypervisor:
   url: "pve01.example.com"
   username: "root@pam"
   password: "CHANGE_ME"
-  host: "pve01"
+  node: "pve01"
   storage: "local-lvm"
   datacenter: "dc01"
   cluster: "cluster01"