Difference between revisions of "SolarSail/IsawaBrian"

Latest revision as of 02:36, 9 June 2010

• SolarSail
• IsawaBrian

 <b>Cost: 1 mote per die
 Duration: Instant
 Type:  Supplemental
 Minimum Sail: 1
 Minimum Essence: 1
 Prerequisite Charms: None

The Exalt invests his Essence into the ship he commands, making it responsive to his will. This Charm may also be used to gain an intuitive understanding of maps. For each mote of Essence spent on this Charm, the player may add one die to a single Sail action, but can no more than double the Solar's normal Attribute + Sail pool.

In second edition, this Charm works very differently.

 Cost: --; Mins: Sail 5, Essence 3; Type: Permanent
 Keywords: None
 Prerequisite Charms: Invincible Admiral Method

The amazing discipline of a Lawgiver at sea inspires his troops, granting them ferver equal to the Solar's own. When the character activates Invincible Admiral's Method, he may opt to commit an extra 3 motes and spend an additional 1 willpower. By doing so, the character supernaturally charges his will and virtues, granting the Solar and his troops determination at a cost of some flexibility. In addition to the normal effects, Invincible Admiral Method also grants an automatic success on all virtue or willpower rolls made in pursuit of the Solar's motivations and intimacies, or when made to support loyalty to the Solar.

This will make it impossible to fail virtue rolls, but only on rolls falling into one or more of the above three categories, and only when the action required by the virtue would support one of those conditions. For example, if a character has an intimacy to a code of honor and, enraged, attempted to strike down surrendered pirates, he would gain an automatic success on the resulting Compassion roll. On the other hand, if a different character has an intimacy to destroying the Fair Folk, and an Imperial Raksha uses a Charm that requires the character to fail a Temperance roll to attack that Noble Fae, this would not apply; similarly, if the character had no applicable intimacies or motivations, it would be irrelevant.

 <b>Cost: 5 Motes, 1 Willpower
 Duration: One Scene
 Type:  Simple
 Minimum Sail: 4
 Minimum Essence: 3
 Prerequisite Charms: Stern Captain's Hand, Mast's Unbreakable Will Prana

On the seas, the victor is often one who knows the roll and buck of the deck more than the master of arms. A Solar using this Charm attunes herself to the wild motion of a ship on the high seas, granting her tricks and mastery of combat that she might otherwise fail in. Until the end of the scene, the Solar may use Sail in place of any combat ability while on a ship or boat. This will apply to abilities she has no dots in.

In Second Edition, this Charm is Combo-OK, Obvious, and requires Any Sail Excellency and Infinite Sail Mastery. Remember to recalculate DVs with Sail.

 <b>Cost: 3 motes per success
 Duration: Instant
 Type:  Supplemental
 Minimum Sail: 1
 Minimum Essence: 1
 Prerequisite Charms: None

By bonding his Essence to that of sailor's tools-- ropes, rigging, tiller, map, sextant, and so forth-- a Solar can channel his spiritual strength into his works and achieve feats of sailing beyond the comprehension of mere mortal sailors. After making an ordinary Attribute + Sail roll, the player may purchase additional successes for 3 motes of Essence each, up to a maximum of the number of successes rolled + the Exalted's Essence.

In second edition, this Charm works very differently.

 Cost: --; Mins: Sail 4, Essence 4; Type: Permanent
 Keywords: None
 Prerequisite Charms: Salty Dog Method

Adrift on the worst seas, a Solar pilot fears no storm or treacherous reefs. The deepest fog or the worst reflection-born mirages will not hamper the Solar's journey. When using Salty Dog Method, the character may spend an additional 3 motes to reduce all penalties directly related to the naval environment (specifically not including unrelated penalties such as DVs and MDVs) to 0, regardless of their original amount.

 <b>Cost: 3 motes
 Duration: One Scene
 Type:  Supplemental
 Minimum Sail: 1
 Minimum Essence: 1
 Prerequisite Charms: None

Ships live. Maps are icons of the world; of Gaia herself. The ghosts of old sailors watch and guard the living. These... truths... are well known to the superstitious who sail the sea, but there is an element of veracity to them. A Solar sailor who has mastered the Hundredfold Navigator Essence can attune herself to the very ambient essence that surrounds the activity of sailing, becoming supernaturally superior upon the sea. For the remainder of the scene, add her Essence score in automatic successes to any Sail rolls.

In Second Edition, this Charm requires Infinite Sail Mastery, Sail Essence Flow, and at least one extra Sail Excellency. It costs 6 motes and 1 willpower. It has as Minimums Sail 5 and Essence 4.

 <b>Cost: 4 motes, 1 Willpower
 Duration: One Scene
 Type:  Simple
 Minimum Sail: 4
 Minimum Essence: 2
 Prerequisite Charms: Hundredfold Navigator Essence, Wind-Defying Course Technique

A Solar with this Charm makes his ship incredibly responsive and smooth, cutting and turning through the water as though pushed by a giant hand. This Charm may not be used on a ship larger than the Exalted's Essence x 20 feet in length. For the remainder of the scene, the Exalt's permanent Essence is added to the Maneuverability Rating of the vessel. This may result in a positive number.

In Second Edition, this Charm is Combo-OK. It does not have a maximum length, and only requires Storm-Weathering Essence Infusion, though it does require Sail 5. In addition to its basic abilities, add the character’s Sail to the Dodge DV of the vessel—after adding Essence to Maneuverability.

 <b>Cost: 4 motes, 1 Willpower
 Duration: One Day per dot of Permanent Essence
 Type:  Simple
 Minimum Sail: 3
 Minimum Essence: 2
 Prerequisite Charms: Salty Dog Method

The light of the Sun itself can be transformed into motive power by the will of a Solar. This relatively simple charm energizes a ship's sails with whirling icons of Solar Essence. These icons catch incoming sunlight and propel the ship with the energy thus released, just like a wind. For a ship in transit, it can mean a burst of incredible speed. For a becalmed ship on the open ocean, it can mean salvation. For every dot in Permanent Essence the Solar has, the ship will act (for the purposes of speed only) as though it had one higher rank of windspeed behind it. This is only applicable in full light. In cloudy or foggy conditions, reduce the amount of speed given as appropriate, to a minimum of 0. This Charm has no effect at night or in utter darkness.

In Second Edition, this Charm is Combo-OK and Obvious. It only costs 3 motes, 1 willpower.

 <b>Cost: None
 Duration: Permanent
 Type:  Special
 Minimum Sail: 5
 Minimum Essence: 3
 Prerequisite Charms: Phantom Crew Charm

This is not really a Charm, but rather a development of Essence-attuning exercises that greatly expands the capacity of a Solar to utilize his Sail Charms over larger vessels. Add the character's Sail score to his Essence for the purposes of determining the maximum length of vessel he can use a Charm on (typically (Essence + Sail) x 20 feet).

In Second Edition, this Charm instead allows the character to use bonds of loyalty to “spread” ownership. The character may act as though they ‘own’ any ship owned by someone who is loyal to them, whether through friendship, fealty, or some other means, so long as they do not directly cross the will of an owner.

 <b>Cost: 10 motes, 1 Willpower + variable
 Duration: One scene
 Type:  Extra Action
 Minimum Sail: 5
 Minimum Essence: 4
 Prerequisite Charms: Phantom Crew Charm

The Solar spreads her mind and Essence over her ship, specifically wrapping her consciousness around the weapons her ship carries. Her powerful will seizes control of those weapons, operating them in unison with her desire. For the remainder of the scene, the Solar may operate up to her Essence in weapons on her ship (which may be no longer than her Essence x 20 feet in length) independently, with no need for crew or to split her die pool. This in effect functions as an Extra Action Charm, except that the character may still split her one "physical" action. She may not, however, utilize another Extra Action Charm.

Mental Naval Defense can also be used to power weapons that could not ordinarily be powered by the character; in which case, they require twice as many motes to fuel if available. If not, calculate the cost based on the level of Artifact.

In Second Edition, this Charm is Combo-Basic and Obvious. It has no maximum length.

 <b>Cost: 6 motes, 1 Willpower
 Duration: Special
 Type:  Simple
 Minimum Sail: 4
 Minimum Essence: 2
 Prerequisite Charms: Weather-Anticipating Intuition

In the First Age, Solars were given mastery over all of Creation. Although the Air-blooded and the Chosen of Journeys might have disagreed, this very specifically included mastery over the weather. Although any real command of the weather (and the mighty Aerial Legions!) would require in-depth working with the Bureau of Seasons, certain simple prayer-charms can be redeveloped by Solars with ease, and can be operated without disturbing the Celestial Bureaucracy too much.

The Solar's player makes either a Charisma or Manipulation + Sail roll. For every success gained, the wind will shift either one heading in direction or one level of strength. Technically, this is a natural wind-- the local weather patterns have been slightly altered according to the Solar's whim. In theory, it should last as long as any other blow of its strength would. In practice, because of the rigidly-controlled schedules of the weather bureaucracy, such winds will rarely last more than the Solar's Essence in hours; but the GM may lengthen this amount, especially if the character adds a suitable prayer during this time. It does not constitute an offense against Heaven to accept or give such a prayer, as again, the weather is technically in the purview of the Solars.

In Second Edition, this Charm is Combo-OK It requires Any Sail Excellency.

 <b>Cost: 10 motes, 2 Willpower
 Duration: One Hour per dot of Permanent Essence
 Type:  Simple
 Minimum Sail: 5
 Minimum Essence: 3
 Prerequisite Charms: Missive to the Winds

A development of the Missive to the Winds Prayer-Charm, this Charm allows the Solar to actually befriend the spirits that command a Storm-- its Celestial monitoring Bureaucrat and its Elemental inhabitants. Unless the storm is awakened, this simply means that the Storm will somehow manage to avoid damaging the Solar's vessel while still propelling her onwards. The character may also direct up to her Essence in miles worth of the storm to break off and move elsewhere. Before the end of the Charm, the storm will politely position itself so that the Solar is not under its direct effects, but still has as favorable of a wind as is possible.

If the Storm is awakened-- an actual, embodied spirit is present-- it will listen to reasonable commands on the part of the Solar for roughly an hour. Requests that would put the Storm-entity in danger or would seem to be risky in light of the rules of Heaven require a social roll to convince; the Solar gains her Essence in automatic successes for such a roll. However, during the time the Solar is commanding the Storm, she is responsible to Heaven for its actions. Most Friendly Storms these days will recommend that the Solar get in contact with local representatives of the Celestial Monitors of the Seasons and Weather, and will certainly offer to carry a letter of introduction to Ghataru, the Shogun-Regent of the Bureau of Seasons, so long as they have been treated well. Ill-treated Friendly Storms will complain to Ghataru, and the rude Solar may well find herself facing Ghataru with the Aerial Legions behind him, demanding recompense for the Exalt's misconduct.

In Second Edition, this Charm is Combo-OK and Obvious. In addition to Missive to the Winds, it requires Infinite Sail Mastery. The social roll to convince is usually a social attack, gaining the Solar’s Essence in bonus successes as usual.

 <b>Cost: None 
 Duration: Permanent
 Type:  Special
 Minimum Sail: 5
 Minimum Essence: 3
 Prerequisite Charms: Storm-Weathering Essence Infusion, Phantom Crew Charm, Excellent Pilot Concentration

The Solar internalizes and masters the essential nature of sailing, navigation, and the ways of the waves. He is equally at home steering in a storm or navigating through dangerous, shifting island-teeth. Subtract 2 from the difficulty of all Sail rolls (minimum 1). This Charm is not mine; it was suggested by Neph and I fleshed it out.

In Second Edition, this Charm requires all 3 Sail Excellencies, Infinite Sail Mastery, and Sail Essence Flow. It reduces by 2 any penalties to any Sail rolls made by the Solar, to a minimum of 0. Should the Solar face less than 2 points worth of penalties, this will reduce the base difficulty of the roll by up to 2, to a minimum difficulty of 1.

 <b>Cost: None 
 Duration: Permanent
 Type:  Special
 Minimum Sail: 5
 Minimum Essence: 5
 Prerequisite Charms: Transcendent Sail Prowess

This Charm may only be taken by Eclipse-caste Solars. It is a natural development of their anima powers and relies on the basic universality of their souls and caste. Even characters capable somehow of mimicking the Eclipse caste ability to learn Charms from other entities than Solars may not learn this Charm. This Charm represents the natural sailing talents of the Eclipse Caste developing beyond the norm. As a result, the cost to activate non-Solar Sail Charms is reduced to normal. The doubled experienced cost to learn such Charms remains. The Eclipse's natural spirit of adventure and the open waves is developed into an internal open-handed connection to the universal nature of sailors upon the waves. This Charm is only possible because of the Caste-harmony of an Eclipse; similar Charms can be developed for other Eclipse Abilities, but not for Abilities or Attributes that do not correspond to their Caste.

This Charm was inspired by Brent D.

In Second Edition, this Charm reduces the 2-mote surcharge for non-Solar Sail Charms for Eclipses to 0.

Second Edition

 <b>Cost: --; Mins: Sail  1, Essence 1; Type: Permanent
 Keywords: None
 Prerequisite Charms: None

The Exalted of the Unconquered Sun are at home wherever they go, and when one departs for the wine-dark seas, that Chosen can develop an intuitive sense for the requirements of life upon the waves. This Charm allows the Solar to access a variety of special tricks, picking one when first purchased and gaining the ability to purchase another for 1 bonus point or 2 experience points:

 Wind-Defying Course Technique:  The character is a master of the tops without equal.  By spending a single mote and taking personal charge
 (or giving the appropriate orders during mass combat), the Solar may tack deeply into the wind, gaining the most favorable possible conditions
 regardless of the actual sails used.
 Weather-Anticipating Intuition: This intuition is, in many ways, a development of the Solar's natural connection to the Unconquered Sun and
 his mastery of the weather.  By spending a single mote, the character may predict the weather for a number of days equal to his permanent
 Essence.  This prediction will not account for the use of Essence and other powers to alter the weather.  The larger an area the Solar predicts
 for, the less detail (and larger likelihood of interference) she will get.
 Depth-Plumbing Intuition: By spending 1 mote of Essence, the Solar sailor gains an understanding of the depths around him for a scene.
 This awareness reaches out to (the Solar's Essence x 100) yards around himself, but does not give any information other than topographical.
 Nevertheless, a wise Solar may be able to avoid reefs and other sunken hazards with the use of this information.

 <b>Cost: 10m; Mins: Sail  4, Essence 2; Type: Simple
 Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious
 Duration: One Hour
 Prerequisite Charms: Perfect Reckoning Technique, Pirate King's Crown

It is the Lawgiver who is master of the world and weather, not the other way around. Should the winds defy the will of the Sun's Chosen, they will fail and be yoked to the desire of Lawgivers. For one hour after activating this Charm on a ship the character owns, it may sail in any direction and gain the full benefit of the wind's strength. This will not aid in a becalmed situation.

 <b>Cost: 3m, + 2 per (Essence) of Soak; Mins: Sail  4, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive
 Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious, Stackable
 Duration: One Scene
 Prerequisite Charms: Storm-Weathering Essence Infusion

This is a mechanical conversion of the Charm on CB: E pp. 115-116. Note that it now adds directly to total soak, whether lethal or bashing, and directly to the hardness, all at the same amount. This is treated as a static value that cannot be greater than the highest Stamina + Resistance of any Solar using this effect during the scene.

 <b>Cost: --; Mins: Sail  4, Essence 3; Type: Permanent
 Keywords: None
 Prerequisite Charms: Harden the Hull Practice

The core of a ship is its masts; the very center for which the rest relies. This is a sympathetic position to a Solar, who in her very Shard, understands that she is the center upon which Creation's defense rests heavily. This sympathy resonates between the mast and a talented Solar sailor to the point that the Solar may lend some of her invulnerability to a mast. When activating Harden the Hull Practice, the character may opt to spend an additional 2 motes over the base cost to grant the mast of her ship utter invulnerability to all environmental damage and attacks save by those directly created by beings with an Essence greater than the Solar's (equal if the Solar's Essence is 10). Doing so, however, triggers one of the Four Flaws of Invulnerability in the Solar, suitably adjusted for sailing. For example, if applied with the Valor flaw, the character must either fight on the deck, moving towards her greatest foe, or continue sailing the ship; it may not be used when the character is idling on deck in a harbor.

 <b>Cost: --; Mins: Sail  5, Essence 4; Type: Permanent
 Keywords: None
 Prerequisite Charms: Shipwreck-Surviving Stamina, Harden the Hull Practice

It is always better to maintain a vessel in the first place, even if one can move a hulk by the sheer power of the mind. This grants the character the ability to spend an additional 4 motes when activating Shipwreck-Surviving Stamina on an intact hull, infusing it with the power of Essence to replace ordinary upkeep. On all vessels, this means that the ship consumes no supplies and takes no wear and tear in the course of ordinary activities.

On a vessel that requires Maintenance of some sort, add the character's Sail to any relevant ratings (typically Craft, Lore, and Occult) for the purposes of meeting that standard, and continuing the upkeep and maintenance costs neither time nor supplies, save for limited reagents that are consumed in the course of use. The character instead spends 1 willpower per week replacing such consumable supplies. For example, if one first age vessel ordinarily needed to be coated in the pungent ambergris of mighty leviathans to maintain its integrity, this Charm will simply keep the existing coating intact. However, if that same ship must consume sea dragon humors as fuel for its essence drive, the Solar would have to expend 1 willpower per week to keep the ship moving. This Charm does not replace the need for ammunition for weapons, food and water for crew, etc

 <b>Cost: --; Mins: Sail 4, Essence 2; Type: Permanent
 Keywords: None
 Prerequisite Charms: Perfect Reckoning Technique

The character develops an unerring sense of safe harborage for her vessel, allowing her to find a place to put in no matter how far off the charts the Solar is. This Charm modifies Perfect Reckoning Technique to remove the requirement for information in order to make the appropriate navigation and sailing rolls; the character simply needs to concentrate on "the nearest safe harbor" or "the nearest safe beaching site." This will generally get the character past any hazards, and it will be safe to leave the ship or boat in that place-- though it may require a guard. This does not guarantee that the location is safe for the crew, per se; an island may have hostile inhabitants; strange monsters may lurk in the depths of the harbor, ready to kidnap and devour crew, and so forth.

 <b>Cost: 8m, 1 wp; Mins: Sail  4, Essence 2; Type: Simple
 Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious
 Duration: One Day
 Prerequisite Charms: Pirate King's Crown

Though Hesiesh rules the fires of the world, even he bowed to the King of Celestial Flame, the Unconquered Sun. Thus, a Solar captain may bless his vessel by declaring an end to all fires aboard. This Charm must be used on a vessel owned by the Solar. While this Charm is active, no part of the ship can be harmed by flames of any kind, and natural fires will not start anywhere on or within the ship at all. Fires in existence at the time of this Charm's casting cannot consume new fuel, and will be instantly snuffed out if they are burning any part of the ship.

If a magical being uses an effect that generates an extraordinarily powerful flame, such as summoning the green flames of Ligier, the Solar receives bonus successes equal to his permanent Essence on the resulting UF:IO roll. The character may designate a select area as open to flames that can consume fuel, usually cooking areas but possibly also certain weapons (though that leaves them vulnerable to counterfire). This designation (and any retractions) must be made to the spirit of the vessel in Old Realm.

 <b>Cost: 6m, 1 wp; Mins: Sail  3, Essence 2; Type: Simple
 Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious
 Duration: One Day
 Prerequisite Charms: Salty Dog Method

This is a mechanical conversion of the Charm on CB: E p. 76. Note that it provides soak value for both lethal and bashing, as well as hardness equal to the soak, like an artifact vessel.

 <b>Cost: 8m, 1 wp; Mins: Sail  5, Essence 3; Type: Simple
 Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious
 Duration: One Day
 Prerequisite Charms: Golden Essence Sails, Invincible Admiral Method

A Lawgiver alone can crew the most magnificent vessel, awakening its little god or simply energizing control of the ship simply through the raw power and absolute control of Solar Essence. By use of this Charm, the Solar may act as a number of crewmembers for a vessel equal to his permanent Essence in magnitude (plus one for the Solar himself, if necessary). The sails will furl themselves, the tiller spin under the Solar's will, etc. The Solar need only be on the vessel in order to continue controlling it. The Solar may use this Charm in addition to actual crewmembers or other methods to crew vessels he does not have sufficient Essence to provide replacements for.

 <b>Cost: 15m, 1 wp; Mins: Sail  5, Essence 4; Type: Simple
 Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious
 Duration: One Day
 Prerequisite Charms:  Phantom Crew Charm, Ship's Hull Maintenance Technique

This is a mechanical conversion of the Charm on CB: E p 77. Instead of having a maximum size, the Solar may produce any vessel with a Resources cost up to her permanent Essence. At Essence 5, the character may produce an artifact vessel with an Artifact rating no higher than (half of her permanent Essence) round up.

 <b>Cost: --; Mins: Sail 5, Essence 4; Type: Permanent
 Keywords: None
 Prerequisite Charms: Ship-Claiming Stance

It is an ancient maxim that aboard a ship, the captain holds the ultimate mandate over any aboard. Empowered by the Creation-Ruling Mandate, the will of a Lawgiver aboard his vessel cannot be gainsayed. Whenever the character is aboard a vessel claimed via Ship-Claiming Stance, the character may spend and commit 5 motes as a non-Charm action to raise the external penalty suffered by those unwelcome or renounced aboard the ship for one scene. In addition, Ship-Claiming Stance itself is enhanced such that the 1 success penalty (not the enhanced version) will apply to any action taken that directly contradicts the clearly stated will of the Solar-- as stated so that the ship's spirit can understand it. Unless the little god of the vessel is awakened and knows other languages, this generally requires pertinent orders, directives, purposes, and so forth to be stated or restated in Old Realm.

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