Revision as of 23:47, 20 January 2005

• Back to SolarSurvival
• Back to /CrownedSun

Solar Survival Charms by CrownedSun

Ghost of the Wilds

 Cost:  10 motes, 1 willpower
 Duration:  One day
 Type:  Simple
 Minimum Survival:  5
 Minimum Essence:  4
 Prerequisite Charms:  Eye-Deceiving Camouflage, Traceless Passage

Through the use of this Charm, the Exalt can conceal a number of people equal to his Essence rating squared, all of their gear, and a number of objects equal to the volume of one large wagon and everything within it per two points of Essence. In order to gain the benefit of this Charm, the character must spend at least twenty minutes preparing the position that is to be used to conceal the group. Once the preparations are complete, the people are free to move within the predefined and quite obvious area and even operate more or less normally. Only if they move beyond the area, or affect that area in any way, are the effects of the Charm defeated.\\ Camouflaged objects or characters can potentially be found if the target spends several hours of intensive searching (this will generally require at least 20 or more men, and often more if the area to be searched is fairly large). The searchers also have to get more Perception + Awareness successes than the Exalt achieves with an Intelligence + Survival roll. Someone with Unsurpassed (Sense) Discipline, or a similar Charm, can locate the group after a much quicker search of the area provided that the same roll is made.\\ Note that this Charm completely conceals the target, provided they stay within the predefined area. Casual walkers by will not accidentally enter the area, and even determined searchers will pass it by more often than not. Smoke, fire, conversation, scent, and any other signs that there is a large group of people in a clearing is all muted by the Charm.

Wild Surveying Instinct

 Cost: 1 mote
 Duration: Instant
 Type: Simple
 Minimum Survival: 2
 Minimum Essence: 1
 Prerequisite Charms: None

Even the most learned traveller or dweller of the wilderness is never as close to the wilderness as it's natural inhabitants; the wild creatures, possessed with primal insticts created into them by the Primordials and the subtle direction of the Gods of Nature. A Solar with this charm can often draw on this primal knowledge, even though it is not her birthright -- often seeming in her observations and even behavior as if she was a natural inhabitant of the wilds.\\ The Solar using this charm gains a deep understanding of the wilderness, and the behaviors of those that move through it. He knows what it meas when the birds suddenly quiet, can spot the territorial markings of large predators, and casually identifies tracks, paths and lairs. He can spot the natural omens of the woodland gods, and understand the emotions behind a wolves howl. While he cannot speak to animals, he is deeply empathic toward them and understands them more than most. Of all the Exalted, only the Lunars can surpass the nature sense of a Solar with this charm.

(Terrain) Mastery

 Cost: None
 Duration: Permanent
 Type: Special
 Minimum Survival: 3
 Minimum Essence: 2
 Prerequisite Charms: Wild Surveying Intsinct, Hardship-Surviving Mendicant Spirit

An Exalt with this charm has learned the perils and blessings of a given type of terrain, often one familiar and native to him. More at home in this area than even the animals that live there, he knows it's secrets and can effortlessly survive there. The exact benefits depend on which terrain the Solar has mastery of -- when the charm is bought, one type of Terrain must be picked.

Arctic: The character doesn't need to eat as often, needing only half the food he might normally. In addition, he negates any penalities for travelling over loose packed snow or bare/thin ice.
Woodlands: The character gains an additional success on any climbing, jumping or similar roll -- including brachiating.
Deserts: The character retains and uses water much more effectively, halving the amount of water he needs each day. In addition, he negates any penalities for travelling over loose sand, uneven rock or other rough terrain.
Mountains: The character gains an additional success on any roll to retain his footing or prevent falling, becoming as nimble as a mountain goat.
Ocean: The character adds one additional success to all swimming related rolls, seeming to be partly amphibious.

In addition, the user of this charm gains two basic benefits whenever he is in his mastered terrain. First, any survival charm that allows him to affect more than just himself works on double the normal number of people. Second, he gains a number of bonus dice to any survival rolls equal to his Essence rating.

Prince of the Wild

 Cost: 1 mote
 Duration: Indefinate
 Type: Simple
 Minimum Survival: 3
 Minimum Performance: 1
 Minimum Essence: 2
 Prerequisite Charms: Hardship-surviving Mendicant Spirit

Once you've learned how to survive in the wild, the next priority for many is -- looking good, even in the heart of the desert. Let's face it, it's hard to be stylish and attractive while encased in multiple layers of whale blubber to keep out the horrible cold. Hardship Surviving Mendicant Spirit takes the first important step, by getting you out of the Whale Blubber. This charm goes the rest of the way! Even buck-naked on the top of the arctic plain, the sun will seem to illuminate you just well and your hair will fall in just the right places -- your clothes survive, without undane stress, even slodging through swamps or cutting through jungles. No matter where you end up, you can survive -- in style!

Comments

Anathema! Double Ability requirements! I would suggest that you req the Performance dice-adder (which is not Hot-Eyed Snake Whispering, no matter how much I want it to be) rather than a dot of Performance; it seems to me that you should need some mystical Performance expertise to pull off this effect, and double Ability reqs are ugly and sloppy, no matter what World-Within-A-Picture Style might make you think (I mean, seriously, what an ass name for a Charm. It's like it were a Lunar Charm or something). - willows

Eh; basic and non-reconcilable disagreement, here. I *like* double-ability requirements; they work nicely. Plus, I don't really want to it require you to have any actual Performance charms -- it's mostly a survival charm, not a performance one. - CrownedSun

I'm prepared to disagree further and say that I don't even think this is a Survival charm at all. But whatever; the charm looks good mechanically (though its effects are unclear; do they let you look good, or do they also help you survive?), and I don't debate with other peoples' visions of the game. Do what you will (: - willows