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Manipulation Hybrid Charms

Not every problem needs a hammer. Sometimes, a thin needle can do wonders. With the power of Manipulation Hybrids, the character shapes reactions subtly, transforming the way that people react to each other. Because of this, these Charms are almost never Obvious in nature.

Tribe Charms

Elk-Herd Running</b>

<b>Cost: 2 motes Mins: Manipulation 2, Essence 1Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Hybrid
Duration: Indefinate
Prerequisites: Manipulation Enduring

The simple presence of some animals calms others, letting cooler heads prevail. This Charm affects anyone who is part of a group that includes the Lunar. All members of the group have their Conviction and Temperance raised by 1 for the purposes of loyalty and trust in each other for as long as the Lunar remains present, plus a number of hours equal to the Lunar's Essence score. This increase does not provide an extra Virtue channel.

Sloth’s Patience Roots</b>

<b>Cost: 4 motes Mins: Manipulation 3, Essence 3Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Hybrid
Duration: Indefinate
Prerequisites: Elk-Herd Running

When the situation calls for it, deliberate thought is vastly superior to rash judgement. When this Charm is activated, extremes of emotion simply fade. The Valor and Compassion of all people in the presence of the Lunar move one point closer to 2, dropping or raising as necessary, and Temperance increases by 2 points if it is 2 or less, and by 1 point otherwise. Finally, everyone present receives one free success on Willpower rolls to surpress emotion, and increases their MDV and MPV by one against all emotion-based social attacks. Any increases to Virtues do not provide extra Virtue channels.

Mother Wolf Understanding</b>

<b>Cost: 3 motes Mins: Manipulation 3, Essence 3Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Hybrid
Duration: Indefinate
Prerequisites: Elk-Herd Running

With a thought, the character brings out protective and hopeful instincts in others, inspiring them to fight as a mother will to protect her children. Everyone in the presence of the Lunar has their Compassion increased by 1, and their Valor increased by 1 for the purposes of defending or protecting others. This increase provides an extra Virtue channel that refreshes once each scene for each Virtue. Characters need not be aware of the Lunar's presence to be affected, and those affected must succeed at a Perception + Occult roll at a difficult of the character's Essence to realize that they are acting oddly.

Swarming Bee Comprehension</b>

<b>Cost: 6 motes Mins: Manipulation 4, Essence 3Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Hybrid, Obvious
Duration: Indefinate
Prerequisites: Mother Wolf Understanding

With supreme effort, anything is possible. The character may selectively choose to keep this Charm active or passive, and may choose who is or is not affected by it. All those affected by this Charm increase all their Virtues by +1 for the purposes of helping each other, and may freely make co-ordinated attacks and co-ordinated social attacks without taking the time to set them up, using the Lunar’s (Essence -1) as the number of successes rolled. The speed of the co-ordinated attack is increased by 2. If they use a normal co-ordinated attack attempt, instead reduce its speed by 1 and add the Lunar's Essence in dice to the attempt. They do not need to be aware of the Lunar to take advantage of this effect, and they are instinctively aware of the ability to do so.

Anarchy Charms

Turning on the Weak</b>

<b>Cost: 4 motes Mins: Manipulation 3, Essence 1Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Hybrid, Compulsion
Duration: Indefinate
Prerequisites: Manipulation Enduring

Greed always drives those lower down the totem pole to overthrow their masters and take their place. This Charm affects everyone within (Essence x10 yards) of the Lunar whose Essence is less than or equal to the Lunar's. It reduces the Conviction and Temperance of such people by 2 for the purposes of determining loyalty (to a minimum of 1), and increases Valor and Willpower by 1 for the purposes of ambition (to a maximum of 5). Targets need not be interacting with the Lunar for this Charm to function.

The Herd Crumbles</b>

<b>Cost: 3 motes Mins: Manipulation 4, Essence 2Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Hybrid, Compulsion
Duration: Indefinate
Prerequisites: Turning on the Weak

As desperation closes in, everyone fends for themselves. This Charm affects everyone within (Essence x20 yards) of the Lunar, as long as their Essence rating is equal to or less than the Lunar's. They suffer -2 to their Permanent Willpower, and -1 to every Virtue (to a minimum of 1).

Serpent's Tongue And Eyes</b>

<b>Cost: 3 motes Mins: Manipulation 3, Essence 2Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Hybrid, Social
Duration: Indefinate
Prerequisites: Manipulation Enduring

The character gains insight into the weaknesses and strengths of others, quickly learning to use them to her advantage. As long as this Charm is active, the character may gain automatic insight into what buttons to push, slanting any argument properly. Whenever interacting with someone, the character may roll Manipulation + Essence, at a difficulty of the target's Essence. With one success, the character is aware of every Virtue that the target has at 3+. With two successes, the character is aware of the above plus the target's Intimacies, and with three successes, the character is aware of the above plus the target's Motivation. This Charm does not function on characters whose Manipulation + Integrity is higher than the character's Manipulation + Essence.

Man Is As Beast Cunning</b>

<b>Cost: 3 motes Mins: Manipulation 4, Essence 3Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Hybrid, Social
Duration: Indefinate
Prerequisites: Manipulation Enduring

Compared to the prowess of the Lunar Exalted, men are as beasts. Anyone the Lunar chooses who is interacting with the Lunar has their MPV reduced by 1 for the duration of the interaction.

Comments

I'm not entirely sure about the power level of Swarming Bee Comprehension, but otherwise I think I like these. Thoughts? - FrivYeti

• Elk Herd Running and the other "give extra virtue channels" should probably require Essence 3, as getting free virtue channels like that is quite good. (I'm guessing it's based on Phoenix Renewal).
• Sloths Patience Roots: I'm not sure this should be Obvious, as that seems to make it much less usefull. (It seems like a "calm people down" charm, which doesn't work as well if they know it's a charm).
• Swarming Bee's: Yeah, that's a bit much. I'd drop the part about freely setting up coordnated attacks, as that is quite powerful. People don't have to declare who they are swarming ahead of time, which is the primary disadvantage of coordinated attacks, the target knows it's comming and can react. It also feels more like a terrestial charm, and even then, you should have to commit motes based on who/how many are affected. The other benefits are quite good, as more dice allow you to coordinate more.
• Turning on the Weak, The Herd Crumbs: Same Sloths Patience Roots, they probably shouldn't be obvious.
• Serpents Eye and Tounge: This makes it very easy to find out stuff about people. (5 Manipulation +3 Essence =8 = most people). Not sure it should be that easy(Oddly enough, there isn't a Solar charm for it). Also, it would be very annoying from a GM standpoint, as you could have to make up lots of stuff. I'd at least make it an instant to prevent someone from using it all the time.
• Man is as a Beast Cunning: Wow. This is basicly a persistant dice adder that ignores limits. I'd probalby make this an instant, rather than a scene length, as this would basicly be an I WIN in social combat.

-FlowsLikeBits

Point by point responses.

*Elk Herd: After some thought, I've decided not to provide the Virtue channels. Possibly a higher-up Charm that someone designs can do that.

*Sloth's patience wasn't meant to be Obvious; I was copying and pasting, and didn't notice that I hadn't deleted that. Oops.

*The whole point of Swarming Bee was that lots of little people should be using it to fight big ones without thinking about it. Hrm... I've played with it a bit to make it less awesome, slowing it down a touch without providing a leader to pick off. Thoughts?

*Turning on the Weak, The Herd Crumbs: Hhm, I see your point. People can decide that they were acting oddly or not on their own, later.

*Serpents Eye: I was thinking of it as not that powerful because intimacies and Motivation are usually fairly obvious, but I see your point. I'm going to include a roll and difficulty penalty; I like it too much as a long-standing effect.

*Man Is As Beast: Yeah, I've weakened it a bunch to make it work better. Take that, smooth people!