DragonBloodedStealth/FatR
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DragonBlooded Stealth Charms by FatR
Note: This is the modified, improved and extended Stealth Charm Tree that we use in our 2nd Edition games.
Soundless Action Prana
Cost: 2m Mins: Stealth 1,Essence 2 Type: Simple Keywords: Combo-Basic Duration: One Scene Prerequisite Charms: None
With this Charm, the Air Aspect moves in perfect harmony with the air around her, suppressing the sound of her movements. For one minute per mote spent, the Dragon-Blood can eliminate any noise she directly produces, but not sounds she causes that are not connected to her person. That is, she could smash in a window with a rock in complete silence, but if she threw that rock through that window, the sound would be clearly heard. The Charm does not provide any direct benefit to Stealth rolls, but it will eliminate the chance of attracting attention in many circumstances, such as areas protected by alarms. The individual under the influence of this Charm is unable to speak while Soundless Action Prana is in effect and must communicate through nonverbal means, perhaps through Charms such as With One Mind.
Trackless Passage Style
Cost: 2m per person per mile Mins: Stealth 3,Essence 2 Type: Simple Keywords: Combo-Basic Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Any Stealth Excellency
The Dragon-Blood’s preternatural stealth can now be extended to others. Moving with the lightness of a summer breeze,the Exalt and any allies to whom this Charm is extended leave no footprints, scents or other signs of their passage. By spending 2 motes, the Dragon-Blood can obliterate all signs of her passage for a distance of up to one mile. The Dragon-Blood can extend this concealment to her allies at a cost of an additional two motes per person, up to a total number of beings equal to the Dragon-Blood’s permanent Essence. When this Charm is activated, all non-supernatural attempts to track the protected characters fail automatically. If another Charm or supernatural power contests this effect, the contenders make a normal opposing roll for a tracking contest, and the Charm of the character that loses this roll is completely negated.
Wind-Walking Technique
Cost: 2m Mins: Stealth 3,Essence 2 Type: Simple Keywords: Combo-OK Duration: Until broken Prerequisite Charms: Any Stealth Excellency
Like the wind whistling through the trees or across the ocean, it is not in the nature of the Dragon-Blooded to fall or to sink. Once this Charm is activated, the Dragon-Blood gains perfect balance and can move across any horizontal surface (including water and quicksand) without difficulty. The manner of movement is irrelevant and can include running, crawling or swinging on tree vines. If the Dragon-Blood ever stands still for even a single tick, however, the Charm ends. The Dragon-Blood can carry his normal gear but no more than that.
Distracting Breeze Meditation
Cost: 2m per person Mins: Stealth 3,Essence 2 Type: Simple Keywords: Combo-OK Duration: One Scene Prerequisite Charms: None
This Charm allows the Air Aspect to cause the wind itself to aid in his attempts at remaining undetected by disturbing and distracting those who might notice his passage. The wind might tickle the ear of a listener, cause a torch to gutter or go out, blow papers off a desk, create strange sounds or even cause the observer's eyes to water at a crucial moment. Regardless, the result is a minor environmental effect, incapable of damaging anyone or anything, which nevertheless is potentially distracting to everyone nearby (except those, whom the Exalt deliberately excludes from it - this can be done with a thougt). Disracting Breeze Meditation is potentially useful both for sneaking up on someone, or for staying unnoticed in the crowd.
Mechanically speaking, any Awareness or Investigation rolls to notice the character suffer a -1 external penalty, for as long, as he isn't engaged in combat or some attention-grabbing behavior.
A character using this Charm may extend its effect to others, for 2 additional motes per ally.
Impenetrable Veil of Air
Cost: 4m per person Mins: Stealth 3,Essence 2 Type: Simple Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious Duration: One Scene Prerequisite Charms: Any Stealth Excellency
Merging the air around her body with her own Essence, a Child of Mela can conceal her identity. Veil of Air might manifest as shimmering heat haze, thick cloak of cold mist or even as an air distortion that resembles a miniature mirage, depending on its wielder preferences, but the result is always the same - both the features and the voice of the Dragon-Blood who uses it are obscured or distorted beyond recognition. Mechanically, as long as this Charm is active the Dragon-Blood cannot be recognized and identified by her physical features, voice or smell (Veil of Air filters or transmutes it too). Other (probably magical) methods of recognition still can work.
A character using this Charm may extend its effect to others, for 4 additional motes per ally.
Vanish Like the Wind
Cost: 4m Mins: Stealth 4,Essence 3 Type: Reflexive Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Distracting Breeze Meditation,Impenetrable Veil of Air
With this level of skill, a Dragon-Blood can accomplish with the most minimal or sudden of movements what would normally be a deliberate and careful attempt at stealth. Masters of this Charm can accomplish such feats as hiding in an opponent's shadow during combat, vanishing quietly to cover when an attacker blinks or assaulting someone on a busy street and easily making a stealthy escape. This powerful Charm permits the character to make a reflexive Stealth roll, instead of spending an action to vanish from the sight of observers and provides brief invisibility effect, allowing stealth even when normally there is nowhere to hide. However, this moment of invisiblity is extremely short, so it doesn't provide extra successes for the character's Stealth roll.
This is a reflexive Charm that can be used freely without the need for a Combo. However, the Dragon-Blood is limited in using the Charm as follows: the Charm can only be activated on a tick when the Dragon-Blood performs an action. It cannot be activated on the ticks between actions.
Dragon Shroud Technique
Cost: 6m,1wp Mins: Stealth 5,Essence 4 Type: Simple Keywords: Combo-Basic Duration: One Scene Prerequisite Charms: Vanish Like The Wind
The wind is not seen, but can only be detected through its effects on others. With this Charm, the Dragon-Blood can bend light around himself to conceal his presence. The Exalt is not totally invisible, but can be detected as only a hazy blur. The Charm also muffles sound, masks scent, conceals body heat and generally protects against most forms of detection. Not even essence sight can trump it (use normal rules from All-Encompassing Sorcerer's Sight description, on p.222 of Exalted Corebook to resolve stealth vs. detection contests; essense sight does not making attacking the character easier). Mechanically, the Dragon-Blood’s identity is completely concealed by the blur, and Dragon Shroud Technique imposes an external penalty of -2 successes to any action taken against a character that requires to see, hear or perceive her with any of the five senses, including attempts to attack the character or to spot her when she is sneaking. However, the Charm does not actively conceal the character’s passage, and he can be tracked normally unless Trackless Passage Style or other Charms are brought to bear.
Mela's Gentle Step
Cost: 2m Mins: Stealth 5,Essence 5 Type: Reflexive Keywords: Combo-OK,Obvious Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Dragon Shroud Technique,Wind-Walking Technique
Those Dragon-Blooded who truly mastered arts of evasion no longer rely on the tricks and deception to stay out of sight. Instead, they glide on the Essence currents of Air element, and, carried by them, disappear from sight not not because they fool their opponents, but because they, indeed, disappear, instantly traveling dozens of yards in a single step.
Mechanically, the Exalt can instantly travel up to (his Essence x 10) yards whehever he invokes this Charm, in any
direction, including upwards, but not necessarily in a straight line. He must see his destination, and he cannot use
this Charm to appear in the places that lack sufficiently big entrances to pass through. Mela's Gentle Step is completely
silent and causes no disturbances in the air, making it useful during infiltration. Also, the character is effectively
weightless and imperceptible in the split-second he spends between two places (he cannot affect anything in movement, but
also doesn't trigger any traps, for example).
If this Charm is used used to help in ambushing someone, in reestablishing surprise during combat or simply in staying out of someone's sight, its user still must make a necessary Stealth roll (spending an action, unless he also uses Vanish Like The Wind), but all his dice on this roll are converted into automatic successes, unless the opponent has 360-degree perception (from Awareness Charm Sight of the Fluttering Tremors, for example). Of course, Mela's Gentle Step can also be used to bypass sentries and observers, often besting them without roll (at Storyteller's discretion).
This is a reflexive Charm that can be used freely without the need for a Combo. However, the Dragon-Blood is limited in using the Charm as follows: the Charm can only be activated on a tick when the Dragon-Blood performs an action. It cannot be activated on the ticks between actions. Also, it can be activated only once per tick.
