DragonBloodedRelay/Willows
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2. Subtle Theft
Receding Shoreline Theft Technique
Cost: 5 motes (committed), 1 Willpower Duration: Until the next Spring Tide Type: Simple Minimum Larceny: 5 Minimum Essence: 3 Prereq: Ripples of the Heart Awareness
When the tide drops suddenly, it beaches many creatures of the sea on the sand, where they are lost. In much the same way, the Receding Shoreline Theft Technique causes an item to be lost when the presence of its owner recedes. To use this Charm, the thief must touch the item desired; he draws the Water Essence out of it, causing it to dry out and to lose its savor. The use of this item prevents its owner from gaining Willpower, and when he leaves it unattended, the Dragon-Blooded who bound it instantly becomes aware. The effects of this Charm cannot persist when the full and new moons bring the deepest tides; the flood of Water Essence in the world restores the item's spiritual moisture.
9. Improvisation
Irrepressible Nacreous Weapon
Cost: 2 motes Type: Reflexive Duration: One Scene Minimum Brawl: 2 Minimum Essence: 1 Prerequisites: None
Like an oyster irritated by sand, a Dragon-Blooded using this Charm can calcify a mortal weapon with slick, pearly Essence. This adds 1 to its Speed. This Charm can only be used once per turn, and it cannot provide a Speed bonus higher than the Dragon-Blood's Essence. Once the bonus is 3 or greater, it also provides the supernatural resilience of jade to the weapon while the Charm is in effect. If it is subjected to an effect that would destroy it, however, the weapon will be destroyed at the end of the scene when the reinforcing Essence crumbles away from its mortal core.
Course-Correcting Artillery Style
Cost: 2 motes Type: Reflexive Duration: Instant Minimum Brawl: 3 Minimum Essence: 2 Prerequisites: Storm Shreds the Rigging Strike
Striking an ally sharply with a nearby object or his bare fist, the Dragon-Blooded corrects his line of attack, much as a dragon boat can change its direction through judicious use of its tempest cannons. When his target declares a hand-to-hand attack but before the attack roll is made, he makes a Brawl attack roll, subtracting one die for each yard of distance between them. Add the successes on this roll to the ally's attack pool. Only one instance of this Charm can affect any single attack.
12. Confounding Pursuit
Threefold Flight of Summer
Cost: 3 motes per false trail, 1 Willpower Duration: Indefinite Type: Simple Min Presence: 5 Min Essence: 3 Prereqs: Rising Heat Deception
A brushfire pushed by the wind travels in every direction; so does the trail of a Dragonblooded using this Charm. For every 3 motes spent on this Charm, the Exalt creates a pale mirage-self that travels oblique to his main path, creating a false trail. Shortly after the Charm is activated, the mirages fade, but the trails continue to spread; once they have been ignited, they are self-sustaining. He can create a maximum number of false trails equal to his Essence.
These trails propagate at approximately the movement speed of the character that created them, but are subject to the same environmental conditions as a fire; they are slowed by heavy rains and opposing winds, while unusually verdant terrain and tailwinds will cause the trails to propagate at up to twice the speed. While very realistic, these trails are imperfect; a Perception + Investigation check at a difficulty of the user's Presence will reveal the telltale markings of crafted Fire Essence.
While this Charm's duration is Indefinite, the user must be conscious to maintain it; the trails will cease to propagate if the user is knocked out or goes to sleep, and the Essence powering the Charm is automatically released. This Charm does not function on terrain which cannot burn.
15. Plants
Original Verdure Attack
Cost: 5 motes, 1 Willpower Type: Reflexive Duration: Instant Min. Archery: 6 (This is only possible short of Ess 6 by using Specialties as Charm prerequisites) Min. Essence: 5 Prereqs: Calling the Oak from the Acorn
Variations on this theme exist for the other three peripheral Aspects as well; there have been attempts to develop a Terrestrial Martial Arts style that culminates in a similar effect as well, but as yet this has been unsuccessful.
Calling upon the skills that Gaia used to construct the earth, the Terrestrial transforms an elemental into his essential element. Use this Charm when the Terrestrial's Archery attack kills a Wood elemental; a shoot of luminous green Wood Essence follows the arrow's flight path to spear the elemental in his wound again, and transforms the elemental's body into an explosion of frondescence. This suddden germination inflicts the Terrestrial's Archery + applicable Specialties in dice of lethal damage to anything within the elemental's Essence in yards from the centre of the explosion, and when it has run its course, the area emerges overrun with primæval ferns, rushes, and glassy-limbed horsetails, all moist with dew.
Efflorescence of Essential Conflict
Cost: 5 motes, 1 Willpower Type: Simple Duration: Instant Min. Archery: 6 Min. Essence: 6 Prereqs: Original Verdure Attack
Building on the principle of the Original Verdure Attack, the Efflorescence of Essential Conflict permits the Terrestrial to draw out the Wood principles most inimical to a particular being, by transforming elemental matter. To use this Charm successfully, the Terrestrial must perform an Archery attack against a Wood elemental or a large tree; for the purposes of this attack, he may attack dematerialized elementals. If he attacks a tree, then ignore its soak. The Charm has three different usages:
- Attacking a tree makes it possible to produce a miasma of poison—all living creatures within a number of yards equal to the HLs inflicted by the attack, plus the age of the tree in centuries, are exposed to arrow frog venom (see Exalted, p243). The miasma persists for as many turns as the Terrestrial's Essence; those who remain in the area are affected anew by the toxin each turn. This is specifically a material attack. (For the purposes of adult trees forcibly created by supernatural effects, roll the creator's Essence in heroic dice to determine the tree's effective age in centuries.)
- Striking off a shard of an elemental produces a spiritual toxin with the same effects as the arrow frog venom miasma, with these alterations: For each HL the arrow frog venom would inflict, the sufferer loses 2 motes instead; the roll to resist the toxin is Valor + Resistance; and the attack affects only those beings with awakened Essence, but it is capable of poisoning even dematerialized beings. The radius of the miasma is determined by the HLs the attack inflicts, plus the elemental's Conviction.
- Either source can produce a sudden, convulsive growth of vegetation, which has the same radius as the appropriate venom miasma, and has no effect on living beings, but automatically destroys corporeal undead short of Deathlords and Abyssal Exalted unless their Essence is higher than the Terrestrial's, and forces all ghosts to flee to their nearest Fetter.
20. Dragon-Tracks
Dragon-Scale Pattern Shield
- Cost: 1 mote per 2 dice
- Duration: Instant
- Type: Reflexive
- Min. Lore: 4
- Min. Essence: 2
- Prereq. Charms: Dragon-Spying Sight, Elemental Bolt Technique
Pulling the strands of Essence along a dragon-sinew taut, the Dragon-Blooded hardens them into a scaly shield with which he fends off attack. For each mote spent fuelling this Charm, the Exalt may roll 2 dice and subtract the successes from the damage pool of a physical attack. The maximum number of motes that can be spent on this Charm depend on the geomantic favorability of the location (see table below).
This Charm is an elemental Charm like Elemental Bolt Technique; it is compatible with an Elemental Lens, and can be learned in several versions. It is considered to have the Air aspect, as well as the Aspect of the Essence it is most harmonious with; the elemental surcharges for both alignments apply independently of one another. This is only relevant for Terrestrials; in the case of non-Terrestrials, it must be learned as an Air charm, and the elemental surcharge only applies once. The elemental attunement of the Charm's manifestation supplies each version of the Pattern Shield with a different special vulnerability.
||Location:||Maximum Motes Spent:|| ||The Underworld or other places where Essence cannot be respired || 1|| ||Creation || Applicable Specialty|| ||Dragon Line or Manse of unharmonious Aspect || Lore+Specialty|| ||Harmonious Manse || Lore+Specialty+Manse rating||
||Aspect:||Special Vulnerability:|| ||Air: ||Cannot defend against elemental attacks: "elemental" Dragonblooded Lore Charms and certain Charms and powers of elementals. || ||Earth: ||Cannot defend against ranged attacks. || ||Fire: ||Cannot defend against mystical attacks made by creatures of darkness. || ||Water: ||Cannot defend against piercing attacks. || ||Wood: ||Cannot defend against mystical attacks made by Exalted. ||
22. Named Winds
Harmattan Darkens Harvest
- Cost: 5+ motes, 1 Willpower
- Duration: One Scene
- Type: Simple
- Min. Thrown: 5
- Min. Essence: 4
- Prereq. Charms: Wind Weapons, Moth to the Candle
Throwing his chakram into the west, the Exalt calls up the hot, dark harmattan to follow it; it fills the sky with choking dust. Per 1 mote spent in addition to the basic cost of this Charm, reduce the amount of Essence any being gains in any manner by 1 mote. The Exalt cannot spend more additional motes than half his Thrown+Specialty, and the mote reduction caused by this Charm cannot reduce any regain to less than 1 mote. The chakram flies out to thrice its maximum range; bringing it and the Exalt in contact will cause the Charm to end. The flight of the chakram is a radius of this effect; it is centred on the point of its origin and does not move as the Exalted does.
Haboob-Invoking Downdraft Dance Pattern
- Cost: 10 motes, 1 Willpower
- Duration: One Scene
- Type: Simple
- Min. Athletics: 5
- Min. Essence: 5
- Prereq. Charms: Dragon Vortex Attack, Dancing Ember Stride, Phantom Fire-Warrior Horde, Memorable Performance Technique
Assuming the spectral force of the hot thunder-carrying desert wind, the haboob that becomes a sandstorm in due and rapid course, the Exalt kicks up a small god of heat and dust, an Essence 2 fire elemental, with every step he takes. This jubilant desert spirit leaps to join the Exalt's side in battle! These fire sprites are experienced troops, with at least 2 in their Physical Attributes, Melee 2, an appropriate weapon and Valor that is twice that of the Exalt who created them. They also know several martial Charms. For each yard the exalt moves, a spirit bursts into existence. When the motes for this Charm are decommitted, the elementals rapidly scatter back to do their duties.
When performed in a desert, the elementals summoned by this Charm have the advantages of tiger warriors, and in a Fire-Aspected Demesne they regain the Demesne's rating in motes each turn.
26. Losing Patience
Salamander Usury Kindjal
- Cost: 2 motes
- Duration: Instant
- Type: Supplemental
- Min. Melee: 4
- Min. Essence: 3
- Prereqs: Flurry of Rising Fury, Loquacious Courtier Technique
The character wreathes his weapon in fiery greed. This has the same effect as the character's use of Dragon-Graced Weapon. In addition, for each unpaid debt the victim owes the Exalt, the attack's raw damage pool is increased by 2.
28. Grief is the Weakness of Air
Embers of Powerlessness
- Cost: 7 motes, 1 Willpower
- Duration: Indefinite
- Type: Simple
- Minimum Socialise: 5
- Minimum Essence: 5
- Prerequisite Charms: DESCENDED FROM Brother-Against-Brother Insinuation
This Charm exaggerates the primary elemental weakness of a target; this emotion begins to dominate his mind and behaviour unavoidably.
Whenever the target has an opportunity to act out his weakness, he must succeed at a Willpower + Temperance roll, at a difficulty of the Charm user's Compassion, to avoid becoming preoccupied. A preoccupied character suffers a -2 penalty to all actions and cannot gain Willpower. At the beginning of a scene, a preoccupied character may make the Willpower + Temperance roll again; three consecutive successes against preoccupation caused by a single stimulus will throw off the effect.
Spending a full scene indulging in the elemental weakness will also free a character of preoccupation.
Grief is the weakness of Air. Air-aspected targets must test against preoccupation when they suffer loss of or injury to something held dear. The simplest things can instigate this; even the most even-minded Dynasts have been seen to collapse into tears upon dropping their ancestral swords. Indulging in grief requires the character to futilely struggle to repair the damage or restore the thing that was lost. He is too distraught to succeed without assistance.
Obsession is the weakness of Earth. Earth-aspected targets must test against preoccupation when their desires are thwarted. Indulging in obsession requires the character to meticulously research, observe, and pursue the desideratum. His efforts are impossible for him to conceal without assistance.
Joy is the weakness of Fire. Fire-aspected targets must test against preoccupation when they experience something pleasurable. Indulging in joy requires the character to express his pleasure to anyone that will listen, and celebrate it in all its respects. He is unable to share it without assistance.
Fear is the weakness of Water. Water-aspected targets must test against preoccupation when they observe something expressing its power. Indulging in fear requires the character to avoid or seek shelter from the object of fear; he cannot take any action directed against it without assistance.
Anger is the weakness of Wood. Wood-aspected targets must test against preoccupation when some other person acts in an objectionable manner. Indulging in anger requires the character to ineffectually seek apology and revenge against the offender. His behaviour is too socially unacceptable for him to obtain either without assistance.
To determine the elemental aspect of a being who is neither Dragon-blooded nor elemental, examine his highest Ability, or if he is Exalted, the elemental association of his Caste.
= 35. Exposition
Rain Falls in the Garden of Martial Delights
- 10m, Simple, One Scene
- Keywords: Obvious
- Minima: Performance 5, Essence 4
- Prereqs: Dance of Flashing Swords
The Dragon-Blooded using this Charm transforms the nature of a battle! The combatants already involved are caught up in a whirlwind of posturing, hypothetical combat; this mechanically functions in the same way as standard combat. No additional combatants may Join without the assistance of this Charm.
However, combatants have a special ability: Upon their action, instead of an action of martial combat, they may perform a social attack. This social attack has bonus dice equal to the wound penalty of the target, including penalties incurred by hypothetical wounds. The dice in question are not considered to be derived from Charms. This social attack ends the hypothetical battle. When the battle is over, all hypothetical wounds and deleterious conditions evaporate, and expended supplies such as sutras are found to still be available, but motes and Willpower spent to activate Charms within the hypothetical duel remain spent.
