Thus Spake Zaranephilpal/AnimaEnhancementCharms
From Neph's Live Journal
And speaking of ninjas, a recent request on the forum for Solar Charms of permanent duration gave me several ideas. I'll blame the sudden surge of creativity on that geek withdrawal I mentioned earlier. Or maybe I should blame it on a combination of geek withdrawal coupled with the subtle attacks of several sneaky life ninjas. Damn those ninjas! Oh, and due props to UnconqueredSun for some of the inspirations for these Charms.
Resplendent Champion Mien</b>
<b>Cost: None Duration: Permanent Type: Special Minimum (Ability): 5 Minimum Essence: 4 Prerequisite Charms: None
All members of the Dawn Caste may appear terrible to mortals and beasts foolish enough to stand against them, but those who learn this Charm become figures of impossible heroic majesty. Whenever the Exalt evokes her anima power, all mortals who oppose her flee unless their players make a successful Valor roll (difficulty 2). Non-magical, non-sentient animals automatically flee. A successful Valor roll allows the aggressor to take hostile actions against the Dawn at a -2 dice penalty.
Bronze Tigers with Essence 5+ who know this Charm may alternately spend 30 motes, 3 Willpower and one aggravated health level to evoke their anima power in place of the usual 10 motes. Characters may only use this effect outdoors under the sky. This causes the Exalt's anima to erupt in a pillar of Essence flames stretching nearly a mile in height. These flames blossom outward into a titanic version of the character's iconic anima banner hovering like an aurora over the battlefield for the rest of the scene. In addition to illuminating the entire battlefield with the light of morning, the anima terrifies all non-magical beings within sight who intend immediate harm to the Dawn or any of her allies. Beings affected by this supernatural terror flee the area in blind panic unless they have Valor 5, in which case they may remain, but suffer a dice penalty equal to the Exalt's Essence to take any aggressive action against her.
Only members of the Dawn Caste with a minimum rating of 5 in at least one of their Caste Abilities may learn Resplendent Champion Mien, paying the reduced experience cost for a Charm in a Caste Ability. Only one severity of anima power may be used in the same scene.
Fivefold Consecration Discipline
Cost: None Duration: Permanent Type: Special Minimum (Ability): 5 Minimum Essence: 4 Prerequisite Charms: None
All Zenith Caste Solars may direct holy fire to sear creatures of darness and cremate corpses so that necromancy will never defile their repose. With this Charm, these righteous anima powers expand further. The Zenith need not touch each corpse individually, but may instead make a reflexive gesture of benediction to cremate any carcass in line of sight for a cost of one mote. The Exalt may burn as many bodies as desired with a single gesture, provided he spends the requisite Essence. This Charm also increases the Zenith power to attack creatures of darkness, allowing the character to channel Conviction or Valor at any time to aid the burning flare and reducing the cost of each attack to 3 motes. Additionally, the Zenith converts one die of the Essence roll into an automatic success for every dot by which his permanent Essence exceeds the target's own Essence. As a result, these attacks automatically incinerate the least minions of darkness (i.e. extras with Essence 1).
Golden Bulls with Essence 5+ may alternately spend 30 motes, 3 Willpower and one aggravated health level as a simple action to terrify creatures of darkness instead of spending the usual 10 motes. This evokes an aurora of the Exalt's totemic anima in the sky like the greater display created by the Charm Resplendent Champion Mien. Demons of the first circle, ghosts and hungry ghosts with less than Valor 4 automatically flee the display in frenzied panic, as do all mindless undead. Beings in the preceding list with greater Valor may remain, but suffer a dice penalty of the Zenith's Essence to take any aggressive action against her. Second circle demons do not ever flee, but suffer a two dice penalty to attack the Exalt unless they make a Valor roll when they first see the display (difficulty 2). Third circle demons, Infernal Exalted, Deathlords and Abyssal Exalted are affected as second circle demons, but the difficulty of the Valor roll is only one and failure only results in a one die penalty to attacks. As a final effect, the aurora's light randomly burns one corpse to ash each turn in a rising flare of Essence. The Exalt does not and cannot dictate which corpses the aurora affects.
Only members of the Zenith Caste with a minimum rating of 5 in at least one of their Caste Abilities may learn Fivefold Consecration Discipline, paying the reduced experience cost for a Charm in a Caste Ability. A Zenith cannot simultaneously benefit from the standard aura of fear while using the greater aurora.
Brilliant Sunset Aegis
Cost: None Duration: Permanent Type: Special Minimum (Ability): 5 Minimum Essence: 4 Prerequisite Charms: None
All members of the Twilight Caste may shield themselves from injury with a corona of Essence. Those who master this Charm may ward off injury with greater ease, reducing the cost of the defense to 3 motes per attack. In addition, the Exalt adds a number of automatic successes to her Essence roll equal to the number of dots by which her permanent Essence exceeds the permanent Essence of the being attacking her. Finally, she may freely channel Compassion or Conviction to aid the defense roll regardless of situation.
Copper Spiders with Essence 5+ improve their Essence shield more, allowing them to spend 4 motes instead of 3 for the effects and bonuses listed above, converting all dice for the roll into automatic successes. Regardless of what type of effect the character uses, a Twilight may only shield herself from a damage roll with her anima once and cannot stack effects for increased protection.
Only members of the Twilight Caste with a minimum rating of 5 in at least one of their Caste Abilities may learn Brilliant Sunset Aegis, paying the reduced experience cost for a Charm in a Caste Ability.
Cloak of Velvet Shadow
Cost: None Duration: Permanent Type: Special Minimum (Ability): 5 Minimum Essence: 4 Prerequisite Charms: None
The Night Caste walk beyond the sight of their patron, bringing the promise and hope of light to the dark places. All members of this Caste can shroud themselves a mien of subtlety that turns aside the attention of onlookers and pursuers. Iron Wolves who learn this Charm learn to bend shadows and minds with still greater ease. The cost to evoke the muted anima for a scene drops to 8 motes instead of 10, and the effect adds the Exalt's Essence to the difficulty of all attempts to detect or track her.
Night Caste Exalted with Essence 5+ may deepen the power of their veil if so desired. For a cost of 12 motes and 1 Willpower, they may add their Essence in automatic successes to all Stealth rolls for a scene. In addition, the cloak grants a reflexive Dexterity + Stealth roll (adding a number of successes equal to Essence) to counter Awareness rolls even when the character is not actively trying to evade notice.
Only members of the Night Caste with a minimum rating of 5 in at least one of their Caste Abilities may learn Cloak of Velvet Shadow, paying the reduced experience cost for a Charm in a Caste Ability. Exalted may only cloak themselves using one permutation of their anima power at a time.
Transcendent Celestial Ambassador
Cost: None Duration: Permanent Type: Special Minimum (Ability): 5 Minimum Essence: 4 Prerequisite Charms: None
The Eclipse Caste serve as peerless diplomats, able to sanctify oaths with a touch and even learn the Charms of spirits and other Exalted with tutelage and considerable effort. In contrast with their lesser brethren, Exalted who learn this Charm may sanctify promises made in their earshot with a gesture alone, runes of power flaring around their outstretched hands to signify the attention of Heaven. More importantly, these characters may learn and use out-of-type Charms more easily. Transcendent Celestial Ambassador reduces the experience cost of such Charms by half the character's Essence, rounded up (though the character still requires instruction from a character who already knows the Charm). Furthermore, the Exalt reduces the Essence surcharge for using any out-of-type Charm by his permanent Essence (to a minimum surcharge of zero motes). For example, an Essence 5 Eclipse with Presence as a Favored Ability could learn the Abyssal Charm Elegant Tyrant's Majesty (Exalted: the Abyssals, p. 179) for 13 experience points (2 x 8 - 3) and use the Charm for 7 motes (2 x 6 - 5).
Quicksilver Falcons with Essence 5+ who know this Charm may sanctify promises with an Adamant Oath by making a gesture and spending 15 motes, 1 Willpower and 1 health level. The individual(s) bound by the Adamant Oath must have a lower permanent Essence than the Eclipse and must understand they will be magically bound by Heaven to fulfill the stated terms of their promise. Individuals cannot be duped into promising something they say casually. Beings placed under an Adamant Oath cannot take actions that violate their promise. There is no consequence for breaking the terms since it is impossible to willingly do so. An Eclipse may revoke an Admant Oath he has bound for a cost of one Willpower point, thereby releasing the individual from his responsibilities. Otherwise, the only way to break an Adamant Oath is to raise permanent Essence above the Essence rating of the Eclipse at the time the oath was sanctified.
Only members of the Eclipse Caste with a minimum rating of 5 in at least one of their Caste Abilities may learn Transcendent Celestial Ambassador, paying the reduced experience cost for a Charm in a Caste Ability.
The Abyssal ones will be easy and I'm really looking forward to doing those:
Apparition of Spectral Horror (Dusk)
Benediction of Obliviating Malice (Midnight)
Wound-Defying Shadow (Daybreak)
Cloak of Subtle Menace (Day)
Incomparable Emissary of the Abyss (Moonshadow)
--Neph
What Neph thinks about these Charms
Nephilpal - 02/27/2004 08:10:42
I'm not happy with those... please consider them more of a crude outline of ideas than anything I feel is polished.
--Neph
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