FourWillowsWeeping/IdeaPile

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A Solar who relies on his brilliant spirit to forge him a blade soon finds that a cutting edge is not always sufficient. He requires flexibility and excellence from his weapon of choice!

This Charm offers a solution. The Solar who learns CHARMNAME enhances his essence weaponry with various special effects, Armaments. When he learns this Charm, he learns one Armament, and can purchase additional ones at a rate of 1 xp each. Characters with this Charm may teach one another new Armaments, or develop them on their own.

The Solar is able to enhance weapons created with Charms by expending points to purchase Armaments rather than trait values. Most simple Armaments cost only 1 point; more unusual ones cost 2, and the very strongest Armaments cost 4 points. The Solar may reconfigure his Essence weapons to include Armaments when he learns this Charm, when he learns a new Essence weapon Charm, or when the Trait those Charms depend on changes. Some Armaments may not be appropriate for hand-to-hand weaponry; others may be inappropriate for projectiles. I leave this to your judgement. Commonly known Armaments include:

1 point
Exemplary Horizon Blade:
A weapon expressing this Armament becomes intricately patterned and dyed with crimson and indigo on its cutting edge, like the sky of dawn. It delivers piercing damage.
thing:
A weapon expressing this Armament becomes elongated and pale, a shaft of light cutting through clouds. It has the attack range of a lance, and doubles its base damage when the wielder charges with it.
thing:
This Armament makes a weapon into a hazy glowing wreath, a scarf of smoke lit by the setting sun. Reflexively, the wielder can alter its length, making it anything from a hand-to-hand weapon to a flexible chain (Essence * 10) yards long. It can be used as a clinch aid.
thing:
This weapon's striking surface is particularly refined, and arrayed with razor edges or small spines; the weapon's base damage is doubled, but the defender's armour soak is doubled again it.
thing:
Each strike of this weapon is accompanied by the sound of a harp, or some other celestial music, just at the moment of impact. It can always inflict knockback at the user's option, the distance of which is tripled. (I.e., one damage die, before soak, results in one yard of knockback.)
2 points
thing:
Weapons expressing this Armament flicker and move, split into many and rejoin, seemingly of their own volition. They are disorienting to fight, and their attacks are always treated as though the defender is unaware.
thing:
This Essence weapon's edges fade into invisibility rather than being precisely crystal-sharp; attacks performed with it can injure dematerialised spirits.
thing:
Essence weapons bearing this Armament trail dazzling golden streaks through the air, linking its striking surfaces to the Exalted bearer's Castemark. When attacking spirits, these weapons drain the Exalt's Essence in motes from the spirit's reserve and transfer the same quantity to their wielder.
thing:
This Essence weapon cannot be touched; it is like light on dust motes, swirling out of the way when a thing approaches it. Attacks made by this weapon are especially difficult to parry, halving the defender's successes. A 4-point variation denies parry utterly.
thing:
This Essence weapon is immense; outside its brilliant molten core is a halo of dimmer shape, and another outside it, and another, and so on into infinity. Attacks made by this weapon are especially difficult to dodge, halving the defender's successes. A 4-point variation denies dodge utterly.
4 points
thing:
This Armament causes the weapon expressing it to display distinctive fivefold or eightfold symmetry, the mathematics of the Sun. A weapon of this kind deals increased and aggravated damage against one type of creature, gaining the wielder's Essence in additional damage. Variations of this Armament oppose creatures of darkness, demons, fey, spirits, and types of Exalted.
thing:
This type of Armament entwines a Supplemental or Reflexive Charm into the weapon, applying that Charm's effect supplementally (i.e., it cannot create an action) whenever it is applicable to an action using the weapon. The wielder must have Traits 2 dots higher than the dot requisites for that Charm to apply this Armament, and this Armament also adds that Charm's mote cost to the activation cost of the Essence weapon.
thing:
This type of Armament entwines a Simple Charm into the weapon, applying that Charm's effect whenever it is applicable to an action using the weapon. The wielder must have Traits 2 dots higher than the dot requisites for that Charm to apply this Armament, and this Armament also adds twice that Charm's mote cost, and any additional costs, to the activation cost of the Essence weapon.
Heart of Sweet Crane

While this Charm is in effect, the martial artist can deliver the Sweet Crane's judgement via a thrown feather; he replaces "Martial Arts" in the effect description of all this Charm's prerequisites with "Martial Arts or Thrown, at the player's option". As such, the Charms of this Style may be placed in Combos with Charms using the Thrown Ability, but those Combos are inaccessible unless the Heart of Sweet Crane is active. While the Charm is in effect, the Style treats thrown knives as unarmed attacks.

For every 4 motes spent on this Charm, increase the rating of the user's Martial Arts by one dot. This newly increased rating is in all respects natural; it does not count against the maximum number of dice added by Charms, and actually increases this number, for Exalted who measure their maxima by Ability ratings. Furthermore, damage rolls the martial artist makes are considered reflexive actions, which means that they receive double successes on 10s, can be bolstered with Willpower expenditure, and so on.

This Charm is incompatible with all Charms and supernatural effects requiring the use of Essence (including, but not limited to: shapechanging of all descriptions, artifact attunement, Sorcery, and Dragon King Paths); activating the Charm causes all these effects to cease. If a character cannot voluntarily end an effect, he may not activate this Charm. Furthermore, it suppresses the effect of permanent Charms unless they are Charms of the Endurance Ability.

I consider it part of my job---when I make a detailed map of a place that once said simply, "Here be Dragons"---to draw a significantly larger sets of regions somewhere off its edges saying simply, "Here be Dragons." - [i]R. Borgstrom, in her capacity as My Favorite Freelancer.[/i]

Rich & I predicted that Shreyas' entry would read something like: "In the land of Ukura, the Rikha and Sybarat peoples engage in theatrical competitions every year for the hand of the Sky-Dwelling Maiden, a beauty kidnapped from the plains kingdoms..."

"It's interesting. You can suggest that Sailor Freaking Moon is a viable Solar, and people love it. You can set the Threshold rotating around the Blessed Isle, and people say it's cool. But shift any of the playable character types in power, up or down, and people get sad." - kasumi

Nukes suck - you can't engage in heroic banter while dueling with one or [I]anything[/I]. - [b]Stephenls[/b]

Charm Template

Cost:
Duration:
Type:
Min. :
Min. Essence:
Prereq Charms:

Voidstate's astrology calculator sol invictus

Triple Lotus Perfection Bracers (Artifact 5, Starmetal)
These bracers resemble lotus vines wrapped around the wearer's wrists; they are alloyed with five-colored jade to give them bright and lifelike coloration. The pair costs 10 motes to commit, and there is one Hearthstone slot.
The wearer's Essence is channelled more perfectly into the Martial Arts while he wears these. All non-Martial Arts Charms suffer a 1-mote surcharge to use (like the elemental surcharge, this is 1 mote per charm per turn), but the wearer is able to combine Martial Arts Forms and have them coexist peacefully. He may have up to one Form of each type - one Terrestrial Form, one Celestial Form, and one Sidereal Form. This is in addition to any other Form-compatibility effects: a user of the Prismatic Arrangement of Creation Form could use that Form, its four subsidiary Forms, and a Celestial and Terrestrial Form of his choise, for example.
This does not provide the unexpected weaponry effects of the Prismatic Arrangement of Creation Form, however; most users of the Triple Lotus Perfection Bracers are forced to fight unarmed.
A variation, Double Lotus Perfection Bracers (Artifact 4, 8 commitment), allows the combination of one Terrestrial and one Celestial Form. These are usually made of moonsilver.

A list of names

  • Azhamaya
  • Ayishayam
  • Daliamiya
  • Najasimat
  • Zhumaydan
  • Tsutlute
  • Thuriyyam
  • Ndailakum
  • Aishirdan
  • Rayaklelm
  • Ghalisha
  • Bahalashq
  • Numizihar
  • Nouadu
  • Najlalani
  • Khumatikt
  • Kharka
  • Kussunram
  • Zayyat
  • Ivory River
  • Jubilant Sky
  • Soul of the Eagle and the East
  • Triumphal Ivory Finger Assassin
  • Vermillion Heart of the Star

Editing Phoenix 2 for Telgar:

Phoenix Style

By thinker

Background

An ancient Solar Exalted style practiced in the First Age, it largely resolves around the use of the Daiklave and similar edged weapons, and was practiced as supplemental style to Solar Exalted Sword and Knife fighters. It is demanding and deadly style liken more to the Ebon Shadow than to Snake. Characters that practice the Phoenix Style treat attacks made with edged weapons including Daiklaves as unarmed attacks. Characters whishing to achieve basic competency with the Phoenix Style must also have a basic ability to wield the magic of weapons as defined by their Exalted type. Lunars who use claws may use Unarmed Combat Charms in place of Melee Charms to qualify for the Phoenix Form. More Exotic Exalts such as Alchemicals may not be able to practice the Phoenix Form at all.

Charms

Wing Spreading Defense</b> 

<b>Cost: 4 motes
Duration: One Turn
Type: Reflexive
Min. Martial Arts: 2
Min. Essence: 1
Prereqs: None

Spreading her arms slightly from her body like the Phoenix preparing to defend itself, the character deflects incoming attacks with great agility and poise. The character may add her Martial Arts to any parry roll.

Bursting into Motion</b> 
<b>Cost: 5 motes, 1 willpower
Duration: Until Used
Type: Reflexive
Min. Martial Arts: 3
Min. Essence: 2
Prereqs: Wing Spreading Defense

This Charm once activated remains latent in the character's anima until she chooses to draw upon its effects. At that moment the Charm ends and she gains a number of reflexive actions equal to her Martial Arts ability that may be used either as parries or dodges at her full Attribute + Ability dice pool. These actions are only available this turn. This Charm's effects can be invoked in the same turn that it is activated.

Soaring Assault</b> 
<b>Cost: 2 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Supplemental
Min. Martial Arts: 2
Min. Essence: 2
Prereqs: None

Soaring through the air with a graceful leap, the character may move up to her Dexterity score in Yards in conjunction with an attack action, so long as she is moving towards their target. In addition, the character can deal lethal damage with an unarmed attack. This Charm is explicitly allowed to be placed in a Combo with Charms from other abilities.

Gliding Combat Stance</b> 
<b>Cost: 4 motes
Duration: One Scene
Type: Simple
Min. Martial Arts: 3
Min. Essence: 3
Prereqs: Soaring Assault

The character drifts an inch or so above the ground. Her movements seem supernaturally fluid as she effortlessly maneuvers through combat. She adds her Martial Arts to her initiative and to her Dexterity for the purposes of determining movement speeds and jumping distance; this is specifically compatible with magical effects such as Soaring Assault.

Phoenix Form</b> 
<b>Cost: 5 motes
Duration: One Scene
Type: Simple
Min. Martial Arts: 4
Min. Essence: 3
Prereqs: Bursting into Motion, Gliding Combat Stance

The Exalt takes up the stance of the Phoenix ready for combat. Add the character's permanent Essence to the difficulty of attacks made against her. The character adds her Permanent Essence to any Martial Arts or Melee pool. These dice are considered normal bonus dice and count against the characters normal dice pool limit. All attacks done by the character that would do Bashing Damage do Lethal Damage instead. In addition, any strike made by the character that hit the target deal a number of dice of Lethal Damage equal to the character's Permanent Essence, soaked seperatly from the normal damage of the attack due to the firey aura surrounding the Phoenix Stylist's body.

The Phoenix Form makes stealth impossible. Phoenix Form is explicitly compatible with armor of all kinds.

Characters can only use a single Form-Type Charm at once. If another Form Charm is activated while the character is under the effects of the Phoenix Form it is immediately canceled and the new Form Charm takes its place.

Phoenix Eye Defense</b> 
<b>Cost: 5 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Min. Martial Arts: 5
Min. Essence: 4
Prereqs: Phoenix Form

Like the all-seeing Phoenix who soars above worldly concerns, the character is very hard to catch without a defense. This Charm produces a counterattack identical to that of Solar Counterattack against an attack enhanced by a Charm. In addition, if the attack successfully deals even a single level of damage, the attacker's Charm fails. (The target must still pay the cost of the effect). If the effect is part of a combo then only a single non-reflexive Charm chosen by the Martial Artist is negated by a successful attack.

Armored Bird Wing Charm</b> 
<b>Cost: 5 motes, 1 willpower
Duration: One Scene
Type: Simple
Min. Martial Arts: 5
Min. Essence: 3
Prereqs: Phoenix Form

Strengthening her bond with her Essence, the Exalted strengthens her endurance. A faint pattern of Essence appears across her skin, like the overlapping feathers of a phoenix. This adds the character's permanent Essence to its Bashing and Lethal Soak values. This explicitly applies to Aggravated soak as well and is counted as natural soak. Additionally for the rest of the scene any armor is considered to be made of the magical material appropriate to the character's Exalted type for purposes of other Charms. If your ST is using Power Combat rules, this Charm adds an amount of Hardness equal to 1/2 your Permanent Essence.

Golden Aura of Defense</b> 
<b>Cost: 5 motes, 1 health level
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Min. Martial Arts: 5
Min. Essence: 4
Prereqs: Armored Bird Wing Charm, Phoenix Eye Defense

The character may make a single parry action at her full Dexterity + Ability pool and apply it to all attacks that are targeted against her for the rest of the Turn. They may supplement or replace this parry with another Charm if they wish so long as they have any other Charms they wish to use in a combo with Golden Aura Defense.

Solar Flare Assault</b> 
<b>Cost: 3 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Supplemental
Min. Martial Arts: 5
Min. Essence: 4
Prereqs: Phoenix Form

The Exalt charges her weapon with Essence. If the attack supplemented by this Charm is successful, the character rolls Essence + Martial Arts in an reflexive opposed test against the target's Wits + Resistance. If the target wins, there is no additional effect. If the character wins, the character ruptures her opponent's anima, causing it to leak motes. For one turn for each net success on the opposed test, the target must spend an additional mote on each Charm he activates. These added motes must be Peripheral Essence if it is available. This Charm is explicitly allowed to be comboed with Charms from other abilities.

Glory Corona</b> 
<b>Cost: 5 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Supplemental
Min. Martial Arts: 5
Min. Essence: 4
Prereqs: Solar Flare Assault, Phoenix Eye Defense

One of the deadliest techniques in the Phoenix Style, this potent Charm wraps an attack in a massive flare of Essence to push its Charms far beyond the norm for their potency. Any other Charm supplementing an attack supplemented by this Charm is twice as hard to resist as it would be normally (Either double the successes on the character's roll or double the difficulty number of their opponents).

This Charm is useless without a Combo.

Raging Fury Aura</b> 
<b>Cost: 10 motes, 1 willpower
Duration: One Scene
Type: Simple
Min. Martial Arts: 5
Min. Essence: 5
Prereqs: Glory Corona, Golden Aura of Defense

A master of the Phoenix path is truly terrifying to behold. She may make a number of Martial Arts or Melee attacks equal to her Martial Arts each turn for the rest of the scene. These attacks are at the character's full dice pool and may be further enhanced by the use of other Charms like any normal action. The character may not gain benefit from any Extra Action type Charms in any turn that he uses this ability, nor may be benefit from other Charms that are incompatible with Extra- Action type Charms (Such as Steel Devil Style) while they are using Raging Fury Aura.


Quaking Aspen Tempest Style, Graven Butterfly Style, maybe Scarlet Shutting of Doors Style...

pg pix

/Ixullanu : for Telgar's game

Invocation of Precious Lineage\\ Cost: Whatever\\ The sorceror takes the seed of a thousand-year-old tree, and in a sorcerous ritual, binds its Essence with that of a precious metal or jewel (not one of the 5MM, but anything inferior. It is a poor idea to try this with adamant, as adamant is perfectly impervious.) He plants the seed, which grows at accelerated speed (per Force of Life's Summer) to adulthood. The fruit of the resulting plant will be of the material that was bound to the original seed, and its leaves of a base material that is harmonious with the fruit. Cuttings can be taken from this plant, but it does not breed true.

[23:52] <haren> Perhaps things start seperating out... like the water coming out of trees for some... depending on their Yozi.

[23:53] * haren is just trying to think of cool imagry... trees dessicating as the water pours from their leaves and even the bark spliting could be very cool. lol

[23:54] <haren> And it's just an idea.

[23:54] * haren doesn't really remember the Yozi all that well.

[23:57] <willows> ooh, hm... Disbanding of the Spheres, an aura of conflict that tears concepts apart so that things derived from different Yozis do not intermingle... Kimbery withdraws from Szoreny, dessicating trees; She Who Lives In Her Name withdraws from Cecelyne, shattering space into a thousand whirling, disordered fragments

[23:57] <willows> and so forth

Lunars My Way

I loved the idea of the Lunars as the shapeshifting lords of the wild lands, but I didn't like their execution in the hardcover. My version of Lunars makes them not physical shapechangers, but masters of personal transformation. Here are some of the changes I might make:

  • Change Deadly Beastman Transformation. It becomes {Type} Beastman Transformation, and it works like this:
    • Deadly is the type in the book.
    • Masterful Beastman Transformation adds Attribute points to Appearance and Charisma at 1-to-1, and to Manipulation at 2-to-1. This isn't a war-form so much as an "ambassador" form; taking the Masterful Beastman Transformation is a declaration that the Lunar represents all the living creatures of his lands. As such, it is not accompanied by the three-foot enlargement of the Deadly change; rather; Masterful tattoos glow with lunar light (and reveal an Infernals omen anima, in accord with the Truth of Luna.)
    • Arcane Beastman Transformation adds points to Perception at 2-to-1 and Wits and Intelligence at 1-to-1. The "counselor" form is often accompanied by a continuous, iconic anima display rather than enlargement of the body; this is not "true" anima display, and does not lock the Lunar into his true forms.
    • A Lunar may only learn one type of Beastman Transformation; they all share a common (enlarged) palette of Gift effects.

(yes, this does step a little on Alchemical toes, but those are sturdy toes indeed.)

Lunars have a variety of unusual shapechanging abilities:

  • They may learn an animal shape by befriending a group of the animal, becoming accepted as one of them in spirit (and therefore in body).
  • Charms permit the taking of "swarm" shapes.
  • Charms permit Lunars to hybridize forms and modify forms within their libraries; one could combine a storm-serpent shape and a Garda bird shape to take the form of a dragon of flames.
  • Advanced magics allow Lunars to turn their bodies, into unusual materials like smoke, jade, obsidian.
  • Very advanced magics should allow Lunars to phase-shift their Castes temporarily.

Crouching Tiger Exercise and Moonsilver Monkey Exercise suck! Here is an alternative mechanic:\\ Make the appropriate Athletics roll, based on your human form's Attribute when you activate the Charm; for this many turns, your Attribute increases by one each turn, so long as you devote at least one action each turn to performing some kind of exercise. You may count a sprinting turn as exercise, but not combat actions; at least one of your actions must be wholly self-centred flexes, stretches, et al. Once you cease exerising, even if you are eligible to raise the stat further with more exercise, the raised Attribute persists for your Essence in turns; thereafter the Charm ends, and you must make a Stamina + Endurance roll. You are exhausted and at -1 dice for all actions for (Athletics roll successes - Endurance roll successes) turns.

The idea behind this is that it makes the Charms, while weak, useful in combat, especially for monkey types who can split their actions sixteen ways to Sunday. Yet, if you hang around and flex for a while, and then step into battle, you will get a superior effect.

Current Projects

Hey! First Age Exalted! Think of the possibilities - cross-type Charm interaction is the first thing that comes to mind. Direct Charm-against-Charm tactics (my counterparry Charms are a messy attempt at this) and highly refined Charm trees that deliberately have unexpected and artistic interactions, too, are cool. Metacharm technology is another thing I'm looking into.

So, on that, here's the template for the metacharm tree:

  • Charm that makes Caste Charms cheaper
    • Charm that makes Charms of one Favored Ability cheaper
    • Charm that permits resource-exchange: 10 motes for a WP, etc.
      • Charm that allow on-the-fly Combo construction (2WP, reflexive, you can use whatever Charms this turn as though they were a Combo)
      • Charm that makes one Charm category "not a Charm use" for you (probably restricted to discounted Charms, maybe paying the full cost to make it 'uncharm'
        • A type-switching Charm (perform a supp reflexively, a simple supplementally, an EA simply (and thus permitting exponential actions)
        • The problem with switching type is that the Type a Charm has isn't so much a Combo limitation as a logical limitation on when the Charm can be used. Most supplimental Charms /have/ to be enhancing an existing action- they can't conjure them out of thin air. That's what makes them supplemental. Dittoditto an EA Charm- as you noted, making an EA Simple opens the door to Exponential EA, which is not a desirible place to go, IMO. Making a Simple Supplmental may work... on case by case basis. - DariusSolluman

On the other hand, I like the rest of these :) - DS again

That last Charm worries me a bit, but I think it can be done, as long as it's tempered with judgement.

WillowsInfernal is the location of my Infernals project. Bug Ikselam about his, too! He says he's going to start putting u contect, which is way cool, because his Infernals are of a drastically different flavor than mine.\\ MartialArts/RoilingVernalTempestStyle now has its own page.

The Talkbox

I've always liked the thought of Charms with 'growth plans'. I.E., a list of enhancements the Charm can undergo, and their XP costs. For example, maybe a Charm that starts out as a supplemental defense-adder, but with a growth plan that allows the player to pump 6xp into it to make it a reflexive base-pool bestower. It just seems it would break things (like Charm order and existing cascades) so much, I've never tried to make anything more of the idea of living Charms. - Balthasar

Very interesting Lunar ideas! Nothing there seems truly incompatible with extant Lunar info btw. - Quendalon

Ooh, willows, I really like these versions. I just have a minor mechanical question: say you get 6 successes, and spend 3 of those turns "flexing." If you have two essence, and you start fighting on the fourth turn, do you have the effect for a total of 5 turns, or 2? Er, to clarify, the turns during which you can gain the extra dots - do they disappear once you stop flexing, or do they keep going even if you don't use them, after which the Essence in turns takes over? - SilverMeerKat

I thought about that; I weas in a hurry to post. I'll revise tio clarify. - willows

If you need a hand writing up any of the specifics for these I'd be happy to help. I could tweak mechanics to work or just write them out in a presentation-worthy and user-friendly format.\\ I'm always looking for a chance to practice this stuff, so I thought I'd offer.\\ ~*~Braydz~*~

My Lunar player is now cranky that his character predates Arcane Beastman Transformation, as he would have much preferred it to DBT. - Quendalon

What would you think about allowing Lunars to purchase multiple different Beastman Transformations, with the limit that they can only use one at a time? That way a shapeshift-happy Lunar can switch between Arcane, Deadly and Masterful Beastman Transformations as the occasion demands, if they're willing to dump enough XP into buying them over and over again. If nothing else, it allows one to bring the new BTs into an existing game without making the Lunar PCs feel stuck with a sub-optimal choice of DBT. - Quendalon

Well... it's scary, but if I were feeling nice I'd let it go, with a few caveats:

  • They all count together for determining Tell intensity. So, if you buy them up to 5, you've got three kinds of level-5 Tell markings.
  • I might consider requiring the character ro rebuy Finding the Spirit's Shape for each - to allow you to open up a new "facet" of the totem; this also allows someone who doesn't mind being Chimera to have several different BTs.
  • I don't know what Lunar society would think of it.
  • It opens up asscraploads of tactical options... I probably wouldn't count alternate ABT as a trueform while in DBT, and so on.

All that said, I think that a really shapeshift-happy character might as well. - willows

Good thoughts, there. I agree completely on the Tell issue. Lunar society isn't an issue for my game, since I'm not using the Silver Pact. And yeah, maybe the alternate BTs won't count as true forms, but rather as rarefied chimerical form-constructs adapted for specific purposes, as elements of a veritable cornucopia of First Age Lunar shapeshifting lore that has mostly been lost.

For the Charm prerequisites, given that we're already in play and I can build the charm tree solely for my one Lunar PC's use, I might spin out different trees for the two new BTs. Maybe he'll need Terrestrial Circle Sorcery, Moonsilver-Shaping Rite and Pulse of the Invisible for Arcane Beastman Transformation? (Possibly tossing in a Perception Charm and/or an Interaction and Knowledge Charm; I don't have the Lunars book handy for consultation.) I'd choose a similar set of Spirit and Interaction/Knowledge Charms as prerequisites for Masterful Beastman Transformation. - Quendalon

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