Haku/RevisedAnimaPower

This is currently a work in progress.

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Going over the solar write-up made me realized something, that the anima power of the exalts in general seem to be well... useless.

Think about it. For 10 motes committed, a night caste gets +1 difficulty being tracked, now for this 10 motes, it has to come out of their -personal- essence pool, as otherwise, you're looking at it being rendered ineffective, or else you have to pump 20 motes out of peripherial essence pool, doubling it with the other anima power to avoid an anima flare up. Dawns have to committ 10 motes to force people to do a valor roll to attack him, or eat a -2 die penalty.

This doesn't seem right, when was the last time, when you played solars that you used your anima power. Be honest now...

So, what I'm proposing here is a house-ruling of the anima powers... or at least my take on the anima powers of the various exalted, not just the solars. The rules are generally the same, only modified by a degree. I've also taken the ruling on the Zenith's effects on undead from 'The book of ivory and ebony' and worked it in.

Anima Powers

In general, any exalt who activates their anima power, simply spends that essence. The essence isn't committed, rather it triggers an effect within the essence of the exalt, giving him or her great temporary power. Which means, that yes... the essence can be recovered, even if the anima effect is still ongoing. Also, unless stated otherwise, the anima power's activation is a reflexive action.

Solars

Dawn

The Dawn is the iconic general of the Unconquered Sun's armies in the First Age and in the great war before that, as such Dawns can spend 10 motes to steady the hearts of their followers who, for the rest of the scene, will not fail a valor roll.

For 10 motes, the character appears huge and fearsome for the remainder of the scene or until the effect is released by the Dawn. This change is dramatic, as he radiates the fury and wrath of the Unconquered Sun.

Mortal beings attempting to oppose the exalt or stand against him must successfully roll their valor + essence against a difficulty equal to the Dawn's essence trait.

Failure will leave the being (or creature) shivering in fear and unable to do anything directly against the Dawn. Botches will result in them outright fleeing in fear of the fearsome figure. The beings immune to this effect are golems, demons, automata, ghosts, the walking dead as well as those who know no fear.

It is possible to fight the Dawn without looking at him and thus avoid the valor + essence roll, however this incus a die penalty equal to half the Dawn's essence trait, rounded up.

Zenith

The Zenith is the high priest of the Unconquered Sun and is thus empowered with His touch. After spending 10 motes, the Zenith may incinerate any corpse (but NOT the walking dead) with but a touch and a brief prayer, sending the soul in the corpse to its proper place in the circle of reincarnation and preventing any desecratation of the body, such as use in foul necromatic rituals or rising as a walking dead or hungry ghost.

On her initative, as her action for a single turn, the Zenith may also spend 5 motes and may point at any creature of darkness (such as demons, ghosts, the walking dead and such foul beings) within a range equal to (5 x Zenith's essence trait). The target then suffers die of unsoakable aggravated damage equal to the Zenith's essence trait as a pillar of golden white light engulfs them.

Deathlords, Abyssal and Infernal exalted can resist this effect, by spending 5 motes and rolling their essence trait against the Zenith's, each success gained negates one success from the Zenith's roll. This resistence is a reflexive action. Any undead/ghost extras are simply vaporized.

Because they are fierce opponents of darkness both in and without, the Zenith can also spend 10 motes to radiate a fearsome aura much like that of the Dawn's which works only on demons, ghosts and the undead. The mindless walking dead (such as zombies) that can not fail valor rolls are not wholly unaffected by the anima effect. They will attempt to go around the Zenith, but will not approach the Zenith within a radius equal to the Zenith's essence in yards. Entering the radius of the Zenith's aura for ANY reason causes it to collapse to the ground, helpless and inert. Once they've been taken outside of that radius, the walking dead is once more active.

Twilight

The sages and savants of the Solar exalted, the Twilight bear within them the wisdom of the Unconquered Sun, and they can with the spending of 5 motes bring this wisdom to aid them, allowing them to add to temporarily increase their caste abilities with a bonus equal to their essence trait. This bonus only applies to a single roll and is not counted towards their natural die-adding limit of attribute + ability.

As they're also warrior-sages, the Twilights often find themselves on the battlefield, and as such, they can employ their anima as a last ditch defensive act. After the damage has been rolled and a Twilight will take damage, she can spend 5 motes to strength her anima, causing it to solidify and absorb the damage for her. The Twilight rolls her essence, and each success gained will negate a point of damage to her health level that the enemy would have done. This can reduce a potentially deadly blow to nothing.

Night

The Night castes are stealthy warriors of the Unconquered Sun, venturing forth into the darkness, seeking His enemies who think themselves safe in the cloak of night. To do so, they have greater mastery over their essence and can mute the glory of their anima by spending twice the essence cost of any charm to conceal its activation with motes from their peripheral essence pool.

They can also use the essence within themselves to conceal their presence from the world around them. After spending (5 personal or 10 peripheral) motes, the Night caste's anima conceals her, masking her presence from those who seek her or are attempting to follow her trail. The difficulty to track or detect the exalt increases by the her essence trait for the rest if the scene or until its effect are cancelled.

Eclipse

Still can't decide to keep the eclipse as is or to mod it as well... mmmm...

Abyssals

Dusk

The Dusk are the great warriors of their Neverborn masters, generals beyond compare who seek to bring the peace of the grave to Creation. For 10 motes, the Dusk can give his followers the serenity of the grave, and for the rest of the scene, they will not fail any valor rolls.

Also, because they serve Oblivion, the Dusk caste have a measure of its awesome presence that they can channel throught their anima. For 10 motes, Dusks can appear as dark and terrible beings who bring utter destruction from beyond the grave.

Mortal beings attempting to oppose the exalt or stand against him must successfully roll their valor + essence against a difficulty equal to the Dusk's essence trait.

Failure will leave the being (or creature) shivering in fear and unable to do anything directly against the exalt. Botches will result in them outright fleeing in fear of the fearsome figure. The beings immune to this effect are golems, demons, automata, ghosts, the walking dead as well as those who know no fear.

It is possible to fight the Dusk without looking at him and thus avoid the valor + essence roll, however this incus a die penalty equal to half the Dusk's essence trait, rounded up.

Midnight

The Midnight Caste speak for their dark gods and have a measure of their power imprinted in their souls and anima. By spending 10 motes, a Midnight can for the rest of a scene cause the dead (corpses or skeletons) to raise as the walking dead with but a mere touch and the command to rise in the name of the Neverborn. The dead rises at the end of the scene as necrotic energies of the Neverborn start to flow into their base form. The walking dead created thus will always follow the commands of their creator to the best of their abilities.

As they possess a link to the Neverborn, a Midnight can strike down a mortal with an icy glance, channeling the might of Oblivion throught their anima. By spending 5 motes, the Midnight can for their action in a given turn indicate a mortal being within a range equal to (5 x Midnight's essence trait) engulf him in a pillar of negative light, causing great trauma. Normal mortals simply take unsoakable aggravated damage equal to the abyssal's essence trait. Exalts and Fair folk can resist this effect due to their natures. All other beings are immune to this effect.

For other exalted and fair folk, the Midnight rolls her essence trait as unsoakable aggravated damage dealt to them. Exalted and Fair Folk characters can resist this damage by reflexively spending 5 motes and rolling their essence against the Midnight's, each success gained thus negates a point of damage that would be dealt to them.

Because they are the high priests of the Neverborn, the abyssal can channel some of their authority and power into his anima. After spending 10 motes, ghosts and other creatures of the Underworld must roll their willpower at a difficulty equal to the Midnight's essence trait to avoid following his commands for the rest of the scene and must roll their valor at a difficulty half the Midnight's essence trait (rounded down) to even think of attacking or going against the exalt.

This effect does not work on ghosts and other creatures of the Underworld if they possess an essence trait higher then the Midnight's. They will, however, listen to any polite request from the Midnight and will usually comply depending on the request. It is unknown if the Deathlords themselves are immune to this effect as no abyssal exalt has reached the essence level of their masters, yet.

Daybreak

Day

Moonshadow

Lunars

Full Moon

Changing Moon

No Moon

Sidereals

Mercury - Maiden of Journeys

Venus - Maiden of Serenity

Mars - Maiden of Battle

Jupiter - Maiden of Secrets

Saturn - Maiden of Endings

Alchemicals

Orichalcum

Moonsilver

Starmetal

Jade

Soulsteel

Adamant (if allowed in your game)

Dragonblooded

Air

Earth

Fire

Water

Wood

Peanut Gallery

Any comments?

I have a comment... Since the anima powers all say spend, I've never treated them as committed anyway. And I thought they were already all reflexive? I agree though... The dawn caste especially lacks a useful power, and since their favoured ability set is so... limited, I might have to add another one myself. Twilight is fine though, and Eclipse...
-- Darloth