SolarSurvival/IsawaBrian
First Edition and Conversions
Cunning Hunter Sense
Cost: 1 mote per die Duration: Instant Type: Supplemental Minimum Survival: 1 Minimum Essence: 1 Prerequisite Charms: None
This Charm attunes the Solar to the ways of the hunt. For every one mote spent, the character gains one die to add to any hunting, navigation, or tracking roll he makes. The character cannot more than double his Attribute + Survival dice pool. This Charm cannot break through the protection of Traceless Passage, but it will assist someone using Unshakeable Bloodhound Technique to track a protected target.
In second edition, this Charm functions differently:
Cost: --; Mins: Survival 5, Essence 4; Type: Permanent Keywords: None Prerequisite Charms: Unshakeable Bloodhound Technique
The Lawgiver learns to read the signs of his prey’s tracks to give him greater insight into the prey’s plans. Whenever the Solar is using Unshakeable Bloodhound Technique to track a target, the Solar gains an understanding into the basic motivations of the target’s movements and actions that are traceable by tracking, similar to the motivations read in social interaction by Mastery of Small Manners. If the prey is attempting to lead the Solar into an ambush, for example, the hunter using Unshakeable Bloodhound Technique with Cunning Hunter Sense will feel danger and threat directed at himself, and gain an idea of the possibility of ambush.
Nomad Wandering Spirit
Cost: 1 mote per die Duration: Instant Type: Supplemental Minimum Survival: 1 Minimum Essence: 1 Prerequisite Charms: None The Solar harmonizes her soul with the ways of the wild, allowing her to easily adapt to any condition and to conceal herself. For every one mote spent, the character gains one die to add to any roll to conceal herself or her tracks, to survive harsh conditions, or to find water and small edibles. The character cannot more than double her Attribute + survival dice pool. This Charm will not protect the character against Unshakeable Bloodhound Technique, but will assist her if she has Traceless Passage active.
In second edition, this Charm functions differently:
Cost: --; Mins: Survival 2, Essence 1; Type: Permanent Keywords: None Prerequisite Charms: None
The Solar gains an instinctive understanding of the road she has traveled in life. From the time the Solar takes this Charm onward, her memory includes an instinctive map of every place she has ever traveled. If the Solar is in the rough area of any of these locations later, she may navigate as though she had a map and compass with no difficulty. By making a reflexive Perception + Survival roll, the character can gain a sense of how far and in what direction a place she knows is… but not necessarily which place.
Transcendent Survival Prowess
Cost: None Duration: Permanent Type: Special Minimum Survival: 5 Minimum Essence: 3 Prerequisite Charms: Unshakeable Bloodhound Technique, Traceless Passage
The Solar has become a master of the ways of the world beyond civilization. He is at home in the burning deserts of the south, and can find food in the freezing northern plains. Subtract Two from the difficulty of all survival rolls (minimum difficulty one). This charm is based on Neph’s suggestion on the wiki. I just fleshed it out
In second edition, this Charm requires all three Survival Excellencies, Survival Essence Flow, and Infinite Survival Mastery. Its minimum Essence increases to 4.
Know the Prey
Cost: 10 motes, 1 Willpower Duration: One Day Type: Simple Minimum Survival: 5 Minimum Essence: 4 Prerequisite Charms: Unshakeable Bloodhound Technique, Devil-Pit Technique
By merging her senses with the power of Essence and the ways of the hunt, the Exalt becomes a master hunter, totally aware of her prey. In addition to the full benefits of Unshakeable Bloodhound Technique, the character gets a number of extra dice equal to her Essence to track down even foes protected by Traceless Passage and similar Charms. Finally, she has Essence Sight in regards to her target, so, unless her target has defenses against Essence Sight, she will be able to see him in even the worst of conditions. The target must be chosen at the initial application of this Charm, and one of the following conditions must be met: (1) The character knows the target personally; (2) The character has access to the personal effects of the target; or (3) The character already has a concrete trail left by the target.
In second edition, this Charm is very different:
Cost: --; Mins: Survival 5, Essence 4; Type: Permanent Keywords: None Prerequisite Charms: None
By merging her senses with the power of Essence and the ways of the hunt, the Exalt’s master hunting capabilities grow even stronger. When using Unshakeable Bloodhound Technique, the character may pay an additional 2 motes to gain Essence Sight for the duration of the hunt.
Forest Awareness Method
Cost: 12 motes, 2 Willpower Duration: One Week Type: Simple Minimum Survival: 5 Minimum Essence: 5 Prerequisite Charms: Know the Prey
The hunter is no longer constrained to hunt merely one foe. He may designate up to an entire species (including breeds or families) as his prey- including humans, dragon-blooded, Lintha and so on. He will instantly become aware of the presence, location, and relative speed of all members of that species within his permanent Essence times ten miles of him. The character may designate up to his Survival in individual targets; he may subsequently track those targets as though he was using Unshakeable Bloodhound Technique on them, even if they move out of his area of absolute knowledge. If one of his targets or designated prey uses Traceless Passage or a similarly powerful Charm, they roll against each other as usual, but the solar using Forest Awareness Method gets a number of extra dice equal to his permanent Essence. As long as the character instantly renews this Charm when its time is up, he may continue to track targets as normal
In second edition, this Charm is Obvious, Combo-OK, and Supplemental. Instead of allowing the character to “designate individual targets”, the character instead gains a total discount on a number of simultaneous instances of Unshakeable Bloodhound Technique equal to his Survival rating.
Cardinal Hunting Mastery
Cost: 15 motes, 2 Willpower Duration: One Week Type: Simple Minimum Survival: 6 Minimum Essence: 6 Prerequisite Charms: Forest Awareness Method
The Solar now becomes the ultimate predator. Her perceptions of a prey species, as per Forest Awareness Method, now extends to an entire cardinal direction- the Center, the East, the Northwest, and so on. Full directions, such as the East or the North are divided into three parts, the borders of which they share with other directions. Each of these parts is considered a full cardinal direction. Just as with Forest Awareness Method, if the character is forced to contest with any of those under her observation, she gains a number of extra dice equal to her permanent Essence.
Furthermore, all of her targets are considered to be within her Essence Sight, as per Know the Prey. The amount of information available to her is only limited by her concentration; she is aware of names, or differences (‘that grey wolf THERE is different from the one over there) for all of those within her purview, and can gain a flash of what a particular individual looks like and is doing at that particular moment by concentrating.
In second edition, this Charm is very different:
Cost: --; Mins: Survival 6, Essence 6; Type: Permanent Keywords: None Prerequisite Charms: Forest Awareness Method
The Solar may now spend an additional 3 motes when activating Forest Awareness Method to become the ultimate predator. Her perceptions of a prey species, as per Forest Awareness Method, now extends to an entire cardinal direction- the Center, the East, the Northwest, and so on. Full directions, such as the East or the North are divided into three parts, the borders of which they share with other directions. Each of these parts is considered a full cardinal direction. The Solar gains an enhanced version of Unshakeable Bloodhound Technique and Forest Awareness Method on each member of the species within that cardinal direction.
In addition to the basic information for those two Charms, all of her targets are considered to be within her Essence Sight, as per Know the Prey. The amount of information available to her is only limited by her concentration; she is aware of names, or differences (‘that grey wolf THERE is different from the one over there) for all of those within her purview, and can gain a flash of what a particular individual looks like and is doing at that particular moment by concentrating.
Prudent Scrounging Method
Cost: 5 motes, 1 Willpower Duration: One Hour Type: Simple Minimum Survival: 5 Minimum Essence: 2 Prerequisite Charms: Food-Gathering Exercise
The Solar becomes a master scrounger. He selects a single, no more than moderately complex tool or small toolkit, and within an hour, he will have found sufficient materials to easily construct that tool or toolkit. This can include weapons. About the largest he can scrounge in a single hour is a single-person kayak or canoe, but with the right selections, larger boats, home-building material, and so on, can be discovered. This is magic, and will function even in the most desolate locations. If necessary, this will lead the Exalt to ancient ruins, the decayed or frozen corpse of a long-dead traveler, and so on. In general, the more complex a tool or the more sophisticated its use would be, the less effective the scrounged material will be, but there is no more than a -2 dice penalty for the most delicate of devices, such as a clockmaker or jeweler’s tools.
In Second Edition, this charm is Combo-OK. It will only work to find basic, nonmagical materials, unless the Storyteller decides otherwise. This Charm should be relatively safe in its usage, but not necessarily so in its consequences. In other words, if the character finds an ancient, frozen corpse with jeweler’s tools, the corpse should not carry the Great Contagion or even some minor illness. However, if the character takes the tools without properly caring for the corpse, there is the possibility of a minor haunting. Most uses of this Charm should, however, be relatively useful, and not require heavy choices. It is a safe and efficient effect, but it should not be abused.
Second Edition
Storm Warden’s Concentration
Cost: --; Mins: Survival 5, Essence 2; Type: Permanent Keywords: None Prerequisite Charms: Hardship Surviving Mendicant’s Spirit
The Solar’s ability to withstand the harshness of the weather is a cleansing force, granting the Solar freedom from the limitations of her environment. By spending an additional 2 motes when using Hardship Surviving Mendicant’s Spirit, the character may extend the protection against environmental factors to all Abilities. This only affects those situations in which Survival would be affected as well. A character in the midst of a storm during daytime would not gain any penalties to Archery rolls, including for visibility; at night, the same Lawgiver would suffer from normal, unclouded night penalties but not from the wind and rain and fog.
Salamander’s Touch Technique
Cost: --; Mins: Survival 3, Essence 2; Type: Permanent Keywords: None Prerequisite Charms: Any Survival Excellency
Like a lens of well-polished glass, the Solar can concentrate his anima into a brief spark of heat. The Solar can light a small, controlled fire with but a moment’s concentration (a Miscellaneous action in combat) and the expenditure of one mote, given flammable materials and conditions normally conducive to lighting fires. These fires are normal in every way, with just as much benefit or danger as any ordinary fire.
Unquenchable Conflagration Technique
Cost: 5 motes; Mins: Survival 4, Essence 2; Type: Simple Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Salamander’s Touch Technique
Even the lack of flammable materials is no hindrance to a sufficiently determined Solar. The Lawgiver’s duty to illuminate the world includes bringing fire to all of Creation, as gifted by the magnificent Unconquered Sun. Upon activation of this Charm, the Solar causes a bonfire to spring into existence (this may not be done as an attack) with but a gesture. The fire will burn for a complete scene (or fifteen minutes in particularly long scenes), but will not spread without flammable materials. For some reason, this Charm is offensive to all Primordials and Primordial-descended beings, such as demons, Neverborn, and so forth.
Sun’s Flaming Tongue Attack
Cost: 15 motes, 1 willpower; Mins: Survival 5, Essence 3; Type: Simple (Speed 4) Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious, Holy Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Unquenchable Conflagration Technique
The awe-inspiring light of a Solar’s soul can bring either warmth or devastation as the Solar wills. By concentrating the generation of holy light within his Shard, the Solar can cause a great column of solar flame to strike down upon an opponent. The Solar rolls Willpower + Survival to hit, and the attack is normally unblockable and undodgeable. This attack has a base lethal damage equal to the Solar’s permanent Essence, and threshold successes on the attack roll add as normally. Against creatures of darkness, this damage is aggravated. This Charm’s attack has a rate of 1 and cannot be typically used as a defense.
Earth’s Unceasing Beacon
Cost: 2 motes; Mins: Survival 2, Essence 1; Type: Reflexive Keywords: Combo-OK Duration: One Scene Prerequisite Charms: None
This is a mechanical conversion of the Charm on SS p. 116.
Game-Snaring Huntsman’s Method
Cost: --; Mins: Survival 2, Essence 1; Type: Permanent Keywords: None Prerequisite Charms: Any Survival Excellency
The Solar’s excellence in the ways of the wild gives allows him to align a trap with its surroundings, whether natural or unnatural. When the Solar uses the First or Second Survival Excellency to aid in the Creation of a snare or trap, he may choose to commit all motes used for one day. For that day, the dice gained by the First Survival Excellency or successes gained by the Second Survival Excellency are applied as either an internal or external penalty, respectively, to attempts to uncover or escape that snare or trap. The Solar must choose a single breed of creature (including “human”) when investing the Excellency in the trap; the trap or snare will only trigger for a member of that species. This may not target an individual.
Devil Pit Technique
Cost: --; Mins: Survival 4, Essence 2; Type: Permanent Keywords: None Prerequisite Charms: Game-Snaring Huntsman’s Method
The Solar’s cunning trapping techniques now extend beyond the normal means. Even demonic (in cunning, at least; this Charm is not Holy and need not be used exclusively against Creatures of Darkness) opponents may be ensnared, and the Solar can insure that no others fall into her trap. When investing Excellency dice or successes in a Charm as per Game-Snaring Huntsman’s Method, the Solar may double the committed motes in order to add to its lethality. For every Excellency die committed to the trap, add 1 lethal or bashing damage die to the trap’s effects. For every Excellency success committed to the trap, add 1 automatic lethal or bashing damage level to the trap’s effects. The trap has the same restrictions and requirements as per Game-Snaring Huntsman’s Method.
Comments
Re: Know the Prey. Perhaps you should mention something about having to select one target when the Charm is invoked. And maybe any one of the following conditions should be met: 1. The character knows the target personally. 2. The character has access to the personal effects of the target. 3. The character already has a concrete trail left by the target. Otherwise it's like, "Oh I've heard about this guy who may be in the area. He's my target, even though I only know his name; I've never met him; I don't have a trail yet; and I don't even really know if he's in the area. But this is a good way to find out!"
Re: Forest Awareness Method and Cardinal Hunting Mastery. I notice you give the example of "Lintha" as a species. I would think that this wouldn't work - you'd either have to select Humans or Demon-Blooded as your targets. Unless you intended these Charms to work not only on actual species, but on different groups of humans such as "Guild Members" or "Realm Soldiers." -LiOfOrchid
- Know the Prey is designed to work specifically along the lines of Unshakeable Bloodhound Technique with privelleges- pretty much how you described it. I can edit it if it's not too clear. Thanks- I hope you don't mind me using your words. :)
- Actually, I meant Lintha because they're *really* inbred, virtually a separate species. It's roughly the same as picking a very specific line of Beastman. I suppose what I *should* have said was 'Species, breed, or family'. So done.
- Cool. It was just a matter of clarity more than anything. -LiOfOrchidd]]
