IsawaBrian/SolarCraftMastery
First Edition and Conversions
Keen Apprentice Technique
Cost: 1 mote per die Duration: One Task Type: Supplemental Minimum Craft: 1 Minimum Essence: 1 Prerequisite Charms: None
The Exalted fills his limbs with essence, bringing suppleness, deft, and energy to his work. For every one mote spent on this Charm, the character gains one die to any Craft roll. This cannot more than double his base Attribute + Craft dice pool. The character can use this Charm for Crafts that he is not familiar with; however, his dice pool starts at merely his Attribute level. The Exalted may still buy dice up to his Attribute + Craft rating, though.
Example: Owyn has Craft (Mining) 5 and Dexterity 5. He wishes to weave fine clothes for himself for the opening of his mine, but has no tailor experience. His dice pool starts at his dexterity rating, 5, but he may buy up to ten more dice, for a total of 15.
In Second Edition, this Charm is very different.
Cost: --; Mins: Craft 1, Essence 1; Type: Permanent Keywords: None Prerequisite Charms: Any Craft Excellency
The Exalted's experience in one craft gives him a basic knowledge that can be used for others through the essential symmetry of Essence-- and the superlative power of Solar mental and physical might. For any use of an Excellency or Excellency-derived Charm where the limit is determined in part or whole by the Solar's Craft rating, that rating is considered to be equal to the character's highest Craft rating. This does not affect rerolls made with the Third Excellency. The above example is still accurate (replacing Craft (Mining) with Craft (Earth)); in the case of the Second Excellency, Owyn would be able to purchase up to 5 bonus successes. In a game where Craft is not spread over multiple different types, Keen Apprentice Technique increases to a Craft 3, Essence 3 effect which allows the character to apply a First or Second Craft Excellency to a non-Craft roll, so long as it involves the product of a mundane craft. In a normal game, this effect is achieved by a second purchase of the original Charm at Essence 3.
Open Road Journeyman Style
Cost: 3 motes Duration: One Task Type: Reflexive Minimum Craft: 3 Minimum Essence: 1 Prerequisite Charms: Keen Apprentice Technique
All Crafts are, in one way or another, related. A Solar Exalt may tap into this interconnectedness in order to apply expertise in one craft to another. For a single task, she has her full Attribute + (Highest Craft Ability) dice pool to use on any Craft task. For the purposes of Charms, this is treated as her base pool, not as bonus dice.
In Second Edition, this Charm is very different.
Cost: --; Mins: Craft 3, Essence 1; Type: Permanent Keywords: None Prerequisite Charms: Keen Apprentice Technique
One of the reasons that young journeymen are sent out into the world is to broaden their experience, applying their creativity to different facets of their craft. Solars, who can work with the very idealized Essence of Craft, can apply that same creativity to other forms of Craft! Any Craft Charm that the Solar possesses may be used as though the Solar had the required minimums in all Crafts, though this does not grant any extra dice or mundane expertise. If this Charm is purchased a second time, the character may commit a number of motes equal to the static Craft requirement for some action in order to perform that action as though she had the necessary requirements. In a game where Craft is not spread over multiple different types, the second effect is instead the first one available.
True Master’s Mark
Cost: None Duration: Permanent Type: Special Minimum Craft: 5 Minimum Essence: 2 Prerequisite Charms: Open Road Journeyman Style
Solar Excellence knows no limitations. This, like Ox-Body Technique is not so much a Charm as a measure of development, in this case, in mastery over Crafts. True Master’s Mark can only be purchased a number of times equal to the character’s highest Charm rating. Each time this Charm is purchased, the character gains a number of Craft Slots equal to his highest Craft Rating. These slots must include the Craft that rating applies to, and the slots increase whenever that Craft rating does. Each slot is a Craft that the character is considered to have a rating in equal to the highest Craft rating, and it improves along with that rating. The Craft to be used must be picked the first time this Charm is purchased, and from that moment on, no other Craft may exceed that initial Craft’s rating. The character may choose to absorb old Crafts into the slots, at a regular 1:1 rating, but receives no experience break for this.
In Second Edition, this Charm is slightly different.
Cost: --; Mins: Craft 5, Essence 2; Type: Permanent Keywords: None Prerequisite Charms: Open Road Journeyman Style
Solar Excellence knows no limitations. This, like Ox-Body Technique is not so much a Charm as a measure of development, in this case, in mastery over Crafts. True Master’s Mark can only be purchased a number of times equal to the character’s permanent Essence. The first time this Charm is purchased, the character may now use any mundane Craft Ability as though his rank in that Ability was equal to his highest Craft Rating, mundane or otherwise. The second time it is purchased, this privilege extends to a single Exotic Craft Ability. The character must be able to actually use the Exotic Craft in question for some purpose, which may require unusual lengths to learn Craft (Glamour) or Craft (Fate). A third purchase of this Charm that is not used to extend the character's Ability to further Exotic Crafts, or the first if this Charm is used in a game with a single Craft Ability, allows the character to select a single specialty (which may be an old full Craft such as Air or Magitech in a game without multiple Crafts) for which the character may use Infinite Craft Mastery and Craft Essence Flow without conflict. This may be purchased multiple times, but may not be purchased at all until the character has both of those Charms.
The Perfect Moment
Cost: 10 motes, 1 Willpower Duration: One task Type: Simple Minimum Craft: 5 Minimum Essence: 5 Prerequisite Charms: True Master’s Mark, Craftsman Needs No Tools
There is a perfect moment in time to perform any work. A single moment when the greatest possible effect can be made. For most, this moment never comes. Fate and Destiny can give greatness or heartwrenching failure, but it is rare- and grows rarer still the more skilled (and hence, less open to chance) a craftsman becomes. But a Solar is an entirely different prospect, and one may choose to achieve a perfect moment-- more than once. By invoking the Perfect Moment, a Solar so creates such a moment, such a series of moments, as to get the maximum possible return on his effort. Reduce all difficulties for one roll to 1, and the Solar achieves twice as many successes on one relevant roll to the task as he has dice in his pool, just as though he had rolled all 10’s.
In Second Edition, this Charm is Obvious and Combo-Ok.
Beckoning the Pure Source
Cost: 8 motes, 1 Willpower Duration: Instant Type: Simple Minimum Craft: 4 Minimum Essence: 3 Prerequisite Charms:Impurity-Hammering Blow, Object-Strengthening Touch
Ordinarily, the process for the manufacturing orichalcum is a long, difficult, and expensive one. As with many things, there is a way for Solars to sidestep this process. After all, the Solar anima is in tune with orichalcum on a deep and powerful level, and even if a Solar does not have the lava-spirit of a Fire or Earth Dragon blood, they have the heat of the Sun itself in their soul, an even greater fire. This Charm attunes all of the orichalcum in a block of gold weighing no more than the Exalt’s permanent Essence times ten pounds in weight and then uses the heat of Essence discharge in order to melt away the impure gold, leaving only the desired Magical Material.
In Second Edition, this Charm is Obvious (VERY Obvious), and Combo-Ok.
Stern Overseer's Hegemony
Cost: --; Mins: Craft 4, Essence 2; Type: Permanent Keywords: None Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Any Craft Excellency
Lawgivers are among the greatest leaders in Creation. They can inspire workers to great heights of performance, and make few act as many with their superlative guidance and masterful organizational skills. Whenever working on a Craft task, the Solar may divide the required number of workers by her permanent Essence, rounding down with a minimum of 1 (who must be the Solar herself).
Harmonious Solar Production
Cost: --; Mins: Craft 5, Essence 4; Type: Permanent Keywords: None Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Infinite Craft Mastery
The master craftsman knows the secrets of his own creations, and they respond to his will without question. This Charm permanently enhances the Solar, granting a discount in motes to commitment for any artifact that he personally created or lead the creation of by (the Solar's relevant Craft rating) in motes. This cannot reduce the commitment cost of an artifact by more than half (round up), so that even the weakest artifacts require a 1 mote commitment cost.
Transcendent Manufacture Technique
Cost: --; Mins: Craft 5, Essence 5; Type: Permanent Keywords: None Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Craftsman Needs No Tools
Transcending the cusp of mortal Essence, the Solar imposes her will upon the world in a raw and untrammeled force. This Charm modifies its prerequisite, allowing the Solar to increase the cost of Craftsman Needs No Tools to triple its normal amount, committing all 21 motes of essence. The Solar becomes surrounded by a nimbus of Solar energies, suffusing her very being and radiating out from her body as though she had expended 11 to 15 motes of peripheral essence. The Duration of the Charm becomes Indefinite, and for every minute of crafting completed, the usual (Essence x 3) hours of output is produced. The Solar will move so fast as to be a blur of light, making it difficult to see what she is doing; add 2 to the difficulty of any rolls to comprehend the Solar's action and intent during this time. Given an hour's uninterrupted work, the character will produce more than a season's output, a true miracle of the mightiest Chosen.
Feeding the Multitude, Arming the Masses
Cost: 7m; Mins: Craft 5, Essence 3; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Obvious, Combo-OK Duration: One Dramatic Action Prerequisite Charms: True Master’s Mark, Infinite Craft Mastery
Essence forms certain harmonious, resonant shapes when forged by strong wills. When a Solar uses Craft-charms, these resonant shapes tend to mimic the crafting activities. By emphasizing those shapes, a Solar can actually transmit crafting done on one set of materials to another—in effect, duplicating effort for any task. The Solar may, given material or the proper charm/spell, act as a legion craftsmen either on the same task or several tasks.
The Solar may choose to act as up to his (Craft) in Magnitude crafters in this manner. He cannot do multiple different tasks at once yet—see Invoking the Patron’s Hammer—unless they are a part of a single Craft Dramatic Action. In other words, a Solar with Craft 5 could work on making 650 swords at once, or act as 650 crafters building a house. If the Solar is performing a single task such as swordsmithing, he must actually perform that task as one of the actions being done; if acting as many crafters on one complex task such as housebuilding, the Solar must create a model of what he intends to do; the tasks will follow the model. Any item created in this manner is automatically Perfect with no additional successes necessary. The armorers of the Solar Deliberative could arm the Tiger-Warrior Legions overnight with the best possible equipment.
Using this effect drastically increases the power of Excellencies. Even if the character is only working on a single item, activating Harmonious Solar Production doubles the number of dice or successes added by an Excellency, and doubles the relevant cap on Charm bonuses for the purposes of that action. This makes the development of new artifacts or manses substantially easier for Heaven's greatest champions.
Invoking the Patron’s Hammer
Cost: --; Mins: Craft 6, Essence 6; Type: Permanent Keywords: None Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Feeding the Multitudes, Arming the Masses; Craft Essence Flow
The human limits of Essence require single, focused efforts to create duplicate actions, even though humans are quite capable of multitasking. Elder Solars, however, can shape Essence-molds for various tasks with only the power of their minds and souls. By concentrating on mental versions of the resonant Essence shapes learned via Harmonious Solar Production, the Elder can work on multiple tasks at once, emulating the Unconquered Sun’s four arms turned to different duties.
Effectively, the Solar may now use Feeding the Multitudes, Arming the Masses on many different projects at once, instead of copies of the same project. The Solar can forge a hammer, cook a meal, paint a picture, etc.—all at the same time. These effects need not be limited to the same Craft type under any circumstances. In conjunction with other Charms, such as Craftsman Needs No Tools, the character can accomplish vast amounts of preparation swiftly and solely.
Flawless Handiwork Method
Cost: --; Mins: Craft 3, Essence 3; Type: Permanent Keywords: None Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Any Craft Excellency
The mere dross of mortal materials may not deny the Solar’s skill at craftsmanship. So long as the Solar has sufficient materials to produce a basic item, his work and excellence is such that mere pig iron can shine as the brightest blue steel. The Solar does not have to increase the resources cost of materials to make high-quality items (such as luxurious furnishings or Perfect armor), though minimum requirements must still be met-- the character cannot forge bronze into steel, and would still require a large quantity of iron at the very least to make, for example, a suit of articulated plate.
Blessed Conjunction of Genius
Cost: --; Mins: Craft 5, Essence 5; Type: Permanent Keywords: None Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Craft Essence Flow
Though cooperation among the great savants of the First Age grew less and less as time went on, no Lawgiver-craftsmaster of the Solar Deliberative would dream of working on an important project without a full team of Dragon-blooded savants and her Lunar bond beside. In order to increase the effectiveness of such teams, powerful Solars learned to better harmonize the essence of crafters, increasing the number of those who may bow their heads to a Solar's superior leadership. This Charm permanently enhances a Solar's personal capabilities, allowing her to double the number of individuals who may give her bonus dice during limited Cooperation, generally to a maximum of (Craft) x2 dice.
Skilled Engineer's Geomantic Overload
Cost: --; Mins: Craft 5, Essence 4; Type: Permanent Keywords: None Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Beckoning the Pure Source
In the First Age, rigid geomancy and planning gave most Solars with many hearthstones to fuel the geomantic requirements of powerful artifacts. Furthermore, an individual Lawgiver might have an entire gens of Dragonblooded dedicated to him, allowing for guardians for key manses. If even those reassurances and sources proved insufficient, daring Solars could use the insanely dangerous and powerful encysted universe-seeds known as Protoshinmaic Vortices to power mighty works of Magitech.
Not so the Solars of the Second Age. In the Time of Tumult, reliable and well-designed manses are rare enough, and individuals neutral or even hostile to Lawgivers claim many that do exist. Even should a Solar have such a possession, it is often subject to the threats of hostile war parties, infiltration geomantic specialists, and other forces, while the Solar has limited resources with which to defend. Thus, certain Twilights and other Solar craftsmen have spent time developing their Essence. As the Sun guides the world entire, so too may a Twilight create a geomantic focus, using Essence and insight to provide a replacement for manses, though at great expense of motes.
In short, if a Solar has sufficient understanding such that he could design an artifact-- in general, if the character has sufficient and relevant Craft, Lore, and Occult ratings-- that requires a hearthstone to operate, the character may replace any and all Hearthstones by committing motes equal to twice the required Manse ratings. Each hearthstone so replaced still requires a hearthstone slot, which will be filled with a glowing sphere of solar energies.
For example, Jasara has dramatically increased her Lore, Occult, and Craft (Magitech) skills, becoming puissant to a rating of 5 in each Ability. She has also spent considerable time, effort and money creating a Common Warstrider. Unwilling to give up the amazing benefits of her Hearthstone, the Twilight has instead opted to learn Skilled Engineer's Geomantic Overload. When attuning to her Warstrider, the Adamant Bastion Defender, Jasara may commit an additional 8 motes for a total of 18 to replace the hearthstone-3 requirement. If she did not have sufficient ratings in any of the three categories, she could not use this Charm to replace the hearthstone requirement.
