BurgerSlave/HighCrafts

High Crafts

Of all the great craftsmen and artisans of the world, the Solar Exalted stand as the peerless masters, and the Twilight Caste stand as the greatest of these Exalted artisans. While young Solars new to their power may surpass mortal makers of objects with their supreme skill, here is a listing of what experienced Solar craftsmen might wield in the pursuit of their craft.

Construction-From-Dreams Approach
Cost: 10 motes, 1 Willpower
Type: Simple
Duration: Permanent
Minimum Craft: 5
Minimum Essence: 4
Prerequisite Charms: Craftsman Needs No Tools

The very best craftsmen can ply their trade without the need for tools. Those who surpass the very best do not even need materials in order to create something wonderous. Using nothing more than dreams and Essence, the Solar is able to produce a finely wrought example of his chosen craft. He must still go through the motions of work, which requires a full day of dedicated labor. The Solar need not work straight through. He may take breaks and rest, returning to work at his discretion. Once he has spent 24 full hours of work on his project, the work will be completed.

While the character works, onlookers will see a ghostly represenation made of golden Essence slowly take shape under the Solar's hands. This Charm cannot create magical objects or items crafted from the Five Magical Materials. It is only capable of producing mundane items, although they are of the utmost quality and workmanship. Weapons and armor should be considered masterwork quality, adding +1 to a single statistic of the player's choice. Other items will be similarly enhanced, at the Storyteller's discretion. The finished work cannot be any larger than a suit of superheavy plate--creating anything larger is beyond the scope of this Charm, although more advanced magic could allow the Solar to produce warstriders, palaces, and sailing vessels.

Wondrous Solar Imbuing Technique
Cost: 15 motes, 1 Willpower, 1 health level
Type: Simple
Duration: Permanent
Minimum Craft: 5
Minimum Essence: 5
Prerequisite Charms: Construction-From-Dreams Approach, Wyld Shaping Technique

It is said that, in the First Age, magical trinkets and fabled relics tumbled from the hands of the Twilight Caste like water. This Charm may account for some of these legends. While anyone with the appropriate knowledge can create artifacts, the process is lengthy, time-consuming, and prohibitively expensive. However, the character with this Charm is able to invoke his Exalted command over the realms of craftsmanship, imbuing items with magical power with a mere touch.

Only items of masterwork quality may be imbued with this Charm. If the Solar did not create the object himself, then he must spend one day attuning the item to his anima, making it resonate with his Essence. He then invests a portion of his life-force into the item, granting it certain powers. Follow the artifact creation rules as written in Book of Three Circles. However, the character does not require any exotic components, and requires only one day of work per dot of the artifact's rating. The player makes all Craft rolls as normal, but adds his Essence as successes.

Alternatively, a character may use this Charm to create a talisman imbued with any Charm he knows. Roll Dexterity + Crafts, adding the Solar's Essence as automatic successes. This roll may be augmented by Charms normally. The total successes are then spent to imbue the talisman. The base cost is the minimum Ability requirement for the Charm. The Solar may then spend one success to give the talisman an Essence pool of five motes or one Willpower, which the player must spend normally. The talisman remains imbued with the Charm for one day, but this may be extended by another day per success spent. Any talisman created by this Charm may only hold one Charm at a time, but even the unExalted may use it, spending motes out of the talisman's reserve.

This Charm cannot imbue a talisman with sorcery or necromancy, nor may Eclipse Caste Solars imbue a talisman with non-Solar Charms. Moonshadow Caste Abyssals may use this Charm to imbue talismans with Abyssal Charms normally.

Ambrosia Fabrication Practice
Cost: 20 motes, 1 Willpower, 1 experience point per pound
Type: Simple
Duration: Permanent
Minimum Crafts: 6
Minimum Essence: 6
Prerequisite Charms: Wondrous Solar Imbuing Technique

The most powerful and prestigious divinities in Yu-Shan enjoy the fruits of Ambrosia, the crystallized substance of prayer. Through will alone, Ambrosia may become anything a god desires. By focusing upon his Exalted mandate to rule Creation, a Solar with this Charm may create Ambrosia by 'praying' to himself. While the gods may consider this behavior somewhat arrogant, the effects of this Charm are immediate and dramatic.

While Ambrosia may be stored and decanted in Heaven, it tends to evaporate in Creation. Thus, this Charm shapes the Ambrosia as it materializes, allowing the Solar to instantly and perfectly conjure anything he desires. The only limitation is weight--in addition to the motes and Willpower cost, the character must spend 1 experience point per pound of material created. Beyond these limitations, anything is possible, even items created from the Five Magical Materials. Artifacts may not be created, although objects conjured with this Charm are imminently suitable for use with Wondrous Solar Imbuing Technique.

Commentary?

I think you're misunderstanding the meaning of "permanent" as it applies to Charm durations. A Permanent Charm is one that is always on and affecting the Exalt. Construction-from-Dreams Approach should have a duration of "1 day", Wondrous Solar Imbuing Technique should be "Varies", and Ambrosia Fabrication Practice would presumably take as long as the prayer takes to complete. The product is permanent, the Charm isn't.

As to the Charms themselves, I quite like Construction-from-Dreams Approach, but the other two scream "MUNCHKIN!" to me at very high volumes, even at Essence 5 & 6. - Moxiane

First, the durations on all of these should be "varies." Second, none of these Charms can do anything you can't do with Wyld-Shaping Technique, which is Essence 3. The only difference is that you can do it in creation, which is completely reasonable at 5 or 6 Essence. It's not like you can use thes Charms to suddenly make a new daiklaive if yours gets taken away in combat or any such - you still have to craft the thing, although you could technically create a totally mundane weapon instantly with AFP... for 20 motes, 1 willpower and 3 experience... - SMK

I'd say that the Solar Imbuing Technique is the only one that is slightly dodgy. "Hey mortal! Want a sword with three uses of Heavenly Guardian Defense in it?" Combine that with a DB using With One Mind and a solar can hack to his hearts content at some horrible beast, with a bunch of mortals standing by to HGD every attack that comes their way. -- DODurden

I think Solar Imbuing Technique is way beyond "sketchy". Being able to whip out insane gear like Soul Mirror, First Age Warships, and so on in under a week without any need to acquire materials or burn XP is completely crazy. A Solar with this could probably conquer all of Creation in under a year. -- Mapache

These should be linked from Charms/SolarCraft. - Quendalon