Sorcery/Orphen
Terestrial Spells
Enduring Skin of the Ancients
Cost: 20 motes Target: Caster
Until the sun next crosses the sky, the casting sorcerer infuses her skin with essence, causing it to split and harden into a bark exterior. The sorcerer calls upon the strength and vitality of living wood and must cast the spell within a forested grove. As the spell is cast wood aspected essence flows from the leaves, branches and roots of the surrounding trees and twines itself into the body of the caster, up through her soles and down through her fingertips.
Enduring Skin of the Ancients grants the caster several advantages. First, the sorcerer gains a number of – 0 health levels equal to their Permanent Essence score. These health levels are gone once used but do not count against the user’s normal health track. The user also gains their permanent essence to stamina + resistance to resist natural poisons. Finally, when all the spell’s health levels are gone the user heals one health level as new, fresh skin is revealed and the faint scent of peppermint can be detected.
While under the effects of the spell, the sorcerer’s skin splits open becoming hardened bark reducing their appearance by one until the health levels are destroyed.
Burning Heart of Flame
Cost: 20 motes Target: Caster
Until the sun next crosses the sky, the casting sorcerer infuses her Higher Soul, Essence and Heart with essence of Fire, causing her heart to immolate into living flame vital and active. The sorcerer calls upon the passion and unrestrained immediacy of elemental fire and must cast alone while meditating over a large fire. As the spell is cast fire aspected essence flows from the leaping flames and deep passions of the individual licking up their body and convalescing as pulsing strength in the hollow left by the heart.
Burning Heart of Flame grants the caster several advantages. First, the sorcerer gains one to each virtue. The user also gains a second set of channels for each virtue that can be used and don’t count against the caster’s total number of channels for the story. Finally, a dull pulse of covered light can be seen from the users chest which subtracts one die from stealth rolls if the chest is uncovered but keeps the caster warm enough to survive in anything but supernatural cold.
Mind of Crystalline Ice
Cost: 20 motes Target: Caster
Until the sun next crosses the sky, the casting sorcerer infuses her Mind with essence, causing her brain to crystallize into pure ice laced with crisp clear pathways. The sorcerer calls upon the clarity and purity of elemental air and must cast the spell in a strong breeze. As the spell is cast air aspected essence whips around the caster, penetrating, freezing, perfecting their mind. What is left is carved ice with slick lightning like pathways.
Mind of Crystalline Ice grants the caster several advantages. First, the sorcerer gains one to each mental Attribute. The user also adds their essence to both MDV calculations. Finally, a light fog escapes with the casters breaths and the users eyes take on a harder edge as life seems to slow down just a touch around them.
While under the effects of the spell, the sorcerer subtracts one success from any compassion rolls or any rolls modified by a compassion or valour channel.
Sanguine Humour of the Ocean’s Tides
Cost: 20 motes Target: Caster
Until the sun next crosses the sky, the casting sorcerer infuses her blood with essence of Water, causing her blood to transmute into salt water. The sorcerer calls upon the mutability and motion of elemental water and must cast the spell after imbibing at least a shot of ocean water. As the spell is cast water aspected essence seeps through the caster’s system and overcomes their blood smoothing out their movements.
Sanguine Humour of the Ocean’s Tides grants the caster several advantages. First, the sorcerer adds their PE again to their DDV calculation. The user subtracts one mote from the cost of all Martial Arts Charms to a minimum of one and doubles their swimming speed. Finally, while under the effects of this spell the user may calcify claws of salt from their fingers or over tiger claws. These claws add +1L to damage and make barehanded attacks count as tiger claws as well as unarmed.
While under the effects of the spell, the sorcerer leaves a thin sheen of dried salt on anything they touch with bare skin.
Luxurious Forest Pavilion
Cost: 20+ motes Target: An area with a radius in yards equal to the characters (Occult + Essence)*2
This spell lasts one day per dot of the caster's Essence. This spell may be renewed with a one hour ritual and another 20 motes.
Within the radius a small forest grows up. The area is comfortable in any climate, has "furniture," in the form of various comfortable vegitation, and is considered "enclosed" by the canopy. No food or water is provided but some of the tree moss is phosphorescent and a number of fireflies attend the area. When the duration has elapsed the trees remain but are affected by the climate normally.
Dragon's Claw
Cost: 10 motes Target: Caster
This Spell is actually a set of five spells, one for each element. Base game statistics for Dragon’s Claws: Spd 5, Acc +4, Dmg +5L, Def +2, Rate 3
Attacks made with any variation of this spell are considered barehanded unarmed Martial Arts punches. The character can use these claws to parry mundane armed and unarmed attacks without needing a stunt.
- Air Dragon’s Claw
- Until the character wishes otherwise and terminates this spell, her hands crystalize and fade into the shape of sleek ice claws, which wisp and trail as wind blown snow. These are lesser replicas of the claws of the greater elemental dragon of Air. The character may attack out to a range of 20 yards. Those buffeted by these attacks subtract 2 dice from their next action.
- Fire Dragon’s Claw
- Until the character wishes otherwise and terminates this spell, her hands Heat and calcify into the shape of huge burning claws of hardened magma. These are lesser replicas of the claws of the greater elemental dragon of Fire. Those struck are set on fire for the next action, combusted by the heat of the character’s magma talons. This attack causes 4L damage.
- Earth Dragon’s Claw
- Until the character wishes otherwise and terminates this spell, her hands grind and hardened into the shape of huge craggy claws of granite. These are lesser replicas of the claws of the greater elemental dragon of Earth. Those stuck by attacks from the character can feel the earth tremble beneath them and the reverberation of the impact. They are knocked to the ground unless they succeed at a Dex + Ath roll at a difficulty of 3.
- Water Dragon’s Claw
- Until the character wishes otherwise and terminates this spell, her hands smooth and elongate into the shape of dripping flowing claws of water. These are lesser replicas of the claws of the greater elemental dragon of Water. The character’s claws of water ripple around and flow through the spaces in armor. Attacks from the character are Piercing and add +1L.
- Wood Dragon’s Claw
- As printed in the EX2 Core page 254.
Comments
The inspiration for this (Claws) spell came from an idea mentioned on the WW Exalted forums. I mainly decided to put some mechanics to it for use in my game. To whoever that was thanks and if you see this feel free to leave a comment. - Orphen '06
Just Read the May 2007 Quarterly, Someone included a version of the Claw spells. Anyway point is they included an interesting idea, that being that you could activate one for each hand by casting each spell. Not sure if I'll allow it in my game but its definitely a neat idea. In the end I (rather obviously) prefer my versions with the possible exception of Earth. Julian's version of Earth has the spell increase the dif to resist knockdown/back by the users Essence. This effect is definitely superior but not sure if its correctly balanced. -Orphen
