BogModAlternateSidereals/Astrology
One of the current problems with Astrology right now is that it does little of actual prediction and more of a wide bag of effects that could easily have been charms. So here are some ideas on how to make it less complicated and more useful. Some key ideas are that Fate isn't set in stone but it does have weight to it, that Sidereals are not bound to just things under the Loom's auspice and that there is always free will at work
Contents
General Rules
Sidereal Astrology is beyond mortal astrology as surely as a Dawn Caste's mastery of battle and war are beyond mortal hands. They are not so bound by the Loom's limitations but instead can touch to the weave of events that underly things and make predictions without it as surely as Exaltations know where to find people just at the right moment. Yet there are limitations still on this power.
Some places are beyond their prediction. The Deep Wyld and beyond is too shaped by things without reason and their astrology fails to predict that which hides there. The lower levels of the Labyrinth are too close to the Void which consumes fate as surely as it does all things. The Well of Udr is another place that is a blind spot as its connection to the other disrupts normal investigations there. The Underworld, Malfeas, Creation, Yu-shan, all such are within the reach of their Astrology to influence and predict.
While in Yu-shan or Creation a Sidereal can use their powers on both realms easily. However to work them the same on the Underworld or Malfeas requires they be within that realm which means either a shadowland or the underworld proper or in Malfeas or walking the 5 day path that will lead to it.
On top of that there are ways to hide what one does from fate as surely as there are ways to avoid the sight of the gaurds on the wall as you make your escape. Neither effect necessarily trumps the other but it does often mean that Sidereals will have to make a personal investigation themselves to figure out what is going on. For example the Deathlords in their fortresses in the Underworld are well aware of the Sidereal Exalted and with necromancy and sorcery and geomancy they cloak their fortresses from their investigations. A very talented and very lucky Sidereal might pierce those and get some clues but since they would allready have to be in the Underworld to check it does become a hassle.
A bit of history. The Sidereals had made their mind up about the Underworld long ago and deemed it no real worry. They never really checked back on it in a serious way and so had no clue of the coming Great Contagion. They know of the Deathlords now it is true but things are much like the dance between detective and criminal with the criminals holding the edge for the moment. Looking to Malfeas is also something rarely done. It is assumed that the Yozi can not escape and as such they are no serious harm. Escaped demons or cults hold their interest more. Even if they were to send someone to spy on Malfeas and brave its dangers to read the strange stars there the Yozi are hard to predict by their nature and charms and the Ebon Dragon especially has taken steps to ensure the nature of his plans are hidden. Perhaps if one of the elders of the Sidereals were to try it they might detect the truth but odds of a young agent making a correct call are as small as the odds of taking on Isidoros.
In summation Sidereals can predict a lot of things beyond the regular scope of their core book. However there investigations can be contested. Where a ninja would use stealth the use of occult can let one hide actions from being easily spotted amongst the stars. Even then there predictions only have so much reach, perhaps for an age. In this way has pride and the actions of others surprised the Sidereals at times.
Event Weaving
In plotting the stars and making the charts a Sidereal can effect what people will do. The whole process takes a days worth(8 hours) of work reading astrological charts and cross referencing with the individual and predicted heavenly states in the upcoming time frame. She can influence large groups as well as smaller ones with this. This works on anyone within a place that obeys some form of fate's rules or is not themselves the source of fate. So this will not work on the Yozi but can be worked upon their demons even though they exist beyond Creation's fate. Places within the true wyld which have no fate or reason to events can not be so influenced.
In effect this functions as a Social Attack though it is actually a shaping effect though not an attack. The Sidereal names an event they know or believe will happen and a target and roll Intelligence + Craft(Fate). They add bonus successes to this roll equal to the appropriate House the choice will involve and can substitute Craft(Fate) with an appropriate Ability if appropriate. If this roll meets or exceeds the targets Dodge Mental Defense Value when that event comes up they will make the choice the Sidereal planned unless they spend 2 willpower to work against Fate. Essence users need only spend a single Willpower point. This simulates the target choosing their own destiny. This effect works best when the action planned is within the target's nature. Targetting large populations causes an Internal Penalty equal to the group's Magnitude and is checked against their leaders DVs just like with normal mass social combat.
This weaving does not trump interference by others and fighting off two influences means the target need not spend anymore willpower to choose their own path. So while a King may be influenced to marry his daughter to the tournament champion, the impassioned pleas of her love struck suitor can still change his mind.
For example: The Chosen of Battles Serene Tiger is preparing to influence a battle between a Wing of Realm Soldiers in Harborhead and a group of rebels. She is well acquainted with the leadership of the Wing and that the two leaders are both competitive and antagonistic and rather typical Dynasts. She works long into the night to put in certain events into the planned weave of Fate. First that the night before the battle that the leader of the Wing will drink to excess with his men. The day of the battle the commander of the Talon will try to assume command.
She has an Intelligence of 4, Craft(Fate) 3, House of Battles 3, and War 5. For the drinking she rolls 7 dice(Int+Craft) and adds 3 successes(House of Battles). She also will use her First Craft Excellency and the Storyteller likes the descriptions and how she does her astrology for a 2 die bonus. Total dice pool of 15 with 3 bonus successes. She gets 11 successes. For the next she will roll 9 dice as the Storyteller agrees that War is an appropriate ability for having one commander take over for his hung over superior or even for such military chain of command matters. She gets after rolls and charms 12 successes. Both beat the targets MDVs.
The night before the battlefield Cynis Dave can either try to fight fate and not get really drunk or go with it. He goes with it since it isn't exactly out of character for him. The next day finds him heavily hung over. Now even if her other roll hadn't of succeeded there is good reason to assume command. Tepet Jim tries to assume command which leads to infighting between the two. The rebels fall upon them while the Realm force is still disorganized and they take a sound drubbing as they refuse to support each other.
Here she knew her targets and their natures. She further set things up so even if one of her fate workings failed the other could still have a reasonable chance to go ahead. Even if Cynis Dave had not gotten drunk his competitive sub-commander Tepet Jim might still try to take over. Both men being competent commanders trying something like making them appoint one of the rank and file to take command of the Legion would surely have been fought off. It is a subtle art that can have great reach when used right. It is not a club to enforce their will on the world.
This is the same style of influence that the Gods of the Bureau of Destiny use to shape events. When they want a group to abandon a village they use this as well as contacts amongst the other bureaus to shape events to encourage people to follow the inspiration put into their heads. It is an offense to use this on Celestial gods of rank 3 or higher with the Severity equalling the Gods rank.
Probablistics
Fate is never a sure thing but it does have its favorites. The weave of fate is as clear as day to the Vizears and they can know how things may go. This allows Sidereals to determine Difficulties at a glance. Alternatively they can know in a more percentile sort of way or rough feel for the difficulty sorta way the odds of things going a particular way. If it is an event that is about to happen, or very shortly, they need not bother consulting the stars and using their strange math. If it is something more distant they must consult and plot. This prediction does take into account Essence use and that means they will sometimes see two sets of odds, one accounting for non-magic and one accounting for magic.
For example Three Finger Shen knows that Vengeful Orchid plans to confront the Moray Darktide and make him turn from the Mask of Winters or die. Consulting the stars and what may be he sees that her chances of success are...not that good. At best an even fight between the two Solars. Since he wishes to see the burgeoning western Solar Empire continue to grow he goes and speaks with her mate. The next day when she goes to her boat to leave to confront him she finds Crescent Paws, her Lunar Mate, waiting to join her. Together the two of them will face off against Moray Darktide. Later, after a difficult fight with the Solar of Skullstone and his defeat, Orchid and Paws marvel at the wisdom of the Vizier in sending Paws along with her.
Predictions and Investigations
Astrology does not give up all the secrets of the world to those know how to read it. Instead it can act like a great signpost. One advantage the Sidereal over say the careful scrutiny of the Night Caste is that they are less bound by being in a place. A Sidereal could be safely at home in their mountain retreat and learn things happening in Chiaroscuro while her Solar peer will need agents there or be there in person.
The key difference between using their reading of the stars and being there in person is how much they get out of it. Astrology gives clues and nice signposts but will not give as much as being there. It can give a good place to start though. Actual investigations and a developed presence will yield more than the readings of the stars.
Using Perception + Craft(Fate) or an appropriate ability the Vizier can make predictions of things that will happen or try to determine things that are happening. Just like being on the street the Vizier could make Larceny rolls to infiltrate a criminal gang so too can the Sidereal figure out things going on without ever putting a foot down in the city.
Predictions of things yet to come are handled much the same way. Anyone can try to anticipate things to come given the proper information. With Astrology Sidereals always have the proper information at hand as it were. This power is not failproof by any means of course. Exalted and free will can change what is to come but Sidereals should have an idea how likely what they predict things are. Reading ahead has its limits. Predictions are limited to the current Age unless one is at the cusp to the next.
When the Sidereals were examining what was to come in the First Age and what to do of the Solar Exalted those who were there say of the hundreds of mixed visions of the Gold Faction only one showed success. The vision of the Bronze showed only the most distant of chances at failure.
Now for an Example: Lu Zhin is Chosen of the Unconquered Sun and an Iron Wolf. Within the city of Seven Sentinels he is in charge of intelligence and security. His charms let him see through obstructions, he can see the dematerial, and he has trained agents in the city and outside it that feed him information. If something is going on he probably knows about it. If he knows about it he probably knows all about it. This is the result of charms and rolls, backed by time and information. The Chosen of Secret's Crystal Dove were to wanting to know about the criminal element in that city could spend the night doing her charts and come up with some facts. She might know the name of the most powerful gang or about a planned heist that will soon be attempted. She can find this all out without actually seeing the city or getting involved. It isn't as complete a picture as Lu Zhin possesses but neither does it require the same investment of effort.
When Lu Zhin rolls his Perception + Investigation to figure out the goings on and scores 13 successees, he will get more out of it than should Crystal Dove get 13 successes on her Intelligence + Craft(Fate) roll. She will have insights though that do not require her to be there and perhaps may include things which might otherwise be a blind spot. Lu Zhin has no reasonable way to know afterall that the Mask of Winters will be sending his agents to the city soon as he has no insight into the Deathlords court or plans. He might quickly realize their presence when they arrive but will not have the forewarning.
Astrological Cloaking
It is the sad fact that perhaps now there are those amongst the Five-score Fellowship who have become compromised. Even worse is that the groups have become factionalized. So then it is no surprise that in all things the Sidereals do subtlety is the key and deception a brother-in-arms. Sidereals can lay Astrological cloakings on events and actions. This prevents other readers of fate from predicting how the event will turn out or noticing the subtle influence of the other faction.
Mechanically this is done with a Manipulation + Craft(Fate) or appropriate other Ability roll. This roll adds to the difficulty of others making predictions on an event. Either it establishes things as just too complicated to be accurately predicted or if the one cloaking the event takes a -2 External Penalty on their roll they can put in a false prediction that others who roll less successes will see instead. Anyone who beats the roll gets the proper information counting all their successes normally and furthermore knows someone has been trying to hide things but not who and what the false destiny was that they were putting out.
This way is also an easy way to manipulate mortal astrologers readings. Against their readings of the future count all the Vizier's successes and give the mortal astrology a -2 Internal penalty.
Both faction leaders usually receive memos detailing any false destinies laid out by their supporters to make sure that misinformation doesn't hamstring their own organizations. So far this subtle manipulation has not caused any major messups in Creation but it is quite possible that as the Time of Tumult continues and they feel the stakes grow higher someone will be deceived and something will come of that deception that will cause terrible damage.
