XerExaltedLite/UniversalTalents

Universal Talents

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Universal Talents are discovered, rather than developed. Thus, a great many of them may exist. Any Talent that Dragon-Blooded may not learn is also unlearnable by Dragon Kings, Ghosts, and Spirit-Blooded by default.

Combat

Combat Talents are based off of Valor for Spirits.

Fists of Stone and Fingers of Steel Form

• Cost: None
• Duration: Permanent
• Type: Special
• Minimum Combat: 5
• Minimum Essence: 3
• Prerequisite Charms: None
• Only Celestial and Terrestrial Exalted may learn this Talent.

When a Character gains this Charm, her hands and arms gain a supernatural strength. At her option, she may do Lethal instead of Bashing damage with her hands. In addition, she can block Lethal damage without the need of a Stunt.

Lore

Many Tongues Prana

• Cost: None
• Duration: Permanent
• Type: Special
• Minimum Lore: 1
• Minimum Essence: 1
• Prerequisite Charms: None

Each level of Many Tongues Prana allows the Exalt to learn an additional number of language families equal to her Lore. This Talent may be taken a number of times equal to the Exalt's Linguistics Ability. Languages are not learned immediately - they still require time to study, especially old ones.

Ritual Breath Meditation

• Cost: None
• Duration: Permanent
• Type: Special
• Minimum Lore: 1
• Minimum Essence: 1
• Prerequisite Charms: None

The character attunes her breath to the world around her, allowing her to recover Essence at an increased rate. She recovers Essence at her normal rate when it would otherwise be halved - most often at various times in the Shadowlands. In addition, a Celestial Exalt adds her permanent Essence to the number of motes she recovers in an hour, no matter her exertion, though she must still be able to regain Essence normally.

Terrestrial Circle Sorcery and Shadowlands Circle Necromancy

• Cost: 1 Willpower, plus cost of Spell
• Duration: Special
• Type: Special
• Minimum Lore: 5
• Minimum Essence: 3
• Prerequisite Charms: None

Typically, characters can only learn one of these. Spirit-Blooded (except Abyssal Half-castes and Ghost-Blooded), Dragon-Kings and Dragon-Blooded may only learn Terrestrial Circle Sorcery. Ghost-Blooded, Abyssal Half-Castes and Ghosts may only learn Shadowlands Circle Necromancy. Celestials of any type may learn both, and easier - only requiring Lore 3. Each is a single Charm, of course.

Celestial Circle Sorcery and Labyrinth Circle Necromancy

• Cost: 2 Willpower, plus cost of Spell
• Duration: Special
• Type: Special
• Minimum Lore: 5
• Minimum Essence: 5
• Prerequisite Charms: Terrestrial Circle Sorcery or Shadowlands Circle Necromancy, Talent 5
  

Only Celestials - Abyssals, Chimerae, Lunars, Sidereals and Solars may learn these dread circles. They may each learn both, requiring the proper prerequisite, and they are both seperate Charms.

Abyssals call this Talent Essence Engorgement Technique. Solars call it the Sun's Eternal Gift, Lunars the Moon's Fickle Blessing, Chimerae Strength from the Wyld, and Sidereals the Stars Ever Shine.

• Cost: None
• Duration: Permanent
• Type: Special
• Minimum Lore: 1
• Minimum Essence: 1
• Prerequisite Charms: None
• Each time this Talent is taken, it adds 10 motes of Peripheral Essence, in a seperate pool. For each type of Exalted there is a different manner of restoring it. This Talent may be taken a number of times equal to the Exalt's Lore Ability.

Abyssals can only recover this pool by drinking blood. Chimerae by eating dreams (as a Raksha). Solars only recover this pool under the light of the Sun, and Lunars only under the light of the Moon (though it works even during a New Moon). Sidereals only recover this pool by using their Essence Replenishment Charms while in Yu Shan.

• Only Celestial Exalted may take this talent.

Might

For Spirits, Might Talents are limited by their Conviction. Ghosts in particular need these in order to be hardier than mortals.

Ox-Body Technique

• Cost: None
• Duration: Permanent
• Type: Special
• Minimum Might: 1
• Minimum Essence: 1
• Prerequisite Charms: None

Sometimes, being just plain healthy isn't enough. This Talent increases the health level multiplier - by one for most characters, by three for Celestial Exalted, including Abyssals and Chimerae. Thus, a Solar with no merits would have 6 * (Essence + Brawn + Might) health levels, while a spirit-blooded would have 4 * (Essence + Brawn + Might).

Rhino-Hide Meditation

• Cost: None
• Duration: Permanent
• Type: Special
• Minimum Might: 1
• Minimum Essence: 1
• Prerequisite Charms: None

The skin of an Exalt is often tougher than that of mortals. This Talent adds the cahracter's permanent Essence to the character's soak. Celestial Exalted (Again, including Abyssals and Chimerae) add it to Aggravated, Lethal, and Bashing soak, while other characters only add it to their Lethal and Bashing Soaks.

Natural

Preternatural Sense

• Cost: None
  
• Duration: Permanent
  
• Type: Special
  
• Minimum Natural: 1
  
• Minimum Essence: 1
  
• Prerequisite Charms: None

Only Celestial Exalted, including Abyssals and Chimerae, may take this talent.

You may take this Talent a number of times equal to your permanent Essence, up to four times. Each time this Talent is taken, it grants a special set of permanent abilities for a sense. It also typically adds three automatic successes to rolls involving the given sense.

• Sight:
  • Resolve color in darkness
  • Negate any darkness penalties less than completely dark
  • See clearly through fog and mist
  • Retain visual acuity enough to spot a fieldmouse a mile away
  • See heat, regocnise dangerous, powerful light (Infrared and UV)
• Hearing:
  • Distinguish multiple conversations or events at once
  • Hear the full range of calls from all animals
  • Hear well enough to easily hear a whispered conversation a hundred yards away
  • Ignore noisy conditions, wind, and other distractions
  • Feel your surroundings via echolocation out to five yards
• Touch:
  • Read a book by passing your fingers over the letters, feeling the change in texture
  • Gauge the exact temperatures of your surroundings
  • Know the material and quality of any item you can touch (at least adequately)
  • Keep your sense of touch freely - fealing through gloves, without adding any needless sense of pain
  • Know your surroundings by the disturbances they create in the air, out to five yards
• Smell
  • Identify most poisons outright, from where and for how long they have been sitting by smell
  • Identify individual people and animals by their smell
  • Track individuals by their smell
  • Identify moods and other pheremonal cues by scent
  • Ignore distractions and other attempts to mask scent

The name of this Talent varies from Exalt to Exalt. Solars call it Spirit-Tied Pet, Sidereals call it Ordained Bridle of Mercury or Breaking the Wild Mortal, Lunars and Chimerae call it Pack-Forming Presence, Abyssals call it Fetter the Beast. Regardless of the name, this Talent has the following:

• Cost: 10 motes, 1 Willpower, and 1 experience point (3 for Dragon Blooded)
• Duration: Instant
• Type: Simple
• Minimum Natural: 3
• Minimum Essence: 2
• Prerequisite Charms: None

Working with an animal in some manner - Abyssals beat their targets into submission, Lunars cow, Chimerae confuse, Sidereals find a proper animal and Solars befriend - they form a bond between themselves and the animal. Each time this Charm is activated (requiring at least an hour spent with the animal), they gain a dot of the Familiar background, though this Charm only allows for a single familiar normally. There is no provision for safety while this Charm is being enacted - taming or brow-beating a bear or Tyrant Lizard carries its own risks.

• Solars & Abyssals: Can tame God-Blooded varients of their would-be pets at no additional charge. Even if they don't, their familiars will soon be imbued with such energies. They are still limited to a single Familiar. They can, however, purchase this Talent a number of times equal to the lower of their Essence and Natural Ability, allowing them one Familiar per Talent.
• Lunars & Chimerae: Can ignore spending the XP and instead get an animal servant who remains with them for one season per point of permanent Essence they have, controlling up to their permanent Essence * 10 creatures in this manner. In addition, they may purchase this ability a number of times equal to their Natural Ability, each one allowing them to control one Familiar and ten times their Essence in other creatures.
• Sidereals: Are generally led to a given creature by their Maiden and thus, do not need to worry about the creature fighting them off. If they wish to find their own creature, this Talent costs an additional experience point the first time it is activated. Sidereals may also take a mortal as an acquaintance by spending yet another experience point. These follow the same rules as found on pages 134 and 136 of Sidereals. Sidereals need not take this Talent multiple times.
• Dragon-Blooded: Without a mandate from Heaven, Dragon-Blooded have a much more difficult time with this Talent, costing them 3 experience per familiar dot instead of 1. They are still limited to a single familiar.

Abyssals call it Blood Feasting Technique, Solars call it Sun's Bounty, Lunar's Moon Feast, Chimerae call it Feast of Dreams, and Sidereals call it Drink from the Stars. The effect is always similar, however.

• Cost: None
• Duration: Permanent
• Type: Special
• Minimum Natural: 3
• Minimum Essence: 1
• Prerequisite Charms: None

The character no longer needs food to live. Depending on the type of Exalt, she may subsist on nothing more than the means supplied by her patron. Abyssals must drink a number of Health Levels of Blood per day equal to their Permanent Essence, Chimerae must drain a like amount of Willpower per day. Solars must spend a number of hours under the light of the Sun (which may be reflected) per day equal to their Permanent Essence, and Lunar's likewise under the Moon's light (regardless of cloud cover or phase of the moon). Sidereals receive similar sustenance while in Yu Shan.

• Dragon-Blooded may not take this Talent.

Prowess

For Spirits, Prowess Talents are limited by Valor.

Cat-Grace Method

• Cost: None
• Duration: Permanent
• Type: Special
• Minimum Athletics: 1
• Minimum Essence: 1
• Prerequisite Charms: None

Celestial Exalted (Solars, Abyssals, Lunars, Chimerae, Sidereals) taking this Talent double their effective Dexterity, Prowess, and add twice their permanent Essence for movement, leaping and falling purposes (for calculating raw numbers). Others merely add their permanent Essence to their Prowess total.

Socialize

For Spirits, Socialize Talents are limited by Compassion.

Subterfuge

Draw from Essence

• Cost: 1+ motes
• Duration: Instant
• Type: Simple
• Minimum Larceny: 1
• Minimum Essence: 1
• Prerequisite Charms: None

Becoming a true master of legerdemain, the Exalt gains the ability to spontaniously trick the surrounding world into granting a minor item into her posession, by forging materials from her raw essence. This Talent may be taken a number of times equal to the Exalt's Subterfuge Ability. The Exalt may spend one mote per level of Talent she has.

At first, these items are hopelessly minor. A single mote might create a pin, a nail, or some other worthless item. Two motes can create something of use - a nut, a small tool. Three motes can create an apple or perhaps a small coin - though not of jade or silver. Four motes can create silver coins or larger fruit and tools, and the Exalt could actually feed herself through use of this Talent. Five motes is enough to create small weapons, like knives and arrows.

• It takes ten motes to create small coins of Jade, Banal magicam materials, or gold (which will not process into Orichalcum). No amount of motes can duplicate the creation of true magical materials.
• Exotic items (for use in /Craft) may be created as the above suggests, though this will not satisfy all designs.
• Only Celestial Exalted (including Abyssals and Chimerae) may take this Talent.