BSLunarCharmsBureaucracy
Streamlined Legislative Predator
Cost: 5 motes Duration: One Task Type: Simple Minimum Bureaucracy: 2 Minimum Essence: 1 Prerequisite Charms: None
The Lunar floods a bit of predatory Essence into a piece of bureaucracy that he wishes pushed through, giving it momentum and creating a sort of 'monster bill' that garners disproportionate attention. It is beyond the scope of this Charm to allow the bill to pass with ease - it merely assures that it becomes a public issue with rapidity, and is resolved with haste. Such a bill will garner media attention, be discussed in the progress of normal debate, and its discussion will hijack the flow of normal bureaucracy. A bureau can only withstand one or two such bills at a time, and repeated applications of this Charm can and will cripple the flow of other actions taken by the bureau - this suits most Lunars just fine, and gives Sidereals migraines (which, incidentally, also suits most Lunars just fine.)
Watchful Den Mother
Cost: 4 motes Duration: One task Type: Simple Minimum Bureaucracy: 3 Minimum Essence: 2 Prerequisite Charms: Streamlined Legislative Predator
This Charm sniffs out corruption. By observing the flow of a single task put before a bureau (the Lunar must be present for debates, introduction of the effort, and the resolution), the Lunar can place himself in a situation to best see where people cut corners and which people are being bribed. The Lunar rolls Perception + Bureaucracy at the end of the task. A single success identifies general problems and major issues, with three successes offering all parties and all crimes, and five successes tracing the line of corruption to those individuals encouraging it, even if they are themselves outside the bureau. This Charm will not allow the Lunar to sniff out the corruption of an individual using Charms or sorcery to mask his indiscretions, however, though he may be implicated by co-conspirators.
Indolence-Inciting Kata
Cost: 6 motes Duration: One day Type: Simple Minimum Bureaucracy: 3 Minimum Essence: 2 Prerequisite Charms: Streamlined Legislative Predator
The Lunar incites laziness in a marked group of individuals, not to exceed the Lunar's Essence x 10 in number. These subjects, who cannot have a higher Essence than the Lunar, are driven to procrastination and sloppiness, slowing the flow of progress significantly. Also, a group so effected is more willing to skimp in the face of adversity - a city constabulary affected by this Charm, for example, will wave people through roadblocks with nary a glance, and will laze about as soon as their commanding officer turns his back. This can be used by the Lunar to cripple a bureau or to facilitate some political action by making any potential naysayers slothful.
Den of Jackals
Cost: 9 motes Duration: One day Type: Simple Minimum Bureaucracy: 3 Minimum Essence: 2 Prerequisite Charms: Streamlined Legislative Predator
The Lunar charges a designated group of individuals (A legislative body, a court, a contabulary, etc.) with predatory essence, inciting them to dive on the tiniest faults of their peers en masse, causing a counterproductive bout of self-centered infighting. The group affected not to exceed the Lunar's Essence x 10 in number. These subjects, who cannot have a higher Essence than the Lunar, are rendered hyper-sensitive to flaws in logic and hypocrisies of ideals, and will leap upon such weaknesses like jackals, attempting to build their own power by tearing into the reputations of others. Such a bureau WILL be exceptionally precise in its final methods, but it will cost the group longterm - senators will leave or become ineffectual, and public confidence will falter. Repeated applications can create a streamlined 'survival of the fittest' in which the Lunar can easily push through any legislation he likes, as long as he makes no mistakes in doing it.
Harmonious Senate Prana
Cost: 7 motes Duration: One day Type: Simple Minimum Bureaucracy: 3 Minimum Essence: 2 Prerequisite Charms: Streamlined Legislative Predator
The Lunar creates docility and compromise with a rush of maternal Essence, breathing peace into a bureau. The Lunar charges a designated group of individuals (A legislative body, a court, a contabulary, etc.), with whom he must meet (generally by entering their place of business.) - the group affected not to exceed the Lunar's Essence x 10 in number. These subjects, who cannot have a higher Essence than the Lunar, are made somewhat complacent, shying away from confrontations. The bureau in question will likely set aside controversial issues, or debate them overlong, and will cleave in the face of any clearly unshakeable opinion from outside - the Lunar is free to march in and dictate his terms, with little chance that the bureau will make any attempt to deny or block the outcome. Votes on trivial matters will hardly be debated at all - the first pedagogue to offer a position will earn near-unanimous support. Repeated instances of this Charm makes a bureau that cleaves readily in the face of any input, and is thusly stuck in crippling deadlock by any issue with a degree of controversy surrounding it.
Grinning Tiger Attitude
Cost: 3 motes per difficulty increase, 1 Willpower Duration: Indefinite Type: Simple (Transformation) Minimum Bureaucracy: 4 Minimum Essence: 2 Prerequisite Charms: Den of Jackals, Indolence-Inciting Method
The Lunar plays up his nature and takes on the stance and attitude of an insurmountable, unbeatable member of a bureau. He is the man to whom people must go to get things done, and he is the man who should not be crossed if any continued success is to be ensured. Using this Charm, the Lunar can increase the difficulty of social interaction with his underlings in a designated group, if the interaction is meant to cause them to do something without the Lunar's permission or against his wishes - their is a certain awe or terror of the Lunar that is not easily overcome by outside influence. The Lunar cannot increase the difficulty in this fashion by more than his Essence or Bureaucracy, whichever is lower.
This is a Transformation Charm of the Alpha Totem.
Stance of the Cowed Wolf
Cost: 6 motes, 1 Willpower Duration: Indefinite Type: Simple (Transformation) Minimum Bureaucracy: 4 Minimum Essence: 2 Prerequisite Charms: Harmonious Senate Prana, Indolence-Inciting Method
The Lunar plays up his nature and takes on the stance and attitude of a sniveling, inconsequential underling. His suggestions carry no wait, his signature is a given, his motions are rarely noticed - and yet the Lunar has worked a potent magic, because in doing so he has wrapped himself in a near-flawless disguise. While this Charm is active, the Lunar is certain to move unnoticed through a bureaucracy. It is a form of selective, social invisibility - the Lunar is such a miniscule and spineless figure that no one will bother watching their tongue around him, allowing the Lunar to read into the schemes and ploys of others with scarcely an effort - he need merely be present to overhear, with iron certainty that when and if he acts on his information, it is assumed that the frail, mentally-deficient 'outcast Senator' had nothing to do with such a daring and cunning investigation. In game terms, no mortal member of a bureau will pay a second thought to the Lunar's presence at any function, nor attempt to discern his allegiances within the bureau. He may freely move and hear what he wishes, as long as he does not abandon his role. While this Charm is active, the Lunar's own bureaucratic motions are likely to be dismissed, and his support will be considered valueless- this is the price the Lunar pays for being low-key. Investigations of the bureau must overcome a difficulty of the Lunar's Bureaucracy to even note he exists, much less his stance or involvement on any matter of note.
This is a Transformation Charm of the Deceiver Totem.
Stance of the Glorious Alpha
Cost: 11 motes, 1 Willpower Duration: Indefinite Type: Simple (Transformation) Minimum Bureaucracy: 4 Minimum Essence: 2 Prerequisite Charms: Harmonious Senate Prana, Den of Jackals
The Lunar plays up his nature and takes on the stance and attitude of a boisterous, charismatic member of an organization, taking on the aspect of someone who is by nature at the forefront of every effort, and who has the charm and wits to pull off even the most outlandish bill. Using this Charm, the Lunar ensures that he is the first to hear of any proposed motion inside the bureau, and whichever side he publicly backs will have near-ensured success (in contested bureaucracy rolls, convert the Lunar's Charisma to automatic successes) as long as it is well and widely known that he has taken his stance. This has some drawbacks - the character will be somewhat detached from his fellows, who will approach with caution and forethought, leaving little room for mistake on their part. He will also be expected to fulfill the role he's playing - a prolonged absence would, for example, be out of the question.
This is a Transformation Charm of the Alpha Totem.
Bluster and Bravado Territorialism
Cost: 14 motes, 1 willpower Duration: One month Type: Simple Minimum Bureaucracy: 4 Minimum Essence: 3 Prerequisite Charms: Harmonious Senate Prana, Den of Jackals, Indolence-Inciting Method
The Lunar combines the precepts of the three Charms leading into this own to create division across organizational lines. Emphasizing feelings of separation, the Lunar divides groups that should cooperate, creating deadlock in any effort to mobilize them. When activating this Charm, the Lunar selects a number of groups that interact (such as the courts and the constabulary) equal to his Essence. Individuals in these groups whose Essence is lower than the Lunars' are driven to feelings of factional loyalties, becoming irked at the slightest request and considering any delay in the processing of their own requests as a slight - in short, the Lunar makes each group believe that the other groups are deliberately acting against it. For the duration of this Charm, any attempt to mobilize the groups in any cohesive fashion (a court case, in our example) has its difficulty increased by the Lunar's Manipulation. If the majority of the group to be thusly affected is immune to this Charm (Due to high Essence, for example), that group can act as normal but will still have difficulties with the others - in this case, increase the difficulty of interaction by the Lunar's Essence.
Comments
I feel like they don't have enough in the way of 'let's get this to work right and right now', but I'm not particularly thrilled with the concept of writing more Charms for it... ~ BerserkSeraph
Hmmm... A concern I have is that these are cool, they all seem to be organization-based bureaucracy Charms. The ability itself also covers deal-making, contracts, and trade. Any thoughts? -szilard
