SolarPerformance/DariusSolluman

Harvesting the Lotus Root
Cost: 15 motes, 2 Willpower
Duration: One Month
Type: Simple
Minimum Performance: 5
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms: Tiger Warrior Training Technique

Using Harvesting the Lotus allows the Exalt to train mortals in the use of Exalted Martial Arts- at least, of the Terrestrial Level. He may teach anyone- even the most inept and selfish can be made aware of their own place in the Perfected Hierarchy. The can supervise the training of up to (Essence x 10) novices a month. After one month, the mortals gain the Merits Essence Awareness and Essence Mastery, and their Willpower rises to at least 5, and the Martial Arts to at least 3. Each additional month of training provides 3 bonus points, which may only be spent or stored on Essence (to a max of 3), Virtues, Willpower, Martial Arts, Martial Arts Specialties, or Terrestrial Level Martial Arts Charms that the Solar themself knows and is willing to teach. Consecutive months of training may be 'saved up' for the more expensive options.

Comments

Would you require the Exalt to know the Terrestrial MA charms they're teaching? --dissolvegirl

Ya'know, I actually can't decide on this one. Probally? Tiger Warrior Training doesn't require the Exalt themself knows any Melee, for instance. But this is much more significant. But Imbue Amalgam (a comparable thingy) doesn't require knowledge of the Charms being imbued...

I leave the matter intenntionally vauge. STs should decide on their own. I would incline towards no for everything up to the Form Charm, and yes for everything after the Form- if Mortals can learn that high (can't recal at the moment). DS

Cool; I was pondering a very similar charm myself:) I guess it's jsut a natural reaction to what we've gone eh? Though I'm not sure my version would provide free charms -- maybe put a cap on how many you can learn? Like, you can teach 3 charms in addition to the prereq's that mortal require. I figure being able to train people so that they can learn MA without the rigorous years it would otherwise take is powerful enough, without giving them potentially unlimited charms too. --CrownedSun

Hi there! I have no idea what the merits do, but I suspect that they allow the learning of charms. Furthermore, the tiger training charm could be changed so that any Dawn caste ability could be improved, not only Melee. As for the charm, I'd lower the cost and restrict the enhancement of Mortals to be effective only in the presence of the Solar. -Clebo

Tiger Warrior Training isn't restricted to just Melee- it can teach any combat Ability. And it rather defeats the purpose of a training Charm if the ability gained is ultimately tied to the Solar that trained them- it'd be like if Tiger Warriors went back to being Milita Extras when the Solars walked away.

As for what I'm talking about- just so. In the Player's Guide, there's two sections- one on Mortals learning how to control their own Essence (for Thaumaturgy, which is mortal-level magics), and the next on Mortals learning Terrestrial Level Martial Arts. The Merits that HtLR grants are the ones neccesary for Mortals to use Essence. This is also normally a process that takes years of hard work for both the teacher and the student. DS

Hi again! I'm confused. The duration of the charm is one month. That means, I suspect, that the charm using ability of the mortals vanishes after one month. Is this correct? If so, then they still would be back to Militia Extras when the Solar walks away, albeit a month later. Furthermore, the charm's other effects, like the ability increase, is it also time limited? How about making the charm permanent, with charms and everything, but the charms can only be used in the presence of the Solar? I think that would be a nice restriction in comparison to Imbue Amalgam, which should be significantly more powerful. Also, using the presence of the Solar as a restriction would be thematically cool. Will the glorious sun child make it back to the village and lead them to victory against the army of the dead? Perhaps, a less harsh restriction like "when fighting on the same side as the Solar, but the Solar must fight in the same war too". This restriction would require that the Solar is attending the issue, but she must not be in the actual battle field, she could be negotiating peace while the war is raging outside or racing across the desert to bring that important message with the latest spy information. Other versions of restrictions is to let them have the abilities and WP, but not the charms. -Clebo

The duration of the Charm is one month, because it requires a month of training to get the mortals up to speed on the training. The lingering effects of the Charm itself, however, are permanent. Think of it like the Instant duration of Fire and Stones Strike- although the Charm itself is instant, the impact it has on people is not. :)

As to the rest of your thoughts- first, I disagree wholeheartedly with the idea that Imbue Amalgam should be more powerful than a Performance based training charm. Sorcery, much like Martial Arts, should be powerful in a different fashion- that is, a sorcerer can create one uber body guard, while a Zenith can make a cadre of elite bodyguards. Also, that violates the aschetics set up by Tiger Warrior Training. What the Solar imparts is not reliant on themselves- it's bringing out the best the mortal can offer.

I really think you should compare this Charm more to Tiger Warrior Training than Imbue Amalgam for it's relative abilities and power scale. DS

Hi there! Forgive me if I sound too negative. It's not my intention. Also, I wasn't aware that mortals could develop terrestrial MA charms by themselves..For the point of discussion, I assume that there are harsh prerequisites for mortals to learn Five-Dragon, similar to the DBs who want to learn Five-Fold Dragon Style. If the mortals can develop everything above by themselves, without any divine action, then the charm is nothing controversial, more of a speeding up. On the sorcery vs performance debate. Well, there are differences in opinions. To me, a charm is something immediate and innate. Sorcery is the real heavy artillery. Also, I may recall incorrectly, Imbue Amalgam is a celestial circle spell, which should account for something. I don't know.. -Clebo

Yeah. A Player's Guide thingie was Mortals being able to gain access to Terrestrial Martial Arts, and having these itty-bitty Essence pools (like, in the 14 to 18ish range). But they can in fact do so on their own, and the process could be sped up by any Exalted willing to tutor them.

And the primacy of Sorcery is just an idea I don't like. Much like the primacy of Martial Arts. While I'm willing to grant Sorcery some non-trivial advantages, in the realms of raw power, flexibility, and difficulty in removing something being actively maintained (Charm vs spell), there should be some definite, OOC, dare I say 'Game Balance' reasons to devolp abilities other than Martial Arts and Occult. DS

I just have to chime in here and agree. I'm pretty frightened by the way playing your cards right with MA and Occult pretty much completely negates the need for any other abilities. Anywho. - SMK