DBSInfernalExalted/Performance

Performance Charms

Voice of Forbidden Allure

• Cost: 3 motes
• Duration: Instant
• Type: Supplemental
• Minimum Performance: 2
• Minimum Essence: 2
• Prerequisite Charms: None

The Infernal speaks with a voice as sound as the secrets the Yozis hold and as treacherous as their many schemes, adding conspiratorial cadence to her every word. If her actions indulge her Sins or encourage others to do the same, she may add a number of die equal to the appropriate Sin to any Performance, Presence or Socialise roll. Furthermore, her words will never be forgotten by those she used the Charm upon. An Exalt must use her voice for this Charm to have any effect.

Veneer of Polished Words

• Cost: 4 motes
• Duration: Instant
• Type: Simple
• Minimum Performance: 3
• Minimum Essence: 2
• Prerequisite Charms: Voice of Forbidden Allure

Drawing upon her own twisted aesthetics, the Infernal can express the beauty in even the most hideous things. With a insightful comment and a successful Appearance + Performance roll (at a difficulty equal to the listener’s Temperance), the Exalt can make anyone see the appeal of a present situation – the effects of this are left up to a Storyteller’s discretion, but should follow reason. A guard that comes into a Dynastic nursery to find the character covered in the infants’ blood and sees beauty will still try to apprehend the Exalt and call for aid, but would not dare disturb the Infernal’s gore-laden form for fear of spoiling something wonderful.

Speaking Louder Approach

• Cost: 2 motes
• Duration: Instant
• Type: Supplemental
• Minimum Performance: 3
• Minimum Essence: 2
• Prerequisite Charms: Voice of Forbidden Allure

The mad art of the Demon Princes is not constrained to sound alone. With the use of this Charm, the Infernal can express herself and her dark magic in a more subtle manner – through dance, hand gestures and facial movements. With a successful Manipulation + Performance roll, the character may convey a message nonverbally (difficulty 1 for basic concepts, difficulty 5 for complicated sentences). If put into a Combo with a Charm requiring the Infernal to speak, this Charm allows the Exalt to substitute gesture instead. This Charm is explicitly allowed to be part of a Combo with Charms of other Abilities.

Silent Muse Attitude

• Cost: 5 motes
• Duration: Instant
• Type: Supplemental
• Minimum Performance: 4
• Minimum Essence: 3
• Prerequisite Charms: Speaking Louder Approach

Refining her artistic expression further, the Infernal is no longer constrained to having to act. This functions as the Speaking Louder Approach, save that the character’s message is in circumstance and chance – the fluttering of her hair, the reflections within her eyes or the billowing of her clothes. No writing is formed, only meaning and intent. If put into a Combo with a Charm requiring the Infernal to speak or move, this Charm allows the Infernal to use it with no identifiable action on her part. Apply common sense – this does not allow the Infernal to attack without moving. This Charm is explicitly allowed to be part of a Combo with Charms of other Abilities.

Snake Speaks Taboo

• Cost: 5 motes
• Duration: One scene
• Type: Simple
• Minimum Performance: 2
• Minimum Essence: 2
• Prerequisite Charms: None

With the slightest sound, the Infernal may instantly gain an audience’s rapture. A quiet hum sounds like a rumble of thunder, a crick of the jaw sounds like screaming chains, and a cleared throat sounds like shrieking ravens. The crowd may not appreciate the Exalt’s performance or believe her words, but they recognise the dark omen that she embodies and treat her accordingly. They may freely dislike her, but the temptation of hearing what she has to say overrides any desire to heckle or leave before the end of the show.

Faltering Heart Song

• Cost: 6 motes, 1 Willpower
• Duration: One scene
• Type: Simple
• Minimum Performance: 5
• Minimum Essence: 2
• Prerequisite Charms: Voice of Forbidden Allure, Snake Speaks Taboo

The Infernal looses a beguiling sonnet or song, imbued with what delight she finds in her cause, so heartfelt that even her staunchest opponents question their purpose. The Exalt rolls Charisma + Performance. For the remainder of the scene, anyone attempting to channel a Virtue must succeed at a Charisma + (Virtue to be channelled) check, at a difficulty equal to the successes the Infernal scored in the initial check. Failure means they cannot channel that Virtue for the rest of the scene. Those channelling Sins are unaffected.

Serenade of Subversion

• Cost: 12 motes, 1 Willpower
• Duration: One day
• Type: Simple
• Minimum Performance: 5
• Minimum Essence: 3
• Prerequisite Charms: Faltering Heart Song, Veneer of Polished Words

With earnest passion, the Infernal sings of the myriad wonders she has witnessed, the thousands of forbidden acts of which she has partook, and the tumultuous emotions she has experienced as a result. The Exalt rolls a Charisma + Performance check, her successes dictating the difficulty of a reflexive Essence+Willpower check by all hearing her song. Those that fail their checks treat their Virtues as their according Sins for the remainder of the day, including circumstances for channelling and the effects this will have on their personality. Essence calculations, Virtue requirements and the Great Curse are not affected.

Sin-Suckling Overture

• Cost: 16 motes, 1 Willpower
• Duration: One week
• Type: Simple
• Minimum Performance: 5
• Minimum Essence: 3
• Prerequisite Charms: Serenade of Subversion

Her every action laden with explicit and unspoken meaning, the Infernal becomes a preacher for the forces of disharmony and discord. Those law-abiding citizens she interacts with most often (up to Essence x 10 of them) walk away haunted by deep emotions and whispering voices, compelled to indulge in vice. Within a week, their Virtues are replaced by corresponding cores in Sins. Every additional week of the Charm’s use, they gain an additional dot in a Sin of the Infernal’s choice, up to a maximum of the Infernal’s own score. By no means will this result in their automatically being loyal to the Infernal. Only extras are affected by this Charm. The effect of this Charm on a peaceable community is left up to Storyteller discretion, but it should result in something between the panic of a large town under siege from within, and the total anarchy raised in a village turned against one another.

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Feedback

I notice that Speaking Louder is significantly harder to use than Poetic Expression Style; is this because it can be explicitly combined with other effects? If so, I don't think it's really necessary. Requiring the Exalt to develop and use a Combo is enough. - willows

Good point - I've dropped the requirements...DeathBySurfeit

Snake Speaks Taboo: You have "clearing of the throat" twice in the same sentence, for two different sounds. Minor nitpick. :) ~ G

Effective feedback, then: Maybe the first "clearing" could be exchanged for some thing like "humming", or some such. I tried to think of a way to change the second, instead, but nothing came to mind... -Suzume

Duly changed; thanks for pointing that out, and your suggestions for replacing it...DeathBySurfeit

Gladly! Keep up the Good work! Er, the Evil work... Er, I think I just confused myself. ^_^ Anyway, keep it up! -Suzume

Wow, I just love this whole tree! Everything works, is well costed, etc. Only thing which seemed a little out is the pen-ultimate charm in the tree effects players and important NPCs, where as the final one doesn't. I think maybe Serenade of Subversion should by resisted by Essence as well as Willpower. Prob as auto succeses on the willpower roll. Also, where as I feel the high end charms do have the right number of prerequisits, the infernals should probably progress through affecting a single sin/virtue, before they can effect all simultaneously. Shining Mongoose

Thanks for the love, and I've taken your suggestion on board. I avoided counting them as autosux, though, as I wanted Exalts to remain in the potential grip of the Charm - this seemed unlikely otherwise. I'm comfortable with Sin-Suckling Overture where it is; it's effectively a distortion of Tiger-Warrior Training, so should be fairly pinnacle-ey, and I can't see any problem with their difference in ability to affect Exalts...DeathBySurfeit