DragonBloodedSurvival/IsawaBrian
Reading of Signatures</b>
<b>Cost:3 motes Duration: One Scene Type: Simple Minimum Survival: 2 Minimum Essence: 1 Prerequisite Charms: None
Every plant formed in Creation contains within it some element or pattern, known as its signature, that can inform a skilled observer as to the nature of that plant and perhaps its uses. Wood-blooded Dynasts are among the most knowledgeable of such observers, from their innate connection to the growing, green world. While Reading of Signatures is activated, the Dynast automatically knows the name and major uses (including hazards) of any natural or elementally-influenced plant that he sees. Magical plants require a reflexive Perception + Survival roll, with a difficulty ranging from 1 (An enchanted blossom that brings magical healing sleep) to 5 or greater (a Wyld-twisted mutant with horrible spikes and poisons that conceals a panacea root). "Plant"-like entities that are not native to Creation (as opposed to native ones altered by magic, the Wyld, untamed Demenses, etc.) do not register with this effect
Forest Shield Technique</b>
<b>Cost:3 motes, 1 Willpower Duration: Instant Type: Simple Minimum Survival: 3 Minimum Essence: 2 Prerequisite Charms: Wild-Wandering Forester Charm
By using a brief surge of Wood-aspected essence, the Terrestrial can cause local vegetation to grow at a prodigious ate, whirling and interlocking quickly. This will not work where there is no vegetation, but even scrub grass can be turned into a thick hedge which the character can use as cover-- 50% hard cover to be precise. If the amount of growth is natural to the area, the character may use it as concealment, though not usually as shelter. The growth will then last as would an ordinary plant. If the amount of growth is abnormal-- a hedge made out of a grassy plain-- the new growth will wither after one scene, and "hiding" behind or in such a hedge may be more obvious than not.
Life-Giving Leaves and Roots</b>
<b>Cost:3 motes Duration: One or Two Hours Type: Simple Minimum Survival: 3 Minimum Essence: 2 Prerequisite Charms: Ration-Enhancing Method
A Dynast who knows how can align himself to plant nature to stave off the course of starvation. So long as the Terrestrial has sufficient time in bright sunlight, enough water to drink and good, healthy soil to meditate on, he will not have to eat for a day. The Dynast may replace a single meal with an hour's worth of meditation, or all meals with two hours continuous. During the meditation time the Dynast is aware and may respond to attacks, but any disruption of meditation loses the essence involved and requires that the Charm be re-activated from the beginning. This Charm WILL work in parched environments like deserts, but may require twice as much water. It will fail utterly if there is insufficient light for plant growth (Storyteller's call) or if the land is utterly wasted. This Charm will not function in Shadowlands.
Elemental Nourishment</b>
<b>Cost:4 motes Duration: Instant Type: Simple Minimum Survival: 5 Minimum Essence: 2 Prerequisite Charms: Life-Giving Leaves and Roots
By charging a fairly large quantity of her corresponding Element with Essence, the character can take in all of the nourishment she would need for a day, thus obviating the need for food and drink. Roughly the same volume of element as water that would be ordinarily drunk must be absorbed, as well as about a liter for food. The exception to this is Water, which need only take in the liter for food, and Wood, which need only take in sufficient mass for water. An Air-Blooded can survive simply on inhaling!
This Charm can be only used on relatively pure, nonmagical quantities of the element in question; it cannot be used to damage an elemental, for example. For plants, unless the plant is less than an extra-- mere scenery-- this Charm cannot be used. This Charm also does nothing to protect against poison, flame, or other problems. Furthermore, use of this Charm for too many days in a row is dangerous; if used for a number of days greater than the Terrestrial's Survival, the character will take one bashing health level per day that cannot be healed until this charm is no longer used for at least one day.
Bountiful Captain Prana</b>
<b>Cost:1 mote per fang Duration: Days equal to Essence Type: Simple Minimum Survival: 4 Minimum Essence: 2 Prerequisite Charms:Life-Giving Leaves and Roots
A talented Dynast can provide for entire legions of troops, using his intimate knowledge of life to provide food and water in even the harshest environments. By attuning the unit to the production of life in the world around him, the Wood-blood can feed his troops far beyond their rations, finding all sorts of native plants and wildlife to take care of food, and even find water where such creatures run to get it. This Charm may be used on a number of fangs equal to the Terrestrial's permanent Essence +2, but this Charm is synergistic
So long as there is any food or water to be found in the surrounding environment, the character's foraging parties will find it. In ordinary environments, this effect can double the effectiveness of any foraging parties affected by this Charm. In especially bountiful environments, it might triple, but this is the absolute maximum. In harsh environments, this may simply negate penalties due to scarcity of food or water.
Amidst the Well-Known Woods</b>
<b>Cost:3 motes per success Duration: Instant Type: Supplemental Minimum Survival: 3 Minimum Essence: 3 Prerequisite Charms: Any 3 Survival Charms
Whether a Terrestrial is a master tracker, a forager lord, or simply more at home in her preferred environment, a Dynast who has chosen to specialize in a narrow area can be a much more potent outdoorsman than an ordinary Terrestrial. By focusing Wood-blooded energies to harmonize with this "home field advantage", such a Dynast can gain a distinct edge over prey or predators. By paying 3 motes per success, the character can convert a number of dice equal to her Specialty dots to automatic successes on a relevant roll.
Trueheart Grafting Technique</b>
<b>Cost:5 motes, 1 Willpower, 1 experience point Duration: Instant Type: Simple Minimum Survival: 3 Minimum Essence: 3 Prerequisite Charms: Forgiveness-of-Nature Prana
The bond between a Familiar and an Exalt is a deep connection that exists between their very souls. By the use of Essence "branches" grafting from his Shard to his Familiar, a Dynast can transform his Familiar into a being of a similar, but distinct nature. Rather than becoming a Half-Caste or some other strange Terrestrial hybrid, the Familiar instead takes on something of the elemental nature of the Dynast, becoming an Elemental Blooded. This Charm may only be applied to a Familiar a number of times equal to the Terrestrial's permanent Essence.
Multiple uses of this charm have different effects:
- The first application of this Charm has relatively low-level effects. The Familiar gains the heritage power of an Elemental God-Blood, as per the Exalted Player's Guide, pages 51-52. The Familiar also becomes immune to the Dynast's anima flux and the anima flux of any similarly Aspected Terrestrial. If the Storyteller permits, the Familiar may develop other Elemental-Blooded characteristics over time. The type of Elemental God-Blood the Familiar is will match the Aspect of the Terrestrial.
- The second application of this Charm requires some interaction between the Storyteller and the player. The stats of the Familiar should be brought up to be equivalent to those from Steps 1, 2, 3, and 5 from the Exalted Player's Guide, page 50 (ie, 6/5/3 stats, 1 Favored ability, 22 ability dots, etc.). If the Familiar already exceeds these numbers, do not reduce existing statistics. The Familiar should also have at least the equivalent of starting virtues-- ie, one in each dot, 5 spent among them. The familiar also receives 11 bonus points and may take up to 10 points of flaws as normal, which should mainly be focused on elemental powers rather than improving existing characteristics, with the exception of Essence. The Familiar has Inheritance 0. Although the player should have some input in the creation process for the new Elemental-Blooded Familiar, the final design work is in the hands of the Storyteller.
- Subsequent applications of this Charm will add Inheritance levels, which will grant bonus points for new stats and potentially more Flaws, which should be taken from those reflecting the Familiar's more mystic heritage.
Multiple uses of this Charm applied swiftly can combine these effects, so in theory, the use of this Charm should start with an Inheritance 1 Familiar as above, so long as the character has the motes, Willpower, and experience to spend.
Calling the Brethren</b>
<b>Cost:20 motes, 1 Willpower, 3 experience points, plus the cost of the Familiar Background Duration: Instant Type: Simple Minimum Survival: 5 Minimum Essence: 4 Prerequisite Charms: Trueheart Grafting Technique
Although the Court of the Seasons is far more disorganized than the Celestial Bureaucracy, there is an established-- if informal-- place in it for the Dragon-blooded. If any participants in Creation's spiritual side have accepted Creation's new rulers after the fall of the Anathema, it is their elemental relatives (though not always even them). As a result, Dynasts can be considered to have a rough place in the local hierarchies, which can result, with the proper Charms, in the binding of elementals to them as Familiars. Calling the Brethren permits the character to summon up a full Elemental to serve as a familiar. Any one Dynast can only have one Elemental Familiar at a time, and prematurely breaking the bond with a Familiar, mistreating it, or permitting it to die disgracefully may have serious repercussions, depending on the local Court of Seasons. Dynasts can only bond to Elementals of their Aspect with this Charm.
Once the character has expended the cost of this Charm, she must also either establish by roleplaying or experience spending the Familiar background for the Elemental she wishes to bond. Elementals are automatically considered dangerous, intelligent creatures, so their Background cost starts at 3. The Elemental will begin with a permanent Essence equal to half the Terrestrial's (rounded down). The Elemental's Essence will rise with time and experience as normal (and as other characteristics do), but can never equal or exceed that of the character. The Elemental Familiar may never gain the effects of Trueheart Grafting Technique, although it is automatically immune to the anima fluxes of the character and like-Aspected Terrestrials.
Solitary Wood Dragon Attunement</b>
<b>Cost:None Duration: Permanent Type: Special Minimum Survival: 5 Minimum Essence: 5 Prerequisite Charms: 10 Survival Charms, including at least 1 each from Essence 1-5.
This is the Facet Attunement Charm (see DragonBloodedInvestigation/IsawaBrian under Insightful Water Dragon Attunement for details) for Survival. Taking this Charm Attunes the Terrestrial to the Solitary Facet of the Wood Dragon, and thus negates the one-mote surcharge for non-Wood-Blooded Dynasts using Survival Charms. The Solitary Facet of the Wood Dragon represents the Wood Dragon's estrangement from its brothers-- it is the only that fully participates in the world of living things. Air and Water may provide the necessity for life, Earth may support it, and Fire may imitate it, but only Wood lives. This life is attuned to the Terrestrial developing this Facet, allowing him to integrate with the Charms that descend from it. This Charm may not be taken by Wood-Blooded Terrestrials, Eclipse Caste Solars, Moonshadow Caste Abyssals, and any other non-Dragon-Blooded capable of learning Dragon-Blooded Charms. Its use counts against the number of attunements active on a character, which may cause the Dragon-Blooded's anima and aspect markings to alter (See Insightful Water Dragon Attunement for details).
