HandofOmega/Battlechargers

'Battlechargers Artifact 5 Shapechanging Moonsilver Warstriders

Soak: 24/24
Strength: 16
Mobility Penalty: 0
Fatigue Value: 1
Commitment: 10

Barbarian legend tells of giant argent eagles and wolves warring with each other, laying waste to entire regions in the process. Though few remember, these tales refer to Battlechargers, the First Age Lunar answer to the Warstrider. Mostly identical to the Solars' Noble Warstriders, Battlechargers are composed of massive quantities of Moonsilver coating an articulated endoskeletal framework of Jade, giving them much more of a fluid and smoothlined look than traditional Warstriders. In addition to the standard Moonsilver benefits, this allows the Battlecharger to adapt its shape along with the Lunar piloting it! HOWEVER, each Battlecharger was crafted with a certain Lunar hero in mind, and only those of his Totem or an appropriately close one can use this ability, with a +2 difficulty. All others may use it only as a standard Warstrider, even if they are Lunars.

Example: The Battlecharger Roarquake was constructed for Bloodmane, a 1st Age Lunar Full-Moon with a Lion Totem; strapping himself into Roarquake, he pilots it as any Warstrider, and finds that its sympathically-linked framework and attuned Moonsilver instantly mimics his Deadly Beastman Transformation and his lion form, though none of his other shapes gained with Heart's Blood are compatible with it. Roarquake was lost after the Usurpation until being discovered in the Wyld by Mbume, a newly-Exalted Lunar who has a Leopard Totem. Mbume is also able to pilot the Battlecharger and, due to his similar big cat totem, make use of its form with difficulty (+2 Diff to movement rolls). However, Mbume lost Roarquake after being defeated in honorable challenge by an elder Lunar, Shrike. Shrike finds it a powerful weapon, but as a Bird-Totem, cannot use any of its alternate shapes, only its default humanoid one.

Battlechargers were never common, being the product of a single 1st Age No-Moon genius, though if one of the handful he created (all with different Totem-forms) were to be found, its secrets could be reverse-engineered. Or if the Lunar shard belonging to the original creator were to suddenly Exalt another...

Comments

First off, it's a cool idea, and I like it. A good way to add color without destroying mechanics. But at the same time, I can only imagine what happens when, say, 5 Lunars with these, in animal form, get together, and cast that spell that 'congeals' people together. Since warstriders are just armor, theoretically, the Battlechargers (in animal form) would somehow fly together, and merge into some sort of giant humanoid fighting machine, with things like lions for hands. You know. I've got to wonder if you had this in mind when you wrote these... It's just too easy a way to make Voltron, the MegaZord, et cetera. - GregLink

Small problem... the voltron spell is a Solar Circle spell... so it would require there be a Solar in the mix... ^_^ ~ Haku

Even better! Then your modification comment of "and I'll form the head!" makes oh so much more fun and sense. I'm just saying that there's opportunity here. As to real comments though, I'll try to keep it back on track.

So now we've got these limited-edition Lunar-based Warstriders. Other than purely cosmetic changes, it seems the only big deal is that either a) you might gain your DBT bonuses in one and b) you might... umm.. gain DBT benefits in one. I'm guessing that you're implying that the Warstrider's stats will increase by the same amount the Lunar's stats increase, then? So, if you normally gain 5 Str, 4 Dex, and 4 Sta, your warstrider will too? And more importantly, if you can fly (soaring pinions, for example), and have extra arms, your warstrider will too? - GregLink, on useful topic

First off, thanks for the compliments! I really didn't consider the effects of _Unity of the Closed Fist_ on them, but now that I review the spell, I see that it combines all of the participants' armor into one; and since Warstriders are simply larger suits of armor where magic is concerned, this would appear to work on them! o_o!! Tho, for real effect, I'd have the team be a different form of Exalt in Warstriders of different MMs...And of course, the Solar must have _Glorious Solar Sabre_!^^

Secondly, don't forget about the lessened Fatigue and Mobility benefits; a warstrider made of Moonsilver should be much more maneuverable than the standard ones, which should be a great advantage. And, yeah, you do get the DBT benefits. In my original write-up, Battlechargers could be attuned to any Lunar's Totem and shapechanging charms (like, say, the tentacle attacks), but I decided that was too powerful (in Exalted?!^^). What do you think? - HandofOmega