Dissolvegirl/Hearthstones
I love coming up with Hearthstones; here are some of my favorites.
Contents
Solar
The fivefold stone of unity
5-dot
This stone was at the heart of one of the most powerful Solar manses of the first age, designed by the Twilight caste of a perfect circle as a tribute to the circle's friendship and brotherhood. The stone is round, flat, smooth and warm; it glows softly as if with the light of the sun itself. There are five ringlike seams in the stone, and with a gentle push by one of the people attuned to the manse, a ring will snap free.
Up to five people can enjoy the benefit of this hearthstone; if someone who already possesses one of the rings attempts to break off another, it does not work.
In addition to allowing five people to recieve the full Essence-regenerating capabilities of the manse, when those who are attuned to the manse touch hands for one turn, they may use each other's anima abilities for the duration of the scene.
This manse only works for Solars; if any other type of Exalt were to attempt to attune to the manse, the attunement ritual would fail. If someone attuned to the manse and carrying one of the stones dies, it will reform on the base stone in one month.
Sidereal
The Lost Jewel
5-dot
This plain copper-hued stone channels the Essence of Destiny itself. The owner may hold the stone in her fist, concentrate on a lost object for a turn, and throw it over her left shoulder before walking away without looking back. The hearthstone will find its way back into the owner's hand-- along with the lost object-- within six months minus the owner's Essence in months. If the owner's Essence is six or higher, it will return in one week.
The lost object cannot be something completely beyond reach or irreplacable-- ie. a dead brother, a shattered hearthstone, or lost years. In these instances, the Hearthstone will return with something similar-- a distant cousin, a similar hearthstone, or a forgotten momento of those lost years. The object must also be something the owner lost himself-- it cannot be "lost" knowledge, ie. solar circle sorcery, or a first age city. (However, if the owner misplaced his book on Solar Circle Sorcery, the book would be returned to him.)
If the Hearthstone itself is lost, it will be returned in two weeks.
Stone of Immutable Discretion
4-dot
This jewel swirls and glints with an impossibly deep, muted green. As a simple action, the bearer of the stone may press it to his forehead and think a single thought-- something like I love Rheanna, or The password is "Greywater"-- and with a noise that sounds something like a sigh, the bit of information will be spirited away from the user and into the hearthstone, to remain there for one week. During this time, no one can access it, not even the bearer of the stone. This stone is highly useful in situations where one might think they're going to be interrogated, or when faced with someone who could possibly have extremely persuasive charms or sorcery. (Example: if someone who spirited the location of a hidden artifact into the stone was asked where said artifact was, they would respond "I don't know," and any truth-discerning charm or sorcery would not see it as a lie.)
Gem of the Turning Path
Manse ••••
Trigger: Touch
This gem is full of flickering and changing colors; none of its owners can give a good description of it, however, because when one sits down to concentrate on what the stone looks like, something inevitably comes up to distract them from their appointed task.
When this gem is taken from its socket and touched to a target of the owner's choosing, the person will have difficulty reversing their positions on important opinions. If, for example, a magistrate has decided to vehemently oppose a new law and falls under the influence of this gem, small mishaps and bits of bad luck will prevent him from getting to the courthouse to voice his objections-- and he will feel it easier to let events unfold without his interference. Mechanically, the target can roll his conviction versus the stone's rating to overcome his own inertia and do what he originally intended.
Alternatively, the owner of the stone may touch it and allow its inertia to flow through his body; people who wish to dissuade him from his current determinations find he is stubborn and possesses the emotional fortitude to withstand any outside influence. When the stone is not being used on a target, the possesor may use it to roll his conviction twice when regaining willpower after resting.
Gem of the Righteous
3-dot
This is a clear, multifaceted stone that has gorgeous, inumberable colors flashing in its depths. It always sparkles as if it were a star itself, regardless of the lighting conditions. This stone adds four dice to all prayer rolls, and is popular among Sidereals who use great deals of astrology.
Destiny-Prodding Stone
3-dot
This stone is full of shifting color, and actually has a slight give to it when squeezed. When the bearer of this stone touches it while looking at a target (or a reasonably accurate portrait, which must have had at least 3 successes on its creation), she may think of three reasons why the target should change his mind on a decision made in the last week, or one that the target is pondering. These reasons will work themselves into the target's dreams somehow, and upon their next meeting, the bearer of the stone has an extra 3 successes in attempting to convince the target to change his or her mind.
Jewel of Fortuitous Concealment
3-dot
Despite its name, this stone draws the eye, shimmering with cobalt blue and bright viridian hues in its immeasurable depths. When the gem is set in a magical material, however, its beauty is wasted. Whatever object the stone is set in becomes mysteriously hidden from sight; people will randomly walk in front of the object, blocking the view to any other onlookers; fabric will move in ways slightly off-kilter from the usual laws of physics in order to drape over a hearthstone amulet. The world will work together in mysterious accidents and serendipity to keep the object hidden from all but its owner.
This power stops working if the hearthstone is set into a weapon after the first attack in an initiative, and only resumes when combat has stopped and the weapon is sheathed.
Gem of Bittersweet Reflection
2-dot
The nature of the Sidereal Exalt is to make difficult decisions, sometimes resulting in great personal sacrifice. Though technically frowned upon, many Sidereals can't help but ponder what their lives would be like if these sacrifices were never made. When this stone is taken from its hearthstone socket and held close to the heart, the person attuned to the stone thinks about something in their life that could have been different-- if the person they loved had not died, or were able to remember them-- a normal life with a normal family-- whatever it is that they wish to relive. Their dream that night will feel as if it were an entire month long, and vividly recount what that particular destiny could have been. The dream will always be extremely realistic, but never unpleasant; even the most mundane tasks will feel joyful. Upon awakening after a night of such dreaming, there is no roll to regain willpower, as the nostalgia and traces of regret cast a shadow over the bearer's conviction. However, usage of this stone makes the bearer immune to all dream-manipulation effects.
Air
Mockingbird's Egg
4-dot
This stone is egg-shaped and warm to the touch, cream colored and speckled with blue dots. The bearer of this stone may, by sacrificing any other actions that round (except for already-existing persistants) call any charm that has been used within a 30-foot radius of the bearer into the stone. The bearer may then release this charm as a simple action, and it will be as if the bearer activated the charm himself. This stone allows stealing across Exalt types, but is useless with Fair Folk Glamour, Lunar Shapeshifting, and Sidereal Martial Arts. The charm still goes off as if nothing happened; the stone captures a copy of the charm, not the charm itself.
Earth
Jewel of Immaculate Spice
1-dot
This stone sparkles with the colors of cinnamon and saffron, and always emits a heady, mouthwatering scent. The stone is "charged" by removing it from its hearthstone socket and touching a particularly prized delicacy for 10 minutes instead. From then on, when placed in a knapsack with undesirable or bland food (trail rations are a good example), it will make the undesirable food taste like whatever the stone had been charged with. While away from the hearthstone socket it is attuned to, however, no motes may be regained through its use; nor may other hearthstones may be attuned to that socket.
Water
Mind's Lure
Manse ••••
This stone shines with a pale blue light, and is shaped almost like a fisherman's hook. When the owner of the stone touches another person whom he wishes to persuade, he may use the stone's power to seek out a powerful memory from the person's past that is somehow relevant to the matter at hand. When the hearthstone's owner next speaks, the memory caught by the stone will be pulled to the surface of the target's thoughts, almost like a flashback, and will heavily influence the target's decision. Mechanically, the stone's rating is added to the Charisma or Manipulation + Presence roll, and counts as natural dice for the purposes of dice caps-- As an example, a Solar could double the four dice as well as doubling his natural dice pool and still be within their dice-cap.
Wood
Chrysalis Stone
Manse ••••
This stone is almond-shaped, and pulses with pale green light. Once a season, the owner may bury the item in which the stone is set in the earth, and go to sleep atop it. By morning, the bearer of the stone will be covered in a sticky, wet chrysalis which will provide him with all nourishment for one week. The chrysalis has no soak or defenses. After one week, the bearer of the stone will emerge, invigorated and changed. Mechanically, all willpower will be restored, all health levels lost BEFORE entering the chrysalis will be healed, and the bearer of the stone can shift dots equal to his Essence from one ability to another, or to and from multiple abilities. (Dots can only be moved between favored and favored, or unfavored and unfavored.) Sleeping out in the open for a whole week is a dangerous endeavor, however, and bearers are usually reluctant to use the power without guards they trust. If the bearer tries to use its power more than once a season, it works, but they lose a permanent point of stamina each new time they use it before their body is ready.
Comments
The Lost Jewel is really nifty! -Dim
I see one little problem with the Lost Jewel. A Hearthstone needs to be attuned along with something made from the magical materials. Does this mean that the Jewel and the artifact they are in need to be left behind? I would advise a slight augmentation, having the gem dissapear from the artifact in question when you use the ability, or some similar means to let the Lost Jewel work like you want it to. -EndlessChase
I assume it would be like the hearthstone that lets the person who owns it hear through the stone when taken out of the 5 MM, and can be reflexively called back to the hand. Before the person can toss it aside, they have to have had it in one of the 5 MMs. (I don't know the name of the hearthstone I'm referring to, but it's in the main book.) --Dissolvegirl
Fivefold Stone of Unity is a good idea. I am not totally sure I'd rank it as level 5 -- the power, while useful, isn't a definite-rank-5-effect (unlike, say, allowing everyone attuned to the stone to merge their Essence pools into one giant communal pool for the scene). What I am totally sure about is that I'd allow it to function for all Exalted types. Or at least note that variations exist for each of the other types. _Ikselam
re: Jewel of Immaculate Spice. Its power is activated by removing it from its socket and touching it to a particularly prized... what, exactly? _Ikselam Gem of the Righteous also seems greatly underpowered for a level 4...
Fixed the Jewel of Immaculate Spice. I went for level 4 on the Gem of the Righteous because of a similar Hearthstone that grants an extra 4 dice to any MA rolls. But I guess ass-kicking is more common than piety, and therefore more valuable. --dissolvegirl
I think hearthstones with direct combat applications also tend to be rated higher than peacetime stones. _Ikselam
Stone of Immutable Discretion: I'd say it's a good level 4 power; I made up a level 4 Water-aspect stone which does essentially the same thing (via a somewhat different mechanism). "Immutable" seems like an unsual word choice, though. I don't think it's actually wrong/nonsensical, but it sounds weird when I say it. _Ikselam
It was meant to be a play on the word "mute," since it hides secrets. (I tried coming up with some aliteration with the letter "S" first, but I didn't like the results.) I'll admit I haven't gone through all of your Hearthstones; I'll have to check out the water-aspected one of which you speak. --Dissolvegirl
The Gem of Bittersweet Reflection is really nice. The only thing I'd suggest is that since it provides no tangible benefit to the user (and has a nontrivial drawback, to boot), it might be better ranked as level 1. _Ikselam
I also like this stone. I think it would be a balanced level 2 artifact if, while in this dream, the character was immune to dream alteration/interference. The willpower hit will keep people from taking advantage of it /all/ the time, but it would pack a significant benefit, with a tradeoff. (the kind of items I like the best)
On the topic of materia, it might be interesting to create a HearthStone which functioned like a Sorcery-Capturing Cord. Actually, no, wait, that wouldn't be interesting at all; it would almost certainly be uncreative and dull. But what would be neat would be stones which acted like blue materia; no powers on their own, but providing useful enhancements to other stones the user may be carrying. _Ikselam
Does that stone function too much like a Sorcery-Capturing Cord? I never actually read the write-up on those myself, but I've heard of them. --dissolvegirl
A sorcery-capturing cord catches and stores spells. There are three different kinds, one for each circle, and each cord can hold a total of three spells. Caught spells don't have an effect; it's kind of like countermagic. _Ikselam
Huh. I think I'll clarify the stone-- it's not so much like "capturing" a charm as it is like the MIME materia from FF7. --dg
I don't think it needs clarification. I wasn't saying that I thought it was anything like an SCC, just that it made me think of it. I understood that it was meant to work like Mime. The failure to clearly communicate seems to have been mine, not yours. ~_^ _Ikselam
If you don't like "Stone of Empathy's Fisherman", might you consider "Gem of Mind's Lure" "Dreamsnaring Stone" or a variation upon such? ...DeathBySurfeit
- Awesome suggestion! --dissolvegirl
I like the Fivefold Stone of Unity. Something that an entire circle can use instead of having to decide who in the circle get to carry it - it really would do a lot for unity. Also, I think the anima-sharing power would give them a better appreciation for each other's abilities, which is always a bonus when working as a group. It appeals to my inner sentai-fan. =D Does it have to be a perfect circle? And did you have a particular manse in mind? -Okensha
- Thanks! Fivefold Stone of Unity was actually the second hearthstone I ever came up with. I don't imagine it would have to be a perfect circle, but of course, that would give the most benefit. Also, I never did manage to come up with a manse for this, no. -dissolvegirl
I've indexed all the stones on this page into the HearthStones subpages. -- JesseLowe
