IsawaBrian/SolarPresenceMindControl
Stare Into The Sun</B>
<B>Cost:10 motes, 1 WP Duration: Special Type: Simple Minimum Presence: 5 Minimum Essence: 3 Prerequisite Charms: Listener-Swaying Argument
This Charm enables the Exalt to cause a lasting favorable impression on the target through sheer force of personality. By magnifying the effects of her charisma and bearing through Essence, the Exalt’s majesty and grace will be burnt into the target’s mind, like a mental afterimage. The player rolls the Exalt’s Charisma + Presence with a base difficulty equal to the target’s Willpower. For every success over the base difficulty, the Exalt can negate one die or success worth of penalty to social actions with that person, or gain one automatic success for future social interactions. Automatic successes may only be applied after all penalties have been removed. This Charm can be used on the same target more than once, but the character is limited to a maximum of her Essence in automatic successes.
While the effects of Stare Into The Sun are technically permanent, poor interaction and lack of interaction can erode their effects at the GM’s option. Generally, bad behavior, botched social rolls, failed attempts to use mind control, and no contact with the Exalt at all for a year will erode the bonus by one level each, back to a minimum of 0 Automatic Successes. Penalties are permanently overwhelmed, but this Charm does not prevent new penalties from being added.
In Second Edition, this Charm is Social and Compulsion, with a Speed of 6 in long ticks and a DV penalty of -1. It requires Any Presence Excellency rather than Listener-Swaying Argument. It requires a Charisma + Presence social attack on the target. Its effects—reduction/negation of social penalties or gaining automatic successes—replace the usual effects of a successful Social Attack. This effect may be resisted by the target as per an unnatural compulsion by expending 3 temporary willpower.
Overwhelming the Weak Mind</B>
<B>Cost:15 motes, 1 WP, 3+XP Duration: Permanent Type: Simple Minimum Presence: 5 Minimum Essence: 4 Prerequisite Charms: Stare Into The Sun, Hypnotic Tongue Technique
By catching a target’s eye, the Exalt using this Charm can invoke a war of wills. If the Exalt’s will triumphs, he will gain dominion over the target’s mind. Mechanically, the Exalt enters into a contested Willpower roll with his opponent. If the Exalt wins, and gains a number of extra successes equal to his opponent’s Permanent Essence, the opponent is under the Exalt’s sway. Treat the character as though they were the Exalt’s Ally, regardless of previous attitudes or allegiances, except that the character will not refuse any non-suicidal command the character gives.
Personal betrayal will break the Charm’s effects, but it may be possible to get the character to act against lifelong causes and lesser loyalties. The GM will determine if a specific command would be considered an act of personal betrayal. Using this Charm requires expending the same amount of Experience as it would cost to buy the character as an Ally- that is, three times the level of the Ally, if the roll succeeds. While the motes of Essence used for the Charm are not considered invested, for the purposes of Perception + Occult rolls to see if the character is under the effects of a Charm, subtract the number of experience points invested in the charm from the base difficulty, just as though they were motes of Essence. If the player of the Exalt botches on the roll, the target is permanently immune to Overwhelming the Weak Mind and gains a number of automatic successes equal to her permanent Essence to resist other contested Presence Charms by the Exalt.
In Second Edition, this Charm functions differently.
Cost: 15m, 2 wp, 3 xp; Mins: Presence 5, Essence 5; Type: Simple Keywords: Combo-OK, Social, Compulsion, Obvious Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Stare Into the Sun, Worshipful Lackey Acquisition
By catching a target’s eye, the Exalt using this Charm can invoke a war of wills. The Lawgiver assaults the target’s mind by the sheer force of his personality, implanting the pattern of his Essence like a brand over the target’s. If the Exalt’s will triumphs, he will gain dominion over the target’s mind.
Mechanically, this takes the form of a Presence-based Social attack on the target. If the Solar is successful, the target cannot spend a willpower to negate the effects of the attack—he automatically gains an Intimacy of loyalty to the Solar! This intimacy requires twice the usual amount of effort to erode, either by rejections or social attacks, and the target must pay experience equal to the Solar’s Conviction at the time of this Charm’s use to finally remove the intimacy if it is being removed via rejection.
At Essence 6, the Solar may opt to spend additional essence equal to twice the target’s permanent Essence and add the target’s permanent essence as a bonus to the target’s MDV in order to attempt a deeper compulsion. If this attack succeeds, the target not only gains a new intimacy but must spend a willpower point to actively disobey the character or work against his interests for one scene. This counts as an unnatural compulsion. There is no set limit to the number of times this effect can occur while the intimacy remains; to wear down the compulsion, the intimacy must first be removed as above, and then the compulsion will still remain until 10 willpower points have so been spent.
Countenance of Vast Wrath</b>
<b>Cost:--; Mins: Presence 5, Essence 3; Type: Permanent Keywords: None Prerequisite Charms: Impassioned Orator Technique
All Exalted, Solars especially, feel the rage of power-madness in their souls. In the First Age, many Lawgivers learned to harness this alienation, rage, or other expression of their inner torment-- the Great Curse, though they knew it not. One such use would aid a Lawgiver in casting out weaker minds from their presence. The Solar may opt to gain 1 Limit when using Majestic Radiant Presence; if they do so, any attacker who is successful on the roll to assault the Lawgiver, but has a Willpower lower than the Exalt’s current Limit, gains an external penalty equal to the Solar’s permanent Essence to the attack roll.
Command Voice</b>
<b>Cost:6m; Mins: Presence 5, Essence 4; Type: Simple (Speed 6 in Long Ticks) Keywords: Combo-OK, Social, Compulsion Duration: One Scene Prerequisite Charms: Hypnotic Tongue Technique
Authority is the right of a Lawgiver-- a right that the Solar can enforce with the power of his Essence, if he so chooses. Wrapping himself in a mantle of authority, subtle or magnificent, the Solar creates a seeming by which that authority seems both natural and appropriate. For the rest of the scene, the Solar may work this influence on any appropriate target. Appropriate targets are those individuals who are inclined to give sway to authority (Storyteller’s decision).
So long as two conditions are met, the Solar’s requests will have the force of an unnatural mental influence-- a compulsion, specifically-- if Solar succeeds on a reflexive (Social Attribute) + Presence roll against a given target’s MDV. This compulsion requires 1 willpower to ignore per request, but if five such requests are so ignored, that individual is no longer affected by the current invocation of Command Voice. The two conditions are as follows: First, the request must be relatively reasonable in terms of the capacities of the target and what an authority might demand. An obsequious merchant, for example, might give the character high-value products or services for free (generally no greater than Resources 2), but might well refuse to assault a dangerous looking person following the Solar into the store.
Secondly, the request must not be contradicted by an actual authority figure. If an appropriate authority figure countermands the Solar’s request or order, the targeted individual may make a Willpower + Integrity roll at a difficulty equal to the Solar’s highest MDV. If this roll is not successful, the individual will ignore the real authority figure to follow the Lawgiver’s commands!
Prey-Freezing Gaze</b>
<b>Cost:4m; Mins: Presence 3, Essence 2; Type: Simple Keywords: Combo-OK, Social, Obvious, Compulsion Duration: One scene Prerequisite Charms: Any Presence Excellency
Created and shaped to slay those who made creation, Solars carry within them a knowledge that they can and will overwhelm any lesser being. If a Solar so chooses, she may tap into that knowledge and overwhelm a target with the sheer force of her will. The Solar chooses a single target and radiates the raw power of her anima at him. If the target fails a difficulty 3 Valor roll, he is considered Inactive until the scene ends or the Solar breaks her gaze from the target. While holding the target’s gaze, the Solar must remain within 5 yards of the target, move no faster than a walk, and cannot take difficult or complicated actions, though her DV may still be used with an appropriate stunt.
If the target is harmed or an obvious attempt is made to harm the target, he gains another Valor roll. This roll is not subject to the penalty for repeat actions. If the Solar breaks the target’s gaze, the target remains Inactive for 3 actions. If the target is harmed or someone attempts to harm the target during those 3 Inactive actions, he instantly breaks free.
This Charm is both simple and powerful. It may be used in regular ticks with the normal speed, or in long ticks, though it may only be used on units in long ticks. This Charm cannot be used against targets with permanent Essence higher than that of the Solar.
Soul-Shaping Word Technique</b>
<b>Cost:3m, 1 wp; Mins: Presence 5, Essence 3; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, Social, Emotion, Obvious Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Listener-Swaying Argument
The Lawgiver’s words carry the Mandate of Heaven. Those who submit to the Solar’s authority are uplifted in the heart; those wretched creatures that defy his will must bear the weight of their cognitive dissonance. This Charms supplements a normal Presence-based Social attack. It alters the required cost to resist the Solar’s persuasion and gives a reward for those who listen. If the Solar successfully defeats a target’s MDV and the target opts to accept the Solar’s word, the target gains a temporary point of willpower. This may not exceed the target’s normal temporary willpower pool. However, the cost for resisting the Solar’s demands is raised to equal his threshold successes (minimum 1). If a target is reduced to 0 willpower by the effects of refusing the Solar’s demands as augmented by this Charm, the target cannot bear the righteous presence of the Solar and must immediately flee. This Charm cannot be used on targets whose permanent Essence is equal to or higher than the Solar’s own.
True Harmony Revelation</b>
<b>Cost:15m, 1 wp; Mins: Presence 5, Essence 4; Type: Simple (Speed 7 in long ticks, DV –2) Keywords: Combo-Basic, Social, Obvious, Compulsion, Shaping Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Soul-Shaping Words technique
The Solar’s powerful words imprint themselves upon the soul of her target, reshaping the target’s very nature to suit the Lawgiver’s desires. True Harmony Revelation transforms the long process of altering a target’s nature into a single social attack, done with an ordinary (Social Attribute) + Presence roll. This social attack counts as an unnatural mental influence and Compulsion, and may be resisted with a single willpower as per normal. If the target submits, or has no willpower left, the Solar may completely change the target’s motivation with a single threshold success! Indeed, the heart of the target can be reshaped by the Solar, turning a coward into a rampaging lion, and granting heart to the most steely-faced soldier. For each additional threshold success, the Solar may shift 1 dot of the target’s Virtues. The Solar may not use this Charm on beings with equal or higher Essence, and the virtue-shaping effect may not reduce a target’s Virtues below 1 or the threshold for the Great Curse, nor above 5. If the target is unwilling, this change elapses in one month, unless the Solar spends 1 experience point for the motivation change, plus 1 experience point for every dot of virtue shifting.
Celestial Master Benediction</b>
<b>Cost:--; Mins: Presence 5, Essence 4; Type: Permanent Keywords: None Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Underling Promoting Touch
Those who herald the orders of a Solar gain Heaven's favor, for the mandate of the Lawgivers is true and righteous. When using Underling Promoting Touch, the character may opt to spend and commit an additional 3 motes of essence to grant the target a bonus die to any non-Presence roll made in the Solar's name or in pursuit of the Solar's stated goals and orders. Where relevant, this counts as a die gained from charms. No character may have more than one such bonus die from any one Solar or multiple Solars from this Charm. This cost is not committed if the base cost Underling Promoted Touch does not need to be committed, such as from the effects of Servant-Uplifting Affirmation.
Heart-Burning Magnificence</b>
<b>Cost:--; Mins: Presence 5, Essence 5; Type: Permanent Keywords: None Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Authority-Radiating Stance
When wreathed in the fire of her authority, a Solar's commands carry the burning mandate of the Unconquered Sun himself. When invoking Authority-Radiating Stance, the character may opt to spend and commit 1 extra mote and 1 extra willpower in order to enforce the Illusion effect with a Crippling retribution, adding that keyword to the Charm. Any individual currently influenced by the Solar's Authority-Radiating Stance who disobeys the Solar, willingly or otherwise, or otherwise acts against the Solar's stated wishes or goals, suffers a Crippling internal penalty equal to the Solar's permanent Essence.
Fawning Dedication Reinforcement</b>
<b>Cost:--; Mins: Presence 6, Essence 6; Type: Permanent Keywords: None Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Worshipful Lackey Acquisition
It is the natural order of things for others to be obedient to Solars. Against the rebellious, the apathetic, and other defiant minds must be set the pure radiance of a Solar's personal presence, and with the power of their essence, a Solar can make it very hard indeed for such persons to return to their wicked ways. This Charm allows the Solar to spend an additional 5 motes, 1 willpower when activating Worshipful Lackey Acquisition to gain two enhancements to that Charm. First, any attempt to break commitment requires a Willpower + Integrity + Essence roll at a difficulty equal to the Solar's Essence. Secondly, the duration becomes Indefinite. However, once the original (Charisma) days have expired, the Charm is broken when the target has spent Willpower resisting its effects equal to the Solar's Presence. This does not include any Willpower spent during those (Charisma) days. The Servitude effect and the commitment thus created may be broken by the usual other sources as well, such as unacceptable orders.
Listener-Swaying Argument</b>
<b>Cost:--; Mins: Presence 4, Essence 4; Type: Permanent Keywords: None Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Hypnotic Tongue Technique
As a Solar develops her cunning and rhetorical insights, she learns that those who function under a given allegiance may be swayed by the power of Essence as though they were of one mind. When activating Hypnotic Tongue Technique, the Solar's player may choose to expend an additional Willpower to enhance that Charm. The character may now target an entire social unit with Hypnotic Tongue Technique, though the majority of the unit or its leader and important relays and the majority of other special characters. In this mode, the Touch Keyword is removed. The MDV in question is always the MDV of the leader of the social unit, as modified by normal mass combat rules.
At Essence 5, the character may instead retain the Touch keyword. In this case, the Solar can use the Listener-Swaying Argument by touching any member of the relevant group. The character gains bonus successes to the Manipulation + Presence roll equal to half her Essence if the first target is a relay, hero, or other special character, or equal to her full permanent Essence if the first target is the leader of the social unit.
