LunarShapeshifting/TheMyriadOfShades
Inconspicuous Beast Method</I>
Cost: 4 motes Duration:: Indefinite Type:: Reflexive Min. Charisma:: 5 Min. Ess.:: 4 Prereq:: Masking the Brilliant Form, Humble Mouse Shape, Towering Beast Form
The Lunar's Tell is an expression of his inner self. As the Lunar masters his various beast shapes, he learns to distance himself from his true shape, and hide any expression of his Tell when he wears a shape that is truly not his own.
When this Charm is active, the Lunar's Tell in his <I>non-true forms is treated as if he had never purchased Deadly Beastman Transformation. If this Charm is used in conjunction with Masking the Brilliant Form, the Tell disappears entirely.
Luna's Second Face</I>
Cost: 8 motes, 1 Willpower Duration:: Scene Type:: Simple Min. Manipulation:: 5 Min. Ess.:: 4 Prereq:: Masking the Brilliant Form, Shaping the Ideal Form
Mastering understanding of his own Tell, the Lunar can craft a similar magical trait into his own flesh using his mastery of shapeshifting. This Charm allows the Lunar to, at activation, create a second Tell. On a normal spot Tell roll, an observer will notice the fake Tell instead of the real one. This Charm has no effect on those who know the Lunar's real Tell. This Charm instantly recedes if the Lunar's anima shines at the 4+ level.
With a standard disguise roll (Exalted, Chapter 6), a Lunar can imitate the Tell of another Lunar-- those who penetrate the disguise will not confuse the Lunar's fake Tell and the real Tell of the Lunar being imitated.
<I>Subtle Silver Feint</I>
Cost: 4 motes Duration:: 5 Turns Type:: Reflexive Min. Manipulation:: 5 Min. Ess.:: 4 Prereq:: Masking the Brilliant Form
Some Lunars conceal their Tell not through cleverness, but through sheer magical mastery of their own form. For the Duration of the Charm, treat the Lunar's Tell as if he was one category lower on the chart for difficulties to spot the Lunar's Tell, as per Masking the Brilliant Form. This Charm explicitly stacks with Masking the Brillian Form.
<I>Unknowable Beast Technique</I>
Cost: 6 motes, 1 Willpower Duration:: Instant Type:: Simple Min. Manipulation:: 5 Min. Ess.:: 4 Prereq:: Masking the Brilliant Form, Mind-Blanking Fear Technique
The Lunar delivers a primal shock to his victims' minds, terrifying them on such an essential level that they repress every memory of the Lunar's appearance, including his Tell. This Charm may be used on up to the Lunar's (Essence x10) in people at once. The Lunar rolls his Manipulation+Presence at a difficulty of his victim's Essence (in the case of a crowd, use the highest individual's Essence), versus the victim's Wits+Valor (difficulty 1). If the Lunar succeeds, the victim forgets all details of the Lunar's appearance, including his Tell, and must roll as normal to spot it again.
The effects of this Charm are a form of derangement, and can be countered by magical effects that cure derangements.
<I>Alpha Beast Transformation</I>
Cost: 10 motes Duration:: Instant Type:: Simple Min. Charisma:: 5 Min. Ess.:: 4 Prereq:: Towering Beast Form, Pack-Forming Presence
The animals of the wild whisper between themselves of the few great animals of their kind, from a time when most animals were much larger. They sing of the heroes, the great warleaders of the beasts. They sing of Luna's gifted heroes, the Lunar Exalted.
The character gains a fourth true form. He uses this Charm to assume it, as with similar Charms for other true shapes. This form is that of a giant version of the character's totem animal, be it a mouse six feet at the shoulder to an elephant capable of trampling a fortress? The character adds (2x Essence) to two of the Physical Attributes of his normal totem animal form, and only (Essence) to the third. He may buy this Charm a number of times equal to his Essence, and gains even further attibute boosts accordingly.
He coverts all Charisma dice into automatic successes when gathering packs of his totem animal. Animals in his pack are loyal to him and only him, and cannot be turned against him by any other effect. This is a perfect defense. Also, the cap on Lunar soak/oversoak/Hardness in this form is 18, instead of 12.
<I>Legendary Lunar Hero Form</I>
Cost: 15 motes Duration:: Instant Type:: Reflexive Min. Charisma:: 5 Min. Ess.:: 5 Prereq:: Alpha Beast Transformation, at least three purchases of Deadly Beastman Transformation
There are myths, tales that only the animal avatars know the truth of, about the wonderful, terrible things that wander the lands from time to time. Great man-beasts that wrought only fury on the world. They fear the mightiest among the Lunar Exalted. Once, during the Shoganate, Raksi used this Charm and the great warstrider moonsilver daiklaive Bloody White Mistress to crush a Wyld Hunt consisting of the entire Dragon-Blooded nobility of no less than three seperate kingdoms, brass-and-moonsilver sword scattering Terrestrials before her.
The Lunar gains a fifth true form. He uses this Charm to assume it, as is normal for similar Charms. This Form has the shape, base attributes, and gifts and other powers his Deadly Beastman Transformation has. He grows by 15 feet over his normal beastman form height, normally from 21 to 24 feet tall. He doubles his beastman form's physical attributes. He triples them if he buys this Charm again, quadruples them if he buys it a third time, etc. He may buy this Charm no more times than he has puchased Alpha Beast Transformation. The character should easily meet the minimum requirements for warstrider weaponry and other equipment. Also, the cap on Lunar soak/oversoak/Hardness in this form is 24, instead of 12.
This form receives the same mobility and size benefits as a warstrider, but suffers from a similar stealth weakness-- the Lunar automatically fails all stealth rolls unless she uses Charms. Even if she does use Charms, all pools start from zero.
<I>Deadly Lunar Pack Form</I>
Cost: 12 motes Duration:: Indefinite Type:: Simple Min. Charisma:: 4 Min. Ess.:: 3 Prereq:: Finding the Spirit's Shape, Pack-Forming Presence
Buffalo flee in herds and wolves run in packs. No matter the size of the animal, the enduring image in one's mind is that animals run together, and this can only make them more dangerous. The Lunar Exalted can embody this ideal and make it frighteningly real. Via a combination of animal charisma, shapeshifting ability and the smallest amount of Lunar illusion, the Lunar becomes a pack of his chosen totem animal.
The Lunar changes into a pack of his totem animal. He is the collective consciousness and individual consciousnesses of the entire pack. There are a number of animals in the pack equal to the Lunar's Essence. This Form is not a true shape, but is so tied to her totem that it may explicitly be maintained at all levels of the Lunar's anima banner.
The Lunar is every animal in the pack. They each receive their own action. They each may act with his appropiate dice pools and can use his Charms and other abilities. They each share the Lunar's essence pool. Each animal in the pack has the Lunar's full complement of health levels. If one or more of them are slain, they regenerate fully one by one on the New Moon each month. As long as one of the pack lives, the Lunar lives, and when shapeshifting out of the Form, the Lunar forms from and gets the remaining health levels of the least wounded living memeber of the pack, while any others and their corpses melt away into dew that boils away in the sun but shimmers brightly in the moonlight. If all the members of the pack are slain, so is the Lunar.
The pack is preternaturally adept at distracting opponents so that other members of the pack can strike at the perfect moment or evade harm. All attempts to attack or defend against the members of the pack suffer a dice penalty equal to the Lunar's Wits.
<I>Rabies of the Moon</I>
Cost: None Duration: Permanent Type: Special Min. Wits: 5 Min. Ess.: 4 Prereq.: Deadly Lunar Pack Form, Blood-Singing Instincts
On nights when the moon is full and red, the pack moves with a frenzy and a purpose, common to all animals and yet also stemming from deep within each individual. The pack is everywhere, and there is no way to possibly meet it when it so outnumbers its foes. They urge each other on and seem to their prey to number many more than they actually do.
Each animal in the Lunar's Deadly Lunar Pack Form gains an extra Independent Action each round, to represent the additional dangers of facing a pack united in violence and driven on by moon-blessed fury. This Charm may be purchased a number of times equal to the character's (Essence - 3).
<I>Devious Moon Breed</I>
Cost: 10 motes Duration:: Indefinite Type:: Simple Min. Charisma:: 4 Min. Manipulation:: 4 Min. Ess.:: 3 Prereq:: Shaping the Ideal Form, Animal Magnetism
Mysterious beasts sometimes walk the land, and strange ideas and stranger events follow. Veiled in the magics of Luna's changing face, some Lunar Exalted assume the shape of an animal blessed in supernatural stature and bearing, an expert in the secrets of interaction and who gives advice that even the most stubborn of old men will follow. A lot of trouble can be made by a trickster who's trusted.
The Lunar changes into a form of his totem animal clearly marked by the moon. His Tell is instantly visible to all who see it, and cannot be repressed by magic-- also, the appearance of the character's animal shape changes in some way as to make her distinct from normal members of her species-- this is largely cosmetic, and takes the form of anything from human-like eyes to an entire human head to merely oddly shaped limbs. This Form is not a true shape, but is so tied to her totem that it may explicitly be maintained at all levels of the Lunar's anima banner.
The Lunar may clearly communicate in any human language he knows, as well as with animals of his species. Though the character's Tell is clearly visible, the magic of this form will often trick others into thinking odd-looking talking animals with Tells are a perfectly normal thing to encounter. Those with a Willpower equal to or less than the Lunar's Essence consider the Lunar perfectly normal-- this is not a distortion of their perception, and they remember that the Lunar is a talking animal with a Tell as normal-- they just don't consider it odd. Those with a Willpower higher than the Lunar's Essence roll Willpower+Essence at a difficulty of the Lunar's Essence: those who succeed resist this effect, those who fail are affected as described above. Regardless of the results, this roll must be made anew once a Lunar month.
The Lunar adds his Essence in dice to all attempts to impress, deceive, or seduce others while in this form.
<I>Heart-Winning Companion</I>
Cost: None Duration:: Permanent Type:: Special Min. Charisma:: 4 Min. Ess.:: 4 Prereq:: Devious Moon Breed
None remain (except, recently, perhaps the Quicksilver Falcon) so excellent at working themselves into the good graces of others as the Waxing Moons once were. And yet, when walking as an animal in the style of Luna's waxing face, the Lunars may still call on some of the lost Caste's legendary ability to ingratiate themselves with others.
When in her Devious Moon Breed form, the Lunar adds her Essence to her Charisma-- this attribute boost is treated as natural for the purposes of Charms, as per DBT. In addition, all those fooled by Devious Moon Breed into believing the Lunar is a normal being instinctively trust the Lunar. They may not agree with his suggestions and will be upset if he deceives them, but they will trust and treat the Lunar as if he were the most proven, trustworthy friend.
<I>Silver Courtier's Veil</I>
Cost: None Duration:: Permanent Type:: Special Min. Manipulation:: 4 Min. Ess.:: 4 Prereq:: Devious Moon Breed
Who can tell what those touched by the moon actually mean by their words? A Lunar skilled in the ways of his patron Incarna is as hard to read as the Fickle Lady herself.
When in her Devious Moon Breed form, the Lunar adds her Essence to her Manipulation-- this attribute boost is treated as natural for the purposes of Charms, as per DBT. In addition, it is impossible to discern the Lunar's true motives or whether she is lying or not without magic. This does not force others to trust the Lunar, but without magic they can never tell whether the Lunar is being honest in word or projected emotion.
<I>Night Mistress' Wiles</I>
Cost: None Duration:: Permanent Type:: Special Minimum Appearance: 4 Min. Ess.:: 4 Prereq:: Devious Moon Breed
Luna partially hides her face for much of the month, slowly revealing more or less of her face as suits the coy goddess. The Lunars, when imitating this trick, alternately reveal and conceal the dangerous, mercutial nature that lies just underneath the surface. There are not many who can resist this trick.
When in her Devious Moon Breed form, the Lunar adds her Essence to her Appearance-- this attribute boost is treated as natural for the purposes of Charms, as per DBT. In addition, all those fooled by Devious Moon Breed into thinking the Lunar is a normal being consider the Lunar a viable romantic and sex partner, regardless of species. Those not fooled by Devious Moon Breed must make a successful Temperance roll once every lunar month in order to resist this effect.
<I>Beast of the Darkest Night</I>
Cost: 10 motes Duration:: Indefinite Type:: Simple Min. Charisma:: 4 Min. Ess.:: 4 Prereq:: Finding the Spirit's Shape
Though since it involves shapeshifting, the Beast of the Darkest Night form compliments Changing Moons best, it is a valued traditional favorite among the No Moons as well, for it inspires the sort of nightmares in mortal children they like best. The Lunar assumes a form that is a striking silver-colored version of her totem animal, a sacred animal as beyond reproach as Luna herself.
The Lunar changes into a silver-colored version of his totem animal, a clear, unhideable mark of the supernatural. This form, drawing on Luna as closely as it does, is very powerful, but it cannot be used while the sun is in the sky-- Luna's best magic is done at night. This form is not a true shape, but is so tied to her totem that it may explicitly be maintained at all levels of the Lunar's anima banner.
Who could interrupt a beast so graceful? Unless a character wins an opposed roll of her Wits versus the Lunar's Charisma, she will not dare act before the Lunar in any given turn unless they spend a Willpower to do so. (This does not change anyone's initiative-- if the character neither wins the opposed roll or spends the Willpower she will simply delay her action until the Lunar's, though if the Lunar delays his action she can take action on his normal initiative. The only physical and social actions she may take before then are reflexive actions and defensive actions.)
Who would dare suspect a beast so charming? Unless a character wins an opposed roll of her Perception versus the Lunar's Manipulation, she may not even roll to spot the Lunar's Tell.
Who could fathom marring a beast so magnificent? Unless a character wins an opposed roll of her Intelligence versus the Lunar's Appearance, she will not attack the Lunar unless they spend a Willpower to be able to do so for a turn.
<I>Eye in the Darkness</I>
Cost: 6 motes Duration: Scene Type: Reflexive Min. Perception: 4 Min. Ess.: 5 Prereq.: Beast of the Darkest Night, Ever-Wary Fox Method
Walking in their silver forms, the No Moons especially enjoy stalking others in the night. Before one can properly stalk others, however, they must be sure that no one is stalking them. With this Charm, the Beast of the Darkest night comes to know the secret, simple ways the animals spot their pursuers.
For the Duration of this Charm, whenever anyone enters into the normal, unenhanced range of the senses of the Lunar's Beast of the Darkest Night form (equivalent to those of her totem shape), the Lunar may spend 1 mote and roll her Perception in an opposed roll against the target's Manipulation or Wits (target's choice). If the Lunar wins, the Lunar becomes aware of the presence and direction of the target, but receives no other information from this Charm. This Charm is immune to all stealth rolls and magical stealth effects not explicitly noted as perfect.
Those detected by this Charm find the Lunar knows their position all too well. The Lunar ignores all visual and other sense-based penalties to attack or defend against a target spotted by this Charm for the Duration of the Charm.
<I>Deadly Lunar Riddle</I>
Cost: 8 motes, 1 Willpower Duration: Instant Type: Supplemental Min. Intelligence: 4 Min. Ess.: 5 Prereq.: Beast of the Darkest Night, Lore-Speaking Method
The magic Luna works in the darkest of nights is no simple thing, and it works best against those who don't know any better. Children in the Threshold whisper that if a silver moon-beast tells you a riddle, he already has you in his talons, and that who knows what he might do to you then.
The Lunar must be in his Beast of the Darkest Night form. When this Charm is used, the Lunar creates a riddle laced with magic and trickery. The Lunar's player must specify a Lore specialty that applies to the riddle. The Lunar pays the cost of this Charm and may choose any target he can perceive-- the target hears the Lunar speak the riddle in his thoughts, and must roll his Intelligence+Lore at a difficulty of the Lunar's Intelligence. This roll is not reflexive and is treated as a defense-- it may be aborted to before the target's initiative, or he may use a saved action. If the target does not roll, he is treated as if he failed the roll (see below).
If the target succeeds on the Intelligence+Lore roll, nothing happens. If he fails, the Lunar unveils a bit of magic-- as it turns out, the Lunar has entirely fooled the target as to their circumstances, and things are much, much worse than the target could have thought. What everyone thought was the Lunar turns out to be an illusion, which disappears in a shimmer of silver essence. The Lunar appears anywhere within attack range of the target. He attacks the target, and unless the target can explicitly defend against surprise attacks, he may not dodge, parry, or use dodge or parry Charms. If the target botches the Intelligence+Lore roll, he compromises himself while trying to solve the riddle, and he loses all non-perfect soak against the Lunar's attack.
<I>Hidden Lunatic Rhythm</I>
Cost: 15 motes, 1 Willpower Duration: Indefinite Type: Reflexive Min. Wits: 4 Min. Ess.: 5 Prereq.: Beast of the Darkest Night, Beast Instinct Method
Luna's magic occasionally appears to be a thing of whimsy and wonder, and at other times dark and mysterious. What it is at all times is unpredictable. The Lunar veils himself in the ever-shifting aspect of his patron Incarna, and the world is hard-pressed to catch him in any one place at any one time unless he wants to be caught.
The Lunar must be in his Beast of the Darkest Night form. For the Duration of this Charm, the Lunar cannot be perceived by those with a Willpower less than his Wits. Those with a Willpower equal to or higher than the Lunar's Wits must roll their Perception in an opposed roll against the Lunar's Wits, once per turn. On turns in which the Lunar wins the roll, the victim cannot perceive the Lunar. Those who cannot perceive the Lunar can not sense him with any of their senses nor can they take actions, including attacks, against him, even if someone tries to tell them where to swing. Those who can perceive him may act as normal, but the difficulty of action taken against the character, be it an attack or a seduction, is increased by the Lunar's Essence.
Unless the Lunar drops the Charm and reactivates it, anyone the Lunar attacks becomes immune to the Charm for the rest of its Duration as soon as the Lunar attacks-- they may defend against the first attack as normal. The Charm also fails if the Lunar's anima flares at the 16+ level. Magic that protects against magical mental deception protects against this Charm.
=== Comments ===
