SolarBureaucracy/IsawaBrian
Bountiful Salesman</b>
<b>Cost:1 mote per die Duration: Instant Type: Supplemental Minimum Bureaucracy: 1 Minimum Essence: 1 Prerequisite Charms: None
The Exalted takes on a mien of plenty and sophistication, giving him an incredible verve for the art of the deal. For every 1 mote spent activating this Charm, add 1 die to the Solar's Attribute + Bureaucracy pool for the purposes of mercantile endeavors, to a maximum of doubling the initial pool.
In second edition, this Charm is a Presence Charm.
Heavenly Privilege</b>
<b>Cost:6 motes Duration: Indefinite Type: Simple Minimum Bureaucracy: 3 Minimum Essence: 3 Prerequisite Charms: Special
As the personal representatives of the Unconquered Sun, Solars were once charged with the responsibility of managing interactions between Heaven and Creation. During the First Age, Solars with sufficient knowledge of bureaucratic processes used their position in Creation to gain rights of entry into Yu Shan. This Charm automatically allows the character full access to Yu Shan as though she was an Eclipse, and also allows the character to spot and enter any hidden gateways. An Eclipse may use this charm for half cost. No matter what form of motes is used to power this Charm, they will always count as peripheral for the purposes of anima banner level. While this Charm is active, the character's anima banner cannot recede below the 4-6 level.
In modern times, this Charm is somewhat dangerous to use, as it marks the Solar quite clearly on the home ground of some of the most powerful enemies of Solars-- the Bronze Faction Sidereals and the gods who have to work with them. In emergencies, however, it does mark the character as an important person, whom it would not be wise to publicly attack. Add 1 to the severity of all offenses against the character, if the crime is committed in public, to a maximum of 5 after all modifications are included. If used in the presence of most Celestial Lions, it will earn the character the protection of said Lion, for as long as the character remains within that being's zone of operations. No Lion will abandon their post, after all. Some may choose to call for support to bodyguard a Solar under obvious threat; others may very well inform the Bronze Faction as soon as the character leaves.
In order to learn this Charm, the Solar must have learned a Transcendent (Ability) Prowess in one of their Caste Abilities.
In Second Edition, this Charm is Obvious, and requires Any Bureaucracy Excellency as well as a Caste Transcendent (Ability) Prowess.
Master of the Prodigious Department</b>
<b>Cost:15 motes, 2 Willpower Duration: One Week Type: Simple Minimum Bureaucracy: 5 Minimum Essence: 4 Prerequisite Charms: Bureau-Rectifying Method, Foul Air of Argument Technique
The Solar surrounds himself with a mantle of authority and mastery. His Essence reaches out, and taps into the ordered nature of bureaucracies to assume control over them, dominating them by the full force of his personality. In addition to being able to alter the bureaucracy's speed as though using Foul Air of Argument Technique or Speed the Wheels, the character may completely control the direction the department is heading, force members to the tasks he desires, and so on. The Exalt must interact with the bureau in question (which can involve no more people than 20 x his permanent Essence) at least an hour a day to maintain control. If two Exalts fight for control of a bureau with this or other Charms (such as someone using Foul Air of Argument or Indolent Official to slow down a bureau that the Solar is speeding), they must make contested Essence rolls for dominance.
Beings with Willpower less than the character's Essence are unable to disobey, although they will not work more than 12 hours a day without good motivation, nor will they engage in self-destructive or directly harmful activities (indirectly harmful actions, such as career-ending investigations of powerful officials, are fine). Beings with Willpower less than twice the character's Essence must succeed on a Willpower roll against the character's permanent Essence to disobey; success immunizes the character to direct commands but not speed-alteration for a week. The target may also make a Conviction roll to avoid following a single command that would otherwise be repugnant to him. Finally, beings with a Willpower greater than twice the Solar's only need succeed on a Conviction roll to avoid being directly commanded for a week, but cannot stop the speed-alteration.
This Charm will not function on a bureau that contains a being with an Essence equal to or greater than the Solar's, unless that being gives permission. Needless to say, using this on departments of the Celestial Bureaucracy will qualify as at least a Severity 3 offense unless the head of the department and her immediate superior give permission.
In Second Edition, this Charm functions slightly differently:
Cost: 15m, 2wp; Mins: Bureaucracy 5, Essence 4; Type: Simple Keywords: Combo-Basic, Servitude, Social Duration: One week Prerequisite Charms: Bureau-Rectifying Method, Foul Air of Argument Technique
The Solar surrounds himself with a mantle of authority and mastery. His Essence reaches out, and taps into the ordered nature of bureaucracies to assume control over them, dominating them by the full force of his personality. The Solar may seize control over a social unit of a bureaucratic type-- determined by the GM, but almost never including actual armies-- with a Magnitude no greater than his Essence, whose leader (not counting the bonuses from the social unit) has an MDV no greater than the Solar's Bureaucracy. For one week, the Solar maintains complete power over the unit as though he were its leader, and its Loyalty is considered to be 10, rather than the Solar's Willpower. Individual members may throw off this unnatural compulsion by spending 2 willpower for a scene. In addition, the character receives a discount to any Bureaucracy Charms used on the unit in motes equal to his Permanent Essence (minimum cost 0.) This Charm will not function on a bureau that contains a being with an Essence equal to or greater than the Solar's, unless that being gives permission. Needless to say, using this on departments of the Celestial Bureaucracy will qualify as at least a Severity 3 offense unless the head of the department and her immediate superior give permission.
Well-Organized Methodology</b>
<b>Cost:1 mote per die Duration: Instant Type: Supplemental Minimum Bureaucracy: 1 Minimum Essence: 1 Prerequisite Charms: None
The Solar taps into the basic order and Creation-harmonizing nature of bureaucracies, giving herself the edge in negotiating, navigating, and controlling them. For every 1 mote spent activating this Charm, add 1 die to the Solar's Attribute + Bureaucracy pool for the purposes of dealing with bureaucracies and bureaucratic organization, to a maximum of doubling the initial pool.
In Second Edition, this Charm functions differently:
Cost: 12m, 1wp; Mins: Bureaucracy 5, Essence 4; Type: Simple Keywords: Combo-OK Duration: Indefinite Prerequisite Charms: Bureau-Rectifying Method
Well-organized plans are the key to achieving goals. A Solar planner can achieve extraordinary efficiency-- even overcoming the most unrealistic of designs. The Solar makes an Intelligence + Bureaucracy roll and her player describes a general plan in pursuit of objectives relevant to the Policy of a social unit of which the Solar is a member. The Storyteller should hep flesh out the plan based on an outside perspective on the campaign and in terms of a Solar's rational expectations for application and success. So long as the members of the social unit follow both plan and Policy, they gain a bonus in dice equal to the successes rolled by the Solar on the Intelligence + Bureaucracy roll to actions which follow the plan in pursuit of their Policy. These do count as dice from Charms and against the usual limits of such; however, such is the virtue of the Exalt’s planning that those receiving this benefit may use the higher of the Exalt’s Essence or their usual limits. Well-Organized Methodologies do depend on the institutional and collective force of the organizations involved. If half or more of the unit does not regularly follow the plan, or even as much as a third of the unit acts contrary to either their Policy or the plan, this Charm fails and its motes become uncommitted, whether the Solar desires it or not.
Transcendent Bureaucracy Prowess</b>
<b>Cost:None Duration: Permanent Type: Special Minimum Bureaucracy: 5 Minimum Essence: 3 Prerequisite Charms: Irresistible Salesman Spirit, Bureau-Rectifying Technique
The character's mastery of the principles of bureaucracy and economics has become internalized. He simply has a knack for overcoming obstacles, whether of the red tape kind, or of the stubborn barterer variety. Subtract two from the difficulty of all Bureaucracy rolls (minimum difficulty one).
This Charm was inspired by Neph. In second edition, this Charm no longer requires Irresistible Salesmen Spirit or Bureau-Rectifying Technique. It reduces any penalties to Bureaucracy rolls by 2. Its Prerequisite Charms are all three Bureaucracy Excellencies, Infinite Bureaucracy Mastery, and Essence Bureaucracy Flow.
Lord of the Forms</b>
<b>Cost:None Duration: Permanent Type: Special Minimum Bureaucracy: 5 Minimum Essence: 5 Prerequisite Charms: Transcendent Bureacuracy Prowess
This Charm may only be taken by Eclipse-caste Solars. It is a natural development of their anima powers and relies on the basic universality of their souls and caste. Even characters capable somehow of mimicking the Eclipse caste ability to learn Charms from other entities than Solars may not learn this Charm. This Charm represents the natural bureaucratic talents of the Eclipse Caste developing beyond the norm. As a result, the cost to activate non-Solar Bureaucracy Charms is reduced to normal. The doubled experienced cost to learn such Charms remains. The Eclipse expands the writ granted to her soul over Bureaucratic charms via an extension of her inherent bureaucratic nature. This Charm is only possible because of the Caste-harmony of an Eclipse; similar Charms can be developed for other Eclipse Abilities, but not for Abilities or Attributes that do not correspond to their Caste.
The concept for this Charm was inspired by Brent D. In Second Edition, this Charm reduces the 2-mote surcharge of non-Solar Bureaucracy Charms to 0.
Clever Discussion Discipline</b>
<b>Cost:6 motes Duration: One hour Type: Simple Minimum Bureaucracy: 3 Minimum Essence: 1 Prerequisite Charms: None
By creating an aura of trust and talkativeness around him, the Solar makes it easier to buy and sell, or to manipulate bureaucrats. People simply find it more comfortable to follow the Exalt's lead on such matters. For the next hour, add the Solar's Essence in dice to all bureaucracy rolls of any kind.
In Second Edition, this Charm is Combo-Basic, and the Duration is reduced to One Scene. Instead of dice, it adds successes. Its minimums are raised to Bureaucracy 5, Essence 3, and it has a prerequisite of Infinite Bureaucracy Mastery.
Heavenly Displeasure Subclause</b>
<b>Cost:None Duration: Permanent Type: Special Minimum Bureaucracy: 4 Minimum Essence: 4 Prerequisite Charms: None
This Charm may only be taken by Eclipse-caste Solars. It is a natural development of their anima powers and relies on their specific position in the Celestial Bureaucracy. Even characters capable somehow of mimicking the Eclipse caste ability to learn Charms from other entities than Solars may not learn this Charm. This alters the natural Eclipse capacity to sanctify a bargain. In addition to the base cost and effects for breaking the deal, the Eclipse may pay 5 motes per die, up to a maximum number of dice equal to the character's permanent Essence.
Upon violating the oath, in addition to the usual botches, the oathbreaker will suffer aggravated health levels of damage that can only be soaked by natural soak equal to the number of dice invested in the contract. This damage takes the form of a burning brand upon the oathbreaker's soul and forehead. This brand clearly marks the character as an oathbreaker, regardless of the means of sensory perception or literacy/lack-of-literacy on the part of an observer, and will burn through any concealment, even the Five Magical Materials! This brand can only be removed by a healing effect that is capable of healing aggravated damage and must be administered by an entity of greater or equal Essence than the Eclipse's own.
The brand effect of this Charm was inspired by Cera L. This Charm is unchanged in Second Edition.
Beatific Fraternity of the Bureaucrats</b>
<b>Cost:8 motes Duration: One Day Type: Simple Minimum Bureaucracy: 5 Minimum Essence: 2 Prerequisite Charms: Bureaucratic Concealment Technique
The character becomes like a friendly member of a brotherhood with any and all bureaucracies he interacts with or are concerned with him. Processes he desires are speeded up; those that would impede the Solar are hindered. Add one die to the bureaucracy rolls of any bureaucratic endeavor done in the character's favor; add the character's Essence to the difficulty of any bureaucratic endeavor that would hinder or harm the character. This is especially efficacious against attempting to hinder the Solar by paperwork
On its own, this Charm will not affect the workings of the Bureau of Destiny, which are too closely protected by the Essence of the Maidens and the Sidereal Exalted. However, if this Charm is activated at the same time that Burning Star Style (see SolarIntegrity/IsawaBrian) is active on the Solar, remove the one-die bonus to astrological or fate-related effects that serve to detect the character. The Solar's essence-flare will also not disturb the Pattern Spiders, as it is smoothly integrated by the use of this Charm. There is no direct game effect from this latter modification, but the GM should keep it in mind for roleplay purposes.
In Second Edition, this Charm is mostly unchanged. Simply change the effect on negative bureaucratic endeavors to an External Penalty equal to the Lawgiver's permanent Essence.
Golden Palm Procedure</b>
<b>Cost:12 motes, 2 Willpower Duration: One Week Type: Simple Minimum Bureaucracy: 5 Minimum Essence: 4 Prerequisite Charms: Beatific Fraternity of the Bureaucrats, Forgetful Bureau Charm
The Solar's mighty Essence creates a powerful invisible field around her, removing her from the petty concerns of bureaucracy. As long as she maintains Golden Palm Procedure (half of the essence spent on this Charm is funneled directly into Ryzala's pocket, although this is considered a use of Solar privilege, and not bribery), the Exalt is utterly invisible to bureaucracies. Her finances cannot be tracked (which can make dealing with the Guild difficult), paperwork written about her will be lost, and bureaus assigned to investigate her will end up following different suspects. This may make it difficult to impossible for the Solar to access some of her Resources, contacts, and organizations.
Ordinarily, this Charm will not affect the Bureau of Destiny, like Beatific Fraternity of the Bureaucrats. However, if this Charm is activated at the same time that Burning Star Style (see SolarResistance/IsawaBrian) is active on the Solar, the Solar instantly becomes invisible to the Pattern Spiders. For the purposes of astrological or fate-related effects, the character becomes outside of Fate and may not be affected by astrological effects at all. During this time, if the character has the Destiny merit, it will cease to function. Luck and Unluck alike only affect the character at half their usual level, rounded down.
This Charm has the keyword Illusion in Second Edition; it effectively creates the Illusion of the user's non-existence to any relevant bureaucracy. This is a perfect effect; if an automatic attempt to detect the character is used by a relevant bureaucrat, a contested Essence roll as per Irresistible Force Meets Unmovable Object is appropriate.
As A Paper Legion</b>
<b>Cost:3 motes Duration: One scene Type: Supplemental Minimum Bureaucracy: 1 Minimum Essence: 1 Prerequisite Charms: None
The Exalt becomes a whirlwind of efficiency, her Shard tuned to the harmonies and Essence that infuse bureaucracies. By tapping into the universalist structure of the Celestial Bureaucracy, the Solar gains great mastery over lesser bureaucracies and negotiations in general. Add the Solar's Essence in automatic successes to bureaucracy rolls of any kind for the remainder of the scene.
In Second Edition, this Charm is very different:
Cost: --; Mins: Bureaucracy 5, Essence 4; Type: Permanent Keywords: None Prerequisite Charms: Infinite Bureaucracy Mastery, Bureaucracy Essence Flow
At their hearts, Solars are ultimately warriors and champions, rulers destined to command and be obeyed. Whenever the character is using Bureaucracy on behalf of a unit under her control, that she has been given specific bureaucratic authority over (as a logistics officer or quartermaster, for example), or for a domain in which she is a legitimate sorcerer, she may use Bureaucracy Excellencies as non-Charm actions via Bureaucracy Essence Flow and still gain discounts from Charms and effects such as Infinite Bureaucracy Mastery.
Hard Work's Reward</b>
<b>Cost:3 motes per success Duration: Instant Type: Supplemental Minimum Bureaucracy: 2 Minimum Essence: 1 Prerequisite Charms: None
The dedication and focus of a Solar can produce powerful results. Whether turned against the slow monster of a bureaucracy or the clever wiles of a merchant, such concentration can give the Solar an edge, whether in financial matters or organizational control. After making a normal Bureaucracy roll, the Solar's player may buy a number of extra successes equal to the original successes rolled plus her character's permanent Essence.
In Second Edition, this Charm is very different:
Cost: --; Mins: Bureaucracy 5, Essence 4; Type: Permanent Keywords: None Prerequisite Charms: Infinite Bureaucracy Mastery, Bureaucracy Essence Flow
Although Solars have broad authority and potentially limitless reach, dedication and hard work can pay off. Whenever the character is making a roll to which one of his specialties would apply, he may use Bureaucracy Excellencies as non-Charm actions via Bureaucracy Essence Flow and still gain discounts from Charms and effects such as Infinite Bureaucracy Mastery.
Second Edition
Bureaucratic Concealment Technique</b>
<b>Cost:4 motes; Mins: Bureaucracy 4, Essence 2; Type: Simple (Dramatic Action) Keywords: Combo-OK Duration: Indefinite Prerequisite Charms: Indolent Official Charm
This is a mechanical conversion of the Charm on p CB: E 71. Note that since it simply “loses” the item within the bureaucracy and does not actually force any individual bureaucrat to conceal the item directly, it is not a mental influence, natural or unnatural. The Charm must be defeated through the use of Investigation and other anti-concealment effects, not the expenditure of willpower.
Forgetful Bureau Charm</b>
<b>Cost:10 motes, 1 willpower; Mins: Bureaucracy 5, Essence 3; Type: Simple Keywords: Combo-OK, Social, Compulsion Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Indolent Official Charm
This is a mechanical conversion of the Charm on p CB: E 71. Although this Charm does not require a Dramatic Action to take effect, its effects do take a similarly long time to propagate, as per the original Charm. Note that this is technically a perfect social attack on the social unit making up the bureaucracy, and an unnatural mental influence. It may therefore be cancelled prior to completion by the expenditure of 1 Loyalty per day that the Bureau resists the loss of records. Once 6 Loyalty have been spent this way, the Charm’s effects are cancelled. However, if the Charm has already erased records, they will not be recovered; this simply permits members of the unit to remember that they had records, along with such information about their contents as they would have had access to. It also stops any further damage if the effect is partially complete.
Individual members of the unit may spend willpower in a similar fashion to Loyalty to resist this influence, but they must spend it once per scene if the unit is not actively resisting the Compulsion. Individuals become immune after the expenditure of 6 willpower points, but unless more than half of the bureaucracy in question becomes immunized in this way, the Charm will still progress to its ultimate effects on physical records as institutional inertia carries through the erasure. Perfect social defenses will negate the effects, either individually, or en masse if the defender is the head of the unit, or may otherwise affect the entire unit.
Undistracted Haggling Technique</b>
<b>Cost:--; Mins: Bureaucracy 3, Essence 3; Type: Permanent Keywords: None Prerequisite Charms: Frugal Merchant Method
When a Solar has determined the price she is willing to pay, or the cost for her own inventory, no petty distractions will dissuade her. When using Frugal Merchant Method, the character is always considered to have an appearance, linguistics, or social background (if necessary) 1 higher than an opponent's score unmodified by magic.
For example, Swan is haggling with one of Lilith's allies, a Changing Moon Lunar, for information. The Changing Moon's Appearance is 5, and Swan uses Frugal Merchant Method as modified by Undistracted Haggling Technique, making his effective Appearance 6. If the Lunar uses an Appearance Excellency to increase his own Appearance to 10, Swan's effective appearance stays at 6.
Merchant Prince's Mastery of Markets</b>
<b>Cost:--; Mins: Bureaucracy 4, Essence 4; Type: Permanent Keywords: None Prerequisite Charms: Insightful Buyer Technique
The Solar develops his insight into markets to an incredible degree. The amount of information granted by Insightful Buyer Technique is expanded; when used, the character now gains an understanding into the most direct causes for the current market value of an item. In addition to vastly increasing the information collected by the Charm, the Solar is now completely immune to all external penalties to the mercantile roll.
Strong Beginnings Venture</b>
<b>Cost:--; Mins: Bureaucracy 4, Essence 4; Type: Permanent Keywords: None Prerequisite Charms: Speed the Wheels
Prompt beginnings lead to swift completion, especially when a Lawgiver has decided that a task is important. When relevant, a Solar who understands Strong Beginnings Venture may speed the completion of a task that she began using Speed the Wheels. Repairs are completed faster as the Navy's workers move smoothly together; the Intelligence Committee's report is organized efficiently and securely. Under most circumstances, this divides the time required for the actual task named for Speed the Wheels by half (round down) the amount by which Speed the Wheels sped the original task (generally Essence +1), so long as the Solar continues to commit Essence.
This is not much help in strenuous circumstances; it is no help at all in completing a duel, for example, though it might speed the subsequent arrangements to produce the duel itself once it has been approved. This Charm will never make actual Sorcery faster or speed the completion of a Charm. It cannot speed healing, either, though it may reduce the amount of time necessary for an operation or other treatment. It does have a minor benefit in social combat, such as at an audience arranged with a King; subtract 1 from the Speed of all social actions associated with an audience, conversation, or other Debates that are sparked by a Speed the Wheels process.
Singular Focus Leadership</b>
<b>Cost:--; Mins: Bureaucracy 5, Essence 5; Type: Permanent Keywords: None Prerequisite Charms: Bureau-Rectifying Method
Under the management of a Lawgiver, an organization can become a sparkling institution of efficiency and purpose. When using Bureau-Rectifying Method, the character may spend an additional 4 motes to totally negate all external and internal penalties to the related roll. In addition to the usual permanent reduction of 1 internal penalty, the Charm gains the Training Keyword. Each member of the organization gains a phantom Specialty related to the task that the Solar wishes carried out. This Specialty may combine with other true specialties learnt by members of the organization, and does not count against the normal maximum learnt by a character. No combination of specialties may exceed a +3 bonus to a single roll. Because this specialty only functions within the auspices of the organization, it only costs 1 experience point to pay off the debt.
Chastising the Corruptible Manager</b>
<b>Cost:--; Mins: Bureaucracy 4, Essence 4; Type: Permanent Keywords: None Prerequisite Charms: Indolent Official Charm
The veniality of those who oppose the Solar not only makes them vulnerable to sabotage, but it weakens their hold on power. Should this weakness be exposed, those who serve those foolish stumbling blocks may choose to desert rather than serve such petty incompetents. If the Solar succeeds in using Indolent Official Charm with more threshold successes than the Essence of the person who opposes her, or is unopposed in the use of this Charm, she may opt to cause the targeted organization to shed 1 Magnitude as various workers, officials, and even slaves quit or flee in disgust.
Intractable Altercation</b>
<b>Cost:--; Mins: Bureaucracy 5, Essence 4; Type: Permanent Keywords: None Prerequisite Charms: Foul Air of Argument Technique
Deep in the souls of every being is the knowledge that Creation belongs to the Solars. Those who oppose them, or who are caught between two fighting Solars, cannot help but reflect the discord inherent in such opposition, slowly turning against one another in argument after argument, building grudges that can tear a once efficient organization to flinders. Whenever the character uses Foul Air of Argument Technique, she may opt to spend an additional 3 motes. If the Charm is successful, the organization permanently loses 1 Loyalty that cannot be returned except by magical effects, or if the organization substantially changes its Policy.
Comments
Conversions for Second Edition added
