SolarCraft/Azurelight
Winds of Craftsman?s Vision
Cost: 10m, 1wp, Mins: Craft 5, Essence 5 Type: Supplementlal (see below) Keywords: Combo-ok, Obvious Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Infinate craft mastery
This charm was developed by First Age Twilights to allow them to perform work on an enormous scale. When this charm is used, the Exalt performs her craft action and applies it to a magnitude of applicable objects equal to her Essence + the Extra successes scored on the roll. The time it teakes is equal to the time in would hae taken to prefor a single action This charm is explicitly permitted to be comboed with all infusions, in which case they constitute its action. Unless this charm is comboed with another charm, the action is generally a Craft + Attribute roll with an intent specified by the user when activating the charm. The user can exclude any object he wishes from the charms effects.
Flawless handiwork method
Cost: None Mins: Craft 4, Essence 3 Type: Permanent Keywords: none Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Durability-Enhancing Technique
The power of the Law-givers bleeds over to the things they create. Whenever a character with this charm uses Essence to further the crafting of an object, the quality of that object is raised by one level. In other words, Normally crafted items become Exceptional, and Exceptional items become Perfect. When the Law-giver reaches Essence 6, the infusion is even stronger. All items crafted by such a being are Perfect by their nature. All items influenced by this charm have slight golden tint to them. This was looked upon with suspicion during the Shogunate, but today very few can remember what it actually means.
Everlasting durability endowment
Cost: None Mins: Craft (Magitech) 5, Essence 5 Type: Permanent Keywords: None Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Wonder-Forging Genius, Durability-Enhancing Technique, Flawless handiwork method, Crack mending technique
Many artifacts, like warstriders or skyships, require maintenance. This process is both expensive and troublesome, and few First Age Solars wanted to bother with it. To sidestep the problem, First Age Twilights developed many methods. One was this charm. Objects or artifacts endowed with Everlasting Durability gain some of the Lawgivers own perfection and do not break unless subjected to violence, and the wear and tear on the artifact is reduced or completely eliminated. The solar can choos to activate this charm when using Crack Mending Technique or Craftsman Needs no tools, and does so by committing or spending 5 extra motes on those charms. Anthing repaired by the solar while this charm is active automatically lowers its repair rating by one for each extra success rolled on the maintenance roll. When the repair rating reaches zero, the artifact will never again require maintenance unless broken by violence.
Never-Ending Artisan Meditation
Cost: None Mins: Craft 5, Essence 4 Type: Permanent Keywords: None Duration: One Scene or One Task Prerequisite Charms: Craftsman Needs No Tools, Craft Essence Flow or Infinite Craft Mastery
This charm allows the Solar to commit the Essence spent on Craftsman Needs No Tools or crack mending technique and receive their benefits for the scene. Generally, a scene is considered to be the crafting time of a single object in this case, although some scenes might involve crafting of multiple objects (such as the construction of a settlement).
Material Convincing Method
Cost: None Mins: Craft 5, Essence 5 Type: Permanent Keywords: none Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Never-Ending Artisan Meditation, Craftsman Needs No Tools, Wonder Forging Genius
The substance of the world bends to the will of the lawgivers. This charm enhances the effects of Craftsman Needs No Tools and Wonder Forging Genius. For every time Wonder Forging Genius is purchased, the time it takes to perform a crafting task is lowered by one order of magnitude (seasons become months, months become weeks etc.). This charm comes into effect when Craftsman Needs No Tools is used.
Crafter of Chaos Technique
Cost: None Mins: Craft 4 (Reality), Essence 4 Type: Permanent Keywords: none Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Craft Essence Flow, Chaos Resisting Preparation
This charm allows the Solar to supplement any use of Wyld-Shaping Technique with Craft Charms as though it was a Craft action. Additionally, the Solar adds a number of automatic successes to the Wyld-Shaping roll equal to half his Craft (Reality) rating.
Instant master-piece method
Cost: None Mins: Craft 4, Essence 4 Type: Permanent Keywords: Obvious (when used) Duration: instant Prerequisite Charms: Craft Essence Flow, Craftman needs no tools
The Lawgivers can craft simple things in the blink of an eye. When ever using essence, A solar can perform a craft action in an in minute amount of time. He makes a single roll and applies the result to the action. Each extra sucess beyond the required halevst the required time of the craft. This charm can theoretically be used to craft artefacts.
Comments
Well, I like the latter set of charms a lot, with the early charms seeming a lot like Sorcery to me - the exceedingly high charm costs, and sorcery-like nature of things really carries that out. They're very specific, not generally applicable, require ritual time to use, and tons of cost. Just very sorcery-like. I'd say either make them sorcery, or come up with a different way of accomplishing a similar goal that doesn't feel as much like sorcery. The only latter charm I've got minor issue with is the Instant Masterpiece Method, which both seems like a narf of a Sideral Craft charm, and Instant Treatment Methodology (from Medicine). It seems to have the benefits and drawbacks of the Sidereal Charm, but really trying to be like the Medicine charm, only different (hence the Sidereal feel). I'd think you should either narf the Medicine charm's mechanics entirely (giving some set time of work in an instant - perhaps a day?), and just accept that charms of 'that sort' exist for many things (such as Lore, Investigation, etc), or you should try to differentiate it from the Sidereal version. Again, just my thoughts. -- GreenLantern
Intrestingly, the charms that you have some problems with are those that I have been thinking of rewriting. That, however, would take sometime.
IMM I planned to change, but not like you suggest, since that niche is filled by MCM.
WoCMV I also planned to rewrite, but I still want it to have lagre scale effect. High essece charms could atleat do thid in 1ed as shown by SMA....but I admit that the mechanics are cluncky. I thought up a diffent way to do this last weekend but I havent written it yet. The reason I dont want it to be sourcery id because as it is now, it can be used for anyrhing a general craft action could, including effects of other charms when comboed. Sourcery can't be comboed. You see, I dislike the concept of "yeah, here we have one charm, and then a later charm that does the same but to a group of targets. Rince and reapet across the set". But I think I could find a way to sorcerise it now that I think of it. I'll try to rewrite it as a charm first. Basically I intended it to be a craft analouge of Isawa's Mass medecine treatment charm, and for that matter, Arrow storm technique.
More coming on BFTAM after suedies
All right. I admitt that the ritual building component is a bit funky, but that was not my idea. I have considerd simply requiering attuning to the cathedra as a 5h dramatic action. The sacrefice thing is alredy present in charms (WCT) so I dont know what's so weird with that. But out of curiosity, how would you do it? My spell fu is very weak so i usually refrain from designing them. Whats this like then? -Azurelight
Azure - Don't worry, I'm here! I like the revision. It has character, and interest, which is good. Plus, it's a fantastic use of those nasty extra successes you get on certain craft rolls. It seems you used the Sidereal charm Implicit Construction Methodology as the source of the "cannot carry extra successes over" mechanic. Any reason such a thing is necessary? As it's a permanent "always-on" charm, yes, I can see why it's important to watch what you're doing, but perhaps you could just trade it this way:
- "Once this charm is learned, the craftsman may trade successes from a craft result roll to reduce the time required for that crafting action by an additional factor. Thus, voluntarily reducing the number of successes by 1 would reduce craft time by a factor of 2, while voluntarily reducing the number of successes rolled by 5 would reduce the crafting time (for that roll) by a factor of 6. Enhancing the construction of artifacts is more difficult, requiring the character to voluntarily trade 2 successes on the craft roll for each additional factor of increase."
I'm not saying mine is any better, but I'm just wondering if there's any reason that it only works on one roll. It very makes makes thematic sense in Implicit Construction Methodology, due to the color text, but I'm just not sure that Solars need that limitation. -- GreenLantern
simply put, the reason for this is that I feel it's overly complicated (my players wouldn't like it) and I don't realy see the need for it. It's not elegant, and it would render a lot of the rest of my charms fairly redundant. I actually I actually thought of outwriting artefacts altogether. Second of all, you minsuderstood thwe intention with the charm (perhaps due to the wording, I am not a native in english) but 5 extra sucesses would, with my intention, reduce the time to 1/32 of the original. I am well aware of the Exalted stacking rules., but I always took them to be for diffrent effects, I I am a fiem proponent of exponetiality when it comes to sucesses.
- Actually, I didn't mis-understand. I purposely re-wrote it, such that things like 1/64 weren't quite so easy to get with a permanent charm. I'm also a firm believer in exponentiality, but didn't think that a permanent modification was that great an idea across the board. Still, we're missing the real problem here. While I'm a fan of the mechanic (the extra successes goes towards faster work), I think the Sidereal-like limitation of "Can only use this one roll to make something" is too restrictive. To me, if a Solar wants to use this on a sequence of things, we should let him. The problem is that allowing that means that it's quicker to build very large things in a number of 4-second long craft rolls, each adding only a single success to your running total, than it use to build things in day-long or week-long rolls, each one adding 5 successes to your running total. Having such a dramatic improvement in time when using micro-craft techniques breaks the feel of the game, to me. Hence my concern. So the first question, to you then, is "Would you consider removing the 'one roll only' requirement?". The second, followup question, would be "and if you do, what can we do to prevent micro-rolls from dominating large projects?" -- GreenLantern
On a sligly unrelated note, a cadre on the WW forums said the effects of this charm was actual rules for mundane crafting in X1. No such thing exists in X2 of course.
One other unrelated thing: Do you use any IM? You see, since WoTLA came out, I have been thinki on an artefact projekt book of my own. It is basically for those that used and liked S&S annd is sort of an attempt to port them to Wotla and X2. I would vey much like your help. BTW, did yo read the new WoCV? -Azurelight
Azure - I do indeed use chat clients from time to time. I'm also honored that you'd consider my input helpful and or valid on a new artifact system - especially since my crunch-fu has been notably weak these past few days. I have read the WotLA, but actually (and annoyingly) have lost my copy. I have no idea where it went. Which stinks, as I've been looking for it. As for the WoCV, I'm not sure exactly what that stands for - I ran a quick check on WW's website, and can't find anything that fits that name. So yeah - if you're interested in chatting sometime, my email is found here: GL's email address. -- GreenLantern
WoCMV is "Winds of craftmans vision"
Its funny how one could read things over and over again, and its only when somebody points you to them that you really see how they fit with your own thinking. Anyway, I am glad that you told me to look cause I read them with the eyes of of the crafter of Ranks. Nice job. - Heru
