SolarDrive/Cassus
Drive:
New Keyword-- Ride-OK: Charms with this keyword may be triggered as part of Chasing the Sun.
All-Encompassing Iron Steed Understanding Cost: 1m Mins: Drive 3, Essence 2 Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, Ride-OK Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: None
The Chosen of the Unconquered Sun are the perfect masters of their mounts, ancient and modern. When one can ride an iron horse through the stars, it is not fitting that one should fail to prime its boiler properly. This charm can be used to supplement any roll whose primary purpose is to repair, operate, or examine (but not create) a vehicle usually operated with Drive (the Storyteller is the final arbiter of which actions fit this description). The Drive ability replaces any one ability favored by the Twilight Caste for that roll. This allows the Chosen to repair their cars without Craft(Fire), recognize famous vehicles without Lore, etc. As an explicit exception to the normal rules, this charm may supplement actions with other abilities and be placed in combos with charms from other abilities. At Essence 4+, Drive 5+, this charm expands to include any one ability. This allows the Chosen to evaluate the price of cars with Drive instead Bureaucracy, free their APC from the grip of the Loch Ness Monster using Drive instead of Martial Arts, or write a message with their dust clouds using Drive instead of Linguistics.
Orichalcum Steed Prana Cost: 1m or 3m,1wp Mins: Drive 5, Essence 2 Type: Reflexive Keywords: Combo-OK, Ride-OK Duration: One Action Prerequisite Charms: All-Encompassing Iron Steed Understanding
The union of man and magnificent machine creates a whole far greater than the sum of its parts. As the essence of the Chosen binds their machines to themselves, their bodies transcend normal limits, their essence flowing through the chassis of their vehicles. This charm adds the Exalt's essence to the maneuverability rating of any vehicle they drive. This bonus does not count as dice added by a charm. At Essence 3+, the Exalt may pay a 2m, 1wp surcharge to make this charm's duration One Scene.
Chasing the Sun Cost: 6m, 1wp Mins: Drive 5, Essence 3 Type: Simple (Speed 4, DV -0) Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious, Touch, Native, Mirror (Hell Ride) Duration: Indefinite Prerequisite Charms: Any Drive excellency
A deep-seated hunger for light and glory burns in the heart of every Chosen. When they surrender to that hunger, they resonate more closely with the Unconquered Sun than perhaps anyone can imagine. Casting aside the concept of fatigue itself, they commit themselves utterly to battle... or games. This charm can only be activated in sunlight in (or on) a vehicle traveling at maximum listed speed under the Exalt's primary and direct control. If any of those conditions is no longer met for than five consecutive ticks, the charm ends immediately. While this charm is active, any penalties affecting the Exalt from fatigue, exhaustion, hunger, or thirst are suppressed (and do not accumulate further) until the charm ends. Additionally, the Exalt's actions (and vehicle) are enhanced (at no additional cost) by all Ride-OK charms that they know and meet the requirements to activate which have minimum Essence no greater than the Solar's Essence divided by two (rounded up). If the charms' effects vary based on Essence, adjudicate them in all cases as if the Solar's permanent Essence was this lower value. Players are welcome to activate such charms separately to take advantage of their full Essence, in which case such charms have their normal duration(s). This charm explicitly ignores effects that reduce the minimum requirements of charms.
Eternal Golden Cavalcade Cost: --(+5m, 1wp) Mins: Drive 5, Essence 5 Type: Permanent Keywords: Upgrade, Combo-OK, Obvious, Native Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Chasing the Sun
When the Sun passes through the sky, it pulls planets, people, and the earth itself in its wake. So shall the Chosen move. By paying a 5m, 1wp surcharge when activating Chasing the Sun, that charm gains the Leader keyword and loses the Touch keyword. Even if vehicles in the Solar's unit have different maximum listed speeds, the charm will not end unless the Solar's vehicle is traveling below maximum speed. If any of the vehicles need to be pushed to maintain that speed, the Solar takes the highest maneuverability penalty of any vehicle in the unit.
Royal Road Methodology Cost: 5m Mins: Drive 3, Essence 2 Type: Reflexive Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious, Ride-OK Duration: Indefinite Prerequisite Charms: Any Drive excellency
Potholes can no more arrest the Sun's Chosen than clouds can arrest the progress of the Sun. While this charm is active and the Solar travels on a recognized road or track, the Solar and the machine she operates ignore any environmental condition which would impose an external penalty up to (Solar's Essence/2, rounded up) on efforts to control the vehicle or inflict (Solar's Essence) lethal or bashing damage to the Solar or her vehicle provided that effect is not fueled by essence. This protects against potholes, muddy roads, and spike strips, but not against fire-breathing Dragonblooded, missing bridges, or tsunamis (except perhaps for Elder Solars). Some hazards are only partly mitigated-- a cloud of iron-eating fog, for instance, could not damage the car unless it was exceptionally powerful... but it might well interfere with the Solar's vision, which is not protected by this charm. Should the Solar's means of locomotion by its very nature damage its surroundings (driving a car through a forest at supersonic speeds, for instance), this damage can be mitigated by the Solar's concern for his dominion. This does not in any way interfere with efforts to track the Solar, nor does it prevent the environment from damaging the Solar's vehicle (beyond the earlier effects of this charm). When using the complex travel rules, this charm eliminates all penalties due to terrain (but not conditions like Hunted).
Mandate of Solar Highway Cost: --(+5m, 1wp) Mins: Drive 5, Essence 3 Type: Permanent Keywords: Upgrade, Combo-OK, Obvious, Ride-OK Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Royal Road Methodology
The Sun carves its own path through the heavens, looking down with scorn on mortal roads. This charm permanently upgrades its prerequisite. By paying a 5m, 1wp surcharge when activating Royal Road Methodology, the Solar gains the ability to define any solid ground they are trying to drive on as a mundane route appropriate to their vehicle in perfect condition (be that a highway, a halfpipe, or a maglev track). All of their other charms and their vehicles will interact with it as such, and penalties (such as for driving through sand dunes) will adjust accordingly. They can even leave the ground for up to a single tick to cross gaps of air or water. Note that no special maneuverability is granted by this charm (you cannot turn upwards at a 90 degree angle without a -very- unusual motorcycle). At Essence 4+, the Solar can leave the ground for any length of time. The clouds are simply one more racecourse to explore. Travel even through the vacuum of space becomes possible, but this charm does nothing to protect the user (or their internal combustion engine) from the effects of the void.
Steel Steed Synchronicity Cost: 2m Mins: Drive 3, Essence 2 Type: Simple Keywords: Combo-OK, Touch, Ride-OK Duration: Indefinite Prerequisite Charms: Any Drive Excellency
This charm allows the character to activate their reflexive charms on behalf of the Drive-based vehicle that they commit essence to when activating this charm. The rules for doing so are exactly the same as the rules for activating charms on the character's own behalf; they must still follow the requirements of timing, combos, etc. In many instance a driver will need to activate a charm twice (once to protect himself and once to protect his vehicle), but there is no other additional cost.
Master Rider's Parry Cost: 8m Mins: Drive 3, Essence 3 Type: Reflexive (Step 2) Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Steel Steed Synchronicity
The character invokes this charm in response to an attack on their vehicle. The attack must not be unexpected, and the character must be in direct control of the vehicle (this makes it impossible to use this charm on many larger vehicles where control is split between helm and engine room, or where the commander does not drive the vehicle herself, etc). This charm is a perfect parry that can deflect even unblockable attacks. If the vehicle is fully enclosed (not necessarily airtight, but lacking any gaps large enough to pass a human arm directly through to the passenger compartment), the defense also protects those inside the vehicle in the instant it is activated. This charm has one of the Four Flaws of Solar Invulnerability, chosen when the character first learns the charm.
Laughing Sun Emulsion Methodology Cost: 1m+ Mins: Drive 1, Essence 2 Type: Reflexive Keywords: Combo-OK Duration: Indefinite Prerequisite Charms: None
The Sun passes through the sky, borne by inexorable currents of gravity and essence. It can no more exhaust its flight than it can exhaust its light. So shall the Chosen be. This charm can only be applied to a vehicle which derives its primary propulsion from non-biological sources, uses consumable fuel, and is repaired using Craft(any but Genesis) rather than Medicine. To activate the charm, the Solar pays motes equal to twice the Resources cost of fueling the vehicle at maximum speed for one half hour. If that would be Resources N/A, the Exalt may instead pay ten motes, in which case this charm's duration becomes equal to the time that Resources 5 of fuel would propel the vehicle at maximum listed speed. In the unlikely event that consumable elements other than fuel play a significant role in the cost to fuel (rapidly-consumed lubricants, for instance), they should be factored into the Resources cost to fuel the vehicle. Regardless, for so long as this charm lasts the vehicle operates exactly as it usually would, except it does not require or consume fuel or other materials that the vehicle would normally require and carry for itself (on a normal car, this includes oil and antifreeze but excludes oxygen and windshield wipers). In addition, while running on Laughing Sun Emulsion, increase the maximum “push speed” by Solar's Essence*0.2 (so for instance, an Essence 3 Solar could “push” a normal car to 2.1x maximum speed instead of 1.5x) and the maneuverability penalty for pushing the vehicle is reduced by up to the Solar's essence (minimum -1).
Iron Transport Pass Technique Cost: 5m Mins: Drive 5, Essence 3 Type: Reflexive Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious, Ride-OK Duration: Indefinite Prerequisite Charms: Laughing Sun Emulsion Methodology
The authority of the Lawgiver to inspect her domain is unmatched. With this charm active, the maximum “push speed” of any vehicle the Solar directly controls is multiplied by the Solar's permanent Essence after all other modifiers are applied. In addition, non-hostile, fixed obstacles can be circumvented without reducing speed. If the Solar needs to pay a toll, she does so in a blur of motion too fast for the eye to see, the tollbooth gate rising just in time for her motorcycle to make it through. This charm at Essence 3 does not reduce the time required to negotiate or provide personalized explanations; it only eliminates the time required for making fixed transactions, stating passwords, or other functionally automatic admissions. If the Solar uses this charm, purchasing an EZ-Pass is therefore highly recommended. At Essence 4+, even if she needs to explain her presence to Celestial Lions, she can hold a conversation of the necessary depth in the space between ticks as her car approaches (or exits) the Gate. This has no effect on any “obstacle” that rolls Join Battle or Join War with the Solar. This second ability is particularly useful to a Solar using Chasing the Sun.
Lawgiver's Crest Certainty Cost: -- Mins: Drive 5, Essence 4 Type: Permanent Keywords: Obvious Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: None
No one could possibly mistake the Sun for anything but what it is, nor mistake anything else for the Sun's glory. By painting her caste mark and/or totemic anima on a vehicle in at least three highly visible locations, the Solar exempts it from the concept of anonymity and confusion. No mundane effect can prevent people from recognizing the vehicle as the Solar's while she operates it, and no mundane effect can convince intelligent beings that another vehicle is the Solar's (unless the Solar is inside, of course). Only an essence-fueled effect that produces a perfect disguise or otherwise flawlessly deceives the senses can contest this charm's effects, and the Solar reflexively and subconsciously contests such effects with (Wits+Drive+Conviction) dice each time they are activated, adding her permanent essence in automatic successes to the rolloff. Success dispels the effect and prevents it from being activated for that purpose for (Solar's Essence) hours afterwards. This is not optional, even if the Solar is attempting to disguise her own vehicle. At Essence 5+, the Solar senses the rough direction and distance (with a 20% margin of error) to any effect that loses the contest.
Sun-King's Immaculate Benefaction Cost: 1m+, 4wp Mins: Drive 5, Essence 5 Type: Simple (Speed 6, DV -4) Keywords: Combo-Basic, Touch, Obvious Duration: Indefinite Prerequisite Charms: Steel Steed Synchronicity, All-Encompassing Orichalcum Steed Prana, Chasing the Sun
With a supreme exertion of his right as a Lord of Creation, the Solar instantly promotes the least god of his vehicle of choice (which must be an otherwise inanimate vehicle the Solar can directly control) into his personal vizier, a greater terrestrial deity with the purview of “the Solar's favored vehicle.” This promotion confers the following benefits: Regardless of previous statistics, the deity's mental attributes increase to a minimum of the Solar's Essence. The deity gains an automatic three-dot specialty in its domain with every ability, and it can gain experience and spend it on attributes and abilities as a mortal can. Like any deity, it can hear and benefit from prayers (use the Cult background as a guidelines), and any reverence or awe at the Solar's vehicle is considered a prayer to the least god. The vehicle the least god maintains becomes a thing of wondrous power, gaining player-designed and Storyteller-approved abilities equivalent to an Artifact rated at (Solar's Essence/2, rounded down). If the vehicle was already an artifact, it gains a second set of benefits from this charm, tracked separately (so a Road Lion, Artifact **, enhanced by an Essence 6 Solar's Benefaction would have the traits of an Artifact ** and an Artifact ***, not Artifact *****). As long as the Solar maintains the commitment to this charm, the vehicle is considered an artifact attuned to the Solar (if it wasn't already). The deity gains a permanent essence rating equal to the higher Artifact rating of its domain. The least god gains the ability to operate the vehicle within normal parameters if the Solar is not in control (it can turn on and drive a car, but it cannot make the car fly unless the car in question is a Delorian, etc). The deity retains these traits only so long as the Solar maintains the committed essence, and it is aware of this fact, but it is not otherwise bound to obey the Solar. The Solar is automatically aware of any lies or meaningful omissions by the least god, however. At Drive 6+, Essence 6+, the Solar can pay a +2m surcharge when activating this charm to gain a telepathic bond with the car that allows reflexive two-way communication with the least god anywhere within the same realm of existence. At Drive 7+, Essence 7+, the telepathic bond allows communication at any range, and the Solar can, with the least god's permission, activate his Drive charms on the vehicle as if he was physically present there. At Drive 10+, Essence 10+, this charm gains the benefits of the Ride-OK keyword as an Essence 5 effect.
