SolarLore/MidKnight
Concentration of Life Technique</b>
<b>Cost: 1B/3 motes, 1L/5 motes Duration: One Turn Type: Reflexive Min. Lore: 3 Min Essence: 2 Prereqs: None
The Night Caste assassin, Kenji Oza, found often his marks would offer no resistance, but he yet needed to keep a measure of stealth at all times until secure. As a Night Caste he knew this would prove little difficulty to him, but a limitation presented itself as he was fleeing from a Terrestrial Guard and his group of men. As his Essence ran out he quickly lost the edge that would keep him unharmed. It was this revelation that pressed him into study with the Twilight of his Circle and between their knowledges this Charm was created.
Utilizing the knowledge that all things that walk Creation are beings of Essence this charm allows an Exalt to tap into that connection and sacrifice a modicrum of his life to restore their Essence. While this would seem ideal the Charm in creation was incomplete and while moderate use poses little threat if too much is taken an Exalt can take their own life or simply exert themselves into exhaustion. Health levels used in this way can only be regained through natural means, any methods used to restore them quicker simply fail.
Gift of Creation's Bounty Prana</b>
<b>Cost: Perm. Essence in motes Duration: One Turn Type: Simple Min. Lore: 4 Min Essence: 3 Prereqs: Con. of Life Tech.
Inspired by his Circlemate Kenji, Lim'ra Ishwa took the basic tenets used in Concentration of Life Technique and refined them, drawing upon his greater knowledge of how Essence works to create a bond between his anima and Creation itself. While the Essence expended seemed high starting, he found the greater his knowledge the more Essence he could absorb for the same cost, but at a price. If the Unconquered Sun wasn't in the sky or he could not see his Patron he found the amount of Essence restored was lessened and overuse would cause him to be struck with ailments he couldn't explain. Many mornings awakening to see fresh bruises coloring his body or he would be caught by a dizzy spell and next find himself vomiting blood. Further study found that the more he took from Creation the more Creation would take in return for the gift.
After a moment of concentration an Exalt who expends the motes for the Charm finds his pools of Essence instantly bolstered by Essence from Creation. The limit of Essence regained is equal to 2 times the total of the character's Lore + Permanent Essence (2[Lore+Perm. Ess]). If away from the light of the Unconquered Sun (at night or underground) the amount of Essence regained is halved, rounding down. The character can use Gift of Creation's Bounty Prana equal to Permanent Essence in uses per day, each additional use inflicts 1 lethal health level of unsoakable damage until incap.
Tapping the Life's Wellspring</b>
<b>Cost: 1B/5 motes, 1L/7 motes Duration: One Turn Type: Reflexive Min. Lore: 4 Min Essence: 4 Prereqs: Gift of Creation's Bounty
Further study and practice unlocked a higher level of Concentration of Life Technique and Kenji was more than glad to adapt himself to using such as he had before. The damage he inflicted to himself was minimal when his goals were more easily sought and gained. Tapping the Life's Wellspring, was it was called, allowed the user to glean more Essence from his surrendered life than before. While it wasn't able to refill his Essence pools completely it was usable to a degree to restoring most.
Using Tapping the Life's Wellspring works identical to Concentration of Life Technique, the lost health levels cannot be regained without natural rest, each health level surrendered inflicts it's normal die penalty and the Exalt can only reliquish health levels equal to his Endurance per activation.
Avatar of Sun and Earth Kata</b>
<b>Cost: 2 motes per Perm. Essence Duration: One Turn Type: Simple Min. Lore: 5 Min Essence: 5 Prereqs: Con. of Life Tech.
Lim'ra, upon seeing his Circlemate Kenji's continued success, decided that he could evolve his own Charm and possibly make a rival, if not a greater Charm. Months of intense study passed, taking the basic tenets of Gift and building upon them, adjusting and increasing limits of the original Charm. When he unlocked the secrets of the Charm he found that it suffered from it's original's drawbacks. If the Unconquered Sun wasn't in the sky or he could not see his Patron he found the amount of Essence restored was lessened and overuse would cause him to be struck with ailments he couldn't explain. Instead of dizzy spells or simple loss of blood Lim'ra would awaken to find fresh, bleeding wounds lacing his body or mystical aliments affecting him to the degree that he'd rarely seen outside of skimishes with Fae or other magical sources of damage.
After a moment of concentration an Exalt who expends the motes for the Charm finds his pools of Essence instantly bolstered by Essence from Creation. The limit of Essence regained is equal to 2 times the sum of the character's Lore times his Permanent Essence (2*[Lore+Perm. Ess]). If away from the light of the Unconquered Sun (at night or underground) the amount of Essence regained is halved, rounding down. The character can use Avatar of Sun and Earth Kata equal to Permanent Essence in uses per day, each additional use inflicts 1 aggrivated health level of unsoakable damage until the Exalt ceases or takes his own life. These health levels can only be regained through natural rest, anything that may increase the Exalts healing factor simply fail to take hold.
Commentary
Just a few comments From the look of how you are doing things, and looking at benchmark charms, i woudl suggest that the 2nd thru 4th cahrms require a willpower expenditure. Beyond that, the first one is pretty balanced, the second one is very powerful, and the third is really pushing the limites, and from your notation on the 4th one, it's really, really broken.. i'd have to playtest to be sure, bit it seems like it is more than a little overpowered.
- The willpower could be added no problem, kinda link the fact you are going to harm yourself for this, but I don't believe it's necessary given the restrictions that you can either knock yourself out or kill yourself with both, along with the wound penalties it carries. At least for the first and third charms. The second (and by default 4th) I can't see a need for the willpower, you're already sacrificing your action for the turn, the charm itself is ineffectual in a Combo so persistent defenses are about all you can count on. I'm just not sure why the second is powerful or why the fourth would be broken. At five Essence and five Lore you're only getting twenty motes (net 15) with Gift and 50 with Avatar (net 40). Assuming Essence 5, Lore 5, Willpower 6 and Virtues at 9 you've got 71 motes to play with so to use Gift you're only getting a fraction of your pool back, bump all those up to their maxes and you've got 90 motes, using Avatar you're spending a ninth of your pool to get back less than half. Outside of combat it may seem broken, but in combat if you're going to use Avatar you're just leaving yourself open, Persistents fall to large pools or perfect attacks and perfect defenses are hard to pull off if you've popped off your only Charm for the turn. I guess, my reasoning behind it just doesn't see why they are powerful, pushing limits or broken considering perspective that they aren't readily usable at just any time. Any feedback on why is greatly appreciated or a different perspective is more than welcome here. -MidKnight
- Ok for my reasoning. You've jsut blown most of your essence on your uber combo, and have the big bad deathlord at 1/2 life. Using Gift in a combo w/ a cheap perfect defense (HGD), you get 40 motes back, and are pretty much safe for the turn while you gain that essence back. Next turn, you unleash your uber combo agian.... and the folowing turn, you get your 40 motes back.... For that matter, ikesalam mentioned a painfuly unplesant archery combo to deal about 40+ for 36m and 2 wp. Using this as a cycle combo, attacking form a mile away (AWD was included in the combo), wash, rinse, adn repeat... that 5 vollies, where w/o this you could at the msot manage 2. I'm a powergamer, i admit it, adn when i see something that is so easily abusable, it makes me wary... As i said, playtesting needs to be done... have you done any yourself? This jsut strikes me as being easy to absue. =) Not critisizing,m jsut tyring to understand. =)
- I guess, I mean I can't refute what you say. I haven't playtested these beyond trying to keep a frame of mind and reference according to what relative powerlevels would be in use. There's too many factors not being accounted for to really say they'd be that bad without the testing. Using UberCombo against Deathlord and only knocking off half his life isn't taking into account anything the Deathlord would/could do or the like. It's powerful, I'll give you that, but I don't see really how it's too powerful. -MidKnight
- If you delayed your action, you could see if you could safely regenerate the essence. I'd feel much better with these charms if they -always- had a cost... Sure, creation gives you essence now but next morning drains the same amount(maybe less) and hits you with a bashing/lethal/agg level in addition. That might be appropriate, neh?
-- Darloth
