Thus Spake Zaranephilpal/AnimaEnhancementCharmsComments

The Transcendent Celestial Ambassador's ability to reduce the cost of out-of-type mote costs is rather broken - IE If I were to use a TN-reducing Charm, AND I could reduce it to zero... Same with stat-pumping Charms.

Better to make it reduce to 1 instead, else you'll have a situation where an Eclipse does it BETTER than the original guy. Either that, or halve the Essence cost for using out-of-type Charms.

Who? I think you're reading the Charm wrong; it reduces the out-of-type surcharge, not the whole cost. This means you will never be able to use the Charm more cheaply. I assume that the experience effect was intended to reduce surcharge as well, in which case you'll never be able to learn Charms of out-types better than Solar Charms, either. - willows

Blarg! I misread it, yes. It's good now. Wonder how I missed it. Sorry. Damarus

Yeah see I don't like your numbers. I think they're off. I think the req.s are too low and think the cost-numbers and effect-numbers don't balance with each other. But I really like the idea. Like, really like the idea. If these are "rough sketches," I can't wait to see the finished product (and will probably start working on my own version). Oh yeah, the Night Caste "cloaking" ability has been erattaed to cost 5 motes. Or so I've heard.

Again, wonderful idea. ~*~Braydz~*~

I think that the requirements for the charms are a bit low; any Solar worth their snuff is going to get at least one of their caste abilities to five in short order. Since these charms are intended to benefit those Exalts that archtypify the qualities of their caste, I would instead require all caste abilities at 4 (plus Essence 4) before learning these charms. I'd probably also break out the more "advanced" versions into a separate charm, requiring Essence 5 and all caste abilities at 5. There could be level 6 and higher versions too, of course.

 --Toram

Yeah but having a requirement of 4 for all caste type abilites isn't really fair either. Nearly every night caste at that xp level is going to have his abilites really high since they are useful to any type of a game, but sail or ride may not be useful at all to varying games. That and many dawns may prefer not to go for the I can use any weapon style combat style, instead focusing on a smaller number of combat skills but being able to use those skills ridiculously well. In short its not really fair to have that kind of across the board ruling, i like the way they currently work pretty well; although some of the powers do seem a bit more useful than others, but than again some of the anima powers are just more useful than others.
-Killed

Might I suggest a minimum of 5 in two set abilities found to be fairly core to the caste, and 5 Essence? Something like this maybe:

Dawn: Melee 5, Brawl 5
Zenith: Endurance 5, Presence 5
Twilight: Lore 5, Occult 5
Night: Athletics 5, Stealth 5
Eclipse: Linguistics 5, Socialize 5

I know that then you get into an argument about what's most fundamental to which caste, but those're my thoughts.
~*~Braydz~*~

Braydz: You predict correctly.  :-) Who is to say that any two abilities are more important than any other two? It doesn't feel right to (further) discriminate against particular abilities. If you still feel the requirements are too high, I'd drop them to require 3 in all caste abilities, rather than narrowing the scope. Exalted already (over)encourages specialization in a lot of ways; IMHO, it's good to introduce something to balance that trend, and reward the generalists.

 --Toram

Split the difference - a rating of 5 in any two Caste abilities, and 3 in the other three? -- Moxiane

I actually like that, Moxiane. It's not like you're "wasting" points on "useless" abilities (for those for whom that was a concern), and you've still got a plenty high req.
Toram: If anything I'd want the requirements higher. I was just offering specific abilities that seem the archetypal/stereotypical bases for the Castes as a response to the idea that some abilities are "useless." I also am uncomfortable with the idea of the requisite abilities (not levels, abilities) not being fixed. Seems like it lends itself to some horrible min/maxing or broken gaming or some such.
Thoughts?
~*~Braydz~*~

no offense meant to anyone, however for a game i'm playing in these seemed a trifle powerful and the requirement was upped to ALL caste abilities at 5 for the simple fact that these are a refinement of a deity granted innate power. so far it's worked. -grypph

Sin of elegance. I wouldn't, ever, require specific abilities for "fulfil my Caste role" Charms, of which I think there should be many more. It would be really interesting, actually, if there were a division between Ability Charms and Caste Charms, where Ability Charms are stuff like what we... excuse me. - willows