Xefas
2011-02-06, 06:11 PM
Having mostly focused on stranger things, such as Heretical charms, Infernal charms for redeeming Yozi, and even some native Akuma charms, I figured it was about time I settled down and did some good ol' fashion boring charms. So, here ya go. As always, I'll add to it as I make more (I also probably take requests!).
Solar
Night Caste
Improvised Weapon Mastery
Cost: 2m; Mins: Athletics 3, Essence 1; Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Combo-OK
Duration: One Scene
Prerequisite Charms: None
The world knows its masters in the Lawgivers and, in their hands, everything from the smallest sapling to the largest mountain is a weapon capable of felling the Titans. While this charm is active, the Solar increases the Accuracy rating of all improvised weapons he wields from -3 to 0.
At Essence 3+, this charm's duration becomes indefinite.
Friends As Foam Swords Technique
Cost: - (5m); Mins: Athletics 3, Essence 3; Type: Permanent
Keywords: -
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisite Charms: Improvised Weapon Mastery
Solars are the greatest of all Exalts, and even the other Exaltations must know this. In their hands, even the ranks of their fellow Exalted become deadly weapons.
A Solar with this charm may attune to other willing Exalts as if they were artifact improvised weapons in the same way they would any other weapon: by handling and practicing with them for 20 minutes. The attunement cost for another Exalt is 5m. Alternatively, in a moment of spontaneity, the Solar may pay 7m as a Reflexive action that is not considered a charm activation and attune to a willing subject that he is in contact with, though this attunement lasts for only a single scene.
While the Solar is wielding another Exalt as an improvised weapon, they gain the magical material bonus that the Exalt's type is associated with: Orichalcum for Solar, Moonsilver for Lunar, Starmetal for Sidereal, Jade for Terrestrial, and Soulsteel for Abyssal. Alchemicals grant the magical material bonus associated with their Caste, Green Sun Princes are considered to be Vitriol-baptized Orichalcum, and Akuma qualify as their non-tainted equivalent. Attuning to an Exalt that resonates with the "wrong" material, in this case, does not increase the attunement cost.
As is the case in many situations, a Solar's Lunar mate is especially compatible with him. Should the Solar wield his attuned mate as an improvised weapon, they deal lethal damage instead of the normal bashing for improvised weapons.
The kind of symbiosis instated by this charm is just that: symbiotic. When the Solar wields his friends as a weapon, they take no damage from their intentional collision with the enemy when the Solar makes an attack with them. This doesn't grant them full invulnerability, however. Foes may still target and damage the Exalt being wielded by the Solar when he is not actively performing an attack with them.
Zenith Caste
Sun-Body Apotheosis
Cost: 20m, 1wp; Mins: Integrity 7, Essence 7; Type: Simple
Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious, Native, Holy
Duration: One Scene
Prerequisite Charms: Rising Sun Soul, Should The Sun Not Rise
Within every Solar flows the iconography, the precepts, and symbolisms of the sun. But, for some, metaphor is not enough. When a Solar activates this charm, their possessions are immediately banished to Elsewhere for the duration. Their skin begins to shine with impossible brilliance until the luminescence becomes too great and their physical form melts away altogether. With this, they streak high into the sky, exploding with a thunderous roar audible for miles. In their wake, a new sun looms above.
While in this form, a Solar shines natural sunlight out to (Essence x 100) miles. Within this area, creatures respire Essence as if in Creation, all Holy charms cost 1 less mote to activate (min 1), and the concept of Holy persists for everyone within, regardless of whether the Unconquered Sun is alive or not.
The Solar may fly in this form at double his normal land speed, and he may make unarmed attacks, substituting flares of light for punches and kicks, though he lacks the limbs to make use of weapons or to clinch without a stunt of some kind. Such light-fueled attacks are automatically Holy. The Solar has +30B/30L/15A and Hardness 10 in addition to any natural soak, though they may not benefit from other sources of soak or hardness. In addition, the area within 300 yards of the Solar is considered a Trauma 3 environmental hazard that deals 5L/Action due to heat, pressure, and consuming brilliance. Creatures that rely on sight also take a -2 external penalty to all rolls to attack the Solar, as it is impossible to look directly at him.
The Solar may focus his senses at any single point within the area of his sunlight, changing this location as a Reflexive action once per turn. Where his senses are focused, he perceives things as if his normal body were standing at that point. Within his sunlight, prayers to him are reduced to Difficulty 1, which makes communication easier. The Solar may choose to speak either as he normally would through the location his senses are focused at, or he may choose to issue a thunderous voices that emanates from his Sun-Body and may be heard for (Essence x 5) miles from it.
A second purchase of this charm at Integrity 8+, Essence 8+ increases the duration to Indefinite and extends the range of the Solar's sunlight to (Essence x 1,000) miles. A third purchase at Integrity 9+, Essence 9+ reduces the mote cost to ten and causes the Solar's light to spread to the very boundaries of Creation. They now burn as bright as the Daystar itself. A fourth purchase at Integrity 10, Essence 10 reduces the mote cost to zero and changes the duration to Permanent. The Solar's Human Body separates from his Sun Body (gaining all previously banished possessions). He now exists as both simultaneously. Motes, Willpower, and Virtue Channels are shared between the two bodies, but they may still take actions and activate charms independently, and their Health Levels are tracked separately. The two share an Experience Point pool, and increased traits or learned charms apply to both of them equally. Similarly, the loss of permanent traits effects both bodies. However, if an effect reduces the Solar's permanent Essence, they do not lose this charm (and thus do not lose their Sun Body). It is an inexorable part of their identity now.
If the Solar's Human Body dies, his Sun Body shrivels and blackens before plummeting to the ground in a wretched fireball and subsequently disappearing entirely. If his Sun Body dies, his Human Body shudders for a moment, staring wistfully into the distance as the Solar Exaltation leaves his now-burning corpse where it stands.
Aubade Avatar Recreation
Cost: -; Mins: Integrity 10, Essence 10; Type: -
Keywords: -
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisite Charms: Sun-Body Apotheosis (x4), Final Ray of Light
This charm modifies Sun-Body Apotheosis such that the Solar's Sun-Body can survive even if his Human Body dies, as well as the way in which Final Ray of Light effects the Solar's Human Body. The Solar's Human Body does not reform immediately after death, nor does it lose a dot of permanent Essence. Instead, the body immolates in a blaze of bright light, disappearing with all of its possessions. One week later, as the first rays of dawn pierce the night, the Solar's Sun Body reforms his Human Body at some point in space that his sunlight touches, with all of his possessions intact. A dot of permanent Essence is not lost from this. However, during this week, the Solar's Sun Body cannot make use of Final Ray of Light - killing it ends the Solar completely.
Twilight Caste
Unbound Creativity Dementia
Cost: - (1wp); Mins: Lore 5, Essence 4; Type: -
Keywords: -
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisite Charms: Harmonious Academic Methodology
By taking this charm, the Solar suffers a minor psychotic break such that they find it easier to consider and comprehend the theoretical or the impossible than to dwell on the mundane or realistic. Whenever the Solar decides to begin the training process to learn a charm that he has never witnessed nor that he has a teacher for, he may spend a point of Willpower to halve his training time (effectively counteracting the penalty for not have a teacher). His own psychosis is the only tutor he requires.
A second purchase of this charm allows a Solar to extend this benefit to others. If he is present for the training time, he may provide the benefits of a tutor if the character in question is learning a charm that neither of them have witnessed before. Even though he can't give advice from experience, he can give advice from crazy and that's just as good.
Terrestrial
Earth Aspect
Imperial Seahorse Reversal
Cost: 1m; Mins: Resistance 4, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Combo-OK, Shaping
Duration: One Year
Prerequisite Charms: None
The vast majority of cultures in Creation have a stance of gender equality. And so, it may be very inconvenient for women with highly physical or demanding jobs when they wish to also pursue the creation of a family as a man in the same situation might. Fortunately, for the Exalted, such issues may be resolved easily.
When a Terrestrial with this charm succeeds on the (Stamina + Resistance) roll to become pregnant, they may reflexively activate this charm to shape their lover's internal organs into a makeshift womb, that they then implant the newly fertilized egg into, allowing the surrogate mother to take their place for the one year gestation period that the child of an Exalt undergoes. Upon the completion of the gestation period, this charm provides limited protection to the parent when giving birth, allowing them to naturally release a child without complication do to incompatible anatomy (although standard pain and complication do apply).
A Terrestrial may have as many simultaneous uses of this charm active as they wish, so long as they commit a separate mote to each one. If they are not currently pregnant, and they release a committed mote, the unformed child is shunted briefly through Elsewhere and into their own womb, connecting various vital parts as if they had always been there. Releasing committed motes while they are already pregnant simply aborts the additional children through a chasm into Elsewhere.
While this charm was first popularized in the Realm after the ravages of the Great Contagion, similar charms have been in use by other Exalt types since the First Age, and possibly just as long for spirits of all kinds as well. With their more powerful charms, a Lunar or Infernal version might incorporate automatic protection to the increased physical and psychological risks the carrying of Beastman or Demon-Blood offspring has for the parent.
Vicious Broodmother Instinct
Cost: 5m, 1wp; Mins: Integrity 4, Essence 4; Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Combo-OK, Dynasty
Duration: One Scene
Prerequisite Charms: Unflagging Vengeance Meditation
Who can stand against the fury of a mother dragon protecting her eggs? A dragon who would boil the sea, and crush the mountains, and smother the sky, and thrash her limbs and beat her wings even unto her dying breath to see them safe?
This charm may only be activated in a scene in which the Terrestrial is defending children from harm. This includes defending someone who is pregnant, which could very well be the Terrestrial activating the charm. This only functions if the Terrestrial did not instigate the fight. They must be defending from someone who actively intends to harm the children and has given no other choice. If the Terrestrial has reason to believe the offenders have offered reasonable, sincere surrender terms, or have no intention of directly physically harming the children, then they may not activate this charm.
Once activated, some primal switch flips on in the Terrestrial brain. In that fraction of a second, they explode into a frothing rage, with no other concern but to the safety of their charge. Their anima explodes into the 16+ level, though their anima flux specifically does not harm children for the duration of the charm. They feel neither pity, nor remorse, automatically failing on all Compassion checks, and succeeding on all Valor checks; they will not back down, even if they are clearly outmatched and will certainly die. Each turn, they must be spending at least one action toward murdering all aggressors as violently as is possible in their means.
In exchange, the Dragonblood regains a single mote every tick while Vicious Broodmother Instinct is active.
At the cost of an additional point of Willpower, the Terrestrial that activates this charm may also include up to (Essence x 2) other nearby Terrestrials who are willing to commit to the defense of the children, incensing them with the same effects as if they had also activated this charm.
The Dynasty effect kicks in should the Terrestrial fail in their duty and die in the process. All of the Terrestrial's blood relatives receive a vision upon the next time they sleep, which imparts the Terrestrial's act of heroic sacrifice and, more importantly, the identities of their murderer or murderers. This can only grant as much additional information as the Terrestrial knew. If the Terrestrial knew their name, then that is imparted, if they knew their faces, then those are imparted even if they were wearing masks at the time, if they knew detailed lists of all of their attacker's charm loadouts, then that is also imparted. And so on.
Finally, should a Terrestrial with this charm specifically and maliciously endanger the lives of children at any point (even while this charm is not active), then they lose the ability to activate this charm for a full year.
Infernal
Ebon Dragon
Bacon-in-the-Soap Infliction
Cost: 6m; Mins: Essence 4; Type: Simple
Keywords: Combo-OK, Shaping
Duration: One Scene
Prerequisite Charms: Shadow Spite Curse, Damning Petulance Technique
The world conforms to the will of heroes. Essence flocks to those who overachieve, Exaltations bless those that exemplify courage and valiance, and the shinma themselves weave stories such that the heroic acquire the attention and opportunities they require. The Ebon Dragon would tear all of this down. The Creation spawned from his darkest dreams would be a place of oppressive incompetence, cowardice, and insecurity in which those that attempted to achieve something greater than themselves would fail invariably until the last drops of hope in the world had dried up.
By making a successful roll of (Essence + Occult) at a difficulty equal to the target's highest virtue, the Infernal may inflict stupidly bad luck on a victim within (Essence x 10) yards. Once inflicted, if the victim attempts anything impressive or heroic, defined as any action modified by a virtue channel, a spent dot of Willpower, stunt dice, or a charm activation, they must also succeed on an Essence roll or automatically fail to perform that action due to an inexplicable, and often humiliating, contrivance. A Solar using Elegant Dance of Bow and Blade to reflexively draw his daiklaive might find that he has accidentally drawn a rabid badger covered in angry bees that he doesn't quite remember placing in his backpack, or the Perfect of Paragon using a channel of Compassion with his Performance roll to inspire his people to risk their lives in the fight against an oncoming demon horde may find himself with a sudden case of abnormally loud and explosive diarrhea.
Alas, the Ebon Dragon is merely a skulking shadow; a bully; a monster under one's bed. He makes you afraid, and makes you ashamed, but he has no real power. It is his purpose to be defeated, and all it takes is one person to stand up to him before his web of lies comes crumbling down. He has no power to stop a true hero. Actions supplemented by a 3-die stunt or a charm with the Holy keyword are never adversely effected by this charm. Similarly, Bacon-in-the-Soap Infliction fails to effect actions taken by a character that is in physical combat with the person that inflicted them in the first place.
Treachery Within Treachery
Cost: 6m; Mins: Essence 3; Type: Reflexive (Step 2)
Keywords: Combo-OK, Counterattack
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Selfishness Is Power
The Ebon Dragon is the dagger in his own back, and the dagger in yours. He is everything underhanded and unfair. How does one sneak up on a shadow? How do you catch the darkness by surprise? When it comes to sneak attacks, he is always one step ahead.
This charm may be activated to make an unexpected attack become "expected", and make the source of that attack known to the Infernal. In addition, the Ebon Dragon cannot be outdone in treachery! At step 9 of the unexpected attack's resolution, a tenebrous copy of the Infernal appears behind the attacker and performs an unexpected counterattack, before fading away.
Malfeas
Calloused Hands of the Brass Smith
Cost: -; Mins: Essence 3; Type: -
Keywords: -
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisite Charms: Scar-Writ Saga Shield (x2)
Upon acquiring this charm, the Infernal's flesh from the hand to the forearm cracks and splits, finally peeling off to reveal a hard layer of brass-like metal. The Infernal finds that he has lost no manual dexterity from the transition and, furthermore, his limbs now make quite effective weapons. His unarmed punches naturally deal Lethal damage which also gains the Piercing tag versus objects, and he may parry lethal attacks unarmed without a stunt. With further experimentation, he will find that his new arms are also nearly invincible, capable of reaching into molten lava without causing him harm (though this would not protect him if the lava came into contact with the rest of his body).
A second purchase of this charm reveals deeper meaning in its name. Humans require tools. As does the imbecilic Autochthon. Malfeas is above such things. When he desires something, he reaches into the world, tears it asunder, and crushes chunks of it until his will has shaped it into the thing that he desires. With this purchase, the Infernal may do the same. He no longer requires tools for crafting. Rather, he simply grasps the materials required and grinds them in his hands until they conform to his perfect design. This not only provides the benefits of a Master's Workshop, but the Infernal may also use his Essence in place of (the lesser of his Dexterity, Perception, or Intelligence) for designing and crafting small projects or (the lesser of his Perception, or Intelligence) for designing and crafting large projects.
A third purchase imbues the Infernal with an even greater capacity to exert his will over a stubborn universe. When he crafts without tools, the materials bend to his will all the more easily, forming themselves willingly into sleek blades, intricate gears, and tasty meals (Malfeas punches together a great gumbo). He crafts (Essence x 3) times faster than normal, and his hands confer the benefits of a Flawless Workshop; the Solars of the First Age cobbled together vast arrays of mind-bogglingly complex tools and constructed massive Factory Cathedrals to shallowly imitate what the Architects of Creation could do with their bare hands.
Stoic-but-Sensitive Bookish-Type-Infatuating Stance
Cost: 4m; Mins: Essence 2; Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Combo-OK
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: By Pain Reforged, Insignificant Embers Intuition, Beauty Without Malice
On the outside, Malfeas is a mass of calloused layers, eternally bleeding bitterness and seething anger. On the inside, however, he is a beautiful dancer full of hope, shame, and dutiful responsibility.
Brainy chicks eat that stuff up.
This charm supplements any action to help another character who would have a higher dice pool than you on a roll to do Math (with a minimum of at least 5 dice), not counting external things like bonuses from items, stunts, and non-permanent charms. This action could be as simple as picking up something they've dropped, or as dynamic as charging in front of a raging Behemoth to use Defend Other on them.
After performing this action, they have the option to immediately gain a positive intimacy towards you with a connotation of their choice (or upgrade a currently existing intimacy with the following effects). This intimacy forges a magical bond between the two individuals. Firstly, any action to aid you automatically qualifies for a use of a Compassion Channel for them.
Secondly, any influence that would force or convince them to harm or betray you in some way becomes Obvious to their senses, and they may spend one Compassion channel to make doing such things an Unacceptable Order for the rest of the scene.
Finally, when the infatuated character successfully performs a 2 or 3-die stunt on an action to help you with something, framed in the context of using their infatuation to aid them, they may choose to regain one spent Compassion Channel in lieu of any normal stunt rewards.
Explicitly telling an effected character that you return their feelings instantly breaks the effects of this charm over them. Being stoic and unapproachable is what makes you so unspeakably hot.
Impertinence-Mending Hammer
Cost: 0m (20m, 1wp); Mins: Essence 3; Type: Simple
Keywords: Combo-OK
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Calloused Hands of the Brass Smith
Malfeas sees his broken toys for what they really are. Others claim that they don't work because their wheels have fallen off, or their gears have rusted, or their cords have frayed. He knows that it is simple, impudent laziness.
As part of this charm, the Infernal aims a single solid strike at an object performing at less than its peak efficiency. This strike deals no damage, but rather stirs the Essence pattern of the object. If it is not functioning properly for a simple, easily fixed reason that would take less than an hour to repair with access to a Master's Workshop, then the object springs to life fully repaired instantly, regardless of whether the Infernal had even diagnosed the problem in the first place. Hinges oil themselves, grime burns away, and rust reverses itself as the object attempts to live up to the standards of the Demon Emperor.
If the damages end up being too extensive to fix so simply, but it could conceivable be repaired in (Essence x 3) hours of work, then the Infernal may pay an additional 20 motes and 1 willpower to put some elbow grease into the strike, fixing the broken object anyway. This may apply even to artifacts and manses that require repair or maintenance.
A second purchase at Essence 4+ increasing the number of hours of work the Infernal may pay to instantly repair with a punch to (Essence x 5).
By Illiteracy, Enlightened
Cost: 1m; Mins: Essence 1; Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Combo-OK
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: None
Malfeas has no dots in Lore. He cannot read. But he does not need to.
This charm supplements any action by the Infernal involving him slamming his head against something containing characters that have some linguistic significance, such as a book or a stone tablet. The Essence released allows the meaning of the words to be jolted from the impact, through the Infernal's skull, and into his brain. Instantly, he knows and understands what was written within the struck item to the extent that he would have had he read it. This bypasses all language barriers in the process.
Due to the speed at which he imbibes information, the Infernal may reduce his training times for learning anything to a scant few minutes, so long as he's learning them from written material.
If a Linguistics Charm or similar effect is present, but reliant on the Infernal reading the text, it does not activate, as he has not actually done any reading.
Subtle Like Nuclear Holocaust
Cost: 3m; Mins: Essence 3; Type: Simple
Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious
Duration: One Scene
Prerequisite Charms: Crowned With Fury
Malfeas does not hide. Rather, others turn from his magnificence, lest they be consumed. It is in their justified terror that he moves, ostensibly unnoticed.
As part of activating this charm, the Infernal must shout "Ignore Me!". As he does so, his skin ignites with a brilliant green bonfire, shining radiance outward for all to see. Every few seconds, the Infernal must continue to shout "Ignore Me!" as loud as possible. Failing to do so for too long will end the charm prematurely, as the foolish lemmings of the world will become lost without the undeniable decree of their king.
While this charm is active, the Infernal ignores all penalties to attempts at acting stealthy, including ones inflicted by bright light, loud noises, or people looking directly at you. His stealth attempts do not automatically fail for stupid reasons like "Being on an empty stage in front of ten thousand people with a spot light on you.", and any such stealthiness is automatically a viable target for the First Malfeas Excellency.
I'm On A Boat
Cost: 1m; Mins: Essence 3; Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Crowned With Fury
Sometimes Malfeas is on a boat. It would seem that, banished from the world, laid low, wrongfully imprisoned and mutilated, that the sea, and the rocks, and the ships have forgotten his dominion over them. They would attempt to keep him from being on a boat. But so long as there is a drop of Essence left in Malfeas, the Devil Tyrant will not concede. He is, in fact, on a boat, and there is nothing anyone can do about it.
Whenever some event would inflict a penalty on the continued operation of a sailing vessel that the Infernal is currently on, they may activate this charm to make the penalty inapplicable so long as he remains upon the vessel in question. In doing so, he must shout at the source of the penalty, some kind of proclamation of his spacial existence upon the boat.
For example, were an iceberg to tear a hole into the side of the Infernal's vessel, he could shout "I'm on this boat, ************!" at the iceberg, and while the boat would still bear a crippling hole on its side, it would not impair the function of the boat so long as the Infernal remained upon it. It would remain buoyant, and maneuver correctly, and so forth.
It is possible for an Infernal to dock a perfectly operational ship, now composed entirely of a half dozen splintered planks and a scrap of torn cloth, held together only by his spite and stubbornness, only to step off of it, and have its remains collapse into nothing.
A second purchase at Essence 4+ allows the Infernal to convince everyone and everything around him that he is on a boat, even if he isn't. This adds an 8 mote surcharge onto the regular cost of this charm, and requires that they be committed. So long as they remain so, the Infernal is, for all intents and purposes, sailing on a Large Yacht (see the Scroll of Kings). He may even store cargo in this mostly fictional vessel, and bring others with him, as his authority convinces them that they too are also on the boat that the Infernal is clearly on as well.
Cecelyne
Demons of Industry Stratagem
Cost: 10m, 1wp; Mins: Essence 4; Type: Simple
Keywords: Sorcerous
Duration: Indefinite
Prerequisite Charms: Inauspicious Benediction of Endeavor
This charm is the machination of a Malefactor adding to the Endless Desert's charm cascade in preparation for the Reclamation. It must be activated during a lengthy night-time ritual involving willing (though typically ignorant) prayers given by the mortal (or heroic mortal) Leader of an organization that is serving as an anchor for a previous use of the Warlock's "Inauspicious Benediction of Endeavor" charm, and the organization must be bound by a "Hardship" as defined in that charm's text.
At the completion of the ritual, the Leader's soul is hollowed from his body and swept away into a chasm to the Endless Desert. In its place, a dematerialized First Circle Demon of Cecelyne slips through the fissure and inhabits the body instead.
Until this charm is ended, the demon is perfectly disguised in all ways as the sacrificed mortal. Its Fate appears as the mortal's, and it does not even register as a Creature of Darkness when examined with charm technology capable of discerning such. However, its statistics are always determined as the better of the mortal's and demon's, and it has full access to its natural spirit charms. Should the mortal/demon gestalt die, the demon is banished back to the Demon Realm with 0 motes, and one -4 health level, filling the remainder with Aggravated Damage. It may not regain motes until all of its health levels have returned.
Applying Countermagic to the disguised demon banishes it back to the Demon Realm, though no worse for wear, although its mortal-shell-host dies, and the anchoring point for Inauspicious Benediction of Endeavor passes to the next most qualified member of the organization.
Working under a demon, all mortal and heroic mortals in the Organization slowly begin to corrupt themselves. Every week hence is considered a scene developing an intimacy of devotion towards the Yozi, and upon the completion of such an intimacy, they become Creatures of Darkness and Natives of Malfeas. An organization completely composed of such corrupted mortals adds an additional success to the bonus granted by Inauspicious Benediction of Endeavor.
At Essence 6+, on the night of the New Moon, this charm may invest a mortal with a Second Circle Demon of Cecelyne, rather than a First Circle Demon.
At Essence 8+, during Calibration, this charm may invest a mortal with a Third Circle Demon of Cecelyne, rather than a First or Second Circle Demon.
Solar
Night Caste
Improvised Weapon Mastery
Cost: 2m; Mins: Athletics 3, Essence 1; Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Combo-OK
Duration: One Scene
Prerequisite Charms: None
The world knows its masters in the Lawgivers and, in their hands, everything from the smallest sapling to the largest mountain is a weapon capable of felling the Titans. While this charm is active, the Solar increases the Accuracy rating of all improvised weapons he wields from -3 to 0.
At Essence 3+, this charm's duration becomes indefinite.
Friends As Foam Swords Technique
Cost: - (5m); Mins: Athletics 3, Essence 3; Type: Permanent
Keywords: -
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisite Charms: Improvised Weapon Mastery
Solars are the greatest of all Exalts, and even the other Exaltations must know this. In their hands, even the ranks of their fellow Exalted become deadly weapons.
A Solar with this charm may attune to other willing Exalts as if they were artifact improvised weapons in the same way they would any other weapon: by handling and practicing with them for 20 minutes. The attunement cost for another Exalt is 5m. Alternatively, in a moment of spontaneity, the Solar may pay 7m as a Reflexive action that is not considered a charm activation and attune to a willing subject that he is in contact with, though this attunement lasts for only a single scene.
While the Solar is wielding another Exalt as an improvised weapon, they gain the magical material bonus that the Exalt's type is associated with: Orichalcum for Solar, Moonsilver for Lunar, Starmetal for Sidereal, Jade for Terrestrial, and Soulsteel for Abyssal. Alchemicals grant the magical material bonus associated with their Caste, Green Sun Princes are considered to be Vitriol-baptized Orichalcum, and Akuma qualify as their non-tainted equivalent. Attuning to an Exalt that resonates with the "wrong" material, in this case, does not increase the attunement cost.
As is the case in many situations, a Solar's Lunar mate is especially compatible with him. Should the Solar wield his attuned mate as an improvised weapon, they deal lethal damage instead of the normal bashing for improvised weapons.
The kind of symbiosis instated by this charm is just that: symbiotic. When the Solar wields his friends as a weapon, they take no damage from their intentional collision with the enemy when the Solar makes an attack with them. This doesn't grant them full invulnerability, however. Foes may still target and damage the Exalt being wielded by the Solar when he is not actively performing an attack with them.
Zenith Caste
Sun-Body Apotheosis
Cost: 20m, 1wp; Mins: Integrity 7, Essence 7; Type: Simple
Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious, Native, Holy
Duration: One Scene
Prerequisite Charms: Rising Sun Soul, Should The Sun Not Rise
Within every Solar flows the iconography, the precepts, and symbolisms of the sun. But, for some, metaphor is not enough. When a Solar activates this charm, their possessions are immediately banished to Elsewhere for the duration. Their skin begins to shine with impossible brilliance until the luminescence becomes too great and their physical form melts away altogether. With this, they streak high into the sky, exploding with a thunderous roar audible for miles. In their wake, a new sun looms above.
While in this form, a Solar shines natural sunlight out to (Essence x 100) miles. Within this area, creatures respire Essence as if in Creation, all Holy charms cost 1 less mote to activate (min 1), and the concept of Holy persists for everyone within, regardless of whether the Unconquered Sun is alive or not.
The Solar may fly in this form at double his normal land speed, and he may make unarmed attacks, substituting flares of light for punches and kicks, though he lacks the limbs to make use of weapons or to clinch without a stunt of some kind. Such light-fueled attacks are automatically Holy. The Solar has +30B/30L/15A and Hardness 10 in addition to any natural soak, though they may not benefit from other sources of soak or hardness. In addition, the area within 300 yards of the Solar is considered a Trauma 3 environmental hazard that deals 5L/Action due to heat, pressure, and consuming brilliance. Creatures that rely on sight also take a -2 external penalty to all rolls to attack the Solar, as it is impossible to look directly at him.
The Solar may focus his senses at any single point within the area of his sunlight, changing this location as a Reflexive action once per turn. Where his senses are focused, he perceives things as if his normal body were standing at that point. Within his sunlight, prayers to him are reduced to Difficulty 1, which makes communication easier. The Solar may choose to speak either as he normally would through the location his senses are focused at, or he may choose to issue a thunderous voices that emanates from his Sun-Body and may be heard for (Essence x 5) miles from it.
A second purchase of this charm at Integrity 8+, Essence 8+ increases the duration to Indefinite and extends the range of the Solar's sunlight to (Essence x 1,000) miles. A third purchase at Integrity 9+, Essence 9+ reduces the mote cost to ten and causes the Solar's light to spread to the very boundaries of Creation. They now burn as bright as the Daystar itself. A fourth purchase at Integrity 10, Essence 10 reduces the mote cost to zero and changes the duration to Permanent. The Solar's Human Body separates from his Sun Body (gaining all previously banished possessions). He now exists as both simultaneously. Motes, Willpower, and Virtue Channels are shared between the two bodies, but they may still take actions and activate charms independently, and their Health Levels are tracked separately. The two share an Experience Point pool, and increased traits or learned charms apply to both of them equally. Similarly, the loss of permanent traits effects both bodies. However, if an effect reduces the Solar's permanent Essence, they do not lose this charm (and thus do not lose their Sun Body). It is an inexorable part of their identity now.
If the Solar's Human Body dies, his Sun Body shrivels and blackens before plummeting to the ground in a wretched fireball and subsequently disappearing entirely. If his Sun Body dies, his Human Body shudders for a moment, staring wistfully into the distance as the Solar Exaltation leaves his now-burning corpse where it stands.
Aubade Avatar Recreation
Cost: -; Mins: Integrity 10, Essence 10; Type: -
Keywords: -
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisite Charms: Sun-Body Apotheosis (x4), Final Ray of Light
This charm modifies Sun-Body Apotheosis such that the Solar's Sun-Body can survive even if his Human Body dies, as well as the way in which Final Ray of Light effects the Solar's Human Body. The Solar's Human Body does not reform immediately after death, nor does it lose a dot of permanent Essence. Instead, the body immolates in a blaze of bright light, disappearing with all of its possessions. One week later, as the first rays of dawn pierce the night, the Solar's Sun Body reforms his Human Body at some point in space that his sunlight touches, with all of his possessions intact. A dot of permanent Essence is not lost from this. However, during this week, the Solar's Sun Body cannot make use of Final Ray of Light - killing it ends the Solar completely.
Twilight Caste
Unbound Creativity Dementia
Cost: - (1wp); Mins: Lore 5, Essence 4; Type: -
Keywords: -
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisite Charms: Harmonious Academic Methodology
By taking this charm, the Solar suffers a minor psychotic break such that they find it easier to consider and comprehend the theoretical or the impossible than to dwell on the mundane or realistic. Whenever the Solar decides to begin the training process to learn a charm that he has never witnessed nor that he has a teacher for, he may spend a point of Willpower to halve his training time (effectively counteracting the penalty for not have a teacher). His own psychosis is the only tutor he requires.
A second purchase of this charm allows a Solar to extend this benefit to others. If he is present for the training time, he may provide the benefits of a tutor if the character in question is learning a charm that neither of them have witnessed before. Even though he can't give advice from experience, he can give advice from crazy and that's just as good.
Terrestrial
Earth Aspect
Imperial Seahorse Reversal
Cost: 1m; Mins: Resistance 4, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Combo-OK, Shaping
Duration: One Year
Prerequisite Charms: None
The vast majority of cultures in Creation have a stance of gender equality. And so, it may be very inconvenient for women with highly physical or demanding jobs when they wish to also pursue the creation of a family as a man in the same situation might. Fortunately, for the Exalted, such issues may be resolved easily.
When a Terrestrial with this charm succeeds on the (Stamina + Resistance) roll to become pregnant, they may reflexively activate this charm to shape their lover's internal organs into a makeshift womb, that they then implant the newly fertilized egg into, allowing the surrogate mother to take their place for the one year gestation period that the child of an Exalt undergoes. Upon the completion of the gestation period, this charm provides limited protection to the parent when giving birth, allowing them to naturally release a child without complication do to incompatible anatomy (although standard pain and complication do apply).
A Terrestrial may have as many simultaneous uses of this charm active as they wish, so long as they commit a separate mote to each one. If they are not currently pregnant, and they release a committed mote, the unformed child is shunted briefly through Elsewhere and into their own womb, connecting various vital parts as if they had always been there. Releasing committed motes while they are already pregnant simply aborts the additional children through a chasm into Elsewhere.
While this charm was first popularized in the Realm after the ravages of the Great Contagion, similar charms have been in use by other Exalt types since the First Age, and possibly just as long for spirits of all kinds as well. With their more powerful charms, a Lunar or Infernal version might incorporate automatic protection to the increased physical and psychological risks the carrying of Beastman or Demon-Blood offspring has for the parent.
Vicious Broodmother Instinct
Cost: 5m, 1wp; Mins: Integrity 4, Essence 4; Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Combo-OK, Dynasty
Duration: One Scene
Prerequisite Charms: Unflagging Vengeance Meditation
Who can stand against the fury of a mother dragon protecting her eggs? A dragon who would boil the sea, and crush the mountains, and smother the sky, and thrash her limbs and beat her wings even unto her dying breath to see them safe?
This charm may only be activated in a scene in which the Terrestrial is defending children from harm. This includes defending someone who is pregnant, which could very well be the Terrestrial activating the charm. This only functions if the Terrestrial did not instigate the fight. They must be defending from someone who actively intends to harm the children and has given no other choice. If the Terrestrial has reason to believe the offenders have offered reasonable, sincere surrender terms, or have no intention of directly physically harming the children, then they may not activate this charm.
Once activated, some primal switch flips on in the Terrestrial brain. In that fraction of a second, they explode into a frothing rage, with no other concern but to the safety of their charge. Their anima explodes into the 16+ level, though their anima flux specifically does not harm children for the duration of the charm. They feel neither pity, nor remorse, automatically failing on all Compassion checks, and succeeding on all Valor checks; they will not back down, even if they are clearly outmatched and will certainly die. Each turn, they must be spending at least one action toward murdering all aggressors as violently as is possible in their means.
In exchange, the Dragonblood regains a single mote every tick while Vicious Broodmother Instinct is active.
At the cost of an additional point of Willpower, the Terrestrial that activates this charm may also include up to (Essence x 2) other nearby Terrestrials who are willing to commit to the defense of the children, incensing them with the same effects as if they had also activated this charm.
The Dynasty effect kicks in should the Terrestrial fail in their duty and die in the process. All of the Terrestrial's blood relatives receive a vision upon the next time they sleep, which imparts the Terrestrial's act of heroic sacrifice and, more importantly, the identities of their murderer or murderers. This can only grant as much additional information as the Terrestrial knew. If the Terrestrial knew their name, then that is imparted, if they knew their faces, then those are imparted even if they were wearing masks at the time, if they knew detailed lists of all of their attacker's charm loadouts, then that is also imparted. And so on.
Finally, should a Terrestrial with this charm specifically and maliciously endanger the lives of children at any point (even while this charm is not active), then they lose the ability to activate this charm for a full year.
Infernal
Ebon Dragon
Bacon-in-the-Soap Infliction
Cost: 6m; Mins: Essence 4; Type: Simple
Keywords: Combo-OK, Shaping
Duration: One Scene
Prerequisite Charms: Shadow Spite Curse, Damning Petulance Technique
The world conforms to the will of heroes. Essence flocks to those who overachieve, Exaltations bless those that exemplify courage and valiance, and the shinma themselves weave stories such that the heroic acquire the attention and opportunities they require. The Ebon Dragon would tear all of this down. The Creation spawned from his darkest dreams would be a place of oppressive incompetence, cowardice, and insecurity in which those that attempted to achieve something greater than themselves would fail invariably until the last drops of hope in the world had dried up.
By making a successful roll of (Essence + Occult) at a difficulty equal to the target's highest virtue, the Infernal may inflict stupidly bad luck on a victim within (Essence x 10) yards. Once inflicted, if the victim attempts anything impressive or heroic, defined as any action modified by a virtue channel, a spent dot of Willpower, stunt dice, or a charm activation, they must also succeed on an Essence roll or automatically fail to perform that action due to an inexplicable, and often humiliating, contrivance. A Solar using Elegant Dance of Bow and Blade to reflexively draw his daiklaive might find that he has accidentally drawn a rabid badger covered in angry bees that he doesn't quite remember placing in his backpack, or the Perfect of Paragon using a channel of Compassion with his Performance roll to inspire his people to risk their lives in the fight against an oncoming demon horde may find himself with a sudden case of abnormally loud and explosive diarrhea.
Alas, the Ebon Dragon is merely a skulking shadow; a bully; a monster under one's bed. He makes you afraid, and makes you ashamed, but he has no real power. It is his purpose to be defeated, and all it takes is one person to stand up to him before his web of lies comes crumbling down. He has no power to stop a true hero. Actions supplemented by a 3-die stunt or a charm with the Holy keyword are never adversely effected by this charm. Similarly, Bacon-in-the-Soap Infliction fails to effect actions taken by a character that is in physical combat with the person that inflicted them in the first place.
Treachery Within Treachery
Cost: 6m; Mins: Essence 3; Type: Reflexive (Step 2)
Keywords: Combo-OK, Counterattack
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Selfishness Is Power
The Ebon Dragon is the dagger in his own back, and the dagger in yours. He is everything underhanded and unfair. How does one sneak up on a shadow? How do you catch the darkness by surprise? When it comes to sneak attacks, he is always one step ahead.
This charm may be activated to make an unexpected attack become "expected", and make the source of that attack known to the Infernal. In addition, the Ebon Dragon cannot be outdone in treachery! At step 9 of the unexpected attack's resolution, a tenebrous copy of the Infernal appears behind the attacker and performs an unexpected counterattack, before fading away.
Malfeas
Calloused Hands of the Brass Smith
Cost: -; Mins: Essence 3; Type: -
Keywords: -
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisite Charms: Scar-Writ Saga Shield (x2)
Upon acquiring this charm, the Infernal's flesh from the hand to the forearm cracks and splits, finally peeling off to reveal a hard layer of brass-like metal. The Infernal finds that he has lost no manual dexterity from the transition and, furthermore, his limbs now make quite effective weapons. His unarmed punches naturally deal Lethal damage which also gains the Piercing tag versus objects, and he may parry lethal attacks unarmed without a stunt. With further experimentation, he will find that his new arms are also nearly invincible, capable of reaching into molten lava without causing him harm (though this would not protect him if the lava came into contact with the rest of his body).
A second purchase of this charm reveals deeper meaning in its name. Humans require tools. As does the imbecilic Autochthon. Malfeas is above such things. When he desires something, he reaches into the world, tears it asunder, and crushes chunks of it until his will has shaped it into the thing that he desires. With this purchase, the Infernal may do the same. He no longer requires tools for crafting. Rather, he simply grasps the materials required and grinds them in his hands until they conform to his perfect design. This not only provides the benefits of a Master's Workshop, but the Infernal may also use his Essence in place of (the lesser of his Dexterity, Perception, or Intelligence) for designing and crafting small projects or (the lesser of his Perception, or Intelligence) for designing and crafting large projects.
A third purchase imbues the Infernal with an even greater capacity to exert his will over a stubborn universe. When he crafts without tools, the materials bend to his will all the more easily, forming themselves willingly into sleek blades, intricate gears, and tasty meals (Malfeas punches together a great gumbo). He crafts (Essence x 3) times faster than normal, and his hands confer the benefits of a Flawless Workshop; the Solars of the First Age cobbled together vast arrays of mind-bogglingly complex tools and constructed massive Factory Cathedrals to shallowly imitate what the Architects of Creation could do with their bare hands.
Stoic-but-Sensitive Bookish-Type-Infatuating Stance
Cost: 4m; Mins: Essence 2; Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Combo-OK
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: By Pain Reforged, Insignificant Embers Intuition, Beauty Without Malice
On the outside, Malfeas is a mass of calloused layers, eternally bleeding bitterness and seething anger. On the inside, however, he is a beautiful dancer full of hope, shame, and dutiful responsibility.
Brainy chicks eat that stuff up.
This charm supplements any action to help another character who would have a higher dice pool than you on a roll to do Math (with a minimum of at least 5 dice), not counting external things like bonuses from items, stunts, and non-permanent charms. This action could be as simple as picking up something they've dropped, or as dynamic as charging in front of a raging Behemoth to use Defend Other on them.
After performing this action, they have the option to immediately gain a positive intimacy towards you with a connotation of their choice (or upgrade a currently existing intimacy with the following effects). This intimacy forges a magical bond between the two individuals. Firstly, any action to aid you automatically qualifies for a use of a Compassion Channel for them.
Secondly, any influence that would force or convince them to harm or betray you in some way becomes Obvious to their senses, and they may spend one Compassion channel to make doing such things an Unacceptable Order for the rest of the scene.
Finally, when the infatuated character successfully performs a 2 or 3-die stunt on an action to help you with something, framed in the context of using their infatuation to aid them, they may choose to regain one spent Compassion Channel in lieu of any normal stunt rewards.
Explicitly telling an effected character that you return their feelings instantly breaks the effects of this charm over them. Being stoic and unapproachable is what makes you so unspeakably hot.
Impertinence-Mending Hammer
Cost: 0m (20m, 1wp); Mins: Essence 3; Type: Simple
Keywords: Combo-OK
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Calloused Hands of the Brass Smith
Malfeas sees his broken toys for what they really are. Others claim that they don't work because their wheels have fallen off, or their gears have rusted, or their cords have frayed. He knows that it is simple, impudent laziness.
As part of this charm, the Infernal aims a single solid strike at an object performing at less than its peak efficiency. This strike deals no damage, but rather stirs the Essence pattern of the object. If it is not functioning properly for a simple, easily fixed reason that would take less than an hour to repair with access to a Master's Workshop, then the object springs to life fully repaired instantly, regardless of whether the Infernal had even diagnosed the problem in the first place. Hinges oil themselves, grime burns away, and rust reverses itself as the object attempts to live up to the standards of the Demon Emperor.
If the damages end up being too extensive to fix so simply, but it could conceivable be repaired in (Essence x 3) hours of work, then the Infernal may pay an additional 20 motes and 1 willpower to put some elbow grease into the strike, fixing the broken object anyway. This may apply even to artifacts and manses that require repair or maintenance.
A second purchase at Essence 4+ increasing the number of hours of work the Infernal may pay to instantly repair with a punch to (Essence x 5).
By Illiteracy, Enlightened
Cost: 1m; Mins: Essence 1; Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Combo-OK
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: None
Malfeas has no dots in Lore. He cannot read. But he does not need to.
This charm supplements any action by the Infernal involving him slamming his head against something containing characters that have some linguistic significance, such as a book or a stone tablet. The Essence released allows the meaning of the words to be jolted from the impact, through the Infernal's skull, and into his brain. Instantly, he knows and understands what was written within the struck item to the extent that he would have had he read it. This bypasses all language barriers in the process.
Due to the speed at which he imbibes information, the Infernal may reduce his training times for learning anything to a scant few minutes, so long as he's learning them from written material.
If a Linguistics Charm or similar effect is present, but reliant on the Infernal reading the text, it does not activate, as he has not actually done any reading.
Subtle Like Nuclear Holocaust
Cost: 3m; Mins: Essence 3; Type: Simple
Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious
Duration: One Scene
Prerequisite Charms: Crowned With Fury
Malfeas does not hide. Rather, others turn from his magnificence, lest they be consumed. It is in their justified terror that he moves, ostensibly unnoticed.
As part of activating this charm, the Infernal must shout "Ignore Me!". As he does so, his skin ignites with a brilliant green bonfire, shining radiance outward for all to see. Every few seconds, the Infernal must continue to shout "Ignore Me!" as loud as possible. Failing to do so for too long will end the charm prematurely, as the foolish lemmings of the world will become lost without the undeniable decree of their king.
While this charm is active, the Infernal ignores all penalties to attempts at acting stealthy, including ones inflicted by bright light, loud noises, or people looking directly at you. His stealth attempts do not automatically fail for stupid reasons like "Being on an empty stage in front of ten thousand people with a spot light on you.", and any such stealthiness is automatically a viable target for the First Malfeas Excellency.
I'm On A Boat
Cost: 1m; Mins: Essence 3; Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Crowned With Fury
Sometimes Malfeas is on a boat. It would seem that, banished from the world, laid low, wrongfully imprisoned and mutilated, that the sea, and the rocks, and the ships have forgotten his dominion over them. They would attempt to keep him from being on a boat. But so long as there is a drop of Essence left in Malfeas, the Devil Tyrant will not concede. He is, in fact, on a boat, and there is nothing anyone can do about it.
Whenever some event would inflict a penalty on the continued operation of a sailing vessel that the Infernal is currently on, they may activate this charm to make the penalty inapplicable so long as he remains upon the vessel in question. In doing so, he must shout at the source of the penalty, some kind of proclamation of his spacial existence upon the boat.
For example, were an iceberg to tear a hole into the side of the Infernal's vessel, he could shout "I'm on this boat, ************!" at the iceberg, and while the boat would still bear a crippling hole on its side, it would not impair the function of the boat so long as the Infernal remained upon it. It would remain buoyant, and maneuver correctly, and so forth.
It is possible for an Infernal to dock a perfectly operational ship, now composed entirely of a half dozen splintered planks and a scrap of torn cloth, held together only by his spite and stubbornness, only to step off of it, and have its remains collapse into nothing.
A second purchase at Essence 4+ allows the Infernal to convince everyone and everything around him that he is on a boat, even if he isn't. This adds an 8 mote surcharge onto the regular cost of this charm, and requires that they be committed. So long as they remain so, the Infernal is, for all intents and purposes, sailing on a Large Yacht (see the Scroll of Kings). He may even store cargo in this mostly fictional vessel, and bring others with him, as his authority convinces them that they too are also on the boat that the Infernal is clearly on as well.
Cecelyne
Demons of Industry Stratagem
Cost: 10m, 1wp; Mins: Essence 4; Type: Simple
Keywords: Sorcerous
Duration: Indefinite
Prerequisite Charms: Inauspicious Benediction of Endeavor
This charm is the machination of a Malefactor adding to the Endless Desert's charm cascade in preparation for the Reclamation. It must be activated during a lengthy night-time ritual involving willing (though typically ignorant) prayers given by the mortal (or heroic mortal) Leader of an organization that is serving as an anchor for a previous use of the Warlock's "Inauspicious Benediction of Endeavor" charm, and the organization must be bound by a "Hardship" as defined in that charm's text.
At the completion of the ritual, the Leader's soul is hollowed from his body and swept away into a chasm to the Endless Desert. In its place, a dematerialized First Circle Demon of Cecelyne slips through the fissure and inhabits the body instead.
Until this charm is ended, the demon is perfectly disguised in all ways as the sacrificed mortal. Its Fate appears as the mortal's, and it does not even register as a Creature of Darkness when examined with charm technology capable of discerning such. However, its statistics are always determined as the better of the mortal's and demon's, and it has full access to its natural spirit charms. Should the mortal/demon gestalt die, the demon is banished back to the Demon Realm with 0 motes, and one -4 health level, filling the remainder with Aggravated Damage. It may not regain motes until all of its health levels have returned.
Applying Countermagic to the disguised demon banishes it back to the Demon Realm, though no worse for wear, although its mortal-shell-host dies, and the anchoring point for Inauspicious Benediction of Endeavor passes to the next most qualified member of the organization.
Working under a demon, all mortal and heroic mortals in the Organization slowly begin to corrupt themselves. Every week hence is considered a scene developing an intimacy of devotion towards the Yozi, and upon the completion of such an intimacy, they become Creatures of Darkness and Natives of Malfeas. An organization completely composed of such corrupted mortals adds an additional success to the bonus granted by Inauspicious Benediction of Endeavor.
At Essence 6+, on the night of the New Moon, this charm may invest a mortal with a Second Circle Demon of Cecelyne, rather than a First Circle Demon.
At Essence 8+, during Calibration, this charm may invest a mortal with a Third Circle Demon of Cecelyne, rather than a First or Second Circle Demon.