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View Full Version : Random_person's Charm Factory [Exalted] [PEACH]



Fortuna
2010-12-14, 03:00 AM
I've been making Charms all over the place recently, and they've been dying rapidly. So I thought that if I compiled them all into one thread, then they would all be there for easy reference, and each new update that I made would also bump the rest up. So, here is my personal little charm factory.

Never-Before Posted This Update: Martial arts enhancing charms.

Terrestrial Martial Arts

General
Innate Understanding of (Style)
Cost: -; Minimums: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4; Type: Permanent
Keywords: -
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisites: Mastery of a Terrestrial Martial Art
This charm is a tool used primarily by the Lawgivers and Viziers of the first age to incorporate the ideals of a style so deeply into their very bones that they are never without it. It may be learned by any Exalt type capable of meeting its prerequisites. Upon learning this charm, the Exalt selects a single Terrestrial-level martial art which she has mastered. When activating a charm of that style, the Exalt may pay a single willpower point to begin a dynamic combo containing a number of charms from that style no greater than her (Essence). If the charm is already in a combo, then the charms of that combo do not count against the limit for the dynamic combo. There exists a much rarer version, Reflective Perfection of (Style), which requires mastery of a Celestial level martial art and Martial Arts and Essence 6. Reflective Perfection of the (Style) grants an analogous effect, but applies to a single Celestial martial art. This charm may be learned more than once, but a single martial art cannot be used as the prerequisite more than once.

Charm Concept: Dynamic Combo
A dynamic combo is similar to a combo in many ways. When a charm or other effect grants a dynamic combo, the character may freely use charms that qualify to be included until the limit of charms is reached. Thus, a Solar of Essence 4 using Innate Understanding of Snake Style could, when activating Striking Serpent Speed, pay a single willpower to use it in combination with Essence Venom Strike. When subjected to an attack on the next tick, the Solar could activate Serpentine Evasion and Snake Strikes The Heel without needing to pay more willpower, but could not activate Shadow Over Water unless the original charm (here Striking Serpent Speed) was in a combo with Shadow Over Water. Note that paying to activate a dynamic combo is separate from paying to activate a normal combo. A normal combo can never be used unless activated on the first charm in the action.

Infinite Understanding of (Style)
Cost: -; Minimums: Martial Arts 5, Essence 5; Type: Permanent
Keywords: -
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisites: Innate Understanding of (Style)
By extending the concepts and precepts of a style into every moment of his life, the Exalt achieves true mastery. The Exalt may now pay a single willpower when activating a charm of a single style which he has taken Innate Understanding of the (Style). All his activations of charms from that style are innate powers until his DV refreshes. The equivalent to this charm is Unbounded Internalisation of (Style), which applies to a Celestial martial art and requires both Martial Arts and Essence 6.

Economic Acumen of (Style)
Cost: Varies; Minimums: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4; Type: Simple
Keywords: Combo-OK
Duration: One scene
Prerequisites: Mastery of a single Terrestrial Martial Art.
By practicing the fundamental forms of a style to utmost perfection, the Exalt attunes her Essence pathways to its use. When activating this charm, the Exalt pays some number of motes, to a maximum of twice their (Essence). For so long as the charm lasts, all charms of a single terrestrial style which the character has mastered (chosen when purchasing this charm) have their cost reduced by half the number of motes used to activate this charm. This charm is incompatible with both Innate Understanding of (Style) and Infinite Understanding of (Style). Its equivalent, Unparalleled Frugality of (Style), requires Essence 5, and applies to a single Celestial martial art. It is incompatible with Reflective Perfection of (Style) and Unbounded Internalisation of (Style).

Celestial Martial Arts

Perfected Grandmaster Style
The Exalted live long lives, and are far greater than any mortal. They have developed games, riddles and competitions designed for their abilities, and most Exalted soon forget mortal pastimes in the face of these distractions.

But mortals have their own games, which have a beauty all their own. In particular, certain patrician-class mortals of the Realm developed a game known as chess soon after the ascent of the Empress. It survives to this day, and but for the actions of a single Sidereal the Chosen might never have known of it.

This Sidereal had, for an unrelated reason, taken a resplendant destiny in the patrician class of the Realm. As part of this life, he learned the game of chess, and was taken with the emergence of complexity and near-chaos from seemingly simple rules. Although to an Exalted the game was far too simple to play on its own merits, perhaps something of its beauty could be made into a worthwhile tool. So mused the founder of this style, and he developed an art of movement, of precision, of plan and counter-plan. Even today it is a thing of beauty and deep, bewildering complexity to watch a duel between two masters of this style.

The form weapons for this Celestial Martial Art are the short sword, the knife, and Artifact versions of them. This style is incompatible with armor.

Humble Pawn Advance
Cost: 1m Mins: Martial Arts 2, Essence 1 Type: Simple (Speed 3)
Keywords: Combo-OK
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: None
Nine games in ten open with the swift advance of a lowly pawn, preparing the battlefield for their betters while holding it from their enemies. This charm allows the Exalt to move up to (Martial Arts x 2 + Essence x 2) yards. It may be invoked once reflexively on the first tick on which she acts in a combat, in which case it carries no DV penalty.

Bounding Knight Onslaught
Cost: 3m Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 2 Type: Simple
Keywords: Combo-OK
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Humble Pawn Advance
The knight is an important piece in offense, bounding seemingly from nowhere and vanishing again to a safe distance. The martial artist chooses one opponent within (Essence + Martial Arts) yards and makes a single Martial Arts attack against them, dealing one additional die of pre-soak damage for every three yards beyond her normal reach. The Exalt actually leaps to the attack when using this charm, so counterattacks are certainly possible.

Penetrating Bishop Prana
Cost: 3m Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 2 Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Combo-OK
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Humble Pawn Advance
From across the battlefield the bishop flies, ignoring the war that would block a lesser piece's path. The Exalt chooses one point within (Essence x 10) yards to which she has line of sight. If there are no obstacles or characters within one yard of this line of sight, and if the intervening terrain would normally be of a sort that she could cross without non-permanent charms, she instantly dashes to that point. This charm cannot levitate the Exalt to a flying manse, but it can permit her to run up a tree nigh-instantly, so long as the branches are arranged the right way; she only needs to be able to traverse it, not walk it.

Perfected Grandmaster Form
Cost: 5m Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 2 Type: Simple
Keywords: Form-type, Compulsion, Combo-Basic
Duration: One scene
Prerequisite Charms: Bounding Knight Onslaught, Penetrating Bishop Prana
A master chess player knows how to respond to certain moves automatically, needing little thought to decide on their action. While this charm is active, the martial artist may select up to their (Essence) actions they are capable of taking each time their DV refreshes. For each action, she must specify a condition dependent on the actions of another, for example 'If I am attacked by a zombie' or 'If one of my allies attacks the First and Forsaken Lion'. If the martial artist perceives this condition to be met, even if it is a deception or an Illusion effect, then the martial artist gains a number of bonus dice equal to her (Essence) to that action if and only if she takes it as soon as possible. Otherwise that action drops off the list, and until she invokes this charm again the number of action/condition pairs that she may maintain is reduced by one.

Guarding Rook Understanding
Cost: 5m Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 3 Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Combo-OK, Counterattack
Duration: (Essence) actions
Prerequisite Charms: Perfected Grandmaster Form
The rook's first purpose is to guard its own territory and king. So, too, the martial artist guards her territory and allies. This charm is either a Blockade Movement action or a Defend Other action. In either case, the range at which the martial artist may take such an action is multiplied by her (Martial Arts), and the effects of the action last until this charm's duration expires. Further, if any character attacks a character defended by this charm or attempts to pass through territory guarded by this charm, the martial artist may make a counterattack or attack against that character with (Essence) bonus successes.

Enemy-Confounding Gambit
Cost: 2-4 lhl Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 3 Type: Reflexive (Step 2)
Keywords: Combo-OK
Duration: Instantaneous
Prerequisite Charms: Perfected Grandmaster Form
A material loss for positional gain often bears fruit. This charm perfectly negates any damage from an attack that it is invoked in response to. However, the Exalt suffers damage nonetheless, dancing just barely into the attack just far enough to goad the opponent into making a mistake. The martial artist may choose to suffer two to four levels of lethal damage. This cost is incurred in step 10 of attack resolution. so counterattacks and similar may be invoked even if this charm's invocation renders its user Incapacitated. This charm is explicitly capable of enhancing Defend Other actions. The character that made the initial attack suffers a non-stackable penalty to both Dodge and Parry DV equal to the number of health levels that the martial artist suffered from invoking this charm for the remainder of the scene, being too overextended to properly defend themselves.

Superb Pinning Tactic
Cost: 6m Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 3 Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Combo-OK
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Perfected Grandmaster Form
When to stay invites attack, but to move invites attack against another, there is no real option. This charm enhances a Martial Arts-based attack. The martial artist chooses one other opponent that they could target with the same attack. If the target of this attack takes any action before the chosen opponent moves, the martial artist may make a reflexive attack against their chosen opponent with a number of bonus dice of pre-soak damage equal to the number of dice of post-soak damage rolled on the first attack. If they cannot reach this enemy for some reason, they may reflexively move directly towards them until they can.

Unfortunate Forking Technique
Cost: 4m Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 3 Type: Simple
Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Perfected Grandmaster Form
A threat against two enemies is more than doubly effective. The martial artist chooses two enemies who she could target with a Martial Arts attack. Each one knows that the martial artist has chosen them and one other target, that both targets have the opportunity to move, that the martial artist's next attack will be devastating, and that only one of the two can escape. All this is made Obvious by the martial artist's posture and the Essence that swirls around her. Each target has the option to attempt one Move action to get out of range. If both take the option, then both are held by the magic and the martial artist's upcoming attack is considered undodgeable and unblockable. After the targets have decided, the martial artist makes one attack against either target and deals additional pre-soak damage equal to her (Essence).

Glorious Checkmate Combination
Cost: 15m, 1wp Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4 Type: Extra Action
Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Guarding Rook Understanding, Enemy-Confounding Gambit, Superb Pinning Tactic, Unfortunate Forking Technique
In the final moment of battle, every element brought into play is unified with terrifying efficiency. The martial artist chooses up to her (Essence) actions, and must specify an order in which those actions go. All of these actions which are directed against any target must be directed against the same target. She then takes those actions in turn, and for each action that is not diceless she adds the threshold to the next action in the set as bonus dice. If any action, including a reflexive action, fails during this charm, then the number of successes by which it fell short is added to the next action as bonus dice, and to the one after that if that one fails, and so on. If an action is perfectly negated, then the next action (and only the next action) perfectly succeeds. If an action perfectly succeeds for any reason other than the preceding clause, it grants no bonus to future actions by virtue of this charm. This charm is explicitly compatible with non-Martial Arts based actions and charms. Any Perfected Grandmaster Style charms used in a Combo with this charm are at a 3m discount, to a minimum of zero motes. Any Charm reduced to no cost by this effect does not count as a Charm activation.

Solar Charms

War

Everywhere At Once Prana
Cost: 5m-45m, 1wp-5wp Mins: War 5, Essence 5 Type: Simple (Dramatic action)
Keywords: War, Mirror (Ever-Present Doom Lord)
Duration: Indefinite
Prerequisite Charms: None
The Solar is where he must be, when he must be. Such pitiful limitations as distance are irrelevant. The Solar carves out a portion of their soul and Exaltation to create a limited duplicate, choosing the extent of that duplicate's power when he creates it. The duplicate has Essence 1, permanent Willpower equal to the temporary Willpower of the Exalt on the Charm's completion, and a War rating equal to one-fifth the number of motes that the Solar spends on this charm, to a maximum of the Lawgiver's (War-1). The Lawgiver must also spend one Willpower, plus a further one Willpower for every dot of War that the duplicate will have beyond 5. The duplicate also has the Lawgiver's Charisma, Appearance and Intelligence ratings. The duplicate has only 1 in all other Attributes, and no dots in any Abilities other than War, but may have any War specialties that the Exalt possesses. It is otherwise identical to the Solar, including possessing all mundane equipment and mundane versions of all artifact equipment that the Lawgiver owns and is carrying on his person at the time. It may not benefit from Training effects, nor may it gain or spend experience points. So long as the duplicate exists, the Solar must keep one dot of temporary Willpower 'committed' to the duplicate, being unable to recover it until the duplicate dies or the Charm is ended. The death of the duplicate ends this charm.

Should the Exalt so desire, he may have multiple duplicates extant through this Charm at a given time.

Mirror: Ever-Present Doom Lord. Death is everywhere, unhindered by mortal restrictions on matter. This Charm is identical to its Solar counterpart.

Manifold Army of Self
Cost: 40m, 4wp Mins: War 5, Essence 5 Type: Simple (6 long ticks)
Keywords: War, Combo-OK, Mirror (Horde of Reflected Death)
Duration: One scene
Prerequisite Charms: Everywhere At Once Prana
The Solar is her own army, needing no mortal soldiers to change the world with her power. This Charm creates a unit of duplicates of the Solar with Magnitude equal to her (Essence-3). These duplicates are identical to the Solar in all respects, save that they have Essence 1. These duplicates rely on the Lawgiver's direct presence and power for their existence, and hence dissolve if they leave the unit. Such a unit needs no relays. If the Solar already commands a unit, she may instead fill as many special characters as she wishes with these duplicates with a single use of this charm, so long as this does not create more duplicates than she otherwise could. All duplicates created through this charm have all the equipment of the Solar, except that artifacts are replaced with mundane variations where appropriate and other magics are not replicated. The duplicates created by this charm do not have an Essence pool per se, but rather may benefit from any charm that the Solar activates that they meet all requirements for.

Mirror: Horde of Reflected Death (Prerequisite: Ever-Present Doom Lord). The Abyssal sweeps across the world like a shadow, engulfing all in their path. This Charm is identical to its Solar counterpart.

Craft

Creation Of The Moment
Cost: 1-25m, 1wp Mins: Craft 5, Essence 3 Type: Simple
Keywords: Combo-OK
Duration: One scene
Prerequisite Charms: Craftsman Needs No Tools
The Solar needs not slave in a workshop for days on end to achieve his purpose. All he must do is know what he needs, and make it so. This Charm permits the Solar to choose a single mundane item that he could make with the materials on hand. He then spends a number of motes equal to (Resources cost squared) and a single point of willpower. During the space of this Charm's activation, the Lawgiver subjugates reality to his will, performing the same work in bare seconds that he would otherwise perform in eight hours of crafting. Should he activate this charm again on his next action tick to continue his work on the same object, its Speed is reduced by one, to a minimum of Speed 0 (which is equivalent to a Reflexive action, and carries no DV penalty). This may explicitly bypass the rule limiting actions to Speed 3 or higher. Unfortunately, the Solar's power is limited. When the scene ends, or when he releases the motes committed to any activation of this charm, all objects that he has created with this charm immediately unravel into worthless dust, destroyed by the raw power that bound them together. A second purchase of this charm at Craft 5+, Essence 5+ allows the Solar to double the mote cost and add 3 willpower to the cost to increase the duration to Indefinite. A third purchase at Craft 7+, Essence 7+ changes the duration to Instant at the same surcharge as the second purchase.

Genius Beyond Creation
Cost: 1-125m, 1-5wp Mins: Craft 6, Essence 6 Type: Simple
Keywords: Combo-OK
Duration: One scene
Prerequisite Charms: Creation Of The Moment
This charm functions as its prerequisite, save that each activation is equivalent to a season of work, and the Lawgiver may also craft artifacts whose (Rating + 5) does not exceed her Craft. Artifacts require spending one willpower per dot of artifact rating and cost (Rating squared x 5) motes. A second purchase of this charm at Craft 10, Essence 10 is equivalent to the second purchase of its prerequisite. When creating artifacts, the Solar gains one point of Limit plus one per level of the artifact due to the tremendous forces that she channels through her very soul. If using this charm's upgrade, she also gains a single point of limit each day that the artifact remains extant, and may not reduce her limit below the rating of the most powerful artifact that she maintains through this charm.

Stealth

Light Fades Away
Cost: 5m; Minimums: Stealth 4, Essence 3; Type: Simple;
Keywords: Combo-OK;
Duration: Indefinite;
Prerequisite Charms: Any Stealth Excellency
The Solar's light often requires dimming, lest his foes find him before he is ready. By activating this charm, the Solar temporarily hides his very nature from reality itself. So long as this charm lasts, he is incapable of spending peripheral essence (although any commitments from peripheral essence are unaffected). However, any Essence sight observing either him or non-Obvious effects that he produces shows only a normal mortal. This charm exerts no influence to force an enemy to ignore any discrepancies, so a Dawn proudly marching in his Celestial Battle Armor will still have some explaining to do, but to any essence sight he will simply be a mortal. As a helpful side effect, his anima dies away completely when he activates this charm, and progresses again from the zero-mote level after it ends. At Essence 4+, the Solar has the option when activating this charm to instead shut down his Essence signature entirely, making him invisible to essence sight.

Shadows Swallow The Light
Cost: 5m; Minimums: Stealth 5, Essence 4; Type: Simple (Speed 1);
Keywords: Obvious;
Duration: One tick;
Prerequisite Charms: Invisible Statue Spirit
The Solar vanishes and reappears, harrying her foes. This charm permits the Solar to vanish into her surroundings, igniting a brief flare of essence as she flees. She is completely invisible for the duration of this tick, and may attempt to hide without penalty once during this time. Her next attempt to re-establish surprise on a subsequent tick inflicts a -2 external penalty on any opposing attempt to contest it.

Infernal Charms

Malfeas

Maker's Dominion
Cost: 20m, 1wp Mins: Essence 4 Type: Simple (Dramatic action)
Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious, Blasphemy
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Crowned With Fury
As Lord and King of those who made Creation, Malfeas has rights that the interlopers known as gods cannot hope to match. This charm is a dramatic action to create an object, and lasts for a single crafting interval (however long that may be). The warlock is treated as having a basic workshop on hand (see Oadenol's Codex, Chapter I), and furthermore may make up to (Essence) crafting rolls during that single interval (effectively multiplying his crafting speed by his Essence). A second purchase at Essence 5+ lets him act as though he has a flawless workshop on hand, but qualifies as a Blasphemy effect and creates huge Essence flares, making it Obvious as well.

Green Forge Flaming
Cost: 10m+; Minimums: Essence 3; Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Combo-OK;
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Maker's Dominion
While Malfeas rages and destroys, Ligier strives and creates. The two are inseparable, two parts of the same entity, and so some part of Malfeas' greater self must reflect this creative potential, as it so long ago did. This charm supplements an effort to craft an artifact. By spending ten motes, the Exalt removes the need for a single exotic ingredient, as well as one more for each five motes beyond the first ten. This charm may never reduce the number of exotic ingredients below one, however, and artifacts created through its use are fundamentally tainted: regardless of their composition and history, they are vitriol-tainted, and thus all Exalts but the Infernals must attune as though to a foreign material.

Great Smith Burning
Cost: - (15m, 1wp); Minimums: Essence 4; Type: Permanent;
Keywords: None;
Duration: Permanent;
Prerequisite Charms: Green Forge Flaming
Malfeas was once the greatest of the Primordials. The very Sun that hangs in the sky was the handiwork of the Empyreal Chaos, and Malfeas has neither forgotten that knowledge nor that power. Through the use of this charm, the Infernal imbues something of his Essence into whatever he is attempting to make, making it greater than it could otherwise have been. When crafting, the Infernal has two new options available to him.
The Infernal may sacrifice any number of experience points while making an object. For this cost, the Infernal creates something that will endure forever, or close to it. The object is as indestructible as any artifact, and has the additional power of aiding its user to excellence. The Infernal chooses any combination of Ability dots totalling half the number of experience points that he paid into the item. When being used directly in an action related to one of these abilities, its user gains a bonus equal to the dots thus allocated, to a maximum of their (Ability cap + 2). This bonus increases their Ability rating in terms of granting more dice, but does not count as dice added by a charm or increase the cap on dice added by charms.
Alternatively, the warlock may instead pay a number of experience points equal to their Essence while making an otherwise mundane object. As a result, any user of the item treats their rating in one Ability, chosen when the item is made, as the higher of their rating or the warlock’s Essence at the time of crafting, and the item is considered to be constructed of Malfean Brass for the purpose of determining Hardness and health levels.
Whichever option the Infernal chooses, the experience points spent may never be recovered.

Leaping Up High
Cost: -; Mins: Essence 5; Type: Permanent
Keywords: None
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisite Charms: Beauty Without Malice, By Agony Empowered
Malfeas may be cut down, but he will never die. So he knows, save in his deepest madness. This Charm allows the Infernal to restore himself from the very brink of death. When he marks off his final Dying level, he may activate this charm as a reflexive action. If he does so, then he does not die, his soul being bound to his body for a little time while he heals. This perfectly negates the remaining damage from that attack, leaving the warlock a single Dying health level and perfectly stabilising him. To any observation, he appears dead, unless some effect like All-Encompassing Sorcerer’s Sight is used to observe his Essence patterns. For the next long tick (or 60 normal ticks) he remains Inactive, and cannot activate any charms (even those that explicitly allow activation while unconscious). He need not breathe for this time, nor does he suffer any of the other vulnerabilities of life; he is effectively dead. If he suffers any damage during this time, then he must make a (Stamina + Resistance) roll at a difficulty of the total number of levels of damage suffered during this time or die permanently and completely. At the end of this long tick, he surges to full health, rising from where he lies as his anima flares iconic.His Essence and willpower pools are restored to full, and any Crippling, Sickness, Poison or Shaping effects on him or his possessions are immediately ended. Still, there is no power without price; as he restores himself, his permanent Essence rating drops by one dot. Moreover, this charm is fuelled by the warlock’s passions and madness, as well as those of his enemy; if the final level of damage against him is not caused by a blow struck in anger against the warlock’s will, this charm fails, and it also fails when the world trembles to the Infernal’s Limit Break. Should the Exalted ever wish to slay Malfeas, their last blow will need to be struck in sadness at the passing of a titan, not anger.

Still Goes On
Cost: -; Mins: Essence 5; Type: Permanent
Keywords: None
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisite Charms: Leaping Up High
Malfeas may bide his time when he must, allowing his enemies to think him dead while he laughs secretly. This charm permanently upgrades its prerequisite, allowing the warlock to delay her recovery for as long as she wishes, up until the next Calibration. The time to wait is determined when Leaping Up High is activated. At Essence 6+, the potential duration extends indefinitely: the warlock may lie dormant for a thousand years, and at the end of that time his rotting remains will reform and rise again.

I Am The Dance
Cost: -; Mins: Essence 5; Type: Permanent
Keywords: None
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisite Charms: Still Goes On
Malfeas, in his waiting, may suffer any indignity: he knows he will have his revenge. When using Leaping Up High, an Infernal with this charm is no longer killed by any damage inflicted on him during recovery; he need only roll to resist effects that can deal damage to immaterial beings: so long as his spirit remains intact, his body can be smeared to paste for all he cares.
With a second purchase at Essence 6+, requiring the second purchase of Still Goes On as a prerequisite, his body can be thrown into a volcano without destroying him. If his body is destroyed (such as by being thrown into a volcano) then he reforms in a place that he considers home. This place is nominated when the charm is purchased, and must be Storyteller-approved. It may be changed only once per story, and then only when the original location has been compromised in some way. As with Leaping Up High, the anger being vented against his body gives him the fuel to reform: if his body is destroyed especially to take advantage of this charm, or accidentally, then he cannot reform, and dies (so if his allies threw his body into a volcano, or it fell off accidentally in a fight, then he would not reform, but if he were burned for witchcraft he would).

Ebon Dragon

Light Shrouding Shadow
Cost: 1m or 1m, 1wp Mins: Essence 3 Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Combo-OK
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Loom-Snarling Deception
The Ebon Dragon is a master of deception. Under his arguments, shadow can seem light. On purchasing this Charm the warlock chooses a possible anima. For example, he could choose a Dawn caste with a tiger totem, or a Fire aspect. This Charm can then be activated on any tick in which he spends peripheral Essence. That Essence goes towards the selected anima, rather than his own. Thus, a warlock could appear to be a Dawn caste by flaring a Dawn anima instead of an Infernal anima, so long as he used this Charm whenever he spent periperal Essence. If the warlock's own anima would show at any level for any reason, then the false anima generated by this Charm is destroyed and the Essence powering it flares into the warlock's own anima, destroying the disguise. After puchasing this Charm, the warlock may spend one bonus point or two experience points to learn a new anima. Despite the similarity of this anima to what it mimics, the warlock does not gain the anima power associated with the anima that he chooses. A second purchase at Essence 5+ removes this limitation, so long as the warlock pays one Willpower and an additional mote for every action in which the power is active. This does not permit learning Charms through a false Eclipse, Moonshadow or Fiend, anima or similar.

nolispe
2010-12-14, 05:20 AM
Clearly you need some more infernal craft chams. It's always been sad that the guys who built the games of divinity are so incompetent.

Fortuna
2010-12-14, 03:27 PM
I'll make you a deal: you give me some actual helpful critique on what I've got, and I'll make you some Infernal Craft.

nolispe
2010-12-14, 04:26 PM
All of the stuff at essence 6+ is broken, but that's sorta the point. No critique is possible at that point. Everywhere at once prana seems a little weak. Creation of the Moment seems fine.

Xefas
2010-12-14, 04:56 PM
All of the stuff at essence 6+ is broken, but that's sorta the point. No critique is possible at that point. Everywhere at once prana seems a little weak. Creation of the Moment seems fine.

I don't think they're particularly broken. In fact, I don't see why Manifold Army of Self couldn't be War/Essence 5. Raising your own army in the blink of an eye isn't that crazy of an effect for a Solar-tier power.

Fortuna
2010-12-14, 05:13 PM
I guess that counts. I'll make more as the ideas occur to me. EDIT: Night Caste'd.

Malfeas

Maker's Dominion
Cost: 20m, 1wp Mins: Essence 3 Type: Simple (Dramatic action)
Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious, Blasphemy
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Crowned With Fury
As Lord and King of those who made Creation, Malfeas has rights that the interlopers known as gods cannot hope to match. This charm is a dramatic action to create an object, and lasts for a single crafting interval (however long that may be). The warlock is treated as having a basic workshop on hand (see Oadenol's Codex, Chapter I), and furthermore may make up to (Essence) crafting rolls during that single interval (effectively multiplying his crafting speed by his Essence). A second purchase at Essence 5+ lets him act as though he has a flawless workshop on hand, but qualifies as a Blasphemy effect and creates huge Essence flares, making it Obvious as well.

nolispe
2010-12-14, 06:42 PM
I don't think they're particularly broken. In fact, I don't see why Manifold Army of Self couldn't be War/Essence 5. Raising your own army in the blink of an eye isn't that crazy of an effect for a Solar-tier power.

That one's broken the other way.

Fortuna
2010-12-14, 09:32 PM
That one's broken the other way.

Well, the most recent batch of tinkering aside, I'll point out that all the duplicates are still capable of using Excellencies, as well as whatever other Essence 1 charms you might have. Assuming Willpower ten, total virtues 9, they'll have a total of 39 Essence to throw around (since if you're creating an army of you, anima flare isn't really an issue at that point).

EDIT: A complete list of relevant Core charms that they can use follows:

First (Ability) Excellency
Second (Ability) Excellency
Third (Ability) Excellency
There Is No Wind
Hungry Tiger Technique
Fire And Stones Strike
One Weapon, Two Blows
Dipping Swallow Defense
Solar Counterattack
Joint-Wounding Attack
Armored Scout's Invigoration
Durability of Oak Meditation
Essence Gathering Temper
Willpower Enhancing Spirit
Battle Fury Focus
Essence-Lending Method (!)
Willpower-Bolstering Method (!!)
Lightning Speed
Shadow Over Water
Easily Overlooked Presence Method
Master Horseman's Technique
Salty Dog Method

And all of those are core, Solar-only charms. And if you have combos, they can use them too, so long as they're only using Essence 1 charms. I particularly like Essence-Lending Method with twenty-odd duplicates doing it.

nolispe
2010-12-14, 09:50 PM
See, now that just makes it broken in a more funhdemental way: Either, it's utterly utterly worthless, when you aren't really abusing that sorta stuff, or it is OMGHAX.
EDIT: Hey, you have AIM! What's your namethingy?

Fortuna
2010-12-14, 10:27 PM
Patched the Essence-Lending Method loophole.

nolispe
2010-12-15, 02:44 AM
We need a charm that lets you swing your daiklaive really fast and thus fly. Or perhaps throw it up, and not let go, thereby flying.

Fortuna
2010-12-15, 02:49 AM
We need a charm that lets you swing your daiklaive really fast and thus fly. Or perhaps throw it up, and not let go, thereby flying.

Or, y'know, you could use a different method of flying and fluff it that way. I particularly like the image of Eagle-Wing Method as daiklaive-spinning.

nolispe
2010-12-15, 03:26 AM
Right, combo ideas Ahoy!
What about some form of 'jump onto an enemies blade' sorta thing?

Reynard
2010-12-26, 05:25 PM
Solar Charms:War: Everywhere At Once Prana:

This is... odd, I must say. The copy you create is nigh-on worthless, and it gaining 4 dots of War is not worth 20 motes.

I think I see what purpose it might serve, allowing a Dawn to create a fill-in general while he takes to the field, but with only Essence 1 the thing would be terrible at that job. I think lowering the cost for dots of War to 3 motes per dot, and allowing it to use higher essence War charms, would make it worthwhile to learn.

Maybe say:
This duplicate treats it's own War dots as dots of Permanent essence for the purposes of qualifying for and using Charms. It still has to use it's Permanent Essence rating of 1 to calculate it's pool of motes.

Also, maybe make a note that the Solar has to Commit half of the motes it spent on creating the duplicate.


Manifold Army of Self.

Hmm. I dunno about this one. I like what it does and how it does it, but...

Mundane equipment and only Essence 1 charms weakens them considerably, but the fact that whenever you use a charm they can use, everyone else gets it as well, for no extra mote cost, significantly boosts the power.

Infinite (Ability) Mastery, becomes really crazy broken, becuase it's 75 copies of you all maxing out your dice pools on every attack for free.

The real problem with the charm, though, is that it forces you into Mass combat. : /

Craft:Creation Of The Moment:

I have trouble seeing what good this charm is for, as is. If you completely removed the lime limit for items created this way, and bumped the Minimum Essence up to 4, I'd see no problem with it.
Mundane items are hardly useful enough to Exalts that you must restrict their creation.

Genius Beyond Creation:

Firstly, lower the Limit increase to [(Artifact /2) round up]. Otherwise, I see no real problem, besides that there should have to be a number of Committed Motes equal the Artifact rating.
Infernal Charms:Malfeas:Maker's Dominion:

Hmm. I don't care for this charm much. Building things isn't Malfeas's domain. He breaks them, angrily and violently, in a whirlwind of emerald fire and a howl of fury.

Aside from that... it seems a fine charm. Just not Malfean.

Ebon Dragon:Light Shrouding Shadow:

1: Make this Permanent, allowing the Infernal to spend a 1-mote surcharge to imitate the anima when ever they spend Peripheral Essence. This stops it taking up the Charm activation.
2: Make the "Imitate the ability as well as the appearance" effect should require a second purchase of the charm, and the WP cost could be lowered to 1 wp per Scene.

Otherwise, fine charm, like it.

IcarusWings
2010-12-26, 05:44 PM
I really like Perfected Grandmaster Style a lot, and I think it's very interesting. I can't really comment on balance much though. A minor nitpick is that some of the charms in the style have Internalized Opening Form as a prerequisite, which, I assume, is an old name for Perfected Grandmaster Form.

I'll agree with others and say that Everywhere-at-Once Prana seems a bit weak. I'd say give it the same as all of the Solar's abilities, but with half the dots, so that they can actually do something. That might make it crazy broken though, I dunno.

Reynard
2010-12-26, 06:14 PM
My comments are in This.


Celestial Martial Arts

Perfected Grandmaster StyleThe form weapons for this Celestial Martial Art are the short sword, the knife, and arftifact versions of them. This style is incompatible with armor.
Why just these weapons, exactly? Just asking. Also, spelling error on Artifact.

Humble Pawn Advance
Cost: 1m Mins: Martial Arts 2, Essence 1 Type: Simple (Speed 3)
Keywords: Combo-OK
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: None
Nine games in ten open with the swift advance of a lowly pawn, preparing the battlefield for their betters while holding it from their enemies. This charm allows the Exalt to move up to (Martial Arts x 2 + Essence x 2) yards. It may be invoked once reflexively on the first tick on which she acts in a combat, in which case it carries no DV penalty.

This is... alright. I've seen less useful/balanced opening charms in published books, not that that's saying too much in our hobbies. I could see this charm being ignored, however, until it was placed in a combo.

Bounding Knight Onslaught
Cost: 3m Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 2 Type: Simple
Keywords: Combo-OK
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Humble Pawn Advance
The knight is an important piece in offense, bounding seemingly from nowhere and vanishing again to a safe distance. The martial artist chooses one opponent within (Essence + Martial Arts) yards and makes a single Martial Arts attack against them, dealing one additional die of pre-soak damage for every three yards beyond her normal reach. The Exalt actually leaps to the attack when using this charm, so counterattacks are certainly possible.

Note that the Martial Artist ends up next to their target, unless they don't, in which case explicitly mention so. Otherwise, nice charm, I'd certainly like to use it on a Solar Hero Build. :smalltongue:

Penetrating Bishop Prana
Cost: 3m Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 2 Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Combo-OK
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Humble Pawn Advance
From across the battlefield the bishop flies, ignoring the war that would block a lesser piece's path. The Exalt chooses one point within (Essence x 10) yards to which she has line of sight. If there are no obstacles or characters within one yard of this line of sight, and if the intervening terrain would normally be of a sort that she could cross without non-permanent charms, she instantly dashes to that point. This charm cannot levitate the Exalt to a flying manse, but it can permit her to run up a tree nigh-instantly, so long as the branches are arranged the right way; she only needs to be able to traverse it, not walk it.

Slightly overpowered. I'd lower it to Essence x5 or less.

Perfected Grandmaster Form
Cost: 5m Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 2 Type: Simple
Keywords: Form-type, Compulsion
Duration: One scene
Prerequisite Charms: Bounding Knight Onslaught, Penetrating Bishop Prana
A master chess player knows how to respond to certain moves automatically, needing little thought to decide on their action. While this charm is active, the martial artist may select up to their (Essence) actions they are capable of taking each time their DV refreshes. For each action, she must specify a condition dependent on the actions of another, for example 'If I am attacked by a zombie' or 'If one of my allies attacks the First and Forsaken Lion'. If the martial artist perceives this condition to be met, even if it is a deception or an Illusion effect, then the martial artist gains a number of bonus dice equal to her (Essence) to that action if and only if she takes it as soon as possible. Otherwise that action drops off the list, and until she invokes this charm again the number of action/condition pairs that she may maintain is reduced by one.

Weak. Really weak. I'd;
> Increase the number of actions to Essence+War.
> Also let it decrease the speed of the actions by 1, minimum 3.
> Only remove an action from the list if it got acted upon.
> And give a bonus to actions and dice rolls that direct the flow of battle, such as rolls to set up Coordinated Attacks.

Guarding Rook Understanding
Cost: 5m Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 3 Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Combo-OK, Counterattack
Duration: (Essence) actions
Prerequisite Charms: Internalised Opening Form
The rook's first purpose is to guard its own territory and king. So, too, the martial artist guards her territory and allies. This charm is either a Blockade Movement action or a Defend Other action. In either case, the range at which the martial artist may take such an action is multiplied by her (Martial Arts), and the effects of the action last until this charm's duration expires. Further, if any character attacks a character defended by this charm or attempts to pass through territory guarded by this charm, the martial artist may make a counterattack or attack against that character with (Essence) bonus successes.

I'd also give a Parry DV bonus equal to [Essence/2, round up] to Guard Other actions, and a dice bonus equal to [Essence] to the opposed roll for Blockade Movement. Also, the Prerequisite Charms entry for this charm and the next two displays Internalised Opening Form, not Perfected Grandmaster Form.

Enemy-Confounding Gambit
Cost: 2-4 lhl Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 3 Type: Reflexive (Step 2)
Keywords: Combo-OK
Duration: One scene
Prerequisite Charms: Internalised Opening Form
A material loss for positional gain often bears fruit. This charm perfectly negates any damage from an attack that it is invoked in response to. However, the Exalt suffers damage nonetheless, dancing just barely into the attack just far enough to goad the opponent into making a mistake. The martial artist may choose to suffer two to four levels of lethal damage. This cost is incurred in step 10 of attack resolution. so counterattacks and similar may be invoked even if this charm's invocation renders its user Incapacitated. This charm is explicitly capable of enhancing Defend Other actions. The character that made the initial attack suffers a penalty to both Dodge and Parry DV equal to the number of health levels that the martial artist suffered from invoking this charm, being too overextended to properly defend themselves.

Weird, but cool. I'd make the DV penalty only apply for [Martial Arts] actions, though. [Martial Arts x2] at Essence 5.

Superb Pinning Tactic
Cost: 6m Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 3 Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Combo-OK
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Internalised Opening Form
When to stay invites attack, but to move invites attack against another, there is no real option. This charm enhances a Martial Arts-based attack. The martial artist chooses one other opponent that they could target with the same attack. If the target of this attack takes any action before the chosen opponent moves, the martial artist may make a reflexive attack against their chosen opponent with a number of bonus dice of pre-soak damage equal to the number of dice of post-soak damage rolled on the first attack. If they cannot reach this enemy for some reason, they may reflexively move directly towards them until they can.

This need re-wording for clarification. I'll have a bash at it.
When to stay invites attack, but to move invites attack against another, there is no real option. This charm enhances a Martial Arts-based attack against one target (Referred to as 'A'). The martial artist also chooses one other opponent that they could have targeted instead ('B'). If A takes any action before B moves, the martial artist may make a reflexive attack against B with a number of bonus dice of pre-soak damage equal to the number of dice of post-soak damage rolled on the attack against A. If they cannot reach this enemy for some reason, they may reflexively move directly towards them until they can.
Still needs work, probably.

Unfortunate Forking Technique
Cost: 4m Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 3 Type: Simple
Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Internalised Opening Form
A threat against two enemies is more than doubly effective. The martial artist chooses two enemies who she could target with a Martial Arts attack. Each one knows that the martial artist has chosen them and one other target, that both targets have the opportunity to move, that the martial artist's next attack will be devastating, and that only one of the two can escape. All this is made Obvious by the martial artist's posture and the Essence that swirls around her. Each target has the option to attempt one Move action to get out of range. If both take the option, then both are held by the magic and the martial artist's upcoming attack is considered undodgeable and unblockable. After the targets have decided, the martial artist makes one attack against either target and deals additional pre-soak damage equal to her (Essence).

Currently too many questions. What happens if neither back away? Is the attack still unblockable/undodgeable if only one does?

Glorious Checkmate Combination
Cost: 15m, 1wp Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4 Type: Extra Action
Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Guarding Rook Understanding, Enemy-Confounding Gambit, Superb Pinning Tactic, Unfortunate Forking Technique
In the final moment of battle, every element brought into play is unified with terrifying efficiency. The martial artist chooses up to her (Essence) actions, and must specify an order in which those actions go. All of these actions which are directed against any target must be directed against the same target. She then takes those actions in turn, and for each action that is not diceless she adds the threshold to the next action in the set as bonus dice. If any action, including a reflexive action, fails during this charm, then the number of successes by which it fell short is added to the next action as bonus dice, and subtracted from all other actions during this combo (effectively canceling its effect on all actions but the next). If an action is perfectly negated, then the next action (and only the next action) perfectly succeeds. If an action perfectly succeeds for any reason other than the preceding clause, it grants no bonus to future actions by virtue of this charm. This charm is explicitly compatible with non-Martial Arts based actions and charms. Any Perfected Grandmaster Style charms used in a Combo with this charm are at a 3m discount, to a minimum of zero motes. Any Charm reduced to no cost by this effect does not count as a Charm activation.

Can you re-word this as well? There also seem to be a small amount of contradictions in the text.

Fortuna
2010-12-30, 03:31 AM
Woah, people commented! For the record, that is not dead which can eternal lie: I'm working on a big Exalted project that I'll post as I complete sections, but I will reveal that it involves Abyssals, Infernals and Alchemicals.

Re Everywhere At Once Prana: I can see what you mean. I will point out that if you want to have multiple units on the battlefield, then this duplicate will be better than most mortal commanders. I like your upgrade, but I'm worried that there's almost certainly huge exploits available. I might reduce the cost though. Since it's Indefinite, the motes are committed anyway.

Re Manifold Army of Self: True. I had an earlier version in which they had their own Essence pools and paid for charms out of it, but Essence-Lending Method broke it wide open, particularly with Willpower-Bolstering Method in play as well. It basically served as a free Essence-and-Willpower-to-full.

Re Creation Of The Moment: I'm a bit wary of letting the character produce arbitrary amounts of any mundane good, including the 'mundane' wonders of Oadenol's Codex. That's basically what you're proposing.

Re Genius Beyond Creation: Holding a five-dot artifact together through raw willpower? I'd say that doing that for a day or so is plenty to drive you to magical insanity.

Re Maker's Dominion: Eh, if you say so. I see it as tapping into his previous existence, an echo of what he was.

Re Light Shrouding Shadow: Really? Basically never flaring your anima ever again, unless you wanted to? I see much of its use as being to prove that you are a different Exalt type than Infernal. I can see your argument for the reduced cost on duplicating powers, though.

Re Perfected Grandmaster Style weapons: Because? I don't know, it's just what came to mind. Any other suggestions.

Re Humble Pawn Advance: Fair point.

Re Bounding Knight Assault: Whoops.

Re Penetrating Bishop Prana: Sure.

Re Perfected Grandmaster Form: You think? The Speed decrease in particularly worries me.

Re Guarding Rook Understanding: That's a good idea. And I'll correct that typo in the next big batch of corrections.

Re Enemy-Confounding Gambit: Really, how many fights last longer than that anyway?

Re Superb Pinning Tactic: Thanks.

Re Unfortunate Forking Technique: It's not ambiguous, although it may be slightly murkily worded. If neither backs away, or if only one backs away, then it is neither unblockable nor undodgeable, but the martial artist still makes an attack as described.

Re Glorious Checkmate Combination: I'll do a complete reword in the next big edit, I assure you.

Reynard
2010-12-31, 03:30 PM
Re Creation Of The Moment: I'm a bit wary of letting the character produce arbitrary amounts of any mundane good, including the 'mundane' wonders of Oadenol's Codex. That's basically what you're proposing.
Wyld-Shaping Technique.

This just does it faster. And besides, who needs firedust when you have a Dawn Caste?
Re Genius Beyond Creation: Holding a five-dot artifact together through raw willpower? I'd say that doing that for a day or so is plenty to drive you to magical insanity.Oh, didn't quite read that right. Hmm, doing it at all at low-essence should be impossible anyway, I'd actually restrict the value of the artifacts they can create to [Craft /2 round up.] and remove the limit condition anyway.

Otherwise you'll get people ignoring the limit cost anyway for the sake of getting a battleship on demand, as soon as they can afford it in motes.

Re Light Shrouding Shadow: Really? Basically never flaring your anima ever again, unless you wanted to? I see much of its use as being to prove that you are a different Exalt type than Infernal. I can see your argument for the reduced cost on duplicating powers, though.Night Castes get the same thing as their passive anima power. Note that it's +1 mote every single time you use peripheral essence. In combat, it can be a risky maneuver to spend even that much.
Re Perfected Grandmaster Style weapons: Because? I don't know, it's just what came to mind. Any other suggestions.
Spears, maybe? They're a fairly iconic symbol of a general, using them to direct his troops.

Re Perfected Grandmaster Form: You think? The Speed decrease in particularly worries me.
Maybe if it was a blanket -1 speed on your actions, it'd be something to fret about, but these are a limited list of specific actions that rely on other people doing what you expect.

Re Enemy-Confounding Gambit: Really, how many fights last longer than that anyway?
More than you'd think, actually. Especially when you're dealing with Martial artists, who all tend to have below-average Speed, letting them get more actions in. This keeps it long enough to matter, but not completely debilitating.

Xefas
2011-01-01, 02:24 PM
Maker's Dominion:
Hmm. I don't care for this charm much. Building things isn't Malfeas's domain. He breaks them, angrily and violently, in a whirlwind of emerald fire and a howl of fury.

Aside from that... it seems a fine charm. Just not Malfean.


I know this is a post several days old, but I'm going to contest it anyway!

The Crafting Ladder basically goes like this:
Autochthon
Solar Exalted Who Dedicate Themselves to Crafting
The Unconquered Sun
Ligier
Everyone Who Is Inconsequential To My Point

Ligier is Malfeas' fetich soul. He is both literally and figuratively, in several ways, the Heart of Malfeas. Sure, Malfeas' Demon-City jouten isn't out crafting every day (although, one could argue that he constantly tears down and rebuilds his own flesh into buildings and other structures, which could use Crafting rules), but to assume that a Yozi is only the jouten most often associated with them would be a mistake, I think. Malfeas is also a world, and a soul hierarchy, and a naked man dancing in the street.

And, on a slight tangent, we need more Naked Dancing Malfeas Charms.

Fortuna
2011-02-17, 07:58 PM
This is so close, it's probably Iron Circle aleady. But, on the other hand, we have here some new charms!

Innate Understanding of (Style)
Cost: -; Minimums: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4; Type: Permanent
Keywords: -
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisites: Mastery of a Terrestrial Martial Art
This charm is a tool used primarily by the Lawgivers and Viziers of the first age to incorporate the ideals of a style so deeply into their very bones that they are never without it. It may be learned by any Exalt type capable of meeting its prerequisites. Upon learning this charm, the Exalt selects a single Terrestrial-level martial art which she has mastered. When activating a charm of that style, the Exalt may pay a single willpower point to begin a dynamic combo containing a number of charms from that style no greater than her (Essence). If the charm is already in a combo, then the charms of that combo do not count against the limit for the dynamic combo. There exists a much rarer version, Reflective Perfection of (Style), which requires mastery of a Celestial level martial art and Martial Arts and Essence 6. Reflective Perfection of the (Style) grants an analogous effect, but applies to a single Celestial martial art. This charm may be learned more than once, but a single martial art cannot be used as the prerequisite more than once.

Charm Concept: Dynamic Combo
A dynamic combo is similar to a combo in many ways. When a charm or other effect grants a dynamic combo, the character may freely use charms that qualify to be included until the limit of charms is reached. Thus, a Solar of Essence 4 using Innate Understanding of Snake Style could, when activating Striking Serpent Speed, pay a single willpower to use it in combination with Essence Venom Strike. When subjected to an attack on the next tick, the Solar could activate Serpentine Evasion and Snake Strikes The Heel without needing to pay more willpower, but could not activate Shadow Over Water unless the original charm (here Striking Serpent Speed) was in a combo with Shadow Over Water. Note that paying to activate a dynamic combo is separate from paying to activate a normal combo. A normal combo can never be used unless activated on the first charm in the action.

Infinite Understanding of (Style)
Cost: -; Minimums: Martial Arts 5, Essence 5; Type: Permanent
Keywords: -
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisites: Innate Understanding of (Style)
By extending the concepts and precepts of a style into every moment of his life, the Exalt achieves true mastery. The Exalt may now pay a single willpower when first activating a charm of a single style which he has taken Innate Understanding of the (Style) in a scene. All activations of charms from that style are innate powers for the remainder of the scene. The equivalent to this charm is Unbounded Internalisation of (Style), which applies to a Celestial martial art and requires both Martial Arts and Essence 6.

Economic Acumen of (Style)
Cost: Varies; Minimums: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4; Type: Simple
Keywords: Combo-OK
Duration: One scene
Prerequisites: Mastery of a single Terrestrial Martial Art.
By practicing the fundamental forms of a style to utmost perfection, the Exalt attunes her Essence pathways to its use. When activating this charm, the Exalt pays some number of motes. For so long as the charm lasts, all charms of a single terrestrial style which the character has mastered (chosen when purchasing this charm) have their cost reduced by half the number of motes used to activate this charm. This charm is incompatible with both Innate Understanding of (Style) and Infinite Understanding of (Style). Its equivalent, Unparalleled Frugality of (Style), requires Essence 5, and applies to a single Celestial martial art. It is incompatible with Reflective Perfection of (Style) and Unbounded Internalisation of (Style). Neither Economic Acumen of (Style) nor Unparalleled Frugality of (Style) may ever reduce a charm's cost below 1 mote.

SurlySeraph
2011-02-17, 09:12 PM
I'm not sure the ease of combo'ing that Innate Understanding of (Style) allows is a good thing, though I can't think of anything terrible it would open up. At least, nothing that a) isn't due to innate imbalance in the style (say, Even Blade) and b) not all that unreasonable at Essence 4, let alone Essence 6. But wait for second and third opinions at very least.

With Infinite Understanding of (Style), do you have to pay the WP every action that you want to make those powers innate? Or does paying it make it last for the rest of the scene Or is it just a once-per-scene thing?

I expect that Economic Acumen of (Style) and Unparalleled Frugality of (Style) can allow for shenanigans, but I can't think of any off the top of my head. You should specify whether it can reduce the mote cost of Charms to 0, and might want to clarify how it would interact with other cost-reducers like Infinite Martial Arts Mastery, Perfected Kata Bracers, and the Precision of Form Gemstone.


And, on a slight tangent, we need more Naked Dancing Malfeas Charms.

Shame-Obliterating Nimbus?
Joyful Juggernaut Onslaught?
Flopping Brass Splendor?
...
Viridian Legend Yes, Yes It Is?

Fortuna
2011-02-18, 02:37 AM
Infinite Understanding had a sentence left from an earlier version; once you spend the willpower, the charms are innate for the rest of the scene. I'm worried that that one's too powerful, actually.

Economic Acumen of (Style) and its equivalent have a new sentence: minimum cost of 1m.

Fortuna
2011-04-12, 04:14 AM
Wow, I've let this languish. Right! Double-post and necromancy ahoy! This time, we get actual Solar Stealth charms, as well as more Malfean crafting.

Light Fades Away
Cost: 5m; Minimums: Stealth 4, Essence 3; Type: Simple;
Keywords: Combo-OK;
Duration: Indefinite;
Prerequisite Charms: Any Stealth Excellency
The Solar's light often requires dimming, lest his foes find him before he is ready. By activating this charm, the Solar temporarily hides his very nature from reality itself. So long as this charm lasts, he is incapable of spending peripheral essence (although any commitments from peripheral essence are unaffected). However, any Essence sight observing either him or non-Obvious effects that he produces shows only a normal mortal. This charm exerts no influence to force an enemy to ignore any discrepancies, so a Dawn proudly marching in his Celestial Battle Armor will still have some explaining to do, but to any essence sight he will simply be a mortal. As a helpful side effect, his anima dies away completely when he activates this charm. At Essence 4+, the Solar has the option when activating this charm to instead shut down his Essence signature entirely, making him invisible to essence sight.

Shadows Swallow The Light
Cost: 5m; Minimums: Stealth 5, Essence 4; Type: Simple (Speed 1);
Keywords: Obvious;
Duration: One tick;
Prerequisite Charms: Invisible Statue Spirit
The Solar vanishes and reappears, harrying her foes. This charm permits the Solar to vanish into her surroundings, igniting a brief flare of essence as she flees. She is completely invisible for the duration of this tick, and may attempt to hide without penalty once during this time. Her next attempt to re-establish surprise on a subsequent tick inflicts a -2 external penalty on any opposing attempt to contest it.

Green Forge Flaming
Cost: 10m+; Minimums: Essence 3; Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Combo-OK;
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Maker's Dominion
While Malfeas rages and destroys, Ligier strives and creates. The two are inseparable, two parts of the same entity, and so some part of Malfeas' greater self must reflect this creative potential, as it so long ago did. This charm supplements an effort to craft an artifact. By spending ten motes, the Exalt removes the need for a single exotic ingredient, as well as one more for each five motes beyond the first ten. This charm may never reduce the number of exotic ingredients below one, however, and artifacts created through its use are fundamentally tainted: regardless of their composition and history, they are vitriol-tainted, and thus all Exalts but the Infernals must attune as though to a foreign material.

Great Smith Burning
Cost: - (15m, 1wp); Minimums: Essence 4; Type: Permanent;
Keywords: None;
Duration: Permanent;
Prerequisite Charms: Green Forge Flaming
Malfeas was once the greatest of the Primordials. The very Sun that hangs in the sky was the handiwork of the Empyreal Chaos, and Malfeas has neither forgotten that knowledge nor that power. Through the use of this charm, the Infernal imbues something of his Essence into whatever he is attempting to make, making it greater than it could otherwise have been. When crafting, the Infernal has two new options available to him.
The Infernal may sacrifice any number of experience points while making an object. For this cost, the Infernal creates something that will endure forever, or close to it. The object is as indestructible as any artifact, and has the additional power of aiding its user to excellence. The Infernal chooses any combination of Ability dots totalling half the number of experience points that he paid into the item. When being used directly in an action related to one of these abilities, its user gains a bonus equal to the dots thus allocated, to a maximum of their (Ability cap + 2). This bonus increases their Ability rating in terms of granting more dice, but does not count as dice added by a charm or increase the cap on dice added by charms.
Alternatively, the warlock may instead pay a number of experience points equal to their Essence while making an otherwise mundane object. As a result, any user of the item treats their rating in one Ability, chosen when the item is made, as the higher of their rating or the warlock’s Essence at the time of crafting, and the item is considered to be constructed of Malfean Brass for the purpose of determining Hardness and health levels.
Whichever option the Infernal chooses, the experience points spent may never be recovered.

Xefas
2011-04-12, 04:29 AM
For Great Smith Burning, the fluff is technically incorrect. The Shadow That Was pulled Ignis Divine from himself. The Empyreal Chaos had no hand in his creation.

As for its effect, it doesn't seem terribly Malfean. And stuff that lets you operate at a higher Essence is a bad place to go, in my opinion.

Green Forge Flaming also seems like it should be farther up in a charm tree, behind another Craft charm or two.

Fortuna
2011-04-12, 04:34 AM
Great Smith Burning is fixed, at least as far as those issues go.

Green Forge Flaming... I can't think of anything to interpose, off the top of my head.

Xefas
2011-04-12, 04:40 AM
Well, you already have one Malfeas Craft charm. Is there a reason why Maker's Dominion couldn't be Essence 3, and you could put Green Forge Flaming behind that?

Alternatively, maybe something like Rebuking Impudent Arms or Vitriolic Corona Endowment would be a fitting prerequisite.

Fortuna
2011-04-12, 04:50 AM
True. I might do that. Incidentally, Great Smith Burning is being rewritten in its entirety.

Fortuna
2011-04-12, 07:09 PM
Great Smith Burning is rewritten.