- Pronouns
- They/Them
Also, some of those have in-setting answers already anyways, especially the God one (even if you don't buy it) and that stupid fucking LOTR Eagles thing.
General Exalted Thread
Also, some of those have in-setting answers already anyways, especially the God one (even if you don't buy it) and that stupid fucking LOTR Eagles thing.
Aaron Peori
Rest in Peace
"I can be shot!"
(Contemplates writing White Devil style, decides not to)
Hmmm...
Soul of the Shieldmaiden
Cost: 3m Minimums: Melee 4, Essence 2
Type: Simple (Dramatic Action)
Keywords: None Duration: Indefinite
Prerequisites: Summoning the Loyal Steel, Dipping Swallow Defense
For so well treated are the weapons of he lawgivers that they would leap to their master's aid without even their awareness being required. Once this Charm is learned the Solar may engage in a special bonding ceremony where he secures the absolute loyalty of the weapon. This takes as long as the normal attunement of an artifact weapon and may overlap with that process if the Solar is attuning a new weapon, in which case this Charm effectively raises the attunement cost by 3m. The Solar may also attune a mundane weapon in this manner, in which case the cost is only 3m. This Charm has no effect on conjured or temporary weapons such as those created by Charms, Sorcery or various Improvised weapons (even those enhanced or altered by magic).
As long as this Charm remains committed the least god of the weapon will attempt to defend its master should he be unaware of an attack. If the Solar fails to perceive an attack the weapon may make a reflexive Awareness check. This is unrolled, and produces 2 successes automatically. If the weapon is an artifact add the artifacts Rating in automatic successes. If the Solar has an Intimacy toward the weapon raise the automatic successes by 2. If these successes are sufficient to perceive the attack the weapon will attempt to Parry the incoming attack using a special DV of (2+Artifact Rating+weapons defense bonus)/2 (add +1 DV if the Solar has an Intimacy towards the weapon). The weapon may also reflexively activate the Solar's parry charms to enhance this Parry, drawing the cost from the Solar's normal Essence pools but the cost of such effects increase by 2m. The Solar may choose to prevent such Charm activations. This effect does not trigger if the Solar is aware of the incoming attack and can not defend against Unblockable attacks, even if the Solar has access to Charms that allow him to Parry Unblockable attacks.
Further, so long as the Solar retains commitment to this Charm the weapon may not be attuned by another Essence User. The effects of this Charm automatically deactivate if the Solar mistreats or neglects the weapon long enough to lose its loyalty. All weapons have Conviction 5 for the purposes of losing Intimacies.
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- Location
- Gladstone, OR
That's really cool @Aaron Peori !
Hmm. I think it's pretty dense though- almost hard to read. It has a lot of 'If' statements, which I personally would try to cut down on. I definitely like the interplay of intimacies though.
Now, one more direct point is that as per the 2e sidebar on ownership, weapons have a Conviction of 2, (they're effectively Mortals). So Soul of the Shieldmaiden should probably say something like "Weapons enhanced by this charm have a Conviction of 5'.
Hmm. I think it's pretty dense though- almost hard to read. It has a lot of 'If' statements, which I personally would try to cut down on. I definitely like the interplay of intimacies though.
Now, one more direct point is that as per the 2e sidebar on ownership, weapons have a Conviction of 2, (they're effectively Mortals). So Soul of the Shieldmaiden should probably say something like "Weapons enhanced by this charm have a Conviction of 5'.
- Location
- Spain
The obvious limitation for a Solar-level bot is that it incapacites you while you are using it. So it's basically just a remotely controled body.
FaeGlade Plural
Semper Legens
- Location
- Land of Bureaucracy
- Pronouns
- Plural/They
Heh, speaking of "White Devil" style, just yesterday I had an idea about that:
White Reaper + Righteous Devil = White Devil Style
Aside from the name working out like that, Firewands do fire energy beams, the two styles allow you to mix it up in melee as well (a firewand with a bayonet counts as a spear for martial arts when you use Righteous Devil Form) and Righteous Devil has redemption built right into it's charms.
Now, White Reaper would clearly be the secondary style here - you need to stay in Righteous Devil Form to treat the firewand as a spear (so no Halos from White Reaper Form, or at least not as easily), the high-strength demand of it doesn't mix terribly well with flame weapons (who gain no benefit from high strength) and obviously you can't use it's charms to enhance ranged attacks.
But still, it could be a fun combination, especially if you make an artifact firewand with some evocations that support it.
White Reaper + Righteous Devil = White Devil Style
Aside from the name working out like that, Firewands do fire energy beams, the two styles allow you to mix it up in melee as well (a firewand with a bayonet counts as a spear for martial arts when you use Righteous Devil Form) and Righteous Devil has redemption built right into it's charms.
Now, White Reaper would clearly be the secondary style here - you need to stay in Righteous Devil Form to treat the firewand as a spear (so no Halos from White Reaper Form, or at least not as easily), the high-strength demand of it doesn't mix terribly well with flame weapons (who gain no benefit from high strength) and obviously you can't use it's charms to enhance ranged attacks.
But still, it could be a fun combination, especially if you make an artifact firewand with some evocations that support it.
- Location
- Brittany, France
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Aranfan
Team Plasma Grunt
Thank you for pointing that out. That gives me two more BP to play with.
Probably going to try the custom charm route.
FaeGlade Plural
Semper Legens
- Location
- Land of Bureaucracy
- Pronouns
- Plural/They
The Artifact? Hooray!
Have some inspiration.
Basic Artifact&Attunement:
Dragon Sigh Wand that counts as a Spear. Can inflict Bashing damage if the user so choses.
Actual Evocations:
You should totally steal from Orichalcum Hunting Hawk - specifically, Orichalcum Wings Elation and Drifting Hawks Tactics do a great job of representing flight.
Some Evocations that enhance defense with the weapon would be great - specifically, all the barrier-magic that Nanoha does. But you can actually just steal Sky-Eaters Crest from Immaculate Golden Bow for that.
One Evocation that provides multi-target attacks to represent Divine Shooter (perhaps just restricted to Withering, and only doing ping-damage) and, hmm, maybe one that represents her big finish attacks such as Starlight Breaker. No idea on those yet.
Have some inspiration.
Basic Artifact&Attunement:
Dragon Sigh Wand that counts as a Spear. Can inflict Bashing damage if the user so choses.
Actual Evocations:
You should totally steal from Orichalcum Hunting Hawk - specifically, Orichalcum Wings Elation and Drifting Hawks Tactics do a great job of representing flight.
Some Evocations that enhance defense with the weapon would be great - specifically, all the barrier-magic that Nanoha does. But you can actually just steal Sky-Eaters Crest from Immaculate Golden Bow for that.
One Evocation that provides multi-target attacks to represent Divine Shooter (perhaps just restricted to Withering, and only doing ping-damage) and, hmm, maybe one that represents her big finish attacks such as Starlight Breaker. No idea on those yet.
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Bursting Eagerness Soul
Threadwalking Rating Machine
- Location
- Wisconsin
Ruby Rose's sniper-scythe would be almost perfect.
- Location
- Brittany, France
- Pronouns
- He/Him
Aaand stole it.
These were all good ideas but I ended up going for something different, more aggressive. I may write up a Barrier Jacket later on for the flight and defenses.
Star-Shrouded Heart (Orichalcum and Red Jade Direlance, Artifact 5)
An example of the might and decadence of the First Age, the Star-Shrouded Heart was conceived not as a weapon of war, but as a trophy, a ceremonial tool to signify the wealth and influence of the Solar queen that had ordered its construction. It was in forgetting the true nature of a blade that she found her downfall; where she saw a scepter, a symbol of unquestioned rule, her own servant saw a misused instrument of death. When the world fell and the Dragon-Blooded rose up against her, her favored concubine ripped the Star-Shrouded Heart from her side and shed blood with it for the first time. Ever since, something awakened in the weapon; a dim consciousness, a living guilt, which seeks to redeem itself of its original betrayal and to find at last its true purpose - whether as an instrument of death, or a symbol of rule.
Throughout history the Star-Shrouded Heart has been wielded by heroes and monsters alike, paragons of carnage and justice; in the South where it was made it is the subject of duelling legend - one holds that its first master was the Redeeming Queen, mistress of the Righteous Devil style and bringer of justice, betrayed by her lieutenant whose knowledge of White Reaper Style had made her mad with blood-thirst; the other that it was held by the Blood-Stained Snow Queen, goddess of carnage, and that it was her brave Fire Aspect lieutenant who rebelled against her and brought her redemption through fire. These competing legends have driven an ages-long rivalry between the two schools over who was worthy to wield the lance, and as a result the Star-Shrouded Heart has been unusually active in history for an Artifact of such age and power. Many potential wielders stay clear of the weapon, knowing that to hold it is to invite the practitioners of the two rival schools to come claim it from the 'unworthy.'
It is said that in the closing days of an age, there will come a peerless master of both styles, a White Devil who will hold the power to kill in her left hand and the power to redeem in her right, one who will bring the rivalry to a close and earn the Star-Shrouded Heart's true loyalty. She will have her work cut out for her, for it will not be the first time that a canny martial artist dabbles in both styles and claim themselves to the this legendary figure - only to be found wanting.
The Star-Shrouded Heart is a weapon of intricate design. Its triangular head is carved out of orichalcum but split in the middle, a single groove leading to an orb of red jade harvested from the heart of a dragon. Its haft is made out of white jade to compensate for the frailty of its hollow core - as the weapon hides the complete firing mechanism of a dragon's sigh wand. Chemical reagents must be introduced in the firing mechanism near the spearhead in specially-designed cartridges.
Star-Shrouded Heart is both a direlance and a dragon's sigh wand, with the following statistics for each:
Direlance: Accuracy +1, Damage +14, Defense +0, Overwhelming 5, Tags: Lethal, Melee, Piercing, Two-Handed, Reached
Dragon's Sigh Wand: Accuracy +1 at close range, Damage +14, Overwhelming 5, Tags: Lethal, Archery (Short), Flame, Slow
Evocations of Star-Shrouded Heart
The Heart is merciful, but when its wrath is roused to the utmost the torrents of Essence-fire it pours require a steady hand to sustain their full power. A Solar or Dragon-Blood may always choose to inflict bashing damage with this weapon, and may choose to forgo the +4 damage from the Flame tag to instead add their Strength to the weapon's raw damage as if it were a normal archery weapon.
By paying an additional attunement cost of three motes, the user may enjoy special benefits when using this weapon in combination with Righteous Devil Style and White Reaper Style. When the martial artist switches from White Reaper Form into Righteous Devil Form (see the Form keyword, p. 426), she keeps any halos that she has stocked and can spend them on White Reaper Charms (although she must switch back to White Reaper form to gain more haloes).
DRAGON BREAKS THROUGH
Cost: 2m; Mins: Essence 1;
Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Withering-only
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: None
Combining the two aspects of the Star-Shrouded Heart, the Exalt delivers a deadly close-range attack - then pulls the spear's trigger, unleashing a burst of fire at close range to overwhelm her opponent's defenses.
This Charm enhances an attack using this weapon's direlance profile, adding +4 damage; as a drawback, it consumes one charge of firedust, bringing the drawbacks of the Slow tag - the weapon must be reloaded before it is used as a dragon's sigh wand again, or before this Charm may be activated again.
Special activation rules: This Charm may be unlocked without paying experience if the wielder successfully incapacitates a significant opponent with a decisive dragon's sigh wand attack that consumes her last ammunition charge available for the fight. (Even without ammunition rolls, the Storyteller should consider allowing a player to declare she is running out when dramatically appropriate.)
RAGING HEART'S PURSUIT
Cost: 3m, 2i; Mins: Essence 1;
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: None
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: None
Legend says the White Devil will be a figure of light and shadow, raising clouds of fire and burning Essence from which she will dart to cut down her opponents, denying them all escape.
This Evocation may be used when the player successfully crashes an opponent at short range with a dragon's sigh wand attack; it allows her to immediately roll a reflexive rush against that opponent, even if she already moved during this turn. If she succeeds, she moves to close range of the target and may reflexively aim against them.
Special activation rules: This Charm may be unlocked without paying experience if the user successfully rushes a significant opponent and incapacitates them with a decisive attack in the same turn, whether this is accomplished with a flurry or the use of Charms.
ENDLESS NOVAS BLOOMING
Cost: 1m per die; Mins: Essence 2;
Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Decisive-only
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: Dragon Breaks Through, Raging Heart's Pursuit
In one moment of blessed focus, the Exalt's hands inserts cartridge after cartridge into his weapon's haft, steam hissing from its firing mechanism as potential fire is contained in preparation for one final eruption.
This Charm prepares for an attack; while the user reloads his weapon, he may buy damage dice on his next decisive attack at a cost of one mote per die, up to a maximum of her Strength; if his next attack is not a decisive, then this benefit is wasted. Once, once the attack is resolved, the user immediately rolls (Wits+Archery/Martial Arts) at a difficulty of the number of dice she bought; if she fails, she has consumed all her available ammunition.
WHIRLING STARDUST CLOUD
Cost: 4m, 2i; Mins: Essence 2;
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: None
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: Dragon Breaks Through, Raging Heart's Pursuit
Star-Shrouded Heart is a weapon at home in the heart of battle; it rewards those whose mind of steel can keep track of the chaos of the battlefield. Tracking an opponent's movement, the user welcomes their assault by firing a downward, expanding blast - aiming not to hurt them, but to thwart their attack and kick up a cloud of fiery dust that will conceal their true strike.
This Charm may be used in reaction to an attack by an opponent against whom the user benefits from an aim bonus. It expands Star-Shrouded Heart ammunition charge and creates temporary heavy cover against the attack; if the user successfully defends, she may immediately roll (Dexterity + Melee/Martial Arts) to establish stealth.
STARLIGHT BREAKS THE NIGHT
Cost: 10m, 1wp; Mins: Essence 3;
Type: Simple
Keywords: Decisive-only
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: Endless Novas Blooming, Whirling Stardust Cloud
At the end of things, when all her fire is expanded, when she seems only a girl wielding a spear, the White Devil will smile and reveal her greatest trick: in spreading fire she has made the battlefield into her private world. Burning surroundings and smoldering ashes are drawn to the tip of her spear into a great fireball, which she unleashes to destructive effect.
This Charm is a special decisive attack which may only be employed after the user has expanded all available ammunitions for Star-Shrouded Heart in previous attacks. It may target an opponent up to medium range. It bypasses any cover less than full, and its raw damage is increased by the following factors:
- Any bonus dice from aiming are added to raw damage, unless another effect already provides this benefit.
- For every bonfire hazard present within medium range of the user, add two dice to raw damage. Bonfires of considerable size, covering several range bands, provide four dice.
- For every Exalted anima at the glowing level present within medium range of the user, add one die to raw damage. A bonfire anima adds two dice instead.
Special activation rules: If this Charm is used in combination with Caress of 1,000 Hells, its willpower cost is waived, and as a unique benefit it may still be employed if the user has less than the required Essence to activate both Charms - if the user can pay for at least one of the two Charms, the other simply consumes the rest of her Essence pool. This benefit causes her to waive her Essence regeneration for the turn it is used.
WHITE DEVIL'S CROWN
Cost: (+5m, 1wp); Mins: Essence 3;
Type: Simple
Keywords: None
Duration: One scene
Prerequisites: Starlight Breaks The Night
The legend of the White Devil says she will join the masters of two schools in disbelief and anger against her - then, by defeating them utterly, prover her legendary status and acquire their loyalty. Then she will bring new teachings, ones that unite violence and redemption, destruction and life.
This Charm allows the user to activate both White Reaper Form and Righteous Devil Form, enjoying the benefits of both styles simultaneously by paying a surcharge of five motes and one willpower. It ends if the user is crashed, at which point she is forced to choose which of the two Forms she maintains.
Special activation rules: This Charm may not be unlocked by paying experience. To unlock it, the user must have mastered both White Reaper and Righteous Devil Styles, learning all their Charms; she must then defeat a master of each of the two styles, or a single master of both. These fights need not strictly be duels, but the White Devil must not be aided by another in defeating her opponents. Once she does so, White Devil's Crown unlocks for free.
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But it still needs more. Having a remote control suicide bot with Solar level power is really good. Even if you're incapacitated, it's still powerful, and simply not being able to have two Solar's active doesn't limit that.
- Location
- Spain
Eh, those are too expensive to use as suicidal minions. And the weakness to being discovered and killed while you are undefended is already big enough.
Depending on the target, I doubt that. There are lots of targets that seem to be defended at least partially because you wouldn't survive the attempt. Especially since isn't pretty easy to get lots of craft xp?
As for undefended, that's what the rest of the circle is for. Or something that can't really come up, as it's a binary eiither you aren't attacked or you die.
- Location
- Spain
notanautomaton
I've got 99 quests, I've finished one
Which is pretty easy to get.
- Location
- Spain
If that is true, is a problem of the craft system and should be solved there, not a problem of the charm.
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What? Are you using a craft rewrite?
notanautomaton
I've got 99 quests, I've finished one
No. You can get the lowest level of Craft xp by making a single arrow, or spoon, or whatever. Then you just have to repeat, and then convert it up with a charm.
- Location
- Spain
It doesn't work that way, you know.
And really, it's irrelevant. If craft xp were so easy to get that you can spam lv 5 artifacts, the problem is there, and not in the doombot charm.
If something costs the same than two N/A artifacts, it isn't something i should be able to spam.
notanautomaton
I've got 99 quests, I've finished one
Yes it does. You just have to be really poor and take care not to make money.
Yeah...the system rewards craft points for narratively significant crafting towards an objective, however small. You get nothing for "and then I made a thousand spears for the craft points", though you COULD make a few thousand spears to outfit an army as a major project and score appropriate craft points for ONE major project.
If you have Craftsman Needs No Tools, you're never really short of craft points, but having a glut is unlikely unless your GM isn't following the rules either.
azoicennead
Overly-Affectionate Zombie Squad
- Pronouns
- He/They
So... Be really poor, and thus unable to purchase the materials to craft things for yourself?
SerGregness Homebrew: Solar War Charms
So, as I've mentioned a time or two previously in the thread, I've been working on some War charms for Ex3. I've got enough done to count as a proper first draft, so I'd like to post 'em up here for some feedback.
As I said, this is a draft, and a mechanics-focused one at that. The fluff on most of these is a little bare bones at this point (except for Shield of the Sun's Chosen, which is a homebrew charm someone else wrote for 2e that I ported over 'cause I think it's fuckin' sweet.), but the mechanics are pretty close to where I want them. That's not to say they don't need a balance pass, because that's part of the reason I'm puttin' 'em up.
Anyway, the main things I wanted out of these were A) some high essence war charms to make supernal War feel a little better (Yes, yes, you take supernal for its Essence 3 effects, yadda yadda), B) a thematically appropriate Join Battle swapper, C) some exploration of initiative as it represents the flow of battle and relates to War's ability to manipulate that flow (like Lore's ability to manipulate Willpower and Essence). I'm kind of rubbish at naming stuff, so quite a few of those charm names were swiped from various canon and homebrew War charms I found when playing the one Ex2.5 game I was ever in.
So, yeah! Questions, comments, feedback, suggestions, whatever it is, lemme have it!
Supreme Martial Instinct
Cost: - ; Mins: War 3, Essence 1; Type: Permanent
Keywords: None
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisites: None
As a peerless soldier and strategist, the Solar feels the flow of battle as easily as the breath in her lungs. Purchasing this charm provides the Solar with the following permanent enhancements to her capabilities:
-The Solar may roll Join Battle using her (Wits + War) if a Strategem is in effect.
-For every enemy character or battle group who scores lower than the Lawgiver in her first Join Battle roll of a scene, any number of allied battle groups may gain one point of initiative.
-The Solar gains a single point of initiative whenever an opponent rolls join battle after the first round of the fight.
Battle Path Triumphant
Cost: - (5m); Mins: War 4, Essence 2; Type: Permanent
Keywords: None
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: Supreme Martial Instinct, Battle Path Ascendant
Purchasing this Charm allows the Solar to activate Battle Path Ascendant whenever her army drives a non-trivial opponent into initiative crash.
Mob-Dispersing Rebuke
Cost: 3m; Mins: War 4, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive
Keywords: None
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: Rout-Stemming Gesture
When an enemy unit would roll to check for rout, the Solar may use this charm to force them to reroll up to (Essence) successful dice. The result of this reroll cannot be higher than that of the original.
Shining Blade Formation
Cost: 4m; Mins: War 5, Essence 3; Type: Supplemental
Keywords: None
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: Battle Path Triumphant
The armies of The Sun stand ever-ready to drive gleaming steel into the enemies of creation. When The Solar Orders a battle group to make an attack, this Charm grants the unit an Overwhelming bonus equal to her (Essence/2) for that strike.
Lightning-Flash Strategy
Cost: 5m, 5i, 1wp; Mins: War 5, Essence 3; Type: Simple
Keywords: Perilous
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: Shining Blade Formation
On each of the next (Essence) turns, the Solar may take one Command action, without penalty and free of the usual action restrictions, in addition to whatever other actions she performs that round.
Courage-Shattering Clarion
Cost: 6m, 1wp; Mins: War 5, Essence 4; Type: Reflexive
Keywords: None
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: Mob-Dispersing Rebuke
When a battlegroup's Magnitude track is depleted, the Solar may activate this charm to cause it to roll its rout check at +2 difficulty. This charm can even effect units with perfect morale, who are forced to roll a normal rout check (without the +2 difficulty above) as if they had elite drill.
Voice of Celestial Command
Cost: 2m; Mins: War 5, Essence 4; Type: Supplemental
Keywords: None
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: Lightning-Flash Strategy
The Solar gives orders but once, and each of her subordinates understand what she intends for them.
When taking any command action, the Solar may activate this charm to simultaneously issue commands to up to an additional (Essence) allied battle groups with the same action. The orders given need not be identical, or even related, but they all use the same dice roll. A Solar could use this charm to order one battle group to rally for numbers, another to attack, and yet a third to rally against dissolution after failing a morale check, as easily as she could order a multi-front assault.
One With Strife Method
Cost: 1wp; Mins: War 5, Essence 4; Type: Reflexive
Keywords: None
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: Four Glories Meditation
Free Full Excellency once per scene.
Under One Banner Prana
Cost: 3m; Mins: War 5, Essence 5; Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Perilous
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: Voice of Celestial Command, One With Strife Method
Once per scene, when the Solar would gain initiative from her other War charms, she may direct a portion of the initiative gained to her allies instead. The Solar may transfer up to twice her Essence rating, or the total initiative gained (whichever is lower) split however she chooses amongst any number of targets. Initiative not transferred to others in this way is gained by the Solar as normal. This charm resets when the Solar begins her turn at initiative 15+.
Undaunted Phalanx Defense
Cost: 5m, 3i; Mins: War 5, Essence 4; Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Perilous
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: Lightning-Flash Strategy
A Battle group targeted by the Order action enhanced with this charm may reflexively use a Defend Other action on every allied character within Close range of the unit, and may place Full Defense actions inside flurries on their next turn, ignoring the usual flurry penalties, as long as they take no movement actions.
Shield of the Sun's Chosen
Cost: - (1+wp); Mins: War 5, Essence 5; Type: Permanent
Keywords: None
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisites: Undaunted Phalanx Defense, One With Strife Method
This Charm allows the Solar to protect his allies against a rain of arrows, a blast of sorcerous fire, or even the self-destructive rage of a Primordial.
Upon taking a Defend Other action, the Solar may optionally choose to protect a roughly circular area containing himself. Anyone within the area is protected as if the Solar was personally defending them; in the moment of an attack, his anima interposes itself and deflects the blow. The Lawgiver must spend (group's Size/2, round up) Willpower upon taking the Defend Other action in order to grant this protection.
If a single attack would strike multiple targets within this area, the Solar may defend against it with a single application of his Parry DV. If the attacker overcomes this defense, she must choose either to apply the attack to the Solar (once) or to strike at all the original targets; she may not choose to redirect only some of the blows.
The Solar might also choose to invoke this Charm in defense of a landmark or other largely unoccupied area, rather than a group of people. Treat such a structure as having a Size equal to that of a group that might comfortably occupy the same space. For instance, a ziggurat manse would be Size 3-4 while Nexus, even emptied of all its people, is Size 17.
At Essence 7, the Solar may repurchase this Charm, at which point the cost decreases to (Size/4) Willpower. Such Solars could theoretically guard whole Directions against Creation's enemies... for a time.
Golden Legion Battle-Glory
Cost: 5m, 3a; Mins: War 5, Essence 5; Type: Supplemental
Keywords: None
Duration: Until the end of the next round
Prerequisites: Supremacy of the Divine Army, Undaunted Phalanx Defense, Voice of Celestial Command
The Order action enhanced by this charm increases the bonuses from the battlegroup's Size trait by half its successes (rounded down) until the end of the next round. Damage taken to magnitude levels gained in this way disappears along with the levels they fill when the charm's effects end.
Peerless Mind Masterstroke
Cost: 8m; Mins: War 5, Essence 5; Type: Reflexive
Keywords: None
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: Battle-Visionary's Foresight, One With Strife Method
Once per story, when the Solar would engage in Strategic Warfare with an opponent, the Solar may activate this charm to force that opponent to roll their Wits+ War to meet a difficulty of the Solar's Essence. On a failure, the Solar makes the strategic warfare roll unopposed. On a success, the strategic warfare roll proceeds as normal save that the Solar gains (Essence) non-charm dice.
Cost: - ; Mins: War 3, Essence 1; Type: Permanent
Keywords: None
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisites: None
As a peerless soldier and strategist, the Solar feels the flow of battle as easily as the breath in her lungs. Purchasing this charm provides the Solar with the following permanent enhancements to her capabilities:
-The Solar may roll Join Battle using her (Wits + War) if a Strategem is in effect.
-For every enemy character or battle group who scores lower than the Lawgiver in her first Join Battle roll of a scene, any number of allied battle groups may gain one point of initiative.
-The Solar gains a single point of initiative whenever an opponent rolls join battle after the first round of the fight.
Battle Path Triumphant
Cost: - (5m); Mins: War 4, Essence 2; Type: Permanent
Keywords: None
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: Supreme Martial Instinct, Battle Path Ascendant
Purchasing this Charm allows the Solar to activate Battle Path Ascendant whenever her army drives a non-trivial opponent into initiative crash.
Mob-Dispersing Rebuke
Cost: 3m; Mins: War 4, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive
Keywords: None
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: Rout-Stemming Gesture
When an enemy unit would roll to check for rout, the Solar may use this charm to force them to reroll up to (Essence) successful dice. The result of this reroll cannot be higher than that of the original.
Shining Blade Formation
Cost: 4m; Mins: War 5, Essence 3; Type: Supplemental
Keywords: None
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: Battle Path Triumphant
The armies of The Sun stand ever-ready to drive gleaming steel into the enemies of creation. When The Solar Orders a battle group to make an attack, this Charm grants the unit an Overwhelming bonus equal to her (Essence/2) for that strike.
Lightning-Flash Strategy
Cost: 5m, 5i, 1wp; Mins: War 5, Essence 3; Type: Simple
Keywords: Perilous
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: Shining Blade Formation
On each of the next (Essence) turns, the Solar may take one Command action, without penalty and free of the usual action restrictions, in addition to whatever other actions she performs that round.
Courage-Shattering Clarion
Cost: 6m, 1wp; Mins: War 5, Essence 4; Type: Reflexive
Keywords: None
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: Mob-Dispersing Rebuke
When a battlegroup's Magnitude track is depleted, the Solar may activate this charm to cause it to roll its rout check at +2 difficulty. This charm can even effect units with perfect morale, who are forced to roll a normal rout check (without the +2 difficulty above) as if they had elite drill.
Voice of Celestial Command
Cost: 2m; Mins: War 5, Essence 4; Type: Supplemental
Keywords: None
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: Lightning-Flash Strategy
The Solar gives orders but once, and each of her subordinates understand what she intends for them.
When taking any command action, the Solar may activate this charm to simultaneously issue commands to up to an additional (Essence) allied battle groups with the same action. The orders given need not be identical, or even related, but they all use the same dice roll. A Solar could use this charm to order one battle group to rally for numbers, another to attack, and yet a third to rally against dissolution after failing a morale check, as easily as she could order a multi-front assault.
One With Strife Method
Cost: 1wp; Mins: War 5, Essence 4; Type: Reflexive
Keywords: None
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: Four Glories Meditation
Free Full Excellency once per scene.
Under One Banner Prana
Cost: 3m; Mins: War 5, Essence 5; Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Perilous
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: Voice of Celestial Command, One With Strife Method
Once per scene, when the Solar would gain initiative from her other War charms, she may direct a portion of the initiative gained to her allies instead. The Solar may transfer up to twice her Essence rating, or the total initiative gained (whichever is lower) split however she chooses amongst any number of targets. Initiative not transferred to others in this way is gained by the Solar as normal. This charm resets when the Solar begins her turn at initiative 15+.
Undaunted Phalanx Defense
Cost: 5m, 3i; Mins: War 5, Essence 4; Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Perilous
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: Lightning-Flash Strategy
A Battle group targeted by the Order action enhanced with this charm may reflexively use a Defend Other action on every allied character within Close range of the unit, and may place Full Defense actions inside flurries on their next turn, ignoring the usual flurry penalties, as long as they take no movement actions.
Shield of the Sun's Chosen
Cost: - (1+wp); Mins: War 5, Essence 5; Type: Permanent
Keywords: None
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisites: Undaunted Phalanx Defense, One With Strife Method
This Charm allows the Solar to protect his allies against a rain of arrows, a blast of sorcerous fire, or even the self-destructive rage of a Primordial.
Upon taking a Defend Other action, the Solar may optionally choose to protect a roughly circular area containing himself. Anyone within the area is protected as if the Solar was personally defending them; in the moment of an attack, his anima interposes itself and deflects the blow. The Lawgiver must spend (group's Size/2, round up) Willpower upon taking the Defend Other action in order to grant this protection.
If a single attack would strike multiple targets within this area, the Solar may defend against it with a single application of his Parry DV. If the attacker overcomes this defense, she must choose either to apply the attack to the Solar (once) or to strike at all the original targets; she may not choose to redirect only some of the blows.
The Solar might also choose to invoke this Charm in defense of a landmark or other largely unoccupied area, rather than a group of people. Treat such a structure as having a Size equal to that of a group that might comfortably occupy the same space. For instance, a ziggurat manse would be Size 3-4 while Nexus, even emptied of all its people, is Size 17.
At Essence 7, the Solar may repurchase this Charm, at which point the cost decreases to (Size/4) Willpower. Such Solars could theoretically guard whole Directions against Creation's enemies... for a time.
Golden Legion Battle-Glory
Cost: 5m, 3a; Mins: War 5, Essence 5; Type: Supplemental
Keywords: None
Duration: Until the end of the next round
Prerequisites: Supremacy of the Divine Army, Undaunted Phalanx Defense, Voice of Celestial Command
The Order action enhanced by this charm increases the bonuses from the battlegroup's Size trait by half its successes (rounded down) until the end of the next round. Damage taken to magnitude levels gained in this way disappears along with the levels they fill when the charm's effects end.
Peerless Mind Masterstroke
Cost: 8m; Mins: War 5, Essence 5; Type: Reflexive
Keywords: None
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: Battle-Visionary's Foresight, One With Strife Method
Once per story, when the Solar would engage in Strategic Warfare with an opponent, the Solar may activate this charm to force that opponent to roll their Wits+ War to meet a difficulty of the Solar's Essence. On a failure, the Solar makes the strategic warfare roll unopposed. On a success, the strategic warfare roll proceeds as normal save that the Solar gains (Essence) non-charm dice.
As I said, this is a draft, and a mechanics-focused one at that. The fluff on most of these is a little bare bones at this point (except for Shield of the Sun's Chosen, which is a homebrew charm someone else wrote for 2e that I ported over 'cause I think it's fuckin' sweet.), but the mechanics are pretty close to where I want them. That's not to say they don't need a balance pass, because that's part of the reason I'm puttin' 'em up.
Anyway, the main things I wanted out of these were A) some high essence war charms to make supernal War feel a little better (Yes, yes, you take supernal for its Essence 3 effects, yadda yadda), B) a thematically appropriate Join Battle swapper, C) some exploration of initiative as it represents the flow of battle and relates to War's ability to manipulate that flow (like Lore's ability to manipulate Willpower and Essence). I'm kind of rubbish at naming stuff, so quite a few of those charm names were swiped from various canon and homebrew War charms I found when playing the one Ex2.5 game I was ever in.
So, yeah! Questions, comments, feedback, suggestions, whatever it is, lemme have it!
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- Location
- Virginia
Shining Blade Formation should specify its rounding behavior (up or down).