Once more with feeling/Custom Charms

Custom Charms

Here is where we put the custom charms for the game Once More, With Feeling!

Solar Charms

Dodge Charms

Shadow Evades Notice

Cost: 4m; Mins: Dodge 3, Stealth 3, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive (Step 9)
Keywords: Combo-OK, Counterattack
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Leaping Dodge Method, Easily Overlooked Presence Method

When struck by the light, the shadows melt away, only to reappear when the light is elsewhere. So to does the Lawgiver take advantage of an opponent's momentary distraction to melt into the shadows and vanish.

After successfully dodging an attack, the Solar may roll to reestablish surprise as a counter-attack with the normal requirements for such. If the Solar successfully reestablishes surprise, then the attacker may not make further attacks against the charm user until the Solar is revealed. This explicitly breaks attack flurries.

Melee Charms

These Charms are copied from Dakkareth's Custom Charms page.

Army-Slaying Stance

Cost: -- (+5m); Mins: Melee 5, Ess 5; Type: Permanent
Keywords: None
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisites: Fivefold Bulwark Stance

Against the Chosen of the Dawn armies are as nothing, against their towering presence on the battlefield they break like waves crashing against a rock. This Charm permanently enhances Fivefold Bulwark Stance in the following way: By committing an additional 5m either when activating it or by taking a Miscellaneous action while it is already active, the Exalt gains the benefits of the Army-Slaying Stance. As a solo unit she counts as having a Magnitude as well as a Close Combat Attack and Damage rating equal to her Permanent Essence. She cannot assume formations and has neither Might nor Morale nor Endurance ratings however, using her own capabilities and attributes instead.

When leading an actual Mass Combat unit the Lawgiver uses the higher of that unit's Magnitude and her Permanent Essence to determine attack boni/penalties, but the unit's actual Magnitude in all other calculations. She adds half her (Essence) to Close Combat Attack and Damage ratings after all other modifiers.

Defense of Silence Ascendant

(renamed from 'Indomitable Puissance', courtesy of Hundredfold Facets of Enlightenment)
Cost: -- (+1wp); Mins: Melee 5, Ess 4; Type: Permanent
Keywords: None
Duration: One action
Prerequisites: Heavenly Guardian Defense

There is no thought, only action: intuitive, correct, and arising from a flowing, formless mind. When this state is achieved perfection becomes almost effortless. This Charm permanently enhances the Exalt’s Heavenly Guardian Defense, allowing him to increase its cost by one Willpower to improve its effects against a single attacker. For the rest of the action the Solar perfectly parries any attacks from that attacker which are not unexpected, even those that are unblockable. Every one of these parries are subject to the Flaw of Invulnerability of the Exalt’s Heavenly Guardian Defense. This Charm ends prematurely if the character is disarmed of his Melee weapons.

At Essence 5+ another purchase of this Charm allows the Solar to reflexively spend an additional 4m. The Exalt then parries all attacks of which he is aware for the rest of the action, not just those from a single attacker.

Eye of the Storm Meditation

Cost: --; Mins: Melee 5, Ess 3; Type: Permanent
Keywords: None
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisites: Fivefold Bulwark Stance, Surprise Anticipation Method or Reflex-Sidestep Technique

Even in the chaos and fury of a great battle the Solar weaponsmaster stays calm and retains absolute awareness of her surroundings. No feints or insidious tricks can distract her or find holes in her defense. This charm permanently enhances Fivefold Bulwark Stance in the following ways: As long as the Charm is active the Lawgiver is never subject to unexpected attacks from being surrounded by enemies and all penalties due to coordinated attacks are negated. Against surprise attacks from other sources she can employ Surprise-Anticipation Method or Reflex-Sidestep Technique without cost. Finally, while rooting her skill in infinite calm and mindfulness the Exalt may always use her Temperance for Melee actions.

Glorious Solar Weaponry

Cost: 6m, 1wp; Mins: Melee 4, Ess 2; Type: Simple
Keywords: Combo-OK, Touch, Obvious
Duration: One Scene
Prerequisites: Call the Blade

In the hands of a Solar weaponsmaster even the most humble of weapons can become a formidable force. This charm infuses the Solar's Anima into her weapons, strengthening the attunement or creating one where there was none before in the case of mortal weaponry. The Lawgiver gains her Essence in points to spread between Accuracy, Damage, Defense and Rate - this counts as a weapon bonus and is not subject to the dice cap. Once set the boni are always distributed in the same way. In addition her weapons gain one of the following properties (additional ones can be added at the cost of 2xp each or 1 BP for two of them):

• Touch of Divinity: Mortal weapons so favored gain the Magical Material bonus of Orichalkum and become as indestructible as artifact weapons.
• Solar Blessing: The Lawgiver's weapons gain the implicit blessing of her patron Sol Invictus and burn His enemies with terrible fire. All attacks made with them against Creatures of Darkness gain the Holy keyword.
• Loyalty to the Master: No weapon will leave the hand of a Solar weaponsmaster unless she wills it. All attempts to disarm her fail automatically.
• Sainted Blade: While Glorious Solar Weaponry is active the cost of Merciful Bodhisattva Attitude is reduced by the Lawgiver's Compassion. If this would reduce the cost to a negative number, she gains that number of motes every time she uses that Charm instead of killing an opponent.

This Charm becomes Obvious only when the weaponry's unusual properties are revealed - when a weapon withstands impossible stresses, burns a demon with holy light or a perfectly executed disarm maneuver inexplicably fails.

Heart Moves the Blade

Cost: --; Mins: Melee 5, Ess 4; Type: Permanent
Keywords: None
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisites: Master's Subtle Edge, Merciful Bodhisattva Attitude

A Solar weaponsmaster knows that to employ her arts she needs physical weapons no more than a poet needs a pen to be a poet. She wields the very principle of Separation as her weapon and not with her hands but with her heart. This Charm permanently enhances Glorious Solar Weaponry in the following way: The weapons enhanced by the Charm can dissolve into pure motic energy and assume any shape the Exalt can imagine, from a single point of light to a gigantic warstrider daiklave or a storm of crystalline snowflakes and she can switch reflexively between appearances. Where appropriate to the form it assumes the Glorious Solar Weapons gain the Reach Tag and can strike enemies up to her (Melee) meters away. The Lawgiver needs not physically move to direct her weapons.

While employing the Heart Moves the Blade technique the weaponsmaster's Compassion is ascendant and no opponent remains faceless or dies needlessly. Even if she strikes at hundreds of enemies at once, or if her opponents hide themselves behind masks of darkness, the Lawgiver sees their faces before her inner eye and knows their names as she strikes them down. Upon invoking Merciful Bodhisattva Attitude in that context she regains her Compassion in motes instead of the normal cost or gain from that Charm.

Master's Subtle Edge

Cost: -- (4m); Mins: Melee 5, Ess 3; Type: Permanent
Keywords: None
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisites: Glorious Solar Weaponry

Defenses are as nothing to the weapons of the Lawgivers. This charm permanently enhances Glorious Solar Weaponry. In addition to its normal effects the affected weapons gain the Piercing Tag and their damage rating is increased by the Lawgiver's Essence. This requires the commitment of four additional motes when activating Glorious Solar Weaponry.

Merciful Bodhisattva Attitude

Cost: 3m; Mins: Melee 5, Ess 2; Type: Reflexive (Step 10)
Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: Any Melee Excellency

The Lawgivers can be merciful in their judgement. This charm is invoked when a melee attack would otherwise kill its target and reduces the damage so the Exalt's opponent is brought to Incapacitated but no further. Even the most devastating attacks leave behind only a thin, white scar, forever marking the opponent as one whose life was spared by the Lawgiver. Neither bleeding nor infections are allowed to prove the Exalt's mercy a lie - both are completely negated by the Charm.

In addition Merciful Bodhisattva Attitude has the following permanent effect: Striking a nonlethal blow with a weapon that deals lethal damage or striking to mark or maim instead of kill carries no external penalty to the attack. This effect requires no invocation of the Charm itself.

Piercing Rays of Dawn Meditation

Cost: --; Mins: Melee 5, Ess 3; Type: Permanent
Keywords: Mirror (To-the-Quick Hatred)
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisites: Glorious Solar Weaponry OR Glorious Solar Saber

As per Hundredfold Facets of Enlightenment except as noted above and with the following addition: This Charm also permanently enhances the the character's Glorious Solar Weaponry, increasing the number of points to be distributed by her (Essence). These additional points may only be applied to non-artifact weapons.

Speed of Light Understanding

Cost: --; Mins: Melee 5, Ess 4; Type: Permanent
Keywords: None
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisites: Glorious Solar Weaponry OR Glorious Solar Saber

When the Lawgivers call upon their chosen weapons it is as effortless as breathing. This Charm permanently enhances its prerequisite Charm(s), changing the type to Reflexive. In addition, when activated as part of a Join Battle this provides a number of automatic successes equal to half the Exalt's Melee rating. In that context the Charm's type becomes Supplemental.

Performance Charms

Crowd Commanding Spirit

Cost: 4m; Mins: Performance 4, Essence 2; Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Combo-Basic, Social
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Any Performance Excellency

Lawgivers have always been able to sway others to accept and follow their commands. This makes Solars the ultimate leaders. Crowd Commanding Spirit enhances a Performance-based roll to exert mental influence and encourage a specific action. This Charm doubles the users base successes on the roll before comparing them to the target's MDV.

Presence Charms

Transcendant Inspiration-Sparking Method

Cost: --; Mins: Presence 5, Essence 5; Type: Permanent
Prerequisite Charms: You Can Be More (Abyssals, p. 143, mirror of Broken Heart Triumph)

The Lawgivers cannot be everywhere, especially in this fallen Age, so they they deputize mortal heroes to act in their stead. This Charm permanently enhances its prerequisite, granting the Solar the ability to awaken the Essence of a heroic mortal.

If the Exalt's social attack is successful, he immediately makes a (Presence + Essence) roll against Difficulty 4. If that roll succeeds, the heroic mortal's Essence is awakened as if he had gained the Enlightened Essence blight (CoCD2: The Wyld, p. 148). If that roll fails, however, the mortal cannot be targeted again by this Charm until a year and a day have passed.

When You Can Be More is used to awaken a mortal's Essence in this way, it gains the Enlightening, Obvious, Touch, and Training keywords.

Stealth Charms

Shadow at Noon

Cost: 5m; Mins: Stealth 5, Essence 2; Type: Simple
Keywords: Combo-Basic
Duration: One scene
Prerequisite Charms: Easily Overlooked Presence Method

Just as the Noonday Sun still leaves shadowed areas, the Lawgiver can always find a place to hide. They can shelter in the shadow of a needle, sneak past in the blink of a guard's eye, and leave no more trace than a sunbeam after the day is gone.

This charm allows the Solar to ignore any external penalties to stealth rolls for the rest of the scene, as well as being able to hide even when it is physically impossible due to external circumstances. Thus, the Solar can hide even in a flat plane, at noon, on a squeaky floor, with someone looking directly at them. They can hide even when hiding should be impossible.

War Charms

Cloud-Piercing Sun's Gaze

Cost: -- (+1m); Mins: War 5, Essence 5; Type: Permanent Keywords: None Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: General of the All-Seeing Sun

This Charm permanently enhances its prerequisite. When the Lawgiver activates General of the All-Seeing Sun and spends an additional mote, the Charm provides him with the location and status of all units within range containing a commander, hero, sorcerer, or relay hostile to the Solar or to a cause for which the Solar is fighting, including solo units but not solo extras, in addition to the normal effects.

Lunar Charms

Stamina Charms

Willful Neglect of the Maimed

Cost: 4m, 1wp; Mins: Stamina 5, Essence 3; Type: Simple
Keywords: Combo-Basic
Duration: One Action
Prerequisite Charms: Halting the Scarlet Flow

The Lunar focuses upon repairing some severe injury to their vitals. Upon their next action they may remove one Crippling effect from themselves.

Martial Arts Styles

Wedded Moon Style

This Celestial martial arts style finds its origins among the Lunars of the First Age who worked with the circles of their Solar mates, focusing on teamwork and cooperation and drawing on the strength of their bond. After the Usurpation, some wondered if the style would fade from use, but practitioners discovered that while their Solar mates were gone, they could still benefit from the techniques they had learned. Wedded Moon is native to Lunars, who can learn it without a teacher and may substitute their Dexterity rating for their Martial Arts rating when learning and using Charms from this style. Weapons and Armor: Wedded Moon Style is incompatible with armor, and tiger claws are the only compatible weapons.

New Keyword Bond: Charms with this keyword have enhanced effects when the user possesses the Solar Bond background.

Leaping Interposition Method

Cost: 2m+ or 4m; Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive (Step 2 or 6) Keywords: Combo-OK Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: None

The Wedded Moon stylists are devoted guardians and leap to defend that which they have chosen to protect. This Charm can be activated in response to an attack on any ally that the Wedded Moon can physically reach. When invoked in Step 6 of attack resolution, the Wedded Moon spends up to his Martial Arts in motes, and adds 1 point to the target’s DV for every 2m spent. This does not count against the defended character's DV hard cap. When invoked in Step 2 of attack resolution, this Charm costs 4m, and the martial artist interposes himself completely, making the attack target himself. If the attack defeats either of his DVs, it strikes him. Leaping Interposition Method cannot be used to defend someone against a counter-attack.

Pack Mentality Practice

Cost: -– (2m); Mins: Martial Arts 3, Essence 2; Type: Permanent Keywords: Bond Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: None

This Charm permanently enhances the Wedded Moon stylist. From now on, she may take part in a coordinated attack even when the character choosing whom to coordinate did not include her. This Charm may also be used even when the Wedded Moon herself is the one who coordinated the attack. If the stylist is included in coordinated attack roll, she can spend 2m to grant that roll an extra success.

When the Wedded Moon stylist is included in a coordinate attack roll with the character for whom she possesses the Solar Bond background, and spends 2m, the roll gains bonus successes equal to the Wedded Moon's Solar Bond rating.

Wedded Moon Form

Cost: 6m; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 2; Type: Simple (Speed 5) Keywords: Bond, Form-type Duration: One scene Prerequisite Charms: Leaping Interposition Method, Pack Mentality Practice

The Wedded Moon stylist moves quickly to his allies' aid and works flawlessly in pursuit of their common goals. While this Charm is activated, the Wedded Moon's jumping distance and movement rates double as long as he is moving toward an ally, and allies reduce the DV penalties for coordinate attack actions and attacks made as part of coordinated attacks including the Wedded Moon by 1. This second effect explicitly may benefit the Wedded Moon himself.

When the Wedded Moon stylist or the character for whom he possesses the Solar Bond background takes a coordinate attack action that includes the other, no participant in that coordinated attack suffers DV penalties for attacks made as part of that coordinated attack.

Herding the Sheep Method

Cost: 3m; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 3; Type: Reflexive Keywords: Bond, Combo-OK, Obvious, Stackable Duration:One action Prerequisite Charms: Wedded Moon Form

By moving in such a way as to manipulate the movements and arrangement of her target and her allies, the Wedded Moon stylist counts as two characters for the purpose of determining whether a foe is surrounded by the maximum number of characters.

If the target is in such a position that only two attackers can harry him from the same general direction (as opposed to two different sides), this Charm can be used without an ally, but the Wedded Moon will obviously not receive a natural unexpected attack for it.

If the target is already surrounded by the total number of possible attackers, then the target must grant two unexpected attacks, one to the Wedded Moon and the other to another character.

Two characters are explicitly permitted to use this Charm against the same enemy, stacking the effects; thus they would need only one other ally to effectively surround an enemy on an open field with three people.

In mass combat, a character is explicitly permitted to use this Charm as a solo unit against a complementary unit.

When the Wedded Moon stylist is working to surround a target with the character for whom she possesses the Solar Bond background, then that character also counts as two characters when determining whether the target is surrounded by the maximum number of characters.

Opportunistic Flanking Practice

Cost: 5m (+1); Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 3; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Wedded Moon Form

This Charm may only be invoked against a valid target who has been attacked or counterattacked by someone else but whose Defense Values have not yet refreshed.

The Wedded Moon's attack imposes a coordinated attack penalty equal to (the Wedded Moon's Martial Arts - the number of ticks that have passed since the last attack against that target). This penalty is explicitly allowed to stack with regular coordinated sttack penalties, even if the total exceeds the normal maximum. If the supplemented attack happens to be unexpected, the Wedded Moon can spend an additional 1wp and instead add a number of automatic successes to his attack equal to the penalty this Charm would have otherwise inflicted.

Bond-Forging Meditation

Cost: 8m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 3; Type: Simple (Dramatic Action) Keywords: None Duration: One day Prerequisite Charms: Wedded Moon Form

The Wedded Moon's strength is her comrades. By spending an hour meditating, the Wedded Moon creates a mystical bond between the Wedded Moon and up to (Essence) allies, giving her a positive Intimacy toward each, if she does not already have such an Intimacy. Though temporary, this bond is enough like the bond of a Lunar to her Solar that it allows her to use the enhanced effects of Charms with the Bond keyword, as if she had dots in the Solar Bond background equal to her Conviction rating. The bonds and the Intimacies fade at the end of the day.

Glorious Sublimation of the Wedded Moon

Cost: 6m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 3; Type: Reflexive Keywords: Bond, Combo-OK, Obvious, Social Duration: (Essence) actions Prerequisite Charms: Herding the Sheep Method, Opportunistic Flanking Practice, Bond-Forging Meditation

For every present ally to whom the Wedded Moon has a positive Intimacy, the Lunar adds bonus die to any action. The number of these dice cannot exceed the Wedded Moon's Conviction. Whenever the Wedded Moon takes an action to locate, move towards, examine, care for or otherwise act protectively towards an ally to whom she has a positive Intimacy, she gains a number of bonus dice equal to her Conviction; this bonus does not stack with the first. Add any dice gained from this Charm as automatic successes to movement rate.

Finally, for the duration of this Charm, the Wedded Moon can channel Compassion for the purpose of attacking an enemy that an ally is also attacking, and for the purpose of making an Attack Coordination roll.

If reactivated immediately after the duration ends, this Charm costs no Willpower.

A Wedded Moon stylist uses the higher of her Conviction or her Solar Bond to determine how many bonus dice she receives from acting protectively toward the character for whom she possesses the Solar Bond background.