Difference between revisions of "Exalted Redux:Design Notes"

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==Character Creation==
 
==Character Creation==
  

Revision as of 17:06, 5 June 2005

Character Creation

Attributes

Unchanged from current rules.

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Have considered adopting the nWoD stat line, or possibly going over to a 6 stat system. Body & Speed, Manipulation & Charisma, Intellect & Wits. Still under consideration.
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Abilities

Unchanged.

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May use revised Ability list from RPG.net thread. http://forum.rpg.net/showthread.php?t=186021
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Specializations

Up to three dots worth are allowed per Ability. Each must be different, and do not stack. Effectively, the maximum bonus you can gain to

any ability roll is 1 extra die.

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This helps to mitigate the giant die pools in standard rules, while retaining the flavor of specializations.
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Virtues

Unchanged.

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May incorporate Riddle of Steel style spiritual attributes at some future date.
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Willpower

Regain using the highest virtue you have, instead of specifically Conviction.

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This allows for greater character diversity.
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Health

Instead of the current staged health level system, incorporate a system similar to that in the nWoD. The base number of health levels possessed by named characters is 5 + Stamina. Mooks only have three levels (-1/-2/Incap).

Penalties accrue as follows:

4 undamaged levels left = -1 Light wound
2 undamaged levels left = -2 Heavy wound
1 undamaged level left = -5 Critical wound
0 undamaged levels left = Incapacitated

Healing times are unchanged from the published rules, based on the level of damage taken.

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This change decreases overall healing times, helps give a greater role to Stamina, and simplifies health tracking. Additionally, it gives a large buffer at the top end of the health chart for tracking damage, allowing for the GM to hurt the PCs somewhat, yet not cripple them right out the door.
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Merits/Flaws

Unchanged.

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Will require review.
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XP Costs

Experience costs are now standardized across all character types. The costs are as follows:

Attributes x4 new
Favored Attributes x3 new
Skills x2 new
Favored Skills x1 new
Charm 8
Favored Charm 6
Willpower x2 new
Spell 6
Spell with Occult Favored 4
Essence x10 new
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Unifying the experience chart simplifies tracking across the varying character types. True, it eliminates some of the huge advantage that Solars have with regards to buying essence, but I believe this fact is made up for elsewhere in these changes. This is yet another attempt to standardize the Exalted rules, and remove the ‘laundry-list’ syndrome that seems to permeate the system.
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Stunts

Stunts are still rated in levels, from 1 to 3, according to the normal scale. The benefits they provide are as follows:

  • Gain the level of the stunt in extra dice to any action undertaken in the course of the stunt
  • Regain 1 point of temporary willpower for a level 2 stunt, 2 points for a level 3
  • Gain the Level of the Stunt in points of temporary Essence Pool, that can be immediately committed as normal, but vanish immediately after the stunt completes. Effects of charms activated with these points fade with the points. (See Essence below for explanation of Essence Pools)
  • May immediately increase (not decrease) your Power Level by a number of steps equal to the level of the stunt, up to the normal limit of Permanent Essence. This is in addition to the one-step Power Level shift you get at the start of your action. (See Essence below for explanation of Power Levels)

Essence

Essence has completely changed in use and function. It is no longer a limited resource, but is instead a pool of power similar to the Multipower system under HERO, that can be re-allocated as the situation changes.

Each character (mortal and otherwise) has both a Permanent Essence rating, as per the current rules. Additionally, they possess an Essence Pool. This is no longer divided into Personal and Peripheral essence. Instead, it is a pool of commitable essence points. They are dynamically allocated in order to power charms and attune artifacts.

The size of this pool varies. The amount of Essence Pool available to a character is based on two factors. The first is dependent on their essence harnessing capabilities, defined by their type of being (solar, mortal, spirit, demon, etc). The second is their current ‘Power Level’.

Power Level

This rating is a variable value between 1 and their Permanent Essence. Anyone with a Permanent Essence higher than 1 is capable of raising and lowering their Power Level at will. In combat, you may increase or decrease your current Power Level by one step at the beginning of your action, though no lower than 1, and no higher than your Permanent Essence. Power Level represents how forcefully the being is drawing upon the essence of the world, which determines the overall amount of power they have available. It also determines Anima Flare for Exalts. For non-anima bearing beings, there are also noticeable affects, but these tend to be much more subtle.

Essence Pool

Essence is not ‘spent’, but is instead committed. Allocating Essence Pool to a charm commits that essence to the charm. The charm remains active until it is released, at which point the character immediately regains the use of that part of the pool. There is no ‘refresh time’. De-allocated essence pool is recovered immediately. Essence commitment is reflexive, meaning any charm possessed by a character can be brought online, even out of turn-order, assuming the character has enough Essence Pool remaining. While in combat rounds, committed Essence Pool can only be freed at the beginning of your action. When you do this, you may release any number of active charms, and de-attune artifacts if you so choose, in order to immediately regain the use of those committed points.

A character’s current total Essence Pool is as follows:

Type                                       Total Essence Pool
----                                       ------------------
Mortal                                     Power Level x 1
Half-blood/1st Circle Demon                Power Level x 2
Terrestrial Exalt                          Power Level x 3
Dragon King/Spirit/Fair Folk               Power Level x 4
Lunar or Sidereal Exalt/2nd Circle Demon   Power Level x 5
Solar or Abyssal Exalt                     Power Level x 7
3rd Circle Demon/Deathlord                 Power Level x 8
Incarna/Primordial                         Power Level x 10

Power Level Effects

Harnessing greater than normal levels of Essence shakes the fabric of creation. Non-exalts who harness essence create subtle effects on themselves and their environments at the lower levels of power, and much greater effects at the higher levels. Exalt sparks, however, harness and channel essence with a force unmatched by all but the mightiest beings. In exchange for this strength, the effects of their manipulation are much more visible, resulting in glowing caste marks and anima banners. Mortals, Half-bloods, Demons, Dragon Kings, Fair Folk, Spirits, and Incarna use the Essence Ripples chart to determine the level of the effects they create by raising their power level.

Exalted and Deathlords use the Anima Banner chart instead.

Essence Ripples

  1. None
  2. Being appears strong and competent
  3. Being stands out to onlookers, drawing errant eyes, looks more colorful
  4. Being greatly stands out, seems larger than life, presence is felt, eyes gleam, Essence + Awareness roll for people in same room to notice
  5. Minor personal environmental effects, hair starts stand up, Essence + Awareness roll for people to feel something is happening nearby (50ft or so)
  6. Minor local environmental effects, room gets darker/lighter, clothing starts to billow, hair blows, loose items start to rattle nearby, Essence + Awareness roll for people within shouting distance (100 yds) to start to notice
  7. Medium local environmental effects, tables start to shake, people feel a force pushing/pulling from being, Essence+Awareness roll for beings within a mile or so can feel it
  8. Major local environmental effects, stuff starts to break, wind blows away from being making it hard to approach, being is hard to look at/look away from, Minor Regional weather effects, Essence+Awareness roll for beings in region to notice
  9. Catastrophic local environmental effects (Fist of the North Star), Major regional weather effects, Minor Direction weather effects, Essence + Awareness roll for anyone in direction to notice
  10. Local Unraveling of Creation, gates open, incorporeal spirits fall into creation, warping effects, space twists, time becomes uncertain, extreme environmental effects in region, catastrophic weather across entire Direction, Essence+Awareness roll to notice from other Directions/Yu-Shan/ Underworld/Malpheas


Anima Banners

  1. None
  2. Caste Mark Flares, glowing with the intensity of a torch.
  3. Anima sporadically flickers to life around the Exalt. Those Exalted types with damaging animas make it hard to touch the exalt, doing 3 dice of Lethal damage a round to those in contact.
  4. Anima roars to life around the exalt, creating a pillar of energy with the essence wielder at the heart. Those Exalted types with harmful animas start damaging their environments, doing 4 dice of Lethal Damage a round to anything or anyone within a yard of the Exalt.
  5. Anima expands outward into a cloud of cascading energy. Damaging animas inflict damage out to a radius of 5 yards, doing 5 dice of lethal damage a round.
  6. Unknown (GM discretion)
  7. Unknown (GM discretion)
  8. Unknown (GM discretion)
  9. Unknown (GM discretion)
  10. Unknown (GM discretion)

Note: Damage caused by Anima banners does not use ping damage rules. If your soak is equal to or higher than the damage, you take nothing.

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Essence notes: This is the second largest change to the current system in this document (the first being charms). While I see the value in the current resource-driven system, I decided that it led to undesired tactics. Players would either horde their essence (especially for fear of giving themselves away if anathema), or go for broke, burning themselves out, making long combats a chore if the fight didn’t end quickly.
I’ve always been a fan of the versatility and tactical flow created by Multipowers and Variable Power Pools in the HERO system. I tried to bring this over to Exalted. However, I also like encouraging players to hold back for dramatic value, and thus the Power Level system (stolen from DBZ, in truth). This gives the players more options in utilizing their power, while at the same time simplifying the whole thing, I feel. Tracking current anima banners, worrying about personal essence and peripheral essence, the frustration of running out….all of these and more led me to this system. I think it reflects a truer ideal of the power and rhythm of Exalted.
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Combat

Multiple Actions

The extra action rules have been removed. Instead, you may declare a number of different actions, up to your Action Limit (see below). Each additional action you take gives a +1 difficulty to all actions attempted.

Multiple Offensive Actions

Multiple attacks and multiple defenses do not qualify as different. You may declare you are both attacking and defending. This will give you one attack, at +1 difficulty, and one defense, also at +1 difficulty (effectively removing a defense success).

You may attack multiple targets in a single attack. This requires you to literally split your attacking die pool. If you have 9 attack dice, you may attack three different targets with three dice each, 7 dice to one and 1 to each of the others, or any other combination you wish. You cannot attack the same target more than once this way, however. To attack the same target more than once requires charm use.


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Keep in mind that this does not eliminate attack combinations. Rather, it assumes that each attack roll is a combination of attacks, rather than a single swing or thrust. That single attack roll may represent a single powerful lunge beneath your enemy’s guard, or a lightning-fast series of slashes. It is all in the description.
I am attempting to speed up combat. The zillion-attack routine eats up too much time. By removing the multiple-attack flurry as a base ability, it really plays up the power of charms, and at the same time speeds up combat nicely, making it go back-and-forth more. Additionally, it removes many of my reservations about the Power Combat essence = ping system.
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Action Limit

The maximum number of Non-Defensive actions you may take in a single round is equal to your Permanent Essence. This applies to charm-given actions, as well as normal actions. Splitting your die pool to affect multiple targets does not count as extra actions, however.

Multiple Defensive Actions

Defensive die pools are used the same way. If you declare a defense (or abort to one), you may split your defending die pool among multiple attackers.

Defenses declared on your action last until your initiative comes up on the next turn.

Cascading Defense

If you are the target of more than one attack by the same attacker, you do not need to allocate extra dice to them. Instead, you remove a defense die for each defense after the first from your defense pool. Note: This cascading defense applies to all defenses, even extra defenses granted by charms. If you wish, however, you may allocate an additional defense (if you have one), to refresh the cascade, or to substitute a different defense.

Aborting to a Defense

If attacked before your turn, you may abort to a defense, sacrificing your action. You may still raise/lower your Power Level when your initiative comes up, and release committed Essence Pool. However, you do not get your normal action. Extra action charms may still be used for actions at this time.

Initiative

Initiative is rolled at the beginning of each round. The roll is DEX+WITS+d10. No weapon speed is included in this total. Ties are resolved by rolling a d10, high roll goes first. Re-roll any ties.


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I removed weapon speed for several reasons. First of all, weapon choice played too strong a role in determining combat capability, in my opinion. I prefer a system based more on the capability of the warrior, than the power of the weapon. Additionally, it neatly solves the problem of people using a fast weapon to get the initiative, then not using that weapon on their action. It also brings unarmed martial artists more in line with weapon users, allows sorcerers the possibility of going first, and doesn’t screw over bow users.
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Attack Rolls

Unchanged, though there is no longer an accuracy bonus granted by weaponry.

Defense Rolls

Defense is not rolled. Instead, figure out how many dice are being allocated to the defense. Divide this number by two, rounding up. The resulting figure in the number of successes you are assumed to have rolled on the defense.

If you have automatic successes in your defense total, add them after dividing. Only dice that would normally be rolled are divided. Increased difficulties on defense rolls are subtracted from the total successes directly.


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This is a change I used in a Solar campaign I ran for quite some time. While it reduces the randomness in defense, it greatly speeds up play. I found the resulting effect helped the game. It may not be necessary in a Dragon Blooded game, especially using these rules, as the number of attacks flying around will be much lower than that in a Solar game. For the higher levels of power, however, it helps a lot.
Additionally, if the same attack is both Dodged and Parried, rather than apply two separate defenses, you simply total the defender’s Dexterity, Dodge ability, and Melee/Martial Arts ability. This leads to Dexterity only applying once in the defense. This change is to overcome the old Fivefold Bulwark Stance + Flow Like Blood problem, that led to characters being nearly unhittable barring an act of fate or perfect attacks (leading to a perfect attack/defense arms race).
Finally, any skill that can be used for both attack and defense is treated as two separate skills for the purposes of charm use. When enhancing the skill, you must declare if you’re enhancing the attack or the parry of that skill. You may enhance both, and they ignore each other for charm maximums. This is an attempt to fix the problem of getting extra melee dice from a charm. If boosting the melee skill aids both attack and defense, it becomes too powerful.
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Damage

Damage rolls are used the same as before. The Essence = Ping rule from Power Combat is in effect.


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With the lessened number of extra attacks flying around, using the Power Combat ping rules works much better. Additionally, it eliminates the ‘power-sander-ping’ trick, used by people with high-rate weapons.
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Soak

Soak is unchanged. Additionally, all beings with soak have Hardness is equal to ½ their applicable soak against each attack. Thus, everyone can ignore attacks that don’t at least exceed half their soak.

Oversoak

Oversoak has gained a different meaning in these rules. Each level of Oversoak is a health level of damage that is removed from the final total, after all rolls are made, and normal soak is applied. Oversoak can counter ping damage as well.

Equipment

Weapons

Weapons now simply give a damage bonus that is added to the wielder’s Strength to calculate damage dice. Accuracy, parry, and rate have been removed. The damage bonus for a weapon is a 3 if the weapon is one-handed, 6 if it is two-handed. Artifact weapons gain an additional +3 to their damage bonus. If the weapon is of a magical material aligned to you, it gives an additional +1 Attack die and +1 Parry die when used.

Wielding two one-handed weapons gives one extra Attack and Parry die, to represent the additional attack options and better defensive coverage afforded by this fighting method. This is difficult to do properly, however, and so to get these bonuses, the character must have at least a 3 DEX and a 3 Melee/Martial Arts.

Ranged weapons suffer a +1 difficulty to attack rolls for each range increment past the first you are from the target. Range increments are 40’ for bows, 20’ for slings, 10’ for thrown weapons. Range increments are doubled for artifact ranged weapons. Slings do damage as per one-handed weapons. Thrown weapons do damage based on their handedness. Bows are two-handed weapons, but their wielder’s strength is treated as a 2. Artifact bows use their wielder’s Strength instead, in addition to the +3 for being an artifact.


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I changed this for two reasons. One, I didn’t like having to reference weapon tables. Secondly, I felt that the bonuses given by weapons were too great, and wound up outshining the capability of the characters. Characters should be the stars of the fight, not the tools they wield. Additionally, this removes a source of extra attack dice, mitigating the ‘buckets-of-dice’ Exalted is known for.
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Armor

Armor gives a bonus to soak, against all three types of damage (bashing, lethal, aggravated). Armor also gives a mobility penalty that is applied to all Dexterity based actions as a difficulty penalty, except for Attacks and Parries.

Regular Armor has a 1 point mobility penalty, and gives 3 soak. Heavy armor has a 2 point mobility penalty, and gives 6 soak. Superheavy gives a 4 point mobility penalty, and gives a 9 soak. Artifact versions of armor give an additional +3 soak. Armor of a magical material aligned to the character reduces the mobility penalty by 1 (minimum 0).


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Again, I am trying to get rid of the need for charts, as well as balance the armor types with the weapon types.
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Shields

Shields give extra Defense successes as long as you’re aware of the attack, 1 for regular shields, 2 for artifact shields. These successes are automatic, and do have to be accompanied by a defense action.

Hearthstones

Hearthstones must be set into an attuned artifact to gain any benefits from them. An artifact with a hearthstone set into it has no attunement cost, as the hearthstone provides the power. The unique special abilities of hearthstones are unchanged. Level 4 and 5 hearthstones also provide extra Essence Pool, 1 point for level 4 stones, and 2 points for level 5 stones. This is treated as extra available committable essence, and is unaffected by Power Level. You may only gain the benefits from a number of hearthstones equal to your Permanant Essence at one time.


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My reasons for this change are twofold. First, the restrictions on number of hearthstones, and requiring them to be set in artifacts both increases the value of artifacts, and deals with problems created by overabundance of hearthstones in high-end games. This adds some tactical decision making to hearthstone use. Second, I needed to bring hearthstone use into line with the new essence system. Providing extra essence from all hearthstones was too much, so I opted for that benefit to only apply to the really powerful stones. The elimination of attunement cost still makes the lower end stones desirable.
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Artifacts

Artifacts can be wielded when not attuned, but provide no artifact benefits when used this way. Attuning an artifact requires a commitment of 1 point of Essence Pool, and 10 minutes of concentration. This Essence Commitment can be released, as normal, but doing so immediately de-attunes the artifact, and it must be re-attuned to regain the benefits. Any ongoing effects from the artifact immediately end when the attunement is severed. An artifact with a hearthstone set within it requires no committed essence to attune, only the 10 minutes of concentration. The attunement can still be severed at will.

Attuning an artifact with a hearthstone also attunes the hearthstone, granting it’s benefits in addition to those of the artifact. Hearthstones can only be attuned to a wielder in this way. Hearthstones without an artifact to channel their energy grant no benefit.

The Hearthstone Bracer Artifact proves +1 die to the Dodge Skill while attuned, in addition to having a hearthstone slot.

Some artifact levels have been adjusted, to match the changes to weapons and armor, as follows:

  1. Regular Armor
  2. 1h Weapon, Shield
  3. Heavy Armor
  4. Two handed Weapon
  5. Superheavy Armor


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These changes help balance artifact use among PCs, cutting down on the D&D-esque problem of characters practically dripping in magic items. At the same time, the Essence Commitment cost is much harder to bear under the new Essence Pool system, so making all artifacts have an attunement cost of 1 mitigates some of this problem, as well as lending simplicity. Allowing hearthstones to remove this cost increases the utility of hearthstones, and also limits the number of ‘free-artifacts’ because of the Permanent Essence limit on Hearthstone use.
On another note, the level of a two-handed weapon artifact has been increased for a simple reason. Using the above chart, the three major Melee fighting styles now require 4 points of artifacts to be fully equipped. 1h Weapon + Shield costs 4 dots, 1h Weapon x 2 costs 4 dots, and a two-handed weapon costs 4 dots, leading to a pleasing balance.
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Charms

Charms now represent generic effects, at are applied to Abilities and Attributes, depending on the charm. Charms are bought separately for each Attribute or Ability, so a Skill Boost charm bought for Melee is unusable to increase your die pools with any other Ability. The same charm can be bought multiple times, each time for different Abilities (or the same, as detailed under the charm). Charms are activated as detailed in the Essence section above. Keep in mind that, unless they say otherwise, charms are continual effects, and apply until the essence pool commitment is de-allocated.

Uncommitted Essence Pool can be used to activate charms at any time, even when it is not your action. Note, however, that no-one can activate charms between Attack rolls and Damage rolls. Currently active charms apply, but you can not reflexively activate a Soak boosting charm after seeing the Attacker’s roll.

Once the dice hit the table, Essence allocation cannot change until the action completes. Prior to the die roll, however, anyone may freely activate charms, even in response to one another’s charm activation, and declaration of intent. The defender has the right to call a pause before the roll so they might decide on charm use.

Even if a charm is active, you never HAVE to use it for any given action or roll. You can always choose not to gain the benefits of it. However, any penalties apply as long as the charm is active. This decision to apply an active charm CAN be made in-between the Attack and Damage rolls, but the decision to use Defense affecting charms must be made before the Attack roll, and the decision to use Soak affecting charms must be made before the Damage roll.

Abbreviations

The following Abbreviations are used:

EP – Essence Pool

WP - Willpower

Charm Block Format

Charms descriptions follow this format:

Charm Name

Trait: This lists the traits that the charm applies to, and can be bought for. Unless otherwise specified, the same charm can be bought multiple times for different traits. It is unnecessary to purchase the same charm more than once per trait unless it specifies otherwise.

Cost: The Essence Pool commitment cost to make this charm active, plus any additional costs.

Limits: This lists any restrictions on the use of the charm. If it lists ‘Ability’, ‘Attribute’, or some other trait, then this charm can be used to a maximum effect based on the Trait for which this charm was purchased. For ‘Action Limit’, see above under the combat section.

Requirements: Any requirements that must be fulfilled by the purchaser before this charm can be bought. If, at any time, these requirements are no longer fulfilled, the charm deactivates, if active, and becomes unavailable until the requirements are again fulfilled. If a charm is listed as a requirement, that charm must be possessed for the same trait as this charm.

Description: This describes the effect of the charm.

Charm List

Boost Ability

Trait: Any Ability

Cost: 1 EP per dot of increase

Limits: Ability

Requirements: None

Description: This charm increases the effective number of dots in the Ability as long as it is active, but no higher than twice the original value. Note: This increase is not applicable for the purposes of fulfilling Charm minimum Ability requirements, nor does it increase any Charm use limits.


Automatic Ability

Trait: Any Ability

Cost: 1 EP per die converted to an automatic success

Limits: Ability

Requirements: Boost Ability

Description: When this Ability is used, his charm converts rolled dice into automatic successes. The affected dice are not rolled, but instead are treated as automatically rolling one success each. If the size of the die pool to be rolled is equal to or less than the active level of this charm, all dice that would be rolled are treated as successes. For an Ability used defensively (see Defense Rolls above), these converted dice are not divided as normal. Instead, they are added to the difficulty after the regular dice are divided as normal. The maximum number of dice this charm can convert on a given roll is equal to the linked Ability.


Perfect Ability

Trait: Any Ability

Cost: 2 EP per die converted to a perfect success, 1 WP per perfect success per use

Limits: Ability

Requirements: Automatic Ability

Description: When this Ability is used, his charm converts rolled dice into perfect successes. The affected dice are not rolled, but instead are treated as automatically rolling one success each. If the size of the die pool to be rolled is equal to or less than the active level of this charm, all dice that would be rolled are treated as perfect successes. Perfect successes are treated as normal successes, unless the roll is resisted, or is used versus a difficulty. Against a resistance roll or difficulty, the perfect successes are considered successes AFTER taking into account difficulty and resisting dice. For instance, 2 successes and 3 perfect successes versus a resisting roll with 9 successes would exceeded the resisting roll by 3 successes, in spite of the greater number of successes gained by the second roll, granting the first roll victory. For an Ability used defensively (see Defense Rolls above), a single perfect success on the defender’s side automatically foils the attack. If perfect successes exist on both sides of a resisted roll, then they cancel out, one for one. If this removes all perfect successes from both sides of the roll, then the roll is resolved normally. The maximum number of dice this charm can convert on a given roll is equal to the linked Ability. Each time these perfect successes are applied to a roll, you must spend 1 point of temporary willpower for each success. You may choose to not spend this willpower, but each point of willpower not spent is one die that is not converted. This decision must be made before the roll is made.


Boost Attribute

Trait: Any Attribute

Cost: 2 EP per dot of increase

Limits: Attribute

Requirements: None

Description: This charm increases the effective number of dots in the Attribute as long as it is active, but no higher than twice the original value. Note: This increase is not applicable for the purposes of fulfilling Charm minimum Attribute requirements, nor does it increase any Charm use limits. Exception: Increasing Stamina gives does not give extra health levels. For that, see Ox-Body Technique.


Automatic Attribute

Trait: Any Attribute

Cost: 2 EP per die converted to an automatic success

Limits: Attribute

Requirements: Boost Attribute

Description: When this Attribute is used, his charm converts rolled dice into automatic successes. The affected dice are not rolled, but instead are treated as automatically rolling one success each. If the size of the die pool to be rolled is equal to or less than the active level of this charm, all dice that would be rolled are treated as successes. For an Attribute used defensively (see Defense Rolls above), these converted dice are not divided as normal. Instead, they are added to the difficulty after the regular dice are divided as normal. The maximum number of dice this charm can convert on a given roll is equal to the linked Attribute. Automatic successes on Strength do not affect damage rolls (see Automatic Damage charm for this ability), nor do automatic successes on Stamina affect soak (see Oversoak charm for this ability).


Scorn Adversity

Trait: Any Ability

Cost: 1 EP per level of difficulty ignored

Limits: Ability

Requirements: None

Description: This charm allows you to ignore one level of difficulty per EP devoted to this charm, on each roll involving this Ability. This charm will not help you overcome Defense, however, nor will it let you ignore a defender’s shield.


Transcendant Action

Trait: Any Ability

Cost: 3 EP per level of Transcendent Action active

Limits: Essence. Maximum level is also dependant on type of being:

Level 1 – Mortals
Level 2 – Half-bloods, 1st Circle Demons
Level 3 – Terrestrial Exalted, Spirits, Fair Folk
Level 4 – Lunars, Sidereals, Dragon Kings, 2nd Circle Demons
Level 5 – Solars, Abyssals, 3rd Circle Demons, Deathlords, Incarna

Requirements: Scorn Adversity

Description: Allows you to accomplish feats beyond what is normally possible with the linked Ability, beyond the bounds of stunts. Having this charm active allows you to bend or break the laws of Creation. This feat does NOT replicate extraordinary success. Rather, it alters the fundamental laws on which creation operates with regards to the linked Ability, so it may be used in ways not normally possible. What follows is a list of the levels, with some possible examples. This charm is deliberately vague, and is largely based on Storyteller discretion. Effects created through the use of this charm should include the nature of the being undertaking them in their effects and description. For instance, Dragonblooded effects should involve the elements, Lunars should involve shapeshifting, Sidereals should involve alterations in luck, fate, and the fabric of reality, and Solars should involve transcendent skill and power. Level 0 is included here for comparison, as it represents the already shaky foundations of Creation, governed through the Stunting rules. You may not accomplish a feat of a level higher than your permanent Essence, nor can you exceed the limits based on your type of being (see above).

0. Improbable – Stunts, running upside down around an arch, stomping the ground and having something leap into your hand, catching arrows, leaping 30ft straight up, running up a 100ft wall, hiding in a space ½ the necessary size, holding your breath for 10 minutes
1. Absurd – Seeing ghosts, running across water, fighting while blind, bouncing off water by touching it with your weapon, delaying damage, controlling someone’s body by grasping and manipulating their neck, shooting incoming arrow out of the air, cutting someone’s head off with a streamer of silk at 10 feet, kicking a pebble at a weapon and having it bounce into your hand, understanding unknown languages after a few words, holding your breath for an hour
2. Impossible – Standing on water, standing and fighting on the ceiling, double-jumping, bouncing off clouds, stopping an incoming arrow with the pressure created by a punch, causing a weapon to burst into flame as you wield it, calling a weapon to your hand from across the room, punching ghosts, hurting someone through lethal vibrations created by touching the end of their spear, not needing to breathe, leaping a thousand feet, falling any distance and landing lightly, sliding under a door, moving so fast as to create false images, sensing the pattern on a surface by hearing the wind move across it, curing a cold with a touch, closing wounds by laying on hands, suddenly fluently speaking a language you’ve never heard before
3. Mystical – Grabbing a ghost and pulling them into the physical world, flying through force of will, leaping a league, levelling a castle with a punch, turning to mist, being in two places at once, causing your sword to teleport to your hand, walking through walls, seeing distant places with your mind, curing leprosy or healing wounds by force of will, creating temporary crafts out of impossible ingredients – max for Dragon Blooded
4. Legendary – Sailing a seagoing ship across solid ground or making it fly, moving hundreds of feet in a blink of an eye, Changing lead into gold with a hammerblow, curing the Great Contagion in a person, Make crafts that ignore the ravages of time and are as extraordinarily tough – Max for Celestial Exalted
5. Godlike – Creating a cure for the great contagion, creating items out of impossible materials that will last nearly forever, crafting objects and lands out of pure Wyld


Extra Action

Trait: Any Ability

Cost: 3 EP per Extra Action

Limits: Action limit

Requirements: Minimum Ability 4

Description: Grants you an extra action in which to use this Ability. Your base action for the round does not have to involve this Ability. You may take this extra action even if you forfeit your normal action by aborting to a defense. This extra action does not give extra difficulty to all actions, as mundane multiple actions do, nor does it suffer the difficulty increase from mundane multiple actions. Each commitment of EP to this charm grants a single extra action, up to the standard Action limit. Extra actions occur on your normal initiative. You may not take multiple actions within this extra action.


Extra Attack

Trait: Any Offensive Ability

Cost: 2 EP per Extra Attack

Limits: Action limit

Requirements: Minimum Ability 3

Description: Grants you an extra attack when you attack with this Ability. Extra Attacks must accompany an attack using this Ability granted by an Action (either regular or extra). However, extra attacks may be used against any valid target, not just the original target. Additionally, they may be used multiple times on the same target. This extra attack does not give extra difficulty to all actions, as mundane multiple actions do, nor does it suffer the difficulty increase from mundane multiple actions. Each commitment of EP to this charm grants a single extra attack. These attacks count as actions against the standard Action limit.


Extra Defense

Trait: Any Defensive Ability

Cost: 1 EP per Extra Defense

Limits: Ability

Requirements: Minimum Ability 2

Description: Grants you an extra defense using this Ability. Each extra defense may be used once, and is then used up until your next initiative, and can be used at any time until then. You do not have to declare a defense using one of your actions in order to use this charm. You many not have more iterations of this charm active for a given Ability than the level of the underlying Ability. Mundane multiple actions do not impose their difficulty penalty on these extra defenses. You must have some means of perceiving the attack for this charm to apply.


Persistant Defense

Trait: Any Defensive Ability

Cost: 5 EP

Limits: None

Requirements: Extra Defense, Minimum Ability 5

Description: Until your next initiative, this charm grants you a defense against every incoming attack that can be defended using this Ability. Mundane multiple actions do not impose their difficulty penalty on these extra defenses. You must have some means of perceiving the attack for this charm to apply.


Counterattack

Trait: Any Offensive Ability

Cost: 1 EP per Counterattack

Limits: Action Limit

Requirements: Minimum Ability 3

Description: Grants you an extra attack outside of the normal turn order. This attack may only be used when you are attacked (successfully or not), and the attacker is within range of the counterattack. Each attack can trigger only one counterattack, and each counterattack you have committed essence to can only be used once. Counterattacks cannot trigger counterattacks. This attack is considered to occur simultaneously with the triggering attack. These counterattacks count against the standard Action Limit.


Multitarget

Trait: Any Ability

Cost: Variable

Limits: None

Requirements: Minimum Ability 3

Description: This charm can be used in three ways.


1. Multiply Targets: This charm can be used to increase the normal maximum number of targets for an action, and have that action apply against each.

Examples:

  • Attack multiple people with a single attack roll.
  • Craft multiple items at the same time
  • Carry on one-on-one quality conversations with multiple people at once.
  • Give a speech to 10,000 people as if you were giving it to 100.

This charm mulltiples the standard number of targets. You may freely choose individual targets, if the action would normally be individually targeted. If you are multiplying an action that normally affects more than one target, you must choose one set of targets per multiple no larger than the normal targeted number. You can not multitarget a multitargeted action.


Costs (this can be broken down further, at GM discretion):

2 EP = Normal Targets x 2
5 EP = Normal Targets x 5
10 EP = Normal Targets x 10
20 EP = Normal Targets x 100
30 EP = Normal Targets x 1000
40 EP = Normal Targets x 10,000


2. Area-of-Effect This charm can be used to affect all valid targets within a given range. Increased levels of this effect allow you to increase the area affected, beyond the normal range of the effect. See the Increase Range charm for explaination of Standard Range.

Using Multitarget with increased area does not allow you to select targets. All possible targets are effected. For example, if you use area-of-effect with a melee attack, and increase the area of effect beyond the normal range (reach), everyone and everything that could be targeted by that attack within range will be attacked.


Costs:

5 EP = All targets within Standard Range (may choose targets freely)
10 EP = All targets within Standard Range + 1
20 EP = All targets within Standard Range + 2
30 EP = All targets within Standard Range + 3
40 EP = All targets within Standard Range + 4


3. Selective Area-of-Effect This is a combination of the Increase Range charm and the Area-of-Effect option under this charm. If you possess the Increase Range charm for this ability, and increase the range to match the area granted by this charm, you can declare that the Increase Range charm is making it a Selective Area-of-Effect. A Selective Area-of-Effect, rather than automatically affecting all targets in the area, allows you to choose which targets are affected, and which are not.

The Increase Range charm can be activated seperately from this option, to allow you to alter the location at which the Area-of-Effect occurs. You may also combine these two options, activating Increase Range twice, once in order to relocate the area of effect, and the second in order to make it Selective.


Increase Range

Trait: Any Ability

Cost: 3 EP per Step of Range Increase

Limits: Ability

Requirements: Minimum Ability 2

Description: This charm allows you to increase the maximum effective range of an ability. This charm will also allow you to increase personal effects to affect others. Additionally, it allows you to perform actions that would normally require the use of your hands beyond your reach, manipulating the targets through raw essence-guided force. It will also allow you to vastly increase the range of actions that normally affect things at a distance.

In order to determine the cost of this ability, find the basic range of the effect on the chart below. For instance, a sword blow is range 'Reach', while giving a speech is range 'Medium'. If the range falls between these steps, round down to the smaller step for determining the cost of this charm.

Each step of range increase costs 3 committed Essence Pool. As usual, this charm affects all uses of this Ability while it is active. This charm does not create any range penalties, and the range increment of weapons increases proportionally with the maximum range. However, your perceptions are not extended (unless you use this with Awareness), and you may suffer penalties for this (GM's option). Affecting targets behind valid obstructions, or outside of the normal line of your perceptions may require the use of Transcendant Action charm at level 2 if they could be reached from your current location, at level 3 if they could not.

Using this charm to extend range from Personal allows you to lend the effects of charms, as well as skill expertize, to others. However, unless you use the Multitarget charm, this prevents you from using the lended effect. For this purpose, each activation of this charm is seperate from normal activation, and is treated as a seperate charm.

You may not increase range more than a number of steps equal to your Ability.

Range Steps:

  • Personal (affecting just you)
  • Reach
  • Close (~10 ft, kicked chair)
  • Medium (~100 ft, voice)
  • Long (~1000 ft, bowshot)
  • Distant (10 miles, sight, a day’s travel on foot)
  • Extreme (100s of miles, a day’s travel on ship)
  • Polar (1000s of miles, in same Elemental Direction)
  • Anywhere in Creation


Reduce Time

Trait: Any Ability

Cost: 5 per Step of Time Reduction

Limits: None

Requirements: Minimum Ability 3

Description: This charm reduces the time an action using this Ability takes. Each step of time reduction costs 5 committed Essence Pool.

In order to use this charm, figure take the base time this action will take. Find the unit of time this base uses on the chart below. Each activation of this charm moves the unit of base time upward by one step. The number of units of that time are not changed, unless the unit is reduced to 'Instant'. For example, a task which would normally take 3 Weeks, if reduced by 3 steps, would instead take 3 Minutes.

This charm cannot effect combat attacks or defenses, as they are already considered Instant effects. However, if an action is reduced to 'Instant', it may be used as an Attack or Defense during the normal combat round, assuming it is applicable.

This charm cannot reduce the casting time of Sorcery.

Time Units:

  • Instant
  • Combat Round
  • Minute
  • Hour
  • Day
  • Week
  • Month
  • Season
  • Year
  • Century
  • Millenium



UNFORMATTED NOTES

Charm Name

Trait:

Cost:

Limits:

Requirements:

Description:


Charms:

Damage Boost (1/1 damage, max skill) by skill Auto-Damage (3/1 damage, max skill) by skill Hinder Target (1/degree) by skill Reduced by Resistance Bonus on a level by level basis Degree is difficulty to all related actions by target if hindering action is successful for a certain time Extra Degree determines duration: 1: Next Action 2-3: Next round 4-5: Rest of Scene 6-10: Rest of Day 11+: One Week Boost Initiative (1/1) by Alertness Resistance Bonus (1/1) by Resistance (Increases all stats for resisting one particular effect) Sorcery, Poison, Disease, Knockdown, etc. Create Tools (3) by skill Create Mount (5) by ride Create Ship (15) by sail Create Airship (30) by sail Lethal Damage (1) by attack skill Aggravated Damage (4) by attack skill Soak Lethal (2) by resistance (min 3) Soak Aggravated (5) by resistance (min 5) Toughness (1/1 soak, max skill) by resistance skill Oversoak (10/1, max resistance skill, stacks with Toughness towards limit) Perfect Soak (5+w) by Resistance (min 5) Solars only Perfect Focus (1 extra essence pool/purchase) by Permanent Essence (costs 1w per scene to activate all levels possessed) Ox Body (*) by endurance skill Terrestrial and Sidereal gives +2 health levels each, Lunar and Solar give +3 health levels Essential Sight (*) by Awareness Skill Harnessing the Circle (0) by essence


Fighting Style (1 mortal / 3 terrestrial / 5 celestial / 7 secret) by skill ? Levels ? Basic (x1) ? Expert (x2) ? Master (x3) ? Grand Master (x4) ? Cost is times level multiplier activated. ? Minimum essence to learn is 1 for Basic and Expert, 2 for Master, and 3 for Grand Master, +1 for Terrestrial, +2 for Celestial, and +4 for Secret ? Minimum skill is 2 for Basic, 3 for Expert, 4 for Master, and 5 for Grand Master for all styles, +2 for Secret Styles ? Must know next lower type by skill (mort/terr/cel/sec) expert to get basic, master to get expert, and grand master to get master ? Effective points of power is cost x 2. ? Can have more than one fighting style active, but each one after the first costs 1wp per style already active to activate. No maintenance cost, but must

pay when essence is first committed. Similar bonuses do not stack. ? Cannot wear armor with a mobility penalty while using a style above your type ? Can learn styles one above your type, if you have a teacher ? Charms within style still apply towards and require CHARM limits, if different from style skill (eg. If melee style gives +2 body hardness, must have

resistance 2 to use that level) ? Buying fighting style charms below your type is easier. If one below your type, one purchase gives two levels. If two below your type, one purchase gives

all levels. Note: This can give levels you don’t meet the essence/skill prereq’s for. However, you cannot use this level until you meet the prereqs. ? You can buy fighting style charms one step above your type. This costs +50% more xp. ? You cannot use an out-of-style weapon while a style is active. Unarmed counts as an in-style weapon for all styles bought through Martial Arts.

Sorcery (2 mortal / 5 terrestrial / 15 celestial / 25 solar + wp) by occult skill (2/3/4/5 req skill and essence) ? If you have a higher form active, each level of difference subtracts 1 round from the casting time (minimum 1 round). This does reduce the willpower cost. ? Takes a number of rounds to cast. 1 point of Willpower is spent during each round spent casting except the LAST, when the spell is released. ? Casting times/total cost: ? Mortal: 1 rounds, 0 wp ? Terrestrial: 2 rounds, 1 wp ? Celestial: 3 rounds, 2 wp ? Solar: 4 rounds, 3 wp


Fighting Styles: Mortal: Sun and Moon Method – Melee (2 weapons) Basic: +1 Attack, +1 Extra Parry Expert: +1 Attack, +1 Extra Action Master: +1 Attack, +1 Parry, +1 Extra Action, +1 Extra Parry Grand Master: +1 Attack, +1 Parry, +1 Extra Action, +2 Extra Parries, +1 Counterattack Dragon Tail Style – Melee (2 hander) Basic: +1 Initiative, +1 Damage Expert: +1 Initiative, +2 Damage, +1 Attack Master: +1 Initiative, +2 Damage, +2 Attack, +1 Counterattack Grand Master: +1 Initiative, +2 Damage, +2 Attack, +1 Counterattack, +1 Extra Attack Sentinel Stance – Melee (1h) Basic: +1 Parry, +1 Extra Parry Expert: +1 Parry, +1 Extra Parry, +1 Counterattack, +1 Toughness Master: +1 Parry, +2 Extra Parries, +1 Counterattack, +2 Toughness Grand Master: Persistent Parry, +3 Toughness Five Winds Style - Immaculate Initiate - MA Basic: +1 Extra Dodge, +1 Damage Expert: +1 Extra Dodge, +1 Extra Attack, +1 Damage Master: +1 Initiative, +1 Extra Dodge, +1 Extra Attack, +1 Damage, Lethal Damage Grand Master: +1 Initiative, +2 Extra Dodges, +1 Extra Attack, +2 Damage, Lethal Damage Pit Fighting – Brawling Basic: +1 Damage, +1 Toughness Expert: +2 Damage, +1 Toughness, +1 Attack Master: +2 Damage, +1 Toughness, +1 Attack, Soak Lethal Grand Master: +2 Damage, +2 Toughness, +2 Attack, Soak Lethal Sharpshooting - Archery Basic: +1 Attack, +1 Damage Expert: +2 Attack, +1 Damage, +1 Scorn Adversity Master: +3 Attack, +2 Damage, +1 Scorn Adversity Grand Master: +4 Attack, +2 Damage, +2 Scorn Adversity Razor Wing Technique – Thrown Basic: +1 Initiative, +1 Attack Expert: +2 Initiative, +1 Attack, +1 Damage Master: +2 Initiative, +1 Attack, +1 Damage, +1 Extra Attack Grand Master: +2 Initiative, +1 Attack, +1 Damage, +2 Extra Attacks

Terrestrial: Five Dragon Style – Immaculate Adept – MA/Melee (All) Basic: Lethal Damage, +1 Attack, +1 Dodge, +1 Extra Dodge, +2 Toughness Expert: Lethal Damage, +2 Attack, +2 Dodge, +2 Extra Dodges, +3 Toughness, Soak Lethal Master: Lethal Damage, +3 Attack, +3 Dodge, +3 Extra Dodges, +4 Toughness, Soak Lethal, +1 Extra Attack Grand Master: Agg Damage, +4 Attack, +3 Dodge, Persistent Dodge, +4 Toughness, Soak Lethal, +1 Extra Attack Jade Mountain Style – MA/Melee (1h) Basic: +1 Strength, +2 Toughness, +2 Resistance (Knockdown) Expert: +2 Strength, +2 Stamina, +2 Toughness, -1 Dexterity, +2 Resistance (Knockdown), Soak Lethal Master: +3 Strength, +3 Stamina, +2 Toughness, -1 Dexterity, +4 Resistance (Knockdown), Soak Lethal Grand Master: +3 Strength, +3 Stamina, +4 Toughness, -1 Dexterity, +4 Resistance (Knockdown), Soak Lethal, Do Lethal, +3 Damage Crimson Pentacle Blade– Melee (2 hander) Basic: Transcendant Action (May use two-handed spear one handed), +3 Initiative Expert: Transcendant Action (same), +3 Initiative, +1 Attack (affects you and up to 4 others within 10 feet, stacks), +1 Damage (affects you and up

to 4 others within 10 feet, stacks) Master: Transcendant Action (same+scythe), Create Tool (Scythe), +2 Attack, +2 Parry, +3 Extra Parries, +1 Counterattacks, +2 Toughness, +1 Extra

Attack, +3 Damage Grand Master: Transcendant Action (same+scythe), Create Tool (Scythe), +4 Attack, +2 Parry, +3 Extra Parries, +2 Toughness, +3 Extra Attacks, +4 Damage Three Circles Style – (2 weapons) Basic: +1 Attack, +1 Parry, +1 Extra Action, +1 Extra Parry Expert: +2 Attack, +2 Parry, +2 Extra Actions, +2 Extra Parries Master: +3 Attack, +3 Parry, +2 Extra Attacks, Persistent Parry, Increased Range (Cutting waves, 10ft) Grand Master: +3 Attack, +3 Parry, Persistent Parry, Increased Range (Cutting waves, 10ft), Multitarget (All chosen targets within normal range +1) Brawling Basic: Expert: Master: Grand Master: Archery Basic: Expert: Master: Grand Master: Thrown Basic: Expert: Master: Grand Master:

Celestial: Snake– MA Tiger– MA Ebon Shadow– MA Mantis– MA Hungry Ghost – MA Fire Dragon – MA/Melee (2 weapon) Water Dragon – MA/Melee (2 hander) Earth Dragon – MA/Melee (1h and board) Wood Dragon – MA/Archery Air Dragon – MA/Thrown Steel Devil Style – Melee (2 weapon) Righteous Devil Style – Archery Dreaming Pearl Courtesan Style – MA Celestial Monkey – MA Brawling

Secret: Prismatic Arrangement of Creation – MA Citrine Poxes of Contagion – MA Charcoal March of Spiders – MA Sol Invictus Style – MA/Melee/Archery/Thrown/Brawl

Skill Redo

Solar: >old< Dawn - Archery, Brawl, Martial Arts, Melee, Thrown Zenith - Endurance, Performance, Presence, Resistance, Survival Twilight - Craft, Investigation, Lore, Medicine, Occult Night - Athletics, Awareness, Dodge, Larceny, Stealth Eclipse - Bureaucracy, Linguistics, Ride, Sail, Socialize >new< Dawn - Archery, Martial Arts, Melee, Thrown, Tactics Zenith - Endurance, Performance, Animal Ken, Survival, Insight Twilight - Craft, Investigation, Lore, Medicine, Occult Night - Athletics, Awareness, Dodge, Larceny, Stealth Eclipse - Bureaucracy, Culture, Ride, Sail, Persuasion

Lunar: >old< none >new< Full - Archery, Martial Arts, Melee, Thrown, Endurance Gibbous - Tactics, Performance, Sail, Awareness, Lore Half - Persuasion, Bureaucracy, Culture, Ride, Investigation Crescent - Survival, Stealth, Larceny, Athletics, Dodge New - Animal Ken, Occult, Medicine, Craft, Insight

Sidereal: >old< Journeys - Endurance, Ride, Sail, Survival, Thrown Serinity - Craft, Dodge, Linguistics, Performance, Socialize Battles - Archery, Brawl, Melee, PResence, Resistance Secrets - Investigation, Larceny, Lore, Occult, Stealth Endings - Athletics, Awareness, Bureaucracy, Martial Arts, Medicine >new< Travel - Endurance, Ride, Sail, Survival, Animal Ken Serinity - Craft, Dodge, Culture, Performance, Persuasion Battles - Archery, Melee, Tactics, Thrown, Martial Arts Secrets - Investigation, Larceny, Lore, Occult, Stealth Endings - Athletics, Awareness, Bureaucracy, Insight, Medicine

Dragonblood: >old< Air - Linguistics, Lore, Occult, Stealth, Thrown Fire - Athletics, Dodge, Melee, Presence, Socialize Earth - Awareness, Craft, Endurance, Martial Arts, Resistance Water - Brawl, Bureaucracy, Investigation, Larceny, Sail Wood - Archery, Medicine, Performance, Ride, Survival >new< Air - Culture, Lore, Occult, Stealth, Thrown Fire - Athletics, Dodge, Melee, Persuasion, Insight Earth - Awareness, Craft, Endurance, Martial Arts, Animal Ken Water - Bureaucracy, Investigation, Larceny, Sail, Tactics Wood - Archery, Medicine, Performance, Ride, Survival