Re: Charms
1st (TITLE) Excellency
The TITLE struggles against being controlled, but is often a slave to her own desires, which most often tend toward a lazy hedonism. She instills her own vices in others, and subverts rules and structures of the world around her to remove obstacles to her desires. The TITLE is full of clever ideas, and witty rebuttals, but has no follow-through, instead convincing others to do her work for her as she becomes lost in idle fantasy and attempts to ignore painful truths. The TITLE uses politeness and her unassuming appearance to hide her flaws, especially her tendency to manipulate others, uncertainty, anxiety, and lack of temperance. The TITLE is ultimately indecisive, reacting to the world rather than acting, with inertia and insecurity holding her to a course of action far more than any nobler purpose. Despite her general lack of motivation and decisiveness, TITLE is fiercely driven by a possessive love, and having endured suffering during a life in which all she valued was taken from her, she will defend what is hers, especially her freedom, no matter the cost. Those who would wound, degrade, cage, or steal from TITLE will face her spiteful reprisal.
NAME frequently engages in the guilty pleasure of writing derivative works of fiction; this Excellency may be applied to any act of writing that builds on pre-existing works. In combat, this Excellency may be used to enhance defense or counterattacks, but not to initiate attacks. Socially, NAME builds relationships and uses her intimacies as a shield against her enemies, but she cannot act to abandon her intimacies. Due to the TITLE’s avoidance of sustained work, no more than half the maximum motes may be spent to enhance activities that last longer than a single action outside of combat using this excellency.
Second Excellency – Spiteful Rebuttal
The TITLE is often self-sabotaging, making her victories uncertain, but she is always willing to thwart the efforts of those who oppose her. This functions identically to Shadow Spite Curse, except the visual effect is that of fantastic essence phantoms rather than tendrils of shadow.
(TITLE) Mythos Exultant
The TITLE helps others to accomplish her goals; her success is the success of all, and their success is hers. When stunting, this charm may enhance the next action of another character within sight, providing them with a bonus equal to that of the original stunt. If the stunt succeeds, the character has already reaped the rewards of their effort and gains nothing further.
Sorcerous Enlightenment of (TITLE)
The title finds it far easier to unravel the works of others than to engage in the arduous task of creation herself, and thus reduces the cost of countermagic by 10 motes. When she puts forth the effort to summon or create objects, if those creatures or objects are summoned with the express purpose of reducing her own work (e.g. a magical chariot to eliminate the need to walk, demons summoned to repair a wall), she may spend 5 motes to increase the work completed by half (e.g. the number of individuals carried, the amount of work completed). The TITLE finds it difficult to muster the mental fortitude and focus necessary for sustained sorcerous efforts, however, and must spend a willpower when casting spells requiring more than a single scene to cast.
Flaw of the (TITLE)
The TITLE can only muster the necessary focus and will to defend against attacks that would negatively impact her intimacies. This flaw requires that she be actively protecting her intimacies, or preventing others from undermining her intimacies or motivation. If protecting an idea rather than an object or entity (e.g. alone and defending against Guild slavers that would violate her intimacy or motivation to be “master of my own destiny”), this charm is subject to a +3 mote surcharge. Intimacies solely focused on protecting one’s physical safety are not valid intimacies for the purposes of mitigating this flaw of invulnerability; for the TITLE, life is only worth living if there is something to live for.
Act of Villainy
If, instead of killing an enemy, Lynn talks to an enemy in an effort to forge a positive intimacy with her foe, she reduces her limit by (X). This process is often aided by taking prisoners, caring for them gently while controlling every aspect of their environments, and slowly making them realize how wonderful you are...
Anima Banner
Lynn may spend 5 motes to increase all her defense and mental defense (both parry and dodge) values by 1. This effect occurs automatically once she spends 11+ motes of peripheral essence. Lynn may forge binding oaths, as per the Eclipse Caste anima power. As freedom is a key component of Lynn's myth, she retains the defiler anima power allowing her to defy oaths, and can even negate Infernal oaths, but she must make a successful (Bureaucracy or LInguistics) roll at a difficulty equal to the Essence of the individual who forged the original oath, and she can never suppress an oath she has forged herself in this fashion. As Lynn's oaths are not enforced by Primordial writ, she is subject to the oath suppression effect of Defiler Caste Infernals as though she were an Eclipse Caste solar.
The TITLE struggles against being controlled, but is often a slave to her own desires, which most often tend toward a lazy hedonism. She instills her own vices in others, and subverts rules and structures of the world around her to remove obstacles to her desires. The TITLE is full of clever ideas, and witty rebuttals, but has no follow-through, instead convincing others to do her work for her as she becomes lost in idle fantasy and attempts to ignore painful truths. The TITLE uses politeness and her unassuming appearance to hide her flaws, especially her tendency to manipulate others, uncertainty, anxiety, and lack of temperance. The TITLE is ultimately indecisive, reacting to the world rather than acting, with inertia and insecurity holding her to a course of action far more than any nobler purpose. Despite her general lack of motivation and decisiveness, TITLE is fiercely driven by a possessive love, and having endured suffering during a life in which all she valued was taken from her, she will defend what is hers, especially her freedom, no matter the cost. Those who would wound, degrade, cage, or steal from TITLE will face her spiteful reprisal.
NAME frequently engages in the guilty pleasure of writing derivative works of fiction; this Excellency may be applied to any act of writing that builds on pre-existing works. In combat, this Excellency may be used to enhance defense or counterattacks, but not to initiate attacks. Socially, NAME builds relationships and uses her intimacies as a shield against her enemies, but she cannot act to abandon her intimacies. Due to the TITLE’s avoidance of sustained work, no more than half the maximum motes may be spent to enhance activities that last longer than a single action outside of combat using this excellency.
Second Excellency – Spiteful Rebuttal
The TITLE is often self-sabotaging, making her victories uncertain, but she is always willing to thwart the efforts of those who oppose her. This functions identically to Shadow Spite Curse, except the visual effect is that of fantastic essence phantoms rather than tendrils of shadow.
(TITLE) Mythos Exultant
The TITLE helps others to accomplish her goals; her success is the success of all, and their success is hers. When stunting, this charm may enhance the next action of another character within sight, providing them with a bonus equal to that of the original stunt. If the stunt succeeds, the character has already reaped the rewards of their effort and gains nothing further.
Sorcerous Enlightenment of (TITLE)
The title finds it far easier to unravel the works of others than to engage in the arduous task of creation herself, and thus reduces the cost of countermagic by 10 motes. When she puts forth the effort to summon or create objects, if those creatures or objects are summoned with the express purpose of reducing her own work (e.g. a magical chariot to eliminate the need to walk, demons summoned to repair a wall), she may spend 5 motes to increase the work completed by half (e.g. the number of individuals carried, the amount of work completed). The TITLE finds it difficult to muster the mental fortitude and focus necessary for sustained sorcerous efforts, however, and must spend a willpower when casting spells requiring more than a single scene to cast.
Flaw of the (TITLE)
The TITLE can only muster the necessary focus and will to defend against attacks that would negatively impact her intimacies. This flaw requires that she be actively protecting her intimacies, or preventing others from undermining her intimacies or motivation. If protecting an idea rather than an object or entity (e.g. alone and defending against Guild slavers that would violate her intimacy or motivation to be “master of my own destiny”), this charm is subject to a +3 mote surcharge. Intimacies solely focused on protecting one’s physical safety are not valid intimacies for the purposes of mitigating this flaw of invulnerability; for the TITLE, life is only worth living if there is something to live for.
Act of Villainy
If, instead of killing an enemy, Lynn talks to an enemy in an effort to forge a positive intimacy with her foe, she reduces her limit by (X). This process is often aided by taking prisoners, caring for them gently while controlling every aspect of their environments, and slowly making them realize how wonderful you are...
Anima Banner
Lynn may spend 5 motes to increase all her defense and mental defense (both parry and dodge) values by 1. This effect occurs automatically once she spends 11+ motes of peripheral essence. Lynn may forge binding oaths, as per the Eclipse Caste anima power. As freedom is a key component of Lynn's myth, she retains the defiler anima power allowing her to defy oaths, and can even negate Infernal oaths, but she must make a successful (Bureaucracy or LInguistics) roll at a difficulty equal to the Essence of the individual who forged the original oath, and she can never suppress an oath she has forged herself in this fashion. As Lynn's oaths are not enforced by Primordial writ, she is subject to the oath suppression effect of Defiler Caste Infernals as though she were an Eclipse Caste solar.
Threading the Gerbil since 1982
Re: Charms
Alternate Devil-Tiger charms. I altered them further to remove the weird xp reqs, and made a few other wording changes. I will be using these in Re-Creation as well.
Echoes of Myths Unspoken
Cost: --; Mins: Essence 4; Type: Permanent
Keywords: Heretical
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisite Charms: Any (Yozi) Excellency
The Yozi are myth-made-flesh-and-geography; it is a Warlock's given right to sing these myths from Yu-Shan to Deep Chaos. However, they are not the only myths that can be sung, and myths change in the telling...
Upon first taking this charm, define a set of Yozi General charms, an aesthetic, and an Imperfection based of off a First (Yozi) Excellency of your design; this is referred to as your Myth. You gain the ability to learn these charms for the normal costs for Favored charms; these are the sole charms in your Myth, barring any that you adapt.
However, that is not the key benefit of this charm; much like the Yozis themselves, you gain the ability to adapt charms from other Yozis to match your Myth. You may adapt any Favored or Caste Yozi charms that you know to match your Myth, paying for them as Favored charms. If you already know the charms you wish to adapt, you may adapt them to your myth over the course of a week, replacing them in an Obvious upwelling of Essence at the time you purchase this charm. You may 'adapt' General charms in this way, replacing them with the corresponding charm from your Myth.
As part of adapting Charms to your Myth, you may tweak the mechanical nature of the Charm as well; this mechanical alteration should not be much larger than changing an Attribute or Ability, altering what kind of intimacy is inflicted, or other minor, mostly stylistic differences.
Child-Tale Instruction
Cost: --; Mins: Essence 4; Type: Permanent
Keywords: Heretical
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisite Charms: Echoes of Myths Unspoken
Myths are simultaneously potent and fragile; if they can spread, they survive. And once they survive, they live on for far longer than it was ever thought they would.
Upon taking this charm, you become immortal, never needing to fear death from old age. All Heretical charms that specifically have charms you have adapted to your Myth as their prerequisites may be learned as if they were charms in your Myth; if these charms have a non-favored yozi charm as a pre-requisite, you may adapt the charm to only require charms from your myth as pre-requisites. Heretical charms adapted in this way lose the Heretical keyword. Echoes of Myths Unspoken, and charms requiring it as a pre-requisite, may never be converted to your myth.
In addition, you gain the ability to develop completely new charms for your Myth; this follows all the normal rules for developing a new charm. You may teach other Green Sun Princes charms from your Myth; they must pay non-Favored costs for those charms, and this does not allow them to further innovate charms along that path. Your Myth, at least at this point, is yours to guide.
I-Am-Here Declaration
Cost: -- (30m, 10 Limit; 5wp, 5AHL); Mins: Essence 5; Type: Permanent
Keywords: Heretical
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisite Charms: Child-Tale Instruction
Legends aren't supposed to be secrets; myths weren't made to be whispered. It is time to shout your declaration to the world, and let your myth echo across infinity.
Upon taking this charm, define a Caste Mark, Anima Power, Urge, Torment, and Act of Villainy along the lines of your Myth. Upon creating this panoply, it lies hidden until you are ready to declare it.
As a Dramatic action taking a full day, you may reveal your Myth to the whole world; by committing 30m for this period of time, you immediately enter Torment, your Anima Banner flaring totemic. At any point during this enforced Torment, you may spend 5wp and take 5 Unsoakable levels of Aggravated damage to take control of your madness; the nature of your Torment immediately alters to match the Torment you defined through this charm, your Caste Mark likewise changes, your Anima Banner's aesthetic and effects alters to match that of your Myth, and your Urge is replaced by one in keeping with your Myth.
In effect, this charm provides the benefits of the charms Flame of the Rising Phoenix, the Tempest of Inward Focus, Swallowing the Scorpion (minus the bonus against yozi and demon charms), Dance of the Thrashing Dragon, and Face of the Titans.
This Charm may serve as the sole prerequisite for Spirit of the Living World and Path of a Thousand Whispers (which has its essence prerequisite reduced to 6).
Echoes of Myths Unspoken
Cost: --; Mins: Essence 4; Type: Permanent
Keywords: Heretical
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisite Charms: Any (Yozi) Excellency
The Yozi are myth-made-flesh-and-geography; it is a Warlock's given right to sing these myths from Yu-Shan to Deep Chaos. However, they are not the only myths that can be sung, and myths change in the telling...
Upon first taking this charm, define a set of Yozi General charms, an aesthetic, and an Imperfection based of off a First (Yozi) Excellency of your design; this is referred to as your Myth. You gain the ability to learn these charms for the normal costs for Favored charms; these are the sole charms in your Myth, barring any that you adapt.
However, that is not the key benefit of this charm; much like the Yozis themselves, you gain the ability to adapt charms from other Yozis to match your Myth. You may adapt any Favored or Caste Yozi charms that you know to match your Myth, paying for them as Favored charms. If you already know the charms you wish to adapt, you may adapt them to your myth over the course of a week, replacing them in an Obvious upwelling of Essence at the time you purchase this charm. You may 'adapt' General charms in this way, replacing them with the corresponding charm from your Myth.
As part of adapting Charms to your Myth, you may tweak the mechanical nature of the Charm as well; this mechanical alteration should not be much larger than changing an Attribute or Ability, altering what kind of intimacy is inflicted, or other minor, mostly stylistic differences.
Child-Tale Instruction
Cost: --; Mins: Essence 4; Type: Permanent
Keywords: Heretical
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisite Charms: Echoes of Myths Unspoken
Myths are simultaneously potent and fragile; if they can spread, they survive. And once they survive, they live on for far longer than it was ever thought they would.
Upon taking this charm, you become immortal, never needing to fear death from old age. All Heretical charms that specifically have charms you have adapted to your Myth as their prerequisites may be learned as if they were charms in your Myth; if these charms have a non-favored yozi charm as a pre-requisite, you may adapt the charm to only require charms from your myth as pre-requisites. Heretical charms adapted in this way lose the Heretical keyword. Echoes of Myths Unspoken, and charms requiring it as a pre-requisite, may never be converted to your myth.
In addition, you gain the ability to develop completely new charms for your Myth; this follows all the normal rules for developing a new charm. You may teach other Green Sun Princes charms from your Myth; they must pay non-Favored costs for those charms, and this does not allow them to further innovate charms along that path. Your Myth, at least at this point, is yours to guide.
I-Am-Here Declaration
Cost: -- (30m, 10 Limit; 5wp, 5AHL); Mins: Essence 5; Type: Permanent
Keywords: Heretical
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisite Charms: Child-Tale Instruction
Legends aren't supposed to be secrets; myths weren't made to be whispered. It is time to shout your declaration to the world, and let your myth echo across infinity.
Upon taking this charm, define a Caste Mark, Anima Power, Urge, Torment, and Act of Villainy along the lines of your Myth. Upon creating this panoply, it lies hidden until you are ready to declare it.
As a Dramatic action taking a full day, you may reveal your Myth to the whole world; by committing 30m for this period of time, you immediately enter Torment, your Anima Banner flaring totemic. At any point during this enforced Torment, you may spend 5wp and take 5 Unsoakable levels of Aggravated damage to take control of your madness; the nature of your Torment immediately alters to match the Torment you defined through this charm, your Caste Mark likewise changes, your Anima Banner's aesthetic and effects alters to match that of your Myth, and your Urge is replaced by one in keeping with your Myth.
In effect, this charm provides the benefits of the charms Flame of the Rising Phoenix, the Tempest of Inward Focus, Swallowing the Scorpion (minus the bonus against yozi and demon charms), Dance of the Thrashing Dragon, and Face of the Titans.
This Charm may serve as the sole prerequisite for Spirit of the Living World and Path of a Thousand Whispers (which has its essence prerequisite reduced to 6).
Threading the Gerbil since 1982
Re: Charms
Relentless Saga-Body
Cost: - (+7m); Mins: Essence 5; Type: Permanent
Keywords: -
Duration: Permanent
Pre-requisite Charms: The King Still Stands, Devil-Tyrant Avatar Shintai
Legends are not bound by the petty rules of mortals, and they persist as long as there are those who believe them.
This charm permanently enhances Devil-Tyrant Avatar Shintai. When Devil-Tyrant Avatar Shintai is activated, the Infernal may choose to increases its cost by 7 motes. If the Infernal pays the additional cost, when Devil-Tyrant Avatar Shintai is active the Infernal is immune to sickness and disease, cannot be knocked unconscious, may add (Essence) to natural aggravated soak, and has no need for air or food as she is sustained by pure essence. Finally, if the Infernal knows the charm Pathetic Distraction Rebuke, the charm has its base cost reduced by one mote while Devil-Tyrant Avatar Shintai is active. While utilizing the benefits of Relentless Saga-Body, the Infernal cannot regain motes except through charms or stunts.
Design note: inspired by Heartless Maiden Trance, and includes some of the effects, but approaches it differently. By making it work as an expansion of DTAS, it further emphasizes the link to the characters legend, and it indicates the benefits are just building on the transformation. It also provides a significant flaw, as it is a very obvious charm. The "penalty reduction" element of HMT was reduced, but still represented, by adding in the PDR mote reduction clause. The charm does not add any extra soak either, but the ability to use the existing soak provided by the charm to soak agg, is a nice and potent effect that offsets its higher essence and pre-req cost.
Denial of Burning Brass (See Guardian Sunfire Catechism, IM p. 19)
Cost: - (+4m or +4m, 1wp); Mins: Essence 4; Type: Permanent
Keywords: Obvious
Duration: Permanent
Pre-requisite Charms: Ablation of Brass and Fire
As the Infernal’s skin burns with green flame, her skin sloughing away in patches to reveal essence-forged brass, the infernal deflects all attacks.
This Charm enhances its prerequisite. The Infernal may opt to pay a four mote surcharge when activating Ablation of Brass and Fire, extending its duration to one tick. Infernals with Essence 5+ may extend the duration of Ablation of Brass and Fire to one action by paying a four mote, one Willpower surcharge. When using this Charm in conjunction with Defend Other, the Infernal must activate this Charm multiple times to cover multiple allies, paying the Charm’s activation cost and surcharge separately for each target she wishes to defend for One tick or One action.
Design note: standard tick/action long perfect, but Sunfire Catechism makes a better model than Laughing-Gust due to the verbiage regarding defend other actions. +1 moted since its non-solar, and it isn't tied to a single ability.
Veil of Tangled Fate
Cost: 5m; Mins: Essence 2; Type: Simple (Speed 5, DV -1)
Keywords: Blasphemy, Combo OK, Illusion, Obvious
Duration: One Scene
Pre-requisite Charms: Loom-Snarling Deception, Pathetic Distraction Rebuke
The infernal’s anima briefly flares, catching and snarling the threads of fate around her, then condenses next to her skin. She is surrounded in an aura of shifting possibilities and stolen fates as she weaves a costume formed from myth and legend. She appears to move in several directions at once before her actions crystalize into a single path, her face shifts to those of fictional heroes and legendary warriors. Those who move to attack the infernal are assaulted by traumatic visions of the death of their most treasured idols, and must steel themselves if they wish to harm her.
When unarmored, this Charm adds (Essence) to the Infernal's bashing, lethal, and aggravated soak. In areas where the loom of fate holds sway, this rises to her (Essence + Wits). Additionally, as an illusion effect, attackers whose Compassion is higher than their Conviction take an external penalty equal to the difference between the virtues when attempting to hit the Infernal. This illusion effect can be negated for the scene at the cost of 1 willpower.
Design Note: I’m still working on the thematics of this. The idea is to mix the loom-snarling effects of Loom-Snarling Deception with the defensive protection of Pathetic Distraction Rebuke. Thematically, it builds on the unpredictable and indecisive nature of Lynn, the “projected fantasy” illusion sub-theme I’ve been working on incorporating into the ebon dragon charms, and of course the defensive themes. In terms of the charm tree itself, this replaces Scar-Writ Saga Shield; it is better, but it comes at higher risk (blasphemy effect), it only lasts a scene instead of being permanent, and it does not build to the potent Viridian Legend Exoskeleton.
Searing Emerald Retaliation (see Flawless Mirror Trance, IM p. 18)
Cost: 5m; Mins: Essence 4; Type: Simple (speed 7, DV -0)
Keywords: Combo Ok, Counterattack, Martial-ready
Duration: Instant
Pre-requisite Charms: Invulnerable Wounding Futility
Pausing in the midst of battle, the infernal dares her enemies to assault her, then lashes out furiously, targeting the weaknesses revealed by her attacker’s motion.
Until her next action, a character under the effects of this Charm gains the following benefits: she adds her Essence to her Parry DV; whenever she uses her Parry DV against an attack, she may make a counterattack with (Essence) dice added to her regular damage pool; and she may use her parry DV to parry unblockable attacks.
Design Notes: This is just FMT, but switches accuracy for damage. It isn't a favorable trade, but it better represents the pasion-over-skill theme that seems to define the infernals.
Ego-Bolstering Degradation (See Rage-Soaked Inferno Soul, IM p. 57)
Cost: 5m; Mins: Essence 4; Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Combo OK, Native, Overdrive
Duration: One Scene
Pre-requisite Charms: Invulnerable Wounding Futility
An Infernal who learns this Charm gains an Overdrive pool with a capacity of fifteen motes. Initially empty, the Infernal may begin to fill it by activating this Charm. From that point onward, each time the Infernal successfully counterattacks and damages an opponent, she gains a single offensive mote that is stolen from the target of the counterattack. The Infernal may not gain more than 2 motes per tick from this charm, though motes may still be drained from opponents once this limit is reached. Infernals that gain 5 or more motes from this charm in a single action run the risk of losing control of their claimed essence; if the Exalt gains five or more offensive motes in a single action, make a difficulty 1 (Wits + Temperance) roll at the beginning of the Infernal's next action to stabilize the her stolen power. For each mote over five, increase the difficulty of this roll by 1. If the Infernal succeeds on this roll, add an additional two motes to her Overdrive pool. If she fails, five of her Overdrive motes are lost and she takes a -2 internal penalty to all actions until her DV refreshes, due to shattered confidence.
This charm may be used in social combat. Attacks that do not have a chance to actually wound the infernal (physically or socially) do not trigger this charm, nor do attacks from those without an essence pool.
Design Note: this is clearly modeled after RSIS, but tweaked for a defense based character that uses counterattacks. The role to stabilize is worse, and the penalty is worse (dv reduction > 1 hl) but the minor mote theft is a nice freebie.
Army Breaking Redoubt (see Opened Eye of the Hurricane, Infernals, and Behemoth Slaying Attitude, LoC p. 63)
Cost: 8m, 1wp; Mins: Essence 4; Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Combo OK, War
Duration: One Scene
Pre-requisite Charms: Searing Emerald Retaliation, Cracked Cell Circumvention
The infernal redirects the strength of the enemy to destroy itself. In Mass Combat, this Charm negates all advantages conferred by higher Magnitude for units attacking the Infernal, including opponents that are considered solo mass combat units because of their size, while she fights as a solo unit. This charm also allows the infernal to ignore half of the unit’s hardness as she exploits openings in the enemy’s defenses.
Design Note: This is a blend, conceptually anyway, of OEotH and BSA. I ditched the dv penalty reduction element of OEotH, added in some of the elements of BSA, and added in a way to get damage through better (but not increase damage or penalize the opponent, as BSA does).
Co-Dependent Muse Revelation
Cost: 3m per die; Mins: Essence 2; Type: Simple
Keywords: Combo OK
Duration: Indefinite
Pre-requisite Charms: Vigilance-Inducing Insecurity
To activate this Charm, the Infernal concentrates on a project being undertaken by another character that holds an intimacy toward her, and offers insightful commentary or criticism on the character’s method of approach. Inspiration strikes in the mind of the subject, igniting new creative ideas and methods. The Infernal may add one die per three motes to all rolls the target takes in pursuit of a certain project, so long as those rolls are based on a mental Attribute and the project is inherently creative in some way. The Infernal may bestow no more than (her Intelligence) dice to a single subject, and these do not count as dice added by a Charm. The target may refuse the bonus granted by this charm, but if they do not, the time they spend working on their project also counts as time spent building an intimacy of dependence toward the Infernal.
Design note: this is inspired by Argent Muse Approach from IM (p. 67) but I wanted something more insidious, and limited to abusing existing relationships. The trade off at the end helps accomplish the co-dependent needs of the nascent devil-tiger-myth: “I help you so much why don’t you like me I need you to LOVE ME!”
One Tiny Favor…
Cost: - Mins: Essence 3; Type: Permanent
Keywords: Social
Duration: Permanent
Pre-requisite Charms: Co-Dependent Muse Revelation
The infernal may make requests of any entity that has accepted aid from her in the past. These requests are treated as unnatural mental influence that may be resisted at the cost of 1 willpower. Only one such request may be made per scene per individual target, unless a target spends a willpower to resist. If a target resists, the Infernal may make a second, different request. The target may refuse this second request at no willpower cost, but if they do so they take an internal penalty of (lower of their Valor and Compassion) against all actions directed against the Infernal for the scene. Favors requested cannot represent a significant risk or cost to the target. An innkeeper could be asked to provide a basic room for the night, a ship captain to provide passage in their cargo hold, or an acquaintance to prepare a quick meal, but the innkeeper could not be convinced to allow you to set inn ablaze, nor the friend to give you all of their available food stores. This may be used in combat to make requests that do not reasonably threaten the target (e.g. request parlay, avoid attacking non-combatants, move the fight outside of a crowded market, attack a specific target when faced with targets perceived as equally threatening).
Design note: clearly a play on Crowned with Fury, but I wanted something that represented an attack based on subtlety and guilt. I like the “aid” element, because it forces extended interactions, and the “limited cost” element means that the player has to be clever to get anything out of the charm.
Apocalypse-Breaking Rebuff (see Guarding Star Tactics, LoC p. 61)
Cost: - (+3m, 1B hl) Mins: Essence 6; Type: Permanent
Keywords: Obvious, War
Duration: Permanent
Pre-requisite Charms: Ablation of Brass and Fire, The King Still Stands
As per Guarding Star Tactics, except as noted above.
Design notes: not much to say, figured blocking falling mountains was good for a high-end defensive character, modeled after the closest charm I could find. I upped the cost to include a health level so that it would take some strain to actually do, because its infernal rather than solar, and because it matches the weird sadomasochistic tendencies of both the Malfean and Lynnian charmsets.
Vigilance-Inducing Insecurity
Cost: - (1 permanent Limit); Mins: Essence 2; Type: Permanent
Keywords: -
Duration: Permanent
Pre-requisite Charms: -
The infernal intuitively senses the subtle fluctuations in essence caused by the thoughts and emotions of others, specifically as they relate to her own person and interests. If blinded, the infernal may “see” any sentient entities that are acting on her or her intimacies with in (Essence x 10) yards by the essence distortions they cause. The infernal may roll (Perception + Investigation) against individual targets within the area (resisted by the target’s MDV) to sense the presence and nature of intimacies held by the target toward her or her intimacies. Finally, the Infernal gains a bonus of (Essence) against attempts at social deception or stealth by those within this area. This constant vigilance results in social distraction, and makes the Infernal’s feelings of defensiveness and insecurity obvious to those around her, resulting in a penalty of (current Limit) to non-written charisma based social actions. This Charm counts as Witness to Darkness for purposes of Charm pre-requisites.
Design notes: Fills the slot of Witness to Darkness in the charm tree, but in a way more appropriate to the character. It’s a little less powerful, but the negative is reduced. I like the shifting nature of the penalty though, as it reflects actual crazy better than a flat penalty.
Constant Anxious Vigilance
Cost: 3m, 1 Limit; Mins: Essence 2; Type: Permanent
Keywords: -
Duration: one scene
Pre-requisite Charms: Vigilance-Inducing Insecurity
In a burst of anxiety-fueled essence the infernal may enter a hyper-vigilant state, allowing her to sense even subtle threats to her interests within (Essence x 10) yards. This Charm allows the infernal to see dematerialized beings, and makes it impossible for enemies to unexpectedly attack her or her interests, within range of the charm. This Charm removes the unexpected tag on attacks (including social attacks) against her, or attacks against her intimacies for purposes of defensive actions taken by the infernal. This charm may be activated as a reflexive action by the infernal, and it is automatically activated the first time the infernal or an intimacy is targeted by an unexpected attack within the scene.
Design notes: This isn’t exactly inspired by any one charm, but clearly is a spirit sight plus surprise negation charm. Rather than adding to Join Battle like Joy in Adversity, it is more broadly applied and allows for limited spirit sight (which also helps introduce the “spirit killer” charm that follows).
Fearful Eternal Embrace
Cost: 1 Permanent Limit (+5m); Mins: Essence 2; Type: Permanent
Keywords: Obvious
Duration: Permanent
Pre-requisite Charms: Constant Anxious Vigilance, Yozi-Body Unity, Spirit of the Living World
Upon killing a sapient opponent, the infernal may pull the remains of that opponent into her inner world for the cost of 5m, incorporating them as part of the landscape of their soul (preventing them from reincorporating if a spirit, or from becoming a ghost or reincarnating if a mortal). If the target holds an intimacy toward the Infernal, or the Infernal holds an intimacy toward the target, they may instead be incorporated into the Infernal’s soul hierarchy over the course of 5 painful days of reshaping inside the Infernal. Merely purchasing this charm adds 1 to the Infernal’s permanent limit. Incorporating entities of higher essence than the infernal increases her burgeoning madness (+1 permanent limit for each point of Essence in excess to her own) as the powerful dissonant voices deafen her to her own thoughts, though this madness may be reduced as her own Essence rises over time. Entities targeted by this charm may choose to irrevocably destroy themselves (if possible) rather than face eternity inside the Infernal.
Design notes: this is meant to replace, in a more story appropriate way, the ED spirit killing charms. Instead of adding in a special damage increasing attack option, it just requires that you have four other charms, two of which are E5+, and increases your limit.
Dark Years Limned in Burnished Bronze (see Golden Years Tarnished Black, IM p. 68 and Taboo Inflicting Method, Core p. 238)
Cost: 8m, 1 wp; Mins: Essence 2; Type: Permanent
Keywords: Combo OK, Emotion, Illusion, Social
Duration: Instant
Pre-requisite Charms: Vigilance-Inducing Insecurity
This charm augments a manipulation-based social attack targeting a single victim, in which the Infernal tells a story (either a story based on the victims culture, or a novel tale of the Infernal’s choosing) that resonates with the memories of the target. If the infernal’s successes overcome the MDV of the target, the target gains a positive intimacy toward the story (e.g. wonder or fascination) and is compelled to act on key ideas from the story (e.g. attempting to learn martial arts like the hero of the story, or emulating or wearing the protagonists crest on their shirt), while a negative intimacy (the Infernal chooses either a negative intimacy toward the infernal, or a negative, storyteller-chosen intimacy held by the target that is most appropriate to the story) is lost as positive associations form between the memories and the story, dulling the impact of the negative memories. This does not remove the unpleasant memories, but rather reduces their intensity and redirects the target to contemplate more pleasant thoughts. Animosity is not forgotten, but simply becomes irrelevant.
Intimacies created with this charm are an unnatural Illusion effect that do not count against the usual limit a mind can sustain. The victim can repair her altered mind by paying one willpower if she had no negative intimacy to alter, or two willpower if the charm altered a negative intimacy. The target can pay this willpower to heal the memory in the moment the charm takes root (which also prevents the positive intimacy from forming or the negative intimacy being altered), but if she does not do so, she must wait until externally prompted or provide a compelling storyteller-approved reason to question the memory. Once the memory is healed, the intimacies revert to normal if neglected, and even without such healing it is still possible to remove the intimacy through normal means other than neglect.
A second purchase of this charm at Essence 3+ allows the infernal to make a socialize-based social attack targeting a social unit of magnitude 1+. The Infernal must have spent several hours relating a story to members of the social unit, and this charm must be invoked in the presence of at least one member of the group. The Infernal’s player rolls (Manipulation + Socialize), subtracting an external penalty equal to the group leader’s MDV plus the magnitude of the group from the rolled successes. If the roll succeed, everyone in the group is effected by Dark Years Limned in Burning Bronze, and the group as a whole adopts a taboo or practice associated with the story as part of its Policy. The taboo or practice remains part of the group’s Policy until the group’s leader spends a total of 10 loyalty, at most one per week, to remove it. It is also a part of the Policy of any magnitude 1+ groups that splinter off from the target group, and the leader of those groups must spend a total of 10 loyalty, at most one per week, to remove it.
The full impact of either use of this charm often spirals out of the control of the Infernal. The play group is encouraged to invent interesting complications appropriate to the story, and the narrative of the chronicle. For example, an Infernal may wish to comfort the slave-caste of a city by relating a story of a glorious afterlife as a reward for a life of suffering; the slaves may lose their negative intimacy to their own slavery, but work in the city may grind to a halt, or they may even revolt as they seek to hasten their coming heavenly reward.
This Charm counts as Golden Years Tarnished Black for purposes of charm pre-requisites.
Design notes: this is meant to emulate the impact that fantasy has on individuals and society, both opiate and shaper of beliefs. It is of slightly higher power than the original imo, mostly because it is more broadly applicable due to its open-endedness, but the effects are less under the player’s control as a tradeoff.
Unity-in-Fandom Understanding (see Gathering the Congregation, Core p. 239)
Cost: - Mins: Essence 3; Type: Permanent
Keywords: Social
Duration: Permanent
Pre-requisite Charms: Bible of Broken Truths
This charm allows the Infernal to organize those who were previously affected by Dark Years Limned in Burnished Bronze into a social unit under her command. The Infernal rolls (Manipulation + Socialize) against the MDV’s of all valid targets who can hear her (or who read a written attack by her); successes are compared separately to the MDV’s of each target. Targets for which the Infernal gains at least one net success are organized into a social unit under the Infernal’s command, though larger groups are inherently vulnerable to fracturing. If the Infernal does not carefully manage the desires and opinions of the social unit each week (rolling manipulation subterfuge against the magnitude of the group, and requiring at least 8 hours of dedicated management), the unit will adopt a new policy (chosen by the storyteller) that week. Attempts to reverse the new policy are slow (requiring 10 weeks of effort) and may result in loss of magnitude if the Infernal fails a (manipulation + subterfuge) roll against the current magnitude of the unit + the number of non-infernally instituted Policies currently in place. If the targets have previously been effected by Want Becomes Need, their MDV’s are halved for purposes of the initial roll, but subsequent management checks are at a +2 difficulty due to the intensity of the group member’s obsessive focus on the details of the story binding them together.
Design Notes: This allows for the creation of a permanent group, much as the reference charm Gathering the Congregation. I wanted it to be more permanent, but also more subject to going “off the rails,” much as most fandoms do.
Gifts Generously Shared
Cost: 1m, 1 limit; Mins: Essence 3; Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Social, Counterattack
Duration: Permanent
Pre-requisite Charms: Nightmare Fugue Vigilance, Purity of Madness Defense
When effected by an invasive mental or social attack that attempts to project, alter, or read the Infernal’s mind, the Infernal may choose to bind herself to the attacker. The attack may be negated by other charms or allowed to fully affect the Infernal, but regardless of whether the attack is effective, the Infernal and attacker both gain a positive intimacy of sympathy toward one another, the attacker gains a point of limit (if they have a limit track) and is subject to the same effects she attempted to inflict on the Infernal. The attacker becomes the target of their own attack, and may apply any of their own defenses that they wish.
Design notes: I just thought this was fun and fairly simple. I’m sure there needs to be something about steps and such, but I’m not sure on the templating.
Burning Story-Shield
Cost: - ; Mins: Essence 4; Type: Permanent
Keywords: Obvious
Duration: Permanent
Pre-requisite Charms: Veil of Tangled Fate
The myth of the (TITLE) holds that she is always defended by her dazzling shield, deflecting all blows against her glorious self. Thus, when unarmed, any item she holds becomes a shield in her hands. With a true shield worthy of her splendor, the (TITLE) becomes nigh invulnerable.
Any item of reasonable size and shape (e.g. tree branch, pot lid, struggling enemy currently grappled) provides +4 defense when wielded as an improvised shield. Actual shields provide +2 defense value on top of whatever is provided by the shield and any other effects on the shield. Finally, while wielding an attuned artifact shield, the Infernal’s Parry DV may not be reduced by a value greater than half an attacker’s essence (round up) due to charms or other effects initiated by the attacker. Flames matching the Infernal’s anima banner race across the surface of an attuned artifact shield, while lesser “shields” glow lightly, as though lit from beneath their surface.
Design notes: this may seem weak at first glance for an E4 charm, but adding to defense rather than DV bypasses charm dice adder limits, and by limiting DV halving charms to the attacker’s essence, I’m preventing terrible trades wherein a 2m charm negates 8-10 DV. I think this is quite powerful, and given its permanent nature, I’d be happy to reduce the values of +defense by 1 each.
Possession Affirming Bulwark
Cost: 8m, 1w; Mins: Essence 3; Type: Simple (speed 3)
Mins: Essence 3
Duration: Scene
Prerequisites: Pathetic Distraction Rebuke
This charm allows the Infernal to reflexively ward a target with a Defend Other action for the rest of the scene, so long as she has an intimacy to the target and remains within Dexterity yards of the target. Additionally, any attempt at forcing the Infernal to cease defending their ward while this charm is active counts as an unacceptable order, but attempts to force the infernal to attack their ward are taken at +2 bonus. This charm may be used to benefit only one target at a time. The Infernal must cancel the Charm and re-invoke it to change wards.
Possession-Protecting Aegis Interposition (see Altruistic Aegis Interposition, LoC p. 77)
Cost: 4m ; Mins: Essence 4; Type: Reflexive (Step 2)
Keywords: Combo OK, Obvious
Duration: One action
Pre-requisite Charms: Possession Affirming Bulwark
The Infernal’s own safety means nothing when what she cares for is at risk. The Infernal’s anima flares brightly as tendrils of shadow mixed with green and violet light reach across the battlefield to block blows intended for those things dear to her. This functions as Altruistic Aegis Interposition in all ways, except the infernal uses her Parry DV, and may only defend entities or objects related to her intimacies. The Infernal could apply the benefits of this charm on behalf of a treasured enemy (rival infernal, intimacy of hate), a valued object (my artifact sofa, intimacy of love), or even a group representative of her ideals (a crowd of children, intimacy of protecting the weak), but could not protect a crowd of random strangers in the vicinity.
Design note: I feel the theme shift makes it much more appropriate to the charm set.
Cost: - (+7m); Mins: Essence 5; Type: Permanent
Keywords: -
Duration: Permanent
Pre-requisite Charms: The King Still Stands, Devil-Tyrant Avatar Shintai
Legends are not bound by the petty rules of mortals, and they persist as long as there are those who believe them.
This charm permanently enhances Devil-Tyrant Avatar Shintai. When Devil-Tyrant Avatar Shintai is activated, the Infernal may choose to increases its cost by 7 motes. If the Infernal pays the additional cost, when Devil-Tyrant Avatar Shintai is active the Infernal is immune to sickness and disease, cannot be knocked unconscious, may add (Essence) to natural aggravated soak, and has no need for air or food as she is sustained by pure essence. Finally, if the Infernal knows the charm Pathetic Distraction Rebuke, the charm has its base cost reduced by one mote while Devil-Tyrant Avatar Shintai is active. While utilizing the benefits of Relentless Saga-Body, the Infernal cannot regain motes except through charms or stunts.
Design note: inspired by Heartless Maiden Trance, and includes some of the effects, but approaches it differently. By making it work as an expansion of DTAS, it further emphasizes the link to the characters legend, and it indicates the benefits are just building on the transformation. It also provides a significant flaw, as it is a very obvious charm. The "penalty reduction" element of HMT was reduced, but still represented, by adding in the PDR mote reduction clause. The charm does not add any extra soak either, but the ability to use the existing soak provided by the charm to soak agg, is a nice and potent effect that offsets its higher essence and pre-req cost.
Denial of Burning Brass (See Guardian Sunfire Catechism, IM p. 19)
Cost: - (+4m or +4m, 1wp); Mins: Essence 4; Type: Permanent
Keywords: Obvious
Duration: Permanent
Pre-requisite Charms: Ablation of Brass and Fire
As the Infernal’s skin burns with green flame, her skin sloughing away in patches to reveal essence-forged brass, the infernal deflects all attacks.
This Charm enhances its prerequisite. The Infernal may opt to pay a four mote surcharge when activating Ablation of Brass and Fire, extending its duration to one tick. Infernals with Essence 5+ may extend the duration of Ablation of Brass and Fire to one action by paying a four mote, one Willpower surcharge. When using this Charm in conjunction with Defend Other, the Infernal must activate this Charm multiple times to cover multiple allies, paying the Charm’s activation cost and surcharge separately for each target she wishes to defend for One tick or One action.
Design note: standard tick/action long perfect, but Sunfire Catechism makes a better model than Laughing-Gust due to the verbiage regarding defend other actions. +1 moted since its non-solar, and it isn't tied to a single ability.
Veil of Tangled Fate
Cost: 5m; Mins: Essence 2; Type: Simple (Speed 5, DV -1)
Keywords: Blasphemy, Combo OK, Illusion, Obvious
Duration: One Scene
Pre-requisite Charms: Loom-Snarling Deception, Pathetic Distraction Rebuke
The infernal’s anima briefly flares, catching and snarling the threads of fate around her, then condenses next to her skin. She is surrounded in an aura of shifting possibilities and stolen fates as she weaves a costume formed from myth and legend. She appears to move in several directions at once before her actions crystalize into a single path, her face shifts to those of fictional heroes and legendary warriors. Those who move to attack the infernal are assaulted by traumatic visions of the death of their most treasured idols, and must steel themselves if they wish to harm her.
When unarmored, this Charm adds (Essence) to the Infernal's bashing, lethal, and aggravated soak. In areas where the loom of fate holds sway, this rises to her (Essence + Wits). Additionally, as an illusion effect, attackers whose Compassion is higher than their Conviction take an external penalty equal to the difference between the virtues when attempting to hit the Infernal. This illusion effect can be negated for the scene at the cost of 1 willpower.
Design Note: I’m still working on the thematics of this. The idea is to mix the loom-snarling effects of Loom-Snarling Deception with the defensive protection of Pathetic Distraction Rebuke. Thematically, it builds on the unpredictable and indecisive nature of Lynn, the “projected fantasy” illusion sub-theme I’ve been working on incorporating into the ebon dragon charms, and of course the defensive themes. In terms of the charm tree itself, this replaces Scar-Writ Saga Shield; it is better, but it comes at higher risk (blasphemy effect), it only lasts a scene instead of being permanent, and it does not build to the potent Viridian Legend Exoskeleton.
Searing Emerald Retaliation (see Flawless Mirror Trance, IM p. 18)
Cost: 5m; Mins: Essence 4; Type: Simple (speed 7, DV -0)
Keywords: Combo Ok, Counterattack, Martial-ready
Duration: Instant
Pre-requisite Charms: Invulnerable Wounding Futility
Pausing in the midst of battle, the infernal dares her enemies to assault her, then lashes out furiously, targeting the weaknesses revealed by her attacker’s motion.
Until her next action, a character under the effects of this Charm gains the following benefits: she adds her Essence to her Parry DV; whenever she uses her Parry DV against an attack, she may make a counterattack with (Essence) dice added to her regular damage pool; and she may use her parry DV to parry unblockable attacks.
Design Notes: This is just FMT, but switches accuracy for damage. It isn't a favorable trade, but it better represents the pasion-over-skill theme that seems to define the infernals.
Ego-Bolstering Degradation (See Rage-Soaked Inferno Soul, IM p. 57)
Cost: 5m; Mins: Essence 4; Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Combo OK, Native, Overdrive
Duration: One Scene
Pre-requisite Charms: Invulnerable Wounding Futility
An Infernal who learns this Charm gains an Overdrive pool with a capacity of fifteen motes. Initially empty, the Infernal may begin to fill it by activating this Charm. From that point onward, each time the Infernal successfully counterattacks and damages an opponent, she gains a single offensive mote that is stolen from the target of the counterattack. The Infernal may not gain more than 2 motes per tick from this charm, though motes may still be drained from opponents once this limit is reached. Infernals that gain 5 or more motes from this charm in a single action run the risk of losing control of their claimed essence; if the Exalt gains five or more offensive motes in a single action, make a difficulty 1 (Wits + Temperance) roll at the beginning of the Infernal's next action to stabilize the her stolen power. For each mote over five, increase the difficulty of this roll by 1. If the Infernal succeeds on this roll, add an additional two motes to her Overdrive pool. If she fails, five of her Overdrive motes are lost and she takes a -2 internal penalty to all actions until her DV refreshes, due to shattered confidence.
This charm may be used in social combat. Attacks that do not have a chance to actually wound the infernal (physically or socially) do not trigger this charm, nor do attacks from those without an essence pool.
Design Note: this is clearly modeled after RSIS, but tweaked for a defense based character that uses counterattacks. The role to stabilize is worse, and the penalty is worse (dv reduction > 1 hl) but the minor mote theft is a nice freebie.
Army Breaking Redoubt (see Opened Eye of the Hurricane, Infernals, and Behemoth Slaying Attitude, LoC p. 63)
Cost: 8m, 1wp; Mins: Essence 4; Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Combo OK, War
Duration: One Scene
Pre-requisite Charms: Searing Emerald Retaliation, Cracked Cell Circumvention
The infernal redirects the strength of the enemy to destroy itself. In Mass Combat, this Charm negates all advantages conferred by higher Magnitude for units attacking the Infernal, including opponents that are considered solo mass combat units because of their size, while she fights as a solo unit. This charm also allows the infernal to ignore half of the unit’s hardness as she exploits openings in the enemy’s defenses.
Design Note: This is a blend, conceptually anyway, of OEotH and BSA. I ditched the dv penalty reduction element of OEotH, added in some of the elements of BSA, and added in a way to get damage through better (but not increase damage or penalize the opponent, as BSA does).
Co-Dependent Muse Revelation
Cost: 3m per die; Mins: Essence 2; Type: Simple
Keywords: Combo OK
Duration: Indefinite
Pre-requisite Charms: Vigilance-Inducing Insecurity
To activate this Charm, the Infernal concentrates on a project being undertaken by another character that holds an intimacy toward her, and offers insightful commentary or criticism on the character’s method of approach. Inspiration strikes in the mind of the subject, igniting new creative ideas and methods. The Infernal may add one die per three motes to all rolls the target takes in pursuit of a certain project, so long as those rolls are based on a mental Attribute and the project is inherently creative in some way. The Infernal may bestow no more than (her Intelligence) dice to a single subject, and these do not count as dice added by a Charm. The target may refuse the bonus granted by this charm, but if they do not, the time they spend working on their project also counts as time spent building an intimacy of dependence toward the Infernal.
Design note: this is inspired by Argent Muse Approach from IM (p. 67) but I wanted something more insidious, and limited to abusing existing relationships. The trade off at the end helps accomplish the co-dependent needs of the nascent devil-tiger-myth: “I help you so much why don’t you like me I need you to LOVE ME!”
One Tiny Favor…
Cost: - Mins: Essence 3; Type: Permanent
Keywords: Social
Duration: Permanent
Pre-requisite Charms: Co-Dependent Muse Revelation
The infernal may make requests of any entity that has accepted aid from her in the past. These requests are treated as unnatural mental influence that may be resisted at the cost of 1 willpower. Only one such request may be made per scene per individual target, unless a target spends a willpower to resist. If a target resists, the Infernal may make a second, different request. The target may refuse this second request at no willpower cost, but if they do so they take an internal penalty of (lower of their Valor and Compassion) against all actions directed against the Infernal for the scene. Favors requested cannot represent a significant risk or cost to the target. An innkeeper could be asked to provide a basic room for the night, a ship captain to provide passage in their cargo hold, or an acquaintance to prepare a quick meal, but the innkeeper could not be convinced to allow you to set inn ablaze, nor the friend to give you all of their available food stores. This may be used in combat to make requests that do not reasonably threaten the target (e.g. request parlay, avoid attacking non-combatants, move the fight outside of a crowded market, attack a specific target when faced with targets perceived as equally threatening).
Design note: clearly a play on Crowned with Fury, but I wanted something that represented an attack based on subtlety and guilt. I like the “aid” element, because it forces extended interactions, and the “limited cost” element means that the player has to be clever to get anything out of the charm.
Apocalypse-Breaking Rebuff (see Guarding Star Tactics, LoC p. 61)
Cost: - (+3m, 1B hl) Mins: Essence 6; Type: Permanent
Keywords: Obvious, War
Duration: Permanent
Pre-requisite Charms: Ablation of Brass and Fire, The King Still Stands
As per Guarding Star Tactics, except as noted above.
Design notes: not much to say, figured blocking falling mountains was good for a high-end defensive character, modeled after the closest charm I could find. I upped the cost to include a health level so that it would take some strain to actually do, because its infernal rather than solar, and because it matches the weird sadomasochistic tendencies of both the Malfean and Lynnian charmsets.
Vigilance-Inducing Insecurity
Cost: - (1 permanent Limit); Mins: Essence 2; Type: Permanent
Keywords: -
Duration: Permanent
Pre-requisite Charms: -
The infernal intuitively senses the subtle fluctuations in essence caused by the thoughts and emotions of others, specifically as they relate to her own person and interests. If blinded, the infernal may “see” any sentient entities that are acting on her or her intimacies with in (Essence x 10) yards by the essence distortions they cause. The infernal may roll (Perception + Investigation) against individual targets within the area (resisted by the target’s MDV) to sense the presence and nature of intimacies held by the target toward her or her intimacies. Finally, the Infernal gains a bonus of (Essence) against attempts at social deception or stealth by those within this area. This constant vigilance results in social distraction, and makes the Infernal’s feelings of defensiveness and insecurity obvious to those around her, resulting in a penalty of (current Limit) to non-written charisma based social actions. This Charm counts as Witness to Darkness for purposes of Charm pre-requisites.
Design notes: Fills the slot of Witness to Darkness in the charm tree, but in a way more appropriate to the character. It’s a little less powerful, but the negative is reduced. I like the shifting nature of the penalty though, as it reflects actual crazy better than a flat penalty.
Constant Anxious Vigilance
Cost: 3m, 1 Limit; Mins: Essence 2; Type: Permanent
Keywords: -
Duration: one scene
Pre-requisite Charms: Vigilance-Inducing Insecurity
In a burst of anxiety-fueled essence the infernal may enter a hyper-vigilant state, allowing her to sense even subtle threats to her interests within (Essence x 10) yards. This Charm allows the infernal to see dematerialized beings, and makes it impossible for enemies to unexpectedly attack her or her interests, within range of the charm. This Charm removes the unexpected tag on attacks (including social attacks) against her, or attacks against her intimacies for purposes of defensive actions taken by the infernal. This charm may be activated as a reflexive action by the infernal, and it is automatically activated the first time the infernal or an intimacy is targeted by an unexpected attack within the scene.
Design notes: This isn’t exactly inspired by any one charm, but clearly is a spirit sight plus surprise negation charm. Rather than adding to Join Battle like Joy in Adversity, it is more broadly applied and allows for limited spirit sight (which also helps introduce the “spirit killer” charm that follows).
Fearful Eternal Embrace
Cost: 1 Permanent Limit (+5m); Mins: Essence 2; Type: Permanent
Keywords: Obvious
Duration: Permanent
Pre-requisite Charms: Constant Anxious Vigilance, Yozi-Body Unity, Spirit of the Living World
Upon killing a sapient opponent, the infernal may pull the remains of that opponent into her inner world for the cost of 5m, incorporating them as part of the landscape of their soul (preventing them from reincorporating if a spirit, or from becoming a ghost or reincarnating if a mortal). If the target holds an intimacy toward the Infernal, or the Infernal holds an intimacy toward the target, they may instead be incorporated into the Infernal’s soul hierarchy over the course of 5 painful days of reshaping inside the Infernal. Merely purchasing this charm adds 1 to the Infernal’s permanent limit. Incorporating entities of higher essence than the infernal increases her burgeoning madness (+1 permanent limit for each point of Essence in excess to her own) as the powerful dissonant voices deafen her to her own thoughts, though this madness may be reduced as her own Essence rises over time. Entities targeted by this charm may choose to irrevocably destroy themselves (if possible) rather than face eternity inside the Infernal.
Design notes: this is meant to replace, in a more story appropriate way, the ED spirit killing charms. Instead of adding in a special damage increasing attack option, it just requires that you have four other charms, two of which are E5+, and increases your limit.
Dark Years Limned in Burnished Bronze (see Golden Years Tarnished Black, IM p. 68 and Taboo Inflicting Method, Core p. 238)
Cost: 8m, 1 wp; Mins: Essence 2; Type: Permanent
Keywords: Combo OK, Emotion, Illusion, Social
Duration: Instant
Pre-requisite Charms: Vigilance-Inducing Insecurity
This charm augments a manipulation-based social attack targeting a single victim, in which the Infernal tells a story (either a story based on the victims culture, or a novel tale of the Infernal’s choosing) that resonates with the memories of the target. If the infernal’s successes overcome the MDV of the target, the target gains a positive intimacy toward the story (e.g. wonder or fascination) and is compelled to act on key ideas from the story (e.g. attempting to learn martial arts like the hero of the story, or emulating or wearing the protagonists crest on their shirt), while a negative intimacy (the Infernal chooses either a negative intimacy toward the infernal, or a negative, storyteller-chosen intimacy held by the target that is most appropriate to the story) is lost as positive associations form between the memories and the story, dulling the impact of the negative memories. This does not remove the unpleasant memories, but rather reduces their intensity and redirects the target to contemplate more pleasant thoughts. Animosity is not forgotten, but simply becomes irrelevant.
Intimacies created with this charm are an unnatural Illusion effect that do not count against the usual limit a mind can sustain. The victim can repair her altered mind by paying one willpower if she had no negative intimacy to alter, or two willpower if the charm altered a negative intimacy. The target can pay this willpower to heal the memory in the moment the charm takes root (which also prevents the positive intimacy from forming or the negative intimacy being altered), but if she does not do so, she must wait until externally prompted or provide a compelling storyteller-approved reason to question the memory. Once the memory is healed, the intimacies revert to normal if neglected, and even without such healing it is still possible to remove the intimacy through normal means other than neglect.
A second purchase of this charm at Essence 3+ allows the infernal to make a socialize-based social attack targeting a social unit of magnitude 1+. The Infernal must have spent several hours relating a story to members of the social unit, and this charm must be invoked in the presence of at least one member of the group. The Infernal’s player rolls (Manipulation + Socialize), subtracting an external penalty equal to the group leader’s MDV plus the magnitude of the group from the rolled successes. If the roll succeed, everyone in the group is effected by Dark Years Limned in Burning Bronze, and the group as a whole adopts a taboo or practice associated with the story as part of its Policy. The taboo or practice remains part of the group’s Policy until the group’s leader spends a total of 10 loyalty, at most one per week, to remove it. It is also a part of the Policy of any magnitude 1+ groups that splinter off from the target group, and the leader of those groups must spend a total of 10 loyalty, at most one per week, to remove it.
The full impact of either use of this charm often spirals out of the control of the Infernal. The play group is encouraged to invent interesting complications appropriate to the story, and the narrative of the chronicle. For example, an Infernal may wish to comfort the slave-caste of a city by relating a story of a glorious afterlife as a reward for a life of suffering; the slaves may lose their negative intimacy to their own slavery, but work in the city may grind to a halt, or they may even revolt as they seek to hasten their coming heavenly reward.
This Charm counts as Golden Years Tarnished Black for purposes of charm pre-requisites.
Design notes: this is meant to emulate the impact that fantasy has on individuals and society, both opiate and shaper of beliefs. It is of slightly higher power than the original imo, mostly because it is more broadly applicable due to its open-endedness, but the effects are less under the player’s control as a tradeoff.
Unity-in-Fandom Understanding (see Gathering the Congregation, Core p. 239)
Cost: - Mins: Essence 3; Type: Permanent
Keywords: Social
Duration: Permanent
Pre-requisite Charms: Bible of Broken Truths
This charm allows the Infernal to organize those who were previously affected by Dark Years Limned in Burnished Bronze into a social unit under her command. The Infernal rolls (Manipulation + Socialize) against the MDV’s of all valid targets who can hear her (or who read a written attack by her); successes are compared separately to the MDV’s of each target. Targets for which the Infernal gains at least one net success are organized into a social unit under the Infernal’s command, though larger groups are inherently vulnerable to fracturing. If the Infernal does not carefully manage the desires and opinions of the social unit each week (rolling manipulation subterfuge against the magnitude of the group, and requiring at least 8 hours of dedicated management), the unit will adopt a new policy (chosen by the storyteller) that week. Attempts to reverse the new policy are slow (requiring 10 weeks of effort) and may result in loss of magnitude if the Infernal fails a (manipulation + subterfuge) roll against the current magnitude of the unit + the number of non-infernally instituted Policies currently in place. If the targets have previously been effected by Want Becomes Need, their MDV’s are halved for purposes of the initial roll, but subsequent management checks are at a +2 difficulty due to the intensity of the group member’s obsessive focus on the details of the story binding them together.
Design Notes: This allows for the creation of a permanent group, much as the reference charm Gathering the Congregation. I wanted it to be more permanent, but also more subject to going “off the rails,” much as most fandoms do.
Gifts Generously Shared
Cost: 1m, 1 limit; Mins: Essence 3; Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Social, Counterattack
Duration: Permanent
Pre-requisite Charms: Nightmare Fugue Vigilance, Purity of Madness Defense
When effected by an invasive mental or social attack that attempts to project, alter, or read the Infernal’s mind, the Infernal may choose to bind herself to the attacker. The attack may be negated by other charms or allowed to fully affect the Infernal, but regardless of whether the attack is effective, the Infernal and attacker both gain a positive intimacy of sympathy toward one another, the attacker gains a point of limit (if they have a limit track) and is subject to the same effects she attempted to inflict on the Infernal. The attacker becomes the target of their own attack, and may apply any of their own defenses that they wish.
Design notes: I just thought this was fun and fairly simple. I’m sure there needs to be something about steps and such, but I’m not sure on the templating.
Burning Story-Shield
Cost: - ; Mins: Essence 4; Type: Permanent
Keywords: Obvious
Duration: Permanent
Pre-requisite Charms: Veil of Tangled Fate
The myth of the (TITLE) holds that she is always defended by her dazzling shield, deflecting all blows against her glorious self. Thus, when unarmed, any item she holds becomes a shield in her hands. With a true shield worthy of her splendor, the (TITLE) becomes nigh invulnerable.
Any item of reasonable size and shape (e.g. tree branch, pot lid, struggling enemy currently grappled) provides +4 defense when wielded as an improvised shield. Actual shields provide +2 defense value on top of whatever is provided by the shield and any other effects on the shield. Finally, while wielding an attuned artifact shield, the Infernal’s Parry DV may not be reduced by a value greater than half an attacker’s essence (round up) due to charms or other effects initiated by the attacker. Flames matching the Infernal’s anima banner race across the surface of an attuned artifact shield, while lesser “shields” glow lightly, as though lit from beneath their surface.
Design notes: this may seem weak at first glance for an E4 charm, but adding to defense rather than DV bypasses charm dice adder limits, and by limiting DV halving charms to the attacker’s essence, I’m preventing terrible trades wherein a 2m charm negates 8-10 DV. I think this is quite powerful, and given its permanent nature, I’d be happy to reduce the values of +defense by 1 each.
Possession Affirming Bulwark
Cost: 8m, 1w; Mins: Essence 3; Type: Simple (speed 3)
Mins: Essence 3
Duration: Scene
Prerequisites: Pathetic Distraction Rebuke
This charm allows the Infernal to reflexively ward a target with a Defend Other action for the rest of the scene, so long as she has an intimacy to the target and remains within Dexterity yards of the target. Additionally, any attempt at forcing the Infernal to cease defending their ward while this charm is active counts as an unacceptable order, but attempts to force the infernal to attack their ward are taken at +2 bonus. This charm may be used to benefit only one target at a time. The Infernal must cancel the Charm and re-invoke it to change wards.
Possession-Protecting Aegis Interposition (see Altruistic Aegis Interposition, LoC p. 77)
Cost: 4m ; Mins: Essence 4; Type: Reflexive (Step 2)
Keywords: Combo OK, Obvious
Duration: One action
Pre-requisite Charms: Possession Affirming Bulwark
The Infernal’s own safety means nothing when what she cares for is at risk. The Infernal’s anima flares brightly as tendrils of shadow mixed with green and violet light reach across the battlefield to block blows intended for those things dear to her. This functions as Altruistic Aegis Interposition in all ways, except the infernal uses her Parry DV, and may only defend entities or objects related to her intimacies. The Infernal could apply the benefits of this charm on behalf of a treasured enemy (rival infernal, intimacy of hate), a valued object (my artifact sofa, intimacy of love), or even a group representative of her ideals (a crowd of children, intimacy of protecting the weak), but could not protect a crowd of random strangers in the vicinity.
Design note: I feel the theme shift makes it much more appropriate to the charm set.
Threading the Gerbil since 1982
Re: Charms
not a charm, but:
Bulwark of Possibilities
Spd 5, Acc +1, Dmg 2b/2, Def +6, Ran -, Rate 1, Mobility 0, Attune 10, HS Slots 1 Tags: M, O, Sh0,
This exquisite shield, made from a scale of the yozi Oramus cut in the fashion of a perfectly symmetrical gem of countless facets, framed by a thin layer of runed and corrupted starmetal, refracts ambient light in a kaleidoscopic patterns, disorienting onlookers. When a hearthstone is seated in the back of the shield, however, the bearer and those attacking her see far more. Deceptive images of an attacker’s doom play out in the front-facing facets of the shield, while the bearer is able to look through the crystalline facets to view endless possible scenarios of the near future. By acting in accordance with the infinite possibilities presented in the shield, the bearer may avoid inescapable attacks, impossibly block an onslaught of attacks, or even find the hidden openings in opponents’ defenses, all at the low cost of their sanity slipping away as they are lost in the cascade of stories playing out in the shield’s incomprehensible depths.
The bearer of the shield is at a -3 external penalty on all stealth rolls when the shield is uncovered (which is required for its other powers to function). The bearer also has her permanent limit increased by 1 while a 3+ dot hearthstone is socketed in the shield due to the distracting and often disturbing images viewed in the shield, and does not gain the essence respiration bonus provided by the hearthstone (though she still gains other benefits of the hearthstone). If a hearthstone of appropriate power is not socketed into the shield, the bearer may instead spend 2 willpower and a point of temporary limit to activate its advanced abilities for a single scene by willing a link between the item and the mind of Oramus, though this invites further interest from the yozi.
In exchange for these limitations, the bearer is able to interpret the visions of possible futures to: 1) block unblockable attacks, 2) improve the defense of the weapon as well as accuracy when applied to counterattack rolls by (the average of her Wits and Perception, round up), and 3) penetrate hardness of foes when using an appropriately themed stunt while counterattacking with the shield. She may also spend a mote of essence to force the shield to present even more options, gaining a random modifier to her attacks (roll a d10 and consult the table below) until her DV refreshes.
1: The visions betray the bearer, or are beyond the limits of her mental faculties. The bearer takes a -1 internal penalty to all actions.
2-3: The bearer attacks chinks in the opponents armor. Attacks gain the Piercing tag.
4-5: The bearer attacks with the sharp edges of the shield or bashes with the edges of the facets of its face. Damage from the shield is lethal.
6-7: The bearer positions her attacks to impact points of greatest vulnerability. +1 dmg and +1 overpower.
8-9: The bearer's impossible attacks paired with the unsettling images displayed by the shield sap the will of attackers. Attacks that successfully deal damage reduce the willpower of the opponent (this may only take effect once per opponent per action).
10: The perfect path is revealed to the bearer. Choose any two of the above effects, or trust in the storyteller to make something cool happen.
Bulwark of Possibilities
Spd 5, Acc +1, Dmg 2b/2, Def +6, Ran -, Rate 1, Mobility 0, Attune 10, HS Slots 1 Tags: M, O, Sh0,
This exquisite shield, made from a scale of the yozi Oramus cut in the fashion of a perfectly symmetrical gem of countless facets, framed by a thin layer of runed and corrupted starmetal, refracts ambient light in a kaleidoscopic patterns, disorienting onlookers. When a hearthstone is seated in the back of the shield, however, the bearer and those attacking her see far more. Deceptive images of an attacker’s doom play out in the front-facing facets of the shield, while the bearer is able to look through the crystalline facets to view endless possible scenarios of the near future. By acting in accordance with the infinite possibilities presented in the shield, the bearer may avoid inescapable attacks, impossibly block an onslaught of attacks, or even find the hidden openings in opponents’ defenses, all at the low cost of their sanity slipping away as they are lost in the cascade of stories playing out in the shield’s incomprehensible depths.
The bearer of the shield is at a -3 external penalty on all stealth rolls when the shield is uncovered (which is required for its other powers to function). The bearer also has her permanent limit increased by 1 while a 3+ dot hearthstone is socketed in the shield due to the distracting and often disturbing images viewed in the shield, and does not gain the essence respiration bonus provided by the hearthstone (though she still gains other benefits of the hearthstone). If a hearthstone of appropriate power is not socketed into the shield, the bearer may instead spend 2 willpower and a point of temporary limit to activate its advanced abilities for a single scene by willing a link between the item and the mind of Oramus, though this invites further interest from the yozi.
In exchange for these limitations, the bearer is able to interpret the visions of possible futures to: 1) block unblockable attacks, 2) improve the defense of the weapon as well as accuracy when applied to counterattack rolls by (the average of her Wits and Perception, round up), and 3) penetrate hardness of foes when using an appropriately themed stunt while counterattacking with the shield. She may also spend a mote of essence to force the shield to present even more options, gaining a random modifier to her attacks (roll a d10 and consult the table below) until her DV refreshes.
1: The visions betray the bearer, or are beyond the limits of her mental faculties. The bearer takes a -1 internal penalty to all actions.
2-3: The bearer attacks chinks in the opponents armor. Attacks gain the Piercing tag.
4-5: The bearer attacks with the sharp edges of the shield or bashes with the edges of the facets of its face. Damage from the shield is lethal.
6-7: The bearer positions her attacks to impact points of greatest vulnerability. +1 dmg and +1 overpower.
8-9: The bearer's impossible attacks paired with the unsettling images displayed by the shield sap the will of attackers. Attacks that successfully deal damage reduce the willpower of the opponent (this may only take effect once per opponent per action).
10: The perfect path is revealed to the bearer. Choose any two of the above effects, or trust in the storyteller to make something cool happen.
Threading the Gerbil since 1982