So, I've been frequently disappointed by the lack of charms dealing with Sorcery in the book. Having just made a primarily sorcery based character for a game I'm in, and being impatient for Paths of Bridget, I decided to take a break from homebrewing artifacts to work on a charmset. I was hoping some people could give me some feedback if you have the time, and enjoy it if you like it! If anyone has any opinions on balance and such I'd love to hear it as well.
If you can look through it, thank you in advance!
EDIT: I apologize for the double spoilers, for some reason I can't stop it from doing this after I've edited the post.
Base Concepts:
Solar sorcery lacks subtlety. While there are subtle spells and you can be a stealthy sorcerer, when I picture a specialized Solar sorcerer I picture UNLIMITED POWER, not trickery and stealth. That’s more a Lunar shtick in my eyes. This introduces the Loud keyword.
Spells are inviolate. Solar sorcerers can cast spells well, quickly, and generate ungodly amounts of sorcerous motes, but actually modifying spells on the fly is the realm of evocations, excellencies, and Sidereals.
Rituals are difficult to mess with. This goes both ways; Solars don’t have many mechanics for fucking around with rituals, other than making them harder to fuck with.
Solars should be the best at the basics; shape sorcery actions and powerful sorcerous workings. They should also generally come out on top when it comes to raw sorcerer vs sorcerer.
Supernal Occult isn’t king. Yes, you get a lot of benefits from being supernal occult, but sorcery is still the exception. Lynchpin prerequisite (namely Insight into Three Circles) are locked behind Celestial/Solar circle sorcery.
Sorcery is an act of will. This means that many powerful sorcerous charms cost willpower. Sometimes they lose that cost as they gain in power, sometimes they gain that cost.
Largely divorce Shaping and Working Solar charms. This was a difficult decision to come to, but in the end I feel it allows more diverse concepts. Working charms still require Insight into Three Circles, being the trunk of the tree, so to speak.
Stick to your shtick. Solars are good at actually casting spells and workings, Lunars bring trickery and subtlety into their spellwork as well as use working to modify living beings, Sidereals modify spells (theirs and their opponents) and mess with rituals, Dragon Blooded work in concert with others and bond with elementals, Abyssals are master necromancers and can sacrifice for power, Infernals (more difficult to nail down until we know more, but here’s the idea as of now) create self sustaining spells (i.e. She Who Lives Within Her Name’s spheres), have high risk/reward abilities, and empower demonic slaves.
Solar Sorcery Shaping:
New Keyword
Loud: Activating this charm always counts as peripheral motes and activates anima, even for Night caste sorcerers.
Insight into Three Circles
Cost: 3m
Mins: Occult 4, Essence 1
Type: Supplemental
Keywords: None
Duration: Instant
Prereqs: Terrestrial Circle Sorcery
Even the laws of Creation bend knee to their masters. This charm give a Shape Sorcery action Double 9s for one roll. This charm can only be activated once per scene, but is reset by gaining a willpower back from completing a spell.
This charm can be repurchased with the prerequisite of Celestial Circle Sorcery. Doing so may change the cost to 6m and applies double 8s, with the same reset condition.
This charm can be repurchased a 2nd time with the prerequisite of Solar Circle Sorcery. Doing so may change the cost to 5m, 1wp and applies double 7s, with the same reset condition.
Copper Spider Wisdom
Cost: 5m
Mins: Occult 4, Essence 1
Type: Simple
Keywords: Loud
Duration: One Scene
Prereqs: Ancient Tongue Understanding, Insight into Three Circles
Feeling the pulse of the Dragon lines around her, the Sorcerer aligns her mind with the flows of the universe. While this charm has motes committed to it, the Sorcerer gains 3 dice towards all Shape Sorcery rolls.
Unlike most Simple charms, this charm can explicitly be flurried with Shape Sorcery actions.
Emerald Purity
Cost: 5m
Mins: Occult 4, Essence 1
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Perilous
Duration: Instant
Prereqs: Copper Spider Wisdom
The work of other sorcerers appears flawed and imperfect in the eyes of the chosen of the Unconquered Sun. When another sorcerer attempts to counterspell the Lawgiver, the solar gains a sorcerous mote for every 1 and 10 rolled on the counterspell attempt.
Elegant Sorcerous Eloquence
Cost: - (1wp)
Mins: Occult 4, Essence 2
Type: Permanent
Keywords: None
Duration: Permanent
Prereqs: Copper Spider Wisdom
Allowing the essence of Creation to flow through his sorcerous insight, the Lawgiver allows his spellwork to build naturally. This is an upgrade to its prerequisite. As long as Copper Spider Wisdom is active, the solar may spend a willpower while making a Shape Sorcery action to make it flurryable with other actions other than Shape Sorcery.
At Essence 4, this charm upgrades; remove the willpower requirement.
Enduring Essence Fountain
Cost: 3m, 1wp
Mins: Occult 5, Essence 3
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Perilous
Duration: Instant
Prereqs: Elegant Sorcerous Eloquence
Understanding the use of power in Creation, Lawgivers embody both might and efficiency. After completing a spell, this charm may be activated to keep any sorcerous motes that were gathered over the cost of the spell, applying them to another spell as if he had taken another shape sorcery action reflexively with that many successes.
If the character has Insight into Three Circles x2, this charm may be activated for 5m, gaining the Loud keyword.
Recursive Essence Flow
Cost: 5m
Mins: Occult 5, Essence 3
Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Perilous, Loud
Duration: Instant
Prereqs: Insight Into Three Circles x2, Elegant Sorcerers Eloquence
The Lawgiver is a master at manipulating the strands of power woven into his sorcery, tieing them together into tighter knots and weaves. Shape Sorcery rolls supplemented by this charm gain recurring 10s.
At Essence 5, this charm upgrades; the character may spend a willpower to gain recurring 6s as well.
Sapphire Radiance
Cost: 1wp
Mins: Occult 5, Essence 3
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: None
Duration: Permanent
Prereqs: Insight Into Three Circles x2, Emerald Purity
The work of the Lawgivers bestows true permanence into sorcery This charm may be activated upon completion of a spell that may be distorted. Either the difficulty to distort the spell increases by 2, or the terminus of the distortion extended action is reduced by 1. For 2wp both may be activated, but doing so raises the Solar’s anima by one level.
Celestial Fragmented Focus
Cost: -
Mins: Occult 5, Essence 4
Type: Permanent
Keywords: None
Duration: Permanent
Prereqs: Enduring Essence Fountain, Insight into Three Circles x2
Breaking the bonds of concentration and limitations that restrict other sorcerers, the Solar achieves the epitome of what can be accomplished. This charm enhances its prerequisite, allowing the Solar to flurry together two Shape Sorcery actions. They cannot generate sorcerous motes towards the same spell, instead allowing the Solar to effectively cast two different spells at the same time. This applies to both meanings of the phrase (the same instance of a spell, or two instances of the same spell).
If the character has Insight into Three Circles x3, remove the same spell restrictions.
Copper Power Flux
Cost: 10m, 1wp, 3a
Mins: Occult 5, Essence 5
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Mute
Duration: Instant
Prereqs: Celestial Fragmented Focus, Recursive Essence Flow, Insight into Three Circles x3
Pulling his anima inward, the sorcerer glows like the setting sun for an instant before light explodes around him, power radiating. This illuminates an area around the Solar equal to (Essence) miles as if it were twilight, looking like a sunset from a distance. This charm may only be activated when the character is at bonfire anima, after he completes a spell. The Solar makes a reflexive Shape Sorcery action, which can only be applied to a new spell following the one he cast that triggered this charm (sorcerous motes from this action may be added to with Enduring Essence Fountain).
This charm may be used once per scene. This may be reset by having no sorcerous motes invested in spells.
Adamant Superiority
Cost: 5m, 1wp
Mins: Occult 5, Essence 5
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Perilous, Loud
Duration: Instant
Prereqs: Sapphire Radiance, All Encompassing Sorcerer's Sight, Insight into Three Circles x3
One does not surpass the master. This charm may be used when an enemy within long range takes Shape Sorcery action, allowing the Lawgiver to make a reflexive Countermagic action against the spell. This Countermagic action may be treated as a Shape Sorcery action by other charms that would affect Shape Sorcery actions.
This charm may be used once per scene. This may be reset by reducing an enemy's sorcerous motes invested in a spell to 0.
Solar Sorcerous Workings:
Application of Three Circles
Cost: -
Mins: Occult 4, Essence 1
Type: Permanent
Keywords: None
Duration: Permanent
Prereqs: Insight into Three Circles
Taking the applications of practical knowledge, the lawgiver applies the same techniques to the theoretical applications of sorcery. This charm allows its prerequisite to be used on Sorcerous Workings.
Learning From Oneself
Cost: 5m, 1wp
Mins: Occult 4, Essence 1
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Loud
Duration: Instant
Prereqs: Application of Three Circles
The blessings of the Sun are many and come in a wide variety. Even what may have been failure may be a lesson in disguise. Once per working, this charm may be activated on a failed working roll, allowing it to not count towards the terminus of the working. If the roll was a botch, this charm may still be activated, paying 15m 1wp instead. The botch still introduces a complication
Boundaries Fall Away
Cost: 5m
Mins: Occult 4, Essence 2
Type: Supplemental
Keywords: None
Duration: One working
Prereqs: Application of Three Circles
Solars alone can accomplish the greatest works of the art. This charm must be activated at the start of a working for it to be applicable, and the motes must stay committed for the affect to continue. The base difficulty for attempting higher tier workings is only raised by 1 per circle beyond the sorcerer’s initiation (rather than 2). If the motes stay committed for the entire working, the working costs an additional 2 XP per circle above (rather then 4).
If the character has Insight into Three Circles x3, Terrestrial workings enhanced by this charm no longer cost XP.
The Price for Power
Cost: 1wp
Mins: Occult 4, Essence 2
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: None
Duration: Instant
Prereqs: Learning from Oneself
Lawgivers are truly beacons of light, illuminating those around them with their power. When undergoing a working on behalf of another, the working’s XP cost may be paid for by another character other than the Sorcerer.
If the character has Insight into Three Circles x2, the XP cost may be paid by multiple individuals.
Pulling Essence Chakra
Cost: 5m, 1wp
Mins: Occult 5, Essence 3
Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Loud
Duration: Instant
Prereqs: Insight into Three Circles x2, Boundaries Fall Away
Within the core of her working, the Solar creates a void where power should be, allowing the essence of Creation to flow into the sorcery from the dragon lines. For every set of three failed dice (three 1s, three 2s, etc), roll one additional non charm dice. This can only happen once per set.
Precursor to Power
Cost: 1wp
Mins: Occult 5, Essence 4
Type: Supplemental
Keywords: None
Duration: One roll
Prereqs: Pulling Essence Chakra, The Price for Power
Drawing from a vast repertoire of eldritch secrets, the sorcerer is able to understand the complex mechanisms of workings beyond other men. Reduce the time it takes to make a working roll from one week to one day.
Eloquent Sorcerous Elegance
Cost: -
Mins: Occult 5, Essence 4
Type: Permanent
Keywords: None
Duration: Permanent
Prereqs: Pulling Essence Chakra
While lesser sorcerers may allow control of their workings to slip, the Lawgiver does not. Lower the difficulty of workings from Finesse by 1, minimum 1 (making Finesse go 1, 2, 4, rather then 1, 3, 5).
If the character has Insight into Three Circles x3, lower it by another 1 (to 1, 1, 3).
Miracle Flowing Soul
Cost: - (5m)
Mins: Occult 5, Essence 5
Type: Permanent
Keywords: None
Duration: Permanent
Prereqs: Insight into Three Circles x3, Pulling Essence Chakra
The dragon lines of Creation itself bend knee before the might of the returned god-kings, assisting in his wishes. This is an upgrade to Pulling Essence Chakra, allowing the lawgiver to pay an additional 5 motes (still Loud, as per the prerequisite). Whenever a set of three failed dice occur, reroll that number. For example, if 4 dice rolled 2, reroll all those 2s. This can happen once per number.
At Essence 6, dice keep rerolling then triples come up, ignoring the “once per number” restriction.
If you can look through it, thank you in advance!
EDIT: I apologize for the double spoilers, for some reason I can't stop it from doing this after I've edited the post.
Base Concepts:
Solar sorcery lacks subtlety. While there are subtle spells and you can be a stealthy sorcerer, when I picture a specialized Solar sorcerer I picture UNLIMITED POWER, not trickery and stealth. That’s more a Lunar shtick in my eyes. This introduces the Loud keyword.
Spells are inviolate. Solar sorcerers can cast spells well, quickly, and generate ungodly amounts of sorcerous motes, but actually modifying spells on the fly is the realm of evocations, excellencies, and Sidereals.
Rituals are difficult to mess with. This goes both ways; Solars don’t have many mechanics for fucking around with rituals, other than making them harder to fuck with.
Solars should be the best at the basics; shape sorcery actions and powerful sorcerous workings. They should also generally come out on top when it comes to raw sorcerer vs sorcerer.
Supernal Occult isn’t king. Yes, you get a lot of benefits from being supernal occult, but sorcery is still the exception. Lynchpin prerequisite (namely Insight into Three Circles) are locked behind Celestial/Solar circle sorcery.
Sorcery is an act of will. This means that many powerful sorcerous charms cost willpower. Sometimes they lose that cost as they gain in power, sometimes they gain that cost.
Largely divorce Shaping and Working Solar charms. This was a difficult decision to come to, but in the end I feel it allows more diverse concepts. Working charms still require Insight into Three Circles, being the trunk of the tree, so to speak.
Stick to your shtick. Solars are good at actually casting spells and workings, Lunars bring trickery and subtlety into their spellwork as well as use working to modify living beings, Sidereals modify spells (theirs and their opponents) and mess with rituals, Dragon Blooded work in concert with others and bond with elementals, Abyssals are master necromancers and can sacrifice for power, Infernals (more difficult to nail down until we know more, but here’s the idea as of now) create self sustaining spells (i.e. She Who Lives Within Her Name’s spheres), have high risk/reward abilities, and empower demonic slaves.
Solar Sorcery Shaping:
New Keyword
Loud: Activating this charm always counts as peripheral motes and activates anima, even for Night caste sorcerers.
Insight into Three Circles
Cost: 3m
Mins: Occult 4, Essence 1
Type: Supplemental
Keywords: None
Duration: Instant
Prereqs: Terrestrial Circle Sorcery
Even the laws of Creation bend knee to their masters. This charm give a Shape Sorcery action Double 9s for one roll. This charm can only be activated once per scene, but is reset by gaining a willpower back from completing a spell.
This charm can be repurchased with the prerequisite of Celestial Circle Sorcery. Doing so may change the cost to 6m and applies double 8s, with the same reset condition.
This charm can be repurchased a 2nd time with the prerequisite of Solar Circle Sorcery. Doing so may change the cost to 5m, 1wp and applies double 7s, with the same reset condition.
Copper Spider Wisdom
Cost: 5m
Mins: Occult 4, Essence 1
Type: Simple
Keywords: Loud
Duration: One Scene
Prereqs: Ancient Tongue Understanding, Insight into Three Circles
Feeling the pulse of the Dragon lines around her, the Sorcerer aligns her mind with the flows of the universe. While this charm has motes committed to it, the Sorcerer gains 3 dice towards all Shape Sorcery rolls.
Unlike most Simple charms, this charm can explicitly be flurried with Shape Sorcery actions.
Emerald Purity
Cost: 5m
Mins: Occult 4, Essence 1
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Perilous
Duration: Instant
Prereqs: Copper Spider Wisdom
The work of other sorcerers appears flawed and imperfect in the eyes of the chosen of the Unconquered Sun. When another sorcerer attempts to counterspell the Lawgiver, the solar gains a sorcerous mote for every 1 and 10 rolled on the counterspell attempt.
Elegant Sorcerous Eloquence
Cost: - (1wp)
Mins: Occult 4, Essence 2
Type: Permanent
Keywords: None
Duration: Permanent
Prereqs: Copper Spider Wisdom
Allowing the essence of Creation to flow through his sorcerous insight, the Lawgiver allows his spellwork to build naturally. This is an upgrade to its prerequisite. As long as Copper Spider Wisdom is active, the solar may spend a willpower while making a Shape Sorcery action to make it flurryable with other actions other than Shape Sorcery.
At Essence 4, this charm upgrades; remove the willpower requirement.
Enduring Essence Fountain
Cost: 3m, 1wp
Mins: Occult 5, Essence 3
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Perilous
Duration: Instant
Prereqs: Elegant Sorcerous Eloquence
Understanding the use of power in Creation, Lawgivers embody both might and efficiency. After completing a spell, this charm may be activated to keep any sorcerous motes that were gathered over the cost of the spell, applying them to another spell as if he had taken another shape sorcery action reflexively with that many successes.
If the character has Insight into Three Circles x2, this charm may be activated for 5m, gaining the Loud keyword.
Recursive Essence Flow
Cost: 5m
Mins: Occult 5, Essence 3
Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Perilous, Loud
Duration: Instant
Prereqs: Insight Into Three Circles x2, Elegant Sorcerers Eloquence
The Lawgiver is a master at manipulating the strands of power woven into his sorcery, tieing them together into tighter knots and weaves. Shape Sorcery rolls supplemented by this charm gain recurring 10s.
At Essence 5, this charm upgrades; the character may spend a willpower to gain recurring 6s as well.
Sapphire Radiance
Cost: 1wp
Mins: Occult 5, Essence 3
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: None
Duration: Permanent
Prereqs: Insight Into Three Circles x2, Emerald Purity
The work of the Lawgivers bestows true permanence into sorcery This charm may be activated upon completion of a spell that may be distorted. Either the difficulty to distort the spell increases by 2, or the terminus of the distortion extended action is reduced by 1. For 2wp both may be activated, but doing so raises the Solar’s anima by one level.
Celestial Fragmented Focus
Cost: -
Mins: Occult 5, Essence 4
Type: Permanent
Keywords: None
Duration: Permanent
Prereqs: Enduring Essence Fountain, Insight into Three Circles x2
Breaking the bonds of concentration and limitations that restrict other sorcerers, the Solar achieves the epitome of what can be accomplished. This charm enhances its prerequisite, allowing the Solar to flurry together two Shape Sorcery actions. They cannot generate sorcerous motes towards the same spell, instead allowing the Solar to effectively cast two different spells at the same time. This applies to both meanings of the phrase (the same instance of a spell, or two instances of the same spell).
If the character has Insight into Three Circles x3, remove the same spell restrictions.
Copper Power Flux
Cost: 10m, 1wp, 3a
Mins: Occult 5, Essence 5
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Mute
Duration: Instant
Prereqs: Celestial Fragmented Focus, Recursive Essence Flow, Insight into Three Circles x3
Pulling his anima inward, the sorcerer glows like the setting sun for an instant before light explodes around him, power radiating. This illuminates an area around the Solar equal to (Essence) miles as if it were twilight, looking like a sunset from a distance. This charm may only be activated when the character is at bonfire anima, after he completes a spell. The Solar makes a reflexive Shape Sorcery action, which can only be applied to a new spell following the one he cast that triggered this charm (sorcerous motes from this action may be added to with Enduring Essence Fountain).
This charm may be used once per scene. This may be reset by having no sorcerous motes invested in spells.
Adamant Superiority
Cost: 5m, 1wp
Mins: Occult 5, Essence 5
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Perilous, Loud
Duration: Instant
Prereqs: Sapphire Radiance, All Encompassing Sorcerer's Sight, Insight into Three Circles x3
One does not surpass the master. This charm may be used when an enemy within long range takes Shape Sorcery action, allowing the Lawgiver to make a reflexive Countermagic action against the spell. This Countermagic action may be treated as a Shape Sorcery action by other charms that would affect Shape Sorcery actions.
This charm may be used once per scene. This may be reset by reducing an enemy's sorcerous motes invested in a spell to 0.
Solar Sorcerous Workings:
Application of Three Circles
Cost: -
Mins: Occult 4, Essence 1
Type: Permanent
Keywords: None
Duration: Permanent
Prereqs: Insight into Three Circles
Taking the applications of practical knowledge, the lawgiver applies the same techniques to the theoretical applications of sorcery. This charm allows its prerequisite to be used on Sorcerous Workings.
Learning From Oneself
Cost: 5m, 1wp
Mins: Occult 4, Essence 1
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Loud
Duration: Instant
Prereqs: Application of Three Circles
The blessings of the Sun are many and come in a wide variety. Even what may have been failure may be a lesson in disguise. Once per working, this charm may be activated on a failed working roll, allowing it to not count towards the terminus of the working. If the roll was a botch, this charm may still be activated, paying 15m 1wp instead. The botch still introduces a complication
Boundaries Fall Away
Cost: 5m
Mins: Occult 4, Essence 2
Type: Supplemental
Keywords: None
Duration: One working
Prereqs: Application of Three Circles
Solars alone can accomplish the greatest works of the art. This charm must be activated at the start of a working for it to be applicable, and the motes must stay committed for the affect to continue. The base difficulty for attempting higher tier workings is only raised by 1 per circle beyond the sorcerer’s initiation (rather than 2). If the motes stay committed for the entire working, the working costs an additional 2 XP per circle above (rather then 4).
If the character has Insight into Three Circles x3, Terrestrial workings enhanced by this charm no longer cost XP.
The Price for Power
Cost: 1wp
Mins: Occult 4, Essence 2
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: None
Duration: Instant
Prereqs: Learning from Oneself
Lawgivers are truly beacons of light, illuminating those around them with their power. When undergoing a working on behalf of another, the working’s XP cost may be paid for by another character other than the Sorcerer.
If the character has Insight into Three Circles x2, the XP cost may be paid by multiple individuals.
Pulling Essence Chakra
Cost: 5m, 1wp
Mins: Occult 5, Essence 3
Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Loud
Duration: Instant
Prereqs: Insight into Three Circles x2, Boundaries Fall Away
Within the core of her working, the Solar creates a void where power should be, allowing the essence of Creation to flow into the sorcery from the dragon lines. For every set of three failed dice (three 1s, three 2s, etc), roll one additional non charm dice. This can only happen once per set.
Precursor to Power
Cost: 1wp
Mins: Occult 5, Essence 4
Type: Supplemental
Keywords: None
Duration: One roll
Prereqs: Pulling Essence Chakra, The Price for Power
Drawing from a vast repertoire of eldritch secrets, the sorcerer is able to understand the complex mechanisms of workings beyond other men. Reduce the time it takes to make a working roll from one week to one day.
Eloquent Sorcerous Elegance
Cost: -
Mins: Occult 5, Essence 4
Type: Permanent
Keywords: None
Duration: Permanent
Prereqs: Pulling Essence Chakra
While lesser sorcerers may allow control of their workings to slip, the Lawgiver does not. Lower the difficulty of workings from Finesse by 1, minimum 1 (making Finesse go 1, 2, 4, rather then 1, 3, 5).
If the character has Insight into Three Circles x3, lower it by another 1 (to 1, 1, 3).
Miracle Flowing Soul
Cost: - (5m)
Mins: Occult 5, Essence 5
Type: Permanent
Keywords: None
Duration: Permanent
Prereqs: Insight into Three Circles x3, Pulling Essence Chakra
The dragon lines of Creation itself bend knee before the might of the returned god-kings, assisting in his wishes. This is an upgrade to Pulling Essence Chakra, allowing the lawgiver to pay an additional 5 motes (still Loud, as per the prerequisite). Whenever a set of three failed dice occur, reroll that number. For example, if 4 dice rolled 2, reroll all those 2s. This can happen once per number.
At Essence 6, dice keep rerolling then triples come up, ignoring the “once per number” restriction.
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