Homebrew Affinities

[Vent0]

So, since there really isn't a thread about this (and there should be), here it is.

Up first, some general ideas I had for a few that need to be far more fleshed out:

An Ab-based one that grants resistance to Sybaris. Mostly for the mummy's cultists, but if a mortal somehow picked up the Affinity (through homebrew or a Relic), good for them too. Willpower expenditure my grant the Inspired Condition (or equivalent for 1E).
An (likely) Ab-based one the convert Sybaris into a kind of Majesty-like effect.
A (probably) Ka-based one that deals additional damage or give attack bonuses against Sekhem bearing creatures and objects.
A Ba-based one that confers some kind of resistance. Maybe it lets you sub Ba for Supernatural Tolerance (good for mummies near the end of their Descent).
A Sheut-based one the lets you detach your shadow to act as a spy. Maybe lets you possess it, or act through it. Maybe even lets a Mummy kind-of act while in Henet.

Obviously, mechanics (and even names) need more details. Anyone willing to help with that? Or post ideas of their own?

[Deionscribe]

Come to think of it, I should probably get an Utterances thread up. That said, I'll need to revisit the Affinity mechanics first, but I'll see what I can think up for your listed concepts.

[KageMCS]

Dark Eras: Ruins of Empire contains "Form of the Sybaritic Need," an Ab (*****) Affinity for all your Majesty (sic Enticement Sybaris) needs. I'll try spitballing some ideas for the others.

The Ba one sounds a lot like Su-Menent's "Fated Soul" bonus Guild Affinity, or at least the last bullet point for it anyway. Hmm... the fearlessness aspect falls well within the write-up for the Ba Decree as well, at least that's my read. (Remind me again why "Dauntless Explorer" is Ka? The rundown for the Ba Decree reads like they all have this Affinity.) Anyway, Lore of the Deceived had "Harvesting Named Truths," an Affinity that was both a Ren (*****) Soul Affinity and a Deceived Guild (**) Affinity, so maybe just lifting it isn't completely out of the question. If not, my sleep-addled brain seems to think "Contempt of Slings and Arrows" sounds thematic.

The Ka like-cuts-like Affinity could probably work like the other two close combat boosts it has, "Dominating Might" and "Guardian's Wrath." Edit: Forgot Sheut has "Grip of Death" with similar structure. Give relevant attacks +2, spend willpower or fulfill condition for +Pillar, don't take damage from headbutting stuff. Though that might be a bit overdone, so maybe spend a Willpower to drop the target number for applicable attacks for a scene? I'm feeling heretical, so I'll submit "Deicide" as a possible name.

The Ab one I'm assuming you want the Arisen (or lucky human) to project a sort of dampening field that protects his cultists from the Sybaris of other Arisen? Should it be a passive radius out to Ab times X yards, or should the protection be focused on those touched by the Arisen's immortal soul? Maybe just +Ab to resist Sybaris, or Ab one +1, Ab three +2, Ab five +3? Or just have Fate load the dice, and drop the target number? I don't know, name-wise all I can think of is "Lion Lays with Lamb." Shamelessly Bible cribbing, I know.

The Sheut one sounds so freaking badass. Shame I've got nothing right now, aside from noting Soul Affinities with overtly supernatural abilities tend to only work without observers. So your shadow won't be strangling enemy cultists or have really overt abilities. Still, I think some leeway can be made for gaslighting them.

[ajf115]

At the risk of necromancy, I have a contribution now that Mummy has (appropriately) risen from the dead:

Blossoming Heart

Prerequisites: Ka 1
Effect: The character’s vitality overflows her body and is infused into the world around her - and, gratefully, it gives its life back into her hands. This Affinity provides the following benefits:

• The Arisen gains the effects of the Holistic Awareness Merit (Chronicles of Darkness, p. 44-45), save that she may use natural remedies to treat even characters suffering wound penalties from Lethal damage.
• When gathering efficacious herbs and plants for use with Holistic Awareness, the character may always do so (even in the heart of an urban sprawl Fate guides her eye to what she needs), ignores up to her Ka rating in penalties and adds the double-8s quality to (Wits + Survival) rolls to do so.
• The character’s overflowing life-force infuses itself into all plant life within (Ka * 100) metres, instantly purging all non-supernatural diseases and molds and banishing minor pests such as aphids. Additionally, for the next (Ka) months plants grow there with great force and vitality, though never in such a way as to damage man-made structures, ignoring circumstances (e.g. inappropriate climate, lack of light) that would normally prevent them from doing so. This effect is always active within the character’s Tomb.

[FallenEco]

I'm making a list of 'Bestowed' Affinties from 1st edition for the (2nd ed) core Judges, to convert or adapt.

[ajf115]

I'm making a list of 'Bestowed' Affinties from 1st edition for the (2nd ed) core Judges, to convert or adapt.

Nice! I've been working with Vent0 's 'Soul and Word' stuff, tweaking it into a full minor splat, and I ended up writing a few extra Affinities for it. Speaking of which:

Fell-Handed

Prerequisites: (Any Pillar) 1
Effect: Scholars of such matters wonder whether it is telling that all five components of the soul can empower the body to deadly violence. The Arisen's unarmed attacks deal 1L damage. Additionally, depending on the character’s Defining Pillar, she may spend a point of Willpower to gain an additional effect for the scene:

• Ab: If a character suffers more damage in a scene from the Paragon’s unarmed attacks than his Resolve, he suffers the Awestruck Condition.
• Ba: The character’s Initiative Modifier increases by 2.
• Ka: The character gains 1/1 Armor, which stacks with physical armor but not armor from other supernatural sources.
• Ren: Striking as much at her opponent’s spirit as her body, the Paragon may choose to sacrifice physical damage to attack an opponent’s Essence or Willpower, on a 2-to-1 or 3-to-1 basis respectively. She may even strike possessing ghosts or spirits this way without injuring the host, though the Claimed cannot be so divided.
• Sheut:Driven by an irrepressible desire to live, the character suffers no Breaking Points for inflicting violence in self-defense, or against characters who threatened her life or significant physical harm.

Running Like Flight

Prerequisite: Ba 1
Effect: Lesser beings may run for a time and falter. They do not internalize the motion until it uplifts and rejuvenates them. This Affinity confers the following benefits:

• Each dot in Ba gives the character a dot in the Fleet of Foot Merit (Chronicles of Darkness, p. 47), to a maximum of 3.
• The character reduces any penalties to climbing rolls by the rating of her Ba Pillar.
• While unobserved by other sentient beings, the character increases her speed by the rating of her Ba Pillar.
• So long as she remains in constant motion, the character ignores all Fatigue penalties and does not gain more.

Walking Hallowed Ways

Prerequisites: Ba 1
Effect: The Arisen's feet are guided by Fate, finding new and expeditious paths even as her foes are bedeviled with mischance and false leads. This Affinity provides the following benefits:

• The character adds her Ba rating to rolls to navigate or safely follow ways or paths to a defined location. These will usually be Survival, Drive or Investigation rolls. Unless another party is actively impeding her journey, she will not suffer such minor, everyday impediments as red traffic lights, delayed airplanes, thrown horseshoes or traffic jams.
• The character’s enemies suffer her Ba rating as a penalty to locate or catch her while she is moving between locations at least a mile apart, though she does not benefit from this protection before or after such a journey.
• The character may spend a point of Willpower when embarking upon a large-scale journey - in this case defined as a journey of at least 100 miles or three days, whichever is lesser. Even if such a passage seems impossible, so long as she knows where her destination is Fate will provide a way for her to reach it, though it will not necessarily be safe, easy or convenient.