[Ex3] Homebrew Solar Charms

[Tiresias]

Wherein I gaze into the future and write charms for a system I haven't seen yet. This is how I deal with boredom.

Melee/Brawl:

Dojo of the Mind
The Solar plays out the results of a battle in her mind to create the best opportunity to strike. When activating this Charm, the Solar selects a target. This Charm provides the following effects:
- The Solar's attacks take place only in her mind. Substitute Dexterity for Intelligence and Strength for Wits when rolling attacks and damage.
- The Solar's attacks gains long range.
- The Solar may defend herself and move normally, but may not attack anyone other than her current target.
- The Solar cannot use lethal attacks or Gambits, but can use all her other powers. The Solar's target may defend herself normally.
- The Solar's attacks gain [momentum] as normal. However, they cannot cause effects which require physical contact, such as poison and knockback.
- If the Charm's target attacks the Solar, the Solar immediately gains a clash attack against her.

Medicine:

Serpent-Killing Toxin
The Solar gains the ability to manipulate poisons and diseases against each other. When treating a patient suffering from two or more poisons or diseases at the same time, the Solar can elect to cure some or all of them all simultaneously. The difficulty of the treatment is equal to the highest difficulty of the diseases or poisons the Solar wishes to cure, plus 1 for each additional disease or poison.

Larceny:

Midnight Prowler's Entrance
When the Solar enters a building or encampment which she has already scouted, this Charm provides the following benefits:
- If the Solar attempts to physically break a wall or door in order gain access to the building, she converts a number of damage dice equal to her Larceny into automatic successes.
- Within the scouted area, hostile characters who move towards the Solar or her allies do not count 10s as two successes when rolling combat movement dice.

[Oramus]

Inexplicably I like Serpent-Killing Toxin the best. It's fairly mundane but it's awesome

[SuddenThunder]

I agree with Oramus, Serpent-Killing Toxin is pretty great.

I'm really not a fan of Dojo of the Mind ... it seems like an attempt to take the abilities most directly plugged into the close combat engine and make them esoteric. In particular I'm against the long range effect, and I think the 'no physical contact' effect is weird and difficult to adjudicate.

I could either take or leave Midnight Prowler's Entrance, depending on the specifics.

[Kazorh]

I'm really not a fan of Dojo of the Mind ... it seems like an attempt to take the abilities most directly plugged into the close combat engine and make them esoteric. In particular I'm against the long range effect, and I think the 'no physical contact' effect is weird and difficult to adjudicate.

I'm not sure how the no physical contact thing is weird. You're beating up someone in your mind, obviously that's not going to let you poison them. Or wound them or do much of anything at all. Except apparently gain momentum from... your analysis of your opponent's fighting style, I guess?

I'm kind of amused you use Wits as the Power stat and Intelligence as the Finesse stat.

[SuddenThunder]

I'm not sure how the no physical contact thing is weird. You're beating up someone in your mind, obviously that's not going to let you poison them. Or wound them or do much of anything at all.

If an opponent uses a Charm to defend themselves in your mind, does it cost them any Essence? If your attack on them (that isn't really happening) allow them to trigger other Charms such as counter attacks? If they target characters other than you?

'All of this is really happening in my head' Charms are problematic. If you want a mental-based Charm that allows you to build momentum there must be easier ways.

[Tiresias]

I'm really not a fan of Dojo of the Mind ... it seems like an attempt to take the abilities most directly plugged into the close combat engine and make them esoteric. In particular I'm against the long range effect, and I think the 'no physical contact' effect is weird and difficult to adjudicate.

It's meant to model fights where two people just stare at each other for three hours before attacking once and ending the fight in one blow. There's just no straightforward way to actually do it. The Solar using it has to be able to defend, or else it's suicidal. The Solar using it has to be able to attack normally, or else it'd be boring. The Solar's attack has to include physical effects, but not manifest them, because there's no physical attack. The target of the charm has to defend, or else you can't resolve combat or the Solar is just burning motes. I just can't see a way out of all the clutter.

I'm assuming you could get the same general effect by taking Aim actions for a few dozen rounds, but that's not exactly exciting.

EDIT: Actually, I originally couldn't decide if the effect should be a Charm or a Merit, but ultimately decided that it should require a level of mastery that should be beyond mortals. You could probably take out the side-benefits, maybe leave Intelligence and Wits in to substitute for physical attributes, and treat the whole fight as one long stunt that just happens in people's heads until one of them goes for a killing blow.

[SuddenThunder]

I'm assuming you could get the same general effect by taking Aim actions for a few dozen rounds, but that's not exactly exciting.

I think you pretty much answer the question here, this Charm should be supplemental to an Aim action, allowing you to make some sort of roll and add momentum according to the result. Is this as exciting? Maybe not, but it avoids all the complex interactions that arise when you want to stare intently at your opponent for three hours while a battle unfolds in your mind and he'd rather just punch you in the face.

Telling your opponent that all his defensive actions are really only happening in your head, but they cost his resources anyhow? Bad juju.

[Oramus]

How about a Charm where you watch your opponent fight/spar for a set amount of time, then the next time you fight them you can start with bonus momentum?

[Kazorh]

I wonder if they're going to keep Meditative Battlefield Escalation...

[SuddenThunder]

How about a Charm where you watch your opponent fight/spar for a set amount of time, then the next time you fight them you can start with bonus momentum?

Given what's been said about the combat system and support abilities I'd imagine there will be plenty of ways to get momentum without hitting people. This one is just problematic because of the whole 'I'm hitting you, but totally not hitting you, but still levying costs on you just as though I was hitting you' part. And also the range. I really don't like that in Melee/MA.

[Tiresias]

How about a Charm where you watch your opponent fight/spar for a set amount of time, then the next time you fight them you can start with bonus momentum?

That is a lot easier to conceptualize.

Lore:

Victorious Stratagem Contemplation
The Solar studies her opponents in order to understand her weaknesses. The Solar activates this charm when her nemesis rolls battle against someone else. If the Solar witnesses the fight from its beginning to its resolution and takes no other action during that time, she gains (Lore?) momentum the next time she rolls join battle to fight the charm's target.

Stealth:

Wing of the Swooping Owl
While the Solar is engaged in battle and hidden, he may select one of her opponents as this charm's target. For every round in which the Solar remains hidden from the target, the Solar gains X additional momentum. This charm lasts until the target becomes aware of the Solar.

Melee:

Steel Trapper's Feint
Upon activating this charm, the Solar selects a target and a combat ability. Whenever the charm's target would gain momentum by attacking the Solar with that ability, the momentum she gains is reduced by 1, to a minimum of 1.

And an unrelated Lore charm:

Philosophical Logic Meditation
Drawing upon her knowledge of debate and argumentation, the Solar can expose the flaws in her opponent's discourse. Upon activating this charm, the Solar gains a Defining Principle which opposes an opponent's arguments. This Intimacy lasts until the end of the scene and the charm can only be used once per scene.

[Robert Vance]

Melee/Brawl:

Dojo of the Mind
The Solar plays out the results of a battle in her mind to create the best opportunity to strike. When activating this Charm, the Solar selects a target. This Charm provides the following effects:
- The Solar's attacks take place only in her mind. Substitute Dexterity for Intelligence and Strength for Wits when rolling attacks and damage.
- The Solar's attacks gains long range.
- The Solar may defend herself and move normally, but may not attack anyone other than her current target.
- The Solar cannot use lethal attacks or Gambits, but can use all her other powers. The Solar's target may defend herself normally.
- The Solar's attacks gain [momentum] as normal. However, they cannot cause effects which require physical contact, such as poison and knockback.
- If the Charm's target attacks the Solar, the Solar immediately gains a clash attack against her.

This is pretty neat, and once you've got your hands on the whole combat system, I think you'll quickly realize the mechanical verve this needs to really deliver on the concept. In terms of Ability choice, I think Melee will fit much better than Brawl, given that Brawl is a very two-fisted, bloody-knuckled thing (and that it already has its own suite of effects that manipulate similar elements in its own distinctive way).

Medicine:

Serpent-Killing Toxin
The Solar gains the ability to manipulate poisons and diseases against each other. When treating a patient suffering from two or more poisons or diseases at the same time, the Solar can elect to cure some or all of them all simultaneously. The difficulty of the treatment is equal to the highest difficulty of the diseases or poisons the Solar wishes to cure, plus 1 for each additional disease or poison.

I think the timing rules for treating diseases/poisons would make this irrelevant most of the time, although it's possible I'm misremembering or something's been tweaked in editing. Sorry

Larceny:

Midnight Prowler's Entrance
When the Solar enters a building or encampment which she has already scouted, this Charm provides the following benefits:
- If the Solar attempts to physically break a wall or door in order gain access to the building, she converts a number of damage dice equal to her Larceny into automatic successes.
- Within the scouted area, hostile characters who move towards the Solar or her allies do not count 10s as two successes when rolling combat movement dice.

The logic of "casing the joint to gain bonuses during a later heist" is a fruitful one. I'm not sure if combat-focused benefits fully make sense—the name had me expecting it'd be buffing Stealth.

[Jen]

I do hope that the Disease/Poison rule don't make my head hurt when I read them.

[Tiresias]

The logic of "casing the joint to gain bonuses during a later heist" is a fruitful one. I'm not sure if combat-focused benefits fully make sense—the name had me expecting it'd be buffing Stealth.

My naming sense sucks and "Break Into The Building Through The Door That's Really Far Away From Where All The Guards Are So It Takes Them Longer To Get To You And Stab You In The Face Prana" would have soaked up the word count faster than She Who Lives In Her Name does.

Anyway, more charms.

Bureaucracy:

Officious Seal Technique
The Solar may use this charm against other members of an organization to which he belongs, either permanently or temporarily. The members gain an Intimacy towards the Solar that is identical to the Intimacy they hold towards the organization.

Craft:

Art of the Beguiling Tribute
This charm can be used when crafting a gift or bribe for a specific person. When the Solar presents the gift to its intended recipient, that person gains a Major Tie of adoration towards the Solar for one scene.

Craft of Love
The Solar's passion drives his artifice. When rolling to craft an object specifically for someone towards whom the Solar holds a positive Minor Tie, the Solar counts 9s as two successes. If the Intimacy is a positive Major Tie, 8s count as two successes as well and if the Intimacy is a positive Defining Tie, 7s also count as two successes.

[Tiresias]

Integrity:

Tempting Demon's Evidence
Becoming aware of the flaw in her beliefs, the Solar can temporarily suppress them. When activating this Charm, the Solar replaces one of her Intimacies with an opposing Intimacy. The effect lasts so long as the Charm is active.

Larceny:

Blade-Pilfering Practice
This Charm allows the Solar to perform a disarm attack by rolling Dexterity + Larceny. It can also be used to steal munitions from quivers and such during combat.

Corpse-Hiding Technique
This Charm can be used to help the Solar hide a dead body. People will not find the body unless they are specifically looking for a corpse, nor will they notice the victim's disappearance unless they have a specific need for her.