The Exalt, through one avenue or another, acts unimpressed. In response to a social attack, the Exalt may activate this Charm to add a number of dice to their social defense equal to their Appearance+the ability used to purchase this charm.
The Exalt prepares themselves for a full day of boredom. For the remainder of the scene, the Exalt may add a number of dice to all their social defense rolls equal to their Appearance+the ability used to purchase this charm.
Some people are never impressed. With the use of this Charm, the Exalt may automatically and perfectly defend against one social attack.
[NOTE: Any Social charm that automatically inflicts or destroys an Intimacy, Failing, Motivation, Paradigm or Task may be trumped by any Perfect social defense charm.]
Presence Charms
Unchanged:
- Harmonious Presence Meditation
- Listener-Swaying Argument (now 1m/die?)
- Rose-Lipped Seduction Style (possible seduction actions include adding yourself as a Compassion Intimacy or as a Temperance Failing, adding a Motivation to sleep with you, or assigning Tasks based on desire)
- Immaculate Appearance Prana
- Underling-Promoting Touch (others treat the subject as they would the Exalt, including for any Intimacies or Motivations that involve the later)
- Flagrant Denial Approach (no Essence limitation; this is a counterattack charm)
Majestic Radiant Presence
Everyone in the Solar's vicinity, or who enters her area while this charm is active is subject to an unrolled Presence attack with successes equal to her Presence to add her as a temporary Valor Failing. If successful, this attack forces capitulation.
Terrifying Apparition of Glory
As Majestic Radiant Presence and in addition, for the duration of this charm all characters connected to the Solar by a Valor Faling add her Appearance to the difficulty to attack her physically or socially.
Unconquered Solar Mien
As Majestic Radiant Presence and in addition, any servants of darkness connected to the Solar by a Valor Failing lose their dice action each turn, and may only take move actions by crawling.
Trustworthy Companion Stance
Everyone in the Solar's vicinity, or who enters her area while this charm is active is subject to an unrolled Presence attack with successes equal to her Presence to add her as a temporary Conviction Intimacy. If successful, this attack forces capitulation.
Respected General's Stance
Everyone in the Solar's vicinity, or who enters her area while this charm is active is subject to an unrolled Presence attack with successes equal to her Presence to add a temporary Temperance Intimacy which prevents them from "being disrespectful" to the Solar. If successful, this attack forces capitulation. In addition, any characters with such an Intimacy who also have Willpower lower than the Solar's Essence gain the temporary Motivation to revere her.
Beloved Visitor's Stance
Everyone in the Solar's vicinity, or who enters her area while this charm is active is subject to an unrolled Presence attack with successes equal to her Presence to add her as a temporary Compassion Intimacy. If successful, this attack forces capitulation.
In addition, for the duration of this charm the mechanical value of Compassion Intimacies that connect others to the Solar are doubled - characters double their Compassion whenever such Intimacies are employed in social combat (this may both bolster social defense and reduce it, and does not effect the Willpower cost required to act against an Intimacy).
Righteous Exemplar Stance
The Solar selects a number of Temperence Intimacies equal to no more than one half her Presence, rounded down. Everyone in the Solar's vicinity, or who enters her area while this charm is active is subject to this many unrolled Presence attacks with successes equal to her Presence seeking to add these temporary Temperence Intimacies. If successful, these attacks force capitulation.
Unearthly Countenance
This charm has the cost and duration originally given to Center of Attention Stance. This charm allows the Solar to make a mass social attack with a single action.
Center of Attention Stance
This charm has the cost and duration originally given to Unearthly Countenance. Everyone in the Solar's vicinity, or who enters her area while this charm is active is subject to an unrolled Presence attack with successes equal to her Presence to add a temporary Motivation to pay attention to her. If successful, this attack forces capitulation. This Motivation may be followed by giving up either a dice action or a move action to it each turn. Reflexive actions do not conflict with following this Motivation.
Confrontation Kata
Everyone in the Solar's vicinity, or who enters her area while this charm is active is subject to an unrolled Presence attack with successes equal to her Presence to add her as a temporary Valor Intimacy. If successful, this attack forces capitulation. In addition, for the duration of this charm all characters connected to the Solar by a Valor Intimacy suffer a dice penalty equal to her Essence when attempting to destroy or change anything other than her.
Hypnotic Tongue Technique
This charm's duration is Instant, and its use requires touching the target. It directly assigns a First Circle Task of the Solar's choice, which may be held in abeyance and triggered at a predefined moment. Only targets who successfully resist this charm (by means of a perfect defense or others such methods) are consciously aware of the attempt to influence them.
Command Voice
All Essence 1 beings within the Solar's vicinity add her as a temporary Conviction Intimacy and a Valor Failing.
Majesty's Bidding
This charm allows the Solar to make a special Presence attack to assign a Task of any Circle; the defender loses their base defense as if subject to an argument framed against their Paradigm. If successful, this attack forces Capitulation.
Prey-Freezing Gaze
The Solar makes eye-contact with the target, and makes a Presence attack to assign the Second Circle Task "hold still" (that is, do not use any move actions). If successful, this attack forces capitulation. The Task ends with the charm, and the charm ends at the end of the scene, or whenever the Solar breaks eye-contact.
Shocking Pronouncement Style
The Solar says or does something shocking, and makes a single-turn mass Presence attack to assign the Second Circle Task, "give me your full attention". If successful, this attack forces Capitulation. The Task ends with the charm, and the charm ends at the end of the scene, or whenever the Solar leaves view of the audience.
Transfixing Solar Stare
Any target the Solar looks at is subject to three unrolled Presence attacks with successes equal to her Presence. These are attacks to temporarily add a Temperance Intimacy and a Conviction Failing, both against taking any sort of action, as well as the Motivation "hold still". If successful, these attacks force Capitulation. The Intimacies and the Motivation each last until the charm ends with the scene, or as long as the Solar looks directly at the target, and can only work on one subject at a time. Holding a target in sight does not require a dice action, but does severely curtail what can be done with it.
Aura of Dread
This is a Supplemental charm. It functions exactly as Rose-Lipped Seduction Style, except that it applies to rolls to intimidate others (possible intimidation actions include adding yourself as a Valor Failing, adding a Motivation to appease you, or assigning Tasks based on fear).
Unapproachable Visage
This is a Permanent charm. Characters connected to the Solar by a Valor Failing add the following to the list of behaviors they may not trespass without paying Willpower: coming within Essence yards of you, looking you in the eye, talking when you are talking. In addition, the mechanical value of such Valor Failings are doubled - characters double their Valor whenever such Intimacies are employed in social combat (this may only reduce defense, and does not effect the Willpower cost required to act against a Failing).
Impassioned Orrator Technique
Supplemental, Instant, 2 motes: doubles the Obligation of any social attack.
Countenance of Vast Wrath
For every two points of Hesitation an opponent recieves from the Solar this scene, that character loses one Aggravated Health Level.
Performance Charms
Unchanged:
- Rout-Stemming Gesture* (characters have any Valor Failings suspended for the duration)
- Heroism-Encouraging Presence* (characters have any Valor Failings suspended for the duration)
- Tiger-Warrior Training Technique*
- Phantom-Conjuring Performance
- Commanding the Ideal Celestial Army*
- General of the All-Seeing Sun*
- Ideal Battle Knowledge Prana* (all Valor Failings are suspended for the duration)
- Immaculate Charisma Prana
- Insight-Conveying Performance (for the specific sollution: adds the Motivation "follow this plan to solve your problem")
- Inspiring Dance of Mastery
- Grace in Adversity Style
- Joy in Despair Method
- King of Masks Technique
- Impenetrable Identity
- Gender-Concealing Meditation
- Theft of Faces Technique
- Thousand Skin Approach
Respect Commanding Attitude
Everyone in your presence, or who enters your presence while this charm is active adds a temporary Temperance Intimacy against ignoring or or being disrespectufl to you.
Unruly Mob Dispersing Rebuke*
This charm makes a single-turn mass Performance attack to destroy any one Valor Intimacy or Compassion Failing held in common by all members of the group. If successful, this attack forces Capitulation, and also adds a Temperance Intimacy against mass violence (individual violence is still fine). This effect ends with the scene.
Fury Inciting Presence*
Automatically coheres a group into a mob, giving all members either a Valor Intimacy or a Compassion Failing or both with the subject chosen by the Solar.
Masterful Performance Exercise
Cost: 4m or 8m. This charm makes any Performance roll that doesn't involve social combat perfect for 4 motes. When used in social combat, it costs 8 motes, and adds Charisma automatic successes to the roll.
Heart-Compelling Method
Make a mass Manipulation + Performance attack against a group, attempting to add a Virtue Intimacy or Failing of the Solar's choice. This Intimacy or Failing lasts only for the scene, and has a normally impossible breadth: it is universal, that is, everyone and everything around them is considered a part of it.
Memory Reweaving Discipline
This charm makes a special Manipulation + Performance social attack against a single target, as though attempting to assign a 2nd Circle Task. This "Task" is for the target to forget one memory and replace it with the Solar's own narrative. If successful, this attack forces Capitulation.
Identity-Shifting Song
Make a mass Manipulation + Performance social attack to add a Paradigm (of your choosing). If successful, this charm doubles the Obligation that results, and any targets that Capitulate experience both the destruction of their old Paradigm and the addition of the new one.
Virtuous Courtier's Dance
Make a special mass Manipulation + Performance social attack as though adding a Failing to the Virtue of your choice. For each net success on the attack, you may temporarily increase or decrease the target's rating in the chosen Virtue by one point, to a minimum of 1 and a maximum of 5.
Perception-Shifting Dance
As Memory Reweaving Discipline, except that this may be used in a mass social attack, and the "Task" changes what the audience will remember about events that have not yet happened. The Solar must describe a sequence of expected events, or simply specify a time - no longer than a scene - which will be experienced and remembered according to a narrative of her choosing.
Pied Piper Meditation
Everyone in the Solar's vicinity, or who enters her area while this charm is active is subject to an unrolled Performance attack with successes equal to her Performance to assign the First Circle Task "follow me". If successful, this attack forces capitulation. Executing this Task requires a target to spend their move action moving towards the Solar every turn, and prevents them from moving away once within arm's reach.
Socialize Charms
The Exalt, through shear charm and elegance, rebuffs any argument. In response to a social attack, the Exalt may activate this Charm to add a number of dice to their social defense equal to their Appearance+Socialize.
The Exalt turns attention away from an argument with a witty rejoinder - and if these comments are not sharp enough, the force of the Solar's attractiveness may compensate. For the remainder of the scene, the Exalt may add a number of dice to all their social defense rolls equal to their Appearance+Socialize.
Some people are never impressed. With the use of this Charm, the Exalt may automatically and perfectly defend against one social attack.
Unchanged:
- Venomous Rumors Technique
- Motive-Discerning Technique (detects lies and deceits)
- Immaculate Manipulation Prana
- Flawless Discretion Style (this is a perfect informational defense for all information related to but external to the character - what they are doing, what they are saying, etc.)
- Masterful Dissimulation Method (this charm protects any Intimacies, Failings, Motivations or Paradigms being hidden, as well as any lie or attempt to deceive; it is a near-perfect defense for all information related to but internal to the character)
- Exalted Accolades (this charm is not restricted by the target's Essence)
- Reading the Heart (reveals the target's Nature, Motivation and Virtue scores)
- Circle of Friends Style (this charm leverages a single Intimacy with any member of a group into a complex web of Intimacies with all members of a group)
- Invisible Socialite Stance
- Shrewd Maven's Insight
Wise-Eyed Courtier Method
Reveals all Intimacies and Failings at play between characters (and any other subjects) present. This information continues to update itself throughout the scene.
Mastery of Small Manners
Removes all situational social penalties, converts all social botches into failures.
Knowing the Soul's Price
As written. Any social attack that involves a credible offer to meet a character's soul's price is considered perfect. A character's soul's price may change any time that their Motivation or Paradigm changes, or any time that their original price is attained.
Understanding the Court
As Wise-Eyed Courtier Method, and all Motivations and Paradigms are revealed, as well as any Tasks at play or completed in the past week. The Solar can "see" Intimacies and Failings without their subject being present, but still does not know what they connect to.
Lovers and Friends Approach
Reveals all of the target's Intimacies, Failings and Motivations that involve a person or persons, as well as any Allies, Mentors, Sifus or other such figures not covered thereby. Requires a day observing the target.
Friend of a Friend Approach
Reveals the shortest social path between the target and up to a number of secondary targets equal to successes on a Perception+Socialize roll. This social path is a chain of Intimacies and Failings connecting one individual to another. It is said that such paths rarely exceed more than seven steps within Creation.
Heatbreaking Venom Atemi
This charm has two equal targets. Roll Manipulation+Socialize: for each success, the Solar may automatically destroy one Compassion or Conviction Intimacy, or add one Compassion Failing or Valor Intimacy, connecting one to the other. (If either character has a Motivation that favors the other, it costs three successes to destroy and another three successes to replace with a Motivation that opposes the second target.) Thus causing two lovers to fall quietly out of love could cost as few as two successes, while turning two staunch allies into dire enemies could cost as much as twenty. This charm ignores all social defenses save perfect effects.
Welcome Guest Method
This charm adds automatic successes equal to the Solar's Essence to all Socialize rolls made to add Intimacies or destroy Failings that involve him, or to assign First Circle Tasks through charm and fostering hospitality. This bonus only applies against targets who meet the character for the first time during this scene.
Graceful Courtier Attitude
5 motes, Reflexive, Scene: the Solar's Intimacies and Failings may not be used against her in social attacks.
Old Friend's Cherished Return
This charm gives the target a Compassion and a Conviction Intimacy for the Solar, together with a sense that the Solar a strong but undetailed sense that the Solar has long been a friend of the target. These Intimacies do not end with the charm, nor are they protected by it - they are succeptable to change from the moment they are applied. The target must be someone who does not know the Solar - or does not believe that they know her in the case of disguise or lost memory.
Indelible Rumor Manifestation
The rumor attempts to either destroy one type of Intimacy connected to the subject held by those who hear it, or to add one type of Intimacy or Failing about the same. All who hear the rumor are subject to this social attack which is not rolled, but gains a number of automatic successes equal to the Solar's Socialize. Though a character may hear the same rumor many times, they are only subject to its effects once.
Heartswelling Ambrosia Style
This charm has two equal targets. Roll Manipulation+Socialize: for each success, the Solar may automatically destroy one Compassion Failing or Valor Intimacy, or add one Compassion or Conviction Intimacy, connecting one to the other. (If either character has a Motivation that opposes the other, it costs three successes to destroy and another three successes to replace with a Motivation that favors the second target.) Thus causing two rivals to cool their feud could cost as few as two successes, while transforming dire enemies into moon-eyed lovers could cost as much as twenty. This charm ignores all social defenses save perfect effects.
Shifting the Soul's Path
Each use of this charm may add or destroy any Intimacy or Failing that specifies a person. Three successive uses of it may instead add or destroy a Motivation that does the same. No target may be subject to this charm more times in a day than the Solar has dots of Essence, and all effects end with the day.
Heart's Secrets Extraction
This charm reveals two things about the target: the full details of their current emotional state, and a number of deeply held emotional secrets equal to the net successes on a Perception+Socialize roll, resisted by the target's Willpower.
--- (13)
- HPM: for the scene, add (Presence) dice to all your social attacks. cost 4m 1wp. (compare steel symphony stance.)
- LSA: 1m/die.
- HTT: Make a special social attack, opposed as if it were adding a Motivation, with the Task, "commit one easily defined action". On a success, double the Obligations incurred; they are held in abeyance until a predefined moment, at which point the subject must take action specified by the Task or suffer Hesitation.
- CV: Kelly's version is fine except I don't think it's actually a perfect effect.
- MRP: Automatically causes temporary Valor Failings, no roll.
- TAG: Automatically causes temporary Valor Failing in enemies and temporary Conviction Intimacy in allies.
- USM: As MRP, with the "doubling" effect from Kelly's TAG, and the additional effect from Kelly's USM.
- TCS: Automatically causes temporary Conviction Intimacies, no roll.
- RGS: Frankly, if your Ess beats their Willpower, you should just automatically win, because that only applies to losers. Otherwise good.
- BVS: Automatically causes temporary Compassion Intimacies, no roll.
- UC: Your social attacks require no speech and have a range of eyeshot.
- FDA: In response to a die action, make a special social attack, opposed as if it were destroying a Motivation, with the Task, "do nothing this die action." If successful, this attack forces Capitulation. This is a counterattack charm.
- CAS: Your first social attack this scene affects any and all targets who can see you.
- AoD: I dunno
- UV: Automatically causes temporary Valor Failings, no roll. This does the same thing as MRP! One of these needs to do something meaningfully different from the other.
- (K) I integrated most of the proposed changes. We may not have reached consensus on a few, and the consensus I think we did reach with UC/CoAS doesn't work, since there isn't anything left for CoAS to do.
- (K) For charms that are basically giving orders, I originally had them work pretty much like non-magic social attacks, with a sometimes dice bonus. Liam's suggestion, which I agree with, was that the sometimes dice bonus should be discarded and it should just be easier than if you were trying it by mundane means. So a charm like Flagrant Denial Approach, which is pretty much adding a Motivation, works under the "destroying a Motivation" rules instead because that's easier. I think that gets us to where we want to go, but its sort of confusing and it sort of chafes. Maybe we can have a discussion about this family of charms (Flagrant Denial Approach, Hypnotic Tongue Technique, Majesty's Bidding, Prey-Freezing Gaze, Shocking Pronouncement Style, Transfixing Solar Stare, and possibly Beloved Visitor's Stance as a corner case) to make sure we are doing things in a consistent, optimal way.
- (K) 4/6/09: Updated several charms to incorporate the current Task system, fleshed out wording for Performance charms, added wording for a few, added new mechanics for otherwise unusable Impassioned Orrator Technique and Countenance of Vast Wrath, started overhaul of Socialize charms.
- (K) 4/7/09: Finished initial Socialize port. Comments welcome.