by Zantiago Arkaham (Exalted | Resources)
One of the main disadvantages of the sidereal is their inability to create new charms. But why is this a big problem? What is so good about being able to come with charms additional to those in the standard trees? Unless the charm tree is horribly flawed, being able to come up with slightly different charms should not be such a great deal.
But there is one thing that makes being able to create new charms a great advantage, and that is the possibility of customizing the powers available for a character, the advantage of making charms that suit the particular needs and skills of your character. As such, it makes sense to specialize the charms, creating whole charm trees associated with specialties. Similar to how Martial Arts have many different trees, to reflect different approaches to the same ability.
Specialized charm trees are supposed to reflect these ideas. Unlike martial arts, these can’t be used by every kind of exalted. Each kind of Exalt develops their own specialized charm trees following their own methods, and most are very secretive about the personalized powers that identify their skills. Dragon Blooded have developed specialized charm trees in different aspects of their superior education, forming schools that take proud in teaching these only to those students they consider worthy. Solars in the first age often developed charm trees that were only known to themselves, prideful of the powers people learnt to associate with their names. The new incarnations of the solars sometimes remember these powers, and now they’re willing to pass on that knowledge to their circles. Deathlords like to create charm trees for their deathknights, as a way to manifest their power and authority over them, as well as a way to make them more efficient in their tasks. Lunars used to have specialized charm trees, but ever since they went to their self imposed exile few have the time to spare teaching these refined charms, preferring the more broad scope of the charms they now have. Sidereals are the only ones who do not have specialized charm trees, due to their inability to create custom made charms.
Mechanically, specialized charm trees are tied to an ability and a specialty, having requisites in either or both of those traits, and usually having charms from the ability as prerequisites. They’re made to make a character excel at a particular task, so they’re more powerful than regular charms, but can only be used at specific situations. Also, these charms need to be taught, demanding the character to have the necessary backgrounds to ensure there will be someone willing to pass on the knowledge of these charm trees.
The secondary schools of the Realm have several specialization programs, which the students may apply for. These programs seek those exalts who become exceptional at some skill during their time in school, and entering one is considered to be a great honor. The programs start during the last year and require the student to stay in school an additional one. During this time they’re taught the specialized charm trees.
Dragon Blooded can’t add more dice than their ability + specialty with any of these charms, and to enter a specialization program they need to have good connections or influence inside the school, to have earned a reputation during his time there, or to have the cash to buy his way in (Resources ••••, or Reputation ••, or Connections ••, or Breeding •••).
These trees can be of an aspect different from the one associated with the ability to which the specialty corresponds. As such exalts of a different aspect must pay the additional mote costs to use these charms.
Demolitions is a Craft specialty focused on learning the true nature of materials and objects for the purposes of utter destructions, instead of creation. While a master craftsman can create objects that are at the same time powerful and beautiful, a demolitions master can reduce those objects to useless waste in seconds flat. This specialty can be used for exploiting the weaknesses in structures or objects and for finding ways to damaging them.
Aspect: Wood
This path focus on the power plants has over the surface where they grow. New students to the path begin their training by observing the growth of roots into hard surfaces. This will go one for days or weeks at a time depending on the speed at which the plant grows. The Rock Breaking Root is a very useful technique in the battlefield, and those who know it often make up special talons that are called in strategic moments to weaken the enemy and siege castles or barricades. A talon of Rock Breaking Root masters, often called Jade Crushers, is one of the most valuable elements an army can have, which is why they are guarded by several other talons when they go into the battlefield to do their job. Currently the House of Bells is the only school that teaches this path, and very few students are chosen in the specialization courses to learn it.
Rotting Seed Touch
Cost: 2 motes
Type: Reflexive
Duration: Instant
Min Demolitions: 1
Min Essence: 2
Prerequisites: none.
This is usually the first charm learned on the path, as it involves only the element of wood. When an wooden object touches the dragon blooded, he can release a seed of his essence that rots all the wood on the object, rendering it useless in a matter of seconds. The exalt needs to touch the object, or be touched by it, so she could try to grab the weapon or use this charm when the weapon makes damage to her. Using it to supplement a parry is only possible if the exalt can do so barehanded. Upon contact, roll Strength + Crafts + Demolitions, difficulty of the object cost in resources. A character has to be able to carry the object in order for this charm to work. It is possible to use it to rot the handle of a spear, but not to rot a catapult. This charm can’t be used to hurt elementals, automata, fair folk or other ‘living’ beings.
Rust Seed Touch
Cost: 4 motes
Type: Reflexive
Duration: Instant
Min Demolitions: 2
Min Essence: 2
Prerequisites: Rotting Seed Touch
Similar to the Rotting Seed, this charm produces a seed of essence that rusts any metal objects. Mechanically it works just like the Rotting Seed, but acts over metal only. It is often used to render the armor of the enemy useless. This does not include any of the magic materials. This charm can’t be used to hurt elementals, automata, fair folk or other ‘living’ beings.
Intrusive Root Punch
Cost: 3 motes
Type: Supplemental
Duration: Instant
Min Demolitions: 2
Min Essence: 2
Prerequisites: none.
As part of the training, the house of bells have several stone automata that engage in battle with the dragon blooded, in order to teach them the necessity of haste in battle. This charm is taught for the same purpose. Similar to the Seed Touch charm, but requiring a hit rather than a mere touch, this charm allows the dynast to infest a stone surface with her essence damaging it. On unanimated surfaces as walls it removes an area of the dragon blooded essence in square inches. On animated stone constructs, elementals or other beings made of stone it adds the essence in damage to an unarmed attack.
Weapon Protection Prana
Cost: 1 mote
Type: Simple
Duration: Scene
Min Demolitions: 3
Min Essence: 2
Prerequisites: none.
This charm is a necessary complement of the advanced area charms that comes after it and apprentices are usually put to the arduous and boring task of preparing the weapons of the whole legion before a battle. However, it is the most well protected secret of the house of bells, for if it would fall into the wrong hands the main advantage of the Rock Breaking Root Path would be useless. It takes a mote and about 5 minutes for a dragon blooded to imbue an object with his essence in order to make it immune to the Anima of Forest Demise and Blade Conquering Technique charms.
Anima of Forest Demise
Cost: 6 motes
Type: Simple
Duration: Instant
Min Demolitions: 3
Min Essence: 3
Prerequisites: Weapon Protection Prana, Rotting Seed Touch.
As the dragon blooded learns how her essence can destroy wood, she advances to be able to rot it without the need to touch it. Upon activating this charm the anima of the dragon blooded flares as if she had spent peripherical essence to activate it. Roll Stamina + Crafts + Demolitions and any wood object inside a spherical area of the exalt’s essence in yards with less dots in cost than successes on that roll is render useless. This charm can’t be used to hurt elementals, automata, fair folk or other ‘living’ beings, but it’ll kill most regular plants and trees.
Blade Conquering Technique.
Cost: 10 motes
Type: Simple
Duration: Instant
Min Demolitions: 4
Min Essence: 3
Prerequisites: Weapon Protection Prana, Rust Seed Touch.
This charm is the metal equivalent of the Anima of Forest Demise, rusting any metal object within the area of effect. Mechanically works just like it. However, it is often preferred to that one for its obvious advantage against armors and swords. This charm can’t be used to hurt elementals, automata, fair folk or other ‘living’ beings made of metal.
Expanding Root Prana
Cost: 6 motes + 1Willpower
Type: Simple
Duration: Instant
Min Demolitions: 4
Min Essence: 3
Prerequisites: Anima of Forest Demise
This charm was developed to end the sieges that often arise in the threshold, as small villages often raise wood barricades to hold the Dynasty at bay. The dragon blooded touches a wood object and her essence expands trough it, affecting any wood thing in contact with the place where the exalt put his hand, so if a dynast touches a wood fence, the charm will affect the whole fence, as long as the wood planks that forms it are touching each other. Roll Strength + Crafts + Demolitions, and any success counts as damage done to the wood object. If more than one dragon blooded use the charm on the same object, then add one die per exalt to each one’s roll. If used against elementals, automata, fair folk or other ‘living’ beings made of wood, the success of the roll act as unsoakable dice of damage.
Destructing Root Prana
Cost: 10 motes + 1 Willpower
Type: Simple
Duration: Instant
Min Demolitions: 5
Min Essence: 4
Prerequisites: Blade Conquering Technique, Expanding Root Prana
This is the most advanced charm in the Rock Breaking Root path. This charm works just like the Expanding Root Prana, but affects any stone made construction, so the damage done touching the side of a castle can weaken the whole structure. When a talon of masters in the path is sent to attack a wall, castle or building, the resulting damage can be rather devastating. If used against elementals, automata, fair folk or other ‘living’ beings made of stone, the success of the roll act as unsoakable die of damage.
Battlefield medicine is a Medicine specialty that focuses in the techniques used in the middle of a war. This includes knowing how to treat wounds in the heat of battle, how to improvise medicines and cures and how to treat soldiers during and after a battle, as well as treating most diseases related to the low hygiene conditions of the legions during a long warfare. A master field medic can take out an arrow while the wounded gets ready to fire it back. Use it to treat the wounded and the ill during a battle.
Fire Battlefield Measures Path
Aspect: Fire
In the heat of battle, where every second counts and a soldier’s ability to keep fighting is more valued than his health, the regular medicines taught in the Realm are insufficient. This path focuses on letting wounded soldiers keep fighting, so its charms are much faster and effective than the regular medicine charms, however, this path is not meant to save lives, just to keep soldiers standing long enough to win a battle. Followers of this path are seen as cruel and merciless by other kinds of practitioners of medicine. The House of Bells is the best school to take this specialization, but only those who excel at both medicine and fighting skills are chosen for it. However, there are many other smaller schools teaching variations of the path, as in these tumultuous times battlefield medicine has become a much solicited art.
Wound Cauterizing Touch
Cost: 2 motes per die
Type: Supplemental
Duration: Instant
Min Battlefield Medicine: 3
Min Essence: 2
Prerequisites: Infection Banishing Prana
The medic puts his hand over an open wound, using his essence to burn the skin and close it, in order to avoid bleeding. Add a die for each mote spent to the Dexterity + Medicine roll used to avoid damage for bleeding.
Pain Numbing Smoke
Cost: 4 motes
Type: Simple
Duration: Scene or Special
Min Battlefield Medicine: 2
Min Essence: 2
Prerequisites: None
With this charm a medic can end the pain caused by any kind of wounds, up to a certain point. After placing his hands over the head of a wounded patient, the Exalt produces a smoke that when inhaled gives the patient certain immunity to pain. Negate any penalties up to -2 due to pain or wounds. This effect ends once after one scene, or when the penalty rating reaches -5. This, however, comes at a great cost, as the receiver of the charm often neglects the precautions needed with injuries and wounds, so if the patient reaches the -5 penalty level, the charm ends leaving him with an extra -2 penalty, for a total of -7.
Wound Ignoring Touch
Cost: 3 motes per Health Level
Type: Simple
Duration: Scene
Min Battlefield Medicine: 4
Min Essence: 3
Prerequisites: Pain Numbing Smoke
A dragon blooded with this charm can heal a wound, but it only remains healed for some time. It costs 3 motes to heal one health level of lethal damage or all banishing damage. However, at the end of the scene, the healed damage returns, adding to any new damage received. If that goes beyond the incapacitated state there is nothing to do in order to save the patient’s life. When a follower of this path is on the battlefield it’s usual to see soldiers falling dead just after cheering for their victory. It can only be used once on each person for scene, and it can’t be used to heal aggravated damage.
Glorious Soldier Frenzy
Cost: 10 motes + 1 Willpower
Type: Simple
Duration: Special
Min Battlefield Medicine: 5
Min Essence: 4
Prerequisites: Wound Ignoring Touch, Wound Cauterizing Touch
Legions trained by graduates of the House of Bells are often told having this charm used on them is one of the greatest honors a soldier can receive. It officially raises the rank of the soldier (even if just for the kind of funeral he’ll get) and the rumor is that it ensures to be exalted on the soldier’s next life.
The medic needs to spend at least five turns with the receiver of the charm, who must have at least a -2 penalty due to damage and must be willing to accept the charm, filling him with the medic’s fire aspected essence. After this time the wounded one feels the fire burning him inside, and enters a form of frenzy, where his only thought will be of defeating those who wounded him. If used on mortals the frenzy lasts for a number of turns equal to the receiver’s valor. If used on exalts it lasts for a number of turns equal to the receiver’s permanent essence + valor. During this time he ignores all penalties, and can’t be killed by anything that doesn’t destroy his body completely, regardless of how many damage levels he takes. Once the frenzy is over the soldier dies, even if he hasn’t reached the incapacitated level. Nothing less than a celestial circle spell can save the life of someone who has entered this kind of frenzy.
Anathema is a Lore specialty that focuses on learning about the solar, lunar and recently abyssal exalted, be it to be better at fighting them or to try to find the truth about them. A master of this lore knows what to expect from one of these exalted, including knowing their charms, powers and weakness. Use it to find information about a solar, lunar or abyssal, for example, recognizing a lunar tell, knowing a solar charm is being used or distinguishing a solar from an abyssal.
Aspect: Water
The training needed to be accepted as one of the executioners of the Wyld hunt is as hard for the spirit as it is for the body. The Mouth of Peace is very careful with who they select to be part of the Hunt, for the knowledge about the enemy needed to fight it may be dangerous for the spirit of the prospect as well for the stability of the Realm. To become an executioner of the Wyld Hunt, a Dynast must have graduated of some secondary school, and served some time on an army. A lot of recommendations and a good name are helpful, but much more important is the passion they show for the Dynasty and the fanatism they have in the cause against the dreaded anathema. The training takes several years, and only those who can endure the harshest tests for the chance to fight the worst enemies of the Realm make it to the last years. The Path of Knowledge of the Unholy Enemy is taught at the end of the training; a lesser soul may not remain untainted after the exposures to the truths embedded within it.
The sidereals behind the Mouth of Peace select carefully the texts given for this training, as they must be truths about the solars and lunars, but they can’t break the image of monsters the hunters to be had formed of their enemies. Often they even send students to meet solars who have proven to be over greedy or abyssals and lunars known for their lack of mercy. Someone who had ended the studies successfully have a hatred for the anathema stronger than any one else’s, as it is based in the true facts of history, not just the midwife’s tales about mindless abominations. Yet there are many who after starting these studies find the ususrpation to be an alteration of order and the immaculate philosophy to be a lie. Needless to say, they often find their end in the fire, accused of heresy. This path only works with solars, lunars and abyssals. Lore about Sidereals, gods, fair folk and other kind of exalted are not part of this path.
Tainted Soul Detecting Gaze
Cost: 2 motes
Type: Simple
Duration: Instant
Min Anathema: 2
Min Essence: 3
Prerequisites: None
One of the first things the hunter learns is how to detect the disturbance in the souls of those who carry the solar or lunar curse. When looking at the eyes of someone, the hunter can see if the person’s souls is at ease as a calmed pond, or if its disturbed by a higher essence. Roll Perception + Lore + Anathema, difficulty of the subject’s temperance. If successful, the hunter can knows if the subject is some kind of exalted, an exalt blooded or a non exalted person.
Tainted Land Detecting Gaze
Cost: 5 motes + 1 Willpower
Type: Simple
Duration: Instant
Min Anathema: 3
Min Essence: 3
Prerequisites: Tainted Soul Detecting Gaze
More important than recognizing an anathema face to face, is detecting its presence on an area before confronting it. This charm allows the hunter to recognize the effects of the anathema’s charms and spells on a place. The character concentrates and rolls Perception + Lore + Anathema, one success lets her know if a solar, lunar or abyssal charm has been used on the vicinities in the last day, two what kind of anathema used the charm, three where exactly the charm was used and four what charm was.
In example, a lunar uses a charm to seduce a woman on a village. The next day a hunter used Tainted Land Detecting Gaze and gets two successes, so she knows a charm was used, and it was a lunar charm. Another success would have allowed her to know the woman was affected, and two more would have let her know the name of the used charm.
Innocent Façade Washing Technique
Cost: 10 motes
Type: Simple
Duration: Scene
Min Anathema: 4
Min Essence: 4
Prerequisites: Tainted Land Detecting Gaze
The Wyld Hunt often has to go into lands far away, where the anathema try to rebuild their fallen kingdoms and had lured entire cities into seeing them as saviors and heroes. This charm washes away that image in the eyes of the unexalted, and let everyone see the anathema as they look like to the hunter. The character speaks to a crowd and points at the anathema and his anima creates a slight rain. Roll Manipulation + Lore + Anathema, difficulty of the anathema’s essence. With one success those who heard the hunter refuse helping the anathema in any way, with two they lose whatever kind of trust they had on it, with three they fear it and four they’ll try to attack it.
Punishment of the Elements Mark
Cost: 5 motes + 1 Willpower
Type: Reflexive
Duration: Instant
Min Anathema: 4
Min Essence: 4
Prerequisites: Elemental Bolt Attack
When the moment for the confrontation comes the anathema always have the upper hand in raw power and tricks. This charm was created as a powerful weapon against them, to help level things out. The hunter leashes an elemental attack ( Lore elemental attacks, as well as damage done by a full anima), and focuses his essence in marking the anathema as enemy of the elemental dragons. This causes the damage done by the charms to be aggravated.
Essence Negating Curse
Cost: 10 motes + 1 Willpower
Type: Simple
Duration: Special
Min Anathema: 5
Min Essence: 5
Prerequisites: Punishment of the Elements Mark , Innocent Façade Washing Technique
This is the most powerful weapon the Wyld Hunt has against its enemies. With it, a hunter can mark an anathema as an enemy, not just of the elemental dragons, but of creation itself. The hunter must touch the anathema on the forehead and roll Strength + Lore + Anathema, difficulty of the anathema’s essence. If successful, this brand the anathema with a blue mark that covers its caste mark. For a number of days equal to the hunter’s essence, the anathema can’t regain any ambient essence. In order to regain motes, it will have to be inside its manse, use charms, cult or other methods of getting it. This charm doesn’t work with abyssals, who will just bleed away the brand if imposed on them. The Wyld Hunt is working in a new charm that can work to stop them from going to the underworld to regain their essence.
Satrapies is a socialize specialty for those dynast who get the opportunity (or in some kinds the punishment) of taking care of a satrapy of the Realm in some distant land in the threshold. It involves knowing how to act in front of people foreign to the Realm but with a supposed allegiance to it. A master Satrap knows how to make people in the satrapy to see him as both an ally and a superior, and how to make them feel safe and loyal. Use it in any social situation involving habitants from a satrapy.
Aspect: Earth
This specialization path is taught in the spiral academy to those students who show an interest in the role of satraps, as well as those who, for some reason, have the task imposed on them. This path is taught as a series of rights the satrap is supposed to have as the higher station of the celestial hierarchy on some place. Its followers are expected to see the rights as a natural way of keeping order and themselves as both worthy of receiving the rights and forced to impose them on the satrapy.
Right of Jade
Cost: 2 motes
Type: Simple
Duration: Instant
Min Satrapies: 1
Min Essence: 2
Prerequisites: None
The first task of a satrap is to collect the taxes that support the Realm, so his first right should be to claim jade from the land under his supervision. When asking for money, jade or other kind of resources, roll Manipulation + socialize + satrapies. If looking for some small amount of money, those asked must give as much as they can, up to the successes x 10 jade pieces. If looking to buy some item, then the cost rating must be less than half the success round up. For example, if a satrap wants to buy an armor of cost Resources 2, then she would need more than 3 success on the roll to collect the needed money.
Right of Trust
Cost: 1 mote per die.
Type: Supplemental
Duration: Scene
Min Satrapies: 1
Min Essence: 2
Prerequisites: None
A good satrap must be trusted by her satrapy, despite the appearances. When attempting to make someone trust her decisions or orders to be the best ones, the satrap can buy extra dice for the appropriate socialize roll for a cost of 1 mote per die.
Right of Truth
Cost: 5 motes
Type: Reflexive
Duration: Instant
Min Satrapies: 3
Min Essence: 3
Prerequisites: Right of Trust
Once the right of trust had been acknowledged, the satrap has the right to be told the truth by the habitants of her satrapy. Upon hearing a statement, the satrap can spend 5 motes to know if the person is telling the truth or not.
Right of Loyalty
Cost: 5 motes + 1 Willpower
Type: Simple
Duration: Special.
Min Satrapies: 4
Min Essence: 3
Prerequisites: Right of Truth
With the rights of trust and true, the satrap can ask unshakable loyalty to herself. By letting someone know she deserves said loyalty, the satrap can spend 5 motes and 1 willpower, roll Charisma + socialize + satrapies, and make sure said person will not betray her or her rulings, despite how much is offered to him, or how much he’s threaten. The person will rather die than do something that could end in harm to his satrap. Can only be used with willing characters whose essence is less or equal than the satraps, and doesn’t gives any special protection against magical means of forcing someone into treason.
Right of Faith
Cost: Special
Type: Simple
Duration: One season
Min Satrapies: 4
Min Essence: 3
Prerequisites: Right of Jade, Right of Truth
This right is usually forbid by immaculate monks if they have temples in the area, but in those satrapies where the order can’t make a presence is encouraged. The satrap has right over the local gods as well as over the people, and as main representative of the dragon blood, she may claim a benefit for the local gods to stay in the area. The satrap can spend any amount of motes up to her manipulation + socialize + satrapies, and roll those traits against a difficult of the god’s essence. If successful, the god must give her an amount of motes equal to those spent each morning for a whole season as a matter of tax. Keep in mind that for this charm to work the Satrap must be able to see the spirit. A satrap can’t force this charm on more than one spirit at a time.
Right of Bed
Cost: 4 motes
Type: Supplemental
Duration: Instant
Min Satrapies: 3
Min Essence: 2
Prerequisites: Right of Trust
Not everything on a satrapy is responsibilities and work, and a happy satrap can perform his job better. This right was created by the Cynis, and it states that the satrap can have sex with anyone in the satrapy. Originally called body tax, this charm allows a satrap to buy successes on a seduction roll, for a cost of 4 motes per success.
Right of Blood
Cost: 5 motes, 1 Health Level
Type: Simple
Duration: Permanent
Min Satrapies: 4
Min Essence: 4
Prerequisites: Right of Bed
Part of the duty of a satrap is to expand the influence of the Realm, which includes expanding the dragon blood in the dynasties of the satrapies. At the moment of conception, the satrap spends 5 motes and a health level, which guarantees there will be a pregnancy, and the child has as much possibility of becoming an exalt as if he was conceived by two dragon blooded. A child conceived by this charm who exalts automatically gets an extra dot in the breeding background.
Right of Order
Cost: 10 motes
Type: Simple
Duration: Instant
Min Satrapies: 5
Min Essence: 4
Prerequisites: Right of Faith, Right of Loyalty, Right of Blood
The ultimate right and duty of a satrap, is to keep and be the order of a satrapy. In order to accomplish this, she must know the wrongs, treasons, heresies and crimes of her land. The satrap watches for a whole day any habited place on her satrapy and rolls Perception + socialize + satrapies. By observing the way people act, she can know if anyone is breaking any of the laws imposed by her. With one success she knows something’s wrong, with two she knows what law is being broken and with three she knows who’s breaking it.
