Performance Charms

Immanent Solar Glory (Performance)

Cost: —; Mins: Performance 5, Essence 3; Type: Permanent Keywords: Mirror, Native Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: None

This Charm is identical to its counterpart in Lore (see Exalted, p. 218), save for its different Ability placement (in all points where the two Charms differ save for Ability placement, this version of Immanent Solar Glory is considered to take precedent). The two are, in fact, the same Charm, and so a purchase of Immanent Solar Glory in Performance counts against the total maximum number of purchases for the Charm in any Ability. Immanent Solar Glory is also available in War, Larceny, and Bureaucracy.

 Face the Light 

Cost: 5m, 1wp; Mins: Performance 3, Essence 2; Type: Reflexive; Keywords: Combo-OK, Compulsion, Mirror, Obvious; Duration: One scene; Prerequisite Charms: Morbid Fascination Style

When Solars come to deliver divine justice to you, they will find you and will fulfill their duty. Why prolong the inevitable? Upon activating this Charm, the Exalted’s player rolls (Charisma + Performance), adding the character’s Essence in bonus successes. For the rest of the scene, everyone with a Dodge MDV lower than the successes rolled suffers an unnatural compulsion to remain whenever they attempt to leave or avoid any combat, mass combat or social combat in which the Lawgiver visibly participates. Falling back to make ranged attacks is not retreating. Resisting this compulsion for the rest of the scene costs three Willpower.

Like moths to the flame, afflicted Fair Folk cannot resist. Conversely, afflicted individuals compelled to flee by a botched Morale check or some other fear-based effect must spend Willpower to escape if they have it available, but otherwise collapse in helpless awe of Solar fury for the duration of the effect.

 Demon-Wracking Glory

Cost: variable +1wp; Mins: Performance 5, Essence 3; Type: Simple (Speed 6, DV -2); Keywords: Combo-Basic, Holy, Illusion, Mirror, Obvious; Duration: Instant (see below); Prerequisite Charms: Phantom Conjuring Performance.

This Charm expands Phantom Conjuring Performance. The maximum radius for evoking unnatural effects extends to (Essence x 100) yards, or (Essence – 5) miles if the Solar has Essence 6+. More importantly, the Exalt may use these effects to cause physical injury to creatures of darkness within (Essence x 10) yards. The Charm causes harm through blatantly supernatural and suitably Solar effects: bright fires, scorching beams of sunlight, phantom executioners and the like.All other creatures caught in the effect remain unharmed.

Withering Phantasmagoria inflicts harm in three ways. The Solar chooses between them each time she uses the Charm. Two methods last as long as the Solar continues to sing, play, orate or the like, and spends Essence each action to maintain the Charm. The third is an instant attack. For each form, however, the Solar’s player must roll (Charisma + Performance) to initiate the attack. A character gains one attack form when she learns the Charm. Additional applications cost an additional experience point each, or all three attack forms for one bonus point. A character can use only one attack form at a time. Activating the Charm costs Willpower. Continuing it merely costs Essence (for the two continuing effects).

Area, Continuing: The Solar inflicts one level of lethal damage per two motes spent each action, to a maximum of (Essence) damage. Targets can soak this damage only with Stamina or soak-enhancing Charms. The Solar’s lethal performance affects everyone whose Dodge MDV is less than the number of successes from the attack roll. Continuing the attack counts as the character’s Charm use for each action.

Single Target, Continuing: The Solar’s chosen victim suffers one level of unsoakable lethal damage per action that the Solar continues the Charm. This effect costs three motes per action. The initial attack roll must exceed the victim’s Dodge MDV. Continuing the attack counts as the character’s Charm use for each action.Single Target, Instant: The Solar spends up to her (Stamina + Essence) in motes and inflicts that many dice of lethal damage, plus extra successes from the attack roll. The target can resist this damage only with Stamina or soak-enhancing Charms. The attack cannot be parried without a Charm or stunt, but it can be dodged like a normal ranged attack.

Rose-Lipped Seduction Style

Cost: 6m; Mins: Performance 5, Essence 3; Type: Reflexive; Keywords: Combo-OK, Compulsion; Duration: One scene; Prerequisite Charms: Husband-Seducing Demon Dance

A favorite of many hedonistic (or simply predatory) Solars in the First Age, this Charm figures prominently in Immaculate legends of the Anathema. While the Charm is in effect, all characters who possess any sort of positive Intimacy toward the Solar have their MDVs set to 0 against seduction attempts by her so long as she is of a gender they are normally attracted to; if she is not then such targets halve their MDVs instead. The Solar's Lunar mate has his MDV set to 0 regardless of normal preferences. Shaking off this unnatural mental influence in order to assert MDV normally costs one Willpower per action.

The embedded Intimacy of a Solar’s Lunar mate always qualifies for this Charm, even if the Lunar chooses to articulate the bond as platonic friendship.

Horizon-to-Horizon Performance Method

Cost: 15m, 1wp; Mins: Performance 6, Essence 6; Type: Reflexive; Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious, Social; Duration: One action Prerequisite Charms: Phantom-Conjuring Performance

By the authority of the Unconquered Sun, his Chosen may command the very heavens to become a vessel for their glory. This Charm may be activated only under the open sky, during the day. The clouds above shuffle themselves into the precise likeness of the Lawgiver, lit by the sun so that they glow from within. The Solar’s words boom out the countryside, inescapable.

For the duration of the Charm, any Performance-based social attacks (or simple informative declarations) made by the Solar are transmitted to everyone within (Essence x 20) miles in every direction. Because the Solar cannot see or hear through his heavenly manifestation, social counterattacks that require the target to actually be present may not be invoked in response to this Charm.

A second purchase of this Charm at Performance 7+, Essence 7+ expands its range to (Essence x 50) miles. A third and final purchase at Performance 9+, Essence 9+ expands the range to (Essence x 100) miles.

Infatuation-Gathering Idol Methodology

Cost: -; Mins: Performance 5, Essence 4; Type: Permanent; Keywords: Emotion, Illusion; Duration: Permanent; Prerequisite Charms: Heart-Compelling Method

The charismatic soul of the Lawgiver bleeds into every song she sings, every word she reads, every act she plays and every step she takes, making her beautiful. Even if she’s just singing softly to herself, she inspires adulation. Whenever she successfully influences a target with a social attack, that target acquires a positive Intimacy toward her, with an emotional context of the target’s player’s choosing, so long as the target does not choose to reject the social attack by paying Willpower or invoking an appropriate Charm. If the target already has an existing positive Intimacy toward the Solar, then he instead suffers an Illusion effect which causes him to regard the Lawgiver as having twice her true Appearance rating. This unnatural mental influence persists so long as the positive Intimacy does, but may be ignored for one scene by paying a point of Willpower, or broken altogether by paying five points of Willpower at once.

Cast Out Beyond Regard

Cost: 40m, 2wp; Mins: Performance 8, Essence 8; Type: Simple (Speed 7 long ticks, DV -3); Keywords: Combo-OK, Native, Obvious, Shaping; Duration: One performance; Prerequisite Charms: Catching the Sun’s Glance

Creation was given into the hands of the Lawgivers; it is theirs to govern and to judge, forever. Through the power of this Charm, a Solar may exile those who have proven themselves unworthy to exist in the world he rules. The Lawgiver’s player makes a prayer roll against a difficulty of (5 + Magnitude of group targeted); this works in the same fashion as Catching the Sun’s Glance, save that the Charm cannot discriminate to target sub-groups within a geographic region; for example, it can only target “everyone in Nexus,” not “all Guildsmen in Nexus.”

Unlike its prerequisite, the Charm does not render its targets creatures of darkness. If used while the sun is out, the day grows dark as night as the Unconquered Sun turns his face away from what is to come. If used by night, the light of the stars becomes weird and green, casting everything into a febrile haze. Creation’s Essence sizzles and screams at the culmination of the Lawgiver’s ritual condemnation; the boundaries of the cursed area blacken, char, and erupt into flights of blind doves. A patina of silver sand drips from the stars. These omens persist for one long tick following the successful conclusion of the Lawgiver’s prayer, which must be uttered within earshot of at least one targeted individual. At the end of that long tick, the entire targeted region and all inhabitants who have not fled or established Shaping defenses are torn from Creation in a surge of crimson Essence. Where the targeted region stood, there is only a plain of black glass holding Ligier’s sullen reflection. He speaks a grudging word of ritual thanks for the Solar’s offering, and then vanishes.

The targeted region is deposited somewhere within a random layer of the Demon City, which reflexively reorganizes its geography to make room for the new arrival. The lethal miasma of Malfeas avoids such imported bits of Creation, but this is the only mercy the new deportees are granted; demons are always quite interested in the novelty of a freshly-arrived army encampment or city, and soon come to investigate.

The Sidereal Exalted have repeatedly pressed for legislation to outlaw the use of this Charm, or at least require Deliberative-authorized advance warning of its deployment, as it wreaks untold havoc on the Loom of Fate whenever it is used. To date, these efforts have met with little success.

Catching the Sun's Glance

Cost: 20m, 2wp; Mins: Performance 7, Essence 7; Type: Simple (Speed 7 long ticks, DV -3); Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious, Native, Shaping; Duration: Instant; Prerequisite Charms: Performance Excellency - Performance Mastery, Respect-Commanding Attitude.

The Unconquered Sun trusts his Chosen to separate out the righteous from the wicked. By the power he has invested in them, the Lawgivers may send forth the specter of his rage to be visited upon the enemies of the Exalted. This Charm allows entire groups to be labeled enemies of Creation and given the creature of darkness deformity. The Lawgiver’s player makes a prayer roll against a difficulty of (3 + Magnitude of group targeted). If successful, the day dims and the air quivers, or the night grows hot and feverish and bright. Targeted beings realize what is about to happen as the wrath of Heaven gathers (the Charm is Obvious to them), and have one long tick to prepare themselves—Essence-users are advised to establish some form of Shaping defense. After one long tick passes, a surge of Essence rips through the area, flaring it bright as noon and rendering every targeted being a creature of darkness.

This Charm may only be used to target relatively geographically compact groups, up to about the size of a city. Targeting may be based on geography or political affiliation. “Every member of the Guild in Nexus” would be a valid target for the Charm, as would “every man woman and child in Nexus” or “the army encamped in that valley.” HoweverGuild members not in Nexus would not be affected, and if the army’s general were back in the Lap receiving new orders, he would be spared, as he is not with the targeted bulk of the group. Likewise, “all members of the Guild” or “all Brides of Ahlat” would not be valid targets, because those organizations are spread far and wide geographically. The Solar must be close enough to the targeted group for at least one targeted individual to hear the prayers and condemnations he speaks to the Unconquered Sun.