I sent these to Shadowdawn Hacking. Comments welcome...I want Brightforge to grab Iron Rending Gesture ASAP.
**Tempered Metal Technique(X)** (based on DB Strength of Stone Technique)
Resistance 2, Essence 1
Simple, Scene, 3 motes
By spending a few moments in rapt concentration while touching a piece
of metal, the Adept may gain an smount of Strength and Stamina equal to
half his Essence (round up for stamina, down for strength)
This may be used on others as long as they are also in contact with
the adept and metal, or with the piece of metal the adept is using.
An individual may only benefit from one application of this charm at
once.
**Iron Rending Gesture** (based on DB Mountain Toppling Method)
Resistance 2, Essence 3, requires Tempered Metal Technique
Supplemental, Turn, 4 motes
After a moment's concentration, the Adept's strength is increased by 5
when working with or upon objects of metal (including metal artifacts)
(I'd love to see an Iron Rending Shattering Grasp, a combo of the two charms.
That way, a maxed out man could accomplish "break metal" feats of up to 30 dice)
**Element-Absorbing Stance**
Resistance 3, Essence 2
Simple, Scene, 3 motes (might require Durability of Oak or something)
When activating this charm, the Adept specifies one of the natural
elements. All damage from sources of that elemental type is reduced
by the Adept's essence. For example, 10L from a rock falling on an
essence 3 adept in Earth-Absorbing Stance would be reduced to 7L, and
a 3L rock would do no damage. An adept may not benefit from more than
one instance of this charm at once.
**Metal-Warding Prana** (remember the old Metal Ward talent?)
Resistance 5, Essence 3, requires Element-Absorbing Stance and Iron Rending Gesture
Simple, Scene, 5 motes
For the duration of this charm, all physical damage done by or through
metal is reduced by the Adept's essence, as indicated in
Element-Absorbing Stance. This charm is not compatable with
Element-Absorbing Stance.
(an equivalent for high-tech plastics might be doable in Boston)
**Meditation of Reforged Thought(X)**
Resistance 3, Essence 3, requires Element-Absorbing Stance
Simple, Scene, 5 motes + 1 WP
The adept's Willpower is increased by his Essence for the purpose of
resisting essence-assisted mental or emotional control of any type,
and his soak against magical attacks without a physical component is
likewise increased.
**Repelling the Void(X)**
Resistance 3, Essence 4, requires Meditation of Reforged Thought
Simple, essence hours, 5 motes per person + 1 wp
With this charm, an adept may protect himself from the twisting
effects of unnatural environments (ambient taint, the netherworlds,
nullspace...) This has minimal effects on gear, at best protecting
person gear from major or dangerous changes.
(I'd also love to say it increases the difficulty of Area-Effect
spells & spirit charms v. the beneficiary by Essence. That's probably
too much powerful.)
Charms marked with an (X) can be used on others. Alternately, a
Crafts 2, Essence 4 charm exists as follows:
**Ally-Tempering Ritual**
Crafts 2, Essence 4
Simple (not in combat), Special
This charm allows a character to bestow the benefits of one of his
Resistance charms upon an ally or group of allies after a reforging
and quenching ritual of approximate 5 minutes (sum of Essence and
Resistance Requirements? Something else?). The charm must have an
effect that lasts for a scene or a set period of time longer than a
turn (so Whirlwind Armor Donning Prana is out) and the Adept must
activate the charm once for each person he is granting the effects to
(so Ox Body is out, as it cannot be activated), paying the full
essence cost while the target pays any other costs.
Running down a quick list, that means this could grant (assuming the
adept has them and enough essence) the following charms:
new:
Tempered Metal Technique
Element-Absorbing Stance
Metal-Warding Prana
Meditation of Reforged Thought
Repelling the Void
old:
Durability of Oak Meditation
Iron Skin Concentration (this is the only reflexive one)
Spirit Strengthens the Skin
Glorious Solar Plate
Poison-Resisting Meditation
Illness-Resisting Meditation
Immunity to Everything Technique
Doing this to a group can be a huge essence expenditure for many charms.
All of these strike me as things that plausibly could be granted though
reforging and tempering.
The following resistance charms aren't grantable:
Iron Rending Gesture
Adamant Skin Technique
Unfailing Tortoise Technique
Iron Kettle Body
Whirlwind Armor Donning Prana
Hauberk-Summoning Gesture
Terrestrial vs. Solar themes --bts --bts, 2004/02/22 16:34 EST
DBs can gain Strength and Stamina from Earth because they're elementally aligned, picking up the Resistance of the Earth.
But for Solars to pick up Strength for metalworking from Resistance seems very strange. Wouldn't that be better as a Craft Charm than Resistance? Element-Absorbing Stance looks fine, but should say "Increases Adept's Soak vs. natural elements by his Essence. If this reduces the damage to zero, it is ignored." Or perhaps "Allows the Adept to ignore a number of HLs of damage per turn equal to his Essence. This only protects against damage from natural elements." Metal Ward would be similarly rewritten, and I like them both. Now I see why you put Iron-Rending over here. Hm. Got to think about that.
I'd change Steel Thought (excuse me, Meditation of Refried Thought) to increase the difficulty of controlling the Adept's mind by his Essence, or in situations where that does not apply to grant E autosuccesses on a resistance roll. Charms usable on yourself-or-others do not belong in Resistance. Craft could work. Ally-Tempering looks more Sorcerous than Charm. I could actually see putting almost all of these into Craft, with 1-day Durations instead of Scene-Length, and requiring a short forging ritual for all of them. Whomping yourself with a hammer is fine, but you need tools or Craftsman Needs No Tools to use them. What do you think of that?
... --2004/02/27 11:33 EST
**Response--jesse**--zebediah, 2004/02/27
Ah--thank you on elaborating on solar v. terrestrial themes. Where as resistance is a human ability for solars, it's really an aspect of the earth for terrestrials--and the earth's resistance is its strength as well.
Both your proprosals for amending Element Absorbing Stance seem notably more powerful, as they avoid the "nibbled to death by ducks" problem to a much greater degree. I think the *phantom health levels* solution is interesting and elegant, though perhaps it should have a different refresh condition than "every turn." Spend an action to refresh? Or a mote? Or both?
"Meditation of Refried Thought?" Has the adept's brain become a burrito? Or has he just had too much coffee? Sure, I'm fine with the rewrite.
I'd be completely phyched to see these are craft charms with a day-long duration Day long durations rock, even with the increased setup time.
I was mostly thinking of putting them in Resistance because that's something that looked like an obvious Smith skill, but on furthur examination was pretty useless for Smiths.
Is there a reason, other than "that makes thing ineligant," to not have charms that are very schticky to certain disciplines be in trees that use several of their discipline skills?