Resistance
From Solaradvproj
Fueled by Holy Light and Breath
---, Resistance 4, Essence 3
Permanent
None
Essence-Gathering Temper
Before resting or meditating, a Solar rolls (Sta + Res). The number of successes adds directly to the number of motes back an hour the Solar gains. In the Underworld or any other situation where he may not normally regain Essence, the Solar may roll (Sta + Res) and gains the number of successes per hour of rest and twice that while sleeping. At any time, the Solar may roll Sta + Res as a Miscellaneous Action and recover the number of successes in motes. This is never a Charm action.
COMMENTS: Correct me if I'm wrong, but the second to last sentence in this Charm would allow a character to regain infinite motes in a single action: so long as the Solar spends 4m, 1wp through Infinite Resistance Mastery, he can flurry infinite Miscellaneous Actions in a non-combat situation and recover infinite motes by buying a single free success with the Second Resistance Excellency on each Action. Even without this loophole, the last clause is rather overpowered, and kind of odd- the rest of the text of the Charm suggests that a Solar gains more from meditation and rest than usual, which doesn't seem to mesh too well with being rejuvenated by a five-second pause in the middle of an incredibly tense and stressful situation like life-or-death combat.
Bottomless Reserves Techinque
--- Resistance 5, Essence 3
Permanent
Stackable
Ox-Body
Provides one –4 and one Dying Health Level. May be taken a number of times equal to Resistance.
COMMENTS:
Holistic Recovery Methodology
--- Resistance 5, Essence 4
Permanent
Combo-Ok, Obvious
Body Mending Meditation
Increases the recovery time of BMM to (Sta + Res) successes x 10. Completely heals all wounds, restoring lost limbs, etc. Must still spend a day resting.
For 5m, 1wp as an instant/reflexive Step 8 Action, the Solar may use Holistic Recovery Methodology to completely recover any Attribute or sense lost to a Crippling effect.
COMMENTS: The two effects of this Charm seem to be rather unrelated- one lets a character take a day's bed rest to heal massive amounts of damage, while the other looks a lot like an attempt to not have to take Unbreakable Warrior's Mastery to get rid of Crippling effects. I'd suggest lowering the Minimum Resistance and Minimum Essence of the Charm, and then removing the second power entirely. Unbreakable Warrior's Mastery already exists, after all.
Impregnable Orichalcum Body
--- Resistance 5, Essence 4
Permanent
Combo-Ok, Obvious
Iron Kettle Body
Doubles the Soak bonus of Iron Kettle Body, reduces minimum damage to 1, but doubles the mote cost of IKB and remains incompatible with armor.
COMMENTS: If the Charm is instead supposed to reduce the minimum damage of all attacks directed at the solar to 1, then it ought to be rephrased to make it more clear- as it is now, it looks like it reduces the Solar's damage-dealing potential. Additionally, wouldn't it just be easier to have this Charm cost 4m, be Simple, and add +4A/+8L/+8B soak and hardness ontop of Iron Kettle Body? That way, the Charm isn't tinkering with minimum damage mechanics, and while it's slower, it lets the Solar use the original version of Iron Kettle Body in situations where motes are of short supply.
Golden Shell Enhancement
3 motes Resistance 5 Essence 3
Until Next Action, Reflexive (Step 8)
Combo-Ok, Obvious
Durability of Oak Meditation
Doubles the character’s Hardness until Next Action. If comboed with an Instant effect, like Durability of Oak, the Instant-Duration charm must be repeatedly invoked.
COMMENTS:
Stronger Than Mountains Meditation
5 motes, Resistance 5 Essence 3
One Scene, Reflexive (Step 8)
Combo-Ok, Obvious
Durability of Oak Meditation
Durability of Oak for the scene. If the character knows Unsurpassable Ramparts Techinque, this charm explicitly stacks with its prerequisite.
COMMENTS:
Unsurpassable Rampart Technique
-- ;Mins: Resistance 5, Essence 4
Permanent
None
Prerequisites: Durability of Oak Meditation
This Charm permanently enhances the Lawgiver's Durability of Oak Meditation so that the hardness it provides stacks with any other hardness the character may have.
COMMENTS:
Personal Fortress Method
-- ; Mins: Resistance 5, Essence 4
Permanent
None
Prerequisites: Unsurpassable Rampart Technique
The Lawgiver gains natural Hardness equal to his Essence. This is cumulative with Hardness from armor.
COMMENTS: This Charm would let a Stamina 1, Essence 5 character have 0L/1B natural soak and 5L/5B natural Hardness? Wouldn't it make more sense to give the Solar a natural Hardness score equal to his or her natural Soak scores, and then make those cumulative with Hardness from Armor? That way, the Solar isn't capable of flat-out ignoring blows that he couldn't normally and naturally soak. Also, is the Natural Hardness granted by this Charm capable of affecting Aggravated damage, and is it cumulative with the Hardness granted by other Charms?
Pillars of the Sun Do Not Crumble
Cost: -- Mins: Resistance 5, Essence 4
Permanent
None
Prerequisites:Unbreakable Warrior's Mastery
This charm permanently enhances the Lawgivers Unbreakable Warrior's Mastery with the following effects.
1)Against any attacker using a Crippling effect with Essence less than the Lawgiver, reduce the difficulty of the required (Sta + Res) roll to 1. Attackers with Essence equal to or greater use the original charm's (Sta + Res) roll's difficulty.
2)At Essence 5, this difficulty is permanently reduced to 1.
3)At Essence 6, this charm activates itself as a reflexive non-charm action, though the motes and willpower still must be spent.
COMMENTS:
Perfect Soundness of Body
Cost: -- Mins: Resistance 5, Essence 4
Permanent
None
Prerequisites: Personal Fortress Method, Ox Body Technique.
This Charm permanently allows the Lawgiver to soak Lethal with her full Stamina.
COMMENTS: Given that naturally soaking Lethal damage is already a sign of divinity, and that one of this Charm's prerequisites has the same Minimum Ability and Essence as it does, wouldn't it make more sense for this to be an Essence 5 Charm?
Rise From Ashes Technique
Cost: 2m per HL Mins: Resistance 5, Essence 3
Reflexive(Step 10)/Instant
Prerequisites: Spirit Strengthens the Skin
Combo-Ok, Obvious
The Solar may buy off damage done by an attack at the cost of 2m per HL negated. This is resolved immediately after damage is rolled. This may cause an attack to do 0 Hls of damage. In the case where that may prevent a Charm's effects from activating, consider the negative effects of that charm nullified, since no damage was done. This may only be used in response to an attack and is not a passive means by which a lawgiver may heal herself outside of combat.
COMMENTS:
Unyeilding Solar Aegis
Cost:8m Mins: Resistance 5, Essence 4
Reflexive(Step 8)/One tick
Prerequisites: Adamant Skin Technique, Unbreakable Warrior's Mastery
Combo-Ok, Obvious.
The lawgiver's anima flares into a protective circle, clinging to her skin, turning aside all harmful blows. For one full tick, negate all damage and subsequent negative effects that may befall the Solar. (For Example, the Immaculate's Soul Mastery not only would do no damage, but would fail to rip out the Solar's soul. Neither would a Sidereal's Pattern Spider touch.) This defense applies even to unanticipated attacks. This Charm has one of the Four Flaws of Invulnerability.
COMMENTS: The primary flaw of soak defenses is that they allow the attacker to hit the character, with all that implies: this Charm negates that flaw entirely by negating side-effects from the successful attack. While this is just a single Charm that has no effect on other Charms in the tree, this Charm flies in the face of the precedent set by other soak charms: even Adamant Skin Technique, the HGD of soak Charms, doesn't stop the side-effects of an attack. This does.
Stone Breaks Fist
Cost:5m, 1wp Mins: Resistance 5, Essence 4
Reflexive (step 8)/Instant
Prerequisites: Unyelding Solar Aegis
Combo-Ok, Obvious, Counterattack
The Lawgiver's muscles tense to stone-like hardness, providing her with an unassailable defense. It has the following benefits.
1)All damage and negative effects are negated, as per Unyeilding Solar Aegis
2)Attackers in hand-to-hand combat suffer the Solar's Essence in dice of unsoakable L damage as their weapons jar against her rock-hard flesh and their bare fists crack against her mountain-like exterior. This does nothing against ranged attacks,for the attackers (wisely) chose not to make close contact with the Lawgiver. This is considered an automatically succeeding attack on Step 9 that only Invulnerable Defenses can prevent.
3)At Essence 6, the dice of unsoakable lethal damage become automatic health levels.
This Charm may explictly be used while the Solar is in a Clinch.
COMMENTS: While punching a rock might cause serious damage, I fail to see how stabbing one with a dagger will cause Lethal damage. Perhaps the Charm should instead deal (Essence)L dice of unsoakable damage to characters who attack the Solar while both in hand to hand and unarmed, and (Essence)B dice of unsoakable damage to characters who attack the solar while both in hand to hand and armed with a Melee or Martial Arts weapon. Finally, and this is more of a Charm-concept issue than an actual mechanics issue, it might make more sense if this effect could only be gained by the comboing of two separate Charms; one that causes this kind of Counterattack effect, and then Adamant Skin Technique or Unyielding Solar Aegis.
Heavenly Duke's Shield
10 motes, 1 Willpower Mins: Resistance: 5 Essence: 4
One Scene, Simple
Keyword: Combo-Basic
Prerequisite: Unbreakable Warrior's Mastery, Adamant Skin Technique
The unbreakable will of the Sun's chosen translates to the power of
becoming nearly unbreakable in body. They shrug off attacks and blows
that would shatter lesser men, and stand against terrible threats with
a certainty few can match. With this power a Solar fully emulates the
shimmering nature of the Unconquered Sun's shield upon their very
flesh. All that gaze upon them know righteous judgment will not be
stopped. For the rest of the scene after this charm is activated all
health levels of damage(after it is rolled, but before it is applied)
is cut in half(round down).
COMMENTS: This Charm seems to have universal effects on all combatants- it might be better to word it to say that, for the Charm's duration, the Solar's player halves all health levels, rounding down, dealt to his character, to a minimum of 0, after damage dice are rolled, but before health levels are applied.
Impregnable Orichalcum Resilience
Cost: - Mins: Resistance: 5 Essence: 5
Permanent
Keyword: -
Prerequisites: Heavenly Duke's Shield
Upon reaching such a powerful state the Lawgiver becomes nigh
unbreakable by mortal works. This charm is a permanent enhancement of
Heavenly Duke's Shield. When activating it the Solar reduces all
health levels of damage to 0 before magic-based damage enhancements
come into play.
COMMENTS: This Charm is simply too powerful, as it provides scenelong immunity to the vast majority of combat methods. Solar Archery, Solar Hero, Solar Melee, and Solar Thrown each lack any canon Charm to sneak even a single Health Level of damage past this scene-long Defense. It should, at the very least, have a minimum Essence and Resistance of 6.
