This is a compendium of Spirit Charms, so that I don't have to go searching through fifty different books to figure out what spirits can do. All worship at my feet! -C- Update this page
Spirits use Compassion to heal and help others, as well as to extend their senses beyond themselves.
This power enables the spirit to sense nearby Essence, whether it exists in objects or within Exalted. Roll the spirit's Per+Compassion. One success is enough to sence Essence in the vaguest of measures. Three or more successes means the spirit not only senses Essence, but knows its source and potential powers.
For each success on the roll, the spirit may improve an individual's Stamina by one dot. More dice than the spirit's Cha+Compassion may not be rolled, nor may the spirit increase the target's Stamina by more dots than the spirit's Essence. Only one use of this Charm may be active on an individual at any given time. This Charm fades at a rate of one dot per (spirit's WP) turns.
The spirit may heal itself or others. Spend the 3 motes of essence and make a Compassion roll. If the roll succeeds, the Charm heals one HL of bashing or lethal damage.
This Charm allows a spirit to speak with the target in his dreams. The target must be asleep, and the spirit must know approximately where he is, although the spirit need not be present there. Roll the spirit’s Intelligence + Compassion. The more successes the spirit gets, the more easily it converses with the dreamer. Four or more successes indicates that not only can the spirit appear in the dream, but it will seem to be of extreme significance to the dreamer.
This Charm allows a spirit to govern the dream of a sleeping mortal. It may shape that dream in whatever way it wishes, appearing or not appearing in the dream as it pleases. Roll the spirit’s Manipulation + Compassion. The more successes, the more the spirit can manipulate. The spirit must know either the approximate location of the dreamer or his identity. While the spirit may harm the dreamer inside of the dream, no damage carries over to the real world.
The spirit is naturally in tune with the patterns of destiny and the astrological forces. A simple success on a Perception + Compassion check causes this spirit’s behavior (actions, words) to reflect in some small way the path of things to come. Most spirits with this Charm don’t notice themselves using it and would shrug if it was pointed out to them; it’s simply a part of what they are. The number of successes indicates the importance of the event that is prognosticated and/or the level of detail provided. The words and actions of such spirits are frequently ambiguous and often enigmatic.
With a successful Perception + Compassion check, this spirit may deliberately attempt to foresee what may come. The number of successes determines how long it takes the spirit to glean the information. The spirit must sleep, meditate or in some other way “go within” for one day per success. More successes means more information and more time spent “under.” This spirit sees what may be, not what must be.
This Charm allows a powerful spirit, upon a successful Perception + Compassion check, to glimpse the hand of Destiny moving behind the curtains of reality,. The number of successes determines how much of Destiny’s plan the spirit glimpses. It also determines how much of that plan notices the spirit. The more the spirit sees, the more the spirit becomes caught up in whatever is happening. The spirit may feel compelled to take part in the plan — and not necessarily in the way it would have chosen. Few spirits will use this Charm lightly, and they may require great boons or services in return for its use. If the Storyteller chooses, this Charm may have the same sleep or meditation requirement as Foretell the Future — except that the spirit must go within for at least one week for each success. Spirits can spend months dreaming, trying to comprehend Destiny’s plan.
This Charm allows a spirit to travel quickly, comfortably and easily in its natural element. A forest spirit might gain perfect balance and sticky feet to allow it to travel easily along tree limbs and to jump from tree to tree. A water spirit might walk on water or develop gills and fins if it didn’t have them already.
This Charm allows a spirit to camouflage itself, so long as it is within its natural element (a forest spirit must be within the trees; an earth spirit could camouflage itself against grass, earth or stone; a fire spirit could camouflage itself within or against a fire or against hot desert sands). Roll the spirit’s Wits + Compassion. Every success adds one to the difficulty of Perception + Awareness checks to notice the spirit.
This Charm allows a spirit to hide within a solid piece of its natural landscape. A forest spirit might sink into a tree trunk; a spirit of the plains might sink into the ground. During its time within its element, the spirit’s senses are muted. Roll the spirit’s Stamina + Resistance if the item in which it hides suffers any damage. If the roll fails, the spirit is forced out of the item. If the roll succeeds, the spirit may choose to stay in the item, but it will take any damage that the item takes, health level for health level. If the item is particularly sturdy, it may add up to five health levels to the spirit’s total, at the Storyteller’s discretion — one health level per success on the original roll.
This Charm allows a spirit to track someone or something on a successful Perception + Compassion check. One success is all that’s needed for a spirit to track a normal human in the spirit’s natural domain, regardless of the prey’s Survival skill. More successes are needed if the spirit wishes to track an Exalted, another spirit or some other supernatural creature capable of supernatural Stealth or if it wishes to track outside of its natural domain. Other modifiers (such as familiarity with the prey or weather conditions) apply only to tracking beings capable of supernatural misdirection — see the rules in the main Exalted book for details.
This Charm enables the spirit to get a feel for how things are going within its domain of influence (up to a half
mile in diameter per point of Essence but most often related to a geographical feature — for instance, a single
tree and a little land surrounding it might be a spirit’s area of influence). Roll the spirit’s Perception + Compassion. One success allows the spirit to sense the presence of any direct and immediate danger (to itself or to the domain) in the area. Two successes allow a reasonably thorough catalogue of the influences at work in the area and the intentions they have with regard to the spirit or its domain. Three or more successes allows the spirit to know almost anything currently going on within its domain that isn’t protected by some sort of supernatural ward or misdirection.
Charms, sorcery and exceptional Ability rolls or tunts may block this insight or remove successes, at the
Storyteller’s discretion. Some spirits that have no natural domain may be able to use this ability in any area they’ve spent several days exploring (Storyteller’s discretion; two additional successes required).
Spirits use this Charm to summon food for those who need it. The spirit must succeed at a Stamina + Compassion check. Each success the spirit achieves allows it to summon enough food for a full meal for one person (the spirit may choose to summon less than its successes allow it to). For 5 motes, the food summoned is edible. For 10 motes, the food is some of the finest nourishment ever tasted.
Every now and then, a spirit wants to reward someone or would simply like to show favor for a mortal. Blessings
are one way to go about this. Blessings, even more than other Charms, are highly individualized to the spirit in
question. Break the guidelines below (or add to them or modify them) if it suits your story. Just try to keep the power level about the same.
In all cases, the spirit must succeed on a Charisma + Compassion check. Abilities and Attributes may not be
raised above 5 unless otherwise stated. Any blessing that involves the return of something disposable (temporary
Willpower, Essence motes, etc.) does not fade — it is simply used up as normal. Abilities the target does not possess may not be affected unless otherwise stated. Statistics that have maximums (Willpower, for example) may not be raised above their maximums unless otherwise stated.
The effects of this Charm always fade by the next sunset, and the Charm may not be used more than once per
day. Some possible gifts:
• One extra dot added to an Ability of the spirit’s choice.
• The return of 2 motes of Essence.
• Good luck: The target gains one extra die to add to all normal Ability checks (not Charms).
The effects of this Charm last for one week, and the Charm may not be used more than once per week. Some
possible benefactions:
• Two dots of Abilities, distributed as the spirit sees fit.
• One dot added to an Attribute.
• The return of 5 motes of Essence.
• Create a good luck charm, walkaway or other talisman that lasts for a week.
• Good luck: The target gains one extra die to add to normal Ability checks (not Charms).
• A mark appears on the target in an obvious place(forehead, hand, etc.) that can be seen only by spirits and Exalted using a sensory Charm that allows them to perceive Essence at work. This power is most often used to grant safe passage through an area or as a mark of favor.
The effects of this Charm last for one week, and the Charm may not be used more than once every other week.
Some possible effects:
• Four dots to Abilities, distributed as the spirit sees fit. These may include Abilities the target does not normally possess, unless he is not physically capable of possessing them. This may not raise a target’s Ability score above six.
• Two dots to Attributes, distributed as the spirit sees fit.
• The return of one temporary Willpower point. (The target’s Willpower may not be raised above his maximum.
The returned Willpower may be used up normally but will not disappear when the week is over.)
• The return of 10 motes of Essence.
• The effects of one Charm (maximum Virtue 1, Essence 1) that the spirit possesses may be conferred upon
the target. These effects last no longer than one week.
• Good luck: The target gains one extra die to add to normal Ability checks and to Charm checks.
• Create a good luck charm, walkaway or other talisman of permanent duration.
• A permanent mark appears on the target in an obvious place. This mark can be seen only by spirits and
Exalted using a sensory Charm that allows them to perceive Essence at work. While mortals cannot see the mark,
it obviously alters the character’s horoscope and can be detected in that fashion. Effects vary, depending on the
meaning of the mark.
This blessing is never given lightly. Great tales are told of the massive quests that lead to such rewards and of the heroes who achieve them. This Charm may only be used once per year.
• One dot added to an Attribute, duration permanent.
• Two dots to Abilities, distributed as the spirit sees fit, duration permanent. This may include Abilities the
target does not normally possess, unless he is not physicallycapable of possessing them.
• One permanent Essence point.
• The return of all temporary Willpower that the target has lost.
• The effects of one Charm (maximum Virtue 2, Essence 2) that the spirit possesses may be conferred upon the target. These effects last for as long as the effects of the Charm that was conferred would normally last. In rare cases, the effect may be permanent (Storyteller’s discretion).
• Good luck: The target’s temporary Willpower is always one higher than her permanent Willpower. The effect is permanent.
• Create a double- or triple-effect talisman of permanent duration.
Spirits may use Conviction to employ mental attacks against others, as well as to affect others’ emotions and mental states.
This charm allows a spirit to possess someone indefinitely, riding him as if the host's body was its own, and laying the groundwork for a true fusion of spirit and mortal form. In order for this Charm to work, the potential vessel must consent to the spirit's possessing him. Otherwise, it does not function, and the spirit must rely on cruder charms, such as Soul Rapt.
The results of the charm depend on the difference in the Essence of the host and the possessing spirit. If the Spirit's Essence exceeds the host's by 3 or more, the host acquires the spirit's Traits (Attributes and Abilities).
If the host's Essence exceeds the spirit's by 3 or more, the spirit acquires the host's Traits.
If the Essence of host and spirit are within 2 points of each other, a true fusion is achieved in which the combined entity has the average of the Traits of both halves, rounded up. The fusion also acquires the average of the spirit and the subject's temporary Essence after subtracting the 20 motes needed to trigger the charm. If the being is an Exalt, add all temporary Essence together before determining the average. The result of a god synthesis with an Exalt has only Peripheral Essence. In addition, it has access to one of the God's Charms per point of total permanent Essence. These charms cannot include Dematerialize.
This charm is exceedingly rare outside of Rathess and the surrounding regions. Gods and spirits hailing from regions close to teh Realm generally avoid using it, out of fear that the Immaculates will notice and take offense. The Immaculate Philosophy's adherents consider the use of this Charm a grave blasphemy and take harsh measures to suppress its continued employment.
If the mortal host is slain, the spirit reforms in one-third the normal time, and the spirit never loses its individual identity as a result. If the host is killed using Charms that have the effect of slaying a Spirit forever, (As with Ghost Eating Technique) the spirit and the host's higher soul are both destroyed. Spirits using this Charm ar not constantly drained the way those who simply create bodies for themselves out of Essence through the use of the Materialize Charm are.
Through the use of this charm, the spirit can create mental illusions that only the target can see. To do it, roll the spirit's Manipulation + Conviction. The first success creates the illusion, while additional successes make the illusion more difficult to penetrate. The target's player must make an Intelligence + Temperance roll, and get equal or greater successes. If not, the target is unable to tell the illusion from reality. He may make additional Int+Temp rolls whenever the illusion departs wildly from what the target expects from reality, making believable illusions much harder to see through. Once the illusion is penetrated, it is dispelled, and all further uses of the charm on that being are at +1 dif for the next several days.
Roll the spirit's Manipulation + Conviction in an extended resisted action against the target's Willpower. When the spirit gains more successes than the victim has temporary willpower, the spirit takes possession of the target for the rest of the scene. Successes accumulate for the duration of the scene. More powerful versions of this Charm exist, which allow spirits to "hollow out" a being's soul and possess him indefinitely
The spirit channels Essence into the victim to inflame her emotional state. One success merely aggravates whatever condition is already present, while three or more successes cause the target to completely lose herself in the emotion of the moment. you may roll no more dice than the spirit's Conviction. Used against one of the Exalted, this Charm causes the character's Limit to increase by one point per success.
Roll the spirit’s Manipulation + Conviction with a difficulty equal to the target’s Essence. Simple success or one extra success indicates that the target is mildly confused. He might confuse one direction along a path with another. Two or three extra successes indicate that the target is quite confused. He might believe that traveling after dark in the woods without a lantern is a perfectly reasonable thing to do. Four or more extra successes indicate that the target is completely addled and may well do something very dangerous. He could try to scale a cliff face in the dark or go to sleep in a bear’s den. Fair Folk are immune to this power.
The spirit must touch its target in order to employ this Charm (normal Dexterity + Brawl or Martial Arts check). If successful, roll the spirit’s Manipulation + Conviction with a difficulty equal to the target’s Essence. The more successes, the more of the target’s memories the spirit absorbs. This may temporarily befuddle the target, but Memory Mirror does not actually remove the target’s memories, just duplicates them. With a simple success, the spirit obtains only the most basic details: profession, name and any major life events. Four or more extra successes indicate near-total memory absorption.
This Charm works like Memory Mirror, except that the memories are drained out of the target as they enter the spirit’s mind. Roll the spirit’s Manipulation + Conviction with a difficulty equal to the target’s Essence. The more successes the spirit achieves, the fewer details the target remembers, until only the smallest details remain. Four or more extra successes indicate that the target suffers from near-total amnesia. The memories have actually been removed and cannot be recovered through association or prompting.
This Charm allows a spirit to transfer memories between two subjects. The spirit must be able to touch both subjects at once, and if they are evading, the spirit must succeed on a Dexterity + Brawl or Martial Arts roll. This is not a reflexive attack, and if the spirit is attempting to touch both targets in the same turn it activates the Charm, split its dice pool at least three ways. After the spirit touches the targets, roll its Manipulation + Conviction with a difficulty equal to the higher of the two target’s Essences. The memories are moved from one subject to another, not copied. The spirit gets a vague idea of the shape of the memories — enough to identify blocks of them and figure out what should be moved. The spirit remembers only vague details afterward, not specifics. The more successes on the roll, the more precisely the spirit can identify and choose what to move and the more it can move. Simple success allows the movement of a few random memories, three successes allows large, important memories, and five or more extra successes allow the spirit to transfer an entire lifetime’s worth of memories — or just a single dark and hidden secret. Note that the transfer is one way — a spirit that wishes to swap two personalities between bodies has to roll five or more extra success on two uses of the Charm.
The spirit channels Essence into the target to alter his emotional state, instilling within him a desire to obey the spirit. Roll the spirit’s Charisma + Conviction with a difficulty equal to the target’s Essence. Simple success merely makes the target slightly more likely to obey, while three successes forces him to obey completely unless such obedience would cause him physical harm. At five successes, the target does anything the spirit commands.
As the Possession spirit Charm, roll the spirit’s Manipulation + Conviction against the target’s Willpower in a resisted action. If the spirit gains more successes than the target has temporary Willpower, then the initial possession succeeds. As long as the spirit occupies the victim, temporary Willpower cannot be regained. The possessing spirit must relinquish control of the victims body at least once per week, though it isn’t necessary to abandon the victim. The spirit must make the attempt to regain control of the victim by repeating the initial possession roll. After each month of possession, the victim loses one point of Willpower permanently. If a spirit fails in its attempt to regain control of its victim, the spirit is expelled, and the victim cannot be possessed by that spirit again.
GEAS
Cost: 1 mote per day (min 15, max 28), 2 Willpower
->Duration: One to 28 days
This Charm allows a spirit to lay a geas, or bond, upon a target. It requires eye contact and a successful Manipulation + Conviction check, with at least three successes. The spirit may order the target to perform one task, which may include such broad orders as “serve me for one month.” The spirit may not order the target to do something that would directly harm the target, but it may order him to attempt a difficult or dangerous goal as long as there is a reasonable chance of success (Storyteller’s discretion). This Charm has a minimum cost of 15 motes, even if it is to last only one day. This Geas does not completely govern the target’s actions; rather, it gives the target a compulsion to work toward the task he has been given. For each day that the target fails to work in good faith toward the task, he loses one temporary Willpower and takes one health level of aggravated damage. For each two days spent working in good faith toward the task, he regains one health level lost for disobeying the geas.
For each success on a Conviction + Presence check, the spirit may raise an individual’s Presence by one dot. The spirit may not increase the target’s Presence by more dots than the spirit’s Essence, although it may increase it above 5. Only one use of this Charm may be active on an individual at any given time. The Presence lasts for one day for each dot of the spirit’s Willpower.
The target of this Charm finds herself in an illusory world of the spirit’s design. The illusion is total and covers all senses — according to all of her senses, the target has been transported elsewhere. The illusion has a nearly instant duration but may appear to last for up to one day to the mind of the target.
This Charm requires the spirit to touch its target (a nonreflexive Dexterity + Brawl or Martial Arts roll if she’s actively evading) or to look in her eyes. The spirit may use this effect on multiple people at once, but all of them must find themselves in the same illusion, and the spirit must touch all of them at once.
Any damage the target takes within the hallucination is purely illusory. However, if the target dies within the illusion, then her player must succeed on a Stamina + Resistance roll or have the character fall into a coma for one day per point of the spirit’s Essence (or longer, at the Storyteller’s discretion, if it suits the dramatic needs of the story).
This Charm acts exactly as the Compassion Charm Dreamscape, except that the roll made is Manipulation + Conviction and that any harm done to the target within the dream has a chance of leaking through to the target’s physical body (as either bashing or lethal damage, as appropriate). If the target takes damage in the dream, her player must make a reflexive Wits roll to see how much slips through to harm the character’s real body. For every success on the Wits roll, one health level is subtracted from the damage that the character took in the hallucination before it is applied to her real body. The character can never take more damage to her real body from a single event in the hallucination than the Essence of the spirit that used Dreambane on her. Each time damage gets through the soak roll, the target’s player may make a Willpower roll. With three or more successes, the character wakes up. The player must also succeed a Willpower roll if the character takes enough damage to kill her in the dream before she wakes up. If the roll botches, the character dies (if mortal) or enters a coma for one week per point of the spirit’s Essence (if Exalted). If the roll fails, the character wakes up at Incapacitated and must heal normally. If the roll succeeds, she wakes up with only one additional health level of bashing damage. This Charm may only be used on one target at a time.
Spirits use Temperance to defend themselves, as well as to steal Essence from others.
The spirit must touch the target for this Charm to work (resolved by a normal Dex+Brawl or MA check). If the attempt to touch the target is successful, make a reflexive Wits+Temperance roll. For every success, the target loses two motes of Essence. The spirit cannot steal more motes than twice its Essence.
Through the use of this Charm, the spirit forms multiple images of itself to deceive attackers. This ability works much like Harrow The Mind above. However, there are more images and they are harder to distinguish from reality.
Make an Intelligence + Temperance roll for the spirit, opposed by the target's Perception + Awareness. If the target garners fewer successes than the spirit, he sees many false images of the small god, each virtually indistinguishable from the real being. Attacks by individuals so befuddled have only (their Essence) in 10 chances of actually striking the spirit. Make another Per+Awa roll for those observing the spirit every time the spirit attacks.
The small god summons up the forces of the elements or similar powers to protect it from harm. The spirit gains armor equal to Temperance + Essence. This armor can be used to soak any form of bashing or lethal damage, including damage caused by environmental conditions such as excessive heat or cold. Elementals and elementally associated spirits always surround themselves with elemental protections such as a hauberk of tough roots, a shirt of flexible rock or a breastplate of living flame. Other spirits don armor of light or darkness or, occasionally, transform their ordinary garb into supernally beautiful and durable garments of pure magic.
This Charm allows the spirit to temporarily distract the target, causing his attention to focus on something other than the spirit. Roll the spirit’s Manipulation + Conviction with a difficulty equal to the target’s Essence. Simple success distracts the target for a turn — long enough for the spirit to run away or dematerialize. Three or more extra successes distract the target from anything it was thinking about the spirit, such as suspicions, accusations, anger, etc. Five or more extra successes means the target does not remember the spirit until something or someone reminds him of what e was thinking. This Charm requires extra successes to distract a target who is feeling negative emotions toward the A successful Intelligence + Temperance check allows the spirit to open up a portal large enough for it to step through. The portal lasts for one turn; during that time, anyone else may step through it as long as they can fit through the opening. With one success, the portal takes the travelers to a random (though not immediately harmful) location. With two successes, the spirit may loosely direct the exit point (“Southern deserts, please”) or go directly to its home. Five or more successes allow the spirit to direct the portal wherever it pleases. Extra successes beyond the successes required for pinpointing the portal’s exit point allow the spirit to triple the radius of the portal.
A successful Dexterity + Temperance check allows the spirit to transport itself wherever it chooses. For each success, it may transport one passenger (willing or unwilling) as well, though it costs one additional Willpower point if there are passengers involved. All passengers must be within the line of sight of the spirit. The spirit must have been to the destination before.
With this Charm, a spirit may banish any targets within line of site to a random habitable location up to one mile distant (i.e., a human would not be banished to an underwater location or dumped in a lava flow). Roll the spirit’s Perception + Temperance. Each success allows one target to be banished in this manner. The more successes, the farther away the target is likely to be sent. This Charm must be used within the bounds of the spirit’s home territory.
With this Charm, a spirit may transport any targets within line of site to a location of the spirit’s choosing, as long as it isn’t immediately deadly to the target (the target could be transported into a cage or into the cave of a dangerous beast but not into a lava flow or to the bottom of the ocean unless the target could survive those places). Roll the spirit’s Dexterity + Temperance. Each success allows one target to be captured in this manner.
The spirit must touch a mortal in order to activate this Charm. This does not involve a Brawl or Martial Arts check, as this Charm works only on a sleeping mortal. After the spirit touches the target, roll its Wits + Temperance. For each success, the spirit devours 1 mote of Essence. This Charm always involves some other method of sustenance as well. The spirit might feed on the dreams and nightmares of the mortal — or on her breath. Whatever the spirit feeds on does not harm the mortal, although it might have mild (and temporary) effects when the mortal wakes up. Even if the spirit does not regain the Essence it spent, it still feels satiated from the other part of its meal.
The spirit must touch a sleeping mortal in order to activate this Charm. Roll the spirit’s Strength + Temperance. At least two successes are required. Not only does this Charm steal 2 motes of Essence per success, but it also devours something that leaves the mortal impaired in some way — hearing, sight, etc. — although it leaves the body apparently unharmed. Only supernatural healing of some sort restores the loss; it never heals normally. Even if the spirit does not replenish the Essence it spent, it feels satiated.
Duration: One week (at least)
->Type: Simple
The spirit has consensual sex with a mortal in order to activate the Charm, so no Brawl or Martial Arts rolls are required. Amidst the merriment, roll the spirit’s Manipulation + Temperance. For each success, the spirit devours 1 mote of Essence. What is more, the victim later develops an unquenchable craving for another rendezvous with the spirit. If the victim returns freely, the process is repeated (and any lost Wits suffered from the process below are regained). If the victim does not return within one week, roll his Wits + Conviction –1 die for each time the spirit successfully used the Charm against the victim. If the roll yields fewer successes that the spirit’s Willpower, the victim loses a point of Wits temporarily. If he does not return to the spirit that day, repeat the process the next day, continuing every day until the victim either returns of his own volition, succeeds in breaking the Charm or reaches 0 Wits (in which case the victim loses all control and will do anything within his power to return to the spirit). If the victim’s Wits + Conviction roll succeeds against the spirit’s Willpower, the Charm is cancelled, and all temporary Wits losses are regained. This Charm has no effect on beings with an Essence higher than the spirit’s.
This Charm allows the spirit to remain absolutely, perfectly still.
This Charm allows the spirit to camouflage itself within whatever environment it happens to be in. A spirit standing against a rock takes on the coloration of that rock, and its edges might soften a bit, making its outline difficult to make out against the background. Roll the spirit’s Wits + Temperance. Successes on this roll are added to any successes on the spirit’s Dexterity + Stealth roll if it is attempting to actively hide. The result is the number of successes observers’ players must roll on their Wits + Temperance checks (four net successes are required if the spirit is still, three if it moves slowly, two if it moves normally, and one if it moves quickly).
With a successful Wits + Temperance check, a spirit may escape whatever situation it is in and return to its own home — what exactly constitutes the spirit’s home is a matter for Storyteller discretion. The more tense and hurried the situation, the more successes the spirit requires. One success is all that’s needed in a relaxed, quiet setting. Five successes take the spirit home even in the middle of a combat.
A successful Intelligence + Temperance check allows the spirit to open up a portal large enough for it to step through. The portal lasts for one turn; during that time,anyone else may step through it as long as they can fit through the opening. With one success, the portal takes the travelers to a random (though not immediately harmful) location. With two successes, the spirit may loosely direct the exit point (“Southern deserts, please”) or go directly to its home. Five or more successes allow the spirit to direct the portal wherever it pleases. Extra successes beyond the successes required for pinpointing the portal’s exit point allow the spirit to triple the radius of the portal.
Spirits use Valor to affect the physical world, whether positively or negatively. Valor Charms are often used to harm others.
The spirit must touch its target for the charm to work, requiring a successful Dex+Brawl or MA roll. If the touch attempt is succesful, make a reflexive Valor + Essence roll for the spirit. For every success on the attack, the spirit does a point of Lethal damage. The character's armor soak applies as normal to this damage, and extra successes on the attack roll add to damage as usual.
This charm may rely on heat, cold, life-draining, or any number of other mechanisms to do damage - almost all have secondary effects that the spirit can manipulate to its advantage. For example, a ghost that can start fires with its fiery touch can burn down a barn with this charm.
Through the use of this Charm, the spirit can materialize in the physical world. The cost of this Charm is between 50% AND 100% of the spirit's temporary Essence. The cost varies from spirit to spirit and is listed in the spirit's description or assigned by the ST. Generally, as the power of the spirit grows, the spirit must expend proportionally greater amounts of Essence to materialize.
In most cases, a spirit that plans to meddle in mortal affairs will materialize in some safe area and then rest, regaining its Essence, before it goes about its business. Spirits that have not materialized cannot affect the physical world, not with charms, physical attacks, or any other fashion.
See Materialize, but in reverse.
When the spirit uses this charm, it gains a pool of extra actions equal to its Valor. Actions in this pool can be expended for etra attacks on the spirit's initiative, or reflexively, to parry or dodge an attack or to refresh the spirit's Dodge pool when using the full dodge maneuver. If the spirit does not use all the actions in its pool, they remain available for its following turn. Actions in the pool will persist for many months, and many spirits make sure they retain a full complement of actions in case they are ambushed. A spirit cannot use this Charm again until it has used up all the extra actions granted by the last use of the charm. While the spirit has extra actions in its pool, the motes of Essence used to power this Charm are considered committed.
The spirit may intone blasphemies, keen out the lamentations of the dead, or speak the victim's true name, but regardless, its words are like a battering ram. The spirit attacks, using Charisma + Valor to hit the opponent, and does bashing damage equal to the Spirit's Strength, which can be soaked ONLY by the target's Stamina. Extra successes on the attack add to damage, as usual. For every health level of damage the target takes he is at a -1 penalty to all dice pools for a number of turns equal to the attacking spirit's Essence.
This attack may be dodged or blocked as normal, but has no physical effects except perhaps causing blood to flow from the target's ears or hurling him bodily through light obstructions.
The spirit may add a number of dice equal to its Valor score to a single Dexterity roll. This roll could be anything from a single blow with a weapon to a single performance or even to the roll to create a single piece of fine jewelry. When used for longer endeavors, this Charm adds dice to each roll of a single extended action. However, it can only be used on one endeavor at a time, the Essence invested in this Charm cannot be regained, and the Charm cannot be recast until the task has been completed or abandoned.
This Charm allows spirits to create supernaturally exquisite items or to perform feats of inhuman skill with various crafts. When using this charm, roll Intelligence + Valor for the spirit. Every success gained on this roll can be added to a single Craft, Medicine, Occult or Larceny roll designed to create an item or to carry out a slow and careful process such as performing surgery, compounding a drug, putting on a disguise or creating a magical talisman. This Charm cannot be used to enhance any task that requires speed or haste such as picking a lock before the guard arrives, stopping someone from bleeding to death or any form of combat. It can also only be used on tasks that require both clear thought and nimble fingers. No activity can simultaneously benefit from both this Charm and the Uncanny Prowess Charm.
Spirits use the Details Charm to change small details of their physical appearance, upon a successful Charisma + Valor check. Each use of this Charm allows one discrete detail to be changed. The size and complexity of the detail depends on the number of successes the spirit achieves. One or two successes allow a small detail to be changed: hair length, the shape of the spirit’s pupils. Three or four allow the spirit to change larger details: the design of a dress, the length of its limbs. Five or more successes allow the spirit to create details from nothing: a bracelet where there was none.
The spirit may, upon a successful Charisma + Valor check, take on another’s physical form. This requires the spirit to touch the being to be emulated, which may require a successful Dexterity + Brawl or Martial Arts check, depending on the circumstances. The spirit must pay in advance and choose up front how many motes to spend; if it chooses to break the Charm early, those motes are not recovered. A very successful Perception + Awareness check may see through the disguise. Four successes indicate that small elements of the disguise seem wrong, while five or more indicate that the shapechanging seems patently false. Also, some spirits and Exalted may possess Charms designed to see through such trickery. Certain actions may allow someone to see through such a disguise or may momentarily break through the disguise; superstitions of various areas prescribe different actions. Some of these include: looking at someone’s reflection in a fractured mirror, looking at someone through lenses that have been soaked in a special herbal solution, blowing ashes of certain types of wood into someone’s face. Which superstitions apply depends on the spirit. Some particularly difficult “rituals” may break the disguise entirely.
The spirit may, upon a successful Charisma + Valor check, take on any physical form it wishes; it must pay the cost for the full duration in advance (if the spirit breaks the Charm early, the extra motes are not recovered). After that, the spirit must reactivate the Charm if it wishes to continue the masquerade, making the Charisma + Valor check again. The spirit must spend another 10 motes and a Willpower point in advance (once per use of the Charm, not per day) if it wishes its Abilities, Attributes, etc. to change with its form. This latter restriction does not apply if the spirit has a very limited number of forms and knows them very well. The Shapechange Charm may be seen through in the same manner as the Form Match Charm, above.
The spirit causes brief, somewhat muddled manifestations of sound, smell and light, such as a ball of light or indistinct sounds of conversation. Roll the spirit’s Manipulation + Valor. The more successes, the more noticeable these manifestations are (louder, brighter) and the longer they may last. This Charm may not be used in precise ways — no writing words or making pictures in light, and no speaking distinct phrases.
Prerequisite Charms: Will-o-Wisp
The spirit may cause the same manifestations as Will-o-Wisp, again making a Manipulation + Valor check. This time, however, it may create distinct patterns. For instance, ghostly writing may be created. This Charm may be used to hold a conversation with a target while the spirit is unmanifested. The number of successes affects how distinct the manifestations are, how precisely controlled they are and just how thoroughly the spirit may manipulate its medium. With five successes, the spirit may paint simple scenes out of light, sound and smell. These scenes may not be larger than 10 feet in any direction, and they are obvious to anyone who is close enough to observe them.
Through the use of this Charm, spirits can paralyze targets. A spirit must touch its target for this Charm to work, which may require a successful Dexterity + Brawl or Martial Arts check. If the spirit successfully touches its target, roll its Strength + Valor with a difficulty equal to the target’s Stamina. Every extra success the spirit achieves causes the target to suffer a -2 penalty to all rolls involving movement or agility for the rest of the scene.
The spirit may use this Charm to affect whichever element(s) it shares an affinity with. For example, a forest spirit could affect wood, and possibly earth (Storyteller’s discretion). This allows spirits to cause or calm small floods and rainstorms, to whip a small torch into a raging inferno or a delicate dance of firelight, to create gusts of wind, to open a hole in the earth or to twist tree limbs into manacles. Roll the spirit’s Manipulation + Valor. The number of successes indicates how fine a level of control the spirit has and how powerful an effect it can create. One success allows a spirit to call forth a mild rain or to light a campfire, while three allow a spirit to cause a rainy day or to build a torch into a bonfire without any extra fuel. Five successes might allow a spirit to create a phantom lover out of air itself or to instantly consume a large wooden structure in flames. The spirit may manipulate a one-yard cube of an element per point of Essence it possess. In the case of area effects such as rain, it could cause the effect in a five-yard radius per permanent Essence point.
Prerequisite Charms: Affinity Element Control The same as Affinity Element Control, except that the spirit can control any element, not just one to which it is attuned.
This Charm allows the spirit to control the weather. Note that this may duplicate some effects of the Element Control Charms, but its effects are limited to weather phenomena: rain, fog, floods, storms, heat, cold, etc. This Charm affects a larger area as well — a one-mile radius per permanent Essence point. Roll the spirit’s Manipulation + Valor; the number of successes determines the size of the effect the spirit can create and the length of time before the area’s natural climate reasserts itself. One success allows small changes — a low wind could be created, or a heavywind could be downgraded to a moderate wind. Three successes allow the creation of a moderate rainstorm or a mild heat wave. Five successes allow wild changes in local weather patterns, such as high heat in the middle of the month of Ascending Water. It takes one hour per success for the local weather patterns to reassert themselves. Unnatural or one-time meteorological effects that are halted by the use of this Charm can be considered ended.
The spirit may, upon a successful Stamina + Valor check, set fire to whatever item it touches. This requires 5 motes if the item is nonflammable.
This Charm causes its target to become “touched” by the spirit’s element. The spirit must touch its target for this Charm to work, possibly requiring a successful Dexterity + Brawl or Martial Arts attack. Roll the spirit’s Manipulation + Valor with a difficulty equal to the target’s Essence. The more extra successes, the more intense the target’s reaction to this Charm. A fire-aspected spirit causes someone to grow feverish. The target might take on some of the personality traits associated with fire: a hotheaded temper, lusty libido, curiosity, anger, vengeance, forcefulness or willfulness. The effects of this Charm last for one day or until the spirit chooses to release the target, whichever comes sooner. This Charm is a favorite among demons, who use it to bring out the worst in targets.
This Charm is the same as Element Touch, but it lasts for one week or until the spirit chooses to release the target, whichever comes sooner. Like Element Touch, this Charm requires the spirit to touch its target. If the spirit achieves three or more successes, the target may have hallucinations that support and intensify his reaction.
This Charm is similar to the lesser Element Kiss and Element Touch Charms, but lasts for one month or until the spirit chooses to release the target (whichever comes sooner). The spirit must either touch the target or look into the target’s eyes. Roll the spirit’s Manipulation + Valor with a difficulty equal to the target’s Essence. With two or more successes, the target has the hallucinations described under Element Kiss. At three or more successes, the target may well harm herself under the force of her reaction.
Not all relations between spirits and mortals are friendly. The little gods have their own rules and demand their own etiquette, and improper behavior may earn a spirit’s wrath. Curses are one means at the spirits’ disposal to punish mortals. Curses are very much unique to the spirit, just as blessings are. A drink of water from one spirit’s favored well may activate its curse, while another spirit might confer its curse with the gift of an object or with a touch. When designing a spirit’s curse, do not hesitate to break, add to or modify the guidelines below if it suits your story (though you should try to keep the power level approximately the same).
Most small gods will be able to use only one or two aspects of a curse. As always, an Eclipse Caste Solar Exalted may only learn the aspect of a curse that the spirit teaching her knows, never the generic “template.” In all cases, roll the spirit’s Manipulation + Valor for the curse to take effect. Abilities, motes and temporary Willpower may not be lowered below 0; Attributes, Essence and permanent Willpower may not be lowered below 1. Any curse that involves the loss of something disposable (temporary Willpower, motes of Essence) simply lasts until the target regains the points as normal. The suggestions below are just that: suggestions. It is possible, in rare cases, that high-level curses (Scourge, and perhaps Malediction) may also affect Backgrounds (such as a spirit cursing someone to lose his friends), Virtues and Charms. When creating a new curse for a spirit, however, keep in mind that an Exalted may learn the Charm, and try to balance the power accordingly.
The effects of this Charm always fade by the next morning’s sunrise, and it may not be cast more than once per day on the same target. Some possible curses:
• One dot lost from an Ability of the spirit’s choosing.
• The loss of one temporary Willpower point.
• The loss of 2 motes of Essence.
• Bad luck: The target loses one die from any normal Ability checks (not Charm checks) that relate to the way in which the target offended the spirit.
The effects of this Charm last for one week, and it may not be cast more than once per week on the same target. Some possible curses:
• Loss of two Ability dots, distributed as the spirit sees fit.
• The loss of two temporary Willpower points.
• The loss of one Attribute dot of the spirit’s choosing.
• The loss of 5 motes of Essence.
• Bad luck: The target removes one die from normal Ability checks (not Charm checks).
• A mark appears in an obvious place on the target that only spirits or Exalted with some sort of supernatural sight can see. This may, for example, urge any spirits who meet the target to torment him.
The effects of this Charm last for one week, and it may not be used on a target more than once every two weeks. Some possible effects:
• Loss of four Ability points, distributed as the spirit sees fit.
• Loss of two Attribute points, distributed as the spirit sees fit.
• Loss of three temporary Willpower points.
• Loss of 10 motes of Essence.
• Bad luck: The target removes one die from both normal Ability checks and Charm checks.
• The effects of one Charm (of Virtue 1, Essence 1) that the spirit possesses may be conferred upon the target, but that effect is twisted in some way. If Natural Prognostication were conferred, the target might predict only the bad things that will happen to his companions. Or his predictions might be more than a little mixed up. Landscape Travel, if cast on someone traveling through a forest, might force him to travel through the trees and prevent him from ever touching the ground. This twisted Charm lasts for no more than one week.
This curse is never cast lightly, and it may not be cast more than once per year. Only spirits that have been drastically wronged in heinous ways would consider using this curse (if just because they wouldn’t be able to cast it again for another year).
• Loss of one Attribute point, permanently. It must be bought back up through practice (and experience points). Against a mortal character, this Charm also permanently lowers the character’s maximum score in that Ability by one.
• Loss of two Ability points, permanently, distributed as the spirit sees fit. Only practice and experience points may buy this back up again.
• Loss of one permanent Willpower point.
• Loss of one permanent Essence point.
• Loss of all temporary Willpower.
• The effects of one Charm (maximum Virtue 2, Essence 2) that the spirit possesses may be conferred upon the target, but the effect is twisted in some way (as Malediction). This lasts for twice as long as the Charm would normally last. In rare cases (Storyteller discretion), the effect may be permanent.
• Bad luck: The target attracts ill-intentioned spirits wherever he goes. Duration permanent.
• The spirit may permanently change some physical feature of the target, such as facial hair or eye color. (This alteration may not change any Attributes by more than one point.)
This Charm allows a materialized spirit to launch a single attack at an unmanifested spirit. For the purposes of the individual attack, the small god attacks the immaterial spirit normally.
There is Essence in worship. Prayers and burnt offerings provide power to those gods who receive them. In this fallen age, the Essence of prayer lures gods to demand the worship of men. They are not alone in this, for some Exalted accept worship as well, and even mortal cult leaders like the doomed prophet Ikerre can gain power from worship. Though it does not provide as much Essence as ownership of a Manse or Demesne, worship is harder to disrupt. While a god’s control of a holy place can be directly contested, her cult will attempt to continue worship even if it becomes illegal. It doesn’t matter if the god’s worshipers like her or not. What matters is that they make regular offerings and prayers to her. Cults that hate and fear a god are less likely to persist if the local political climate turns against her, however. Having this Background does not make an Exalt or mortal into a god, it just grants them access to Essence and Willpower.
The Immaculate Order’s attitude about personal cults is very dim, but the more autocratic Great Houses are effectively cults.
| x | None, the god has no cult and must rely on respiration and control of holy places to regain Essence. |
| • | The god has a small but devoted cult, with perhaps a half-dozen full time priests or ascetics tending to his shrines and singing his praises. Every morning when the sun rises or sets (the god picks), the god gains a point of temporary Willpower. |
| •• | The god’s faith lays its hand on the everyday life of a large community or several small ones. Several hundred people offer the god daily prayers and small offerings, and the god has feasts and sacred days (perhaps informal ones) throughout that area. The god gains a point of temporary Willpower every morning or evening and, in addition, gains 2 motes of Essence per hour from worship. |
| ••• | The god is venerated in a region. Several thousand people daily seek the god’s favor or forbearance. Gods who are divine rulers of a single city have this level of worship. The god may regain a point of temporary Willpower once every 24 hours as a reflexive action requiring no dice. The god gains 3 motes of Essence per hour from the power of the cult. |
| •••• | The god’s worship is the faith of a nation. Tens of thousands of beings hold the god in reverence. There are regional festivals in the god’s name that draw merchants and traders from all around. The god may have a city sacred to her where she rules either symbolically or in truth. Once every 12 hours, the god may gain back a point of temporary Willpower as a reflexive action that requires no dice, and the god’s cult blesses her with 4 additional Essence per hour. |
| ••••• | The god’s worship is the faith of a region, and he is seen as the arbiter of some major sphere of life affairs, such as hunting, war or procreation. There are seasonal festivals in the god’s honor all over the land, many children carry the god’s name, and much is done in honor of that name. The god must surely face fierce competition from other powerful divinities for the prayers and honors and will have to spend a great deal of time furthering his worship. Every six hours, the god can gain a point of temporary Willpower as a diceless reflexive action, and the god gains back 6 motes per hour from the constant prayers of the faithful. |
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