This page is simply a rough overview of the Lunar Charm system that I will be creating in the following subpages. It outlines the essential presumptions of Lunar charms, and then details what kind of charms go into each category.
Natural Bonuses
The concept of a "Natural" bonus is unique and integral to Lunars, allowing the Lunar to advance beyond the bounds of the rules with regard to his Attributes. In general, a Natural bonus counts as an actual dot of the attribute in question for the purpose of other Lunar charms and the magical effects of other charms. A Lunar charm with a limit equal to the characters Strength, thus, is limited by the character's base strength plus any natural bonuses. Any bonus that is not listed specifically as a natural bonus is not natural; it is treated as any other dice bonus, with Lunars having a charm-based limit equal to their Attribute (base + natural bonuses). All natural bonuses are listed as "+# natural bonus".
A natural bonus can have a duration of one scene, indefinite, or permanent. A natural bonus does not inherently have any dice-adder cap in and of itself; infinite advancement is possible. However, any charm that includes a natural bonus should include some kind of limitation. A one-scene long natural bonus likely gives a set bonus (+1 natural bonus to strength), and cannot stack with itself. An indefinite bonus is probably scalable (# motes per +1 natural bonus), and has a limit equal to the base attribute rating. A permanent bonus is almost always gained at +1 natural bonus per purchase of a charm, and will have a limit on how often you can purchase that charm.
These bonuses can stack with each other! A Lunar might have Strength 3, Body Weapon Technique (x5), and Crushing Coils. He has a base strength of 3, a permanent +5 natural bonus, and the ability to benefit from another +3 natural bonus for 6 motes. Thus, this character can attain a strength rating of 11.
Shapeshifting Charms and The Tell
The Lunar Exalted are natural shapeshifters, and gain access to the "Shapeshifting" charm type. These charms can be used freely together without combos, and cannot be learned by any except the Lunar Exalted and a few rare Half-Caste. The magic of shapeshifting comes easily to Lunars and can be extremely powerful, but does come with several limitations.
Most severe of these is the Tell, a mystical marking on a Lunar Exalted Shapeshifter. Only Lunars that explore the Shapeshifting trees gain Tells, and the more deeply they explore the Shapeshifting trees the more severe and obvious their tell. In specific, a characters tell has a dot rating ranging from 0 to 5, which increases as the Lunar learns more shapeshifting charms. The mechanic for this is simple: many Shapeshifting charms have "This charm increases the characters Tell to #," as the last line of their text. When purchasing such a charm, the Lunar increases his tell to that dot rating if it was not already. If he already had a Tell of that strength or higher, the purchase has no effect.
I have not yet finished mechanics for spotting a tell, nor charms for hiding ones tell.
Attribute-based Charms
A Lunar's charms are based on attributes. All the attributes have their own rough associations, and their magic tends to fall in various different ways. A Lunar's charm trees will each be grouped under the most appropriate Attribute, in addition to each Attribute having its own small tree of particularly basic and essential magic.
A Lunar's charms aren't just magic tricks with Attribute minimums, but should somehow tie into the nature of the Attribute and the natural magic of the Lunars as chosen of Luna -- a goddess of mystery, change, and allure. The Lunars inherently use, shift and add on to the Attribute mechanics and many of their charms are somewhat more "broad" than a Skill-based charm might otherwise be prone to. However, Lunar charms can and will have benefits and restrictions that affect them at the skill-level. A Skill is a focus through which one expresses ones attribute, and thus they are acceptable parts of the Attribute-based charm mechanics.
Charm Cost & Power Level
The Lunar Charms are slightly expensive both in experience and mote cost, but tend to be both broad and considerably powerful. Many have a primary effect, and a smaller secondary effect of a related nature.
I have not yet finished deciding exactly how I'm laying out Lunar charms. I'm leaning toward long charm trees but have already done 3 or 4 sub-trees per attribute. My current idea is that they have slightly more narrow trees than Solars, and slightly less flexibility. A Lunar should be able to make Custom Charms, but custom trees should be restricted to some degree. In general, the Lunar charms outline what they can do -- if you can't build off them, ask yourself if it should be a Lunar charm at all.
Lunar Specific Stuff
Lunars should do a few things that nobody else really does; we've already examined a few of these things above, such as natural bonuses and shapeshifting charms. A few other ideas include a complete mastery of charms that boost attributes, convert attributes into successes, overcome and change the rules for attributes, and otherwise muss with the rules.
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