sol invictus.indd

CHAPTER 1 • CHARM DESIGNfeels would not be unbalanced if it could be usedfor free.2-4 motes. These Charms tend to be a Solar’s“workhorse” Charms. Charms with a mote costin this bracket typically provide effects which aresignificant but not overwhelming. A basic defense(like Dipping Swallow Defense) or offensive booster(like Fiery Arrow Attack), a moderately usefulturnlong effect (like Feathery Gallop Exercise), ora very basic scenelong effect (like Friendship WithAnimals Approach) would all qualify. A typicalSolar can use an effect in this range 10-20 timeswithout regaining Essence, so a Storyteller shouldexpect a Solar to be able to use such a Charmrepeatedly in a single scene.5-9 motes. Charms within this cost bracket providea fairly significant effect. In any given situation,they’ll tend to shift the balance in favor of theExalt using the Charm. Powerful Instant effects(like Seven Shadow Evasion), significant scenelongcombat effects (like most Martial Arts FormCharms or Fivefold Bulwark Stance), and noncombateffects with a large or lasting effect (likeTouch of Blissful Release or Blurred Form Style)all tend to fall within this range. A typical Solarcan use Charms in this category about 5-8 timeswithout recharging Essence; a Storyteller shouldexpect a character to use them when necessary, butcarefully consider their use.“SPEEDBUMPS”One specifc type of underpowered Charm isthe “speedbump” — a Charms that exist only toslow down a character’s access to more powerfulCharms later in the tree. It’s sometimes desirableto make a Charm more difficult to acquire, butintroducing unnecessary Charms with limitedutility isn’t an ideal way to accomplish it.The question to ask about a Charm is: “If I buy thisCharm, do I ever stop without buying the Charmafter it right away?” Charms whose successorsare simply better or more mote-efficient (withouta drastic increase in prerequisites or cost) wouldqualify. So would Charms that are largely uselessin the first place. These Charms are frustratingto players because they aren’t worth having ontheir own — any points spent to purchase themfeel “wasted.”One Weapon, Two Blows (from the corebookMelee tree) is a perfect example: there is almostnever a reason to buy it alone. It provides aweak effect, and its more flexible successor canduplicate that effect for only 1 more mote. Sincethe prerequisites of the two Charms are so close,there’s very little reason to stop at One Weaponrather than buying the followup Charm as well.When designing a Charm, there are ways to keepa Charm from feeling like a speedbump. If twoCharms have similar effects, and the second ismore powerful, the first will still be useful if it’smore efficient. Similarly, if there’s some smallquality that only the first Charm possesses, thatcan be enough to keep it from becoming useless.(Peony Blossom Attack is less powerful thanIron Whirlwind Attack, but the latter costs aWillpower point to use — which means the firstis still sometimes worth using.)Similarly, a Charm won’t feel like a speedbumpif the Charm that follows it has much higherprerequisites. If an Essence 5 Charm obsoletesan Essence 2 Charm, the latter is still worthbuying — at least, if you don’t have Essence 5.A player can use such a Charm for a long timebefore becoming powerful enough to use the nextCharm in the tree.In general, Sol Invictus makes alterations toany Charms that meet this definition, eithereliminating them or altering their effects to makethem remain useful.19