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This sidereal martial arts style owes its existance to [[MartialArtsRelay/SableEvocationOfImage|Sable Evocation of Image]], an incompleted relay style, which inspired this style and provided some of the charms. This style is somewhat different in tenor and execution, though similar in concept. Thanks go to the original creators of Evocation of Image: Darloth, Dasmen, DigitalSentience, FlowsLikeBits, Issaru, OhJames, Overshee, and Wohksworth.
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This sidereal martial arts style owes its existence to [[exalted:MartialArtsRelay/SableEvocationOfImage|Sable Evocation of Image]], an uncompleted relay style, which inspired this style.


Practicioners of the Sable Disposition of Being weild paintbrushes as weapons, using art to alter, shape and control reality. Portraits are particularly utilized, but any painting can be made representing how the practicioner wants the subject to be, and the charms of this style realize these wishes. While practicioners weilding brushes as weapons are considered to be unarmed for the purposes of charms in this style, most practitioners prefer to fight barehanded or else not at all. This style is incompatible with armor.
Practitioners of the Sable Disposition of Being wield paintbrushes as weapons, using art to alter, shape and control reality. Portraits are particularly utilized, but any painting can be made representing how the practitioner wants the subject to be, and the charms of this style realize these wishes. While practitioners wielding brushes as weapons are considered to be unarmed for the purposes of charms in this style, most practitioners prefer to fight barehanded or else not at all. This style is incompatible with armor.


Intended for Second Edition, this style makes use of (and manipulates) the social combat rules in some cases. Some of the charms in the style can be used both during social combat and standard combat. Listed speeds refer to standard combat. Unless otherwise specified, charms used in social combat have a speed of one long tick.
Intended for Second Edition, this style makes use of (and manipulates) the social combat rules in some cases. Some of the charms in the style can be used both during social combat and standard combat. Listed speeds refer to standard combat. Unless otherwise specified, charms used in social combat have a speed of one long tick. The style is intended to be quite fast in social combat, but fairly slow in standard combat.


Charms of this style all make use of images of the specific target to be effected. Such images can be painted ahead of time or rendered on the spur of the moment. The image may be sparse and stylized, even quick cartoon, but must convey the essence of both the specific target(s) and the desired effect of the charm. The practicioner must have proper materials, such as a brush, paint, a paintable surface such as paper, the floor, a wall and the freedom of motion to paint to use any of the charms in this style. Images created ahead of time are referred to as "prepared", while those created on the fly are called "impromteu".
Charms of this style usually make use of images of the specific target to be affected. Such images can be painted ahead of time or rendered on the spur of the moment. Any person, place or object recognizably and specifically represented in either type of painting is referred to as "imaged" in the charm descriptions below. The image may be sparse and stylized, even quick cartoon, but to be used for imaging, a painting must recognizably illustrate the specific target, demonstrate the charm's the specific desired effect and must have been crafted by the artist. A single painting may be made of more than one subject, but only one subject may be affected at a time. Both Mail & Steel and social units are considered single targets by these charms. Images created ahead of time are referred to as "prepared", while those created on the fly are called "impromptu".


A ''prepared'' image may be used more subtley and quickly, but must represent a specific target and specific effect, so is less flexible. Prepared images are created somewhat similarly to Prayer strips. Proper materials (Resources ••) are used over six hours to construct the portrait using a Dexterity + Martial Arts or Dexterity + Craft (Air) test, with a difficulty of 2. Prepared images can also be made during social combat by spending a Miscellaneous Action and making the same test with a difficulty of 4 (such creation is usually obvious). When using a prepared image to invoke a charm, the caster need only have the image on his person or otherwise be in physical contact with it for it to be effective, so tend to be nearly unnoticable. All charm stats below assume the use of prepared images unless otherwise noted.
* A ''prepared'' image may be used more subtly and quickly, but since images used in this style must represent a specific target and specific effect, this approach requires good planning, so is less flexible. Prepared images are created somewhat similarly to prayer strips. Proper materials (Resources ••) are used over six hours to construct the portrait using a Dexterity + Martial Arts or Dexterity + Craft (Air) test, with a difficulty of 2. Prepared images can also be made during social combat by spending a Miscellaneous Action and making the same test with a difficulty of 4 (such creation is usually obvious). When using a prepared image to invoke a charm, the caster need only have the image on his person or otherwise be in physical contact with it for it to be effective, so charms cast like this tend to be nearly unnoticeable. All charm stats below assume the use of prepared images unless otherwise noted.
* An ''impromptu'' image can be created in the same action as the charm invocation, provided the practitioner has proper materials—such as a brush, paint, a paintable surface such as paper, the floor, a wall—and the freedom of motion to paint. This adds the Obvious keyword to that invocation of the charm. If the charm is used as part of the artist's action, creating an impromptu image as part of that action increases its speed by 4 (if appropriate) and reduces DV by 1. No roll is needed for the creation of the image, with any rolls needed by the charm itself assumed to include that.


An ''imprompteu'' image can be created in the same action as the charm invocation, provided the practicioner can actually do so (i.e. is free to move, has materials available, etc.). This adds the Obvious keyword to that invocation of the charm. If the charm is used as part of the exalt's action, creating an imprompteu image as part of that action increases its speed by 4 (if appropriate) and reduces DV by 1. No roll is needed for the creation of the image, with any rolls needed by the charm itself assumed to include that.
Some charms may be used to "enchant" images, empowering the image to deliver an effect to a specific target at a later time. Charms used in this manner are considered to have a duration of a year and a day unless otherwise noted. As such, motes powering such charms remain committed until the charm is triggered and expended. The artist may also release the motes, which are considered spent and must regenerate normally, at any time, rendering the painting a mundane piece of paper.


Any person, place or object recognizably and specifically represented in either type of painting is referred to as "imaged" in the charm descriptions below. To qualify as imaged by a prepared painting, the martial artist must have the painting on his person or otherwise be in physical contact with it. Only one painting may be used to image for a single charm invocation. For charms affecting a single target, group paintings containing a specific target may be used to attack that target, but other figures in the painting are not effected. For charms allowing effects against multiple targets, all targets must be represented in the painting, but the exalt may exclude those in the painting he does not wish to effect. Images must depict the specific effect the exalt is trying to acheive. Images used by charms must have been painted by the exalt.
Lastly, some of the charms in this style may generate Paradox for the artist or the target. When this occurs, the person gains a Paradox track, even if they are not sidereals. Those who accumulate 10 or more points of Paradox are subject to pattern bite (''Sidereals'', pg. 214) as normal. Non-sidereals dissipate Paradox the same way sidereals do (''Sidereals'', pg. 215). This may includes the use of rituals to speed the process, but non-sidreals do not automatically know these rituals, or even that such rituals exist.


In some cases, charms may be used to enchant images. Unless otherwise noted, motes powering such charms remain comitted until the charm is triggered and expended. The exalt may also release the motes, which are considered spent and must regenerate normally, at any time, rendering the painting a mundane peice of paper.
<center>[[Image:Sable.png|Tree]]</center>


* Instant social attack (can be defended by shaping). Must pick associated social ability and can use it or martial arts to attack. Can turn a prepared image into written attack. In social time, can use excellencies without combo from relevant social ability.
== Lesser Charms ==
* Form allows painting into air, supplies paint. Provide social defense. Maybe minor dodging? Prepared image need not be situationally specific, counts as stutra? Maybe reduces speed of portrait making?
* Landscape (breached walls, fire
* An attack charm that transfers one of the attacker's resplendent destinies onto the target, by force. The target is forced to adopt that identity for some period (I suggest a year and a day). Essentially, the attack "repaints" the target.
* A ranged, unnoticable "attack" that allows the attacker to paint a portrait of someone in eyesight. The portrait can later be used to make astrology easier against that target. One (possibly over the top) idea is to create a painting of a group, and the group can be affected using only highest Essence rating of the group, rather than their sum (assuming non-mortal people in the group). This would get around a huge restriction on astrology.
* A long (five minute or so) kata/painting process that allows the repainting of a friendly target to do things like heal damage, regenerate limbs, cure disease and possibly reverse aging. Can't be used on self.
* I don't think anyone did anything with the "creating phantasmal warrior-servants from simple sketches" idea at the start of the post. It'd be interesting if you could mail a squad of fighters someplace.
* Animation of form? Touch a painting and bring it to life.


== Artistic Vision Affliction ==
''Lesser Sutra of Creativity: A maiden was once an artist&hellip;''


'''Cost:''' 2m; '''Mins:''' Martial Arts 4, Essence 4; '''Type:''' Simple (5 ticks)<br>
=== Wreaking Nuance ===
 
'''Cost:''' 8m; '''Mins:''' Martial Arts 4, Essence 4; '''Type:''' Simple<br>
'''Keywords:''' Combo-OK, Shaping<br>
'''Keywords:''' Combo-OK, Shaping<br>
'''Duration:''' Instant<br>
'''Duration:''' Instant<br>
'''Prerequisite Charms:''' none
'''Prerequisite Charms:''' none<br>
''&hellip;whose colors so angered a rival&hellip;''


The exalt makes a social attack on a single imaged target within line of sight. This attack may take place within standard combat time, and is an unblockable, undodgeable shaping attack made using Manipulation + Martial Arts. If used during social combat, the attack has a speed of 1 long tick and a rate of 1.
Not content to merely provoke a subjective emotional reaction to his work, the artist renders his subject with such emotive power that reality itself takes notice and instantly twists the subject's feelings to conform to the artist's intent. The artist makes a social attack on a single imaged target within line of sight. This attack may take place within standard combat time, and is an unnatural social attack made using Manipulation + Martial Arts. This attack may not be blocked or dodged normally, but may be defended with any effect that provides defense against shaping effects. If used during social combat, the attack has a speed of 1 long tick and a rate of 1. This attack may be used on inactive targets. If successful, the attack may inflict an Compulsion, Emotion, Illusion or Servitude effect.


The effect depicted by the image is imprinted on reality with no discussion or argument, so unless the target is given reason to suspect otherwise, he will assume any effects of the attack are his own idea. If he should realize the effect is foreign, he still may not realize the attack came from the caster unless the caster was obviously involved in some way (e.g. using an imprompteu image).
The effect depicted by the image is imprinted on reality with no discussion or argument, so unless the target is given reason to suspect otherwise, he will assume any effects of the attack are his own idea. If he should realize the effect is foreign, he still may not realize the attack came from the caster unless the caster was obviously involved in some way (e.g. using an impromptu image).


Alternatively, this charm can empower the image itself to deliver an identical attack to an imaged target as a written attack (''Exalted 2'', pg. 175).
Alternatively, this charm can enchant the image itself to deliver an identical attack to an imaged target as a written attack (''Exalted 2'', pg. 175).


== Drafting of Soldiers ==
=== Drafting of Soldiers ===


'''Cost:''' 1m per solider; '''Mins:''' Martial Arts 4, Essence 4; '''Type:''' Simple (3 ticks)<br>
'''Cost:''' 5m + 1m per soldier ; '''Mins:''' Martial Arts 4, Essence 4; '''Type:''' Simple<br>
'''Keywords:''' Obvious, Stackable<br>
'''Keywords:''' Obvious, Stackable, Combo-Basic, Shaping<br>
'''Duration:''' 1 day<br>
'''Duration:''' 7 days<br>
'''Prerequisite Charms:''' none
'''Prerequisite Charms:''' none<br>
''&hellip;that she needed an army to defend her.''


Warriors painted into an image leap from the image and grow into full sized, idealized soliders. This soliders are obviously magical phantoms, solid to the touch, but occasionally tranparent. The exalt may summon up to Charisma + Martial Arts soliders with a single invocation of this charm (or as many are represented on the painting, whichever is less). All soliders carry any weapons and armor the exalt painted; however, no matter how fantasitcal, magical or formidable such gear might appear, it remains completely mundane, using standard statistics. The soldiers use the statistics for elite soldiers (''Exalted 2'', pg. 280) except that they never need to make valor checks and are considered to be automaton when reisting effects. The will follow orders intelligently, but not particularly creatively. They can speak, but will rarely do so.
Every artist needs an entourage, especially one that can be conjured from thin air. Warriors painted into an image leap from the image and grow into full sized, idealized soldiers. These soldiers are obviously magical phantoms, solid to the touch, but occasionally transparent. The artist may summon up to Charisma + Martial Arts soldiers with a single invocation of this charm (or as many are represented on the painting, whichever is less). All soldiers carry any weapons and armor the artist painted; however, no matter how fantastical, magical or formidable such gear might appear, it remains completely mundane, using standard statistics. The soldiers use the statistics for elite soldiers (''Exalted 2'', pg. 280) except that they never need to make valor checks and are considered to be automaton when resisting effects. They will follow orders intelligently, but not particularly creatively. They can speak, but will rarely do so.


A mote committed to animate a single soldier may be uncommitted if that solider dies prior to the expiration of this charm. Similarly, some soliders may be "dismissed" by reflexively releasing motes without dismissing them all. (Such motes are still considered spent, however.) Should a solider be killed or dismissed, it and its gear vanishes with a slight flash and audible pop.
A mote committed to animate a single soldier may be uncommitted if that solider dies prior to the expiration of this charm. Similarly, some soldiers may be "dismissed" by reflexively releasing motes without dismissing them all. (Such motes are still considered spent, as normal.) Should a solider be killed or dismissed, it and its gear vanishes with a slight flash and audible pop.


Images used for casting this charm are specifically exempt from the need to paint specific targets and effects. Only a general notion of the warriors and their gear need be depicted. If created with an imprompteu image, the speed of this action increases by 1 for each soldier drawn.
Images used for casting this charm are specifically exempt from the need to paint specific targets and effects. Only a general notion of the warriors and their gear need be depicted. If created with an impromptu image, the speed of this action increases by 1 for each soldier drawn rather than the standard 4.


This charm may be used to enchant a prepared image, which is then folded. The soliders will not appear until the image is unfolded by anyone. In such cases, the image must depict what the soliders will do when the image is unfolded. The image will remain enchanted for a year and a day, but when unfolded the soldiers will appear for 1 day and then the magic expires. Unfolding the note in combat is considered a Miscellaneous Action.
This charm may be used to enchant a prepared image, which is then folded. The soldiers will not appear until the image is unfolded by anyone. In such cases, the image must depict what the soldiers will do when the image is unfolded. The image will remain enchanted for a year and a day, but when unfolded the soldiers will appear for 7 days and then the magic expires. Unfolding the note in combat is considered a Miscellaneous Action (-1 DV).


''Example: Hammer in the Woods paints an image of five warriors protecting Cynis Aran. She then casts this charm, folds the image, and sends it to Cynis Aran. Two months later, the image arrives. Knowing its contents, Aran holds it for a month, until she is suddenly attacked in court. She unfolds it and the five soliders emerge to defend her.''
:''Example: Hammer in the Woods paints an image of five warriors protecting Cynis Aran. She then casts this charm, folds the image, and sends it to her. Two months later, the image arrives. Knowing its contents, Aran holds it for a month, until she is suddenly attacked in court. She unfolds it and the five soldiers emerge to defend her. Once the soldiers do their job and vanish, the essence Hammer has committed to this charm becomes spent and Hammer knows instantly the charm has faded.''


== Original ==
=== Impressing the Landscape ===


<i>DigitalSentience's Guidelines: This is Sidereal-level, 13 Charms.  Incompatible with armor.  Paintbrushes and calligraphy brushes wielded as weapons count as unarmed for the purposes of Charms in this style, although most practitioners prefer to fight barehanded or else not at all.</i>
'''Cost:''' 25m, 2wp; '''Mins:''' Martial Arts 5, Essence 4; '''Type:''' Simple (8, -2 DV)<br>
'''Keywords:''' Shaping<br>
'''Duration:''' One day<br>
'''Prerequisite Charms:''' none<br>
''In the terrain of her mind&hellip;''


Thoughts: This is a style based around the power of symbols, art, and specifically portraits. A Sable Evocation of Image practitioner is able to bring drawings and paintings to life, eventually even controlling the subjects of their art, creating phantasmal warrior-servants from simple sketches, or trapping a target's soul in a work of art.  
While lesser artists idealize the landscapes in their paintings, the true artist alters the landscape to meet his painting's ideal. Using a painting depicting a region within eyeshot, the artist shapes reality to make the landscape conform to his portrayal of it. The artist's painting might show a spring welling up from the desert before him, and this charm makes the spring appear. The walled city he is laying siege to may be painted with crumbled fortifications, and the walls will fall.  


<i><b>Student's Sutra of Art:</b> There once was a maiden, who painted a portrait...</i>
The artist makes a Dexterity + Martial Arts roll against a difficulty proportional to how radical or unlikely the desired change is. For example, painting an avalanche into a mountain covered in loose rocks would probably only need one success, while palace of ice painted into a volcanic lava flow would probably require five. While the effects of this charm are open ended, there are a number of restrictions:
----


1. <b><i>Artist's Appraising Martial Eye</b></i> - [[Overshee]]
* The charm cannot alter, harm or otherwise directly effect living creatures, spirits or any other entity with a permanent Essence rating. So, if the artist paints a picture of the village he is in burning to the ground, the structures will burn, but all of the inhabitants will escape miraculously unharmed.
* The charm may only target an area the artist can see. As always, the painting used must image the exact area and effect.
* The charm can only affect mundane material. The marble used in manses, the five magical materials and any material altered by charms or sorcery are completely immune to this charm. The charm may not create or alter demesnes or manses in any way. This charm is a shaping effect, so items protected from shaping are likewise immune. Structures or terrain made from gossamer, however, may be altered by this spell.
* The charm can only affect terrain, including buildings and streets. For example, it could not be used to remove the armor from an army or the army from a battlefield, but could depict the land on which the army stands as being underwater (though somehow the soldiers would not drown).
* The charm can alter a million cubic yards (equivalent to a cube 100 yards on each side) of terrain per point of the artist's Essence. The affected area must be at least one yard long on its smallest dimension.
* Effects can be as varied as the artist's imagination, but cannot exceed celestial sorcery in power. For example, if the artist paints a building in the middle of an empty plain, a spell like Ivory Orchid Pavilion should act as a guide to the upper limits of what such a building can be. Even if the artist paints a city street under a rain of corrosive venom, he cannot produce the effects of a solar spell like Rain of Doom. In general, if an effect on a landscape cannot be a celestial spell (even a theoretical one), then it cannot be produced by this charm either.


<b>Cost: </b> 1 mote
From the time this charm is cast, events in the painting play out as real until the sun both rises and sets, though the artist may cancel the charm before this. Once the charm ends, all changed terrain returns to normal. Buildings burned to ash are now whole, walls are rebuilt, springs dry up. Memories, however, remain.
<b>Duration: </b> Instant
<b>Type: </b> Reflexive
<b>Min. Martial Arts: </b> 5
<b>Min Essence: </b> 4
<b>Prereqs: </b> None
<i>of a man who shone with the brilliance of the sun.</i>


Upon actiavtion of this charm, the martial artist's eyes flash from one end of the visible spectrum to the other, encompassing any and all colors imaginable for a split second. Drawing upon her training in anatomy and perspective, bolstered with a gentle rush of Essence, she may discern the combat capabilities of her opponent.
=== Capturing the Moment ===


Mechanically, the martial artist may learn her opponent's rating in any two of the following traits: Strength, Dexterity, Stamina, Wits, Archery, Brawl, Melee, Martial Arts, Thrown, Resistance, Athletics, Dodge, Ride, Sail, Conviction, or Valor. As a side-effect, this Charm may activated simultaneously with any other Charm of the Sable Evocation of Image Style, unless otherwise specified.
'''Cost:''' 9m; '''Mins:''' Martial Arts 5, Essence 4; '''Type:''' Reflexive (Step 1 or 2)<br>
'''Keywords:''' Combo-OK, Obvious<br>
'''Duration:''' Instant<br>
'''Prerequisite Charms:''' none<br>
''&hellip;she froze her rival's violence&hellip;''


2. <b><i>Painting Trouble's Braids</i></b> -- OhJames
This charm may only be invoked while attacking or being attacked. When used while dodging an attack, the artist paints a crude depiction of the attack on an available surface (or in the air, if using this style's form) capturing it within the lines of his art and completely dodging it. The the number of successes made on the attack, as well as its base damage, are stored within the painting. This charm may not normally be used to dodge a undodgeable or perfect attacks; however, it may be used if comboed with a charm or charms that allow normal dodging of such attacks.


<b>Cost:</b> 5 motes, 1 Willpower
When used to augment any Martial Arts attack, this charm makes use of the painting of a previously captured attack, releasing it's energy and destroying the painting in the process, as the art comes alive to back the attack. The successes stored in the painting are added to the attack and the attack's base damage is replaced by the base damage within the painting. This is not considered an imaged effect, and such an attack can be made against any target, regardless of who made the attack that was stored.
<b>Duration: </b> Instant
<b>Type: </b> Simple
<b>Min. Martial Arts: </b> 5
<b>Min. Essence: </b> 4
<b>Prerequisite Charms: </b> None


<i>The man said: "Is that really me? Or have you painted my ghost?"</i>
The artist may maintain up to Essence paintings at once, but the magic fades from the paintings when the scene in which they were made ends, leaving only the art behind. Paintings may be attacked like any other inanimate object, and a single point of damage is enough to cancel a painting's magic, making it unusable for an attack. The artist may also reflexively release the magic from a painting made with this charm at any time with no effect. This charm may be used to capture and augment social attacks. A single invocation of this charm may not, of course, be used to attack and defend at the same time. Repeated invocations of this charm in a single action may be made as normal, with each activation either dodging or augmenting an attack as appropriate.
The exalt breathes out a stream of Essence-laden air, sculpting it with an artist's grace into the form of a violent kata. Drawing her hand before her eyes, she gathers up the magic, creating a strip of silk upon which her target's face has been roughly calligraphed. A sympathetic bond between artist, painting, and victim now exists, which the exalt can subsequently exploit.


Mechanically, this charm allows a martial artist to make an attack, which can then be frozen into a portrait. A target must first be nominated. The character must know the target's name and have a basic physical description for it to be eligible. Then a normal Dexterity + Martial Arts attack can be rolled. When the target first makes contact with her portrait, roll damage, with extra successes gained on the attack roll adding dice as usual and the target's soak subtracting dice as usual. The silk explodes into a corona of jagged Essence that pulses with the exalt's anima color, dealing lethal damage equal to the successes on the damage roll. This damage cannot be dodged or parried. Attempting to touch the portrait to its victim during combat requires a Dexterity + Martial Arts roll, which can be dodged or parried. Finally, this charm cannot be comboed with any charm that adds dice to a Martial Arts attack.
=== Sable Disposition of Being Form ===


<i>Example: Gull's Respite, Chosen of Serenity and calligrapher, needs to deal with Cathak Agruna, who is closing in on his Solar training camp. He rolls Dexterity + Martial Arts, getting seven successes. He then sends the resulting portrait to the unsuspecting Cathak as a gift. When she picks up the silk, it explodes in stabbing barbs of sapphire essence. Now Gull rolls damage. With Strength 3 and 7 extra successes, he gets 5 health levels of lethal damage. That'll teach the meddling Terrestrial.</i>
'''Cost:''' 12m; '''Mins:''' Martial Arts 5, Essence 5; '''Type:''' Simple (Speed 4)<br>
'''Keywords:''' Form-type<br>
'''Duration:''' Scene<br>
'''Prerequisite Charms:''' Wreaking Nuance, Drafting of Soldiers, Impressing the Landscape, Capturing the Moment<br>
''&hellip;with smears of airy nothing.''


<i>If he instead tried to loop it around Arguna's neck during a ninjabattle, he would need to succeed on another Martial Arts attack.</i>
To invoke this form, either the artist or his Motivation must be imaged at the time the form is activated. This image specifically is not required to be a depiction of the artist's current situation, but may be a generic likeness; however, once the image is used to activate this form, it may be used as an arcane link to the artist until it is either altered or destroyed. The image may also be created to contain the sutra for this style, allowing even an impromptu image to act as a sutra prayer strip would. If the image is used to activate the sutra (''Sidereals'', pg 184), the image will be visible to others, with images drawn on surfaces other than paper lifting off and floating in air, but otherwise acting just like a prayer strip, including its defenses (''Sidereals'', pp. 130-1). An image can be used as a sutra before the form is invoked, thus discounting it's cost as normal. Should the form be cancelled prior to the end of the scene, the sutra will remain, though if the image is destroyed, both the sutra and form will end. Images used as sutras will destroy themselves when the scene ends.


3. <b><i>Prodigy's Adaptable Palette</i></b> -- OhJames
Under the effects of the form, the artist treats reality as a canvas, with her brush (or even fingers) generating pigment of any color that stays exactly where the artist puts it, even suspended in air or under water. This paint reduces the speed penalty for impromptu images by one and the artist is always considered to have the proper materials to generate images for this style. The artist adds two dice to preparing paintings for use with the charms of this style and any Craft roll involving painting.


<b>Cost</b>: 7 motes
Unlike most martial arts forms, this form is almost solely in the mind, showing few outward signs but steeling the artist's uncompromising vision of the world. It may be used during social combat, at which time the artist adds her Essence to her parry MDV and may suffer only two total points of willpower drain from any persuasion attempts, either natural or unnatural. Attempts after that automatically fail unless made by perfect effects.
<b>Duration</b>: One Scene
<b>Type</b>: Simple
<b>Min. Martial Arts</b>: 5
<b>Min. Essence</b>: 4
<b>Prerequisite Charms</b>: None


<i>Laughing, the maiden replied, "I have painted many things..."</i>
Within standard combat, this form combines the discerning eye of artist with the patterns of combat, making it easier to anticipate and avoid attacks. The artist adds her Essence to her dodge DV for the duration of the scene.


By concentrating for a moment, an Exalt may channel the Essence of art throughout her body. Ink begins to seep from underneath her fingernails, in a constant dribble of iridescent color. This ink is, in many ways, a distillation of the user's soul and its hue will reflect the martial artist's current mood along with her general personality. But this is not merely a cosmetic effect. By tracing splattered mandalas across her opponent, the Exalt may inflict a number of painful results.
== Greater Charms ==


In lieu of making a normal strike, the character may make one of the strikes listed below. Instead of Dexterity + Martial Arts, the character must roll either Dexterity + Craft (Painting) or Performance. Each of these effects last for five turns.<br>
''Elder Sutra of Creativity: With chromatic pigment and dark bristle, the artist&hellip;''
*With a flick of her wrist, the character dabs ink across her opponent's face in the shape of an ideograph symbolizing blindness. He loses 4 dice on all Alertness rolls as well as all rolls to hit the martial artist.
*With three, long, lazy strokes, the Exalt traces an ideograph symbolizing weakness on the breastplate or chest of her opponent. Armor loses 4B/4L soak. Natural soak is only reduced by 1B/1L.
*Her hand darting like a snake, the martial artist brands her opponent's weapon arm with an ideograph symbolizing distraction. Should an attack on the martial artist miss or be reduced to zero successes, the attacker counts as disarmed and his weapon will fly five yards in a direction of the martial artist's choosing.
*Lashing out with a heavy, open-palmed blow, the martial artist places the ideograph for foolishness between her opponent's eyes. The opponent's initiative total is halved.


New techniques can be invented at the cost of 3 experience points and two weeks of intense, artistic introspection. In addition, for the duration of this charm the Exalt's ink-laden fingers count as fine brushes and styluses; she adds 1 success to any Crafts (Painting) roll.
=== Establishing Artistic License ===


4. <b><i>Viridian Life-Alteration Prana</b></i> - [[Issaru]]
'''Cost:''' 12m, 1wp; '''Mins:''' Martial Arts 5, Essence 5; '''Type:''' Supplemental<br>
'''Keywords:''' Combo-OK, Shaping, Stackable<br>
'''Duration:''' Instant<br>
'''Prerequisite Charms:''' Sable Disposition of Being Form<br>
''&hellip;painted a scullery maid as a goddess,''


<b>Cost :</b>8 Motes, 2 Willpower.
The exalt paints a target how he should be instead of how he is, then lashes out with this image, convincing reality of its truth. As part of an unarmed Dexterity + Martial Arts attack against an imaged target, the artist may deal standard damage if he wishes, but does not have to. In either case, for each success that remains after defense is applied (just as step 7 begins), the artist may rearrange traits of the target, exchanging any of the following items for another for the rest of the scene:
<b>Duration :</b>Until Dismissed
<b>Type :</b>Simple
<b>Min. Martial Arts :</b> 5
<b>Min Essence :</b> 4
<b>Prerequisite Charms :</b> Strokes of Appraisal


<i> "And so too shall I repaint you!"</i>
* 1 Attribute point. Attributes may not be lowered below one or raised above natural maximums.
* 1 Virtue point. Virtues tied to the Great Curse may not be lowered below three. Other Virtues may not be lowered below one or raised above five.
* 1 point from each of two different Abilities. Abilities may not be lowered below one or raised above natural maximums.
* 4 points of lethal and bashing armor soak. Armor soak may not be reduced below zero and may not be altered by more than 16 points.


The Exalt momentarily stills himself to the flows of Essence. Her hands becoming a pale blue-green blur of light and color. As she strikes her opponent the hands seem to pass through their bodies imparting the viridian glow just beneath their skin. This glow seeks to "repaint" the lives of others to better suit the martial artist's circumstances. By making a Dexterity + Craft (painting) with a difficulty equal to (targets permanent Essence) the martial artist may do the following:
This may lower some traits below the minimums required for some charms. Such charms can no longer be cast, but established charms are not affected. These changes are made before damage is soaked. The artist may use this charm on himself, essentially attacking himself through art. Because this charm is actually shaping reality, and not form, it explicitly works on tattooed lunar exalted with Essence lower than the artist's.
*trade dots between any of the targets Abilities. The Abilities altered by this charm may not be reduced below one, and may not be increased above the Permanent Essence of the martial artist.
*Trade dots between any of the targets Virtues. Virtues may not be reduced below one in this fashion, also the Curse Virtue of the Exalted may never be reduced below 3.
The martial artist may only sustain a number of applications of this charm equal to their permanent essence. Also the Dexterity + Craft (painting) roll this charm uses to impart its effect is considered a Martial Arts attack ,and will inflict damage as one if the martial artist so chooses, that cannot be parried/blocked as this is an Essence based attack and as such it only needs contact to work. It is worth noting that the victim of this Charm does not know his abilities have been altered, and is likely to be bewildered by their lack or addition of skill.


5. <b><i>Prismatic Composition Motif</i></b> - [[Wohksworth]]
:''Example: Hammer in the Woods, with sutra blazing, flows paint from her fingers, painting a naked version of her target as she strikes. The attack is a good one, leaving four successes remaining after the target's DV and other modifiers are applied. The target is heavily armored, with 15L soak from armor. Hammer decides to use 3 successes to reduce this. The first subtracts 4 points of soak, adding 1 to the target's Compassion. The second subtracts 4 more soak, adding 1 to Sail and 1 to Ride. The third reduces 4 more points, increasing the target's Appearance by 1. The last success is used to reduce the target's Stamina by 1, adding a point to his Manipulation. Hammer also elects to do damage with the attack, now soaked with only 3L from armor. Later, Hammer decides to reconfigure one of her allies, making an "attack" against him. The ally decides not to dodge or parry at all, but Hammer rolls badly, only getting four successes remaining as step 7 starts. She reduces her ally's Appearance of 5 to 1 with four of these successes, trying to adding 3 points each to both Melee and Dodge abilities of the ally and increasing his armor soak by 4.''


<b>Cost</b>: 12 motes
This charm may also enchant an image to deliver a similar attack in writing. When the intended target touches the image, it explodes into an array of color, that seeks to enter and rewrite him. An attack equal to the artist's Dexterity + Martial Arts at the time the painting was made is rolled, using 1L base damage. This attack may be dodged, but can only be blocked with a parry capable of blocking insubstantial attacks. Written attacks cannot be made with combos and, for the purposes of arranging traits, may only benefit from two successes. The artist must specify the traits to be rearranged at the time the charm is cast.
<b>Duration</b>: Instant
<b>Type</b>: Reflexive
<b>Min. Martial Arts</b>: 5
<b>Min. Essence</b>: 5
<b>Prerequisite Charms</b>: Painting Trouble's Braids, Prodigy's Adaptable Palette,  
Viridian Life-Alteration Prana


<i>She drew a scene of battle to cover the skies,</i>
=== Kiss of Pigment ===


Like an artist paints a heroic portrait from the horrors of war, the exalt takes the offense of attack and forms an idyllic image. She crosses any blockable attack directed at her that she is aware of with the kata of brush strokes, parrying it completely while inking the air around her with the chromatic hues of the blow. The image of the attack, spartan brush strokes replete with any Charms that augmented the attack, flitters around her. The exalt draws alacrity from each composition, gaining +1 initiative for each active floating composition.
'''Cost:''' 11m, 1wp; '''Mins:''' Martial Arts 6, Essence 6; '''Type:''' Simple (5 long ticks)<br>
'''Keywords:''' Shaping, Stackable<br>
'''Duration:''' Instant<br>
'''Prerequisite Charms:''' Establishing Artistic License<br>
''&hellip;emending every flaw&hellip;''


With an angry twist, the exalt can wrest her idyllic painting into the frey of battle. The hovering strokes solidify in a twist of light, becoming a strangely chromatic simulacrum of the weapon used or splashing the exalt's hands with ink. She makes a Reflexive Martial Arts attack against anyone in the weapon's range, augmented by any Supplemental or Simple Charms of turn-long or less duration employed in the original attack, replacing any instance of the original Ability in the Charm text with "Martial Arts". The painting is consumed in the attack.
Just as the artist can turn fiction into reality, so can he turn the harsh reality of crippling wounds, disease and even heartache into fiction. The artist spends five minutes of dramatic time (or 5 ticks of social combat) drawing an idealized version of any target he can see, as a vision of perfect health. The artist makes a test combining her Manipulation with either Martial Arts, Craft (Air) or Medicine against a difficulty of the target's Essence. This roll is treated as if it were a shaping attack, so the target may have automatic defenses which prevent it entirely. On success, the art shapes reality, making the body of the target whole in some way. Each invocation of this charm can have one of the following effects:


An artisan may have up to her Essence in hovering compositions around her at any given moment. They drip away to ruined paint at the end of the scene.
* The target is healed of all bashing damage.
* The target is healed of lethal damage equal to the number of extra successes on the roll, plus the artist's Essence.
* The target is healed of aggravated damage equal to the artist's Essence.
* The target is cured of a Sickness effect.
* The target is cured of all Poison effects.
* The target is cured of one Crippling effect.
* The target is cured of all "damage" to an existing Intimacy.
* The target is cured of an unnatural Emotion, Compulsion, Illusion or Total Control effect.
* The target's age is reduced by a number of years equal to the number of extra successes on the roll, plus the artist's Essence, to a minimum of 1 year old.
* The target's internal turmoil is soothed. Mechanically, this reduces Limit by up to half of the artist's Essence, rounded up. For each point removed, the artist must roll one Paradox dice.
* The target's connection with life and creativity is strengthened. Mechanically, this reduces Resonance by up to half of the artist's Essence, rounded up. For each point removed, the artist automatically gains a point of Paradox.


6. <b><i>Sable Evocation of Image Form</i></b> - [[FlowsLikeBits]]
Apart from the last two effects, the artist may use this charm on himself. Because this charm is actually shaping reality, and not form, it explicitly works on tattooed lunar exalted with Essence lower than the artist's.


<b>Cost</b>: 12 motes
=== Significance Capturing Stroke ===
<b>Duration</b>: Scene
<b>Type</b>: Simple
<b>Min. Martial Arts</b>: 5
<b>Min. Essence</b>: 5
<b>Prerequisite Charms</b>: Prismatic Composition Motif


<i>the maiden, the man and the others, all were present,</i>
'''Cost:''' 15m, 1wp; '''Mins:''' Martial Arts 6, Essence 6; '''Type:''' Reflexive (Step 2, 5)<br>
'''Keywords:''' Obvious, Combo-OK, Shaping<br>
'''Duration:''' Instant<br>
'''Prerequisite Charms:''' Kiss of Pigment<br>
''&hellip;and imprisoning her wicked brother for all to see.''


The artist composes the scene, painting the subjects and the relationships between them. Furious brush strokes define the participants and the scene and the result hovers behind the artist, changing slowly as the scene changes, but keeping the same style. These compositions are visible behind the martial artist, but they do interfere with the scene they show in any way.  When this form is invoked, the artist may elect to work the sutra into her art. In this case, a sutra for this style may be invoked at no cost, althought the sutra's duration is then tied to the duration of the Sable Evocation of Image Form, and will cease when it does.  
So great is the artist’s connection to image and reality that his metaphoric ability to capture the essence of a subject becomes literal. With several strokes in the air, attempting to entangle and encapsulate his attacker in his art, rendering him harmless but beautiful.


This composition defines the scene, participants and relationships, although the outcome is not preordained. This effect arises from the artists understanding of the participants and stakes involved, rather than Sidereal knowlege of fate. The artist and a number of allies up to the artists essence get one of the following bonuses for the duration of this charm. Each may get a different bonus.
In response to an attack, the artist creates a loose representation of the attacker in the air, which then attempt to engulf the attacker. The lines of the art interfere enough with the attack to allow the artist to add his Essence to his DV. Their primary benefit, however, is to capture the attacker in a work of art, making a grappling counterattack on the attacker using Dexterity + Martial Arts. This engulfing grapple is considered a “special defense” so is resolved in Step 5, but in other ways is handled as both a grapple and a counterattack. It may be dodged normally but it’s engulfing nature makes it difficult to parry, reducing PDV by the martial artist’s Essence.
* Add the artists Essence in dice to all rolls with one Ability. This does not count against dice adding limits.
* Add the artists Essence to Lethal, Bashing and Agg soak.
* Add the artists Essence to Initiave.


Also, a number of enemies up to the artists essence get one of the following penalties for the duration of this charm; this may be different for each enemy.
If the grapple from the art succeeds, the attacker is surrounded by the painting and pulled into a pocket of Elsewhere, to which the painting is the gateway. Should this occur, the attacker is considered to be captured before dealing damage, so the artist takes none from the attack. The engulfing is considered a shaping effect, but targeted on the space of the room, not the attacker directly. Effects that can prevent such shaping that are brought to bear as the grapple is made will disrupt the effect completely. If completed, however, the painting/portal will coalesce into a scroll containing an exact likeness of the attack. The paper, which has all of the defensive traits of a standard prayer strip, clatters to the ground at the foot of the artist as the attacker is sucked into it.
* Subtract the artists Essence in dice from all rolls with one ability.
* Subtract the artists Essence from all soaks, this cannot reduce a soak below zero.
* Subtract the artists Essence from Initiave.


Changing the composition in any way(i.e. who get's what bonus or penalty) requires reinvoking the form.  
The attacker is trapped in a small pocket of Elsewhere lit by an even white light and containing only two features. The first is a small window upon which the painting of the attack is painted transparently, in reverse. This is a window onto the world through the scroll, through which the attacker can see what transpires in front of the scroll in the real world. (Many practitioners of this style make a point of rolling up such scrolls to prevent the attacker seeing anything.) The window is one-way and transmits only light (not sound, etc.). It is impervious to physical attack, but can be destroyed by effects that cancel shaping effects. Charms, spells or other effects that open gateways into or out of spirit sanctums will also open the window.


7. <b><i>The Painter�s Art Is His Sword </b></i> -- by OhJames
The other detail is a simple wooden easel containing a large, blank canvas, a palette of oil paints in a variety of colors and several brushes. Though the trapped attacker usually has no way of knowing this, the goddess responsible for the Sable Disposition of Being style observes all that transpires in the spaces created by this charm, and is much impressed with artwork. Should the attacker create a painting more beautiful than the one imprisoning him (i.e. scoring more successes on an artistic roll than the artist scored imprisoning him), the goddess will release the attacker, transforming the scroll in the real world into a likeness of the attacker’s work.


  <b>Cost:</b>  12 motes
Should the attacker think to, he may also pray to this goddess, offering her something in exchange for release. The goddess appreciates martial excellence as well as art, so an offer for the production of either once released may gain the attacker’s freedom. While the goddess might be persuaded to believe particularly impassioned speeches (magically enhanced or otherwise), she will certainly follow up on any promises made.
  <b>Duration:</b>  One Scene
  <b>Type:</b>  Simple
  <b>Minimum Martial Arts:</b>  6
  <b>Minimum Essence:</b>  6
  <b>Prerequisite Charms:</b>  Sable Evocation of Image Form


<i>The maiden became a master of her art...</i>
The attacker can also be freed from the outside by destroying the scroll there. Otherwise, he will remain trapped as long as the scroll survives. In such a state, the attacker is alive and conscious but will not age, hunger or thirst, nor will he naturally regain Essence or Willpower. He retains all possessions. Should he be freed, the attacker appears to leap from the scroll and can make a Join Battle roll if appropriate.


Inhaling sharply, the martial artist charges her lungs with coruscating Essence, then breathes out a cloud of roiling, bubbling, monochromatic change. She lashes out, sculpting the cloud with jabs and punches, lunges and kicks. When she finishes her creative furor, she holds in her hands an elegant weapon that resonates with her soul, in particular, and the Sable Evocation of Image Style, in general.
Should the engulfing counter fail, the attacker’s initial attack is resolved normally, unless the attacker made the attack inapplicable in some way. For example, if the attacker avoided being engulfed by standard dodging, his attack would continue normally, but if he used a leaping dodge to move 20 yards away, it would not.


The weapon has Speed of (Essence x 2), Accuracy of (Essence), Damage of (Essence + 2L), and Defense of (Essence � 2). In power combat, Rate equals Wits. In addition to the weapon�s prowess, it also reduces the cost of Painting Trouble�s Braids, Prodigy�s Adaptable Palette, Viridian Life-Alteration Prana, and Prismatic Composition Motif by 2 motes.  
This charm does not require an image to cast, instead building an image of its own as a result.


8. <b><i>The Tattered Portrait</b></i> - [[Wohksworth]]
=== Silencing the Critics ===
  <b>Cost:</b>  18 motes, 1 Willpower
  <b>Duration:</b>  One Scene
  <b>Type:</b>  Simple
  <b>Minimum Martial Arts:</b>  6
  <b>Minimum Essence:</b>  6
  <b>Prerequisite Charms:</b>  Sable Evocation of Image Form


<i>...finding sublimity in all its forms...</i>
'''Cost:''' 8m; '''Mins:''' Martial Arts 5, Essence 5; '''Type:''' Supplemental<br>
'''Keywords:''' Combo-OK, Social<br>
'''Duration:''' Instant<br>
'''Prerequisite Charms:''' Sable Disposition of Being Form<br>
''The fulminations of the brother's friends rang hollow,''


The martial artist takes inspiration from hardship and creates masterpieces. As opponents press on against adversity, sadistic Essence coalesces and, for a moment, binds the souls of the martial artist and her foes. An outcome that will never occur passes between them, and is lost. The air around the martial artist is rich with inspiration, waiting to be given form by expert hands.
Even the most vocal critics can be won over when reality itself turns against them. When this charm augments a successful social attack against an imaged target, calculate the number of successes that remain after defense and other modifiers are applied. Should the target wish to resist the effect of the attack, he must pay willpower equal to the number of remaining successes. If consenting to the attack would violate the target's Motivation, this total is cut in half (rounded up).


Any roll suffering a reduced pool from effects of Style Charms triggers this effect. A number of motes equal to the dice lost are regained by the martial artist and immediately Committed. Any time the artist makes a Crafts roll, she may Reflexively commit motes equal to her successes on the roll. She may Reflexively decommit and spend Committed motes from these and only these sources on the following Instant non-Charm effects; these effects may stack and may reoccur in the same Instant:
Alternatively, the artist can instead use this charm to enhance a social attack which issues an unacceptable order. Such an attack can be resisted with a single point of willpower, if available.
* 2 motes: Add one die to any roll of the martial artist or her allies as defined by the Form. These bonuses do not count towards die limits. She may activate this up to Essence times per instant; this limit is rescinded when modifying Craft rolls.
* 1 mote: an additional rating may be divined by Artist's Appraising Martial Eye.
* 5 motes: Painting Trouble's Braids inflicts piercing damage.
* 6 motes: one dot shifted by Viridian Life-Alteration Prana may instead shift to the Martial Artist's Abilities, governed by the same limits as normal modification by that Charm.
* 7 motes: Prismatic Composition Motif may paint more impersonal attacks. If activating when another party is attacked, the martial artist may paint the attack made, as per the Charm text, save that she does not parry this attack.
* 7 motes: Floating Compositions of Prismatic Composition Motif persist for five rounds once summoned, floating but solid; any benefits besides weapon statistics and mundane powers persist only for the first instant they are summoned.
* 3 motes: A persistent Floating Compositions will defend the Martial Artist with a supplemental parry, rolling the artist's Intelligence + Craft (Painting) + bonuses from the weapon. This is not a parry by the martial artist. This effect may be activated once per weapon per contested roll.
Techniques take the form of perfected, chromatic hued imagery. In the instant The Tattered Portrait or its non-Charm effects activate, the martial artist and affected parties seem richer: wearing robes of kings; bearing weapons of the gods, or their demeanor; or bearing the scorn of philistines, fighting battles against foes of pigment. New techniques that affect pre-Form Charms can be invented at the cost of 3 experience points and two weeks of intense, artistic introspection.


9. <b><i>Artistic Shorthand Methodology</b></i> - [[Dasmen]]
=== Pleasing Aesthetic Stance ===
  <b>Cost:</b>  15 motes, 1 Willpower
  <b>Duration:</b>  Instant
  <b>Type:</b>  Supplemental
  <b>Minimum Martial Arts:</b>  6
  <b>Minimum Essence:</b>  6
  <b>Prerequisite Charms:</b>  Sable Evocation of Image Form


<i>...and contentment in its ways...</i>
'''Cost:''' 20m; '''Mins:''' Martial Arts 6, Essence 6; '''Type:''' Simple<br>
'''Keywords:''' None<br>
'''Duration:''' Scene<br>
'''Prerequisite Charms:''' Silencing the Critics<br>
''for the goddess quickly gained worshippers&hellip;''


While it is an often overlooked skill, great artists don't just create masterpieces, they also make countless quick sketches. For a true master, though, a quick sketch may a times seem a masterpiece.  
For the remainder of the scene, any social attack against an imaged target that is intended to erode or build an intimacy is considered to be unnatural influence. If such an attack is not resisted, every two full successes remaining after MDV and other modifiers act as if the artist had spent additional "scenes" making similar attacks for the purposes of increasing and/or reducing Intimacies.


Upon using this charm, the martial artist fingers fluter as he sketches his desire, and then traps his enemy within it. The martial artist may activate this charm at any point before soak is rolled. If the original attack was parried, ignore the successes gained on the parry roll, the attack retroactively becomes unblockable. This attack does no damage. Instead, count the number of successes obtained.
:''Example: Hammer of the Woods seeks to make a city governor betray his wife (to whom he has an Intimacy) and join Hammer's cause. The governor has an MDV of 5 and a Conviction of 3. Normally, Hammer would need to spend at least three scenes with the governor in which she made social attacks to erode the intimacy with his wife and build one with Hammer, but she doesn't have that kind of time. She quickly prepares a painting of the governor standing loyally by her side, with his wife crying off in the distance, abandoned. She then dons this stance and holds a meeting with the governor, during which she makes a number of social attacks, quickly reducing his willpower to 0. She then makes one more attack, knowing he cannot resist if the attack succeeds, rolling 10 successes. His defense eats 5 of these successes, leaving 5 to get through, which allow the attack to act as if it had been applied for two additional scenes. Combined with the current scene, the attack is as effective as if it had been made on three scenes total. This equals the governor's Conviction, so the intimacy with his wife is destroyed, replaced by one to Hammer.''


The martial artist immediately activates another charm that supplies or enhances an attack as if he hadn't used his charm for the turn, or a combo where all the charms involved supplies or enhance an attack. This may include Extra-Action charms, provided that all the actions are attacks against the target struck. These don't have to be Martial Arts Charms. If the charms required weapons or other tools, he must have them on his person, though he doesn't need them to be readied. None of these attacks are rolled, they all have the number of success equal to the number of successes the martial artist obtained on the attack supplemented by Artistic Shorthand Methodology plus his Permanent Essence, and it is impossible to defend against these painted strokes with anything but an applicability trumping defense like Heavenly Guardian Defense.
=== Tortured Artist's Curse ===


10. <b><i>Depicting the True Likeness</b></i> - [[Darloth]]
'''Cost:''' 15m, 1wp; '''Mins:''' Martial Arts 6, Essence 6; '''Type:''' Supplemental<br>
  <b>Cost:</b>  30 motes, 3 Willpower
'''Keywords:''' Combo-OK<br>
  <b>Duration:</b>  Variable
'''Duration:''' Instant<br>
  <b>Type:</b> Simple
'''Prerequisite Charms:''' Pleasing Aesthetic Stance<br>
  <b>Minimum Martial Arts:</b> 8
''&hellip;as the people saw her as the artist did.''
  <b>Minimum Essence:</b> 8
  <b>Prerequisite Charms:</b> Everything else up till now, and maybe a little more.


<i>In the end, she painted herself, and was gone. Only the art remained.</i>
The true artist must often endure the barbs of those too obtuse to appreciate their vision, yet those with real talent can force those who would belittle them to experience the world through their own eyes. This charm may only be used to back an attack (social or normal) against an imaged target who has previously made a successful attack on the artist (social or normal) this scene, which need not have done damage. The artist's attack, in addition to doing normal damage, transfers an astrological effect from the artist to the target. The duration and other aspects of the effect remain the same, but the Essence rating attached to the effect (see "Multiple Effects", ''Sidereals'' pg. 212) becomes that of the artist. This effect generates two dice of Paradox for the artist.


When the artist invokes this charm, they immediately begin painting almost in a trance. The shared tension of battle provides the canvas, and powerful threads of essence are the ink. With every measured, precise stroke, a single opponent becomes less and less real, until only the picture remains.
If the effect being transferred is an ascending or descending destiny, the artist may invert it, changing a Sloped Floor Curse into an Artless Prodigy Blessing or vice versa, for example. The target also may begin to take on one or more trappings of the effect's College and gains an Intimacy related in some way to the College of the effect, generally a loyalty to, idealism about or behavior involving one of the correlations of the College. For example, someone under an effect of the Haywain may start wearing disheveled robes and become obsessed with aging.


Mechanically, the artist rolls Dex + Craft(Painting) at a difficulty equal to the target's Essence. If this roll succeeds (and it is not an attack and so cannot be defended against) then the target loses 1 from every attribute and ability, including willpower but not virtues or essence. The artist continues to make these rolls once every turn until the target has reached 0 in all of the affected statistics or until distracted (use the rules for distractions while casting sorcery, but substitute martial arts for occult). If the artist is successfully distracted before the charm completes, then the lost points return at a rate of 1 per scene.
Resplendent destinies may also be transferred, forcing the target to adopt the persona of the destiny and forgetting who he is while it is in effect. Acting counter to the destiny generates Paradox, just as it would for a sidereal. If the artist had previously worn the destiny (instead of just using it for effect dice), she may also be subject to Paradox if the target appears as the destiny to people who knew the destiny when the artist wore it. The target treats this new persona as if it has always been his and will not remember his previous life. Once the destiny ends, however, he will remember both his previous life and his life under the destiny. All remaining effect dice are transferred to the target, and he may use all but the last one as normal (including any Paradox costs). The last die may only be spent on a specific date of each month (e.g. the 2nd, 15th, etc.), but only if the target is wearing all of the trappings of the destiny's College and only if performing an action suitable to the College. Spending the last die will dissolve the destiny completely, as normal, prior to its full duration. Accumulated Paradox remains even after the destiny expires.


Once a target has reached 0 in all of those stats, they can do nothing but fade away, although someone else can still intervene and save them by distracting the martial artist. However, every time the martial artist succeeds on a roll now, the target loses 1 from every virtue and from their Essence. Once all of THOSE have reached 0, then the target is utterly gone, removed from existance, and the artist has a perfect painting of them, the most accurate representation of that being that there ever could be.
=== Bringing the Canvas to Life ===


At any later date, this painting may be invoked for a cost of 1 willpower and 1 aggravated health level per two points of essence or part thereof that the being depicted possessed at the time of the painting, and as it is soaked in the artist's own blood, that being becomes real again for a scene. This effect brings whoever (or whatever) was in the painting back into existance for a single scene, with all powers, weapons, attuned artifacts, etc that they vanished with, to fight or serve on the behalf of the artist for a single scene, before disappearing, this time entirely.
'''Cost:''' varies; '''Mins:''' Martial Arts 5, Essence 5; '''Type:''' Simple<br>
'''Keywords:''' Obvious, Combo-Basic, Shaping<br>
'''Duration:''' Scene<br>
'''Prerequisite Charms:''' Sable Disposition of Being Form<br>
''After the artist bedecked the goddess in jewels&hellip;''


It should be noted that this charm will also paint and thus unmake any and all equipment including attuned artifacts. Dropping them before you lose all your willpower will save the artifacts, if you really need them, but otherwise, they are included in the painting and thus cease to exist.  
As the artist explores the deeper mysteries of art and reality, they learn to impart true vitality to their work. With a touch of her brush, the artist animates any image, even one she did not create, literally bringing it’s subject(s) to life for the remainder of the scene.


If this charm is used on an Incarna or a Primordial, the resultant painting will likely be much, much larger, and require such a cost that the artist would die if he invoked it, but aside from that, it would still work. Primordials will only become a malfean after their painting has been used, so this provides a neat but difficult way of trapping them, although noone has yet succeeded. After the martial artist dies, anyone can use their paintings of people for twice all costs, these are usually artifact 5.
The artist makes an Intelligence + Martial Arts roll against a difficulty dependent on what is being animated. The artist may also use this charm during social combat.


=== Comments ===
When used to animate creatures, people, spirits or other living things, the base cost of this charm is equal to half of the sum of the creature’s physical attributes (rounded up). Depending on the source image, the creature may have associated mutations (e.g. poison bite, multiple heads, etc.), which cost an additional mote per mutation point. Abilities and other traits will be typical for the type of creature. Images of entities that could normally use charms may, at the Storyteller’s discretion, have access to charms with an Essence minimum no greater than half the artist’s Essence (round down); however, their essence pool must be filled by the artist with motes of her own at the time of casting. Though they may look genuine, animated images are obvious magical constructs of paint and light that lack any real personality and are under complete control of the artist. They are treated as automaton and never fail valor rolls. The artist may not create creatures with an Essence greater than her own and the difficulty on the roll to create creatures is their Essence.
If you're familiar with FinalFantasy6 (or [[FF3]] in America), think "Relm."  I'm sure there are other characters with similar abilities to use as reference, but I'm not familiar with them.  <br>
I'm picturing the prototypical Sidereal badass whipping out a brush, painting an intricate portrait of his enemy (on the ground/nearby wall/thin air/whatever) in a few brush-strokes, and then doing something suitably horrific to said enemy via the painting.<br>
I leave the actual structure of the style in your capable hands (and number of Charms is open to debate as well; I chose 13 because that sounded about right for Sidereal MAs, and this is the 13th MartialArtsRelay). - DigitalSentience


I'm going to take a crack at this. -[[Overshee]]
Inanimate items may also be brought to life. Artists well versed in artificing can even create artifacts from thin air. While mundane items can be casually invented, producing a working artifact requires detailed knowledge of its construction. The artist must have personal knowledge of the design plans for the artifact, as well as the minimum Lore, Occult and Craft needed to create it (see Savant & Sorcerer pg. 30). When created with this charm, items cost three times their Artifact rating in motes to summon. They may be attuned automatically to the artist or an animated creature created by the same casting, but the attunement cost is added to the cost of the charm. The difficulty to create artifacts is equal to one plus the artifact’s rating. Artifacts with an “N/A” rating may not be created. Non-artifact items cost a flat 2 motes each and are created with a difficulty of one. All items appear near the artist and must be readied by the artist normally. Note that, while items can be handed to others, it is unlikely that anyone else could attune to artifacts created by this charm before its duration expires.
:Thanks for posting a Charm! I cleared up some of your formatting and stuff; I hope you don't mind. - [[willows]]


::No problem, and no I don't mind, infact I thank you. I didn't have time to format it, and I wanted to get it done so I could eat. -[[Overshee]]
The artist may bring as many images to life with one invocation of this charm as she can pay for. Only one roll is used for all items summoned. Every item or being who’s difficulty was met by the roll appears simultaneously. The total cost of the charm is the cost to animate each item that actually appears. All creations vanish back into their original forms when the charm is complete.


:Strokes of Appraisal: I really don't think Sidereal Martial Arts should start at Essence 2. I don't have my book in front of me, but I'm very sure that Essence 4 is the <i>lower</i> threshold for SMAs. I think you should rethink your approachon this. I'll give it a bit of thought and add my own later, I think. - [[David.]]
=== Sincerest Flattery ===


::I'm not so great at charms and Martial Arts.  Critiqueing like this is really a great help for me.  Thanks! -[[Overshee]]
'''Cost:''' 6m per duplicate; '''Mins:''' Martial Arts 6, Essence 6; '''Type:''' Simple<br>
'''Keywords:''' Obvious, Combo-Basic<br>
'''Duration:''' Variable<br>
'''Prerequisite Charms:''' Bringing the Canvas to Life<br>
''&hellip;and painted her from every angle&hellip;


Painting Trouble's Braids: Uh... I don't know if I quite got this right. Originally it was going to be a scene-long that allowed three different types of attacks, but I decided that the first power I wrote was good enough to be used on its own. It's not really mechanically in line with the guidelines above, but it fits thematically, plus I like it. Anyway, it probably still needs to be tweaked. -- OhJames
While the saying is that imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, the artist can do one better and flatter with exact duplicates instead. Making a Dexterity + Martial Arts test, the artist creates one duplicate of an imaged target (including herself) for each success on the test, paying 6 motes for each duplicate. The artist need not use all the successes.
: Re: Painting Trouble's Braids: The wording's a little confusing.  What part takes three turns?  And, is this meant to be an unblockable/undodgeable attack?  Basically, how does the fact that you store the attack in the image interact with the normal defense options? - DigitalSentience
:: I fixed it up to be prettier and less confusing. Also made it more sneaky and less combat-y. -- OhJames
::: Nice.  Does the MAist have to see the target to make the 'portrait'?  Also: "ninjabattle?" *grin* - DigitalSentience
:::: No, but they've got to know the victim's name and basic physical description. -- OhJames
:::: It's an old term. They occured so often in the First Age there's now just one word for them. Chejop Kejak got tired of shouting "You will be punished for your interference! Prepare for Martial Arts Combat!" ~ BerserkSeraph <i>True story</i>
::::: That's what I figured.  Thanks for clearing that up.  Er, you too, OhJames. - DigitalSentience


Well, this might be a little rude, posting two charms in a row, but I had an idea and wanted to write it up before it fled my mind. If anyone objects, I'll just take it down, no complaints. -- OhJames
On the target's next turn, the target and all the duplicates may take completely independent actions and movement, all under the control of the target. All of the duplicates share the essence pools, health levels, wound penalties, etc. of the target (for example, all duplicates share a common essence pool). Being completely independent, each duplicate is allowed their own charm activation. So, for example, one duplicate might invoke a combo, another might declare a flurry, another might dash, another might start casting a spell, etc. After all of these actions are resolved, one of the duplicates (target's choice) vanishes. The target's speed is the speed of the highest speed needed by all of the actions taken. Likewise with DV penalties. The targets and all duplicates wait for the same amount of time before acting again, at which time, another batch of independent actions is taken, and yet another duplicate vanishes. As each duplicate vanishes, the essence committed to it becomes spent.
: That is a terrible Charm name... OhJames
:: God! I finally thought of a better name. -- OhJames


Viridian Life-Alteration Prana is actually weaker (but more flexible) than Sidereal Shell Games. - [[willows]]
=== Representing Heaven ===


:Hmmm! Well I didn't think so, but if you have any suggestions please post them - I was going to add the ability to switch Attributes too, but I thought against it. The fact that it can empower minions <Changing that meek scholar into a kung-fu bad arse, or changing that rampaging kung-fu bad arse into a good historian> was the main factor in costing. Also taking your opponents abilities is kinda nice, and if used creatively very potent <Oh we're fighting on a collapsing bridge..well you won't be needing that Athletics now! will you?>. Additionally I didn't want this charm to be willpower free even at the Elder Sutra level. Finally I was very concerned about making the charm too powerful for a Post form charm. As always thanx for the comment. - [[Issaru]]
'''Cost:''' 10m + variable, 2wp; '''Mins:''' Martial Arts 6, Essence 6; '''Type:''' Simple (3, -3 DV)<br>
'''Keywords:''' Obvious, Combo-Basic<br>
'''Duration:''' Indefinite<br>
'''Prerequisite Charms:''' Sincerest Flattery<br>
''&hellip;she walked in the favor of the stars&hellip;''


<b>Prismatic Composition Motif</b>: Woo complicated, probably abusable mechanics. I'd tried to cover a couple contingencies, but I'm certain to have missed something. _[[Wohksworth]]
The artist's insight into reality now extends to the complex workings of the constellations and, rendered in the their light, the painter binds the stars, himself and his subjects together. This charm may specifically treat multiple subjects in a single painting as imaged targets; however, subjects in the painting must have been painted while in being actually witnessed by the artist, either directly or through some form of magic. All subjects need not have been painted at once, but may have been added piecemeal over time. Furthermore, the portrait need not depict a specific effect, but must illustrate the group standing under one of the 25 constellations (see ''Sidereals''). The painter need not have a college in this constellation. In addition to two willpower and 10 motes, the artist must spend a number of motes equal to the combined Essence ratings of those in the image he wishes to affect. Imaged targets need not be visible, or even present, when this charm is invoked, so long as they were when they were imaged. This charm is useable in both standard and social combat.


Sorry for getting distracted away from the Relay for so long.  Is anyone else uncomfortable with the 2/2 requirements for Strokes of Appraisal?  I'm tempted to beef it up a bit, but it seems rude without original authors' consent.  What I'd like to do is something that enables a user to paint a picture of arbitrary complexity within just a few turns, which would hopefully have applications for other Charms in the tree... and then give it the 'Appraisal' ability as a side-benefit. - DigitalSentience
The artist synchronizes the imaged targets in the painting and the constellation with himself, making a Wits + Martial Arts roll against a difficulty equal to the highest Essence rating of the imaged targets. If successful, the painting used vanishes and is replaced with a prayer strip that floats near the artist, with all of the defensive abilities of a standard prayer strip. As long as the charm remains in effect, this prayer strip may be rolled up and stored in a "passive" mode or made to actively float whenever the artist likes (using a Miscellaneous Action). While the charm is in active mode, it provides the following effects:
:I agree. I think the low requisites for the Charm are unsuited to Sidereal-level Martial Arts. Hopefully [[Overshee]] will look at this again and rethink his Charm, then revise it to me more in line with martial arts on this tier. - [[David.]]
::Sorry, I've been busy, but I've changed it.  Is it better now? -[[Overshee]]
::: Erm... what they're getting at, I think, is the fact that the Charm just isn't powerful enough for a Sidereal style. It's also, just in my opinion, not martial art-y enough. Maybe you could try to scale up the power level to be in line with the new ability/essence minimums? -- OhJames
:::: Yeah, that's sorta what I meant, at least.  I mean, I might allow someone to get a general sense of someone's Attributes with a decent roll on a Perception+whatever check - it just doesn't seem all that powerful, especially now that it's <nowiki>5/4.</nowiki>  Maybe, if sucessfully used against an opponent, it gives a persistent benefit over the course of one fight against them? - DigitalSentience
:::::Equal to what... permanant essence? -[[Overshee]]


So, this Style is problematic, because it doesn't really display (to me) a unified combat strategy...I need to identify that before I can make a Form. Anyone able to help? - [[willows]]
* Any charms, spells or effects cast by the artist against the imaged targets, or defending against them, have their mote cost reduced by the number of extra successes achieved on the initial Wits + Martial Arts roll. This reduction stacks with sutra effects, but the final cost may never be lower than 1.
* Any social attack made or enhanced by charms of this style against an imaged target can be made against as many of the imaged targets as the artist can see and desires to affect. One attack roll is made, with the results applied to each target individually.
* The artist can make a social attack on a single target in the image no matter where that target is located; however, the effect of this attack must be related in some way to the constellation in the painting. The artist adds dice equal to his College rating in this constellation, if any, to the attack. The charm imparts no special knowledge of the target, however, so the artist must guess at, for example, what the target's current Intimacies are.
* The artist and all imaged targets may reflexively take two points (not dice) of Paradox in exchange for one effect point that may be used to buy resplendent effects of the imaged constellation. For effects that also cost Paradox dice, these are rolled normally.
* The painting may be used as a petition (''Sidereals'', pg. 206) to create an astrological effect based on the imaged constellation on the imaged targets. The total successes achieved on the Wits + Martial Arts roll used to cast this charm are counted as the calligraphy successes for the petition. If the painting is used in this fashion, it is consumed once the astrological effect is determined.
* For astrological effects related to the imaged constellation targeted at imaged targets, the artist need only spend Scope successes equal to the highest Essence rating of those depicted, rather than their sum. If the effect also used the painting as a petition, the effect roll gains three automatic successes as well.


:The strategy I think weakly embodied in the style so far is to understand one's opponents strengths symbolically, and, by changing the symbols, changing those strengths.  A good Form for this style might involve the ability to erase parts of the opponent (symbolic or actual parts) or create simaculara for some purpose.  [[Wohksworth]]'s Charm is pretty Form-y, except I don't understand if it's activated in response to a successful parry, grants a parry, or grants a parry which is automatically successful. - [[Arafelis]]
The charm ends when either the motes powering it are released, all the imaged targets die or the painting is destroyed. Once the charm ends, the painting disintegrates.
::Grants an automatic semiperfect parry; I was trying to be spartan and left the reader to intuit that the parry was granted, since no roll was indicated--lemme see about rewording that. I used the generalized 'hovering compositions' terminology in the hope that people would use it in subsequent Charms. _[[Wohksworth]]


Hmm, I really didn't want my first SMA attempt to a form, oh well.  It seemed to be what should be next, if people don't like it, I understand. The effects are somewhat weak, but are fairly flexible, so the weak bonus seemed justified. I tried to go with the symbol theme.  - FlowsLikeBits
=== Life Imitates Art ===


This relay is dead and it appears [[Overshee]] is not going to alter her Charm. So... I did it for her. -- OhJames
'''Cost:''' 11m; '''Mins:''' Martial Arts 7, Essence 7; '''Type:''' Supplemental<br>
:Speaking of 'this relay is dead', what do you say we shut this one down and move on? SMA tends to stall us out pretty severely; we only did the first 6 of Ebon Tendrils too. - [[willows]]
'''Keywords:''' Combo-OK, Social<br>
::Sorry, I just got a Sid book recently, so I couldn't take a crack at SMA till then. Anyway, it is a bit hard as you basicly need one book to do it, while most others the mechanics and themes involved are more straightforward. That's just my opinion. The other point is that there arn't that many regular people and MA's are longer than other relays. Thus they tend to take longer bc it seems weird to enter the same relay twice. -FlowsLikeBits
'''Duration:''' Instant<br>
:::Heh. I don't think that you really need a Sid book, but, like, the combination of OHMYGOSH gigantic trees and really high Trait requirements makes this sort of thing particularly tough. - [[willows]]
'''Prerequisite Charms:''' Significance Capturing Stroke, Tortured Artist's Curse, Representing Heaven<br>
::::I think the length is a greater detriment than the requirements: momentum is often lost after four or five Charms, though more commonly on less directed or inspired Styles. I'd limit relay Martial Arts to 10 Charms or less, with guidelines where the Form should occur. I think we're close to a reasonable end on this style, if someone would like to write a capstone Charm. _[[Wohksworth]]
''&hellip;and in the servitude of the artist.''
 
So this is my first Martial Arts charm, tell me what you think? - [[Dasmen]]
:First, spelling errors abound, I would fix them myself but I need to write the final charm and cook dinner, sorry. Secondly... Interesting and nice effect, but it seems... slightly underpowered for essence 6. Are the successess just applied, or are those secondary effects just applied with no chance to block or dodge... also how does that interact with applicability breaking defenses? Anyway, I would suggest dropping this charm to around essence 4 or 5, and shoving it in somewhere a little earlier in the tree, as it fits really well, just not there ^_^ <br> -- [[Darloth]]
 
Muahaha! I have it... If only the Essence requirement for the style was up to the sickening level I wish to paint with. Hopefully, noone will mind if it jumps rather a lot from the previous charm to my final charm... although you're welcome to cram some more in there if it seems appropriate. I am writing the charm now, when I -should- be cooking dinner, because inspiration like this is too good to miss. <br> -- [[Darloth]]
 
Okay, done ^_^ - It's a bit short and messy right now, I'll tidy later, but what do you think? Also, feel free to suggest better names and costs/prereqs. It's expensive right now, but it seemed like it should be.<br> -- [[Darloth]]
 
Might I also suggest that Artistic Shorthand Technique does full damage, and ALSO allows you to paint a picture of the attack you have just performed. Then, at any time within (your Essence) in turns, you can unveil the picture as a reflexive non-charm action, and the attack repeats, with the number of successes you originally attained, and only defendable with the same method as the original attack was (If it was blocked, it is undodgable, if it was dodged, unblockable... if they chose not to defend, then it is both undodgable and unblockable).
 
If it did that, then I would suggest another charm immediately above it, where the artist draws or reveals (as a Simple action) a picture of some unpleasant happening, usually involving the five elemental themes, and then simply shows it to the target (they need to be able to see, so base ranges on their perception?). If the target is not blind, what they see flows off the paper and comes to pass, expanding to 5 normally rolled martial arts attacks inflicting (Essencex2)L damage, and ignoring all cover. As a neat side effect, anyone looking through a telescope or using sight enhancing charms would be especially vulnerable to this charm, if the artist knows he is being observed, as the effects would appear around the target. Perhaps it should require pre-drawn scenes, or get the artist to make a diff 4 Dex + Craft(Painting) roll to create one in the same instant the charm is used. How does that seem? It would probably be MA5 Ess5, and I would place it before Artistic Shorthand.<br> -- [[Darloth]] <i>draws heavily from Land of the Rising Sun's Painter Mage class. Free basic magic effects is REALLY powerful.</i>
 
That wasn't quite the effect I was aiming for. Here's a fixeruper on the charm. Hopfully it more balenced now. - Dasmen
 
Yes, seems better now, although I don't really know how to balance essence 6 effects anyway. Maybe I'll add mine as separate charms, since SMA should be amazingly large anyway, and a spread of effects to choose from after the form somehow seems appropriate. Opinions from others? <br> -- [[Darloth]]
 
Agh. *kung-fu's this relay to death* - [[David.]]
 
You know.  I concut that this relay should get archived, and we should start something else.  But between this and Ebon Tentacles of Entropy ... Siddie styles falter and die, after ess 5.  Why not cap Sidereal MA at Ess 5, and the form?  it still gives you as many (if not more) charms to play with than TMA, and keeps things in the realm of things people can compare to other MA, and worth with easier. - [[Scrollreader]]
 
:Personally, I'd cap them at like 5 Charms. CMA and TMA are much more amenable to writing; Darloth, can you give us a new theme, please? - [[willows]] ''is surprised he never got around to writing a charm for this''
 
:Darloth's on holiday for around  a week.. so it's probably up to you whether you want to wait or just have someone else do the next :) FluffySquirrel
 
::Well, then...someone post a theme! We'll give Darloth the next theme pick or something... - [[willows]]
 
I have a couple of random ideas for additional charms, but I ''really'' suck at balancing sidereal MA charms, so someone else feel free to add flesh. These ideas aren't actually in order, so might need to be inserted at various points in the tree, if people want them.
 
* An attack charm that transfers one of the attacker's resplendent destinies onto the target, by force. The target is forced to adopt that identity for some period (I suggest a year and a day). Essentially, the attack "repaints" the target.
* A ranged, unnoticable "attack" that allows the attacker to paint a portrait of someone in eyesight. The portrait can later be used to make astrology easier against that target. One (possibly over the top) idea is to create a painting of a group, and the group can be affected using only highest Essence rating of the group, rather than their sum (assuming non-mortal people in the group). This would get around a huge restriction on astrology.
* A long (five minute or so) kata/painting process that allows the repainting of a friendly target to do things like heal damage, regenerate limbs, cure disease and possibly reverse aging. Can't be used on self.
* I don't think anyone did anything with the "creating phantasmal warrior-servants from simple sketches" idea at the start of the post. It'd be interesting if you could mail a squad of fighters someplace.
 
One other random point: I think the form should also allow the user to use Craft (Calligraphy) skill in place of martial arts if the user wants. - [[Wordman]]


I also have a suggestion for the next tree in the relay (or at future one at some point): a celestial martial art geared towards shapeshifting (meaning it is largely for lunars, and may require lunar charms as prereqs). In particular, the idea is to master shapechanging while attacking/defending, doing things like instantly coating your arm in plates, then springing out tentacles to grab the attacking weapon, or reversing the direction of your joints during a clinch. In other words, use shapeshifting in a more refined and subtle way than the typical brutality of lunar combat charms. To get the control needed, the practicioner must be in human form, but the pinnacle charm of the tree allows the form to be used in deadly beastman form. - [[Wordman]]
''Note: Charms in productions released after this charm was created may indicate that this charm is now too weak.''


Notes on my planned completion of this style:-
At the pinnacle of his understanding, the artist's grasp of the interactions of reality and art allow him to rework the very fabric of his subject's being. When augmenting any social attack against an imaged target, the attack is unblockable, undodgeable and unnatural. If the attack succeeds, the artist may alter the target's Motivation as if it were an Intimacy.
*Move [[Dasmen]]'s charm up to 7/7... even at ess6, it seems too strong, converting 1 attack post-defences into (potentially) a megacombo, all undefendable.
*Add the two pre-charms I postulated before [[Dasmen]]'s charm
*Add a servant-creation charm, maybe based on Painting Trouble's Braids and possibly rearrangement effects (rearrange to servants? or just paint in... hrrm)
*maybe try wordman's idea about the ally-repainting technique, it sounded cool.
<br> -- [[Darloth]] <i>likes this style, and, if noone else does, will eventually finish it</i>

Latest revision as of 07:23, 14 December 2009

This sidereal martial arts style owes its existence to Sable Evocation of Image, an uncompleted relay style, which inspired this style.

Practitioners of the Sable Disposition of Being wield paintbrushes as weapons, using art to alter, shape and control reality. Portraits are particularly utilized, but any painting can be made representing how the practitioner wants the subject to be, and the charms of this style realize these wishes. While practitioners wielding brushes as weapons are considered to be unarmed for the purposes of charms in this style, most practitioners prefer to fight barehanded or else not at all. This style is incompatible with armor.

Intended for Second Edition, this style makes use of (and manipulates) the social combat rules in some cases. Some of the charms in the style can be used both during social combat and standard combat. Listed speeds refer to standard combat. Unless otherwise specified, charms used in social combat have a speed of one long tick. The style is intended to be quite fast in social combat, but fairly slow in standard combat.

Charms of this style usually make use of images of the specific target to be affected. Such images can be painted ahead of time or rendered on the spur of the moment. Any person, place or object recognizably and specifically represented in either type of painting is referred to as "imaged" in the charm descriptions below. The image may be sparse and stylized, even quick cartoon, but to be used for imaging, a painting must recognizably illustrate the specific target, demonstrate the charm's the specific desired effect and must have been crafted by the artist. A single painting may be made of more than one subject, but only one subject may be affected at a time. Both Mail & Steel and social units are considered single targets by these charms. Images created ahead of time are referred to as "prepared", while those created on the fly are called "impromptu".

  • A prepared image may be used more subtly and quickly, but since images used in this style must represent a specific target and specific effect, this approach requires good planning, so is less flexible. Prepared images are created somewhat similarly to prayer strips. Proper materials (Resources ••) are used over six hours to construct the portrait using a Dexterity + Martial Arts or Dexterity + Craft (Air) test, with a difficulty of 2. Prepared images can also be made during social combat by spending a Miscellaneous Action and making the same test with a difficulty of 4 (such creation is usually obvious). When using a prepared image to invoke a charm, the caster need only have the image on his person or otherwise be in physical contact with it for it to be effective, so charms cast like this tend to be nearly unnoticeable. All charm stats below assume the use of prepared images unless otherwise noted.
  • An impromptu image can be created in the same action as the charm invocation, provided the practitioner has proper materials—such as a brush, paint, a paintable surface such as paper, the floor, a wall—and the freedom of motion to paint. This adds the Obvious keyword to that invocation of the charm. If the charm is used as part of the artist's action, creating an impromptu image as part of that action increases its speed by 4 (if appropriate) and reduces DV by 1. No roll is needed for the creation of the image, with any rolls needed by the charm itself assumed to include that.

Some charms may be used to "enchant" images, empowering the image to deliver an effect to a specific target at a later time. Charms used in this manner are considered to have a duration of a year and a day unless otherwise noted. As such, motes powering such charms remain committed until the charm is triggered and expended. The artist may also release the motes, which are considered spent and must regenerate normally, at any time, rendering the painting a mundane piece of paper.

Lastly, some of the charms in this style may generate Paradox for the artist or the target. When this occurs, the person gains a Paradox track, even if they are not sidereals. Those who accumulate 10 or more points of Paradox are subject to pattern bite (Sidereals, pg. 214) as normal. Non-sidereals dissipate Paradox the same way sidereals do (Sidereals, pg. 215). This may includes the use of rituals to speed the process, but non-sidreals do not automatically know these rituals, or even that such rituals exist.

Tree

Lesser Charms

Lesser Sutra of Creativity: A maiden was once an artist…

Wreaking Nuance

Cost: 8m; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 4; Type: Simple
Keywords: Combo-OK, Shaping
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: none
…whose colors so angered a rival…

Not content to merely provoke a subjective emotional reaction to his work, the artist renders his subject with such emotive power that reality itself takes notice and instantly twists the subject's feelings to conform to the artist's intent. The artist makes a social attack on a single imaged target within line of sight. This attack may take place within standard combat time, and is an unnatural social attack made using Manipulation + Martial Arts. This attack may not be blocked or dodged normally, but may be defended with any effect that provides defense against shaping effects. If used during social combat, the attack has a speed of 1 long tick and a rate of 1. This attack may be used on inactive targets. If successful, the attack may inflict an Compulsion, Emotion, Illusion or Servitude effect.

The effect depicted by the image is imprinted on reality with no discussion or argument, so unless the target is given reason to suspect otherwise, he will assume any effects of the attack are his own idea. If he should realize the effect is foreign, he still may not realize the attack came from the caster unless the caster was obviously involved in some way (e.g. using an impromptu image).

Alternatively, this charm can enchant the image itself to deliver an identical attack to an imaged target as a written attack (Exalted 2, pg. 175).

Drafting of Soldiers

Cost: 5m + 1m per soldier ; Mins: Martial Arts 4, Essence 4; Type: Simple
Keywords: Obvious, Stackable, Combo-Basic, Shaping
Duration: 7 days
Prerequisite Charms: none
…that she needed an army to defend her.

Every artist needs an entourage, especially one that can be conjured from thin air. Warriors painted into an image leap from the image and grow into full sized, idealized soldiers. These soldiers are obviously magical phantoms, solid to the touch, but occasionally transparent. The artist may summon up to Charisma + Martial Arts soldiers with a single invocation of this charm (or as many are represented on the painting, whichever is less). All soldiers carry any weapons and armor the artist painted; however, no matter how fantastical, magical or formidable such gear might appear, it remains completely mundane, using standard statistics. The soldiers use the statistics for elite soldiers (Exalted 2, pg. 280) except that they never need to make valor checks and are considered to be automaton when resisting effects. They will follow orders intelligently, but not particularly creatively. They can speak, but will rarely do so.

A mote committed to animate a single soldier may be uncommitted if that solider dies prior to the expiration of this charm. Similarly, some soldiers may be "dismissed" by reflexively releasing motes without dismissing them all. (Such motes are still considered spent, as normal.) Should a solider be killed or dismissed, it and its gear vanishes with a slight flash and audible pop.

Images used for casting this charm are specifically exempt from the need to paint specific targets and effects. Only a general notion of the warriors and their gear need be depicted. If created with an impromptu image, the speed of this action increases by 1 for each soldier drawn rather than the standard 4.

This charm may be used to enchant a prepared image, which is then folded. The soldiers will not appear until the image is unfolded by anyone. In such cases, the image must depict what the soldiers will do when the image is unfolded. The image will remain enchanted for a year and a day, but when unfolded the soldiers will appear for 7 days and then the magic expires. Unfolding the note in combat is considered a Miscellaneous Action (-1 DV).

Example: Hammer in the Woods paints an image of five warriors protecting Cynis Aran. She then casts this charm, folds the image, and sends it to her. Two months later, the image arrives. Knowing its contents, Aran holds it for a month, until she is suddenly attacked in court. She unfolds it and the five soldiers emerge to defend her. Once the soldiers do their job and vanish, the essence Hammer has committed to this charm becomes spent and Hammer knows instantly the charm has faded.

Impressing the Landscape

Cost: 25m, 2wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4; Type: Simple (8, -2 DV)
Keywords: Shaping
Duration: One day
Prerequisite Charms: none
In the terrain of her mind…

While lesser artists idealize the landscapes in their paintings, the true artist alters the landscape to meet his painting's ideal. Using a painting depicting a region within eyeshot, the artist shapes reality to make the landscape conform to his portrayal of it. The artist's painting might show a spring welling up from the desert before him, and this charm makes the spring appear. The walled city he is laying siege to may be painted with crumbled fortifications, and the walls will fall.

The artist makes a Dexterity + Martial Arts roll against a difficulty proportional to how radical or unlikely the desired change is. For example, painting an avalanche into a mountain covered in loose rocks would probably only need one success, while palace of ice painted into a volcanic lava flow would probably require five. While the effects of this charm are open ended, there are a number of restrictions:

  • The charm cannot alter, harm or otherwise directly effect living creatures, spirits or any other entity with a permanent Essence rating. So, if the artist paints a picture of the village he is in burning to the ground, the structures will burn, but all of the inhabitants will escape miraculously unharmed.
  • The charm may only target an area the artist can see. As always, the painting used must image the exact area and effect.
  • The charm can only affect mundane material. The marble used in manses, the five magical materials and any material altered by charms or sorcery are completely immune to this charm. The charm may not create or alter demesnes or manses in any way. This charm is a shaping effect, so items protected from shaping are likewise immune. Structures or terrain made from gossamer, however, may be altered by this spell.
  • The charm can only affect terrain, including buildings and streets. For example, it could not be used to remove the armor from an army or the army from a battlefield, but could depict the land on which the army stands as being underwater (though somehow the soldiers would not drown).
  • The charm can alter a million cubic yards (equivalent to a cube 100 yards on each side) of terrain per point of the artist's Essence. The affected area must be at least one yard long on its smallest dimension.
  • Effects can be as varied as the artist's imagination, but cannot exceed celestial sorcery in power. For example, if the artist paints a building in the middle of an empty plain, a spell like Ivory Orchid Pavilion should act as a guide to the upper limits of what such a building can be. Even if the artist paints a city street under a rain of corrosive venom, he cannot produce the effects of a solar spell like Rain of Doom. In general, if an effect on a landscape cannot be a celestial spell (even a theoretical one), then it cannot be produced by this charm either.

From the time this charm is cast, events in the painting play out as real until the sun both rises and sets, though the artist may cancel the charm before this. Once the charm ends, all changed terrain returns to normal. Buildings burned to ash are now whole, walls are rebuilt, springs dry up. Memories, however, remain.

Capturing the Moment

Cost: 9m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 4; Type: Reflexive (Step 1 or 2)
Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: none
…she froze her rival's violence…

This charm may only be invoked while attacking or being attacked. When used while dodging an attack, the artist paints a crude depiction of the attack on an available surface (or in the air, if using this style's form) capturing it within the lines of his art and completely dodging it. The the number of successes made on the attack, as well as its base damage, are stored within the painting. This charm may not normally be used to dodge a undodgeable or perfect attacks; however, it may be used if comboed with a charm or charms that allow normal dodging of such attacks.

When used to augment any Martial Arts attack, this charm makes use of the painting of a previously captured attack, releasing it's energy and destroying the painting in the process, as the art comes alive to back the attack. The successes stored in the painting are added to the attack and the attack's base damage is replaced by the base damage within the painting. This is not considered an imaged effect, and such an attack can be made against any target, regardless of who made the attack that was stored.

The artist may maintain up to Essence paintings at once, but the magic fades from the paintings when the scene in which they were made ends, leaving only the art behind. Paintings may be attacked like any other inanimate object, and a single point of damage is enough to cancel a painting's magic, making it unusable for an attack. The artist may also reflexively release the magic from a painting made with this charm at any time with no effect. This charm may be used to capture and augment social attacks. A single invocation of this charm may not, of course, be used to attack and defend at the same time. Repeated invocations of this charm in a single action may be made as normal, with each activation either dodging or augmenting an attack as appropriate.

Sable Disposition of Being Form

Cost: 12m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 5; Type: Simple (Speed 4)
Keywords: Form-type
Duration: Scene
Prerequisite Charms: Wreaking Nuance, Drafting of Soldiers, Impressing the Landscape, Capturing the Moment
…with smears of airy nothing.

To invoke this form, either the artist or his Motivation must be imaged at the time the form is activated. This image specifically is not required to be a depiction of the artist's current situation, but may be a generic likeness; however, once the image is used to activate this form, it may be used as an arcane link to the artist until it is either altered or destroyed. The image may also be created to contain the sutra for this style, allowing even an impromptu image to act as a sutra prayer strip would. If the image is used to activate the sutra (Sidereals, pg 184), the image will be visible to others, with images drawn on surfaces other than paper lifting off and floating in air, but otherwise acting just like a prayer strip, including its defenses (Sidereals, pp. 130-1). An image can be used as a sutra before the form is invoked, thus discounting it's cost as normal. Should the form be cancelled prior to the end of the scene, the sutra will remain, though if the image is destroyed, both the sutra and form will end. Images used as sutras will destroy themselves when the scene ends.

Under the effects of the form, the artist treats reality as a canvas, with her brush (or even fingers) generating pigment of any color that stays exactly where the artist puts it, even suspended in air or under water. This paint reduces the speed penalty for impromptu images by one and the artist is always considered to have the proper materials to generate images for this style. The artist adds two dice to preparing paintings for use with the charms of this style and any Craft roll involving painting.

Unlike most martial arts forms, this form is almost solely in the mind, showing few outward signs but steeling the artist's uncompromising vision of the world. It may be used during social combat, at which time the artist adds her Essence to her parry MDV and may suffer only two total points of willpower drain from any persuasion attempts, either natural or unnatural. Attempts after that automatically fail unless made by perfect effects.

Within standard combat, this form combines the discerning eye of artist with the patterns of combat, making it easier to anticipate and avoid attacks. The artist adds her Essence to her dodge DV for the duration of the scene.

Greater Charms

Elder Sutra of Creativity: With chromatic pigment and dark bristle, the artist…

Establishing Artistic License

Cost: 12m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 5; Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Combo-OK, Shaping, Stackable
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Sable Disposition of Being Form
…painted a scullery maid as a goddess,

The exalt paints a target how he should be instead of how he is, then lashes out with this image, convincing reality of its truth. As part of an unarmed Dexterity + Martial Arts attack against an imaged target, the artist may deal standard damage if he wishes, but does not have to. In either case, for each success that remains after defense is applied (just as step 7 begins), the artist may rearrange traits of the target, exchanging any of the following items for another for the rest of the scene:

  • 1 Attribute point. Attributes may not be lowered below one or raised above natural maximums.
  • 1 Virtue point. Virtues tied to the Great Curse may not be lowered below three. Other Virtues may not be lowered below one or raised above five.
  • 1 point from each of two different Abilities. Abilities may not be lowered below one or raised above natural maximums.
  • 4 points of lethal and bashing armor soak. Armor soak may not be reduced below zero and may not be altered by more than 16 points.

This may lower some traits below the minimums required for some charms. Such charms can no longer be cast, but established charms are not affected. These changes are made before damage is soaked. The artist may use this charm on himself, essentially attacking himself through art. Because this charm is actually shaping reality, and not form, it explicitly works on tattooed lunar exalted with Essence lower than the artist's.

Example: Hammer in the Woods, with sutra blazing, flows paint from her fingers, painting a naked version of her target as she strikes. The attack is a good one, leaving four successes remaining after the target's DV and other modifiers are applied. The target is heavily armored, with 15L soak from armor. Hammer decides to use 3 successes to reduce this. The first subtracts 4 points of soak, adding 1 to the target's Compassion. The second subtracts 4 more soak, adding 1 to Sail and 1 to Ride. The third reduces 4 more points, increasing the target's Appearance by 1. The last success is used to reduce the target's Stamina by 1, adding a point to his Manipulation. Hammer also elects to do damage with the attack, now soaked with only 3L from armor. Later, Hammer decides to reconfigure one of her allies, making an "attack" against him. The ally decides not to dodge or parry at all, but Hammer rolls badly, only getting four successes remaining as step 7 starts. She reduces her ally's Appearance of 5 to 1 with four of these successes, trying to adding 3 points each to both Melee and Dodge abilities of the ally and increasing his armor soak by 4.

This charm may also enchant an image to deliver a similar attack in writing. When the intended target touches the image, it explodes into an array of color, that seeks to enter and rewrite him. An attack equal to the artist's Dexterity + Martial Arts at the time the painting was made is rolled, using 1L base damage. This attack may be dodged, but can only be blocked with a parry capable of blocking insubstantial attacks. Written attacks cannot be made with combos and, for the purposes of arranging traits, may only benefit from two successes. The artist must specify the traits to be rearranged at the time the charm is cast.

Kiss of Pigment

Cost: 11m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 6, Essence 6; Type: Simple (5 long ticks)
Keywords: Shaping, Stackable
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Establishing Artistic License
…emending every flaw…

Just as the artist can turn fiction into reality, so can he turn the harsh reality of crippling wounds, disease and even heartache into fiction. The artist spends five minutes of dramatic time (or 5 ticks of social combat) drawing an idealized version of any target he can see, as a vision of perfect health. The artist makes a test combining her Manipulation with either Martial Arts, Craft (Air) or Medicine against a difficulty of the target's Essence. This roll is treated as if it were a shaping attack, so the target may have automatic defenses which prevent it entirely. On success, the art shapes reality, making the body of the target whole in some way. Each invocation of this charm can have one of the following effects:

  • The target is healed of all bashing damage.
  • The target is healed of lethal damage equal to the number of extra successes on the roll, plus the artist's Essence.
  • The target is healed of aggravated damage equal to the artist's Essence.
  • The target is cured of a Sickness effect.
  • The target is cured of all Poison effects.
  • The target is cured of one Crippling effect.
  • The target is cured of all "damage" to an existing Intimacy.
  • The target is cured of an unnatural Emotion, Compulsion, Illusion or Total Control effect.
  • The target's age is reduced by a number of years equal to the number of extra successes on the roll, plus the artist's Essence, to a minimum of 1 year old.
  • The target's internal turmoil is soothed. Mechanically, this reduces Limit by up to half of the artist's Essence, rounded up. For each point removed, the artist must roll one Paradox dice.
  • The target's connection with life and creativity is strengthened. Mechanically, this reduces Resonance by up to half of the artist's Essence, rounded up. For each point removed, the artist automatically gains a point of Paradox.

Apart from the last two effects, the artist may use this charm on himself. Because this charm is actually shaping reality, and not form, it explicitly works on tattooed lunar exalted with Essence lower than the artist's.

Significance Capturing Stroke

Cost: 15m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 6, Essence 6; Type: Reflexive (Step 2, 5)
Keywords: Obvious, Combo-OK, Shaping
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Kiss of Pigment
…and imprisoning her wicked brother for all to see.

So great is the artist’s connection to image and reality that his metaphoric ability to capture the essence of a subject becomes literal. With several strokes in the air, attempting to entangle and encapsulate his attacker in his art, rendering him harmless but beautiful.

In response to an attack, the artist creates a loose representation of the attacker in the air, which then attempt to engulf the attacker. The lines of the art interfere enough with the attack to allow the artist to add his Essence to his DV. Their primary benefit, however, is to capture the attacker in a work of art, making a grappling counterattack on the attacker using Dexterity + Martial Arts. This engulfing grapple is considered a “special defense” so is resolved in Step 5, but in other ways is handled as both a grapple and a counterattack. It may be dodged normally but it’s engulfing nature makes it difficult to parry, reducing PDV by the martial artist’s Essence.

If the grapple from the art succeeds, the attacker is surrounded by the painting and pulled into a pocket of Elsewhere, to which the painting is the gateway. Should this occur, the attacker is considered to be captured before dealing damage, so the artist takes none from the attack. The engulfing is considered a shaping effect, but targeted on the space of the room, not the attacker directly. Effects that can prevent such shaping that are brought to bear as the grapple is made will disrupt the effect completely. If completed, however, the painting/portal will coalesce into a scroll containing an exact likeness of the attack. The paper, which has all of the defensive traits of a standard prayer strip, clatters to the ground at the foot of the artist as the attacker is sucked into it.

The attacker is trapped in a small pocket of Elsewhere lit by an even white light and containing only two features. The first is a small window upon which the painting of the attack is painted transparently, in reverse. This is a window onto the world through the scroll, through which the attacker can see what transpires in front of the scroll in the real world. (Many practitioners of this style make a point of rolling up such scrolls to prevent the attacker seeing anything.) The window is one-way and transmits only light (not sound, etc.). It is impervious to physical attack, but can be destroyed by effects that cancel shaping effects. Charms, spells or other effects that open gateways into or out of spirit sanctums will also open the window.

The other detail is a simple wooden easel containing a large, blank canvas, a palette of oil paints in a variety of colors and several brushes. Though the trapped attacker usually has no way of knowing this, the goddess responsible for the Sable Disposition of Being style observes all that transpires in the spaces created by this charm, and is much impressed with artwork. Should the attacker create a painting more beautiful than the one imprisoning him (i.e. scoring more successes on an artistic roll than the artist scored imprisoning him), the goddess will release the attacker, transforming the scroll in the real world into a likeness of the attacker’s work.

Should the attacker think to, he may also pray to this goddess, offering her something in exchange for release. The goddess appreciates martial excellence as well as art, so an offer for the production of either once released may gain the attacker’s freedom. While the goddess might be persuaded to believe particularly impassioned speeches (magically enhanced or otherwise), she will certainly follow up on any promises made.

The attacker can also be freed from the outside by destroying the scroll there. Otherwise, he will remain trapped as long as the scroll survives. In such a state, the attacker is alive and conscious but will not age, hunger or thirst, nor will he naturally regain Essence or Willpower. He retains all possessions. Should he be freed, the attacker appears to leap from the scroll and can make a Join Battle roll if appropriate.

Should the engulfing counter fail, the attacker’s initial attack is resolved normally, unless the attacker made the attack inapplicable in some way. For example, if the attacker avoided being engulfed by standard dodging, his attack would continue normally, but if he used a leaping dodge to move 20 yards away, it would not.

This charm does not require an image to cast, instead building an image of its own as a result.

Silencing the Critics

Cost: 8m; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 5; Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Combo-OK, Social
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Sable Disposition of Being Form
The fulminations of the brother's friends rang hollow,

Even the most vocal critics can be won over when reality itself turns against them. When this charm augments a successful social attack against an imaged target, calculate the number of successes that remain after defense and other modifiers are applied. Should the target wish to resist the effect of the attack, he must pay willpower equal to the number of remaining successes. If consenting to the attack would violate the target's Motivation, this total is cut in half (rounded up).

Alternatively, the artist can instead use this charm to enhance a social attack which issues an unacceptable order. Such an attack can be resisted with a single point of willpower, if available.

Pleasing Aesthetic Stance

Cost: 20m; Mins: Martial Arts 6, Essence 6; Type: Simple
Keywords: None
Duration: Scene
Prerequisite Charms: Silencing the Critics
for the goddess quickly gained worshippers…

For the remainder of the scene, any social attack against an imaged target that is intended to erode or build an intimacy is considered to be unnatural influence. If such an attack is not resisted, every two full successes remaining after MDV and other modifiers act as if the artist had spent additional "scenes" making similar attacks for the purposes of increasing and/or reducing Intimacies.

Example: Hammer of the Woods seeks to make a city governor betray his wife (to whom he has an Intimacy) and join Hammer's cause. The governor has an MDV of 5 and a Conviction of 3. Normally, Hammer would need to spend at least three scenes with the governor in which she made social attacks to erode the intimacy with his wife and build one with Hammer, but she doesn't have that kind of time. She quickly prepares a painting of the governor standing loyally by her side, with his wife crying off in the distance, abandoned. She then dons this stance and holds a meeting with the governor, during which she makes a number of social attacks, quickly reducing his willpower to 0. She then makes one more attack, knowing he cannot resist if the attack succeeds, rolling 10 successes. His defense eats 5 of these successes, leaving 5 to get through, which allow the attack to act as if it had been applied for two additional scenes. Combined with the current scene, the attack is as effective as if it had been made on three scenes total. This equals the governor's Conviction, so the intimacy with his wife is destroyed, replaced by one to Hammer.

Tortured Artist's Curse

Cost: 15m, 1wp; Mins: Martial Arts 6, Essence 6; Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Combo-OK
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Pleasing Aesthetic Stance
…as the people saw her as the artist did.

The true artist must often endure the barbs of those too obtuse to appreciate their vision, yet those with real talent can force those who would belittle them to experience the world through their own eyes. This charm may only be used to back an attack (social or normal) against an imaged target who has previously made a successful attack on the artist (social or normal) this scene, which need not have done damage. The artist's attack, in addition to doing normal damage, transfers an astrological effect from the artist to the target. The duration and other aspects of the effect remain the same, but the Essence rating attached to the effect (see "Multiple Effects", Sidereals pg. 212) becomes that of the artist. This effect generates two dice of Paradox for the artist.

If the effect being transferred is an ascending or descending destiny, the artist may invert it, changing a Sloped Floor Curse into an Artless Prodigy Blessing or vice versa, for example. The target also may begin to take on one or more trappings of the effect's College and gains an Intimacy related in some way to the College of the effect, generally a loyalty to, idealism about or behavior involving one of the correlations of the College. For example, someone under an effect of the Haywain may start wearing disheveled robes and become obsessed with aging.

Resplendent destinies may also be transferred, forcing the target to adopt the persona of the destiny and forgetting who he is while it is in effect. Acting counter to the destiny generates Paradox, just as it would for a sidereal. If the artist had previously worn the destiny (instead of just using it for effect dice), she may also be subject to Paradox if the target appears as the destiny to people who knew the destiny when the artist wore it. The target treats this new persona as if it has always been his and will not remember his previous life. Once the destiny ends, however, he will remember both his previous life and his life under the destiny. All remaining effect dice are transferred to the target, and he may use all but the last one as normal (including any Paradox costs). The last die may only be spent on a specific date of each month (e.g. the 2nd, 15th, etc.), but only if the target is wearing all of the trappings of the destiny's College and only if performing an action suitable to the College. Spending the last die will dissolve the destiny completely, as normal, prior to its full duration. Accumulated Paradox remains even after the destiny expires.

Bringing the Canvas to Life

Cost: varies; Mins: Martial Arts 5, Essence 5; Type: Simple
Keywords: Obvious, Combo-Basic, Shaping
Duration: Scene
Prerequisite Charms: Sable Disposition of Being Form
After the artist bedecked the goddess in jewels…

As the artist explores the deeper mysteries of art and reality, they learn to impart true vitality to their work. With a touch of her brush, the artist animates any image, even one she did not create, literally bringing it’s subject(s) to life for the remainder of the scene.

The artist makes an Intelligence + Martial Arts roll against a difficulty dependent on what is being animated. The artist may also use this charm during social combat.

When used to animate creatures, people, spirits or other living things, the base cost of this charm is equal to half of the sum of the creature’s physical attributes (rounded up). Depending on the source image, the creature may have associated mutations (e.g. poison bite, multiple heads, etc.), which cost an additional mote per mutation point. Abilities and other traits will be typical for the type of creature. Images of entities that could normally use charms may, at the Storyteller’s discretion, have access to charms with an Essence minimum no greater than half the artist’s Essence (round down); however, their essence pool must be filled by the artist with motes of her own at the time of casting. Though they may look genuine, animated images are obvious magical constructs of paint and light that lack any real personality and are under complete control of the artist. They are treated as automaton and never fail valor rolls. The artist may not create creatures with an Essence greater than her own and the difficulty on the roll to create creatures is their Essence.

Inanimate items may also be brought to life. Artists well versed in artificing can even create artifacts from thin air. While mundane items can be casually invented, producing a working artifact requires detailed knowledge of its construction. The artist must have personal knowledge of the design plans for the artifact, as well as the minimum Lore, Occult and Craft needed to create it (see Savant & Sorcerer pg. 30). When created with this charm, items cost three times their Artifact rating in motes to summon. They may be attuned automatically to the artist or an animated creature created by the same casting, but the attunement cost is added to the cost of the charm. The difficulty to create artifacts is equal to one plus the artifact’s rating. Artifacts with an “N/A” rating may not be created. Non-artifact items cost a flat 2 motes each and are created with a difficulty of one. All items appear near the artist and must be readied by the artist normally. Note that, while items can be handed to others, it is unlikely that anyone else could attune to artifacts created by this charm before its duration expires.

The artist may bring as many images to life with one invocation of this charm as she can pay for. Only one roll is used for all items summoned. Every item or being who’s difficulty was met by the roll appears simultaneously. The total cost of the charm is the cost to animate each item that actually appears. All creations vanish back into their original forms when the charm is complete.

Sincerest Flattery

Cost: 6m per duplicate; Mins: Martial Arts 6, Essence 6; Type: Simple
Keywords: Obvious, Combo-Basic
Duration: Variable
Prerequisite Charms: Bringing the Canvas to Life
…and painted her from every angle…

While the saying is that imitation is the most sincere form of flattery, the artist can do one better and flatter with exact duplicates instead. Making a Dexterity + Martial Arts test, the artist creates one duplicate of an imaged target (including herself) for each success on the test, paying 6 motes for each duplicate. The artist need not use all the successes.

On the target's next turn, the target and all the duplicates may take completely independent actions and movement, all under the control of the target. All of the duplicates share the essence pools, health levels, wound penalties, etc. of the target (for example, all duplicates share a common essence pool). Being completely independent, each duplicate is allowed their own charm activation. So, for example, one duplicate might invoke a combo, another might declare a flurry, another might dash, another might start casting a spell, etc. After all of these actions are resolved, one of the duplicates (target's choice) vanishes. The target's speed is the speed of the highest speed needed by all of the actions taken. Likewise with DV penalties. The targets and all duplicates wait for the same amount of time before acting again, at which time, another batch of independent actions is taken, and yet another duplicate vanishes. As each duplicate vanishes, the essence committed to it becomes spent.

Representing Heaven

Cost: 10m + variable, 2wp; Mins: Martial Arts 6, Essence 6; Type: Simple (3, -3 DV)
Keywords: Obvious, Combo-Basic
Duration: Indefinite
Prerequisite Charms: Sincerest Flattery
…she walked in the favor of the stars…

The artist's insight into reality now extends to the complex workings of the constellations and, rendered in the their light, the painter binds the stars, himself and his subjects together. This charm may specifically treat multiple subjects in a single painting as imaged targets; however, subjects in the painting must have been painted while in being actually witnessed by the artist, either directly or through some form of magic. All subjects need not have been painted at once, but may have been added piecemeal over time. Furthermore, the portrait need not depict a specific effect, but must illustrate the group standing under one of the 25 constellations (see Sidereals). The painter need not have a college in this constellation. In addition to two willpower and 10 motes, the artist must spend a number of motes equal to the combined Essence ratings of those in the image he wishes to affect. Imaged targets need not be visible, or even present, when this charm is invoked, so long as they were when they were imaged. This charm is useable in both standard and social combat.

The artist synchronizes the imaged targets in the painting and the constellation with himself, making a Wits + Martial Arts roll against a difficulty equal to the highest Essence rating of the imaged targets. If successful, the painting used vanishes and is replaced with a prayer strip that floats near the artist, with all of the defensive abilities of a standard prayer strip. As long as the charm remains in effect, this prayer strip may be rolled up and stored in a "passive" mode or made to actively float whenever the artist likes (using a Miscellaneous Action). While the charm is in active mode, it provides the following effects:

  • Any charms, spells or effects cast by the artist against the imaged targets, or defending against them, have their mote cost reduced by the number of extra successes achieved on the initial Wits + Martial Arts roll. This reduction stacks with sutra effects, but the final cost may never be lower than 1.
  • Any social attack made or enhanced by charms of this style against an imaged target can be made against as many of the imaged targets as the artist can see and desires to affect. One attack roll is made, with the results applied to each target individually.
  • The artist can make a social attack on a single target in the image no matter where that target is located; however, the effect of this attack must be related in some way to the constellation in the painting. The artist adds dice equal to his College rating in this constellation, if any, to the attack. The charm imparts no special knowledge of the target, however, so the artist must guess at, for example, what the target's current Intimacies are.
  • The artist and all imaged targets may reflexively take two points (not dice) of Paradox in exchange for one effect point that may be used to buy resplendent effects of the imaged constellation. For effects that also cost Paradox dice, these are rolled normally.
  • The painting may be used as a petition (Sidereals, pg. 206) to create an astrological effect based on the imaged constellation on the imaged targets. The total successes achieved on the Wits + Martial Arts roll used to cast this charm are counted as the calligraphy successes for the petition. If the painting is used in this fashion, it is consumed once the astrological effect is determined.
  • For astrological effects related to the imaged constellation targeted at imaged targets, the artist need only spend Scope successes equal to the highest Essence rating of those depicted, rather than their sum. If the effect also used the painting as a petition, the effect roll gains three automatic successes as well.

The charm ends when either the motes powering it are released, all the imaged targets die or the painting is destroyed. Once the charm ends, the painting disintegrates.

Life Imitates Art

Cost: 11m; Mins: Martial Arts 7, Essence 7; Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Combo-OK, Social
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Significance Capturing Stroke, Tortured Artist's Curse, Representing Heaven
…and in the servitude of the artist.

Note: Charms in productions released after this charm was created may indicate that this charm is now too weak.

At the pinnacle of his understanding, the artist's grasp of the interactions of reality and art allow him to rework the very fabric of his subject's being. When augmenting any social attack against an imaged target, the attack is unblockable, undodgeable and unnatural. If the attack succeeds, the artist may alter the target's Motivation as if it were an Intimacy.