Grey's Charms, Sorcery and Artifacts

ATHLETICS
Increasing Strength Exercise
Cost: 3m or 3i per dot; Mins: Athletics 3, Essence 1
Type: Simple
Keywords: None
Duration: One scene
Prerequisite Charms: None
The Solar draws remarkable strength from deep within her core. For every three motes of Essence or Initiative the
Exalt spends, her Strength score increases by one. Each dot of increase also raises the base damage of her decisive attacks by one. The Solar’s Strength cannot be increased by more than her Essence rating through use of this Charm, and this Charm may not grant her more than double her Strength score. Through use of Increasing Strength Exercise, Solars can reach the Strength minimums required to attempt certain feats of strength (p. 229).

BRAWL:
Fists of Iron Technique
Cost: 1m; Mins: Brawl 1, Essence 1
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Dual
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: None
This Charm allows the Exalt to parry lethal damage with her bare hands. In addition, her bare-handed decisive strike does lethal damage and her withering damage ignores (Essence + Intimacy) soak. The Intimacy in this context can be a Tie (as the Solar strikes a hated enemy or defends a beloved friend) or a Principle (as the Solar exults in the thrill of violence).

OCCULT
Spirit-Detecting Glance
Cost: 3m; Mins: Occult 1, Essence 1
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: None
Duration: One scene
Prerequisite Charms: None
The Solar can look through the pall of reality to glimpse the realm of spirits beneath. With this Charm, the Solar can see (but not touch) immaterial spirits.

Spirit-Cutting Attack
Cost: 1m; Mins: Occult 2, Essence 1
Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Uniform
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Spirit-Detecting Glance
The Solar infuses her attack with the emotive force of her anima, to strike an immaterial spirit. This Charm supplements a single attack to strike a spirit which has not materialized. If the Solar is not using the prerequisite or another similar magic, this attack is made at -3 dice. Spirit-Cutting Attack may be used in combination with the Charms of other Abilities.

Ghost-Eating Technique
Cost: 3m; Mins: Occult 3, Essence 1
Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Decisive-only
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Spirit-Cutting Attack
This Charm is the technique by which the Solars slew the enemies of the gods, and spirits hate and fear it. This Charm may supplement attacks made by other Abilities. An attack supplemented by this Charm does aggravated damage against spirits, and draws a number of motes from the spirit equal to the highest wound penalty inflicted by the attack. For example, striking off a number of -1 health levels would give the Solar one mote. Striking off a number of -2 health levels and a -4 would give the Solar four motes. If a spirit is slain by this attack, it is destroyed permanently, and the pattern of its Essence is subsumed by the Solar’s anima. Destroying a spirit with this Charm grants the Exalt (Solar’s Essence + spirit’s Essence) motes.

RESISTANCE
Durability of Oak Meditation
Cost: 3m; Mins: Resistance 2, Essence 1
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Dual
Duration: One tick
Prerequisite Charms: None
A child cannot cleave a tree with a dull knife, nor can a foe hope to strike down the Solar with his petty blade. Against a withering or decisive attack, this Charm reduces raw damage by two. Against a decisive attack it also grants the Exalt four hardness. Note that the hardness bonus cannot be applied during crash.

Spirit Strengthens the Skin
Cost: 1m per damage die removed; Mins: Resistance 2,
Essence 1
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Withering-only
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Durability of Oak Meditation
The Solar channels Essence through her enduring toughness, hardening her skin and muscles beyond their mortal limits. After an attack hits her, but before damage is rolled, she may increase her soak at a rate of one mote per point. She may no more than double her natural soak in this fashion. This effect is incompatible with any magic that allows the Exalt to soak a decisive attack with withering-only magic.
At Resistance 5+, Essence 3+, the Solar may use this Charm to remove successful dice of withering damage after damage has been rolled, at a rate of two motes per success. This use costs one point of Willpower, two points of Initiative, and has the Perilous keyword.

Iron Skin Concentration
Cost: 2m or 6m; Mins: Resistance 3, Essence 1
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Dual
Duration: Instant or Indefinite
Prerequisite Charms: Spirit Strengthens the Skin
This Charm hardens the Exalt’s skin, making it incredibly difficult to cut or pierce. Against a withering attack, the Solar can pay two motes to apply her Stamina as soak against unsoakable damage as an instant effect. Against a decisive attack, she may pay six motes after damage has been rolled to create (Stamina) -0 health levels, which take damage first, effectively shunting the attack away from her bones and vital organs. She still feels the pain of the strike, but a blow that appears to run her through may be shrugged off while drawing a mere trickle or no blood at all. If the created health levels exceed the damage successes for that attack, subsequent attacks’ damage is automatically applied to remaining created -0’s before damage begins registering with her regular health levels. The motes for the decisive version’s cost are committed indefinitely. The Solar keeps her commitment to this Charm for as long as she remains injured; after combat ends, the health levels convert from -0 to -1 wounds, requiring the Solar to seek rest or treatment in order to end the Charm. These health levels are the first healed by any kind of rest or magical healing. Healing these levels is the only way to end the Charm; once they are healed they vanish. Undamaged health levels vanish at the end of the scene. The Solar may choose to continue fighting while carrying shunted injuries, but each day she does so increases the wound penalty by -1.
At Essence 3+, the Solar may create up to (Stamina + Essence) health levels, but choosing to do so changes the cost of the Charm to five motes + one mote for every -0 created beyond the Solar’s Stamina.

Diamond-Body Prana
Cost: 5m; Mins: Resistance 4, Essence 2
Type: Simple
Keywords: Dual
Duration: One scene
Prerequisite Charms: Iron Skin Concentration
The Exalt inverts her anima, turning the substance of her existence into something far beyond normal harm. For the rest of the scene, basic scenery damage, such as crashing through a window, running through a bramble, or stepping through a burning corridor (flames of less intensity than 4L per turn) does her no harm. The Solar can’t be hurt by light contact with normally damaging edges. Her skin is tough enough for the claws of a tiger to skid off harmlessly, so long as the tiger isn’t actually striking her. This Charm provides the following protection against withering attacks: when activated, the Solar rolls (Stamina + Resistance) dice with (Essence or three, whichever is higher) automatic successes and adds the successes to her soak for the rest of the scene. This roll cannot be enhanced by other magic. Against decisive attacks, this Charm provides (Stamina) hardness, and can stack with Durability of Oak Meditation, reducing that Charm’s hardness bonus to +2. Diamond-Body Prana is incompatible with armor.

SURVIVAL
Food-Gathering Exercise
Cost: 3m; Mins: Survival 1, Essence 1
Type: Simple
Keywords: None
Duration: One hour
Prerequisite Charms: None
The land gives its strength to the Lawgiver. The Solar may use this Charm to make a ([Charisma or Wits] + Survival) roll against a difficulty assigned by the Storyteller. Each extra success on this roll represents enough food gathered to feed a single person for a day. The fare guaranteed by this Charm is of a meager sort—berries, grubs, nuts, seeds, insects, and small animals—but the Solar has no need of a spear or bow or net to hunt such game. If the Storyteller decides there simply isn’t any sort of sustenance in the region, or the player fails the roll, the Solar still finds enough food to feed at least one person. In addition, for every hour the Solar continues to use this Charm, the Solar works toward a climactic encounter with the rawest expression of survivalist skill possible. This guarantees that after repeated use, the Solar will have at least one chance per day to catch a large fish, kill a game animal, trap a large bird or find a fruit-bearing tree. This encounter will happen regardless of Storyteller decree, but is still contingent on a difficulty 6 roll in the worst case scenario.

Hardship-Surviving Mendicant Spirit
Cost: 5m; Mins: Survival 3, Essence 1
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: None
Duration: One day
Prerequisite Charms: None
Through the use of this Charm, the Solar becomes able to survive in even the most hostile conditions without special preparation. This Charm negates all environmental penalties to Survival rolls and eliminates the deleterious effects of exposure to extreme climates. The coldest glacier and the hottest desert are no more deadly to the Solar than the gentlest rolling plain. She ignores inclement weather even when lightly dressed, and does not suffer undue blisters, bug bites or plant poison even when walking barefoot through the jungle. This Charm does not protect the Exalt against environmental damage. In addition, Hardship-Surviving Mendicant Spirit lowers the difficulty to forage and find shelter by 2, to a minimum of 1.

Friendship with Animals Approach
Cost: 3m; Mins: Survival 2, Essence 1
Type: Simple
Keywords: None
Duration: One scene
Prerequisite Charms: None
Through the use of this Charm, the Exalt can deal with nearly any wild animal. Herbivores and smaller omnivores will not break and run when the Solar approaches, and will even become somewhat docile, allowing the Exalt to pet or handle them. Predators are less susceptible to this Charm, and most will simply let the Solar pass unmolested through their territory. This Charm does not work on sentient animals or familiars, animals that are trained to attack, or animals that are maddened by pain, hunger, or disease.

Element-Resisting Prana
Cost: —; Mins: Survival 5, Essence 3
Type: Permanent
Keywords: None
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisite Charms: Hardship-Surviving
Mendicant Spirit
Through this Charm, the Solar becomes able to survive in any environment. When the prerequisite is active, the Solar can withstand the heat and toxic fumes in the caldera of an active volcano, can walk underwater with no ill effects, and can even withstand the hostile and inimical climes of the Elemental Poles. While Hardship-Surviving Mendicant Spirit is active, reduce damage from all elemental sources of environmental damage by the Exalt’s Resistance rating.

Elements-Sculpted Avatar
Cost: 6m
Mins: Survival 5, Essence 3
Type: Simple
Keywords: None
Duration: Indefinite
Prerequisite Charms: Food-Gathering Exercise, Friendship with Animals Approach, Element-Resisting Prana
The Solar communes with the elements and with the beasts of nature, gaining harmonious elements of both. This Charm requires use of Hardship-Surviving Mendicant Spirit and is completed by a Simple action in which the Lawgiver spends an hour meditating in a place where the elements are strong and fierce, such as the center of a sandstorm or beneath a massive waterfall. Over the course of the hour, the Solar’s physical appearance becomes shaped by the surrounding elements. She gains distinct elemental and / or bestial features, though not the benefits associated with true mutations. This ethereal transformation raises her Appearance by one, even if this raises her Appearance above five. In addition, she gains one non-Charm bonus die to soothe or comfort any elemental, beast, or Lunar Exalted through the use of social influence.

Spirit-Tied Pet
Cost: 10m, 1wp, 1xp; Mins: Survival 3, Essence 2
Type: Simple
Keywords: None
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Friendship with Animals Approach
An Exalt with a familiar has experienced the gift of having been chosen twice. The Exalt reaches through her anima to touch the bond she shares with her companion animal, elevating its spiritual status and according herself the following powers:
Unbreakable Loyalty: The familiar gains a Defining Tie of loyalty to the Solar, if it does not already have one. No influence of any kind—other than that of the Solar—can make the familiar act against this Intimacy.
Essence-Drawing Method: The familiar becomes a font of spiritual energy. The Solar may reflexively draw up to five motes from her pet once per day. The Exalt must be within short range of the familiar she wishes to tap. If the Exalt taps more than five motes from multiple pets in a scene, the motes she draws will only last until her next turn.
Power-Renewing Bond: The Solar draws strength from her familiar bond. Once per day, through interaction with her familiar, the Exalt may draw a single point of Willpower as a simple action lasting at least a few seconds. This contact renews the Solar’s mental energies and can even negate a -1 crippling penalty to the Exalt’s social influence actions. The Solar may only use this power once per day, no matter how many familiars she has.
Sense-Riding Discipline: The Exalt may borrow the senses of a familiar through a moment of intense concentration. This simple action requires the Solar to concentrate on pushing her consciousness into the mind of her familiar, rendering her incapable of taking any other actions until she has returned to her own mind. This power can be invoked when the character is asleep or otherwise inactive, and has no known range limitation. At Survival 5, the Exalt further extends her influence into the familiar’s motor functions, merging seamlessly with her charge in order to control its actions.

Bestial Traits Technique
Cost: 10m, 1wp, 2xp; Mins: Survival 4, Essence 2
Type: Supplemental
Keywords: None
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Spirit-Tied Pet
With this Charm, the Solar can invest her Spirit-Tied Pet with traits beyond its natural capacity. This Charm supplements a normal beast-training roll, rerolling all 1s until 1s fail to appear. In addition to teaching her charge a new command, she can also increase one of the following traits upon the successful completion of the extended roll.
• Strength, Dexterity, Stamina, or Perception +1. This may not be repurchased for the same Attribute more than once, and may not give a familiar an Attribute rated higher than 10.
• Athletics, Brawl, Larceny, Martial Arts, Performance, Resistance, Stealth, or Survival, by one dot, to a maximum of the Exalt’s rating in that Ability.
• Steeliness (Merit): This special merit permanently raises the familiar’s Resolve against intimidation or othe fear inducing effects by 1. This may only be purchased once.

Hide-Hardening Practice
Cost: —; Mins: Survival 5, Essence 2
Type: Permanent
Keywords: Stackable
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisite Charms: Bestial Traits Technique
The Solar reaches into the substance of her familiar, and draws out that which is soft and vulnerable, hardening muscle, bone and hide. The familiar’s soak increases by three, and its hardness by one. The Solar may enhance a single familiar with this Charm (Essence) times.

Life of the Aurochs
Cost: —; Mins: Survival 5, Essence 2
Type: Permanent
Keywords: Stackable
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisite Charms: Bestial Traits Technique
The Solar taps a wellspring of Essence to increase her familiar’s vitality and stature. Each purchase of this Charm increases a familiar’s health levels, adding one -1 health level and two -2 health levels to its health track. In addition, each repurchase increases her familiar’s size by 10%, to be manifested normally or only during Saga Beast Virtue and Deadly Predator Method. The Solar may enhance a single familiar with this Charm (Essence) times.

Saga Beast Virtue
Cost: 5m, 1wp; Mins: Survival 5, Essence 3
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: None
Duration: Indefinite
Prerequisite Charms: Hide-Hardening Practice, Life of
the Aurochs
The Exalt infuses her familiar with Solar anima, unlocking the form of the sacred beast. Her familiar grows in size by 25%, and gains +1 to all Attributes, and both defenses. It also gains up to (Essence) mutations, determined by the player upon purchase of the Charm. The Exalt can choose to activate Saga Beast Virtue with as many or as few of the designated mutations as she chooses. While in Saga Beast form, the familiar is completely immune to fear-inducing effects.

SORCERY
Terrestrial Circle Sorcery
Cost: —; Mins: Occult 3, Essence 1
Type: Permanent
Keywords: None
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisite Charms: None
The Solar steps through the First Circle and is forever transformed. Upon learning this Charm, the Exalt gains
the ability to learn and cast spells from the Terrestrial Circle of sorcery. In addition, the Solar learns one shaping ritual (p. 466) and one Terrestrial spell for free. The spell selected becomes the sorcerer’s “control spell,” and may feature in the anima iconography and be referenced in the mechanics of certain Charms.

Initiation: Trained by a hedge witch in the ways of root lore.
Shaping Ritual
Thousand Blossom Arts: The sorcerer can spend a few hours foraging in the wilderness to retrieve a root, herb, or flower that will aid in her sorcery, a difficulty 2 (Intelligence + Survival) roll. The roll’s difficulty is increased in areas with little or no plant life. Collecting multiple reagents raises the difficulty by 2, but provides the sorcerer with an effectively unlimited stock. Once per scene, she may incorporate a reagent into a spell, contributing (highest of Intelligence, Lore, or Survival) sorcerous motes towards it. Reagents retain their power for a week, and can only be used by the sorcerer who harvested them.
Ever-Blossoming Mastery (••): When the sorcerer casts a spell that creates or manipulates plants, wood, or associated spirits, its cost is lowered by three sorcerous motes. If it’s her control spell, she may waive one point of Willpower from its cost once per day.
Control Spell
Wood Dragon’s Claws
Cost: 5sm, 1wp
Keywords: None
Duration: Until dismissed
The sorcerer transforms her hands into huge, gnarled claws of thorny oak, like those of the majestic elemental dragons of wood. Slashing with these claws uses the traits of a light artifact weapon with the same tags as an unarmed attack, save that its damage tag is lethal rather than bashing. They are compatible with Martial Arts styles that use claw-type weapons or rending strikes, such as Tiger style. They render the sorcerer’s hands incapable of fine manipulation such as writing, wielding a weapon, or turning a doorknob. In addition, characters with an Essence pool gain access to the following powers while this spell is active:
• Bramble Hell Torment (10m; Simple; Instant; Decisive- only): When the sorcerer makes a decisive savaging attack against a clinched enemy, her claws explode into impaling spikes, adding (Essence) successes to the damage roll. This power can only be used once per grapple.
• Living Thorn Transformation (3m; Reflexive; Instant): Warping and twisting her claws, the sorcerer may grant them the tag of her choice for the rest of the scene. She might extend them into a lash of scourging brambles to grant them the flexible tag, reshape them into a bludgeoning club-fists to grant them the smashing tag, or similar. Only one tag can be granted by this power at a time. A sorcerer who knows Wood Dragon’s Claws as her control spell may create and master Evocations for the claws, which can only be used while this spell is active.
Distortion (Goal Number: 12): Distorting the Wood Dragon’s Claws causes them to begin growing wildly, engulfing the enemy sorcerer’s arms in a tangle of twisting roots. He cannot take any actions that require the use of his arms, including attacking, until he has succeeded on an extended (Strength + Athletics) roll (difficulty: 2; interval: one round; goal number: 10) to break free of this entanglement. If he is grappling an enemy when the distortion occurs, the distraction of his own spell turning on him allows that character to reflexively break free. The spell cannot be dismissed while it is distorted.

SATCHEL OF RESPLENDENT HEALING
While these medical artifacts were first manufactured for the Anathema, most in use today trace back to the Shogunate. Each is an orichalcum-inlaid green jade case one foot long, one foot wide, and three inches deep, engraved either with the mark of the Twilight Caste or Sextes Jylis’ sigil. All share the same contents — moonsilver and orichalcum acupuncture needles, starmetal diagnostic tools, jade surgical instruments, bandages of wood spider silk, vials of First Age panaceas, and other wondrous paraphernalia. While using the satchel’s contents, the Exalt adds a non-Charm bonus success on Medicine rolls that use these tools, reduces the mote cost of all non-Excellency Medicine Charms by one (to a minimum of one), never suffers penalties from inadequate equipment, and can staunch and sterilize wounds without a roll. Attuning the satchel costs one mote.
At the end of each story, the Exalt must roll (Wits + Medicine) at difficulty 3 to renew any supplies the satchel is running short of and to purge it of insalubrious Essence. On a failed roll, she must restock the satchel with a successful roll using any appropriate Ability (Survival to gather rare herbs, Bureaucracy to trade for necessary supplies, Larceny to steal them from a rival physician, etc.) before she can use the satchel again.

Bonus Point Log
Intelligence 4: 6
Wits 4: 3
Survival 5: 2
Brawl 4: 1
Occult 5: 2
Resistance 5: 2
Medicine 4: 1
Stealth 4: 1