Solar Animas

This is mostly an clearification of the Solar Animas, though I have modified the Zenith one

  • Remember using anima is expressly permitted as part of the Shaping Sorcery Action
  • Remember Mice of the Sun possesses all the following Anima Powers, though only one can be active at any given time.
    • Remember the Mice does not possess anima banner, so they have to pay activation cost each time.

The Bronze Tigers (Dawn Caste)

By spending 10 motes of Essence, the character can appear huge and terrifying for the remainder of the scene (or until she chooses to let the effect dissipate). The character appears taller and fiercer, with a terrible visage, burning eyes and a deadly rending grasp. This effect comes into play automatically once the Solar spends 11-15 motes of Peripheral Essence.

Unless a creature has a Valor greater than the Ascending Sun’s Essence, he is unable to look directly at the character or strongly oppose her. The Exalt gains +2 to her DV against affected characters. Players of mortals must also make Valor rolls for their characters when they are facing one of the Bronze Tigers. Mortals (and normal animals) that fail flee in terror of the wrathful apparition that confronts them. Golems, automata, the walking dead and other creatures that do not know fear cannot be affected by this anima power.

  • This is an supernatural effect that applies to all those who face off against the Dawn Caste. It is thematic and would still affect those who are blind, deaf, and dumb. It would manifest to those as a sense of dread that shakes them to the core.




The Golden Bulls (Zenith Caste)


The Zenith Caste is empowered by the light of the Unconquered Sun himself. With but a touch, the Golden Bulls can burn the bodies of the fallen for 1 mote of Essence per body, sending the smoke (and soul) to Heaven and preventing the body from rising after death as a zombie or and the lower soul from rising as a hungry ghost.

They are protected from and can strike down demons, the undead and other creatures of darkness. As his action, a Zenith Exalt can channel 10 motes of Essence through his anima. He then glows with the holy fire of the Unconquered Sun and illuminates the area around him as brightly as if it were noon. This illumination extends for (Permanent Essence x 10) yards. For the remainder of the scene (or until he chooses to let the effect dissipate), he imposes an External Penalty equal to his Essence to non-reflexive actions to all Creatures of Darkness within this area of effect, including damage rolls. This effect comes into play automatically once the Solar spends 11-15 motes of Peripheral Essence.

  • DVs are reflexive actions and there for are not affected




The Copper Spiders (Twilight Caste)

Solar Exalted of the Twilight Caste may channel Essence through their animas as a last-ditch protective act. If after damage has been rolled, a Twilight Exalt will lose health levels, she may instead spend 5 motes of Essence to strengthen her anima in an attempt to resist the attack. Subtract one health level from the damage for every dot of Essence she possesses. This effect can turn an otherwise deadly blow or reduce a weak attack to harmlessness. This effect comes into play automatically once the Solar spends 11-15 motes of Peripheral Essence.

  • This can reduce final damage to 0
  • This is just an regular effect, so on attacks that is "its damage cannot be reduced by any means" it will do nothing
    • It is not Perfect Effect so will fail against "Perfect Damage" without the need for Essence Contest




The Iron Wolves (Night Caste)

The Concealing Shadows have more control over their animas than the average Solar Exalted do. The Hidden Suns can mute their animas, allowing them to exert their powers without the display of power. When a Night Caste Solar expends Peripheral Essence, she may spend additional motes in order to prevent the expenditure from adding to her anima banner. This ability does not allow the character to mute Essence displays caused by the use of sorcery, however. To prevent the motes spent on a Charm that is not Obvious (see p. 183) from adding to her anima banner, the character must add one mote to the cost of the Charm. When using an Obvious Charm, she must spend twice the normal mote cost of the Charm to prevent it from adding to her anima banner.

The Nightbringer may also extend her muted anima like an imperceptible veil around her. This extended anima last for an entire scene and costs 10 motes of Essence to evoke. The anima mutes the senses of those attempting to perceive her, as well as the evidence she leaves behind for those who would follow her trail. Shadows are darker, sounds are muffled, and scent and footprints are both much lighter than normal. This muting is an internal penalty to all rolls to notice or track the Exalted by half the character’s Essence (round up), so long as this muted anima effect is active. Once the Solar spends 11-15 motes of Essence, though she is just as obvious as any other Exalt, her features are completely obscured by her anima display. Thus, assuming none of them saw her prior to her anima flaring, witnesses would be aware a Solar had been in their midst, but not her identity.

  • The ability to supress anima flare from Perpherial Essence is only applicable to her own Essence. Essences leeched from external sources are not applicable.
    • Charms powered by essence from familiars are not covered
    • Essence-Lending refills the character's own Essence pool. So you are using your own Essence and not an external source.
  • The ability to prevent perherial essence from adding to anima does not do anything other than control your anima
    • The suppression of anima flare does not make an Obvious Charm Not Obvious.
    • The suppression of anima flare does not make a charm invisible. Those who can perceive charm use, Essence Sight, All Sorcerer's Sight, will can see the Charm use fine.
  • The Hiding Effect of the Anima applies to attempts to detect and Track her
    • The word "detect" implies that the character is hiding, there is no real penalty if the character tries to enter the castle by strolling pass the guards protecting the brightly lit gate.
    • This also means the hiding part of the Anima becomes useless once the anima flare reaches the level that Stealth is impossible.
      • At that point only the tracking part will work.
  • The hiding power does not apply to Investigation to figure out what happened at a crime scene. It will only applies in that situation towards the identification of the Solar's true identity based on physical features, but not to the piecing together of the event.
  • The cannot identify the Solar is only on identification based on physical appearance/features - Things like height, weight, appearance
    • It does not apply to things based on non-sight identification - a Kiss, a Hug, a foot print (assuming they can find a foot print with the EV penalty to tracking), or a button torn off the Solars shirt.




The Quicksilver Falcons (Eclipse Caste)

When an Eclipse Caste Solar is party or witness to an oath, he may use his anima to sanctify it. The character must shake hands to seal the agreement or touch the hands of those who are party to it. In response, his anima burns brightly, swirling with the words and runes by which Heaven gave him the right to arbitrate such matters. Those who break such an oath (including the Exalt himself) suffer a terrible curse.

The Exalt spends 10 motes of Essence and a point of Willpower to sanctify the oath. Those who break it will suffer terrible luck from their oathbreaking. A number of times equal to the Exalt’s Essence at the time he witnesses or agrees to the oath, the oathbreaker will horribly botch a critical action. When this happens is up to the Storyteller, but it is always at the worst possible moment. The Exalted need not even be alive when the curse takes effect—he sanctifies the oath, but Heaven enforces it. This sanctification may be invoked without cost once the Solar spends 11-15 motes of Peripheral Essence.

  • The Cost Waiver for anima is only for the Mote Cost. It does not waive the Willpower Point required to bind the oath.
  • I am treating this "botch" as The Butterfly Effect. A seemingly innocent faux pas will result in utter deverstation of the character's goals in the most poetic manner.
  • Because of this, it means the Eclipse Oath will have lots of collateral damage and thus it should rarely be used and if used should be extremely precise
  • Because of the severity of the consequence, Eclipse Oath now impart Perfect Understanding to all party involved of their duties and responsibilities in this Oath. No one will break an Eclipse Oath due to ignorance.

In addition, Eclipses are protected by ancient pacts with the spirit world, the demon princes and the Fair Folk. Crowned Suns and their companions who are on legitimate business with those beings may not be attacked without just cause (though they may be goaded into attacking and nullifying the oaths). Such creatures must honor the rules of hospitality. Such beings may pretend to be uncompelled, but ultimately, they cannot attack members of an embassy unless they can provoke the characters into breaking the peace.

  • This is a diplomatic immunity. There for it only applies when the Eclipse caste and his convoy are conducting diplomatic business.
    • A sightseeing trip is not enough
    • A trip to see the Fay Lord of Freehold of Senseless Slaughter about his hang nail is sufficient… but you will have to meet the Fay Lord. The moment you change your goal to "Steal his sword" even without committing the crime yet, the immunity is lost.
  • This means by default most Feys will think about/try to attacking the envoy first to confirm their diplomatic status. One can expect this aggressive action to continue to make sure they are honest

Finally, the Eclipse Caste Solars are talented generalists. Provided they have a tutor, they may learn the Charms of other types of Exalted, spirits or the Fair Folk. These Charms cost double the normal experience of Favored Charms to learn (usually 16 points). In addition, these Charms cost an additional 2 motes to use. Eclipse Caste characters may not start the game knowing non-Solar Charms without Storyteller permission.

  • Eclipse Solars may not teach the Charms they learn to other Eclipses
    • Those who wish to learn the charm must seek out the original teacher
  • Clarification: Essence Plethora
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