Exalted – Terrestrial, Celestial, and Solar Spells

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   Aura of Facilitation (Terrestrial): 15 Motes. For the next 2 x (Int + Occ) hours the user has a base target number of six, rather than seven, as well as a +1 bonus to the user’s defense scores. For truly extended projects, this may be applied to any one roll, no matter how long it takes to make it, rather than expend it’s force over a duration.

   The Celestial Version – Aura of the Maiden’s Grace – costs 20 motes and works for (4 x Int + Occ) hours, and provides a target number of five rather than seven as well as a +2 bonus to the user’s defense scores. For truly extended, but definite, projects, this may be applied to any four rolls that are directly related to the project, no matter how long it takes to make them, rather then expend it’s force over a duration. Note that “definite projects” have known rolls, standard times, and similar limitations. “Design and build a Manse” or “Research a new Spell” are definite projects. “Take over the Realm” is not – and even for the Manse project, you could only gain the benefit on a research check, not on an attempt to acquire raw materials you think might be useful.

   The Solar Version – Cloak of the Triumphant Spider’s Weave – costs 30 motes but works for (8 x Int + Occ) hours and provides a target number of four, rather than seven, as well as a +3 bonus to the user’s defense scores. This may be applied to a particular project rather than over a duration, in which case it’s benefits apply to every roll involved – but the limitations of Aura of the Maiden’s Grace continue to apply.

   The Autochthonian Invocation (Terrestrial): 15 Motes. Effectively upgrades a workshop by one level for (Int + Occ) days.

   The Celestial version – The Harmonious Study of Jade – effectively upgrades all the workshops of a facility – a single large structure or group of structures operated by a particular group and located within a radius of one thousand feet – by one level for (Int + Occ) days.

   The Solar version – The Shadow of the Great Maker – effectively upgrades all the workshops of a facility (again, a single large structure or group of structures operated by a particular group and located within a radius of one thousand feet) by two levels for a year and a day. Alternatively, it can be applied to an entire village or city, although this reduces the upgrade to a single level.

   Blessings of the Shadows (Terrestrial): 20 Motes. Adds the user’s (Essence) to his or her Perception and +4 each to his or her Awareness and Perception for twenty-four hours.

   This appears to be the limit of this particular effect, although the Celestial version (Orison of the Lunar Rabbit) costs 30 motes and lasts for until the next new moon and the Solar version (All-Seeing Gaze of the Sun) costs 40 motes and lasts until the next winter solstice.

   Casting the Circle (Terrestrial): 15 Motes. Allows up to three volunteers participating in a ritual circle – which must be ceremonially laid out – to contribute motes and willpower to whoever is acting as the focus of the spell as long as the circle remains unbroken or until a full day passes. Sadly, such donations cannot be used to refresh the user’s personal reserves; they must be expended on sorcery or other magical effects.

   The Celestial version – The Harmony of the Spheres – works on a group of up to six volunteers and does not require a formally-laid out circle. It can thus be invoked in the field, and can remain in effect as long as the focus character and his or her aides move and operate as a group or until a full day passes.

   The Solar version – The Unity of Heavens and Earth – works on a group of up to eleven volunteers, but is otherwise similar to the Celestial version, save for allowing the aides to take over the preliminary shaping actions of whatever other spells the focus character casts, reducing the effective requirements for casting a celestial, or even solar, circle spell to a single shaping action.

   Fiery Incandescent Spirit (Terrestrial): 25 Motes. Adds (Essence) to Wits and Cha for twenty-four hours.

   As with the similar Blessings of the Shadows (or the Unbreakable Bones of Stone, to which a similar set of upgrades apply) this appears to be the limit of this particular effect, although the Celestial version (Incomparable Blaze of Essence) costs 30 motes and lasts for until the next full moon and the Solar version (Unquenchable Glory of the Dawn) costs 40 motes and lasts until the next summer solstice.

   Focus of the Faithful (Terrestrial): 10 Motes. Binds an ongoing spell effect with a base duration of at least four hours affecting a voluntary target or an unresisting area where he, she, or it spends a great deal of time, to the target’s Cult. A spell being sustained by a Cult cannot be dispelled, and will continue in effect until the target either opts to reclaim the benefits of his, her, or it’s Cult (which he, she, or it may do at any time) or until something happens to said Cult – such as being reduced below the required level through social manipulation or suppression. Unfortunately, the benefits of the levels of the Cult that are sustaining the spell or spells are lost to the target for the duration.

• One dot of Cult can sustain two thaumaturgic effects or one terrestrial spell.
• Two dots of Cult can sustain two thaumaturgic effects and one terrestrial spell.
• Three dots of Cult can sustain a celestial spell.
• Four dots of Cult can sustain a celestial spell and either two thaumaturgic effects or a terrestrial spell.
• Five dots of Cult can sustain a celestial spell, a terrestrial spell, and two thaumaturgic spells.
• In theory, six dots of Cult could sustain a solar spell. In practice, this has never been attempted.

   The Celestial version – The Unyielding Dedication of the Stone – costs 20 motes and binds a spell or group of spells to a Hearthstone currently in the casters possession. This version is, however, rarely researched or used. Hearthstones are fundamentally less adaptable than Cults are, and hence the spell must remain focused on the Hearthstone and/or the area it occupies – or on whoever is carrying it if they’re attuned to it. Sustaining a spell requires one more dot of Hearthstone than of Cult, so a one-dot Hearthstone can only sustain a single thaumaturgic effect. Perhaps worst of all, the only way to end the effect being sustained is to destroy the Hearthstone – whether by attacking it directly or by sabotaging its supporting geomancy. Once something’s been imprinted upon the geomantic structure of a Hearthstone, there just isn’t any way to get rid of the impression. The effect has been used at times for things like sustaining a cities Wards against the Wyld or against Ghosts – where dedicating a single one-dot Heartstone to sustaining a single thaumaturgic effect is of great benefit to tens of thousands of inhabitants – but most Exalts hesitate to commit scarce geomantic resources (even resources as minor as a one-dot Hearthstone) to sustaining cheap mortal magic.

   The original Solar version – The Paean of Exaltation – costs 40 motes, ten health levels, and ten XP. It links a single celestial spell or two terrestrial spells to a particular celestial exaltation. This costs the recipient a permanent point of Essence, which also reduces his or her permanent maximum essence, and makes the affected spell or spells quite permanent – although the recipient can turn them on and off at will. Unfortunately, the effect makes Lytek’s life rather difficult; even between lifetimes it takes him a great deal of time and effort to remove the affected spells – and unless it’s done, a new Exalt would start off down a point of essence.

   The current Solar version – The Solar Seal of Years – merely costs 40 motes. It extends the duration of a two Terrestrial spells or a single Celestial spell and renders the spells affected unbreakable by anything short of Adamant Countermagic (and even that requires an opposed essence roll against the caster), the death of the character who enacted the Solar Seal, or by being voluntarily dismissed by the character who cast the Seal. Such spells are, however, sustained by the caster’s virtues; each enactment of the Solar Seal of Years must be attached to a particular virtue rated at 4+ – so even the greatest of Sorcerers are unable to maintain many spells in this fashion.

   Race the Lightning (Terrestrial): 20 Motes. Roll (Dex + Occ) to generate a pool of extra actions; the user may spend one to act normally on any tick where he or she would not already be acting, completing any prior actions. Unfortunately, only three extra actions may be used per scene, the spell may only be cast once per week, and the new pool replaces any remaining extra actions in the old one.

   The Celestial version – the Flash Step Sutra – costs 30 motes, and is effectively identical to the Terrestrial version, save for the fact that it can be cast every three days if necessary and each extra action includes (3 x Essence) yards of effectively-instant movement which may be through the air.

   The Solar version – Between the Lightning and the Thunder – costs 40 Motes and is effectively identical to the Celestial version – except that the user can insert his bonus actions outside of the flow of time, thus bypassing physical defense values and preventing anyone from activating charms or other abilities, no matter how reflexive. They simply have not time in which to do anything whatsoever. Anything triggered by the user’s actions – such as, say, a trap or spell which goes off when disturbed – will go off during the beginning of the next normal tick.

   Sandals of the Wind (Terrestrial): 15 Motes. Multiplies the user’s movement – including that produced by other magical effects – by (Essence) for (Sta + Occult) hours. Any vehicle the user pilots or drives, and any beast he drives, gets half this bonus.

   As with several other spells, this appears to be the limits of the effect – and higher-circle versions have not been reported. Apparently, as a rule, if you’re capable of casting celestial or solar level spells to begin with, you’re essence is high enough to make this version all you need.

   Song of the Loa (Terrestrial): 15 Motes. The user opens the way for a willing spirit to bond with a willing host for up to twenty-four hours. While the host remains physically in charge, the spirit may lend the host its abilities (although it’s quite free to lie about what a particular power does) – but is in no way obliged to do so and may depart at any time. Most spirits will want something in exchange for the use of their powers. Ghosts, for example, are notorious for wanting to taste the pleasures of life, while little gods usually want worship and offerings. If it should become relevant – such as an Eclipse caste studying a Spirit Charm – one day spent with a charm available due to the use of Song of the Loa counts as a week of study towards learning it later on.

   The Celestial version – The Invocation of the Heart’s Bond – costs 25 motes, lasts for up to twelve hours, and allows two willing participants with essence ratings of two or more to share motes, willpower points, and up to eight of each others charms (eight from one donor and eight from the other) – although this does not bypass any of the usual prerequisites for the actual use of those charms; sharing an essence-four charm with an essence two character is of little use to him or her. Again, if it should matter, any day in which a character has access to a charm through this spell counts as a week of study time towards learning it later on.

   The Solar version is rumored to produce a permanent fusion of the participants, creating a vastly-powerful abomination possessing the sum of all their abilities. It was supposedly used once during the primordial war by a mighty solar-lunar pair – but while the resulting horror easily shredded the primordial it was in conflict with, the sheer side effects of its power, and of such close bonding of two exaltations, threatened to destroy all creation. Fortunately, the entity tore its way free of the fabric of space and time by its own raw power and passed into the deep wild – from where the two Exaltations returned moments later, once again separate – but apparently vastly older. Since then no Solar has ever successfully learned this spell.

   Sphere of Purity (Terrestrial): 20 Motes. Provides perfect protection for a radius of (Essence) yards for (Sta+Occ) hours against toxins, lack of air, and diseases, as well as natural extremes of environmental temperature and pressure.

   The Celestial version – Thaumin’s Lesser Geomancy – costs 30 motes and creates a flourishing oasis, filled with fresh fruit, vegetables, and water. Such an oasis covers a radius of (10 x Caster’s Essence) yards, enjoys perfect protection from all environmental effects, and will endure for one lunar month.

   The Solar version – Thaumin’s Greater Geomancy – costs 60 motes and creates a private pocket universe. Unfortunately, no one who has cast this version of the spell has ever returned to provide further commentary on the effects.

   Summons of the Earth’s Heart (Terrestrial): 20 Motes. Transforms air to stone in a radius of (2x Essence) yards for up to one hour. Roll (Per + Occ) to shape things. Neither blockable nor dodgeable as long as you leave a foot or so around living creatures (1 per success, others may dodge).

   The Celestial version – The Dominions of the Earth – costs 30 motes and creates permanent stone.

   The Solar version – The Mountain-Sculpturs Art – affects a radius of up to (20 x Essence) yards and is both permanent and easily sculpted – allowing the immediate creation of massive structures.

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