Exalted – Solar Guardian Presence Charms

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   Some characters have objections to using Unnatural Mental Influence. Others – like the Solar Guardians – actually suffer mystical penalties if they do so. Unfortunately, the charm-trees for some abilities involve quite a lot of Unnatural Mental Influence.

   First up then, we have a set of Presence-based charms which focus on enhancing people, rather than running their lives for them.

   Best Man for the Job

• Cost: 6M (1 Committed), 1W; Minimum: Presence 2, Essence 2; Type: Simple
• Keywords: Enlightening.
• Duration: Duration of commitment.
• Prerequisite Charms: None.
• Effect: Whether they select for greatness or inspire it, an Exalt with this charm has the knack of selecting personnel for the job. Whoever they wind up hiring for, or assigning to, a particular task will almost certainly prove to be an excellent choice – and will come through for them if at all possible.
  • As long as the user keeps a mote committed to the chosen individual, he or she is treated as a Heroic Mortal if they weren’t already and gains an Inspiration rating (equivalent to the Destiny background, but focused on success at their assigned job) equal to the user’s Essence. A character may inspire no more than (sum of virtues) such agents at any one time.

   The Comet’s Tail

• Cost: —; Minimum: Presence 3, Essence 3; Type: Permanent.
• Keywords: Enlightening.
• Duration: Permanent.
• Prerequisite Charms: Best Man for the Job.
• Effect: The Solar Exalted draw friends and allies of distinction about them as a comet trails it’s banner of light – and such characters are drawn into greatness after their Exalted companion, whether they will or not.
  • The user may select up to (Charisma + 2) unexalted, characters with essence scores and experience point totals of no more than one-half the user’s. Each gains immediate access to the benefits of +1 to their effective essence and (10 + ½ the user’s total) experience points – which may be spent with no need for training time. Normal mortals immediately become heroic mortals. These benefits persist until the target dies, is utterly transformed, or – if the target has turned against the user – until the next Calibration. Lost companions or treacherous companions may be replaced one month after their benefits cease to apply. If the granting solar dies, his or her companions retain their enhancements permanently.

   Shards of Glory

• Cost: —; Minimum: Presence 4, Essence 3; Type: Permanent.
• Keywords: Enlightening.
• Duration: Permanent.
• Prerequisite Charms: The Comet’s Tail.
• Effect: The user’s companions find that, as their strengths are enhanced by that of the Exalted that they accompany or serve, so are the strengths of their equipment; in their hands, normal items behave as if they were enchanted.
  • Each character affected by The Comet’s Tail also gains the ability to cause common objects to act at the equivalent of (user’s Essence/2, rounded down) dots of artifacts. Thus, for a warrior with an Essence-6 solar patron, any sword he or she takes up might act as a Wavecleaver Daiklave (**) and his or her normal clothing might act as an artifact breastplate (*). Like a god’s panoply, such devices do not encumber the user, do not cause fatigue, and are automatically attuned to their users with no mote commitment required. Like the benefits of The Comet’s Tail, this ability persists until the target dies, is utterly transformed, or – if the target has turned against the user – until the next Calibration. Similarly, if the granting solar dies, his or her companions retain their enhancements permanently.

   Endowment of the Blood

• Cost: 3M, 3W, 3 Aggravated Wounds; Minimum: Presence 5, Essence 4; Type: Simple.
• Keywords: Enlightening.
• Duration: Special.
• Prerequisite Charms: Shards of Glory.
• Effect: The user adopts a mortal via a supernatural blood transfusion, transforming them into a solar-descended god-blooded character.
  • The target becomes a solar half-caste god-blood and gains an Inheritance score equal to (the user’s Essence/2, rounded up). The supernatural transformation allows the recipient to spend the acquired points immediately, and without training time, as well as to take relevant positive and negative mutations under the usual rules.

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