Sidereal Astrology shifted into Sidereal Charms

[Cryoseraph]

No clue if this has been proposed before, but the idea needed out of my brain into the land of readable thought.


Ones of the things that makes Sidereals hard to approach is the Astrology system. It is completely separate and unrelated to any other system in the game, and only Shaping Combat hurts my head with it as much in the complexity of proper use. It even eats up the 'limit' of Sidereals with Paradox, changing how they handle the Great Curse issue dramatically.


With the new development of Native labeled charms, why can't Astrology not work more like Knacks or Native charm trees? The various powers of the Resplendent Destinies could be made into Charms in some fashion, and would give players and easier understanding of these wildly complicated sets of powers.


Anyone want to help brainstorm this idea? How would the boon & curse effects get played out or learned? And how would each Resplendent Destiny get handled? Also important, how do we fix the Excellencies of the Sidereals since they are tied to the Colleges ratings on one of them, and what Limits would you build if Paradox was done away with/redesigned? I'll post running thoughts in here over time as well, maybe some examples if I can put together a structure of it.

 

[magnificentmomo]

Well, they kinda did this with Greater Astrology.


Lesser Astrology would probably be modeled similarly to excellencies and the like, unlike Greater Astrology's more charm like nature. It would have some keyword akin to Sorcerous so that the motes wouldn't be committed.

 

[Cryoseraph]

Well, I do like the charm structure of the Greater Astrology, and would like it brought out in the lesser formats. But the biggest goal overall is to fold all of Astrology into a charm-based format. So the astrology powers of need to have similar designs, and moreso, I want to figure out how to replace the Colleges. This will, at the very least, screw with the Greater Astrology and the Propitious (Ability) Alignment Charm. Except for those, most other college references can be replaced by Ability scores.


And for some creative thoughts, two redesigns for paradox/limit.


Option 1- Limit is checked whenever a Sidereal tries to take hubristic control over another person’s fate (ex. A./D. Destinies), or believe themselves fated to succeed (ex. R. Destinies). The Maiden of Secrets however devised a way to keep these little puppet-masters in check, by charging the Pattern Spiders with the duty to clamp down on the Fated Threads of Sidereals whenever they are due to Limit Break. This action is usually to horribly cripple them in some manner to shatter their inflated sense of ego. The effect is so terrible as to drain them of all stress built up from this Limit.


Option 2- The Loom of Fate was designed without the idea of many high essence users in mind, but definitely without the idea of direct manipulation of the fate by many essence users. Those with such powers naturally unravel the threads of Fate around them with such powerful effects. The Pattern Spiders will not allow (and cannot by order of the Maidens) the Sidereals to be ripped from Fate, and so will forcibly place them back into place. This does not have healthy effects on the Sidereals, whose bodies suffer tremendously from such metaphysical strain.

 

[Revoke]

I mentioned in that other thread the Sidereal revision I had been working on; one of the changes I made was to respendancies. They became essentially a knack-like deal for Sidereals (ie, native, not-a-charm-use charms). I was making them cost half as much as a charm, and adding, I think, 2 paradox to the costs, which was then taken down back to normal if you wore the appropriate resplendent destiny. In general, I wanted to make paradox more commonly accrued, a bit less harsh when it went off, and make it drain over time (1 per week or month, say). Largely, I wanted to use it to put a limit on the use of respendancies, without making them unusable.


Anyway, I didn't think of it at the time, but I don't see why you couldn't bundle up destinies into a few 'knacks' of this type as well. I think you could greatly simplify the dice pool, and change the effect to something like: "It happens like you say it does, unless heroic motivations get in the way. TN's get nudged up/down by one in accordance with the destiny, limited to once per scene on non-mortals." Since we're simplifying dice pool calculations (and so presumably getting rid of the massive situational bonuses) we can make the upper limit more dependant on the dice pool, and less dependant on how much paradox you feel like collecting. A small paradox cost is probably still in order, though.


As I mentioned in the other post, I reduced the colleges down to the 5 houses (and used them as charm prerequisites in place of abilities, but that isn't necessary for this to work).

 

[Cryoseraph]

Okay, current ideas for the Astrology Charms (Warning- very much a WIP, so feel free to analyze costs, power levels, etc.):

Fateful (Ability) Blessings
Cost: 5m+, 1wp+.


Duration: Until discharged (Effect Varies)


Type: Simple (Dramatic Action)


Keywords: Destiny, Fate, Native, Shaping, Touch


Minimum Ability: 3


Minimum Essence: 2


One of the first skills learned in Astrology are the Ascending and Descending Destinies, the ability to bless or curse a person or group through the Sidereal's connection through Fate. First, decide on the type, or Providence, of destiny bestowed: A +1 or -1 to their dice pools, a +1 or -1 to their successes or fixed values, or a +1 or -1 to their target numbers. Then decide the trigger of this destiny. Normally this is a simple trigger relating to an Ability (or closely related subject?) and may be given up to two additional limiters. A blessing to the use of magic would fall under 'Fateful Occult Blessings', and could additionally be limited to male descendents and/or a single lineage. For +2wp, any extra trigger conditions may be added. Roll (Essence + Ability). For every success, you get one 'Effect Point' to spend on your created destiny. These points are used to increase the Scope of people you can effect, the Duration of the destiny, and the Frequency it occurs at. You may ignore extra effect points you don't wish to use. Charts for these are found in MoEP: Sidereals p.192-193. (Any reference to paradox dice are replaced as +1wp to the total cost.)


Once the destiny has been created, it sits ready and inactive on the Sidereal until he touches an appropriate target and takes effect. Note that for a group of people, only one of the group need be touched. However, those at Essence of 2 or more must each be individually touched to be blessed, and each costs an additional 5 motes spent to be affected per point of Essence over 1 (+5m at Essence 2, +10m for Essence 3, etc.) An applicable Essence user cannot be excluded from a group merely due to cost, so a Solar with Essence 3 living in a village will will raise the cost to 15m, and cannot be selectively left out of a blessing or curse unless removed from the village or from status as a villager by other means. Gods and elementals of an area may be ignored for this extra cost, but will not gain the destiny either.

(Ability) Blessings Fortified
Cost: None


Duration: Permanent


Type: Permanent


Keywords: Native, (Virtue)


Minimum Ability: 4


Minimum Essence: 3


Prerequisites: Fateful (Ability) Blessings


This charm enhances the power of Fateful (Ability) Blessings. First, it allows more options for the providences of a destiny: The target suffers a +1 or -1 to a Virtue roll related to the destiny, or the target regains one temporary willpower for succeeding on an applicable ability roll, or loses one temporary willpower for failing an applicable ability roll.


Secondly, Fateful (Ability) Blessings gains the Virtue keyword, and the 'effect points' roll may benefit from a Virtue Channel.

Resplendent (Ability) Trappings
Cost: 5m, 1wp


Duration: Instant (Varies)


Type: Simple


Keywords: Destiny, Fate, Native, Shaping


Minimum Ability: 3


Minimum Essence: 2


Prerequisites: Any (Ability) Excellency


While a Sidereal could choose to merely wrap themselves in multiple blessings; creating a complete, but shallow, Fate to wear has its own advantages. First, decide on the identity of the Resplendent Destiny, or RD, that you are making, and take note of the trappings associated with the college of your ability (MoEP: Sidereals, p.195-206). Then roll (Essence + Ability). For each success, you gain you have an effect point. These points are spent on two things for an RD: Duration (MoEP: Sidereals, p.192), and Endurance. Endurance helps preserve this destiny against your own Arcane Fate eroding away the memories associated with it. At least one point must be spent on Endurance, and if your Endurance drops to 0, the RD ends before the limit set by Duration. They can also be used as an alternative payment cost for other associated Destiny charms and effects.


When you have created a Resplendent Destiny, you start as wearing it. You may carry as many Resplendent Destinies as allowed, but may only wear one at a time. While you wear a Resplendent Destiny, people recognize you as someone else, a specific persona which is attuned with the college of your ability. You gain +3 dice to convince others of the validity of your identity, even when it does not match your own appearance, mannerisms, or biology at all. Those you interact with suffer a -3 internal penalty, or -2 DV when appropriate, to disbelieve the identity. This does not include other Sidereals, you cannot see Resplendent Destinies at all. While in such an identity, skill in the appropriate ability is accepted, if not expected. The dice cap for a Sidereal increases to (Essence +Ability) while the appropriate RD is worn.


You must show three or more trappings of the RD, and otherwise act in character. If you act out-of-character for the identity, Fate covers up the faux-pas, but it may cost a point of Endurance to cover up. Roll a die for each out-of-character act covered up. Each success makes you lose a point of Endurance. Other events can also erode your Endurance (MoEP: Sidereals p.194-5, references to Paradox are changed to Endurance).


When you carry a Resplendent Destiny, you look like yourself. To put on a RD you are carrying costs 1wp and is a Speed 3 action. To remove a worn RD so you are just carrying it costs nothing, and is a Speed 3 action. Carried RDs still only last as long as their Duration. They can also still be accessed for other associated Destiny Charms and effects. The first of these is that a Sidereal can access the increased dice cap of (Essence + Ability) for that associated Ability for a scene by spending one Endurance from the RD.

New Charm Keyword: Destiny
This keyword references a destiny being created, and as such has certain limitations. All Destiny charms have the Fate and Shaping keywords included, which have been repeated in these charms to reduce confusion.


Destiny Charms are overruled by Charms with just the Fate keyword, so for example: A character who uses 'Walking Outside Fate' cannot access any Resplendent Destinies or blessings, as she has no Destiny at all during that time.


Targets in areas partially separated by fate have higher difficulties to affect. Those in the Bordermarches or Shadowlands double all costs to affect them. Those in the Middlemarches, the Underworld, or Autocthonia triple all costs to affect them. Those completely Outside Fate (Malfeas, the Labryinth, Deep Wyld or further) cannot be affected at all. This is in addition to the Fate keyword restrictions.


Any character can only have as many Destiny powers affecting them as they have dots in Permanent Essence.

Okay, here's my take on the idea so far. I've replaced colleges with abilities for use, and added a bonus to Resplendent Destinies I've been toying with, since they don't start with the built-in Resplendencies. These function in an Excellency-like manner, as the names suggest. I still need to work on the little things to help increase the effect point rolls, like how to handle the prayers, petitions, group planning, etc. And I need to figure out how to write up the actual Resplendencies themselves as new powers as well. I have also tried to cut out all mentions of paradox so as to try to support a Limit track for Sidereals instead of Paradox. Let me know what you think of the costs, the balance, questions, comments, etc.


Obviously this means I hope people read these and know how the original Astrology works to better compare and see if they like it or what to improve upon, as a blanket comment like 'OMG overpowered if Paradox free!' or 'Why did you ignore the Colleges?' kind of defeats the purpose of these ideas.