Xarak/AmyraLDOFM

Lavender Dream of the Five Maidens Form. Current concept for Amyra's Sidereal Martial Art : Mind and perception-altering moves. Cause enemys to hallucinate, become addicted to your attacks, make yourself gain strength from injuries because you feel pain as pleasure, and more psychoactive fun. Coming sometime, maybe, but not soon.

Oh...couldn't resist drafting one charm ;) And another...

Fleeting Dream of Venus Kata
Cost : 10 motes, 1 Willpower
Duration : 1 scene
Essence : 4
etc.

The character's fingertips bring a fleeting moment of transcendent euphoria to all those they touch. Anyone who is hit by a bare-handed attack from a character using this charm is effected, even if the attack does no damage. They will crave another touch from the character, even if it means allowing themselves to be hit or even killed by her attacks.

Victim's must pass a Temperance check, difficulty 1, to harm the character at all, rolled each turn. In addition, if the character attacks them with a bare-handed attack, they must roll Temperance. If they get 4 successes, the addiction is broken and they are immune to any further influence from this charm for a scene. If they get 3 successes, they may defend against the attack normally. If they get two successes, they can attempt to dodge or block the attack but may not use a charm to enhance the defence. One success means that they cannot attempt to dodge or block at all. If they get no successes or bodge the roll, they will throw themselves at the character's feet, begging for another moment of transcendence. If the character hits them with this attack again the addiction becomes even stronger, and they lose 1 Temperance for the rest of the scene for each subsequent hit, to a minimum of 1.

If the character attacks them with a non-bare-handed attack, they may defend normally, but the addiction is not broken. Victims with a [Temperance + Essence] higher than the character's [Essence x 2] are immune to the influence of this charm, although they still feel and enjoy the effects.

Tolerance to this effect builds up rapidly, so this charm has less utility in manipulating others in non-combat situations. After more than about half a dozen touches, or more than a few seconds continuous euphoria, the effect becomes less and less pleasurable. While this charm might be useful in the short term for bribing others, the victim will quickly cease to be impressed, and probably become hostile to the character. Still, for getting past guards and petty officials, it will probably be more than sufficient. Tolerance fades over several weeks.

Final Dream of the Five Maidens Kata
Cost : 20 motes
Duration : Instant
Essence : 7
Prereqs : The other 11 charms in the tree

The character looks deep into an opponents eyes, or equivalent organs. A fraction of a second later, either she or her opponent turns to dust in a blinding flash.

When this charm is used, the character and her opponent experience a kind of mutual hallucination. They find themselves in an impossible dreamlike landscape shaped by their subconcious minds. Their bodies are their own, but different, shaped by their own self-images, hopes and dreams.

The participant's essence pools start off full in this world, although their Willpower remains as normal. All their wounds, including any permanent injuries, are healed. They know all the charms and spells they normally do.

The participants are equipped with weapons and armor that are a reflection of their personalitys. They wear armor with a Lethal and Aggrevated soak of twice their [Temperance + Compassion], a bashing soak of twice that

and this armour doesn't preclude the use of Martial Arts attacks?

: Good point : It's not compatible with things that normally aren't compatible with armor, but you can choose not to be wearing it...

, and a Lethal weapon with a number of points divided between Accuracy, Damage, Defence and Speed equal to their [Essence + Valor + Conviction].

Their Strength is increased by their Intelligence, their Dexterity by their Wits, and their Stamina by half their permanent Willpower. In addition, all their Abilitys are increased by their Charisma + Valor ( representing their self-confidence ). These bonuses do increase the maximum bonus provided by dice adder charms etc. They gain a number of -0 Health Levels equal to their permanent Willpower.

Finally, the character who used this charm enjoys a target number reduction of 2 to all rolls, although if the opponent also knows this charm, they also get this bonus.

When one of the participants has been reduced to Incapacitated, the hallucination ends and the loser's body and soul is destroyed as if by the spell Unconquerable Self. The winner regains all her Willpower. There is no other way to end the hallucination. It is impossible to run for long inside the dream-world; opponents will find each other suprisingly quickly. No-one can become invisible, demateralise, etc. inside the dream-world.

This charm can only be used on intelligent creatures. If used on non-magical beings, such as normal humans, they die instantly, in as slow and painful a way as the character wishes.

''"As slow as you like, as long as it's instant"? --AlexChurchill

Yeah. In the hallucination it can last as long as you like, but to all observers, they instantly turn to dust.

Slow, painful death goes on the stack... --Requiem

Hmmmmmm....... Unusual for a Sidereal to fight even vaguely fair.-- King DJ

: This charm is indeed a great leveller. It doesn't matter if you're surrounded by bodyguards, bound daemons and magical defences. It doesn't matter that you're sitting in a war strider. It doesn't matter that you've got access to First Age weaponry... -- Xarak
: (slow, painful death resolves, 'Extra' token leaves play) There are rules for Dream Combat in Time of Tumult, a sourcebook I own. I might email them to you if I get around to it. --Requiem