Oramus Charmset Project (DEAD)

Feel free, but remember to tweek it to see if any variant works better.

Those effects look about right. Given that the first is a Perminant Charm, however, I'd either strip out the Agg Health level cost, or make it a simple charm with that as the cost.

...Given that in Exalted Charm Transparency is a thing, making it a scene-long effect might be a good idea, actually. Keep the less dangerous effects and have an optonal activation cost of one Agg health level to make one's magic inscrutable.

The more I think about it, the more powerful that effect seems. Maybe have the protection against Magical Effects bound to a repurchase.

 

Thanks for the advice, I will remember that. Unlike Any Other can be the starting Charm with 1-2 repurchases, while Assumption of Mu is a follow-up charm?

Beat me, another option was this:

But it works better as E3 stuff.

 

Yeah, makes sense.

Shaping defence, environmental alteration...

Yes, but nix on the Wyld-specific nature of the environmental changes. Put in an Essence 3 repurchase that lets it work in other realms of existence or altered areas of reality, and an Essence 4 repurchase for Creation.

Follow it up with... Some more direct manipulation of the Environment. An attack Charm, something like Cecelyne's Sandstrike Blast or She Who Lives In Her Name's Principle-Evoking Onslaught.

Something for mobility, maybe some environmental effect negation. Expend the defence beyond shaping...

A defensive charm, too. Blending with the surroundings? Dispersing, before reforming?
Oooh, Flurry-breaker.

Hmmm...
Maybe an upgrade at Essence 5/6/7 to make the Charm Permanent, rather than Indefinite.

Ah, but the Manifesting other Yozi's themes thing, that should be a Heretical Charm/upgrade.

 

Honestly, I have no idea how Flurry breakers work.

 

Three ways.

The first kind of flurry breaker usually takes you out of range. These don't work if the attacker has a fast enough movement speed, or is using a weapon with enough range.

The second kind makes you an invalid target. Turning immaterial, for example, or creating full cover against an archer. These are less common, and tend to have their own weaknesses.

The third makes the flurry stop. There's a Solar Charm from the Ink Monkeys that does this. Rarest of the lot, and if it doesn't have an inbuilt weakness, it's broken as fuck.

 

I am working on the excellency, but I have a semantic problem!

How to call the Urge of Oramus and write the fluff. So please help.

The Oramaic Urge: The Urge to [?]

[] Mystify
[] Baffle
[] Bewilder
[] Puzzle
[] Astonish
[] Amaze
[] Boggle
[] Astound
[] Confuse
[] Perplex
[] Befuddle


[Insert Fluff] Thus Oramus glories in superstition, myth and legend. Of solutions without understanding. Revelation without explanation. The Dragon Beyond the World is pleased when Infernals with an Oramaic Urge create customs that make no sense and myths out of nothingness, when they encourage fanatical dependence on a single set of codes or strictures with no comprehension as to the meaning or justification behind them. [Insert Fluff]

[Here is usually inserted how the Yozi interprets the four Virtues, but someone in the past told me that Oramus, like TED, rejects virtues in favor of Willpower: not because he opposes them like TED, but because he understands the world in a way virtues don't matter. This comes from Oramus being defined as the Cosmic Horror genre. What do you think?]

Possible examples of Oramaic Urges include:
-Convince the people of Nexus that the Emissary favors business that employ unbound demons.
-Persuade the leaders of the Realm to decide on complex matters of military policy by asking a blind mortal beggar who claims to speak for the Immaculate Dragons.
-Introduce a custom of sacrificing ones firstborn to the Haslanti league, on the grounds that it inexplicably makes the winters warmer.
-Learn the true names of the Deathlords and kill anyone who share the same knowledge.

 

Also, what do you think of this idea?

New Keyword: Beyond

The Beyond is the realm of dead and unborn possibilities. Every known quantity belongs in Creation, the rest in the Forge of Oramus. Things pulled from the Beyond into Creation are unstable stuff: seven ticks after their creation Nigurna detonate them, taking them back to join it in non-existence, leaving pure chaos in the voids where they used to be.

Basically it works similar to Principle-Invoking Onslaught, save that the attacks are really impossible and thus people have difficulties both perceiving and remembering them. Also, when they detonate they leave Pure Chaos in their wake, which call for Mutation rolls. The only way to make them stick is feed them with Wyld-potential (Wyld-stuff), so things from the Wyld and Raksha themselves. This is also how Oramus do Craft, grind everything back to the Primordial Broth to build new stuff.

Thoughts? About this and the post above?

 

Sounds neat. If you build a crafting tree off this, you could use this to provide exotic ingredients and allow for crazy things, at the cost of not being able to use non-chaotic ingredients.

 

I like Mystify the best. It kinda makes it seem like people would be wowed by whatever the warlock is doing, and follow along.

 

I'd second mystify of those options. Not really a fan of the Urge mechanic, though.

I'd also push in some of the Paradoxical nature of the Dragon Beyond the World.

I fully agree on this.

Mmm...
Really, it only works as a keyword if a lot of Charms will use it. Do you intend to build a tree around this keyword?

 

I intend to use it in some Charms, yes. Not only to create but also attack and land-shaping.

A side idea was also describing the effects that things and beings from Creation suffer when pulled into the Beyond: they get spit out after seven ticks, but there are side effects.

 

I just had an idea for the Urge of Oramus. Oramus is the one who decided what was real and what was not real when Creation was made, why not expand on that? What if he had the Urge to Define?

He can do all these weird and impossible things because he himself is everything that is Not, yet he is also the one who defined what Is. In this sense he should always be seeking to understand and make sense of this mad, mad world that is utterly impossible from his perspective. The more he defines and understands the world the farther away from it he binds himself, preventing those understandings from taking hold or ever making sense.

Basically I'm starting to think he should be something of a crotchety old man who can't understand this modern world with its "crazy gizmos" and "useless inventions" because back when he was young you could all those things anyway with a little elbow grease and good ol' fashioned hard work; he tries to understand it, but he never really manages, no matter how much his grandkids try to help.

Except, in his case the "modern world" would be reality itself.

Oramus should mystify and befuddle, to be certain, but I don't think it should be anything strives for, I don't think he should actually try to do that all. We youngin's just can't understand that crazy old man who was born to world that we've never experienced, with values that we have never understood.

 

So if anyone still cares about this, I have made a bunch of Oramus charms as expansions of Earthscorpion's work, but a lot of them could still work in other charm sets. They're mostly based around madness and derangements and of varying quality. Some I think could be used as is, while others are still being toyed with.

Disguise/Training Charms based around having multiple personalities. A few expansions planned but complete and usable as is.

Spoiler

Seven Secret Selves

Cost: 3m; Mins: Essence 3; Type: Simple
Keywords: Desecration
Duration: Indefinite
Prerequisites: Ancient and Firstborn
Oramus is all things and none. To try and restrict him to merely one identity is the height of folly. He is jester and king, woman and man and all things in between. He is a dragon made of stranger stars and a ship sailing the astral sea. His/her/their Infernals are the same.
Each purchase of this charm grants the Infernal one additional personality as per the Multiple Personality Merit. This Persona has its own intimacies, motivation and Virtues chosen at the time of it's creation. It may never have more total Virtue dots than the Infernal, though it may have more dots in a given Virtue.
Unlike the normal Multiple Personality Derangement, this identity is not tied to a Virtue, nor does it take control when the Infernal fails a Virtue roll. Instead the Infernal must define (at least) one condition upon its creation which allows this personality to surface. This can be anything from seeing a certain color to failing a specific task, but it must never be wholly under the Infernal’s control.
The alternate personality may communicate with the Infernal even when it is not in control, giving advice and even acting as a Mentor for any traits it has which are higher than the Infernals own.
The alternate personality may never raise or lower any of its own traits, though it's intimacies are valid targets for social attacks when it is in control.
This newly created identity lasts until it has completed it's motivation, at which point it's discorporates and the Infernal is free to create a new one. The Infernal can end it's existence prematurely, but even partial suicide does grievous damage. Killing the personality in this way costs the Infernal (Essence) WP and deals him/her/they 1 aggravated health level of damage.
At any time, the Infernal may spend 3m to switch with these personalities for 1 scene. Additionally, each personality must have a condition no narrower than (fail a valor roll) during which they may take control for the duration of one scene.
While another personality is control, it acts and behaves in all ways as if it were the real person. Charms or abilities which seek to learn information about the Infernal instead return information about the currently active personality. This applies even to truth detecting charms such as Judge’s Ear Technique.
When purchasing this charm the Infernal must designate Seven specific traits which they cannot hide. These can be anything from a specific verbal tic to a horrendous scar. For each such trait known by a character, they gain an additional success on rolls to discover the Infernal’s true identity. Should they know all 7 then they automatically pierce this disguise. These traits (and any affected by child charms) may be changed whenever the Infernal completes their motivation, raises their essence or otherwise fulfills a significant story milestone.
Each personality counts as the Multiple Personality Derangement for the purpose of charms or effects which key off of number of Derangement points the Infernal has. This does not count against the usual maximum mutations that charms may grant a character.
If the character so chooses, they may make their Unwoven Coadjutor or any souls granted by Infernal Charms into a Persona, allowing their inner devils to control their bodies.
Priest and Harlot, Beggar and King

Cost:-; Mins: Essence 3; Type: Permanent
Keywords: None
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisites: Seven Secret Selfs
This charm enhances its prerequisite. When creating a new personality, the Infernal may choose to redistribute up to (The Infernal’s Essence X 4) dots of its abilities and attributes as they did it's Virtues. Should the total number of Ability or Attribute dots of the prime persona change, then so do the Abilities/Attributes of the created personas.

Shedding the Snake’s Skin

Cost:-; Mins: Essence 4; Type: Permanent
Keywords:
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisites: Seven Secret Selfs
This charm enhances its prerequisite. When creating the personas, the character may choose to redistribute their mutation and derangement points as they did their Virtues. A persona may never have more total points of mutations or derangements than the original persona. Should the total number of mutation or derangement points of the Prime Persona decrease, then so do those of the created personas. Should the character have charms which grant a suite of mutations (such as By Rage Recast) they may choose to give each persona it's own suite.

A social defense charm. I REALLY like this one. Rather than hiding information about the Infernal it gives it away but punishes the learner. Cosmic Horrors aren't hard to understand after all, its merely that to do so drives you mad.

Spoiler

Open Book Terror

Cost: 5m; Mins: Essence 2; Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Combo-ok
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: Ancient and Firstborn
Whenever a character attempts to learn information of any sort about the Infernal, the Infernal is made aware of that attempt. If they so choose the Infernal may allow this attempt to automatically succeed. In return, the Infernal may inflict (The Infernal’s Occult) derangements on that character as an unblockable, undodgeable social counterattack. This charm may even be used against targets who are not in the scene with the Infernal or who are in another plane of existences, though the Infernal knows nothing save that someone is seeking information on them.

A charm based around teleportation. Basically allows you to move without crossing the intervening distance by moving through the beyond. Basically a reskin of a TAW charm, but there are some changes. Namely its permanent so the Infernal is weird to interact with. Have some plans to expand this, such as a blockade action movement which allows you to move others, an unlockable attack which comes from strange angles and some other stuff

Spoiler

Strange Paths Under Stranger Skies

Cost: -; Mins: Essence 2; Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Combo-OK, Blasphemy
Duration: One journey
Prerequisites: Path’s Outside Wisdom
It is the nature of Oramus to take strange paths, snaking his way between reality and Beyond with every step, seeming to appear in places without ever crossing the intervening distances.
This Charm permanently Alters the Infernal. She no longer moves through our mundane reality, instead traveling through the Beyond to reach her destination.
Whenever the Infernal takes a move action in combat she strides through unknown realms, causing her to vanish and nigh-instantly reappear at her intended destination. She can be targeted as normal at the start and end points of her movement, but effectively does not exist between them, allowing her to avoid detection or pass between tight spaces, through treacherous ground or over empty space without issue. This does not let her move any further than she normally could, nor does it allow her to pass through barriers she normally couldn’t. Characters held in a Clinch may be moved as normal during this movement.
This Charm remains in effect outside of combat, causing the Infernal to flicker from place to place like a waking dream. This adds (The Infernal’s Essence) to attempts to track her.

A repurchase of this Charm allows the Infernal to spend 5m to delay her return from the beyond for (Occult) ticks. During this time she may not be targeted by any effects, nor can she target others

Lastly a charm about taking derangements to be good at crafting and then one which let's you do this to others

Spoiler

Madman’s Artistry

Cost: 6m; Mins: Essence 2; Type: Supplemental
Keywords: Combo-OK, Blasphemy,
Duration: Indefinite, Desecration
Prerequisites: That Damned Inspiration
It is the nature of artists and poets to be mad, for madness is the greatest inspiration. Oramus is the maddest of all.
When making a Craft Roll, the Infernal may acquire acquire up to (The Infernal’s Permanent Essence X 2) derangements and gain the same number of bonus successes on the roll. These bonus successes are added to each and every interval of the project.
The derangements granted by this charm last until the crafting project is complete. The Infernal may choose to end this charm prematurely, shedding these derangements like a snake sheds its skin. Doing so ruins the project, it is unusable for anything but scrap material. This effect also applies should some outside force cause the Infernal to lose these derangements
At Essence 3 this charm permanently upgrades. As long as the Infernal has any derangements granted by charms he may add their point rating as bonuses to any and all craft rolls instead of a single project. As normal thes bonuses granted by this charm cannot exceed (The Infernal’s Permanent Essence X2)

Bachanial Muse

Cost: 10m; Mins: Essence 3; Type: Standard
Keywords: Combo-OK, Blasphemy, Sorcerous
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisites: Madman's Artistry
Oramus is muse and artist both, teacher and preacher and revealer of truth. To those he favors he grants the gift of knowledge of the beyond and all the madness which comes with it.
This charm allows the Infernal to apply the effects of its prerequisite to another creature in it’s sight. Mad Characters must pay 1 WP to reject this gift, while the sane must pay 1 WP to accept it.
Alternatively, if the Infernal knows Sanity Shattering Instruction, the Infernal may choose to supplement it with this charm. Doing so allows the Infernal to inflict (The Infernal’s Permanent Essence X2) derangements. The negative point value provided by these flaws can then be spent to increase their stats as per that charm. This is not a training effect. The experience cost is covered by the inflicted derangements. However, experience points may be used to buy off these derangements and remove them as normal.

Mad Morality Plays

Cost: -; Mins: Essence 3; Type: supplement
Keywords: Combo-OK, Blasphemy, Sorcerous
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisites: Bachanial Muse
It is the nature of teachers to hide their messages in entertainment, for students are all to easily bored.
This charm enhances its prerequisite, allowing it to be encoded within a crafted social attack. Should said attack succeed, then the target is affected by Bachanial Muse. The specific usage of Bachanial Muse must be decided upon use of this charm. A character who chooses for the crafted objects to inflict megalomania they may not later change it to depression, unless they perform a new craft roll to rework the message.

I want to do more with Derangements, but they're almost too limited and punishing. Currently working on maybe expanding it (any charms which permanently alters the mind) or just creating some new ones because I love the idea of the Infernal getting stronger the crazier they are, but I'm still working in it. Thus here are a few erratad charms and some new ones which need work

Spoiler

Sidebar: Oramus, Desecration and Derangements

Many Oramus charms in this charm tree grant the player Derangements. Unlike for most characters these are not, solely, flaws. Instead they offer power equal, or even greater, then their madness. Unless otherwise noted, derangements gifted by these charms count as positive mutations of their point value for the purpose of determining how many mutations a character may have. The Infernal may continue to acquire derangements after this limit has been reached, but they are no longer counted as such for the purpose of Oramus charms.

ANCIENT AND FIRSTBORN

Cost: 0m (1-5wp, 1ahl); Mins: Essence 1; Type: Reflexive
Keywords: Combo-OK, Compulsion, Obvious
Duration: Indefinite
Prerequisites: None

Oramus was self-birthed into a shapeless world. Only he could confine himself to form, and so it has been ever since.

The warlock may use this Charm whenever he makes a promise or oath. His words carve into the world, binding him along with it. While the Charm is active, anyone who hears the oath spoken automatically understands that the Infernal is absolutely and undeniably sincere. The Infernal is unable to willingly break the oath while he maintains this Charm, and treats all mental influence that would make him do so as an unacceptable order.

Alternatively, the Infernal may use this Charm to sanctify an absolute statement he believes to be true. Rather than breaking the oath, this use of the Charm guards against any behaviour that treats the statement as false. Either way, this Charm only cares for the letter of the Infernal's words, not any perceived "spirit".

Ending this Charm before an oath is fulfilled is far more painful than activating it, and requires that the warlock pay (Essence) Willpower (maximum 5) and suffer one unsoakable aggravated health level of damage as he cracks the self-made cage of his ego.

The warlock may purchase this Charm up to (Essence) times, each further purchase allowing him to maintain one additional oath or truth.

ERRATA: IT is not honor which binds Oramus to his word, but madness. Not an oath, but a compulsion. Oaths created by Ancient and Firstborn are a derangement worth (The Infernal’s Essence) points.

PREACHERBORNE DELUSIONS

Cost: 10m, 1wp; Mins: Essence 2; Type: Simple (Speed 5 in long ticks)
Keywords: Combo-OK, Illusion, Social, Revelation
Duration: Instant
Prerequisites: Action Beyond Thought

He walked into the town, he did, and within a few days the strangest hysteria took hold of the whole place. This Charm functions as the Solar Charm Memory-Reweaving Discipline, but additionally creates an Intimacy of ‘Fearful Fascination’ towards the Infernal in affected characters.

ERATA:
If this charm is successful, the Infernal may choose to give his/her/their targets a derangement worth up to (The Infernal’s Essence) points. The Infernal may target herself with this charm.
END ERATA

Mad Zealotry

Cost: —; Mins: Essence 2; Type: Permanent
Keywords: None
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisite Charms: Maddening Astral Piping, Ancient and Firstborn
There is a certain purity, a strength of will that can only be found in madness. The Infernal treats any and all of her permanent derangements rated 3+ as her Motivation for the purposes of calculating MDVs and stunt ratings. Valid uses of this charm include actions which attempt to act inline with a characters insanity, whether that be stealing to finance an addiction or obeying the orders of the voices in the Infernal's head. Attempts to convince another character of the truth of the Infernal's derangement are always a valid action.
Channeling Opiate Fumes

Cost: —; Mins: Essence 3; Type: Permanent
Keywords: None
Duration: Permanent
Prerequisite Charms: Maddening Astral Piping
The Infernal may channel any permanent derangement rated at 3+ as if it were a Virtue. For the purposes of this Charm each purchase of Ancient and Firstborn grants a single “Oath” channel which is tied to the charm purchase not a specific oath.
Ex- Mara has two purchases of Ancient and Firstborn and makes an Oath to “Kill Jade”. She is Essence 3 so this is a 3-dot Derangement/Virtue. She channels this Oath twice and kills Jade, ending the oath. If she later swears to convince Clara that “Clara is the true king of Gem” then she can choose to have this Oath correspond to her first oath channel, and thus have only one channel left, or choose to tie it to the second oath channel, which hasn’t been channeled yet and thus still has 3 uses left.