Ride Charms

 

Soul Reins

Cost: 1 mote per point

Duration: One scene

Type: Simple

Minimum Ride: 2

Minimum Essence: 1

Prerequisite Charms: None

A character with this Charm can subdue a mount with his supernatural will. For every mote spent, the targeted animal has its Control Rating reduced by one point. If this reduces the steed's Control Rating to zero, it obeys unhesitatingly and will jump to its death if so directed. Mounts tamed with this Charm only obey the Exalt. All other characters must contend with the beast's normal Control Rating. Soul Reins only affects animals trained for riding — characters cannot jump on the back of a wild tyrant lizard and expect compliance.

 

Mount-Breaking Method

Cost: 10 motes, 1 Willpower

Duration: One scene

Type: Simple

Minimum Ride: 4

Minimum Essence: 2

Prerequisite Charms: Soul Reins

Similar to Soul Reins, this Charm allows a deathknight to dominate a steed and subsume its will to her own. Unlike the lesser Charm, however, the effects of Mount-Breaking Method are permanent. The character's player rolls Strength + Ride against a difficulty of the animal's Control Rating.

Each success permanently reduces the mount's Control Rating by one point, to a minimum score of one. If the Abyssal's player actually rolls enough successes to reduce a Control Rating to zero, the beast gains immunity to terror when ridden by the Exalt. Although the final outcome is a foregone conclusion based on the results of the roll, the character must still spend the rest of the scene aggressively taming her steed. Unless this roll is botched, the Exalt will not suffer injury during the training session. This Charm actually weakens the spirit of the beast rather than simply compelling obedience, so the mount's new Control Rating applies to all riders. Mount-Breaking Method may affect any animal that can possibly be trained to accept a rider, even dangerous beasts such as hybroc and bear. The character must have a permanent Essence of 3 or higher to train exotic or deadly animals, however.

 

Tireless Charger Technique

Cost: 6 motes, 1 Willpower

Duration: Varies

Type: Simple

Minimum Ride: 5

Minimum Essence: 2

Prerequisite Charms: Mount-Breaking Method

With this Charm, a mounted character can briefly sustain and push his horse with raw Essence. Tireless Charger Technique lasts until the Abyssal dismounts or a number of hours have passed equal to the deathknight's Ride score. Enchanted steeds have boundless energy and never need to stop for food or water. However, the necrotic Essence powering this Charm also eats at the animal's life force. For every hour or fraction thereof that the Charm is maintained, the horse suffers one level of unsoakable lethal damage. This damage is deferred until the Charm ends. After a horse suffers injury from this Charm, it cannot be safely re-enchanted with this Charm until it fully heals its wounds. Doing otherwise allows the horse to act at full strength again, but immediately kills the mount when the forced march ends.

 

Forceful Spirit Spur

Cost: 3 motes

Duration: Instant

Type: Simple

Minimum Ride: 3

Minimum Essence: 2

Prerequisite Charms: Soul Reins

An Abyssal with this Charm can silently summon her mount from great distances. The steed feels the bite of phantom spurs digging harshly into its flanks unless it moves at best possible speed toward the Exalt. This Charm has a range of (the character's permanent Essence x 10) miles. The Abyssal must have clearly exerted dominance over the summoned animal at least once before it will answer a summons. Such dominance can have been achieved through physical (such as through beating or rough use of actual spurs) or mystical (as in the case of Soul Reins) means. While animals under the influence of this Charm never get distracted or become lost, they cannot circumvent complex obstacles any better than normal. The compulsion and pain inflicted by this Charm remain in force until the animal reaches its master or moves beyond range.

 

Spectral Steed

Cost: 10 motes, 1 Willpower

Duration: One day

Type: Simple

Minimum Ride: 5

Minimum Essence: 3

Prerequisite Charms: Forceful Spirit Spur

With this Charm, a character may summon a ghost horse from the Essence of the Underworld. Materializing out of dusky smoke, the beast has the appearance of a pure black stallion with eyes like smoldering coals and sharp teeth no horse alive should have. It has the same statistics as a war horse of excellent quality, but it is utterly tireless, fearless and inflicts 4L with a successful bite. Spectral steeds do not need food or drink, but enjoy the taste of human flesh and blood. If a character uses this Charm again before its duration expires, a new horse appears, and the old one dissolves with a screaming whinny.

 

Mount-Spooking Shout

Cost: 5 motes, 1 Willpower

Duration: Instant

Type: Simple

Minimum Ride: 4

Minimum Essence: 2

Prerequisite Charms: Soul Reins

The Abyssal pours Essence into his voice, unleashing an unholy shriek that terrifies most steeds. All living mounts within earshot of the character rear and bolt unless the players of their riders or team drivers makes a successful Charisma + Ride roll against a difficulty of the shouting Abyssal's Essence. Even if this roll succeeds, affected mounts remain skittish and add one to their Control Rating for the rest of the scene. This increase is cumulative if the Abyssal emits more than one such scream in a scene. Mount-Spooking Shout does not terrify the Abyssal's own steed, nor does the Charm have any effect on beasts other than pack animals or actual mounts.

 

Foundering Foal Gesture

Cost: 4 motes per animal, plus 1 Willpower

Duration: One scene

Type: Simple

Minimum Ride: 4

Minimum Essence: 3

Prerequisite Charms: Mount-Spooking Shout

Gesturing sharply at a mount in her line of sight, the Abyssal curses her target with weakness and pain. The steed cannot move any faster than a walk unless pushed for short agonizing bursts by its rider. Foundering Foal Gesture can affect multiple animals at a cost of 4 motes each. As with Mount-Spooking Shout, this Charm only affects pack animals and steeds, although magical beasts and those strengthened with magic are also immune.