Chains Of The Ancient Monarchs
Soul Anchor
Cost: 2 motes, 1 Willpower
Duration: 10 minutes per success
Type: Simple
Minimum
Temperance: 2
Minimum Essence: 1
Prerequisite
Charms: None
Minions of various dead monarchs use this Arcanos to keep criminals and battlefield foes from
escaping justice. When Soul Anchor is active, no one within 25 yards of the
ghost using it is able to use supernatural abilities to move faster than they
could at a full sprint. This prohibition even extends to the ghost using Soul Anchor!
The ghost may be able to fly or run up walls, and he is still able to do that,
but he cannot move faster than he could at an ordinary run. Ghosts and other entities
with an Essence higher than that of the ghost using Soul Anchor may spend a
Willpower point to overcome the effect of this Arcanos.
Monarch’s Glorious
Brilliance
Cost: 3 motes
Duration: One turn
Type: Simple
Minimum Conviction: 2
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite
Charms: None
The ghost using Monarch’s Glorious
Brilliance channels some of the splendor of his undead liege lord (whether a Deathlord or another monarch) into a coruscating white
aura. This brilliance makes the ghost visible from quite a long way off — the
light can be seen from a mile away on an ordinary day in the Underworld and
from the horizon at night. Entities within 20 yards who happen to be looking in
the ghost’s direction at the time this Arcanos is
activated are temporarily blinded, and their players must make a Wits +
Resistance roll for the characters to look away as quickly as possible.
Targets are blinded for three turns, minus
one for every success on that Wits + Resistance roll. Those targets that are
not blinded by the brilliance must still look away from the glorious light or
be blinded, so they are considered to be blind with respect to the ghost using this
Arcanos. Foes immune to blindness and those wearing
heavy whole-face helmets are immune to this Charm.
Essence Binding
Cost: 5 motes
Duration: One turn per success
Type: Simple
Minimum Conviction: 2
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite
Charms: Soul Anchor
Essence Binding calls up bands of Essence
representing the ghost’s authority in the name of his ruler(s). He then uses
those bands to temporarily restrain his foe’s hands or feet. This Arcanos works only on corporeal foes (ghosts in the
Underworld, mortals anywhere). The ghost-magistrate spends his Essence, and his
player then rolls Dexterity + Bureaucracy at + 2 accuracy to
extend his sovereign’s influence. The ghost must determine whether he
plans to bind the target’s hands or feet. The attack works only within
hand-to-hand combat range, and the target may dodge or block this attack if he
is able to do so. If the Essence Binding succeeds, the target’s hands or feet
are bound. If the target’s hands are bound to his body, he may use no weapon
that requires two hands, and he is considered to be held as the victim of a
hold attack. If the target’s feet are bound, he is restricted to using unusual
modes of locomotion (walking on his hands, swinging by a rope, flying) or to hopping no more than one-fifth his normal
movement per turn. This binding lasts for one turn for every success achieved
on the Dexterity + Bureaucracy roll, above. The bonds can be broken by main
strength. A total of four successes is required on a
Strength + Athletics roll to break them (and this is a simple action).
Snare The Fleeing Thief
Cost: 5 motes
Duration: One turn per success
Type: Simple
Minimum
Conviction: 3
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite
Charms: Essence Binding
A ghost with Snare the Fleeing Thief can
use his Essence and his dedication to his liege to halt an enemy in her tracks
for a short period of time. This Charm doesn’t merely create binding ropes of
Essence. Instead, it encases the enemy’s body in a light somewhat reminiscent
of Monarch’s Glorious Brilliance. The enemy can still move around while encased
in this brilliance but at a greatly reduced speed — no more than one-fifth her
normal movement per turn, no matter what form of locomotion is being used.
Snare the Fleeing Thief requires a hand-to-hand attack using a Dexterity +
Bureaucracy roll at +4 accuracy. This attack can be
dodged or blocked as normal. If the ghost bypasses such defenses, the target is
bound as described above for one minute per success.
Essence Lasso Form
Cost: 6 motes
Duration: One turn per net success
Type: Simple
Minimum
Conviction: 3
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite
Charms: Essence Binding
This Charm works similarly to Essence Binding, save that it works at a range of up to 10 yards per
point of Conviction and that it cannot be blocked, only dodged. The ghost calls up a binding in the name of
his sovereign, points at the target and spends his Essence, and his player rolls
Dexterity + Bureaucracy at +2 accuracy. This attack cannot be parried, as it
bypasses such defenses. The target’s hands or feet are bound for one turn per
success.
If the target’s hands are bound to his
body, he may use no weapon that requires two hands, nor may he swing his arms
around to make effective Melee or Brawl attacks against any foe that isn’t
right up against him. If the target’s feet are bound, he is restricted to using
unusual modes of locomotion (walking on his hands, swinging by a rope, flying) or to hopping no more than one-fifth his normal
movement per turn.
Net
Cost: 7 motes
Duration: 1 minute
Type: Simple
Minimum
Conviction: 3
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisite
Charms: Snare the Fleeing
Thief, Essence Lasso Form
Net allows a ghostly magistrate to ensnare
a group of enemies, binding them hand-and-foot in the name of his lord. The
ghost spends his Essence and designates a target location no more than five
yards away per dot of Conviction.
Everyone within five yards of that
location is ensnared in a binding net of Essence, unless they successfully leap
to safety — the ghost uses Dexterity + Bureaucracy to target the net, and
targets must successfully dodge (not block) it to get out of the area of effect
in time. Those caught in the net are considered to be held until the effect
ends or they expend a point of Willpower to free themselves from the Arcanos.