Ride Charms
Scattered
Cost: 1 mote
Duration: One turn
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Ride: 2
Minimum Essence: 1
Prerequisite Charms: None
The hoofbeats
of a steed whose rider employs this Charm strike the ground as quickly and
lightly as pearls falling from a broken necklace. The mount’s speed for the
turn is increased by the rider’s Ride Ability in yards. Additionally, the rider
receives two additional dice for Ride checks, as his Essence-enhanced steed
handles obstacles with ease. These bonus dice do not raise the Ride Ability for
the purposes of attacking while mounted.
Heaven-Gracing Leap
Cost: 3 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Ride: 3
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Scattered
With the aid of this Charm, a
rider and steed pair can clear prodigious distances with a single jump, safely
landing leaps that seemed if not impossible, then certainly unwise. With room
to run, two successes on a Charisma + Ride roll will let the mount safely jump
one half its movement for the turn when jumping for distance. Standing jump, or
jumping vertically, either up or down, will modify both distance and difficulty
at the Storyteller’s discretion.
Cloud-Harnessing Method
Cost: 4 motes
Duration: One turn
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Ride: 5
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms:
Heaven-Gracing Leap
A mount emboldened with this
Charm does not actually take to the skies, but its feet barely brush the
ground. So quickly does the beast move that it is capable of running over water,
deep snow, loose sand or sharp, scree-covered slopes
without the slightest difficulty. Rapid ascent and descent are also made
trivially easy and may be done at the mount’s full speed. A successful
Dexterity + Ride roll is necessary to invoke the Charm. The mount’s movement
rate for the turn is doubled, and no environmental Ride check penalties apply.
Both mount and rider will still take damage from harmful local environments,
such as riding over a pool of lava.
Ebony Spur Technique
Cost: 1 mote per two damage dice
Duration: Instant
Type: Supplemental
Minimum Ride: 3
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Scattered
The simple advantages of height
and mobility enjoyed by a mounted swordsman wreak havoc on the battlefield.
Exalted cavalry are even more terrifying, translating their mounts’ great speed
and strength into carnage in the opposing ranks. With a successful Dexterity +
Ride roll, the Dragon-Blooded rider can add up to his Ride skill in extra
damage dice to hand-to-hand attacks. Archery and Thrown attacks are no affected
by this Charm. This Charm can explicitly be included in Combos with Charms of
other Abilities.
Charge Of One
Hundred Generals
Cost: 1 mote per mount/rider
pair, plus 1 Willpower
Duration: One charge
Type: Supplemental
Minimum Ride: 5
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Ebony Spur
Technique
Only the Exalted dare to stand
and meet this deadly charge with any hope of success. The Dragon-Blooded rider
gathers cavalry to her side, pays the Essence cost of
1 mote per ally and mount (including herself and her steed) and forges the unit
into a thunderous charge that moves across the field of battle as one. Where
the charge hits enemy lines, pikes snap, shields crack and defenders fall while
the charge rides through unscathed. Every member of the charge attacks on the
leader’s initiative, and the charge’s attacks are
resolved before any defender who suffers damage but is not knocked unconscious
or killed must immediately make a Ride or Athletics check to avoid being dismounted
or knocked down. Defenders who retain their lives and their feet may then
attack normally. The Exalt must ride with the group, which cannot number more
than 5 x the character’s permanent Essence.
Great Heart Companion
Cost: 2 motes
Duration: One turn per success
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Ride: 3
Minimum Essence: 2
Prerequisite Charms: Scattered
The beasts typically chosen for
mounts are (with the possible exception of the ass) generally considered to be
brave, solid creatures. Still, even stout courage may not be enough when the
mount comes face to face with the dangers a Dragon-Blood will invariably
encounter fulfilling her duties as a Prince of the Earth. Using this Charm, an
Exalt rider can bolster her mount’s natural bravery with her Essence,
spiritually blurring the line between rider and steed. The Exalt’s
player makes a Charisma + Ride roll; each success guarantees a turn during
which the mount will not bolt or flee no matter the danger unless commanded to
do so by her rider. The Dragon-Blood also does not need to devote an action to
controlling the mount. No matter the provocation, the beast responds exactly as
trained, without hesitation. Finally, during the Charm’s duration, the rider
cannot be removed from her steed’s back while the
Charm lasts by force or by accident. A failed or botched Ride check may result
in the loss of actions, but the Exalt will remain on her mount’s
back unless she chooses to dismount ― thereby ending the Charm.
Dance Of The
Jade Bridle
Cost: 10 motes + 1 Willpower
Duration: Special
Type: Supplemental
Minimum Ride: 5
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms: Great Heart
Companion
The great beastmasters
of the Dragon-Blooded do not restrict themselves to average mounts. Fierce
bears, big-toothed cats and even river dragons have served as steeds to the
Elemental Dragon of Wood’s children. Such impressive creatures are never broken
without an epic battle of will, magic and stamina, however. Activating this
Charm allows the Dragon-Blood to distill what would be painstaking days or
weeks of training into one tumultuous encounter. The Exalt’s
player rolls Charisma + Ride, while the intended mount resists with its Stamina
+ Willpower. The Storyteller sets the specifics of the task at his discretion,
but expect an extended, difficult test and a few
bruises or worse along the way. Breaking a flying creature such as a hybroc or a notoriously vicious one such as a tyrant lizard
in this manner carries the very real possibility of a messy end. Nevertheless,
once the test is won, the creature is immediately compliant and trainable (by
the Dragon-Blood at least). A final note ― this Charm does not protect
the rider from a beast who rebels after a period of mistreatment. Such
fierce-natured beasts may fight to the death rather than submit again to a
cruel master.
Elemental
Halo’s Mercy
Cost: 3 motes
Duration: One scene
Type: Simple
Minimum Ride: 4
Minimum Essence: 3
Prerequisite Charms: Great Heart Companion
The powerful elemental anima of a Dragon-Blood often
injures all those nearby. This is especially problematic for Dragon-Blooded who
employ mounts. By way of this Charm, a Dragon-Blood may protect his steed from
the damaging effects of his anima flux. With but a moments
concentration and a touch, the Dragon-Blood may infuse his mount with a portion
of his own Essence, shielding it from the damaging of effects of his elemental
banner. For the duration of the scene, a mount affected by this Charm will
suffer no damage from the Dragon-Blood’s anima flux.