Ever-Ready Innovation Discipline

Template:Cost 15m, 1wp; Mins: Craft 5, Essence 3
Type: Reflexive
Keywords: None
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Thousand-Forge Hands

Through prolific work in her chosen discipline, the Solar shows incomparable foresight. A Solar with this Charm may retroactively complete a major project she never of¬ficially began in order to even the odds against a threat, dangerous obstacle, or critical conflict that has arisen. Upon using the Charm, the Solar's player describes a retroactive continuity in which their Solar planned and built — or in some cases destroyed — the thing for just such an occasion. The sole limitation is that this plot de¬vice cannot simply resolve the conflict on its own. It can only be something that helps to make an unfair situation less inequitable.

Special activation rules: The Solar must have at least 15+ silver points on hand to use this Charm. However, using this Charm requires no expenditure of craft ex¬perience. The finished project must reflect the Exalt's chosen Craft Ability as well; a Solar with no skill as a seamstress cannot produce a ballgown to help an urchin look like a princess, nor can a Solar with no engineering skill reveal the location of a secret earthwork and pali¬sade she built as a fallback position against the advanc¬ing Wyld Hunt. This Charm may only be used (Essence / 2 round up) times per story. Lastly, if the player shows ingenuity or cleverness in their Solar's invention, award them one silver and two gold points. If they devise something very witty, funny, or interesting — especially if it helps drive conflict — grant the Solar three gold and one white point. On Ever-Ready Innovation Discipline The backer requested a Charm for his Twilight master¬mind, that would allow him to build a contingency plan through a flashback retcon. I decided to put it in Craft to help players insert a fresh opportunity to describe their character's crafting efforts over time in a moment relevant to the scene at hand, essentially allowing them to bring their craftsmanship center stage. I stipulated that their labor couldn't completely resolve the conflict because it made it easier to appreciate an act of Deus ex Anathema if the other players were allowed to get in on the action, as with a Solar who presents the Night Caste with a rickety hang-glider built from coastal ship-wreckage when she needs over the walls of Ostagul without actually touching them. Or the Solar who has revealed she's dismantled three of the nine ballistae be¬ing wheeled up to the city gates — snapping her fingers and causing them to fall apart completely — so that the Dawn Caste can hold off the rest. Storytellers, if you feel like the plot device the player de¬scribes would resolve the conflict, feel free to reduce, alter, or damage it in some way to bring the conflict back into question. In addition, if you feel like there was absolutely no behind-the-scenes opportunity for the Exalt to finish the project they are describing, you can veto a use of this Charm. However, try to avoid doing this; if you can fathom the Exalt working into the wee hours working on her craft between all the other events in your story, allow it! Players need every opportunity to bring the long term (and therefore background) fruits of their labors into live, ongoing scenes. Examples in play: * As the Eclipse returns to port in her trireme, she is set upon by a number of enemy ships which lay ambush to her in the bay. As her Circle con¬templates its options, the Twilight reveals a small ship — swift, sleek, and able — that will carry them to their comrade's side. * An earthquake causes damage to thousands of expensive wheels of cheese, which will go bad if they are not used immediately, causing the eco¬nomic collapse of an entire industry. The Solar chef produces a recipe for cheese soup that al¬lows restaurateurs to buy the damaged wheels in increased volume, to attempt to save the industry from total collapse. See Projects on page 226 of Exalted. * A Lunar warlord-queen is sweet on the Dawn Caste, but if he makes an ass of himself at her feast the entire Circle is going to be kicked out of her dominion, and they badly need to remain there until their work is finished. Rather than trusting him to dress himself, the Zenith tailor presents a highly-stylized garment fit for royalty, so that the Circle's fashion victim doesn't get them exiled. * "What can be done about the Ten Thousand Wooden Soldiers of Andus Gouch? These thou¬sand fire arrows I batched up are a start. Now let's hope the winds are in our favor." Backer: Meridian