Sun-Stealing Shadow Spirit

Template:Cost 7m; Mins: Larceny 5, Essence 3
Type: Simple
Keywords: Mute
Duration: Instant
Prerequisite Charms: Master Plan Meditation

No fortress is impregnable to one of the Solar Exalted. Through continuous observation of movement and in¬teractions around a specific location, the Solar becomes supernaturally aware of flaws in a pattern of security. She might notice an unlocked window or door, a guard who leaves his post at a certain time every night, a secret entrance, a pattern in security patrols, and so on. She can complete (Essence) weeks of observation in (difficulty x 10) minutes; flows of Essence show her snarls in the order of day to day operations, such that she can know a daily pattern after only having been present for just minutes. Roll the Solar's Perception + Larceny with a difficul¬ty based on the size and tightness of security, with an undefended shop rating difficulty 1, a merchant prince's mansion rating difficulty 3, and the Imperial Treasury rating difficulty 6. The difficulty of this roll can be low¬ered with appropriately stunted Awareness Charms. If successful, the Lawgiver can introduce one fact about a weakness in the location's security, and for every addi¬tional two successes she may name another factual secu¬rity weakness, place of concealment, or other means of gaining surreptitious access to a place. Unlike introducing a fact with Lore, if the Solar beats the set difficulty, the Storyteller should always allow whatever fact the player introduces. If the Storyteller deems there are absolutely no flaws, the difficulty should be set to 10 and if the Solar jumps this hurdle then they still find at least one flaw. Special activation rules: By spending six points ac¬crued by Master Plan Meditation, this Charm may be used retroactively, without a roll and for free, allowing the Solar to declare away a guard that's just caught her, a trap that's just sprung on her, a hiding place that wasn't there before, and so on. She may only introduce a single fact in this fashion. On Sun-Stealing Shadow Spirit I badly wanted to do a Charm that would allow the Solar to effectively case a location using Larceny, but my initial try at it way back in 2013 was unworkable. Conversely, I came up with this mechanic as an afterthought while putting in bonus Charms. Oh the changes wrought by time and experience.