Charisma
Characters with Epic Charisma radiate their personality to all around them, causing others to be caught up in the essence of your being. Battle commanders have their orders followed immediately, and without question. Kings, chiefs, and leaders are recognized as the rightful ruler, and their justice is accepted and known. The shy, meek, and kind inspire others to help them, guide them, and care for them. The beloved are loved by everyone and casually forgiven for their crimes.Some of these Knacks are taken from Modern Mythos (Brent Not Broken) and Gotham By Night (John and Anne). We intend to implement a complete overhaul of Epic Charisma, including knacks for leaders, charmers, lovers, and those who command authority without adoration.
Attention Knacks
ATTENTION, PLEASE
Cost: 1 Legend per scene
Dice Pool: None
Type: Miscellaneous
No matter how noisy, crowded or confusing things might be, everyone hears the Scion with this Knack when she wishes to be heard. Everyone within range of her voice automatically hears her clearly without any penalties from noise or distance for the rest of the scene.
AUDIENCE PARTICIPATION
Cost: 2 Legend per use
Dice Pool: Charisma + Politics (vs MDV)
Type: Miscellaneous
Prerequisite: Attention Please
With this Knack, the Scion can cause whatever performance she is putting on to involve the crowd. If she is giving a speech, there are cheers at just the right moment; when she discusses their political opponents, the entire crowd boos and hisses at once; if she is singing a song, the entire crowd will join in with the chorus even if they do not know the words. She may encourage different groups to join in from moment to moment, so she could make different sides of a stadium sing alternating lines to a song.
FILIBUSTER
Cost: 3 Legend per use
Dice Pool: Charisma + Politics (vs MDV)
Type: Miscellaneous
Prerequisite: Audience Participation
The respect others hold for the Scion is so high that they refuse to interrupt her, even when she is saying something entirely offensive or utterly incorrect. Once she has activated this knack, she may prevent everyone who can hear her from interrupting as long as she does not stop talking. The effects of this boon end the moment she ceases to talk, and others are once more free to argue with her. She may not use this boon during combat.
Praise Knacks
BLESSING OF IMPORTANCE
Cost: 1 Legend per use
Dice Pool: None
Type: Miscellaneous
By reminding a group of people about their importance in the overall scheme of things, the Scion with this Knack may bolster flagging spirits and bring renewed determination to her allies. She may give a compliment or miniature pep talk which restores one point of willpower to every listener. This knack may only benefit the same person once per game.
BFF
Cost: 2 Legend per use
Dice Pool: None
Type: Miscellaneous
Prerequisite: Blessing of Importance
No stranger to socializing, the Scion with this Knack is simply so engaging and enjoyable to be around that the very act of treating someone else like a friend bolsters them, making them feel better by association. By speaking a kind word, acting chummy, or otherwise treating someone else as a comrade, the Scion may refill their entire Willpower pool as their self-worth experiences a temporary boost. This Knack may only benefit the same person once per game.
BELIEVE YOUR OWN PRESS
Cost: None
Dice Pool: None
Type: Persistent
Prerequisite: BFF
The Scion with this Knack is so skilled at bolstering her companions’ spirits and lightening their hearts that she can’t help but feel good about herself in turn. Whenever she uses a knack that grants willpower to others, she may gain one point of willpower herself as she basks in the contact high of inspiring others.
Beloved Knacks
CHARMER
Cost: 2 Legend per scene
Dice Pool: Charisma + Presence (vs MDV)
Type: Miscellaneous
The Scion with this knack can simply turn on the charm, enhancing her friendly and enjoyable presence immensely. Anyone within her general area begins to find their opinion of her supernaturally increasing. Friends become her devoted allies, neutral parties become fair weather friends, and even enemies are inclined to look on her with an unbiased eye. If she physically attacks another person under the influence of this knack, the effect is immediately broken for everybody involved. Once this power fades, their original feelings surge back at full intensity.
ADORING FANS
Cost: 2 Legend per scene
Dice Pool: None
Type: Miscellaneous
Prerequisite: Charmer
A Scion this beloved attracts so much affection and adoration from those around her that they become willing to forgive almost anything she does. She may active this knack to enhance the supernatural power of charmer, and anyone under the effects of both knacks simply forgives any past or current transgressions, regardless of how insulting or illegal they might be. They will rationalize away anything she does as being for an obviously good reason, or because of a troubled childhood. Once this power fades, their original feelings surge back at full intensity.
ENGENDER LOVE
Cost: 3 Legend and 1 Willpower per use
Dice Pool: Charisma + Presence (vs MDV)
Type: Miscellaneous
Prerequisite: Charmer
The Scion has become so impressive and endearing that she may make someone fall head over heels in love. She can keep that person in love with her for one day per dot of Epic Charisma. During this time the target continues to make their own choices, but those choices must be made through the lens of being hopelessly in love. It should be noted that love can take different forms depending on how the target relates to her (agape, eros, philia, storge). Once this power fades, their original feelings surge back at full intensity.
PIED PIPER
Cost: 1 Legend and 1 Willpower per use
Dice Pool: Charisma + Presence (vs MDV)
Type: Miscellaneous
Prerequisite: Charmer
The Scion is so enthralling to humanity that they hang on every word, stumble after her just to watch her, see what she does, and what she says to others. Activating this knack causes all mortals who notice her presence to follow her with boundless curiosity and adoration for one day per dot of Epic Charisma. Once this power fades, the mortals are probably going to collapse from sleep deprivation, hunger and thirst unless she took the time to tend to their needs.
DIVINE FIGUREHEAD
Cost: 3 Legend and 1 Willpower per use
Dice Pool: Charisma + Presence (vs MDV)
Type: Miscellaneous
Prerequisite: Pied Piper
Radiating divine charisma from her very pores, the Scion with this Knack may cause an instant party, riot, rave, or event to spring up around her. Anyone within her general area is susceptible to suddenly deciding to initiate an event or celebration around her, abandoning whatever else they might have been doing, unaware that this is anything but their own idea. The revelry continues for one day per dot of Epic Charisma, and during this time no one involved needs to eat, drink, or even sleep (but they may still do so for fun).
Emotion Knacks
DEMAGOGUE
Cost: 1 Willpower per scene
Dice Pool: Charisma + Empathy (vs MDV)
Type: Miscellaneous
A true demagogue is able to make a stirring speech designed to inspire emotion in everyone that listens to her. She activates this knack and choose a basic emotion such as anger, fear, happiness, or sadness. Anyone within range of her presence becomes overwhelmed with this emotion for the rest of the scene. During this time they may continue to make their own choices, but those choices must be made through the lens of the emotion they are feeling. Once this power fades, their original feelings surge back at full intensity.
RABBLE-ROUSER
Cost: 2 Willpower per scene
Dice Pool: None
Type: Miscellaneous
Prerequisite: Demagogue
A Scion with this knack can galvanize an entire crowd of emotionally charged people into a small army, and then unleash all that emotion towards a specific person or goal. She may activate this knack to enhance the supernatural power of demagogue, and anyone under the effects of both knacks can be given a target to express their emotions upon. She might whip everyone up into an angry mob, and then convince them to vent their anger at a senator. Or she might unite a crowd into charitable support, and then convince them to express their support at a children's hospital. Once this power fades, their original feelings surge back at full intensity.
FREEZE OUT
Cost: 3 Legend and 1 Willpower per use
Dice Pool: Charisma + Empathy (vs MDV)
Type: Miscellaneous
Prerequisite: Rabble-Rouser
Just as a Scion with Epic Charisma can cause those around her to be haplessly enraptured by her charm, so too can she wield that social influence against others with a thought. She can make a dismissive gesture, mouth an insult, or simply snub a person in public to ensure that they will be totally socially ostracized for one day per dot of Epic Charisma. If the unfortunate person is an important figure or leader, they will find their people less cooperative and their ranks full of gossip and disrespect; if they are some schmuck on the street, they will find themselves outright shunned and reviled wherever they go.
CROWD CONTROL
Cost: 3 Legend per scene
Dice Pool: Charisma + Empathy (vs MDV)
Type: Miscellaneous
Prerequisite: Demagogue
By speaking a few soothing phrases or just letting herself be a calming presence in the scene, the Scion with this knack may bring others down from the heights of panic or violent mob-mentality. Her reassuring aura sweeps out in every direction for 100 yards per dot of Epic Charisma, returning them to normalcy and reason. A calm person can still choose to be violent or speak their mind, but they may make different choices without the looming specter of fear and anger. If someone physically attacks a person under the influence of this knack, the effect is immediately broken for everybody involved. The activation roll may contest supernatural effects that create emotion.
CALM THE SAVAGE
Cost: 3 Legend and 1 Willpower per use
Dice Pool: Charisma + Empathy (vs MDV)
Type: Miscellaneous
Prerequisite: Crowd Control
The Scion with this knack can exert such a peaceful influence on others that she can make a single rampaging creature or the most determined of enemies pause. Once this power is activated, she causes a single target to become so calm and relaxed that it becomes impossible for them to take aggressive action, or even to insult another person for one day per dot of Epic Charisma. If someone physically attacks a person under the influence of this knack, the effect is immediately broken for everybody involved. The activation roll may contest supernatural effects that create emotion.
Impressive Knacks
HAPLESS COOL
Cost: None
Dice Pool: None
Type: Persistent
No matter what the Scion does, she maintains an aura of cool suavity in the face of adversity. She no longer needs to pay a legend to ‘Reroll An Action’ on any mundane social roll, and she may always take the higher of the two results.
INSPIRATIONAL FIGURE
Cost: None
Dice Pool: None
Type: Persistent
Prerequisite: Hapless Cool
Some people are simply born gifted leaders of men, and the Scion with this Knack knows instinctively how to leverage her personal magnetism so that others see her as an inspiration, making even enemies slightly hesitant to challenge her. She may substitute her Charisma for her Intelligence/Wits (without any successes from any Epic Attributes) when determining her MDV against sentient creatures.
NATURAL LEADER
Cost: None
Dice Pool: None
Type: Persistent
Prerequisite: Inspirational Figure
The Scion with this knack is so effortlessly charming, commanding, or innocent that the people around her have a hard time forcing their will upon her. Perhaps it is the fear of earning her displeasure, or the belief that good people should not be punished. Either way, the Scion many now add her successes from Epic Charisma when determining her MDV against sentient creatures.
BOLSTER SPIRIT
Cost: 3 Legend and 1 Willpower per scene
Dice Pool: None
Type: Miscellaneous
Prerequisite: Natural Leader
The Scion with this Knack is so inspiring that she fills others with the urge to push themselves beyond their normal limits. She merely needs to give a rousing speech that may include charming praise, militant orders, or naive encouragement, and everyone who listens to her gains bonus dice on all rolls equal to her dots of Epic Charisma until the end of the scene. Once this power fades, everyone gains one point of willpower as their hearts are filled with a sense of accomplishment and a job well done.
PEAK PERFORMANCE
Cost: 1 Legend per use
Dice Pool: None
Type: Reflexive
Prerequisite: Hapless Cool
Competing with the Scion is incredibly difficult; seeing what they accomplish plays off the insecurities of those who are considering trying to out do them. Whenever she is competing in a contest between herself and others, she may activate this knack to give everyone who comes after her a penalty to their dice rolls equal to her dots of Epic Charisma.
Credibility Knacks
BENEFIT OF THE DOUBT
Cost: 2 Legend per use
Dice Pool: Charisma + Presence (vs MDV)
Type: Miscellaneous
By flashing a smile or letting the force of her personality simply wash over a person, the Scion with this knack may influence her credibility. As long as she makes a specific effort to tell the truth from her perspective, anyone who can hear the Scion will also consider her words to be the truth. Affected people are free to draw their own conclusions based on this new knowledge, but they cannot doubt that she is speaking the truth for the rest of the scene.
BORROWED CREDIBILITY
Cost: 3 Legend per use
Dice Pool: None
Type: Miscellaneous
Prerequisite: Benefit of the Doubt
Sometimes the best way to convince someone of something is to let someone else do it. If the Scion with this Knack wishes to let someone else take center stage – whether to give them their moment in the sun, avoid undue notice herself, or even put them on the spot for any potential backlash – she may choose to temporarily lend them her own charismatic flair, giving them her godly force of engaging personality for any social roll they attempt. She must give her target some token that shows others that they carry her political favor, and they may use her Charisma dice and Epic Charisma successes for one day per dot of Epic Charisma she has.
Miscellaneous Knacks
KING / QUEEN OF BEASTS
Cost: None
Dice Pool: None
Type: Persistent
A Scion with this Knack is able to bring the force of their commands down on the most simple of minds, now being able to effect animals with their Knacks from Epic Charisma as long as they are someone able to communicate the idea in a way that the animal will understand.
SHOUT DOWN
Cost: 3 Legend and 1 Willpower per use
Dice Pool: Charisma + Command
Type: Miscellaneous
With a shout, a barked order, or a calm explanation, a Scion with this Knack may attempt to free her fellows from the effects of supernatural compulsion. As long as she describes a satisfactory stunt to the storyteller, she may activate this knack and free her companions from the effects for a number of minutes equal to her successes on the activation roll. Once this power fades, any supernatural compulsion with a longer duration than this knack comes back at full force.
WIDESPREAD APPEAL
Cost: 2 Legend per scene
Dice Pool: None
Type: Miscellaneous
The Scion has become so effortlessly likable, impressive, or intimidating that it carries through any live media performance. Anyone who is watching or listening to her over any form of live media becomes a valid target for her Charisma knacks for the rest of the scene. No recording of this media will carry any supernatural power after the live performance.