Fortune Favors the Bold
Roll: Wits + Occult (difficulty 3)
Duration: Instant
Type: Supplemental
Minimum Occult: 3
Minimum Heroism: 2
This Heroic may be activated whenever the hero spends a point of temporary Willpower, whether to cast a spell, gain a free success, or for any other reason. The hero regains one point of spent temporary Willpower. Each additional success increases the number of points of Willpower regained by one, to a maximum number of points of regained Willpower equal to the hero's Heroism. This Heroic does not eliminate the requirement that temporary Willpower not exceed the hero's permanent Willpower.
See the Signs of Inhumanity
Roll: Perception + Occult (difficulty 4)
Duration: Instant
Type: Simple
Minimum Occult: 4
Minimum Heroism: 2
If the hero observes a supernatural creature - Fair Folk, Exalted, Spirit, undead, etc... - whose nature she does not yet know for one full turn, she recognizes it as a supernatural entity. Observation requires sensory input - seeing the being itself, at minimum. Additional successes increase the information the hero receives about the nature of the being. One additional success allows her to tell the difference between broad categories of supernatural beings - Spirit, Exalted, Fair Folk, etc... Two additional successes allows her to determine differences between factions within that broad group - Dragon-Blooded versus Solar, Wood Elemental versus Fire Elemental, and so forth. Three additional successes narrows it down even further - Night Caste versus Zenith Caste, Nymph versus Undertow, and so forth. This Heroic cannot be attempted on the same creature more than once by a single hero.
Read the Dusty Tome
Roll: Wits + Occult (difficulty 3)
Duration: Instant
Type: Supplemental
Minimum Occult: 3
Minimum Heroism: 3
This Heroic may only be activated by a hero with First Circle Magic (an Occult Edge), either by spending the Experience to purchase the Edge or by emulating the Edge by means of a Heroic. By activating this Heroic, the hero may cast a spell or ritual of the First Circle he knows even if he lacks the Essence to pay for it, though he must still pay any other costs associated with the spell. Provided he has a copy of the spell on hand, the hero may attempt to cast a spell of the First Circle he does not know (has not paid for with Experience Points), though in this case, the time required to cast the spell or ritual is doubled.
If the hero fails to activate this Heroic successfully, she suffers 10 bashing damage, though this can be soaked with Stamina and armor as normal. This is accompanied by a vivid sensory display similar to the one produced by Exalted using Sorcery. On a botch, the hero suffers the same effects as for botching a Wits + Occult roll in reaction to a distraction during the casting process.
Tap the Endless Font
Roll: Intelligence + Occult (difficulty 3)
Duration: Instant
Type: Simple
Minimum Occult: 3
Minimum Heroism: 3
The hero produces a visual display exactly like the one produced by one of the Exalted using Sorcery for a number of turns equal to his Heroism. This Heroic refreshes a number of motes of Essence equal to her Heroism. Each additional success refreshes 1 mote, to a maximum number of total motes equal to twice the hero's Heroism. Unlike other Heroics, if the hero fails to activate Tap the Endless Font, the feat of Heroic is lost.
Shaman's Secret Menace
Roll: Appearance + Occult (difficulty 5)
Duration: One scene
Type: Simple
Minimum Occult: 5
Minimum Heroism: 3
Demons, ghosts, zombies, Spirits, Fair Folk, and Exalted cannot engage the hero in hand-to-hand combat until they make a successful Willpower check at a difficulty of 1 unless their Essence is higher than the hero's Heroism. Each turn an opponent wishes to make a hand-to-hand attack against the hero, she must roll this Willpower check. If it fails, the supernatural being does not make the attack, and the action is wasted. If it succeeds, the being may attack the hero as normal until the scene ends or the hero re-activates this Heroic. No further Willpower checks are required by that being. Additional successes increase the difficulty of the Willpower check by 1, to a maximum difficulty equal to the hero's Heroism or Occult, whichever is lower.
Read the Tome of Forbidden Lore
Roll: Wits + Occult (difficulty 4)
Duration: Instant
Type: Supplemental
Minimum Occult: 4
Minimum Heroism: 4
This Heroic may only be activated by a hero with Second Circle Magic (an Occult Edge), either by spending the Experience to purchase the Edge or by emulating the Edge by means of a Heroic. By activating this Heroic, the hero may cast a spell or ritual of the Second Circle he knows even if he lacks the Essence to pay for it, though he must still pay any other costs associated with the spell. Provided he has a copy of the spell on hand, the hero may attempt to cast a spell of the Second Circle he does not know (has not paid for with Experience Points), but in this case, the time required to cast the spell or ritual is doubled.
If the hero fails to activate this Heroic successfully, she suffers 15 bashing damage, though this can be soaked with Stamina and armor as normal. This is accompanied by a vivid sensory display similar to the one produced by Exalted using Sorcery. On a botch, the hero suffers the same effects as for botching a Wits + Occult roll in reaction to a distraction during the casting process.
Read the Flesh-Bound Manuscript
Roll: Wits + Occult (difficulty 5)
Duration: Instant
Type: Supplemental
Minimum Occult: 5
Minimum Heroism: 5
This Heroic may only be activated by a hero with Third Circle Magic (an Occult Edge), either by spending the Experience to purchase the Edge or by emulating the Edge by means of a Heroic. By activating this Heroic, the hero may cast a spell or ritual of the Third Circle he knows even if he lacks the Essence to pay for it, though he must still pay any other costs associated with the spell. Provided he has a copy of the spell on hand, the hero may attempt to cast a spell of the Third Circle he does not know (has not paid for with Experience Points), but in this case, the time required to cast the spell or ritual is doubled.
If the hero fails to activate this Heroic successfully, she suffers 20 bashing damage, though this can be soaked with Stamina and armor as normal. This is accompanied by a vivid sensory display similar to the one produced by Exalted using Sorcery. On a botch, the hero suffers the same effects as for botching a Wits + Occult roll in reaction to a distraction during the casting process.
Naked Heart Oration
Roll: Charisma + Performance (difficulty 3)
Duration: One scene
Type: Supplemental
Minimum Performance: 3
Minimum Heroism: 2
Until the end of the scene, anyone hearing the hero's voice, reading his words, or merely looking at him will know exactly what he is feeling. This does not confuse the audience's own emotions, nor can the hero in any way falsify this emotional projection.
Role Immersion Technique
Roll: Charisma + Performance (difficulty 4)
Duration: One scene
Type: Supplemental
Minimum Performance: 4
Minimum Heroism: 2
Until the end of the scene, anyone hearing the hero's voice, reading his words, or merely looking at him will be certain of what he is feeling. There's just a good chance that certainty will be dead wrong, since this Heroic allows the hero to perfectly mask her emotions with a believable false front of an emotion. This illusion is nearly impenetrable if the false emotion is one the hero has experienced before (enough even to allow one of the Fair Folk to feed on the emotion, under the right circumstances), but if he must feign an emotion he has not felt, members of the audience may make a Perception + Socialize check to recognize the falsehood, with the difficulty dependant on the nearness of the hero's knowledge of that emotion. This empathic projection does not confuse the target's own emotions.
Troubadour's Improvisation
Roll: Intelligence + Performance (difficulty 4)
Duration: One scene
Type: Simple
Minimum Performance: 4
Minimum Heroism: 2
Until the end of the scene, the hero may play or sing any song whose name she hears, including lyrics, if any, or execute any dance whose name she is given. If the hero intends to play, sing, or dance only one part in an ensemble or company, he happens to have knowledge of his part or is quickly able to fake it. This Heroic negates all penalties applied to Performance checks incurred for playing, singing, or dancing to unfamiliar music.
Inspire Greatness
Roll: Charisma + Performance (difficulty 3)
Duration: Instant
Type: Supplemental
Minimum Performance: 3
Minimum Heroism: 3
The hero must deliver a speech, tell a tale, or play music for at least one hour to activate this Heroic. Anyone listening to the speech who is allied with the hero may spend one point of temporary Willpower to immediately refresh one feat of Heroic. Additional successes increase the number of feats refreshed by 1, to a maximum number of feats equal to the hero's Heroism. This effect does not work on the hero using this Heroic, nor may members of the audience spend more than 1 point of Willpower. Each audience member must choose whether or not to spend Willpower when the speech begins, and if the Heroic fails, the spent Willpower is lost without benefit.
Perfect Expression Art
Roll: Manipulation + Performance (difficulty 5)
Duration: One scene
Type: Supplemental
Minimum Performance: 5
Minimum Heroism: 3
Until the end of the scene, anyone hearing the hero's voice, reading his words, or merely looking at him will feel the hero's emotions as her own. The hero cannot falsify his emotions without also using Role Immersion Technique. If the target is unwilling, she may roll a Willpower check against a difficulty of 1 to resist the effects of this Heroic. Additional successes increase the difficulty of the Willpower check by 1, to a maximum difficulty equal to the hero's Heroism.
Friend in Need Awareness
Roll: Perception + Presence (difficulty 3)
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Presence: 3
Minimum Heroism: 2
Like a superhero who always shows up in the nick of time to rescue a lover or friend, the hero always seems to know when her loved ones are threatened so she can come to the rescue. The hero is instantly aware when one of her close friends within (Heroism x 5) miles is in immediate danger. If the roll fails, the hero receives no information for that incident but may roll again if a new threat emerges, such as if a kidnapped spouse is then sold to Fair Folk who intend to Ravage her. Like Suprise Anticipation Method (Exalted p. 197), Friend in Need Awareness should be an asset, not an excuse to drain a hero's feats, and whenever the Storyteller calls for the hero to roll for this Heroic, the player of the hero may elect not to make the roll.
Additional successes increase the amount of detail the hero receives. At 1 additional success, the hero recognizes the approximate level of peril (mild, moderate, severe, mortal). At 2 additional successes, the hero can discern the approximate location of the endangered associate (within a few hundred yards). At 3 additional successes, the hero learns something about the nature of the threat (enemy mortal, enemy Exalted, accident, criminal, supernatural entity, etc...). At 4 or more additional successes, the information becomes increasingly specific (which friend, distance within a few hundred yards, more accurate information about the threat, etc...).
Rumormonger's Keen Ear
Roll: Manipulation + Presence (difficulty 3)
Duration: Instant
Type: Supplemental
Minimum Presence: 3
Mininum Heroism: 2
By spending several hours in public gathering places (marketplaces, pubs, temples, etc...), the hero learns a great deal about local activity - gossip, worrying news, upcoming events, etc... This information is not necessarily accurate, since it represents rumors of all kinds. Additional successes increase the volume and accuracy of the information the hero gleans.
Friends Everywhere Comfort
Roll: Charisma + Presence (difficulty 4)
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Presence: 4
Minimum Heroism: 2
Through some coincidence or another, a friend or acquaintance of the hero's (or perhaps even a friendly stranger) arrives with some form of casual assistance. This can range from something as simple as inviting the hero in for a meal when she is hungry to showing up to spirit her away from a place where enemies are searching for her. It will not provide for the hero if she is captured, attacked, or any in any other situation that demands the incidental ally risk life or limb on the hero's behalf, nor is it of any help if the hero has no allies within a number of miles equal to her Heroism. If this Heroic fails, no assistance arrives, and the hero may not attempt to activate this Heroic again this scene. Additional successes usually decrease the delay before help arrives, while certain Backgrounds (Allies, Backing, Contacts, Followers, Henchmen, Influence, Mentor, and Reputation) will increase the usefulness of the assistance provided in situations where it is logical they would. A hero with a lot of local Contacts is likely to get more useful tips about enemy movements than those without the connections, and a hero whose powerful Mentor made significant contributions to a local ruler's ascent is more likely to be invited to stay at the palace the PCs need to get into.
Irresistable Flag of Truce
Roll: Manipulation + Presence (difficulty 4)
Duration: One scene
Type: Supplemental
Minimum Presence: 4
Minimum Heroism: 2
If the hero surrenders to an enemy, retreats from a battle, or requests a parley when no battle is currently taking place, his enemies will almost surely not casually kill him. If the hero surrenders, the enemy may take him prisoner but must treat him well (feed, shelter, and make reasonably comfortable) and cannot torture or kill the hero unless the enemy's Conviction is higher than the hero's Heroism. If the hero retreats from the field, an enemy cannot pursue him unless she makes a successful Conviction check. If the hero requests a parley, the enemy must, in good faith, allow the hero to make an attempt at negotiations unless she succeeds a Conviction check and fails a Compassion check. The enemy is under no obligation to agree to the hero's suggestions, but she must hear them out. This Heroic does not work on enemies who lack the capacity to respect and reason with an enemy (animals, the undead, demons, berserk madmen, etc...) nor does it affect those whose Permanent Essence is higher than the hero's.
Damsel in Distress Awareness
Roll: Perception + Presence (difficulty 4)
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Presence: 4
Minimum Heroism: 3
The hero is instantly aware when someone within her Heroism in miles is in immediate and mortal danger provided the hero has no reason to consider the individual an enemy (enemy soldier, sworn enemy, etc...). If the roll fails, the hero receives no information for that incident but may roll again if a new threat emerges, such as a woman who is first threatened by robbers and later escapes by diving, bleeding, into shark-infested waters. Like Suprise Anticipation Method (Exalted p. 197), Damsel in Distress Awareness should be an asset, not an excuse to drain a hero's feats, and whenever the Storyteller calls for the hero to roll for this Heroic, the player of the hero may elect not to make the roll. Moreover, not all heroes who qualify for this Heroic will be generally interested in heeding distress calls. A soldier engaging in a series of short, bloody battles would quickly run out of feats if he was constantly feeling the danger of his allies, and a hero with a low Compassion score often will not be interested in the hardships of strangers. The Storyteller should respect this willful ignorance and not call for unwanted rolls.
Additional successes increase the sensitivity and amount of information the hero receives. At 1 additional success, the hero can discern the approximate location of the endangered individual (within a few hundred yards). At 2 additional successes, the hero can sense those who are only in severe danger (about to be brutally robbed, raped, Ravaged, etc...). At 3 additional successes, the hero can sense even those in moderate danger (robbed, kidnapped, etc...). At 4 additional successes, the hero learns something about the nature of the threat (enemy mortal, enemy Exalted, accident, criminal, supernatural entity, etc...).
Desperate Evacuation Request
Roll: Charisma + Presence (difficulty 5)
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Presence: 5
Minimum Heroism: 3
Through some coincidence or another, a friend, band of allies, or simply a mob comes to the hero's rescue, provided they can reach the hero in the time allotted them for the rescue. The village elders might hire local mercenaries to track down the hero a few days after his capture, but their influence from across the sea is going to be minute to none. Rescuers will take risks in keeping with their characters and their relationship with the hero in an effort to protect or liberate him, though the hero does not control them directly. If this Heroic fails, no assistance arrives, and the hero may not attempt to activate this Heroic again until circumstances noticeably change (the hero escapes, sends a message, befriends a guard, etc...).
Rescue attempts are not certain to succeed. Even a company of trained soldiers isn't going to stand much chance against a pack of Lunars and a band of Wyld barbarians who are holding the hero captive. Additional successes usually decrease the delay before help arrives, while certain Backgrounds (Allies, Backing, Followers, Henchmen, Influence, and Mentor) will increase the usefulness of the assistance provided in situations where it is logical they would. A hero with a lot of Influence might attract a large mob, while one with Allies might attract a few peers. One with high scores in both Allies and Influence might receive the aid of a large mob led by a few of her peers.
Barbaric War Cry
Roll: Manipulation + Presence (difficulty 5)
Duration: One scene
Type: Simple
Minimum Presence: 5
Minimum Heroism: 3
Something the hero does or says during the turn this Heroic is activated terrorizes his enemies and makes them less able to attack him. This could be anything from shouting a battle cry to calmly cracking his knuckles to chanting a mantra of revenge against an enemy. Any opponent capable of experiencing fear who witnesses the hero's display who wishes to attack the hero must make a Valor check. If she succeeds, she can attack the hero as normal this scene. If she fails, all her attacks against the hero are at a -2 die penalty this turn, though she can roll another Valor check next turn. If she botches, she cannot attack the hero this turn. This fascination does not affect anyone who has attacked the hero before, one who has succeeded the Valor check this scene, one whom the hero has attacked or harmed before, or one who believes a close associate of hers has been attacked or harmed by the hero in the past. This Heroic has no effect on an enemy whose Valor is higher than the hero's Heroism. Additional successes increase the dice penalty by 1 each, to a maximum dice penalty equal to the hero's Heroism.
Greatest Danger on the Field
Roll: Appearance + Presence (difficulty 5)
Duration: One scene
Type: Simple
Minimum Presence: 5
Minimum Heroism: 3
One creature chosen by the hero that is able to see the hero must focus its attention entirely on the hero unless it succeeds a Willpower check against a difficulty equal to the hero's Heroism. If the roll succeeds, the creature may act normally unless subjected to this Heroic again. If the check fails, the creature cannot pay close attention to anyone other than the hero. Attacks, targeted spells, and even conversation must be directed toward the hero until the end of the scene or until the hero is incapacitated or killed. The creature may defend itself against incoming attacks, and it still notices the events around it, but nothing short of the screams of a lover or parent will distract its attention from the hero for more than a few seconds at a time. Each additional success increases the number of victims the hero may target with this Heroic by 1, to a maximum number of targets equal to the hero's Heroism.
Heroic Last Stand
Roll: Charisma + Presence (difficulty 5)
Duration: Special
Type: Simple
Minimum Presence: 5
Minimum Heroism: 3
All allies within the hero's Heroism in yards receive a bonus die to all combat-related dice pools and do not fail Valor checks until the end of the scene, until the hero is incapacitated, or until the hero moves more than one yard from where he was standing when he activated this Heroic. The hero cannot dodge without ending the effects of this Heroic. Those passing beyond the radius of the Heroic's effect lose this benefit, and allies who later enter its radius benefit from it. No one may benefit from more than one person's Heroic Last Stand at a time, and the hero does not benefit from the effects of his own Heroic Last Stand. Each additional success increases the radius of this effect by 1 yard, to a maximum additional radius in yards equal to the hero's Heroism.
Luck of the Gods
Roll: Stamina + Resistance (Difficulty 3)
Duration: One scene
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Resistance: 3
Minimum Heroism: 2
All wounds the hero received this scene are less likely to become infected. The difficulty of all the hero's Resistance rolls to resist infection of these wounds is reduced by 2.
Ring-Fighter's Thick Skull
Roll: Stamina + Resistance (Difficulty 3)
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Resistance: 3
Minimum Heroism: 2
If hit by an attack, even one of which she is not aware, the hero may activate this Heroic, which adds her Heroism or Resistance, whichever is lower, to her bashing soak for puposes of soaking that attack. Each additional success increases this bashing soak by 1, to a maximum increase in bashing soak equal to twice the hero's Heroism. This Heroic has no effect on attacks enhanced by Charms or those generated by magic or Sorcery.
Walk the Coals
Roll: Stamina + Resistance (Difficulty 4)
Duration: One scene
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Resistance: 4
Minimum Heroism: 2
The amount of damage the hero suffers from environmental effects is reduced by 1 health level, to a minimum damage of 0. Additional successes further reduce environmental damage. At 1 additional success, the damage is reduced by 2 health levels if the hero has a Heroism of 3 or more. At 2 additional successes, if the hero has a Heroism of 4 or more, the damage is reduced by 3 health levels or lethal damage inflicted by environmental factors is instead converted to bashing damage. At 3 additional successes, if the hero has a Heroism of 5 or more, damage is reduced by 4 health levels or lethal damage is converted to bashing damage and is reduced by 1 health level. Every success after that, if the hero's Heroism is 1 higher than the minimum for the previous level, decreases the damage further by 1 health level.
Flesh Wound
Roll: Stamina + Resistance (Difficulty 5)
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Resistance: 5
Minimum Heroism: 3
If hit by an attack, even one of which she is not aware, the hero may activate this Heroic, which adds her Heroism or Resistance, whichever is lower, to her lethal soak for puposes of soaking that attack. Each additional success increases this lethal soak by 1, to a maximum increase in lethal soak equal to twice the hero's Heroism. This Heroic has no effect on attacks enhanced by Charms or those generated by magic or Sorcery.
Faith in the Mount Leap
Roll: Charisma + Ride (Difficulty 3)
Duration: Instant
Type: Supplemental
Minimum Ride: 3
Minimum Heroism: 2
The hero converts 1 die of her Attribute + Ride pool to 1 automatic success on a Ride roll related to jumping. Each additional successess converts 1 more die to an automatic success, to a maximum number of automatic successes equal to the hero's Heroism.
Pursuit-Evading Maneuvers
Roll: Charisma + Ride (Difficulty 4)
Duration: One scene
Type: Supplemental
Minimum Ride: 4
Minimum Heroism: 2
The hero converts 1 die of her Attribute + Ride pool to 1 automatic success on a Ride roll related to out-running a pursuer or riding down a fleeing person or creature. Each additional successess converts 1 more die to an automatic success, to a maximum number of automatic successes equal to the hero's Heroism.
Graceful Mounting Technique
Roll: Dexterity + Ride (Difficulty 4)
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Ride: 4
Minimum Heroism: 3
The hero may effortlessly mount any creature of sufficient size that passes within 10 feet of him, whether it is his own mount, an unclaimed mount, or even a mount with an enemy rider. Each additional success increases the range from which the hero may mount a creature by 5 feet, to a maximum number of additional successes equal to the hero's Heroism. This Heroic does not work on exceptionally large riding animals (such as especially large elephants or behemoths).
Preserving the Mount Evasion
Roll: Dexterity + Ride (Difficulty 4)
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Minimum Ride: 4
Minimum Heroism: 3
An attack intended to strike the hero's mount strikes the hero instead. The hero may dodge or parry the attack as normal, if he has the actions available.