Latest revision as of 16:19, 8 June 2010

Lunar Unarmed Combat Charms

by haren

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<b>Cost: 8 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Simple
Min. Dexterity: 5
Min. Essence: 4
Prereqs: Fiery Gullet Method

Where the previous Charm could not be used directly as an attack, this one is designed with that purpose in mind specifically. The Charm has the Lunar spitting a large blob of flaming material at a single target (range of Stamina + Essence yards). The Lunar makes a Dexterity + Athletics roll to hit the target. This attack burns unnaturally hot and causes lethal damage equal to the Exalt's Permanent Essence plus extra successes in dice of damage. This damage can not be soaked with armor, as the liquid flows through it. The attack can be dodged but at a difficulty of 3, but not parried naturally, since the liquid will flow around the parry. Also, it continues to burn, though not nearly so fiercely, causing half the Exalt's Essence every turn for a number of turns equal to the Exalt's Essence (round down) or until it is cleaned off of the charcter.

Comments

Not sure I like Fire Spitting Dragon Attack. There is no method given for targetting and aiming the attack - are we to assume it always hits and cannot be dodged or parried? That makes it a perfect attack which should therefor have at least a willpower cost. Also, not sure that aggravated damage is appropriate for fire. This isn't the WoD, in exalted the only things thus far which do aggravated damage are those that are antithetical to your nature, like the solar bolts vs undead. Fire is just lethal. Also, the main differences between aggravated and lethal damage are the healing times and the fact that the only thing that can soak aggravated damage is armour. This charm takes away the armour soak. What you get is 8 motes for a perfect automatic 4+ aggravated levels of damage, which sounds broken to me...

What I might consider to fix it would be make it cost 4 motes, have the Lunar roll dex+thrown? to target, it can be dodged normally or parried at +3 difficulty (it is a big blob, kinda hard to hit out of the way) and does the Lunars Stamina + essence + extra successes of lethal dice, which can be converted to levels at a cost of 2 motes each. It is soakable, but only with armour.

Sorry if this sounds kinda negative, I love the idea of Fiery Gullet method being used to help your mortal followers, but this one seems a little wrong - CorlanDashiva

I have to say I agree with the lack of targeting, I somehow completely forgot that. Also, after looking at it, i'm going to change it to lethal damage (I'd been reading Abyssals and was sort of thinking of pyreflame), but keep the continuing damage. I don't think armour should soak it for these reasons, most in Exalted is metal, which won't prevent fire damage even if the flaming liquid wouldn't leak through the cracks. Also, I've seen people in real experience able to resist burns naturally (and with Charms, it shouldn't even be too much of a problem). And really, I'm appreciative of seeing the problems with this Charm. - haren

OK, looks a lot more reasonable now :-) - CorlanDashiva

You could always make it environmental damage, which ignores armor (but can be reduced with Sta + Resistance, and can be soaked down to nothing by natural soak). This would probably require a different targeting system; it would probably shoot out in a cone, like Tsunami Force Shout.\\ _Ikselam

Actually, interesting idea Ikselam. I had considered making this Charm able to do two effects, launching a glob of flame or aerosolizing the liquid (which would affect many, but only in a quick flash fire, with no continuing damage). I was thinking that would be an Intellegence Charm since it's more a work of finese than this one, but was too tired to do it last night after the snafu with not putting in a targeting system. - haren

What's the range on this thing? Given the flavor text, it looks like it should be a ranged attack (and should fall under the Ranged Attack umbrella, rather than Unarmed Combat). - Quendalon

Nah, I'm putting it with the other ranged Unarmed Attacks. They are ranged, it's just a matter of ranged usually requiring something other than the Lunar to throw or launch, but this is unarmed. Ranged means armed ranged attacks. - haren

One thing - a vote against the Intelligence version that does two things. Lunar Charms don't do two things, they do one thing. As two separate Charm ideas, knock yourself out, they sound fun. - FourWillowsWeeping

No no, I meant a seperate Intelligence Charm to do it. :) - haren