Revision as of 22:51, 5 June 2005

Brawl Charms

Conspiring Low Blow

• Cost: 3 motes per die
• Duration: Instant
• Type: Supplemental
• Minimum Brawl: 2
• Minimum Essence: 2
• Prerequisite Charms: None

Spiteful Essence coarsing through his blows, the Infernal can make even a warrior's most loyal protector betray her. With but a touch, armour buckles and releases shards inward, making even the lightest blow a deadly threat. The Exalt may steal dice from his opponent's Bashing or Lethal soak pool (whichever type of damage the Exalt is dealing) to add to his own Brawl pool, up to a maximum of his Dexterity+Brawl.

Last Guardian's Demise

• Cost: 3 motes
• Duration: Instant
• Type: Simple
• Minimum Brawl: 3
• Minimum Essence: 2
• Prerequisite Charms: Conspiring Low Blow

The character diverts his attack at the last moment, clawing away at his foe's armour instead with unnatural ease. Make a standard Brawl attack and, instead of calculating damage as normal, roll the character's pre-soak damage dice; each success subtracts a point of bashing, lethal and aggravated soak from his foe's armour until it is repaired. Armour reduced to 0/0 soak is pulled to flakes of scrap, and cannot be repaired. Clothing may be torn away in moments if revealed. This Charm cannot affect armour made of one of the Five Magical Materials.

Final Betrayal of Steel

• Cost: 5 motes, 1 Willpower
• Duration: Instant
• Type: Reflexive
• Minimum Brawl: 4
• Minimum Essence: 3
• Prerequisite Charms: Last Guardian's Demise

The character coalesces Essence about his blows, and with a scream of anguish his opponent's armour forsakes her entirely. Joints shatter, plates jam against each other, and the Essence binding the armour to its wearer dissipates in a last act of treachery. This Charm must be activated after defences are rolled but before damage is calculated. The Exalt's opponent doubles his armour's mobility penalty and fatigue value, applying the mobility penalty to all physical actions. Wearers of artifact armour may avoid this by spending Essence equal to the armour's attunement cost.

Between The Dragon's Scales

• Cost: 5 motes
• Duration: Instant
• Type: Supplemental
• Minimum Brawl: 3
• Minimum Essence: 2
• Prerequisite Charms: Conspiring Low Blow

As the Infernal's strike pounds home, his foe's armour reveals its most vulnerable point to him. The Exalt's strike deals piercing damage, halving the armour's soak.

Child Snatches Candy

• Cost: 3 motes
• Duration: Instant
• Type: Reflexive
• Minimum Brawl: 2
• Minimum Essence: 2
• Prerequisite Charms: None

As the Exalt's hands hit home, they furl inward through his opponent's flesh to hold her to him. This Charm may be activated after the character hits successfully with a Brawl attack, but before damage is calculated. The Exalt deals lethal damage with this attack. In addition, the attack counts as a successful grab attack, placing the two characters into a grapple.

Covetous Grasp

• Cost: 3 motes
• Duration: Instant
• Type: Reflexive
• Minimum Brawl: 3
• Minimum Essence: 2
• Prerequisite Charms: Child Snatches Candy

The character focuses his greed, splays out his fingers, and grasps at nothingness, roils of Essence emerging from them to clutch at something otherwise beyond his reach. The Infernal may make grab attacks or snatch items out to a distance of (Manipulation+Brawl) yards. If the grab attack is successful, the Exalt is allowed to defend himself perfectly within the resultant grapple, leaving the ethereal tendrils to grasp at his foe, although he may not exceed the tendrils’ length. However, he must also re-activate this Charm each turn if the hold is to be maintained. This Charm is explicitly allowed to be in a Combo with Larceny Charms to allow him to steal things from a distance.

[Virtue] Choking Hold

• Cost: 3 motes
• Duration: Instant
• Type: Simple
• Minimum Brawl: 3
• Minimum Essence: 3
• Prerequisite Charms: Covetous Grasp

The Exalt grabs his opponent's head and raises it to meet his own, his eyes unfolding like layers of Malfeas to reveal the true nature of his being. Within a hold, the Infernal may activate this charm in lieu of other grappling actions. The Infernal rolls his Sin (dependant on the charm) against his foe's according Virtue in an opposed test; each success won by the Exalt reveals depths of thinking and emotion the victim didn't think possible, and reduces their Virtue by 1. Lost Virtue points recover at a rate of 1 per day, as the target explains away what they saw. This Charm is frequently used by Infernals outside of combat (such as with their lovers) to sap the resolve and worth of those they have attached themselves to.

Siren's Embrace

• Cost: 6 motes
• Duration: Instant
• Type: Simple
• Minimum Brawl: 4
• Minimum Essence: 3
• Prerequisite Charms: Compassion Choking Hold

Whilst in a hold, the Infernal relaxes his grip and snakes his arms around his foe in a bewildering echo of a lover's embrace. As corrupt Essence sparkles hypnotically within his eyes, the boundaries between love and hate, friend and foe become difficult to define. Instead of taking an ordinary grapple action, the Exalt rolls his Willpower against that of his foe in an opposed test. Each success on the part of the Infernal reduces his victim's temporary Willpower by 1. Again, Infernals requently use this charm outside of combat to turn people into snivelling husks of what they once were.

Asset Seizing Prana

• Cost: 10 motes, 1 Willpower
• Duration: Instant
• Type: Simple
• Minimum Brawl: 5
• Minimum Essence: 4
• Prerequisite Charms: Siren's Embrace, Covetous Grasp

Drawing on the needs of any creature he has touched, the Infernal extends a grasping hand beside him and plays the other in a quick invocation. A cloud of noxious smoke erupts, and from it the Exalt tries to summon someone the target cares about. The Exalt chooses a Virtue (or Sin, if the target is an Infernal) and the victim must roll that Virtue. If they get any successes, the Storyteller chooses someone the victim values related to that Virtue (someone they like or love for Compassion, someone important to their cause for Conviction, someone they respect or look up to for Temperance, someone they wish to protect for Valour) with an Essence lower than the Infernal's. That person coalesces from the inky haze in the Exalt's grip (treat as a grapple).

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Feedback

I like the ideas here, and in your Infernal Charm creation process in general. Almost certainly yoinked for my games. I would suggest that any Charm that increases attack dice, whilst decreasing the target's available defences should be upped in cost. Currently they're set to 2m per die stolen+added, I'd raise it to 3 or 4 motes depending on what is stolen. Tending towards 3 motes overall 9until playtested). Wiser heads on the Wiki can give better reasonings than I, but as I see it, these are replicating Solar/Abyssal Dice Adders comboed with Abyssal Dice Removers, without a WP cost or the extra-expense in motes that Abyssals have to pay to activate those Charms within the Combo. Really like these ideas though, keep up the good work... - Nikink

Just to explain the reasoning - the costs are based on Abyssal adder/remover Combos (4 motes per die, plus one willpower). Now, this is subject to the inconvenience of it being their <only> die adding choice, and you get a reduction to 3 motes per die. Martial Arts and Melee both use this value. The Archery and Thrown stealers have a good chance that the Exalt's opponent will raise a defence other than the one stolen from, and so are reduced to 2 motes per die. That was the premise that I balanced them upon. Brawl's two motes was a typo, heh heh. Rectified!

...DeathBySurfeit

Indeed so. Having helped create this really -evil- mechanic(Only slightly), I clarify (unless he's changed things since) - The charm is payed for before the opponent defends. However, if the opponent choses not to defend with the right defense, or not at all... the infernal gets no dice to add. Of course... you can't choose -not- to use a persistant defence without ending it. Infernals under DeathBySurfeit's rules are the ultimate defense-breakers. Which seemed kinda appropriate to me.
-- Darloth

Oh yes. And when you say 'the Exalt' do you mean the user of the charm? (Talking about the wonderful Asset Seizing Method)
-- Darloth

Yes, yes I do. Oh, and to clarify: if the defender does not use the defence pool in question, the Infernal still gets the bonus die to add to his own roll. They're just ludicrously expensive.

...DeathBySurfeit

One minor quirk, I don't like 'Achilles' Heel Method,' since that's a reference to Greek mythology. It's a minor thing, but kinda clashes with the theme of Exalted. How about 'Between the Dragon's Scales,' or 'Unshielded Pinpoint Strike'? - Beri

While exalted is heavily influenced by anime, it is ALSO heavily influenced by greek mythology. Quite a lot I think you'll find, especially Solars. I'm not sure whether I like or dislike the name though.
-- Darloth

What about Siren's Embrace? There's some Greek Mythology for you as well... should it be changed? B-) - Nikink