FixTheLunarCharmTrees/FelineGuardTechnique

Official Version

This Charm is a 3-mote reflexive rolled parry. The Lunar can only use it a number of times equal to his Essence rating, can't dodge during the turn he uses it, and cannot use Extra-Action Charms that turn either.

David.'s Version 1

Drop all the limitations, making it a 3-mote reflexive parry, not unlike Dipping Swallow Defense. It is an Essence 2, Attribute 4 Charm, after all.

David.'s Version 2

Lower the cost to 2 motes, drop the restriction against dodging and Extra-Action Charms, as well as the movement limitation, but the parries count towards the Rate of the Lunar's weapon.

BrokenShade's Version =

FGT is a reflexive parry you may use Essence times each turn. You may dodge that turn, and you may use Extra Action Charms that turn too.

braincraft's Version

At a cost of three motes, the Lunar can make a reflexive parry action against any parriable attack that he is aware of. This charm allows the parrying of ranged and lethal attacks without a stunt. Also, if the attack is successfully parried, the attacker loses his weapon's initiative bonus for the next round, if any.

Official Version

1. Clebo

David.'s Version 1

1. DragoonDrake

David.'s Version 2

1. David.

BrokenShade's Version

1. BrokenShade
2. Darloth

Just Delete Feline Guard Technique

1. None yet

Comments

David. begs someone who has their books handy to provide a more accurate explanation of the official version of the Charm, since his books are at home and he is at university.

Notes on my Reasoning: As written, this Charm sucks. A lot. I feel confident in saying that several people would agree with that assessment. Even taking into account the potentially insane parry pool a Lunar can conjure, the limitations on the Charm (especially the limitations on dodging and moving) make it hardly worth spending 12 or 15 xp on. Lunars could still have an acceptable parry tree, in my opinion, without FGT, but I think there is definitely a place for something like it in the Lunar arsenal. To this end, a revision of Feline Guard Technique seems to be in order. I think making it a DSD clone is much too boring, and it doesn't seem to fit Lunars. While I think that full-pool reflexive defenses definitely belong in the arsenal of each type of Celestial Exalt, I think that in the case of Lunars, they should be bent a little, to favor the more tactical nature of Lunar combat. Limitation seems to be the easiest way to do this. Considering that it is an Essence 3, Dexterity 4 Charm, I think the limitations should be fairly gentle, though, preferably designed to encourage Lunar players to still favor split dice pools for most actions. I think lowering the cost is fine, but not necessary, and I think the dodging restriction is, bluntly, bullshit. Lunars are, IMHO, way too movement- and dodge-oriented to have a Charm that hinders that as much as this one does. - David.

Hi David. You have multiple alternatives in your versions above, so it is impossible to know what I would be voting for! I've added my version, which happens to coincide with one of the alternatives in your second version - without the mote cost drop or counting towards rate. ^_^ -- BrokenShade

That's a side-effect of typing this up without suffecient forethought. >_< I'll come back and clean this up at some point. I'll leave your version as an option, and polish option 1. Sorry about the muddiness. - David.

Sometimes it seems that the way the devopers avoid power creep is to state that one group is weaker than other, and then whenever charms have similar effects, the weaker group has a weaker version. However, in any ways that are difficult to compare, power creep seems substantial. My point is that I think that it takes a lot of consideration to balance all of these effects out. Personally, I don't see any reason why this charm should be so substantially weaker than DSD. It should probably be at least one mote more expensive, or have a single limit, in my opinion, but I can't say just how I'd fix it with the lunar charm trees like they are. - Morpheus

Hi there! I like the charm just like it is. Problem is, people think like a Solar instead of a Lunar. Why do a Lunar have to forfeit his dodge action? Well, because a Lunar's parry dice pool is twice as big for the rest of the scene in DBT compared to many other Exalted. Also, the charms tell us what a Lunar's defensive strengths are; soaking, regeneration but most of all offense. - Clebo

My reasoning, if you must know, is that Solar charms should be the best in terms of general utility (in other words, the 'best' overall) but that Siddies and Lunars should be similar in that they are better at doing certain specific things. I think my version of this charm is a little weak, both power-wise and conceptually, but it fits the Lunar theme in a general way. Anyone have any better ideas? -braincraft