AlchemicalCloseCombat/IsawaBrian
Pneumatic Clenching Pistons</b>
<b>Cost:3 motes Installation Cost: 1 mote Duration: Instant Type: Simple Minimum Strength: 3 Minimum Essence: 2 Prerequisite Charms: Transitory or Sustained Augmentation of Strength
The Alchemical has a number of muscular enhancement pistons installed on his body, generally anywhere that the Exalt has a grasping-capable limb. This creates obvious bulk along the length of the limb beneath the grasping appendage, as well as an oricalcum "glove" or tip over the appendage in question designed both to reinforce and to produce better traction. When Essence is pumped into the pistons, they produce a much stronger sudden grasping reaction, which can be used in one of the two following modes of operation. Either is available to the character with one instance of this Charm installed, but only one may be used at a time.
In the primary mode, this Charm simply acts as a Clinch-enhancer, adding 3 specialty dice to any clinch attempt. These dice count as a cumulative artificial specialty. This Charm may be reflexively renewed each Turn by another expenditure of 3 motes essence; this does not count against the character's Charm use for the turn.
In the secondary mode, this Charm allows the character to create a limited Clinch. This clinch is treated like any ordinary clinch, except that the character must choose either the target's weapon, limb or similar area to restrain. This Clinch attempt is made at +2 difficulty, but if successful, only the limb being used by the Alchemical and his target are restrained, rather than completely cutting off all options for either except control of the clinch. This version of the Charm need not be renewed; once active, it remains until the Alchemical loses control of the Clinch, at which point the Clinch is cancelled. The Alchemical may safely grip even weapon edges without penalty. Neither the Alchemical nor the Target may move more than a few steps around each other without succeeding in a reflexive strength contest and either must stunt in order to dodge as a result.
The following submodule is available at a cost of 2 bonus points or 6 experience points.
Terrible Crushing Enhancement: The pistons are augmented to produce much greater damage if more Essence is spent. For an additional 1 mote per activation of the Charm, the character may double all post-defense successes for the purposes of doing damage. If activated in the secondary mode, the character must reflexively renew the Charm as per the primary, for the full 4 motes of Essence per turn. If used against a weapon in the secondary mode, the Charm may destroy the weapon! Instead of doubling post-defense successes, treat the weapon as having a soak equal to its damage bonus and roll attack and damage normally. For every 2 successes on the damage roll, reduce the weapon's soak by 1. If it reaches 0, the weapon has been snapped, crushed, or otherwise rendered useless. This may be renewed every turn as per the primary mode at the full 4 motes of Essence per turn. This attack does not affect any weapon made of the Five Magical Materials.
Tactical Reaction Control System</b>
<b>Cost:5 motes, 1 Willpower Installation Cost: 2 motes Duration: One Scene Type: Simple Minimum Dexterity: 5 Minimum Essence: 3 Prerequisite Charms: Accelerated Response System, Celerity Enabling Module
This Charm consists of a number of Moonsilver redundant nerves overlaying the character's nerves and externally wiring together the character's Accelerate Response System, Dynamic Reaction Enhancement System, and Celerity Enabling Module. By creating a low-level of constant spatial reactivity, less than any one of the other modules individually but integrated into a responsive whole, the character may defend herself without requiring conscious thought. For the rest of the scene, the Alchemical automatically gains a reflexive defense against any attack she is aware of whatever variety-- dodge or parry-- her player desires, but only using her Dexterity dice. Dodge dice still gain any applicable bonuses other than Ability or Specialty (even artificial specialties may not be used), and any weapon gains its usual Defense bonus. The character may parry lethal attacks without a stunt. This Charm may be purchased and activated twice in order to gain an applicable dodge and parry.
Adaptive Instinctive Repetition Node</b>
<b>Cost:Varies Installation Cost: 1 mote Duration: Special Type: Reflexive Minimum Dexterity: 5 Minimum Essence: 3 Prerequisite Charms: Celerity Enabling Module
Telemetry sensors and stimulation clusters are wired into each of the character's limbs and along the spinal cord, terminating in a small ovoid Starmetal node at the base of the spine. Whenever the character makes an attack, dodge, or parry, he may activate this Charm reflexively for 4 motes and 1 Willpower before the action is rolled. Take note of the total number of successes, not counting any subtractions for defenses, cover, or similar effects unless they alter the character's roll directly. The character may "store" a number of actions equal to the number of times this Charm is installed. Each "stored" action lasts one scene.
The combination of the telemetry sensors and the Starmetal node's auspicious reconditioning calculations permit the Alchemical to "recall" the action against the same target or attacker with a high degree of adaptivity to new situations. For the rest of the scene, the character may reflexively "recall" the action for 4 motes of essence; a number of recalled actions equal to the character's Essence times installation number may be made each round. This does not count as the character's Charm use unless Adaptive Instinctive Repetition Node was activated as a part of a Combo, in which case any Charm that was relevant to the original roll must be reactivated from the Array; in effect, the Combo starts from the Node again. No more than the character's permanent Essence of the same action may be used each round. Each action must be used against the same original target or attacker. The precise same number of successes are "rolled" the first time, but an element of predictability is added in despite the Starmetal calculations. Each subsequent time the "stored" action is repeated, subtract one success. Once the number of successes reaches zero, the Node will automatically dump the program as inefficient. "Stored" actions may be reflexively lost at any time for no cost or Charm usage.
Attacker-Punishing Reactive Spines</b>
<b>Cost:3 motes Installation Cost: 1 mote Duration: Instant Type: Reflexive Minimum Wits: 3 Minimum Essence: 2 Prerequisite Charms: Transitory Augmentation of Wits
There are two possible versions of this Charm, each of which much be purchased and installed separately. Both versions have a similar appearance-- long or short moonsilver spines. When not in use, they form simple geomantically auspicious circuits, revealing the caste material beneath. They will ooze extensions from the character at will to overlay armor reflexively. This does not take a Charm use but does take one turn; it must be activated before this Charm can be used with armor. The long spines form a hand to hand defense. Whenever the character is successfully attacked in hand to hand combat, she may activate this Charm to gain a counterattack using her Wits + Brawl, Martial Arts, or Melee pool. This takes the form of the Moonsilver spines in the attacked area whipping upwards along the line of the attacker's weapon or limb to strike back. The Spines have an Accuracy of +2, Damage of Strength + 4L, and all other characteristics are irrelevant.
The shorter spikes are much more frequent, and cover more area. Their patterns tend to form starbursts around central nodes. These nodes sense impact and incoming telemetry, allowing the character to fire spikes back along the arc of a successful ranged attack using her Wits + Archery, Thrown, or Athletics. These spines have an Accuracy of +2, Damage of +2L, range of 150, and all other characteristics are irrelevant.
Neither iteration of this Charm may be used against another Counterattack Charm. This Charm counts as a Counterattack Charm for all such purposes. Technically, this Charm is both a Close Combat and a Ranged Combat Charm, depending on the permutation used.
Venomized Puncture Apparatus</b>
<b>Cost:4 motes Installation Cost: 1 mote Duration: Instant Type: Supplemental Minimum Manipulation: 4 Minimum Essence: 3 Prerequisite Charms: Chemical Fog Generator
Small artificial venom sacs are installed at the character's wrists and ankles. When making an unarmed attack or when using an internally produced hand-to-hand weapon like those from the Transcendent Multimodal Weapon Matrix or Integrated Arsenal Upgrade, the character may choose to extrude small spikes from either his hands or feet or slick venom along the character's weapon, spikes grow from a blunt weapon, etc. All venom sacs are capable of producing either a paralytic poison, which causes Bashing damage, or a neurotoxin that causes Lethal. The spikes will also make any bashing attack Lethal but are not large enough to cause extra damage. So long as one point of damage is dealt to the target, the venom will be delivered as well. The difficulty to resist the roll and the penalty it causes are both equal to the Alchemical's Manipulation stat. Should the roll be successful, the target will still take damage equal to half the character's Manipulation, round down. If it is a failure, the target will take damage equal to twice the character's Manipulation score.
The following submodule is available for a cost of 1 bonus point or 3 experience points
Dual-Purpose Technological Upgrade: The character must have Protosynthetic Ammunition Replicator installed. This upgrade permits the Venomized Puncture Apparatus to envenom any previously-created Protosynthetic Ammunition, or to be reinstalled as a part of an Array with Subluminous Onslaught Missile, Hundredfold Strafing Methodology, or similar charms that create a physical projectile. Energy projectiles such as the one created by an Essence Pulse Cannon may not be envenomed with this submodule.
Nerve-Disrupting Shock Generator</b>
<b>Cost:3 motes Installation Cost: 1 mote Duration: Instant Type: Supplemental Minimum Dexterity: 4 Minimum Essence: 2 Prerequisite Charms: Electrification Onslaught Dynamo
The character uses her Chakra-point generators to channel a specifically tuned strike of electricity. This Charm may be used with an unarmed attack, any integrated hand-to-hand weapon system, or with a non-integrated metallic hand-to-hand weapon. If even one point of damage is done, an electric shock will be delivered that causes the target to suffer double penalties from wounds for the rest of the scene. This will affect even nonliving targets, so long as they suffer any wound-penalties at all, by disrupting their Essence-patterns
Comments
General applause. These are very nice, with good visuals and well-handled mechanics. I especially appreciate the ranged counterattack option. -- Hapushet
- Thanks! I'm glad you like. -- IsawaBrian
Indeed, extremely nice all around. One balance issue I feel I should point out though - the Venomized Puncture Apparatus seems rather powerful, especially considering the solar envenoming charms on average have around the same effect for a great deal more cost. I admit, they're not the best things to balance things from, coming as they do from castebook night, but as a manipulation 4 charm, even the weakest venom produced by that charm will be extremely deadly, and you can easily supplement multiple attacks per turn. I would suggest using smaller numbers, possibly half-manipulation for lower numbers(Difficulty, penalty, resisted effect) and Manipulation+Essence for the higher numbers(unresisted effect)?
-- Darloth
- Actually, the Night Caste ones, as near as I can tell, are relatively a little more effective, but are MUCH more efficient. If I'm reading the second charm correctly, it means that the Night's weapon is poisoned for the entire day the Charm is active. Similarly, the first charm creates multiple doses that can be used again and again, and both Charms can also be used to poison food or drink. More flexible, longer-lasting, and don't use up a charm cost every turn. I may be misinterpretting, though. -- IsawaBrian
If you're not, then I am most certainly doing so. I'll have a look again.... Darloth reads, and notices the sloppy wording and most importantly the duration
Doh. I do believe you are right. Thankyou for pointing out that that charm in fact does not suck at ALL... I now agree with your costing. Poison is really horribly effective in Exalted though, it seems.
-- Darloth
