AbyssalMelee/Haren
Abyssal Melee Charms
by haren
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Mastering the Broken Blade</b>
<b>Cost:7 motes, 1 Willpower Duration: Scene Type: Simple Min. Melee: 5 Min. Essence: 4 Prereqs: Soul-Cleaving Strike
Abyssals have a bond to both the spirits of the dead and to the arcane metal known as soulsteel. This art destroys the stability of the spirits within an Abyssal's own soulsteel weapon, forcing them to his bidding. With words from the dark tounge of the Labyrinth commanding both spirits and weapon, his soulsteel weapon glows a luminant black purple as he swings it violently back and forth striking forth dark wisps of the ghosts used as forge fodder. The blade howls with a horrible whine as this opaque cloud of somewhat unbound spirits moves around the blade in pain. They aid in battle, becoming a pool of traits equal to the Abyssal's Essence that can be added to Accuracy, Damage, Defense, or two traits can be used to add one to the Rate. These traits can be switched around at the begining of a turn, but only before anyone has acted.
Someone who knows how this charm works (through seeing the Essence, experience, etc.) can attempt to target the spirits of the blade sending them back into painful hiding. While it might seem simple, this requires waiting to act until the Abyssal's initiative and using an attack that can damage spirits. But, for each successful attack, they reduce the trait pool by one. The problem is that the Abyssal can often defend against these attacks by dodging. Should the charm end because the traits are depleted to zero or the Abyssal, it can not be invoked again for the rest of the scene.
Bite of Wearisome Strife</b>
<b>Cost:5 motes Duration: Instant Type: Supplementary Min. Melee: 5 Min. Essence: 3 Prereqs: Reaper of Men
With a quick sweep, the Abyssal's weapon sings a song of endless battle. The need to always be ready feeds the weapon in more than just blood, but the purest essence of life. With it's touch, the light of battle is stolen from even the strongest warrior's eyes to feed an insatiable thirst. The attack gains the abyssal motes like Slashing Ghost Talon with one difference. The victim immediately makes an armor fatigue roll, with the Abyssal's Essence added to the armor's fatigue value. This is a Stamina + Endurance roll with the armor's fatigue value as the difficulty. On failure, they loose 1 die to all actions from fatigue. This penalty is cumulative, but a die is regained for each 2 hours of rest outside the armor rather than the normal 8 hours.
Gnashing of Steel Teeth</b>
<b>Cost:4 motes Duration: Instant Type: Supplementary Min. Melee: 4 Min. Essence: 2 Prereqs: Artful Maiming Onslaught
Abyssals are a mighty foe. To attempt to stand against their power is a dangerous proposition. Their blade crashes down upon those of a foe, dulling mind and nerves with it's force. Should an opponent parry an attack enhanced with this charm, they must make a Stamina + Resistance roll (diff of Abyssal's Ess). If they fail, they loose 1 die from all Melee, Martial Arts, and Brawl dice pools relying upon that limb as nerves are dulled and slowed to respond. This effect is cumulative and lasts for the scene. This charm must be activated before the opponent declares defenses.
Passage through the Steel Wall</b>
<b>Cost:1 mote per 2 dice Duration: Instant Type: Reflexive Min. Melee: 3 Min. Essence: 2 Prereqs: Furious Blade, Fluttering Moth Defense
The greatest frustration for a master of a weapon is being unable to strike their chosen foe. So they seek to understand the defenses that they might surpass them. After a defense is announced, this charm can be used, adding 2 dice up to the character's Dexterity + Melee. These dice only count against the successes of a defense and do not add to the attack. Note that since it is only negating a defense, this can be used in a combo with Furious Blade for the normal cost.
Shattering the Masterful Aegis</b>
<b>Cost:3 motes Duration: Instant Type: Reflexive Min. Melee: 3 Min. Essence: 3 Prereqs: Passage through the Steel Wall, Five Shadow Feint
Without a pause, the Abyssal's weapon weaves and darts around and after their foe. Many are those whose visiage is frozen into a mask of fear and suprise, as the weapon gleefully sings a song upon diving into their body. They may use this charm after a defense has been announced, gaining their Wits + Melee + (weapon's Accuracy) of dice that work to negate the successes of all defenses, but do not count towards the attack successes. As in Passage through the Steel Wall, this charm can be in a Combo with Furious Blade for the normal cost.
Shimmering Ruby Dance</b>
<b>Cost:8 motes, 1 willpower Duration: One Turn Type: Reflexive Min. Melee: 5 Min. Essence: 3 Prereqs: Hundred Razor Circle
The forces of cold and blood are at the command of the Deathknights. This Charm appears to be much like Hundred Razor Circle, with one important difference. The blood shed by those harmed by the use of this Charm is gathered and frozen by a focused burst of cold, flaying and piercing all nearby. The initial effects of this are identical to the Hundred Razor Circle, the difference comes at the end of the turn. Everyone within 6 yards suffers the number of health levels the Abyssal caused with the first part, in dice of lethal damage, as shards of blood fly forth with a fierce power. This can not be blocked or dodged without stunt or Charm. Every success on a parry or dodge subtracts 1 die of damage, but such defenses are impossible without magical aid.
Dire Crashing Cut</b>
<b>Cost:6 motes Duration: Instant Type: Reflexive Min. Melee: 5 Min. Essence: 3 Prereqs: Savage Shade Style, Corrosive Parry
With incredible strength, the Abyssal strikes out with a blow that will not be denied by any mortal weapon. The Charm is activated after a parry is declared. If the blow enhanced with this Charm is parried (even unsuccessfully, as long as it recieves a single success) and has raw damage more than double the damage rating of the other weapon, the attack is immediately repeated identically as the weapon it struck breaks and strikes the one attacked. If comboed, the Charms pass into the second attack without additional expenditure. This Charm can not work with "undamageable" weapons, such as those of the Five Magical Materials, without a some way of harming them otherwise.
Existance Banishing Repulsion</b>
<b>Cost:5 motes Duration: Instant Type: Supplementary Min. Melee: 5 Min. Essence: 4 Prereqs: Attunement-Shattering Block, Void Sheath Technique
The parry enhanced with this Charm may strike with such fury that the fabric of reality screams and curls away from it's deadly touch, enabling it to send an attack Elsewhere. Should the Abyssal completely parry a ranged attack, it disappears with a horrifying rending sound into Elsewhere. With melee strikes, the Abyssal is considered to have made normal disarm attempt should they completely parry an attack. All successes from the parry are counted for the disarm. This disarm may be parried in an attempt to move the weapon out of danger, but it can not dodged. If successful, the weapon spins away into the void of Elsewhere. As a side note, because of the nature of this parry it can be used on attacks that are immaterial in nature, like Piercing Ghost Barb. In cases where an attack Charm or description mentions the return of the weapon, it will return at the end of the turn or at it's normally designated time, whichever is longer.
Gem Harrowing Rebuke</b>
<b>Cost:6 motes, 1 Willpower Duration: Instant Type: Reflexive Min. Melee: 5 Min. Essence: 4 Prereqs: Attunement-Shattering Block
An Exalt's weapon is a powerful tool, but not always the only weapon they may rely on. The sources of power and magic of Creation are a resource that can not be replaced easily. While they can not be personally carried, the gems they produce give a link to that power. A wise Abyssal will rely upon this and attack that link on a personal level. With this Charm, they can send a blast of death essence up the blade, creating a resonance that is destructive to the nature of living Hearthstones. Should the Abyssal roll even one success on a parry, they can use this Charm against the Hearthstones in the weapon they blocked. They roll Essence + Melee against a difficulty of strongest Hearthstone's manse rating. Should they succeed the Hearthstones in the blade are destroyed with a shriek, to reform at the Manse of their creation. The Exalt can pay to save them, but it will take 4 motes per success to negate, and they must negate all the successes to save their Hearthstones. This does not affect Underworld Hearthstones.
Comments
Gnashing of Steel Teeth seems to have a very lengthy effective duration. I'd increase its Essence req. -w
It's quite effective, but when compared to the effective duration of it's prereq (which is permanent without powerful regeneration magic), I think it's useful, but not horribly so. If they don't block, you've wasted 4 motes. But thank you. ^_^ - haren
Having lightly browsed, I seem to like - very tired today! - and.. existence banishing repulsion is nice, but. Let us take.. oh. I hit you with my orichalcum grand daiklaive. You kick in that charm, weapon vanishes.. when do I get it back? it has Script-immunity! what I'd suggest, off the top of my sleepy head: 1) they get it back in a number of days equal to the difference in essence ratings between the abyssal and her prey: if the victim has a higher essence rating than the abyssal, then it returns the next turn, say? alternatively: they get the weapon back at the next dawn, or three nights hence, or..? thoughts? - Molikai (that's mOl, not mAl)
Heh, well, my reasoning was a bit simple. Abyssal charms are mean, even sometimes "unfair" (look at Artful Maiming Onslaught), but they make up for it in difficulty. Existance Banishing modifies an already existing parry. It has two effects: parry immaterial attacks and if you completely parry the weapon is banished to Elsewhere. The first effect is nice, but not needed that often. The second effect is very nice, but requires that the user downright beat someone with a parry. Then, they need to successfully disarm them. This is pretty difficult. So, to my mind, it's not as effective against other Exalted melee attacks, it's real effective focus is against throwers. But, thank you. ^_^ It's good to be kept on your toes. - haren
Script Immunity simply means that the GM needs to script in a WAY to get your weapon back... not just give it back. If you lost the legendary Seven Suns Dawning, war-klaive of the deliberative in the first age... then he/she/it is obliged to provide you with a Quest (a sideQuest, even) to retrieve it should it be lost... I would personally suggest some kind of quest to find a machine that plucks known objects out of elsewhere... or, on a more spiritual side, a quest to find/summon/corall Madame Marthesine or whatever her name is and somehow obtain your daiklave back from here, because it's bound to be hidden in there somewhere.
-- Darloth
