DualMegami/SolarMelee

some notes

This is my first attempt at the second-ed stuff.
New Charm Keyword: Upgrade. These charms are used to supplement weapons made of Essence, such as Immaculate Golden Bow or Glorious Solar Saber.

• Ever-Ready Weapon Enhancement.
• Cost: ---
• Melee 5
• Essence 3
• Prereq: Glorious Solar Saber.
• Keyword: Upgrade

This Upgrade allows the Lawgiver's Glorious Solar Saber to be summoned as a reflexive non-charm action.
 The mote cost remains the same. If the Lawgiver has multiple Glorious Solar Sabers in her arsenal, she need only purchase this charm once.

• Ultimate Sun-Touched Blade.
• Cost: ---
• Melee 5,
• Essence 4
• Prereq: Glorious Solar Saber.
• Keyword: Upgrade.

This Upgrade adds the Lawgiver's Essence x2 to the stats of a spd 5 weapon--which may be spent as the player sees fit.
 Add Ess to the stats of a spd 3 weapon.
 If the Lawgiver has multiple Glorious Solar Sabers in her arsenal, she must buy this Charm for each, if she desires to increase their stats.
 This Charm assumes that players will be reasonable, which is a rediculous assumption. For you unreasonable people, the Accuracy and Defense of a Weapon can be set no higher than the Solar's Melee +1. 

• Unchaining the Divine Blade
• Cost ---
• Melee 5
• Essence 3
• Prereq: GSS
• Keyword: Upgrade, Stackable

This charm allows the Lawgiver's Glorious Solar Saber to take on any one of the weapon tags.
 Each purchase of this charm provides the Lawgiver's Glorious Solar Saber with an O,P,D or R tag.
 At storyteller's discretion, N or MA may also be purchased.
 If O is chosen, the value is automatically 4, unless the Solar's Essence is greater, in which case, treat it as Essence +1. 
If the Lawgiver has multiple Glorious Solar Sabers in her arsenal, she must buy this Charm for each, if she desires to give each Tags. 

The Blade’s Expressive Edges
---, 5/4
Permanent
Glorious Solar Saber
Permanent, Stackable, Upgrade
The Compassionate Edge: Reflexively softens the GSS’s cutting edge, doing B instead of L, rather than lose one success. The Solar chooses which type of damage he desires before rolling his attack.
Unsunderable: Cannot be broken by any means.
Soul-Bond: Perfectly resists all Disarm attempts. Default to Unstoppable Force-Immoveable Object when met with a Perfect Disarm effect.
Shattering: Doubles damage against objects, when used in conjunction with a Charm of similar effects, increase the multiplier by 1.

Shield-Summoning Concentration
2 motes, Melee 3, Essence 2
Scene, Reflexive (Step 4)
Combo-Ok, Obvious, Holy
Call the Blade
Creates a shield that increases the character’s DV by [Essence/2], round up. Has 0 mobility but otherwise has all the drawbacks of a mundane shield. Imposes a -1 External penalty on all attacks made by Creature of Darkness. May substitute this mote cost for the cost of Glorious Solar Plate’s shield.
Also a Resistance Charm requiring an Excellency, Resistance 3, Essence 2.

Fluid Arsenal Activation
8 motes, 1 willpower. Melee 5, Essence 4.
Scene, Reflexive (Step 1 or 2)
Combo-Basic
Glorious Solar Saber
The Solar pays 8m, 1wp up front and may activate any of her Glorious Solar Sabers (even paired ones) and/or her Summoned Shield. For the rest of the scene, the Solar may reflexively shift the statistics and shape of her Saber, so long as that set is in her arsenal. This must be declared on Step 1 if attacking, 2 if defending.

---

Mortal Steel Augmentation
5 motes, Melee 5 Essence 3
One Scene, Reflexive (Step 1 or 2)
Combo-Ok
Glorious Solar Saber
The Solar tempers her steel with the excellence of the Sun himself. This must be a mundane weapon that is not currently enchanted, otherwise the Sun’s blessing overrides lesser effects.

• The weapon becomes unsunderable and gains the Orichalcum MM bonus.
  
• The Solar has (essence x 2) points to distribute between Acc/Dmg/Def/Rate. None may be higher than Melee +1.
  
• The Solar may, after an extended period of time, spend 3XP to transform his mortal weapon into an Orichalcum artifact with the statistics from its last activation. This would normally require no attunement, but then anyone could use the Solar’s personal weapon, to defend against this, the Solar may commit 1m to his weapon.
  

Effortless Combat
5m, Melee 5/Essence 4
Until Next Action, Reflexive (Step 1)
Combo-Ok
One Weapon, Two Blows
Until his next action, the Solar gains an extra, splittable action, leaving the Solar’s normal action free for other things: Attacking with another ability, Jumping/Dashing, taking a miscellanious action, etc. The Solar is still bound by one charm an action, however. Flurried attacks made with the independent action cascade.
At Essence 5, this Charm lasts a scene. This effect costs an additional point of willpower.

• Perfect Cut
• Cost: 5m
• Duration: Instant
• Type: Supplemental
• Melee 5
• Essence 3
• Prerequisite: Fire and Stones Strike
• Keyword: Combo-Ok, Obvious

Striking everywhere at once, the Lawgiver drives her opponent to desperate measures, cutting away ground for dodging and searing through even the most potent of parries. An application of this charm makes a Melee attack Unparriable and Undodgeable, though Invulnerable Defenses still apply.
At Essence 4, the Solar may determine the paths of his enemy's defense and choose whether the attack is unparriable, undodgeable, or both. Making it one or the other reduces the cost to 3m.
At Essence 6, the Solar may spend 1wp and increase the charm's Duration to Until Next Action.

Burning Edge
4 motes, 1 wp Melee 5, Essence 3
Instant, Simple
Combo-Ok, Obvious
Fire and Stones Strike

Agg damage. Becomes Supplemental at Essence 5.

• Most Perfect Armament
• Cost: 3m
• Until next action
• Reflexive
• Combo-Ok
• Melee 5
• Essence 3
• Any Melee Excellency

With but a moment's concentration, the Lawgiver banishes any distraction and turns his focus on attacking. This removes all external, internal, environmental and wound penalties inflicted upon the Solar. The Target's DV and flurry dice-pool penalities still apply. If the Lawgiver has taken the time to Aim, double its effects, to a maximum of six. If he flurries, this charm need only be acitvated once. This charm does nothing for the character's DV.

• Barring the Gates of Heaven
• 8m
• One Tick
• Reflexive
• Combo-Ok, Obvious
• Melee 5
• Essence 4
• Heavenly Guardian Defense

The Lawgiver's anima swells into a protective dome around her, perfectly guiding her blade in a thousand directions at once. All attacks that come at her are perfectly parried for a single Tick. Barring the Gates of Heaven may be used against unanticipated attacks, for the Solar's blade flies around her body in an unerring sphere--but only unanticipated attacks that occur on the tick it is active. This Charm is considered a perfect defense, and has one of the Four Flaws of Invulnerability.

Multifaceted Solar Assault 1m per target, 2m per attack. 5/4
Insant/Extra Actions
Combo-Ok
Iron Whirlwind Attack

the Lawgiver unleashes a hail of furious blows that drive back all enemies that dare approach her. She may select up to [Essence] targets at the cost of 1m per target and may attack each target [Melee] times at the cost of 2m per attack. The number of targets and attacks are increased by Invincible Fury of the Dawn.

• Inner Sword Sight
• 8m, 1wp
• One Scene
• Simple (-2 DV)
• Combo-Basic, Obvious
• Melee 5
• Essence 5
• Most Perfect Armament

Peering into the world of spirits and Essence is not a pleasure experienced by the common soldier. These are things best left to savants and shamans. But a Lawgiver who has achieved the majesty of Essence 5 is a far cry from a mortal soldier; her mastery of Essence makes the world tremble and sing her glory as a hero reborn.
Upon activation of this Charm, the Lawgiver's caste mark blazes brilliantly upon her forehead and her eyes are opened to the unseen. She cna interact with and attack dematerialized spirits as though they were material and she can perceive the flows of Essence--allowing him to parry things that would not normally be parriable--such as an enemy's Threefold Binding of the Heart. Unlike All Encompassing Sorcerer's Sight, she does not recognize the Essence rating of a given target, nor the Charms they are using---with the exception of Charms from Dawn Caste Abilities--simply that the target has Essence, and is using it (thus making all Charms keyword Obvious).
The Lawgiver's weapon is integral to the process and it must be readied for the charm to function. As this is an ancient battle tactic from the lost days of the Primordial War, it is much more suited to the context of battle. Outside of combat, the charm aggravates the user's Valor--no matter how cowardly. Anything and everything that could possibly be a challenge is to be treated as such. This effect can be supressed for 2wp and a point of Limit. Her weapon must remain readied for the charm to continue, and therefore all passers-by will see a Solar, with weapon out and castemark blazing.

Spell-Severing Sword
12m, 1wp
Melee 6, Essence 6
Instant, Reflexive (Step 2)
Combo-Ok, Obvious, Counterattack
Inner Sword Sight

When faced with the shaping power of Sorcery, an armed Lawgiver can riposte and tear it to shreds. The Solar does not need to use Inner Sword Sight (or any other Essence sight charm) to use Spell-Severing Sword against a spell that has an obvious, physical component—such as Flying Guillotine or Flight of the Brilliant Raptor. Against existing spells or spells that do not have obvious, physical components, the Lawgiver mustDualMegami/I> be able to perceive the flows of Essence. The player then rolls an attack against the spell at a base difficulty of [spell’s circle + Caster’s Essence], if successful, the spell explodes as though countered by magic of the same circle. This damage is resolved on Step 9. If the attacker <I>exceedsDualMegami/I> this base difficulty by a margin of [Caster’s Essence], then the spell may be snuffed out harmlessly, as though it were countered by magic of a circle one higher, but the Solar may choose to cause the spell to explode or unravel as though the caster had botched a Wits + Occult roll.

Strike Without Ceasing
10m, 1wp. Melee 5/Essence 6
One Scene, Extra Actions
Combo-Basic
Invincible Fury of the Dawn, Multifaceted Solar Assault
While this Charm is active, the Solar may continuously make attacks against a single target until the target is dead or the Solar’s attack fails to beat DV. While taking advantage of this effect, however, the Solar cannot split his action for any other purpose. Using an Extra Actions charm while Strike Without Ceasing is active adds one to the number of attacks that can be made.

Smiting With a Righteous Blade
15m, 1wp Melee 6/Essence 7
Instant/Simple
Combo-Basic, Obvious, Holy
Strike Without Ceasing
Swinging her blade in a wide arc, the Solar severs the threads of life from all targets within (Essence x 20) yards on all sides. This attack is considered to be automatically successful—only invulnerable defenses can prevent its effects. The Solar may spend an additional point of Willpower to protect her allies.
All targets within the area of effect make a Sta/Res roll at a difficulty of the Solar’s (Essence +1). Success on this roll indicates that the targets take the Solar’s Str/Essence in dice of Unsoakable lethal damage. Failure means automatic levels, botch, double the damage. Creatures of Darkness take Agg.

Commments

I'm a bit concerned about the blade upgrades - specifically the simple charm that has different effects dependent on how it is purchased. A simple charm that augments attacks is nigh useless without multiple actions, but at Essence 4, the charm becomes supplemental, removing that nasty limitation. Why not make it Essence 4 to start? Also, a supplemental 4m (no WP) booster to make a weapon do Agg is a nightmare. Especially when for 3 purchases and 12 m, it can make a parry-ignoring dodge-ignoring agg-damage dealer. 4 motes and a charm more and you can ignore armor-based soak as well. Scary powerful charms, and as supplementals, they're true bread-and-butter charms. I'm leaning towards an essence minimum of 4 for them, and perhaps you may only purchase that charm once for each point of Essence past 3? -- GreenLantern

I echo this sentiment, and point out additionally that Fury Strike duplicates several of the effects of Unstoppable Blade Technique. This is not a good form of redundancy. - IanPrice

To GreenLantern--Ahh! Thanks. You make some really salient points. An increase in Essence requirement is well due, I was seeking for scary effects. Solar Melee should be a terrifying thing. Ok, another thing I need to clarify is that each functions as a separate charm, just bundled up under one charm name, instead of four separate charms. I was trying to steer away from 1e's YOU MUST HAVE A DIFFERENT CHARM FOR EACH EFFECT. Each Unstoppable Blade Technique is a charm in itself, so you'd have to <i>Combo them all for a 12m, 1wp undodgeable/unparryable armor ignoring supplemental agg damage attack. Thanks for pointing out your confusion with that--when I ran this charms by my proofreader, he seemed to gather that without me writing it out. I often miss stuff like that. ~DualMegami

To IanPrice--Fury Strike was a carryover from 1e. It is a truly perfect attack, not just undodgeable/unparryable. However, since it overlaps so much, I am giving consideration to nixing it. Thanks! ~DualMegami.