SolarMelee/DariusSolluman
A trio of Style Charms, inspired by Blade of the Battle Maiden.\\ The idea behind Pattern Charms (and I do mean to explore this with further Charms) is that of a class / instance distinction. They're sort of a way around some combos- they let the Solar committ the Essence of a Charm once, and thereafter quickly and easily draw upon the same patterns as they have in the past.\\ I'm personally a bit leary of these Charms, as they seem to tread mighty close to the Dragonblooded schtik, but seem like a really cool idea. I'm also divided on a few other thoughts about them- the double mote cost of committment, they more specialized applicibility than BotBM, wither Pattern Charms should be stackable, or if a character should only be able to contain one Pattern at a time, and how Pattern actions interact with combos. Stuff to consider :)
Shield of Steel Pattern Cost: 1m / 2 dice, 1 Willpower Type: Simple Duration: One Scene Min. Melee: 4 Min. Essence: 2 Prereqs: Dipping Swallow Defense
Upon adopting the Shield of Steel Pattern, a Solar becomes a more powerful foe- to some, they even seem invincible. When the Pattern is adopted, they may committ up to half their Dexterity + Melee + the defensive bonus of their weapon to the Pattern in motes; for the duration of the scene, they may reflexively spend 1 mote to gain a parry with that many dice, or to add that many dice to an existing parry. A parry enhanced with the Shield of Steel Pattern may not have more than twice a character's normal parry pool total. Activating the Shield of Steel Pattern once it is used does not count as using a Charm.
Life Quenching Blade Pattern Cost: 1m / die, 1 Willpower Type: Simple Duration: One Scene Min. Melee: 4 Min. Essence: 2 Prereqs: Excellent Strike
Upon adopting the Life Quenching Blade Pattern, a Solar becomes a most dangerous opponent. When the Style is adopted, they may commit up to their Dexterity + Melee in motes to the Pattern; for the duration of the scene, they may supplementaly spend 1 mote to add that many dice to an attack. An attack enhanced with the Life Quenching Blade Pattern may not have more than twice the character's Dexterity + Melee pool total from any source. Activating the Life Quenching Blade Pattern once it is used does not count as using a Charm.
Blazing Tiger Pattern Cost: 1m / die, 1 Willpower Type: Simple Duration: One Scene Min. Melee: 5 Min. Essence: 3 Prereqs: Fire and Stones Strike
Upon adopting the Blazing Tiger Pattern, the Solar is a deadly foe. When the Style is adopted, they may committ up to their Strength + the damage of their weapon to the Style; for the duration of the scene, they may supplementally spend 1 mote before an attack is made to add that many dice to the pre-soak damage of an attack.
A set of Charms, inspired by Life Gets Worse...
Golden Bridge Cost: 3 motes Type: Reflexive Duration: Instant Min. Melee: 3 Min. Essence: 2 Prereqs: None
If you fail to strike someone, you may activate Golden Bridge. This grants another attack which comes up exaxctly the same, which must be defended against itself. So, if Bob got 8 successes to hit, and Joe got 9 successes to parry, Bob could use Golden Bridge to make Joe parry another 8 success attack.
Dodge Charms may be used against this second attack, even though they are technically being used after the attack is rolled. If Golden Bridge is part of a combo, all the other Charms in the combo must be able to be paid for again, as if Golden Bridge were an Extra Actions Charm. You may only use Golden Bridge once per turn.
An Abyssal version of Golden Bridge exists, Mourning Stairway.
Sunlit Stairway Cost: 4 motes per use Type: Reflexive Duration: Instant Min. Melee: 4 Min. Essence: 2 Prereqs: Golden Bridge
If you fail to strike someone, you may activate Sunlit Stairway. This grants another attack which comes up exaxctly the same, which must be defended against itself.
Dodge Charms may be used against this second attack, even though they are technically being used after the attack is rolled. If Sunlit Stairway is part of a combo, all the other Charms in the combo must be able to be paid for again, as if Sunlit Stairway were an Extra Actions Charm. You may only use Sunlit Stairway once per attack, and no more than your Melee per turn.
Hallway of Fire Cost: 5 motes per use Type: Reflexive Duration: Instant Min. Melee: 5 Min. Essence: 2 Prereqs: Sunlit Stairway
If you fail to strike someone, you may activate Hallway of Fire. This grants another attack which comes up exaxctly the same, which must be defended against itself.
Dodge Charms may be used against this second attack, even though they are technically being used after the attack is rolled. If Hallway of Fire is part of a combo, all the other Charms in the combo must be able to be paid for again, as if Hallway of Fire were an Extra Actions Charm. You may only use Hallway of Fire a number of times equal to your Melee on any single attack.
Deadly Avalanche Cost: 7 motes Type: Reflexive Duration: Instant Min. Melee: 5 Min. Essence: 3 Prereqs: Hallway of Fire
If you fail to strike someone, you may activate Deadly Avalanche. This grants another attack roll, whose success are added to those of the first, and which must be defended against itself. Thus, if Bob attacks Joe with 8 success, and Joe parries with 9 success, Bob may activate Deadly Avalanche to attack again. This next attaack has 4 successes, and so Joe must contend with a 12 success attack.
If Deadly Avalanche is part of a combo, all the other Charms in the combo must be able to be paid for again, as if Deadly Avalanche were an Extra Actions Charm. You may only use Deadly Avalanche once per turn.
A new Charm, invented while reviewing various other Charms. Designed to allow for an alternate method, other than Steel Devil Style.
Giving and Recieving Retort Cost: 5 motes, 1 Willpower Type: Simple Duration: One Scene Min. Melee: 5 Min. Essence: 2 Prereqs: Ready in Eight Directions Stance
By killing your enemy you show him respect, because you acknowledge that he is dangerous and thus, a worthy opponent. The Solar can make an automatic counter attack against any who make a melee attack against them for the remainder of the scene. They cannot counter attack a counterattack, all coutnerattack rules as under Solar Counterattack apply.
A pair of new Charms for the plink damage crew.
Wind and Wave Blow Cost: 1 mote / die Type: Supplemental Duration: Instant Min. Melee: 3 Min. Essence: 1 Prereqs: Hungry Tiger Technique
Not every Exalt uses sheer strength to batter down their foes. Some instead rely on guile, the sharp strike and lingering blow. They lash like a storm wind and brush aside like a rising wave impedements like armor and shield, their blows searching out every weakness in a foe's last protection.
Using Wind and Wave Blow, an Exalt can buy up the minimum plink damage on a single attack. To do so, they must declare how many motes they'll be spending before making the attack, up to their level in Melee. The minimum number of damage dice rolled is increased by 1 for every mote spent. (So, spending 1 mote increases the minimum damage to 2 dice, etc)
Tempest Tossed Stance Cost: 2 motes / die, 1 Willpower Type: Reflexive Duration: One Scene Min. Melee: 3 Min. Essence: 2 Prereqs: Wind And Wave Blow
To the eyes of an Exalted who has assumed the Tempest Tossed Stance, they are a storm. A battering array of salt waves and harsh winds that will quickly carve apart any who dare interpose themselves in their path. Their least touch becomes more deadly, their every strike honed to a razor's edge.
While in the Tempest Tossed Stance, the Exalt's minimum damage from any attack is increased by a number of dice, purchased when the Charm is activated at a cost of 2 motes per die, up to their Essence in extra dice. Any attack that deals less than than 1+ the number of extra dice bought has it's damage raised to the new minimum. (So, if 2 motes were invested, plink damage is 2; if 4 motes were invested, plink damage is 3; etc).
A few Charms I've dreamed up, to address my own irritation at the difficulty of actually hitting in Exalted Combat. These aren't meant to circumvent the ideal of defense trumping offense- but they do weaken it somewhat.
Weapon Breaking Strike Cost: 1 mote Type: Reflexive Duration: One Turn Min. Melee: 3 Min. Essence: 1 Prereqs: Excellent Strike
Charging their weapon with essence, they reinforce and strengthen it's natural hardiness.
For one turn, the weapon deals an additional die of damage. Additionally, if a defender parries an Exalt's attack while the Weapon Breaking Strike is active, the defender's weapon is shattered. This does not apply if the defender is parrying with a weapon constructed of the Five Magical Materials.
Heart Seeking Blade Cost: 2 motes Type: Supplemental Duration: Instant Min. Melee: 3 Min. Essence: 1 Prereqs: Weapon Breaking Strike
Infusing their weapon with Essence, the Exalt strikes quickly and true. Their weapon so enchanted seems to gain a life of it's own, instinctivly manuvering past obsticles and bring the Exalt to a position to strike their target.
Heart Seeking Blow negates any penalties to hit the target. This includes shields, fighting a mounted opponent, environmental penelties, and the difficulty enhancing effects of some artifacts, Hearthstones and Charms. This explicitly does not effect active (even Reflexive) attempts to dodge or parry.
Tornado Strike Cost: 2 motes / difficulty Type: Supplemental Duration: Instant Min. Melee: 3 Min. Essence: 2 Prereqs: One Weapon, Two Blows
Invoking the Tornado Strike, the Solar's weapon suddenly moves with a powerful, impossibly fast spin. Attempting to parry the attack are made much harder, as the interposing item tends to simply be deflected by the foe seeking attack.
When using a Tornado Strike, the Exalt spends two motes of Essence per point of Difficulty, up to a difficulty increase of their Essence. This Difficulty is subtracted from any attempt at parrying the attack.
Additionally, a combo of Sunset Breeze and Tornado Strikie doubles the costs of both.
Sunset Breeze Cost: 4 motes Type: Supplemental Duration: Instant Min. Melee: 4 Min. Essence: 2 Prereqs: Heart Seeking Blade, Tornado Strike
Upon invoking this Charm, a brief breeze blows from the far West, bearing a faint glimmer of red-gold Essence. These motes draw a line between the Exalt and the target, which their weapon inevitibly follows. Dodging becomes useless, as the weapon is almost magnetically attracted.
Attacks with the Sunset Breeze cause all dodge dice to count as failures. They do not prevent dodge attempts, however. Seven Shadows Evasion is explicitly able to dodge a Sunset Blow.
Additionally, a combo of Sunset Breeze and Tornado Strikie doubles the costs of both.
Storm of Swords Cost: 8 motes Type: Simple Duration: One Scene Min. Melee: 4 Min. Essence: 2 Prereqs: Peony Blossom Attack
Using the Storm of Swords sharpens an Exalt's eyes. They are more apt to see openings they would have missed, more attentive to the details of a fight that can bring certain defeat or victory.
Each time Storm of Swords is used, the Exalt may make one free reflexive melee attack per turn, on or after their initative, for the rest of the scene. Multiple uses of Storm of Swords stack.
<bSolarMelee/DariusSollumanHGDBranch</b>
- Or, what else can you do with a Perfect Defense
Comments
SolarMelee/DariusSollumanOldComments
Dude, talk about speedbumps. I would ditch the first Charm and the third, and maybe cost the second so you can buy repeat attacks at 4 motes once you've bought the first at 4m1w. - willows
That was how the pricing is meant to work on the second on (4m1w for the first, 4m for each subsequent). But in retrospect, the willpower cost is a bit unneeded.
As for the speedbumpiness- I knew the first one was, but felt like the third was different enough (Melee attempts per attack and all) to merit it's own Charm. And considering how useful having even just the first one could be for getting through Persistant Defenses- all you have to do is roll really well /once/, and you're suddenly so much more likely to get through, it's silly :) Still, if it's too speedbumpy for your tastes, you can just cut the first one off. DS
Just to make it clear, I think these are awesome Charms. I'd have to try them out in play to satisfy my suspicion - I pointed out speedbumpiness not because I don't think each Charm is good on its own (which they definitely are), but because I'm not sure that each upgrade in power is worth a whole entire Charm slot. Note - not sure, not "definitely don't think so." I'd love to try these out with my next Solar meleeist. Thanks! - willows
A great set of charms, you went a lot of ways with these I hadn't even considered. Only problem, I will need to read these all again later as you have too many to take in at one go! ^_^ You are going on my page as a link for people with good stuff. -BogMod
Surely just the fact that you can combo them (and they then stack) means that it's not a serious bump. Comboing the whole tree togeather is simply evil. (These comments refer to the various attack-again charms)
- Darloth
