Charms/WillowsInfernalBrawl

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Infernal Brawl

Derived from Laerad, the Endless Tree, and Mount Qaf, the Sky-Violating Spear, these Charms lack the world-bending elegance of Infernal Melee magics, but make up for it in sheer malevolence.

Charm Count: 7


Frustrated Hand

Cost: 4 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Supplemental
Min. Brawl: 2
Min. Essence: 2
Prereq Charms: None

With this technique, the Infernal draws upon the power of thwarted emotion; he may add his Limit to an attack or parry action. If he uses this defensively, it causes a rush of fury in the attacker, who must attack the Infernal and do nothing else for as many actions as his Valor (the victim may split his dicepool; if he has actions remaining in this turn, they must be directed toward the Infernal). This secondary ability functions automatically on victims with permanent Willpower no greater than the Infernal's Essence; those with permanent Willpower no greater than twice the Infernal's Essence must succeed at a Wilpower roll against the PC's Manipulation + Brawl roll to avoid the effect.


Oath-Pruning Attitude

Cost: 5 motes
Duration: One Scene
Type: Simple
Min. Brawl: 4
Min. Essence: 2
Prereq Charms: Frustrated Hand

The Infernal takes on the seductive posture of a local bravo or furious princess; his attitude rains doubt upon authority and ridicules ancient wisdom. With each blow his fists shatter laws and inhibitions; each time he deals damage to an opponent with a Brawl attack, the victim loses a point of Temperance. This effect functions automatically on targets with permanent Willpower no greater than the Infernal's Essence; those with permanent Willpower no greater than twice the Infernal's Essence must succeed at a Willpower roll against the PC's Appearance + Brawl roll to avoid the effect. Lost Temperance returns in full once the victim has at least an hour to rest and reflect upon events.

Against Exalts whose Virtue Flaw is based on Temperance, this Charm cannot lower that Virtue below 3.

Variants of this Charm for the other Virtues exist, but this one is by far the most common.


Heart-Harvesting Blow

Cost: 3 motes
Duration: Instant
Type: Supplemental
Min. Brawl: 3
Min. Essence: 2
Prereq Charms: Frustrated Hand

The Infernal pours fury into his fist, striking with seething madness. After rolling his attack, but before defenses are declared, the Infernal may subtract successes from his attack roll; each success removed adds 2 dice to the Infernal's pre-soak damage pool. This attack can never kill a mortal in the presence of his true love.


Trembling Mountain Dance

Cost: 4 motes
Duration: One Scene
Type: Simple
Min. Brawl: 2
Min. Essence: 1
Prereq Charms: None

The Infernal strikes the earth with his open palm and fills himself with earthy Essence; his motions take on the tectonic inevitability of buckling stone. He cannot perform kick attacks, nor can he run, but he cannot be knocked down by any means, except by perfect knockdown effects.


Volcanic Palm

Cost: 1 mote
Duration: Instant
Type: Reflexive
Min. Brawl: 2
Min. Essence: 1
Prereq Charms: Trembling Mountain Dance

With this Charm, the Infernal dips his hands into the fiery heart of Qaf, and pulls them back enshrouded in molten stone which rapidly cools and shatters. This supplements a single action and grants him the power to parry a lethal blow, or attack for lethal damage. Some users with this Charm wield fists of magmatic Essence, while others' punches come accompanied with splintering films of obsidian.


Implacable Earthquake Stride

Cost: 7 motes, 1 Willpower
Duration: Instant
Type: Extra Actions
Min. Brawl: 3
Min. Essence: 2
Prereq Charms: Volcanic Palm

The Infernal takes on the threatening, wide-spreading destructive aspect on the quaking earth. Turning and kicking, stomping shockwaves into the ground, he makes as many unarmed Brawl attacks as his Dexterity. Any of these may be at distance, but he sacrifices 1 attack success per yard the attack surpasses his unarmed reach. These distance attacks manifest as shockwaves running through the ground, and thus may only be made to earthbound targets; they may be dodged but not parried.


Flowery Lineage-Igniting Fist

Cost: 5 motes, (1 Willpower)
Duration: Instant
Type: Supplemental
Min. Brawl: 5
Min. Essence: 2
Prereq Charms: Oath-Pruning Attitude, Heart-Harvesting Blow, Implacable Earthquake Stride

The Infernal weaves indignity and infamy into his attack; he strikes his target for normal damage, and in addition, he strikes at his friendships and loyalties. For each point of the Infernal's Essence, one mortal who is precious to the target suffers the Infernal's Conviction in unsoakable lethal damage, which appears as patterns of flower-shaped burn wounds. This Charm may be used in a clinch. On a turn after the Infernal has used this Charm in a clinch, if he is still in the same clinch he may use it again without expending the Willpower cost.

Comments

Mechanically, it might be simpler for Flowery Lineage Burning Technique to be a Supplemental Charm. And how far does the special effect of Volcanic Palm extend? Does it actually produce a residue of hardened volcanic rock? - Quendalon

I'm not very clear on the clinch mechanics; is this what you had in mind? - willows

I'm not very clear on the clinch mechanics either, but it looks good to me. It's a very interesting Charm to balance because it provides no direct benefit toward winning a fight, unless of course the mortals in question are fighting at the target's side. Speaking of which, should the Infernal have any role in determining which mortals are affected? - Quendalon

Probably not, at least not directly through this charm. There might be Charms elsewhere that let you mess with a person's attachments, like a less terrifying version of the Wanting and Fearing Prayer. But this is basically intended to be a blunt instrument. - willows