IsawaBrian/SolarArcheryAttack
First Edition and Conversions
Sol Invictus Aim
Cost: 8 motes, 1 Willpower Duration: Instant Type: Supplemental Minimum Archery: 5 Minimum Essence: 5 Prerequisite Charms: Accuracy Without Distance, Shot Without Distance Exercise
The Solar takes on the aspect of the mighty Sol Invictus. Like the Righteous Warrior of the Heavens, his shots cannot miss their targets. His arrows become surrounded by a brilliant corona of Essence, blinding most opponents and penetrating past the best defenses. This is a perfect attack, and cannot be dodged or blocked. No penalties are applied to this roll; only a perfect defense can stop it in any way. The character should still roll to attack with a number of automatic successes equal to the character’s permanent Essence. All successes rolled here, plus the character’s Archery score, are added to the character’s raw damage, which may be bashing or lethal as the character prefers. The opponent soaks as normal, and damage is rolled as normal.
In Second Edition, the Prerequisite Charms become Accuracy Without Distance and Archery Essence Flow. This Charm is Combo-OK, Leader, and Obvious. The 'Perfect Attack' title no longer applies in Ex2.0; instead, no DV is ever applicable nor can be made applicable, except for Perfect Defenses. The bonus successes to the attack and bonus dice to damage still apply, as does the bashing/lethal choice.
Sage Targeting
Cost: 3 motes per success Duration: Instant Type: Supplemental Minimum Archery: 1 Minimum Essence: 1 Prerequisite Charms: Wise Arrow
Patience and understanding are the watch-words of the careful archer. Knowing the precise moment of harmony for a strike can be more effective than the most powerful attack. To use this Charm, the player firsts makes a regular Dexterity + Archery attack. Then, the player may “buy” additional successes, up to the character’s Essence rating + the number of successes rolled on the Archery roll. Each success bought in this fashion costs 3 motes of Essence. While this will allow the character to buy up to Essence successes on a roll that garners no net successes, it cannot create an action by itself. This Charm may not be used to gain an attack, merely to supplement existing ones.
In 2nd edition, this Charm is quite different.
Cost: 7 motes per “Effect Level”, 1 willpower; Mins: Archery 5, Essence 5; Type:Reflexive Keywords: Combo-OK, Leader, Obvious Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: Any Archery Excellency, Unrepentant Rebuke
<I>Note: For the purposes of this Charm, 'effect level' either refers to the Circle "number" for a Sorcery spell or the minimum Essence necessary to perform an action; this does not include the Charms necessary for Sorcery, which is a delicate process and thus easier to disrupt.
Solars are the undisputed masters of Sorcery, and other beings can only hope to equal that scope in opposing methodologies such as Necromancy or Protocols. A well-attuned Solar can spot the formation of complex Essence forms and snap off an attack—manifesting a bolt of pure essence from their weapon—that swiftly disrupts the essence matrix of the target effect.
Effectively, Sage Targeting is a reflexive Charm that permits the Solar to use the piercing nature of Archery to disrupt long-term essence accumulation. This works on any Essence-based effect that takes more than a single action to perform, such as Sorcery. This does not apply to effects that have extended durations that are already activated, only effects that are being activated.
The Exalt must be within his weapon’s Range of the target. The character makes a Dexterity + Archery + weapon Accuracy against a difficulty equal to the Essence of the target plus the effect level of whatever extended Essence based action the target is making. This costs 1 Willpower plus 7 motes per effect level. If the roll is successful, the casting is disrupted.
Sky-Burning Strikes
Cost: 5 motes Duration: Instant Type: Supplemental Minimum Archery: 3 Minimum Essence: 3 Prerequisite Charms: Phantom Arrow Technique
Similar to Rain of Feathered Death, this Charm creates Essence-born duplicates of the Solar's arrow. Unlike Rain of Feathered Death, these phantom arrows have less permanence-- but there are many, many more of them. Dozens to hundreds of burning golden copies fly from the Exalt's bow, covering an area. Double the character's Archery pool for the attack; this attack may only be blocked, not dodged. While this attack typically only affects a single individual, it can be used for other purposes- lighting massive fires, creating sunlight at night for a turn, and so on. The arrow-copies disappear on impact. This Charm will provide arrows if the character has none.
In Second Edition, this Charm is Combo-OK, Leader and Obvious. Instead of the above effects, it doubles the Solar's successes on the attack roll before comparing it to defense, in step 3 of attack resolution, and makes the target's Dodge DV inapplicable.
Beyond the World
Cost: 5 motes, 1 Willpower Duration: One Scene Type: Simple Minimum Archery: 4 Minimum Essence: 2 Prerequisite Charms: There Is No Wind
The Solar harmonizes himself with his bow and his soul and his arrows. All act as one, disdaining the crude limitations of the world for Solar excellence. Until the end of the scene, reduce his difficulties and penalties for Archery actions by his permanent Essence, to a minimum difficulty of 1 and a minimum penalty of 0.
In Second Edition, this Charm instead reduces both Internal and External Penalties by the character's permanent Essence. It has the Keywords Combo-Basic and Leader. This specifically does not include an opponent's Defense Value. It has a Speed of 5.
There Is No Miss
Cost: 3 motes, 1 Willpower Duration: Instant Type: Reflexive Minimum Archery: 5 Minimum Essence: 2 Prerequisite Charms: There Is No Wind
Sometimes, even the best Solar Archer may have a foe whose has the luck or skill necessary to evade her arrows-- once. By wresting control of her arrow in flight, however, the Exalt may force such an opponent to face death repeatedly. This Charm may be activated after any Archery attack that gained at least 1 success but did not hit the target. Every round for a number of rounds equal to the Exalt's permanent Essence, apply that same attack and attack successes again as the arrow turns in flight to strike again at the foe. These attacks cease if the target is hit, or the arrow is destroyed in flight. The Solar must reflexively pay the cost again each turn, though this does not count as a Charm use. The Solar need not reactivate any relevant Charms, although only those Charms that were activated prior to the miss will take effect.
In Second Edition, this Charm is Combo-OK, Illuminated, Obvious, and a Step 10 Reflexive. Its effects reoccur every (initial Speed) actions. Unlike Boundless Arrow of the Unconquered Sun, There is No Miss (A more crude weapon for a barbarous Age) does not serve as an upgrade for Accuracy Without Distance, and the target must be and stay within the initial range of the attack for this Charm to continue.
Second Edition
Sight Without Eyes
Cost: --; Mins: Archery 5, Essence 3; Type: Permanent Keywords: Leader Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Beyond the World
Although a Solar who becomes lofty Beyond the World may reduce the interference of the crude mechanisms of Creation in her pursuit of the unrighteous, there are always some few cowards who will attempt to evade the Lawgiver’s heavenly punishments. By learning to take her Sight Without Eyes, even these renegades may be brought low. When activating Beyond the World, the Solar may spend an additional three motes to gain two secondary effects. First, any bonuses to the target’s DV based on sensory distortion may be reduced as with any penalty by Beyond the World (though this may not become a reduction to DV from other sources).
Secondly, even if the Lawgiver cannot see her opponent, she may still attempt to shoot if she can perceive the opponent in some way. Typically, this is a reflexive Perception + Awareness action based on hearing, but the Storyteller may require more esoteric methods. Some forms of invisibility, such as those that make the target ignored or otherwise mentally invisible, may not be affected by this charm. If the target is perceived, the Solar may make the shot as though the target was clearly seen. This use of Beyond the World is considered a mental “attack” if it is necessary to contest charms.
Shot Without Distance Exercise
Cost: 4 or 10 motes, 1 willpower; Mins: Archery 5, Essence 4; Type: Supplemental Keywords: Combo-OK, Leader, Obvious Duration: Instant Prerequisite Charms: There Is No Wind
Lawgivers’ mandate over Creation is such that they have an unusual relationship to time and space about them, giving them access to the odd not-place known as Elsewhere. Ordinarily, a Lawgiver only uses Elsewhere to store materials for personal use later. However, this can be used offensively given an extraordinary amount of effort and power. The Solar concentrates the momentum of her ammunition into a burst of energy, which streaks through Elsewhere in two brilliant flashes of light—one upon exiting the Solar’s weapon, another just short of the flesh of the target. Those who have observed it liken it to the Solar shooting a ray of explosive sunlight.
The Solar’s missile must depart the weapon used to fire it and arrives at the spot targeted by the Solar, not the target necessarily, so an alert opponent still has an opportunity to dodge, but this Charm is unblockable (and lends itself to ambush attempts). As the missile appears out of Elsewhere, it completely bypasses any and all armor, cover (including shields), and concealment. A clever Solar may use this Charm to shoot through windows -- or walls!-- without breaking them, or perform other unusual feats. If the ammunition used by the weapon costs more than Resources 1 per purchase, the cost of this Charm is 10 motes per attack. Shot Without Distance Exercise will consume any non-Artifact missile.
There Is No Self
Cost: --; Mins: Archery 5, Essence 3; Type: Permanent Keywords: Leader Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: There Is No Wind
Refining the pure focus of There Is No Wind, the Solar erases the limitations of self, focusing only on the union between arrow and target. When activating There Is No Wind, the character may spend 1 willpower to ignore wound and multiple action penalties as well. This may be used in addition to the normal Essence 3 effect of There Is No Wind. At Essence 5, if the character activates the There Is No Self modification of There Is No Wind, he may opt to activate the Essence 3 effects of There Is No Wind for no charge.
Accuracy With Precision
Cost: --; Mins: Archery 5, Essence 5; Type: Permanent Keywords: Leader Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Accuracy Without Distance
The determination of a Lawgiver allows her to reach ever-greater heights of perfection. When using Accuracy Without Distance, the Solar may double the cost of the charm to add greater precision to her attack. If the charm's effects come into play-- the attack would miss without it-- the attack is considered to have threshold successes equal to the Lawgiver's Archery rating when entering Step 7.
Torrent of Flying Devastation
Cost: --; Mins: Archery 5, Essence 5; Type: Permanent Keywords: Leader Duration: Permanent Prerequisite Charms: Rain of Feathered Death
The unyielding attack unleashed by the Chosen's Rain of Feathered Death gains an element of surprise and preternatural brilliance; the phantom darts that surround the main missile overawe the target with confusion and fear. By spending a willpower point when activating Rain of Feathered Death, the attack inflicts an Onslaught penalty on the target equal to the number of phantom arrows; this penalty applies to all attacks and stacks with additional Onslaught penalties from flurries or other sources. Although this does not give the Charm a new keyword, targets who can perfectly defend against effects with the Emotion keyword half this effect (round in the favor of the Solar activating Rain of Feathered Death).
