SolarBrawl/NatalieD
I feel that Brawl ought to have access to Charms such as dice-adders, parries, and all the other goodies that Melee gets. On the other hand, I don't just want to duplicate existing Charms into a different Ability. Please leave comments and tell me what you think, especially if something looks too strong or too weak. ^_^
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Changes to Existing Charms
Fists of Iron Technique
This charm just plain sucks. The power combat revision made it at least useful inside a combo, but I'm still not pleased. Therefore:
Cost: None Duration: Permanent Type: N/A Min. Brawl: 3 Min Essence: 1 Prereqs: None
After extensive and painful abuse, the character's fists have become calloused and hard enough to shatter bones. She may always opt to inflict lethal damage with unarmed attacks, and can parry lethal attacks without a stunt. This applies to kicks and other unarmed attacks as well, and even to unarmed Martial Arts actions, but not to clinches.
(Ox-Stunning Blow requires only Ferocious Jab.)
Crashing Wave Throw
This charm has no prerequisites. (It has nothing at all to do with Sledgehammer Fist Punch, and as of power combat it's certainly low-key enough to be a root charm.)
Dragon Coil Technique
This got significantly nerfed in power combat, and I don't see why. Accordingly, I'm treating it as adding (brawler's Essence) automatic successes to all Str + Brawl or Dex + Brawl clinch rolls, and making the clinch do lethal damge. Also, the prerequisite is changed from Fists of Iron to Crashing Wave Throw, to keep the grappling charms together and distinct from the punching charms.
Charms
Streaking Comet Fist
Cost: 2 + X motes Duration: Instant Type: Simple Min. Brawl: 3 Min Essence: 2 Prereqs: Thunderclap Rush Attack
Irritated by cowardly opponents who attack from a distance, some brawlers develop techniques to close the gap. A Solar using this Charm moves across a battlefield at breakneck speed, her feet barely skimming the ground as she follows the light of Essence blazing around her fist. She may move up to her full sprinting distance before making a normal Brawl attack. For each additional mote spent on this Charm, add 1 die to her attack pool, up to her Dexterity + Brawl. If the character is unarmed, she may opt to deal lethal damage with this attack.
Thundering Essence Wave
Cost: 2 motes Duration: Instant Type: Supplemental Min. Brawl: 4 Min Essence: 2 Prereqs: Streaking Comet Fist
The Exalt slams her fist into the ground, and a burst of fiery Essence erupts from the impact, shooting along the ground towards her opponent. The character may make a Brawl attack at a range of up to her Essence x 4 in yards. The attack deals lethal damage, and most characters who take one or more levels of damage are knocked down by the attack. If a victim enjoys a balance-reinforcing effect such as Graceful Crane Stance, he may make a reflexive Stamina + Athletics roll at difficulty of the brawler's Essence to keep his feet, or may be immune entirely, depending on the particular effect and the Storyteller's judgement. This Charm is ineffective against opponents who are flying, on the other side of a river, or in any other way not connected to the user by the ground.
Invincible Hand of the Sun
Cost: 10 motes Duration: Indefinite Type: Simple Min. Brawl: 5 Min Essence: 3 Prereqs: Fists of Iron Technique
The Solar has mastered the fusion of flesh and Essence. By channeling the purity of the Unconquered Sun into her hands and feet, she transforms her body into a weapon deadlier than the finest steel. As long as she keeps the Essence for this Charm committed, the character gains all the benefits of wearing smashfists and god-kicking boots made of orichalcum. This is not limited to the appropriate combat bonuses; she may fearlessly plunge her hands into a fire, walk barefoot across a field of razor blades, and in general enjoy all the protections of having her extremities sheathed in orichalcum. This Charm does not interfere with the user's sensitivity, but anyone touching her hands or feet may notice their strength. The combat benefits of this Charm do not apply if the character uses a brawling weapon.
Relentless Assault
Cost: 1 mote Duration: Instant Type: Reflexive Min. Brawl: 3 Min Essence: 2 Prereqs: None
Brawlers are not well-known for emotional self-control. With this Charm, a character can channel her frustration and anger into her efforts. This Charm may be activated whenever an enemy successfully parries, dodges, or otherwise evades the character's Brawl attack. For the rest of the scene, the character gains an extra die to all Brawl attacks made against that enemy. Relentless Assault may be used multiple times for increased effect, but the total number of dice gained may not exceed the character's Brawl rating. (The added dice do count towards the character's Dexterity + Brawl limit.)
Wall of Fists Approach
Cost: 5 motes Duration: Instant Type: Reflexive Min. Brawl: 3 Min Essence: 1 Prereqs: None
Those who fight in taverns and alleyways must always be prepared for unfair odds; a true brawler can defend against a flurry of attacks without sacrificing his offense, the best defense of all. Using this Charm allows the character to make a full parry without affecting her action for the turn. A character may invoke Wall of Fists Approach multiple times in a turn if her need for parries exceeds her rate, or simply to "refresh" her parries and start again at -0. This Charm does not allow an unarmed character to parry lethal attacks, though she may still do so with a well-described stunt.
Seizing the Blade
Cost: 2 motes Duration: Instant Type: Reflexive Min. Brawl: 5 Min Essence: 3 Prereqs: Wall of Fists Approach
A quick-thinking brawler can turn an opponent's attack into a golden opportunity. Instead of simply batting a weapon away, the character seizes it in her hand and uses it to draw the opponent in. This Charm may be used whenever the character successfully parries an attack with a Brawl action or Charm. Any extra successes on the parry are used as successes on a reflexive clinch attack against the initiator of the parried attack, which can be defended against as normal. If the clinch is successful, any further attacks the victim might have made are lost, although a saved defensive action may be used as an attempt to escape the clinch as normal. Armed characters may choose to let go their weapon and be disarmed, but escape the clinch. To avoid this, the brawler may attempt to catch hold of a target's wrist instead, but this subtracts two successes from the clinch attack. A character may not use this charm if she is wielding a khatar or other such weapon that would interfere with her grip, and will need an impressive stunt to use it against most weapons if she does not have the capability to parry lethal damage.
Master Pugilist's Security
Cost: 4 motes Duration: Instant Type: Reflexive Min. Brawl: 4 Min Essence: 2 Prereqs: Wall of Fists Approach
A Solar Exalted can fearlessly defeat hordes of armed enemies with her bare hands. How little threat, then, could be posed by a mere fistfight? Using this Charm, the character can reflexively parry any one attack, even one that could not normally be parried, so long as the attack would inflict only bashing damage. This is a perfect defense. Magical attacks which inflict no health levels of damage may be parried if they are delivered with a weapon that normally deals bashing damage, or unarmed, if the attacker does not deal lethal damage with unarmed attacks.
Deadly Talons Grasp
Cost: 8 motes Duration: Instant Type: Simple Min. Brawl: 5 Min Essence: 3 Prereqs: Dragon Coil Technique
The Solar reaches out one hand and seizes her enemy in a crushing hold. Once caught, the victim's body is wracked by convulsive streams of Essence, and he is unable to do more than struggle against the agonizing grip. The brawler needs only one hand to maintain her hold, and may continue to fight additional enemies while crushing the first. The character makes an ordinary punch attack, but if the attack hits, instead of doing normal damage, treat it as a successful clinch attack. The damage is lethal on the first turn of the clinch. The clinch created by Deadly Talons Grasp is special - so long as it continues, the character may take two fully independent actions. One of these actions must be to continue the clinch, and the other may be used to fight as normal, but no attacks from the second action may target the clinched enemy. Charms or Combos may be used to supplement either or both actions, though a Combo is needed to use more than one Charm on each action. The independent actions granted by Deadly Talons Grasp are compatible with extra-action charms. (For instance, the brawler may use Dragon Coil Technique to enhance the clinch, and a Combo of Wall of Fists Approach with Ferocious Jab to fight off other enemies.) The non-clinch action may be used to activate Deadly Talons Grasp again on a second opponent, after which the character must use both actions to clinch her enemies.
Unwilling Guardian
Cost: 5 motes Duration: Instant Type: Reflexive Min. Brawl: 5 Min Essence: 3 Prereqs: Dragon Coil Technique, Wall of Fists Approach
A competent brawler is both ruthless and resourceful. With this Charm, an enemy held immobile can be placed in the way of his allies' attacks, allowing him to be struck in her place. Unwilling Guardian may only be used while an enemy is held in a clinch, and only if the brawler won the most recent roll to control the clinch. (If the clinch is using Deadly Talons Grasp, the Charm use of Unwilling Guardian is counted against the non-clinching action. If two enemies are clinched, either action's Charm can be used for Unwilling Guardian.) The brawler's player makes a parry roll with no defense bonus against one attack, but adds the protection of a tower shield to represent the cover provided by the victim's body. If the parry is successful, the held opponent is hit and must soak the base damage of the attack, plus any extra successes gained on the parry roll.
Comments
Cool; Deadly Talon's Grasp reminds me of my Effortless Hold charm!:) Except I made the charm 3/1, with no prerequisites:) I think yours is a little more powerful too, since it gives a complete independent action and all that. Still, pretty nifty! --SolarBrawl/CrownedSun
I like "Streaking Comet Fist", that one's awesome. I like the idea that Brawl does something that Melee can't, rather than just being a weaker version. I'm not sure how I feel about the new Fists of Iron Technique, lethal vs. bashing damage isn't a big deal, and without reflexive or persistant defenses, you're not going to be doing a whole lot of parries. One Charm that defintily should be there is a Solar version of "Crimson Palm Counterstrike."
Anyway, I'm just thinking out loud now. -MeiRen
A number of old comments can be found at SolarBrawl/NatalieDOldComments.
Streaking Comet Fist - a homage to Terry Bogard's Burn Knuckles special? :) - Coridan
