DariusSolluman/SwitchedOn
Switched On - Clash Time and Charms
As a Clash is a full Scene, an Exalt is capable of using multiple Charms during it. Some, like Flow Like Blood, provide a Persistant Defense from all incoming attacks. Others, like Excellent Strike, suppliment a single attack- a seemingly meaningless advantage in the sweep of fighting a whole army.
Keep in mind, however, that most of the army's Health is it's Morale- and if they see the Invincible Sword Princess tear through three people in as many seconds, they'll be far more leary of marching onward.
To that end, an Exalt is able to use an unlimited number of Charms in a given Clash- but there is an increase in the cost of using more than one Charm a Clash. To do so, they declare (when they are declaring how many actions they will be taking) which Charms they are 'activating'. Each 'short' Charm (any Charm with a duration of less than a Scene or thirty minutes) has it's cost multiplied by the total number of Charms being used this Clash. This cost increase also applies to any Willpower or Health Levels that must be paid. Long duration Charms (more than a half-hour, Scenelongs) are always activated at normal cost.
The rational is that using multiple Charms requires they be used multiple times to get the full effect of having used them all. This cost multiple persists, even if some of the chosen Charms are not actually used. For counting and cost purposes, a Combo counts as only a single, short Charm.
Example: Rising Dawn declares that he will be taking two actions this round. For his Charms, he chooses Excellent Strike, Hungry Tiger Technique and Five Fold Bulwark Stance. The cost of using Excellent Strike and Hungry Technique are both tripled, because he is using three Charms this Clash and both of those are short Charms. The cost of Five Fold Bulwark Stance is not increased, because it will last the whole Clash after being activated. If Rising Dawn had a Combo of Excellent Strike and Hungry Tiger Technique, it would have only doubled the cost to use it, as the Combo would have counted as only one charm (and Five Fold Bulwark Stance counting as the other).
Charms which affect only a single of the 'spread' attacks from the Army must be reinvoked for each use. This doesn't count as a seperate Charm for the cost increase purposes, but does increase the cost overall.
Example: Rising Dawn declares he'll be using Dipping Swallow Defense and Golden Essence Block this Clash. The Army hits him for three successes, meaning he has three attacks to parry. The cost to use Dipping Swallow Defense to parry all three attacks is 2 (base cost) x 2 (number of Charms) x 3 (number of attacks to Parry), or 12 motes. He could also just parry one or two of the attacks at a cost of 4 or 8 motes.
These special case rules don't count for an Exalt using Tactical Charms. The magics of such abilities are more subtle, influencing not a single order, but dozen and hundreds. Only one Charm may be used per Clash, unless the Exalt has a Combo. Dragonblooded, as normal, may freely use Reflexive Charms.
More exclusive content! -DariusSolluman
Persistant Attacks and Defenses are the other sticky case. The Solar Arhcery Charm, Arrow Storm Technique, and the Abyssal Melee Charm, Glorious Carnage Typhoon, are the only in print examples of Persistant Attacks. In both cases, the Exalt may be able to keep making attacks until they have exhausted all possible targets, although they are unable to target the same person twice in one turn. Typically, they will score between twenty and thirty actual blows a turn. Likewise, the Charms Fivefold Bulwark Stance and Flow Like Blood, Persistant Defenses which allow an Exalt to make automatic dodge and parry attempts at incoming damage- they can potentially avoid an unlimited amount of attacks with them.
Either type of Charm allows an Exalt to spread their attacks or defense roll out, in the same fashion as an Army's. Persistant Attacks spread out their attacks- each success rolled must be parried seperately by the army, which will rarely have the actions available for such a feat. Persistant Defenses spread out their defense- each success rolled cancels one of the Army's own spread out attacks. The dice for a Persistant Defense are also reflexively generated- the Exalt need not reserve an action for defense.
Stunts in Clash Time. An Exalt can perform multiple Stunts on a single action, because that single action represents hundreds of chances to stunt. They can gain no more than three bonus dice on a single action, however. Stunt are, however, worth triple Essence and Willpower, divisble however the player wishes. A one die stunt is three Essence, a two die stunt is six Essence, 2 Willpower, or 3 Essence and 1 WIllpower, and a three die stunt is 3 Willpower, 9 Essence, or any other conversion of 1 Willpower = 3 Essence you want. Tactical Stunts include things like describing a clever ambush, charging through to the commander, or running across the speartips to flank the unit. A Unit's stunts would include clever manuvers, descriptions involving the terrain, and a scene setup that would make Braveheart weep.
Clarified Stunting a bit. I hope. -DariusSolluman
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