TheGatesOfCreation/StuntTheory

Stunt Theory

Stunts allow characters to attempt the impossible, to succeed where others would fail and to look good while doing so. That they grant extra dice on the attempt and a handful of motes on a rolled success is, all things considered, a minor benefit in comparison.

With a stunt a character can perform superhuman feats of strength and agility, persuasion and seduction, endurance and grit, without any magical or supernatural assistance beyond that built into the fabric of Creation itself. There are a number of Charms that allow the Exalted to match these achievements with the expenditure of but a few motes (Graceful Crane Stance and Effortlessly Rising Flame are common examples) and they have the advantage of being certain, of "just working", instead to requiring some kind of roll or action on the part of the character. Charms, however, have to be learned, through the expenditure of xp (or BP) whereas a stunt can, and should, be improvised upon the spot. Furthermore a stunt can be used to create Charm-like effects in other ways, simply through proper use of the character's described environment (which can itself be expanded upon through the use of a stunt).

Cloud Lynx sprints through the night-time streets of a deserted city, pursued by a talon of nemessaries intent on her demise. The undead soldiers have been gaining ground on the young Terrestrial and the Storyteller has told her player that it won't be long until she is forced to face them. "What part of the city is Lynx in?" her player asks, and is told that this is the market district. He thinks for a moment and then says, "Leaping over a barrel of apples left when the residents fled the city, Cloud Lynx turns for a heartbeat and smacks the barrel with the side of her goremaul, sending it flying into the group of nemessaries, knocking them about like skittles. Without pausing to see how effective this was she continues to run." The Storyteller blinks and smiles, "Two-die stunt, Strength plus Melee. Each extra success knocks one nemessary off its feet." The player rolls the dice, and there are now only a pair of the Dead on her feet; much better odds.

Beyond this, the phrase at at the top "attempt the impossible" should be taken literally. Note that it does not say "accomplish", just because you can do something impossible does not make success easy, or even likely. There are a number of Charms and effects that render certain countermeasures inapplicable or at least ineffective. With the right stunt these effects can be mitigated, enabling the character to use a defence that might be declared inapplicable by the Charm. In such circumstances, though, the DV in question would start at 0 and would need to be bought up by means of Excellencies, other Charms would not work due to being rendered inapplicable.