Dragon Graced Weapon
Cost: 1m Type: Supplemental
Duration: Instant
Keywords: Combo-OK, Elemental
Mins: Melee 2, Essence 1 Prereqs: None
The Dragonblooded channels elemental Essence into his weapon, causing it to flare briefly as he strikes. This Charm supplements an attack with a melee weapon. When made, it adds an additional effect to the attack based on the character’s Aspect. None of the effects below stack with themselves, but they do stack with each other. Thus, a character can only be set on fire once, but may suffer the Fire and Water conditions from two separate strikes.
Air Graced Weapons cause numbing pain, either through cold or electric shocks, and inflict a -1 wound penalty if they hit. This penalty heals after at the same rate as a bruised Bashing Health Level. This version of the Charm has the Crippling keyword.
Earth Graced Weapons cover the opponent with a thin layer of rock that makes movement difficult. Add one to the Speed of all actions taken by the character in combat until they break free of the bindings. This penalty can be negated by taking an action to break out of the shell, which requires a Miscellaneous Action and a Strength + Athletics total of the Dragonblooded’s Essence +2.
Fire Graced Weapons set the opponent on fire if they hit. Treat this as a Hazard with a Damage of 1L/action and a Trauma of the Dragonblooded’s Essence. Putting this damage out requires a stunt and a Miscellaneous action; however, the effect is negated in any environment where fire can’t sustain itself (torrential downpours, for example). It should be noted that Extras hit with this power will pretty much universally fall to the ground screaming unable to do anything due to the pain. This effect is treated as Environmental Damage.
Water Graced Weapons causes seawater to condense in the victim’s lungs. The victim will begin Drowning (Core p130) unless they do not need to breathe, or they spend 5 ticks doing nothing but coughing up the water (as a Miscellaneous action that may not be flurried). Drowning characters must succeed on a Stamina + Resistance roll (difficulty the Dragonblooded’s Essence) to continue fighting.
Wood Graced Weapons create infected wounds much more easily, even against the Exalted and other supernatural beings. The Virulence of these wounds increase by the Dragonblooded’s Essence (see core, pg. 151). This almost assures mortals without treatment will turn septic and die. This version of the Charm has the Disease keyword.
Refining The Inner Blade
Cost: None Type: Permanent
Duration: Permanent
Keywords: Anima
Mins: Melee 4, Essence 3 Prereqs: Dragon Graced Weapon
This Charm allows the Dragonblooded to forge his anima alone into a weapon of surpassing excellence. When this Charm is learned, the Dragonblooded meditates until he discovers the weapon that is most innately related to his soul. He then twists and shapes his anima until it comes into the shape of the weapon desired. The player selects a single mundane melee weapon with a Resources value no greater than two and applies the Jade Magical Material Bonus to the weapon (or the specific Jade bonus as listed in Oadenol’s Codex). This Charm may only ever be purchased once.
The Dragonblooded may draw this weapon from his anima as the equivalent action for drawing a mundane weapon (typically a Misc action but can be modified by Charms). This costs one mote, unless the character is flaring at the 11+ level of anima display in which case it is free.
Soul Crucible Unbinding
Cost: None Type: Permanent
Duration: Permanent
Keywords: Anima
Mins: Melee 5, Essence 5 Prereqs: Refining the Inner Blade
This Charm permanently enhances the Dragonblood’s Inner Blade as determined by this Charm’s prerequisite. The character may spend 5m as a Misc Action either during the process of drawing the blade or at some later point. He slams the weapon into his own heart and in a geyser of elemental fury that instantly raises his anima to the iconic level the weapon multiplies in strength and size. This Charm improves the Inner Blade to the artifact version of the same weapon. Unlike most anima powers, the motes for this Charm remain committed until he dispels his weapon. Additionally, all attacks made with the upgraded Inner Blade can strike dematerialized spirits.
Five Harmonious Principles Stance
Cost: 3m, 1wp Type: Reflexive
Duration: One Action
Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious
Mins: Melee 3, Essence 1 Prereqs: (Any) Melee Excellence
Schools of Dragonblooded swordsmanship teach that there are but five fundamental stances, five fundamental strikes and five fundamental defences. Each stance, strike and defense is aligned to a specific element and the schools teach that each stance is superior to and vulnerable to a different stance in turn. Fire defeats wood, wood defeats earth, earth defeats air, air defeats water and water defeats fire; or so the teaching method goes. This Charm naturally developed from such teachings.
When evoked, this Charm allows the character to assume one of five stances, exploiting its benefits but also accepting its weaknesses. The character must activate this Charm on the same tick during which his DV refreshes and the effects persist until the character’s DV next refreshes, whether he wants to or not. Committing to the formalized style of this Charm is not done lightly. While the stances are named for the five elements, this Charm is not actually elemental in nature and any aspected Dragonblooded may evoke the benefit of any stance. When the character purchases this Charm, he selects one of the Stances below which he can evoke when he uses this Charm. Additional Stances may be purchased at the cost of 1BP or 3XP. No two stances may ever be combined.
Air Stance allows rapid action and defence but cannot break a stern defense. Reduce the Speed of all your attacks to three (minimum including any other Charms) and all attacks against you suffer a penalty to their dice pool equal to your Essence, this is equivalent to a multiple action penalty since it is caused by the wild flailing of the opponent trying to track your rapid movements. However, none of your attacks this action inflict an Onslaught penalty on the opponent.
Earth Stance allows for a superlative defense and strong attacks but finds it hard to focus on more than one thing at a time. The character suffers no DV penalty for attacks made this action and his damage is increased by his permanent Essence but the Rate of all weapons he is wielding is reduced to one.
Fire Stance allows for many quick, accurate attacks but sacrifices all pretence of defence. Increase the Rate of all weapons by 2 and reduce the character’s multiple action penalties on attack rolls this action by his permanent Essence (to a minimum of -2) but double the DV penalty of each attack made.
Water Stance never changes no matter how many times it is hit and rolls in waves to drown opponents. However, like waves, the effects of each individual wave is negligible. Reduce the character’s Onslaught DV penalty by the user’s Essence (to a minimum of -0), and he may make a Counterattack against each attack he suffers this action. This Counterattack causes no DV penalty. However, the multiple action penalty of any attacks he makes this action are deducted from his base damage before applying soak (and can reduce damage to 0 dice) and he suffers a cumulative -2 to damage on every Counterattack he makes until his DV refreshes.
Wood Stance creeps in through even the strongest defense but fares poorly against the concerted attention of a single opponent. Increase the minimum damage of your attacks by your permanent Essence and ignore Hardness until your next action. However, the DV penalty from Onslaught is doubled until your next action.
Shield Wall Technique
Cost: 2m Type: Reflexive (Step 2)
Duration: One Action
Keywords: Combo-Ok, Cooperative, War
Mins: Melee 3, Essence 2 Prereqs: Five Harmonious Principles Stances
This Charm briefly enchants a shield, using it as a focus for the Exalt’s anima and projecting a field of force to protect his allies. When used, it allows a Dragonblooded to grant the benefits of his Shield to up to a Unit of Magnitude 1 (or up to five allies outside of mass combat provided they all stay within 5 yards of each other.) The benefits of this Charm are still considered Cover, and thus can be circumnavigated in the same manner.
Multiple Dragonblooded can evoke this Charm cooperatively. If so, the benefits of the Shield Wall stack with each other. So, a unit of three Dragonblooded each with Tower Shields would gain a total of +3 DV against hand-to-hand attacks and +6 against ranged attacks. No more than five Dragonblooded may ever evoke this Charm at the same time.
The Charm has special effects during War time. If a Unit of Dragonblooded know this Charm, then double the Shield benefits to the Unit for the rest of the battle at no cost.
Portentous Comet Deflecting Mode
Cost: 1m, 1wp Type: Reflexive (Step 2)
Duration: One Action
Keywords: Combo-Basic, Obvious
Mins: Melee 5, Essence 4 Prereqs: Shield Wall Technique
The power of the Dragonblooded cannot be overcome by mortal hands. This Charm may only be evoked if the Dragonblooded is taking a Guard action, it fails if used on a tick during which the character also performs any other action. For the duration of the Charm the character may spend 1m to reduce the opponent’s attack dice pool to 0 before applying Charms and Stunts.
Ringing Anvil Onslaught
Cost: 2m per attack, 1wp Type: Extra Action
Duration: Instant
Keywords: Combo-OK, Obvious
Mins: Melee 4, Essence 3 Prereqs: Five Harmonious Principles Stances
This Charm allows the Dragonblooded to hammer down blows on his opponent with the same unstoppable certainty of a smith at his anvil. The Exalt may make a number of attacks equal to his Melee score (including relevant specialties) at a cost of 2m per attack. Each attack is made at full dice pool. However, unlike normal Extra Action Charms the character suffers a -1DV penalty for each attack made.
Blinding Spark Distraction
Cost: None Type: Permanent
Duration: Permanent
Keywords: Anima, Crippling
Mins: Melee 3, Essence 2 Prereqs: Dragon Graced Weapon
Whenever iron strikes iron, sparks are formed. The Dragonblooded learns to enhance this power with his anima, turning a few small sparks into a cascade that blinds his opponent. This effect may be evoked at the cost of 1m whenever the character attempts to Parry an incoming hand-to-hand attack when both weapons are made of metal or magical materials. This counts as a Counterattack and must take place during Step 9 of resolution but does not inflict a -1DV penalty on the Exalt. When evoked, this Charm inflicts a -1 external penalty on all actions the opponent makes until their next action from the flash and distraction. Treat this as an undodgeable, unblockable attack.